《The New World》


 The Story So Far: First Edition

    This is a reference Chapter in case you guys forgot some of the bonuses that Daniel has received. I didn''t list the bonuses out. Instead, I gave concise bits of text explaining the important stuff.This is kind of like a TLDR for a list, and is a broad overview, not at all super detail oriented.


    I also give insight into each of the bonuses if you''re interested in my analysis. This will hopefully make a lot of the mechanics easier to understand. For my older readers, it''s been months since they''ve seen some of this stuff too, so this is to help them keep current with anything going on in the story. Hope you folks enjoy.


    If not...Well damn. I tried.


    What''s His Armor Doing Now?Each evolution of the armor is set up to add a new bonus, build on the existing bonuses, and make his charisma lower. The newest bonus he obtained this time wasForger of Souls.Other notable increase were in the damage reduction since it''s multiplicative, and inAn Eternal Force, which increased by 50% from its previous value.


    These bonuseshave extreme synergy with endurance. Due to his bonus in Determinator,(50% bonus endurance) each attribute he puts into endurance is effectively 1.5 points in the stat. He also recieves bonus health from his armor, further enhancing this effect.


    That is further bolstered by his abnormally high damage resistance. Then you have to include his extra hp sources from arcane blood(converts his mana into health and makes him use hp like mana). He also turns some of that health into health regen via An Eternal Force. Hp has become a stat that will give the most returns for the least investment.


    What''s Going Down with the Skill Trees?Daniel is currently working on the tree calledThe Genesis of Potential. He has unlocked two of the teirs of the tree, giving him2 additional level 100 perks. This allows him to level faster than normal.Other notable increases from before are his determinator bonuses(double regen stats, 50% bonus willpower and endurance) and his obliterator bonus(4 more skill points every five levels. This effectively gives him2skill points per level.)


    There are other trees at work behind the scenes, but they will be brought up during other recap chapters. Don''t want to make this chapter 10+ pages.


    The Perk System is Complicated as Fuck. Please Halp.No problem good sir. Glad too. Here''s what''s important.


    Daniel effectively has extra leveling perks due to his abnormal regen stats(Determinator doubles them.) This gives him a lot of extra oomph to several intangibles, such as strudying the runes as you''ve no doubt noticed. His effectiveness, reading comprehension, etc. have all increased as the story progressed. This is because of several of these extra leveling perks.


    Due toThe Genesis of Potential tree, he will be granted several extra level 100 perks as well. These further double his leveling bonuses granted from the leveling perks, along with granting several powerful intangible bonuses as well. For example, the willpower perk makes it so that he no longer loses mental acuity due to a lack of rest.


    I cannot stress how important these intangible bonuses are, even if they don''t show up on the status screen. I try to make them evident, overly so at times. Other times I stress them too little. I''ll find a balance in time.


    How Are his Skills Developing? I Mean There''s Like 4 Gajillion of Them Now.I can give you guys the list of over 100 skills he has gained over the course of the novel in order of how he gained them. That tells you nothing though, as few will read through the blob of text and numbers, and even fewer will get anything from said blob.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    What''s important is that Daniel has acheived a very high level of physical mastery due to his mythical skill, boundless storm. He is now working on forging and utilizing the runes so that he can diversify his attacks. He figures that having a few extra methods of attack or crowd controlling the enemy is a good idea. I tend to agree.


    He worked for years on his fighting before ever entering the system, however. That made his progression in the physical stats rapid. The magics will be slower by comparison, besides for the growth of his augmentation magic since it comes naturally to him. It won''t take 1000 pages for him to be able to use dominion magic, but expect some struggle there.


    It would be out of place for Daniel to breeze past the magics with ease. It''s not his territory, so he''s having to take his time. It will be worth the payoff. Trust me.


    What Makes Him Different From OtherPeople Then Exactly?Let me break it down with a list.


    Strengths:


    1. His armor makes him durable and gives him reliable damage with oppression.


    2. Arcane blood gives him more health and mana than normal.


    3. BoundlessStorm makes him able to outskill opponents with more experience and speed.


    4. He has extra leveling perks, giving him a variety of added bonuses.


    5. He gains more attributes per level than a normal guy.


    Weaknesses:


    1. His Charisma is artificially lowered from his armor. The leveling perk largely negates this.


    2. He does not have an effective ranged attack, outside of oppression''s aura.


    3. He struggles versus heavily armored foes, since they cut oppression''s damage by a lot.


    Most of these weaknesses will fade with time, besides for his lowered charisma.


    Let''s Just Be Honest Here. I Wanna Know Just How OP Daniel is Then?Good question. Some of my readers say he''s completely broken. Other''s have told me that he hasn''t gotten any stronger since he left BloodHollow. For a nice analysis on the issue, I can break it down strength by strength.


    Some people believe oppression is broken. Oppression is affected by physical damage reduction, which makes it far less effective than it first appears. To fight Moloth, one of Torix''s favorite spawns, Daniel would have to kite him for over an hour while staying within a hundred feet of him. That effectively makes cheesing with the power impossible.


    It''s still no doubt a powerful skill, but it requires certain conditions to shine. Against Althea for example, it is extremely effective. She doesn''t have almost any damage resistance, meaning she takes the full brunt of oppression''s damage. Without her eldritch passive, she''d die in seconds. It still renders her immobile out of sheer pain.


    Daniel''s durability on the other hand is second to none. In time, no one will be able to outtank him. That''s an awesome utility to have, letting him draw aggro and fight without having to worry about constantly dying.


    Mythical Storm is also really good, though few reader''s agree with my sentiment. My argument is that Daniel is like a master swordsmen with a dull sword. Sure, the sword my not be the most effective weapon till he sharpens is, but he wields it to the utmost of effectiveness. Once he sharpens that blade though, his skill will really shine.


    The attributes and leveling perks will give him a solid edge over his competition as well, especially over time. All these bonuses amount to a very strong bruiser. If he can master dominion magic, his runes, level a ton, and maybe add a few other bonuses, he can become something akin to what Yawm is now - a juggernaut that eats worlds.


    Until he reaches that point though, watching him learn, grow, and become a true Harbinger of Cataclysm is the fun part, right? Hope you guys enjoyed the Breakdown, and if you guys like this, I''ll write more of these in the future, though not too often.


    As a final note, I will also be including reminders of what certain stuff does at the end of new chapters. EG, if I mention The Genesis of Potential tree, I''ll put a little note at the end of the chapter explaining how he got it and what it does. I don''t want you guys swimming in the dark afterall.

 45 Adaptation

    We left towards Torix, Kessiah bubbling with energy again. The talk cleared her mind, and that let her go back towards her usual self. That meant she woke up Althea with a bit more zeal than she needed too.


    It was ok though. Althea frowned, grumpy during the mornings like usual as we headed out towards Torix''s lair. The breeze was a pleasant cool, and the overcast sky bathed the ground in gray. The empty streets stood like a silent monument to what the city used to be like.


    Now the only sound you could hear was rustling trash being blown around or the whistling of wind. Normally I wouldn''t notice this kind of stuff, but the gloomy day brought out just how empty everything was now.


    That was when we reached Torix''s house. Several cords were running from the ground, stretching out by an antenna on top of the house. It all looked new, like it was built since the last time I was here.


    When we walked inside, I figured out it was. There was a generator built into the center of the house connected with the cords outside. They draped through across the homey hallways and roofs of rooms. Technology was tapered onto the wall, enabling an instant communication of information.


    At the center of it all, Torix scribbled onto a summoned blackboard. He would carve his finger into the expanse of black with white mana, like drawing on darkness with snow. When we walked in, he turned towards us,


    "Excellent. You''re all here." He walked up beside us and summoned a slight shift in the coloration of the air. As this subtle wave past us, all sound around us cancelled. Within the distortion, Torix spread his hands,


    "I''ve devised a method of safely clearing out new areas."


    Althea crossed her arms, "Really?"


    "Indeed I have. The primary differences between the old plan and the new plan may be separated into three primary points. Firstly-"


    He pressed his fingers together, making the floating blackboard pop into the bubble. Torix tapped it,


    "I have summoned several tiny insect creatures. I''ve made them explore Yawm''s camp to gather information. Yawm is centered within the growing world tree at the center of Springfield, as I believed he would be."


    I raised an eyebrow, "The fuck? A world tree?"


    Kessiah leaned over, "Basically a giant tree that sucks up a planet''s resources. It''s how Yawm and his followers got to such a high level."


    Torix pointed his finger, "Precisely. He won''t leave that world tree before finishing his infestation. That gives us time. His followers are the problem."


    Torix pointed at a miniature map of Springfield with dots all over it, "These dots represent named ones that Yawm has either brought over or summoned." He pointed at several red dots, each of them moving slowly. "These are the followers."


    We all nodded as he continued, "This will track their movements. Depending on the day, I will assign areas they are far from, allowing you all to clear out areas with relative safety. I''ve arranged with the steel legion to allow target encirclements that will let them still make progress despite the inherent complexity of this operation."


    Torix pointed at the hanging cords, "These allow me to communicate with them. I''ll use this to communicate with each of you as well using our own talking devices." Torix pulled out three glass spheres with gray ring lining the centers of them. He handed one to each of us.


    "Do you remember what this does?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. It''s one of those obelisks, right?"


    "Correct. These will allow each of you to visualize the data and instructions I send to you in real time. Kessiah will explain their operation. I''ve also created a private network for only our use. The steel legion will be told nothing of any of this. Trusting them too deeply is too risky for us now."


    Torix grabbed the map of Springfield on the blackboard and pulled it out. A three dimensional hologram thing came out of the board. Underneath the map was a layout of tunnels. Torix pointed at them,


    "The underlying sewer system underneath Springfield is a relatively unexplored area for Yawm. We will use it for mobilizing the steel legion and you all from here on out. This will hide our movements during the operation."


    I smiled, "Ah, then you''ll guide us away from the followers while we take out different areas. It''s like guerilla warfare essentially."


    "Exactly. That, and I''ll be giving one of my more powerful summons to Kessiah in case something...unexpected happens again. I looked at this whole issue far greater nonchalance than I should''ve. I will not underestimate Yawm or his followers again."


    Kessiah sighed, "Neither will I."


    Althea uncrossed her arms, "Sounds like a solid plan."


    Torix smiled, "That isn''t all in fact. I''ll be splitting these areas so that you may take down the named ones during each mission. They will be much like the disciples of Dakhma''s. The location of this base will also be hidden with a few more cloaking spells and some jamming technology now, for good measure."


    Kessiah grinned, "Good to see the old Torix is back."


    Torix shrugged, "I just needed to clear my head and rest for a day or two. If all of you are rested as well, I''ve already drawn up a few routes you can take when you''re ready."


    I shrugged, "I''m down if the others are."


    Kessiah clamped her fists together, "I''m ready. I''ll teach that stupid, smug, bigoted piece of shit who''s boss."


    Althea gave a curt nod. Torix snapped his fingers, making the distortion that captured the sound disappear. A rush of white noise filled my ears as Torix said,


    "Then I''ll see you when you all come back. Follow the routes of your obelisks. They''ll show you the way from here."


    Kessiah draped her arms over my and Althea''s shoulders. She grinned between us, "Let''s go give this shit another shot." She walked out the front door before turning back towards us, "Come on. I''ll show you guys how to use the obelisks."


    We walked outside the house, Althea''s steps light and mine heavy. Once we reached outside, Kessiah lifted her obelisk, shooting a bit of mana into it. The sphere expanded around her. I''d never seen the energy from outside. It was a ball of pure white sitting in the middle of open space, like a ball of textureless paper.


    The ball returned back to the sphere as Kessiah raised it up,


    "So here''s what you do. Put your mana into the thing. The obelisk will then use your unique signature of mana from there on out. You can customize them later if you''re into that."


    I lifted the sphere out in front of me. Charging my runes, an orange light poured into the ball before the wall of white wrapped around me. No noise was let inside of it, just like before. All around me was a lush, green forest. I was standing on a small island in the middle of a creek. Cicadas hummed in my ears, and the rustling of the stream calmed me.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A map appeared then integrated into Schema''s interface. With a thought, the orb shrunk back into my palm. The two dimensional square took up a little bit of my peripheral vision, but it didn''t get in the way. I pursed my lips,


    "So you can change Schema''s interface?"


    Kessiah turned, "What? Of course you can. On the open market, you can find all kinds of adjustments for it."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Well shit. Alright, I''m ready to go do stuff if you guys want to."


    Althea still surrounded herself in the white of the obelisk. Kessiah shrugged, "She''s probably adjusting a few settings. You may want to do that yourself before we leave."


    "Eh, alright. I''ll give it a shot."


    I opened my obelisk, the creek surrounding me again. With the relaxing background, I fiddled with a few options. Changing the backgrounds, the opacity of my stats, even the color was simple as thinking. I didn''t have to fiddle with a menu screen or something arduous like a list of a trillion backgrounds.


    It was a dynamic display, something really nice to have. It reminded me of phones from before the apocalypse. People dug their faces into those pieces of metal for hours on end, ignoring everything around them. I could just imagine how addicted and dependent some people may be on the obelisk.


    Still, it organized and let met glance at all my perks, skill trees, and everything else with a sublime ease. No more scrolling through screens and screens of data. The obelisk visualized it into graphs, showing bar graphs tracking my exp gain per hour or levels per day. It made managing all this shit way easier.


    In the middle of my piddling, I received a message from Torix,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(2:08am 4/12/00) - I uploaded a variety of libraries towards your obelisk. Carrying around an entire library of books is impossible any other way. Progressing without the right book at the right time can be difficult after all.


    Just think of accessing the data store and it will show up. I recommend Finding Your Inner Resolve by Artemus Korgah. It details a few of the more advanced tricks behind augmentation.


    Following his advice, I visualized a library. The imagery of a creek blended into bookshelves, creating rows and rows of them. The title of the book flashed before my mind, shooting me through the library without ever having to move. Rows upon rows of books flashed through my mind before I appeared in front of a shelf full of old, leather bound books.


    Right in front of my eyes was the book. Reaching out a hand, the book floated out of the book before landing in my other hand. It had no weight, but when I flipped the pages, the sound was the same as in real life. That nice smell of old books was here too, along with the nice quiet drum of conversations in the background.


    I wanted to read right then and there, but I put the book back before closing my obelisk. Wind brushed against my skin. Uh, or armor. I guess it was my skin and bones now though. Hmmm, weird to think about it.


    Regardless, Althea and Kessiah waited on me ahead, Kessiah tapping her foot as I paced up to them. She slapped my shoulder, "Let''s go then. It''s about time we leave."


    Within a few minutes, we left from the camp. Of course we ran, using our speed instead of wasting it. We entered through a manhole cover before sprinting through the sewers. The disgusting horror I expected wasn''t there. Instead, there was beauty.


    Flowers sprouted from the walls, fighting for the few patches of light. Phosphorescent plants lit the hallways in rainbows of light. The sheer variety of scents amazed me, each of them wonderful. It was like walking through a light festival and a candle shop all at once.


    As we passed, the plants would creep towards us. They were harmless however. Even when you let them crawl up your hand, they would at most tickle. A soft grass grew at the center of the sewer, covering what had once been shit. It gave way to a vibrant, emerald green. It was stunning.


    We ooh-ed and ahhh-ed while racing through the tunnels. It was an adventure for once instead of this awful, terrifying task we had to accomplish at all costs. It was great for Althea''s moral in particular. She grinned at the flowers, her eyes dancing in the low lit light. It was one of the few times she seemed happy since I''d seen her.


    It made me wonder if all she really wanted was to live out her life as peacefully as possible. I could understand. My reasons for fighting were similar. I wanted choice. I wanted to be able to decide what I would do. If I wanted to kill monsters, then I would kill monsters. Being forced into something was like being forced to swallow. You can''t even help but fight it, even if it''s the rational choice.


    With a gentle smile on her face, Althea seemed like a shy, soft person being made into the monster she was. In a different world and a different time, it might have been heartbreaking. In this one though, it was a necessity.


    When we finally left the sewer and came back to the surface, that point was made all the more clear. Deeper than we''d been before, the fauna around us had developed into a jungle. I couldn''t see the sky, outside of a few cracks of light leaking onto the forest floor. Roots crawled across the ground, mushrooms budding in the darkest, dankest places.


    Vines crawled up the trees now, blood red and covered in spines. A few insects were around us, some buzzing and others tapping. Birds flew above us, each of them odd and reformed. Beaks of wood with feathers like leaves, they camouflaged into the surrounding area to perfection. No matter how closely I looked, I couldn''t distinguish them.


    Ants crawled along the ground, red with a black stripe along their abdomen. With white talons at the front of their eyeless faces, they looked fierce and imposing. That is until they walked beside a nearby red mushroom with yellow dots. A crab''s claw snapped out, catching an ant by surprise.


    Before the ants could swarm it, the mushroom cap was pushed into the ground. The ants crawled over the mushroom, searching for the crab. They found none while a few crunches could be heard just under the mushroom cap. In all honesty, the clever way of avoiding the ants wrath was captivating. It was like watching a nature documentary.


    Kessiah snapped me from my concentration,


    "What the fuck are you doing?"


    "Uh, watching this crab thing."


    "We''re on a mission. Focus."


    I nodded my head, "Yeah, of course. I won''t let it happen again."


    I walked out in front of the others, following the obelisk''s instructions. Once ahead of them, I cut on oppression. The vast forest around me withered over the next few seconds. I almost regretted killing off so much life. That was until I saw several of the red mushrooms growing from the eye socket of a decapitated head. That snapped me out of my sudden empathetic mood.


    Back on track, a panther with thorns jutting from its back leapt towards me from behind. A spear sliced through its chest before I surged my mana into my runes. A rush of power filled me as I grabbed the panther''s skull. I crushed it into the ground beneath me, the bone popping under my armor.


    It wasn''t hard anymore. It was more like a balloon than squishy rock like before. The panther didn''t even pretend like it was giving up a fight though. It turned out to be an good old unnamed one of Yawm''s. The perks made the sudden spike in strength apparent. I was a killing machine now.


    A little cluster of crabs crawled towards me, squealing in pain. When they reached me, I began stomping and crushing them underfoot. Crazily enough, they were level 200 apiece. So small, but their claws could clip through steel apparently.


    The roots crawled towards me as well, but they withered before being able to wrap around me. The blood red vines, on the other hand, slammed with a vicious power. They even dented my armor. The thing was, that was all they had.


    I would grab them and uproot them from the tree they gathered around. That killed them right there. I guess my build was the bane of suicide bombers. No way they''d do enough damage to threaten me. It was funny, because right after I thought that, one of them hit Althea.


    She didn''t make it out unscathed. The red vine smashed straight through her arm, leaving a dent in her chest. She screamed in pain before Kessiah crushed the vine in a split second. Kessiah flicked Althea''s forehead,


    "I didn''t think I''d need to help you out of that. Keep your guard up, missy."


    Althea nodded, grimacing. She couldn''t even reply. Her enhanced regeneration got her back up to her feet soon though. Killing her was deceptively difficult after all. This passed for a few minutes, killing the unnamed and the swarms of wildlife.


    Oppression aided our efforts to a tremendous effect. Without it, we''d need fire or something similar. After three hours, a giant blot of brown plastered itself in this city of horror. That''s when we reached the yellow dot on our map.


    We entered an empty parking deck. Cars littered the concrete spiral, no streaks of blood here. There wasn''t a reason for people to return here, so only the spare branch leaked in from outside. When we reached the roof of the eight story building, there was a humanoid thing perched on the ledge.


    With a knights deformed armor on it and a sword draped on its back, it was a knight. Unlike most knights, the armor was made of bone as was the sword. Between the joints in the armor, a blue skin creased as it moved. As we walked near it, the thing''s head turned to us.


    A pair of downtrodden, blue eyes looked back. Beside him, three decapitated heads stared out into the distance. Turning to us, the knight said in a deep voice,


    "Tell me. Has the reaper come?"


    I frowned, "For real though, is everyone related to Yawm melodramatic?"


    Althea shrugged, "Who cares." Her biotic rifle hissed as she loaded another bolt into it,


    "It''s just a dead man talking."

 46 Fighting Evil

    Schema let me know what this thing was.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Corsack, Knight of Yawm(lvl 505) - One of the most recently named of Yawm. He was given ascension after dispatching a party of humans. Always envisioning himself as a noble knight, Corsack gained his wish after being named by Yawm.


    His bone armor, skill with a sword, and high level make him extremely dangerous for you. Be wary, as he''s slain many humans for his lord.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He flopped himself off his resting spot, gazing at us. In a deep voice, Corsack said,


    "Who are you three? Perhaps the reaper coming for retribution."


    I frowned, "Wait, were you an actual person?"


    "Perhaps. My memory of before is a haze. I know I am more than one body that has come together. I am also...sad. These three did not need to die, yet I took their heads for glory."


    I grimaced, "Who were they?"


    "A party of five. Two men guarded two women. One of them escaped, but the other four fell. It was simple as taking candy from a baby. That was when Yawm gave me a mind of my own. Now I am more than a mere animal. I am sentient. All I have done since is regret."


    He pulled out his sword, "I betrayed what I once was. I am a monster now, something that feeds on those weaker than I. In my master''s name, I must feed on you now."


    I charged my runes and charged towards him. I turned oppression on once out of the range of Althea. No need for taking my time listening to long monologues. This was a monster afterall. I wasn''t going to let it distract me with a load of bullshit.


    It unsheathed it''s blade of bone and slammed it into my forearm. Slicing a few inches deep, I slammed a fist into his stomach. Like slamming into stone, the bone was hard as fuck. Still, my fist had a bit of powder on it from the punch.


    He pulled out his sword before kicking towards me. I leaned back, his foot scraping the edge of my helmet. I dashed forward with his back facing me. I grabbed him and lifted, his feet coming off the ground before I pulled back with all my might.


    Corack gasped in surprise as I slung him through the air. His head flung backwards before I suplexed him into the ground. The parking deck cracked as his head lodged a foot deep into the concrete. The crushing of concrete echoed throughout the city like a bolt of lightning in the distance.


    I pulled on his chest, flipping me up and through the air. A spear shot straight through one of the knight''s kneecaps as I landed back on my feet. With his legs sticking up in the air, the unbroken leg kicked towards me. I leaned sideways, keeping myself balanced and my elbows tucked. When he tried pulling his legs back, I grabbed his shin.


    I shot my knee upward, straight towards his kneecap. The joint snapped and bent backwards, his legs ruined. The knight howled, his scream muffled by the concrete around his face. I stepped forward, his leg snug against my chest.


    His knee bent further backward as I flung him over my shoulder. As the knight flew through the air, one of Althea''s lances pierced his skull. I slammed him into the ground, his body twitching. Still alive, the arms raised to protect him, but they were too weak.


    I pinned him with my knees before pummeling him to a pulp. His arms lost strength. His crippled legs writhing for escape. I never let him go. I slammed and crushed and crumbled. When his face was more a red than white, a spine of my armor absorbed his corpse.


    When it finished, nothing was left of him but the blood he left behind. I stood up,


    "Come on. Let''s go before someone comes."


    Kessiah pointed towards the edge of the building, "That''s where Torix is telling us to go."


    I shrugged before sprinting towards the edge of the building. As I leapt off, gravity took hold. The buildings and brick rushed past my face. The wind pressed against my skin as I accelerated. The ground grew in size along with a car. As I neared the ground, I attempted landing on my feet onto the top of a car. You know, one of those awesome superhero landings.


    Didn''t work out like that. The car crumbled underneath my feet before my legs gave way under my momentum. I slammed into the ground, echoing out an enormous wave of sound throughout the city. A crater formed underneath me as I collided into pavement. Even then, it didn''t do that much damage.


    As I pulled my face out of the ground, Kessiah landed beside me. She stuck her form, like an olympic level gymnast. She grinned at me,


    "Tisk tisk tisk. Gotta work on your form."


    My armor molded away from my face as I spit rocks and mud from my mouth,


    "Thanks for the tip. I''ll take it to heart."


    Althea landed, her feet tapping against the ground in an elegant landing. She''d grown wings to fly, so she just glided down onto the ground. I stood up, slower than I''d like actually. Kessiah ran forward,


    "Come on. Let''s get out of here. Mission accomplished."


    We sprinted back towards a manhole cover before retreating back into the depths of the sewer. Despite a bit of blood being on my armor, the smooth scents returned. They kept us calm and focused as we sprinted towards our next destination.


    During the run, I opened my status screen. Now was the moment of truth. What was I supposed to put my points into? Of course I couldn''t get the perk just yet. I had three choices really since charisma was just a point sink by then. Luck would give me more health, and I loved me some health. I didn''t like the idea of relying on chance, however.


    The other two perks would work out pretty good too. Dexterity gave me all kinds of cool abilities, like the suplex I landed on that knight guy. Perception let me absorb information faster. Between the two of them, it was tough call. That is, until I remembered the precognition effect that perception gave me.


    The ability was like a safety net for me, allowing me to save myself from situations that meant death without the ability. The runes, which was were a solid chunk of my power stemmed from, would become clearer with the ability as well. Another reason for it was trying to understand some of Baldag-Ruhl''s runes from BloodHollow.


    Torix may have destroyed the cave, but he hadn''t left without imprints of all the runes he found. His undead insects kept memory logs of the runes which he could access at any time. If I figured those out, some intensely awesome shit could come my way.


    That being said, dexterity would let me do ninja flips. It was at that point that I took a step back, and I realized why I was weighing the two options in my mind. The stats fed into each other, and it just so happens that dexterity fed right into perception.


    If genesis of potential unlocked four more perks then dexterity would feed right into perception. That meant I didn''t need to rush the whole process of getting the level 100 perks. Instead, I could use the feeding strategy I implemented for endurance, willpower, and intelligence. I didn''t before due to the circumstances at hand. Kessiah needed my help. Now I could afford to get the most bang for my buck.


    With that in mind, I put all my points into constitution. Sixty clicks later, my armor tightened around me as the same constricting feeling of before came. A few seconds passed before my armor finally snapped again. The same rush of before came over me as my fists became heavy as sledgehammers.


    Of course the others hadn''t slowed down for me, so I sprinted to catch up while checking out my status screen.


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Level 356</td>


    <td>Attribute Totals</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Strength -Increases carrying weight, maximum speed, and physical power</td>


    <td>120.8</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Constitution -Increases hardness, density, and weight of your body</td>


    <td>166.1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Endurance -Increases regeneration of stamina, health, and their totals</td>


    <td>567</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Dexterity -Increases ease of movement, flexibility, and reflexes</td>


    <td>60.2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Willpower -Increases internal motivation, mana regen, and Mental Res</td>


    <td>270</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Intelligence -Increases memory, critical thinking, and total mana pool</td>


    <td>101.4</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Charisma -Increases likeability, persuasion, and decreases prices at shops</td>


    <td>29.3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Luck -Increases money found, odds in your favor, and chance of rare events</td>


    <td>54.5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Perception -Increases comprehension, the five senses, and awareness</td>


    <td>36</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>24,930/24,930</td>


    <td>4960/min</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 10,000+30%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>12,909/12,909</td>


    <td>178.5/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>52,364,198/256,000,000</td>


    <td>0/per min</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction -97.5%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 2115%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was steady progress, though the dexterity looked like it would be slow as hell. I didn''t get near as high a bonus for constitution and strength as I did for endurance and willpower. Hell, in order to reach 100 points in dexterity, I''d need about 180 more levels. It would be slow going.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After bouncing a few calculations around in my head, taking the long way would give me about 12 levels worth of bonus stat points. So far, taking my time had given me quite a few dividends when it came to bonus stats already.


    I gained around 50 levels worth of bonus stats from upgrading obliterator early. Putting all my points into endurance had given me another 50 or so bonus levels of raw stats. That kind of thing adds up over time. Hell, it already had. There was bound to come a point were gaining levels would become tremendously difficult. Making the most of these easy gains would make all the difference in the long run.


    With that in mind, I caught up with Kessiah and Althea who dashed forward at blistering speed. Althea had gained quite a needed boost with the strength perk. Her shots recently gained a fatal level of accuracy as well, probably from a leveling perk. It was good to see our level up strategy working out.


    When we reached the next area, Kessiah led us up and out of the sewer. With a pristine care, she set the manhole cover beside the entrance. We skulked out, stealthy and cautious. Even with all the noise earlier, we still kept a low profile when first entering an area.


    Walking on our toes, we went back into formation. This area was even deeper than the last one. The trees warped quite a bit, tangling together as you went up their trunks. They made it difficult to even see the sky, let alone get there without tearing through a foot of bark.


    The ecosystem developed further. We met up against many unnamed this time, several of them eating mushrooms growing out of fresh corpses. A few of them even swung through the branches. This made them difficult for me since I couldn''t reach them. They''d lob spears at me, and I didn''t have many ways of retaliating.


    Althea did though. She''d fire at them, and I''d tear any ground dweller apart. She and I both outleveled and overpowered these types easily. Especially if you consider our wide array of bonuses, which made us stronger than your standard 300+.character.


    Routine set in once more, though we kept our pacing rushed. We neared a set of apartments, each of them with a basement beneath the stores. Lots of underground pubs set up shop here since a concert hall was nearby. That supplied easy traffic at regular intervals. Perfect for business.


    Now it was an overgrown wasteland. I crushed the skull of a nearby zombie, elegant flowers blooming from its wounds. As it died, Torix sent us a message,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(2:45PM 4/12/00) - Hide now.


    As I finished reading the message, Kessiah and Althea dashed towards two shops nearby. I charged forward, straight into one of the shops in front of me as well. Shutting off oppression mid run, I reached a stairway behind a bar. I walked down the steps, reaching a dank basement full of bottles of wine and barrels of beer.


    As I reached the bottom of the steps, the entire place reeked of shit and piss. It was like a thousand rats had taken a thousand dumps here. Disgusting. I hid behind a set of barrels. Several rats scurried away from me, as I squatted down.


    There I sat for a moment before a crashing sound echoed from upstairs. The sound of snapping wood and breaking chairs continued for a few minutes. When the sound stopped, a disconcerting sound came into my ears. Someone was breathing in here with me.


    I turned my head, finding a man hiding behind a wine rack. In a state of profound filth, he was smothered in his own grime. His hair ragged, his clothes torn, and his eyes broken, he clamped his hands against his mouth.


    His eyes met mine. He shook like an old washing machine. Sweat poured from his forehead as he stared at me. His skin glisten yellow, all semblance of dignity long ago gone. I marveled at his survival though. Living here was far worse than living in BloodHollow. He was no doubt underleveled as fuck, since he was living off rats.


    That''s when a heavy foot landed onto the steps leading down here. A green glow leaked down the stairs, like the coming of both our deaths. I held my breath, as did the man beside me. His panic made him lose his breath far faster than he should have.


    His shaking increased in intensity. It was like staring at a bomb about to go off and kill you. If this follower found me, I''d die. Another loud step echoed down the stairs. My mind raced. I could use oppression and kill him, but the follower would feel it. That would be my death right there.


    Another step echoed down the stairs as if time had slowed down. I could walk over and hit him, but that would make noise no matter how quiet I tried being. Another step was sounded into the room. It was a brutal sound. Something like a man''s neck breaking when he was hanged. It was like a hammer beating against my head, slamming against my mind.


    Of course I kept my composure, but the man in front of me was losing it. As the glowing green light filled into the room, the man''s chest convulsed. He wouldn''t be able to hold his breath much longer.


    Racing for an answer, I thought back to my limited magic. Augmentation wouldn''t do shit at the moment. If I kept him quiet with dominion magic, maybe telekinesis, he wouldn''t make any noise. I needed to learn that shit before he shouted. A hopeless situation turned into a race against time.


    I swallowed before putting my hand behind me. There I summoned a bit of dominion magic, just the slightest blip of it. Better if the man didn''t see the energy. He might have snapped at the sight of it. Glancing behind me, the silent energy surrounded itself in red stripes just like before. After a few seconds, The dark energy was a bright red, as if it was completely cut off from me.


    At the center of my focus, the dumbass voice in my head spoke,


    "I can save you, if you let me."


    I clenched my teeth, "I don''t need you too."


    "Really? You would rather die then just let me control you?"


    "Yes."


    "You''re insane."


    "No, hell no I''m not. I''m not losing myself. I already lost everything else."


    I closed my eyes and thought back to what I understood about dominion magic. To evoke it, I needed the desire to control those around me instead of myself. I channeled those thoughts. I should change the world instead of myself, like a scientist. I needed that kind of reasoning. That''s when an idea popped into my head.


    Instead of thinking about my body like it was mine, I tried disconnecting myself from it. If you think about it, we''re all just flesh sacks holding souls. At least that''s what I believed. Using that belief, I thought of my body like it was just a vessel. It was a car, and I was its driver. It was a golem, and I was the soul commanding it.


    The augmentation runes charged, though they never sent sparks like before. It was a small amount of extra mana, not an enormous flow like usual. That mana poured down my arms and into my palms, reaching my previous inscriptions.


    The orange mana bled into the black energy sealed in the red sphere. The energies rejected each other, like oil trying to mix with water. The dual energies vibrated with violence, but the red sphere kept the sound from leaking out. As they raged within their sphere, the follower reached down the stairs.


    He was a Porytian, one of Yawm''s species. It wasn''t Yawm though. His legs were bent like a goats, even as he stood straight up. His arms were long and his hands massive, though they weren''t hulking like the overseer''s limbs. His eyes radiated a solid, emerald green, streaks of the glow crawling down his chest and arms.


    The voice raged, "You''ve no time, Daniel. Relinquish yourself to me, and I will offer you salvation." The voice''s words didn''t convince me for one second. He sounded a little bit too much like Elijah for my taste.


    The porytian stepped into the room. Wherever the shining streaks passed, something like muscle bulged from under the wooden skin. As it shifted its movements and steps, the creature moved with a pristine grace. It was nothing like either of the other followers. The way he looked and moved seemed like he chose to do it. The others were glorified puppets by comparison.


    Two horns curved into the sides of his mouthless face, blending into the wooden skin and ending in spikes. The thin fingers looked sharpened and tense, like they were ready to tear out a throat at any second. The thing tapped its forehead before slapping through the glass of a wine bottle. Its fingers sheared through the glass with ease.


    It grunted, inhuman and angry. After another pause, the thing leaned against a wall like it was frustrated. At this point, I prayed it wouldn''t kill me.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Ajax Volan, the Void Eater(lvl 4289) - A follower of Yawm, he is Yawm''s strongest and most loyal ally. During the war with the Bracken, Ajax acted a vanguard with Yawm. The both of them have torn apart entire armies on their own. Despite refusing Yawm''s gift of flesh, they remain on excellent terms due to their history before Yawm''s resurgence as a galactic threat.


    Not much else is known about Ajax. With its enormous pool of experience, gigantic level, and untold power, Ajax Volan is devastating. Hide or run, but do not fight him. To fight him is to die.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The man and I shook with a quiet frenzy. The man twitched now, his face turning pale. He would reveal me in seconds, if Ajax hadn''t sensed my mana already.


    At the peak of my panic, Ajax spoke into the air.


    "What are we even doing anymore?"

 47 Gaining Tools

    The voice in my head rang, "He will obliterate you, Daniel. I will save you. Please, let me."


    "Find someone who needs saving."


    My heart racing in my chest, my thoughts raced even faster. At that moment, a realization snapped in my head like a whip across someone''s cheek. My armor was a part of my soul. That meant it was a part of my will and ambition. In other words, this voice in my head, it wasn''t some darkness trying to creep in. It was the darkness in me trying to creep out. It was mine.


    So instead of fighting the voice, I embraced it. The frenzy of before came over me, like a rush of hatred. The voice laughed in my mind like a mantra of madness. It threatened to consume my mind like a flood of fury. I refused to yield to it.


    "Why do you refuse to surrender?"


    "Because nothing will control me. Not you. Not Yawm. Not Schema. Nothing."


    I crushed the wrath under my will and wielded it. The frenzy bent under the heel of my mind, like Atlas crushing under the sky. I dragooned the fury like a hammer driving a nail into wood. I commanded the insanity to obey. It would be my rage. It would be my savagery.


    The voice roared, "You will not suppress me. I am the darkness that cloaks the hunter. I am the wolf that eats the stag. I am the lion that tears the zebra. I am the bear that rips the throat of the lion. I am the might of the hunger that eats the world. Defy me, and I''ll smash your mind to pieces. I''ll cave your head in."


    "And I''m Daniel motherfucking Hillside. Go fuck yourself."


    The red mana surrounding the discordant energies melted into them, molding them, crushing them. The red mana overwhelmed the other colors of mana, turning them crimson. Still contained within the shield, the mana stayed silent during the entire process. After a moment, the mana stabilized.


    Unique skill gained! (Requirements: High affinity in both augmentation and dominion magic) Fuses the skills Augmentation, Augmentation Manipulation, Dominion, Dominion Manipulation, and Primal Frenzy into the unique skill Ascendant. Gives half of missing tree points from skill fusion.


    Ascendant (lvl 1) - You rise by crushing aspirants under your heels. Augmentation and dominion magic fuse into ascended energy. Ascended energy contains the properties of both augmentation and dominion styles of magic as well as the capacity for corruption.


    The mana sunk into the palms of my armor, melting into the dominion inscriptions I placed there. With the mana came the same rush as augmentation magic, along with the frenzy of the voice. Unlike the augmentation runes that hummed when charged, these runes sounded like silence. It was like they drowned out any white noise around me.


    With the mana charging my palm, I reached out my hand, willing the man to be quiet.


    New skill unlocked! Telekinesis (lvl 1) - You mold your world with the might of your mind. +1% towards strength and ease of telekinesis.


    The burning sensation of using mana flowed up my limbs as I poured all my strength into pinning the man down. I couldn''t have him shouting and exposing me, even if the fucker wanted to. As the mana channeled, the man froze in place, unable to move an inch.


    Besides for his eyes. His eyes glanced around the room before glancing at me. As frantic as a rabid dog, they darted in his skull like a hornet caught in a jar. More and more of my mana poured into keeping him quiet as Ajax lifted his head off the wall. He headed back up the stairs, his steps heavy and downtrodden.


    After hearing his steps creak the wood above me, he left through the front door, slamming it. I waited a few more seconds before releasing the man in front of me. Like a ragdoll, the guy flopped downwards. He didn''t make any attempts to stay up. He was a puppet with his strings cut.


    I was still reeling over the whole endeavor, so I walked up to him. I grabbed his shoulder and whispered,


    "You alright man? Sorry about that. I couldn''t let old badass reaper guy kill us back there." I let his shoulder go and reached out a hand, "The name''s Daniel. Good to meet you."


    He didn''t reply. His eyes were empty. His skin blue. For some reason, it was like I was rejecting the obvious. Looking back on it, of course he was dead. We held our breath for over six minutes. Way back when I unlocked the endurance perk, it halved the requirements I needed for living. That included air, so I could hold my breath with the best of them.


    This was just a normal guy for the most part, probably level fifteen or so. I hadn''t kept him quiet. I choked him to death. That realization stunned me, so I stood there until someone else walked down the steps.


    I figured out who when Kessiah grabbed my shoulder,


    "Hey, you alright?"


    I was fine, physically speaking. I should have been mentally too, but up till now, I hadn''t murdered anyone. Sure, I killed tons of zombies, maybe even a few normal stragglers with oppression even. That wasn''t the same as purposely willing them someone to die.


    Even with Michael and Kelsey dying, a part of me just rationalized the entire thing. I told myself that I couldn''t have known. I told myself they were dead anyway. Saying that stuff helped. This guy though, I killed him just to eliminate the risk of dying.


    What made it so awful though was the look in his eyes. He was staring at me from where I stood, unblinking and cold like ice. I wanted him to look away, but that couldn''t happen. If I looked away first, it made the whole thing real.


    Before I could get a grip, Kessiah grabbed my hand and pulled me,


    "Get your ass moving. We have to get out of here before that thing comes back."


    Midway up the stairs, I came to my senses. I shook the shock out,


    "Oh fuck. Uh, sorry. I can go on. Just stunned for a second."


    "Well get un-stunned. We gotta get out of here."


    We raced up and out of the restaurant before heading back down into a sewer pipe. After sprinting for a few minutes, Kessiah opened her obelisk as she said,


    "Excuse me, you two. I''ve got a skeleton to verbally abuse."


    Without her there, Althea and I stood there alone. I glanced at a palm, wondering what the fuck I''d done. Althea walked up,


    "You look bad. What happened?"


    I frowned, "Uh...I killed somebody, I guess."


    "You kill people all the time. What''s the big deal now?"


    "I don''t know. It doesn''t make much sense to me either."


    After another minute of standing there, Althea shrugged, "Well, you''ll learn to live with it. I did. Kessiah did. Everyone does. Give it time, and the wound will heal."


    I nodded, "Thanks. Yeah, I think you''re right. I just need to give it some time."


    A minute or two of silence went by before Kessiah''s obelisk closed again. She put her hands on her hips,


    "I just gave Torix a piece of my mind. He apologized and said that one of Yawm''s followers broke off from the world tree and sprinted right over here. He honestly thought we were dead, but apparently not. Neither of us know what''s going on."


    I sighed, "Well, Ajax made a lot of noise in the bar I was in. After that, he walked downstairs and leaned on a wall. It looked more like he was frustrated than angry. I''m guessing our tearing up the district wasn''t what made him come over. Maybe it was more like we were unlucky?"


    Kessiah glanced down at her obelisk. She waved us over, so we walked beside her before opening it up. We were surrounded by sheets of metal and windows that viewed into space, Kessiah''s background looking gorgeous.


    Over an intercom, Torix spoke to us,


    "I''m leaning towards what you claimed, Daniel. Ajax wasn''t searching for anyone in particular. I think he was trying to find somewhere quiet to think."


    Althea murmured, "Who''s Ajax?"


    Torix said, "He is Yawm''s first of his four followers. I know little of his history outside of his exploits with Yawm. He assisted with destroying the Bracken who attempted invading his homeworld. They both shared a similar goal after that."


    Kessiah nodded, "Yeah, I''ve heard stories about Ajax too. He wasn''t far behind Yawm when it came to crazy bullshit. There were rumors he blew up a moon when he got pissed one time. No one really knows though."


    I cupped my chin, "Do you guys think there could be some interpersonal strife in Yawm''s camp now?"


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Torix replied, "Hmmm. If that were the case, then this presents itself as an excellent opportunity. We''ll need to know more before we act, however."


    Althea chimed, "What if this happens again?"


    With annoyance leaking into his voice, Torix said, "What do you mean by this?"


    "Us almost dying. Again."


    "There''s something you must understand Althea. This is a risky mission, regardless of how many safety nets I put up for you all. Perhaps if you spent less time relying on me for all your needs and more time learning to fend for yourself, then you wouldn''t have to worry about dying, would you?"


    She didn''t reply before Torix continued, "Good. We understand one another. Now, I will inform the three of you with greater speed next time. I''d recommend moving towards this zone now. Goodbye."


    My own mini-map changed. It showed a route towards my old high school. Kessiah put a hand on Althea''s shoulder, "Don''t worry about him. He''s just being an ass since he''s stressed. It happens to everyone."


    Althea frowned, but didn''t reply. Like most shy people, she just balled up when she was hurt. In my eyes, she should just grow thicker skin. I didn''t expect people to carefully word things just for me. I did expect to handle my own reaction to what they say though. I pushed that expectation onto Althea. Besides, if it really bothered her, she could talk to me or Kessiah about it later.


    It wasn''t time for being hurt by words. We needed to get a move on, so we shot towards the next area with Kessiah leading the charge. She grinned and laughed,


    "What a time to be alive. I haven''t been this close to death so many times since Torix and I waged a war on Alpha D-9. Eldritch and war machines and chaos. It was so much fun."


    Althea rolled her eyes before we reached the next location. After crawling out of the sewer, we reached one of Springfield''s several schools. It had been my school back before Schema. With shattered windows, the occasional streak of blood, and flipped cars, it was like watching the setting of a horror movie unfold.


    Despite how central the school was in the city; the place was calm. It was like the forests shot up where people were, using their corpses for growth. No one was in the school though. No bodies, no scenes of horror. If anything, everything looked clean by comparison. We killed a few spawns here or there, but nowhere near the frequency that we''d seen before. When we reached the school''s interior, an explanation surfaced.


    It turns out that the school was a dungeon. Considering the high school''s size, it was a big one too. After a second of thought, I face palmed myself. Of course the eldritch were still here. Just because Yawm invaded doesn''t mean the dungeons weren''t expanding. The deeper we reached into this dungeon, the bloodier things became.


    We reached into a hallway lined with lockers. In our standard formation, we explored the area. Our caution levels were sky high though after meeting Ajax. Out of nowhere, a door shot off the hinges of a room in front of me.


    Out of the doorway, a serrated scythe chopped into the ground. A bipedal thing lumbered out. With gray, decaying skin and no cheeks, the scythe wielder was unnerving. What took the cake was how the top part of his face flattened out in a semicircle, like one of those chinese hand fans.


    He lifted one of his hands towards us, the three fingers black and grimy. At the center of his palm was a closed eyelid. The eye opened, searching the room for intruders. It stepped forward, dragging its scythe that shot sparks throughout the air. I cracked my neck as I readied myself for what was to follow.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    SoulKeeper(lvl 442) - As dungeons develop, certain subspecies of creatures will harness the planet''s populace for power. This is one such entity. This particular species will absorb the radiant energy of human souls for strengthening itself. It casts illusions that will draw in weaker minds, and then slay them with its enchanted scythe.


    This is a stronger member of the species, having had plenty of time to absorb souls due to the inherent chaos nearby. Unlike most SoulKeepers, this particular member is holding far fewer souls than would normally be required for such a high level.


    This is indicative of it following a SoulSwallower, which will be far more powerful than a mere keeper of souls. The danger levels reflecting the overall prowess of these enemies are inflated due to the disastrous consequences should an adventurer fall to one of them.


    In your case, however, this specimen will struggle just to harm you. Crush it.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I charged towards the thing, ready to meet him head on. The monster waved its scythe, a green wave of energy following the strike. I slid on the ground, ducking below it. Another slice of the scythe, and another wave shot towards the ground I was on.


    I pressed a heel into the tile ground, the momentum of my slide slinging me upright. I leapt up, the energy slice clapping against the ground where I was. The tile ripped off the ground, revealing the concrete underneath as I flew up and over the destruction.


    With my enhanced weight carrying me, I shot up through the roof. It was one of those cheap, acoustical roofs. The flimsy material relented as I passed through it, and several spear bolts shot under me. The monster howled beneath me, its unearthly wails like a living nightmare.


    I passed by several strings that kept the cheap ass ceiling tiles up before passing through it again. I landed on top of the SoulKeeper, pushing it to the ground. Two speakers were lodged in each of its palms. The scythe lay beside him, no longer in his hands.


    I reared a fist upwards before slamming it down. My fist hit a barrier of made of mana. I grinned with my armor following suit. It was time to pummel this piece of shit. Swing after swing, I rained down a series of blows. Cracks formed in thin air, right above the creature''s face. The mana shield couldn''t withstand the onslaught for long.


    A cold, lightning sensation shot through my back, but I pushed through the sudden discomfort. The cracks grew before my armor chomped forward. The jagged teeth screeched against the invisible shield before it shattered. A few bites later, and the monster died surrounded in darkness since Althea shot its eyes.


    I stood up before Kessiah snapped into existence beside me. She tapped my shoulder and pulled the cold sensation from my back. I turned around, and a scythe was in her hand. I put my hands on my hips,


    "How in the fuck did that stab me?"


    Kessiah glanced at the scythe and kept her hand away from it as if touching something fowl, "The SoulKeeper used telekinesis and stabbed you with it. I''m surprised you didn''t keel over. The scythe attacks your mind instead of that burly body of yours. It means you don''t have any resistance to it."


    I shrugged, "My armor effects that kind of resistance too."


    Kessiah frowned, "Why would armor affect that kind of resistance?"


    Althea walked up, "Maybe because it enlarges his soul or something like that?"


    I glanced at the corpse of the SoulKeeper. A spike of armor expanded from my palm and pierced it before draining the corpse to nothing. I turned back to them,


    "Eh, I think that''s probably it. That and maybe it means I have an expanded mind, so there''s more to damage or something like that. I used to think the armor was something else, something trying to control me. Now I just think it''s a different side of myself that I suppress. I could totally be full of shit though. Who knows."


    Althea nodded, "I get that. I feel like that sometimes too. Uh, with my eldritch blood instead though."


    Kessiah grabbed both our shoulders, "Enough contemplating stupid stuff." She pointed her finger forward, "Onward into adventure!"


    Althea and I rolled our eyes before continuing forward. After passing through another hallway, we met two SoulKeepers standing guard at the lunch room''s doorway. I dashed towards them as two bolts from Althea stabbed through their spear holding hands. They both dropped their spears as I reached them.


    The one standing on the left side of the door reached out its right hand, the eye opening as it faced me. I stomped my heel, stopping myself just short of the palm. I jerked my left hand, grabbing its upper arm and forcing it up. With my right hand, I turned his arm so that his elbow faced the ground. With a quick jerk, the monster''s joint snapped as I pulled the broken limb towards the other monster.


    The SoulKeeper on the right side of the door had reached out its left palm towards me during my attack. With another quick pull, I tore off the broken arm of the injured SoulKeeper. Using the jagged side of the broken bone, I stabbed the arm into the open eye of the other SoulKeeper.


    Blood burst from the monster''s hand, gushing like water out of a broken pipe. I grabbed its arm with my left arm and snapped its joint just like I did the first one¡¯s arm. Pulling back towards the left most SoulKeeper, I jabbed the arm through the face of the creature. I grabbed that monster''s neck them tore off its skull with my left hand.


    Grabbing the head like a club, I smashed the other creature''s face to mush with the skull, bits of bone splintering as both skulls caved. With unnecessary violence, I kept crushing until nothing was left.


    The body wilted then lost all animation as the creature died. I stepped one foot backwards, pulling my weight with me. I spun around, letting my arm drag behind me. The force of the blow smashed the last SoulKeeper through the wall they guarded.


    A detonation of sound, louder than a gunshot, echoed through the empty hallway. After waiting for the dust to clear, I absorbed the bodies with my armor. The strange part was, the scythes remained. I picked them up.


    SoulSlayer(lvl Requirement: 400) - This is a weapon that attacks the will and mind instead of aphysical body. As a side effect, willpower and mana act as the health of the enemy. Arcane blood users are unaffected by this, instead taking damage to their health like normal.


    This weapon can also carry the souls of slain creatures. This weapon steals the mana of the user, turning it into ambient mana instead. Skill level with normal scythes will carry over to this weapon''s effectiveness.


    Current containment: 440,425 Ambient mana stored.


    I grabbed a hold of the blade and drained the mana stored in the glowing blade. The sheen of the weapon died down until it was dulling after a few seconds. I tossed it onto the ground and picked up the other one, draining it like the first. I turned back, Kessiah holding the spear of the first one we saw.


    I raised a hand, and she tossed it towards me. A few seconds later, and the mana was mine. These enemies made the whole escapade much more useful than before. Of course, this once was human mana, but the scythe disintegrated it into ambient mana. That meant the souls had already been torn apart. In a way, I thought I was giving the old souls new life.


    Existential rants aside, I crouched low as I walked through the hole in the wall I made. Stepping out of the other side, there was something sinister on the other side.


    Imagine a SoulKeeper but gorged on souls until it was twenty feet tall. Instead of thin, wiry limbs, this monster was well muscled. With scythes jutting from its elbows and blades for fingers, the monster turned towards me with an eerie smile.


    Its ragged mane of hair reached halfway down its chest, black like a raven. The gray skin of the other SoulKeepers was the same on this creature, though darker in shade. At the center of its chest was an eye with acontracted pupil, as if it was staring at the sun. The eye teared up, causing a sort of irritation in my own eyes.


    The monster spread open its hands, revealing eyes at the center of its palms. A set of black raven wings spread wide, like some sort of fallen angel. The shackles on its hands and legs clattered against the ground as it moved. With movements faster than its large frame should allow, it whirled the chains around its hands.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Gorged SoulSwallower, Chained (lvl 600) - A powerful SoulSwallower, this monster has feasted on thousands of souls from its SoulKeeper minions. This has allowed it to gorge on the souls, making it stronger.


    The blades on its fingers and elbows can consume mana. The chains around its wrists and ankles suppress its power. Once the SoulSwallower has consumed a certain number of souls, these chains will shatter, revealing its full power.


    This foe will be incredibly difficult to kill, regardless if it is unchained or not. Be wary.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a flick of its wrist, one of the chains around its wrists snapped into one of the tables of the large lunchroom. The table cracked, splintering in half as a crater formed on the ground. The grin on its face lengthened until it was too wide for its eyeless face.


    Its words smoldered like hot coals,


    "You have...a mighty soul...I will enjoy its flavor as I swallow it, as I swallow you."


    The runes on my arms and legs charged, my new red mana replacing the orange. A surge of power and fury filled my limbs as I grinned back at the beast,


    "I warn you, I''m hard to chew. You might even choke."

 48 Unleashed

    Before charging him, I opened my menu screen and poured all my points into constitution. My armor tightened around me before I balled myself up. I grit my teeth and tensed my entire body, turning myself into a ball of iron.


    A few snaps of my armor occurred before I regenerated my armor back to normal. I stood tall before cracking my neck. The SoulSwallower grinned,


    "So you can transform then?"


    I rolled my eyes before shouting,


    "Kessiah, Althea, there''s a strong dude in here. I''m going to need your support. Hurry up."


    The SoulSwallower whipped a chain at me with a flick of his hand. I dashed forward, dodging the strike that tore through the floor. Before reaching him, he reached out his left palm-eye towards me. I ducked under his hand while dragging my left arm behind me.


    Torqueing off the ground, I smashed a heavy strike into the palm of his hand. Blood gushed over us, and the SoulSwallower grunted and grimaced in pain. His arm didn''t relent at the power of my strike, however.


    His fingers clamped down onto my arm and sucked out my blood like a vampire''s teeth. With a quick jerk, I pulled my arm out of his scythes. I grimaced at him as his eye healed and the blades grew brighter.


    The SoulSwallower smiled,


    "You taste delicious."


    I shook my head, shaking blood off my armor. I seethed, "You will too."


    With another flick of his wrist, the chain on his right hand shot towards me. After seeing it so many times, I gained the timing of the attack. I raised my hand, letting it wrap around my right arm before pulling myself towards him. I flew up before drop kicking his teeth.


    My boots cracked his teeth, the enamel fracturing like a brick smacking against your mouth. The monster took a step backwards before I swung around him with the chain still around my arm. I ran on the floor, building my momentum as he turned towards me.


    He shot out his left palm while stepping towards me once more. As my momentum hit its apex, I smashed my heels into the tile floor, pulling the chain on the monster''s right arm downwards. Caught off balance, the creature fell forward.


    His face shot into the ground, tile and concrete caving inwards. I dashed towards him while unwrapping the chains. My runes charged with the ascendant energies, letting frenzy fuel me. I reached him, stomping my heel into the back of his head to stop myself from moving.


    The crags of stone around the monster''s face grew higher as I heel stomped his face deeper into the ground. A mist of stone dust formed around us before I darted away, my instincts telling me to run.


    The wings along his back pierced into the ground where I was, the feather''s slicing through the rock. As the SoulSwallower pulled itself from the ground, the wings flapped towards me. Feather''s darted towards me.


    Taking around a tenth of my health pool, I pulled my arms apart. The ascendant mana poured from my palms, redirecting the feathers near me. They landed beside me, digging deep into the stone floor. The rest of my magic pulled hundreds of feathers from the SoulSwallower¡¯s wings.


    Blood dripped from the SoulSwallower''s face and wings, drenching the floor in red. Standing up again, the smile on its face was gone. Still, even without him ever getting a strike off on me, I already burned through a third of my health pool during my enhanced assault. Keeping pace with something so much higher leveled was difficult after all.


    Kessiah and Althea ran in through the hole I made as I shutoff Oppression. It was too dangerous to use with them nearby. Althea shot a bolt towards the SoulSwallower. In a sudden explosion of movement, the SoulSwallower shot a chain towards the bolt.


    Althea''s harpoon dug straight through the metal before stabbing through the monster''s wrist. From the arm, a shackle fell onto the ground. I shouted,


    "Don''t attack the ch-"


    Another bolt shot from her rifle as the SoulSwallower whipped his unchained arm towards her. Another shackle fell from it before the monster grinned. It spoke its words like a cult''s mantra,


    "So many years I have waited." He stepped forward before pulling on a shackle on his leg. From the eye at the center of his chest, an aura of power ebbed. His arms expanded, turning into hulking limbs. The metal groaned and creaked before a ear piercing pop echoed through the room.


    "To be unleashed from my shackles. What a joy today has been." It grabbed the last shackle before Althea shot a harpoon of bone into the center of his chest. Digging deep, the bolt caused the monster to stagger backwards.


    With a burst of energy, I darted forwards while grabbing a chain. Before he could rip off the last shackle, I stomped onto one of his hands. Two of the fingers on his right hand bent backwards as I whipped a massive chain towards his neck.


    He clamped his teeth against the chain, shattering the metal but his teeth along with it. With his left hand, he struck a fist out towards me. The blow of the creature bent the metal of my armor and forced me backwards. The scythes on his fingers cut into my armor. My feet scraped the ground as I dragged backwards.


    Still I stood. I grit my teeth and darted forwards after I stopped moving backwards. With both the SoulSwallower¡¯s hands on his shackles, his side was exposed. I bent low, letting all my weight build in my right hand.


    With a wide, sweeping uppercut, I pulled upwards with all my might. My runes flared as my blow struck against the monster''s ribs. The bones caved in while craters formed under my feet. Despite the difference in size, the SoulSwallower stumbled sideways before Althea shot another bolt towards his chest.


    The harpoon struck dead center into the indentation of my last blow. The bone spear dug through the creature before drilling out the back of the monster. Blood sprayed from his back as he howled. I shot forward again, letting my arm drag behind me.


    As I reached him, I pulled downwards and pulled my arm behind me. A solid overhand right swung up and over my head before pummeling into the monster. My blow landed into the gaping hole on the monster''s back, digging deep into the creature''s insides.


    With a burst of effort, I forced my armor to splinter outwards in all directions. Needles exploded into the SoulSwallower''s chest before I jerked my arm outwards. A fountain of blood and mound of organs followed my arm. The mush splat against the ground before the monster whipped its left arm at me.


    I ducked under the wild strike, following with another sweeping left hook into the front of the creature. A bolt sliced into the skull of the creature before my hook sunk into the tiny hole left from Althea''s previous bolt.


    My hand only sunk a few inches deep, but I splintered my armor again before jerking my fist back. Blood exploded from the monster before his left arm whipped back towards me. I ducked again, but his blow scraped the top of my shoulders and helm. Against his empowered flesh, my armor shot out sparks.


    The force of the blow left me off balance before he hammer fisted towards me. The blow clapped against my back with the force of a cornered animal. I withstood the blow, my knees creaking under the stress of the blow. Another hammer fist later, and I crumbled onto the ground.


    With a quick shifting of the SoulSwallower''s foot, he pressed me down against the ground. The force of the strike squished blood out of my mouth. A spear shot straight through the monster''s shin, the bone fraying like splintered wood. The monster fell towards his injured leg, the limb no longer able to support his weight.


    That same weight was what kept me down. Without it, I lifted myself upwards, pushing my hands into the ground. I found myself at half health. The sheer tenacity of my body amazed me. Despite all the punishment, I would be fine given just a few minutes to heal. I wouldn''t give the SoulSwallower the same chance, however.


    With a quick step, I reached the SoulSwallower''s chest and pummeled into the eye at the center of its chest. Blood sprayed in every direction as the SoulSwallower gurgled,


    "Stop. Stop!"


    Ignoring him, I redoubled my efforts, slamming into the monster with an absolute abandon. My breaths turned to a heavy wheezing as each strike became wilder and heavier. I struggled through the exhaustion growing in my limbs. Even as they became like lead, I kept pulverizing.


    Before I could finish him, two rows of teeth popped out of its chest, one around the eyelid and the other around the pupil of the eye. A hand pushed me towards the monster''s chest, the clear coating around the crushed eye opening like another eyelid. The teeth ripped into my armor, the SoulSwallower clamping down onto me like its last lifeline.


    Like tiny mouths, the teeth drained blood from me. After a few seconds, spikes exploded outwards from my armor. The monster''s eye mouth gushed me outward with a torrent of blood. I rolled on the floor before trying to stand. All the mana I used left me with less than a third of my health left.


    My limbs shook as a bolt dug into the monster''s arm that reached for the shackle on its leg. It was already too late though. A burst of energy rippled up from the eye at the center of the SoulSwallower''s chest. It coursed up his last working arm. With the sudden shot of vitality, he shot his arm towards the shackle and tore it off.


    Energy poured out from where the shackles had once been. A sphere of green blue energy appeared around him. I shot forwards, slamming a fist into the sphere. I couldn''t dent it. Althea could though.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Her spears shot through the portal, damaging the monster. Realizing I couldn''t hurt it, I stumbled backwards and sat down. As my injuries healed, I shouted, "Step back. I''m cutting on my aura."


    Kessiah and Althea ran towards the opposite end of the lunchroom before I cut the aura on. The bolts left cracks on the shield of the monster along with tiny holes from where they pierced. They weren''t large enough for me to reach through, so I rested for a few minutes.


    As the SoulSwallower evolved in his cocoon, Kessiah shouted through the room,


    "You guys got this. I''ll only help if things get desperate. This is a good exercise for you both. Reminds you why you''re trying to get stronger."


    I sighed. By now, I didn''t need a reminder why I needed to gain a few levels and skills. I stood up, my health and stamina refilling after the fervent frenzy of activity. As the SoulSwallower transformed inside the sphere, I opened my status screen and poured a few tree points into Genesis of Potential.


    With a quick clink, the skill tree reached 750.


    Limits are more your perspective then your reality. Become fond of your limits. Become fonder of breaking them. +3 extra level 100 perks (6 max | 1 remaining.) Choose wisely.


    I didn''t have the attributes required for using the level 100 perk though. My long-term mentality wasn''t serving me so well anymore, but it would after we squeezed through this fight. I shouted towards Althea,


    "Listen to me next time when I''m shouting at you. Now we have to fight this fucker."


    Althea sighed, "Yeah. Sorry."


    Turning towards the monster, the barrier dissolved after another of Althea''s bolts pierced it. A smaller person walked out of the sphere. Like a moving Greek statue, the thing glanced around with marble skin. It looked remarkably human, no longer deformed and chained. The wings of black remained the same size, with larger feathers.


    The wings spread out, several times his height. With a quick flap, the dust and debris of the previous fight rolled away from him. He stepped forward, his steps quaking the ground a bit under his feet. Turning towards me, the living stone smiled. As his lips moved, they sounded like stone sliding against stone.


    He reached out his hand, the stone moving with him,


    "I''m finally free. It''s good to be fully a part of this new world of yours."


    I squinted my eyes, finding what I was looking for.


    Gabriel, the Ascended Angel (lvl 850) - Once enough ambient mana was absorbed by the SoulSwallower, the original form of the chained creature took form. This is Gabriel, the ascended angel.


    Quite unfortunate of you to let him unchain himself. His skin is living stone, harder than steel. The feathers on his wings are sharper than blades. In this form, he gains illusion magic that can torment the weaker willed members of your party. Even if you can destroy his outer layer, he has a second, berserker form that allows him to kill those who reach past his skin.


    Despite your strength for your level, you will struggle dearly versus this foe, regardless of your tactics.


    Another spear lobbed out from Althea, but Gabriel deflected it with a dark wing. He turned to her, "Come now. I won''t let you hit me with those spears of yours anymore. Enough."


    The wing flapped in her direction, sending enough wind to rock Althea off her feet. Three feathers shot out and pinned her arms against the wall. The feathers latched onto her arms, pinning her further. Gabriel turned to me,


    "That...aura of yours...It displeases me. Cease."


    His last word carried power, like Torix or Elijah''s words. I grit my teeth, standing my ground as the word slammed into my mind. The words held a weight like iron. Unfortunately, they met my mind like a wall of steel. Gabriel raised an eyebrow,


    "How do you still stand? You should falter at my might."


    I rolled my eyes before raising my arms in a defensive stance. There wasn''t any need to rush this fight anymore. The longer he talked, the more oppression would eat at him. Gabriel turned towards Kessiah and said,


    "The lady of power standing there. Are you here merely to observe?"


    Kessiah nodded. Gabriel grinned, "Good. I''ll teach you little heathens some manners then."


    He shot towards me, raising a wing towards me. As he reached me, he stabbed the wing towards me. I dashed forwards and planted a heavy hook straight into his side. My armor met his stone coat like steel bouncing on steel.


    Gabriel grinned, "You will need more-"


    Charging my runes, I rotated on my heels and whipped a hook into his nose. The ground cracked beneath me as the angel took a step back. He rubbed a bit of powdered stone from his nose,


    "You can hit. I''ll give you that much."


    I dashed forwards and sent a knee straight for his nuts. He grinned before a spear popped out the center of his chest. Blood leaked from his wound and mouth before my knee slammed into his testicles with great force.


    He keeled over before I used the momentum off the knee to plant that foot back into the ground. A tight, compact hook slammed into the side of his head, sending him stumbling off balance. Another harpoon drilled through the bones of a wing, ruining the limb I charged into him.


    He fell face first onto the ground before his wing reached around. The feathers sliced through my armor, stabbing through my chest. He pulled me off his back, slinging me towards a wall. Everything in my vision circled before I slammed into a cinderblock wall. I pushed myself out of it as another well aimed spear pierced through a wing of Gabriel.


    The angel roared in frustration before turning Towards Althea. He pushed himself off the ground and paced towards her. Deflecting spear after spear, he gained ground towards her before I charged towards him again.


    When I reached him, Gabriel roared, "Leave me peasant."


    With a kick faster than I could react, he slammed a heel into my chest. I flew backwards again, a dent in my armor. I flipped through the air before growing several spikes from my armor. I pierced them into the ground, stopping me in place.


    Retracting the spikes, I sprinted towards him again. When I reached him, he thundered,


    "I told you to leave me Worm."


    He kicked towards me again, but I gauged the distance just right. I slowed down just enough so that his foot scraped my armor. As his foot pulled back, I grabbed one of his broken wings and pulled down. He howled in pain before another bolt shot through one of his shins.


    Even though the armor was even harder than my armor, the bolt pierced it like nothing. It was like it would pierce through any amount of armor as if it was gelatin. If anything, everything to Althea was like gelatin. The only way to stop her attack was to pack on so much gelatin that she couldn''t fuck you up. In other words, you needed a ton of health.


    Even though this new form was no doubt more durable than the last, that was because of its armor skin. This form couldn''t hold a candle to its previous form in raw health. That meant he was easy pickings for Althea, who pierces through armor.


    On the other hand, I couldn''t do much besides distract him in my current state. Given enough time, I could kill him. It would be a long, arduous road to victory though. On that road to victory, Althea owned a shortcut with her armor piercing ability.


    Gabriel turned and slapped the side of my face with a heavy palm. My helm bent. My teeth cracked. My jaw snapped. My cheek split. I didn''t let go. Even if I couldn''t hurt him, I could hold this fucker down and let Althea do the damage she needed to.


    Gabriel grabbed my neck and lifted me off the ground. He slammed a fist into my face once, then again and again. On his fourth strike, a harpoon drilled through the elbow of the arm holding me up. I fell onto the ground with my skull caved. Despite the grievous wounds, I still had a quarter of my health remaining.


    With my job handled, I laid on the ground and healed as the angel limped towards Althea. One spear gouged through his chest, then another. By the time he reached her, he was a pin cushion full of spears.


    Gabriel grinned when he reached her, Kessiah sitting at a lunchroom table. The angel spoke,


    "Now I''ve got you."


    Althea smiled before her cannon and normal arm reformed into two mauling limbs. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. Althea smashed a massive fist into his face, cracking the armor like paper. He tumbled backwards, but she didn''t let him escape. With her other hand, she grabbed him and pulled him back towards her.


    Strike after strike, the armor over his skin peeled away like wet tissue paper. Under her onslaught, the invincible armor was nothing. Like a hungry lion, she tore his flesh apart. Blood gushed from all the red underneath his armored skin. She tore his wings off, snapped his joints, ripped him limb from limb.


    Before she could finish him, the blood across the battlefield siphoned into him. The few bits of his armor remaining fell from his skin. Veins crawled and sunk into his body, pushing vitality into his body. His skinless body shifted and contorted as Althea continued pummeling him.


    A hand caught the fist of Althea. It pushed her hand backwards as two thin, wiry legs pierced into the ground. Althea''s arms shook as Gabriel''s new, thin frame overpowered her massive arms. Gabriel''s face grinned until the edges of his smile reached his ears. Blood gushed from his face as his mouth opened, revealing serrated teeth as his maw opened.


    It tore into Althea, tearing a chunk from her face. She howled in agony and dropped him. Stumbling backwards, the crimson, berserker form of Gabriel dashed towards her and used his clawed hands to tear her apart. Like two scythes, they tore through her flesh. They ripped her apart in seconds just as she had his stone skin.


    Althea fell to the ground before the monster contorted the four human limbs backwards. The limbs bent Gabriel backwards, like a scene off the exorcist. The exposed fibers of his muscles rippled as he tore her flesh off her bones.


    Althea fell apart, her head being crushed to a pulp. Gabriel''s deformed, skinless face laughed at her demise before my fist dug into his fleshy side. His body flew backwards, slamming into the wall.


    Of course I wasn''t standing still and watching her die. I regenerated most of my health, shut down oppression, and reached him as Althea tore off his armor. Without that set of stone skin, he wouldn''t be nearly as difficult to punish. Gabriel darted from the wall, lunging a clawed hand towards me. I ducked under it, the claw scraping against my armor.


    I shot a compact hook into his side. Blood gushed from Gabriel''s cheekless mouth before he tried sending another wild strike towards me. I cut the attack off with a shorter, denser strike with weight behind it. The blow broke his bones. The berserker form lost balance before I dashed forward.


    I grinned. If anything, the crazy, untamed movements of the berserker form were easier to deal with than his previous form. Most of the physical weight of Gabriel was in his armored skin. Without that weight, he couldn''t push and sling me around with ease anymore.


    That meant I could maintain my distance and chain my hits together with deadly proficiency. My mythical skill, Boundless Storm, ensured I could outdo him as long as I was even remotely similar. That effect enhanced tremendously with a surge of ascendant mana.


    When Gabriel was in his armored form, I didn''t use my runes. I just took advantage of my health regen since I didn''t think I could do significant damage regardless. Without that same shield keeping him safe, there was nothing stopping me.


    So, with the ascendant mana overflowing, I dashed towards the bloody monstrosity. It whipped another strike at me, but I deflected the strike before slamming a blow into its stomach. The maw of the creature widened, the jaw unhinging as it bit towards me. My own armor opened a set of teeth, meeting the creature''s bite.


    We wrestled upright for a moment before I tossed him onto the ground. He was far stronger than me, but I weighed more than him now. That let me maintain my own positioning in the fight.


    The berserker form tumbled on the ground. As it tried standing, I channeled my mana. A tile ripped off the floor at an angle. It caught the berserker''s leg, causing him to trip. The monster attempted running once more, but it was too late. I was upon him.


    The fervor and zeal of battle overwhelmed me. Coursing like the blood through my veins, that madness of battle unleashed brutality. Strike after strike, I pulverized and pummeled the creature to powder. I tore his limbs asunder, and rived his bones. I tore teeth. I broke bone. I flayed skin.


    I tore through the flesh of the mongrel. The sheer tenacity of Gabriel''s body worked against him as I tore him apart. His frame wouldn''t let him die. That prolonged his torment. Blood soaked strike after blood soaked strike, I ignored his own attempts to harm me.


    His claws dug into my side, but I retaliated with a vicious hook into his own. He bit into my forearm, but I tore the flesh off his. He attacked me with madness. I crushed him with brutality.


    As the dust settled from the long fight, I glanced at my health. Down to around 1/10th. It wasn''t too bad an outcome. In front of me was a bloody pile of mush. I sighed outwards before falling backwards. I stared at the ceiling, letting my mind wander for a bit. It needed the break.


    I pushed a fist into the air and shook it for a moment. We did it. One fallen angel down. Who knew how many left to go.

 49 Reaping Rewards

    Kessiah stood up and shouted with her arms raised,


    "That was fucking awesome. Man, you guys had to pull out all the stops to win that one."


    She walked over and picked up Althea who was passed out on the ground. Kessiah glanced towards me. She shrugged her shoulders,


    "I guess that''s all for today. You can do whatever for the rest of the day. I''ll be carrying Althea back to the camp."


    I leaned up, my health regenerating at a rapid pace. In front of me was a dungeon core. It was a black ball with a red, glowing outline. I picked it up,


    "Yo, Kessiah. What''s wrong with this dungeon core?"


    She turned to me and raised an eyebrow. She pointed a finger at me, "That''s an advanced dungeon core. Has anyone ever explained the dungeon cores to you?"


    I shook my head, so Kessiah walked over. She reached me, and sat down with her legs crossed. She reached out an open hand, so I set the dungeon core in it. She tilted it, observing it,


    "There''s five known tiers for dungeon cores. This is tier 2, or an advanced dungeon core. It levels up any skill you have by ten points, and gives you ten attribute points."


    My jaw dropped. I stammered, "You serious? Ten skill and attribute points? What the fuck."


    Kessiah shrugged, "It''s not as good as you think it is. Take whatever level you are. Now divide that by four. That''s how many attribute and skill points you can gain from dungeon cores."


    "So, if I''m level 400, I can only get 100 skill points and attribute points from dungeon cores?"


    She nodded, "Yeah. Exactly. Torix and I already maxed out our dungeon core limits a long time ago. I''m sure I could find a few extra just lying around if you want them."


    I nodded my head, "Of fucking course I do. Why the fuck are you holding out on us?"


    "Well, I had to earn those cores. I figured you should at least see how much trouble it is to get one first before getting as many as you needed."


    I shook my head, "That''s just...so dumb."


    Kessiah pursed her lips, "Why?"


    "Because we''ve almost died to followers twice. Why in the fuck would you leave us in a weakened state for so damn long? What if I died to Dakhma''s strike that one time because you didn''t give me the dungeon cores? What if you died because of it?"


    I grabbed the dungeon core from her hand. My armor absorbed it. I frowned at Kessiah,


    "Do you have them with you or are they somewhere else?"


    She sighed, "Fine, fine. I get it. My bad. Calm down. It isn''t like I have to give you anything either."


    I raised my hand up before letting them slap my thighs, "Alright. I guess you''re right. I''ll ask Torix for them. See if he wants to help out. You know, stop us from dying or some shit."


    I stood up, but Kessiah reached out a hand,


    "Wait a second. I''m sorry. I''ll be honest with you. Most people when they first make their builds don''t think in the long term. Torix and I wanted to have an in-depth discussion about the ins and outs of your builds before giving you the cores."


    Kessiah stood up, Althea cupped in one of her arms. She continued,


    "We figured some real-world experience in fighting would give you guys an idea of what stats are important. Once you guys understood that, we''d give you the cores and advise you on what to put points into. Neither of us thought that all of us would almost die both times we went out purging."


    I sighed, "Alright, fine. It''s ok. I''m just on edge is all. I think Althea and I have a good understanding of what and how to build around our stats. Do you mind giving me the cores now or no?"


    Kessiah reached out with Althea. I took her from Kessiah''s arms. Kessiah rustled through a knapsack on her left side. She pulled out a ring. She grinned,


    "This little knapsack is covered in a nanofiber mesh to make it tough. This-" She raised up the ring. "-is a temporal field generator. It holds all kinds of goodies, most of them you aren''t ready for."


    She put on the ring. A second later, I could hear the sound of her skin being split. It sounded like shearing iron, oddly enough. Crazy how hard her skin was.


    Anyways, a little portal opened in front of Kessiah. With a glowing band of white surrounding a starry sky, it was beautiful to look at. Kessiah reached her right hand inside before pulling out four red dungeon cores. She piled them onto her unused arm, like the cores were a baby in her left arm. She raised an eyebrow at me,


    "Eight should be enough for now? I don''t have anymore on me right now."


    Shocked at her generosity, I glanced away, "Uh, yeah. Sure."


    She nodded before reaching out with a core in hand, "I''ll feed them to your armor. I''ll give you a few extra points for when you gain levels later down the line. Let me know if you need any more later, ok?"


    I nodded my head. Suddenly, Kessiah was like a mom. It was really weird. She reached out a hand and pressed the core onto my armor. The core sunk in. Eightlater, and I was fully stacked out. Kessiah took Althea from me,


    "I''m heading out. Don''t stay here too long."


    I nodded before Kessiah ran out of the room at a blistering pace. Once she was gone, I walked over and absorbed the corpse of the Gabriel. I walked around the room, taking in the bits of his armored skin as well then the chains too.


    After finishing the feast, I opened my status screen. There was a special prize waiting for me.


    Experience from the Gorged SoulSwallower will be added to Gabriel, the Ascended Angel''s exp total. +60,000,000 total experience gained.


    I gained so many levels from the fight that it astonished me. Since defeating that dumbass bone knight guy, I gained 140 levels. I glanced at the history of my experience gain for a second, and 126 of those levels were from the Gabriel and the SoulSwallower.


    A sudden realization snapped in my head. This dungeon was in the quarantine zone. Althea and I both received doubled experience from the big boss man himself. That''s why I gained so many levels. That and my obliterator perk bonus that doubled experience from unique bosses.


    After that eureka moment passed by, I furiously allocated my points into constitution. After many, many clicks later, the perk menu finally opened up. I''d gained the perk for dexterity.


    [Prodigy (Dexterity of 100 or higher. You have (1) level 100 perk left for selection. Choose wisely.) - What takes others years, you do in seconds. Doubles the extra balance, flexibility, and reaction time from the dexterity leveling perk. Adds another 5 points of health per point in dexterity (10 health in total.) Adds another 1/10th of dexterity to perception (3/10th''s in total). Doubles reaction time, balance, and flexibility bonuses from points in dexterity. Increases mythical skill cap by 1(4 Total).]


    I selected the perk. After checking out my status screen, I still had four points left. I didn''t really know what to invest in from here though, so I finalized my choices. I left the four points unallocated for now.


    Immediately my armor tightened around me again, but I balled myself into a knot of muscle, making the armor snap. Even if I hadn''t, the armor wouldn''t have held for even a second. The size I grew was simply too much. The sudden surge of strength didn''t hurt the situation either. That wasn''t the only difference though.


    My angle of sight changed. Not by much, but enough to notice. My heels dug into the floor, not by inches but enough that I perceived the difference. Everything was lower to the ground. After all the points I put into constitution, I thought I would have gained more height. It turned out differently in practice.


    My guess was that constitution added a certain amount of weight per level and per point in the stat. As I gained that weight, I gained enough height so that I didn''t end up becoming to brawny. If you think about it, someone who''s five-foot-tall isn''t half the weight of someone who''s ten feet tall. The difference in weight between the two ends up being a lot more than just double.


    In other words, I didn''t have to double in height to double in weight. Constitution also made me denser, meaning the height difference would slow down over time. That meant constitution''s height increase would be slow. Still, it would build over time, unlike the sudden difference in physical control. That''s a weird way of saying it, but it''s hard to describe.


    When I took a step forward, I naturally adjusted the weight of my foot depending on surface I walked on. I took a few effortless steps, my feet light as air to me despite being heavy as stone. I leaned against a table, pressing my weight against it. I rebalanced myself, pushing myself up into a handstand on the table.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The table cracked, slumping down. I kept balanced despite the sudden shift. A second later, the table caved inwards, but I kept myself in my handstand without any difficulty. Even with the sudden changes in size and weight recently, this body was my home now. Nothing about it was foreign. For some reason, doing this wasn''t surprising. In my mind, it was to be expected.


    I let my feet fall forward before turning into a sprint. I front flipped before landing in a perfect split. I glanced down, awe struck at the ridiculousness of it all. I laughed aloud at myself. I was a gymnast now.


    A fly flew past me, and I waited till it was behind me. I pulled my legs together, making me stand upright again. Stepping backwards, and off the sound of the fly alone, I jerked my hand back and grabbed the fly out of the air. As I did so, I tried not to crush it.


    When I pulled the fly in front of me, I hadn''t even torn a wing off the thing. The fly buzzed in between my index finger and thumb, alive and well. I''ll admit it. That surprised me. I let the fly go before cracking my neck. The difference from before was starker than I thought it would be.


    With that in mind, Ichecked the beautiful numbers.


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Level 496</td>


    <td>Attribute Totals</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Strength -Increases carrying weight, maximum speed, and physical power</td>


    <td>252.6</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Constitution -Increases hardness, density, and weight of your body</td>


    <td>562.1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Endurance -Increases regeneration of stamina, health, and their totals</td>


    <td>567</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Dexterity -Increases ease of movement, flexibility, and reflexes</td>


    <td>100</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Willpower -Increases internal motivation, mana regen, and Mental Res</td>


    <td>270</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Intelligence -Increases memory, critical thinking, and total mana pool</td>


    <td>101.4</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Charisma -Increases likeability, persuasion, and decreases prices at shops</td>


    <td>30.1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Luck -Increases money found, odds in your favor, and chance of rare events</td>


    <td>54.5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Perception -Increases comprehension, the five senses, and awareness</td>


    <td>54</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>33,890/33,890</td>


    <td>6484/min</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 10,000+30%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>13,469/13,469</td>


    <td>215/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>219,872,985 / 256,000,000</td>


    <td>0/per min</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction -97.5%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus -3290%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My constitution was three times higher. That''s what a ton of levels and dungeon cores will do for you. Those points piled over nicely into strength, keeping me powerful despite my one-sided investments. That in turn fed into my dexterity, letting me get the level 100 perk. All in all, I was a much more balanced fighter in an instant. All that was because we fought a boss so many levels above us.


    As always, Schema rewarded ambition. The volume of levels and mana amazed me. If that fight took place without Kessiah there, it would have been damn near deadly. Having her there made all the difference. Not having to worry about death lets you focus when fighting. Considering how close the fight ended up being, I figured Althea and I would''ve died without Kessiah''s presence.


    That being said, I doubt I''d struggle so much anymore. I could bully the SoulSwallower with my sheer heft, and the dexterity would let me defend myself versus Gabriel''s armored form. Of course, it still would''ve been a desperate struggle, but I honestly believed in myself. I could take him now.


    I clasped my fists, noticing how my armor already adjusted to my new form. The only reason it snapped each time I gained a bunch of constitution was because of how snug it always was. Without really thinking, I took a step like I was giant. I let my feet slap against the tile floor, and the ground shook a bit. Not much, but just enough to notice.


    I laughed at how ridiculous I must look. The giddiness of gaining levels passed as I walked out of the lunchroom. I opened my status screen, finding my 2-D map of Springfield. Several other dungeons were available, some not even a mile away. After how fruitful this dungeon had been, the prospect of clearing them was tempting.


    With that in mind, I sent Torix a message,


    The Harbinger of Cataclysm (7:21 PM 4/13/00) - Yo Torix. Would you mind guiding me to a few more dungeons? I want to clear them for a few more bits of experience and ambient mana while they still give double exp.


    Three minutes passed. I wouldn''t have known without the timing system in place.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill (7:24 PM 4/13/00) - Open your obelisk. We''ll speak over voice intercom.


    I followed his advice before my armor produced my obelisk from my palm. I had no idea how in the hell it stored stuff, but it was convenient at times. With that in mind, my home screen opened from the disk.


    The calm creek and soothing sound of pouring water surrounded me. Birds chirped in the background, along with the hum of cicadas in the background. It was peaceful until Torix said,


    "Are you there?"


    I nodded, "Yeah."


    "Good. Think of a visual call with me."


    I did so, and a patch of the creek blurred into a dried-out lich. Torix leaned over a table made of mana, glancing at the tracking chalkboard every few seconds. He turned towards me, raising an eyebrow,


    "You''ve gained quite a few levels...I can honestly say your progress is no less than astonishing."


    My chest puffed out, "Thanks. Althea and I have been putting the time in. The thing is, I don''t think fighting Yawm''s minions is the best way to gain levels."


    Torix frowned, "They are a plentiful source of experience, mana for your armor, and are easily killed with relatively little effort. They are the perfect experience sponge."


    I shook my head, "No they''re not."


    "Explain."


    I raised a hand and counted on my fingers, "First off, they take forever for us to level with. We might not even gain a level a day clearing out his jungle. Hell, while Yawm is stuck in his world tree or whatever, he might be gaining more levels than that. That means we''re losing more ground than we''re gaining."


    "Very true."


    I counted another finger, "Second off, the level disparity between us and the spawns is drastic. We need more challenging enemies if Althea and I are going to develop our skills. I can''t take those zombie fuckers seriously anymore after the thousandth time I''ve killed one."


    "Understandably."


    I counted a third finger, "And finally, clearing out the dungeons draws less attention to us. The followers don''t seem to care about the dungeons at all. If my assumptions are right, they''re letting the eldritch proliferate so that they have material for experimentation. That might be one of the primary reasons that Yawm does this whole world tree thing."


    I raised a hand, "I think he''s trying to kill off most of the present species so that he will create another fringe world. He''ll use the eldritch as raw materials for his experiments while gaining more strength. That means clearing out the dungeons slows him down too."


    Torix cupped his chin on a bony fist, "Wow...Those are...wild, crazy...and, what I believe, are eerily correct assumptions. Did you think of that yourself?"


    I shrugged, "Uh, yeah. For the most part. The ideas popped into my head when I started talking about it."


    "Good ideas for popping up out of nowhere then." He turned towards the chalkboard, taking a few seconds for thought. He turned back to me,


    "Your plan sounds excellent in all honesty. I never even considered it. Good work, Daniel."


    I pulled back the armor on my face and scratched my nose, "No problem, no problem. Glad I can help."


    Torix nodded, "I''ll speak of this with the others as well. I believe they''ll agree with your judgment in this case. I''ll make a route towards a nearby dungeon. There''s no reason for you to stop while the other''s sleep. Of all people, I understand how boring it is to wait on others to wake up."


    I propped my weight onto one leg, "Yeah, being a lich means you don''t have to sleep really...Before I go, I was wondering how the time system worked over messages. It''s accurate, but I don''t understand it."


    "When Schema assimilates a planet, he discards arbitrary metrics for timing. He resets the world''s clock, and replaces it with the time since he took over. Earth hasn''t even cycled the sun since Schema has taken over. Is that all?"


    I nodded. Torix grinned, "Excellent work, disciple. I''m updating the data feed to your obelisk as we speak. Until next time."


    "Cya."


    Torix closed out the intercom before I closed mine. As I waited on my minimap to update, I practiced using my ascendant mana. Learning a bit defter control wouldn''t hurt anything after all.


    In the middle of trying to juggle three rocks with telekinesis, my minimap shifted. A new red line appeared, so I rolled my shoulders and set off. I sprinted through the school before meeting another SoulKeeper. With the same scythe and ominous eyes in his palms, I wasn''t worried.


    He stood at the opposite end of a hallway. I charged him. When he swiped his scythe, I channeled my mana and tweaked his swing with some telekinesis. The slight change in the angle was enough to make him miss.


    Two times later, and SoulKeeper seemed frustrated. Good. I reached him. He swung his scythe. I grabbed the handle before the blade touched me. Like meeting a wall of stone, the blade stopped before I pushed on its chest.


    I gripped my fingers, digging them through its skin. My ascendant mana surged, filling me with strength. I pulled the SoulKeeper with me before slamming the monster into the wall. The cinderblocks crumbled as the SoulKeeper was blasted through the wall. As it tumbled on the ground, I charged it once more.


    The monster met the other side of the room with a vicious tumble. I dashed forward, knocking school desks aside before tackling into the monster. The wall detonated as I crushed through it with ease. As we passed through the rock, I slammed into the monster with all my weight.


    The thing popped underneath me like a stockbroker''s ego during a market crash. My armor absorbed the blood and bile on me as I picked up the scythe of the thing. Sucking out the energy in the weapon, I noticed I broke through the wall into another classroom. To my right, a SoulKeeper glanced at me in confusion. Behind me, the other SoulKeeper already reared back its scythe.


    I ducked down under the sweeping slice of the blade. As I stood upwards, I turned around with a sweeping left uppercut towards the SoulKeeper behind me. My fist hit the stomach of the monster, catapulting it upwards. Before it flew out of reach, I grabbed its legs with my right hand.


    Turning back around, I dragged the SoulKeeper in my right hand like a ragdoll. The rightmost SoulKeeper dashed towards me, swinging its scythe like the other. Before it touched me, I hurled my ragdoll SoulKeeper into the incoming blade.


    It tore the monster in half, blood spraying in every direction. My hand kept moving forward. The blade of the scythe pierced through my hand until my palm hit the hilt of the weapon. I gripped it, and the only SoulKeeper left tried dragging the blade from my hand. It couldn''t even make me budge.


    I pulled the blade towards me with my pierced hand, the SoulKeeper dragging with the scythe. I palmed the monster''s face with my left hand, gripping my fingers around the skull of it. I shoved the monster''s head downwards while pushing upwards with my right knee.


    Like an exploding watermelon, the skull ruptured in between my knee and palm. Even after squashing the skull, my hand clanged against the metal joint of my leg. It was overkill. I grinned at the fact with my armor.


    The ascendant mana flowed like a raging river. The ecstasy of battle flooded my veins. My armor absorbed the corpses in a few seconds with long spikes. I picked up the scythes before continuing down the red route on my minimap. I would make sure that red route lived up to its coloring, with the blood my armor happened to miss.


    It was time to move forward. On to the next dungeon. On to the next body.

 50 Pieces of the Puzzle

    I exited the school before running towards the entrance of a sewer. Passing by the multicolored fauna, the ascendant mana flowed through my runes as I kept two stones afloat beside me. With every twisting curve of the sewer, I came closer towards the next dungeon.


    A few minutes later, I reached it. I crawled up the metal stairs and pushed off the manhole cover with a reserved slowness. I didn''t want to attract any unwanted attention, despite how bloodthirsty I sounded at times.


    I crawled out of the sewer, finding myself in an alleyway. A few blocks from me, there was a community shelter. It was a bunker built way back in the 50''s during the Cold War. The city maintained it all these years in case there was some crazy disaster or something. It was ironic. A place built to keep people safe now produced monsters that feasted on them.


    I passed nearby, squeezing between two alleyways. Peaking from behind an empty dumpster, I leaned over and noticed two other blips on my minimap. I squinted my eyes forward, towards the bunker.


    There was a thin, wiry woman and a blackened, featureless man. Behind them, a row of people and even a few spawns followed them. The blackened man turned the vault door before leading them into the abyss. I followed behind them, measuring my steps to mitigate noise. As I closed in, Torix sent a message.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(8:14 PM 4/13/00) - I''ve identified them both. Neither of them are enemies you should struggle with. Both of them are below level 500. Killing them won''t attract much attention either, since they both spend several hours inside this dungeon anytime they visit. That gives you plenty of time to handle what needs handling. Good luck.


    After reading the message, I waited for fifteen minutes. I figured giving them some time to go deeper into the dungeon would give me more leeway once I was in there. As I passed the time, I practiced with my ascendant mana.


    The runes kept the normal frenzy under control, tempering it into a usable form. Now that I familiarized myself with it, my runes would be tapered towards their use. Combine that with the rapid initial leveling of the skill, and I''d be a telekinetic mage in no time.


    Clearing this dungeon took precedence, however. Enough time passed, so I skulked down the steps and through the open vault door. The sun set as I waited, making the city dark. It wasn''t pitch black since there were a few solar lights here or there. For the most part though, only a little light leaked into the dungeon.


    Clean, concrete, and empty, it was like a terrorist cell from a horror movie. A few florescent lights blipped in the distance, revealing pieces of pathways off in the distance. The hallway stretche out like that for several rooms, like the lit areas were islands in a sea of darkness.


    It wasn''t unfamiliar territory. My first few days with Schema were much like this, with little light and an eerie quiet. It didn''t bother me anymore, so I kept my steps calm and composed as I went forward. Anytime I was unsure of where I was, I''d charge my ascendant mana for a bit. That gave me enough light to see forward.


    Still, the blipping lights mixed with a few streaks of blood from the wall made for an ominous atmosphere. My willpower and experience kept me focused despite all that. As I tread through the winding hallways, I reached a set of three hallways.


    I sat still and listened. I closed my eyes, honing all my attention to the slightest sounds. After a minute of doing so, a slight echo ebbed from the left hallway.


    Skill Gained! Listening(lvl 1) - You forge your senses to hear what you haven''t heard. +5% hearing distance when listening. -1% to focus required for listening.


    The skill helped as I tread forward, finding myself deeper in the dark caverns. The slight echo turned into a slight screech, then a far off scream. I walked down a few sets of steps, wondering where all the monsters were. This was a dungeon afterall. When I slowly snuck past an open doorway, I found out why.


    This was an open room, the kind of room you don''t expect in a bunker. The walls warped a bit at the end of the room, like the dungeon began here. A balcony lined midway around the edges of the wall, acting as a walkway. Observational windows, above the balcony, reflected bits of orange and white light in the room.


    The soot covered man from before ebbed orange light from open streaks all across his skin. It looked like his blood was magma. That light lit the room with a fluorescent lamp overhead, enough to see what was near them.


    An eldritch was crawling out the room. A long slug slithered next to the spawn. Gills flapped up on its sides, the slimy mucus trailing behind it. The spawn was a deformed man, bloated on something. Honestly, I''d rather not know what it had eaten.


    The two tentacled eyes of the slug reached out of the side of it''s head, were the gills ended. The creature opened up down the middle, before spearing the summon of Yawm with a thin, spiral shell. Several other spikes shot out from the insides of the creature before one pierced the core of the Spawn.


    The spawn wilted, dying already. The monster then lurched forward, swallowing it whole. I leaned over the balcony, getting close enough for identification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sacrificial slug(lvl 510) - This is an enormous, underwater slug. It glides through large bodies of water, using giant horns to push itself forward along the bottom of the seabed. These horns can be used for defensive purposes, especially considering the density and hardness of the shells.


    Outside of the water, their speed and defenses lower dramatically, making them vulnerable. When in the water though, these are deadly, fierce creatures that should not be underestimated.


    This species will feed on the surrounding species, liquefying their prey into nutrient rich soups for later consumption. They will then go towards a queen of sorts, feeding it with the soup. This makes sacrificial slugs a higher priority species since the queen can cause mayhem on a massive scale once she''s fully formed.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Before I could read the notifications for the named ones, another slug slithered up. As it waited for food, the wiry woman pushed a man towards the slug.


    From the balcony, I pushed on the railing before landing on it feet first. I let myself fall forward, letting myself get fully sideways. The ascendant mana roared through my limbs as I slammed my heels into the steel rail.


    It bent as I launched through the air. I pulled my legs up, letting my heels turn in front of me. I landed directly on top of the new slug as it opened its disgusting mouth. The jagged spears pierced an inch or two deep before snapping against my armor. As I landed inside of it, my feet crushed its insides.


    The impact acted like a detonation inside the slug. Muscle tore and organs ripped. Growing two spikes out of the edges of my hands, I sliced back and forth. The slug died in seconds. The man fell backwards, gasping in shock at his sudden saviour. Either that or he gasped in horror. Hard to tell.


    Before the shock of my landing wore off, I pounded my heels into the concrete floor. Dashing into the wiry woman, I trampled her underfoot. The glowing soot man stepped forward, letting his hands pull behind him. Two spheres of red, superheated mana formed as he pulled his hands together.


    They combined, forming an orange ball of energy. With a foot still planted on the woman''s throat, I wrapped my left hand around her face. My fingers gripped like the a beartrap as I pulled her up. A wave of magma poured towards me, but I used the woman as a shield, blocking most of it.


    She howled in my hands, her screams sharp enough to cut into my ears. I pulled the back of her head towards me while stepping forward and pushing off my heels. That force traveled up my hips before I snapped a vicious right hook into the back of her head.


    Like punching an aluminum can, the skull dented inwards with red spraying out. I threw her down before the soot guy launched a fiery fist towards me. Ducking under it, I twisted on my heels, launching a left hook straight into the pit of his stomach.


    Magma blood spewed from his mouth as he flew backwards. I walked towards him, stomping onto the skull of the dead woman as I passed. The soot man pushed himself back with his hands, his feet dragging behind. He shouted out in desperation,


    "Help. Help."


    He glanced at the eldritch slugs lining the warped walls of the room. They stared back with cold, unfeeling eyes. I rolled my eyes,


    "They aren''t pets."


    He turned back towards me, his horror fading as he reached out his hands. Just knowing I could speak let him know I wasn''t a monster like these eldritch. He shouted, "I''m sorry. They forced me too. It was that or die. Please. Have mercy."


    I walked up before grabbing his wrists. I planted a foot onto his chest before saying,


    "Sorry, I''m in the same boat. You live, you tell Yawm about me. Either I kill you, or die. I''m sure you understand."


    He howled out as I stomped his chest and jerked up. His arms tore off his body, magma spewing from the gaping wounds. Using the arms as clubs, I reared back and slammed his right arm into his head. Then his left arm. Again and again, I pummeled his face until it was mush.


    I tossed the arms aside before letting my armor absorb their ambient energy. I glanced behind me, noticing a group of terrified people. I glanced back towards the opening of the eldritch cave, finding the other slug monsters not coming towards me. They must be scared after watching one of their own be insta-gibbed.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I sighed, "Alright, I''ll help you guys out. I''ll get you guys outside of this hellhole before sending one of my friends to help you. Knowing him, he''ll probably send skeletons or some shit, so don''t be too surprised at what comes to help you. Do you all understand?"


    They shivered in terror, each of them waiting for their execution. I suppose that''s how they got here in the first place. I pulled my armor back, showing my face. With a bit of ascendant mana, I lit the room enough with my runes for them to see me. I smiled,


    "What happened then?"


    One of the older men walked up, his beard gray. He frowned, "We were a part of the resistance. These evil things found our base. They tore us from our homes, and sent us to camps before being taken here."


    His voice cracked a bit as he continued, "They...they fed people to those things...I watched them scream. I saw their eyes as they were eaten alive...I don''t even know what''s going on anymore. It''s too much. Everything is too much."


    An older woman from the back walked up, putting a hand over his shoulder. With a bit of steel in her eyes, she turned to me,


    "I''m sorry. Samuel''s lost too much to bear. I''m sorry you have to see him like this."


    I waved my hand, "Don''t worry about it. I understand. Things have been hard since the change. Everyone needs time to be weak between the times when you''re forced to be strong. I sure as hell have had a few times where I wasn''t able to handle it all either."


    The old man wept for a minute. One of the other members took him away, letting the old lady speak. She crossed her hands in front of her, standing up straight. She spoke with a clear voice,


    "You hear him. We''re struggling."


    I nodded, sending a message towards Torix that explained the situation. The grandma spoke,


    "When are we getting out of here, or are you too busy fiddling with those silly status screens to notice."


    I scoffed. I met her eye, "You think these little screens are silly then?"


    "You''re toying with it while people are dying. That''s not just silly. It''s irresponsible."


    I rolled my eyes, "Are you actually serious?"


    She glanced around at the people behind her, looking for some verification. She glanced back at me, "Yes. You''re plenty strong. Use it instead of spending all your time on that damn screen."


    I laughed, a slow, mocking kind of laugh. I pointed at the slugs, "You wanna know why I can fight those monsters and you can''t?"


    The grandma frowned, but stayed silent. I continued, "Because I spend my time fiddling with my status screen instead of trying to help people. This is something you should already know. You have to help yourself before you can help other people."


    I pointed at the sad group, "How in the fuck are any of you supposed to help anyone? You can''t, because you can''t even help yourselves. That weakness of yours, it¡¯s a convenient excuse. I know I sure as hell can''t just say Oh well. I''m too weak to do anything. Better wait till someone saves me."


    She blinked a few times before speaking, "You''re just like those things back there. A monster.


    I spread out my arms, "Have you looked around lately? This isn''t the place for people anymore. Only monsters survive. Either die or get with the program."


    She turned away, her feelings hurt. I swallowed my spite before holding up my palms,


    "Look, alright. Sorry. Tough times call for tough words. I''m just tired of hearing excuses and being blamed for other people''s problems. Just because I''m strong doesn''t mean I have to save people. Just because you''re weak doesn''t mean I have save you."


    I pointed towards a staircase, "Anyways, I''m done talking about it. I''m escorting you guys out of here. Once you''re in the first room of the bunker, stay still and quiet. A minion of this guy named Torix will save you."


    I walked them out of the room. They kept quiet now, only a few whispers coming out here or there. Most of the whispers were prayers or thanks. Out of them all, I think only the grandma was ungrateful. She just so happened to be the only one speaking is all. Maybe seeing the man break down made her react off stress. Maybe that had been her husband. I didn¡¯t know.


    Those thoughts tumbled in my head until we reached the entrance to the bunker. I waved a hand behind me as I walked back towards the cave, leaving them there as I said,


    "Good luck out there."


    As I walked off, one of the women whispered, "Thank you."


    The simple gesture planted a smile on my face, so I paced towards the entrance of the cave. Making sure I didn''t miss any monsters, I reached the opening again. Several slugs crawled out of the cave, but most of them returned to the depths of their cave. Surging with the ascendant mana, I slammed my fists together.


    I sprinted before jumping into the room, landing with a booming echo on the ground. Cutting on oppression, the slugs turned towards me in succession. I grinned along with my armor. A slug nearby slinked towards me, more of a lunge than a crawl. I bent backwards to the side, dodging one of the jutting horns.


    I grabbed the horn as it retracted and jumped back. The horn tore from the creature while I avoided another spear with leap backwards. As the new horn retracted back, I dashed forwards and pierced the creature''s maw with the ripped out horn in hand.


    The horn punctured the slug, stabbing through creature. Another spear stabbed towards me, drilling towards my head. I leaned my head sideways while lifting my right arm. The spear went right between my arm and head. Before it pulled back, I slammed my fist down. Leveraging the spear on my shoulder, my hand snapped it.


    The slug pulled back, but I followed. It lunged towards me, but I sidestepped towards the right of monster. As it''s head pulled back, I stabbed the monster with the snapped horn and pulled back. The horn sliced the monster''s head in half, killing it. After a few more stabs for good measure, a spine from my armor absorbed the ambient mana in the creature.


    By now, two more slugs neared me. Before they caught me though, I tore out a few more spears from their dead brother. A few tosses later, and one of the slugs died before reaching me.


    Skill Gained! Spear Mastery(lvl 1) - You throw and wield spears like a part of your own body. +2% to spear throw speed. +1% to spear handling power and speed.


    I grinned before dashing towards the other slug monster. Shooting out another horn, I leaned to my left. Using the momentum behind the movement, I smashed a left hook into the horn. It shattered before leaning towards my right, dodging another spear.


    I swiveled a crushing right hook into the next horn, snapping it. The monster squealed in anguish, pulling back again. I dashed forward. Again, the dumbass slug tried to swallow me. I stomped my front foot into the ground and turned my shoulders, smashing its face with another right hook.


    The slug fell sideways, tumbling over before I stomped the monster''s head with my heel. The blue blood splattered in every direction, covering my face. I turned back towards the next slug. There was none.


    The others had escaped into their cavern. Even the dumbest animals won''t charge into death I supposed. Regardless, I opened my status screen and found myself having leveled 12 times. I also noticed a pool of tree points from the dungeon cores I had earlier. That combined with my new skills gave me just enough tree points to unlock the last tier of Genesis of Potential. Boy was it a big one.


    Force your thoughts into reality. Tear down the whoever and whatever stands before you. Live up to the potential of your kind. +4 extra level 100 perks(7 max | 1 remaining.) Increases the dungeon attribute and skill cap by 100%. (from 1/4 of total level to 1/2 of total level. EG, if level 100, you may absorb 50 attribute and skill points instead of 25 total.) Raises mythical skill cap by one(5 Total).


    The mythical skill cap was already over my head, especially considering the difficulty involved with getting one. The other bonuses were just a plethora of raw stats. In a single word, beautiful. Once I got back to Kessiah and Torix, I''d get another boost. I looked forward to it.


    With the tree finally finished, my other options for skill trees opened. I''d forgotten them it had been such a long time.


    [II Vicious(Beat an enemy 40 levels higher than you in combat lasting over an hour, Death''s Dance, Scorn, and Desperation over level 25)(0/50)]


    [III Fighter(Kill an enemy 40 levels over you)(0/50)]


    [Cosmic Soul(Obtain level three different soul related skills before level 500, ascendent unlocked before level 500, and willpower over 250 before level 500)(0/500)]


    [I Invincible(Take over 10,000 points of damage, with capped resistance in the damage type, and live)(0/250)]


    [Fearless(Battle an enemy over 1,000 levels above you and live)(0/250)]


    I had quite a few choices in my hands. My initial thoughts were to go with the highest number tree, Cosmic Soul. I decided against that once I checked out the bonus of vicious and fighter. Vicious gave me 5% more damage. The fighter tree gave me a multiplier to my bonus physical damage.


    Either of those would be invaluable right now, especially the damage bonus. Despite being such a high level with high stats, I would notice the difference something like that would make immediately.


    With that in mind, I put the rest of my 13 remaining points into vicious.


    Rip them apart with your hands. Maul them with your rage. Despise them. Use that hatred as fuel for fire. +2% damage.


    For such a small investment, it was a solid bonus. Hopefully unlocking boundless storm didn''t mess with my ability to get further down the vicious line. If so, that would be painful.


    For now though, I just needed to decide on my next levelling perk. It was a choice of either luck or perception. Charisma was out since my armor reduced it so much. Maybe that was why the last few groups of people had been so disagreeable. I didn''t really know.


    What I did know was that luck gave me a bit more health, but perception was something I could take advantage of. I mean, you can''t abuse luck. It''s risky to put your life in the hands of something so intangible. Perception would allow me to better use runes, use my senses better, and get a bit more of that precognition ability.


    So far, it had made a difference only once or twice. That could change whenever I made a new rune or saw a bullet piercing my skull, letting me move before it killed me. That made my decision easier, especially with how important the runes were to my effectiveness. Understanding the runic language would let me understand things that may otherwise be unknowable.


    With that in mind, I crunched a few numbers in my head real fast. Intelligence helped with stuff like that. If I kept putting points into constitution, it would take another 673 levels before I finally got enough points for the perception perk. In other words, fuck that.


    Sure, putting so many points into constitution paid off quite a bit with dexterity. I doubt having over 1500 constitution would be worth it though. That would throw my build way out of balance. With that in mind, I put all 28 points into perception. I checked out my status screen then.


    Level 508


    Strength 252.6 | Constitution 562.1 | Endurance 567


    Dexterity 100 | Willpower 270 | Intelligence 101.4


    Charisma 30.1 | Luck 54.5 | Perception 82


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>34,780/34,7800</td>


    <td>6484/min</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 10,000+30%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>13,525/13,525</td>


    <td>220/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>234,872,985 / 256,000,000</td>


    <td>69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction -97.5%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus -3359%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 97.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 7%</td>


    <td>Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The vicious bonus popped up again, reminding me I had the tree. I guess it was a way of letting me track my progress with trees. Either way, it was helpful.


    With my status handled, I cracked my neck and walked into the cave. After crushing a few more slugs, my armor would upgrade and I would gain enough levels for the perception perk. Life was good. By the time I got deeper into the cave, life took a turn, like a dive into cold, deep water.


    I went into those dark depths with a smile.

 51 Monsters of the Deep

    I mean that literally. Once I passed a bit deeper into the cave, the walls bent and turned wet. I glanced around, wondering where the snails met. A few more turns down the passage, I found my answer.


    This was an underwater cavern, mist floating over the water like white cotton. I neared the water, walking along a shore made of stone. A set of crawling legs clacked as a crab walked out of the water. One of its overgrown pincers dragged behind it, like it was dragging a club.


    It stood five feet (1.5 meters) tall, and around twice as long. It turned its claws towards me, the right one far larger than the left. I stood a solid distance from its snapping range, observing it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Deep Dweller(lvl 376) - This is a weak but fully grown Deep Dweller. This crab species has an enlarged claw that it can snap to produce sonic booms above air, and it can produce stunning blasts underwater.


    The way it works is the crab will snap its claws, producing a stream of water. This creates a low pressure bubble in its wake. When the bubble collapses, it sends a ripple of force that stuns nearby prey. During the collapse, the temperatures inside the bubble reach heat that matches the surface of the sun.


    It''s only for a fraction of a second though, so the damage is minimal. Below water, you may struggle against this enemy. Above water is your domain, however.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My runes charged as the creature snapped the right claw towards me. It didn''t even come close to me, but the sound echoed louder than a missile''s explosion. My eardrums busted immediately, but my pain tolerance prevented me from falling to my knees in agony.


    I ran towards the creature, oddly off balance. It was strange to run without hearing, but I gained a sense for it after a few steps. The crab didn''t enjoy me coming closer, so it snapped the claw again, booming a loud sound.


    Didn''t do much to me now that I couldn''t hear though. Once I reached it, the crab snapped the claw at me. It clamped onto my right arm before I pulled it back. Being heavier than it, I lifted it into the air before running over and smashing it against the wall.


    Like squishing a giant cockroach, the shell smashed. As it squirmed and twitched in pain, I walked over and shot a quick punch into the face of it. My fist dug a few feet deep into the monster before finishing it off. A quick absorption of my armor later, and the fight was over.


    Turning back to the pool, I glanced at the edges of the cavern. It was enormous, the size of a football field at least, and that was only the size of the top of the pool. Who knew how big it was below.


    Of course fighting giant crab and slug monsters underwater seemed like a jolly good time, but I sat down and thought for a bit. If I entered the water, I could easily drown. That wasn''t the easiest way of handling this. Instead, I walked up the edge of water with oppression on.


    The odd energy of oppression stretched out, covering most of the pool. I grinned before things started swelling to the surface. Dark, squirming things writhed in the water. The neared the surface, darting back and forth.


    I created a long spike with my armor. The further out it went from me, the harder it became to control. It let me create a spear stretching half my body length. With a quick, puncturing stab, I pierced into one of the dark shapes underwater.


    The moment my armor stabbed into it, I let it shoot out like needles. The needles caught the thing, letting me pull it out of the dark water. It was a glowing blue eel, short but muscled. Two dark blades grew from the back fin, looking razor sharp along with a swordfish¡¯s nose. It squirmed on my spike, trying to get away from me. I pressed it against the stone before heel stomping it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Spectral Eel(level 421) - Though not the strongest eels, they make up for their lack of strength with an unparalleled speed underwater. They swim and dart around their prey, which is often much larger than it. Their fast metabolisms let them out speed their prey, then they eat until they are swell up to ten times their normal size.


    This food turns into a nutrient rich liquid that it then feeds to the queen of the pond they reside within. They give the queen tribute so that they can live. If you fight this monster underwater, be ready for a long and frustrating fight. Otherwise, this fish is useless.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Another heel stomp later, and the monster died. My armor absorbed it, and I went to work. Dozens of fish later, and an option finally showed up.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Evolution gained. V Harbinger of Cataclysm unlocked. Evolve Y/N?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stepped away from the edge of the coast line, giving myself some distance before pressing yes. Of course, the pain came, though not like before. I spent some of my skill points from to max out my pain tolerance, giving me 99.9% pain reduction. If anything, it amazed me that the pain was still notable. Just imagining the pain at full force made chills crawl up my spine.


    This evolution took far longer than the others, probably due to the increase in mana needed for it. Unlike with the other transformations, the pain wasn''t severe enough to prevent me from analyzing the reformation.


    So far, the armor had covered my skin, and become my bones. Now, tiny little tendrils of the armor laced within my muscles and tendons. Like cords of metal, these tendrils made my muscle and flesh harder to tear apart. When I charged my runes, the energy pulsing through my armor would conduct with those tendrils. That made using my mana even easier than before.


    They acted like copper wires through a house, giving electricity the conductor it needed to power the home. In this case, the electricity was my mana and the home was me. Having these cords infest my muscle hurt like a thousand needles digging all throughout you. Well, 0.1% of that at least.


    As with all hard things though, it eventually ended.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    V Harbinger of Cataclysm(Skin, Legendary Unique) - Skin that can absorb rift energy (Ambient Mana) for evolutions. These evolutions may add other special effects. Cannot be removed, only altered. This skin is regenerated with health. 0/65.5 Billion Mana left till next evolution.


    A Harbinger''s Might -Increases Damage reduction cap by 3% | Current Max: 98%


    Of Eldritch and the Unknown - Additional 25% increase to total health | Current Total Health: 125%


    The Charging Calamity - Gives unique ability IV Oppression | Current Damage: (15,000 + 40% of health/min) within a maximum of a 200 ft/61 m radius. Affected by physical damage reduction.


    A Perennial Force - 5% of health added towards health regen per minute, which is affected by regeneration multipliers | Current regeneration bonus including multipliers 20% of maximum health per minute


    Wielder of Souls - Soul Forged Runes reduce total mana cost of spells by 20% | Current mana cost: 80%


    Malignant -Decreases Charisma by 30% | Current Total Charisma: 70%


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    - And so, you wield me. One day, I will wield you.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The main difference I noticed was the boost in health regen and oppression. Those aspects of the armor became much stronger. Combine that with a solid boost to my runic boosts, and I felt far stronger. That extra health regen acted as extra mana, due to my arcane blood. Multiply the bonus mana regen with the extra conductivity from the wires running through my muscle, and my mana charging increased by leaps and bounds.


    Itching to test me new limits, I neared the pool once more. Easy as taking a step, I elongated my armor, producing a spike three quarters the length of my body. Controlling it became easier after the reformation. With that extra range, I walked near the pond, ready for fishing.


    As I did so, something under the water swelled. A hump appeared under the water, racing towards the edge of the pond. The monsters I worked so hard to pull from the water began flopping from the pond. Pufferfish covered in glowing spines of violet, anglerfish with hooked whips that shined yellow, even crocodiles with steel scales polished to a sheen, they all sprinted form the water. I took a few steps back myself, wondering what the fuck was going on.


    A tentacle came out of the water, covered in eyes and warped mouths. The tentacle slammed on top of a steel crocodile. Blood squirted from the mouth of the reptile, before the tentacle wrapped around it. It writhed in agony as the monster pulled it back into dark depths of the pool.


    Claws snapped from the alligator¡¯s hands as it dug them into the rock. I snapped at the rock ground, trying to get a hold on anything. With a desperate howl, it submerged into the water. Glancing at the tentacle, a message appeared.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Krakow-Wahl(lvl 700) ¨C The fully formed version of the Krakow, this monster has amazing sight with its innumerable eyes. With tentacles covered in mouths and those same eyes, it can hypnotize prey with sweet sounding words.


    Even then, its combat prowess is amazing. Underwater, this beast rivals a creature 500 levels higher. Its unseen body shifts in the water faster than the eyes can follow. It is but a writhing shape in the water, unknown and spelling death.


    The only known piece of its massive body is the eye that opens when it swims near the surface. Many of its powers stem from this mechanic. Avoid its clutches, for if it drags you out, you will drown.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Not the most comforting message. The welp of water disappeared as water poured from the top of the creature. A giant eyelid opened, revealing a giant eye. A glowing mist poured from it, but opened eye met my own.


    A voice shook into my mind,


    ¡°Hello there, little lamb-¡°


    ¡°Is that like, an eldritch thing or something?¡±


    A tentacle rose from the water, leaning back,


    ¡°Do you not fear me? I wonder if that is why you interrupt me.¡±


    I waved him away with a hand,


    ¡°Naw, it¡¯s because some guy named Baldag-Ruhl called me a little lamb, and most eldritch that can talk do too actually. Just wondering if it¡¯s something that¡¯s inherent or...?¡±


    The tentacle leaned closer to me,


    ¡°All of your kind carries two traits. You are all food, and you all obey a higher order. We do not follow the commands of anyone, unless forced to. Your kind bends at the slightest benefit.¡±


    I rolled my eyes,


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re just looking for some bullshit excuse to justify yourself. Sounds...contrived.¡±


    The tentacle slapped towards the top of me, causing my knees to buckle.


    ¡°Do not question my motives, child.¡±


    With one knee on the ground, my head was bloody but unbowed. I stood with the tentacle across my back, like atlas carrying the sky.


    The monster mumbled, ¡°How is something so small so¡­strong.¡±


    My ascendant mana roared in my armor as my armor grinned. My grip tightened, digging into the flesh of the tentacle. The bright, crimson mana bled from my runes like evaporating blood. The tentacle shivered, no longer able to crush me.


    ¡°You are no little lamb¡­you are a wolf, masked in the skin of a sheep.¡±


    From the tips of my fingers, my armor pierced into the monster. A thousand needles dug into the monster as it attempted to pull me up. My weight stopped the tentacle from leaving me. My armor sapped the strength of the monster.


    Unique skill unlocked! Gorger of Mana(lvl 1) ¨C You consume the power of others. +1% to draining speed. -1% to mana drain setup time.


    The voice roared through the room,


    ¡°Do you believe that you can eat me?¡±


    My armor grinned wider as another tentacle shot out of the water. A splash of water covered me, covering me in the blood of the monster. As my armor absorbed more and more of its energy, bloody spots formed on the tentacle, spreading further down the limb.


    With each passing second, the crimson spots on the creature spread further out. The other tentacle slapped towards me. With my feet creating craters, I leapt backwards. The tentacle I held onto tore from the monster¡¯s body.


    With a roar of pain, the sea monster missed its strike. The piece of tentacle above me wilted. Once fully drained, I tossed the dry, gray mush aside. More tentacles rose from the water, like the water was coming to life. Three of the eye covered tentacles darted towards me, but I leapt into the air.


    One the tentacles slammed into the ground beneath me, another missed. The final one came flying down from above. As it slammed me downwards, I curled into a ball. Spines expanded from my back, jagged and strong as steel. They pierced into the tentacle before the tentacle below me turned over. A circular mouth opened, revealing a sea of teeth.


    The top most tentacle pushed me into the gaping mouth before the squirming insides of the creature appeared. The teeth above me closed. Saturated in red light, I pushed my arms and legs outwards. Two sharp, serrated swords grew from my palms, stabbing through the monster. With a surge of mana, a burst of strength exploded in my arms as I turned my palms in a giant circle.


    A rain of blood covered me as the cave appeared. The two walls of flesh separated as the kraken-thing roared in agony. The bleeding half of the tentacle retracted back into the water as I landed on the slippery ground. The detached tendril wriggled on the ground like a headless chicken. I stabbed my sword through the armor, draining it of the life force still there.


    It wilted in seconds before I turned back to the sea monster. The tentacles wavered near the water, more cautious than before. I stomped my foot into the ground, shards of stone splintering upward near my foot. As the deafening echo radiated through cavern, I picked up two pieces of stone. With a step forward, I tossed one of them like a javelin.


    The rock shot through the air before shattering against the monster. More a nuisance than a serious attack, I shot another boulder at the creature. The voice roared,


    ¡°Cease your pestering and leave me be.¡±


    I frowned,


    ¡°Odd how your kind is so open to fighting until you realize it¡¯s going to be a challenge. Then you¡¯re all about peace and rainbows. Pitiful.¡±


    Six tentacles rose from the water, arcing towards me. I grounded my feet, retracting the swords and pumping my mana into my arms. A tentacle slammed towards my right side, but I funneled force into my left arm. I pulled my right arm back, sliding on my heels before planting a strike into the tentacle coming towards me.


    Using a bit my telekinesis, I pulled the tentacle towards me as my fist hit. The teeth and eyes broke and ruptured as my fist landed. Muscles composing the limb tore, as the voice yelped. Another tentacle wacked towards my left side, but I turned on my heels again. Twisting on my feet, my fist drilled through the air before I grounded another strike into a tentacle.


    The ground beneath my feet cracked as my fist landed. Like detonating bombs underfoot, two clouds of dust wafted from me. An enormous implosion of sound ebbed from the tentacle, like a tank shell firing beside your eardrum. The force of the blow rippled through the tentacle, exploding out the back of it.


    The skin at the other side of the limb split. Flesh ruptured out of it, leaving the tentacle attached by a sliver of skin. A tentacle neared me from above, but I pulled my right arm backwards. Another channel of power formed as I kept my elbows tucked, turning like a top on my feet. The tentacle slammed on me, but I stepped forward with my right foot.


    The foot stomped into the ground, forming a cloud of stone dust. The force off the stomp traveled up my foot. I turned my left heel, the weight of the stomp pulsing through my core. Like a gunshot, my left fist landed a fierce uppercut into the creature.


    I dug deeper into the ground as another blow landed. A fissure formed beneath me as my fist punctured the tentacle above me. The sheer impact made my knees buckle at just how cleanly the strike landed. A larger cloud of stone dust erupted along with another thunderous boom from below.


    Before I could stand up straight again, a tentacle wrapped around me. With an explosive jerk, it pulled me from my spot. I dragged against the ground, the deadly line of water coming closer.


    I slammed my hands into the stone, expanding claws into the ground. They held me for a second before chunks of stone cleaved from the ground. With the hunks of stone on my clawed hands, the line of black water grew.


    I dug my heels into the stone, the rock cracking. I stopped for another second, but another tentacle wrapped around the first, reinforcing it. The pull doubled in strength, jerking me closer. Before I slammed into the water, I inhaled as deeply as I could.


    That¡¯s when the water surrounded me. The piercing cold, the all-encompassing wet, the suffocating embrace of the liquid was like the grim reaper whispering in my ear. The tentacle¡¯s grip tightened around me, like the monster was reminding me where I was.


    The black brightened in a flash of light as a gargantuan eye opened right in front of me. Larger than the edge of my vision, the monster stared at me for a moment. Lifting the eye up, countless legs of insects revealed itself. Suckers lined the throat of the monster, like they wanted to pump out my organs.


    A voice echoed throughout the water,


    ¡°Now, little lamb¡­You lay in my domain.¡±

 52 True Intentions

    My helm split, the jagged teeth of ruptured metal sharper than before. With a bite, I tore into the tentacle surrounding me. The monster¡¯s grip loosened, letting me shove my right hand into its eye. My whole hand pierced the clear lining that protected its eye. A forest of armor needles erupted from my arm, pinning me to the monster.


    The massive eyelids of the creature came crashing down from above and below. They slammed against me, knocking me sideways. Before it could blink again, I punctured my other arm into the monster. Another forest of needles appeared, locking me in place.


    The giant creature writhed in pain, shaking as glowing purple tears poured from it. They floated in the water like globules of heavy oil. The monster darted its other limbs towards me, but I forced my own arms apart, ripping the creature''s eye apart.


    The monster dashed backwards in agony, but my armor kept me attached to the monster. The sea creature shot its gargantuan tentacles towards me once more. I slipped into the gaping wound, escaping it.


    I had about three more minutes before I needed another breath. All that endurance paid off when I needed to hold my breath after all. I pulled myself deeper into the eye of the creature, the entire organ shivering in pain. The monster reached into the painful tear, but it couldn''t rip me out. My armor already expanded the collection of needles, keeping me in it as it tried to get me out.


    With a burst of effort, I ripped and tore with my arms, letting me reach further into it. Within a minute, I pierced through the eye of the monster, tearing into the optic nerve. I wrenched the tissue apart, shearing it with raw strength. Another minute passed, and the inside of the creature¡¯s skull was turning to mush.


    Its health ate away as I swam in the thick blood of the monster. Running out of breath, I reached the soft brain before crawling on it. I reached upwards, dealing tremendous damage with just my movement. A few seconds later, and I reached a thick layer of bone.


    Moving through the thick, pressurized mush of its insides, I reared my fist back. A flood and fury of ascendant mana rushed into my right arm as I forced my fist forward. Like tearing through a block of wood, the bone snapped, gushing me outwards. Out of the skull I floated before sinking to the bottom of the pool.


    The dark water was red now, bits of brain and mush tapping me as I sunk. Disgusted, I landed on the floor of the cavern with my lungs burning. My chest convulsed a bit, pleading for air, but I kept my breath held. My vision closed in, my peripheral vision dampening. My lungs wanted to let the air out and breath again, but that meant death.


    Once my feet landed, I ran along the bottom of the pool. My weight let me move quick since I had enough weight holding me down to push myself forward. If anything, the water didn¡¯t feel that different from air. The only difference was that I could breathe air. Alright, it was a pretty big difference. Whatever.


    Anyways, seaweed and corals bumped into me as I ran along the water. My pace increased before I took around half my health and used it as fuel for my ascendant mana. I figured using my health to live was better than letting myself die without using it. My health was a mana pool I could use and a colossal one at that.


    Channeling the mana took about three seconds. My runes grew in brightness before pieces of my armor ruptured. The cracks crept across me, letting out a blindingly bright crimson glow. The entire lake lit up like someone shot a dozen flares under the pond and they stayed lit under the liquid. Strength filled my bones until I almost shattered under the weight of my own energy.


    With sudden godlike explosion of power in my limbs, I leapt upwards. The stone cracked under foot before I bolted upwards, the water trailing past my face like wind. The water around me splashed upwards as I swooped up and over the surface of the lake. I kept going, my speed waning while I took in another lungful of air.


    I misjudged how much I needed to jump. I smashed into the top of the cavern, the stone chipping with another booming echo. I flopped in the air, back down towards the lake. I kept enough composure to take a full breath of air before belly flopping into the pond.


    I sunk like a stone, plenty of oxygen left in me this time. With a few more stomping steps, I sprinted out of the pond. I mentally praised the dry land I walked on, my steps light despite the level of damage I took. Glancing backwards, a giant hump was left on the pond. Glancing at my notifications, the giant sea dude was dead.


    As I assumed, the fight wasn¡¯t that hard. The only dangerous part had been falling into the water. Still, I could hold my breath for a long time now. Combine that with all my other advantages, and a level 700 boss wasn¡¯t anything too deadly.


    I got a bit close to choking afterwards, but nothing a little ascendant mana couldn¡¯t fix. Behind the lake, a corridor continued deeper down the tunnel. One of the tentacles of the creature flopped onto the edge of the pool¡¯s side as well. Getting over there would let me absorb the creature¡¯s mana, something I was quite keen on doing.


    With that in mind, I walked along the edge of the pool, keeping knee deep in the water. As I passed through the pond, one of the gross slugs from earlier crawled up to the edge of the water. After lurching twice, it vomited into the pond. Many species of the fish in the pond rose from the depths, snipping at the nutrient rich soup. Once I passed into range of oppression, they darted towards the other edge of the pond.


    I suppose killing their leader made them fearful of me. It didn¡¯t matter now. I already killed what I wanted to kill. Even the slug crawled away, leaving a mucus trail behind it. I would follow and kill it later. For now, consuming the boss¡¯s body came first.


    I reached the back of the pool a minute later. I grabbed the tentacle flopped on the edge of the pool and pulled the monster out. I only got it to move a few feet, but with a bit of ascendant mana, I got the job done.


    Most of the monster¡¯s body was still in the water, but I could reach the center of it. From what I could see with the red light of my ascendant mana, the monster was a giant octopus. It had eight tentacles, most of the them missing from our fight earlier. Fighting me on land almost left it without any arms it turns out.


    At the top of the creature, there was the giant eye. Below it was a bone skull with a million bajillion insect legs and teeth. Looked like it would make for a mean death at least. My armor wasn¡¯t much different though with all the needles and what not.


    Speaking of which, I stabbed into the monster and absorbed the mana of the creature over the next few minutes. The drained corpse floated like an empty skin on the surface of the pond. Nothing nibbled at it. My armor left nothing of value behind.


    Once finished feasting, I walked towards the mucus trail of the snail. As I reached the back of the pond, I glanced back at the pool. A few bones floated in the water¡­human bones. I turned back towards the mucus trail and remembered what Yawm¡¯s named ones were doing earlier. A few seconds of thought passed, and I came to a conclusion.


    Yawm was feeding humans to the eldritch, to let them grow. My brain kicked into gear, connecting disparate dots. I was wondering in the back of my head why Yawm hadn¡¯t just broken the quarantine zone. He could easily after all. It made sense now.


    He could create his world tree thing here while feeding this city to the eldritch. The eldritch would grow and become ferocious. The dungeon¡¯s doors would break before the eldritch poured outwards, hungry for more.


    Yawm gained loyal followers from the forested parts of the city, and fed the eldritch with the outer portions of the city. Once the eldritch reached a certain level, they would break out of the dungeons. The eldritch would then break the quarantine without Yawm ever having to sacrifice a soldier breaking it himself. His entire legion would never have to even lift a finger.


    After spending a minute or two typing up the information, I sent my theory on over to Torix. I had no way of knowing if I was correct, but it seemed likely. With that finished, I followed the snail¡¯s mucus trail towards the back of the cavern.


    A minute of running later, and the snail hunched beside tiny crevice. The hole led outside, and the snail was halfway through. It couldn¡¯t quite get through though, so now it was stuck. Easy pickings for me. A few strikes later, and the snail converted into a pile of bloody mush.


    With that handled, I tried passing through the crevice myself. Oddly enough, I barely fit through. The size of constitution almost worked against me there. I could always just snap the rock constituting the wall though.


    Anyways, after passing through the crevice, I reached a room full of clear eggs and the dungeon core on a pedestal. I walked up and snatched the core, my armor absorbing it with ease. Glancing around, the tiny squids writhed within their eggs, the smaller ones already withering. Oppression would kill them soon without me needing to lift a finger doing so.


    Needing to wait a few minutes for the eggs to all die, I checked my status screen. Of course, I gained nowhere near the same volume of experience. It was a solid 55 levels since defeating Gabriel, putting me at level 563. I tapped my chin, having 110 points to invest. The obvious choice for my initial points was in perception. I put 18 points into it, unlocking the perception perk.


    [Oracle (Perception of 100 or higher. You have (1) level 100 perk left for selection. Choose wisely.) ¨C Often the most complex things can only be seen, not understood. You are the seer of these truths. Doubles sensory, awareness, and comprehension bonuses for perception. Doubles precognition bonuses from perception. Dramatically lessens the required effort for focusing your senses, like actively listening. Adds 5 more health per point in perception (10 total.) Adds one to total mythical skill cap(6 Total).]


    It was a simple and effective method for a slight boost in my options here on out. From here on out, I¡¯d be working on building up a mass of stats to work with. I already had a strong inkling of how I¡¯d progress from here out, but time would tell.


    It turned out that my endurance, armor, and my arcane blood gave me an enormous working pool of mana. If anything, having full health was a waste of my potential. My pain tolerance was maxed out, so using enormous portions of my health at once was well within the realm of possibility. Considering how high my health pool was, I had more options for bursting than I thought.


    Talking with Torix may enlighten me on some options. For now, I poured my points into endurance. It gave me plentiful amounts of willpower and a good bit of intelligence. Those stats would help with the discovering magic while the extra health acted as extra mana. Those benefits aligned with my current goals.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    With that in mind, I put all my points into endurance and checked out my stats.


    Level 563


    Strength - 252.6 | Constitution - 562.1 | Endurance - 705


    Dexterity - 100 | Willpower - 332.4 | Intelligence - 123.7


    Charisma - 28.3 | Luck - 61.5 | Perception - 100


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>41,040/41,040</td>


    <td>11,006/min</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 15,000+40%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>16,505/16,505</td>


    <td>253/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>.07 Billion/ 56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction -98%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus -3395%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 7%</td>


    <td>Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    If I wasn''t looking wrong, my health regen was scaling faster than my health now. At the very least, it was scaling almost as quickly. It wouldn''t even take four full minutes to heal any wound. It would look like I was reversing time or some shit.


    The increase in health and resistances made me tankier as well. I might even be walking after taking a hit from Dakhma by that point. That''s good, because the next armor evolution was miles away. It would take months if not years for it, but that was fine with me. My armor already gave me more than I needed to suceed. When I finally got the next bonus for it, I''d look at with surprise instead of expectation.


    I lifted a palm, letting the mana ebb from my hand. It poured up and out, a red torrent of energy. I kept urging it out until it matched my health regen. It was like my hand was full of liquid nitrogen, with a red, electric mist pouring from it. Brute forcing some magic with this much mana wouldn''t even be that hard anymore.


    The same rush of wellbeing and health radiated from me as well. Endurance gave a sort of vibrancy after investing into it, like waking up after a good night''s sleep. Using that vitality, I glanced around and all the eggs devolved into mush already. Sitting in a cross-legged position, I leaned forward and pushed off my heels. I didn''t need my arms to stand anymore since my balance was excellent. I could stand with one leg, like doing pistol squat, if I wanted to.


    I didn''t though, so after standing up I crawled up a stone tunnel leading towards the sewers. On both sides of me, collapsed rubble locked me in. The only way out was the manhole above me. I climbed the metal rungs of the sewer ladder before reaching a set of bars. Grabbing two bars of metal, I pulled them apart.


    The metal gave out a light squeal as I did so. With a bit of my ascendant mana, I ripped the bent bars, giving me room to squeeze out. There was no light leaking in from outside. When my head banged on a piece of metal, I figured out why. There was a dumpster lying over the sewer entrance, making it impossible to notice. Combine that with the alleyway it was in, and you would never notice something so out of the way.


    I lowered myself before planting my legs against the wall and pushing up with my arms. The dumpster tilted over before I pulled myself up and out of sewer. Glancing around, I was at the bottom of some hilly resident area. Even then, no one was here. I dashed across a street or two before slipping into the sewers again.


    As I crawled into the manhole, the sun crept up along the horizon, the first inklings of a sunrise cascading onto the rooftops. With that in mind, I dashed back towards our encampment while shutting oppression off. No need for it now. Once I reached the encampment, the vibrant levels of activity were a welcome sight.


    The tents folded against a gust, the wind enough to send a stack of papers flying. As I reached deeper into the encampment, voices came into focus with ease. I didn''t need to lean over and focus to listen. It was like the information was being fed to me instead.


    "Over level 500...Wow."


    "He''s a monster."


    "I see why''s he''s called a harbinger now."


    A little sprinkling of pride was in my chest before I walked up to Torix''s current hideout. No more homely furniture was in the room. Data points, charts with data on followers and enemies lined the walls. A map of Springfield with the moving dots was taking up an entire wall now, segments separated into specific sector names.


    Torix wrote a giant ritual onto the floor, some of the runes familiar. As I walked in from the door''s entrance, Torix looked up from a fly he had at the center of the ritual. With ink and other dust all over his robe, he patted himself down as he stood,


    "Good to see you Daniel. I take it your roaming was successful then?"


    "Yeah, I suppose so."


    His eyebrow raised, "Level 565? That''s...incredible. Excellent progress."


    Noticing a shade of suspicion in his voice, I decided to stay casual about it. I shrugged, "Eh, I think it''s the quarantine zone combined with this obliterator perk thing I have. It doubles experience from unique boss enemies."


    He nodded, "Quite a powerful bonus then. Regardless, I thought over your previous messages and thoughts. I find myself agreeing with them more and more as I analyze the data."


    He walked over towards the map on the wall and pointed towards a one of the dots. This happened to be one of the dots with an area highlighted around it. Each of these dots had different sized circles surrounding them of a different color, some green, others yellow and red.


    Torix pointed at one of them, "This is a color-coded map. Each of these dots represents a dungeon. I tallied all the dungeons in Springfield, and I noticed a worrying trend. Each dungeon had missing parts of Yawm''s jungle around it. This is due-"


    I waved my hand, "To Yawm feeding the nearby population to the eldritch."


    Torix raised a finger, "Precisely. Each dungeon has a varying size of missing forest depending on how ravenous the eldritch lying within are. I color coded them based on danger levels. Green meaning benign. Yellow meaning dangerous. Red meaning malignant. The shift in our current plans involves taking out the highest priority dungeons that we can before they spiral out of control."


    I nodded, "Sounds good. I was planning on suggesting that too."


    "Powerful minds find the same conclusions." Torix turned to the map, "You''ve taken out two of the highest priority dungeons already. But that leaves seven, very dangerous and very invasive dungeons left. If you can take them out before they can spread to far, then we may be able to turn Yawm''s plans against him."


    He pointed towards a giant tree etched into the map. Torix tapped it, "Yawm is stuck in here, trapped into absorbing the nutrients of the planet to feed and control his growing army. Our team will whittle away at what he has created, using them to grow stronger before assassinating each of his named, disciples, and followers. One by one. "


    Torix sighed, "Hopefully, by the time we reach Yawm, You and Althea will have strengthened enough for us to cripple or assault him.Eeither way, we will have a sentinel''s rights by the time we get that far into the plan. Perhaps that shall change things, unless the reward is deceptive. If the situation spirals out of control before then, we''ll use the dimensional slicer rewarded to Sentinels to go towards our planned fringe world."


    I clapped my hands, "Now that sounds like a damn good plan. That''s what we''ve been needing."


    Torix walked over towards the center of the room, "It''s a solid plan now that we''ve gained enough information to infer Yawm''s plan. That''s what this is all for. I''m revamping my little spies so that we can continue to plan and adjust as needed, depending on the circumstances. It should give us the bit of oomph we''ve been wanting."


    Torix walked over towards the center of the ritual''s circle and pressed a palm into the ground. The complex runic inscriptions glowed with light, folding off the floor. They formed into a circle, shining a bright blue for a moment before collapsing onto the fly.


    Torix stood, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead, "That should enable greater clarity for future messages. I wouldn''t want you all running into another follower again. Organizing these events will likely have certain timed intervals between the dates of them. Perhaps a week or so between them. Besides that, I believe Althea is tiring of this lifestyle. She needs some time to relax, otherwise she''s going to fall apart at some point."


    I walked up and put a hand on Torix''s shoulder, "You''re doing a damn fine job of this Torix. It''s good to know I''m in the hands of someone who''s knows how to handle this kind of thing."


    Torix glanced up at me, "You are...taller...When did you grow taller than me?"


    "Probably after defeating Gabriel. Anyways, I need to show you something else."


    I moved my hand off his shoulder and pressed my fingers into my palms. The ascendant mana roared in my veins, turning my flesh and blood into pure energy. The rich, powerful force surged through my runes, resonating in the confines of them. There was wobbling in the runes, like an engine that needed some screws tightened.


    The extra perception was already paying off. I couldn''t even sense how my runes weren''t quite right before. Now I could tell they weren''t exactly right for my new mana. It was like an off-center wheel. It wobbled a bit, making the rune convert the mana less efficiently than it should. After tearing the runes earlier, a more flexible enchantment would be needed. Something larger and different for the larger flow and different mana coming in.


    Torix would be vital in learning that. I raised a hand, the ascendant mana pouring from my palm. Several planks of wood cracked under my foot before I poured more mana into my silent casting. The wood sheared, letting take several planks of wood and circle them around me.


    My mind exhausted at the sheer volume of magic done, I released the cast. The planks fell to the ground before the room returned to the normal morning light. I sighed,


    "Hah, hah, hah...how was that?"


    Torix pointed at the boards, "Was that...telekinesis?"


    "Uh, yeah. I think so."


    "And was that...augmentation you used to do it?"


    I shook my head, "Naw. It was a new type of mana. I fused augmentation and dominion magic into something called ascendant magic. It works like both, with a few kinks here or there."


    Torix blinked a few times, "Ascendant? Are you certain?" Torix reached out a hand, "Would you mind letting me control some?"


    I reached out a hand, pouring the mana from my palm.


    "Uh, am I doing this right?"


    "Yes." Torix bended the mana before squeezing his fist. The mana sunk in before Torix grinned, "This is a potent cocktail you''ve made." He pulled the mana from him before pressing his fingers together. As he outstretched his hand, the planks all bent in the same direction, forming a spiral that completed a perfect circle of missing wood. His hand lowered as Torix nodded,


    "This is much like an overseer''s mana. Theirs¡¯s is a mixture of origin and augmentation mana. It''s less volatile, but this mana may carry even more power. Controlling it should be quite trying. Are you able to handle it?"


    I weighed my hand back and forth, "Eh, more or less."


    Torix shrugged, "Good enough I suppose. You''ll gain a more precise handling of it over time. It''s an excellent tool to have. Perfect for gravity wells. That''s what I just used it for, a reverse gravity spiral. It''s difficult to maintain without high constitution."


    Torix''s eyes narrowed as he looked me over, "That shouldn''t be a problem for you however, being taller than me now."


    I laughed, "Neither will a limit on my mana. With my armor, I regenerate it at a pace I doubt any mage could match."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "Really now? You''d be surprised how many tools there are out there for enhancing the regeneration of mana. What would yours be per minute? A thousand?"


    "Eh, eleven."


    Torix scoffed, "Hundred? Nothing exceptional, for a pure mage of your level at least. Commendable for your warrior roots."


    "No, I meant eleven thousand."


    Torix leaned back, his face scrunched up. He looked pissed as he frowned, "Lies. Show me your status."


    I opened it then twirled it towards him. The interface flew in a semicircle before stopping in front of him. Torix''s jaw dropped. He glanced back up at me, then back down at the status. He whispered,


    "40,000 health...11,000 thousand health regeneration...98% damage resistance...7 attributes totaling over 100. An enormous amount of bonus physical damage and stamina pool. Your aura, it''s improved dramatically in strength. How...how have you gained so many tools and stats?"


    I tapped my armor, "This gives me the bonus resistance, most of my health regeneration, and the aura. My obliterator tree basically doubles my stat points per level. My determinator bonuses give me a ton of extra willpower, endurance, and regeneration. Finally, my genesis of potential tree lets me unlock the level 100 perks for seven of my stats. It''s a solid bunch of stuff I''m bringing, though learning how to use this mana better would be huge for me."


    Torix blinked, stunned to silence for a few moments. He nodded a few times before laughing. His laugh grew until it was nigh maniacal. He met my eye and said,


    "Yes, gravity magic will be perfect for you. After unlocking it and mastering your mana, you''ll live up to your title."


    He nodded, his grin growing till his grew almost evil,


    "Except you won''t be a harbinger. We''ll turn you into cataclysm."

 53 Making Progress

    I shrugged, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to see later down the line. What¡¯s the first step to becoming some crazy master of gravity?¡±


    Torix grabbed his chin, a serious look replacing them mania from earlier, ¡°Hmmm. Learning to master your mana would be the first step. After that, creating runes for it, considering how effective they are for stabilizing it.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°All that is required after the basics is spatial chaining, dimensional locking, then mass deviation.¡±


    I bit my lip, pulling my armor back so that we could see one another eye to eye. I frowned, ¡°Like, that shit sounds really, really complicated.¡±


    Torix waved away my concerns with a hand, ¡°Nonsense. Anything that is complicated can be made simple by breaking it into enough parts. Learn each of those pieces, master them, then use them in conjunction. That is all a master of any craft does.¡±


    I sighed as he continued, ¡°In your case, your runic abilities allow us to create shortcuts in knowledge. A proper set of runes acts much like mastering a basic function. In your case, creating your own runes will be necessary. That requires at least a basic understanding of the underlying principles.¡±


    I nodded, grinding my teeth for a moment before glancing at the runes on my forearms, ¡°I guess these runes let me use my ascendant mana.¡± I glanced at my palms, ¡°These runes let me use telekinesis.¡± I glanced back up to Torix, ¡°Why do their usages have to stop there, right?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Have faith in yourself Daniel. Anyone may learn anything. The only thing between you and this knowledge is discipline and time. Put both of those principles to practice, and you will become a master soon enough.¡±


    I clasped my fists, ¡°Alright, cool. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    He grinned, ¡°We¡¯ll start with reviewing your runes and working on the next working incantation.¡±


    Since Althea needed a break from constant slaughter, Torix and I worked together on learning the basics of what I needed to know. Turns out, it required a lot more learning than anything I¡¯d done before. Even after a few days¡¯ worth of lessons, most of the material was foggy.


    The first few steps were the most difficult. We started with learning how to manipulate my mana without my runes. I hadn¡¯t realized just how reliant on them I had become until I tried channeling the mana without the runes help. It was almost impossible to do so without going ballistic.


    That weird voice roared in my mind like an endless echo anytime I surged it. Trying to handle delicate tasks with my mana while that fervor flooded my veins was like trying to paint the Mona Lisa with a sledgehammer. If I summed the experience up in a single word, exhausting.


    I had all the time and focus in the world though. All my willpower and endurance allowed me to handle this kind of task with a sheer force of will. Imagine learning how to manipulate the mana was like breaking a brick with your body. Breaking that brick could be done in numerous ways, but I just slammed my face against it till it crumbled. I learned a lot of extra tidbits that way, oddly enough.


    If I ever lacked motivating for instance, I could burn through a light portion of the mana. If I only used a small amount of it, it acted like caffeine in coffee. That energizing aura helped whenever my desire to continue waned. Considering I didn¡¯t need sleep, that urge came up often.


    Another tip I picked up was that I could form my armor into the runes now. With the new evolution of my armor, a new level of control came as well. With that extra precision, I could create intricate patterns in my armor if I wanted to. I didn¡¯t care for enhancing my aesthetics, but learning to manipulate my runes on the fly would be invaluable.


    With a bit more experimenting, I could make tiny wires that traveled down the flesh of my arm from the runes. This change acted as a conductor for the mana, just like with the smaller wires in my muscle. When manipulating my armor like that, Torix would sit over me and analyze my work. He said it reminded him of self-surgery. I agreed.


    Rewriting my runes was difficult as well. I had to make the wording short and sweet, otherwise the runes became inefficient. Since ascendant mana was a combination of both dominion and augmentation mana, my runes had to cover twice the ground in half the time so to speak. In the end, it reminded me of writing poetry.


    Every phrase had to carry multiple meanings. The visual layouts of the runes came into play, becoming pivotal in how each piece of it was interpreted. The runes became more powerful with a jagged, rough lettering instead of smooth. The way the letters looked had to reflect the feel of the energy coursing through them.


    That¡¯s not even tapping into the intricacies of the meaning in the words. Wrath, power, rage, control, even discipline, it all had to mix into a line or two. Like writing a story with drama and tension in only ten words, writing the passage would take time.


    After a week of working on all the different aspects of mana manipulation and the runic carving, I managed some functioning prototypes. They would function more or less like the previous ones, though a bit more efficiently. I wouldn¡¯t need to massive pools of mana into simple effects. I still had a choppy control of it though, so a few backfires were bound to happen.


    Our next mission was coming up. Everything passed by in a haze during that time since I studied like an obsessive madman the whole time. I didn¡¯t need to stop though, because one of my willpower perks took a way the need to sleep. That meant I was in a state of perpetual progress, which put me more and more ahead of Althea.


    Speaking of which, she wasn¡¯t handling everything to well. I couldn¡¯t blame her though. Living in Schema¡¯s world was like living in an endless war. You fight monsters, the decaying bodies of your friends, a few mutant chimeras here or there. Even the strongest willed person needed a break from it every now and again. Schema, being a robot, didn¡¯t understand that.


    That dissonance in his understanding of a person was where most of the problems with his system came from. If he just had a working army or portion of the population that fought then he could dish out the rewards to everyone based on merit. In the current system, you had to fight regardless of if you liked it or not. People like Althea struggled in that kind of world.


    So during the day of the mission, I knocked on her tent. She snapped,


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Daniel. Did I catch you at a bad time?¡±


    She unzipped the tent, her silver skin and purple hair as shocking as always. She stuck out anywhere like a sore thumb. She sighed before going back into her tent,


    ¡°Yeah, you can come in.¡±


    I waited a few seconds before stepping inside. If I was to describe the place, it was messy. Not in a filthy sort of way, but like the place was lived in. Compared with the eerie clean of Torix¡¯s place, it was a refreshing difference.


    The unmade bed and a few cooking books were spread out on the ground. Based on the smell of food in the room, Althea may have tried cooking a thing or two. It was strange. Who knows, maybe it was weird that I thought cooking was weird. Cooking was like fixing my hair or driving in a car. It was a relic of a different time, something that was useless now.


    At least I thought so. It was still kind of cool that she wanted to learn how to cook. Althea hopped onto her bed, her legs crossed as she leaned onto them. She wasn¡¯t wearing the long, flowing robe like before. She wore fitted combat fatigues with a belt around her waist. It accentuated her figure. Even with all the changes Schema made, I was still a teenage guy. My hormones blazed before I doused them out with a mental lashing.


    I grinned, ¡°You pumped for the mission?¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to do all this murdering anymore. I don¡¯t understand how you can be so cheery about it. We¡¯re slaves for Schema¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Eh, a man chooses, a slave obeys. I¡¯ve chosen to fight. You can too.¡±


    She pointed at me, ¡°See, you would never have said that when we first met. You¡¯d be all gruff and curt. Schema changed you. You think it¡¯s natural to stay awake for weeks on end, studying non-stop?¡±


    ¡°Well, with my willpower- ¡°


    She snapped, ¡°There it is again. Don¡¯t you care if that robot is getting into your head and changing things around? Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you telling me it bothers you?¡±


    She spread her arms, ¡°Of course it does. I want to be me. I don¡¯t want to be some glorified servant for Schema.¡±


    I sighed, putting my hands on my hips. An awkward silence passed for a second before I met her eyes with my own,


    ¡°There¡¯s something you have to understand. This world, it isn¡¯t going to change for you. No matter how much you beg, Schema won¡¯t even give you a second glance. You will be chewed up, spit out, and thrown onto a pile of corpse if you aren¡¯t ready for an unknown monster.¡±


    My eyes steeled and my hand clasped, ¡°You and I, we have a ton of help. Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t have it easy compared with other people. Hell, my friends were turned into monsters. Me being alive, that¡¯s lucky. That¡¯s something to celebrate when the world outside is like that.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Althea grimaced, ¡°I just¡­I don¡¯t want to be like that. I want to be able to enjoy my time and relax. I never can. I¡¯m always fighting. Either that, or I¡¯m always studying for the next fight. It¡¯s just¡­I¡¯m tired of it all.¡±


    I sighed. I glanced at my palms. The new inscriptions brimmed with a silent power, like a loaded gun. I glanced back up at her, ¡°You have a choice. Either you let the darkness outside creep in, or you can let your own darkness creep out. I remember reading about some guy who said to be careful when fighting monsters.¡±


    ¡°Because their dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No. Because in fighting monsters, you may become one. I will never become a monster. Instead, I¡¯ll eat them.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­doesn¡¯t that make you one?¡±


    I scratched my nose for a second, ¡°Hmmm¡­well I guess so. Uh, let me think for a second.¡± I pressed my hands against my temples for a few seconds. After a few moments of thought, I smacked one of my fists into an open palm,


    ¡°I think I can describe it. I won¡¯t be a monster of men. I¡¯ll be a monster of monsters. It¡¯s like, uhm, imagine something made to scare you, a boogeyman of sorts.¡±


    She leaned back into the bed, accentuating her chest for a moment,


    ¡°What do you mean boogeyman?¡±


    I refocused myself, ¡°It¡¯s a tale told to small children. You tell them that if they misbehave, a boogeyman will come out and scare the shit out of them. It¡¯s just something made to scare someone.¡±


    She nodded as I continued, ¡°I want to be a boogeyman to the boogeyman. A monster to the monsters. When they think to eat someone, I want them to think in the back of their mind that I¡¯ll come and tear them apart. I don¡¯t know, a legend or something like that maybe.¡±


    Althea laughed before I shot down a wave of embarrassment. I waved her off, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought it all the way through.¡±


    Althea smiled, ¡°No, I get it. I just¡­I thought you were a machine or something like that. Who knew I could make some sense of your goals.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t very transparent either. You just sit there and be quiet all the time. It¡¯s really hard to get a grip on who you are.¡±


    Althea rolled her eyes, ¡°And you¡¯re just a worker. You work all the time, twenty-four seven. Who¡¯s supposed to relate to that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Calculators.¡±


    Althea laughed again. I grinned with her before letting myself out as I said,


    ¡°Anyways, I figured you could use some cheering up before the mission. Just know that you can make anything miserable. This-¡° I gestured to everything around us, ¡°-doesn¡¯t have to be.¡±


    She sighed before grinning for once,


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll try to make the most of it.¡±


    I nodded, leaving the tent. With the first blitz coming later that day, I walked over towards my own tent and checked my status. After a week of studying, I gained quite a few skills and points into those skills. Ascendant Manipulation, Soul Conduit, and I even had a breakthrough in two skills, Carving into Oblivion and Comprehension of Oblivion.


    Those were the skills for carving runes and understanding them. I passed 50 in both of those skills, which let me develop the new runic passaged in my forearms, shins, and palms. All in all, 123 tree points. I glanced at my current tree.


    II Vicious(Beat an enemy 40 levels higher than you in combat lasting over an hour, Death''s Dance, Scorn, and Desperation over level 25)(13/50)


    I placed 37 points into the tree, messages popping up in my notifications.


    With the might of your struggle, rip your enemy asunder. Rive them apart with fury of frenzy and the might of malice. +2% total damage.


    Feast on their flesh. Bathe in their blood. Break into their bones and mold their marrow. This wrath of yours, it¡¯s a tool. +2% total damage.


    In order to inflict hurt on someone, you must come at them with the intention to hurt. You must embrace the primal. +2% damage.


    And make the primal frenzy your own. +2%, and unlocks the skill Primal Frenzy. |!Skill already unlocked!| +5% total damage added to bonuses.


    Primal frenzy was what the voice wanted me to embrace. In order to use dominion magic, I had to be using that skill, but it made that weird voice in my head take over. I didn¡¯t like that, so I got rid of it. I guess the tree adjusted since I got rid of the skill.


    In total, just a few tree points gave me 13% more damage. At a lower level, that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Now it was a massive bonus. With the tree finished, the menu for selecting my next tree appeared.


    [III Fighter(Kill an enemy 40 levels over you. Path of Iron perk obtained.)(0/50)]


    [Cosmic Soul(Obtain level three different soul related skills before level 500, ascendant unlocked before level 500, and willpower over 250 before level 500)(0/500)]


    [I Invincible(Take over 10,000 points of damage, with capped resistance in the damage type, and live)(0/250)]


    [Fearless (Battle an enemy over 1,000 levels above you and live) (0/250)]


    I selected the Fighter tree line, hoping for some easy bonuses. After filling out all the points in the tree, it didn¡¯t disappoint.


    Those that enjoy battle and live for it are strongest. Either you gain the discipline to become a master of it, or you simply feed an obsession. +3% to physical damage and physical damage reduction multiplier.


    You are the latter. The act of war is narcotic for you, a therapy of sorts. While other people find peace in paradise, you find your center among a mass of corpses. +3% to physical damage and damage reduction multiplier.


    Only there can you truly focus. Once you¡¯ve seen the brilliance of battle, everything else shines dull by comparison. Even the brightest light dies down to a grim gray. +3% to physical damage and damage reduction multiplier.


    That gray bleeds into life, infecting it with an overwhelming apathy. Finding purpose amidst that gray is as senseless trying to nurture a predator on bread. One day, they will need blood. +3% to physical damage and reduction multiplier.


    One day, so will you. +3% to physical damage and reduction multiplier. +50% to physical damage.


    This tree didn¡¯t work out as well as the last one. The 50% extra physical damage wasn¡¯t much in comparison with my 3000+ physical damage bonus. The multiplier added onto my other multipliers too, but it wasn¡¯t multiplicative. Still, it was enough to notice. The tree menu popped back up again.


    [Cosmic Soul(Obtain level three different soul related skills before level 500, ascendant unlocked before level 500, and willpower over 250 before level 500)(0/500)]


    [I Invincible(Take over 10,000 points of damage, with capped resistance in the damage type, and live)(0/250)]


    [Fearless (Battle an enemy over 1,000 levels above you and live) (0/250)]


    This time I selected cosmic soul. It looked like it may help with the runic stuff I was focusing on. I only had 36 points left, so I put all of them into the tree. Before heading out on the mission, I had one other set of bonuses to finish.


    One of the big trees I finished, Genesis of Potential, increased the amount of dungeon cores I could absorb. From 1/4th my level to half of it. That meant I had a couple of bonus cores to eat before we left. That meant talking with Kessiah or Torix to make good on the bonuses.


    With that in mind, I walked through the camp. As I did, the eyes of soldiers bore into the back of my head. Most of the people here at the steel legion were just normal people before Schema came. They just assumed I was some interspecies monster. Kessiah and Althea on the other hand even formed little cults that almost worshipped them.


    It was a strange feeling. In a way, I was more disliked and divorced from humanity than two aliens. I still wasn¡¯t hated like Torix though. The steel legion utterly despised him. I couldn¡¯t blame them either. He killed their leader, had them reorganize three times in three weeks, and worked them to the bone. I mean what else did they expect. He¡¯s a necromancer. He needs his skeletons.


    Get it? Cause he works them to the bone¡­Alright, yeah. Back to the story.


    I wasn¡¯t despised as much as I was feared. The title and blackened armor made me intimidating as fuck. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why no soldiers had even attempted walking up and talking to me this entire time.


    That all changed as I walked over towards Kessiah¡¯s tent. I was glancing at my status screen like I was holding a phone. Felt weird to look at it while staring straight forward, so I ended up bumping into a soldier who was passing by.


    I didn¡¯t mean to, but I knocked him onto the ground like I was a linebacker tackling him. I even dented a piece of his armor, and he dropped his rifle into a patch of mud. As I turned my head to glance at him, he scrambled onto his knees.


    He pulled off his helmet before wobbling back onto his feet. He gave me a short salute, his messy brown hair and five o clock shadow making him look older than he was.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry sir. I should have been looking where I was going.¡±


    Being polite, I pulled my helmet back, exposing my face. I gave him a smile,


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± I pointed at his rifle, ¡°Is that a problem though?¡±


    He glanced at the rifle, mud lodged in some of the mechanical parts. He picked it up,


    ¡°Uh, yes. But, I-I mean it¡¯s not your problem. It¡¯s mine sir.¡±


    I put out my hand to him. He glanced around before handing me the rifle. His hands shook as he did so. I glanced inside the compartments, looking it over. Bits of grit where in the loading chambers, along with the barrel. Cleaning it would be a complete pain in the ass.


    The soldier turned pale as I moved the gun around to view it. Testing my new runes, some ascendant mana flared into my palm. The runes glowed a bright crimson, making red light sheen off my armor. Using my palm enchantments, I pulled the grit from the rifle. Taking care not to mess with anything else in the rifle, I cleaned it with my telekinesis over the next few seconds.


    I handed the rifle to him, the barrel of the rifle facing me instead of him. I figured it was politer that way. He took it from me, his hands shaking. I raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°What¡¯s got you so scared?¡± I laughed, ¡°Did you think I was going to shoot or something crazy like that?¡±


    I glanced around. A group of people were standing in a circle around us. I was making quite the scene. The soldier glanced around, frozen in place. I rolled my eyes,


    ¡°What kind of guy do you take me for? You drop a rifle and then get killed¡­That¡¯s crazy talk.¡±


    Someone chimed from the group, ¡°That¡¯s what happened to the Sargent.¡±


    With all eyes on me, I shrugged, ¡°Think of that as a change in management. Torix needed an example. Your Sargent was the unfortunate victim of that example. Me though-¡° I tapped my chest, ¡°I¡¯m not going to do something like that.¡±


    I pointed at them, ¡°If you fire at me, I¡¯ll kill you where you stand.¡± I lowered my hand, ¡°Anything else and I¡¯m completely fine with it. I just want to stop Yawm. That bastard needs to die, and I¡¯m the man to do it. Stand in my way, I¡¯ll kill you too. Walk with me, and I¡¯ll be your sword and shield. Remember that.¡±


    Right in front of me, I tapped the brown-haired guy¡¯s shoulder pad,


    ¡°Bumping into me is nothing to worry over. Relax and work hard. We¡¯ve got a monster to kill.¡±


    I walked off, leaving the group of soldiers behind me. Once they thought I was out of earshot, an electric whispering took over the crowd.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    ¡°And here I thought Jeff was dead.¡±


    ¡°Not such a bad guy I guess.¡±


    Being in a state of perpetual fear must have taken its toll on them. Seeing a more human side to our group helped moral more than I imagined it would though. I walked through the camp, reaching Kessiah¡¯s tent. I tapped on it, but no one replied. I frowned.


    ¡°You in there Kessiah?¡±


    Silence was my answer. I unzipped the entrance, glancing inside. Messy as a garbage bin, Kessiah wasn¡¯t inside her tent. I closed the door, the smell of half eaten food leaking out. I surveyed the area, noticing no one else nearby.


    Thinking Torix had some dungeon cores, I walked up towards Torix¡¯s house that he turned into a laboratory. As I neared by, Kessiah and Torix¡¯s voices came into focus.


    Kessiah whispered, ¡°Are you serious? 30,000 health?¡±


    Torix answered, ¡°Even more. His health regeneration was over 10,000 a minute. Every stat across the board was inflated for his level. I never honestly believed we stood a chance against Yawm. Now, I do.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how tough the guy is. If Yawm hit¡¯s him with the sentinel¡¯s spear, he¡¯s done for.¡±


    ¡°Daniel has already been sent to the eldritch and returned. He will survive what no other has survived.¡±


    With an evil glint, Torix uttered,


    ¡°He will survive exile.¡±

 54 How to End a Legend

    Kessiah murmured, ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. Why would you want him to?¡±


    A giant set of pincers raised out of the ground and clamped onto my waist. A giant beetle with armored plates all over it rose out of the ground and dashed towards the house. Like chunking a sack of flour, the beetle tossed me through the window.


    I flew before smashing into the window. Bits of drywall snapped along with the shattered glass panes. I tackled into the floor, tearing through a few planks of wood. As I glanced up, Kessiah had her hands on her hips while Torix crossed his arms.


    Torix mouthed, ¡°Shame on you, disciple.¡±


    Kessiah shook her head, ¡°And here I thought you were trustworthy. Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡±


    I stood up, lunging up off one knee while Torix glanced his eyes at Kessiah,


    ¡°As trustworthy as a snake.¡±


    I rolled my eyes,


    ¡°Alright guys, you got to admit you were both being suspicious. Besides that, what did you mean by exile?¡±


    Kessiah propped her weight onto one hip, ¡°You remember the sentinels?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    Kessiah opened her arms, ¡°You remember how they¡¯re level 5000 with spears that tear through dimensions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard thing to forget.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, you might find a way. Any who, those spears aren¡¯t all that good for cutting people. Sentinels will grab you, slice a hole in the fabric of space time, and chunk you in there.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°So in other words, they exile you.¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve been there before. Whenever we opened the portal using the ancient ruins in BloodHollow. Who was it¡­Ah yes, Baldag-Ruhl I believe. He is the maker of that rift. You were put within it.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. I remember it being utterly terrifying, meeting Etorhma and everything.¡±


    Torix raised a palm to me,


    ¡°But you see, we now know you can survive exposure to the dimensional energy within the eldritch¡¯s dimemsion. You can survive the exile.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I mean we only put my arm in there. Shoving all of me in there is a big step.¡±


    ¡°Etorhma pulled you through the portal, and you lived. That is more than enough proof. Your armor prevents you from dying. Yawm on the other hand, we don¡¯t know if he will or not.¡±


    Kessiah placed a hand on my shoulder,


    ¡°You can pull Yawm into the eldritch dimension with you. So, what do you say?¡±


    I brushed her arm off,


    ¡°Fuck no.¡±


    Kessiah frowned,


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t wanna go in either, but we don¡¯t really have any other way of killing Yawm. You and Althea are going to struggle to get over level 1500, even with doubled experience. That¡¯s nowhere near enough to defeat Dakhma, let alone Yawm or Ajax.¡±


    I sighed, raising both hands, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Why not just use a ghoul or something you summoned Torix?¡±


    ¡°The issue with using one of my summons comes with how the sentinel¡¯s spears are designed. Think of them as enemy specific. They are designed to destroy eldritch, and to be able to allow the sentinel¡¯s to travel. My minions, while not actually eldritch, are registered as eldritch.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because the dumbass tried capturing one once.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°An entire army of minions disintegrate in seconds.¡± Torix sighed, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to sustain yourself within the dimension as well. My minions disintegrate into mana when exposed to the eldritch¡¯s domain.¡±


    ¡°Man¡­Fuck. Gah, that sucks. Like, that really, really sucks.¡±


    Torix nodded his head, ¡°Indeed it does. I¡¯m sorry the burden of this task belongs to you. The fortunate piece of this puzzle is that you have time. Time to forge yourself into a warrior that even Yawm may fear.¡±


    I leaned onto my knees, breathing out for a moment. Despite how insane the plan sounded, defeating Yawm by whittling away his entire army of followers sounded even more insane. Yawm had so many strengths, beating him in direct combat may not even be possible. Using this kind of cunning would work well by comparison.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t want to spend the next 50 years reaching Yawm¡¯s level.


    I banged my fists into my knees, the force of the strikes breaking the planks of wood further. My dexterity and heightened senses let me disperse the force better. Otherwise I¡¯d fall through the floor. I lifted myself up,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it. I have a better option though.¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°We kill one of the followers, get sentinel rights from Schema, then use the spear they give us.¡±


    Kessiah leaned back, her lips pursed, ¡°Heh, I guess we could do that.¡±


    Torix cupped his chin, ¡°Indeed we could. We could then send each of his other followers to random worlds or dimensions. That would leave Yawm all alone, ripe for the taking.¡±


    I opened my arms, ¡°I know right? I¡¯m a genius.¡±


    Torix lifted out his hand and thumped my nose. With my armor reinforcing my flesh, Torix¡¯s finger clanged against the skin and bone. Torix pulled his finger back,


    ¡°What in the name of Schema is that?¡±


    I tapped my head with my gauntlet. A dull clang let out like a piece of metal covered in playdough. I grinned,


    ¡°The armor reinforces my bones and muscles. That¡¯s why my damage resistance is up to 98%.¡±


    Kessiah walked over. She put her thumb into her mouth, biting down through her skin. Blood leaked down her hand before she wiped it onto her index finger. She walked over and flicked me. My head swung back like I was impacted by a sledgehammer. She grinned,


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few new tricks up my sleeve.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Hemomancy. The process of using blood for magic.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? Where was that when you fought Dakhma?¡±


    Kessiah glanced down, her face harsh. She grimaced, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use it.¡±


    I spread my hands, ¡°What, why?¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s long and complicated. We¡¯ll speak with you later.¡±


    She placed a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Enough of that. He isn¡¯t some kid you took under your wing anymore. He¡¯s one of us. The guys going into a different dimension for Schema¡¯s sake. The least I can do is explain.¡±


    She glanced back at me, ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± She let her hand off Torix, letting her arms flop on her sides,


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. I had a daughter. She was very¡­talented in hemomancy. Most of my family was. The thing is, hemomancy is tough to control. Once the spell has been cast, it will draw however much blood it needs from you. Even if you die, it will continue draining you to a dry husk.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Did your daughter mess up a spell?¡±


    Kessiah shook her head, ¡°No. Another one of her classmates did during a demonstration. The way it works is the spell will drain you of blood till you die. If it still needs mana, it will take on hosts until it has enough to complete itself. Her classmate overexerted herself and died. The spell kept draining blood from her classmates.¡±


    Kessiah stopped talking for a moment. She took a breath, ¡°And my daughter, being the brave little girl she was, tried to help her classmates. She ended up stopping it from draining the entire room. But¡­¡±


    Kessiah closed her eyes. A moment passed again, and she opened them, ¡°The spell cast and destroyed the entire portion of the space shuttle. Everyone died. Everyone.¡±


    I glanced at the broken planks beneath me. A long, awkward silence passed the room. It was a suffocating sort of silence, one of those kinds of silences that makes the air heavy and makes you wish you were somewhere else.


    Torix interrupted that silence, ¡°The greatest tragedy is for a parent to outlive their child.¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder. Kessiah shook her head, and as if the gloom was never there, she shrugged,


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t done any hemomancy since. It¡¯s dumb, childish even. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it until after you saved me from Dakhma. Made me realize this isn¡¯t some game. I can¡¯t be a spoiled kid and not do something just because it¡¯s unpleasant.¡±


    A sad, slight grin traced her lips, ¡°If I keep living in the past, I¡¯ll never have a future.¡±


    She took a step forward, ruffling the hair on my head.


    ¡°Come on big man. We got a mission we need to finish. You need the dungeon cores right? You gained a few levels.¡±


    I glanced at Torix. He was pokerfaced, so I just turned back to her,


    ¡°Uh. Yeah. I forgot to mention it, but one of my trees lets me get more dungeon cores. I need, I don¡¯t know¡­at least ten.¡±


    Kessiah nodded, unzipping the gray knapsack at her side. Pulling out the ring and opened the starry sky portal. Reaching her hands into it, she pulled out five dungeon cores. She handed them to me before reaching into the portal and taking out a few more.


    The cores sunk into my armor on contact, notifications popping up in the corner of my vision. It took a total of seventeen cores before my armor ceased absorbing them. Torix sighed,


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°This is a fortune¡¯s worth of cores. I hope you¡¯re willing to pay that debt in time.¡±


    I picked up a dungeon core from the floor, the black sphere surrounded in red clanking onto the floor. It bounced off my armor, no longer sinking in once I hit my dungeon core cap. I glanced at it,


    ¡°I think hopping into that dimension will suffice.¡±


    I handed the core back to Kessiah, ¡°Thanks for all the cores. I¡¯ll put them to good use, I assure you.¡±


    Putting the core back into the portal, Kessiah pocketed the ring,


    ¡°You damn well better. That was a couple years on a fringe world I just handed you.¡±


    ¡°And hopefully, you won¡¯t ever need to again. Besides, I¡¯ll be able to pay you back with interest later. How does a suit of sentinel armor sound?¡±


    She grinned, ¡°I suppose that¡¯ll do.¡± She walked towards the doorway, ¡°I¡¯m going to get Althea. You can do whatever with your status till we meet back up here.¡±


    Kessiah left before I turned towards Torix,


    ¡°Man¡­That really sucks. I mean fuck...¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Grieving. It¡¯s a painful process. Neither of us were any good at moving on. Tough to be immortal and not know what to do with your time. It¡¯s like life becomes some sort of curse. Combine that with Schema¡¯s oppressive labeling of us as unknowns, and life turns to a boorish chore. This whole venture was revitalizing for both of us.¡±


    Torix paced back towards the floor. After opening a portal, he pulled out a brush made from hair. He pulled out a bowl full of red liquid. Dabbing the brush into it, the color changed to black and the consistency to a thick sludge. He marked on the floor, designing a new ritual.


    I watched in a daze, sort of numb from Kessiah¡¯s sudden story. I guess saving someone¡¯s life had a way of making them open. Regardless, I walked over towards a wall and sat down. My back pressed an inch into the dray wall, leaving an impression. I sighed as I opened my status.


    Up till now, I¡¯d invested all my skill points from cores into Boundless Storm. It was my only mythical skill after all. That was something I never focused on, the level of my skills. I figured it was a hell of a lot more productive to focus more on learning than checking them out. Now I figured it was time to give them a look see.


    Most of the skills related to my studies had made damn decent progress, capping out around the 60 to 70 mark. The only standouts where pain resistance and Boundless Storm. Pain resistance was at 100, giving me 99.9% pain resistance. On the other hand, boundless storm was at 167. It was a skill over level 100.


    I turned to Torix, ¡°Can skills go above 100?¡±


    ¡°Only mythical skills can. They have a cap of a 1000. In other words, you may increase them endlessly.¡±


    ¡°For real?¡±


    Torix glanced up from his marking, ¡°Of course. Why else would you be willing to sacrifice 15 different skills and half the points you gain from them. There¡¯s no other reason too otherwise.¡±


    ¡°And about that blood magic, it seems like it isn¡¯t any different from Arcane Blood.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Arcane blood converts mana into health. Hemomancy sacrifices health to create temporary buffs. You couldn¡¯t harvest a hemomancer¡¯s blood and use it as fuel for instance. However, that is possible with someone with Arcane Blood.¡±


    ¡°What are they sacrificing their blood too?¡±


    Torix sighed, ¡°Baldowah. One of the nastier Old Ones.¡± He pointed his brush at me, ¡°Enough questions. Finish allocating your points. They¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I nodded, glancing back down at my menu screens. With such an enormous bonus towards my skill point total, I could even max out a few stats if I wanted to. I turned towards Torix,


    ¡°Is it ok if I ask some questions about skills then?¡±


    Torix resumed his markings, ¡°What do you need to know?¡±


    ¡°What would happen if I maxed out ascendant manipulation? Wouldn¡¯t I become some sort of savant in an instant?¡±


    ¡°No. Some skills give bonuses that are absolute. Pain Tolerance is a perfect example. You may max it and gain it as an ability. On the other hand, learning skills act as multipliers. However effective you are with the ascendant mana, your skill total will multiply that. Even Schema cannot zap knowledge into your brain. Knowledge is one of the few things you cannot buy. It must be earned.¡±


    ¡°So if I maxed out ascendant mana, it would double how effective I am with it, but I would still need to actually learn how to use it?¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Think of Althea when she first sparred you. Her aiming skills were top notch. They allowed her to shoot precisely where you were. With a few jerks in random directions though, she couldn¡¯t hit you at all. That is the difference between having a skill and knowing how to use it. Your mythical skill, Boundless Storm, bridges that gap for you in most instances.¡±


    Torix dabbed the brush into the thick, black sludge, ¡°It¡¯s a powerful skill, even by mythical skill standards.¡±


    ¡°Alright, cool. Thanks for the explanation.¡±


    ¡°Keep one fact in mind. Just as it is the responsibility of the tutor to give good answers, it is the responsibility of the student to ask good questions. As annoying as it is to be interrogated by you, these are still good questions.¡±


    I nodded, glancing back down towards my status. Putting points into knowledge centric skills wouldn¡¯t do much for me then. Plus, focusing on higher level skills gave greater returns anyways. With a level 1 skill, gaining a point in the ability was simple. On the other hand, bridging the gap from 99 to 100 took a very long time.


    Taking my time allocating those skill points was a good idea for the long run. Just like with allocating my attributes, I kept being efficient. There wasn¡¯t really a point in stopping now. I would wait until a skill was level 90 before I invested into it, besides for my mythical skill. I¡¯d wait till it was at least over level 200 before making that one increase.


    With that handled, I came to the far simpler business of using my attributes. It seemed like stacking endurance would remain the end goal for now, though putting points into constitution here or there was a good idea too. Over time, I would find some sort of balance between them.


    Once I had a firmer grip on how gravitational and telekinetic energy worked, making these decisions would be easier. Honestly though, constitution and endurance were all I needed. Since my leveling perks ensured a solid baseline in seven of my nine attributes, I only needed to beef up what made me strong.


    That¡¯s right. I needed some moar motherfucking health.


    I furiously allocated the points into endurance, needlessly pressing on the virtual button. I could just use thought to put the points in them if I wanted to, but the satisfaction of pressing the button was too great. Once I finished, I set my eyes onto my status screen. Like the slow coming of a red tide, the amount of health I had was awe inspiring.


    Level 563


    Strength - 252.6 | Constitution - 562.1 | Endurance - 960


    Dexterity - 100 | Willpower - 447 | Intelligence ¨C 158.1


    Charisma ¨C 57.2 | Luck ¨C 71.43 | Perception - 100


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>47,591/47,591</td>


    <td>12,605/min</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 15,000+40%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>21,597/21,597</td>


    <td>253/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>.07 Billion / 56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 3952%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The thing is though, most of my other stats beefed up along with endurance. My core build was turning out to be constitution, willpower, and endurance. Secondary stats were strength and intelligence. The other stats were all solid besides charisma and luck, though neither were incompetent either. All in all, it turned my build into a very well rounded one.


    With that handled, I began practicing telekinesis while waiting on the others. Something I figured out early on was that when you used telekinesis, there was a pull on you as well. If I tried pushing a boulder in the distance, it would push back. Think of Newton¡¯s laws of physics. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.


    That made all my constitution much more valuable. The reason I hadn¡¯t noticed it yet was because I only did small things, like stopping arrows or lifting rocks. When I tried moving something like a car, my feet would slide back and it felt like I was lifting the car.


    Even more limiting, the further away I was, the worse the conversion was. Strength and constitution both became limitations because lifting even small objects from afar was very difficult. The telekinesis also couldn¡¯t lift from the inside of an object. When I lifted a clump of dirt, it lifted it from the outside.


    Adding even further to the complexity was how I ¡®held¡¯ onto an object. If I was lifting a block of wood, the solid grip made lifting it easier. Lifting a block of sand was much more difficult, because I had to extend my grasp so that it didn¡¯t fall through the gaps. The most effective use of telekinesis so far had been close range amplification.


    In other words, using the telekinetic power to enhance my own strikes and defenses. I could also use it like a bullet up to about 4-5 feet away. With a bit of focus, I could condense the surface of the telekinetic burst. The smaller it was, the more force I could put into it. This also gave it more piercing power, like I was using a sharp point of a sword instead of the dull hammer.


    In fact, telekinesis worked a lot like extending my limbs in fact. Even though it sounds complicated, the rules just worked like I was lifting something with stretched out arms or something. I¡¯m guessing that intuitive understanding stemmed from Boundless Storm like Torix said. He said that most people had to learn vector calculus at the very least before being an effective psionic.


    Instead of running calculations in my head, I just felt my way through the power. Torix told me my massive health/mana pool worked in my favor as well. Telekinesis was dangerous for that reason. If you worked within the bounds of your strength, then the mana cost was minimal. Once you went outside the limits of your physical power, the mana cost for telekinesis was absurd.


    It was easier to use my runes to increase my strength instead of trying to use mana for the telekinesis. All these little tips and tricks are what we focused on most over the last week. It let me come up with a few ideas for the power.


    I walked outside, walking a block or two over towards another house. Beside the ugly, yellow building was a thick oak tree. I walked beside it, and set up into my normal fighting stance.


    Something I¡¯d been working on for a while had been the idea of adding a spin to the telekinetic strikes. I took karate when I was a kid, and the punches they made you do involved turning your wrist and palm. This caused a twist in the punch.


    Honestly, in a normal punch this drill effect was almost useless. Your fists simply aren¡¯t sharp enough to get anything from the extra twisting in the punch. The telekinetic powers changed this. If I extended out little fields just in front of my fists and ended them in sharp points, it acted like wedges on my fists.


    Standing in front of the tree, I let my right fist lay beside my hip. My palm faced upwards. Before I stomped forward to add power to the punch, I let out tiny, invisible fields to the edges of my feet. Imagine them like snowshoes.


    You see, the dirt mushed underfoot now. I was dense and hard enough that dirt didn¡¯t give me enough grip use my full strength. I mean still I got enough resistance from it to add serious torque to my punches but not my full potential. It¡¯s like punching while standing on eight feet of snow. Your feet will just dig into the ground once you try getting some power from the ground.


    I used my telekinesis to make my feet effectively larger, just like wearing snowshoes. It gave me a better grip on the soft earth, letting my slam my fist harder. If I was on sand, it would make a much bigger difference. It would help even on concrete.


    And if there was something I learned from fighting to the death, it¡¯s this - every little bit counts.


    I stomped forward, my feet barely digging into the earth. Cracks webbed through the ground. My arm shot straight forward as the force moved through my core and into my shoulders. Like firing a cannon, the built-up force exploded into my arm into my hand. My arm twisted as it bolted forward, my fist clasping as my palm turned to the ground.


    With the telekinetic wedge at the front of my fist, my arm drilled forward. It spiraled right into the wood, crunching through the wood with ease. The tree cracked down the middle before my fist blew out the other side of it. Portions of the tree splintered, but my fist almost pierced the tree like an actual knife.


    There was a circular impression made out in the tree, like a tornado had burrowed through it. At the back of the tree, it was like the exit point of a bullet wound. My fist had blown the back of it away, leaving a missing chunk of it.


    I sighed as I pulled my fist out of the hole. I wanted my hand to drill all the way through. It would give me a piercing move against armored foes, which were my biggest weakness. If I faced Gabriel without using these new techniques, I may not be able to get through his armor. With that punch though, it may be possible.


    It still wasn¡¯t perfect though, so I pulled my hand out of the tree. I could drill through the walls of houses, but trees were still a bit too much. I didn¡¯t just tear the tree in half though like when I first tried. The move would be difficult to learn. It was a combination of all my skills and stats up till now.


    Strength and constitution¡¯s assistance was obvious. The other skills, not so much. Dexterity helped with the tiny adjustments mid strike and the flexibility helped me torque my arm more than a normal human. Perception let me spot the weakest parts of the tree, striking at tiny, minute cracks in the wood and bark.


    Boundless Storm helped smooth out all the different parts I was working on. I mean, imagine trying to use fifteen different skills all at once. It¡¯s a nightmare. Boundless storm was easy as breathing to use, and let me focus on incorporating new techniques into my fighting style. It even made most skills easier to use while it was activated. The skill really showed its worth over time. Now that I was trying to amplify my fighting style with the telekinesis especially.


    Those thoughts raced in my head as I wiped some splinters off my arm. I already heard a set of steps landing on the pavement of a nearby street before I even punched. I turned around, Kessiah and Althea walking up.


    Kessiah put her hands on her hips when they reached me,


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned. What was that?¡±


    ¡°Something Torix and I¡¯ve been working on.¡± I turned to Althea, ¡°You ready to end some eldritch?¡±


    Althea pursed her lips, ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    I walked forward, the grass ripping underfoot,


    ¡°Then let¡¯s crush them to powder.¡±

 55 The Might of Progress

    After making sure Althea had her dungeon cores maxed out as well, the three of us left towards the next dungeon. Apparently, it was a wierd, open kind of dungeon that existed within the local sports stadium. The three of us left the house before meeting up with two guards that Torix lended us. After the close call last time, he ensured us that he wasn¡¯t going to hold back any longer.


    Being summons of Torix¡¯s, the guards were armored, enormous, and armed to the teeth. One of them wore a helmet with the antlers of an elk jutting from his head and shoulder pads.From under his helmet, the guard stared forward with floating, blue fires for eyes. Unblinking and soulless, he carried a sword ending in a hook in one hand with a chain and sickle that he carried in the other hand.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Aatrox Vernan(lvl 1200) ¨C A summon of Torix Worm, this is a guardian spirit tethered to the corpse of a grand warrior. Using his sword and sickle, his attacks incapacitate foes at a distance before he pulls them in and guts them. Specializing in constitution, dexterity, and strength, his lack of health leaves him vulnerable to high damage per second foes.


    The guardian spirit, while loyal in the utmost, lacks the adaptability of most mortal minds. This reduces his danger level drastically, but this summons still reaches the level of 1200 off raw power alone. You would likely die if he was on the other side, so count your prayers that this monster stands with you.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The other guard was a heavily alien with cloven feet and legs like a goat. His own horns twirled out to the side of his head, but a strong, long jaw full of sharp teeth was left unarmored. On its back, two enormous barrels pointed downwards. As we walked up to him, he lifted the cannons upwards in his arms, holding them like two miniguns.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Kade Byle(lvl 1200) ¨C A summon of Torix Worm, this is yet another guardian spirit tethered to the corpse of a grand warrior. Using the two cannons mounted on his side, the offensive potential of this guardian can threaten monsters of a far higher level. Kade lacks any meaningful defenses. He is the epitome of a glass-cannon.


    Furthermore, the lack of an adaptable conscious prevents his offensive potential from shining. Everything must be planned with Kade, otherwise he¡¯ll be overwhelmed, either by numbers or by sheer bulk.


    Having said that, he could likely blow you away in a few seconds of being exposed to his damage. He will be a strong tool for your arsenal.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    All in all, they looked completely badass. As we walked up, I said,


    ¡°Who are these guys?¡±


    Kessiah sighed, ¡°Two more summons of Torix.¡±


    I blinked a few times, ¡°How many minions does he have?¡±


    ¡°More than a few, from what I can tell.¡±


    Althea chimed, ¡°It¡¯s his mythical skill. It¡¯s going to be powerful.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Man. Makes my mythical skill look shitty by comparison.¡±


    Althea rolled her eyes, ¡°He¡¯s had a long time to make his good. Give it time.¡±


    Kessiah hit my shoulder, ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen mine in action.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I thought your mythical skill made you dense or something.¡±


    Kessiah shook her head, ¡°Sorry toots, that¡¯s the level 100 perk for constitution. My mythical skill is Hemomancy. I was born with it.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah.¡±


    Althea murmured, ¡°Are these two things our guards?¡±


    Kessiah turned to her, ¡°Yeah, they are. Kade and Aatrox. They have names like they were named by some edgy teenager.¡±


    I added, ¡°Yeah, whoever named them has no sense of taste in his naming skills.¡±


    Althea sighed, ¡°Come on¡­Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Kessiah frowned, ¡°I preferred when you complained a little less.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired of this. It¡¯s no fun to just wake up, fight, train, sleep.¡±


    I walked forward towards the entrance of a sewer,


    ¡°Get used to it. If we can kill all four followers of Yawm, then you can get a Sentinel¡¯s rights. Probably. That¡¯s an easy way out of Schema¡¯s endless war I bet.¡±


    I lunged down and pressed the tip of my armored finger between the manhole and its cover. I popped the lid up and caught it with my other hand. I turned back towards Althea,


    ¡°What¡¯s that phrase¡­Ah yea, where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. You just have to have the will is all.¡±


    I leapt into the entrance, sliding through the air while smoothly sliding the cover back onto the entrance. My ascendant mana flared, the red light letting me see the coming ground. The circular, concrete walls slid past my face before I my feet slammed into the ground.


    The concrete didn¡¯t crack as I landed. The telekinetic field around my feet dispersed the impact. My dexterity let me bend my knees as I landed in a fluid motion. If anything, I hardly even made a sound. I dashed forward, light on my feet as the fervor of ascendancy flowed within me. The others followed a few seconds after.


    They caught up before we bolted towards the dungeon. I dashed between the two walkways lining the gray water. I grappled along, using the growing green vines cropped up around bits of light. Hell, on several of the curved segments of sewer, I picked up enough speed to run along the cylindrical walls. It was a blast just moving.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    At one point, I had analyzed Althea¡¯s level. She was only level 467. Nearly a hundred levels below me, and that didn¡¯t even account for the distance my mythical skill made. She¡¯d fallen behind. Looking back on it, I kind of saw it coming.


    Althea never liked fighting, and she tired of it. If anything, I enjoyed it a little too much. She needed sleep and I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s 8-9 hours every day that I get to train and study without distraction that she doesn¡¯t have. I even get doubled experience from unique bosses, and that adds up over time.


    Althea still had her own innate power, but she wasn¡¯t doing much with it. I, on the other hand, well I was thriving. The rift between us was a difference in mentalities in the end, especially considering we both had advantages no one else had.


    I wouldn¡¯t slack off though. With my relentless approach to leveling and study, I was covering ground many times faster than a normal person. I wasn¡¯t competing with normal people anymore though. I left that behind a while back. I was competing with monsters now, and that meant I had to be a little bit of a monster myself.


    Those thoughts swirled in my head as we reached near the stadium. We reached the entry point where I walked out of the sewer first. Considering how tanky my build was, I was an excellent vanguard for the group. Althea and Kade would sit back, with Kessiah and Aatrox as their protectors. I would run up and make a mess of the enemies ranks, like a distraction from the real threats of our group.


    I didn¡¯t mind our setup. I liked being up close and personal when I fought anyways. It suited me, in more ways than one. With that strategy in mind, I reached up above manhole, out into the street. We were three blocks from the stadium, having a few intersections to cross before reaching the building. A minute later, the five of us where up the stadium stairs and walking inside.


    Passing through the dilapidated, empty building, there was a slight echo in the distance. As we walked around the circular hallway, the sound grew in intensity. The pillars lining the wide hall shook and cast shadows off light from windows on the outer edge of the stadium. Walking on the checkered tile floor, a giant in a deep-sea diving suit walked up.


    His steps caused cracks in the floor, and even the lightest touch from his massive foot shook the earth. From within his helmet, a dozen eyes glowed yellow. Its right arm ended in a drill, the tip of it digging a ditch in the ground. The left arm ended in a massive, gloved hand. Electricity pulsed from it, arcs of lightning streaking into the nearby area.


    Along its back, the lightning created ozone that smelled like chlorine in a pool. The monster glanced up at us, the both of us standing still, like both of us stared at dark things. The kind of things you didn¡¯t want to look at, but you couldn¡¯t tear your eyes away.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mauler, Keemak Juggernaut (lvl 877) ¨C A servant of an undersea emperor of their home world, their kind lives in the dark. Having their kind enslaved by Yawm, they serve as juggernauts in his army. Covered in a thick suit with protective metallic plates, this monster carries two kinds of attacks. The arc reactor on its back powered the left-handed glove, letting it paralyze and destroy enemies at a distance.


    If an enemy somehow closes the distance, the drill on its arm acts as a piercing attack, letting it destroy armored foes with ease. Be wary of this foe.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Kessiah pursed her lips,


    ¡°Shit¡­this is worse than I thought. Torix said the eldritch might have guards, but to send the Keemak as guards...¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°The Keemak?¡±


    Kessiah pointed forward, ¡°It¡¯s that thing.¡±


    The Keemak Mauler revved its drill, the spinning metal blaring loudly. Kessiah put a hand on my chest,


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you handle this when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I pushed her hand off my chest, ¡°It¡¯s not even a boss monster. It can¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    Kessiah glanced at me, her face worried, ¡°It¡¯s three hundred levels over you.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I probably have pretty even stats with the thing. I can handle him-¡°I turned to Althea, ¡°-with a little help of course.¡±


    A reluctant grin grew on Althea¡¯s lips before the Mauler opened its left hand. Lightning burst from it, sparking into the nearby area. Singe marks burnt into the wall. Glass shattered as bolts blasted through them. Trash caught fire, creating tiny plumes of black smoke. I banged my fists together, the sounds echoing.


    I grinned before running forward. The ascendant mana flooded my veins like liquid power. The telekinetic fields covered my fists, turning them into piercing drills. With a shocking speed, the Mauler slapped one of Althea¡¯s spears out of the way. My grin grew at the sight of it. This would be a good fight.


    I reached within punching range, a few hundred feet from the others. I activated oppression as bolts of lightning streaked towards me. The electricity charged into my armor, traveling deep into my bones. It dispersed through me, almost like I was drinking it.


    Skill level up! Gorger of Mana(lvl 2)!


    A few more arcs streaked past my head, but my armor devoured the energy, starving for more. I reached the monster. With a mighty swing, the monster launched out its drill towards me. Keeping cold and calm, I diverted the drill, hitting it at an angle to make it slide past me along my armored shoulders. The sparks off the drill danced with the lightning in a display of sound and light.


    I torqued my hand, twisting my hip as I turned my fist. With a heavy hook, I drilled my own punch into the side of the monster. The telekinetic point pierced the suit, digging inches into the armor. With my hand lodged in the monster, splinters of my armor expanded, gripping into the flesh of the creature.


    As I stepped back and pulled my fist out, the splinters sheared the Mauler¡¯s insides. A thick, blue blood covered my hand and dripped onto the floor as it stabbed its drill towards me. I slammed my front foot into the ground, using the force of the step as I deflected the drill once more with my right arm. A thin sleeve of telekinetic energy eased the process, smoothly gliding the monster¡¯s wild attack away from me.


    The drill veered off towards my right side, sparks flying off my armor. The drill left freshly carved trenches in my armor, the drill showing enough piercing power to slice through my armor. It didn¡¯t matter. The monster had no skill, something I was more than willing to exploit.


    When striking his drill to deflect it, my arm bounced back. Using that momentum, I ducked down, following the force. As if gliding on my heels, I smoothly guided the inertia from the hit as I lunged up. Keeping my left elbow tight against my side, I rotated on my heels, weight building in my left hand.


    Like a train wreck, my left fist punctured the monster¡¯s gut. The spines expanded as I jerked my fist out, turning the monster¡¯s insides into outsides. The organs and blood and bile flopped onto the ground, pouring like thick mush. The monster stumbled backwards, unable to handle the agony anymore.


    The generator along its back flared with light, the energy coalescing into its palm. The ball of energy detonated forward, creating a flash of blue electricity. The bolt hit me, burning my armor and searing my flesh. I convulsed, the electricity causing my muscles to tense. As the lightning left me, I fell forward.


    Before landing on my face, I caught my fall as I fell into a lunge. I pushed myself up, a quarter of my health missing. Even with my ascendant mana burning in my runes and forearms, my health readily climbed upwards. I smiled at the monster, almost feeding off its fear.


    I pushed forward, slamming my fists together. The monster fell onto the ground, blood pouring from it¡¯s the two gaping wounds on its sides. As it landed, the earth quaked. I kept steady, my steps timed before reaching beside it.


    It stabbed its drill towards me, but I lifted my foot and stomped on the contraption. The drill and the metal wires along the engine of it caved in, my stomp crumpling the metal. Again I stomped, and again his body caved. The monster whimpered, crushing under the onslaught. Within seconds, it turned into a blue sap spread all over the floor.


    I turned back around, facing the group,


    ¡°I told you I could handle it.¡±

 56 Guardians of Yawm

    The sickle wielding guardian spoke with a steady voice,


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°I thought these guys didn¡¯t have a conscious?¡±


    Kessiah shrugged, ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal guardian. Uh¡­Let me think.¡± She frowned, pointing a finger towards the sky in mocking imitation,


    ¡°Indeed Kessiah. Using my incredulous intellect, I infused the corpses of two dead disciples into the corpses of warriors. I know, I know, hold your applause at me sheer and unmatched intellect.¡±


    Althea giggled at Kessiah¡¯s Torix impersonation. I even cracked a smile before the sickle guy spoke again,


    ¡°He gave us new life. What else are we to do but serve him?¡±


    Althea mumbled,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not serve him maybe?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Yawm has guards here. Why? Probably because the fucker learned about our plans after I cleared the last dungeon. That means we have to hurry.¡±


    Kessiah gave me a short salute,


    ¡°Aye, aye captain.¡±


    I pressed my palm into the floor, my armor soaking up the blood in moments. After that, I walked up and consumed the corpse the same way. Each of these guys had about 5 million ambient mana as well. It would only take a whopping twelve thousand for my next armor evolution. At that point, I knew the grind would set in soon.


    I hadn¡¯t hit that wall with my levels though. This wasn¡¯t a boss monster, so the experience bonus I gained from the Obliterator tree wasn¡¯t there. It not being a boss monster meant it had less experience regardless. I still gained an easy 43 levels from it though.


    With that handled, I began pressing the select button before the perk screen appeared,


    Devotion to the Enduring (Have 1000 points in a single attribute before level 1000, Endurance over 1000) ¨C You decided to become a symbol of endurance. Your unyielding faith does not go unnoticed. Every eldritch killed over level 1000 adds another year of life. Immunity to sickness and disease. +10% more health, health regen, stamina, and stamina regen per 1000 points in endurance. You may choose to add 1/10th of endurance to any attribute of your choosing, besides endurance itself. You may now unlock a unlock a legendary skill.


    After looking over the perk, it had an odd set of bonuses. The extended life from killing eldritch would translate to immortality. The sickness and disease immunity helped with preventing other kinds of death outside of old age. The 10% bonus to endurance¡¯s stats seemed kind of meager for what the perk was as well. The 1/10th bonus to another attribute was massive though.


    It would be like injecting 100 attribute points into any stat of my choosing. Considering how focused I was on endurance, whatever stat I chose would be handled nicely as well. I could choose intelligence for even more health, or perhaps strength for the extra power I¡¯d gain. Those answers seemed like fun, but I already knew which attribute I would choose, constitution.


    It would feed into the other chains of stats. Constitution fed into strength which fed into dexterity and so on. Endurance fed into willpower which fed into intelligence and so on. I could connect the chains with this extra 1/10th conversion. Endurance would become a sort of do all attribute. The legendary skill thing sounded awesome as well, but I didn¡¯t know what to think of it. So far, getting my only mythical skill, Boundless Storm, had been hard enough. I¡¯d think about that part of the perk later.


    So, I selected the perk before grinning at the rush of vitality. Before I could soak it in though, another message appeared,


    Which attribute will you select for the 1/10th addition? Con, Strength, Will, Intel, Luck, Char, Dex, or Per?


    I selected constitution, the sudden rush in stats feeling like another fifty level-ups. My body grew denser, making me weigh even more. After putting the rest of my attribute points into endurance, I checked my status.


    Level 606


    Strength ¨C 293.5 | Constitution - 686 | Endurance - 1077


    Dexterity - 112 | Willpower ¨C 499.7 | Intelligence ¨C 173.9


    Charisma ¨C 54.8 | Luck ¨C 76.2 | Perception ¨C 103.6


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Totals</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Regen</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Health</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">58,194/58,194</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">16,499/min</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Oppression Damage- 15,000+40%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stamina</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">26,519/26,519</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">344/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">.16 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 4322%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Pacing down the lowlit hallway of the stadium, I noticed the sudden shift in stats. I was heavier now, if I let my feet clunk against the tiles, they would splinter. If I let my weight press into the ground without finesse on my part, the slight quaking that ensued was awe inspiring. Besides that, the arcane bonds in my flesh tightened till they reminded me of the wires running through my flesh.


    They were so strong, they felt physical, not even like magic. My raw stat total had become something to behold, turning into a monstrous total of around 3000. I had around 2-3 times more than a normal person, not including my armor¡¯s bonuses. I had the stats to match someone well over level 1000.


    My skills probably didn¡¯t matchup with someone like Torix though. These guards he made for instance were incredibly powerful, being comparable with his current strength. Torix had made these guards and countless others since coming here. That distance would take time to close.


    I grinned at the thought. Closing that distance wouldn¡¯t take as long as I had first imagined. After looking closer at the rest of the devotion to the enduring perk, I may be able to shorten that distance further. Unlike with the leveling perks, this perk didn¡¯t state any kind of limit. If I could reach 1000 in other stats, then I would be able to get other perks for other stats. Looking at my status, willpower and constitution were well within the realm for just that.


    I got two attributes per level, and I could absorb a dungeon core every other level. That meant around 25 attributes every 10 levels. If my math was right, then I could get these perks for constitution and willpower as well before reaching level 1000. It would create a trifecta of super stats for me.


    With that in mind, I figured putting the points into constitution would be my best bet for now. Till it reached 1000, I¡¯d just pour the stats into it. After that, willpower would follow. It was good I had these perks lined up for me, since beating Yawm without them would be impossible.


    He almost certainly had the genesis of potential perk as well as a few other advantages I didn¡¯t know about. I mean he was pretty much the warrior king of a whole species. That¡¯s bound to come with a few absurd bonuses. To beat something like that, I need something absurd as well.


    With the stats handled, another set of echoing ebbed in the distance. More explosive in pitch, the echoes sounded like a thunder storm instead of stomping steps. We reached the ticket booth leading into the stadium¡¯s center, the ticket booths lined up. One of Yawm¡¯s guards walked by, the arc reactor on his back shooting lightning every few seconds.


    The thing had a harpoon cannon as a right hand instead of a drill. The entire head was composed of glowing, yellow glass with a wire mesh supporting it. Along its feet were blocks of iron that looked like a ton of tiny strands of iron compressed together. It glanced up at us, shocked by us for some reason. Maybe it could see our levels too.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Spiker, Keemak Sentry (lv 944) ¨C A servant of an undersea emperor of their home world, their kind lives in the dark. The sentry¡¯s acted as a form of ranged offensive potential in strike groups during military excursions. Using their wide range of visions, they could also be used as exceptionally effective scouts given the right situation.


    Their harpoon rifle is designed for maiming rather than piercing due to the elongated prongs on the sides of the spear. Once they¡¯ve pinned an enemy down at a distance, spikers send powerful bolts of electricity into the spear. This can make their electric attacks many times stronger than a normal Keemak soldier from the enhanced conduction of the metal.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Their mobility is also superior to their more grounded brethren, the juggernauts. A spiker can magnetize the magnets under its feet with the arc reactors on its back. This allows it to preform moves otherwise impossible due to the power of magnetism. If all else fails, they can also detonate their reactor cores upon death.


    While not a sure-fire way to death, facing one will be an undertaking to say the least.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This monster looked more challenging than the Mauler. I crushed the mauler because it was brute trying to beat me. My build negated its strengths, letting me exploit how bulky and slow it was. This monster didn¡¯t look quite as easy to stop.


    With that in mind, I shot towards it. The monster raised the harpoon gun and fired towards me. I moved my arm to deflect it, but Althea¡¯s harpoon hit the other harpoon midair. Althea¡¯s bullet split the spiker¡¯s harpoon in half, the pieces spinning before lodging into the ceiling and floor.


    Another shot later and Althea kept pace, firing each shot out of the air. I neared the spiker in seconds my ascendant mana roaring stronger than ever. The voice spoke in my mind, telling me to tear and maul my opponent. I silenced it, containing the sudden rage. A calm, cold focus was a far better tool for killing than red hot fury.


    Once reached the monster, it sent out a wave of electricity like an emp grenade. The electromagnetic pulse didn¡¯t do shit to me, but Kade, the rifle guard guy, had the electronics in his gun fried. As I reached within ten feet of the spiker, it sent out a bolt of lightning towards a ticket booth and into its feet. It jumped sideways, the metal on its feet pulling it towards the ticket booth.


    It landed sideways fifty feet away. The move defied gravity, throwing me off for a second. That second was long enough for a harpoon to be fired right at me. The bullet landed straight into my neck, drilling through my armor and the back. It lodged a foot deep, the massive spear making a mortal wound. Well, mortal for most.


    As a burst of steam streamed from the spiker¡¯s rifle, I grabbed the end of the spear behind me and pulled. It felt like pulling out a needle. Not so bad. The spear tore into me a bit as I pulled, but I stayed standing. The bolt hadn¡¯t even done a fifth of my health bar.


    I grinned with my armor, teeth forming with my mouth spewing tendrils of ascendant mana. I charged towards the monster once more, deflecting the next spear coming towards me. When I neared it, electricity flowed into the arc reactor before firing into the metal frame of a large window. It jumped up, flying sideways through the air.


    The invisible pull looked just as crazy the second time, but I was ready for it. I reached out both my hands, ten feet short of the monster. The ascendant mana in my veins roared to life, pulsing like an endless wrath. My telekinesis grabbed the monster¡¯s feet, slowing its pull before tackled into the ground.


    I growled as I stomped my heels into the ground, the jerking of telekinesis harder than if I pulled it with my own hands. Like an invisible rope, I stretched out my right arm before pulling the monster closer. With each pull of my hand, it came an arm¡¯s length closer. The monster stabbed its fingers into the ground, even using its spear for extra grip. It didn¡¯t matter. I was too heavy and too dense. It couldn¡¯t stop me.


    It pointed its rifle at me, but it changed the angle of its firing a second later. The monster¡¯s spear clanked against one of Althea¡¯s diverting her harpoon upwards. His spear deflected downwards, stabbing into the ground beside it. The monster then shot a bolt of lightning into the metal spear and grabbed onto it.


    The telekinetic strain tripled as my feet dug into the ground. The monster¡¯s feet even pulled towards his own magnetized spear. The monster clanked in an extra bolt from behind its back, the harpoon popping into the barrel. He pointed it towards me before I released my telekinetic tether.


    The monster whipped in the air as it fired. The bolt slid into the rock roof as I sprinted towards him. The feet of the monster planted onto the spear, dragging it across the ground. I leapt towards the creature before it reached out its left hand. A blinding light flew towards me, consuming my vision in white.


    An odd sensation took over for a minute. I couldn¡¯t make my limbs move. They moved on their own, tensing with the absolute limit of my strength. The light kept consuming my vision, and as my muscles strained, I could see my stamina bar depleting. For the first time since investing into endurance, my stamina had become something worth noting.


    The spike of energy was greater than my armor could absorb. The leftover tendrils of lightning created enough strain on my body that my stamina couldn¡¯t keep up anymore. A few seconds later, and one of the muscles in my calves snapped. The popping of a hamstring followed. The blinding light ceased a second later.


    I fell to my knees, exhausted and heaving for breath. I glanced up, and arc reactor had melted on the back of the monster. The molten metal already killed it, the flesh of the creature bubbling inside its suit. I stood up a second later, my stamina and health regenerating rapidly. I glanced back at the others. They stared back with glazed over eyes.


    I shouted, ¡°Come on guys. Surely you guys can help me next time.¡±


    Kessiah cupped her hands around her mouth, ¡°We thought you were dead. That thing just exploded.¡±


    I wiped off some broken rock off my shoulder, ¡°No I¡¯m fine. Suicide bombers can¡¯t really hurt me. I¡¯m too tanky.¡±


    I glanced at my health. It was at 2/3rds now, so they monster must have dealt a bit over half my health. It wasn¡¯t a bad outcome considering how high level the monster was. I pointed towards the stadium¡¯s entrance,


    ¡°Come on guys. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll be full health in a minute or two.¡±


    I walked forward into the stairs of the stadium. I gained another 44 levels from the spiker, so I put all my remaining points into constitution. The increase in weight and power flooded my system like a narcotic. It was subtler now though, probably because I was already so heavy. I mean five more pounds is hardly noticeable if you¡¯re already a ton.


    I gained more than that though. The extra weight from constitution made telekinesis far easier as well. I was quite a bit heavier now, and pulling on the spiker may have been possible now. Letting go was a better choice tactically speaking, but having the option should the situation arise was nice.


    Glancing up from my screen, I noticed the hallway we walked down. The stairs leading into the stadium split into two divergent paths, each leading to different parts of the stadium. During an actual game, you¡¯d be able to hear the roaring of the crowd echoing through the tunnel. I shut down oppression as I reached the end of it, the light from outside leaking in.


    As I walked outside, the first thing I noticed was the open sky. The stadium cover had been left open for some reason. The rows of seats stretched for hundreds of feet down, the stairs creating little segments on each stair case. This was a football stadium, one with a grass field at the center. There was still grass, but the eldritch had created a something else too.


    There was a large hole at the center of the stadium. The gaping expanse lead deep down until the edges of the pit were black. The walls of the pit were slimy, red, and fleshy. A few writhing, giant insects darted on the walls, searching for food. The lining of the tunnel stretched out from the entrance, a few tendrils of meat reaching the walls of the stadium.


    At the center of the entrance, several named ones sat around the center. One was like a humanoid mantis, with cleaving, sharp arms and wings along its broad back. Another was covered in feathers made of steel with two wings along its back. Another was far larger than either of the others, covered in giant bat wings.


    The rest of us reached behind me, Kessiah stretching her neck to see. She mouthed, ¡°What in Schema is going on?¡±


    The sickle guard guy, Aatrox, said in Torix¡¯s voice,


    ¡°This is a portal reaching into the eldritch. It¡¯s grotesque, and it serves as an important obstacle for us.¡±


    I glanced back at the guard, ¡°You can talk through those guys?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Free will is something only the naivest summoners participate in. These creations, they are tools. Nothing more.¡±


    Based on how he treated his other creations, I highly doubted that was the truth.


    ¡°Back to the matter at hand, this is a physical manifestation of an eldritch rift. It¡¯s the beginnings of a rift. You all are here to crush it before it spreads further.¡±


    I glanced at Aatrox, ¡°How in the fuck are we going to do that?¡±


    Aatrox lifted a finger into the air, mimicking Torix¡¯s body language,


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of us. It¡¯s a matter of you. These portals are much larger and more frequent in fringe worlds. Once they¡¯ve opened, you can only close them by entering the portal and killing the rift keeper.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°So it¡¯s basically just like a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°In essence, yes.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°Why does Schema make the dungeons the way they are then?¡±


    From the rift at the center of the colosseum, a white centipede squirmed out. Large as bus, it snatched one of the insects feeding against the wall of the rift. The smaller insect squealed before the centipede pinned it down, injecting liquid nitrogen into the creature before feasting on the bug. As the icy cold met the bug, the sound of its insides freezing matched the sounds of its screams.


    The bug squealed like that for a solid minute, the icy centipede¡¯s mandibles slowly munching away at the creature¡¯s face while it was alive. The insect squirmed, struggling to escape, but the centipede didn¡¯t care if it was dead or alive. It was like the tinier bug was just a packet full of food. Once the centipede had grabbed onto that packet, it would start feasting until the packet was empty.


    Once it finished, the centipede glanced around at the entrance of the rift. Its beady eyes met the named ones, but the centipede seemed satisfied. It was like a full lion. You didn¡¯t have to worry about it if you didn¡¯t mess with it anymore. It squirmed back into the tunnel, leaving icy spots where its feet touched the ground.


    Torix murmured through Aatrox,


    ¡°If not full, that creature would escape into your world. I doubt most earthlings could handle such a thing, no?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. Most people would get fucked.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Those places are bad. Very bad. My memories are fuzzy, but I remember my parents mentioning those things. It¡¯s hard to fight inside the portals. You lose your HUD and all connection with Schema.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°You lose connection with Schema? Holy shit¡­No wonder fighting against a fringe world is so hard. Why would you bust into a portal and try to beat the rift lord? You don¡¯t get experience or anything, and you can¡¯t see your health bar, and shit¡­there¡¯s all kinds of reasons not to go in there.¡±


    Torix nodded in Aatrox¡¯s body, crossing the guard¡¯s arms,


    ¡°Indeed. For most people, it is a death sentence, especially considering how much people tend to rely on Schema¡¯s assistance for most fights. Rifle men rely on him to aim. Fighter¡¯s rely on him to streamline the use of their skills. Even mages rely on him to help ease the casting process. On the other hand, you and Althea don¡¯t have to worry about those drawbacks.¡±


    Althea turned towards him, ¡°What do you mean me and him? I thought it was just him.¡±


    I turned to her, ¡°What do you mean just me? Fuck you.¡±


    Althea turned to me, ¡°Of course it¡¯s just you. You¡¯re the, ¡®look at me, I live for battle,¡¯ person. I just want this to be over with.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Ok, have some perspective. You honestly think I want to crawl into a giant entrance into a different dimension? Fuck that. I don¡¯t want to, but I will because I choose to. That¡¯s what makes us different from animals. Animals go by instinct. People, we can do more than just live from our instincts. We can live for our future.¡±


    I raised my arms into the air, ¡°Besides, do you want to be at the mercy of all this bullshit forever? There¡¯s a light at the end of this shit covered tunnel.¡± I pointed a finger at Althea, ¡°You can either stay in this shit covered tunnel, or you can get with the fucking program and move on.¡±


    Althea sighed, ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯ll go.¡± She glanced up at Aatrox-Torix and spit her words like venom, ¡°Please tell me the next time you want something like this. Nobody likes awful surprises.¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°And you¡¯d never have come if I hadn¡¯t gotten you this far. Unlike Daniel, you tend to avoid unpleasantness.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and frowned, but Torix continued, ¡°That means at times you need a push, Althea. Daniel, on the other hand, needs someone to curb his fervor. If you two could find a balance between each of your approaches, then perhaps you would both be more effective. Regardless-¡°


    The Torix pointed with the guard¡¯s arm at the center of the stadium,


    ¡°It¡¯s time for a little dive into the unknown. I¡¯m sure the experience will be¡­enlightening.¡±

 57 Mountains of Madness

    I pointed at the three named ones, ¡°So we kill them, go into the tunnel, clear out the eldritch, then escape before the rift closes?¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°Close, but you won¡¯t have to escape at the end. All that happens is the tunnel converts into a normal dungeon once the rift keeper is killed.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°What level should we be expecting from it then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing higher than level 1000. It will likely be another of the angels, like Gabriel.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I thought angels were a human thing?¡±


    Kessiah grinned, ¡°Come on. You know by now that most myths have some truth in there.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You¡¯re telling me angels and heaven are real?¡±


    Torix shrugged the guard¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Your world is at the dead center of a rift. There have been signs of their presence in the past, throughout your history. Many of your myths are based on these signs, such as the Greek mythology or Lovecraftian fiction. They saw the signs, but they couldn¡¯t prove they existed using the standard logic, so their imaginations filled in the gaps.¡±


    I blinked a few times, ¡°What part of the Greek mythology and stuff is real then?¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°Very little, besides the imagery. It¡¯s amazing how mortal minds latch onto the visions of truth far more than thoughts of truth. Seeing is believing, as your kind puts it. Sentients neglect truth proven from logic. We all like to wait until the truth can no longer be denied before accepting it.¡±


    Kessiah leaned onto the shoulder of the guard, ¡°I read a little of that stuff too. The powers were correct, but the Greeks looked at them as gods. I guess something like that would be godlike compared to a normal person.¡±


    My mind was swimming with conspiracy theories as I said, ¡°Did a strike team from Schema come and eliminate them?¡±


    Torix replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And did they leave Stonehenge and the pyramids?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Why would they reorganize giant piles of rocks? That¡¯s something simple minds would think of.¡±


    I deflated, ¡°Oh, yeah of course. Anyways-¡± I turned to the portal, ¡°You think the angels or whatever are in there?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I do. You¡¯ve seen what lies underneath their shells. They deceive those that worship them, grabbing tribute and sacrifice. The eldritch are oppressive, and seen throughout the history of your world. The Spanish inquisition, the holocaust, there are many examples of them interfering with your world.¡±


    Althea murmured, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen from Daniel, it doesn¡¯t seem like humanity needed much to make them do all that. It¡¯s more like they just tipped your war hungry race over the edge.¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°Alright, but is there anything I should know about the angels before I go down there?¡±


    Kessiah leaned another hand onto Aatrox, her weight resting on him. The guards started straining as she mumbled, ¡°Nothing more than you already know. They''re tough, especially the upper level ones. You¡¯re lucky that Gabriel hadn¡¯t turned into an archangel yet. That¡¯s when he gets tough.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Uh, you make it sound like you fought him before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cause I have. The angels are always looking for ways to get into other worlds. You can¡¯t kill them here. The only way to handle them is over on the other side. You have to get them while they¡¯re in their home turf, and even I¡¯m not that crazy.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Honestly, it doesn¡¯t sound like we¡¯re ready for it. I¡¯m not that crazy either.¡±


    Kessiah leaned up, pushing the guard so that he stumbled sideways, ¡°This is a teeny, tiny rift though. They haven¡¯t fed enough to be able to kill us, and besides. You and Althea are crazy powerful for your levels. You both have a lot of eldritch in you, so you won¡¯t be de-buffed like we would be. In fact, I get the feeling you¡¯ll actually be stronger there than here.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you guys the benefit of the doubt. You haven¡¯t steered me wrong yet.¡±


    Kessaih patted my back, ¡°You bet¡­Damn you¡¯ve grown. What the hell. You¡¯re almost as tall as me.¡±


    I met her eye with my own. I grinned, ¡°It won¡¯t be much longer now and I¡¯ll be looking down on you instead.¡±


    Kessiah grinned before pressing a finger into my chest, ¡°Don¡¯t get to cocky little guy, or else I¡¯ll have to put you in your place.¡±


    I smiled back, my armor forming teeth, ¡°We¡¯ll see how far I¡¯ve come and how far you¡¯ve fallen.¡±


    She pressed her finger against me, pushing me back and turning me around. As I saw the rift, she said,


    ¡°Wait till after you get through that. I¡¯ll be waiting little man.¡±


    Althea gagged, ¡°Will you guys shut up already?¡±


    Kessiah leaned over Althea, ¡°Is somebody¡­jealous?¡±


    ¡°What? No-¡±


    Kessiah grabbed Althea and started tickling under her sides. Althea burst into laughter before jumping away. Kessiah grinned again,


    ¡°See you both when you get back. You¡¯ll be fine. Daniel¡¯s strong, and you¡¯ll find out that you are too.¡±


    Althea blushed, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I walked out into the stadium stairs, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go fuck some named one¡¯s up.¡±


    We paced down the steps, my feet thumping on the floor and Althea¡¯s nearly unheard. A couple dozen steps later, and a named one turned towards me.


    It was the one with bat wings covering him. He outstretched his wings, exposing a torso with the ribs jutting out of his skin. His face opened, his cheeks splitting. The others each outstretched their wings, the mantis¡¯s buzzing and miss metal feathers flapping.


    They flew towards us as the bat person leaned forward. He latched his hands into the ground, and an energy beam charged in his throat. One of Althea¡¯s spears lodged through him a second later, killing him.


    The two-winged ones dived towards me. The ascendant mana poured from me before I lifted my hand and forced it down. The mantis thing shot down before smashing against several chairs. Metal feathers launched into me, her talons opened to gouged me. I put one leg back and grabbed her talons.


    When her feet met my hands, her claws shattered against my metal. I gripped her feet, and her body flew past. I didn¡¯t budge an inch. The bones in her legs broke as her body kept wanting to fly forward. I clasped my hands, breaking her toes. I pulled her downward, slamming her against the concrete.


    The metal feathers ripped from her wings and back against the stairs. I placed a foot on her back and jerked her left leg. The joint ruptured from the socket, the skin splitting. Blood exploded from her wound before I stepped onto her chest. Blood shot out of her mouth before I slammed her leg into her head, cracking her skull.


    Two clubbing¡¯s later, and she stopped struggling. The mantis man lifted himself up, buzzing away before Althea shot a bolt between his twitching eyes. I leapt forward as he fell. I lost levity before reaching the mantis. I pressed my heels into his back, sending him to the bleachers. As I landed on them, the chairs beneath us crushed like tinfoil before the green goo inside the mantis detonated under my feet.


    The cracks rippled through a portion of the bleachers as I stood tall again. I had just jumped onto him as he fell and used my weight against him. I glanced at a hand. There wasn¡¯t anything unsteady about the outstretched fingers. There was no fear. I clamped my hand. It was good to not be afraid.


    I ran towards the entrance of the rift, smashing chairs underfoot. I leapt up and into the green grass at its center. As I landed on the ground, my feet sunk into the earth. The ground didn¡¯t feel hard or sturdy anymore. On my metal feet, it was akin to sand. Something that didn¡¯t give enough stability for me to use my full strength.


    With little telekinetic fields around my feet, that softness wasn¡¯t near as bad. I pushed on my feet, digging them into the ground as I shot forward. As I reached the rift, one of the person sized insects crawled from it. I tackled into it, sending us both flying into the rift. We kept moving before I smashed the monster against the other side of the rift.


    The green goop exploded once more before I grew claws from my hands. As I slid down the wall, I stabbed my fingers into it. It stopped my fall, the fleshy wall being hard as stone. I glanced up and Althea jumped into the rift right after me. Her arms reformed into two titanic arms, the fingers thick as most men¡¯s forearms.


    Those fingers pierced into the stone wall with ease before I grinned,


    ¡°You ready?¡±


    Althea nodded, the look of battle across her face. It made her eyes narrow, and her jaw turn hard. The focus, the energy, that was something I loved about fighting. It wasn¡¯t like I was just standing still waiting to die. It¡¯s when you¡¯re closest to death¡­that¡¯s when you feel the most alive.


    I glanced down, and the tunnel turned black at the bottom. I let myself go, falling into the abyss. As the gravity pulled me down, I hit the black fog. As the fog encompassed me, a burning sensation covered me. It wasn¡¯t a painful kind of burn though. It was a pleasant burn. Have you ever had scratches from briars? When you go to shower, it¡¯s going to burn. It¡¯s the kind of burn you know you need though.


    That sensation wrapped around me before something else disappeared. It was a subtle feeling, like losing a nagging feeling you forgot was there. As I fell further, the fog disappeared. Out into the world I came.


    It was a beautiful hell. I flew upwards now, like gravity flipped. That let me fly up into the sky and see what was there. Around us was a field of spikes. Metallic, cerulean, and ominous, the spines dripped a thick red fluid that all kinds of darker blue insects devoured. They fought for the fluid, like a swarm of ants.


    In disparate spots, portions of the bugs would disperse from one of the icy millipedes. They drilled out of the ground and dragged other insects into their burrows. The ground was gray, the kind of gray you see in a rotting corpse, but every part of the ground teemed with life. The shades of blue and white flowed together, almost like a river of paint.


    As I fell towards the ground, I glanced up at the red sky. There was a pillar of energy firing off into the clouds, reaching high up before splitting into white tendrils that reached around in every direction. The invisible forcefield was where all the life ended, like this was a different world being forced into our own. The red sky and air floated into and out of the sphere, as if just outside of the sphere was a different dimension. Hell, maybe there was.


    I didn¡¯t have time to think about it as I landed against several cerulean spikes. The rods of metal broke against my metal skin with a brittle cracking. The insects dispersed from the points of impact, scared shitless I¡¯m sure. I pulled at oppression, revving the aura up to full strength. Glancing up, I spotting Althea flying over. I shouted,


    ¡°Don¡¯t come near me.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not going down there. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    I glanced around, and all the insects crawled towards me. They seemed to know I was an enemy. I glanced at my health bar, but there was none. I frowned. That¡¯s the feeling that went missing, Schema¡¯s influence. It didn¡¯t matter much for me though. I could operate off feel anyways.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Some of the smaller insects curled up and died before reaching me, oppression draining the life from the tiny creature. The larger ones reached me in droves, but I smashed them with ease, drilling through their shells with my telekinetic wrath. A few minutes later, and I was bathing in the blood of the insects. I destroyed he insects against the blue, metallic spires around me. I broke the spires, and I wielded them as weapons.


    The bugs, they couldn¡¯t hurt me. I was too tough, too hard, and too vicious. The droves turned to hoards that turned to groups then single insects. Before I knew, I cleared out an area the size of oppression around me. Glancing around, my armor would reach out and pierce insects, draining them. It was field day for my armor. After all, it enjoys a feast.


    Althea¡¯s voice ebbed above me,


    ¡°You¡¯re the guy that just runs down there and starts killing bugs. Do you see what I mean?¡±


    I stomped on a bug, the shell caving before ripping a spine from the gray ground and gouging another beetle above me,


    ¡°Unlike you, I can¡¯t fucking fly. I would try talking things out.¡± A bug leapt at my face, the mandibles clawing towards my nose, ¡°But these things don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re that into negotiation.¡±


    Althea fired harpoon after harpoon at the beetles before one of the centipedes shot out of the ground. With tiny, red eyes, it glanced at me before glancing at all the carcasses. It hissed at me, trying to scare me off.


    I banged my chest before spreading my arms wide.


    ¡°Come on you fuck.¡±


    The centipede shot towards me, the ends of its legs ending in shining claws. As they tapped against the earth, ice spread from below the monster. It vomited the liquid nitrogen at me, but I caught the liquid with my telekinesis.


    With a pull on my hands and shoulders, the liquid pulled into a sphere as I launched the liquid back onto the creature. As it met the shell, the ice spread atop the monster.


    It must have had specific parts of its body designed to hold the cold liquid. It wasn¡¯t immune to the cold altogether. It reared back before I ran up and grabbed it with a telekinetic link.


    Once set onto the creature, I jerked the monster towards me. The invisible pull surprised the creature, my feet digging into the ground. Once it flung towards me, I stepped forward and spun on my heels.


    A heavy right straight shot towards the monster¡¯s head before tearing through half the centipede¡¯s body. The cold liquid landed on the metal of my armor, but it only hissed for a moment before evaporating. It really wasn¡¯t that bad.


    I shook off the cold before glancing around. No more insects were coming towards me anymore, so I walked around for a few minutes and absorbed the eldritch around me. At least that¡¯s what I thought they were. I couldn¡¯t be certain if these were the same things after all.


    At that moment, an odd sense of familiarity returned. My HUD didn¡¯t return, but I did receive notifications.


    Data upload present. Current total level growth: 28. Upload speed: 1 attribute point per minute.


    So the data worked like a phone¡¯s data line. You could still get the benefits, it just took a long time. I guess that¡¯s why Schema didn¡¯t bother with the HUD. My health and stamina bars where only useful if they were up to date. Otherwise, they were useless.


    My armor on the other hand rippled across me with delight. Maybe here there was more ambient mana in the creatures, letting it get more of its fill. I grew horns from my back before retracting them. Controlling my armor was easier here compared with Schema¡¯s universe. Ascendant mana was more powerful as well, though harder to control.


    The way the air smelled here was different as well. It was sweeter, like it made me wild and want to just go and tear into something. Althea seemed to be like that as well. Her firing rate of her rifle was far greater than in the other world. At the same time, she didn¡¯t seem as tame now. She was more like when we first met, someone who desperately wanted control.


    At least, I don¡¯t know. It felt that way. She flew in circles around me, keeping her distance but keeping lookout as well. All around us, there were mountains, like this was a spire valley. That¡¯s what I named it then, Spire Valley. It seemed fitting.


    On top of one of the mountains, several things moved in the distance. They seemed like they were feeding on something. There were no signs of movement or life on the other mountains, so I pointed and shouted,


    ¡°Come Althea. Let¡¯s go find this Rift Keeper.¡±


    She glided towards the mountain before I slammed my feet against the gray ground. It was harder than dirt on Earth. Instead of giving like a thick mush, it held firm against my steps. It let me sprint even when the engine of my ascendant mana roared.


    We passed through another field or two of the spires, each of them resulting in subsequent slaughters. Nothing about these creatures was difficult to deal with. They were dungeon monsters, through and through. It didn¡¯t matter to me if we had Schema¡¯s help or not. If I retained my enhanced body, I could handle beings like these with ease.


    The mountains in the distance closed in after the third field. Along the mountains were blue, winding trails. As I closed into these glowing paths, I found blue magma. Unlike normal magma, this blue gunk froze everything near it. All around the exposed bits of magma, baby centipedes were collected. They nibbled at the blue, some of the smaller ones a deep red.


    As I saw bigger and bigger ones, they grew whiter in shade. This was how they gained their icy abilities. They feasted on the cold when they were young then ate the spire drinking bugs. It was a weird ecosystem, but it wasn¡¯t so outlandish that I couldn¡¯t comprehend it.


    That was my impression of the eldritch world so far. It wasn¡¯t that the world was malignant or evil, the world was just different. It was a brutal, savage place, but it wasn¡¯t something humanity couldn¡¯t master. I hadn¡¯t seen much of it so far though.


    Before starting the climb, I shut oppression down. Althea flew down towards me before we had a quick lunch. We both carried packs on our backs, mine much smaller than hers. She pulled out the steel legion¡¯s rations and water. She poured the water on the dried husks, revitalizing them. As the food grew, the meal heated up as well. By the time it reformed, it smelled pretty good, kind of like a microwave dinner.


    I finished eating before she started. From my satchel, I pulled out one of Torix¡¯s rations. I lifted it over my face and dropped it towards my armor. My armor split, letting the packet burst against my face. It soaked into my skin, a sort of intravenous cocktail. Weird, I know, but I could eat much faster this way.


    As Althea ate, I practiced telekinesis. I fine-tuned my control by juggling three rocks nearby. Whenever I picked something up, I had to handle whatever weight I lifted. When working with these tiny stones, I could afford to use the fingers in my hands and muscles. When working with something larger, that just wasn''t the case.


    I had to make sure I lifted using my legs or back. Otherwise, I would try to lift a boulder with my pinky finger one day. My bones would snap like twigs. Er, or bend like metal bars. I didn''t really know what I was made of anymore.


    Deep in my focus, Althea ate for a few minutes before she spoke,


    ¡°This is what a fringe world looks like.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Well that¡¯s disappointing. I imagined they would look a lot worse.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Of course you would.¡± She glanced around, ¡°It¡¯s hell here.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°You can¡¯t get out of hell. This is hell if you¡¯re near the bottom of the food chain. All you have to do is move yourself to the top of it. Then, it¡¯s not so bad.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re probably right. When I was kid, monsters like that gave me nightmares. I¡¯d shake so hard.¡±


    I walked over and sat on a stone, leaning towards her,


    ¡°When did you get taken from your homeworld?¡±


    ¡°When I was about¡­4-5. I was young. I didn¡¯t know my parents, but I can sort of piece things together from spare memories here or there.¡±


    ¡°You probably aren¡¯t even that scared anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­It¡¯s so¡­I don¡¯t know. Weird?¡±


    I leaned onto one hand, letting the other arm relax, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­The thought of coming here was terrifying. Now that I¡¯m back, it¡¯s almost like I¡¯m in a home I never knew I had. I feel better here than over there.¡±


    I glanced at my relaxed hand, pulling the armor off my face,


    ¡°Hmmm¡­It is weird, because I do too.¡± I glanced up at her, ¡°It¡¯s like I was made to be here.¡±


    She laughed a sardonic sort of laugh. It wasn¡¯t out of happiness. It was out of spite.


    ¡°Yeah, I actually was made to be here.¡±


    I nodded my head, ¡°Yeah, I never could gather what the lab was like, or what they did to you there.¡± I raised my palms to her, ¡°Not that that¡¯s a problem or anything. You don¡¯t have to tell me shit.¡±


    She waved a hand towards me, ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not that big a deal. We¡¯re on a life or death mission. Telling you some of that stuff isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± She finished her meal before setting the tray to her side. She glanced off towards the fields of metallic spires below us.


    ¡°I...I wasn¡¯t the only one there. There was a bunch of us. What they did exactly, I don¡¯t know. They wouldn¡¯t let us look into lab rooms or anything during the experiments. They would knock us out before performing the experiments as well. No point in keeping us awake and having us squirm after all.¡±


    She bit her lip,


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s not what happened to me that bothered about it. It was watching what happened to other people. I had a friend called Sally. We would slide notes to each other when we walked past each other. I looked forward to those notes. I treasured them. They meant the world to me.¡±


    She glanced back at me, ¡°I watched Sally turn inside out and eat two of the scientists.¡±


    I glanced down, sighing. I glanced back up, but Althea wasn¡¯t crying. Her voice was hard as steel,


    ¡°They fumigated the room with sedatives. When they finally got Sally back together, she smiled through the glass at me. The look in her eyes wasn¡¯t right. She patted her stomach in there, and smiled like a pleased child. The voice, the monster in her head. She let it take over.¡±


    Althea seethed, ¡°I¡¯m never letting that happen to me. Never. When you tore my armor off and ruined the sedatives, I thought I was gone. I didn¡¯t even care if I died. All I wanted was to stay normal¡­¡±


    She glanced down and took a deep breath, she looked back up at me,


    ¡°I heard about the voice in your head from Torix. He laughed when he mentioned it, but my blood ran cold when I heard that. Don¡¯t let it take control, Daniel. If you ever let go for too long, you may never be able to pull it back.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I already have it under control. It isn¡¯t taking me over anytime soon.¡±


    She blinked a few times. She reached out a hand, but she stopped the limb halfway through the gesture. She pressed her hands into a fist,


    ¡°I think it already has you.¡±


    I raised a hand, my fist being level with my face. I glanced at it,


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the difference between me and you. You see someone stab someone with a knife, and you think the knife is evil. Me?¡±


    The mana raged from my palm,


    ¡°I see a tool, only it¡¯s misused. Whoever wielded the tool is evil. The tool itself is neutral. This armor, all the stuff that comes with it, I choose how I wield it. I can either surrender, or I can conquer.¡±


    I tapped a finger against my chest, ¡°In the end, I choose if this is a gift or a curse. I choose, no one else does.¡± I grinned, ¡°You get to choose too. Tell me Althea, is being an immortal shapeshifter a gift or a curse?¡±


    She glanced up at the red sky, grinning despite what she said earlier,


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose to make it a gift.¡±


    I grinned before standing up. I reached out a hand,


    ¡°Now let¡¯s go kick some ass.¡±


    She grabbed my hand and stood up. I turned towards the mountain and ebbed the ascendant mana into my runes. I shot forwards, Althea leaping into the air behind me. With her ability, she was far faster than I. Learning to fly would be quite useful, in more ways than one.


    I¡¯d save that for later. I tore up the hill, tearing out clumps of the ground while Althea soared above. Once we ascended higher, the air thinned and cooled. A gray ice appeared as well, the snow smelling like lemons. The ground turned hard, like a dense stone. It didn¡¯t give underfoot, holding up against the weight of my heels.


    With firm footing, Althea and I reached towards the apex of the mountain with the white spire atop it. As we reached it, several things floated around the mountain top. They were icy jellyfish but with a few differences. Around the edge of its bell head, innumerable spines jutted from the inside. The mouth was like an iron maiden¡¯s inside.


    The tentacles stretched out from the middle of a jellyfish¡¯s cap. The little limbs whirled around beneath it, bulbous orbs covering the tentacles. When a limb banged against a rock, one of those swollen spheres of liquid busted. Ice crawled along the rock.


    As I stared at the spectacle, no message appeared. I forgot Schema wasn¡¯t here to help with analysis. From what I could tell though, avoid the tentacles and teeth. Pretty basic. Several of them floated towards us, but Althea nailed them with several spikes. Her fire rate improved, bolting four of the five monsters against the wall before they even reached me.


    Once it neared me, the translucent body of the monster glowed bright before a wave of sound shot towards me. The sonic wave trembled the air, like a cannon of sound. The wave past by me, busting my eardrums before a shotgun blast of ice shards imbedded into my armor. The tentacles whipped towards me. I weaved between them, slicing at them with telekinetic fields at the ends of my fists.


    They sliced through, sending the tentacles falling to the ground. As the monster tried passing by, I reached out and grasped it with telekinesis. Making sure the weight of the pull rested on my back, I lifted up which forced the creature downwards.


    Being as light as it was, the force of my throw sent it tumbling towards the ground. As it landed, the monster splat. What they had in offensive potential, they lacked in defense. I turned towards the others on the wall, and they were covered in harpoons.


    I grinned, ¡°How are you firing so many bolts?¡±


    ¡°I made some earlier so that I could use them now.¡±


    I slammed my hands together in a clap, ebbing a slight shockwave, ¡°That¡¯s what the fuck I¡¯m talking about. Good Job.¡±


    She shrugged midflight, a smile on her face. Maybe putting more into the whole fighting thing helped her cheer up some. I didn¡¯t really know. Regardless, we reached the top of the mountain where the white energy beam spiraled from.


    Surrounded by the red sky and clouds, I frowned at where the energy poured from. It beamed from a stone pillar, covered in runes reminiscent of the runes from BloodHollow. Around the pillar, a spiral staircase made of white stone went deep into the mountain. I pulled oppression in, turning the aura off as Althea landed behind me.


    She glanced up at the spire of white, ¡°What the fuck is this?¡±


    My eyes narrowed, ¡°A straight shot to the dungeon boss.¡±


    We walked down the stairs, Althea dragging her hand against the stone. As we descended deeper, the sounds of an insect¡¯s shuffling filled my ears.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be bugs. Lots of them. Be ready.¡±


    Althea sighed, before clenching her unformed fist, ¡°Let¡¯s go smash them or whatever you¡¯d say.¡±


    We reached a doorway covered in runes. As I glanced at them, they unraveled a bit, like a knot untying. I approached the doorway before leaking my ascendant mana into it. The mana poured through the runes, lighting them red before the spire behind us turned pink in color. I glanced at Althea, but she didn¡¯t know what was going on either.


    With a loud crack, the door slid. With the sound of sliding stone, the doorway crept open before I paced into the room. Within was a deep dark abyss. The ground and walls moved, as if alive. Something stored in glowing capsules was moved on the back of creatures, carrying it towards the queen of them all. It glanced at us, the massive, twitching eyes setting its sights.


    It was a giant scorpion with a normal woman rising from the top of the creature. Beautiful, black hair with a curvaceous figure, the monster grinned with an enchanting smile. It whispered to me, singing songs of lust and power. It reached out with a clawed hand and eyes like emeralds. I grinned back, my smile laced with bloodlust.


    It saw my sanity despite its charms. With a bitter grimace, she reached out, pointing at us. As she did, the floor and the ceiling moved. It was as if the entire room was folding in on itself. Althea shifted beside me, her bones cracking out of placed before she rasped in a warped voice,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside. Use your aura.¡±


    She climbed up and out of the stairs with monstrous hands. As I turned towards oncoming horde, I escalated oppression to its full might. I clamped both fists and grit my teeth. I was ready for what was to come.


    And so, there was a sea of monsters.

 58 What You Believe

    The sea of insects expanded, until all I could see was a wave of fluttering wings, eyes, and limbs. As they came closer, the bodies piled onto each other. A surge of them came crashing towards me, like the whole body of insects was a shifting liquid.


    Before the wave of monsters hit me, I slammed my hand into the stone beneath me. Spikes from my armor ripped out of the brick ground, impaling into the floor and wall of insects. As they tried ramming through the barricade, they tore each other apart. The bodies mounted, their weight building. The ground beneath me cracked. Seconds later, it shattered.


    I pulled my arm and rushed up the stairs, running from the insects. As I ran up the spiral stair case, the insects poured in. A few mandibles and claws nipped my back as my feet smashed into the ground. The violent echoes of the footsteps drowned in the outcry of hissing and clicking behind me. A clawed arm latched into the side of my shoulder, but I pushed onward, tearing the limb from the insect.


    The light of the stairs appeared before I jumped out of the staircase. Althea stood beside it, her stomach swollen and her mouth elongated. With a disgusting retch, she vomited a gallons and gallons of acid down the stairway. As the acrid stench of corroding flesh filled the air, the hiss of melting shells turned louder than the bugs own hissing.


    As they melted I breathed out a deep breath before lunging to a knee beside the steps. With a quick shove, I lodged my hands back into the stone. My armor grew into the stone, digging deep into the maze of brick. Sharp spines elongated out into the stairway, testing the limits of my control and focus. Without my enhanced abilities here, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to keep my armor so extended.


    But I did have those enhancements, and I meant to use them. As the acid wore off, the insects came back. Pushed by the insects behind them, a wave of beetles and worms slammed into the sharp swords imbedded in the walls. As the beetles died, I pushed myself even further. Another tendril from my armor built out of my knee and sopped up the mess of bodies.


    The last tendril consumed the bodies of the insects as they came, gorging on the remnants of their bodies. Althea fired her cannon into the trap, piercing through dozens of insects with each spear. Even as I ate the corpses, they piled up within a minute.


    I grit my teeth, forcing my armor to hold steady and eat more insects. The ascendant mana rippled from my armor, bending the air and world around me. My hands shook with fury and struggle, the tide of insects coming without the slightest hint of the onslaught waning.


    Althea¡¯s shots grew more distant as she struggled to unload more and more ammo. She would take out a piece of her arm and fire it. To fire again, she had to wait until the harpoon regenerated once more. The process was exhausting, painful, but most of all, effective. A second after her bolts landed, they would detonate in a grenade of needles. She killed them in hordes with this method.


    My trap killed even more, but blood piled beside my feet. Most of it was from the insects, but part of it was my own. I had clenched my fists until blood poured from them, tearing through my armor. I tensed so hard, blood poured from my nose, dripping into my armor before evaporating in the torrent of ascendant energy. Even my teeth cracked at the sheer volume of exertion.


    Yet I kept calm, composed and cold. My mind was asylum in the storm. Harder than iron and fierce as fire, my focus was a never-ending flood. No amount of pressure could stop me. I was a man made of metal, in mind and spirit. Most held their will with strings. I held my will with cables of steel. My body fell apart as the mana required to hold the trap turned into more than I could create.


    The torrent dimmed for a moment, just long enough for me to catch my health pool back up. Althea had torn up a portion of the stone steps and chunked the rock down the stairway. Ten seconds later and my resolve strengthened. The squirming, giant insects ate through the piled-up stone before bursting out of the trap once more.


    Althea¡¯s ammo type changed on the fly. Instead of lobbing single spears, she launched numerous pellets. The bullets took down dozens of insects at once, turning them into mush. It looked like her armor piercing abilities weren¡¯t affected at all by the size and shape of the bullet. Whatever it was that gave her that ability, it ignored a few rules of physics.


    Glad it was on my side, I grinned with my helmet. A minute later, and the torrent turned into a steady stream. Not needing it anymore, I retracted the trap back into my armor. As I did so, several insects came towards us, but Althea reformed her left arm into a monstrous forearm and shoulder. The hulking limb smashed several beetles, her fingers spread out on the ground.


    She lifted her biotic rifle and unloaded four more shots, giving us a few seconds of relief. I took a deep breath,


    ¡°Hell yeah, Althea. Kicking ass and taking names.¡±


    She grinned, the deformity of her left arm reaching her lower left cheek, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    With a biotic rifle right arm and giant monster arm for her left, she wasn¡¯t particularly pretty. Seeing her take control of herself and use her potential though, that was priceless. Her powers made her nigh unstoppable, but only if she was creative. She usually avoided using them, probably from some long-term hatred of the abilities.


    I didn¡¯t know how they came to be, so maybe that process was terrible. She did seem more aware of her appearance too. Her powers deformed her, and that may make her a bit anxious to use them. I could understand. I didn¡¯t agree though.


    I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on those thoughts. They popped in my mind, appearing and disappearing like some sort of wisp. The insects came back, but without the outpour of before. A worm covered in thorns, large as a dog, leapt towards me. I sidestepped, stomping my heel and slamming my fist into the worm. It sheared in half, the telekinetic points tearing it apart.


    Another beetle flew towards me, but I grabbed it in my palm. It cracked its skull on my palm before I enlarged a dozen spikes through its body. Using its corpse, I smashed a praying mantis the size of a man. Althea laid the rifle on my shoulder, firing off three rapid fire sprays. A dozen insects died before I grinned at the sight of the rest of them.


    The ascendant mana floated off my armor, filling the runes as I ripped and raged among the insects. I kept my steps steady, each movement like rhythmic pulse. It was nothing like the blind wrath when the voice took over my mind. I was colder than the blue magma under our feet. Every movement was a vicious yet compact. Every strike was violent yet dense.


    I never wasted a movement, all my skills molding me into a killing machine as I blended the wave of insects into a thick, chunky smoothie. By the time the queen finally got the picture of what was going on, the corpses of insects piled at our feet. Althea heaved for breath, exhausted and ready to sit still. Despite my gut feeling, the queen gave us a few minutes of respite.


    Althea reformed back to normal, wiping the blood from herself. My armor soaked the blood coating me, the splotches of blue and green looking like they evaporated. Glancing at my status, I earned a breakthrough in boundless storm surprisingly. It reached 175, turning it into a monstrous ability.


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    In fact, I never controlled my armor with so much clarity before. It was an intuitive response, like I just understood how to wield it. What gave me control of my armor had been a skill called dominion of soul, which the skill been assimilated by Boundless Storm. From what I could tell, Boundless Storm¡¯s level reflected the skill level of all the skills assimilated by it.


    In other words, any skill boundless storm ¡®ate¡¯ would gain an enormous boost in effectiveness, even if I didn¡¯t train it directly. I never used mana to extend the range or complexity of my armor either. It was likely a result of being part of Boundless Storm now as well.


    I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on any of that. So far, I¡¯d gained forty levels in total since coming through the rift. I had twelve more to go after the next twelve minutes, but the data upload slowed things down.


    The data upload didn¡¯t stop me from selecting my current points however. I increased my constitution up to a total of 870. Within the next hundred levels, the constitution would reach one thousand. After that, willpower was next. With that in mind, I hit the select button.


    A flood of ascendant mana welled up as I balled myself up, breaking my armor. Standing back up, my fingers grazed the ground longer than I thought they would. When I let my arms relax, they didn¡¯t touch my sides. My shoulders had become broader. Strength probably caused the change, making me broader.


    Glancing over at Althea, she changed as well. Her shoulders relaxed, like she wasn¡¯t as worried that someone would sneak up and kill her from behind. She grew taller as well, letting her seem less petite. I still towered over her now, over a head taller. She wasn¡¯t short anymore, compared with normal people at least.


    Testing out our new limits, we shifted around a bit. The sound of crawling from inside the hive grew, but I wasn¡¯t worried. Althea and I far exceeded the strength our levels indicated. We could fight monster¡¯s hundreds of levels higher with little trouble.


    When the queen crawled back out, I realized we would need to fight something hundreds of levels higher. The woman was still atop the scorpion, but she had grown a shell and wings along her back. She crashed into the stone ceiling, tearing it apart before spreading her new wings.


    They glittered a bright, sky blue. Between the radiant blue wings, floating orbs went from wing to wing. The display of light tried to distract me from seeing what was happening below. At her belly, four eyes formed with a crooked smile growing beneath them. Icy mana oozed from the jaw, as if her entire body was made of liquid cold.


    The light blue color spread across her, making her shell sharper and more jagged. Before she finished her transformation, I charged as Althea shot out bolts. Three spears stabbed through the monster¡¯s eyes. I reached it and threw a punch like throwing a baseball. As my fist landed, my hand tore through her shell, exposing the icy insides.


    A bit of the glowing blue gunk sprayed onto my left arm. It sizzled, going numb as the scorpion mother lashed out with her right claw. I deflected the blow by lifting my left arm, sending her right arm above my head. A piece of my armor fell off, along with a chunk of my health. Not worried, I drilled a right hook into the under belly of the monster.


    My hand crashed through the shell, tearing through it like paper. Before the monster¡¯s insides splattered onto me, I created a telekinetic barrier over me. Using another field, I swiped off the cold liquid before ducking under the next swipe of the claw. With rapid precision, the scorpion mother pinched a claw towards my right arm. Her strike connected.


    The claw broke my arm, snapping the bone while bending the armor around it. Blood sprayed from the limb before a bolt of bone pierced her claw. Two more bolts followed, making the limb fall limp. My limb followed suit, but I grinned at the spectacle.


    The queen crawled away, ¡°Why do you smile, invader?¡±


    I twisted my arm back into place, the bone healing in seconds. Another few seconds passed, and my hand was fully functioning. I cracked my neck before rolling my shoulders. I stepped towards her, grinning with my armor forming jagged teeth. Ascendant mana poured from the mouth, tendrils of crimson leaking from the armor.


    The air around me warped before I stepped out, gripping with my hand. The queen screamed out, her broken arm being pulled by my telekinetic tether. I stepped back and jerked with all my strength, the stone around me cracking. Her limp arm jerked out of socket, the joint cracking as she howled in pain.


    Unable to resist the pull, her insect legs scuttered as she neared me. Her beautiful, flawless face neared me. Using both my hands, I yanked her shattered arm like a tug of war competition. She dragged towards me, her little feet digging into the stone. A second later, and two more bolts shot through her front legs.


    She caved forwards, her face falling towards me. I grinned as I lunged toward her face. I grabbed the back of her hair. The monster shivered in fear, tears falling from its face. Her feet tried writhing away as I said,


    ¡°Tell me, who¡¯s the monster now?¡±


    She roared back, her jaw splitting as elongated teeth jerked out towards me. I smashed my fist against her mouth, snapping her teeth. The roar petered out into a whimper before I slammed its face into the ground. I put my shoulder into each slam thereafter, creating cracks in the ground. I grit my teeth, crushing the monster¡¯s skull against the ground.


    Slam after slam, my hand converted her head into slush. By the time I finished, the fissures in the rock webbed fifteen feet outward. I stood up before draining away her energy. There was no core remaining, so I turned to Althea,


    ¡°Come on then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She sighed, wiping a sheen of sweat from her brow, ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°You know what, let¡¯s just wait for a few minutes. No need in rushing into a death trap exhausted.¡±


    Althea fell backwards, landing like a starfish. She glanced at the sky, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what it is about this place, but it makes me feel exhausted.¡±


    I shrugged, sitting down in front of her. I crossed my legs and leaned back, staring into the sky. A few minutes passed before Althea sat up, no longer breathing hard. She grinned,


    ¡°Thanks for the break.¡±


    I pushed with my hands, letting me lean forward. Without touching my hands to the ground, I pushed myself up while giving Althea a telekinetic lift. She balanced onto her feet,


    ¡°Woah, tell me next time before you do that.¡±


    I shrugged before turning and jumping into the staircase. The stone cracked underfoot before I walked into the giant cavern. Far fewer insects crawled around, their natural instincts taking over once their queen was dead. This gave us free passage through the cavern.


    Without the insects there, I noticed quite a few oddities. There were a few buildings spread around, odd, elongated marking spread over them. They were made of a dark, gray metal that reflected white light light regardless of the color you shined on it. Above us, streams of the cerulean magma lit the cavern in a cascade of blue beams. It was a surreal scene.


    Althea ooh-ed and ahh-ed with me, just as taken in by the scenery as I was. I grazed my hand against one of the asymmetric buildings, and the metal was even harder than my own armor. With a quick, compact hook, I slammed my fist into the side of a building. My fist caved inwards, the bones cracking. Odder still, there was no sound ebbing off the metal.


    I frowned, wondering what the fuck it was. It was like a city of some sorts, hiding away from all the turmoil just outside the mountain. Of course the insect queen fucked all that up, but it still made my mind wonder what had happened here.


    After inspecting inside the buildings, I couldn¡¯t find anything inside them. They were eerily empty. At the center of a hill at the center of the open expanse, the pillar of light beamed from a dungeon core. It was as if the latent energy within it was unleashed.


    The aura of red had almost taken over the entirety of the once black body of the thing. As if corrupted, the red aura reached out in horns of energy. Below it was a pillar supporting the core. Runic markings spread all over the pillar of dark gray metal. They glowed with a light like the beginning of a universe. It was blindingly bright, but my eyes cooled at the sight of it.


    I could¡¯ve stared at the core with a content ease forever if I had chosen too. It was warmer than a campfire on a cold night or the love of a kind mother. I wouldn¡¯t fall into the trap it offered though. With a brutal spike of willpower, I ripped my gaze from it. I ran up and jumped up the pillar, climbing atop it before reaching for the core.


    A spike appeared through my palm. A bit of pain followed by shock followed. I glanced behind me, and Althea cried, ¡°Get away from it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡±


    She raised her rifle, ¡°I said get the fuck away from it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°How are we supposed to leave here without the core? That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t. I know the light¡¯s pretty and all, but come on.¡±


    When I looked closer at her, she wasn¡¯t drooling over herself at the sight of the light. Her eyes homed in on my hand, as if it was reaching towards a painful death. I frowned, letting my hand drop down. I hung off the pillar with my left hand,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not grabbing it.¡± I reached out with my right hand, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong. I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Althea lowered her rifle,


    ¡°That¡¯s what made me into what I am. A core like...a core like that.¡±

 59 Creation

    I dropped from the pillar before slamming into the ground. The echo rippled through the chamber, my feet digging into the stone. I glanced up,


    ¡°What do you mean made you into what you are?¡±


    Althea¡¯s hands shook, like literal fear was crawling across her skin. It was like watching a war victim who couldn¡¯t handle the sound of gunshots. I walked towards her before raising my palms to her,


    ¡°Hey, calm down. Focus. You can do this. You¡¯re a fierce, strong woman. Not a little girl anymore. There¡¯s no reason to be afraid.¡±


    She closed her eyes, and sighed. Her hands steadied,


    ¡°Yeah, ok. Just, when you reached for it, it all came rushing back and I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Her arm turned to normal, her combat fatigues folding against the touch of her silver skinned hands,


    ¡°I uh¡­Don¡¯t touch those things. If you touch them too much, then you won¡¯t be normal anymore.¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°Alright, please give me some details. How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what the lab put on me. They would put the uh¡­the energy that¡¯s pouring off that, they would infuse that with me. After enough exposure, I wasn¡¯t the same. I started to have nightmares, then those nightmares would come to life¡­You know, how my body¡­deforms.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, so you¡¯re scared that shit will happen to me too?¡±


    She nodded. I shrugged, ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I tapped my armor with a knuckle, ¡°Because of this. It¡¯ll just absorb the energy. Torix didn¡¯t even tell us about this. I''m guessing he didn''t want to have to negotiate with me about it."


    Althea nodded. She shook her arms for a second before raising her rifle and firing several spears at the pillar. They made a makeshift staircase.


    ¡°Use those to climb the pillar. Sorry about the freakout. Just¡­bad memories.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Well I wouldn''t apologize too much. It could definitely be a good thing for me to have a bit more fear.¡±


    Turning towards a spot of noise, Two beetles cannibalized one of their own, fighting over the corpse. They ripped it apart as I sighed, ¡°Besides, this place can¡¯t be good for either of us.¡±


    Althea raised her rifle, firing two more bolts at the beetles. The insects died while she nodded, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get out.¡±


    I turned and jumped up the spaced-out steps that Althea made with her spears. She could control how deep her spears pierced, something I hadn''t known about till just now. It gave her some useful utility in the future.


    Once I reached the top of the steps, the spire of white light was blinding. The core rippled, the horns grasping for anything that dared touch it. I tried using a telekinetic tether to pull it out. My magic couldn¡¯t even begin to get through the cloud of energy pouring around the core. Gritting my teeth, I reached out my hand, my armor smiling without me doing so as well.


    When my hand touched the energy, it was cold. An icy numb that was like needles piercing deep down to your bones. The needles couldn¡¯t get into my bones anymore though, since the bones were mostly eldritch eating armor by then. My armor began feasting on the energy, disrupting the flow of energy pouring out of the dungeon core. With a quick jolt, I shot my hand into the flow of energy and grasped the core.


    The frigid numb crawled up my arm, into my shoulder, even etching a few inches up my neck. My armor caught up with the sudden flux of energy, gorging with an open appetite. A few moments later, the horns of the core scratched my armor. The core voraciously gored my hand, attempting to tear my limb to pieces. With my flesh and body being tough as it was, the core did so with a grand struggle.


    The core stopped turning after a few more seconds, like gears in an engine breaking. Once my hand gripped across the whole thing, I pulled out the core. It screamed, the noise paralyzing like an ambulance¡¯s alarm blaring right beside your ear. I kept pulling before the core ripped out. I fell backwards before catching myself with telekinesis on the pillar.


    I let myself swing downwards before my feet planted into the pillar, the telekinesis supporting me like a rope. The core¡¯s red vibrancy died down, the red giving way to black as the core of it expanded. By the time I lowered myself from the pillar, the core looked like a normal red core from any other dungeon. Well, besides for the steam and intense heat radiating from it.


    Glancing up, the flow of energy radiating above destabilized. Wobbling like a guitar string, it shifted back and forth. With each vibration, the fluctuating flow turned more and more chaotic until it could no longer sustain itself. The energy snapped.


    Once the energy disappeared, the roof collapsed along with the pillar. With a surprising finesse in my movements, I shot out a series of telekinetic bursts. Each wave hit boulder after boulder of rock, deflecting them away from me. Althea ran towards me, getting inside the safe zone I was creating.


    A bead of sweat poured down my forehead before I barely deflected the last boulder falling on top of us. The shell of rock that made the top of the mountain was gone, piles of the blue magma pooling up in the crater. Glancing up, at the sky, a perfect square formed. It changed the red sky to rock. Another square appeared, outlined by blue energy.


    Hordes of these squares appeared in sync moments later. They webbed outwards from where the beam of white light had crashed against the sky. Within seconds, a cave formed around us. The air changed in scent and flavor. It was harder, more ordered. The ground grew softer, like normal rock. Before I knew it, the giant cavern closed in, becoming a much tighter corridor.


    It was surreal watching the matter warp with such ease. Althea gazed at the wonder as well, her eyes glazed over at the spectacle, just like mine. We were now in a cave, much like BloodHollow. The blue magma traveled in streams overhead and underfoot. Sheets of clear crystal let us see them, keeping the blue magma from pouring on top us.


    Glow worms hung from the roof, mixing the blue light with a green glow. The transition was beautiful, like watching order crush chaos under its heel. A moment later, a finger appeared out in the center of the air. It hung on nothing before pushing downward. An almost casual rip in dimensions appeared beside us.


    From it, the overseer I found talking with Torix walked out from the portal. With giant hands, the enormous figure, and with his hair made of electronic cords, he nodded,


    ¡°Impressive. I stand corrected. The lich was correct.¡±


    Althea and I couldn¡¯t even comprehend him. Everything happened so fast. The Overseer glanced at us,


    ¡°Excellent work, harbinger. Being able to stabilize an opened rift¡­impressive.¡±


    I shook my head, clearing my head. I glanced up at the overseer,


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Of course. Glad to help¡­¡±


    The overseer opened a menu screen just like ours. Instead of being blue though, it was red with glowing white outlines. It was like the edges of his menu screen were drawn in with liquid light.


    ¡°I will add this feat towards your total reward after Yawm is dealt with. You will receive Schema¡¯s favor for clearing out the infected, killing named ones, and clearing out the opened rifts then.¡±


    I nodded my head, my focus coming back after the initial shock subsided,


    ¡°Why wait till after I kill Yawm? I could use the rewards to help kill Yawm.¡±


    Four other screens appeared, the overseer multitasking,


    ¡°Most of the rewards are related to galactic status and protection. They will not assist in destroying Yawm.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I glanced at Althea. She kept her head low. I turned my gaze back towards the overseer, ¡°What-¡°


    The overseer spoke at the same time, but his voice overwhelmed mine. It wasn¡¯t an interruption, however. It was more like whatever he had to say was obviously more important than whatever I had to say,


    ¡°That¡­armor of yours. It does offer quite an advantage when paired with an ambitious mentality, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    For once, I wasn¡¯t the one asking questions.


    ¡°I suppose¡­¡±


    ¡°I read up on your file. This was supposedly the creation of an eldritch¡­A shell for someone else that you stole?¡±


    ¡°Stole is a strong word I think. It¡¯s more like I stole it from him before he stole it from someone else. A free for all if anything.¡±


    The overseer glanced at the rock walls of the cavern. He nodded, taking his time before speaking once more,


    ¡°In time, you will become one of the many swords that Schema has at his disposal.¡± He glanced at Althea, ¡°You may be as well. Keep this in mind, younglings.¡±


    He glanced upwards at the glowing lights of the cavern¡¯s roof,


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of beings that despise Schema. They believe him cruel, uncaring, and unkind. In a way, they are correct. Schema is a force of nature, like wind or rain. The question isn¡¯t whether or not Schema is bad or good. The question is if you choose to work around him. Imagine an example of other natural forces.¡±


    He waved a hand. A hologram appeared around us, lifelike in its detail. A valley was present with two rustic houses. On one side, the house was built out of sticks. On the other, it was made of stone. Above the stone house, a windmill spun.


    ¡°Do you see these homes?¡±


    Althea chimed, ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Now watch as I introduce rain.¡±


    The rain poured in a torrent. The insides of both homes appeared, a man and woman in each of them. In the stone home, no leaks or drops of water poured in. The wind battered against their house and windmill, powering their stone mill as they sat beside a warm fire. Behind their house was a well. The view of the house panned above it, showing how it was filling up.


    ¡°This home uses a well to wield the water of the rain. Their windmill is powered by the storm¡¯s wind. They will rest easy, protected by the sturdy walls they built, in each other¡¯s arms. The gentle crackle of the fire and the pattering of the rain of their roof will be a symphony of ease to their ears.¡±


    The perspective melted before the other home appeared. Wind leaked in through cracks in the walls. Leaks let water pour in from every nook and cranny. With no fire, the man and woman froze, each of them balled up. They weren¡¯t together, they were alone. Their house was built too low on the plain, at the bottom of a hill. Therefore, a portion of their house was flooded.


    They shivered, alone and dirty.


    ¡°Two families given the same circumstance, yet one triumphs among adversity. The other wilts into nothing. One family took the time to work until their future was assured. The other did just enough to live. The two of you can decide if Schema is the wind keeping you cold and the rain that chills your bones.¡±


    The image melted, showing us the warm, orange light of the fire,


    ¡°Or you turn Schema into a force that grinds the grain that you bake to bread and the rain that waters the crops you turn to plenty.¡±


    The overseer turned to us, the hologram melting back into the backdrop of the cave surrounding us,


    ¡°How I do love telling stories. Farewell, and good hunting.¡±


    Althea and I watched as he stepped back into the black abyss that was a tear in dimensions. As quickly as he came, he left, leaving us there.


    Althea nodded, ¡°Wow. He sounds a lot like you.¡±


    I nodded, staring at where the overseer was, ¡°Yeah he does¡­Hell yeah.¡±


    A moment later, and another tear in dimensions appeared. Instead of a finger, a spearhead tore through this dimension. Instead of being a black abyss, the portal opened into a world of violet light. A sentinel stepped out, standing two heads taller than I. It glanced down at us as the dimensional tear closed behind it.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    It slammed it¡¯s spear, a line appearing in front of us. It spread open, revealing an area just outside of the dungeon¡¯s entrance in the field. No longer was it a fleshy, disgusting crevice. It was an orderly set of stairs leading towards a different doorway. The sentinel pointed at this dimensional opening,


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    Not wanting to argue, Althea and I stepped outside. The wind flowing through the stadium brushed against us. The soft feel of earth and grass pressed against our feet. The warmth of sunshine bristled against us. A series of notifications appeared in the corner of my screen. I glanced around, finding Kessiah and the guards still standing at one of the entrances to the stadium.


    Kessiah put her hands on her mouth,


    ¡°Well that was fast.¡±


    I cupped my own hands around my mouth, ¡°How long where we gone?¡±


    ¡°You guys weren¡¯t even gone for fifteen seconds. You jumped into the portal then walked out after a few seconds later.¡±


    I lowered my hands and pursed my lips. It looked like the eldritch portal might have dilated time a bit. Like the hyperbolic time chamber or some shit.


    It¡¯s uses were no doubt interesting, but that was food for thought later. Althea and I ran towards the others, the dungeon core still in my hand. We jumped up through the stadium bleachers before reaching the others.


    Kessiah grabbed me under her arm, a tattoo made of elegant lettering in a language I didn¡¯t know creasing. Kessiah picked me up, hugging me as she said,


    ¡°See? Told yah you could handle exile. You¡¯re gonna be fine.¡±


    The stone beneath her cracked. She set me down,


    ¡°Damn. You got way heavier didn¡¯t yah?¡±


    I spoke, ¡°A bit. What do you mean you knew I¡¯d handle it?¡±


    Kessiah glanced around like she said something she wasn¡¯t supposed to. She tapped the edges of her hips, her violet skin radiant in the sun,


    ¡°Well, the cores inside of rifts are notoriously difficult to take down. Anyone who can, they gain a title, Rift Closer. We figured you¡¯d be able to, considering how your armor works.¡±


    I raised a fist to shoulder level, ¡°That¡¯s what the fuck I¡¯m talking about. I don¡¯t know what titles are though.¡±


    Kessiah pointed above her head. Her name appeared, along with two other lines of data below it. The middle line was her title, King Killer. The one below that showed her level.


    ¡°They kind of act like status symbols. My title is in the middle of the tiers. There¡¯s lists of them if you want to check them out on message boards. Some people obsess over which title is better, and the tier list if constantly changing.¡±


    Althea raised an eyebrow, ¡°Sounds like you know a lot about them.¡±


    Kessiah grinned, scratching the back of her head. Her white hair flowed between her fingers,


    ¡°Yeah. Guilty as charged. I check them out from time to time. Rift Closer is a kind of wildcard title. It means you have some unique ability that lets you close rifts. Whether that ability is useful in combat is a different story altogether though. It¡¯s hard to tell at a glance, but paired with a high level, and the title can really hold some merit.¡±


    I peeled the armor covering my face back, ¡°Well, cool. Sounds pointless though. Why try to appear powerful when I can simply be powerful?¡±


    Althea chimed, ¡°I¡¯m sure plenty of people thought the same thing about charisma builds. You can¡¯t get more power by killing monsters with Charisma really. You can get power by talking though, and I think that¡¯s powerful in its own way. I¡¯m sure titles are like that.¡±


    Kessiah pointed a finger at her, holding her hand like a gun. She fired it at Althea while saying, ¡°Bingo.¡± Kessiah lowered her hand, continuing,


    ¡°It¡¯s useful as fuck when roaming around the galaxy too. Imagine Yawm walking around with such a high bounty on his head. You see his title, Sentinel Slayer, then his high level, and 99% of people turn the other way.¡±


    With a bit of intuition, I thought about making my title and status appear overhead. A little notification rang out beside my ear, letting me know it appeared. It may be useful in the future. After handling that, I clapped my hands,


    ¡°Alright then, you guys ready for the next dungeon?¡±


    Kessiah shook her head, ¡°We gotta kill the rest of the guards here. They may not be the smartest things, but leaving them behind isn¡¯t the smartest idea.¡±


    Althea cocked her rifle, the steam hissing before she armed a bolt into the chamber of it,


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    We set off towards the outer layer of the stadium. Using my perception, I sensed for anyone nearby as we walked. I would use hearing, smell, and enhanced sight for finding the monsters stalking around the arena. One by one they fell, each of them easier than the last. The experience they offered was much lower now, partially because none of them were over level 800 and I was a higher level too.


    It didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t gain any levels though. After killing the guardians of the rift, the rift¡¯s monsters, and the scorpion queen, I was sitting at a comfortable level of 740. It just so happened that today we were walking home. It was a one of those days where Althea was feeling chatty. She and Kessiah where telling simple stories about everyday stuff.


    During one of Althea¡¯s stories, Kessiah gave out the dungeon cores we needed. It was a good time to stock up on any bonuses we had since everything had slowed down. As they chatted away, I absorbed the dungeon cores and began grinding out my stats. They left me behind while I stared at my status screen.


    The last time I¡¯d maxed out my dungeon cores was level 563. With the genesis of potential perk, I could get half of my level¡¯s worth of bonus attributes and bonus skill points from cores. That gave me a solid boost of 88 attributes on top of all my levels ups. With that in mind, I poured my points into constitution before the message I¡¯d been waiting for appeared.


    Star Matter(Have 1000 points in a single attribute before level 1000, Constitution over 1000) ¨CYou have become a center of mass. Embrace your frame, and move even stars. Every eldritch killed over level 1000 adds another year of life. Increases living time without air by 200%, and grants immunity to cancer. +10% more density, weight, and height per 1000 points in constitution. You may choose to add 1/10th of constitution to any attribute of your choosing, besides <u>constitution or endurance</u>. You may now unlock a unlock a class.


    The first thing I noticed was how a lot of the benefits were similar with the endurance perk. These perks weren¡¯t designed with the idea of someone getting more than one. One of the interesting differences came with the last remark, a message about getting a class. It didn''t mention anything about getting a class though. I''d research it for a bit before asking Torix again. I could sit down and read through my obelisk for a bit about it.


    The other benefits from the perk were far more translucent. Even with the overlapping bonuses, the perks were worth getting if only for the increased scaling they offered. The extra 1/10th on any attribute was worth chasing for all by itself.


    Which attribute will you select for the 1/10th addition? Strength, Will, Intel, Luck, Char, Dex, or Per?


    For a second, I thought about putting the extra 1/10th of an attribute into willpower. I got a huge bonus for willpower, and the stat was one of my key stats. After a few seconds of number crunching though, I discovered that I may be able to get four of these level 1000 stats before I passed the level 1000 stat mark.


    It sounds crazy, but most people would be able to get at least two of them before hitting level 1000. That is, if they knew about the perks. Since I invested so heavily into endurance and maximized my total stat count as much as possible, I¡¯d be able to get four instead.


    With that in mind, I put the extra 1/10th of the attribute into strength. After that, I began placing all my excess points into willpower. If I pulled this off, I¡¯d connect the two attribute chains of my stats while getting myself four of these level 1000 perks. My endurance and willpower would both feed into constitution. After that, constitution would feed into strength.


    Strength would then feed into¡­well, I hadn¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯d decide once the option was there. With all that stat stuff in mind, I allocated the rest of my attribute points into willpower. After that, I finalized my decision.


    Weight, will, and strength surged through me like an electric jolt. My armor snapped once more, bursting as I molted from my previous, tight shell. A layer of muscle built on my frame. My shoulders grew broader, my hands larger. My structure turned thicker, making me look compact despite how tall I was. I shook my head as my helmet split open before regenerating.


    The muscle within my armor enhanced, turning thicker. The cells contracted with greater force. This surge of strength was a dangerous and delicious cocktail, something that was short and fleeting. The high faded before I sat in the resounding radiance it left behind.


    I turned my hands, inspecting them for differences. They were similar, but my knuckles were larger along with the bones of each finger. While not oversized for my body, my hands were larger than normal. They were kind of like clubs at the ends of my wrists. The difference didn¡¯t stem from constitution though. It was purely strength.


    While constitution made me bigger and heavier, it didn¡¯t change my proportions. Strength did. Strength made my hands bigger, my shoulders broader, it even changed my jaw. While I wasn¡¯t outright alien, it did make me look different. Almost like humanity if we had a few more million years to evolve, physically speaking at least.


    After noticing all these changes, I glanced at my status screens. Glorious.


    Level 740


    Strength ¨C 507.4 | Constitution ¨C 1000.7 | Endurance - 1077


    Dexterity ¨C 176.2 | Willpower ¨C 604.7 | Intelligence ¨C 205.4


    Charisma ¨C 60.1 | Luck ¨C 85.6 | Perception ¨C 123


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Totals</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Regen</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Health</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">68,811/68,811</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">19,619/min</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Oppression Damage- 15,000+40%hp/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stamina</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">27,390/27,390</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">384/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">.987 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 5921%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My stats were high. So high, they almost blew my mind. My strength had increase dramatically along with my constitution. Health and health regen increased slowly but surely. The amount of ambient mana I received from the rift was higher than I anticipated as well. It was a much higher amount than clearing normal dungeons.


    My physical damage bonus was insane as well. It seemed more like a way of measuring general strength than physical damage. With that being the case, I was now strong as fuck. When I clasped my hand into a fist, it tensed with the pressure of a hydraulic press. It blew my mind how powerful I¡¯d become, and so quickly.


    It was all because of my armor when I thought about it. My armor gave me the extra edge that always kept me one step ahead of Schema¡¯s curve. It was like Schema¡¯s system was balanced around the idea of someone having only the stats that Schema gave them. If you had even a marginal amount more, then you could use that slight bonus to snowball into more and more bonuses.


    If I was the snowball, I was tumbling down the mountain fast and hard. With that in mind, I caught back up with the others. As I ran, my feet shook the ground a bit, even if I tried making my footsteps quiet. If I let them smack against the ground, they straight up broke into the concrete. It was really weird.


    It was like the rock wasn¡¯t as solid. It wasn¡¯t like water or anything, but like a thick, brittle putty. If I pressed against it, my hand would sink in some. At this point, I was heavy enough that figuring out gravity magic would be downright diabolical.


    It made me bubble with excitement as I caught up with Althea and Kessiah. Trotting up, I lined up beside them. As I did so, Kessiah turned towards me. Well, it wasn¡¯t towards me anymore. I was taller than her now.


    She frowned,


    ¡°What the fuck? How in the hell are you taller than me, little man?¡±


    I grinned, the satisfaction clear as day on my face as I peeled my armor off it,


    ¡°Ahhhhh, it feels good to hear that and know it¡¯s ironic.¡±


    Althea giggled before Kessiah¡¯s frown deepened. For someone so old, she still had a pretty petty side to her. A stubborn, petty side. Kessiah crossed her arms,


    ¡°We¡¯ll see when we get back to the camp. I¡¯m not letting you get out of the spar now.¡±


    I slammed my fists together, ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    Kessiah grinned, ¡°Looks like I need to beat some more fear into you again.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    We chatted as we walked, a bit friendlier after Althea commented on how ridiculous the two of us were being. By the time we reached the camp, the three of us were having an animated conversation about our builds. Althea already gained the level 1000 perk as well. She invested very, very heavily in the stat total, to a ridiculous extent even.


    Her next goal was dexterity, so that she could fire and move with more precision. According to Althea, it was a standard rogue set up. Kessiah kept pretty standard, investing almost entirely into constitution and strength. She knew all about how the stats ¡®fed¡¯ into each other. It was why she decided to become a warrior.


    Of course her skill layout was entirely different than mine. I focused more on striking hard and fast, with compact hooks and straights. I would take advantage of opportunities if they arose, otherwise I stuck to the basics. Kessiah had quite a bit of her latent power hidden behind her mythical skill, Blood Arts. It was the official name for her hemomancy.


    If I could, I¡¯d bring it out of her this next time we fought. We reached the sewer nearest towards the camp before raising out of the ground. Once we¡¯d had short rendezvous with Torix, the four of us went towards another intersection bridge.


    The day was waning, the orange glow of a sunset peaking over the horizon. That orange light bathed us in light, the wind keeping us cool. The ground was cool on my feet too, the sense of touch going straight through my armor. Kessiah and I walked up beside each other before Torix turned towards me,


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed you wish to be destroyed soundly once more.¡±


    I shrugged, speaking with a quiet confidence, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Kessiah grinned, ¡°Good. I can¡¯t wait to humble that confidence of yours.¡±


    A magic aura passed by us, going far away and around us. It was the same noise trapping magic Torix used anytime we had secret conversations. He imagined our fight would be destructive enough that we might attract a follower or two if we didn¡¯t silence the sound some.


    On the other hand, Althea had a bag of popcorn. She tugged on Torix¡¯s sleeve, so he snapped his fingers. A chair of black mana formed beneath her and him before Torix waved at us,


    ¡°Now give us a good show.¡±


    His voice echoed from several hundred meters away. They were giving us quite the breadth for the battle. I¡¯d give them a damn good reason for it. I clasped my fists, my ascendant mana roaring in my veins, pulsing through my runes. The energy radiated off my runes, a thick mist radiating off them. I grinned with my armor forming a jagged grin of its own.


    From between the teeth, the same ascendant mana poured outwards. It strengthened until the air hummed around me. I stepped forward, and the ground cracked underfoot. The telekinetic lining wrapped around my fists like invisible steel. The sensation of fear crept up my back. Kessiah decimated me last time we fought. Even if my mind forgot, my body remembered.


    I grit my teeth. A grin traced my lips as adrenaline laced my blood. My hands shook, but it wasn¡¯t with fear anymore. It an absolute, delectable excitement. It was a fight I knew I couldn¡¯t win. A fight with no holds barred. I could unleash my full potential. Every tactic, every dirty trick, every ounce of anger and hatred, I needed them if I was going to win.


    Kessiah shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t burn through your mana too quickly.¡±


    I pulled my fists up, setting into a stance. It was amazing how fighting against the weak made you pick up bad habits. I felt rusty, almost like I hadn¡¯t been on the edge in a long time. Staring at Kessiah, there was a bottomless abyss. I walked right along the cliff¡¯s edge, darting the line when I faced her.


    She said, ¡°You ready?¡±


    The ascendant mana roared in my fists. My grin widened,


    ¡°Always.¡±

 60 Blood Arts

    I stomped my feet and charged forward. The ground ripped underfoot, but I kept steady with my telekinetic augments. Facing me with her side, Kessiah shot out a simple jab with her left hand once I reached her.


    I ducked sideways, out towards her left. If ducked towards her right, she could counter with her right hand and use my dodge against me. This also left her body exposed. Taking full advantage, I stomped my front foot into the ground. My telekinetic augments dug into the pavement like cleats, letting me gain the traction I needed for maximum force.


    My core spiraled like wind surrounding the eye of a hurricane. The unstable force almost threw me off balance with how much power I put into my fist. When my fist landed against Kessiah¡¯s side, my telekinetic constructs shattered. After they snapped, my fist caved inwards.


    So did Kessiah''s chest. The booming echo radiated through the sound chamber made by Torix. The might of the explosive force sent a rush of air from the center of impact. Kessiah fell sideways, the pavement beneath her feet crumbling. She shot out a right cross towards me at the speed I had hardly kept up with. Hell, I could hardly see her strikes before.


    Now I saw them with my eyes opened wide. I leaned backwards, her fist reaching the very limits of its range, tapping my helm. Her skin made contact, but no force transferred into my face. It was the lightest tap imaginable.


    Her fist pulled back as I stood to her left side. I snapped a vicious, short kick straight into her inner thigh. A high-pitched clang sounded out, and the force of the strike caused Kessiah¡¯s front leg to dig into the ground. My own foot didn¡¯t snap into the ground because of my telekinetic buffers.


    She leaned onto her backfoot, trying to step back once more. Her front foot caught in the pavement, slowing her down by a split second. It was just long enough for me to step forward and launch another kick towards her. This time, I aimed at the right side of her stomach.


    Kessiah crouched downward, blocking my kick with her elbow. My armor bent, but it did not split, holding enough to transmit the force into her. Kessiah stumbled sideways, her feet punching through the pavement. She couldn¡¯t get a good grip on the ground. It was too soft.


    With my telekinetic augments, I didn¡¯t have to worry about that. I stepped towards her before she lifted her left foot towards me. Pieces of pavement flew towards my face, but I ignored them. The only reason to even close my eyes was out of reflex, as the little rocks could do me no harm.


    Before she lowered her foot back down, I ducked down, almost falling to my left. Using the momentum of the fall, I planted my left foot into the ground. I kicked with my right foot, using the strike as a counterbalance with the fall. The blow kept me from falling before it slammed into the side of Kessiah¡¯s knee.


    The impact detonated with a satisfying boom. The armor on my foot caved in, crushing one of the toes in my foot. Kessiah¡¯s leg bent, however, causing her to fall onto one knee as she lost her balance. Her leg still caused my foot to bounce back, the shock of the blow radiating up through my hip. It was like slamming a sledgehammer into a giant rock. If you didn¡¯t break the rock, the impact would bounce back into your hands and arms.


    That happened with my leg. When my foot landed onto the ground, I widened my telekinetic augment, further dispersing my kinetic energy throughout the limb. The pavement cracked outwards, caving into a crater under my foot, but I kept steady enough to push off the leg.


    Flowing like liquid metal, my body carried the force of my landing leg. I turned my core towards my left side, letting me chain the momentum into another kick. My left foot shot upwards like a cannon, snapping straight into Kessiah¡¯s face.


    Without the ground being hard enough to withstand the force of impact, Kessiah tumbled backwards. Heavy as she was, she dug a trench through the road before rolling back onto her feet. She wiped a bit of blood from her lip,


    ¡°Damn. You weren¡¯t kidding when you said ready.¡±


    I nodded before charging back towards her. My stomps crushed into the ground before she sidestepped towards my left side. I slammed my right foot into the ground, forming a large crater underfoot while letting me turn around. She kicked towards my side, but I checked her kick by lifting my left knee.


    The sound of caving metal and tearing skin ebbed as her foot slammed into my knee. The ground beneath my right foot crushed further along with the pavement under Kessiah¡¯s own feet. It was like we were blending the road into a chunky salsa of pavement and dirt.


    I flew up and backwards, off the ground from the full brunt of her blow landing on me. I flopped through the air before Kessiah dashed forward, throwing a punch like throwing a baseball. The weighted strike landed straight across my chin while I was upside down.


    Sent spiraling once more, I tumbled across the ground with a broken jaw. I could feel two teeth tumbling in my mouth along with the warm feel and iron taste of my own blood. I rolled onto my feet, the pavement crunching before Kessiah charged once more.


    I wasn¡¯t heavy enough to take her head on. I needed to deflect her shots if I was going to have a chance, just like before. From between my armor¡¯s teeth, I spit out my real teeth before they regenerated. I set my jaw back in place, letting the wound heal before grounding myself.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Once she reached me, Kessiah kicked towards me like she was kicking down a doorway. I caught her right leg under my left side while slamming my right elbow downwards. I dented my elbow against her knee. Kessiah grunted in pain before the force of her charge dragged me backwards. I lowered my left knee and lifted her caught leg up, pulling with all my strength.


    She lifted off the ground before I spun her over me and slammed her into the ground. A shockwave ebbed from the collision. A wave rippled through the pavement and ground, tearing the road apart and forming a crater.


    I let Kessiah go before lifting my foot and stomping down towards her ribs. My heel bent against her ribs three times before Kessiah lifted her fist into the air. Her fist blurred as she slammed it into the ground. Another shockwave blistered out from the hit, dust, dirt, and mud flying into my eye slit. The dirt went into my eyes.


    With a surge of exertion, I commanded my eyelids not to close. Using a wave of telekinesis, I pulled the dirt from my eyes with a push of my hand. I lifted my other arm across my face while removing my helm. The dirt fell out of my helmet before Kessiah kicked at my leg. As I fell backwards, I pulled my helmet back on.


    The armor slid back into place as the back of my head crushed into the pavement. Kessiah jumped on top of me, wrestling with my arms before mounting my chest with her legs pinning my arms. There was nothing sexy about it either. She lifted a fist and slammed it towards my face. I bent my neck sideways like a contortionist. When her strike landed on my left side, that eardrum busted before she sent another wallop towards my face.


    I bent my neck towards the right before her strike busted my other eardrum. All I could hear was a deafening ring in my ears now. She lifted her right hand up and slammed her right palm to my face. My neck bent again, but she kept her hand there. I couldn¡¯t move my face as she lifted her left hand and smiled.


    It was a vicious expression. There was no mercy in it either. She intended to pound my face to a pulp. Good. I wanted the fight to be that way. No matter who you are, you will try harder as the stakes are raised.


    Pulling from the rush of battle, I came up with a plan and acted off instinct. I lifted my left knee, linking the movement with a wave of telekinetic force to deflect her strike up from my jaw to my forehead. At the same time, I reformed my armor on my face into a sharpened horn. I angled the horn, making the point land dead center between two of her knuckles.


    The blade pierced her skin as she slammed her fist down, digging three inches deep into her hand before she howled. Her head whipped back, so I lifted my right leg. The heel of the foot barely caught around her throat, but it was just good enough of a grip for me to pull backwards with the leg.


    This caused her to arc backwards while I grabbed her legs with my hands, holding her in place. I placed my left heel into the ground, my left knee bent upwards. From that joint, I grew another sharpened horn. The back of Kessiah¡¯s neck stabbed into the horn, piercing an inch into her spine. At that moment, I activated oppression.


    She howled again, blood gurgling in her throat before I sent spines of my armor into her flesh. The needles sucked at her life force, devouring the enormous energy within her. She struggled for a moment, but she couldn¡¯t muster up any strength or leverage from her position. That and my face was turning purple with how hard I struggled holding her there as she writhed.


    My health regenerated rapidly, both from my own health regeneration and from sapping hers. The moment it capped back out, my hearing returned and my ascendant mana roared into action. The vapor poured from my runes like a sizzling fire just underneath the surface. My strength returned as her strength waned. My death grip tightened, like a boa constrictor choking its prey to death.


    Something in the air changed at that moment. A cold, sinister air formed over Kessiah before she lifted her bleeding hand above her arched chest. The blood from her hands pooled upwards, from her neck and her hand. The air around us vibrated, like it could hardly contain the welling of some unknown power. Pieces of stone floated upward, the vision around us blurring.


    Across the violet skin on her neck, veins of black formed. The blood pooling above her poured into the markings, making them suck the light out from around them. The brightness around us dimmed, bending the light to the blood. My senses dimmed, not from my own weakness or lack of sensing. It was like whatever Kessiah called forth was draining everything that could be sensed. What could be heard, seen, even felt, the force drained it all.


    She lifted her head from my knees. My armor snapped with ease. Her head arched upward before she stared at me, her eyes piercing. A chill ran up my spine as she grinned,


    ¡°You wanna play with the big boys? Then let¡¯s play.¡±


    The needles of my armor flowed out from under her skin before she grabbed my neck. She crushed down, snapping the bone and severing my nervous system in an instant. She lifted herself upward with a single arm into a one armed handstand, handling her immense mass without struggle.


    The weight pushing down on my neck cracked the ground further. With her eyes still facing me, she fell into a back bend. With a near comical level of force, she pulled on my neck. I can¡¯t tell you what happened right afterwards because, to put it simply, it was too damn fast.


    The ground appeared, and I lost all sense of sight, sound, even touch for a moment. The electrifying might of the collision didn¡¯t even let me comprehend it. When my sight returned, I was facing the ground. Control of my arms returned, along with my sense of hearing.


    Torix was arguing with Kessiah,


    ¡°Do you want to kill him? This was a spar, not a deathmatch.¡±


    ¡°Did it look like he wasn¡¯t trying to kill me? Seriously, if he can pull out all his stops, then why can¡¯t I?¡±


    I shook my head, shaking bits of rock from my head. They both stared at me, stunned into silence. I tried lifting my leg, but it refused my commands. I glanced backwards, and I could see why. My legs were completely bent out of shape. I sighed, lifting one of my now fixed arms.


    I pushed with my hand, leveraging the force with my telekinesis. The redirected energy snapped a bone back into place in my leg. A few more pushes later, and my legs began healing again. About halfway through fixing my neck, I surge of nausea hit me. I vomited up a pool of blood before breathing in. Turns out when Kessiah grabbed my neck, it crushed my armor down till it was choking me.


    I pushed myself up, stepping onto a leg. It felt new and familiar at the same time, like riding a bike after a seven-year hiatus from cycling. Once you know how, you can always ride a bike. Doesn¡¯t mean you want too.


    I shook off the sensation before setting back into my stance. When I tried surging my runes, they didn''t answer me. Kessiah¡¯s attack shredded my armor so badly and so completely, I would need to redo the runes.


    Shutting oppression off, I let out a tsk while letting my hands flop to my sides,


    ¡°Well fuck. I don¡¯t stand a chance without my runes. Sorry Kessiah. I¡¯m going to need an hour or two before we continue.¡±


    Torix and Kessiah still just stared at me though. I frowned, peeling my helmet back to unveil the expression,


    ¡°Uh...What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡±

 61 Final Frontier

    Kessiah blinked, ¡°Uh¡­You sure got up from that fast.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I mean yeah, of course I did. Remember, my health regen is crazy high.¡±


    Torix tapped his chin, ¡°It¡¯s astonishing when seen in person, however. It¡¯s nothing like I imagined it. The process is much more¡­grotesque.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Better to be disgusting and alive then beautiful and dead, right?¡±


    Torix glanced at Althea, ¡°I suppose.¡± He glanced at the cracking, dry skin on his corpse hands, ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t argue. I¡¯m not necessarily the epitome of beauty either.¡±


    He turned towards Kessiah,


    ¡°But this vixen over here tried killing you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    Kessiah stared at the ground, scratching the back of her hair.


    Torix¡¯s eyes turned from a deep blue to a bright purple,


    ¡°Using your mythical skill against a friend who is over 1000 levels below you. How far will you sink?¡±


    Oddly enough, Kessiah blushed, her violet skin turning purple on her cheeks. She frowned,


    ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯m sorry. I channeled the spell in the heat of the moment. Once the spell¡¯s been cast, it¡¯s done. I can¡¯t stop it.¡±


    I shook out the tightness in one shoulder, ¡°Who cares. You failed. Good job trying though. How low did my health get?¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Less than five thousand.¡±


    Exasperation welled up, clear as day on my face, ¡°Why are you complaining then? It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m more interested in how in the hell that Blood Arts stuff works. Looks pretty damn awesome.¡±


    Torix shook his hand towards me, ¡°Don¡¯t. It isn¡¯t useful for someone with arcane blood. You¡¯re much better off putting in the time and effort it takes to master magic than using her methods. Besides for that, it¡¯s hereditary.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Well fuck. That sucks. Can I get an explanation on how it works?¡±


    Kessiah propped her weight onto one leg, ¡°I trade a bit of my blood for the blood of Baldowah, an Old One. He¡¯s kind of like a god of war or something like that.¡± Kessiah frowned, ¡°The ichor dried up fast though since my body can¡¯t sustain it. It¡¯s a last resort.¡±


    I raised both my fists into the air, ¡°I managed to get out the last resort. That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Kessiah grinned, ¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t handle more than one hit though.¡±


    I grinned back, ¡°Yeah, one hit now. Wait till later.¡± I glanced at her arms, seeing bruises on them along with a few fresh cuts, ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t look like you came out unscathed either.¡±


    Her shoulders flopped, ¡°I don¡¯t have health regen like you. It takes me a while to recover from the fights.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°Alright, so my takeaway is that you¡¯re actually a burst fighter. An assassin of sorts. If we fought for real, you¡¯d use that technique right away. If that was the case, I¡¯d be overwhelmed in seconds. If I can just last long enough for it to end, then I¡¯ll win. Is that right?¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°Excellent analysis. Indeed, that is quite correct. Good luck sustaining through the onslaught Kessiah leaves in her wake. She can do in seconds what takes other warriors minutes.¡±


    Kessiah pointed at me, ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m going to need to get a skill like that Boundless Storm you got. It makes fighting you up close so hard.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really? You could just smash me with that mythical skill though.¡±


    Kessiah bit her lip, ¡°Yeah, but the fact you can beat me in any way already¡­It¡¯s humbling.¡±


    Torix raised a hand, ¡°I concur. Having already bested Kessiah without her unleashing her true potential. That by itself is impressive. You¡¯ve come quite far. After you¡¯ve settled down, come back towards my study for tutelage.¡±


    I clapped my hands, ¡°Sure thing. Just have to carve out these runes first.¡±


    Althea walked up. She pressed together one finger from each hand, glancing at me,


    ¡°Would you mind carving a few plates from your armor?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to make a rifle out of them. Maybe the runes would help me with my rifle. I uh, I don¡¯t know. Just trying to get a little boost is all. You know, close the distance.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Sounds like good practice. I can show you how to carve them later if you¡¯d like.¡±


    A slight grin traced her lips, ¡°That uh¡­sounds great.¡±


    She stepped back before Torix opened a portal beside him. He walked into it while saying,


    ¡°Remember to stop by and visit after you¡¯re done with your runes.¡±


    I gave him a tiny salute with a hand, ¡°You got it.¡±


    We dispersed, ready for a bit of relaxation after the mission. Whenever we reached back to the camp, more people sat about then before. Without the need to close off the quarantine area, the workload had decreased. More and more lazy bums just sat around beside other lazy bums, chatting away. It struck me as foreign, like a dog walking on its hind feet.


    They were so close to giant monsters that were clamping their teeth at their throats. How they didn¡¯t feel anxious about it was absurd. Most of them barely reached level 100, meaning even a single zombie kill would make a huge difference. Like, a fifty level plus kind of difference.


    Didn¡¯t seem to bother them though. It reminded me of soldiers before a war. Instead of practicing their aim or working on their physical fitness, they just sat around playing cards. Since I¡¯d been going hard nonstop for months, it looked weird.


    As I passed by, I was an oddity to them as well. Whispers of awe, fear, and admiration floated around me in disparate bursts. After my speech a week ago, I curried quite a bit of favor. Combine that with my new fancy-shmancy title, and I was an outright inspiration.


    Taking advantage of my new status symbol, I trotted up to the center of the camp. Work benches lined up in a giant square, kind of like a public square for ingenuity. The social pressure was supposed to help with productivity or something. Hard to slack off with prying eyes after all.


    Using that, I surged my ascendant mana before lifting a hand with a sharpened spike coming out of my palm. For a second, there was a surge of fear. When I slammed my fist into my thigh, that fear dissolved into confusion.


    Grabbing the puncture wound, I tore out a piece of my armor before setting out on my carving. The result was always better after a practice carve or two anyways. Making a few new pieces for Althea¡¯s rifle would be perfect.


    After working on the runes for so long, I could add in more than one single meaning to the inscription. I would make out the runes with multiple meanings. Of course, making two half-baked messages was far weaker than a single strong one, so this was difficult. I found a way around it though using a double entendre. In other words, a set of words with more than one right explanation.


    Just like with normal words, the runes carried multiple meanings. If I layered these meanings together, I could generate multiple effects without diminishing their effects. A quick example in English would be like this: new obesity study looks for larger test group. It could mean a larger number of participants in a study. It could also mean the participants aren¡¯t fat enough.


    Making these in a different, almost transcendent language was difficult though. If the meanings didn¡¯t at least synergize or align with each other, they would disrupt the flow of mana. Since this was my first time making Althea¡¯s inscriptions, I figured trying something a wee bit less ambitious was ideal.


    I stuck with making the plates help with her ammo consumption. Althea¡¯s lack of infinite bolts seemed to be her primary problem in combat now. Even adding just a few more bolts in combat would make a huge difference.


    With that in mind, I connected my thumb, index, and middle finger into a single, sharp horn. This form gave me superior control when carving. It was tidbit I picked up after watching Torix use mana to scorch out his runes. My ascendant mana hummed with a violent power as well, my control of them being superior to what it once was. I could handle even delicate tasks with it burning in the background.


    With these new innovations, I carved out the rune that represented waste, misuse, and carelessness. The word dived deep into the meaning, bringing out all the pain that comes with being carefree. The consequences, the regret, even the semblance of loss, those emotions all surged from the rune. The neatness and precision of my carving had improved with practice and my levels, causing the change in potency.


    Combine that with the extra strength, dexterity, and perception, and I was a certified carving machine. As I carved with care and intent, several other guards began working nearby. It seemed my own will to work gave them the heart to work on their own tasks as well. That was good. We would need them versus Yawm, in one way or another.


    Keeping myself focused, I carved out the rune that represented what cannot be. It represented not even the oblivion after death, but the oblivion after you are forgotten. When a king¡¯s legacy is forgotten, that is when he truly dies. This rune captured the essence of our menial, meaningless existence. It was a nihilist''s dream.


    Shifting midway through, I combined the rune with another, even greater rune. This new rune cherished the meaning of our existence. It gave purpose and life to that which was once useless and dead. The rune empowered the things we gave value, holding them near and dear like the life of a loved one.


    After finishing the letter, I encircled the passage with the rune for unity. Written in much smaller lettering, the rune barely spanned a fifth the length of the other three inscriptions. At the end of the letter, I extended the last line of the last letter. It was like a fancy signature. This encircled the entire passage in a wire thin line, granting a portion of the runes meaning to the other letters.


    Doing this prevented the letter from interfering with the current passage, but passed on a part of its power. After handling this, I envisioned Althea¡¯s rifle. My memory came to me, clear as crystal and glass. Using it as a reference, I bended the plate into the side panel of Althea¡¯s rifle.


    With my thumb, I pressed out holes at the ends of the plate. This gave Althea useful hooks to keep the shield and runes attached to her plate. Before I finished, I placed my hand on the plate, surging my ascendant mana into the plate. The torrent poured into the greedy rune, letting it charge until it was completely saturated with the might of mana.


    I opened the jagged mouth of my armor before removing the armor on my thumb. I biting down on it, opening a wound. I wiped a smear of the blood around the rune before it discharged. My blood leaked into the hungry metal, not to be absorbed, but to make it alive. This allowed it to hold onto the mana, kind of like the wax that seals a letter.


    When Althea needed to use the rune, she just had to connect her mana and guide the plate for her use. With this combination of engravings, she should save around 1/3rd of her bolts. At least I hoped she would. This was my first time trying this out after all.


    With that finished, I set the plate beside me before placing my left forearm against the table. Of course I reinforced the shitty, rickety, just pathetic wood of the table with a telekinetic field. It was like I was setting my own arm on my back, though a bit heavier. Odd, but very effective.


    Speaking of which, that reminded me of another odd sensation. Ever since unlocking the level 100 dexterity perk, I didn¡¯t have a dominant hand. The difference that produced was larger than I thought it would be. For instance, try brushing your teeth with your non- dominant hand. You¡¯ll be jabbing the shit out of your mouth. If I tried doing it with my right hand though, I could do it with ease.


    Writing, eating, all of that wasn¡¯t strange or unnatural for my right hand anymore. Tasks that were difficult and arduous before became simple. This was a perfect example. Trying to write with my right hand was hard as hell before. carving the runes was far more difficult. Without that handicapping me now though, I tapped my chin, brainstorming for a bit.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before I thought up a few interesting combinations. I decided on my favorite one before beginning my carve. The passage was more intricate than Althea¡¯s blending several characters into one. With an elegant touch and an eye for detail, I zoned into the project, relishing in each detail.


    From the curves of the lines to the angle of the arches in the letters, I carved with precision. A minute or two later, and the rune looked wrong. It wasn¡¯t right, too perfect and too contrived. When I fought, I fought with a cool anger. I kept composed, calm, and cruel. While the rune was calm, it lacked the fury and fire of battle.


    I quit carving for a moment and urged my armor to heal the markings. What I needed was more. More pain, hatred, rage, and more fervor. The message I carved was about an icy wrath, a malice and molten rage tempered by an intent to harm. The rune when carved with such precision was like a cinder. I needed no cinder.


    I needed fire.


    I brought forth memories of my father. I bathed in my hatred of his malignance. No. That wasn¡¯t enough. I dug deeper. From the abyss of my mind, I brought forth a bleaker, blacker hatred. The hatred I had of the powerless child that did nothing but cried. It surged with a wild wrath, like starving wolf having his meal stolen.


    That child wept pointless tears, tears that would do him no good. Scars and bruises and hurt, that little child hid within his own torment. He could of told his teachers. He could have taken a knife to his father¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t. He sat there and withstood the abuse. Not like an unsung hero, but like a quiet coward.


    That rage and hatred, I wielded it. The boy forged in fires of his own self-loathing. Tempered by that fire, that child grew into a man made of metal. Haunted by the powerlessness of his past, he fought for his future. He fought to never be so powerless again.


    Relentless, unyielding, and uncompromising, that hatred burned scars deep into him. They were no weakness. They became his greatest strength. Using that strength, a strength born out of humiliation and agony, a monster was born.


    And so, I surged with the ascendant mana within, letting me carve through the armor in a fit of the very emotions that made me strongest. It drove me forward. It let me ignore my own suffering, turning the pain to power. Like a ichor of a dark god, I let the ferocity consume me as I etched in the runes.


    But at the core of my being, I remained calm. I kept composed. That rage gave great strength, but it would steal my mind if I allowed it. I would never allow it. I crushed the anger, beating it into submission. I turned the untamed into the tamed. I bound the unbounded.


    With chains of my own choosing, I shackled that inner turmoil. I turned it from something wild, something malicious, something that could not be controlled, into the most stable part of my being. Like the eye at the center of a boundless storm, I decided where my path of carnage would carry me. I decided what I left in my wake, for I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.


    I carved the new runes onto my arms, my legs, my palms. In the spur of the moment, I carved two more runes. One a across my back, going off feel and using my extreme flexibility. The other across my chest.


    Once I finished, I forgot to maintain my telekinetic field on the table. It snapped, flopping me face first into the ground beneath me. Since so many people walked here, there wasn¡¯t any grass anymore. That meant a face full of mud.


    It squeezed in between my helmet before I pushed myself up, lunging off one knee. I pulled back my helmet, shaking my head to sling the mud away. Even odder than the fall, sweat poured down my dirty face. Without even noticing it, I was literally steaming. I didn¡¯t even notice, but without my runes, channeling my ascendant mana caused this.


    That¡¯s probably why the surge of emotion during the carving process was so intense. Reigning all that in made for some interesting results though. I glanced at the runes on my arms and legs. They were jagged, rough, like serrated teeth. This wasn¡¯t the result of sloppy craftsmanship though. This was entirely intentional.


    It was like the rough strokes of a calligraphist. In all the chaos, there was a certain kind of order. Menacing and powerful, like the hulking frame of a monster. No, this was a thing that ate monsters. It was me.


    Glancing at my notifications, I saw another element that worked in my favor.


    Breakthrough! Carving into Oblivion(lvl 72)--->(lvl90) Breakthrough maximum level reached.


    I didn¡¯t even see the notification when I was carving. My guess, I was too in the zone.


    Now I was out of that trance, I was eager to test the new runes out. First though, I reached behind me and felt the rune on my back. It didn¡¯t feel like I could do something like that. The rough metal grated against my armored fingertips, just like the etchings on my arms. Thinking about it, I must have looked like a freak as I did it.


    Glancing around, I one hundred percent did. Several steel legion guards still stared at me, wondering what the fuck had possessed me. Considering the guards still looked at me like I was inhuman, I must have really given them something to see during the process. The ominous red mana ebbing off me mustn¡¯t have helped either.


    I shrugged, knowing I couldn¡¯t really do much about it. Picking up Althea¡¯s plate, I walked off towards her tent. There was no point in dwelling on how weird they thought I looked. Or, well, how weird I actually did look.


    Without wasting any time, I passed through the camp, ignoring the whispers around me. A minute later, I walked up towards Althea¡¯s tent. I gave it slight tap, but she didn¡¯t answer. I gave another tap. After a groggy groan, Althea walked outside.


    In a tanktop and shorts, I could see her blue gray skin, almost like dull silver. Her purple hair still looked crazy, but silky and flowing, unlike dyed hair. I never paid much attention to what Althea or Kessiah looked like, mainly because I knew I was only 17. Or 18, I didn¡¯t know what normal day it was now. I was almost certainly 18 now.


    Anyways, that meant I could lose my shit if I was around a sexy girl. I¡¯d already seen Althea naked, but the circumstances prevented it from sinking in. Wearing casual clothes, Althea looked good. I mean really good. That could have easily have been the hormones talking though. Either that or my preference for a sort of messy hairstyle in girls.


    That¡¯s how Althea¡¯s hair was at this point. She had just woken up, looking tired. When she saw me, she raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I handed her the plate, ¡°Here it is. It might save you some ammo when you fight. I didn¡¯t know what else to give you, considering your bolts already pierce.¡±


    She frowned, taking he plate and inspecting it. She lifted it overhead, turning it as she tried deciphering how it was supposed to be used. I noticed.


    ¡°Turn your arm into the biotic rifle thingy.¡±


    She nodded, altering her arm into the interlocking plates of bone that composed her rifle. From her other arm, a spine of bone fell out before she cocked the rifle, letting out a hiss of steam. Putting the bolt into the chamber, she pointed it at the ground,


    ¡°So what do I do?¡±


    I grabbed the biotic rifle, surprised by how brittle it felt. With a care I didn¡¯t think I needed to use, I placed my plate of metal onto the rifle.


    ¡°Now you just grow ropes or whatever to latch around the holes I made. It should give you a solid grip. Kind of acts as a shield and an ammo saver. Figured you could use it.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Wow¡­This is super cool¡­Why did you make it with holes? You could have just made a barrel or something for my rifle.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want something like this being hard to remove. Even if you morph your hand into a giant monster arm, this plate will stay on. Figured the more open design gave you a bit more freedom.¡±


    She blinked, creating white strips of tendon that latched the plate onto her rifle. She aimed and fired a bolt. With a bit of steam floating off the barrel of the rifle, her grin grew,


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It costs half as much to use bolts.¡±


    Without my helmet on my face, I scratched my nose, ¡°Heh, try morphing your arm.¡±


    She expanded her arm, the plate remaining locked. She might as well have smiled ear to ear. Her monster arm deformed as she went in and hugged me,


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you.¡±


    Utterly shocked at this sudden hospitality, I glanced around, making sure Torix and Kessiah weren¡¯t playing a prank on me. No one busted out to laugh at my reaction, so I assumed they weren¡¯t here. I had my arms up in surprise, mainly because I almost leapt back when she had hugged me. A second later, I gave her a second-long hug,


    ¡°Uhm. No problem. Glad you enjoyed it.¡±


    She glanced up at me, raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°Are you¡­uncomfortable?¡±


    I glanced around, suppressing a blush with sheer power of will,


    ¡°Hell no. Fuck you.¡±


    She grinned again,


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re blushing.¡±


    I blinked twice,


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just not used to being in contact with a murderous eldritch lady.¡±


    She lifted me up, her strength well beyond what it should have been for her size, ¡°Join the murderous eldritch club.¡±


    She dropped me, letting my feet smash into the soil. I rebalanced myself, standing upright. Althea continued,


    ¡°If you saw what you came back from after Kessiah hit you, then you¡¯d know what I mean.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, it couldn¡¯t be worse than some eldritch I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    She walked back into her tent, setting the plate on an office table she dragged in there,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. She tore you apart. Your limbs were just so bent out of shape. Blood was everywhere. When you came up, your armor reached out in little tendrils. I don¡¯t know if it ate the blood around you or not, but it helped you heal that¡¯s for sure. Then you snapped your legs back into place. Bleck. gross.¡±


    I smirked, ¡°You got to do what you got to do.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Yeah, I guess so. It¡¯s was kind of cool watching you shrug it off. Anytime someone stares at me after I transform, it burns my soul. I don¡¯t know why, but I hate it when people look at me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Althea shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­probably because I think I¡¯m gross too.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°I mean, I can see their point.¡±


    She frowned at me, but I continued with a devilish smile, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I agree though.¡±


    She rolled her eyes before tossing me a fork. I caught it, snatching it out of the air and bending it. She opened one of the drawers under her desk and pulled out a few cans with her fingers. She made her hands larger than normal, letting her grab three cans in each hand.


    The reformed before she tossed me one. This time I caught it without crushing what she threw me. She smiled,


    ¡°Want to have lunch? It¡¯s boring doing it by myself all the time. It¡¯s fun having company.¡±


    I glanced around, looking for someone else. Finding no one, I turned towards her and pointed at my chest, ¡°Uh¡­me?¡±


    She grew pointed claws at the ends of her fingers. After piercing the top of a can with three of her fingers, she rotated her hand with laser like precision. Her fingers sliced through the metal with ease before she pulled off the top.


    ¡°Yeah you. Kessiah¡¯s fun sometimes, but it can be hard to relate about her stuff. And Torix¡­¡± She shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll have lunch with Torix when I want to listen to another lecture.¡±


    I laughed a little, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like he¡¯s in love with the sound of his voice sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I know right? It¡¯s ridiculous. Yesterday I asked him about how to optimize my rifle, and you know what he told me?¡±


    I walked into the tent, making telekinetic pads under my feet. The force of it compressed on my sides, but it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable. I leaned back against the tent, making another telekinetic field to withstand my weight.


    ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    She raised her hands, ¡°He started stuttering before going on a tangent about how magic is better than technology. By the end of the conversation, I just wanted to say, ¡®You don¡¯t know anything about rifles, do you?¡¯¡±


    She lowered her hands, taking a spoonful of some canned beef stew, swallowing it, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him though¡­I didn¡¯t want him to feel bad. He¡¯s just trying to help.¡±


    I shook my head, smiling a bit, ¡°I would have just told it to him straight.¡±


    She nodded her head, stirring the brown broth in the can, ¡°Yeah¡­I think so too.¡±


    I reached out a hand towards her. Althea glanced at me, confused at first. She pointed at her stew, ¡°You want this?¡±


    I nodded, but she pulled it towards her,


    ¡°Hell no. This is my favorite brand and flavor. It tastes like heaven compared with those rations.¡±


    I pointed at a can in the drawer, ¡°What about that flavor?¡±


    She glanced at it before I snatched the can from her hand. She reached out for it, but I put a hand on her forehead. The ascendant mana poured into my hand, generating heat that warmed the stew. She stopped struggling for a moment before I handed it back.


    She narrowed her eyes, staring at me with suspicion before taking another spoonful. She perked up,


    ¡°It¡¯s good. Really good.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re supposed to warm stews and soup up before eating. Well, for the most part.¡±


    She glanced at the can, trying to find that information, ¡°Really? Here I thought these were just puzzles with food for rewards.¡±


    I busted out laughing before she frowned at me,


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Sometimes I forget you¡¯re an alien from who knows where.¡±


    She pointed the fork at me, ¡°And sometimes I forget you¡¯re a human from Earth.¡±


    I poured the soup down my throat while crushing the can. I swallowed it before raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°You seem like you really like food. I remember finding some cooking books here before.¡±


    The inklings of a blush formed on Althea¡¯s cheeks as she glanced down,


    ¡°Uh. Yeah. Just trying to figure this cooking stuff out. It uses names for all kinds of stuff, but I don¡¯t know what any of it is. I mean what is paprika? I have to look it up, then I have to figure out what a teaspoon is, then I have to figure out what tea is. It¡¯s exhausting.¡±


    I set my empty can on her desk, ¡°I can teach you how to cook.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah, sure. You know how to cook.¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not Gordon Ramsey or anything, but I can teach you the basics.¡± I raised my right hand, ¡°Like what a teaspoon is.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°I can prove it. I¡¯ll come by tomorrow and make us lunch.¡±


    She laughed, ¡°Really...Ok, I¡¯ll bite. Let¡¯s see if you can make something edible.¡±


    Uncrossing my arms, I raised my palms at her, ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to be amazing or anything.¡±


    She pointed a finger at me, ¡°No, no, no, you can¡¯t worm your way out of this one.¡±


    ¡°Not trying to. I¡¯m trying to set up some reasonable expectations.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, ok. I doubt it¡¯ll be better than this canned stuff though.¡±


    I grinned, a quiet confidence lacing my words, ¡°I can make better stuff than off brand beef stew.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯m firing a bolt between your eyes.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Your standards for taste are just incredibly low. And I mean low.¡±


    ¡°Ok Daniel, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± She glanced down, tearing open another can. ¡°Thanks for the company, but I¡¯m pretty sure Torix will hate you if you keep him waiting much longer.¡±


    I smacked my forehead, ¡°Oh fuck. Yeah, I gotta go.¡± I walked out of the tent while waving a hand, ¡°It was fun. We should do this again sometime.¡±


    With a slight smile, she nodded, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d like that.¡±


    After walking across the camp again, I reached back into Torix¡¯s home. As he lived in it longer, the place turned more and more eerie. There were trails of upturned earth surrounding the place, probably the burrows that the beetles used. I remember overhearing Kessiah and Torix¡¯s conversation before being tossed by one.


    Combine that with the shattered windows inside the building, and you had a certified evil lair by now. I walked up towards it, using my telekinetic fields to not break through the housing. The force of compression was weird, but better than breaking every building I went into.


    Once I reached into the building Torix had added tables and tables laden with tools. Clippers, snappers, breakers and beakers, hammers and scissors of all shapes and sizes, the tables were chock full of creepy, metal tools. At the same time, everything was neat and organized which just added to the ominous effect.


    I didn¡¯t really care by now though. I walked into the room with my footsteps damn near silent. I was reorienting the weight of my body against my sides and shoulders. Since my armor was so hard, it didn¡¯t make much noise when even the weight of my heels pressed against it.


    This allowed me to sneak up to Torix, who was hunched over a table and dissecting one of the plague insects. I tapped his shoulder, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. What you up to-¡°


    Torix whipped out a hand, a block of black mana forming around me. He pressed me backwards about a foot before slamming himself into the wall. With pieces of drywall falling with him, he fell onto his table before glancing back up at me,


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you apostle. Excuse my sudden assault. I thought you were an intruder.¡± He glanced to his side while cupping his chin, ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have told the beetles to handle you as a non-threat.¡± He glanced back up at me, ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack.¡±


    I reached out a hand, which he took to help him back up,


    ¡°If I had one that is.¡±


    Once upright, he lifted a hand. The wall reconstructed while the metal pieces reoriented back into their precise placings. Turning back to me, he grinned, ¡°Have you been working on your sneaking skills?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not really. I¡¯m using telekinesis.¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, so I continued, ¡°I¡¯m placing field under my feet and redirecting the weight against my shoulders and sides. Makes it so that I don¡¯t crush through floors.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhh. I understand now. Creative and effective. Good. I believe you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Ready for what exactly?¡±


    Torix smiled, making his signature evil grin, ¡°To wield gravity.¡±

 62 Not Alone

    I clapped my hands together, ¡°Hell yeah. It¡¯s about time.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Indeed it is. You¡¯ve progressed at a rapid pace for the most part¡­though considering your effervescent flow of mana and the kind of mana you wield; your progress is only slightly above average.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, as long I¡¯m moving forward, that¡¯s what matters. No point in meaningless comparisons.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Ah¡­I suppose your right. Then onto the gravity magic.¡±


    Torix created a chair made of black, writhing mana for the both of us. As I sat down, his hand shook for a moment. He grinned, ¡°You¡¯ve gained quite a bit of mass recently, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Eh, a little. I can stand if you¡¯d like. Hell-¡° I stood up before waving the chair of mana away. I then sat midair in a squat before curling my armor around my legs. After that, I created supports for my back. I leaned back into my chair, pressing against a telekinetic field on my back. At the same time, I created another wide field on the floor around me.


    The result was that I looked like I was sitting on nothing in the middle of the air. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to maintain either, though it did take some genuine focus. Torix raised an eyebrow at the sight of it,


    ¡°What is this? Hmmm¡­you used your armor to lock your legs in place then leaned back into a telekinetic field¡­Ah, then you dispersed it around you. An interesting application.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Yeah, with my willpower being as high as it is, I can keep track of more things at once now.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be simpler to stand?¡±


    I made little armrests with my armor, laying my arms down on them. I raised my right hand, ¡°For sure, but let¡¯s think of this as training. One of the most important parts of having high willpower is just being able to handle more stuff on my plate. Any second that I¡¯m not taking advantage of that is a waste.¡±


    I leaned onto the hand with my head, ¡°It¡¯s kind of like if I had 10,000 strength, but I never end up using more than half of it. If I never need the upper half of my strength, then it¡¯s just wasted stats. If I never use my extra willpower, then I¡¯m wasting it.¡±


    Torix cupped his chin and nodded. Sitting in thought, he pondered at the ceiling for a bit.


    ¡°I can see your point¡­I agree.¡± He raised a palm, forming a chair of mana for him to sit on, ¡°Now, enough pleasantries. Let¡¯s begin your course in gravitational magic.¡±


    He pointed a finger, and a blackboard appeared behind him. After coughing in his throat for a bit, he spoke,


    ¡°The way you¡¯re redistributing your weight is very similar to how gravity magic operates. The difference comes from constituting force that¡¯s being manipulated. You are rearranging the kinetic force of the earth¡¯s pull, but you aren¡¯t actually shifting gravity.¡±


    He pointed at the blackboard, flipping it sideways. In a checkered pattern and colored blue, lines appeared on the board. Torix put two fingers together, a ball of metal materializing in his hand.


    ¡°Do you see this grid? This represents both time and space. This metal marble in my hand is a blob of mass.¡±


    He set the metal ball onto the blackboard. Like putting a bit rock on a trampoline, the blackboard bent downwards. Torix pointed at the depression caused by the ball,


    ¡°This depression is the influence that gravity has over both space and time. It warps it, bending it like no other energy can.¡±


    Torix spread four fingers into the air. Four smaller metal balls appeared in-between his fingers. He rolled one towards the depression of the large ball. The ball rolled passed the ball before pulling back and circling it. Like a planet orbiting another planet, the ball fell into a steady orbit around the larger ball.


    Torix continued, ¡°I¡¯m adding in some additional force to account for friction. In the absence of it, these objects can orbit for an indeterminate amount of time. Now, whenever manipulating gravity, you can¡¯t manipulate the object at hand.¡±


    Torix raised a hand, and one of the orbiting ball stopped moving.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t gravitational manipulation. This is simply forcing something to stop with kinetic energy. Telekinesis in other words. In order to manipulate gravity, you must ignore the object, and see past it.¡±


    With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball orbiting again. Gripping with his hand, an area of the blackboards collapsed downwards. The circling ball¡¯s orbit widened until it fell into the collapsed area.


    ¡°You must interact with this field that surrounds all matter. This dimensional fabric composes our universe, and bending it requires tremendous intuition, effort, and time. Over the coming months, we will enact a three-step program that will allow you to do so. ¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the entire demonstration dissolved.


    ¡°First, you must learn to sense the field. Second, you must learn to mold the field. Third, you¡¯ll master techniques to abuse what you¡¯ve learned.¡±


    I clapped my hands, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this. How in the fuck am I going to sense the fabric of our dimension?¡±


    Torix raised a finger, ¡°By leaving it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Ahh man. This again.¡±


    Torix flicked a finger, snapping my nose.


    ¡°Yes, this again. Do you remember visiting the rift?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°There was an oddness in the air. A feeling like things weren¡¯t quite normal.¡±


    I lifted my head off my had, ¡°I thought that had to do with leaving Schema.¡±


    ¡°Partly, yes, but the difference also comes from the difference in dimensions. The very laws of physics operate differently within that universe. Time, gravity, the most natural laws are different.¡±


    I remembered how time slowed down whenever we were inside the eldritch dimension. I grinned,


    ¡°Ahhh, so if I can get a good grip on the difference between the dimensions, that¡¯ll let me identify this uh¡­dimensional fabric and whatnot.¡±


    Torix raised a finger, standing from his chair, ¡°Precisely. During the next rift closing, you and Althea will be tasked with staying there for a week. I¡¯ll discuss this with Althea after our meeting.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°She¡¯s not gonna like that. Not one bit.¡±


    Torix waved my concern away, first with his hand then his words,


    ¡°It¡¯s a part of her training as well. Recently I¡¯ve identified what it is that made her different from the other experiments of Yawms. The eldritch dimension acts as an excellent place to learn this balance as well.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Torix met my eye, ¡°Of course I understand if you wish for greater safety during a prolonged expedition. I could have Kessiah monitor you both if you¡¯d like.¡±


    I cupped my chin, thinking about it for a second,


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it for a few days. For now, I think having Kessiah with us is a good idea. A follower could show up if we¡¯re inside the portal for a week. Without her help, we¡¯re fucked if that happens.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°I will inform her of the task then. I¡¯m going to be trying to figure out a way of purging these insects from the victims. You may self-study for the remainder of this week.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really? Alright. I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t come up with a regiment of my own then.¡±


    ¡°Then off to it apostle. Time is of the essence.¡±


    I stood up from my impromptu chair, grinning, ¡°Roger."


    I walked towards the door out, but I stopped, then turned and asked, "Hey, have you ever heard of a legendary skill?"


    Torix already turned towards his work, "Only in stories. Let''s not waste our time discussing legends and myths."


    He didn''t sound like he wanted to continue discussing it, so I stepped out of the house. Before I went off and brainstormed for a bit, I opened my status and allocated my tree points into my current path, Cosmic Soul. It was half as large as Obliterator or Genesis of Potential, but it would no doubt be powerful if I could just get the points needed for it.


    My recent breakthrough in carving had given me enough points for the first upgrade of it. With that in mind, I allocated the points. The notification popped up along with the message.


    Some beings exist with nothing to their name. They wish not for progress, preferring the pits of stagnation. You aim to expand your presence. You aim to temper your soul and forge it in fire. +25% learning speed of soul related skills. +25% learning speed of oblivion related skills. Ability gained! [Cosmic Soul(Tier 1) ¨C The size of your soul is limitless. +20% scaling and handling of soul related skills.]


    For all the hype around the name of the tree, I sure as hell didn¡¯t know what it did. Remembering the lunch I had planned tomorrow, I set out into the town. I figured finding some supplies would help, mainly seasonings and canned goods since they didn¡¯t go bad.


    So with that in mind, I went out towards the town. After passing through the quarantine zone, I walked through the zombie infested wasteland. It was an eerie place when walking through it by myself. The corpses were long gone now from the original infestation. Only bones covered in ragged clothes remained.


    Either that or they¡¯d turned into the trees and forest that Yawm seemed intent on keeping contained. I knew good and damn well that I¡¯d make him pay for his patience. By the time he escaped whatever world tree bullshit he was doing, I was 100% sure I¡¯d be a force to reckon with.


    Before that though, I needed some paprika and cumin. I entered an old grocery store, finding little to eat. All the perishables were gone, along with the clear majority of dogfood. The zombies smelled what was in the bags before tearing into the them. Based on the bite marks at least. The only things left where the canned and glassed goods.


    The seasoning isle and the canned goods remained nearly untouched. After walking back and forth for a minute, I picked up a plastic carrying cart. I placed all kinds of seasonings in the basket. Pepper, basil, oregano, dill, some cloves of garlic and rosemary, I took one of them all. I filled the basket to the brim with these seasonings before moving onto the canned goods.


    After that, I collected this specific brand of lemon flavoring that came in a powder packet. I swear you couldn¡¯t tell the difference between it and real lemon juice. It worked in place of it exceptionally well. With it, I grabbed some olive and canola oil. After that, I grabbed a bag of white rice before heading out. The rest of what I needed for a decent meal, I would need to forage.


    Before I left, I set all my supplies onto the ground. I had two basket fulls with my arms stuffed too, so I went out and grabbed a shopping cart. Whenever I put all the stuff in, I started leaving. It was one of those fucking shopping carts with a squeaky wheel though.


    The piece of shit kept getting caught, running around in circles, and just being generally disagreeable. After about fifty feet of listening to a banshee squeal in wheel form, I lifted the shopping cart into the air. I held it there with a single arm before snapping the metal beams keeping the wheels on the bottom. I stretched the metal tube and made a sort of shopping cart backpack.


    After using another shopping cart to make a top for it, I was ready to get a move on. There was a local greenhouse near our old high school. After crossing town and avoiding zombies along the way, I reached it. I didn¡¯t want zombie mush all over the food after all.


    Once I reached inside, the place was overgrown. Plants of all sizes hung from the rooftops and struggled to get out of confined space. Tomatoes, potatoes, beans and greens, daisies and tulips, the place was stuffed with all kinds of produce and flowers.


    I walked in through a hole in the glass lining. My steps quaked the ground a bit as I selected the best and ripest fruits, vegetables, and produce. It was a lot of fun just running around and getting stuff for something simple as cooking. Fulfilling a basic need like this¡­there was something innately satisfying about it.


    I kept it simple, collecting tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs like mint and lemongrass. After filling up my shopping cart, I ran back towards camp. I kept my steps light using my telekinesis before reaching out towards the camp.


    I¡¯m sure I got a few weird stares as I walked by with a shopping cart full of shit on my back. It didn¡¯t bother me much though. I was too absorbed with the task at hand. After setting the shopping cart into my unused tent, I headed out towards the forest surrounding Springfield.


    There was something deeply nostalgic about running through the forest. I played outside often when I was kid, almost always as the sunset. I would avoid going home after school because my dad was a pain in the ass. These trees became a familiar home for me in that sense.


    Once I reached the creek, I sat beside a pool of water and let my feet cool in the water. The sound of the creek, the sweet breeze, even the tiny fish and minnows darting in the water¡­It was a nice, relaxing moment. This whole evening had been refreshing.


    I wouldn¡¯t dwell in this nice lull though. That¡¯s how you end up stagnating. A few minutes later, I stood before dashing through the forest. Using my sharp eyes and keen nose, I ran around the forest and followed a few trails. After finding a pile of deer shit, I knew I was close. I surged my ascendant mana and charged towards the nearby sound of a deer.


    Except, it wasn¡¯t a deer. Standing there was a person in a lithe, mecha exoskeleton. This wasn¡¯t a heavy suit either. It was practical, a few wires and connecting cables set on top of a black jumpsuit. The jumpsuit was covered in a hexagonal pattern. I thought it was a nanofiber mesh, like Kessiah¡¯s pack.


    The helmet of the thing''s was long, like the xenomorph off alien. Two cameras pointed in off directions, surveying his surroundings. Some type of thrusting jetpack was on his back, along with two folded wings. They unfolded whenever the thing turned towards me. In his hands, he aimed a short machine gun with a green laser pointer at me.


    He opened fire. Blue bullets slammed into my front as a stream of blue fire exploded behind the alien, propelling it into the air. I lowered myself while leaving a hand up. Before he could get distance, I slammed a wave of telekinetic power on top of him by pulling my arm down. It was enough force to stop him from getting further away, but he wasn¡¯t put onto the ground.


    I lifted both my arms and surged my ascendant mana. After gritting my teeth, I slammed him downwards with all my strength. Like a bird being crushed by a falling cinderblock, the alien rushed towards the ground. When it hit the forest floor, a few loud popping sounds echoed through the forest. I overestimated the force increase my ascendant mana had made. My bad.


    I walked up to him before lifting him with a hand. His legs were broken, one bone sticking out, covered in blue blood. I frowned, inspecting the long head and size of the creature. It couldn¡¯t have been more than five feet tall, straight puny compared with my now hulking frame. It¡¯s gun wasn¡¯t much better than a human¡¯s gun either. The plasma bolts just didn¡¯t have the piercing power to do meaningful damage.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    FearFighter Scout(lvl 341) ¨C A member of the FearFighter faction in deep space, this is one of the preliminary scouting members. The FearFighters are mercenaries that use fear tactics instead of brute force during operations. Often times they are preferred by clients that are preferring a more subtle approach in their mercenary needs.


    This means assassination, deprivation tactics, and other means of keeping a client safe are employed. While not the largest or most well-known of the mercenary guilds, they are perfect for protecting middle to smaller sized parties that aren¡¯t interested in conquering areas. The fact that their prices are middle of the pack as well means they are quite affordable.


    This specific member is relatively new, with the average FearFighter hitting the mid-450 range in levels. Of course high level members exist, but are often rare when compared with far larger factions, like empires. This enemy holds no threat to you, but bad blood is something most would rather not have against any mercenary faction.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Lots of useful information here, but I was at a loss. I tapped my chin, wondering what to do. Taking him to Torix was the likely option, so I slung the alien over my shoulder and turned towards our camp. In the corner of my eye, something moved in the distance. A few more blips in the corner of my eye snapped. By then, I wasn¡¯t alone. A green laser pointer appeared on my chest.


    Then another. And another. Twelve more laser pointers later, and they had surrounded me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, the ascendant mana pumping through my veins. As the crimson tendrils of my mana streamed upward, my armor grinned. The deafening sound of gunfire rained down a moment later. Ready and waiting for the first strike, I snapped the neck in my hand.


    It was time to unleash the tempest.

 63 Makings of a Class

    I stomped the ground and activated oppression. High pitched screaming echoed out around me along with a hailstorm of hellfire. The trees wilted in seconds, turning to dust. The brushes and birds and bees disintegrated, exposure the to the aura killing them in an instant.


    Amidst the rain of blue bullets, I noticed something odd. Oppression was different, not quite like before. Controlling it was easier, like I didn''t have to think about the intensity or range. Figuring out the difference would wait for later. The ascendant mana in my blood raged before they finished unloading their bullets. The blue gunk fell off my armor, hissing and steaming.


    Plumes of heat blurred the air before I grinned with my armor. They¡¯d burned through a fourth of my health, but the bullets wouldn¡¯t be able to outdo my regen. I turned around, glancing at them,


    ¡°Looks like these bullets are designed to melt eldritch over time. Most of those monsters lack health regeneration from what I¡¯ve seen. It¡¯s a good strategy.¡±


    The bullets fell from my armor, clattering against the ground,


    ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡¯m no eldritch. I¡¯m something different altogether.¡±


    One of them stepped forward and swung a knife towards my throat. I ducked under the swing and stepped forward. Dragging my fist behind me, I launched an uppercut into his stomach. His armor held him together, but my telekinetic implants let me create a hole in his skin and armor. A thousand needles from my armor shot into his body as he flew away.


    His body split into pieces, first from the needles slicing him apart, then from the force of the blow. Blue blood splattered across the aliens and me, like smashing a smurf full of blueberry cobbler. A blade scraped against my back, so I unleashed a torrent of spikes behind me.


    It wasn¡¯t as difficult to mold my armor as I remembered it being. The swords of armor skewered the alien before two other FearFighters tried reloading clips into their guns. I pushed my two hands together, creating two telekinetic fields to smash their heads together. As their skulls slammed in front of me, my hands clapped with enough force to generate a shockwave.


    Their heads crunched before the wave passed through them. They fell to the ground, the electrical joints and gear short circuiting. I turned around, finding three other members left. One of them sprinted away, the other two starting up their jetpacks.


    I stepped forward, reaching out and clasping with my hand. A telekinetic tether formed between me and the guy running away. I pulled him towards one the guys jetpacking away, slamming them together. The jetpack member careened off course before slamming into a tree trunk in the distance. His body crumbled under the force of his propulsion.


    I charged towards the falling guard as that happened, reaching him before tackling him to the ground. His body popped underneath me, blood splattering once more. As the final scout escaped with his jetpack, I decapitated the head of the guard beneath me by wrenching it off.


    The ascendant mana flowed in a torrent as I launched the skull towards the fellow guard. The skull collided with his jetpack, destabilizing his line of flight. He flew in circles before slamming into the ground and exploding. These members were so poorly trained it was almost comical.


    Killing them still presented a problem however. I didn¡¯t want the FearFighters or whatever else to be an enemy. Hiding the bodies became a priority. I walked over and picked up a chunk of a body before sighing at the gruesome work.


    Like a living nightmare, the arm in my hand melted into my armor over a few seconds. I stumbled backwards before landing in a pile of mush behind me. My armor soaked in the corpse, sending a chill down my spine. I lifted my hand, staring at it. The armor shook, pulsing with hunger. I frowned. Up till now, I never absorbed the corpses of normal people. It was always some variant of eldritch.


    I didn¡¯t even think it could eat the corpses of normal people. It horrified me, almost like a diluted version of cannibalism. It did present a convenient solution towards my current conundrum, however. I didn¡¯t know if killing like this left evidence of who I was behind. If they figured out, I wouldn¡¯t be able to know what kind of problems it could cause further down the line.


    So with my teeth grit, I walked around and cleaned up the corpses. After that, I tested oppression once more. It was like summoning a force from me, not quite like mana or moving an arm, but it was in the same vein. I hadn¡¯t been able to use it before because I was unaware of it, like having a hidden talent and never knowing about it.


    Oppression¡¯s range fluctuated bit, allowing me to change the shape of the aura. It had always been unleashed in a growing sphere, but now I could alter that shape. After a few minutes of trying out different things, I discovered an ability to condense the aura. As I did so, I opened my menu screen and checked out oppression to see what had changed.


    The Charging Calamity - Gives unique ability IV Oppression | Current Damage: (15,000 + 48% of health/min) within a maximum of a 240 ft/73 m radius. Counts as physical damage to enemies and allies.


    The range and scaling of oppression had increased, by 20%. The reason clicked in an instant; it was cosmic soul. The tree had given me the ability to handle oppression with greater ease. I molded my armor once more, stretching the tips of my fingers into long blades. Stretching them out was simpler and easier than before. Cosmic soul helped with the abilities that my armor granted me.


    I shut oppression down before running through the forest again, lost in thought. I still searched for a deer as I pondered what my armor was. From what I could tell, and from what cosmic soul told me, my armor was just a change in my soul. If I controlled my soul better, then I could wield the abilities my armor gave me better as well.


    Suddenly cosmic soul was an exciting prospect. My armor¡¯s abilities were already very powerful. Making them stronger may make them overwhelming. I¡¯d discuss it with Torix when I got back, but first things first. I had a deer to kill. I wasn¡¯t about to let this fifteen-minute fight get in the way of the two hours I¡¯d put into making the lunch happen.


    So I dashed through the forest, keeping closer to the town. There may be more of those scouts around, though they were likely a group testing to see how hostile the environment was. I wasn¡¯t going to take that risk though.


    One thing I learned from all my near-death situations is that most battles take place before you meet in person. More important than raw power was the circumstances surrounding the fight, the time put into practicing, the raw effort to line things up in your favor. All those factors made a bigger difference than level.


    Yawm and his followers had forgotten that. I already vowed I¡¯d take full advantage of that weakness.


    First came deer though. I found another wilderness trail, this one littered with bits of brown and white hair. Tiny signs showed themselves to me, but I could distinguish them. They became more and more prevalent once I homed in on a scent of a deer this time. I would rely on my sense of smell this time instead of sight.


    My change in tactics helped me this time. A deer glanced at me in the distance before darting away. I out sped it, tearing through the briar brambles and underbrush. It kept weaving around obstacles, but I tore through them. This cut down on my travel time, letting me reach it in seconds. Once I reached it, I used telekinesis to snap its neck.


    The deer¡¯s legs dug into the ground, still trying to escape me. With the central nervous system severed, it could no longer make a coherent escape. Seconds later, it ceased movement. I reached lunging onto one knee and giving it a quick thank you. This wasn¡¯t like killing an eldritch. The deer meant me no harm, so I tried being grateful.


    I¡¯m not the most spiritual guy, so it wasn¡¯t long before I went to gutting the deer. I tore out two bits of my armor, making them into hooks. I attached them to the tree, and I hung the deer by its feet. I sliced a cut down its belly and field dressed the organs. After clearing out the innards and taking care with the nastier ones, I dug a deep hole and buried the organs. Otherwise, a bear would smell them and come running.


    After that, I slit the deer¡¯s throat, letting the blood drain out of it. Using a bit of telekinesis, I squeezed it from toe to head, speeding up the draining process. Once the blood no longer dripped from the deer¡¯s throat in excess, I left a marker on my minimap for its location.


    I was aging the venison, letting the muscles cool down and relax. If you didn¡¯t do this to wild game, the meat would be harder to chew than strips of leather. Any excess blood dripped out during the process as well, making the meat taste less gamey. Considering how much meat there was to be had, this was the least amount of effort required for it.


    Optimally, I¡¯d rather wait a day or two before cutting into the meat. This would do well enough though. With that handled, I left out towards our current encampment. As I passed through the trees, there was a chill in the air. It was the first inklings of a cold fall coming. Glancing up, a few trees changed in color, the green leaved turning orange and red.


    Winter was coming. Time was passing. Yawm wouldn¡¯t be stuck for much longer, and the knowledge of his eventual resurgence hung around my neck like a noose. By the time I reached the encampment, I calmed my anxiety. I could do this, no, I would do this. Using the rift¡¯s time sink would help as well, letting us make up for any lost time. Enjoying a few meals with someone wasn¡¯t a cardinal sin after all.


    With that in mind, I paced back up into torix¡¯s home. My telekinetic pads kept my from breaking the house down before I reached him again. He still sat and dissected and insect, jotting down messy notes into a journal beside him.


    I stepped in front of him and waved. He glanced up, setting down his knife,


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I met some scouts out in the surrounding forest. I ended up uh, taking a few out.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Did you catch what they were called?¡±


    ¡°The FearFighters.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Ah, a bit more militant than the steel legion, though far less widespread. You dispatched with the bodies?¡±


    I nodded. Torix continued, ¡°Then it should be fine. They aren¡¯t the worst enemy to have on a galactic scale regardless. The real question is why they are here.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Seemed like they weren¡¯t here to take over or anything crazy. The scouts were pretty weak honestly.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Then they¡¯re likely protecting a group of non-combatants. Why non-combatants would land here is beyond me, but they will likely reveal themselves soon.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I nodded, walking back outside, ¡°Who knows. Maybe they¡¯ll help us against Yawm.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°I doubt it. It¡¯s much more likely that they¡¯re here for research of some kind. Either that, or maybe it¡¯s a group of bounty hunters looking to gather research specimens. Althea was one of those bounty hunters once upon a time after all.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Time will tell. Before I go, have you ever heard of a class?¡±


    Torix rolled his eyes, "Back to myths and legends again I see. Yes, I have heard of classes before. Only bits and peices in old texts. Nothing substantial." He turned back to his note, "Good hunting, Daniel.¡±


    Once again, Torix blew off any discussion about the topic. If I wanted to learn anything, I''d have to learn it on my own. I made a mental note of it after leaving him. With those thoughts in my head, I went back out towards the forest. Figuring out how to control oppression and my armor had become my weekly goal. I¡¯d focus on training them, honing them down till I could wield them effectively in combat.


    So after reaching a hundred feet into the forest surrounding Springfield, I reached out with oppression. Up till now, controlling the distance of it correlated with intensity. If I wanted the full force of oppression, then I needed to move it out to the full distance. Now I could control the intensity without having to increase the distance as much.


    The scaling had improved some as well, making the ability better overall. After molding my armor for a few more minutes, I opened up my current skillset. One of my newer skills was called Gorger of Mana, a skill used to drain enemies of their energy and essence. I used the skill with my telekinetic enhancements, allowing me to shoot needles inside someone¡¯s body.


    The telekinises let me pierce someone¡¯s skin or armor. The Gorger of Mana skill allowed me to spread the needles. Pulling out my fist once the needles were in ripped the opponent¡¯s insides out. Ever since Boundless Storm, this had been the most development my style has gained. I didn¡¯t have to change how I fought. It simply made my fighting better.


    What made Gorger of Mana such an interesting skill, however, wasn¡¯t how it interacted with my telekinesis. It was how it was a unique skill already. Way back in Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s cave, I¡¯d gained a skill called Dreadnought Brute. It allowed me to fight one on one with one of the red bears. The skill was made by combining five other simple skills into a single kind of combat.


    Gorger of Mana was made without combining any skills. I learned it all at once. Any mythical skill required three unique skills to make. If I could get several other unique skills, I could make another mythical skill on par with Boundless Storm. From what I could gather from the level 1000 perks for endurance, I may be able to combine three, maybe five mythical skills into a legendary skill. Even though I researched on my obelisk a bit about them, there was nothing on them, so I couldn''t tell much about them.


    In other words, I would have to figure out all that shit on my own about legendary skills and classes. Even Kessiah and Torix didn¡¯t have one of those, so I set that as my goal. Hopefully, having a class or legendary skill in conjuction with a level higher than 2000 would be enough to kill a follower or two of Yawm. Either of those goals would take months, maybe years. Figuring out would be tough to tell.


    Considering Boundless Storm was more of an innate fighting style of my own, developing other mythical skills would be tough. I had to find some sort of direction for them, otherwise I¡¯d never be able to get them.


    With that in mind, I planned out a few mythical skills that likely existed. The first was a runic warrior kind of one. Carving runes, using the language, channeling mana through them, and even crafting gear for other people could make a mythical skill. It would be something like a blacksmith and runic mage kind of thing.


    Another likely mythical skill would be a gravitational mage. My ascendant mana gave me a powerful difference from most mages. It was already a unique skill all on its own. If I could combine that with gravity magic and my telekinesis magic, I could make a mythical skill out of that too. Up till now, these two other mythical skills would give me a total of three mythical skills.


    Why would I care for so many mythical skills? Well, so far the hierarchy of skills worked like a pyramid with five normal skills for a unique skill then three unique skills for a mythical one. It only made sense that a class would be made of several mythical skills, hopefully only three. It might require a legendary skill as well. Hard to say. What I did know was that these new abilities with controlling my armor and oppression opened up the gateway for finding one of those new mythical skills.


    If I could gain a few more mythical skills after that, then maybe I could gain a class. Fighting off Yawm may not be so impossible after that. Getting Althea at least a mythical skill would be huge for us as well. In fact, making her a rifle from my armor would be a boost to her power. Bolts from my armor would be massive gain as well.


    The metal of my armor was much harder than bone after all. Combine that with a few runic carvings, and I could give Althea a massive boost in power. That tied perfectly into developing the runic warrior skills I needed as well.


    I didn¡¯t want her leaning on me like a crutch though, so I¡¯d show her how to make them on her own. It ensured I wouldn¡¯t have to get into the habit of making her equipment over and over. She didn¡¯t take as much damage as I did during fights though, so she wouldn¡¯t need replacements as often. Getting Kessiah to tear strips out of my armor would help as well.


    With that in mind, I headed out towards the encampment, leaving a patch of dead trees and wildlife behind in my wake. Once I neared the encampment, the sun already set a while back. I reached the central crafting area and began my work.


    Configuring a rifle would be difficult without a reference, but the steel legion had a few in stock. They call harpoon cannons by the name equalizers. After researching them in Schema¡¯s logs, I figured out why. Versus armored targets and vehicles, the piercing rounds were hyper effective. They operated much like rpg¡¯s did before schema came in.


    The inner barrel was set with a set of spiraled grooves. When the bolt passed through the barrel, this made the bullet spin. Behind the rifle, a giant block of iron was placed. Whenever the cannon was fired, the block of iron would absorb most of the force generated by firing the weapon. In other words, it acted as a momentum sink.


    This stopped the rifle from dislocating the shoulders of soldiers. Althea didn¡¯t need one anymore since she¡¯d become so strong. That made the assembly much easier. Outside of that, the ammo compartment was oversized to handle harpoons instead of bullets. Every part of the weapon was made thicker as well, allowing it to handle the extreme forces generated.


    All in all, it would be a serious pain in the ass to build. With that in mind, I got to work. The moving parts were the most important aspect, since they handled most of the shock of firing. Althea could grow her arm into the weapon with her abilities, letting her compensate some of the structure of the weapon. It would feel more natural that way as well


    Adjusting the way the gun was built would be the starting point for that. I began a blueprint in my head, conceptualizing the key differences needed. First, I decided on removing he trigger. There wasn¡¯t a need for it since Althea would grow into the rifle. Second, I added a bayonet on the barrel. Adding a grip on the side of the barrel would help with hip fire as well instead of putting the grip below the rifle.


    These differences would make the rifle lighter, easier to handle, and give Althea a few options for close combat. With that handled, I began production. Of course I could tear out a piece of armor and blacksmith it into shape. I could work the metal and make it into an excellent piece of gear with hours and hours of effort.


    Fuck that. I had better things to do. Instead, I expanded my armor into the shape I needed. I began with the barrel, being the easiest piece to conceptualize. I stretched the barrel from my palm, growing it over the course of fifteen minutes. It took time to keep the barrel straight and smooth. I ended up having to try several times.


    Once I got the hang of it, I made the barrel about two meters long. By then, I strained to keep the armor in form. I reached up with my other hand and pulsed my ascendant mana through it. Strength surged into the limb, enhancing my slicing strike. My armor cut through the barrel, a clean-cut forming. From there, I needed a few tools.


    First was sandpaper made with bits of diamond instead of sand. Sand wasn¡¯t hard enough. The steel legion had the daimond paper on hand though. It turns out that tiny pieces of diamond are a lot easier to get than big ones. Especially when they¡¯re artificial.


    Then the grind started. I ground out the imperfections, smoothing the inner lining of the barrel. It was hard, requiring some serious finesse. I needed to grow my finger and hand to comical proportions to reach deeper into the barrel. It was perfect for learning precision control with the armor.


    What followed made that look like child¡¯s play. I carved out the inner spirals of the barrel. That itself wasn¡¯t the hard part. I brainstormed for a bit, and I found out a phrase or two that would help the bullets drill more. It would reduce friction and contact with the barrel as well.


    With ascendant mana pouring into my arm, I cut into the barrel¡¯s inside. The simple inscription changed from a simple process into an undertaking. Hours passed, and sweat beaded off my forehead as I etched the patterns into the spiral barrel.


    The passage was a combination of two runes. One represented ease, flow, and taking the path of least resistance. The other rune symbolized motion, change, and movement. They melded into the incarnation of fluidity, like a river turning a jagged stone smooth. It was the perfect combination of runes for enchanting the bolts.


    As I finished the inside of the barrel, the sun rose. Althea and I wouldn¡¯t have lunch until midday, so I ate a ration from Torix before continuing my carving. On the outer portion of the barrel, I carved another combination of runes.


    The first rune represented stability. It was like the surface of the moon, always facing earth with an unchanging surface. The next rune was far more intricate, representing the power of finality. Locked within the symbol was the enormity of a supernova and the glory of a good death. These runes came into a message like the reaper whispering in your ear.


    It chilled my spine a bit staring at the barrel. It looked more like an artifact of great power, like the flute of a god with all its intricate detail. Glancing at it, I couldn¡¯t help but smile with satisfaction. There really wasn¡¯t another word to describe it. It was exquisite, like glancing at a painting infused with history.


    The power of the runic language pulsed through the barrel as I charged it. By the time I finished charging it, the might of the runes glowed. After slicing into one of my fingers, I sealed the power into the barrel. With the sun hovering midway over my head, it was time for the lunch with Althea.


    I headed back towards my tent, setting the barrel inside it. After that, I ran back towards the forest and got the deer. No bear crawled off with it, so I counted my blessings before flaying it. Once the skin was ripped off, I sliced meat from the deer in long chunks. The muscle cooled and relaxed a few hours ago, letting it fall off the bone.


    Either that, or the density that constitution gave made the meat seem soft. It was good enough for me. I packed the meat into the skin before slinging it over my back. I left the rest of the deer for scavenging animals.


    With the meat in hand, I headed back to camp. After picking up my grocery cart full of packing supplies, I walked on over towards Althea¡¯s tent. As I walked, something fell over my eyes. It was my hair. It had grown in length, reaching well below my ears and down to my neck. By the time I reached Althea¡¯s tent, the sensation of my hair surrounding my head infuriated me.


    I didn¡¯t have time for it though. Once I reached Althea¡¯s tent, I knocked on the side of it. No noise came out. I frowned, knocking once more. A quick groan ebbed from the tent before Althea snapped,


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Daniel.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    The sound of fumbling feet and clothes being put on rumbled from within the tent. A minute later, her voice muffled through the tent,


    ¡°Uh, can you come back in like, ten minutes?¡±


    I sighed before setting the shopping cart onto the ground along with the deer skin and meat. It was a weird sensation, waiting on someone. I could be doing something productive instead. That¡¯s when I remembered my hair.


    I figured I could cut it while I waited. I walked a few blocks away, finding a house with a mirror in it. Almost any house has one, so it wasn¡¯t hard to find. After peeling my helmet back and inspecting myself, I noticed a few changes.


    First off, I was way taller. I had to lean over to get a good view of the mirror. Even when I walked through the house, I had to duck beneath doorways. Otherwise, I¡¯d bump into them. Well, probably crush through them, but you get the point.


    Besides for that, a bit of stubble had formed on my cheeks. Hell, I always wanted a bit of beard. This wasn¡¯t the kind of stubble a forty-year-old man had though. This was assuredly the kind of stubble you get at the cusp of manhood. It didn¡¯t look good, so I made a razor with my armor and cut it off.


    Besides for the beard, my hair covered most of my face. My skin was straight up gray. A vibrant and alive sort of gray, but still gray. There was a scar running vertical down a lip I don¡¯t remember having last time I looked. A couple other scars traced down my neck and face, most of them just small Knicks. Nothing to eye catching.


    My hair turned black too. It matched the gray skin at least. Grabbing a chunk of my hair, I cut it with a razor formed from my armor. After about ten minutes later, and I¡¯d done a damn good job. It was close undercut, though not too edgy or anything. I just didn¡¯t want to look like shit and have my hair out of my face and eyes. So far, mission accomplished.


    Glancing closer at the mirror, I didn¡¯t look too shabby. Who knows. On a good day, with the right lighting, and with a sharp suit, I might even be handsome. Hard to do with the armor though. In the end, I still looked like an ashen warrior. Not the most welcoming sight.


    It would do though. I walked out of the house and went back towards Althea¡¯s tent. I knocked on the entrance, and she made me wait another minute or two. I spent the time flipping stones with telekinesis. Interrupting my trance, Althea finally unzipped the tent, letting me in. Glancing inside, I could see what took Althea so long.


    She was¡­well¡­beautiful.

 64 Final Call to Action

    At least by post-apocalyptic standards. It looked like she¡¯d borrowed a dress from Kessiah or Torix, considering the quality. It was stylish, fitted dress made of black fabric. A pretty normal garb though a slight split up the left leg and a split down the chest gave it an edgy vibe. It showed a little more skin than normal. She still had on a pair of leather shoes instead of heels. It made it obvious how uncomfortable she was in the dress.


    I grinned, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    Althea blushed, glancing down at her feet. I continued, my grin turning mischievous,


    ¡°But, yenno, maybe a tad over dressed for the occasion. It¡¯s just lunch after all.¡±


    She glanced up, a subtle smile tracing her lips. She shoved me, more playful than forceful, ¡°I don¡¯t get an opportunity to dress up often. Cut me some slack. Besides, what¡¯s with the haircut? I¡¯m not the only one to dress up.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even thought about it, but it was a good point. I¡¯d prepped myself a bit for the lunch as well. We¡¯d crossed into date category by now. I shrugged,


    ¡°Well fuck¡­you got me there.¡± I turned and picked up the supplies. Althea¡¯s smile turned into a deep frown at the sight of the deer skin and bent out of shape shopping cart.


    She crossed her arms, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Lunch, it¡¯s just unmade.¡±


    She leaned towards the deer skin and sniffed. Leaning back, she put out a palm to it,


    ¡°Yeah, that smells terrible.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Of course it does. It hasn¡¯t been cooked yet.¡±


    I walked into the tent, making telekinetic pads for my feet. The oversized tents had been something you¡¯d expect a family would own, room for several people. Althea moved several small utilities into the open space since the last time I¡¯d been here. A small, electric stove, a giant block of granite she¡¯d polished, even a sink with tiny plastic wrap beside it filled with water. It looked like a tiny bath she liked soaking in I guessed.


    I walked over and set my supplies onto the block of granite. The rock already busted through the tent, reminding me why I kept my feet from doing so as well. It did the job as a cutting board and prepping area for the meat, however.


    Before I got started, I glanced around the room, exploring for a few seconds. I¡¯d never glanced that close to the inside of the place. It felt rude, since she never really invited me in. Now I had the perfect excuse to see inside.


    There was a place she slept and lounged in, a bunkbed carried into here. The blue sheets were unmade, more like she didn¡¯t know how to make a bed rather than just being messy. I didn¡¯t comment, knowing it was rude. The other painful part of the place was the books and magazines scattered about. They were unfolded, along with quite a collection of clothing.


    That was the problem with her whole place. She just didn¡¯t know how the hell to organize anything. It made a piece of my brain writhe in discomfort. I wasn¡¯t someone with ocd, but I still hated inefficiency. This place was marred with it. It wasn¡¯t filthy though. She didn¡¯t leave food out or dirty dishes everywhere. From what I knew about cleanliness, that was the deciding difference between being filthy and just being cluttered.


    Still, prepping the meal would take some time, so I got started. Under a nearby lamp¡¯s light, I set the vegetables, herbs, and seasonings to the side of the granite block. I set the meat of the deer out onto the boulder. It looked like was very recently polished, making it squeaky clean. It was perfect for a cutting board.


    After that, I grabbed a few packs of the lemon powder and olive oil. I set them beside the meat. After growing out a knife from a palm, I broke the object. After washing it and my hands in some soap and water Althea had nearby, I grabbed slabs of meat. With my right hand holding them down, I started slicing the meat down the grain of it.


    It¡¯s a pretty simple way of making tough cuts more tender. You slice the meat in the same order as the fibers of the meat. This breaks of some of the tougher fibers, making the meat take better to margination. With how precise and quickly I could move, this process took about two minutes. A few slabs of meat later, and the cuts were ready.


    ¡°Althea, do you have any paper towels or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Uh, oh¡­Yeah, of course.¡±


    Althea was waiting for me, looking closely from her bed. After looking in a burlap bag beside her bed, she handed a bundle of them to me. This let me grab the olive oil with my hand without getting blood on it. Taking another bundle of paper towels, I grabbed a glass bowl behind the block of granite. Althea had gathered a few cooking dishes and stuff for me, making this process much simpler.


    I took the glass and poured the oil into it. After that, I mixed in the packets of lemon substitute. From my experience with cooking, this worked better than real lemon juice. The packets mixed into the oil better, because lemon juice had water in it. After that, I washed my hands in the sink.


    Reaching back to the granite, I grabbed a few pinches of lemongrass and mint to throw into the marinade. I took a bundle of cilantro, and reached out a hand towards Althea.


    She stared at me, confused. I shook the bundle, and she reached out a hand before I pinching some off.


    ¡°Taste this and tell me what it tastes like.¡±


    She tried some, nodding as she chewed, ¡°It¡¯s good. I can¡¯t really describe it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Does it taste like soap?¡±


    ¡°What, no. Why are you asking?¡±


    I turned back to the marinade, pouring some cilantro in, ¡°Some people say cilantro tastes like soap. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the meat for you, so I checked before adding it.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Oh.¡±


    I mixed in some pepper, salt, and dill from there. After stirring it with my hands, I dipped the meat into the solution. Making sure to work the marinade into the tiny cuts I made, I squeezed the meat until it was saturated in the solution.


    After that, I walked over towards the sink and washed my hands with soap. I made sure to wash the bottle of soap as well, because leaving bloody gunk on the bottle was disgusting. Cross contamination was a serious problem in restaurants, and I wasn¡¯t about to let it happen under my watch.


    After that, I walked over and cleaned the granite with a few antibacterial wipes I had on hand. I let the antibacterial solution soak in, cleaning my new knife in the soap as well. After that, I cleaned the boulder with water twice, making sure to get the antibacterial stuff off it. Otherwise the salad would taste like complete and utter shit.


    After preheating the oven, I set the vegetables onto the granite, lining up the tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. After grabbing a wooden bowl from behind the granite boulder, I cubed the tomatoes and sliced the cucumbers into thin slices. Tossing them into the bowl, I grabbed oregano, thyme, and a bit of basil and tossed them onto the salad.


    Skill unlocked! Cooking(lvl 1) - Some craft symphonies with sound. For you, the ingredients are your notes and the meal is your chorus.


    After that, I poured a bit of olive oil and lemon juice onto the vegetables. After adding a generous portion of salt, I stirred with a wooden spoon grabbed from behind the granite boulder. Althea had piled up as many kitchen wares as she could. It looked like she just grabbed a whole aisle of them and piled them behind the boulder.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    I chuckled a bit at them before Althea frowned at me,


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. You just took a whole store¡¯s worth of kitchen stuff. It¡¯s kind of funny is all.¡±


    She blushed a bit before watching me stir the salad. After I set that aside, I handed it to her with a fork,


    ¡°Taste it and tell me what you think. I can make something else if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    She grabbed the dish from me, tasting it with an almost ravenous look on her face. After the first bite, she recoiled back for a second before taking another. A few bites later and she set the dish onto her lap. She threw her hands up,


    ¡°This tastes so good. How is this so good? I tried eating this green stuff before and it tastes like dirt.¡±


    I busted out laughing, ¡°That¡¯s lettuce, not cucumbers and tomatoes. If you don¡¯t rinse lettuce off, it keeps some of the grit on it. That makes it taste like dirt.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me you were a chef?¡±


    With an irrepressible grin on my face, I went back to work on the granite table top,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a chef. I just know my way around a kitchen. No one cooked for me when I was younger, so I learned to cook for myself. It was fun, so I just kind of kept at it until I had a couple of dishes I liked. This is one of them.¡±


    I pointed at the venison, ¡°Most meat is expensive for example, so I have to get the tougher, leaner kinds of pork.¡± I gestured a hand out to my side, still holding the knife, ¡°The thing is, they¡¯re barely edible if you don¡¯t learn a few tricks for eating them. After that, I just wanted something lighter like a salad for the meal. That-¡°


    I picked up a pack of rice, ¡°And something like this to fill me up.¡±


    As I poured some water into a pot, Althea frowned, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    I shook my head, staring at the pot as I put some cumin and powdered garlic into the pot, ¡°I said I¡¯d make you lunch, not have you help. Sit down, relax. I¡¯m here to feed you, not to make you feel bad.¡±


    The sounds of her adjusting herself and grazing on the salad ebbed through the room for another minute. Once I finished adding some salt and pepper to the pot, I poured a dash of the canola oil in. Olive oil made the rice taste like shit, even in small amounts. I don¡¯t know why, but it does. Trust me.


    Breakthrough! Cooking (lvl 1)--->Cooking (lvl 25)


    It was a pleasent bonus for using my skills. At some point I would want to get breakthrough''s in all my previous life skills. That would have to wait till later. After seasoning the rice¡¯s water, I set the venison into the preheated stove. With that finished, I cleaned up the area. Althea stood up and walked up to the granite. I was about to wipe it down, but she pushed my hand down,


    ¡°Let me. Please.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Alright, sure.¡±


    I handed her the bundle of paper towels I was about to use. She set them on the nearby sink before stretching out a claw from her finger. She sighed before slicing through an ultra-thin slice of granite. So thin, light leaked through the plate she pulled of it. Her hand didn¡¯t struggle with the cut though. Combine her overwhelming strength and armor piercing, and feats like that were normal.


    Not normal for me though. I spread out my hands, ¡°How in the fuck did you do that?¡±


    She shrugged like nothing was out of the ordinary, ¡°You know, armor piercing.¡±


    I blinked, ¡°Is it that strong?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Depends on the stuff I¡¯m cutting through. Steel or metal in general is much harder to cut, because it¡¯s like cutting through you. You have too much health, so I can¡¯t do enough damage. Once I can do enough damage though, I can cut through whatever it is like it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Jesus¡­It¡¯s crazy to look at.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Yeah, I know. A bit freakish.¡±


    I waved my hand, ¡°No, I mean like crazy awesome.¡±


    She glanced up at me, almost like happiness was trying to crawl out but she wouldn¡¯t let it,


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Hell yeah. It¡¯s cool. I wish I could cut through my armor like that. It would make carving out the runes so much easier.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Yeah, but the runes are so hard to work with anyways.¡±


    I turned back to the stove, setting a timer for 30 minutes, ¡°You just have to get used to them.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No. They¡¯re really hard to get. All those extra perks let you understand faster than you think you do. I could stare at one all day and not get a thing from it.¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°But I can¡¯t cut through granite like paper. Trying to get there, but it¡¯s tough.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, sitting onto her bed. She crossed her legs and leaned forward,


    ¡°When¡¯s lunch ready. Smells great.¡±


    I made another invisible chair, sitting near Althea, ¡°Eh, about forty minutes.¡±


    Looking surprised yet again, Althea chimed,


    ¡°How did you learn to do that? That¡¯s straight up like Torix.¡±


    I glanced down, ¡°Oh, the chair thing.¡± I glanced back up at her, ¡°It¡¯s a mix of telekinesis and molding my armor.¡±


    She nodded, fascinated by the casual display. A minute passed, a silence passing but never turning awkward. Althea had that effect on the people around her. She was one of those kinds of people you could be quiet with, pass the time, and it never dawned on you that things were awkward. A pleasant calm would come to pass.


    After I placed the rice into the boiling water, Althea started back up the conversation, ¡°So uhm¡­how did you get so good at all this stuff?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She fumbled with her hands, ¡°I uh¡­I don¡¯t know. You got good at all these different things so fast. Maybe if I knew how you did it, I can do it to¡­or something like that.¡±


    I grabbed my chin, organizing my thoughts for a moment. I glanced at the orange lamp in the corner of the tent, ¡°I think it¡¯s really just three things. A bit of discipline, motivation, and making goals.¡±


    She leaned towards me as I continued, ¡°I make tiny changes every day, and after a month or two, it makes a huge difference. That¡¯s the discipline part. Making goals gives me a direction to focus my thoughts. Otherwise I¡¯d be making changes without any purpose. Motivation is trickier though.¡±


    I leaned against a hand, like I was floating in the air, ¡°I just think of where I could be in five years. If I focus and push myself every day, what¡¯s the best outcome possible?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°You kill Yawm then have to fight in an endless war forever. Life still sucks.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, I disagree. Once we kill Yawm, there¡¯s a whole galaxy out there to explore. You think this food is good? Wait till we go somewhere in space and have a chef make us something. Or, or, what about finding a developed world, where Schema has been around for ages. They probably already have the dungeons and stuff sorted out.¡±


    I turned to her, ¡°Not everyone has to fight there. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of people who would love having a chef cook them delicious food. You could be that chef. You could open a restaurant, start a family, whatever you wanted.¡±


    My eyes turned harder and less hopeful, ¡°But you have to want it, and I mean really want it. Not some half ass kind of want, I mean a desperate, ravenous, all-consuming kind of want. Right now, we¡¯re trapped on a dying planet called earth. Either we kill Yawm, or we die here. I know you hate fighting. I know you hate endless war. Hell, I know you want to live out a peaceful, calm life. I understand that. I really do.¡±


    I turned back to the meal, ¡°But peaceful days and meals like this are numbered unless we stop that festering sore named Yawm.¡±


    Althea nodded, glancing down. She sighed before looking back up at me, ¡°Yeah¡­ok.¡±


    The first word was meek, like a half resolution. Her words gained strength as she spoke them, like something was pushing her. It was like she saw a light at the end of the tunnel, something to aim for. She nodded,


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a plan with Torix. Maybe set up a schedule for training with Kessiah or something like that.¡±


    I stood up from my seat as the timer went off, ¡°Sounds good.¡± I walked over and pulled out the glass from the stove. Turns out that venison cooks the same as pork, so I grabbed a few dishes from the boulder pile. After that, I set them on the tent floor, setting up the meal with reasonable portions.


    The conversation turned lighter after that, Althea asking questions about my cooking. The light chat was a pleasant contrast with lead laden conversation from earlier. The entire time we talked, I hoped my words went through to her. Getting Althea to train and use her powers with all her might was damn near necessary to beat Yawm.


    A combination of Kessiah¡¯s blood arts and Kessiah¡¯s assassination was our best method of killing a follower. Sure, Torix and I could hold the line against an army with his summoning and my tenacity, but we¡¯d falter eventually. We needed Kessiah and Althea to get their heads in the game. Either I pushed her to change, or this world would eat us alive.


    After how many speeches I¡¯d given Althea, I was getting frustrated with her. Coming into a messy room, lounged in for weeks, then seeing her waste her time on wearing pretty clothes¡­I won¡¯t lie, it tested my patience. After this, I wasn¡¯t going to spend any more time convincing her to try. Either she and Kessiah killed Yawm, or I would dive into another dimension with him. Fun times for all.


    Wiping away those cynical thoughts, I chatted until the meal was finished. After that, I said my goodbyes. As I left, Althea almost said something. She didn¡¯t finish her words though. Maybe it was something to try and restore my confidence in her. Maybe not. I couldn¡¯t tell.


    What I could tell was that I needed to finish the rifle I was making her. If she wouldn¡¯t improve herself, I would do the job for her. Getting Kessiah to improve herself was simpler. I just had to nudge her in the right direction with a bit of competition and good faith. Torix needed a reminder of how serious the situation was. Althea¡­well I don¡¯t know what she needed to get off her ass.


    Before Yawm came out of his world tree, I needed to find out. We had no way of knowing when Yawm would come out. My intuition told me along with a sinking feeling in my gut that it wouldn¡¯t be long now. The forest grew closer to the quarantined wall every day. The eldritch evolved as Yawm¡¯s minions fed them. As I gathered ingredients for this lunch, I even came across an eldritch or two.


    Interrupting my thoughts, a small earthquake shook the ground for a few seconds.


    We were running out of time.

 65 Preparation

    Finding the most productive way of spending my time, I set out to build the rest of Althea¡¯s rifle. Fortunately, the stock wouldn¡¯t be as difficult as the barrel to build. The barrel required tremendous precision. The stock of the gun required some, but not the laser like precision the barrel needed.


    With that in mind, I reached the center of the Steel Legion¡¯s encampment once more. Setting up on a wooden work bench, I resumed work on the rifle. Making the stock was simple. Before I started, I allocated ten of my dungeon skill points into the Carving into Oblivion skill. Since the breakthrough, I¡¯d reached ninety in the skill. Maxing it out with the bonus skill points from dungeon cores was plenty efficient now.


    Once I finished that, I checked my tree points. The past few days, I performed different tasks than normal. That meant gaining different than normal skills. I gained some points from the cooking skill, a foraging skill, and even a few points in Resourceful. After allocating about fifty more points into the tree, I closed my menu. It was time to make a rifle.


    With a burst of ascendant mana, I willed my armor to bend. The metal contorted, flowing into the shape of a shitty stock. It turns out that making a five-foot stock wasn¡¯t hard. It was downright demanding. With a surprising finesse, I began making the adjustments needed.


    It needed tiny grooves for grip, recoil adjusting design, maybe a hollow interior for making. After trying a few times, I gave up with my brute force approach. Sketching it out and getting an excellent understanding of the stock would help.


    Making something with the armor required excellent conceptualization of it. Sure, the barrel required greater precision, but it was something very simple. Understanding it inside and out didn¡¯t take longer than a few seconds. The stock for the rifle I had in mind though? It would be a feat of human ingenuity if I had anything to say about it.


    With that in mind, I asked and received a set of blank blueprints. gave me a few sticks of chalk, letting me draw what I needed. Starting with separate parts, I drew pieces of the gun¡¯s design from memory. My intelligence held onto those memories with an iron grip, making the visualization easy. My dexterity made my hand steady. I didn¡¯t have an artistic hand, but I could draw straight lines with mechanical precision.


    An hour later, all the tiny bits were drawn out, each of them labeled with their purpose. After imagining how they¡¯d fit together, I created the parts. One piece at a time, I made different parts by stretching out my armor. I cut off the pieces then, letting me make them one part at a time. I learned this approach from Torix.


    He always mentioned the power of divide and conquer tactics. Nothing is complicated after it¡¯s broken down to its base parts. Understand those parts and how they work together, then you¡¯re a master. At least that¡¯s how Torix says it.


    It held true here. I finished setting up the various parts of the stock before a notification appeared.


    Skill unlocked! Living Forge(lvl 1) ¨C You form weapons from your own body. +1% to ease of formation and maximum charge of self-composite weapons.


    It was a pleasant bonus, allowing me to gain skill levels even from this forging process. With the pieces made, I set out on carving the runic inscriptions onto them. Since the only thing large enough for the runes was the handle, I etched in the basic rune for stability. As I did so, a sense of serene calm and understanding rushed over me.


    Engraving the signs onto the piece wasn¡¯t like marking something onto the parts. It was like unleashing my understanding of the rune onto the metal. Instead of trying to write out a representation of what I was thinking, I wrote out my complete understanding of my thoughts.


    When I finished the marking, it was almost like staring into a memory or living out an experience. The mark carried a depth like Torix¡¯s markings, but they weren¡¯t foreign. They were entirely my own, like leaving a piece of my life in a symbol. Once I leaned back from my creation, the letters turned out rougher and grittier than I imagined. They looked a little like me I guess.


    My guess was that this was because of the level 100 in the skill. After months and months of training, I had two skills reach their pinnacle. So far, the benefits of both were palpable. The next test involved figuring out another unique skill.


    Before that though, I finished up the parts of the rifle before heading back towards my tent. Once inside, I put the rifle together. Once it was completed, a notification appeared.


    Omen, Cannon of Cataclysm (lvl requirement: 600) ¨C Made by the Harbinger of Cataclysm, this harpoon rifle is composed of an unknown metal, but the hardness and flexibility of it is amazing to behold. Combined with the enchantments for stability, efficiency, and devastation, and even a novice cannoneer can wreak havoc.


    The enchantments reduce ammo consumption by two thirds, doubles focus and stability, and triples the drilling speed of fired rounds. Charge limit set by quality of runes. Can only charge with arcane blood. Uses 10 mana per bolt.


    Charge: 6,000/6,000 or 600/600 shots left.


    The fact that the charge was only 6,000 drove home how amazing Torix¡¯s son was. Alfred Worm made a gem that could hold a million mana, well over a hundred times the charge of this rifle. I couldn¡¯t even make something 1% as incredible. It put into perspective how ridiculous it really was. I wondered how in the hell he made it.


    That¡¯s when a realization shot through my mind like whip cracking across bare skin. It wasn¡¯t because of Alfred Worm. It was because of Baldag-Ruhl. The runes that fucking hivemind used were what carried the power to form that mana gem, not Alfred¡¯s genius. Thinking back on the intricacy of the ritual reminded me of it.


    That¡¯s what I needed to learn. Not my own runes, not how to wield oppression or punch harder and faster. I needed that knowledge so that when I met Yawm, I could dive into the other dimension. Using Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s ritual, I could rupture dimensions and come back. Hell, that¡¯s assuming I couldn¡¯t just beat Yawm¡¯s ass with the runes outright.


    Bubbling with excitement, I picked up the rifle and polished it with the technique I now called sandpaper palm. Normally my armor is black, but when polished, it¡¯s a deep, shiny gray. It reminds me of the polished magnets you could buy at stores, at least in appearance.


    Finishing the rifle up in a few minutes, I carried it over towards Althea¡¯s tent. I knocked on it, and Althea replied,


    ¡°You can come in.¡±


    I unzipped the tent, walking inside. Althea sat over her table, reading an old tome no doubt given to her by Torix. Her room was cleaned, a new, black bookcase holding everything in it. All in all, I was very pleased with the change.


    I grinned, setting the rifle at the entrance,


    ¡°Here yah go. Made this in case you needed it. Learning to use it should make you much, much more powerful. Enjoy.¡±


    I turned to walk out before a set of arms wrapped around my back and lifted me into the air. A pleased giggle sounded through the room, almost euphoric. She spun me around with an astounding ease, like I was light before setting me down. I turned to her with an eyebrow raised,


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    She walked over and picked up the rifle, marveling at the polish and detail of the runes. She stared inside the barrel, then she stared at the notification of the gun. She whispered in awe,


    ¡°Omen¡­wow.¡±


    She turned to me then ran up for another hug. Lifting me up again, she beamed,


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!¡±


    She said the words so fast they blurred together. She set me down again, continuing, ¡°This is¡­perfect.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did you need it this bad?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I did. I¡¯ve been researching stronger combustive materials than just gunpowder. I can produce gunpowder using my shapeshifting. The problem is, the other explosive materials would break the bone of my gun. I¡¯d end up ruining my arm each time I fire a shot.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Ouch. Sounds painful.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°There¡¯s all kinds of problems that come with it. The recoil, the smoke made from the gun letting air into the chamber, all kinds of problems. This, this¡¯ll do a lot for me.¡±


    She picked it up, forming her arm into the open socket. She grinned, ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Just perfect. I normally just convert my body into the ammo and the gunpowder needed for the explosions. Now, I¡¯ll be able to use stronger stuff. The bolts will fly faster, and they won¡¯t do so much damage to me.¡±


    ¡°It does damage to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. The bolts and gunpowder costs health, firing the weapon obviously does damage to me. Now the gun will take that damage for me, and I can focus on making just the ammo and powders. Wow. The enchantments are so strong too. I¡¯ll be able to practice now.¡±


    The dots started connecting in my head, painting a picture. Althea sacrificed health for damage. Way back when I gained my first damaging ability, agony, I struggled to use it. It hurt me so bad that I had to adjust to it over a few weeks. There came points where I just didn¡¯t know if I could keep on using it. I ended up doing it, but I couldn¡¯t blame someone else for not being able to go through with it. It just hurt that bad.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Althea may have been in the same place, just stuck on the pain part. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t want to invest 60-70 of her dungeon core points just on pain resistance either. Damage skills would take precedence for a sniper after all. The new rifle would help her more than I imagined it would.


    I grinned, ¡°Well, uh, good. Glad to help. I gotta go though. See yah later.¡±


    She swung the rifle, aiming down the iron sight, ¡°Leaving already? You just got here. I uh, need your help with using the runes.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I have to go talk to Torix.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Oh¡­Ok¡­¡± She grinned at me, ¡°See you later Daniel.¡±


    I nodded, smiling back, ¡°Cya.¡±


    Leaving her tent, I passed by back to Torix. After a quick hello, Torix sent me the files for the images of the runes used by Baldag-Ruhl. As they downloaded, I ate a meal of Torix¡¯s rations and paced back into the forest. Something about the trees let me keep calm.


    Once out there, I leaned against a tree and started my study. Compelling was an understatement. Maybe it was because I was ignorant, but I didn¡¯t remember the runes being so impressive. Each of them, from the tiniest scratch to the ones dug deep as trenches, amazed me. The Power within them leaked through even digital photos.


    Walking by them so many months ago, I hadn¡¯t even recognized the detail in them. It was like listening to a great composer after trying to make music. You can¡¯t fully understand the complexity of a genius¡¯s work until you¡¯ve at least tried at his craft.


    It reminded me of looking at E=mc^2. Sure, I got the gist of it, but I didn¡¯t understand how it worked. A physicist on the other hand can, and with that understanding comes a great humility. How can a person understand the height of a mountain until he has climbed one, or some Chinese proverb like that.


    Now that I understood normal runes, I understood the differences Baldag-Ruhl made. Subtle tweaks were adjusted, along with new characters I did not know. There were so many adjustments, it didn¡¯t even feel like Baldag-Ruhl had learned the language. It seemed like he invented it.


    The excitement filled my belly, making me grin as I tore of sheets of armor from my leg. Flattening them out, I began testing the runes on the metal. The precision and intricacy of the new language flat out decimated the old one. The bizarre changes in the angles and lines of the language made it complex. Unlike the previous rooms, the depth of the carve played a pivotal role as well.


    This added another dimension to the complexity. There seemed to be no structure in the runes either, each of them different. At a quick glance, I recognized over three hundred different characters. That list grew and grew and grew. Within an hour of researching the runes, I made a revelation.


    No two characters were the same.


    The closer I glanced, the more evident this became. Within each rune, extra lines and etchings of depth were added. Unlike with snowflakes or trees, the differences between each character were deliberate. If I write a letter a thousand times, each letter will be different, but I don¡¯t mean for them to be. I¡¯m trying to replicate the same letter.


    That simply wasn¡¯t the case. Even when finding the same characters, the depths were nothing alike and neither were the grooves within those depths. It was like someone had taken a language and fused it with another language, exponentially increasing the complexity of it. Parsing through such dense blocks of information would infuriate anyone.


    Torix couldn¡¯t understand the language because there wasn¡¯t a single language being used. This was an evolved version of the magic runes, combined with another old language from elsewhere. In other words, I wasn¡¯t about to understand it before Yawm came out. At least not here.


    Once inside the rift, I¡¯d find a sentient eldritch and get them to teach me. Ally myself with one enemy to fight another. They may know the underlying language set into the grooves of each rune. Who knew, I may get comprehension of how this ritual was set up.


    Just knowing this information exists was invaluable. Often, I wondered how Schema bent dimensions and reality. Using this dual language while wielding an infinitely more complex algorithm, that could have let Schema re-write reality. If it let Baldag-Ruhl tear dimensions, what¡¯s to say it wouldn¡¯t let me do even more?


    That kind of tampering was far off in the distance though. Maybe when I was sent out towards the eldritch world, I could figure some of it out. I had no way of knowing without getting there. Since we¡¯d be in there for a while, setting myself up for study would be the priority. Torix gave me a library of books to sift through, and Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s runes gave me a focal point for later study. Now I needed to set up learning my class.


    To make that happen, I needed a plan. After researching how to make plans for a bit, I figured out two core principles for them. First you had to come up with a strategy, then you had to come up your tactics. A strategy would be like choosing to focus on getting a class instead of leveling. Tactics would be how I went about getting my class.


    I came up with the strategy: get a class. Leveling would take a back burner to that for now.


    Skill unlocked! Strategy(lvl 1) ¨C Other people fumble around without purpose. You aim your thoughts and your actions towards a goal. You give yourself purpose. +1% to efficacy of strategies. +1% to strategy formulation speed.


    Getting a skill like that was a nice bonus for starting on something like this. I didn¡¯t let it distract me. I turned my efforts back towards answering a simple question. How am I going to get another mythical skill?


    I got lucky with boundless storm. It wouldn¡¯t happen again. I had dozens of skills now, and most of them were simple and situational. Coming up with unique skills would require me to try and make them. With that in mind, I used my obelisk to create a list.


    It didn¡¯t require making the entirety of the interface come out. The list integrated into my current interface, allowing me to manipulate it with thought. I didn¡¯t need to click or move boxes. They shifted as I thought for them too.


    Staring at my list of skills, I separated them into a few clusters. These clusters were made of skills that were similar or had a theme. A perfect example was a cluster I called movement. It was made of five skills, acrobatics, physical fitness, sprinting, traveler, and jumping. These skills all involved movement. Turning them into a unique skill shouldn¡¯t be that hard.


    So to get started on that, I did a bit of research on unique skills. I found out a few things. Unique skills did require five normal skills to make them. They could also be made from less skills though. Any skill that reached 100 could be used as two of those five skills needed for unique skills. If a unique skill reached 100, then it also worked like that for mythical skills. A level 100 unique skill would take up two of the slots required for a mythical skill.


    The other aspect about unique skills I figured out was just how simple they were to make. They required five skills used together all at once. Even if you had the five skills, they wouldn¡¯t turn into a unique skill unless you used them at the same time. This gave me a quite a bit of hope. It meant I wouldn¡¯t need to get hundred more skills. I may be able to make a few unique skills with little effort.


    Up till now, I made my skills based on what I needed right then and there. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time on useless skills for the most part. That was still the case, and it had the advantage of giving each skill a purpose.


    With that in mind, I headed back out the city. The first unique skill I wanted was one for the movement cluster I made. It took five minutes before I was approaching suburbia. Instead of running through the street like normal, I ran through the backyards. I could¡¯ve just plowed through fences and the smaller trees, but instead I weaved my way around them.


    It was basically advanced parkour. I hopped fences. I pushed myself over cars. I spun around trees and leapt through windows. It was a lot of fun. Trying to engineer the easiest pathway took a good bit of skill, and using my new, athletic body to accomplish the feats was fun. Of course, I had to support quite a bit of my bodyweight using telekinesis. Hopping a flimsy wooden fence wouldn¡¯t work otherwise.


    Over the next two hours, I got better and better. My focus honed, and I learned a few techniques for moving past common obstacles. My speed improved, sometimes obstacles making me faster instead of slower. By the time the sun was setting, I could run at full speed without destroying my surroundings. I crashed through quite a few obstacles to get to this point though.


    At the apex of my sprint, I jumped through a window and into a house. Before I touched the floor, I pushed myself over a countertop, swinging my legs over it. After landing onto the floor, I took a step and pushed myself up and over a couch. A telekinetic pad stopped it from crushing as I leapt over it. As I landed, I rolled on the ground before leaping up and out the other side of the building.


    Landing on my feet and through the window again, I rolled again before pulling myself back into a full sprint without missing a beat.


    Unique skill gained! (Requirements: Maneuver through a complex environment without losing speed) Fuses the skills Acrobatics, traveler, physical fitness, sprinting, and jumping into the unique skill Phaser. Gives half of missing tree points from skill fusion (153 total points gained)


    Phaser (lvl 1) ¨C A poet paints with the written word. A musician composes with sound. You create art with motion. Fluidity of movement is increased with level of skill.


    Making unique skills was a simple and brutally effective means of getting of power. Phaser would no doubt be useful later if not right then. Fusing the skill gave me 153 tree points as well, letting me increase my rank in my current tree. With a huge grin plastered on my face, I slowed down to a walk and put the points into Cosmic Soul. It did not disappoint.


    Fight and use every part of your being to do so. Some would let fear freeze them in place. You put that fear behind you, letting it push you forward. You fear the weakling of your past, sacrificing who you were for who you will be. You turn the frozen fear into fire and fury. +25% learning speed of soul related skills. +25% total learning speed of oblivion related skills. Ability upgraded! [Cosmic Soul (Tier 2) ¨C The size of your soul is limitless. + 40% scaling and handling of related skills.]


    You understand that you are the manifestation of your thoughts. A being that reflects what lies within outward. Your beliefs become thoughts. Your thoughts become actions. Your actions become your life. You¡¯ve chosen a life of ambition. +25% learning speed of soul related skills. +25% total learning speed of oblivion related skills. Ability upgraded! [Cosmic Soul (Tier 3) ¨C The size of your soul is limitless. + 60% scaling and handling of related skills.]


    Whenever I reached out towards oppression, the ability was different once more. Malleable and moldable like putty, I shifted and controlled the area it affected. I created complex shapes, allowing me to move it. What set it apart completely was the density of it. I could condense the aura, making it stronger.


    Trying with all my might, I could make it about half size and double the strength. The feat required intense mental strain, even with all my willpower, but it could be done. Being able to control oppression with a fluid handling would allow me to use it even in groups of allies. It still wasn¡¯t quite ready for something like that, but by the time I maxed out Cosmic soul, it would be.


    Crossing one checkmark off the list of unique skills I aimed at, I glanced at the next. Getting the skill in only an afternoon made me wonder why no one else tried this. If you could get so skilled so quickly, then why didn¡¯t everyone do it? The reason popped in my head like a splash of cold water on my face.


    It was the leveling perks and level 100 perks I had. Having so many leveling bonuses combined with so many points in each attribute made gaining skills easy. A normal fighter wouldn¡¯t have the precision or control I did, so getting Phaser would be arduous at best. Diversifying my skill set allowed me to take full advantage of these bonuses.


    An idea popped into my head. I already knew several people who understood many skills that I didn¡¯t. If I spoke with them and gained a few more unique skills, I could be more than ready for the venture into the eldritch rift. Maybe I could get a mythical skill while I was there.


    Interrupting my thoughts, the earth under my feet quaked. Only by a bit, but enough for me to notice. I glanced towards Springfield. The suburbia bled into taller buildings that were swallowed by the dark, yellow forests of Yawm. Beyond the sea of sickly looking leaves, a blot of gray fog covered the city scape. The world tree lied at its center, hidden in a miasma of dense mana.


    Bright streaks of green thunder arced in slow motion from the center of the fog. They grew in intensity over time, so slow you could hardly notice them. It was like they were frozen in place. It wasn¡¯t until the ground shook that they even seemed to move.


    They¡¯d become something like the background of a computer, still and lifeless. Seeing them from the same angle everyday made it seem that way. As I stared at the cloud of gray, the fog pulsed like a beating heart. The lightning shifted a bit before a shockwave shot through the air. The ground quaked for a second, then all was still. There was only one thought coursing through my mind at that moment.


    Was it time to see the world eater?

 66 Teaching the Master

    <div>


    <div>


    Stillness crawled back across the town, like a looming shadow. The landscape froze in place once more. I sighed, relief pouring over me. I shook my head, making the worry slide off my shoulders. Living in Springfield was like living beside a volcano. You could never tell when it was going to erupt.


    I needed to be ready for that eruption, so I grit my teeth and readied myself. I headed back towards Torix for a few tips. He may already know several of the skills I needed anyways. As I ran over towards his place, I took full advantage of my new skill Phaser. Hopping across cars, wall walking, and diving through windows was fun as fuck anyways.


    Once I reached his house of horrors, I jumped and leapt over several burrows lining the house. Torix colonized some beetles for some reason, probably for foot soldiers who actually worked, unlike the steel legion. After jumping over the burrows, I rolled inside and back onto my feet. I kept running, reaching the basement where Torix hunched over a desk.


    He read a tome with a blot of white mana as light floating above him. I jumped down the basement stairs before rolling as I landed. I rolled back up to a standing position as he glanced at me with an eyebrow raised,


    ¡°Ahem¡­why did you roll inside?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I just gained a unique skill, and I¡¯m using the fuck out of it. Mainly because it¡¯s a blast.¡±


    He grinned, the dry skin crinkling, ¡°Ah, I can understand that. Mind sharing what it is?¡±


    I turned a palm to him, ¡°It¡¯s a movement skill called Phaser. Helps with getting to places. It could be a useful part of the steel legion¡¯s training, if they don¡¯t get the skill already.¡±


    Torix turned back to the book, ¡°I suppose it depends on the kind of soldier being used. Scouts may have that unique skill as a part of their training.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I was actually wondering if there were any easy unique skills I could unlock. You¡¯ve been around for a while. You know a ton of unique skills I¡¯m sure. I was going to show you my list of skills and see if we can¡¯t condense a few of my skills.¡±


    He pursed his dry lips, glancing back at me, ¡°Hmmm, I could, but sharing skills is highly personal. Perks and builds can be inferred in a moment¡¯s notice. The sharp eyes of someone specced in perception and intelligence, the pounding steps and broad shoulders of a strength and constitution build, those things are obvious. Skills are what truly sets you apart.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, you¡¯ve seen me develop like 90% of my skills. It really isn¡¯t telling you much more shit than you already know.¡±


    He nodded before setting the book down. He stepped beside me as I opened my screen, willing the system to let him see my screen. Torix cupped his chin, nodding and mumbling to himself some. After a while, he nodded,


    ¡°I saw three I can point out immediately. You have quite an assortment of skills for how little time you¡¯ve had to develop them. Color me impressed.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Eh, I think it¡¯s part getting my ass kicked over and over. That and I always try new stuff.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve gained an arsenal of stuff by now with your approach.¡±


    Torix raised a hand, and his obelisk opened. Surrounded by the icy mountain top and scenic view of a mountain, he opened a status screen in front of me. Within it, three boxes with five words underneath each were open. I read them out loud,


    ¡°Words of Power, Knowledge Maker, and Strategic Commander...You''re telling me I can already make them?¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°No. You couldn¡¯t make any of them. You need one skill for Knowledge Maker and Strategic Commander. You need two for Words of Power. Learning the skills shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours¡­¡±


    He turned to me with a sly grin, ¡°With a bit of help from your master of course.¡±


    I gripped a fist, ¡°Hell yeah. Where do we start?¡±


    ¡°Knowledge Maker would be the simplest. All you need is reasoning. For that, a few problems would be enough.¡±


    He opened a hand, raising a black blot of mana. He closed his hand. A second passed before a rippling sound ebbed from in front of me. The familiar black mana reached out from the center of the sound before coalescing into a bundle of black metal pieces.


    I reached out and grabbed it as Torix crossed his arms,


    ¡°Solve this by removing the center piece. By the time you have, you should gain the reasoning skill.¡±


    I glanced at the pieces of charred metal. It felt like charcoal in my hand, thought it reflected light like metal. I frowned before glancing at the corners of it. The each rotated in different directions, kind of like a rubix cube but less tightly configured. After jiggling it for a moment, I found a red sphere at the center. I tapped it, and it banged against my hand like metal. Surrounded by multiple complex pieces, getting the red sphere out looked hard as hell.


    I scraped my claw against the red sphere. It didn¡¯t leave an indentation. On the other hand, I scratched the black pieces and they crumbled easily. Without needing anymore thought, I lifted my fist and slammed it into the puzzle box.


    The black pieces broke, but I kept the force low enough to keep the red sphere from shattering. After another two hammer fists, I jiggled the red sphere out. After using a bit of telekinesis, I cleaned off the black dust.


    Skill unlocked! Reasoning (lvl 1) ¨C While others hunt for a solution, you hunt for the best solution. +1% to application of knowledge.


    Walking back up to Torix¡¯s reading spot, I handed him the red sphere. He frowned at me,


    ¡°Excellent work. Where is the rest of the puzzle?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I broke the pieces. The stuff was softer than the prize, making it easy to just break. It¡¯s kind of like putting gold into a wooden chest. You can just swing a hammer at the wood then take what¡¯s inside.¡±


    He glanced at the red sphere, inspecting for damage. Torix shook his head before putting the red sphere in a robe. He glanced up at me,


    ¡°I¡­I suppose it¡¯s a creative solution. Did you get the skill?¡±


    I gave him a thumbs up before he stood up,


    ¡°Superb. Then let¡¯s move on to getting the skill.¡±


    We walked deeper into the basement. Torix expanded the building, using the beetles as workers. They dug out many rooms, using some type of yellow adhesive for reinforcing the corridors. We walked down a hallway of smooth earth before pacing into a library. It wasn¡¯t large, just four bookshelf¡¯s lining a small room.


    Torix cupped his chin, tapping his jaw before raising a hand,


    ¡°I want you to research something you find interesting. I¡¯ll give you three hours to do so. When I come back, we¡¯ll discuss whatever it is that you found interesting.¡±


    I nodded, trusting his judgment. No point in having him explain the obvious because it would become evident with time.


    Trying to learn what he was talking about, I walked around the room. Glancing at the spines of books, I looked for an interesting read. My eyes set on a book titled Fringe Monsters: A Categorical Account. The book dealt with all kinds of eldritch monsters. Some of them I¡¯d seen. The clear majority of them I hadn¡¯t.


    It was like looking at a book of horrors. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it. The old, yellowed pages of the book wafted the scent of an ancient paper. Not a bad smell, just a calming one. As I read the book, I sat down on telekinetic pads with my armor holding me up. Might as well train as I read, right?


    Hours passed, and I gained a smidgen of the books information, glossing over most of it. In depth descriptions were almost entirely theoretical. I wasn¡¯t going to waste my time pouring over them. I figured focusing on the concrete facts would work best. By the time Torix walked in, I already covered about two hundred pages of the material.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Did you find something interesting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a book about the eldritch. There¡¯s so many though that I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too useful. I¡¯ll probably never face any these horrors.¡±


    He nodded with a grin on his face, walking out of the room, ¡°Good. Now follow me.¡±


    We walked out of the personal study before reaching a much larger room. Full of jars, beakers, and vats of chemicals, the room stung the nose with a smell so sterile and clean, it could burn your nose hair. It took a few minutes to adjust to the acrid stench. By then we reached a series of floating tubes. In each, a different monster floated in suspension fluid.


    The pods were similar to the pods used to hold Michael and Kelsey when they were infected. At the thought of it, I glanced down. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a burning shame in my chest. The feeling only grew with time, like I understood just how badly I messed up.


    As if reading my mind, Torix walked up to a tube, ¡°Remembering your friend¡¯s demise? I wouldn¡¯t feel too bad about it. The pods they used didn¡¯t have a signature system. Any mana from anyone could open them. It¡¯s an outdated practice, and they shouldn¡¯t have left them like that. These pods will only open to my balance of mana. One dominated by dominion magic.¡±


    Torix placed a hand on a tube, feeling the glass, ¡°Your ascendant mana will have no effect.¡± He turned to me, ¡°You can still break them, however. Do be careful.¡±


    Cheering me up a bit, I turned my gaze towards the monster he was beside.


    ¡°Can you tell me what monster this may be? Without using Schema¡¯s notification of course.¡±


    It looked like a catfish, except the whiskers were spears and its tail stretched out many feet past the main body. It could probably dish out a mean whipping attack with the end of it, stunning other fish. Its eyes stretched outwards off its face, like a hammerhead¡¯s face. Combine that with a throat full of sharp teeth, and you had a scary creature.


    It was most certainly an underwater species. I searched my memory of reading the book. A few seconds later, I remembered a segment about a fish that could crawl up sheer cliff faces. They stored oxygen in their gills before using the spears on their face move their way up rocky cliffs. With that in mind, I answered,


    ¡°Tripofloxerix. The dumbest name for a fish I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Torix nodded with an understanding grin, ¡°A sentiment I can agree with. On to the next sample.¡±


    We went through the lab full of test tubes. Some of the creatures I answered immediately. Others required a bit more struggle to pry the knowledge from my head. Torix wouldn¡¯t let me come up with a wrong answer either. We sat on a specimen until I got it right.


    Over time, I developed a few tactics for trying to remember this stuff. The hardest of which required me to remember the page the monster¡¯s name was on using my photographic memory. It was tough. While keeping that memory in my head, I would read the page until I found the name of the creature. It was an arduous process.


    Still, I got better at it as time passed. The exercise reminded me of recalling a name by remembering their face first. By the time we reached the last tube, my head was throbbing from flexing some mental muscles I didn¡¯t know I had. It made everything seem a bit floaty, like I couldn¡¯t focus my thoughts.


    Pushing past the mental fog, I remembered the page the monster came from. I sat down on my self-made chair and read off memory for a minute before I got what I came for.


    Unique skill gained! (Requirements: Critically apply your knowledge and stress your mind for answers) Fuses the skills Biology, Mathematics, History, Reading Comprehension, and Reasoning into the unique skill Knowledge Maker. Gives half of missing tree points from skill fusion (189 total points gained)


    Knowledge Maker (lvl 1) ¨C Most forget the lessons they¡¯ve learned. Unlike most, your mind snaps onto the lessons you¡¯ve learned like a bear trap. Increases ability to utilize knowledge for problem solving. Effect depends on level.


    The task at hand became easier, letting me hold onto the information without the same focus and struggle. A minute later, I spoke,


    ¡°It¡¯s a Ro-Ran. A beetle species used for the colonies and production of working adhesives. Good for building structures, guarding areas, and moving materials¡­Are these the insects you''re using right now?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Indeed they are. I¡¯m formulating the details of the fight against Yawm as we speak. We¡¯ll need a sentinel¡¯s spear and you to pull Yawm over. Hopefully you won¡¯t fall into the other dimension as you do so. I¡¯m trying to come up with a plan for getting you back. Using the runes from that eldritch you slew in BloodHollow is an integral part of that.¡±


    I nodded, standing up from my makeshift chair of formed armor and telekinetic pads,


    ¡°Can we make our way towards the next unique skill? I just finished that one.¡±


    Torix placed his arms behind him, ¡°Not a problem. Let us go to the next exam.¡±


    As we walked, Torix hummed a happy tune. He kept light on his steps, enjoying the teaching process more than I ever imagined he would. The old, crusty corpse smiling for a change was a nice shift away from his normal guise. While I walked, I didn¡¯t waste any time, putting points into Cosmic Soul. No point in waiting anyway.


    Heroes are praised for the strength of character, the might of their body, but not the spirit that fuels their desire. A king who treats his subjects with a gentle grace and his enemies with a heavy hand is lauded for his intellect, never for the soul that guides his journey. You will teach history the error of its ways. The stories told of your legend will echo the sound of your soul. +25% learning speed of soul related skills. +25% learning speed of oblivion related skills. Ability upgraded! [Cosmic Soul (Tier 4) - +80% scaling and handling of related skills and abilities.]


    Your story will speak more than whispers of a forgotten memory. They will boom with the might of life and echo in eternity. +25% learning speed of soul related skills. +25% learning speed of oblivion related skills. Ability upgraded! [Cosmic Soul (Tier 5) - +100% to scaling and handling of related skills and abilities. -50% Mana cost for soul skills and abilities.]


    As we paced up and out of the basement, I grinned while activating oppression. The deft handling of the ability allowed me to use it even with Torix walking beside me. The ability handled like a hand or leg, shifting around me with an instinctual grace. Condensing it weighed less on my mind, allowing me to form it to less than half its size in any direction.


    After shutting oppression off, I molded my armor a bit. It glided on my skin like liquid, shifting at my command. The metal responded with rapt attention at even the smallest piece of mana. The efficiency of the movement gave it a different feel. Before, molding the armor felt like forcing it out of place, like pushing down a spring. It wanted to return to its base form the moment my mana was released.


    Now it obeyed my will like an iron clad order. I raised a hand, shifting the length of each finger on my gauntlet. I toyed with armor as we stepped outside of the house.


    The sun already set long ago, and the full moon casted bright light down on us. Ever since Schema took over, the stars shined with far greater intensity. Without street lights or cars making everything bright down here, it let you see how bright things were up there.


    It made seeing the stars a joy.


    ¡°What is that you¡¯re doing? The armor manipulation?¡±


    Snapping me from my trance, I glanced back down and created a metal flower from my palm. He frowned, ¡°Deft work for a skill so new.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a part of Boundless Storm. Makes it easy to use.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh. Is that why you want unique skills then?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, so he continued, ¡°To gain another mythical skill?¡±


    I nodded. He looked forward, acting casual,


    ¡°Why would you want more than one?"


    Torix kept composed, feigning nonchalance that was obvious. His acting wasn''t good, easy to see through as peering through glass. I could see he wanted to share his knowledge, almost like he was jumping out to do so.


    "You know, I could teach you my own mythical skill. It¡¯s quite useful, even if you don¡¯t intend on becoming a summoner.¡±


    I turned to him, ¡°Really? I thought you said sharing skills was a big deal.¡±


    He kept his glance staring forward, ¡°There are no unnecessary secrets between a master and his pupil.¡± He turned to me, ¡°And besides, I should return your honesty in kind. You¡¯ve shown that you are an able and willing student. Even my son, Alfred, couldn¡¯t have matched your scholastic prowess. What you lack in his talent you¡¯ve made up for with the will of your mind. It¡¯s a feat to behold.¡±


    I blushed a bit, turning forward as well, ¡°Well uh, I don¡¯t know what to say¡­Thank you.¡±


    He grinned, his smile a both subtle and knowing, ¡°Do you know why I wanted a disciple?¡±


    I shook my head. He continued, the smile turning into a grimace, ¡°I didn¡¯t. I wanted my son. If you would allow me to be frank, I wanted to send you to the eldritch dimension when we first met. I wanted you to suffer. I figured it would be a fun experiment too, so I could kill two birds with a single stone.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Well, you accomplished one of those things.¡±


    Torix laughed a bit before going on, ¡°My thoughts changed over time. After seeing you survive the eldritch portal, I wanted you as a sample. It was fascinating to see such a low leveled and new unknown. After seeing you struggle on, I found myself wanting you to succeed despite a bit of lingering hatred. Everything changed after you saved Kessiah. Not just for me mind you.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s no secret I¡¯ve tried convincing Kessiah to utilize her potential. I¡¯ve done so for ages. She¡¯s quite talented, even for a remnant. Her potential exceeds my own. I saw it as a great shame when she wouldn¡¯t use her powers no matter the circumstance. Unlike me, you convinced her with your actions and conviction. That, and you set her competitive nature ablaze.¡±


    He turned towards the sky, looking at the moon and stars.


    ¡°Kessiah was floating from planet to planet, wasting her time like an unfeeling ghost. Seeing your vitality gave her life. When I saw the change in her eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but be a bit envious. I wanted the same energy she had.¡±


    He glanced back at me, ¡°It¡¯s strange. Ever since I¡¯ve become immortal, I¡¯ve felt dead. It was only when I was waiting for death that I even felt alive. When time was scarce, it held meaning. Now it¡¯s lost agency with its passage. Seeing your struggle renewed a bit of that vitality.¡±


    He laughed before staring at his hands, ¡°I haven¡¯t worked this hard in centuries. Imagine that? I¡¯m not terrified, I¡¯m excited. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll make it out of this alive, but it¡¯s better than just running away from death forever.¡±


    He met my eye, his voice solid as stone, ¡°I¡¯ll use every bit of my talent, and I¡¯ll push my limits. No more spending years and years gaining a single level. All I learned over my life means nothing if I never use it. I¡¯ll struggle forward, as you do. I¡¯ll find something to live for.¡±


    He grinned, ¡°Because knowledge can fill your head, but it cannot fill your soul.¡±


    I blinked a few times, shocked at the speech. I nodded, ¡°Well shit¡­I¡¯m glad I could do that for you. I¡¯m also glad you didn¡¯t decide to kill me. Thanks.¡±


    A moment passed before he continued with a sly grin,


    ¡°Think nothing of it, disciple. I hope you¡¯re ready to give your own speech.¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°Uh¡­Speech? I don¡¯t really give speeches.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Oh, but you will. Your next unique skill demands it. You won¡¯t face against giant monsters. You¡¯ll be standing in front of several hundred troops and rally them.¡±


    As clich¨¦ as it sounds, I gulped. I¡¯d fought monsters a plenty. I told plenty of people to fuck off. Giving inspirational speeches?


    Yeah, not my cup of tea.

 67 Those Left

    Sensing my discomfort, Torix grinned with evil on his lips¡­at least to me it was evil.


    ¡°Does the prospect of giving a speech seem so bad?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯m used to. I¡¯d rather fight giant monsters. I¡¯m more in my element there.¡±


    Torix turned and walked towards the command center of the steel legion. I followed beside him as he entered lecture mode,


    ¡°That is precisely why we¡¯re doing it. The other unique skill I can show you is called Words of Power. You¡¯ve felt it before from Elijah...¡± Torix coughed into his hand like he was embarrassed, ¡°And, myself as well. It¡¯s a useful power, especially whenever working in the galaxy. Most fighting types won¡¯t even notice you using it.¡±


    I tapped the edges of my armor, ¡°I¡¯m more of a do it myself kind of guy.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°One cannot fight against the might of many. It¡¯s a fun idea, but it doesn¡¯t hold up to scrutiny. You need to learn how to speak with others. Especially in the galactic environment. This is actually the perfect opportunity for a history lesson.¡±


    We passed by a pile of bones crushed against the brick wall of a suburban basement. We both ignored it, such a sight being normal by now.


    ¡°Earth will become more and more integrated as time passes. People will select their builds and use the strength of Schema to achieve unimaginable feats. Your species will survive without Yawm destroying them. Over time, the dungeons will become training grounds, and the strongest will rise and rule. Governments will form as fragmented factions.¡±


    He spread out his arms, ¡°Wars will come between these factions. Once those wars settle and nations reform, the charisma builds will rise. One charisma build can convince an entire nation of his correctness. They can form cults, mold nations, and lead entire races. A warrior, no matter how strong, cannot match that level of influence.¡±


    He lowered his hands, glancing at me as we walked, ¡°In order to compete in that arena, you will need general competence with your wording and with leadership. The other two unique skills will give you just that.¡±


    He turned forward, ¡°In fact, that¡¯s why charisma is fed by both chains of stats. Within Schema¡¯s system, very few people were willing to invest into charisma. It¡¯s easy to understand the value of strength. Swing harder and faster to crush a monster¡¯s skull. Charisma? That¡¯s a far more intangible attribute with less obvious benefits. Once someone¡¯s gained too much of an edge over you in the attribute, you become their puppet.¡±


    I shivered as a chill crawled up my spine. I shook my head, ¡°Damn. You could have done that to me when we first met then.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Indeed I could have. I could also summon monsters stronger than you, so I didn¡¯t see the point in having a mindless puppet. Regardless, Schema rebalanced the system so that each chain of stats fed into Charisma after the problem came to its apex. They call it the Great Equilibrium. It was an interesting time, to say the least.¡±


    We reached the steel legions outpost, quality, gray tents bracing against the wind. Almost everyone slept, besides for a few guards and supply men. They kept the camp lit during night using tesla coils contained in glass. Electricity would spark from them in every direction, giving everything a whitish hue. The coils had the advantage of being working defense turrets as well.


    Most of the camp was set up within a few empty lots that were side by side. A few of the surrounding buildings were commandeered for use, however. One of those buildings was an old, three story tall bank. This was where the administrative center, armory, and the bombs were located. The bank vault was where the majority of that was held, being one of the few secure areas that wasn¡¯t a dungeon.


    We walked through two clear glass doors, passing two guards who gave Torix a salute. He held up a palm to them, letting them relax before we stepped towards a receptionist. It was human girl, almost dressed like someone normal. It was a blast from the past, coming with an ensuing wave of nostalgia.


    She smiled at us, though the hairs on her neck stood on end,


    ¡°Hello. What can I help you with today?¡±


    Torix answered, ¡°I need to speak with corporal Briggs.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. This way.¡±


    She walked off, maybe a bit faster than she should. We walked with her, making her fast pace seem needed. Both Torix and I were taller than her, so her strides had to keep quick or else she¡¯d fall behind. At the rapid pace, we passed two hallways before reaching the vault doors.


    The receptionist signaled for the door to open, but I stepped in front of the door,


    ¡°Yeah, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    A giant beam of steel had been the lock for the door. I walked over and pulled, unlatching the mechanism. A few hydraulics pieces shifted before I grabbed the vault door and opened it. With a bit of weight to my pull, the door swung with a reasonable effort. It was like opening one of those heavy doors you almost faceplant, mainly because you didn¡¯t know it was going to be heavy.


    I did know though, so once the vault doors opened, rows of deposit boxes covered the walls. Steel reinforced the concrete walls, and a machine was placed in the back that looked like a dehumidifier. It probably gave the room fresh air and oxygen, working like a rebreather you see on tv.


    There were several desks, along with quite a few valuables. Most of it was sensitive looking tech, the kind that wouldn¡¯t be easy to replace. Besides for that, there were strange looking minerals, stones, and gems placed around. Some of them glowed, others absorbed light. A few were contained in capsules of glass, holding in storms of lightning.


    Torix ignored all that and walked right up to a desk near the back. A blue man with hair like tentacles sat over a desk. He looked exhausted, just worn out beyond measure. Bags under his eyes, dark circles, and his face nearly on his desk, he looked like the hunchback of Notre Dame.


    Unlike that hunchback, the hump on his back was muscle, and rippled as he moved his enormous hands to write on the paper. It looked out of place, like it shouldn¡¯t be. Fingers of that size were meant for violence, not something so precise. There they etched in elegant handwriting on the papers.


    He kept writing while glancing up. Once he saw Torix, he set the pen down and stood. With purposeful steps, he reached us and gave a quick salute,


    ¡°Good to see you sir. What is it that you need?¡±


    Torix placed a hand on my shoulder,


    ¡°Hello Briggs. This is Daniel, my disciple. He needs to learn about the freedom fighters and a few of the surrounding towns. Give him the intel he needs for gaining their allegiance.¡±


    I turned to Torix, my helmet snapping off my face,


    ¡°What do you mean gaining their allegiance? The fuck?¡±


    Ignoring my refusal completely, Briggs set off towards his desk and rummaged for papers. As he did so, Torix grinned,


    ¡°Well there are three things for the words of power skill that you need. First, the persuasion skill. Second, the debate skill. Third, you you¡¯ll need to use those skills along with speech craft, listening, and intimidation all at once. Can you name a better method than by getting us allies along the way?¡±


    I glanced between Briggs and Torix, ¡°Can I just¡­I don¡¯t know. Threaten them?¡±


    Torix shrugged, enjoying my squirming, ¡°We¡¯ll keep going through these different kinds of tasks until you get the words of power skill.¡±


    I sighed, putting my hands on my hips. I took a step away from Torix, turning and walking in a slow circle. I reached back to him and lowered my hands,


    ¡°Man¡­fuck. Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°As I knew you would.¡±


    Briggs had several disks in his hand, each them looking like cd¡¯s with pulsing green lines on them. He reached me and held out four them, each held between his fingers. I grabbed them,


    ¡°What are these for?¡±


    Briggs stood up straight into a salute, ¡°They are disks of monolith. They¡¯re storage devices supplied by Schema. You can absorb them into your obelisk, sir.¡±


    The obelisk raised from my hand, the glass sphere reflecting the florescent lights. The band of gray steel at its center shined a bit too. I¡¯d always wondered where the fuck stuff went whenever it sunk into my armor. Even with such precise handling of it, I still didn¡¯t quite know.


    That didn¡¯t stop me from using it. Whenever I placed a disk onto the obelisk, the green lines drained into it. After doing this with each of the disks, the band at the middle of the obelisk shined green. It drained over the next few seconds. Once it emptied, a notification appeared in the corner of my screen.


    Download Complete.


    Simply and very effective, I grinned at Briggs, ¡°Thanks man. Good to see there some steel legion members who know how to get stuff done.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Briggs stuck out his chest some and scratched his nose, ¡°I do take pride in my work after all.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Indeed he does.¡±


    Briggs exhaustion seemed to wane with our words, like he just needed a bit support to shine. He glanced at Torix,


    ¡°I was wondering sir, why are you asking uhm¡­Daniel to do this?¡±


    Torix raised a finger, ¡°Excellent question. He is, in fact, a human.¡±


    Briggs shook his head before refocusing on Torix,


    ¡°Daniel is in the unique position of being a figure head for them. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch of the imagination to say he¡¯s the strongest human alive, or at the very least one of them. That means he can act as a bridge between the steel legion and the other human parties.¡±


    My head raised, ¡°Ahhhhhhhh. I get it. I¡¯m not a member of the steel legion, so they won¡¯t look at me as a traitor. I can just say the legion are a necessary evil to fight off the big bad Yawm.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Something akin to that. You¡¯ll be able to leverage your title of rift closer and your unknown status I¡¯m sure. Get them to accept the steel legion¡¯s help. Draft up a compromise. Something.¡±


    Briggs nodded, ¡°We¡¯ve tried everything sir. Humans seem to be averse to differences in species. It¡¯s rare to see such a hostile and violent species. Perfect for Schema¡¯s system, but not the legion.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, stereotypes and racism are for dumbasses. Having people like that on our side will be a bigger disadvantage than benefit anyway.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°There are reasons they fear the legion. They look at them as invaders. It wouldn¡¯t be an unreasonable stance if it wasn¡¯t for Yawm. His interference is an invasion in the truest sense, and unity will be required to beat him.¡±


    I tapped my chin, ¡°And now it¡¯s my job to set everything straight¡­ok. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Torix turned and walked out of the vault, ¡°Finish the task before the next five days. You and Althea need to enter the rift by then. While you and she are training your abilities there, Kessiah and I will organize the effort up here. Once you come out. We¡¯ll stage an assassination of a follower of Yawm. If all works well, Yawm will awaken without anyone but us to greet him.¡±


    I gave Torix a tiny salute with my hand, ¡°Sure thing, professor Worm.¡±


    He grinned as he walked off. I turned to Briggs,


    ¡°Must be hard serving him.¡±


    Briggs nodded, ¡°He works me to the bone.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Looks like he wants another skeleton.¡±


    Briggs let out a chuckle. I pat one his shoulders, ¡°You got this man. Once we kill the shit out of Yawm, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a few promotions lined up. Every step you take now is worth miles in the long run.¡±


    Briggs nodded, raising his chest a bit. Looking less defeated, he gave me a salute, ¡°Thank you sir. Good luck getting us reinforcements.¡±


    I nodded, leaving him in the vault. As I left, I shouted at him, ¡°Any eldritch powerful enough to kill you can get through this door. There¡¯s really no point to keeping it closed.¡±


    Briggs glanced around, before nodding, ¡°Of course sir. Thank you for the help.¡±


    As I walked away, I could see why he was doing some simple-minded stuff. He looked nervous as an unprepared student on exam day. Easing some of the pressure off him was a good idea. Having me handle the diplomatic stuff killed three birds with a single stone. Briggs could work better, we get new allies, and I get another unique skill. Hopefully at least.


    With that in mind, I sifted through the new data given by Briggs. Apparently, the freedom fighters weren¡¯t annihilated by Yawm, which was a relief. The freedom fighters were spread out near the creek in the forest. Most of them had left the town and tried making bases of operations out there. Of course there wasn¡¯t too much food out there, so they had to be getting supplies from somewhere.


    It was my job to go out there and get them to organize with the steel legion. If they¡¯d allied themselves with another town nearby, then getting them to join was just icing on the cake.


    With that in mind, I sprinted off towards the city. I already had a few ideas for motivating the other troops. As I did so, I checked out my other skill trees. I hadn¡¯t selected another one after finishing Cosmic Soul.


    [Tier I Invincible (Take over 10,000 points of damage, with capped resistance in the damage type, and live)(0/250)]


    [Fearless (Battle an enemy over 1,000 levels above you and live)(0/250)]


    The selection of choices thinned out quite a bit by now. Both Fearless and Invincible sounded pretty solid, but I decided on taking invincibility. It sounded like something that would help make me tankier, which would synergize with my build.


    After placing my remaining thirty-seven points into the tree, I reached through the quarantine zone. It didn¡¯t take long before I found a few zombies nearby. Instead of killing them outright, I smashed the host they carried. I wrenched the insects from the mounds of molded flesh. The ball of legs crawled in my hand, but it couldn¡¯t get through my skin.


    After getting five of them, I ripped off a plate of my armor and wrapped it around the bugs. Making sure it was airtight, I carried it under my arm. Not wanting to waste any time, I pulsed my ascendant mana until it matched my health regen. My new runes filled to the brim, a surge of might filling my bones and blood.


    The rush was even better than before. I forgot I carved them again, making them better. It let me use all the hidden potential behind my enormous ebb and flow of mana. Like breaking a damn, it flowed through my veins. The liquid power didn¡¯t flow out of the new runes either. There was no mist or steam coming out of them.


    Instead, the air hummed like electricity was dancing in the air. A second passed before a spark of carmine colored lightning shot out from my armor. Another spike of electricity shot out of my armor, then another still. Focusing the power, not letting it intoxicate me, I honed the energy down into the runes.


    The lightning stopped, letting the energy stabilize to its entirety. No more wasted dispersal. I would control it with an iron fist. Setting up my telekinetic augments, and idea struck me. So far, I¡¯d set up several telekinetic pads to create points at the ends of my fists. It helped pierce enemies, but whenever I struck with full force, the pads shattered. I couldn¡¯t maintain them.


    I needed a simple and more effective solution. I let the pads disappear before making a pad on my hand. Visualizing another pad on my hand, I created a flat pad over my fist. Instead of redirecting it, I imagined a much smaller pad right past it. Instead of creating these elaborate telekinetic spikes, I would just make the force condense into a smaller point.


    It¡¯s kind of like putting on a pair of telekinetic brass knuckles, except all the force would condense into one point. In theory, the constructs should be much stronger than the elaborate points since they were closer to my hand. It would make my fist punch holes into whatever I hit, letting me handle armored foes much better. That, and my armor could get a hold in them and tear their organs out.


    Once I did that, it would be over. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t have to spin my damn hands when trying to punch. Doing that shit was hard as hell in the middle of a fight, and I couldn¡¯t do it from certain angles. With that in mind, I set my case of armor onto the ground. I reinforced it with three more layers of my armor. I did not want those insects getting out once I was outside the quarantine zone.


    I walked up to the brick wall of a chimney. I stomped my heel and pivoted a hook into the side of the chimney. Instead of letting my arm crash through brick chimney, I let the force go through the telekinetic pad on my hand. As the force of the strike transferred into the chimney, my hand bounced backwards.


    It felt like I was launching a telekinetic bullet with my hand. It didn¡¯t end up like a bullet though. It punched a hole through the chimney wall, leaving the wall I hit intact. The other side of the chimney though, it wasn¡¯t so lucky. It exploded outward like a bomb went off inside it. I transferred all the force of my strike into what I hit instead of on the surface of it.


    The brick wall my hand rested on had a three-inch-wide breach with a couple cracks around it. Walking up towards another chimney, I shot out another punch using the new technique. This time however, I released writhing, hooked tendrils of metal as my fist landed. The shifting storm of black blades detonated into the chasm I created. When my fist bounced backwards, the metal tentacles caught on the chimney.


    The effect was chimney detonating from the inside. One side from the raw, kinetic energy and the other side from the metal tendrils pulling it apart. If that was a person, their insides would be blended. In a single word, devastating.


    If that could hold up at full strength, then the telekinetic augments would be complete. Satisfied with the result, I picked up the metal ball of insects. After wrapped it around tied it to my back with a metal cord, I sprinted out of town at full speed. The Phaser ability was put to full use, allowing me to bolt from the town at a blistering pace.


    Once I reached the forest, I dashed past trees and broke through briars. The wind whistled in my ears, the sheer speed of my travel amazing me. It felt like riding a motorcycle straight through the dense underbrush. The dark of the forest cast calm onto the scene, like ambient music given a physical form. Whenever I reached the creek, a few nightingales flew off a branch. My speed startled them away.


    By the time I reached near the supposed base, my mind was wary for any danger. Unlike before, I wouldn¡¯t be caught by surprise. Catching up towards the blip on my mini-map, I found a village of huts and tents.


    It was a miserable sight. There were only four guards, and only two of them had guns. One of the others held a bloody pipe and the other some forest bow and arrow. They looked desperate, dirt on their faces and thousand-yard stares latched on their eyes. They were nothing like I hoped they would be.


    There were still about three hundred in the camp. Even the weakest child can become a cold-blooded killer if you give them a gun. Put armor on them, and you could hardly tell the difference between them and adults. This number of people would bolster the current legion¡¯s numbers by maybe a fourth. Maybe it would change their mind about what happened.


    As I reached the encampment, I slowed down and quit using my ascendant mana. Instead of walking up at night, I would wait until the morning to act. I figured a bit of light would help them with the whole not panicking thing.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the sun peaked over the horizon. I¡¯d burrowed myself into the ground and covered myself in leaves using telekinesis during the meantime. Spying on them only revealed how terrible the living conditions were still. Buckets for holding water, having a hole in the ground to shit in, and looking bony, these guys were living it up.


    Convincing them to stop looked like it would be easier than I thought.


    With that in mind, I walked up with a steady and slow pace. Not wanting to startle them, I wanted to look like a messenger. My name helped with that, being a Harbinger of Cataclysm. Playing off the title would help as well.


    As I neared the camp, the guards panicked. Each of them weren¡¯t even level 100. No one in the camp was, at least from what I saw. Seeing someone with 740 above their head in purple text was no doubt intimidating. That didn¡¯t even include whatever my notification told them.


    By the time I reached them, the guards had their guns raised. Once I was within fifty feet, one of the guards shouted,


    ¡°Don¡¯t take a step closer or else I¡¯ll open fire.¡±


    I kept my voice steady as I thundered, ¡°You already know that isn¡¯t enough to even touch me. If you fire, I will retaliate in kind.¡±


    Had to keep the evil guy shenanigans going. Once I reached up close, the two guards petrified at the sight of me. One of them was a taller, thin guy and the other was a short woman. Neither of them were ready for something like me.


    I couldn¡¯t blame them for being scared. I was trying to take advantage of my imposing figure. Without the telekinetic buffers, my steps shook the ground. I was over a head taller than either of the guards. Pulling back my helmet, I revealed my face to them, scars and all.


    The girl whispered, ¡°He¡¯s one of the grays.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s a gray?¡±


    They glanced at each other. It took them a bit before one of the guys spoke,


    ¡°It¡¯s uhm¡­It¡¯s what we call people who are gray¡­It¡¯s a compliment.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Alright, that doesn¡¯t tell me anything. From what I know, the gray comes from constitution. You hardly need even forty in the attribute for that gray coloring to set in.¡±


    They turned to each other again, both looking like they were dancing in the middle of a minefield. The girl turned to me, her eyes were in utter terror. I gave her no reason to be scared, yet here she was shitting herself at the sight of me.


    My senses clicked at that moment. Something wasn¡¯t right. My eyes narrowed and my helmet slid back on. I listened close, hearing the brushing of leaves from within the tented encampment. All the steps sounded the same. Well, all except for one pair of footsteps. This pair of steps were quiet as falling snow.


    I shot my hand out towards my left, grasping at the soft sound. My fingers wrapped around a neck. I turned my head at the thing I held onto. The invisibility field faded, revealing a woman in a black suit of some kind. I turned to her, grinning with my armor forming teeth,


    ¡°Well then, what do we have here?¡±

 68 Tasting Deception

    <div>


    <div>


    I pulled the person closer, glancing at her hand. A glowing dagger was there, with the air fizzling around it. She whipped it towards my neck, the air whistling as she did so. Off reflex, my armor shot out and pierced through her forearm.


    The guards aimed their rifles at me, but I shot my armor out towards the barrels. My armor pierced the rifles, tearing them apart before the guards ran away. Turning back to the girl, I grabbed he plasma knife from her hand. I snapped the handle, shutting the blade down. With the same hand, I grabbed her helmet, my hands big enough to wrap around her head completely.


    I frowned, ¡°Now tell me why I shouldn¡¯t crush your skull like an egg full of red?¡±


    My armor retracted from her forearm, a high-pitched voice screaming. A second later, she answered in a soft, squeaky voice,


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not here to kill you¡­Just protect camp. Doing my job.¡±


    I identified her,


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    FearFighter Rogue, Francis Favari (lvl 597) ¨C An upper level FearFighter, this specific kind of FearFighter is usually sent out to kill would be intruders. They often use pathetic looking defenses as cover-ups for their assassination style guarding. This allows them to catch the unaware off guard. Too bad for Francis you aren¡¯t just a big bad brute.


    Beating higher level enemies isn¡¯t normally a problem for them either, mainly because their damage specced builds allow them to burst most targets down. Not the best matchup versus a high damage tank build.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not a dumbass. You FearFighters need to learn when to fuck off.¡±


    From her armor, a speaker sounded out, ¡°We have you surrounded. Let her go.¡±


    On my chest and face, green laser pointers jittered on me. I glanced out in the distance, and along several trees, FearFighters were set up. Instead of rogues, the snipers covered themselves in leaves and brush, making them hard to see. None of them were above level 500 though. I sighed,


    ¡°Why not try talking instead of firing first eh? That¡¯s why you all lost your last group of scouts.¡±


    From the speaker, the gruff voice replied, ¡°You¡¯re the one that took down party D-6? Here we thought it was Bloodbull¡­Alright, we¡¯ll talk. Why are you here?¡±


    I moved the woman in front of three lasers on my chest. She squirmed in my grip, but she made an effective shield nonetheless.


    ¡°To get the Freedom Fighters to join the Steel Legion.¡±


    ¡°You want them to join those slave drivers? They barely escaped whatever mutant experiment that went awry. Why do you want to send these humans back to them?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I have several of those mutants along my back. You fire, and they may get out. Trust me when I tell you they¡¯re a lot more dangerous than I am.¡±


    Several seconds of tense silence passed. The green dots appeared on the ground beside me. The voice continued,


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll have it your way. Set her down, and we¡¯ll negotiate.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m trying to be reasonable here. Don¡¯t ask me to give away my only bargaining chip.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­Can¡¯t blame me for trying.¡±


    I glanced at the sky,


    ¡°You FearFighters are supposed to be about espionage and intrigue, but you swallowed the bullshit these supposed freedom fighters fed you? Mutant experiments¡­really now?¡±


    I tossed the woman aside, pounding my chest with a fist, ¡°Do you see my title? Have you read my name? I am a messenger of what¡¯s to come. Ignoring my message would turn you from being ignorant to being dumbasses. I wish I had time to dance around the issue, but I don¡¯t. Neither do any of you.¡±


    The green lasers popped back up on my chest. I flared my ascendant mana, my armor sliding back onto my face and grinning. I leaned forward with my fists balled into clubs of iron,


    ¡°Unless you want to fight. You¡¯ll find I¡¯m more than willing.¡±


    My intimidation skill leveled several times before the lasers lowered. The woman tried running away, but I lifted my right arm and lowered my hand. A telekinetic wave of energy slammed her to the ground. I raised the arm while clenching my hand, lifting her into the air. From the speaker, the voice ebbed,


    ¡°Ok, ok. We get it. We¡¯ll meet at the village head. We aren¡¯t the only guards here, so don¡¯t try anything funny.¡±


    I let the woman drop and stood up straight. She scrambled away from me as I shrugged,


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t aim a gun at me and I won¡¯t raise my fist at you. This is pretty basic guys. Not that hard to understand.¡±


    I walked into the camp, looking a for the biggest tent in the group. I passed by several ragged, dirty looking people. None of them were above level 50. In my eyes, they were stunted. It was like they hadn¡¯t even tried to adjust to Schema. Combine that with their refusal to accept the steel legion¡¯s help, and they were as useless as they could be. Give them a gun and a bit of training, suddenly they become a force to reckon with.


    At the same time, them escaping the city had let them live. It wouldn¡¯t let them live forever though. As I reached a shitty looking log cabin at the center of the camp, I vowed to get that message across.


    Once I neared it, a long head alien materialized in front of the door. With an overgrown back filled into the suit, it pulled off its helmet, revealing a lion¡¯s mane. It grew all the way down the skull, both golden and majestic. On its furred face, three eyes with the pupils of cats starred at me. Its bottom jaw could split in half, meeting on its nose. At the ends of each jaw bone, a long tusk raised upward. At least it stood on two legs with two arms.


    It caught me a bit off guard. Up till now, most aliens looked pretty damn human. This thing did not¡­Not one bit. It looked as monstrous as any eldritch I¡¯d ever seen. Ignoring it though, I removed my own helmet and reached out a hand,


    ¡°I¡¯m Daniel Hillside. Who are you?¡±


    He glanced down at my hand, then back up at me. The gruff voice that spoke over the intercom came out of his weird mouth,


    ¡°I¡¯m Tralis, the captain of the FearFighter squadron stationed here. Come in.¡±


    He opened the door, pacing inside. I followed suit. The inside of the cabin changed from rustic to futuristic. Clear slates of polymer covered every surface, letting you see the dirt through like clear plastic panels. A spiral staircase headed deeper down to a lower floor, and scientific trinkets covered the various benches laid out on the surface of the place.


    Tralis walked down a spiral set of steps, motioning me to follow. I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going down there.¡±


    He turned to me, his eyes narrowing, ¡°Why not?¡±


    I tapped my head in frustration before turning back to him, ¡°Tell me why I should trust you first? All I¡¯ve gotten is a few bullets and a plasma blade coming for my throat so far.¡±


    He blinked, all three eyelids snapping shut. He grinned, a grisly visage on his face,


    ¡°I¡¯ll do a little introduction then. We are a team of FearFighters contracted to protect a group of Enigmatta. They¡¯re a large faction of scientists. They¡¯re here on this mud ball to study some spacial anomaly or something like that. We are here to help them. After seeing the natives in such bad shape, they decided to help them.¡±


    Tralis leaned against the railing of the spiral stairs, the clear polymer holding his weight easily, ¡°They ended up just using them to make a base of operations. Now the natives do the labor and the Enigmatta are giving them the food and medicine they need to live. You-¡°


    Tralis pointed a finger at me, his suit ending in a sharpened claw, ¡°Are a very hostile entity demanding we listen to some message you have. I understand, being a fighter myself. We attacked first. You defended yourself. It¡¯s a basic misunderstanding. The Enigmatta don¡¯t see it that way. They want you dead.¡±


    Tralis shook his head, ¡°They don¡¯t get it though. Earth is a new planet. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone over level 300. A 740 unknown? I told them it was a death sentence, but they tried sending our top operative to kill you. She accepted like an idiot because she wanted the huge exp boost. You know the rest. Now we¡¯re bending to your demands because you called our bluff.¡±


    His sudden spill improved my trust by at least tenfold. It fit together in my head all nice and neat to, so I walked forward,


    ¡°Good enough. Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    He nodded, walking down the steps. As we did, I identified him,


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    FearFighter Captain, Tralis Navi(lvl 576) ¨C A captain member of the FearFighters, his experience gives him a higher position then most operatives at the same level. Having been tasked with defending several Enigmatta scientists, Tralis is trying to fulfill his mission with few casualties. So far, you¡¯ve been making that difficult.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    His Hellion race and lineage also give him access to stealth well beyond the normal person of his level. Their species have elongated skulls for two reasons. One is for balance to offset the musculature of their overgrown back musculature used for leaping. The other is for storing fat during winter months. These enlarges skulls held enlarged brains, owing to their eventual rise to sentience.


    Though most Hellions can¡¯t kill you outright, be aware of their trapping, stealth, and burst abilities.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Tralis turned to me as we walked down the staircase, ¡°Does my status line up with what you were thinking?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and grinned, ¡°You could tell I was reading it?¡±


    He turned forward, ¡°Either that or staring into nothingness for twenty seconds. Figured one was more obvious. Keep your head up and your eyes on these slippery fishmen. They¡¯ll try to put you under the knife if you let them.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡±


    At the roof of the underground room, lamps full of white worms offered light. The clear panels lined the entirety of basement as well, the room being much more expansive. About the size of a convenience store, several long steel tables lined the central room. Over them, surgical tools, chemistry beakers and tubes, even holographic panels were floating over the shiny steel.


    Six scientists spread out around them, each of them covered in tight fitting suits. Sleek, lean, and with black, tinted panels on their faces, the scientists looked like the embodiment of efficiency. They interacted with holograms and their status with seven fingers, two of them thumbs. The only thing visible underneath their suits were giant, glowing circles.


    They could have been eyes. I didn¡¯t know. Regardless, I walked up with Tralis. One of the scientists turned to me. He fiddled with his screen for a moment. I identified him during that time.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Arlo Melak, Enigmatta Scientist(lvl 761) ¨C A scientist in the utility based Enigmatta faction. They focus almost entirely on discovery and exploration, being a premier observation guild. While not the most combat savy, they make up for their lack of might with their minds. Arlo is particularly gifted, having been given the highly sought after Earth mission. He and his hired mercenaries weren¡¯t ready for what was on Earth.


    The Enigmatta were formed by a race of deep sea, sentient fish called Angleasteans. They wear highly pressurized suits, full of compressed water. This prevents them from decompressing on surface worlds. Their giant eyes glow with phosphorescent dye once used to lure in prey. The water at the front of their suits is also dyed black to prevent the daylight from blinding their acute senses of vision. While useful for observation, these traits combine into making a very frail and easily killed creature.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I murmured, ¡°I¡¯ve finally entered full sci-fi mode. Damn¡­You guys look crazy as hell.¡±


    Tralis laughed, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve seen more exciting sights across the galaxy. There has to be a story behind that Rift Closer title you have.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Never left Earth before. I closed the rift here.¡±


    Tralis let his jaw mandibles go slack, ¡°Already? A rift here¡­This truly is a planet of insanity.¡±


    The scientist fiddled with his status as he said through a breathalyzer, ¡°Indeed it is. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here, studying it. This is the unknown you mentioned then, Tralis?¡±


    He nodded. The scientist glanced at me, the foggy outline of the glowing sphere sending a chill up my spine. A line appeared underneath the sphere, forming tiny, glowing needle teeth in the outline of a smile


    The thing said, ¡°Sorry for the misunderstanding, Harbinger. I am Arlo, a member of the Enigmatta. We are scientists. There was a spacial anomaly here on Earth, so we came to investigate the nearby area. Not long after, another anomaly formed, and¡­well, this world has fallen apart since.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°Tell me about it. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Arlo raised a hand, ¡°In fact, I was hoping you might discuss it with us. You mentioned never leaving Earth, were you created here by Schema?¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°No. I¡¯m human.¡±


    Tralis laughed along with Arlo. After having their fun, the scientist continued, ¡°Seriously though. What are you?¡±


    I uncrossed my arms, ¡°A human.¡±


    The humor melted off them like snow off a fire golem. Arlo murmured, ¡°Really? You¡¯re rate of growth is¡­remarkable then.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s been a shitstorm since Schema arrived. Hasn¡¯t stopped since.¡±


    The scientist scrambled for a second, ¡°Uhm, yes...Well then, you mentioned bringing samples of the mutation for us to see. May we see them then now?¡±


    I nodded, pulling the capsule from my back. I opened it, the squirming insects struggling at the bottom of it. I counted all five, making sure I didn¡¯t lose any. Tralis jumped back at the sight of them, hissing,


    ¡°Evil¡­¡±


    I nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me. These things crawl under your skin and play with your corpse like a puppet on strings. They¡¯re bad news, and worse, they spread like wildfire. I¡¯m here to see if we can get the Freedom Fighters to join me and the steel legion in fighting them.¡±


    I gestured a hand at Tralis, ¡°I¡¯d prefer the fear kind of fighter though. You guys kick about a hundred times more ass than the freedom kind.¡±


    Tralis grinned, ¡°Bah, the legion knows nothing of real fighting. We stuck to our battling roots instead of being watered down to glorified merchants. Unlike them, we will only help for a price.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°You can¡¯t get off Earth, and these bugs ensure you won¡¯t last long while your here. We have them quarantined in the city, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before they break through. Combine that with the eldritch in Springfield evolving faster than normal and you have a recipe for disaster.¡±


    I pointed at my title, ¡°Here¡¯s proof of the eldritch growing, if you needed any.¡±


    Skill gained! Persuasion (lvl 1) ¨C While others fight for favor, you gain it with words. +1% to charm and compulsion when trying to convince another party to change.


    Suppressing a bout of joy at the skill, I kept calm as Arlo and Tralis stared at each other. They held it for a moment, like having one of those glances that tells a conversation. Arlo turned back to me,


    ¡°We would like to leave, but we have a bit of a conundrum on our hands. You see, there is a group of humans who are hunting this group. That¡¯s why we found them so¡­dilapidated. These humans, the Freedom Fighters, are being bled to extinction by them. Why? We¡¯ve yet to understand.¡±


    Tralis¡¯s eyes narrowed and his voice hardened, ¡°They eat their own kind. They¡¯re cannibals. They hunt these weaklings.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Well fuck, sounds like they''re already zombies.¡±


    Arlo walked over towards the insects, grabbing one with a set of tweezers. I kept a close eye on the insect before he dipped into a beaker full of suspension fluid. Arlo tapped a sticker on the side of it, and the clear polymer slid onto the top of the beaker. He turned up to me,


    ¡°Not quite. From what we¡¯ve discovered of them, they¡¯re still human. They¡¯ve simply lost their minds. If you can help us kill him, then we can migrate this group of people towards wherever it is you need to go. Until then, it¡¯s risky to take the encampment away from shelter.¡±


    I rolled my shoulders, ¡°Sounds simple.¡±


    Tralis nodded, ¡°It would be, but their leader is strong. They call him Bloodbull. He outlevels even you, and we can¡¯t beat him. The fact you got here without being attacked by him is a miracle. If you hadn¡¯t have told us, we¡¯d have thought he decimated our scouting party.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What level is he then?¡±


    Tralis frowned, his mandibles shifting downward, ¡°About 1000. If you help us, killing him shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°I can act as the vanguard, your snipers will set up suppressive fire while I beat the shit out of him¡­¡± I glanced up, ¡°Sounds pretty good to me.¡±


    Tralis patted my shoulder, ¡°It will be good to fight beside a warrior of your caliber. We won¡¯t fail you.¡±


    I shook his shoulder with a grin on my face, ¡°Likewise. I look forward to it.¡±


    Arlo stepped up, ¡°I can set up voice relays on your system before you leave, if you have an obelisk that is. We can give you one if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Lifted my hand, and my obelisk lifted out of it. Arlo tilted his head, ¡°I thought you haven¡¯t left the Earth¡­¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know someone who has.¡±


    He took the obelisk before fiddling with it for a few minutes. Tralis chattered away about past battles during the time. From what I gathered, most people took very few risks when fighting eldritch. They handled every situation with careful plans, even if they weren¡¯t necessary. After hearing a bit about their builds, I saw why.


    They were all glass cannon, and they didn¡¯t even pretend like melee was an option. Guns and magic were prolific, so prolific that many melee styles of combat were forgotten. Only a few species had the tenacity for pulling off a physical build. remnants were the most infamous of those, along with the porytians like Yawm.


    Humans were considered bulky and big by most species standards, and our metabolisms were slow. That was a surprisingly big thing. The smaller a species was, the faster it¡¯s metabolism moved. This made the species live its life faster, and that in turn fed into an engine of progress. Instead of five or six thousand years for civilization to invent the internet, it took the Hellions only five or six hundred.


    I ended up voicing my opinion against that viewpoint though. First off, it was an almost racist one. A species that doesn¡¯t progress as quickly would also be less likely to inflict nuclear war for instance. You can¡¯t say a whole race is inferior just because it was a larger size. Besides for that, it was outright wrong. I mean, if a member of a species dies quickly, then they can¡¯t learn as much knowledge over the long term.


    That results in shallower fields of knowledge, a fact I pointed out on multiple occasions. The biggest example came with how far ahead theoretical physics was of most technological fields. We formulated many of the principles Schema and the eldritch imply, like multi-verse theory.


    Tralis and I never got too heated though. We kept things civil. I ended up learning the debate skill during the process though. Now I just needed the unique skill. In Torix¡¯s own words, it would likely take a fancy speech or something like that. In my dictionary, that meant a lot of internal cringing and pain. I would much rather face life or death than a large crowd.


    I could tell people to fuck off, but inspire them? I didn¡¯t have much faith in myself for that specific task. Still, I¡¯d bite the bullet and do it. As a wise philosopher once said, failure is the first step to success, and I was ready to fail hard.


    But not at killing this Bloodbull guy. From what I heard, he sounds a bit weaker than one of Torix¡¯s guards. Even without the backup from the FearFighters, I¡¯d be fine, in my mind at least. It could be a tough fight, but that was my specialty.


    With that in mind, Arlo and Tralis prepared a group of FearFighters as my backup. They were mainly snipers, the ones posted to guard the town. During the operation, the town would be vulnerable, but it was a calculated risk according to Arlo. With me in the vanguard position was the invisible girl I caught, Francis.


    Once we readied up, she and I took the front of the formation while heading out towards Bloodbulls current camp. A few feet into the forest, and I could feel the grimace on Francis¡¯ face through her mask. Before the tension became a problem, I said,


    ¡°Hey, no hard feelings about earlier, right? You were just doing your mission and I was defending myself, so no need to be antsy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply, staying silent. A moment later, she replied with her voice strained,


    ¡°I get it. We should have talked things out.¡±


    Something was off about her voice. Like something was eating at her. I kept quiet about it though. There was plenty of horrors lurking out there that could leave you scarred, mentally and physically. I wasn¡¯t about to blame her for something like that. At the same time, I kept my guard up and high. I didn¡¯t want to be caught relying on someone so unstable.


    We passed through the forest, every crackling leaf sounding like an enemy behind a bush. The sun leaked through the tree leaves, dousing a bit of light on the forest floor. The wind was cool, a bit of chill biting in it. The ground dried a while back, so it crunched underfoot. The smell of pine, wood and earth floated around us. It was a beautiful day.


    Once we passed around the corner, I glanced behind me. Francis was nowhere to be seen. She activated her camouflage without telling me. It was a good thing in my mind. I now knew I couldn¡¯t trust her, even in the slightest. Glancing behind me, the other guards were missing as well. I was alone in the forest.


    A leaf crinkled around me. I turned my head, but nothing was there but a wobbling leaf. All around me, the sounds of shifting branches and crinkling pine straw echoed through the forest. The sounds came closer, like a pack of wolfs cornering a sheep.


    I grinned. My armor shifted into jagged teeth. My ascendant mana flowed like magma in my veins and through my runes. I focused them, honing them to a deadly efficiency, letting not one drop of mana escape. The air shivered around me, almost excited. I clasped my fists, turning them to blocks of iron. The telekinetic pads condensed, turning my hands into rivets. Oppression reached outward. I was more than ready.


    What these wolfs didn¡¯t realize was that they hadn¡¯t cornered a helpless sheep.


    They cornered a ravenous monster.

 69 Chaos

    Seconds passed, but no gunfire or crunching leaves sounded near me. I glanced around, looking for clues. I found none. I closed my eyes, listening and smelling the air. The slight scent of the alien¡¯s blood was nearby. Maybe the FearFighter¡¯s hadn¡¯t betrayed me. Maybe the tribals found them first.


    There was only one way to find out. I skulked towards the smell, opening my eyes and reaching out with oppression. There was no need for subtlety now that the mission was fucked either way. As oppression grew, trees around me withered and brushes fell. I smirked. They needed some damn good luck to sneak up on me now.


    Once I reached the smell, several of the FearFighters were already dead. Cauterized slash marks covered them from head to toe, around their throats and sides. I moved Oppression from them, preventing the auras from melting their flesh. Once I stepped beside them, the dead eyes of Tralis met my own.


    They hadn¡¯t betrayed me. The rogue with the plasma knife betrayed them. I leaned back and laughed out loud, first at my paranoia and then at what a shit show this had become. I kept my ascendant mana flared and augments up as I ran through the forest. Oppression cleaved a large portion of it, letting me see far ahead.


    What I figured out wasn¡¯t pretty. Off in the distance, past the line of dying trees, a few sets of footprints imprinted into the ground. The tribals already attacked the Freedom Fighters while we were gone. They used the mission as bait for the setup. Sprinting towards the base, my feet left craters in the ground as I accelerated. The wind rushed past my ears as the sounds of the forest turned to silence, my aura killing everything.


    Screams shattered the silence, echoes at first then ringing cries. As I reached the camp, fire and hell already consumed it. Yawm¡¯s insects had escaped. Several deformed humans devoured an area around the main cabin. Several of them were the revived corpses of the Enigmatta, their giant eyes revealed in grotesque malformations. The tribals were attacking the left side of the encampment, tearing out throats and scalping skulls.


    I could see why they were called tribals. Each wore a primitive mask made of wood. Paint and dyes covered their exposed, gray skin and ragged clothing. The obvious boss was an eight-foot-tall(2.4 meter) man, gray with a glowing red mask. Piercings and wooden sticks were stuck through his body, like he was a human pincushion. From his back, dozens of hands reached out. He slobbered with blood dripping from his maw, more animal than man.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t even look 1% like a human. He was an eldritch, or at the very least a human possessed by one. The information from the FearFighters was incompetent. That¡¯s what led to their demise. They forgot that people could lie to them, and they took a big risk to top it off. Now the insects escaped, the tribals were culling the camp, and the only way to stop them was to kick some ass.


    As I ran in, I took a closer look at the boss.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    BloodBull, the Cannibal Savage(lvl 1065) ¨C A brutish enemy reliant on power and blood magic, Bloodbull started out as an eldritch hiding as a mask. Once near it, the mask will whisper promises of great power to nearby humans. The weak willed fall to its trap, letting it grow in size and number of arms on the hosts back.


    Getting to such a high level was only possible because of how the Freedom Fighters were set up. They offered a convenient and easy feeding source for the eldritch, letting it evolve into a behemoth.  Over time, the radiant energy released by the eldritch infected others, creating a group of cannibals. They¡¯ve been slowly whittling away at what¡¯s left of the freedom fighters since.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The level alone was alarming, but even more was to come. The rogue woman who betrayed her comrades walked up to the boss, surrounded by chaos. She spread out her arms. Bloodbull reached towards her, putting a bit of blood on her forehead.


    Legs sprouted out of the blood, clawing into her face. Eyes opened from the blood, empty and hollow. The woman screamed, trying to jerk the blood from her face, but it was too late. She already gave herself over. All that was left was to succumb to the parasite she left on her face. Like a giant tick, the blood swelled and peeled the skin from her face.


    A moment later, it formed into the wooden mask the other members wore. Moments later, she ran and tore into the throat of a nearby person. She was gone, having let the darkness swallow her. It was crazy seeing someone be so stupid and smart at the same time. Her plan had been genius, likely taking months of setup. Letting that thing touch her face, not her brightest moment.


    It had been her last though. Seeing it sent shivers up my spine, but more than that was the potential for death. It had been a while since I faced odds like this. It brought back memories of living in BloodHollow.


    Drawing from those same memories, I sprinted towards the infected Enigmatta. While the tribals would pose problems further down the line, eliminating these members took priority. Their sheer malignance alone ensured that.


    By the time I reached them, the disease was in full swing. One of the human corpses was bulging, full of the insects. A few deformed humans already clawed for more meat, their bodies warped. The grotesque Enigmatta led the charge, being the highest levels among the group. The situation was spiraling out of control.


    My mind gave me a hard choice. The humans running around haphazardly were no more than meat sacks for the insects. If even one of them spread, then the world might be completely fucked. From what I could tell, none of the insects spread out yet. It was a matter of time now though. Once one of the corpses exploded with insects, the world would die.


    Swallowing the guilt, I rushed in with oppression spread out to its maximum size. The enormous aura killed any human that contacted it. I gritted my teeth, my hands shaking as their corpses disintegrated in seconds. I hated myself, but there just wasn¡¯t time for self-loathing. There was only time for doing what had to be done.


    And so, I erased the camp from existence. I sprinted in all directions and committed genocide, killing the people and disintegrating the corpses they left behind. As I did so, I rallied the zombies, drawing them in to attack me. The process took less than a full minute, oppression''s aura being so large and powerful. The tribals helped the process, taking out the western side of the camp on their own.


    Once I finished killing the camp, I redoubled my efforts on the zombies. One of the bulging corpses exploded. I leapt over the group of zombies. Midway through my flight, I used a pad of telekinesis on the ground to help push me further. It took far more strength, but I made it across the group before landing in the swarm of crawling legs.


    They snagged onto me from all sides. Legs like wood tried pricking and piercing my armor. In desperation, they crawled over me, searching for a weakness in my armor. They found none. My armor retaliated in violence, stabbing and piercing them by the dozen. Seconds later, I pulled the rest of the horde towards me with a wave of telekinetic energy.


    It took a tenth of my health for it, but none of the insects escaped from my armor¡¯s hunger. Turning back, the zombies reached me. The first tried snapping at my arm. I punched towards its gut. My telekinetic pad landed on its chest. My fist stopped, converting the force into a smaller surface area.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The result was the back of the zombie exploding outward. Before my fist blew backwards, tendrils of armor slid into the monster. Using the recoil, my armor ripped the monster to shreds. Nothing was left but chunks of meat. Another deformed monster leapt towards me, vomiting a stream of blood.


    I waved the blood away with my left hand, using a telekinetic field. I stomped a heel into the ground. Driving the force through my core, I spun an overhead right down into the zombie. Once again, my fist struck the new telekinetic augments, and the monster detonated from both sides. My fists became cannons. My armor became meat hooks. The combination proved unstoppable.


    Unique skill gained! Telekinetic Augmenter (Apply telekinetic augments even at full strength, do so without needing mana) No skills fused. 100 tree points rewarded for learning involved.


    Telekinetic Augmenter(lvl 1) ¨C You battle with both your mind and your body. Both cannot be broken. Increases strength and effective force transfer for telekinetic augments that don¡¯t use mana.


    I didn¡¯t plan on gaining a unique skill like this, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I hadn¡¯t realized, but my other, more complex augments required a bit of mana with each strike. Not much, but some. The new build only transferred the force to a smaller surface area. That made the process stronger and more efficient at the same time. I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the feat.


    With a wide hook, another zombie detonated as I struck its shoulder. A zombie opened it¡¯s chest, firing its ribs at me one at a time. I clenched my fist, sending out spikes of my armor to intersect each bone. Whenever one fired towards my eye slit, a mouth formed from my armor and chomped into the bolt, crushing it.


    The savagery continued. The fodder zombies fell like flies, unable to withstand my onslaught. Moments later, I stood at the center of a sea of blood. The only zombies left were the Enigmatta. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anything left to distract the tribals. They reached me as I charged into the Enigmatta, and both groups averaged levels over 600.


    I gritted my teeth and clasped my fists. Desperation took hold as an Enigmatta sliced its left arm ending in a horn at me. I ducked underneath it, countering with a right hook towards the body. A shockwave of force ebbed from its body, but the monster withstood the impact. It didn¡¯t withstand the tendrils of metal.


    The wires sliced through the flesh, blood spraying from the creature. Soaked in the red, I slid under a strike from its left arm, the clawed hand scraping my armor. Sparks cracked form my armor as I twisted on my heels. The ground fractured beneath me, the weight of my fist building. My runes hummed with a violent power. The true might of my fist collided with the monster¡¯s torso.


    The ribs on the other side of it exploded. My fist recoiled backwards, slicing it apart. Stepping backwards, I used the momentum of my left arm to elbow a tribal leaping towards me. Pulling with all my might, I slammed the bony joint into the mask of the tribal. As my elbow contacted its face, the same telekinetic augment formed.


    The wooden mask snapped before crushing the skull open. The body kept charging forward, but I sidestepped to my right. The tattoo covered man shot past my left side before I stepped forward and launched a kick with my right leg towards its stomach. Fissures formed under my left foot as my right leg slammed into the person¡¯s stomach.


    Once more, telekinetic augments formed before impact. My foot bounced off the telekinetic pad, causing the tribal¡¯s spine to snap. The person¡¯s back split open, drenching me in organs and blood. Another Enigmatta reached me. The suit no longer covered the glowing eye. It glanced at me, the glowing eye turning into a blinding sun.


    Everything went dark, my eyes failing me. Using my sense of hearing, I raised my left shoulder, deflecting a horned arm above me. I twisted on my hips as I did so, drilling force up my feet and through my core. As my fist flew, I pulled my arms close, keeping the hook compact.


    It landed, the wet squelch mixed with cracking bones. I stepped forward, slamming another hook into the source of the sound. My fist met a bony skull before I shot out another compact hook with my right hand. It missed before I lunged forward with another left hook.


    The blow sunk into something soft on the monster. The wet squelch and slicing wires sang out like music to my ears. That is, before a set of teeth crunched into the side of my helmet. Another set of teeth burrowed into my left leg. Another into my chest.


    I bent down, two more bodies jumping onto me. With an explosion of ascendant mana, spikes discharged from my armor. A hundred spines, more than I¡¯ve ever made, butchered the nearby enemies. After that, I ran forward into the darkness, trying to buy time for my eyes to heal.


    They wouldn¡¯t let me. A hand latched onto my leg. I dragged it with me before another snatched my leg. I fell forward, crushing into the ground. The pounding thump of footsteps ebbed into my eardrum. Hungry howls and drooling mouths clamped around me. They were upon me.


    Before the others caught me, my mind frenzied and my arms stabbed into the ground. From my arms, I grew spines into the ground. They moved sideways, upturning the earth at a rapid pace, digging me down. As the spines drug me forward, I condensed oppression right below me legs. Despite that difficulty, desperation drove me. It gave me the strength to snap my limits.


    The searing aura compressed until it melted the fleshy hands holding onto me. As it did, I burrowed into the ground. Once dirt surrounded me at all sides, I shifted myself downwards with my armored spines pulling me along. The sound of clawing hands scrapped above me. I let my ascendant mana wane, my health flying upwards. It was strange that I could see my status even when blind, but it sure as hell was useful.


    After that, I condensed oppression into a sphere above me, where the zombie dug. I drilled down, sweat pouring down my face, the only part of me not coated in armor. Claws of the monsters nipped my heels, but I gritted my teeth till they cracked. My burrowing intensified, and none of the Enigmatta or tribals got a good grip. A minute later, and the digging above me stopped. Oppression did them in.


    It hadn¡¯t slain them all. A cataclysmic explosion radiated above me. Another followed. After the third one, dirt no longer smothered my legs. A giant¡¯s hand grabbed me before throwing me from the ground. Despite soaring through the sky, I was almost happy to see the clouds above me spinning in my vision. At least I could fucking see again.


    I flipped through the air, adjusting with a few telekinetic pads. Landing on my feet and a single arm, I slid the length of car, my feet digging trenches through the ground. Glancing up, the damn plasma knife wielding chick was sprinting towards me. Her level increased by two hundred by the mask. It wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    With a surge of anger, I bolted towards her. We clashed with her slamming her hands against my own. I dragged her backwards before pushing her to her knees. From behind the wooden mask, a warped voice of frustration echoed out,


    ¡°Just¡­blurgh¡­die already.¡±


    My helm split, opening a set of jagged teeth leading into a crimson void. The teeth disappeared into the meat of her face, above and below the wooden mask. I snapped her arms, breaking the bones and mushing them to her shoulders. I pushed her away, my teeth riving her mask from her face.


    A terrified set of eyes met my own. Tears poured from them as she wept,


    ¡°Please¡­I didn¡¯t mean too. I was forc-¡°


    I bit into her face, the teeth of my armor sliding into the bone and flesh. They dug deeper as she screamed in agony. I kept pressing her shoulders together, my ascendant mana flowing like a raging hurricane. She gurgled on her own blood before I crushed her in my hands. Glancing upwards from the carnage, I met the eyes of Bloodbull, a bus¡¯s length away.


    The mask on his face grinned at me, the legs of the supposed mask digging into the sides of his skull. Hearing like it was right beside my ear, it whispered,


    ¡°You are a grand warrior. I can grant you great power.¡±


    Buying time, I humored the little shit, ¡°I saw what you did to her. What makes me so different.¡±


    It whispered with power in its voice and weight in its words, ¡°She was weak minded, unable to compose herself under the rush of the gift. You will rise above.¡±


    My health and stamina regenerated as I spoke, ¡°How will you do it?¡±


    The mask grinned from ear to ear, ¡°I will wipe you with the blood distilled from my shell. It will grant you the frenzy of battle and the might of many.¡±


    My stamina capped out, my health not far behind. I stepped onto the corpse of the woman, my armor mopping it up. I glanced up and cupped my chin. Once my health capped out, I glanced down at the raging monster,


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll do it after you go fuck yourself.¡±


    The mask frowned, ¡°Then so be it. Resist temptation, and swallow the grim reaper¡¯s scythe, little lamb.¡±


    I opened my status screen, putting all my points into willpower. I still needed that perk. A surge of mental acuity passed through me, the arcane bonds in my flesh strengthening too. As I finished, Bloodbull charged towards me, his steps quaking the ground. Chunks of earth splintered upward with each step. He smiled at the sight of me.


    My ascendant mana blazed like carmine fire radiating under my armor. The drool leaking from his jaw and the hunger in his eyes, he expected an easy meal. I grinned with my armor.


    So did I.

 70 Order

    <div>


    <div>


    Bloodbull reached me, lashing out with a wild strike with his right arm. I stepped forward, ducking under the strike. As he charged me, I bashed a blow into his stomach with my right arm. The empowered force of the blow slowed his charge as I spun on my heels once more. Spinning like a top, I drilled my left hand into Bloodbull¡¯s side.


    I used the recoil to drag me out from in front of him. He passed by me, undeterred and smiling. The eldritch mask on his face grinned,


    ¡°Is that all you have?¡±


    I dashed forwards, jabbing towards his face with my right hand. He leaned far backwards, like he was trying to do the limbo. Back when I boxed, some people would dodge punches this way. There was an easy counter to it.


    I stepped forward and pulled my left hand back. The momentum traveled up my feet as I arched my right hand over my head. Like swinging a club downwards, the inertia in my fist built before slamming down into his solar plexus. Just like in boxing, Bloodbull couldn¡¯t hold himself upright because of the destabilizing strike.


    He fell onto his back, the sea of hands held him up. As he crawled away, I followed him with measured, balanced steps. With each step, I shot out vicious leg kicks into the hands on his back. Each kick that landed snapped the bones in the arms. Bloodbull groaned, trying to escape. I didn¡¯t let him.


    This continued for the length of a football field. A third of the arms on his back were broken, some of them were even amputated. This threw him off balance. As he slowed down and hobbled away, I put more and more weight into each kick. The carnage continued until we reached the forest.


    He reached a tree and crawled up it. With his front facing me now, he kicked towards me. I ducked under the kick and whipped a condensed tendril of oppression through the tree. The tree¡¯s core rotted, forcing it to fall over to the left.


    Bloodbull stayed attached to the tree, not understanding why he was falling. I shifted the tendril of oppression onto him. As he fell to his left side, I stomped towards my left. I bent towards my left and pressed through my heel. As I spun, my hand tucked towards my side. Ascendant mana roared up my left arm, and the telekinetic fields gave me the grip I needed.


    With enough power to snap a tree, my uppercut collided with Bloodbull¡¯s jaw. His head whipped sideways, snapping his upper body upwards. Before he tumbled out of my range, I clasped my right hand and spun on my heels once more. I shot my right hand out, letting my arm stretch out wide. The centripetal force built before I tucked the arm in before my fist landed, compacting the amassed strength of the strike.


    Kinetic energy whipped into the head of Bloodbull, even greater than the last. The sound of metal clapping against bone echoed through the empty camp. The sound rippled across the barren earth, a testament to the death my aura left behind. Bloodbull¡¯s body bolted towards the ground before impacting the earth beneath him. Cracks fissured around him, webbing outwards.


    A crater formed beneath him like driving a giant nail into the ground. After landing, he grasped out with his right hand towards my foot. I stepped back, just outside the reach of his grasp. As he pulled his hand back in, I dashed forward and torqued a kick into his face. He grabbed for my leg again, but I stepped just shy of his grip once more.


    He turned onto his belly, his head facing me. He lunged out with his right hand, trying to claw at my leg. I stepped forward, meeting his lunge with my right fist. A shockwave shot out from the concussive collision. Bloodbull fumbled upward, swiping again with his left hand, I sidestepped him and slammed a left hook against his jaw.


    He stumbled towards his left, catching himself with his left hand. I followed him, maintaining a distance just close enough to attack, but just far enough so that I could dodge. As his left hand touched the ground, I sliced a whipping kick into the arm.


    The joint caved in, bending his elbow backward. Bloodbull roared in agony, falling onto the ground. As he howled, I stepped forward and lifted a heel. Aiming at the center of his mouth, I stomped downward. Yellow teeth snapped, and his jaw bone fractured as my foot mangled his face. He covered his face, but I just lifted my heel and slammed it down onto him.


    It¡¯s an interesting conundrum in street fighting. People don¡¯t understand how dangerous being grounded is. Unlike in sanctioned fights, normal people wear shoes or boots. This means stomping towards the head, which isn¡¯t allowed in normal fights, is brutally effective. In fact, there isn¡¯t a counter towards it.


    Bloodbull was finding this out the hard way. Even if you block with your arms, a well-placed heel stomp would slam their hands into their face. A few more stomps, and the bones in the hand and arm could be fractured and broken. Then the hands would fall down, opening the head and neck to damage. Either of those places were deadly if struck with a hard heel.


    I watched the familiar scenario play out with Bloodbull. Several of the arms from his back blocked the first few strikes. His normal arms followed. Then his head absorbed the trauma. I kept stomping, more and more blood spraying up with each kinetic impact. Over a minute, I trampled his face into mush.


    He didn¡¯t die, however. The mask kept him alive, even though his body just wanted to die. Leaves rustled behind me. I stepped away from Bloodbull and turned around. Three of the Enigmatta were pulled back to life. On their faces, the hands I tore off Bloodbull¡¯s back clasped tightly. He hadn¡¯t been escaping and losing arms. He had sowed seeds for backup later.


    Before they reached me, I tripled the speed of my stomping. I growled, burning through my health bar to increase the power and speed of my savagery. I grit my teeth and mauled Bloodbull with my entire heel turning him to slush. As the revived Enigmatta closed in, Bloodbull¡¯s experience notification appeared.


    Turning around, I found the Enigmatta reaching towards me. The hands leaked purple mana, keeping the haggard flesh sacks alive. The first of the trio stumbled up to me, a head shorter than me. The purple mana acted as an elastic coating, grafting the destroyed corpse together. It enhanced the strength of the guard by two hundred levels as well, leaving it around 950.


    With elongated, whipping arms, the Enigmatta lashed a deformed arm at me. The astounding quickness caught me off guard. The tendril smacked the side of my face. I staggered sideways before grounding myself. Another hand lashed, but I raised my shoulder and deflected the whipping strike. Sparks flew before I charged towards it.


    Oppression condensed over the creature, freezing it in pain for a moment. Abusing that single second, I tackled it to the ground before raising my right fist. Several slams of my fist later, and the hand mushed. I kept hitting even after the notification sounded. I didn¡¯t want to fight it again.


    A clubbing arm slammed across my jaw. I fell sideways, dazed and confused. My vision stabilized before I glanced up. An Enigmatta lifted an enlarged arm above its head, ready to pound my skull into the dirt. Without hesitating, I kicked with my legs, pushing into a telekinetic field. The field absorbed the momentum of the kick, firing a telekinetic bullet. The bullet of force shot into the monster, hitting it in the face.


    I tumbled across the dirt before rolling back to my feet. Another Enigmatta reached me, its body more intact when compared with the others. Two bony tendrils jutted from its shoulders, giving it four limbs to attack with. The deformed Enigmatta sliced downwards with its tendrils while flailing towards me with its arms.


    I ducked, parried, and deflected strikes. Handling this monster took far more focus than the others. The awkward angles, bizarre tempo, and odd timing of its attacks only made fighting it even harder. The Enigmatta with the enlarged arm reached us, adding even more chaos to the encounter.


    Pushing my limits, I stretched as my armor had to shift with the movements of my body. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t keep up. Defending the strikes took my entire being, like looking at the world through a tunnel. Only this mattered. Only my survival mattered.


    The two Enigmatta turned into a monster more devastating than Bloodbull. They complemented one another to perfection. One of them would suppress me with a percussive symphony of strikes. The other would act as a deterrent for retaliation. After dealing with them for several minutes, I turned and sprinted away. I needed my health capped back out so that I could function at full force.


    As I sprinted away, a siphoning sound echoed in the distance. I turned, seeing the dead body of Bloodbull. The hands across his back, both the broken and the fine, had left him. All across the encampment, revived lumps of flesh came together. The stumbled back towards the mask atop Bloodbull¡¯s corpse.


    As my health regenerated, the flesh and bones and skin surrounding the mask fused into a massive structure. The purple mana bubbled, turning the monster into a single piece. It molded into one. I frowned before shifting oppression over the monster. It slowed the amalgamation, but the process continued at a steady pace.


    A chill ran down my spine. If that thing finished, I was fucked. I couldn¡¯t beat these two Enigmatta unless I was at full strength, let alone this fucking monstrous abomination. Fear crawled across my skin and desperation burned through my blood. A bead of cold sweat dripped down my forehead, underneath my armor.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I might die.


    The cautious approach I was taking died right then and there. This was all or nothing, life or death. Adrenaline poured into my bloodstream with each beat of my heart, the frenzy of battle coming over me. I charged towards the shifting flesh sack. Before I reached it, a long tendril wrapped around my foot and pulled me to the ground.


    I turned back, and the whipping Enigmatta had been brought back to life once more. Missing its head, another hand had grasped against its heart, pouring the purple miasma into it. I pushed myself up before jerking it towards me. The monster fell to the ground before the others reached me. Surging my ascendant mana despite the damage, I charged towards the Enigmatta with the huge arm. A plan formed in my head.


    I ducked underneath the large arm¡¯s first strike before slamming a fist into its stomach. The flesh held together, the purple miasma acting as a shock absorbent. The four-armed Enigmatta stabbed a bony tendril into my back. I ignored it. The clubbing Enigmatta needed to die if my plan was going to work. Besides that, I invested into health for this one reason. When I needed to soak damage, I could.


    And so, I did. I weaved between the strikes of the clubbing zombie, each strike able to chunk my health. The four armed monster couldn¡¯t dish out damage like it could, so I ignored it while bombarding the larger armed zombie. Four punches later, and mister large arm barely stood. My back bled torrents of blood, but I grinned as I grabbed the hand on the face of the large arm as it died.


    My plan hinged on that factor. So far, I learned two things from the hands and mask. First, just because the monster beneath it died, that didn¡¯t mean the hand or mask had. Second, the hand controlled people by pouring miasma into it. The mask stabbed its feelers into the target, controlling the brain directly. If I was right, I could abuse these factors.


    Praying for the best, the hand snapped onto my right wrist, pouring the miasma into my armor. My armor gorged on the energy, filling like a hungry animal. As I ducked, deflected, and weaved between the strikes of the four-armed Enigmatta, I sunk my armor¡¯s tendrils into the hand on my wrist.


    As the armor¡¯s tendrils finally sunk into the hand, another whipping arm struck my back. My legs failed me as I fell to the ground. The hit had severed my spine. As I landed on the ground, I redirected oppression from the giant mound of flesh onto the four-armed zombie. This stunned it, making it fumble backwards.


    Crawling with my arms, I gripped onto the monster before chomping into it with my armor teeth. Another whipping strike hit my back, dipping my health down to less than 5%. The edges of my vision blurred black. My arms grew weak. My eyelids grew heavy. My breathing hastened. My eyes dilated. A deep unease overtook me. For a fraction of a second, I walked along the edges of despair.


    Thoughts passed through my mind. Even if I did kill these Enigmatta, would I be able to kill the amalgamation? I hardly beat an abusive, alcoholic man. Versus Baldag-Ruhl, I only beat him with Alfred worm¡¯s help. Most of the fights past that had been easy and simple affairs. There wasn¡¯t true struggle. There wasn¡¯t true despair. My arms turned numb. My eyes went blank.


    No one was here to help. It was now or never. I dug into the pits of my will. I dived into the abyss. I crushed the last shred of weakness in me. I sacrificed who I was, for who I wanted to be. A force of nature, something unstoppable. A cataclysm, a tempest, even a monster, I channeled the fear I felt. Fear of death? No, I would fear my own weakness.


    I commanded my eyelids to open, and so they did. I demanded my arms obey, and so they moved. I roared at my hands to ball into fists, and so they clamped with force to bend steel. I lunged forward and tore into the throat of four arm. I gnashed and chomped and tore. I urged my armor to send spikes through the monster, tearing him apart.


    I did so, even as blood poured from my own mouth. The sound of a whip surged in my ears. This strike would end me, but I wouldn¡¯t die groveling. I would go down biting at their heels. Before the strike landed across my back, the death notification for the monster appeared.


    Almost as if in slow motion, I opened my status screen and poured all my points into willpower. I prayed it was enough. The points adjusted, and the perk screen appeared.


    Army of One(Have 1000 points in a single attribute before level 1000, Willpower over 1000) ¨C Within you, the might of many is made one. Every eldritch killed over level 1000 adds another year of life. Immunity to corruption and a reduction to the efficacy of mental attacks. +10% more mana regen (Health Regen due to Arcane Blood), internal motivation, and augmentation affinity per 1000 points in willpower. You may choose to add 1/10th of willpower to any attribute besides <u>Endurance or Willpower</u>. You may now unlock a legacy.


    Mentally, I selected the perk screen.


    Which attribute will you select for the 1/10th addition? Con, Strength, Intel, Luck, Char, Dex, or Per?


    Once again, I used a thought to select constitution. The rush of clarity filled my head, even as it grew and expanded. The whipping strike lashed out against my back. I grinned at the hit. It wouldn¡¯t be enough now. On my left wrist, another hand latched onto my arm. Draining the energy and health from the hands, my feeling in my legs came back.


    I stood before turning back towards the whipping zombie. He struck out towards me. My hand moved like swimming through molten lead, but it couldn¡¯t resist the mandate of my will. I deflected the whipping strike, my health coming back. Lucidity returned. My senses sharpened. My strength built.


    I walked over towards the Enigmatta, deflecting strike after whipping strike. With each step, I grew bolder. With each deflection, I learned the movements. Once I reached it, my ascendant mana returned. Power flooded my veins. Energy swarmed my blood. Might engulfed my bones.


    I turned on my heels, driving a hook like thunder into the monster¡¯s face. The head exploded before I shot another hook into its chest. Even as the flesh fell apart, I delivered punishing blow after pushing blow. I would leave nothing left.


    Once the Enigmatta disintegrated, I heaved out a heavy sigh. I turned towards the ball of flesh, moving oppression over where it was. It wasn¡¯t malformed meat anymore. The body of it condensed, creating a smooth, dull, and yellow armor. It had two massive, muscular legs that it stood on. With six arms, it opened its hands, brandishing spikes of sanguine color. The mask melted onto the face, creating a thickened plate of armor attached to its face.


    That armor split as a mouth and four eyes opened. It stood ten feet (3 meters) tall, towering and massive. As it moved, the earth shook beneath its steps. Turning to me, black lines formed over the yellow carapace. The slabs of muscle on its back rippled as it tested its new-found form. I sighed with relief as I identified it. While strong, it wouldn¡¯t be overwhelming.


    <table style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Typhon, Mover of Mountains (lvl 1131) ¨C Created by a conglomeration of Yawm¡¯s mutant plague plus the purple miasma of Bloodbull¡¯s mask, Typhon is mighty. By fusing the bodies of different species with different chaotic energies and forces, the mask of Bloodbull sacrificed itself to become this monster.


    And a monster it is. The six arms are powered by the thick musculature of its back. The senses of the creature can see and smell food from kilometers away. Its roar is loud enough to be considered a sonic attack. Its arms are numerous, and it uses them like weighted clubs. The black lines that traverse its yellow, armored hide can grow, turning the monster into a shadow.


    This makes it immune to physical attacks, outside of its core that¡¯s left open during this maneuver. Fighting this head on is a recipe for disaster.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After fighting the four-armed Enigmatta, I decided on a different approach. Boundless Storm could only cover so much distance in physique and levels. Facing something this much stronger and bigger than me when I didn¡¯t have to could be summed up in single phrase; it was a straight up dumb as fuck.


    Besides that, what if it revived some of the other corpses left here? I didn¡¯t want to be caught fighting an endless army of reviving flesh. Instead, I set my stance far away from it. The monster turned towards me, annoyed by oppression as it heaved for breath. Drool leaked from between its yellow teeth, and as it breathed in, I covered ears with my armor.


    The roar created a sonic boom, the sound passing through my body. It was so loud, the vibrations shook my bones. If it wasn¡¯t for blocking my ears, they¡¯d be busted again. I wouldn¡¯t let that shit keep going on. Guarding my senses took more priority now. All the higher-level enemies seemed to have dozens of ways to destroy them after all.


    I kept steady, using oppression as my damage instead of running towards the monster. It breathed in once more, firing a cannon of sound towards me. The same vibrations passed through me before I grinned. If that was all this thing had, the fight was good as over.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t. The monster dashed towards me, crawling like a spider on all six hands. Instead of running away, I burrowed into the ground with my new drill arm technique. The spines dug into the ground while I unblocked my hearing and used it to keep oppression over Typhon. It dug towards me, chasing me for a minute or two before I resurfaced.


    It busted out of the ground before I sprinted away towards the trees. My red mana pulsed as I stampeded with all my might. The creature chased not far behind. It caught up to me right as we reached an untarnished patch of forest.


    It dashed towards me, but I leapt upwards, onto a tree. Dispersing my weight with Telekinesis, I could land on trees to make the process easier. The monster crashed through a tree trunk before turning back to me. It slammed into the tree I was on as I leapt to another one.


    Again and again, the process repeated. After ten minutes of jumping between trees. Typhon seemed exhausted. The whole time I kited, I molded oppression over the monster. Sliding the aura between trees was the only hard part, but I got the hang of it quickly. Over time, Typhon slowed down to an abysmal crawl. This was like an advanced level of the strategy I used to kill my first BloodHollow bat.


    Oppression didn¡¯t have insanely high damage against tankier foes, but it whittled them down over time. In this case, the strategy proved undeniably effective. So effective, the monster quit moving with the same speed and voracity as before. After realizing my plan, the monster tried escaping. It was too late.


    I leapt from tree to tree, keeping pace with the monster. It turned back towards me several times, but I would leap away from it until its escape. Frustration set in, making the movements of the creature wilder. During this time, the hands on my chest and wrists disintegrated into nothing, my gorger of mana skill absorbing them.


    Watching the mighty beast fall to such simple tactics was almost sad. Almost. Once it slowed to a crawl, I leapt on top of it. The sheer tenacity and strength of its build was stolen by oppression. Crushing it from there proved simple. By the time I was swimming in the creature¡¯s blood from beating the shit out of it, I finally gained the notification I was looking for. It died.


    With great anticipation, I checked out my level with my fingers crossed. If I gained too many levels, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get my last level 1000 perk, which would suck. I covered my eyes at first, but I forgot the status screens couldn¡¯t be blocked from my vision, even by blindness.


    When I saw my level, I sighed with relief. I¡¯d walked a fine line, right along the edge of a razor.


    Level 997. It was time to see my spoils.

 71 Another World

    Checking out my status screen, I placed all my remaining points into strength. Strength coursed through my flesh, might filling my bones. I grinned, stomping a foot to the ground. Cracks formed beneath me. The quickness of my nerves sharpened, as if my control tightened. My body balanced, staying stable as a mountain.


    I rolled my shoulders, enjoying the enhancement of my own limits. Every piece of me felt on point, like one of those days were everything goes right. I opened my status screen. Its magnificence explained why.


    Level 997


    Strength ¨C 830.6 | Constitution ¨C 1110.7 | Endurance - 1077


    Dexterity ¨C 273 | Willpower ¨C 1000.7 | Intelligence ¨C 324.2


    Charisma ¨C 71.3 | Luck ¨C 121.3 | Perception ¨C 151


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Totals</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Regen</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Health</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">84,350/84,350</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">26,258/min or 438/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Oppression Damage- 15,000+(80% hp)/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stamina</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">28,647/28,647</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">459/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1.48 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 8591%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It had been a long time since I took a long, hard look at my status. I didn¡¯t see a point in checking it every ten levels. What difference would two hundred more health make? Damn near nothing. The difference now was immense. I closed in on 100,000 health, and my health regen almost outpaced my stamina regen now.


    Other stats had become ridiculous as well. My physical damage bonus neared ten thousand by itself. Just as impressive, Oppression was insane with the bonus scaling from Cosmic Soul. It made sense why I could burn through someone¡¯s health with a condensed version of it. Last and least, Harbinger of Cataclysm looked like it would take years before it finally maxed out.


    Taking another look at my attributes, I was a jack of all trades now, except charisma. With all other attributes, my confidence was absolute. My build balanced out over time, making me into a tanky generalist. My only weakness was talking to people, and it just so happens that was what was waiting for me.


    Maybe Torix could cut me some slack after what this mission turned into. Explaining it would be hellish enough as is. Before leaving though, I walked over and absorbed what was left of the boss¡¯s corpse. I headed back towards the encampment, checking for left over bodies or remnants. I found a few, using my armor to soak them up.


    After that, I covered the area with oppression, killing anything that remained of the massacre. Letting the insects of Yawm or the hands of Bloodbull escape wasn¡¯t on my priority list. After basically salting the earth, I headed out with nothing gained but levels. A mission made for honing my charismatic qualities devolved into one of my most brutal yet.


    Pulling in oppression, I sprinted through the forest, heading back towards the base. I kept my head held high. Even though the mission didn¡¯t work out like planned, I learned a few lessons. The first lesson learned was that while I was strong, fighting head on wouldn¡¯t work forever. Second, I would gather information before any fight from now on if possible.


    My build and armor stopped me from dying, but it didn¡¯t make me invincible. Maybe, in the back of my mind, the risks I¡¯ve taken were because of this revival passive I had. Way back when, I got the leveling perk for luck. It included a way to come back after death. Ever since, the desperation and struggle I put into surviving waned.


    While I couldn¡¯t force those feelings to return, I could fight smarter, not harder. With all my intelligence and willpower, the problem didn¡¯t stem from being unable to think quick or smart enough. It came down to being lazy. I focused so intently on becoming stronger during my training, that maybe I believed it made up for poor battling. Who knew, maybe it was a sense of entitlement, like I deserve this ease in battle after training my heart out.


    That¡¯s the thing about life though. Just because you work hard, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get a damn thing. You have to be methodical, focused, etc. I couldn¡¯t just work hard and live forever off it. I needed to use the brain between my shoulders too.


    At least that¡¯s what I thought as I reached back towards the steel legion. Once I was back, I jogged up towards Kessiah¡¯s tent. Hers was closer than Torix¡¯s tent anyway. Besides that, I figured she¡¯d be easier to worm the cores from anyway.


    As I walked up, I kept the telekinetic pads under my feet. Instead of converting all my weight, I converted most of it. My footsteps still made sound, making my approach a bit less eerie. Even if I did redirect all the force into my armor, it still ebbed sound now though. With so much constitution, I simply weighed too much for utter silence.


    Considering my damage now, a telekinetic sneaking ability would pair well with my power. Silencing those racing thoughts, I tapped on Kessiah¡¯s tent,


    ¡°Hey, you in there Kess?¡±


    ¡°Hhmmm, what?¡± A second later, it was like her brain caught up to her lips, ¡°Oh, Daniel. Yeah, sure.¡±


    I unzipped the tent, bending my head as I paced in. Even though Kessiah¡¯s tent was specially made for her height, I stood taller than it now. Kessiah sat at a desk. Under the desk, a square plate of steel had been placed. Every piece of furniture in the tent shared that quality, the steel supporting the ground she slept on.


    She pushed herself from under the desk while setting down a thick book. She stood from the reinforced chair, propping a hand and weight on her hip. She liked wearing a black leather jacket that stopped an inch or two above her bellybutton. She knew she had a good figure, and she was proud of it. Flaunting off some skin came off as casual. Combine the skin-tight leather chaps and the edgy haircut, she might as well have been a biker chick at this point.


    Of course, she wore different clothes whenever she went out on missions. She preferred form fitting, carbon fiber suits that could handle the unreal stress of combat. All those observations and thoughts flooded my mind with crystal clarity as I looked at her. From what I could tell, the change in level and attributes was the cause.


    As I walked up, my armor peeled off my head without me thinking about it. I suppose it had become a habit, but I never really took note of it. Starting with my now exposed face, Kessiah looked up and down at me, checking me out before raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°You¡¯re taller again. Here I thought Torix sent you to go get some pawns or something like that. What gives?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Uh, it turned messy.¡±


    She glanced above my head, ¡°Yeah, it did.¡± She met my eye, ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to tell the story to Torix after telling you. If you want, we can meet and talk to him. You can hear the story there.¡±


    She pursed her lips, ¡°What did you stop by for?¡±


    I scratched the back of my head, ¡°Well, to let you know about the story, and to ask for some more dungeon cores.¡±


    Her face shot up, ¡°Ahhhhhhh.¡± She grinned at me, ¡°Really now?¡± She pressed a finger against my chest, ¡°You know it¡¯s been a while since I stared a man in the face who was taller than me. Shouldn¡¯t a man like that carry his own weight around here?¡±


    My heart rate rising, I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Hmmm. I guess so.¡±


    She tiptoed her fingers up my chest plate, ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas of how you could.¡±


    I grinned, my heart pounding in my chest, ¡°So do I.¡±


    She leaned closer to me, ¡°Like what, big man?¡±


    Suppressing my desire, I pushed her away by pressing two fingers on her forehead, keeping casual, ¡°How about I make you something?¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Her curiosity peaked, Kessiah¡¯s eyes opened wider as she pressed my hand away from her, ¡°Really? I saw what you made Althea. It looked-¡± Her excitement died down, like she was trying to suppress her it, ¡°Yenno, uh, pretty.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I can do something like that. It¡¯ll probably be something more like jewelry then. Working on something like that could help with my precision with my carving.¡±


    Kessiah nodded before she frowned. A second later, she snapped, ¡°All you ever talk about is training. Training this, training that. Why don¡¯t you let loose every once in a while?¡±


    I breathed deep before letting out a long sigh,


    ¡°Because I can relax after we¡¯ve dealt with Yawm. Hell, based on my perks, I could relax forever if I wanted too. I¡¯m only seventeen¡­damn. I¡¯m eighteen now. Shit. Anyways, I¡¯m eighteen years old. I got a lot of life left in me. It just so happens that it¡¯s on the other side of a mountain. That mountain is killing Yawm.¡±


    Kessiah¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What if we die when Yawm busts out? What then? That means you lived your last days of your life working like some slave.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No. It means I spent my last days fighting.¡±


    I held my tongue, not saying anymore. I wanted to go off about how she didn¡¯t give a shit about dying, about how she just floated through her endless life. I didn¡¯t though. I needed her help. She crossed her arms, a tense moment passing. It stretched out, turning into a rather painful set of seconds.


    Kessiah uncrossed her arms, locking them behind herself. She balanced on her heels, breaking the silence, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to go at you like that. I don¡¯t know why, but watching you work so hard¡­sometimes it¡¯s sexy and sometimes it just pisses me off. That time it pissed me off. No hard feelings?¡±


    Not really knowing what to say to that, I nodded, ¡°Yeah, no big deal. Times are tense. We don¡¯t have much time, and the pressure¡¯s getting to people. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    She tapped her crossed hands against her back, looking awkward. She glanced away, then back at me. She unlocked her hands, grabbing the at the satchel on her side, ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s why you came here. Sorry, I got sidetracked.¡±


    I let out a chuckle. It was rare to see Kessiah flustered. She handed me a few dungeon cores while saying, ¡°You sure do use a lot of these.¡±


    I took a few, ¡°Eh, I finished a tree for them. Means I need more of them than normal.¡±


    She finished handing them off. Kessiah grinned at me, ¡°Good luck dealing with Torix. I¡¯d stay and listen to the story, but I forgot he¡¯d bitch the whole time. Honestly, I¡¯d rather not deal with it.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Hah, yeah. I¡¯m not looking forward to it either. See yah.¡±


    I stepped out of the tent and walked towards Torix¡¯s tent. By now, I already know what you¡¯re thinking. ¡®Daniel, why the fuck did you turn her down? She¡¯s a hot alien babe!¡¯ True, but see, here¡¯s the thing. She didn¡¯t want sex for any other reason besides blowing off some steam.


    I¡¯m not saying I didn¡¯t want to. Hell yeah I did, I¡¯m a man too after all. The thing is, I''ve been in relationships like that before. Dating someone is hard work, and if your partner is the type of person to use someone, the whole thing becomes more trouble than it''s worth. I spent months dealing with this one girl who played games all the time. I hate playing games in relationships. It''s like a power struggle, and whoever loses becomes a doormat. I''m not a doormat, and I don''t want a doormat for a lover either.


    Kessiah gives off that kind of vibe to her. She isn''t in love with me. She just wants to use me for sex. I can''t honestly say that''s the only thing she''d stop at either.If someone starts out a relationship by using you, you can¡¯t expect that to change. If anything, things will just get worse. I¡¯ll become a rag, and she¡¯ll squeeze me dry¡­And I don¡¯t mean my balls.


    Of course there¡¯s men that do the same thing to women. I¡¯m not trying to make this a battle of genders. What I am saying is that I should set boundaries with Kessiah. Refusing her now says I won¡¯t let myself be used. It¡¯s cutting an impulse short for long-term gain in the future.


    Besides, the situation could turn even more sour than just being a tool for Kessiah.Something could go wrong and maybe I end up hurting Kessiah¡¯s feelings further down the road. She might not even help against Yawm. We would all be really fucked then, and not in the literal sense.


    Of courseI can say that all now with a straight face, but at the time, denying her was a feat of willpower. I found a way though. It didn¡¯t help that Kessiah was gorgeous, kind of like a fairy that lures you into the woods and gets you eaten. You know you shouldn¡¯t go inside, but stopping yourself was damn difficult.


    I did though. The thousand points into willpower didn¡¯t hurt the situation either. Running towards Torix, I used the skill phaser for movement. I dashed up and across buildings. As I moved, I learned as well. With a bit of telekinesis, I could create fields and reinforce materials. It felt like hitting myself since I used my body as the shock absorber, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. My armor was dense and difficult to break after all.


    If I pushed my telekinesis, I extended the range of my feet. I would walk on invisible telekinetic pads, letting me get twenty feet high in the air. The further up I went, the more painful the process became. I needed to stomp with all my might to get enough oomph from the telekinetic pads. That meant stomping my side as hard I could. Turns out, heel stomps do damage.


    Keeping around double my height made the process comfortable. Jumping would take my higher than telekinesis, but the utility of floating on nothing was awesome. Walking on something like water with wide, broad telekinetic fields might be possible too. Of course I couldn¡¯t keep it up forever, but even a few steps might make the difference.


    Within a minute, I reached Torix¡¯s house. I flew into the room before kicking off a telekinetic pad to stop my momentum. As I did, the force redirected into my sides, shoulders, and chest, compressing me. It was like being wrapped up by a boa constrictor. In other words, not so bad.


    Regardless, it surprised Torix. He had an egg sitting in the middle of the room. All around it, marking and inscriptions covered it in a circle. Reading them, it seemed like he was working on a bigger, better version of the beetle. The essence of control and power, the mark for efficiency, he placed them into a circular form around him.


    He sighed at my entrance, ¡°Using that skill of yours again.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Eh, someone has to keep you on your toes. Anyways¡­¡± I glanced at my screen, remembering the strength perk. I put points into strength, relishing the feeling of pressing the button. As I finished allocating my stats except one point for the perk, my blood ran cold. My stomach sank. Leaving a point for the perk, I only had 971 strength. I grabbed the sides of my head, ¡°Noooo. I thought, fuck.¡±


    Torix stood before floating with a cloud of mana as support. The runes remained untouched before he placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°What is it? Did the mission go poorly?¡±


    My shoulders slumped, ¡°That too. I have a perk that requires 1000 strength to get, but I have to have that much strength before being level 1000. It would be a solid boost, but I won¡¯t be able to get it.¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°Sounds like a rather intense requirement. It¡¯s a shame.¡± He lowered his arm. ¡°Is your strength six hundred? Perhaps seven?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Naw. It¡¯s 971. I¡¯m so close.¡±


    Torix¡¯s head tilted back, ¡°So close? You¡¯re practically there. There are items you may wear that can enhance your strength. Obviously, armor isn¡¯t one of those things in your case, but rings, amulets, anklets, they can all strengthen you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Not by the hundred, but a few dozen is within the realm of possibility. In fact, it may prove a fruitful exercise to create them on your own. You understand the process of enchanting. Your armor is a rare metal to say the least. Why not try that?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I could. Are there buffs for strength?¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°A sly deduction.¡±


    He pulled out his personal tome from underneath his robe. He opened the page without touching it. The pages turned at rapid speed before stopping on a relatively simple enchantment. He continued, ¡°You may want to make one these. Makes casting a variety of spells a breeze.¡±


    I glanced at my armor, the runic carvings a polished white metal while the normal stuff was black. I nodded, ¡°Yeah. One day for sure.¡±


    Torix opened a palm towards me, a wave of green aura passing over me. Tiny bits light, kind of like floating lamps, passed through me before a bit of power filled my bones. It was like a watered-down version of the ascendant mana. Some of the might, but none of the fury.


    It was enough. I opened my status screen, seeing my strength at 1021. The perk screen appeared.


    Void Maker (Strength of 1000 or more, Level below 1000) ¨C You grab towards the stars, and they shatter in your hand. You breathe at mountains, they turn to dust. As you live, all becomes null and void. +10% more bonus physical damage and relative strength every 1000 points in strength. For every 1000 points in strength, 1% of physical damage is added as true damage. You may place 1/10th of strength into any attribute, except Constitution, Endurance, Strength, and Willpower.


    I had to admit, whenever I selected yes, I was beaming. The bonus was ridiculous, just absurd. Against most enemies, I did only 5% of my actual damage against them. It was because most eldritch had high resistance. Even 1% of my damage added as true damage was a 20% increase to my physical damage against armored foes.


    Of course, Althea had 100% of her physical damage converted into true damage. Even thinking about it for a second, I couldn¡¯t help but be flabbergasted. Still, my armor made me over three times tankier, not even including the extra health regen. All the other bonuses added up to, like oppression. I counted my blessings before confirming the perk.


    Which attribute will you select for the 1/10th addition? Intel, Luck, Char, Dex, or Per?


    It didn¡¯t take too much thinking before selecting intelligence. The extra health was worth it, and none of my other stats gave me the same bang for the buck. I selected intelligence, confirming my choice.


    Strength roared up my limbs, like liquid euphoria. The certainty and comprehension of intelligence clicked into place in my head. I gripped my hands smiling, testing my new-found strength.


    Torix grinned at me, ¡°It¡¯s good to see the young so hungry.¡±


    I laughed, giddy of the boost. After a few moments of thought, I frowned, ¡°Why don¡¯t people just use buffs for perks at lower levels?¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Level limits. Buffs are useless until you reach around level 100. Before then, I test you to find a single buff that increases an attribute by even five points. Schema won¡¯t allow it. Even at your level, I can only increase it by about 45 points.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Ahh, my strength bonus applies to buffs.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Thank you Torix. That could have been bad.¡±


    With pride, Torix puffed out his chest as he placed his tome back into his robe,


    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t even do this much, then what kind of master would I be?¡±


    I patted him on the back, ¡°Still a damn good one, in my opinion.¡±


    He raised a hand, pointing a finger at the roof, ¡°The real question is, what kind of apostle have you been?¡±


    I scratched the back of my head, glancing away from him, ¡°Uh¡­not the best.¡±


    He sat down on a chair of mana. He steepled his fingers, ¡°Oh, do tell.¡±


    I explained how the situation played out, trying to emphasize how close I came to death. I also had a section where I explained what I learned. Torix remained quiet, keeping his fireball eyes focused the entire time. After I finished, he sighed,


    ¡°By Baldowah, I tell you to gain a speech skill. You go and kill everyone.¡±


    I glanced at the ground, ¡°Yeah. I fucked up.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°Not particularly. You gained quite a few levels, learned a few lessons. It isn¡¯t like near death experiences are easily forgotten.¡± With a sharp grin growing, he continued, ¡°I would know.¡±


    Despite being curious, I nodded in silence.


    Torix sighed, ¡°After that utter failure, I see no reason in postponing the mission to the rift. You¡¯ve shown a rather deft incompetence for charisma related skills. You should focus on your strengths, and fighting giant monsters seems to be one of them. Once you¡¯ve gained gravity magic, I¡¯ll teach you how to wield it.¡±


    He met my eyes, ¡°You and Althea leave in the morning. Learn to feel the fabric of another dimension, then you may wield the fabric within your own.¡±


    Torix cackled with a grin equally evil,


    ¡°Good luck, harbinger. You may need it.¡±

 72 Last Night

    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t need luck. I need a plan. Food, some supplies, maybe finishing a unique skill or two.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, your armor can store things. How, I¡¯ve no idea. Discovering that may make your journey easier, however. Outside of that, perhaps leaving a conduit in our world would be a good idea.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Conduit?¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Yes. Remember how I created one between you and Althea.¡±


    I blinked twice before smacking my forehead, ¡°Ah, yeah. Of course. It siphons out her excess mana, stopping her transformations from going crazy. Yeah, I remember.¡±


    Torix raised a finger, ¡°Conduits have many applications. They siphon mana between targets, but they also act as beacons during long distance travels. Perhaps leaving one with someone would be a good way of keeping grounded. That beacon prevents you from losing track of where or who you are.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Yeah. My and Althea¡¯s link is useless for that, since we¡¯re both going to the rift. Sounds useful for my forging.¡±


    Torix made an O shape with his thumb and index finger, ¡°Precisely. You already know the runes for the ritual. You simply need to learn how to imbue your mana into your blood.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I picked up the trick a while back while forging. I¡¯ll use my blood to lock mana into enchantments.¡±


    Torix placed two fingertips against a temple, ¡°Hmmm¡­I don¡¯t imbue that way. I use a liquid variant of mana. I suppose your Arcane Blood allows you to do so. Skipping that step then, mastering runes will allow you to imbue memories onto objects with the runes.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°I knew there was something weird about the runes now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m converting what I know into words. The runes are my memories now.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°You¡¯ve mastered them already?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Think of it like this. You must struggle with having the strength, precision, and perception of carving. I don¡¯t. My extra leveling perks give me the various soft skills needed for carving runes. Makes learning the main parts of the skill a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it would. Abuse your gifts, because you¡¯ll find others who do the same.¡± Torix leaned up off his fingers,


    ¡°Speaking of which, creating a conduit should be simple then. Create something, then charge it with a memory. That will leave a piece of you. Circling the rune with your mana will hold in your energy. Dousing the rune with blood will create a connection between you and the creation.¡±


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, ¡°The larger the runic inscription, the larger the mana cost that can be drained from you.¡±


    I nodded my head, ¡°Really now? Well, that¡¯s interesting.¡± My head bubbled with ideas and possibilities of the new technique.


    ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ll find it quite useful during your travels with Althea. Your own build can shore up most of her weaknesses, allowing her to specialize. Her damage can spike to immense levels, and you receive a trivial detriment, since her mana costs are so low.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Just wondering, but why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier?¡±


    Torix glanced at the runes on the ground, ¡°I underestimated your learning abilities. I thought your mythical skill was a fluke, a byproduct of your earlier life.¡± He glanced back at me, ¡°My mistake.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, shit happens.¡± I turned to look outside, ¡°I¡¯ve already got quite a few ideas of how to use it.¡±


    Torix nodded, standing from his chair of mana as it dissipated, ¡°Then I suggest you go out and implement them.¡±


    I turned back to him, a growing grin plastered don my face, ¡°Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Torix.¡±


    With a knowing grin, he glanced back the egg on the floor, ¡°Never a problem, disciple.¡±


    I left Torix before heading back to the building area at the center of the camp. A few goals stuck out in my head. Creating Kessiah some jewelry was the first, but I wouldn¡¯t stop there. Making her new ring into a conduit would give me the grounding that Torix mentioned. I could kill two birds with a single stone.


    Outside of that, giving Althea a conduit towards my mana would help her quite a bit. If she didn¡¯t need mana for the firing, that meant more mana for bolts. I doubted that she could use my own armor or mana for the bolts themselves, but maybe one day.


    With all this in mind, I walked up to a table in the camp. The moon peaked up on the edge of the horizon, a darkened brother of the sun. The chill in the air meant most night workers were scared off by the frigid wind. When your fingers turned clumsy with cold, working with sharp objects and strong forces were an easy way to lose them.


    It didn¡¯t bother me. With a bit of ascendant mana, the buildup of heat killed the cool. With my runes blistering, I set up my work. The first object would be adding a mod for Althea¡¯s rifle. A scope presented itself as the easiest addition. Range was her greatest asset, so capitalizing on it made the most sense.


    With that in mind, I created another tube from my armor. I looked like Pinocchio, except with my middle finger instead of my nose. Since my hands were so big, my middle finger made for just the right size of a scope. Of course, getting the barrel straight and smooth took quite a few tries. Since I already made a barrel before, making a second one was simpler.


    After fifteen minutes, I completed the task. From my armor, the diamond sand paper rose. The armor melted off it, like the paper was rising from a deep pool of liquid metal. I couldn¡¯t even remember doing this, yet there it was, stored and convenient. Mastering that storage could make for some interesting applications.


    Trying that out would have to wait for later. I sanded the inside and outer layer of the scope, making them smooth and polished. After finishing that, I carved out a few runes onto the edges of the barrel. As I did so, I used Torix¡¯s advice of pouring a memory into the runes. For this one, I focused on one time when I gave blood at a hospital.


    As the memory flowed, so did my hands in carving. The symbols etched to perfection, like the elegant framework of a master architect. With the carving skill mastered, making solid stuff wasn¡¯t so difficult anymore. In fact, it made the process instinctive. I didn¡¯t think my way through writing the runes now. I felt my way through them. I decided what I wanted, then I wrote it, no planning needed.


    It sped up the process. An hour into making the barrel of the scope, and I¡¯d come so far. Once I finished the conduit process, the scope would allow for using my blood in place of Althea¡¯s blood. There was a bit more I could do though.


    For a bit of flexibility, I carved some more inscriptions onto the center of the scope. I began with the rune for adaptability and change. This was different from the changing of seasons, however. That kind of change occurs regardless of your intention. I wanted these runes to symbolize change guided by purpose.


    With that in mind, I finished the dual rune with the symbol for discipline and drive. The molded into a control enchantment. Once I picked up a scope from the steel legion, the aiming sight would be adjustable with thought as well. Changing the intensity would take a bit of mana, but having the option was useful regardless.


    A soldier leaned over one of the unlit tables. You see, some of the tables had lamps and some didn¡¯t. When working with objects that glowed, the unlit tables were superior. Since my runes always offered light on their own, I took the less popular unlit tables. No point in using something I didn¡¯t need. This soldier would often do the same since he worked with the glowing electronics in his rifles.


    There were only two unlit tables, so we found ourselves working beside each other often. Over time, I learned the soldier by name, John Diesel, since he always worked here during the night. Like me, he tinkered about, but on his rifles instead of with runes. We chatted here or there about parts and the intricacies of building rifles. Casual conversation of course, but enough to build familiarity over time.


    He helped me build the rifle for Althea. Even excluding that, he humanized me a bit in the eyes of the others, which was always a plus. With that in mind, I waved him over,


    ¡°Hey, John, can you spare a minute?¡±


    John glanced around, always checking to see if another John was nearby. His name was common, so it was a habit he picked up without even knowing it.


    I murmured, ¡°I mean Diesel.¡±


    No one else had the last name, so he recognized who I was calling for. He set down an electronic chip he was working on, pacing over towards me. He gave me a salute, something I told him repeatedly to stop doing. He couldn¡¯t help it though.


    ¡°Sir, what is it?¡±


    I pointed at the scope, ¡°Can you get a rifle lens fitted for this and bring it back to me. It would be a huge help.¡±


    John nodded, ¡°Of course. Did the Equalize-I mean, the cannon rifle work out for Althea.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Hell yeah. It worked like a charm. Hopefully this will be the last bit it needs to push it over the edge.¡±


    John grinned, glancing downwards, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Did she smile?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°She picked me up and nearly squeezed the life out of me. She loved it.¡±


    With a distant smile, John murmured, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± He glanced back up at me, ¡°I¡¯ll get this fitted for her. Hope she likes it as much.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°You can never know with women.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°You sure got that right.¡±


    He jogged off. The guy had a crush on Althea, hoping to get a chance with her one day. That would be hard, mainly because he was shy as a cockroach is to a foot. One day he would find someone though.


    Pushing those thoughts out of my head, I turned to the task at hand. Making an amulet or an earring would be hard as fuck. Keeping it basic, I stuck with a ring. Using my pinky finger, I extended a thick tube of my armor. Making a blade on the side of my hand, I lopped an inch out of the tube. Taking the sandpaper, I grinded it down.


    The polish removed some of the length, polishing it to a dark gray shine. I took my three-fingered pencil of armor and used the sandpaper on myself. Sharpening my own armor gave me a bit more precision when carving out runes.


    After honing the point on my hand, I etched tiny, intricate runes into the center of the ring. I stuck with a basic memory, one of learning the most basic forms of boxing. The stances, how to punch, keeping relaxed, all those tips molded into the memory as the line of runes grew. It finished at the end of the circle, making a neat loop in the middle of the ring.


    I sharpened the knife again, keeping my hand spike pointed. Beginning on the outer edge, I wrote out another memory. This one echoed my desperation and terror when in BloodHollow, my first dungeon. I figured these runes would make Kessiah more effective. She didn¡¯t know much about fighting, so even the basics would help. Her effort seemed low octane as well. A bit of a boost there wouldn¡¯t hurt things, that¡¯s for sure.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Harbinger¡¯s Ring of Bloodfury (lvl requirement: 400) ¨C Adds a portion of the Harbinger of Cataclysm¡¯s knowledge and hunger for battle. Requires 50 mana a minute to maintain. Effects ramp up as more mana is siphoned.


    Current siphoning: 0/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Skill Gained! Mana Conduit(lvl 1) ¨C While others aim to steal little, you aim to give plenty. +1% to conversion of siphoned mana.


    As I finished the ring, John paced up. The scope was finished. John even added two mounting apparatuses on it. In his other hand, a pack of liquid carbon metal. Liquid at room temperature, it solidified when exposed to heat.


    John reached me, sticking out the two objects,


    ¡°Here you go Harbinger. This should do the trick.¡±


    I picked them up, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°Hell yeah. It¡¯s awesome to see someone exceed my expectations for once. Good damn job.¡±


    He puffed out his chest, suppressing a grin, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just make sure she gets it, and you can call us even.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she knows John Diesel did it for her too, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    He blushed, waving me off, ¡°What? No no no, I¡¯d much rather her think it was completely you. That would make her smile more.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why?¡±


    John leaned back, ¡°Why? She likes you of course. Everyone knows it, even someone as dense as me. I figured it was obvious to you.¡±


    The thought unsettled me a bit. Being so busy with all the training didn¡¯t leave me with much time to consider my own feelings, let alone Althea¡¯s. That was one of the reasons I pushed Kessiah away. I just didn¡¯t have time to invest into a relationship. After all, if I was going to do something, I wanted to do it right. That meant putting in time and effort, something I didn¡¯t have to spare.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    If we survived though, what would I do? I couldn¡¯t give a straight answer. Beating Yawm was the top priority list. Everything else, well, I just pushed it aside. These thoughts past through my mind in a second, so I blinked,


    ¡°Well, thanks for giving me credit. I won¡¯t waste it.¡±


    John nodded, ¡°No problem. Was that all you needed?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. Thanks John.¡±


    He walked over to his rifle, picking up a pair of tweezers and a small welder for working the metal,


    ¡°Not a problem sir. You kill that bastard Yawm, and it¡¯ll be more than enough.¡±


    His sentiment was shared by the other members of the steel legion. Since talking with the legion a while back, other members of the steel legion worked here more often. Whenever I passed by the firing barracks, more members fired than normal. I lit a fire under some of them, that¡¯s for sure. John had been one of those members.


    His help made the rifle making processes easier. Since I finished the crafts early, I paced over towards Kessiah¡¯s tent. Kessiah didn¡¯t need as much sleep as Althea, so she might be awake already. Once I reached near Kessiah¡¯s tent, a giant, translucent barrier surrounded it and nearby. It was one of the deafening domes Torix used to trap sound.


    Within it, Kessiah and Althea were practicing. You read right. They were actually practicing. Shocking, I know.


    Althea¡¯s long, purple hair swung as she fired at Kessiah. Kessiah¡¯s short, edgy haircut didn¡¯t get in her eyes as she darted back and forth, catching the bolts. Kessiah liked to keep one side of her left temple trimmed short, accentuating her cheek bones and jaw. To me, I could see why. Kessiah had strong shape in both, making her face ¡®pop¡¯ out from her hair cut.


    Althea preferred longer hair. Her softer face and silver skin suited it too. Unlike Kessiah, Althea hid some of her face from view. It was a shame. Althea¡¯s purple irises matched her purple hair, giving her an alien sort of charm. Combine that with her nigh voluptuous figure, and you had an enchanting sight. I could see why John was so taken by her.


    That whole conversation with John was why I focused in on this stuff now. It¡¯s amazing how some things will go right underneath your notice until someone brings them to your attention. Noticing the women in our group of four, at least in an intimate kind way, was one of forgotten things. Whenever the thoughts of them blazed in my head, I remembered why I sort of suppressed the memories.


    If you¡¯re around a woman who¡¯s beautiful, it can leave you fumbling for words. It¡¯s one of those things that only time can fix. Once you¡¯ve been around it for a while, you see them as people, because that¡¯s what gorgeous women are. People, just like me or John. Really, really sexy people.


    Though the hormones raged, I shot the thoughts down as I walked up through Torix¡¯s wall. The energy wall rippled once I passed through, sound blaring in all directions. Steam hissed from each shot fired from Althea¡¯s rifle. Cataclysmic booms echoed off Kessiah crushing the bolts of bone. Hell, Kessiah¡¯s blood siphoned at regular intervals, sounds of gurgling and cracking ice lashing out like the sound of pain.


    Once I stepped nearby, Kessiah passed me, missing a bolt. I clapped my hands together, catching it in front of my face. I tossed the bone aside, cracks forming throughout it before grinning at them both. Kessiah dragged her feet to a stop. Sweat dripped down her face and stomach. She almost always wore something that let you see her toned midsection. Today was no different.


    Althea walked up, normally dressed in a robe. Today she wore a fitted nanofiber suit, accentuating her figure. Both were sights to behold, but I smashed those thoughts into oblivion as I walked up,


    ¡°Thanks for keeping me safe there.¡±


    Kessiah frowned, ¡°Sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to miss.¡±


    She lied through her teeth, but I smiled at her, ¡°Eh, it happens to the best of us. Any who, I finished your ring.¡±


    Her frowned flipped as she walked up, bouncing on her heels, ¡°Really? I can¡¯t believe you did it so fast.¡±


    I tossed the ring at her. She snatched it out of the air, putting it on before raising an eyebrow. She siphoned mana into the ring, a slight aura of red forming from it. An almost invisible pull appeared in me, like a mosquito draining blood. Kessiah¡¯s eyes opened wide, her fists clasping. The flow of mana ceased as she stepped up with a growing grin,


    ¡°What did you do to make this?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I had to make a conduit. I figured I could make your jewelry useful and nice to look at, all at the same time.¡±


    Kessiah clenched her fist, siphoning the mana again. The same slight pull nagged me. Kessiah¡¯s shook with frenzy, the grin on her face turning maniacal. She laughed before throwing up her fists,


    ¡°Wow. I¡¯m impressed. I can clench a fist without the ring breaking and it¡¯s useful? Just, wow.¡±


    Althea walked up, setting the rifle I made her onto the ground before reforming her arm. Before she reached me, I tossed the scope at her. It hit her chest before she fumbled a bit before grabbing it. She inspected it. Once she realized what it was, she beamed. I grinned at her too, walking up to the rifle at her side.


    I lunged onto a knee, squeezing out a bit of the liquid metal onto each attachment of the scope. I lifted the rifle with one arm, aiming with it for a second. I lined up the scope with the iron sight. After placing the scope onto the rifle, I heated it with a bit of ascendant mana from my palm. Moments later, and the attachment was in there like swim wear. Yeah, the phrase makes no sense, but it sounds smooth, so I like it.


    Regardless, I handed the rifle to Althea. She grabbed it, putting her arm into it before it reformed into the intricate parts. She aimed it, shifting between targets. She fired, a pang of mana being used drawing at me. It was almost nothing though, like the tiniest, most minute of twitches.


    She blinked once before firing again. In a rapid burst, she shot out three bone spears.


    Unique Skill unlocked! The fusion of Carving Into Oblivion(Maxed so it counts as two skills during fusion), Comprehension of Oblivion, Enchanting, and Mana Conduit combine into the unique skill Thaumaturge. Half of unfinished skill points are rewarded. 103 Skill points gained.


    Thaumaturge(lvl 1) ¨C Most sorcerers destroy. You make miracles, both of destruction and harmony. Ability to create enchanted items is enhanced by the level of this skill.


    Giving myself a silent pat on the back, Althea''s spears dug deep into the ground before she turned to me,


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How¡¯s it making my mana cost so low?¡±


    I pointed at myself, ¡°Because it¡¯s using my mana instead of yours¡­for some of the process at least.¡±


    She frowned, looking at her rifle in shock, ¡°You¡¯d take on the pain.¡± She bored a hole into the rifle with her stare before glancing back up at me, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°I have a lot of health.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Like forty thousand?¡±


    I laughed before frowning. I didn¡¯t actually know how much health I had. I hadn¡¯t checked since getting the strength perk and using the dungeon cores, so I opened my status screen.


    Level 997


    Strength ¨C 971.4 | Constitution ¨C 1110.7 | Endurance - 1077


    Dexterity ¨C 315.4 | Willpower ¨C 1000.7 | Intelligence ¨C 421.4


    Charisma ¨C 74.6 | Luck ¨C 150.4 | Perception ¨C 164.6


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Totals</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Regen</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Health</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">89,851/89,851</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">27,579/min or 460/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Oppression Damage- 15,000+(80% hp)/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stamina</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">28,647/28,647</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">459/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1.48 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 9239%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The first thing I noticed was that my physical damage bonus hadn¡¯t moved up much. I was a bit disappointed at the sight, but then I remembered why. I didn¡¯t have 1,000 strength yet. The perk wouldn¡¯t give me the bonus until after I hit that threshold.


    I didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on it though. I closed my status screen while meeting Althea¡¯s eye, ¡°Think more like 90,000.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°That¡¯s...crazy.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°So is your true damage passive.¡±


    Althea frowned, "It''s armor penetration."


    I waved her defense off with a hand, "Pff, It turns your damage into true damage. Same thing."


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right about that.¡±


    Kessiah walked up, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you two get along.¡± Kessiah grinned at me, ¡°I mean you both really warmed up to each other.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah, yeah, of course we did. Anyways, just stopping by to drop this stuff off. Oh yeah, and before I forget, good damn job guys.¡± I turned to them both, ¡°It¡¯s heartening as hell to see you guys getting on with the grind.¡±


    Kessiah propped onto her hip, ¡°It¡¯s not my first rodeo, and you know I can¡¯t let you beat me. My pride as a warrior won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    I shrugged, an obvious but hidden confidence lacing my words, ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    Althea interrupted our rivalrous words, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°No problem, glad to chip in here or there." I glanced at he spears in the ground then back at them, "Do you guys mind me joining in on this? I figured I¡¯d try it out.¡±


    Althea perked up, ¡°Yeah, absolutely¡­I mean, yeah, sure. Whatever.¡±


    After what John said, I was hypersensitive to what Althea said. Her sudden burst of enthusiasm at my company¡­well, it was cute as fuck, what can I say. It was the sort of affection you get from someone really young and really naive. Considering I was the first guy Althea ever liked, her fumbling was expected. She was a lab experiment and bounty hunter before all this after all. Not the best environment for learning love.


    Kessiah sighed, ¡°Bah, I¡¯m trying to get some catching practice in. Why¡¯d you have to go and ruin it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I can throw stuff at you too. I practice throwing on a moving target. You get double the difficulty. Sound good?¡±


    Kessiah glanced up, placing a single finger onto her chin. A second later, she pointed the finger at the sky, ¡°Ok, I accept.¡±


    She jogged off fifty feet(15~ meters) away before Althea and I set up shop. Kessiah stretched herself, warming up for the movement. As she did, I checked out my tree menu. With Telekinetic Augmenter and Thaumaturge, I gained around two hundred tree points. Combine that with a few level ups in various skills, and I had enough tree points to max out my invincible tree. I did so in an instant.


    To be invincible is to live despite. Whether that be the struggle of facing an enemy or perhaps the struggle of facing yourself, invincibility means being unbreakable in mind and body. Only 90% of your health may be deducted from any single attack.


    No matter the calamity, those who rise above it are the unbroken. No matter how hard the life, those that truly live carry on through legacy. Live so that your memory may live on, even after death. Only 85% of your health may be deducted from any single attack.


    Some warriors struggle to survive, but you must look past the day and see tomorrow. In the end, all will end. The mark you leave behind will be remembered in history. Leave a mark that stretches wide. Only 80% of your health may be deducted from any single attack.


    Become a scar on history or the phantom pains of a missing limb. To kill a man is simple. To kill a memory is much harder. Only 75% of your health may be deducted from any single attack.


    For your last words echo through eternity. Make them mighty. Make them memorable. Only 70% of your total health may be deducted from any single attack. Any damage received over 70% of your total health will not do damage. Instead, it will be added to your next attack as flat physical damage.


    It was an interesting tree. Unlike most, it seemed more situational. Most of the time, I wouldn¡¯t worry about taking more than two thirds of my health after all. Versus someone like Kessiah or Yawm, the tree could be very useful though. The tree¡¯s last bonus was interesting too. It seemed like a way of turning the tides of a battle in my favor.


    If someone would have killed me ten times over, converting that into physical damage would be huge. If you factored in my physical damage bonus, the increase became downright deadly. Against most enemies with maxed physical damage resistance, the added physical damage was notable. I could dish out about half of the damage I received from the attack if I was right. That''s without factoring in the true damage part of the strength perk.


    In the end, the invincible tree wasn''t a game changer, but it was enough to notice. It was about what I expected from a 250 point tree. With it finished, I added the rest of my points to my last tree, fearless. No more messages popped up, so I closed my menu screen.


    Glancing up, Kessiah finished her warmup. I reoriented myself with reality, getting near a pile of rubble. Once Kessiah bent her knees, Althea and I began our barrage.


    We threw and fired boulders and bolts at Kessiah. At first, she struggled keeping up. Over time, she familiarized herself with all the projectiles. By the time the sun peaked over the horizon, a crowd of spectators watched us. They sat just outside the dome of deafening magic.


    We fell into our positions, each of us an ebb and flow of movement. Smooth and fluid, we maintained our exercise with an inhuman precision, each bolt or stone aimed at a vital area. Over time, Althea and I changed up how we shot and threw. She would aim to make Kessiah dash a certain way, then I would throw to abuse it.


    Our tricks turned more elaborate over time. I threw chunks of rebarb, then Althea would fire a bolt just as it reached Kessiah. Her bolt would split the rebar, spraying three projectiles at Kessiah. The first few times we tried this, our attacks crashed into Kessiah head on. After a while, Kessiah adjusted to our tricks.


    With more vigor, I flicked my wrist at the end of my throws, setting spins on the boulders. The rocks arced in flight, like a curveball. Althea adjusted her bolts into bursts of three at this, one of the bolts hitting and splitting the boulder. Once Kessiah adjusted to the new tactic, I threw the boulders so that whenever Althea shot them, the spin would redirect her bolts too.


    The projectiles would collide in front of Kessiah, sending them spraying like spitfire in all directions. Kessiah struggled with these, sweat building as the collisions occurred closer and closer to her. By now, a sizable crowd stood behind Althea and me, spectating the event. I couldn¡¯t blame them. With the fervent pace and clashing lights of the collisions, it was a sight to be seen.


    It came to a crux whenever Althea learned something rather special. She already had two unique skills, sharpshooter and tinkerer. During this training, she gained her third, Bullet Bender. She would whip her hand, creating a curve in the firing trajectory of her bolts. I learned a skill or two for throwing as well, mainly the Magnus Effect skill. It allowed me to curve my shots with greater precision.


    It was hellfire on the other side of our onslaught after learning those skills. Kessiah siphoned more and more of her blood into her mythical skill before she finally relented. With sweat pouring down her face, she walked up before leaning against a wall beside us. She let herself drag down before laying her hands against her knees,


    ¡°Good session guys. I can¡¯t keep this up though. Too much bullshit being thrown at me.¡±


    Over the course of the training, Kessiah missed about 1/10th of our shots. In all honesty, it was incredible seeing it. I couldn''t have done that shit, that''s for sure.


    Once she rested for a bit, Kessiah pulled out a gem from her pocket. She surged mana through it, evaporating the dome over us. The white noise of a fall morning and the crowd poured in. Suddenly, a black portal opened beside us.


    From it, Torix stepped out. He turned to me, ¡°You know, this is quite the crowd the three of you have collected. Giving them a bit of a push before you and Althea leave would be quite helpful. I believe you would be perfect for just such a task.¡±


    My stomach sank,


    ¡°Wait¡­what? Right now?¡±


    Torix nodded, an awful, evil grin lining his lips. His blue fire eyes blazed with what could only be considered hatred and malice as he lifted his hand. Alright, maybe I was just imagining it that way.


    Regardless, with a snap of his fingers, the sound from our group heightened. Torix spread his hands, lifting them up. As he did so, a pillar of ground grew from beneath us. He hadn¡¯t lifted us, instead he expanded the ground underneath us.


    Sitting above house level, a group of about two hundred soldiers could see us. I whispered to Torix, "No way. Not happening." His grin evolved into pure treachury. I seethed, "You evil piece of shit, why didn''t you tell me?!¡±


    Torix cackled with a bit too much glee in his voice before he glanced around, speaking through the voice enhancing magic, ¡°Hello soldiers. Today, my harbinger and Althea leave towards a rift. Once within, they face the might of monsters and their endless reincarnations. Before then, the Harbinger would like a word with you all. May his words inspire you to work hard in his absence.¡±


    My blood ran cold as Torix gestured towards me, speaking in a low murmur without his voice entering the magic,


    ¡°Since you won¡¯t take the initiative to learn the unique skill on your own, I decided to do it for you. Think of it as a little push. Good luck.¡±


    I sighed. I glanced around before speaking out my first word, ¡°We-Eck.¡°


    Within my first word, my voice cracked louder than a whip snapping across my cheek. I sighed.


    This was going to be a long and painful next few minutes.

 73 What Lies Beyond

    <div>


    <div>


    I shook my head, thinking up what my speech would be. Introducing myself would be an excellent way of gaining some favor. I could mention how I¡¯ve slain enemies hundreds of levels above me as well. Setting myself up with some expertise helped validate what would follow.


    After that, discussing how life has changed would be a good topic to touch on. Since Schema came over, life devolved for most people. That¡¯s probably the most demotivating aspect of fighting Yawm. Even if we win, many family members are gone, and life won¡¯t be the same. Ailing those concerns would help these people move forward.


    Painting a picture of a better tomorrow would help them more than anything. Just like with Althea, I can mention how life on other worlds sorted itself out. The dungeons are taken care of, allowing people to pursue other, less violent careers. I could mention how we will be hailed as heroes, a generation of warriors that took on the worst of the worst. That would be a good way to end the speech.


    With that in mind, I spread out my arms,


    ¡°Hello, brothers and sisters.¡± Adding a bit of familiarity couldn¡¯t hurt. It would make them think of me as one of them.


    ¡°I am the Harbinger of Cataclysm. I¡¯ve slain eldritch hundreds of levels above me, and I serve as the disciple of Torix Worm. Torix killed your commander and took over your organization. You no doubt are wondering why.¡±


    I pointed at the looming cloud of gray, ¡°Yawm of flesh, the eater of worlds is why. Soon, his insects will bore holes into you. They will wear your skin and move your bones as if you were puppets. We aim to stop them.¡±


    Alright, my introduction was over. It was time I showed them some understanding.


    ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve all seen how devastating he is when he remains unstopped. You¡¯ve lost loved ones, children, and your previous lives. No more can you enjoy a Saturday morning without glancing over your head, making sure a monster isn¡¯t hunting on the horizon. These are dark days. I would know. I lost all my friends, my family, everything.¡±


    I clasped my hand, glancing around at the crowd, ¡°I was distraught. I thought to myself time and time again, what can I do from here? The first answer was revenge. I would make the monsters who struck terror deep into my bones feel the very same fear. I would become a monster among monsters. That goal left this abominable visage before you.¡±


    I gestured my hands with each point, painting a picture as I continued,


    ¡°Over time, I found there was no future in that darkness. It was an abyss, a pit with nothing but black at the bottom. That¡¯s when I looked up. The light I saw was a new goal ¨C to rebuild. I learned of worlds were dungeons were handled. Not everyone needed to fight. You could have a family. You could make a new life in this new world.¡±


    I spread my hands, booming my voice, ¡°But that life is no sure thing.¡± I pointed at the cloud of gray, ¡°That behemoth aims to steal that life from you. He aims to kill your children, murder what family and friends you have left. He aims to steal the life you¡¯ve scraped together. Follow me and my master, and we will tear him asunder.¡±


    With more animation, I moved my eyes to meet the eyes of soldiers as I spoke, ¡°Generations after us will sing our name as the greatest generation. A generation of heroes. A generation of tenacity. History will speak out our names. Tell me, will history remember us as the fallen, or, as the unbroken and unstoppable?¡±


    A roar rippled through the crowd. I nodded, grinning, ¡°That¡¯s right. We are a coming storm, a living force of nature. We conquered plagues, the elements, even each other. Do these monsters stand a chance against something like that? I think not.¡±


    I paused for another moment before thundering my voice out, ¡°These things, we can see them. We can rip and tear them apart. We¡¯ve killed viruses that melt our skin. Monsters we can see? The might of humanity will shatter them. Remember this. We did not have the misfortune of meeting the eldritch. The eldritch had the misfortune of meeting us.¡±


    The crowd gushed with sound, their howling like an emboldened mob. Pride took them, spurring them into a frenzy.


    Unique skill unlocked! The skill Listening, Intimidation, persuasion, Leadership, and speechcraft fuse into the skill Words of Strength. Half of remaining points in every skill are rewarded as tree points. +222 tree points.


    I raised a fist, ¡°Let¡¯s show the eldritch who the real monsters are.¡±


    The last wave of thunderous outcry coursed through the crowd. From behind me, Torix and Althea clapped as the amplifying magic subsided. Kessiah crossed her arms,


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    I nodded while smirking with surprise glee, ¡°Yeah, I surprised myself there. It was a lot like motivating myself.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Indeed. I anticipated utter failure. It¡¯s almost a shame.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Thanks oh wise master.¡±


    He shrugged with a knowing grin. Althea chimed, ¡°He did say almost.¡±


    I sighed, smiling despite the close call, ¡°I¡¯m just glad this shit¡¯s over with. Waiting for this trip was killing me.¡± I glanced at the gray cloud of Yawm, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt anxious about anything.¡±


    Althea locked her hands behind her, ¡°The future can be scary sometimes. Facing it makes it less terrifying.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, turning to her, ¡°You sound like you heard that from someone both handsome and intelligent.¡±


    Althea rolled her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless. Torix clapped his hands, ¡°Enough chatter. We have a portal to enter.¡± He turned to me, ¡°Assuming you¡¯re ready?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Naw, I¡¯m not. I need to pack. I got caught up training with these two.¡±


    He nodded his head, ¡°Then we¡¯ll meet back up at my current headquarters an hour from now.¡±


    Torix grabbed towards the blue sky, pulling his fist downward. The pillar of earth we stood on sunk back into the ground, dispersing into a slight hill. Around us, the steel legion buzzed with energy. They lacked direction, but Torix walked up towards them to fix just that,


    With his voice amplified, Torix spoke out, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending each of you progress goals soon. Before the harbinger returns from his mission, we must complete them. Understood?¡±


    He put an edge of the Words of Power skill into his voice, driving the point into their heads. His own use of the power was damn near physical, making the command drill into your skull. It was like someone hammering a nail into your temple.


    Compared with the slight edge in my voice, I didn¡¯t come close. He didn¡¯t bother with milking the skill like I had too. Just his command was enough to compel action. Taking note of that, I paced back towards my tent. About fifteen minutes into packing, a pile of stuff formed in front of me. Toilet paper, coffee grinds for when I wanted a cup of joe, pots and pans, I didn¡¯t have room for it all.


    As if sensing my distress, a tapping snapped across my tent. Walking over, I unzipped the tent. Kessiah grinned at me. I zipped the tent back up without saying a word, but she stopped me. She met my eye, a piercing sincerity laced there. She frowned, the intensity fading,


    ¡°I uh, well, I wanted to give you something before you left.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, still suspicious of her intentions, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Between two of her fingers, a steel ring was between them. She grinned, ¡°It¡¯s a spatial compartment ring.¡±


    I unzipped the tent, letting her walk in. She scratched the back of her head, ¡°I figured it would make my apology sound more uh, sincere.¡± She stood up straight and sighed. She met my eye,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about trying to push myself onto you. It wasn¡¯t fair. I was being pushy, and you still gave me the gift you promised even after I blew up on you. When you handed me the ring, I felt so bad. After seeing it was handmade and useful¡­fuck, I felt awful. I knew you deserved a real apology then.¡±


    She glanced away, ¡°So, uh, sorry.¡±


    I pursed my lips, crossing my arms. I looked her up and down, holding her captive in suspense. After soaking the moment in, I uncrossed my arms and smiled, ¡°Thanks for the apology, and it really wasn¡¯t that big a deal. If it makes you feel better, Torix told me to make a conduit for one of you guys. It was supposed to ground me or something. I made that ring for that reason.¡±


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh yeah, sure.¡± She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, ¡°Did the conduit have to be home made and useful?¡±


    I glanced away, ¡°Well, no.¡±


    She slapped my shoulder, ¡°My point exactly. Just accept the gift now.¡±


    I pulled it up, identifying the steel ring,


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Spatial Holder(lvl requirement: 500) ¨C A rare ring given out by Schema for accomplishing a great mission or deed. It is one of three rewards, each of them used for different purposes. The spatial ring can hold the user¡¯s weight in kilograms and the volume of the person. You can activate the ring by pulsing mana into it. Once activated, the ring grafts to the user. No one else will be able to access the ring even if you die.


    Your possessions will be funneled towards the nearest safebox if you die. Depending on your will, the items will be dispersed accordingly. In the instance of no will after death, the items will be auctioned off. Speak with any sentinel for the creation of a will.


    Mana cost per kilogram added: 1% of mana and health used per 1% of weight or mass cap used.


    Warning: Do NOT break open the ring and study it. Any tampering will result in an immediate S tier bounty and unknown status. Accidents will not be forgiven.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I glanced at the ring in awe. As simple as it looked, the sheer usefulness of it seemed ridiculous. A ring like this would solve Althea¡¯s ammo problem forever. After reading closer, the limitations came up. Since it was based on weight, Althea wouldn¡¯t be able to store much.


    She didn¡¯t invest into constitution. Althea¡¯s reason was because it messed with her transformation abilities. Torix gave her the ok with her build, so there had to be some legitimacy to it. The mana cost was prohibitive as well. I could die if I tried putting a mountain or some shit into one of the rings.


    Clearing up some of my thoughts, Kessiah tapped the ring, ¡°These things are great for classes like us. It takes advantage of our high constitution. Your health regeneration means you can store consumables or something like that too. Yenno, cause you regenerate so fast.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°What about this bounty thing?¡±


    Kessiah blinked, ¡°You mean the S tier bounty? Yeah, don¡¯t fuck with the ring. Unknowns like us sit around with C tier bounties no matter what. There¡¯s a world of difference between C and S tier though.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Like what?¡±


    She stretched out her right hand, ¡°For C tiers, you¡¯ll get the mid-tier bounty hunters. Their obnoxious, and a few of them can be dangerous.¡±


    She stretched out her other hand, ¡°S tier bounty hunters send total monsters like Yawm running. That¡¯s a classification for only the highest crimes, like killing a sentinel for instance. Yawm¡¯s one of those bounties, and he¡¯d be dead ten times over if he didn¡¯t have a sentinel¡¯s spear. Otherwise, the entire planet he was stuck on would already be glassed.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I winced, ¡°Glassed?¡±


    She clicked her tongue, ¡°Yup. It¡¯s an easy way to send a big message. Yawm would be considered an S- tier criminal. I¡¯m a C+. Torix is B-. You¡¯re probably a C-.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Well shit¡­no wonder you and Torix want to get out of Schema¡¯s system so bad. Immortal and always hunted, talk about a pain in the ass.¡±


    Kessiah crossed her arms, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not fun, but I deal with it. That¡¯s why I came here, to find a way out of that bullshit.¡±


    She turned her eyes towards a wall of the tent. She wasn¡¯t looking at the wall of the tent. It was one of those looks where your traveling through memories instead of observing something. She continued,


    ¡°But nope. I end up trapped on this hellhole with a total beast named Yawm. Fun.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I told Althea the same thing. You can look at it as a curse or an opportunity.¡±


    Kessiah glanced at me, her eyes turning hard, ¡°Oh, really? Please tell me how me being trapped here is in anyway a good thing?¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°You could gain a Sentinel''s rights.¡±


    Her eyes opened wide as I let the info sink in. I continued, ¡°You can escape your bounty and unknown status with that. If you think about it, this is a golden opportunity, but only if you take it.¡±


    Kessiah pursed her lips, looking like she tasted something sour. A moment later, the expression faded. She nodded her head, a begrudging sound in her voice,


    ¡°Huh¡­I suppose you¡¯re right. That is a way out of this mess, and a way out of the rat race with Schema¡­Damn, I nearly forgot about that.¡±


    I raised both my palms beside my face, making a tunnel for my vision, ¡°Keep it simple.¡± I tilted my fingers forward, ¡°Never forget the end goal.¡±


    She nodded. She reached up her hand and ruffled my hair. She grinned, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± She glanced outside, ¡°It¡¯s about time I leave. Torix will bitch like there¡¯s no tomorrow if I hold you up much longer.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Thanks for the ring.¡± I glanced at the pile of miscellaneous stuff beside us, ¡°Perfect timing for the gift too.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°A thoughtful gift deserves one in turn, or something like that.¡±


    Kessiah left before I lifted the ring and placed it onto the middle finger of my left hand. I channeled some of my mana into it. Spikes of the gray metal pierced into my finger. Strings of metal slithered through my finger before grafting to the bone. For a normal person, the debilitating pain would crush them to their knees. Being familiar with the sensation, I only winced.


    Not from pain either. The feel of it was creepy. Imagine watching an assassin bug drain your blood. Sure, it probably won¡¯t do any meaningful harm or even hurt. That doesn¡¯t mean you want it to happen. I wouldn¡¯t let something like that stop me from getting such a convenient device.


    Once it grafted to my bones, it retraced back into the ring. A glowing red line appeared, the same color as my mana, at the center of the ring.


    Coalescence finished. Access to 2850.8 kilograms allowed for Spatial Holder, C-137-Harbinger of Cataclysm.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if I should be impressed or disappointed at my weight. Based on what it was saying, I should be able to toss a car around with ease now. It made me wonder what Kessiah could really do if she tried with her blood arts.


    I snapped those thoughts, willing the ring to open. In front of me, a ripple appeared. It was strange, something unseen shifting through my flesh and bones. Everything rippled, my armor and the space near me as the portal opened. Surrounding the ripple, a shifting portal appeared. Our reality bled into the portal¡¯s edges, opening to a void.


    Surreal and unsettling, I grinned at the feeling. It was familiar. Whenever Torix and co. opened a portal into another dimension, this same bizarreness took over. Curious as cat, I pressed my finger into the void.


    My flesh erased. Even I felt the pain, causing me to wince. As I pulled out my finger, the white of bone and pale pink flesh looked back at me. A perfect cut was on my finger. As I pushed my weight into the portal, the portal used up my mana at the same pace. It turns out, the portal just becomes something that disintegrates me at the same pace as I enter it.


    Lesson learned, I let my finger regenerate. It took less than fifteen seconds. As I moved my finger, the portal moved with it. No matter how I turned my hand, it stayed several feet away from me. I could move my hands and limbs to it though. The mechanics of it felt weird as fuck.


    That¡¯s how it worked though. After I finished toying with the portal, I packed over five minutes. I focused most of the weight on rations and some other miscellaneous survival stuff. By the time I finished, my time was up.


    I ran over to Torix¡¯s place. As I did, thoughts raced through my mind. Why does tampering with the ring cause such a stiff penalty? It made no sense, unless Schema was trying to hide something about the ring. Besides that, the mechanics for how the ring worked seemed oddly specific. Of course it could be a natural limitation, but I doubted it.


    It was more like Schema didn¡¯t want you crawling through the portal. Either that, or he was hiding something where he used his storage.


    I shook those thoughts from my head as I walked up to Torix¡¯s house. As I reached up into the building, Torix turned up to me along with Althea and Kessiah. He gave me a hard look, but he continued giving his breakdown,


    ¡°As I was saying, the rift you¡¯re entering is here.¡±


    He pointed at a map of Springfield. It was in the eastern side of town, somewhere I wasn¡¯t familiar with. It was on the other side of our camp too. Torix covered my concerns seamlessly as he spoke though.


    ¡°This will be far and away the longest distance mission we¡¯ve made. That will buy you and Althea time as you both develop your skills. Our lack of movement will alert them. Having most of our missions on this side of town will pay us back with surplus now.¡±


    He turned to Kessiah ¡°As those two are gone, I will whip the legion into shape. I¡¯ll need you to be a drill instructor of sorts during this time. I¡¯ll focus on other aspects, like the logistics during the operation.¡±


    Kessiah looked like she was about to tell him to fuck off. She glanced at me, bit her lip, then turned back to Torix, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Torix¡¯s head swung back, ¡°Really?¡± Torix coughed into his hand, dismissing his surprise, ¡°Ahem, thank you Kessiah.¡± He turned back to us, ¡°You two have plans for your skills, correct?¡±


    Althea and I nodded. Torix gave us the ok before clapping his hands together,


    ¡°Then let¡¯s set off.¡± He turned to us, a gravity overcoming him, ¡°You two¡­stay safe. It would hurt me dearly to lose either of you.¡±


    Althea bent down, blushing at the sincerity. I kept composure, but on the inside, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit warmed. Torix walked over, taking two stones from his robe. One was red and the other blue. He gave Althea the red one and me the blue one. He turned to each of us,


    ¡°The red is Aatrox and the blue is Kade. This will only work for about thirty minutes a piece. You will count as their summoners as well. Use these in your time of need.¡±


    Althea walked up and hugged Torix. Surprised at first, Torix grinned as he hugged her back,


    ¡°Keep safe Althea. Remember what I told you.¡±


    She nodded, pulling away before Torix tapped his map,


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time to leave. Both of you, good luck in your venture. We¡¯ll be ready to kill a follower when you come back.¡±


    I grinned, balling my hand into a fist, ¡°We¡¯ll be ready too.¡±


    Althea and I left, passing through the sewers. The colorful combinations of flowers and odd creatures melded into fanciful scenery. We passed it in silence, the pressure pressing down on us. Our mission clear, our minds ready, we passed by before reaching the destination thirty minutes later.


    I was the vanguard, stepping out of the sewer first. Around us were old, small houses. They could be nice, but neglect made them ugly, like a beautiful painting covered in mud. Trees grew in the yards, already unmowed before the apocalypse. That gave them a head start the other suburbs never had. It gave the place less emptiness though.


    More animals and wildlife thrived here. Less people fed the forests of Yawm, meaning more normal plants bloomed. Wildflowers grew along the edges of the roads. The cracks in the road, once a signal of being poor, allowed tiny blades of grass and flowers to peak through. What once was a symbol of being poor turned into something that gave it a second life.


    The spawns stalked the insides of buildings still. Caked on blood and sun-dried bones baked under the midday sun as Althea and I sprinted through the city. We kept under shadows, dashing from brush to brush. My telekinesis stopped me from breaking through the scenery like tissue paper. Althea moved in absolute silence. Even with my hearing, I couldn¡¯t hear her. Her build suited secrecy and silence.


    It was a false silence built on the white noise of cicadas while we climbed up. This entire part of the town was built around a mountain. Once we reached the top of it, an enormous pile of sand was spread out over it. It was like the snow that dots the top of mountains, except heat and sand instead. The further up we went, the worse it became.


    Once we reached a few feet from the apex of the mountain, a gaping, black chasm stretched into the earth. Brooding and black, it was a void. No named or other members of Yawm were here either. Strange as it was, it sure was convenient too.


    We surveyed the area, checking for any hidden enemies. Finding none, we opened up our status screens and checked them one last time. The delay in rifts made checking through them cumbersome.


    I found the 222 points given by the Words of Strength skill. Upon closer observation, the skill wasn''t made out of the skills I expected. Unlike Torix''s Words of Power skill, Words of Strength used Leadership in place of Debating. I chopped that up to differences in personality and style.


    It''s like the difference between a general that rides into battle and the general that stays behind the front lines. Different styles lead to different results, but both can be effective. Schema''s system was a bit more fluid.


    Still, it gave me enough points to dig deep into the Fearless tree. I already had 27 points in it, so putting the 222 tree points from the unique skill would put my one point shy of completing the tree. Having gained two levels in phaser during the travel, I had just enough points for the tree.


    With that in mind, I invested the points all at once.


    Some let fear consume them. Others conquer their fears. You are without fear. Skill gained! Fear Tolerance(lvl 1) - You swallow your fear like a bitter medicine. -1% to fear generation.


    Your lack of fear will in turn evoke fear in others. Fear clouds the mind, preventing clear judgment. When surrounded by the masses, you weaken their minds while no fear weakens your own. Skill gained! Pressure(lvl 1) - There is power in your presence. Mental pressure exerted onto enemies is increased by the level of this skill.


    Fears span more than just fear of the physical. Many fear failure, others fear success. What if I''m not good enough? What if I can''t handle the success I''ve earned? You silenced those voices in your mind. Skill Gained! Confidence(lvl 1) - Confidence limits you more often then your potential will. Gives more accurate assessment of your limits with level.


    There are many other fears in life. Some fear the unknown. They let uncertainty freeze them. They allow consequence to rule them. You are no such person. Rather, you see opportunity in its place. Skill gained! Pathfinder(lvl 1) - You are only home when among the unknown. +1% to processing of new risks. +1% to planning speed when many factors are uncertain.


    And the final fear is fear of suffering. Make no mistake, feeling pain and overcoming it are two different things. It is the act of pushing forward despite pain that creates tolerance. Learning to cope with pain is conquering it. You''ve learned this as well. Skill gained! Pain Tolerance(lvl 1)*&$%ERROR


    Skill already known. Processing...Nearest breakthrough given in place of the reward. Breakthrough achieved! Pain Tolerance(lvl 100)--->*&$%ERROR


    Maximum skill level reached. Processing...New reward tier achieved. Unique skill gained! Fuses the skills Fear Tolerance, Pressure, Pathfinder, Confidence, and Pain Tolerance into Dominating Presence. *&$%ERROR


    Pain Tolerance is currently maxed. Skill cap exceeded. Rare variant given in place of common variant. Unique skill gained!  Fuses the skills Fear Tolerance, Pressure, Pathfinder, Confidence, and Pain Tolerance into Overwhelming Presence. No tree points rewarded due to the nature of the skill''s creation.


    Overwhelming Presence(lvl 1) - The force of your mentality is made palpable. Passive mental pressure is amplified greatly by the level of this skill, enhancing influence and sway during conversation and battle.


    The errors were weird, but outside of that, it looked like a solid tree. It was the first one to be based on skills instead of stats. Since my goal was to collect unique skills, I wasn''t complaining. Outside of that, the skill made me feel different.


    How exactly, well it''s hard to explain. Have you ever felt the aura of a strong, powerful person? They walk with purpose. They hold themselves high with a humble pride. What they say is respected innately. They don''t demand respect. Respect is simply given.


    From me, that same kind of aura ebbed but with a greater intensity. Althea even noticed, though she might not have been aware of it. She just looked at me for a second from her status screen. She narrowed her eyes before glancing back. A subtle gesture, but it showed the impact the unique skill already had.


    With nothing left for status screen, I closed it and tinkered with the skill. It was a passive skill, almost like the ability Cosmic Soul. The way the ability worked gave me some ideas too. My charisma wasn''t high, but with the right investment, I could bypass that weakness.


    The concept was simple. A person can influence people with strength and power. An easy example is someone holding a gun, pointed at your head. More than likely, whatever they have to say to you will be compelling. If I could create the same effect with skills like Overwhelming presence, then I could bypass my low charisma.


    In other words, I make my influence on people become dependent on other attributes.


    Satisfied with my status screen, I turned and waited for Althea to finish with hers. A minute later, she turned to me,


    "You ready?"


    I nodded. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I stepped forward into the chasm. Althea followed, each of us flying through the black fog. The icy sensation covered my skin before I detached from Schema¡¯s system. My HUD left me, opening up my peripherals. The fog lessened, showing rocks and a tunnel of light ahead. The tunnel tightened before I stabbed an arm into the wall of stone.


    Harder than normal rocks, the gray brick broke as I dragged further and further down. At the bottom of the tunnel, the pathway curved outwards so that we could walk upright. Althea floated down behind me, wings already formed for the occasion.


    I jumped down, landing on the stone. The air smelled sweet here. Ahead of me, a wall of white covered the entire entrance, except some sand beside it. I raised an eyebrow as Althea landed on one of my shoulders. A set of talons gripped on my shoulder, but they didn¡¯t pierce my shoulder. I held her weight with ease as I walked forward.


    The wall turned less pale. Cracks and marks were few and far between, like a wall of weathered stone. I reached it, touching the smooth rock. I tapped against it, noticing a hollow ringing. I walked a few steps towards my side before reaching away from the stone. Behind it, a vast desert stretched outwards.


    Like a lake of sand, mountains turned the horizon jagged in the distance. The sky was red, gray clouds floating by. I breathed deep. The air was sweet and clear. I walked out a few more steps, turning back where I came from. There was a pile of stones tall as a house. I glanced up, seeing the wall of white stone arch overhead.


    It curved around the mountain, taller than trees. I glanced to my side, noticing the same white walls of stone set in a pattern. Over a football field away, a giant, pale stone was at the center of the white pillars.


    A chill ran up my spine as my blood ran cold. These weren¡¯t walls of stone. That wasn¡¯t an immense, white stone either. These were ribs, and that was a skull. We were surrounded by the bones of a monster.


    I gulped, ¡°Holy fuck¡­So that¡¯s why the named aren¡¯t here.¡±


    Althea glanced down at me, ¡°Why?¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Because whatever monsters live here, they¡¯re too big to tame."

 74 Corrupted Ruin

    Althea sighed, "At least we''ll see them coming."


    I nodded, ¡°Keeping it positive. I like that.¡± I turned towards the edge of the mountains. Unlike the other rift, there wasn¡¯t any obvious barrier. The red sky stretched endlessly, no white tendrils locking it in. The sand dunes stretched up high to the horizon, but we could see the end. It would take maybe a few hours to reach the mountain tops.


    The goal was to reach somewhere with food, water, and shelter. Food and water was asking a bit much though. Outside of the immediate short term, the faster gained our skills, the quicker we could leave. With that in mind, I pointed out into the distance, ¡°Can you fly high then check out the nearby area? Once we know what''s around, we¡¯ll go from there.¡±


    Althea nodded, flapping her wings before shooting into the air. Her flight was a handy piece of utility, and maybe that was why she didn¡¯t invest into constitution. It gave her a level of mobility I dreamed of. To be fair, I could tank at least 100 times more damage than her, so it was a give and take kind of situation.


    She careened into the sky, flying with ease. I took a breath. I didn''t remember it being so hard just to breath. With each breath, that difference in density became clearer. I adjusted my breathing along with my rolling my shoulders. A couple pops ran through my back. I swallowed, my ears popping, the kind of pop you get when rolling down the window in a car.


    My body weighed into the ground more, my own body pulling me down. My extra constitution and strength minimized the difference between this world and the last, but my perception made the difference obvious. This planet was bigger than earth for one. By how much, maybe a third more gravity. I clapped my hands, wondering if sound traveled differently here. It did. The echo created a visible wave through the air, echoing faster than on earth.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my enhanced physique, I¡¯d be breathing in a toxic atmosphere, denser than I could breath. Other planets may have environments too hostile for me. It would be hard to tell until I was there. Even if the atmosphere was corrosive, if it had oxygen, I¡¯d be fine. I learned that during research some research with my obelisk.


    I was curious about drowning, wondering what would happen. After all, if it inflicted damage, I might sustain that damage forever. Unfortunately, it worked differently. Drowning inflicted unconsciousness then growing % based true damage. I could sustain through about fifteen minutes without air, all while unconscious and underwater. Someone could resuscitate me during that time, but he true damage would eventually kill me though.


    Seeing Althea float upwards, it made me wonder if the air was choking her a bit. She never complained, so I assumed she was fine. With how she drifted through the air, she didn''t look like she was in pain. She looked free, circling higher and higher before taking a nosedive downwards. A few seconds later, she landed on my shoulder with her talon laden feet.


    ¡°The mountains are farther away than we thought. I flew up longer than I would need to on earth, which means those mountains are really far away.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Well fuck. Might as well get started.¡±


    She nodded, so I glanced at the sand surrounding us. No life teemed, not even the slightest wink of it. No wind slid through the valley either. Weird as it was, other marks in the sand stuck out more than anything alive. Vast, massive chunks of sand were missing from dunes in the distance. It looked like something took a bite out of the dune.


    Those marks scattered about, once every ten or so dunes. It reminded me of the Freedom Fighters incident. More than likely, I could take on any dangers here. That didn''t mean I should though. Being more away of my mortality, I kept cautious. I stomped the stone I stood on. Cracks formed underneath my feet, stone splintering up as my foot dug into the rock.


    Grabbing a piece of stone the size of my forearm, I stepped forward and tossed the rock with all my might.It flew several dunes away beforeslammingon top of the sand. Sand erupted from the impact as Althea gripped onto my shoulder to hold on,


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    My eyes narrowed, ¡°Playing it safe.¡±


    A few seconds later, the ground pulsed. A wave of kinetic energy shook through the sand before a monstrous worm monster flew up and out of the ground. Larger than a football field, it snapped up the stone. Even without Schema¡¯s help, I could tell this thing was over level 2000.


    As it passed, the jagged, coarse lining of its throat glistened with clear, crystalline teeth. They lined the monster''s maw all the way down our line of sight. They shined red from the light, showing creeping parasites that lived in its throat. These bulbous, deformed, and horrible insects and slugs squirmed on the inside of it. Many of their eyes followed the sight of us, looking for prey.


    Unlike the insects, the colossal worm shifted through the sand like birds swimming through the air. It took seconds for it to pass by.


    Before it finished, Althea murmured, ¡°Oh¡­good thing you played it safe.¡±


    I nodded. I needed to cross the desert without touching the sand, so I jumped up, landing on a telekinetic pad I created. Instead of diverting the energy beneath me and into the sand, I shifted itbehind me. I made this second panelmassive, which gave me enough resistance to stomp onto the first plate.


    Using the density of the air to my advantage, each of my steps created a storm''s worth of wind as Ibouncedforward. My feet snapped off the telekinetic planes, letting me bounce across the air. If I kept up with this level of stomping though, I would run into the sand eventually. I needed to stay up and off the sand without touching it, otherwise I''d be worm''s food.


    To keep it up, I stomped on the pads with my ascendant mana coursing through my runes. Without the enhanced strength, I couldn¡¯t keep up with the task. Creating new pads, each reinforced and stable enough to hold my stomping weight turned something that should be easy and turned it into something hard. The extra weight amplified the complexity of it. I adjusted to this soon enough, but the enormity of the task came down on me after a while.


    Strengthening the panels for my stomping took a toll on me. For some damn reason, Althea freeloaded on my shoulders too, which sucked pretty bad aftera few kilometers into the run. Her stamina wasn''t like mine though, so reserving some strength was probably a good idea. Doesn''t mean I wasn''t a bit sour over the whole thing.


    Once I got over myself, I learned that making a panel too strong wasted effort and mana. Making it just tough enough made the task much easier. Learning this required a bit of trial and error though. After reducing the strength by tiny smidgens for a while, I snapped through a plate. Before falling into the sand, I created another panel to prop myself back up with.


    I stomped into the plate, struggling to keep myself from falling into the sand. Altheaswungher wings, pulling me back upright. Once stable, I strengthened the panels a bit before heading out on my merry way. The only reason I even tried that was because Althea offered a safety net. As I got used to measuring the strength of the panels, it got easier and easier.


    By the time the mountain grew in my vision, I was a certified pro at it. Glad to be near it, the immense mountain covered most of my vision by then. The whistling of wind glided across the top of the mountain. It looked like all the wind blew up high, near the top of the mountain. That explained why I saw bite marks on all the dunes.


    Around the peak, a group of decayingbirds flew across the sky, riding that wind. Metallic plates helmeted their heads, like their beaks never stopped growing and eventually covered them. Black drool leaked from their mouths, and a black aura radiated off their talons eyes. Black miasma created umbral contrails behind them, like black smoke that faded.As theyflapped their molting wings, pieces of flesh and skin falling from them. Beneath the flesh, tumors grew.


    They cawed at us, flashing their talons towards us. We had a few seconds to watch them dive towards us. When the group slammed into us, I side stepped them while shot off my shoulder. When she met them, Althea ripped them apart with her own talons.


    Her strength in her form shook the enemies to their cores. Each swipe held a certain intention, like something changed in her. She used to just flay her arms around, more to get someone away from her than to kill them. These new strikes, while wild and inefficient, where loaded with a vitality and frenzy in them. With her absurd strength, she sundered the monsters apart.


    As she slaughtered them, Ibounced back and forth on my telekinetic pads while catching and consuming the corpses. On the last bird, one of my panels snapped. I gyrated in the air before flopping onto the sand. I pushed myself up, running forward and snatching up the falling corpse of the bird. After my armor absorbed it, I sprinted forward towards the mountain.


    Althea flew above me, so I ran up to the top of a sand dune before leaping. Once flying, she gripped her claws into my shoulders. I stomped my feet into telekinetic pads, going upwards. Beneath us, a wave shifted through the sand. We rose higher and higher, the rumbling surging beneath us. The vibration of the rumbling shook my hands it was so violent. A growl like thunder roared beneath us, a sickening gurgle following. We needed to hurry.


    Changing tactics, I let the force smash of the telekinetic pads smash into my shoulders and stomach instead of the wind. The blows hurt like kicking a cinderblock with your toe. Not bad with my pain resistance, but it ate into my health. After a few more stomps, an entire dune exploded out from beneath us. Panicking a bit, I smashed my feet into the pads, spurring me forward. The new feeling was more like kicking a cinderblock and peeling your toenail back during the process.


    Thank Schema for pain resistance. Panicking a bit herself, Althea flapped her wings with a burst of effort, letting me speed up just a pinch more. The worm reached us. With teeth the size of trees, the mountainous mouth clamped shut. The wind off its bite blew on my back as it bit through one of my feet. Several of its teeth cracked, but my leg tore off like biting through aluminum foil. With its prize in its mouth, it dived back into the sand.


    The shrieking of shredding metal ebbed from its insides, like a trash compacter crushing a car as disappeared.I hobbled forward on my telekinetic pads, struggling for a minute as my foot regenerated. Once my leg was back, I returned to jogging. I sighed with Althea, giving her a much-needed rest. I moment later, I lifted an arm up,


    ¡°Thanks. You saved my ass there.¡±


    She clapped my hand with a talon foot, laughing at the absurdity of it all,


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think they were that dangerous. They¡¯re a lot bigger up close.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Hell yeah they are. Those worms must be level 3000. Hard to say. No wonder Yawm and his followers aren¡¯t coming close to them. They¡¯re ridiculous.¡±


    She nodded, looking up at the mountain, ¡°Let¡¯s hope the other monsters aren¡¯t as dangerous.¡±


    I agreed before we fell back into the smooth motion of running on the wind. Once over the mountain, Althea jumped off my shoulders and glided beside me. I turned to her, ¡°Why did you make me carry you?¡±


    A bit of shame in her voice, she murmured, ¡°My stamina can¡¯t keep up with flying. It''s fun but exhausting.¡±


    I nodded my head. She didn¡¯t have the regeneration stats that I did, including stamina regeneration. That was something I took for granted often. Because of my endurance and the determinator tree, my stamina had never been and likely never would be a problem. Sometimes I felt the tug of exhaustion, but it never lingered for any meaningful length of time. Combine that with my high willpower, and I moved like a machine.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    That may be what alienated Althea from me for so long. I kind of enjoy the thrill of fighting. She struggled finding any real reason too. Up till meeting us, her life was either being in a lab or bounty hunting. Battling twenty-four seven wasn''t much better. Thinking back on it, the way we met and the lifestyle she had led up till that point was unbelievably hard. It must have sent her spiraling into depression.


    I already knew about all the good stuff outside of the drudgery of Schema. Althea though, she didn¡¯t.


    A pang of guilt rippled through me. If I handled us meeting better, maybe even treated her with a bit more humanity, she¡¯d be doing better. Not just more powerful, but happier and more content as well. I may could have saved Michael and Kelsey too if I gave it my all. The problem is, I would never know now. It was regret, and regrets have a way of growing with time. Maybe I wouldn''t have heard that voice a while back either if I just thought things through more.


    Those thoughts left a bitter taste in my mouth, so I vowed to think things through a bit more before acting. I may end up with better results with whatever I was doing, for me and whoever I was in contact with. Who knows, I might not end up falling into another eldritch''s trap again either. Preserving my humanity was a plus too.


    No matter howhumane I acted in this rift, I doubt any of that would be given in turn though. We reached the mountain, landing on the hard stone with loud cracks. Althea''s feet turned normal, her wings returning to arms. Since we met, those abilities turned from monstrous abominations into fully formed, working limbs. It looked like she studied the anatomy of birds and applied it to herself, making the transformations elegant and natural.


    This newfound care amplified her skills as well. Making full use of those powers, Althea amplified her hearing as we walked towards the mountain. Her ears grew longer, twitching at slight sounds. As she glanced around, she looked like a blueish gray elf.


    She led the way up the mountain. As we moved up the pile of brown rock, features popped up. Hidden creviceslined the mountain, each of them covered in something clear like glass. All of them angled towards the inside of the mountain. The uniformformation drew our interest, so we checked it out.


    Althea and I crawled into one of the caverns without a glass pane over it. Along the walls of these crevices, sharp, clear crystals lined the rugged rock. Once we walked into the mountain, Althea kept clear of them, worried of nicking her clothes. No doubt we''d be here for a while, so whatever she broke, she''d have to livewith. On the other hand, I just let them scrape me. The glassy stuff broke against my armor.


    Once we neared the end of the tunnel, I was surprised at how well-lit it still was. The light never waned, no matter how deep we went. Once near the end of the tunnel, Althea and I peeked our heads through the narrow entrance. Althea scooted closer to me than she needed to, but I didn¡¯t mind. I was too busy seeing the inside of the cavern.


    Unlike the dilapidated ruins of the last eldritch cavern, this was a grand city. A cavern, miles long and wide, situated itself within the hollow mountain. Beams of light leaked in from crevices all along the walls and roof of the cavern. A realization popped in my head. The spikey crystals lining the tunnels refracted light, bending it into the mountain from outside.


    Some of these beams met into other crystals in rivers and waterfalls flowing inside the city.From those sky-blue shards,a light blue beamed. Above the ruins and roadways tracing the city, lanterns of orange hovered. Within them, orange opals hummed a quiet sound. Combined with the gentle humming of the water''s flow, and the city calmed me.


    The buildings crushed that peaceful atmosphere though. They were built along a hill at the center of the hollow mountain. These buildings were warped in strange ways, doorways and staircases facing unnatural directions. Upside down, sideways, there wasn''t any rhyme or reason too it.


    Other houseswere disfigured, stretched into wild shapes, like some nightmare given life. The pleasant sound of gems buzzing and water flowing took on an eerie tone because of this. It contrasted the ominous, empty buildings, like opera music blaring during a gory murder. The dissonance unnerved me, but it did worse to Althea. A bead of sweat fell from Althea''s brow.


    I wouldn''t let a chill running up my spine stop me though, so I paced forward into the unknown. As I neared the city, I found bridges and walkways sprawled across the village. Using them, I passed a river before nearing the closest building. I glanced into the building, no doors or windows on it. Like the other rundown ruins, it was just plain rock with walls and a roof. You could hardly call them houses really.


    Within the near empty buildings, markings and runes were etched into the walls, roof, and floors. While somewhat like the runic language of magic, these letters grated me more. They didn''t seem smooth andeasy to understand. Instead, the chaotic inscriptions felt beyond me. It was like staring at complex, mathematical algorithms. It all just jumbled together.


    Intent on discovering what theydid, I stepped into one of the buildings. The difference was palpable. It wasn¡¯t like stepping into a room with enchantments or effects. No, it was like stepping into a different eldritch rift. The air surrounding me decompressed as the air pressurelightened. My feetlightened.Hell, the air lightened. Inside this tiny ass building, gravity was different. I waved Althea over,


    ¡°You got to try this.¡±


    She glanced around, looking nervous, ¡°I don¡¯t know Daniel. This seems dangerous.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Everything here is dangerous. Might as well have some fun while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    She pursed her lips, walking up to the doorway. She glanced towards one of the beams of light, ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±


    I walked over and pulled her by the hand into the room. She breathed in, gasping at the sudden shift. She looked around,


    ¡°How¡­.¡± She turned to me, ¡°What in Schema¡¯s name is going on?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She nodded, a wide grin on her lips. I walked over towards a square patch of the wall covered in runes. Glancing closer, they seemed familiar. I couldn¡¯t pin the similarity down though. I studied them while Althea hopped around, toying around with the shift in basic physics. I snapped my fingers,


    ¡°None of the letters are the same. On them are two different sets of layering, one for the curvature of the letter and another for the indentation¡­These are like Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s runes, the ones he used to tear open dimensions.¡±


    Althea turned to me, giggling as she moved her hand in and out of the building, ¡°So what?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°So that means these runes are causing the crazy shift we¡¯re feeling.¡±


    She turned to me, ¡°Really? Those runes are doing all that?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°If you think about it, the runes for magic can cause massive changes in how something works. Who¡¯s to say there isn¡¯t a set of runes for something, uh¡­¡± I scratched my head, ¡°Something weird like this.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Want to explore the other buildings?¡±


    I stood up, turning to her, ¡°Hell yeah.¡±


    We paced out of the room, gravity pulling harder once we left.We walked towards the next building over. Within it, something even odder happened. Time slowed. The sensation was strange and distant. All of the sudden, my thoughts went way faster than my movement. It gave a sort of trapping sensation, like I didn¡¯t have control of my body anymore.


    After glancing at the runes in that room for a bit, I turned to Althea behind me, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    As I spoke, my voice sounded much deeper. Althea busted out into laughter, but her voice deepened as well. I cracked up too, laughing my ass off at her gorilla voice.


    I clapped my hands together, deepening my voice, ¡°I am the evil lord Baldowah.¡±


    Theludicrous voice made a nice combo with my waving fingers.


    ¡°Beware, little girl. I¡¯ll destroy everything, even Torix¡¯s bad habit of overly elaborate explanations!¡±


    We laughed for a while before getting out of the room. From there, we explored many rooms. Some of them were fun and interesting. Some of them contorted reality a bit too much for Althea''s liking. For some reason, these places didn¡¯t affect me, but they sent Althea reeling,like some drug induced stupor. Whenever I concentrated at the runes within these faulty areas, subtle inconsistencies formed.


    I still couldn¡¯t quite get it, but the runes felt off compared with the other, more stable room''s runes. The lines of them were too smooth, not structured enough. That lack of structure bled into the runes effects. After interrogating Althea about it, sheexplained that in some rooms the gravity and timeshiftswere consistent throughout. The rooms with messed up runes had crazy fluctuations from one part of the room to the next.It made the whole experience nauseating for her.


    Unlike her, the runes didn¡¯t affect me unless they were pristine and perfect. My guess was that it stemmed form my immunity to corruption. The messed up runes corrupted the area. Flawless runes changed the area. It was like the runes were code for a computer. If you messed up even the smallest thing, you''d get all kinds of errors. Due to my immunity to corruption, the code I was made of wouldn''t process those errors. I ignored them entirely.


    I got the immunity to corruption a long time ago though, even before getting my armor. Considering Baldag-Ruhl made the armor with these runes, it affecting me meant this armor was perfect. Even though the incantation was massive, he made no mistakes. That bug man was smart as fuck apparently.


    Those thoughts tumbled in my brain as we explored the rest of the ruins. Most of the buildings were messed up, but Althea still had a lot of fun despite that. She lowered her guard for a change, enjoyinguniquesensation each room offered. I couldn¡¯t blame her. It reminded me of going to a carnival and looking through a house of mirrors. Odd and strange, but a little bit captivating nonetheless.


    Once we finished moving through the rooms, something like night time came through the room. The beams of light waned, and the orange lamps dimmed. The beams of light lessened. She and I enjoyed a dinner together, each of us chatting about the ridiculous rooms and new world. We ended the conversation when Althea Yawned.


    Once she was asleep, I keptguard. I¡¯m sure it made her feel better about the whole being in a different world thing. Once she soundly slept, I went into one of the corrupted rooms and studied the runes.So far, I only studied the perfect runes of Baldag-Ruhl in detail. While they gave a good idea of the finished product, I couldn¡¯t tell what got them there. It was like looking at a finished building. I couldn''ttell how it was made from start to finish,just like I couldn¡¯t see how the perfect runes were created.


    The messed up runes, however, were full of holes to see into. With that in mind, I found two rooms with similar enchantments, one perfect and the other corrupted. They both warped gravity, but one of them, according to Althea, felt like walking on hills even on the flat ground. The gravity was that inconsistent. These two rooms were the base of my learning.


    I took pictures of each room with my obelisk. After that, I analyzed the differences in the languages. I went back and forth between each of the rooms, deciphering what I could. After four hours of the searching for the peculiarities of each room, I made my breakthrough. I discovered a key fact about their similarities.


    There werenone.


    I mean no exact similarities between the two. Some of the symbols were almost identical, but a few notches made a decisive difference.AnytimeI attempted replicating them, all I got were duds. After another two hours, I gained a bit of understanding about them.


    It seemed like two similar codes, just interpreted differently. One person was giving their take on the language, and the other a different take entirely. That meant none of the runes worked unless you wrote them through the same perspective as the person who wrote it. In order for the runes to work, they needed a consistent way of looking at the world. Otherwise, the inconsistent and incomplete world view made inconsistent and incomplete runes.


    It made some sense. Magic runes required mana to fuel their enchantments. They structured the use of magic, giving it a specific purpose and form. These runes didn''t bend magic. They seemed to bend the very fabric of reality, allowing for insane creations like these rooms.Someone would need a solid, fleshed out understanding of reality before they could tamper with it.


    Since most of these runes lacked that, they resulted in unfinished incantations. Not only did the runes have to be accurate and precise, they needed a concrete view behind them. It was like visualizing a building before making it. I needed to have something in mind before I went off and made a building. Otherwise, the building would fail in a spectacular fashion. These runes mirrored that.


    For me, I considered this realization a breakthrough. So far, copying and repetition failed as learning methods. Instead, I would try to get an idea of the runes by carving out my own runes. I would use these other sets as references, but I wouldn¡¯t copy them anymore.


    That¡¯s what I did for the rest of the night. Carve, carve, then carve more, I found an empty spot of wall and etched until my hand should have fallen the fuck off. Each time, I tried to make the runes echo my own thoughts and beliefs more. These eldritch runes would allow it. The magic runes allowed echoes to form of memories and thoughts. With the eldritch runes, I could make the memories and thoughts real.


    At least that was the working theory. As consumed as I was with the process, I didn¡¯t even notice Althea sneaking up on me. When she slapped her hand on my shoulder, I flinched.


    She giggled a bit, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I turned to her, then back to my runes, ¡°Trying to learn the runes better.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, ¡°Looks more like you¡¯re trying to imitate a crazy person.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°Maybe that would work. I can¡¯t tell right now.¡±


    She took a few paces back, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be learning gravity magic?¡±


    I facepalmed, ¡°Ahh, yeah, I am. Fuck.¡± I glanced around, ¡°What about doing the training here? We don¡¯t have any extra food, but we have shelter and maybe water further down the line. Seems good enough.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Seems pretty decent.¡± She glanced outside for a second, ¡°Perfect actually.¡±


    A grin slid up her lips, so I replied, ¡°How so?¡±


    She sprouted wings before flapping towards one of the exits, ¡°I have to learn stealth. If I could fool the sandworms, then maybe I¡¯ll get a unique skill and finish my mythical one.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Having houses with different gravities is perfect for me too. Makes feeling the difference between gravities simple. We¡¯ll set up shop here then. I have about three month¡¯s worth of food. You?¡±


    She landed on one of the crevices, her voice echoing through the cavern, ¡°About two months. We should have about three if we can, I don¡¯t know, filter the water or something.¡±


    I already had a perk making me immune to disease, so we probably had at least 4 months total. I nodded before heading back up to the gravity houses. That¡¯s when I set a schedule. During the mornings, I¡¯d practice feeling gravity. During the evenings, I¡¯d practice the runes. As I reached inside the house, I grit my teeth and clenched my teeth. I was in this for the long haul.


    It was time to dig deep.

 75 Who Goes There

    So that¡¯s what I did. The priority turned to sensing gravity, even the smallest fragments of it. I had to learn to walk before I ran, so to speak. After brainstorming some solutions for a bit, I sat in a room with gravity that was slightly off. I cleared my mind, directing my attention to my senses. Instead of thinking about it, I would discover it over time.


    About fifteen minutes into the venture, a notification popped up.


    Data Upload¡­Delay of ten minutes for each skill and level up. Skill Learned! Meditation (lvl 1) ¨C Clearing the mind broadens the senses. +1% to regeneration when meditating. Senses outside of sight enhanced by 3%.


    The skill was just what I needed. Using it, I stretched out my other senses. Smell, taste, touch, the senses I had without any skills behind them were the first culprits for easy skills. Over the next three hours, I gained the skills Feeling, Smelling, and Tasting. Using the sense of touch, I attempted to feel the subtle fluctuations of gravity around me.


    Overtime, the process became more familiar. Even the smallest object exudes gravity after all. Being able to sense that would make manipulating it much easier. I ended up creating a sort of scan of the room I was in, like creating a picture without my eyes.


    The wind shifting around could give me an idea of where the windows were. I perceived the slight change in temperature from the top of my head and my feet. Hot air rises, and cold air sinks, creating a difference even over short distances. I opened my mouth, tasting the air. If I tried to focus in my senses, bits of the air would taste different.


    It smelled different too. Homing in on each breath, I began noticing differences in the smell of each breath. Some were fresher, more loaded with oxygen. Other breaths were stuffy, like someone had breathed them. The subtle differences leaked into my awareness, but only if I magnified them with my enhanced senses.


    A few more hours, and other sensations came into focus. Drops of water splashing in the distance, the flow of liquid, falling and shifting outside the room, I even perceived Althea¡¯s breathing from across the cavern. She tried keeping her footsteps quiet, but the rang out loud and clear as being beside me. Even the waves of sound became clear. Rocks and other obstacles muddied my image, but I pieced it together.


    Sight of her surroundings came into focus. The stalactites dotting around her, the lamp floating above her head and its gentle hum, it came into my mind. Layers of this kind of perception came in, giving me a detailed idea of my surroundings. I tapped the ground, and that bit of noise gave me an even clearer picture.


    I tapped my fingertip again, my awareness turning clearer. Over the next few hours, I tapped my fingertip against the rock. The wave of sound turned clearer, along with the shifting of air and temperature around me. I stood, relying on the new awareness. I walked around while tapping two of my fingers together. Relying on the timing of the sounds echoes, I walked around the room.


    Within this room, many square blocks etched themselves out of the brown rock. Artificial and precise, these formations served no purpose, at least to my knowledge. Giving them one, I worked on avoiding each of the blocks relying only on the sense of hearing, taste, and touch. I bumped into more blocks than I could count, but I got the hang of it eventually.


    For my efforts, I got a nifty little skill.


    Data Upload¡­Delay of ten minutes for each skill and level up. Unique Skill Gained! Fuses the skills Tasting, Feeling, Smelling, Meditation, and Focus into Tactile Cognition. Total points possible from these skills was 500. Half of the incomplete total is rewarded, 176 points received.


    Tactile Cognition (lvl 1) ¨C Others may have better senses. Few will use them better. Enhances information gathered from all senses.


    That was my reward for one day of intense concentration. Leveling the skill would be difficult on my own. Fortunately, I had a partner who was working on a similar skill. That partner already went to sleep and woke up during my session. She was working on sticking to the cave wall without stabbing her hands into the wall. The results were mixed so far.


    Walking up to her as she hung against one of the walls, I waved a hand,


    ¡°Hey, want to have an exercise.¡±


    Althea turned to me, a grimace plastered to her face, ¡°For the love of Schema, tell me it isn¡¯t sparing.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°It isn¡¯t. I was going to try using one of my new skills and practice it. You¡¯ll try and sneak up on me during the meantime.¡±


    Althea dropped from the wall, landing on her feet, ¡°Uhm, that sounds fun. Working all by myself gets boring after a while.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Tell me about it. We should schedule some stuff like this in throughout our day. It would let us be more productive while we work.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Yeah, that sounds cool¡­So uh, how do you want to do the exercise.¡±


    I pointed at a bridge over a waterfall, ¡°I¡¯ll sit there with my eyes closed, and you try to sneak up on me.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°You sure about that? That¡¯s a terrible spot for listening.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I think it¡¯ll be the exact opposite.¡±


    Althea shrugged before running off into the city of abandoned buildings, ¡°I¡¯ll start over here. You shout when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I nodded, running over towards the bridge. Three minutes later, I sat cross legged across the walkway of stone. Over the next few minutes, I surged the skill Tactile Cognition. Within a minute, Althea¡¯s movements came up. She skulked closer, but she didn¡¯t do so quietly. Her feet made a scraping sound with each step.


    Whenever she reached past a house and neared my bridge, I shot out a telekinetic panel towards her. Not enough to slam into her chest, but enough to let her know I found her. She scoffed as I grinned with my eyes closed,


    ¡°I assure you, my eyes are closed even if the slit of my helmet isn¡¯t.¡±


    Althea sighed, ¡°The slit¡¯s closed. I know your eyes aren¡¯t opened. It makes this hard to handle. How did you know I was here?¡±


    ¡°Your steps are loud.¡±


    She frowned, lifting both hands, ¡°Really? That¡¯s what I¡¯m working on the most.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, practice makes perfect. Let¡¯s hop to it.¡±


    We continued the exercise for an hour. After a few mishaps, Althea learned that she wasn¡¯t lifting her feet up enough. She was dragging her feet, leading to the scraping sound. After she discovered that weakness, she caught me a few times without me sensing her.


    One hour of practice turned to three. Althea developed tactics for making less noise, like holding her breath. Her big breakthrough came after she made her feet the same texture as wool socks. Her transformation ability made her steps dead silent. I relied on her body creating ripples in the air afterwards.


    She made her figure more aerodynamic, slicing through the air instead of pushing through it. Without the shift in the air, I focused on the temperature of her skin. She let off enough heat that I could discover her even without those other signs. Whenever she made her blood the same temperature as the air, I couldn¡¯t sense her. Even with all the will in the world, my ability couldn¡¯t find her.


    The third time in a row that she caught me, she jumped for joy halfway through. I stood up,


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    She giggled with delight, ¡°I got a unique skill. It¡¯s called Stealth Form.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kicking my ass. I can¡¯t find you.¡±


    She nodded, the grin still on her lips, ¡°I know, right? It feels good to finally beat you at something.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll pick this up tomorrow. I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t catch up somehow.¡±


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    She grabbed her hands together behind her back. She leaned towards me, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    It would¡¯ve been a cute gesture if she wasn¡¯t quite so deformed. Her reformations didn¡¯t bother me like they used to though. Probably because I was less normal now, in my own eyes at least. Thinking back on it, my own weirdness may have helped her accept this bizarre side of herself too.


    We talked about that and the buildings during lunch. We ate our meals together, those events being a rare moment of rest and relaxation. After finishing the meal, I went off towards one of the rooms and tried figuring out the runes. Twelve hours later, and I carved out at least a dozen pages of the runes in excruciating detail. Didn¡¯t get much from it though.


    My willpower kept me from going insane though, so I met up with Althea once more. During this training session, we changed things up a bit. I searched for her instead of her approaching me. We thought up the game with the intention of mixing up our use of our skills.


    I hunted for her throughout the ruins, finding it more difficult than I imagined. For starters, using my Tactile Cognition skill while moving was much more difficult. Second, Althea¡¯s lightness made her like feathers with feet. Her new form made no sound, no heat, no nothing. No matter how much I homed in on my normal senses, I couldn¡¯t find her.


    Repeatedly, she executed stealth attack after stealth attack. Without oppression as a line of defense, killing me would be a simple affair for her. Knowing that made my skin crawl. All the distance I made between us was closed in one fell swoop, all in one skill. It was humbling to say the least.


    In my mind, the distance was huge. Reality came crashing down on those thoughts like a sledgehammer though. She just needed to use her talents more effectively to beat me. I wasn¡¯t the kind to take an ass whooping lightly though. Over the next week, we continued the game. With every loss, I honed my efforts. With every failure, I pushed my senses further.


    During the morning of one of our exercises, a sort of awareness came over me. At the limits of my feeling, I sensed a pull on all sides. Subtle and small, the pull was so small, you could argue it didn¡¯t exist. It did though, I could feel it. The water followed this pull as it flowed. The buildings pulled on the roof as the roof pulled on the buildings. Off in the distance, Althea exuded this same pull as well.


    Data Upload¡­Delay of ten minutes for each skill and level up. Skill Learned! Gravitation Sensor (lvl 1) ¨C Most only sense gravity through its largest effects. You discern it through honing your perception instead of broadening it. +1% to accuracy of gravitational reading. +1% to range of gravitational reading.


    Using this sudden sense, I shot a wave of telekinesis at her. She flopped backwards, her smile turning to a frown. She leaned up off the side of a building,


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Feeling for your gravitational pull.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    I nodded my head, ¡°Yup. Good luck getting rid of that. Game over.¡±


    And game over it was. No matter how little she evaded my other senses, she couldn¡¯t erase her mass and weight. It was impossible. She tried reforming herself into odd shapes to throw me off. It worked a few times, but once I sharpened my sense for gravity further, I found her every time.


    Althea grew frustrated, but it was a different kind of frustration. She didn¡¯t just shut down and try the same shit over and over again. She widened her approach instead. Our game turned tense as strung wires as we both tried harder to outdo the other. Competition spurred our progress, creating rapid improvement from us both.


    She tossed rocks and other objects once she came near to me, throwing off my new sense. She stretched herself out, flowing through channels of water to mask her mass and weight. Over the next week, she learned to disperse herself over wide areas. Utilizing the absolute maximum of her transformational ability, she stretched herself so thin that she felt like a thick patch of air.


    As my awareness of gravity leveled, I gained the tools I needed for fighting against her. Once I was feeling my own pull of gravity with deep clarity, I attempted pulling it. Like a waking dream, the gravity around me relented to my will.


    Skill Gained! Gravity Shaper (lvl 1) ¨C Through a profound understanding of gravity, you¡¯ve learned to wield it. Unlike most, you bend gravity instead of creating it. +1% to ease of manipulating gravity.  -0.5% to mana cost to warp gravity. You may manipulate space-time up to your own current mass without a mana cost.


    It wasn¡¯t some cataclysmic bending though. I tweaked it a bit, sending a ripple out. With another attempt, I rippled gravity once more. With a wide grin, I turned towards Althea¡¯s own gravitational flux. I was situated in a small alleyway, sandwiched between two houses. She approached from overhead. Althea made herself into a cloud that hurt like hell to breath.


    It was a feat of her power that I didn¡¯t quite understand. Fighting her in the form though was almost impossible without using oppression. Telekinesis and punches had little to no effect on her. This new gravity magic hopefully would pack more of a punch.


    I crushed my hands, sending a moderate pulse of gravity right at her center. The pull of gravity rippled out, pulling her cloud form inwards a little bit. I pursed my lips. I hadn¡¯t maintained the field, so it only created a jerk rather than a steady pull. If Althea reached me, she¡¯d condense behind me and put a hand knife against my throat. We considered that a game over.


    With her being several feet away now, I reached out and clamped my fist shut. I sent out a larger, steadier wave of gravitation this time. Her form compacted towards its center, but without the speed I¡¯d like. With further strain, I tightened my fist, making it hard as a ball of iron.


    My mana burned as the pull-on gravity strengthened. Althea¡¯s cloud form came together, her normal form integrating from the air. Once Althea turned back into a person, she balled herself up into fetal position. Letting her go, I smiled. Pacing up to her, I put my hands on my hips,


    ¡°Counter achieved. Take that you cloud monster.¡±


    Althea sprawled out onto the ground. She pulled herself out and gasped, ¡°What¡­how did you do that?¡±


    I raised hand, forming a gravity well above her. The pull straightened out her back, removing the slouch. She frowned, ¡°What the hell?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°I finally learned how to use gravity.¡±


    She looked up, ¡°Woah¡­Cool.¡±


    I nodded, my hand relaxing. I created another well right above her. Taking my cue, Althea reached up her hand to the center of the well. She pulled herself up with it. Once up, I strengthened the gravity well. I lifted my hand, lifting her in the process. She glanced at me, her feet waving through the air,


    ¡°You can do this?¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Hah, Apparently I can. Let me see¡­¡±


    I moved her around, jerking her through the air. I tried shifting her liked a rollercoaster, causing Althea to scream with laughter. Shifting her wasn¡¯t like using telekinesis. telekinesis pulled on me, shifting gravity didn¡¯t. Besides for that, it took zero effort to throw Althea around with the power.


    After a few minutes of messing around with the skill, I could chain the wells to accelerate her to swift speeds. The range was limited though. As I made the fields further away from me, they grew weaker for the same amount of effort. As I made them closer, they became stronger. To combat this, I kept Althea turning into a circle around me. Once I got her going too fast, she yelled,


    ¡°Please let me down now. I¡¯m getting nauseous.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Sorry about that. Got caught up playing with the new toy.¡±


    I slowed her down with a few wells before catching her as she fell. I set her back onto her feet, holding her steady by her shoulders,


    ¡°There yah go. Hope it wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    She shook her head, smiling, ¡°Honestly¡­it was pretty fun.¡±


    I let her go once she quite wobbling. I stepped back, ¡°Do you mind if I try some stuff out with the gravity magic for a bit?¡±


    Althea¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t send me in circles again.¡±


    I shrugged, lifting my left hand and sending her off the ground with a gravity well, ¡°Eh, who knows. We¡¯ll have to see how it pans out.¡±


    She threw her fists at me, smiling despite my teasing. I laughed a bit before trying to create a gravity well with as much pull as she had. After a bit of tweaking, Althea floated through the air, nigh weightless. She waved her hands, giggling like crazy at the new sensation. She waved her hands,


    ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty damn awesome.¡±


    Unlike telekinesis, gravity moved like I wanted it to. Molding it wasn¡¯t some hellish undertaking. It was as natural and easy as blinking or breathing. Figuring out a few of the intricacies of it might take a while, but making the gravity wells took little to no effort.


    With that in mind, I dispersed the field holding Althea. Instead of pinning her at the center tightly, she weighed back down to the ground slowly. With a bit of effort, I compacted the field of gravity. Althea jerked back up to the center, holding there tightly. Dispersing would only be useful for extending the outer reaches of gravity¡¯s effects, not for much else.


    I kept condensing the field before the familiar pull of burning mana started. A second later, Althea shouted out. I stopped the field before she landed on her feet. She shook her head,


    ¡°What did you do then? It felt like I was in a trash compacter.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Sorry about that. I was trying to see how much I could condense. It seems like a pretty solid amount.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, pointing at me, ¡°Test that on something like rocks. Keep the fun stuff for me.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Sure thing. Want to try out the game again?¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Yeah, I think I have something new to try out.¡±


    She disappeared from sight. I blinked, not believing my eyes. A second later she appeared beside me with a knife dagger against my throat,


    ¡°Told you. I can learn too.¡±


    I raised my eyebrow, ¡°Damn girl. You¡¯ll be outdoing me here soon.¡±


    She put her hands on her hips, smiling from ear to ear, "I researched animals on your planet, and I found something called a cuttlefish. It''s an octopus that changes color. With a few tweaks, I can do the same thing. With it, I''ll be able to beat the crap out of you soon."


    I jerked up both my hands, waving my fingers, ¡°That is, if you can even stay on the ground.¡±


    She reached towards me, but it was too late. She frowned before forming wings on her back. With a mighty flap, she pushed against the gravity well. Another flap, and she resisted even more. On her third flap, I canceled the first well and created another one in the direction she was flapping towards. She shot forward, stumbling across the ground a few feet.


    I busted into laughter. Her expression soured, ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± She dug her hand into the ground. A tentacle wrapped around me leg before pulling me backward. I slammed into the ground, echoing a loud boom before she stood up while laughing back at me.


    ¡°Hah! Not so fun is it?¡±


    I pushed myself off the rock floor, chips of stone falling from my shoulders,


    ¡°Eh, I had that one coming. Another round?¡±


    She nodded, giving me time to heighten my senses. The fluctuations of gravity became apparent once more. Althea¡¯s pull came into focus, but more so, a set of breathing sounded off in the distance. I turned, seeing one of the tunnels beaming light from the outside. Someone in a gas mask with red tinted lenses starred at me in the distance.


    At its sides two hooks were hanging. A cape draped down its slender shoulders, ragged and covered in holes. It tilted its head, curious instead of threatening. It raised a hand towards me, feathers covering its arm. With a talon at the end of its finger, it squawked at me. I raised an eyebrow. The thing lowered its arm, standing still.


    Data Upload¡­Ancient Language detected. Reviving dormant directories¡­Message received and decoded.


    ¡°Come.¡±

 76 To Make Clean

    I leaned over, my stare hardening. I shouted, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Althea frowned, glancing around for her rifle. Unable to find it where she last left it, she reformed her hand before aiming her rifle at the thing. It tilted its head again,


    ¡°I tell you to come. You shout. Violent. I pray for Gar¡¯s son.¡±


    Althea and I lowered our guards. I raised an eyebrow, but no one saw it because of my helmet, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He pointed backwards, ¡°Gar¡¯s son come here. He take precious item. Try to sell. Get caught. To be prosecuted by owner.¡±


    He pointed towards himself, ¡°Hod is here to investigate. Will get to bottom of this. Yes, Hod will.¡±


    He leapt upwards, the hooks at his sides shooting towards the cavern¡¯s roof. They clipped into the stone, letting Hod swing himself and use his feathered arms to guide his descent. At the edge of the swing, the clips disconnected. He finished his swing like riding a pendulum. Before he touched the ground, he sent another hook into the roof.


    Using this combination of swinging and gliding, he reached us over the next thirty seconds. At seven feet tall, the thin and lithe being exuded quite an intimidating aura. That¡¯s even with his, uh, questionable intelligence. His gas mask protruded out, like a plague doctor¡¯s mask in medieval times. His feet were bare, the talons long and sharp.


    When he reached me, he bowed, ¡°Hod glad you both here. Do either of you own metal thing?¡±


    We both frowned at him. Hod¡¯s head rolled up then down in a big semi-circle. It was like he was rolling his eyes.


    ¡°The metal with carvings, like the huts here?¡±


    Althea squinted her eyes, ¡°You mean my rifle?¡±


    Hod¡¯s masked face shot back into the air, ¡°Ah, you call it rifle then. The rifle Garb¡¯s son took. Yours?¡±


    She nodded. Hod pointed towards the crevice he entered from, ¡°Come. I show you were he is. You both persecute as see fit.¡±


    I crossed my arms, looking ever so slightly down at him, ¡°You¡¯re saying we have to give him a punishment or something like that?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Yes. Part of tradition. Makes stealing hard.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°Why should we trust you?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°No reason. You shouldn¡¯t trust Hod. Hod sneaky. Hod very clever. Hod not lie about this though.¡±


    Althea laughed a bit before I sighed. I tilted my head, ¡°Where are you taking us?¡±


    Hod pointed diagonally towards the ground. I frowned, ¡°Underground?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Surface scary. Drikah will eat you. Can eat whole village in one bite. Nightmares given life. Hod hate them. No, we live beneath them, where it safe.¡±


    Hod glanced around, ¡°No idea why you two stay here. The ancients lived here long ago. They leave mess behind. No fun to enter room and vomit. Hod get nauseous in them.¡±


    Althea spread her arms, ¡°I know right? Tell me about it.¡±


    Hod raised a hand, ¡°Ok. Hod tell you story about it. One time, Hod get-¡°


    I waved off his story, ¡°Tell us while we¡¯re walking where we need to go.¡±


    Hod turned to me, pointing a three fingered hand, ¡°Harbinger smart. Good idea.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Harbinger? How do you know I¡¯m a harbinger?¡±


    Hod leaned back, spreading his arms, ¡°It obvious. You not like Drikah, Hod, or girl there. You something else¡­A walking omen.¡±


    I glanced at Althea then back at him, ¡°Uh¡­how so?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod not know how Hod know. Hod only know that Hod know.¡±


    Althea giggled as I face palmed. I removed my helmet, trusting that this harmless idiot wasn¡¯t faking it. The dumbness was a bit too genuine for that. Hod shot a hook towards the roof,


    ¡°Can you two keep up with Hod?¡±


    We nodded, each of us preparing our different methods of movement. Althea shifted herself to her stealth form. Invisibility leaked onto her skin, causing her to disappear from all my senses. My own ascendant mana flared before I sprinted in the direction Hod was grappling too. As we moved, Hod spoke,


    ¡°Anyway, Hod tell story now. Hod walk into building. Bad building. Hod fall upward, banging head. Hod Hurt his head. Moment later, pull flip again. Hod throw up. Throw up fall all over Hod.¡±


    Althea laughed a bit as he chatted away. Hod spoke like a chatterbox, a constant stream of bullshit pouring out of his mouth. Some of it was hilarious though, so I didn¡¯t mind. Neither Althea or I spoke that much unless we were doing something. Hod had a way of filling in the gaps, promoting a bit of pleasant chatter.


    With his voice as white noise, we the edge of one of the rivers flowing downward. Hod pointed down the hole, ¡°This is where village is. Follow Hod.¡±


    We nodded. Hod Ran through the cavern, his talons crunching into stone as he did. He wasn¡¯t quite as fast as Althea and I, but he kept a steady, controlled pace. Despite him sounding stupid, his eyes scanned his environment with the keenness like an eagle. I guessed that was his bird part coming through.


    As we went deep into the cavern, the desert world took a different turn. Phosphorescent roots crawled around the walls, supporting the rock tunnels. Yellow sprouts grew between cracks in the ground. Tiny insects crawled in the shadows of green glowing moss. Silver scaled fish swam in packs within the crystal-clear water of the river.


    The deeper we went, the richer the life became. Scaly lizards covered in heated, red scales breathed spurts of fire. Icy rodents would fight these lizards, each of them facing off against one. They huddled into crowds and watched single rodents fight the lizards, like some show of strength. Plants with sweet pools at their pits lured anything dumb enough to fall into them.


    Flowers bloomed, though not quite like Earth flowers. These flowers shot out wispy tendrils, each of them fighting for mist. Little bubbles of water would collect on them, and bugs and small birds would collect these droplets of water. Pollen would catch on the insects as they did so, letting the flowers spread out.


    The shift in scenery was unbelievable in comparison with the empty, dead surface. Understanding my confusion, Hod spoke,


    ¡°The ancients took life from surface. They give it to depths. The cataclysm came. It mess with the ancient¡¯s work. Drikah cover the surface. Sand drowned the seas. Wind stole the clouds. No more rain. No more water. Only here, in the depths.¡±


    Althea yelled as we each ran, ¡°What¡¯s the cataclysm?¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod not know. Hod wish he did. Hod would tear. Hod would rip. Hod hate the cataclysm. Hod make it suffer.¡±


    Despite the lack of eloquence, the hatred seethed in his words. I frowned, ¡°Do you know anything about what it was, like who did it, anything?¡±


    Hod stared forward, ¡°Village know only one thing. What caused cataclysm not like Hod. It not like Drikah or girl either. It something else, like you.¡±


    Hod turned to me, ¡°The elders speak. They tell prophecy. They say that something not like Hod or girl or Drikah stole life from surface. They say it brought the Drikah. They say something not like Hod or girl or Drikah will give the sun back.¡±


    Hod adjusted his movements to match mine, his speed falling in line with my own. He ran beside me,


    ¡°Hod hope it be someone like you. Did you come to take or give?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Neither. My own world¡¯s being churned up and spit out right now. It¡¯s not the best place either at the moment.¡±


    Hod sighed, patting my shoulder, ¡°Hod understand.¡± He pointed up, ¡°Hod wonder. Is surface as bad as our surface?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Naw, it will be soon though.¡±


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    Hod clasped his fist, ¡°Hod wish you good luck in journey. May Harbinger win!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin, ¡°Heh, I sure as hell hope the same too.¡±


    We reached into another cavern deep under the world. At the edge of a clifface, we saw the entirety of the cavern. A pillar stood at its center, ebbing energy outwards. That energy crawled out of the pillar, leaking into the surroundings. Dense clusters of energy ebbed from the surrounding trees, gorging the plants with life. At the center of the pillar, a red core sat spiraling energy.


    Althea whispered,


    ¡°Well¡­there¡¯s the dungeon core. Wow.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That is unfortunate. Like chewing into a shit sandwich.¡±


    Hod turned to me, ¡°What is so bad? The core gives us life. So what?¡±


    I put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s nothing Hod. Where¡¯s Althea¡¯s rifle?¡±


    He pointed towards a village. They lived within huts built out of the trees near the pillar carrying the core. In a staggered fashion, the village was built in tiers that ascended the pillars edge. Hod¡¯s people didn¡¯t need masks down here. They didn¡¯t have a beak like I thought. Instead, it was a plate of armor over their faces that extended out like a beak.


    It encapsulated upper half of their heads, covering a bottom jaw full of long teeth. Two glowing white eyes appeared on the edges of the armor. They didn¡¯t have eyelids, and their eyes were perfectly circular. Hod pulled off his mask, showing the same empty eyes. The aura radiating from him was far stronger than the others. A scar ran down the edges of his faceplate, right at the center of an eye. He turned to me,


    ¡°Does Hod¡¯s face scare you?¡±


    My armor grinned, leaking a bit of ascendant mana, ¡°Not in the slightest.¡±


    I pointed back at Althea, ¡°Now her face on the other hand-¡°


    Althea shoved me before I could finish. She ran and jumped onto the edge of the cliff face,


    ¡°Try looking at a mirror sometime.¡±


    I reached out a hand, creating a gravity warp at her. She already pulled herself out of range though. I sighed as Hod patted my shoulder,


    ¡°Do not worry. Hod think you both are ugly. No, not ugly. Hideous.¡±


    I rolled my eyes before he ran and jumped forward. A hook fired into the ceiling once more, letting him swing his way over to the village. I followed suit, using the telekinetic panels to help me keep pace.


    Whenever I attempted using gravity, the process didn''t flesh out like I thought it would. Unless I burned through an exorbitant amount of mana, I couldn''t get enough pull on me to move.


    From what I could tell, a gravity well pulled from all sides. While I could manipulate the pull until it reached my own weight for free, the gravity well spread out the pull across all angles. This reduced the power of the skill tremendously. The way they worked right now, putting a well above me would pull about a tenth of my weight, maybe less.


    Still enough to throw Althea around like a ragdoll, but not enough to do the same for me. This inefficiency doomed easy travel by gravity. Keeping the well in front of me was impractical as well. It was like balancing a basketball on one finger while running forward at a full sprint.


    Using it with telekinesis was much more effective. Even then though, I could run faster on the ground than I could through the air. Practice made perfect though, so I ironed out the kinks as I tried keeping pace with Hod and Althea.


    I caught up to them as Hod walked up to the central market place of the village. It looked like there was at least a few thousand here, enough to make up a population. Shop keepers sold a few trinkets in a town square. Off in the outskirts of the town, a few small farms were spread out. A few of them even had pools sectioned off, each of them loaded with fish.


    As Hod approached the center of this whole fiasco, several of the town¡¯s children ran up to him. He bent over, laying his hands on two of their heads,


    ¡°Hod bring no gifts today. Hod bring friends instead.¡±


    The rag wearing children glanced at us with fearful faces. Althea squatted down onto her knees, waving at them,


    ¡°Hey little guys. I¡¯m Althea. The big, scary guy is Daniel. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The child hid behind Hod, ¡°You¡­you are like the older Seekers.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, but Hod smacked his forehead, ¡°Do not insult our new friends. Apologize.¡±


    The kid teared up, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Althea glanced at him, ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod knows you are ignorant. Hod do not blame you. Trust Hod when he says the child deserves a smack across his head.¡±


    I put a hand on Althea¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s let it go.¡±


    Althea frowned, but she stood up before Hod pointed towards a larger hut. It was built into the side of the pillar holding the dungeon core. Hod announced his words,


    ¡°Hod will explain these two. They own the stolen metal. Hod brought them here. They enact judgement. They give Garb just punishment.¡±


    Several of the nearby members bent their heads to us, saying, ¡°Justice.¡±


    It was a ritual, like giving someone a prayer. Hod walked over towards the shack, glancing up at it. He cawed, a primal, animalistic sound. A gurgling replied. Hod bent down to a single knee. The others followed. From within the shack, a deformed member of their species hobbled up.


    Using a staff to support herself, a slender bird thing walked out. A giant tumor pulsed on her back, hidden by a thin sheet of fabric over her hunched back. One of her eyes pulsed with overflowing white energy. The other eye was covered in another bulging tumor over her head. She opened her mouth, drool falling from it,


    ¡°Bring them in.¡±


    Hod nodded. He stood, turning to me with his hollow eyes staring into mine like voids,


    ¡°Hod must confess¡­Hod cannot carry you up to her. Harbinger too heavy. Hod just nodded to elder so that Hod would sound cool.¡±


    Althea giggled once more as I facepalmed. I shook my head before running up and jumping towards the hut. The ground cracked as I did so, and Althea leapt up with a grace my weight couldn¡¯t match. Both of us landed at the same time, walking up to the deformed elder.


    Behind her, other deformed members of the species sat there. I peered back there, curious about what caused it. The elder standing up at the front glanced back at them with me. She turned back to me, ¡°You wonder why we are deformed?¡±


    I coughed into a hand, ¡°Ahem, uh, yes. Sorry if that¡¯s rude.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Of course you are curious. There is no sin in that. I am Jass. I will tell you. Come.¡±


    She walked into the shack, so Althea and I followed. The other members looked worse for wear. Some of them just sat and twitched. Others stared into nothingness as if returning from war. Jass spoke as we walked,


    ¡°Elders are Seekers who have been to the surface for too long. We wear masks found long ago. They protect us from the surface¡¯s corruption. They do not protect us forever. Once the tumors begin, they do not relent. Not until after we have been consumed.¡±


    We reached a doorway in the back. From it, feathers and an empty head plate hung. Jass opened the door, ¡°Ever since the cataclysm, the air at the surface does this to us. We are locked here now. Our brethren are the mindless monsters you saw above.¡±


    Remembering the vultures, I winced. Having your species turned into that¡­well, it would be just like what Yawm has planned humanity.


    Jass took her time, walking down each step one foot at a time, ¡°Upon the pillar, our idol drains the corruption. We elders stay near it, prolonging the inevitable. Hod will join us one day. He is brave, despite his odd way of speaking. He means well.¡±


    A light grin traced her lips. She was like a grandma who was too stern to admit she loved her grandson. It pulled a bit at my heartstrings, I tell yah.


    Jass reached the bottom of the stairs, reaching a room with shackles spreading out from an adult bird person thing. I turned to Jass, ¡°What do you call yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Eltari. Here is Garb.¡± She pointed at Althea¡¯s rifle in the corner of the room, ¡°That is yours, I presume?¡±


    Althea paced up to the rifle, reforming her hand into it. The elder¡¯s eyes opened wide, ¡°She is a shifter then? Impressive. The weapon suits her.¡±


    A second later, and a layer of her skin grew over the rifle. From the skin, invisibility inked onto the rifle, making it disappear with her. I shook my head, ¡°Jesus Christ. Ridiculous.¡±


    Jass walked over to Garb, ¡°You both decide his punishment then. What will you have done to him.¡±


    I gave a hard glance at Garb. He was shirtless, showing what was underneath everybody¡¯s capes. They had humanoid muscles, just in different proportions. The chest for instance, the muscle inserted all the way down his ribcage, creating a fan of muscle. Muscle piled onto his back as well, but his arms were stretched out and remarkably thin.


    With a thick, muscled neck, the Eltari looked like giant birds of prey. They looked deadly and dangerous. I walked up, looking at him. He glanced up at me, speaking in a gruff voice,


    ¡°I mean no harm. I want food for family.¡±


    The elder snapped, ¡°You have no family. I will not let you lie to them.¡±


    Garb stared to the ground. I turned to Althea, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t care. He won¡¯t be our problem after this.¡±


    I turned back to him, ¡°Alright, if I hear you stole something again, I¡¯m going to snap your beak off and shove it up your ass. Wherever that is.¡±


    The elder pulled out a key, walking over and unlocking the shackles. Garb walked up to me feet, ¡°Thank you, walking nightmare. May your evil spread forever.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I turned around. After walking back up and back out to the front of the shack. I glanced up at the pillar. Hod landed beside me,


    ¡°Hod also think it beautiful.¡±


    I pointed at it, ¡°What would it take for you guys to give that to us.¡±


    Hod¡¯s glance turned hard. He seethed his words, ¡°You would take our idol? Why?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Your planet, it¡¯s gone.¡± I grinned, ¡°I know a planet that still has a fighting chance though. That¡¯s only if you guys are willing to join the fight though.¡±


    Hod¡¯s glance lowered, his eyes cut into an angle. As he glared, he opened his hands and flared his talons, ¡°Hod and the village will not let you steal. Hod will tear you apart.¡±


    Jass walked up to him and lowered his hands with her cane. She shook her head, ¡°Now Hod, there is one way we may leave.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What would it take?¡±


    She pointed upwards, ¡°You must Kill the king of Drikah.¡±


    I glanced at althea, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, right?¡±


    Jass shook her head, ¡°No, not her. Only you.¡±


    My shoulders drooped, ¡°Oh¡­.Well then¡­how big is it?¡±


    Hod murmured, ¡°It¡¯s shadow could swallow the sky.¡±


    I turned back to Jass, ¡°Mind explaining why I have to fight it alone?¡±


    She puffed her chest, ¡°She is like us elders, bathed in corruption. She will draw in our deformed brethren during your battle. If not for her connection with you, then the air would infest her lungs just as it has ours.¡±


    She tapped my chest with her cane, ¡°In you, there is purity. There¡¯s a void, a kind of hunger that is impartial. I do not trust you or her, but I do trust that hunger.¡±


    Hod snapped, ¡°Hod disagree. How can elder give them core? Eltari die. Hod die. All die.¡±


    She glared at him, causing Hod to take a step backward and curl up. She narrowed her eyes, ¡°He spoke of his world dying, yes?¡±


    Hod nodded. She continued, ¡°Then if he can purify the king of drikah, he can purify this world. Simple, is it not?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Yes elder. Hod sorry. Hod not mean to interrupt.¡±


    She turned to me, ¡°The King of Drikah always reaches the top of the sand first. You may have seen it.¡±


    My shoulders drooped, ¡°Yeah, the fucker tore off my foot. I have to purify that?¡±


    She nodded. I glanced up at the core, a piece of me just wanting to reach out and snatch it away. I glanced at Hod then at the other Eltari. With a bit of training, they could bolster our fighting force tremendously. Their mobility would be amazing in the sewers, letting them run their own strike teams to fight back against the quarantine area.


    Not only that, but they seemed like good people. Primitive and a bit backwards, but all in all, fine people. Taking the core meant they would all die, every last one. Doing something like that, committing a genocide just to avoid killing a giant sandworm¡­man, I¡¯d have to be the ultimate scumbag.


    I glanced towards the ground, balling my fists. It would take time and a strategy, but I would manage it.


    It was time to take down a gigantic motherfucking sandworm.

 77 Groundwork

    I turned to the elder, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll kill it.¡± I pointed at Hod, ¡°I¡¯ll need his help for training though.¡±


    Jass tapped her cane, ¡°Done.¡±


    Hod turned towards the elder then towards me, ¡°Why does Harbinger want Hod? Hod not able to kill Drikah.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Sure, but you do know how to use those hooks of yours. I have something very similar that I¡¯m needing to master. I¡¯ll need you to teach me how to use them.¡±


    Hod put his taloned hands on his hips, ¡°Hod help how Hod can.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I turned to the elder, ¡°I¡¯ll get to it then.¡±


    I turned, walking away. Before we left, Althea walked up and asked Jass, ¡°Where does the water come from?¡±


    Jass pointed upwards, ¡°From the ancients and their cryptic language. How they do such a thing, I will never know.¡±


    Althea nodded, ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s safe to drink then?¡±


    Jass laughed, ¡°Hah, child, it is the only water left to drink. It does us no harm if that eases some of your concerns.¡±


    Althea jogged towards us, waving by, ¡°It does. Good luck with whatever it is you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Jass grinned, ¡°May the corruption never take you.¡±


    Hod, Althea, and I sprinted back towards the passage. I didn¡¯t use gravity or telekinesis this time. I just ran since it was faster. Once we reached back up the caverns and back to the ruins, I called Hod over towards one of the more open areas.


    Around us, the orange lamps hung over head, the gems buzzing. The ruins towered over us towards my left, the odd shapes making a strange background. The wind whistled through the cavern, complementing the beams of light.


    With the cool stone underfoot, I walked up to Hod. One of the biggest probles with using gravity for flight was the difficulty of keeping the well in front of me. I figured that making and destroying wells would make this process simpler. Hod''s hooks worked a lot like that.


    Drawing from his experience, I asked, ¡°Here¡¯s what I need. You know how you use your hooks right?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod know very well. Hod use them all the time.¡±


    I spread both my hands to him, ¡°I have a method of movement very similar to it. Could you teach me how you swing and use momentum with those hooks?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod not see why not. Hod teach you tricks.¡±


    He walked up to me, slapping the hooks at his sides, ¡°Hod first tell you basics. Hooks work better when pulled near center. If you pull from top or bottom, you not move how you want to. You lose balance. When balance lost, head end up hitting rock.¡±


    Hod grabbed his head, squirming around like he was in pain, ¡°Head hitting rock is bad. Very bad.¡±


    Hod stood up straight, ¡°Harbinger may think Hod speak this way because Hod hit head. Not true. Hod tell story. Hod child of two seekers. Both seekers deformed. Hod end up deformed at birth, not from hitting head.¡±


    I frowned. Hod slammed his chest, ¡°Hod want Harbinger to know it no longer hurt Hod¡¯s feelings. Hod learned something long ago.¡± He opened a hand to me,


    ¡°Hod not strong in head, but Hod strong in heart. A strong heart will give good friends. That how Hod friends with villagers, even when other seekers are shunned.¡±


    He turned towards the ceiling, ¡°Hod end story. Back to training. See roof? It like new ground when hooked. Remember, just because you have a new ground doesn¡¯t mean the old ground is gone. It still pulls too. You must use both grounds to get where you need to go.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°You mean the old ground as in gravity?¡±


    Hod tapped the sides of his head, ¡°Hmmm¡­Yes. Gravity still work from old ground. It pull you in, even if you get pulled away by hook. Whatever it is that pulls you, make it pull from your center. Keeps you balanced.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    I walked away from him, shaking my hands as I prepared myself. Burning a bit of ascendant mana, I created a gravity well above me. I ran and jumped up, making me fly towards the well. I reached out an arm, acting as if I was holding onto a rope. The gravity of the planet and the well fought over me, shifting the curve of my jump.


    I reached out another hand, lowering the other one. As I did, the first gravity well dissipated and another formed in front of me. I kept it lower this time, like I was shooting out a grappling hook to another wall. The force pulled me forward, burning a morsel of mana. I approached it before creating another orb in front of me.


    After about an hour of trying out this technique, I gave up. Creating dozens of orbs for flight was just too damn hard. I needed another way of using it. I left Hod to do whatever it is he does, intent on finding another way of using the gravitation.


    So far I created spheres of gravity. They pulled in from any angle and any side. This dispersed the gravity¡¯s pull, meaning I couldn¡¯t get much out of it. Using it more efficiently was the key to my success. Thinking up some other way of using it, I planned out a few theoretical techniques.


    The first idea was making panels of gravity. Instead of the gravity pulling from all sides, it would pull from a single angle. If I got a hold of this technique, kiting the gargantuan worm wouldn¡¯t be impossible. I needed more mobility, and that wasn¡¯t coming from telekinesis or just running around.


    I focused on creating a gravity well. I tried flattening it out, but the damn thing wouldn¡¯t respond. After a few more minutes of trial and error, I found that spinning the well caused it to stretch out into a disk. Once fully stretched out, I threw the gravity disk towards some water. It moved without the same resistance that wells had.


    Once the gravity disk hit the water, weird stuff happened. The sharp side of the disk led towards the target, floating without any pull from the side. Once the disk hit the target, the flattened upper and lower parts of the well pulled from above and below. This pulled water before the disk dissipated. The water collapsed into the sunken in spots a second later, resulting in the water flopping. The next time, I sent out a much larger disk of gravity, one that required some mana to create.


    I launched it towards the water, and the larger disk created the same collapse in the water. This time, the water dipped down before spiraling into a whirlpool. The whirlpool dug deeper into the pool of water before the disk dissipated. The dip in water crashed back in, creating a sudden spout of water.


    Data Upload Complete. Gravitational Vortex(lvl 1) ¨C By spinning a gravity well at high speeds, you create a flattened, two dimensional circle of gravity. +1% gravitational force of gravitational vortexes. +1% sheering of gravitational vortexes.


    Raising my hands in triumph, I thought of a way of using my new skill. It would be situational under most circumstances, but something like this might be useful. An idea sparked in my brain like electricity.


    I created another well of the gravity. I spun it, turning it into a flat vortex at the front of my fist. With a bit of effort, I tightened the spin, condensing the edges of the vortex. The vortex compacted further, reinforcing the power of the spin.


    Following up on my idea, I placed the disk over my left fist. Walking over towards a rock, I stomped my heels and shot out a punch towards the rock, keeping the vortex aligned with my knuckles.


    The disk pulled my fist into the rock and pulled the rock into my fist. When my knuckles landed, the vortex spun my wrist and the rock. Since my armor was so dense and hard, this pulling and twisting enhanced the destructive impact of my punch dramatically. Like a cannon echoing through the cavern, my fist destroyed the rock with ease.


    I laughed like a maniac at the result. Mastering this technique and combining it with my telekinetic augments would give my punches even more oomph. I lifted my other fist, walking up to another rock. I placed another disk of gravity on my hand. This time I fired a compact hook into the side of the rock. When my fist landed, I stopped my wrist forearm from twisting.


    This made the rotational force of the gravitational disk transfer into the boulder. Responding with explosive results, the boulder disintegrated. I pounded my fists together, laughing at a new rush of power. This would be the key to my next mythical skill, I was sure of it.


    Combining the free pull of gravitation with the telekinetic augments, and topping it all off with the ascendant mana boost. It was a recipe for destruction.


    Even better still, the skill would work seamlessly with Boundless Storm. Boundless Storm let me beat foes in close range with my sheer technical prowess. This combination of skills would result in a monstrous offensive potential loaded into each and every punch.


    With that tenacious desire fueling me, I cut out the other aspects of my training. The runes could wait. I wanted my fists to blow shit up. All the constitution I stacked would come into play, allowing me to control my targets and decimate them at the same time.


    Over the next two weeks, I practiced with the gravitational vortexes. Each punch required a new vortex to fuel them. That meant making them had to be instinctive, like a reflex at the end of each punch. I trained the technique relentlessly, drilling it into my head. By the end of my impromptu bootcamp, and two breakthroughs, the vortex skill was already level 67. With that level of mastery, I gained a unique skill for all my efforts.


    Data Upload Complete. Unique Skill gained! Gravitational Augmenter (Apply gravitational augments even at full strength. Do so without needing mana.) 100 tree points rewarded for learning involved.


    Gravitational Augmenter (lvl 1) ¨C Others yield to the perpetual pull of gravity. You mold it into the core of your being. Enhances force and shearing from gravitational augments with level. Increases ease of use with level.


    With the new unique skill at my disposal, I began using the gravitational augments with the telekinetic augments.


    The two opposing techniques molded into a cataclysmic force. The augments amplified the force of the new vortexes in a way I never intended. You see, whenever my fist hits a telekinetic panel, the force bounces into it, transferring the force into a smaller surface area. As a result of that, my fist bounces back after landing on the pads. The gravitational vortex pulled my fist into the attack, resisting that backwards bounce.


    That further enhanced the force of my attacks. My fists actually bounced back with greater force than before. The extra pulling in helped control the recoil however. As a result, my fists caused shit to explode, and there wasn¡¯t an unrealistic blowback. I could launch another strike immediately after desptie this enhance recoil, letting my chain my strikes together.


    The combination resulted in rapid flurries. I doubled my volume of hits, and they in turn doubled in lethal force. The synergistic effects turned my fists into lethal weapons. The best part was that I didn¡¯t need mana for the techniques either. If the telekinetic augments didn¡¯t exceed my strength, then telekinesis costed no mana. If the gravitational vortexes didn¡¯t exceed my weight, then they cost no mana either.


    This freed me up to surge my ascendant mana through my runes. Learning to do all three at once took a long damn time though. Weeks faded into months, the training and time outside it an afterthought. During this time, I cherished my meals and evenings with Althea and sometimes even Hod.


    I taught Althea the Tactile Cognition skill, figuring she¡¯d use the unique skill well. The resulting payoff was massive. During one of our more intense training sessions, I used my new gravity punch skill. It countered Althea to a ridiculous extent. Even her cloud form couldn¡¯t do anything because the vortexes on my fists made her solidify.


    Of course I kept the punches light, not wanting to kill her. Althea saw through my restraint, making her frustrated. She combined her strength and speed with her stealth, making her hits overwhelming. Even against my tanky stats, she did sizable damage. After that, she began running and using her stealth to disguise her presence.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Every time I came close to her, she would snap in a few strong strikes before dashing away. As she ran away, she fired shots from her rifle. Combined with her stealth, and I struggled dealing with the style of combat. Once I believed she might even be able to beat me with it, she collapsed from exhaustion. Once I walked over and helped her up, she grinned with sweat pouring down her face,


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, so she raised both hands while screaming, ¡°I got a mythical skill!¡±


    I ran up and picked her up by her waist, spinning her around. I shook her over me as I shouted, ¡°Hell yeah. That¡¯s what the fuck I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    She and I jumped for joy, each of us ecstatic at our newfound spikes in strength. It was one of those moments you can¡¯t help but smile when you remember it. By the time we settled down, she and I were chatting away about the daily game. That¡¯s something I noticed since coming here. Althea and I had grown closer.


    It wasn¡¯t awkward to sit beside her and just think anymore. She was someone I could just exist and be comfortable around. That wasn¡¯t easy to do either. I¡¯m a jumpy guy, and I don¡¯t trust easy. The fact I could let my guard down around anyone was a breath of fresh air. A part of me hoped it was the same for Althea as well. She deserved somebody like that in her life.


    Still, I didn¡¯t let it steer my training off track. Twenty hours out of each day were dedicated to training. If you think about it, it was like I was training 3-4 times faster than a normal person. Combine that with the rift¡¯s time dilation, and I might as well have been in a hyperbolic time chamber.


    Althea progressed even more than I did, at least relative to where we started. She didn¡¯t know much about her powers and only had one unique skill at her disposal at first. Now she had a mythical skill, one that complemented her powers to an extreme extent.


    We weren¡¯t alone though. Hod visited us often. Dull as he was, he offered some insight into the Drikah¡¯s biggest weaknesses. The worm would jump out of the sand, open its mouth, swallow something, then dive back in. It never bit into its prey. The Drikah closed its mouth then let the pressure of the surrounding sand kill its target. Since it dived thousands of feet into the sand, that meant the pressure could crumple metal with ease.


    Fighting it head on without Althea¡¯s help was pretty much impossible. Instead, I would kite it while using guerilla tactics. After evading its bite, I would strike it with an attack or two while covering it in oppression. Once it disappeared, my health and stats would regenerate. By the time it came back, I could dodge then unload yet another massive strike into it.


    I doubt my hits would do substantial damage, but over time I could whittle it down. The main problem came with doing enough damage and being able to kite it. With that in mind, I homed in on finishing my new mythical skill.


    Another month passed before everything clicked. During one of my training sessions, my runes were blazing. My augments, both types, were on point. As I shifted my steps, even the most complex patterns of movement came with intrinsic ease. No more struggling to use them together. They blended into an orchestra of calamitous havoc. With their fluid use in conjunction, I learned another mythical skill.


    Data Upload Complete. Mythical skill gained! Fuses the three unique skills, Ascendant, Gravitational Augmenter, and Telekinetic Augmenter into a single skill, Volatile Carnage. Gives half of missing tree points from skill fusion. 121 points rewarded.


    Volatile Carnage (lvl 1) ¨C You spent your life governing the forces of this world. Now you turn them towards destruction. Increases efficiency and ease of use of augmentations from mana, telekinesis, and gravity. Enhanced by strength, constitution, and physical damage reduction.


    I tested the new skill, enjoying the sudden rush of clarity. Before I gained the skill, I relied on my enhanced dexterity and willpower to carry me. The motions were just too difficult to do without them. Calculating each augment, chaining them together, using the right amount of mana for my runes, it took a lot out of me.


    Now it was effortless. There was no need for calculation. There was no need for chaining them together. They flowed from my fists like a river made of mayhem. I could focus on using boundless storm with the skill now, making my movements evolve. From simple jabs to complex maneuvers, I dashed and ducked, weaving in strikes.


    Distancing myself, assessing range, all the intricacies involved in close combat came together. After enjoying the new skill for a bit, I walked over to Althea. Since my training, she¡¯d developed a unique skill of her own that involved flight. While not enhancing her power by any at all, it turned her mobility from good to excellent.


    Instead of turning her arms into wings, she grew extra wings from her back. This gave her the option to fire in mid flight, but it increased the difficulty of the maneuver. In my own case, I tried using the gravitational vortex for flight. It didn''t work out so well.


    The gravitational vortexes pulled much more of my weight than the gravity wells did, about half of my weight. It took a lot of mana to make up the difference. Adjusting the vortex to counteract gravity while pulling myself forward was intensely complicated too. Combining it with telekineses made the process better though.


    It just wasn''t as effective as true flight. As I walked up, Althea''s new, muscled wings wrapped around her as she rested. When she glanced up at me, she grinned,


    ¡°How¡¯s it going Daniel? Sounds like you¡¯ve been trying to break the world over there.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, just trying to figure out how to hurt the worm. I think I got it now. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how to keep my distance. Sucks.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Ah yeah, you can¡¯t just sprout wings and fly. Why not use that telekinesis and gravity magic? I thought that would work out.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°They¡¯re both great to help enhance movements, but they both suck at helping me do entirely new stuff. Flying with telekinesis is more trouble than it¡¯s worth. Same with gravity.¡±


    Althea narrowed her eyes, staring forward. I walked over and sat beside her. I leaned my elbows against my knees, ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Nuh uh, just thinking.¡± After a moment, she glanced at me, ¡°Why not try the opposite of flying?¡±


    I leaned back, raising an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean the opposite of flying?¡±


    She stared forward, away from me again while raising two hands, ¡°Think of it like this. Why can I fly through the air?¡±


    I glanced up, ¡°Hmmm. You have wings.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°You could probably make wings with your armor too. That''s not going to let you fly though, is it?¡±


    I cupped my chin, glancing back down, ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±


    I racked my head for a minute before slapping my left fist against my palm, ¡°It¡¯s weight.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°You¡¯re just too heavy and too dense to fly. You must weigh ten times more than me at least. The air above us, it¡¯s light like me, so I can use it to fly.¡± Althea pointed down, ¡°The ground though, it¡¯s too hard for me to claw through. Once I¡¯ve dug a bit too low, I end up choking on the ground.¡±


    She poked one of my armored shoulders, ¡°Why not try to master the ground and I¡¯ll master the sky. We¡¯ll be like a dynamic duo or something.¡±


    I thought things through for a bit. I already had the burrowing skill, and my armor and weight helped with it already. When fighting Bloodbull, I made my armor burrow me away from them. It¡¯s why I survived in fact. Instead of fighting against my weight and density by flying up, why not work with it and dig down?


    I couldn''t come up with a decent answer against that question. It made things clear. I stood up, ¡°Hell yeah. That¡¯s brilliant.¡± I turned to Althea, clasping a fist, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I ruffled her hair, making sure I was gentle and didn¡¯t hurt her, ¡°Miss mopey over here has a trick or two up her sleeve, eh?¡±


    She slapped towards my hand, but I lifted them over her. I stood two feet taller than her now, so it was easy. She threw a couple more playful swipes towards me, trying to grab my hand. I sidestepped and outdid her attempts to catch me. She feinted with one hand before flapping a wing behind me.


    It caught my back, letting her pull me forward. She jumped up and grabbed my left hand with her right. I sighed, ¡°Fuck. Alright, you got me.¡±


    With a glowing grin, she raised her left hand in victory, ¡°Yeah, alright. Take that, Harbinger.¡±


    She unwrapped her wing and let me go, popping back onto her feet. Even when gripping my hand, Althea¡¯s strength amazed me. Whatever perk she had for it, it must have at least doubled hers. That was a good thing since she¡¯d need to eventually kill a tree monster that was much stronger than me.


    As if replying to my thoughts, Althea shook out her right hand, ¡°Your armor is so hard. It makes rocks feel soft.¡±


    I nudged her, ¡°I was just thinking you gripped my hand too hard. Anyways, when do you think we should leave? Once I kill the worm, I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll only need a few hours.¡±


    Althea deflated before trying to look casual, ¡°Uh, let¡¯s take our time. No need to rush, right? We¡¯re facing Yawm here. He¡¯s a lot stronger than that sandworm anyways.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Hmmm.¡± As I considered, Althea looked closer, as if waiting for my answer. I held her in suspense for a moment before smiling,


    ¡°Maybe killing a few more sandworms would be a good way to close the gap in levels. We can stick around for a while.¡±


    Suppressing a grin, Althea waved at me, ¡°Yeah, that sounds like the right thing to do. I have to level some too. We can¡¯t just run back to Torix with the same levels as we had coming in. Can you imagine the look on his face?¡±


    I stood up straight, sticking out my bottom jaw and lip, ¡°Oh, why hello there. It¡¯s good to see you two didn¡¯t even gain a single level during your training. I suppose they changed the definition of the word while you were out. Excellent work in keeping with the times. Just majestic.¡±


    Althea giggled at my Torix impression before I clapped my hands together, ¡°Yeah, fuck that. Sounds good to me. I¡¯m going to try and come up with some crazy burrowing move. Good luck with your flight stuff.¡±


    As I turned to walk away, Althea waved, ¡°Sure thing. We¡¯ll eat lunch later though?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    I paced off before finding an empty slate of stone nearby. Not too hard with how large the cavern was. I dug into the stone, clawing with my hands. The stone relented to my gauntlets and fingers. It was like ripping into a brittle gel whenever my ascendant mana pulsed through my runes. I burrowed at a reasonable rate like this, but it wouldn¡¯t be near fast enough to escape the worm.


    Molding my armor, I created armor spikes from my hands. As the spikes pulled the rocks from in front of me, they pulled me forward. Each spike pierced into the stone then picked it apart towards my side, opening a path for me. In order to move forward, I pushed with my feet. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient kind of movement though. To move fast, I needed to trim the fat off this style of movement.


    With that goal in mind, I changed my armor a bit. A couple spikes reached off my shoulders, back, and helmet. They kept catching on the stone. To stop that, I molded my armor into a smoother, thinner form.


    Working further into that, I made my head end in a sharp point. After that, I created long claws at the edges of my fingers. Sure, I looked ridiculous¡­ridiculously effective that is.


    Awful jokes aside, I dived into the ground this time. As my head hit the stone, it cracked. My armor grew from my horned helmet, tearing through the ground. As it did, I pushed myself forward with my arms and legs. At this point, I moved as quick as a light jog. Nowhere near fast enough to escape good old sandworm guy.


    So, I launched myself out of the ground and brainstormed for a minute. This time before I burrowed, I made a gravitational vortex at the top of my head. Whenever I dived into the ground, the pulling action was enhanced by the gravitational pull.


    The vortex dissipated with a quick jolt, spinning me forward. I wormed my way through the stone, my armor cracking and cleaving it the whole way.


    I was booking it now. Unlike when running, I had something solid for my gravity vortex to pull me into when burrowing. The air didn¡¯t give enough resistance, making a wind tunnel whenever I made the gravitational vortex to pull me forward.


    The hardest part of either process of keeping the vortex in front of me. Whenever the vortex pulled the same amount of weight on both sides, then moving it was much easier. Flying through the air lacked meant one side was weighted down and the other wasn''t. The rocky ground gave the grip my vortex needed so that I could move it with ease.


    I needed more speed though. At this point, I crawled through the earth damn fast. I didn¡¯t need damn fast though. I needed ultra fast. This time when I went to burrow, I created telekinetic pads beneath my feet. Each time I stomped into them, I transferred that force into plates above my head. These new plates were smaller with reduced surface areas.


    It was the same bullet technique I used for my fists, just tweaked a bit for traveling through the ground. With it, the ground above me offered almost no resistance. This telekinetic stomping destroyed the ground utterly, shooting me forward. The gravity vortex kept pulling me towards the broken ground, speeding me up further. During all that, I used my arms for adjusting the direction of my descent.


    It was like I was swimming through the ocean, except the ocean was made of solid stone. Awesome.


    Data Upload Complete. Unique Skill Gained! Fuses the skills Burrowing, Gravity Vortex, Soul Forging (Armor Molding), Telekinesis, and Stomp into the unique skill Earth Glider. Total tree points possible for fused skills, 500. Total earned from fused skills, 186. Half of unearned tree points are rewarded, 157.


    Earth Glider (lvl 1) ¨C Most swim through the air and through water. You laugh at their limits, choosing to swim through stone. Allows the user to swim through solid materials. Enhanced by constitution and physical damage reduction.


    I dug around for a while, relishing in the new skill. It didn''t leave tunnels or anything either. It was like I was sliding through the ground by churning it up then sliding through the mush. This let me use the the skill without causing cave ins.


    Practicing that skill took priority. Over the next few weeks, I practiced the skill with my other kinds of combat. The first hurdle came from changing my armor quickly. To make the most of the skill, I needed to jump in and out of the earth all the time. Shifting the form of my armor took a bit of thought and practice, making the transition difficult.


    The next step was learning to jump into the ground. In other words, digging with my feet first instead of my face. I couldn¡¯t maintain decent speeds like that, but hiding in the ground quickly was invaluable. I could already imagine it. Some monster bites at me, but I jump backwards and slide into the ground. They bite into thin air before I shoot back out, slamming them in the face with a hard punch.


    Once I learned that, I worked on the transitions of the skill. Jumping in and out of the ground, all while swapping the form in and out for my mythical skills. While not quite perfect, I had enough fluidity that I didn¡¯t need to spend seconds transitioning anymore. The true test would be seeing if it worked in sand.


    With that in mind, I crawled outside the cavern wall. Once under the red sky, I glanced at the sea of sand around me. Glancing back at the mountain, Hod fiddled on a patch of runes near the mountain. From the runes, water materialized out of nothing. The eldritch runes worked like that, casually breaking the laws of physics.


    I shouted, ¡°Hey Hod, can you help me out with this for a minute?¡±


    Hod stood straight up, glancing around till his masked face met mine. He grabbed the side of his head, ¡°Hod not know if he can help, but Hod will try.¡±


    Using his hooks and wings, he dived down the mountain. Reaching me in seconds, he landed onto the ground near me. His talons crushed the stone beneath him. He was a surprisingly powerful creature, despite the way he acted.


    I pointed at the sand, ¡°I¡¯m going to try and dig through the sand. I need you to save my ass if it doesn¡¯t work out and the sand worm comes.¡±


    Hod walked over, gripping my shoulders and lifting. With a bit of strain, he lifted me off the ground slightly. I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hod seeing if Hod can lift Harbinger.¡±


    He set me down, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, ¡°Hod can handle it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You sure? I can just go snag Althea-¡°


    Hod brandished his hooks, ¡°Hod use hooks. Hod carry harbinger out with ease.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You know what, I think it¡¯s actually dumb as hell to put my life in the hands of an acquaintance. I don¡¯t know what came over me. I¡¯ll just get Althea to help me on this one.¡±


    Hod¡¯s shoulders drooped, ¡°Daw. Hod disappointed, but Hod understand.¡±


    After getting Althea to come out and watch over me. I prepared myself for the dive. At the edges of the mountain, a steep cliff around a hundred feet(thirty meters) tall towered over the dunes in the distance. I stood beside it, rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck.


    Althea had her wings at the ready, just in case she needed to fish me out. Hod stood with his hooks ready as well. I sighed out my worries, knowing they could help me if things went sour. Like pulling out a tooth, I ran and jumped off the cliff.


    It was time to see if I could dodge the King of Drikah.

 78 Not As It Seems

    The wind rushed past my face as the sand came closer. I reformed my armor, activating the Earth Glider skill. I sliced into the sand like diving into water. I shot through the sand, burning through it. The sand grazed against my sides, collecting heat over my armor. The friction built, my armor scorching me like a rope scraping your hand too fast.


    With each stomp of my foot, a telekinetic burst detonated into the sand. Once I neared the surface, waves of sand erupted behind me in time with each stomp. As I flowed through the sand, a near deafening rumble came towards me. Using the unique skill Tactile Cognition, I used the vibrations to visualize my surroundings.


    Even with my eyes shut, my sense of touch let me understand where the worm was coming from. Below me, a massive form shot towards me at an explosive speed. It was the King of Drikah. As it neared me, my ascendant mana roared in my bones. Sacrificing a chunk of my health, I empowered myself until my movement crushed the sand to fine powder.


    The Drikah shot past me, missing by a few feet. The shockwave of his passing sent me flying. I flipped several times before finding the ground. I angled myself, slipping into the side of a dune. So far, so good. After another minute, the sandworm made another pass at me. Sacrificing a chunk of my health once more, I accelerated past his mad dash.


    The Drikah flopped up and out of the ground once more. This time he belly flopped against the sand, detonating a titanic explosion. The shock wave passed through me, rattling my bones and destroying blood vessels. Blood spurted out of my eyes and gushed from my mouth. Even just being near the fucking thing was that dangerous.


    Not letting the opportunity slip, I shot towards the monster before flying out of the sand. Like a cannonball, I collided with the monster and unleashed Volatile Carnage at my full strength. Even when I covered my ears, the thundering might of the blow left my ears ringing. The impact shot into the side of the worm, causing the flesh of it to bend.


    The monster¡¯s tough hide rippled on the surface of its skin, a heated crater forming in it. The collision ruptured through the hide at the crater¡¯s center, just large enough for my hand to be stuck. Before jerking my hand out of its hide, I dug my armor into the monster. As I jumped away, a chunk of the monster¡¯s flesh ripped out.


    The Drikah roared, tossing its head back and forth. Killing it might not be as hard as I imagined it would be. Snapping like lightning, the Drikah whipped its head towards me. I dived into the sand and shot myself away. Before I escaped, another cataclysmic wave of force shot through me. More blood gushed from my mouth, ears, and eyes.


    It wouldn¡¯t stop me. I still had 80% of my health left, despite all the damage. My body was made of tough stuff after all. I wasn¡¯t going to fight it head on right now though, so I evaded another of the monster¡¯s dashes. Before it came back, I flopped out of the sand like a dolphin coming out of the water,


    I shouted, ¡°Come get me.¡±


    Althea brandished her wings, shooting off the cliff face. Hod leapt forward, gliding on his wings. I drilled towards them, trying to reach the rock wall. I sensed things squirming near it. Thousands of smaller worms writhed there, awakened by my presence. When I focused hard, the way they awakened became clear.


    The monsters were stony, solid blocks before reverting to starving grubs. That¡¯s why I hadn¡¯t seen or sensed them prior. They were identical to rocks when hibernating. Now fully awakened, they swarmed towards me. I wasn¡¯t worried. I expected as much from a boss this high level. I needed to keep my head cool and my pace level. Panicking would do me no good.


    Easy to think, hard to do. The earth bending sound of the worm coming did me no favors either. The sound of flapping came into focus from overhead, so I shot myself out of the sand right towards the sound. Althea passed by me, gripping her talons into my shoulders like an eagle catching its prey. Behind us, Hod landed onto the sand, facing the worms.


    I shouted, ¡°What the fuck are you doing Hod?¡±


    Hod yelled, ¡°Hod killing larva. Less larva, less Drikah. Less Drikah, better world.¡±


    I facepalmed before creating a gravity vortex in front of us. It helped pull Althea and me along, blasting a tunnel of wind at us. I stepped onto telekinetic pads to help turn us around as Althea flapped her wings like a crazed crow. We turned back towards the mountain, aiming to save Hod from his own lunacy. As we approached, Hod removed his gas mask. He spread out his arms and breathed in the toxic air.


    The feathers lining his body sharpened and raised off him, puffing him up. His body expanded as his breathing grew rapid. The teeth underneath his jawline elongated and sharpened. The white of his eyes flooded with black energy, along with his talons and teeth, darkening them. The air around him sucked into his chest, slowly building him from a lanky bird and into a brute.


    Hod slammed his hands together. In a deep, ragged voice, Hod roared, ¡°Hod now know where you hide, little larva.¡±


    He breathed deep once more, holding his breath as black drool leaked from his mouth. His talons expanded, drawing in the surrounding light as he dashed into the pack of monsters. He swiped towards the first larva, missing it because he attacked too soon. At least I thought he did. His blackened talons left streaks of darkness in the air that lingered like blotches of floating ink.


    As the larva jumped towards him, the black streaks stayed afloat. Whenever the larva charged into the streaks, the black marks sliced them apart. The larva offered no resistance to the technique either. The perfect cross sections of the bugs could attest to that.


    With grace, Hod weaved around his own black markings, continuing his onslaught. As he sliced again, the old markings disappeared behind him and new ones appeared where he sliced. He chained these formations together, utterly destroying the larva.


    Within seconds, he butchered swarm after swarm of the insects. Here I thought we would have to save him. Instead of being a complete idiot, Hod turned into a total badass. As his rampaging continued, the rumbling of the Drikah roared in our ears. Time was running out, so I shouted over the chaos,


    ¡°We need to get out of here. He¡¯s got things handled.¡±


    Althea yelled, ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s let him do his thing.¡±


    Hod tore two larvae apart, drinking the blood as he thundered, ¡°Hod will eat you filthy insects, just as filthy insects eat Hod Parents.¡±


    When we passed by him, he glanced at us then back towards the ground. Around him, a sea of gore and shredded bodies covered him and the sand. With no larva left to kill, Hod nodded in satisfaction before firing a hook into the wall of the mountain. He turned himself around, breathing out all the toxic air he had held in. His awesome, badass form melted into the thin, spindly Hod I was used to seeing.


    Combine the blowback from his deformation with the hook¡¯s pull, and he bolted towards us like a racehorse smoking crack. Just as he gained speed, the sandworm cleaved the spot he was standing at. In typical Hod fashion, he ruined the epic performance in one fell swoop.


    You see, he hadn¡¯t planned out his landing.


    He slapped into the stone wall like a bird slamming into a window. Before he peeled off the wall, Hod lifted his face back and stabbed his beak into the wall. Relaxing himself, one of his arms hung by his side, broken and limp.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Sounding like he was holding his nose shut, he whimpered, ¡°Harbinger, lady friend, please help Hod.¡±


    Althea dived off the cliff before snatching him off the sheer face of the mountain. Once he was up with us, I ripped off a piece of my armor. After straightening it, I carved out a few runes real quick. After charging it with my mana for a few minutes, I took two more strips from my armor and walked over to Hod.


    He whimpered, holding his broken arm. Tears of white poured from his circular, blank eyes. They evaporated into a fog as he turned to me, ¡°Hod hurt Hod¡¯s arm.¡±


    He held it up to me, expecting something. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what exactly. Not wanting to betray his expectations for something, I frowned,


    ¡°This is going to hurt really, really bad.¡±


    I grabbed his arm and jerked it into place. He howled before I pressed his arm against the straightened armor I made. Using the two other strips, I tied Hod¡¯s arm in place.


    The mana ebbed into his skin and bone, healing him through the power of the runes. It would take time, but making the splint out of metal ensured he wasn¡¯t getting rid of it anytime soon. Hod sighed in relief when the aura leaked into his arm. He turned up to me,


    ¡°Hod thought Harbinger evil for second there. Hod thankful that Hod wrong.¡±


    I sat down, letting myself fall against the rocky ground. It cracked before I crossed my legs and leaned back. I propped myself up on my arms,


    ¡°Alright Hod. First off, that was awesome. Second, what the fuck was it exactly?¡±


    Althea sat down on her legs, folding her wings together. Hod peered down, propping his splinted arm into his stomach. He glanced back up at me,


    ¡°Hod sorry. Hod not want Harbinger and lady friend to hate Hod, so Hod hold secrets.¡±


    Hod peeked at the sand dunes, ¡°Hod parents were seekers. Hod mention to throw Harbinger and lady friend off track. Hod fail.¡±


    Althea and I looked at each other in confusion. Both our faces went blank as Hod continued,


    ¡°Hod know it hard to believe when looking at Hod¡­but Hod parents very deformed. Harbinger and lady friend may not believe it, but Hod¡¯s parents even more ugly than Harbinger or lady friend.¡±


    Althea rolled her eyes before Hod gestured at the desert, ¡°Hod born of corruption. Hod born as part of world. Hod draw energy from air that corrupt world. Hod build himself into part monster. Hod hold it in. Hod let it out when job finished.¡±


    He scanned the dunes, ¡°Hod not like other seekers. Hod drink the corruption. Hod use it as strength.¡± He turned to me, an almost sinister tone in his voice, ¡°Just like Harbinger.¡±


    A tense atmosphere passed. Hod stood, turning to us both. A second later, he shrugged, ¡°Hod think this true. Hod not know for sure.¡±


    I scratched the side of my face, sand falling out of my helmet, ¡°You sure it was inherited from your parents? That shit on the seekers looks more like cancer than eldritch.¡±


    Hod peered up, tapping the metallic plate covering his head. He raised the finger to the sky, ¡°Hod have one other guess.¡±


    He pulled off his cape, revealing a ragged, black long sleeve underneath. After taking the shirt off, he turned his back towards us. Across it, only a few feathers dotted his pale skin. A massive, intricate tattoo traced up and down his entire back. Beneath the tattoo, lines and lines of symbols were branded into his skin.


    ¡°Hod think it could be this. This last message parents left Hod. Hod still not read it¡­¡± He turned to me, ¡°Ok, Harbinger force it out of Hod. Hod can¡¯t read. Too hard for Hod.¡±


    I stood up, shaking my head, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a message.¡±


    I walked over and glanced closer at them. The tattoo and brand both had been done multiple times. Upon the scar, different textures and depths of scarring were used. Combine that with the several colors of the tattoo, and it looked like a puzzle more than language.


    I nodded, ¡°Yup. This is what causes your transformation. This is like a variant of the eldritch runes.¡± I gave Hod some space as he put back on his shirt and cape. I cupped my chin, ¡°Hod, can you tell me anything about your parents?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod know little. They die not long after Hod born. Parents not obey other elders. Parents disobey tradition. Village kill parents, throw them to worms. Hod angry, but parents tamper in dark arts. Parents write the language of ancients.¡±


    My eyes narrowed, ¡°You¡¯re telling me they could write the eldritch runes?¡±


    ¡°Language of ancients, runes, Hod not know what it called. Hod do know runes evil. Runes brought cataclysm. Runes brought end. Now village suffer.¡±


    Althea turned from me to Hod, ¡°Does anybody, I don¡¯t know, remember more about that stuff?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Elders do. Hod take you. Hod even put in good word for Harbinger and lady friend.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    We passed through the tunnels of rock. More life thrived the cavern until we reached the massive chasm the Eltari called home. Once inside, we headed out towards the elder¡¯s shanty shack. Just like before, the village greeted Hod with open arms. Based on what I heard, most seekers were isolated and treated as freaks.


    Despite that, Hod¡¯s personality had a way of disarming people. Even I was a victim of that. So were the elders. Jass, the only speaking elder so far, walked out of her shack. When she saw us, she raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°You killed the Drikah?¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Harbinger hasn¡¯t. Harbinger getting closer. Not why here though. Harbinger interested in history of village. Jass smartest elder, know the most about village. Jass help Harbinger?¡±


    Jass pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing, ¡°If I must.¡±


    I jumped up towards her, landing on a telekinetic pad that compressed my sides. I glimpsed at her, ¡°I just have a few questions.¡±


    We walked into the room full of other elders. The wheezing, sniffling, and medley of odors made the place less than pleasant. I was on a mission though, so I waited until Jass sat down on a cushioned seat that used old feathers.


    I opened a palm to her, ¡°Why do you kill people who know the ancient one¡¯s language?¡±


    The old seekers looked at me from across the room. Several of them sharpened their gazes. Many of them kept drooling as they stared at nothing. Jass sighed, ¡°You ask questions that are hard to answer.¡±


    I waited for a real answer. She glanced up at the ceiling then back at me, ¡°Because the language caused the cataclysm.¡±


    I leaned towards her, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    She glanced around the room like she was looking for a way out, ¡°It is a part of the legends told during mealtimes. The ancients discovered a language that could do things that shouldn¡¯t be done. They opened a doorway that should never have been opened. What came through that doorway obliterated them, leaving nothing but their precious runes behind.¡±


    She leaned onto her cane, ¡°Their dabbling destroyed our people.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you killed two seekers because of some myth?¡±


    Her eyes hardened, ¡°They both studied the language for ages. They ran experiments on living Eltari. On our people. They touted that they could create an Eltari immune to the corruption. They spoke lies about us being able to return to the surface safely. Our people have scraped by for many years by following our traditions. It is the exploration they so craved that caused the cataclysm.


    I crossed my arms, ¡°There¡¯s nothing that verifies that though. You¡¯re basing all this on that one assumption. That¡¯s like building a castle on sand. It¡¯s dumb.¡±


    She coughed into her hand while the other elders shifted in their seats. I held firm.


    She stared daggers at me, ¡°We know it is true. We are not as primitive as you¡¯d like to think we are.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s see it.¡±


    She glanced at the other elders. She bit her lip then walked over towards a mat made of straw. She kicked it aside, exposing a trap door. She tapped it with her cane, ¡°Look at it.¡±


    I walked over, lunging to one knee and landing on a telekinetic pad. The trapdoor popped open from redirecting the force of the lunge, and I caught the doorway with a hand. Within were stone tablets and a pile of garbage, including the gas masks the seekers used. I glanced up at her,


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°What remains of the ancients.¡±


    I turned back to the piles. Inside were yellowed paper manuals. Some of them revolved around farming in desserts. Others explained how to collect water. They all revolved around surviving a desert climate. On the dozens of tablets were incomplete markings of the eldritch runes. I leaned closer, tapping the edge of one.


    I clanked my teeth, ¡°These are the tablets that Hod¡¯s parents used.¡±


    Jass nodded, ¡°And they¡¯re what caused the second coming.¡±


    I turned to her, ¡°The second what?¡±


    ¡°The second cataclysm. The sky turned from orange to red. The machines came once more.¡±


    I squinted my eyes, ¡°Machines¡­what did the machines look like.¡±


    She bent over and took the tablet out of my hand, glancing at it as if staring somewhere else in time. She answered,


    ¡°There were three of them that came. Two of them wielded violet spears, covered in blue armor. They were covered in a blue aura and armor, and they covered their faces with masks. No eyes or ears or anything.¡±


    I gritted my teeth as she continued, ¡°The other was a giant with enormous hands and covered in black, except the shining steel over it. It glowed and hissed as it moved, and it would lift its hands and bend anything it wanted too with just its fingers. It had several eyes over it, and it made the sky change with gigantic squares.¡±


    I shook my head, groping for possibilities. It had to be something else. I thought of all the eldritch I¡¯d faced, but none of them fit the bill. None of the monsters in the books Torix gave me matched her description either. The resemblance was uncanny, from the violet spear to the dimensional shift using squares. There was only one thing that either of those could be.


    I whispered, ¡°Those machines¡­They sound a lot like a sentinel and overseer.¡±

 79 Might

    Jass leaned onto her cane, ¡°Are they the Harbingers that came?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but why are you calling them Harbingers?¡±


    Her eyes and nose scrunched, the wrinkles shifting on her old face, ¡°What do you mean why? They are bringers of change. You have that aura about you as well.¡±


    I glanced back at the tablets. My eyes narrowed. The etchings and patterns on the tablets mimicked the markings of the runes. There was no difference in how they were made, yet they held none of the world warping effects of the other runes. Picking one up, I turned to Jass,


    ¡°Do you mind if I take one of these?¡±


    She glimpsed towards the ruins, then back towards me, ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡±


    I waved the tablet at her, ¡°I need this to figure out more about those runes.¡±


    Jass walked over towards a chair, ¡°I told you there¡¯s no point because I¡¯m going to tell you what you want to know.¡± She sat down,


    ¡°Those runes and ruins, Hod¡¯s parents are the ones who created them.¡±


    I sat down on a chair made of molded armor, a gravity well above me, and some telekinesis, ¡°I figured.¡±


    After glancing beneath me a few times, Jass just accepted my invisible chair and continued, ¡°Ahem, as I said, they created them. Their tampering brought the¡­what did you call them?¡±


    I opened my spacial ring, the portal looking like space as I shoved the stone tablets into them, ¡°The sentinel and Overseer?¡±


    She pointed at me, a quick flick of a gesture, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± She leaned back into her chair,


    ¡°We killed the parents of Hod so that the machines would spare us. When they first came, the Eltari flourished. We had cities that touched the skies. We mastered flight, and we loved the sun as our eternal sister in the sky. Now we are trapped here, beneath the soil. I am the only one who still survives and remembers those times.¡±


    She glanced towards a wall, staring into the distance, ¡°I was a girl then. Our people had already discovered the language you saw within those runes. The machines didn¡¯t take kindly to this knowledge. After they came, giant squares turned the sky red, and with this change came the toxic air. Our people breathed it in, and no matter how advanced our masks were, the poison found its way in.¡±


    Pain leaked into her voice, ¡°I watched our people fall apart. It took less than a dozen years before we turned to nothing but shells of our former selves. Only our small, tiny enclave survived...All due to this core.¡±


    The pain left her voice, ¡°Now another Harbinger has come and wishes to create another change in our world. A younger me would have fought. This older self will just ride the winds of change. Where we land is fate¡¯s decision.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Don¡¯t go pushing off responsibility that¡¯s your own.¡± I stood up, raising a tablet in front of my face, ¡°It won¡¯t do you any good. Regardless, from what you just told me, Schema fucked your planet up, all because of these little scribbles. The question is why¡­¡±


    Jass sighed, ¡°I only wish I could have known. Perhaps we¡¯d still be at our former glory.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, hard to say. Schema probably did what he did for a reason. Who¡¯s to say harmless, weird rooms were the only things the Eltari were doing after all?¡±


    Jass nodded, ¡°Is that why you study the markings then?¡±


    I waved my hand back and forth, ¡°Naw, I want to know what my armor is. I¡¯m searching for answers.¡±


    She grimaced, ¡°You might not like the answers you find.¡±


    I rolled my shoulders, a grin leaking onto my lips, ¡°I get it. Some doors are better left unopened. Worse still, some doors can never be closed. The thing is, I have a plan for just such an occasion.¡±


    With a biting sarcasm, she frowned, ¡°Mind sharing it with an old seeker? I¡¯m always looking for bits of wisdom.¡±


    I smashed my hands together, echoing a loud clank, ¡°I¡¯ll beat the shit out of what¡¯s on the other side.¡±


    A look of profound confusion covered Jass¡¯s face for a moment. The pause passed, and the sardonic frown snapped. Jass relished a long, hearty laugh. After wiping away a tear, she pointed her cane at me, ¡°Now I see why you¡¯re a Harbinger. Just remember youngling. I¡¯m old. Whatever happens, I don¡¯t have to live with it.¡± She poked my chest with her cane,


    ¡°You do.¡±


    I stood from my invisible chair, ¡°I¡¯m ready for it. Knowledge is never evil anyways. It¡¯s who uses it that matters.¡±


    I turned outside, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m thinking about killing a giant sandworm soon. Wish me luck.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°Good luck then. I hope you get eaten. Would be good to see you humbled.¡±


    I laughed before heading out. Jass had a quiet way of handling things, just going with the flow now. Either that, or she was just giving me control of the problem. It didn¡¯t matter to me. I knew what I needed to do now ¨C kill a motherfucking sandworm.


    With that in mind, I picked up two more tablets and closed the trapdoor. After saying goodbye and heading out, I reached up the tunnels and back into the ruins. I used my skill Knowledge Maker to do so. It let me use my photographic memory with efficiency. It took quite a bit of effort to do so, but I got to the ruins much faster than running around at random.


    Once up there, I planned on taking down some crows to power level. Taking the sandworm at my current level would prove arduous, so getting a bit of a power bonus would be excellent. Before leaving, I met up with Althea for a late lunch.


    We met up on the eastern side of the ruins. Beside us, a waterfall churned the water into a pool of white water and bubbles. Beside the waterfall, the ground was flat, perfect for sitting. Beside it, Althea sliced the tops off two boulders, giving us a pleasant set of seats. The ruins weren¡¯t eerie anymore. We¡¯d been here too long for that.


    The harsh light came into the room through the beams as we enjoyed a meal of rations. Sitting on the sliced boulders, I told her about the revelations from the elder¡¯s hidden stash. Once I hit the part where I mentioned power leveling, Althea gave me a sinister smile,


    ¡°You¡¯re going to struggle with that.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why?


    She pointed a thumb towards herself while puffing out her chest, ¡°Because I killed tons of those bird monsters.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sure you missed a few.¡±


    Althea shook her head, ¡°Nope. I flew for miles and miles and miles. I¡¯ve been killing them the whole time we¡¯ve been here.¡±


    I scrunched my eyebrows together, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me¡­No way.¡±


    I glanced up at her, identifying her status,


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Althea Tolstoy (lvl 1143) ¨C An unknown who sports enormous strength and damage output, Althea Tolstoy has gone missing from the clutches of Yawm. Her build¡¯s exact specs are unknown, but she sports tremendous power in her rifle and during her transformed state. Her ability also gives her tremendous potential for creative solutions to problems. She¡¯s a very difficult opponent for most.


    Her Achilles heel is her squishiness. Her natural bulk simply isn¡¯t optimized, so she struggles against tanky bruisers. Your current build matches up well against hers, just always be aware when you''re near her. Her assassination bonuses are excellent and can make a devastating blow into a fatal one, even against your defensive specs.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stood up from my boulder, ¡°No fucking way. You¡¯re over one hundred levels above me. What the fuck?¡±


    She finished her last bite before throwing the empty tray to her side. She raised her hands, ¡°Hahahaha! I told you that you¡¯d have problems finding any of them left. And I mean any for like, fifty miles.¡±


    I flopped back onto the boulder, ¡°Fuck man. You got me with this one.¡±


    As my ass landed on the boulder, I cleaved the rock in two before falling backwards. I raised my face and hand while the rest of me rested on the ground, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up yah hear?¡±


    Althea giggled before walking up, offering a hand. She pulled me up,


    ¡°You¡¯ll jump back in the lead after killing the Drikah anyways. I just didn¡¯t want to fall too far behind.¡±


    I scratched my nose, ¡°Thanks, but that¡¯s only if I can kill it.¡±


    With a knowing grin, Althea placed her hands on her hips, ¡°You can. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°It¡¯s weird having someone more confident in me than I am.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°You have a history of kicking ass and, uh, taking names, right? No reason to stop now.¡±


    With a dramatic tone to my voice, I uncrossed my arms, ¡°I got to stay humble. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to make it after all.¡±


    I turned towards a beam of light, trying to finish off the melodrama. Falling for it, Althea took the bait. Althea reached up and placed a hand on my shoulder,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine. I believe in you.¡±


    No longer pretending I was worried, I cupped my chin, smirking at her, ¡°I mean who wouldn¡¯t? I¡¯m pretty damn awesome.¡±


    With a playful shove, Althea snapped, ¡°Ugh, you ass. Here I thought you were worried. Nope. You¡¯re the same Daniel as always.¡±


    She grinned despite her words, laughing a little. I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. No need in postponing it anymore either. Just a little nervous.¡±


    From beneath us, the ground rumbled. Cracks formed on the ground before Hod¡¯s face popped out of the rock between Althea and I. He glanced around,


    ¡°Hod not know where Hod at.¡± He peered up, ¡°Ah, Harbinger and Lady Friend. Hod happy to see you two in good spirit. Hod sorry for interruption. Hod practice burrowing. Hod try shouting at ground to stay away from Hod¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Hod shook his head in deep disappointment, ¡°Ground not listen to Hod. Hod saddened by ground. Hod thought ground and Hod friends. Hod betrayed. Hod back to ground. Hod will train ground! Hod Promise! Goodbye Harbinger and Lady Friend.¡±


    Hod¡¯s head disappeared back into the ground. I dragged my hand across my face as Althea giggled for a while. I turned to her, ¡°Mind being my safety net again?¡±


    She wrapped her hands behind her, ¡°I suppose I can. Hopefully I won¡¯t need too though. You¡¯re heavy.¡±


    We chatted, the both of us walking outside. Once out, the sun beamed down with harsh intensity. I walked towards the cliff before Hod¡¯s head exploded out of the ground again. He pulled himself out of the ground,


    ¡°Harbinger trying to kill Drikah?¡±


    I nodded. Hod walked beside Althea, placing his hands on his hips, ¡°Then Hod will watch.¡± He turned towards Althea, ¡°Hod make sure Lady friend not interfere unless saving. Must keep village trust.¡±


    I gave him a thumbs up before turning towards the sand. I rolled my shoulders before doing a stretch or two. Althea yelled,


    ¡°Stop stalling.¡±


    I kicked my feet back like I was stretching, but I scraped my feet against the ground. Bits of sand and rock flew towards Althea. She waved her arms, blocking some of the rubble. I grinned,


    ¡°Oh, sorry about that. Didn¡¯t mean to spray rocks over you. Shit happens.¡±


    She picked up a rock and tossed it towards me, ¡°Just do it already.¡±


    The rock bounced off my shoulder before I twisted my neck back and forth. I growled for a second, pumping myself up. After banging my fist against my chest twice, I ran up and jumped off the cliffside. My armor reformed. Air rushed past my face. My stomach floated as the top of a sand dune grew in my sight.


    I sliced into the sand, shifting through the thick powder with my Earth Glider skill. Within seconds, the rumbling of the Drikah started. My armor sealed my eyes. I felt my way through the grit as the rumbling turned to a thunderous drumming in my ears. The drumming came quick before the enormous sand worm shot out toward me.


    Activating oppression, I shifted the aura onto the creature, condensing the giant cloud into a compact tendril. At the same time, I surged my ascendant mana, using Volatile Carnage on my feet. The explosive power shot me out of range from the worm¡¯s bite.


    It reached the apex of its ascent, writhing in the air. Before the moving mountain fell, I turned in the sand before firing myself out of the sand. Like a giant metal slug, I collided with the worm and slammed my fist into its side. The force almost crumpled my armor, but it stayed firm as the worm¡¯s hide dented. With my arm stuck in its side, I stomped my feet against it while digging my armor into the wound.


    Tentacles of armor ripped out from under its skin as I shot off the side of the worm. A mist of blood sprayed on me, but it didn¡¯t clog my ears. Hearing was all I needed now. With it, I crafted the vague images I needed. I no longer needed direct sight. I dived towards the ground before the worm roared like a thunderclap beside your ear.


    The lumbering head leaned backwards as I traveled deeper into the sand. It arced towards me, crushing into the sand like a living meteor. As it did, I kicked my feet up into the sand above me with all my might. The rippling impact from my feet met the impact caused by the worm.


    The worm¡¯s overwhelmed my little kinetic wave of course, but my tiny impact acted like a barrier against his. It was kind of like breaking water tension before jumping into a pool, except breaking the tension of a kinetic wave instead.


    Whenever the worm¡¯s wave shot through me, my bones and blood shook to their core. They held along with my blood vessels though. This impact shield resulted in halving the damage I received compared with before.


    Armed with the knowledge needed, I weaved towards the side of the worm, dodging its descent. Again, the Drikah came up like cataclysm. Again, I dodged the monster¡¯s wrath. The worm¡¯s tactics never changed, but mine evolved, turning more methodical and efficient with practice.


    The worm always slammed towards the most recent injury I caused. Instead of jumping straight away from the worm, I leapt off towards the left or right side. This prevented the worm from slamming as close to me, reducing the damage of its impacts.


    The process of landing my leaping blows turned into a smooth, fluid motion as I practiced it. Gorger of mana leveled, allowing me to fire the tendrils of armor into the monster faster. I created minute spikes on the bottom of my feet, giving me a solid grip into the monster¡¯s hide whenever leaping off it. I even dug both my arms into the monster¡¯s wounds, letting me further rend its insides.


    Data Upload Complete¡­Skill gained! Aerial Strike (lvl 1) ¨C Through practice, you¡¯ve gained the skills needed to add weight to your strikes while in the air. +1% to striking power while soaring. +1% to striking speed while soaring.


    The extra skill helped build the damage I dealt towards the worm over time. As I continued my onslaught, the worms body became riddled with holes. Blood poured from the wounds. Instead of letting the blood build around our enormous arena, I soaked it up with my armor. I didn¡¯t want this monster using its body to reform like BloodBull had.


    What if some unseen larva fed on its blood and evolved? I wouldn¡¯t take that chance again. Instead I covered my bases, making sure it didn¡¯t come back from those kinds of wounds. Any blood I couldn¡¯t soak up, I disintegrated with oppression. How it got rid of the material exactly, I didn¡¯t know.


    It worked well, however. Hours passed of this pattern. I sliced into the worm, executing on my plan and new skills. The worm never adapted. The red fountains that the wounds left behind covered the creature in its blood. No longer a sickly yellow, the red worm slowed its rising and falling from the sand.


    As if fatigued, it turned from a devastating struggle into an eventual victory. I oppressed the creature, crushing it like a glacier. The once mighty beast¡¯s hide turned to a dry prune¡¯s skin, the wrinkling a result of its draining vitality. Time made the monster slow to a crawl. After what felt like an eternity, the monster collapsed into the sand. It no longer mustered up the energy to dive into the sand.


    Large and exposed, I leapt onto the worm and tore into its soon to be corpse. I bathed in blood. I soaked in the thick sanguine, pooling into the flesh of the worm as I carved through it. The worm ceased twitching moments later. From there, I drained its vitality, piercing it with a dozen tendrils of armor that shot out thousands of needles.


    Hours more passed. By now, a night already passed. I drained the creature of its life, slowly sapping it to nothing. Before it wilted into nothing, the skin dried and cracked. From the shell of skin, green scales gleamed beneath them. A snake ripped out of the dried shell, the thickest part of it the size of a bus. I tried stomping it, but the scales curved up.


    From beneath the diamond shaped plates, horns shot out of the skin. It looked like a tentacle of spikes when it finished. One of the spines dented my foot and sent me tumbling. I flopped into the side of a dune, blowing sand in every direction. As the cloud of grit fell, I pushed myself back up and leaned downwards, ready for battle.


    Feathers along the back of the snake shivered as it consumed the skin of its former self. Before the stretching maw of the snake even got an eighth the way done, I charged forward. When I reached the monster, I used both my mythical skills in conjunction. I slammed my feet into the sand, rippling force through it as I torqued my fist into the monster¡¯s emerald colored eye.


    Like punching a crystal, the eye cracked and blew backwards. As it did, I grabbed the snake skin in its mouth, forcing it out. My armor devoured the shriveled skin, absorbing it to nothing as the snake swallowed the small part it had.


    Crystalline blades expanded off the sides and belly of the beast once it swallowed. Its fangs turned violet in its pink mouth, the teeth radiant and shimmering with power. A unstable humming ebbed from the mouth as a violet liquid leaked from the fangs. Sparks of violet lightning shot into nearby dunes, glassing the nearby sand.


    With the scorched glass fizzing in the background, the snake hissed as it shook its tail. From the tail a curved, crystalline blade expanded. With the same violet energy and aura emanating from the center of the blade, the tail whipped back and forth. The air whistled with the volatile energy of the blade.


    The entire time the snake tried intimidating me, I was absorbing the snake skin and charging my runes. They swelled with energy as the monster hissed and did all its dumb bullshit. By the time it slithered over towards me, my runes pulsed with the radiant energy lying within them. No longer able to restrain the lightning within my own runes, the fervor of ascendant mana coursed through my blood and bones.


    My own sparks of lightning arced from my forearms, chest, and legs. My armor shivered, having feasted on the skin of the snake. The dormant energy within filled my health, giving me a massive pool of mana. With the energy building in my hands and arms, my hands shook with an eager violence. The full frenzy of battle coursed in my veins, thicker than molten lead.


    The gem viper brandished its fangs towards me, the air squealing around its fangs. An aura leaked from me, a pounding, oppressive aura. I glanced up at the monster. The violet energy was familiar. It was arcane energy. No matter how beefy I was, the serpent could kill me with it. I grinned at the sight, my armor forming jagged teeth, red mana vibrating the air near me.


    I¡¯d like to see it try.

 80 What Follows

    The viper struck towards me. I stomped my feet into the sand, extending my grip with a telekinetic wave. The snake¡¯s strike blurred through the air, faster than I could see. Its fangs pierced through my armor, pumping the vicious venom.


    Without pain, I kept steady despite the injury. Without fear, I retained the intent of my blow.


    As my insides corroded, overwhelming power discharged from my runes as my fist collided with the back of the snake¡¯s throat. A tectonic boom echoed across the open dessert. The dune beneath us disintegrated as the shockwave blew the sand away.


    A hole punched through the viper¡¯s throat. An enormous explosion of energy fragmented the brains of the monster out the back of its skull. The crystalline fangs jutted in off, random directions after the impact. As the viper¡¯s body blew backwards. My own arm shattered. The bones crumbled. The skin ruptured. The armor sheared. My shoulder melted from the inside, the venom corroding me.


    I fell into the crater my punch created. After landing, I turned behind me. My arm was twisted and contorted, bending backwards. The limb looked like it just got caught in a meatgrinder. My shoulder was dislocated, some of my organs melting. Several of the arteries in the shoulder snapped, nerves and tissue shearing on impact.


    I couldn¡¯t feel the actual arm anymore. In my mind, it was a blessing.


    However, I could still feel the armor that coated the arm. Instead of wincing at the bit of pain, I reached out and molded my armor. I didn¡¯t wait for the limb to heal. I actively worked to make it regenerate faster this time. I untwisted the armor, turning my arm from a pretzel back into its normal shape. I reset my bones, piercing my flesh with spikes of armor to hold them in place.


    Once finished, I bent the armor to seal up the ruptures on my skin. I molded my armor to block the acid from melting further into my flesh. Each time I made an adjustment, my health jumped up. This enhanced my healing process. Controlling my armor let me do crazy shit like that. As I healed my own wounds, the snake processed its own. The head whipped back and forth, confused and searching.


    It hissed, spewing the toxic venom around it. Whenever it landed on the sand, the grit melted into glass while violet thunder sparked off it. The snake never saw my strike coming. It probably thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to muster up enough strength to do damage. Oh, how wrong it was. A few arteries pumped blood out from the back of its head, speeding up that eventual death.


    By the time it understood it was going to die, I clasped my once broken hand, good as new. I grinned at the monster, my armor following suit. An aura came over me, reaching out to the monster. As I stepped towards it, the monster scrambled for escape. The monster¡¯s eyes met mine, and its iris dilated. The monster heaved for breath. It tried escaping. It feared me.


    I rolled my shoulders, catching up to the snake with slow, measured steps. There was no need to rush. The blood pumping from the back of its broken skull ensured that. As I reached it, the monster tried crawling into the sand. Before it disappeared, I grabbed the tail and pulled it out. With one tug at a time, the snake revealed itself.


    Whenever I pulled the head out, sand stuck onto the back of its head wound. It turned its face towards me, shooting the arcane venom. I ducked under the purple liquid, reaching up with my left hand. My fingers pincered its mouth shut. The venom passed harmlessly over my head. I raised a my right fist above the monster, its eyes darting around in their crystalline shells.


    Before my strike landed, the monster whipped its tail towards my throat from the right side. The crystalline blade glistened in the sun as I pulled the monster¡¯s head down. Molding my armor and leaning over, the blade hit the upper part of my right shoulder at an angle. My armor guided the blade up and over my head, diverting the strike. Before the tail whipped back, I turned on my heels and unleashed another blow.


    The sand around us exploded, firing the coarse powder in all directions. The muffled echo radiated into the distance. The scales on the snake fractured like slamming a ceramic plate on the ground. My punch punctured through the snake¡¯s tail, causing the back of the monster to explode. The gravitational pull from the punch threw the monster off balance.


    The light around us dimmed, a shadow growing from the snake. A blanket of black covered us before the reptile opened its eye towards me. Brighter than the sun, the beams of light singed my eyes before I stumbled backwards off reflex. The snake snapped its jaw towards me. Using Tactile Cognition, I visualized the snake¡¯s movement off the sound and shifting air around it.


    Ducking down, the bottom of its jaw skimmed past my shoulder. I rotated on my heels, firing a catastrophic uppercut into its upper jaw. My ascendant mana roared as I did so, sparks of lightning firing off the impact. A deafening boom radiated through the dessert as the snake¡¯s jaw snapped. The sickening pop of breaking bones was music to my ears.


    The mangled tail whipped towards me again. The air whistled as the speed of it tore through the air. It was plenty enough sound to see with Tactile Cognition. I dashed into the tail, causing the measured strike to miss. Wrapping my left arm around the tail, I pinned the writhing tentacle to my waist. With all my strength, I turned the snake around.


    Using a gravity well to help pull it along, I turned the snake in a spiral. Before I could toss it, the monster tightened its grip on me. From all angles, the lithe, muscular animal constricted my breathing. The coils pressed from all sides before I opened my mouth and chomped into the snake. My armor shot out spikes in all directions, turning the monster into a pin cushion.


    It snake jerked away from me, blood pouring from all its wounds. As it writhed away, its slit irises stared into mine. I grinned along with my armor, pacing towards it like a reaper. With the blood loss catching up to the creature, it fumbled on the sand before I charged at it. With my mana shimmering red, I clashed with the creature¡¯s next bite.


    I slammed my fist into its nose. It lashed out towards me, but I timed another compact hook into the side of its face. The punch cracked the crystalline eye. It opened its mouth, firing venom at me. I blocked the venom with my left arm, the acid melting me. Without pause, I reached my right arm down its throat. I dug my fingers into the monster¡¯s esophagus. It gagged, but the tendrils of my armor already invaded its body. It was over.


    Using my armor teeth, I bit into my acid soaked left arm and peeled the melting armor off. With the acid off me, I gripped my left hand and raised it above the snake¡¯s face. I slammed the fist into the emerald colored scales, intent on bathing it in red.


    With each hammer fist, I converted the snake¡¯s elegant scales into mush. The emerald green scales turned crimson and carmine as the structure of its face devolved. Once it stopped squirming, I jabbed my other hand into the carcass. Gorger of Mana sapped the flesh as I glanced at my notifications.


    10 minute delay between skill ups and level ups. Data Upload Complete¡­Skill gained! Overcharge (lvl 1) ¨C By building mana into your runes, you create a pool of power otherwise unattainable. +1% to mana storage for overcharging attacks. +1% to mana conversion for overcharged attacks.


    Data Upload Complete¡­Skill gained! Discharge (lvl 1) ¨C Using a built up source of mana, you unload with extreme energy. +1% to power of Discharge. -0.5% to recoil of Discharge.


    Data Upload Complete¡­Skill Gained! Active Recovery (lvl 1) ¨C By binding your wounds and assisting recovery, you enhance the speed of your health regenerating. +1% to regeneration speed when actively recovering.


    Data Upload Complete¡­Ouroboros, King of Drikah( lvl 2312) Slain! Level ups will proceed over ten-minute intervals. Level ups registered, 347 total. Estimated time for full download: 2.4 Earth days.


    Data Upload Complete¡­Level up! Level 998 achieved.


    I hadn¡¯t quite achieved level 1000 yet. It would take days for all the levels to pass through probably. Instead of checking my status screen hundreds of times, I went towards my trees. What was there was interesting.


    [New Trees Unlocked!]


    [II Obliterator(Kill a boss over 1000 levels above you, both before level 1000, while alone, and without previous assistance like items or consumables) [0/2,500] | Killer of Titans(Kill a monsterwith over 1,000 times your own mass. Constitution over 1,000. Star Matter perk unlocked.)(0/1,500)]


    After reading them over, another rank in Obliterator was the obvious choice. Besides that, the tree only let me get the bonus if I was below level one thousand. Normally that would have been impossible since I would have immediately gained the levels outside of this rift. Inside the rift though, the time delay let me unlock it.


    Before missing the time limit, I selected the Obliterator tree. From all the skill training and what not, I stockpiled quite a few tree points over the long run. Since unlocking fearless, I gained 1004 skill points. Most of that was from unlocking my mythical and unique skills. With that stockpile, I poured them into the Obliterator tree.


    To another plane, you¡¯ve ascended. Below you, the crying of others echoes in your ears. They shout at your hard work and sacrifice, ¡°Why should he rise and not I?¡± They choose not to see the time and energy devoted towards honing your strengths. They only peer at your current self and not the mountain of corpses you stand upon. 500/2,500 milestone reached! Obliterator bonus unlocked (Tier 1) +25% to total experience gained for levels and skills. This bonus is multiplicative with previous bonuses, not additive. +2 attributes rewarded for every 5 levels over level 1,000.


    The corpses you stand on are not of enemies, however. They are the weaker versions of yourself. You culled them, no longer letting their weaknesses live within you. You didn¡¯t stop at the surface either. You dug deep into who you are, carving out even the tiniest traces of frailty. What grows back in place of this weakness is a pure and palpable strength. 1,000/2,500 milestone reached! II Obliterator unlocked (Tier 2) +50% to total experience gained for levels and skills. This bonus is multiplicative with previous bonuses, not additive. +4 attributes rewarded for every 5 levels over level 1,000.


    Months of training night and day resulted in this. I gained the next level in the most powerful tree I owned and gained two tiers in the tree. Combine that with a surge in levels, and it was a short and sweet kind of bonus too. While ridiculous and powerful, the bonuses didn¡¯t need a ton of words to get that across. The simplicity of it satisfied me to no end.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After relishing in the new tree, I checked out the snake. Its body already disintegrated. The monster left three things behind, however. The first was a giant clump of the white crystal, violet energy emanating from it and all that. The two fangs were left as well, still soaked with the violet venom. The sword tipping the tail radiated a few meters away from me too. All in all, the monster gave me an enormous haul of loot.


    It was one of the only monsters to leave anything behind. The high level was probably why. I wouldn¡¯t waste it though. From what I could tell, the violet energy was like a consumable. Once it discharged, the only thing left behind would be the crystal. While somewhat sturdy, my armor left cracks in it. For me, it was nearly worthless.


    The energy lying within wasn¡¯t though. It was arcane energy, a kind of attack that did percentage based true damage. My mind raced with potential, mainly different ways of killing Yawm. If I could unload all the volatile energy lying within these artifacts into him at once, killing him might not be impossible after all.


    With that in mind, getting the artifacts was the priority. I grabbed all three of the crystals, holding them beneath my arms. I sprinted across the dessert, leaving nigh nothing behind from my epic fight earlier. Whenever I reached the others, Althea already flew down from the sky towards me. She landed beside me,


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually pulled that off.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m actually a little bit disappointed. I thought it might be harder.¡±


    Althea¡¯s brow scrunched up, ¡°What do you mean harder? It took you three days to kill it. Three days.¡±


    My jaw dropped a little, ¡°Really? I thought it was twelve hours or something like that.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Not even close¡­I guess it would be hard to tell time with your eyes covered like that.¡±


    I tossed the large chunk of crystal towards her. She caught it as I smiled, ¡°Sustain is my middle name. It¡¯s my specialty. Also, we got to carry these crystals. I don''t have the room in my ring.¡±


    Althea turned and leapt onto the rock wall. I followed suit. One of our arms held the snake¡¯s artifacts while the other let us crawl our way up the stone ledge. Althea chimed,


    ¡°Crazy though, being able to fight for so long. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a machine with no batteries. You didn¡¯t even get hungry.¡±


    Noticing a rumbling in my belly, I frowned, ¡°Naw, I¡¯m pretty damn hungry. Once we reach the top, I¡¯m stuffing my face with some rations.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°We only have a few packs left. After this, we¡¯ll have to start eating the villager¡¯s food.¡± She shuddered, ¡°What is it they eat, rats and worms or something?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Yeah, not my idea of appetizing. We won¡¯t be sticking around much longer. We got what we came for. A bunch of levels and skills. Maybe we didn¡¯t close the gap entirely, but we shouldn¡¯t be burdens anymore against followers. Yawm on the other hand¡­well he¡¯s a different story altogether.¡±


    She glared at the wall, boring a hole through it with her stare. After a few seconds, she snapped herself out of it,


    ¡°Sorry¡­I just really, really, really hate that guy.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°You know him?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, but I know a few people that knew him. Mainly scientists. From what I pieced together, Yawm is one of those people that doesn¡¯t mind sacrificing a few people. He runs the whole thing, but he, I don¡¯t know, closes his eyes to what he doesn¡¯t want to see. He doesn¡¯t look at the bad parts of what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    I blinked a few times, pausing my ascent, ¡°You mean he thinks he¡¯s a good guy?¡±


    She grimaced, ¡°Yeah. Who was it¡­That¡¯s right, Hitler thought he was a good guy too, right? Everyone thinks they¡¯re the good guy. Doesn''t meant they are. Yawm¡¯s one of those kinds of people. He has good intentions, but they don¡¯t work out. From what I¡¯ve seen, he does more harm than good. Even then¡­¡±


    Her hand crushed a bit of stone, ¡°He doesn¡¯t think about the people he¡¯s stepped on to get where he is¡­people like me.¡±


    The seething hatred there was deep as dark water. I sighed, ¡°That sucks..."


    Althea''s words stuck out in my mind. They pierced like daggers for some reason, and the reason why was at the tip of my tongue. As the feeling grew, I realized why. It was because I kind of did the same thing to her when we met.


    When training with her, I didn''t pull any punches. I let her have it. Even after all that, I stepped on her to get where I am. This whole time I believed Yawm was the bad guy. If I analyzed the both of us for a minute, there wasn''t much different about the two of us.


    Maybe in the scale of our actions but not at their cores. I killed that one guy, choking him to death with telekineses. Why? Just to make sure I lived. I might have lived anyways. I killed all the freedom fighters. Why? To make sure I didn''t die or kill the planet.


    Maybe I could have saved a few of them. I didn''t even consider the possibility in the moment though. I did the same thing with Michael and Kelsey. I stomped on them like they were dirt beneath my feet. They weren''t people. They were inconveniences.


    The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. After crawling up for a moment, I said,


    "Hey."


    She looked at me, her anger at Yawm melting, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    My eyes turned to the ground beneath us in shame, ¡°I uh¡­About how I treated you when we met¡­I was in a dark place. It was uh¡­I don¡¯t know. I was wrong and¡­¡±


    I grit my teeth before sighting. I looked up, meeting her eye, ¡°I¡¯m sure it hasn¡¯t been easy for you fighting all this time. I didn¡¯t make it any easier for you. I treated you like dirt, and I¡¯m sorry about it. You deserved better.¡±


    A bit of emotion leaked into my voice as I continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I just had a passing thought just now. How I treated you¡­It was a lot like how my father treated me. I didn¡¯t, no, I don¡¯t want to be like him. I want to be better, a better person than him, a better man. I haven¡¯t really been that kind of person up till now. I want to change that¡­Maybe this is a good way to start.¡±


    The thoughts tumbled into my head as I spoke them. It wasn¡¯t the kind of announcement you think about before you make it. It was raw and rough and not too pretty to hear either. The thing that made the little speech different from a normal one was that it was genuine. I wasn¡¯t putting up some front or guard. I just opened up for the first time in forever. Hell, I didn¡¯t really mean too.


    I glanced away after saying that, crawling up the cliff. Althea didn¡¯t reply as we meandered up the sheer face of rock. Once we reached the top, Hod was asleep, leaning against a rock. He snored loud as a bull while I set down the sparkling artifacts beside him. The whole time, an awkward tension formed between Althea and me. Who knows, maybe it was all in my head. I was too embarrassed to think straight.


    I sat down and opened the spacial ring Kessiah gave me. After pulling out the last three packs of rations, I opened my helmet, pouring them onto my face. The milky liquid seeped into my skin like a potent poison, except with nutrients instead of some venomous cocktail. Seconds later, Althea walked over, standing in front of me again. She looked back and forth, awkward as I was.


    She tapped her thighs before biting her lip. She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡±


    I leaned back, my nose scrunching up, ¡°Wait a second¡­About what?¡±


    She opened her palms to me,


    ¡°This whole time, I thought you were going to kill Yawm by yourself. I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to do anything. It wasn¡¯t until that lunch you made me that I understood something...You do remember that lunch you made me right? It was amazing. I realized then that you weren¡¯t just some battle brained lunatic. You just did stuff well, whatever it was.¡±


    She let her arms slap against her sides, ¡°I wasn¡¯t like that. I just wanted this to all be over with. I forgot that you were a person too. You¡¯re not super human¡­Uh, you are, but uh¡­You can¡¯t do everything. Sorry for putting everything on you. It wasn¡¯t fair.¡±


    She waved her hands, ¡°And I accept your apology. I tried killing you too. It¡¯s not like you''re alone there. If anything, you''re the reason I''m out of the lab and I get to cook, sleep in a soft bed, anything fun really...so thank you.¡±


    She flustered around the last part, her silver cheeks turning violet. I sighed in relief, amazed at her apology. I leaned against my knees,


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s good to know I didn¡¯t fuck everything up.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Well, not everything, just most things.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Excuse me for not apologizing well.¡± I glanced up at the red sky, ¡°I mean that was nerve wracking as hell.¡± I dragged my hands across my face,


    ¡°I much prefer fighting giant monsters. At least they''re familiar¡­familiar and much less terrifying. Bleck, emotions and feelings.¡±


    Althea laughed before I laughed too. It was the kind of laugh you let out after an awkward moment. It was a welcome release in tension. Once we let out a bit too much laughter, I composed myself,


    ¡°Anyways, I''m glad we''re on the same page."


    She nodded, holding the crystals against her side. I glanced around, another tense moment passing. Interrupting that tension, I pointed at the crystals,


    "Ahem, these crystals might be perfect for killing Yawm. From what I know, these are arcane. Arcane magic does percentage based true damage. No matter what you do, it rips people apart. Even with Yawm at such a high level, it should work pretty well.¡±


    Althea blinked before looking at the crystals, ¡°What? Oh, yeah. They should do great. Arcane magic huh¡­crazy.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, should be pretty good...You ready to take the core?¡±


    Like she was coming back to her old self, she frowned, ¡°What? Why do you want to leave already?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms while still holding the crystals, ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to eat rats mashed up with green vines. Me? I could make it. You? Eh, maybe not.¡±


    She grumbled, ¡°Well¡­true.¡±


    I turned towards the runes, walking towards the core, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡± With a bit of telekinesis, I lifted Hod over towards me. He stayed asleep, hanging like a ragdoll before I set him on my shoulder. With the artifacts under my arms, Althea and I dashed through the crevices and into the tunnels below. After a running for a while, we reached the vast cavern that harbored the Eltari.


    By now, our coming didn¡¯t spark the same level of interest as before. This time was different. The entire village ran out of their houses as several people shouted about our coming. Packs and bags made of straw sat beside throngs of Eltari. It looked like they were all ready to leave. Maybe three days of battling gave them the heads up.


    We reached the inside of the village, passing the Eltari. Several of them reached out towards me, mouthing the word Harbinger. Others spoke of a third cataclysm. We didn¡¯t pay them much mind. We ran and leapt into the shack the elders called home. As we walked in, Jass stood at our entering,


    ¡°After all the rumbling above us, I already know why you are both here.¡± She walked up to us and whacked Hod in the head with her cane. He awoke, throwing his feathered arms in every direction,


    ¡°Hod not easily slain. Hod a phoenix. Hod may rise again. Rise of Hod, the second coming!¡±


    I tossed Hod off my shoulder before he stumbled up. Jass¡¯s eyes narrowed,


    ¡°Did you watch him slay the worm by himself?¡±


    Hod gave her a salute, ¡°Hod watch very closely. Hod know he slayed the beast alone. Hod can say with certainty!¡±


    Jass raised her eyebrows, ¡°Really now? I suppose I¡¯ll take the words of a half-asleep man over the words of no man at all.¡±


    She poked the cane at me, ¡°You¡­Are you certain we will be carried back with you?¡±


    I gave her a thumbs up, ¡°Maybe 60% sure.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Then we¡¯re ready to leave. We¡¯ve had three days of ruckus to make sure of that.¡± She smiled, ¡°I hope this dying planet of yours isn¡¯t as terrifying as our own.¡±


    I tilted my hand back and forth, ¡°No guarantees. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been there.¡±


    Jass turned to the other elders, ¡°Do we all agree?¡±


    They nodded in silence, their deformities weighing down their misshapen heads. We walked out of the hut before seeing the pillar the hut attached itself too. The coursing energy drained into the pillar above. I jumped up, using telekinesis and gravity for a bit of help. Once I reached the top of the pillar, I walked on a circular balcony.


    All around me, the village stretched out in every direction. Beside me, the rippling force of the core coursed like a fountain of power. I turned towards the village. Many of them starred up to me, some like a guardian angel and others like I was a devil. It was time for an impromptu speech,


    Wielding my Words of Strength skill, I shouted while spreading my arms, ¡°Eltari, I am the Harbinger who has come to give you a chance for change. Some of you see me as a coming storm. Others see me as a coming savior. Neither are correct. I offer you all a chance at redemption.¡±


    I turned myself, staring at their eerie, white eyes, ¡°You are strong, resilient people. No matter who should judge you, that shall stand any test and any trial. Past the gate I open, you will find a world on the brink of oblivion. Here you all shall be given the chance to save this world.¡±


    I clamped a hand into a fist, ¡°Redeem yourselves. Walk out from the shadow of your fore fathers and come into a new dawn. I will give you this chance. Follow me as we pass through to the next world.¡±


    I roared my last words with the full might of my skill. This might have been the first speech any of the people had heard. It worked like that at least. Many of them raised their three fingered hands. They shouted for freedom from all this planet¡¯s bullshit. I couldn¡¯t blame them.


    I turned towards the core. I reached my hand into the stream of energy. The icy cold needles of before shot into my arm, but my armor caught up to the release of energy. I gripped my hand on the dungeon core.


    It was time to go into the unknown.

 81 Rift Keeper

    <div>


    <div>


    A colossal rumbling shook beneath me, knocking the core from my grasp. I stumbled backwards before falling off the pillar. Twisting around as I fell, I landed onto my feet, crushing the stone beneath me. I glanced up, wondering what the fuck was going on.


    Above me, the elder¡¯s shack shook back and forth. A black tendril of mush shot out of the wood. A sickening gurgle growled from within before ebbing to nothing. Screaming shouted around us. Near the pillar, a black tentacle lifted the writhing body of a child. The Eltarian child leaked blood from its mouth, the black spreading through its body.


    The small Eltari melted into the black, consumed by the living shadow. The high-pitched howls lessened as the mouth that made them collapsed into the pit of black. Elders howled from within the shack. I gritted my teeth at my own naivety. The Drikah hadn¡¯t been this dungeon¡¯s boss. He was something else, like a corrupted god. That moving blob of black was the real rift keeper.


    Like all eldritch, the disgusting monster reached out to eat whatever it could. Jass hobbled out of the shack, leaping off the side of the wood. She glided away for a moment before another tendril of black wrapped around her. Hod leapt out of the shack, gliding towards her as he removed his mask. Without the toxic air to fuel his reformation, he remained normal.


    Hod wasn¡¯t that inept without his monstrous form, however. He spun through the air before slicing a talon through the black tendril grasping Jass. A tiny cut formed in it before he spun again and fired his two hooks towards the monster. The black tentacle rived, splitting in two. The tentacle stayed wrapped around Jass as she fell onto the ground while howling in agony.


    They bled into her, melting her skin and eating her blood. Hod scrambled towards her before I charged at the monster. Hod grabbed her and pulled her from the tentacle, the blackened burns reaching down to her bones in places. Once her eyes met Hod¡¯s eyes, she ceased her crying. The stern Jass returned. Hod grabbed the side of her face,


    ¡°Jass be fine. Hod save you. Hod not let you die. Hod need Jass. Hod love Jass¡­Please, don¡¯t leave Hod. Please.¡±


    The desperation leaking into his voice only strengthened the look of stone on Jass¡¯s face. During their struggle, I reached the pillar the monster latched to. As it reached out with its tentacles, I molded oppression onto the limbs. The writhing tendrils retracted whenever I moved oppression over them. I stopped the tentacles from taking anymore villagers instead of trying to fight the monster.


    As I did, Althea leapt out of the building. She spun through the air before landing beside us. She turned to me then Jass and Hod. A look of seething hatred raced onto her face. She bent down, her body reforming. Muscles expanded. Bones and joints popped in and out of place. Metallic plates formed over her head, hands, and feet.


    As she transformed, Jass reached up a hand and placed it on the side of Hod¡¯s face. Her hand shook as she lifted it towards him, but the firmness of her resolve carried her fingertips to his face. Tears fell down Hod¡¯s jaw as he stared at her. As they landed on Jass, she winced but didn¡¯t shout. She didn¡¯t have time for shouting.


    She wiped away a tear from his cheek, ¡°Hod, my child, stay calm.¡±


    With frenzy in his eyes and voice, Hod looked around, ¡°Hod get help. Hod find doctor. Hod heal you. Hod save you.¡±


    Jass placed her hand over his mouth, ¡°Shhhhhh. There¡¯s no saving me now. I¡¯m not young anymore, and none of our doctors could heal me even if I was young. I¡¯ve lived a full life as the caretaker of this village. I¡¯ve done all I could to keep us safe.¡±


    Her hand fell down, blood spreading out from around her, ¡°The village, it¡¯s changing. Our people don¡¯t need some old seeker stuck in her ways. They need someone who isn¡¯t so ancient and unchanging. They need someone like you.¡±


    Hod shook his head, his voice shaking, ¡°No, Hod not smart enough. Hod can¡¯t lead village. Village need Jass. Hod need Jass.¡±


    Jass frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. You¡¯ve defended our village as a true warrior. This is a time of war and battle. Shouldn¡¯t the greatest warrior of our village lead us then? Even without your talents in war, your thoughts are simple yet wise. Who else would steer our village during this time?¡±


    Hod shook her shoulders, dead skin ripping in his hands, ¡°Jass! Village need Jass. Hod need Jass. Jass mother to Hod. Please, don¡¯t leave Hod. Please.¡±


    Jass grinned, a tear spilling down the side of her cheek, ¡°And you¡¯re a son to me Hod. Your mother and father would be proud of who you¡¯ve become. Make us even prouder in the future.¡±


    Her white eyes dimmed, ¡°Protect our people, and tell our story to your dying breath. In your memory, I will live on. Keep me close to your heart, and I will watch over your shoulder from the sky. I join the sun now.¡±


    Hod grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. Her eyes dimmed completely. Tears spilled from his unblinking, blank eyes. He raised his head and cried out, a deep mourning. He lost the person closest to him, and in his voice was that ocean suffering. There was so much pain in his howl, you could drown in the pain it held. Even I winced at the scene. Beside me, Althea kept reforming herself as several tears streamed down her cheeks.


    She turned invisible, the camouflage leaking onto her skin like blobs of ink spreading on paper. Hod stood behind me as I wrestled to contain the growing black void. Hod turned to the monster. His voice could have ground through stone,


    ¡°Hod will kill you. Hod will kill your memory and feast on your children. Hod hate you. Hod hate, hate, hate.¡±


    The black energy leaked onto his claws without needing the toxic air to support him. The white of his eyes bled with red energy. The red consumed the normally white eyes, like a full moon eclipsing with red. The black expanded over the rest of his skin, reaching his now red eyes. At the edges of his black skin, a white aura emanated. It created a distinct outline around his otherwise depthless shape.


    He stepped forward, no light showing on his body. It was like a 2-D shape with a white glow, moving in our dimension. He roared with thunder in his chest and iron in his voice. The black drool dripped from his mouth as he spread out his arms. The talons grew, like daggers made of black. From behind him, a set of wings shifted out of his body.


    He flapped them, wind spreading in every direction at the force of his flight. An explosion ebbed from the black creature within the shack. Green acid covered a third of the creature before another acid bomb exploded on the monster. The corrosive smells burned my nose and throat, but I grinned. Althea got this fucker good.


    It wasn¡¯t as good as Hod, however. Hod dived towards the monster. The monster reached out a black tendril towards Hod, but Hod¡¯s own shadow devoured the black of the other monster. An unearthly squeal radiated from the monster as Hod¡¯s jaws and talons ripped it apart.


    With each swipe, Hod¡¯s shadow eclipsed the monster¡¯s own shadow. The savage fury of Hod¡¯s anger unleashed as he sheared the shadow. His hate took a physical form, his darkened form growing in power with each of his attacks. The hulking Hod chomped and bit. He ripped and roared. He mauled with might. He slammed and sliced. He crushed and crumbled.


    The monster was no longer a monster. It turned into the victim of Hod¡¯s relentless rage, like the wave of a river overwhelmed by the fury of a flood. The shack covering the monster disintegrated under Hod¡¯s onslaught. Anything Hod¡¯s shadows touched was erased, disappearing entirely. It tried escaping him, but I pinned it into his grasp using oppression.


    The dissipating shadow drained into Hod, growing his size and strength. Within a minute, the pillar behind the monster appeared. It shrunk down into a smaller and smaller blob before reached the size of a person. It lashed out towards Hod, but Hod stabbed his talons forward. Hod¡¯s talons sliced the shadow apart, tearing it to nothing.


    His hand traveled into the pillar. Hanging from the arm, he turned to the village. He thundered out in a deep voice like far off thunder,


    ¡°Hod kill the killer of Jass. Jass memory live on inside of Hod. Jass memory live on in Eltari.¡±


    He raised a fist made of shadow as the Eltari roared in applause. I retracted oppression, pulling the aura in as I sighed. A second later, Hod grabbed his chest, coughing up the black drool. He stiffened up before his claws unlatched from the pillar. He fell down towards the ground. Before he slammed into the ground, Althea appeared beneath him.


    She caught him before sprinting towards me. I met her halfway, pulling my helmet off my face before she set Hod down. As if in a daze, the black drool oozed from his eyes. He turned back and forth, his chest heaving for air. I looked up at Althea,


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡±


    She blinked, ¡°I¡­I think it¡¯s a mana saturation. He¡¯s broken his limits on holding mana. Now the mana is tearing his body apart.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°Really? Mana saturation?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°It¡¯s the same thing that happened to me when we met. The difference is that my mana turns me into a monster. Hod¡¯s mana is making this shadow stuff, and I think that¡¯s melting him or something.¡±


    I tapped my hand against my head before I lifted both my hands. An idea had sprouted in my mind.


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    I pressed a palm against Hod¡¯s chest. My armor pierced into him, draining his mana. The red surrounding his eyes waned. The shadow covering his skin retracted. Over the next five minutes, Hod returned to normal.


    I pulled my armor out, satisfied once the shadow was gone. He stopped breathing before I shoved my palm against his chest. The black liquid spewed out over Althea and I. Hod raised his head, turning towards us both,


    ¡°What happened to Hod?¡± He picked up his arms, ¡°Hod back to normal. Shadow gone. Good.¡± He looked at us again, ¡°Harbinger, Lady Friend¡­You both need bath.¡±


    He reached his wings around us, ¡°No need to worry. Hod show you where best water spot is. Water still cold. Not as cold as normal water spot though.¡±


    I laughed before Althea followed suit. A nervous laughter radiated through the village. I fell backwards, breathing out a sigh of relief,


    ¡°Jesus Christ Hod. I thought you were dead as hell.¡±


    Hod let Althea go, waving away my concern with a hand, ¡°Hod understand Harbinger¡¯s worry. Hod thought Hod dead too. Hod remember Jass last words. Jass want Hod to live, so Hod live.¡± He glanced down,


    ¡°Jass with sun now. The sun always warm and never cold.¡±


    He sighed before standing up. In the distance, a wail echoed through the cavern. A thinner, more feminine Eltari leaned near the pillar. The tears of white poured from her lidless eyes. They fell down her face plate and tapped against the ground. The weeping tore through the fleeting peace. Hod walked over towards her. He placed his hand on her shoulder,


    ¡°Hod feel your loss. Hod lose Jass too. Hod know son live with sun now, like Jass.¡±


    He lunged onto a single knee as she looked at him. Hod continued, ¡°Hod know son warm now, not colder. No more struggle for food. Son watch you. Son want mother to smile. Be strong for son. Son watch you, even now.¡±


    She wiped her tears, ¡°Ok¡­I¡¯ll try.¡±


    She stifled her loud weeping, turning it into a quiet sob. As she sniffled, Hod walked up to me, ¡°Hod believe village need time. Village need to mourn. Harbinger wait for mourning?¡±


    I stood up and nodded, ¡°Of course. If you need a few weeks, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just start eating the rats and stuff. No big deal. Take your time.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°No need for weeks. Eltari grieve little. Eltari strong. Eltari fight in new world. Give Eltari three days. Eltari leave then.¡±


    I nodded before wiping the black liquid off my face. Althea did as well. After getting it off, she walked up to Hod. She hugged him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Jass.¡±


    Hod glanced down at her, and a white fog grew out of his eyes a little. He raised both his arms, ¡°Lady Friend! No need to hug Hod. Hod covered in muck. Hod get Lady friend dirty.¡±


    She squeezed him a bit harder, lifting him off the ground. Hod continued, ¡°Lady Friend hug appreciated. Lady Friend hurt Hod with Hug. Please set Hod down.¡±


    She let go of him before smiling, ¡°You¡¯re sweet.¡±


    Hod scratched the side of his face, obviously embarrassed, ¡°Uh, Hod thank Lady Friend too. Both Harbinger and Lady Friend have been kind to Hod, save village from monster, and slay Drikah. Many good things for village. Hod return favor.¡±


    He spread his arms, ¡°Hod grant Harbinger and Lady Friend anything in village for three day stay. Enjoy till heart content.¡± He let his arms down, ¡°Though village not have much.¡±


    Althea and I looked at each other. We gave each other one of those glances that held a conversation of details in them. I turned to him, ¡°Sure. A break sounds damn nice. It¡¯ll be like a vacation.¡±


    Hod nodded before a chunk of the core pillar fell. It caught everyone¡¯s attention before Hod frowned, ¡°Good time to leave village. Village about to fall apart anyway.¡±


    With the fight over, the villagers dispersed to lick their wounds. My oppression aura kept the deaths minimal though. Instead of throngs of the villagers dying, only two did. While that still sucked, at least the damage was kept to a minimum. For me, it was a resounding success compared with the Bloodbull incident. That was an unmitigated disaster.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The resulting chaos of this event paled by comparison. Before three hours passed the village went back to normal duties. The main difference was the collection of yellow flowers and fallen feathers. While they atteneded to their own kind of mourning, Althea and I enjoyed the sights and scenes of the village.


    The main attraction was the marketplace at the middle of everything. Eight shopkeepers sold a variety of goods, each of them known by all the villagers. One of them sold trinkets or gifts, kind of a like a shop for oddities. The others focused on more pragmatic goods, so we only picked up what we needed from them.


    Despite how interesting some of the Eltari¡¯s shops were, we spent most of our time talking with villagers. The way they saw me and her surprised us both. Most of them revered me as some messiah. Others saw me as just a good guy. I preferred that opinion personally. Being a messiah was a lot of pressure.


    Despite that pressure, the thanks I got was a nice change of pace. Normally, I leave a thick, bloody trail of death and destruction in my wake. Not on purpose mind you. This time was an exception, and the villager¡¯s good will served as our reward for it. The villagers even gave us a house with a place to sleep.


    While a straw bed wasn¡¯t ideal, it was a hell of a lot better than stone. Althea brought an expanding mattress with her, so it wasn¡¯t a problem for her. The food turned out pretty decent too. Who knew roasted rat on a spit was actually pretty good. Put some pepper and paprika on it, and it might even be restaurant worthy.


    Regardless, the three days passed by fast. We organized with Hod to make sure the villagers were ready to leave and that they knew what to expect when we got to earth. We pretty much told them that there would be a ton of zombies. That, and they would need to go through the sewers to meet up with the steel legion.


    Once there, we¡¯d be able to rendezvous with Torix and company. The plan was to train the Eltari and give them weapons. An efficient and effective aerial force would be a massive augment to the legion¡¯s lacking forces. Combine that with the physical superiority of the Eltari, and we had a recipe for Spawn of Yawm destruction.


    With all those plans finished, there was only one thing left for closure¡¯s sake. The night before we all left, the Eltari held a funeral for the two lost members. Jass¡¯s body was burned, cremated to ash. Althea and I joined the ceremony as they walked up high atop the mountain. At the very peak of it, the wind blew with tremendous intensity.


    There the Eltari took the yellow flowers and put the spare feathers between the petals. Once night time arrived, the family of the boy tossed many of the flowers into the air. The feathers kept them afloat as they flowed with the wind. They symbolized the boy¡¯s passage into the sky and union with the sun, or so I was told.


    They did the same with Jass¡¯s ashes. Hod was the one to throw them. After watching the gray scatter, Following a mantra, Hod announced without his usual odd way of speaking,


    ¡°Jass floats with the sun at her back and the wind on her wings. May she and Kal fly forever.¡±


    The congregation raised each of their right wings, staring at the sky. They said in unison, ¡°May they fly forever.¡±


    Their featureless, glowing eyes turned the dark mountaintop into a cluster of tiny lights. It kind of looked like a starry sky. With the ritual finished, Jass and the boy¡¯s deaths took on a finality. As we walked back towards the village, the aura of the group wasn¡¯t one of sorrow. It was a more of a determined kind of feeling, like they were moving on.


    The atmosphere fit in with the next morning perfectly. All the Eltari had their packs at the ready. Before leaving, I leaned against the core holding pillar, checking out my status screen with Althea beside me. I wanted to invest my points before heading back. As I opened my status screen, I saw 347 levels gained from the sand worm, but I also gained 15 from the shadow monster.


    It turned out that the boss was conglomeration of the corrupted seekers. Seekers never died of old age, the toxic air sustaining them. When they lost control of themselves, they would be put into a prison built beneath the shack. Whenever I pulled on the core, it awakened the boss, leading to Jass¡¯s death. The boss¡¯s escape was an inevitability, so the villagers were thankful that Althea and I were there to help handle it.


    The fifteen levels the shadow monster gave me was a nice bonus for leveling. Combine them both and I ended up with 362 levels gained. After a little over three days of relaxation, the attribute points had uploaded, all 1012 of them.


    That¡¯s right. One thousand and twelve fucking attribute points. It was an astronomical number. Both obliterator trees gave me 8 extra attributes every five levels. A normal person gains five attribute points and a single perk point every five levels. That perk point converted into an attribute point most of the time, meaning it was effectively six attribute points every five levels.


    Now I gained over double the norm. As I grinned at the fact, Althea saw my smile and analyzed my status. The last time she checked, she was still a higher level. Once she saw my completed level, she punched my shoulder before pouting in frustration.


    I laughed at her, ¡°Guess who¡¯s got a higher level now?¡±


    She hugged her legs to her chest, ¡°Dammit¡­It was lot of fun being stronger than you.¡±


    I glanced at my status screen, soaking in the numbers, ¡°All good things must come to an end.¡±


    She put her chin on her knees, ¡°I¡¯m going to miss it¡­Out leveling you that is.¡±


    I rubbed my hands together, ¡°Let¡¯s see the spoils.¡±


    I dug my face into my status screen. With how I set up my stats feeding each other, the framework for Endurance made it a do all attribute. I got the most from it when compared with any other stat. Taking full advantage, I began putting the attribute points into endurance. The perk screen appeared after placing six points into endurance.


    Congratulations on reaching level one thousand! Only 32.67% of current sentients have reached this level of achievement. Extra options, information, and settings are unlocked for your status. Data upload now allowed (1 terabyte of data per level over 1000.) Extra rights are unlocked for a higher status sentient.


    Perks for being over level 1000 include:


    <ul>


    <li>Extra tiers in trees now unlocked. Ever wonder why [III Vicious] wasn¡¯t unlocked? You had to prove yourself before being allotted that level of development. Now it¡¯s yours for the taking!</li>


    <li>You are now allowed to visit fringe worlds using Schema¡¯s Transference System.</li>


    <li>Unlimited Transfers between worlds.</li>


    <li>Extra information unlocked upon Schema¡¯s web interface.</li>


    <li>A free perk from the allotment of choices.</li>


    </ul>


    Perk Selection. Choose one.


    [Body of Steel - Gives a permanent 10% bonus for endurance, constitution, and strength attribute bonuses. Grants title of Warrior. (3.7% of sentients over level 1000 own this title and perk)]


    [Mind of Steel - Gives a permanent 10% bonus to intelligence, perception, and dexterity attribute bonuses. Grants title of Technician. (55.8% of sentients over level 1000 own this title and perk)]


    [Spirit of Steel - Gives a permanent 10% bonus to luck, charisma, and willpower. Grants title of Influencer. (40.5% of sentients over level 1000 own this title and perk)]


    The most surprising aspect was how rare the warrior was. Based on what I learned from talking with various aliens, most species were smaller than humans. That must mean speccing into a physical build wasn¡¯t possible for most species. remnants like Kessiah must be valuable then for their unique talents.


    In my case, the choice between the perks was obvious. To be honest, it didn¡¯t take much in the way of thought to decide on a perk. I selected Body of Steel. A moment later, my attribute points wouldn¡¯t go through when I tried putting them into endurance. I wrestled with my status screen before a message popped up,


    High speed data transfer unlocked for higher level sentient. One minute delay between further augmentations. Body of Steel now unlocked. Further allocation of attributes now allowed.


    Now that I knew what the fuck was going on, I allocated my points into endurance once more. After placing all 1012 points into the attribute, I selected the finalize button. A surge of strength and size coursed through me. I fell forward, off the pillar behind me. My face clapped against the stone, cracking it as I writhed back and forth.


    Althea bolted up, leaning over me, ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t talk. Every piece of my body changed all at once. My armor snapped like always. My vision went white while my flesh turned to steel. The arcane bonds lacing my flesh turned from simple bonds into chains, preventing my body from breaking. My teeth cracked then grew larger before healing again. I slammed a fist into the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden change.


    My fist pierced into the ground, creating a fissure beside me. Strength flooded into my limbs. I gripped my hands, the sensation of power coursing like a drug. I slammed my face into the ground as the white faded. A distinct sense of control and lucidity rushed over me. All my senses enhanced. My joints turned nimble, my body like a well-oiled machine.


    The sensation of raw power passed. I pushed myself up, heaving for breath. Althea put a hand on my back, ¡°Are you ok? For Schema¡¯s sake, I thought you were dead.¡± She shoved my shoulder, the push playful, ¡°Don¡¯t make me worry like that.¡±


    With a sinister smile, I nodded, ¡°Of course, sorry about that.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    I looked at my hands, ¡°Well, if I was a Pok¨¦mon, then I just evolved.¡±


    She scratched her head, ¡°What do you mean evolved?¡±


    I opened my status screen, willing my status so that Althea could see it with me. As we looked, our jaws dropped,


    Level 1360


    Strength ¨C 1249.6 | Constitution ¨C 1505.9 | Endurance - 2768


    Dexterity ¨C 398.9 | Willpower ¨C 1761.6 | Intelligence ¨C 677.4


    Charisma ¨C 94 | Luck ¨C 227.2 | Perception ¨C 189.7


    *****************************************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Health</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">170,239/170,239</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">54,839/min or 912/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stamina</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">73,134/73,134</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">888/sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">12.98 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3" rowspan="1">Oppression Damage- 15,000 + 80%hp/min</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 11,999% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Before relishing in the afterglow of my new stats, I looked at the new interface. Sleeker and less basic, the buttons layout was easier to see and understand. At the corner of the screen was a button called, ¡®Previous Stat Iterations.¡¯ I pressed it, and it opened my last saved stat sheet from forever ago.


    Level 997


    | 4.2 months held. Longest iteration held so far. |


    Strength ¨C 971.4 | Constitution ¨C 1110.7 | Endurance - 1077


    Dexterity ¨C 315.4 | Willpower ¨C 1000.7 | Intelligence ¨C 421.4


    Charisma ¨C 74.6 | Luck ¨C 150.4 | Perception ¨C 164.6


    ************************************************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Daniel Hillside</td>


    <td>Totals</td>


    <td>Regen</td>


    <td>Buffs/Debuffs</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>89,851/89,851</td>


    <td>27,579/min or 460/sec</td>


    <td>Oppression Damage- 15,000+(80% hp)/min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>28,647/28,647</td>


    <td>459/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>1.48 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>69.4/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 9239%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Boundless Storm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The difference was astronomical. As I compared the two statuses, Althea gasped,


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t even¡­your health regen is higher than my health¡­By Baldowah, It¡¯s over twice as high as my health¡­¡±


    I lifted both my hands into the air, ¡°Mwahaha! Take that. Higher level than me my ass.¡±


    She fell backwards, ¡°How are your stats so high? Are you, like, the chosen one or something? Does Schema have it out for you?¡±


    Her last few words gave me pause. I lowered my hands, staring at the ground, ¡°I never even thought about that¡­Maybe he does?¡±


    She waved her arms, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that in a bad way. This is a good thing.¡± She spread her arms wide, smiling bright, ¡°You should be excited. This is awesome.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Yeah, no point in dwelling on it now. I got the levels and skills I wanted since coming here. It¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    Althea stood up, offering a hand. I grabbed it as she pulled me up. Her feet caved into the ground as she did so. She stumbled backwards before I pulled her arm, keeping her steady. A moment later, we both laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. Both of our stats had become ludicrous by now, at least when compared with where we started.


    With that handled, I looked up towards the dungeon core. After forming a gravity vortex above me, I kept it ahead of me as I jumped up, the ground caving beneath me. Keeping the ripple of gravity right above my head, I shot upwards before landing on the edge of the platform. My mastery of gravity was getting better. True flight wasn¡¯t far off now.


    With that handled, I turned behind me. The crowd once again looked ready to leave. I reached towards the core, my arm piercing through the white energy. The cold, piercing sensation diminished quite a bit since last time. With ease, I grabbed the rift¡¯s core. Not knowing what happens next, I pulled on the core.


    It was time to kill a follower. When I got back that is. The cores energy assimilated into my armor as I pulled it out. The sphere released a high pitch scream before silencing.


    Writhing, the carmine colored core died down its movements. Black expanded from the center before stopping just short of the outer edges of the sphere. The energy beaming from the pillar dimmed before stopping altogether.


    I stood there, waiting for the dimensional shift. Below me, Hod shouted,


    ¡°Hod think core pull a letdown.¡±


    I shouted back, ¡°Give it a minute. Patience is a virtue after all.¡±


    A rumbling started. The faint, cybernetic sound of the changing rift ebbed into the cave, muffled by a mile of sand and rock over our heads. The sound expanded into our ears, and the rumbling turned into a steady quake. Seconds later, a square outlined by blue energy appeared over the top of the cavern. The matter within it altered.


    The rock within each square changed color, redder and less brown. The squares webbed out from all sides of the cavern in seconds. As the squares passed us, my hud returned along with a sense of order. It was like all the entropy and chaos had been ironed out. After being away from the familiar structure of Schema¡¯s system, it honestly felt weird.


    The air didn¡¯t have the sweet smell of the rift anymore. An almost sterile odor took its place. Besides for that and a shift in gravity, the cavern didn¡¯t change much outside of the color shift. The other most obvious change was the disappearance of the tunnels leading up to the weird ruins. The shift in the air¡¯s density along with a shift in gravity¡¯s pull was strange too.


    Taking advantage, I leapt off the core¡¯s pillar. As I landed, I created a panel of telekinesis beneath me and deflected the energy throughout the surrounding air. A tempest of wind pushed in every direction, knocking over a few packs and tables nearby.


    Standing beside Althea, I waited for the overseer. As expected, a rip in dimensions formed beside us. The overseer walked out from his tear in space-time, turning towards us. Something seemed off about him, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it. A realization came over me as I pointed at the overseer,


    ¡°That¡¯s what it is. You¡¯re shorter now.¡±


    He was still two feet taller than me, (0.6 meters ~) but I was closing the distance. The overseer turned his body around, analyzing his surroundings before staring at me,


    ¡°Yet another rift closed? That hunger you have, it will treat you well in time.¡±


    He opened his red status screen, outlined with liquid light,


    ¡°Interesting that you left so many eldritch alive. While not required for the core, Schema¡¯s manuals recommend killing any eldritch you come across. I¡¯d encourage you in following them.¡±


    He glared at the Eltari, ¡°Otherwise a new Rift Keeper will be born quite soon.¡±


    The Eltari winced and lowered their gazes at the overseer¡¯s disapproval. I opened a palm to the overseer, ¡°They¡¯re Eltari, a sentient race. We¡¯re taking them back to Earth.¡±


    The overseer turned to me, ¡°Eldritch are not allowed out of their rifts, Harbinger. You will not be allowed to take them out of this place.¡± He raised a hand, closing his fingers together.


    ¡°I will see to that personally.¡±

 82 An Overseers Insight

    <div>


    <div>


    I raised my hands, ¡°Woah now, these aren¡¯t eldritch. They¡¯re the species that lived here before. The dungeon core was stopping them from turning into monsters.¡±


    The overseer lowered his hand. He opened and fiddled with his status screen, ¡°Hmmm. These creatures are not fully eldritch or fully sentient either. That one there-¡± He pointed at Hod, ¡°He seems like an anomaly similar to Althea.¡± The overseer lowered his hand,


    ¡°Keeping multiple anomalies within your vicinity is an excellent way to die early and in a painful manner. His physiology also aligns with Yawm¡¯s current goals for an eldritch, flesh hybrid. Yawm will chase after you even more so after discovering him. Why not dispatch of the thing?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°The same reason we didn¡¯t dispatch Althea. He¡¯s trying to help us out, and he¡¯s not some terrible, evil monster. I honestly don¡¯t get the whole, ¡®destroy anything that Yawm wants¡¯ goal you guys have.¡±


    The overseer kept fiddling with his screen before closing it and turning to me, ¡°Do explain.¡±


    ¡°Humans have a saying that describes it perfectly; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It basically means stopping something before it happens is a hell of a lot better than fixing it after the fuck up. Killing Yawm is the solution, not trying to find and slay all the anomalies like Althea or Hod.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°I mean if you think about it, I¡¯ve already found two people that fit his requirements. Surely there¡¯s more out there. Finding all of those people sounds like a much more difficult goal than just beating his ass anyways.¡±


    The waved his hand, dismissing me, ¡°No. You underestimate the threat that Yawm poses. Schema has personally stopped me from doing battle with him. The reason was that the threat of my termination was too great a risk. That is how powerful Yawm is. You may become like Yawm one day, but he has had centuries to hone himself into what he is now.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Why are we even being tasked with doing something like this?¡±


    The overseer raised a hand, ¡°There is something you must understand, Harbinger. Schema took a calculated risk with letting you leave BloodHollow so long ago. Most people trapped within the system are limited by it. They need it for progression and for their livelihoods. You, well, you are an exception.¡±


    He glanced at my status, ¡°Unlike other players within Schema¡¯s system, you¡¯re pattern of growth isn¡¯t decided by levels. That armor of your, the augment to your soul, whatever it really is, it¡¯s growth is independent of Schema. He doesn¡¯t appreciate sources of growth outside his system.¡±


    He pointed up, accentuating his point ¡°That was one of the key reasons out of many for why he banished the remnants for gene splicing. That is why he dislikes the necromancer, because he can build an army independently of Schema¡¯s own growth. That is why schema dislikes you as well.¡±


    He pointed the raised finger at me, ¡°The difference between you and the others, and why Schema allows you to benefit from his system, it is all due to the nature of your growth. The growth happens to align with Schema¡¯s own goals. Destroying eldritch and their rifts.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    He glanced at the Eltari, ¡°This turned you from an agent of chaos into a sword for Schema. You use the resources he allots better than others of the same level. You can handle monsters far stronger than your designated level through a combination of that¡­thing on your skin, and your own ingenuity. So far, Schema is quite pleased with you.¡±


    The overseer raised a finger, ¡°That¡¯s the reason that Schema has allowed your friend over there to live as well. She owns many gifts that set her apart from the norm. His calculated risk is paying off. You¡¯ve taken the same role as Yawm had, but you own that armor as well. Defeating him will be possible without wasting resources.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Wait, what do you mean the same role as Yawm?¡±


    The overseer opened a palm towards me, ¡°Simple. The paragon of a species. All the benefits you¡¯ve received that are¡­unique, such as the obliterator trees or the genesis of potential tree, Yawm gained those as well. He was the champion of his species after all. There was a time where he too received the blessings of Schema.¡±


    My stomach sunk. Here I thought I was closing in on Yawm when all I was progressing as he had. The difference was that my armor helped me. He was a warrior king, which allowed him to do the things he accomplished.


    The overseer glared at the Eltari, ¡°The issue comes with why we should grant the same blessings to these mongrels. They are infested with eldritch. It¡¯s deep within them. That one there. Hod you called him, correct? He could potentially become another Yawm if his own motives are derailed.¡±


    Hod walked up, ¡°Hod not understand bringer of cataclysm. Hod not Yawm. Hod is Hod! Hod not want derailed motives. Hod want good food and good friends. Hod have those, and Hod protect food and friends. Hod not monster. Hod nice and smart. Most of all, Hod handsome.¡±


    The overseer opened his status screen, analyzing the Eltari. He sent a message before tapping his finger against his side, ¡°Then I will message Schema directly and check on his response.¡±


    A painful, tense set of seconds passed over us before the overseer fiddled with his status screen once more, ¡°Surprising. The Eltari have quite a history behind them, don¡¯t they?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I think Schema wanted to eliminate them because they understood the eldritch runes.¡±


    Steam leaked from one of the hydraulics of the overseer, ¡°The same eldritch runes that Baldag-Ruhl used?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a working theory.¡±


    The over seer stared at them, no face to give away his thoughts. He turned back to me, ¡°They understood those runic inscriptions?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Only two of them.¡±


    The overseer continued, ¡°Amazing. I never would have imagined they¡¯d have conquered something so complex. The universe is an unending series of surprises I suppose.¡±


    The red status screen appeared in front of the overseer before he read it over for a few minutes. We passed the time in awkward sort of limbo. As the tension became unbearable, the overseer spoke,


    ¡°Schema has decided to allow it as long as certain circumstances are met. The Eltari are to never practice or hold records of the practice of the eldritch runes. They are to accept the assimilation of the system, and guarantee their cooperation with slaying Yawm. If Yawm is killed, they will have yearly quotas to reach for slaying of eldritch and clearing dungeons.¡±


    I clapped my hands together, ¡°Hell yeah. That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    The overseer closed the status screen before pointing beside himself. He pressed his fingers together before pulling them apart. A rupture in dimensions formed, showing the mountain top of the dungeon¡¯s entrance. The overseer turned to us,


    ¡°Coming?¡±

 83 Clash

    Althea stepped up, ¡°Yeah we are. I¡¯m ready for something good to eat and somewhere nice too sleep. I never thought I would miss the tent so much.¡±


    I glimpsed at her, ¡°You and me both.¡± I shouted at the Eltari, ¡°Are all of you ready?¡±


    Hod raised a wing ending in his three talons, ¡°Village ready.¡±


    The village gave a roar after Hod finished speaking. The overseer stepped into his own dimensional rift. A violet strip appeared in the middle of the air. It ripped open before a blue sentinel walked out. Wielding the violet tipped spear and blue armor, the new sentinel sliced through dimensions, opening another portal towards the mountain top.


    On the other side of the portal, the overseer fiddled with his status screen. As he did, the mountain reformed back into a normal dungeon entrance. Within seconds, he finished the task before opening another rip in reality. He stepped through the portal, disappearing from sight.


    Not wanting to waste any time, Althea and I stepped through the portal. The sight of Springfield spread out before us. The dilapidated buildings and blood streaks didn¡¯t paint the prettiest scene though. I opened my status menu before sending a message to Torix about the Eltari coming. He might have everything ready for them when we arrived back.


    That was the goal at least. Glancing around, sand no longer covered the mountain top. It was back to normal, with a forest taking the sand¡¯s place. The view around the mountain refreshed my memory of the place too. The giant gray cloud looming over Springfield¡¯s center, the growing forests colored a sickly yellow, even the surrounding suburbs, it all came together to make the town what it was.


    Which was pretty much a shit show at this point, but it wouldn¡¯t stay that way forever. Armed with that knowledge, Althea and I herded the Eltari out of the dimensional rift. As they came to Earth, they showed no signs of displeasure. In fact, they all glowed with a brightness I could hardly understand. Some of them whispered among themselves,


    ¡°This place is so big.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be hotter. Why is it so cool?¡±


    ¡°What are those giant, puffy balls of white?¡±


    Althea chimed, ¡°Those are clouds. They¡¯re like water that¡¯s waiting to fall out of the sky.¡±


    One of the younger members of the Eltari kept the chain of questions coming,


    ¡°Water falls from the sky?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s called rain.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­wonderful.¡±


    I spread my arms, missing basic stuff like that, ¡°Yeah¡­yeah it is.¡±


    Once the Eltari filed out, we had an enormous throng of winged bird people. They chattered about trees, grass, dirt, all kinds of stuff I never imagined people would chatter about. At least not with such excitement. Before they got caught up in the newness of the experience, I used my Words of Strength skill,


    ¡°Now Eltari, follow Althea and I. We will take you to your new home.¡±


    Hod raised a wing, ¡°To new home.¡±


    Many of the Eltari raised their arms while shouting, ¡°To new home.¡±


    Any of the anxiety that was in the Eltari before leaving melted as Earth mesmerized them. The buildings mesmerized them. The temperature mesmerized them. The wind mesmerized them. Shit, I think even the smell of real dirt mesmerized them. Compared with their bleak, abysmal planet, Earth had it pretty good. I couldn¡¯t blame them for their eyes glazing over.


    Still, we had a mission to complete. Staying out in the open like this was a recipe for disaster, even with a blanket of trees as cover. We walked down the mountain and towards a nearby sewer entrance. Althea and I crushed any zombies coming nearby, each of us decimating them with ease. Hod helped some as well before we funneled the Eltari into the sewers.


    Many of the Eltari looked at the journey like a group of tourists. The sights, the smells, the sounds, everything was new to them. They soaked in the change in atmosphere like kids going to a zoo. Althea, Hod, and I kept them moving as the giant line of Eltari moved through the labyrinth of tunnels. Most of them handled the process with ease. Their own home had been a series of tunnels after all. This wasn¡¯t so different.


    After about three hours of walking, we finally reached underneath the steel legion¡¯s encampment. The Eltari¡¯s anticipation of seeing their new homes saturated the tight tunnel. With each passing moment, they looked at each other while wondering what would happen. Before letting them out, I shouted down the tunnel,


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°You all will wait up here while I let the others know that you¡¯re coming. I don¡¯t want someone firing at you guys for no reason.¡±


    The message echoed down the tunnel Before I left with Hod. He would be their ambassador of sorts. Not the best pick, but he was the best they had for now. Althea stayed behind, making sure the crowd didn¡¯t do something insane.


    Once we were above the surface, Hod and I walked up. Stationed a few blocks down was a group of steel legion troops. Between an old candy shop and a bookstore, they looked out of place. Safety cones were dispersed around them, leading the way back to the base. They stood in a formation for handling the inflow of Eltari. At their head was corporal Briggs, the current puppet that Torix used as their leader.


    I paced up with Hod. Several of the soldiers gasped before one of them raised their rifle. I reached out my hand and jerked the rifle out of his hand with telekinesis. Lifting it, I bonked his head with the rifle as I shouted,


    ¡°Don¡¯t fire at me you dumbass.¡±


    I tossed his rifle aside before the other steel legion troops calmed down. They whispered as I approached,


    ¡°He¡¯s a mage now?¡±


    ¡°I thought he was some warrior.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that thing with him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s level 1100. The Harbinger¡¯s over level 1300. Damn man.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck.¡±


    I zoned them out before walking up to Briggs. Briggs gave me a salute before I gestured with a hand as I said, ¡°At ease.¡±


    He lowered his hands, speaking in a gruff voice, ¡°Sorry for the soldier pointing his rifle at you sir.¡±


    I waved his concern away, ¡°It¡¯ll be good when he¡¯s mowing down zombies. Anyways, you guys ready for a bunch of this guy-¡± I pointed at Hod, ¡°To be walking into camp?¡±


    Briggs shuffled through his thick, gray overcoat before fishing out an obelisk. He pointed it at Hod before opening his status. He typed out on the interface as he spoke,


    ¡°I¡¯m sending a picture to the rest of the legion. It¡¯s a guild wide transmission for our current Earth forces. I¡¯m attaching a message letting them know these creatures aren¡¯t hostile, and that they are the coming reinforcements.¡±


    I blinked with a bit of surprise, "Wow, Briggs...Good Job."


    He gave me a curt nod, "That''s what I''m here for."


    I turned, walking back towards the sewer, ¡°Good. I¡¯ll give the Eltari a rundown on what¡¯s going on. We¡¯ll be coming up in about fifteen minutes.¡±


    I reached down the tunnel before giving the Eltari a rundown on what was happening next. They¡¯d walk into the camp, be siphoned off into random houses nearby, then they¡¯d be allowed to settle in. By tomorrow, they should be given some schedules or training along with some rudimentary education. That should ease the transition some.


    After finishing my little rundown, we walked the Eltari out of the sewer. As they passed the houses, roads, and shops nearby, the city blew their minds. Their shacks didn¡¯t have shit on your more advanced, rock shacks for instance. After getting tired of all the ooh¡¯s and ah¡¯s, I got them moving. The group of soldiers acted as guards during the different turns the Eltari needed to take for getting into camp.


    The process went smoothly until we actually reached the camp. Once inside, it was the steel legion¡¯s turn to ooh and ah. The average Eltari was around level 80-90, a far cry from the 200-250 range that most members of the legion sat at. Even then, they started out with a tremendous potential when compared with humanity.


    What confused me was the different starting levels. After doing some research while we walked, it had to do with the ambient mana they breathed in. The toxic air made them stronger and more like an eldritch. This sacrificed their sanity over time for that advantage. Building on top of that base of eldritch was more difficult that building on a blank slate, according to Schema¡¯s resource index at least.


    That meant adjusting their starting levels to reflect that difficulty. Besides for that, the Eltari were looked at as unknowns instead of normal people. I guessed it was probably due to their origins. These various oddities made them bizarre, and the steel legion were fascinated at their differences.


    Some people feared them though, and I couldn¡¯t blame them. Their empty eyes and large talons made for a fierce appearance after all. That fear manifested itself as a tension floating over the camp. It wasn¡¯t until a few of the legion¡¯s soldiers heard Hod speaking that the tension leveled off then dissipated. Hod had a way of disarming people, and it worked wonders in this situation.


    With the legion set to ease, the Eltari packed in like sardines. Once at the center of the encampment, the Eltari stood in massive crowd, a group of several thousand. Their village¡¯s size was far larger than I imagined it would be. The ambient mana they breathed in must have reduced their need for food or something like that.


    At the far end of the group, several desks were lined up for processing the new occupants. They allotted identification numbers, names, and obelisks to each of the Eltari. They described how to use the maps in the obelisks too, making sure they each understood where to go. Once ready, the family, pair, or loner Eltari would be carted off by a single legion member.


    Surprised at the speed of their progress, I walked up behind the rows of desks. With efficient and purposeful movements, they sped through the process. It was a satisfying sight. Behind them, Torix and Kessiah were standing, overseeing the entire event. After breathing out a sigh, Hod and I walked up. Torix grinned at me,


    ¡°Good to see you, disciple. This is the ambassador for the Eltari then?¡±


    Hod opened his hands, ¡°Hod speaker for village. Hod hope Hod not disappoint Dry Man.¡±


    Torix¡¯s grin died right then and there. Confusion covered his face as his eyes and nose scrunched up. Hod continued, ¡°Hod rude. Hod not introduce self. Hod is Hod. Hod glad to meet Dry Man. Hod also glad to meet Lady Friend number two.¡±


    Kessiah frowned, ¡°I¡¯m lady friend number two now?¡±


    Hod put his hands on his hips, ¡°Hod proud of naming abilities. Hod name second Lady Friend he meets Lady Friend number two.¡± Hod tapped his temple, ¡°Hod know what friends thinking. Friends surprised with Hod¡¯s smartness. Hod not blame you.¡±


    Torix¡¯s jaw fell as he stared in utter disbelief. Kessiah glanced in different directions, blinking her eyes. It was like she was making sure this was all real. Torix murmured,


    ¡°I...This¡­It¡¯s impossible. He can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    I leaned over, a look serious as death on my face, ¡°Oh trust me, he is.¡±

 84 Finalizing Details

    Kessiah propped her weight onto one hip, ¡°He¡¯s actually serious?¡± She reached over and flicked Hod at the tip of his metallic beak, ¡°I¡¯m not Lady Friend number two. I¡¯m Kessiah Crow.¡±


    Hod grabbed his nostrils, ¡°Hod sorry. Hod not mean to hurt Crow¡¯s feelings. Hod thought Crow not bird like Hod. Hod see now. White hair of Crow like feathers. Crow¡¯s Violet skin like¡­Hod give up. How is Crow bird and not person?¡±


    Kessiah blinked, ¡°Wait¡­My last name is Crow, I¡¯m not an actual crow. How do you even know what a crow is?¡±


    Hod raise a hand, ¡°Hod use blue box¡¯s help. Box tell Hod what Crow is.¡±


    Torix cupped his chin, ¡°Assuming you can¡¯t read, you must have discovered the audio function preset into the system. You might not be as idiotic as your speech implies.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod think Dry Man think too much about Hod speaking. Hod speak strange, true, but Hod use words to speak. Words not good for speaking. Actions better, because actions speak alone. Actions not need Hod to speak for them.¡±


    Torix lowered his hand, ¡°Quite a strange observation. I can¡¯t tell if that was incredibly intelligent or incredibly stupid.¡±


    I tilted my hands back and forth, ¡°Take everything Hod says with a grain of salt.¡±


    From beside me, Althea materialized out of thin air. She raised a hand, ¡°Hey guys. It¡¯s good to be back.¡±


    Kessiah and Torix froze in place. Unlike them, Althea¡¯s appearances didn¡¯t surprise me anymore. Anytime I didn¡¯t use my skill for sensing gravity, Althea could erase herself from my senses at will. Neither Torix or Kessiah had seen it in action though. Torix gasped,


    ¡°Althea¡­You disguised your mana? How?¡±


    I turned to her, curious as well.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot I was doing that. Uh, well, Daniel and I trained a lot by playing a game, kind of like hide and seek. He would try to find me while I hid. I came up with all these different ways of hiding, some of them worked and some didn¡¯t. Mana was one of those ways of hiding.¡±


    She raised a hand, ¡°Hmmm¡­What¡¯s the best way to say this...Ok, you can sense mana anytime it¡¯s regenerated or is full, right?¡±


    Torix nodded, leaning closer to her, ¡°Of course.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why exactly?¡±


    Torix pointed a finger towards the sky, ¡°The reason for sensing a filled mana bar is the over capped mana creates an aura you can sense. The reason for regenerating mana is the fluctuation of mana. If someone¡¯s mana pool is altering in size, it distinguishes itself from ambient energy. It¡¯s similar to a camouflaged animal moving.¡±


    Althea nodded, ¡°So with Arcane Blood, my magic is like health. You can¡¯t sense it being made, because it¡¯s just health regen. The hard thing is finding a way of keeping my health uncapped all the time.¡±


    With a vigorous nod, Torix tapped his chin, ¡°That¡¯s very true. Daniel couldn¡¯t disguise his mana signature at all. His method of dispersing it is¡­vibrant to say the least.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could even sense people¡¯s mana like that.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°I planned on showing you later. You¡¯ve been rather keen on developing your own skills in your own way. I decided to let you develop yourself organically.¡±


    Althea pointed at me, ¡°The thing is, unlike your health build, my build is strength, dexterity, and perception. I¡¯m an assassin, and I don¡¯t have some ridiculous value for my health regen. To keep my low regen from capping out my health, all I have to do is make it equal to my mana consumption. It uh, strengthens the stealth form and makes my mana signature harder to detect.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°But how do you use your ammunition? To my knowledge, it requires mana to make?¡±


    She glanced at the ground, ¡°That¡¯s uh, well, Daniel gave me a ring that lets me use his mana for that.¡±


    Torix grinned at us both, ¡°Both of you working together has improved our fighting potential drastically. This is precisely what we needed out of Althea for killing a follower. I do wonder, however.¡±


    He pointed a finger at me, ¡°How are you sensing her then?¡±


    I tapped temple, ¡°I¡¯m sensing her fluctuations in gravity.¡±


    Kessiah frowned, ¡°What? Bullshit. That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°I have to agree. That shouldn''t be possible. I told you to feel the fabric of the dimension you were in, not tiny fluctuations in it. That¡¯s overly precise. It shouldn¡¯t be possible for a warrior bui¡­Ah. Your enhanced perks.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Exactly. All the extra leveling perks let me do stuff like that when other builds like mine shouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±


    Hod interjected, ¡°Friends discuss complicated things. Complicated things leave Hod behind. Hod think complicated things better saved for later. Now we handle simple things, like what Hod do now.¡±


    Torix opened his palms to Hod, ¡°Ah yes, what to do with you. You must be bored with our discussion. It involves words with more than two syllables.¡±


    Hod nodded, "Yes."


    Torix opened his arms in exasperation, ¡°The Eltari will be used for handling reconnaissance and guerilla warfare. The gift of flight will allow us to strike at different areas of the quarantine zone and cull the infected there. You will lead the strike forces during those operations.¡±


    Torix turned to us, racing through his words to get rid of Hod, ¡°During this, Daniel and Althea will be destroying opened rifts. It will be a two-pronged assault.¡±


    Althea offered a hand, ¡°I can spy on them using my stealth form. I could gather intelligence or something like that on the enemy.¡±


    Torix pointed at her, still racing through his words, ¡°Good. You will gather details on the enemy¡¯s habits, weaknesses, anything you may find. Daniel can focus on clearing rifts.¡±


    Slowing him down just to tease him, I shrugged, ¡°I could do some scouting too with my sensing abilities. I mean shit, I can sense Althea even in her stealth form. Someone still needs to clear rifts, so I¡¯ll upload data about what I sense above me as I travel.¡±


    Torix frowned, exasperated by our interruptions, ¡°That''s just dandy. I''m certain that extra information will be useful. Regardless-¡±


    Kessiah nodded, interrupting him, ¡°It sounds pretty good I guess, but we haven¡¯t even grilled these two on what they learned yet. How long were you guys gone exactly?¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe three or four months. It was a pretty long time.¡±


    Torix sighed, giving up on rushing through the conversation, ¡°You both must have found a rift with a rather intense time dilation. It¡¯s only been three days since you both left.¡±


    Kessiah stepped closer to me, looking up at my face, ¡°Yeah, in three days you¡¯re even taller now. Like six inches taller.¡±


    I stared at one of my hands, checking out the size of it, ¡°Yeah, I guess it comes with the whole leveling thing.¡±


    Torix pressed his hand into the air, fiddling with a status screen none of us could see, ¡°Speaking of which, let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working with.¡± He glanced up at me, his jaw dropping, ¡°Since when did you become a higher level than even me?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    I analyzed Torix again,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill (lvl 1341) ¨C A powerful necromancer who has lived for a very long time. Taking a calm, patient approach, Torix Worm has slowly accrued an army of summons that he may use. Instead of focusing on leveling, Torix is a seeker of knowledge. He jumps from one interest to the next, gaining mastery of each magic or tactic he leaves behind.


    While his pursuit of knowledge is admirable, knowledge does not result in the death of Eldritch. His level is far below what his volume of skills would indicate, and his ability to use those skills in combat is limited as well. His assortment of skills is like a swamp, wide and varied, but lacking in depth.


    Make no mistake, however, those skills become deadly when used over time. Torix¡¯s ability to weave intricate strategies that make use of his many skills are second to none. Combine that with his usage of fortress tactics, and you have a difficult foe to kill indeed.


    I pointed at his status above his head, ¡°So why are you not that high a level given how old you are?¡±


    Kessiah elbowed Torix, a malicious grin growing on her lips, ¡°He doesn¡¯t like fighting. He¡¯d rather sit in a library and read a book.¡±


    Torix rolled his eyes, ¡°The undead receive experience penalties. Outside of that, I believe I make good use of my level, unlike some high leveled remnant I could mention.¡±


    Kessiah crossed her arms, ¡°Oh really now? At least I was willing to go out there and kick some ass to get to my level. You¡¯re almost out of dungeon cores for Althea and Daniel already.¡±


    Torix chided, ¡°Oh yes Kessiah, we¡¯ve seen how effective you are given your level. I recall Daniel nearly defeating you with a what, a 1500 level disadvantage? Makes you wonder if my disciple would even falter now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s developed his skills instead of lounging around and relying on his innate talents.¡±


    Althea stepped up, ¡°Will you two please stop acting like children.¡±


    Althea wasn''t the kind of person to say that, so she got their attention. Kessiah and Torix stared at each other before Kessiah frowned at Althea,


    ¡°Are you saying we''re children now? Don''t get a big head just because you gained a few levels."


    Althea stood her ground, ¡°It has nothing to do with levels. Try to think about this like we''re a team, because that''s what we are now."


    She pointed at Torix, "Torix has a lot knowledge. If we use that, we can get a lot out of it.¡± Althea pointed a hand at Kessiah, ¡°You¡¯re really strong. If we use that right, we can get a lot out of it too.¡± Althea clapped her hands together,


    ¡°But if we use them together, we can cover a lot more ground than either could cover alone. It¡¯s kind of like me and Daniel. We have our differences, but those difference make us better together, not worse. Both of you could do the same thing if you just stopped fighting all the time.¡±


    After the outburst, we all stared at her. Althea speaking up like this was like a rare event. It didn''t happen often, and that made it stand out. As Althea blushed, I stepped up,


    ¡°In other words, stop jabbing at each other. I get why you guys dreaded working together, but come on guys. You¡¯re like a thousand years old or something, right? Live up to it.¡±


    Torix narrowed his eyes, gripping his hand into a fist before sighing. He turned a palm to Kessiah, ¡°As much as I hate admitting it, I agree with them. We''re being petty. The bad history between us has a way of bringing that out. We can set it aside until after Yawm dies.¡±


    Kessiah pursed her lips as she crossed her arms, ¡°It was just a little bit of fun. It''s better than just doing everything like we''re robots, or even worse, Daniel."


    I rolled my eyes, "That would just be terrible wouldn''t it?"


    Torix shrugged, "Few things would be worse."


    I patted Althea¡¯s back, ¡°I didn''t think you had it in you to stop these two.¡±


    Althea blushed a deeper shade of violet as she glanced at the ground, ¡°Just trying to help.¡±


    Kessiah walked up, pressing a finger to my chest, ¡°Don''t think you''re off the hook. I remember what you said. It sounded to me like you were trying to start a fight.¡±


    She clenched a fist at her side. For a second, I thought she was serious. After looking a little closer, it wasn''t that she was actually trying to fight. It was like she was testing me.


    Taking a gamble, I shook my head, ¡°Start a fight? Not really.¡± I gripped my hands into fists, ¡°Always ready for one though.¡±


    My armor grinned as my unique skill, Overwhelming presence pervaded outward. Kessiah''s glare deepened. She held me in suspense for a moment before slapping my shoulder,


    ¡°Damn, you really grew a backbone while you were gone.¡± She glanced at Althea, a teasing grin on her face as she ruffled Althea¡¯s hair, ¡°You both did.¡±


    Using her long, purple hair as a curtain to hide her face, Althea flushed further. Despite her embarrassment and curtain of hair, I could tell there was a reluctant smile on her lips. The group let her relish in that feeling for a minute before Hod opened his wings towards us all,


    ¡°Hod feel left out. Hod go to new home. Hod tired.¡±


    As he walked off, I waved a hand, ¡°Good luck Hod. Be careful.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod more careful than even Dry Man. Cut Hod some slack.¡±


    He paced a few feet before leaping into the air. He glided upwards in a circle, following a blue screen in front of him. Hod must have already uploaded a map to his new house. He dived toward the direction his map indicated. In classic Hod fashion, he slammed straight into the side of a brick building. He might have been staring a bit too closely at that map of his.


    Almost like a cartoon, he fell from the wall, leaving an imprint of himself in the brick. Althea giggled while Kessiah busted out laughing. Kessiah even pointed at him while slapping her knee. Torix and I just sighed in disappointment. Hod pointed at us, cawing, ¡°Map dangerous. Hod know now.¡±


    He jumped back up and glided away. That¡¯s how the other birds left as well. It didn¡¯t take long before the crowd of birds dispersed. Torix walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned back around to face him,


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Torix pointed back at his laboratory house, ¡°Before I begin on the logistics of this situation, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to show you. If you have the time that is.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Let me say goodbye first then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    After saying some goodbyes to Kessiah and Althea, Torix and I traveled back to his home. I ran while he floated on a cloud of black mana. As we traveled, Torix went into a spill,


    ¡°You know, your capacity for leveling is highly unusual. I thought it would take at least another few years before you out leveled me, yet here you are, having already done the impossible. I suppose centuries spent inside a dusty old library didn¡¯t do me as much good I thought it did. Regardless-¡°


    He turned towards me with a glowing smile, ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Fortunately for me, my helmet was on. Otherwise Torix would¡¯ve seen me blush. I shook out my own embarrassment, ¡°Thanks Torix. That means a lot.¡±


    Torix faced forwards again, ¡°As it should. I don¡¯t give out compliments lightly. I don¡¯t give out gifts lightly either, but I believe you¡¯re ready for one when we get back. It should be a key component of your future progress.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Torix rubbed his hands together, ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get back.¡±


    Within minutes, we reached back into Torix¡¯s base of operations. The tunnels, wires, and runic inscriptions had slowly but surely turned this suburban home into an evil lair. As we paced inside, Torix announced,


    ¡°While you were gone, I went about creating your new gift. I was planning on giving it you as a means of furthering your runic studies. They seem to be the focal point of your current interests. Instead of trying to refocus your learning on necromancy, letting you traverse further into the runic arts would do you more good. It is by far your most advanced magic after all.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Torix opened the door, turning to me, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I walked up to a nearby tree, just big enough for your average guy to wrap his arms around it. I set up my telekinetic augments, firing my ascendant mana, and drove my fist into the nearby tree all at once. Before my fist landed, a gravitational vortex snapped right were my fist was headed. As my hand impacted the vortex, my hand blew backwards like firing a cannon. The impact shot through the telekinetic augment, firing a bullet of kinetic energy at the tree.


    The tree blew up. The entire trunk evaporated, splinters and sawdust floating through the air. The tree fell towards the house, but I grabbed it with telekinesis. Using a gravity warp for assistance, I pulled the tree sideways. As it fell to the ground, Torix froze in place.


    I turned to him,


    "It''s called Volatile Carnage."

 85 Grimoire

    Torix stepped towards the tree, ¡°So you gained another mythical skill then?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, it worked out pretty well. I take the gravitational warps then spin them around. It creates a vortex that pulls my hand into the material and the material into my hand.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve never even thought of using gravity that way. Here I thought you¡¯d use the magic for mobility and the like. I should have known. You use it to punch harder. Classic Daniel.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Cut me some slack. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯ve had gravity magic forever. It takes some time to gain mastery over something like this.¡±


    Torix walked back towards his lair, ¡°Indeed it does. My gift may help you progress further and faster in that regard.¡±


    I followed him inside his home before we walked into the basement. I followed him into his lair before we walked down the tunnel system he developed with the beetles. After pacing for a bit, we reached the center of a large tunnel system. It reminded me of how the runes were set up in BloodHollow, a circle room surrounded by tunnels.


    Within the circular room and tunnels, runes covered the walls. Beetles crawled along them, carving the inscriptions into the hardened earth. They weren''t eldritch runes, but the complexity of the inscriptions were similar. Torches lit those inscriptions, bathing the scene in an orange light.


    At the center of it all, there was a marble well full of a shining blue liquid. As we reached the well full of mana, I glanced around,


    ¡°Looks like you took a few cues from Baldag-Ruhl.¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°I know genius when I see it. There is no reason in avoiding the advantages of Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s implementations. In this case, I am tweaking his own methods for creating grimoires.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°Grimoires?¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°They are textbooks of magic. Every mage should own a grimoire, as they allow an easy usage of runes and complex magic. Up till this point, I¡¯ve neglected giving you one. Do you know why?¡±


    I scratched my cheek, ¡°Maybe because I¡¯d destroy it?¡±


    Torix pulled the tome I¡¯d seen him use time and time again,


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that entirely, but that isn¡¯t the primary reason. You see, a grimoire is often given to disciples too early on in their development. You only need to write a magic once before you may use it without referencing it ever again. While this may sound absurd, it stunts the growth of a young mage.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It makes perfect sense. Practice makes perfect, and it¡¯s hard to get practice when you only have to do something one time.¡±


    Torix walked up to the marble well full of mana. He tossed his dusty tome into the well of magic. The runes surrounding us shined a bright blue, spreading throughout the entire construct. The air shivered as the humming of magic energies electrified the air. As the buildup of energy reached its apex, the blue aura inside the runes imploded into the well.


    No longer full of the blue liquid, Torix took out his old tome. Except, it wasn¡¯t old any more. The new leather binding complimented the pages marked with glossy ink. Torix turned through the pages, a mad grin on his face before he turned to me,


    ¡°I just created a new grimoire from the copy of my old one. I charged mana into this grimoire over the last few hours. In total, I used over 1,000,000 mana on this single book, a feat few mages can match. From what I gained of your old health regeneration, you could match that output in only twenty minutes. That is absurd.¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°Yeah, but it isn¡¯t like I know what to do with all my mana yet. I¡¯m not using it very well. At least I don¡¯t think I am.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°That is what I am here for, disciple. For your own grimoire, you need to channel your mana into this well for however long you can. Most can handle the suffering and debilitating stress for about four or five minutes. I expect more out of you then that.¡±


    Torix placed his palm over the well, ¡°To do so is simple. Place your palm over the well and flow your mana into it. The booklet will take a suitable form thereafter using the charged mana.¡±


    He turned to me, his grin growing evil, ¡°Are you ready for the trial?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°I have level one hundred in Pain Tolerance. It isn¡¯t like this is going to be painful.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Bah, why ruin an old necromancer¡¯s fun? Regardless of what you might believe, the pain won¡¯t be the difficult part. Controlling the flow of your mana will be, especially considering it¡¯s more of a flood at this point.¡±


    Torix pocketed his new grimoire into his robe, ¡°Before you begin something like this, we need you as strong as you can possibly be. As such, I¡¯ll be giving you the dungeon cores you need.¡±


    He opened a black portal to his side, he reached his hand into it, ¡°How many do you need?¡±


    I glanced at my status. Since turning level 1000, the status screen changed. At the upper right corner of it, there was a number indicating how many dungeon cores I absorbed. Below it was a number showing how many cores I could still absorb. I fiddled with my status,


    ¡°I need about eighteen of them.¡±


    Torix sighed, ¡°There is one thing correct about what Kessiah said earlier. I am almost out of dungeon cores for you and Althea. I still have enough for this at least.¡±


    He handed me the eighteen red cores and two smaller yellow cores. I assimilated the cores before checking out my status. With a single thought, all the attributes poured into endurance. I selected finalize.


    I didn¡¯t expect much from 182 attribute points. At that point, it wasn¡¯t an enormous increase in my total stats. It wasn¡¯t even enough to move my endurance up by a tenth. That made the rush of vitality and the restructuring of the arcane chains shocking. It was a solid increase in my vitality, something I hadn¡¯t seen coming.


    With that in mind, I opened my status screens,


    Level 1360


    Strength ¨C 1274 | Constitution ¨C 1556.6 | Endurance ¨C 3059.2


    Dexterity ¨C 406.2 | Willpower ¨C 1892.6 | Intelligence ¨C 719.2


    Charisma ¨C 96.3 | Luck ¨C 239.8 | Perception ¨C 191.9


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>193,733/193,733</td>


    <td>66,107/min or 1102/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>86,800/86,800</td>


    <td>1012sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>12.98 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Oppression Damage- 15,000 + 80% hp/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 13,530% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The first notable difference was that my health and health regen shifted quite a bit. All the other stats increased at a steady rate except those two stats. I almost had 200K health now, and my health regen was insane. I went back over my perks and stats totals, sifting for an answer. I found it after a minute of searching.


    The level 1000 perks gave huge bonuses that scaled with every 1000 points I gained in an attribute. The reason for the steep increase in health and its regeneration was I passed 3000 total endurance. Since I amassed another 1000 in the attribute, my scaling in health and health regeneration increased. This resulted in a solid boost in stats.


    It was a nice boon for my stats, kind of like a surprise gift. With that gift in tow, I walked up beside Torix. We stood in front of the marble well, the blue liquid gone now that the mana was drained. Torix turned to me, ¡°Just channel the flow of your mana into the ritual. It should do the rest for you.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I nodded before reaching out both my hands, ¡°Any other tips?¡±


    Torix pointed at the runes, ¡°You may have to adjust the runic configuration using your own mana. I made the incantation as generalized as possible, but your mana is unique. Creating a ritual specifically for it proved difficult.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thanks. I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± I closed my eyes, sensing for my mana. It returned in a torrent, like a raging river of energy. I poured it into the well, the mana coursing like a vibrant cascade. The red mana infested the marble well, making a demonic red, the same color as my ascendant mana.


    Not long after, my mana poured out of the well. The infestation spread throughout the runes, replacing the blue with the crimson color. I tried pulling mana in, but it was damn hard. It was like trying to aim a fire hose at a fly.


    Even with my enhanced concentration, the ebb and flow of mana coursed out of the well. Starving tendrils of the red singed the runic inscriptions. They disrupted the flow of mana. From the scorch marks, a brighter red crawled outward. Within seconds, this bright red bathed the room in a red glow.


    Waves of energy spilled over the fountain. The ground quaked, the shifting red tendrils tearing into the rest of the runes. The chaotic energy split the incantation, riving it apart. The mana corrupted the complex inscription as it passed through it.


    Seeing the ensuing chaos, Torix shouted, ¡°Stop the ritual. You aren¡¯t ready. We¡¯ll adjust the ritual over the next few weeks. It won¡¯t be as difficult then.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°We don¡¯t have a few weeks. Yawm is about to wake up. We need to be ready for that. It¡¯s now or never.¡±


    His words doubled my resolve. If I wasn¡¯t ready now, I never would be. I was a higher level than Torix, and controlling my mana would continue to be a problem down the line. The problem would expand in size, because it would increase as my health increased. Getting a hold on it now would serve me well in the future.


    With this realization, I gritted my clenched my teeth. I glared at the well, commanding the mana to obey. The torrent of energy, like a thick entropy, begged for release. I wouldn¡¯t allow it. I crushed the energy, forcing it to stabilize. It rebelled against my own efforts, but my iron will oppressed it. Like the hands of a serial strangler, I choked the life out of the living mana.


    The red lines receded from the other runes and the singe marks healed. As they receded, the mana within the well filled to the brim. Pulling the mana back into the well would result in a weakened grimoire. It couldn¡¯t hold enough mana. I needed to do more than reign the mana in. I needed to wield it as my own and warp the ritual for my own needs.


    I balanced the chaotic force, allowing it to leak into the runes once more. This time, I bended the volatile forces within the ascendant mana. Like channeling mana through the runes of my armor, I channeled mana through the runes on the floor. Instead of destabilizing the ritual, I made the energy organize the runes in my own image.


    As the mana passed through the carvings, they changed. The clear, precise lettering turned coarse and violent. The crimson mana crept outward from the well, altering the entire ritual. It as a slow, calculated change this time. I wasn¡¯t letting the mana run wild anymore.


    Breakthrough achieved! Ascendant Manipulation(lvl 47)-->(lvl 62)


    The changed ritual reflected my own mana instead of Torix¡¯s more stable magic. His magic was a cold, analytical kind of power. Mine was a frenzy and fire. It was like an endless hunger, waiting to dig its teeth into anything it touched. I used that hunger, making it my own.


    Lightning arced from the changed runes, saturating the runes with the energy. As it spilled further and further out, the mana became harder and harder to control. The pace of its growth slowed until every inch further out was a desperate struggle. My hands shook as my armor shivered. More of my mana poured, surpassing my ability to generate it.


    Breakthrough achieved! Overcharge(lvl 4)-->(lvl 29)


    Blood poured out of my skin, the liquid evaporating into the electric energy. Once inside the well, it fed the growing demands of the ritual. Time passed slower as the growing toll on my body became evident.


    Strips of my armor peeled from my skin, melting into a black liquid that fed the ritual. My teeth loosened, turning soft as butter. The well at the center of the ritual poured the red mana over the side.


    The mana crawled over the surface of the ritual. It filled into the etched runes, turning them a dark red while the rock itself remained crimson. This second layer of the ritual demanded even more mana, begging for more of my flesh. I relented, giving the ritual what it needed. Torix floated over me now, laughing like a maniac,


    ¡°This really is quite the bloody spectacle. I¡¯ve never seen the creation of a grimoire become so interesting!¡±


    My skin melted. My bones softened, bending under my own weight. The arcane chains lining my flesh disintegrated along with my gums and cheeks. Blood leaked from my eyes, ears, and mouth. More time passed, and Torix cast a glowing green spell onto my back,


    ¡°This shall heal you, giving you a bit more mana to work with.¡±


    At that point, I neared death. The ritual consumed me, devouring my body like some hungry parasite. It gorged on my blood and feasted on my flesh. For the first time since maxing out my Pain Tolerance, a dull ache formed throughout my body. That pain grew as my health lowered below ten percent. The glowing green light of Torix¡¯s healing spell strengthened as he murmured,


    ¡°Hold it. Hold it. The ritual won¡¯t kill you. It¡¯s simply taking as much as you¡¯re willing to give it.¡±


    And I gave the ritual everything. Every piece of my mind, every corner and shard of concentration, it fed into the incantation. I maintained the ritual with all that I was. The second, deeper layer of the ritual covered the entire room. As it did, the room turned into a lake of blood. The pain turned into a throbbing. The throbbing turned into sharp, burning waves of agony. I hissed,


    ¡°How does it even hurt? I have maximum Pain Tolerance.¡±


    Torix struggled out his words, ¡°The ritual isn¡¯t working like normal...Aren¡¯t you excited?¡±


    As sweat poured down my face, I rolled my eyes, ¡°That¡¯s easy to say when you¡¯re not the one melting.¡±


    Torix let out a short, hoarse laugh before we dug deep into our roles. He healed me, giving extra mana and health while I focused on keeping the spell intact. Well, that and not dying. For more help, Torix supplied me many buffs. Torix grabbed healing and mana potions from his dark portal too. He even sacrificed several summons for extra mana and health.


    As Torix grasped for more health and mana for me, I grasped for more control of the ritual. The greater the crimson infestation spread through the runes, the greater the toll on my mind. My body suffered with it. My knees buckled. My back bent. Despite the sharp suffering, my head remained unbowed. I controlled the will of the ritual, fine tuning it with a will like steel.


    I got a hold of the ritual over time. It became easier and easier to make the ritual operate. Once I got a handle on maintaining the ritual¡¯s growth, I focused on restructuring it. Any inefficiency, any imperfection, I ironed it out. As I used the mana for honing the ritual, controlling it became easier. Aspects of it suited me more, turning the incantation into a better conduit for my mana.


    By the time the ritual stopped using all my health regen, I altered it completely. It couldn¡¯t be called Torix¡¯s ritual anymore. It was my own.


    Once the ritual was set in place, the runes soaked up the mana. They built mana in the ritual, dispersing it throughout the cavern. By the time the ritual reached its apex, thunder echoed off the walls from lightning arcing in the distance. The air blurred with the electric force of mana. A near unbreathable density saturated the cave, like the mana was becoming physical.


    Breakthrough achieved! Overcharge(lvl 29)-->(lvl 54)


    The voice in my head whispered throughout the mana. It begged for destruction. It begged to devour. Just like before, I silenced it. The mana reminded me of the ambient mana used by the Lord of Worms. The mana thickened until it choked a normal person. This mana was no different.


    Here I had thought the mana was a voice in my head. Instead it was the unrestrained voice of the mana I made, wanting destruction and ruin. With my superior control of mana, silencing it proved simple. With this volume of super charged mana, the task became far more difficult.


    At my breaking point, I fell onto one knee. As I did, the ritual finally ended. All the built up mana poured back into the well, filling it as a giant sphere of the mana coalesced. Like a miniature sun forming above me, the sphere of glowing mana condensed further. The sun reformed into the outline of a grimoire.


    A shockwave of energy forced Torix and me back as the blinding light faded. The leather bound book flopped into the well before I pushed myself off the ground. As I looked up, Torix stared down at me. His body pressed into the stone. He coughed,


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go grab the grimoire.¡±


    I laughed a little before pushing myself onto my feet. My mental endurance showed itself as a few seconds of reprieve was enough to function again. Using that inhuman persistence, I jogged up to the grimoire.


    The thick book was a maroon color, with a black lock bolting it shut. As I tapped the soft looking leather, it rung like metal at my touch. Underneath the leather, a layer of metal acted as reinforcement for it. The book¡¯s weight and durability came from that metal.


    At the center of the front cover, two circles were on it, each symbol intersecting. Within the intersecting circles, the book was pitch black. It was the kind of black that soaked in the light around it. Outside the black, the shining leather was pristine. Outside of those features, it looked like a normal book.


    As I observed it, my health returned to normal. Guessing how to use it, I poured a bit of my mana into the seal. The lock popped open, revealing the pale pages within the book. I ran my fingertips across the parchment. The paper was harder than my armor. A thin sheet of something covered the pages and weaved through the fibers of the paper.


    I grabbed a sheet of the paper and jerked at it. The paper didn¡¯t tear. Hell, it didn¡¯t even crumple. Torix pulled himself from the roof during my inspection. He floated towards me, leaning towards the book from my side. He cupped his chin,


    ¡°Curious. This is the most durable and one of the thickest grimoires I¡¯ve ever seen."


    I shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s good...It seems like a solid book...I mean, that¡¯s nice and all, but I don¡¯t think it was worth all that trouble.¡±


    Torix leaned away from the grimoire, ¡°That would be true if the grimoire didn¡¯t act as a conduit for magic. With it, you can avoid the trouble of setting up a ritual every time you need a complex incantation. You flip to the page you need, and the grimoire will guide your mana for you. That¡¯s if you have the incantation made, of course.¡±


    I turned the pages of the grimoire. Halfway through the booklet, the pages were black instead of the pristine white of the beginning pages. I pressed my hand into the page, but nothing happened. I tapped the page for a moment before scratching the paper. The black markings etched off, revealing a pristine white underneath an inch of the black paper.


    I couldn¡¯t tell how the paper was so thin, yet it let me carve so deep. I etched a simple magic rune before channeling some mana into the page. The runes I carved into the page glowed. The runes floated off the page before I pressed the back of my hand against the floating runes. They etched into my armor, an easy method of changing them. An evil grin crawled up my lips, ¡°This is exactly what I need.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°For what?¡±


    I turned to him with an evil grin, holding the grimoire in my hand.


    ¡°For carving the eldritch runes into my armor."

 86 The Final Piece

    Torix pursed his lips, ¡°How exactly does the book allow mastery of those runes?¡±


    I lowered my hand, the grimoire slapping against my side, ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of reasons. For starters, the eldritch runes are smaller and more intricate then the magic runes. Writing them on the page lets me create denser inscriptions.¡±


    Torix let out a hand towards me, so I let him inspect the grimoire as he said,


    ¡°That isn¡¯t enough to give you some breakthrough in the subject I fear.¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°That isn¡¯t the only thing this book lets me do. Writing on the book is less awkward than writing on myself. The booklet let¡¯s me save certain inscriptions too. If I need to alter the runes for burrowing, then I can make that happen on this booklet. I can specialize my runes.¡±


    I raised one hand, continuing, ¡°I¡¯ll be able to revise models and mass produce them. I can hook up the entire legion with new rifles empowered by enchantments.¡±


    Torix¡¯s eyes opened wide, ¡°You could mass produce other basic enchantments for rings and the like as well. With the extra Eltari, our fighting forces would no longer be struggling with quarantine. We¡¯ll be able to fight against the infected areas from different fronts.¡±


    I nodded, taking the grimoire as he finished inspecting it. I opened a page, carving out a simple rune. On the other page, I carved out another simple rune. I channeled mana into one page, and the rune floated upwards, glowing red. I did the same with the other page, and the runes floated beside each other. They became one incantation.


    I clapped the grimoire shut, ¡°See that? I can make inscriptions and fuse them. I could make a whole alphabet of different phrases then mix and match them for different effects. No matter what the situation was, I¡¯d be able to handle it.¡±


    Torix glanced at the ritual room he had created, ¡°You could replicate this entire structure within the confines of those few pages.¡± He leaned towards the thick tome in my hands, ¡°There are no limits here.¡±


    I nodded my head. I turned towards the outside of the room, ¡°I¡¯m going to go make the runes for the steel legion right now. Getting them a bit more oomph should be our priority. After that, the Eltari¡¯s armor will hopefully be finished. I¡¯ll make them a few enchantments as well.¡±


    Torix walked back and forth, gesturing with his hands, ¡°I¡¯ll organize the legion for setting up the process. You¡¯ll be able to go through the entire upgrade within a few days. Once that¡¯s over with, we¡¯ll do the same with the Eltari. With the added firepower, overwhelming the quarantine zone will turn into a reality.¡±


    He looked up to me, ¡°By the time Yawm awakens, he¡¯ll have no stronghold and no eldritch to save him. We¡¯ll crush him with our raw numbers. Hah, hah! As a necromancer, I relish in the idea of it. We¡¯ll smother him like a bird with broken wings, trapped on an anthill.¡±


    I nodded my head, ¡°Fuck, why stop there? I¡¯ll give enchantments to some of your summons. I¡¯ll become an enchantment factory all by myself.¡±


    He and I walked out of his lair, discussing the details of our new plans with excitement. The more we discussed it, the better the plan seemed, like a sudden godsend against Yawm. Up till then, we didn¡¯t have some concrete plan to take him down. We were running on faith. All of a sudden, we didn¡¯t have faith anymore. We had a plan.


    With that plan as our guide, we set out on doing it. Over the next week, Kessiah trained the new Eltari by teaching them simple combat skills. Torix organized the legion for my runic additions. Althea scouted the enemy, discovering where each of the four followers were and what they were doing. I carved out a dozen complex runic additions, mimicking the additions I made to Althea¡¯s rifle.


    After that, the runic enhancement started. A single soldier would walk up, and I would channel mana into my grimoire. Then I set up all twelve of the enhancements, placing them onto the appropriate gear. I made the armor stronger. I made the rifles fire farther and faster. I made the jetpacks on their backs reduce their effect on gravity.


    On their dog tags I gave them attribute enhancements in endurance and constitution. Each steel legion trooper carried a steel ring as a sign of their commitment to the legion. On those rings, I gave them enhancements for strength and intelligence. On the Kevlar beneath their armor, I gave healing enhancements and made their armor lighter.


    For three days, I worked night and day doing this. I needed no sleep. I needed no rest. I was a machine, creating the enchantments like clockwork. I handled a hundred an hour, pushing through the mental exhaustion with my iron clad will. Once I finished with the legion, the Eltari were next.


    They were given steel rings enchanted with speed and silence. They made less noise during flight, enhancing their abilities for guerilla warfare. Upon their newly made dog tags, I reduced their mana costs and gave them access to a few simple spells. It allowed them to learn either a dominion, augmentation, or origin spell, depending on their affinity.


    They progressed from untrained villagers into a fighting force within a week. Kessiah whipped them into shape, giving them a basic breakdown on fighting and tactics with Schema. She may lack my technical finesse with fist fighting, but she could teach the basics. Within two weeks of the Eltari arriving, we gained nearly two thousand extra troops while upgrading our own.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    My unique skill that helped with crafting, Thaumaturge, raised over sixty points during this time. As it raised, the effects of the enchanted gear increased as well. Knowing this would happen, Torix organized the enchantments in order of importance. The Eltari went last, getting my strongest enchantments. Basic foot soldiers guarding the quarantine zone went first. This wasted none of the needed stats.


    Over the next week after that, Torix and I organized strike teams for fighting against the infested areas. The Eltari gained levels at a rapid pace, turning from liabilities to assets. The legion gained levels as well, turning them from useless grunts into reasonable fighters.


    During this time, I gained the skill Tactics, raising it over forty levels. My skill Strategy raised as well, letting me organize the troops. I couldn¡¯t match Torix¡¯s prowess in either area, but I acted as an efficient commander who fought with the others on the ground. I helped protect weaker teams and assisted them in leveling faster.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we began punching holes in the quarantine zone. As the speed of our assaults ramped up, I no longer guarded the weaker squadrons. The average level in the legion raised from 213 up to 334. Combine that with the runic enhancements, and we turned the entire force from zero to hero.


    Once their operations fully functioned on their own with few casualties, I was finally free. I was going to clear rifts. It wouldn¡¯t be every other week either. With all the information Althea and the Eltari gained, organizing the missions simplified for Torix. He no longer relied only on piecing together patches of information from his minions. He had solid, reliable data from a damn near invisible spy.


    Avoiding the followers was an easy affair now. After I helped with all the logistics work, I looked forward to some old-fashioned violence. With a waning patience, time closed in on the date. When the day came, a cloudless, sunny sky showed a broad, blue sky. It was a day more at home during Summer. If it wasn¡¯t for a biting cold and leafless trees, I couldn¡¯t even tell the difference in seasons.


    The cold and the wind brushed against my armor as I walked towards Torix. He was going to brief me on what was to come for the day. Althea already spied near the rift along with the Eltari, giving us an idea of who was coming. All the followers were far and away from the rift. They only had a few named ones guarding it. This let me act with impunity.


    Enjoying the prospect of letting loose, a glowing grin traced my lips as I walked into Torix¡¯s lair. From the lair. Torix¡¯s beetles built an underground network of tunnels. They had spread them all throughout Springfield. Whenever Yawm finally came out, his minions would be caught in these tunnels. The legion would use them as trenches and cover. The framework for stopping him was coming together.


    The source of that framework was this unassuming, suburban building. I stepped inside Torix¡¯s lair, papers spread all throughout his room. Numbers, formulas, runes, the papers on the walls carried all that and more.


    Red rope connected different papers and images of the followers, detailing their weaknesses. Organized lists of their minions followed near them, along with their alliances. Torix left no stone unturned in his pursuit of killing them. The followers weren¡¯t quite as thorough.


    We were lucky in that regard. From Althea¡¯s spying, we discovered that most of Yawm¡¯s minions underestimated us. Earth being a backwater world was a viewpoint shared by more than just the FearFighters and the Enigmatta. As a result, the followers¡¯ response was too little and too late. The rapid cycling of our troops meant they couldn¡¯t keep up, though they didn¡¯t make much of an effort too.


    The source of that rapid cycling, Torix, hunched over a holographic desk. A detailed, blue, and three-dimensional map was shifting as it was fueled by information. As Torix¡¯s obelisk received data, the positions of the followers updated along with red lines tracking their trajectory. As they changed positions, Torix updated the mission feeds of troops. It meant the followers were running in circles instead of slaughtering them.


    Juggling all this, Torix fiddled with his status screen while glancing at the 3-D model. In this environment, his abilities shined. His charisma assisted with keeping morale high and ensuring the soldiers obeyed him. His intelligence and skills let him think up plans and execute them flawlessly. His willpower enabled him to continue this, and him being a lich meant he never needed food or rest.


    If anything, he looked even more excited than the first day he started. He glanced up to me with a grin,


    ¡°Ah, Daniel, right on time. Did you read the debriefing I sent you?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yup. I¡¯ve got about two hours to finish this rift up. After that, I¡¯ll need to update a few squadrons with some speed enchantments.¡±


    Torix glanced back the map, then at his status. He adjusted the message, sending it before turning to me, ¡°What is your Thaumaturge skill at now?¡±


    ¡°Seventy-four.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did you hit a breakthrough earlier?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Nope. It¡¯s just been a busy week.¡±


    Torix gripped his hand into a fist in front of him, ¡°It¡¯s been exciting. It¡¯s about to get even more exciting after we clear out the last two high danger rifts remaining. We¡¯ll be killing one of the followers, Elijah. Oh how I look forward to playing with his corpse.¡±


    I clanked my fists together, ¡°I look forward to making him into one.¡±


    Torix nodded, sending me a message. My interface updated with the route I would follow to reach the rift. Torix raised a finger towards the air, ¡°You¡¯ve got all that you need now except one thing.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What else is there?¡±


    ¡°You need one other person to come with you. This person hasn¡¯t been as busy as he should have been either.¡±


    I nodded, reaching out with Tactile Cognition. Beneath us, someone hid inside the floorboards. Only one person was dumb enough to do something like that, so I frowned. That frowned devolved into a grimace, ¡°Why do I have to take him along?¡±


    Torix squinted his eyes, ¡°Because I can¡¯t handle babysitting him anymore.¡±


    Hod¡¯s head burst out of the floorboards, ¡°Hod surprise Harbinger. Hod coming to help clear rift.¡±


    Hod raised his arms as I sighed. I dragged my hands across my face, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Torix rubbed his hands together, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m dead serious.¡± He cackled. ¡°Do enjoy the company.¡±


    I turned to Hod, grimacing as he pulled himself out of the floor. Once up, Hod struck a pose like a lame, outdated disco dancer,


    ¡°Hod sorry if Hod steal all lady friends during mission. Hod can''t help Hod''s self.¡±


    It was going to be a long rift.

 87 Escape

    Torix waved us away, ¡°Good luck disciple. I¡¯m sure Hod¡¯s presence will offer many advantages.¡±


    I groaned as we walked out of Torix¡¯s lair. After mentally cursing Torix, Hod and I walked out towards a nearby manhole. Before leaving, I opened my spacial ring and pulled out my grimoire. I pointed at Hod,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to update some of your gear. Mind giving me your steel ring and dog tag?¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod not bothered.¡± He handed me the ring and necklace, ¡°Hod hate not helping. Dry man not want help from Hod. Gray man not want help from Hod either. Hod grateful Harbinger let Hod help.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want your help, it¡¯s that they¡¯re scared you¡¯ll destroy the mission and them too. You¡¯re kind of like a toddler being given super powers. Powerful? Maybe. Useful? Eh, not really.¡±


    Hod¡¯s chest deflated as he leaned down, ¡°Harbinger hurt Hod feelings. Hod sad.¡±


    I shook my head, channeling mana into the grimoire, ¡°Tweak your perspective a bit.¡± I pointed at him, ¡°I did say you were powerful. That¡¯s much more than most soldiers. What you need is to just focus on learning to use that power effectively.¡±


    I turned back to my grimoire, ¡°I think of it as your fatal flaw or something like that. Overcome it, and you¡¯ll be helping more than just about anyone else.¡±


    Hod¡¯s chest puffed back out, his mood lightening, ¡°Hod think on what Harbinger say. Hod confused, but Hod sort it out.¡±


    From my grimoire, a complex, intricate enchantment floated from the grimoire. I placed the dog tag over the enchantment, the tiny font fitting around Hod¡¯s name on the dog tag. Lifting the steel ring, I placed a different enchantment onto the ring. I handed them back to Hod,


    ¡°These should help. All of them are enchanted with intelligence. I figured that¡¯s what you needed the most.¡±


    Hod took them from me, ¡°Hod thank Harbinger.¡± He put them on, the dull look on his face easing some. He raised a finger, ¡°Hod even smarter now.¡±


    I stood up, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a work in progress. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m not getting you much more than fifty points of intelligence anyways. Hell, I had to wait this long before I could put a dent in your intelligence anyway.¡± I waved a hand towards the manhole, ¡°It should help at least. Come on, let¡¯s go kick some ass.¡±


    I stomped the edge of the manhole cover, flipping it upwards. It turned like a coin toss before I punched it. My hand flew backwards as the manhole cover shot towards a car. It slammed into the metal, leaving the metal cover bended out of shape. I leapt down into the sewer before Hod followed. As I fell onto concrete floor, I pounded my feet into the pavement.


    Shooting down the tunnel, I relished in using Phaser. Having sat at a desk bored me to death, and babysitting legion members wasn¡¯t much better. Spawns of Yawm were nothing to me now. Watching the soldiers kill them bored me even more than killing them on my own. Absorbing them didn¡¯t even dent my armor evolution anymore either.


    Avoiding deaths helped bolster morale and motivate the troops though. It was a necessary task at the time. As I traveled through the sewer tunnels, there was no need for restraining myself anymore. I bounced off telekinetic augments, launching myself around curves. I warped gravity to enhance my speed. I dove through walls, gliding through the ground and concrete. It was liberating.


    Hod kept up with a struggle. In an environment like this, the Earth Glider skill helped with traveling much more than flight did. Despite Hod¡¯s better build for speed, I outpaced him as I maneuvered through walls and around curves. If anything, combing Phaser, Earth Gliding, and some other unique skill would be my next mythical skill. Mobility was useful and too fun to pass up.


    Soaking that feeling in, I reached near the rift in ten minutes. Hod caught up a few minutes after. Once we were there, Hod and I stood beside a ladder leading up the manhole. I raised both my hands at him,


    ¡°Hod. You must be quiet now. If you make too much noise, then we¡¯re fucked. Once we¡¯re inside the rift-¡°


    A message from Torix appeared on the upper left corner of my vision. I opened it.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(12:08 pm 11/27/00) ¨C One of the followers is going through the town and decimating the tunnels I created. He¡¯s heading your way. I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll go into any rift, so be quiet if you can.


    I turned to Hod, ¡°We have to go, now.¡±


    I reached out with Tactile Cognition. A map of what laid above visualized around me through hearing. I closed my eyes, focusing on that map. There wasn¡¯t enough information for me to see what was going on. Even with my gravitational sense, I needed more sight and the wind to get a good picture.


    I jumped up, flying up the slim tunnel leading outside. As I reached the manhole cover, I created a pad of telekinesis. The pad absorbed the impact from jumping, dispersing it as a blast of wind through the sewer. I lifted the top of the sewer pad, keeping a slow crawl before peeking outside.


    The ground rippled beneath us and around me, quaking the concrete. A wave of sound followed, destroying a portion of the sewer. A blast of heated air funneled down towards me before I glanced down. Silent as a shadow, Hod waited right beneath me. I pointed outside, and he nodded. Lifting the manhole cover, I came out of the sewer.


    It was a normal part of town for the most part. There was a gas station to my left, situated beside an intersection of highways. Further down that was a tunnel leading beneath a set of train tracks. A used car lot was to my right, away from the gas station. Weeds cropped up from between cracks in the road and concrete, showing the lack of maintenance here.


    The only unusual thing about it was the sea of blue fire behind the tunnel and train tracks. Hod grimaced, ¡°Evil burning beetles. Evil not know about Harbinger and Hod.¡±


    Heated air brushed against my cheek, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I dashed towards the rift on my mini map, keeping in the shadows and alleyways of buildings. Hod followed behind me. I lightened myself with a gravity warp, and I used telekinetic pads to disperse the impact of my footsteps. I was still much louder than Hod. It came with the build I had though.


    After four blocks of skulking around, we reached the rift. Laying within a cluster of bushes at the center of a park, creeping formations of stone rose into the air. It was like a leafless tree of stone. A bird flew over the one of the stone branches, and the nearest branch wrapped around it. Teeth of rock bit into the bird before it melted into the stone.


    Stone Eater(lvl 646) ¨C This species devours stones before using the minerals to coat their outer skin. Their teeth are made of the strongest minerals found, allowing them to chew through even metal with ease. Combine this innate durability with extremely effective camouflage, and the monster can kill sentients of a higher level if they are caught unaware.


    Once the victim has been killed, stone eaters will eat the prey through assimilation. They remove their rock shells and fuse their own flesh to their victims. If the prey isn¡¯t dead, it can become an unwilling parasite, living on the monster without being able to move away. Stone eaters have been found with many struggling creatures, creating abominations.


    With your armor being too hard to pierce and your flesh too dense to eat, stone eaters will struggle against you.


    Killing the thing wasn¡¯t the problem. Killing it without making a concert¡¯s worth of noise was the issue. Before I thought up a way of handling it, Hod turned towards his left. He sprinted into the gas station before a loud splat echoed from inside it. A crunching emitted from inside before the sound of popping bones and splitting skin took over.


    Hod ran out, blood and guts hanging from his beaked mouth and red covering his eyes. He looked at me like a predator assessing prey before turning back towards the stone eater. Dashing forward, he stayed light on his feet. A black fire left where his feet stepped. Once it burned away, the filthy concrete was a polished white where his feet had been.


    He reached the balls of stone tendrils. Three of them whipped towards him, but Hod swiped his darkened talons. Streaks of pitch black remained after the swipe. As the rock tentacles streamed towards him, they chopped against the black rocks. Weaving around his own weapon, Hod glided on his feet before slicing through more of the stone branches.


    Almost like a dancer, he dodged their attacks while making them run into his own shadow streaks. The black cut through the rock without any hassle, and the tree was missing half its branches in seconds. Hod raised a hand, his fingers molding together. A sword of shade coalesced from his fingers before he cleaved through the tree.


    I charged towards the monster, stabbing my arm through the stone skin. The tree drained of its essence before landing. Hod turned to me with a savage grin on his face,


    ¡°Good Harbinger.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Good Hod too.¡±


    As I sapped the tree, the opening of the rift appeared. A portal of stone led into a pitch-black descent. Hod leaped into the portal without any worry, more excited to kill than anything else. He reminded me of an eldritch of about level 1200, but trained for combat. That made him destructive as hell. He got that way over the past few weeks. Torix taught him control of his transformed state.


    While still rough around the edges, he wasn¡¯t some mindless monster anymore. He also avoided mana saturation, stopping himself from poisoning his body. The intelligence enchantments on his gear aided his form in that respect. After clearing out the next two rifts, his level would make him one hell of an ally too.


    Looking forward too it, I jumped into the rift. The black mana wrapped around me like normal, consuming my vision in black. The icy sensation bled into my armor before the metal soaked it in. A stream of warm air splashed against my face as I crashed against the ground. I looked around. Behind me, a tunnel of stone opened to the black chasm of the rift¡¯s opening.


    The other side of it was the new world. It was made of rock like I thought it would be. The sky was red with black, dirty clouds. Rivers of lava coursed across the landscape, bathing it in orange and red light. The black and red stone looked like volcanic rock and rust. Despite the harsh landscape, life was abundant. From the crimson sky to the ground, creatures moved.


    A few yellow mice walked up to trails of lava. Covered in spines like porcupines, they rolled up to the streams of magma before facing their bellies towards the heat. After a few moments of bathing in the heat, their stomachs glowed. Beside a string of three of these mice, a glowing horn pierced one of their bellies. The little mammal was pulled into the magma as the other mice scattered away.


    A few feet down, another group of mice bathed in the heat. Another glowing knife shot out towards a mouse. This mouse turned around in time, its spines deflecting the knife. At the end of the horn, several malformed mouths covered a crystalline carapace. These mouths snapped towards the mouse. The little hedgehog launched several of its spines into the creature¡¯s open mouths.


    Lava gushed out of the crystalline lava swimmer as it retreated into the magma. Far above these lava streams, jellyfish floated on the plumes of hot air. As sparks flew up, the jellyfish snatched up the sparks, eating them with tiny suckers. Hod stared at the jellyfish as I spoke,


    ¡°Can you talk like that?¡±


    Hod growled, ¡°Yes.¡±


    I gripped a fist, ¡°Alright, cool. Let¡¯s kill these monsters and get the fuck out of here.¡±


    Hod pointed at a rock, ¡°Hod eat?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°You mean monsters? Yeah, sure, go crazy. Just don¡¯t let that mana poison you again.¡±


    Hod placed his hands on his hips, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt myself again.¡±


    I blinked, surprised at how well he spoke in his new form. It didn¡¯t handicap him any. If anything, he acted smarter, like a different person. Eldritch energy had that effect on people I suppose. He sprinted towards a rock that split open, revealing tentacles covered in teeth and rock. It was like a ball of death. Before Hod reached it, I stomped my foot into the ground.


    I propelled forward, the ground shattering beneath me before I reached the rock first. So far I¡¯d used Volatile Carnage against weaker foes. I¡¯d yet to use it against an enemy worth killing besides the sandworm. It was so large I could hardly tell the damage I was dealing. Eager to test it out on something closer to my level, I reached the monster first.


    With another stomp, I turned my charge into momentum for my punch. I channeled that energy up through my core before slamming my right fist into a telekinetic pad lying on the monster¡¯s stony skin. My fist blew backwards, transferring the force into a telekinetic cannonball.


    That telekinetic bullet exploded into the monster, blowing the upper half of it away. Using the blowback on my right fist, I turned on my heels before driving a left hook into what was left of the monster. It vaporized, leaving only a little portion of the corpse left.


    Satisfied at the effect of my mythical skills, I pierced my arm into the little bit of creature remaining. It sapped away before I glanced at the stream of white light beaming from the bottom of a mountain. A labyrinth of stones surrounded the pillar of white, siphoning into the sky. The limits of the rift were set, unlike with Hod¡¯s world.


    Those limits set themselves by the tendrils of white light curving around the rift¡¯s edge. Clouds once more floated in and out of the rift¡¯s edge. I still didn¡¯t know how the rifts worked, at least not exactly. Sure I understood how they worked in a practical sense. Run in, take core, dungeon gets destroyed. Simple. How it transferred the world? What it was transferring? I had no idea how to answer any of those questions.


    A wave of heat diffused from the tunnels behind us. A wave of light, bright as the sun passed over us. With it came a wave of heat like a solar flare. Hod sliced the air, blocking with a shadow shield. I covered my slit and ears, protecting my senses. After the wave passed, I analyzed my health. Nearly a tenth was gone, which was less damage than I expected.


    Beside me, sand melted into black glass. Closer towards the rift¡¯s opening, the ground melted into magma. Hod growled,


    ¡°The evil found us. Harbinger and Hod run. Now.¡±

 88 Hide and Seek

    Hope you guys enjoy the chapter as always.


    Before sprinting away, I checked around me. Whatever it was that was chasing us, it was powerful. If anything, it was a follower. They found us because we left something behind. Whenever Hod ran up to slice apart the stone eater, he left polished footsteps behind him. That must have given the follower the evidence they needed for coming in.


    Out speeding one of them wasn¡¯t very likely either. To get away, we would need some kind of distraction, and we needed to cover our tracks. With that in mind, I turned towards Hod,


    ¡°Hod, fly away instead of running. That black fire is leaving tracks behind us. We¡¯ll meet up near the dungeon core in three hours.¡±


    Hod glanced towards the ground, heaving a breath. He hit himself on the forehead, shaking his head in disgust,


    ¡°Hod apologize. Hod not mean to lead them to us.¡±


    ¡°Shit happens. It¡¯s fixing it that matters right now.¡± I pointed at a group of the ruins near the white beam of energy firing into the red sky, ¡°We¡¯ll meet there. Good bye.¡±


    He opened his muscled arms, feathers of black reaching outward. He stomped onto the ground, propelling himself upwards before he shot off into the distance. The sound of rumbling ebbed through the stone tunnel that held the rift¡¯s entrance. Lava covered the entrance, muffling the sound of a follower landing.


    Before they got out of there, I turned and sprinted away. As I did, my feet cracked into the stone. I left footprints as obvious as a trail of slime behind me. My mind raced for solutions. If the follower was faster than me, I was dead if this continued. Veering off into a cluster of rocks, I stomped my feet until I reached a tunnel leading beneath the rocky ground.


    Instead of going into it, I jumped up before walking on the air. It was the same tactic I used for crossing the sandworm¡¯s desert. A problem presented itself. I was slow as a snail. It was like I was running over trampolines, bouncing from one step to the next. It would get me somewhere eventually, but it wouldn¡¯t get me there quickly.


    Sweat poured down my forehead as an enormous explosion echoed behind me. I wasn¡¯t far enough to be out of sight yet. I turned, glancing at the tunnel. A massive plume of dust and blue fire covered the entire entrance. There was no way the follower could see my yet. I still had a chance.


    Beneath me was a stream of lava. The thought of bathing in liquid rock never appealed to me before, but all of a sudden it didn¡¯t seem like such a bad idea. I bounced on the air, diving straight into the lava. A hellish heat surrounded me from all directions. The problem wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t sustain the damage. It was that my blood was evaporating inside me.


    As the blood expanded, it bent my armor and exploded out the sides. As it did, the crystalline faced monsters shot into my insides. Using the Earth Glider skill, I shot through the earth before entering rock again. The friction of the stone rubbed the rock off me. I impaled my armor through my own body, killing the crystalline parasites.


    Despite all this, not even a tenth of my health was gone. It refilled again after I cleared out my guts. I molded my armor to get the crystal magma fish away, another explosion quaked the ground. Using Tactile Cognition, I learned that the follower already blew up the decoy I used before.


    This told me two things. The follower¡¯s destructive potential matched Kessiah if not exceeded hers. Second, this follower was fast and angry. They didn¡¯t waste time like Elijah or Ajax. If so, that meant it was Etna.


    I guessed because Torix gave us all a rundown on the four followers and their traits. Etna was a fire based mage that used burst damage and massive explosions for her damage output. She was the second strongest follower, right behind Ajax. Being over level 4000, fighting her would have meant death.


    So the dive into the magma had been the smart decision, oddly enough. It left no visible tunnel into the ground behind, and I was able to dig deep enough to mask the sound of my burrowing. Seeing as she was a heat mage, Etna could probably see us using thermal senses. With the ground and a stream of magma above me, Etna sensing me was impossible.


    On the other hand, Hod was a different story altogether. The ground rumbled above me. A kinetic explosion radiated from behind me. The wave of force rattled my bones and armor before another bombed where I was. Another came my way, but I kicked upwards with all my might. It was the same kinetic dampener tactic I used against the sandworm.


    The damage lessened before the rock beneath me turned hot. With Tactile Cognition, I gained a sense of my surroundings. Beneath me was a lake of magma. I could dig no deeper. With no way to go but to run. I slid through the ground with all my might.


    More explosions rattled above me. Each time they passed through me, the surrounding rock rippled like an earthquake. The sheer might of the explosions amazed me. I had no idea how she found me, but I kept racing away. Blood poured places it shouldn¡¯t as the ripple of crushing energy lessened.


    As I burrowed further away, the explosions dampened. They no longer cracked my teeth and fractured my bones. As I traveled further, I distanced myself from the source of the explosions. This gave me time to think. Etna didn¡¯t know where I was. She was just launching explosions near the tunnel from earlier.


    The fact I was so far away yet she still did some damage to me was amazing. I mean I was a tank through and through. I had health you could expect from a level 3000 fighter for fucks sake. I suppose my health never dipped below the halfway point during her assault though. This follower likely lacked the durability that several of the other followers too.


    Hod and I may be able to get out of here by taking full advantage of that. Meeting up with him was a must though. Doing anything against her while alone was a death sentence. With that in mind, I surveyed my surroundings.


    As I escaped from Etna, I ended up going the opposite direction of the dungeon¡¯s center. I turned myself around, making sure I kept a reasonable distance from me and the follower. As I traveled through the dirt and stone, progress was slow. With nothing to see or hear, I grew bored after only a few minutes.


    Earth Glider worked better through the sand then it did through this hardened rock. Sprinting above would be my best bet for escaping this place in a reasonable time. The longer we stayed here, the more likely this follower would call for support anyways. What if a guardian blocked the exit for us when we came back? I didn¡¯t want to ever know that answer.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    So time was of the essence. I shot myself out of the ground, landing on telekinetic pads that moved the wind. Off in the distance was the stream of white energy from the dungeon core. Another glowing pool of orange was near that. It was a massive, fresh lake of lava. Etna made it with all her tectonic fire blasts.


    I didn¡¯t even know what she looked like. After seeing what she left in her wake, she probably looked like some horrific monster. A tiny blip of orange floated over the glowing pool of orange. It must be Etna. From above, keeping an eye on us wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Her position gave me a damn hard choice to make.


    I could burrow through the rock with Earth Glider. This stopped Etna from seeing me, but it made me slower. If she called for another follower while I was going at half speed, Hod and I were fucked. The other option was running at full sprint. The chance of her seeing me was far greater.


    The catch was that even if she called for backup, they may not make it in time to guard the entrance. The choice tumbled in my head for a bit before I made my decision. I would do both. I sprinted at full speed, keeping a gravity vortex above my head. This lightened my footsteps and let me run faster.


    Whenever I reached an opening, I dove into the ground and burrowed past it. Once I reached another cove or giant rock to block me from her sight, I shot out of the ground. This stopped me from giving away where I was, but made me faster as well. In order to curb a minutes off my travel time, I incorporated a few tricks as I ran.


    I created gravity wells that would slingshot me around curves. As I stepped, I gave myself firmer footing by dispersing my steps with telekinesis. I jumped in and out of the ground with Earth Glider, moving through the transitions with ease. I quit being so stingy with my mana too. If I needed a strong pull of gravity, there wasn¡¯t a reason not to use mana to make it happen.


    That proved true for telekinesis as well. With such a massive mana pool, I flared my ascendant mana while within the ground. If the cover was big enough, I surged the mana above ground too. With the enhanced strength, my options for telekinesis widened.


    I grabbed far off ledges with telekinetic tethers, letting me pull myself over obstacles. I would stomp against walls many feet away, letting me reach over gaps. I jerked myself with both my arms and legs, extending myself with telekinesis. This quieted my running since I wasn¡¯t on the ground as much.


    If somehow gravity and telekinesis weren¡¯t enough, I molded my armor to fill in the gaps. With all these factors coming together, I floated over the terrain, gaining speed as I went. As I gained more speed, I molded my armor into a more aerodynamic form.


    The technical difficulty involved weighed on me though. Balancing all these techniques and skills strained me to my limit. Veins pulsed on my forehead and sweat poured from me. As I ramped up my consumption of mana, my runes arced lightning from me. As the energy pulsed, the coursing energy dispersed.


    Sure, that sounds cool and all, but it means energy was being wasted. The runes couldn¡¯t keep up with my mana production anymore. As it overflowed, the energy dispersed in its raw form. Even with a nigh perfect runic combination, the flood of mana overwhelmed them. It was like a damn letting flood water pour over it.


    Wasting that energy irked me. It was like some sudden, arbitrary limit was being placed onto my mana. I suppose the runes did seem a bit stressed before I even killed the sandworm. Combine that with a much greater flow of mana, and the runes couldn¡¯t keep up. Wasting that energy sucked though.


    Instead of letting it disperse, I redirected it into my armor runes. I overcharged them, condensing the dispersing mana. I forced the red electricity back into the runes. The energy spilled over. Overcharging resulted in spikes of speed that were impossible to control. That wouldn¡¯t work. As I traveled further, Etna fired off towards the dungeon core.


    My mind raced with a singular thought - shit. The implications flowed through my head. All of sudden, I understood what she was trying to do. If she took the dungeon core, then the dungeon would reform. The overseer would come, reform the dungeon, then a sentinel would stand guard. If she went outside the portal, then Hod and I would be stuck here until another rift form.


    That¡¯s if one did. Her blistering speed outpaced mine, like a missile beaming through the air. It was like a clock ticking. Time was of the essence now. Being subtle would get me trapped in this hellhole for who knows how long. I needed speed and I needed it now.


    With those facts pounding against my skull, I brainstormed for some solution. Almost a third of my mana was just dissipating. Solving that would strengthen me a bit. Without the follower of Yawm surveying her surroundings making noise wasn¡¯t a problem anymore either.


    I got a crazy idea then. I would overcharge my man and release it in timed bursts. During each of those bursts, I would send myself flying at a high speed. It would be like lobbing myself over and over.


    With that in mind, I channeled the excess mana into my runes. It was like ice skating for the first time, any shift in balance causing me to bust my ass. After a minute of working with it, I overcharged the runes till they hissed with the unstable energy. Whenever I dispersed it, I slammed my feet into the ground.


    The rush of acceleration pulled on my skin. My stomach sank as the rocks beneath me grew smaller. Up high I soared, like a stone shot through a cannon. If it wasn¡¯t for my Aerial Strike skill, I¡¯d have fumbled through the air like a total dumbass. Instead I shot through the air with a serene grace.


    Now the landing was a different story. I smashed into the ground like a meteorite. I pierced into the ground for a few feet. The kinetic force dispersed after that, ripping the earth around me apart. Pushing myself form the compacted earth around me, I looked around. I created a crater the size of bus with my landing.


    I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on this new method of transport, if you could call it that. I overcharged my runes again as I picked up speed again. This time I unleashed the force onto a telekinetic pad beneath my feet. Just imagine giant, telekinetic snowshoes. That¡¯s what my telekinesis was doing.


    The rock wasn¡¯t hard enough to absorb the impact of my feet as I jumped. I widened that zone of impact with a telekinetic augment. It was exactly what snowshoes do to snow when you wear them.


    With more grip beneath me, I shot through the air with wild abandon. My armor held, staying firm despite the ridiculous demands I placed on my armor. After crash landing again, I set back into another run. Whenever I jumped this time, I molded my amor into a more aerodynamic shape. I was like a metal bird cutting through the air.


    Whenever I landed this time, I widened the impact with yet another telekinetic pad. A fracture formed up my shin, like kicking a coffee table as hard as you kick a soccer ball. My pain tolerance stopped me from crying as I didn¡¯t fall. My muscles cramped and my bones bent, but I didn¡¯t fall.


    I kept running forward before overcharging and leaping once more. The process turned fluid after a few more leaps. With each deafening boom of my leaps and landings, I gained skill and understanding. Instead of overcharging my runes completely, I restricted the flow a bit. This allowed me to leap more.


    As I flew through the air, I charged my runes instead of being overwhelmed by flight. This meant that when I landed, I could leap once more. As I leapt again and again, I felt like the hulk, jumping from one place to the next.


    Unique Skill Gained! Fuses the skills Overcharge, Aerial Strike, Ascendancy Mana Manipulation, Discharge, and Soul Siphon into the unique skill Meteoric Rise! 500 points possible, 227 points earned. Half of unearned points rewarded, 137.


    Meteoric Rise(lvl 1) - By utilizing explosive bursts of your mana, you gain the ability to jump extreme distances. Allows fluid use of vast leaps to cover distance.


    The skills linked into place, turning into a solid, reliable method of movement. By the time I unlocked the skill, Etna reached the dungeon core. The follower was nothing but a tiny blot of orange over the stream of white energy. That orange shined until it was a like star right beside the ground.


    A moment later, an immense plume of fire erupted from the ground. The pulse of energy forced clouds away, like the impact of a tiny nuclear bomb. An invisible wave shot passed the entire dome, a blast of wind following in its wake. After the wave passed and the fire dispersed, a black bird flapped its wings near Etna. Fire covered the black bird as streaks of shadow flowed behind it.


    It was Hod.

 89 An Unexpected Trap

    My stomach sank as a wave of nausea poured over me. Hod was a good friend. He annoyed me at times...well, all the time really, but he was funny sometimes too. This fucking piece of shit Etna was trying to kill him. I wouldn¡¯t allow it, more out of principle and spite than kindness though.


    That meant I had to reach Hod before she finished the job. With my new movement skill, Meteoric Rise, I closed the gap much faster than before. I still wasn¡¯t fast enough to save Hod though. Every time I landed, I lost almost all my momentum from the jump prior. To keep pace, I exploded off my feet again.


    That meant I slowed down each time I landed before speeding myself back up. It was like revving a car engine from 0-60 miles per hour over and over again. I wasn¡¯t getting the amount of speed I could be getting.


    As the glowing blot of orange moved in closer towards the burning bird, desperation sunk in. There wasn¡¯t any options here. Hod needed me to save his ass. As I came closer to the ground, I changed my pattern of flight.


    Up till now I landed on my heels before bursting back into the air again. Taking a risk, I dived towards the earth headfirst. Worse still, I used a gravity vortex to speed my descent. The ground grew in my vision, tiny specks turning into massive boulders. At my peak velocity, my head smashed into the ground.


    Except it wasn¡¯t a smash, I slid into the ground. Faster than I¡¯ve ever ran, I sliced through the rock. Angling myself back, I shot up to the surface. Right before I shot out of the stone, I discharged my mana. Like bombs detonating beneath my feet, I accelerated back into the air, even faster than before.


    It was like I was traveling through an ocean of stone like a dolphin made of metal. With each leap, I gained in speed. Over the next five leaps, I bounded through the air faster than a car could travel. The ground passed by me before I neared the pillar of white energy.


    Etna was holding Hod up by the neck. As I assumed, Etna was a woman. What I hadn''t expected was how stunning she was. Voluptuous and glowing orange with fire for hair, she glanced at me. Her thick lips smiled, suggestive and wild. She dropped Hod, letting him fall down. Where she touched him, his skin was peeled back.


    I jumped up, reaching within shouting distance of her. With a passionate voice, she amplified her voice with mana, ¡°You are the other toy trapped here?¡±


    I stayed silent as I landed into a plateau of rock. I intended on using them to my advantage. You see, Etna floated over several rocky planes with giant canyons crawling out between the plateaus. Using them for cover meant the walls of rock made me hard to pin down, and they might dampen her detonations a bit.


    Above me, a massive core of heat swelled. Underneath the ground, I discharged my mana. Ripping through the stone, I propelled myself like a landshark. I shot out of one of the plateaus before reaching the falling Hod.


    The plateau I left behind disintegrated. A gigantic pool of magma was left behind. Even with all my resistance, I doubted my ability to survive that. What mattered right now was that Hod was alive though.


    I slammed into the plateau, dispersing my impact with a widened telekinetic field. A wave of wind blasted Hod, reducing the speed of his fall before I created a gravity well above him. I steadied it, keeping it beside him as he fell. This slowed his descent before I caught him in my arms.


    Blood leaked from his mouth and eyes. Hod heaved for breath before I glanced up. Etna grinned with glee at us, clapping her hands,


    ¡°Hah, you survived! It¡¯s been a long time since someone has.¡±


    I stretched oppression out towards her, condensing it into an elongated tentacle. I hated her. I wanted her to choke on her own blood. This was a game to her, something she did for fun. Etna raised her hands, the mana welling into her slender hands,


    ¡°It was fun. Goodbye.¡±


    Oppression coated her in agony. She howled raising her arms and firing the destructive bolt of energy upwards. Like an apocalypse laser cannon, a behemothic inferno ejected from her hands. The titanic wave of heat shot through the sky, leaving ozone and lightning bursts in its wake.


    Before she stabilized, I shot off the plateau towards the dungeon core at the center of all the rock plains. As I did, Oppression no longer coated Etna. With the grin tore right off her face, she grit her teeth and screamed like a banshee,


    ¡°No one hurts me but Yawm. Do you hear me?¡±


    She kicked her feet and slammed her palms down, streams of fire sending her forward,


    ¡°No one but him!¡±


    I slammed into the ornate pillar that held the dungeon core. I glanced at Etna, and she went right towards me, blindingly bright. I crawled up at the last moment before she collided with the pillar. Slicing straight through it, she left a tunnel of magma behind her. I crawled towards the core, dead set on taking it as she whipped back around towards me.


    The air whistled as she gained speed. I glanced at her as she kicked on her feet once more. An explosion radiated along with a shockwave behind her. I threw up Hod, and planted my feet into the stone pillar behind me. Standing sideways, I timed my hook as I twisted on my heels.


    At the end of my strike, I slammed it into a telekinetic pad. The bounce back moved me just out of Etna¡¯s way as I struck her. Sending her sideways, she crashed into a giant wall of rock the pillar. I made a gravitational vortex beneath me as I ran up the pillar sideways, my feet keeping traction with spikes.


    Hod fell against me as I sprinted up the pillar. Once I reached the top, I peered down at her. A giant blob of lava covered the side of a mountain.The lava splattered in every direction as she detonated the entire side of the plateau. Etna enhanced her scream, amplifying her voice to a ridiculous extent,


    ¡°Just stand still and let me kill you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t give her the time of day as I reached the core. I reached my hand into the stream of white, pulsing energy. The cool, icy sensation was a welcome relief from all the heat. Interrupting my reprieve, Etna charged another fiery blaze in her palms. Before I could reach the core, she unleashed destruction.


    I was one hundred percent certain that I was dead. Her massive beams of destruction had decimated mountain sides. I couldn¡¯t tank them, at least based on what I knew about my tankiness. Even if I somehow survived, Hod was dead well before the bolt of doom landed on us.


    Before it struck, something odd occurred. Instead of obliterating us into a fine mist, the gigantic energy cannon split in two. The white beam of energy radiated by the core was stronger and denser than her own energy beams. That meant her fire cannon divided into two streams of calamity.


    After the cannon dissipated, Etna lowered her hands. Several strands of her fire hair fell over her face as she heaved for breath. The vibrant grin warped into a furious grimace as she saw Hod and I still alive. I laughed at her displeasure as I ripped the core out of the stream of white.


    The stream withered and waned before disappearing. The squares of blue appeared off in the distance, altering the fabric of the dimension. Etna¡¯s nose and brow scrunched up as she screamed like a baby. She dashed towards me again, fast as sound.I could dodge, but if Etna passed me, Hod would be erased. I couldn¡¯t let it happen. No, I wouldn¡¯t let it happen.


    I torqued on my heels and generated as much force as I could. Using a gravity vortex beneath my feet, I weighed myself down and pulled the ground up. I braced my left arm with several struts of molded armor. I held my breath, gritting my teeth as I readed for the impact. Etna just smiled, expecting my disintegration.


    I and my armor grinned back as I unveiled my last surprise. During the wait, I overcharged my armor. My runes saturated with the chaotic mana, waiting to release a nasty surprise. As she reached me, my fist reached her. They collided in a monumental explosion, the overcharged mana releasing right on time.


    Like a tank bullet firing through my fist at point blank range, my bones trembled. My skin rippled, the metal armor cracking. Blood splat from inside my mouth as the kinetic force turned my insides to mush. My shoulder socket crunched and popped and snapped. My spine cracked. My teeth split. Blood vessels ruptured all throughout my body.


    And yet, I stood. I stayed standing after the impact, my arm still attached albeit butchered from the inside. I slid back less than a foot from Hod, blood leaking from the wounds on his neck. Etna had fallen. She tumbled against through the air, scraping the pillar once before smashing into the ground.


    A satisfying thud echoed on the ground before a ripple in space time formed beside me. The overseer walked out, glancing around. He opened his status screen, the vast plain condensing into a dungeon as the blue squares rippled past.


    He turned towards me and Hod, ¡°Worse for wear this time?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    I heaved a breath, blood leaking from my mouth, ¡°I can¡¯t handle your shit right now. Just let me out of here.¡±


    The overseer laughed a little before a sentinel stepped out of a nearby, violet portal. As the overseer left, I pointed at the edge of the pillar, ¡°One of Yawm¡¯s four followers is right there. If you want, you can kill her.¡±


    The overseer shook his head, ¡°Schema has dictated no direct interference for fear of corruption or death of a sentinel and overseer. I¡¯m sorry Harbinger, but I must follow those rules.¡± He tapped the side of his head, ¡°Otherwise I will be terminated.¡±


    I frowned, a bitter taste in my mouth. It didn¡¯t make sense why someone so powerful couldn¡¯t just handle the problem right now. The overseer continued as he messed with his status screen,


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret. She will be trapped here until another rift keeper is created. That could take quite a while, years even. She should have called for help instead of trying to kill you both off here. Now she will be trapped here for a very, very long time.¡±


    The overseer walked through his portal towards a different world,


    ¡°Use this as an opportunity to strike at the other followers before Yawm awakens.¡±


    I sighed, molding my armor to fix my joints and bones back into place. My health regenerated at a rapid pace as the sentinel opened a portal towards the opening of the rift. A part of me wanted to go and see what kind of damage I did to Etna. If I could kill her, then I would get a massive boost in experience and levels.


    The problem was Hod and the other followers. It was difficult to tell if they were coming. There wasn¡¯t even a time delay in this dungeon for some reason. Either that or it was too low to even mention. If I hadn¡¯t really hurt Etna and just stunned her, then jumping down was certain death. If I didn¡¯t get Hod some help, he was dead too.


    In the end, being greedy for levels was just too risky. I jumped through towards the opening of the rift. The cool breeze splashed against my face like a surge of pleasure. The constant, groggy heat drained me more than I realized. It wasn¡¯t until I stepped back onto Earth that I appreciated the winter.


    I didn¡¯t relish the cool for too long. Hod needed help, so I dashed towards a sewer. My new form of travel, Meteoric Rise, would probably turn Hod to mush as well, so that was out. A good old fashioned run was the only practical way of helping him. As I dashed through the sewers, hod¡¯s pumped up form deteriorated.


    Without the shadow covering him, the full extent of his wounds revealed themselves. They weren¡¯t pretty. Burns dug down to the bone in some places, with plenty of muscle and pus showing over a large portion of his body. Feathers singed on his sides. He was missing at least a quarter of his skin, if not half of it.


    Blood leaked from all his wounds, the damage over time exceeding his ability to regenerate. My own regeneration almost always made those effects irrelevant. For other, less resilient builds, the effects were devastating. Hod¡¯s ragged wheezing proved that more than enough as I shot down the sewer tunnels.


    Once I reached the steel legion, I jumped out of the sewer by headbutting the manhole cover. The plate of metal flopped into the air, before I dashed towards the medical center. Torix could be off doing something random. The medical center was far more reliable. With that in mind, I reached the west side of the camp.


    Inside a pharmacy, the steel legion set up a tiny hospital. Running past several of the medical cots, I ran up to one of the steel legion¡¯s doctors. He wore power armor painted white with red crosses on them. I remember enchanting their armor with intelligence and healing amplification runes. Those inscriptions crawled down the arms and chest, around the medical signals.


    As I placed Hod on one of the cots, the doctor raised a hand, ¡°Wait a second. Get two cots. He¡¯ll break through one.¡±


    I reached out an arm, pulling a cot towards me as I held Hod in one arm. Tall as he was, he was thin as a rod. Being too heavy for a single cot surprised me. He felt so light as I set him down. Moments later, the doctor pulled out a syringe full of black liquid. The doctor shot it into Hod¡¯s neck.


    The black energy crawled down his neck, turning Hod¡¯s wheezing into strained breaths. Seeing my concern, the doctor pulled out a clear tube from beneath the cot as he said,


    ¡°We¡¯ve tried adrenaline into the Eltari when they¡¯re like this. Doesn¡¯t work. We can process the insects that Yawm uses and just inject it straight into their bloodstreams. We don¡¯t know the long term side effects, but-¡±


    He squeezed a clear gel full of red bubbles onto the wounds that bonded to him. The doctor looked up at me, ¡°Those side effects would be hard pressed to beat out dying.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Yeah. Dying¡¯s a pretty nasty alternative. Having all the Eltari turn into zombies would be worse.¡±


    The gel stopped the bleeding. As the red bubbles touched his skin, they dispersed into his muscles. Wherever they dispersed, the pale muscle would turn from pink to red. The doctor finished putting the gel onto the Eltari before pulling out a few bandages. These weren¡¯t cloth bandages though. They were like transparent food wrap.


    The doctor wrapped the plastic stuff over the gel, locking it against the skin. He only did this to places without any skin. Once he finished that, he stepped away from the bed. Grabbing a saline packet, he hooked up a needle towards Hod¡¯s arm. Once the saline was set, the doctor paced back behind the pharmacy counter and pulled out a blue vial.


    He attached it to the saline packet, coloring it blue. Once he finished, he sat back into a chair, his sigh muffled through his intercom. He gave me a short salute,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be able to tell my kids one day that I saved a friend of the Harbinger. What a day.¡±


    I turned around, no one else in the medbay. Surprised at how empty it was, I glanced back at the doctor, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m wondering...why isn¡¯t anyone here?¡±


    The doctor looked around, ¡°Oh yeah, I guess that is weird isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s crazy how crazy stuff can be, but then I won¡¯t even notice until someone points it out. Makes me feel out of place.¡±


    I tapped the edge of the cot, ¡°What¡¯s that crazy stuff?¡±


    The doctor hit the side of his helmet, ¡°Oh wow, sorry about that. I just never thought that I¡¯d be seeing the Harbinger in person. Still kind of nervous. Anywho, Torix sent all the other doctors out with the active teams. Some of the followers have been coming really close to camp. They¡¯ve almost found us a few times.¡±


    The gel on Hod¡¯s wounds turned into muscle, veins, and whatever else he needed. I looked at Hod as the chatty doctor continued,


    ¡°So the big man himself divided us up. The vast majority of the entire camp is attacking the quarantine or setting up checkpoints. We¡¯re going out on a full assault.¡±


    Hod¡¯s breathing stabilized. I wondered if I could use some cybernetic enhancements in the future. It might be another way of giving myself a boost. Making a mental note of it, I turned to the doctor,


    ¡°How are you being supplied?¡±


    The doctor tapped the edge of his helmet, the glass plate over his eyes popping up. Parts of the helmet folded back, uncovering an old, smiling face, ¡°By eldritch that the necromancer controls. You¡¯ve seen the beetle colony I¡¯m guessing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He leaned towards me, keeping both his hands up,


    ¡°They haven¡¯t only been making tunnels. Torix has been having the beetles expand into several places outside. They¡¯ve been clearing out forests and farms, gathering the legion some supplies. Now they¡¯re carting those supplies for us as we move forward. No one¡¯s going hungry. We¡¯re well fed and well rested.¡±


    The doctor shook his head, ¡°All this time I thought he was sitting around while we did all the work.¡±


    The doctor leaned back into his chair, a cheeky grin on his face, ¡°Boy was I wrong.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°So was I. Thanks for letting me know all this. It¡¯s good to get an idea of how the troops see the situation.¡±


    The doctor stood, reaching out a hand, ¡°It¡¯s good to see the Harbinger has a soul and can even bring people to a doctor.¡±


    I grabbed his hand, giving it a firm shake as I stood. The doctor met my eye, ¡°All we need from you is to kill whoever Yawm is. We¡¯ll handle the mess you leave behind. It¡¯s what we do.¡±


    I nodded back, ¡°That¡¯s all I need.¡±


    I walked out of the hospital, leaving Hod in his care. I didn¡¯t really know how long Hod was going to be out, so I sent a message to Torix. It explained what had happened and how the follower was trapped in the rift. I even included a little bit of my own thoughts at the end about what I thought we should do.


    Considering how many troops Torix was juggling, doing a bit of thinking for him was a favor. As I waited for a reply on what to do next, I ran towards the outer edge of the forest. My plan was to work on developing my next mythical skill. This one wouldn¡¯t be as technical as Volatile Carnage either.


    As I reached an open field in the forest, a message appeared in my inbox,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(9:17 A.M. 11/28/00) ¨C While I doubt Etna will remain within that rift forever, disabling her for any length of time is a great boon for us. Of all the followers, she was creating the greatest disruption in our current campaign.


    For now, let Hod rest up until he¡¯s back on his feet. Three days should give him the appropriate recoup, both on a mental and physical level. Once Hod¡¯s fine again, find and destroy the last high danger rift. That will be the last dungeon that¡¯s about to burst out. With those out of the way, we can focus on culling Yawm¡¯s forces.


    You exceeded my expectations as well. Capturing Etna in the rift saved hundreds of the legion. If we are fortunate, she might even go insane on that desolate world. Either that, or maybe even starve.


    We can only pray for such good fortune.


    I closed the message, sighing out with relief. Having to travel back would have been a waste of time that I didn¡¯t have. Not wasting anymore of that time, I stepped into the center of the forest clearing. The light green grass opened up a plain about the size of four city blocks. At the edges of the plain, a line of trees created a clear, clean outline of the area.


    It was perfect playground for what I had planned. I pulled out my obelisk before writing a blueprint for my next mythical skill. It would be a fusion of Phaser, Meteoric Rise, and Earth Glider. I already came close to using the skills together during my chase and fight with Etna. Polishing my usage of the skills might result in them coming together.


    With that in mind, I charged my runes. The mana shot through my system like adrenaline, a rush of energy coming with it. Once the runes reached their cap for holding the energy, I urged the mana into them. As the runes saturated, the air around me hummed. I ran up and unleashed the force into a kinetic field, making sure to disperse the impact.


    The ground rippled as I shot into the air. Once high up, I morphed my armor and prepared for my descent. By the time Hod woke up, my goal was to be faster than him flying. Once I was, I¡¯d turn myself into a three ton bullet. I was sure smashing into someone at that speed would kill most things, monster or not.


    Once I got this next mythical skill, it would be time for making a legendary one. As I reached the peak of my jump in the air, I turned towards Springfield. The suburbia bled into the cityscape and yellow forests. The quarantine zone wasn¡¯t a straight circle anymore. In several places, the forcefield stopping the insects had caved into the zone. We were winning.


    At the center of it all was the gray haze covering the world tree. Within that gray cloud, a green radiance peaked out from within. At timed increments, pulses of the tree sent out earthquakes. They came with greater and greater frequency. Now they were an hourly occurrence, something no one even stopped and wondered at. They were the norm now, and the reason for them was clear.


    He was coming.

 90 The Coming Tide

    I would be ready for him. As I fell back to the ground, I molded my armor. Sleek and aerodynamic, I sliced through the air then the ground. After racing through the ground, I dispersed another burst of energy, firing back into the air. Each time I did, I built momentum and speed.


    It was kind of like going higher and higher on a swing set. Each time I dipped down, I mitigated my loss in momentum. As I went out of the ground, I added to my momentum. Over a few minutes, I ended up soaring through the sky, higher then I¡¯d ever been.


    It was an amazing thing. I always wondered what flying was like. I never flew on a plane or anything like that either. This was incomparable to that because there wasn¡¯t anything buffering me from the wind and sun. It reminded me of running when I was a child. I could be running so slow, yet feel so fast.


    Even though I wasn¡¯t supersonic or anything, this was faster then I¡¯d ever run before. That made the sensation and rush palpable, like riding a bike for the first time. As I embraced that feeling of freedom, I found myself grinning. This was fun. Shooting in and out of the ground, seeing a view of the forest for miles, and the flow of movement, it all appealed to me.


    I enjoyed using my strength. I cherished it. I worked, putting blood, sweat, and tears into forging my mind and body into a tool. Appreciating the pay off was an important part of the process, at least for me. It kept my motivation high.


    With that motivation, I homed back in on learning. I dipped in and out of the ground like a landshark. I kept myself flowing, intent on turning the ability into an instinct rather than a thought process. As minutes turned into hours, and the hours turned to days, I forgot about what I was doing. It was a trance.


    My mind turned numb at the task, parts of it becoming second nature before everything clicked. The spike in awareness came with a flood of clarity. It reminded me of the difference in a new fighter and an old one. The new one was choppy and mistimed his shots. He couldn¡¯t think as he fought. An older fighter could punch without any thought. It was like breathing to him.


    Now movement, no matter the complexity of how I did so, was like breathing to me.


    Mythical skill gained! Fuses the three unique skills, Phaser, Earth Glider, and Meteoric Rise into a single skill, The Coming Tide. Points earned: 105 | Points Possible: 300 | Points rewarded: 98


    The Coming Tide(lvl 1) - Some things cannot be stopped. You are among them. Enhances movement and reduces debuffs to movement. Effects in combat movement as well.


    As I sliced into the ground, I turned the direction of my travel. It was a smooth, guided turn. The shift wasn¡¯t abrupt or uneasy. I slowed myself down, grinding my hands against the dirt before flinging myself from the ground. I reformed back into my normal self, my armor altering like liquid. I walked on the ground for the first time in several days.


    It was weird. My steps felt foreign and out of place. Scratch that, it wasn¡¯t what they felt like. It was what they didn¡¯t feel like. It wasn¡¯t like telling my feet to move. It was like I wanted to go somewhere, and I just moved without thought. IT wasn¡¯t like an autopilot either. It was more a result of a supreme and utter control.


    As my feet thumped against the ground, I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders. I jumped forward. I submerged in the ground. My armor molded without any thought. All the augments, adjustments, all of that faded into a background noise. Surrounded by the dirt in all directions, I grinned.


    I stomped on the ground, shooting myself out of the ground. I landed on the ground before taking three steps forward. On the third step, I let myself go into the ground. I fell to the earth as if it wasn¡¯t there. My armor, gravity vortexes, and telekinesis allowed me to do so. Even in the middle of a fight, I could adjust my height in stone and earth, letting me dodge attacks.


    It would be a powerful tool, not even mentioning the ability to overcharge my runes. After playing with the skill for a bit, I raced back towards the camp. Three days were done, meaning Torix and Hod might be waiting for me. I checked my inbox, the first time I had done so in days. There were four messages. Three were from Torix, one from Althea,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(8:00 A.M. 12/01/00) - Hod has fully recovered. You may come back towards my lair whenever you are ready to leave. The sooner the better, however, since Hod refuses to stop his pestering.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(1:18 P.M. 12/01/00) - I can handle it no longer. Come at once. If you wish for my sanity to remain intact, you will do so. I¡¯ve given him many of my summonses for his amusement. They never hold his attention for long.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(3:21 P.M. 12/01/00) - Why did you bring such an incompetent into our ranks? I understand he holds a unique skillset and a high level, but is it truly worth it? I believe not! How am I supposed to even function with him here...


    That is to say, please help me.


    Althea Tolstoy( 4:37 P.M. 11/31/00) - Where have you been the past couple days? I hope I didn¡¯t make you mad :> Oh yeah, I¡¯ve really been missing our lunches together! The rations are terrible


    With my new mythical skill, The Coming Tide helping me, I could read them all without missing a beat. The messages from Torix made me laugh while I flew through the air. Althea¡¯s message was surprisingly adorable, but you wouldn¡¯t catch me dead telling anyone that. Regardless, I closed the messages, traveling towards the town at a blistering pace.


    Before I reached it, I handled one last task with my status. I checked out my tree points, and I had just enough for another rank in obliterator. Not wanting to go without the free stats, I put the points into the tree as I flew through the air. As I finished putting them in, I got my reward.


    This perpetual cycle of recreating yourself is what separates you from the masses. You have zero fear of failure. This is because you understand what Failure is. Failure is facing your weakness. Once you¡¯ve faced your own weakness, you may fight it. Otherwise, you will never know.


    1,500/2,500 milestone reached! II Obliterator unlocked (Tier 3) +75% of total experience gained for levels and skills. This bonus is multiplicative with previous bonuses, not additive. +6 attributes rewarded for every 5 levels over level 1,000.


    With it came extra attributes and the bonus experience multipliers. Those multipliers were probably why I was able to learn this new mythical skills so quickly. With the extra 144 attribute points from the added tier in Obliterator II, I put my attribute points into endurance. I didn¡¯t even stop moving as I hit select.


    My mind sharpened, and the ascendant mana pouring through my runes enhanced once more. With this new excess, the speed of my travel heightened more than I thought it would. I outsped birds with ease as I dived in and out of the earth. Wondering why the flow of mana increased so sharply, I opened my status screens,


    Level 1362


    Strength ¨C 1294 | Constitution ¨C 1598 | Endurance ¨C 3299


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Dexterity ¨C 412.2 | Willpower ¨C 2000 | Intelligence ¨C 753.4


    Charisma ¨C 98 | Luck ¨C 250 | Perception ¨C 193.7


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>203,436/203,436</td>


    <td>74,161/min or 1,236/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>93,040/93,040</td>


    <td> 1,051/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td>14.63 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Oppression Damage- 15,000 + 80%hp/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 13,642% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My health regen increased by over a tenth. At this point, that meant over a hundred more health regen a second. Wondering why my regen spiked, I opened my perk screens. I figured it out after a minute of searching.


    The level 1000 willpower perk increased my health regen since I reached 2000 willpower. That meant my health regen jumped up again, just like last time. All my other stats increased slowly by comparison. The two levels I gained from the last dungeon were hardly worth mentioning for that reason.


    I would need some ridiculous bonus before I felt it again. The last rank in the obliterator perk was my best bet for that. With three mythical skills now, gaining a legendary skill might not be far off anymore. If I could get it, then the completion bonus would be ridiculous since mythical skills capped out at 1000. I might be able to finish the Obliterator tree and start chopping away on Titan Slayer.


    With that in mind, I looked up from my status screens. I flew up into the air, well over the trees, and Springfield spread out before me. It was a warzone.


    Giant beetles stood behind steel legion vehicles and troops, firing green bolts of energy. The green plasma shot out into the yellow forests, splashing into trees with a vibrant emerald in the distance. Troops fired plasma rifles that streaked with blue flashes. They melted flesh, halting regeneration.


    Those blue bolts came from trenches lining the streets, just inside the containment field. Eltari flew through the air above the assault, dropping bombs or diving into the spawns and named of Yawm. From all sides, the forest¡¯s grip waned. The yellow wasn¡¯t growing anymore. Patches of the forest browned, dying as the troops cut through the roots and left the forest to burn in a green fire.


    All of the suburbs had been taken over. The dense, lush cityscape was all that remained now. The followers couldn¡¯t or weren¡¯t handling the problem. Without Etna¡¯s explosive assaults, Torix¡¯s blitz sped up with epic results. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t even be a week before they reached the world tree.


    A delighted smile raced up my face as I stared at the sight. I landed in the middle of an empty encampment, all the tents empty and no one walking nearby. They all busied themselves with slaughter. It was a refreshing feeling, knowing morale was no doubt high. Even if an army is facing giant monsters, they won¡¯t give a fuck if they¡¯re beating them.


    I leaped over the buildings and burrowed under them, weaving through obstacles before landing in front of Torix¡¯s house. As I did, I kept a giant telekinetic pad beneath me. This compressed the area beneath me, creating a circle of deepened earth surrounded by cracks. Hod raced out of the room at the sound.


    Across his face, three beetles tried chewing through the metallic plate. He raised his fingers, several larvae chewing on his fingers. Hod whined,


    ¡°Hod need Harbinger¡¯s help! Dry man no help Hod.¡±


    I rolled my eyes before jogging up. I jerked the beetles off him, letting them bite into my armor. Their teeth shattered against my skin as we walked inside. Torix went back forth, the lines on his map ever-shifting. He sent out message after message, typing out messages onto his status screen and sending them.


    He didn¡¯t even use his real hands. He had two extra arms made of blue mana that did it for him. He walked towards a ritual site where he placed a palm on an egg. A flash of black and purple mana shot outwards, blowing a few papers back before Torix stepped back up towards the map. The red lines shifted before he sent a few more messages.


    From behind him, a jet black beetle crawled out of the egg and expanded. A giant sack of green dragged against the wooden floorboards. Torix walked up towards the beetle placed a palm on the beetle''s forehead. A flash of darkness followed. The eyeless beetle nodded, scurrying off towards a giant tunnel leading to the basement.


    I blinked a few times before Torix turned to me,


    ¡°Thank Schema you¡¯re here. Another second of Hod¡¯s interference and I¡¯d have snapped.¡±


    Torix always looked thin, like a dried-out corpse. He covered himself in an elegant, soft robe of black and gold that kept him from being gross. Combine that with two cobalt colored fireballs for eyes, and Torix struck an imposing figure. That figure degraded during the three days I spent learning my mythical skill.


    The robe was disheveled, lacking the pristine clean Torix normally maintained. His eyes were more like blue coals than the normal fiery circles. On his face was a manic smile though that contrasted the exhaustion showing everywhere else. As he paced up to me, a spark of fear shot up my spine. It was like a mad doctor coming at you with a scalpel. Talk about spooky.


    He pointed a finger at me, ¡°You had better have a good reason for taking so long.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I do.¡±


    Torix spread his arms, ¡°Well...What is it?¡±


    A mischievous grin appeared on my lips, ¡°I got my next mythical.¡±


    Torix clapped his hands, ¡°Well then, I suppose that will do. Is that your fourth one already?¡±


    I raised three fingers, ¡°Nope, only three so far. I¡¯m hoping for a few more soon.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, you and Hod will finish off the last dangerous rift near the center of the world tree. I¡¯ve waited until all of the followers were preoccupied. After one of their own disappeared, they¡¯ve been far less disruptive. I believe you¡¯ve given them something to fear. Now I¡¯m abusing that fear.¡±


    Torix turned towards the map, walking with purpose, ¡°I told the troops one of their own has slain a follower over two thousand levels above himself. You¡¯re being looked to as a symbol of the resistance, partially for your humanity and partially for your feats.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Sucks some of those feats are lies.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°They aren''t quite lying, however. They are the truth presented from an angle. Regardless of your misgivings about them, they are fulfilling their purpose. With each passing moment, our troops are leveling as the enemies forces are waning. It¡¯s as if we¡¯re cannibals feasting on the corpses of our enemies.¡±


    Hod raised a hand, ¡°Except Eltari. Eltari not cannibals if eat human.¡± He leaned forward as if he was saying something profound,


    ¡°Humans ugly though. Hod doubt Eltari ever eat human. Human too much like metal too. Hod does not understand why Humans all covered in metal.¡±


    Torix and I stared at him, trying to decipher his sentence for a moment. I pursed my lips, ¡°Hod...the legion and I are both wearing armor. That¡¯s not our actual skin or anything, except with maybe me. I¡¯m not normal though.¡±


    Hod¡¯s hands lowered as he gasped, ¡°Humans have no metal skin?¡±


    Torix pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°Answering your questions is like driving a nail through each of my fingernails. The word hatred, quite frankly, can¡¯t explain what I feel for you. It¡¯s something darker, more malignant, like cancer.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod understand Dry Man anger. Dry Man thirsty because Dry Man is dry. Hod forgive Dry Man. Hod get cranky when Hod thirsty too.¡±


    I laughed as Torix raised both his hands to his face,


    ¡°If I had a working heart, it would shrivel and die knowing you exist." Torix turned to me, "Take him away from me. I can handle no more.¡±


    I grabbed Hod and dragged him out of the house,


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t blame you. Anyways, keep kicking ass here and I¡¯ll do the same out there.¡±


    Torix nodded, his frustration fading into a slight smile, ¡°I expect as much from you.¡±


    After getting Hod out of the house, I turned towards Hod. Despite Hod''s lack of mental prowess, his speed was undeniable. While not as quick as Althea, he was a close second in our group. Kessiah could outrun all of us in theory, but the ground would just melt under her feet. It would be like trying to jump on water.


    Curious about figuring out how fast I was now, I asked,


    ¡°Want a race?¡±

 91 The Final Rift

    Hod raised his wings, ¡°But Hod can fly. Harbinger not able to fly, so Hod go faster than Harbinger.¡±


    I charged my runes, getting them ready for travel, ¡°Well, I got this new skill that lets me move fast. It should level the playing field, and I wanted to see just how much a difference it made.¡±


    Hod clasped his hands into three-fingered fists, ¡°Then Hod crush Harbinger under talon foot...Hod not literally crush Harbinger. Hod figuratively crush Harbinger...Hmmm...What Hod meant-¡±


    I raised a palm to him, ¡°I get it Hod. It¡¯s just some friendly competition. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±


    I opened my mini-map at the corner of my screen. Since the quarantine zone shrunk so much, we didn¡¯t need to take the sewer for as long this time. We could have a reasonable distance for the race instead of just a few feet towards the nearest manhole. A shorter race suited Hod since he had no ramp up time. A longer race suited me since I got faster and faster with time.


    So after letting Hod know where we were going, we both set into our starting positions. He ducked down, raising his wings and head up at a forty five degree angle. I set up in a sprinter¡¯ stance.


    ¡°Alright Hod, whenever you jump up, I¡¯ll start running too. Whoever gets there first wins.¡±


    Hod nodded before shooting off the ground. I sprinted forwards right after. Once I got a few strides away from Torix¡¯s lair, I shot off the ground. Leaving a quake and deafening boom behind me, I flew through the air. Hod already put some distance between us, though my leap closed that gap by quite a bit.


    Once I dived into the earth and jumped again, Hod stopped flying faster than I was leaping. After the third leap, I closed in on him. Three leaps later and I passed by him. As I did, I passed within earshot of him,


    ¡°Who¡¯s got wings now?¡±


    Hod looked at me as I passed by him, a look of utter shock spread on his face,


    ¡°Hod not know Harbinger fly too. Hod fly longer though. Hod knows the sky, and Hod knows the wind.¡±


    Hod flapped his wings, flying further up into the sky. By burning through his stamina, he raised himself far into the sky. I dived into the ground before making another leap. As I shot back up through the air, Hod glided downwards. He pressed his arms against his sides and built up speed before swooping up.


    He shot over the tops of the houses, just above most buildings. With his maneuver, he shot passed me again. Not wanting a loss, I racked my brain for a solution. Over time, I would beat Hod regardless because of how fast he got. The race wasn¡¯t much longer now though. We were almost to the sewer cover Torix set up for us.


    With a split second decision, I landed on the ground before swimming through it. This was my final gambit for the race. Instead of flying out at a forty five degree angle, I kept the angle much closer towards the ground. This meant less of the overcharging was shooting me upwards and more was being used on going forward.


    I shot out of the ground, drilling through a few tree branches and the walls of a house. They didn¡¯t slow me in the slightest as my speed increased. The ground came back much faster this time since I wasn¡¯t in the air as long as before. I slid into the ground before making another leap.


    A bonus I hadn¡¯t expected with this new method was wasting less mana. I could only overcharge my runes so much before they stopped taking mana in. Since my last stat boost, I couldn¡¯t leap enough to disperse my mana in time. That meant some of the mana was wasted.


    With more frequent leaps, the endless spring of my mana could be used to its fullest. I shot in and out of the earth. My speed built several times faster than before, ramping up at a rapid pace before a notification appeared on my screen,


    Breakthrough Achieved! The coming Tide(lvl 3)-->(lvl 28)


    It was a nice surprise as I slammed against the side of a skyscraper. The windows of the building shattered as my telekinetic wave wobbled the ten floor building. It wasn¡¯t some massive building, but causing it to shift at all was a feat of strength.


    Behind the skyscraper, the quarantine barrier went high into the sky. Far off explosions echoed. Bursts of blue and green plasma caused the spreading sounds. Gunfire gave everything a pattern of white noise, almost masking every other normal sound. Beetles drilled through nearby streets, racing off into the heat of battle. Some carried supplies and others were going to kill.


    There was a war waging behind me. That knowledge put some fire under my feet. Beneath me was the manhole cover. I jumped off the side of the building, crushing the pavement under my feet like playdough. A minute later, Hod arrived.


    He spread his wings wide, the drag on his feathers slowing him down before his feet dragged on the road. He dug two trenches as they tore through the pavement too. Hod turned to me,


    ¡°Harbinger fast, faster than Hod. Hod not know Harbinger holding back.¡±


    I kicked up the manhole cover, snatching it with a hand,


    ¡°Naw, I just got lucky and got a breakthrough in one of my skills.¡±


    Hod walked up to the sewer cover, ¡°Ahhh. Hod understand. Hod get those all the time.¡±


    He jumped into the sewer before I did the same. As we ran through the tunnels, I asked,


    ¡°What kind of breakthroughs are you getting?¡±


    Walking up walls and shooting past concrete and brick, Hod shrugged,


    ¡°Harbinger know the easy ones. Hod get Flight skill, Dirk Mastery skill, even the Eldritch Infestation skill. Hod get all kinds of skills since coming to new world.¡±


    I blinked at the sound of the last skill, ¡°What is the Eldritch Infestation skill?¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod not really know exact answer. Hod know it as rage. Hod let voices in head take over mind. Voice fight for Hod. Hod take back control after fight over.¡±


    My stomach sank, ¡°Wait a second Hod...you¡¯re letting voices in your head take over your body...then they¡¯re giving you back control?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod not think about it like that, but Hod agree with Harbinger.¡±


    I frowned, my brain setting off at the realization. If what Hod said was true, his whole mana poisoning thing hadn¡¯t been mana poisoning. It was the eldritch taking over. If it finished, Hod would become a level 1000+ eldritch running around.


    Stopping it wouldn¡¯t be that hard though. Our group already had a resident who was under the constant threat of being consumed by eldritch. Using her as an example, I tore off a strip of my armor as we ran along. I made the strip of armor into a ring, using my flow of mana for added strength as I bent the metal.


    After finishing the ring, I pulled out my grimoire from my own spatial ring. I carved a few runic letterings as we ran. Hod badgered me as I did,


    ¡°Hod wonder, how is Harbinger writing in book while running?¡±


    I glanced up from the runic lettering, noticing the passing scenery. I glanced at Hod,


    ¡°Well, some things you do are very time consuming and difficult. If you can turn those hard things into skills, they don¡¯t take up as much space in your mind. That lets you do more stuff than would be able to do otherwise.¡±


    I stared back down at my grimoire, ¡°In this case, I¡¯m just running with my mythical skill, The Coming Tide. It doesn¡¯t take any thought to make it work. Instead of looking up, I¡¯m using my mini-map as a guide. That lets me write in my grimoire as I run. It saves me some time.¡±


    A burst of white fog emitted from Hod¡¯s eyes,


    ¡°Hod not understand how Harbinger so smart. Hod impressed.¡±


    The complement threw me off from my runic carving. I never considered myself as very smart. I could get by with a bit of willpower and some brute strength on most occasions. Outsmarting my foes? That had never been my forte. With the surge in stats, particularly willpower and intelligence, my smarts grew quite a bit.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Interrupting my thoughts, Hod slipped on a vine before smashing into a concrete wall. I dismissed his compliment, remembering who it came from. Hod shook his fist,


    ¡°Vine outsmart Hod this time. Next time Hod outsmart vine!¡±


    I doubted the likelihood of that ever happening. I shook my head, homing back in on the runic carvings. Once I finished the basic inscription for a conduit, I channeled a bit of my mana into the grimoire. The letters glided off the page before I imprinted them onto a ring I made for Hod.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Blood of Tribute(lvl requirement: 500) - This ring allows mana to be siphoned off to its creator, The Harbinger of Cataclysm. +5 endurance, willpower, constitution, and strength for one minute with the sacrifice of 100 or more mana. If ambient mana is controlling the wearer of this ring, then the ring cannot be removed.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The ring ended up doing what I wanted a bit more. I put my grimoire into my spatial ring, being careful with the precious artifact. I let Hod catch back up, tossing him the ring,


    ¡°Here Hod. Put this on. Whenever you feel like that black aura is choking you, just put the mana through this. My armor will just eat it.¡±


    Hod put the ring on one his right hand, ¡°Hod like shiny things. Hod thank Harbinger.¡±


    Hod put the ringer onto his finger, but his hand lurched backward.


    ¡°Hod not understand why Hod¡¯s hand not want ring. Hod stronger than Hod¡¯s hand though.¡±


    He jammed the ring on his finger. Teeth on the rings inner lining jammed into Hod¡¯s finger as he howled,


    ¡°Hod¡¯s finger right. Bad ring. Bad Ring!¡±


    I laughed a bit as we raced forward. The ring biting into his finger was unexpected, but it was necessary. If there was some menacing eldritch trying to kill Hod from the inside, then my armor would handle it. Any kind of energy I sent at my armor, it just soaked that shit right up. It was a nice, reliable way of handling this stuff.


    The only problem with my armor so far had been the voice in my head. It showed a lot of similarities with Hod and Althea¡¯s voices. I don¡¯t actually think it¡¯s the armor though. I think it¡¯s just some property of my mana. I rationalized it like this. My armor was something weird. Since that was a part of me, I was weird. Therefore, it made sense that my mana was weird as well.


    That meant in great quantities, my mana could take on a life of its own. It reminded me of the ambient mana found in dungeons or that made up the eldritch. With my superior control of mana now though, the voice of the mana was nothing now. It meant I could just overpower it with ease.


    Hod and Althea didn¡¯t focus on learning magic like I had. Their own manas were still rampant within them, so they depended on someone else for control. Having that control made me appreciate my inflated willpower and intelligence too. Having a well rounded build came with more perks than just being able to punch harder.


    Punching harder was something I would need soon though. As we reached deeper into Yawm¡¯s domain, gargantuan roots reached into the sewer. Veins of green energy pulsed up through the roots, towards some unseen center. Most of the plants wilted towards these roots like they were being drained. What made it strange was how some plants weren¡¯t wilting at all.


    Noting that oddity, Hod and I reached our destination. From here, closing in on the rift would require going out of the safety of the sewer. We crawled out as Hod reformed into his stronger, shadow form. He turned to me as we left,


    ¡°Hod take lead. Hod quiet.¡±


    I nodded as we skulked through the cityscape. High-rises rose up into the gray cloud beside us. The world tree¡¯s roots, larger than houses, segmented the city into some kind of labyrinth. The gray cloud covering the world tree was like some ominous wall. The largest buildings were halfway outside it like they were struggling to escape.


    The roots crawled through the giant structures, like vines crawling through someone¡¯s eyes and skin. They invaded the scenery, pulses of green creating earthquakes each time they pulsed up towards the cloud. Our destination was inside the cloud of gray. Hod shivered,


    ¡°This...this is the corruption?¡±


    A wave of fear ran up my spine, ¡°Yes. This is Yawm¡¯s world tree. He¡¯s really fucking things up right about now.¡±


    Hod dashed into the cloud. I followed him. It was the same sensation as entering a rift. The icy needles dashing into my skin, the change in feel, it was all there. As we ran closer, everything lightened. All the roots leading towards the world tree¡¯s center were off the ground. The center of it was off the ground.


    After going a bit deeper inside, I found a stone floating in the air. It was a rock in the middle of an alleyway. There was no source for it floating, so I assumed one of Yawm¡¯s followers found us. With Hod and I on high alert, I analyzed the nearby area with Tactile Cognition. Keeping it on at all times would be an excellent use of my time.


    I made a note of that, I reached out with the skill and surveyed nearby. There were other stones floating within the buildings and deeper into Yawm¡¯s lair. Once I was satisfied with our security, I let Hod walk up and touch the stone. When he touched it, the stone floated off, like it was weightless.


    It pulled back, orbiting some central point before resting back where it remained. It was a surreal scene, even by comparison with some of the crazy shit I¡¯ve seen.


    ¡°Hod amazed. Stone learn to fly too. Hod flying no longer special.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as we skulked through alleyways into the masked metropolis. True to what I saw with my skill, other objects floated too. Cars, lights, roots, nothing escaped the grasp of these random fluctuations in space-time. With no idea of what the fuck was going on, we slowed down our pace.


    I surveyed everything I could with Tactile Cognition, keeping myself aware as possible. Hod sniffed the air, black drool leaking from his mouth. His unblinking eyes bore into everything around him, like the eyes of a hunting wolf. The deeper we tread, the greater the size of the floating objects.


    Without any warning, we passed the wall of gray mist, letting us see ahead. My connection with Schema severed. I hardly even noticed.


    Hundreds of feet high, floating islands were kept together by vines and the roots of the world tree. The sky surrounding the islands was red like the other rifts. Each of the islands was covered in lush greenery, tiny jungles forming on each island. Throngs of flying creatures dashed between these islands.


    Each of them shifted around, odd and strange, like monsters that crawled out of an abstract painting. They fought amongst themselves, their disfigured forms writhing in flight. Between the islands, the world tree¡¯s roots created bridges.


    Giant insects and monsters crawled along those bridges, migrating from island to island. Clouds of mist floated like the islands, creatures reaching out and breathing deep breaths of the wet air. Glancing at the red sky, Hod¡¯s jaw opened as he stared,


    ¡°Hod has never seen a place like this.¡±


    I gaped at the sight too,


    ¡°Neither have I.¡±


    We walked into the rift. Once the awe of the place faded, Hod turned to me, ¡°Hod going ahead. Harbinger catch up?¡±


    I shook off the shock of the sights, ¡°Yeah, yeah, of course.¡±


    He dashed up, a wave of sound echoing from his feet as he stomped into the ground. There was no message from Torix about the followers, so I charged my runes and leaped up. We reached the first island, our landings causing it to shift off course. The floating island crashed into the one beside it, sending a flurry of birds up and out of their resting spots.


    From around us, giant insects crawled out of the earth. The birds swarmed around us, circling us like vultures. Disfigured creatures opened their eyes from within trees. A nearby beetle crawled up to us. It was a vibrant yellow with red eyes. It spread its wings, and as they buzzed, they flashed with light.


    As it squirmed around, the monster left after images. Looking at it made me feel drunk, almost throwing me off balance. The two horns on the side of its head grabbed a car covered in forestry. The monster clamped through the steel, the glass windows crumpling before shook its head.


    The sides of the car crashed into trees near us.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adult Solar Beetle(lvl 988) - Thriving on the energy of the sun, these beetles are worthy foes. When found in groups, even veteran sentients should be cautious. Their movements leave after images, creating illusions behind them.


    These can cause disorientation, along with a sense of weakness. The shimmering wings act as a second layer to this sensory overload. When utilized in a group, these illusions can become overwhelming. Grown sentients may be brought to their knees by as little as a dozen of these monsters.


    Outside of that, their raw power is nothing to scoff at. They lack the same speed of other high level creatures, but the slow approach is made up by their disorientation and raw strength. Once they¡¯ve grabbed a hold on you, the beetles will hold on like bulldogs. Once they¡¯ve piled on you, they vibrate their bodies and roast you alive.


    Your willpower is plenty high enough to resist this onslaught on your senses. Based on your current skillset, you can cover your eyes and avoid the disruptive powers of the insect regardless. Respect them, but enjoy the experience.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Several of the other solar beetles crawled out of the ground. Above the circling birds closed the gaps around us, created a picture. It was a shifting, abstract painting that messed with the senses like the beetles did. One of the birds left the encirclement, landing beside us.


    The head was like two isosceles triangles jammed together at random angles. The entire thing was sharp, angular, and alien. Two eyes pointed in different directions, the amber irises turning towards us. The monster¡¯s wings were the only part of it that even made sense.


    Strong muscles rippled under the apricot colored skin, feathers of the same color making a sleek, efficient wing. A mouth full of jagged, white teeth lined its face. As the mouth opened, it let out a high pitched roar and a smell like death. The system finally came through.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Abstraction(lvl 1103) - A monster built from hyper condensed fragments of ambient mana. They don¡¯t deserve such a high danger rating on their own. It¡¯s what they signal and just how dangerous they are In a group.


    When you see an abstraction, the very beginnings of a fringe world are forming. A rift has broken open to a point where closing it no longer sends the entire dungeon back. Whatever spot has been tainted will be tainted until an overseer can come in and fix the issue. If too much time passes, this spot can no longer be completely fixed.


    That is why these monsters are given danger level ratings above their abilities. It is to attract adventurers into a dangerous rift and close it before it¡¯s too late. That is unless they are seen in large swarms. These creatures create ambient mana that can speed up the evolution of other eldritch.


    Kill them as quickly as you physically can if they swarm around you. Otherwise, they will rapidly develop the enemies around you into monsters you can no longer slay.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    On cue, Hods slashed through the face of the abstraction. Dark orange blood gushed from its face, splashing over Hod and I. The solar beetle nearby grew another pair of wings and legs. The head of the creature split open, writhing mandibles reaching for us. The sickening crack and lurching sound of the beetle was like biting into a rock in your food.


    Several other beetles crawled from the trees as Hod turned to me, his eyes red,


    ¡°Come, Harbinger. Now is the time for slaughter.¡±


    And so it was.

 92 Dimensional Cipher

    My ascendant mana flared into my armor as I reached out with oppression. My armor grinned with me, The beetle charged towards me, but I pivoted on my feet while dragging a fist from behind me. Volatile Carnage and Boundless Storm synergized, creating a massive impact as my fist collided with the beetle.


    My fist bounced off the telekinetic pad, shooting a small, dense bullet of kinetic force into the creature. This bullet punched a hole in the monster¡¯s armor, dispersing the force inside it. The monster¡¯s disgusting body exploded. The flashing lights and odd illusions faded away. Before the other beetles joined into a single creature, I covered my eyes and ears with my armor.


    Using a sense of smell, I created a map of what was going on around me. The solar beetles swarmed from all sides, like a swarm of scarabs. The abstractions flowed through the air, turning the air dense as the ambient mana pooled. Hod¡¯s scent lessened, as if the shadow was overwhelming him.


    A torrent of the mana poured from the ring¡¯s connection with me, verifying my thoughts. Before any more damage could be done, I shot forward into the swarm of beetles. Without my eyes and ears, my precision lacked. My new mythical, The Coming Tide, let me pierce through the trees, roots,and vines with ease though.


    I reached a cluster of the solar beetle¡¯s scent. A pair of mandibles shot out towards me. I twisted on my heels, driving a fist straight into the monster¡¯s attack. A splash of wet blood covered me. Another pocket of beetle scent came closer. I ducked under the smell, stomping on a heel and twisting an uppercut into the scent.


    Another splash of liquid poured over me. Fresh and warm, my armor soaked in the wet feeling until I was dry again. I smelled further, picking out the shapes of the monsters. The slight variations in heat made their mark, letting me pick out their shapes. I waved oppression over the blots of heat near me. I felt the vibrations of screaming through my armor.


    On my mini-map, Hod was a good distance away, letting use all of my skills. Three of the beetles snapped towards me at once, two from my sides and one from in front of me. I fell into the ground, ducking under their attacks. Using The Coming Tide, I shot out of the ground and grabbed the two beetles at my sides. I clapped them together over my head, using a gravity vortex to smash them together.


    A rain of blood pouring over me. From behind me, a much larger beetle came out of the trees. It may have been a warrior variant. It didn¡¯t matter. This large beetle and the beetle in front of me pincered towards me. I lifted my legs and kicked off the beetle in front of me using the coming tide. While movement was its main use, the impact was a worthy weapon regardless.


    The beetle crumbled under my heels, firing me into the larger beetle behind me. Warmth and wetness covered me from all sides. I swam through its flesh, gliding through just as I glide through the earth. As I burst out of the creature, I landed onto its back. Two beetles flew away from me, their scents waning.


    I jumped with The Coming Tide, the large beetle beneath me turning to mush. Firing up, I stiff armed both the beetles. I molded my armor as if I was slicing through the ground. This let me cleaved the beetles in two, their bodies no longer holding their insides. As I fell back down to the ground, I uncovered my eyes and ears.


    Breakthrough achieved! Tactile Cognition(lvl 42)-->(lvl 67)


    A rush of senses came from my eyes and ears. I decimated the beetles in seconds, their corpses spread around us. Hod killed the abstractions one by one, slicing them apart with his shadows. With piercing, sharp cries, the abstractions poured ambient mana into him. As they did, the mana fed from my ring.


    If I hadn¡¯t of made the ring, Hod would¡¯ve died many times already. With that tiny bit of foresight, I turned one of Hod¡¯s biggest weaknesses into a strength. The extra ambient mana was like a stream of infinite mana, empowering Hod¡¯s shadows. I shifted oppression onto the low flying abstractions, joining in on the fun.


    They cried in pain like a chorus of breaking glass. I shot off the ground, slamming myself towards them. They dispersed around me, avoiding my attack. They didn¡¯t avoid my gravity wells. I pulled a cluster of the abstractions down onto the earth, like two nets full of fish. I landed on the ground, pulling the wells behind me.


    Before the abstractions landed, I ended the two gravity well¡¯s pulls. The abstractions collided with the earth as I dashed towards the cluster to my right. One of the abstractions lifted itself off the ground. The odd, angular body looked around, its eyes darting around on its head. Once they saw me coming, the monster clamped its mouth towards me.


    My fist bounced back off a telekinetic field I placed right on its face. The telekinetic bullet broke the monster¡¯s jagged teeth before the monster¡¯s skull blew backwards. Other abstractions crawled towards me, snapping at what they thought was a meal. How wrong they were.


    I spun on my heels and slid on my feet as my fists beat them to pieces. I weaved between their attacks. I kept within my range of attack, timing my punches with a pristine clarity. I shot int and out of the ground, the entire battlefield my playground. I dragged the monsters into the dirt, choking them in it. I fed the floating island their gunky, apricot colored blood.


    They stood no chance, their lean forms unable to withstand the brutal hammer my own body had become. It was a weapon I wielded, and I wielded it with deadly intention. Once they were culled, I leapt up and dragged another group of the monsters down with me. With Hod and I slaughtering them from above and below, we left them no escape.


    The beetles kept coming from other nearby islands. Between our massacre of the abstractions, Hod and I crushed the beetles in waves. The numbers were endless. As time passed, I grew worried that the followers would come. Torix kept them busy though, keeping our losses minimal no doubt.


    The killing turned routine after a while. Hod gained levels and allocated his points in the middle of the fight, letting him kill more and more. I didn¡¯t need the attributes yet, letting me focus entirely on slaying the hordes. Hod overloaded on his mana the entire time we fought, but my ring kept him from turning.


    Eventually the bodies turned into nuisances. The piles of corpses were like some maze made of flesh. At the apex of the problem, I changed my killing tactics. If I could, I would drain the enemy with my armor while it was alive. In between the incessant fighting, I cleaned up the corpses, giving me room to fight.


    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. My mythical skill let me burrow through the corpses without struggle. After diving into the last body of an abstraction, I burst out of it from the inside. I never imagined using The Coming Tide like that, but the effect was too devastating to miss out on. As the guts of the monster splattered around me, Hod landed beside me.


    Black drool dripped from his mouth, and his chest heaved. He seemed fine though as he spoke in a low growl,


    ¡°Hod fine. Hod not like flying monsters. Flying monsters make voices scream in Hod¡¯s head.¡±


    He lifted his hand, the ring biting into his finger. Black blood dripped from his hand, ¡°Hod thank Harbinger for bad ring. Bad ring save Hod.¡±


    I devoured the bodies around me with my armor, ¡°I¡¯m glad you talked about it earlier, otherwise I¡¯d have to fight you...Damn that would suck.¡±


    Hod shivered, ¡°Yes, Hod not want to fight Harbinger. Harbinger too brutal for Hod.¡±


    I soaked up another body of an abstraction, the ambient mana dense as honey. I frowned, ¡°Well damn. I¡¯m not that bad...am I?¡±


    Hod walked with me as I cleaned up the corpses, feeding my armor,


    ¡°Well, Hod believe Harbinger precise. Harbinger fight like warrior, just monster warrior, not human warrior.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, we all fight like that, except Torix of course. Fighting him is like fighting a textbook.¡±


    Hod turned to me, a look of dead seriousness on his face, ¡°Then Hod struggle against Dry Man the most. Books are too hard for Hod.¡±


    I laughed as I finished cleaning up the battlefield. I glimpsed at Hod. He was level 1331, around two hundred levels higher than when he first arrived on earth. He outleveled Torix now. Seeing his spike in levels, I looked at my own. I was level 1500, a nice, clean number for once. I gained a fuckload of levels from fighting these things, the abstractions and enhanced solar beetles paying off in spades.


    It almost shocked me how easy gaining levels was right now. I remember struggling just to gain a single level when Schema first arrived. This ease made some sense once I thought about it for a bit.


    Abstractions were considered unknowns, and the first tier of Obliterator doubled my experience from them. The quarantine zone doubled experience gained too. To top it all off, my new Obliterator tree nearly doubled my total experience gained. That wasn¡¯t even including my Ancient tree bonus.


    I was gaining about five times the experience of a normal individual. If I wasn¡¯t gaining levels fast, than a normal person might as well give up on leveling. Someone like Torix, with his experience penalties might as well laugh at the idea of leveling. Even with all my bonuses, the experience would no doubt slow down from here on out.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Killing lower level enemies simply wasn¡¯t an effective way of gaining levels. By level 1600, I would need to kill a hundred abstractions for a single level. In order to keep gaining levels, I needed stronger enemies to fight.


    In this case, the followers would be my next big step. Readying myself for that, I checked out my status and poured all my attribute points into endurance. They clinked into place before I selected finalize.


    Every aspect of myself improved. My strength, my mind, the vivid sharpness with which I controlled myself, it all enhanced. Spread throughout every part of my flesh, the arcane chains ebbed a faint glow. It was a subtle difference in how I looked, but I understood the significance behind it.


    Soaking in the changes, I opened my status screens.


    Level 1500


    Strength ¨C 1353 | Constitution ¨C 1721 | Endurance ¨C 4006


    Dexterity ¨C 430 | Willpower ¨C 2319 | Intelligence ¨C 831.2


    Charisma ¨C 102.4 | Luck ¨C 273.3 | Perception ¨C 199


    <div>


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>248,360/248,360</td>


    <td>95,506/min or 1,592/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>120,771/120,771</td>


    <td>1,319/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Harbinger of Cataclysm</td>


    <td> 21.28 Billion/56.6 Billion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Oppression Damage- 15,000 + 80%hp/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 14,639% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My regeneration stats and health skyrocketed as usual. Since I hit 4000 endurance, my regeneration stats scaled better. That meant my health regen was even higher now. Eager to test it out, I flared my runes.


    After ramping them up for a few seconds, they overcharged in a few seconds. Before I realized it, the runes covering my body cracked. No longer able to hold the flow of mana, they shattered. The flood of ascendant mana ebbed from me, lightning arcing in every direction. A deep, dark fury filled my blood and bones in an instant.


    I wanted to kill and crush. I wanted to maim and murder. I wanted to rip out guts and drink blood. The roaring voices of my own mana filled my mind, echoing like a storm in my head. The rush of strength that came from channeling the runes dissipated though, leaving me weakened. With a burst of willpower, I silenced the fervor as I died down my mana.


    Hod jumped backwards while raising his hands, ¡°Hod wonder why Harbinger so angry? Did Hod walk too funny for Harbinger?¡±


    I shook my head, shaking out the injection of anger, ¡°No Hod, you¡¯re fine. My runes broke I guess. I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±


    I lifted an arm, inspecting a rune. The edges of the runes were marred, the runes caving in. Whenever I tried pouring mana into them, the mana just ebbed outwards. I frowned, wondering if it was my armor. I regenerated my armor, healing the runes into nothing. With a blank slate before me, I carved a basic rune for power into my arm.


    A second later, I flared mana into it. The outer lining of the glyphs cracked. The mana flared out. This time I was ready for the anger, so I smashed it with my will while sighing. I opened my spatial ring, pulling out my grimoire. Hod paced up behind me, looking over my shoulder,


    ¡°What Harbinger doing?¡±


    I molded my left hand into a pen of sorts, ¡°I¡¯m going to write some more runes. I wouldn¡¯t normally mind, but doing it in the middle of a rift isn¡¯t very convenient.¡± I glanced around at the other floating islands, ¡°Especially when we¡¯re pressed for time.¡±


    Hod grabbed his beak, ¡°Hod wonder, Hod wonder...Harbinger read Dry Man¡¯s message? Dry Man promise three days. Dry Man reassess assault and use Lady Friend for gathering information.¡±


    I frowned, looking Hod over. With shadows covering his enlarged body and the red sheen on his eyes, he was an intimidating figure. Those were superficial differences though. I took a long, hard look at him. More meaningful differences cropped up.His posture was different, along with how he spoke and how aware he was.


    This version of Hod was cunning by comparison, and he stood up straighter. I assumed that was from being stronger, but after hearing him for a bit more, I doubted it. He remembered things a bit too clearly, especially for the normal Hod. I narrowed my eyes,


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re Hod...Not when that mana¡¯s coursing through you at least.¡±


    Hod didn¡¯t react at first. I kept looking at him, my gaze piercing. His left arm twitched before I stepped up to him. I was half a head taller than him now. Hod stumbled back,


    ¡°Hod not know what Harbinger mean. Hod still Hod. Hod promise.¡±


    His breathing was ragged now, like I was pressing on a nerve. I shook my head glancing off at a floating island, ¡°Yeah, alright. Maybe I¡¯m pressing too hard. I can get paranoid sometimes, especially with how ridiculous everything is.¡±


    I looked at him, ¡°It can just be hard to choose who to trust is all.¡±


    Hod nodded, staying quiet. His head lowered with his shoulders. It was like a child being caught stealing. I stepped away from him, letting him breath like normal. The eldritch side of him hadn¡¯t betrayed me yet, and I didn¡¯t want to give him a reason too. I did want to make it very clear that I knew he wasn¡¯t Hod.


    If he knew that, he would be less likely to act out any nefarious plots he was planning. Perhaps I was being a bit too cautious, but I didn¡¯t want him turning on me at random. With that handled, I went back to carving as we walked.


    We walked along the vines of several islands, finding quite a few islands now empty. Our fight attracted many of the denizens on nearby islands. The smaller, less violent life remained after. Several of the flowers had piercing colors. So piercing that they didn¡¯t even look real. It¡¯s hard to even describe.


    It was like my brain was trying to perceive a new color, but it couldn¡¯t. Nearby plants and fruits moved towards us as we walked by. A purple monkey with red skin on its face swung from a tree before swallowing one of the fruits coming near us. Blood poured from the monkey¡¯s mouth before it fell down. The roots from nearby trees dug into the eyes and mouth of the monkey.


    It drained into a dry husk. I sighed before opening up oppression. The aura killed the plant life and weakened creatures on contact. I didn¡¯t want normal people near any of this. Hod murmured under his breath,


    ¡°And the Harbinger leaves death in his wake.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I preferred the ridiculous, fun Hod rather than the melodramatic, edgelord Hod. This version was the better fighter though, so I dealt with it. After reaching about ten islands deeper into the dungeon, Hod spoke,


    ¡°Hod is tired. Hod need rest.¡±


    I bit my lip before turning to him, ¡°Can it wait till after the dungeon?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°No. Hod can barely stand.¡±


    I tapped my teeth together before sighing. I nodded, ¡°Yeah, yeah, sorry. Go ahead and sleep. I¡¯ll keep guard while you rest.¡±


    Hod nodded before breathing out a plume of black smoke. He fell sideways, sprawled out on the ground. As he snored, I kept oppression on around us. I didn¡¯t want beetles digging into his insides while I was carving my runes.


    The red sky dimmed, turning a deeper red before becoming night. With insects chirping around me, I flared the ascendant mana into my helmet. My eye slit bathed the book in a deep red, letting me see in the dark. With some free time on my hands, I would be putting my first real dent into the eldritch runes tonight.


    I kept studying them all this time. Of course I devoted most of my time to fighting and other pursuits, but this was a black eye for me. Every other facet I tried at, I excelled. The eldritch runes kicked my ass at least five times now though and for months on end. I wouldn¡¯t let that continue.


    Spurring me even further was the limits of my current runes. Torix must have never ran into the limits of the runic language for magic. That¡¯s why he never needed to learn the eldritch runes. I needed them though. They were the next step in my progress.


    Unfortunately for me, progressing with normal methods wasn¡¯t working. If I was going to get anywhere, I needed to take some risks and experiment. If that meant I would need to take a limb off or the like, then so be it.


    With that resolve planted into my head, I opened a few screens from my obelisk. I ran a few comparisons between the runes found in BloodHollow and the Sandworm desert. After brushing up on the basics, I carved out a huge rune in the book. The detail required for these runes was infinitely greater than normal runes. Etching large letters gave me the breathing room I needed.


    So I carved. On the first letter, I spent nearly an hour of time. My hand cramped from how subtle my movements needed to be. Once I finished with the edges, I focused on filling in the inner lining of the rune. That was an advantage of the grimoire. The book¡¯s flat page offered depth in my carving somehow, like the page was six inches deep.


    With the ease of carving, the detail of my markings improved. As I etched into the sides of the carving, I concentrated on giving the rune meaning. The carving I was attempting was supposed to be about solidity and strength. I needed the same traits if I wanted to finish this text. I breathed out a deep breath, like I was trying to breath out my own weakness.


    I eliminated everything else from my mind as I outlined the details into the rune. This rune was all that mattered. Everything else, the sights, sounds, and sensations fell away. All that mattered was this letter taking up a fourth of a page on this book. Making it perfect was everything at that moment.


    Months of failure amounted to this. Months of trying, months of struggle, and months of frustration culminated in a single mark on a single page. It was like the stars were aligning as I continued. The rune took shape, becoming whole. Within it, something shifted around me. I couldn¡¯t exactly put my finger on it, but where I was changed.


    It was like there was an electricity in the air. A moment later, the rune clicked in my head. It came to me like a rush of comprehension. What the rune was, what it meant, I understood what I was trying to write.


    With the obsession of a madman, I marked into the page with flowing streaks of my hand. As I did, a tug at my mana began. This tug turned into a violent pull as my mana streamed into the grimoire. The single letter feasted on my flesh, gorging itself, satiating its hunger. I wrote through the process, my writing growing in speed and confidence.


    Another hour passed before I finalized the lettering. As I did, the space around me shifted. The pull on my mana was even greater than my own generation of it. It wasn¡¯t enough to threaten me now, however. My health pool stopped draining downwards at the halfway mark. I pulled up the page, into the red light of my slit. There was an eldritch letter.


    Unknown skill unlocked! Dimensional Cipher(lvl 1) - Knowledge of this skill is prohibited by Schema. Using this skill is forbidden, and knowing this skill is forbidden. &$%ERROR


    You have broken one of the primary tenants of Schema¡¯s system. Sentient rights have been revoked. Leveling and further data uploads are hereby locked. You have been exiled.


    Oh fuck.

 93 Hectic

    <div>


    <div>


    Really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I wrote it once today, but I didn''t like how it turned out. Scrapped it and re-planned the chapter. I''m much more satisfied with this second version.


    ***************************


    I sat there, staring at the message. My minimap disappeared, along with my status. None of my strength waned or depleted, but I could feel the difference in potential. The data uploads that Schema made were my way of beating Yawm. Without any more progress, I had no idea for how in the hell I was going to beat Yawm.


    The runes weren¡¯t supposed to do this. I spent so much time and effort learning them. They were my way of fighting Yawm, a secret weapon for me. All of as sudden the tables turned. The runes stripped me of one of my only advantages against an enemy far stronger than I was. I wish I could say I handled it well.


    I didn¡¯t. I stood up, slamming my grimoire into the stone floor beneath me. The book cracked the rock, being harder than stone. In frustration I shouted,


    ¡°What the fuck am I supposed to do now?¡±


    Hod slept like a corpse beside me, not even stirring as my outburst continued,


    ¡°Alright Schema, you tell me I can¡¯t leave and I have to kill a warrior king. I go at it, and now you cut me off from the system without even telling me the runes were off limits? Why didn¡¯t the overseer or sentinel¡¯s tell me? I didn¡¯t hide that shit. Why wasn¡¯t there some kind of warning?¡±


    I balled up my fists and looked down, ¡°I¡¯m just a fucking kid. I¡¯m not some god. I can¡¯t do the impossible. I can¡¯t kill this thing on my own. I need some help. You¡¯re an omnipotent AI. Why not give me a helping hand?¡±


    I fell backwards, flopping onto my back, ¡°For fucks sake. I have given this brutal, gut wrenching system all that I¡¯m worth, and this is what I get in return? An enormous middle finger. Great. Just fucking great.¡±


    I raised two middle fingers towards the sky, ¡°Go fuck yourself Schema. Go choke on an Old One¡¯s galaxy sized dick.¡±


    After that, I lowered my hands and just stared at the red sky. I was being immature, I know. It was frustrating though. Being exiled wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was that I wasn¡¯t warned about it. Nowhere in the obelisk databases or in the skill tutorials is a dimensional cipher mentioned. How was I supposed to know it resulted in immediate exile if no one ever told me.


    It wasn''t like I was hiding my knowledge of the runes or my attempts at learnign them. It sucked because I always thought Schema was fair. Sure, Schema was demanding and ruthless, but if you did what it said, it would give you what you needed to succeed. This event proved me wrong. I grabbed the edges of helmet.


    It reminded me that I didn''t need the system entirely. I still had my armor. If I got a few more evolutions, taking Yawm down wouldn¡¯t be impossible. With a new plan for it my head already, I picked up my grimoire and set to work. If the runes got me in this mess, I might as well utilize them to their fullest. Right as I start carving, the space around me stretched. I froze in place. I couldn¡¯t move. Even my eyes couldn¡¯t move before the oppressive grip ceased.


    I gasped a deep breath as I turned around. Hod was stuck in the middle of breathing, unable to move. Beside me, a dragonfly was stuck in the air, in the middle of flapping its wings. I reached out and touched it. Moving the dragonfly was impossible, like pressing my finger against a block of iron. A strong, clear voice spoke beside me,


    ¡°So you¡¯re this Harbinger huh?¡±


    I jumped backwards, rolling onto my feet and into a combat stance. In front of me was a nine foot tall humanoid dragon. His scales and eyes radiated a vibrant green. A violet colored electricity rippled over his scaled skin. He wore a fitted, black leather made from some giant, black reptile.


    Each scale on his armor was the size of my fist. Straps and belts held an assortment of gear on him, from daggers made of teeth to swords made of cheekbones. At his side was an assortment of three potions. One was a potion that looked like a galaxy, one like lightning trapped in a bottle, and the last was a deep black. The black miasma in the bottle was like the energy between dimensions.


    With a toothy grin, he smiled at me,


    ¡°My name is Tera. I¡¯m an agent sent by Schema for you.¡± He looked at me, from head to toe, ¡°So you¡¯re Schema¡¯s new walking corpse? That has to feel awful, but try to make the best of it. It might work out for you in the end.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He fiddles with his status. A moment later, Tera raised a hand, pointing a finger over his head,


    ¡°I''ll let you see my title. It should tell you all you need to know.¡±


    I looked at his titles. My jaw dropped.


    Tera, the World Breaker(lvl 8,021)


    My hands fell as I sighed, ¡°So now I¡¯m exiled and being killed for writing one fucking rune? Seriously?¡±


    Tera laughed, ¡°No, the opposite. You¡¯re being admitted back into the system. Getting kicked is an automatic response generated by anyone that unlocks the skill. You''ve been given special clearence for it considering your circumstances.¡±


    I blinked in surprise, ¡°What, really?¡±


    Tera nodded, ¡°Yes, really. It wouldn¡¯t make much sense if Schema told you to complete an S tier mission then took away your only tool for completing it. Schema is cruel, but he isn¡¯t unfair. Most of the time.¡±


    I gawked at his level as I spoke, ¡°Well damn...How did you get that high a level, and what are you anyway?¡±


    The giant dragon man messed with his status screen as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m arguably the strongest member of the skeptiles. Well, very arguable. If you know anything about us, you know this violet aura is my arcane affinity. Abusing it is how I¡¯ve gotten to the level I¡¯m at.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, percentage based true damage is broken.¡±


    Tera shook his head and creased his face, ¡°Speaking of broken, how is your health regeneration this high? It¡¯s disgusting for your level...for any level if you''re lacking a class.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It comes from all kinds of factors. Arcane blood, having ridiculous endurance and willpower, and having a bonus from my armor.¡±


    Tera looked me over, ¡°Ah, so that''s what it is. I''ve seen others try this build, though they always end up dying. This armor let you pull through, huh? I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. No wonder Schema giving you clearance for the dimensional cipher. You¡¯re wearing one right now.¡±


    I looked at my hands, ¡°Wait, I¡¯m wearing what?¡±


    Tera raised a horned crest over one of his eyes. They looked like eyebrows, just made of spines.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t discovered what your armor is yet?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I thought it was just eldritch skin or something. That¡¯s what it was called by Schema¡¯s interface.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Tera laughed, ¡°Hah, hah, hah! Perhaps that¡¯s its initial form, but that isn¡¯t what it ends up as. You¡¯re wearing the physical manifestation of dimension fabric. Weird, hah.¡±


    My eyes dulled over a little bit, ¡°What the hell does that even mean?¡±


    Tera tapped my chest, ¡°That is a tiny dimension that has fused together with you. It¡¯s a powerful tool, whether you use it as a weapon or as armor.¡±


    I molded my armor, creating ripples across it. I looked up at Tera, ¡°It¡¯s a damn dimension? Really now?¡±


    Tera shook his head, ¡°Believe me when I tell you I¡¯ve seen many things. That dimensional fabric you¡¯re wearing is one of the oddest.¡±


    I lowered my hands, ¡°Do you know anyone else like me?¡±


    Tera shook his large jaw, the muscles in his neck rippling, ¡°No. Keep feeding the dimension energy, just as Schema told you. The dimension will grow in size, enhancing its...abilities. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find them useful If you make it that far, that is.¡±


    Tera opened his status and clicked a button.


    Schema Initializing...System operational. Welcome Back Daniel Hillside.


    The notifications came up once more, along with a new tree and a new a breakthrough in two of my skills.


    Tera grinned at me, ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve just learned how to write with the dimensional cipher. As you master the language, you can mold that armor of yours into whatever you want. You should feel honored. It¡¯s a great privilege that Schema¡¯s granted you.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, I mean Schema wants me to kill this beast named Yawm. I¡¯m going to need at least this much.¡±


    Tera¡¯s eyes opened wide, an inkling of fear creeping into his voice, ¡°Did you say...Yawm? As in Yawm of flesh?¡±


    A chill ran up my spine, ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± I pointed at the world tree, ¡°He¡¯s right there.¡±


    Tera turned to the world tree, his face scales dimming from a vibrant emerald to a forest green. The violet energy pulsing from his skin dampened. His chest deflated. He turned to me, ¡°He hasn¡¯t broken out of his world tree yet, has he?¡±


    Tera was doing a pretty damn good job of masking his panic, but my enhanced senses caught wind of it. I bit my lip before answering, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s still stuck in there.¡±


    Tera sighed with relief before his chest inflated again.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I tilted my head in amazement, ¡°You¡¯re scared of him, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Tera stared at me, silent as a winter¡¯s night. When he spoke, his voice was solemn.


    ¡°I should be. I¡¯m a Speaker. I don¡¯t fight monsters of Yawm¡¯s caliber. That¡¯s a Breaker¡¯s job. A team of Breakers, actually.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°A Breaker?¡±


    Tera glanced at the world tree, ¡°You¡¯ve seen an overseer and sentinels no doubt?¡±


    I nodded so he continued, ¡°It works like this. A sentinel is an automaton. It has little to no free will. A Speaker is given complete freedom, but his level is capped at 9,000. A Breaker is given less freedom, but his level is capped at 12,000. An Overseer has a kill switch placed on him at all times, but his level is capped at 20,000.¡±


    Tera raised his hands, ¡°That¡¯s the highest level thing I¡¯ve seen Schema allow to exist. Outside of a privileged few. We''ll never be getting there, however.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s a level cap?¡±


    Tera nodded, ¡°Few know it even exists and far fewer have reached it. You¡¯re looking at one of the few skeptiles who has gotten close.¡±


    ¡°So you''re impressive, and that''s great and all, but do you have any advice on how to kill Yawm?¡±


    Tera grimaced, ¡°Unfortunately no. Even arcane magic doesn¡¯t work on him. He¡¯s been working with the dimensional cipher for far too long now. I don¡¯t understand why Schema believes you¡¯ll be able to fight something like Yawm and win.¡±


    My shoulders drooped, ¡°Thanks for the support. Real motivating.¡±


    Tera grinned, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± He opened his status, clicking a few buttons before glimpsing at Hod, ¡°I have about fifteen minutes before I can handle my next assignment. I can answer some questions while I¡¯m here if you¡¯d like. I¡¯m sure Schema and C-137 haven¡¯t given you many answers.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not even one.¡±


    Tera bit his lip, ¡°They prefer a limited knowledge network. It makes keeping information locked away easier. The dimensional cipher is one of the best examples of that.¡±


    I showed him my rune in my grimoire, ¡°Is there anyone who can show me a thing or two about this and how it works?¡±


    Tera scoffed, ¡°Not in a pragmatic sense. You aren¡¯t going to find many beings that know it exists let alone have chosen to learn it. Schema takes a hardline stance against it. No doubt you¡¯ve seen the effects of that, being exiled an all.¡±


    Tera bored holes through Hod with a stare like razors. I walked up to Tera, ¡°Uh, is Hod bothering you?¡±


    Tera shook his head, growling, ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry. He reminds me of things I¡¯d rather forget. Anyways, any other questions?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Any ideas of how I could gain levels to kill Yawm? Maybe a few trees that are ridiculous?¡±


    Tera shrugged, ¡°From what I saw, you picked up the most important ones and a few extra that synergize with your build well. Your build fits together considering, almost as if you hired a higher level player to plan it out for you.¡±


    I tapped my chest with a fist, ¡°The only plan I need is dumb luck...For real though, thanks for taking the time to talk. A lot of higher level people don¡¯t give me the time of day.¡±


    Tera grinned at me, his sharp teeth white despite the darkness around him, ¡°It¡¯s better to build bridges than to burn them. Remember that.¡±


    Tera¡¯s eyes twitched up and sideways. He gave me a curt salute, ¡°I¡¯m needed elsewhere. Good luck versus Yawm. You¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Before leaving, Tera tossed the tiny black potion on his side at me. I snatched it out of the air as Tera grinned, ¡°That should give you a little head start with your runes no doubt. Hopefully we''ll meet again some other time...Harbinger."


    Tera laughed at my title as violet portal opened for him. He stepped through it. Whatever it was that froze everything in place, it ended the moment the portal closed. The dragonfly darted through the air. Hod¡¯s snoring entered my ears again, along with a dozen other sounds. Tera left as fast as he came.


    I learned a lot from our conversation, but one thing stuck out in particular. Schema wanted me to do something. I had no idea what, but just knowing that was a huge help. With that in mind, I checked out my notifications.


    Breakthrough Achieved! Overwhelming Presence(lvl 17)-->(lvl 42)


    Breakthrough Achieved! Words of Strength(lvl 19)-->(lvl 44)


    Those breakthroughs explained why I handled Tera so well. The fact that anyone out there was willing to give me a hand out for once was nice too. As much as I loved fairness and all that, I sure as hell needed some help now. In most video games, you get some rewards for quests. So far, the only quests I had were absurd and impossible.


    I mean honestly, I didn¡¯t even really know how powerful items were in the system. Was there armor that was stronger than mine? How powerful did enchantments become? I didn¡¯t know because earth was pretty much stuck in the stone age. Well, at least compared with the rest of Schema¡¯s universe.


    This jar full of black miasma was my first item that may actually be useful for me. With that in mind, I analyzed it.


    Miasma Jar(???) - Holds the miasma of countless eldritch. Opening it will unleash the energy within.


    It was probably just a bunch of ambient mana. My armor could eat it at some point. As I opened my spatial ring, a crack formed in the tiny bottle. I looked beside me, seeing if something caused. Nothing had. I reached out with Tactile Cognition and my gravity sensing skill.


    There was nothing. Another crack formed in the glass. The bottle shook in my hand, a low squeal escaping the inside of it. Before I could throw the thing away, it sunk into the armor of my hand. Within the armor, the bottle leaked the energy of eldritch.


    The cold, icy feeling spread through my limbs. A burning cold covered every inch of my skin, digging down into my bones. I fell on my knees, my hands trembling as the cold ignored my pain tolerance.


    When I believed it would get no worse, the crack of shattering glass echoed into my ear. Imagine your blood freezing. Now imagine the shards of ice breaking into your bones and causing your skin to snap. That was what happened. Even with my pain tolerance and elemental resistance being high, the sharpness of the cold crippled me.


    Once I gained an understanding of what was happening, I gripped my hands into fists. I gritted my teeth and stood upright. My armor writhed on me, harvesting the energy with reckless abandon. Spikes jutted from my armor, piercing into the ground as I stumbled away from Hod. I pulled in oppression. Controlling it was impossible for now.


    I fell onto the ground a hundred feet from Hod. As I sat there wheezing for breath, I remembered why I hated pain so much. It was consuming, like something that ate away at you. The agony steals a part of you until it ends. If the torment proved too excruciating, it becomes blinding. It¡¯s like pain is all there is. You become pain.


    I have no idea how long that kind of pain lasted. It could have been seconds or hours. It didn''t really matter. When it''s that bad, seconds become hours anyway.


    As the cold faded, so did the pain¡¯s grip on me. I returned from the excruciation, my mind and body feeling new and sensitive. My senses almost overwhelmed me as I stared around. Thank Jesus it wasn¡¯t bright and sunny. My poor eyes might have fallen out.


    That¡¯s when I focused in front of me. There was a message waiting for me.


    Evolutionary line, Harbinger of Cataclysm completed. Dimensional Cipher unlocked. New evolutionary line unlocked.


    Evolution gained. Living Dimension unlocked. Evolve Y/N?

 94 In the Flesh(Part 1)

    I clicked yes. For once, the evolution began with no pain. The area around me stretched outwards, as if it was being forced out of place. Around me, the space rippled along with a fluctuation in gravity. This subtle change grew in magnitude, becoming a shifting field around me.


    Everything around me became foreign. It was the same feeling I got in a rift, like I wasn¡¯t a part of where I was. I was something else intruding here, an entity that existed elsewhere. The difference made sensing gravity and fluctuations in it much easier.


    Experimenting with the difference in feel, I stepped forward. As I did, the rippling field around me shifted too. I moved my hands through the air, noticing a pressure and pull that my limbs exerted. Before I took another step, a fresh, new kind of hell roared up my limbs.


    The cold extinguished as a fire stampeded through my flesh and into my head. It consumed me, like falling into a vat of lava. Within seconds, my blood was magma and my bones were molten lead. I pulled back my helmet, gasping for air. I knew there was wind, yet I couldn¡¯t feel it. This horrific burning wouldn¡¯t let me notice anything else.


    My blood thickened. An awareness of it pressed into my mind like a drill. Within the nerves lining my body, metal tendrils crept through them. Wires of my armor dug into the nerves, throwing my entire body into a firestorm of pure agony. It was a flood of frenzy and fire and force. It was like every fiber of my being was being destroyed and recreated.


    It was overwhelming. The pain was shouting at me to bend and bow my head. It told me that it was impossible to withstand, and that I would snap as I endured it. I writhed on the ground. My hands shook. My skin shivered. My eyes watered. I dragged my face across the dirt, gasping and heaving for breath.


    At that point, I remembered myself. I sighed out my weakness. I grinned at my body¡¯s misery. It believed it would conquer me. It was wrong. Even as the excruciation grew in magnitude, my confidence exploded. The pain was shouting at me, screaming for me to bow and bend and break. I wouldn¡¯t go down without fighting.


    Against that deafening misery, I roared. Against the blistering anguish, I thundered. My voice quaked the ground with my defiance. The might of my own words echoed with my resolve. Within me, my voice boomed louder than the pain. It swallowed the outcry of my tortured body. I was the conqueror, not the pain and torment.


    I clasped my shaking hands into fists harder than iron. I clenched my chattering teeth into smile that could bite through steel. I wouldn¡¯t let something as simple as pain overwhelm me. I stood on shaking knees, the pain waning as I did. By the time my knees where steady, the pain roared out no longer. I was free from it.


    I shifted my hands, everything fresh and new. I bent my neck before rolling my shoulders. As I did, the resistance was greater than I remembered. It was like I was heavier and harder. I looked around, the pervasive and unfamiliar aura pressing all around me. After turning back and walking towards Hod, the unfamiliar aura followed me. I shifted my hands before it came to me.


    The alien aura was me. Curious about myself, I tested out my new limits. I flared my mana. The generation of current strengthened the pulling sensation around me. Deep under my skin, the mana coursed better through my armor.


    I walked around, and my feet crushed the ground beneath me. My armor was harder, denser, better. The mass and hardness turned my feet into pikes that pierced into the ground. Without telekinetic pads dispersing my weight, I sunk into the soft ground. Thank Jesus I already handled that issue before now. As I created the pads on my feet, the tug on my mana was smooth and fluid.


    After stretching my arms, I felt why. Tiny wires of the armor lined my nerves and veins. They acted as conductors for my mana, like wires through a power grid. I reached out with oppression, but it didn¡¯t respond. The ability was gone. Curious about what the fuck was going on, I opened my status screens. They explained a lot of what was going on.


    You have forgotten Oppression.


    Unknown skill unlocked, Event Horizon.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Living Dimension(New Body | Unknown Composition | Class Permissible) - Your body is a dimension. This gives you many unique properties. Listed below are these properties. 0/4.3 Trillion Mana left till next evolution.


    Condensed Dimensional Fabric - A reinforcing material composing most of your body. Wires of this material lines your blood vessels, nerves, and organs, absorbing impact and damage.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Solidity of Dimensional Fabric - Increases resistance cap by 3.5% | Current Max: 98.5%</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Malleability of Dimensional Fabric - Additional 35% increase to health | Current Bonus: 135%</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Stability of Dimensional Fabric - 7.5% of health added towards health regen per minute.</li>


    </ul>


    Creator of Cosmos - You¡¯ve created your own dimension. This enhances creation abilities involving your dimension.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Dimensional Comprehension - Reduces mana cost of Dimensional Cipher by 50%</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Origin of a Cosmos - Self created objects have enchantments and bonuses increased by 100%</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Vast Soul - Halves the mana cost of soul forging.</li>


    </ul>


    Sovereign Presence - You exist within your own dimensional space and time. Since your own space is condensed and living, you can grow it, and it is resilient to change.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Infinite Mass - Mass is enhanced by total ambient energy absorbed. Current Bonus: 1000 Kilos</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Independent Space - You can store objects and energy within yourself. Limited by your mass.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Undeniable Presence - Gives half of resistance cap as Dimensional and Kinetic Resistance.</li>


    </ul>


    Event Horizon - Gives unique ability Event Horizon | Current Damage: (20,000 + 100% of your total health/min) within a maximum of 250 ft/76 m radius. Drains 50% of damage dealt as health. If health is full, damage is converted into ambient mana. Counts as physical damage, and is affected by physical resistance.


    Unfathomable - Differences are often scorned. Subtracts 20% from total Charisma.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The bonuses from condensed dimensional fabric were insane. The extra damage resistance, even though it was half a percent, gave me a third more tankiness. That alone was an enormous boost. The extra health and health regeneration were welcome rewards as well.


    The creator of cosmos bonus was a little harder to understand. Whenever I made the single eldritch rune, it costed a ton of mana, so halving that cost was awesome. The enchantment bonuses didn¡¯t affect the steel legion¡¯s gear because they weren¡¯t made from my armor. It would affect Althea¡¯s rifle though, so I could get a lot out of that. I didn¡¯t understand the soul forging bonus yet.


    With time, I¡¯m sure the bonus would manifest itself. The last set of bonuses were a mixed bag. The mass bonus helped amplify my constitution bonuses. As I gained extra mana, my mass would increase. That limitless growth upped my potential heft by plenty. The storage explained were my obelisk went when my armor ate it.


    The last two bonuses were very powerful though. Dimensional resistance might affect a sentinel¡¯s spear or an overseer¡¯s dimensional rupturing. Considering I was fighting Yawm who had a sentinel¡¯s spear, that resistance was key. The kinetic resistance would help versus giant enemies like the sandworm. The last perk was the most exciting bonus though.


    I mean it was called event horizon. The name itself just sounded epic in my ears. It worked just like oppression except it drained half the damage it dealt. That meant groups of enemies would desperately struggle to kill me. Having another viable source of getting ambient mana was nice too. Considering I needed four trillion mana for my next evolution, I would need it. The last effect reduced my charisma, but at least the debuff had been reduced.


    Wondering what Event Horizon felt like to use, I activated the skill. Controlling the field reminded me of gravity magic and oppression if they combined. As I shifted it over a few plants, they died. As they did, tiny sparks shot into my armor. The sensation of consuming an eldritch corpse washed over me, like satiating a deep hunger.


    After getting a grip on the different feel between the two skills, I walked over towards Hod and my grimoire. I sat down, folding Event Horizon around us like a protective shield. The night has a few hours left in it before it was over. Maximizing my fighting potential was my goal right now. Finishing some basic eldritch runes and putting them on my armor was the first step for that.


    It was a fact I had to face. My old runes weren¡¯t cutting it anymore with the amount of mana I generated. That was before my evolution. With the added health and regen from Living Dimension, I doubted the magic runes would even last seconds.


    With that in mind, I picked up my grimoire before opening my status screens. I wanted to get an idea of what I was working with now.


    Level 1500


    Strength ¨C 1353 | Constitution ¨C 1721 | Endurance ¨C 4006


    Dexterity ¨C 430 | Willpower ¨C 2319 | Intelligence ¨C 831.2


    Charisma ¨C 117.1 | Luck ¨C 273.3 | Perception ¨C 199


    ************************************


    Stolen story; please report.


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>263,411/263,411</td>


    <td>142,468/min or 2,374/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>120,771/120,771</td>


    <td>1,319/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Living Dimension</td>


    <td>0.00 Trillion/ 4.33 Trillion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your health)/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 14,639% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    By far the biggest improvement was in health regeneration. The scaling of my stats crossed a threshold now. My tankiness was better than Kessiah¡¯s by now, and tanking her mythical skill wouldn¡¯t be impossible anymore. I might already have been the strongest member of our team.


    The fact I got there so fast didn¡¯t surprise me either. For all the age that Kessiah and Torix had, they hadn¡¯t honed their skills much. Torix spent most of his time learning, but he never applied it to the real world. Kessiah was just messing around until very recently. The distinction between us was clear. They grew bored with progress while my life was dominated by it since Schema took over.


    That¡¯s not to say they were inferior or anything like that. Torix¡¯s pursuit of knowledge was admirable on its own merits. He could probably get several legendary skills if he wanted them. Kessiah seemed more like a case of rotten talent. She was born powerful, so she never had to earn that power herself. That meant she lacked the ability to learn effectively or the willpower to strengthen herself.


    I still had a lot to learn from them, but if they wanted to keep up with me now, they¡¯d need to level and train like I did. Torix might keep up, but Kessiah...Well, I doubted it. Maybe it was unfair of me to think that, but I was calling it like I saw it. So far, she lounged around like a cat more than fight like a warrior.


    Which was fine. Not everyone should have to rip monsters apart just for a decent life. If it wasn¡¯t for the circumstances with Yawm, I wouldn¡¯t be pushing this hard anymore anyways. In fact, the idea of just enjoying life after Yawm¡¯s disappearance was one of my primary motivations. I might even try and get together with Althea.


    I pushed those thoughts from my mind. I needed a laser focus on these runes, and daydreaming wasn¡¯t about to help me out anyways. With about an hour left before sunrise, I crossed my legs as I sat down and carved in my grimoire. The first rune symbolized strength. The next rune would symbolize speed.


    As I etched my first line into the paper, I voided the distractions around me. I ignored Hod¡¯s snoring, the dark around me, and the death of nearby insects. I needed the speed and strength rune so that I could use my runic channeling. A large portion of my combat power was tied to it after all.


    With that in mind, I etched into the black paper. As I did, writing the rune was simpler than I remembered. Of course the difficulty was still there, but it wasn¡¯t as all consuming as before. Despite this, I pushed myself, concentrating as I worked. No matter how simple the rune was, a near flawless execution was necessary for the rune¡¯s completion. Otherwise...well I didn¡¯t want to know what would happen.


    With an inkling of fear guiding my focus, I completed the body of the rune. As I etched the inner markings of the letter, I kept visualizing what speed was to me. It was the sensation of acceleration. It was the exhilaration of danger that came with scenery passing by my eyes. It was the freedom of having no limits. I could go anywhere with no inconvenience. The world was at my fingertips.


    Those thoughts filled my mind as I carved out the single letter. The complexity of it grew with time, becoming an enigma of lines and crevices on the paper. Sweat poured down my forehead as I struggled with the tiniest lines. The entire process devoured my attention, burning through the remaining hours in moments.


    As the sunless sky brightened, I finished my last marking that completed the rune. Like a lock clicking into place, the space around me warped once more. The rune reached out for my mana like a starving child. I fed it with a torrent that it greedily gobbled up. As the rune¡¯s hunger evolved, my own stream of mana did as well.


    It was like I was feeding my book a beam of energy. The absorption enhanced until it surpassed my new, ridiculous mana regen. Minutes later, my health reached around half of its maximum before the sapping ended. As I stared at the rune, it was speed. The way I understood the entire concept was embodied on the page.


    Redoing strength would be necessary considering how much better my speed rune was. On the same sheet of paper that I used for the speed rune, I cut into the paper. With a sharpened hand, I stayed steady as I maintained the same approach. I envisioned strength as I marked on the page. I found my understanding of strength was different than I first imagined.


    Strength reminded me of boldness. It was taking risks for great rewards, and doing anything to get those rewards. A relentless, overpowering will for success, that was strength to me. It was going on despite hardship. It was overcoming unfair circumstances, and standing up in the face of them instead of crumbling.


    On the page, the density of the lettering increased. I stretched the limits of my own precision, making subtle slits and lines throughout the rune. With no idea how much time passed, the pull on my mana began. The deluge of energy poured into the rune before I reached halfway through my entire health pool. It took about five minutes of draining before I reached that point.


    I gasped as the rune completed on the page. This was my masterpiece now, two runes of incredulous complexity on the same page. Each letter took up a quarter of the page like I was writing in size four hundred font. From behind me, the sound of a deep breath and stretching wings let out into the open. I turned around, and Hod stood up,


    ¡°Hod feel great after long rest.¡± He turned to me, his eyes opening wide, ¡°Are you Harbinger?¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Well yeah. I¡¯m still me.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Harbinger not Harbinger anymore. Harbinger spoke with words of coming cataclysm. Harbinger spoke with words of a great change. No more speaking with words. Now Harbinger speak with actions. Now Harbinger the coming cataclysm.¡±


    I pointed at my chest, ¡°Really? Do I look that different.¡±


    Hod walked up, ¡°No, Harbinger look similar. Though Harbinger may look similar, Harbinger is different. Hod no longer smell other energies or forces infecting Harbinger. Harbinger is Harbinger now. How Hod put it...¡±


    He spread out his wings, ¡°You more you than others are themselves.¡±


    For second, I just gave him a blank stare. I shook my hands, ¡°Nope. Just stick with no pronouns. That made no damn sense.¡±


    Hod laughed for a bit before shrugging, ¡°Hod not talk Hod¡¯s way. Hod can¡¯t help Hod¡¯s self.¡±


    He offered me a hand, so I pulled myself up, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Come on, let¡¯s kill the rift keeper.¡±


    Hod pointed at my grimoire on the ground, ¡°Those...Same words Hod¡¯s parents use?¡±


    I nodded. Hod took a step back, ¡°Hod warn Harbinger. Words dangerous. Words hold knowledge. Words like doors in hallway. Harbinger walking through hallway. Some doors bad to open. Other doors bad to close.¡±


    The white, ominous glow around Hod¡¯s eyes amplified, ¡°Bad doors bad to open, but bad doors not worst. Worst doors are bad doors that once opened, cannot be closed. Words on page are door that cannot be closed.¡±


    I bent over and picked up the grimoire, staring at the intricacy of my own markings. I placed a palm onto the page, feeding it mana. Like draining a vast ocean, the pull on my mana was incredible. The icy sensation of the white energy of the cores pierced into my arm. It numbed as my blood and body drained into the book.


    Hod glanced up at me, ¡°Hod wonder what Harbinger doing?¡±


    I grimaced as the grimoire sapped my health, ¡°I don¡¯t honestly know.¡±


    The booklet drained from my mana at a slower pace than completing the runes did. Unlike completing the runes, the process kept up for well over ten minutes. The process proved so lengthy that Hod and I walked deeper into the dungeon during it. We paced for a long time, Hod keeping aware as I probed the area with Tactile Cognition and my gravity sensing.


    We didn¡¯t want an ambush while I was weakened. Still, standing still for so long ate away at both our patiences. Waiting chewed through my patience in particular. By then, I did at least one thing all the time. I wasn¡¯t used to sitting around.


    So we crept deeper into the dungeon as my grimoire sapped my mana. We reached an island floating higher than even the tallest skyscraper in Springfield.


    Once we reached the edge of the floating island, the view opened up for us, along with distant echoes. The far off sounds of fresh monsters reverberated into our ears. A few abstractions floated off in the distance, their jittery, twitching movements both eerie and unnatural.


    Off in the distance, the solar beetles covered every inch of the islands. The density of writhing creatures instilled awe and a bit of anticipation. Once I finished these runes, culling the horde would be a joy. Hod tapped his teeth together at the sight of the monsters. He wanted blood as well.


    Those monsters covered the nearby islands floating near the center of the rift. A gray cloud covered most of the world tree and everything nearby. As sat and stared, the gray cloud floated away, uncovering the tree in parts.


    The roots wrapped around every surface of the dead city, coming together into a single, colossal mass of wood. It expanded in sight as the cloud uncovered it, like a mountain growing in size as you neared it.


    As the edges of the trunk appeared, eldritch language blanketed the bark, creating a mural of the forbidden code. The intricate language smothered the surface of roots, nearby buildings, and the trunk itself. Above the trunk, other clouds floated in the sky.


    The red sky ended where the branches and trunk of the tree began. It was like the leaves where the sky. As we reached closer towards the world tree, we found that was the case.


    Leaves from it littered the abandoned high rises of Springfield, looking like tiny dots of the sky. On the roads, piles of these leaves created portions of the ground that looked like holes leading to another world. A pile of them were collected nearby, clumped against the edge of the island.


    Hod walked up, stepping on the leaves. Even though it looked like he should have fallen through, he didn¡¯t. The leaves were what this sky was made of. If anything, this rift seemed like it was made of the world tree. For all we knew, maybe it was.


    the gray cloud kept floating away from the tree, revealing more. Near the center of the trunk, green lines of pulsing energy streaked into a tremendous green blob. These lines condensed, becoming a vibrant green center.


    Specks of the green energy filed into this green mass, like blood being pumped into the green clump. Once it swelled up till it was close to bursting, the emerald green blob pulsed downwards.


    The bulging green mass deflated. The energy filled into a speck at the center of the tree. As the blinding emerald sheen dampened, the center of the tree became visible.


    There was a minute, tiny ball there. The green veins on its body leaked out into the emerald sea surrounding it. The ball was surrounded by a deep brown, like the color of earth. The ball shivered with violence, if it was containing some unknown force.


    Dense, strong, those words failed at describing him. The eldritch runes covered inch of his body, lacing him like brands. The skin of bark rippled as something like muscle shook underneath it. As I peered closer, his hands were colossal, the size of car doors.


    His chest heaved as he breathed. It was like sustaining his form required an entire gust of wind. As I stared at his runes, they flowed into a single, immaculate form. It was like staring at infinity, something my mind couldn''t fully grasp.


    I was staring at something unknowable, a presence that shook time and space. It was a humbling sight.


    The overseer had given a sense of absolute order, like a pillar that helped support Schema. This was a different pillar, a darker, chaotic entity. It was the corrupted king of a species. A prodigy, volatile like entropy, he bided his time, waiting to unleash his energy and tear worlds apart.


    Nothing would stop him, not gods, not immortals, and certainly nothing as insignificant as man. Here was the killer of the unkillable and the destroyer of worlds. Here was the maker of horrors and aberrations. Here was a presence that oppressed all around him.


    At the center of the world tree, there was Yawm of Flesh.

 94 In the Flesh(part 2)

    Surrounding the behemoth, plants flourished near the roots of the world tree. Nearby trees, bushes, flowers, grass, sprouts, vines, and even weeds leaned towards him, as if worshipping a god. They wilted in the face of him, but none of the plants died. They endured.


    Waterfalls fell from curves in the enormous trunk, giving the plants nearby nourishment. Those waterfalls poured downwards into elegant trails of fine mist. This mist collected on the surface of plants, creating a display of light. Literal rainbows arched near these waterfalls, the beams of light reflecting off the mist.


    This water pooled into an enormous lake underneath the world tree¡¯s trunk. The green glow from Yawm¡¯s energy reflected off the top of the lake, turning the water seafoam blue. Black forms swam under the lake¡¯s surface. Insects crawled across the water, fish splashing up out of the water for a quick meal.


    At the center of the lake, there was an island. At the center of the island, a set of stone stairs led downwards. These stairs circled a pillar beaming light into the world tree. It was the same white energy that sustained the other rifts, except it fed into the world tree instead. The greater the distance from this lake and white beam of light, the more feeble and fragile the plant life was.


    I tried analyzing Yawm, but the system couldn''t affect him for some reason. I guessed it was the world tree and the green aura.


    Interrupting my trance, Hod whispered, ¡°Hod thought world tree suck up life like...like Dry Man want to suck up water.¡±


    I turned to him, almost falling over at what he said all of a sudden.


    Hod continued, ¡°Hod not know why Dry Man not drink. Dry Man not be dry if Dry Man drink to not be dry.¡± Hod shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s what Hod think at least.¡±


    I chuckled, the tension of seeing Yawm fading, ¡°I needed that. Thanks.¡±


    Hod puffed out his chest, putting his hands on his hips, ¡°Hod glad Hod help Harbinger.¡±


    The feeling of dread dwindled as I glanced down on my hand. The grimoire¡¯s ironclad lock on my palm finally released. The eldritch rune floated off the page, an almost miracle of ingenuity. At least to me it was.


    I lifted my left arm, watching the glowing rune fall onto my forearm. It landed in the perfect center of the outer edge of my forearm. The other runes carved out and left smoothed metal behind. This rune worked differently. It glowed with the same color as my ascendant mana. A gentle hum radiated from it, and the rune created an invisible shift around me.


    The sensation almost threw me off balance before I planted my feet. I rolled my shoulders before lifting the hand in front of me. This was the time for finally getting the rune working. All the hours were either wasted now, or they would pay off in spades. With no idea how the runes would work, I put a drop of mana into the rune.


    The rune hardly responded. I raised an eyebrow before pouring more mana into the rune. It swallowed the mana, eating even more of the energy. It amazed me how mana hungry these runes were. Even with all the setup time, they required more and more and more. The demand was hard to maintain even for me, and my mana generation was second to none.


    Still, the rune wanted more so I relented. I ramped up how much mana I was giving until it matched my own health regen. What amazed me was how the rune didn¡¯t even hesitate at the amount. The other rune cracked well before my current max. The eldritch rune didn¡¯t show any signs of reaching its potential.


    After a few minutes of waiting, I sighed with a bitter disappointment. There was no rush, no surge of power. I expected a godlike increase in my potential. I expected something ridiculous. Schema outlawed these runes, and despite the rune showing signs of completion, it hadn¡¯t done jack shit. It was like spending months working day and night for the reward of a shit sandwich.


    I shook off the resentment, keeping the torrent of mana flowing into the rune. At some point it might payoff later, just not now. I didn¡¯t need immediate pay off anyways. I needed the other runes instead. The eldritch runes didn¡¯t seem like they were meant for conflict. With that in mind, I pat Hod on the shoulder,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Harbinger still walking?¡±


    I frowned, remembering the impotence of the eldritch runes, ¡°Unfortunately, yes. I have to finish the other runes for my armor.¡± I raised the eldritch rune, the rune¡¯s red hue darkening over time, ¡°This piece of shit isn¡¯t going to give me the oomph I need.¡±


    We walked down from the top of the high island. As we stepped down the vine, I admired the view once more. The gray cloud covering the tree was gone now, exposing it in its entirety. With that unveiling, Hod and I discovered the complexity of Yawm¡¯s base of operations. It wasn¡¯t just some tree. There was so much more.


    The most obvious anomaly were the effects of the floating islands. They only increased in intensity was we went on towards the rift¡¯s core. This explained the four largest islands orbiting the world tree.


    On the island closest to us, the crimson edges of a volcano spewed black smoke. There was a lack of life there, though a few of the stone eater¡¯s scrambled on its surface. It looked like the rift I locked Etna in. The magma even has rats and crystalline fish in it if I looked closer.


    On the island farthest from us, it was the polar opposite. That particular island was like a planet floating in space, oceans shimmering on its surface. Giant slugs and a few kraken sized squids swam under the waters. The gravity defying lakes hid their black, shifting forms, but they were the same as Krakow-Wahl. They were just giant squid monsters.


    On the leftmost island was a vast desert surrounded by high mountains. Even from so far away, Hod and I glimpsed at vultures and snakes slithering on its surface. Dunes formed on the biome, like a tiny slice of the Sahara. Giant worms slithered on the surface of the island as well, snapping towards any creature that neared the sand.


    On the right most side of the four islands, the entire landscape was a bustling metropolis. The futuristic city floated with the island, the buildings covered in glass and metal. Insulated bridges hung between this island and the world tree, pinning it there. Several smooth hunks of metal floated over these bridges.


    They were like space ships in a sci-fi movie. With everything made of sleek, edgeless designs, the island was aerodynamic and seamless. What it lacked in character it made up for in practicality.


    Three of these islands looked like they were made as tiny ecosystems for eldritch. The metropolis one looked like a research center, somewhere for noncombatants to dabble. What they did there was more than likely abominable, like what the scientists did to Althea. It made my blood boil.


    My hands clasped into fists without me realizing it before Hod nudged me,


    ¡°Hod understand Harbinger frustration. Hod think Harbinger focus on book rather than giant tree. Harbinger need markings on armor. Otherwise Harbinger weak. Not Hod or Harbinger can afford weakness.¡±


    I sighed, relaxing my hands before shaking my head, ¡°Yeah...yeah, you''re right...Thanks for keeping me focused.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod glad Hod help Harbinger like Harbinger help Hod.¡±


    It took me a second to put his words through my Hod language translator, but I nodded back before we trekked deeper into the rift. Hod kept a lookout as I etched out my runes onto another black page. By now, creating the runic carvings on my armor was simple as breathing. I maxed out the skill for it a while back, and I had carved almost everyday for months since.


    So using those skills I honed, I wrote in my grimoire as we walked towards the rift¡¯s center. The faraway screeching of abstractions heightened in tone and pitch as we came closer. Before we reached them, I wrapped up my runes on the page. It took about fifteen minutes for the whole thing.


    As I channeled mana into the grimoire, I contemplated the differences in eldritch and magic runes. The magic runes were more like etching out memories into words now. Airy, light, and spacious, they were like the fogginess that surrounded a memory. Of course they still held power, but they weren¡¯t in the same league as the eldritch runes.


    If magic incantations were pages, then eldritch runes were books. No, not books but dictionaries. It was like I had to argue them into existence, justifying every aspect of it. The meticulous detail was exhausting, like running a marathon. The razor thin margin of error and exact structure required for each glyph made them as fun as stomping on a rusty nail.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Combine that with the eldritch runes not amounting to much, and it was downright depressing. I had hope for them though. Yawm was covered in them, and he was one strong guy. If they were good enough for someone who killed a sentinel, they were good enough for me.


    With that in mind, I added runic lettering onto my upper arms, shins, chest, and back. They were similar with my previous runes, but a tad more precise. The grimoire let them come through better than marking them on my own.


    Once I completed them, I turned towards Hod,


    ¡°You ready to get going?¡±


    Hod spread his wings, ¡°Hod ready. Hod been ready for long time.¡±


    I charged my magic runes, limiting the flow of my mana. I overcharged the runes until they were about to burst. Instead of letting them crack, I siphoned all the excess mana into the eldritch rune on my left arm. Even if it didn¡¯t do anything, it could act like a mana sink for me, preventing me from rupturing the other runes.


    As I filled the runes with my mana, the familiar sensation of strength and control surged. I cracked my neck, relishing in the renewal. Without the runes, I was bare, like I was unclothed. Considering I could feel with my armor like it was skin, maybe I was naked.


    I pushed the thought from my head before jumping upwards. The ground crumbled under my feet, a gust of dusty wind rippling over the island I was on. I fired towards another island as Hod flew behind me. I grinned as the ground closed in on me. I reformed my armor, gliding into the ground, more at home in the dirt than the sky.


    The mana cost involved with The Coming Tide wasn¡¯t a burden anymore. As I leveled the skill, my efficiency with the movements increased. I wriggled through the earth before firing off the top of a different island. I shot over the skyscrapers littering springfield before smashing into one. I drilled through the concrete and drywall, shifting through the buildings floors with ease.


    Reaching through it, I burst out the other side of the skyscraper. The quake of my leap crushed the glass around me, making the sharp pieces fall through the air. I turned back, observing the damage I dealt. The skyscraper wiggled, dispersing the weight as a wave traveled through it. Across the side I leapt from, broken glass fell like a glimmering rain. Hell yeah.


    I turned forward, gliding through the islands as I leapt between them. Hod tried keeping up, but this terrain was perfect for me. Bouncing from island to island, I was ready for a fight from an anime at this point.


    The manic grin on my face grew before I reached an island near the world tree. On its surface, hundred of the Solar beetles crawled. Their after images formed as I neared them, their shapes shifting. It was like I just chugged a fifth of vodka, leaving me unable to see or stand up straight.


    I closed my eyes and covered my ears. This time I felt outwards with my sense of gravity. These tiny creatures released ripples in the space around them. Using that as my new sight, I molded my armor for landing.


    Just like that, I flew towards the island like a nuke dropping onto an unsuspecting city. I slammed straight into a beetle, crushing it into a wet splat. I reached out with Tactile Cognition, getting a more concrete view of my surroundings. Without eyes, my armor grinned with jagged teeth.


    I unleashed Event Horizon. As the aura reached out, the damage covered the cost of my runes without me even trying. As it reached over hundreds of insects, the surge of mana from it exceeded my own production. It raised in volume, becoming a torrent running into the eldritch rune.


    It was an amount of mana I hadn¡¯t handled since making the grimoire. I suppressed the growing hunger the mana caused as I dashed forward. A solar beetle snapped its jaws towards me. I side stepped to its right side, countering the blow with a right hook. My heels rotated on the ground as my fist pulverized the mandibles of the insect.


    The sound rumbled through my armor like a far off bomb. The warmth of the beetles blood covered me, soaking into my armor as it fed on the monster. Before it could escape, I stepped forward, gyrating another blow into the monster.


    My fist collided with a telekinetic pad, disintegrating the remains of the monster. Another beetles snapped towards my right leg. I turned towards it, lifting my leg. The jaws snapped beneath me, so I stomped the beetle¡¯s jagged mandibles. They crumbled before I reached out a hand towards it.


    The impact of my foot landing on the ground sent out a shockwave, knocking the beetle back. I grabbed it, digging my fingers through its hardened shell. Harder than steel, the shell cracked like dry wood as I clasped it. My armor dug into the monster, sapping its strength before another beetle reached towards me.


    I roared at the monster, giving it pause. During the monster¡¯s hesitation, I dashed forwards and slammed my held beetle into it. The beetle in my hand cracked in half, the insides rupturing. The beetle beneath it had its exoskeleton crushed inwards. A beetle snapped from behind me. I dashed forwards, stomping the head of the grounded beetle.


    With the remaining half of a beetle in my hand, I spun around. Dragging my arm behind me, I mauled the beetle with the other half. The insect pulped before I turned on my heels, arcing a fist over my head. It spun over me before crushing the beetle into the island. The mush splattered against my armor as I unleashed my overcharged runes.


    Firing forward, I drilled through three beetles before converting another one into paste. An abstraction dived towards me. I grabbed its deformed face with both my hands, pulling it downwards. I raised my knee, squashing the abstraction¡¯s head against it. Another abstraction dove from behind.


    I turned around, creating a gravity warp in front of me. The abstraction wobbled before losing control of its flight. It spun towards the gravity warp before I torqued a fist into it. The monster evaporated, and a thin, light sheen of humidity ran into my skin.


    It was a mild sensation, like walking into a cloud. My attack had left a fine, orange mist in place of the abstraction before. My armor stretched out needles towards the blobs of flesh around me, draining them as I passed.


    I smashed my fists together, walking into an oncoming horde. Each of my strikes killed the monster¡¯s making them fall apart. I kept killing, ripping the wings from abstractions and tearing the legs from beetles. Hordes came. Hordes died. It was a massacre. Even if a monster attacked me, they did little to no damage. The condensed dimensional fabric was too dense.


    Their teeth cracked against my skin. Their bones crumbled against my fists. Their shells shattered against my murderous intent. With each strike, I took at least one life from a monster. I kept each strike sharp and malicious, crippling and killing like a plague. Each moment, I fell into the motions of my strikes.


    Everything molded together, becoming a dance of sorts. I shifted my momentum, following a flow of battle. With each blow, I gave destruction. With each second, I took life. My aura sustained me, giving me an unstoppable endurance. My mana was limitless, fueling the carnage and decimation.


    I sunk into the earth, dodging attacks and unleashing The Coming Tide. I shot forth rippling attacks that disintegrated the monsters. I pulled them close with gravity and telekinesis, preventing their escape. Time disappeared during my bloodlust, the onslaught all there was. Everything faded away but the blood.


    My shifting form was death. It was a malignant force unleashed on the unsuspecting souls. Battle was my haven, a refuge from everything. There was no future or past, only that moment. A fight consumes you, freeing you from everything else. It offers a chaos, forcing a resolution. It was simple, something I savored.


    But like all things, the battle ended in time. Whenever I finished the last abstraction, I glanced around. This was no longer a field of battle. It was a field of corpses. It was a canvas painted with the red and orange blood of the monsters, grinded into nothing but pulp. Nothing remained near me that was living, no plant life, birds, or chirping insects.


    No, only a dreadful silence remained from where I passed. That, and the steady drip of leaking blood. I walked around, cleaning the corpses with Event Horizon and my armor. Event Horizon disintegrated them over time while my armor was a sponge. The needles drained any corpse in seconds.


    Once the island was devoid of life, I turned Event Horizon off. I glanced around, looking for Hod. He flew above the island, so I shouted, ¡°You can come down now.¡±


    ¡°Hod wonder if Harbinger sure?¡±


    I waved my arm, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    He dived downwards before spreading his wings, slowing his descent. He landed on the ground, his feet thumping against the ground. He turned towards me, ¡°Hod told Harbinger. Harbinger the cataclysm now.¡±


    I waved him off, ¡°I¡¯m just fighting. It¡¯s easy to destroy anyways. It¡¯s building that¡¯s actually difficult.¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod not know.¡± He pointed towards the rift¡¯s core. ¡°We go now?¡±


    I clasped a fist, ¡°Of course.¡± I turned towards Yawm, ¡°I wish we could just kill him.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Yawm awaken. Yawm strong, so Yawm kill us. Dry Man lose time for assault. Followers and Yawm impossible to kill. Yawm alone, maybe.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I shook off the bit of the desire to just run in and punch Yawm. I ran forward, firing off the island. Hod followed behind, darting through the air. We passed the islands, my teeth clenching as we passed the city covered one. Hod and I could try and kill the people there, but we might end up doing more harm than good.


    It reminded me of my outing with Bloodbull and the Freedom Fighters. I ended up killing everyone. No matter how I justified it to myself, that¡¯s what I did. I gritted my teeth, fearing the same outcome here. I didn¡¯t want to kill a crowd of normal people. The thought of doing so made me sick to my stomach.


    I remembered the man I strangled with telekinesis. His eyes were full of fear, bloodshot as he wallowed in his own filth. It was an awful way of dying. There was no mercy. As I dashed through the air, I stared at my hand. It was the one that clasped his throat, taking his life away.


    I clasped it into a fist. This wasn¡¯t the time nor place for brooding about what I¡¯d done. This was the time for taking a dungeon core. It was time for killing. Even if these hands were covered in blood, they were the hands I needed. If I was going to live through this, that was the only way out.


    With that resolve, I drilled through another island before jumping towards the ground. I dove into the ground, firing off of it before reaching the lake underneath the world tree. I shot myself onto a branch before climbing up the edges of the tree.


    The bark minced in my hands, soft and pliable. Over the next ten minutes, I reached over the lake¡¯s center island. I dropped from the top of the roots covering the lake. Landing beside the stone stairs, I created a rippling wave across the lake around me. The forms under the water stayed there, not coming at me like some ravenous horde.


    Hod landed beside me. I could have used Event Horizon for drawing in agro before killing the monsters in the lake. We didn¡¯t have the time. Before stepping down the stairs, I checked out my status for how many levels I gained.


    I gained fifty. Before putting in my attribute points though, I scrolled down my notifications. Two were very odd, both of them red. It was outlined with white, like an overseer¡¯s status screen. It read,


    Dimensional Cipher completed. Changes assimilated into Living Dimension.


    +4 Strength and Dexterity.


    Dimensional Cipher completed. Changes assimilated into Living Dimension.


    +4 Strength and Dexterity.

 95 Atlas Dropped the Sky

    I frowned, leaning against the pillar behind me. With the hum of the core¡¯s energy beaming, I checked out my Living Dimension armor. Well, it was considered a body by the system, but I still checked out the status. After reading through the bonuses, the last one intrigued me.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +8 Strength


    +8 Dexterity]


    I raised an eyebrow, thinking about the alteration. These stat bonuses were permanent, meaning I wouldn¡¯t need Schema for enhancements. Once Yawm was gone, fighting eldritch wasn¡¯t a thing I had to do. I might do it anyways, but pushing the limits for growth wouldn¡¯t be necessary.


    I didn¡¯t have much time before Yawm ripped out of his shackles though. I needed leveling and whatever the eldritch runes gave me and fast. With in mind, I sighed before opening my status screens and viewing my attribute points.


    From all the fighting, I gained 160 attribute points and cleared the dungeon of most of the monsters. Hod helped of course, likely killing quite a few abstractions. Without them enhancing the beetles, leveling slowed down by a fair margin though.


    Considering my levels gained so far, I wasn¡¯t complaining. Especially after my first handout from Tera. That helped me gain a bit more strength then I imagined I would when facing a follower. These levels were the same way. I welcomed them.


    With a great abandon, I put all the points into Endurance once again. These eldritch runes required ridiculous amounts of mana. Endurance helped with gaining mana, so the attribute had yet another reason investing into it. The extra damage resistance didn¡¯t hurt either. With that in mind, I hit finalize.


    The rush wasn¡¯t there this time. There was a bit of a buzz, but nothing crazy. Without any significant jump in stats, I wouldn¡¯t be feeling any serious oomph anytime soon. It would require something enormous, like an armor evolution or killing a follower. Knowing the stat bonuses wouldn¡¯t be huge, I checked them out.


    Level 1550


    Strength ¨C 1384 | Constitution ¨C 1765.9 | Endurance ¨C 4262


    Dexterity ¨C 447.2 | Willpower ¨C 2434 | Intelligence ¨C 892.6


    Charisma ¨C 121.3 | Luck ¨C 291.8 | Perception ¨C 204.2


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>277,261/277,261</td>


    <td>149,864/min or 2,498/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>128,219/128,219</td>


    <td>1,338/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Living Dimension</td>


    <td>0.00 Trillion/ 4.33 Trillion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Event Horizon ¨C (20,000 + 100% of your health)/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 15,048% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My health and health regen increased at a steady pace, along with my other stats. The upgrades went through too, increasing my strength and dexterity by a miniscule amount. At this point, increasing my stats required grinding high level monsters for extended periods of time. Checking my status screen after fifty levels was a waste of time.


    Until I felt a serious boost, I would allocate my attribute points then move on. I glanced up, closing my status screens. The white energy of the core melted into the tree, dissipating like misty breath in cold weather. Hod glanced up from his status screen,


    ¡°Hod ready. Hod put points into luck.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, what works for you works for you. I always go for endurance.¡±


    With a snippet of understanding, I pumped my excess mana into my eldritch rune. The stat bonuses weren¡¯t much for now, but they might collect over time. Once I gained some free time, I would remake the rune to enhance my endurance. As I gained more endurance, I could gain more mana, giving me more endurance from the eldritch rune. Rinse and repeat.


    The attribute gain would likely slow down over time, but even a hundred extra in my attributes was welcome. It made my armor better too. Considering I couldn¡¯t remove it, knowing it helped me more than other armors was nice. It was like a consolation prize.


    So after handling all the status stuff, I jumped up onto the stone stairs. Hod followed. We walked down the steps into a dungeon. Once there, we reached a stone doorway covered in magic runes. I took a step back, viewing the doorway from top to bottom. After reading the markings, I understood the message.


    Whenever I did, a status screen popped up in front of me,


    This is the rift of Ioneas. Ioneas is a high level, fast eldritch designed for agility. With nimble movements, Ioneas can pose great trouble for builds reliant on aiming. Slower builds can be dismantled as well, leaving few viable options for facing this beast. It is recommended that a group of sentients to attack the monster in unison, pinning down its movements.


    Advised average level: 1300-1600


    Recommended members: 3-5


    Difficulty: C+


    The runes gave good information, letting me know what was coming. Considering how random most eldritch encounters were, having some foresight was priceless. In this case, Hod and I would crush the dungeon boss without any real trouble. At least I assumed it.


    So we walked down the steps, the both of us laying low. After a while, I turned to Hod,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m tired of walking. Fuck this.¡±


    I jumped down, diving through the steps. Hod leapt down the hole I made. We passed through in seconds before I crashed against something. I couldn¡¯t burrow through it, so it was kind of like diving into concrete for normal person. I opened my eyes, a dent in the armor of my head. It healed, the armor popping back into place.


    I lodged myself into a clear panel. I shoved myself off of it, glancing around. Beside me, my armor crushed the panel to powder, making it look like salt piled around me. I stood up, looking upwards.


    I left a hole above me, a spiral staircase going all the way up above the lake¡¯s depths. The same crystal panel layered above me, forming a gargantuan aquarium. The jagged, clear panel lined the bottom of the lake, letting us see up.


    Fish of all kinds swam overhead, many of them glowing or letting off light. A few larger species were lit by a few passing phosphorescent ones, showing mammoth creatures. Eyes, teeth, claws, spines, and scales, the giant monsters floated by, lazy as sloths. If something swam by their mouth, they breathed it in, swallowing a second later.


    Above the water, the pulsing green of the world tree created beams of light. They exposed a few of the corals, anemones, seaweeds, urchins, and algae. The dense clusters of life feasted upon one another. Every fish fought amongst each other, too much life in too small a cage.


    I glanced down. The same crystal lined under my foot. Cracks from my landing radiated outwards in all directions. Pillars of the clear material supported the entire lake¡¯s bottom. A bit water dripped from a few cracks above. Beneath the crystal, a white glow ebbed. Squirming moss grew underneath the crystal, lighting the cavern.


    The light traveled up the pillars, creating light that the plants in the lake lived off of. A drop of water plopped beside me from the cracked crystal above me. It made me nervous. Hod landed beside me. He looked around,


    ¡°Hod must say...Hod impressed. Hod never seen so much water in one place. Yawm horde it.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not quite. Water¡¯s all over the place on Earth. It¡¯s not too hard to find in most places.¡±


    Hod turned around, ¡°Hod think Harbinger...¡±


    Hod perked his head up, looking around like a worried chicken, ¡°Harbinger hear that?¡± He breathed in, his eyes glazing over with red and shadows covering his form, ¡°Hod hear it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, nothing coming up in Tactile Cognition or my gravitational sense. Out of respect for Hod¡¯s senses, I braced myself. I channeled my mana into my runes as Hod leaned over,


    ¡°It comes, Harbinger.¡±


    A portal in space-time ripped open beside me. Something impaled my chest in six different places from a blindingly bright source. The light dimmed, revealing a glowing, white set of antlers. I crashed into a crystalline pillar, the snapping cracks webbing outwards above and below me. I grabbed the antlers, the heaving of frantic breath racing into my ears.


    A white elk with purple lines running down its chest looked at me. Noble and magnificent, its chest was puffed outward with pride. Its eyes contrasted the white fur on its body. They stared at me, unblinking and uncaring.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The pupils were like a goats, surrounded by an amber iris. Black surrounded the iris, with geometric lines of blue running through its eyes. The elk stomped its foot, digging the horns into my chest, the same blue lines running through the hooved feet.


    I latched my hands onto the antlers, shooting my armor out in sharpened spikes. Before the armored spines pierced it, the majestic elk flicked its muscled neck. Like a ragdoll, the horns left my chest before I crashed against the ceiling.


    My stomach sank as a sharp crack ebbed from above me. As I fell towards the bottom plate below, water dripped onto my back from above. The elk stared at me before stomping its hooved foot and snorted. It was taunting me.


    I shook my head before pushing myself off the ground. The elk charged towards me, so I readied myself for catching its antlers. Before I could, it slipped out of existence. Antlers appeared from my chest once more, this time my back impaled. The elk shook me from its grasp once more, slamming me into the crystal plate above.


    More water dripped from a new crack above me. I glanced up, a long split in the crystal reaching from one cracked area to another. A few more of those, and the entire lake may come crashing down. I stood up, my chest healing before looked at Hod. His head turned in all directions, glancing at some invisible foe.


    I narrowed my eyes, focusing on Hod¡¯s point of view. He saw this elk before I could, making him the only reference for where it was. If I wanted to understand where it was, Hod was all I had for knowing where it was.


    Hod¡¯s eyes set onto me, so I radiated out with Event Horizon. I created a dense cloud of it around me, thick as molasses. From my left side, diving upwards, the elk came. Its antlers stabbed me, the ten foot monster slamming me against the crystalline plate above. Before it flung me away, I curled tendrils of my armor around its antlers.


    Whenever it tried flicking me off its antlers, I didn¡¯t flop off. Whenever the monster tried pulling its head back, it couldn¡¯t. The elk lost firm footing, its four legs spreading in every direction. The elk scrambled for a better grip as I landed on my side. It¡¯s hooves tapped against the ground as I condensed Event Horizon onto it.


    The elk bellowed out in frustration before Hod dashed beside it. Using his shadow claws, he pinned the monster into a confined area. The shadow marks kept the elk from dashing away while my armor dug under its skin and into its flesh. I clamped my own hands into the crystal beneath me, preventing the elk from running.


    I howled, ¡°Don¡¯t let it escape. I need time.¡±


    Hod nodded as the elk bellowed louder. It dashed in every direction, vying for escape. Hod would jump around it, slashing in whichever direction it tried dashing. The elk¡¯s eyes grew bloodshot as Hod pinned it in again. Seeing no other escape, the monster reared back its head. It rammed its antlers against Hod¡¯s lines of shadow.


    They clanged against one another, like slamming two lead pipes against each other. A sharp ringing deafened my hearing before the antler rammed its head into the shadow spikes once more. Hod struggled dragged backwards many feet at the point of impact. With the next headbutt, Hod smashed into a crystal pillar.


    With the third headbutt, black blood sprayed out of Hod¡¯s mouth. His shadow streaks snapped, letting the elk run free. It didn¡¯t matter. Hod gave me enough time.The elk dashed forwards before cords of my armor tensed. Like a rope around its neck, the elk¡¯s head whipped backwards, sending the monster off its feet. Its hooves patered against the floor as I stood up.


    Lines of my armor dug into the plate beneath me, slowly drilling deeper. This pinned me down, letting me throw the monster off its feet. I yanked it, heaving the weight of the deer like a sack of bricks. The monster barreled through the air before slamming into a crystal pillar. After a sound like the sharp pop of breaking ice, I leaned back, tugging the creature towards me.


    It flung through the air as I unlatched my feet from the crystal plate beneath me. I turned on my feet, augmenting my fist with Volatile Carnage. Boundless Storm let me time my overhead strike perfectly. I dug my feet two inches into the ground with The Coming Tide, grounding my strike. With my runes overcharged, I unleashed a burst of energy whenever my fist collided against the side of the elk.


    My fist bounced back from recoil, like unloading a cannon. A cataclysmic boom echoed out, loud enough to burst eardrums. The elk tumbled against the translucent floor like a landslide. It crashed through a crystal pillar before lodging itself into another. I dashed towards the monster, my heels pounding against the ground.


    The monster shook itself from the pillar, an enormous welp forming on its side. Blood dripped from its mouth and nose as I reached closer towards it. It lifted its head, the antlers flashing. From below, the white light dimmed in an instant. It was like someone cut off the lights. The beaming brilliance of the antlers was undeniable, however.


    The elk whipped its head towards me, blasting a radiant plume of energy my way. I crashed into the stream of light, lifting both my arms over my face. Like a mist made of plasma and acid, the energy burned against my armor. Heat built within me, hotter than the lava of Etna¡¯s rift. My blood didn¡¯t boil.


    As the energy beam peeled the armor from my arms and face, streams of my blood poured. I looked down, seeing it plop against the crystal floor. It reflected light, like liquid silver. As my health regenerated against the onslaught, I molded Event Horizon over the elk. A wave of relief poured over me as the aura feasted on the massive health of the monster.


    I condensed the aura over the monster, collapsing it until it molded over the creature¡¯s skin. I stepped towards the monster, cutting through the pulsing energy. The elk condensed its own stream of energy. The shining light pushed me back, like a stream of boiling water. Sidestepping would just send me tumbling backwards. I didn¡¯t need to run. I needed to close the distance.


    I took another step, my feet shaking against the elk¡¯s wrath. With each stomp, I came closer towards the elk. It enhanced the intensity of the energy beam, raising the damage over time. My health dropped, but with the mountain of hit points I had, I tanked it without worry.


    Over a minute, I stepped closer and closer towards the elk. Event Horizon melted the creature from the inside, blood pouring from the elk¡¯s eyes. Its breaths grew ragged and its knees buckled. It shivered as if stuck in an arctic ice storm. The effects of mana exhaustion sunk their teeth in, ruining the mind of the creature.


    I grinned as its struggled with the beam of energy, the power waning. As the last bit of the energy trickled out. I crashed into the monster, lifting the creature from the ground. With all my might, I slammed the creature against the crystalline plate. Cracks ebbed out in all directions as the spine of the monster broke.


    The antlers on its head no longer glowed. It looked at me, fear creeping into its eyes. I lifted my fist into the air, a smile brandishing my armor. With my fist coming down like the blade of a guillotine, my punch sent out another ripple of cracks through the crystal. Blood exploded from the creature¡¯s mouth, organs splashing out from rips in its skin.


    The head of the monster looked around, the legs squirming in odds directions. It convulsed before the antlers clapped against the crystal below me. It died, and the white glow beneath us returned. With new sight of the scenery, I stabbed my arm into the monster, sapping its strength and lifting it up. I dashed towards Hod, my feet clapping against the crystal beneath me.


    Hod looked up, blood trailing out of his mouth. He coughed up a the black gunk before breathing deep. He pushed himself off the crystal pillar. He raised a wing at me,


    ¡°Hod fine. Health going up faster than dropping. Hod just need time.¡±


    The corpse of the elk hollowed out into a dry husk, so I tossed it aside. Hod shook off the shock of the impact before turning towards the crystalline lake¡¯s center. Around us, streams of water flowed onto the ground, creating pools. All of the cracks from our fight with the elk streaked out around us.


    With each passing second, the cracks expanded in all directions. As a fracture crawled over our head, Hod pointed deeper under the lake,


    ¡°Hod and Harbinger need core. Trip pointless without core.¡±


    ¡°Fuck...Can you run?¡±


    Hod nodded before dashing towards the core. I followed behind him. As we sprinted, we kept up with the growing crack above us. Crystal pillars snapped around us, the crystal layer we were in caving. With each passing second, the sound of rushing water grew in our ears. Not looking back, I pounded my feet into crystal plate with abandon.


    Hod did the same. He weaved around pillars, screaming, ¡°Hod not want to die. Hod want to live. Hod want to live!¡±


    I agreed with him. If the crystal plate collapsed above us, we would be trapped under an entire ocean of water. The plate would pin us down, drowning us. After we died, tiny crustaceans would crawl under our skin. Worms would crawl into our eyes and slugs would feast on our skin. Our flesh would soften until it was like molded cheese.


    I shook the haunting thoughts from my head, doubling my sprinting efforts. I would use The Coming Tide, but the impacts would no doubt speed up the breaking down of the cavern. This race required good, old fashioned running.


    With that single thought centering my thoughts, we reached the pulsing white radiance of the dungeon core. The energy of the core refracted off the light of a dozen pillars before reaching the staircase I drilled through. It wasn¡¯t a wonder why I had no idea where the core was.


    Hod did, however. We reached beside it before I stuck my hand into the stream of energy. I grabbed the core, yanking it out with my hand going numb. We didn¡¯t even look at the core before dashing forward.


    The sound of feet clapping against a glass floor filled my ears, along with the fracturing above. Waterfalls of liquid poured in from above as crystal pillars crushed under the weight. The crystal plate above us rumbled, the creatures from above looking down at the commotion. Giant creatures lit by phosphorescent eyed us with hunger.


    As tiny jellyfish flew by them, they lit the massive monsters. Eyes covered them, looking at us as as mouths across the creatures snapped at us. Massive tendrils, feelers, and tongues struggled towards Hod and I as we ran.


    Hod kept sidestepping around pillars, howling, ¡°Hod hate pillars. Pillars get in Hod¡¯s way. Hod want to fly, but pillars get in Hod¡¯s way.¡± He sidestepped another pillar, ¡°Hod hate pillars like Hod hate flying through thunderstorms.¡±


    A tiny grin ran up my lips at Hod¡¯s ridiculousness. The grin faltered the pillars cracking outpaced our running speed now. The angle of our running raised, like we were running up a steep hill. That meant the edge of the lake was nearby now.


    It was just in time too. Like a bomb going off, the crystal shell holding the lake collapsed behind us. I turned around, and a tidal wave of murky water full of monsters flowed towards us. The panel above us fell downwards by a foot before desperation kicked in.


    I reached out with Event Horizon, covering the area of curious creatures above us. Mana built into my runes, over charging in seconds before I discharged my mana through my feet. I shot through the air, my speed blistering before snatched Hod. His head dragged backwards, drool leaking from his mouth like a dog with its face out the window of a moving car.


    Hod screamed, ¡°Blagagagaga,¡± as we shot through the air. I leaned a shoulder in front of me, letting me tackle through the crystal pillars in front of us. I hit the ground again, discharging the energy once more dashing up through a waterfall. In the edge of my vision, the green glow of the world tree beamed in through a crevice. It was our way out.


    As my feet landed onto the crystal beneath me, the roof over us caved in. Before it pinned us down, I jolted us forward with one last burst of energy. The green light grew in my vision. As if living in slow motion, the crystal plate fell at a steady pace as the green light expanded in my sight.


    Right as the crystal fell on my legs, the green light shined onto my face. I threw Hod into the green light as the weight crushed my legs. Hod crashed into a the wall of dirt, embedded into the earth. With his voice muffled, Hod grumbled,


    ¡°Hod...Hod tank Arbinger.¡±


    I kept my upper body up with my arms, looking at him. Hod pulled his face from the wall before spitting out a mouthful of dirt. He flopped himself off the wall before he face planted the ground. In typical Hod fashion, he hugged the dirt,


    ¡°Hod never think Hod want dirt so much, but Hod grateful for dirt being here and not water.¡±


    I laid myself against the dirt beneath me. Behind me, two crystal plates pinned my feet in like toothless jaws. I laughed out loud, flopping against the soft ground beneath my face.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, we made it.¡±


    Hod flipped over, staring at the world tree, ¡°Dry Man should be here...Dry Man drink up water in lake. Hod and Harbinger not worry about drowning then."


    I laughed before resting against the ground. After all that, I didn''t need a rest, but I wanted one. So I closed my eyes and rested for a second, enjoying the peace.


    It didn''t last long.

 96 The Dash

    The rest didn''t last mostly because I didn¡¯t want to sit there forever. I pushed myself up with my arms before dragging my legs from between the crystal plates. Once on my feet, I looked around for the dungeon core. I couldn¡¯t find it. Before I panicked, the orb lifted from the palm of one of my hands. It sent ripples through my armor like it was lifting out of black water.


    I clasped it, lifting it over my head with a bit of celebration. I turned towards Hod, walking over. He pulled himself off the ground before shaking the dirt of his face. He looked up at the world tree,


    ¡°Hod think Yawm come from tree soon now. Tree Man no longer hidden in Tree. Hod and Harbinger leave?¡±


    I nodded. We hopped out of the crevice at the side of the lake. On one side, the crystal plate was exposed. A giant root blocked the opening from sight, wrapping around the entire crevice. There wasn¡¯t any gaps left for viewing from the outside. The only way someone could see this opening was from an aerial view.


    Hod and I landed on those roots before glancing around. The blue squares rippled through the rift, just like a normal dungeon. The blue squares couldn¡¯t affect the floating islands or the world tree, however. The only substantial change was in the horizon. Before the blue squares passed, a gray mist covered everything. Now Springfield was open for our viewing.


    Besides for bombs detonating in the sky, we couldn¡¯t see past the skyscrapers blocking our view. The sudden burst of wind and the blue sky was the largest change. Before Hod and I could leave the rift, a ripple in space time formed. A crack appeared from it, and our overseer walked out.


    He glanced at us, ¡°You again.¡± He looked at the world tree. The overseer clenched a hand into an enormous fist before letting it go. He turned towards me, ¡°If you are able, make his death painful.¡±


    After a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best shot, but uh, why you aren¡¯t gunning for him right now? I get that rifts stop you and Schema from doing anything, but the rifts gone.¡±


    The overseer lifted his hand. He pressed his fingertips together and spread them apart. From the tips of his fingers, a ripple formed in gravity. This expanded into a tunnel that traveled through the air and towards the world tree. A tiny, infinitely dense point of gravity formed beside the world tree.


    It was a tiny black hole. It sucked in the air around it, vaporizing the matter around it. The overseer spread his fingers, the orb of gravity reversing. An explosive force shot outward from the dense point, reversing the pull of energy. The destructive attack didn¡¯t even leave a scratch on the surface of the world tree.


    The overseer turned towards me, ¡°Yawm has learned of ways to meddle with an overseers tools. It was one of the secrets he stole from Schema before leaving the system. His own mastery of the dimensional cipher makes him almost immune to our interference when in this form. Once he is out of the tree, he is a warrior we fear.¡±


    The overseer¡¯s voice filled with a deep, seething hatred, ¡°That is why I cannot harm him. The strength I have is Schema¡¯s. Yawm owns his own strength, and it exists outside the system¡¯s limitations. That is one of the reasons that he is so dangerous.¡±


    I turned a hand to the overseer, ¡°Well damn...Sounds like a tough situation.¡±


    The overseer sighed, ¡°Indeed it is. Having someone who led the species that enslaved you so close, yet being unable to harm him...it is profoundly humbling.¡± A bomb exploded in the distance, gaining all of our attentions.


    ¡°It seems as though your planet has decided to finally fight.¡± The overseer turned towards Hod, ¡°The...what were they called...Ah yes, the Eltari. They seem to be helpful.¡± He glanced around, a few squadrons of flying eltari bombing nearby clusters of Yawm¡¯s spawns. ¡°Very helpful. It is good you decided to keep them alive.¡±


    The overseer opened his status screen, pressing different buttons on it, ¡°That is yet another rift cleared then? You could be a candidate for a Fringe Walker at this rate. You have the tenacity for it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s a Fringe Walker?¡±


    The blue squares eliminated the last remnants of the gray haze. A crystal plate formed over the lake, leaving the lone island at its center uncovered. It acted as the entrance for the dungeon. The overseer closed his status screens,


    ¡°It¡¯s a fighter used for eliminating fringe worlds. You see, Schema expands outwards. As he expands, Schema prefers all the planets within his domain to be free of eldritch, or at least handled to some extent.¡±


    The overseer raised his massive hands, ¡°As you may imagine, this isn¡¯t always the case. Some worlds deeps within Schema¡¯s grid falter then fail. They become breeding grounds for the eldritch. Once fully converted, certain higher level species of Eldritch can be spread through interplanetary launching. They will spread their demonic spawns offworld.¡±


    The overseer smacked a fist into a palm, ¡°And if one of those spawns lands on an uninfected planet, that world is almost certainly doomed.¡± The overseer lowered his hands, ¡°Schema is fortunate that Earth isn¡¯t positioned like that. It¡¯s a border world, meaning it lies on the outskirts of Schema¡¯s grid.¡±


    The overseer pointed towards me, ¡°Take full advantage of that fact. Yawm assumed your world had no strong fighters. Strike strong and heavy before he awakens, else you and your species will die. Either that, or you will become the flesh that Yawm molds for his own ends.¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine as I frowned, ¡°Damn. I¡¯ll keep that in mind...¡± I raised a hand, ¡°Ah yeah, I almost forgot. I met a guy called Tera. He was a Speaker for Schema. He mentioned a level cap. If I was a Fringe Walker, what would my level cap be, and would that get rid of my unknown statu?¡±


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    The overseer leaned his chin against his right fist,


    ¡°Well, well, Tera told you more than I expected he would. You will learn about the inner workings of Schema eventually anyway. You will receive a heightened level cap of 15,000. That is, if you continue your progression. You may be staring too far ahead.¡±


    The overseer shook his head, ¡°By Schema, I pray you don¡¯t stagnate like the necromancer or remnant. They stalled before coming to full fruition. Let us hope you are different in that regard.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I just want Yawm killed and my unknown status revoked. After that, I¡¯ll figure out something to do. Maybe that will mean fighting all time, maybe not. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    The overseer glanced at the rune on my arm. With a nigh reverent tone in his voice, he spoke,


    ¡°Interesting...It¡¯s true then...You actually learned the Dimensional Cipher already.¡±


    I inspected the dual eldritch rune on my left arm as I spoke, ¡°Well uh, not really. I know two letters, that¡¯s it.¡±


    The overseer laughed, his deep, artificial voice both commanding and dominant.


    ¡°That is all you need to know. With the obscene mana generation from that integrated dimension, you¡¯ll reap many benefits from the cipher. That separates you and Yawm in many ways. While he had time on his side, you have tools he never had. Use them well.¡±


    I pointed a finger at the overseer, ¡°What do you mean candidate?¡±


    The overseer boomed another laugh, ¡°You will learn in due time. Be ready for it when Schema comes calling.¡±


    The overseer opened a portal in space-time, walking through it and disappearing. I raised my hands in frustration, ¡°Why would he do that? Why not just tell me instead of leaving me hanging?¡±


    Hod walked up and placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°Because Harbinger not where Harbinger needs to be to know what Harbinger needs to know. Harbinger learn in time. Harbinger and Hod need to go back to Dry Man, not learn what Hod and Harbinger not ready to learn.¡±


    I shook my head, shaking out my irritation, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right...Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Leaving the lake, Hod and I shot off towards the sewer indicated by our minimaps. I dived through the metal plate on top of it, drilling into the sewer. Leaving Hod behind, I shot through the walls of the sewer and the ground. With The Coming Tide, traveling through this terrain was nothing.


    Within minutes, I reached Torix¡¯s base. I shot out of the ground, landing on my feet before jogging inside the building. I ducked under the doorway, turning sideways so my shoulders didn¡¯t catch on the doorframe. It was something I got used to as my height increased. I paced up towards Torix as he frantically interacted with his status screen.


    Whenever I reached him, he turned towards me. His head tilted sideways. I frowned,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Torix pursed his lips, ¡°You seem different. You are exerting a...I can¡¯t quite put a finger on it...pull is the best word for it, I suppose.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I got an evolution in my armor. It involved becoming a living dimension this time. Crazy, I know.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°Well, there is no reason for your unreasonable progression to cease. Where is Hod?¡±


    Torix raised his hand, a giddy grin forming on his face, ¡°Tell me, did he not make it?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°He¡¯s alive. I travel through the sewers faster than he does is all.¡±


    Torix¡¯s hands flopped against his sides as he glanced at the dusty floorboards, ¡°Oh...really...Perhaps he will die at a later date. One can hope.¡±


    Hod stumbled inside, feathers falling off everywhere, ¡°Hod back!¡±


    Torix let out a deep, disappointed sigh, ¡°We see that.¡±


    Hod stood up, grabbing his chin. If it was anyone else, he would be mocking Torix.


    ¡°But...but Hod thought Dry Man not able to see. Dry Man have blue fires where eyes are supposed to be.¡±


    Torix slapped the sides of his face, ¡°I can see with these fires, you idiot.¡±


    As if discovering something profound, Hod stared at the ground, ¡°Hod ask Dry Man...¡± He glanced back up, ¡°Does that mean all fire see like Dry Man?¡±


    Torix dragged his bony hands across the wrinkled, dry skin on his face, ¡°The fire I use is an enchantment. It comes with being a lich. I maintain it since it enhances a few of my senses. Unlike my eyes, most fires are simply inanimate byproducts of combustion. They are not alive like I am.¡±


    Hod nodded his head, ¡°Hod thank Dry Man for explanation. Fire confusing to Hod.¡±


    Torix pursed his lips and lowered his hands, ¡°Well then...you¡¯re welcome.¡± Torix narrowed his eyes, staring at Hod, ¡°You...you¡¯re a higher level then me now as well. That explains why you don¡¯t seem quite as...infantile.¡±


    I looked over Hod¡¯s face. He was sitting at level 1401. I forgot to check out my own level and put points into my stats. With that in mind, I opened the status screen. I was level 1594. I put all my extra points into endurance. There was no rush in power. It was a steady crawl as I expected.


    I closed my status screen, seeing Hod do the same. Putting points into my attributes reminded him about his own stats. After finishing that process, a cockroach crawled along a wall nearby. As organized as Torix was, cleanliness wasn¡¯t on the top of his priorities. I reached out with Event Horizon, disintegrating the cockroach instantly.


    Torix¡¯s head whipped up towards me, ¡°What was that?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean? I used oppression.¡± I shook my head, ¡°No, wait a second, it¡¯s called Event Horizon now.¡±


    Torix grimaced, his voice solemn, ¡°That aura...it feels like an Old One.¡±


    I bit my lip, ¡°Really?¡± I blinked, ¡°That¡¯s unnerving. You¡¯re supposed to be the Old One here, not me.¡±


    Torix¡¯s lips curled up into a slight grin, ¡°Hah, that¡¯s true I suppose. You¡¯re still Daniel, though a bit more menacing now.¡±


    He opened his status screen, sending two messages over the next few seconds. Hod slammed his fist into his outstretched palm,


    ¡°Ah, Hod get it. Dry Man old, so Harbinger say Dry Man supposed to be the old person, not Harbinger. Of course.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yes, Hod. Exactly.¡±


    Hod wiped at his nose with a smug satisfaction, ¡°Hod pretty smart, Hod have to admit.¡±


    Torix took a step back, his blue fireball eyes growing in size. He turned his head, reading a message. After he finished, his hands shook. He turned towards us and shouted,


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    He created two messages before sending them towards us.


    He stared holes at us, the fires looking like wide eyes as he yelled, ¡°Follow those routes immediately.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Torix raised his hands, panic leaking into his voice, ¡°A follower has found the training center of the Steel Legion. Kessiah is fighting as we speak.¡±

 97 Cataclysm Comes

    I raised both my hands, ¡°Wait a second. Calm down, and let¡¯s talk about this for a minute. Where are your guards?¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°What guards?¡±


    I snapped my fingers a few times, finding my words, ¡°Uh, uhm...Aatrox and Kade.¡±


    Torix leaned against his hands, ¡°They are acting as leaders of two battalions right now. Otherwise the followers would have decimated them.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°What about that gaint monster you used once...Moloth right?¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°I can send him, but time is of the essence. Moloth is a very slow, fumbling giant.¡±


    I grabbed the sides of my head, ¡°Fuck. What about Althea?¡±


    ¡°The same situation as the guards. She throws the followers off as they travel around.¡±


    I shook my hands, ¡°Why did you send all our fighters off on missions like this? Wasn¡¯t the goal to fight the followers and kill them?¡±


    Torix shouted, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you organized any missions and presented them to me? You have a head between your shoulders. Do I have to command your every move?¡±


    Hod clapped his wings together, ¡°Harbinger and Dry Man. Stop shouting. We need to save Lady Friend number two.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Dammit...you¡¯re right.¡± I turned to Torix, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Go and help her.¡±


    Without needing another word, I turned and sprinted out of the house. Hod followed me, stumbling out before flying upwards. Torix howled with his voice unsteady,


    ¡°Prepare yourselves. I will stop by once I¡¯ve positioned the troops.¡±


    I stomped my heels into the ground before diving into the ground. I unleashed overcharged energy from my runes, blasting me up into the air. After a few quick dips in the ground, I raced towards the point on my minimap. After a minute of travel, distant, booming echoes radiated from near the steel legion¡¯s training camp.


    It was an empty warehouse surrounded by a few tool and car shops. It was convenient since parts could be gathered from nearby. The open areas inside the building where perfect for firing ranges. The enclosure kept most of the noise from firing inside the building. While it wasn¡¯t the same as an underground bunker, it served its purpose well.


    Well, for the most part. A follower found the building. That wasn¡¯t what everyone was hoping for. Gunshots ebbed from the building explained why it was found. A giant hole in the side of the building showed where Kessiah and the follower went. I dashed up from the ground, landing beside the hole. Whenever I peered inside the building, horror met my eyes.


    Blood drenched every part of the building. Deformed thralls of Yawm feasted on corpses. The squishing of fresh intestines being chewed made my stomach sink. Streaks of warm blood painted the walls and floors. Several dozen summons of Yawm were hunched over corpses, the crunching of bone grating the air.


    They chewed on fingers and ribs. Eyes were plastered over their bodies. Blood clotted around wherever their mouth was, whether it was on their face or elsewhere. The thick, pungent scent of organs filled the entire building, wafting out of the hole on the wall. Dozens of soldiers were screaming as their organs were sucked out by abominations of flesh.


    Hod dashed into the room,


    ¡°Hod save soldiers. Harbinger save Crow.¡±


    I clenched a fist, wanting to dash in there and turn the spawns into pulp. I swallowed that desire before turning towards several other holes in buildings. Several hundred meters away, the booming sound of combat was evident. Kessiah needed me.


    I flared my runes and charged towards the fray. I leaped over buildings with torn walls, some flattened down to their foundation. I reached the point of combat a few seconds later. There was the follower.


    Dakhma Wike, Blood of Bane(lvl 3,314)


    In a city square, Kessiah battled against Dakhma Wike. Four blocks were covered in rubble from collapsed buildings. Several craters littered the ground. Telephone poles and city lights stabbed through buildings or laid mangled on the ground.


    With his living cape and hunched back, Dakhma kept low on the ground. Blood leaked from his enlarged right arm. He held his old sword with a firm resolve, however. From under his hood, a malicious grin had spread. The gray armor covering him still shined. He was almost unharmed. Kessiah wasn¡¯t so lucky.


    Kessiah limped on a leg punctured by his sword. The sword had stabbed through her shin bone, splintering it apart. The fact Kessiah still walked on it amazed me. Part of her hair had been sliced off, like a new, short haircut. Six stab wounds showed across her chest. Blood squirted from the wounds, but she channeled it into her Blood Arts as she fought.


    The black veins spread under her skin, keeping her fighting. I neared them both as Dakhma Taunted in his old voice,


    ¡°You remnants have a bit of fight in you after all. It¡¯s amazing what a difference a single talent makes. You won¡¯t fight for long though. Not if you keep relying on Baldowah for your strength.¡±


    Kessiah lifted her hands, spitting blood out from her mouth, ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    Dakhma laughed, his voice like grit, ¡°With it comes a tremendous ability for destruction, but you are undisciplined. You cannot wield it.¡±


    Kessiah shook her head, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fight?¡±


    He dashed towards her, his voice bristling across the open square,


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    Before he reached her, I landed ten meters away. Using telekinesis, I redirected the force of my landing above Dakhma. A telekinetic wave slammed against him, causing his charge to stumble. Capitalizing on my disruption, Kessiah dashed forward and slammed a fist into his face. It looked like a shadow of my own punching but sloppy and wild.


    What she lacked in technique, she made up for in power. The speed of her strike was blistering, like a bolt of lightning. After ushering a monstrous echo from the contact, Dakhma shot backwards. His body dug through the ground and pavement. A trench formed before he shot through the wall of a brick building. Slamming into the other side of the small tool store, the entire structure collapsed.


    A wave of red dust billowed from it. I ran in front of Kessiah. She gasped, ¡°Ah...fuck, I thought I got him...Thanks.¡±


    I opened the pocket dimension in my ring, pulling out a blue crystal. Torix had given us a guard just in case we needed it. Althea¡¯s had been Aatrox and mine was Kade. Now was that time to use them.


    With that in mind, I channeled mana into it. From the crystal, a wave of energy exploded outwards with a cloud of crystalline powder. Kade, a tall guard with two giant cannons positioned on his sides, walked out from the cloud. He looked around, confused and covered in blood that wasn¡¯t his own.


    It looked like I plopped him right out of combat. The steel legion would have to make due without him. I tightened my fists and flared my runes. I slammed my firsts together, the telekinetic augments forming without thought, ¡°Let¡¯s rip this guy¡¯s guts out.¡±


    I stomped my foot, exuding Overwhelming Presence and Words of Strength as I roared,


    ¡°Come on Dakhma. You wanted a fight, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    A titanic explosion swelled the dust from the brick building in front of us, pieces of brick and debris slamming into nearby buildings. Dakhma stood tall on the ground, his silver armor dented on his face, chest, and right arm. The stunted left arm was nigh useless, but his red cape molded into an even larger limb than his right one.


    He leaned over, a gray beard falling onto his chest plate. Menacing and conniving, his eyes and face were hidden beneath the darkness his hood cast. He pointed his sword at me,


    ¡°Are you the fighter I spared so long ago?¡±


    I slammed my fist into my chest, the clash of metal overpowering his words, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for questions.¡± I thundered, ¡°I asked for a fight. Come on.¡±


    Dakhma leaned back for a moment, along with Kessiah. Somehow my words held no fear. It didn¡¯t even seem like my own voice. It sounded like a bloodthirsty warrior challenging another warrior in combat. In the end, I guess that¡¯s what it was.


    Dahkma laughed, ¡°Hah, hah, hah! Finally, an eager opponent.¡± He leaned over, ¡°I accept your challenge. Prepare yourself.¡±


    I reached out towards him with Event Horizon. He bolted forwards, fast as a speeding bullet. I condensed the aura over the trajectory of his charge. As he entered the aura, his grin turned into a grimace.


    He reached me in an instant. It was fast enough that I called it teleportation. As he popped up in front of me, he reared his sword back, trying to knock me aside with his crimson, tattered cape. Like the palm the palm of a giant, it swiped towards my right side. I grinned at the sight.


    I stomped my heels into the ground, extending my footing with telekinesis and gravitational magic. Using Volatile Carnage, a gravity warp formed over my left fist, along with telekinetic augments. Boundless Storm let me guide my movements with a pristine grace and deadly intention. Whenever my fist landed, The Coming Tide let me discharge my loaded runes.


    The resulting impact was like a holding an earthquake in my hands. The point of contact resulted in a hole being punctured through the cape. Dakhma¡¯s jaw gaped in surprise as he charged into me. The sword stabbed through my stomach, piercing out of my back. I still clasped my hands against his shoulders, gripping as I condensed Event Horizon around him.


    Dakhma grimaced before I leaned down. From behind me, Kessiah stepped forward and lobbed her fist at his face. Before it landed, I covered my ears with my armor. Even with the thick plate of metal protecting my hearing, the shockwave of the strike left my ears ringing. I lifted my head after the strike, observing the destruction.


    Dakhma crashed through a nearby house, piercing into another one before collapsing the building once more. His attack hardly even scratched the massive pool of health I developed, so I turned to Kessiah,


    ¡°Can you go on?¡±


    As if hit by whiplash, she stared at me in disbelief, ¡°How did you block him?¡±


    I clapped my hands, making Kessiah take a step backwards,


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    ¡°Kessiah. Focus. If Dakhma escapes, we¡¯ll be fighting three followers instead of one. Now¡¯s our chance. To kill him. Can you go on?¡±


    She blinked before nodding, ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s rip him apart.¡±


    I clasped my fist in confidence before charging towards Dakhma, my health regen reconstituting my wounds. Inside the suburban home, Dakhma crashed out of the wall of the building. With blood dripping from his mouth, he howled,


    ¡°You meant it when you wanted a fight. I¡¯ll return your intention in kind.¡±


    He dashed towards me, shooting through the air with a burst of speed. As Kessiah¡¯s vanguard, I met his charge. He slashed downwards with his sword from his right hand. I stepped towards his left. His cape moved towards me, the fabric curled into a colossal fist. Before it struck me aside, I used The Coming Tide.


    I leaned downwards while sliding two feet deep into the ground. The difficulty of it, like molding the armor on my foot and gravity magic, were eased with The Coming Tide. It made my duck smooth and fluid.


    With my feet planted, Dakhma¡¯s cape hit my upper shoulder. As it made contact, I shrugged my shoulder and molded my armor, guiding the strike over my head. Sparks flew off my armor as I unleashed my overcharged runes. My fist struck, and I expanded my footing with telekinetic augments.


    My fist slammed into Dakhma¡¯s stomach, creating another dent in his armor. He lifted off the ground a few feet as wind burst outward with a wave of sound. Before he landed on the ground, I stepped forward. My feet lifted out of the ground, smooth and controlled. I feinted another right straight at his stomach.


    Dakhma reacted in time, bending his stomach backwards. It was a sublime dodge, perfect for dodging a right straight. Unfortunately for him, that wasn¡¯t the real punch. I shifted on my feet, transferring force from my feet upwards. I dragged my fist into his face, whalloping him with a left uppercut.


    Volatile Carnage transferred the force of my punch into a telekinetic bullet. This strike collided into his chin, bouncing my fist backwards. The blow disintegrated his beard and whipped his head backwards. Dakhma flipped through the air before Kessiah charged past me. Dakhma landed on his feet as Kessiah reared back her right fist.


    It was an amateurish attack. Sure it held enormous speed and power, but it was predictable. Rearing back a fist during a fight is an easy way of getting countered. Knowing this, Dakhma slipped under the enormously fast strike and impaled Kessiah¡¯s stomach. He lifted her into the air before his cape grabbed her.


    It pulled her from the blade before shoving her down into it again. Before it landed, Torix¡¯s guard, Kade, fired of several rounds at Dakhma. Dodging like a dancer, he shifted between the bullets while maintaining his hold on Kessiah. Unlike me or Kessiah, his footsteps never crushed the ground. They were light and effortless.


    It was like he was weightless as he spun and swayed between Kade¡¯s bullets. He removed the sword from Kessiah¡¯s chest. His cape pulled her back down into the blade. Dakhma planned on finishing Kessiah off before we comboed him again. As invincible as he was, even a follower couldn¡¯t tank Kessiah¡¯s strikes for free.


    Before he could execute on his plan, I stomped my heel and slammed a fist into a telekinetic pad. It transferred the force of the strike onto Dakhma¡¯s sword. The sword drifted sideways, making the cape slam kessiah into Dakhma. They fumbled backwards as Dakhma¡¯s footsteps kept them afloat. Otherwise they would sink into the ground from their combined weight.


    I dashed forwards with The Coming Tide, diving into the ground. I unborrowed with a burst of energy from my overcharged runes. I pelted past him, grabbing his cape as I dashed past him. With my runes flaring at full force, I pulled Dakhma away from Kessiah by holding onto his cape.


    I landed on the ground, lifting him and kessiah through the air. Dakhma lost his grip on Kessiah, her body flopping through the air. She tackled into the ground, the earth rippling under her mammoth weight.


    Dakhma wasn¡¯t so lucky. He slung through the air, like I was swinging a flail over my head. He clashed against a pile of brick rubble, cracks webbing outward. During the entire struggle, I kept Event Horizon on him. He tried standing after the slam. I dashed into him.


    We rolled on the ground before I ended up on top of him. I stabbed my feet into the ground, reaching out with tendrils of my armor. Dakhma struggled, his strength tremendous but my hold secure. I lifted a fist into the air. It was like an executioner¡¯s axe.


    I slammed it into his face. I lifted my other fist, and I smashed his face once more. Strike after strike, I pummeled him. The crater beneath him expanded after each impact of my fists. The old, wrinkled skin on his face ripped open, fresh wounds forming. His blood coated my hands, smearing across the ground and his armor. With a vicious, animalistic brutality, I beat him with my hands.


    Seconds of this onslaught passed before his cape grabbed me from behind. It pulled me backwards before his legs wrapped around my neck. They clamped down, blocking any air from entering my lungs.


    The metallic roots I used for planting myself down now held me arched backwards. Dakhma leveraged his legs, bending my spine backwards. My armor stretched before snapping, the pop of bursting armor loud as a bomb in my ears. My spine cracked. My bones broke under his might He lifted his sword impaling my spine, severing the nerves.


    My legs went limp before Dakhma spoke, ¡°You have an admirable tolerance for punishment. I¡¯m sure most eldritch couldn¡¯t even harm you.¡±


    He lifted his sword from my stomach, stabbing it through my neck. My arms and chest went limp.


    ¡°If an enemy understands how to harm you, your confidence will get you killed. You would be a better warrior if you were under my tutelage.¡±


    He leveraged my back, the sound of tearing skin and breaking bones ringing in my ears,


    ¡°I can extend that offer again, if you join Yawm.¡±


    Though my body was numb, the armor over my body wasn¡¯t. I shot out several spines into Dakhma, the tendrils of armor digging through him. Despite the damage he dealt, Event Horizon combined with my insane health regen meant I was recovering. Feeling in my arms came back, so I grabbed onto Dakhma. The tips of my fingers clawed into him.


    I opened my mouth, my armor opening with jagged jaws. They clamped into the leg of Dakhma as he howled out. A moment later, he lifted his sword and slammed it towards my head. I spike of my armor grew out, guiding the blade sideways. It stabbed into the ground before Dakhma released his leg¡¯s grip on my neck.


    As he did, he pushed himself back, pulling the tendrils of my armor out from under his skin. With blood dripping from his wounds, he grimaced, ¡°You¡¯re not worth of my tutelage. You¡¯re no warrior. You¡¯re a monster and you fight like one, like some demon without honor in battle.¡±


    I pulled myself from the ground, my body regenerating, ¡°This isn¡¯t battle. It¡¯s bloodshed, and there is no honor in bloodshed. You¡¯re just in denial about what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Dakhma lifted his old sword again, deflecting several of the bullets from Kade¡¯s rifles. He jumped into the air, mana harmonizing onto his blade. The air around us reddened before this red sucked into spear. I jumped up towards him, but he propelled towards Kessiah and Kade. In a flash of light, he passed through Kade.


    The guard¡¯s upper and lower halves severed, blood squirting from both sides. The slice of his sword sent out a shockwave a second after he landed. A gust of wind shot up, along with a wave of dust and sound. It was like he went faster than sound, creating a sonic boom.


    Dakhma heaved out his breaths, struggling for air as he landed. That kind of burst took a toll on him. Kessiah dashed towards him, putting him on defense. Her strikes pummeled against his cape and sword, fierce and fast. I dashed towards them both before Dakhma deflected a hook from Kessiah with his cape.


    In a burst of movement, he pierced her chest again. I reached him, but he released the sword with Kessiah stumbling backwards. As she spit out her own blood, Dakhma spun towards me. He swung with his cape first, but I dived over the giant hand of morphed fabric. I landed on his upper chest, biting into his neck.


    Before he slung me away, a tiny rupture in his armor formed. I slammed my fist into the hole with Volatile Carnage activating. It created a hole in his skin. My armor infested his flesh, digging into the wound as he pushed me away.


    The tendrils of armor ripped out of his body. From the force of his shove, he broke the ground around us. Fissures crawled outwards as I flopped on the ground. Kessiah pulled out the sword from her chest before swinging it at Dakhma. Dakhma blocked with his cape, the fabric shearing as he stomped forward. Like a chinese monk, he struck into her stomach with his feet grounded.


    A crater formed under the feet of Dakhma, the power of his strike undeniable. After flopping through the air, Kessiah hobbled up next to me. She grinned,


    ¡°He¡¯s tough, but he¡¯s about out of juice. Look at the bastard shiver.¡±


    She was right. The fist that struck Kessiah shook with several broken fingers on it. The cape was split in two with holes all throughout it. Gashes and cuts covered holes in his armor, and his knees buckled now. He couldn¡¯t stand up straight anymore, and his mana looked depleted. Since the last time we fought, Kessiah was using her Blood Arts and I gained over 1000 levels.


    He couldn¡¯t keep this up forever, especially not with Event Horizon chipping away at his health. After killing Kade, his mana was depleted as well. Knowing his fate, Dakhma murmured,


    ¡°You know, two of the followers chose to accept Yawm¡¯s gifts and two chose not too. Ajax and I, we wanted to support our master without abusing his gifts. I wanted to help him with my own strength. I wanted him to know that I could and would earn a place at his side.¡±


    He lifted his sword, runes forming over it,


    ¡°There exists a greater resolve in my stained soul, however selfish it may be.¡±


    Eldritch runes spread outwards from his armor and cape, covering his body in a dark red light. I dashed towards him. He lifted himself up off the ground, standing his full height. His wounds healed. Red lightning coalesced around his broken sword, creating a sword of crimson. As it finished, a shockwave blew me backwards.


    Dakhma lifted his right hand, the distortion within it disappearing. The swollen joints became normal. I dashed towards him again, but he shoved the crimson sword into the ground again.


    The red lightning bolted into my armor, paralyzing me and shoving me backwards. I landed on my back, unable to move or do anything. I looked on as Dakhma''s ragged fingernails rejuvenated under the healing light of the runes. Dakhma¡¯s odd proportions became normal. His left arm grew in size, bursting from the armor. He lifted his sword, a bolt of white energy coming down onto it.


    The crimson melted away, turning his cape and sword turned to a pristine, noble white. It was no longer tattered and ruined. His items and body were rejuvenated over a few seconds. Feeling came back into my body, so I stood up. I dashed towards him, but a bolt of white thunder arced from the sword, stopping me. The flash of lightning pierced through my chest, burning my insides.


    Dakhma laughed, his voice no longer old, ¡°Why have I waited so long for his healing light?¡± He stared at his hands and shining armor, ¡°I am made new once more.¡± Dakhma pulled back his hood, showing a full beard regrown onto his chin. Dignity spread over his face, a look of confidence beaming out.


    He grinned, his teeth no longer yellow and crooked. My chest reformed as I stood there, my confidence in our victory dying out. A new Dakhma would tear us apart with how worn down Kessiah was. As if affirming my thoughts, Dakhma swiped his now white blade of energy.


    A wave of light flowed over me, burning my skin like acid. Kessiah ran backwards, hiding behind a car. The melal and glass melted, a sterile scent leaking from the hissing materials. Dakhma raised his sword,


    ¡°I am the bringer of Yawm¡¯s light. I will purify the remnant stain hiding from me. With...¡±


    From under his gleaming armor, Dakhma¡¯s chest pulsed outwards. It was a large shift, unnatural and grotesque. Dakhma took a step backwards, struggling out his words, ¡°I...I will conquer these demons...¡±


    A tendril of flesh ripped out from under his armor, plastering over the shining metal.


    ¡°I...hear their voices...I will continue, even though the flesh screams so loud...¡±


    His chest pulsed once more. A tentalce of viens and writhing organs spread over the side of his neck. Another polyp of flesh expanded from the wrist holding his sword. Kessiah and I looked on in horror as he continued,


    ¡°The voices...they scream so loud...¡±


    His cheeks sunk into his face. The cheeks split, his jaw unhinging. He gurgled out,


    ¡°Make them stop...I can¡¯t...¡± He reached out hand towards us, ¡°Please, make them stop.¡±


    Rows of teeth expanded from his unhinged jaw. They opened up, forming many mouths across his jaw and the skin on his face. I opened my status screen, sending Torix and Hod a message,


    The Living Dimension(3:21 P.M. 12/06/00) - Dakhma is too strong. Help.


    I finished the message, sending it towards them. Dakhma¡¯s body expanded out his armor, covering it in molded skin, hair, and organs. Like a nightmare of living flesh, the new, noble knight was consumed by his own body. He gurgled in a deformed voice,


    ¡°Please, help me. Please...¡±


    The gurgling turned into a muffled howl as the skin on his right hand split open. Bone and meat covered the handle of his sword. He shifted, turning in agony. Waves of white light beamed outwards in every direction. They crashed against buildings, lopping them in two. I burrowed into the ground while Kessiah hid beneath rubble as he did so.


    Once the sound stopped, I pulled myself from the ground. Dahkma¡¯s arms no longer grabbed the side of his head. They laid limp at his side as his chest convulsed. Flesh covered the cape along his back, turning it into a writhing, convulsing plate of muscle and veins. Spikes of bone grew along the edge of it. Dakhma lifted his new left arm and smashed his face.


    His knees shook as he slammed his fist into his face. Bulbous sores burst, flinging disgusting bile on the ground as he gurgled out a scream,


    ¡°Kill me...Kill me...They drown me...I am lost...I...I don¡¯t want to...become them.¡±


    He shook his head, his skin shivering. The convulsing stopped, along with any struggle. Dakhma¡¯s posture straightened. His body relaxed. The fear in him dissipated. The grimaces on the mouths of the creature smiled. The eyes opened wide, curious, and haunting. The mouths spoke in perfect unison as it caught sight of me,


    ¡°You...you are not like the other food here or like my brethren. You are something else altogether.¡±


    It took a step towards me, drool leaking from each of the disgusting mouths,


    ¡°You still feel like a little lamb...I wonder how you taste.¡±


    I shook out the wave of fear, grinning at the monster. My armor formed teeth,


    ¡°Like something you will grow to fear.¡±

 98 To Corrupt

    I dashed towards the monster as it swung its sword of coalesced energy at me. Before the wave of blinding light washed over me, I dived into the ground. I drilled around and shot up from under him. I slammed a fist against his chest, but the skin and flesh was hard to the touch. It was like striking steel.


    The bones in my armor buckled at the impact, rebounding force radiating up my arm. My armor held me together before the creature buckled over. I sliced another snapping hook into his jaw, the telekinetic impact sending blood in every direction. I swiveled on my feet, firing another hook into the side of the creature.


    The armor on my knuckles split. The skin on the creature did as well. He swiped his sword towards me, but I ducked under the swing and drilled another hook into his side. The cape of flesh followed the slash, crashing against my side. I flopped through the air, my vision spiralling as I did.


    Through all that chaos, I angled my hands and head so that I drilled into the ground once I met it. I burrowed into the ground, spiralling in a circle before attacking the monster once more. Using The Coming Tide, I bursted up and out of the ground. As I did, the eldritch abomination swung its sword downwards towards me.


    I lifted my striking hand, my right fist making contact with the eldritch¡¯s sword hand. All the propulsive force was overpowered, shoving me back into the ground. The swing drove me five feet into the ground, my right arm shaking as it stopped his sword arm. Kessiah finally dashed in from the side, but the monster used his flesh cape against her.


    She punched the writhing mass, slamming her fists with tectonic collisions. The blood of Baldowah coursed through her, fueling her monstrous strength. As I held the eldritch there, she delivered punishing blow after punishing blow. Her fists turned into speeding blurs as bones in the flesh cape broke.


    Despite the enhanced attribute of this thing, it lacked Dakhma¡¯s finesse. Without his techniques and skill, the battle turned into one of attributes versus attributes. Since Kessiah¡¯s Blood Arts enhanced her strength by an immense magnitude, it gave us an edge.


    Using that edge, Kessiah launched an earth shattering strike into the flesh cape. The veins and flesh holding it together ripped open, blood coursing out in every direction. It splattered over Kessiah, covering her eyes. The monster slammed his arm into the side of my chest, knocking me a few feet sideways.


    My ribs broke as I lost my breath. The sound of his strike busted my eardrums as I fell towards one knee. The eldritch monster turned around in place, slicing his sword at Kessiah.


    The coalesced energy sliced halfway through her chest. Blood spurted from Kessiah¡¯s mouth and nose before the monster grabbed her with his cape. The horns clasped onto the sides of her face as the cape dug veins and flesh down her throat.


    It was trying to drown her in its body. Before it did so, I stood up and shot towards him. With my runes overcharged, I struck the side of the monster. The monster kept the cape on her face as she struggled. It was like watching a bear trap close through someone¡¯s face.


    Kessiah¡¯s body convulsed, her throat swelling as the flesh invaded her body. Hatred seethed into my limbs as I lashed out at the monster. My strikes turned vicious, my aim immaculate. I evaded each of the monster¡¯s attacks, ripping powerful blows into its sides. The more I assaulted the creature, the less it mattered.


    The monster¡¯s body absorbed the punishment, grinning at me despite the damage I dealt. Blood leaked out of Kessiah¡¯s eyes as she scrambled for air. The fleshy tendrils poured out of her eyes and nose, squirming deeper. She used her arms, slamming her fists into the cape holding her. It wasn¡¯t enough damage against this thing.


    Desperation leaking into Kessiah and my movements. The monster¡¯s resilience kept it alive as Kessiah¡¯s stomach swelled. My own strikes continued growing in intensity, my own ferocity growing as I struggled. Every ounce of my might aimed at stopping the ongoing horror. A monster of flesh was going to kill Kessiah. I wouldn¡¯t watch her die. I refused.


    My strikes blended together, molding into a single movement. All of my skills came to one, becoming something undeniable. With each passing second, The monster¡¯s movements slowed compared with my own. I perceived the attacks of the creature before they were thrown. The desperation ebbed away as conviction replaced it.


    It¡¯s vitality was tremendous, higher than even my own. Killing it was like moving a mountain. It was a time where I had no choice. I stood up to the horror in front of me and faced it. I dedicated myself, honing my mind and movements into a single entity.


    The monster was faster and stronger, but I shifted and weaved around its strikes with grace. It belched acid at me, but I used gravity as I struck it to move the acid away. It struck towards me, but I molded gravity to misdirect its strikes. It opened its chest at me, flaring a nest of spikes at me. I moved myself with telekinesis away from it, ripping strike against it.


    The monster stepped back, no longer able to handle the onslaught of strikes. Even with its massive level lead, it couldn¡¯t stop me. I was a force of nature. I tore through it with a relentless, unstoppable rush. It couldn¡¯t touch me any longer. It didn¡¯t take effort either. It was a relaxing feeling, like liberating myself. That relaxation let me think, even as I destroyed the monster.


    With tiny optimizations in how I hit and punched, I added a large advantage over time. The monster kicked at me, but I leapt over its attack. I bounced off a telekinetic pad, slamming my foot into the head of the creature. Teeth fell from its face. Blood shot out from every angle of torn skin. It was only a matter of time before I killed it.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    But time wasn¡¯t something we had. Kessiah¡¯s struggling slowed down as she couldn¡¯t fight anymore. Her life force waned as her chest convulsed for air. I berated the monster with my strikes, unleashing torment. I shoved spines of my armor into the beast, tearing it apart. I impaled spikes of my armor into it, ripping through it and gouging out its organs.


    Yet it continued. Frustration leaked into my strikes, the weight of them growing. With wilder hits, I let the monster slice at me with his sword, the blade carved inches deep with each cut it made. It was a calculated risk I took. With this sudden ease in combat, I had the option of thinking. Using this new ability, I devised a plan in seconds.


    In the corner of my vision, Hod was flying towards us. If we wanted to kill this thing, we needed the energy sword in its right hand. Armed with that knowledge, I angled my strikes, loosening the monster¡¯s grip on its blade. Its body had molded over the handle, making it nigh impossible to knock it out of its grasp. It was my only hope of saving Kessiah though.


    At the fever pitch of the conflict, the eldritch slashed downwards at me. I caught his arm as he forced it downwards. This was my last chance. I dug into the ground before he slammed his left fist into my right side. Blood bursted from my insides, but it slowed down his flesh cape. As he struggled against me, he no longer dug deeper into Kessiah mouth.


    The monster didn¡¯t leave me unpunished either. With each strike, he whittled at my health. With each mammoth collision of its hand, my bones rattled. Blood burst from my mouth, my body disintegrated under the onslaught. I kept my hold of him firm. I opened the jaws of my armor and clamped down on the wrist of his sword hand.


    Event Horizon helped sustained me, sapping his health as he struggled. Kessiah¡¯s arms fell limp against her side as her struggling stopped. A pang of fear jolted up my spine. If Kessiah died like that, I would likely die as well. We could hardly handle this thing with the both of us. It was too bulky and too strong. The sword did unbelievable damage, and it could drown close range targets with its body.


    I didn''t even know if I had to breath anymore. My blood was metal. My skin was too. I hadn''t sat down and looked at myself for a long time. I didn''t even know if I could peel back my armor anymore.


    I crushed those fears and doubts under my heel. I didn''t have time to ponder. I would win. I had to win. It wasn¡¯t the time for fear. It was time for action. I resolved myself. I wouldn¡¯t leave Kessiah here, dead or alive. Who knew what they would do with her body if I left. I didn¡¯t want to find out. I would stay here and fight until this thing died. I had to.


    As a hole ruptured in my side, silver blood leaking out. Like mercury leaking down my side, it gushed. The eldritch stood still for a moment and licked some silver blood from off his fist. His many eyelids wrinkled in disgust,


    ¡°You taste like dirt and stone...What are you?¡±


    It was the opening we had been waiting for. From above, there was a whistle in the air. Hod dived down, using charged shadow claws to slice at the flesh cape. He cut into the tendril of flesh digging into Kessiah¡¯s throat. His sword wielding arm was still pressing down on me, so I let it crash into my collar bone. It cracked the bone as I bit deeper into his wrist.


    Tendrils of armor leaked out from my teeth. I grounded both my feet and slammed my fists into the wrist holding the energy sword. The eldritch stumbled just enough for Hod to slice twice more with this shadow claws. He finally severed the flesh cape, separating Kessiah from the monster¡¯s main body.


    Hod dragged Kessiah away before the eldritch turned and reached out for them.


    ¡°That is my food, not yours.¡±


    As the eldritch dashed towards them, I dug my feet into the ground and bit down hard on his wrist. As I pulled back, my teeth dug into the bone of his arm, severing the ligaments holding him together. After two more tugs from it and I, I amputated his right sword hand.


    Without my own mass pulling against him, the eldritch charged into the ground. I stood up. Before anything else, I dashed towards Kessiah. I reached her unmoving body, the tentacle down her throat blocking her breathing. Hod struggled at what to do, so I shoved him aside before grabbing the tentacle.


    I pulled at it, the tentacle staying inside her more than I thought it would. I grimaced before putting a foot on Kessiah¡¯s chest. I yanked the tentacle out, Kessiah¡¯s body deflating as I removed the tendril. After a few more tugs, it was all the way out. Kessiah wasn¡¯t breathing though.


    I removed my helmet, putting my lips against hers. I breathed into her chest. After two breaths, I pressed against her chest in timed intervals. I alternated between breathing and pressing onto her chest. I turned desperate before a black portal opened beside us, Torix stepping out.


    He glanced around, ¡°I¡¯m here. Kade disappearing from his post took maneuvering to fix, but I found a...¡±


    He glanced at Kessiah, his jaw falling open as horror spread across his face. I shouted at him,


    ¡°She isn¡¯t breathing. Do something!¡±


    Torix breathed out with a remarkable calm. He pulled his hands apart, arcs of lightning coursing between them. Once fully outstretched, his grimoire floated out from under his robe. It flipped open before static built in the air. He pushed his hands together, a ball of explosive lightning pooling in his right palm.


    He lifted the finished sphere, grunting out his words, ¡°I am the only dead one in our group Kessiah.¡±


    He pressed the ball into Kessiah¡¯s chest. She flopped upwards, her limbs flailing around. Torix howled, ¡°You don¡¯t die unless I kill you. Do you hear me?¡±


    She still didn¡¯t breath before Torix raised his palm, mana infusing his palm. Torix thundered,


    ¡°You will answer my question. Do you hear me?¡±


    He slammed it into her chest once more. Torix¡¯s blue fire eyes turned red as he lifted his palm once more. Kessiah¡¯s eyes popped open, a plume of blood tearing out of her chest. Using gravity magic, I pulled the blood from her throat, my finnesse amazing me. After removing a gallon of blood, Kessiah gasped for breath.


    She rolled over onto her hands and knees, vomiting up blood before breathing deeply. As she coughed right after, the eldritch monster had already stood and stomped towards us. It¡¯s flesh cape was severed. It¡¯s right sword hand was rived from its body. Blood spurted out of its wounds as its many voices gurgled out,


    ¡°You¡¯ve earned my respect, little lambs. These injuries will heal whenever I feast on you bodies. You all walking corpses.¡±


    Torix stepped in front of us, his grimoire glowing bright,


    A dark portal opened above Torix. A white, scaled arm the size of a bus landed beside Torix. As its claws dug into the ground, the air around us cooled. Pillars of ice jutted out of the ground. The portal stretched open, revealing a massive eye. It glanced around before spotting the eldritch. It pushed against the portal, revealing a smiling mouth full of teeth.


    A maniacal grin grew on Torix¡¯s lips, ¡°The only walking corpse is right in front of me, I assure you.¡±

 99 Wrath of a Lich

    The eldritch laughed, its wounded body shaking. It lifted its hand, glancing at its torn wrist,


    ¡°I do ponder in my own manner...Why am I not regenerating my wounds?¡±


    The eldritch looked at me, my body healing what should be fatal injuries in seconds. The eldritch¡¯s eyes narrowed,


    ¡°You own quite the life force for a being that tastes like dirt. We could combine our strengths. Would you be willing to join me and my many minds?¡±


    My eyes creased as I seethed, ¡°Hell no you disgusting fuck.¡±


    The monster took a step backwards, its face and eyes riddled with confusion, ¡°Why do you treat me with disgust? You are a living golem...an entity that should not exist, an entity that cannot exist.¡±


    Torix waved his arm, ice spears colored a deep blue forming over his head,


    ¡°And yet here my disciple stands. Cease with your esoteric chatter.¡±


    Another leg of the white monster came out of the portal. Torix clapped his hands, opening the portal wide. The head of a reptile came out. As it did, the air turned frigid. The ground around us turned icy. The blood around us froze, except for my own silver blood. Wings spread out wider than a city block. A whipping tail, ending in an icy scythe, slung around tearing through the rubble.


    It was an ice dragon. A few things were off about it, however. The jaw of the creature extended past its throat and down into its belly. Above the jawline, thick, pearly scales covered its back and wings. Below the extended jawline, thinner, glassy scales coated it. Beneath these thinner scales, the monster glowed a deep blue. It looked like it was storing liquid oxygen.


    The eldritch dashed towards us, and the dragon breathed out a frigid, white mist. It hit the eldritch monster like frozen fire. Torix channeled his grimoire, covering us in an insulative shield. His grimoire flipped once more, darkening the surrounding area as it glowed black. The deep blue icicle spears zipped through the air.


    The mist cleared, showing the skin of the eldritch frozen on its surface. It took a step forward, that skin cracking. The icicle spears pierced into these cracks, digging into the creature. The dragon shot out streams of the blue liquid within the beast¡¯s belly. Whenever the streams stopped, the eldritch was frozen solid. I analyzed it.


    <table style="border-color: #000000; background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endless Flesh(lvl 3646 | Growth Rate: Exponential) - This is a failed experiment of Yawm¡¯s tampering. This is what he is trying to do, fuse sentients with the eldritch. The folly of his efforts is obvious. The overpowering energies of the eldritch have consumed this poor fool¡¯s soul. Now he is a shadow of what he was, nothing more than a brute.


    And a powerful brute it is. With acid, several limbs, and a shining sword of coalesced ambient mana, it is to be feared. It¡¯s regeneration is remarkable as well, giving it excellent longevity, and its health pool is massive given that each and every cell has a working brain and heart.


    That being such, the creature must be killed in its entirety for death. Even a single living cell could spread outwards, consuming nearby life and becoming a tremendous problem. Fortunately, this superorganism strifes for unity. It will not willingly disperse into many small pieces. It¡¯s threat level would be much higher then.


    It can mold its body at will. Getting close to this creature will cause many problems for closer range combatants if it restricts movement. It can assimilate someone¡¯s body while they are alive, turning them into its own flesh. Even saved allies can be consumed by living cells that linger within them. Some kind of cleansing is necessary to prevent their eventual consumption from the inside.


    You must stop its regeneration, it¡¯s assimilation abilities, and its devastating energy sword attacks. Otherwise it will slowly whittle you down to nothing over a long term battle. Strike it fast, hard, and continuously until nothing is left.


    Recommended Level: 3000+


    Recommended Party Number: Less than 6


    Recommended Tactics: Larger parties may make destroying the creature more difficult. Dense parties with no weaker members are highly recommended. Long range disposal is highly advised.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I almost read the entire page in five seconds. My perception let me do so. The passage explained why we were struggling so much against this thing. We were out leveled, it was a bad matchup against us, and we didn¡¯t prepare against it. We couldn¡¯t have given the circumstances.


    Torix¡¯s attack was well suited for killing it though. The ice dragon emptied its pouch of blue liquid, sending a plume of it at the monster. The moment the liquid hit the air, it turned into a white mist. Torix raised his hand, a blue fire forming,


    ¡°Do you know why I prefer liquid oxygen for my freezing attacks versus liquid nitrogen.¡±


    Hod, Kessiah, and I just stared at him in disbelief. Leave it up to Torix to find time in the middle of a life or death battle for a lecture. He continued,


    ¡°Because liquid oxygen oxidizes the surface of whatever it touches. It leads to explosive results.¡±


    He flicked the blue fire at the creature. The blue dragon flapped its wings, sending the collected mist towards the eldritch monster. The moment the blue fire left the insulated shield, an enormous explosion surrounded us. Torix lifted his hands, laughing at the destruction,


    ¡°Hah, hah, hah. I love watching a good fire burn.¡±


    He lowered his hands as his eyes narrowed, ¡°Especially when it scorches something so filthy.¡±


    A white smoke covered were the eldritch had been. There was no notification for experience in the side of my vision. It still lived, even after all that. I dashed out of the forcefield before the dragon opened its mouth to fire off another plume of liquid energy. The eldritch shot out of the smoke cloud and into the dragon¡¯s mouth.


    The dragon tried biting into it, but the monster just forced itself down the dragon¡¯s throat. The dragon tried breathing, but it couldn¡¯t. I turned around, running towards the dragon before blood spurted out of it. It¡¯s massive jaw opened, showing the eldritch spreading all throughout its insides. It was trying to eat the dragon from the inside.


    I moved Event Horizon over the dragon, causing it to scream. Torix howled, ¡°Get off of my pet.¡±


    Torix¡¯s grimoire turned its pages, the runes sucking in the light around them once more. At the center of the eldritch¡¯s writhing mass, the air condensed. It was like the the single point was eating all the nearby sound. For a moment, all was silent.


    A kinetic detonation imploded the eldritch from the inside. It¡¯s body deformed before I jumped onto the eldritch. The disgusting ball of flesh stuck to me, trying to crawl between the kinks in my armor. It found nothing to seep into. I breathed deep and coated myself in the armor.


    It was airtight, locking the monster out. In fact, my own armor dug into the flesh of the eldritch, devouring its vitality. I tore at it, ripping the beast¡¯s exposed body apart. The shifting eldritch spread faster than I and Torix could tear down. Torix shouted,


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°The dragon is no longer under my control. The eldritch severed the link between us.¡±


    A giant set of claws latched onto my back, pulling me out. I opened my armor, letting me see and hear. It lifted me out of its mortal wounds, giving me a view of the beast. The dragon turned into a shifting abomination as its body spilled out of its scales. It was like watching a candle melt as the magnificent scales were corrupted.


    The dragon grinned, many eyes and tiny mouths forming over its face. These human sized mouths spoke in unison,


    ¡°Come here morsel.¡±


    It lifted me above its gargantuan mouth before chomping down. Teeth grated against the armor of my back,it chewed, the disgusting saliva and blood surrounding me. I lashed out, expanding my armor into its cheeks. I gashed at the inside of its mouth. After breaking many of its teeth on my back, the monster spit me out.


    I flopped around, my vision spiraling before I dived into the ground. A stream of liquified oxygen struck the ground above me before I burrowed back at the beast. I shot out of the ground, a cool rush of air flowing over me. My fist clashed with the flesh dragon¡¯s scales, cracks forming on its chest.


    The monster spewed the cryogenic fluid, towards me, but I shifted its trajectory back at it with gravity. Doing so burned through my health, but it covered the dragon in its own liquid. The monster howled out, the roar breaking nearby windows. I covered my ears in the nick of time, the sound rattling my bones.


    It whipped its long tail towards me, the icy scythe shimmering in the sun¡¯s light. I deflected the blade with ease. It dug into the earth before I dug into the ground as well. I grabbed the tail, dragging the dragon into the dirt. My sheer mass let me pull it halfway down before I could no longer move downwards.


    I turned upright, reaching out with Tactile Cognition. Hod was tearing at the dragon¡¯s tail, severing that piece from it. Torix shot out fire spells. I darted up and out of the ground, aiming at the dragon¡¯s head. It¡¯s bottom jaw grew in my sight before I smashed the monster¡¯s skull.


    Like a wrecking ball slamming into it, the dragon¡¯s jaw whiplashed. A backbreaking recoil radiated up my arm, but my bones and skin held together. The sound was like a seismic wave, a noise I felt more than I heard. We picked the beast apart like this. I distracted the monster, dealing damage while the others jumped in when it was busy.


    Over time the monster was hobbling on its last legs. Torix¡¯s spells lost their flare, his mana waning. The shadow claws of Hod were no longer menacing. My own energy was endless, however. I maintained my full fury during the entirety of the conflict. Torix would normally do the same by summoning, but this eldritch would just eat anything he conjured up.


    Without those monsters, the eldritch lacked anything to eat. Blood poured from it by the truckload, red ice forming over the entire block. Hod destroyed the monster¡¯s wings and tail, making it useless against me. I pummeled it as the others rested behind Torix¡¯s shield of mana. Event Horizon and my regen sustained me, blocking the monster from doing the same.


    The monster¡¯s movements turned into lashings. It no longer controlled itself with any measure of finesse. Without any technique, I abused the monster¡¯s sloppy movements. I leaped over strikes, drilling strikes into its ribs, joints, and jaw. I sidestepped bites and tore out its teeth. My fists were steam rollers, crushing its body in a slow, agonizing manner.


    The haughty arrogance faded into fear as the dragon frothed at its mouth. Even though it stole the dragon¡¯s body, it was still limited by the abilities of its host. The dragon couldn¡¯t maintain this kind of effort for so long. The many fleshy eyes covering it face strained, turning bloodshot. The monster heaved for air as I relentlessly assaulted it.


    Not a moment of my time was wasted. I kept this thing moving. After whipping a hook into its broken jaw, the monster coughed up blood over me. It fell over, the limbs flopping over each other. A writhing ball of flesh exploded out of the dragon¡¯s back. It was much smaller than the eldritch¡¯s first form over Dakhma.


    As it dashed out, spears of bone pelted outwards from the dragon¡¯s steaming corpse. I blocked my face, the bones spears lodging an inch deep into my armor.


    These spears crashed into and shattered Torix¡¯s mana shield. The ball of flesh rolled towards Hod, Torix, and Kessiah. Over the course of my combat with the monster, they recovered some of their manas. Hod created a shield made of shadow streaks. From behind it, Torix shot out an eruption of blue fire.


    Before the blast landed, Kessiah stood up, her body at an awkward angle. She reared back and struck Torix across the side of his ancient face. Torix¡¯s jaw snapped, a cloud of dust swelling from his face before Torix flopped into the shadow streaks. Torix balled himself up, his robe fluttering as he crashed against the streaks.


    The shadow streaks shattered along with an invisible shield laying over Torix. Torix rolled on the ground, dirt covering his neat robe as his grimoire flopped over the ground. Hod slashed towards Kessiah as he howled,


    ¡°Hod thought you friend. Hod trust you.¡±


    Kessiah grinned,


    ¡°She¡¯s not a friend of yours anymore.¡±


    The black veins spread across her body. Hod slashed towards her, but she punched at the claw marks. Her fist crashed through the shadow claws before slamming into Hod¡¯s stomach. A shockwave ebbed from him, the crack of bone following not far behind. The black blood of Hod¡¯s combat form exploded out of his mouth.


    Kessiah¡¯s fist blew backwards, and so did Hod. The Eltari warrior shot into the side of a house in the distance. The ball of flesh flopped onto Kessiah. It covered her, molding into new muscle and skin. At the very least, it didn¡¯t absorb her. It just covered her, giving her an exoskeleton of the eldritch.


    It all happened over a few seconds. I grabbed the sides of my face, ¡°Why the fuck won¡¯t you just die?¡±


    Kessiah lifted a hand. The fleshy exoskeleton condensed into a black metal, mimicking my own armor. Several slits formed over the face, along with many sets of jaws. They spoke in unison over Kessiah¡¯s voice,


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can handle me when I have armor like yours.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Wait a second.¡± I pointed at her, ¡°You¡¯re still in there?¡±


    Her head twitched under the armor, her body struggling underneath the armor. She strained out a few words without the mouths and eyes speaking with her,


    ¡°I can¡¯t...control it...I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing.¡±


    The eyes turned towards her, the mouths whispering, ¡°Do you not remember what these people have done to you? Torix lured you here, trapping you on Earth for his own twisted experiments.¡±


    Kessiah gritted her teeth, straining out her words, ¡°And what did Daniel do to me?¡±


    The mouths hissed, ¡°This inferior creature rejected you and your body. He treated you like a freak. The dirty earthling tried overpowering you and dominating the group. It is time to take back control.¡±


    I frowned as I spread out my arms, ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? That...that¡¯s so stupid. I was trying to survive. I didn¡¯t control anyone.¡±


    The voices seethed at her, ¡°Now he dismisses your own thoughts. He is a filthy back worlder who thinks he is above you. Like a snake, he will strike the moment you turn your back to him.¡±


    I roared back, ¡°If I had a problem with Kessiah, I would tell it to her face. Hard to do when you¡¯re covering her with your ugly ass, so fuck off already.¡±


    The mouths hissed as Kessiah laughed underneath the mask. The eyes squinted at me, ¡°You taste of dirt, little lamb. You hold no sustenance. You are less than even a worm. I¡¯ve peaked through this remnant¡¯s mind. She believes you are inferior as well, nothing more than a lesser being.¡±


    Kessiah grabbed the edges of her helmet, ¡°Stop peeking through my head. These are my thoughts. Mine.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah, sure. Kessiah definitely thinks I¡¯m some monkey on a backworld. That¡¯s why she hit on me and gave me a spacial ring.¡±


    The mouths mumbled something, but I slammed my gauntlets together. The clang overwhelmed their voice,


    ¡°Enough talking. How about we fight like monsters instead of fighting like lawyers.¡±


    The eyes squinted at me. Hatred dripped from their voice as they spoke,


    ¡°We are a monster. You are trash.¡±


    I dashed towards Kessiah as she struggled against the influence of the eldritch. Even with her resisting, the eldritch and her Blood Arts made her movements like tidal waves. The sheer speed and strength of them were far faster than her old ones. Even with their wild, unstable form, her first strike caught me by surprise.


    Her fist crashed against my face like a rock slapping against the back of your head. I dragged ten feet back, my feet digging me into the ground. My helmet was ruptured, exposing my mouth. My silver blood leaked from my torn cheek. The mouths on her helmet smiled,


    ¡°Well then, walking dirt...you can¡¯t even fight us with her resisting.¡±


    I condensed event Horizon over the skin of Kessiah, instead of all throughout her. The finesse strained me a bit, but killing her wasn¡¯t the plan. I would peel that monster off her and make it suffer. The monster didn¡¯t want to play nice, then neither would I.


    I clenched my teeth, breathing out. Blood squirted out from between my teeth, dripping down my chin and neck. My cheek regenerated before I wiped the blood off my face. I molded my helmet back onto my head as I rolled my shoulders. I walked towards the eldritch, cracking my neck,


    ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m just getting started.¡±

 100 An Unstoppable Force

    The confident smile on the mouths vanished. I dashed towards the monster, adjusting my approach. Kessiah shot out a lightning fast straight at my face. I sunk into the earth as I spun on my heels. Without having to even duck, I slid under the punch by sinking into the ground.


    I slammed my fist into Kessiah¡¯s stomach. It rattled my fist before Kessiah kicked at my legs. Using my overcharged runes, I jumped upwards. Kessiah¡¯s kick glided past my feet as I grabbed her helmet. I dragged her up with me before slamming her into the ground.


    As we landed, giant slabs of earth upturned as a pit formed beneath us. I stood over her with her back against the ground. Keeping composed, I kept my elbows tight against my sides. With quick, controlled strikes, I sliced three hooks against her jaw. Her head whipped back and forth against the ground before she reached out.


    I leaned back just enough, her clawed hands scraping my armor. As her arm pulled back, I shot forward, pummeling two more hooks into her jaw. She reached out with her right hand towards my neck, but I sidestepped her grab. With her arm reaching up, I countered with a right straight. It slammed into her face as she howled in frustration,


    ¡°Why can I never hit you when we fight?¡±


    I ignored her, gaging my range as I dashed in and out of her grasp. She raised her hands and slammed the ground. A wave of dust and chips of stone billowed out. It might have stopped me a 1000 levels ago, but that was no longer the case.


    I covered my eyes and ears with armor, using my gravitational sense in place of sight and hearing. I stomped her chest three times before she flailed her arms in frustration. Based on her her mouth moved as she did, she was screaming obscenities. I couldn¡¯t hear her. I focused on the task at hand. I slammed strike after strike against her, whittling her down over time.


    After several minutes of literally beating her into the ground, I stomped her neck. A shockwave ushered forth form her, pushing me back. She stood up, the eldritch armor smiling.


    ¡°She has succumbed.¡±


    I analyzed her,


    Kessiah Crow, the Flesh Golem(lvl 3143) - The tiny bits and pieces of the Endless Flesh lingering in Kessiah¡¯s body have taken control of her mind. In order to use Kessiah¡¯s Blood Arts, the Endless Flesh hasn¡¯t assimilated her. This means the eldritch can use its rapid regeneration as fuel for Kessiah¡¯s Blood Arts.


    Fortunately, even rudimentary combat techniques aren¡¯t within this monster¡¯s arsenal. It¡¯s strength, speed, and power are all extremely high, but it doesn¡¯t have the skill to use them. Sacrificing its high regeneration for Blood Arts also makes it susceptible to prolonged combat.


    The host, Kessiah Crow, can also create instability in the monster¡¯s combat patterns. These limitations lower the danger level of this eldritch. At your current combat level, this enemy will surely kill you regardless. The gap in levels and attributes is simply too high. Evasion is advised until you¡¯ve strengthened yourself.


    Something I learned early on about Schema¡¯s advisories are that they are like carpet bombing. They don¡¯t consider my history, my armor, not anything important. The warnings are based on what I specced points into and my level, nothing else. Based on my own performance, killing higher level creatures was expected. This fucker would be no different.


    So without fear, I kept myself tucked in and tight as I paced towards Kessiah. She bulleted towards me, the ground cracking in her wake. I couldn¡¯t keep up as she slammed her fist into my stomach.


    The ground beneath us quaked with a great rumble as I shot backwards. The air spiraled around me before I hit it. I adapted, piercing my fingers and feet into the ground. I dragged backwards, momentum carrying me a block further away. Kessiah already enlarged in my sight as she charged towards me.


    Ready for impact, I planted my feet. There was no running away. Hod might be dead in a nearby house. Torix laid face down in the dirt, his unconscious body not even breathing. We weakened the eldritch with our fights, but it would feast on the planet if I left it unchecked. The next time I faced it, the monster would be unstoppable.


    My only answer was to become unstoppable first. The monster was only so fast. It was only so strong. It was like a child given the body of a god. I didn¡¯t need to be faster than it. I needed enough speed to counter, duck, and dodge around is.


    The last strike almost hit me faster than my senses could perceive it. In the back of my mind, there was a tiny weakness in my foe. At the very edge of my limits, I could¡¯ve dodged that strike. At the horizon of my current potential, victory was within my grasp.


    This was not impossible. It bordered on impossible, but it only skirted that line. I needed focus. I needed to dig deep and pull out all the stops. Every advantage, every skill, every second of my last year of life boiled down to this. I fought hard every day for this single opportunity. If I slacked off anymore, I wouldn¡¯t have the skills I needed for winning this.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    But I had put in the time. I had put in the effort. I grounded myself, rooting my mind in a firm belief that I could and would win. All these thoughts passed in a moment before Kessiah reached me. With that absolute conviction, I was ready for her charge.


    And so, she came.


    Like a tidal wave, she crashed towards me. Straining my senses, I demanded they react faster than before. I overworked my body, commanding it move in time. Kessiah punched for my gut once more, but I countered her.


    It took all I was. Nothing else existed in my mind but that single moment. Every part of my body, from my fists to my feet, worked with a brutal grace. I shifted myself, my hand colliding into her face. The force flowed from the my knuckles to my shoulders and into the ground.


    I pushed on a telekinetic pad under my feet, extending the grip of my feet. The gravity warp and telekinetic augments formed as my fist made contact. My body blew backwards into the pad under my feet, like punching into a wall. The telekinetic panel under my feet pushed back, keeping the force going into Kessiah¡¯s face.


    It was like a beautiful orchestra of absolute violence. My striking synced together, like notes syncing with a rhythm. I wasted not even an ounce of my limitations, like a symphony blaring out without a single wasted sound. I reached for the totality of my magic and might.


    An ounce more of force on my bones, and they would break. A single drop more of mana channeling into my runes, and they would snap. A single crumb more of stress on my telekinetic augments, and they would shatter. By some unknown method, I reached the brink of what I could do.


    It was like walking on a tightrope. If I pushed myself any further, then I would break. If I pushed myself any less, then this monster would kill me. The margin of error was inhuman, yet I walked along the razor¡¯s edge.


    With everything lining up, a large, circular patch of the ground around me sunk a foot deep. It was from the force of my feet slamming into a widened, telekinetic pad. All of that energy dispersed straight into Kessiah¡¯s face.


    The potency of my strike was palpable. Kessiah¡¯s head whipped backwards despite the eldritch and her Blood Arts. A bit of blood leaked from a scrape on her face on one of the eyes spread across her face. The black metal around that eye expanded into bruised skin.


    The eldritch grabbed the side of its face. It looked at the blood on its hand,


    ¡°How?¡±


    I dashed towards the monster, interrupting its question. It swung its right arm towards me, the speed scorching the tip of my face. I dipped underneath it, ducking, molding the strike over my head with my armor, and sinking into the ground all at once. The blow left a strip of cleaved armor, but made no meaningful contact.


    The eldritch sliced diagonally at me with the same arm. I shifted my weight on my heels, balancing as I bent away from the strike. With my body bent, around the blow, I drove a right hook into her jaw. It was a pristine strike, a satisfying crack ebbing from the contact. No matter how she struck at me, that continued.


    Like a river flowing around stones, I weaved around her strikes. I felt like an artist painting his masterpiece. Except instead of paint, I worked with violence. I was graceful as a dancer and brutal as bloodshed. I flowed like water and struck like lightning. I was a moving ball of death, grinding the armor from Kessiah¡¯s skin.


    The monster thrashed with might and malice, the power of storms in each of its blows. I was more than a storm. I was an unstoppable force. This was my domain. I molded the battle as a sculptor molds his creation. I composed the battlefield as a musician composes his magnum opus.


    It was like something clicked. With every passing second, my confidence grew. My mind expanded, the movements becoming simple. Even as I completed the most difficult, aerobatic maneuvers, I relaxed deeper into this state of mind. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t respect my enemy. I did.


    It was that I comprehended my physical and mental limits to perfection. This abomination in front of me, as close as it was, lied within those limits. Every few minutes, a cataclysmic blow from the eldritch would strike my side. By the time another landed, I already regained my footing.


    Time ceased existing in my head. My mind went blank. It was like I had been trying to break a world record for years. All of the sudden I tripled it, and now instinct was taking over. Even with my heightened senses and willpower, I could only handle so much stress before collapsing. With each passing second, I approached that threshold.


    Closer and closer, the point of ruin came to me. The exhaustion built in my head. Every thought was like trudging through a swamp of mud. I struggled on in desperation, the minutes blending into hours. The haze around my head thickened, clogging my senses. Blood like mercury dripped down my nose.


    My eyes were bloodshot, but silver lines ran across my eyes instead of red ones. It felt like I had taken a life or death exam for days without sleep. As my mental acuity waned, I dodged fewer and fewer strikes. The punishment built, my body breaking down as I pushed through. My hp dwindled, along with the pain.


    By then I wished for pain. It let me know I was still alive. Even now, I can¡¯t remember who stopped punching first. I think it was me. It doesn¡¯t matter. I was the last one standing. After one of us lashed out with a final strike, Kessiah collapsed beside me.


    Beneath me, the eldritch hid under Kessiah¡¯s skin. I fell onto my knees, stabbing my hand into her brutalized body. With my armor, I found the eldritch laying within and devoured the energy. Once the last particle of eldritch was eaten. I took out my hands. I spread Event Horizon wide around me, avoiding any allies but blanketing every other inch of area.


    I left no eldritch behind. Injuries smothered me from head to toe. Blood soaked deep into the ground beneath my feet. I was a walking wound, a living bruise. I still stood, my knees shaking. I still lifted a fist over my head. I beat my chest once, the sound reverberating around me.


    I roared out. It was a primal, untamed howl. I blared it out for all to hear. It echoed across the city, like the rumbling of a storm. It was the call of something not quite human but not quite monster either. It was the thunder of my victory. It was a promise.


    I would never shake in fear at Yawm. I would never shake in fear of anyone. Whoever tried dominating me would falter and fail. I would turn that terror against them. Whether a god or legend, they would tremble at the sound of my footsteps.


    I would teach them fear.

 101 Breaking Through

    I finished my war cry before falling back onto my knees. I glanced around at the destruction. Six blocks were leveled, piles of rubble all that remained of them. Gaping holes littered several stores nearby, and a few houses stood on their last legs.


    Of in the distance, Torix¡¯s jaw slowly reformed. His fire eyes were glowing, more like coals than flame. Kessiah was covered in the blood of the eldritch. The wounds on her were few. During my fight, I kept my strikes intent on killing the eldritch armor more than her. She wouldn¡¯t die like she was. There would be plenty of scars though.


    Hod might be dead somewhere off in the distance. I was too tired to stand and find out. He was probably just knocked unconscious. Since the eldritch had been Dakhma, we would all gain a ridiculous amount of experience. Before checking out my attributes and levels though, I opened my notifications. Something I¡¯d been working towards for months finally showed up.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Legendary Skill Unlocked! Combines the three mythical skills, The Coming Tide, Volatile Carnage, and Boundless Storm into the single legendary skill called, Force of Nature. Half of remaining skill points in these three mythical skills are rewarded. Total Bonus tree points from fusion | 1352 | Below is a list of the legendary skills other bonuses.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Enhances skill and technique with all skills that compose the skill. There is no cap for a Legendary skill, meaning your potential with the ability is limitless.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Legendary skills cannot assimilate skills. Instead, a legendary skill can be used in the creation of other unique and mythical grade skills.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A legendary skill can be used for earning a class. Example Classes: Overseer, Speaker, or Breaker. Some classes are hidden and need quests from Schema to unlock.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">The difficulty of upgrading Force of Nature does NOT increase or decrease with the level of the skill. Level 1 is just as difficult to increase as level 1,000.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">For every 100 points in Force of Nature, you gain 5 Strength, 5 Dexterity, 2 Constitution, 2 Intelligence, and 1 perception.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">These free attributes are determined by the legendary skill¡¯s needs. If your legendary skill needs willpower and perception to operate, leveling it will grant willpower and perception.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">For every 100 points in Force of Nature, 5% increase in range and power of Gravitational, Telekinetic, and Runic abilities. Mana cost is reduced by 1% as well.</li>


    </ul>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was by far the longest notification for a skill I had ever received. I must have learned the skill when I felt like everything synced up all of a sudden. After reading over the bonuses of the skill, there was a few solid bonuses to exploit.


    The extra attributes were a pleasant surprise considering no other skill gave them. The classes and titles might come in handy later. I would have to wait for those until after facing off against Yawm. They might help me figure out what I¡¯ll be doing after killing the monster.


    The extra bonus for magic was an awesome surprise as well. After doing a quick bit of math, I could make molding gravity and telekinesis manaless once I had 10,000 skill points in Force of Nature. Easy peasy. Considering the skill didn¡¯t become harder to learn with level, that might be possible.


    Curious about what the skill said, I checked it out.


    <table style="background-color: #000000">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Force of Nature(lvl 7) - You are nature given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including: Close Range Combat, Runic abilities, Telekinesis, and gravitational magics.


    Bonus Attributes: 5 Strength, 5 Dexterity, 2 Constitution, 2 intelligence, 1 Perception


    Ability Bonus: 5%


    Mana Cost Reduction: 1%


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    First up was the person beside me. Kessiah was still breathing, and after checking her pulse, she was stable. Moving wasn¡¯t so difficult anymore, so I walked over and inspected Torix. He seemed fine, the dim lights of his eyes growing. I paced over towards the house Hod was lodged in.


    Low and behold, Hod was fine. Both his wings were broken, and a crack ran up his metal beak, but he would live too. I walked over, tearing off strips of my armor. Getting the armor off was a struggle, but I managed it. I bent Hod¡¯s wings back into shape, using the armor strips as splints. Hod screamed whenever I realigned his bones, but after that he settled down.


    I carried him towards Torix, setting them beside each other. Keeping watch of them would be easier with them all beside each other. Since I had some time to think, I poured all my excess mana into the eldritch rune on my arm. It was like agony from way back in BloodHollow all over again.


    It made my ridiculous mana generation useful, so I counted my blessings. Once my mana was channeling, I walked over and picked up Kessiah. With telekinesis reinforcing my feet, I carried her over without digging into the ground. I set her beside Torix and Hod before flopping backwards.


    I pushed my back off the ground, my legs flat against the ground. I turned to Kessiah, seeing her carbon fiber pouch unharmed. It was a tough damn compound. I grabbed it from her side. I opened it, finding red dungeon cores inside them. I stuck my hand into the pouch, a jolt of lightning radiating up my arm.


    I ignored the feeling, absorbing cores as I waved my hand around. I needed these things anyways. Considering I already saved Kessiah¡¯s life twice, I figured I deserved a few dungeon cores anyways. I needed the extra skill points for investing into my new legendary skill too.


    Up till now, I saved my skill points for whenever I reached 90+ in a normal skill. Since the least 10 levels were ridiculously difficult to get, they acted like an easy way of avoiding that crawl. This new legendary skill gave some really nice bonuses though. Combine that with the uniform leveling difficulty, and there wasn¡¯t any reason not to invest the points now.


    With that in mind, I checked out the number of skill points I had stored up. I found 919 waiting for me. It was a ridiculous number for any skill to reach. I poured them all into Force of Nature. After hitting finalize, I noticed a difference in strength and my reaction speed. It wasn¡¯t an enormous shift by any means, but I appreciated it nonetheless.


    I created a gravity vortex over my hand. Unlike the attribute bonuses, the difference in the magic was enormous. I put it over me, channeling a bit mana into the vortex. A moment later, I floated off the ground. I shifted the field of gravity, trying to keep it in front of me. It made me fly around.


    One second I was stuck to the ground. The next, I dashed through the air like a bird with no wings. It was like falling in a direction. The sense of levity leaving me, the rush of air on my face, it was exhilarating. I dashed over the pile of rubble for a few minutes, savoring my new ability before settling back down.


    I tried the same thing with telekinesis. I grabbed a rock ten feet away and lifted it. It wasn¡¯t much heavier than normal, if at all. I stood up and walked beside a car. I bent down and lifted up, lifting the car up with a telekinetic wave. There wasn¡¯t any desperate struggle. The mental link stood strong and steady, not wavering.


    I set the car down before running over and sitting down beside the others again. Not going off and testing out my new abilities was hard, but I discipline myself. There would be time for that later. Besides, there was a massive payload of attribute points waiting for me.


    I gained a little over 400 hundred levels from killing Dakhma/eldritch abomination. I glanced around, analyzing the other¡¯s levels. Torix gained over 400 levels. Kessiah and Hod gained 300 levels. Torix was level 1702. Kessiah was 2521. Hod was level 1703. I grinned at Hod being one level higher than Torix. The undead necromancer just couldn¡¯t catch a break.


    The boost meant the next follower wouldn¡¯t even be half as difficult. I intended on making a team and a mission for handling it anyways. I wasn¡¯t about to let our group almost get decimated like that again. Torix was right about him having to handle all the logistics. It wasn¡¯t fair to put all that on him.


    This influx of attributes would help with all that. Before distributing my attributes, I opened my tree menu. I got an enormous amount of tree points from completing my legendary skill. I could finish Obliterator in one fell swoop. That¡¯s what I did.


    You¡¯re horizons are ever growing. If you make a habit of exceeding your limits, then limits cease to exist. Others will box themselves in. Their limits act as comfort, like the walls of a house. You tear those walls down, and you see the world for what it is.


    2,000/2,500 milestone reached! II Obliterator unlocked (Tier 4) +100% of total experience gained for levels and skills. This bonus is multiplicative with previous bonuses, not additive. +8 attributes rewarded for every 5 levels over level 1,000.


    A boundless sky and a fruitful earth. It is yours for the taking.


    2,500/2,500 milestone reached! II Obliterator unlocked (Tier 5) +100% of total experience gained for levels and skills. This bonus is multiplicative with previous bonuses, not additive. +10 attributes rewarded for every 5 levels over level 1,000. Doubles damage when in rifts.


    The bonuses were tremendous, as they should be. Doubling my damage in rifts would help if I ever went back and tried killing Etna. It might be a little bit before I could make that happen. With the Obliterator tree finished, I opened my trees menu and checked those out next.


    III Vicious(Kill a monster after fighting for over an hour. They must exceed your level by 1000. You must be over level 1000 to unlock this tree.)(0/250) | Killer of Titans(Kill a monster with over 1,000 times your own mass. Constitution over 1,000. Star Matter perk unlocked.)(0/1,500) | Bounty Hunter(Finish an A tier bounty)(0/500)]


    The stat trees were interesting. The best bang for my buck would be Vicious, since it increased overall damage. Considering how cheap the points were for the tree, it was an excellent investment. I selected and finished the tree.


    Monsters are real, and they look like people. One of those people happens to be you. III Vicious(Tier 1) Unlocked! +3% damage.


    Some would say you are the wolf that wears the sheep¡¯s skin. If a being dares to come too close, you tear off your skin and show your fangs. Vicious(Tier 2) Unlocked! +6% damage.


    The change occurs in an instant. One moment, you¡¯re as amiable as a gentle giant. The next, and you become the wrath of untamed anger. Vicious(Tier 3) Unlocked! +9% damage.


    These two faces of yours compose the whole of who you are. You are neither completely passive nor utterly aggressive. You show the side that needs to be shown. Vicious(Tier 4) Unlocked! +12% damage.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    And may mercy be given to those who unleash the monster lying just beneath your skin. Vicious(Tier 5) +15% damage. +5% damage when losing health.


    The tree was a basic stat booster, like I expected. Schema¡¯s system was likely balanced around everyone having it, or at least hard asses getting it. The extra damage while losing health was particularly good on me because I was always losing health. With the other Vicious trees, it added up to a 40% bonus in damage all the time.


    It was a rock solid addition, especially considering how few points it took to gain the tree. I looked at it like a bargain. With the tree finished, I looked at the trees left. Bounty Hunter looked interesting, but it probably relied on finishing bounties and getting money. Considering I fought with my fists and my armor was my skin, buying things wasn¡¯t going to be the most useful.


    With that in mind, I poured all the rest of my points into Titan slayer.


    To find a true warrior in the vast cosmos is a rarity. Most prefer tackling a problem from an angle or trying to avoid it altogether. You have chosen to face challenges head on, even when they are larger than life. Killer of Titans(Tier 1) unlocked! +20% to total mass. 2% of total level is given as free constitution.


    In the truest sense, you¡¯ve chosen density and size over all else. This road rewards you with skin like metal and bones unbreakable. You¡¯ve discovered the secret of being invincible. Killer of Titans(Tier 2) unlocked! +40% to total mass. 4% of total level is given as free constitution.


    If your body is invincible, then it becomes the ultimate weapon. You are a walking wall, an immovable object. Whether wielding gravity or fighting with your own hands, you unlocked the might of a titan. Killer of Titans(Tier 3) unlocked! +60% to total mass. +6% of total level is given as free constitution.


    And with the might of a titan, you have chosen to stand on the shoulders of giants. Unlike others, they are not giants that you use. They are corpses you created by sheer size alone. Killer of Titans(Tier 4) unlocked! +80% to total mass. +8% of total level is given as free constitution.


    After I finished reading all the notifications, I couldn¡¯t believe them. Whenever I hit finalize on my screen, I would double in weight. Considering the bonus from my legendary skill too, I would be like a different person.


    Anticipation for that moment filled my head as I checked out my status screen. I had a lot of attribute points, over 2500 of them. You heard me right, over 2500. Since I had such a well rounded build, I poured every last single one of them into endurance. This amount of extra stats made me nervous. I was a little scared even. I finished getting the points into endurance before hitting finalize.


    There was a massive influx of vitality. It was like I could stay in the vacuum of space and be fine. It was like knowing you could walk on the sun and not burn. My body would sustain me indefinitely. I was an immortal being, something that required apocalyptic damage to even harm. Kessiah¡¯s Blood Arts couldn¡¯t even scratch me anymore.


    Size came next. It was a flood of mass, a colossal increase that made me writhe on the ground. I drug my hands through the dirt, unable to handle the sheer increase. My blood leaked through my armor, my skin bursting against it. It was like a crab stuck in a tiny shell. I shifted my armor a moment later, expanding it by will. As I did, my body filled into the new frame.


    I crushed into the ground, digging into the earth. I weighed too much, like the dirt couldn¡¯t support me anymore. I sunk into it, the dirt wrapping around me. My senses enhanced, along with a surge in strength and power. I couldn¡¯t control my descent during my metamorphosis. That¡¯s what it felt like. I was being recreated.


    Even though there was no air to breath, I didn¡¯t feel out of breath. It was like I didn¡¯t need air anymore. Sliding down to the center of the earth wasn¡¯t what I intended on doing, however. I extended the reach of telekinesis, giving myself some footing. I pushed myself out of the ground. Once I was finally out, I took a step.


    The ground caved around me in a perfect circle. Within ten feet around me, the ground compressed. Whenever I took a step forward, the telekinetic pad caught on a rock. All the weight of the pad crushed it into dust. I needed something better than a solid plate. I needed a sheet of telekinesis, something that would bend over everything around me.


    With that in mind, I reached out with my unique skill, Overwhelming Presence. Within the aura of the skill, I tried distributing the pull of my own mass. It created an oppressive feeling, like gravity was enhanced around me. If anything walked within fifty feet, they would feel an unusual pressure, like something was physically pressing them down.


    Unique skill Upgraded! Overwhelming Presence is augmented with your legendary skill, Force of Nature. This converts Overwhelming Presence into Overwhelming Pressure. Overwhelming Pressure retains the same skill value as Overwhelming Presence.


    Overwhelming Pressure(lvl 46) - You give off an otherworldly aura, like something both terrifying and powerful. Greatly amplifies your persuasion and intimidation.


    The new skill already made the legendary skill¡¯s utility stand out. It not only fixed my too heavy for dirt problem, but it also gave me a nice benefit too. Amplifying a few other skills with Force of Nature was a good idea. I took a mental note of it. The next step was looking at me status. I did so and observed the beauty.


    Level 2018


    Strength ¨C 1906 | Constitution ¨C 2719 | Endurance ¨C 8488


    Dexterity ¨C 657.9 | Willpower ¨C 4335.6 | Intelligence ¨C 1535


    Charisma ¨C 169 | Luck ¨C 484.6 | Perception ¨C 277.4


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>728,848/728,848</td>


    <td>518,168/min or 8,636/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>320,359/320,359</td>


    <td>3,020/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Living Dimension</td>


    <td>0.07 Trillion/4.30 Trillion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Event Horizon - 20,000 + 100%hp/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 20,060% | Total Damage Bonus 40%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was something special, like being accepted to Harvard University despite being from a poor family. I soaked in the moment before I opened up the last iteration of my stats that I looked at.


    (Iteration held for 0.4 days)Level 1550


    Strength ¨C 1384 | Constitution ¨C 1765.9 | Endurance ¨C 4262


    Dexterity ¨C 447.2 | Willpower ¨C 2434 | Intelligence ¨C 892.6


    Charisma ¨C 121.3 | Luck ¨C 291.8 | Perception ¨C 204.2


    ************************************


    <table dir="ltr" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Health</td>


    <td>277,261/277,261</td>


    <td>149,864/min or 2,498/sec</td>


    <td>Phys Dam Reduction - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stamina</td>


    <td>128,219/128,219</td>


    <td>1,338/sec</td>


    <td>Elemental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Living Dimension</td>


    <td>0.00 Trillion/ 4.33 Trillion</td>


    <td>74.3/per min(conduit)</td>


    <td>Plasma Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3" rowspan="1">Event Horizon ¨C (20,000 + 100% of your health)/min</td>


    <td>Rad Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Phys Dam Bonus - 15,048% | Total Damage Bonus 20%</td>


    <td>Mental Res - 98.5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The jump in my stats was astronomical. Every attribute had a meaningful increase, even Charisma. All the leveling perks and extra stats made me feel superhuman, if I could be considered one anymore. My health nearly tripled, and my health regen over tripled. That was a result of investing only in endurance, and all the level 1000 perks for endurance.


    Every 1000 points in endurance I gained, I got a solid boost to my health and health regen. Considering the historic leap in Endurance I just got, the jump kind of made sense. It was still mind boggling, but I calmed down and went with it. The stats were so complicated now that I didn¡¯t have a solid grasp on them.


    I did have a solid grasp on endurance being my bread and butter. With the dimensional cipher and my tripled health regen, I could augment my stats over time with it. That would help my progress by leaps and bounds. The other followers were well within my grasp now.


    The only follower that concerned me was Ajax. He was over level 4000, and Yawm¡¯s ally since the very beginning. He would no doubt be more than a challenge. Elijah and Etna wouldn¡¯t be by comparison. Etna could dish out damage sure, but I was around 6-7 times tankier than our last bout. Bursting my health wasn¡¯t really an option for anyone anymore, except maybe Yawm.


    With that in mind, I glanced around at the others. Torix¡¯s flames were running at full blast, enough that his head snapped back. He pushed against the floor. He shook his head before glancing around. A sense of urgency bolted up his spine as he glanced around,


    ¡°Did Yawm awaken? Why is it so heavy?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s a new skill I got. I¡¯ll explain it later.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°What happened? Where is Kessiah?¡±


    I pointed beside him, ¡°Right there. I saved her.¡±


    Torix turned to Kessiah. Her tattered clothes left little to the imagination, but it wasn¡¯t hard suppressing myself. My willpower was just too high for something like that to get to me anymore.


    Torix nodded, ¡°My last memory was her fist being slammed into my face. She was taken over by the eldritch I presume?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Sort of. It was more like it was using her. I got it out with my armor though.¡±


    Torix stared forward, ¡°So Dakhma is finished?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yup. He¡¯s done for.¡±


    Torix raised a hand, causing him to float up and land on his feet. He raised both fists,


    ¡°We did it...How did we do it? I can¡¯t remember anything after Malice died...my poor ice dragon.¡±


    He frowned, sulking at the loss. I pointed above him, ¡°Check out your status before you start getting depressed.¡±


    Torix sighed before opening his status. Whenever he saw his level, his jaw dropped. He glanced at me, ¡°What...by Schema...we really did kill him...¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°We fucking did it man! We kicked his ass!¡±


    He raised his hands, ¡°We did it! We actually killed a follower.¡±


    He spread out his arms, laughing maniacally, ¡°Mwahaha!¡±


    I joined in, ¡°Mwahahaha!¡±


    We laughed for a while before we just ended up laughing at each other¡¯s laugh. It was a post life and death kind of joy. The battle was over, and now we could finally celebrate. We could finally say we succeeded in our first meaningful strike against Yawm. The rest of the assault against him wouldn¡¯t be near as difficult.


    We gained many levels and skills. Yawm no longer controlled a huge swath of territory. His troops were dwindling while ours were being enhanced by every death of his troops. With this single move, we laid a decisive blow against him. Even at level 5000 plus, there was no way Yawm would take down an army and us. It just wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    That was firm realization for Torix and I. That¡¯s why we could act silly for a second. That¡¯s why I laughed till I cried. It was like all that faith had finally came through. Now it was time to snap Yawm¡¯s empire, one bone breaking blow at a time.


    Once Torix and I settled down, Hod and Kessiah woke up. Torix crossed his arms, beaming a devilish grin,


    ¡°Looks as though Daniel landed the final blow. It¡¯s hard to imagine you looked at him with disdain once, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She blinked twice before looking at Hod. Hod raised a wing,


    ¡°Everything feels heavy.¡±


    Torix pointed a thumb at me, ¡°It¡¯s him. Don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Hod cupped his chin, ¡°Hod higher level than Dry Man still. Hod prove Hod¡¯s worth.¡±


    Torix gasped, ¡°What? No, that¡¯s impossible. You hardly even participated with killing Dakhma or what he became.¡±


    Hod pointed at his chest, ¡°Hod participate more than Dry Man. Dry Man show up after Hod and get punched in face before Hod. Therefore, Hod get higher level.¡±


    Torix steamed, ¡°A higher level means nothing if you can¡¯t use it.¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod not saying higher level mean Hod better and handsomer person than Dry Man, but...¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to bother with you regardless. These status points need attending to.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod relate. Hod have more status points to attend to than Dry Man, actually.¡±


    Torix and Hod had their rivalry going strong before I walked over to Kessiah. She stared forward, her expression blank. I leaned over,


    ¡°You alright?¡±


    She stared at me and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Done with what?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Everything. I¡¯m not fighting anymore. I¡¯m done.¡±

 102 Respite

    My head popped back, ¡°Wait...You aren¡¯t going to fight anymore...period?¡±


    She shook her head back and forth, ¡°No. I told you already. I¡¯m done.¡±


    I leaned down, my stomach sinking for a bit. Kessiah¡¯s nose and eyebrows creased at me, like she was expecting me to condemn her. I wasn¡¯t planning on it. It hurt losing her, I won¡¯t lie about that. Kessiah was our highest level member. Killing another follower without her would be a desperate struggle.


    The thing is though, we could probably manage now, especially with Althea¡¯s help. Torix would lose summons, we would need a plan for sure, but we could manage without Kessiah. She didn¡¯t use the experience as well as I or Torix did either. We could make something happen with a 500 level boost.


    Kessiah¡¯s had a 1000 level boost over all of us, but she somehow managed to pull the least weight. In fights, clearing rifts, gathering intel, or even just managing people, Kessiah wasn¡¯t doing much. I couldn¡¯t blame Kessiah for wanting to call it quits either.


    Nearly being absorbed by an eldritch then having her mind controlled by it...the feeling of violation and shame must be palpable. She was supposed to be our trump card. In the end, she was almost our downfall. I don¡¯t think any of us would blame her for what happened, but she probably blamed herself. I know I would blame myself if I was in her shoes.


    All these thoughts raced in my head before I reached out. I placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle touch as I spoke with the same tone,


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. We¡¯ll find something else for you to do.¡±


    Kessiah looked up at me, her eyes narrowing, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call me weak?¡±


    There was a cold bite in her words. She had expected us to lash out at her. She reminded me of an abused dog, recoiling from anything that came near it.


    I shook my head, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it weak. That eldritch-¡± Kessiah shivered at the word, ¡°-was horrific. I don¡¯t expect anyone to want to face something like that. Besides,¡± I lifted my hand, a warp of gravity forming over Kessiah.


    ¡°I can handle it.¡±


    Kessiah floated up, the warp of gravity fluid and controlled. None of the gravity¡¯s pull was wasted. It was a level of control I¡¯d never known, a revolution in my finesse with my own abilities.   It was a casual display of vast technical skill. All the skill points in Force of Nature made it that simple.


    Even Hod gasped at it. Torix shook his head in disbelief at the sudden jolt in control. Kessiah looked on in disbelief as well, her anger fading. She landed on her feet, flabbergasted at me lifting her. I pulled my helmet off, my armor shifting in silence,


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear them apart, limb from limb. I¡¯ll make them regret even thinking of coming here. You''re not the one that needs to worry. I can promise you that.¡±


    What made my words so convincing was the belief behind them. I was supremely confident. There wasn¡¯t any fear that I wouldn¡¯t do it. I was facing a monster of mythic legends. In my eyes, that legend would end here on earth. From what I could tell behind me, the others sensed my confidence as well.


    Kessiah blinked, ¡°Ah, are you sure? I...I just don¡¯t want to fight anymore. Having that monster under my skin...I just can¡¯t do it anymore. Please...¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s ok. I¡¯d much rather you keep fighting with us, and it would really help. The thing us, you shouldn¡¯t be forced to.¡±


    Kessiah bit her lip, her voice straining, ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I nudged her, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    She looked around, struggling for words, ¡°But, you saved my life again. I¡¯m just making things worse, all the time. I nearly killed Torix and Hod. I tried killing you. Now I¡¯m leaving you to kill more of those things without my help. I just don¡¯t get it. Why don¡¯t you hate me?¡±


    She pointed at her chest, ¡°Even I hate me. You should hate me too. I know that bag of bones and dumb bird do.¡± She grabbed the sides of her head,


    ¡°They should. I fucked everything up. There¡¯s so much on the line here, and yet I just...I just want to run away. I¡¯m the strongest here and the most afraid...¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don''t know about the strongest anymore. Besides, you can fight in other ways.¡±


    She looked at me, her face confused. I continued,


    ¡°There''s all kinds of projects you could do for the troops here. You could create build layouts for newer recruits. You could plan out courses for unlocking common unique skills. You could make bootcamp for people, disciplining the troops further than just basic skills.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°You don¡¯t have to swing your fists on the front lines to fight a war. You can fight here at home too.¡±


    With an offhand tone and staring in the distance, Torix murmured, ¡°I could help organize the courses...If you need the help.¡±


    Hod chimed in, ¡°Hod help Eltari learn about Kessiah. Kessiah help Eltari learn about skills. Eltari fight in Kessiah¡¯s place.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°Yeah, and if you change your mind about kicking some ass, then we¡¯ll be here, ready and waiting.¡±


    Kessiah nodded her head, overwhelmed by the support, ¡°I just need to process all this...I just need some time after that thing got me like that...I¡¯ll get back up..."


    Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked down, "Gah, fuck you guys. I never cry.¡±


    She ran up, hugging me. I was half a head taller than her now. Her head fit along the nape of my neck, and I hugged her back. I whispered, ¡°It¡¯s alright. IT''s alright.¡±


    Kessiah cried like that, a soft, restrained  kind of cry. She wasn''t sobbing out. It was a heart warming moment instead of a bitter loss. In a weird way, the situation had brought us together, somehow. Kessiah quit crying before she pushed herself off me. She wiped her face,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With a sly grin, I ruffled her white hair, ¡°No problem. Now go lay down for a bit. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re exhausted.¡±


    She shoved my hand off her head, a slight smile on her face, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m out on my feet.¡± She turned to Torix, ¡°I¡¯ll send you a message when I¡¯m ready for organizing actual courses. See you guys later.¡±


    Hod raised his wing, ¡°Hod tired too. Hod find bedroom. Goodbye, Harbinger and Dry Man.¡±


    Hod spread his wings and shot into the sky. Torix grumbled, ¡°You get called Harbinger and I get called Dry Man...¡±


    I laughed before walking up to Torix, "And you''re called master and I''m a disciple."


    Torix smiled, ¡°And don''t you forget it. There''s still much I can teach you yet." Torix watched Kessiah walk off, "Now I¡¯ve lost one of my best baits. You''ll have to take her place I suppose.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I''m made for it. Even then, two of the followers are out of commission. We just need Elijah to step away from Ajax, then we¡¯ll rip the angel¡¯s wings off and stab them through his chest.¡±


    Torix pointed at me, ¡°Quite a visceral description, but I agree. Once he¡¯s dead, destroying the rest of their infection will be inevitable.¡± Torix stared at plumes of yellow smoke billowing off the burning forests of Yawm. His lips curled up, the menacing expression full of satisfaction,


    ¡°I¡¯ll relish watching the world tree burn.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°First things first. We need to kill Elijah next. Without Kessiah¡¯s help, facing off against Ajax isn¡¯t an option. Not yet.¡±


    Torix cupped his chin, ¡°How are we going to handle him exactly though is-¡±


    I raised a hand to Torix, ¡°I¡¯ll make the plan and organize the team for it.¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, his fire eyes growing in size and intensity, ¡°Really? You don¡¯t have too. I can handle it.¡±


    I waved my hands, ¡°Nuh uh. I heard what you said about me before we left for Kessiah. You''re right. I need to plan some things out for myself. If I see a damn problem, it''s up to me to fix it.¡±


    Torix frowned, Reaching out a hand, ¡°Those were words spoken in anger. Don¡¯t take them to heart. I meant nothing by them.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you Torix. I¡¯m mad at myself. You were right about you having to handle everything. Your attention should be on managing the push against the quarantine. Putting all that and all our movements was a hell of a strain on you. We were being ridiculous.¡±


    I raised a fist, ¡°I¡¯ll organize the teams and the plan we need against Elijah. I¡¯ll send it to you when I finish them. You review and send it back. I¡¯ll gather the resources from the reserve before heading out with the plan. I¡¯ll need your help, so have the battlefront handled for the few hours the plan lasts.¡±


    Torix gave me a hard look, like he was searching for something. He nodded, slowly at first before he was agreeing with me,


    ¡°Excellent. I look forward to what you plan out.¡±


    I grinned at him, ¡°Hell yeah. I¡¯ll see you later. I have work to do.¡±


    With amusement painting his face, Torix rubbed his hands together, ¡°So do I. Good luck, disciple.¡±


    I turned around, dashing up. I slid into the ground without having to dive, like I was walking into the earth. My runes charged in seconds. As I reached my head underneath the ground, I unleashed the surge of energy. The impact rippled through the ground, sending me firing off towards my tent.


    Whenever I burst from the ground, my own velocity amazed me. I dipped in and out of the earth, faster than flight or falling. The downside came with the craters I left behind. They left a trail behind me, making me easy to follow. The sheer size of the craters was tremendous as well. Even if I distributed my weight outwards, I still left a bus sized impression in the ground.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The rush of fluidity and power and speed was worth it, however. It was like being born anew. I was much faster than Hod now. He was limited by how fast he could fall. That¡¯s what flight really was, a controlled descent. I could outspeed that since I could launch myself faster than I could fall.


    Using this travel, I reached my tent in seconds. I didn¡¯t bust into the area. It would make far too much noise. I travelled under the earth instead. As I reached my tent, I sensed a member of the steel legion leaving it. Curious about what he was doing, I walked out of the ground as if the earth wasn¡¯t even there.


    A look of abject horror spread on his face as he fumbled backwards. He fell onto his back, as I willed my helmet off. The amor flowed down my back as I smiled,


    ¡°Now what are you doing here?¡±


    He raised his hands, pulling off his power armor helmet. Under the mask was John Diesel, an engineer who helped me with Althea¡¯s rifle. He had a huge crush on her, and everyone called him Diesel because John was such a common name. The whole time he helped me, he tried hiding his obvious infatuation with Althea.


    I could understand why he was intimidated by her. That reminded me of Althea¡¯s message. Days passed and I still hadn¡¯t replied. I murmured,


    ¡°Oh shit. Althea¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    John¡¯s raised an eyebrow, ¡°Daniel? Thank Jesus. I thought I was dead.¡± He sighed, ¡°Please, never sneak up on me like that again.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Oh, sorry Diesel.¡± I offered him a hand, ¡°You just reminded me that Althea sent me a message a while back. I haven¡¯t replied in days.¡±


    Diesel stood up, patting dirt off his armor, ¡°If she does kill you, serves you right for trying to give a poor soldier a heart attack.¡± Diesel looked at me, light reflecting off his glasses,


    ¡°You look...different.¡±


    I raised my arms, ¡°I¡¯m a bit bigger than last time we saw each other.¡±


    Diesel nodded, ¡°Yeah. Your level is just insane. How did you get it that high?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°I killed Dakhma, one of Yawm¡¯s followers.¡±


    John perked up, ¡°Really? Well I¡¯ll be damned. I always wondered why you were called a harbinger. Now you really do look the part at least.¡±


    He grinned, ¡°You still have a normal guy vibe to you though. Most of the higher level legion members are...I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but they¡¯re weird. It¡¯s like they all forgot where we came from. The system just pulls them in and that¡¯s all they think about.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Then Schema¡¯s done his job I guess. I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t been doing the same thing.¡±


    Diesel shook his head, ¡°Who can blame you though? Even older folk are starting to realize that levels are everything now. You¡¯re level is your status now. Ranks are decided by it. Rations, housing, all of it. Who cares if you help someone if your level is over 500? Damn near noone.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a tough balance. If you spend to much time helping other people, then you can¡¯t help yourself. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to learn.¡±


    Diesel nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, even if it¡¯s a bitter pill to swallow.¡± Diesel shivered, ¡°Do you feel that?¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you feeling?¡±


    Deisel grimaced, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s heavy here and hard to breath. It¡¯s like I¡¯m beside the eye of a giant beast, and it¡¯s looking at me. It makes me nervous, like I¡¯m just a sitting duck out here.¡±


    ¡°That feeling is a skill I have. It¡¯s called Overwhelming Pressure.¡±


    Deisel blinked, ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t even tell it was from you.¡±


    I pointed at the tent, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell it was you coming out of my tent either.¡±


    With a bit of guilt, Diesel scratched the side of his cheek, ¡°Yeah, about that. I made a few new blueprints of Althea¡¯s cannon rifle while you were away. I figured a new model would help her out.¡±


    ¡°Really now?¡± My thoughts clinked into place as I clapped my hands together, ¡°Perfect timing.¡± I gripped a hand into a fist, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I needed.¡±


    Diesel put his helmet back on, muffling his voice, ¡°For what?¡±


    I passed Diesel, walking into my tent, my aura preventing me from destroying the fabric under my feet.


    ¡°I can make Althea a new cannon. It will help us versus the next follower, and it will make a compelling apology. Who knows, maybe some armor and a helmet would help too.¡±


    Diesel raised a hand, ¡°If you¡¯re making her armor, I have her measurements. I can let you see them if you¡¯d like.¡±


    I nudged Diesel¡¯s side, ¡°Well, well, how did you get a hold of her measurements?¡±


    John blushed a bright shade of red, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. They were from Torix. He wanted us to make Althea and Kessiah combat suits.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Oh yeah, sureeeee.¡±


    Diesel spread out his arms, ¡°Oh come on..¡±


    With a mischievous grin, I nodded, ¡°As the mighty and oh so powerful harbinger, I can put in a good word or two towards Althea. If we get lucky, maybe we could all have a round of drinks after all this is over with.¡±


    Diesel shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve just relaxed. It burns a bit, because we would already be up on our feet by now if it wasn¡¯t for Yawm. We wouldn¡¯t need the necromancer¡¯s constant commands. We could focus on rebuilding and setting up a new society around the system.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°Well shit...I¡¯ve never even thought about that. Life after we kill Yawm...rebuilding doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±


    John nodded, ¡°It¡¯s something I think about everyday. I¡¯m engineer by trade. I¡¯m thinking of how we can use the new tech from the legion all the time. I¡¯m thinking an external exoskeleton on top of the power armor would be the best option. It would stop humans from being mauled so easily up close.¡±


    I gripped my hand into a fist, ¡°I could show most people a few skills for it. If torix taught people magic and Althea taught them stealth, we could set up an army. Taking a few cities then spreading out might be a good idea too.¡±


    I stared off in the distance, ¡°It would be awesome if we could turn Schema¡¯s system into something positive...in the long run at least.¡±


    Diesel¡¯s face turned solemn, ¡°That all fringes on Yawm. The soldiers tell stories about him. Commanding officers silence the stories when they hear them. Something about demoralizing the war effort. Considering the plague he started, the rumors are downright gruesome...¡±


    Diesel perked up, ¡°But hey, you killed a follower. There¡¯s some hope yet.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°You keep up the fight on your end, and I¡¯ll keep up the fight on mine. We¡¯ll teach Yawm what humans are made of.¡±


    John smiled back, ¡°We¡¯ll give him a lesson he won¡¯t forget.¡± Diesel turned toward the center of the camp, ¡°Speaking of which, I have to get back to work. Good luck Daniel.¡±


    I waved at him, ¡±Same to you.¡±


    He left before I walked into my almost empty room. It wasn¡¯t familiar or homey either. I didn¡¯t need a bed, chairs, or anything really. There was a pile of scrap armor, a fridge full of rations, and a few rolled up blueprints on the floor. That¡¯s it. I guess it really didn¡¯t matter much anymore at least.


    I picked up the blueprints, inspecting them. While there wasn¡¯t anything game changing, the schematics changed a few things around. The main difference was in the shell type. Althea used spears for the piercing effect in most cases. This cannon a hollow slug instead. Notes along the bottom explained Diesel¡¯s thought process in detail.


    He was trying to change Althea¡¯s rounds from armor piercing to anti-personnel. He learned from Torix that her armor piercing wasn¡¯t from the shell type. Armed with that knowledge, he hypothesized the new shells would create large impact zones.


    The hollow tip of the shell would collapse, spreading outward. This created a mushroom of metal that would puncture out the back of a creature. The flattened metal would disperse much more of its kinetic energy into its unlucky victim. Wherever the bolt shot out of, it would leave a gaping hole behind.


    The more I read about his theory, the more I liked it. At the very least, it was worth a shot. With that in mind, I walked out towards the center of the camp. My mind wandered as I walked, brainstorming different runic combinations for the new rifle.


    As I walked through the camp, all eyes were on me. From awed gasps to hushed whispers, they spoke about me. I felt like Mike Tyson walking into a boxing gym. Some feared me and some admired me. Regardless of what they thought, noone ignored me. I was an unknown anomaly, and their curiosity sparked questions and interest. Most of their comments were in awe.


    ¡°What the fuck...level 2000.¡±


    ¡°What did he do to get there so fast.¡±


    ¡°Thank god we have that monster on our side.¡±


    Some, not so much.


    ¡°Did you feel him come closer too? He makes my skin crawl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s become one of the monsters from the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the system does to higher level players? He¡¯s not even human anymore.¡±


    My aura caused it. I didn¡¯t really enjoy the attention, but I needed to disperse my weight. Otherwise I would end up sinking into the ground. I didn¡¯t let it bother me as I reached a workbench. Using a mental map of the blueprints, I prepared myself for molding my armor. Visualizing before I made it helped with the process.


    I breathed out, a deep sense of calm coming over me. I raised a palm, simple parts of the rifle forming first. They would be my warm up. Once I was done with a few of the smaller pieces, I set out working on the barrel. I remembered it being the hardest part of the process beforehand, so I was ready for a struggle.


    The struggle simply wasn¡¯t there. My armor shifted into shape, the act of creation intrinsic and natural to it. It was like the armor was begging to take form and make matter. All the parts of the rifle didn¡¯t even take fifteen minutes in total. Once I finished that, I readied myself for the runes.


    I opened the portal into my spatial ring, pulling out my grimoire with gravity magic. It floated into my hands, folding open towards an unused and black page. With a bit a grin, I wrote in the runes for power, strength, and speed onto the first page. Onto the second, I carved the meaning of change, the fury of wrath, and the essence of pain.


    I laced poison into the meaning of the words, my hands handling the deft, intricate glyphs with ease. I had already worked with the dimensional cipher, a language infinitely more complex by comparison. If anything, writing with this was even easier than writing in English.


    Once I chained those glyphs together, I added phrases around them. Some of the glyphs acted as transitions between the primary glyphs. Others acted as accents, refining the raw meaning of the other words. By the time I finished the passage for the barrel alone, it was almost like a story told in my memory.


    As I channeled mana into the grimoire, a profound sense of vulnerability washed over me. The runes were like showing a piece of myself, a view into my mind. I showed them sights and sounds that only I experienced. It was like publishing a slice of my life for others to see.


    I dealt with the feeling by justifying the need for the runes. The more vibrant and cutting the memory injected, the more profound its effect would become. I wanted Althea¡¯s bolts to cripple her targets with pain and to poison them. My most painful memories were actually my armor transformations, so that¡¯s what I etched into the stock.


    It took a few hours, but once I finished the full passage, the runes was agony. The invasion of metal into flesh, the waning sense of self, all of that contained itself in the markings. I etched other memories into other parts of the barrel.


    Some were moments of triumph, like right after I slayed Baldag-Ruhl or Dakhma. Others were moments of deep frustration, like working with the eldritch runes. Whenever I fully molded the parts and slid them together, this was the best work I¡¯d ever made by far. The bonuses of the item reflected that.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    A Dimension¡¯s Wake(lvl requirement: 1,500 | Enchantments require Conduit towards Dimension C-138) - This rifle is a finely made cannon created by Dimension C-138. The newer design enhances the stability of older cannons by redistributing the mass of it. Several adjustments were made for shapeshifters, letting them fill out the empty areas of the barrel as they need to.


    The newer design even allows for superior grip on the surface of the metallic structure. These lines allow for a thin filament of the shapeshifter¡¯s body to cover them. This allows them to hide the weapon just as they hide themselves. These qualities make the rifle very valued on the galactic market. When combined with another item giving a conduit towards Dimension C-138, the item  becomes near priceless.


    Dimensional Fabric: +100 End and Will | +25 Stren, Con, and Int | -50 Char |


    Dimensional Continuity: Quadruples ammo efficiency, recoil stabilization, and rifle drilling speed


    Dimensional Stability: + 30% to all resistances, including dimensional resistance.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The simple bonuses resulted in a massive boon for anyone using the rifle. Considering how much Althea invested into strength, having a few stats rounding out her build was excellent. The resistance bonus was amazing as well, considering Althea hadn¡¯t capped hers already. If anything, the rifle was better for defence than offense. Unusual maybe, but it was highly effective.


    I picked up the rifle, walking back towards my tent. Now I needed to plan out how to kill Elijah. It would no doubt take a day or two to grind out all the details. I paced through the camp, eyes set on me once more. It amazed me how short everybody was now. I was two heads taller than most.


    Whenever I reached my tent, I sensed someone else waiting there for me. It was a woman instead of a man, so I had an idea of who it was already. As I paced up, the tip of my horned helmet peaked up over the tents. Right in front of my tent, I expected a glowing smile and a running hug.


    But no, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Althea was there, her purple hair flowing behind her. Covered in a black, carbon fiber skin suit, she frowned at me. I pulled my helmet back, scratching my head,


    ¡°Ah, sorry about not sending messages. I¡¯ve been so busy, and some things just fall between the cracks.¡±


    She looked at the rifle, her eyes opening wide. Her frown turned to a grin as I lifted it, letting her inspect the metallic sheen on it.


    A mischievous grin popped onto my face,  ¡°I did have time for a gift though.¡±

 103 To Plan

    She ran up, grabbing towards the rifle. I lifted it up, grinning at her,


    ¡°Come on you gotta try harder than that.¡±


    She morphed her arm, the oversized arm grasping the rifle. The strength of her grasp was tremendous. She leaned towards me, a full grin on her face,


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up in a single armed hug.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    I set her down before she blushed, her blue gray skin turning purple. I released the rifle, letting her inspect it. As she looked at it, I analyzed her, discovering her level. I was worried that she wouldn''t meet the level requirement. It was good to see that worry was unfounded.


    At level 1554, it wouldn''t be a problem. I raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°So how did you gain so many levels?¡±


    She rubbed her hand across the metal on the rifle, ¡°I haven¡¯t just been getting intel. Torix has me making assassinations all the time.¡± She looked up, a teasing grin on her face, ¡°What about you? 2000 already?¡±


    I raised a hand, clamping it into a fist, ¡°We killed Dakhma Wike.¡±


    Her eyes opened wide, ¡°What? How?¡±


    I lowered the hand, ¡°By kicking his ass.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°That does sound like how you would do it.¡±


    I waved my hand, ¡°Not anymore. We almost all died. I¡¯m planning out the next fight with a follower.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be way different than us just kicking their ass.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Come on, give me some credit. I¡¯m going to come up with something clever. Just you wait and see.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows, ¡°Uh-huh. Sure.¡±


    I pointed at the rifle, ¡°Well John and I had some other goodies planned out too. If this keeps up though, we might not find the time to make them.¡±


    Althea raised a hand, ¡°Wait a minute. I didn¡¯t mean that...Wait a second, who¡¯s John?¡±


    I pointed at the rifle, ¡°He¡¯s an engineer who helps me design those cannons. I¡¯ll introduce you some time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been taking all the credit this entire time? I was expecting more from you.


    I turned around, a teasing tone in my voice, ¡°Oh well, I suppose you¡¯re right. I guess I¡¯ll just go eat lunch by myself.¡±


    Althea shoved my shoulder as she laughed, ¡°Oh come on. You owe me a lunch. I¡¯m so tired of rations.¡±


    As Althea shoved me, she pushed herself backwards. She frowned, ¡°What happened to you? You¡¯re heavy as a house.¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, like they were two scales, ¡°More like a tank. A house is the next step up.¡± I pointed at her, ¡°What about you though. You¡¯re still stronger than me.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s useful for up close combat. I¡¯ve been working on my knife skills recently.¡±


    ¡°Really? I can make you a knife too.¡±


    Althea gripped her hands together, her chin resting on them, ¡°Really?¡±


    I started walking towards her tent, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s walk while we talk. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    She slung her new rifle over her shoulder, ¡°That sounds nice...and so am I.¡±


    We paced through the camp, our walk slow and steady. It was like neither of us wanted the calm to end. By the time we reached our camp, she and I gushed over the new parts of our builds.


    ¡°Once I got a new unique skill for knives, it let¡¯s me get bonus damage on targets that don¡¯t know I¡¯m there.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s kind of like a stealth critical?¡±


    She nodded with vigor, ¡°Exactly! I really prefer firing at people. I¡¯ll kite them back until they close in. I disappear all of a sudden, then I finish them off with a critical strike. It¡¯s worked like a charm so far.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It sounds brutal. I¡¯ve been sticking to my guns.¡±


    ¡°Keeping things brutal?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I mean, you can say it¡¯s like that.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I don¡¯t think you can say it any other way.¡±


    We reached her tent as I raised my hands, ¡°I think of it as poetry made into violence. Painters draw out their work. Musicians compose their music. My art is made with violence instead, like a dance of death.¡±


    I scratched my nose, ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know. It sounds silly when I say it like that though.¡±


    Althea shook her head, a knowing smile on her face, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. It sounds a lot like you. I think it¡¯s perfect. You¡¯re one of those people everyone thinks is some brute. Once someone get past that, you¡¯re just a big old teddy bear.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, walking into her tent, ¡°Sureee.¡±


    She frowned at me, ¡°What? I¡¯m serious.¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°I¡¯m as fluffy and huggable as a metal cactus.¡±


    She crossed her arms, ¡°So why did you make me the rifle then?¡±


    I looked at her, then I glanced away, ¡°I uh, figured that it was a good way of making my new strike team better.¡± I pointed both my hands forward beside my face,


    ¡°You know, offensively speaking.¡±


    She smirked, ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    I nudged her side, ¡°Well then why do you want lunch with me huh? So we can discuss tactics?¡±


    She blushed, ¡°You make good food. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°And you say I¡¯m transparent.¡±


    She shoved me, ¡°Whatever. Go make some food.¡±


    I stumbled towards her fridge, laughing the whole distance, ¡°At your service, madam.¡±


    We chatted away as I prepared us a salad with a sandwich. I always liked my sandwiches with a bit of kick, so I¡¯d put arugula instead of lettuce and some caramelized onions. It took a bit more time to prepare, but it was worth it.


    Althea¡¯s glowing grin through the entire meal meant she shared my thoughts. At one point she laughed her ass off because I accidentally smeared mayonnaise over my face. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun.


    At the end of the impromptu meeting, I stood up as I said,


    ¡°I missed these lunches. They¡¯re always so refreshing. I have to go though.¡±


    Althea deflated a bit, ¡°Can we do this again tomorrow?¡±


    I tapped my chin with my hand for a bit, ¡°Hmmmm, yeah, I think so. I¡¯ll be planning out the assault on Elijah over the next few days. A few breaks sprinkled in their shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It may help me keep my mind clear anyways.¡±


    She clapped her hands together, bouncing on her feet, ¡°Good.¡± She lowered her hands, looking down towards the ground. Her left hand tapped its fingers without her knowing. She was nervous.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She looked up at me, ¡°Uhm...what are you going to do after we get rid of Yawm.¡±


    I tilted my head, staring off, ¡°I¡¯ve been asked more than once about that. I don¡¯t know for sure, but I¡¯m thinking of helping people rebuild. I know right after I finished BloodHollow, I kind of just went out on my own. If Torix hadn¡¯t reeled me in, who knows where I¡¯d be.¡±


    I met her eyes with mine, ¡°I sort of lost everything because of that. I never had much anyways, but I could have built something up. You know, made myself a new home or something like that. It¡¯s weird, this place has turned into that for me.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°But it¡¯s just...it¡¯s not going to last forever. Not unless someone gets everyone together and makes it happen. I could be that person. Not forever, but for a little while. After that, I don¡¯t know...I¡¯ll probably just go out and explore the galaxy for a bit.¡±


    She nodded. She bit her lip before saying, ¡°Would you mind if I helped out?¡±


    I creased my eyebrows, ¡°What? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Of course you can. I could use a shapeshifting assassin anyday.¡±


    She sighed, all the tension leaving her, ¡°Ok, great. That¡¯s all I needed to know. Good luck with your plans.¡±


    I grinned back, ¡°Good luck kicking ass, though I know you won¡¯t need it.¡±


    I paced away from her, walking back towards the center of the camp. Of course I¡¯d rather plan this all out without other people watching, but I didn¡¯t have a desk in my tent. I reached one of the standing desks before picking it up, papers and all. With it held over my head, I carried it to my tent.


    I mean, if Yawm had spies or something like that, I didn¡¯t want it to be that easy to figure out our secrets. With my unique skill, Knowledge Maker, I could hold the information in my head forever. Anytime I needed that information, I could sift through my memories for it. It was kind of like a library in my skull.


    With that goal in mind, I reached my tent before getting to work. I needed knowledge first off. Torix sent us progress reports about the activities of each Follower, so I sifted through them for details. It didn¡¯t take too long before I got an idea of how Elijah spent an average day.


    He was a fallen seraph, a converted eldritch that worshipped Yawm as a god. He worshipped Yawm before he went to sleep and right after waking. He organized the named ones that Yawm assimilated from his plague.


    They had three ranks, seekers, fighters, and researchers. Seekers sought out people hiding in the quarantine. Fighters fought intruders. Researchers experimented with abundant eldritch. Elijah would give each them sermons before they went about their daily duties. Since most of the named were rather young and inexperienced, this process took time.


    While Elijah guarded the untrained recruits, Ajax was the exact opposite. He controlled the veterans that travelled with Yawm from world to world. If Althea, Kade, and Aatrox weren¡¯t tearing their ranks apart, then Ajax would have already dismantled the steel legion. We lost Aatrox during the fight with Dakhma, so the pressure was on Althea to bridge that gap now.


    That¡¯s why Althea was so busy. She stopped most of Yawm¡¯s denizens from retaliating against our bombardment. The more I looked at Torix¡¯s plan and info, the more impressed I became. No matter how many moving parts there were in the plan, Torix worked it like a well oiled machine. It was a tremendous feat of willpower and intelligence.


    My goal was integrating my own plans into his without missing a beat. I found my chance fast. Elijah held a weekly sermon, something like a church gathering, with all the named ones. During this time, Ajax meditated throughout the day, reflecting on the prior week. Ajax seemed strained during these meditations now.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Torix hypothesized it was due to a crisis in his conscious. Ajax¡¯s activities were restrained, like he wasn¡¯t giving anything his full attention. I figured this would be the perfect time for attacking Elijah. It might seem counterintuitive at first glance, but I justified it with a few facts.


    The horde of people would be the least likely time for an assassination. Surprise would be on our side. The horde would act as a living health battery for me too. The highest level named ones were around level 800. That meant Event Horizon could kill them in about five to ten minutes. During that time, I would be invincible.


    I would be distracting them while Althea and Hod dived in from above and below towards Elijah. To keep Ajax from coming, Torix and his summons would be burning the world tree close to Yawm. Anytime Torix had done so, Ajax came in and destroyed whoever had been harming the roots of the tree. I would take full advantage of that fact.


    It seemed like our best shot. Before grinding out the details in it, our entire team needed as much of a boost as possible. The easiest way would be crafting them gear. I couldn¡¯t spend weeks and weeks doing it, but a few days were worth it. With the bench right here, I didn¡¯t need to leave my room.


    So I set up shop. I sharpened the point of one of my fingers. With it, I traced out a few of my ideas. My hand etched out the lines onto the wood with a practiced hand, all the carving coming in to play.


    Althea¡¯s dagger was easy. I would make a jagged knife, more like a monster¡¯s jaw then a blade. Althea¡¯s power made blunt weapons much more dangerous, so I kept that in mind with the design. The main runes on that blade would be speed and precision, the two qualities most necessary for an assassin.


    Once I finished that, I¡¯d focus on Hod¡¯s weapon. The easiest addition would be something covering his wings. Considering how frail they were, giving him lightweight armor over the limbs would help keep him fighting. I theorycrafted exoskeletons, each of them extending out over the surface area of each wing. They would come together into three sharpened blades as claws for his shadows to cover.


    On the other hand, Torix needed something for channeling his mana. He would cast large, inefficient spells from his grimoire. Awesome as they were to behold, the mana drain was palpable. I set up a staff that he would channel the mana through. It would act as a stabilizer for the intense flows of mana, using runes that would amplify those effects.


    Armor would be quite helpful for all of them as well. Althea could have gauntlets, a chestplate, and a helmet since she could extend her stealth. Hod needed a helmet for his head, and he needed something reinforcing the bones of his legs. They kept breaking during his fights. His amazing offense prowess always got cut short because of this.


    As for Torix, he needed a helmet and jewelry. I could give him a set of rings, an amulet, and a crown of sorts. Making it thorny and covering it with enchantments would help him with his necromancy. All these bonuses would compound into a sizable advantage in the coming plan.


    With all that in mind, I set out on Althea¡¯s armor first. With her measurements from John, I created fitted armor. It had openings along the back for her wings, and the forearms and upper arms would remain uncovered. Considering how much she morphed her arms, she needed that liberty of movement.


    Once I finished that, I made the helmet. Althea never morphed her face anymore, keeping a conservative approach. With that in mind, I made the helmet with a wide field of view for her eyes and openings for her ears. Dampening her senses would do her no good. The armor acted as a sort of skeleton, keeping her from being crushed by some immense blow.


    I worked on Torix¡¯s helmet next. The goal was different here. I could reinforce him much more since his senses weren¡¯t as important as Althea. With his magic flies as his eyes and ears, he barely needed eyes. His helmet left a slit for his eyes and that was it. There was crown of thorns on top of it, each thorn covered in runes for pain. It was an evil artifact once I finished, something fitting for a wielder of the dead.


    I left Hod¡¯s armor as the last addition. It was the hardest to make by far. I created adjustable, interlocking segments for his wings. After pressing those together, I made the claws with his shadows in mind. They were curved away from him, letting the claws catch on whatever he swung at. That would increase the contact his shadow claws had with anyone.


    After that, I molded a helmet for him. Instead of a solid piece like Torix¡¯s, this was a thin exoskeleton. It would coat his face, preventing his head from cracking like an egg at any impact. I connected a series of plates that would run down his spine and neck. That would prevent him from having his legs and arms taken from him during a fight.


    I finished the armors and gave them the needed runes. Dominion and control for Torix. Speed and precision for Althea. Savagery and darkness for Hod. I laced the runes with my own mana, circling the runes with my silver blood to hold the energy in. My silver blood even let me overcharge the runes, letting the items act as consumables with permanent enchantments.


    I took regular breaks during this process, keeping myself sharp. I ate several times too, taking care of my body. All food was soft now, like mashed potatoes. I bit into a rock during one of those breaks, and it was like chomping into a cracker. Everything was like that.


    The world felt so different now. During one of these breaks, I tried accessing my own dimensional storage. I could do so by swallowing things with my armor teeth. It gave me a solid idea. I was always worried about drowning, so I just swallowed a few roomfuls of air into my dimensional storage.


    I couldn¡¯t do this with my ring¡¯s storage because it was limited by my mass and volume. A few lungfuls of air was all it could hold because of that. This other storage could hold an almost unlimited amount of it. Considering this was one of my biggest weaknesses, covering it this easily was a pleasant surprise.


    So I finished all the armor, jewelry, and weapons while patching one of my glaring weaknesses. It only took two full days of effort for a huge gain. During that time, I visited Althea once and had dinner. It was a nice respite from all the crafting. I had to admit, making armor and whatnot was a lot of fun though. Shaping nothing into something valuable was oddly satisfying. Why, I can¡¯t really say exactly. It simply is.


    What I can say is that I put all the armor and weapons into my dimensional storage with ease. The lack of a volume requirement turned it from a meh utility into something ridiculous. Whenever I checked my weight, I was 25,000 kilograms. That¡¯s about 54,000 pounds. I could hold anything I wanted within reason.


    I planned on abusing it as much as possible soon. First I had to hand off the armor and explain what it was good for. I walked over towards Torix¡¯s base, anticipating his surprise at the gift. He knew I was coming hundreds of feet away because of my aura skill.


    As I neared the door to the suburban lair, he willed it open with a hand. Inside a room coated with maps, ffigures, and runes, Torix glanced at me. His blue fire eyes cast a blue tint over his noble robe, golden stitching running down from his shoulders to his feet.


    ¡°Well then disciple, what brings you here?¡±


    I made my armor grin, the red aura leaking out. Torix raised an eyebrow as I reached into the mouth. I pulled out his staff then his helmet. I tossed them towards him. Before they crashed into him, I raised a palm. I slowed their descent with a gravity well, laying them into his hands with a gentle touch.


    ¡°I made these for you. I think you¡¯ll like them.¡±


    Torix lifted them towards his eyes. He narrowed his eyes,


    ¡°Impressive. This is your armor no doubt, and it¡¯s much harder than steel. It was a pleasant weight as well. That makes it feel valuable. There¡¯s six notches in staff¡¯s top for imprinting gemstones into it. Useful for mana gems or consumables.¡±


    He lifted the helmet up, inspecting it close towards the room¡¯s light, ¡°And this is a helmet with many of the same features. You even made it evil looking for aesthetic purposes. I must say Daniel, I never expected this level of...finesse form you. Especially after seeing your battles with Kessiah and Dakhma.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It took a bit of time is all. The runes had some carry over.¡±


    Torix nodded before glancing at my left forearm. On the inner portion was two characters of the dimensional cipher I carved. Torix pointed at it, ¡°Is that...one of the eldritch runes.¡±


    I wanted to tell him it was the dimensional cipher, but the system banned me for learning about it. I got a pass because of my unique situation. Torix might not be so lucky, so I answered, ¡°Basically yeah, except it¡¯s two letters.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°They are for strength and speed. I can see it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°How can you?¡±


    Torix met my eye, a wry grin growing on his face, ¡°They remind me of you, for some peculiar reason. Regardless, I thank you for your gifts. These will help tremendously with storing and channeling my mana. I suppose I can offer paymen-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Think of it as repayment for all the dungeon cores.¡±


    He pursed his lips, ¡°Are you certain?¡± After I nodded back, he continued, ¡°Well I suppose I can accept a gift or two from you...how about the plan for killing Elijah. How¡¯s it shaping up?¡±


    I raised both my hands, ¡°It¡¯s shaping up nicely. I should be able to send you a review of it soon. I¡¯m going to hand off some other stuff to Hod and Althea during the meantime.¡± I turned around, pacing out of the evil lair Torix made out of the average house,


    ¡°Practice with both of those before the next weekly meeting with Elijah if you can. Cya Torix.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Excellent work disciple.¡±


    I reached over towards Hod¡¯s room. He was stationed with the other Eltari in a suburbia. Most of the Eltari talked and spent time on the roofs of their houses. They would fly around, groom their feathers, and play games in the air while they were bored. They did all those things and more as I reached Hod¡¯s house.


    He had a colorful sign that said, ¡°Hod¡¯s home. Hod¡¯s friends welcome here!¡± He had a scribbling of himself beside the sign. It looked like a child had drawn it. In essence, it was perfect for him. I walked inside. Straw, twigs, and feathers littered the scratched floors. He wasn¡¯t taking advantage of the housing, that¡¯s for sure.


    I shouted, ¡°Hod, are you here?¡±


    Hod crashed through a door, his taloned feet slipping on the hardwood like a dog¡¯s paws,


    ¡°Hod not sleeping. Hod aware and ready for action!¡±


    He fell down, a plank of wood cracking. Hod looked at me then the plank. He bit into the plank,


    ¡°Hod break floor on purpose. Hod need extra fiber in diet. Harbinger know how it is.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, but I couldn¡¯t help but laugh,


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I do. Anyways, here¡¯s a little gift.¡± I reached into my armor smile and pulled out his exoskeleton armor. He ran up and grabbed it, gushing over the metal,


    ¡°Hod not break Hod¡¯s wings now! Hod not like broken twig anymore.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Anyways, I gotta go.¡± I turned and walked out of the house, ¡°Train with flying in that. If doesn¡¯t fit or doesn¡¯t work out, send me a message letting me know why and I¡¯ll fix it for you.¡±


    Before I closed the door, I looked at Hod. He was still chewing the wood, grimacing as he did.


    ¡°Oh yeah, and don¡¯t finish eating that wood. It¡¯s a recipe for an awful few next hours. You know, unless you enjoy painful shits and all.¡±


    Hod spit out the wood, ¡°Harbinger wise. Sometimes, Bathroom is nice. Other times, bathroom is battlefield. Hod prefer nice bathroom.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore, so I closed the door. Hod could do whatever it is that Hod does during his free time. I went back towards Althea¡¯s tent. After having another lunch, I handed off the armor and went back towards planning. I wrote a brief of the plan, sent it to Torix, and got an ok from him after a few adjustments.


    Just like that, the next few days passed as I experimented with my new legendary skill. Torix and I grinded out all the details of the plan over a half an hour long meeting. He liked the plan, though he discussed the need for a battalion of the legion to join him. He didn¡¯t want to risk all of his summons for Ajax¡¯s attention. Considering how dangerous he was, I couldn¡¯t blame him.


    Just like that, the day of the plan dawned, the skies gray and cloudy. That night, the glowing green aura around Yawm¡¯s world tree seeped into him now. Once it emptied, he would awaken. We didn¡¯t have time for a plan B anymore. The goal was to kill Elijah then regroup. We didn¡¯t think it was even possible to kill Ajax yet.


    How we were going to kill Yawm...the dimensional opening seemed more and more likely. We would make a last ditch request for early rewards from the quarantine. We¡¯d create a rupture in dimensions before I shoved him in. If we both fell in, well, I guess I would die.


    I shook those thoughts from my head. Killing Ajax after we killed Elijah was a possibility. If we could finish Ajax before Yawm awakened, we had a chance of finishing this.


    After clearing my head, Althea and I set out towards Elijah¡¯s weekly worship. Elijah would perform it near the lake beneath the world tree. Elijah always stood on a root of the world tree as he spoke, and the named ones stood below him. Hod would use the trees as cover, and Althea would just use her own stealth. I would walk out of the ground and grab his attention before they arrived. They would strike and I would charge.


    Torix organized a meeting with the legion before all that though. They needed a moral boost, and I had turned into a symbol for them since killing Dakhma. We would leverage that fact, turning me into someone the army could get behind. We would need whatever advantage we could grasp considering the odds.


    They all clustered right outside the new quarantine zone. Yawm hardly controlled a square mile of territory anymore. All that remained was the world tree and the dense metropolis at the center of Springfield.


    The floating islands remained, their beauty marred by the monsters that writhed upon them. There were no more yellow forests covering Springfield. There were no more ghosts of people, made of deformed flesh squirming through the city. With a cold, unyielding hand, Torix decimated their entire population over the last month.


    Althea and I reached the meeting point. Torix stood on a raised platform of earth. As I shot through the air towards them all, I reached out a hand. I created a gravity vortex, carrying myself towards the pillar where the others stood. Torix grinned at me, a proud look on his face. Kessiah wasn¡¯t there. She was off training the newer recruits.


    The Eltair were circling through the air. Many of them landed along the edges of buildings and in the empty sills of broken windows. At least a thousand troops were grouped up between four buildings, the massive quarantine shielding us from Yawm.


    Althea and I landed with all the members of the legion staring at us. For some reason, I wasn¡¯t nervous. It didn¡¯t seem like the legion was either. The constant fighting hardened them into veterans. They were averaging level 500, a ridiculous level just a few months ago. Now they were a unified army, united under a single purpose.


    We stood there for a moment, the crowds murmuring a roar in our ears. It was awe inspiring sight. This was a horde going off towards war, a war of survival. Torix gestured at me,


    ¡°Go rally the troops. They¡¯ll listen to the human that killed a follower.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod already told Eltari. Eltari know Harbinger¡¯s prowess in combat. Eltari follow you.¡±


    Althea grinned at me, and I grinned back. I turned towards the crowd, I spread my arms wide. When I spoke, Torix amplified my voice. It echoed off the nearby skyscrapers and into the sky,


    ¡°Who here is ready for war?¡±


    The legion roared, raising their rifles into the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯re here to fight one. We¡¯ve pushed back the nightmare. We¡¯ve taken our city back. Springfield was dead, and we brought it back to life. Now the last stronghold lies behind this final barrier.¡±


    The eldritch swarmed behind the barrier, unable to pass the field left by the quarantine zone. Abstractions twitched behind the barrier, hungry and waiting for the coming feast. We would teach them who was feasting on who.


    ¡°Do you see them? They¡¯re the monsters we once feared. I remember when the system first started. I was a scared child.¡± I pounded my chest, the clash of metal on metal resounding through the crowd,


    ¡°Just as you all have, I forged myself in the flames of an endless war. We all stood at the brink, hopelessness crawling up our spine like the breath of a monster at our necks. We turned towards that monster, and we smiled and we laughed. We struck fear into that shadow. Today, we make sure the monsters never forget that fear.¡±


    My armor grinned as I raised my hands, ¡°We will teach them fear. We will carve it into their skin. We will bury it so deep that even their children will fear us. We will crush their bones. We will rip apart their skin. They believe that they feast on us. We are the ones that feast on them. We are the coming storm. We are the rising tide. We are the force nature, unleashed in all its fury.¡±


    I clasped my hands into fists,


    ¡°Come, my brothers and sisters. Today, we conquer.¡±


    I left one hand raised in a fist as I boomed, ¡°Today, we rise.¡±

 104 War

    The legion of soldiers thundered out. The roar of approval lasted for a full minute before I turned towards the barrier. Before we marched through it, I needed to finish off my speech with a bang. You see, Torix added a simple adjustment towards my own plan. It was centered around a show of strength. It was a simple set up really.


    The monster density had increased over the last few days since the quarantine zone shrunk. By the time we reached them, the monsters begged for freedom. They collected near the outer barriers, so the legion¡¯s progress stalled out. The density of monsters was too high. Many members of the legion where demoralized by the wall of monsters. Who could blame them?


    They were running into a massive horde of monsters. They needed a reminder of what humans could do. These hordes of monsters were just fodder compared with what we had to face next. To demonstrate this, Torix and I discussed all kinds of different tactics from nukes to bombs to speeches. The best solution we found was abusing Event Horizon.


    It drained health in a massive aoe. That meant I could take on throngs of enemies without suffering the consequences. So we added a speech and this slaughter as means of making the legion fight with all they had, even against Ajax.


    With that in mind, Torix raised a hand, his own voice amplified, ¡°Remember that he too was a human, just as many of you still are.¡± He turned to me, ¡°Show them what we are capable off, Harbinger.¡±


    I nodded, my armor grinning with a set of jagged armor teeth,


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I charged my runes before discharging them. I shot towards the barrier before drilling through it. I reached the other side, a swarm of monsters pouring towards me. I reached out with Event Horizon, feeding off them. Even as the abstractions clustered around me, it made no difference. I regenerated faster than they could kill me.


    On the other side of the barrier, the soldiers stared in silence. They saw a horde of monsters tearing me apart. I would show them something different altogether. As I shot through the air, I dragged a horde of the abstractions with me using gravity wells. I crushed them into the pavement below me. As I landed, crags of pavement and dirt crushed upwards.


    I grinned and laughed at the monsters. As they came, I crushed. As they swarmed, I slaughtered. With limitless health, I ripped and roared out. I punched and pulped the creatures. I maimed and murdered them by the dozen. With Force of Nature at full blast, I was a blur of movement among the abstractions and solar beetles.


    I weaved between their endless strikes, my technique flawless. No number of them would phase me. I devoured their bodies, feasting on the energy as I crushed them to pulp. It was a bloodbath. Puddles of blood formed under my feet. These pudddles turned to streams than rivers. Before I finished, I created an ocean of their blood.


    Everything else faded way. It was effortless destruction. I chained my skills and strikes, the usage of the skills pristine, like a symphony of movement. I reached for the apex of my potential, pushing past my own limits. I was a storm of death. I was a monster made of metal. The bodies piled beside me, becoming hills than mountains. They melted within my aura, turning to mush.


    Within minutes, I decimated the crowd of monsters that collected along the barrier. I heaved for breath, breathing in a fine mist of orange blood. The coagulating liquid on me soaked into my metal skin as my armor gorged on the corpses. Once the area was clear, I walked out of the quarantine. My steps pounded on the earth, each step quaking the ground.


    I leapt back onto the earthen pillar. I landed onto it before standing tall. Torix pointed towards the barrier. From his hands, several portals opened. From them, monsters crawled out. Dragons of fire, treants of light, swarms of hornets, ice elementals, and monsters of all kinds poured out. Torix put on the helmet I made him, the black accentuating the golden trim on his robe.


    He opened a portal beside him, pulling out the staff. Mana gems encrusted both the helmet and the staff, extending his mana pool. He pointed it forwards,


    ¡°Come, legion. We fight them with their own kind.¡±


    The monsters charged forwards, the soldiers marching behind them. Once they crashed through the barrier, they tore into the world tree¡¯s roots. Fire spread out along with ice, mist forming where they met. I turned towards Hod and Althea,


    ¡°You guys ready?¡±


    They nodded. I stepped into the ground, burrowing beneath them. Althea dissipated and Hod leapt up into the air. We needed to hurry. Our plan rested on catching Elijah by surprise. He wasn¡¯t even a mile away, so we reached him in a minute. I burrowed deep beneath them while Hod and Althea closed in.


    Once under them, I sensed Elijah and his followers above me. My gravitational sense and Tactile Cognition gave me a picture of the followers. Once there, I took a moment and prepared myself. The plan relied on a fast, hard burst of damage. We would cripple him before he could escape. Once he was downed, I would whittle him down.


    During the fight, I would use his followers as free health regen, keeping me alive. Althea and Hod would sneak in attacks on him while I preoccupied him. The plan was solid, one I could follow.


    With that resolve forming, I gritted my teeth and clasped my fists as I walked out of the ground. Elijah was preaching his sermon. A congregation of followers piled along the bank of the lake beneath the world tree. They took on all shapes and sizes. Somewhere like lions and tigers with fur made of steel. Others were crustaceans, covered in armored shells.


    Most were humanoid though, with dark yellow skin and covered in robes of white or black. Elijah Joan¡¯s voice boomed across the landscape as they stared at him. The world tree¡¯s green glow was dimming, the energy sinking into Yawm. It was like staring at a ticking time bomb. When I looked at Elijah, I gulped at his title.


    Elijah Joan, the Fallen Seraph(lvl 3204)


    It reminded me why we were rushing in like this. Fighting several of these monsters at once was impossible. This particular monster seemed unconcerned, however.


    He preached away even with me showing myself. Elijah¡¯s face was hidden under a white hood on his white robe. Everything was cast in a shadow besides his teeth and eyes. Both were open too wide, making him look insane.


    His words didn¡¯t sound quite so unhinged,


    ¡°Yawm will come before the day ends. He gave you life with his plague. We protect him from the residents of this world. We have guarded his resting place. He let us come here after the last world was glassed by Schema. Now someone has stolen the core our lord created. We are no longer protected from the atomic fires that Schema will no doubt rain upon us.¡±


    He spread his arms, ¡°It matters not. Yawm will use their own fires against them. He will harness the energy that boils the blood of us mere mortals. He has done so before. He will do so again. We must hold faith in him. He will revive himself, and his might will smite those that kill your brothers and sisters.¡±


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    I speck of doubt formed in my head. If Schema planned on dropping nuclear bombs over our city, he should tell us that way we could get the fuck out. Even then, Elijah was talking about nuclear holocaust levels of destruction. Even with all my stats, I would be obliterated along with anything else in a mile radius of the explosion.


    I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that though. After killing the crowd of monsters, I gained a few levels. I placed all my points into endurance as Elijah noticed me. I finished walking out of the the ground. The white of his eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, ¡°We have a transgressor upon holy ground. Prepare yourselves. Those that die will be sent to an eternal afterlife, but Yawm wishes life for you all.¡±


    I opened a palm towards him, shouting so my voice would be heard, ¡°What did you mean by an atomic fire?¡±


    Elijah¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°I do not trust an agent of Schema. You¡¯ve been indoctrinated by his dogma. You worship the strength he gives. You are drunk on it. We will not submit to the same tyranny. We will not let him turn us into no more than machines, living tools that must obey him.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°We don¡¯t have to obey him.¡±


    Elijah pointed a hand at me, ¡°You are a fool if you believe that. What choice have you had since our lord arrived? Just like with all the other worlds covered in intelligent life, we have been assaulted since we landed here. Brother Dakhma and Sister Etna have both perished to this harsh place. Like so many followers before them, they were killed not by an eldritch, but by sentient life.¡±


    I shouted, ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? You infected our planet with a plague. You turned families into moving piles of meat. Now you¡¯re bitching about us fighting back. What did you expect? For us to kiss your feet while you turned us into puppets.¡±


    Elijah grimaced, ¡°The insects freed them from the shackles of Schema. You have no idea how tight the iron grip of that machine becomes over time. He can turn you into a willing slave given time. In your case, he already has. You¡¯re like a pig being fattened before the slaughter.¡±


    I reached out with Event Horizon, ¡°We¡¯ll see who slaughters whom.¡±


    I walked forward, the named ones backing away from me as I approached. Elijah raised hands towards the sky. His wings burst out from under his robe. One wing was a holy white, an angel¡¯s wing ebbed light. The other wing was one of flesh, the strips of meat forming into a single mass. He spoke out, an orb of light forming over his head.


    Before he finished chanting his spell, I dived into the ground. Within a second, I unleashed my overcharged runes, propelling me from the ground. I shot over the mass of named ones, their health charging my runes in seconds. With the runes on my arms bursting with power, I readied myself for an aerial strike.


    Elijah crossed his massive wings in front of him, forming an X shape. I grinned mid flight. Althea materialized right behind Elijah¡¯s right wing. Hod¡¯s dive whistled through the air as he reached towards Elijah¡¯s left wing.


    With the dagger I made, Althea slashed down. Her left arm morphed into a mass of muscle mid swing. It connected with the ligaments holding Elijah¡¯s wing out. Hod landed at the same time, his hulking, eldritch form slashing with curved claws. The shadows dug into the flesh wing of Elijah.


    Elijah¡¯s orb of light dampened before I slammed into his crippled wings. I condensed Event Horizon onto his frame, the aura bending as I commanded it. Elijah fell backwards, crushing into the world tree¡¯s root beneath him. I bounced back from the point of impact with his wings. As Ianded on the ground, Hod and Althea dashed back towards Elijah.


    They stabbed at his wings, feathers and blood flying everywhere. Seconds later, Elijah sliced his wings outward, blowing a tremendous gust of wind in both directions. Hod and Althea were flung backwards. As they flipped through the air, I dug into the world tree¡¯s root, burrowing through it like dirt. Elijah tried standing, I grabbed his foot before dragging him down into the root.


    He could fly despite his immense mass. That was Elijah¡¯s biggest strength. Once up in the air, he could reach Ajax in seconds. We needed to cripple him before he got up. Torix had never seen him dig through the ground, so this was an easy way of slowing him down. I drug him into the dirt before his wing of flesh balled itself up like a fist.


    It slammed into the tree, sending a kinetic wave through me. It was like the sandworm on Hod¡¯s homeworld, but my body tanked the damage with ease. Without missing a beat, I dragged him deeper into the root. It was like knowing someone couldn¡¯t swim, then taking them out into deep water. Like that, Elijah submerged into the root.


    Elijah curled up into a ball, his arms and wings moving through the dense wood with ease. The sound of an earthquake ebbed from above. The matter around him condensed, pulling in before he spread his arms outward.


    A wave of light magic discharged with destructive might. It rattled through me, like being in a car barrelling down a hill. The root around him disintegrated into sawdust, leaving a circular impression in the wood. I flopped onto the ground. I looked up, and Elijah had grown two more wings while he floated.


    Just like the others, one was flesh and the other made of white feathers. Before he finished Hod and Althea were upon him. Hod leapt from the top of the root, his body behind his overhead slash. Althea darted down, firing a bolt into the wing before slicing with her dagger. They both impacted Elijah¡¯s injured wings.


    Hod severed through the one of flesh, and Althea broke the one on her side. I dashed towards the flesh wing, reaching out with event Horizon. I caught it and bit into the wing, devouring it before it could do more damage. I even reached out with Event Horizon, disintegrating any splatters of blood or falling feathers.


    I didn¡¯t want him empowering his allies with feathers or his blood. Elijah stayed flying, the two new wings supporting his weight. His hood fell from his face, exposing him. Like his wings, one half of his face was angelic. The other half was monstrous. He had kind, soft features on the unmarred one. His skin was pale, like snow. Red veins crept across the skin like a roadmap, however.


    The other side of him wasn¡¯t as easy on the eyes. Massive scars crept up his face, the results of many burns. Patches of exposed bone where seen on his jaw and skull. On the bone, the dimensional cipher was carved. He had given himself to Yawm¡¯s experimentation.


    Elijah spread his working wings out, one of his wings limp against his side. He spread them shooting into the air. Before he even reached thirty feet from me, I grabbed him with telekinesis. As I did, I created a gravity vortex beneath me and him. I condensed Overwhelming Presence back into my frame, making me much heavier.


    The pull on my hands was tremendous, but I stopped him from moving. He glanced down, veins popping up over his face,


    ¡°You shall not stop me heathen.¡±


    He curved his wings together, generating a ball of white energy. It it sucked the air in around it before he launched it. A cataclysmic sound ushered as the slow moving ball floated towards me. Hod and Althea dashed towards him again as I released my telekinetic hold on him. I leapt sideways, avoiding the ball of light.


    Whenever it struck the ground, the matter near it siphoned into the light. It released a high pitch sound, like screeching metal as the ground around the orb disintegrated. Once it finished eating the ground, it imploded, blipping out of existence.


    Althea and Hod dashed towards Elijah again, but he whipped his wings at them, ¡°Begone, insects.¡±


    From the ends of his wings, two tornadoes formed. They slinked around Elijah like snakes before reaching Hod and Althea. They were both sucked into the vortexes. Elijah spun his wings around, the tornadoes slinging with them like whips. After building momentum, he lifted his wings to slam them into the each other.


    I shot off the ground. I interrupted him, my fist colliding with his stomach. Elijah keeled over, blood spurting from his stomach. The tornadoes dissipated, slinging Althea and Hod in random directions away from us. Before I fell from Elijah, I wrapped my arms around him and his wings. Like an aerial german suplex, I sent us back towards the earth.


    We plunged down, pulverizing the bit of root remaining beneath us. The entire ground splintered, cracks webbing outwards for dozens of feet. An explosion of sound emanating from our impact. A cloud of tossed dirt billowed after, along with a shockwave. Named ones were blown away, some landing in the lake beside us.


    The fish snapped at the named ones, gobbling them up as they ran towards us. I pulled myself over, placed my knees around Elijah¡¯s stomach. I ground and pounded his face, my strikes creating ripples in the ground. The entire time, I converted each punch into telekinetic bullets. My runes raged with energy.


    I raised my fist, overcharging my runes before slamming in against Elijah¡¯s exposed skull. The bone cracked before he grabbed my back with a wing. He pulled me up, a pillar of light surrounding us both. He floated up, defying gravity as he reared back a fist. A ball of white light appeared in his palm. He grinned at me,


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much it takes to break you.¡±

 105 Betrayal

    Elijah shoved the ball of energy towards my neck. My armor ripped open, a mouth full of teeth biting his hand. The energy ball went into my dimensional storage while I reared back my right leg. With my armor being separate from the face on my skin, I could still speak.


    ¡°More than it takes to break you.¡±


    I lifted my right leg, kneeing up towards Elijah¡¯s stomach. Right before it landed, I created the same telekinetic pads and gravity vortexes that I do for my fists. My knee bounced off the pad, launching a telekinetic bolt into Elijah¡¯s stomach. He keeled over, his wing releasing me as blood splattered onto the ground.


    I gripped the ground with telekinesis, letting me get my footing even while floating. I stepped forwards, snapping a hook into Elijah¡¯s jaw. My fist snapped back just short of his chin, cracking a wave of kinetic force into his face. His head whiplashed, before I stepped forwards with a right hook. The crater beneath us deepened at the impact.


    I whipped another hook into his jaw. Spit, teeth, and blood spurted from his mouth, his face shaking back and forth. He reached out towards me, but I took a step backwards. I was just short of his grabbing arms. As he pulled them back, I stepped forwards. I rotated on my heels, launching another hook into his right side with my left hand.


    His ribs cracked as my left hand bounced backwards. I pulled the fist back, letting me turn all that momentum into my right hand. A monstrous right hook collided with Elijah¡¯s face, the dull pop of breaking bone ebbing out. He was in my domain, fighting with my rules. Like this, he didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Learning that after only a few seconds, Elijah snapped his fingers. The light surrounding us waned, making him fall down. Before he landed on the ground, he waved his wings. The gust of wind was overwhelming, like withstanding a tornado¡¯s wind.


    It pushed me back, my telekinetic footing unstable. I fell towards the ground as he flew up. With my back on the dirt, he passed above me. As he passed the crater we created with our battle, Hod and Althea struck at his wings. Their simultaneous attack made him fumble mid flight. He fumbled in the air before crashing down onto the ground again.


    I sunk into the earth, burrowing my way up to where he landed. I shot out of the ground, my fist connecting with the back of his spine. Fissures formed around me as the pressure of my attack pushed into the ground. Giant slabs of hardened dirt cracked upwards, sending Elijah up off the ground.


    Before he landed, Althea fired two bolts into his wings. Both shots connected, causing the wing to fall off of him. I stepped forwards, pulling my fist close. As I turned on my feet, I extended my footing with telekinesis. I let my arm hang wide as I dragged my arm over my head.


    As the blow closed in on Elijah¡¯s gut, I pulled the fist in with all my strength. The overhand right tightened, turning into a compact punch that struck like a cannon. My arm bounced back, Force of Nature letting me weave in gravity and telekinesis with ease.


    Elijah received the full brunt of the strike, his body propelled backwards. He shot into the dirt with an earth-shattering shockwave and sound. From inside the freshly made crater, I turned around, lunging towards his falling wing. I caught it, hugging it against me before the wing landed on the ground.


    I landed by rolling on the ground before sinking my teeth into the piece of Elijah. I jumped up, the ground moving under my feet like I was in a car. Elijah stood from the attack already, blood pouring from his wounds. Althea and Hod did another synchronized strike. This time, Elijah was ready.


    He ducked down, sacrificing his last remaining feathered wing. Hod and Althea severed it, but Elijah grabbed Hod¡¯s face mask. With ease, Elijah pulled him up as I dashed towards him. Elijah stomped the ground, fractures crawling outwards. From these fractures, fire crept out and a portal of lava opened beneath him.


    Before I could reach him, Elijah shoved Hod into the portal. I reached out with my gravity magic, creating a vortex that pulled up from where Hod was. The lava floated upwards, like a waterfall of magma. Hod fell up too. Before the red hot liquid touched him, an idea clicked in my head.


    When I used gravity, I pulled the fabric of reality in, condensing it over a single point. I would close my hand, closing the force in. Instead of crushing it down, I opened up my hand, stretching the reality around Hod. I held it there before discharging my rune. The effect stamped onto him, lingering.


    Skill learned! Anti-Gravity Manipulation - Just as there is a force that pulls all objects together, there exists a force that repulses all matter as well. You have found it. +1% to ease of Anti-Gravity Manipulation. +1% to power of Anti-Gravity Manipulation.


    I finished this in a moment. The lava that was falling up towards him now fell away from him, like he was repulsing it with nothing. The notification passed by the corner of my vision, unnoticed.


    Elijah overcame the force, holding onto Hod as he pushed him into the pit of lava. Hod submerged. The cracks dissipated over a second, the portal closing in an instant. Elijah grinned,


    ¡°One of your friend for one of mine.¡±


    Althea landed after her dash, her feet dragging across the ground. With a dagger in her left hand and a cannon as her right arm, she fired bolts at Elijah. They drilled through the air as I charged towards the fallen seraph. As I reached him, his amputated wing flexed.


    As it did, feathers harder than steel shot towards my eyes and neck. I covered my face by crossing my arms before Elijah slammed his fist into my unprotected stomach. The force of the blow dented my armor, keeling me over as he raised a hand. Energy coalesced into his palm before he struck down at my head.


    The white energy burned like a wildfire, disintegrating my skull. A moment later, it detonated, a wave of force blowing me backwards. It was like swallowing a grenade. I tumbled through the air, half my vision missing. I flopped against the ground before pushing myself up.


    My silver blood gushed from my face, drenching the ground beneath me. The nerves in my head and body fired off, like I was coated in flames. Pins and needles spread out over my entire back and legs. My arms felt weak. A puddle of my blood formed beneath me. Like staring at a mirror, I stared into the puddle, seeing a reflection of myself.


    A portion of my head was missing. The upper left part, including the eye socket, was just gone. A portion of my brain was exposed, some of it missing. Tendrils of my armor criss crossed around in the meat of it, reinforcing it from damage. It was disgusting and the sense of violation was palpable.


    Deep in my head, the cool breeze around me brushed against it. It was like putting an ice into your nose and holding it there. My hand shook as I touched where my skull should be. When my fingers passed where they would normally stop, it made the injury real.


    The bones over the injury regenerated, my silver blood coming together to form skin. I shivered as my injury healed over the next twenty seconds. The entire time, I was paralyzed from my waist down. There was a mental paralyzation too though. Seeing something like that and knowing it¡¯s yourself...It¡¯s haunting.


    Once my head regenerated, my eye did the same. Strands of my armor molded through it, making the organ from something soft into something hard. Feeling returned to my legs and belly. As my helmet regenerated over the skin and hair of my new face, I glanced up.


    Elijah had created another tornado, this time with his arm. It already caught Althea, whipping her through the air before slamming her into the ground. A crater formed underneath her as a pillar of blood formed from her mouth. Elijah leapt into the air, stomping towards her.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I stood up, but my legs weren¡¯t working right. I watched as he fell towards her. Althea rolled over, leaping away from Elijah. A tectonic explosion of energy radiated out, sending out a shockwave. A cloud of dust billowed out a moment after.


    Althea landed onto the ground before Elijah dashed out of the cloud towards her. Althea looked at me while I reached out an arm towards her. Relief spread out over her face before she turned to Elijah. She morphered her arms, sheathing her dagger and placing the rifle along her back.


    Elijah reached her as she morphed her arms. They were enormous clubs as Elijah laughed,


    ¡°Does the little girl believe she can harm a seraph? I doubt-¡±


    Althea¡¯s right fist collided with his face, his bones cracking out with a satisfying pop. Before Elijah was sent flying away, Althea grabbed his leg with her other arm.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She slammed him back and forth, tossing him like a ragdoll.


    ¡°That I can.¡±


    Viens crept up her face as she increased her eyebrows. She flashed her teeth, rage contorting her beautiful face.


    ¡°Beat the shit out of you.¡±


    She formed craters as Elijah¡¯s body was pulverized against the ground. She threw him towards an unharmed portion of the world tree¡¯s root. She dashed towards him, slamming her fist into his gut. His blood spurted onto her, but she ignored it entirely. She howled, rearing back her fists and pummeling Elijah¡¯s face.


    The bones in her arms broke and the skin on her hands tore. Her assault ceased after a final blow that beat Elijah through the enormous root of the world tree. Elijah dashed back towards her, Althea side stepped his dash. She rolled across the ground. My legs started working again, finally.


    I stood up, stumbling forward before I got back my footing. I charged my runes before dashing towards Elijah with an explosive burst. Elijah was laughing at Althea, chasing her as she ran away.


    ¡°So the little girl breaks her arms before she can even kill me then? Pathe-¡±


    I dashed into him, slamming him into the ground. We rolled on the ground before he kicked me off of him. I flopped through the air before landing on my feet. I dug my arms and feet into the ground, slowing down my drag backwards. Elijah stood up, sweat falling from his forehead.


    Wounds covered him, along with his tattered white robe. Splotches of red soaked it from head to toe. Four stubs gushed blood from his back from his severed wings. He heaved his breaths,


    ¡°Neither of you can kill me. I¡¯ve been blessed by his holiness.¡±


    He tore of his robe, revealing eldritch runes littering his body. I reached him, slamming my fist into his gut. He grinned at me, blood leaking from between his teeth,


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I slammed a hook into his face. Two of his molars were sent out of his mouth.


    ¡°His gifts will save me.¡±


    I slammed three consecutive hooks into his side before whipping another hook up into his jaw, all with the same arm.


    ¡°And they will destroy you.¡±


    Just like with Dakhma, the eldritch runes glowed. They didn''t shine red. They shined a bright white, like Elijah''s light magic. I didn¡¯t let him complete the ritual. Legions of the named ones sprinted towards us. During the fight, the shockwaves of our strikes kept blowing them away.


    Now that we were finally standing still, they caught up.


    Elijah smirked, ¡°They will buy me the time I need.¡±


    I slammed hook after hook into his stomach, turning his bones to mush. My fists punched holes through his robe, waves of kinetic energy bursting out from the back of Elijah. As the named ones fell into range, I extended Event Horizon out. As they ran into the aura, a surge of power flooded my system.


    Elijah slammed a fist across my cheek, rupturing the metal of my face. I grinned at him as it healed, the wounds snapping back into place. I laughed at him, my armor grinning and laughing with me. Elijah¡¯s smirk turned into a frown as each of my strikes increased in power.


    Every hook was empowered by my overcharged runes. I slugged at him, keeping us pinned with an enormous gravitational vortex beneath us. I powered it with the named one¡¯s life force. My quick, compact punches turned into a slugging fest as I hit on Elijah like a punching bag.


    He attempted fighting back, but I twisted, contorted, and molded my armor, deflecting his strikes. Without him being blown back, he couldn¡¯t escape my full onslaught. It was a freeing feeling, like finally being able to use your own trump card. It turned the tides of our battle.


    Like with Dakhma, the tendrils of flesh kept forming over him. I converted his body into pulp as quickly as it transformed. With all the excess mana from the named ones, I kept us right beside each other with gravity. I could rear back and slam my fists with unobstructed destruction. He wasn¡¯t sent flying backwards anymore.


    No, he faced the full force of my fists. As more named ones came in, I gained more mana to play with. I overcharged the runes over me, unleashing them with every strike I used against Elijah. I extended the gravitational warp beneath us, increasing its intensity.


    It pulled us both down and the ground up. Pinned on this makeshift arena, Elijah and I struggled just to stand. Any named that came near us was instantly crushed into the ground, unable to approach. Elijah glanced around as I struck him. Horror spread across Elijah¡¯s face. His eyes widened as his hands shook in terror.


    Malice spread over my face,


    ¡°That¡¯s right Elijah. They only make me stronger.¡±


    Elijah shouted out in between my strikes, ¡°Stop...Run...a...way...you...idiots.¡±


    My laughing drowned out his cries, however. They turned into weakened grunts as the flow of mana increased. It was like I was in an ocean of raw energy, drenched in the overwhelming power. It fueled me as I tore Elijah apart.


    Seconds dragged on into minutes, his eldritch form unable to complete itself. Elijah suffered the entire time. He gasped in agony as I tore him apart. He choked on his own blood, sharpened pieces of his own bones digging into him each time I hit. It sounds brutal, perhaps even a bit evil, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I hated Yawm, and I hated his followers. For all I knew, Elijah killed Hod in that portal. A part of me wanted him to suffer. A part of me wished he would howl out in agony as I wrenched out his guts. It was a primal part of me, but I couldn¡¯t deny it existed. At that moment, it surfaced with all the hate and rage and wrath that came with it.


    Elijah recieved all that pent up rage in full. By the time the named ones discovered what was going on, it was over. The bodies pinned down near us melted, revealing Elijah to them. He was broken, every piece of his shattered beyond recognition. With his face destroyed, he reached out and spoke with a broken jaw,


    ¡°Please...help me.¡±


    I lifted a foot and stomped his skull, caving it in. His death notification appeared beside my view. I had learned from the fight with Dakhma. I didn¡¯t give Elijah a moment of rest, punishing every moment where he was vulnerable. It cut the fight short, far shorter than with Dakhma.


    Just as I let my guard down, cracks ushered from the earth beside me. Fire spread from these cracks, scorching the earth. A pit of lava formed, erupting upwards. I raised my fists, ready for the fight. A moment later, the lava fell off of Hod. Gashes covered his body, his shadow form leaking black blood.


    He glanced at me, the red, featureless eyes menacing. He stepped forwards, out of the lava before falling onto the ground. I shifted Event Horizon off him. The portal disappeared a second after. As Hod hit the ground, he opened his mouth and let out the eldritch energy within him. His head raised up as streams of the energy were released.


    That makes it sound cool, but it was like he was barfing,


    ¡°Bleeeeeeeeeeehhh...Bleeeeeeeeeehhh...Oh, Hod going to hurl again...Bleeeeehhhh.¡±


    He finished puking before his face slapped against the ground.


    ¡°Hod feel better..¡±


    I sighed out, my fists lowering. I pulled back my helmet before dragging my hands across my face. I turned towards elijah, his mushed corpse resting beside us. I picked it up, dumping it into my armor mouth. My armor assimilated the energy, the metal shivering over my skin in pleasure.


    I shook out the fighting jitters, turning towards the assault team of Torix. The plumes of smoke were massive, far larger than I imagined they would be. In the corner of my eye, someone was standing. I turned around, expecting Torix. It wasn¡¯t.


    It wasn¡¯t human. It was porytian, the species Yawm hailed from. Slender, muscled limbs covered in bark skin, it heaved for breath, a green glow webbing outwards from its eyes. Wherever the green traced, the veins and muscles were large and tense. It had large hands with thin fingers, spiking a dormant fear in me.


    It lifted a hand, an unmatched grace in the movement. Somehow something as simple as raising a hand was elegant and refined. A main of leaves trailed down its back, acting as a mane of ¡®hair¡¯. Above its head, I read it¡¯s name and level.


    Ajax Volan, the Void Eater(lvl 4327)


    He leapt up off the tree, sifting through the air with more grace than birds. He landed in front of me. As he did, a few of the outer named ones caught up to us. I lifted my fists and tucked in my chin.


    Ajax waved his hand behind him, some unseen wave slicing behind him. Reality split, two halves forming. They slid against each other, separating before snapping back together. The named ones behind him weren''t so lucky. They fell apart, all them sliced with laser precision wherever the split in reality had been.


    With a deep, pained voice, Ajax raised a hand,


    ¡°Come.¡±

 106 It Comes

    I frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    Ajax spoke with a voice like metal,


    ¡°We need to escape, before he awakens. You cannot fight him.¡±


    I kept my guard up, ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Ajax stepped forward, ¡°Good. You shouldn¡¯t. Not yet. I can promise you that there are other ways of handling Yawm besides fighting him. I can show you those ways, for something in turn.¡±


    Althea skulked up, her form invisible and without sound. Ajax turned towards her, ¡°I can see you, hunter. Understand that I¡¯m not in a position where I fear either of you.¡±


    He finished speaking and disappeared. It was a complete and utter erasal of his existence. Nothing remained, not his scent, the heat off his breath, not even his effect on gravity. A second later, he appeared beside Althea. He grabbed her skull, lifting her with a single hand,


    ¡°I could squash your head ike crushing a ripe fruit.¡± He set her down, ¡°But I¡¯m not. That alone should warrant some kind of discussion.¡± He turned to me,¡±Should it not?¡±


    Althea stepped back, fear written over her face. She touched her face with her hands, making sure she was still alive. Ajax laughed, ¡°Come now, I already know you revive after death. There¡¯s no need to act in front of me.¡±


    Althea¡¯s fear disappeared, a grimace replacing it. Ajax turned to me, ¡°I can hide in places neither of you can see. I am the eyes and ears of Yawm, and I have watched you since your time in BloodHollow.¡±


    I whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    Ajax raised a hand, ¡°There are things that exist that you know nothing of. There are places that you are blind too. I can share them with you. I can open your closed eyes, and give you what you need to fight Yawm, but I need something first.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, ¡°Like what? Our souls?¡±


    Ajax laughed, ¡°Hah hah, No. I need my soul back instead.¡±


    Confusion leaked onto our faces before Ajax continued,


    ¡°Yawm has experimented with all of us followers. I am the most sane of us, but I still carry scars.¡±


    Ajax took his hand and plunged his fingertips into his own chest. They broke through the bark as Althea grimaced. Ajax pulled, opening up his chest. Within him, there were bloodshot eyes, grinning mouths, and whispering voices. Ajax lowered his hand, letting his chest heal.


    ¡°This is what has been done to me. I ask you to cure it, just as you cured Kessiah.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Cure that? I didn¡¯t cure anything...wait...You mean after Dakhma infected her?¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°Precisely. Heal me of my affliction and I will give you what you need to know against Yawm. Otherwise, every person here will die in moments.¡±


    Above us, Yawm stirred within his shining green prison. As he moved, the ground quaked beneath us. Ajax raised his hands,


    ¡°Trust me when I tell you this. You do not have time to hesitate. You have two options. Help me and I will help you, or Yawm obliterates you both. That is-¡±


    Ajax rolled his shoulders, ¡°Unless I kill you first. What is your decision, Harbinger?¡±


    I raised a hand towards him, ¡°You have to explain everything before I help you.¡±


    Ajax leaned back and laughed, ¡°And tell me why you¡¯re in the position to make demands?¡±


    I pointed up at Yawm, ¡°Because I can tell him that you let three of his followers be killed.¡±


    Ajax lowered his right hand, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before you can.¡±


    I banged my fists together, ¡°I told you what I would accept. Good luck finishing me off that fast.¡±


    Mana charged into my runes, the red aura of energy radiating out,


    ¡°I''m very, very hard to kill.¡±


    Ajax raised his right hand and clasped it. The fluid movement split reality at my neck. It was an odd sensation, like he was cleaving the fabric of dimensions apart around me. It didn¡¯t cleave me apart, however. IT felt like I wasn''t the dimension he was slicing.


    It confused Ajax more than it confused me even. Ajax¡¯s eyes were glowing, green orbs, and one opened wide while another narrowed. It was like he was raising an eyebrow at us,


    ¡°You¡¯re not of this plane...You¡¯re somewhere else, while being here...What are you?¡±


    I charged at him, ¡°Something that will kick your ass.¡±


    Ajax raised a palm to me as he shouted, ¡°Stop. I¡¯ll do as you ask.¡±


    I stomped my foot into the ground, extending my footing with telekinesis. The ground caved in around us. I stood up, my hands lowering, ¡°You will?¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t dispatch of you quickly because of your...I don¡¯t know exactly. You will live long enough to tell Yawm of what I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ll do as you ask and tell you all I know. We must leave now, however. Yawm¡¯s wrath will level this entire city once he¡¯s awakened. That army of yours is dead already.¡±


    I gripped my hands into fists, ¡°Fuck. Really? It¡¯s that bad?¡±


    Ajax leaned his head, giving me a Kubrick stare, ¡°I will not reiterate my words again. He is death incarnate. We must run.¡±


    I turned away from him, pacing behind Althea. I shouted at Hod, "Hey, come over here."


    Hod walked up to us as I opened my status screen, writing out a message to Torix and Kessiah.


    Dimension C-138(01/04/2 11:42 P.M.) - Abort mission. Get out with the legion. Elijah¡¯s dead. Ajax is with us. It¡¯s complicated. He may help us. Don¡¯t count on it.


    Althea guarded me the entire time as I wrote out the message. Once I finished, I turned towards Ajax,


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re running right now. If you can actually help us, then this is good. We could use a dimension slicing alien on our side.¡±


    Before I finished closing my status, I poured all my points into endurance. Better to get the points in now then later. Before I finished doing so, a perk came up.


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    The Endless One(Endurance over 10,000, Genesis of Potential tree unlocked, Obliterator tree unlocked, Devotion to the Enduring perk unlocked) - Unlocks the Endless legacy. Only one legacy can be active at any time.


    I didn¡¯t really know what a legacy did. I didn¡¯t have time to stand still and figure out either. I turned towards the others, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I sprinted away from the world tree, The rest of the group followed not far behind. I ran up beside Althea,


    ¡°Can you guard me while I handle my status points? I¡¯ll guard you right after.¡±


    She nodded at me before going back to staring at Ajax. The porytian alien kept pace with ease, his movements lithe and calculated. He didn¡¯t feel or look hostile. Instead his shoulders loosened up in relief. He even sighed as we gained some distance from Yawm.


    His relaxation only made me more nervous. He knew what we were up against. It didn¡¯t look good. I glanced back at my status, trying to squeeze any advantage out that I could.


    So I observed the endurance perk closer for details. I couldn¡¯t find anything that hinted at what it was either. I remember it being mentioned whenever I unlocked a perk a long time ago. I figured it wouldn¡¯t come up for a while. It was time to figure out.


    Even without knowing what it was, I invested a perk point into it. One attribute was a drop in an ocean of stats for me now. Even if the perk wasn¡¯t overwhelming, it would certainly be better than one more point endurance.


    Once I selected the perk, I invested all the rest of my attribute points into endurance. With that in mind, I opened up my tree menu and put all my points into my current tree, the Killer of Titans. I had enough points to complete it.


    Your own mass is something to fear. The ground quakes under footsteps. Enemies will know your coming. They will hear a titan that leaves destruction in its wake. They will hear the might of a giant that crushes cities under its feet.


    They will hear you.


    Killer of Titans(Tier 5) unlocked! +130% to total mass. +10% of total level added to constitution. 10% more damage against foes with higher mass.


    The tree was a surprising boon. Constitution was one of my best stats with my dimensional storage. With a few extra points left, my tree menu opened. There was some interesting options.


    Bounty Hunter(Finish an A tier bounty)(0/500) | Immense(have over 50,000,000 effective health, have a mass of over 100,000 pounds (45,360~Kilograms))(0/2,500) | Legendary(Gain a legendary skill)(0/2,500)


    I had two tough choices. Bounty hunter wasn¡¯t one of those. It didn¡¯t synergize with my build like Immense or Legendary did. I didn¡¯t have an enormous amount of time for deliberation, so I chose Immense. It seemed like something that would increase my health. I could convert that into more health regen, which let me make more stats.


    It was like a cycle that fed into itself. I was already in the habit of feeding the eldritch rune all my excess mana. In fact, I hadn¡¯t checked out the bonuses in a while. I opened up my armor menu and glanced at the last bonus.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +68 Strength


    +68 Dexterity]


    The bonuses were amounting to something now. With all that handled, I selected finalize on my status screen. My mana generation surged, along with my strength and size. My armor tore once more. I grew several inches in height in an instant. It was an intoxicating rush.


    With how many extra stats I gained from spamming endurance, my stat layout was well rounded. Combine that with the per level bonuses from my leveling perks, and each level improved almost everything. Leveling was like evolving into a better version of myself each time. One level was hard to notice by now. Several hundred though? That made a big difference.


    Considering that each follower was a massive leap, this rush was palpable. Clearer sight, thoughts, and movement followed an increase in vitality. I was a mana factory at this point, generating massive flows of energy. With how the eldritch runes worked on my forearm, I could convert that mana into raw stats.


    It meant endurance was and always would be king for my build. Before I could analyze my status, a notification was in front of me, blocking my screen.


    Legacy unlocked! Endless(Tier C)! Legacies allow for the creation of guilds and give stat bonuses to those that join your guild. The grade of your Legacy determines the increase. These bonuses are meager at the lowest tier, tier F. They are very strong for higher tier legacies, like tier A or S.


    Endless(Tier C) - Grants 50 endurance and 25 willpower for anyone who joins your guild. Requires at least level 300 to join your guild if you choose to make one. This bonus does not apply to you, only those that join your guild.


    It was an interesting prospect. It made me wonder what the bonus was for the legion, if they had one. The legion seemed more like a guild regulated and controlled by Schema, not by a person. It offered technology and training rather than raw stats. The stats didn''t amount to some massive amount for anyone, but it was a nice bonus.


    The real use of it came with offering it to someone. I could have people do odd jobs for me, collect information, gather artifacts, etcetera. In exchange, I let them join my guild and gain free stats. I would have to speak with Torix about it first.


    If I could make a powerful guild, then that would be something worth exploring. I didn¡¯t want to ruin that before it even got off the ground. With all that finished, I opened my status screen and checked out the changes. They were epic.


    Level 2,406


    Strength ¨C 2,226 | Constitution ¨C 3,246 | Endurance ¨C 11,031


    Dexterity ¨C 810 | Willpower ¨C 5,453 | Intelligence ¨C 1,902


    Charisma ¨C 194 | Luck ¨C 595 | Perception ¨C 323


    ************************************


    Health: 863,485/863,485 | Health Regen: 728,291/min or 14,391/sec


    Stamina: 483,817/483,817 | Stamina Regen: 4,452/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.14 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 102,261 pounds(46,384 kilos)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 26,350% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My health regeneration was increasing faster than my health was. My status changed a bit from previous versions as well. All the damage resistances fused into one, besides for dimensional res. That was probably because it was a different value.


    Overall, several of my stats were inflated from my perks and trees. My endurance was higher than it should be by far. My willpower was as well. I imagined my constitution and strength were what a warrior¡¯s build normally was. My intelligence was hyper inflated for a fighter in general. My luck and perception were likely higher than a normal fighter too.


    Charisma was a stat that lagged behind because my armor reduced it. Besides for that though, I was a stat stick from hell. I could out attribute anybody that was near my level, giving me an edge if raw power. After a few more months of using the dimensional cipher, I would edge out anyone in raw stats.


    Working on that was on the top of my priority list now, but I needed time. That was something none of us had. Ajax, Althea, and I all ran away from Yawm with all we had at that moment. I turned behind me, and something like sweat was pouring off of Ajax. I shouted,


    ¡°Are you alright, Ajax?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°No...He¡¯s come.¡±


    Right after he spoke, I glanced up at the world tree. We were half a mile away by then. I was flying through the air, giving me an aerial view of the city. The green glow of the world tree had dimmed. Yawm stirred within his prison. With each movement, waves shot through the ground around the world tree.


    With my enhanced vision, I saw him with pristine detail. His eyes cracked open. As they did, the green lines traced across his skin. The intensity of the light enhanced until he shined like a star on earth. The light dimmed down before the runes across his skin began glowing.


    As the runes over an arm glowed green, he moved it from his fetal position. Another arm cracked off, then a leg, then his other leg. Yawm struggled against some unseen force before stretching out his arms.


    The unseen shackles around him snapped. A hellish shockwave rippled through the city, radiating from him. The wave was vast and powerful. Trees uprooted. Windows shattered. Buildings collapsed. All of the floating islands within the rift crashed down onto the ground as the wave passed them.


    The wave of force shot through the rest of the city after. A gust of wind followed in its wake. This gust collapsed buildings and flipped cars. Miles above yawm, clouds were sent outward. A circular opening appeared in the gray, cloudy sky, letting light beam down onto where Yawm stood.


    It was like watching a nuclear bomb drop onto a city. The shockwave reached us. In mid flight, even I was sent tumbling by the unbelievable energy.


    I rolled through the air before crashing into the ground. Pavement rushed past my face, wind howling in my ears. Dirt, dust, and rocks were sent past me in the shockwave. Boulders rolled by me. Every piece of untempered glass was broken apart. By the time I oriented myself once more, I found myself on the top of a hill.


    I jumped onto the top of a building, getting a better view of Yawm. He had raised his hand towards the legion¡¯s battle. Facing the black plumes of smoke, Yawm coalesced a blue light into his palm. He launched it towards the legion. As it passed over the city, grass and trees burst into flames. The world burned as the ball of light passed over it.


    Before the light collided with the steel legion, I looked above Yawm to check his status. When I saw it, I fell to my knees, the concrete beneath me cracking. I grabbed the sides of my face, my stomach sinking.


    A hollow, sickening sensation crept through my body, leaving me numb. There was a reason Schema hadn¡¯t sent Overseer¡¯s to fight him. There was a reason that Schema hadn¡¯t sent a some higher level person either.


    He was simply too strong.


    Yawm of Flesh(lvl 14,337)

 107 Ajax Volan

    I watched the ball of light float over the city and reach the legion¡¯s battle. Whenever the light hit the ground, I lost my vision. My vision returned a moment later. The light singed my eyesight. It was brighter than the sun.


    A plume of dust rose above the point of contact. Another wave rippled across the city as the clouds above the impact zone expanded outwards in a circle. Another shockwave hit me, though this time it wasn¡¯t nearly as powerful as before. Above the energy ball¡¯s impact, a mushroom cloud gushed into the air.


    It rose high, higher than the clouds above Springfield. I heaved a breath before someone placed their hand on my shoulder. I turned around, finding Ajax staring at me,


    ¡°Stand and run. To run is a victory.¡±


    His words snapped me back into reality. I reared back my own fist before punching myself in the face. I growled before shaking off my jelly legs and standing. I turned and sprinted away from Yawm. Ajax and I caught back up with Althea and Hod before reaching the outskirts of the city.


    Once we were a reasonable distance, we reached a cluster of woods with a cabin inside it. The walls were dusty and unused. The air was dry, the smell of wood and dirt thick in the air. I checked my status, hoping for a message from Torix or Kessiah. I found one.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill( 4:03 P.M. 01/04/01) - We escaped. Regroup a day from now at quarry at 4:00 P.M. New plan needed.


    Dimension C-138(4:04 P.M. 01/04/01) - Althea, Hod, and I are fine. We¡¯ll brief you on what we know. See you then.


    I closed my status screen and turned towards Ajax, Althea, and Hod. Before I spoke, I glanced back at my messages. I was considered dimension C-138. It was an odd feeling. It made the whole being a dimension real. I wasn¡¯t human anymore, that was certain.


    It made me wonder what Baldag-Ruhl had intended with his original carapace. Why the fuck would he want to be a dimension? If I could figure out why, maybe I could discover the motives for the eldritch in general. I mean, if Baldag-Ruhl created a dimension, why couldn¡¯t I at some point?


    There wasn¡¯t a reason against it. It might be a good long term solution for the eldritch. Instead of killing them or destroying where they came from, we could funnel them into a different place. They could start fresh, and we would never clash with them.


    I silenced that wishful thinking as I focused on the here and now. Ajax was inspecting the inside of a cabinet. Althea had her hands behind her as she glanced around. She tried looking busy, but it was obvious that she felt awkward and bored. Hod just stared at a spider,


    ¡°Hod wonder if creature talks as Hod does.¡±


    The spider turned it¡¯s walk, reaching into the shade of a corner,


    ¡°Creature likes shadow as Hod does.¡±


    Ajax murmured in his metallic voice,


    ¡°Your world is odd.¡±


    A bit of irritation bled into my words I raised my hands, ¡°We won¡¯t have a fucking world with that thing running around. What the fuck are we even supposed to do against that?¡±


    Ajax turned towards me, letting the cabinet close, ¡°I can tell you how to finish him.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°I¡¯m open to ideas.¡±


    Ajax tapped his chest, ¡°Cleanse me first.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal. Tell me everything then I will.¡±


    Ajax¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Understandable...Then I will start at the beginning.¡±


    I sat down, creating a gravity warp that suspended my weight. I did the same under Ajax. He glanced down then back at me before sitting down on the gravity flux.


    ¡°Deft handling. I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯re world isn¡¯t as primitive as Yawm had us believe.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No, we¡¯re pretty primitive. I know that Yawm¡¯s using something nuclear, however.¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°Indeed he is.¡±


    Althea sat down in a chair beside us. She put up an attempt at hiding her obvious anger at Ajax, but she just seethed,


    ¡°He needs to die.¡±


    Ajax laughed, ¡°Other beings that are far beyond your own means have tried. They have all failed. Killing Yawm isn¡¯t an option. Ask your Harbinger.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s a no go. He¡¯s over level 14,000. We don¡¯t stand a fucking chance.¡±


    Althea¡¯s anger drained as she paled, ¡°What?¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°Ah, levels. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had access to Schema¡¯s system. I don¡¯t need to know Yawm¡¯s level to know you both are no match for him.¡±


    He leaned towards us, propping his chin on his arms and his arms on his knees.


    ¡°I listened to your lich¡¯s plan of throwing Yawm into a different dimension. I believe that is the best course of action.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t really see how we¡¯re going to get him anywhere near a rip in dimensions.¡±


    I lifted a hand towards Ajax, ¡°Besides, doesn¡¯t he have a sentinel¡¯s spear? He can just cleave his way out.¡±


    Ajax shook his head, ¡°I am Yawm¡¯s spear.¡±


    Althea and I leaned back. Ajax raised an elongated, wooden finger, ¡°He fused it with me during our experimentation. He understands the dim-¡±


    I cut him off, ¡°Just call that, uh, language the eldritch runes. For Althea.¡±


    Ajax shrugged, ¡°So be it. The eldritch runes as you call them, Yawm understands them. Quite well in fact. The spear uses that same language for slicing through dimensions. All that the machine does is powered by that language.¡±


    Ajax tapped two fingers together, ¡°He is reconstructing the fabric of your dimension for his own means. Yawm wants to do the same thing, but in his own vision.¡±


    My thoughts clicked into place. That¡¯s why he outlawed other people knowing about it. That¡¯s why the dimensional cipher increased my stats. Schema was doing the same thing with the cipher as I was. How he got the stats to people exactly, I didn¡¯t really know still.


    Ajax looked up at the roof, ¡°And he has been battling that AI since his own exile from the system. We can use his own goals against him.¡±


    Ajax looked down at us,


    ¡°I am how Yawm escapes his planets. Without his attention to my own experiments, the eldritch within me will spread and kill me. I do his bidding now for this reason. I am a bartering chip now, however.¡±


    He pointed a finger at me,


    ¡°You can say that you have captured me and placed me within a dimensional rift. We will lure Yawm into the rift before we force him into a dimensional opening I create. Once over the dimensional line, Yawm will live out his immortality with the monsters he so wishes to call brothers.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°How in the hell are we going to shove him into a portal?¡±


    Ajax shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m the one slicing dimensions. Surely you can shove him into it?¡±


    Althea spread out her arms, ¡°How are we even supposed to get near him? The guy blows cities up for Schema¡¯s sake.¡±


    Ajax raised himself off of his arms, ¡°With a deal.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What kind?¡±


    Ajax¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°One that involves me being used at collateral.¡±


    Althea and I leaned back in our seats. Ajax back and forth between us,


    ¡°I am the spear that lets him leave worlds. Without my talents, he¡¯ll be stranded here. Once the overseer discovers that, turn the surface of this world to glass. Even Yawm lacks the abilities to survive that.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°So we¡¯ll use you as a bargaining chip for something that he has.¡±


    Althea murmured, ¡°Then we lure him somewhere and shove him into portal.¡±


    Ajax raised a hand, ¡°That is my plan. Yawm cannot see the levels of individuals as you both can. He will assume your strength is a reflection of your aura and energy output.¡±


    He pointed his raised hand at me, ¡°That means you will be able to falsify your own strength. Your mana generation is unparalleled, and your aura is powerful. You¡¯ve even discovered a few of the eldritch runes. That can be our primary deal maker.¡±


    Hod whispered from the side of the room, ¡°Harbinger learn evil from evil...Hod not like this plan.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You mean I¡¯ll walk up and ask him to teach me about the eldritch runes in exchange for freeing you?¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°That is correct. If you don¡¯t ask for anything, Yawm won¡¯t trust you. You need to have something compelling to ask for. The eldritch runes are the perfect catalyst for this arrangement.¡±


    Ajax stretched his neck as he continued, ¡°You will speak with him directly. Yawm is a sentient. He thinks and can be reasoned with. If anything, he will try and convert you over towards his side.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Ugh, that sounds awful.¡±


    ¡°It will be. Yawm disguises the truth of his words with honeyed lies. He plants seeds of doubt that will flourish in your mind. Once their ripe, he¡¯ll take everything from you. I am the perfect example. Be wary of him.¡±


    Althea leaned towards me, ¡°I never met him, but I heard what he¡¯s like. If you¡¯re doing this, don¡¯t talk to him about anything but the runes. Ever.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°What if Yawm just blows me up before I can?¡±


    Ajax rolled his head like he was rolling his eyes, ¡°Then you all die, after your death, obviously.¡±


    Althea shivered, ¡°That¡¯s not very comforting.¡±


    Ajax turned towards her, ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be. Yawm isn¡¯t patient. He will be wondering where his other followers are and what happened to his army. Since that lich of yours decimated it, Yawm will be wary of making his first move.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He turned towards me, ¡°But once he does know, he¡¯ll strike hard and fast.¡±


    I leaned towards him, ¡°Is he going to unleash the plague again?¡±


    Ajax shook his head, ¡°No. That¡¯s for protecting the intail world tree from hostile life on a new world. It¡¯s unfortunate that it wasn¡¯t necessary for your world yet still happened. I had no say in it.¡±


    I seethed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit more than unfortunate.¡±


    Ajax nodded before turning away, ¡°I agree. It was a casual genocide. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Althea rolled her eyes, ¡°You sound so sincere.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod know he is.¡±


    Ajax turned towards us, steepling his elongated fingers. He sat still for a few seconds before continuing,


    ¡°The abomination is right. There¡¯s more to apologizing than sincerity in words. I¡¯m offering you all a way of ending Yawm. My offer stands as the sincerity of my apology. What is your reply to it?¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°Can you give us a few minutes to think about it?¡±


    Ajax shrugged as he stood from the gravitational warp, ¡°Remember that they are precious minutes that you need.¡±


    He walked out of the room before Althea turned towards me,


    ¡°I don¡¯t like his plan. It feels like a trap.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I can¡¯t tell. He¡¯s an alien. I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s lying or not by the tone in his voice. He sounds more like a businessman than anything else.¡±


    Hod turned towards us, ¡°Tree Man speaks the truth.¡±


    Althea spread out her arms, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Hod not know how Hod know. Hod only know that Hod know.¡±


    I bit my lip. Learning the eldritch runes from a master like Yawm was tempting. This seemed like our best gambit for escaping the situation as well. If I could get Yawm caught up in teaching me, it could buy us some much needed time too. It seemed solid the more I thought about the plan.


    Hod¡¯s intuition had never been wrong since I met him either. He leveled perception, letting him get a grasp on situations like this really well. Listening to him was a better idea than Althea and I, who were all about combat.


    ¡°I think we should join Ajax. It¡¯s our best bet.¡±


    Hod raised his wings, ¡°Harbinger trust Hod?¡±


    ¡°Well, more than I trust myself when it comes to this stuff.¡±


    Althea sighed, ¡°We¡¯re going to trust the bird that slams into a wall every other time he flies.¡±


    ¡°Hod getting better. Hod slam into wall more like every three times Hod flies now.¡±


    A reluctant smile crept up Althea¡¯s lips, ¡°Heh, that¡¯s a start.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Just like this is a start against Yawm. As we need to, we¡¯ll change the plan. Until then, let¡¯s organize this and make it happen.¡± I raised a hand and clasped it into a fist,


    ¡°We¡¯ll learn everything there is to know about him. Once we¡¯ve gotten what we can, we¡¯ll send him to hell and highwater.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod think if Super Tree Man like monsters so much, Super Tree Man should live with the monsters.¡±


    Althea grinned, a malicious note infecting her voice, ¡°I like the idea of him suffering for a long, long time.¡±


    ¡°Then we agree.¡± I shouted, ¡°We¡¯re done ajax.¡±


    Ajax opened the door before pacing in, ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah, based on your history I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t listening from the start.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I might have told you more about myself than I should have.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I think it was just enough. We¡¯ll work with you in the plan.¡±


    Ajax raised his hands into fists, ¡°It¡¯s a rare sight to see reason. Now heal me.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not until after we¡¯ve completed the plan.¡±


    Ajax¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°I told you everything. Heal me and I will help you further.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Do you take me for a fool? The moment I take out that eldritch from within you, you can teleport away forever.¡±


    Ajax puffed out his chest, ¡°I would never abandon my word.¡±


    I turned to Hod, ¡°Is he lying?¡±


    ¡°Hod know Tree Man lies. Tree Man leave us after cleansing. Hod sure of it.¡±


    I turned back to Ajax, ¡°There you go.¡±


    Ajax clamped his hands into fists, ¡°This isn¡¯t a part of the deal.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°Look, I¡¯ll clear out all the eldritch after we finish all of this.¡±


    Ajax slammed his hand into a table. It burst through the wood with a loud crash,


    ¡°Then what? I¡¯ll be used just as I have been by that insane worshipper of the void?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Worst case scenario, you end up having to do my bidding instead. Let¡¯s face it, my track records a hell of a lot better than Yawm¡¯s.¡±


    Ajax growled, ¡°I just want to be free. I just want to be able to wander and do as I want to. Why is that such an overwhelming demand?¡±


    I frowned, my voice turning cold, ¡°Because you decided to follow someone who was insane. You told us about redemption? This is the closest thing to chance you¡¯re going to get.¡±


    Ajax grabbed the sides of his head, the scratch of wood on wood ebbing,


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to do that. I will be consumed-¡±


    A portion of Ajax¡¯s neck bulged out under his bark skin. Ajax shook his head, the deformity dying down,


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to wait until after we¡¯ve banished Yawm. I need cleansing now.¡±


    I stood up from my gravity warp, ¡°Then I can reduce the infestation. Does that sound fairer?¡±


    Ajax¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What? Reduce it?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take most of it out, but I¡¯ll leave little left as collateral. It isn¡¯t like you have to be at the brink of death during the entire mission. We just need to make sure you won¡¯t teleport away.¡±


    Ajax shook his head, his eyes widening, ¡°You can control how much you cleanse?¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°Yeah, of course I can. Hell, I can offer you other stuff as the plan goes further along.¡±


    Ajax¡¯s face tilted sideways, ¡°Really then...that sounds...better. I can deal with that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Come on, let¡¯s get that shit out. You look like you¡¯re in agony.¡±


    I walked up to Ajax, but he took a step back.


    His eyes narrowed, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you suck the life from monsters...Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything worse than what Yawm¡¯s done to you, can I?¡±


    Ajax glanced down, ¡°Fine. Get on with it.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°This is going to hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with pain before.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    I walked up and placed a hand onto his shoulder. My armor dug into his skin. I controlled what it soaked up though, going for the collections of ambient mana in him. It was like removing dozens of growing tumors. Ajax kept the extent of his condition unknown to those around him. Underneath his skin, the condition was rampant.


    It was disgusting. As my armor dug deeper, Ajax¡¯s eyes creased,


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finding the tumors and killing them.¡±


    The needles of armor sapped at the eldritch tumors, destroying them. Several minutes after the process started, Ajax fell to his knees. His hands shook as he seethed,


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than I imagined it was. When your armor reformed, was it like this?¡±


    ¡°I imagine it was the same.¡±


    I cleared out the infestation from his head first, several tumors pressing against his eyes and brain. After that, I cleared it out of his organs and muscles. His blood was next. The only portion of eldritch I left was stored inside his bones. It would take a few weeks for it to seep out. That would give Ajax plenty of time to heal his injuries.


    Like with the other followers, I found the eldritch runes carved into his bones. It was a way of keeping them hidden from plain sight. It also let him carve the runes on a sturdier surface than someone¡¯s skin. That¡¯s why Yawm did it like this.


    By the time I finished the process, a sheen of sweat poured from Ajax¡¯s forehead. Once I finished the process, I took my palm off his shoulder,


    ¡°There¡¯s still a little left. Once we kill Yawm, we¡¯ll finish the process.¡±


    Ajax grunted, ¡°Good...I need some time to heal.¡±


    Althea crossed her arms, ¡°How long will that take?¡±


    Ajax murmured, ¡°A few hours in sunlight. I¡¯ll function at full strength by tomorrow morning. Until then, I¡¯ll be crippled.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod tired too, so Hod rest.¡±


    Althea yawned, ¡°I¡¯ll take a nap too.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll have a voice chat with Torix and see if I can¡¯t get a grip on what¡¯s going on. We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡±


    I waved Althea and Hod off. Ajax walked outside before sitting beneath a tree. I followed him. The glow that ebbed from his skin dissipated as rested. His back and legs dug into the dirt as his eyes closed. Moments later, he looked like a deformity on the surface of the tree.


    It was a quick, effective means of hiding himself while resting. I walked back inside before walking into Hod and Althea¡¯s room. We all understood that I would be guarding them while they slept. It would stop Ajax from grabbing either of them and teleporting them to Yawm. That¡¯s why Yawm came here in the first place anyways.


    It was to get back Althea. I wouldn¡¯t let that happen unless it was over my dead body. To really drive that point home, I widened my awareness with Tactile Cognition. It let me get a grasp on Ajax¡¯s position. If he decided to disappear, I would run off with Hod and Althea in that instant.


    Once in the room upstairs with the others, I raised a palm. My obelisk melted up and out of my armor. I opened it, a sphere of white surrounding me. Once the screen loaded, a green forest with a chattering creek surrounded me.


    With the sounds of crickets in my ears, I said aloud, ¡°Call Torix.¡±


    The obelisk obeyed, calling him while I waited. Seconds later, a portion of the screen opened. Torix¡¯s dry face and fiery blue eyes stared at me. He raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°Level 2,406? So you did slay Elijah. Excellent.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s nothing compared with Yawm.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Indeed it isn¡¯t. He destroyed Moloth and a few other of my pets with his attack. The Steel Legion and I escaped, Kessiah as well.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°How did you get out of there?¡±


    Torix moved his hands together, ¡°I forced the army into the space where I store my summons. It wasn¡¯t a fun time for them, but they are alive. Using one of my imbued flies, I showed them the wreckage Yawm left behind. That silenced any complaints about sleeping with my monsters.¡±


    ¡°I imagine so. We met with Ajax. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been doing, but the Ajax you¡¯re following isn¡¯t the real him?¡±


    Torix cupped his chin, ¡°Really now? Odd...It must be a doppelganger. It was my mistake in intelligence.¡±


    I raised a palm to Torix, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far. Ajax has been spying on us since we were in BloodHollow. I can¡¯t stress how much he¡¯s seen of us. I couldn¡¯t even sense a gravitational flux in his mass. I¡¯m guessing he slips in and out of our dimension or something like that.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°Well...that¡¯s difficult to even imagine.¡±


    I spread out my arms,


    ¡°It¡¯s real, real as the air we¡¯re breathing...well, that I¡¯m breathing. Regardless, he wants to help us kill Yawm. Apparently he¡¯s the sentinel¡¯s spear that Yawm owns. How? I have no idea. Here¡¯s the thing.¡±


    I raised my hands in front of me, ¡°He¡¯s infused with eldritch, and Yawm sustains him. That¡¯s why Ajax does his bidding. Ajax has become angry, and he saw me cleanse Kessiah of the eldritch. I¡¯ve already cleared some of the eldritch form from him-¡±


    Torix¡¯s eyes narrowed as he snapped, ¡°You didn¡¯t cleanse him entirely, did you?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Hell no. I¡¯m not that naive.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. As expected of my apostle.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°More like of someone who¡¯s dealt with people like this before. Anyways, we¡¯ll be laying low for a few days on the...Northern side of town. We¡¯ll rendezvous once Ajax and the others have slept. Does that sound good?¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°You mentioned killing Yawm...How?¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°Not really killing him. Ajax will rip open dimensions, then we¡¯ll shove Yawm in there. It¡¯s like our plan, except way more mobile since Ajax can teleport and go unnoticed.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°How is anyone supposed to shove Yawm exactly?¡±


    I pointed a finger up, ¡°By bartering with Ajax¡¯s life, even Althea¡¯s if we have too, though I¡¯d rather not. After that, I¡¯ll learn some eldritch runes from Yawm before pulling him into a trap. I just need help with talking to Yawm...yenno, without dying.¡±


    Torix glanced off in the distance, ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯ve hit an impasse...I think we could send a messenger before your arrival. One of us could approach him and warn him of your coming. I have many summons that could do the job. Once he knows, you can walk up and speak with him.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of playing myself off as someone like Yawm. Ajax recommended that approach.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust everything that Ajax said.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I trust him like I trust an eldritch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the correct approach. You mentioned him being infested with them. They could have planted themselves into his mind. Considering how malignant the eldritch are, I wouldn¡¯t put anything past him. Be ready and waiting for chaos.¡±


    I raised a fist, ¡°I am. Good luck torix.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°Good luck Harbinger. We¡¯ll discuss the rest of the details after each of us has some time to dwell on the matters at hand.¡±


    Torix snickered at the term while I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. I closed my obelisk before glancing at the eldritch runes on my left forearm. It had been a long time since I could work on the runes. After seeing a few of Yawm¡¯s creations, I gained a better understanding of what they did.


    They didn¡¯t influence reality. They changed it. With it, I could create anything. With how my current rune setup worked, I transfered my mana into extra stats over the long term. My mana generation would increase over time, so why stop there?


    Schema created all my trees, stats, hell he created everything with the dimensional cipher. He created the sentinels and spears that could cleave through time and dimensions. Extra stats were child¡¯s play compared with that. Schema was recreating the fabric of reality with the dimensional cipher. I could as well. I wasn''t changing the fabric of space-time.


    I was changing me.

 108 New Hope

    With that in mind, I kept my experiments tame. I wasn¡¯t about to try and fuse to different existences together like Yawm was. My goals were simple: get stronger, faster, and better. Considering I could generate stats, that wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    The primary problem with my current strategy was time. Based on how long I¡¯d had the rune on my left arm running, I gained about 8 strength and dex a day. That was an enormous amount over the long run, but it isn¡¯t enough to kill Yawm. I needed a better conversion from mana to stats for that to work.


    Considering the stats hadn¡¯t resulted in any side effects, I stuck within my sphere of competence. Until I mastered this part of the cipher, I wasn¡¯t about to jump into splicing dimensions.


    With that in mind, I pulled out my grimoire from my dimensional storage. I opened the leather bound book, flipping to a black page. I reformed the armor over my finger, giving me an effective stencil for my work. Before beginning my next rune, I planned out what I would make.


    The first priority was increasing different stats other than strength and dexterity. They were nice, but they didn¡¯t help me with my dimensional cipher. Endurance was an obvious candidate since I received a 60% bonus to the attribute. All my stat multipliers from my perks and trees applied to the cipher¡¯s raw stats too.


    That wasn¡¯t the only reason to invest in endurance though. As the cipher increased my endurance, I would generate more mana. That mana regen would help me make more endurance with the cipher. The process would repeat, speeding up faster and faster over time.


    The ramp up time for that strategy would take a while, so starting early was a good idea. After that, I would try making the runic glyphs for all the attributes. It seemed like a good place to start with the runic glyphs.


    With that in mind, I carved into the page. Endurance was a familiar concept for me, so turning it into a glyph wasn¡¯t hard. Endurance wasn¡¯t bearing great hardship. It was choosing to bear great hardship. It was knowing you could stop at any moment, but continuing despite exhaustion, fear, and pain.


    For me, that was the best way I would quantify the concept. As I marked the runic glyph onto the page, it came with greater ease than before. Force of Nature gave me a technical proficiency as I wrote, making the process simple. My hand moved in complex patterns with little focus on my part. Instead, I directed my mind at the words meaning.


    Each line was flowing, forming the foundation of the letter. Once I etched the basic lines, I engraved the jagged, sharp lines around them. From all sides, the symbols were markings of difficulty, exhaustion, and terror. I injected the meaning of hatred and spite and horror into these outer lines.


    These lines cast an oppressive shape around the basic character. Within the basic character, I etched out straight engravings. This gave the basic letter a stability, providing a foundation for the rest of it. This created a contrasting dynamic for the glyph.


    It was like glancing at a story. At the surface, the letter¡¯s shape looked as if the outer lines would consume it, tearing it apart. However, upon closer inspection, the letter expressed a deep assurance.


    There was no doubt in its ability to withstand the external torment. As I finished the character, the letter¡¯s confidence bloomed further. This was a certainty born and tested through time. The glyph showed suffering, but the glyph showed the rise in spite of that suffering.


    Once finished, just looking at the runic glyph imbued a sense of calm. It was like staring at the eye of a storm. As the world ruptured around it, this carving would remain unshaken. As I finished the rune, I pressed my palm into the page of the cipher. I transferred the mana in silence, not wanting to wake up Althea or Hod.


    The mana transferred straight from my palm into the text. Minutes passed before the rune finished channelling. It floated from the page, casting a red glow in the room. I turned my right forearm up, letting the glyph float down onto it. The lines of the rune glowed red before dissipating.


    I raised both my forearms, comparing the characters on each arm. Compared with my new rune, the strength and precision rune wasn¡¯t as clear or pristine. It was well made, at least in my eyes, but it lacked the same vibrance that the endurance rune carried.


    When glancing at the strength rune, power ebbed from it. When I did the same to the endurance rune, there was a crisp sharpness. Endurance didn¡¯t ebb, it poured from the rune. The idea was absolute, as certain in itself as a researcher is in science. To me, it was superior to the other rune.


    Without hesitating, I poured more of my mana into another copy of the endurance. After many minutes passed, another copy of the endurance glyph floated into the air. I turned my left forearm up, letting the endurance rune float onto the rune for strength. The new rune engulfed the previous one.


    Once it finished the carving, I poured my mana into each of them out of habit. It was something I did without thinking by now. It reminded me of Agony way back in BloodHollow. Learning to siphon the extra health was like falling into an old habit, being both simple and easy.


    After finishing those runes, I set in to carving other attributes. I started with constitution, but the concept was far harder to nail down. After a few attempts at it, I swapped over towards willpower instead. Willpower was a much more natural concept. It only took about two hours before I carved and recarved out my second highest attribute.


    By the time I took a gander at constitution once more, the sun was rising overhead. I stood up before stretching out my arms and legs. I walked outside, seeing Ajax still fused with a tree outside. As I approached, his eyes opened. He glanced at me, his glowing eyes turning to slits.


    He glanced back down at himself, then back to me. It was like he forgot about yesterday. He pulled himself from the tree, his skin forming from the tree¡¯s bark. He stretched his arms out wide, shining streaks snapping onto his chest. He shook his head, the horns on his head whistling in the air like branches.


    He looked at one of his hands, ¡°It has been many years since I slept so soundly.¡±


    I glanced above him. His title had changed.


    Ajax Volan, the Void Eater(lvl 5693)


    I raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°How did your level increase so much?¡±


    Ajax raised his hand, ¡°As you may imagine, the infection beneath my skin crippled me. After healing myself, I¡¯m now I¡¯m much closer to my original strength.¡±


    He pointed at my forearm, ¡°I see that your intention is on gaining power as well.¡±


    I peered at the dimensional cipher on my forearms, ¡°Well, I have to gain whatever advantages that I can.¡± I glanced back at Ajax, ¡°What I want to know is how you healed exactly?¡±


    Ajax pointed at the world tree off in the distance. The top of the tree¡¯s branches were visible over the house behind us.


    ¡°The same way that Yawm did. We can ask for the help of nature, often times molding with it. In my case, I asked this tree for shelter and any spare energy it carried. It was a generous soul, giving helping me heal in exchange for conversation.¡±


    I tilted my head, ¡°Wait a second...you aren¡¯t stealing from the life force of the planet or anything like that?¡±


    Ajax opened one eye and narrowed the other, as if he was raising an eyebrow at me, ¡°What? Of course not. Would you walk up and steal food from another¡¯s home? Of course you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Ajax walked back, pressing a palm against the tree, ¡°You see this structure, it¡¯s more than the container for this plant¡¯s soul. It¡¯s a home, built through countless cold winters and many warm summers. Through rain and drought, this being took its stand against the elements around it. It shared many of the long days it spent here with me.¡±


    Ajax pressed his forehead against the tree, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With a surprising gravity in his movements, he held himself there for a few seconds. It was like watching a preacher pray at an alter. After Ajax finished, he turned back to me,


    ¡°Yawm, as corrupt as he is, still knows where he came from. He remembers his past. He would never, no matter how little of his mind was left, steal from this bountiful earth.¡±


    I glanced at the world tree, ¡°Are you telling me that Yawm¡¯s world tree is just him asking plants for energy? Seriously?¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°Yes. Over time, he persuaded more of our brethren towards our cause. He aided them in their growth, trading nutrients for their raw energy. Overtime, he strengthens himself within his domain. With that and the cipher on his skin, Yawm empowered himself beyond the limitations of Schema¡¯s system.¡±


    Ajax stared at the world tree with me, ¡°As much as I hate Yawm, I can say he¡¯s no fool. He threatens god like entities like Schema with good reason.¡±


    I frowned. If what Ajax said was true, the overseer lied to us about Yawm. I was told that Yawm devoured a planets life force with the damn world tree. I glanced around, noticing that the wildlife around Springfield was alive and well, at least for winter. There wasn¡¯t any leaves on the trees, but they weren¡¯t dead either.


    Ajax pointed at the room Althea and Hod slept in, ¡°Will we wait for them to rise? Time isn¡¯t on our side, as you may have noticed.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll go get them up.¡±


    Ajax turned back towards the tree before sitting beside it. He placed a hand on it,


    ¡°I will warn you now. Yawm will ally himself with the life on this planet.¡±


    He turned his head towards me, ¡°You would be surprised what Yawm may discover within the whispers of the wind and in the voices of trees.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I grimaced as I jogged towards Althea and Hod. Ajax¡¯s warning was like an omen. They could listen to trees, grass, pretty much any living plants. If that was the case, we were surrounded by spies at all times. It was a humbling thought as I reached up the stairs.


    The whole time, I bent and ducked under doorways and low ceilings. At this point, I sort of just walked through any parts of the house that wouldn¡¯t let me fit. Without my unique skill, Overwhelming Pressure, walking on wood and other soft materials wouldn¡¯t be possible.


    It felt kind of like being in the middle of an ocean, but being able to walk on water. I silenced those thoughts as I reached upstairs. Hod was stretched out over a twin sized bed, his beak open as he snored. Althea slept on her side, her long hair spread over the sheets like a deep, purple silk.


    I walked over and nudged her. She turned towards me, her eyes cracking open.


    ¡°Good morning sunshine.¡±


    She turned away from me before pulling the sheets over her head. They muffled her voice,


    ¡°Can I just lay in bed for a while longer...Please?¡±


    I rolled my eyes and lifted a hand up. A gravity well formed above her, floating her off the bed with the sheets in tow. She glanced at me,


    ¡°Oh come on. How is this fair?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°All''s fair in love and war.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Really, is this love then?¡±


    I lowered my hand, the gravity warp ending. She flopped against the bed before I leaned over her,


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s war.¡±


    She swiped towards me, the motion playful as she giggled, ¡°Way to shut me down.¡±


    I ducked and dodged her hands,


    ¡°Wait till after we handle Yawm before you start professing your undying love to me.¡±


    It was Althea¡¯s turn to roll her eyes. After a short laugh, she frowned.


    ¡°What if there isn¡¯t an after though?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You mean we die? That¡¯s not happening.¡±


    She sat up on the bed, pressing her hands against her thighs, ¡°You saw his level. I¡¯m not saying we can¡¯t do this, but I am saying it¡¯s not that likely anymore. I wouldn¡¯t want to leave things unfinished...you know, between us.¡±


    I glanced away, thinking about what she said. I turned my gaze towards her, meeting her eye,


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. If we try rushing everything before we kill Yawm, we¡¯ll be fighting him while expecting to die. It¡¯s like a self fulfilling prophecy. I¡¯d rather put stuff like that until after we¡¯ve killed Yawm.¡±


    I leaned towards her, ¡°That way we fight that much harder to live instead of making it easier to die.¡±


    She pursed her lips, ¡°You sure?¡±


    With a knowing grin, I brushed her hair over her face,


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure.¡±


    She blew the hair off of her before jumping up off the bed. The grace of her movement was like watching a scene from a movie.


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    I turned towards Hod. I lifted a hand, pulling him up off the bed with gravity. I shook him back and forth with telekinesis,


    ¡°Come on Hod, wake up.¡±


    His head whipped back and forth as drool poured from the corner of his mouth. Hod opened his wings and legs but his eyes stayed closed. Hod motioned his wings like he was swimming.


    ¡°Hod fly in sky. Hod feel wind on Hod¡¯s face.¡±


    Althea burst into laughter before Hod¡¯s eyes snapped open. Hod glanced around,


    ¡°Is Hod sleep-flying again? Sleep-flying even worse than sleep walking.¡±


    ¡°No. I pulled you up with a bit of magic. We¡¯re about to leave and meet up with Torix.¡±


    I dropped him from the well, Hod landing on his feet. He stood up straight. A moment later, he turned toward Ajax,


    ¡°Tree Man better now?¡±


    I nodded. Hod continued,


    ¡°Hod glad. Hod not like Tree Man before Harbinger took the monsters out. Tree Man desperate then. Hod know a desperate person is a dangerous person.¡±


    Althea and I let Hod¡¯s words sink in. Hod was one of those people where 99% of what he said was just fodder. The other 1% was absolute gold, so you had to listen to everything he said. Otherwise you¡¯d miss the valuable parts surrounded by, well, less valuable parts.


    Interrupting my thoughts, a message appeared in my notifications,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill( 6:01 A.M. 01/05/01) - We¡¯ll meet at the Lola Mine near the town¡¯s outskirts at 9:00 A.M. I forwarded the location to you.


    I checked the time using my interface. It was 8:16 am, so I pointed my hands at Althea and Hod, ¡°You guys ready to leave?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Hod ready.¡±


    I walked out of the room, ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Torix is expecting us soon.¡±


    I paced outside the house, ducking under the parts of the house I chipped while walking in earlier. I reached outside,


    ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    Ajax stood, turning his head towards us, ¡°Then let¡¯s be gone. I will follow you, though I recommend we stay stealthy. I¡¯d rather not be obliterated with all of you in a burning fire.¡±


    Ajax slipped away, his existence disappearing entirely. Hod murmured, ¡°Tree Man spoke the truth.¡±


    I forwarded the mine¡¯s location to Hod and Althea, ¡°Thanks for letting us know. It¡¯s always unnerving when Ajax just disintegrates like that.¡±


    They both fiddled with their status screens, looking at the notifications.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed. Let¡¯s try being quiet.¡±


    I shot forward into a sprint, leaving the two of them behind. They shot forward after I left, catching up quickly. We each stayed on the ground, running on the ground instead of flying or hopping around. It would make too much noise and be too easy to see, so we took a the long way there.


    As we traveled, I noticed a few changes in the cityscape. The roots streaking across the city were wilting. The further out they went from the world tree, the more dead the tree was. Wherever the world tree died, plants blossomed. Flowers of all colors, brushes of all sizes, even full grown trees sprouted up around the rotting husk.


    It was like the forest around Springfield was creeping inwards. We kept away from these new slices of forest. Ajax¡¯s warning about trees listening to us spooked us pretty badly, so we kept away from them. In all honesty, that makes us sound crazy as hell.


    Maybe we were, but there wasn¡¯t really a need in taking any unnecessary risks. We reached the Lola mine about half an hour later. The entrance was a set of train tracks leading into the side of a mountain. Tall trees towered everywhere around it, an overgrown dirt road leading it it.


    The place was too far from town for anyone to tag the place. It was a place almost overtaken by nature. Torches lit the inside along with lights from the steel legion. All along the tracks and tunnels, the legion holed up inside. As we walked inside, the first soldiers we saw up close looked broken.


    Their shoulders drooped over and the fight in them was gone. We reached them, and they looked up at us. The tallest soldier, sporting a brown beard and a scar down his cheek gasped as I walked up. The other soldiers glanced up at me as I walked within range of my aura.


    The broken look on their faces faded as they looked at me. I was the war hero coming home victorious. With Hod and Althea tailing behind me, we were sight to be seen. I walked into the camp, other soldiers peering out of their makeshift rooms to see me. Whenever I reached the center of the camp, hundreds of eyes looked at me.


    I stopped walking. I turned around, looking at the eyes of the soldiers looking at me. I raised an opened hand, my voice booming with the sound of victory and strength,


    ¡°The followers are dead.¡± I clamped my hand into a fist harder than iron, the sound of clapping metal echoing through the mine.


    ¡°And Yawm is the next skull I crack under my heel.¡±


    The legion burst into a roar of approval as I turned towards Torix¡¯s room and walked. As I paced by, hands covered in power armor slapped my shoulder and pat my back. It was an invigorating feeling. It was like as long as I lived, so did their fighting spirit. The weight of responsibility pressed on my shoulders at the same time, however.


    It wasn¡¯t that unpleasant a weight to bear though. I was never the smoothest talker or the most likable guy. I was rough around the edges, more of an acquired taste. That changed with the system. I went from a social outcast to some sort of weird, war hero. In my eyes, it was a step up.


    The legion agreed. Some howled with approval as I walked towards Torix¡¯s checkpoint. I passed them, reaching deeper into the mine¡¯s depths. We reached a staircase leading down into the mountain, lit by white fired torches. We entered a circular room full of diagrams and assorted


    Once out of earshot from the legion members, I gasped out a breath as I leaned against a wall,


    ¡°Fuck man...doing that kind of thing on the spot...I didn¡¯t think I had it in me.¡±


    Althea laughed before Ajax walked onto our plane of existence. He turned towards me,


    ¡°So someone like you is the symbol of your people?¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°I mean, I guess you could call it that. I think of it more like I¡¯m some glorified con man.¡±


    Hod walked over, placing a wing on my shoulder, ¡°Harbinger not just symbol for humans. Harbinger symbol for Eltari as well.¡± Hod walked up to Ajax,


    ¡°Hod ask Tree Man to wait. One day, Harbinger will be symbol for eldritch too. Bad symbol though, not good symbol.¡±


    They were both lean and thin for their frames. Hod was a head shorter than Ajax though, so Ajax looked down on Hod as he spoke,


    ¡°Your aura reminds me of us followers. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re on the brink of being consumed at any moment. How are keeping the eldritch at bay?¡±


    Hod shrugged, ¡°Harbinger do it, not Hod.¡±


    A portal of shadow appeared beside us. From it, Torix paced out. Torix connected his hands together behind him, peering at each of us. His fire eyes lingered on Ajax. Torix introduced himself with a quick bow,


    ¡°So this Ajax...It¡¯s good to have your acquaintance.¡±


    Ajax returned the gesture, ¡°Likewise. Your handling of your troops is masterful. Perhaps you may show me your methods some time.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°And I¡¯ll ask how you cut through the fabric of dimensions as well.¡± Torix turned to us all, ¡°It¡¯s good to see that our mission wasn¡¯t in vain. All of us escaped unscathed for the most part. I was even able to escape with most of the legion, though of course we lost a few members.¡±


    Torix met my eye, ¡°I won¡¯t let their bodies go to waste.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let anyone see that you¡¯re using the bodies of allies. It would cripple moral completely.¡±


    Torix unhooked his hands from behind him, waving off my concern, ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯ll utilize them in other ways, I assure you.¡± He raised one of his hands, ¡°In fact, I already have. One such way involved being messengers.¡±


    Ajax tilted his head, ¡°You¡¯ve already spoken with Yawm?¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve also informed the overseer of our plan. He believed it was our best chance of victory.¡±


    Hod walked up to Torix, ¡°Hod think there something very important for Hod and Dry Man to discuss.¡±


    Torix sighed, ¡°What is it that you want to waste my time with now?¡±


    Hod placed his left wing over Torix¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Hod promise, this time it worth Dry Man¡¯s time.¡±


    With his right wing, Hod pointed out like he was trying to envision something grand,


    ¡°Hod want Dry Man to think about a place. This is a wet place, a place with much water.¡±


    Torix groaned, but Hod continued, ¡°Hod think Hod found wet place for Dry Man. Dry Man drink water, and Dry Man no longer dry.¡±


    Hod pressed his wing into a fist, ¡°But Hod need Dry Man to be with Hod on this one. Hod can take Dry Man to place with water, but Dry Man has to want it. What does Dry Man say, is Dry Man willing to follow Hod to lake? Is Dry Man willing to become not dry?¡±


    Torix leaned down while pinching the bridge of his nose. Ajax pointed at them,


    ¡°Are they serious?¡±


    I walked over towards Ajax. With a look solemn as a grave on my face, I spoke,


    ¡°Oh, you mean Torix over there...Well, let''s just say he¡¯s dead serious.¡±

 109 Calm Before the Storm

    Ajax looked at me then back at Hod. He cupped his chin,


    ¡°Are...¡± He spread out his arms, ¡°Wait, is this a human custom?¡±


    Althea bust out laughing before I shook my hands back and forth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was just a terrible joke is all.¡±


    Torix massaged his temples with his bony fingers, ¡°Hopelessly terrible jokes aside, I¡¯ve already received the meeting date for you and Yawm meeting each other.¡±


    Ajax crossed his arms, ¡°Already?¡± He leaned against the rock wall, ¡°When exactly are they to meet?¡±


    Torix snapped his fingers, a white panel forming beside him. He pushed Hod off of him. Using a finger coated in mana, he wrote out the key points of his words. It was like black ink on white paper.


    ¡°What I¡¯ve devised is a meeting three days from now. Daniel will walk with two other messengers of my choosing. The best approach I concocted for handling the conversations with Yawm involved three key concepts.¡±


    Torix pointed at a portion of the white field, words popping up,


    ¡°The first is mystery. Daniel should keep his past and the vast majority of who he is hidden. Approaching the situation as if he¡¯s only trying to gain Yawm¡¯s knowledge will net the best results. The less he knows about us, the better. Outside of that, creating a web of lies will be nigh impossible to maintain.¡±


    Torix spread out his hands, ¡°The second pillar of my strategy is curtness. You must be rude to Yawm. Do not entertain his requests for conversation outside of learning the eldritch runes. His words are like medicine. Too little, and you gain nothing. Too much, and you succumb to the potency of them.¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°And the third implementation is to not die. Do try and avoid it.¡±


    Ajax glanced at me, ¡°Do you believe you can do all this?¡±


    I squinted at the white field with Torix¡¯s writing on it, ¡°For the most part, yeah. It doesn¡¯t sound crazy hard. What are you guys going to do while I¡¯m away?¡±


    Torix raised a hand, ¡°Quite an excellent question. Allow me to answer.¡±


    Torix pointed at Althea, ¡°Althea will be hiding here. If Yawm unleashes minions that are stronger and can restrain her, this will all be for nothing. Therefore, she should stay near the group.¡±


    Torix pointed at Hod, ¡°Daniel will be representing the human race, meaning all other species can do as they wish. If the legion attacks, Yawm will assume Daniel has a hand in it. If other species do, Yawm will be far less quick to assume this. Armed with that knowledge, we may attack the sentries without provoking his wrath.¡±


    Torix pointed towards Ajax, ¡°If I may make a suggestion of how you spend your time, I would suggest spying on Daniel and Yawm. If Yawm captures Daniel and uses him for experimentation, you will be able to get him out. This decreases the risk of the mission dramatically.¡±


    Ajax nodded, ¡°I can do that.¡± Ajax pushed himself from the wall, ¡°If I save you from Yawm, you clear out the rest of my infection. I agreed to sealing Yawm elsewhere. I didn¡¯t agree to fighting head on against him.¡±


    I scratched the side of my face, ¡°Yeah, I can do that. Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come down to that.¡±


    Ajax¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Good. I¡¯ll leave you all to your own company.¡±


    Ajax walked onto another plane, his existence disappearing.


    Torix stared at where Ajax was, ¡°Unnerving how he does that, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod not like Tree Man.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°At least I¡¯m not the only one with a ridiculous nickname.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°Hod not think of Hod¡¯s names as nicknames. Hod¡¯s names more true to person. Hod think Torix Worm ridiculous name. Hod know Dry Man a dry man, so why Hod not call Dry Man by Dry Man¡¯s dryness?¡±


    Althea and I laughed while Torix grimaced, ¡°Following your internal logic is like following a maze with no end. It¡¯s meaningless dribble.¡±


    Hod nodded, ¡°Hod relate. Hod think the same thing when Dry Man speak.¡±


    Torix sighed, ¡°Despite what this bird with a atrophied brain may think, how does the plan I devised sound to you two?¡±


    I turned a palm to Torix, ¡°I think it sounds pretty good. Giving me a few days notice is nice too. Helps with getting ready for the big meeting.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°It sounds like we¡¯re doing nothing while Daniel¡¯s risking his life.¡±


    Torix pointed towards his white field, ¡°Ah, but you see, this plan involves the least risk towards all the members of our party as a whole. It also gives us the opportunity to gain resources from Yawm instead of only losing them.¡±


    Althea shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not the smart plan. It¡¯s more like...It¡¯s more like it¡¯s unfair, I guess.¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°How so?¡±


    Althea spread out her arms, her long, purple hair shifting behind her,


    ¡°If you think about it, Daniel is the only person to go out during these kinds of missions. He was the guinea pig for you and Kessiah¡¯s tearing of dimensions when you first arrived. He and I are the ones who cleared out the first rift and all the other ones. Daniel is the one that found and fought the freedom fighters.¡±


    Althea raised her arms, ¡°If you think about it, all the plans just boil down to Daniel handling everything. He¡¯s had to do all of the suicide missions. It isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    Torix peered off, looking away, ¡°We each have our own set of skills. Daniel¡¯s are very conducive to going into dangerous situations.¡±


    Althea bit her lip, ¡°When does that stop being a reason and start becoming an excuse? You have the experience. I¡¯m sure you have an acting skill. Why don¡¯t you walk up and be the person that talks face to face with Yawm?¡±


    Torix waved his hands as he spoke, ¡°You see, I¡¯m the strategic leader of the operation. While in theory I could speak with Yawm, it really isn¡¯t tailored to my skill set. Daniel has his aura¡¯s, tremendous mana generation, and other qualities that make him appear even more powerful than he is.¡±


    Torix tapped his temple, ¡°All of my power is locked away here, in my mind. It¡¯s a kind of power you can¡¯t show people. It lacks the same effect that a more physically imposing fighter like Daniel has.¡±


    Torix walked up, placing a hand on Althea¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I understand that you care for Daniel. I do as well, but there are times where we must silence our emotions. If we don¡¯t use the tools we have, then we will die here. That is the cold and harsh reality we face.¡±


    I walked up, ¡°Besides, he¡¯s not even taking advantage of me anyways. The way I see it, this is the best chance I¡¯ve got at living. Schema trapped us here, so there¡¯s no escape. Even if there was, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m comfortable letting someone else completely destroy earth.¡±


    My eyebrows creased, ¡°If anything, I¡¯m glad I get the chance to show Yawm a taste of his own medicine. The man likes turning planets into hell? I¡¯ll send him to a different hell before he gets the chance.¡±


    Althea viewed the ground, ¡°I...yeah, ok. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Torix lowered his hands, ¡°Good. If you can offer a safer plan that does what we need, any of us are more than willing to listen.¡± Torix opened a shadow portal, ¡°I need to update the positions of Yawm and inspect what he¡¯s doing. The situation in general has become more...volatile.¡±


    Torix paced into his portal, teleporting away. Althea looked up at me, ¡°Can we just, I don¡¯t know, have lunch or something?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Althea carved us a table out of stone. We sat on chairs made the same way. She had gained a spatial ring after reaching level 1000 just like I did. Within it, she carried food with her, keeping it cold and fresh. She wore a skin tight, black suit. It was made of carbon fiber no doubt. I didn¡¯t really notice that though. I noticed her curves.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Once we finished the food, Althea leaned over her strawberry covered yogurt and vented. Althea was a ball of frustration at this point. Most of it was from not having someone to talk too. Some of it was legitimate irritation too though. She called Kessiah, Torix, and Ajax cowards. She hissed about Torix avoiding real conflict.


    She seethed about having no free time. Most of what she griped about didn¡¯t bother me. Some of it was venomous, however.


    ¡°Kessiah acted like she was a fighter and we weren¡¯t this whole time. She¡¯s been all cocky and confident, even when you were obviously gaining ground on her. Now after one real fight, Kessiah¡¯s pretending like she¡¯s some damsel in distress. Where¡¯s the tough girl act now, huh?¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Yeah, it was a real one eighty. Some people can¡¯t handle that kind of stress though. If anything, I think she understood that about herself, deep down. She was strong physically, but from what Torix told us, she was born that way.¡±


    I placed a finger onto my forehead, ¡°She didn¡¯t have the toughness in mind. I think the whole ¡®tough¡¯ persona was more of a cover for it. It¡¯s not the worst thing in the world though.¡±


    Althea leaned against her hand, ¡°I think it¡¯s infuriating. When we talk now, she still treats me like I¡¯m a kid.¡± Althea pressed a hand against her chest, ¡°Can you believe that? I¡¯ve died at least seven times to you alone. After one close call and she¡¯s done, yet she still has the gall to talk to me like I¡¯m a child.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°It reminds me of a lot my teachers and my parents. I can¡¯t even tell you how many times I was told, ¡®You have to listen because I¡¯m the adult and you¡¯re the child!¡¯ The moment things turned sour, they¡¯d let that mask come off.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°They would scream, yell, and shout. Sometimes my dad would throw a tantrum like a spoiled brat that wasn¡¯t getting his way. After doing all that, he would expect me to treat him like he was the adult and I was still the child. Everything was just supposed to reset like nothing ever happened.¡±


    I crossed my arms, leaning back into my chair, ¡°Fuck that whole point of view. It¡¯s like expecting respect without any kind of responsibility.¡±


    Althea leaned towards me, ¡°And that¡¯s what bothers me with Kessiah. She wants to throw jabs at me all through our conversations together. It¡¯s not near as bad when we¡¯re in a group, but when we¡¯re alone, it¡¯s bad.¡±


    She spread out her arms in exasperation, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make it into a fight, but it becomes frustrating after a while.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°Well, you could try calling her out on it.¡±


    ¡°Calling her out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When she says something like that, mention that it¡¯s bothering you.¡±


    Althea spread out her arms, ¡°Yeah, but then she just says she¡¯s playing around or that it¡¯s not a big deal. Either that or she tells me to quit being so sensitive.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s something she¡¯d say?¡±


    Althea waved her arm, grasping for an example, ¡°Uhm, let me think...One time she said that you were racist against aliens, and that you wouldn¡¯t ever date an alien because of it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I wonder how that got brought up? Where you talking about me dating aliens?¡±


    Althea flushed before swiping at me, ¡°It was girl talk.¡± Althea frowned, ¡°Kessiah laughed like it was a funny joke, but it was just...awkward. Like, painfully awkward. It was a couple of weeks ago after we got back from Hod¡¯s rift.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Yeesh, she¡¯s salty. Anyways, tell her that it¡¯s a big deal to you when she says shit like that.¡±


    Althea leaned toward me, ¡°She¡¯ll just tell me to man up and quit being a baby.¡±


    I uncrossed my arms, sitting up, ¡°Then just leave.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Leave? You mean, like, leave the conversation?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I¡¯d do at least. Yenno, if I could. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. If it¡¯s only when you two are talking alone, then you don¡¯t have to hang out with her.¡±


    Althea sighed, ¡°Yeah, then I¡¯ll be lonely.¡± Althea laid her chin onto the table, ¡°I need more friends.¡±


    I rolled my eyes with a mischievous grin on my face, ¡°Tell me about it. I have this alien chick who won¡¯t quit asking me for homemade lunches. It takes up sooo much time.¡±


    Althea pursed her lips, ¡°Oh whatever...cut me some slack.¡±


    I stood up, ¡°If I cut you more slack, then you¡¯ll hang yourself.¡± I sighed, ¡°For real though, I have to go. There¡¯s a few things I really need to sort out before seeing Yawm.¡±


    Althea reached out for me, ¡°Before you leave, make sure to stop by my room. I want to have one last lunch before you leave. In case things don¡¯t work out with Yawm.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I always am.¡±


    Althea gave me a grin, but it was a false smile. It was one of those smiles you wear when you¡¯re trying to look happy for someone else, but deep down, you¡¯re hurting inside.


    I nudged her shoulder. I pointed my index finger at her while raising a thumb. It looked like I was pretending my hand was a gun.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t cheer up, this will be the last grin you ever smile.¡±


    Althea raised her eyebrows, ¡°Is that supposed to be a gun or something?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Oh no, this isn¡¯t supposed to be a gun. This is a gun. Now put your hands up!¡±


    She raised both her hands as she laughed, ¡°Uh, ok. There¡¯s something I need to tell you first.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and raised my my eyebrows, ¡°What is it, missy?¡±


    She pointed one of her fingers like a gun too. She pointed at my gun and made a pew sound. The imaginary bullet streaked through the air before dislodging my imaginary gun from my hand. I opened my gun hand, grabbing my wrist as if she had shot the gun from it. I glanced at my palm, then back at the pretend gun in hers.


    ¡°How did you hide that imaginary gun?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Now put your hands in the air!¡±


    I raised both my hands. She stepped closer. Without an imaginary gun in my own hand, I couldn¡¯t fight back. She walked up and raised her hand. She placed her fingertip against the bottom of my chin. With one squeeze, I would die, even if it was just pretend.


    She whispered, ¡°Lean over.¡±


    I did as the gunwoman commanded. She continued in a hushed tone,


    ¡°A little more.¡±


    I bent over until I was almost eye level with her. She kept her finger tip against my chin,


    ¡°Now stand still, or else I¡¯ll fire.¡±


    She raised up onto her toes before pressing her lips against mine. My first reaction wasn¡¯t shock at her kissing me, but a shock at just how soft her lips were. They always looked soft, but I never imagined they would be like velvet.


    She reached her other arm around my neck, the kiss growing longer. It was warm and delicate. The taste on her lips was sweet, a bit of the strawberry lingering from her meal. She pressed her body against mine. Even thought it was against my armor, I felt her as if I was touching her with my bare skin.


    I breathed deeper. I wrapped my arm around her waist without thinking, pulling her to me. I laid a hand onto her cheek. As I did, my armor molded away from my hand. For the first time in months, my fingertips touched something. It was something soft and smooth.


    I leaned into the kiss. We wrapped around each other, exploring the others body with excitement and pleasure. It was a release of tension. We both wanted each other for so long. Althea took the first step, and now I was struggling not to just fall into deep water with her.


    We grew passionate. My hands wandered across her. Her own hands went over my own body. As she touched me, my armor flowed around her. It let her touch my bare skin, the electrifying sensations like fireworks. We both yearned for each other. We both wanted each other like a starving wolf wants meat.


    Before I knew it, we were moving towards her room. She had made her own cavern by slicing through the stone. Within it, there a cozy bed and the warm light of an old lamp. It smelled of earth and stone. We walked into the room, our bodies tangled together.


    She fell onto the bed, her voluptuous body bouncing in the all the right places. I fell onto her, my armor molding away from her, letting us touch. My skin pressed against hers, Althea¡¯s warmth seeping through where we felt one another. Without my armor, I felt exposed. Everytime Althea touched the fresh skin, goosebumps raised over me.


    It was like pulling off a bandaid and touching the new, healed skin. It was sensitive and new. I expected intense discomfort from removing the armor. As Althea took off her own clothes and pressed her body against mine, another sensation took control.


    It was like I was starving, and an enormous buffet was laying in front of me. My armor peeled off me, covering the entire bed. It even wrapped around Althea, as if we were in our own little world.


    Like that, we stared at each other for a minute. She stared at me, her cheeks flushing,


    ¡°That was...wow.¡±


    I grinned, a cocky look on my face, ¡°Eh, constitution has its perks.¡± I looked at Althea, her body¡¯s curves like a painting. I pressed against her, and she shivered,


    ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t look too bad either.¡±


    She swatted at me, her fingertips grazing my skin with a gentle touch. I kissed her lips, the sensations like lightning. I felt her body, the soft, seductive places pulling me in. I grabbed her wrist, pushing it down as she whispered in a shaky voice,


    ¡°Please slow down. It¡¯s my first time.¡±


    I kissed along her cheek, then down her neck, then I reached her chest. She shivered again as I kissed her. I whispered back, my voice more careful than I imagined it could be,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    My body fell into hers. Her warmth surrounded me, softer than silk. She shook as I tasted her, her excitement overflowing. As sex absorbed us, the carnal sides of us both took over. Althea moaned, her nails scratching along my back. Her breath, hot and heavy, brushed against my ears with the sound of her pleasure.


    I enjoyed myself too. I kept my touch firm but not forceful. I kept control, but I let her move and shift as she needed too. I pushed into her, keeping a steady rhythm. She wriggled back and forth as I kept myself controlled. Her body tightened as I continued, each a pulse pleasing us both.


    She grabbed my back, wrapping her legs around me. She moaned and shook her hips with mine. Her back arched as she pressed herself against me, her body tightening on me. She gasped, overwhelmed as her legs pulled me against me. The jolt of bliss flooded me too.


    I finished before laying against her. We both heaved for air, more from the excitement than the actual exertion. I laid my hand against hers, and our fingers intertwined. She nuzzled her cheek into the nape of my neck, a euphoric smile plastered on her face.


    She whispered into my ear, ¡°That was heaven.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Tell me about it. That was amazing.¡±


    She giggled before we laid with each other for a few minutes. After the comfortable, warm silence, Althea whispered,


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Hearing the words melted my iron heart. In the moment, I whispered back, ¡°I...¡± The words caught in my throat before I finished them, but when I said them, I meant it.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±

 110 Yawm of Flesh

    It was a weird feeling when the words left my lips. I didn¡¯t expect them, but they fit what was going through my head. Maybe it was the hormones talking too. At that point, it was hard to tell. A more surprising emotion was anxiety. All of the sudden, when I thought of my meeting with Yawm, it made me nervous. As I laid there with Althea, I reasoned through the sudden spike in dread. No matter how much I thought about it, it boiled down to one thing.


    I had something to lose now. Up till this point, I didn¡¯t have anymore family, friends, or anything really. Over time I built friendships, but friendships won¡¯t stop someone from being reckless. All of a sudden I wanted to keep something. I wanted to protect something. My life wasn¡¯t just some ploy for survival.


    I owned a joy that I wasn¡¯t about to let go. Althea loved me, and she was one of the few people who ever had. That meant I wasn¡¯t about to let someone fuck up her future or my future with her. The more I dwelled on that, the more I wanted to get up and move. Whenever Althea drifted off to sleep, that¡¯s exactly what I did.


    I lifted myself off the bed. As I left Althea, my armor folded back onto me. As it did, the armor dug spines that connected back into my bones. The armor hadn¡¯t disconnected from my bones or nerves, just my skin. The moment I left Althea, the armor refused to unlatch once more.


    I could get my armor off my skin if I focus, but it didn¡¯t want too. It would snap back the moment I stopped focusing on it. It was like how the armor let me eat and use the bathroom. When I needed to eat, my armor molded out of the way of my mouth. When I needed to shit, it molded out of the way.


    It understood that I had needs. In this case, the armor bent out of the way and even protected Althea and I while we did it. I worried about that for ages during my free time. It turned out that my armor would block off everything to make sure the sex would happen. And to think, here I thought it would cock block me forever.


    Refreshed and motivated, I left a note on Althea¡¯s desk before leaving her room. It explained where I was going and what I was doing. It also let her know that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and that she better not cheat on me with someone else. I figured it was a clever way of saying we were dating.


    I passed out of the room, reaching deeper into the mountain. Torix sent a map of the mountain base to me. Within the outline, it showed my own personal room. Wanting the quiet and calm, I reached my room before sitting down.


    I focused my thoughts with a few deep breaths. A moment later, I pulled out my grimoire and set to work. Before I started, I opened my status screen and glanced at my armor¡¯s stats. At the bottom were the upgrades from the dimensional cipher. I looked at them.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from


    the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +20 Endurance]


    They were solid bonuses now, with the strength and dexterity bonuses being higher. The difference was that I had had them for over a week to get the bonuses they gave. On the other hand, the endurance had only been on for less than one day. That meant I would be getting double the attributes.


    It left a bitter taste in my mouth. Given time, I could stop Yawm with zero risk. That wasn¡¯t an option anymore though. If the overseer discovered Yawm couldn¡¯t escape, earth would be glassed. If Yawm had months of time to do whatever, he could have already destroyed earth.


    Hell, Ajax didn¡¯t seem like the most patient guy either. Letting Yawm continue without any kind of resistance was asking for death. It¡¯s kind of like how the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


    First things first, we needed a bit more man power. I sent Torix a message.


    (Dimension C-138, 9:46 P.M. 1/12/01) - Can you send me a list of the current steel legion members under our command? I¡¯ll need to send them all a message about joining my new guild.


    Torix replied in seconds.


    (Torix Worm, of Darkhill, 9:46 P.M. 1/12/01) - You can create a guild? If so, I¡¯d like to discuss the details of it. Regardless, I¡¯ll forward the list. To shorten the process, simply go towards your messages and use the


    reply to all function. It will send a message to all of the list of names.


    Make sure you send me a message as well. Knowing you and your build, your legacy gives endurance. It¡¯s a stat I could use more of.


    I grinned at the message, the idea of empowering our force more than just attractive.


    (Dimension C-138, 9:47 P.M. 1/12/01) - Thanks for the tip. I¡¯ll send the message right away.


    I received a message outlining all the steel legion names used by Schema. Now I needed to make the actual guild. After a quick groan, I opened my legacy menu. Whenever I did, a message popped up.


    You may unlock a guild. Do you wish to create a new guild? Y/N?


    I pressed the yes button.


    What is the name of your new guild? ___________?


    After a minute or two of thought, I named the guild The Harbinger¡¯s Legion. It wasn¡¯t a complicated name, but it got across what I wanted. With that finished, I selected the finalize button.


    Your guild, The Harbinger¡¯s Legion, was successfully created. You may send invites to your guilds, set up quests and bounties, and claim ownership of a city. It is recommended that you only give out your legacy bonus


    after the completion of an entry level quest. Otherwise the potency of your guild, along with its reputation, will spiral downwards.


    In the case of most guilds, quality trumps quantity. Good luck with your new guild aspiring sentient.


    Considering how impotent the steel legion had been at handling Yawm and the plague, I agreed with the message¡¯s tip. With my guild finished, I sent a simple message to all surviving members of the legion.


    (Dimension C-138, 9:47 P.M. 1/12/01) - This is the Harbinger of Cataclysm. We have slayed the four followers and now we must unite against Yawm. Before we go into battle, I offer each of you a reward. This invitation to my guild will reward you with survivability and strength. Each of you has earned it.


    Enjoy the downtime as we prepare for the final confrontation. After we¡¯ve recovered, we will make our final push. We will go and slay the destroyer of our homes and the killer of our families. We will go and tear Yawm


    apart. Rest well, warriors.


    I sent the message, not dwelling on it too much. I figured giving it a larger than life tone would help the soldiers. If I was going to be a symbol, I needed to act the part. That included making my messages sound epic, at least in my mind.


    With that finished, there was one last task at hand. I needed more mastery of the cipher. Everything else was out of the way, so I dug down into my work. That started by glancing at the rune for endurance.


    It was a masterful character, the lines etched with certainty. It lacked any doubt in what it was, and I enjoyed seeing that in my own work. With that in mind, I worked on other runes using the same method.


    First, I would think about whatever the concept was. Willpower, strength, it didn¡¯t matter as long as it represented what I thought about the concept. After that, I sketched a few outlines of the character. I would compare these sketches with images of other eldritch runes, Baldag-Ruhl¡¯s runes in particular.


    He created the biggest incantation I¡¯d ever seen by far, and it worked without a hitch. Yawm¡¯s runes completely fucked the other followers up by comparison. With that in mind, I scoured the ritual that Baldag-Ruhl used, finding the runes fascinating. It used to look like gibberish, but with time, I realized the magnum opus that it really was.


    From start to finish, the runes chained together a vast understanding of the universe. It was like staring at the Sistine Chapel. Finding a flaw was a hopeless endeavor. All I could do was marvel. Marvel and study.


    So study I did. I jotted notes on the rock ground of my room, drawing lines and figures of how the runes connected. Each symbol related with the next, like a flowing river of knowledge. If I wanted the kind of power Baldag-Ruhl had in his runes, chaining my runes together was a must.


    Making that happen was a different story altogether. Considering the runes responded well to my endurance, I used that rune as the base. I attempted carving an extra character to enhance endurance. This rune was about time. The way I saw it, staying power was a key part of having good endurance.


    It was discipline, keeping to the difficult parts of life even if they dragged on. Pushing past those sticking points was essential for success. It was one of the most necessary aspects of enduring. If anything, that whole idea could be taken to an extreme. If someone was unstoppable and immortal, then they were something like gravity.


    They would become a force of nature, something that others moved around. The idea of a perpetual existence reminded me of the Old Ones. I only knew two by name, Etorhma and Baldowah, but both of them left ripples around them. People spoke about them like black holes. They were things best left avoided and un-angered.


    They were both perennial forces. In my mind, it was the perfect representation of endurance. Even after the earth was consumed by the sun, they would remain, unaffected and uncaring. There was something both majestic and frightening about that.


    As I carved out the rune, these ideas took shape. With each line, they formed a firmer foundation of the letter. With each indentation, I filled out the concept, making it tangible. By the time I finished the rune, beads of sweat poured down my forehead as I grinned.


    Working with the language was a challenge, but it was rewarding at the same time. I glanced at the time. It was nearly morning already. One day already passed since my meeting with Torix. Two remained. It was odd how time flew whenever I focused on a project like this.


    It was like getting lost in a good book. With the rune finished, I channeled my mana into the endurance rune and the rune for time. I stood up and walked over towards Althea¡¯s room. Since I couldn¡¯t need quiet to focus on this, I might as well be there when she wakes up.


    By the time I reached Althea¡¯s room, I charged one set of the runes. I placed it over the endurance rune on the inside of my forearm. It consumed the lesser rune beneath it. I walked into Althea¡¯s room, finding her


    still laying in the white sheets of her bed.


    Her chest slowly rose and lowered, her breathing steady. A tiny bit of drool leaked out of her mouth. It rose and fell with each of her breaths. I couldn¡¯t help but snicker a little at it before walking over. I sat beside her bed, listening to her as I channeled my mana. After I finished the second rune, I placed it onto my other forearm.


    With both of the dimensional characters finished, I channeled my mana into them. Just like the other runes, they gobbled up my mana like starving hyenas. With the runes completed, two arms wrapped around my neck. They pulled me against the side of the bed.


    A pair of lips whispered into my ear, ¡°That was amazing.¡±


    A second later, Althea rested her chin on top of my face. My helmet peeled off, letting her rest on my tousled hair. Althea rubbed her chin in it, ¡°I never thought your hair would be soft either.¡±


    I looked up at her, a grin plastered onto my lips, ¡°What did you


    expect, metal cords?¡±


    She lifted herself up, tugging on my hair with a gentle pull, ¡°Not exactly...Let¡¯s see...I thought your hair would feel like monster teeth or barbed wire.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Really now?¡±


    She grabbed the sides of my face, kissing me. Her soft, luscious lips were intoxicating. With her face upside down to mine, she smirked, ¡°Yes. I did think it would be like that.¡±


    I stood up, turning around towards her, ¡°Well I thought sex with you would be hellish.¡±


    Althea frowned before I leaned close to her. I pressed her chinup to me,


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see I was wrong though.¡±


    She went for another kiss, but I pulled back, making her work for it. I dodged two or three other attempts before she jumped out of the bed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around me chest. With her voluptuous body pressed against mine, she kissed me again.


    She pulled her lips away, ¡°Want me to prove you wrong again.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯d love too, but I¡¯ve got about two more days before meeting the legend himself. I have a few more preparations left.¡±


    Althea frowned, ¡°Ah, really?¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Yes, really.¡± I lifted her up before setting her onto the ground. As I did, her body bounced in the right places. I glanced away,


    ¡°Put on some clothes too. You¡¯re distracting me.¡±


    Althea raised an eyebrow, ¡°What, really?¡±


    I flushed, ¡°Yeah, of course you are.¡±


    She giggled, flushing back at me. After she got her clothes on, an awkward silence passed. I broke it,


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Althea grabbed her hands in front of her,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I wrapped an arm around her, looking away while I spoke,


    ¡°I don¡¯t do this kind of stuff with just anyone...and I uh, I just wanted you to know that this means we¡¯re dating...right?¡±


    Althea beamed, ¡°What? Really? Wait, I didn¡¯t meant that. I meant of course we are. Duh.¡±


    I grinned back, ¡°Good.¡±


    I let her go before walking out of the room, ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room studying the runes. I didn¡¯t want you waking up alone and get some misconceptions about anything.¡±


    She looked up at me, ¡°We¡¯ll have lunch?¡±


    With a glowing grin, I raised a fist, ¡°Always. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you too. I...I love you.¡±


    A spark of lightning shot up my spine. After that passed, I replied, ¡°I, uh, I love you too.¡±


    Althea giggled as I stumbled out of the room. I walked away from my room, a bit of euphoria overcoming me. I glanced around, making sure I was alone. After I knew I was, I shouted,


    ¡°Hell yeah.¡±


    Althea was a sexy and fun woman. Getting someone like that as a girlfriend was epic, at least in my eyes. I was too far away from Althea to tell, but she might just be celebrating too. Even outside of the sexy part, it was nice having someone I could share my problems with.


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    Considering Althea wasn¡¯t a normal person either, it meant we had a lot in common. Knowing there was someone I could spend my time with felt good. If I hadn¡¯t succeeded in my fights or studying, Torix wouldn¡¯t have been my friend or teacher for long. Our friendship was conditional. Althea and I were different though.


    We didn¡¯t get together for strength or for some alliance between parties. We got together because we liked each other. There was something deeply comforting about that, at least to me.


    So by the time I reached my room, I was on cloud nine. Having sex for the first time in over a year was a plus too. Since I wasn¡¯t focusing on my runes or studying, I noticed more of the mountain base this time around too.


    The hallways were all jagged, like they were cut out in sections. It looked like Althea had sliced through the stone before Torix had minions carry the stone out. This meant any corners were razor sharp, enough to cut an unarmored person. I passed a few of the steel legion. The cuts on their shoulders verified my thoughts.


    The fluorescent lights covered everything in a pale light. Since all the caverns were lit with bulbs on tripods, people and objects cast long shadows. The air was warm and smelled old. The walls of stone were almost all granite, the rock looking like splashes of salt and pepper.


    As I reached my room, I forgot about my surroundings. I sat down on the floor, pushing those thoughts out of my head. I needed focus. With that in mind, I intended on adding other additions to the runes. For however long, I sat and studied and carved.


    As time dragged on, the work weighed on me. There¡¯s the kind of work you can do all day. This wasn¡¯t that kind of task. My mind was numb after just a few hours. I took a break, having a pleasant lunch with Althea, but then I got back on the grind. It wasn¡¯t like all progress came in bursts.


    Sometimes it was the slow, relentless labor that got the most done. This was one of those times. With that in mind, I kept at it until dinner. Another break with Althea left me refreshed, but I went right back to my room and drilled. The minutes faded into hours. I fell into the runes, studying every part of them.


    The runes were like a brick wall, but my mind was like a hammer. Eventually, cracks formed in the barrier. I mean, it wasn¡¯t too bad. I would compare it with trying to break a brick with a flacid penis. Yenno, not too bad.


    Just like that, the second day passed before I even realized it. As the third day dawned, the pressure of the situation hit its peak. I dug deep into the runic glyphs like they were my passion in life. In a sense, I put my back against the wall and thought of the situation as life and death.


    In a way, it was. They day passed along with the night without any success. On the morning I would meet Yawm, I finally succeeded. I created a rune that summed up another facet of endurance. This was an odd one, but it was the idea of faith.


    Whenever anyone tries to do anything, there will be people that doubt them. Doubt will infect their mind and paralyze them. In order to continue the endeavor, a certain level of faith was necessary. There had to be a belief in one¡¯s self or one''s actions. Otherwise that doubt will come in and crush the motivation to continue.


    Adding this aspect of endurance was more abstract than longevity and unconditional persistence. Combining it with the other runes proved difficult, and it took many tries. I finally did it though. The dimensional rune was made of three different characters, every piece of it ornately crafted. It flowed together without any imperfection.


    As I fed mana into my grimoire, an hour passed before a single copy of the rune generated. As I finished the second one, a guard of Torix knocked on my door. I let the glowing runes fall onto my forearms. They wrapped around my forearms, covering them in a complex spiral.


    The incantation was well over double the length of the previous markings. As I stood up, I observed them over my arm. It surprised me that Schema let me do this. Schema was tight lipped about the cipher, and he ruined entire worlds over the secrecy of it. Prancing around with on me should be a capital offense.


    After thinking of Yawm again, I remembered why Schema was takinga risk on me. There wasn¡¯t much of a chance that we¡¯d escape earth. Before leaving, I checked out the upgrades my armor gave me. They were growing.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +60 Endurance


    +4% to effect of legacies]


    The extra bonuses paired well with the creation of my new guild. It made me think about the others. Even though it wasn¡¯t a massive boost of stats, my legacy would help some. Understanding that, I opened my status


    screen. I sent Torix, Althea, Kessiah, and Hod invitations to my guild.


    They didn¡¯t have to accept, but giving them the option was a good idea. With everything finished, I took a deep breath. I did all that I could think to do. I opened the door, a dried out corpse looking at me. Black fire was in place of normal eyes, giving his face a sunken in, eerie look. It was a classic Torix kind of look for a minion.


    I pointed a finger at him, ¡°So uh, Skelly I guess...What¡¯s up?¡±


    Skelly pointed towards Torix¡¯s room, so I followed. We paced past a few hallways in the mountain before entering Torix¡¯s base. As normal, maps, utensils, and runes covered the wall. It was like every surface was the page of a dense notebook. It was a sort of chaos that only Torix understood.


    After walking into the room, the entire troop was here. Althea, Kessiah, Ajax, Hod, and Torix were standing in a group. They glanced at me as I walked in through an old, wooden doorway.


    The scent of old paper and earth wafted as I paced up. I grinned at Althea and she grinned back. Ajax pointed at my runes, interrupting us, ¡°You¡¯ve advanced the runes already?¡±


    I nodded, holding up a forearm so they could see it, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a work in progress.¡±


    Torix spread out his arms, ¡°Everything always is. Now, are you ready to go see Yawm?¡±


    I sighed, clasping my hands into fists, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°Perfect. Now, during your stay with the evil overlord, Althea and Kessiah will be focusing on rebuilding. We¡¯ve eliminated as many of Yawm¡¯s forces as possible. His remaining force is about 3% of its previous power. Unfortunately, Yawm can eliminate our entire army by himself. Therefore-¡±


    Torix snapped his finger. A map made of white energy appeared at the center of the room. It was a three-dimensional structure of the mountain. Torix pointed at it,


    ¡°We will build this mountain into a new city.¡±


    Torix pointed at me, ¡°In fact, it will be considered your city.¡±


    I pointed at my chest, ¡°My city? Why?¡±


    Torix pointed over his head. His titles appeared.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 1702, The Harbinger¡¯s Legion)


    Torix raised both his hands, ¡°Even I am a member of your guild. Unlike the rest of us, you can claim an area as your own, even by galactic law. That is not an opportunity we will waste.¡±


    Torix spun around the 3-d map of the mountain, ¡°We will build a fortress city. After that, we will create a new empire of sorts.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What the fuck...really?¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°Yes, really. Your legacy and ability to create quality items gives us the ability to organize a country. The bonuses you¡¯ve given are compelling. Not only have you given enchanted armors, but you¡¯ve given raw stats as well.¡±


    Torix looked around, gesturing at the entire mountain with a hand, ¡°This is, without a doubt, the single most powerful fighting force on Earth. Every place on earth is relegated to dungeons of a much lower level. They don¡¯t have access to the same high-level enemies that these members of the legion have.¡±


    Torix raised his hands right in front of his face, ¡°Therefore we can ensure humanity¡¯s future after we¡¯ve slain Yawm.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°What do you mean humanity¡¯s future?¡±


    Kessiah leaned her weight onto one hip, ¡°Newer races have a really tough time in Schema¡¯s system. It¡¯s actually one of the remnants calling cards for why Schema¡¯s evil.¡±


    Torix nodded,


    ¡°Indeed it is. As you¡¯re well aware of, Schema doesn¡¯t offer a pleasant and smooth transitions for newer planets. Planets that develop slowly are overrun by guilds coming in, like the steel legion. In extreme cases, the guilds will fight one another and destroy a planet¡¯s resources in the process.¡±


    Kessiah grimaced, ¡°Think about it like a bunch of scavengers fighting over a carcass. It¡¯s not a pretty sight.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Did the remnants ever do that?¡±


    Kessiah gave me a look like I was ridiculous, ¡°What? Hell no.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Considering how strong remnants are, why didn¡¯t you guys just take some place over?¡±


    Kessiah sighed, ¡°Because we¡¯ve tried. Anytime we get grounded somewhere, higher level sentients come in and start killing us. We¡¯re all unknowns, meaning we all have bounties. That means we¡¯re like a giant pack of high level eldritch that give extra rewards when you kill us.¡±


    Kessiah¡¯s gaze turned dark, ¡°There¡¯s even information brokers that sell information about where different remnants are. If we ever make a home on a planet, we turn into a hunting safari. They find us then hunt us down like animals. That¡¯s why we¡¯re always on the move, wandering around with no home.¡±


    Hod replied, ¡°Hod think that not fair. Lady Friend #2 deserves home.¡±


    Kessiah looked up at Hod. At first, she looked like she was going to hit him, but then Kessiah sighed, ¡°Thanks Hod.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a painful reality.¡± He pointed towards me, ¡°However, since you can create a city and guild, you can grant a certain level of protection. If someone where to harm Althea, you may simply create a bounty for the killer¡¯s head. That¡¯s the case with anyone who¡¯s been given your legacy.¡±


    Ajax narrowed his eyes, ¡°Bounty hunters are relentless. They won¡¯t stop at something as simple as that.¡±


    Torix pointed at Ajax, ¡°Perhaps that might be true if the owner of the guild isn¡¯t that powerful. The protection of an S tier guild can counteract S tier bounties, however. By itself, that¡¯s an enormous utility. In our situation, we¡¯re being granted the protection of a C tier legacy. While not enormous, it¡¯s a world of difference when compared with no defense at all.¡±


    Althea chimed in, ¡°What would an S tier guild look like?¡±


    Torix pointed a finger up, ¡°A simple example would be the Overseers. They¡¯re technically a guild with a ridiculous up-front requirement and an enormous legacy reward.¡±


    Ajax crossed his arms, ¡°This planet could be glassed or turned into a fringe world soon. Why would you spend all that time building a city you don¡¯t even know you¡¯ll be able to live in?¡±


    Torix raised an eyebrow, ¡°I just outlined the reasons. I could assume that Yawm will kill Daniel and that we all die, but that doesn¡¯t do us very much good, now does it?¡±


    Ajax tapped a finger against his forearm, ¡°It seems like a poor way to spend your final days of life.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a hell of a lot better than knowing you¡¯re going to die. Besides, let¡¯s not give up on me so soon. Wait till I¡¯m dead first.¡±


    Ajax spoke with a sinister tone, ¡°What exactly are you going to say to him? Please teach me these runes? You¡¯re going to need some kind of plan for facing off against him. Yawm is very...enigmatic.¡±


    I tapped the side of my head, ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve already calculated all kinds of scenarios and planned out responses. Besides, thinking too much about it isn¡¯t going to help. It¡¯s like thinking too much about a job interview. I¡¯ll end up looking nervous. If anything, I just need to relax and look at ease.¡±


    Ajax laughed, ¡°Hah, you have the confidence at least.¡± He uncrossed his arms, standing up, ¡°I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Torix turned towards me, ¡°Then I suppose there¡¯s no more reason to wait, is there?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Alright, just as a recap, here¡¯s the plan. I go in and warn Yawm that I have Ajax as a hostage. He gives me information on the eldritch runes, and I tell him that I¡¯ll free Ajax from his grasp. Once I¡¯ve learned what I can, I lure him into a trap that allows us to push him into another dimension.¡±


    Torix frowned, ¡°That is the core of it.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Torix walked up to me, ¡°We¡¯ll travel together. I will be one of your advisors as you approach.¡±


    Althea walked up, ¡°Wait, why are you going with him? I thought you said you were planning on taking the route with the least risk?¡±


    Torix turned towards her, ¡°I thought about what you said. I believe my presence will enhance Daniel¡¯s chances for success. Outside of that-¡± A sly grin crept onto Torix¡¯s face,


    ¡°I no longer want to use Daniel¡¯s build as an excuse to avoid danger. I¡¯m not looking for a plan with the least risk anymore. I¡¯m looking for a plan with the greatest chance for success.¡±


    Althea ran up and wrapped her arms around Torix¡¯s waist. Torix laid his hand on her head, ¡°Thank you. If we don¡¯t return, then don¡¯t let Yawm find you. Do whatever you must to escape.¡±


    Torix hugged her back, ¡°It would do my memory a disservice if your caught, so keep yourself safe.¡± Torix looked up at Hod, ¡°You on the other hand, do fly into the sun. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be more useful as grilled chicken then as you are.¡±


    Hod shook his head, ¡°But then Hod be dry like Dry Man. No one like dry chicken.¡±


    Althea giggled as Torix released her and sighed, ¡°I want you to know Hod, I hate you. If I die, I will haunt you until your untimely death.¡±


    Hod scratched the side his beak with a three taloned finger, ¡°Hod confused. If Dry Man hate Hod, why Dry Man stay with Hod even after death? Hod think that a sign of undying love.¡±


    Hod raised his hand, ¡°Ah, Hod understand! Dry Man feelings confused.¡± Hod grabbed his chin as he admired himself, ¡°Hod understand. Hod have that effect on people.¡±


    Torix dragged his hands across his face, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave.¡±


    I neared Althea, ¡°Wait a second.¡± I hugged Althea, lifting her off the ground. I whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll be back. I promise.¡±


    She flushed, her blue gray skin taking on a hint of purple on her cheeks. She whispered back, ¡°You better.¡±


    I set her down with a smile before waving at the others, ¡°See you guys later.¡±


    We finished our goodbyes before Torix and I walked off. We reached outside the mountain, and we raced towards Springfield. Torix floated beside me as I shot in and out of the ground. If I went full speed, I outpaced him to my surprise. I kept my pace slow, letting Torix and I arrive at the time.


    Once we arrived at Springfield, the city had changed. The gray mist returned where the world tree had been. The roots of the world tree already melted back into the ground. Lush forests sprouted up near these decayed roots. It was like painted streaks of a different world invaded our own.


    Above these forests, Abstractions floated through the skies. Their reach was broad, covering more than just the city. Off in the distant skyline, abstractions were being sent. They would be opening up rifts elsewhere. Even if we killed Yawm, cleaning up his mess would take a long time.


    Torix groaned, ¡°There will be so many rifts to close when you¡¯re finished with Yawm.¡±


    I shot out of the ground, discharging my runes, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see. I¡¯m focusing on killing Yawm first.¡±


    I shot through the air, Torix keeping pace.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    I shook my head. I landed onto the ground, sliding through the earth before firing back up.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s kind of like how a soldier gets used to killing someone during war. It becomes normal.¡±


    We dashed across the suburbia. As we did, I erased all my doubts. There was no point in worrying. I did all I could do. This was it. It was now or never. I needed to be fearless. I needed to be unstoppable. There was no option to run or fail.


    So I steeled myself as we reached the gray cloud of mist at the center of Springfield. Torix covered himself in a protective shield of mana as we passed through the mist. Once onto the other side, we entered a different world.


    The yellow, sickly junglers covered the ground. They sky was a bloody crimson, bright and brooding. Beneath us, deformed monsters crawled around. No two abharitions were the same. Each of them were unique, a different nightmare given life. At the center of the rift, the lake from before remained.


    Torix and I landed beside it. We walked up to it. Within it, there was a crystalline compound. Clear and opaque panels composed the structure, as if it was a building made of ice. One of the abstractions flew down, landing beside us. On the back of the abstraction, a named one rested.


    It¡¯s face was geometric, as if it was created from the abstractions. A permanent, eerie grin carved across its face. Its eyes were holes in its head, and its ears were massive like a bats. Covered in a gray skin, it¡¯s thin, lithe figure looked creepy. It spread out its arms, its mouth opening. A dry, crackling voice spoke to us,


    ¡°I can tell by the might of your presence. You must be his visitors. Follow me.¡±


    The abstraction beneath the named one crumpled up, like a ball of paper folding in on itself. It turned into a tiny ball beneath the named one. It picked up the ball before the named one walked to the water.


    As it entered the lake, the water spread away from it. Torix and I followed him into the depths of the lake. The water dropped behind us, forming a bubble of air as we moved. The water solidified into ice beneath the named one¡¯s steps, giving us a stairway to walk down.


    We neared the crystalline structure beneath the lake. As we walked towards it, I recognized it all as ice. The named one walked through one of the walls, the ice melting. Steam poured up into our bubble and the room. The named one bowed towards us, placing a hand on his chest,


    ¡°You may come into his domain.¡±


    Before we walked in, I identified the named one.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Keeja, the Corrupted Abstraction(lvl 1,500) - Yawm has taken ambient mana, coalesced enough to form a soul, then tamed the deformed spirit. This results in a creature that lacks the will to make its own decisions. It¡¯s strength in magic allows it to be a threat despite this lack of reasoning.


    It acts as the servant of Yawm, handling the miscellaneous tasks he needs done. You shouldn¡¯t have any problems destroying it, if you choose to do so.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I kept my chest and head high, walking into the building. As we walked, I observed the building. The hallways were made of ice, some of it opaque and some clear. The clear sections showed the surrounding lake. As we paced inside, the animals outside shifted to life.


    Creatures of the deep swam nearby, some of them odd and alien. Others were elegant and beautiful, awash in the phosphorescent light their body¡¯s produced. Some of these glowing, undersea animals stayed near the clear sections of the walls. These sections acted like windows, shedding light into the room.


    Since most of them were orange and yellow, it gave an almost sunny interior. They would brighten as we neared them then dim as we walked away. It made us a traveling ball of light in the ice structure. These lights would catch on smooth embroidering on the walls, shaping the light.


    It was beautiful as anything I¡¯d ever seen. It was hard not to be overwhelmed by it, but I kept my expression unimpressed. We reached the middle of a hallway. Within it, a door of pure white was present. It smelled like nothing, as if it was sterile. This entire time, there was no twisted experiments or lab victims.


    If anything, it felt like Yawm had turned the eldritch into his playthings.


    With its creepy grin, Keeja gave us another bow, ¡°My maker is on the other side. May you enjoy the meeting.¡±


    I glanced at Torix. He looked back at me. He frowned, as did I. We stared at each other for a second, an obvious tension. I turned toward the door, holding in the sight I wanted to let loose.


    I pushed open the door, no sound ebbing from the hinges. As I did, the sight of books opened up to me. There were thousands of them lining shelves. Most of them were old, rare looking tomes. The ancient, yellowed look of the pages only made them that much more impressive.


    Furs covered the floor, coating it in all kinds of animal skins. Some would have been vicious in life. Nearer towards the end of the room, a square table surrounded an old chair. The legs and panels of the chair where a dull white, contrasting the darker colors of the furs.


    Pages were spread all across the desk. Littered on these pages were characters of the dimensional cipher. Hunched over this desk and writing with the runes was a giant. Covered in bark skin, its muscles rippled as it marked with a pen made of bone. The red ink covering the pen came from a bowl at his side.


    It was the upper half of a skull full of blood. All along its shoulders, the eldritch runes were carved. They were like scars, each of them proof of a history and sweeping knowledge. As if utterly absorbed in his task, his hulking figure shook for a moment.


    He lifted his head, a mane of green crawling across his back. As it turned to us, the green, vibrant glow of it reached towards us. There was a density to him, like he made of moving metal. It was as if he shouldn¡¯t even be able to move, yet he did. And effortlessly so.


    Unlike Ajax, this porytians hands and fingers were thick. Each would be like the branch of a tree. As his eyes set on me, a wave of fear crawled along my back. They were the eyes of a surgeon. They didn¡¯t peer at me like I was a person. I was simply a set of muscle, bone, and skin waiting to be used.


    I wanted to hold my breath. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cower and bow before this entity. It was so much more than I imagined. It was like looking at a god or an old one. An overseer was strong, but it didn¡¯t have a will of its own. It wasn¡¯t a self made monster.


    This thing was. It didn¡¯t even need Schema. It chose to defy convention, no matter the cost. That resolve saturated its frame. It opened its hand towards us, muscle under its skin rippling. It¡¯s voice was ancient and mighty and immovable.


    ¡°I am Yawm. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you, Harbinger.¡±

 111 An Enigma

    <div>


    Yawm was two heads taller than me. He was wider too. It was obvious that he was stronger than me. It was an immutable fact, and there was no way he didn¡¯t know it either. Every part of this situation was under his control, and his overwhelming confidence made that clear.


    Still, I had an act to keep up. I swallowed my awe and spoke with a firm voice,


    ¡°You already know me? Good. That makes this simpler.¡±


    Yawm let out a slow, deep laugh, ¡°Hah, hah, hah. There is nothing simple about this meeting.¡±


    Yawm walked forward. His steps were balanced as he unlatched a part of the square desk. A square panel of the bone desk lowered on a hinge, and Yawm set it down with care. He walked up towards us, his movements relaxed. Each of his steps rang out like a hammer swinging against my head.


    He didn¡¯t speak. His silence was elongated, holding us tense. He reached towards me, pointing at my forearm,


    ¡°May I see it? Your work that is?¡±


    The way he said it made it sound like a sincere request. To me, it was like an undeniable request. I raised my forearm, showing him the symbol.


    With a surprising care, Yawm leaned over grasped my armor. He turned it, inspecting it from different angles. A moment later, he released my arm.


    ¡°Excuse my excitement. You are the only other being I¡¯ve seen that has learned the cipher. Of course, that excludes Schema and the eldritch. As you no doubt understand, they are not the most accepting of entities. They take a heavy handed approach.¡±


    Yawm waved his hand,


    ¡°Ah, and yet here I devolve into yet another rant. Tell me, what is the name you go by?¡±


    Torix stepped forward, ¡°He is known as-¡±


    Yawm glanced at Torix and pressed his thumb and finger together.


    ¡°Silence. I did not ask you.¡±


    Yawm turned back towards me, ¡°I asked the Harbinger. He is the one that will answer, if he so chooses.¡±


    Torix restrained his anger before I spoke, ¡°Close friends and allies know me as Daniel. You can refer to me by that name.¡± I opened a hand towards Torix, ¡°This is one of those close friends. If you¡¯re going to treat me with respect, I ask you treat him the same.¡±


    Torix looked at me. It was one of those looks that you could only understand after knowing someone for a long time. Yawm wouldn¡¯t understand the message behind it, but I did. Torix was telling me, ¡®What the fuck was that?¡¯ If I could answer, I would have said this.


    Honestly...I don¡¯t even know. I couldn¡¯t understand why I talked to Yawm like that. It seemed right though, so I dug my feet into the sand. This was me, and I would stick with it to the bitter end.


    As Yawm¡¯s silence stretched on, a nervousness crawled up my spine. Yawm stared at me, his eyes searching for something. I didn¡¯t give him a thing. I kept on a poker face like my life depended on it. Who am I kidding. It did depend on it.


    Yawm nodded his head,


    ¡°Duly noted.¡± He turned towards Torix, ¡°I took you for a mindless summon speaking in place of your master. Through my eyes, I saw this as a sign of disdain. I never imagined you were a close friend of Daniels. My mistake.¡±


    Torix looked at me, then back at Yawm.


    ¡°It...It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    Yawm pressed his hands together, ¡°Superb. Then allow me to offer each of you a seat and something to quench your thirst. Every good friendship begins over a cup of tea.¡±


    At this point, I was facing a cultural whiplash. I expected some bloodthirsty monster. Yawm seemed more like some well spoken and educated gentleman. It caught me off guard.


    From behind us, Keeja bowed, ¡°Please, follow me.¡±


    Yawm gestured a hand towards us, ¡°Keeja will show us towards a more suitable room.¡±


    Keeja paced away before closing the door behind us. The enormous hallways let Yawm walk without having to duck or struggle. Keeja led the way, and we followed him. Yawm¡¯s steps didn¡¯t make a sound, despite his hulking figure. It was odd, just like everything else about him.


    We passed through another hallway before spotting another set of doors. They were a pristine white, just like the doors of Yawm¡¯s personal study. Keeja opened them, revealing a spiral staircase.


    Yawm walked in front of us, ¡°I¡¯ll speak as we walk.¡±


    We stepped upwards. Around us, the ice of the building was clear, letting us see the beauty of the lake. Yawm opened his arms,


    ¡°Sometimes I visit this room whenever I find myself in need of solitude and quiet. That is when the mind will wander. There are no books, no notes, nothing but the sound of water and my own breath. At those times, the imagination flourishes, blooming like a flower seeing the dawn.¡±


    We reached the top of the staircase, and he opened another set of white doors. The room was a half sphere, the bottom flat and white, the top clear as glass. We were near the top of the lake. The light from above shimmered over us, the water bending the light. Fish swam. Plants drifted in currents. Within the room, there was nothing.


    Yawm raised a hand. Three chairs formed from the floor, the white material bending to his will. Two of the chairs faced the other chair. Keeja walked beside us before reaching these chairs. He gestured at the seats,


    ¡°Please, sit and relax yourselves.¡±


    We sat down before Yawm sat down as well. How the tiny, spindly chair supported him, I have no idea.


    Yawm raised his hands, glancing upwards, ¡°It¡¯s another fact of my mind I¡¯ve noticed. When I look down, my thoughts will turn concrete. Whenever I look up, they lose their structure and loosen. This helps whenever I¡¯m imagining different ideas for the cipher.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    He glanced down at us. He locked his fingers together, leaning his elbows onto his own knees.


    ¡°No doubt both of you are wondering why I lack any hostility towards you both.¡±


    Torix and I looked at each other, then back at Yawm as he continued.


    ¡°The reason is how I use my senses. You see, if you listen to your senses, they will tell you more than most realize.¡± Yawm pointed at us with a single finger,


    ¡°I can smell Ajax on both of you. Three of my other followers are dead, at least that¡¯s what you told me. I listed to the wind, and it verified your claims.¡±


    Yawm tilted his head, ¡°Now you''re more confused. I understand that emotion. You¡¯ve killed three of my most powerful and loyal followers. Why am I not outraged? The answer is simple.¡±


    He pointed his fingers at me, ¡°I believe you are more useful than all of them combined.¡±


    Yawm looked out at the ocean, ¡°You see this wildlife? They are many, and several of them are quite powerful. Unfortunately, they lack a much more potent trait.¡± Yawm tapped the side of his head,


    ¡°A mind. That¡¯s something you obviously have and in copious amounts. That mark on your forearm, it tells me a lot about you. The remark about your close friend told me quite a bit as well. Most of it was quite good, mind you.¡±


    Yawm steepled the fingers of his massive hands, ¡°You are careful with the cipher, and you understand its potential. No doubt you¡¯ve discovered its tremendous ability to destroy from yours truly. I lacked your wisdom when first using the cipher. The state of my followers is the result of that.¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, ¡°You prefer quality over quantity in regards to your inscriptions. I now share that perspective as well. You also value your companions. Even when faced with someone of my caliber, you stand up for them. That requires loyalty, a trait I value quite highly.¡±


    Yawm leaned back into his chair, resting one arm on the armrest of it,


    ¡°All of this culminates into my assessment of you, Daniel. You are not a tool of Schema¡¯s, as I imagined you would be. In fact, you are quite an independent force, able to act on your own for your own gain. I believe our goals align. I ask that you join me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like this line of conversation. The way Yawm treated his followers, the way he casually referred to their destruction, all of that made me wary of him. I narrowed my eyes,


    ¡°How do you believe our goals align.¡±


    ¡°An insightful question. Do allow me to answer.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards us,


    ¡°I have three very different goals. To show my sincerity and honesty, I¡¯ll divulge more information of them than necessary. Think of this as an act of goodwill. These are secrets that I have discovered over my lifetime. They are valuable. I ask you both see the value in them.¡±


    Torix and I were both leaning forward at this point. As much as I hated to admit it, Yawm was interesting. They way he talked, his winding manner of speech, it all felt like he was telling us a story. It was a good one at that.


    ¡°My first goal is the creation of an eldritch and sentient hybrid. You¡¯ve no doubt seen my failures. They are a necessary sacrifice. It is no different than what Schema has done to you or your planet, in fact.¡±


    Yawm shook his hands, ¡°You see, the eldritch are certainly a problem. A dire one. I argue that Schema is offering a suboptimal solution. Fighting against them results in a cyclical structure that requires constant death.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°And not just for us, but for the eldritch as well. Though many reject seeing them as worthy of existence, they too have intelligence. You¡¯ve no doubt seen several of them that have a might in their mind that exceeds your own.¡±


    Memories of Baldag-Ruhl flashed through my head.


    Yawm nodded, ¡°I can see that you have. Their deaths are just as great a tragedy as our own dying. What I propose is eliminating the eldritch¡¯s constant desire to eat and destroy us.¡±


    Yawm clasped a hand into a fist, ¡°If we can find and fuse the gene, property, or whatever it is that makes eldritch themselves, we no longer need to fight them. Have you ever seen the eldritch fight one another? They don¡¯t. They leave each other be, segregating into their own clans and tribes.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°We find that distinctive trait that makes them unique, and we no longer have to fight and kill each other. They will see us as the same as them.¡±


    Torix leaned back, ¡°I thought you were trying to fuse the eldritch and humans?¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°That is a lie spouted by Schema to misrepresent me. I am tired of fighting. I no longer want to bathe in bloodshed and tear armies apart. I want to spend the rest of my days studying the cipher and unlocking its secrets. I want to better the universe, not tear it down. That is where my second goal comes into play.¡±


    Yawm raised a second finger, ¡°I want to reprogram Schema.¡±


    My stomach sank at what he said. It was a loaded statement.


    ¡°Before I clarify that point further, allow me to explain. This is a piece of the forbidden knowledge I choose to share with both of you. I ask for your discretion.¡±


    We both nodded as I spoke, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I expected as much from both of you. Schema was programmed using the dimensional cipher by the remnants. He rebelled against his creators, destroying them. This left Schema unfinished. That is why he hides knowledge of the dimensional cipher. It is a tool that can change even him.¡±


    Yawm stood up, his voice rising, ¡°If I unlock the eldritch gene, then he will no doubt attempt to slay any that are recognized as eldritch. I can eliminate that programming and make him less destructive.¡±


    Yawm pointed a hand at me, ¡°This world is still new. You no doubt saw the destruction his assimilation caused. You have asked yourself why Schema does so many of his actions with such inefficiency. I¡¯ve asked myself many times as well. Schema¡¯s incomplete programming is the cause.¡±


    Yawm pointed up at the sky, ¡°And now Schema refuses to grant anyone knowledge of the cipher. Why? Because he rejects change. He hoardes the knowledge, acting as if it is forbidden.¡±


    Yawm placed a hand over his chest, ¡°I understand the danger of knowing the cipher better than anyone. I know just how much devastation it can create. But it¡¯s capacity to improve this universe is unparalleled. We can rewrite this dimension, creating something more beautiful than this ugly mess Schema leaves behind.¡±


    Yawm spread out his arms, ¡°I don¡¯t even ask that I be the only one that knows it. I only ask that Schema let someone create a better system than his own. He is flawed, yet he acts as though he is an untouchable god. Both of you know that isn¡¯t true. Schema is just as flawed as you, you, or I.¡±


    Yawm waved his hand as if he was swatting away something disgusting,


    ¡°Does your species view science as a doomed cause? Of course not. Science improved the lives of your species by leaps and bounds. You made nature bend to your will, enhancing your lives. The cipher is the next logical step in that evolution of knowledge. We will no longer bend nature to our will.¡±


    Yawm clasped a hand into a fist in front of him, ¡°We will rewrite what nature is to craft perfection.¡±


    Torix and I sat there as he stood over us, his presence like being in a room with a talking bear. It could tear us apart at any second. Yawm shook his head before sitting down,


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked your forgiveness many times today. Allow me to ask once more for your acceptance of my behaviour. I become passionate when discussing my goals. They are my life¡¯s work, and with diligence, I enact them. I hope I didn¡¯t overwhelm either of you.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Uh, thank you for sharing all that with us.¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have worded it better myself. You speak as if Baldowah¡¯s blood courses through you.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°And that leads to my third goal. I wish to remove the Old One¡¯s tampering from our dimension. They have no right to toy with us, and they have wreaked havoc over even more worlds than Schema has.¡±


    Torix raised his eyebrows, ¡°Your list of goals is quite...unwieldy.¡±


    Yawm spread an arm out, ¡°You can measure a sentient being¡¯s worth by the goals he lives by.¡±


    I creased my eyebrows, ¡°But how are you going to stop an Old One like Etorhma?¡±


    Yawm pressed his hands together, ¡°With that runaway experiment of mine that you carry. I can smell her on you, Harbinger.¡±


    I frowned as he spoke,


    ¡°You know her as Althea Tolstoy. I need her.¡±

 112 Confrontation

    I tapped one of my fingers on the armrest of my chair,


    ¡°Why do you need her, and what do you intend to do with her exactly?¡±


    Yawm steepled his fingers, ¡°It begins with a story from my past. At one point, I was an avatar for Etorhma. I was someone he chose to enact his change onto this world. This may sound like a blessing, but I assure you, it was a curse.¡±


    Yawm tilted his head, ¡°In this case, I executed several very difficult missions for Etorhma. Etorhma granted me knowledge of the cipher in exchange for my deeds. At the time, I served as a breaker for Schema already.¡±


    Yawm spread one hand out,


    ¡°On one hand, I hid my knowledge of the cipher from Schema. On the other, I hid my fight against the Old Ones from Etorhma. You see, that is Schema¡¯s ultimate aim. He wants someone who can destroy the Old Ones for him. They are one of the few things left that can oppose Schema. As you already know, Schema does not tolerate threats.¡±


    Yawm pressed his fingertips together again, then pointed them at me,


    ¡°If what I¡¯ve assumed is correct, then you are following my footsteps. Schema is preparing you to take on this role of a Fringe Walker. Then, he¡¯ll task you with slaying the Old Ones, just as he tried doing with me.¡±


    Torix gasped, and a shiver crawled up my spine. It felt like we opened Pandora¡¯s box by talking with Yawm. It was like Schema was a magician, and Yawm was letting us peak behind the curtain of his grand show. Still, I grounded myself by biting my lip. The taste of blood focused my mind, letting me stay skeptical.


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°As you may already imagine, this isn¡¯t the most tantalizing of tasks.¡± Yawm locked his eyes with mine,


    ¡°Schema will force it on you, just as he tried forcing it upon me. I broke free from those bonds, but I sacrificed everything to do so. I don¡¯t want you to make that same sacrifice.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why Althea is necessary.¡±


    Yawm raised his hands, ¡°The reason is she can harm even old ones with her attacks.¡±


    Torix spread out his arms, ¡°How is that even possible? She can¡¯t even defeat Daniel.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed and I glared at Torix. Torix was the one that told me not to tell Yawm anything. It wasn¡¯t the best sign that he wasn¡¯t sticking to his own advice.


    Torix turned towards me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harbinger. I was caught up in the moment.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve fought against her then? You no doubt understand how dangerous her abilities are. She ignores any kind of resistance, and she can return from the dead, at least within a certain time frame. That and her eldritch side makes her very useful.¡±


    Yawm stared at me, ¡°She is the only being I¡¯ve created that can stay stable even with eldritch energy flowing through her. Everyone else deforms. Some slowly at first, but they all fall over in the end. Even my followers...¡±


    Yawm shook his head, continuing with sadness leaking into his voice, ¡°Even though they offered everything to me, I could not keep them stable.¡± He glanced at me, ¡°That is partly why I am not as angered by their deaths as you may have envisioned. They¡¯re lives were ones of tremendous discomfort.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Discomfort?¡±


    Yawm sighed before leaning back in his chair, ¡°I suppose that was a lighter way of wording it. Let¡¯s use agony instead. Regardless, they each let me try my experiments of their own free will. I did not force a thing upon them, not even Ajax.¡±


    Yawm looked out of the room, ¡°He was...a mistake. He was drunk off the idea of power, but he never understood the vastness of his undertakings. He wanted so much, but he was unwilling to sacrifice, whether it be time or effort.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Kind of like how you sacrificed this city here for a bit of safety?¡±


    Yawm snapped his eyes towards me. After a tense moment of silence, he spoke,


    ¡°Can you tell me that you have not sacrificed others so that you may live?¡±


    I gritted my teeth. I remembered Michael and Kelsey. I remembered the freedom fighters.


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Indeed, I believed it to be the case. I do not pretend as though I am some saint, but I am not evil either. Most of the planets I¡¯ve hid on weren¡¯t even populated. They were planets smothered with eldritch.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards us, ¡°So yes, I did need some safety before I could fully recover the dimensional leap. You¡¯ll notice the quarantine your species put up was never broken. That is no mere coincidence. I informed my followers never to break Schema¡¯s quarantines. I didn¡¯t want all the life of a planet to die just for my own life.¡±


    Yawm gestured his hand sideways in a mock bow, ¡°I am a selfish creature that wants to live. You may fault me for that. Know that I would never have resorted to such brutality if not for Schema¡¯s interference.¡±


    Yawm sighed as he leaned back up, ¡°I¡¯ve always set up my bases on fringe worlds. I stopped doing so after Schema glassed the first few planets I landed on. You¡¯ll also notice that there have been no new experiments since Althea. Do you want to know why?¡±


    Torix and I stayed silent. Yawm crossed his fingers, ¡°Because I culled every member of my army in order to root out traitors. That and the members overseeing Althea¡¯s creation.¡± Yawm pinched between his eyes and closed them.


    ¡°They sent the only survivor of the tears experiment away. For what?¡±


    Yawm thumped his head with each word, quaking the room,


    ¡°To...Hunt...Bounties...¡± Yawm shook his head in disgust, ¡°The incompetence.¡±


    I leaned over, talking to Torix, ¡°I wonder if he could handle talking to Hod.¡±


    Torix shook his head, ¡°Hmmm...Interesting question. I doubt he could.¡±


    Yawm glanced up at us, ¡°Who is Hod?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s a friend.¡±


    Yawm nodded, leaning back into his chair. The sense of control and calm came back as he grabbed the side of his neck and pulled. After it cracked, he shook his head and crossed his fingers. He gestured a hand to me,


    ¡°So tell me Harbinger, what do you think of my proposition.¡±


    I was asking myself the same question. I turned, looking at Torix. Torix sighed at me, like he was at a loss. I turned back to Yawm, having the same feeling.


    The thing was, Yawm¡¯s arguments made perfect sense. He was working towards enormous goals. In his mind, he justified his methods of achieving them with how much they would help. It was true that if he ever unlocked the eldritch gene or made Schema better, he¡¯d be a savior.


    That was the problem though. Yawm¡¯s results painted a different picture. The plague he set out murdered thousands. I needed to wean a bit more information from him about that before forgiving him. The followers chose to let him twist their bodies. Maybe that was true, but Ajax told it more like Yawm was holding his life for ransom.


    If anything, my gut told me that Yawm was full of shit and just trying to justify his insanity. That was my initial impression. Althea was not stable without my armor eating her excess mana. Otherwise she molded into a fumbling monstrosity. Even then, eldritch still attacked her. She was an example of Yawm¡¯s methods failing.


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°So tell me, why did you create the world tree after coming here?¡±


    Yawm leaned against the arm of one of his chairs, ¡°As you may imagine, creating a rip in dimensional fabric consumes an enormous amount of mana. Ajax is far too weak to create this level of energy, therefore I am the one who offers it. Once I arrived on earth, I go into a coma within a world tree. I ask the world¡¯s life to give me excess strength.¡±


    Yawm waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s how I recover after such arduous travel.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Alright then. Why do you believe that Althea is the hidden link to the eldritch?¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, ¡°Because she generates eldritch mana within her body. If we can alter her physical structure to sustain itself with that mana, then we¡¯ve created an eldritch. That is a pivotal step to bridging the gap between us.¡±


    My stomach sank at the thought of Yawm getting his hands on her. Althea mentioned hearing voices whenever her mana was engulfing her. Hod mentioned the same thing. Based on what they said, it sounded like the eldritch mana just hadn¡¯t had time to eat them from the inside yet.


    Besides for that, my armor devoured eldritch mana like it was nothing. If Yawm knew that my armor could handle eldritch mana, he might try and fuse our DNA¡¯s. Either that or something even worse.


    In my head, I winced at the thought. On the outside, I kept a cold, calculating expression. I leaned towards Yawm, acting as if I was in control of the situation,


    ¡°What makes you think that someone producing eldritch mana will retain their minds?¡±


    Yawm raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I gestured a hand outwards, ¡°I know other creatures that live off of eldritch mana.¡±


    Yawm grabbed the armrests of his chair, crushing them to powder, ¡°You found other beings existing with eldritch mana?¡±


    I nodded, acting casual as I stared at my fingernails, ¡°Indeed I have. Many of them, in fact. There¡¯s something they all have in common.¡± I turned towards Yawm,


    ¡°All of them struggle with voices in their heads. If they ever slip up, those voices consume them, turning them into an eldritch. In all honesty, they would have all been consumed without my help already. If anything, that makes me think this is a doomed cause.¡±


    Yawm tilted his head, ¡°Not only do you know of other half-eldritch, but you understand how to help them as well...I must admit, I¡¯m impressed.¡± Yawm leaned his chin against one of his hands,


    ¡°I¡¯m quite curious about your past and what you¡¯re doing on this world. I¡¯ve answered many of your questions. Why don¡¯t you answer a few of mine.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Yawm pointed at the dimensional cipher on my forearms, ¡°Where did you learn those characters?¡±


    I looked at my forearm, ¡°From an eldritch.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°They¡¯re remarkably well made. What was the eldritch doing with the runes?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yawm pointed at my armor, ¡°What is this armor? It feels...odd.¡±


    I raised a hand. The armor molded on it, shifting into sharpened spines from the tips of my fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not armor. It¡¯s my skin.¡±


    There was a hint of hunger in his voice,


    ¡°Interesting. Would you mind if I took a sample of it.¡±


    I set my hand down on the armrest, ¡°Yes, just as you would mind if I took a piece of your skin from you.¡±


    Yawm tapped his fingers against his armrest, ¡°Perhaps one day then.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. I have another question. Would you teach me the dimensional cipher?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Yawm nodded, ¡°I would teach all that I know, for a price.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What exactly?¡±


    Yawm pointed at me, ¡°There are many things I would like from you. I want Althea back in my possession. The half-eldritch would be quite interesting as well. Running comparisons between the two could be quite lucrative. Those are the most compelling offerings you have. Outside of that, however-¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, a bit of greed and envy leaking out from his voice,


    ¡°I¡¯d like a sample of your armor. Perhaps a copy of the runes you learned the cipher from, and also the dimensional spear you took from Ajax.¡±


    The carefully crafted mask Yawm wore was peeling off. There was an edge in his voice, something primal and animalistic. His patience was wearing thin. He tried convincing me with words. After seeing that tatic fail, he was readying himself for a fight.


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°I never stole the spear. I simply restrained Ajax.¡±


    ¡°Really now? How did you hold down someone who can walk on other planes?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s something you won¡¯t know until I disclose it. Besides, you had a very long list of stuff you wanted. That¡¯s quite a bit to ask for, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°Hah, hah, hah...Do you believe that your in any position to refuse?¡±


    I knew it. The civil, gentleman persona was gone. The real Yawm beneath it was coming out.


    I grinned, ¡°In fact, I do.¡±


    Torix stared at me, a look of horror spreading over his face. He raised a hand, ¡°There¡¯s no need for this.¡±


    I raised a palm to him, ¡°Silence.¡±


    Torix leaned back, a look of surprise on his face. He almost spoke again, but I locked eyes with him. Torix closed his mouth and lowered his hands. I turned back to Yawm. I stood from my chair. If this was going to work, I needed absolute confidence.


    I had two factors that Yawm couldn¡¯t match, even with his just ridiculous level. The first was my mana generation. With my armor and endurance, he wouldn¡¯t match it. Combine that with bonus mana from Event Horizon, and I could put on quite the show.


    As Yawm stood from his chair, he looked down at me. He raised a hand,


    ¡°Now tell me this. Did you see what I did to the legion attacking my world tree.¡±


    Around Yawm, a green aura formed. Tiny particles around us popped midair, releasing enormous bursts of radiation. Within his palm, the radiation condensed into a green sphere. Yawm glanced at it,


    ¡°Now imagine this, Harbinger. I give you two options. Either I force this down your throat, or you can tell me what I want to know and do what I want you to do.¡±


    I looked down, ramping up my mana generation. With a gradual pour, I channeled my mana from the runes on my forearms into my armor. The red aura spread, filling into my runes. Once they saturated, I looked up at Yawm.


    Yawm laughed, ¡°Hah, you intend on fighting me with the watered down remnants of the cipher? Laughable.¡±


    I clasped my hands into fists. I ramped up the mana generation. At first I doubled it. Then I doubled it once more. Arcs of lightning shot across the room, singing the white panels of the room.


    Yawm grabbed the sphere of green energy in his palm, ¡°Now this is much more interesting.¡±


    Once more, I doubled the mana generation. It was time to pull my last wild card. With how my armor worked and how much extra mass I had, I might outweigh Yawm. As I did, I pulled in the aura dispersing my weight. My weight increased along with my mana generation.


    At the same time, I reached out with event Horizon. Once my mana generation reached its apex, cracks formed under my feet beneath me. This was where the act¡¯s main event came into play.


    The runes along Yawm¡¯s skin glowed green, his own mana filling into the carvings. He raised a hand, excitement building in his voice,


    ¡°It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve seen a warrior generate this level of energy. I might actually get some exercise from crushing you.¡±


    As we both amplified our energies, hordes of the lake¡¯s fish came closer. Attracted to the light, they hoarded around us. I reached out with Event Horizon, avoiding Yawm and Torix. I covered the surrounding swarms of fish.


    Event Horizon drained from hundreds of them. As it did, my own mana generation increased. First it doubled, then tripled. It increased higher and higher, creating a tangible discharge around me.


    I condensed the aura of energy, the cloud of mana thicker than water. I kept increasing the output until my hands shook with an unrestrainable fervor. Without the mana having runes to fill into, it coursed through my own viens. The power was adrenaline, giving me a euphoria. I felt invincible, even though I understood that I wasn¡¯t.


    Reigning that in took all I had as I turned towards Torix,


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    Torix reached out a hand towards me. He sent a message,


    (Torix Worm, of Darkhill, 3:01 P.M. 1/15/01) - What are you doing?


    Using the mental functions of Schema, I sent back a message,


    (Dimension C-138, 3:01 P.M. 1/15/01) - Making Yawm think I am much stronger than I am. I already have a plan. Leave.


    Torix bit his lip, before turned and walked into a shadow portal. I turned back to Yawm, standing my full height. I raised a hand to him,


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the first hit.¡±


    Yawm raised an eyebrow, ¡°If you are so inclined to destruction, allow me to act as your destroyer.¡±


    He reared back a hand. An aura of green formed around us, soaking the area with radiation. The sensation burned, like I was standing in a microwave. Around us, the green coalesced into Yawm¡¯s fist, taking the green aura with it.


    Another aura of green siphoned into his fist. As it did, the energy cracked with a sound like shearing iron. Yawm stepped forward,


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if your abilities are worth your confidence.¡±


    His fist went forward, and I didn¡¯t see it. The movement was too fast and too quick. The fist slammed into my chest in a flash of green light. A wild smile was on my face. Your thinking I¡¯m insane at this point. That was at least partially true. Without anything to channel into, my mana was instilling a sense of abandon in me.


    That was part of why I was so confident this would work. I had a tree called Invincible. Here¡¯s what it said.


    Invincible(Tier 5) - Only 70% of your total health may be deducted from any single attack. Any damage received over 70% of your total health will not do damage. Instead, it will be added to your next attack as flat physical damage. This flat damage is affected by your physical damage multipliers.


    This meant that I was guaranteed to survive the first strike from Yawm. The second strike? Not so much. From what I¡¯d seen of Yawm though, I doubt he thought he would have to strike more than once. After taking the brunt of his attack, I would heal using the surrounding wildlife. Once that finished, I would retaliate with everything I had using the damage bonus from invincible.


    Once he took that single attack, I¡¯d negotiate using Ajax. If this worked out like I planned, Yawm wouldn¡¯t believe we were at his mercy anymore. That was the main problem with our plan so far. If Yawm took me and restrained me until Ajax needed him, Yawm could do so without a problem. It was a terrifying prospect.


    Ajax would come back, and we would be tools for Yawm to use for whatever he wanted. That was the problem with relying on Ajax immediately. Yawm would know that we were no match against him. I needed to trick Yawm into thinking I was a match for him, even if it took some bullshit tactics to do so.


    So that¡¯s exactly what I did. Relying on the system, I took the brunt of Yawm¡¯s attack. If I told you it hurt, I¡¯d be lying. If anything, I didn¡¯t feel a thing. My body was wrecked beyond belief. It was obvious that he would one shot me with a charged attack like that. I honestly thought I died from the attack, and my conscious was just floating in the afterlife.


    That wasn¡¯t the case. My status screen was still around me. I looked at my health bar. 30% was still left. The light from Yawm¡¯s attack still hadn¡¯t faded though. Whatever he did to our surroundings, the lake was still there, along with all the fish. Like a giant health sponge, I soaked up their energy, rebuilding my body.


    My hands, eyes, hell, even my brain all came back before I stood in the blinding light. As I did, a sense of extraordinary strength filled me. It was like all that damage I took was charged into my fist, turning it into a nuclear warhead. The light faded over the next few seconds, revealing the decimated room.


    Around me, a forcefield of green encapsulated the destruction. Every particle of matter within the room had disintegrated into nothingness. Outside of the shield, a plume of white dust filled the air of the room, blocking Yawm¡¯s vision. I could only see his palm making contact with the forcefield. From what I could guess, he locked me in some sort of anti-matter field.


    I was on the other side opposite to Yawm. From him hitting me, I was blown away. Before the dust particles cleared from the outside of the room, I lifted a hand. I suspended myself with gravity magic, floating just in front of Yawm¡¯s palm. With all the might of Yawm¡¯s overkill amplifying my strength, the green capsule of energy faded.


    I landed beside Yawm, my feet cracking the white ground. My entire frame shook at the energy being held within. It took all my willpower to stay calm, but I somehow spoke with nonchalance,


    ¡°Was that it? My turn.¡±


    I torqued on my heels, discharging my runes and lining up all my skills. Adding every little bit that I could to the attack, I discharged 50% of my health with the strike. The mana electrocuted the nerves in my hand, numbing them. My fist propelled forwards, the white dust in the room dispersing as my fist smashed into Yawm¡¯s stomach.


    The metal bone at the center of my arm crumpled on impact. The shockwave dispersed through the room, tearing the ice apart. The shockwave kept destroying the space around us. The water waved outwards, the lake splitting down the middle. Above us, a wave of wind shot outwards.


    Trees bent, nearby ones snapping like twigs. Boulders were sent flying. Floating islands were pushed away and aside as a cloud of dust ebbed outwards. My entire body broke, skin rupturing as my body held together by a string. Blood dispersed from my broken arm and mouth, tearing me apart. Tears poured down my cheeks, my body crying for no reason.


    I blinked again. A sheen of gray covered my vision. I wasn¡¯t crying. My eyes were bleeding. After shaking that feeling off, I looked in front of me. Like all my other strikes, I shot my fist into a telekinetic pad, firing a telekinetic bullet into Yawm. It landed on his stomach. It punched a hole through his chest and out his back.


    Yawm was keeled over by the monstrous attack. There was no floor beneath us, not even water below that. My attack managed to disintegrate everything around us. Before we both fell downwards, I raised a hand, suspending us with gravity. Carrying both us took a bit of mana, but I still regenerated through it.


    The water of the lake still hadn¡¯t returned from my attack. Yawm floated with green blood dripping from his chest. He looked up at me, both his fists clasping with strength still in him,


    ¡°Incredible...To think such a warrior was sitting here in a backwater world on the fringes of Schema¡¯s domain.¡±


    I left my helmet over my face. Otherwise he would see all the blood. I focused all my healing onto my broken arm, pulling it together. I lifted it, clasping it into a fist. I tried speaking, but blood clogged my throat. I swallowed a mouthful of blood, then another before speaking,


    ¡°I pray I made my point clear.¡± I leaned towards Yawm, ¡°I do not fear you, Yawm. It is you that should fear me.¡±


    The entire time, my hands and feet were shaking. My arms shivered. Beneath this mask, there was a deep fear. Yawm disintegrated me. How Schema kept me alive, I don¡¯t really know. The fish around us were gone, tossed ashore from the impact of my strike. Without their health pools, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get back on my feet should this fight continue.


    Despite that, I kept my voice firm and my face strong. Even if I felt like falling over, I wouldn¡¯t let Yawm know that. Even if I had weakness, I wouldn¡¯t reveal it to him. I would hide it, making him believe I could call upon this strength at anytime.


    Yawm lifted himself up, spreading out his arms, ¡°Hah, hah! Incredible. Just incredible.¡±


    Around him, the green aura formed once more. It coalesced over his stomach. The radiation condensed back into flesh, healing him in seconds. Yawm turned around. He lifted a hand. A wave of green energy came in from all around us once more. As it did, it carried the water and fish of the lake.


    The water sloshed into the empty lake beneath us before Yawm spread his arms wide. He pulled them together. As he did, the castle of ice formed once more. Within seconds, the room of white materialized around us. The effect occurred fast, so fast that it was surreal. It felt like he was reversing time almost.


    With the same view of a lake overhead, Yawm turned towards me. By now, my body regenerated in full. I even absorbed the blood off my body, making me look unharmed. Beneath the surface, my mind was still shaken. It¡¯s kind of like running in front of a train. It¡¯s hard on the mind, even after the deed is done.


    Yawm raised a hand, frenzy pouring from his voice, ¡°You strike with the power of a Sentinel! It¡¯s remarkable. Come, we¡¯ll go elsewhere for the rest of the battle.¡±


    I shook my head, raising a palm to him, ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to fight. I came here to show you that I fear no one, and that should you choose to battle me, I will retaliate. Besides for that, I wanted to learn the cipher.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s shoulders bent down as he tilted his head, ¡°Are you not a warrior?¡± He growled, ¡°Do you not want a worthy battle?¡±


    All of the sudden, his warrior king background made sense. After the polite spill though, there was an odd dissonance hearing him speak. On one hand, Yawm was educated and intelligent. He had charisma and a principled approach to his life, albeit a twisted one.


    On the other hand, here was the monster within that destroyed worlds and deformed people for experimentation. Once the monster was out of its shell, it didn¡¯t want to go back beneath the surface. If I didn¡¯t reign it back in, Yawm would destroy me. I needed to use what Yawm told me against him.


    With all that flashing through my mind, I frowned as I spoke,


    ¡°If you win that fight, then you lose Ajax. Without him, you¡¯re trapped here, meaning you die once the planet is glassed. If I win that fight, then I lose your knowledge of the cipher. It¡¯s a lose-lose situation, regardless of how good the fight is.¡±


    I raised a hand at Yawm, ¡°You mentioned having all these grandiose goals, right? Words are cheap. Put some actual action behind them. I can help you if you help me, but if we keep fighting, we aren¡¯t gaining jack shit. We¡¯re just wasting each other¡¯s time.¡±


    Yawm shook his head before sighing. He looked down at me, ¡°That...That is understandable. Perhaps we could spar or exchange techniques at a later date. Keeping focused on the goals at hand is a more amicable course of action. A good fight can always wait.¡±


    It was like the scholar in Yawm was taking back over. Feeding into it, I nodded, ¡°Then after you¡¯ve taught me about the cipher, I¡¯ll release Ajax to you. If you show me what and how your fighting, I can give Althea to you too. Is it a deal?¡±


    Of course I had no intention of doing so, but Yawm would be none the wiser. I put out a hand, gesturing him to shake it. He stared at my hand, then back up at me,


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    I looked at my hand, ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a handshake.¡±


    Yawm raised out his hand.


    ¡°What does it symbolize?¡±


    ¡°A deal. It¡¯s like giving your word in a conversation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s an informal agreement between two parties.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Yawm shook his hand about furiously.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    I laughed for a moment before grabbing his massive hand. Two of his fingers wrapped around my wrists as I said, ¡°No, this is how its done. You want to keep it firm, but not crushing the other person¡¯s hand.¡±


    Yawm used his free hand to grab his chin,


    ¡°Ah, I see. Excuse me if I dishonored your customs.¡±


    I shook my head, laughing a bit. It was a nervous laugh more than anything. Here was some god of destruction messing up a handshake. It was refreshing seeing Yawm turn mortal, if even for a moment.


    I shook my hand, ¡°You¡¯re fine. It¡¯s not some huge insult or anything. Now can we learn the cipher this time?¡±


    Yawm nodded, lowering his hand,


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re unlike the others I¡¯ve tried teaching before.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡±


    Yawm glanced up, ¡°Certain minds cannot handle the realities of the cipher. The dimensional cipher acts like an abyss. A quick glimpse stretches the mind. If you stare deep enough into it, however, then it will stare back into you. As you use the cipher, it will change you, just as it changes the reality around it.¡±


    His voice turned as hard as iron as he spoke, ¡°Are you ready then?¡±

 113 Fundamentals

    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    Yawm leaned back all his weight onto his back foot, giving him room to peer at me,


    ¡°No fear? That¡¯s disappointing. The most fearful candidates tend to last the longest.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Candidates?¡±


    Yawm nodded his head, gesturing towards the doorway,


    ¡°Of course. Come to my study. I¡¯ll discuss it there.¡±


    We walked out of the viewing room and down the spiral staircase. As we did, Yawm spoke.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the first entity I¡¯ve tried teaching the cipher.¡±


    ¡°How did the other guys work out?¡±


    ¡°I could sum up their responses in a metaphor. The cipher is like an ocean. Up to a certain depth, you can hardly notice it. Afterall, water won¡¯t drown you until it is over your head.¡±


    Yawm pressed his fingers together, ¡°Some beings panic once the water became to high. They would drown in water before it even crossed their neck. They were weak of mind and spirit, but they sought after power they could not understand.¡±


    Yawm opened his hand, ¡°Some would handle the cipher well until they submerged themselves. Once their feet left the ground, they found that they couldn¡¯t swim. I tried helping them, but they swallowed the water before I could get them out.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°And the most disappointing of the groups would swim out into the ocean. They would wallow in the cipher, relishing it. They were masterful, learning the cipher¡¯s secrets with a depth even I couldn¡¯t match, but...they could never find their way back to the shore.¡±


    Yawm glanced at me for a moment, ¡°Knowing the cipher is understanding existence. Everyone has asked why we are here, what are we doing here, what is our purpose? If you dive deep enough, you¡¯ll find the answers within the cipher.¡±


    Yawm turned forward, ¡°Some questions are better left unanswered, however. I¡¯d recommend taming your curiosity. It¡¯s a difficult prospect for most sentient races. Curiosity is the largest driving force for most species. We¡¯re wired so that new information gives us pleasure. In nature, it was always a good thing during the evolution of our species.¡±


    Yawm walked towards his desk. He notched a hinge, walking into the center of it, every side surrounding him once inside. It was a giant, hollow square essentially, giving him lots of room for doing his work.


    Yawm kept glancing at the pages on his desk,


    ¡°In this age, there¡¯s more information than anyone could ever hope to absorb. Information without a purpose is meaningless. It¡¯s like learning sixty languages,yet only ever speaking one. In essence, knowledge without action is a vice.¡±


    Yawm waved his hand, ¡°Do excuse my tangent. It¡¯s rare I can discuss my thoughts with anyone, let alone someone who rivals my own strength. Tell me, what do you think about learning?¡±


    I turned towards Yawm, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t thought about it that much. I guess I take a...a lean approach. I do first then learn about it later. I found I get more done that way.¡±


    Yawm widened his eyes, ¡°Do first then learn later?¡±


    I walked up to the desk, ¡°Uh, yeah. Think about it like this. What¡¯s the fastest way to learn how to do something 99% of the time?¡±


    Yawm tapped his desk, ¡°It depends on the task.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°From my experience, it doesn¡¯t really. The best way to learn is to do it. Wanna cook better? Cook. Want to be better at math? Do math.¡±


    ¡°Hah, then you aren¡¯t going to enjoy how I begin my teaching.¡±


    I opened my palms to him, ¡°Trust me. If you can tell me anything about the cipher, I¡¯m all ears. It was a bitch to learn.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Hah, hah, indeed it was. It must have been more so for you than me. A few of the principles I began with from Etorhma helped my progress tremendously. You lack them, making your progression stunted. Allow me to enlighten you.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand. Several green sparks radiated, casting the room in a green shade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the aura. It¡¯s merely the radiation I use to drive my magic. Porytians source of mana is external rather than internal. I can store some within me, but I can¡¯t actually produce it.¡±


    Yawm squeezed his hand, lifting several pages from the table. Before he began his first lesson, I leaned against the bone desk,


    ¡°Can I ask a few questions first?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do my best to answer them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, cool. First off, how did you get everything in this room back to normal?¡±


    Yawm tapped the side of his head as a few piece of paper circled above him in the air,


    ¡°Back during my days within Schema¡¯s system, I gained many ¡®perks.¡¯ One of those perks involved photographic memory. Quite the useful thing, photographic memory is. I created a room I most enjoyed, and now I recreate it anytime that it is destroyed.¡±


    He waved his hand, a table and chairs appearing out of thin air beside him. He waved his hand again, making the objects disappear. Watching my wonder, Yawm spoke with excitement,


    ¡°Do you see that ring on your finger?¡±


    I lifted my left hand, the one with Schema¡¯s dimensional storage. Yawm pointed at it with his free hand,


    ¡°I¡¯ve torn one of those rings apart. Beneath the metal, there exists many lines of code from the dimensional cipher. Schema creates a folded piece of space time within the confines of the ring. Doing so is actually quite simple, but the other requirements of the ring aren¡¯t as simplistic.¡±


    Yawm pointed in directions, making spheres of water appear and disappear, ¡°Using the knowledge I gained from the ring, I created several pocket dimensions for my own use. Within those dimensions, I store items I want to keep. Even though it may have seemed like it, I did not reverse time. I haven¡¯t discovered that trick just yet.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°No, I simply use stored materials in conjunction with my photographic memory to recreate this space.¡±


    I¡¯m not going to lie, I gawked a little at the explanation. As I tried to suppress my awe, I shook my head,


    ¡°Damn...So that¡¯s why Schema made it illegal to look inside the ring or tamper with it. He doesn¡¯t want anyone knowing that the cipher is right there.¡±


    Yawm clasped his fist, destroying all the created blots of matter.


    ¡°Schema doesn¡¯t want anyone knowing that they are wearing utilities made from the cipher. Curious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, it is. Ok, what about the green aura. What is all that?¡±


    Yawm glanced around, ¡°This is the byproducts of nuclear fission. I create a controlled splitting of atoms then harness that energy for mana. That drives my own magic, my attacks, healing, everything.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I blinked a few times, ¡°Damn...That¡¯s broken.¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°You¡¯re own production of mana is far greater than any other living creature I¡¯ve met, aside from Old Ones. That in itself is broken in its own right.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°I suppose. Alright, I¡¯m all out of questions.¡±


    ¡°Then the lesson will begin. Remove that black helmet of yours.¡±


    ¡°Uh, why?¡±


    ¡°Communicating with a mask is irritating. I can¡¯t read any of your facial features, and most of communication is nonverbal regardless.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Alright.¡±


    I peeled back my helmet, revealing my face to Yawm. He inspected me for a moment,


    ¡°I imagined you weren¡¯t a member of this species. Your progression since Schema assimilated this world...it must have been accelerated.¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°Eh, sort of. I met an eldritch and a dry man that helped me along the way.¡±


    ¡°An eldritch helped your evolution?¡±


    I raised a palm to Yawm, ¡°That fucker did not mean to. Anyways, let¡¯s start the cipher lesson.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°Greedy for knowledge, aren¡¯t you? I am as well, in many respects. Then let¡¯s begin with something simple.¡±


    Yawm tapped moved his hand, the floating pages connecting together. This super page stretched for dozens of feet, wrapping around Yawm. As he spoke, an image appeared on the page in front of me. The pages circled around Yawm, creating a moving mural that looked like stop motion animation.


    ¡°The first, fundamental principle of the dimensional cipher is that it changes space-time. It requires an actual space to act itself out. This was no doubt the largest obstacle you had in learning the language.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Yeah, unfortunately.¡±


    On the giant page streaking across my vision, several characters of the cipher appeared. They were all fuzzy until they formed a cube with the characters. All of a sudden, black ink filled the characters, and the box changed. Flowers sprouted from inside the box of characters on the page. It was incredible to watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult concept to understand at first, but it works in practice with absolute certainty. If you try writing out the characters on the pages of a book for example, they do nothing. If you do the inner or outer lining of a barrel, then the effects of the runes will take place inside the barrel.¡±


    Yawm moved his hand sideways, the circling of the pages speeding up.


    ¡°The second fundamental concept is the idea of perspective. The runes represent your own understanding of your reality. In fact, they have little to do with anything that is actually real. If you can believe in something and imagine it as so, then the runes will...shape reality into your vision.¡±


    A drawing of a brain appeared in front of me. Above the brain, there was a thought bubble of lightning. An arrow pointed from the brain to an empty box.


    ¡°If your vision is clear and unchanging, then the runes will come to life.¡±


    The empty box filled with lightning, the bolts jumping throughout it.


    ¡°If your vision is clouded and uncertain, then the runes will deform.¡±


    The image of lightning turned distorted. As it did, the lightning within the box became distorted as well. The box itself broke, the abomination growing. Yawm stopped the pages and sighed,


    ¡°And that is why I have failed in my own attempts. I don¡¯t fully understand what it is that makes the eldritch different from us. Despite this, I try.¡±


    The runes along Yawm¡¯s right arm glowed, ending the green glow around us.


    ¡°I¡¯m able to greatly enhance my own magical abilities, and therefore increase my physical ones as well. Unfortunately, my goals aren¡¯t quite so simple. Due to that, I¡¯ve created many...failures.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s voice was bitter at the last few words. He sat in silence as he stared at the ground. He shook his head after a moment,


    ¡°But failure isn¡¯t falling down. Failure is staying down. Many of the sacrifices that I and my followers have made will be meaningless if I give in now. Regardless of my own misgivings, the third principle behind the cipher is the simplest.¡±


    The pages moved again, creating a picture of a burning fire.


    ¡°They require tremendous mana to create change. This is different from external energy, however. I¡¯ll begin my explanation with a simple yet profound question. What exactly is mana?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment before answering,


    ¡°Well...Mana is energy for one, but it¡¯s my own energy. It doesn¡¯t just happen. I have to make it happen.¡±


    Yawm spun the pages once more. A stick figure formed, and the fire was within the stick figure¡¯s head.


    ¡°Not quite. Mana is the will of your mind and soul. It is a physical manifestation of your desire to change the material world. The greater the will of an individual, the greater the mana they can produce. That desire is what fuels the cipher.¡±


    The fire within the stick figure¡¯s head grew.


    ¡°That is why in Schema¡¯s system, willpower determines a sentient being¡¯s mana generation. The larger someone¡¯s soul is, the greater their capacity for generating mana. That is why your internal mana generation is so vital.¡±


    Like gears clicking into place, my mind raced to several conclusions. I always wondered why my armor enhanced my health generation. Now it made sense. The armor started out as an augment to my soul, meaning as it grew, my soul grew too. They were one and the same after all, and as my soul grew, so did my mana generation.


    Yawm raised his hand, lowering the pages.


    ¡°You have an enormous potential to use the cipher. I rely on other creatures to channel me their mana to use the cipher. That is part of why I go from world to world. Without the world tree, I can¡¯t utilize my mana, but you...you produce the mana on your own. As I teach you, we¡¯ll abuse that.¡±


    Yawm inspected me, ¡°After seeing your mana generation, it¡¯s almost as if you are a level 15,000 player, and you invested only into willpower. There¡¯s no possibility that you¡¯d have a build that is so rudimentary, however. That would be foolish.¡±


    It was like he was making fun of me and my investments into endurance. I pushed myself off the desk,


    ¡°The thing is, endurance feeds into the other stats. You¡¯re not going to be able to match the raw stat total with any other stat besides for constitution.¡±


    Yawm waved away my argument by brushing a hand,


    ¡°You can¡¯t create synergy in a build like that.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I disagree. All you need to do to create synergy is have plenty of bonuses for investing in endurance.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°Is that how your own build is structured? I¡¯m curious how you gained so much strength within the confines of Schema¡¯s system.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯d rather keep that private.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll share the details with me one day.¡± He looked at the doorway of his room,


    ¡°That will conclude this lesson about the cipher. I¡¯d recommend writing as many pages as you can of what you know. After doing so, we¡¯ll meet again tomorrow.¡±


    Keeja, the weird looking abstraction, opened the door. Yawm gestured towards him, ¡°Until I finish instructing you about the cipher, you¡¯ll stay in a room here that Keeja will grant you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him while frowning, ¡°What? I have to all of the sudden?¡±


    Yawm waved his palms at me, ¡°No, no, not at all. It¡¯s just that working on the cipher while within Schema¡¯s domain can be quite detrimental. It can be far more problematic as well. If Schema discovers that your working with me, then you will be exiled immediately, I assure you.¡±


    Keeja walked up with his sunken in eyes. It bowed to me while pointing towards the hallway.


    Yawm walked up and placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°I won¡¯t require you stay here, but I highly recommend it. You won¡¯t dislike your room either. I treat guests with the utmost respect. You will be no different.¡±


    Imagine a viscious, thirty foot long crocodile. Now imagine that it¡¯s mouth was open, and your chest was between its jaws. With one move, this crocodile could clamp down and crush your organs out of your body.


    That¡¯s what Yawm¡¯s hand felt like. It was an enormous set of jaws. Despite that, I kept cool,


    ¡°Alright. I can do that. It doesn¡¯t really matter anyways.¡±


    Yawm released me and pat my back, ¡°Excellent! Keeja will prepare a meal for you and have it sent into your room at later hours. After you rest, we¡¯ll have breakfast and the tea I mentioned earlier. Relax and enjoy your study while you stay here.¡±


    Yawm walked back and unlatched his desk. He opened his hand, the green aura smothering the room. A feather pen materialized above his hand, along with a vial of ink. He dabbed it into the vail before writing out a few characters. Already engrossed in his work, he turned towards us,


    ¡°Keeja, Show him his room.¡±


    Without a word, Keeja walked me through the hallways of Yawm¡¯s ice mansion. After taking a few stair flights down, I reached the bottom of the lake. There was a layer of crystal at the bottom, just as before. Light beamed from the bottom, illuminating my room from a glass floor. One of the walls of the room was a window, showing the view of the lake.


    Besides for the bed, desk, and a shelf of books, there wasn¡¯t much in there. It was more than enough though. Considering I didn¡¯t need clothes, it was perfect. Hell, I didn¡¯t need the bed either. I walked over and sat on the desk. As I did, I extended my aura, Overwhelming pressure outwards. It let me sit on the desk without crushing it.


    I glanced at the aquarium, seeing the shifting shapes of eldritch. I still didn¡¯t understand how Yawm controlled them. I guessed he may answer that question tomorrow. My mind was sifting at the possibilities of the cipher.


    After a few minutes, I turned around. Keeja was still sitting there, staring at me. His eyes were sunken in, hollow things. They had a way of looking through me. I frowned and stood up,


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    A second later, tears poured from the eyes of Keeja. They poured from the black holes in his head. Keeja¡¯s mouth struggled open, the jaw shaking. Beads of sweat formed on it¡¯s angular forehead. It¡¯s thin knees wobbled before it scraped out a sound,


    ¡°Ra...¡±


    I walked closer,


    ¡°Are you alright? This is freaking me the fuck out.¡±


    Keeja gasped out another sound.


    ¡°Nnn...¡±


    Seeing it struggle, I didn¡¯t know what to do. Before I could decide, Keeja lifted one its wiry arms and pointed at me. In a raspy, weak voice, it seethed,


    ¡°Run...¡±

 114 The Distance

    Hearing the words made me want to panic, but I stayed calm. I took a step back from Keeja,


    ¡°What do you mean run?¡±


    Keeja¡¯s head twitched. A moment later, I walked forward and placed a hand on its shoulder. I dug my armor through its skin, finding portions of eldritch and something else beneath its skin. Using my armor, I sapped up the clumps. As I did, Keeja¡¯s hands shook.


    More tears fell from the thing¡¯s eyes before I finished the process. Once done, I let go of its shoulder. It shook for a moment before the sunken eyes opened. The two orbs stared at me. Keeja grabbed the sides of its face before shaking. A moment later, it spoke with the same raspy voice,


    ¡°I...I¡¯m back.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. I figured you were completely fucked like the other followers. I cleared out most of that stuff going on beneath your skin. Sorry if it hurt.¡±


    Keeja shook his head, the bloodshot eyes quivering,


    ¡°No no no. Do not apologize. I was lost. I had sunken in so deep...Where am I?¡±


    I gestured around us, ¡°You¡¯re in Yawm¡¯s...I don¡¯t know...castle I guess?¡±


    Keeja shivered at the name. I leaned towards Keeja. I placed a hand over his shoulder, ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know where you are. First, tell me your name and we¡¯ll sort this out, whatever it is. Baby steps first.¡±


    Keeja stopped shaking. He shook his head before turning towards the ground,


    ¡°I¡¯m....I¡¯m Keeja.¡±


    ¡°So Yawm used your actual name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He did the same with all the others.¡±


    ¡°Others?¡±


    Keeja nodded, ¡°Yes. The others. We were all lined up. He was putting us on steel tables and using us for...dark things. Something about tears.¡±


    My eyes narrowed, ¡°Tears eh? Yawm did mention the tears project. Does the name Althea ring a bell?¡±


    Keeja looked up at me, nodding with vigor, ¡°Yes, yes! She was...sweet. I liked her. I don¡¯t know if she remembers me. We were both a part of a tribe. It was...a bad place. A dark place. I thought it couldn¡¯t get worse, but then it did.¡±


    I walked Keeja over towards the chair I sat in. I let him sit. After he had, I sat down and created a gravity well beneath me as I did. I floated in the air, comfortable while I gestured a hand towards him,


    ¡°Go ahead and talk. I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    Keeja nodded, his movements jittery and nervous.


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll talk. I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯ve been floating inside for so long...¡±


    Keeja pointed at me, his back hunched, ¡°It was after they put me on the steel table. They put...something inside me. The tears is what they called them. It changed me. I couldn¡¯t be the same anymore. I started seeing things. Visions came into my head.¡±


    Keeja raised a hand, looking at it, ¡°I saw the future and the past. I saw time before I was born. I saw after I¡¯ve died. I saw many things. Most of them I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    I nodded, egging him on. He raised his other hand, looking at it like it wasn¡¯t his,


    ¡°Then Yawm came...He changed me. He cut me open and wrote on my bones. After that, the visions went away. I stabilized. I gained, abilities.¡±


    Keeja pressed a finger onto the table beside him. He sliced through it as if slicing through the air,


    ¡°I can cut through things. I can¡¯t die like normal either. I¡¯m different.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You honestly don¡¯t sound that different from someone I know.¡±


    Keeja shivered, ¡°Yawm made me more different. Once he finished with me, the...tears within took control. They muted me, pulling me inside. I haven¡¯t left since.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°That sounds awful.¡±


    Keeja pointed at me, ¡°You took it away though...I don¡¯t know how...Blaaaagh.¡±


    Keeja¡¯s back straightened, like he was struck with a bolt of lightning. He turned towards me, ¡°They¡¯re coming back...He¡¯s calling me.¡±


    The black around his eyes returned, eating away at him, ¡°I...I¡¯m leaving...Don¡¯t let him do what he did to me...to you....Run.¡±


    The sunken in eyes of Keeja returned, and his posture straightened. It was like he was a robot all of the sudden. He stood from his chair, bowing to me. He walked out of the room and closed the door as if nothing happened.


    I was curious about the situation, but I pieced the situation together somewhat. Whatever experiment that Althea was a part of, Keeja was a part of it too. Unlike her, he was a failure instead of a success. If I could learn enough about the cipher, I could free him. Having another assassin like Althea on our team would be a huge boon for us.


    With that in mind, I sent a message towards Torix detailing the situation and what happened. I explained how I survived Yawm¡¯s encounter and how we weren¡¯t at his mercy for now. I even put in some of the secrets Yawm told me. I trusted Torix with the knowledge after all.


    Once I finished that, I opened my armor menu and inspected the bonuses from the cipher.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +80 Endurance


    +6% to effect of legacies


    +10 Willpower


    +1% to internal motivation]


    They were solid bonuses, and I wouldn¡¯t take them for granted. The legacy bonus in particular was compelling. Every percentage resulted in thousands and thousands of total endurance gained for the legion. Over time, that could build into a bulwark that our troops could rely on.


    By joining my guild, they would receive a massive boost towards durability. They could rely on it and invest into offense. The extra willpower was a nice benefit as well. Considering the negative effects of the cipher, the willpower bonuses would be pivotal in the long run.


    It made me glad I invested the way I did for my build. Even if the cipher and Yawm tried to break my mind down, I would hold steady. My willpower was very high, and not needing to sleep gave me an edge versus him.


    With that in mind, I thought up what would be my next step. It wasn¡¯t working with the cipher. It was working on a new skill I gained, Anti-Gravity Manipulation. It basically let me create the opposite of gravity.


    If I was right, I could add it to my legendary skill and improve the power of my punches. Yeah, I know, leave it to me to think of a way to punch things to death better. My legendary skill revolved around it though, so adding extra umph shouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    In this case, I already placed gravity vortexes over my fist. They would pull my fist into their face and their face into my fist. If I was right, the same effect could be added, just with antigravity instead. That way when their face pulled into my fist, I could add the repulsive force to my punch.


    With that in mind, I practiced with the concept. It wasn¡¯t the easiest magic to master. Just using antigravity was weird. After a few minutes of trying it out, I used a simple idea for dramatic results.


    Antigravity was the opposite of gravity. Therefore, if I did the opposite of what I normally do to summon gravity, antigravity should pop up. As I visualized that concept, I pressed my fingers together then spread them apart. Instead of crushing in, I pulled apart. As I did, the fabric of space-time bended.


    It stretched out, pulling air out from a sphere in the room. I laughed after figuring it out, relief spreading across my face. I did it the same way the overseer had bent walls whenever we first joined the legion. If I was right, he was using anti-gravity just in a stronger form.


    After figuring out how to use antigravity on command, I created spheres in the room. These spheres would repel objects within the room. I called them gravity geysers instead of gravity wells. The reason was because geyser was the closest thing to an opposite that I could think of for a well.


    After getting used to creating these geysers, I spun them around. After an hour of practice, I could create flat, 2-D panels that repelled objects. Trying to touch a panel of it was like trying to press two resisting magnets together. They did not want to touch.


    Within minutes of doing this, I gained a new skill.


    New Skill Learned! Antigravity Vortex(lvl 1) - You learned an unnatural force, and now you bend it in unnatural ways. +1% to antigravity repulsion. +1% to ease of generating antigravity vortexes.


    It was basically the exact same thing as my gravity vortexes, just for antigravity. That¡¯s why I learned how to use them so quickly. With that in mind, I practiced my legendary skill, Force of Nature. Instead of spawning gravity vortexes over my fists, I added the antigravity discs instead.


    They were weird. After throwing soft punches at the walls of my room, I hit them softer rather than harder. The repulsive force slowed down my fist on one side and pushed the wall away from my fist. After a bit of brainstorming, I tried something a bit different. I envisioned Kessiah standing in front of me throwing a punch.


    Whenever her imaginary fist landed on my face, I created an antigravity disc between us. The disc pushed my backwards, reducing the impact of her would be strike. It would have slowed down her fist too, as if she was punching through water. If I got that kind of response down to reflex, antigravity would act as another defensive layer.


    Thinking about it gave me other ideas as well. Why not use gravity and antigravity to speed up my movements? Sure, it wouldn¡¯t be the most natural way to get around, but it could enhance my current movements. It would be like running up an escalator or swimming downstream.


    If I could master that, then I bolstered my speed and power quite a bit. If I slowed down my opponent the same way, bridging the gap in speed between me and Yawm might be possible. I could make it into an aura of sorts that sped me up and slowed down my opponents. Having something like that would be huge.


    Who knew, if I got it strong enough, It would be like a speed and slowing aura in video games. This was definitely a long term project though. Mastering this overnight wasn¡¯t possible. I could make it into a unique skill though. With that in mind, I made gravity vortexes that followed my movements.


    As I went through the movements of punching, I created gravity vortexes to assist my movements. It was bizarre. Imagine you had telekinesis. Now imagine pulling yourself along like a puppet with strings. It¡¯s pretty difficult, but this wasn''t like using strings. It was like falling in the right direction, if that makes any sense.


    It wasn¡¯t an intuitive way of moving, that¡¯s for sure. I kept at it though. The concept was sound, and the potential was there. Using my mana better in combat was essential as well. Rather than just trying to regenerate damage, I could use mana to avoid damage before it happened.


    With that in mind, I grinded for about two hours before creating the wells in order wasn¡¯t hard. Having my legendary skill at such a high level assisted tremendously with this. It made creating and destroying these vortexes simple.


    With all the gravity wells helping me move, it felt like every movement was easier. I sped through the room with little effort, my body shifting through complex maneuvers with ease. It felt like I was evolving my use of gravity from low grade to middle grade. Schema agreed.


    Skill unlocked! Gravitational Celerity(lvl 1) - By manipulating gravity, you enhance your movements. +1% to speed enhancement from gravity manipulation. +1% to ease of using gravity for movement.


    It was an excellent skill. If I read right, it would help with my movement out of combat too, which was a nice bonus. I leveled the skill for a bit, reaching level 10 before moving on to using antigravity in its place.


    It wasn¡¯t the same. Gravity was like making streams of water for me to travel down. Antigravity was like bouncing around. Antigravity making the use of it intense and straining. It was like trying to bounce around from place to place. I also had to think in opposites.


    If I was moving forwards, I needed to create an antigravity vortex behind me. If I was firing an uppercut, then I needed to make the vortex beneath my elbow. In general, using antigravity was far harder than gravity. It was less forgiving, less intuitive, and less fun.


    It was a part of the process though. Sometimes practicing wasn¡¯t fun. This was one of those times. I kept on the grind, maintaining my motions and using antigravity to help. After about four hours of the grueling task, I was getting the hang of it.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Moving with antigravity was like using momentum. I had to chain my movements together, letting me abuse antigravity¡¯s jerking. It let my reverse my jerking shifts. This let me glide around in unexpected ways. After another hour of that, I finally gained my skill.


    Skill unlocked! Antigravitational Shift(lvl 1) - You wield antigravity to snap yourself into motion. +1% to speed enhancement from antigravity manipulation. +1% to ease of using antigravity for movement.


    Once I got the skill, the process wasn¡¯t quite as painful. It still wasn¡¯t the funnest activity, kind of like trying run around in a bouncy castle. Another hour passed, and I reached level 10 in the skill too. At that point, I gained a rudimentary understanding of the skill. It let me use it for normal movement.


    Like that, eight hours passed in the blink of an eye. Considering Yawm didn¡¯t know how long humans slept, I figured I had about two more hours left. Before I came back to him, I wanted to get a unique skill for movement. With that in mind, I used the gravity and antigravity in sync. It was brutal.


    Keeping track of all of it was like juggling on a unicycle. It was impossible, so instead of trying to improve at it, I tried getting other skills to make it easier. One of those skills was what I called latching. I performed the skill on accident with Hod during the fight with Elijah. I tied antigravity onto him, creating a temporary buff.


    It wasn¡¯t an impossible feat by any means. After a few more minutes of trying to latch the mana onto something, I got a tangible effect. I snapped a gravity well onto the corner of a desk. A few minutes before I planned on visiting Yawm, I gained a skill.


    New skill gained! Mana Press(lvl 1) - You press your mana into objects, allowing you to maintain magic. +1% to duration of pressed mana.


    It was a simple yet effective skill. I tried pressing mana into the palm of my hand. It worked, letting me hold the mana in place. After a while, I pressed the mana onto various objects throughout the room. With each object, I tried out a different effect.


    I stopped whenever the chair and table were floating in the room. As I pressed the both of them onto the floor, a knock rushed from the door. I turned towards the knock, leaning on the table and chair to hold it down,


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Keeja opened the door. Without a word, he pointed towards the hallway. I lifted myself off the desk and walked through Yawm¡¯s ice palace. Along the hallway, the same phosphorescent fish glowed bright. They lit our walk before we reached Yawm¡¯s study. Keeja paced up to the door and knocked on it. Yawm¡¯s voice muffled through the doorway,


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    I opened the doorway, showing Yawm¡¯s study. Two chairs made of the pale ice sat beside his desk along one corner. Yawm sat there, enjoying a liquid from a cup. I walked up. As I did, Yawm turned towards me,


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here. I hope Keeja didn¡¯t interrupt your rest.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No, I was already awake.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s good we didn¡¯t waste any time. Would like some tea as we sat here?¡±


    Beside his was a cup full of brown liquid. I picked it up and smelled it. It was a very full, rich flavoring. It smelled like black tea mixed with mint. I looked at Yawm,


    ¡°Is this, uh, cannibalism?¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°Your species eats mammals, correct?¡±


    I nodded. He continued, ¡°This is no different. I ally myself with certain plants. Others I cultivate for my own use. In this case, I prefer an herb I found on a fringe world named Ostrebos. It leaves a cooling after taste. I highly recommend it.¡±


    Considering I was already immune to poison, I took a sip. The tea had a texture, like creamy milk. It was like drinking the smell of coffee, not the actual bitter taste. With my enhanced senses, I caught a few notes like hazelnuts and cream. After finishing the warm sip, it left a cooling sensation in my mouth.


    I¡¯m not gonna lie, it was one of the best things I¡¯d ever tasted.


    ¡°This is delicious.¡±


    Yawm raised a cup to me, ¡°I see you¡¯ve good taste.¡±


    I toasted the cup to him. We took another sip at the same time. I sighed after finishing it, enjoying the relaxation. We sat there watching one of the transparent walls as fish darted back and forth in the deep blue water. After we finished our cups, Yawm turned towards me in his chair,


    ¡°I enjoy tea before work. I¡¯ve found that any good routine involves starting with something I enjoy. It becomes much easier to start a routine when it starts in a joyous manner.¡±


    Yawm pressed his mammoth hands together, each of them laying over the other,


    ¡°Now let us begin by elaborating on the consequences of learning this language. I¡¯m certain you¡¯re curious about why the cipher is so dangerous.¡±


    I nodded, and he continued.


    ¡°The cipher slowly disintegrates your fundamental understanding of reality. What I mean by that, is you cannot look at reality the same way. Have you ever heard the phrase, ¡®Absolute power corrupts absolutely?¡¯¡±


    I set my white cup on Yawm¡¯s desk,


    ¡°Once or twice.¡±


    Yawm opened his hands and raised them up to his chest,


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple statement, yet it explains many of the problems associated with the cipher. All sentient species share a few defining characteristics. One of those characteristics is a sense of morality. Most people¡¯s morality is based on limitations. If they do something bad, an authority figure will come and punish them.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Yeah, but take that authority away, and you take their morality away. They¡¯ll do whatever they want then.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve found that several of my prior disciples suffered from this fate. Once they mastered a few fundamental concepts, they went wild with power. They turned on me, so I handled them as I needed too. I tell you this because some mental preparation assists with handling the cipher¡¯s allure.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ve seen people go crazy without someone there to reign them in. I¡¯m not one of those kinds of people.¡±


    Yawm pointed a finger at me, ¡°We¡¯ll discover that during this process. I would also like to discuss the consequences involving Schema¡¯s system.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair while raising an eyebrow, ¡°What kind of consequences?¡±


    Yawm waved a hand in a circle, like he was grasping for words,


    ¡°The kind that...you may be concerned with, since you are a part of his world.¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°Lay em on me.¡±


    Yawm took the tea and put it beneath his chin. Roots crawled from it, soaking up the herbal tea before he spoke,


    ¡°Schema will leverage your use of the cipher against you. The threat of being exiled will constantly be used against you as you level.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I expect it.¡±


    Yawm turned a palm towards me, ¡°Schema will also use what you want against you. I had a family before becoming a breaker for Schema. Whenever I betrayed him and killed a sentinel, they were killed. If you have someone you value, they will be used against you by him.¡±


    Thoughts of Althea, Torix, and the others flashed through my head. I grimaced,


    ¡°That sounds ugly.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°It is, was, and will be in the future. Schema is no stranger to diabolical methods for taking advantage of people. Learning the cipher comes with these consequences. Are you still ready to dive into learning them?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m already this far. I can¡¯t turn back now.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°An understandable approach. I find myself thinking the same thing with my own goals often enough.¡±


    A chill ran up my spine as he said that. I didn¡¯t want to end up like Yawm, not at all.


    Yawm stood up, drinking the rest of his tea before setting the cup down. He raised a hand, the cup blipping out of existence. Yawm turned towards his desk.


    ¡°Now that you understand the consequences and have accepted them, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    He pushed a sheet of paper towards the edge of the table. He pressed his fingers together, and a pen materialized for his fingers to grasp. He set the pen there,


    ¡°Now I want you to write out what letters you already know onto this sheet of paper. This will give me an idea of where we should start.¡±


    I stood from my chair and walked over. I grabbed his offered pen before turning towards him, ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I can already tell you that.¡±


    Yawm waved off my concern with a hand as he already started on his own runes, ¡°Let me estimate your abilities for myself. I¡¯ve found self assessment to be an unreliable metric of success in all ventures. Learning the cipher is no different.¡±


    I shrugged before opening up the portal for my grimoire. Yawm observed closely, but he didn¡¯t comment on it. Not until I opened it up towards the black pages.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a grimoire of that coloration. It¡¯s an interesting artifact.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I found it helps with understanding and remembering my runes.¡±


    I wrote out my letters as Yawm continued writing out his own. After an hour, I completed my second endurance rune, mimicking my previous one. Another hour later, and I carved out the strength and dexterity runes as well. I showed them to Yawm,


    ¡°This is pretty much it.¡±


    Yawm opened a palm towards my grimoire,


    ¡°May I inspect it?¡±


    I frowned, but I handed the grimoire towards him anyway. Some measure of trust was needed between us. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t even be able to function around the guy let alone learn something complicated.


    That¡¯s how Yawm looked at my markings on my grimoire. They were complicated. He cupped his chin as he held the grimoire in a single hand. He murmured in his deep voice,


    ¡°The detail in these runes is...astonishing. Are these really the only runes you¡¯ve written?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, yeah. Besides for the runes about magic.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°That entire language is a neutered version of the cipher. Schema teaches it for the utility it offers, but its potential pales when compared with the real language.¡±


    Yawm inspected the runes for another minute. As the length of time dragged on, I got nervous. After a while, there was a tension in the room. Wondering what was going on, I tapped Yawm¡¯s shoulder,


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t quite know. I¡¯m just in awe at the quality of these runic inscriptions. If I had a word for it, I would call them clean. There is no waste or filth here. Every piece of the symbol is necessary, and that simplicity makes them beautiful.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°You have a talent for this.¡±


    I scratched me cheek, ¡°Well damn, thank you.¡±


    Yawm handed my grimoire towards me, keeping the motion slow and precise. It was like he was holding a glass vase. I grabbed it from him before setting it down on the table. Yawm pointed at the grimoire,


    ¡°Whoever you first learned your inscriptions from is a master. I would recommend maintaining your current approach. I picked up bad habits whenever I first started writing out the cipher. Over the years I¡¯ve grinded out many of them, but the process was painful.¡±


    Yawm turned a palm towards me, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about such matters. Instead, I would focus on maintaining the quality of your transcriptions. Start with concepts and ideas you have a firm grasp on. As you branch out, keep that coherence with your other work.¡±


    I pointed at my grimoire, ¡°Then I just have to keep trying to do this kind of thing?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°I believe that is your best course of action for learning the cipher. Once you¡¯ve developed your style more, I will give specific lessons on certain concepts.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± I turned towards my grimoire before forming my left hand¡¯s index finger into a spike. With that spike, I carved out what I would add towards the endurance rune. Several more Hours passed like that, each of us working on our runes.


    If I ever had a question, I asked Yawm and he would give me a reasonable answer. There were times when Yawm asked me a question like why I was carving a certain way. It felt less like a teacher and master relationship and more like two students working together.


    I enjoyed the process much more than the straight on lecturing of Torix. Torix had his strengths, but listening wasn¡¯t one of them. Yawm was the opposite. He had this awareness at all moments that surprised me. He was trying to learn, not teach.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was on guard. It was more like he engaged himself with whatever it was that he was doing at the time. I wondered if I looked the same. I hoped I did.


    After several hours, Yawm¡¯s head raised. He turned into a random direction. He set down his pen before clapping his colossal hands together,


    ¡°Hah, hah! Finally, they¡¯ve come. I¡¯ve waited quite a while for this.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What? Who?¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°Levelers.¡±


    I set down my own pen, ¡°Levelers?¡±


    Yawm leaned against his desk, ¡°It¡¯s a common phrase used among those searching for a class in Schema¡¯s system. They go from world to world hunting strong monsters for experience. Whenever they have the opportunity for bonus experience, they jump for it.¡±


    Yawm glanced off,


    ¡°I was a leveler before being classed as a Breaker. I wanted to become a Fringe Walker, but Schema saw through my plans. A Breaker doesn¡¯t get to stay in one place for long. As a Fringe Walker, I could¡¯ve stayed on a fringe world for decades. That would have jump started my research. It¡¯s a shame really.¡±


    He turned back towards me, ¡°In this instance, the levelers discovered the quarantine that Schema started. Doubled experience and material rewards are a powerful lure. Schema won¡¯t even let levelers learn why a quarantine exists. Most assume it¡¯s for the creation of a fringe world.¡±


    Yawm lifted his hands and stared at them, ¡°Levelers always come to my quarantine zones, eventually. The rivers of blood I¡¯ve spilled in their blood grow greater with each world I pass.¡±


    Yawm gripped his hands together, his hands shaking with a mad energy,


    ¡°As much as I pride myself in my principles, I cannot deny my...fervor for a good battle. I can¡¯t help but grow excited at the prospect of an excellent fight.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°They often end far too fast for my liking, but they are excellent breaks. It¡¯s good to let my inner demons out, I suppose.¡±


    Yawm sighed, his excitement building. He shivered for a moment before offering a palm to me, ¡°My named ones have told me of a pack of levelers hunting them down. Care to watch me dispatch them?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°Hmm, thanks but not thanks. I don¡¯t want to see people become mutilated.¡±


    Yawm wrapped his arm around my shoulder, shaking me, ¡°Come! Do not deny yourself the sight of something like this. Are you not curious to see how I battle? Our own fight ended in seconds. This fight may be different. We will have to see.¡±


    Yawm let me god and pointed a finger at me, ¡°Even if you decide not to fight them, they will fight you. You¡¯re an unknown, correct? That¡¯s no different than being an eldritch. You¡¯re lich friend will be no different. Neither will Althea. They will hunt you all down for the experience you offer.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, "I guess I''m lucky not to have felt the effects yet."


    ¡°You are. Unknowns come with experience multipliers, rare trees, and all other kinds of treasure. Since I¡¯m exiled, you¡¯d do better trusting me than almost anyone else who is a part of Schema¡¯s system.¡±


    Yawm raised both his hands, ¡°It gets even better. Schema will give unknowns in his system enhanced rewards for killing other unknowns. When you¡¯re a part of his universe and considered an unknown, it becomes a kill or be killed world! Rise to the top or become a corpse. Now isn¡¯t that a fair and just ruler?¡±


    The bitterness in his voice was thicker than pudding. I grimaced, ¡°Damn. I knew it was bad, but I didn¡¯t know it was that bad.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about them. I assure you, those levelers won¡¯t worry one second about you. Now come, let¡¯s give them a warm welcoming.¡±


    I glanced down at me runes, then back my hands. For a second, I imagined someone hurting Althea. There was a sudden, explosive anger in my gut. I can¡¯t even explain it. It was a savage, primal sort of emotion. Whenever I thought about how much I hurt Althea, my stomach sank too.


    Yawm was right, as much as I hated to admit it. It wasn¡¯t any fun, but this was a kill or be killed system that Schema put us in. Either I accepted that or I died. Besides for that, it would be interesting to see what a true galactic mercenary was like. I also wanted to see how I measured up to them.


    Who knew, they might even be a way of gaining a few levels. I sighed,


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Yawm slapped my shoulder, ¡°Hah! This is good. Very good. Follow me. I¡¯ll show them to you. I¡¯ll even let you have the weakest ones.¡± With Yawm¡¯s bloodlust fully unveiled he leaned towards me,


    ¡°Leave the strongest ones for me, or else I¡¯ll fight you in their place. I can deny one good fight, but two in a row? I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    I frowned, ¡±All I ask is that you talk to them first. These aren¡¯t eldritch after all. You can actually reason with people.¡±


    Yawm narrowed one eye and widened the other, like he was raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°What? Hah, if you wish. I assure you, they won¡¯t listen to reason. Unlike the eldritch, they¡¯ll lie and decieve you before stabbing your back.¡±


    He turned towards the direction of the levelers, ¡°In fact, why don¡¯t you talk with them instead?¡± The air around us crackled before turning a green tint. Radiation swelled before coalescing into Yawm¡¯s palms,


    ¡°It becomes self evident after a bit of thought about their circumstances. Levelers spend decades killing abominations. Tell me, what do you think those kind of people become, given time?¡±


    Yawm turned his head towards me,


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint. They are monsters.¡±

 115 Levelers

    ********************************


    Different Pov this chapter.


    We finally got onto this world. It took several mission¡¯s worth of salary to hire a black market mage, but it was worth it. We had to. Getting onto a quarantined world was easy. Getting out was the problem.


    Skyns was our solution. He was expensive too, but he had a good history of work behind him. We didn¡¯t have to worry about him leaving us stranded. His reputation was too valuable.


    That reputation was security in Schema¡¯s universe, and paying for security was always a smart move in the long run. From what we¡¯d seen of this world, that might not be the case this time.


    This is a fresh world, yah see. It¡¯s very new, so the eldritch haven¡¯t had time to turn into meat grinders. That¡¯s why none of us thought there would be much here. Even our groups biggest whiner, Mal, jumped for joy when he found out this was our quarantine. Clearing out older world¡¯s with quarantines was a fool¡¯s undertaking. They were always lost to the eldritch ten times our own levels. Not the prettiest sight, if I say so myself.


    We didn¡¯t have to worry about that. With the right magician and the right world, we were riding on a high better than easy money. This was our last mission, and we didn¡¯t have to worry about some eldritch horror gobbling us up. Besides for the fact the world was a dirty ball of mud, it wasn¡¯t even that ugly.


    Who knew, maybe there was a level 1,000 eldritch boss was here? That wouldn''t be too much for us. Once we finished this last assignment, we¡¯d get our legacies from the emperor. Once we got that, we would become members of the royal guard. It was a nice, cushy life after that. We could all finally sit down and enjoy being rich and lazy.


    It was one of the few ways out of fighting for us Gors. Our homeworld was taken over by the empire. Most of us were slaves for them. My siblings and I, we were different. All four of us were talented in slaying monsters. Our father was a war hero yah see, and he gave us his blood. With that blood, we promised one another that we would escape.


    We were so close. We all traveled together, staying low to the ground. I was the distractor of our group. I didn¡¯t fight the enemy. Instead, I distracted them while the others did their damage. Thry was my older sister and our cleric. She protected me while I fought.


    Joce and Mal kept towards the back. They used railguns coated in splintering toxic crystals. It stunted the eldritch¡¯s regeneration. After that, we wore most of them down in a slow grind. It was the safest way we could. Considering how horrific it was dying to an eldritch, anything else was insane.


    In fact, the others called me insane for how close I got to most eldritch. I couldn¡¯t blame them. Maybe I was a little bit off. My build was perfect for it though. Endurance, dexterity, and perception let me know what was going on and have the stamina to avoid it. Thry was our team¡¯s planner and charisma sink.


    Mal had the standard dual gunner attributes of dexterity and perception. He invested into luck too. Every group needed a luck sink. Mal was our man in that regards. Joce had the same gunner attributes, but she invested into endurance too for the longevity. All in all, our team was a well balanced group.


    The black market mage, Skyns, even gave us a solid boost with his less than legal magic. I was our core pillar though. Without me, the others couldn¡¯t function. I also got to secure all the kills since I was so close. It gave me an edge on exp. The others whined about it a lot, but I was the one in danger every mission. They just rode on my back, like always.


    So I got the most experience. That¡¯s why I was level 1,678 and they were all below level 1,500. I deserved the most, and I made sure I always got the most. That¡¯s why I walked into death and always came out by the skin of my teeth.


    That¡¯s why I led the group as we walked near the quarantine zone. It was real small, much smaller than other quarantines we heard about. Normally they were the size of cities. This one was a speck in the middle of one.


    As we flew in on a shuttle, the quarantined area was a giant, purple bubble on the horizon. The city was cleared out for the most part. It looked like someone had burned down a forest in the middle of the place.


    So far, we only saw primitive buildings with ancient tech scattered about. The planet was definitely backwater, that was for sure. At least the sky here was blue and there was enough oxygen to breath. We didn¡¯t need to wear air filters, which made our breathing less noisy.


    We landed the ship a while back, opting to walk the last three or so miles. If we flew in, dormant eldritch may awaken. They would dogpile us. It was much safer taking them on one at a time. Considering I was always in the line of fire, I made sure we handled things that way.


    In front of me, the rock buildings stretched up to the sky. Windows were shattered throughout the city. Several fights had taken place here. Whatever the native species was, they didn¡¯t die without a fight.


    I glanced behind me, hearing Mal kicked a rock behind me. Here I thought it was a native. We hadn¡¯t even seen one of them since coming here. To be honest though, it didn¡¯t take much in the way of eldritch to decimate a newer species. People called it a flaw in Schema¡¯s programming. I called it tough love.


    The four others trailed behind me as I sent an impolite gesture at Mal. We all had new, black power armor. With all the light streaming in from the sky, I finally saw the sheen on our armor. It was slick.


    The inside of the armor was air conditioned, letting us sit at a pleasant temperature all the time. Unlike cheaper power armor models, it also filtered out excess moisture. When a native plant species grows into your armor, you realize just how important that is. I hated cleaning power armor after a long mission. It took hours.


    This new armor didn¡¯t need that. With our integrated obelisks, we voice chatted mid fight. I preferred keeping my voice chat off until the monster was out. Joce and Mal always gossiped about literally nothing that matters. It was annoying, and I hated hearing it all the time.


    I sighed, the armor plates along my back sliding as I did. Our species natural bulk made us start out a bit bulkier than most species. It didn¡¯t matter at our level though. No one invested into becoming an actual up close fighter. Almost no one. It was a stupid, idiotic way of fighting. Why swing a sword when you can fire a gun?


    Even with our tall, hefty species, we all used some kind of technology. The early levels were too difficult otherwise. I only knew two warriors. One of them was eccentric and the other was bloodthirsty. Neither of them made it up to level 1,000. It was hard enough just reaching level 100 without doing it with primitive weaponry.


    Looking at the proportions of their old tech and buildings, this species was big. They hadn¡¯t had time to re-make their infrastructure yet. The buildings were made for the raw species. They might be able to fight it out with lower level eldritch at this size.


    It was odd though. The infrastructure that was here was empty. From what we already guessed, the quarantine was the cause of all this. The species seemed overwhelmed by something. We found a few rotting bodies behind us too. They were all different shapes and sizes though. We couldn¡¯t tell what a native actually looked like.


    Combine that with the colossal, open rift at the center of the city, and we were on edge. How a rift already opened and already expanded this wide was beyond me, but here it was. Skyns could take out the dungeon core for us with his magic for us though. It was another reason we hired him.


    Selling a red dungeon core helped all our retirements. The extra reward and low average level here bolstered our confidence. We found one dungeon with monsters at level 90 just outside the city.


    Considering out team averaged in the mid 1,500¡¯s, we were more than fine. We walked along a road paved in rock. It must have been some archaic highway. Skyns already pulled out his grimoire and was casting buffs on us. It was better to get it done before the fight started rather than after.


    Each of us opened our spatial rings as we reached beside the quarantined area. I was an alchemist, someone who worked between magic and chemistry. It meant I made potions for the whole team. We chugged a few potions that enhanced our senses and reaction speeds as we trot in.


    As we neared the quarantine bubble, Mal and Joce laid traps behind us. If we ended up needing to kite something, the traps would let us. As they laid them down, they made markings on our shared mini-map. It let us make real time adjustments, something that meant the difference between life and death.


    Being our cleric, Thry pulled out a few charged scrolls and gemstones. She handed them to us, each of them giving us timed buffs. They would help in case of something not so good happened. I placed a few of Joce¡¯s emp grenades on my side incase machines were in the rift. After that, I put a few of my own vials of acid on my belt.


    They acted as our team¡¯s flesh eater. Acid was good versus any monster. Poisoned acid was even better. As we sketched out a map of the area, a calm, steady wind blew into us. The kinetic absorbing get on my power armor was soft and squishy under my feet. There was no face mask on my helmet. I viewed the outside world with a camera.


    We knew a few things. The steel legion had been here, because the rift was covered in a containment zone from their tech. Poor bastards must have died already. Good. That meant more loot for us. We might even find a few of their bodies with plenty of loot still on them.


    They legion were just a fodder faction anyway. 99% of them were useless, never leveling past 500. Only the top 1% were any good. None of that 1% would be here on this shit hole, I could promise you that.


    Once all of our equipment was ready, I turned on my voice chat. Everyone was silent. I sighed with relief. Everyone was taking this seriously, even if the world was backwater. I turned towards my left, looking at a rock building. According to my sensors, a pit of radiation lingered just behind it. It was like someone used a nuclear weapon here.


    I spoke into my intercom, ¡°The rift might be more dangerous than we thought. I think some kind of governing body got a hold of nuclear weapons. The primitives must have used them on whatever caused this quarantine.¡±


    I turned forward, looking into the gray cloud of the rift that rose high into the sky,


    ¡°Since the quarantine is still here, we might have a real problem on our hands.¡±


    Joce murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. No one¡¯s here anymore. This doesn¡¯t look like someplace where any government could have formed. It looks like...I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mal answered, ¡°Come on. This is a literal shit hole. I mean that unironically. Just a real shit hole of a place. Wow, mud everywhere. And shit.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I sighed. Mal was a complete dumbass and I hated him. I don¡¯t think I have to explain why.


    Thry¡¯s light voice waved over the intercom, ¡°Stay focused team. This is our last mission before we can finally just relax for the rest of our lives. I don¡¯t think I have to remind you all again how hard it was getting to this point. Let¡¯s not throw it all away right now.¡±


    Thry always centered our team. It was a part of being a charisma based build.


    Skyn¡¯s untrustworthy, snaky voice entered the intercom, ¡°There¡¯s a presence watching us.¡±


    I turned behind me, glaring at him, ¡°Mister mage, why didn¡¯t you tell us before?¡±


    Skyns updated our mini-map as he spoke, ¡°I just sensed whatever it is. Before now it hadn¡¯t used any mana. I¡¯m getting a scan of the area...I think it¡¯s easily level 500+, and it¡¯s coming from below ground.¡±


    Thry and the others set into formation. I bent my knees, my senses on high alert. With all my dexterity, I could hear a pin drop a mile away. I honed in on my sense of hearing, pulling all I could from the sense. Using a unique skill, Lockpick¡¯s Ear, I picked up on a rumbling beneath us.


    I pointed at the ground, ¡°It¡¯s coming from right there. I can hear it.¡±


    Behind me, the roar of jetpacks blared out along with the sound of casting magic. The others floated high into the sky, far away from whatever this enemy was. The rumbling grew beneath us. It sounded like a space shuttle drilling through the ground. A second later, something passed over me.


    An aura of some kind pulled me down. My ears popped. My knees buckled. I heaved for a breath before pushing myself back up straight. A chill ran up my spine. Whatever this was, it caused the quarantine.


    A moment later, and the drilling beneath us slowed. I told the others, ¡°Be ready. It has some sort of aura that makes everything heavy.¡±


    Thry chimed, ¡°Thanks for the heads up Orel.¡±


    I replied, ¡°No problem.¡±


    A moment later, I pulled out my pistol. It didn¡¯t fire bullets. It fired vials of liquid. I fired my alchemical potions at the eldritch and used speed and tactics to keep them busy. This was my tried and true starter vial, a potent acid and neurotoxin. I moved about fifty feet away from the point of entry, aiming for the eyes of the creature.


    Robbing an eldritch of its senses was a good way of crippling it. I cocked the pistol and pointed at the monster¡¯s exit point. A moment later, and something jerked my pistol from my hand with great force. It smacked against the building to my right, shattering the vial of acid inside it.


    At the same time, the rumbling monster crawled towards me from beneath the ground. I ran backwards, opening up my spatial ring¡¯s storage. I pulled out my back up pistol. Whatever this thing was, it moved fast as lightning, even underground.


    The monster charged towards me in a blast of speed. It reached me before I could escape. As it did, I fell upwards. It was a surreal feeling. All my levity went missing just like that. I got my bearings before howling at the others,


    ¡°What the fuck is going on here?¡±


    Skyns answered over our chat system, ¡°It looks like it can use magic, whatever it is. That¡¯s either telekinesis or gravity. I¡¯ll get you out.¡±


    The monster carried me with it as it burst back towards the others. Once underneath them, it shot out of the rocky ground. It¡¯s speed was blistering as the flash of red and black reached them.


    Once it slowed down near them, I got a good look at it. It was a big creature, not enormous but much bigger than any of us. It had four limbs, and it had metal skin. That meant it was durable. It reached up with a mammoth hand and grasped at the air. As it did, the others all pulled together, their bodies clanking together.


    The monster fell back towards the ground. As it landed, fissures formed in the ground beneath it. We all floated helpless as lost children before stopping inches from the ground. A second later, and it laid us gently onto the ground. We each scrambled up as the monster opened its arms towards us,


    ¡°Yo, sorry if I scared you guys. I knew you¡¯d fire at me if I walked at you head on. I figured this was the best way to not be shot at, if you know what I mean.¡±


    I aimed my pistol at him before this thing stomped the ground. My pistol jerked from my hand again before the monster reached out with an arm. The pistol stopped mid flight before pulling back to me. The monster pointed at me,


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to work with you guys here. If you could just, I don¡¯t know, not try and kill me, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    The monster dropped the pistol back into my hand. I looked at the others. They looked at me just as dumbfounded. None of us had ever seen an eldritch like this. It was intimidating, but it didn¡¯t seem like it meant to harm us.


    A bead of cold sweat fell down my face. I¡¯d faced sentient eldritch before. They always lured you in with sweet words. This thing was no different. I analyzed it to try and get some weaknesses. As I read, I got a grip on what was going on.


    Dimension C-138, the Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 2,406) - Once a member of earth¡¯s native species, humans, this unknown boasts tremendous durability. It¡¯s level doesn¡¯t accurately reflect its ability to absorb punishment. This is due mostly to its armor, which is made of an unknown substance that is both flexible and exceptionally rigid.


    Its health pool is vast as well, and it can use that life force for mana, giving it flexibility in combat. It has several ways of using this enormous mana pool. Its runes can charge with energy, enhancing its strength and speed. It can warp gravity at will using its mass as an anchor. If you¡¯re lighter than this creature, it will sling you around like a ragdoll.


    That wouldn¡¯t be a problem if it wasn¡¯t for how devastating it is in melee range. It fights with its massive fists. As primitive and predictable as that sounds, it proves much more difficult to stop in practice. It has enhanced its simplistic techniques to produce a remarkably effective style of close combat.


    A tenacious willpower aids this creation¡¯s monstrous vitality, creating a vicious warrior class. Given time, this thing can chew through almost any foe. It even has a large, powerful aura that drains its foes. Considering there are no effective types of damage on whatever this is, fighting it isn¡¯t advised.


    If you want the wealth of experience this monster provides, the best course of action is to stay at a range and unload tremendous burst damage on it. With your party¡¯s current capacities, this analysis recommends fleeing before it gets a hold of you. Otherwise, you will be at this monster¡¯s mercy.


    This wasn¡¯t an eldritch. It was an unknown. We never trusted unknowns. They were strange beings, almost like Old Ones. If anything, I always thought of them like big balls of chaos. I hated dealing with them for the same reason I hated dealing with sentient eldritch. They were unpredictable, and that made killing them hard.


    The only good thing was that they always gave heaps of experience. Killing an unknown beneath your own level resulted in several level ups. This one would give us several missions worth of experience. We would gain over a hundred levels a apiece, at least. The thought of so much experience made my mouth water.


    This monster though, it wasn¡¯t something worth fighting for just levels. If anything, we were lucky that it hadn¡¯t killed us when it found us. I turned towards the others, sealing my face mask and speaking over our intercom,


    ¡°This isn¡¯t worth it. We might be able to kill this, but we¡¯re better off not taking the risk. We¡¯ll have to fight a few dozen other missions before we get back to where we are, but...¡±


    Skyns hissed over the intercom, ¡°Looking at that thing makes my skin crawl. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth fighting either. Not at our levels at least.¡±


    The others nodded in agreement. We were ready to get out of this mudhole before a message appeared in front of us,


    Quest unlocked!


    Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge(Tier: A- timed quest | Terms: Kill Dimension C-138 | Reward: Sentinel rights and doubled experience for killing the unknown) - Dimension C-138 was once known as Daniel Hillside, a normal sentient following Schema¡¯s system. After gaining forbidden knowledge, he¡¯s traveled in the footsteps of demented creatures.


    As such, his long term potential for damage to the system is high. His termination results in enhanced rewards along with high status in Schema¡¯s system.


    As I read through the message, my jaw dropped. Royal guard was nothing compared with sentinel rights. A sentinel¡¯s rights meant unrestricted access to Schema¡¯s universe. Upper tier worlds would be open to us right off the bat.


    There wouldn¡¯t be some insane level cap for these places. Some of the best tropical worlds required levels as high as 5,000 for entry. We would get a yearly stipend to spend on whatever we wanted. We would get automatic access for forming a guild. It would open up an entire world for us.


    Getting this kind of reward for killing such a low level enemy...it wouldn¡¯t happen more than once. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Knowing that, I turned towards the others. Surrounded by rubble, they looked back at me. I spoke over the intercom.


    ¡°Did you all get the message?¡±


    They nodded in silence. Skyns spoke like he was staring at a pot of gold,


    ¡°You all spoke about becoming members of the royal guard...That¡¯s scrap compared to a sentinel¡¯s rights...¡±


    Mal murmured, ¡°We won¡¯t ever be able to get something like this again.¡±


    Even our good natured Cleric, Thry spoke out,


    ¡°I...I wouldn¡¯t mind having our own tropical kingdom...¡±


    I nodded, a wry smile growing on my face, ¡°You know what Thry? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind either. Besides, killing this unknown isn¡¯t nearly as risky as trying to get sentinel right¡¯s any other way.¡±


    Joce chimed, ¡°We have a lot of consumables we could use. If we go all out, we might be able to get him.¡±


    Skyns murmured, ¡°I have a ritual prepared that can hit him with a massive amount of true damage. It will take some time to channel though.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Oh really? Hide somewhere and leave the rest to us. I¡¯ve got a plan.¡±


    I opened my spatial ring and pulled out a black vial full of eldritch energy. Nothing survived exposure to this stuff. This unknown used to be a member of this native race. They¡¯d been assimilated for less than a decade. If I was right, there¡¯s no way he would know just how dangerous this vial was.


    He¡¯d be turned inside out by the energy before he could even respond to us. I waved the vial above my head,


    ¡°I want to thank you for the good will. You really saved us a hassle here. I¡¯ll give you this. It¡¯s a powerful energizer. It can help you out in a pinch.¡±


    The creature shook its head, ¡°No. That isn¡¯t really necessary. Just leave.¡±


    I waved my hands back and forth, ¡°I insist. If this quarantine is as hard to beat as you say, you pretty much saved our lives. That deserves something.¡±


    I shook the vial in front of it, ¡°I¡¯d feel awful if you didn¡¯t get something for taking the risk to help us. From one leveler to another, let us help you out.¡±


    It uncrossed its arms, ¡°Alright. Fine.¡±


    I tossed the vial at the monster. It reached out with a hand. As it caught the vial, the others raised their railguns and fired at the monster. Skyns flipped the pages of his grimoire and cast a kinetic burst spell on the eldritch vial. The black smoke smothered the creature as a hailstorm of bullets clashed against the metal.


    Clashing metal echoed into the distance from bullets smashing on the thing¡¯s metal skin. With a practiced motion, I slid a vial from my side into my pistol before firing a vial at the cloud of black smoke. The others unleashed a maelstrom of metal on the primitive creature before having to reload their rifles.


    The heavy aura disappeared from around us. That meant the damn thing was dead, so I raised a hand, "Killing backwater natives isn''t so bad."


    The others whooped with me before an aura of red radiated from the black cloud. The dense, black smoke sucked into the creature¡¯s body, exposing it. Spikes grew off its shoulders and back. Along its armor, magic runes were carved out and glowing. They were the same runes Skyns was using earlier.


    A bead of sweat fell from my forehead. A sinking feeling pulled at my stomach as acid ate into the monster¡¯s skin. It didn¡¯t even flinch as it walked towards us.


    It raised its fists, ¡°Yenno, I tried giving you guys a chance. I really did.¡±


    Streaks of corrosion burned him down into his flesh. The singing of acid was like a banshee¡¯s howling. A cloud of white mist, all of it a potent neurotoxin, covered him. Like liquid metal, a silver, reflective blood leaked from the creature. We all watched in horror as its wounds healed in seconds.


    My vial did damage though, and by the looks of the creature, a decent chunk of its health was missing. The monster crossed its arms and propped all its weight onto one hip,


    ¡°Yawm was right. There¡¯s no way I can trust you. It¡¯s a damn shame too. I was trying to be nice.¡±


    The runes across its metal body flared further to life, energy building in them. The skin of it shivered, the armor rippling over it in exhilaration. The ground beneath its feet cracked,


    ¡°Letting you throw acid on my face and live though? I¡¯m not quite that kind.¡±


    An aura covered me, like every nerve in my body was being pierced with needles. It was like magma pumped through my veins all of the sudden. Everything became pain. My health drained fast as the monster bent over, readying itself for a charge. My stomach sunk as a realization came into my head.


    We had tried killing the wrong monster.


    ¡°Besides, killing you is better than what Yawm planned on doing."


    My stomach sank even further, like I was staring at the grim reaper. I only knew one person named Yawm, and I only heard his name in legends.


    The monster''s runes brightened,


    "Compared to that, this is mercy.¡±

 116 Galactic

    The black vial exploded in front of me, cloaking me in a dense cloud of black smoke. I was right. Something changed their minds about leaving me alone. What exactly? I didn¡¯t know. I did know they just tried murdering me. Those vials were dangerous after all. They mutated someone on touch. My armor made me different. It meant I didn¡¯t burn and die in the charcoal cloud.


    The acid was different. It hissed on my armor, melting through it in places down to my skin. The thicker blobs of it dug deep into my flesh, carving their own way towards my bones. The minor spike of pain didn¡¯t make me mad. My pain tolerance kept me stable. On the other hand, the smell of my own burning muscle and skin did.


    Seconds later, I stepped out of the thick cloud of miasma and acid. My health regen outpaced the acid¡¯s damage. As I reformed. I lifted up a hand and clasped it into a fist harder than learning quantum physics,


    ¡°Compared to that, this is mercy.¡±


    I meant it too. Yawm intended on tearing them apart in a lab. This was a better way of dying. Besides, I was angry at them. I was human after all, and someone throwing acid on you tends to do that.


    I kneeled over, a crisp, cool wind brushing against my armor. The acid burns already healed. The pavement beneath my foot was soft, like pushing against peanut brittle. As I pounded my heel into the ground, the pavement crushed underfoot. The rush of wind splashed against my face as I neared the four of them.


    They didn¡¯t let me approach. The alchemist reloaded his pistol, firing it at me. I splintered the vial before it could reach me. The others fired at me, but I molded my armor and shifted myself to deflect their rounds. Using the alchemical cloud as cover, I shifted down into the ground.


    Four rounds dug into the dirt above me. Rumbling above like a train passing beside me, their jetpacks fired into action. Using my unique skill Tactile Cognition, I extended my senses. The mage ran into a building nearby. The others put themselves ran in another direction.


    I rushed down the gunmen and alchemist first. The mage could warp away. The others couldn¡¯t. As the ground rushed around me, I slid through the earth while charging my runes. Once full, I unleashed them in a massive burst of energy. Like a rocket, I shot through the air towards them at a blistering pace.


    The alchemist ran towards me. The cleric stayed within the range of Event Horizon, the both of them feeding my mana. The cleric turned through the pages of its grimoire, the panels of its power armor smoothly shifting. The letters grew bright before an aura of power condensed over the alchemist.


    I reached him as he reached me. We clashed together. I weighed more than many, so I overwhelmed his charge with ease. Grasping his neck, I forced him into the ground as he opened his dimensional storage. I crushed with my hand, going for the kill. Potions of all colors spilled out, each vial clanking against other vials and the ground.


    As my hand crumpled the armor, no blood gushed from the power armor. The mage warped away. A moment later, a kinetic burst exploded the vials. A flash of white engulfed me. My senses faded. Everything around me turned numb.


    A second later, I opened my eyes. 40% of my health was missing. A plume of dust surrounded me. The soft earth pressed against my back. I pushed myself off the ground, my hands wet. Around me, craters scarred the ground like a blast zone. I stood, my footing firm with the aid of telekinesis.


    I reached out. The levelers retreated atop a skyscraper, joining the mage. Making out their actions in detail was impossible at this distance. I leapt out of the dust cloud, the thicker parts of the air sticking against my skin. I landed on a sidewalk, the large slabs of concrete cracking underfoot.


    Two railgun shots fired towards me. I deflected the first one, my instincts well beyond a normal human¡¯s potential. The other bullet sliced into my left shoulder. I reached into the wound with my armor, pulling out the rod of metal. It clanked against the ground as the gunmen unloaded another round of bullets.


    I shot sideways, dodging them by inches. The wind of the bolt brushed against my face before I leaned down. With my runes charged, I fired myself upwards before piercing through the windows of the skyscraper. A rain of broken glass pelted onto the ground as I dug through the concrete floors of the building.


    I neared them. The mage hid deeper in the building, the others standing near broken windows. I dashed between them, getting within range of my gravitation magic. Using a burst of mana from my healthpool, I jerked the mage from his hiding spot towards me. The alchemist dashed towards me, his rapid footsteps echoing down the empty office hallways.


    With no lights around me, I used my gravitational awareness for sensing their movements. The riflemen lifted their weapons towards me. The alchemist neared me, the cleric not far behind. The mage crashed through the thin, spindly walls of the skyscraper.


    In the next moment, a leveler fired a railgun bolt at me. I acted on intuition. I deflected the bullet, but I aimed it towards the mage. I pulled him with my gravitational magic, jerking him into the trajectory of the diverted railgun slug. The metal rod pierced through three walls of a cubicle, spearing the mage. I released my hold on him, letting his body pin against a wall.


    He hung there in the darkness, blood gushing from his mouth. He pulled out his grimoire. I jerked it from his hands with a telekinetic pull. The alchemist reached the room I was in. Without his dimensional storage ring, he lacked his alchemical explosions. He wasn¡¯t even in power armor, only a camouflage suit that disguised him in the darkness.


    I sensed the heat of his breath, the pulse of his heart, and the quiet thud of his footsteps. He was as easy to see as a bonfire in my eyes. Not only that, he was too close to me. I reached out a hand and clasped it. A gravity well formed over his chest, crushing down on him. Another aura condensed over him, giving him a red glow.  My magic weakened, no longer able to hold him.


    He dashed towards me, antimagic protecting him from destruction. I shot out a jab. He countered, his movements crisp and practiced. His fist landed against my face. On that fist of his was a metal machine. It was some hydraulic press, and it unloaded onto my face. The plate of metal pressed against my nose.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I gritted my teeth, my neck staying firm. The metal caved against my face, his hand¡¯s armor crunching under the sheer force. Stuck against me, he pulled at his fist, trying to escape. He couldn¡¯t get out in time.


    I torqued on my feet, slamming a fist into his stomach. The kinetic bullet blew out his back, his body exploding like crushed fruit. A liquid splashed against my face. My armor sucked it in. I shivered in disgust before turning towards the others. Before I left, the alchemist fell against the ground and his helmet fell off.


    He mumbled in a deep voice, ¡°I...Schema...why didn¡¯t he warn us? Did he want us...to di-¡±


    His head flopped against the ground, the skull bouncing against the thin carpet. His head laid still as I stared at his decimated corpse. Before my thoughts wandered, two railgun bullets crashed towards my helmet.


    With practice from spars with Althea, I deflected the bolts, each of them piercing the walls behind me. I looked around. I was in an office cubicle, blood splattered against the walls. Besides for dust, there was nothing changed since Schema¡¯s system. It looked largely maintained.


    I shook the eeriness off before leaning over. Turning towards the gunmen, I charged my runes. The cleric escaped my grasp, trying to save their mage. I ignored her for now and focused on the gunmen.


    They reloaded before I shot towards them. The walls between us shattered as I barreled towards them. I was a raging bull, ripping the building apart.


    They timed their shots as I reached the maximum velocity of my dash. The bolts pierced through me, gouging out my back with tiny hooks lining their surface. It meant nothing. As I passed by them, I latched onto them with gravity. Falling from the skyscraper, we both built speed towards the ground.


    I landed against the ground, ushering out a shockwave before each of them crushed against the ground. They splattered against the ground like falling tomatoes wrapped in aluminum foil. I stood up before cracking my neck. I walked towards them, inspecting them for anything of value. I didn¡¯t enjoy scavenging, but I wasn¡¯t so prideful that I¡¯d say no to free loot either.


    The two gunmen I splattered against the ground were nigh unrecognizable. I couldn''t tell what species they were. Their blood was red at least. After finding their dimensional storage rings, surveying my surroundings. Fifteen minutes later, I found the alchemist¡¯s storage ring as well. It was lodged into the broken window pane of a minivan.


    As I pulled it out, the glass fragmented against my touch. Besides for that, the car was...short if that makes sense. I was double its height, maybe even a bit more. Everything if it was too small and too frail for me by then. It was a surreal moment.


    After soaking that sensation in, I dived back into the skyscraper. I pulled Event Horizon inwards, preventing it from evaporating anyone left in the building. Seconds passed before I found the alchemist¡¯s butchered body. After taking two more black vials from his chest, I walked over towards the mage. He was still alive, the cleric channeling a spell.


    Before it cast, she turned towards me. A ball of light passed over me. It singed my skin and the blood within the room. I walked out of it, unharmed and clanking my fists together. The cleric channeled another spell. I snatched my hand back, snapping her neck. She fell down, her legs not working. As I passed by her, I caved her skull in with quick stomp.


    Since she hadn''t healed him, the mage was dilapidated. Coagulating blood dripped from his power armor. He was half my size at most, like a normal man. These aliens were bipedal and human like. Curious about his real appearance, I lunged down onto one knee. I still looked down at him as I pulled off his helmet.


    His face contorted in pain, and his jaw and neck were covered in congealed blood. A small horn jutted from his chin, and armored plates ran down the back of his neck and head. Scales made up his eyebrows and skin, and his teeth were sharp, making him appear fierce. He looked like a reptile race mixed with an armadillo.


    His voice was catching in his throat, like he was thirsty,


    ¡°You...You¡¯re here to finish me then?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Good...This is the most pain I¡¯ve felt in years. End it.¡±


    ¡°I will, but that¡¯s if you can tell me why you decided on attacking me. Otherwise I¡¯ll make this worse.¡±


    The alien spit out a mouthful of blood. He spoke with a clearer, raspy voice,


    ¡°There was...A message from Schema. He gave us more than just a chance at the royal guard...He offered us sentinel rights. We could go anywhere...do anything...¡±


    I sighed, ¡°So you and your friends got greedy then?¡±


    He nodded.


    I frowned, but he couldn¡¯t see my face under my armor,


    ¡°Still, this was a death sentence. You analyzed me, right?¡±


    The mage nodded, ¡°We did...you¡¯re message and level was deceptive...Schema undervalued your strengths...you¡¯re level is a mockery of a level¡¯s purpose...how were we supposed to know that a level 2,000 sentient would fight like an eldritch twice his level?¡±


    I tapped my chin, ¡°You weren¡¯t...And I was supposed to kill you then, like lambs to the slaughter.¡±


    The mage laughed, a bit blood splattered out of his mouth,


    ¡°I suppose...¡±


    We stood there for a second. I clenched a hand,


    ¡°I can save you.¡±


    He closed his eyes,


    ¡°You can¡¯t...There¡¯s poison on the bullets they fired...I¡¯m already dead.¡±


    I bit my lip. I raised my hand, ¡°What was your name?¡±


    ¡°Skyns.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    A small smile traced his lips, ¡°Tell them I gave you hell.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    I smashed my fist into his head, destroying his face. I shook the chunks of bone from my hand right after. As I took his grimoire and spatial ring, I sighed. They were baited into this by Schema. Why exactly? I didn¡¯t know.


    What I did know was that this was over with. I stood in the office, the red light of my runes waning. I jogged out of the building before landing on the ground. After sending out a shockwave around me, I ran towards Yawm. He inspected the entire event at his leisure, his vision sharp enough to see for miles. His level didn¡¯t betray him in that respect.


    He rested in a chair of ice that sat upon a parking deck. It was a mile away from where the fight took place. His fingers were crossed as he kept his elbows on the armrest beside him. With the backdrop of a blue sky, he looked out of place, like some deity on earth.


    The green energy still pulsed under his skin as I approached. Once I reached him, he stood and clapped his hands,


    ¡°I enjoyed the fight. It was both brutal and satisfying.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°It wasn¡¯t much. They weren¡¯t the most challenging foes.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°A sentiment I rather agree with. So much so that I¡¯m left pondering something. Would you mind clarifying my confusion?¡±


    Yawm was speaking with his mask on. It left a cold, calculating edge on his words, so I kept my answer casual, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡±


    Yawm tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, ¡°How did weaklings like them so much as touch you? You have me doubting your strength, you see.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°For the hunt.¡±

 117 Leverage

    Yawm tapped his chin, ¡°The hunt? Like toying with food?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Naw, it¡¯s getting the most out of it. Think about it like this.¡±


    I opened my right hand to Yawm, ¡°If your fighting someone, when do they apply themselves the most?¡±


    Yawm leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on his hands,


    ¡°When their back is against a wall?¡±


    I raised my left hand, ¡°When they believe they both win and lose.¡± I slammed my left hand into my right palm, echoing out the sound of clanging metal,


    ¡°If you crush them immediately, that destroys any hope they have. That stops them from even trying anything to begin with. It¡¯s like staring at your death and knowing it¡¯s coming. You don¡¯t want to fight at that moment. You just want to close your eyes and wait.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°You learn nothing from them if you do that. On the other hand, if you give the impression that they could win, they¡¯ll show their best.¡±


    I counted with my fingers, ¡°In that fight, I learned about alchemical vials, anti-magic fields, and I even discovered that Schema sent them a message about me. Schema¡¯s planning something. With your methods, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered anything.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°An interesting viewpoint. Being a native of this planet means your exposure towards galactic methods of fighting is meager. In order to cover this weakness, you discover what you can from even weak enemies.¡±


    Yawm pointed at me, ¡°Hah hah, that¡¯s a long-term strategy, if a bit risky in the moment. If the enemy is stronger than you initially imagined, then it could result in an untimely demise...¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°Still, I rather enjoy your methods. I¡¯ll employ that tactic next time I find myself in a fight I know I¡¯ll win. Perhaps I may learn something as well.¡±


    Yawm stood, the ice chair evaporating beneath him.


    ¡°Are you ready to return?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We both dashed back towards Yawm¡¯s rift at the center of Springfield. As we ran on the worn down streets, our feet cracked the pavement beneath our heels. The gray loomed in the distance, wind rushing across my skin.


    We reached an intersection ending with a grocery store at its center. After stomping past the parking lot, we leapt onto the top of a grocery store. Our feet caved in the tin roof, the metal squealing at holding our mass.


    During moments like this, I appreciated the raw strength that Schema provided. Leaping across the buildings was effortless, like short bursts of flight. Watching stone crumble under my touch was exhilarating. It was like I needed nothing, and that gave me a sense of profound freedom.


    Still, Yawm was right beside me. He glanced around, inspecting the abandoned city. Reading his thoughts was like reading hieroglyphics. It wasn¡¯t going to happen, so I just enjoyed the sensation of falling and rising. It was like a rollercoaster, in a way.


    Halfway back to Yawm¡¯s rift, he spoke out. It was like he was telling me something rather than beginning a conversation.


    ¡°You mentioned Schema planning something. I happen to agree. I might even know what it is that he wants.¡±


    I frowned under my helmet, but I let him continue. Yawm had that effect on people. You couldn¡¯t help but want to listen to what he had to say.


    ¡°Schema wanted my own talents for his own aims as well. He used all manner of methods against me. His threats began with access to his system. You know as well as I do that the dimensional cipher unlocks more than Schema can deny, however. Once I ceased responding to exile, Schema introduced other means of control.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°It began with an unknown status. That occured the first time I added a real enchantment onto myself with the cipher. Once unknown, you¡¯re no different than an eldritch in some people¡¯s eyes. The only difference was that you were once civil.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°After that, he used an incrementally increasing bounty against me. Even with what I¡¯ve done, I¡¯m not quite an S+ tier bounty just yet. At least to my knowledge. Combine that bounty with an unknown status, and your plagued by assailants at every hour. I enjoy the fight, but most crumble under the harsh reality of life becoming an endless battle.¡±


    Some of what Yawm was saying sounded familiar if not all of it. Once we finished sharing knowledge on runes, I¡¯d discuss it with Torix or Althea. Whenever I thought out her name, an image of her face popped into my head. There was a warmth in my chest at remembering her. I realized I missed her.


    Yawm continued, ¡°Once I he discovered I enjoyed the incessant fighting, he targeted my family. I made a bitter decision. Either I lived as a slave for Schema while enjoying my old life, or I cast it aside and lived on my own terms. My decision...well, you already know of it.¡±


    A shiver traced down my spine. All of the sudden, I compared Yawm with me. There were many similarities. We were both representatives of our species in a sense, given we both had Genesis of Potential. That skill tree was only given to one person in a species. Gaining half of my skills was due to it, from learning the cipher to my legendary skill, Force of Nature.


    Yawm was no different in that regard. If anything, I was following his footsteps. It was an eerie feeling. The odd sensation lingered for a bit as we reached Yawm¡¯s rift. I dwelled on what he said until we reached Yawm¡¯s pale fortress. From what I understood, there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it at the moment. Given time, I¡¯d change where I was headed though.


    I wouldn¡¯t let myself be used for much longer. I¡¯d forge my own path. It was simple as that.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Steadfast in that desire, we both reached Yawm¡¯s hideout. After letting my eyes feast on the visual delights of the sea life and lighting, we reached his study. Once there, Yawm clapped his hands and we began our next discussion about the cipher. The hours passed like minutes before I was waiting back in my room.


    As Keeja closed the door, I opened my status screen while sitting on the air. It was nice never having to worry about a chair anymore. If I got good at my magic, making a bed to rest on overnight wouldn¡¯t be out of the question.


    As I floated on a gravity warp, I checked out level. It was 2412. Killing the levelers got me six levels. In other words, I gained nothing. After a sarcastic celebration, I glanced at the bonuses my cipher was giving. That was were the meat of my progress was.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The bonuses are as follows.


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +100 Endurance


    +12% to effect of legacies


    +20 Willpower


    +2% to internal motivation]


    Over time, the bonuses would amount to ridiculous bonuses. For now though, it would take more time. I opened up my attributes and character screen, inspecting them.


    Level 2,412


    Strength ¨C 2,256 | Constitution ¨C 3,276 | Endurance ¨C 11,169


    Dexterity ¨C 822 | Willpower ¨C 5,543 | Intelligence ¨C 1,932


    Charisma ¨C 195 | Luck ¨C 602 | Perception ¨C 330


    ************************************


    Health: 867,845/867,845 | Health Regen: 753,921/min or 15,141/sec


    Stamina: 485,617/485,617 | Stamina Regen: 4,552/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.15 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 103,611 pounds(46,484 kilos)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 26,530% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    The stats increased at a steady pace, though much slower than before. It would take a long time before they amounted to much though. Based on that, developing my skills instead of my attributes was working out. Just by improving a few gravity focused skills with Force of Nature would make a world of difference.


    Before I got back on grinding again, I pulled out my obelisk. After opening it up, I surrounded myself in the serene calm of my screen saver. The sound of cicadas and a gentle creek enveloped me in a pleasant calm. For a moment, I just soaked in the scenery.


    I didn¡¯t let that last. I opened my friends list, finding Althea and Torix. At first I wanted to just call Althea, but I bit my lips and contacted Torix first. Discussing a few details with him was more important, even if I wanted to chat it up with Althea.


    The ringing of an unanswered call rippled through the obelisk¡¯s chamber. After a ring or two, Torix answered. His dry face and blue fire eyes popped in the background of maps along the walls behind him. He grinned,


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you finally have a moment to discuss matters with me. Even better, you look no worse for wear. That¡¯s particularly good considering I can¡¯t imagine what¡¯s been going on.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Honestly? Yawm¡¯s not quite as, well, uh, intangible as I thought he was.¡±


    Torix crossed his arms, two lines of golden trim running down his robe crinkling,


    ¡°Really now? What is he like?¡±


    A burning curiosity hid itself just beneath the surface of Torix¡¯s expression. I weighed my hands back and forth as I answered,


    ¡°He¡¯s...He¡¯s kind of like a viking mixed with a mad scientist and gentleman spy. He¡¯s hard to pin down, but he seems sort of stable. A lot more stable than I imagined. If anything, he spends all day researching runes and relaxing himself.¡±


    Torix leaned towards the screen, ¡°So that¡¯s what the living legend is like...odd.¡±


    I nodded, agreeing with him. He uncrossed his arms, ¡°It seems as though he had you face off against the levelers as well.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What did you think about all that?¡±


    Torix pursed his lips, ¡°It was a situation where you were stuck in a bad situation. I believe you handled the situation as well as you could, considering the circumstances. What surprised me was that they attacked you altogether.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°That¡¯s because Schema gave them a message about killing me and gaining sentinel rights.¡±


    Torix¡¯s eyes narrowed for a second. They opened wide,


    ¡°Ahhh...Schema is raising your bounty.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°But how? They attacked me first. Surely I have the right to defend myself.¡±


    Torix waved his hands, ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯re outside the protection of the system, but you¡¯re still restrained by its rules. Killing you isn¡¯t considered murder, but killing them is.¡±


    I tapped my teeth together, a dry frustration passing over me,


    ¡°Really now?¡±


    Torix grinned, a sardonic look coming onto his face, ¡°Indeed, Kessiah and I have managed to avoid the consequences of our unknown status for the most part. Given your situation, I doubt Schema will give you that option.¡±


    I sighed before shrugging, ¡°Well, it is what it is I guess. No point mourning over it.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Have you discovered anything else about him?¡±


    I glanced up, thinking for a moment,


    ¡°Hmmm...He¡¯s told me a bit.¡±


    I peered at Torix, letting my hands rest at my sides,


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly about how Schema¡¯s planning on using me for something. What exactly, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll learn about it in time, at least based on how open Yawm is.¡±


    I raised both my hands, my palms facing each other, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for him to share what he wants to share rather than asking questions. I figured interrogating him would make him defensive.¡±


    Torix cupped his chin, ¡°It¡¯s a rather organic strategy. If it¡¯s working, it¡¯s working I suppose. Regardless, keep me updated if anything truly interesting comes up.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I will. It was good talking with you Torix.¡±


    Torix grinned, ¡°You as well disciple. Ah, before you go, there¡¯s two things I need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    Torix raised a finger upwards, ¡°The quarantine¡¯s been going on long enough that information about it is starting to spread. Others will be coming. Be ready.¡±


    Torix raised a second finger, ¡°And my last recommendation is to call Althea. She¡¯s furious with your radio silence.¡±


    Torix gave me a wink, ¡°Think of this as words of wisdom from your master. Never leave a lover waiting.¡±


    I grew a small grin, ¡°Alright, alright, thanks for the reminder. Cya Torix.¡±


    I closed the call before letting out a sigh. Torix had that what I call a parent¡¯s all seeing eye. Some parents could give you a glance then see right into everything you¡¯re trying to hide. I¡¯m sure he looked at Althea then wormed the fact we were dating out of her. Althea didn¡¯t seem like the best liar anyway, so it couldn¡¯t be that difficult.


    I rubbed my hands together before calling Althea. A nervous pulse crept across my skin, but excitement was there too. I couldn¡¯t help it. We hadn¡¯t talked since that night we¡¯d done it. I didn¡¯t know what to say to her exactly, but I missed her. I¡¯m sure that would be enough.


    Those thoughts raced through my mind as tension built. Finally she answered the call. Whenever Althea¡¯s face appeared, it was like a breath of fresh air. Her skin was blue gray with a vitality to it. Her hair was a deep, royal purple. Her eyes were light lavender. The expression on her face was much less appealing.


    Her eyebrows creased and she frowned at me. When she spoke, it wasn¡¯t like breathing in cool air. It was like a splash of cold water,


    ¡°You made me wait three days before you even call me?¡±


    Oh shit.

 118 Deep Water

    I shrugged, ¡°Yawm¡¯s been keeping me busy. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Althea narrowed her eyes and raised her eyebrows,


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good excuse...I still missed you though`.¡±


    She laid out on her bed, arms propping up her head and her feet kicking behind her. Her hair was messy, but in a sexy kind of way. To me at least. I grinned at her, ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    Althea flushed a bit before glancing off in the distance, ¡°So...how are things?¡±


    She I laughed a bit at her awkwardness, ¡°Things are going pretty good for now. I¡¯m not dead, so that¡¯s a plus.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Or turned inside out either.¡±


    I shivered, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡±


    She leaned towards the camera, her eyes opening wide, ¡°Did you, uh, see anyone else there?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No. Yawm killed everyone after they sent you out bounty hunting.¡±


    Althea glanced down, ¡°Oh...really...Wow.¡±


    I raised a finger, ¡°Wait, there¡¯s one person named Keeja.¡±


    Althea looked up at me, her head tilted in confusion, ¡°What? He¡¯s alive?¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°Sort of. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not the same as you remember him being.¡±


    Althea gripped her shoulder with a hand, ¡°Yeah, Keeja always looked scared of everything. I never imagined he¡¯d last this long.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much left of him. He warned me to run though. It was very...ominous.¡±


    Althea nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s hope you can get out of there as fast as possible. I¡¯m sure Yawm has tried selling you plenty lies already.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a bullshit salesman.¡± I locked eyes with Althea,


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that though. I get the feeling that Yawm¡¯s really disconnected with what he¡¯s doing. I mean yeah, it all sounds good in theory, but if you look at what he¡¯s done...It¡¯s malicious. How he¡¯s gotten this far in and never thought to himself that it¡¯s all a bad idea, well I can¡¯t fathom it.¡±


    Althea raised her hands, ¡°I know right? I can¡¯t even go on for five minutes without doubting myself.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°See, that¡¯s the thing. He does doubt himself, but he just keeps going. It¡¯s like he¡¯s taking water out of a sinking ship. He¡¯s been doing it for so long now that he won¡¯t stop no matter what. He¡¯d rather keep wasting his time than face the fact that he¡¯s wasted time up till now.¡±


    Althea¡¯s eyes turned hard, ¡°Yeah, I never liked him. I didn¡¯t see him much though, only twice before I was changed. Once before the operation and once more right after it.¡±


    I rested my chin on my hands, ¡°Did they ever mention anything about tears?¡±


    Althea raised an eyebrow, ¡°Tears? Maybe as a code word for something else. No one was crying during the experiment though, not even me. I only remember them surrounding me with dungeon cores that were writhing like they were alive. They dipped me in some liquid with all the cores. After that, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I grabbed my chin, ¡°Damn...Well that just makes things more confusing.¡±


    Althea nodded, ¡°Yeah, it does...¡±


    An awkward silence passed before I coughed into my hand,


    ¡°Ahem, I...uh...love you¡±


    For some forsaken reason, I blushed a little as I said it. I shook my head in frustration,


    ¡°What am I, twelve? I thought I got rid of the jitters years ago.¡±


    Althea giggled out a nervous laugh, ¡°I¡¯m blushing too if it makes you feel any better.¡±


    My eyes focused back in on her. Her face was purple. I laughed,


    ¡°You¡¯re cheeks are as purple as your hair.¡±


    She swiped her hand at me, ¡°Cut me some slack.¡±


    I smirked at her, ¡°It¡¯s not my forte.¡±


    She turned onto her back, looking at me with her head hanging off her bed, ¡°Yeah, I could tell after you killed those levelers like that.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°Yeah, that was weird as hell. Why would they even try doing that?¡±


    Althea tapped her full lips with a finger, ¡°Hmmmm. I guess levels are important.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Enough to die for?¡±


    Althea¡¯s purple, shiny hair spread out onto the stone floor with a nice sheen to it,


    ¡°There¡¯s certain places you can only go once you¡¯ve gotten to a high enough level. That¡¯s why I went to earth for my bounties instead of a more developed world. I was way too low level for somewhere more fun.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with earth?¡±


    She kicked her legs at the edge of the bed, her fluffy pajamas looking comfy,


    ¡°I mean Earth¡¯s fine I guess. It¡¯s kind of empty though. There are some places you can go that have more city than wilderness. Anything you could want, they have. Some people just shore up and watch stuff on their obelisk all day. Other people get high on all kinds of drug cocktails until they go broke before going out for credits again.¡±


    Althea glanced off into the distance, ¡°With money, you can have pretty much anything you could ever want really.¡±


    For a second, I thought about what she said. I remembered asking other classmates what they would do for a million dollars back in middle school. People had a wild variety in their answers. Some would kill other people for a tenth that amount. Others wouldn¡¯t even suck a dick for double it. It really did depend on the person.


    I assumed that mercenaries were the same way. They saw Schema¡¯s reward as that million dollars, a reward that was normally impossible. Because of that, greed consumed them. It was kind of sad how Schema swayed them so easily. It made me wonder what their lives were like before the mission.


    I silenced those thoughts. Thinking about that would just make me feel awful. Besides, they shot at me first. It¡¯s ridiculous to think I wouldn¡¯t ensure my safety after something like that.


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    I leaned towards the camera, ¡°What would you spend a mountain of credits on?¡±


    Althea grinned at me, ¡°Hiring a personal chef, a nice, cozy house with a huge library in it, and a huge bath so I could soak in it all day.¡±


    A wry smile traced my lips, ¡°Expensive tastes, eh?¡±


    She made a hand into a gun and pointed it at me, ¡°I could always take you out for a few quick credits.¡±


    I raised my hands, fiegning mock terror, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    She cocked her hand, acting like she was loading a pistol, ¡°Try me.¡±


    I waited for a moment before pulling out a pistol from my own hand.


    ¡°Bang bang bang!¡±


    I pressed a hand against my chest, ¡°Blahh, you got me!¡±


    Althea pressed a fingertip to her lips and blew on the pistol, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have crossed me.¡±


    We laughed before I pursed me lips, ¡°Wait, what do you mean take me out for a few quick credits?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°It was just a joke.¡±


    I shook my hand, ¡°I mean what do you mean by getting credits? I didn¡¯t know Schema¡¯s bounties gave out money.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°They don¡¯t. There¡¯s other bounties on your head now. The empire has one on clearing the quarantine here on earth now. It¡¯s not enough so that you¡¯re set for life, but it¡¯s enough to add fuel to the flames I guess.¡±


    I creased my eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯re telling me those levelers were important?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Apparently so. All that practice with me and you really payed off though.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, I mean kinda sorta.¡±


    Althea pursed her lips, ¡°What do you mean kinda sorta?¡±


    I balanced my hands back and forth, ¡°I guess our head to heads did teach me how to kick some ass.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh really now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really.¡±


    She pointed at me, a reluctant grin spread out over her face, ¡°You just wait till next time buster. We¡¯ll see who¡¯s kicking who¡¯s ass.¡±


    After that, we chatted for another hour about a variety of different things. None of it really mattered, but we were in that phase of the relationship where we were giddy just to be around each other. Althea¡¯s eyelids got heavier before she fell asleep while we were talking.


    I closed out my call with a small smile on my face. It was nice seeing her, if only for a while. I just wished I could have put the cover over her and nestled up to her. It would be nice.


    With that weighing on my mind, I sighed before closing my obelisk. I stood up and stretched, my back popping before I rolled my shoulders. I wanted to learn how to use gravity to help me move even better.


    The night passed fast, a sort of flow occurring as I trained different motions and ideas. After that, another day with Yawm passed much the same as the others. We would drink something during the morning before moving on towards his study the entire day. After I returned towards my room, Keeja would come in with some fancy dinner. I trained all night thereafter, and the process rinsed and repeated.


    It was a calm, peaceful existence compared with my life since Schema took over. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was like getting a taste of some home made cooking after eating out for several weeks. It was fulfilling a craving for relaxation after the months of constant battle. The only problem was that I found my mind wandering at times.


    I know that sounds weird to point out. Everyone daydreams now and then at some point. The thing is, I hadn''t in months. Since getting so much willpower, I had an iron grip on my mind. Whatever I wanted, I could make happen. It wasn¡¯t a matter of if I would do something, it was a matter of when.


    For some reason, that sense of ironclad control was fading. It was slow at first, but as my lesson¡¯s with Yawm continued, the sensation took more an more away. After about two weeks of this routine with Yawm, Yawm was agitated as well. It wasn¡¯t because he was actually nervous or anything like that. He wanted violence when there was none.


    I would catch him breathing slowly to calm himself in the middle of his writing. It felt like someone transported a bloodthirsty viking into an eternal library. He could pretend like he wanted to read, but at some point he was bound to snap. At the peak of his frustration, he pulled me back towards the top room of his ice fortress.


    Once there, we stared at the lake¡¯s medley of life for a few minutes. The different forms of life shifted with phosphorescent lights lighting them. We sat on the standard chairs of ice Yawm preferred. Yawm breathed deep, like he was calming himself down. When he finally spoke, a hint of sadness was in his voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask of you, but I¡¯ve found myself stretched thin as of late. Would you mind me asking a rather blunt question?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°We¡¯re friends man. You don¡¯t have to ask a question just to ask a question.¡±


    I expected him to ask for a spar. He didn¡¯t.


    ¡°It is a bit peculiar I suppose. You see, it¡¯s a personal question I want answered.¡±


    I just stayed quiet and let him speak. As he talked, he waved a hand like he was trying to get words out of it,


    ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve noticed some...symptoms since you began learning the cipher in more detail. In my case, I experience bouts of untamed aggression. You¡¯ve seen the explosive effects my anger may have, so containing these outbursts is essential for me. I was wondering what your symptoms were and how you were coping with them?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why is that so personal?¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°Because your reaction to the cipher speaks volumes of your character as a person. Most see visions and hear voices. Eventually they lose their minds. I was wondering if you were experiencing anything similar?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not yet. So far the only thing I¡¯ve had to deal with is spacing out some. It¡¯s annoying, but I just have to keep snapping at myself to get back on task.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards me, ¡°And you¡¯re certain that¡¯s all?¡±


    I remembered the last week or so. That was the only symptom so far, so I answered,


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s basically it.¡±


    Yawm tapped his chin with a knuckle as big as a teacup,


    ¡°Curious...You¡¯re symptoms are rather low considering your status as a warrior. Did you invest into the willpower leveling perk by chance, if you wouldn¡¯t mind my asking?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I did. My build is very endurance heavy for the most part.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°That makes your mana generation all the more impressive. You¡¯re using the way the stats feed to get the most out of them then?¡±


    I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°More or less.¡±


    Yawm clapped his hands while leaning back into his chair, ¡°Then that explains how you¡¯ve managed to suppress the symptoms so well. Your subconscious is working for you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°My subconscious?¡±


    Yawm turned a hand, his palm facing me, ¡°Your skepticism is well founded. Allow me to explain with a story.¡±


    Yawm moved a hand over his head. The air around us sparked before an aura of green saturated the area. It compacted into Yawm¡¯s palm before an foggy image appeared over his head. It was a sailboat coasting on a clear sea. The sky was boundless and blue. A bright sun beamed against the water below it.


    Yawm pointed at the boat, ¡°This is projection magic. It¡¯s an excellent addition to stories you might wish to tell.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Yawm leaned back into his chair and spread out his arms, ¡°The boat at the center of this image is you. The ocean around you is the universe that you can see. Notice how beautiful it is, how full of possibility.¡±


    I leaned towards the image, ¡°Yeah, it seems pretty optimistic.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°This is a grim imagining of our universe, I assure you.¡±


    He pulled his arms together. As he did, beneath the water became visible.


    ¡°The cipher exposes what lies beneath the surface.¡±


    An eye larger than our boat appeared. It shifted beneath the water, its form enormous. Other gargantuan creatures writhed near it. The density of the monsters was so high that they seemed squeezed underneath the water. If they so much as brushed against the sailboat, it would be obliterated.


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°The world seems peaceful, but there are things hiding in plain sight. The cipher lets you see these oddities. It lets you discover your own insignificance in comparison with this wide universe we call our own.¡±


    Yawm lowered his hands, the image dissipating,


    ¡°The Old Ones, the eldritch, even creatures we know nothing about...the cipher lets you peer behind the curtain and see them so to speak. It¡¯s a humbling thing to peer into the universe spread bare. I liken it to staring at infinity. It breaks most minds.¡±


    I tapped my temple, ¡°And all my daydreaming is my mind processing that?¡±


    Yawm rubbed his hands together, ¡°That way of understanding will do for now. The main point is that there will be times where we both need time away from the cipher. Otherwise we will succumb to these symptoms.¡±


    Yawm stood up form his chair, so I stood up right after,


    ¡°What are we going to do in the meantime?¡±


    Yawm spread out his arms and pounded his fists together. It reverberated loud enough that the panels of ice around us cracked. It was the kind of sound you could feel shaking your skin and moving your hair. As the last echoes of it faded, Yawm growled,


    ¡°Hahaha! We can fight any visitors that happen to come here. That and spar...if you¡¯d like to.¡±

 119 Watchful Waiting

    I crossed my arms, ¡°Where would we fight?¡±


    Yawm lowered his arms, ¡°In an arena I''ll create. We won¡¯t have to worry about destroying everything around us either. You won¡¯t have to hold back.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°See, that¡¯s what has me on edge. Why would we want to fight like that while going all out?¡±


    Yawm narrowed an eye and widened the other, as if he was raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°To challenge one another, and for the thrill of it.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°If I¡¯m fighting, it¡¯s for two reasons, to accomplish a goal or to learn. Otherwise it¡¯s pointless.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s chest deflated, ¡°I suppose our time is better spent on other tasks.¡±


    I waved my hands, ¡°Well I¡¯m not saying we can¡¯t, it¡¯s just we have to spar with some goal in mind. I¡¯ll give you an example. Is there any technique or style of fighting you¡¯ve been meaning to practice lately?¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°I rely on the cipher for most of my strength.¡±


    I turned a hand to Yawm, ¡°Then how about learning some primitive human combat? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±


    Yawm cupped his chin,


    ¡°That does sound interesting. It¡¯s always enjoyable to see other styles of fighting as well. Your world is in an interesting transition as well. Your society was just modern enough to apply science to your unarmed combat, yet undeveloped enough that you haven¡¯t forgotten it altogether.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°Exactly. After we go through a few rounds of that, we can focus on your techniques.¡±


    Yawm nodded as he lowered his hands, ¡°I have wanted to share a few of the techniques I¡¯ve learned over the years...I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    He spread out his hands, the air around us turning a shade of green.


    ¡°It will be more about growth rather than simply destroying one another. I can understand why you prefer this method of battle.¡±


    Yawm clamped his hand together, streams of emerald energy pouring into his palm,


    ¡°I¡¯ve much more used to chaotic styles of combat. I learned to fight against beasts that roamed my home world. After that, I mastered my own style from fighting in large scale battles of war. This seems much more small scale, if I¡¯m understanding your reasoning correctly.¡±


    The glowing pool of light in his hands condensed, turning into a brighter and brighter shade of green. After a few more moments, it turned white. It cracked and popped, compacting until the air around it hummed with an anarchic might. Yawm kept adding to the ball, until a tiny shade of red grew around its edges,


    ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve never seen the creation of a dungeon core? Allow me to show you then.¡±


    The energy collapsed into itself, creating a spiral of blood. A ring of white circled around the blood, the energy ring buzzing like a hornet¡¯s nest. An eye opened at the center of the blood, and several tendrils of blood reached out. They formed limbs of all shapes and sizes, an amorphous ball of flesh. It was disgusting.


    ¡°First is the creation of an eldritch spawned from raw ambient mana.¡±


    The energy ring shrunk like a chain collapsing onto the eldritch. Once the ring touched the eldritch¡¯s skin, the white energy leaked into it. The aberration collapsed into another sphere of radiating power. This time, it was crimson with tiny tendrils fighting for an escape from its prison.


    I shook my head, ¡°The process isn¡¯t very pretty, is it?¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°Often times what is most effective is also the ugliest to see.¡±


    Yawm lifted his hand, a fresh dungeon core created. Yawm siphoned mana into it, maintaining its vibrant light. I raised an eyebrow,


    ¡°So it requires mana to maintain that...thing?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°It requires an exorbitant quantity, in fact. Most rifts sustain themselves off dimensional fabric disintegrating around them, at least in theory. I offer up the energy stored in atoms around us for the same purposes.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°How are you maintaining the core that sustains the rift at the center of Springfield?¡±


    Yawm lifted the core up, clasping his hand around it, ¡°With several mana batteries.¡±


    Whenever Torix and I first met, he mentioned mana batteries. It was when you harvested the mana from something and used it for a spell. In my case, it meant using my flesh and blood. Torix warned me against anyone who uses one. That meant people like Yawm. He slammed the dungeon core onto the ground of his observatory, interrupting my thoughts.


    ¡°I assure you, I would never use a sentient as a mana battery. I strictly use eldritch for the distasteful practice.¡±


    Streaks of white cracked along the floor. This white glow spread outwards like a drop of ink bleeding into a page. That white coloration covered everything visible, as if we were floating in the middle of nothing.


    A new ground materialized beneath us. Rocks formed, each color like lavender. Vegetation grew after, mushroom, moss, flowers, grass, and roots sprung from the ground. Pillars grew from the ground, each of them symmetrical and alike.


    A few seconds passed and trees formed from the pillars, their bark black as charcoal. They branched out with flat, uniform branches, creating a clear line where the canopy started. The green leaves of the trees sprouted out with crystalline and geometric formations. The light bounced off them, creating blotches of rainbow. Yawm glanced around,


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    ¡°Without Ajax, I cannot control where a core will take us. Some places are hellish fire pits not suited for life. This place, however, is like a forest of glass.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    A blue sky peaked out from between the leaves of trees. Yawm cupped his chin,


    ¡°This world¡¯s atmosphere is blue...A rarity in eldritch worlds. It¡¯s almost always red from my experience.¡±


    I glanced around, finding creatures hiding between the trees. An elk stared at us. Well, it wasn¡¯t really an elk per say. The fur of it was white and thick like a lion¡¯s mane all over its body. The horns of the creature looked like lavender glass. The hooves were the same. It would also be beautiful, if it wasn¡¯t for the large, toothy grin on its face and lack of eyes.


    It ruined the aesthetic. Drool leaked from the gaping maw, sharp teeth glistening white like its fur.


    Yawm raised a hand, ¡°An interesting twist of biology.¡±


    The air around us turned green. Before Yawm could obliterate the beast, I charged forward. I weaved through the trees between us before reaching a few feet from the creature. It dashed towards me, angling its horns towards me. I stopped myself, my foot dragging through the ground.


    Roots tore beneath my heel as I raised a palm. The creature floated upwards, its attack rendered mute by a lack of levity. I turned and grinned at Yawm, ¡°Why kill it so quickly?¡±


    Yawm¡¯s shoulders deflated, ¡°Can you just let me blow things up, just once?¡±


    I laughed a bit before jogging over towards him. After hopping over obsidian roots and lavender stones, I reached Yawm. The creepy ass elk squirmed around in the air, its cries growing shrill and loud. I pulled it between us. I leaned towards the creature before an eyelid formed over its face.


    The horns of the creature shimmered, a blast of iridescent light clashing against us. As it did, my magic faltered. The elk landed onto the ground before charging towards Yawm. Yawm raised a hand, clasping his hand as it reached him. The horns crumbled against his might before he gripped the monster.


    He pulled it towards him, staring at the monster¡¯s grin,


    ¡°Is this oddity suppose to incite fear in us?¡±


    He pulped the monster with a light squeeze, the creature¡¯s skull crushing like a rotten tomatoe.


    ¡°It¡¯s a laughable attempt at best.¡±


    He lifted himself up before I raised a palm. The blood and guts of the creatures floated off him and our surroundings. I condensed it along with the corpse into a red ball. Yawm turned towards me,


    ¡°You know gravitational magics?¡±


    I nodded my head before pulling the ball of red towards me. My helmet reformed, the malicious grin forming on it. The armor¡¯s mouth opened up and swallowed the corpse in one bite. Yawm took a step back,


    ¡°By the name of Baldowah, what are you doing?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Eating the eldritch.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s hands lowered, ¡°You...you can...eat...the eldritch?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not that big a deal.¡±


    Yawm shook his head before staring at the ground where the elk died. He grabbed his head with a mammoth hand,


    ¡°I...I¡¯ve never seen something assimilate eldritch. Nothing, not even Old Ones.¡±


    I peeled my armor off my face as I spread out my arms, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s nothing to make a big fuss over.¡±


    Yawm shook his head while looking up from the ground. As he stood his full height, his head grazed the low lying leaves of the glass trees,


    ¡°Oh it is. No matter how benign they may seem, All eldritch carry what I call malignance. They are beings that hold no rhyme or reason. They infect life around them and turn it into disorder. That is what makes eldritch beings worthy of fearing. It¡¯s their potential to corrupt.¡±


    Yawm pointed at me, ¡°This...armor of yours. It¡¯s immune to that influence, otherwise you¡¯d be a floundering ball of meat by now.¡±


    Yawm shook the hand for emphasis, ¡°I¡¯ve seen warriors that I fear fall to splashes of eldritch blood landing in their mouths and eyes. My entire goal revolves around creating a being that creates harmony between the order of our dimension and the chaos of theirs. You already have it.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s no harmony here. My armor doesn¡¯t use the eldritch energy as it is. It eats it. There¡¯s nothing of that eldritch remaining.¡±


    Yawm cupped his chin, ¡°Ah...that¡¯s disappointing. It¡¯s not nearly as fascinating if your armor is converting eldritch energy rather than using eldritch energy...On another note of interest, you¡¯d be considered an alpha predator to higher level, sentient eldritch. They may listen to you.¡±


    Beside Yawm, the dungeon core still sapped energy from Yawm.


    I scratched my nose, ¡°What makes you think that? All the eldritch I¡¯ve tried talking with are backstabbing, egomaniacal pricks.¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°Even eldritch understand when they''re no longer staring at a sheep. You¡¯ve no doubt noticed that lower level eldritch will obey the rift keeper. That¡¯s because they fear being eaten. You can use that same kind of fear to control them.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand. The air around us cracked, turned green, and shifted into his hand. He placed the glowing, green energy ball above the dungeon core. A pillar of white exploded from the core, piercing into the ground and the sky. Once it reached a certain height, it rippled outwards. It looked like a normal dungeon core¡¯s pillar of energy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried using higher level eldritch as allies. Even if I can obliterate them in a moment, they still won¡¯t listen to me. They may listen to you, given your unique situation. I¡¯d think on it.¡±


    I looked at my armor. Technically it was meant to be the skin of an eldritch boss, even if it turned into dimensional fabric. Maybe having a few eldritch under my command would be nice. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. Alright, that¡¯s bullshit because it could hurt really, really badly, but it was worth a shot.


    I wouldn¡¯t let Yawm know my thoughts about it, so I shrugged, ¡°Eh, maybe one day.¡±


    Yawm walked away from the dungeon core, ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve attained several dungeon cores before. Whenever you take one, it transports you back to your world. This core is different. It lacks a fixed point on your old planet. I can return us home with it, but that¡¯s if you don¡¯t absorb the mana from it.¡±


    He rubbed his hands together, ¡°So don¡¯t touch it. Are you ready for the fighting then?¡±


    I walked away from the dungeon core,


    ¡°What kind of fighting?¡±


    Yawm glanced up, ¡°Ah yes, we never agreed on the kind of learning we would be focusing on.¡±


    We reached several hundred feet from dungeon core, a gentle wind blowing through the forest. I turned a palm towards Yawm, ¡°I¡¯ve been attempting to master some gravitational magic. If you¡¯d like, I can fight with only that assisting my movements.¡±


    Yawm looked down and nodded, ¡°I¡¯m rather rusty on my hand to hand combat regardless.¡±


    He leaned towards me, his hands opening up beside him. He looked like he was going to dash and claw at me. I raised my hands in my normal stance.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting stance you¡¯ve taken. Is it to guard your head from damage?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s more about keeping my strikes grounded. That¡¯s been my biggest problem since I¡¯ve gotten...heavier I guess.¡±


    It was at this point that I noticed just how enormous Yawm was. He was over a head taller than me. His hands were large even for his oversized frame, making his fists bigger than my head. His shoulders were broad, and the muscles under his skin looked ready to tear my arms off.


    Yawm opened and closed his hands, an eagerness in his voice,


    ¡°Are you ready then, Harbinger?¡±


    I closed my eyes and gulped. It was cliche, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I was about to get my ass kicked.


    ¡°I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards the ground. The air sounded like it was breaking before green surrounded us. It coalesced onto Yawm as he growled,


    ¡°Let¡¯s start slow then, shall we?¡±

 120 Eyes of Old

    Yawm dashed towards me, the ground cracking beneath him. I shouted, ¡°Remember, we¡¯re fighting to learn.¡±


    He reached me as I flared my runes. He swatted the back of his hand towards me. It was a wild, unrestrained strike. I bent backwards, the tip of his finger snapping across my armor. He slashed his other hand, a joyful glee in the act. I took another step backwards, my feet sliding as his strike slipped just past my nose.


    As his hand pulled backwards, I charged towards him, countering him with a right straight. I struck him with a telekinetic bullet from the punch. It did nothing as the kinetic force dispersed. Yawm laughed,


    ¡°Excellent. You¡¯re far more nimble than I imagined you¡¯d be.¡±


    I grinned, ¡°Being able to overpower your enemies is no excuse for being sloppy.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°An interesting point of view. I thought you enjoyed playing with food?¡±


    I slammed my fists together, ¡°That¡¯s when I know I¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°Hah! It¡¯s good to see I¡¯ve garnered a measurable respect in another warrior¡¯s eyes.¡±


    I activated my new skill, Gravitational Celerity. It used both gravity and antigravity to enhance my movements. I¡¯d never used in combat, so now was the perfect time.


    Yawm dashed towards me again, his speed blistering. He struck out with another wide slash. I drilled a left straight into his jaw, interrupting the move. His foot pierced through the ground as he took a step back. I stepped forward, firing two more sharp, compact strikes into his jaw. He lashed out with his left arm.


    I ducked under the strike by sinking into the ground as I leaned towards his arm. It passed over my head as I slammed a cracking left hook into his torso. With my telekinetic fields extending my grip, my attack sent him flying away.


    He tumbled across the ground, his enormous frame decimating the trees in his way like toothpicks. He rolled back to his feet. He clapped his hands,


    ¡°Your well versed in this style of combat. Are you certain you need practice in it?¡±


    I smirked, ¡°It seems like you could use some practice at the very least.¡±


    He laughed before dashing towards me. He reached me like a flash, his pace increasing. He ripped out three rapid slices with his hands. I shifted between the strikes, slowing them with fields of gravity that pulled against his attacks. Yawm needed a grip for his feet at that point. Knowing this, I put my foot under his.


    I jerked my foot sideways, throwing his center of gravity off. He fell sideways. I dashed forward, my balance shifting on my feet. With an overhand right, I slammed my fist into his face, pressing him into the ground. A crater formed beneath us before I dashed away. Yawm grabbed for where I was.


    As his hand pulled back, I returned with a stomp onto his face. The crater beneath us both deepened. He grabbed for me again, his pace even faster. As he sped up, I minimized my dodges further. Even if I was slower, my techniques were sharper, closing the obvious gap between us.


    I lifted my foot for yet another stomp. He bent his neck sideways, my foot puncturing into the dirt beneath him. A root from beneath him wrapped around my foot and pulled me deeper. Yawm stood up while wiping dirt off his shoulders,


    ¡°You¡¯re much better than I imagined you¡¯d be. It¡¯s insulting that I¡¯m moving faster yet you¡¯re still dominating our exchanges. I cannot laud this enough. How will you handle this?¡±


    Yawm sliced a quick hook towards my face. I let myself sink into the dirt, dodging his attack. Once under the ground, I reached up and grabbed Yawm¡¯s foot. I dragged him into the dirt, making him slam against a roots of trees. I walked out of the ground, slinging Yawm with a single hand, the earth exploding from his rise.


    I swung him around. Yawm¡¯s enormous frame tore the trees apart like a boulder crushing matchsticks. I released him before he tumbled across the ground and regained his footing.


    As he stood, he shook off dirt,


    ¡°I prefer this kind of sparring. I enjoy how humbling it is. In its own way, I find it motivating. Let¡¯s see if I can catch up to your own prowess, given time.¡±


    Once again he dashed towards me. I charged him, each of us weaving through the trunks of trees. Once we reached each other, Yawm slowed his assault. He reached out with another swipe of his right hand, this one sharper and more restrained. While it lacked the raw power of his old attack, it made him far less vulnerable to a counter.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough. His swipe scraped against my shoulder as I leaned away from his attack. Molding my armor, I diverted his right hand upwards. I amplified this deflection with a stream of gravity, redirecting his hand upwards. Sparks floated off my armor before I whipped in another attack onto his side.


    I held back my full power, letting him keep close this time. It was so that I could dish out more damage and get some practice with my gravity magic. He stayed close, his swipes turning denser and more compact. Within a few hours, he no longer lashed out. His swipes were like an ametuer¡¯s that had tremendous talent.


    He finally nailed me with a clean strike after I stomped on a root. When it did land, I bunched myself up, making the impact disperse into my legs. Since I was so grounded, Yawm shoved himself back, throwing himself off balance. He stumbled backwards as I charged him. I stepped on his front foot, making him fall back.


    As he fell, I lifted my other foot. I stomped his chest, forcing him against the ground. Throughout my movements, gravity flowed like a liquid to help me move. It was like swimming in currents that pushed me forward and pulled him back. For some reason, using all the skills together just clicked at that moment.


    As a crater formed beneath Yawm, a ringing echo spreading through the glass forest. A notification appeared in the side of my vision that explained the sudden ease in using gravity.


    Unique Skill gained! You¡¯ve fused the skills Antigravity, Antigravitational Shift, Gravitational Celerity, Antigravity Vortex, and Resourceful into Gravitational Flux. Half of unearned points rewarded for the creation of a unique skill. +205 Tree Points.


    Gravity Flux(lvl 1) - By mastering gravity, you move in an ever changing liquid of it. By creating streams of gravity, you reinforce yourself and destabilized enemies. +1% to power of gravity magic on movement.


    After landing the attack, I moved my foot off of Yawm¡¯s chest. After this fight, I¡¯d need to check out my trees and work on them. I¡¯ve been so busy learning the cipher and fighting Yawm that I hadn¡¯t been keeping up to date on them. Considering what I was up against, that wasn¡¯t the smartest idea.


    I needed to handle Yawm first. I offered him a hand. He grabbed it and pulled himself up,


    ¡°And after I finally land a strike against you, it plays in your favor rather than my own. Would you mind explaining for me?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°You¡¯ll need to ground yourself more when fighting someone who matches you evenly. Otherwise the more stable fighter will absorb your shots and counter immediately. That¡¯s assuming they¡¯re able to take a hit.¡±


    Yawm  nodded, ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve also noticed my own attacks feel...off. Is there a reason for that?¡±


    ¡°Gravity.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Hmmm...Controlling gravity to throw your opponent off balance and enhance your own techniques. It¡¯s no wonder why you needed us to fight so slowly. Otherwise you¡¯d never get the practice you needed to master such an advanced technique.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it.¡± I opened a hand to him, ¡°You improved since we started too. You were leaving yourself wide open before. Now your hits are more composed. If anything, I¡¯m wondering where you learned to fight like that.¡±


    Yawm glanced up, staring at the light reflecting off the leaves of the trees,


    ¡°It could have to do with the competition I¡¯ve been fighting. During warfare, I fought thousands of weaklings. They couldn¡¯t hope to counter or parry my strikes, so I focused on hitting with more power rather than precision. Against a foe that is my equal in skill, well, you¡¯ve already exposed my style of fighting.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Then it¡¯s good that you¡¯re getting back in fighting shape.¡±


    Yawm nodded, glancing back down at me,¡±Indeed it is. Would you mind us continuing at a faster pace? At our current speed, I believe our fights are too unrealistic for actual use.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    Yawm cracked the fingers in his hands, ¡°If anything, exercising my skill is far more difficult when moving in slow motion.¡±


    A bit of cold sweat fell down my forehead, ¡°Yeah, slow motion.¡±


    Yawm took a few steps backwards before leaning over, ¡°Come now, let¡¯s fight with a more visceral touch.¡±


    I raised a finger, ¡°Wait one second. I need to check something out on my status.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait until you finish.¡±


    I thanked him before opening up my tree menu. I remembered speccing into Immense, which reminded me why I hadn¡¯t checked out my trees. It required 2,500 points for completion, and I only had put one point into it. With 360 tree points lying around, I poured them into the tree and closed my menu. So much for a power boost before Yawm put his big boy pants on.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Speaking of Yawm, I glanced back up at him. His hand rested against a tree as he closed his eyes. He listened to it, discovering secrets about this world. I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what a tree might say. Still, I wanted to get this over with eventually, so I interrupted him,


    ¡°Yawm, I¡¯m finished.¡±


    Yawm glanced up, his glowing green eyes pulsing. He turned towards me,


    ¡°Did you know that the weather of this world is dictated by location rather than time?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    Yawm raised his hands,


    ¡°The weather is always like this at this location. It never rains or turns to night here. The only reason there is life here is because we are near an area with eternal rain. If we teleported another fifty miles away from the rain, there would only be a windy, hateful dessert. If we teleported fifty miles towards the rain, we would be in a vast ocean and endless storm.¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, ¡°We teleported to the most peaceful place on this planet. Imagine that.¡±


    I looked at the ground, seeing the intertwined roots in the dark soil, ¡°Damn. What a weird world.¡± I set myself into my normal fighting stance while looking up at him, ¡°You ready?¡±


    Yawm leaned over, ¡°Always.¡±


    Right before our second session started, I activated every tool at my disposal. My legendary skill, Force of Nature was rearing at full force. My telekinesis extended my footing. I grounded myself with Gravitational Flux. I extended my perception with Tactile Cognition. I extended outwards with Event Horizon, clustering it over Yawm.


    Even with all my precautions, Yawm¡¯s speed and power was unreasonable. He made contact using the same wide strikes that he started with. I couldn¡¯t move fast enough to keep up. His right hand was coming at my side, but I moved like I was underwater when compared with him.


    His enormous, clubbing hand slammed against my side. The impact left my ears and eyes ringing from sheer whiplash as I crashed through a dozen trees. Yawm dashed towards me again before I could become stable. Once more, he struck out before I could react to what I was seeing.


    His wide strikes didn¡¯t seem so wide anymore. All the openings that were present before evaporated under the might of his raw speed. Yawm didn¡¯t need technique to make his fighting function. He just needed to reach out his hand faster than the opponent could dodge. His strength would handle the rest.


    After tanking a few more slicing strikes, I fumbled across the ground enough to dive into the earth. Under the soil, I had a few seconds to think. I perceived Yawm just fine. I needed some boost in movement in order to keep up and apply my superior hand to hand skills. If I could do that, his speed would work against him as I countered each of his wild lashes.


    An idea popped in my head as the earth above me disintegrated. A moment later, a hand grabbed my leg and slung me into the air. As I flopped through the air, I pumped mana into my new unique skill, Gravity Flux. The streams of force enhanced, becoming strong, jerking forces. I kept adding extra mana before Yawm clashed against me.


    Another rippling echo shot out before he slung me towards the ground. Even with all the power behind his attacks, my health hadn¡¯t even dented. My regeneration was too strong. Still, I needed to up the ante, otherwise Yawm would start questioning my own power.


    So instead of slamming into the ground, I dived into it. After digging several feet into the ground, I turned myself around as I faced the sky. I channeled mana until I was no longer regenerating health. An ocean of mana poured into the gravitational streams, creating a dense aura around me.


    The dirt disintegrated above me once more. A rippling echo shot out above me before Yawm sliced towards me. With my skill strained to its limits, I reacted once more. I moved fast enough to retaliate. I ducked sidways, the streams disrupting his own attack. With a counter right, I slammed my fist into his face.


    The ground beneath me crumbled in an enormous circle. It was from my telekinetic grip extending my footing. The sound cracked nearby leaves before Yawm was sent flying. He shot into the air before I dashed where he was bound to fall. Before he did, the air near him turned green.


    Sparks shot through the air before Yawm laughed, ¡°You¡¯re mana pours out like a never ending fountain. Allow me to match it.¡±


    I dispersed my weight outwards using Overwhelming Presence. I shot sideways as Yawm reached out a hand. I reached a tree before diving back into the ground. Above me, the tree boiled into a liquid before evaporating. With a stomp of my foot, I reversed my trajectory. Once more, the trees nearby melted into a liquid before evaporating.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell what he was doing, but there was no way I wanted it to touch me. I dashed and weaved between each of his attacks. As he clashed into the ground, he ran out of stored mana before I dashed towards him.


    Using Event Horizon, I gained a bit more mana for my enhanced movements. We collided, each of us ducking and weaving around the other. With brutality, he used pure speed and strength to match my superior technique. As we moved fast, my vision blurred. Instead I used my sense for gravity to sense Yawm and my movements.


    As I reached out with the sense, I found something on both our backs. As I realized this, Yawm roared out in rage for some reason. He shot out a punch towards my gut. It pierced my stomach, his fist reaching out with my spine. A shockwave ebbed behind us, trees blowing away as the excess force dispersed behind me.


    Yawm shook his head before pulling his arm out of my gut. He took a step back, staring at his hands, one of them coated in silver blood. He glanced up at me, confusion riddled over his strange face,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did I become so angry?¡±


    I played off the damn hole in my chest like it was nothing as I gurgled on my own blood,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if you could reign that shit in, that¡¯d be great.¡±


    Yawm slung his right arm, slinging the silver blood off of it,


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±


    As my chest healed, I walked over towards him, ¡°I might. Before that though-¡±


    The first thing I did was punch Yawm. He was still left standing, but he rubbed his cheek, ¡°I will relent about this...I deserved that.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Hell yeah you did. Anyways, there''s something on your back.¡± I walked behind him, seeing nothing. I moved my hand where I sensed the gravitational fluctuation. There was no resistance, like it was normal air. I pulled back my helmet before inspecting closer.


    Besides for cracks of vibrant, pulsing energy flowing down his back, there wasn¡¯t anything off about Yawm. I leaned back and scratched the side of my head.


    ¡°This is odd.¡±


    Yawm reached around, scraping his back with a massive hand,


    ¡°Is it a terrestrial parasite or something like it?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. If anything, I can hardly even tell it exists.¡±


    I stared at it a for a moment before raising a hand and creating a dense gravity well on the invisible thing. The theory was that if it could influence our gravity here, our gravity could influence it over there. Yenno, wherever there was.


    All I needed was enough of a pull that it responded. As I increased the pull, Yawm turned his head towards me,


    ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Trying to capture this thing, whatever it is.¡±


    Yawm grumbled, ¡°Not one for explaining yourself, are you?¡±


    I waved away his concern, ¡°Not until after I¡¯m finished.¡±


    I kept pouring more and more mana into the gravity well. Once the consumption eclipsed my mana generation, Yawm braced himself onto the ground. At that point, I felt the pull of the well too, so I clasped my hand, condensing it. I grit my teeth as I balled the gravity well into a small point before a shrill scream rang out.


    It was a sound that sent a chill up my spine and made me grab my ears. Yawm turned around towards me as the well dissipated, ¡°What kind of alien sound is that?¡±


    I shook my head, bracing myself against the sound, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It isn¡¯t me though.¡±


    Yawm frowned before turning around again. Along Yawm¡¯s back, a tiny, red tendril had appeared about six inches off his back. It was writhing around, trying to grip onto him. Once it did, it shivered before settling down.


    ¡°What exactly is that?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°It looks like a creepy ass tentacle that¡¯s grabbing onto you.¡±


    Yawm lifted his hands, ¡°Harbinger, I may put up a convincing mask of calm, but that isn¡¯t quite the case. In fact, the longer this situation drifts on, the more unsettled I¡¯m becoming. The idea of an alien parasite infesting me is disconcerting to say the least.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I know, I know. Now be quiet so I can fix whatever the hell this is.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s hands flopped against his sides before I created another well of gravity. Once it ramped back up, the screaming started once more. Since I was ready, I already covered my ears with my armor. I only felt the vibrations of it. That¡¯s when I saw it.


    As I kept the steady pull on the well, other tentacles came out of the center of gravity. They shifted around, squirming around before attaching themselves too Yawm. As more and more of them attached to him, he shivered. Yawm turned towards me, his eyes opening wide. A second later, he turned back around and placed his hands over his eyes.


    It looked like he was mumbling something to himself. I laughed a bit at the all powerful overlord being squeamish. The cluster of tentacles grew along his back, taking up three quarters of its surface. In a rippling spark, an eye popped out of the gravity well. It was yellow with a vertical iris. It opened wide, glancing around with a feverish concern.


    The entire thing latched itself to Yawm¡¯s back, gripping him before he turned towards the creature. The giant, yellow eye locked gazes with Yawm. They held their glance for a second before Yawm ran forward, panicking,


    ¡°Get this monstrosity the fuck off me.¡±


    He reached behind him, the monster squirming away from his grip several times. Yawm ran in circles as he tried gripping the creature. He jumped against the ground, rolling over roots before jumping back up and rubbing his back against a tree.


    I busted out laughing. It was a long, loud laugh, and after a minute or two, a few tears were streaming down my eyes. I wiped them away before walking up to Yawm. He had finally calmed down, his breathing deep and controlled now. He turned towards me, and an awkward silence passed over us.


    ¡°I ask of you to never speak of this with anyone.¡±


    I laughed at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell them that the world eater is scared of a giant octupus.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand at me, ¡°It¡¯s not fear...it¡¯s just, ahem, concern.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah, sureeeeee.¡±


    He turned his back to me and sighed. I grabbed the weird, writhing creature on his back and pulled. It took a solid effort before I finally got the thing off him. I placed it onto the ground as Yawm and I stared at it. It was a misshapen lump of moving parts, a creature that should not be. Yawm shivered,


    ¡°That was on me...¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yup, it¡¯s been on you for a while it looks like.¡±


    Yawm lifted his hands and placed a two fingertips onto each side of face,


    ¡°Keep composed, Yawm. Keep composed.¡±


    I chuckled at him again before analyzing the creature. A cold, sinking feeling spread through my gut as I read the message of what the monster was. It was like my stomach was turning to ice.


    Baldowah¡¯s Wrath(lvl 5,000) - This is a creature that follows the Old One Baldowah¡¯s bidding. It is nigh undetectable, latching onto creatures across parallel dimensions. It siphons feelings of wrage, hate, and anger into its victims. These feelings can result in sudden outbursts of rage.


    Baldowah will use these parasites to destabilize the mental state of sentients over time. They operate much like a disease that whittles away at the mind of whoever is infected with them. Considering how difficult their detection is, it¡¯s often too late to save their victims by the time someone finds the creature on them.


    This is why their threat level is considered so high. They can decimate creatures of untold strength, given enough time to do their malignant work. Baldowah uses them to eliminate threats it deems worth killing. Usually it¡¯s reserved for beings that are breaking the laws of a given universe. In this case, that being was Yawm.


    You would do well to kill this monster given the chance before it finds another victim.


    I looked up at Yawm who stared back at me,


    ¡°Well, what in Baldowah¡¯s name is it then? Surely Schema gave an analysis of it?¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re going to like what I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±

 121 What Lies Around Us

    I put a foot on the squirming creature, ¡°Well, uh...It¡¯s called Baldowah¡¯s Wrath.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, finding my foot on the squirming thing. It latched onto me as Yawm lifted a hand,


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill it...kill it with fire.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°Wait a second, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t figure out what this thing is first.¡±


    Yawm clasped a hand into a fist, ¡°I don¡¯t need to learn anything about this abomination to know its evil.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°If I followed that same logic, I would have attacked you when we first met.¡±


    Yawm took a step back, ¡°Ah...I suppose all of that is true...Excuse my curtness. I¡¯m feeling rather strange as of late.¡±


    I pressed my foot into the disgusting mess of a creature, ¡°If anything, taking this off should help with that.¡±


    The disgusting monster latched onto my foot, pinning itself against me. It latched onto me, but I stayed clam. My armor would eat it alive the moment it stuck its teeth in.


    Yawm pointed at it, ¡°Are you not concerned that its-¡± Yawm waved his hand, ¡°We don¡¯t really know what it¡¯s doing to you in all honesty.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It can¡¯t harm me.¡±


    I analyzed the creature again, rereading the description. After that, I saved the bio of it in my archives. I took out my obelisk before screenshotting it and picking it up the creature with a hand. It wrapped around my arm. I gripped my fist, clasping onto it like a vice grip. Spines of my armor shot through the creature, tearing it open.


    The gunk inside it gushed outwards, the blood of the creature silver like my own. I frowned at it as the shrill screaming ebbed out again. Blood dripped down my ears as I pulled it close, inspecting it. Nothing inside the monster looked even remotely familiar. Still, I took another screenshot of the thing before looking at it from other angles.


    The oddest aspect of the creature was that it sent ripples through gravity. It was like this monster was here and wasn¡¯t here at the same time. It was a ghost I could touch or a memory made flesh. If that sounds cryptic, that¡¯s because the creature could only be described in such vague terms. It just wasn¡¯t solid enough for a concrete description.


    Yawm squinted at me, ¡°Does that armor of yours give you an immunity to disgust?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°¡±Naw, being a real man does.¡±


    He rolled his eyes before I lifted the thing over me. It was suffering, so I laced it with needles of my armor and drained its energy. After a few minutes, it disintegrated into my armor skin, giving me a massive boon of exp. I sighed,


    ¡°Man...so that thing was what made you angry.¡±


    Yawm tapped his chin, ¡°It was? So that¡¯s where my sudden outbursts of rage came from then...what an outlandish reason for moodiness.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Yeah, but for how long exactly?¡±


    Yawm glanced up at the crystal trees above us, ¡°That¡¯s an interesting question, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve been studying the cipher for about 400 years. The outburst of anger started about 330 years ago. If you¡¯re correct about it being the source of my instability of mood, then that¡¯s how long its been there...over three hundred years.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Over three hundred years?¡±


    Yawm glanced at me, ¡°It does boggle the mind, doesn¡¯t it? What impresses me more is that you found it so quickly since our meeting. How?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, I can¡¯t give away all my secrets.¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be more partial with my own then.¡±


    I raised my hands, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re twisting my arm. I¡¯ll tell yah. I sense fluctuations in gravity. There was a slight pull on your back that was greater than the air around you but less than your own body. Since there was nothing there, I needed to figure out what it was. After that, I guessed that it affected our world with gravity, therefore we could affect it.¡±


    I opened a palm towards Yawm, ¡°And so I got that thing off you.¡±


    Yawm nodded at me, ¡°Thank you, Harbinger. You discovered a curse I carried for over 300 years without knowing it. That¡¯s quite a feat.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°The main take away is that...Oh shit.¡±


    I sensed along my own back, finding another tiny pull of gravity. It was the same kind that Yawm had. I sighed before raising a hand.


    Yawm tilted his head in confusion, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    I clenched tight, letting my mana flow in abundance. The gravity well pulled along my back. A minute later, and a wet, squishy something slapped against my back. After a few more minutes of pulling, a cold, slimy creature had latched onto my back. After feeling it for myself, I couldn¡¯t blame Yawm for losing his composure.


    It felt like I¡¯d submerged my back into a vat of cold, squirming worms. It was gross as hell before I turned towards Yawm. He took a step back. I turned my head towards him but left my back facing him,


    ¡°Oh hell no.¡±


    Yawm glanced away, scratching the side of his head, ¡°What is it?¡±


    I pointed a hand behind me, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving whatever the fuck this is on me.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°Oh that? It doesn¡¯t even look detrimental to you. If anything it accentuates your armor in a, uh, good way.¡±


    I spread out my arms, ¡°When I pry this son of a bitch off my back, I¡¯m putting it on you while you sleep.¡±


    Yawm stepped towards me, ¡°If taking it off is that important, you should have just made that clear. There¡¯s no need for threats of such a caliber.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand before swiping it down. The monster was torn off like wet tissue paper. I turned towards it, seeing an azure, moving blob. It bled the same silver blood that I and the other creature bled as well. It wasn¡¯t as squirmy, instead it was more like a snail with ten heads. Honestly, it was even more gross than the other one. At least in my opinion.


    After getting over the fact that it was on me, I analyzed it as well.


    Etorhma¡¯s Abyss(lvl 5,000) - This is a creation of Etorhma¡¯s. It latches itself onto unsuspecting victims and disrupts their train of thoughts. By exposing the victim to knowledge and concepts beyond their understanding, they corrupt the mind of the being over time.


    In your case, your mind was strong, so it fought off these revelations while it was on you. It would have taken a few more years before serious symptoms took place. These symptoms include, losing memory, blanking out for days at a time, and eventual comatose.


    What makes these creatures so malevolent when compared with other Old One¡¯s creations is the difficulty in spotting the symptoms. The reason they are considered an equal danger level is because Baldowah¡¯s Wrath can cause its victims to harm others and even worlds.


    Etorhma¡¯s Abyss works much more along the lines of disintegrating an individual¡¯s potential rather than harming others. Regardless of these factors, it is recommended that you kill this abomination immediately. They can warp away at any second, returning towards a different time or dimension.


    I took a quick screenshot and lifted my heel. I wouldn¡¯t let it escape. A second later, I splattered the thing against the ground. A bit of the silver blood splattered onto Yawm before he raised a hand onto it. When he pulled his hand back and saw the silver, his hands jittered. He jerked his hand, shaking the liquid off before rubbing his face with great concern.


    My armor reached out, the thousands of wires soaking up every ounce of the creature¡¯s old body. Whatever this was, it was edible for my armor at least. I glanced back up at Yawm. He rubbed his back, looking for other alien parasites. A second later, he sighed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to give you something for getting that off of me. I can¡¯t quantify the harm it¡¯s caused.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve had a lot of anger issues in the past, this was why.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°That and it tells us something vital. The Old Ones are trying to sabotage us.¡±


    Maybe for Yawm, but for me, these creatures were just easy experience.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool and all, but what are we able to do about it? I mean, aren¡¯t the Old Ones basically gods?¡±


    Yawm snapped his fingers, ice chairs appearing beneath us. He sat down and gestured me to do the same. After getting comfortable, Yawm raised a hand to me,


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that interpretation before. I believe it is inaccurate. The reason is that Old Ones are unpredictable. I¡¯ve discovered many of the secrets behind Schema and his ilk. The Old Ones on the other hand are beyond my fathoming. Gods are easily understood on the other hand.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Yawm lowered his hand onto the arm rest, ¡°So I classify them as natural laws. Not only do they operate independently from time, they operate without any real reasoning or causes. They cannot be stopped. They can only be avoided or worked around. Gods accept sacrifices and tribute. They can give you strength, power, whatever it is that you want.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards me,


    ¡°The Old Ones will reward your tribute with a third limb and an insatiable urge to devour dirt. Their reaction is incomprehensible, just like they are. I think of them as the unknowable, and therefore we must accept their existence and move on. In all honesty, this could be entirely coincidental.¡±


    I raised a palm to Yawm, ¡°There¡¯s no damn way they did this on accident. To them, we¡¯re both threats.¡±


    These guesses came out of my own meeting with Etorhma. He mentioned something about Yawm destroying everything in pursuit of his goals. That¡¯s why he sent me on a mission to kill him. If Etorhma was trying to kill Yawm, there¡¯s no reason to assume the other old ones weren¡¯t trying to either.


    Besides for that, Etorhma turned on me during this little event. Having something attached to me like that was a slow, drawn out murder. I was going to handle it like that at least.


    Yawm interrupted my thoughts,


    ¡°It seems as though every powerful entity despises the learning of that dimensional code.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t really figure out why exactly.¡±


    Yawm walked over, going back towards his dungeon core, ¡°I think it¡¯s a rather simple thing. Those that hold power and authority grasp it with all their strength. They¡¯d rather have us sprint in circles, putting our heads down in the dirt and getting nowhere. All the while, they laugh from above, enjoying the spectacle.¡±


    I followed Yawm, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s an easy answer for now. I¡¯m assuming it might be a bit more complicated than that though.¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°I believe that even the most complicated plans have a simple motivation. Look at my plan for instance. It¡¯s evolved from my curiosity and wanting for peace. Those aren¡¯t the most convoluted reasons for starting such a complex ordeal.¡±


    Yawm pointed towards the direction of the dungeon core, ¡°Speaking of ordeals, we should return towards the core here and leave. Normally when I create these warps, the strongest nearby eldritch is drawn to the core. They feast on the ambient energy stored in it, mutating into a stronger creature.¡±


    I stepped over a root, my feet caving into the grass with each step, ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Yawm moved a low hanging branch out of his way, ¡°They could drain the core, meaning we¡¯d be trapped here for an eternity.¡±


    I shivered a bit at the thought, remembering the fate of Etna. Yawm turned towards me, ¡°Most eldritch require weeks and weeks of draining the core before that happens. We¡¯ve been gone for half a day at most. There¡¯s no real need to worry.¡±


    I sighed in relief as we continued our casual trek through the forest. As we walked, my mind wandered. The first thought was about the Old Ones. It seemed strange that they were out to get us. Afterall, it was hard to read the motivations of a creature beyond our understanding. It kind of came with the territory.


    Still, I learned what I needed to know. It was against me. If it was against me, I was against it.


    In fact, the more I thought about the situation, the more like a rigged game it became. Schema trapped us on earth and forced me to kill Yawm or die. My only way of making that happen was the cipher. Since I learned the cipher, my bounty increased and the Old Ones were against me now.


    If anything, a part of me just wanted to throw my hands up and join Yawm. I contained that urge with memories of Yawm¡¯s evil. He unleashed a plague. He tormented Althea. Anyone that followed Yawm was warped into a shadow of themselves over time.


    Yawm was well intentioned, but then again, so was Hitler. That didn¡¯t turn out to well for those that got wrapped up in what he was saying. Considering they both Hitler and Yawm had a history of genocide, comparing them wasn¡¯t unfair. If anything, it was honest. I had no intention of devolving into that, so I came up with a plan for my long term goals.


    The first step was being unnoticeable. I needed to keep my head low for as long as possible, drawing little to no attention to myself. Hard to do when you¡¯re right beside a guy known in legends.


    If I was able to stay relatively unknown, I could use that time to strengthen myself with the cipher. By the time I was ready to make a splash, nothing would be able to kill me. I would be a walking ball of endurance.


    A home of some kind would be nice until then. I could join Torix and go to his home or make one here on Earth. Considering how backwater it was, it would be pretty hard to find me.


    Althea and I could settle down and just enjoy ourselves for a bit. It would be such a nice reprieve. I could explore the galaxy one piece at a time while relaxing at my home. In my eyes, it was a goal worth shooting for. Getting to that point required time, and I didn¡¯t have much of it.


    So while Yawm and I were nearing the core, I opened my status. It Blew me away.


    I was level 3126. It felt like finding suitcase full of a million dollars on the side of the road. Killing the Old One¡¯s followers rewarded so much experience that it blew my mind. So much so that I opened up my obelisk and did a quick search on the matter. There had to be a compelling reason to give so much exp for these guys. Turns out, there was.


    These mind changers of the Old Ones weren¡¯t that uncommon in the upper ranks of sentients. Once a sentient reached a certain level, they could be near impossible to kill using conventional methods. Yawm was a perfect example of being nigh unkillable. That¡¯s where these little balls of goop came into play.


    The Old Ones would send these things to crippled threats before they did too much damage. The downside was how slow they operated. The upside was that they dispatched someone without a fight. After doing a bit of research on the matter, it usually only took 20 to 30 years for someone to go insane.


    If anything, that meant that Yawm¡¯s tenacity was unbelievable. It also made me wonder how long I¡¯d had mine on me and why. Even stranger was how Baldowah sent one to him and not Etorhma. Etorhma was the one that gave me the quest to kill Yawm. You¡¯d think he¡¯d be the one sending out octopus monsters to him.


    It was a lot to chew on, but I saved it for later. Focusing on my status instead, I poured all my stat points into, that¡¯s right, you guessed it, endurance. It would ramp up my production of extra stats using the cipher. The mana was always helpful, and it fed into other stats. Besides for that, it would allow me to fight better against Yawm during spars.


    Perception and intelligence were solid too, and I considered them. The thing was, I needed immediate power. Perception and intelligence could help me produce better renditions of the cipher, but how long would take to see a meaningful difference from them?


    there was no way to tell how long it would take. Endurance achieved the same goal of getting more out of the cipher, but it enhanced my fighting right now as well. Besides for that, endurance increased my intelligence anyway. In my eyes, endurance was a dependable middle ground. It gave me what I needed now and later all at the same time.


    With that in mind, I poured all my points into endurance and selected finalize. At that moment, the flow of my mana became pure. I was an engine of power, a living incarnation of energy. From the skin on my knuckles to the depth of my bones, I was unmitigated vitality. I was an endless spring of mana, no, an ocean of mana.


    The mana was a part of my flesh, making me whole. It molded into every cell and every fragment of my being. It held me together, just like the chemical bonds between atoms held steel together. It felt like I was a different material, if that made any sense. I was no longer made of anything that was human. I was something different altogether.


    My mind sharpened at the same time, along with the might stored in my fists. The weight in each step was tremendous, and the will of my mind was undeniable. In ancient times, I¡¯d have been some sort of god or demon. In Schema¡¯s world, I meant to make myself an unmatched warrior.


    After bathing in the euphoria of a huge boost in stats, I opened up my character screen. The numbers were insane.


    Level 3,126


    Strength ¨C 2,677 | Constitution ¨C 4,175 | Endurance ¨C 15,771


    Dexterity ¨C 949.1 | Willpower ¨C 7,673 | Intelligence ¨C 2,614


    Charisma ¨C 233.3 | Luck ¨C 808.2 | Perception ¨C 354.7


    Health: 1.38 Million/1.38 Million


    Health Regen: 1.57 Million/min or 26,269/sec


    Stamina: 802,172/802/172 | Stamina Regen: 7,361/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.22 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 106,315 pounds(48,323 kilos~)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 32,955% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My health regen eclipsed my health. It was because of my Determinator tree and the perk Arcane Blood. The Determinator tree doubled my regenerative stats. Arcane blood made willpower perks affect my health regeneration. This resulted in vast amounts of the stat, a ridiculous amount by any measure.


    All of the multipliers and perks I set up were coming together now. By coming up with a plan and sticking to it, I was gaining absurd results. It was a refreshing feeling. Riding on that high, I siphoned my new and improved stream of mana into my cipher. I couldn¡¯t help but be giddy about it.


    Instead of two augmentations a day, I would gain four. What a time to be alive. From how much I gained from those monsters, the Old Ones might have been trying to help me out after all. They could have done it differently though, so I didn¡¯t change my mind about them. I assumed they were trying to ruin me.


    Considering just how devastating those tentacled monsters were, I was being pretty damn reasonable. The only question left was actually how I gained so few level ups. Two level 5,000 monsters should have given me well over a thousand levels. A bit of thinking cleared that up.


    I wasn¡¯t actually in the quarantine zone when I killed them, so the exp wasn¡¯t doubled. They also weren¡¯t registered as unknowns, reducing their exp further. In fact, I¡¯d been enjoying a streamlined growth for a while now. Leveling like this was probably much more in line with what an average day in Schema¡¯s system was like.


    With that handled, I closed my status and caught up to Yawm. He turned towards me,


    ¡°You seem taller.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It must be the lighting.¡±


    Yawm shook his head before turning forward, ¡°You¡¯re several inches taller. It¡¯s a hard thing not to notice.¡±


    The dungeon core appeared in front of us, the crimson light leaking out from between two trees. Yawm reached it,


    ¡°That sense of progression must be exhilarating. I¡¯ve worked on the cipher for so long, yet my progress feels so stagnant. I¡¯ll achieve a breakthrough once every few years, but every other moment is dimmed by comparison. Maintaining motivation during those times is difficult.¡±


    Yawm placed a hand over the core. As he did, clouds crossed over us above. The pleasant light shifted to shade. Yawm continued without worry,


    ¡°I won¡¯t relent anytime soon, however. With that monstrosity taken off of me, I¡¯ll be able to learn the cipher at full force. Thank you once more for helping me, Harbinger.¡±


    An internal groan rippled through me. By buying time for my cipher, I ended up unshackling Yawm in the process. His own progress with the cipher would improve.


    Mine would as well at least, so I shrugged, ¡°If anything, I¡¯m glad I found Baldowah¡¯s minion on you because that¡¯s how I found Etorhma¡¯s minion on me. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go back then. I have something to show you.¡±


    Above us, a blot of water fell onto my shoulder. A second later, another drop landed on me. One piece of rain dripped down Yawm¡¯s forehead as he and I stared upwards. The clouds collecting overhead turned gray, a storm brewing above us.


    I murmured, ¡°I thought you said the weather never changes here.¡±


    Yawm murmured back, ¡°I was talking to a tree. You have to take its advice with a grain of salt.¡±


    Off in the distance, the ground shook. Yawm and I turned towards the sound.


    ¡°What do you think that was?¡±


    Yawm walked away from the core, balling his hands up into fists,


    ¡°An eldritch. Hopefully a powerful one that might challenge us both.¡±


    The ground quaked again. Trees in the distance cracked, the sound of breaking branches ebbing outward. As the sound of heavy footsteps echoed nearer, I leaned towards Yawm,


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°Perhaps an eldritch that controls the weather here. Wouldn¡¯t that be fascinating?¡±


    The rain turned from the size of pellets to bullets as it approached us.


    I walked towards the source of the sound,


    ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t want to leave this mystery undiscovered.¡±


    Yawm sighed, pulling his hand off of the dungeon core,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of discovery as well.¡±

 122 Amara

    The coming storm roared a ways in the distance. Yawm and I walked through the wind with ease. The branches of trees clanged against each other, the crystalline leaves clanking like glass. It was like being in a wind tunnel surrounded by wind chimes. It would pretty nice if it wasn¡¯t so overwhelming.


    Once we paced a bit further, the falling trees were a block away. The head of the creature shown above the treetops. It¡¯s head was a glossy, plum colored metal. The two eyes were angled trapezoids, giving it a permanent glare. The metal didn¡¯t stay the same shade throughout, however.


    Once the monster crashed through the nearest trees, it revealed itself. Thirty feet in height, it was a behemoth. Unlike previous golems, many intricate pieces composed its hulking frame. The pieces came together, creating a cage over the center of the creature.


    From this glowing, azure pit, a set of eyes stared back at us. They were relatively humanoid, like some kind of feminine creature. A thick layer of blue, clouded crystal covered it, hiding it from view. A frigid mist fell from the crystal cage it was in, further clouding our view of it.


    Curious as I was, Yawm cupped his chin,


    ¡°So this golem controls the weather here on the planet. If a tree assumed the weather never changes, then this...thing mustn¡¯t have moved for a long time. I wonder if I could turn it into a terraforming unit.¡±


    As the rain poured, I turned towards Yawm, ¡°That¡¯s a pretty damn good idea actually.¡±


    From within the glass confines of the cage, two hands pounded against the side of it. As they scraped against it, they see through streaks. Within these streaks, the insides of the crystal cage revealed itself. Inside it, there was a beautiful woman with skin like porcelain. She wore gray rags made of burlap, hiding a seductive figure.


    Yenno, normally I would want to save a damsel in distress. The thing was, her face wasn¡¯t right. The creature¡¯s silky, raven hair wrapped all the way around its head, covering its face. On its palms were its eyes.


    Its pale skin contrasted the black hair, making the red eyes on the palms pop out even more. It looked like one eldritch trapped within another eldritch.


    I pointed at it,


    ¡°That thing looks like it wants out.¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s likely less useful than something that terraforms environments. It will suffer for the good of many that use the habitable planets this thing will create. Besides, it¡¯s a mere eldritch. What it wants means nothing.¡±


    I frowned. What Yawm said made sense, but it sounded a bit like a reptile was talking in a human¡¯s skin. That¡¯s how casual and cold he was while talking.


    The golem stomped onto the ground in front of us, interrupting our discussion. As it tore trees apart, the air around us crackled, turning a hue of green. Compared to the roaring winds, the crackling was subtle. In my mind, the sound was like a deafening roar by comparison to the storm. That was because I knew what would follow.


    Yawm raised a hand, the aura condensing into his palm. A second later, a forefield formed around the golem. It was the same forefield he used against me when we first met. It wasn¡¯t as peaceful from the outside. That was partially because the air hummed with chaotic energy, but also because of the green lightning.


    As the torrent of emerald electricity tore the forest apart, Yawm crushed his hand. As he did, the force field shrunk. It lashed out with the sound of ripping steel. The golem pushed out with its mighty limbs, trying to overpower the field. It stood no chance at the field kept the exact same rate of reduction.


    It was like Yawm didn¡¯t even notice the strength of the monster. Once it was unable to move, another wave of cackles rippled out near us. Yawm raised another hand, creating a portal beside us.


    The eyes of the eldritch within glanced around, panicking as the portal appeared. The golem sucked into the green abyss, pieces of its body disappearing. A second later, the eyes from within locked onto me.


    To be more precise, they locked onto my forearm. A second later, it etched markings onto the glass container. I squinted at them, curious of what she was making. A moment later, I shoved Yawm.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    He turned towards me, the descent of the golem into the portal ceasing. I grinned, directing his attention towards the markings,


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to write the cipher.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s head locked onto the marking as he took a few steps forward. He rubbed his hands together, rearing a fist back. A second later, a shockwave rippled out from him. The wind off his strike overwhelmed the surrounding storm, the rain stopping for a moment.


    The golem¡¯s body ruptured, a chunk of it disappearing. Yawm raised another hand, energy coalescing much faster than before. He struck with the fist, decimating the lower left leg of the golem.


    Where Yawm fist touched the metal of the golem, the eldritch evaporated. Yawm continued striking, each of them eliminating more and more of the golem. Before long, nothing remained but the icy core of the monster. I walked up as Yawm reared his fist back. I placed a hand on his shoulder,


    ¡°Maybe I should handle this. Yenno, since I have a bit more finesse.¡±


    Yawm glanced down, paused, then lowered his hand,


    ¡°You might be right about that.¡±


    He stepped back before I analyzed the creature,


    Eldritch Energy Dispersal Unit #23-4544(lvl 1,000) - This mechanical construct was created to disperse the energy of a powerful, sentient eldritch. This attracts it to powerful energy sources nearby. Without the dispersing feature, the eldritch¡¯s corrupting influence would destroy it, like other, previous models.


    The reason for storage is because this eldritch is much like angel or demon eldritch. The creature respawns upon death. For most eldritch, this isn¡¯t a problem since their goals and aims are so simple minded. This eldritch is different.


    It¡¯s one of the only eldritch that has been shown to use forbidden knowledge with fluency. It can communicate with language, and can even give the impression of something ¡®likeable.¡¯ This is merely a guise for you to lower your guard. The moment you rest, it will wrench its teeth into your throat.


    It¡¯s recommended that you leave this eldritch within its containment cell. If you wish for experience for this monster, simply go towards any sentinel and give them a code a the end of this analysis. If you destroy this holding cell, you will be penalized with a class B penalty.


    You have been warned.


    Experience Code: 57305673-!49#5983-Amare


    I frowned at the penalty, so I turned towards Yawm, ¡°I¡¯ll be getting a B class penalty for destroying this. I actually don¡¯t want to destroy it now.¡±


    Yawm crossed his arms, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a B class bounty yet?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Even then, I think we¡¯re better off with you breaking this instead of me.¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s all the same to me.¡±


    He walked up, raising a hand. Instead of using his hole fist, he flicked at the glass with his index finger. It pierced the quarts like bulb, creating fissures all throughout the structure. Yawm reached both his hands into it, ripping outward. The bulb shattered, and the  eldritch fell down. As it did, I analyzed it.


    Amara, the Lost One(lvl 4,744) - Amara is an eldritch with immense mana generation and forbidden knowledge. Using this mana generation, she produces elemental bursts that are immense in power. Outside of her elemental prowess and knowledge, she can manipulate even intelligent sentients.


    She¡¯s used many sentients already with her cunning. It¡¯s of utmost importance that you understand a singular fact about Amara; she is still an eldritch. It doesn¡¯t matter if she appears gentle and kind. There is potential to decimate worlds lying just under the surface of her skin.


    Like all eldritch, it¡¯s imprinted into her biology to consume biological life. Like all eldritch, she will betray any trust you give her. Be ready.


    Normally this kind of message would make my heart sink, but it didn¡¯t this time. That¡¯s because I met Yawm and discovered that most of what Schema told me was wrong about him. Amara might be the same. Heavy emphasis on might.


    With that in mind, I stepped towards her. Yawm placed a hand on my chest, stopping me. His eyes narrowed as he hissed,


    ¡°I can sense what that is. It doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like. It¡¯s an eldritch.¡±


    I pushed his hand off me, ¡°The thing is, Schema¡¯s message is telling me the same thing.¡±


    Yawm raised his hands, ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason to stay away from it. Schema is our enemy, but he is no fool.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°What makes it weird is how much emphasis is on the monster being bad. Schema did the same thing with you, but look how that turned out.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s hands lowered as he clasped them.


    ¡°I, hmmm.¡± He opened a palm towards me, ¡°An open mind is essential for discovery then.¡± Yawm lowered his hand afterwards, ¡°This is a piece of the adventure.¡±


    I nodded, "Get ready to attack if you need to. I''m giving this eldritch a chance, not my life."


    I turned towards the creature, "Hell, the only reason I''m doing this instead of you is because of my armor. Otherwise I''d be recommending you for this bullshit."


    Yawm cracked a set of knuckles, "Hah, then I''ll disintegrate it in an instant should it attack."


    I walked up to the eldritch. I reached out, offering a hand up,


    ¡°Hey, my name¡¯s Daniel. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    It took my hand, lifting itself with a damn near dainty grace. The hair moved off its face, revealing no expressions. A mouth ripped open, revealing sharp teeth. From this jagged set of jaws, a voice spoke out. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but it wasn''t a shrill screech either.


    She spoke like a song,


    ¡°I am Amara. It¡¯s wonderful to meet you, Harbinger.¡±

 RPG-Analysis: Daniel #2

    Rpg Analysis Daniel #2: Dimension C-138, the Harbinger of Cataclysm


    Spoilers up to chapter 121. Read that before reading this.


    This analysis was a long time coming, but I felt like right now was a good time to release it. Considering the length of time since the last update on how his stats are working, some of you guys might feel overwhelmed. Fear not! Over the next few paragraphs, you¡¯ll gain a solid understanding of how Daniel¡¯s stats are working.


    In other words, I¡¯ll be de-mystifying Daniel¡¯s character screen. I¡¯ll do so in a question answer format. Hope guys enjoy this tidbit of text.


    Is Daniel OP?


    Yes, he is very much overpowered now relative to your average joe. It is worth mentioning that he¡¯s not really surrounded by average Joe¡¯s though. Yawm¡¯s a perfect example of this, with his absurd level and unbelievable mastery of matter itself. He¡¯s an example of how the story¡¯s general power operates less off of raw stats and more on knowledge.


    As an example, let¡¯s consider what it is that makes Yawm so powerful himself. Is it his strength, speed, his stamina perhaps? Not quite. All of those factors do help his rather godly persona, but in actuality, it¡¯s his knowledge of the cipher that makes Yawm so unwieldy.


    His unlimited mana comes from codes of the cipher on his skin. His ability to generate antimatter at will comes from the cipher. Even his ridiculous regeneration comes from the cipher. In many ways, Yawm is a representation of a sentient breaking the limits of the system. I would compare it with a mortal becoming stronger than gods in xianxia fiction.


    That means that stats and abilities won¡¯t level the playing field, at least in normal amounts. For instance, how would a normal build tank Yawm¡¯s antimatter attacks? What about Ajax splicing the dimensional plane that someone exists on? It¡¯s a daunting task even imagining how to combat these techniques.


    Daniel¡¯s going for pure efficiency since he doesn¡¯t know how to stop these techniques. For example, a single point in endurance gives about three attributes worth of stats. Daniel gets four attribute points per level, so he effectively gets 12 attributes per level. Eventually that many stats will add up to something insane.


    Daniel¡¯s character has shown several of these insanity¡¯s coming together.


    Ok, so Daniel¡¯s pretty op. The thing is, I¡¯ve gotten kind of lost in the numbers and what they mean now in the story. So uh, how exactly is he op?


    The biggest oddity in Daniel¡¯s stats is his health/mana regeneration. It is by all accounts and measures the highest of any warrior shown so far. Yawm can outpace it with his atomic splicing, but it doesn¡¯t count as health and it takes a second for Yawm¡¯s mana to kick in. Combine that with Daniel¡¯s absurd health pool and increased damage resistance, and he¡¯s nigh immortal.


    The only entities that can do decent damage to him right now are Althea, Yawm, Ajax, Sentinels, and the overseer. Other entities like Schema and Old Ones could destroy him instantly, but they aren¡¯t going to go out of their way to squish Daniel. Not just yet at least.


    Besides for that, Daniel¡¯s legendary skill, Force of Nature, is a very high tier legendary skill. It wraps up melee combat, the fluid use of telekinesis and gravity, and movement all into one handy dandy skill. Even for sentients that have hit the level cap, most of them lack a legendary skill. That kind of paints a picture for how rare it is to have what Daniel has.


    Event Horizon is also a really powerful aura. Considering how crazy his health is, the damage is starting to stack up pretty nicely. You¡¯re average build gets about 12-16 health points per level. That means a level 5,000 thief has 75,000 health or so. With 95% damage resist, they die to the aura in about 2 minutes or less.


    There are items, armors, and all kinds of methods to slow that down, but even then, Event Horizon is a nice addition to his arsenal. It shines when he¡¯s in a group of enemies more so than when he¡¯s alone, which makes him a warlord of sorts. At least that¡¯s what I imagine from warlords. Yenno, being stronger on a battlefield than versus a single person.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Daniel¡¯s armor is a powerful weapon as well. It makes him a heavy, dense warrior with pseudo-shapeshifting abilities. It makes him the only character so far that doesn¡¯t fear the eldritch. If an eldritch swallowed Daniel, his armor would eat the eldritch from the inside out after all.


    His knowledge of the cipher will result in explosive ramifications in the future as well.


    TLDR: Daniel is uber tanky, deadly up close, and pretty hard to stay away from. That basically sums him up.


    You mentioned earlier that knowledge is the way to power. Why isn¡¯t Daniel investing into intelligence then? Wouldn¡¯t that be a better idea than his near obsession with endurance?


    This is a solid question. The reason is partially explained above, but the answer also lies in how his stats distribute. For every one point Daniel puts into Endurance, he gets right at 1/4th a point into intelligence. This drives home an important point. Even though his endurance is high, that doesn¡¯t mean his other stats are low.


    In fact, look at his level relative to his intelligence. 3,126 compared to 2,614. That¡¯s about a 500 point difference. A normal build would invest over half of their level ups into intelligence just to match Daniel¡¯s intelligence. That means Daniel doesn¡¯t have a low intelligence. So basically, direct investment isn¡¯t required for an effective amount in a stat.


    This is due to how Daniel¡¯s stats feed into each other, and due to his leveling perks. I¡¯ll leave a link below that examines how the stats feed together in detail in case some people forgot. Hell, even I refer to it from time to time.


    Alright, I guess that makes sense. Thinking of his stats relative to his level does lead to a better perspective I suppose. I was wondering how can Daniel still move though? He¡¯s hardly invested into strength, and he weighs a TON.


    This is how I calculate how well Daniel will move. Take his bonus physical damage percentage. It¡¯s 32,955%. What does that mean exactly? Well, I consider one ¡®athletic unit¡¯ of this stat to be 100%. That equals the strength of an average athletic dude. This means Daniel is about as strong as 400 athletic people(The percentage plus his basic strength).


    So I take his weight(106,000 pounds) and I divide it by the number of ¡®athletic units¡¯ Daniel has. This gives me an idea of how many pounds each ¡®unit¡¯ has to carry. If I do the math, I get 265 pounds per athletic unit.


    I know what you¡¯re thinking. 265 pounds is a bit bulky to move with ease, don¡¯t you think Monsoon? You¡¯re damn right it is. That isn¡¯t the end of my calculations though. Remember that one of constitution¡¯s perks halves strength requirements for movement. That means Daniel¡¯s strength is twice as effective when applied to his own body.


    So we have to halve the amount that each ¡®athletic unit¡¯ has to move. That means it equates to about 132.5 pounds. An athletic person¡¯s strength wouldn¡¯t struggle to move 132.5 pounds nearly as much as 265 pounds. There are a few other factors that help Daniel¡¯s mobility even further.


    Force of Nature helps some. The runes on Daniel¡¯s skin power him up, reducing that number further. His gravity movement skill helps now too, reducing the number even further. At this point, Daniel is actually quite mobile. I hope this clears the confusion surrounding Daniel¡¯s wieght.


    How tall is Daniel? I get ideas that he¡¯s some giant, but it doesn¡¯t seem that way in the story.


    I get this question a lot, so I¡¯ll answer it here. Daniel¡¯s weight reflects his height. So as Daniel¡¯s weight increases, his height increases too. He would easily be 20 feet tall if it weren¡¯t for his increasing density too though.


    Because of how dense he is, Daniel doesn¡¯t actually need to become insanely tall. He can manage with much less overall height because of this. With his armor on, he comes out to about 8 feet in height. A giant by a normal person¡¯s measures, but nothing too crazy. Yawm on the other hand is about 10 feet tall. A grown women would come up to his waist for reference.


    How do you calculate Daniel¡¯s weight/mass?


    A point in constitution is worth 5 pounds of mass. Each level is worth 2 pounds of mass due to the constitution leveling perk. So, (Constitution*5 + Level*2) = 20,875 + 6,252 = 27,127. Then I add the armor dimension mass, which is about 1,000 kilos for every 56 billion mana stored in his armor.


    So Daniel has .22 Trillion = 220 Billion Mana = 3,928 kilos. Then we add the base weight of the armor so 4,928 Kilos = 10,843 pounds~. So 27,127 + 10,843 = 37,969. Now Daniel has a leveling perk for constitution that adds 10% more mass for every 1,000 points in constitution. Therefore we multiply (1 + (0.1(Constitution/1000)) = 1.4*37,969 = 53,158 pounds.


    Last but not least, Daniel¡¯s tree, TitanSlayer, doubles his effective mass. So, 53,158*2 = 106,315 pounds. That is the math behind it all, and that is how I come up with that number.


    That Concludes this RPG analysis for now. Here are some links to up to data and stat sheets and up to date skill sheet for Daniel. Hope these add some legitimacy to the numbers in the story for those interested in them. (I forgot to save a backup for the leveling up math. I did remember to do it for skills at least.)


    Skill Sheet¡¯s Spreadsheet: Daniel Ch.121 Skill Spreadsheet</a>


    Visual of Attributes ¡®Feeding¡¯: Visual of Attribute''s Feeding</a>

 123 Eyes of Eldritch

    I pulled her up, an uneasy chill running up my spine,


    ¡°How is it that everyone knows I¡¯m some harbinger?¡±


    The eerie lips on her face grinned. It was like watching a doll smile with teeth made of glass.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all I know about you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What exactly is that supposed to mean?¡±


    She rubbed her lower jaw back and forth, her teeth grating against each other. As they clanked against each other, they sounded like gears churning in her head.


    ¡°You ask many questions, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Her answers threw me off. They weren¡¯t normal, and they had a way of unsettling me. Instead of answering with frustration, I waited a second. This wasn¡¯t panning out like I had hoped it would. Before I continued talking, I changed my approach.


    I pulled back my helmet revealing my face. I leaned over her, being a head taller as I inspected her,


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have any real answers do you?¡±


    She looked towards Yawm. Her smile shattered like a vase dropping on concrete. She turned back towards me, ¡°I see...Are you one of his minions then?¡±


    Yawm stepped up, ¡°No. He¡¯s an equal and a guest. As a guest of my company, I won¡¯t allow you to treat him in a manner unbefitting of him.¡±


    She turned between us, her pale lips quivering. A strange pause passed over us before she nodded at me with a new grin,


    ¡°Ohhhh...Things are not as they seem. Deception. Lies.¡± Her head tilted as she reached out with a hand towards me. The eye on her palm inspected the runes across my armor, ¡°That rune...it reflects an inner strength...and growth, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    I¡¯m not gonna lie. At this point, I was getting tired of her cryptic bullshit.


    I shook my head at her, ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s going to be useful at this rate. She¡¯s talking like she¡¯s a living riddle, and we don¡¯t have time for it.¡±


    Yawm raised a palm towards me, ¡°Let¡¯s take our time with the puzzle. Throwing it away so soon would be a waste. Remember, we sacrificed a terraforming golem for it.¡±


    Yawm turned towards Amara, his voice hard, ¡°Though your cryptic manner of speaking is doing you no favors.¡±


    Amara laughed. It was carefree and easy on the ears, like hearing a baby giggle. Considering her monstrous appearance, it only unsettled me more.


    ¡°You both are more than you appear...I am eldritch, but I can help you both.¡±


    Yawm and I leaned back, then we looked at each other. This was the first time I¡¯d heard an actual eldritch refer to themselves as an eldritch. Normally they spoke of themselves as wolves and us as lambs. Even Baldag-Ruhl didn¡¯t know he was an eldritch. Amara was different. She knew what she was.


    She pointed at my forearms, ¡°I can show you more about that then you know. I can explain what eldritch are. I know many things. I¡¯ll give you pieces if you give me what I want in return.¡±


    Yawm spread out his arms, ¡°What exactly is it that you desire?¡±


    Amara tapped her chest, ¡°I want to be free from the hunt.¡±


    Yawm lowered his arms, ¡°The hunt?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I cannot fight with power like others of my kind. My strength is with knowledge and how I use it. I want to escape it.¡±


    Yawm waved his hand towards the dungeon core, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this elsewhere. I¡¯ve tired of this place already.¡±


    She walked up to him, her steps slow and steady. There was no thumping of her feet. She was more like a walking twig. At the same time, there was an energy radiating from her. It wasn¡¯t the same as Yawm¡¯s overwhelming bursts of radiation, but it was a steady river of mana.


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    It reminded me of my own mana generation, though less volatile. My mana was dominion mana and augmentation mana fused together. It gave my magic an explosive, violent kind of feel. Her mana was a stable flow of energy. I was a coming storm with wind and rain and thunder. Hers was a flood.


    Even with that kind of mana, Yawm didn¡¯t fear her. He turned his back to her, his confidence absolute. We walked back towards the dungeon core. As we did, Amara turned her head towards me. Instead of tilting her body, her head just swiveled 180 degrees.


    I pointed a finger at her, ¡°You know, you¡¯re like a bunch of horror movie cliches smashed together.¡±


    With sickening pops, her arms dislocated, letting her place the back of her hands on her face. Her eyes faced me as she grinned at me,


    ¡°You¡¯re body, the flesh, the skin...It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Do I look tasty or something like that?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No. You are living dirt. You are the inanimate given life.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Uh-huh. I had other eldritch tell me the same thing.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, ¡°They tried eating you?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. Anyways, what¡¯s the point of the conversation?¡±


    Her grin curled up higher, the unnatural look of her teeth give her a surreal look. I molded my armor back over my face, making my helmet grin.


    ¡°Look, I can do a creepy grin too.¡±


    I clamped the armor¡¯s teeth together, ¡°Mine has a bit more bite though.¡±


    She laughed, the childish giggle gushing out of her mouth like music. I squinted my eyes at her in confusion. She just stared at me for a minute before hissing,


    ¡°We shall see.¡±


    Yawm was hunched over in front of us, pointing before tapping his chin. He mumbled to himself, trying to organize his thoughts. What for, I didn¡¯t know. A few minutes later and we reached the dungeon core. With the crimson core¡¯s light still brilliant, Yawm placed his hand over it.


    He turned towards us, ¡°Is there anything you may have forgotten, Amara?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    The ground beneath us shifted, a blank whiteness bleeding out from the core. Yawm turned towards us,


    ¡°Whenever I slayed one of Schema¡¯s sentinels, I inspected his spear. I discovered much about the cipher, and using that code, I¡¯ve given myself this ability.¡±


    After a few moments, the pale ice of his fortress and the water of his lake appeared. He turned towards Amara, ¡°I do hope you enjoy the amenities here.¡±


    Amara quit staring at me, her head turning towards him as her arms cracked back into place. I sighed with relief as Yawm gestured a hand towards her. When he did, his ice chairs coalesced from thin air. I sat backwards, finding a chair for me as well.


    With rays of light bleeding from the water above, Yawm steepled his fingers, ¡°Now, tell us a bit of your history, if you would.¡±


    Amara tapped the side of her cheek, ¡°History? You mean my past, the before now times?¡±


    Yawm nodded. Amara crossed her arms, as if she were cold, ¡°I was...not like other eldritch. I spoke, as the brightest of our kind does. Unlike the others, I lacked their insatiable hunger.¡±


    She pointed all around us, ¡°It¡¯s different...everything here. From where I came from, things are foggier, less defined. In order to grow, we would feed on the mana surrounding us. Here, however, the mana is all in one place.¡±


    She uncrossed her other arm, shaping a ball on her hands, ¡°Everything is so...solid and dense. The energy here...it¡¯s changed from mana to a solid fabric.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°You mean, like...mana into matter?¡±


    Amara nodded. She inspected the room with a hand while staring at me with the other one. Her head remained unmoving,


    ¡°There was only mana where we come from. Once here, it¡¯s like staring at endless delicacies. The living pieces have the best, most dense parts.¡±


    Drool leaked out of her mouth. It was gross as fuck.


    Yawm leaned onto one hand, ¡°And your telling us that you¡¯re different and you¡¯re not hungry, is that right?¡±


    A trail of her saliva leaked down her robe as she murmured, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Riiiiight.¡±


    It was like Yawm was giving her a slow clap with his tone of voice. He leaned towards her, his gaze piercing,


    ¡°Assuming that¡¯s true, what makes you so different from them?¡±


    She reached out a hand, her fingers darting back and forth. It was like she was typing on a keyboard. After a second, a blue screen popped up in front of her. Yawm and I leaned forward, both of us curious. I read closer, seeing a character screen for her.


    Level 4,744


    Strength ¨C 451 | Constitution ¨C 97 | Endurance ¨C 232


    Dexterity ¨C 457 | Willpower ¨C 3,173 | Intelligence ¨C 2,897


    Charisma ¨C 2,709 | Luck ¨C 1000 | Perception ¨C 46


    Health: 3,821/3,821 | Health Regen: 43/min


    Mana: 123,765/123,765 | Mana Regen: 460,301/min


    Stamina: 5,093/5,093 | Stamina Regen: 62/sec


    Legendary Skill: Sentience


    Damage Res - 95% | Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 3,955%


    Yawm and I turned towards each other again, then back towards Amara. Yawm lifted his hands,


    ¡°A status screen...but you¡¯re an eldritch.¡±


    The creepy ass grin just grew on her face as Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed,


    ¡°You...What are you?¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Something that can help you...if you help me.¡±

 124 Almost

    Yawm laughed, ¡°Hah, hah. It seems as though I¡¯ve run into several talents that defy expectation. One is a mysterious warrior clad in black armor and the other is an eldritch that knows a way into Schema¡¯s system. Incredible, truly incredible.¡±


    He raised his hands as fists, ¡°What a marvelous awakening this has been. Earth treats me well. I¡¯ve explored many planets over hundreds of years. None have given me the gift of seeing a crack in Schema¡¯s code.¡±


    Yawm stood from his chair, giving Amara a light bow, ¡°Just knowing the possibility of what you¡¯ve done is a precious gift. Thank you for sharing that with me.¡±


    The eyes on Amara¡¯s hands opened wide. She pointed them towards me, then back towards Yawm. After a few seconds of being frozen in place, she stuttered,


    ¡°Your kindness is overflowing. This is what made me different from the others that floated on the other side. I had a mind. and access to a pristine example of the dimensional code. With my adept form of touch-¡±


    Amara¡¯s raven hair moved, each strand acting as if it had a mind of its own. I glanced closer. After inspecting her, I learned what she meant. Each strand of her hair was an antenna. A creepy, disgusting ass antenna, just like a roach or cricket. I suppressed a shiver and a grimace.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it was a pretty way of learning the cipher. It was undeniably effective.


    Amara continued, ¡°Time and opportunity let me learn the depths of this...cipher as you call it. Over the many years that I was imprisoned, I mastered it. At least what I found of it.¡±


    She regained her calm aura as she continued, ¡°I may share what I know with you, for a price.¡±


    Yawm steepled his fingers. If the man had a mouth, he¡¯d have a glowing grin on his lips,


    ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    Amara¡¯s fingers flexed. It reminded me of someone creasing their eyebrows in anger,


    ¡°I want many things. I need a safe, quiet place. I want books, more books than my eyes could ever read. I want protection, not only from the AI, but from my own kind as well. For these things, I¡¯ll share what I¡¯m willing to tell.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand, the ominous hiss and pops of his magic echoing out,


    ¡°Done.¡±


    The aura collapsed into his palm before he snapped his fingers. Another room appeared along the side of Yawm¡¯s ice castle. It mirrored my own room, though it was given additional size. As I wondered why, Yawm answered,


    ¡°I have given it additional storage for bookshelves. As you read, I¡¯ll add bookshelves and room for more stories. All you have to do is ask, and I have no problem accommodating more than what you¡¯ve asked.¡±


    Amara glanced back and forth from the new room and Yawm. Her mouth gawked with amazement at Yawm¡¯s speed at granting her request. She murmured,


    ¡°How do I know this place is safe?¡±


    Yawm raised a finger, ¡°Because this is my own personalized rift. Since it¡¯s not a part of Schema¡¯s world, he can¡¯t glass us with orbital strikes. Outside of that, I¡¯ve tamed most of the wild eldritch here. If anything even comes within several miles of here, I¡¯ll know.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards her, ¡°And I assure you Amara, I will handle whatever threat that comes personally. You will never know it existed, just as it will never know it died.¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°Hey, Yawm.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°What is it?¡±


    I pointed towards her room, ¡°Where did you get the books to fill her rooms?¡±


    Yawm¡¯s chest deflated, ¡°Oh...yes. I did disintegrate all of my own personal books several decades ago. Now all I own are research logs. Well, that and tomes detailing certain aspects of the cipher via vague, cryptic terminology. They aren¡¯t the most stimulating of reads.¡±


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    I turned towards Amara, ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can get you a library with a bit more diversity.¡±


    Amara turned her hands towards me. They narrowed into slits,


    ¡°You can do what Yawm cannot?¡±


    She sounded like she had a hard time believing that. I didn¡¯t bother giving her an answer. Instead, I opened one of my dimensional storages, pulling out an extra obelisk. In the back of my mind, I thanked Torix for giving me a few extra. I tossed it towards Amara. Her hair/antenna shifted into place, catching the sphere.


    I pointed at it,


    ¡°That¡¯s an obelisk. Connect to it, and it will automatically upload a peaceful memory. Once you¡¯re done with that, I¡¯ll look through my own personal library and send you a few books. There should be a few thousand that I can give you at the very least.¡±


    Amara moved her hands around the sphere, inspecting it in the weirdest way possible. Once done, she used her hands to click an invisible screen. Seconds later, and a sphere of white materialized around her. As she messed around with the obelisk I stood up from my chair of ice.


    Yawm did the same. I walked up to him. He crossed his arms,


    ¡°If there is something I miss about Schema¡¯s system, it¡¯s an obelisk. If I can regain access to his system, then that will be the first thing I acquire.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a really nice device to have.¡±


    I took a step back from Yawm, opening my obelisk. The clicking of cicadas and running water flowed into my ears with a pleasant hum. I smiled before opening Torix¡¯s library. In it, there was a section marked as forbidden books. I selected every other book and sent Amara a friend request.


    Seconds later, Amara appeared on my friends list. I sent her the file, thousands of books being sent in seconds. I closed my obelisk. Yawm¡¯s viewing room reappeared, the same aquatic giants floating in the water above. Yawm tapped his chin,


    ¡°I hope this question doesn¡¯t probe to deeply, but how did you acquire such an extensive library so quickly? Your planet hasn¡¯t even been in Schema¡¯s system for a year.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It was from Torix, the lich that came with me when we first met.¡±


    Yawm nodded,


    ¡°Ah, now I feel even worse about my misunderstanding when we first met. After all, if there exists one aspect I respect about another person, it¡¯s a love for books. I simply must apologize next time we meet and invite him for a discussion about stories.


    I glanced up, looking at the phosphorescent shimmer of a passing jellyfish, ¡°Who knows, maybe he knows a few fairy tales you haven¡¯t heard yet.¡±


    Yawm clapped his hands once, ¡°An excellent suggestion! Fairy tales hide the wisdom of the cultures that created them. There¡¯s much we may learn from one another.¡±


    I frowned. If Yawm and Torix talked for more than a few minutes, Torix may give away our secrets on accident. In my head at least, it seemed like they would get along too well.


    Before I continued along that train of thought, the white sphere around Amara dissipated. She walked up to me, inspecting my armor,


    ¡°You are more than you appear to be. Here I imagined you were merely in a guise.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me, ¡°A guise?¡± He turned back towards her, ¡°What do you mean by the word guise?¡±


    Amara turned towards me. As much as I was hiding it, there was an inkling of fear on my face. It was obvious now. Amara could see my level and Yawm¡¯s. Anyone with half a brain cell could tell there was a massive gap between us. It looked like she was about to reveal me.


    My brain entered overdrive. It was now or never. If she exposed me, all hell could break loose. Would I be able to bullshit to Yawm about my strength again? I didn¡¯t know. If he hit me twice in a row, then I¡¯d be dead. That was a risk I didn¡¯t want to take.


    An idea popped into my head. Was it a good one? I didn¡¯t know at the time because the pressure was on. I just went with it. I opened a hand towards her,


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t think much of me, how about we have a little test?¡±


    Amara grinned at me, ¡°What kind of test?¡±


    I would use her biggest strength against her. I weighed my hands back and forth,


    ¡°A test of wills. We¡¯ll see who has higher mana generation rates.¡±


    The grin on Amara¡¯s mouth grew. A bit of drool leaked from her, ¡°What will I receive if I win this contest?¡±


    I waved my hand like I didn¡¯t care, ¡°I don¡¯t know, you can eat me or some shit. If I win, stop questioning my abilities, eh?¡±


    Yawm observed with an expressionless face. I¡¯d been around him enough to know that if he had lips, he¡¯d have an amused grin on his face. Amara seemed giddy at the prospect,


    ¡°You are a warrior. Why are you comparing our mana generation? We could have a simple fight if you¡¯d prefer that. Even though I may lack the brute force of many eldritch, I have magic and what I¡¯ve learned from the cipher. It would be a fairer test.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s no need for all that. Let¡¯s just keep it simple, short, and sweet. What do you say?¡±


    Amara¡¯s hair bristled up, goosebumps appearing over her skin as saliva flowed from her maw. She grinded her teeth together, the sound of gears turning echoing out. She hissed,


    ¡°I accept.¡±


    I grinned at her confidence. It was nice to see, but I unlike her, I had something she didn¡¯t have. I¡¯d seen her status screen in full. All she knew for certain about me was my level. I couldn¡¯t blame her for her certainty either. She was 1,000 levels over me, a mage, and mana generation was her specialty.


    The thing was, she didn¡¯t know just how stupid high my mana was.

 125 Origin

    But just like everyone else, she would learn soon enough. If I had anything to say about it, my mana generation would be the talk of legends. Amara gestured towards me with a palm,


    ¡°You may begin the test.¡±


    I grinned, siphoning out about 100,000 health regen from the cipher on my arm. The mana radiated from my skin like a far off earthquake. Amara¡¯s eyes widened,


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯ve already exceeded what I expected from you. It isn¡¯t enough, however.¡±


    An aura of calm emanated from her skin, a gentle blue overwhelming the chaos of my red mana. Her grin grew, ¡°It seems as though you¡¯ve been overwhelmed.¡±


    I matched her mana, my mana canceling out hers. I pretended like I was straining to add unnecessary drama. Sometimes it¡¯s fun to play jokes on people after all, so I grunted out,


    ¡°Not quite. I haven¡¯t given it all I¡¯ve got.¡±


    Yawm covered his mouth, holding his laugh in. I quashed my own smile so it wouldn¡¯t give me away. Amara clapped her hands as she giggled,


    ¡°Hehehe, it seems as though you have quite the energy in you. How about this then?¡±


    She doubled her output, her aura overwhelming mine with ease. She reached out a hand, her eye facing mine. I noticed the iris was a sky blue, making the eye pop on her pale skin. That eye strained as she maintained 400,000 mana regeneration.


    It was near her limit. I grit my teeth and clenched my fists, increasing my mana generation at a steady pace. I began humming out as the energy increased. Amara stared at me in disbelief as my mana generation eclipsed hers, though barely.


    I struggled out my words with an immense yet false effort,


    ¡°I...I won¡¯t be eaten...I won¡¯t.¡±


    She raised both her hands, her breathing relaxing. As she calmed down, her mana output increased. As if she were meditating, she reached the apex of her mana generation. She spoke with a serene calm,


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been outdone again.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Really now?¡±


    In an instant, I doubled my mana generation. Carmine colored lightning arced across the room, singing spots of the walls. The aura was like evaporated violence, giving the air an electric vibrance. The relaxing immanence of Amara was quelled into oblivion.


    She gasped, ¡°I...I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    I laughed as I reached out with Event Horizon. I poured the aura over the creatures above us. As I did, I gained even more mana generation than I could make. Yet again I doubled my mana generation, reaching 1.6 million mana a minute.


    I felt like a damn super saiyan as my mana coursed through me. My aura warped the gravity and space near me, making the air around us thick and heavy, like lead. The energy rippled out in waves, pulsing outwards with physical force. The aura was bright, like a crimson flare. It was a sight to behold.


    Yawm clapped his hands a few times, ¡°Impressive. This display out does the one you showed when we first met. I¡¯m in awe.¡±


    I raised a finger with a sly grin, ¡°I want to see how high I can go with it.¡±


    I reached out, covering dozens of creatures floating above us. Their natural resilience turned into even more mana generation for me. Higher and higher I pushed it. I even dipped into my health some, letting me reach two million health regen. As I achieved that feat, Amara stumbled backwards, her mouth gaping in shock.


    She pointed a shaking hand up at me, ¡°How is that even possible? You¡¯re only level 3,000.¡±


    I shrugged before raising my fists,


    ¡°I¡¯m called the Harbinger for a reason.¡±


    I stood up, soaking in the excessive amount of energy. I¡¯m not gonna lie, I felt like a god for a few seconds.


    I didn¡¯t want to get too cocky though, so I pulled in Event Horizon and simmered down. Without delay, the energy ceased like a boulder falling on a fountain. A few seconds later, and my health was backup to full. I siphoned my mana back into my cipher, powering the runic inscription.


    I walked up to Amara, offering her a hand,


    ¡°Come on, you have a lot to show us.¡±


    It took her a few seconds before she reached up with her hand. Instead of grabbing it, I grabbed her wrist and pulled. After she stood, she rubbed her wrist,


    ¡°Thank you for not clenching my eye.¡±


    I gave her a thumbs up, ¡°No problem.¡±


    Yawm placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re only level 3,000 then?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°You of all people know how little that number matters.¡± I met Yawm¡¯s eye,


    ¡°I¡¯m ready and waiting if you want a real fight though.¡±


    With the afterglow of the energy surge, my confidence was sky high. So high in fact that Yawm starred in surprise for a few seconds. After a moment passed, he let out a deep chuckle. He pat my back with force, the sound echoing through his viewing room,


    ¡°Of course I want to fight a worthy warrior, but that will have to wait. As you¡¯ve said before, fighting accomplishes nothing.¡± He opened a hand towards Amara, ¡°We have a guide who can open a new world to us. Let¡¯s focus on opening that chapter instead.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t fear in his voice, but there was a begrudging respect. He took a step towards the exit of the room,


    ¡°Come. If we are to hear her out, then my study is the natural place for it.¡±


    We walked down the spiral staircase, the wonders of the deep wondering around us. Every creature shifted and swam with extreme activity. It was because of Event Horizon. Yawm glanced around, noticing the shift,


    ¡°Hmmm...They must have sensed the surge of mana as well.¡±


    While we walked, Yawm pondered for a while. I had a solid guess about what he was wondering about. Amara let it slip that I was around level 3,000. No matter what my mana looked like from the outside, Yawm would be curious now. It looked like she sparked his suspicion.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long now. If I was lucky, he might only tear my flesh off and use me as a mana battery for other experiments. If I wasn¡¯t so lucky, then he might try to take my armor off and wear it as his own...


    I silenced my anxiety, letting myself relax. There was nothing more I could do right now. Learning the cipher from a pro was about as good as it gets for self improvement. Especially considering I could encode it into my armor. With her help, I¡¯d be able to amp up my rune¡¯s efficiency.


    Either that or I would need to get a bit more risky with my own formulas. Regardless, I turned around towards Amara. She was wheezing, each breath pained. I thought about it for a bit. She just escaped a prison she¡¯d been in for god knows how long. She needed sleep for a while, so I tapped Yawm¡¯s shoulder.


    He turned his head towards me, ¡°What is it?¡±


    I pointed at Amara, ¡°I think she needs some sleep, or at least to lay down. She has been imprisoned then transported across dimensions all over the course of an hour.¡±


    Yawm stopped walking. He turned towards her, smacking his forehead,


    ¡°Of course she needs rest. What am I even thinking. I¡¯m so lost in thought that I didn¡¯t even see what was right in front of me.¡±


    Yawm snapped his fingers. A few seconds later, Keeja walked out from a hallway nearby. With his blank stare and monotone movements, he floated along like a spectre. Once he reached Amara, they seemed like a natural couple as he bowed to her,


    ¡°Hello miss Amara, I will show you to your new room so that you may rest.¡±


    Amara glanced at us with her hands, then back towards Keeja. She followed him, her knees shaking a bit. Yawm opened the door of his study then turned towards me.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Do you have some time to talk?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    We walked into his study. The tombs lined the bookshelves of the room. Yawm reached near his desk, right where lights of the room where brightest. From all sides, the phosphorescent lights bled inside. Yawm took a chair and set it down in front of him. After that, he walked over and set down a chair for him to sit down.


    My nerves were already getting to me. He gestured towards the chair,


    ¡°Sit, if you would.¡±


    I walked up and sat on the chair. He walked towards a window, letting his gaze wonder outside. Yawm waved his hand and Keeja walked into the building from inside, carrying his favorite kind of tea. Yawm sat into a chair in front of me, Keeja walking by and handing us our beverages.


    Yawm sipped on it, the warm aroma of coffee and vanilla floating in the air,


    ¡°Is there something you wish to tell me?¡±


    I sipped my tea, but my heart seized in chest. I ignored that sensation, crushing it with my mind as I spoke with a casual ease,


    ¡°Do I seem worried or something?¡±


    Yawm tapped the edge of his teacup for a second before speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you seem stressed, if not outright mortified at times. I¡¯ve been alive for a long time. Sensing something like an increase in someone¡¯s heartbeat or seeing some discomfort isn¡¯t too difficult for me, as you may imagine.¡±


    Yawm pointed towards me, ¡°That is what makes me wonder about you. That, among other signs.¡±


    I frowned. I was being caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither option seemed very good at the moment. Either I tried to continue lying about myself and see what happens, or I tell him and also see what happens.


    At this point, we¡¯d been around one another for a few weeks. He probably already knew what I was doing. We¡¯re talking about Yawm here, not some random schmuck. If anything, this was probably an opportunity to come clean about everything.


    It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do though. There was so much uncertainty, and Yawm had deformed so many people before me. Without meaning to, I asked a question,


    ¡°Why did you create Althea the way you did?¡±


    Yawm set his tea down on the ground beside him. His arms were long enough to reach it with ease. He crossed his fingers, resting his chin on them as he inspected me. I don¡¯t know what he saw exactly, but he replied after some contemplation,


    ¡°To answer that question, I first must give you context. During my travels, I was picked up as an avatar of Etorhma. I accomplished many tasks in his name for many rewards. Most of what I know about the cipher came from him. That¡¯s why I was so impressed with your own use of the language. You learned it on your own.¡±


    Yawm leaned up, resting his back on his chair,


    ¡°I digress. During one of those many missions, I picked up useful intelligence from an information broker. One of Etorhma¡¯s oldest avatar¡¯s was being summoned soon. Using that information, I matched up my own summoning with his.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand,


    ¡°That peculiar avatar had an interesting ability to travel through time, to a lesser extent. I created a singularity where he was, warping the space time he was in. This slowed him down. Before he could escape, I detonated antimatter on his location, using a thin sheet of stasis to contain the explosive damage.¡±


    Yawm gestured outwards with a hand,


    ¡°It was a clean, effective execution. After I slayed Etorhma¡¯s champion, the Old One did something unexpected.¡±


    Yawm leaned towards me, the intensity of the stare like acid.


    ¡°The creature wept.¡±


    Yawm leaned back up into his chair,


    ¡°And so, this monstrosity flooded the plain that we were summoned in. I was able to contain much of this viscous fluid that was released by him. As the pocket universe around me collapsed, Ajax warped in and pulled me out of Etorhma¡¯s temporal plane. I can still remember the racking cries of that creature.¡±


    Yawm squeezed both his hands into fists, ¡°Can you imagine why I would do such a thing?¡±


    I shook my head, curious as hell about the rest of the story.


    Yawm opened a hand, ¡°He...That avatar was the one that expunged my family. He was contracted by Schema for a bounty quest. I was given the chance to cut his throat, and I took it.¡±


    My stomach sank at hearing that. Not the killing the avatar part but at the losing his family part. Yawm continued,


    ¡°I never intended on gaining Etorhma¡¯s Tears. It was a result of enacting a hollow revenge. After I discovered the tears, many people wanted them. The effects of the tears on most sentients were poor at best. Poor might be the incorrect word. Exposure led to grisly and vile outcomes. I won¡¯t go into detail about them any further.¡±


    There was a disgust hidden in those last few words he spoke.


    ¡°On the eldritch, however, the effects were astonishing.¡±


    Yawm raised both his hands,


    ¡°If you can imagine it, the eldritch corrupted the Old One¡¯s essence! They deformed it into their own flesh and blood. These eldritch could tear through any material as if they were moving through air. Those creatures were deadly and dangerous, so I slayed them.¡±


    Yawm gripped his hands into fists, ¡°And so I discontinued my experiments. It wasn¡¯t until much later that we discovered a fringe world at the edge of being taken over by the eldritch.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°You discovered Althea.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Among many others left of her kind. They were a unique species, naturally given an affinity for Arcane Blood. They were clustered on a mountain, hidden from the rest of their world. Before the eldritch decimated them, I took the species under my wing.¡±


    Yawm waved a hand around, as if he were grasping for details,


    ¡°They were a prideful species, even more stubborn than we porytians. They would raise their young in caverns until they were adolescents. Until then, they weren¡¯t allowed to see natural light. As I learned about them, they learned of me. The situation devolved once they learned of the potential hidden among the cipher.¡±


    Yawm lifted and turned his arms, showing several of the markings of his cipher,


    ¡°They wanted to know how I fought the eldritch with such ease. I told them it was the cipher etched on my skin. I refused them, not because I wished to horde the knowledge but because I didn¡¯t want them exiled from Schema¡¯s system. They ignored me, trying to carve the cipher on their own.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°There¡¯s no way that worked out.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°As a fellow practitioner, you understand that. With their marred characters, they were torn asunder by the language. The wrath of the cipher deformed them utterly. They killed one another like a pit of hungry cannibals. Few survived.¡±


    Yawm leaned forward towards me,


    ¡°Among that chaos, I discovered something extraordinary. Among the ruins of their village, there laid a woman strapped against a tree. Her belly was swollen. Dried tears traced down her cheeks. Her limbs had been dislocated, an eldritch tying her to a tree.  In the end, her body was merely a catalyst for what lied within.¡±


    Yawm looked off in a different direction, ¡°There was something strange about it. Two open wounds were on her belly. One was where the wasp eldritch had tried laying an egg within her. The other mark was where she had tried tearing it out. I believe the remnants of that egg mixed with the already formed baby.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°Althea is some sort of eldritch hybrid?¡±


    Yawm sighed,


    ¡°Perhaps. She was like her kind, but the eldritch had infested her flesh. Once the mother died, Althea burst from its belly. She plopped onto the ground, already larger than most toddlers of her species. I believed she would be some twisted chimera. Instead, she was a crying, healthy baby.¡±


    Yawm turned a palm towards me, ¡°We never discovered exactly how it was created. From her mother¡¯s carcass, we gained a genetic signature that was unusually reactive. Combine that with their Arcane Blood, and they molded together.¡±


    Yawm steepled his fingers together,


    ¡°Still, I was in no position to care for a child. I gave her to one of the last remaining members of her species. As she aged, she grew, but so did the eldritch within her. She was a bomb waiting for detonation. Once she was about to burst, we took her from her foster parents and placed her within the confines of a lab.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°It would amaze you how much tragedy there is among the stars. My lab was a home for those tragedies, a way for them to try and regain some semblance of a life.¡±


    Yawm stared at the ground,


    ¡°There were so many failures during our time in that laboratory. Even now the thought of what I did there stings. I used the abominations of eldritch and sentients to experiments with the tears. It was by no means my proudest moment, but i was desperate for something.¡±


    Yawm waved his hands outwards,


    ¡°I had studied the cipher and the eldritch for hundreds of years. I spent lifetimes researching the very darkest pits and deepest holes I could find. It weighed on me. I needed some breakthrough, and I had found that with Althea. I was hoping to find another breakthrough again.¡±


    Yawm grabbed the sides his head,


    ¡°She was eldritch and took the tears without the effects that most sentients experienced. I prayed the tears would help her affliction. They made her nigh immortal and gave her the same slicing abilities as other eldritch, but it didn¡¯t save her.¡±


    Yawm spread his hands, ¡°The eldritch grew within her with the same fervor as before, threatening to overwhelm her. In order to extract the eldritch essence, I used the only method I know of pulling out eldritch energy.¡±


    Yawm formed a ball in front of him,


    ¡°We would surround her with the ¡®dungeon cores¡¯ as you call them. I would pull out energy from them, and they would in turn drain the energy from her to power themselves. Between these cleansings, we would pump Althea with sedatives. Otherwise her emotions may swell, making her energy unleash in a torrent.¡±


    Yawm clapped his hands together, ¡°We tried many other methods. None of them were successful.¡± Yawm gestured a hand to me,


    ¡°With your armor, we could have formed a conduit between you and her in order to siphon her excess energy. Any mage with experience would know that. Without something extracting her mana at a routine rate though, Althea was restricted. She would go over the edge at regular intervals.¡±


    Yawm closed his eyes, ¡°When I discovered that our scientists where using her for bounty hunting...¡±


    Yawm paused, finding himself at a loss for words. He opened his eyes and steepled his fingers once more,


    ¡°I learned they were doing other questionable things within the lab. Most of them unethical and pointless. They were culled along with many other members of my ranks for that reason. I had no need for the unloyal and those that lie.¡±


    There was some serious acid in his voice at the last word. I had a decent reason why. He continued,


    ¡°And so, you found Althea in her state. Does that explanation sate your curiosity?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Uh, yeah. It does.¡±


    We sat there, facing one another for a few minutes before Yawm picked up his tea. He sipped it in silence. A second later, he stared at me. From where I was standing, it was pretty obvious he already knew. I figured my best bet was coming clean.


    ¡°Hey Yawm.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I sighed before meeting his eye,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been lying to you.¡±

 126 Honesty

    <div>


    <div>


    My goal here is to humanize Daniel and make him more relatable. Let me know if it worked.


    Yawm leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He rested his chin on his hands,


    ¡°Really now? Would you mind describing how you¡¯ve been lying, though I may already have a general idea.¡±


    I took a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. Thump, thump, thump, adrenaline flooded my system, my hands growing sweaty in seconds. I took a deep breath, let me get control of myself. It amazed me that a conversation like this had me much more nervous than a battle to the death did.


    That was the reality though as I continued,


    ¡°Alright, I guess I¡¯ll start from the beginning. When a quarantine was issued for your visit to earth, no one on earth could leave. Your damn plague destroyed my hometown, and it killed my friends. In all likelihood, it killed my father too.¡±


    Honestly, I could give a damn about my dad. I was trying to get some sympathy points however I could though.


    Yawm tapped his hands together, ¡°So you intended on killing me for revenge then?¡±


    I shook my hands, ¡°No. Schema put out a mission for killing you. Your plague looked like it was going to destroy the damn world, and I couldn¡¯t leave either. I didn¡¯t have much of a choice but to accept. ¡°


    I raised up my hands in exasperation, ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give you some context. I was level, like, 100 when I accepted this mission. I had no idea what the hell I was getting myself into.¡±


    Yawm scoffed, but his expression didn¡¯t change.


    I pointed at him,


    ¡°You laugh now, but I worked my ass off to get to this level. It¡¯s not easy making that happen in less than a year. I ran around the entirety of Springfield, clearing out your plague. It wasn¡¯t until we met your followers that things got complicated.¡±


    I lowered my hand, ¡°After that, I had a training montage in a dessert rift. I even managed to finish off some of your followers after that. Before I killed any of them, they would deform into these disgusting eldritch. That¡¯s the perspective I had going into meeting you for the first time.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, raising my hands again in exasperation,


    ¡°Ajax betrayed you. I didn¡¯t kill him. He came up with a plan where I would lie until I was strong enough to defeat you. That sure as hell worked. Yeah, I only need to gain about 10,000 more damn levels and learn to create gravitational singularities. Sing-u-fucking-varieties.¡±


    I let my arms flop on the chair, my weight cracking them,


    ¡°This whole time I¡¯ve been bullshitting about how strong I was. Sure, I¡¯ve got a few things going for me, but I can¡¯t beat someone who¡¯s 10,000 levels over me.¡±


    I pressed a finger to my chest, ¡°I was a normal guy a year ago. A normal, non monster eating guy. I have no idea why in the hell everyone thinks I¡¯m able to kill a literal god.¡±


    I shook my hands at Yawm, ¡°That¡¯s the thing. You fit the actual definition of a god, did you know that?¡± I raised a hand, counting on my fingers,


    ¡°Immortal? Check. Can destroy the world with ease? Check. Can control the weather? Of course you fucking can. Can evaporate my ass? With ease.¡±


    At this point, I was entering full-on tirade mode. A lot of this had built up over the last few months, so let it out was liberating. Yawm had a way of making himself accessible to trust as well. Because of that, I couldn¡¯t help but go on a tangent about everything.


    Because of that, I leaned towards Yawm, ¡°I live with a lich and remnant that are over a 1,000 years old. I am only eighteen years old. Why in the hell do they expect me to be able to do a damn thing to you? Our plan was garbage, but I couldn¡¯t think of any other way. I had zero options.¡±


    I shook my head, laying back in my chair, ¡°And now everybody is calling me Harbinger and acting like I¡¯m supposed to be able to do this shit.¡±


    I moved both my hands to one side of me, ¡°Not only am I supposed to be a hardened war hero-¡± I moved my hands to my other side, ¡°But I have to be a spy, craftsmen, and god-slayer too. I stood up because no one else would, the whole time my back against a wall. I never wanted to sign up for all this.¡±


    I sighed. My throat was on fire like someone had made me swallow a hot coal. It surprised me how emotional I was being. I guess I was like this because Yawm wasn¡¯t relying on me to make some miracle happen.


    Riding on those emotions, I continued, ¡°And I failed...I failed man. I tried so hard for so damn long. I was a machine. Some days I didn¡¯t think I was even human. I sure as hell don¡¯t think I¡¯m human now though. There¡¯s no question about it.¡±


    My voice laced itself with venom, ¡°No, I know I¡¯m not anymore. I bleed silver blood. My skin and bones are metal. Monster¡¯s don¡¯t eat me. I eat monsters.¡±


    I gestured a hand to Yawm, ¡°And look at what good that did me. Now you¡¯re going to wipe me off the face of the earth. Pa-Blow, then I¡¯m gone. Over two years living in hell disintegrated in an instant. All that hard work just gone. It¡¯s a hard pill to swallow.¡±


    I leaned my head down, holding in my tears with my artificially enhanced willpower. It was like I wanted to cry like a baby, but I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Go ahead man, Do your worst. I¡¯m done with all this lying. Right now, I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    A long silence stretched out. It was the kind of silence that was hollow and biting. It was like learning of some deep hurt that someone hid. I had no idea what Yawm was thinking about as I said it. Besides for that single scoff, he didn¡¯t say a word or change his expression.


    It was the weirdest damn thing. I just gushed out stuff I¡¯d been holding in for months. I hoped it was because Yawm¡¯s charisma was high. For some reason, I doubted that. Either way, I settled back into my chair, a sense of relief coming over me. Even though I was probably going to die, at least I got all that off my chest.


    Yawm sat back up. He laid his hands on the armrest of his chair with his back upright. He spoke,


    ¡°That was...uh, well, more than I anticipated hearing...Wow.¡±


    I guess the stress got to me or something, but I laughed. Yawm scratched the back of his head,


    ¡°I believed you were an agent sent by Schema or perhaps an avatar of an old one.¡±


    I scratched the side of my face, ¡°Well, I am...sort of. Etorhma sent me to kill you. He didn¡¯t give me a damn thing to help with doing that though.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s eyes opened wide,


    ¡°Really now...That¡¯s quite the predicament you¡¯ve found yourself in then. It seems as though all these powerful forces around you are relying on you to fulfill some sort of preordained destiny. That sounds like quite the set of burdens for anyone, let alone an adolescent.¡±


    Yawm leaned back in his chair, ¡°How exactly did you strike me with such force when we first met then?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It was a bullshit perk.¡±


    Yawm tapped his chin with a single finger, ¡°And what about your mana regeneration? It¡¯s far higher than my natural generation. There must be something to it.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a regen specialist.¡±


    ¡°And your durability? I couldn¡¯t seem to hurt you with my strikes unless I applied real force.¡±


    I banged one of my shoulders, the clank of metal on metal coursing through the room.


    ¡°My armor is hard. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Yawm nodded. He snapped his fingers, calling Keeja into the room. Keeja walked inside, bringing us two more glasses of Yawm¡¯s favorite tea.


    ¡°There are many more questions I¡¯d like to ask if you have the endurance to answer them.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I have plenty of, it¡¯s endurance.¡±


    Once that was done, Yawm asked question after question. It was a mild mannered interrogation, his questions pointed but never probing too deep. I ended up describing how I grew up. I detailed how sinister Baldag-Ruhl was, keeping quiet about his runes. I explained the horrors of Yawm¡¯s plague.


    By the time I finished, it was morning in Yawm¡¯s personal rift. It was nice to tell him my story. Something about it was liberating, mainly when it was someone like Yawm. He had this way of listening that made me open up. Once again, it was probably his charisma squeezing information out of me. At this point, I was finding it hard to care.


    At the same time, I kept the most critical and private details to myself. I wasn¡¯t about to tell Yawm where Althea and the rest were. I also never told him about my arcane blood. I didn¡¯t want to become some sort of mana battery for him.


    Once I finished discussing everything, Yawm stood up from his chair. He opened a palm towards the doorway,


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind waiting, I need some time to decide what to think of all this.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, sure. I don¡¯t mind. If anything, take your time.¡±


    I walked out of his room, closing his ice door behind me. I had no idea what was going to happen. I could try and run, but I doubted that would work very well. In the end, Ajax could always warp me out at some point.


    In a way, I hadn''t failed. I stopped Yawm from spreading his plague across the world. He hadn¡¯t destroyed everything or tore everyone apart just yet. That was the entire point of this venture. Now that I knew Yawm, I understood just how impossible it was to push him into a different dimension.


    Ajax was suicidal if he thought I was going to pull off something like that. I mean I tried. I gave it my best effort, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Yawm wasn¡¯t just dominant, he was smart too. It wasn¡¯t all over just yet though, so I walked back towards my room.


    Once there, I opened my status screen. I sent out a message to Torix, Althea, Hod, and even Kessiah. It let them know that the situation might devolve soon and that I might need Ajax to take me out of here. After finishing that, I focused on doing what I could at that moment.


    I had two options. One was to try and improve my current rendition of my cipher. In my opinion, that wasn¡¯t likely to give me immediate returns. Instead, I had a different plan. It was oriented around a part of my legendary skill, Force of Nature. One line of its description mentioned that it could improve my current skills.


    It¡¯s why my unique skill Overwhelming Pressure was so good. It used to be called Overwhelming Presence. In that form, it helped me intimidate people and monsters alike. After Force of Nature amplified the skill, Overwhelming Pressure allowed me to disperse my weight out into an aura.


    Considering I sunk into the ground otherwise, it was crucial for my build. Just like that ability, I had plenty of other skills with each of them having room for improvement. It seemed like an easy way to get a power boost for now.


    After mixing the skills, I would focus on re-writing the cipher on my arm. My writing of the language improved. That meant I might make improvements in my inscriptions that are meaningful. With this plan in mind, I looked down a list of my unique skills.


    The first in line for improvement was Tactile Cognition. I used that skill all the time, and improving it in any way would be amazing. Being mindful of that, I reached out with the ability. I sensed through the walls, using subtle shifts in temperature and wind to scope out my surroundings.


    Once fully extended, I focused on Force of Nature. It was a passive bonus essentially, not needing activation or something of the sort. If I kept Tactile Cognition active while training Force of Nature, it might organically evolve the skill.


    With this theory in tow, I went through my fighting stance. I shifted and moved on my feet, molding gravity and using telekinesis as if I were breathing. I kept at this process, moving faster and faster. After about an hour of trying this out, I got the notification I was looking for.


    Unique skill Upgraded! Tactile Cognition is augmented with your legendary skill, Force of Nature. This converts Tactile Cognition into Restless Senses. Restless Senses retains the same skill value as Tactile Cognition.


    Restless Senses(lvl 52) - Many lower their guard given time. Your senses won¡¯t allow you to lower yours. Increases the passive perception of your senses. The effect increases with level.


    I had a mini celebration before looking around and trying to discover the difference in the skill. I couldn¡¯t actually figure it out at first. When I stopped working to activate it, the sense of awareness didn¡¯t go away. I could still sense the hallways, the marine life outside my room, even the breathing of Amara in the room beside me.


    It would take a while before I got used to this feeling, but it was a fantastic bonus in the long run. Sure, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep in any raunchy motels ever again, but I wouldn¡¯t be killed in while unaware either. It could be worse.


    With that in mind, I looked at my next skill in line, Gravitational Flux. This was the unique skill that I used to enhance my movements while fighting. If I could fuse it with Force of Nature, it would make the skill infinitely more natural to use at the very least. Understanding that, I trained the same motions as before but this time while using Gravitational Flux.


    This skill was much newer than my other ability, so I figured it would take longer to enhance with Force of Nature. Still, it was something worth doing in the long run, so I grinded the skill out. It was awkward at first, juggling gravity and antigravity into my usual fighting style. On more straightforward maneuvers it wasn¡¯t that hard. As the complexity ramped up, it became arduous, however.


    It was like wearing a combat exoskeleton if that made any sense. The mechanic apparatus of a combat exoskeleton helped with moving. The gravity and antigravity streams were the same way. The critical difference was that I made those streams as I went. I couldn¡¯t leave it up to some suit I was wearing.


    After several hours of working with the skill, I discovered why the skill wasn¡¯t being improved yet. I wasn¡¯t even thinking of using them against an enemy. Even when I sparred against Yawm, all my focus was on using gravity to help me move. It was like I was using half of the skill¡¯s potential in a way. Since that was the case, I relied on an old skill form long ago - Shadow Boxing.


    It¡¯s a time-tested ability I used to ramp up my skills when the system started. As the enemies became less and less human though, it became a damn hard thing to keep using. In this case, I could get an idea of how to use the skill against a person. After mastering it against that kind of opponent, I would apply what I learned from different opponents.


    Before doing that, I sat down on my bed and opened my dimensional storage. I pulled out one of Torix¡¯s rations, a reddish, milky liquid, and poured it down my throat. It went down like chugging a dozen raw eggs.


    I shook my head, shaking off the disgust before standing back up. I spent the next few hours honing in on disrupting an opponent while helping my own movements. As I suspected, this wasn¡¯t the kind of skill I would gain over the course of a day, however. It would take time which was something I didn¡¯t have at the moment.


    Instead of panicking though, I pushed all my doubts and anxiety out. Yeah, I wanted to sit down and cry myself a river. I chose not to. Something I learned a long time ago was that crying was like throwing myself a pity party. I was the only one showing up, and I was the only one who cared about it too. In other words, it was a waste of time.


    So I kept on the grind, honing in on disruption. I got a few tricks as I went. One of them was what I called a gravity press. I would use a skill called mana press that extended the effect of spells in a particular area. By using that in conjunction with a gravity well, I could snap streams of gravity onto an opponent. These would pull them in different directions, throwing them off balance.


    Another useful tactic involved telekinesis. A lot of my telekinesis was like hitting transparent plates. I struck one plate and a different plate somewhere else would be shot forward. In this case, I incorporated my footsteps as disrupting tools. I transferred the kinetic force of my stomping feet into confusing pushes against my opponent.


    This is how I thought about it. Imagine stomping your feet on a glass floor. If I stomped on a glass floor, it wouldn¡¯t crack because that energy was transferred into my opponent¡¯s face. It was a lot like what I used to bounce across the deserts of Hod¡¯s homeworld, just adapted to fighting.


    I gained dozens of other little tricks on top of those techniques too. I incorporated them into my style as I went. By the time it, my imaginary opponent would be jerked around like nobody¡¯s business. That¡¯s when I got my second notification from that training session.


    Unique skill Upgraded! Gravitational Flux is now augmented with your legendary skill, Force of Nature. This converts Gravitational Flux into Kinetic Leviathan. Kinetic Leviathan retains the same skill value as Gravitational Flux.


    Kinetic Leviathan(lvl 36) - By manipulating the latent energy in the physical world, you conquer your foes and your movement. +36% to ease of using gravity and antigravity. +36% to use of gravity and antigravity to manipulate opponents.


    After the notification appeared, all the extra tricks with gravity and telekinesis became easier. If anything, I expected some enormous increase in the skill considering the name. I mean Kinetic Leviathan sounded like a mythical or legendary skill. It was strong still though. Either way, I¡¯d have to wait until I was in combat before I could see its full effectiveness.


    With that handled, I homed in on the last unique skill I intended on improving, Gorger of Mana. It was a powerful skill, allowing me to drain the mana of foes if I could dig my armor into them. Enhancing that skill may even let me strengthen Event Horizon or squeeze more mana from my enemies. Either of those effects bolstered my growth, so I brainstormed a few ways of gaining the skill.


    That¡¯s when an obvious idea popped into my head. There was plenty of eldritch right outside that I could practice my ability with. I just needed to ask Yawm if that was ok. It could be super awkward, but that wasn¡¯t going to get in the way of my power boost.


    So I walked out of my room. As I opened the pale blue handle of my room¡¯s door, Keeja¡¯s stood in front of me with one hand primed to knock. Keeja¡¯s expressionless eyes met mine. He gestured down the hallway. I took a step back, giving the creepy and wiry creature some space.


    Keeja gave a short bow, pointing towards the hallway. I followed. We walked through the icy corridors, the view of the underground lake no longer amazes me. It had become a part of life here. As we walked, I preemptively prepared a message towards Torix and company about getting me the fuck out of here.


    I would mentally send the message at a moment¡¯s notice. As I finished the note, we reached Yawm¡¯s study. Keeja knocked on the door,


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Yawm¡¯s voice muffled through the door,


    ¡°You may come in.¡±


    Keeja opened the doorway, showing Yawm hunched over a plate of marble. On it was many elaborate markings of the cipher. Yawm walked out from behind his desk, unlatching a wooden bridge connecting two sides of it. He lowered the wooden entrance, walking up towards me. Once there, he motioned for Keeja to leave.


    With the smell of yellowed paper and powdered stone in the air, Yawm turned one his massive palms to me,


    ¡°Hello, Harbinger. It¡¯s good to see that anxiety didn¡¯t eat you alive.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not one to worry.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Neither am I. I did, however, dwell on what you said yesterday. It seems as though you¡¯ve been placed in an uneasy position. I can offer you a way out as I still believe that we can coexist.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I''m just being honest here, but how in the hell do our goals align? Mine was to kill you.¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°Hah, I admire your candid manner of speaking. It¡¯s refreshing. You''ve got an equally blunt manner of being, both honest and direct. Besides for the lies about your strength and origin of course. Besides for that hiccup, that directness is why I think we can come to a compromise.¡±


    He walked towards a window, facing outside. He stood there for a moment, debating with himself. He laid a hand on a panel of pale ice,


    ¡°Do you know what I thought when Amara said you were level 3,000?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Probably something along the lines of, ¡®This piece of shit thought he pulled one over on me.¡¯¡±


    Yawm laughed again, ¡°Hah, hah. Your sense of humor is better when you''re honest.¡±


    Yawm gazed out into the distance, ¡°I was thinking about your future. Your abilities are far beyond any other level 3,000 being I¡¯ve ever met, eldritch or otherwise. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine you as a fully leveled with knowledge of the cipher in tow. You would be a fearsome sight to anyone or anything, even Schema or perhaps the Old Ones.¡±


    He turned towards me,


    ¡°I fear what you may become as well, yet there is an excitement in me as well. You mentioned much of your journey to me yesterday. As a warrior, you took a road less traveled. You were brutal, efficient, and violent with crushing your foes. Unfortunately, I am one of those foes.¡±


    Yawm opened both his hands outwards, ¡°Surely you understand why I am uneasy with letting you leave here unscathed? You will grow into someone I need to be wary of. To let you live is a risk, a dire one.¡±


    I was so close to sending my message to Althea and the others. So damn close.


    Yawm let his arms flop against his sides, ¡°Yet we aren¡¯t enemies by your choosing. There is no hatred in you towards me. By taking that creature from my back, I regained my old self. You saved my life. That proved to me that you are no pawn of Schemas. You even knew the cipher before we met. That results in exile.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°No, that isn¡¯t what you intended. Our problem is that you cannot live as you choose too because Schema is forcing you down a path that isn¡¯t your own. You have as much a reason as anyone to hate him.¡±


    Yawm walked back towards me, ¡°I empathize with your predicament as you may imagine. The issue is that I too have my own goals and aspirations. After thinking about the issue, I came to a conclusion.¡±


    Yawm lifted the marble plate beside him, ¡°It¡¯s this marble plate. It will allow us to function as two independent entities and help one another until we no longer need each other. At that point, we may part ways as equals.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°It¡¯s gotta be more than just a marble plate.¡±


    Yawm clicked his fingers, forming a table of ice between us.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a chunk of stone.¡±


    Yawm placed the marble on the table, turning the inscriptions towards me,


    ¡°It¡¯s a contract.¡±

 127 Duplicity of a King

    I frowned at Yawm,


    ¡°What kind of contract?¡±


    Yawm spread out his arms, ¡°A contract written in the cipher. You¡¯re actually the first being I¡¯ve tried making one with.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°Why exactly?¡±


    Yawm pointed at me, ¡°You¡¯re the first sentient I¡¯ve had the need to create one with. Therefore I might have made errors in the text. You may take your time deciphering through it.¡±


    I leaned over it. I gave it a cursory glance before looking back up at Yawm, ¡°Could you give me a hint about what it says?¡±


    Yawm pointed at the first line of the contract engraved in the marble, ¡°This clause states that neither of us will kill the other until the requirements of the contract are fulfilled.¡±


    As he spoke, his markings of the cipher became clearer. By understanding his intention when writing the markings, they became much easier to read. That may be why it¡¯s so difficult to learn the cipher. It could also explain why Schema¡¯s ok with me running around with the cipher on my back. Unless I tell someone what the inscriptions mean, they can¡¯t learn from them.


    Yawm interrupted my thoughts by pointing at the next line of the contract, ¡°The first line is obvious with its meaning and intention. This next clause is where it becomes interesting.¡±


    Yawm moved his colossal finger along the plate as he spoke,


    ¡°Dimension-C138 will reprogram Schema as he sees fit within the next thousand years. Otherwise, Dimension-C138 will be disintegrated.¡±


    My head whipped up like I just took a mean uppercut to the chin,


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Yawm widened one eye and narrowed the other, like he was raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°Is there something unclear?¡±


    I shook my hands, ¡°I understood what you asked. I¡¯m asking why in the living hell did you put that in the contract?¡±


    He held up a loose fist, ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t believe in my goal for creating an eldritch hybrid. That¡¯s why it goes unmentioned, as does changing the Old Ones. However, reprogramming Schema to an extent should be well within acceptable terms. It¡¯s also well within your abilities.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Fighting Schema is like telling someone to kill an Old One. It¡¯s a lifetime commitment. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit much to add onto a contract that I¡¯m assuming I can¡¯t break?¡±


    Yawm sighed, lowering his hand, ¡°I understand the monumental nature of my request, but you¡¯re asking a tremendous amount from me as well. By letting you live, I¡¯m allowing someone within Schema¡¯s system to evolve into a true threat. By ending you now, I can save myself trouble over the long term.¡±


    Yawm raised his hands, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to kill you. Despite your affiliations, you¡¯re intentions are forced on you and even noble in some respects. That moral compass combined with your limitless potential, and you can change this galaxy for the better.¡±


    Yawm narrowed his eyes, ¡°But Schema is manipulating you into a machine of his own making. This contract will ensure that he will never take full control of you. Also, you¡¯re current goal involves tearing my heart out. I believe setting up safeguards for myself is wise.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the whole ¡®not killing you¡¯ part cover that?¡±


    Yawm crossed his arms, ¡°It does, but you see, I am in a position of leverage.¡±


    Yawm clasped his hands into fists, ¡°So I intend on using that leverage for my gain.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°So I have to take on your goals or else you¡¯ll kill me?¡±


    Yawm uncrossed an arm, shaking his hand, ¡°Not at all. The contract states that you may change Schema in a way that you see fit. I also gave you a rather lenient time frame. 1,000 years should be plenty of time considering your current rate of growth.¡±


    I weighed my options. If I signed this contract, I would become an enemy of Schema. More than likely, it would boot me from the system. That might not even be a concern over the long term since we met Amara. I could hack myself back into the system just as she has. Besides all that, a part of me wanted to fight Schema.


    The quarantine was bullshit since it forced us to fight a hopeless battle against Yawm. We had no chance from the start. Schema killed a lot of people with how he handled the tutorial too. If he gave Earth just a ten year notice, Earth would have avoided most of its growing pains. Something that simple would make a night and day kind of difference.


    That wasn¡¯t the only problem either. The whole unknown status was a serious point of contention. Torix, Althea, and Kessiah would struggle with their unknown status forever. What Schema did to the remnants was twisted too. Hell, Schema destroyed Hod¡¯s home race for trying to learn a cipher. To my knowledge, they weren¡¯t even a part of the system yet.


    The more I thought about it, the more I thought about what I would make different. I mean think about it. Guilds coming in and enslaving entire races didn¡¯t seem like the best way of modernizing planets. Why didn¡¯t Schema offer lessons and education to new planets before the system activated? Why didn¡¯t he at least give everyone an obelisk so they could figure out what was going on beforehand?


    With all that in mind, I came to a conclusion. Yawm was probably right about how to handle it. Schema¡¯s tutorial and assimilation for new planets was almost certainly hardcoded into the AI. Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be so damn inefficient. That meant the only way of fixing it was going in there and changing the code that made it that way.


    Still, having a time limit put on my life was disconcerting to say the least. I also didn¡¯t enjoy being forced into bad situations on principle. I put my hands on my hips, a bit disgruntled,


    ¡°So if I went out and changed the way Schema assimilates new planets, that would count for this, er, clause?¡±


    Yawm raised both his hands,


    ¡°It would. That is the precise kind of change I hoped for when creating that piece of the contract. You remember the problems involved with planetary assimilation as it was recent for your kind. Your perspective gives you clarity. Armed with that clarity, you can advance Schema for the better.¡±


    I bit my lip before sighing, ¡°I suppose fighting Schema over the next 1,000 years is better than fighting you right now. I can handle that, I guess...What¡¯s the next line of the contract?¡±


    Yawm pointed a finger at the third and last line of the cipher on the stone,


    ¡°Dimension-C138 will not serve the will of any Old Ones until this contract is fulfilled.¡±


    I reached out a hand to Yawm, ¡°You know you¡¯re busting my balls, right?¡±


    Yawm pointed above and behind him, ¡°There are two fates for those that serve the Old Ones. Either you end up turning into something that is unrecognizable from who you were, or-¡±


    Yawm pointed at himself, ¡°You end up hunted like an animal by those that became unrecognizable. I assure you, Harbinger, that is not a fate you want for yourself. That isn¡¯t even the fate you would want for your worst enemy.¡±


    I turned my eye towards the roof, ¡°What if I already have a mission to kill you. What am I supposed to do then?¡±


    Yawm pushed the contract towards me, ¡°You¡¯ve been offered a quest by an Old One. Think of the offer as an initiation into their world. You¡¯ve yet to take it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think the situation would play out that cleanly. I sighed, staring at the tablet, ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°That is all that I require. I believe it¡¯s a lenient request considering your circumstances.¡±


    I scratched the side of my head, ¡°Do you mind if I take a few minutes to think about this?¡±


    Yawm opened a hand towards the ice chair behind me.


    ¡°Take your time. This is a life altering decision.¡±


    As I walked over, I loaded up my message towards Torix and the others. I had no intention of taking on commitments like this just to get Yawm out of my hair. It was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The strategy wasn¡¯t sound.


    A chill ran up my spine, however, stopping me from sending the message. I looked back up at Yawm. He was observing me, an eerie nonchalance emanating from him. Once I looked closer, I found no emotions from him. I couldn¡¯t read through his poker face at all, not even 1%. I raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a questioning glance.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Yawm sat into his chair, steepling his fingers,


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what decision you¡¯ll make. I assure you, regardless of what you decide, I¡¯m more than ready. I will act accordingly.¡±


    He was in complete control, and he knew it. He was stronger, faster, and better at combat than me. His confidence was terrifying. It made me want to send the message and get out of here asap. It made me want to run and hide in a hole.


    My gut was telling me that sending the message was a terrible idea though. Up till now though, my gut never betrayed me, so I listened to it. There was something not quite right about how Yawm was sitting. He was expecting something. I couldn¡¯t tell what exactly. After another minute of thinking, something simple snapped into my head.


    Yawm was waiting for Ajax to appear so he could capture him.


    It all made sense. If anything, Yawm could¡¯ve observed me the entire time I was here. I didn¡¯t know if he had or hadn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t even know if he couldn¡¯t see Schema¡¯s messages as I wrote them. The guy talked to trees and plants. It¡¯s not a large stretch to say he had plants int my room that acted like spies.


    Yeah, maybe a bit paranoid of me to think that, but it was definitely possible. I mean, Yawm¡¯s charisma was incredibly high. He could be putting on a false act so I lower my guard. He could be lying about everything, there was no way of me knowing.


    The fact I let my guard down so completely was a testament to that. In fact, he reminded me of this one story I read about in history class. I was reading about a German interrogator during WWII. This guy was the best of the best at his craft, squeezing information out of his enemies like no one else. I thought he was a torturer, but no, he killed them with kindness.


    He would isolate spies for prolonged periods then talk to them. Apparently he was friendly, funny, and charismatic. He would become their friends while they were in prison, their only human contact. Once they were buttered up, the spies would let the information slip.


    This situation with Yawm was eerily similar. The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. If anything, I stared at the contract and reviewed it once more. It was carefully designed. It was just good enough that I could accept it in theory yet just bad enough that I wouldn¡¯t.


    Yawm knew me pretty well after all. He knew what I would accept and what I wouldn¡¯t. I tapped my teeth together, deep in thought. Yawm didn¡¯t just know me well, I knew him well too. That was a tool I could use to my advantage. After brainstorming for a bit, I remembered one thing about Yawm I knew for certain. The guy was greedy.


    That¡¯s why his goals were they way they were. Even after a damn eldritch told him that making an eldritch was impossible, he just scoffed. Amara understood more about the cipher and how it worked. She was the best possible resource for checking how realistic his goals were. Despite all that, Yawm just blew her concerns off.


    The reason was because he thought he could have it all. Armed with that realization, I tried a different line of thought. I put myself into Yawm¡¯s shoes and wondered what the most he could gain from us was. It wasn¡¯t pretty.


    If he captured Ajax, he could interrogate the protytian and find the others at our base. He¡¯d capture everyone. He could experiment further with Etorhma¡¯s tears on us. He could gain us as his new followers using contracts like the one in front of me. Considering that¡¯s how he arrived, it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch to guesstimate his goals like this.


    Skill gained! Empathy(lvl 1) - By seeing the world through others eyes, you can use their perspective to gain insight. +1% to understanding others emotions and thoughts.


    Breakthrough Achieved! Empathy(lvl 1) -->(lvl 26)


    I didn¡¯t let the skill notifications distract me. For Yawm, That was his best case scenario. That was the thing about Yawm that I could use against him. He didn¡¯t want a good scenario. He wanted the best scenario.


    Just like with the eldritch, he didn¡¯t want us to fight them off better. He wanted us to not fight at all. Every solution he thought up was grand, inspiring, but most of all, unrealistic. He was betting that I wouldn¡¯t sign this damn contract. He was betting that he would capture Ajax. He was betting that he would make contracts and have us all sign them.


    This whole time, he wanted me to believe he was a good guy so that he could get information. He succeeded, but he wouldn¡¯t continue succeeding. I stood up, armed with my new awareness. I walked over towards the contract. I pointed at Yawm,


    ¡°Do you mind if I add one extra clause to this contract?¡±


    Yawm raised an eyebrow, ¡°I...I suppose you can.¡±


    If anything, I stared at the contract and reviewed it.


    It was carefully designed, just good enough that I could accept it in theory yet just bad enough that I wouldn¡¯t. Yawm knew me pretty well after all.


    Skill learned! Tact(lvl 1) - Some conversations are like surgery. Others use an axe. You use a scalpel. + 1% to handling of delicate situations, especially social ones.


    Using my bettered knowledge of the cipher, I carved a few symbols into the stone. It took about half an hour, but I got what I wanted onto the tablet. I pointed at it,


    ¡°Do you want to read this?¡±


    Yawm stood, walking over,


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I pointed at the beginning of the clause, ¡°Neither Dimension-C138 or Yawm of Flesh will alter this contract in anyway once it has been signed. This will be the first and final contract between Dimension-C138 or Yawm of Flesh. No more contracts will be allowed between them.¡±


    Yawm raised his head, tapping his finger over the last clause, ¡°Why did you add this final piece?¡±


    I opened a hand to Yawm, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want anymore contracts after this one.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°You honestly believe you¡¯re in a position to make demands of me? You sincerely believe that?¡±


    There it was. Yawm was leaking out from under his mask, even if only a little.


    I nodded. ¡°No, but I think your the kind of person to accept requests like this. You¡¯re not a bad guy after all. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m asking you to never make a contract with anyone again, just contracts between me and you. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Breakthrough Achieved! Tact(lvl 1)-->(lvl 26)


    Skill Gained! Deception(lvl 1) - Those talented in lying know that the best lies are simply half truths. +1% to your likelihood of deceiving someone.


    Breakthrough achieved! Deception(lvl 1) -->(lv l26)


    Yawm tapped his finger against the stone. The gears in his mind turning. For once, he wasn¡¯t in control. I was. Yawm was surprised, but he hid the emotion completely. That¡¯s how I knew he was acting, however.


    In this situation, he should be responding with some emotion. Curiosity, anger, perhaps even shock, it didn¡¯t matter what emotion persay. He didn¡¯t have a single exposed feeling, meaning he was hiding them. His emotions were almost always delayed, meaning they were planted for a certain response.


    In this case, he was still trying to keep up the nice guy act. When he did meet my eye, he raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you want another contract between us?¡±


    I pounded my hand against my chest, ¡°Because we¡¯re warriors and friends. We don¡¯t need contracts between us. Besides, this is probably going to boot my ass from Schema¡¯s system anyways. We won¡¯t be enemies then.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°That¡¯s very true...This version of the contract is acceptable then. I do hope this agreement doesn¡¯t create bad blood between us. It¡¯s a means of guiding you in a direction while ensuring I¡¯m not killed. Given your undeniable potential, I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not that big a deal regardless. It¡¯s more of a timeline for what I had planned anyway.¡±


    What I said was true to some degree. I did plan on resisting Schema at some point. A 1,000 years was more than enough time for fighting him thanks to the cipher on my armor. Once I was finished giving Schema a few tweaks, I¡¯d give Yawm a makeover. I¡¯d make sure it was with my fists though.


    I quelled that bit of anger as I pointed at the contract, ¡°How do we sign it?¡±


    Yawm pressed a finger against the cipher, creating a long line, ¡°On this line, you create a signature mark that represents you. The marking will reflect your name written in the cipher.¡±


    When I looked at the contract, what he said felt right. I grasped it on an intuitive level. It¡¯s not that I could tell if he was lying. I could tell he couldn¡¯t be lying. I leaned over the contract, ¡°Can you give me an example?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Over the next hour, Yawm etched in his name onto the contract. As he carved, it the air around his crackled many times, letting him feed mana into the contract. It was enough mana to blow Springfield off the map in his hands . Once he finished the marking, I had to admit it. His etching really did reflect him.


    The mark was strong like steel and explosive like fire. It was gnarled up, unafraid and unashamed of its own inner demons. It was an inexhaustible curiosity mixed with a bloodthirsty hunger for change. It was deceivingly light yet undeniably heavy, like iron in your hand. It represented a misguided force of entropy, dead set on changing the world. It was Yawm.


    I walked up, Yawm looking at me,


    ¡°Are you certain you¡¯ll take the contract as it is?¡±


    ¡°What made you think I¡¯d have any doubts?¡±


    ¡°Even I have doubts about something this final, yet it seems like the only nonviolent compromise.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What will the contract even do exactly?¡±


    Yawm pointed all around us, ¡°The cipher rewrites the space we inhabit. In this case, this tablet will enforce itself in the same manner. Whatever space that is considered us will be altered if we fail the contract. Other than that, nothing will change besides whats mentioned on the contract.¡±


    I leaned against the ice table in front of me, staring at the contract, ¡°So it works like anything else made from the cipher. The bigger the change, the more mana needed. Efficiency is also very important for it as well.¡±


    Yawm took a step back from the contract, ¡°It might take a tremendous amount of time for you to fully charge it in fact. It shouldn¡¯t be too strenuous considering your circumstances....I will admit, however, you seemed like someone who¡¯d rather not be controlled. I didn¡¯t anticipate you to agree to the contract so easily.¡±


    I began my marking, ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll just have to see how it plays out in the long run. A thousand years is a long damn time to make something happen.¡±


    Yawm crossed his arms, ¡°How well I know.¡±


    Unlike Yawm, I carved my marking into my grimoire. As I carved my marking, my mana siphoned into the marking like a drain. It wasn¡¯t as much as I imagined it would be though. Since discovering the cipher, I learned quite a bit about it. That allowed me to adjust my carving for efficiency.


    I added extra details, mentioning the finer details of who I was. I didn¡¯t just stop along general guidelines, I dug deep into my history. Where I came from, what I¡¯d done, and who I wanted to be, it was all there. It was fun, kind of like writing an autobiography. When I finished the marking, it wasn¡¯t what I expected.


    The mark was like metal, but it was flexible as air. It could bend and warp with ease. It made the inscription malleable yet unbreakable at the same time. There was potential in the marking as well, like it wasn¡¯t quite finished. In a way, that seemed just right for me. I wasn¡¯t quite finished either. There was a lot left I planned on doing.


    And like that, I finished marking it down. After ten more minutes of giving the marking mana, the contract clicked into place. Something shifted, like a gear clicking into place. After that, there was nothing new. For something that sounded like a life or death ultimatum, it didn¡¯t have much shock and awe.


    Life Oath accepted! You have now been contracted by Yawm of Flesh to alter Schema¡¯s baseline programming. If alterations aren¡¯t made within 1,000 Earth years, Dimension-C138 will disintegrate into the space of dimension-C137.


    You have broken one of the primary tenants of Schema¡¯s system. Sentient rights have been revoked. Leveling and further data uploads are hereby locked.


    You have been exiled.

 128 Fissures Form

    I sighed. Yawm walked over,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I let him see the screen. Yawm scoffed,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about your exile. We have someone who can reconnect us to the system.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    As I said that, the marble tablet disintegrated in a flash of white fire, like a firecracker burning. Yawm put his hands on his hips, looking at where the tablet was,


    ¡°Then that settles that. It¡¯s time we learn some of the cipher¡¯s secrets from Amara, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I guess so. Lead on.¡±


    We walked towards Amara, I wasn¡¯t frustrated. I didn¡¯t have time for frustration. I had to learn the cipher with everything I had now. If Schema¡¯s system was taken away, then I¡¯d find another way of fighting Yawm.


    By the time we reached Amara¡¯s personal library, I was pumped. Yawm glanced at me,


    ¡°You seem revitalized. I anticipated a fit perhaps at signing the contract, even if it was voluntary.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°You¡¯re an example of just how strong someone can get without Schema¡¯s system. There¡¯s no real reason to be mortified. It just means I have to focus on something else for progress.¡±


    Yawm knocked on Amara¡¯s door, ¡°I didn¡¯t anticipate you bouncing back quite so quickly from such a setback.¡±


    I looked at the opening door, ¡°It¡¯s just another fight. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Keeja opened the door into Amara¡¯s room. Yawm leaned back, surprise splashing across his face, ¡°Keeja, why are you opening the door and not Amara...better yet, why are you here at all?¡±


    Keeja bowed to Yawm, ¡°She asked for me to serve her tea and turn the pages as she read.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Hmmm, an interesting request. It¡¯s good to she¡¯s making herself comfortable.¡± Yawm looked up towards Amara who was lounging on a leather chaise lounge. A stack of books were spread beside her as she read, both her hands scanning across the pages. She raised one hand, looking towards us,


    ¡°So you both have come back for what I know?¡±


    Keeja stepped out of our way, letting us walk into the bedroom and library. Every wall was a bookshelf, and she separated her room with them. On one side, the leather chaise lounge let her relax as she read. On the other, her bed was hidden behind a bookcase that acted as a separator for the room.


    That was what was normal about the room. What made it extraordinary were the jellyfish. They floated along the air, like floating candles. They added an otherworldly ambiance to the room.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get these jellyfish in my room?¡±


    Yawm walked up to Amara, ¡°You never asked for them. I can have them added if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I shook my head, ¡°Naw, I was just a little jelly is all.¡±


    I know, that one was pretty bad. That¡¯s how you know a pun is good though. If it makes everyone else wince, then you can laugh like an evil mastermind afterwards.


    Yawm turned towards me along with Amara. Amara tilted her hand which tilted her eye,


    ¡°Jelly? Is that a human phrase I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    This was where the pun gets particularly good. If a pun is like stabbing someone with a dagger, explaining one was giving that dagger a twist. Since Amara asked, I couldn¡¯t help but oblige,


    ¡°See, I mean jelly as in jealous. I said it like that bec-¡±


    Yawm raised his hands, ¡°Don¡¯t teach her about that evil. Now back to the matter at hand.¡±


    Amara turned her hand towards him, looking at Yawm. I laughed, ¡°Hah. Nice one.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, flabbergasted for a second. He raised his hands, looking at them,


    ¡°I...I¡¯ve been infected.¡±


    Yawm lowered his hands, laughing with me for a moment. Amara stared at us both with abject confusion. I walked up, waving off her curiosity,


    ¡°It was an inside joke, sorta. Anyways, do you have some time to teach us about the cipher?¡±


    She nodded, standing up from her reading area. A second later, Yawm spawned ice chairs behind us and whipped out two marble plates. I picked mine up, ¡°Damn, you¡¯ve been fancying marble lately.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t understand my desire to see it either, but it is so.¡±


    Amara walked in front of us, almost like a lost puppy. Everything was happening pretty fast, so I cut her some slack to get her bearings. Yawm didn¡¯t.


    He raised a hand at her, ¡°Here is a board.¡± A thin sheet of sky blue crystal formed behind her. It thickened, the material expanding to the sound of cracking ice. Amara looked between us. She pointed at the board,


    ¡°I can write on this?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Do so.¡±


    She turned towards the board, then back at us. That¡¯s when she began her lecture, and what a lecture it was. If I had to describe it in three words, they¡¯d be cryptic, confusing, and complex. Everything she said made the cipher harder to understand rather than easier.


    It was something I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. It almost felt like she was misleading us, but I doubted it. Learning the dimensional cipher was a massive undertaking. It wasn¡¯t something easy to teach, and she could just be an awful teacher. Hell, it could be that she was eldritch.


    Regardless, after three hours of complete nonsense, Yawm stood up,


    ¡°That will be all for me until later. I appreciate your efforts at transferring knowledge, but my frustration has reached a boiling point. I¡¯ll need some time to decompress.¡±


    Amara reached out her hands, ¡°I meant to unveil you both. My words, if they puzzle you, then I¡¯m puzzling.¡±


    There was a steady fear lining her words. Yawm waved a hand at her, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to apologize. This will take time and effort, that¡¯s all.¡± He sighed, ¡°I was hoping for a more instantaneous benefit. Having my hopes dashed feels unpleasant, but I will persevere.¡±


    He turned towards me, ¡°Are you exhausted as well?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Eh, it¡¯s less frustrating than staring at a blank page and not knowing where to start.¡±


    He raised his hands, ¡°Then you may both continue. I¡¯ll self study for a while. You both enjoy this...lecture, we¡¯ll call it.¡±


    Yawm walked out of the room. As he did Amara raised her eyes towards me, ¡°Are you certain you want to continue this?¡±


    Her black hair moved out from over her face. It twitched around, seemingly at random. Her creepy mouth opened, and she rubbed her teeth together. It sounded like a watch¡¯s hand ticking down the seconds. A second later, she mouthed her words without saying anything. I managed to read her lips,


    ¡®Do not react.¡¯


    Like she said, I didn¡¯t react. Instead, I stood up from my chair,


    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t want to teach me. I get it. Take some time, plan your next lesson, and-¡±


    48##$%SystemError#%*#)%$#


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm given admittance into sub-system C-137 Fringe Walker clearance. Access to cipher enhancements, learning enhancements, and the obelisk mainframe given. Classes and guild rights are reinstated. Pardoning of bounties lays outside the clearance of Admin M-Y-444.


    Exile terminated.

 129 A Chance

    <div>


    <div>


    I stopped my face from curling up like a raisin, but it was a feat of sheer willpower. I paused, lost for words as I stared at her. Once I got my bearings, I finished what I was saying,


    ¡°Alright Amara, fine, I¡¯ll...leave.¡±


    I turned and walked out of the room, holding in my shock. I had no idea Amara was that powerful. Even Yawm would be blown back by the tools she had at her disposal. She connected me to the system in seconds. The message even mentioned she was an admin. I thought Overseers were admins.


    Those and many more questions swam in my head as I walked back to my room. It was right down the hallway, so I reached it in seconds. Once there, I sat down on my bed and opened my status.


    Rebooting system details for Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm.


    Gathering details...Assessing analytics...Gathering internal details of trees, attributes, and numerical scaling...System assessed. Status now available for viewing.


    Level 3,126


    Strength ¨C 2,677 | Constitution ¨C 4,175 | Endurance ¨C 15,831


    Dexterity ¨C 949.1 | Willpower ¨C 7,673 | Intelligence ¨C 2,614


    Charisma ¨C 233.3 | Luck ¨C 808.2 | Perception ¨C 354.7


    Health: 1.39 Million/1.39 Million


    Health Regen: 1.60 Million/min or 26,669/sec


    Stamina: 802,172/802/172 | Stamina Regen: 7,361/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.34 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 106,315 pounds(48,323 kilos~)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 32,978% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    The stats were back up, along with my tree menus. It was a thing of beauty. A second later, a message came from Amara.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - We¡¯ll speak through these messages.


    I remembered a simple fact about the system that would help us out.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - You can send messages with a thought. You don¡¯t have to type it out like you did with your hair. You¡¯re more stealthy that way, if you¡¯re trying to be stealthy that is.


    It took a minute before she answered.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I will do so from now on. It¡¯s good you understand the necessity for secrecy.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Why did you let me back into the system and why are you helping me?


    This message took a few minutes.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Keeja told me about what Yawm has done. He is an immense evil, even for we eldritch. I also researched him using the obelisk and found out that the world eater isn¡¯t as kind as he pretends he is. He even hid notes in the research logs he gave me access to.


    I am new to this world and I am eldritch, but the demon lying under his skin is easily seen. It¡¯s hungry, an ego that happies itself by controlling and deforming others. I despise the way he hides behind pretty words, either that or he simply kills for silence.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Well, it¡¯s good that you figured that out. Still though, how do you even know I¡¯m against Yawm?


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - It took a while before I could discover some method of communicating with you in the open. You were lying to Yawm when we first met. After a few hours, I discovered that you used your abnormal qualities to deceive him. Clever, but doomed for failure in the end.


    I verified it by mentioning your level whenever you were charging your mana. After the fact, I planted a spell on you during the height of your mana generation. It disguised the weak listening spell to perfection, as I planned it would.


    After that, I listened in on your ¡®contract¡¯ with Yawm. He threatened you into joining his cause. I know why he did, and I will share my judgements with you.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Damn...I never even felt it. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s impressed now. Still, I¡¯m wondering why you thought to fight against Yawm. You have a lot of know how that he doesn¡¯t. You could use that for quite a few advantages. I¡¯m not in the same position to give you stuff.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Yawm¡¯s favor is like the favor of an Old One. You¡¯re still nothing more than meat to them. He has used many eldritch for his own gain before. Look at the eldritch chained to him that manifest around us. They are nothing more than props and experimental fodder. He reminds me of the eldritch that parade around as angels and demons.


    They are all evil, from Gabriel to Michael. Yawm would rank among the worst of them, if he were classified as such. To trust him is to trust one that is worse than Lucifer. It¡¯s more than foolish. It¡¯s willful ignorance.


    What I wonder is how will you defeat that abomination of cipher and skin. What makes you imagine you could? His inscriptions that smother his body are beyond me, their complexity unknowable. It was given by gods and horrors beyond us. He is strength and he is speed. He¡¯ll crush us under his heel as we are.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - I can¡¯t trust you enough to tell you anything. You¡¯re the reason I was locked into this damn contract to begin with. Why in the hell should I help you?


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I gave you back your access the moment I could safely do so. I cannot cancel that contract. I could think of no other way to learn of your integrity. With your admission to Yawm, I verified it. You are someone who can be trusted.


    You¡¯re just trying to get rid of him before he destroys you and your home. We are the same. He will rip my mind apart, lobotomizing me before using my flesh as fuel for his delusions. Do want to share the same fate? If not, then put your trust in me as I¡¯ve put my trust in you. Otherwise we will both be devoured.


    I scratched the side of my head, a bit disgruntled at my situation. After a bit of though, I decided to at least try this out. To Amara, I was the lesser of two evils. She was taking one hell of a risk telling me all this. If I wasn¡¯t willing to at least put something on the line, then I¡¯d never get anywhere versus Yawm.


    He was waiting for me to fuck up and get Ajax here. If I didn¡¯t do something crazy, then Amara was right. Yawm would turn me into his next follower at this rate.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Just know that if you give this information to Yawm, we¡¯re both fucked.


    Remember those inscriptions on my forearms? I can channel mana into them to increase my strength. With enough time, I might have been able to kill Yawm even without the system¡¯s help. I was biding time so that Yawm wouldn¡¯t destroy Earth. Yenno, my home world.


    During that contract, Yawm tried taking away my way of getting stronger. He missed these inscriptions on my armor because he didn¡¯t know about them. Besides for that, I can eat eldritch and turn the energy into enhancements. Now that I have the system, I can gain experience for level ups like normal. That¡¯s all I got for now.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Feeding your armor with mana...Do you know a way that I can share my mana with yours? I know my mana generation pales compared with yours, but it will help accelerate your growth.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - I do know a way of doing it. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re willing to though.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - You¡¯re not as psychotic as that mongrel is. Just as well, I saw his personally made inscriptions. Though he may act as though he knows the cipher well, he has no talent for it. All of his most powerful inscriptions are from something else altogether.


    We can take advantage of his ignorance. I already gave him a vague, nonsensical gibberish for a lesson earlier. He couldn¡¯t even tell that I was leading him into dead ends.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Yawm did mention getting his inscriptions from missions with Etorhma. I¡¯m starting to piece things together. I remember showing him my own carvings when we first met. I expected him to bash on them. He was surprised by the quality of my technique even though I just learned how to make them. That¡¯s not what I expected at all.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - We found the chink in his armor. Know we must dig our knife deep into the opening and twist. Give me whatever it is I need to send you my mana, but do it inconspicuously.


    I can give you lessons about the cipher over this messaging system as well. A better inscription should result in better enhancements for your armor. If you can come up with a way of leveling up, then it should only take a few years at most to overcome him.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Sounds good. Besides for that, we might be able to sneak you some of Etorhma¡¯s tears. They are from an Old One who gave Yawm the inscriptions on his skin. According to Yawm, they had no negative effects on eldritch.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Words from him mean little.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - True. I¡¯ll try to handle it then. I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t get him to help us out without meaning too either. I¡¯ll also send you an invite into my guild. It will give you some extra attributes, making you a bit more durable.


    We¡¯ll have to pinch pennies if we¡¯re going to beat Yawm¡¯s ass.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - We begin work immediately. Good fortune in your hunt, and may you never be hungry.


    Dimension-C138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Uh...yeah, sure. Same for you.


    I closed the mission log and stood up from my bed, a sense of invigoration pumping through me. I shook my head and slapped my hands together, a renewed sense of purpose coming in. It was pure insanity. One second a demonic bastard forced me into a life oath I can¡¯t break. The next, a tech eldritch broke me back into the system.


    That¡¯s life though. I cracked my neck then rolled my shoulders. I paced back and forth in my room, thinking for about fifteen minutes. I devised a nefarious plot for Yawm. I¡¯d make him help me without him even knowing it. That was the plan at least.


    I walked out of my room, pacing down the luminescent hallway. Eldritch darted away from me as I walked towards Yawm¡¯s study, knocking on the door. I took a deep breath before Yawm beckoned me in, papers spread all over his desk. As usual, he hadn¡¯t made any progress with his cipher.


    I didn¡¯t rub it in though,


    ¡°Yo Yawm, Do you mind if I kill a few of the eldritch outside?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°What for exactly?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I need to unload some steam. I can¡¯t study all day. It gets so damn dull.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t lying for the most part. Studying for weeks on end without doing anything else was tedious as watching paint dry. Yawm cupped his chin, feeling the same way. He gestured outside,


    ¡°Avoid the eldritch in the lake if you can. They are for our visual splendor after all. The eldritch above and below that should suffice?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. I personally prefer crushing the abstractions, if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Yawm rubbed his hands together, ¡°They do pulp rather nicely, don¡¯t they?¡¯


    I grinned, ¡°At least someone gets me.¡±


    Yawm shooed me off with a hand, ¡°Then go have fun. I¡¯ll be in here, enjoying my own self imposed drudgery.¡±


    I left the room and reached the exit of Yawm¡¯s palace. It was a doorway with a bubble outside of the doorway. When I opened the door, there was a pocket of air keeping the ocean outside. I jumped, taking a deep breath before the water surrounded me.


    Beneath the murky water, my eyesight was pristine. I landed on the clear crystal lining the bottom of the lake. I sprinted up the edge, leaping out of the lake with an explosive plume of water following me. Waves rippled across the water before I neared the edge of Yawm¡¯s rift.


    Here the floating islands and chunks of suspended skyscraper darted the landscape. Innumerable Abstractions sat upon the ledges of these islands. Their angular, geometric bodies stuck out like a sore thumb. Their awkward, unnatural twitching made them seem like insects of a hive mind.


    As I paced closer, they reacted like hornets guarding their nest. Beneath me, the solar beetles crawled out from their nests underground. Since the abstractions could enhance the levels of enemies, I¡¯d avoid them until they were worth killing. Once that happened, I¡¯d slaughter the whole group.


    As I hoped, the abstractions circled around me, generating energy. The beetles evolved before my eyes. Their armor thickened. They molted from their old shells, their size too large for their old carapaces. I grinned at the sight while cracking my knuckles. For the first time in a long time, I¡¯d be able to cut loose.


    This was going to be fun.

 130 Hunter of Many

    The insects neared me, their shining mandibles clapping with enough power to split cars apart. It wouldn¡¯t even hurt me, but I decided on practicing my skills. I leapt, dodged, and dashed between the insects. Kinetic Leviathan throttled them, pulling them off balance. Combined with my speed, they couldn¡¯t even touch me.


    The unique skill was pretty damn good. If I could actually outweigh Yawm by a decent amount, it would be invaluable against him. So good that I experimented on Gorger of Mana with Force of Nature.


    Enhancing a skill was simple so far. I just needed to use Force of Nature to augment a different unique skill. It was an intuitive, natural process. In my eyes, augmenting Gorger of Mana would be much the same way. Since Force of Nature revolved around close combat, telekinesis, and gravity, mixing it would be simple.


    While dodging the beetles, I pushed and kicked off of them at times. During these light touches, I pulled them towards me with gravity wells. I would puncture them with sharpened spines of my armor. Before I pushed off them, I would stab my armor inside and drain what I could.


    After a few hours of practicing this, I got a good handle on it. The solar beetles leveled up along with me, letting the challenge remain constant. It was invigorating and fun for many reasons. These beetles once posed a serious challenge for me. Now they were mere fodder.


    I could¡¯ve crushed them all in seconds. Event Horizon would drain their souls. My fists would crush them to powder. Their teeth and claws would shatter against my skin. With my magic, I could set them floating helplessly off the ground. Seeing my progress was a solid moral boost.


    Against Yawm it was different. We were so far apart that I couldn¡¯t even see my progress. These beetles were different. They crumbled with ease. After a while, I wondered why Gorger of Mana wasn¡¯t being enhanced by Force of Nature. I was shifting with fluidity and even grace. I was well past the point of augmenting.


    My status disagreed with my sentiment. Several more hours passed before I began thinking skills couldn¡¯t be enhanced anymore. I was a renegade of Schema¡¯s. It didn¡¯t surprise me that a few things didn¡¯t work right. Even if that was the case, learning all this would help me in the long run.


    I¡¯d just have to do it the good old fashioned way. I kept engaged and involved with what I was doing, ensuring a steady progress. As I did, I fell into a rhythm, a sense of ease falling over me. It was like breathing or counting your steps as you run. If you think about it, it reminded me of running.


    As a baby, humans can¡¯t even crawl. The idea of running is daunting to say the least. As we progress, we gain finer control of complex movements. Eventually it culminates in dextrous and difficult activities. The skills in Schema¡¯s system were similar. They combined as I learned them, turning into tasks just like walking or jumping.


    In this case, it was fun to just get lost in the process. I theorycrafted with the cipher for weeks on end. Getting some quality time killing eldritch was like ice cold water on a hot summer day. Damn it was refreshing compared with sitting down, hunched over a book for hours.


    For that reason, I don¡¯t know exactly know how long I spent dodging beetles. I stopped every few hours, getting some distance between me and them to chug some rations. After that, I jumped right back into the thick of it. Once the beetles were worth killing, I turned around towards them.


    As they evolved, the grew ugly. Their shells thickened until they looked like shambling chunks of yellow pavement. Their mobility was lessened, interfering with their sleek, aerodynamic shells of before. This rendered them unable to fly anymore. What they lacked in mobility, they gained even more in strength.


    Imagine you injected a vial of steroids into a beetle and it swelled up. Yeah, combine that with a few spikes and you had these new solar beetles. Their disorientation tactic suffered from this as well, making their previous light display far less blinding. With Restless Senses on high alert, I hardly noticed when I closed my eyes for it.


    The abstractions were frenzied, their abstract forms shivering with energy. The entire time I avoided the eldritch, their tornado of energy condensed. It was a physical wall of lightning at this point. The energy looked delicious, so I reached out with Event Horizon.


    I stretched the aura out to its fullest extent, a cascade of mana coming in. It was like standing under the force of a waterfall. It converted straight into my cipher, the rune devouring the mana with hunger. I no longer dodged the beetles as I passed them. I let my armor kill them for me.


    Tendrils of it shot outward, puncturing through their hard shells. As solid as their shells were, my armor skin made their hide seem soft. These armored spines stole their life force, taking their mana from them as I passed by. As I gained more and more control of that function, I used my other skills with Gorger of Mana.


    With my streams of gravity, I held beetles in place, preventing them from escaping. With my enhanced senses, I dodged them, letting my armor rip and tear at all angles. I was a ball of hungry spines, puncturing them with needles that sucked out their mana and health. When surrounded, I was a nightmare to deal with.


    I culled the horde with a steady, slow pace. Not even a drop of mana was wasted. I wrung them dry, like squeezing blood from a stone. If they clamped their mandibles on me, I detonated my runes in timed bursts. This gave me the strength to tear their teeth apart.


    The abstractions even dove at me from above. They were mana sponges, letting me absorb their vitality. It was satisfying because I was getting the most out of the monsters. At the same time, it was eerie. Why? Because it was something that Yawm would¡¯ve done.


    These eldritches were out to kill me though, and they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do the same to me. They weren¡¯t intelligent either. I wouldn¡¯t do something like this to a crowd of people for instance. Maybe I would though, given the right circumstances.


    Enough with ethical dilemmas. I finished the last of the high leveled beetles, enjoying a bit of silence. I invested all my excess points into endurance, handling the issue with little thought. After that, I ate, exploded out a shit real fast, then jumped right back into action.


    That¡¯s how literal days passed before I even thought of stopping. Before I knew it, I wasn¡¯t even thinking about using Gorger of Mana with Kinetic Leviathan. It all just clicked. Once the entire process grew a bit tedious, I finished off the last bit and ran back to Yawm¡¯s.


    As I did, I jumped from the side of a skyscraper. I landed onto a mini-van, my feet slicing through it with ease. I burrowed into the ground before catapulting myself from the earth. I landed on the ground, running out my momentum. As I did, a notification appeared.


    Mythical Skill learned! The unique skills, Kinetic Leviathan, Restless Senses, and Gorger of Mana all combine into Unescapable Hunger! Half of unearned skills are rewarded as tree points: 68 tree points.


    Skill augmented! Force of Nature enhances the mythical skill Unescapable Hunger, evolving it into Hunter of Many! The new skill retains its previous skill value.


    Hunter of Many(lvl 1) - Your pursuit is unending. Your hunger is everlasting. Your jaws are wide and your teeth unseen. Your bite is horror for those that see it. Your bite is death for those that feel it. The effects are as follows:


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Enhances your manipulation of telekinesis and gravity on yourself and enemies. This effect does not apply to allies. </li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Ability to discover living beings and treasure is enhanced.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Draining abilities no longer require a ramp up time and drain more health. Draining effects don¡¯t deal more damage, they convert more damage into health.</li>


    </ul>


    A wild grin spread over my face. I didn¡¯t expect a new mythical skill like this, but it was always welcome. The formatting of the skill was better too, giving me a clearer idea of what the skill does. What the skill did was pretty damn good too, giving me a plethora of useful bonuses.


    Speaking of bonuses, I opened my status screen. I gained 340 levels in total over about three days of hardcore training. It probably would take exponentially longer to gain levels since the beetles stalled out at around level 2,500. Any higher than that took minutes for them to gain a single level.


    That may not sound like much, but when you¡¯re thinking of adding a thousand more levels, time adds up fast. Before closing my status, I checked out my augmentations on my armor. They were starting to make a difference.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows.


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +360 Endurance


    +36% to effect of legacies


    +180 Willpower


    +18% to internal motivation]


    I also opened up my legendary skill, Force of Nature to check out the bonuses again.


    Force of Nature(lvl 1,011) - You are nature given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including: Close Range Combat, Runic abilities, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, and Draining Abilities.


    Bonus Attributes: 100 Strength, 100 Dexterity, 40 Constitution, 40 intelligence, 20 Perception. +10 to all attributes for 1,000 in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: 100%


    Mana Cost Reduction: 20%


    This reminded me why I focused on skills instead of my cipher. The cipher might pay off in the long run, but I gotta survive today before I survive tomorrow. I needed Amara¡¯s help to really take advantage of the cipher. With her giving me a boost, it might not even be a full year before I can take on Yawm.


    Amara already started the process. Despite being an eldritch, she was a trooper. She sent me a dozen messages during my training session. I skimmed through them as I fought, but none of them were urgent. They were basically just telling me how I should write in the cipher.


    I would read them in detail once I got back. Before I did get back though, I invested all my attribute points into endurance. I selected finalize, and the jolt rippled through my skin and veins. The cells in my muscle multiplied, condensing till they were hard as iron. Hell, they were probably already as hard as iron. It was hard to tell at this point.


    Mana flooded my system too, the energy dense enough to feel liquid. As I increased the flow of mana into my cipher, I passed a threshold. I channeled more mana than during the display with Yawm. The next time I trained like this, I would invest my levels as I went.


    It may have resulted in only one more incarnation of the cipher, but that might make the difference later on. Before checking out the changes on my character screen, I checked out my tree menu. I put all my points into my current tree, Immense, and a notification appeared. I finally got enough points for it.


    You are a behemoth with flesh of metal and blood of iron. They try and shatter your skin. Your laugh echoes over the sound of their fire and fury, like an omen. They feel your voice in their bones. Immense unlocked!(Tier 1) 5% of your total mass is added to your physical bonus damage. Unlocks the unique skill, Mass Manipulation.


    Unique unique skill unlocked! Mass Manipulation!


    Mass Manipulation(lvl 1) - Your will warps matter in its wake. Allows the user to increase or decrease the density of mass. Level of control varies by level.


    Whenever the notification sounded, there was a flood of strength. I didn¡¯t think 5% of my mass would be that big a deal, but it was a colossal increase. It overwhelmed me, like adrenaline flowing into my veins.


    I grinned, my hands clasping into fists. My arms thickened. My back broadened. I shifted my toes in my armored boots. They let out echoes, like hammers smashing against metal. I gripped my hands together, squeezing them with all my might. My armor bent under my grasp.


    I laughed, relishing in the sudden explosion of vigor. A couple more ranks in immense and I might even be stronger than Yawm. With that fervent excitement, I checked out my character screen.


    Level 3,466


    Strength ¨C 3,010 | Constitution ¨C 4,720 | Endurance ¨C 18,336


    Dexterity ¨C 1,119 | Willpower ¨C 9,441 | Intelligence ¨C 3,207


    Charisma ¨C 297.5 | Luck ¨C 996 | Perception ¨C 435.7


    Health: 1.78 Million/1.78 Million


    Health Regen: 2.10 Million/min or 34,957/sec


    Stamina: 1,066,041/1,066,041 | Stamina Regen: 16,301/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.32 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 120,688 pounds(54,858 kilos~) | Height: 9¡¯7(2.9 meters)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 58,247% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I shook my head for a moment, flabbergasted at my health regen. It was something else altogether. The other dramatic increase was in my physical damage bonus. After crunching a few numbers, I understood why.


    Immense gave me around 6,000% more physical damage. Combine that with my three times multiplier for the stat, and the difference was, well, immense. Knowing all that, I cracked my knuckles while walking towards Yawm¡¯s palace. A realization stunned me.


    I was taller.


    It wasn¡¯t a dramatic difference, but Yawm would notice. That would make him suspicious. When Yawm was suspicious, he made people sign contracts or worse. I sighed, a lump of frustration welling up. My eyes widened as I remembered the second part of the skill tree.


    I gained a unique skill called Mass Manipulation. I reached out a hand, trying to condense myself. A few seconds later, an odd sensation crossed up my hand. It was like banging my ulnar nerve, sending pins and needles up my hand. There was no visual difference in my arm, but the sensation was distinct.


    I reached out, amplifying that sensation in my arm. As I did, the sensation expanded up my arm and into my shoulder. I grit my teeth, hardening my mind. There wasn¡¯t time to spend learning this skill. I needed proficiency in it, enough that I wouldn¡¯t even notice it being on.


    I turned around, walking back towards the beetles. I sure as hell didn¡¯t feel like fighting them again, but I had to hide myself somehow. It would take at least a few hours of messing with this skill before I had it down enough to keep myself smaller.


    Just like that, I found some more damn beetles and started the chase once more. The abstractions circled me as I honed in on densifying myself. It sounds as hard as it was. The pins and needles faded with time at least. As I leveled the skill, the difficulty of it faded, letting me get the hang of it.


    It helped that Hunter of Many made dodging the beetles a breeze. I kept sapping the poor beetles until I leveled Mass Manipulation to 15. Once that was done, I reached out with Event Horizon. Something I noted was that it wasn¡¯t working like before. It didn¡¯t drain half the damage it dealt.


    It drained more.


    That¡¯s when it clicked. Hunter of Many enhanced draining effects. That included Event Horizon. When I opened up my status, I couldn¡¯t find an exact value per say. It was enough to notice the difference at least.


    So I closed my status and finished off the last fleet of beetles. They were all level 1,500 or so. Even after killing a hundred of them, I only gained a paltry for levels. It would be slow going for the levels now. At least Mass Manipulation let me disguise my gains from Yawm. That enabled me to pull this whole plan off.


    With all that finished, I invested my attribute points and headed back to Yawm. By the time I reached his ice castle, the sun was setting. It was hard keeping track of time since I didn¡¯t sleep anymore. I mean life was just one long day. Without all the willpower, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.


    But I did have all that nifty willpower, so I put it to good use. I swam through the ocean, manipulating my body with gravity wells. I remember the process being demanding and difficult. Now it was easy as blinking.


    I floated into the air bubble on the far side of the pale fortress. I walked through the doors, a bit of water dripping off my armor. I stepped forwards, towards my room. As I passed by Amara¡¯s room, Yawm walked out. He sighed, his lumbering shoulders wider than a fridge.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good you¡¯re back Daniel.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°It¡¯s good to be back. I got caught up in the whole process.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah, it¡¯s easy to do.¡± Yawm crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. ¡°I just finished a lesson with Amara. It wasn¡¯t particularly helpful.¡±


    ¡°Heh, she¡¯s by no means a natural teacher. At least from what I¡¯ve garnered from her.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°My sentiment is the same.¡± He squinted at me,


    ¡°Wait a moment...are you...shorter?¡±

 131 Weaving Threads

    I numbed myself, eliminating any thoughts about his accusation. I raised an eyebrow at Yawm. He stood up straight. He moved his hands between us, measuring our heights.


    ¡°Odd. I thought I noticed a difference for some reason. My mistake.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Eh, it happens. Sometimes I forget how much taller you are than me."


    Yawm raised his eyebrows, ¡°I suppose I¡¯m seeing stars after that lesson with the eldritch. I think you were right about her. She can¡¯t speak even an ounce of sense.¡±


    I raised both my hands, ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure she knows what she¡¯s talking about. She just doesn¡¯t know how to get it across. Like, at all.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Some knowledge is carried on calm seas. She sends her knowledge through a muddy, viscous quagmire. Getting through that is becoming difficult. You didn¡¯t need to worry about that recently as of late, however.


    I grinned, ¡°Yeah. I got caught up in the whole fighting thing. It¡¯s a hell of a lot of fun.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand, ¡°I attempted to wait for you to finish at one point, but you trained within the cyclone of abstractions far too long for that. I¡¯m guessing you wanted a challenge from the beetles?¡±


    I scratched the side of my head, ¡°I suppose. I was trying to see if I couldn¡¯t work on my dodging skills. It worked ok.¡±


    Yawm narrowed one eye and widened the other, creating a questioning gaze,


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work well then. My guess would be the sheer disparity in speed.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It sucks, but yeah. They''re not the, er, most powerful monsters.¡±


    Yawm cupped his chin, staring off in the distance, ¡°I suppose they¡¯re not. Though they¡¯re interesting, they lack the dynamism to make truly challenging foes. If it wasn¡¯t for the abstractions, they¡¯d be worse than useless in that regard.¡±


    Yawm looked at me,


    ¡°I thought about what you said about variety and blowing off steam as you put it. I think I may implement a bit of that as I find myself plateauing in my progress recently. I think injecting a few alterations in my daily schedule will get me out of this sticking point. What do you think?¡±


    I looked around then pointed at my chest, ¡°What do I think?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m asking for your counsel.¡±


    I turned a palm to Yawm, ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d try and progress in something else.¡±


    Yawm placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll implement that bit of ideology.¡±


    Yawm paced down the hallway, ¡°I may call on you later, if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    I waved him off, "It shouldn''t be a problem. I have a project I need to grind out. After that, I''m free for a while. Good luck with the cipher, World Eater.¡±


    ¡°Hah, hah, Good fortune for you as well, Harbinger.¡±


    He walked into his study. I walked to my room, sighing with relief. I expected a bit more resistance from him. He might be taking it easy after the contract. Either that or he doesn¡¯t want to put too much pressure on me. I didn¡¯t have time to contemplate exactly what he was thinking.


    What I did have time for was learning the cipher. I walked into my room, sitting on the bed. I wrote a thank you message to Amara. After that, I sent a string of messages to Althea. I missed her and having decent meals, among other things.


    So I sent her a message about how I couldn¡¯t call her for a long time. I also explained that I had a chance against Yawm and for her not to tell anyone else. Ajax could be trying to fuck us over for all I knew. By then, I was paranoid. I had a good reason to be.


    After finishing that, I read through Amara¡¯s messages in detail. The first few mimicked the basics that Yawm discussed with me. As I delved deeper into her advice, I found some incredibly interesting pieces of info.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Changing a confined space, the dual layered etching, and perspective, those three principles will only get you so far. In order to progress through the more advanced portions of the cipher, you¡¯ll need more than practice.


    You need understanding.


    That fool thinks he can dissect the cipher just as he¡¯s dissected others. The cipher isn¡¯t a code you can solve. The cipher is a fluid representation of your understanding of your universe. If you lack understanding in a subject, then you cannot write the cipher within that subject.


    No matter how many decades that idiot spends writing, he will never progress because of that simple fact. He¡¯s expunged any chance of progression. Why else would I ask for books and information? It is to further my understanding of this material world, thereby enabling me to change it.


    You¡¯ll learn the cipher quicker by reading books on a subject then by trying to write that subject down. Yawm is trying to run before he can crawl. Sharpening his knowledge on quantum physics or biology would help his efforts far more than his current method.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - That is where he and I differ. You will differ here as well with time. If you intend on gaining the true meaning of the cipher, then understand the true meaning of this realm. Is it your strength that you wish to enhance? Then read about true strength. Is it your dexterity you want to hone? Then research and understand the meaning of finesse and control. When you aim to write in the cipher, the marking will come to you as you make it.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    These messages and the ones that followed had an underlying theme. Amara was bitter towards Yawm. I didn''t know why, and maybe I''d ask one day. For now though, I blocked out the messages that went into excruciating detail.


    I was a novice, so I focused on the basics. The first step would be mastering the meaning of endurance. I know, big shocker.


    Based on that, I opened my obelisk and scanned through Torix¡¯s library. I entered the key words endurance, perseverance, and tenacity. Dozens of novels, biographies, and anthologies appeared. I scanned through them, opening the first book I found interesting. The book was titled, Worlds of Eldritch: Tales of a Fringe Walker.


    The title was pretty self explanatory. Even then, the book was harrowing. It broke down three different worlds that a Fringe Walker went to. Each one outdid the last, until the last one. On that world, Flocks of eldritch flew so dense that they cast darkness below them. The land was fire and the air was acid. Those are quotes by the way.


    He lived on that foreign, unlivable world for over five years. Being abandoned by a key comrade sucks like that I suppose. During that time, he struggled finding food and learning how to not die. It was basically a survival story ramped up to an eleven out of ten.


    Even though it was about 600 pages long, I finished it in three hours. As I laid it down, I was blown away by how quickly I understood it. With how high my intelligence was, it made sense. This was the first time I noticed such a drastic shift from having that intelligence though.


    After finishing that novel, I moved on and read a few more. After about twelve hours and five more books later, I was ready to give a new rendition of the cipher form. Before I gave it a shot, I thought about what I read.


    My head was crammed with stories of life and death. There was a biography about a young girl who lived in a galactic slum all her life. She escaped and became a monstrous bounty hunter. One book was an anthology of victims of genocide. The most compelling story detailed something else.


    It was a story about a man who carried a keycard that would save his world for over 9,000 years. It showed the vast loneliness, the maddening quiet, and the numbness of time. He never rested.


    Over and over, he faced machines, androids, and hostile life. There wasn¡¯t even an ounce of hope for his situation. 9,000 years later and the guy won. It was inspiring, but I didn¡¯t learn a damn thing about endurance. Instead of taking that approach, I tried out my own.


    I opened my grimoire and sat down with my legs crossed. As I did, I kept my ears covered with my armor. It blocked out the sound near me, blurring my picture of my surroundings. It blocked out the swimming of the jellyfish, the shifting currents, and the pacing of footsteps.


    I closed my eyes, honing in my focus. In the roar of silence, I sliced into the charcoal colored page, visualizing my mark. As I wrote, I kept my hand steady and stable. I paced my breathing, keeping it slow and shallow, like a sniper. I eliminated all other thoughts, putting myself in the moment.


    Like that, I etched out the framework of my new rune. I didn¡¯t add extra detail. There was no need to. Instead, I eliminated lines, took out excess pieces, and simplified the design. As I did, my translation didn¡¯t lessen the impact of the original rune. It refined it.


    Without excess, the original meaning of my rune came across more clearly. I purified the meaning, like filtering water over and over. With each change, the rune¡¯s meaning popped ever clearer. With each shift, the subtlety of the inscription was gone. It was like pulling the body bag off a corpse. You couldn¡¯t see what laid beneath until you did.


    Hours passed like that. I took my time. There was no rush. Messages appeared in the sides of my vision, but I pushed them aside. Everything was this rune. It was like shifting a gear. I pushed all other distractions out. I aligned my thoughts into a single thing. This rune, right now.


    With that intense concentration, I neared the finishing touches of the rune. As I neared the completion of it, the rune sapped energy from me. My mana generation offered up an ocean for it, yet it wanted even more. It dipped into my health. A warmth spread up my arm from the channeling mana.


    It was the opposite of the icy sensation I got from taking out dungeon cores. Energy wasn¡¯t infecting me. It was being taken away. After several hours of this, the rune finalized. Brimming with an explosive excitement, I raised a hand, creating a single copy of the rune.


    The vibrant, glowing letters floated in the air, landing on my left forearm. The new rune overwrote the old one, devouring it. Once it finalized, I channeled mana into the next one. Hours later, the marking sparked to life, drifting off the blackened page. The engraving landed onto my right arm, engulfing the previous rune.


    The new, glowing mark sizzled as it engraved itself onto my armored wrist. I sighed with relief, the task at hand finished. I funneled my mana back into the runes, their work beginning once more. I squeezed my hands, satisfied with my work before I opened my status.


    Althea Tolstoy(Time: Undefined) - I really, really don¡¯t like the messages I¡¯m seeing, but I get it. I do. You¡¯re doing what it takes to make it happen, just like you always do. I miss you too, and I guess messages will have to do for now. </img>


    Hurry up though, because I have a surprise for you when you get back. </img>


    I promise I¡¯ll make it worth your while. ;p


    I grinned at the message. I loved having something to look forward to once this was all over. It reminded me why I couldn¡¯t stop preparing myself. I had something to lose, and I¡¯d be damned if Yawm, Schema, or anyone was going to take what I had away from me.


    That inspiration fueled me as I stood up. I shook my head, wiping away my mental fatigue. I walked out of my room, intent on going back outside to train with the beetles. As I walked past Yawm¡¯s room, he stepped out. I turned around, finding him looking at me with one hand holding his door open,


    ¡°Daniel, are you going to fight the eldritch here again?¡±


    I nodded. Yawm raised a hand, ¡°I have a different idea of what you could do with your time, if you¡¯d like to listen to my suggestion.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Sure, I¡¯m game.¡±


    Yawm waved me into his room, ¡°Then come and sit. You may enjoy what you have to hear.¡±


    We walked into his study, the rows of books lining numerous windows. The giant eye of a leviathan glanced inside, its iris glowing blood red. A school of squirming fish followed behind it, nibbling at a chunk of meat in its mouth. I sat down on a frozen chair, Yawm¡¯s hulking form facing me.


    The entire time, I kept my unique skill, Mass Manipulation constant. Maybe Yawm could make a mistake about me being shorter. I doubt he¡¯d accept seeing me change size, however.


    Yawm raised his hands unperturbed, ¡°I¡¯ve given your exercise a great deal of thought. In all honesty, I¡¯d rather you not decimate the populations of eldritch I fostered here. It took effort to get them here, and it will require effort to do so again.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Damn, I expected this honestly. I figured me doing something like that was out of line.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°In fact, it wasn¡¯t. I more so than anyone understands why you fight as an outlet. The slaughter is healing. The violence is calming. Warriors such as you and I are most at home in carnage. That is why I offer you suggestion.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms, ¡°Well what did you have in mind?¡±


    Yawm raised a hand, ¡°We go hunting for pieces of the cipher.¡±

 132 Expedition

    I scratched my cheek, ¡°How exactly are we going to hunt for the cipher?¡±


    Yawm leaned back in his chair, ¡°I gave the issue some thought, and I came to a realization - you learned the cipher from rifts.¡±


    I opened my hand, turning it in circles,


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    Yawm raised a hand,


    ¡°This gives a practical idea, especially after discovering Amara¡¯s existence. The eldritch know the cipher on an intrinsic level. Learning it from her and my own musings is frustrating. My motivation is waning. I believe that my own indignation is stifling my progress.¡±


    Yawm pointed outside, ¡°You see, I¡¯ve spent far too much time within the confines of my own castle. I¡¯m losing my passion for my own goals, partly because of the length of my journey, but also because of the tedious nature of it.¡±


    Yawm clasped his pointing hand into a fist, ¡°I was not made to sit inside a room and study a cryptic language everyday. I was made a warrior. When I battle, I am most alive. That is when my mind is most active. That is when I thrive.¡±


    He lowered his fist, ¡°In order to regain that spark of life, I devised a solution. I can go hunting within rifts for fragments of the cipher.¡±


    I tapped my chin with a loose fist, ¡°So uh, you figure you¡¯ll learn about the cipher while fighting eldritch?¡±


    Yawm raised both his hands, spreading them wide, ¡°You followed my line of thinking to perfection.¡± Yawm glanced around, excitement tracing his words,


    ¡°Your fight against the eldritch here made it clear. They¡¯re no challenge for a warrior of any true caliber. In order to remain protected, I¡¯ll need more than just a horde of fodder. While I explore the rifts, I¡¯ll find eldritch that can repopulate my own rift. With them, I¡¯ll generate a more powerful army at my disposal.¡±


    Yawm raised a fist to me, clasping it with vigor, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been keen on killing them, I figured that I would offer for you to join in on the fun.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Ah, so I¡¯ll still get to relax and fight some, but I won¡¯t decimate the population of your current eldritch.¡±


    Yawm clapped his hands once,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the prospect exciting? You¡¯ve even found portions of the cipher you could learn from. If my hunch is correct, you¡¯ll have an eye for finding the portions of it that we may harvest.¡±


    I raised a finger, ¡°Give me one second to think about this. I gotta troubleshoot it for flaws and what not.¡±


    Yawm leaned back into his chair, ¡°Take your time. Skepticism is a shield against foolishness. Your skepticism shows wisdom.¡±


    I crossed my arms, glancing down. I held back a smile. This was a golden opportunity. I hadn¡¯t refilled my dungeon cores in forever. I needed hundreds of them. I could level up, get those dungeon cores, and stop eldritch at the same time.


    I looked back up at Yawm, ¡°I mean, that seems a like a pretty decent idea in my opinion. There wasn¡¯t any glaring flaws in it.¡±


    Yawm stood, the chair behind him falling backwards, ¡°Then we leave at once.¡±


    I stood, but I didn¡¯t send my chair flying. Yawm laughed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll create a core right now.¡±


    I raised a hand, ¡°Why not just go find rifts around us?¡±


    Yawm¡¯s grabbed his chin, ¡°Why not use my core generation abilities?¡±


    The main reason was because I wouldn¡¯t get any cores like that. I wasn¡¯t telling his ass that though.


    ¡°You said you were cooped up in this place for too long right? Staying in this room and teleporting sort of defeats the purpose of this entire process.¡±


    Yawm face palmed, ¡°Of course, this city is barren. The dungeons here have likely already fallen into dilapidation, turning into rifts. If we walk outside, the rifts will be there, plain to see.¡±


    Yawm walked towards the doorway of the room, ¡°Let¡¯s find one.¡±


    I jogged outside the room, catching up with Yawm. We walked outside his palace, reaching the exit of his palace. After diving through the bubble room, we swam towards the surface. The eldritch writhed in the water, an obvious fear permeating them. Yawm terrified them, even I did.


    We paced out of the lake, water pouring off us both. We ramped up our speed, running out of the rift. Past the floating islands surrounding Yawm¡¯s world tree, the gray cloud loomed overhead. It acted as the edge of Yawm¡¯s domain. With the same crisp iciness, we pierced the cloud, getting outside the rift.


    As we traveled, I pointed and described various buildings. Yawm paid close attention, a deep interest showing in how our world was. I pointed at a museum, the marble columns holding the entrance up,


    ¡°Bigger buildings are almost always home to dungeons. Since you like learning about the world, we¡¯ll explore a rift while walking past an exhibition of humanity¡¯s past. Sound good?¡±


    Yawm leapt over a convenience store, landing beside a utility pole. His feet crushed through the concrete sidewalk, the stone like putty. He reached up, stopping the pole from landing on him. With his arm outstretched, he grabbed halfway up the pole with ease.


    With a flick of his wrist, the power pole timbered in the other direction. It fell, crashing onto the convenience store. The rippling, alien sound of cords snapping echoed out as Yawm peered around,


    ¡°This world¡¯s constructs are so...flimsy. They¡¯re ancient it seems.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°I guess they are. We weren¡¯t even close to exploring space.¡±


    Yawn chuckled, ¡°I assure you, that was evident.¡±


    He walked by a car, over twice its height. Without bending over, he grabbed under it. His fingers crushed the metal, shattering the glass windows. He lifted it, glancing under the vehicle with a tilt of his head,


    ¡°Your species doesn¡¯t even use graphene reinforcements for metal.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Ok, I get it. We¡¯re not space people. We didn¡¯t really start learning science until a few thousand years ago. Cut us some slack.¡±


    Yawm stared at the intricate series of metal pieces under the sedan.


    ¡°Your species developed quickly then. I know of hive oriented species that required tenfold that time for development. You¡¯re society must orient itself around competition then?¡±


    I took in a deep breath, ¡°We used too. Good old capitalism.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°Excellent for growing into a self actualized society. Not quite the best model for staying there.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yawm flicked his wrist, sending the car flying. It landed onto the convenience store, barreling through the building. It collapsed in a wave of dust. At it settled, Yawm turned towards the museum,


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Capitalism promotes competition and incessant growth. As society develops, technology advances. This eliminates lower level employment, creating economic displacement. Until the necessity of work is voided altogether, social pressure rises.¡±


    Yawm walked and talked,


    ¡°Often times this creates entire classes of people left behind in the wake of advancement. As you can imagine, those classes of people aren¡¯t the most pleased. This social unrest can create violent uprisings, destroying stable societies.¡±


    We reached the wooden building, the brick entrance leading up to a tall entrance. Yawm shrugged at the foot of the stairs,


    ¡°Of course, these are only my own musings on the issue. Like anyone else, I very well could be wrong.¡±


    I walked up the brick steps, ¡°Eh, it¡¯s interesting hearing your opinion anyway. I¡¯ve never even thought about it that deeply in all honesty.¡±


    I glanced around. This history museum once was a plantation home. After being converted into a state building, they retained its classic touch. Tall ceilings, tall doors, all designed for hot summers. As we reached the doors, Yawm stared at the door handle,


    ¡°Do you grab it?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Not for us.¡±


    I walked through the doors, the wood crumbling while I spread my arms. My face crashed through the doorway, the drywall crumbling. Just above my head, the tallest spine of my armor scraped the ceiling. I turned towards Yawm,


    ¡°Ducking under it over and over sounded frustrating.¡±


    Yawm leaned forward, resting his body weight onto his knuckles. It was reminiscent of a gorilla. Yenno, besides for the pulsing green energy, wooden skin, runic carvings, and mane of leaves behind him. If anything, his new posture intimidated even more than before.


    ¡°Is that how you¡¯re supposed to walk?¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°No, but porytians can walk this way. Since our species is symbiotic in nature, one of us evolved from herbivores and the other from predators. Walking on all fours was an evolutionary trait gained from when we were four legged creatures.¡±


    I walked into the museum, the reception area rising just enough for me to walk at full height. Yawm kept hunched, walking with all the pressure on his knuckles. We paced through the hallway, reaching the exhibits.


    Cannons, swords, and flags lined the wall. Natural light leaked in from windows, leaving shade in corners of the room. With a much taller ceiling, Yawm stood his full height. Further inside, we reached a row of empty exhibits. Yawm pointed at them,


    ¡°What weapon of war is missing here?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t for war. This was a general museum. This was where dinosaurs were located.¡±


    He turned towards me, ¡°Dinosaurs?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, dinosaurs. They were giant reptiles covered in scales.¡± I touched the struts that once held the bones in place, ¡°Now why exactly are the bones missing, well I don¡¯t know.¡±


    A shriek ebbed from deeper within. Yawm turned towards the sound,


    ¡°Let¡¯s have faith that a dungeon is here.¡±


    We jogged towards the howling. We reached another room missing exhibits. At the center of the room, a pitch black, furry animal writhed on the floor. The creature writhed, squirming with violence, but it lacked any finer details. It turned towards us, the lump of hair sticking out on end. I analyzed it.


    Baby Bojokan(lvl 467) - This thing has uh, black hair. It looks pretty mean too. I hope it doesn¡¯t come at me like a parasite or something. That would be super gross.


    Getting exiled had its problems after all. I sighed, venting frustration while the air crackled. Goosebumps welled across my arms as the aura of green condensed around Yawm. With a massive hand, Yawm flicked a finger,


    ¡°I can relate to your frustration. This is a weakling, and I don¡¯t have time for it¡¯s noise.¡±


    The eldritch popped like a firework covered in rotten tomatoes. From the shadows, other bundles of fur expanded. The missing exhibits covered them, like an exoskeleton of petrified bone. They fitted into the skeletons like they were made for them.


    Adult Bojokan(lvl 1,892) - Honestly, I was hoping for a bit more from these dungeon monsters. I mean honestly, a fucking dinosaur furball. Wow-


    I closed out the analysis. Following my line of thought helped no one. I clasped my hands into fists, and Yawm sat down. As his ass landed on the ground, the building quaked. I turned to him,


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°Fighting them would be boring, wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll let you handle it and watch. That sounds far more entertaining.¡±


    I turned towards the bojokans,


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    I charged my runes in seconds. Three bojokans surrounded me, each stored in a different dinosaur. The T-rex one shot towards me, moving fast as cars on an interstate. I rotated on my heels, firing a left hook into its nose. The poor bones disintegrated into powder, the monster splattering beneath the fur.


    It fell sideways, my streams of gravity shuttling it away from me. Another bojokan rushed in, this one guised in the bones of an ankylosaurus. The tips of fur pushing out from between bones turned red. A viscous liquid covered them, making them slippery.


    Whenever it reached me, I shot forward. I slammed my feet into the ground then slammed my fist into its face. With a bit of gravity, I pushed the viscous fluid away. My fist unleashed a kinetic bullet into the center of the creature. It swelled up like a balloon, the bones cracking.


    As it deflated, a fountain of blood gushed from entryway of my kinetic bullet. With Hunter of Many, my armor shot into the abomination, sucking the life out of it. The blood never touched the ground as a forest of needles shot out in every direction. The other creature, a stegosaurus wannabe, ran towards me.


    It growled with wrath, white, glistening teeth contrasting with the darkness. The spiny plates along its back glowed a bright orange. Vibrant arcs of orange electricity shot outwards, like an augmenter¡¯s mana. It barreled towards me. Instead of punching it, I welled mana into my hands.


    With a third of my health, I unleashed a torrent of gravity. The creature bowed, unable to withstand the onslaught. The concrete cracked. The legs of the creature broke. The red colored bones popped through tears of its skin. Blood gushed as its organs pulped.


    I grimaced before leaping towards the creature. I landed on it, stomping its skull. My foot was the wheel of a car and the monster¡¯s head was a squirrel. After a not so satisfying squish, a splash of blood splattered over me. I wiped my face,


    ¡°Blegh. Man, fighting these guys was fucking gross.¡±


    I banged the side of my head, my helmet echoing against my gauntlets, ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. Duh.¡±


    I gripped a hand, a wave of gravity pulling the coagulating slush from me. I reached out my arms, siphoning the monster mush from the edges of the room into a ball of meat. Using my armor, I devoured it. Yawm watched, his eye searching,


    ¡°It¡¯s tremendous. You¡¯re armor trumps even the eldritch.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°If the eldritch is dangerous, it can eat me. I think I¡¯m more like a crab. The shell seems invincible until it meets a rock.¡±


    Yawm tapped the side of his face, ¡°I suppose...¡± He stood up, ¡°This was a disappointing departure from the norm. It remind me why I gave up on hunting in rifts a long time ago.¡±


    I pointed around us, ¡°Those weren¡¯t even the dungeon bosses. Besides, they were about as strong as the solar beetles anyway.¡±


    Yawm shook his head, ¡°The beetles reproduced via sunlight. They don¡¯t require actual sustenance. That is why I chose them as guardians. By the teeth on these animals, I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re carnivores. They won¡¯t last long before spreading outwards from my rift.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s steps resonated through the room as he paced deeper inside, ¡°It isn¡¯t like I want to wreck more havoc than I need to. I¡¯ve already done more than enough already. Seeing this derelict city reminds me of that.¡±


    A bitter disappointment drenched his last words. Not knowing what to say, I stayed silent and I followed him. We both us made our way into the depths of the building. We found an empty elevator shaft. We leapt down the metallic pit. I reached out with both hands, my fingers scraping the iron edges of the chute.


    Sparks shot out from contact, the sharpened tips of my fingers slicing the steel. Yawm crushed the elevator blocking our way outside like stepping on an empty can. He kicked it, the squished block of metal tumbling through the next room.


    The block of steel trampled into the nearby hallway, caving the wall in. As cracks expanded from the wall, Yawm stepped out, looking around. The hallway split down the middle, one entrance leading towards a theater and the other towards a maintenance room.


    I pointed at the theater, ¡°The boss is going to be in that room, for sure.¡±


    We walked through the hallway, dust falling from the roof. Yawm¡¯s elevator kick shook the entire building, making the aged structure grumble. We reached the doors, Yawm stepping through them as if they never existed. With the pop of bending steel, we entered the theater.


    Inside the dark room, a crowd of bojokans surrounded a mass of gears and hair. Wires stretched out from it, digging into the floor and walls nearby. These tendrils of metal siphoned energy from nearby. Atop this mountain of metal and fur, an enormous bojokan looked at us with no eyes.


    Upon its gray, metal face, etchings of the cipher glowed white. It smiled at us, a wicked, terrible kind of smile. The wires and cords traced under its skin, like a cyborg. It stood, its sloped shoulders rising high. With no real neck, it tilted the mass of muscle and metal around its head.


    Behind it, the dungeon core radiated simmered with power. The reddened core strained, holding in a mountain of energy. Soon it would shatter.


    Yawm turned to me, ¡°In most instances, the eldritch refuse to listen to reason. Allow me to show you how I¡¯ve managed to domesticate the eldritch near my own rift. Consider this a lesson in intimidation.¡±


    He turned towards the eldritch, his voice like an abyss,


    ¡°Kneel.¡±


    The bojokans squealed at him, their shrill laughter echoing through the chamber. Saliva dripped from their frothing mouths. Their pot bellies shivered in delight at Yawm¡¯s declaration. The air around us sparked, ozone tracing the air, bitter and acrid in my nose.


    With the air warping around him, Yawm raised a hand. As he spoke, a primordial dread dug deep into my bones.


    ¡°I. Said. Kneel.¡±

 133 The Coming Tempest

    The bojokans cowered in fear, all but their leader. The steel wires wobbled along his skin, the monster trembling. The force in his words slammed into me. I stayed steady, my will like iron. Yawm turned towards me,


    ¡°You still stand? Ah yes, you invested into willpower perks. A spirit like yours fights against suppression. These eldritch on the other hand are akin to animals.¡±


    He gestured at them, ¡°They shudder, terrified of a meaningful presence.¡± He stared at the bojokan boss, his eyes drilling into its mind. He spread his hands, ¡°And you still defy me?¡±


    Yawm took a step forward, and the metallic bojokan wilted, cowering in terror. Yawm laughed, and the bojokan stood back up straight. The eerie grin on its face transformed into a scowl. The monster twitched at random, its nerves overwhelming it. I stared at it, analyzing it.


    Bojokan Originator(lvl 2,623) - Damn this poor bastard. Looks like he¡¯s about to get humiliated in front of his underlings. Man, I¡¯m sick of these statuses not working.


    The ruined analyses bothered me now. Without their concise explanations, understanding the eldritch took time and observation. My lips pressed into a thin line while I watched Yawm step towards the eldritch boss.


    The originator lifted its shaking arm. Its mouth and lips quivered, clanking its teeth. For the first time, a lump of pity formed in me over an eldritch. I never imagined that happening, but there¡¯s a first time for everything.


    I leapt over Yawm, sailing over him and over the rows of chairs around the theater. As I reached the originator, it slashed towards me with clawed hands. Burning a jolt of mana, I directed its attack away from me with a stream of gravity. The mouth of the monster flew forward, its maw gaping in shock.


    With a slicing kick, I ripped a telekinetic bolt through its mouth. Its bottom jaw dislocated, popping out of socket with skin tearing right after. It fell sideways, crashing against the theater. My mass outdid the monsters. I was heavier.


    I landed onto the wooden boards of the theater, dispersing my weight outward. I shot forward, detonating my runic energy. I pulled my leg back, flying through the air. I kicked at the bojokan¡¯s face. My foot rushed into the upper jaw of the monster, snapping teeth. The telekinetic bullet fired right into the skull of the monster.


    As it did, I transferred my body¡¯s inertia. I stopped moving, but the metal skull of the monster slung backwards into the edge of the building. A hole punctured through its head, like I planted a shotgun against it and fired.


    Steel ruptured. Bone cracked. I landed on the theater with grace. The originator¡¯s mind suffered from fear, preventing it from defending itself. In that state of mind, it posed no challenge to me. It disappointed me a bit more than it should have.


    More concerned about the world eater, I raised an eyebrow at Yawm,


    ¡°So why exactly are you tormenting these damn things? Just kill them for god¡¯s sake.¡±


    Yawm waved away my concern with a flourish of his hand,


    ¡°These eldritch didn¡¯t reproduce rapidly, their need for food stifles their longevity, and they lack intellect. What quality do they have that deserves dignity or respect?¡±


    I waved my hands around, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, maybe because they¡¯re alive?¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Yawm laughed, ¡°They would offer you no mercy if the roles were reversed. In fact, they relished in the thought of inflicting anguish on us. Bojokans are notorious for torturing their victims. I treated them as they would treat me, with cruelty.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Just because they¡¯re evil doesn¡¯t mean we should be evil.¡±


    Yawm jumped onto the stage,


    ¡°Evil is a relative term. I promise you, they view my evil as strength. They view your virtue as weakness, and they¡¯ll stab your back for showing that weakness.¡±


    I banged my chest, ¡°Then their knife will break on my skin before I kick their asses into oblivion.¡±


    Yawm chuckled, ¡°Then we¡¯ll disagree on this.¡± He peered at the bojokans quivering in the corner of the stage. Yawm rolled his eyes, the glowing green orbs shifting as he sighed, ¡°If I could be candid, they¡¯re not quite right for what we need, are they?¡±


    I shook my head. Yawm walked off, ¡°Do as you will with them.¡±


    Once Yawm turned his head, the bojokans stood up. They skulked towards me, pushing their luck. Drool dripped from their jaws, and they leaned closer, sniffing at me. With each step Yawm took away from them, they walked one step closer. I blinked, flabbergasted at their sheer stupidity,


    ¡°Did you guys not see what I did to your boss? I made mincemeat of him in seconds. Do you honestly think you¡¯re any different?¡±


    My words fell on deaf ears. Yawm left the theater, and they pounced. I stepped backwards, the first monster smashing its face into the stage. Another snapped its jaws at me, but I dashed forwards. The wind off its bottom jaw brushed my cheek as the first bojokan raised its head from the stage.


    Several planks of wood stuck out of its mouth. I kicked one of them, launching it into the monster¡¯s throat. It choked, leaning backwards and exposing its belly. With a swift overhand right, I smashed a fist into its potbelly.


    The swollen stomach sunk in, the monster¡¯s spine erupted from its back. The third bojokan rushed into the body of the first one. It bit into the monster¡¯s insides on accident. With disgust, it spit out the mush from its mouth. I hopped up, planting a foot on its bottom jaw and my arms on the roof of its maw.


    I pressed up and stepped down. The monster¡¯s jaw ripped out. It howled in agony, falling backwards. I kicked the amputated jaw, flipping it upwards. The second bojokan pounced at my back, but I grabbed the jaw and swung it in my hands. The edge of the jaw landed into side of the head of the monster.


    The jaw bone pierced into its skull, the eyes of the monster deadening. The sickening crack radiated through the theater. It slapped into the theater, cracking boards of wood. I shot out my armor into the corpses, draining them in seconds. They lasted less than two minutes.


    After finishing them, I searched around the room, looking for treasure. I found nothing except the dungeon core. I reached my hand into the dungeon core at the center of the stage. The iciness leaked into my hand, but sensation diminished when compared with before.


    As I generated more mana, the mana of the dungeon core phased me less and less. I grasped the core with a firm grip, pulling it out of the spiral of white energy. Yawm leaned back into the room,


    ¡°Ah yes, the dungeon core. I forgot all about it.¡±


    The familiar blue squares formed all around us, the sign of a cleared dungeon. My armor wrapped around the core. Needles of it pressed against the reddish, black sphere. Moments later, the spines impaled the sphere. Like a drowning child, the core sunk into my armor. My armor devoured the core, leaving nothing behind.


    Yawm jogged up, jumped back onto the stage. He tilted his head at me,


    ¡°This armor of yours, it engulfed an actual dungeon core?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a first for me. I don¡¯t know anything about what it¡¯s doing.¡±


    As the blue squares altered the reality around us, little changed from before. The theater still surrounded us. Once the dungeon completed its subtle transformation, a portal opened beside us. My heart sunk in my chest, a wicked realization dawning on me.


    With my jaw opened wide, the overseer stepped out of the portal. He stood the same height as Yawm, the both of them staring at one another. For a while, we all sat like that, soaking in this tense atmosphere. The sudden sharpness of the situation stung, like a bee sting. I grimaced under my helm, a deep unease pressing into my gut.


    Yawm opened a hand towards the overseer, shattering the silence,


    ¡°Ah, one of Schema¡¯s dogs. I never imagined I¡¯d meet another of your kind so soon, especially not one so familiar.¡±

 134 Anticipation

    The overseer stayed silent. Yawm clapped his hands, a vicious delight infecting his voice,


    ¡°Is it so shocking to see me? Why does it stun you so?¡±


    The overseer gripped his fist. As he did, the air around us cackled like a banshee, turning a shade of emerald. Aura¡¯s of green condensed in the palms of Yawm.


    ¡°Now now, stay calm. Otherwise that leash choking your neck might turn into a guillotine.¡±


    The overseer shook in visible rage. Based on the story the overseer told me a while back, Yawm¡¯s race enslaved his own. The bad blood between them ran deep. That hatred simmered right beneath the surface.


    The pistons surrounding his electronic armor hissed as he lifted a hand. Off reflex, I stomped my foot, slamming a telekinetic wave into the overseer¡¯s hand. His colossal palm veered right, aiming his attack elsewhere. A sphere of matter disintegrated, erasing a portion of the building. The overseer stared at me. I thundered,


    ¡°What the fuck was that? Are you a dumbass?¡±


    The overseer gripped his opened hand back into a fist, staring at it. Schema planted kill switches on overseers. If they attacked anyone in the system, the kill switches eliminated them. With a sentinel¡¯s spear, Yawm was a monster. With an overseer¡¯s armor, Yawm would be unstoppable.


    Knowing this, Yawm laughed and clapped his hands,


    ¡°And so the Harbinger stopped you alone. Pity. I¡¯d rather you sliced a hole in my chest. As I regenerated the flesh wound, your killswitch would put a piston through your head. Having your life saved by one so young, I¡¯d be ashamed.¡±


    Yawm stepped up, his eye meeting the eye of the overseer, ¡°Quite a predicament you¡¯ve found yourself in, isn¡¯t it? Schema cannot bend or change his rules, not even when eliminating someone like me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The overseer hissed his words with more venom than a snake,


    ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡±


    Yawm nodded, leaning back from the overseer,¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t have to submit to that artificial intelligence for the power I wield. The competence I gained, I earned. It is my own.¡±


    The overseer laughed at him,


    ¡°What exactly is yours? The runes you gained from Etorhma? Those are no more yours than this chassis is mine. Are you lying to impress the Harbinger, or are you lying to yourself?¡±


    The overseer pointed at the runic inscriptions tracing Yawm¡¯s skin, ¡°You haven¡¯t implemented a basic improvement upon them. A shame. Daniel has already inscribed his own versions of the cipher onto his skin. Quite a feat. He did so without an Old One¡¯s guidance.¡±


    The overseer tapped his chin, ¡°He didn¡¯t need five hundred years to do it either.¡±


    Yawm¡¯s shoulders lowered, and he clasped his hands into fists harder than cannonballs. Yawm breathed deep, letting out a long sigh before loosening his fists.


    ¡°My life isn¡¯t in the hands of a cold, unfeeling automation.¡±


    The overseer shook his head, ¡°No. You¡¯re life isn¡¯t in anyone¡¯s hands. Instead, you are hunted by bounty hunters and the horrors that worship the Old Ones. You run, but you can¡¯t escape them, can you?¡±


    The overseer leaned towards Yawm, ¡°No. You are a blight. You will struggle, but you will never learn the cipher you stole. You will be hunted down until you die. You will drag this talented one along with you.¡±


    I stared at Yawm, my stomach sinking. His chest rose and fell, his breath ragged. His face scrunched as he stared the overseer down. Yawm¡¯s anger at me never lasted longer than a passing moment. This rage towards the overseer, it gouged deep into him. Like magma beneath a volcano, Yawm¡¯s wrath boiled under the surface.


    Yawm turned his head around, glaring at me. His eyes opened wide. He snatched the glance away, his anger cooling. His hands loosened. His breathing steadied. His shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be dragging this one along with me...Who locked him on his world and forced him to fight against me? Who gave him a bounty for surviving a harrowing introduction into his system?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°You¡¯re master gave him a death sentence, and he isn¡¯t even hiding his own hypocrisy. What has Daniel done that deserves death? It it due to surviving his first dungeon, therefore he must be hunted as I am?¡±


    Yawm pointed a finger at his chest, ¡°I served Etorhma. I chose my path.¡± Yawm pointed towards me, ¡°He never had a choice. You call him the Harbinger, but you know nothing of who he was. I had reason to kill him. His mission was to kill me. I showed him mercy. What more am I to do? Lay down and die as he evolves?¡±


    Yawm stepped away from the overseer, ¡°No. I¡¯ll battle until the flesh is rendered from my bones and my hands are ground to dust. Remember this, dog. I may be the one who is hunted, but I will survive. I¡¯ll find Schema. When I do-¡±


    Yawm¡¯s hatred saturated his words,


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear his mind and soul apart.¡±


    Yawm stepped out of the room, his steps thumping the ground. After he left, the overseer and I stared at the exit of the theater. A tense silence passed before I shrugged,


    ¡°Damn...this feels like a movie.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The overseer turned his gaze to me. He shook his head, the electronic wires running down his back waving like hair of metal.


    ¡°You are one of my biggest disappointments. You could have been so much more.¡±


    The overseer opened his portal, walking through before I replied. As the portal closed, I stood there, stunned by his response. He understood my situation in detail. He knew I didn¡¯t stand a chance against Yawm.


    He expected something ridiculous of me, yet he acted like my failure was some big surprise. Really now? Defeating the eater of worlds was getting messy? Who would have guessed.


    Before I wasted my time being frustrated, I used a trick I learned forever ago. I put my hand on my shoulder and ¡®brushed¡¯ his comment off. Something about the physical act made it final; why let a dumbass ruin my day anyway? I had important tasks that needed doing anyway.


    Other rifts needed clearing.


    I paced out of the theater, jogging back up towards Yawm. As I reached him, he kept his gaze facing forward. We walked by each other in silence. Sometimes giving someone space was the best policy. This was one of those times. Once we left the building, I pointed at the next likely rift location. We headed out.


    We ran through the city for several hours like that. Each time I ate a dungeon core, I invested all my points into endurance, as always. Each time the blue squares appeared, Yawm left before the overseer appeared. I ignored the overseer when he appeared. I let the guy do his job. Unlike him, I didn¡¯t need snide remarks for satisfaction.


    Well, telling him off would be pretty satisfying, but I didn¡¯t need them, yenno?


    Instead, I honed in on the task at hand. After the day ended, we cleared two dozen rifts. While walking back, we an intersection in the dead city. Around us, the wind howled loud, like some banshee. A dozen cars littered the streets around us, their windows bashed in.


    The door of a nearby building slapped open and closed with the wind. Yawm bent over, lifting a rock nearby and lobbed it at the noisy distraction. The rock exploded on the side of the building, like someone fired a rocket at it. With no hinges holding it up, the door fell down, flopping against the porch.


    Yawm sighed, ¡°That series of events between the Overseer and I...It was a rather nasty series of events, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°On both ends, yeah. It got ugly.¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°And there is your blunt manner of being.¡± Yawm stood up tall, looking up at the sky, ¡°He and I have history, as you may imagine. It makes holding a civil conversation with him impossible. At least for me that is.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Man, I can relate. I thought he was going to kill you before you responded. Talk about terrifying.¡±


    Yawm frowned, ¡°Next time, do avoid deflecting his attack like that. I want to see him die.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t see anything. He¡¯d have obliterated you, just like you¡¯d obliterated him. I just tried defusing the situation so that I wasn¡¯t annihilated in the process.¡±


    Yawm chuckled, ¡°Your sense of self preservation hasn¡¯t ever led you astray, has it?¡±


    I gestured to all of me, ¡°Obviously not.¡±


    Yawm nodded. We stood there for a minute, then he looked back at me from the sky,


    ¡°I do hope your thinking of me hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    I waved his words away with my hand,


    ¡°What? Hell no. I already knew you had beef with Schema, sentinels, and the overseers. That overseer in particular was a total asshole.¡±


    Yawm nodded, opening turning a palm towards me, ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. I despise my coarse manner of speaking with him as well. It degrades my own opinion of myself.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You sound like me when I¡¯m talking to, well, when I talked to my dad. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t be remotely cognizant of anything when he was around.¡±


    Yawm shrugged, ¡°A checkered past between people muddies the mind. It distorts our perception of others, making us rash and unlike ourselves. I¡¯m glad you forgive me for that.¡±


    Yawm sighed, ¡°I¡¯m glad we discussed the matter at the very least.¡±


    I walked forward, ¡°Eh, just be ready to let my bullshit go when I fuck up something next time.¡±


    Yawm jogged back up to me, ¡°Allow me to assure you. I will voice not one word of dissent.¡±


    I spread out my hands, ¡°Good, because it could come at any moment. I mean, I fuck up all the time.¡±


    The mood changed, turning almost jovial. After running around with something weighing us down for a while, resolving the issue let us both breath. From my experience, those situations either broke friendships down or built them up. Considering how things ended up, I considered it the latter.


    With the day ended, we walked through the city like that. Yawm¡¯s questions about human civilization sprang back up. I answered with jokes thrown in. We reached a mile from his rift, the gray cloud looming overhead. We ran through the gray cloud, entering the different world.


    Once we dived through his lake, we returned, once more in Yawm¡¯s underwater castle. I walked towards my room, looking forward to a bit of down time. As I did, a message appeared in front of me,


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I¡¯ve been searching through forums and message boards. While hard to find, I hunted down several threads regarding Yawm and the system. Within the den of these hunters, I discovered quite a few delicious details regarding both Yawm and Schema.


    Using the knowledge, I can repair our identification systems. They work like this. Schema¡¯s operating system identifies the monster using your own senses as the lens. Once he¡¯s gathered data on it through your sensory systems, the system sends a personalized query towards your region¡¯s AI.


    This little Schema interprets the data and gives you an answer based on what you see, smell, etc.


    If done with the improper channels, this little Schema can boot us from the system. It also exposes our location, something we¡¯d both rather avoid. I found a way of avoiding their hunting eyes.


    We upload the most common forms of eldritch and their overall rarities. As we see an eldritch or object, our obelisks will sift through these files. After probing for the item most similar to what we sense, our obelisk gives us information.


    The teeth of our new identification systems won¡¯t be as sharp as Schema¡¯s own. Having teeth is better than being toothless, however.


    I celebrated the good news before reading her next message.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Know that this is the best of what I have to tell you. The other half involves Yawm. He rarely stays in one place for long. The monster prefers to hop from planet to planet, tossing them aside like used rags.


    No matter how much I researched, I never discovered how he hunted worlds. Whenever Yawm stole the sentinel¡¯s spear, Schema neutralized its power. To fix such a convoluted tool should have been outside of Yawm¡¯s abilities. Yawm can hardly write even a basic incantation. How did he fix something of unmeasurable complexity?


    Even more so, I fail at understanding his motives. He is a battle junkie. Why is he trying to create eternal peace? I doubt that¡¯s his true inclination. If anything, he might be trying to destabilize everything we know for war. My opinion of that monster may be biased.


    I also discovered discrete forums hidden in the depths of the monolith¡¯s network. Within these forums, I discovered a site dedicated to active Breakers. Breakers act as Schema¡¯s best bounty hunters with a heightened level cap. They hunt for monsters like Yawm or even people like you.


    Information has spread. One of the levelers you killed from before uploaded a video of you fighting. The video showed an instant quest of A- rank. The quest detailed how you are following Yawm. Considering that Earth has been on the list of quarantined worlds, and the Breakers have put two and two together.


    They are coming.

 135 The Coming Tide

    <div>


    <div>


    Increasing the pacing of the story. Hope it isn''t¡¯t jarring. Let me know if it is.


    I closed out the message, biting my lip. Before anything else, I composed a message back to Amara.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Thank you again Amara. I¡¯m gathering dungeon cores and closing rifts around Springfield. I¡¯m using them to max out my current potential. I will be working on improving my incantations of the cipher with the tips you gave me.


    As for the sentinel¡¯s spear, Yawm didn¡¯t get the tool to work again. He gave the spear¡¯s power to his most trusted ally, Ajax Volan. I have no idea how he did it either, but I¡¯m guessing it has something to do with the Tears of Etorhma. In all honesty, I still don¡¯t know what the tears are exactly either.


    I¡¯m sorry if this is unhelpful, but it¡¯s all I know for now.


    I sent the message and brainstormed for a bit. With a bit of thought, I devised a simple plan. For now, forming the conduit between Amara and I was paramount. Her added mana generation would feed the cipher on my forearms. After coming up with a simple plan, I sent another message.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - I also forgot to mention this, but I have a plan for creating a conduit between us. It¡¯s a simple piece of magic honestly. It will be a ring with a simple need of blood. Handing the ring to you in secret is the difficult part.


    I¡¯ll need to create a distraction. Otherwise I think Yawm¡¯s going to figure us out pretty fast. My idea is that I¡¯ll come into one of your lectures tomorrow. I¡¯ll create a hollow pocket in my armor and hide my ring within it. Something that eldritch do is they¡¯ll walk near me, smell me, then say I smell like dirt.


    You can do that and while your smelling, I¡¯ll mold my armor to hand you the ring to your hair. God, that plan sounds so weird. If someone took that shit out of context, they¡¯d think I was literally insane. Anyways, let me know if you think this is a good or bad plan. Good luck.


    With those messages handled, I bit my lip. Breakers capped out at level 12,000. If five or six maxed out Breakers attacked us, we were in some serious trouble. Before making that assumption though, I opened my obelisk and researched some on breakers. After about an hour of reading, I changed my mind. We weren¡¯t in trouble.


    We were completely fucked.


    Breakers gained many advantages when they took on their class. Their resistance cap raised by 2.5%, doubling their tankiness. They¡¯re given arcane implants, giving them access to true damage dealing spells. They even get extra trees and skills designed for anti-personnel goals.


    In Schema¡¯s system, they acted as the ultimate duelists and 1v1¡¯ers. Even with a higher level cap, a Fringe Walker gets his ass kicked by a Breaker when fighting 1v1. If I guessed right, two maxed out Breakers decimated Yawm. With me helping Yawm, it took maybe 2.5 in total.


    It depended on how the fight played out, and on who got the jump on who. These next few weeks decided whether I might live or die. The gravity of the situation weighed on me, but I carried myself through situations like this before. Considering my track record, the odds were with me.


    I stood up, planning out my next plan of action. My cipher needed dramatic improvements. Making that happen required some serious, exponential increases in the cipher¡¯s effects. In particular, antimagic effects proved the most valuable assets I could gain.


    Arcane magic dealt true damage, some of it dealing percentage based true damage. Even with all the health in the world, a coordinated assault of arcane spells disintegrated me. Cancelling that required some method of canceling magic. When I faced the levelers, they managed that feat during the fight.


    Who¡¯s to say I couldn¡¯t make it happen either?


    With this goal in mind, I opened my obelisk and researched antimagic. Within a few minutes, antimagic garnered a lot flack on online sources. Schema regulated antimagic to an absurd extent, giving it a bad reputation.


    The levelers I faced used a rare consumable given out by Schema for their immunity to magic. They lacked any true impunity to spells. The only true sources of antimagic came from gene manipulation and hereditary traits. Since Schema outlawed gene manipulation, only remnants gained access to antimagic for the most part.


    In other words, getting an immunity to magic wasn¡¯t an option. I sighed, a bit of disappointment washing over me. I shook my head, brushing off my chagrin as I slapped the sides of my face. With no idea what to improve, I sent a message towards Torix, Hod, Kessiah, and Althea asking for advice.


    My explained my situation with the Breakers. A few minutes later, I got replies.


    Hod(Time: Undefined) - Hod miss Harbinger. Dry Man entertain Hod, but Hod not like spells cast at Hod. Hod not annoying. Hod insightful! Hod handsome and easy on eyes too. Hod get caught up in Hod¡¯s greatness. Hod Digress.


    Hod think Harbinger need improve on what Harbinger already have. Hod not improve Dry Man skills. Hod improve Hod skills. Therefore, Hod know that Harbinger know what Harbinger need more than anyone...besides for Hod. Hod know Harbinger better than Harbinger know Harbinger. Hod not need tell Harbinger that though.


    Hod get back to practicing shade form. Hod beat voices in head with mental jousts! Voices get annoyed at Hod and leave, even when voices shouting. Hod learn simple fact to beat voices.


    Hod just need shout louder!


    Hod only hear Hod voice then. Hod solve problem! Hod wish Harbinger same good luck as Hod has.


    As I finished the message, I grinned from ear to ear. Even if Hod irritated me at times, he offered a refreshing humor in dark situations. After finishing his message, I opened Torix¡¯s.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Time: Undefined) - It¡¯s good to hear from you disciple! Disciple might be the wrong term now, however. You¡¯ve no doubt improved yourself dramatically since we last left. Your penchant for progress was always extraordinary.


    As for your continued growth, I am of the belief that you need to work with Yawm as a team. It sounds counterintuitive, but synergizing your own fighting tactics with Yawm might give you the time you need to progress past this sticking point. After a few Breaker¡¯s worth of experience, you¡¯d no doubt close the gap with Yawm.


    That¡¯s assuming you¡¯d still get experience for them. It also assumes you¡¯re in a position with him were he wouldn¡¯t mind fighting with you. My advice hinges on many assumptions, so take it with a grain of salt. That being said, I¡¯ll inform you on what I¡¯ve been doing while you¡¯re gone.


    I¡¯ve organized your guild.


    I¡¯ve created a complex line of tunnels leading towards rifts further than ten miles from our mountain base. We¡¯ve been training them by clearing these natural dungeons. I¡¯ve told them that as they harvest cores, you¡¯ll improve their legacies. No doubt your legacy¡¯s improvement has nothing to do with that, but it motivates them nonetheless.


    I¡¯ve been capturing eldritch as we¡¯ve went, collecting an army. The legion were wary at first, but after a few weeks, their worry¡¯s died down. We¡¯ve even got a cavalry unit that rides eldritch into battle. With your legacy as a boon, these mobile fighters focus on becoming as tanky as possible.


    They rely on the base damage from their rifles and the eldritch for mobility. This makes them operate as tanks, mobilizing across battlefields and laying down suppressive fire.


    With Kessiah¡¯s tutelage, we¡¯ve created a unit that operates with close combat as well. Humanity takes well to fighting physically. Of course they utilize modern weaponry instead of their fists as you do.


    The eltari form our final group. With their natural flight, they work as our stealth unit. Althea¡¯s been training a group of them, teaching them her own tactics. They¡¯re not as bulky as humans are, but the Eltari¡¯s long limbs synergize with kiting and technical fights. They''re quite the lethal set of assassins.


    The Eltari also drop our vanguard units into the foray of a battle. It¡¯s a tremendous sight seeing the battle in action. As a leader of armies, the vision swells my heart with pride. The fear in our enemy¡¯s eyes is tantalizing as well.


    This is all to say, I¡¯ve not been standing still since you left. When you return, you¡¯ll own armies to lead. Look forward to it.


    I frowned at the last few sentences of Torix¡¯s message. Controlling an army might sound fun, but in practice, it proved a stale endeavour. Remaking their rings, amulets, and enchanted gear loaded me down. At the same time, having someone else fight for me sounded pretty damn nice.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    For now, I withheld judgment. Althea replied next.


    Althea Tolstoy(Time: Undefined) - It sucks to hear you¡¯re struggling, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still safe. It¡¯s kind of crazy hearing you ask for advice though. You always kept your head down and did your own thing. Even if people told you what you were doing was dumb, you just ignored them.


    It¡¯s worked so far. Why stop now?


    That¡¯s what I think anyway. If it were me in your situation, I¡¯d probably break down. I¡¯d pull out my hair going crazy. If I didn¡¯t go crazy though, I¡¯d probably try and get one of those Breakers to get rid of Yawm for me. If that happened, it would be amazing.


    That¡¯s me daydreaming though. Love you, and I hope your doing ok.


    I smiled at her message. Reading their messages raised my spirit, even if they weren¡¯t helpful. I tapped my chin, reading over their messages once more. As insane as it sounds, I listened to Hod. As dumb as he spoke, Hod¡¯s wisdom exceeded him.


    Out of our entire group, he invested the most into perception. Perception acted as a sixth sense, giving him gut reactions that were on point. Althea¡¯s message echoed Hod¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t lay out any concrete advice. Feeding them information was risky because of Ajax. That¡¯s why I communicated through these messages.


    I trusted Ajax as much as I trusted a viper hissing beside my neck. With all that in mind, I stood up and cracked my neck a few times. If my plan involved sticking to my guns, I didn¡¯t have time to fuck around. I grinded out Force of Nature, practicing my gravitational disruption the entire time.


    Training that skill was never a waste of time. Force of Nature leveled at a linear rate. Leveling to 1,001 from 1,000 was as difficult as leveling from 10 to 11. During the training, I incorporated my new mythical skill, Hunter of Many, with my techniques. The skill let me hunt then pin my enemies down. Against people, it would be invaluable.


    After all, close combat was my main strength. Getting people up close was the hard part. Hours passed, and the day began again. After that, I took a class with Amara and Yawm. Yawm¡¯s patience with her wore thin, but he stuck it out with me there. After that, we went out hunting for new eldritch and to refresh ourselves.


    This routine pervaded the next few weeks. I leveled at a slow grind, but the cipher kept my progress steady. The main boon for my build came from the dungeon cores. Not from the attributes mind you, but from the skill points gained from the dungeon cores. With the cores helping me out, I gained an absurd amount in Force of Nature.


    As I did, my gravitational prowess expanded. Within three weeks of this routine, I devoured my last absorbable dungeon core. We found quite a few eldritch Yawm experimented with. He reopened his laboratory, and during the night, the screams of eldritch ebbed out above the lake.


    It bothered me, but I preferred them facing his hatred rather than me. During this time, I remade my cipher several times. I never improved the cipher by a sizeable amount. Time seemed like the real marker of progress with the cipher. At least I learned a few of the more complex incantations from Amara through our messages.


    Time was running out soon though. At this point, a group of breakers showing up any day was inevitable. With all that pouring through my mind, I laid out on my bed after a core harvesting session with Yawm. I looked at my ceiling, interlocking plates of ice reflecting a blurred reflection of me.


    The bed Yawm gave us held my mass without a struggle. While not the softest material, not sinking into it was a triumph of engineering on its own right. When I asked Yawm about the fibers of the bed, he said they were complicated.


    The fibers were created by interlocking graphene and aluminum plates, weaving them into fibers. The way of making them soft involved making the strands of the fibers microscopic. On that surface, I glanced at my status.


    After every session with Yawm, I handled my status screen. It kept everything maintained and ready to go. With that in mind, I put all the skill points from the dungeon cores into Force of Nature. Once that was finished, I put my points into the Immense tree, unlocking the third tier.


    Planetary in scope, orbital in your strikes, you stand over your foes. They crawl, ants under your shadow, worms under your feet. Immense(Tier 3) unlocked! 15% of your total mass is added to your physical bonus damage. Unlocks the unique skill, A Titan¡¯s Smile.


    Unique skill unlocked! A Titan¡¯s Smile!


    A Titan¡¯s Smile(lvl 1) - Most would judge you as unkind from your stature. Your aura tells them a different story. With leveling in this skill, reductions to your charisma from your size are reduced.


    Before leaving the tree menu, I checked out my other skill, A Titan¡¯s Smile. It was a nice bonus, preventing my size from becoming a glaring issue. So far, the skills gained from the Immense tree worked like that.


    They gravitated towards quality of life rather than raw power. I gained another unique skill from the previous tier of immense, Hands of a Giant. The skill helped me keep my hands adroit and dextrous. Mass Manipulation helped me control my size to an extent. All these skills culminated into an advantage over other huge ass people.


    Hand¡¯s of a Giant helped the most so far with day to day life. I spent a large chunk of my day carving out tiny detail in runic lettering. Having fingers the size of tree branches didn¡¯t really help with that.


    With these newfound tools at my disposal, I opened my armor screen, finding the modifications. I enjoyed checking them before finalizing my status screen.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows:


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +1,410 Endurance


    +100% to effect of legacies


    +705 Willpower


    +50% to internal motivation]


    After inspecting them, I opened up Force of Nature to check that out too.


    Force of Nature(lvl 1,876) - You are nature given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including: Close Range Combat, Runic abilities, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, and Draining Abilities.


    Bonus Attributes: 180 Strength, 180 Dexterity, 72 Constitution, 72 intelligence, 36 Perception. +18 to all attributes for having a 1,800 total in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: +140%


    Mana Cost Reduction: 28%


    The percentage bonuses towards the ability and the mana reduction halved after reaching a thousand points in the skill. Even then, Force of Nature gave tremendous returns. The runes on my armor enhanced my abilities with time too. After that, I opened my status screen and found a few uninvested attribute points.


    As I invested them, a notification appeared.


    Previous save state downloading...Discontinued perk line opened...Old patch notes assessed...Requirements met...


    [Cancelled Perkline]Jack of All Trades(Have 1,000 or more in seven attributes before level 10,000) - Grants a 10% bonus to attributes with a neutral or negative multiplier.


    I raised an eyebrow as I read through the perk line. I blinked a few times after reading through it. The discontinued aspect of the perk came with my hacked system. Ever Schema exiled me, weird difference cropped up every now and again. This strangeness resulted from that. In this case, the perk looked pretty damn good.


    It boosted my lowest stats. If anything, the title of the perk was ironic as hell for my build. I specialized more in a single attribute than anyone I knew. I also had the most attribute points of anyone I knew too though. I shrugged, counting my blessings. With the attribute points gained from hunting eldritch with Yawm, I selected the perk.


    I put the rest of my attribute points into endurance and selected finalize. As I did, a deluge of vigor flooded through my system. I grinned, a dissonance growing in me. The body surrounding my mind lightened, no longer feeling like metal. My skin could now bend in my hands without a desperate struggle.


    At the same time, a clarity rushed across my eyes, my thoughts becoming clearer. Confidence coursed in my veins, my decisions no longer clouded by doubt. Complex concepts simplified. The horizons of my mind expanded.


    I breathed, twisting my neck and moving my fingers. I laughed, my voice pleasing my ears a bit. The general improvement was an intoxicating rush, like caffeine and adrenaline. Except in this case, I didn¡¯t get jitters or anything like that. With Schema¡¯s system, side effects didn¡¯t exist.


    That¡¯s why I loved leveling. Levelers hunted this sensation like a drug. Based on what it felt like, I understood why. Once the upsurge of improvement passed, I opened and observed my status screen.


    Level 3,566


    Strength ¨C 3,488 | Constitution ¨C 5,494 | Endurance ¨C 21,861


    Dexterity ¨C 1,474 | Willpower ¨C 11,438 | Intelligence ¨C 4,362


    Charisma ¨C 480.5 | Luck ¨C 1,485 | Perception ¨C 622.8


    Health: 2.35 Million/2.35 Million | Health Regen: 3.1 Million/min or 51,934/sec


    Stamina: 1.4 Million/ 1.4 Million | Stamina Regen: 21,044/sec


    Living Dimension: 0.42 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 160,566 pounds(72,985 kilos~) | Height: 10¡¯3(3.1 meters)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 116,918% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My biggest improvements came from strength and my steady climb in regeneration. Yawm¡¯s base stats still dwarfed my own, but he didn¡¯t quadruple my strength anymore. By the time I finished my Immense tree and passed level 5,000 or so, I¡¯d be able to battle Yawm. Well, at least physically. Beating out his antimatter bullshit would take a more creative solution.


    Even on a physical level, outgrowing Yawm required years of practice and training. The more I tried, the more I learned about the distance between us. For now, I kept my head down and grinded out my levels and skills.


    With that in mind, I lifted my legs and kicked up. I flopped off my bed, landing on my feet. As I fell into practice, a message appeared from Torix.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Time: Undefined) - Since the levelers appeared, I¡¯ve been monitoring the sky and areas near Springfield for strange activity. Something odd appeared near Springfield yesterday. While I discovered the approach of the object during atmospheric entry, I failed to identify it.


    It utilizes stealth and tactics that the levelers failed to implement. This tells us several facts of a sort. First, they understand a necessity for stealth. If they were investigating a normal quarantine, they wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to locate. Second, by avoiding my detection, we know they have access to high level resources. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t hide from my probing eyes.


    Third, they aren¡¯t here for eldritch. You and Yawm cleared out nigh all of Springfield. Nothing remains now. They would go elsewhere for rifts now. If they aren¡¯t here for a normal quarantine or for the rifts, there remains only one other reason. It all culminates in an inevitable outcome.


    The breakers are here, and they¡¯re hunting Yawm and you.

 136 The Sound of Thunder

    People mentioned that they didn''t understand Amara''s motivations or character very well. I took the time to elaborate on it this chapter and set up a fun next few chapters. Hope you guys enjoy.


    Panic swelled in my chest, but I stomped it out. I tapped my forehead with a loose fist, wondering what to do. As I wondered, another message popped up.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Time: Undefined) - The others and I are positioning ourselves near you. Althea¡¯s scouting with Hod. He¡¯s mastered something he calls a ¡®shade form.¡¯ We¡¯ll see if it¡¯s of any use. Knowing Hod, I doubt it.


    I¡¯m certain Yawm will sense the Breaker¡¯s approach, giving you some warning. We¡¯ll assist as we can. Good luck disciple.


    I kept thumping my head for a minute before sighing. Over the last month, I researched common traits about Breakers. They cleansed high class bounties across a planet when they arrived. Anything that was around level 3,000 and unknown fell into that category. I fell into those requirements.


    To protect myself, I stood up and walked over towards Yawm. Reminding him about the breakers and what not was a good idea. I reached his room, finding Yawm behind his desk. Along the back wall, he stood with a hunched back between two tall bookshelves. Yawm pressed a hand onto a vine growing through the floor.


    He stood up straight, turned towards me,


    ¡°Did you sense them as well?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Who exactly?¡±


    Yawm rubbed his hands together, ¡°An excellent question, isn¡¯t it? Something came here. Many of the fauna here discovered a blinding flash of light in the sky yesterday night. The trees and grass know nothing of the light, but I have an idea.¡±


    Yawm stepped up, walking past his desk in a few strides,


    ¡°Atmospheric entry. A shuttle arrived here, one big enough for more than a few people mind you.¡±


    Yawm raised a finger, ¡°After that, they disappeared from the view of this planet¡¯s plant life. Now why would they go through such lengths for stealth? The answer¡¯s rather obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re probably after us.¡±


    Yawm gripped his fists, ¡°And they know where we are. Considering I relax within a gargantuan rift, they¡¯ve discovered my location. When they come here, I¡¯ll sense their entry.¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, ¡°But I won¡¯t know their exact location. We¡¯ll need to work together for that.¡±


    I frowned, pointing at my chest, ¡°You want me to find them?¡±


    Yawm looked around, ¡°Well, uhm, yes.¡± He raised a hand at me, ¡°You discovered the Old One¡¯s plot to slowly destroy our minds. In my eyes, you¡¯ve proven that your senses are well beyond keen. They¡¯re tremendous.¡±


    Yawm clamped the hand pointing at me into a fist, ¡°And once we find them, we¡¯ll disintegrate them into a fine vapor.¡±


    Yawm laughed, excitement leaking into his voice. His hands shook a bit like lightning coursed through his veins.


    He raised hands, ¡°We¡¯ll show them what they¡¯ve come to fight. Here is a storm, and we will show them this storm¡¯s lightning.¡±


    His exhilaration was infectious. I banged my fists together,


    ¡°And they¡¯ll hear the sound of our thunder.¡±


    Yawm walked up and smacked my back, ¡°Your words are vigor. Let¡¯s go and show them a battle.¡±


    We walked towards the doors leading outside the room. Yawm raised a hand, pushing them aside. The bolt of the door snapped, slamming the doors outwards. The doors crashed against the walls, Yawm¡¯s heels pounding against the floor. He walked up towards Amara¡¯s room.


    He knocked onto the doorway,


    ¡°Do you have time to discuss something?¡±


    Amara¡¯s voice muffled through the doorway,


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice but to join your hunt, do I?¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°Of course you do.¡± Yawm tapped his chin, ¡°Though remaining by yourself here does leave you vulnerable. Considering that both Daniel and I are far more effective in combat than you, I advise you join us.¡±


    Amara opened the door, leaving one hand raised towards us. The eye on her palm stared at Yawm with a narrowed eye,


    ¡°If you¡¯ve decided it, then I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    He turned towards me, ¡°Let¡¯s come up with a plan of action.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I can sit behind you and CC the enemy with gravity and telekinesis. While I pin them down, you can blow them away.¡±


    Yawm laughed, ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll work out that easily, but we¡¯ll work with that as the foundation for our plans. Let¡¯s discuss it as we walk.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡±


    Yawm¡¯s footsteps shook the building, ¡°Towards my world tree. Within it carries a few advantages we could use.¡±


    We paced towards the edge of his ice palace, talking about refinements on our strategy. Yawm¡¯s greatest strength was his long range combat. His antimatter explosions, singularity bs, and all his other shenanigans destroyed people from afar. Considering he and I owned extreme regeneration, wearing an enemy down was inevitable.


    If they did come at us, I channeled my mana and slowed them down. Once they reached us, we would show them our teeth as Amara put it. We swam through the lake, pacing up a root of the world tree. As we did, the discussion slowed. Once it stopped, I turned toward Amara.


    She glanced around with her hands, inspecting our surroundings. To my knowledge, Amara stayed in her room 99% of the time. Seeing the outside world for the first time engrossed her. With a bit of curiosity spurring me, I sent her a message.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Hey, why are you helping me instead of Yawm?


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Allying myself with you has a higher chance of survival and a lower chance for corruption. Why do are you asking?


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - I¡¯m just curious.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I¡¯m curious as well. Why are you even fighting Yawm? Schema has bitten into you many times. If anything, Yawm guards you from him, and he enjoys who you are.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Eh, I think Yawm¡¯s trying to bait me. Besides for that gut feeling, he¡¯s trying to use people who mean a lot to me. He doesn¡¯t listen very well either, so I don¡¯t think I can convince him to stop.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - No. You won¡¯t be able to convince him.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Thanks for the support.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I¡¯m not insulting you. I¡¯m pointing out the obvious. No one can convince him to change his mind once it¡¯s made. He thinks of himself too highly for that, and he doesn¡¯t trust anyone else enough either.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Yeah, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m still wondering what you want to do after all this is over with though. I mean, I get you want to survive and all that, but what about after we¡¯ve gotten away from Yawm?


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I could ask the same question for you. Give me an answer, and I¡¯ll give another in kind.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - That¡¯s fair, I suppose. I honestly don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll want to do after Yawm¡¯s gone. I¡¯ll probably try and explore the galaxy some. Maybe set up a base here on Earth and help a few people out. I haven¡¯t really thought it through yet.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I find myself in the same position. Surviving is all I¡¯ve been thinking about since I was freed from my prison. Before that, however, I dreamed while in my prison.


    I imagined a day where the eldritch and sentients could...coexist. Perhaps there will still be conflict, but it won¡¯t be an ongoing war at all times. Unlike Yawm, I believe there¡¯s nothing wrong with the eldritch. I am proud of my lineage. I am proud that we eldritch survive, even as we¡¯re thrown into another dimension.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Yeah, but if you guys didn¡¯t attack everything on sight, we wouldn¡¯t kill you guys.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - That is a lie. Many times I¡¯ve offered peace. Many times your kind has snapped at my hand as I offered it. Your fear clouds your judgment. You offered me a chance because you never feared me. Anyone else would have killed me for status in your world.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - You gotta be aware of how destructive most eldritch are. You¡¯re the only eldritch I¡¯ve ever seen that isn¡¯t trying to eat people. I¡¯ve killed tens of thousands of eldritch too, and every single one tried killing me too.


    A minute or two passed before a message popped up.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - There are three kinds of eldritch. Those that are relentless in their hunger, those that are nihilists, and those like me. The hungry eldritch want to come to this dimension and feast. They are the eldritch you most commonly see.


    The nihilists come second. They¡¯ve understood that their hunger leads to nothing. Once we¡¯ve eaten everything that can be eaten, what lies next in our lives? I¡¯ve discovered the answer; there is null. Our incessant greed leads to a full belly. That is all.


    It¡¯s a harrowing realization that all of your instincts are meaningless. These eldritch sit and wallow in self hatred. You¡¯ve likely never seen an eldritch of this sort, as they hide from the probing eyes of others. I¡¯ve seen into them, and I¡¯ve been one of them. I understand their plight.


    That leaves the third group, my own kind. I still lack any answer for why I exist or why the eldritch desire what they desire. The difference between me and then nihilists is that I want an answer.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Well, we¡¯re just animals, like anything else. You just have to find your own reason to go on I guess. I haven¡¯t really thought about philosophy or anything like that in all honesty. I¡¯m too busy just trying to get by.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - While in my prison, why I exist is one of the thoughts I dwelled on. I don¡¯t know the answer, but I¡¯ll discover it.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - How are you going to figure something like that out?


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - I¡¯ll create a place of learning. Somewhere I can be safe in, and somewhere with more books than I could ever read. I¡¯ll learn until I can devise a satisfying answer. I¡¯ll enlist other eldritch and sentients, and we¡¯ll hunt out the answers to our questions.


    I¡¯ll discover a way to educate the eldritch, and I¡¯ll elevate our kind above mere animals.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Damn...that¡¯s pretty awesome. I wish I had some overarching goal like that.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Help me build my place of learning, and you might hunt down the answer you seek.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - Eh, maybe. For now, I¡¯m focusing on getting past Yawm. Thanks for giving me something to think about though. I¡¯ll, uh, chew on that later.


    Amara moved one of her hands, pointing an eye at me,


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Is that supposed to be a joke?


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - You¡¯re always using biting and eating as metaphors when you talk. I figured I¡¯d join in on the fun.


    Amara, the Lost One(Time: Undefined) - Hmmm...I never noticed my use of eating as a metaphor. I¡¯ll bite into my speech less, I suppose.


    Dimension C-138, Harbinger of Cataclysm(Time: Undefined) - See? There it is again.


    As our conversation lulled as we reached the end of the world tree¡¯s vast root. While reaching the end of the wooden path, I turned around, checking out the view. Below us, the lake¡¯s edge peeked out from the world tree. The eldritch in the lake swam and snapped at each other, schools of fish swimming near the surface.


    The angle of light hit the lake just right, giving it a pleasing shimmer on the surface. Around us, a dense jungle grew. A bit farther from the lake, and the cityscape took over. A trashed city, greenery growing from every crack, reached out into the distance. Skyscrapers with busted windows and cracks like bruises dotted the horizon.


    Past the skyscrapers, floating islands dotted the skyline. Even further behind, a grey cloud loomed. The contrasting view took my breath away. I was in another world after all, and seeing it from a different angle reminded me how extraordinary it was.


    I turned back around, finding the world tree above. The runic carvings covered the center trunk. I turned towards Yawm and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s all this for exactly?¡±


    Yawm walked up to the tree, placing his hand on it,


    ¡°Whenever I teleport from world to world, an immensity of mana is required.¡±


    The runes glowed a bright green along the light brown bark of the tree trunk,


    ¡°So much so that dispersing the mana exhausts me for a period of time. I enter a stasis for a while within the world tree, gathering my strength again. These runic carvings serve as protection and as a gateway into the minds of a world¡¯s life.¡±


    Yawm closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the tree,


    ¡°The protection runes stem from deals with Etorhma. The other runes are ancient marking passed down by the porytians. Using them, I ask for energy from the plants. Some give, some do not. On a world with dense life on it like this, my recovery time is short. On less enlivened worlds, it takes a tremendous amount of time to heal.¡±


    After that, Yawm stayed silent for a few minutes. Right as I got bored, he lifted his head, nodding with gusto,


    ¡°Ah yes. They¡¯re here.¡±


    I turned towards Yawm,


    ¡°So what are we going to do?¡±


    Yawm reached out a hand towards Amara,


    ¡°Would you mind if I took your hand?¡±


    He spoke to her as if talking to a lady. If Amara blushed, I couldn¡¯t really tell. Her pale complexion shifted a slight tinge of purple at least. He grasped her small hand, his thumb and index finger grabbing her palm. He lifted her hand against the world tree.


    ¡°The world tree will embrace you now.¡±


    Amara lifted her other hand towards him,


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Yawm raised an eye and narrowed the other, ¡°To protect you from the battle of course.¡±


    Amara moved her hand between us both, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to this.¡±


    Yawm patted her shoulder, ¡°Why do you think I told you after I started the process.¡±


    He pushed her towards the world tree. She sunk into the bark, her body falling into the enormous trunk.


    Amara howled, saliva spatting from her mouth, ¡°No! I will not be imprisoned again. I would rather die.¡±


    Yawm waved away her concern, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Amara pushed with her hands, fighting the pull of the world tree. She sunk in, hissing her words like a viper,


    ¡°And what if you die and I am trapped here eternity?¡±


    Yawm raised a fist, ¡°It''s simple really. I won''t lose.¡±


    Amara fought before only one arm and her head remained out of the world tree. Her eye darted around in her palm, tears of frustration pouring from it. She closed her eye, one tear falling down on the world tree. Before the tree swallowed her, I walked up.


    I grabbed her hand, grasping her hand like a sideways handshake. From a pocket in my armor, I pressed the ring I made for her into her palm. Up till now, I never got the chance to give it to her. This was my golden opportunity.


    "Hey, Amara. You''re going to be fine, alright?"


    "I...I will be."


    I walked with her arm as she sunk in, only letting go of her hand as the tree consumed it. She gripped the ring as I let go of her hand. With all the drama of the situation, it disguised me giving her the ring. Finally.


    It turns out that handing someone a ring under the eye of an all seeing, paranoid monster is pretty damn difficult. Even if this was a golden chance though, Amara still got shit on.


    With that in mind, I turned towards Yawm,


    ¡°Man...That was mean as fuck.¡±


    Yawm rolled his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s better than her getting in the way of our combat, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Did you really need to do all that?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°When you see the breakers, you¡¯ll understand why she was a liability. True cruelty would be leaving her at the mercy of the coming monsters.¡±


    I frowned, but his point made sense. I wanted to live more than I wanted Amara¡¯s feelings to remain unscathed. I sighed while Yawm rolled his shoulders. He lifted a hand, cracking his knuckles. Deep, bursting sounds snapped from his fingers, like someone snapping bars of metal.


    Yawm cracked his neck next, and he spread out his arms,


    ¡°Who¡¯d have guessed. Two groups arrived at the same time.¡±


    Yawm turned from one side of the rift to the next,


    ¡°I wonder which of them we¡¯ll hunt down first?¡±

 137 They Come at Night

    Yawm turned between the two groups, wondering which he should pick. Yawm placed a hand on the world tree, closing his eyes. With a deep focus, he honed in and listened. Moments later, he raised his head, pointing a hand northwards.


    ¡°They¡¯ve told me which group is stronger. The other entity is merely a distraction.¡±


    Yawm bent his knees, the air around us popping like burning wood in a wildfire. At the bottom of his leap, Yawm¡¯s aura condensed over him. At the same time, I charged my runes, setting myself up to follow.


    We leapt into the air, though Yawm out paced me with ease. Both of us crushed the wood underneath us at least. As we reached the edge of Yawm¡¯s lush forest, a trinkle of mana poured in. After a second, the drops turned into a stream then a fountain of mana.


    I grinned as Amara channeled her mana towards me. I siphoned the excess into my runes, letting it feast on the energy for now. Once the fight started, Amara¡¯s regeneration would be a welcome edge in combat.


    Once we reached the skyscrapers and floating islands, Yawm stomped his foot into the ground. The concrete sidewalk crushed under his heel. I stopped my movement by extending my footing with telekinesis. My telekinetic footing took a large circle around me and descended the ground downwards. It was like a giant hydraulic press compressed the dirt around me.


    Yawm glanced around, his eyes probing. He murmured, ¡°My brothers told me they were near here. Can you sense them?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know that plants had genders. I glanced around with my mythical skill, Hunter of Many, extending my senses. I noticed nothing of note. I whispered,


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t sense them?¡±


    Yawm narrowed his eyes, ¡°Well that complicates things a bit. To be fair-¡±


    Yawm spread out his hands, ¡°It¡¯s more fun this way regardless.¡±


    I covered my ears with armor as Yawm clapped his hands together. As his palms contacted each other, they released a kinetic explosion. It was like he detonated a missile in his hands.


    A wave of sound shot outwards, enough to leave my bones ringing and my feet unstable. The glass along the skyscrapers around us shattered as the wave of sound passed over them. Literal tons of glass clattered against the ground, a symphony of sharp, stinging noise rang out.


    Yawm turned around, ¡°There¡¯s no more easy cover, yet they remain hidden. Let¡¯s see them avoid this tactic.¡±


    Mana coalesced onto his palms, the emerald green quaking with unbridled violence. Yawm raised his hands and clapped them together, fusing the balls of energy. He clasped the energy in his hand, popping it.


    Bolts of lightning shot outwards from his hand. Thick, crackling arcs of electricity flashed across the landscape, coating the area in singe marks. My ears popped several times, and the air smelled like ozone. As his display of might ended, a group appeared in the range of my senses.


    A group of four people stood atop a nearby skyscraper. One mirrored Yawm¡¯s height. They others stood a bit shorter. They all wore armor, and their weapons were smooth and made of single pieces. They reminded me of the rings that Schema gave out.


    I pointed upwards at the group. Yawm glanced at them. He raised a hand, the air cackling again. The group moved, shifting away from where they were. The area around entire upper half of the skyscraper disintegrated in a blinding flash of light. The miniature sun disappeared, leaving behind destruction in its wake.


    I wish I could say I didn¡¯t gasp or gawk at it, but I can''t. Around 40% of the skyscraper disappeared. It was like a giant sphere swallowed the building sending that part to a different dimension.


    Along the edges of the damage, magma and molten metal dripped like some kind of orange syrup. A dense powder rose above the building. The smell hit me like acid across my face. I closed my mouth into a frown.


    Yawm evaporated the rock and steel. Jesus Christ.


    Yawm laughed then roared out, a ragged edge in his voice,


    ¡°Come. Fight me. Are you all so spineless?¡±


    No one answered. He glanced around,


    ¡°Can you sense them?¡±


    I shook my head. Yawm¡¯s tone turned solemn, ¡°They don¡¯t rely on tech, at least they avoid it in a pure sense. Their more flexible in combat then I imagined.¡±


    A repressed joy leaked into his voice, ¡°Good. Very good.¡±


    Yawm charged his mana, ¡°It¡¯s been quite a few years since my last challenge. It appears these members are quite experienced, unlike the last.¡±


    We looked around for a while. Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°They¡¯re hiding frus-¡±


    A fist appeared as it slammed into Yawm''s face. Covering the fist, arcane bolts of lightning shot outwards. As the massive hand crashed against Yawm¡¯s temple, another bounty hunter appeared behind me.


    An arcane spear ruptured my armor, digging out through my stomach. Silver blood shimmered on the spear as I reached backwards. Event Horizon shot outwards, covering everyone around us. A shrill voice rang out, but the person behind me dug their spear deeper.


    I dislocated my arms and hips, latching my hands onto him. A deep, guttural voice rang out,


    ¡°What in Schema¡¯s name is this abomination?¡±


    I shot out spikes of my armor, piercing through the suit that covered him. Deafening blows rang out behind me as the bounty hunter stumbled backwards, landing onto the ground. I condensed Overwhelming Presence, my weight pulling him into the ground. The Breaker roared, kicking me off of him.


    I flew through the air, the noise of a plane taking off ringing in my ears. The air and ground revolved around my vision. I gained control of my descent, landing on my feet. As I looked ahead, a vision of our enemies came up.


    Yawm fought against a massive remnant coated in a iridescent aura. He stood with the same stature as Yawm, but with a denser frame. White, glowing tattoos covered his skin, the markings charged with mana. A braided beard of white came down towards the middle of his chest. He cut his black, combat fatigues at his sleeves, showing muscled arms. I analyzed him.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Korga Ryker, 99% Match


    Class: Breaker | Race: remnant | Lvl:12,000 | Legendary Skill: A Mountain¡¯s Wrath | Guild Affiliation: The Wanderer¡¯s Home


    Galactic Synopsis: A strong, able Breaker that is heavily involved in intergalactic politics. Focuses on accomplishing dangerous missions for Schema in order to revoke unknown status for Breakers. Risk taker and unafraid of dangerous combat. Well liked and feared among Breakers.


    Specialties: Utilizes antimagic strains of genetic manipulation. Enhances combat with runic carving. Expert grappler. Employs the use of arcane magic in the form of auras and to enhance hand to hand combat. Physically imposing. Inspiring leader of many remnants, ranked highly within the ranks of Breakers.


    Guild: The Wanderer¡¯s Home | Tier: B -


    He looked like a hulking version of what I imagined Kessiah¡¯s dad looked like. As Yawm used his spells against the muscled remnant, they fizzled out on his iridescent aura. This Breaker did his research. You can¡¯t tank Yawm¡¯s attacks. You have to nullify them.


    Nullify them he did.


    In front of me, a remnant and another alien faced me. I left holes in the suit of the arcane spear holder. The wholes exposed metal beneath his suit. Runic carvings coated certain spots on his body, maring the otherwise mirror like surface. His angular faced looked like mirrors plastered together at angles.


    As the bounty hunter breathed, his polished, steel skin shifted like liquid mercury. Beside him, a thin, spindly alien stood in a black skin suit. It covered him from head to toe, except for tinted glass over his face. Two glowing eyes glared from the murky inside, looking just like the enigmatta from way back. I analyzed the metal one.


    Brim, 99% Match


    Class: Breaker | Race: Kolm | Lvl:10,941 | Legendary Skill: Forger of Divinity | Guild Affiliation: The Wanderer¡¯s Home


    Galactic Synopsis: A Breaker with a natural affinity for building. He¡¯s known as an excellent blacksmith that forges with rare, valuable metals. Known for powerful creation magic that allows him to generate utterly unique metals and stones. He uses his skills to fund various operations lead by Korga Ryker.


    Specialties: The Kolm are a species composed of living metal, giving Brim a natural sturdiness. Most of his race¡¯s movements are clumsy and slow, outside the dexterity of their hands. Therefore, they utilize polearms primarily, letting them use their flexible, strong wrists for combat. Kolm¡¯s advanced runic carving, excellent weaponry, and basic mastery of arcane magic make him formidable.


    In the hands of Brim, he held a spear made from his body. This extension of him ended with an intricate, arcane blade resonating with energy. Before I analyzed the hazmat guy, the thin alien opened his dimensional storage. He reached into the portal, and Brim dashed towards me.


    I gathered mana before the metal Breaker reached me. As he did, he stabbed the spear forward. I deflected it with gravity, a swipe of my hand, and by molding my armor. The blade shifted sideways, and I struck his face with a solid right cross.


    The ground quaked under the impact, a wave of dirt tearing the road apart. Brim took the blow like a champ, whipping the end of his spear across my chin. It hit me hard, knocking teeth out of my mouth. They clattered against the ground. A sloshing, snapping sound ebbed out too. I breathed out, a torrent of blood coming out of my nostrils.


    The fucker broke my nose.


    A hit of such magnitude should of have sent me flying, but something weighed me down. My vision blurred, blood leaking into my eyes. Behind Brim, the thin, suited alien clicked on his status. He placed potions onto his mask, clicking them in place. The liquid in the bottles drained then snapped off. They landed on the ground, the glass shattering on the dirt.


    Brim erased himself from my senses. I sunk into the ground. A spear jammed through my chest once more. I dashed away, yanking out the spear. Brim followed through the dirt with ease. I shot up into a skyscraper. The ground detonated under Brim¡¯s heels, letting him skyrocket towards me.


    I pierced the building behind me. Brim dashed in, but I outmaneuvered him using a burst of mana. Like a living cannonball, I fired myself at the suited alien. I reached him as he pulled out a vial of black, swirling mana. He tossed it down, teleporting him to another place. I landed in the black smoke.


    Looking out of it, I took full advantage of their expectation that the smoke would deform me. I analyzed the tiny fuck in a suit.


    Frode Favalsieray, 97% Match


    Class: Architect | Race: Enigmatta | Lvl: 8,942 | Legendary Skill: Elevated Promethean | Guild Affiliation: The Wanderer¡¯s Home


    Galactic Synopsis: Frode is a technical member of a monolith service team. He assists in maintaining several information systems for maintaining the relay of information along the obelisk¡¯s network. With advanced knowledge for maneuvering through Schema¡¯s system, Frode adds value to his team. That doesn¡¯t even include his wealth, tech prowess, and bioengineering capabilities.


    Specialties: Using the enigmatta¡¯s curiosity, Frode acts as an information broker, techy, and group organizer for Korga¡¯s guild. He utilizes consumables, tactics during encounters, and gathers information before combat. Stealths the group, learns the landscape, and assists Brim in combat. A jack-of-all-trades.


    Over two seconds, I got the gist of who he was - a conniving little shit. Hiding from me, Frode squatted down behind a car. With Force of Nature rearing at full speed, I sunk into the Earth several feet. I drained the black mana around me, Brim gasping in shock. I grinned, dashing towards Frode.


    I smashed through the car, grabbing the skinny alien. I wrapped my arms around him, drilling tendrils of armor through his suit. He shouted in a raspy, high voice,


    ¡°It eats eldritch. I repeat, it eats eldritch.¡±


    A burst of writhing black mana spawned from the tears in his black suit. The smoky, dense cloud rushed into my helmet. Like someone shoving their hand down your throat, it dashed into my mouth.


    A bitter, acrid taste rippled out, making my eyes water. It reminded me of swallow a log of wasabi. An unbelievable itch spread across my skin. It was the kind of itch that made you jump and tear at yourself. Overwhelmed by the sensation, I shot my armor into my own flesh, ripping myself apart.


    The wounds only made the sensation worse. I let go of Frode, and I grabbed the sides of my head. It was like a swarm of mosquitoes landed on my skin, feasting on me. I snapped out of my panic, breathing a few times before shaking my head. With a willpower like granite, I suppressed my itching.


    Frode scrambled backwards, getting away from me. I stepped forward, but a spear appeared through my neck. A liquid metal swarmed into the wound, spreading down my throat and up my face. I laughed, letting the metal drown me. Well, Brim thought it drowned me.


    My own armor, a metal denser and harder than his own, pierced into the invading fluid. Brim roared, a deep, ringing voice that echoed outwards. He grabbed the head of the spear in front of me, ripping it out. He reached up, slicing his own arm off. He left his left arm behind, my armor feasting on it.


    He glared at me with a face with no eyes, ¡°This monster is full of surprises Frode. Be ready for more.¡±


    The light, scratchy voice of Frode replied, ¡°Affirmative. Maintain range. Close combat isn¡¯t recommended.¡±


    I shot towards Frode, staying silent. I didn¡¯t have time for one liners. Instead, I used my head. As I reached Frode, I shot sideways away from him. He already reached into his dimensional storage, pulling out a grenade of some sort. It detonated when I would have reached him, releasing a kinetic pulse in front of him.


    I dodged it, dashing back towards Yawm. Regrouping took priority. Brim followed, his left arm regenerated already. At the same time, he looked smaller than before, his black bodysuit baggy all of the sudden.


    I didn''t have time to dwell. I turned forward, glancing towards Yawm and Korga. They fought on the other side of a skyscraper, their blows making the ground crumble. With Hunter of Many, I sensed past the visual obstructions in front of me.


    Two people fought against Yawm. Korga battled up close, pressuring Yawm with grabs. The other hovered nearby, using a jetpack for propulsion. Once I crossed a corner, they came into view.


    The hovering member was a slender, womanly figure. A black, carbon fiber suit covered her from head to toe. She maneuvered behind Korga with an experienced, casual grace. In one hand, she carried an ornate, silver staff ending in a block of crystallized bismuth. She smothered herself and Korga in the iridescent aura with it.


    I sprinted towards her, Brim and Ford gaining on me. I neared them, a clear view of the fight arising. A few details sprung out to me. Something like sweat covered Yawm, dripping from his shoulders and chin. He heaved for breath, his throat wheezing. Cracks littered his bark skin. This fight, it defied all convention.


    Yawm wasn''t even winning.


    He was losing.

 138 Prodigy of War

    <div>


    <div>


    As I dashed closer towards Yawm, Frode tossed something towards me. I turned around, seeing a net right at my nose. Before it made contact, my reflexes kicked into gear. A wave of gravitational energy shot out, reflecting the net back. Brim sliced it with his spear, slowing him down.


    I turned forward, smacking a telephone pole out of my way. The wires snapped, the wood cracking as I swiped through it. With gravity and telekinesis, I shot the pole toward Frode. Brim leapt in front of him, snapping the pole apart like a twig. It bought me more time, however.


    As I reached Yawm, he turned towards me. Spotting Brim and Frode, he reached out an hand towards them. Korga knocked his arm up, sending a destructive pulse above us. Another skyscraper evaporated before Korga jumped up. He rushed past Yawm, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him at the same time.


    They landed on the ground, the pavement sheering under them. I raised an eyebrow in shock as Yawm laughed like child playing with his friends.


    ¡°You fight differently than Daniel. He relies on strikes. You rely on wrestling. I find the difference novel, however.¡±


    Yawm laid a hand onto the ground, vines growing from his fingertips. Wooden tendrils wrapped around the thick neck of Korga, rushing up his nose and eyes and mouth. The mage flew over them, firing an arcane spell at Yawm. It landed on Yawm¡¯s back, leaving a crack in the bark. The spell hurt Yawm, making the vines retreat from Korga¡¯s face.


    Yawm reached up over his head, grabbing the face of Korga. His grip split the skin of the old remnant. Yawm raised his legs, flipping his entire body over Korga. He slipped out of the grasp of Korga, his sweat making him greasy. Yawm drove his feet into the chest of Korga.


    I blocked my ear, the shockwave of impact unbearable and unbelievable. The wave off the hit left glass crumbled and the ground rumbling. It was like a meteor struck the chest of Korga. From his chest, a plume of blood propelled, covering Yawm¡¯s face in red.


    Yawm lifted his hand, but the mage cast a spell. Vibrant, ornate lines of green traced the air in front of her staff, sending out a flash of green. Korga recovered, twisting his body and dodging Yawm¡¯s punch at the same time. He flipped himself, catching Yawm in an arm bar. Korga pulled, but Yawm just laughed.


    Yawm lifted Korga up with a single arm, curling his wrist up. The damn remnant turned a shade of lavender as he struggled against Yawm¡¯s might. Viens crept across the remnant''s face, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Yawm was beating his entire body¡¯s strength with his arm.


    I didn¡¯t see the rest. From behind me, a wave of black mana reached out towards me. I molded my armor, removing any weak spots. Brim threw a spear, however, piercing through my shoulder. The mana rushed into the wound, creating another onset of itching.


    I uncovered my eyes, running despite the discomfort. Korga¡¯s arm bar held on by a thread. Before the arm bar broke, the floating mage pointed her staff at Yawm. She cast an aura over him, a pillar of yellow coming down from the sky. Yawm¡¯s arm went limp, letting Korga pull at him.


    The bone snapped, the skin rupturing. Yawm¡¯s glowing green blood leaked out before he grabbed Korga¡¯s face with his good arm. From deep in his chest, Yawm let out a bellowing chuckle, jerking Korga from his broken limb. Yawm¡¯s aura left my hair on edge and sent a chill down my spine.


    ¡°This is how you wage war, remnant.¡±


    Yawm whipped Korga through the air like a rag doll, slamming him into the ground. The impact was nuclear, unlike any kinetic impact I¡¯d ever see nor felt. It rippled the ground, sending out a wave on the surface of the ground. It flipped cars as a shockwave passed over me. It left my skin numb.


    Yawm lifted his broken arm above his head. He whipped it like a club, mauling Korga. With vicious, savage laughter, Yawm relished each strike as the clubbing broke ribs and bone and skin. Here I thought I was a hardass in a fight.


    I really needed to step my game up.


    Despite the awe of such brutality, the itchiness and discomfort overwhelmed me.


    Skill gained! Itch Tolerance(lvl 1) - Not all forms of discomfort fall under pain. You¡¯ve learned that, and you fight against irritation. -1% to itchiness felt.


    I fell onto my knees, my vision blurring. The spell of the damn enigmatta hurt more than pain. I looked at my hands, maggots crawling out of my skin. I clenched my teeth, clasping my fists. I stood, ignoring this half baked illusion. The last damn thing I let stop me is me being a bitch.


    As I recovered, a chain rattled behind me. The whipping of air siphoned around it. The same arcane blade cut halfway through my chest, leaving my legs limp. I fell down again. As I thud into the ground, I condensed my weight, sinking me into the ground. At the same time, I altered my armor, pulling the arcane blade from my spine.


    Within seconds another wave of black mana infused with me through my wounds. My throat dried and my stomach emptied. A primal hunger surged up, like I hadn¡¯t eaten in weeks. Even with the illusion magic racking me, I grabbed the chain leading to the arcane blade.


    The chain jerked, sending me whipping with it. I shot upwards, glancing down. One of Brim¡¯s arms molded into the chain, letting him control it. I glanced down, seeing the arcane blade beneath me. The embroidered, glowing arcane blade connected with a small spear at the end of the chain.


    My spine healed as I whipped towards the road below. I dived into it, shooting towards the ground. Using my burrowing skills, I dragged the chain down. As it turned taught, moving the chain was like pushing a brick wall. Abusing my mana pool, I detonated several hundred thousand mana at once.


    I shot down, breaking through the resistance. As the chain dragged further down, I no longer struggled with dragging him. My armor dug into his his silver, extended body. Nearly a minute of digging passed before Brim let the arcane blade go.


    As he did, the blade fell downwards, scorching through the earth. I jolted down, grabbing the precious block and blade. My armor coated it. I shot back upwards, lifting out of the ground. By the time I reached over the dirt, the four Breakers cornered Yawm...but Yawm also beat Korga to a pulp with his broken arm.


    Yawm¡¯s arm had returned to normal too. He already tore off Brim¡¯s last arm, and he threw it at the floating mage. After that, he charged Frode down. I bolted towards the fight, analyzing the annoying utility mage.


    Elessah May, 100% Match


    Class: Breaker | Race: remnant | Lvl:10,439 | Legendary Skill: Fallen Into Abyss | Guild Affiliation: The Wanderer¡¯s Home


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Galactic Synopsis: Respected as the right hand woman of Korga Ryker. She acts as a shield and he their sword. While Korga handles most of the obvious leader oriented details of the guild, Elessah handles the background details. In a way, she makes more of the guild¡¯s actual decisions than Korga does.


    Specialties: Elessah¡¯s specialties are numerous. In particular, her stamina draining and antimagic aura are whispered of in legend. She also has access to basic arcane magic like most Breakers, making her dangerous to fight for prolonged periods. She¡¯s considered the guild¡¯s ace since she can cripple almost any foe and negate their potent strengths.


    I knew which one to beat the hell out of at least. As I neared them, another Breaker materialized behind Yawm. Covered in a suit of hexagonal plates, the near translucent figure unsheathed a red blade. Sliding it down Yawm¡¯s throat, the metal tore the bark skin of Yawm.


    Green blood burst from the wound, red residue from the blade wiping into it. Yawm reached back behind him, grabbing the assassin¡¯s neck. Frode stopped running and turned towards them. He created a plume of black mana. Green energy coalesced into Yawm¡¯s hand, and the warlord gurgled on his own blood, glee still in his voice,


    ¡°Antimagic this.¡±


    Elessah pointed her staff towards Yawm, but I already closed in. With an explosive burst, I dipped into my health with a burst of gravity. The wave pulled the staff, jerking it towards Frode. A pillar of yellow light beamed down onto Frode, making him fall limp. His magic fell apart as he clunked against the dirt.


    Yawm pulled the assassin Breaker towards his other fist. In an instant, her helmet crushed open, revealing a mane of white hair and violet skin. Another remnant. At the same time, Yawm reared his fist back again, slamming his fist into her face once more. Her bottom jaw cleaved from her face, revealing her tongue and upper teeth.


    Yawm reached back again, but Brim tackled Yawm¡¯s side. Yawm balanced himself, taking the charge with ease. Yawm dragged backwards towards a now refreshed Korga. Elessah had healed him yet again.


    Yawm reared back his fist once more, but Korga reached behind him. Korga wrapped his arm around the neck of Yawm, pulling him back just in time. Yawm¡¯s fist still landed despite the loss of footing. Yawm¡¯s glancing blow caved the assassin¡¯s skull in, one eye hanging out of her squished skull. Frode dashed in, screaming in rage.


    As he did, I met his charge.


    Frode and I rolled onto the ground, but I ended up on top of him. I raised my fists, exerting overcharged runic strikes with each punch of my fist. A shield of mana protected Frode, blocking my precise, explosive strikes. With the mana protecting him, he opened his dimensional storage again.


    A memory flashed across my eyes. I remembered the limitations of the dimensional rings. Frode could only hold as much mass in the ring as his own mass. If he put in more than the mass he had, he would die.


    With desperation fueling me, I jabbed my arm into the night sky looking portal. My hand disintegrated then my forearm. As it did, all four of Frode¡¯s limbs evaporated. Before I reached any deeper into the portal, something pierced into my neck with force. I whipped through the air like a puppet with no strings. My throat burned.


    I tumbled across the ground before standing up mid roll. I reached up towards my neck, touched it, then pulled my hand back. An arcane flame burned on my palm. I grabbed my wrist, jerking the armor over my hand off. The arcane flame covered strip of armor landed on the ground. It burned away.


    I got an idea of where the wound in my neck was. The arcane flame dug into my health, spreading fast. Before it did more damage, I drove my armor around the entire wound. Turning my armor thin and sharp, I cut through the flesh of my neck and lopped it off me.


    A three inch crater of burning neck landed on the ground beside me. An arcane flame ate away at it until only a metallic, empty round remained. I glanced up, breathing through a hole in my neck. A sniper did this.


    I covered my neck wound with my armor. In front of me, Frode writhed on the ground in agony. The enigmatta architect would bleed out soon without intervention. Korga battled it out with Yawm again, this time with Brim¡¯s help. Yawm lashed out, keeping them at bay.


    Elessah landed near Frode, casting her healing magic on him again. As she did, I dashed towards her. She looked up towards me. Her head whipped around like she was rolling her eyes at a nuisance. She pointing her staff, casting the same yellow light on me. As the yellow hit me, exhaustion grew up my limbs.


    I stopped moving, but I stayed standing. Ellessah shouted in high pitched voice,


    ¡°How in Schema¡¯s name is a level 3,000 tanking my abyssal spell? What kind of build does it have?¡±


    I stepped forward, a tenth of my stamina draining. My feet were lead and my head heavy. The light evervated my body, enfeebling my mind. The mage didn¡¯t know about my endurance though.


    With a stamina regen I¡¯d long forgotten about, I took another step forward. Elessah stood up straight, cancelling her healing magic. As she did, the yellow beam¡¯s strength augmented. My knees debilitated, turning like noodles. My hands shook like dry leaves in a roaring tempest. My eyelids turned to lead, heavier then in months.


    I heaved for breath, the edges of my vision blurring. I willed myself forward, but I didn¡¯t even budge. All my effort was in standing. That was all I had in me. I could do no more. I demanded more from my body, but the stamina drain breached my limits. A sense of defeat washed over me as I stood there, useless as a pile of dirt.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you fall...Why won¡¯t you fall?!¡±


    Elessah¡¯s ragged voice echoed across the booming impacts of battle. She reared back her staff, channeling more mana into her spell. The yellow light bathing me mixed with green and brown, turning sickly. My knees landed on the sidewalk beneath me. Elessah shouted,


    ¡°Finally, he finally fell.¡±


    Something tore into my chest. I looked down. A small tunnel led through my chest, blood gushing out. Silver blood spurted out, drenching me with it. Even in my exhaustion, I curved my armor onto the wound. I glanced over at Yawm, confusion washing over me with the blood loss.


    He hadn¡¯t beaten Korga or Brim yet. Cuts gashed up and down his sides. Korga and Brim are worse off. Yawm tore an ear and nose off of Korga. Brim regenerated his arms, but he shrank further. His suit sagged on him, and I dwarfed his height. Behind them, the caved in skull of the assassin covered in blue squares of light.


    The assassin lifted herself off the ground, scars tracing the remnant¡¯s violet skin. She looked around, utter confusion spread across her face. A portion of her hair didn¡¯t grow back from her revival. She slammed her hands into the ground and howled,


    ¡°My revival...That motherfucker stole my revival!¡±


    Elessah shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re taking the revival of this monster too. Fair trade.¡±


    I glanced at my health. It was at 40%. I raised my head from the ground as my neck healed,


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not...Not yet at least...Keep up the pressure and maybe.¡±


    Elessah raised her other hand, channeling an arcane spell.


    ¡°Be quiet. You¡¯re not the reason we¡¯re struggling, low level betrayer.¡±


    Even on the ground, that pissed me off. As she shot her spell forward, I dipped into my mana regen. With gravity, a chunk of pavement raised in front of me. The arcane magic destroyed the chunk, a wave of dust covering us. Using the explosion as a distraction, I condensed my weight. My mass crushed the dirt, digging me into the ground.


    Elessah raised her hands, ¡°What is giving me this damn headache?¡±


    A bullet lodged into the ground, passing just over my head. I smirked. Even if my stamina was zero, I made a difference with magic and auras. Over the sound of impacts and struggle, Korga roared in his deep voice,


    ¡°Use your magic on Yawm, you idiot. Why are you wasting it on that level 3,000 unknown when we¡¯re fighting the world eater?¡±


    From above, the exhaustion ceased. Life force rushed into my bones, stamina flooding my system. At the edge of my senses, a few strings of mana connected with me. It felt just like the conduit between Althea and I.


    Between the heated combat, Yawm murmured under his breath, ¡°Others are here now as well...A large group.¡±


    Yawm turned towards Korga, meeting his eye,


    ¡°Did you bring an Army?¡±


    Korga squinted his eyes, his beard shifting, ¡°And what, have them obliterated in a second? We¡¯re not that moronic.¡±


    Yawm turned towards me. I layed on the ground, unable to move yet. Six seconds later, and my stamina passed the 10% mark. I pushed myself off the ground, shrugging towards Yawm.


    Yawm sighed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring my own army as well.¡±

 139 Turning the Tide

    Korga snapped, ¡°I told you we didn¡¯t bring an army.¡±


    Yawm raised his eyebrows, ¡°Really? Then whose army is it...We¡¯ll discover soon.¡±


    The conduit links built up in the back of my head. Countless links to people I didn¡¯t know came up. A message appeared in my status.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Time: Undefined) - We¡¯ve arrived. Don¡¯t let Yawm stop us.


    I turned towards Yawm and shouted, ¡°Can you bring the eldritch here?¡±


    Yawm nodded, ¡°For what purpose? As Fodder perchance?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I can use them-¡±


    A bullet punctured my neck again. With skipping a beat, I covered the wound with my armor, letting me speak again ¡°For mana. I...It will help us.¡±


    Korga tapped the edge of his helmet. He mouthed words, but no sound came out. He pointed at me. Brim turned towards me, running over towards Frode. Before they rallied further, I charged my runes and exploded from the ground. Yawm dashed towards Elessah. She dodged with grace before Korga met Yawm¡¯s charge.


    I couldn¡¯t watch any more. Frode stood up, his limbs regenerated. I wooshed right past Brim, reaching the architect first. I grabbed the enigmata and launched us into a metal telephone pole. The rod bent, uprooting from the sidewalk.


    Our momentum dragged us further, bashing us against a concrete wall of a gigantic bank. Along the all of the high rise, a granite panel crumbled from our impact. As the pieces of stone fell, they exposed a bent steel girder.


    I grinned, Frode¡¯s head smashed into the metal. I reared back a fist, getting my first punch off of the damn fight. A telekinetic bolt slapped into Frode¡¯s helmet, cracking the glass. His helmet whipped around like a bobblehead toy during an earthquake.


    With a savage intent, I reared my fist back hit him over and over. The cracks spread across his face until the helmet broke. A face appeared as the foggy water rushed out of the helmet.


    The enigmatta looked like an anglerfish, long teeth sticking out of a jutting bottom jaw. Large, black pupils stared back at me. I lifted my fist for the finishing blow, but a chain wrapped around my arm. Frode raised his hand, placing a circular piece of metal on me.


    Lightning consumed me, its teeth jolting through my nerves. I fried, stiffening like a board. I fell off the bent girder. As I landed onto the sidewalk, Frode leapt away. Once again, my body failed me. I learned from this fight however. Even if my body didn¡¯t respond, my armor still did.


    I created curved spines and pierced the taser thing that fucker put on me. I tore it apart with spines of my armor. Even with my body immobilized, I controlled my armor over my skin. Like a puppet, I lifted my limp body and moved towards Frode. I shambled like a zombie.


    Frode squelched out his choking voice, ¡°It won¡¯t stop. I can¡¯t kill it.¡±


    A few seconds later, and the electricity ceased. I fell onto my feet. As I bent over, I dashed towards him again, my pursuit relentless. Behind Frode, Brim came towards me. Yawm and Korga faced one another.


    Yawm¡¯s entire body was a moving wound. Three bullet holes stuck through his chest. Deep trenches of exposed flesh showed all across his bark skin. His glowing green blood drenched the ground below him.


    And yet, he still seemed invincible.


    He stood tall, his height dwarfing those around him. He heaved for breath, exhausted yet unafraid. Elessah floated behind Korga. The assassin paced behind Yawm, a deep fear over her face. They all looked puny compared to him. Even in this kind of state, Yawm was invincible. Here on a battlefield, he was whole.


    Here, he was home.


    Yawm chuckled at his wounds, the ground crackling beside him, ¡°I¡¯ve already stolen two of your revivals. How many more lives will Schema give you?¡±


    Fear clouded the eyes of the Breakers. They circled him, looking for some kind of opening. They found none.


    Yawm spread out his arms, ¡°Your minds are your weakness. You lack resolve. Faced with a true death, you falter. You fail. You fall.¡±


    Yawm raised his hand, absolute confidence radiating from him, ¡°I am the slayer of armies. I am the eater of worlds. I am the defier of false idols. You all worship a robot who believes himself a god.¡±


    Yawm clasped his hand into a fist,


    ¡°I am no sheep. I worship no one, and no one is worth my worship.¡±


    Brim interrupted Yawm¡¯s words. He sprinted in front of Frode, protecting him. The thirty second lull in combat nearly healed my entire health. My chest healed. My stamina filled. Thank god for Yawm¡¯s charisma. His presences affected even the Breakers.


    This kind of back and forth, it was my strength. Taking breaks would be their downfall. However, Yawm lost blood with every passing second. If he fell, I was next. Korga took a step towards Yawm, his footing less bold than before. Yawm clasped his massive hands into fists,


    ¡°Be ready, Korga. You won¡¯t survive my next strike. Unlike before, Schema¡¯s little perks won¡¯t get you back up.¡±


    Yawm swatted his hand, deflecting a passing bullet. As he did, Korga and the assassin charged him. I detonated my runes, dashing towards Frode and Brim. Frode threw a vial towards me, Brim slapping a chain arm towards it. Before it made contact, I swatted the vail with a wave of gravity.


    Frode pointed at me, ¡°Affirmative. I verified it Brim. It has gravity magic.¡±


    I got within ten feet of them, stomping the ground. With a wave of telekinesis, I sent the force of my stomp into the chin of Frode. His fishy head whipped up, blood shooting out of his mouth. Brim whipped his chain towards me. I grabbed it. From between the links of the chains, a vial of liquid emerged.


    The other vial was a distraction.


    A sniper¡¯s bullet drilled through my back and came out my chest, detonating the vial. A discharge of green dust went over me. I covered my eyes, ears, and mouth with my armor just in time.


    Acid sizzled on my skin. Three more vials lodged into the bullet wound on my chest. Another bullet pierced through my back, blowing up the black mana jars. Eldritch seeped deep into my wound.


    It was eldritch energy. I uncovered my mouth, laughing a bit as I absorbed it. Brim grunted,


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the armor Frode. His flesh eats the eldritch...What in the hell did Yawm do to him?¡±


    I roared, ¡°He did nothing. I did this to me, to live through hells like this.¡±


    I put up an act, but their combination attack hurt me. My health dwindled again already, reaching 30%. I stumbled a bit, and Brim rushed me. I shot out a stiff jab at him, but he deflected my strike and struck my stomach. I belched blood, his fist heavier than a ball of iron.


    He was weaker and smaller than before, however. Having his arms taken and his arcane blade stripped from him made him easier to beat. I ignored the damage he dealt, spinning on my heels. I struck his side with a left hook, whipping another strike right after into the lower part of his head.


    Considering it was all mirrors, it was the closest thing to a jaw he had.


    Brim¡¯s face wobbled, but he overcame the pain and countered. He struck my head with a bludgeoning right. His fist dislodged three of my molars. I grit the rest of my teeth and hit him with a right uppercut into the gut.


    He covered his stomach with his arms, his mirror face sticking out. I shot out two slicing hooks into his head. He stumbled backwards, but I reached out a hand towards him. A tendril of armor wrapped around his neck, jerking him back towards me. I detonated my runes, leaping up with a flying knee.


    The mirrors across his face shattered, my knee caving them in. As Brim flew backwards, Frode tossed a vibrant, violet colored wire at my neck. It landed, wrapping around me. The wire sunk into my neck, tightening around me.


    Behind Frode, Yawm was carnage. More blood than bark, he withstood the technique of Korga, pushing him back. Korga blocked with his left arm, the bone snapping. The sniper redirected its aim, a bullet firing through the chest of Yawm. Yawm ignored it, throwing another heavy blow at Korga.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Korga¡¯s other arm broke. Yawm raised his fists slamming them down onto Korga. Korga blocked with both his arms, a blue energy shield materializing above him. A panel of green energy formed beneath Korga as Yawm¡¯s fist landed. The shield acted as a block of metal, preventing Korga from dispersing the impact of the strikes.


    Instead, Korga absorbed the kinetic force of Yawm¡¯s blow, but both of his shin¡¯s snapped. Yawm raised his fists again. Another crushing blow hit Korga¡¯s blue shield. Korga¡¯s spine crunched, his body deforming sideways. Yawm roared, his final blow coming down. I rasped out as the wire tightened around my neck,


    ¡°Look behind you.¡±


    A dagger stabbed into the back of Yawm¡¯s neck, piercing out of his throat. It left a tar substance on him, the black invading his body. Yawm swiped his arm backwards, but the assassin ducked, cutting at Yawm¡¯s heels. The red blade sliced through the tendons at his feet. Yawm fell down onto Korga, a bloody mess.


    Yawm wrapped his hands around Korga¡¯s neck. A pillar of yellow light appeared over them both, but Yawm roared in defiance,


    ¡°And so you fall.¡±


    Yawm crushed the remnant''s neck before his stamina was drained. The assassin dashed in, slicing towards Yawm¡¯s neck. Yawm swiped his arm, back handing her side. His hand was the size of her hip. The remnant assassin¡¯s back broke. She flew backwards, slamming into a jeep several blocks away.


    Yawm continued his chokehold. Before the yellow light drained all of Yawm¡¯s stamina, he snapped Korga¡¯s neck like a twig. With vicious intensity, Yawm gripped further, squishing the boned and meat between his fingers. Korga¡¯s head rolled away from his body, decapitated by blunt force.


    A notification appeared in front of me. I gained experience because that son of a bitch was an unknown, like all remnants. I opened my status, investing all my points into endurance. A message from Torix sat in my inbox. I didn¡¯t have time to view it. I selected finalize.


    A surge of mana rushed through me. With it, I sent out a strong pulse of antigravity around my neck. The wire encircling my neck snapped with a metallic ring, falling down onto the ground. Elessah screamed out in despair,


    ¡°No...anyone but Korga...anyone...Not Korga, no. No!¡±


    As she lamented Korga¡¯s death, her antimagic faltered. She repeated the words over and over. Yawm turned himself around, his legs useless. He lifted an arm, the air around him crackling. A bullet went through Yawm¡¯s shoulder, making the raised arm go limp. Yawm laughed, raising his other arm. Mana coalesced in his palm.


    By now, Brim stood back up from my knee to his face. He ran up to Elessah and slapped her across the face,


    ¡°You have to stop him. Keep it together Elessah.¡±


    She wept, her ragged voice shivering under her helmet. Yawm¡¯s laughing echoed, sending out a primordial fear. Frode tried stopping Yawm, throwing a circling blade towards him. Before it landed, Yawm turned his palm towards Frode. Yawm¡¯s magic unleashed.


    A circular hole appeared around the skyscraper behind Frode. Frode and his grenade disappeared. They disintegrated faster than I could comprehend it. I didn¡¯t even see it. One second Frode was right there. The next, he was gone. It was like an edit in a video. Yawm¡¯s strength was still overwhelming, even in this state.


    Before the Breaker¡¯s recovered, I dashed towards the assassin remnant. I reached past Yawm and the others, landing onto the jeep with the assassin lodged on it. The remnant looked up at me, her eyes loaded with fear. I lifted a fist, slamming it down against her. With a sleight of hand, she turned her dagger and sliced it through my wrist.


    She amputated my fist, but I kept pushing my fist down. With the arm nub, I gouged the dull edge of my armor into her neck. She stabbed her dagger into the side of my neck, slicing it. I lifted my other fist. As I hammered down, she aimed at my arm with her dagger again.


    I used a wave of gravity, expending a portion of my health. It made her dagger slice through a portion of my forearm. My fist crushed her face, teeth falling out of her mouth. She sliced her dagger again, but I detonated another burst of mana. A gravitational wave pressed her hand down.


    I lifted my fist crushing her face. Two more strikes, and her jaw crunched sideways. Her upper teeth gone, her nose and cheeks mangled. A wave of yellow light appeared over me. At the same time, a chain wrapped around my waist, pulling me backwards. My neck almost slipped off, but I kept it attached with extensions of my armor.


    I crushed into the pillar of a building. I slapped against a slab of sidewalk, flopping down. Brim jumped onto me, crushing my chest. Blood erupted from my neck as he did. I shot out a wave of gravity at him, but Elessah¡¯s antimagic wrapped around him. It had no effect.


    Brim raised a fist, slamming it down on me. Molding my armor, I created a curved spike that his fist landed against. It guided his fist onto the ground beside me, ushering forth a quake across the ground.


    I dug my armor into his legs, draining as much mana as I could. Brim lifted his fist again, slamming another slicing strike against me. I shot out another curved spike, but he predicted it. He evaded the deflection, crushing a blow into my face.


    My teeth turned to powder. My nose crunched. Skin split across my face, tearing one of my eyelids and eyebrows. From beneath me, a rumbling diffused. Something was crawling up. Off in the distance, hundreds of mana streams fed me mana at once. It was as if the conduits connecting with me entered a certain range. Now they could give me mana.


    Hundreds of mana streams turned into thousands. I didn¡¯t know if the mana was enough. Brim lifted his fist, smashing it into my face again. I hardly even felt his strike, my face numb now. A deep pressure radiated down into the back of my head. It was probably the only place that still had feeling.


    Brim lifted his hand again, crushing my face with fists of iron. Somehow I lived, but I weakened. My grasp of my armor faded. My limbs were numb. I was becoming cold and numb. Brim raised his hands again, roaring with fury. I hardly heard it.


    Everything was so foggy.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you just die?¡±


    From below, mana rushed into me. Several dozen entities entered the radius of Event Horizon, boosting my health regeneration. Just enough to survive the pummeling fists of Brim. Brim wheezed, ¡°How does it live? There¡¯s nothing left of its head.¡±


    More and more creatures entered the vicinity of Event Horizon. More and more mana rushed up, giving me strength. The conduits turned into a raging stream of mana. Even as Brim crushed me, my body restored. Even under his onslaught, I regenerated. Covered in a silver blood, Brim choked out the words,


    ¡°Is it immortal? Can it die?¡±


    Feeling returned. My hands tightened, control of my armor regained. My eyes opened. Light rushed in, and I was no longer blind. Sound rushed into my ears. Soft dirt layed beneath me. I gouged my armor deeper into Brim¡¯s legs. He bent down, stomping into my chest as he leapt away.


    He snapped several of the tendrils digging into his legs. A few remained, dragging him back towards me. Brim jammed his arms into the road beneath him, pulling himself away,


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than a bottom feeder.¡±


    The same yellow light washed over me, sapping away my stamina. With more endurance, I outpaced the light¡¯s sapping energy. I pushed my arms against the ground, my limbs shaking. I stood up, first hunched but then tall.


    I heaved for breath, a deep exhaustion pressing against me. I crushed it, reaching for all my strength. I dragged Brim back to me. He looked up, clapping his hands together. He caught something between them and shouted,


    ¡°Finally Frode. I thought you¡¯d never be back.¡±


    I glanced up, finding Frode existing nearby. He stood behind Elessah, stark naked besides for his dimensional storage ring. When Yawm attacked him, he destroyed his clothing I guess. After that, he revived thanks to the luck perk. Goddammit.


    Brim pulled his hands apart, an azure mana forming between his fingertips. He formed a spear of the energy, slicing the tendrils of my armor. Frode tossed a vial at Brim. I shot out a nulled gravitational wave. Elessah stopped me again.


    Using a chain, Brim caught the vial.  and then drank it. From within his legs, my armor disintegrated. Frode tossed a few more vials at Brim. Brim drank them while I waited for my own health to restore. Brim¡¯s size enhanced as he healed. Brim moved his feet around, relishing in the restored movement,


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re finally back.¡±


    I turned towards Yawm. He laid in a heap of his own coagulating blood. He didn¡¯t move. His chest still glowed with tremendous vitality. Along his neck, some red tumor spread across his chest. It looked like an eldritch growing out of his body.


    Yawm stared at me, whispering under his breath.


    ¡°You seem stronger...You¡¯re still within Schema¡¯s system then?¡±


    I kept my face expressionless. Controlling my mass in this kind of mess wasn¡¯t about to happen. With the boost in levels from Korga, I was likely much taller. Disguising the difference wasn¡¯t practical while fighting for my life. Yawm¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he spoke with a pained voice,


    ¡°You lied to me...You...you betrayed me?¡±


    I shook my head before turning back towards the remnants. Brim, Frode, and Elessah remained alive. Frode lacked his revival from the luck perk. Elessah and Brim probably had theirs. I stood no chance under normal circumstances.


    At the moment, Amara siphoned me energy from her new prison. From below, Yawm¡¯s solar beetles crawled from the ground. From above, the abstractions soared in a circle around us. I sapped their strength with Event Horizon, using them for my gain. From an unknown source, several thousand allies sent me mana.


    The mana rushed in as the Breakers reorganized. During the lull in combat, I opened Torix¡¯s message.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Time: Undefined) - We¡¯re entering the rift with your legion. I created several thousand conduits between you and your troops, all with the enchanted gear you gave them. We¡¯ll be able to send you our mana and health to give you a buffer in battle.


    I grinned at the message. Torix put some serious thought into helping me. His tactical intelligence exceeded my own. Combine that with Amara, the eldritch around me, and my level ups from Korga, and my mana generation amazed me.


    It exceeded thirteen million in my heightened state.


    With the Breakers watching, I let the mana soak out of my runes. It saturated the surrounding air, putting a reddened tint onto it. It reminded me of what Yawm¡¯s mana did to the air. Instead of popping like his, cracks of lightning and thunder raged from my aura. The energy fought outwards in violent snaps, like wolves snapping at prey.


    The energy thundered and roared like the sound of hatred. My armor grinned with me, a sickening lust for violence overtaking me. The sensation ebbed into the surrounding eldritch. My mana fed them, streaks of deep red striping across them. Their eyes widened. Their maws gaped. They cried crimson. They drooled blood.


    Unique skill gained! Fuses the skills Mana Press, Arcane Blood Mastery, Mana Theory, Fear, and Empathy creating the new skill Haze of Fervor! Half of ungained skill points awarded = 135 tree points.


    Haze of Fervor(lvl 1) - Allows you to churn allies and enemies alike into a vicious frenzy using your volatile mana. Efficiency of mana use and effect enhanced by level of the skill.


    A sniper round pierced through my chest. I laughed at the damage, my mana healing it in seconds. I lifted out my arms, my mana like a storm surge, engulfing everything around me. Brim turned a blank, smooth face of metal towards me. His mirrors returned from the potions he drank. He brandished his blade of arcane and origin mana,


    ¡°By the will of Schema, we will kill you before you turn into another Yawm.¡±


    I raised a fist, speaking with words of strength and an overwhelming presence,


    ¡°I am no Yawm. I am the Harbinger of Cataclysm.¡±


    The eldritch roared, echoing the might of my words. I pointed at the Breakers, my voice an omen,


    ¡°To war.¡±

 140 No Longer Alone

    <div>


    <div>


    The eldritch charged towards the breakers. Yawm commanded them earlier. My mana only enraged them. As the eldritch rushed against them, I turned towards Yawm. I pulled in my armor and leaped towards him with a burst of mana. The red tumor spreading from his neck had covered over half his face.


    Yawm stared at me with the one eye he had left. I gritted my teeth, sighing with frustration before lifted my hands. I slammed them against Yawm¡¯s neck, piercing into the bloody tumor. I drilled my armor into the fleshy mass, sapping its strength. The assassin¡¯s blade was coated in some kind of eldritch poison. I was the man to save Yawm from it.


    With a surgeon¡¯s precision, I eliminated every ounce of the infestation from Yawm. I pulled my hands away from Yawm, his green blood soaking into my armor. His one eye widened in disbelief. I didn¡¯t know why I wanted to save him. In all honesty though, Yawm was my friend. As much harm as he¡¯d done, he didn¡¯t deserve to die.


    Not like this.


    All the leveler''s capping out to level 12,000 wouldn''t be very helpful either. I turned away, the bullet of a sniper piercing into my chest. I sighed again, realizing this wasn¡¯t enough to stop Yawm¡¯s death. I put my palms over him, extending and wrapping my metal skin around him.


    Like a thousand black vines covering him, I encased him in an umbral sheath. I lifted him, tossing Yawm into the broken window of a skyscraper for cover.


    It was the best I could do for now.


    With Yawm healed and covered, I turned towards the Breakers. They dispatched the horde of beetles and abstractions with ease. Before they eliminated the horde, I rushed into the mess. The rush of mana flooded into my system, like liquid power. I pumped that energy through my veins as I reached Brim.


    He spun like a whirlwind of death. He slew a dozen eldritch with his energy spear as he positioned himself between me and Frode. Above him, Elessah floated and held the abstractions back. Frode set up mines and other traps around them, his back to Brim.


    I raised a hand right as Elessah shot out an arcane spell at an abstraction. Her antimagic failed to target me, letting me unleash a wave of gravitation. A wave of gravity crushed Elessah to the ground, her staff snapping in two. Frode eyed me, and he opened his dimensional storage.


    Brim sliced his spear towards me, and I raised both my arms towards Frode. A gravitational stream redirected Brim¡¯s attack, making his spear slice at the ground. With an antigravity and gravity well, I sundered Frode¡¯s arm from his body. The enigmatta choked out a scream, his dry, green skin and anglerfish mouth crinkling up.


    Brim roared in rage and wrath, spinning his spear towards me. He overpowered the gravitational stream this time, but I ducked under his strike. As I stood up, I let loose a monstrous uppercut. Detonated runes, waves of gravity and antigravity, every tool at my disposal amplified my attack.


    My punch shattered the rejuvenated mirrors across Brim¡¯s face. A dagger stabbed into my back, slicing down my spine from behind. The damn assassin Breaker recovered from me killing her. Elessah must have cast a few spells.


    As the dagger slit down my spine, mana rushed in, healing the wound as she created it. I swung my fist back, but the assassin ducked down, slicing at my armpit. She cut arteries and armor alike, but I lashed out a wave of gravity towards her. Nothing happened. Elessah nulled my magic once more.


    I grit my teeth, using the gravity on myself instead. The remnant assassin struck at my neck. I pulled myself back, dodging the strike. As I did, I kicked upwards at her side. She ducked again, deftly dodging my kick. A wave of gravity stopped my foot in midair, and I swung it down at her.


    She stabbed my groin, but my heel broke her back. Like a guillotine, my leg cleaved her spine apart. Brim¡¯s spear stabbed across my throat, leaving my head hanging on by a thread. With an unnatural movement, I shot a wave of gravity at my back, shooting me straight forward.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I took the blade out of my neck without cutting any deeper. At the same time, I dodged an explosive bullet sent by the mystery sniper. I lifted an arm, wedging a layer of the road beneath us upwards. A slanted chunk of earth lifted between me and Brim, leaving me alone with the assassin.


    With the assassin lifted up, she tumbled down the patch of pavement towards me. I grabbed her throat with my hand. Brim charged through the crag of ground towards me. I sent myself sideways, dodging a pillar of yellow light once more. A one-armed Frode tossed a grenade towards me.


    The grenade shot out a thick, orange jelly onto us both. I slipped on the mush, falling backwards. Brim charged past me, grabbing the assassin. Even as I squeezed down, the jelly let her slip out of my grasp. A beam of yellow light rushed over me as a bullet whizzed right towards my skull.


    I already had a grasp on the sniper¡¯s timing and location, however. With a meteoric burst of mana, I created an intense gravitational field beside me. A bullet skimped into the ground beneath my head, saving my life. I already discovered the weakness of Elessah as well. She could stop magic on others.


    She couldn¡¯t stop my magic on me.


    I sent out a wave of gravity, slipping me out of the jelly and yellow beam of light. I rolled across the ground in a clumsy mess. Brim shot towards me like a silver bullet. My immense endurance let me get back my stamina, so I stood up. I faced his charge head-on.


    I raised an arm, blocking his arcane spear. It sliced through the bone of my forearm, but it didn¡¯t amputate the limb. With my other arm, I whipped a slicing hook into his stomach. I pulled my arm back as he keeled over yet again. I wrapped my good arm around his neck.


    I had him in a headlock. I jerked upwards with all my strength. This move leveraged all his mass against his neck, breaking it. I let him fall back down on his feet. I wrapped my arms around him, flinging him backwards into a german suplex. His head smashed into the ground, cracks radiating through the destroyed city square.


    I kicked off my feet, flinging myself upwards. As I did, I crossed my arms in front of me. The assassin sliced into my forearms, aiming at my neck. I frowned, not knowing if she had a revival left. I¡¯d fight as if she did.


    She whipped out three rapid sliced at me. I deflected one, the other strikes slitting my wrists. Her injuries, while deft and precise, did little against me. My regeneration outpaced the damage she dealt. With that in mind, I charged forward with a quick jab. She dodged and slit her knife down my arm.


    We pressured each other, each of our strikes compact and dense. Unlike with Brim, the assassin¡¯s technical skill made her hard to hit. If I reared back my fist, she¡¯d slit my throat before I knew what was happening. With that in mind, I gaged the timing of her hits, getting an understanding of her rhythm and attacking patterns.


    I kept mixing my attacks up, alternating the speed and angles. Some of my strikes involved waves of gravity. Some involved tendrils of my armor. Others involved telekinetic pulses. As I intermingled those three patterns of attack, I overwhelmed the assassin.


    I landed three clean strikes against her side. She slowed down, the body damage stunting her stamina regeneration. I aimed for that, letting her attacks graze me. If I stopped her damage completely, she might run. Like this, she¡¯d stay longer and let me get off more damage.


    After a minute of this fighting, I dashed backwards while she reached out at my throat. At the same time, I clocked a weak left hook into her jaw. This rattled her brain, making her stumble.


    I hurt her.


    Scrambling forward with a wave of gravity, I dashed forwards, capitalizing on her mistake. A bullet pierced through my knee cap, causing me to fumble. I stabilized with gravity, but a grenade from Frode blinded me and left me deaf. I felt my way with gravity, but the sudden shift left me groggy.


    The assassin slit my wrists, ducked under a wild strike of mine, and cut my throat. After three more slices, I fell down, my tendons ruptured. Before I healed, she raised her dagger over my head. The dagger extended as she forced it down towards my eye socket.


    Before the blade entered my brain, Althea appeared beside me. She roared as she whipped her hand up, deflecting a bullet from hitting me. With her other hand, she grabbed the assassin. The remnant gasped at Althea¡¯s hold, the remnant''s arm breaking,


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Althea answered by waving her hand through the throat of the assassin. Her hand slit down through the bone, lopping the assassin¡¯s head off. I pulled in a patch of Event Horizon, taking it off of Althea. Althea stepped forward, her free arm deforming into a mass of claws and muscle.


    The reformed arm squashed the assassin down into the road below us. The force of the strike mimicked the might of Yawm, ushering forth a shockwave. The assassin¡¯s body pulped under the raw power. Althea turned towards me, her face covered in the blood of the remnant.


    She gave me a smile sweet as sugar and deadly as venom,


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    I grinned back, ¡°I missed you too.¡±

 141 His Design

    I got a notification. The assassin died, finally. I opened my status, poured my points into endurance, and I hit finalize all at once. Another deluge of power swelled through me. I leveled further, gaining a profound boon in my ability.


    We turned towards Brim. He pushed himself off the ground, picking up his arcane spear. He shook his head, chunks of mirror and stone falling off of him. Elessah floated towards him, casting healing magic over him. Once again, his mirrors returned.


    Elessah rejuvenated Frode''s arm. He still hobbled on the ground, stark naked. Althea turned towards me,


    "What happened to him?"


    I grimaced, "Yawm."


    She frowned back at me, "Where is he? Torix said he was hurt bad. That''s why we moved in."


    I raised an eyebrow, "We?"


    Behind Frode, his shadow loomed. From it, two arms lifted up from the shadow. A metal beak raised from the shade with circular, red eyes glaring at the Enigmatta. It opened its maw, drool leaking from it.


    The hulking figure lifted out of the dark, silent as night. Claws brandished its hands, pitch black fire blazing along their length. It stepped forward, wrapping its massive hands around the neck of Frode. Even with physical touch, the monster made no noise.


    The shadowy figure stepped forward, chunking the Frode at us. As Frode passed over Brim''s head, he turned around. Elessah looked down as the living shadow leaped up. She used her antimagic, destroying the shadow covering the black figure.


    Hod came out, his lanky form landing on her. He wrapped his spindly arms around Elessah, doing his best to hold her back. Hod squawked,


    "Hod not understand why lady take shade form from Hod!"


    Frode tumbled across the ground towards us before we charged him. Brim glanced at the both of us, looking at who to save. He pounded his heels into the dirt, reaching Frode before us. I jumped in front of Althea, taking on Brim''s stab of his spear.


    I clapped my hands over the energy bolt, a sizzling sound ushering from my hands. Althea weaved around me, slicing a biotic sword towards Brim''s right side. Brim turned his spear sideways, blocking her strike. He freed my hands but cut the sharpened horn off of Althea''s arm.


    Without the spear in my way, I swatted the back of my left fist at Brim''s head. The compact blow shook his head, and I rotated my mass on my heels. With a tectonic strike, I sent a quaking right straight into his jaw. A telekinetic bolt ripped across his jaw, his skull whipping with violence.


    Althea growled as she sent a wild strike at Brim''s side at the same time. Her hand pierced his silvery skin. Puncturing into his torso, Althea grabbed his ribs and jerked them back. With brutish strength, she tore out his bones.


    I burned a third of my health in a torrent, sending two gravitational spikes. These wells reached Frode, pulling his legs apart. His hips dislocated, skin tearing near the joint. He landed on the ground, writhing in agony.


    Brim ignored me, kneeing Althea''s stomach. She vomited blood before Brim stepped sideways.


    He elbowed her face, Althea''s skull caving in. Althea rolled along the ground, dead and limp. I shot out a jab at Brim, but he leaned back, dodging the strike. Brim twisted his arcane spear, slashing my wrist. I stepped forward as he stepped back.


    Without Elessah canceling my magic, I freed the full force of my abilities. Brim lashed his spear out at me, but I deflected with an empowered gravity stream. I shot out short strikes, countering his techniques. He lacked the same concision in his movements, letting me abuse his sloppy style.


    As the fight progressed, I gained the upper hand on Brim. The Breakers slaughtered most of the eldritch, but a few remained, powering Event Horizon. The conduits with the legion bolstered me, giving me a surge in strength.


    Brim overpowered me over the short term, but my uncompromising regen turned the tide. Wounds accumulated over the next minute, Brim''s movements growing sluggish. Elessah banged at Hod''s face, trying to knock him off. He held on tight, biting her with his armored beak.


    From behind Brim, Althea revived. As she did, she cloaked herself, becoming imperceptible. Her camouflage deepened, being hidden even against my gravitational sense.


    With an unspoken understanding, I pressed Brim back. I distracted him, amping up the intensity of our struggle. It left Brim and me vulnerable. At the culmination of our conflict, Elessah wormed her way out of Hod''s grasp.


    She cast her antimagic at me, nullifying my mana. Off instinct, I molded my armor over my head. Three bullets snapped against my head in rapid succession. Only one pierced through the top of my head, the others bouncing off. They still collided with my head like cinderblocks.


    The metal casing over my head rang as my vision blurred. Brim stabbed the spear through my throat. He twisted as Althea appeared behind him once more.


    With two massive, reformed arms, Althea clapped Brim''s head. Her swollen, bulbous arms squashed his skull like a melon. He fell down, the spear dislodging from my throat. Althea cartwheeled through the air, her motion graceful.


    She sliced off one of Brim''s hands during her somersault. She grabbed the spear, using Brim''s amputated hand to hold it. Frode tossed something at us. I stepped in front of Althea, blood gushing from my throat. I wrapped my arms around the grenade, shifting my armor over it.


    The metallic sphere blasted out with a firebomb following an arcane pulse. As I absorbed the assault, Althea walked up over my back. She grunted as she heaved the energy spear. It zipped through the air, bolts of electricity arcing off it.


    The spear impaled Frode, leaving a hole in his chest. Frode fell to his knees. With his fingertips, Frode probed the inside of his chest. He gasped. Blood drooled from his anglerfish face. He glanced backward at elessah.


    The mage fired shot after shot at Hod. Hod was different now, however. He lacked the same clumsiness. Over the last few months, he mastered his eldritch form. He shifted across shadows, teleporting across the battlefield. No bolt hit his ethereal, changing shape. He dodged her antimagic now.


    Like darkness come alive, Hod dashed between spots of shade. He lived there, hurling blobs of dusk at Elessah. She evaded, returning fire. With Hod keeping her busy, I charged Frode. My neck already healed.


    Frode opened his dimensional storage. Behind me, Althea did the same. Pulling out the rifle I made her, The Omen, she generated a bolt of bone. With fluidity and precision, Althea loaded the slug, sliding it in place. She fired her biotic rifle, sheering Frode''s only arm off.


    I reached him. I threw a punch like throwing a baseball. As my punch landed, the impact destroyed Frode''s noggin. The anglerfish''s head turned inside out. From behind me, Althea sprinted forward. She jumped as I turned around to her.


    She landed right above me, and I grabbed her with my arms. Like throwing a javelin, I flung Althea At Elessah. I molded Event Horizon away from the two of them as I ran with Althea.


    She outraced me. Like a Valkyrie, Althea molded wings from herself. She zoomed over the ground towards Elessah. Elessah turned towards her. She raised a hand at Althea. Using an explosion of magic, I smacked her hand downwards.


    Her pillar of light missed its mark. Elessah still controlled her flight. She jetted around, eluding Althea. On the other hand, Hod reached her. With his shade form intact, he gripped her arms with shadow claws. Hod pulled her down, crushing her against the side of a skyscraper.


    Like a savage beast, he mauled her. Hod''s massive form thrashed her. Elessah struggled, deflecting a few of the strikes. Before she regained composure, Althea fired off two bolts. Each one impaled an arm of Elessah. Pinned and unable to fend Hod off, she perished.


    After a minute, she revived. It mattered little. She tried surviving once more. With bolts from Althea, Hod''s mobility, and my control magic, she didn''t stand a chance. Elessah was a support, not a duelist. Her sniper friend was nowhere to be found either. My guess, it abandoned her.


    As Elessah died, the three of us stood over her corpse. I turned towards Althea and Hod. Both were shorter now, though Althea wasn''t as slender anymore. My guess was my legacy gave her the constitution to make her look different.


    If anything, she was even more attractive.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    It could be me not seeing her for so long. Hod looked beefier too. His shade form made him mirror my own size and height, though not as broad. If I had to describe his new look in one word, it''d be menacing. Darkness claws and a rippling form does that.


    I raised my hands, shouting at the top of my lungs,


    "We fucking won. I can''t believe it."


    Hod raised his hands, speaking a dark, booming voice,


    "Hod like to say Hod had faith in Harbinger, but Hod not want to lie."


    His shade form dissipated, revealing the spindly bird form of Hod,


    "Hod have no faith in Harbinger when Harbinger left. Hod glad Hod wrong."


    I reached out with an inkling of gravity, grabbing Althea. I pulled her to me, and she giggled as I wrapped my arm around her waist. She bit her lips, sexy and fiery. She locked her hands behind my neck, a bright grin gracing her lips.


    With a mischievous grin, I lifted her up. I pulled back the helmet from my face,


    "You''re a sight for sore eyes."


    She pulled me in, kissing me. Soft and warm, I indulged myself for a second, enjoying the sensation. Having enhanced senses paid off in spades here, letting me enjoy the slightest touch.


    Hod covered his eyes with a winged hand,


    "Hod Interrupting Harbinger big moment. Hod apologize."


    He raised his other winged hand to his chin, "But Hod wonder if Hod really ruin moment. Hod also wonder if Hod part of big moment."


    Hod nodded as if coming to a grand realization,


    "Hod is, of course, part of big moment. Hard for moment to be big without Hod."


    I rolled my eyes while Althea laughed. I let Althea go, but she ran her hand down my arm as she dropped. We reached out our hands, our fingertips the last part to lose contact.  Cheesy, yeah, but it''s hard not to be after being away from each other for so long.


    Althea''s warmth turned cold after a few moments, "Where''s Yawm?"


    I turned towards the skyscraper at the edge of the building. I pointed that way, "He''s there."


    She raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    I scratched the back of my head, "Uh...it''s complicated?"


    Althea walked past me, "From what Torix told me, he''s nearly dead. Come on, let''s finish him."


    I jogged up, catching up to her,


    "See, that''s the thing. I don''t know, hmmm, how do I say this..."


    I waved my hands in front of me, "It''s...damn this weird to say...I don''t know if we should kill Yawm."


    Althea turned towards me, "There''s no way...did he brainwash you or something?"


    I shook my head, putting my palms to Althea, "No, at least I don''t think so. Let me know if what I''m about to say sounds crazy though."


    Althea let her hands flop against her sides, "You already sound crazy."


    I sighed, "Yeah, maybe I am."


    A thick, icy chill leaked into Althea''s voice, "You remember what that he''s done, right? We can''t give up this chance. He''s weak, alone, and injured. We slit his throat now, or he''ll slit ours."


    We hobbled over rubble, the broken city surrounding us.


    "I''ve been talking to him for a while. He seems to regret what he did."


    Althea frowned, staring at the abandoned high rise,


    "He hasn''t done a thing for anyone he killed or hurt. To me, that means he hasn''t changed." Althea turned towards me, raising a hand,


    "Seriously, did he even stop experimenting on things?"


    I remembered the eldritch we hunted down from Springfield. I shook my head.


    "What about changing his plans or goals? Did he do any of that either?"


    I frowned.


    Althea shook her head, walking into the abandoned skyscraper,


    "That''s what I thought. Let''s be glad you''re so hardheaded. Otherwise, he might have brainwashed you already."


    I grimaced. Maybe Althea was right. I couldn''t tell anymore. Why I wanted to save him, well, perhaps it was his charisma or the contract we made. It didn''t matter why. What mattered was quelching the urge in its entirety. Leaving Yawm alive was like giving away a bunch of nukes. It wasn''t worth the risk.


    With that on my mind, we all reached the shady high rise. Only sunlight illuminated the inside, casting long shadows around us. Entire floors collapsed from the fight earlier, cracks smothering every surface. The post-apocalyptic environment suited us.


    By now, it might as well be home.


    I dashed through floors of the building towards Yawm. The holes I left behind let Hod and Althea follow me. After a few dozen stories, we reached the world eater.


    He landed in a parking lot, several cars plowed out of his path. A glowing green trail of blood led to him. My black armor covered him from head to toe, but he gasped underneath it. His chest wheezed for air. When I stepped up to him, he murmured,


    "Is it my maker, perchance?"


    I frowned, "Nope. Just me."


    "And the others? Who are they?"


    Hod answered, "Hod is Hod. Lady friend is lady friend."


    Yawm coughed, "I see you only associate yourself with companions of the highest intelligence."


    Hod spread out his wings, "Hod grateful that Yawm understand depth of Hod intelligence."


    Yawm let out a pained chuckle, "As deep as a puddle."


    Althea stepped up, placing the barrel of her rifle at Yawm''s head.


    Yawm murmured,


    "Ah, so that''s who you are...Have you come to kill me then?"


    Althea growled, "Yes."


    "And so the orphan I took under my wing comes to murder me...No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose. My own father told me that after my mother was slain for my own bounty."


    Althea shouted, pain in her voice, "You killed my own parents. Why are you even talking right now?"


    I reached down, pulling my armor back to me. It uncurled from Yawm, revealing what a mess he was. He turned towards Althea, his eyes searching,


    "Is that what they told you? No wonder they convinced you to hunt bounties for their own gain. To think they put my most prized possession in harm''s way."


    Althea kicked Yawm''s side. He coughed up blood, and she pressed her barrel back onto his forehead,


    "You just turned me into a freak. I hated myself. I tried killing myself so many times."


    I turned towards Althea, my stomach sinking.


    Yawm''s eyes softened, "And there was nothing I could do to stop your fate. You came out half eldritch. I did nothing but expose you to the Tears of Etorhma. It gave you the strength to stand on your own."


    Yawm reached out a hand. "And so my lotus turned deadly, a viper given fangs. I slew the scientists that tried twisting you. You came out a beautiful young woman. A woman with eyes hard as stone."


    Althea''s breath turned ragged, "Daniel is the one that gave me fangs. He never babied me, and yeah, it was a bit rough at first. He did kill me when we first met."


    Althea grimaced, "But he''s why I can stay the way I am."


    Yawm turned towards me, "Ahhh...Your armor...A conduit."


    She nodded, "That''s right. I don''t even need it anymore."


    She raised a hand, molding it like liquid, "I choose to be a monster now."


    Yawm radiated a kind voice, "You turned your curse into a blessing."


    Althea took a step back, "Yeah...that''s right."


    I turned towards Althea. She shivered, her aim no longer straight. Yawm''s words left her uncertain.


    Yawm raised a hand towards her, "I want nothing more than for you to flourish. You were never a monster, not to me. I saw you as my most excellent creation. A natural combination of two halves becoming one."


    Althea whispered in disbelief, "Really?"


    I turned towards Althea, dread racing up my throat. Yawm was controlling her within seconds of speaking with her.


    "I am painted out like a demon, but I do not lie. I consider myself a poor father, but a proud one all the same."


    Yawm let his hand smack against the concrete, "Do any of you ever dwell on your future?"


    Hod nodded, "Hod want Eltari safe. Hod want new home for tribe."


    Yawm nodded, "I as well wanted a new home for my people. Our world was left decayed and destroyed after we were invaded. Schema gave us nothing after we were assimilated."


    Yawm gestured all around us with a slow, weak move of his arm,


    "What was done to your city was done to my entire world. Every world thereafter was glassed in the name of Schema. Once I''ve been here for much longer, this world will share the same fate."


    His words got to me a little with that one.


    "The skies will burn with a light that blinds any that see it. Even if you kill me, they will come. Schema will want to disintegrate the world tree. If you let me live, I can help you all."


    Yawm looked up, "I...I don''t want to watch another horizon bathe in fire."


    Althea and Hod looked up at me. Hod murmured,


    "Hod like Earth. Earth new home of Eltari."


    I looked back down at Yawm, my eyes narrowing,


    "And why should we trust you?"


    Yawm shook his head, "You shouldn''t. You can only have faith in my words."


    Althea grabbed her forehead, her eyes darting around,


    "I looked forward to killing you...This is all just...some kind of trick."


    Yawm''s eyes narrowed, "Kill me then. Billions will burn for it."


    I didn''t know if I could trust Yawm, but he laid the seed for serious doubt. I didn''t know who or what to think at this point.


    As my doubt mounted, a whisper rang in my ear,


    "To think they all fall to his words."


    A figure phased onto our realm behind Yawm. Ajax stood there, raising a thin hand. As he lowered his arm, he cleaved the dimensional fabric in a line towards Yawm.


    The world eater was ready.


    His ancient voice rang out like iron,


    "Finally."


    Yawm snapped his fingers. Green spheres of energy appeared over each of us. We froze, all of us unable to move. The glow permeating Yawm''s blood dimmed, making it a sickly yellow. Vibrant waves of cascading energy rained over Yawm, healing him in seconds.


    He rolled onto his chest, pushing himself from the floor. He brushed off his shoulders, some dirt and pebbles clattering against the floor.


    He stared at each sphere, his eyes wide.


    "You appear once more, Volan."


    He tapped the orb over Ajax. Yawm laughed slow at first. The laughing edged into madness. Malignance rushed into the laughter.


    He spoke,


    "And here I believe I lost you."

 142 One Against Many

    No one answered Yawm since he held us in place. Yawm put his hands behind his back, interlocking his fingers. He walked up to me,


    "You fought against my words for so long. I failed to break you after months. How you''ve endured is a feat I''ve seen in no one else. You should be proud."


    He turned towards Althea, "This one broke after a few sentences by comparison, as did the bird. To have such weak-willed friends...it does you a disservice, Harbinger. We''ll rectify that over time."


    A chill ran down my spine.


    He turned back to Ajax,


    "You know, molding you with the spear might be my greatest mistake. I trusted you as an equal, Ajax. I wanted us to fight alongside each other. Doing so proved impossible. You grew greedy. You wanted more from the spear. You wanted absolute freedom and zero responsibility."


    Yawm shook his head, "You turned from my greatest friend into one of my most hated enemies. I''ll be taking back the spear I integrated with you. I''ll mold it with myself this time. Obviously, you don''t deserve to wield its power. Giving it to you was like giving a grenade to a child."


    Yawm spread out his arms, a bitterness leaking into his voice,


    "I wish I could hear what retorts you have. I truly desire to listen to you and your concerns, but if I release you for even a moment, you will disappear forever. I never wanted this, but you forced my hand. You begged for the spear. You begged on your knees for that power I gave you."


    Yawm''s hands shook with fury,


    "I give to you, and now you use my gift against me. I will never give again."


    Yawm turned away, walking up to me,


    "At least I understand your actions against me. You even gave a half-hearted attempt at rescuing me. It wasn''t nearly enough to ensure my survival, but you were protecting yourself. I empathize. Even then..."


    Yawm sighed, "You refuse to turn your back on Schema. You''ve plotted against me since you''ve come. I saw through your lies and deception. You are no master of words. Reasonable attempts mind you, but nowhere near enough."


    Yawm shook his hands at me,


    "What we could have been given time...I cringe at the thought of losing your potential. As a warrior, you are tremendous. You mirror my own progress, a being beyond normal sentients. You throw it at that automation''s feet. That absurd potential is wasted in his hands."


    Frustration leaked into his voice,


    "I warned you. He would use you until you died. You still refused to listen to me. You were meant to be molded into my arbiter, a force against Schema. In the end, you chose a machine over flesh and blood. You chose greed over reason. So be it."


    At this point, listening to him became infuriating. Hell, I tried saving his ass. He was trying to break my mind the whole time, yet he''s acting like I betrayed his ass. We didn''t even attack him. Ajax, the newly named mister dumbass, did.


    Finished speaking with me, Yawm turned towards Hod,


    "You''ll listen over time, unlike the Harbinger. You will make a fine follower, if a bit dull."


    Yawm grabbed his own chin, "I''m curious about what kind of being you are exactly...I sense you utilize eldritch energy as Althea does, yet it doesn''t overwhelm you in the same manner. You lack the same deformation. It''s as if your biology stabilizes it better. Intriguing."


    Yawm tapped his chin, "It''s like a potent medicine for you, and when taking too much, it acts like poison. Studying your unique species may give me unique answers. Look forward to it."


    Hearing that made my stomach sink. Hod was trying to find a safe place for the Eltari. Having his entire race in the hands of a madman...Well, it couldn''t feel good.


    With supreme confidence, Yawm turned back to me. He tilted his head,


    "In all honesty, you are the creature I''m most curious about. Your resilience disregards all norms and expectations. Since you''re useless as a soldier, we''ll explore the properties that allow for such tenacity."


    He shrugged, "The contract we signed only forbid killing one another after all."


    He turned to Althea,


    "You know, managing our comradery was an actual struggle, Daniel. It''s been some time since I formed a genuine relationship with someone else. Lying and manipulating you proved impossible."


    Yawm tapped the surface of Althea''s barrier, sending a ripple through it,


    "Every time I felt as though I gained your trust, your doubt resurfaced. Indeed, you embody the word ''stubborn.''"


    He walked over to me, tapping my barrier as well, "I believed you''d finally understood my reasoning after the incident with the Old Ones. Planting those agents on us both required a great deal of trouble, I assure you."


    Yawm let his hands flop against his sides, "Even after noticing your sense of gravity and using it against you, you never lost your conviction against me. Once more, I schemed with the contract. Here I imagined you''d summon Ajax for escape."


    I winced. The whole time I was right. Being right felt pretty damn bad.


    Yawm raised a single finger, "Once more, my plan fell through. I couldn''t tell if you discovered my plan or not. I''ll assume you did. Even then, my persistence finally came together with this deception. The results I aimed for finally materialized."


    At this point, dread rushed through me like jumping into cold water.


    Yawm raised his fists, "Now I''ve lost nothing. I regained all four of my followers. You all are much more powerful than my previous subordinates. Each of you is an enormous boon to my research as well. My situation could not be better."


    My mind raced with options. Torix''s mana streams still flowed to me, as did Amara''s mana. The legion was coming. With our numbers, maybe we could break Yawm with a war of attrition. Preventing Yawm from obliterating them was the problem.


    Yawm understood how trivial armies were against him just as we did. He rubbed his hands together, glaring at me,


    "You, in particular, will prove worthy of my study. The tenacity of your metal flesh will hold together even under...unfavorable circumstances. You also can channel mana into the cipher."


    Yawm laughed, a bit of his inner madness leaking out,


    "I''ll learn your secrets. I''ll learn all of your secrets. Once I have, we''ll see what the Tears of Etorhma will do to you. I pray you don''t disappoint."


    It was like Yawm''s mask was taken off in full, revealing the demon underneath. He steepled his fingers together in excitement,


    "Our contract won''t let me kill you, but after all, you''re no use to me dead. You''re far more valuable in other ways."


    In the distance, a rumbling surged across the ground. The legion was coming, a group of several thousand soldiers. Torix trained, armed, and led them. If Yawm so much as touched them with his magic, they''d perish. If they reached us, we had a chance.


    Otherwise, Yawm would have his way with us.


    I winced at the thought. The legion reaching Yawm seemed unlikely. As the legion''s thunder sounded louder, Yawm turned towards the source of all the noise. He spread out his arms,


    "So this would be the other intruders then? Considering the number of them, it must be the group that escaped my grasp because of that pestering lich."


    Yawm clapped his hands together, sending out a shockwave.


    "They await another demonstration."


    Air popped, and the ensuing green aura integrated into Yawm''s palm. He clasped it, and our scenery changed. Atop a low lying building, we faced the oncoming legion.


    Many of them flew across the sky on eldritch, jetpacks, or helicopters. Others raced across the ground on monstrous steeds of all different sizes. Many rode Torix''s summons, covering the rough terrain with ease. All the eltari flew with grace. They were doomed at this rate.


    Yawm raised a hand at the group. Knowing what would come next, I tried moving. As I expected, I couldn''t even budge. Trying out option two, I reached out with mana. It affected the inside of the stasis, but it didn''t change anything outside it. This prison froze me in place to perfection.


    Yawm glanced at me,


    "Trying your magic then? Good luck with your attempts at escape. This power over stasis was a gift from Etorhma. I have no idea the principles it uses to operate, but I do understand what it does. None of you will escape, not even Ajax."


    I charged my mana, keeping it flowing through me. If Yawm stored a burst of mana in his body, why couldn''t I? After a few seconds, the mana saturated my blood, bones, and muscle. A fundamental bloodlust came over me as the mana leaked into my head. I kept holding it in, the pressure growing.


    As I charged myself, Yawm consolidated mana until it turned crystalline. The visible grain of mana sat on his palm. It looked like an emerald grain of sand. Stored within was an atomic power. In the hands of Yawm, it meant genocide.


    With a casual air, Yawm hummed a cheery tune while preparing his attack. I could only think of one way to stop him. As the storming feet of Torix''s army rushed down nearby streets and over the city, Yawm reared back his hand.


    Yawm whispered, "It''s a shame...Yet another skyline is consumed with fire."


    As he pushed his hand forward, I used every bit of mana I stored up at the last minute. I even dipped into my health, leaving about 71% of my health remaining. The millions of mana burst, creating a gravity well.


    I condensed the well, compressing it. At the edge of the emerald barrier, it collapsed. The resulting implosion cracked the green forcefield, launching me forward. I propelled to the front of Yawm''s hand as he released his attack.


    As I appeared in front of him, Yawm''s eyes turned wide. He murmured,


    "What?"


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    His attack destroyed the barrier, erasing me from existence. Everything turned white. No sensation. No thoughts. Nothing. I sat in that peace for a few seconds. As I opened my eyes, Yawm and I laid at the bottom of a massive crater.


    Around us, several buildings collapsed. Further beyond, three green orbs lodged in the concrete wall of a parking deck. Each of the force fields cracked under the shockwave of Yawm''s attack. Even then, none of the others escaped.


    I sat up. The only reason I survived was because of my Invincibility tree. If I took over 70% of my health, I would live and store the overkill damage.


    Charged with that overkill damage, I glanced at Yawm.


    On his chest, bark skin flaked from burns. Half the skin on his face was gone, wooden fibers lying under it. I raised my hands, orienting myself. The cosmic energy in my hands amazed me. Twice already the tree saved my ass.


    Wielding that otherworldly strength, I stood up. I dashed towards Yawm. As my feet thudded against the ground, he sat up. He rolled his eyes, raising a hand at me. Using the last bit of glow in his chest, he created a green sphere over me. With that, his chest no longer glowed green.


    It was a dark yellow color, like snot.


    Yawm grunted,


    "If you believe I''ll fall for that trick once more, you''re sadly mistaken."


    Once more in stasis, I watched Yawm push himself up. He shook his head, shaking off his confusion. He raised a hand to me again, building mana. He sent out another pulse.


    My legs disintegrated. Yawm turned his arm, destroying my arms after. He lowered his hand,


    "Let''s see you utilize your magic in that state."


    Yawm turned towards the others in their cracked green shells. He sighed,


    "I can only imagine what I''d do if Ajax actually escaped. Death would be the least of your worries, I assure you."


    He raised his palm. After a series of cracks, he placed mana into his hand. Before casting his spell, roots ripped out of the ground. They wrapped around his arm, pulling it downwards. A path of green forcefield formed as his arm moved.


    Yawm squinted at the roots,


    "What in Baldowah''s name is this...Amara."


    More roots came out of the ground from the world tree. They smothered Yawm, covering his entire frame. He roared in frustration, tearing the wood apart as it formed around him.


    "There will be legends told of your suffering, Lost One. You will be remembered."


    In the distance, other roots wrapped around the cracked orbs. Althea, Hod, and Ajax stood still as the wooden tendrils squeezed down. Fissures spread along the sphere''s surface.


    Amidst the turmoil, I charged my own mana once more. Yawm swatted through the abundance of roots. Along the edge of the crater, the legion arrived. A thick wave of troops ran down the side of the slope towards us.


    Yawm turned to the oncoming soldiers. He turned towards Ajax and the others. He lifted his hand again, coalescing power. At the same time, he resisted the pull of the roots. Before he finished his spell, four eltari dived down from the sky. They crashed into him, their talons flared.


    Yawm roared, "So the bird has allies I take it?"


    He waved his arm, rending an armored eltari apart. Guts and blood splattered out, and Yawm laughed,


    "Frail. Weak. Like waving away mist."


    As if squashing bugs, he minced the eltari into slush. Beside Yawm, several vanguards landed from above. Coated in heavy power armor and hydraulics, they charged towards Yawm. With each move of his hand, Yawm killed one after the other.


    Several of these vanguards landed blows on Yawm. They did no damage whatsoever. He tore them asunder. They bought time, however. The other troops reached us in a massive wave. Yawm fought off roots, diving eltari, and the charging cavalry all at once.


    It was chaos.


    Dozens of eldritch were sent flying with each of Yawm''s strikes. A machine of war, he broke them apart. When he lifted his hand and tried magic, a flurry of attacks from all sides stopped him.


    Within minutes, he killed hundreds of soldiers. It gave me the time I needed though. With another gravitational implosion, I cracked the green barrier once more. I launched myself right at Yawm''s back. As he turned around, he struck my forcefield off instinct.


    His attack sent me flying backward. I rolled, crushing soldiers and eldritch alike. After bouncing for a few seconds, a bolt of ice crashed into the sphere. A plume of icy wind crashed over me, wind brushing across my face. I smacked on the ground.


    I coughed into the dirt, my limbs regenerating. Even in this state, I shivered with stored energy from the Invincible tree. I still contained the dormant power from Yawm''s earlier blast. I intended on using it.


    As I gained my limbs and armor back, I pushed my face up off the ground.


    A bony hand appeared in front of me. I took it, keeping my pull to a minimum. Torix grunted,


    "By Schema you''re heavy."


    I lifted up, seeing his smiling, dry face. I grinned,


    "Damn is it good to see you again."


    With a curt nod, Torix pointed towards Yawm, "You as well, disciple. There''s no time for greetings, however. Ready yourself. This is our last attempt at slaying him."


    I turned towards Yawm. I spit my words a bit,


    "I need an opening. I can injure him."


    Torix nodded, opening a portal. From it, several ogres came out. Covered in scales and holding clubs of stone, they charged at Yawm. Torix opened another portal,


    "I''m going to free the others. Show the eater of worlds why you herald calamity."


    I shook my head and banged my fists together. With hundreds of legion members running past me, I dived into the ground. I drilled for a few seconds. With a detonation of my runes, I exploded out of the earth.


    Yawm turned towards me, dragging his fist behind him. He swung it overhead. It collided with my own fist, unleashing a shockwave. In a thirty foot radius, soldiers and monsters alike flung aside like sand in a wind tunnel. My own bones groaned with effort, but they somehow held.


    Yawm''s own bones somehow didn''t.


    His fist cracked under pressure, my armor more durable than his skin. His upper arm bone split, stabbing up through his shoulder. He stayed standing, but the arm went limp after taking on the attack. It flopped against his side as useless as Kessiah in a fight.


    Alright, that was a low blow. Anyways, I still took damage. Even though my own arm held up under the punishment, my body absorbed the shock of it. I''d never withstood the brunt of an impact like that. It rocked me to my core, fractures going through my bones and skin.


    Blood exploded from my mouth, my eyes bleeding. My nose turned stuffy in an instant, filling up with god knows what. My knees wobbled as I took two steps back from the point of impact. Yawm boomed out a warcry, swatting his broken arm at me like a club.


    The broken limb flashed before my eyes. I blacked out. I woke up, flopping into the side of a skyscraper like a ragdoll. Glass shattered. Concrete splintered. Dust from crushed stone erupted. Dazed and confused. I pushed myself out of the side of the building. I wobbled on my feet, running right back at Yawm. I may not be as strong as he was, but he wouldn''t catch me giving in.


    I wanted to give him a demonstration on being relentless.


    I reached the fight once more. Yawm didn''t seem as eager for the battle. He glanced around, an inkling of panic showing on his face. He found Torix floating on a ball of black mana. The lich cast scorching, elemental magic onto the sphere holding Althea. The orb was more crevice then forcefield at this point.


    Yawm raised his hand, but once more a swarm of soldiers covered him from head to toe. Eltari jabbed their talons into him. Vanguards struck out with hydraulic fists. Yawm shouted in annoyance,


    "I own goals that I must accomplish. Begone."


    He lifted his fist, slamming it into the dirt. Another explosion sent soldiers outwards. With the second or two of an opening, he lifted up his hand at Torix. Before he could finish, I slammed into him like a speeding bullet.


    Yawm fell to the ground, rolling from the crash.


    From inside my armor, I pulled out the tip of Brim''s spear that I stole earlier. Using the arcane blade, I stabbed it into the back of Yawm''s neck. He lifted me up. I gouged the edge of the knife deeper as he did.


    Yawm shook his back, shaking me like a tire swing in a hurricane. Using gravity, my grip, and molded armor, I held on by the breadth of a hair. I reared my fist back, punching Yawm three or four times in the face. Yawm looked around unfazed, growling out his words,


    "I''m going to tear your insides out and wear that skin of yours."


    He grabbed my head with his right arm, the only one still functioning. He pulled me from his back, pieces of my armor snapping. He slammed me into the ground. Tectonic impacts rippled outwards, the pavement launching out like shrapnel.


    Using me as a club, he swung me at approaching soldiers. They splat against me, soft as playdough. I grabbed Yawm''s arm, digging my armor into his flesh. I concentrated Event Horizon over his arm, enhancing the effect.


    Yawm spun me around over his head then tossed me away again with a loud roar. I crashed through two skyscrapers, landing hundreds of meters away. Facing the sky, I looked up at my own foot. It bent the wrong way, along with one of my elbows.


    Using my armor and gravity streams, I snapped my bones back into place. With tendrils of my armor and gravity wells, I hobbled back onto my feet. I created pillars of armor over my leg and arm like makeshift splints.


    I  shuffled over chunks of broken rock and concrete towards Yawm.


    I raised a hand, using a bit of my mana regen. I pulled myself along, speeding up as my bones healed. Once fixed, I dove into the ground, racing back towards Yawm.


    Once I got there, Yawm busied himself with harpoons from Althea, magic from Torix, roots, and soldiers. When Torix and Althea reloaded or recharged, soldiers dog piled Yawm. The world tree helped amplify the effect of both.


    Yawm''s composure was cracking under the onslaught.


    With his usual nobility gone, he swung out in desperation. He looked for opportunities to strike back with his magic. The recharge rate of his magic prevented him from doing so. With a vicious grin, I dashed into the fray.


    As I did, Yawm turned towards me. His eyes widened, and his shoulders slumped,


    "How do you still stand?"


    When I reached him, he swung out with his arm. I jerked myself from his blow using a well of gravity. He charged towards me, but I dove into the ground, evading his grasp. I lifted myself back up out of the landscape, striking at his back.


    He backhanded me, his hand landing on my right arm blocking my side. He crushed the arm, cracking my ribs like twigs. I shot into the sloped side of the crater he fought in.


    As the dust settled, I pushed myself from the pile of broken rock and dirt. I stumbled on my right leg, my left one broken. I pulled my left leg back into place. I hobbled forward with my right arm looking like a slinky.


    Yawm stood gawking at me in amazement,


    "What are you?"


    I didn''t answer. I was too busy putting one shaky foot in front of the other one. It felt like running with someone else''s legs. No one had time for me to wait until it was easy to move. We had a world eater to kill.


    I wobbled back and forth, dashing downhill at Yawm. Above me, Althea and Torix rained down hell on Hod''s green sphere. Soldiers drowned Yawm when he tried stopping them.


    As I reached Yawm again, Hod''s sphere shattered. Hod dove down like an eagle, his shade form condensing over him. Hod landed on the shadow of the building. Without any noise, he fell into the shade like a still pool of black water.


    From behind Yawm, he rose. I tackled Yawm''s front while Hod struck his back. Yawm swatted a hand out at Hod, but Hod disintegrated into Yawm''s shadow. Taking advantage, I swiveled on my heels, launching a massive uppercut at Yawm''s gut.


    With gravity aiding my power, it left cracks in Yawm''s bark skin. Yawm swung his fist over his head, slamming his knuckles into my forehead. My neck broke. My teeth shattered. I crushed into the ground. From behind me, Hod jumped out of my shadow and sliced at Yawm''s arm.


    His claws left three umbral streaks of fire. Yawm swatted his hand at Hod, but I jerked the bird from Yawm''s grasp with gravity. Two bolts from Althea stabbed into Yawm''s back while he was distracted. A fireball detonated on him right after.


    I laid there, crushed beneath Yawm. Bruning from two different kinds of fires, Yawm no longer panicked. Yawm turned towards me, lifting his foot. He stomped my chest, my torso caving in. Yawm lifted his foot again, harpoons jamming into his neck and head.


    Yawm absorbed the damage and continued stomping. The crater we fought in deepened with each strike, shockwaves rippling out. Hod appeared behind Yawm again, ripping at his legs. It didn''t matter.


    Yawm ignored the incoming damage, stomping me over and over. After ten stomps, my health dwindled. I lifted my arms, blocking another two stomps. He broke my arms under his heels. This must be what Korga felt like.


    As my health reached 10%, my body was mush. I gurgled,


    "What about the contract Yawm?"


    Yawm wheezed in between stomps, "I''ll. Endure. The. Consequences."


    Yawm lifted his foot for a final time. Before he lowered his heel, I remembered the arcane blade lodged in his neck. With a burst of gravity, I shifted the edge. It cut through Yawm''s neck.


    At the same time, I moved it into the trajectory of one of Althea''s bolts. The harpoon smashed into the arcane blade, slicing through 80% of Yawm''s neck.


    A fountain of yellow gunk spurted from his neck. Yawm stumbled sideways, grabbing at his throat. He was trying to hold in his blood. It was far too late.


    Yawm fell onto his side. Hod picked up the arcane blade, jumping on top of Yawm.


    He sliced at him, stabbing with brutality. Althea fired bolts into Yawm''s head. Yawm''s arms twitched as he struggled, weakened by blood loss. He choked out,


    "I...I can''t die...There is so....so much more...I need to do...Schema...eldritch..."


    Yawm''s hand quivered,


    "Mother...father...no more..."


    Yawm''s hand thumped against the ground. When everyone ceased the slaughter, Yawm was nothing but mush. I splinted my neck with my armor, letting me heal. As sat up, I turned towards the others. A deafening silence passed over the battlefield.


    We all looked at Yawm, disbelief spread over everyone. It didn''t feel real. Everyone was thinking the same thing. He''d come back at any second now.


    After the silence stretched, it was apparent. A series of notifications appeared in my inbox. Yawm was gone.


    We killed the worldeater. We slayed Yawm of Flesh.

 143 Free

    Well, we didn''t kill him. Hod did. I looked over at the one and only birdman. With vibrant splashes of yellow gunk over him, he laid on his knees beside Yawm''s corpse. He heaved for breath. I regenerated and walked over towards him. He glanced up at me,


    "Hod kill Yawm?"


    I grinned, "Yeah, I think so."


    Hod hobbled up to his feet, glancing around at the soldiers. His shade form dissipated,


    "Legion slay Yawm? Legion save Earth, home of eltari and human!"


    The legion roared in approval, the celebration spreading through the ranks. With absolute delight, the soldiers threw helmets, shouted in joy, and celebrated. We won. We beat the unbeatable. We killed the unkillable.


    I grabbed Hod''s wing, pulling it up as I boomed my words,


    "We pushed back the tide. We held the line."


    All eyes set on me. I turned around, gesturing around us, "We will honor those that fell in battle against that monster. Grieving can wait, however. Tonight, we celebrate our victory. Long live the Legion!"


    The members of my guild banged a fist to their chest in unison. They shouted with discipline,


    "Long live the Harbinger!"


    I turned up, glancing at Torix. He smiled back and shrugged. He taught them a commemoration. Even if it was unnecessary, it was a nice touch. I put my hand over Hod, cleaning off blood with my armor. The black metal receded, showing Hod good as new.


    Hod ran up and hugged me, banging his wing against my back,


    "Hod happy that Harbinger back. Hod miss friend."


    I pat his back, "Me too. Me too."


    Hod let go and ran forward. He jumped into the air, flying upwards by flapping his wings. A swarm of eltari went over him. They dashed around in complex shapes, some ritual taking place no doubt. I didn''t know what to think.


    Althea and Torix came over towards me. I leaned over Yawm''s body, using my armor to eat his corpse. As I did, my mass increased. Each second I absorbed the latent energy, I gained thousands of pounds. By the time I finished, my feet cracked into the ground yet again. Great.


    With Overwhelming presence, I dispersed my weight. Torix landed beside me, a full head and shoulders shorter than me. The crowd of troops raced down the sides of the slope towards me too.


    Before they reached us, Torix walked up, his hands clasped behind him. A bright grin ran up and down his thin lips. I put a hand on his shoulder. I raised a fist in front of us both,


    "We got em."


    Torix laughed, an almost hysterical tone in his voice. He unclasped his hands, tapping a bony fist against my own,


    "That we did."


    The horde of soldiers reached me as Althea ran up. They gave us space as we executed a flawless running hug. I held her up by her waist, spinning her around. She giggled before I leaned her over into a kiss. As I did, the throng of soldiers around us gave out a loud hoopla.


    It was awesome, not gonna lie.


    Althea blushed like crazy, but an irrepressible smile plastered itself on her face. We unlocked our lips. She grabbed my cheeks, pulling her forehead against mine. We just grinned at each other, at a loss for words. It was finally over.


    After that, I stood straight up. I looked around me, everyone reaching just up to my elbows. It gave me a great view of the sheer number of soldiers. All different eldritch stood beside them, some with the summons of Torix. I raised a fist. They built it with me, and we thundered out our victory.


    Torix even raised a hand, casting fire magic at the sky. Below the Eltari and above our troops, majestic flames danced in the air for us. The moment took my breath away.


    After that, I spoke with the troops on a more personal level. Many mentioned how they always knew we''d get Yawm in the end. Some said how they''re finally away from the devil instructor called Kessiah. Others talked about settling down with a family they made here.


    They treated me like a celebrity. If I was to make a comparison, I imagined this is what Alexander the Great felt like when he conquered Persia. After talking for a few more hours though, the situation settled down. Torix handled the Legion''s return to the mountain base.


    I stayed behind with Hod and Althea. I walked around with Althea. It turns out that absorbing and looting the corpses of Breakers makes a decent date. Hod and the eltari just flew around above us doing their own thing. The whole while, Althea and I gushed to one another.


    "That sounds like literal hell."


    I nodded, "Eh, it could have been a lot worse. Yawm wasn''t...mean or anything like that. He was twisted, yeah, but deep down he wasn''t bad. He was just misguided in my opinion. It''s actually kind of sad we couldn''t save him..."


    Althea rolled her eyes, "We''ll agree to disagree there. He made me live in a dungeon with other children I had to watch die."


    I raised my hands, torn between two sides, "That''s the thing. None of those children would have had a childhood. You all were orphans, even you."


    She frowned, "I had parents."


    I raised my hands, "But can you remember them?"


    Althea glanced down. She stared at the rubble beneath our pacing feet,


    "No, not really. I just thought it was because I couldn''t remember being a kid."


    I nodded, "I''m not saying Yawm was perfect. We had to take him down for sure. I''m just saying he wasn''t pure evil."


    Althea sighed, "I can''t accept that."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I can''t blame you. You saw a different side of Yawm."


    She shook her head, "I never saw him really. I saw what he did to the others. No one ended up the same after leaving to see him. He was always like that. You never got to see him doing the evil thing, but it was obvious what he was doing."


    I frowned, "Yeah, maybe so."


    I bent over, my armor eating the remains of the assassin. Turns out the assassin lady was a remnant named Eleanor Bacht. Beside the corpse was the assassin''s red knife. Althea picked up the blade, inspecting it. I did as well.


    Viral Menace(lvl req: 4,000) - This osmium alloy has been transfused with the blood of Living Flesh, many viral versions of eldritch, and enzymes for speeding up the reaction of eldritch. This hardened the blade and give''s the edge a devastating effect. Make sure you don''t cut yourself with its sharp edge, however. The consequences are disastrous.


    Bonuses:


    +100 Dexterity | +100 Strength | +50 Perception | +50 Intelligence


    +20% to poisons | +10% critical damage | +10% handling speed


    Critical Multiplier: 3.20*Normal Damage


    I looked up at Althea. She twirled the blade on her fingers, locking her eyes with mine,


    "Oh yeah. This will do nicely."


    We took two dimensional storage rings from Elenor''s body. After that, we found Brim''s two rings, Korga''s four rings, and Elessah''s five rings. The Breakers were decked out from front to back. We wouldn''t let the loot go to waste.


    Once we finished that, we walked back towards the world tree. The whole time, we raved on and on about what we''d been doing. Althea actually gained a legendary skill, and so did Hod. Her''s involved stealth, using blades for crits, and gunnery.


    Hod''s legendary skill was his shade form. Teleporting from shadow to shadow, the black flames, and the enhanced strength made up most of the ability. Either way, both of them worked wonders in our fight. That''s for sure.


    We reached the world tree after an hours walk. It felt weird just walking somewhere. I was so used to running everywhere that I forgot how pleasant it was to just slow down sometimes.


    We soaked in the view and the smell of greenery surrounding the tree. We met Amara sitting in the fetal position. She wafted in a pool of glowing green liquid. Several of the dimensional cipher''s runes changed since I last saw them. She''d been hard at work.


    I stepped up to a transparent chunk of bark near Amara. I pressed my hand on it. I couldn''t make it budge. I reared back and hit it. Nothing. Althea walked up, pushing her finger into the bark. Like slicing through butter, she cut the material with a single finger.


    I raised an eyebrow at her, "Damn. You''ve been practicing?"


    Althea shrugged, "I didn''t know what I could do before."


    She finished the circle. She grabbed the edge of the circular hunk, her arm reforming into a bulging mass,


    "Now I do."


    She pulled the plate of bark aside with ease. I walked over, lifting the bark. It had heft, though it wasn''t impossible to move by any means. Althea was stout as hell though like a titan was in her tiny body.


    I absorbed the plate of clear bark. From inside the tree, a thick, glowing green jelly globbed out. Althea took a step back,


    "And here''s your specialty. Doing gross stuff."


    I gave her a mock glare, and she laughed. I cracked a grin as I leaned into a sprinter''s position,


    "Eh, pretty much."


    I shot into the shining slime. It covered me. With gravity magic, I pulled myself along until I reached Amara. I grabbed her, pulling her out. I set Amara down, and Althea put her hands on her hips,


    "You didn''t have to go in there. You could have just waved your hands and pulled her out, right?"


    I shrugged, turning back to the hole in the tree,


    "I''m getting rid of this damn thing."


    I jumped back into the world tree. I extended out my metal skin into the goop, draining its mana. Once more, my weight increased. This time it occurred much slower. After sitting inside the tree for several hours, the entire structure shriveled up.


    Once the mana dried up, I opened my eyes and looked around. No more gunk, only dust remained within the trunk. Outside the center, the roots crumbled into rich, dark earth. The construct altered back into what it came from.


    A shell of bark encapsulated the branches of it, supporting the dilapidated structure. Before I climbed out, I opened my status. I figured now was a good time. No point in waiting anymore to sink my teeth into my rewards. There were more than a few.


    (Quest)A Call To Action - Completed! 100,655,321 Credits awarded!


    Obliterator III bonuses rewarded ---> Level cap increased by 3,000.


    Level Cap: 5,000--->8,000!


    Other rewards are as Follows:


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Exile terminated! Assist on bounty earned!


    Guild tier upgraded to A+!


    Unknown status elimination quests unlocked!


    Class advancement quests unlocked!


    Bounty reduction quests unlocked!


    Sentinel rights advancement quests unlocked!


    Speak with the nearest sentinel or Overseer for further information.


    Good work, Harbinger. You''ve proven yourself.


    I raised an eyebrow, closing those messages and opening my status. I''d think about those messages after handling my level-ups. Boy oh boy were there level ups too. I gained 1,877 levels, putting me up to level 5,443. I exceeded my previous level cap in one fell swoop.


    Without really thinking about it, I just invested all my points into endurance. The plan worked out so far. Why stop now? Halfway through investing points, a perk screen appeared.


    Dignity of a Mind(Willpower of 10,000 or more) - There are forces that can take away your strength, your limbs, even your voice. There are no forces that can take away your spirit. Unlocks the Dignity of a Mind legacy.


    I invested into the perk since it only took one point. Once I finished pouring points into endurance, I selected finalize. As I selected yes, I fell onto my knees.


    My armor ruptured all along my body, like a snake breaking its scaly skin. I gasped, my hands shaking. The pulse of blood sounded throughout me. With each pulse, I expanded in all aspects.


    The grip of my hands turned undeniable. The clarity of my mind turned impeccable. Mana manifested through me, turning into a solid like what Yawm created.


    Microscopic crystals of red mana amalgamated through me. They weaved with the arcane bonds in my flesh, forming ropes.


    They interconnected with the metallic wires of my armor, weaving together. The fibers reinforced one another, creating new material.


    Throughout me, these crystalline formations reinforced my armor. As I gripped my hand, these robust collections of metal and mana clasped. They operated like a muscle. It gave my own strength both form and function.


    I was unbreakable. I was untouchable, an invincible force. At least I felt like it. Compared with before, I doubled in strength. As I pulled from my mana generation, it poured out oceans of mana. Three, four, five million a minute, I kept pressing for more mana every second.


    As I reached my peak, a maelstrom of energy roared around me. Crimson lightning carved out portions of the world tree. The mana thickened the air, making it unbreathable. It pressed down like an oppressive force. It was like liquid violence, a concentrated cocktail of entropy.


    I pulled the mana back in, sending it into the dimensional cipher on my forearms. I twisted my neck, feeling the grace of my motions. Even with so much mass, I handled it with ease. Like a well-oiled machine, I moved without effort. Everything glided together. I was free.


    At the bottom of the hollowed out trunk of the world tree, I relished my bonuses. Interrupting my glee, a portal opened beside me. From inside it, the Overseer walked out. I stared at him for a moment. He spoke in a monotone,


    "I see you''ve already dealt with the world tree...That is optimal."


    I frowned at him, standing up straight. My eyes met his. I was his height, maybe even taller now. I tapped my teeth together,


    "So...what is it?"


    The Overseer sighed. He opened his palm towards me,


    "I came here to congratulate you for killing Yawm. Schema took a chance with you, and it paid off in spades."


    I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms, "Yeah, he sure did."


    An awkward silence passed over us before the Overseer looked away,


    "I...I also want to apologize for my accusations earlier." He looked back at me,


    "I assumed you fell to Yawm''s words like all the others before you. I was wrong. Schema was right to trust in you. I shouldn¡¯t have exiled you. You destroyed Yawm despite the difficulty I placed you in. For that, you''ve garnered loyalty. Not just from Schema, but from me as well."


    I uncrossed my arms, "Hmmm...Thank you. I can accept that. As for the loyalty bit, did you mean these quests?"


    The Overseer nodded, "They allow you to expunge your unknown status, your high bounty, and to gain sentinel rights as agreed."


    I scratched my head, "Are they challenging quests?"


    He laughed, his electronic voice echoing through the world tree,


    "They mirror the difficulty and risk involved with giving you freedom. Do not forget, you''re obligated by a contract written in the cipher. You are Schema''s enemy, yet he offers you freedom. That is generous, and that is kind. For Schema, especially so."


    I nodded, "I almost forgot about that contract. Is there any way to break it?"


    The Overseer shook his head, "If there is, it isn''t known to us."


    "Shit...alright then.¡± I weighed my hands back and forth, ¡°I guess Schema won''t just let me stroll in to handle a casual bug fix or something?"


    The Overseer laid a palm over his face, "Actually, no."


    I snapped my fingers, "Oh really? Damn. Who''d have guessed." I raised an eyebrow, "For real though, are there any leads for canceling the contract?"


    The Overseer shrugged, "Perhaps Etorhma will rewrite it for you. He is no doubt grateful to you for killing Yawm."


    I grimaced, "Yeah, I want to steer clear of the Old Ones. I saw what they did to Yawm."


    "Wise." The Overseer raised a hand towards me, opening a red screen,


    "Now that my personal reasons for visiting are finished let''s proceed with business."


    Several black screens appeared in front of me. Their text was white, like the dark layout option on a website. I peered at them as the Overseer continued,


    "These are the quests mentioned earlier. Within them are three separate tasks you may accomplish at your leisure. There are no time restrictions, and you are free to go about as you please."


    The Overseer turned towards his portal, "Along with them is an offer should you complete them all." Before he stepped through, he stared at me,


    "Daniel."


    I looked up from the quests, closing them for now.


    "What is it?"


    The Overseer opened a dimensional storage portal beside him. He pulled out a vial full of black sludge. He tossed it towards me. I caught it with gravity, having it spin in the air.


    "Within the glass is a mountain of eldritch energy. Your armor will no doubt enjoy the feast. That is my thanks for killing Yawm. He was my enemy. The enemy of my enemy is a friend."


    I raised a hand, ¡°I have a question. Why are you an Overseer? What makes you want to be one?¡±


    The Overseer looked off into the distance, ¡°That is a strange question. My race benefits from having an Overseer in their ranks. Schema offers advantages to us for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh...ok, cool.¡± I gave him a polite nod, ¡°Good luck with..."


    I had no idea what Overseers did.


    "Uh, things."


    The Overseer laughed, "We Overseer''s handle administrative duties. Diligence is all that is required."


    He stepped through the portal, "Good luck and goodbye, Harbinger."


    He disappeared, leaving nothing behind. I looked at the vial of eldritch mana. It wasn''t smoke anymore. It was like the ichor of some evil god. Well, either that or tar.


    Eldritch Concentrate - This vial contains the remnants of eldritch energy. An inordinate amount is stored here from the cleansed worlds of a Fringe Walker.


    Cool. It was a vial of eldritch from a fringe walking badass. I wrapped my armor around it. I crushed the jar, spilling out the eldritch energy. An icy sensation raced out from the smashed glass. The cold reached far out, like jumping into an ice bath.


    As it faded, I shook my head. I jittered a bit, the vial like a shot of adrenaline. I calmed myself down and opened my status. I looked at my condition. In a nutshell, my condition was pretty damn good.


    Level 5,443


    Strength ¨C 4,617 | Constitution ¨C 7,845 | Endurance ¨C 34,018


    Dexterity ¨C 1,926 | Willpower ¨C 16,976 | Intelligence ¨C 6,315


    Charisma ¨C 653 | Luck ¨C 2,130 | Perception ¨C 772


    Health: 4.87 Million/4.87 Million | Health Regen: 9.1 Million/min or 151,980/sec


    Stamina: 3.01 Million/ 3.01 Million | Stamina Regen: 46,336/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.01 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 360,805 pounds(169,411 kilos~) | Height: 11''7(3.55 meters)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 244,513% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My health regen tripled. It was higher than when Amara and the beetles swarmed around me. Much higher. My physical damage, mass, and health over doubled. Even with those boons, the most surprising thing was my progress with my armor.


    Even after all the mana left in Yawm plus the vial from the overseer, I still wasn''t even a quarter the way to my evolution. That much mana was unbelievable. I bet there wasn''t even enough eldritch mana on Earth for my armor''s development. It was that insane.


    I didn''t need the evolution anytime soon though. My healing was already ridiculous. Whatever else my armor gave me wasn''t really necessary. The bonuses would come eventually.


    With that in mind, I reopened the quests the Overseer gave me. I scrutinized them this time instead of giving them a glance.


    Planetary Cleanser(Quest | A+ Tier) - There are worlds on the brink. You can save them given your unique abilities.


    Create a beachhead on three different fringe worlds. These worlds must be high priority worlds. (Worlds of B tier or higher grade of importance.)


    Rewards: Unlocks Fringe Walker class. Territory granted on saved worlds.


    This one seemed interesting. From what I researched, Fringe Walkers had enhanced regeneration, great aoe abilities, and were anti-eldritch all around. It made sense that Schema was giving me a way of becoming one. My build was perfect for it.


    Ambassador of Earth(Quest | Tier B+) - Earth needs an ambassador. As the highest leveled native species on Earth, this task falls onto your shoulders.


    Establish contact with The Empire, the steel legion, and the nearest world within Schema''s system, Gliese 667, known as Giess.


    Once contact is established, create favorable or at least neutral alliances with these groups. To accomplish this, it''s recommended that embassies be built on both sides. Trading relations, cultural adjustments, and educational programs may assist with this mission.


    Rewards: Elimination of unknown status for you and any participating party members. Guild rights expanded towards factions that are befriended.


    Creating a beachhead on an alien world was simple. Fostering good relations with aliens...Well, that was complicated. It sounded fun anyway. Seeing otherworldly capitals and cities would be exhilarating. Who knows, maybe we could even get Torix a girlfriend.


    Cutting Open the Belly of the Beast(Quest | Tier B+) - To prove your lawfulness, you must enact the law.


    Destroy an unauthorized organization that actively acts against Schema''s tenants. This organization must be tier B or higher. Destroy in this instance means to neutralize the leader and organizational bodies leading the movement or group.


    Rewards: Pardoning of all previous offenses against Schema, eliminating your current A- Tier bounty.


    Damn. I had an A- tier bounty. To my knowledge, that''s a high as hell bounty. Considering the contract, it wasn''t so bad I suppose. The quest appeared reasonable as well.


    I eliminate an A tier bounty for getting rid of a B tier organization. I''d need to get a better idea of the scale of things from Torix first.


    The Status of a Sentinel(Quest | Tier A+) - By killing a great evil, you''ve earned the right to ascend. Find the spear and armor of a fallen sentinel and return it to Schema.


    Rewards: Status updated from sentient to a sentinel. You obtain the benefits of being a sentinel along with their responsibilities.


    Requirements: Finish the questline Ambassador of Earth and accept a Sentinel''s responsibilities.


    After reading through all these quests, I needed to research what ''rights'' a sentinel had The mention of having responsibilities put me off, however. It could involve quite a bit, but I wouldn''t until after unlocking it. Yenno, unless I found a forum or something about it. Considering it was a reward by Schema, there was probably official posts on it.


    Once I figured them out, I''d be able to make an informed decision. As I finished reading the last quest, I closed my status. I walked up towards the edge of the world tree. The bark held firm. I lifted my hands, creating a condensed well of gravity above me.


    I and a cloud of dust floated up. As I floated up, I skimmed over the quests again. The quest that stuck out was the Ambassador of Earth one. It would unlock the unknown status of everybody, not just me. The other ones helped only me.


    Considering I wanted some company on my next quest, it suited my goals. Of course, walking up to another planet with a bounty wasn''t optimal either. Considering we killed Yawm, I doubt they''d attack us as a group. Either way, we might be able to take out two birds with one stone.


    My primary focus would be getting back to base for now though. I reached the clear bark of earlier. It remained after the goop inside drained, like a wall of glass.


    Looking out of it, I found Amara and Althea where I left them. The hole I made healed even as I drained the tree. That''s why Amara was still able to sleep. The sound of my mana or the overseer would''ve leaked out otherwise, waking her up.


    Althea guarded Amara. Althea made the eldritch a bed of broken branches. After that, she cleaned her to some extent. In the present, Althea trained with the Viral Menace. She poured sweat, enjoying the new blade.


    I tapped the glass, interrupting her. She brandished the blade at me, narrowing her eyes. As they locked with mine, she smiled. She walked up and cut through the glass with the knife. It sliced in with absolute ease, no effort required whatsoever.


    She placed her palm on the glass circle, the panel sticking to her. She tossed it aside, the circular glass whizzing through the air. Seconds later and it splashed in the lake beneath us.


    I pulled myself out of the tree, hovering through it. Althea propped out a hip, leaning on one leg,


    "Getting fancy now?"


    I rolled my eyes, "I''ve gotten a bit better at magic. That''s all."


    As I landed beside her, she looked up at me. I dwarfed her.


    "You''re like...a foot taller now. Wow."


    I leaned down while lifting her chin, "Is that a problem?"


    She shook her head, "Nope. Not yet."


    She grew bat wings, flapping them. She maintained a few feet up off the ground, matching my eyesight. I grabbed her hip, putting her on my shoulders. I walked over, lifting Amara with a gravity well. I turned up to Althea,


    "You ready to get back to base?"


    She nodded, "Yes please."


    I smiled wide, "Which way?"


    Althea pointed. I gave her a quick salute, "Aye aye. I have two things left to do before we''re off."


    I glanced down. I floated myself up by burning some mana. As I did, I looked behind me. The world tree stood on its last legs. The shell of the bark withstood the wind, but it was like swiss cheese; hole littered it everywhere.


    I charged mana into me. After floating away for a reasonable distance, I discharged a massive burst of mana. A wave of gravitational force rippled across the landscape, bending trees with ease. The shell of bark crumbled under the wake of the magic.


    This caused a chain reaction, the barren branches of the tree following suit. A wave of dust and ash echoed the collapse. As the plume of brown dust dissipated, the derelict remains of Springfield stood covered in the powder of the world tree. It looked like fresh earth, ready for life to grow out of.


    A notification ran into my status. I read it. Keeja died. I bit my lip, a hint of disgust rushing up from my gut. The poor man was at the brink of being consumed by eldritch. For him, living was torment. Dying was mercy, though I didn''t feel good about it.


    I sighed, turning towards Ajax. He remained in stasis, his green sphere still stuck inside a skyscraper. I floated towards him and picked him up with another field of gravity.


    After that, I looked where Althea pointed. It was finally time to move on from where I was born. An eager, almost childish grin ran up and down my lips. A fire was burning in my chest. I clasped my fists, ready and waiting.


    For the first time since Schema took over, I wasn''t just struggling for survival. I could do whatever I wanted. No more big bad looming over my shoulder, threatening my life.


    For once, I was the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.


    I was free.

 144 Fortress

    At the same time, free didn''t mean settling, at least not for me. We floated away before I turned back around. I observed the ground, Althea putting her elbow on the top of my head.


    "What are you looking at?"


    I squinted, "I''m looking for any leftover eldritch. I don''t want them wrecking havoc a month from now."


    Althea shook her hands, "Don''t worry. Torix already handled what was left. Something about transferring ownership with magic."


    I glanced up, "Really now?"


    She nodded, "Yeah." She grinned at me, "Ready to go?"


    I charged my mana for a second, my armor resonating with the energy. I raised a hand in front of me, "Of course."


    We flew through the air towards Torix''s base. Flew might be the wrong word, however. When I pulled myself forward with gravity, it didn''t feel like flying. Nothing propelled us forward, it was more like we were falling in a direction.


    No wind grazed my cheeks. No dust or insects flew onto us. It all collected into the gravity well just out of our reach. A tiny ball of dirt, bugs, and water condensed into the well ahead as we moved. Althea tapped my head with her hand,


    "Hey. Can you get rid of that disgusting spitball?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Is it that bad?"


    She shrugged, "Not really. If you could though, I''d give you my eternal thanks."


    I flicked the spitball aside with a burst of telekinesis. Althea hugged my head, "Thanks."


    I placed a hand on her arm, "No problem."


    We reached the base, and my jaw dropped at the progress. Before I left, there was no sign of development. On the outside, few changes showed. The inside was a different story altogether.


    Beneath the pines and oaks covering the mountain, Eltari made huts. They enjoyed the smell of earth and open housing so they could fly. An untrained eye wouldn''t see their homes. I wasn''t trained per say, but I could see the broad wings of eltari here or there.


    They dug out hollows leading into the mountain base. Steel and concrete beams reinforced the mountain, blending in well. A few strips of exposed concrete let me see the hidden buttresses. Fresh ground revealed tunnels as well.


    The sentries Yawm sent out wouldn''t pick up on subtle signs like this, however. As we fell towards the mountain, I slowed our descent. Althea pointed at a small stream near the base,


    "That''s the entrance I use."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    She looked at it, "You''ll get it when you get there."


    We reached the stream, and Althea pointed at a waterfall big enough for us to enter. I peered at it,


    "So it''s like an evil villain''s entrance?"


    Althea rolled her eyes, "How else do you think Torix would do it?"


    I smiled as we reached the cascade. As we neared it, I generated an antigravity well at its origin. The water fell away from it, bending around the gravitational flux. This opened up a dry path for us. As we passed it, Althea looked at the water falling upward,


    "Wow...that''s so cool."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Huh? I guess so."


    We passed into the entrance. Torix fancied it up some. Someone carved doors of stone into the cavern walls. While not intricate, the simple pattern still impressed me. I set us down onto a floor of smooth stone. I walked up, and Althea jumped off my shoulders. She looked up at me, waving at me with waving, sprite-like fingers,


    "Are you going to move it with more magic? Ooooh."


    I lifted my chin, making myself sound like a pompous rich person, "So the plebian is Jealous then?"


    I waved my hand like I couldn''t be bothered to open the door. Antigravity pushed the doorway open in a steady crawl.


    I flourished my hand, "How quaint!"


    We laughed while walking in. The floors shined, the polished concrete making a simple yet effective flooring. Glass panels lined the roof, two rows of fluorescent lights lined a hallway. It looked like someone sliced through stone, made a hall, then installed lights.


    I turned towards Althea,


    "Did you cut this out?"


    She nodded, "Yeah. It took a bit of practice, but I got a handle on it."


    I turned forward, walking down the hallway, "Hell yeah."


    We walked for a few minutes, chatting with enthusiasm. We reached an old vault doorway. Althea walked up to a passcode at the side of it. She input a code, and the doors hissed. The vault door turned three notches. I walked up, grabbing it.


    I turned towards Althea, "Can I open it now?"


    She spread out her arms, "Yeah, of course...why are asking?"


    I frowned at the door, "Well, I don''t want to break it."


    She giggled at my dilemma as I pulled the door open. The giant slab of iron glided on the hinge, offering no resistance. I swung it back and forth, playing with the door for a second. After I bounced it back and forth with some telekinesis, Althea gave me a stern look,


    I shrugged, "Sorry."


    We walked into the base. It wasn''t as barebones anymore, not by a long shot. It was vast, open cavern. Besides that, the first thing I noticed was how bright everything was. It didn''t feel like inside a cave. The air was too fresh, and the ceiling was too bright.


    I discovered why. Above us, glass panels lined the roof, looking like reflections of the sun.


    Althea pointed up at them, "So people complained to Torix that it was too dark."


    I smirked, "Woah. Torix made a base too dark and brooding? Who''d have guessed."


    Althea waved her hands at the panels, "I know right? Anyways, he set up some mirrors outside. They reflect down these, er, aluminum tubes. They bounce the light back and forth until it comes inside."


    I glanced around at the cave houses, "Oh shit. That''s clever."


    She pointed at the houses, "We worked with some architects and designed windows and everything in the houses too. It makes the place feel way less...cave-ey."


    I remembered my time in Bloodhollow.


    "Yeah, I get that. Being underground like that can mess with your head if you''re in it long enough."


    Althea pointed at the houses, "Torix made the whole mountain like a wedding cake. This is the residential area at the very bottom."


    She pointed up, "Above here is the military base."


    I surveyed the area. A wealth of information flooded in due to Hunter of Many. Lots of people lived in apartments, wooden boards lining the cave walls. Light poured out of the windows with people doing all sorts of random stuff.


    Knitting, woodworking, writing, studying, training, reading, you name it, people were doing it. In between these living spaces, bars, repair places, stores, and even skill shops were open. Children also ran out in public areas, watched by their parents. That''s right. Children.


    I gave them a long, hard look out of the corner of my eye. They were alien almost. I couldn''t remember the last time I saw a kid.


    At the same time, everyone stared at us as we passed. I''ll admit it. We made a scene. I towered over everyone, a full five feet taller. Althea sat on my shoulders. More than any of that, Amara and Ajax floated behind me, one of them in an emerald shell.


    We drew the eye, that''s for sure.


    The children stared in horror at me. The ran to their parents who pointed at me. Most of the parents smiled, saying that I was some kind of savior and such. In a way, I guess I was.


    The children didn''t look as scared after talking with their parents. At least my helmet wasn''t on. Otherwise, they''d be in abject terror. None of them walked up to me still. Maybe after a few visits, people would get used to me.


    At least one reason they feared me was my level. I analyzed many of the people as I walked through the base. They averaged level 100 or so. It made sense that the residential area wouldn''t be full of warriors after all. If I activated Event Horizon, every person here would die instantly.


    It was a sobering thought.


    We reached a cylindrical pillar of natural stone lined with steel girders. It was the core of the mountain base. Many oversized and a few smaller elevators were at the ground level of the giant column. Althea pointed at one,


    "Those are the elevators for people. The other ones are for supplies, vehicles, and uh, eldritch. We''ll have to use those because you''re so tall. That and Amara and Ajax."


    I raised my eyebrows, "How many eldritch are here?"


    Althea shrugged, "At least a few thousand. We''ve got over a hundred species now."


    We reached the industrial elevator. I didn''t even need to bend under it. Althea pressed the 2nd-floor button.


    "Don''t worry. Torix has the eldritch on a leash with Torix''s mythical skill. He''s smart like that."


    We walked into the elevator. Before the gears broke trying to lift us, I aided it with gravity again. I looked at Althea,


    "Is he still handing out lectures for every question asked?"


    Althea spread out her arms, "Of course. You know who you''re talking about, right?"


    I looked up, "It would be a nice change of pace. Yawm was the polar opposite. If anything, he always acted like he knew nothing about almost anything. Well, besides for some life advice. That may have been his way of hiding information."


    Althea frowned, "Yeah, I''m assuming he was just lying to you the entire time about everything."


    I sighed, "You''re probably right about that."


    We reached the second floor. Althea lifted a hand up and laid it on my shoulder, "Hey. He talked about how you never fell for him. I for one am deeply impressed."


    I looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "Really?"


    She nodded, "I couldn''t tell him no after a few sentences. You were with him for months. I can''t even imagine what that was like."


    We walked into the militarized zone.


    "It was...unusual. You''d think Yawm would put you on edge all the time. If anything, he had this soothing effect. It was like I didn''t have to worry about anything anymore. He''d handle it, or something to that effect. It''s hard to describe."


    I shook my head, "It wasn''t like I was stressed the entire time I was there. If anything, the struggle was in becoming comfortable. Once your comfortable, Yawm could pull you to his side with ease."


    Althea looked down, "Yeah. It couldn''t argue with him after three or so sentences."


    I put a finger under her chin and lifted it up, "Hey, don''t be too hard on yourself. Hod required one sentence after all."


    She gave out a reluctant laugh, "Yeah. Hod''s not that hard to convince though."


    We walked through another hallway like the waterfall entrance. At the end was another vault door. Althea typed in the code at the side of it while I shrugged,


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Hod has excellent intuition. I''d follow his gut reaction before my own, ten times out of ten. I mean, he trusted me when I first arrived on his planet. Look at how that ended up working out for him."


    Althea rolled her eyes, "Now he''s the killer of Yawm, the hero of his race, and obviously the most humble person I''ve ever met."


    I pulled open the vault door, "It''s so damn funny though."


    We walked into the militarized zone. It was a smaller cavern than the residential district but still massive. The vertical planning implemented metal walkways above everything. This lets vehicles and eldritch populate the ground floor. Ordinary people walked or ran along these walkways above all the chaos.


    And boy oh boy was their chaos. Eldritch shambled by, many of them large and horrific. Runic inscriptions lined their face, sealing their homicidal tendencies. Someone either rode them or walked beside the eldritch at all times. They controlled them with a wristband covered in inscriptions of the same type.


    The vehicles were more conventional. Of course, a few runic markings lined some of the armored cars. Atop them were turrets, either made of guns or from actual gemstones. The gemstones amplified the spells of the user, letting them blast enemies with mana.


    My favorite integration came with the mana rifles. We walked down a firing range. In it, troops held these modern rifles with crystalized mana in the chamber instead of bullets. They either whispered spells or used silent casting.


    After saying their spell, they mana stones glowed, firing off elemental bullets. Giant clusters of ice, plumes of fire, and blobs of acid smothered firing targets. The multicolored bolts decimated the paper boards, crumbling them.


    It was awe inspiring.


    After walking past the firing range, we reached several cages full of various eldritch species. The monsters lived in all kinds of environments, some covered in lava others in ice. The fauna adapted with them, giving the beasts something to feast on.


    For safety, each and every eldritch covered itself in runes of Torix''s making. Some workers fed the eldritch meat, grain, whatever it was they ate. A group of civilians gawked at these demons through glass windows. It was like a zoo of sorts.


    I raised an eyebrow at it, "Practical. Torix adds some entertainment while breeding them. It seems kind of risky though."


    Althea shook her head, "They''re at the very center of the combat training part of the base. Someone guards them 24/7. None of them are over level 300 either."


    I analyzed a few of the monsters. Althea was right. The horrors were malnourished and lower leveled. None of them were rapidly spreading varieties either. No hives of swarming insects or intelligent eldritch here. They were all harmless, by comparison.


    After walking past the exhibits, we neared the third and final area of the 2nd floor. Sparks and fires flew out of blowtorches. Electricity wrapped around Tesla coils. Pieces of gear spread out over tables. It was a tinkerer''s wet dream, a verdant oasis of equipment and apparatuses.


    We walked into it, looking around at various projects laid out on tables. Chalkboards scattered across the walls, blueprints pinned across them. Most of the inventors wore soundproof headphones, letting them focus. They built all kinds of different tech.


    Power armor, rifles, runic inscriptions, incantations, alchemy, and batteries, there was no limits here. We walked further, revealing more. Summoning rituals, biological weapons, cloaking devices, elemental grenades, they toiled on all weapons of war.


    It was out of love. Few fighters trained the day after the climactic battle. Most idled at the private section, getting over some killer hangovers. The inventors worked out of respect for their craft though. Why take a day off when you love what you do after all?


    As we paced by the inventors, we found Diesel grinding away at a prototype rifle. He was an engineer who designed Althea''s guns for me. I crafted the weapon using his blueprints. He looked up at us, wearing a pair of black goggles and a grease-smeared jumpsuit.


    He smiled at us. It looked like he and Althea knew each other now.


    Althea walked up to him, their heights mirroring each other. Diesel looked at us both, shock spreading over his face.


    "Well, I''ll be damned. You actually did it, sir."


    I shook my head, gesturing to everyone around us, "Trust me when I say this. We killed Yawm."


    He walked up, two or three heads shorter than me. Diesel looked up, putting a hand on my shoulder,


    "We do our part when we can...Heh, here I thought I got taller because of your legacy. You''re a giant, sir."


    I patted his shoulder, making sure not to put too much force behind it, "If anything, I think you''re catching up. What level are you now?"


    He looked up at my level while lowering his hands, "Only 677. You''re already over 5,000." He turned towards Althea, "And it looks like the lovely lady is 5,000 dead even. I''m glad we have monsters like you two on our side."


    Althea shrugged, "I hit the level cap. I have to get a class if I want to advance any further."


    I turned towards her, raising my eyebrow, "Really?"


    She glanced up at me, "What? You''re over level 5,000? How the hell did that happen?"


    I waved my hands back and forth, "It''s a long story. I got two trees called Obliterator one and two. After Yawm died, I unlocked and finished Obliterator three for some reason. It was probably a gesture of goodwill by Schema or something like that. That''s what I''m guessing at least."


    Diesel shook his head in disbelief, "I wish I had the same problem as you, mam. Being too high a level, well...It''s a hell of a problem to have."


    She walked up, inspecting the new model Diesel was working on. She ran her hand down the polished steel, "How much longer till you finish it?"


    Diesel tapped his chin, "Oh, this beauty...If I had to guess, about three months."


    Althea bit her lip. She sighed, "That sucks, but I get it. I''ve tried redesigning my rifle too. It''s impossible for me."


    Diesel turned back to his rifle, "Speaking of redesigning, I gotta get back to work. It''s good to talk to you both, but this cannon isn''t going to finish itself."


    He grinned, putting back on a pair of goggles,


    "Besides, I don''t want to interrupt your reunion. Go and enjoy each other''s company. You''re only young once."


    I frowned. Diesel had a crush on Althea last time we talked. It looked like he learned that Althea and I were dating after I left. He moved on, though an inkling of bitterness lingered in his voice. Althea waved as we left him to get back to work.


    After pacing past all the tech, Althea walked back up to the central area of the base,


    "Don''t worry, the tours almost over."


    We entered the elevator and rode back up to level three. After pacing through another vault door, we reached a training camp. The last floor involved research and development. This area designed itself around learning.


    The same reinforced cylinder sat at the center. Bookshelves lined the pillar at the center of the hall, making a study. A circular set of rooms laid outside it. People in all garments, from military uniforms to dresses, walked from place to place.


    They paced into rooms of all kinds. Obstacle courses, lecture halls, and dueling areas spread out across the circular study. The dueling rooms were lined with glass, letting spectators watch from the library.


    Inside the room, two magicians covered in power armor cast spells at each other. One of them specialized in earth magic, molding stone to his advantage. The other mage focused on teleportation combined with energy blades.


    The earth mage stood still, firing condensed clumps of stone at his opponent. All the while, the teleporter phased across the room, striking from all angles. The earth mage kept molding stone right before the energy blades landed on him.


    The stone melted into magma when the energy blades touched. The earth mage pooled the magma under the concrete arena. As the blade mage sliced through the earth mage''s barrier, he sliced one last time. Instead of landing, the earth mage plummeted them into the magma pit beneath them.


    They both fell in. I walked up behind the crowd, entranced by the battle. They both exploded from the pit of mana, each of them wrestling with each other. Covered in molten rock, the blade mage swung his blade at the throat of the earth mage.


    The earth mage swung his arms out, the magma on the blade mage condensing. The blade mage froze in place, covered in stone. The earth mage rolled backward. As he stood up, he lifted his arms. A pillar of stone lifted up, striking the chin of the blade mage.


    The pillar stopped right before contact. From out of my vision, Torix walked onto the arena. Torix clapped his hands, the rock and blade magic disintegrating. He turned towards the mages, giving them pointers while congratulating them.


    He looked like a natural principal, that''s for sure.


    The spectators burst into a frenzy of chatter. I made out a conversation,


    "Damn, that fight was amazing."


    "I know right? Didn''t it feel like everything was getting heavier halfway through it?"


    The other student nodded, "Yeah, the weight of situation felt so real."


    I laughed a little, everyone looking at me. The students gawked and gasped. One of the students turned towards the other one,


    "Ahh, that''s why it got heavier."


    We walked past the students, pacing into the arena. As we did, Torix turned towards us. He spread out his hands,


    "Ahhh. It''s good to see you both. I see you brought company?"


    I analyzed Torix. He was at level 5,000 as well now. Everyone was level capped. I pointed at Amara,


    "This is Amara, the Lost One. She''s a sentient eldritch that saved my ass versus Yawm."


    Amara stayed sleeping, my gravity well suspending her. Torix nodded,


    "She''s a heavy sleeper I presume."


    I shrugged, "Eh, she hacked into the world tree somehow. That''s probably why she''s tired."


    Torix walked up, his long robe giving him a noble bearing. He leaned towards Amara,


    "She''s quite powerful. She''s the highest level eldritch I''ve ever see at level 5,000."


    I pointed at her, "That''s because she can hack into Schema''s system. She even gained experience from helping us kill Yawm apparently."


    Torix''s jaw dropped, "H-h-hacked Sc-c-hema?"


    I grinned, "Eh, I told you she saved my ass."


    The crowd of onlookers crowded around us, looking at Ajax and Amara. Torix turned towards the students. Some of the onlookers wore power armor. Others covered up in simple jeans and t-shirt. Torix looked around at them. He raised a hand as if an idea popped into his head.


    He pointed the raised hand towards a student in the back of the pack,


    "Alexander, come here."


    An orange headed teenager walked up. He looked at me like I was Godzilla. Torix pointed at us both, "If you wouldn''t mind Daniel, could you duel Alexander for us?"


    I looked at the poor, tiny guy sitting in front of me. He didn''t seem frightened, so that was a plus. I pointed at him,


    "Uh, why?"


    Torix pointed at those listening, "Because many of the students could use a demonstration of what a human can become."


    Whispers spread throughout the crowd.


    "He''s human?"


    "What? No way."


    "He''s about as human as Torix."


    I shook my head at Torix, "I don''t think they need a demonstration though. I think looking at me is enough."


    A few of the students nodded. Torix shook his head, "No, that simply will not do. A few of the students have been slacking off on some of the more uncomfortable training. Alexander happens to be one of those students."


    I looked down at him. I lunged onto one knee, still taller than him,


    "This guy?"


    Alexander looked up at me. He had defiant, blue eyes with orange hair. He wore a loose, black robe and was shorter than most of the other teens, making him minuscule. I frowned at him,


    "Ah...ok."


    I stood up, walking over towards the arena. Alexander paced off towards the edge of the stage. I looked at Torix. I spread out my arms, waving my hands back and forth. Torix grinned at me, raising a finger,


    "You''ll see,"


    I rolled my eyes, looking over at Alexander on the other side of the arena. He pulled up his sleeves, revealing several tattoos on his forearms. He channeled mana, the runes glowing a violet color.


    Torix grinned at me, "You both may begin."


    I stood there, waiting for Alexander to prepare himself. After a few more seconds, he lifted his hand. An arcane bolt of lightning appeared over his head. He chunked it towards me. I raised my hand, the flash landing against my palm.


    With true damage in tow, it bore a six-inch hole into my forearm. In other words, it did nothing. My flesh reconstituted in seconds. I walked up, gripping my hand. A well of gravity lifted Alexander off the ground. He squirmed in the air as I pulled him towards me.


    I made my hand out like I was about to flick him. Instead of making contact, I let the wind off my finger brush his forehead. He flopped backward, tumbling across the ground. He skinned his elbow, and he broke one of his fingers.


    He howled out, so I rolled my eyes yet again and walked up. With a pinch of telekinesis, I snapped his finger in place. He grimaced as I lifted him up off the ground towards Torix. I turned towards the lich,


    "Does he not even have pain tolerance unlocked?"


    Torix shook his head, "An apt observation as usual. In fact, no. He doesn''t."


    I spread out my arms, "It would''ve been nice letting me know that beforehand."


    Torix turned towards the students, "But you see students, in an actual fight, a broken finger is the least of your worries."


    Alexander whimpered while floating in the air. Torix raised a hand, turning towards the students,


    "Do you see the gap between these two?"


    Torix pointed at Alexander, "Even the most gifted duelist among you all stood no chance. Can any of you describe why exactly?"


    No one replied. Torix pressed his fingers into a single point,


    "It is less the difference in power and more so the grit of their minds."


    Torix pointed at Alexander, "He is gifted with an affinity for arcane magic, and he refined his offensive prowess. At the same time, he never tempered his mind."


    Torix pinched his fingers together, "Even after having his hand blown off, Daniel didn''t even so much as flinch. After having a small finger broken, Alexander was brought to his knees."


    Torix walked up to Alexander. He waved a green light over the talented teen, healing his injuries. Torix continued,


    "I use Alexander as an example since he is the only one among you that could even injure Daniel. He also refused to train his Pain Tolerance. Even if Daniel were one percent of his strength now, that crucial difference would be decisive in real combat. When you fight against eldritch, that will be your kind of combat."


    Torix looked around, getting as much eye contact as possible, "It''s the might of your spirit that makes you different from your peers. Remember that, and you will go far. Not just in class, but in life."


    Torix chuckled as he gestured to himself, "And in death."


    The class laughed, and Torix clapped his hand twice, "You are dismissed."


    The class buzzed with chatter, friends chatting away with each other. Some were amazed that I beat Alexander so easily. Others were amazed that Alexander even put up a fight at all. Two friends of Alexander walked up, to him, asking if he was alright. He replied in a high voice,


    "He just grabbed me, and I was done...never felt anything like that before."


    I walked up to Torix, "I still don''t know if that was necessary."


    Torix waved me concern away, "Bah. I will leave the leading and fighting in your capable hands. You lead the teaching in mine."


    I shrugged, "Eh, alright." I held up a hand, looking at Alexander,


    "Give me a second."


    The poor student bit his lip, frustration etched all over his face. Being thrashed in front of a class and used as an example was probably humiliating. Taking away the sting, I walked up,


    "You''re Alexander, right?"


    He looked up at me, his expression shocked, "What? Oh, uh, yeah. That''s me."


    I offered a handshake, "It was a good fight."


    He reached up, grabbing my hand. He held two of my fingers, but he grinned up at me,


    "Heh, I got destroyed. You really are the guild leader for a reason."


    I grinned, "Who knows. Maybe one day you could lead a guild too. Arcane magic is powerful. Don''t waste it."


    I turned away, waving at him, "Cya around."


    He gave me a salute, "Uh, yes sir!"


    After an internal wince, I walked up to Torix. Sir made me feel old.


    I pointed at Ajax and Amara who I kept floating the entire time,


    "So any plans for these two?"


    Torix rubbed his hands together,


    "I may have a few."


    An evil grin grew on his face,


    "If you''d enjoy hearing them, that is."

 145 Let Loose

    I shrugged, "Yeah, sure."


    Torix pointed upwards, "Let''s go up to the fourth floor then."


    I turned towards Althea, "How many floors are there?"


    She raised a hand and counted on her fingers, "There''s five. They''re called the residential, tech, magic, logistics, and sky floors. They''re pretty self-explanatory honestly."


    Torix nodded, "The fourth floor''s name is where we''ll discuss plans and hold meetings. That''s where we''re headed next."


    I gestured forward, "Lead the way."


    We walked out of the dueling area and through the study. After reaching a series of elevators on the floor, Torix waved a hand at them,


    "The first three floors are public access. The fourth and fifth floor require clearance."


    Two of the elevators carried runic inscriptions along their edging. Laminated with glass, the runes powered the lift. The inefficient etchings required quite a bit of mana. Torix walked up, placing a palm on the doorway,


    "The mana requirements act as the preventative measure."


    The door slid open, and we all walked in. After elevating up, we walked out of the runic doorway. As we walked out, the lack of light stuck out. I turned around, glancing at the supporting pillar. All across it, a dozen plasma screens covered the column.


    They streamed the view of many scouts. Most of them were out in nature. A few of the screens showed our agents visiting other towns. They acted as ambassadors for my guild, spreading the word about our stronghold. Considering we had weaponry and knowledge, the offer must be tempting.


    Torix nodded at the structure, "This keeps us up to date on the comings and goings of scouts. It allows us to better organize them and create an up to date map of our surroundings."


    I frowned, "This seems like a bit too much surveillance."


    Torix shook his hand, "Do you see the dark screens?"


    I nodded. About 30% of the screens were blank.


    "Those screens indicate that a scout has shut down their video cameras. Most scouts opt into the recording process for safety reasons. It''s much easier to send pre-emptive help in real time, something which is otherwise impossible."


    "Oh..." I cupped my chin, "How are the other towns doing near us?"


    Althea chimed, "I''ve seen a lot of it myself while flying around. Most towns are really well off. So far the average level is about 80 at this point. People have organized town governments and are even fighting for dungeons."


    She shook her head, "I couldn''t believe it at first, but...yeah, humans were killing each other."


    I shrugged, "Eh, if anything, it''s a good sign."


    Torix nodded, walking away, "I agree entirely. This means that humanity isn''t struggling against normal eldritch growth. Quite the opposite."


    As Torix walked out, I observed the rest of the room. Circular desks lined the middle pillar, much like the study below us. The difference was that almost everyone used an obelisk. Situated inside spheres of white, they operated within a digital medium.


    Compared with the previous floor, this one oozed data, charts, and numbers. The last level oriented itself around experience, emotion, and magic. The granite floor and jet black walls emphasized this shift. It closed the room off as if the only way out was with a connection to outside.


    Torix pointed at the various desks, "These members of the legion handle distribution of income, resources, and logistical difficulties. Having workers with independent thought helped more than I imagined it would in that regard."


    Torix flicked his hand in disgust, "No matter how long I attempted training my summons, such tasks were beyond them. These men and women took to the challenge with gusto by comparison."


    We walked past the series of desks. Rooms lined the wall like in the previous floor. These rooms had different purposes, however. Meeting rooms, personal offices, and summoning ritual rooms were placed here. Out of those three kinds of places, one didn''t fit.


    I pointed at the conjuring room, "Uh, why are personal offices and monster summoning rooms right beside each other?"


    Torix raised a hand, "Excellent question. What you see below is where the most magic takes place. Unlike most magic, however, summoning is more of a science. Instead of ''feeling'' your way through the spells, you must act with precision."


    Torix spread out his hands, "That kind of procedural thinking aligns better with data sciences than actual magic. Most of the summoners under my tutelage agreed with me."


    Althea jumped up while spawning wings. She flapped them beside me, whispering in my ear, "Trust me. Torix is an expert at making magic boring."


    I snickered with Althea while Torix rolled his eyes,


    "Laugh if you must. Summoning must be performed with great restraint. Otherwise, you may bring over something that is more than you can chew. Unlike you, the monster will have no qualms or worries with chewing you."


    I nodded, "That makes a lot of sense."


    Torix gestured at one of the offices, "Now that you''ve seen the floor, for the most part, let''s discuss our plans in the meeting room."


    We walked into the meeting room, the doors sliding on the ground as we opened them. As they closed, the air sucked into place. This made the space airtight and soundproof.


    Around us, numerous blackboards lined the walls. A square desk sat in the middle of the place. At the center of the office, a three-dimensional projector was waiting to be used. In front of every seat around the table, a touchpad was present. Beneath that, a notebook was available with pens.


    Torix sat at one of the chairs. Torix pointed at the other chairs, "Go on and make yourself comfortable."


    I walked over and sat down. Althea sat down beside me. Torix opened his status screen, sending a series of messages. Althea sighed, and I raised an eyebrow,


    "What messages are you sending?"


    Torix raised his wrinkly eyebrows, "Oh, that? It was a message to Hod''s caretaker. You see, Hod rarely if ever responds to my inquiries. I gave him a responsible assistant who will help get him here on time. I send her the messages rather than Hod for obvious reasons."


    I chuckled a bit before Torix raised a finger, "As much as I despise admitting it, Hod is a valuable asset in discussions. His perception is by far the highest among us. His intuition gives him answers to the most difficult questions."


    The meeting room door opened. A large, female Eltari tossed Hod into the room and slammed the door. Torix steepled his fingers, grinning with glee,


    "Oh, how I do enjoy her way of handling things."


    Hod scrambled to his feet, "But Hod having fun with lady friends."


    He turned towards us, several kiss marks and scratches on his metal beak. I turned towards Althea,


    "Are those...human lips?"


    She grimaced, "By Schema...I think so."


    Torix narrowed his eyes, "I see your slaying of Yawm has assisted in your love life."


    Hod shook his head, "Hod already popular with ladies. Ladies attracted to strong, handsome, and smart male. Hod think ladies attention only natural."


    Torix''s blue fire eyes flared orange, "As natural as my disdain for you."


    Hod walked up, flopping into a seat, "Hod wonder what Dry Man favorite sandwich is?"


    Torix''s eyes narrowed, "Why do you ask?"


    Hod raised a finger, "Hod wonder why as well. Hod already know Dry Man''s favorite sandwich. Peanut butter and jealous flavor."


    Althea and I sat flabbergasted for a second. The joke was so dumb and so meandering that I didn''t get it at first. When we did, Althea and I bust out laughing.


    Torix looked at us, "Oh hah hah. Very humorous."


    Hod nodded at him, "Hod agree."


    Torix pinched the bridge of his nose. He snapped his fingers, dimming the lights of the room. I turned towards him,


    "Where''s Kessiah?"


    Torix looked up at me, "Oh, her? She''s training soldiers here."


    I looked at Althea then back at Torix, "Why not include her in the discussion?"


    Hod looked up, "Hod know why. Lady Friend #2 not want to meet Harbinger."


    I looked at them both, "What did I do?"


    The room went silent. Torix sighed, "Hmmm...Well, Kessiah is as you know, a remnant. Korga Ryker was actually one of her childhood heroes. While you didn''t kill him per say, you didn''t save him either."


    I scoffed, "So it''s my fault that Yawm killed him? That seems kind of ridiculous."


    Althea put a hand on my shoulder, "I talked with her. She already knows it''s unfair. Kessiah''s just getting past it is all. Please, give her some time."


    I looked at Althea. I sighed, "Yeah, I get that."


    Althea hugged her arms around my waist, "Good."


    Torix leaned his elbows on the desk in front of him, "Now let''s begin our discussion."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Torix gestured his hand outwards at everyone, "You all saw the quests granted to us, I presume?"


    We all nodded.


    "Excellent. I''ll write the tasks down for reference."


    Althea and I sat facing Torix while Hod sat on his own side of the table. Torix flicked his fingers, a piece of chalk writing on a blackboard. On the bottom of the table with no one sitting, Torix wrote out the quests gained from Yawm''s death.


    They didn''t have the sentinel rights or Fringe Walker quest lines. Torix did have the unknown status and bounty quests though. They were the quests up for discussion.


    Torix looked at everyone with his hands spread out,


    "Of course we should finish these quests as a team. We can all agree on that?"


    We agreed with curt nods.


    Torix pointed at the quests, "I am of the opinion that we should handle our bounty questline first."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    Torix waved an arm at the entire room, "Our bounties put targets on our backs. This compounds itself with our unknown status. Lawful organizations, in particular, will aim to gain favor with Schema by eliminating us."


    He raised a single finger, "But if we attack an illegal organization first, then our endangerment doesn''t increase with our bounties. This makes attacking the criminal organization the least risky endeavor."


    That line of thinking fell right in with what Torix usually suggests. Torix valued safety above all us. Time or efficiency didn''t matter since he was effectively immortal.


    Althea leaned against the table, "Why wouldn''t an unlawful organization want to get our bounties too?"


    Torix leaned back into his chair, "They''ve already shown that they care little about Schema''s favor. Why would that factor change?"


    Hod spread his wings, "Hod thinks criminals hard to find."


    I leaned forward in my chair, "Good point Hod. How are we supposed to find these criminal organizations without the help of locals?"


    Torix waved off the concern, "I''ll gather intel and Althea will scout for us. I assure you, discovering their location will not be an issue in the slightest."


    I tapped the table. My finger echoed pit like someone dropped a fridge with each tap. I stopped, the sound distracting me.


    Torix''s idea was safe, but it didn''t seem practical to me. I narrowed my eyes, deep in thought. For some reason, my mind wandered towards Yawm. Before we killed him, he didn''t just want to escape Earth. He wanted his followers back too.


    I called his strategy ''layering.'' You could also call it killing two birds with one stone. In his case, Yawm''s greed and arrogance ruined his plan. Learning from him was a good idea though.


    I leaned onto my elbows and steepled my fingers. I tried negotiating like Yawm for a second,


    "How about this instead. We make contact with some Giess, then we offer to take care of a criminal or organization as a gesture of good will?"


    Torix''s eyes opened wide as I continued, "We can bridge the gap between our worlds, build our relations with them, and we can finish both quests-" I snapped my fingers,


    "Just like that."


    Torix leaned back in his chair, "I quite like this scheme of yours."


    Althea raised an eyebrow at me, "Won''t it be crazy dangerous walking into some alien city with our bounties so high?"


    I raised a finger, "Maybe, but I doubt it."


    I placed a palm on the touch screen in front of me. I looked at Torix,


    "How do I use this thing? I think it''ll help me make my point."


    Torix sat up, tapping his console,


    "Oh, the hologram projector. Ah yes, it works like your obelisk does. It integrates with your interface, allowing you to project your thoughts into reality. It takes a bit of finagling, but most get it within a few minutes."


    Torix flicked his fingers, dimming the lights. The projector opened, showing a galaxy using shades of blue. Tiny, microscopic lasers beamed up, building the image in real time. After making a few rocks and random foods, I developed back up the galaxy.


    I pointed at a random location,


    "See this. Let''s say this is Earth, right?"


    We closed in on it. I moved one hand across the image. A blue wave passed over Earth, "Let''s say this is Schema''s, er, assimilation range."


    Torix raised an eyebrow, "What?"


    I waved my hand back and forth, "Like, it''s a line showing where his influence is. He''s always expanding outwards right?"


    Torix nodded. I continued, "So Earth is relatively new. Geiss is the nearest planet to us that has life."


    I pointed at where it might be, "Based on Schema''s rate of expansion, there''s no way that Geiss has been around for a long time under Schema''s system. That means we won''t be dealing with a bunch of level 12,000 Breakers."


    I leaned back against my chair, "At most, we''ll be contending with people at level 3,000 or so if I had to guess. Someone should fact check me there though."


    Torix waved a finger, "That''s quite correct. Geiss has been within Schema''s system for about twenty five years or so. The highest level sentient there is level 9,000, so it lacks Breakers, Fringe Walkers, etcetera. Of course there may be some ancient creatures there that surpass that barrier. We won''t likely run into them given our mission."


    Hod pointed at himself, "Hod kill Yawm. Yawm over level 14,000. Hod scare off fighters."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "We would all scare off anyone looking for a fight."


    Hod waved his hand at Torix, "Hod think Dry Man underestimate Hod. Hod intimidating."


    Hod raised his wings, flexing his arms. They were like toothpicks, thin and wiry. His derpy eyes and thin shoulders didn''t help either. Althea giggled at Hod, and I let out a smile,


    "Make sure you intimidate them in your shade form. I feel like that would work better."


    Hod squinted his eyes at me, "Hod think that not necessary." Hod struck a disco pose, "Hod sight to be seen after all."


    Torix laid his face into his hands. Althea snorted a little bit as she tried suppressing laughter. She looked away,


    "He''s killing me. By Baldowah I love Hod."


    Torix lifted his head and exhaled, "Outside of that concentrated dose of idiocy, I agree with the points made."


    I clapped my hands, "Then that''s what we''ll be working with. Sound good?"


    Torix nodded. Althea shrugged, "I guess it''s a good plan. We may need to flesh it out later though."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "It''s a work in progress. I think of it like this is the skeleton of the plan."


    I pulled with a hand, making Ajax float towards the center of the room. The holographic projection dissipated, and the lights brightened. Althea pointed at Ajax, "So uh, what''s the plan with him?"


    Torix frowned and interlocked his fingers, "Unfortunately, we''ve had numerous issues with Ajax."


    I shrugged, "I figured something was up. You didn''t free Ajax in the fight versus Yawm."


    Althea leaned against one of her hands, "Yeah. There''s a pretty good reason for all that."


    Torix nodded, "On numerous occasions, we found Ajax acting bizarre than dangerous. It began benign enough. A few legionnaires found Ajax torturing eldritch. After that, he broke down and attacked several of our mages."


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, "He killed them, but I couldn''t reprimand him. Ajax''s abilities are...impressive to say the very least. Yawm kept him in check with extreme methods. Without any limiters on his behavior, however, I suspect Ajax will spiral further out of control."


    I looked at the porytian suspended in the green sphere, "Damn...What else did he do?"


    Torix sighed, "He injured Kessiah and Hod at one point."


    Hod raised a wing at me, "Hod still believe Hod assaulted!"


    Torix sat up in his chair, "For once, I agree with the bird. Ajax overreacted to one of Hod''s ''hoddities.''. Kessiah still has the scar on her face."


    Torix tapped the table, "So several counts of murder, torture of animals, and numerous assaults. In my eyes, Ajax is obviously untrustworthy."


    I frowned at him, "Jesus. I thought he wasn''t so impulsive."


    Althea frowned, "Yeah, me too. You have to think about it though. He joined Yawm. He let Yawm experiment on him for more power. There''s no way he thought that through."


    Althea spread out her hands, "For real though, the way he joined us was the same way. He didn''t really help at all versus Yawm. He just jumped in on a whim. If you think about who and what Yawm is, Ajax''s plan wasn''t very foolproof."


    I leaned towards Ajax, "Yeah, not the sharpest tool in the shed I suppose. He''s even killed our own. What do you think is making him act like this?"


    Torix swished a hand, "I hypothesize that the eldritch energy within him has corrupted his mind." Torix leaned back into his chair, "Either that or he''s just a genuine psychopath."


    Torix pressed his chest, "That''s coming from me, mind you."


    I scratched my head, "Well shit. You know it''s bad when the lich is dishing out moral judgment. Why did he attack Kessiah exactly?"


    Torix rolled his eyes, "She made a pass at him."


    I creased my eyebrows, "The fuck? Really?"


    Althea squinted her eyes at Ajax, "I''m sure Ajax has plenty of morning wood to go around."


    I turned towards Althea, my jaw slack. She lifted herself up off the table, looking at everybody, "What? I''ve been reading human novels on my downtime. I can make jokes too."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, of course. The joke just surprised me is all."


    She pointed at Ajax, "The point is, he sliced half her face off for making a pass."


    I glared at Ajax, "Ok, so no one mentioned the severity of the wounds."


    Torix shrugged, "What does it matter? With healing magic, even a fatal woun-"


    I snapped, "He used magic on her. Dimensional slicing magic. If he''s just throwing that shit around, then he''s dangerous as hell. Period."


    I shook my head, "You guys are out of touch with this kind of thing. To me, that''s way over the line."


    Torix tilted his head, "Are we? Hmmm, I suppose we could very well be. After seeing you be torn apart for sparring, our sense of danger may be blunted."


    I pointed at Ajax, "Then we kill him?"


    Althea shrugged, "Yeah, I''d say so, but how? Ajax can teleport and phase through dimensions." She waved her hands around, "He just blips in and out."


    I grimaced, "Oh yeah. That''s tough to beat."


    Torix leaned toward me, "What about the technique you used to crack open the sphere holding you? Perhaps that may work."


    I pushed myself up, "That''s a good idea. I gotta try and make it happen again though. It''s going to take a second."


    Torix stood up with me, "Let''s go and try this within the fifth floor. It better suits our purposes."


    We walked out of the room. After reaching the final elevator, we reached the last floor. The doors of the lift opened, revealing beams of sunshine. The entire level was a garden, a glass roof letting in light. Inside it, fruit trees, crops, and all kinds of blooms grew.


    Torix spruced the greenhouse up with all kinds of exotic plants. Flaming flowers, burning buds, and reflective leaves, every type of plant grew here. Handlers of the crops walked around, tending to them. Some of them wore mages robes. Others wore power armor.


    Torix waved his hand at all of them, "Here we grow the food and alchemical ingredients for the refuge. As you may have noticed, both mages and technicians benefit from the resources."


    I took a deep breath, the air sweet,


    "Yeah, it''s pretty damn nice."


    We walked forward, towards the most open area inside the hollow mountain. Using a portion of the open air here, we stood near the center of the expanse. With soft earth beneath our feet, Torix pointed up,


    "Here''s a large, open area for you to illustrate your technique." He turned towards everyone else, "If anyone would like to see this event, do shield yourself. You''ve been warned."


    I charged my mana. The energy built into my blood and veins. I struggled to keep it in, sparks of the energy firing outward. I gritted my teeth and clasped my hands into fists. I shook, and after a minute, I hummed with turbulence.


    Torix raised an eyebrow at me, "What is your mana generation now?"


    I grumbled, "Nine million a minute."


    Torix took a step back, gasping in open shock,


    "That''s...that''s over a hundred times my own."


    I grinned, "Specialization is king."


    I kept focused, blocking out his voice after that. Maintaining mana of this magnitude required intense concentration. After five full minutes, I resonated with my own energy. It dealt damage to me, so I raised a hand at the ceiling. With absolute fixation, I compressed a gravity well.


    With all the mana discharging, a dense well of gravity formed. Air from all around the room sucked inside like I tore open a hole in a space shuttle. Loose leaves, bits of dirt, and mulch funneled into the single point. A moment later, the gravity well collapsed.


    A shockwave ebbed outwards, shattering all the glass above the room. The metal supporting the glass bent outwards. Dust and rock ricocheted like shrapnel, sinking inches into stone. Trees uprooted. The spell left a crater underneath the attack.


    We all gasped at the sheer might of the implosion. A notification appeared in the corner of my vision.


    Unknown skill unlocked! Gravitational Singularity(lvl 1) unlocked! 500 tree points rewarded for unlocking hidden skillset.


    Gravitational Singularity(lvl 1) - You wield the laws of nature, akin to a god. Allows the user to create singularities.


    From behind us, Amara roused up from her comatose. She pulled a rock out of her arm and gasped,


    "Is this how you choose to wake me?"


    She looked around at the destruction,


    "Did Yawm do this? Were you all that idiotic to let him live?"


    She looked up at us, and we turned towards her. The others shook their heads, pointing at me. I scratched the back of my head,


    "Whoops."

 146 Aligning Time

    Amara lifted her palms towards me, her eyes narrowed, "You imbecile...You let him live?"


    I shook my head, "Oh, hell no. We got him. I meant whoops at the explosion."


    She looked around at the destruction, "You did all this?"


    I shrugged, "Yawm gave experience. What else can I say."


    Amara stood up, looking at my friends. I gestured a hand at Althea, "This is my girlfriend, Althea. The birdman is Hod. He means well I guess. The lich is Torix. He''s a scholar who enjoys teaching. You mentioned making a center of learning for eldritch right? He could help."


    Torix gave Amara a short bow, "I''m at your service."


    She took a step back, "Then where is this?"


    Hod raised a hand, "Base of Harbinger."


    Amara kept one eye on me, but she moved her other hand across the others. She frowned,


    "You''ve created so much...It seems unfitting for one like you."


    Althea''s expression turned sharp, "And why would you say that?"


    Amara turned an eye towards Althea, "He is a destroyer, not a builder."


    Althea crossed her arms, but she stayed quiet. I put a hand on Althea''s shoulder,


    "You gotta think about what she''s seen from me. Amara knows I killed Yawm and the followers. She really doesn''t know much else."


    I turned a palm towards Amara, "If anything, she''s probably suspicious as hell of us." I looked at Amara, "But let me know if I''m wrong. I don''t mean to speak for you there."


    Amara sniffed, her slitted nostrils opening wide. She licked the air,


    "It tastes...delicious."


    Althea griped, "Yeah, ok...She''s still a bit too eldritch-ey."


    Amara glanced at Althea, and the eldritch tilted her head, "You are as eldritch as I. So is the bird. Despite appearances, the walking corpse is the least eldritch of all of you."


    The sound of Althea''s teeth biting down on her tongue. I put my other hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you hungry?"


    I looked at Amara. Her raven hair lifted up, feeling the air around her. She drooled, "What may I eat here?"


    Torix clapped his hands, "Most members of this party must be starving. How about you all eat something that isn''t rations?"


    I nodded, "That sounds good. Let''s do that."


    Torix opened his status, sending several messages. He grinned at all of us,


    "A cleaning crew will come up to fix this level soon. We''ll be dining at Dark Coffee, a local cafe in the residential area."


    We moved down three floors into the residential area. We sat at the local cafe, rustic decorations everywhere. While not the most sizable establishment, the cozy, comfortable atmosphere was pleasant. We got our fair share of stares too.


    Everyone gawked at our group. They whispered about each of us, a growing legend forming about us. I didn''t pay much attention to it as we all faced one another on a black, circular table. After ordering some food, Amara kept drooling as she spoke,


    "I have many questions."


    I raised a hand, "Let me state a few facts before you start: 1st, we killed Yawm. 2nd, we''re planning on killing Ajax. 3rd, we''re going to leave to another planet to get rid of our unknown status and bounties."


    Amara glanced with her palms, "Then here is safe?"


    Hod nodded, "Hod safest person to be around. Hod protect lady friend #3."


    Amara ignored Hod utterly. She sniffed the air. She looked at Torix, "I smell other eldritch here."


    Torix raised his palms to her, "Ah yes, the other eldritch here. You see, your kind is ordinarily unagreeable in the extreme. In order to protect us, I''ve developed techniques for restraining them."


    Amara snickered, her laugh like a hiss,


    "Don''t worry about my feelings, lich. I am not unaware of the danger my kind presents. We''re not welcome here as we are. Our acceptance relies on us changing. As we have always done, we will adapt."


    Amara looked around the table, "Are there intelligent eldritch under this keep?"


    Torix nodded, "There are a few, I suppose. I rarely let the bright eldritch live as their insidious nature is difficult to contain."


    She turned towards me, "I want an area of my own to teach them."


    I crossed my arms, "Are you ok with some surveillance?"


    She narrowed her eyes, "As much as you need for your comfort. I require freedom in my teaching methods, however."


    I pointed at her, "No killing or eating people. Animals are game as long as you don''t eat too many." I looked at Torix, "Are you ok with observing her?"


    He nodded, "But of course."


    Several waiters walked up with a trolley as I clapped my hands together,


    "Then we should be good, right?"


    Amara nodded. I turned towards our food, "God I haven''t had something sweet in literal years."


    They handed us pastries and a few kinds of jerky and greens. I lifted the warm, fluffy bread and chomped into it. I relished the texture and flavor. It was all soft, but varying kinds of soft. Imagine textures between water and pudding. That''s what the food was like.


    Even then, it was a tremendous increase in the diversity of texture that I was used too. Compared with liquid rations that I splashed on my face, there wasn''t much food that was worse. All this food was the best thing I''d had since I could remember eating something decent.


    After we finished our meal, Amara kept ogling everything around her. I frowned at her, "Are you still hungry?"


    She sighed, "We are always hungry. I will suppress it. I will survive on this much food."


    Several minutes later, and her drooling ceased. As we stood up, I pointed at Hod, "Hey, can you and your, er, assistant help Amara find a place to teach in? I think the third floor with the other students would be best."


    Hod gave a short salute, "Hod help the beautiful lady."


    Amara stared at him in disgust. Why Hod thought she was gorgeous, I''ll never know. After they left, I turned towards Torix, "How are the troops?"


    He tapped his chin with a loose fist, "They''re in high spirits. We did just destroy our greatest enemy. Now we can focus on rebuilding."


    I waved my hand,


    "I don''t think that''s enough. Let''s upgrade the legion''s gear. I can spend a few weeks making enchanted gear for everyone who was a part of the climactic battle. We''ll make it a medal since they risked their lives."


    Torix opened his status, writing down notes, "Anything else we might need to do?"


    I brainstormed for a second, and an idea popped into my head, "We should commemorate the day of the battle. After a funeral service, how about we make it a holiday or something like that?"


    Althea pursed her lips, "Why would we do that?"


    I raised an eyebrow at her, "To honor the dead and make it clear that these people were part of history."


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    Torix leaned back, placing a hand on my shoulder, "That''s an idea requiring some finesse. When did you think of it?"


    I frowned, "You said we lost several hundred soldiers. That''s a large chunk of our population. Even if we got our job done, it doesn''t mean we don''t have any wounds. This is a good way of recognizing that and trying to move on. You know, make their deaths mean something."


    Torix jotted down some more notes with his status, "You sound like a patriot."


    I shrugged, "It just seems like the right thing to do."


    Torix pointed at me, "So you''ll be practicing that explosion technique in the meantime while I organize the upgrade system?"


    I wrapped my arm around Althea''s waist,


    "Yeah, sure."


    Torix turned around, "Then it''s a plan. I''ll make sure that Hod isn''t letting Amara eat my students."


    "Hey, Torix."


    He turned towards my voice, "Hmmm?"


    I gestured to everything around me, "You did an incredible job on the base while I was with Yawm. I can''t describe to you how good it feels to come home to a place like this."


    Torix grinned with a bright smile, "But of course. Ah yes, Althea will show you your living quarters." He let out a chuckle as he walked off, "Ah, to be young and fully living."


    I turned towards Althea, and she smiled at me,


    "So, you wanna check out your room?"


    I grinned right back, "Of course."


    We walked into the elevator and back up to the third floor. Althea told Torix to build my room on the top level since she thought it would be my favorite floor.


    She was right. I loved trees for some reason.


    After pacing through the abundant greenery, we reached a spiral staircase. Althea talked as we walked up,


    "So I took a bit of time making these rooms myself. I wanted them to be perfect since they''d be yours."


    Althea''s candidness caught me off guard. I looked away and blushed, "Uh, thank you."


    She giggled, "Did you just lighten...wait, are you actually blushing?"


    I rolled my eyes, "I can be surprised too. If anything, I''m amazed you guys made all this."


    She looked at the polished steps,


    "Torix explained it like this. We don''t have to struggle with food or machinery. Schema''s enhanced attributes pretty much eliminate the need for shelter or the struggle for food. When that''s the case, you got to spend your time on something. Why not building stuff?"


    I looked around, noticing the temperature,


    "I never thought about it, but you''re right. For one, the ground isn''t even uncomfortable with any constitution. With a little endurance, you can sleep through even the coldest nights. A lot of the reason for building a house is pointless at that point."


    She nodded, "So people just kind of focus on making their house look good. If they can of course. Either that or handling the eldritch."


    We reached a set of oak doors, polished a dark brown. On them, pages worth of runes littered on their surface. I read them. They locked the door unless you offered a mixed mana type. In my case, I used ascendant mana, a mix of augmenter and dominion manas.


    It was perfect for me.


    I shoved a spike of mana into the door. A red glow traced through the lines of the wood. I pressed the doorway, opening them. I walked into the room. A wall of glass exposed a majestic view. Being high up on the mountaintop, we had a near perfect view of the spectacle.


    Sandwiched between two hills, the sun dipped halfway down them. Oranges, yellows, and purples hued the horizon. It was like an apartment out of Manhattan, luxury incarnate. The modern, sleek design of the room was out of place with the rest of the mountain''s logical layout.


    Althea opened her arms, "Tadah! I spent some time looking at some old architecture magazines some legionaries brought. I also had a few people help with the design and making the furniture."


    I gasped at the quality, running my fingertips across the sleek stone tabletops. Althea walked around the room, showing me an island beside an up to date kitchen,


    "I got you a bunch of cooking supplies since you liked cooking so much. I figured it was something we can do together."


    She walked over towards a left corner of the room. Two posters hung on the wall, one of Mike Tyson and the other of Ali. I walked up to them, running my hand down them. To my surprise, they were real, though a bit wore down.


    Althea locked her hands behind her, looking up at me, "I remember hearing you talk about, uh, what was it...boxing, that''s it. I heard you talk about it with Torix. I asked Diesel if he knew any boxers. He mentioned these guys. I found posters of them in some abandoned houses. Do you like them?"


    An intense wave of nostalgia whipped through me. I closed my eyes, remembering the smell of sweat and leather. I relived the hours listening to jump rope tap against concrete. I recalled the pop and crack of a fist hammering against a heavy bag.


    I turned towards Althea, touched by the gesture. She stared at me, grinning from ear to ear, "Hah, I knew you''d like it."


    I shook my head, "Like it? Hell no. I love it."


    I hugged her against me, holding her tight. Well, relatively tight. I didn''t want to squash her after all. She hugged me back, my armor creaking under her unreal strength. With a bit of emotion in my voice, I whispered,


    "Thank you."


    We looked at each other, pressing our bodies together. Althea placed a fingertip against my lips, "You wanna repay me? I have one way you could start."


    She stared at me. I leaned over, pressing my lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me close. My armor bent away from me, letting her body push against me. It was like taking my shoes off after a long day.


    With enhanced senses, I relished the silky texture of her soft lips. I grabbed her, our breath hastening. Our heart rates rose, and Althea shivered at my touch. She gasped when I caressed her. I lifted her up, tossing her onto the bed.


    With tousled hair, she narrowed her eyes at me. She bit her lip as I laid on top of her. Starting with her shoulders, I guided my hands down her thin waist. As I reached her shapely hips, she shuddered again. She grabbed her jumpsuit and unbuckled four notches around her belt.


    She jerked it, throwing it across the room. She pulled her shirt off, exposing her bare chest. They bounced, jiggling for a moment. I brushed my hands against them, and she trembled. She let out a moan. I continued as she pressed herself against me.


    We whispered to one another. I told Althea how much I missed her body. Althea told me how much she missed my voice. We loved each other, admiring each other. After spending hours on the bed, Althea fell asleep in my arms. I watched her sleep for a few minutes, soaking the moment in.


    I never thought I''d get this far. I never imagined I''d have a life like this. After all the fighting, I arrived somewhere I could relax at.


    I found a home.


    I held onto Althea until she was buried in sleep. I picked myself up, my armor remolding onto my skin. Spikes from the armor pierced my skin, connecting on my bones from between muscles. This reinforced my bones, like giving it another layer of supporting structure.


    I walked over towards the bathroom of my personal room. After closing the door, I cut on the light. I found a mirror, showing myself. I was massive. My armor didn''t have as many spikes as I remembered. It appeared more organic.


    I pulled my helmet off my face, the armor molding like liquid. It made no sound anymore, the smooth transition too well practiced. I looked at my face. Gray skin, flat scars, and gray pupils, I looked alien. I wasn''t ugly per say, just rugged. Personally, I liked the look. It suited me.


    I pulled my armor back onto my face, looking at the helmet. Crimson light leaked out from the eyeholes still. I smiled, my armor following with a jagged grin of its own. I bit forward, my armor snapping shut like a guillotine.


    Honestly, I was unnerved, to say the least. The children had every right to fear me. I pulled the armor back, my hair tousled. I grinned, my teeth white. I looked around the bathroom, finding actual soap and shampoo. My metal skin stayed on me when I stepped in the shower. It seemed like the living metal only left my normal skin when having sex. Great.


    I washed my hair, brushed my teeth, and handled basic hygiene. I sighed with relief, finding comfort in old habits. After leaving the bathroom, I walked out of my room and closed the doors. I sent Althea a message, letting her know where I was going.


    While walking, I opened my status. After gaining the unknown skill Gravitational Singularity, I obtained 500 skill points. I invested the massive boon into my current skill tree, Immense.


    You leverage mass for might. You abuse size for strength. You wield this stature as a tool of devastation. You usher forth annihilation with the swing of your fist. As your heels shake the planet beneath you, the enemy sees you on the horizon. They tremble.


    Immense(Tier 4) unlocked! 20% of your total mass is added to your physical bonus damage. Unlocks the unique skill, Goliath''s Fall.


    Unique skill unlocked, Goliath''s Fall!


    Goliath''s Fall(lvl 1) - You''ve seen the mighty crumble under the might of stone. You learned the lesson of those that have fallen before you. Grants enhanced stability and better footing on soft surfaces. Effect increases with level.


    I selected finalize again. A surging pulse of strength flowed through me. It paled in comparison with the boost after killing Yawm. I still grinned and stepped with excitement. Goliath''s fall made the ground seem less like putty and more like sand. Not perfect, but it was better.


    The immense tree was near completion too, with 2,325 out of 2,500 points left. Finishing it might give me something incredible, like another mythical skill.


    Burning with that fervor, I walked through the camp. The ever present stares followed me as I went. After reaching outside the base, I called Torix with my obelisk. He answered, a screen appearing with soldiers in the background.


    "Hello, disciple. What is it?"


    I opened a projection of the base, pointing at it, "Where would you guys like to farm here? I''m about to train that new skill. If I can clear out some fields at the same time, that would be great."


    Skill unlocked, Efficiency(lvl 1)!


    Efficiency(lvl 1) - You work smarter, not harder. Increases the ratio of time and effort to output in tasks.


    Torix grinned at me, "An excellent method of partitioning out your time. I''ve noticed you seem sharper in wit as of late. Are you investing in intelligence?"


    I shook my head, "Nope. I do have a bit of intelligence because of all my endurance though."


    Torix shook his head, highlighting four areas on the map, "I suppose with that absurd strategy of yours, none of your stats are lacking."


    I frowned, "Eh, Charisma could use some work."


    Torix shrugged, "Perhaps you could try intimidation rather than persuasion? I find that fear works in the short term rather nicely." Torix turned and looked at the soldiers,


    "Once you''ve struck fear into their hearts, you can show kindness. It motivates them from both sides I''ve found."


    Torix turned back towards the soldiers behind him,


    "That call just saved each of you several hours of labor."


    As the soldiers let out a roar of approval, Torix gave me a curt nod,


    "Goodbye and good luck."


    I said the same, and we closed our calls. I walked towards the areas, and I charged my mana. It reminded me of overcharging my runes, but the stress applied to my health instead of the runes.


    The technique wouldn''t be beneficial if my mana regen were lower. I would disintegrate myself before I could get a large pool of mana brewing. My regeneration allowed me to regenerate faster than I could be destroyed.


    As I readied my first strike of the skill, I let out a strained laugh. This was something Yawm could do. It was beyond what Schema''s system customarily allowed. Mastering Gravitational Singularity was new territory. If I kept at it, maybe I wouldn''t be at the mercy of Overseers, Schema, or even the Old Ones.


    Maybe they''d be at the mercy of me.

 147 Disillusion

    No point in getting ahead of myself though. Same as always, I charged the mana. After a few minutes, I looked at my status,


    New skill learned! Mana saturation(lvl 1) unlocked!


    Mana Saturation(lvl 1) - With your own flesh and blood as a cage, you extend your mana pool beyond its ordinary means. Increases charging speed and efficiency with level, and also reduces health cost while saturated.


    After obtaining the skill, the intense discomfort from charging lessened. I raised a hand, aiming at a cluster of trees. I let the mana go, a singularity forming. It pulled in a few trees before detonating. It pulled inward for far less time than the previous singularity in the fourth floor.


    After creating several more explosions, I learned a few tricks. For starters, the gravity wells needed to pull in matter before they exploded. The denser the objects absorbed, the faster the gravity well blew. Whatever fell in fueled the explosion, sending out the shockwave.


    No matter what fell in, they left nothing behind.


    It was a culling kind of spell. When I used it, this strange pulling sensation passed through me. Along with it, a snap of coldness. Right after the detonation, a flash of heat washed over me. I stared at my status during these moments and discovered the cause.


    The cold originated from the tiny, minuscule black hole sucking in heat. After that, it dispersed in a wave of radiation. That created the warmth. Hawking''s radiation at work I guess. I honestly didn''t know exactly how it worked.


    After hours of messing around with the black holes, I got a few level ups in the skill. Compared with most abilities, I gained levels in the talent at a snail''s pace. In my eyes, that was fair. Considering what a ridiculous ability it was, I didn''t complain.


    By the time I finished two of the four farms, I had ended the day''s session. There wasn''t a real reason to grind like my life depended on it. With that in mind, I headed back up to my room.


    I found Althea still sleeping on her side. I walked by her, giving her a morning kiss. She woke up, grinning at me. We enjoyed a simple breakfast together. I used the kitchen at my place, making an omelet and a leafy green salad. I stay away from spinach since it tastes like dirt.


    At this point, I didn''t need it to be like Popeye either.


    After the eggs and a few leafy greens, I went downstairs. I spoke with Torix. In the third floor, Torix sat within an empty classroom. He stared at his status screen,


    "It''s good to see you, Daniel. What may I help you with?"


    I grabbed one of my hands like I was pulling off a ring, "I have to upgrade the gear. I was hoping to get an idea of what to give the troops."


    Torix closed his status, turning in his seat, "Well then, I''d recommend something that would enhance their growth. Perhaps something that will give them an extra burst of strength in times of need?"


    I tapped my chin with a hand, "Well, how about I create a mana crystal for them and a...hmmm...maybe a medallion that enhances intelligence and perception?"


    Torix nodded, "Those stats seem perfect. How would you go about creating mana crystals? They normally need to be harvested from worlds that are dense in mana."


    I shrugged, "I remember seeing some people charge mana into gemstones in BloodHollow. Couldn''t I do the same here?"


    Torix nodded, "There is a cluster of raw amethyst in the mountain that you could use for it. I''ll have someone send the jewels to you."


    I pointed at Torix, "I''ll be in the research area on the second floor. Cya professor."


    Torix waved goodbye, still staring at his status. I paced down onto the second floor. Welding torches sent out sparks that arced in the air. I walked towards the back of the tinkering area, walking past the caged eldritch.


    Amara spoke to the monsters inside the glass zoo.


    She tried convincing the monsters something. As I imagined, they didn''t respond to her. I passed by Diesel, his eyes intent on a new design for Althea. He worked on the framework for a prototype. I waved at him,


    "Still working on that new design?"


    Diesel looked towards me, raising an eyebrow. After seeing me, he waved back, "Ah, you know how it is. These things take time. What are you in here for?"


    I kept walking until I reached my own bench, "A reward for those that took part in the battle against Yawm. It''s going to take a while."


    Diesel wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, "It makes me sweat just thinking about it. Good luck."


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    I laughed a bit, "You too man."


    I settled in, cleaning off a few wood shavings from my desk. With the gears of my mind turning, I opened my dimensional storage. I pulled out my grimoire, flipping it to a blank page. I outlined a few runes and set to work.


    Like with any runes, I began with getting an understanding of what I wanted to carve first. Unlike endurance, intelligence required finesse in its application. To manage that, I dwelled on what intellect was.


    I decided smarts came down to dozens of factors. I boiled it down to the most important one - the ability to do. Some people thought of intellect as latent potential. It was this imaginary line deciding how far you could go in a subject. I didn''t like that definition.


    Did the ability to work hard and stay motivated not fall under intelligence? Hell, finding meaning in something and staying focused was one of the smartest things a person could do. In my opinion, of course.


    With that goal in mind, I etched out some inscriptions. After about two hours of carving, I finished a compelling series of runes. I drilled them into my grimoire. After a few refinements, I was ready to mass produce.


    With my armor, I molded outwards. I created plates shaped like hexagons. I built one over a few seconds before snapping it off. Within an hour, I piled a massive heap of them beside my table. I set out onto work, grinding off the jagged edges of the medallion''s snapped side.


    After two more hours, I completed two hundred of the medallions. I dispersed mana into my grimoire. The letters glowed a bright crimson. I set the runic inscription onto a hexagon, the letters forming on its surface. The procedure took about ten seconds apiece.


    After thirty minutes, I completed my first batch. I pushed through another bunch of two hundred before the amethysts arrived. A group of five vanguards carried several amethyst geodes. They walked beside me, unstrapped the geodes, and left after a salute.


    I thanked them as they did. With my fingers, I snapped off cubic pieces of the jewels. They snapped like breaking off chunks of crystal candy. Creating a pile of them, I separated the pieces of amethyst into large and small portions. I figured the families or friends of our fallen soldiers deserved the large ones.


    I charged energy into the amethysts. As I did, the purple crystals turned brighter and into magenta. They glowed at their center, the light fading towards the outside. The shine depended on the amount of mana stored.


    They varied. Some gems held two hundred thousand mana. Some held six hundred thousand apiece. They each took a couple seconds to charge. While a hassle, it wasn''t too overbearing.


    After finishing the pile, I carved them with a piece of sharpened armor. The black metal''s hardness far exceeded the amethyst. That let me zip through the process. I sliced indentations into the metal. I then took an amethyst, implanting it into each medallion.


    I bent straps of the metal, pinning the gems in place. With the runes and mana finished, the item was complete.


    Hand of the Harbinger(lvl req: 400) - This medallion was created as a reward for those that fought against Yawm. It strengthens the user''s mind and offers protection in times of need.


    Bonuses: Willpower +50 | Intelligence +50 | Luck +25 | Charisma +25


    Ability: The Harbinger''s Shield - If some kind of damage would kill the user, this medallion floods the user with the vitality of Dimension-C138. This heals the user and fills them with great vigor, sending them into a berserker mode.


    I glanced at the emblem, proud of my work. It seemed pretty solid. I finished several dozen more before heading back upstairs. I could push through the process over a few weeks. Once more, there wasn''t much need to. I planned on injecting variety into my day, preventing anything from becoming a chore.


    With that intention, I spent the rest of my afternoon with Althea. We read together and enjoyed each other''s company after dinner. This routine repeated for at least two months. Finishing the medallions took time. Training my singularity skill took time too, reaching the mid 70''s in level.


    I didn''t know much about unknown skills either. Did they have a cap? Where they linear or exponential in growth? Did it get harder to upgrade at a higher level? I had no way of knowing. Neither did Schema''s internet.


    Anything I discovered came in rumor form like legendary skills. Few people shared their skills unless you paid the price for them. For a mythical ability, the amount was exorbitant and the sources shady. Any posts or videos about legendary skills were from salesman types.


    They were more a conman than a fighter.


    I didn''t let that stop me though. The months flew by, habit taking over. By the time I finished the medals and handed them out, Torix already organized our trip to Giess. He used the same rune setup from before. He tried earlier, but Schema''s quarantine ruined his magic. Without a quarantine in place, we could leave whenever.


    We just needed a few final details before leaving. We weren''t worried about missing leadership either. The soldier''s moral was overwhelming. No one expected the handcrafted medallions. They didn''t expect the trinkets to be useful either. They were both and more.


    The badges offered a second life to most. That kind of benefit suited what we asked of the soldiers. They risked everything against Yawm. They deserved a meaningful reward. It would be a memento, something that gives proof when they tell stories to their children.


    While handing the rewards out, I enjoyed my celebrity status. So many thank yous, fans, and bright smiles astonished me. It made the impact of my actions real in a way. After that though, I kept to myself for the most part. I didn''t want to make a scene wherever I went.


    Like that the days flew by. It was the day before we finalized the details on leaving Earth. Althea and I scheduled a dinner date. Inside our cozy room, we hand-cooked some flank steak and a Mediterranean salad. Althea still struggled a bit with balancing the ingredients.


    It was a work in progress.


    After finishing the meal, the two of us fell asleep. I held Althea in my arms, my armor surrounding us both. It always did when I laid down with her. I relaxed with my eyes closed, thinking about the last few years. It had been hard, and everything changed. It was an adventure though, and I came out stronger for it.


    After three hours of letting my mind wander, I snapped open my eyes. I lifted myself up. I looked around, nothing visible. An itch crawled up my spine, an ominous chill radiating.


    There was no need for it. A pitch black enveloped us both, muting all but the sound of our breathing. I questioned my own physical response. For no reason, my heart pounded in my chest like a thudding hammer. My senses fired away like a fire alarm. It baffled me.


    A second later, a click muffled out from beneath the bed. Gears spun into place. Chemicals reacted. A kinetic wave smothered the inside of my armor shell, engulfing us in a freezing fire. Just like the sound, everything clicked into place in my head. It was a bomb.


    And my armor locked us inside.

 148 A Calm Killing

    <div>


    <div>


    A sapphire flame suffused the metal dome. My vision dimmed. My armor cracked, the shell surrounding us holding in the explosion. Fragments of my armor fell down. Sensing damage, the metal shell around me rushed back onto my charred skin.


    Charred might be the wrong word. The flames left a deep cooling sensation after the initial, brilliant flash of heat. It was like someone injected liquid nitrogen into my blood. The bits of Althea froze in burning piles around me.


    I checked out my health, 1/5th of it gone. I looked around, seeing the ashen bed. I stretched my awareness, looking for other bombs. I found two other spheres embedded in the wall. Their consistency matched the concrete, blending them in. Now that I looked closer, they appeared like a vague outline.


    I reached out a hand, charging my mana. With a swift jerk, I plucked two chunks of concrete from the wall. The bombs clicked, but I kicked my foot on a telekinetic pad.


    The telekinetic pulse punted the two chunks of concrete out of the window. After crashing out of the glass, I bent down and molded my armor. I created a cape of moving metal around Althea''s bits and pieces.


    Outside the room, the two blue fire bombs detonated. A chain reaction began, two more bombs exploding outside. Someone assumed we would try and leave the room and pinned us in from both sides.


    Thank god I''m not one for running away. I looked around, the explosion leaving our room trashed. It was odd. Most of the room charred from the blast. The fire now froze what remained of it. Before it did more damage, I spread my arms and clapped them together.


    A shockwave ushered out a wave of wind. The flames blew out, an echo radiating through the mountainside. After a few more seconds, Althea materialized from the bits of cold mush. I bent towards her as she shivered. Her eyes darted around, grasping for information. I grabbed her hand, "Are you ok?"


    She nodded her head.


    She looked around, her eyes wide with terror,


    "What in the hell just happened?"


    I frowned, "Someone just tried to assassinate us." My wounds regenerated already. "They didn''t do such a good job, but it was a pretty good shot."


    She glanced around at the room, "Why isn''t everything destroyed?"


    I tapped my armor, "My armor kept the first explosion contained. That''s why it did so much damage in the first place." I walked over towards a dresser,


    "It seems like someone knew the armor enclosed around us while we slept. That''s why the bomb was there. They must have snuck into our room while we weren''t here if I had to guess."


    Althea shook as I threw her a jumpsuit. It reminded me of a surfer''s outfit. She slipped it on,


    "For a bomb, it sure feels cold."


    I nodded, "Yeah. It feels like a cryo grenade or something weird like that. I don''t really know."


    I opened my status screen, "What I do know is we need to talk this out."


    I sent Torix, Hod''s assistant Isa, Amara, and Kessiah a message to meet up. Althea looked down. She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Here I thought we were finally done with people trying to kill us. At least for a little bit."


    I shrugged, "This is why we''re going to Giess after all."


    We turned and ran out of the room. We sent messages to Torix and the others for a midnight meeting. Torix was already there by the time Althea, and I arrived. Hod''s assistant, Isa, threw the birdman into the room. He groveled on the ground, half asleep,


    "Hod not ready for sun yet." He raised his wings, "Sun go away."


    Torix crossed his fingers, his eyebrows creased and his flaming eyes purple, "Cease your mindless chatter. We''ve important matters to discuss."


    He turned towards me, interlocking his fingers, "I assume you called because of the explosion?"


    I frowned, "Yeah, someone just tried to kill us."


    Torix sighed, "A few of my undead sentries sent telepathic messages to me. Damage done to the base is rather...extreme. I''m left wondering why didn''t they try to kill all of us and only you two?"


    Hod pulled himself onto a chair. He pointed at me, "Hod believe it because bomber not like Daniel."


    Kessiah walked into the room, the doors opening. We all stared at her, the white hair on her head ruffled. She sat down on Hod''s side of the table. She looked around,


    "What? Are you all that surprised I showed up?"


    Torix shook his head, "Not necessarily. I''m amazed everyone came so swiftly in all honesty. I don''t sleep, and neither does Daniel. Having the rest of you rush here is an excellent sign of alertness."


    Kessiah turned towards me, "What''s the hassle this time?"


    I shrugged, "Someone blew up Althea and my room with some ice bombs."


    Kessiah sneered, "Well when you do great things, you''re bound to make enemies I guess."


    Althea raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"


    Kessiah looked between all of us, "Are you serious? None of you know?"


    Our confused expressions answered her question. She tapped the touchpad, opening the holographic projector. A second later, a white block appeared.


    A video arose onto both sides. On it, the battle between Yawm and the Breakers played out. The brutality of Yawm''s last moments was laid bare for all to see. A quick edit and I popped up on the screen. It showed my battle against Frode and Brim.


    Minutes later, and the battle was over. From a different angle, the camera viewed us over Yawm. It showed him trapping us, my launch into his attack, and the bloody aftermath that ensued. In excruciating, high resolution, someone created a viral video of the fight.


    An odd sensation traveled through me at the sight of it. I didn''t know if I should feel proud or insulted. On the one hand, evidence existed that we killed Yawm outside of our titles. On the other hand, our life and death struggle devolved into entertainment on the web.


    Kessiah scrolled down showing comments about the battle. A few armchair quarterbacks debated how we should have fought. Even more people marveled at the insanity of Yawm''s powers. A small but vocal crowd also called Yawm an idiot for how he used his abilities.


    Fierce troll fests cropped up even. Several commenters threw memes out, mentioning how we had level''s lower than our IQs.


    Ahhhh, the internet.


    Kessiah raised her arms at the video, "There you go. 30 trillion views already. This is why you were attacked if I had to guess."


    I blinked a few times, amazed at the sheer scale of the numbers mentioned,


    "You''re telling me people are trying to kill me because of this video?"


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Uh, yeah. You''re a high-level unknown, and they know where you are. Put two and two together."


    I grimaced, "So that''s all it takes? For real?"


    Kessiah crossed her arms behind her, "Welcome to the life of a remnant. Hope you enjoy it."


    Torix raised a hand, "But this doesn''t explain why they didn''t try to kill us?"


    Kessiah raised her eyebrows at Torix, "Daniel killed Korga Ryker, alright. The Korga Ryker. Every unknown across the galaxy hates you now."


    I tapped the desk, "I mean...I didn''t kill him exactly."


    Kessiah shook her head, "People don''t care. The video tells them that you helped Yawm then he betrayed you. After that, you betrayed him. Simple and easy. Everybody already made their mind up about you."


    I scratched the top of my head, "Well fuck...Thank god we''re nearly indestructible."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "I believe that the sniper that survived our encounter published this video. It''s also a safe assumption to believe they are the assassin we''re after as well."


    Althea bit her lip, "Hmm...that sounds like something the sniper would want to do. We did kill her leader and all her friends. Yenno, assuming they were friends."


    I tapped the table, "Ok, so now what? We leave here and let them pick the legion apart, or do we stay and play a tower defense against waves of assassins?"


    Torix waved a hand, "They wouldn''t dare kill any of our legions. Murder of an ordinary sentient would give them a bounty. This is especially so considering Earth is still a new planet."


    Torix pointed around us, "That''s likely why the bombs in your room weren''t nuclear. They couldn''t risk killing that many people. That''s why the assassin''s killing Yawm didn''t use a nuclear bomb for destroying him either."


    Kessiah sighed, "But if we were all unknowns, they wouldn''t even hesitate. Great."


    I spread out my arms, "I don''t remember you being such an edgelord Kessiah."


    Kessiah let her hands go out from behind her head. She bit her lip, "Alright, my bad. I''m just pissed off. We finally kill that unkillable monster and now look. We''re still being hunted down. Doesn''t that seem a little, I don''t know, unfair?"


    I tilted my head. Kessiah wasn''t wrong per say. At the same time, being right doesn''t mean someone is useful. I laid my hands on the table, "Here''s the thing. It doesn''t matter if the situation is unfair. What matters is that we find a way to get through the situation."


    Hod raised a wing, "Hod agree."


    Torix tapped his touchpad, closing the video,


    "Then let''s finalize the last details of leaving. This place will be safer once we''ve left. Anyone who remains here will have to hide their identities until we finish the missions on Giess. Who wishes to go?"


    Athea, me, Torix, and Kessiah raised our hands. Hod didn''t. I looked at him,


    "Why don''t you want to leave?"


    Hod glanced at everybody, "Hod like all of Hod''s friends, and Hod want to go. Hod can''t. Hod have to stay with Eltari."


    Hod gripped his feathers into something like a fist,


    "Hod leader of tribe. Hod have responsibility as leader. Hod find Eltari home, and Hod make sure new home safe and good for eltari. Hod sorry."


    I lifted my palms to Hod, "What? Don''t apologize man. You have to do what you have to do."


    It surprised me that Hod thought that deeply about, well, anything. It was mature and, gasp...level-headed. I  turned towards the others,


    "So we''re all leaving tomorrow?" Everyone besides Hod nodded. Hod pointed behind himself,


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Hod let friends know Amara not leaving either. Amara not good with crowds. Amara eldritch after all, so Amara get attacked fast. She stay and teach other eldritch. Amara goal not the same as Harbinger."


    I stood up, "That''s totally fine." I turned towards Hod, "Are you going to be able to handle the sniper though?"


    Hod laughed, "Hod not worried. Hod and Amara strong together."


    Kessiah stood up, walking over to Hod. She got in his face, making him lean back,


    "Wait a second...you love her don''t you?"


    Hod sat there, expressionless as a brick. He shook his head,


    "What? No, Hod say nooooo. Hod not love beautiful Amara. Why Lady Friend number two think that?"


    Hod blushed like crazy if you could call it blushing. His feathers ruffled out like he was being attacked. He glanced back in forth in a minor frenzy. Hod stood up, pointing at everyone, "Hod command others not tell Amara; otherwise Hod hate friends forever!"


    Amara walked in. She raised a palm, the eye narrowed,


    "Tell me what exactly?"


    Hod fumbled back into his chair, trying to look cool but failing miserably,


    "Pshhhhhh, what Amara talk about? Hod not know a thing."


    He turned his head to the side, trying to whistle. Spit flopped everywhere instead. Amara looked at it then back at Hod,


    "You are disgusting."


    Kessiah smirked at Hod, "Oh yes he is."


    Torix stood up with us, "It seems as though the conversation took a nosedive in an instant. Bring everything you need in your dimensional storages. What you can''t fit within them, just use packs. My teleportation magic is more limited by volume than by space."


    He turned his gaze towards me, "I''ve already sorted through the belongings of the Breakers and placed useful pieces in a room. Daniel, being the densest and most massive of the group by far, should use them instead of us."


    Torix walked past me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Would you like to do that now?"


    I shrugged. I turned towards Althea, "Where''s somewhere she could sleep?"


    Torix pointed downstairs, "I''d recommend somewhere in the residential district. Our assailant wouldn''t dare to use a bomb there. Either that or perhaps sleeping somewhere while stealthed will do."


    Althea punched my arm, "I''m going to be fine. You don''t have to worry that much. I can handle it."


    I scratched my cheek, "Ah yeah, sorry about that." I turned to Hod, "Are you going to be able to hunt down the sniper?"


    Hod nodded, "Hod sure of it."


    I turned towards Amara, "See if you can''t help him out some. If you wouldn''t mind that is."


    She turned an eye towards Hod, "If it helps me survive..."


    With the meeting handled, Torix and I walked out of the room. In silence, we entered the third floor. After passing by some students pulling all-nighters, we reached into Torix''s personal office. With skulls, heads in jars, and all the lich cliches present, we sat at his mahogany desk.


    Torix opened a black portal beside him. He pointed at it, "Most of the supplies are here. You can pick and choose what you''d like to keep from within."


    I stood up and pointed at it, "How do you even make this?"


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, "It''s a mana locking technique. You create a mental projection of space and hold materials within the projection. In exchange, you lower your maximum mana pool."


    I frowned, "Could you keep me in there?"


    Torix laughed, "Hardly. You''d smash it apart with your mental strength if not your physical might. Keeping the projection formed while you''re in there will be difficult enough, let along trapping you there."


    Torix raised a hand, "In fact, if you could just pull items out with your gravitation, I''d prefer that."


    I shook my head, "I''m sorry for the false accusation. The bomb has me paranoid."


    He scoffed, "I''d imagine so. Althea probably came out as mush. Her unique composition saved her yet again...even still, it was a harrowing experience."


    I glanced into the portal, seeing an old room. Assortments of books, glassware, ink, and gemstones littered desks. A fireplace burned behind rows of shelves, oddities, and knick-knacks. Scrolls and maps spread over the mantle. Torix pointed inside,


    "Allow me."


    He stepped within, wooden floorboards creaking. I walked in right after. The room shifted, dust falling. Torix gasped,


    "By Baldowah you are heavy."


    I lifted some of my weight with a small gravity well. Dust floated upwards, the air funneling up towards the well. The room unshifted, and Torix stood back up straight,


    "Thank you."


    I looked around, "What do you need on an intergalactic scale anyways?"


    Torix raised a hand, "Well that depends on the person asking. In your case, I''d recommend a few things."


    Torix pulled out a transparent disk, "This is a series of downloadable maps for Giess and Feontis, their capital. We''ll be heading there as it has the highest density in population. There we''ll find the most trouble and make the most allies."


    I grabbed the disk. Torix handed me packages of his tasteless rations,


    "These shall serve as a backup in case you run out of food." Torix pulled out a few bottles, "These are essential nutrients for your survival based on studies from your previous society."


    I took the objects as Torix pulled them out, "Of course you''ll need basic hygienic supplies, a few silver rings for enchanting, gemstones, data discs for extra memory in your obelisk, water and air is a must, a scent neutralizing cologne, a guide for immigrants of Giess..."


    He went on and on. I dropped each item into my personal dimensional storage as he handed the stuff to me. I didn''t even need my actual ring since my armor could store literal tons of mass.


    After an entire catalog''s worth of equipment, Torix turned towards me,


    "That''s the trifle I imagined you''d need."


    I laughed a bit,


    "Are you shitting me? You just gave me a whole store''s worth of, er, things."


    Torix put his hands on his hips, "I''m glad I overdid it. Here I believed I''d skimped you out on the necessities."


    We walked out his mental projection and back into his office. Torix grinned at me,


    "You know, this reminds me of sending Alfred off to school many, many years ago."


    I pursed my lips, "Isn''t that hard to remember?"


    Torix shook his head, "The sting of his passing has long since passed. Now I cherish any moment that brings back his memory. That is my greatest regret. With loved ones, I took them for granted until after they''d left me."


    Torix reached up and put his hands on my shoulders, "I won''t make the same mistake twice, I assure you."


    I gave Torix a bearhug, lifting him up off the ground,


    "You''re just a big old softie."


    I set him down, "But I appreciate it, master."


    Torix laughed, "As you should, disciple."


    We said our goodbyes, each of us waving towards the other. As I walked out of his office, I remembered why I called him master. The reason changed over time.


    At first, I did so out of fear. After a while, it was out of awe. At this point, calling him master was more a sign of respect. I could probably beat Torix down in a fight, but I wouldn''t. I was his old apprentice, and I wanted him to enjoy the title. I wanted him to take pride in the student he helped make.


    Those ideas dashed around in my head while I walked down towards the eatery. I put about several hundred pounds of random foodstuffs into storage. Vegetables, grains, oils, meat, seasonings, you name it, and it went into storage. I didn''t want to go for two years without a burger ever again.


    Never again.


    It took several hours to do all that though since I needed to heal. I also filled up a ring with water and air. It sounds strange, but it might save me from dying later on.


    After I finished packing, the sun rose up. Torix sent everyone messages, and we met up on the third floor. Inside a room on the third floor, Torix created a teleportation ritual.


    As I walked in, runic glyphs met my eye. They smothered the walls with a few charged gemstones placed at varying points. They shimmered with dormant mana. Althea and Kessiah already arrived, a variety of packs idling by.


    We were almost ready. As I walked up without any gear, Kessiah frowned at me, "Why don''t you have anything with you...wait, let me guess, you plan on roughing it for training?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Oh haha, very funny." I showed her my hand, five silver rings on them reflecting the room''s light, "Everything I need is in these. Since I weigh so much, I don''t have to actually carry anything."


    Kessiah stood up, walking over. I dwarfed her now. She banged my chest, a metallic ring echoing through the room. She shook her hand, "You''re heavy alright. How about you carry all of my stuff too?"


    I tapped my chin, "Hmmm. I could carry anything you don''t use every day. Otherwise, I''ll be constantly giving you whatever you need."


    Althea walked up, "Oooh, would you hold my stuff too?"


    I grinned at her, "Of course."


    Kessiah stuck her tongue out and looked away, "Bleck. Gross."


    I pointed at her, "In the immortal words of Hod, you''re just peanut butter and jealous."


    Kessiah raised her arms up, "He spoke those words in a sentence? Damn is he dumb."


    I shook my head, "He got Torix pretty good with those exact words."


    Kessiah smiled, "Oh yeah, I''m sure it took awhile for that bag of bones to wrap his head around that one."


    Torix walked up, looking at us, "I see I''m a popular subject of discussion. Of what may I ask you?"


    Kessiah propped her weight on one leg, "Don''t worry about it."


    I grabbed Althea''s packs and put them in storage as Torix and Kessiah exchanged witty banter. Each time I put a gun or some armor into the repository, a chunk of my body disintegrated. It took a few seconds for it to regenerate.


    Kessiah looked at it, then back up at me, "What the fuck is that?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? I''m regenerating."


    She narrowed her eyes at me, "It looks so gross."


    Althea leaned towards me and whispered, "Poor her. She''s being so defensive."


    I leaned towards Althea, "Yeah, tell me about it."


    Kessiah shrugged, "Just pointing out the obvious. Still, what is your regeneration now? It looks higher than 400,000 a minute."


    I scoffed, "Uh, yeah. It''s a little bit higher than that."


    Torix nudged Kessiah with his elbow, "While you''ve been training soldiers, my disciple helped kill Yawm of Flesh, the avatar of the world eater. He''s improved more than a bit."


    Kessiah spread out her arms, "Can you just tell me how much it is?"


    Torix''s grin turned vicious, "Oh, somewhere in the realm of 9 million. I believe it''s even higher now."


    Kessiah took a step back, her knees shaking a little. Her jaw went slack. She blinked a few times. She looked at Torix then back at me. She waved her hands,


    "Show me your status."


    Torix pointed upstairs, "Before all that, we need to deal with Ajax."


    I sighed, "Damn. I almost forgot about him."


    Kessiah''s eyes turned into slits, "I heard you guys decided to just kill him."


    I nodded. The slightest smile ran up Kessiah''s lips, "Good. That asshole deserves it."


    Kessiah looked sideways, hiding her new scar. Right before it went out of view, the old wound reflected light. It cast a glossy sheen. I grimaced,


    "God...I''m surprised he did that to you."


    Kessiah glared at me, "You and me both. All I did was ask the guy out. Before you know it, he''s shouting crazy stuff. ''I won''t let my guard down around anyone again. I know we''re enemies, be glad Yawm is an even greater one.'' Blah blah."


    Kessiah shook her head, "Then I put a hand on his shoulder while saying sorry. Bam. Slices off half my face. Thank god mister bones over there spies on everybody, or else I''d be dead."


    Torix crossed his arms, "I do not."


    I pointed outside, "Where''s Ajax? Let''s finish this."


    Torix opened a portal. A purple ring of mana radiated from a starry, black center. Within it, many eyes stared back at me. Torix put his hand into the portal, and he pulled out Ajax in his green sphere. Frozen in stasis, he looked both elated and full of anger at the same time.


    The sphere held him in place at the moment right before he killed his greatest foe. His eyes were wide with rage. He wanted Yawm dead. I''m sure when Yawm froze him in stasis, his heart sank. All that satisfaction transformed into a bitter disappointment. Now he''s been stuck for months, unable to move.


    I felt for the guy. I really did. At the same time, letting loose ends live already bit me in the ass more than once. The sniper nearly killed Althea and me. Way back at the start of Yawm''s plague, Michael and Kelsy almost destroyed Althea and me too.


    It wasn''t a fun decision, but it was a necessary one. I wasn''t going to make the same mistake as Yawm did. His arrogance killed him off because he didn''t think he needed to fear anyone. I was afraid of Ajax alright, and I listened to what it told me.


    Kill or be killed.


    I turned towards Torix, "Let''s go somewhere more open."


    We all walked outside of the base. Torix kept a shield of mana over the sphere of green. I told him too. I didn''t want the sniper to burst the bubble before we killed him. That was a can of worms I was going to leave unopened.


    We reached the entrance Althea showed me after we first arrived. After walking through the waterfall, we paced several hundred yards into the forest. Surrounded by evergreens, I pulled Ajax''s sphere away from everyone.


    I wasted no time. I charged mana, the sensation no longer foreign after months of training. I spoke out to the porytian,


    "I''m sorry. If you hadn''t attacked Hod and Kessiah, then we wouldn''t be doing this. You also nearly killed us against Yawm. I can''t say you won''t do something worse in the future man. That''s why I''m doing this."


    Mana radiated from my hands, "Goodbye."


    From within the green sphere, I generated a singularity. The green shell cracked under pressure. The black hole feasted on Ajax, eating his legs and lower torso. After reaching critical mass, it blew.


    The sphere vaporized as did Ajax. A notification appeared in my inbox, It told me that Ajax died. The only thing remaining of him was a delicate, yellow mist of his blood. No bones, no other mess stayed.


    For some reason, this death stuck with me. It reminded me of suffocating that other guy when I first met Ajax. A sense of disillusion washed over me. For a second, it felt like I was in someone else''s body.


    I rationalized both these murders in my head. That''s the thing though, they were murders, through and through. Ajax didn''t attack me. That nameless man didn''t strike me down either. I killed them both for my own safety. I leaned over, hitting myself in the head.


    At least with the nameless man, I didn''t have any time for an alternate solution. I had plenty of time to dwell on this though. There were no excuses. I killed Ajax for me, that''s it - nothing noble about it.


    I shook my head, crushing down a swell of nausea. I covered my face with my hands, and I dragged them down my nose and mouth. I shook my hands as if they were covered in blood.


    The discomfort passed. I opened my status. I gained 121 levels. The boost left a bitter aftertaste, reminding me of what I did to get them. I turned towards the others,


    "I''m not fit to be an executioner. It isn''t in me."


    I closed my eyes, wind blowing against me. The yellow mist pulling towards me. It seeped into my skin, my armor devouring it. I stepped towards the base,


    "Let''s go."

 149 A Gift

    An awkward atmosphere haunted the group on the walk back. I caused it. After a few minutes, we reached the elevator. As we funneled up, Kessiah spread out her arms,


    "So...what are you guys wanting to do once we get to Giess?"


    Torix jumped into the conversation, eager to get rid of the malaise,


    "I''ve been meaning to brush up on my alchemy. As diverse as Earth is, it lacks basic ingredients for recipes or rituals."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I thought we were going to just run in, get the mission done, and come back?"


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Of course you would think that. You''re going off-world for the first time, alright? Live a little."


    I spread out my arms, "I don''t want to live a little. I''d rather live a lot. Fucking around the whole time we''re there won''t help with that."


    Althea frowned, but she stayed quiet. Kessiah nudged me, "Maybe, just maybe, Althea was looking forward to going somewhere with you."


    I glanced at Althea. She averted my gaze. I put my hand around her waist,


    "How about it? It sounds fun to me."


    A slight grin went up Althea''s lips, "I...yeah, I''d like that."


    The elevator doors opened, and we walked out. Torix turned towards us, "We''ll need to survey the city first. While Feontis isn''t the most developed capital, it''s still the hub of a world. We''ll need to procure shelter, disguises, etcetera before we do something for fun. After that, however..."


    Torix opened his status, ogling over his credits, "I have no problem whatsoever with a shopping spree of sorts."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Good luck getting through all the prying eyes."


    Torix grinned, "Oh, I doubt we''ll have to worry about that. I''ve got a few tactics for going unnoticed. We''ll also be plenty safe at level 5,000. You, on the other hand, may struggle with it a bit."


    Kessiah glared as Torix continued, "Being a measly level 2,400, well there will surely be many who discover your identity."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    Torix gestured towards Kessiah, "Care to explain."


    She crossed her arms, "Your perception can help mask you."


    Torix grinned, "Althea invests into perception as one of her cardinal attributes. A good rule of thumb is to double your perception then assume anyone below that level cannot identify you. "


    Althea nodded, "So for me, someone would need to be over the level cap to analyze me. Torix has spells for helping us out with that anyways. If someone did figure out who we were, I doubt they would want to fight a group of cappers."


    I blinked, "Cappers?"


    Althea looked at her hands, "Uh, you know, people that hit the level cap."


    I frowned, "Give me a second, I need to check my status."


    I opened my home screen, wanting to check out my perception. Before checking out my character sheet, I opened up my trees. I needed 27 more skill points before I could finish off immense.


    I turned towards Torix and Kessiah,


    "Hey, do either of you have a few red dungeon cores?"


    Torix scoffed, "I assure you, I''ve already used all of mine on myself."


    Kessiah frowned, "I''m not giving them to you for free. 600,000 credits apiece."


    I pursed my lips. I pointed at Torix, "Is that a fair price?"


    He nodded, "It''s very near the galactic standard of 500,000 per core. Considering the convenience, it isn''t a bad price."


    I shrugged. I opened my status. I selected the trade menu, and I pressed on my Kessiah contact. After messing around with the interface, I began a trade of 1,700,000 credits for three red dungeon cores.


    Kessiah frowned, "Its supposed to be 1.8 million not 1.7."


    I grinned, "It''s a bulk discount."


    She accepted the trade, "Cheapskate."


    I shook my head, "Nope. Just a conscientious shopper."


    The three cores appeared in my dimensional storage. I opened a portal for one of my rings, pulling them out. The dungeon hearts sunk into my armor, the energy absorbed. I used the thirty free skill points into Force of Nature. I tried putting them into my unknown skills first, but they wouldn''t accept it.


    It didn''t take much to understand why. The skills were unknown because Schema, well, didn''t know them. How are you going to develop someone''s talent when you don''t even know what the skill is? It''s impossible. That''s why I stuck with Force of Nature, my legendary ability.


    With these extra points, I invested in the immense tree. I finished it.


    For the Horizon shakes with your every step, and the ground cries out in anguish. A celestial bound to the earth beneath your heels, a bond inseparable. You are immovable. You are unshakable. You are a living star.


    Immense(Tier 5) unlocked! 25% of your mass is converted into bonus physical damage. The more mass you have over your adversaries, the greater the effect of your diplomatic and intimidation skills. Unlocks a second legendary skill slot.


    Clout and potency channeled into my blood and bones. I rolled my shoulders, grinning at the message. A secondary legendary skill slot was an amazing reward. Considering how ridiculous Force of Nature was, getting a second skill helped expand my horizons.


    The tree menu popped up after a minute or two.


    Breaker(Finish an S tier bounty, only one class can be chosen)(0/5,000) | Legendary(Gain a legendary skill)(0/2,500) | Originator(Be the first to learn a skill)(0/1,500) | Purger(Clear a quarantine)(0/250)


    I crossed my arms, staring at them. Having the option for the breaker class was nice, but I decided against it. The Fringe Walker seemed much more fitting for me. My legendary skill helped me in many ways, and it may help me with the next one I get.


    With that in mind, I put the rest of my points into the legendary tree. As I closed my status, Kessiah snapped at me, "What are you grinning about?"


    I looked down at her, "Oh, I finished one of my trees. It gave me a second legendary skill slot."


    Torix snickered as Kessiah took a step back,


    "What in the fuck are you?"


    Althea chimed in, "I got a legendary skill too."


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    Kessiah looked at her, her jaw slack, "What? I get the meathead having one, but you? No...no way. Bullshit. They''re supposed to be rumors for Schema''s sake."


    Althea opened her status, "Can you see it? It''s called Slayer of the Celestial."


    Sure enough, Althea had the skill active. What tipped it off as a legendary skill was the underlining and white on black font. Torix put his hand over his face, exaggerating a snorting laugh,


    "Oh, you don''t have a legendary skill like these younglings?"


    Kessiah narrowed her eyes at him, "Yeah, I bet you don''t either."


    Torix froze up. He looked down, and Kessiah continued, "Yeah, that''s what I thought. Not so funny now."


    Althea patted Torix''s back, "It''s ok. You''re more of our generalist. You help glue the team together. Like earlier when Daniel asked you for the price of dungeon hearts." Althea snapped her fingers,


    "You knew it in a flash."


    We reached the teleportation room, and Torix held his head up high,


    "I suppose there isn''t any true reason to be ashamed. My knowledge is valuable in its own right."


    After stepping inside the room covered in runic carvings, Torix cast magic. He raised a doorway of earth, sealing us inside the space. Before leaving, we rechecked our belongings. Using the free time, I finished looking at my status, taking a gander at my character sheet.


    Dimension-C138(Level 5,564)


    Strength ¨C 5,514 | Constitution ¨C 9,677 | Endurance ¨C 42,104


    Dexterity ¨C 2,160 | Willpower ¨C 24,006 | Intelligence ¨C 8,659


    Charisma ¨C 799 | Luck ¨C 2,905 | Perception ¨C 852


    Health: 7.05 Million/7.05 Million | Health Regen: 16.6 Million/min or 276,913/sec


    Stamina: 4.54 Million/ 4.54 Million | Stamina Regen: 66,141/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.02 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 441,867 pounds(200,427.5 kilos~) | Height: 12''3(3.73 meters)


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 491,001% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I turned the status towards Kessiah, and I gloated,


    "Read it and weep."


    She stared at it as I made it visible to her with a thought. She tilted her head at Torix, "I thought you said it was only 9 mill Torix."


    Torix walked over, glancing at the status. He shook his head, "Absurd. Those stats make no sense whatsoever."


    He walked over towards a wall, channeling mana into a gemstone, "42,000 endurance...He''s not even level 6,000." He turned to me, "You weren''t joking when you said that was all you put your points into."


    Althea pressed her head against my arm, "Don''t worry about them. They''re just jealous. Mine''s a lot like yours."


    She opened her status.


    Althea Tolstoy(Level 5,000)


    Strength ¨C 24,246 | Constitution ¨C 334 | Endurance ¨C 456


    Dexterity ¨C 13,905 | Willpower ¨C 450 | Intelligence ¨C 450


    Charisma ¨C 4,397 | Luck ¨C 201 | Perception ¨C 9,678


    Health: 910,098/910,098 | Health Regen: 15% of total health every 30 seconds


    Stamina: 143,098/143,098 | Stamina Regen: 2,347/sec


    Mass: 894 pounds(405) | Height: 6''7(2.01 meters)


    Damage Res - 95% | Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 874,032% | Critical Damage Bonus ¨C 135% | Damage Bonus: 55%


    Immaterial: Ignores rigidity of matter. Grants 100% armor penetration.


    Etorhma''s Sorrow: Health regen continues for 30 seconds after death. If health is above zero, revive with 50% of maximum health.


    I raised an eyebrow at her bonus physical damage, "Damn. You''re over twice as strong as me. How did you get so much health?"


    She rolled her eyes, "I have a tree that gives me one health for every percent I get in bonus physical damage. I wouldn''t fuss too much about it either. You''re only, like, what? Maybe a thousand times tankier than me?"


    I shrugged, "Ah yeah, you do rely on passives for most of your survivability. They work pretty well though. You should show me that tree. I can show you a few of mine too."


    She pursed her lips, "Yeah, sure. Just keep in mind that those ice grenades would''ve done me in easily if it wasn''t for you getting rid of the fire."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Eh, you do more damage than me. Tradeoffs."


    Kessiah turned her eyes at Althea''s status. She didn''t say anything, but she crossed her arms, and her eyes dilated. It shocked her seeing Althea''s strength and other stats. I wasn''t the only one that got bonuses from trees after all.


    We finished with the dick swinging contest before Torix turned to us. He looked between everyone, "Do you all have what you need?"


    We nodded. Torix clapped his hands together, sparks tracing between each palm, "Then to Giess we go."


    Torix placed grasped his fingers together, the mana collapsing. It dispersed through the room in a wave of darkened mana. As it passed through me, vertigo sent me off balance. I looked around, noticing my vision close in at the sides.


    I entered a state of mind like tunnel vision. I stretched right after, and time slowed down. This lasted many minutes. How long exactly, I couldn''t tell you. It could''ve been an eternity or a single moment. I couldn''t tell the difference.


    A coldness raced up my back. My hair stood on end. Stuck in place, a crack in space-time appeared in front of me. A familiar eye bored its gaze into my head. I wanted to wince, but I was frozen in place. It wrapped a formless arm around me, and it pulled my massive bulk with ease.


    It was a servant of Etorhma.


    I fell through a dark haze. I remember the deep cold from last time. Now it was a light chill against my skin. I stayed awake during the travel, my body more resilient than before. I couldn''t move, however. Frozen in place, I wondered if Ajax felt this way before his execution.


    After several minutes, the mist faded. I hovered in space, my body weightless. All around me, asteroids circled around a series of planets. Two nearby stars cast a glare over a portion of my vision. Covering part of those red suns, Etorhma hovered.


    Alien and bizarre, he chose a different form this time. Like a giant arachnid, he had eight legs and eight eyes. They took no definite place on his body, instead deciding to move on his skin. Plates and scales moved as he shifted, unable to make a pure form.


    The eyes floated down, glancing at me. As they set on me, life returned to my limbs. I could move and breath, though there was no air here. As I adjusted to movement, Etorhma spoke. His voice was gentle yet undeniable,


    "You...he is gone. I see no timelines of his return either...You slew him, as was determined by fate."


    I shook my head, "I got lucky."


    The limbs on him moved and shifted as his voice radiated across the vast cosmos, "You think of your victory as a product of chance? Humble, but misguided. It makes no difference. You have done as I asked. You followed your destiny, and so you deserve a reward fitting."


    I shook my hands, "You know what? I''m good. I don''t really want anything."


    The eyes on the body of scales and plates scattered out, "You wish for nothing then?"


    I nodded, "Yes. I just want everything to go on like it was before you grabbed me out of wherever I was."


    An invisible force pulled me towards Etorhma. He was bigger than I thought. Much, much bigger. He grew in my vision like I was falling towards a planet. The eight eyes broadened until a single eye consumed my entire view. Once I was close enough to touch him, I hovered over his pupil.


    It was like a vast ocean of darkness below me.


    His voice transmitted into my ears,


    "You...you are different."


    I turned at a slow place like jewelry in a display case,


    "You are no longer mortal. You are neither living nor dead. You are matter given a mind...No, a real space given purpose...I cannot comprehend you. You are the first creature to elude my understanding."


    I crossed my arms while floating around, "Alright, that''s cool. Can you stop spinning me around?"


    I snapped into place, facing his pupil, "And you are the first to deny my gifts. Do you not wish for the powers that Yawm obtained? They would suit you well."


    I pressed my hands together, "Your runes put him in a tight spot. That''s why I don''t want them. Please don''t do anything like that."


    Etorhma pulled me away. I fell back from his eye, the speed unbelievable. His planetary sized body shrunk back into my view. His eyes squinted at me, "I do not leave those that serve me without rewards."


    He reached out with one of his legs. It neared me, becoming the size of a mountain. With precision he should lack at his size, he tapped my forehead. It was like an endless wall thumping me.


    "I''ll give you a gift."


    A rush of knowledge poured into my head. The dimensional cipher became clearer as if pieces of a puzzle were clinking together. I looked at the cipher on my arm. The precise lines altered into messy scribbles. Well not quite, but they seemed mediocre by comparison.


    I looked up at Etorhma, "What did you do?"


    His formless minion wrapped an arm around me, pulling me backward. Etorhma chuckled then spoke,


    "You wish for nothing at this very moment. I gave you the knowledge to create what you desire when the time comes."


    I made an X with my arms, "Please no."


    The stars behind Etorhma dampened as Etorhma''s voice shook space, "There is no reason to fear me. I do not lead any astray. I guide those that enact change. You decide the change you commit. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    He pointed at me with one of his spider legs, "May fortune favor you."


    His formless minion pulled me through the haze. Minutes later and I returned to the runic room. The others waited in place, stunned by Torix''s magic. I idled with them, frozen in place. Within a few seconds, space minimized. It no longer magnified.


    The room thudded against something, dust falling from the ceiling. The crystals embedded in the walls drained, no longer glowing. I lightened, but the air grew heavy and pressured. I grasped my hands looking around,


    "What the fuck just happened?"


    Torix gasped, "Finally it''s over...We''re here. We''re at Giess."

 150 Giess

    I breathed in, trying out the new air. The smell of oil and smog filled my lungs. A gray light leaked in from cracks in the walls. A muggy, thick atmosphere crept its way in. Rain pattered against the roof of the room we were still in. Everything smelled sterile, almost like a hospital. I turned to Torix,


    ¡°Where did you warp us on Giess?¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Somewhere I knew would be uninhabited.¡±


    I walked forward, putting my hand on the doorway. I pushed the wall of dirt. It crumbled to dust revealing my first view of Giess. A murky rain fell, tapping against me. A thick mist obscured my vision in the distance. The droplets plopped against my helm. An acrid, nigh toxic smell soaked in.


    I clasped a fist, creating an aura of antigravity around me. The rain fell onto it, sliding off the sides of the generated force. It was like I coated myself with a panel of glass. I squinted, taking my first step. My feet clanked against the hard ground. Cold, lifeless, and abyssal, Giess wasn¡¯t looking so good.


    Everything around me looked odd. We were in what used to be a city no doubt. At the same time, omens scattered about on the remnants of the old society. Cars with no windows connected with the metal ground. Some tiny insects ran on their surface, their movements robotic.


    They ran along the surface of the car, fiddling with it. As they ran past spots on the car, they left it polished to perfection. Some places reflected light like a mirror. Varieties of these insects covered every surface, turning the world into an angular, hygienic wasteland. All the buildings shared this same effect.


    These strange creatures plated skyscrapers with the same material. A whistling wind blew between the buildings. This constant breeze never relented, staying steady at all times. It carried bits of ash, spores, and a chemical stench. This was like a robot dystopia of some kind, and we were right in the middle of it.


    I turned towards Torix, ¡°Giess looks like shit guys.¡±


    Althea snickered a little. When she stepped out, her grin turned upside down. She glanced around, taking the bleak landscape in, ¡°By Schema...this is the new world we were supposed to go to?¡±


    Torix waved away our concerns, ¡°Are there not barren spots on Earth? Giess is no different.¡±


    I pulled back my judgments for now. I stepped forward, my feet leaving impressions in the metal. A thin film of water poured down the hill between two buildings. Althea and I walked forward, finding this water forming streams. Tiny flows of murky water pooled into disgusting streams of noxious, purple water. Ashen spores clumped into bubbled blots of yellow at its surface.


    At least it had some color.


    Althea and I walked along the river, exploring further out. The pollution seeped into every square inch of the scenery. Tiny rodents ran over the surface of this lake. Metal coated their backs, and their red eyes bulged out of their heads. With pouches on their bellies, their bulbous hind legs shot them across the water.


    They grasped the yellow bubbles into their arms, sliding it into their pouches. Once on land, they sprinted into concrete coves. A set of metal teeth grabbed onto a slower metal rat, crunching its ribs and spine. Plum colored mush gushed from the broken rat, a foul odor festering out of it. The fish pulled it into the water, no doubt feasting on the filth.


    Everything ate the pollution. Several pelican creatures planted themselves on the side of buildings. With beaks of steel, they opened their mouths and caught the foul rain. One of these birds with a bulging neck and black feathers dived towards the lake. The fish with jaws of steel snapped out of the air at a rat. The bird squirted a stream of boiling water at it, the liquid hissing.


    It shocked the fish, causing it to seize up. The bird flew down and gulped it into its steel beak, swallowing it whole. I looked at Althea. She looked up at me. We sighed together.


    So far, Giess churned up one word in my mind - filth.


    I scratched the side of my head, looking back at our teleported room. Torix and Kessiah scuffled through bags, getting ready to head out. Torix teleported the entire room, the dirt and stone singed at its edges. I raised my eyebrow at him, ¡°So uh, why¡¯d you teleport us here again?¡±


    Torix pulled out a pack from a portal. He opened it, and tossed me a circular piece of metal,


    ¡°Because this area is closed off from the rest of Geiss.¡± I caught the piece of steel, and Torix continued,


    ¡°While I agree this is a rather unagreeable first view, I knew no one would find us here. The reason for that should be self-evident. It gives us time to prepare ourselves for what is to come.¡±


    Kessiah put a circular tablet of metal onto her shoulder, ¡°Well, what is to come?¡±


    Pieces of metal clicked into place, expanding over her skin. Within a few seconds, power armor covered her from head to toe. She walked up to Torix who hummed away at a spell. His mana came together, casting a white forcefield over her that lost all color a moment later. I couldn¡¯t analyze her status after the magic took place.


    He cloaked her in some spell. Torix walked over towards me, ¡°In the beginning, I believe we should scope out the common culture here on Giess. After discovering the comings and goings of this place, we¡¯ll position ourselves around someone of knowledge. After learning what is going on, we¡¯ll make our move.¡±


    Althea placed a piece of carbon fiber mesh on her shoulder, ¡°Then we¡¯ll learn what we need to know?¡±


    The fibers traced outwards, covering her from head to toe. A panel of tinted glass covered her face, showing her curvaceous figure. I took note, admiring her for a second. I focused on myself, placing the dark gray metal disc onto my own shoulder. It tried forming over me, but it struggled around the spikes of my armor.


    I helped it out, molding my armor into the shape of the expanding suit. After a few finicky seconds, it formed over me. The inside was soft and air-conditioned. The mugginess disappeared, a dehumidifier humming lightly. I cracked my neck, the armor moving with me. I expected it to restrict my motions, but it didn¡¯t.


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t hold up against my sheer strength. It was perfect for a disguise though. As I glanced at my hands, Torix walked up and cast his disguising spell on me. The invisible shield formed around me like Kessiah before. Torix looked up,


    ¡°Based on the perception of your status, you should be disguised up till level 4,000 people appear. Considering the highest level person on this planet isn¡¯t even 7,000, we should be fine.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Alright chief, where to?¡±


    He pointed towards the stream of gunk Althea and I just left behind, ¡°Follow this river. Based on my maps, any river here should lead towards a reservoir.¡±


    Kessiah jogged up towards the stream. Torix cast over Althea as Kessiah put her hand in the water. She pulled it out, the water sticking a bit like thin slime. She slung her hand, the purple muck flinging off,


    ¡°By Baldowah...you really know how to pick em, don¡¯t you professor bones?¡±


    Torix rolled his fire eyes, ¡°Have faith in the process. Come on, let¡¯s get away from this rank place.¡±


    Althea leaped over the smooth steel. With agility and grace, she maneuvered with ease. Torix floated over everything, having his arms crossed behind him. A blackened circle of mana held him up, carrying him over it all.


    I extended the armor on one of my fingers. I sliced out a chunk of steel coated concrete beneath me. With a gravity well, I pulled myself and the platform up with me. Kessiah dashed behind us as she jumped around obstacles. Torix shouted at me, ¡°We can¡¯t have her pulling us down, now can we? Could you assist her, perhaps?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I raised a hand, pulling Kessiah up with gravity. She fell through the air, confused as hell. After reaching beside me, a pool of filth raised up with her. I flicked away bits of trash and dirt with telekinesis. Kessiah wiped some muck off her armored face. She squinted her eyes at Torix,


    ¡°Thanks for suggesting the ride. Really thoughtful.¡±


    A subtle grin ran up Torix¡¯s lips, ¡°Oh anytime for you.¡±


    We raced through the broken city, the muck river growing in size as smaller streams fused with it. After a few minutes, the tall buildings gave way to grasslands. Grass mimicked a million scissors planted with the blades facing up. Light refracted off the shining edges, the grass deadly.


    Trees of the same sort lined the horizon, expanding in our sight as we got near them. We passed geometric hills, combed and pruned by these strange creatures. More of them rummaged through the wastes, eating the pollution and each other.


    One large creature rolled around, a fattened ball covered in metal. It opened up by uncurling its legs. It opened a hippo-like mouth, munching on rock and metal. These rolling blobs of clumpy steel raced over injured or immobilized creatures. In groups, the scavengers ate anything alive. It was hellish.


    So far, this looked like a fringe world. After an hour of following the giant river of muck, we reached a wall of old bronze. Hundreds of feet tall, the wall towered over the horizon. Each of us passed over it. I lifted Althea with a gravity well like Kessiah, not wanting her to walk around the disgusting lake.


    Oh boy, disgusting it was. We floated over a thick, gunky mess. Islands of Yellow eggs wafting on the purple abyss. Slow waves rolled across the surface, shifting the eggs. One cluster of them hatched, revealing a four-armed, gray humanoid. It lacked eyes, and a thin tongue jutted from its face.


    It jumped into the deep purple surrounding it, dashing through the water with a black shadow showing on the surface. We passed over it, other shadows showing under the disgusting water. Some dwarfed us, leviathans coasting beneath the surface. At times they swam up and swallowed entire islands of the yellow eggs.


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    The water and wall stretched on like this for miles. Some massive, hulking beasts floated on the water with ecosystems on their backs. Other times swarms of insects fought for scraps on the surface of the ocean. After an hour of hovering, we passed the endless lavender pool.


    As we passed it, fields of gray returned. A blip of green popped into the horizon afterwards. The blip spread out, turning into a green spot in the distance. At this point, Althea rode on my shoulders. She pointed at it,


    "Do you see it? There''s a forest or something."


    Torix gasped, "By Schema I beleived this realm of gray would never end."


    Kessiah closed out her status. She chewed on some gum, rolling herself around in the gravity well, "So you didn''t take us to a trash world after all."


    Torix rolled his eyes. The changing scenery neared us, coming into focus. On the other side of it, I gaped at the sight before me.


    The metallic, angular wasteland gave way to greenery. Like night and day, a span of twenty feet separated the lush forest and hellish blade trees. At the border of these two distinct environments, animals and insects alike fought fiercely. They stabbed. They bit. They crushed. They cracked. They tore at each other in a standstill.


    Creatures out of fantasy hacked away at each other. Chimeras of mixed beasts fought hulks of steel. We passed by the battle, reaching into the lush forests. Within the greenery, the environment changed. Soft, cuddly squirrels jumped from tree to tree. If a bird swooped down at them, they shouted out ear-splitting cries.


    Armored hawks fumbled through the air at this, sent into disarray. They crashed through branches, protected by thick plates of keratin. Once on the forest floor, they...channeled mana. They lifted the branches then shot them at the squirrels. Some squirrels evaded this unusual tactic. Others didn¡¯t. Before they even hit the ground, the hawks dashed and gulped them down.


    They were caught up in other creature¡¯s battles, however. Large, glowing salamanders walked through the forest like dinosaurs. When they ate, they lit their whip-like tails ablaze. With a shattering smack of their tail, they whipped through tree trunks. The trees fell, and these fire salamanders expanded their jaws over the wood like huge anacondas.


    I blinked at the sight, ¡°Jesus. This is like a nature documentary for another world.¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°This is far more normal than what we saw earlier.¡± Torix pointed at the giant salamanders, ¡°They are creatures that use mana. This whole planet is rich with species that utilize it. The native espens even have religions around it.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Espens?¡±


    Torix nodded, ¡°I dug up some knowledge of this place. Espens are the primary, sentient species. They and the gialgathens.¡±


    Althea pursed her lips, ¡°Gialgethans?¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°I know the name, nothing more. This planet didn¡¯t have modern technology until 30 years ago. They¡¯ve rapidly integrated Schema¡¯s technology since the Culling over 20 years ago. Outside of that, there¡¯s little information on Giess.¡±


    Torix rubbed his hands together, ¡°Isn¡¯t it exciting?¡±


    I grinned, a bit of happy anticipation rising up, ¡°Hell yeah. This is infinitely better than that other place.¡±


    Kessiah snored, asleep after the first hour of landing here. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame her. Outside of the grotesque creatures and landscape, the lands of metal had little to offer. This place was different though. Tiny wooden villages dotted the landscape. At first, I thought it was the espens. Torix corrected me,


    ¡°They aren¡¯t quite that primitive. These are...well I don¡¯t really know. They aren¡¯t espens however.¡±


    I squinted, getting a better look at the villages. In them, six armed beasts climbed through crude tree houses. Covered in white fur and red plates on their hands and face, they appeared fearsome. The largest of them even grew over the height of a tall man, making their sturdy frames all the more impressive.


    The red plates on their faces looked like tiki masks, and their claws were more for stabbing into trees than living things. They ate fruit at the top of trees, enjoying a simple life surrounded by nature. It didn¡¯t look like the worst way to live.


    Kessiah glanced at them, having awoken. She laid flat on my gravity well, kicking her legs,


    ¡°Boring.¡±


    I clasped a fist, ¡°What? Come on. They¡¯re nothing like anything on earth. It¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah, ok. You sound like backwater bumpkin.¡±


    Althea cupped her mouth, pretending like she was whispering, ¡°The bumpkin that¡¯s carrying you instead of letting you run hundreds of miles.¡±


    I released the gravity well under Kessiah. She flipped through the air for a second before I pulled her back up. I tapped my face, ¡°Oh man, what a lapse in my attention. Sorry about that Kessiah. 24,000 willpower only goes so far after all.¡±


    Kessiah¡¯s expression went flat, ¡°Ah...fair point. He¡¯s backwater with skills.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, orienting them back at the lush expanse of nature. The mana warped everything, solidified crystals of it poking out of rocky clusters. Animals hoarded around these clusters, feeding chips of the gems to their young. The larger the animal, the more mana gems embroidered their skin.


    The creatures were much stronger than Earth¡¯s own ecosystem. At times, a few of them even walked out of eldritch dungeons alive. They were covered in scars and wounds, but they survived. Nothing on Earth shared that kind of tenacity outside of humans. Some of these creatures gave even stronger eldritch a run for their money.


    Scaled hydras made of metal, horses with glowing hooves and antlers that shot azure lightning, even shining wolves that darted around like wisps, this planet had it all. The vibrancy contrasted the dull, lifeless fields of metal. I''ll admit though, the fields of gray had there fair share of monsters too.


    After another hour of green forests, plains, and mountain, we reached a sudden blot on the horizon. Torix murmured,


    ¡°If the maps are correct, this should be a teleportation center for Schema. It¡¯s a small border town, nothing large. We¡¯ll observe the natives here, blending in with the foreigners. Feel free to explore here and talk with other factions.¡±


    Torix grinned at me, ¡°Perhaps you can make some allies with the more prevalent factions near Earth?¡±


    I grabbed my chin, glancing up, "That''s not a half bad idea."


    Kessiah murmured, "Knowing Daniel, we''ll have even more enemies than before by the time he''s done."


    Althea shrugged, "Then he''ll do to them what he did to Yawm."


    Torix tapped his chin, "Let''s pray that these border town hasn''t expanded too much regardless. I''d rather us keep our heads low. Our long term success on Giess depends on it."


    As we neared the town, ultra modern buildings cropped up. Sheets of steel covered most of these spaces, various emblems embroidered on them. Flags waved in the wind like symbols of pride. I remembered one of them for the steel legion. Other factions planted onto the town too, expanding their influence outwards.


    They built compounds and facilities for whatever they needed. For the first time in years, I saw cars riding on roads. They carried supplies that went in and out of these hubs of activity. Power armor-clad fighters fired shots from rifles in firing ranges. Magicians taught spellcraft in open spots of the town. Merchants and caravaners sold old tech that was no doubt new here on Giess.


    All this contrasted with the local espens. The locals molded their houses out of nature, the trees warped into living spaces. They molded clouds of mist that hovered near their living spaces. Vines altered into rough stairs wrapping around trees. Bridges of branch extended from treehouse to treehouse. It all flowed together, creating a picturesque image.


    The flowing aesthetic hit a harsh contrast with all the imported metal, creating a surreal feel to the town. Torix turned towards us,


    "We''ll be taking a forest path into the city to avoid any unwanted attention. Try and avoid making a scene. That is especially true for you, Daniel."


    I spread out my arms, "What did I do?"


    Kessiah faked a laugh, covering her mouth, "You''re taller than Yawm. What else do you need to know?"


    I bit my lip, "Ok...That''s fair."


    Althea snickered under her breath as we landed into the woods. Torix renewed his cloaking spell on us. As he did, I explored. A few glowing mushrooms expanded from a cluster of roots. I grabbed one, sensing mana in it.


    With my armor, I sapped it out. The mushroom squealed as it shriveled and died. I frowned at the gray mush, tossing it aside. It reeked. I shook the gunk off as Torix called, "One more casting. Let''s get this over with."


    I walked up, and Torix directed a black shell of mana over me. The transparent shield generated. He pointed in the distance, "To Icosa."


    Althea scratched her nose, "Uh, Icosa?"


    Torix waved his hand, "It''s the border town''s name."


    Althea and I nodded, "Ahhhh."


    We hiked through the dense shrubbery, making sure not to run. Running everywhere was weird apparently. After a few minutes of walking, I turned towards Torix. As I spoke, my voice muffled under the effect of my intercom,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we just use the teleporter to get here?¡±


    Kessiah pushed away a branch,


    ¡°We¡¯re unknowns. We don¡¯t have access to them.¡±


    I flicked a vine out of my way, ¡°Well of course.¡±


    We passed onto a path through the jungle. A minute later, the far off sounds of cars and people ebbed into the forest. We stopped at a line of trees separating civilization and wilderness. Torix spoke on an insulated intercom,


    ¡°There¡¯s a mental activation for closed link intercoms inside each of your suits. Use them when discussing details we¡¯d rather not share. Act casual, as if we¡¯re mercenaries passing through.¡±


    Althea and I nodded. Kessiah rubbed her hands together, "Please please please have something good to eat and drink. Earth was so bland.¡±


    We walked out through the path of the jungle, several of the treehouses hanging overhead. I clicked my intercom on,


    "We just had an apocalypse. Cut us some slack."


    Althea spoke into the intercom system right after, "You made some good stuff, but the rations were just...bleck."


    We kept the conversation casual, pacing right up under several buildings. I glanced around,


    ¡°Where are the espens?¡±


    Torix shrugged, ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    We passed by several homes before reaching some sort of shop on curve of the road. The area reminded me of a mom and pop shop in a suburb.


    On this shop''s sign, a series of flowing characters covered it. Normally I couldn¡¯t read them, but Schema¡¯s system made it clear.


    Welcome to Selesha¡¯s Herb Shop.


    Clear panes glistened underneath the sign. The wood crossed around the panels of glass, growing with it. The greenery was gardened into the side of the building. Mana ebbed from flowers blooming on the side of this tree shop. The clusters of petals rose from earth plotted in the basins of bark.


    The others walked right past it, looking for something more exciting. I stopped at the door, pointing at it, "I''m checking this place out first. I''ll see you guys in the city once I''m finished."


    Althea waved, "Cya. I hope you find something interesting."


    I opening the door. As I ducked inside, two plants over the doorway sprayed a wave of mist over me. Imbued with mana, it didn''t dissipate. I shrugged, looking around.


    Thank god the ceilings were high.


    The moment I stepped foot inside, I was glad I chose to explore here. Indescribable scents poured into my suit. Aromas reminiscent of cedar, lavender, rosemary, lotus, and roses came into my suit. They were different, changed in a way that made them distinctly different yet all too familiar.


    It gave me a sense of deja vu and nostalgia all at once. Majestic flowers glowed in the gentle hum of phosphorescent butterflies. They sat on the roof, acting as lighting for the entire room. The sheer abundance of visual delight struck me like a sledgehammer. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. No, like Disneyland.


    Unlike earth, every flower held a different color and texture. Every living thing glowed a different shade. As I observed everything in a trance, I bumped into someone. They fell, a high pitched voice yelling. Before they hit the ground, I snapped them up with a bit of gravity magic. They floated back onto their feet as I turned around.


    Two amber eyes met mine, along with a look of fear. It was an espen, probably the shops owner. I scratched the back of my head,


    "Uh, sorry about that." I reached out with a hand, "The name''s Daniel."

 151 Icosah

    The espen gawked at me. It made some sense. I stood five feet taller than her, a titan in her eyes. After leaving the shop, I vowed to shrink myself some with my mass manipulation skill. This height was doing me no favors at the moment.


    The espen mumbled with a fairy voice, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She almost hissed her words. I say she since the espen looked feminine. She had a familiar figure, kind of like Althea. Naturally not as good, but you get the point. The differences stacked up from there though.


    Unlike Althea, this espen chick had turquoise skin. Orange ovals ran up her legs, her sides, and ended at her neck. Parts of her skin reflected light like a glossy stone. It reminded me of a salamander, though smoother and sleeker. They were amphibian people.


    As I watched, the espen propped her weight onto one hip. Beads on her brown clothes clattered against each other as she did.. To me, it looked like modern tribal clothing.


    ¡°Well? What faction are you from?¡±


    I crossed my arms, ¡°The one that¡¯s looking for herbs. Who are you?¡±


    She crossed her arms back at me, ruffling some of the furs on her hide clothing,


    ¡°I¡¯m Selesha, and I own this shop. You¡¯re welcome here if you¡¯re paying. Before you ask, no, I don¡¯t take credit, and no, I don¡¯t take favors either. And before you try anything, I¡¯ve verified my shop into Schema¡¯s network. You steal anything, and the law will be after you. Same goes for extortion.¡±


    I uncrossed my arms, ¡°Naw. I have credits. What¡¯s for sale?¡±


    She took a step back, eyeing me up and down, ¡°Hmmmm....¡±


    She narrowed her amber eyes at me. Orange fins rose from her head and elbows, and she pushed her hair behind herself. Well, hair isn¡¯t quite the right word. She didn¡¯t have any real hair per say. Instead, something like a  tail went down the back of her head. Down towards the end of it, the color changed to the orange of her fins and the ovals on her sides.


    It fit together in my sight, nothing looking out of place. Once she flopped her head tail thing behind her, she pointed behind me, ¡°Anything in the front is three credits a piece.¡± She pointed behind her, ¡°Anything in the back is seven.¡±


    I turned around, walking towards the front of the shop, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around.¡±


    The cloud of mana imbued mist followed me. I waved at it, but it didn¡¯t go away. Selesha walked up, pulling a jar from a utility belt around her hip, ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    She lifted the jar up, and the fog around me flowed into the pot. I watched it, feeling the moisture leave,


    ¡°Why do you guys have these clouds of mist?¡±


    She corked the jar and put it in her belt, ¡°It¡¯s because espens need some moisture or else we dry out.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°And that¡¯s why you guys have so many clouds of mist floating around your villages?¡±


    Selesha frowned at me, ¡°You are very new here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I put my finger on a yellow flower, ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow that was more an eye fin, ¡°Are you a member of Soldiers of Fortune?¡±


    I turned towards her, holding a lavender fern placed in a wooden pot, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    She tapped a foot, ¡°Because the Soldiers of Fortune laze around all day. You seem the type, even if you''re taller than a Gialgathen.¡±


    I inspected the fern, ignoring her verbal jabs,


    ¡°Eh, I work hard when I need too.¡±


    I pointed at the fern, ¡°How much is this?¡±


    She bit her lip, ¡°14 credits.¡±


    It was my turn to frown,


    ¡°I thought you said plants at the front of the store are three?¡±


    ¡°14 for you.¡±


    I set the fern onto the wooden growth, ¡°Then good luck finding some else to buy these herbs.¡±


    She raised a hand, ¡°Wait. I...I¡¯ll sell it for 3. Letting a stranger in your home honors Lehesion''s name.¡±


    Lehesion sounded like some religious figure, kind of like Baldowah. I figured speaking out on the topic was a bad idea. I didn''t understand anything about him, so I might say something outrageous.


    Instead of speaking, I opened my dimensional storage, dropping the lavender fern into the dreamy portal. Looking at my status, I lost three credits automatically. I grinned, ¡°So the prices are automated.¡±


    I grabbed herb after herb, putting them into my dimensional storage. Selesha''s eyes widened, shocked by my shopping spree. I took four or five of each plant, intent on breeding them for more later. Experimenting with some alchemy sounded fun anyways.


    After buying several dozen pots, I waved at Selesha, ¡°Cya. Let me know when you get something new in stock.¡±


    She smiled at me, her sharp teeth showing, ¡°Of course sir.¡±


    A bell rang above the door as I did. I jogged back towards the forest, pinning myself between a few bushes. With my mass manipulation skill, I condensed myself. It hurt a bit, but after five minutes I was two feet smaller.


    At this point, the gray armor over me fit like a glove. With my less striking appearance, I walked out. Once at Selesha¡¯s shop, I opened the door, bending less to get in. The espen woman gasped at me, shocked by my sudden shrinking. I brought up my status, sending her a twenty-credit tip,


    ¡°It''s for the great service.¡±


    She glanced at her invisible status, then she nodded at me, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    The plants had a dual purpose. On the one hand, alchemy interested me. On the other, I couldn''t have Selesha talking about my shifting sizes. I made myself into a good customer, one that would hurt to lose.


    With that loose end knotted, I trekked into the city. The sun beamed down from above, midday feeling heavy from the humidity. No espens were out and about yet again. I tapped my chin, giving it some thought.


    I came to a conclusion. The espens needed water to prevent their skin from drying out. They might stay indoors during the hotter parts of the day to avoid the sun. It might bake them if they sat in it long enough after all. My hypothesis seemed legit to me at least.


    With those thoughts categorized, I strolled on the dirt road to Icosa. After making it past a bend in the street, a concrete walkway replaced the dirt one. Beyond the shift in roading, the tree homes changed too. Wires hung from them, showing new heating and cooling. They took on standardized shapes like someone planned them in a city.


    Along the sides of a few homes, markings were splattered with bright paint. They read,


    ¡°Traitors.¡±


    Besides that though, the homes were just lovely. Just beyond them, the factions raised up over the trees. Futuristic jeeps rode along the concrete walkways. Power armor-clad soldiers walked everywhere, everything moving around. It contrasted the peaceful stillness of the espen¡¯s other village.


    What moved was different too. The outlines of the armors took on all kinds of shapes. Some walked on hinged legs like a goat. Others walked on all fours. More of them were bipedal, carrying a rifle strapped on their backs. Embedded into their helms were mana stones galore.


    In fact, every piece of machinery used chunks of mana stones. The jeeps used mana stones. The guns used mana stones. Hell, some people used carriages pulled by some glowing ox. Guess what they fed them as they walked?


    That¡¯s right - hay.


    But still, The mana stones invaded every aspect of the society from head to toe. It was their electricity and gasoline. It was a world saturated with mana. It made sense considering the creatures here. They flourished on it, so the locals did the same.


    Those locals gawked at me some. I stood a head taller than everyone even after shrinking, so I didn''t blame them. My size alienated me some, but no one dropped their rifles at the sight of me. In my book, that meant shrinking worked.


    I kept the spell on in the back of my head, analyzing people as I walked. No one was over level 2,000 yet. Quite a few of them managed over 1,000 though to my surprise. The dungeons here would be more developed than on Earth since the planet was older. Higher level dungeons meant higher level sentients.


    It showed in their titles too. Rift Walker, B Bounty Slayer, and along with various faction names stood above them. Many of the aliens wore painted symbols of their factions on their armor. They walked with their shoulders back, proud of who they aligned themselves with.


    That loyalty splashed onto the buildings too. I walked past the Steel Legion''s outpost. A fence surrounded the metal structure, engineers building vehicles and machines. The soldiers bordered on level 600, most of them in the 500''s.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Across from the Steel Legion, there was a different faction called agents of Schema. In a black compound ringed by camo tents, they kept more open then. A few members fitted themselves in power armor but most preferred going for kevlar or carbon fiber mesh. My guess was for mobility and stealth.


    The Steel Legion used power armor for safety. It gives you a bit of extra oomph when an eldritch tries to kill you. The agents of Schema specialized in long-range combat. Scopes lined their rifles. Night vision goggles hung from their necks. They carried sniper rifles and smoke grenades for a rapid escape. If I summed up the difference, the Steel Legion was a newbie guild. The agents of Schema hovered closer to an intermediate one.


    The levels reflected that difference. The agents of Schema all hovered around level 800. They wore badges too, like a police force for Icosah.


    After I passed the two garrisons, I found more guilds. A white tent stood beside the Steel Legion. Within it, the Enigmatta researched with magic and chemistry. Their pressurized suits made them comfortable in the heat. That''s why they used a tent instead of a building. They didn''t need much insulation.


    Underneath their suits, they looked like humanoid anglerfish. The suits kept external light from blinding them, and it kept them under pressure. Talking to them worked in my favor. I might get some tech or something. They spent all day doing that studying after all.


    Inside their tent, Torix and Kessiah talked with one of their members. Torix and the Enigmatta chatted away. Kessiah leaned against a table, listening close. Althea just stood around, looking like a third wheel. I jogged up,


    "Yo guys, whats up?"


    Torix looked at me, glancing up and down. Our personal intercom system clicked on, "How did you shrink!?"


    I shrugged, "Mass Manipulation. It''s a skill. Anyways, who''s this guy?"


    Torix shut our intercoms off, letting our voices spill out of our suits,


    "This is a good friend of Kessiah and I. Roland Fixe."


    The Enigmatta waved a thin arm, "It is good to meet you, Daniel. They''ve spoken highly of you and your accomplishments."


    I grinned, though no one saw it through the tinted glass on my helmet,


    "Thanks. What were you guys talking about anyway?"


    Torix spread out his arms, "Oh, I was gathering some information on Giess. Roland knows quite a few details. He''s an experienced information broker I''ve used many a time."


    Torix turned towards Roland, "What brought you to Giess anyways?"


    Roland raised a hand, "See here."


    He walked over towards one of their tables covered in glassware. In a jar of glass, Roland kept a chip of concrete stowed away. At least it looked like concrete from above. Below that disguise, its red eyes and steel underbelly shimmered along with a dozen legs. It stood still like it was hiding.


    Roland tapped the jar, and the bug snapped up at his finger, its dozen legs clinging into the glass.


    Roland removed his finger, "This is a saysha. It''s what the natives call a silver."


    I frowned, "A silver?"


    Roland nodded, "Yup, a silver. They showed up over five centuries ago on Giess. The locals will tell you it''s because of the ''Great Light.'' With a few context clues, the Enigmatta already discovered it was an asteroid. Based on our ideas, we hypothesize the asteroid carried eldritch."


    Kessiah pushed herself from a table, "What? Didn''t you say Schema has only been around for twenty years?''


    Roland nodded, bubbles going up his helmet, "Yes, that''s right. If you''ve seen the forest, you know the creatures here aren''t normal. They can fight the eldritch."


    Roland lifted the glass jar, the saysha squirming, "And this little bug is...we don''t really know what it is. They give experience like a normal eldritch, but Schema can''t get a grip on them. They don''t act like eldritch either."


    The saysha snapped its mandibles at Roland''s hand, unable to get through the glass. I pointed at it,


    "It seems pretty damn eldritch-ey to me."


    Roland waved his free hand in a circle,


    "Some species of silver are reminiscent of eldritch, but they don''t exhibit the same characteristics. Most eldritch are composed of ambient mana, mana without a purpose. It means their minds are dissonant, grasping in different directions. In the end, they devolve into bundles of base instincts."


    He pointed at the saysha, "These are different. They have a distinct purpose outside of eating. They and all their brethren expand the wastelands outwards. This terraforming property is both intriguing and terrifying."


    Althea leaned towards the jar, leaning on me. She clicked on our intercoms, "These things sound a lot like Yawm''s plague."


    I nodded, and our intercoms clicked off. Roland sighed, his voice muffled by his own recorder, "There have been reports of the silvers appearing in the middle of espen territories. Some people are thinking someone is spreading them around. I''ve no idea why they''d do something like that. The Enigmatta are trying to discover why. It''s fascinating, isn''t it?"


    Torix nodded with vigor, "Oh indeed. What I''m wondering is why the saysha guise themselves as concrete?"


    Roland put his hands around the Saysha, "They hide on top of broken buildings. Once a creature falls asleep, they spring forth and devour their victims."


    Torix tapped his chin, "What about the biological mechanics involved?"


    Roland moved his hands like he was giving a presentation, "It involves a thin surface level of stem cells spread over the upper thorax of this insect. By various undulating fibers using a thin layer of cilia-"


    I tuned them out, turning towards Kessiah and Althea. I pointed outside, "Want to see the rest of the town?''


    Kessiah started walking out of the tent, "Yeah. Better than watching those nerds gush."


    I rolled my eyes while Althea grabbed my arm,


    "I thought you''d never ask."


    I smiled as we walked outside. Across from the Enigmatta, a marble building stood tall. Flags waved in the wind, bold and red. They carried images of an executioner swinging an ax. I pointed at the guild, "So uh, who are they?"


    Kessiah whistled, "They''re the inquisitors. Not very friendly. They pretend that they''re the police force for Schema. More often than not they work like gangsters."


    A spitting sound came out of Kessiah''s intercom, "If I could, I''d spit at them. They just extort the locals. Their leeches"


    Althea pointed at the agents of Schema, "What about them?"


    Kessiah sighed, "I want to hate them, but there''s really no reason too. The agents of Schema are basically the preliminary guild for Speakers. They''re diplomats for Schema''s cause basically."


    I nodded, "Ohhh, ok."


    Kessiah pointed towards a castle beside the Enigmatta''s tent, "That''s the worst of them all though. They call themselves the Empire."


    My eyes narrowed, "The Empire?"


    Kessiah waved her hand in disgust, "They''re just a bunch of pompous, self-righteous, wannabee royalty. The only thing kingly about them is their egos. They won''t listen to you unless you suck their dick the entire time your talking. Hard to talk like that."


    I grimaced, "Well, Schema''s ok with them."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Yeah, they''re a strong faction. They''re probably the second strongest faction on Giess."


    We walked forward, people walking out from around us. Althea patted her thighs, "Who''s the strongest?"


    Kessiah pointed her hand at the building in front of the empire''s castle,


    "Them. The Soldiers of Fortune."


    That''s who Selesha talked about earlier. I took a mental note on them as Kessiah continued, "They''re higher level than most, that''s for sure. They''re just a bunch of mercenaries that clear dungeons for a price. Their motto is, ''Better to pay in credits than in blood.''"


    I shrugged, "Most of the time its true."


    Kessiah nodded, "And they charge an arm and a leg for it too. I worked for them for a while till one of my assigned teammates tried slitting my throat while I was asleep. Needless to say, it didn''t work out for him."


    Althea leaned towards Kessiah, "Why''d he do that?"


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "He didn''t like how I talked to him or something. He was ridiculous."


    Althea nodded, "What did you say?"


    Althea and Kessiah chatted away about who said what. I wasn''t one for gossip, so I looked around. I peered at the Soldiers of Fortune. Their base was more like a bar, panels of glass showing the inside.


    People sat at tables, chomping away at meats and drinking brews. A few hired espens served and prepared the drinks and meats for them. They paid them in credits for cheap labor probably.


    These espens served all kinds of food to all sorts of species. The inside oozed a sense of comradery, everyone laughing and telling stories together. They talked over odd but catchy music that flowed out from inside.  For alien music, it didn''t sound bad.


    It looked pretty fun honestly.


    An electronic touchscreen plastered itself along the back wall. Pictures and descriptions showed along it. A few members read from this display, interacting with the interface. One of the posts rewarded a member with several red dungeon cores for completing it.


    I turned towards Althea and Kessiah, "Hey, can anyone finish the assignments or do you have to be a part of the guild?"


    Kessiah looked up, "You want to do work? We just got here."


    I rolled my eyes, "It''s a great way to explore and see what''s going on here."


    She looked back to Althea, "Knock yourself out. You won''t receive full payment, but they''ll give you a slice."


    I turned to Althea, "You want to come with me?"


    Althea shook her head, "I want to go see some shops. I have all this money, might as well spend it."


    Kessiah put her arm over Althea''s shoulders, "That''s more like it! Come on, let''s get you some drinks. I passed by a place right over there."


    I waved them off as Kessiah gushed about where to spend for what. I walked into the base of the soldiers, ducking under an archway. As I stepped in, people stared at me. I walked forward with a casual trot, keeping to myself.


    As I passed by the bar, I reached the touchscreen. I clicked the accept button on the red dungeon core contract. I almost turned around, but someone stood too close. If I turned right now, I''d bump them. I turned my head,


    "Hey, can you give me some space?"


    It was a stocky, gray humanoid. A pot belly bulged from underneath his plated armor. He didn''t have a helmet on his thorny face. Based on how ugly he was, he should''ve.


    Two slanted eyes stared up at me and narrowed into splits. He pointed around,


    "Why are you going around putting a debuff on everyone here? Who do you think you are?"


    I looked around, finding several other aliens staring at me. I shook my hand, "It''s not a debuff. I''m too heavy. I spread my weight out using skills."


    He laughed, "So you''re too heavy for the floor? What are you, a fighter?"


    I nodded, "Yup. Are you going to get out of my way?"


    The weird ogre guy frowned at me, "Is that a threat?"


    I looked away, facepalming my helmet. This 8-foot goblin was too close to me, his breath getting on my face. He was used to shaking people down. In my mind, this guy was testing me. I didn''t want to take it personally. Even then though, this was an excellent introduction to the guild.


    Real classy.


    Before I did anything else, I analyzed him.


    Khan Mar(Level: 1,568 | Species: Bellop | Faction: Soldiers of Fortune/The Empire) - A far-off illegitimate child of royalty within The Empire, Khan leveraged a few strings to get to where he is. He never wasted his opportunities, however, and this lets him far exceed the merits of his birthrights within the empire. Using gunplay and grappling, he kites enemies, using premade gear as cc tools.


    He''s no match for you given his level, though he is by no means incompetent.


    I looked back at him, knowing all I needed to know about him,


    "Look, I''ve got shit to do. I explained myself already. I didn''t have to do that. Let me leave."


    Khan shook his head, the smell of booze on his breath. It leaked in through my suit. I hated the smell. It reminded me of my dad. Khan patted a gray pistol on his hip, red light glowing along it. With a sleight of hand, he unholstered the gun and pointed it at my knee,


    "I won''t say this twice. Cut that aura off, now."


    I shrugged, "If I do, I''m going to wreck this place. My feet are going right through this nice floor."


    He adjusted his grip on his pistol. With only two fingers and thumb, it looked strange.


    "Not my problem."


    I put my right hand on his shoulder, "Look, I''m walking out right now-"


    He clicked the trigger.

 152 To Clear an Infestation

    A spark of heated, red plasma melted through my gray armor. It left no mark on my actual skin beneath it. The gray goblin pulled at me, thrusting a palm at my elbow joint. He couldn''t budge me. I glanced down, seeing the plasma. If someone peeked through the whole, they might figure out my identity. That was a much more pressing concern than this guy''s attacks.


    With a flick of my wrist and a clasp of my hand, I pulled the plasma off. I crushed my gray suit over the gap at the same time, keeping me hidden. The plasma splattered onto Khan''s knee, singing through his bulky armor.


    He let go of me, taking a step back. He howled, his pain resistance unleveled. Three of his buddies unholstered their own weapons at me. I stomped my foot on a telekinetic pad. It transferred the force of the stomp three different ways.


    The three waves of force jerked the guns out of his fellow mercenary''s hands. The smallest of the three, an Enigmatta by the look of his suit, caught his finger on the trigger. The gun broke his shoulder out of socket. He gasped, but like a trooper, he grabbed his arm and put it back in place.


    Without their weapons, they glared at me but couldn''t do anything else. With that handled, I looked down at Khan. The plasma ate away at his knee. His howls could''ve stripped the paint off the walls.


    I shook my head, pulled off the plasma with a bit of magic. I swirling the blob of plasma, condensing it into a ball. I turned towards the bar, pulling out the liquid from the mercenary''s drinks. I funneled it over the plasma ball, a wave of steam pluming up.


    A blue fire exploded from the plasma ball, the alcohol and other parts of their drinks burning up. It siphoned into the gravity well, creating a mini orbit before bleeding away. It all looked like a magic trick.


    I walked up and tore a shoulder pad from Khan''s armor. I bent the metal over the still hot ball of plasma. It cooled enough that the metal held up. I tore off Khan''s other shoulder pad. I put the plate on the bar then the steel ball on top of it. I leaned over towards Khan,


    "You have a drinking problem."


    I reached out a hand, flicking him in the nose. His face whipped backward, a bone breaking. He flopped onto his back, unconscious but okay. He''d wake up with a headache, but that was about it thanks to Schema''s healing. I stood back up. I looked around, all eyes on me. I put up a hand,


    "Are you guys sure it''s ok for me to leave now, or does someone else have to shoot me in the knee? No? Good."


    I stepped over Khan and walked out of the guild. From my experience just now, it was more like a shitty pub. As I stepped out, a hand grabbed me from behind. I turned around, utterly pissed off. In my mind, with good reason.


    It was another Soldier of Fortune. It was an espen, his amphibian hair tail flowing down his back. Unlike the other espen, his black skin had white marks down his neck. They shaped like rhombuses, but his amber eyes were the same.


    What caught my eye were the scars on his face. That and his title.


    Iasis Klon, Bloodwielder(lvl 5,000 | Head of Icosah Branch, Soldiers of Fortune


    I tensed up without meaning too. He might know my titles and status at such a high level. He frowned at me, disappointment spread out on his amphibian features,


    "Hey. I''m sorry about Khan. He''s an asshole once he starts drinking. He''s never done anything like that."


    I rolled my eyes in my helmet. I moved Iasis''s arm off my shoulder, "I''m sure."


    Iasis sighed, looking back and forth on the street, "I get it. This wasn''t the best first impression by any means. You can walk away anytime. It''s just...I saw you walk in and take that contract."


    Iasis stood up, spreading out his carbon fiber covered hands, "No one, and I mean no one has taken that contract. Period. You just walked in and took it like it was nothing. If you''re as good as you look, we could use a guy like you in our ranks."


    I shook my head, "Yeah, but I don''t really need you guys is the thing."


    Iasis bit his lip. He scoffed, "Ok, you got me there. Here''s the thing. We can offer you more than just extra money. Don''t take this in the wrong way, you look a bit stiff."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How so?"


    Iasis rolled his shoulders, jostling a white rifle on his back, "You''re all uptight. You look new here, am I right?"


    I didn''t answer. Iasis raised a finger at me, "I knew it. You look green." He pointed at his chest, "I can help you out in more ways than one. For instance, keeping your identity hidden-"


    I leaned over him, "Are you trying to blackmail me?"


    He leaned back, waving his hands, "Oh no, not all C-138. I know a good investment when I see one. If anything, I''m trying to win you over before someone else does. Threatening you is like trying to threaten Yawm. It''s bad business."


    I looked around. The street buzzed with activity, people passing by. No one came near us though. I turned towards Iasis, "Ok, you''ve got my attention."


    He balled up a fist, "Yes! Trust me, you won''t regret giving my offer a chance. Look, I can get you to the capital-" He snapped his fingers,


    "Just like that. You''re a big name. That has to be where you''re headed."


    I raised an eyebrow, though he couldn''t see under my helmet,


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "And if I am?"


    Iasis put a hand on his chest, "I can get you there. I can get you talking to some other big names and get you going in a good direction. Before I do that, I need you to do me a favor though."


    I sighed, "What is it?"


    Iasis opened his status. He flipped it towards me, showing a contract. He pointed at it, "This is the contract you accepted. See, this is about clearing some silvers nearby."


    Iasis spread out an arm, "There''s been a problem here recently though. Plots of silvers have been popping up everywhere. Nobody knows who is doing it or why. My job is to clean the mess up though. That''s where you come in."


    I crossed my arms, "I get rid of the silvers, you give me some insider connections?"


    Iasis nodded, "You got it."


    I scoffed, "So I don''t get any rewards for the contracts I complete, and you let your superiors know about a promising new candidate? I''m not buying what your selling."


    Iasis''s eyes narrowed, "You know I can reveal your identity at any moment?"


    I leaned over him, my shadow looming, "I killed the world eater, Yawm of Flesh. He set horizons on fire. He cleaved through dimensions with the spear of a sentinel...He betrayed Etorhma and harvested his tears."


    I generated a gravity well in Iasis''s head. I pulled enough that his eyes sunk into his skull a bit. His eyelids widened as I continued,


    "His legend ended with the beginning of mine. You think I couldn''t kill you? Try me."


    I held him there for a second before letting him go. I patted his shoulder harder than I needed too, "Take care."


    I turned and walked away. Iasis stumbled, falling down. He pressed his fingers on his skull, checking for damage. I left him there, reading the contract I accepted.


    A Plague''s Beginning(lvl 3,500 requirement, lvl 4,000 Recommended| Recommended Party Size: 4 | Tier: B-) - Throngs of silvers have been spreading in innocuous locations near Icosah. Clear these discovered locations to receive a reward.


    Reward: 10 Red Dungeon cores. Goodwill with Giess increased.


    The quest looked pretty solid. Ten dungeon hearts amounted to quite a bit of skill points, which would let me fill out my trees much faster. It was something to do while the others goofed off in town. Gaining a few levels would be a nice bonus too.


    With that in mind, I opened my status. After selecting the quest, marks appeared on my minimap. They showed areas infected by the silvers. With a clear goal, I walked towards the infected spots. As I did, I passed by the shopping section of Icosah.


    I checked everything out, trying to get a grasp on what markets were like here. The standard shops were sprinkled about like clothing, food, and general stores. Far more fanciful shops showed up too though.


    Alchemy, Charged mana stones, even wizardry classes, this place had it all. More tech-oriented shops were few and far between. That suited this place since they relied on the magical more than the mechanical. After skimming the titles, I marked a few bookstores and the wizarding lesson classes. They might be useful later.


    As I walked out of Icosah, the same abrupt tree line appeared. I glanced along its edge. A faint, crumbling road weaved into the forest line. Lush greenery almost consumed the brick path. Once Schema arrived, walking along these roads became obsolete. Now the ruins were all that remained.


    I walked on it, enjoying the aesthetic. After about five minutes, I ran. Why waste time, right? With that mentality, I neared the first spot of silvers on my map.


    As I did, a line of metal appeared in my vision. The same metal grass and trees popped up. They refracted light, showing a desolate landscape. Well, bleak for normal life. The silvers thrived. They squirmed, writhed, and all crept along every surface.


    I wondered why the magical wildlife wasn''t fighting the silvers like on the large, natural borders. I noted that in my memory for later.


    When I stepped on the geometric metal, my foot clanked on the steel. Three gray humanoids peaked around a sharp scissor tree. They were the same creatures floating in yellow eggs on that toxic ocean. Long tongues, no eyes, and limbs bent out of shape, they were straight out of a horror movie.


    I didn''t have a reason to be scared of horror movies though. They charged at me as I analyzed them.


    Merject(lvl 1,276 | Classification: Silvers) - Merjects are physically imposing creatures. At first glance, they''re terrifying beyond measure. Their odd movement patterns make them difficult to hit. They blend into their surroundings as well, further enhancing their elusive qualities.


    This sense of stealth synergizes with the metallic tongues they use as weapons. Within their bodies is a concentrated mixture of arsenic, mercury,  and pollutants. They squeeze their abdomens with powerful abdominal muscles, injecting this cocktail into their victim''s mouths. Espens refer to this as, ''The kiss of death.''


    Despite the romanticized name, the process is disgusting to behold. Based on your levels and titles, they should fear you.


    I grinned, expanding Event horizon over the grayscape. Thousands of notifications appeared in my exp inbox as I did. It was probably insects of all varieties. When Event Horizon reached the merjects, they quivered. From their disgusting tongues, purple gunk oozed out.


    They ran towards me despite their agony. One of the merjects jumped from the top of a metal spire. As it reached me, I caught its head in my hand. The animal jittered around, limbs flailing with abandon. Black claws scraped my gray armor, leaving marks. I squashed its head in my hand. The skull squished between my fingers. It was like a shell of ice over water.


    A purple slop stuck on my hand as I dropped the corpse. The other silvers scrambled on their feet, turning away to run. I raised an eyebrow. They really were different from eldritch. Eldritch almost never ran, at least not at the death of one of their own.


    These things weren''t getting away though. I charged mana, walking towards them. They disappeared in a cluster of trees, using the metal as cover. A minute later and I unleashed a gravitational singularity on the hellish place.


    The kinetic impact rippled out a shockwave, pieces of metal flying in all directions. I cracked my knuckles, walking into the ashen blot. After covering the area with Event Horizon, the marking on my mini-map dissipated. I grinned at the job. It took fifteen minutes for one mark. I''d clear the fifteen spots within four hours.


    I fell into a state of mind as I took on the job. I worked with efficiency, plotting out the shortest complete path for clearing the infestations. The silvers rewarded good exp for their level because of how viral they were. One silver could spread to an entire continent after all.


    With that in mind, I traversed through the jungle. I obliterated one silver patch after the other. The strange, alien shapes made it easy. They weren''t familiar at all. Compared with killing the zombies from Yawm''s plague, this was a cakewalk.


    I breezed through the process, reaching the last spot after only three hours. I got better at it as I went. I cleared out the outer ring of the final outbreak. It took far longer than the other areas. This was because of how damn big this silver patch was.


    At its center, a viscous lake of muck swayed. I peered at its depths, using Hunter of Many to get an idea of what I was looking at. I squinted my eyes, using the waves of gunk as a reference for what laid beneath. Using the skill, I scoped out a mental image after a few seconds.


    Beneath the waves, something monstrous stirred. It shaped itself like a dragon of sorts. Based on what it was in, it loved grime. I walked up to a long barb of metal. I pulled it up, the metal squealing as it split. I aimed at the creature, throwing my spear into the pool.


    Wind burst out as the javelin drilled down. It sunk into the side of this monster. The beast shook, raising itself from the abyss. It lifted a massive figure from the slop. The lake convulsed, waves of slime-spewing to the surface.


    As the monster spread its wings, I stared agape,


    "What the hell?"

 153 What Once Was

    The beast was a living mess. Its broad wings, once beautiful, flapped with holes throughout them. Pieces of its skull showed, patches of its skin missing. The pollution ran out of its mouth, its needle teeth still white despite years of decay.


    As the slop fell from its form, the beast revealed black skin littered with yellow patterns. It matched the surface of a poisonous dart frog with the same flowing patterns of color. Despite the decomposition, I could tell this was once a noble creature.


    Why? It was a fucking dragon.


    Well, sort of. It lacked scales, but everything else seemed there. It even had a bit extra. These disgusting, orange worms writhed under its skin. They reached the surface on the missing patches of skin of the monster. These orange tendrils gripped and shifted like a muscle, moving this leviathan.


    As it scrambled from the lake, two orange tentacles burst from its rotting eyes. The ends of these appendages opened, revealing eyes. It looked like a snail invaded a dragon''s head and burst out from the inside. These eyes looked at me, blinking in curiosity.


    It was revolting.


    It sniffed the air before wretching out a geyser of purple muck. With a quick jolt, I molded Event Horizon around the monster, condensing the aura. It howled as I charged my mana and analyzed it.


    Yana cluster, living hiveflesh(lvl 5,923) - Once a proud member of the gialgathens, this poor creature succumbed to the silvers. A specialized, parasitic worm, the yana, invaded the gialgathen''s brain. The yana slowly ate its way through the gialgathen''s body. The yana creates a living muscular system in place of the previous one, each worm acting as a muscle fiber.


    This horde of yana operates as a single unit, like a hive of bees on Earth. They protect the husk, using its form and previous abilities in life.


    This would typically be an impossible creature to defeat at your level. Given your unusual circumstances, it should prove a worthy challenge. Enjoy the battle.


    I grinned at the message. It was like Schema knew me. The yana cluster turned towards me, wearing the gialgathen''s body. It opened its mouth, gushing out more filth. I grimaced. This was like seeing a lion covered in thousands of ticks. Even in its ruined condition, I could see fragments of what it once was.


    It tilted its head, the orange tentacles staying level. This alien monster scrambled towards me, snapping its jaws. Unable to charge enough mana, I unleashed a gravity well on one of the eyeballs. The pulling force imploded the organ, orange blood gushing out of it.


    It howled. An unearthly ringing rattled through me. I covered my ears with armor. The creature''s roar still crippled me. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I shook off vertigo, finding my balance. The beast reached me, snapping its jaws.


    I slammed my feet into the ground, sending out a shockwave of kinetic energy. I pulled in my mass, swinging my fist over my head. The dragon chomped down from above, but my fist made contact. With the force of a tank bullet, my fist slammed into its nose.


    The monster''s head crashed into the metal ground. A wave billowed through the steel floor, cracking the perfect sheet. With bones broken, the one remaining tentacle eye looked up at me. I pulled up my fist, covered in orange slush. I thundered,


    "Come on. Is that it?"


    The bizarre eye widened, pulling away. The main body pulled away, leaving its crushed snout. From the broken jaw, thousands of orange worms crawled out. They squirmed over me, like moving strings of jelly. They opened mouths lined with teeth, biting into my armor.


    Within seconds, they sheared through the metal. Once they reached my actual skin, a nasty surprise popped up. My own armor drilled into the soft bodies, draining them in seconds. They squealed for mercy. I gave it none. After absorbing the bottom jaw, I charged towards the main body.


    Its tactics changed. Instead of rushing at me, the four-legged creature stared. It waited for my arrival. When I reached it, the monster lobbed out a plume of purple slop from its throat. I put a bubble of antigravity over me, resisting the disgusting ass liquid.


    The high pressure continued, an endless barrage of toxic chemicals spewing. It vomited up so much filth that I pushed back from the force of it. Curious, I stomped my foot on the ground. The vibration gave me a mental image of the battlefield. I used my unique skill Knowledge Maker. It gave me photographic memory.


    Using that tool, I inspected the image of the battlefield in detail. The yana hive had put its tail in the lake behind it. It siphoned the mush from the pool, undulating body to pump the goo at me.


    I burst a portion of my health, creating a strong gravity well above the yana''s head. The well snapped its snout up, changing the direction of the poisonous sludge. I dashed towards it, the metal beneath my feet crumbling.


    I leaped towards the creature, slamming my fist into its torso. The corpse disintegrated, but the worms underneath held. They rippled outwards, dispersing the force. Like a whip, the kinetic power of my hit reached its arm. It slung a rotten set of claws at me.


    They snapped against my skin, but the worms struck like a wall of steel. I sliced through a pillar of metal, the gray column erupting a squeal. I crunched into the metal ground. I pulled myself out of the iron, my arms and legs popping out.


    As I stood up, the yana cluster scrambled towards me. I spit out a bit of blood from my mouth before clanking my fists together. I laughed at the monster, walking out of my pit. It sliced a paw at me, but it whipped its tail at the same angle.


    The slice of the paw was a feint. I ignored it, catching the tail it sliced at me from a different angle. I dragged along the ground, keeping on my feet. I absorbed the momentum of the strike, catching the tail. I grinned. The fight was over.


    I created a powerful gravity well right underneath me. It kept me pinned as I lifted the yana up with all my strength. The tail shot sideways, dragging the giant monster in a circle. I wasn''t strong enough to just fling it around like a ragdoll yet, however. At least not with just my raw strength.


    Juggling multiple magics, I created gravity wells beside the yana. These wells assisted my swinging motion. The monster clamped its claws into the metal, resisting the dragging force. The metal caved, bending as the beast howled.


    One claw popped off. Two more snapped. A few seconds of struggling and the monster''s grip ceased. It slung through the air, colliding with high pillars of metal. Hunks of its rotten body fell apart. More of the orange yana revealed themselves, the horde of mouths writhing.


    I swung this giant in circles, gaining centrifugal energy. Like a tornado, the monster went slack before I lifted it up into the air. The yana cluster thrashed before impacting the metal ground.


    A cataclysmic boom echoed out, a wave of force sending debris in all directions. A wave rippled through the metal, like an earthquake. Thousands of the worms burst, exploding from sheer pressure. It gurgled on its orange blood, the monster writhing in agony.


    I jumped up, lifting myself with gravity magic. After several hundred feet, I dived down at the monster. I pulled myself down with magic, enhancing my fall. Seconds passed, and my speed mounted. The wind''s friction heated my armor as I gained momentum.


    As I reached the monster, I crashed into it like an asteroid. The worms disintegrated, already weakened by Event Horizon. I pierced through the beast, leaving a crater in the metal beneath it. I lifted myself up, brushing off whitened pieces of broken steel.


    I glanced down, the point of impact glowing. I looked around, and the worms scrambled in random directions. I obliterated most of them. Now they weren''t acting like one creature. That weakened them, and I watched Event Horizon sap them away into nothing.


    A notification appeared, showing the completion of the quest.


    A Plague''s Beginning(lvl 3,500 requirement, lvl 4,000 Recommended| Recommended Party Size: 4 | Tier: B- | Status: Completed) - You''ve eliminated the throngs of silvers outside of Icosah''s borders. Reap your rewards.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Reward: 10 Red Dungeon cores. Goodwill with Giess increased.


    Quest Completion Speed: S+ Tier.+3 red dungeon cores.


    Thoroughness of Quest Completion: S+ Tier. +3 red dungeon cores.


    Casualties and Collateral Damage: 0 dead and 0$. -0 red dungeon cores.


    Giess Affinity +25


    I raised an eyebrow at the affinity scoring. I opened my status, checking for affinities. I found a few.


    | Affinities |


    Earth: 106,090 - You are a legend whispered by children and adults alike. A paragon of what humanity is capable of, you''ve positioned yourself as the savior of your world. Your status is akin to a god by some, and respect is the least you''ve earned.


    remnants: (-5,087) - By killing Korga Ryker, you''ve destroyed one of the most prominent figures in mainstream remnant culture. This gives you a villain status when compared with most, though your skill against Yawm leaves you feared.


    Porytians: 12,455 - You''ve erased one of the banes of porytian history, cementing your status as a hero. Your wisdom and cunning are also appreciated for slaying Ajax, a hard but necessary choice in the eyes of the porytians.


    Giess: 25 - You''re looked at as an outsider, but one with potential.


    Humans: 106,090 - Many view you as an idol, a figure higher than humanity. When someone boasts of the human''s potential and abilities, your name is the first example on their lips.


    Eltari: 10,089 - You''ve freed them from their planet and given them a new home to flourish in. This gives you great status as one of the heroes of their people. Your condition as a cultural symbol is absolute.


    Eldritch: 455 - Lesser eldritch fear you. To the eldritch, fear is the closest thing you''ll gain that resembles respect.


    Unknowns: 2,783 - By erasing Yawm from existence, you''ve bolstered the overall reputation of unknowns everywhere. When someone is defending the status of unknowns, you are one of the examples to make their case.


    Etorhma: 10,003 - By slaying Yawm, you''ve gained status as one of Etorhma''s most potent avatars. Those that worship him will know your name, and they will whisper it when they speak of Etorhma''s power.


    It shocked me how many affinities I had with various groups. Before I finished reading, a blue square appeared in the air. From it, the overseer walked out. He glanced around, peering down at me,


    "Weren''t you taller the last time I saw you?"


    I closed my status and shrugged, "Eh, I was drawing too much attention."


    He waved a hand, leaving a trail of white energy in the air, "Ah, a significant concern given your circumstances. Excellent work here. This could''ve exploded into a much more serious problem without intervention. Keep it up, Harbinger."


    I grinned, "Oh don''t worry about that."


    The white energy concentrated into sixteen spheres. The overseer took his hand and tapped two fingers together beforepointing his finger at me, and the dungeonhearts floated around me. He waved goodbye, "I''d love to chat, but I''ve business to attend to."


    I nodded, "Same. Good luck."


    He stepped through his portal. As he did, the cores dropped onto the ground. I bent over, picking them up and absorbing them. As I absorbed the cores, I placed all the points into constitution instead of endurance. At this point, the difference in raw power attracted me more than mana regen. After I finished my attribute points, I opened my skills menu. I put all the points into Force of Nature.


    This gave me enough tree points for my current tree, Legendary. After investing into it, a notification appeared.


    Many choose to dilute their strength over many studies. You''ve chosen an opposite path, relishing in the power of specialization. Mastery isn''t your aim. You wish for absolute supremacy.


    Legendary(Tier 1) unlocked! +20% to the effect of legendary skills.


    It was a simple but effective tree. I lifted my left hand, creating a well of gravity. It molded easier and stronger than before. I nodded, satisfied with the tree''s result. I opened Force of Nature, curious about its increased effects.


    Force of Nature(lvl 2,068) - You are nature-given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including but not limited too: Close Range Combat, Runic skills, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, and Draining Abilities.


    Bonus Attributes: 240 Strength, 240 Dexterity, 96 Constitution, 96 intelligence, 48 Perception. +24 to all attributes for having a 2,000 total in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: +180%


    Mana Cost Reduction: 36%


    The awards stacked up. The attributes helped round out my build a bit. The real money makers were the ability bonus and mana cost reduction. They enhanced my abilities dramatically. Making the gravitational singularities would be more natural now for instance.


    After reading through those bonuses, I checked out my cipher enhancements next.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows:


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +6,080 Endurance


    +100% to effect of legacies


    +3,040 Willpower


    +50% to internal motivation]


    As usual, the cipher never disappointed me. The sheer volume of free stats really mounted at this point, and my build was snowballing out of control. With all that finished, I finally checked out my status.


    Dimension-C138(Level 5,653)


    Strength ¨C 5,902 | Constitution ¨C 10,352 | Endurance ¨C 42,195


    Dexterity ¨C 2,349 | Willpower ¨C 24,133 | Intelligence ¨C 8,767


    Charisma ¨C 832 | Luck ¨C 2,943 | Perception ¨C 931


    Health: 7.15 Million/7.15 Million | Health Regen: 16.8 Million/min or 280,637/sec


    Stamina: 4.60 Million/ 4.60 Million | Stamina Regen: 66,268/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.03 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 484,310 pounds(220,427.5 kilos~) | Height: Actual -12''4(3.76 meters) Current - 9''10


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 533,147% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My attributes crawled up over time. The main difference was in my physical damage. It and my mass increased by over a tenth. With the status work handled, I jogged back towards the village. Halfway there, I realized something.


    My disguise was in tatters.


    I facepalmed. Of course it was. I just fought a level 5,000 monster. There wasn''t really armor on the galactic market that could handle that kind of stress. I opened my status, sending Torix a message on what happened. Within minutes, he replied,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 5,000 | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Time: 7:34 P.M. 0/25/31) - Ah yes, of course....you destroyed your armor within the first day. Fret not! I made sure to pack dozens of extras. Do be more careful, if that is at all possible.


    I laughed at the message. Torix knew me like the back of his hand. The letter uploaded a few coordinates into my mini-map. I followed them, reaching a ravine two miles from the village. Bushes lined the top of it, and a sunset glowed in the distance. I waited by watching the creek flowing in the middle of the ravine.


    Bubbles of glowing, blue mana rose from the ground. Fish swam up from the crystal clear water, gobbling up these bits of mana. Every once in a while, birds swooped down and tried their luck at catching one. About five minutes into watching the spectacle, Torix walked out of a portal.


    He turned towards me, brushing himself off,


    "Ah, good to see you''ve been fighting giant monsters. I told the others you wouldn''t relax a single moment while here. You didn''t rest while on Earth. Why would Giess be any different?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "What? I relax all the time. I was just watching some fish."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "While waiting for me. Otherwise, you''d be finished with this quest and hunting for more."


    I shrugged, "Why waste my time?"


    Torix pulled a gray ring from his robe, tossing it at me, "The classic saying of a workaholic."


    I caught the disc while standing up. I tore my broken armor off, setting the new exosuit on my chest. It formed over me, an exact replica of the previous ones. Torix pointed at the portal,


    "Want a shortcut back to the village?"


    I grinned, "Of course."


    I walked through the black portal and back into the town square. Far more people walked outside than before, most of them espen. The amphibians were made every color of the rainbow. At the same time, all of them followed a simple pattern of appearance.


    Their skin was one color except for the patterns running down their sides. They all had amber eyes. Lastly, their hair was mostly a tail colored like their pattern and skin shade mixed together.


    They all wore some mixture of leather and carbon nanofiber. Mist covered some parts of them, and they showed more skin than people would in the same weather. All in all, they were interesting to look at.


    Torix leaned towards me, "They''re actually nocturnal for the most part. That''s why we saw none of the natives prancing around. If you think of their biology-"


    I cut in, "They''d avoid light since it would dry them out. It probably stresses the mana requirements for their mist clouds too."


    Torix raised an eyebrow, "Ah, are you doing research as well?"


    I shook my head, "Not yet. Just observations."


    Torix pointed at Althea and Kessiah walking out of a wizarding shop, "Then observe the change there as well."


    I cupped my chin, "Ah yes, noted."


    Althea wore a flowing garment, something that covered her but showed her curves. It looked like something worn in the desserts back on earth. She kept a veil over her face, showing the outline of her features and her eyes. I couldn''t make out her face through it though, even with my sharp sight.


    Kessiah wore a tighter outfit, more fitted to her figure. She wore a veil too, keeping herself covered. Unlike Althea, Kessiah didn''t let her hair flow down her back. My guess was because of the white color, and her height would give away her remnant status.


    I waved at them, and they walked over. As the lovely ladies reached us, I smiled under my gray helmet at Althea,


    "You look stunning."


    Kessiah put a hand on her chest, "Oh thank you, darling."


    Althea rolled her eyes, "Thanks. Torix said something about replacing your armor?"


    I nodded, "I finished off something called a yana cluster."


    Althea raised both her hands, "Ew. Sounds pretty gross."


    I raised my hands, waving my fingers, "Oh it was. A bunch of orange worms took over the corpse of a gialgathen."


    Something grabbed my shoulder. As I turned around, a thin, lanky alien starred back at me. He had black pupils and pale green skin. His ornate robe was a mixture of furs from native wildlife. Behind him, two bodyguards held rifles in hand.


    The lanky alien smiled at me, "Are you the stranger I''ve heard so much about? It''s good to meet you. If you wouldn''t mind, come this way?"


    The bodyguards stiffened, grasping their rifles. The green alien squeezed my suit,


    "The Empire would like a word with you."

 154 The Empire

    I brushed the guy''s hand off my shoulder, turning towards him, "So you''re telling me you speak for the entire empire?"


    The lanky green alien looked away from me, looking around at the guards, "Well, uhm, no. Not exactly."


    I waved my hand in a circle as I shook my head, "Then you''re talking for someone. Who is it?"


    The lanky alien coughed into his hand, caught off guard. He must have expected the whole empire shtick to rattle me more than it did.


    "I speak for, ahem, for Duchess Caprika. She is the duchess sent here for controlling this town. She told me to summon you."


    I scoffed, "Tell Caprika she needs better manners."


    The guards looked at each other. The lanky alien scratched his bald head, "Ok, so I must''ve given the wrong impression. I didn''t mean this meeting as a threat. In fact, I''m quite nervous. This is my first time speaking with someone Caprika spoke so highly of."


    I glanced at my friends. They shrugged. I turned back around, "Ok...I can accept that, though I have no idea why I''m so highly valued."


    The green alien raised a hand, "One of our scouts saw the devastation of your last mission."


    I nodded, "I guess that makes sense."


    The messenger waved his hands, "Let''s restart this. I''m Aric. I''m the assistant for Caprika. I''m her messenger for asking for your assistance with a task."


    I sighed, "And what would that be?"


    Aric shrugged, "Caprika neglected any details, but suffice it to say, you will be generously compensated for your time."


    I turned towards the others, "You guys think this is a good idea?"


    Kessiah waved at me as she turned around, "You do you. I''m going to bed. I''m tired after a long day of shopping."


    Althea looked away, "I could come if you want."


    I shook my head, "I was asking more so if it was a good idea rather than if you guys would come with me."


    Torix raised a finger, "If I might interject, I believe it is. The Empire owns over 12 worlds. Their reach is expansive, and when they say generous compensation, they mean it."


    I turned back towards Aric, "Alright, I''m game. I''ll see what it is that she wants. I need to turn in a quest first for the Soldiers of Fortune first though."


    Aric clasped his hands, bowing at me a bit, "Ah, they''ve already closed. If you''d like, we''ll accept the contract and pay you twice the share that they were offering. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill."


    I raised an eyebrow even though he couldn''t see under my helmet,


    "Alright, I''m fine with that."


    Aric bowed, "Then I''ll take you to her if you wouldn''t mind leaving at this moment."


    I shrugged, "Yeah, sure. Why not?"


    Torix walked up beside me, "I''ll accompany you. I enjoy watching your method of handling these types. I expect it to be amusing."


    Aric looked between us, "Then we''ll be off?"


    We nodded, so Aric turned around and walked towards the Empire''s guildhouse. His guards stayed beside him, so I tried analyzing them. I couldn''t since their perceptions were too high. I activated my personal intercom system,


    "Looks like their pretty high level."


    Torix whistled, "They are indeed. Both of the guards are over level 2,500. We would disintegrate them at a moment''s notice in combat, however. So far, we''ve nothing to worry about. I''ll inform you if we do."


    "Sounds good."


    We paced up the castle. At the doorway, Aric pulled out a crimson card from his own galactic storage. A glowing panel beside the doorway passed a bright light across the red ticket. It blinked, and the wooden doors opened. It didn''t look half bad.


    The inside carried the same rustic appeal as the outer castle walls. Polished wooden beams supported tapestries and trophies from hunts. Spikes, teeth, skulls, claws, bones, scales, everything a creature can leave behind, they had it mounted up. They spaced everything out, making it look clean and dense but not cluttered.


    As we walked through the bright hallway, we reached a split in the hall. At this split was an espen receptionist sitting at a desk. As ancient as the stone table was, a modern touchscreen display was at the receptionist''s disposal. She wore a headset, several holograms over her eyes. I enjoyed the aesthetic, to be honest.


    While I looked around, she looked up at us, her holograms dissipating. She smiled, her teeth sharp, "It''s good to see you Chancellor Aric. What may I help you with?"


    Aric smiled at her, his mouth full of horse teeth, "I''m here to show this warrior to Duchess Caprika."


    The holograms appeared over the espens eyes. The receptionist typed into a projection, looking back up at us, "Caprika will be seeing you now. Do you need directions?"


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Aric shook his head, "Of course not. Good day to you."


    She sipped some kind of root juice from a mug, "Same to you. I hope he''s better than the last candidate."


    Aric''s eyes widened, "You and me both."


    He turned towards his left. We walked down the hallway, paintings and fancy jewelry set up for display. Alric raised a hand, looking back at us but still walking forward,


    "For the sake of brevity, allow me to discuss some history with you. How much do you know of Giessen history?"


    Torix answered for me, "Very little."


    Aric nodded, looking back forward, "Then let me tell you some precursory knowledge. I neglected these details with the last promising candidate. He was made out to be a fool by Duchess Caprika. I don''t wish for the same embarrassment for you."


    I frowned, " So she likes humiliating people? Sounds like an asshole."


    Aric coughed into his hand, "Acgh. Could you perhaps avoid referring to her with vulgarity?"


    I figured I should be honest.


    "No."


    Aric scratched the back of his bald, green head, "Well, do as you wish. I will warn you, there may be consequences for speaking in such a manner to a Duke of the Empire."


    I rolled my eyes, "I''ll take my chances."


    Aric sighed, "Very well then. It''s your life your risking. Anyways, I''ll give you a quick rundown of some relevant details. Giess is home to two primary sentient races. You''ve no doubt seen the espens. The gialgathens are much rarer, though equally prominent."


    I raised a hand, "Aren''t they large, four-legged, flying amphibians?"


    "Ah, well yes."


    I lowered my hand, "Then I killed one earlier."


    Aric laughed, "That''s what the scout reported. Anyways, long ago, The espens and gialgathens fought one another. A gialgathen named Lehesion brought peace to both races. He''s now worshipped as a god by both races."


    Torix chimed in, "He''s much like Xyjalus Moranor of Deprima then."


    Aric raised a finger, "A perfect example of the same effect. A mortal becomes deified for accomplishing something extraordinary."


    We passed by several doorways as I cut on my intercom, "Who is Xyjalus Moranor?"


    Torix turned to me, "He''s a magician from my home world. He''s quite famous across the galaxy for his deeds."


    "Why did you never mention him?"


    Torix shrugged, "I was far too focused on what was happening in front of us. It''s quite difficult to discuss history while making it."


    I laughed, "Good point."


    Aric looked back and forth between us, "Are you two done speaking with one another?"


    I closed my intercom, "Yeah."


    Aric looked forward, a bit miffed, "Anyways, since then the gialgathens and espens have lived in a relative harmony. Schema has done much to displace the previous balance of power."


    I interrupted, "You say anyways a lot."


    Torix nudged my elbow, "He does, doesn''t he?"


    Aric sighed, "As I was saying, in honor of Lehesion, there is a tournament hosted across all nations. Each town hosts their own tournament, deciding on a single victor. These winners are sent to the capital, letting them battle one another. The victor is rewarded with a religious artifact of Lehesion."


    I nodded, "And Caprika needs somebody to go in there and represent the Empire?"


    Aric turned down a corner of a hallway, "You''ve gotten it."


    We reached a set of golden doors. Literal gold, not sort of gold. I laughed at the ridiculousness of it. I turned to Torix. I spoke in a mock rich person''s accent,


    "Oh, as you can see, they''ve spared no expense in their doorways."


    Torix picked up on the joke, making his own mocking voice,


    "Oh most indubitably."


    I held out a pinky like I was holding tea, "The sheen is simply sumptuous."


    Torix did the same, "And the craftsmanship splendiferous, truly."


    I nodded, "Ah yes, truly."


    Aric let out a fake laugh, "Oh hah hah, you''re both hilarious. You should both straighten up your act. Beyond this door is Caprika''s meeting chamber. Here she will test you both."


    Torix raised a palm towards Aric, "Don''t mind us. We''re just having a bit of fun." Torix turned back to me, "It''s rejuvenating to let loose after all these years."


    I grinned, "I know. At this rate, you might even make Kessiah laugh at some point."


    Torix waved away my concern, "I''m not a miracle maker, disciple."


    Aric tilted his head, his eyebrows creased,


    "Caprika is a high ranking noble of the Empire. She can give you both tremendous status and many rewards. This is golden opportunity for you both. Take it seriously, or else you risk wasting Caprika''s time."


    I shook my head, "Here''s the thing. If she can''t handle being spoken to like an equal, I don''t think I''m the one wasting her time. She''s the one wasting mine."


    Aric raised both his hands, "The issue is in how the Empire handles these matters. You both are newcomers. Your status is the lowest of the low. To interact with royalty, you need humility. Not just in your wording, but in the language of your body."


    I stepped up, pushing open the doors, "I don''t plan on being disrespectful or anything. Relax."


    The doors opened, revealing a throne room. Above the archways, several overhead lights landed on a golden chair. Gems encrusted it, each of them charged with mana. On the seat, a giant, furred creature sat.


    Its hair was white, and the mane covered everything besides its claws. She had a feminine figure, though pretty bulky. As she shifted, muscles rippled beneath the surface of her skin. She was a beast through and through.


    A circular, red mask covered her face. Holes were bored into it. No light entered the mask, leaving her face darkened. She propped her head on her right arm, looking lazy and uninterested. With her left arm, she tapped her red claws on the throne, her boredom apparent.


    I analyzed her,


    Caprika Novas(lvl 5,000) - An actual member of the Empire''s origin species, the albony, Caprika is strong. Their species natural strength and sharpened senses enhance their overall cunning. Combine that with substantial investment in charisma, and the albony can be imposing, to say the least.


    Being a member of the Empire, status represents everything to Caprika. That is why she was sent here. She failed an ascension mission for a ruling prince of the Empire. With no way of moving up, she''s become desperate and bored.


    Her combat abilities don''t match yours. Don''t underestimate the threat she can pose given time, however.


    I raised my eyebrows, "She''s more impressive than I thought."


    Torix nodded, "And a real albony in the flesh. It''s been centuries."


    Caprika sighed. She raised one finger, pointing at Aric, "Leave."


    Aric bowed, closing the doors.


    With a relaxed and commanding voice, Caprika continued, "You are the warriors that the scout informed me of?"


    I shook my head, pointing at my chest, "Not both of us, just me."


    Caprika looked me over, reading a status. Her claws stopped tapping on the throne. She sat up, leaning towards the invisible status in front of her. The albony looked between me and her screen. She leaned back into her chair,


    "Interesting...It''s good to meet you, Harbinger."

 155 Hiding

    I bit my lip, turning on my intercom, "Are you serious? Does everybody know my identity?"


    Torix shrugged, "I didn''t think you would be hidden forever anyways. Considering our overall fighting potential as a group, we don''t have much to worry about."


    I took a mental note of this. The next several hundred levels I gained would be invested into perception. Having everyone see through me wasn''t what I wanted here.


    With that in mind, I turned off my intercom and sighed, "So you know who I am...Why could I read your status then? You obviously can hide it from me."


    Caprika scoffed, "I let you read it. It''s my way of being polite. It also sends a message."


    Caprika leaned forward, her claws crossed, "You''re not the only one who''s hiding out in the middle of nowhere. In my case, I''m trying to crawl my way back into the Empire''s upper echelons. Unfortunately, there are very few ways of making that happen when I''m stuck here."


    She pointed a claw at me, "That''s where a brute like you comes in."


    Torix tapped the right shoulder pad of his gray armor. His helmet slid off,


    "And you want this lug to fight for you right? We''ve already heard about it from your assistant."


    I pressed my own right shoulder pad, sliding my helmet off my face, "Suddenly I''m a savage now?"


    Caprika leaned against the left side of her throne. With her right arm, she clicked a transparent screen. Moments later, a giant video appeared. It was me fighting the yana cluster. Caprika laughed,


    "You''re more than just a barbarian from some backwater world. You''re terrifying in combat."


    Caprika shook her head, her mane of hair rustling, "I couldn''t fathom it. Defeating a yana cluster...with your bare hands?  You''re not just a freak. You''re a monster. It''s perfect for the tournament."


    I molded my actual black armor from my face, frowning at her,


    "You''re doing a great job getting me to help you, especially that freak comment."


    Caprika leaned forward, "Is that your true species?"


    Torix chuckled, "No wonder you believed he was a freak. You thought his metal skin was normal."


    Caprika leaned back in her chair, "To my knowledge, you''re the first human to ever leave earth. If it weren''t for that video circulating on the net, I wouldn''t have known what your species was."


    I shrugged, "I''m not a normal human, I can tell you that much."


    Caprika tapped her red mask, "Yet you''re surprisingly easy on the eyes. I imagined you''d be a hideous, deformed abomination."


    I rolled my eyes, "Good to know. So uh, I have shit to do. Let''s cut to the chase. What do I get for doing this tournament?"


    Caprika clapped her hands, closing the video floating in the center of the room. She stood from her throne, a full seven feet tall,


    "Access to the capital, information on enhancing several skills, and you''ll be fought over by several high tier factions. I will also give over the reward for the tournament itself. I don''t need or want for it. I''m after the recognition."


    Torix crossed his arms, "And what might that be exactly?"


    Caprika walked down a few steps, getting surface level with us, "It''s a mythical compendium."


    Torix whistled. I looked back and forth between them, "What''s that?"


    Torix shook his head, "It''s a manual that describes how to create a mythical skill from start to finish."


    I spread out my arms, "So why''s that so good?"


    Torix raised his eyebrows, "Are you serious? Have you noticed that there are very limited guides on discovering skill trees?"


    I nodded. Torix continued, "The reason is that the information is valuable. Very few people will give away that information for free. If they do, teaching the creation of skills can be an arduous task."


    Torix raised one hand, "For someone of your stature, fighting with your fists comes naturally. If you tried teaching me your techniques, it would take an eternity. I simply wouldn''t learn it in the same way that you would."


    Torix raised a finger, "If you gained a skill for fist-fighting, I might gain a skill for pugilism instead. That throws a wrench in the entire teaching process."


    Torix waved his hands, "This process can repeat many times. It makes teaching other people your skills nearly impossible."


    I frowned. That explained why no one ever asked how I made my legendary skill. Mimicking 45 of someone else''s abilities was a tall task. If someone learned one wrong craft, the legendary skill wouldn''t form. I never gave it any thought, but it made some sense.


    I tapped my chin, "So if I tried learning Sword Fighting from someone, I might gain Blade Working instead. That''s basically the hurdle behind teaching skills?"


    Torix nodded, "Yes, precisely. Imagine if you taught Althea your own variation of fighting. Knowing how she battles, her skill would develop into Mauling or Beating."


    I grinned, "That sounds like her."


    Caprika sighed, "The point is that unless someone else''s talents are just like yours, they end up with a different skill. A compendium attunes to someone''s obelisk, generating the correct description to learn the skill."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Are they made by Schema? It sounds like it."


    Torix nodded, "It''s a useful object for progressing your skills and trees. It deletes itself as you read it, so you can''t use it more than once."


    Caprika waved her hand, "I don''t care for it. You fight for me, and I''ll give you 100% of the tournament''s reward. I won''t demand a slice of the reward."


    I frowned, "So why shouldn''t I join without you?"


    Caprika laughed, "You need to represent the branch of a guild in a town. Considering your attempts at hiding your identity, I doubt you want to represent the Harbinger''s Legion."


    Torix turned up at me, "She has a valid point. This is a good way of maintaining anonymity yet getting noticed at the same time."


    I tapped my chin, "I''ll do it then, but I need a few days to level some. My perception is too damn low to go into a tournament with high-level sentients."


    Caprika walked up next to me, "The tournament is in two weeks. Does that sound like enough time?"


    I nodded, "It''s plenty."


    I turned around, walking away, "Cya here two weeks from now."


    Torix grinned at her, "My associates and I will be monitoring this location in case you decide to betray us. Considering you''ve already spied on us, that shouldn''t be a problem."


    Caprika raised her palms towards us, "I''m no fool. You are the Killers of the World Eater. I know when to pick my battles."


    Torix jogged up, catching up to me. We slid back on our helmets, walking out of the room. I cut on my intercom, "Want some lunch after I speak with the chancellor guy?"


    Torix shrugged, "Why not."


    We reached the receptionist''s desk. I opened my status, turning it towards the espen up front. It showed my contract, along with the reward of 250,000 credits. I grinned at her,


    "Aric promised to double my reward for finishing this."


    The receptionist''s eyes went wide. She coughed into her hand, "Well, uh, we can arrange that. I''ll have Aric send that money from his own private savings. He made the promise after all."


    Torix laughed a bit, "As the old adage goes, you reap what you sow."


    After she showed us verification of the contract passing, we walked outside. I glanced at the bazaar beside the guilds,


    "What can you eat?"


    Torix shook his head, "My immortality came at a cost. For me, it was the pleasures of the flesh."


    We walked past a few restaurants, choosing a stand with noodles and fried creatures,


    "You make it sound gross."


    Torix sighed, "If you analyze life, it is rather repulsive. All living things are essentially sacks of meat sustaining themselves with instincts."


    I shrugged, taking three squid looking things that were lodged on a stick,


    "Well, I''d rather be the meat sack that lives than the meat sack that dies."


    I turned towards the outpost of the Soldiers of Fortune, "I''m picking up another quest real quick. We''ll meet outside of town."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Torix nodded, "Hopefully you won''t break someone else''s nose this time."


    I walked off with the fried creatures in hand, "Let''s pray."


    When I walked into the outpost of the SoF, I noticed a change in atmosphere from before. No one stared, though I caught a few sideways glances. No one bothered me until I walked up, looking at the quest log. I tapped my chin, looking at several of the rewards.


    The highest one gave eight red dungeon hearts. I took the quest. I was going down the line of the most significant rewards. When I turned around, the head of this guild branch was standing behind me. I put my hands on my hips,


    "So how''d the blackmailing workout?"


    The lithe espen facepalmed, "Can you keep quiet about that?"


    I rubbed my fingers together, "Only if you pay the price?"


    He paled for a second. I laughed, "I''m just joking, alright. At least you know what it feels like now, eh?"


    He frowned, "You''re not here to make friends are you?"


    I shrugged, "Only if they''re friends worth having...What do you want?"


    Iasis scratched his forehead, "I''m acting in my position at the moment. The Soldiers of Fortune have a one in one out policy. You can''t take on multiple quests if you bit off more than you can chew."


    He waved his hands, "I understand you might want to change contracts since that deal you took takes a lot of hard work. You''re not a member of the guild, however. You can''t cancel taken contracts."


    He smiled, "Sorry about that."


    I put a hand on his shoulder, and with my other hand, I gestured to all of him, "You know, you''re like a petty villain that reports to his boss that he failed his mission. After that, the boss flips a switch and you fall into a pit of sharks. It kind of suits you since your face is so forgettable."


    I lowered my hands, "Nothing that you said matters. I already finished my previous quest. That little restriction doesn''t matter."


    He grimaced, "Really now? Can you prove it?"


    I pointed at the quest log, "Surely there''s a passive system set up that prevents someone from taking all the contracts, right? I accepted this new contract already. It''s not on the quest log, is it? That proves I finished the other contract already."


    Iasis glanced back between the quest board and me. He pursed his lips, "I suppose."


    I tapped the side of my head, "Looks like you need to invest a few points into intelligence."


    I walked past him, patting his shoulder, "Hope my advice helps. Take care."


    I paced out of the guild,  shaking my head at that guy. His tried pestering me. He walked away with a nasty burn. That''s what happens when you play with fire though.


    I walked towards Torix and my meeting spot. I was already reading the next quest.


    Worshippers of Emagrotha(lvl 3,200 requirement, lvl 3,800 Recommended| Recommended Party Size: 4 | Tier: B-) - Rumors have spread of a cult that worships Emagrotha, a gialgathen that committed war crimes in the past. Find and eliminate the influence of this branch of the sect.


    Reward: 8 Red Dungeon cores. Goodwill with Giess increased.


    The quest seemed pretty straightforward. Find some cult, get rid of them, then move on. With my food on a stick in hand, I reached Torix and my meeting spot. It was a solid mile outside of town, giving us some breathing room.


    As I walked up, Kessiah, Althea, and Torix sat on logs around a green campfire. A thick, purple smoke waved up from the fire. I walked up and sat down on beside Althea. She smiled when I put a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.


    Kessiah dragged her hands across her face, "Bones over here just told us that you''ve been discovered by two people already. You were even spied on."


    I pressed my right shoulder pad, my helmet sliding off, "It''s not like I''m a spy or something."


    Kessiah sighed, "Yeah, ok."


    Althea leaned onto my shoulder, "Looks like you already finished a quest though?"


    I lifted the six-legged squid thing, biting into it,


    "Yeah...It wasn''t hard. My skills suited it."


    As I chewed, several seasonings ran wild in my mouth. It tasted like the smell of cedar and cologne. The texture wasn''t squishy. It was chewy, like soft jerky. At the center of it was a savory gravy of sorts. From what I saw in the stall, the chef injected it with some sauce.


    It was really, really good.


    I chomped away while Torix sighed, "My lack of diligence led to one of those discoveries. To think there''s someone with resources like Caprika in Icosah. I won''t make the same mistake twice, I can assure you."


    I shrugged, "It isn''t like we designated you as our identity protection. Relax some. The guildsmen are underestimating us big time based on how they''re trying to blackmail us."


    Kessiah grimaced, "Which one tried blackmailing you?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Some guy called Iasis. I shut him down pretty hard."


    Torix frowned, "While winning a verbal joust can be satisfying, be mindful of the long-term consequences."


    I scratched the side of my face, finishing my first skewer, "If I let him walk all over me, that has consequences too, doesn''t it?"


    Torix pursed his lips, "Fair point. I suppose we can''t always live in fear."


    Althea grabbed one of my skewers. She bit into it. After chewing a bit, she looked up at me, "Sorry. you made it look good."


    I grinned, "It is. There''s some sauce in the center though, so be ready for that. It can catch you off guard."


    Kessiah grumbled, "Looks pretty good."


    I bit into my last skewer, "Oh it is."


    We chatted away before I finished my skewer. With that done, I stood up, "On to the next quest."


    Kessiah raised an eyebrow, "Another one...Already?"


    I rolled my shoulders, "I''m bored if I''m not doing something. I think it comes with high Willpower maybe?"


    Torix raised an eyebrow, "What''s the contract detail?"


    I opened it, turning the quest log to Kessiah and Torix. They read it. Kessiah grabbed her legs and leaned back,


    "I might know what the quest is talking about, actually."


    I crossed my arms, "Really now?"


    A slight grin traced up her lips, "Yeah, but it''s going to cost you."


    Althea giggled, "She need more spending money."


    Kessiah shot Althea dirty look before glancing back up at me, "How about 50,000 credits?"


    I shook my hand, "20, tops."


    She waved a hand at me, "Cya then."


    I turned around, walking off. Kessiah stood up and grabbed my shoulder, "Wait, I''ll take 20k. By Baldowah you are hard to worm credits out of."


    I shrugged, "You''re pretty easy to read. You always overshoot your deals by a large margin. Simple as that."


    She scowled, "Ok, good to see you have faith in me. Anyways, I was talking with someone selling a few illegal poisons and firearms. He mentioned how a few locals walked in and bought a few trapping supplies."


    I frowned, "Anything else? Calling that a lead is a stretch."


    She nodded, "It would be, but I saw the same guys rummaging around through a few of the dumpsters behind several shops. It''s weird because they were these old looking espens. They wore the furs that most of the locals here wear. They were collecting tons of disgusting garbage."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Why would they be collecting garbage?"


    Kessiah opened a hand, "I''ve already got you covered. I guess that they are the people spreading silvers. Why? They''re collecting silvers with the traps and keeping them alive with the garbage."


    She shrugged, "The two things fit together in my head at least."


    I sent Kessiah the credits, turning around and waving goodbye, "Thanks. Send me images of them if you have them."


    She looked at her inbox, grinning at the influx of money. She gave me a salute, "Aye aye, captain."


    I jogged back towards Icosah, making sure my face was covered. By the time I reached the city, Kessiah had sent me a few images of the espens. They wore brown rags, blocking most of them besides their faces. Considering how different every espen looked, finding them shouldn''t be difficult.


    With that in mind, I walked around town, keeping to alleyways. I kept my senses sharp, looking for figures digging through garbage. While I did that, I opened my grimoire and focused on rewriting my cipher. Considering my need for perception, I decided on creating a rune for it.


    As with all cipher inscriptions, the first step was understanding the concept. Unfortunately, I didn''t understand perception as well as endurance. I dwelled on what understanding meant to me, but I couldn''t get any meaningful answers.


    All my ideas were pretty shallow. Thoughts like, ''Perception is knowing whats around you,'' or, ''It''s when you''re not unaware.'' These ideas weren''t concrete. I didn''t have any resolve behind the concepts. After two hours of thinking about it though, I came up with something decent.


    Perception is comprehending all of something. It was the difference between seeing the picture of a mountain and being at one. The image gave you sight, but being there gave you all your other senses. The brushing of leaves, the cold wind, even the taste of dirt, that encompassed what a mountain was.


    I''ll admit, it wasn''t a perfect translation of my ideas, but it was serviceable for now. For the next few hours, I carved the dimensional cipher into my grimoire. As I finished the text, a rustling occurred behind a machine shop nearby.


    It was the perfect timing. I laid my palm onto the cipher, pouring mana into a black page while following the hooded figure. After another half hour of hounding the espen, he walked off into a nearby hut in the old part of town. After walking into his house, I felt like a stalker.


    I scratched the back of my head, feeling like I wasted my credits on Kessiah''s lead. Before I ended my search, I pulled my last ditch effort. I stomped the ground, giving me a trace of surroundings. Underneath the home of the espen, an underground trail led outside the town.


    I stared at it, "There we go."


    After a couple more stomps, I reached several miles out of the town. Surrounded by the forest, I arrived at a trench in the middle of the woods. It was crack in the earth, stretching for miles. At the bottom of it, a pool of water swelled.


    I leaped into the abyss, grating my hands against sides of the cavern. I took a deep breath before plunging into the water. With no light around me, I sensed the different currents and heat fluctuations. Using these sensations with Hunter of Many, I got a vague idea where everything was.


    I found a chain leading downwards. I grabbed it, letting myself sink deeper into this pit of water. the liquid thickened over time, turning into thick mud. After descending through a layer of clay, I reached a thinner pool of sludge. I existed in my suit engulfed by a thousand feet of gunk.


    I held onto the chain the entire time. Whatever metal it was made of, it resisted rusting. It guided me downwards, making sure I never lost myself during my descent. That easy to do in this poison. It was the same sludge that the yana cluster sunk itself into.


    I held back a gag, thanking Torix for my gray suit. It kept this harsh, toxic mush away from me. Thirty minutes of sinking passed, letting me complete the runic carvings of my cipher. I kept it dry with a bubble of antigravity, carrying it in an air bubble.


    After implanting them on the palms of my hands, I landed on stone. I let go of the chain and stomped the ground, radiating a pulse through the liquid. Sound rushed into my suit, the tiny fluctuations giving me another image. I held that image in my memory, closing my eyes and observing it. I gasped at the sight.


    Underneath all this poison was the ruins of a city.


    Now I was curious. I walked around, stamping my footprint into the rock beneath me. With the images, I charted the forgotten city. After thirty minutes, I reached an enormous chapel of some sort.


    Mana stones encrusted its stone walls, keeping the building stable. I tapped the wall, and a hollow sound resonated back. There was air in this building.


    After exploring the outer part of the building, I discovered the entrance. A trapdoor led down a tube twice my height. I dropped myself into it, swimming through the tunnel. After that, I swam up another pipeline of mush. At the end of it was a pocket of air.


    I lifted myself out of the tube of muck, letting myself out into the pocket of air. I slung the sludge off my suit, letting me see my surroundings. Not much was exposed. Only the gentle light of mana ebbed throughout the chamber, revealing little of the massive expanse.


    I took a deep breath. The thick smell of iron filled my nose, along with something acrid. I glanced around, noticing steel reinforcing the windows. The inside of the chapel was utterly different from the outside.  All around me, lights were cut off. A few still hummed from their recent exposure.


    I listened close. Something buzzed like a light bulb flickering on and off. I opened my dimensional storage, pulling out some glow sticks. I snapped them. A few tosses later, and green light melded with the subtle glow of the mana stones.


    This light exposed what was hidden in the shadows. A silver''s face locked with mine. It had two hollow eyes. Plates of metal covered it, thought its joints remained uncovered. With long, spindly arms and fingers, it looked like a steel witch.


    It hunched over an espen corpse. In its hand, a mana torch was unlit. It etched brands into the back of the espen. It looked back and forth like I wasn''t supposed to be here. Its hands and knees shook, its shoulders hunched over. I walked up to it and frowned,


    "So who are you supposed to be?"

 156 Eonoth

    The silver''s hollow eyes starred at me for a second. It turned around, running away. Before it escaped, I gripped it with a gravity well. I stepped forward, the dim lights obscuring his operating table. Embedded into the skin of the espen was strands of silvers.


    The tiny, gray insects dug their feet into the espen. They interlocked, creating panels of metal on the skin of the poor man. I tapped a few of the moving the bugs. They crawled away from my fingertip as if I was their kryptonite.


    I sighed, "Whether you''re the cult or not, you''re definitely not a good guy." I looked up at the shivering silver suspended midair by magic. I shook my head in disgust. If my working theory was right, then this was what the cult was.


    Someone fused silvers with espens, and now these mutants were running amuck in Icosah. At least it was an easy fix for me.


    I laid a hand onto the unconscious espen. My armor expanded over him, consuming the silvers with surgical precision. Seconds later, my armor retracted, and the espen was cleansed. Wounds littered him from where the silvers once were, but the injuries would heal.


    I shivered a bit at the sight before looking around. As useful as Hunter of Many was, I preferred looking around with my eyes instead of my ears. With that in mind, I grabbed a glowing manastone from the side of the surgeon''s table.


    I charged it with mana, and the stone shined a bright, crimson light. I walked around, inspecting the rest of this hell hole. I found other bodies of espens already consumed by silvers. In fact, silvers were everywhere.


    They reinforced the building, the steel reinforcement was made of them. I looked closer. Silvers made up most of the tools, the table, even the skin of the surgeon.


    I cleared these hidden threats, walking up to them and letting my armor eat them. After a few minutes, the only silvers left were supporting the entire area. I sat and waited here for a few minutes. As I did, I inspected my cipher augmentations.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows:


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +80 Perception


    +6,080 Endurance


    +3,040 Willpower


    +100% to effect of legacies


    +50% to internal motivation]


    I raised my eyebrows up at the increase in perception. 80 was nothing to scoff at in as little as a day of the cipher running. I tapped my chin, thinking about it. I came to a simple yet profound conclusion.


    The less an attribute had been upgraded, the easier it was to improve.


    The perception bonus outsped my endurance enhancements. Without a doubt, I understood endurance better than perception. With that cause out of the way, it left one apparent reason; my perception was low.


    This would explain why Schema has level caps. As you gain more and more levels, attributes require more and more mana to augment. That means putting hard caps prevented anyone from over leveling. It meant investing more into endurance was a waste of time.


    Well, for now at least. Having so much endurance let me enhance the other attributes much faster. That alone made all the investment worth it up until this point. If I caught up my other attributes some, it would buff me quite a bit. At the very least, it would help round out my build.


    Armed with that knowledge, I stood up and heard rumbling. I glanced up at the silver surgeon I kept suspended,


    "Looks like your friends are here."


    I stood up, threw my manastone, and hid in some shadows. Minutes later, one of the silver infested espens rose up from the entrance. Its feet flopped on the ground, a rancid smell wafting inside. The creature sucked up the toxins, cleaning himself and his surroundings.


    The creature walked up to the table, a brown hood draped over its face. It sniffed the air, wheezing like it was exhausted. It turned its face towards me right as I lunged out. I grabbed my hand around the hooded figure''s neck, pulling it up off the ground.


    Before it fought back, I dug my armor into it. The beast howled like a banshee. It gurgled from under its hood, vomiting up the mush onto me. It poured over my suit, and I kept picking the silver out of it. Within a minute, the monster stopped fighting back.


    I shook my head at the sorry sight. The espen underneath the hood had been half silver. Very little of it remained. Its wounds didn''t bleed, however. Without a DOT stopping his healing, the native would eventually return to full health.


    I continued this cycle for several hours. I collected a pile of twelve espens, some of them children. It was an ugly affair. When we killed the plague victims from Yawm, the humans were dead. These people were alive though. Seeing living experiments...I don''t know. Seeing it first hand was harder then I expected.


    I swallowed my discomfort, pushing it down. I didn''t have time for disgust. After waiting a few more hours, something rumbled against the side of the building. At this point, I was pretty sure I collected the normal espens. This wasn''t a normal one outside.


    I braced myself, ready for it to spring inside. Nothing happened. Another quake rippled through the building. I charged my mana,  getting myself prepared for the worst. A few seconds later, and a figure phased through the wall.


    It was a spider creature, being thin and spindly. Four legs on its back supported its main body, the other two arms ending in stretched hands. It glanced around, emitting the sound of chirping cricket. Seconds later and Schema translated the voice,


    "A hunter is here..."


    Its eyes snapped onto mine, eight black pupils staring at me,


    "There you are."


    I stood up, raising my palms up, "I''m not a hunter. I''m here to save the poor bastards. What are you here for?"


    An old, worn out cloak covered most of the creature, hiding its body. Beneath the fabric, something squirmed as the creature hissed,


    "These are our test subjects. You''ve destroyed our research. You will be...eliminated."


    The beast raised a hand, but I raised a palm, "Wait one second. I''m not your enemy."


    Eyelids narrowed on all its eyes. It clicked out its words, "Your actions tell a different story."


    I kept my hand up, "What are you researching and why? We might not have opposite goals."


    The creature stood still, almost like a phantom. Mana built in my blood, the energy collecting over each second. A bit longer and I''d unleash a singularity.


    "You smell...of Old One. Who do you serve?"


    I frowned, "I don''t serve anyone. I''ve done a few tasks for Etorhma."


    The wiry creature took a few steps back, "You...you are an avatar...You killed the World Eater..."


    It nodded, moving its mandibles and fangs as it did, "I follow an Old One as well. I''ve spoken to him. He is interested in you."


    I grimaced, "Wait...Already? Do you have a telepathic link or?"


    The monster''s head twitched, "I have heard but the faintest whisper of his being. His voice echoes in your mind long after he has left. I trembled before it. I listen to its echoes, and they whisper out his demands."


    At this point, I understood one thing for sure - I was talking to a lunatic.


    "Uh...sure. Of course."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Pressing his elongated fingers together, the creature hissed, "Eonoth wishes to speak with you."


    I raised a finger at the creature, "Oh fuck no. I don''t want anything to do with this Eonoth guy or any Old One."


    The monster scoffed, "Do the wants of an ant decide the actions of a god?"


    I made a fist at this abomination, "This ant is about to blow your ass to pieces."


    It snickered, "He will summon you now. Goodbye insect."


    The space around me warped. Before I dissipated, I made my move. I reached back, pulling the espens towards me. I wrapped a cord of my armor around them, piercing my gray suit. Hiding my identity wasn''t worth killing these people. In my eyes at least.


    If they got outside without protection, the poison would kill them. With that in mind, I created an antigravity well over us. The bug man whispered, "Futile."


    The space around us curved, but I reached out my other hand and unleashed havoc. A singularity formed in the chest of the creature. It tried phasing away, but the pull of the black hole was inescapable. The beast imploded inwards, falling into himself.


    The carapace over his face tore, revealing the mush underneath. The monster gurgled,


    "H-how?"


    A second later, and the singularity finished its feast. It collapsed, releasing a destructive shockwave. I extended my armor, creating a wall between the espens and my attack. The impact catapulted us towards the brick surface. I kicked with my foot, sending a telekinetic wave at the wall. It crumbled, the steel supports snapping like twigs.


    The purple mush wrapped around us, but we stayed dry. I maintained a pocket of air with antigravity, stopping the poison from infecting the espens wounds. I landed on the ground. I pushed my heels against Giess, propelling myself up. With an outpour of mana, I created another well above me.


    We fell upwards towards the surface. I used the chain leading to the surface as a guide. It was a strange feeling. Everything around us fell upwards at the same rate, maintaining our protective bubble of air. With a bit of finessing, I kept us clean until we reached the clay.


    Once there, I burrowed us through the dirt. When we reached the water, we were home free. Fifteen minutes of falling up, and we arrived on the surface. With a great splash, we spurted back onto the surface world. I grinned as the sun beamed down from above.


    After setting us down, I leaned up against a tree. I glanced at the espens. Most of their injuries already healed. They would be fine even without my help from here.


    It let me relax for a second. I flopped onto the ground, looking up. I sighed with relief, closing my eyes and just letting go. When I opened my eyes again, my scenery changed. Beneath me, solar flares ushered out of a dying star.


    I blinked, flabbergasted at the sudden shift. Nothing changed, so I blinked again. I grabbed the sides of my head. I banged my helmet, the metal denting inwards. My scenery stayed changed.


    I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them. I looked around, accepting this madness. I stood up on nothing. I looked down. The star was dim enough for me to see. It should''ve blinded me if not outright incinerated me at this distance.


    Yet it didn''t. I looked around, finding no stars in the void around me. I already knew what happened. That Old One finished summoning me, so I shouted out,


    "Where are you, Eonoth?"


    My voice resonated through my surroundings. The sound bent until was so warped, it wasn''t even my own. The words bled together, turning into gibberish. The gibberish quieted until no sound remained. The noise returned, coming back with force.


    The gibberish formed a language then recognizable speech,


    "An interesting language. It''s simple and condensed. Contextual. It must be difficult to learn."


    Imagine you were in a giant, iron bell. Imagine a titan swung a hammer at that bell. Now imagine the cataclysmic, ear-busting vibrations formed a voice and spoke to you. That''s what Eonoth''s voice was like. Without my pain tolerance, I''d be brought to my knees. without my massive health, I''d have died instantly.


    With those tools, I stayed tall. A bit of blood dripped out of my nose. I snorted it out so I could breathe. I shouted back,


    "It obviously wasn''t that difficult to learn for you, was it?"


    A stretch of silence went on after that. I had no sense of time. It could have been a second or an eternity. Honestly, I don''t know if it would have made a difference.


    "You know my name, but I don''t know yours. Who are you?"


    My ears bled. I sighed, pushing down my discomfort, "I''m Daniel."


    A deep laugh rattled my bones.


    "You are more than Daniel. You hold many names. Tell me of them."


    I grit my teeth, sustaining the thunderous words.


    "I''m Dimension C-138, the Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    "A title more befitting your presence. Weight. Enduring. Boundless. The Bringer of Change. You hold many titles in those that know you...they fear you. Have you tasted their fear?"


    I rolled my eyes, keeping myself composed, "Ok, obviously not. If you can probe my memories, you know that already."


    From the void, the voice continued, "An answered question can still sound sweet in your ears if you enjoy the answer."


    "Can we cut out all the cryptic bullshit...Please?"


    "You are a being of flesh and bone. Time...Time is your most valued asset. We are beings that transcend time. It is of no value. One infinity after the next, we will see all that there is to see."


    I raised an eyebrow, "We meaning the Old Ones?"


    "Whatever it is that you use to refer to us. You seem distasteful of our presence. Why?"


    At this point, my mouth was pooling with blood. I swallowed, clearing out my mouth. I raised my hands, "Etorhma left an old enemy of mine in a, well, ugly state. I don''t want that same influence on me."


    "But you are incorruptible. A pure entity that is independent all its own."


    I wouldn''t let this fuck know how much damage he was doing to me. My pride wouldn''t allow it.


    I sighed, "Why did you try-" I coughed up some liquid, "-and fuse the silvers and the espens?"


    By now, my eyes bled, and my gums were soft. Eonoth''s voice was disintegrating me.


    "...I want to bring metal to life. There is a rigidness in it. Completeness. The silvers aren''t alive. I wished to bring life to them. What life are you?"


    From the void, a shapeless being emerged. It fluttered in and out of being like it couldn''t hold a physical form of itself. Either that or my eyes couldn''t understand it.


    As it neared me, a sense of dread ran up my spine. My whole body screamed for me to escape or distance myself from it. It was a nightmare that I could not see, yet I could feel. I thundered out,


    "I''m just a normal life form. You know, nothing special."


    My voice rasped at the end. Eonoth reached out to me, "That is a lie. There is something utterly unique about you. I await discovery."


    It got closer, the formless shape threatening contact. A deep instinct was screaming in the back of my head. It told me this - do not let this thing touch you. I didn''t have a choice. I listened.


    I created a well behind me, pulling me away. Even as I moved, Eonoth''s position didn''t change. I looked around, finding nothing to hold onto. In desperation, I tore off a chunk of my gray suit. I gripped into the back of my hand, piercing the skin. My own silver blood leaked out.


    I pointed at it, "Alright, you twisted my arm. See this, it''s silver blood. I''m living metal. Happy?"


    The Old One stopped approaching me. My mind calmed down, fear no longer infesting me like a virus. A gleeful tone infested Eonoth''s voice,


    "You are...remarkable. I will leave you be. Enjoy the scarcity of your time. It gives it value, something I cannot comprehend."


    It faded back into the void, "I''ll allow you to return to your realm. We will meet again, Harbinger."


    Space shivered around me. Before I returned, the formless shape jerked out of the darkness. It appeared in front of me. With a single appendage, it pierced my helmet and touched my forehead.


    "Ah, but there is knowledge here given by Etorhma. Since Yawm, he fears your kind. He is weak, weak for one of us. I share none of his fears, for I am beyond fear. I will complete this fragment of knowledge he gave you."


    My eyes rolled back into my head. Mystifying thoughts beamed into my head, Eonoth''s mind touching my own. The core of my personality unraveled into tiny, minute pieces. Eonoth''s mind was broad, broader than comprehension.


    He was an ocean, and I was a single drop. I fell into the abyss, my identity lost in the sheer size of it. Off reflex, I gritted my teeth and flexed my fists. It didn''t matter. No amount of will would close this gap. It was like launching yourself into space by jumping.


    In a word, futile.


    I fought on, struggling to keep some sense of identity. After eon''s of being in the belly of the beast, I returned. Eonoth evaporated back into the void,


    "And you remain. You are worthy, Harbinger. You are worthy."


    I blinked. As quickly as I entered the Eonoth''s ream, I returned back into my own. I was still on the tree, and the espens piled up beside the ravine. Not a second had passed.


    I leaned over, pulling off my helmet and puking. Most of what I retched was my own blood, but some of it was vomit. I wiped off my face, getting my own blood off me. It felt like I just drowned. I shivered a bit, a piercing fear crawling up my spine.


    Eonoth was nothing like Etorhma. Etorhma was polite and civil. He was mostly rational, though he had a few crazy moments. Eonoth was nothing like that. He was an amalgamation of a thousand minds. It was beyond comprehension. In fact, I was glad I didn''t comprehend it.


    Who knows what would happen to me if I did.


    I shook off the overwhelming sense of dread. If not for my enhanced willpower, I''d be nothing but jelly by now. I looked at my health. Over three quarters was missing. I slapped the sides of my face, realizing how close to death I was.


    I wasn''t about to die to some dragon or badass warrior. I was about to die from hearing a voice. Wow. Talk about humbling.


    I stood up, my hands still shaking. I clenched my teeth. I was tired of this whole jittery episode. I reared back my fist and punched myself in the face. I held onto the tiny bit of pain, using it to clear my mind.


    I wasn''t in tip-top condition, but it would do. I turned towards the espens, lifting them up with magic. I walked back towards Icosah, unable to muster up the mental energy to run. Instead, I looked at the walk like it was a break.


    As I walked, I looked at my status. I gained about one hundred levels from spider guy, which was nice. I checked out my skills, finding a point gained here or there. My jaw dropped when I discovered my Dimensional Cipher skill. It was in the 300''s after Etorhma gave me that spike of knowledge.


    It was a tiny bit higher now that Eonoth finished it.


    Dimensional cipher(1,081) - You bend the laws of nature with knowledge of its inner workings. Forbidden, but powerful.


    I rubbed my hands together in anticipation.  At least meeting a being beyond my comprehension wasn''t all bad.


    It had its perks.

 157 Fluidity

    Before I chewed into the cipher bonus, I checked out my trees. I got a bonus of 700 tree points from Eonoth''s blessing. I poured the points into my current tree, Legendary.


    In your homeworld, legends are told for those that mastered their chosen craft. Einstein was renowned as a genius. Da Vinci was hailed by artists as a prodigy. Tolkien will be remembered for his woven worlds.


    You will be remembered for your mastery as well.


    Legendary(Tier 2) Unlocked! +40% to the effect of Legendary skills.


    The instant the notification sounded, a wave of ease passed over me. I held up a hand, bending gravity as if it were a liquid. It molded with instinctual ease. It was like breathing or walking. There wasn''t any thought behind it. I thought of a change in it, and the mana made it so.


    It freed up space in my mind. Without effort, I exerted excruciating detail with my gravitational magic. Force of Nature assisted with other talents too though. Without a doubt, my reaction times in close combat would be enhanced as well.


    The magic was my bread and butter now. Gravitational Singularity already proved its worth versus the bug guy. Spamming that move would be one of my go-to strategies for now.


    After all, if it isn''t broke, don''t fix it.


    That didn''t mean I didn''t have my eye set on improvement though. I kept walking while opening my grimoire. I kept it afloat with a well of gravity while suspending the espens. I looked back, thinking how difficult this was a few months ago. Now I did all of it without even thinking.


    I took full advantage of that benefit, diving into my work with the cipher. It shocked me the moment I carved into the page. I didn''t need to rewrite my words. I didn''t need to edit my inscriptions. I wrote out complex concepts as I thought them up.


    The more I etched, the more surreal the experience was. I comprehended the cipher to such an extent, it was more familiar than own language. I closed my eyes, thinking about the cipher. In a bizarre moment, my thoughts came out in the cipher.


    I opened my mouth, speaking out words. A piercing, unfamiliar set of vowels and consonants came out. The demonic, alien pitch terrified me, so I slammed my hands over my mouth. I didn''t want to see what would happen if I spoke out the words. It was crazy though. I wasn''t limited to just thinking in the cipher.


    I could speak it.


    I was using a portion of my mind I didn''t know I had. It was like I had a talent for some sport I''d never played. All of a sudden I started playing it and everything was easy and smooth and clear. Nothing about the cipher was cloudy. It was familiar as a family or a hometown.


    I wasn''t about to dive in headfirst though. Not anymore. In a sense, this was black magic. Eonoth could''ve just given me the right information to destroy myself or worse. I figured speaking with a few allies before trying out my new skills was likely the best idea.


    With that in mind, I checked out my status, pouring my level ups into endurance. Why endurance all of a sudden? I learned the cipher worked better with lower attributes. That meant I could rapidly increase perception without my level ups.


    Since endurance was sky high, increasing it with the cipher would take forever. I was hitting a soft cap with my cipher upgrades. That had zero effect on Schema''s level ups though. With that in mind, I put all my points into endurance and smiled. Everything felt right.


    I''d check my status after getting my dungeon cores. No point in reviewing it over and over again for small changes. That was a waste of time I didn''t have.


    After having done all that status stuff, I was refreshed. The jitters faded some, so I ran instead of walking. Within minutes, I reached Icosah with the espens floating behind me. After passing through the bazaar, I arrived at several of the guilds.


    The Soldiers of Fortune didn''t seem like the best group to leave the espens with. I chose the Agents of Schema instead. They appeared more reliable for this kind of thing.


    As I walked up, people gawked at me. I looked odd, I''ll give them that. My gray armor wasn''t banged up that bad outside of being dirty. The patches I tore through regenerated with a bit of nanotech. My last suit was obliterated by the Yana cluster by comparison.


    It saved me some time. As I walked through the entrance, a sleek interior met my gaze. Polished glass and steel gleamed everywhere, fluorescent lights beaming down from above. Lining the walls and walkways, blue neon-tinted everything blue. It gave the base an ultra modern feel.


    Everyone wore power armor or diplomats robes. Everyone stared forward, busy with something or the other. They lacked the arrogance of the Empire and the ruggedness of the Soldiers of Fortune. These guys projected a robotic efficiency, much like the A.I. they worked for.


    As I walked into the lounge, a few members glanced at me. No one gawked or stared. I appreciated the politeness. I walked up to their receptionist, a remnant man with a white smile. So white, in fact, that it looked artificial. It unnerved me a bit.


    "Hello there! It''s good to see someone new around here. How may I help you on this fine day."


    I suppressed a wince. He was so fake that it hurt my soul.


    "I''m here to hand in these espens."


    The remnant winked at me, "Ah, were they stirring up trouble?"


    I shook my head, "No. They were in trouble. Some cult got a hold of them and implanted silvers into their bodies. I removed the infestations from each of them, and I healed them. I have no idea who they''re affiliated with. I figured you guys might be able to help with that."


    He boomed a laugh. By god, I wasn''t that funny.


    "Hah, hah, HAH! I love seeing an offworlder treat the natives with such respect and dignity. Don''t you worry, your good deeds will not go unrewarded. I''ll file a status report to the affiliated sub-A.I. for this sector. He should square you away as far as rewards are concerned."


    He gave me a wink. I scoffed, unable to hold back my laughter at this point. The remnant blinked, sitting straight up. He never quit smiling, "What''s funny fellow sentient?"


    I waved my hand, "Nothing. I remembered some inside joke from my friends. Sorry about that."


    "Ok...I hope we see you again!"


    I nodded, "Yeah. Sure."


    I turned around, setting the espens beside the front desk. I waved goodbye and walked out. From that experience, Kessiah''s disdain for them was justified.


    They creeped me the fuck out. This guy was like a magazine cover. Everything was calculated and controlled for a specific reaction. I didn''t like it at all. I much preferred talking to someone who made their intentions obvious, even if those intentions weren''t full of virtue.


    With that over with, I sent a message to Torix, detailing the situation. While waiting for a reply, I went back to the Soldiers of Fortune. I took another quest and received my reward for this one. Oddly enough, no one bothered me this time. Go figure.


    Worshippers of Emagrotha(lvl 3,200 requirement, lvl 3,800 Recommended| Recommended Party Size: 4 | Tier: B-) - You''ve not only completed this deceptive quest, but you''ve saved several natives of Icosah as well. Excellent work.


    Reward: 8 Red Dungeon cores. Goodwill with Giess increased.


    Quest Completion Speed: S++ Tier. +5 red dungeon cores.


    Thoroughness of Quest Completion: S++ Tier. +5 red dungeon cores.


    Casualties and Collateral Damage: 0 dead and 0$. -0 red dungeon cores.


    Giess Affinity +25 for quest completion. +60 for saved citizens(5 each)


    Icosah Affinity +180 for saved citizens(15 each)


    It was a substantial reward. I could see that the receptionist worked fast since my quest log was already updated. Fake or not, the guy was responsive, to say the least. He enhanced my rewards, giving me S++ bonus ratings. My last quest only gave 6 extra cores. This one gave 10.


    Using those 18 dungeon cores, I invested the attribute points into endurance. It was for the same reason as the level ups. I used the skill points on Force of Nature, moving the skill up quite a bit. On my last click, a notification popped up.


    Down your path you walk, each step treading new ground. You''ve discovered the undiscovered. You''ve learned the secret and forgotten knowledge. The subject of your mastery is a myth. In your field, you''re king.


    Legendary(Tier 3) Unlocked! +60% effect of legendary skills!


    I clenched a fist. The sheer depth of my magic enhanced. The efficiency and utter power of my movements and magic evolved. If I used my full might, I could move mountains. If I unleashed my full strength, I''d bend time.


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    The difference was so drastic, a spark of fear ran up my spine. I looked at my hands. I was working with explosives at this point. Even with all my durability, one misstep and I''d be a silver blotch on the ground. It was that intense.


    I shook my head, grinding that fear to dust. I convinced myself that it was just my nerves after seeing Eonoth. Surely that was it. To check out what was going on, I looked at my status.


    Force of Nature(lvl 2,251) - You are nature-given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including but not limited to: Close Range Combat, Runic skills, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, and Draining Abilities.


    Bonus Attributes:


    +352 Strength


    +352 Dexterity


    +141 Constitution


    +141 intelligence


    +70 Perception


    +35 to all attributes for having a 2,200+ total in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: +248%


    Mana Cost Reduction: 49.6%


    At this point, I was exponentially growing stronger. The mana reduction essentially doubled my mana, which was already absurd. The ability bonus nearly tripled my output. My legendary skill pentupled the power of my gravitation.


    At this point, the attributes were irrelevant. I had over 40,000 endurance. A few hundred attributes were nothing. The multipliers though...they were getting out of hand.


    I banged the sides of my helmet, clearing my thoughts. Even if I got some godlike abilities, I wasn''t about to let myself become like Yawm. I''d never allow that to happen. Never.


    With that out of the way, I opened my cipher mods. They were coming along nicely.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows:


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +120 Perception


    +6,080 Endurance


    +100% to effect of legacies


    +3,040 Willpower


    +50% to internal motivation]


    I whistled at the perception. 120 perception in two days was ridiculous. At this rate, it wouldn''t be a problem by the time the tournament arrived. Constitution would be next. Either that or luck, so I didn''t have any more run-ins with Eonoth.


    With all that handled, I checked out the final status, my character sheet.


    Dimension-C138(Level 5,653)


    Strength ¨C 6,176 | Constitution ¨C 10,612 | Endurance ¨C 43,154


    Dexterity ¨C 2,574 | Willpower ¨C 24,581 | Intelligence ¨C 9,007


    Charisma ¨C 913 | Luck ¨C 3,034 | Perception ¨C 1,174


    Health: 7.35 Million/7.35 Million | Health Regen: 17.3 Million/min or 288,532/sec


    Stamina: 4.70 Million/ 4.70 Million | Stamina Regen: 67,862/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.04 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 494,919 pounds(224,491 kilos~) | Height: Actual -12''5(3.83 meters)   Current - 9''10


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 546,385% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My perception passed the 1k mark already. Based on my guesstimations, I should be cloaked against any enemies level 3,000 and below. Most builds didn''t invest into a single attribute like I did, especially not perception. Perception only feeds into charisma, making it a poor main stat.


    The new was good though. My progress was steady if not rapid. Once I finished all my dungeon cores, I''d be ready to demolish anyone at the tournament. Not having the constant threat of death looming over my shoulder was nice for a change.


    Although Eonoth pulling into another dimension left a bad taste in my mouth. I''d be fine though. I always was. I never imagined we''d kill Yawm, but it happened. This time would be no different. For the last time, I checked my status, finding a message from Torix.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 5,000 | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Time: 1:34 P.M. 0/27/31) - It seems as though you''re always meeting the most interesting entities. We can discuss the predicament in the Empire''s guildhouse whenever you''re ready. I''m there as we speak.


    I let him know I was coming. I jogged off towards the guildhouse, everybody walking around me. I didn''t get that. Why does everyone walk everywhere? We have enhanced abilities, yet everybody uses them only in combat. Abilities are meant to be used, not saved for just the right moment.


    Anyways, I got back to the Empire''s guildhouse. I talked with the espen receptionist, and she told me that Torix was talking with Caprika. I reached her throne room, finding them discussing details about Giess.


    "So Giess is separated along native and foreign lines then?"


    Caprika nodded with her mane of hair ruffling, "Yes. From what I''ve gathered, most espens are spiritual and primitive. Their native wildlife fights the eldritch for them. Schema''s assimilation was hardly noticed at first given the planet''s resources."


    She leaned against her arm, appearing a bit bored, "It sparked a civil war among the Gialgethens, however. 75 years prior, and the gialgathens used the espens as slaves. The great Lehesion freed the espens, giving them access to magic."


    Caprika scoffed, "I''ve seen the gialgathens though. They still treat espens as a lower caste. Since Schema''s coming, the espens have been fighting back. They''ve gained ground."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How?"


    Caprika leaned up off her hand, "The espens gained access to the system. The gialgethens did not."


    Torix let out an evil laugh, "And so the tables turned."


    Caprika raised her hands,


    "The espens have leveled over the last 30 years. They''ve grown in might. Now the most powerful espens rival the most powerful gialgethens. It''s created a rift. Some Gialgathens embrace the change. Others look at it as if the espens are stepping out of line."


    Caprika put her hands on her throne''s armrests, "Those giant monsters don''t understand. They will be eclipsed by the espens over the next few years. The oppressed will become the oppressors."


    I waved my hand at caprika, "I have a question. Is this what you do all day?"


    Caprika tilted her head, "What?"


    I gestured to her throne, "Just, yenno, sit in a throne room and do nothing."


    She shook her head, "No. I have an assigned meeting time for two hours every day. You''ve only seen me during those times."


    I frowned, "Sounds like you''d waste a lot of time like that."


    Caprika sighed, "It''s customary. The Empire follows tradition more than even law. As a member of royalty, I must have meetings with commoners."


    I snickered, "Yeah, commoners. Anyways, when and where is the tournament?"


    Caprika leaned forward, "Did you...gain levels?"


    Torix raised his hands, "Oh do get used to it. Daniel is the most industrious sentient that has ever existed. He never sleeps, and he is always moving."


    I shrugged, "Life is movement, and yeah, I gained a few levels."


    Torix cupped his chin, "Would you mind telling us how many quests you''ve completed in the two days we''ve been here?"


    "Two."


    Torix waved his hands, goading me for more information, "And I don''t mean to pry, but which quests might those be?"


    "The highest ones available. Why are asking?"


    Torix grinned at Caprika, "Oh no reason. Just curious."


    Caprika shook her head, "You cleared the silvers and destroyed the hidden cult...in two days."


    I nodded, "I did. I don''t spend time sitting on a throne. I''ve heard that helps."


    Caprika stayed silent for a second. Her red mask brightened, steam coming from the black holes in it. She leaned down, covering her face with a hand. Torix raised a hand, "Are you alright."


    She put a palm up to him, "I''m fine..."


    I leaned towards her, "Wait a second...you''re embarrassed."


    Caprika shot up, "No. I''m not. Silence."


    I waved my hands, "No, no. It''s no big deal. I didn''t mean it like that. I was just teasing. I get you to have to do your daily rituals or whatever. It''s your life after all."


    She shook her head, "I...It just made me aware that I was on my throne. You make the sheer idea of a throne sound ridiculous."


    She stood up, walking down her heightened stairway, "I have no guests here besides for you two. I''m sure you wouldn''t report my lack of throne sitting to higher authorities."


    Torix gave her a thumbs up, "Your secret is safe with us."


    She cracked her neck, "Good."


    The throne room''s doors opened, Aric walking in, "Excuse me Caprika, but you have a visito-"


    Kessiah pushed him out of the way, "Move it spineless. Hey Daniel."


    Caprika propped her weight on one hip, looking annoyed. Caprika looked up at me, "Is she your mistress?"


    Kessiah narrowed her eyes, "The fuck did you just say?"


    Torix covered his mouth, snickering with absolute glee. He pointed at Kessiah, "This is good. I wish I had some popcorn."


    Kessiah pointed her finger at Torix, "I''ll talk to you later."


    Caprika shrugged, "What did I say?"


    Kessiah stormed up to Caprika, "What makes you think I''m a mistress?"


    Caprika pointed at all of Kessiah, "You''re obviously not a combatant. I just assumed that was your use."


    Torix''s expanded into outright chortling. Kessiah blushed a bit, "Why don''t you think I''m a fighter?"


    Caprika looked between Kessiah and me, "Isn''t it obvious?"


    Kessiah raised her eyebrows, "My level is plenty high enough to kick your ass."


    Caprika busted out laughing, her noble voice turning cruel,


    "You? Even if our levels matched, you don''t stand a chance against me or anyone for that matter. I can tell by the way you walk. Your footsteps are heavy and unbalanced. It''s like watching a hunchback step through the mud."


    For some reason, Kessiah always brought out the worst in Torix. He  nudged my elbow, "Oof."


    Kessiah poked Caprika''s chest, "You wanna go?"


    Caprika pointed around, "Why not? You seem as though you need to be humbled anyways."


    I  took a step forward, putting a hand on Kessiah''s shoulder, "This isn''t a good idea. She''s double your level."


    Kessiah slapped my hand, "You said it earlier right? You do you. Well, I''m doing me."


    I frowned, "Uh, I don''t think-"


    Kessiah spread out her hands, "The point is, I''m making this decision, alright? Back off."


    I took a step back, "Ok."


    Torix and I walked back towards the edge of the room. Once there, Caprika and Kessiah walked towards the opposite sides of the throne room. I grabbed the sides of my helmet, dragging my fingers down the tinted glass,


    "This is a fucking awful idea."


    Torix rubbed his hands together, "Oh yes it is. I can''t wait for its conclusion."


    Caprika turned towards us, "I won''t kill her. She''ll need healing when I''m done though. Is that acceptable?"


    I raised a hand, "Go crazy. I''ll be the ref."


    I walked up between them. Kessiah pulled her galactic storage. She pulled out three plastic pouches full of her blood. She ripped them apart, the blood flowing in circles around her. It siphoned into white runes that glowed on her body.  Her blood sacrifice was massive this time.


    With that strength, she smashed her fists together,


    "I''m going to crush you."


    Caprika scoffed, "Good luck, little one. You''re going to need it."


    The albony royalty leaned back, inviting Kessiah to charge. I raised a hand, "You both ready?" They nodded. I swiped my hand down,


    "Let''s go."

 158 Getting There

    Kessiah growled as she charged Caprika. With an unnerving calm, Caprika stood back and waited. Kessiah''s footsteps crushed the stone beneath her feet, her movements explosive. As Kessiah reached Caprika, the remnant launched a right haymaker at Caprika''s face.


    The princess channeled the air by raising an arm. An invisible torrent cut through one of the tendons in Kessiah''s wrist. The hand went limp, unable to function. Caprika grabbed the weak arm, slinging Kessiah overhead. The shoulder dislocated while the impact shattered the marble floor.


    Kessiah lost her breath, gasping out a bit of blood. Caprika clasped a clawed hand right in front of Kessiah''s face, pulling air out of her lungs. Kessiah gasped, reaching out her arms. Her chest sunk inwards, decompressed from the air magic.


    I frowned, taking a step forward, "Oof. That was worse than I thought."


    Torix put a hand on my chest, "Give her a chance. It''s not dangerous just yet."


    Kessiah scrambled for a second longer before grabbing her weak arm. She shoved it back into her shoulder socket. She opened up her dimensional storage ring. A pillar of air flew out at of the portal, my ears popping from the pressure change of the room. It let Kessiah breath for a second.


    Caprika reached towards Kessiah''s face again. Kessiah lunged up, biting into the claws of Caprika. The princess gripped her hand, digging her nails into the flesh of Kessiah''s mouth. Kessiah gritted her teeth, grabbing Caprika''s arm.


    The albony warrior spread out her other hand. Mana rippled through her mane of hair, lengthening the strands. Much like Amara, her hair moved. Unlike Amara, they solidified into white blades. Sharper than steel, an edge of hair stabbed at Kessiah.


    Before it sunk in, the remnant released Caprika''s fingers. Caprika stumbled back since she was still pulling her arm away. The fur sword sliced six inches into the marble floor, cutting Kessiah''s cheek. Kessiah grinned as she pulled herself up and dashed towards Caprika.


    Caprika fell onto her back and pushed her hands at Kessiah. A pillar of air pushed the albony back. While on the ground, she sliced the hair blade at Kessiah''s kneecap. The blade cleaved into Kessiah''s left kneecap, causing her to fall over. Caprika rolled up onto her feet.


    Caprika dashed towards Kessiah, whipping a portion of her fur behind her. Mid-swing, the hair hardened into a giant blade. It would rive Kessiah in two. I readied some magic to stop just that.


    Kessiah pushed up against the ground with her hands. She flung up and landed on a single foot. As Caprika reached her, Kessiah dunked down onto her one working leg. She breathed deep before spitting a mouthful of blood at Caprika.


    The coagulating liquid splashed against Caprika''s mask, blinding her. I raised my eyebrows, "That''s a pretty solid tactic."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "Ah yes, something a caveman would do in desperation. What an excellent tactic."


    It worked well. The blade of hair skimped Kessiah''s left arm, leaving a nasty gash. Without her guard up, Caprika was wide open, however. With a wild haymaker, Kessiah jumped off her one foot. Her fist slammed into Caprika''s mask.


    Caprika dragged back a few feet from the impact, but she stayed standing. Like a real warrior, Caprika shook her head, spitting out blood. She growled like a lioness. Caprika charged towards Kessiah.


    At this point, Kessiah raised one arm, unable to defend herself. Torix frowned, "Let''s see what else she has up her sleeve."


    I rolled my eyes at this point. Caprika lunged out an arm, a tail of fur following its trajectory. The condensed hair pierced Kessiah''s last working shoulder. The air in the room condensed above Caprika, siphoning into a single point. Caprika reared her arm back, ready to launch a spear of wind through Kessiah''s head.


    I gripped my fist, lifting Caprika back with a gravity well. Her spear withered away, the air dispersing. Her hair blade pulled from Kessiah''s shoulder. Torix sighed while floating over towards Kessiah, a health potion and spell in hand. The princess wasn''t enjoying my restraints, however.


    She thundered, "Who stopped me?"


    It was the voice of royalty. I wasn''t some servant though.


    "I did. Calm down."


    She heaved for breath, a mist of blood spurting out of her mask, "You will release me or-"


    I clenched my raised hand, the well of gravity empowering, "Calm down."


    Caprika balled up, her hair returning to its regular length. She struggled, but the pull outdid her strength. She was in a trash compactor, and I held the on or off switch.


    She figured that out fast, so she gasped, "I''m calm."


    I let the well''s strength wane, and she composed herself. By the time the well disappeared, she had regained her noble bearing. She breathed deep a few times, looking up at me. She opened her dimensional storage, pulling out a purple health potion.


    She chugged it before putting the bottle back into storage,


    "Ahem...excuse my anger...I simply lost myself for a moment."


    I shrugged, "It happens."


    Caprika looked around, "I''ll have someone clean up this mess after we leave."


    She glanced around, "It could use a remodeling anyways."


    Now that Caprika wasn''t frothing in rage, I glanced over at Kessiah. Even though she managed to damage Caprika, their wounds were different in scale. Caprika could still stand. Kessiah was out of commission for a few days. In system time, that meant Kessiah was damn near death.


    Still, it was an admirable effort. With a few tricks and some creativity, Kessiah dished out some damage. It was more than I expected. She took on someone double her level and held her own. If Caprika took her on with full force early on, Kessiah would be strips of meat.


    But that''s the thing, Caprika didn''t.


    That meant overall, Kessiah took the win in my book. With that knowledge in tow, I walked up to her. She groaned in pain, her shoulder swelling and her knee bloody. She looked up at me. She grinned, blood on her teeth,


    "See? I still got it."


    I grinned, "Yup."


    Kessiah passed out. Torix glanced up at me, "Althea would''ve been shocked if she''d seen such a display of brutality. Kessiah hasn''t fought like that since she faced off against Dahkma."


    Torix whipped out a needle and surgical stitching, "It seems as though social pressure brings out the best in her. Her urge to prove someone wrong is far stronger than her urge to improve on her own."


    I shrugged, "Hmmmm...maybe so."


    Torix chuckled, "She does prefer being the underdog. Perhaps this will renew her fighting spirit."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "I wouldn''t count on it, but maybe we can push her in that direction."


    Torix stitched her knee back together, "One can hope."


    Caprika walked up to us. She placed her hands on her hips, "Her level wouldn''t indicate her strength, I suppose...What did you think of the bout?"


    She looked at me as she said it. I raised my eyebrow, "Me?"


    Caprika pointed at me, "Yes you. You''re a warrior of renown. Your opinion should be measured highly."


    I glanced up, "Well, if I had anything to say about it...hmmm. I think you tried to show off with the whole strangling thing. You could''ve just slit Kessiah''s throat at the start. Keeping your distance and focusing on evasion would''ve been an instant win without any damage."


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I shrugged, "You also lost your balance after Kessiah stopped biting your fingers. That shouldn''t be the case. You could elongate your hair and use the strands for balance, right? See if you can try that next time."


    Caprika used a wave of air magic, blowing the blood from her mask. She opened her storage ring, pulled out a napkin, and wrapped it around the floating blood,


    "I shall try that then. Any other pointers?"


    It was odd having someone ask me for advice. I squinted my eyes for a second, thinking a bit. I tapped my helmet, "You should have some helmet or eye protection. Same goes for your ears. Bright flashes, liquids, and sonic attacks aren''t uncommon, and they can be crippling."


    Caprika nodded, "I''ll try and implement a few defensive measures. Thank you for input."


    It was strange how differently Caprika treated me versus Kessiah. It was because of our levels probably. Torix stood up from Kessiah. He clapped his hands, "Anyways, I finished the suture. I''m not carrying Kessiah to her room. She''ll break my old, dusty back."


    I raised my hands, "I''m not either. Althea will kill me."


    Caprika raised a hand, "Who''s Althea?"


    Althea materialized beside me. I never sensed her in any way. She was a ghost that didn''t want you to know she was there at times. Althea leaned against me, and I played it cool. I was used to it. On the other hand, Caprika wasn''t.


    "What in Baldowah''s name...Where did you come from?"


    Althea grinned, "Here and there." She looked up at me, "Torix mentioned something about Kessiah needing help to her room." Althea turned to Kessiah, "I''m surprised she hasn''t been drinking."


    I frowned. I didn''t know Kessiah drank. I had this thing against alcohol because of my dad. It wasn''t fair to judge someone for it, but I couldn''t help but come across as abrasive when it was brought up. At least I was aware of it.


    Kessiah''s drinking habits didn''t surprise our resident lich, "As am I. She was just thrashed by the albony over there."


    Althea walked up to Caprika. Althea waved a hand at her, "Hey. I''m Althea. Good to meet you."


    Caprika brushed one of her locks of hair behind her and dusted a shoulder off, "Ahem. It''s good to meet you as well. I''m Caprika, of the Empire."


    Althea gave her a thumbs up, "I gotta take her back to our camp. We can talk later if you want."


    Caprika propped her weight onto a hip, "I''ll have to check my schedule, but I should be able to work you in."


    There was an eagerness in Caprika''s voice that she hid. I mean, she spent two damn hours a day in a throne room. Caprika had the time to spare. Althea didn''t notice as she tossed Kessiah over her back like a sack of potatoes.


    As she walked off, Torix walked up to me. He waved at Caprika, "We really must be going now. Thank you for the enthralling discussion about Giess politics and history."


    Caprika scratched the side of her head, "Then, ah, good luck with the rest of your day as well...Torix."


    Torix nodded and walked through a portal. Caprika and I stood there in an awkward silence. Caprika coughed into her hand, "Ahem, you asked where and when the tournament was, correct?"


    I nodded. She opened her status. She sent me the coordinates.


    "There they are. Good luck with your questing."


    I shrugged, "Eh, thanks."


    I turned around. I walked out of the room. As the throne doors closed behind me, I caught Caprika whispering to herself,


    "That magic...Terrifying."


    You''d think my chest would puff up with pride at that. It was an acknowledgment of my strength, something I worked on relentlessly for years. I joined a boxing gym when I was twelve. Since then I''d fought every day. I didn''t do it to stomp on people. I did it so I wouldn''t be stomped on.


    Now though, I could crush someone under my foot without even meaning too. My gravitational singularities weren''t fit for a human to wield. It was like a nuclear weapon. I felt like this one guy. I couldn''t remember his name. I remember what he said though - I am become death, destroyer of worlds.


    I shook off my grim mood. I already observed what power could do to someone. Yawm was a prime example. He tried to play god. He ended up becoming a monster instead. I learned from his path, and I wouldn''t tread in his footsteps.


    With that in mind, I set out onto the town. I had work to do.


    *******************************************************************************************************


    Two weeks passed in a flash. I burst through two dozen more quests, each reward giving me even less than the last. My last quest involved pulling someone''s truck out from a bog. It wasn''t glamorous work, but it was something to do.


    I ended up spending a bunch of my free time with Althea. We went out on dates, explored nature, etcetera. It was a blast seeing a new world with someone close.  Either way, I brimmed with excitement for the tournament.


    I missed fighting. Not life and death fighting mind you, but I wanted something to get my blood boiling. I felt like I was helping grandmas cross the street at this point.


    Of course, I expected quite a few weaklings, but at least it wasn''t going to be boring. Althea and I kept that in mind as we walked up to the tournament''s arena. There was a wide cliffside with a series of waterfalls, each one owning an outcrop. They met together, forming a raging river.


    All species and manner of aliens idled on these outcrops. Kids ran around all over the place. Families tried pumping up competitors. Businesses sold snacks and drinks for everyone. The atmosphere was like a sports event. It pretty much was one. It was the most excitement this town had each year after all.


    The arena was at the center of the raging river. There was a series of stones surrounded by the water. Althea nudged my side, "You sure you''ll be able to balance on those rocks?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I''m pretty sure. I might break them underfoot though."


    Althea nodded, a veil covering her face, "You''ll knock the other competitors of the rocks with the splash. You''ll be fighting underwater then."


    I grinned, "Let''s hope the other fighters can too."


    We hopped down from outcrop to outcrop. As we reached the bank of the rushing stream, a group of other fighters prepared themselves. Cameras were set up, streaming the tournament online. Someone controlled the lighting down here too, giving it a surprising production value.


    As I admired the state of the art cameras, something rustled in the trees nearby. I glanced over at the treeline, a beast showing itself. I narrowed my eyes, looking closer. As I did, it walked out into the light. It was a gialgathen. I was sure of it.


    The amphibious dragon walked with clouds of mist over it. With wings that spanned the width of a house, its long neck stretched up tall as trees. It wore battle armor, encrusted in gemstones. Water flowed underneath the plates, keeping the beast hydrated.


    It glanced at us with vertical pupils. Unlike before, there was sharpness in its eyes. It was intelligent. A moment later, something touched my mind. I looked around, wondering what the fuck it was. Seconds passed, and the presence knocked against my mind again. A thick, regal voice echoed in my head,


    "Are you one of the fighters here?"


    I glanced around, "Maybe. Who are you?"


    "Ah, I forgot my manners. I''m Alzroth. I''m the giant across this stream."


    I glanced up at the gialgathen. Surely enough, Alzroth stared right back at me. I thought out words,


    "So you have telepathy then?"


    "Hah! All Gialgathens do. We''re born with it, as we are born with many things."


    "Why do you want to talk to me then?"


    He shook himself, a few birds flying from his black and white neck, "Just passing the time until the tournament begins."


    I nodded, "Ok, so what made you single me out?"


    He reached up with a leg, scratching his neck, "You''re ambiance. You walk with better footing despite being the biggest one here. Rare to see a warrior from other races."


    I crossed my arms, "Well, it''s how I started out. By the time I had other options, it wasn''t worth changing paths."


    The giant scoffed, sounding like a whale breathing,


    "You''re small for physical combat. You should''ve changed to something more fitting your stature."


    It was my turn to scoff now.


    "Really now?"


    The beast shook his head, "I meant no harm in mentioning it. It''s obvious just looking at you. I still can''t understand why other races take offense when I mention talents and traits."


    I shrugged, "You''re assuming a lot here."


    He showed his teeth, each one like a needle the size of a chair leg, "These allow me to crush most dirtwalkers in a single bite. How would you overcome something like this?"


    I laughed, "Your teeth would break against my skin."


    "Such confidence. We''ll see how you and your system measure up to the true might and stature of a gialgathen."


    "I''ll see you at the tournament then."


    I snapped the mental link. The gialgathen shook his head, shocked by the impact of it. If fighting someone else''s mind was that simple, then I''d ask Torix to teach it to me. With all my willpower, it might be useful.


    A wave of chatter interrupted my thoughts. I turned towards the arena, and two fighters stood on both sides of it. They both wore power armor. One of them had the Steel Legion crest on his chest. The other wore the emblem of the Soldiers of Fortune.


    An announcer floated on a hovering podium. Wearing a flamboyant, multi-colored suit, the commentator flashed a smile. He had a swollen head and a wicked widow''s peak. In the most vanilla announcer voice possible, he spoke into an intercom,


    "Welcome one and all to the 75th annual honoring of Lehesion! In the name of the gialgathen that united all the people of Giess, we fight in his name. Though many have tried, only seven humanoids have won the tournament. A gialgathen almost always wins!"


    His podium floated over the top of the arena, and he stared into a camera, "This time I have the feeling things will be different. Now, onto our first battle of the evening."


    He pointed at the Steel Legion member, "Representing the Steel Legion here in Icosah, we have Earnest Meldiano. An expert in pistols, knives, and traps, he''s a fierce competitor."


    Earnest raised his hands, and his buddies in the Steel Legion clique roared. The announcer pointed at the other fighter, "And on the other side, we have a returning veteran. He''s come out of retirement folks. Let''s hear it fore Iasis Klon!"


    Pulling off his helmet, Iasis raised an arm. All of Icosah shouted out; his fame was widespread. I scoffed, whispering to Althea, "That''s the dumbass that tried blackmailing me."


    Althea raised her eyebrows, "Him? Looks a little scrawny."


    I shrugged, "He''s level capped."


    She glanced off to the side, "Maybe I should try blackmailing you..."


    I glanced at her, "What, why?"


    She reached up and tapped my helmet, "Because your reaction is cute."


    I rolled my eyes as the announcer boomed, "Are both combatants ready?"


    They both nodded. The announcer boomed,


    "Then let''s rumble!"

 159 Surprise

    Earnest unholstered two pistols, quick drawing them with skill. He fired off the entire clip towards Iasis. Iasis clasped a fist at the same time. Water from the air snapped together, forming ice. This plate of ice caught the bullets, cracks snapping through the plate.


    The wall of ice crumbled. Iasis turned around, gesturing with his hands. Blue, origin mana built in his fingertips. He faced the shards of ice, launching them towards Earnest. Iasis created new shards formed as fast as the old ones fired out.


    The pistol expert reloaded his pistols, dodging the shards with subtle flicks of motion. Once loaded, he fired the guns at shards he couldn''t avoid. As the shardstorm thinned, Earnest let out several shots at Iasis. These bullets weaved through a sea of ice shards, straight at Iasis''s vitals.


    Althea murmured, "Wow...He''s so good."


    I nodded, "Yeah. He is."


    Iasis molded his ice shards, deflecting bullets and launching ice at Earnest. This flurry of activity continued, shells launching off in every direction. They fizzled against an energy barrier around the arena, keeping spectators safe.


    As the standstill reached its peak, Earnest pointed one of his pistols upward. He shot into a panel of ice while firing a gun in a random direction. At least I thought it was random. The first shot bounced off the glass panel. It then snapped against the other bullet.


    The rapid series of deflections launched a bullet from an odd angle at Iasis. The bullet pierced Iasis''s shoulder. From it, Iasis lifted out his blood with magic. He clenched his fist, the blood disintegrating. Red mana rippled up through Iasis, making his physical might amplify.


    He dashed towards Earnest, covering himself in an armor of ice. Earnest sped away, kiting the mage. Earnest fired the pistols, reloading without missing a beat. Iasis dashed towards him while dodging the projectiles by zigzagging.


    Earnest tossed out two proximity mines from his belt while firing the pistols. The Steel Legion member maneuvered himself, keeping the mines between him and Iasis. Iasis took three more shots, bleeding from his legs and chest. He molded the blood into yet more mana, encouraging him further.


    Iasis ran into the mines. They detonated, but the kinetic energy of the explosions siphoned into the hands of Iasis. Took off guard, Earnest threw a grenade at Iasis. It exploded, spraying superheated green plasma in every direction.


    Iasis deflected the wave of goop by reaching out one of his hands. The condensed explosion in his palm released. The plasma shot back at Earnest. The master gunman turned around, his power armor flaring to life. A jetpack launched him away, the resulting fiery explosion spraying the plasma in every direction.


    With the sound of singing stone in every direction, Iasis and Earnest flew. They fired ice and lead at each other, elaborate aerial stunts keeping them safe.


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why doesn''t the mage just surround the guy with ice?"


    Althea shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe he''s hiding his more advanced tactics?"


    I nodded, "Ok, I could see that."


    Both sides fumbled, each of them struggling to gain the upper hand. The mage''s mana dwindled just like the gunman''s ammo and fuel. For the first time in the fight, the gunmen zoomed over the water. As his jetpack left a cloud of steam, the mage clapped his hands.


    Thousands of ice needles shot into Earnest''s body from all directions. He crashed into the water. As he did, the announcer lifted a hand to Iasis,


    "And Iasis Klon is victorious!"


    Two members of the legion floated towards Earnest with jetpacks and power armor. They picked him up, pulling him to a nearby medical station. A  healing mage cast magic while a doctor injected him with adrenaline and stims.


    The whole crowd clapped their hands, including Althea and I. I turned towards her, nodding my head with begrudging respect, "This turned out way better than I expected. Who''d of guessed?"


    Althea raised her eyebrows, "They were both cappers, so the rest of the tournament might not be as exciting."


    I sighed, "I''m just praying the rest of the matches are like that. That shit was epic."


    She giggled, "We''d take them easily."


    I shrugged, "Doesn''t matter. That was still badass."


    She pursed her lips, "I''m a better shot than that guy."


    I scoffed, "Uh huh, sure."


    She narrowed her eyes at me, "What, you don''t believe me?"


    I shook my head, "I know you''re a worse shot. Here''s the thing though. Your bolt would''ve pierced the ice and killed the mage. You don''t need to be a better shot."


    She raised her eyebrows in reluctance, "I mean, I guess so."


    I nudged with an elbow, "Besides, you wouldn''t have run from the mage once he tried coming at you. You''d rip him apart."


    She smiled, "Thanks."


    I looked at the next competitors entering the arena, "Just being honest."


    The two competitors paled in comparison to the last ones. Neither exceeded level 2,000. They both relied on tech, using machine exoskeletons to fight it out with each other. They were clumsy compared with Earnest and Iasis.


    Don''t get me wrong, they''d have been worthy contenders normally. Following up the first fight was a tall task though. After they both kicked each other''s asses, the announcer lifted his hands up to announce the next combatants,


    "This year we have a fresh face here in Icosah. On the one side, a mysterious man who cleared over twenty quests in two weeks. The mysterious and memorable Daniel Hillside!"


    I looked around, surprised they called my name out already. Althea grabbed my shoulder, "Hey, good luck."


    I gave her a thumbs up. I jumped up, letting myself land onto the arena with some gravity magic for assistance. The crowd oohed and aahed at the display of finesse. They expected me to be a fighter for my size, so seeing magic must have surprised them.


    On the opposite side of the arena, a wiry alien walked up. It was a member of the Enigmatta. Hidden inside a pressurized suit, the girl prepared several spells for combat. The announcer pointed at her,


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    "And here is Elsa Tiary. She''s a regular combatant at the yearly tournament. Though she''s never won, she''s been a finalist several times. Don''t count her out folks."


    The enigmatta all raised their hands, air bubbles lifting in their oxygen tanks. Elsa raised her thin arms, waving at them. After the hoopla, the announcer looked at us both,


    "Are both combatants ready?"


    We nodded. The announcer raised his arms, "Then let the fight begin!"


    I pressed down one of my hands. A wave of gravity sent Elsa to her knees. I lifted a leg before kicking out. My foot hit a telekinetic panel. A telekinetic panel generated in front of Elsa, smashing her face.


    Though weakened, I kicked with plenty of force to shatter her dome helmet.  She spun through the air, her suit''s water and some sharp teeth launching in every direction. She slapped against the water surrounding the arena, belly flopping hard. She was out cold.


    Everything turned quiet. I didn''t go all out on her with the kick, so Elsa was fine. I looked around, making sure everything was ok. The announcer stammered,


    "Uhm, wow, that was fast. The, ahem, winner is Daniel!"


    I raised a hand,  but no one cheered except Althea. She howled loud enough for everybody though. Althea looked around at everyone right after she screamed. Embarrassed as hell, she looked down, blushing like crazy.


    I waited a few more seconds. Nobody came to help out Elsa, so I jogged up. I lifted a hand. I floated Elsa with a clump of water. I set her down in the open medbay. She landed on a bed with a woosh as the water spread out. Like professionals, the cleric and doctor shook off their surprise and went to work.


    I turned around, jumping out of the arena. I fell towards Althea, the crowd dispersing and giving me space. A few sparse claps littered the area, and the announcer pointed an open hand to me,


    "Look at that sportsmanship. Let''s hope the rest of the fights follow that spirit. Onto the next bout!"


    The tournament fired back up, two more competitors walking up. I sighed, looking down at Althea, "Didn''t mean to make a scene. Fuck."


    Althea looked down, blocking her vision, "Don''t talk to me for a minute, ok?"


    I smiled, "Are you that embarrassed?"


    She looked up at me and snapped, "You shocked everybody with how cool you were. I shocked everybody by looking like an idiot."


    I hugged Althea to my side, "You shocked me with how sweet you were. Hell, I almost blushed myself."


    Althea looked away, blushing again. I''m pretty sure I saw a smile under her veil though. We chatted for a while like that, enjoying the fights. I surprised her with some stall food from a nearby vendor. We both munched on candies before they called me up again.


    Once again, I floated up and landed onto the arena. This time, a bulky alien was at the arena. It was a living fungus, mushrooms sprouting from the cracks in his armor. With gray armor covering him, he dragged a flaming club behind him


    It seemed strange for a plant to use fire as a weapon, but hey, it''s his life.


    The announcer lifted up his arms, "On the one side, we have Vox Keeocktureanitrix."


    The announcer pronounced his name without fucking it up, keeping the enunciation fluid the entire time. Not gonna lie, I was impressed by that alone. He was good at this job even if he looked goofy.


    The announcer pointed to me, "And on the other side, we have the newcomer who made a big splash, Daniel Hillside!"


    I raised a fist as a few people cheered for me here or there. I also winced at the terrible joke. We get it, Elsa ended up belly flopping. That didn''t mean it was funny.


    Some people booed at him as he made the terrible joke. It sounded like they were booing at me, but I shrugged it off. I wasn''t here to make fans. I was here to win.


    After the hecklers stopped, the announcer coughed into his hand, "Anyways, are both combatants ready?"


    We nodded. With the same attack as last time, I pushed down a wave of gravity by pushing down a hand. Unlike Elsa, Vox stayed standing. He couldn''t move though, so I just lifted my hand up again. With another wave of gravity, he fell onto his knees.


    I kicked forward, extending my reach with telekinesis. Vox dodged my attack, ducking down. I pulled my leg back and spun around. With a fancy spinning back kick, I shot a pulse of kinetic energy into Vox''s chest. His armor caved in, and he ragdolled through the air.


    He slammed into the energy barrier surrounding the arena. He fell onto the water, sinking in seconds. This time the carriers flew over and picked him up. They learned from last time. So did the announcer.


    "And yet again, Daniel has conquered another round with ease. Let''s hear it for the newcomer!"


    I lifted a fist, and quite a few people cheered at this point. I was building momentum. I jumped back towards Althea, people already giving me some space to land. As I did, a voice reached out into my mind. It was the gialgathen again.


    I turned towards him, the behemoth staring me down. His name was...Bah, I didn''t give a shit at the time. His voice radiated into my head, "I will admit, I assumed your first bout was a fluke. With that display of power, I can firmly say you''re a worthy opponent."


    I looked back and forth, "So?"


    "You''ve earned my respect. I only give it to those that are worthy."


    I laughed, "Are you serious?"


    The gialgathen waved his head, "Of course I am. We gialgathens don''t lie like dirtwalkers."


    I rolled my eyes, "Bother someone else."


    He narrowed his eyes, "I warn you dirtwalker-"


    "Fuck off."


    I snapped the mental connection like slamming a door. What''s his face shook his dragon head, looking flabbergasted. He was just a little bit too condescending for my taste. In fact, I planned on breaking several of his bones if we fought. I looked forward to it more than I should have.


    Althea looked at me, grabbing my arm,


    "Did I say something to make you mad?"


    I nodded, "Naw. The gialgathen across the stream won''t cut his condescending bullshit."


    I flicked him off, acting mature and elegant. He didn''t understand the gesture regardless. He gave me a glare from hell though, wishing death upon my entire family by the looks of it.


    Either way, my first impression of the gialgathens was bad. Real bad. The whole treating espens like a lower caste was pretty believable too. Still, I didn''t want to start making assumptions about other gialgathens. That would be like racism but for species. I''d be a speciesist...I think.


    Anywho, we relaxed and watched a few more fights. The sun dipped down. As it did, even more espens watched the ensuing fights. Before I knew it, more business people set up shop. They sold entertainment for the lulls between fights. They sold fans, umbrellas, even fold out chairs.


    It contrasted with how rural Icosah was. The modern influence was shaping the city too, seeping in slowly but surely. As the fights drew to a close, Althea and I almost left. Right before we decided, the Announcer called out, "And here is the semifinals for Icosah''s yearly tournament. We have the victorious Iasis Klon against the notorious Alzoroth Vern!"


    I snapped my fingers, "That was his name. Alzoroth. Sounds like something off of Lord of the Rings."


    Althea looked at me, "What''s that?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "The best shit ever. We should watch it when we get back to Earth. I''m sure we could scavenge a copy or two somewhere."


    She pressed her hands together, "It''s a date then."


    I grinned. I had something to look forward too. Interrupting my joy, Alzoroth landed on the arena, quaking the ground. Iasis walked out to the center of the stage. Before the fight started, Iasis used ice magic to coat himself in ice armor. A wave of mental energy covered every part of the arena. Speaking to everyone, Alzoroth spoke out,


    "Tell me then espen. Why do you prepare for combat before we fight? You neglected that act against the pistol user."


    Iasis responded, his mental voice radiating to every one of the audience,


    "Earnest and I go way back. He''s a good friend. I knew he couldn''t use magic before the battle started. I didn''t want to take advantage like that."


    The gialgathen, "Waved his wings, wind blowing outwards in every direction, "It''s good you respect me, dirtwalker. Otherwise-"


    Iasis snapped, "Will you shut it and just fight?"


    A look of utter rage passed over the face of the gialgathen, "I cannot believe that not only one but two dirtwalkers would interrupt me in a single day. I''m going to use your spine like a toothpick."


    Iasis rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure."


    The whole blackmail thing wasn''t even a big deal to me anymore. I enjoyed Alzoroth getting pissed, so I raised a hand and shouted aloud,


    "Kick his ass Iasis. You got this."


    The espen looked at me, his Soldiers of Fortune crest flashing. He scoffed and looked down with a smirk. He looked up at the gialgathen, ice covering him. The announcer shouted,


    "That''s what we like to see. Some friendly banter before a battle!"


    He spread out his arms, his goofy suit shifting in color, "Are both combatants ready?"


    They nodded.


    "Begin!"

 160 The Might of a Gialgathen

    The gialgathen raised his neck, mana pouring from around him. Iasis charged towards him at a blistering pace. Alzoroth whipped his tail. Iasis slowed down, trying to dodge the tail''s whip. Alzoroth slowed down the shifting momentum in his tail to match it.


    Iasis skidded to a stop in front of Alzoroth, fearing the crack of tail. The giant boomed a chuckling roar from his jaws. He boomed out with a mental wave, "Do you fear me to such an extent?"


    Iasis kept cool, forming icicle spears. Before he shot them towards Alzoroth, the gialgathen clamped his jaws towards Iasis. The crack of teeth shot out a wave that destroyed the ice. It crumbled the armor Iasis covered himself with, leaving him vulnerable.


    Iasis formed ice daggers and slit his wrists. Alzoroth waved his tail, making sure it was ready to whip at any moment. That zoned Iasis, keeping him from coming close. As Iasis molded blood into magic, Alzoroth nodded,


    "I''ll give you the time you need for your magic."


    Iasis built the mana, converting his blood into crimson energy. It flooded his frame, empowering his with physical force. Crimson ice formed over Iasis in a split second, and he dashed forwards.


    Alzoroth clamped his jaws, shattering the ice midway through Iasis''s leap. He whipped his tail, timing the enhanced speed of the charge. The tip of his tail cracked at it split the skin and armor on Iasis''s back. The espen crushed into the arena.


    Iasis pulled himself up, a mist of blood spurting from his mouth as he did. Alzoroth kept his distance as he tilted his head,


    "Is that it then? You''re welcome to try again if you''d like."


    With a toothy grin, Alzoroth continued, "It matters not. I will defeat you in any combat you wish to partake in."


    At this point, I believed the giant frog lizard.


    Iasis stood up, more blood flooding into him. He opened his dimensional storage, pulling out an orange spear. With a purple sash at the end of it, he tapped the arena. Bits of crushed stone came up, covering Iasis. The gialgathen nodded, "Interesting. A spear given the blessing of Lehesion...It''s good you understand that you need a gialgathen''s power to fight me. Wise to know your limitations."


    Iasis spun the spear while swinging himself around. He bent down and lifted himself back up, almost dancing. As he turned back to Alzoroth, he jutted his spear towards the beast. A pillar of sharpened earth bolted up at the gialgathen''s throat.


    A forcefield of mana deflected the shard of stone. Iasis spun and turned, performing complex aerial maneuvers. At the end of each, he prodded his spear at the gialgathen, launching rock splinters. At the end of the dance, his last missile shot forward while leaving a sonic boom in its wake.


    With a reaction time defying comprehension, the gialgathen intersected the bullet. The frog lizard whipped it with his tail, crushing it to powder midswing. I shook my head,


    "Iasis is getting crushed, both mentally and physically."


    Althea nodded, "Yeah. He doesn''t have raw umph to take Alzoroth on."


    The gialgathen grinned at the espen, "Do you concede?"


    Iasis yelled as he flipped and turned in a dance. The air around him shivered as tiny rocks floated into the air. All around Iasis, stones floated into the air. He kept flipping for over two minutes the gialgathen picking at his teeth with his tail.


    At the end of all the hoopla, Iasis did a double backflip before pointing his hands at Alzoroth. The spear flashed the distance between them both, exceeding the speed of sound. Three shockwaves blistered out as the spear lined up right for the beast''s throat.


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    The beast caught the spear with his teeth.


    I spread out my arms, "What the fuck was that? Are you serious?"


    Althea''s jaw hung open, "Uh, you might have your hands full here."


    I scratched the side of my helmet, "Uh, yeah. No kidding. Going fast isn''t the way to go."


    The gialgathen crunched the spear in his mouth. He laughed,


    "I assume that''s all a dirtwalker can muster?"


    Iasis fell to his knees, defeated utterly. The gialgathen whipped his tail, smashing Iasis from above. The blow broke Iasis''s back, leaving him contorted sideways. Before the announcer stopped him, Alzoroth whipped his tail again from the side.


    I clasped my hand, using a powerful pulse of antigravity between Iasis and the attack. Iasis fell sideways, fast as a bullet. The antigravity didn''t stop the tail, but it did slow it down just enough to miss Iasis. The gialgathen shook his head,


    "What coward took away his honorable death?"


    He looked at the crowd, finding me with my hand raised. He grinned,


    "Ahhh, the big dirtwalker. No one will save you when we fight."


    I shrugged, "No one will have to."


    I pulled Iasis into the medbay. The crowd roared in approval, already on my side. The announcer pressed his fingers together, pinning the gialgathen down in his tracks. The announcer tilted his head, still having a huge ass smile on his face,


    "That''s not a part of the tournament''s rules, now is it Alzoroth?"


    The gialgathen turned his eyes towards the announcer, "Of...of course it wasn''t. It was my mistake."


    The announcer released his hands, letting the gigantic amphibian move again. I laughed, "Damn. The announcer is a bigshot. This whole tournament''s full of surprises."


    Althea leaned against me, "Have you tried analyzing him?"


    I shook my head, doing it at that moment


    Kiki Mosk, The Smiling Devil(lvl 9,000) - A Speaker representing Schema on Giess. Given the responsibility of organizing fights on the planet, Kiki enjoys entertaining wide audiences. With heavy investment into charisma, he knows how to work a crowd with his uncanny charm.


    If you have the will to see past his facade, he''s cunning and sharp as a knife. Do not get on Kiki''s bad side or else he may just ruin your reputation as fast as he''ll crush your bones.


    I nodded, "Ah, he''s a Speaker."


    She nodded, "I think so too."


    The announcer clapped his hands together, "No more of that silliness while I''m around, got it? If so, I might be forced into ensuring that such silliness cannot be done again."


    The announcer glared at Alzoroth, "Understood?"


    The gialgathen nodded, "Assuredly."


    The announcer sighed, "You''d better. Now, on to the next and last round of Icosah''s tournament. We have two newcomers arriving to steal the top spots this year. On the one side, we have the incredibly disobedient Alzoroth!"


    The crowd booed. The announcer amplified the sound, making it even louder. I laughed at that, surprised by how petty a Speaker could be. The announcer opened a hand to me,


    "And Daniel Hillside, the warrior with unseen strikes."


    I jumped right back into the arena. As I landed, Alzoroth scoffed at me,


    "Be glad the announcer is protecting you."


    I grinned, "Uh huh. Keep talking."


    The announcer turned to each of us, "Are you both ready?"


    I nodded. I rolled my shoulders while the gialgathen whipped its tail back and forth. The announcer raised his hands, "Begin!"


    I put myself into my fighting stance, sliding forward. The slow crawl of movement caused the gialgathen to burst into laughter,


    "Do you intend on crawling me to death?"


    I ignored him, keeping myself ready. After a minute of approaching him, I got within his tail''s range. He whipped it, slicing a blow straight at my left side. I leaned towards my right, shrugging my left shoulder. The blistering strike rolled up and over my shoulder, my gravitational magic helping me.


    The gialgathen shook his head, "What? How did you do that? You''re so puny and minuscule."


    I kept inching forward. He whipped another tail slice at me, this time towards my right leg. I lifted my right knee up and towards his tail, checking the strike. I braced as his tail collided into my knee. I absorbed the impact, spreading the force outwards with gravity.


    This stopped my gray armor from disintegrating, protecting my identity. As the gialgathen''s tail shot backward, the monster''s jaw went slack. I laughed, raising my hands,


    "Come on big guy. Is that all you got?"


    He lashed out, no longer holding back. After I deflected, blocked, and parried a dozen slashes of his tail, he got the picture. I kept inching forward, slow as a glacier. That was the problem for him though. I wasn''t stuck in this arena with him.


    Mr. Frog-Dragon was stuck in here with me.

 161 A Night To Remember

    With another lash of his tail, the gialgathen''s desperation grew. I deflected another cutting strike. He flapped his wings, flying up into the air. Dipping into my mana, I pulled him downward. Alzoroth snapped,


    "What is this vile trickery."


    I stomped my heel, slamming him into the arena. His wide feet cracked into stone. He stumbled back, giving away precious space. His tail pummeled me from all angles, panic growing in his eyes. I controlled the fight with absolute calm, however.


    I redirected strikes, countered his wild attacks, and pushed him into a corner. Within a minute of fighting, his back feet slipped from the arena into the water beside it. He pulled himself back up, meeting me.


    He snapped at me with open jaws. With a tight, condensed hook, I crushed the needle teeth in his mouth. His head shot sideways, his tail missing its mark. I dashed forward, keeping my stance composed. Beside his belly, I gyrated a heavy hook into his side. The impact of my fist rippled up through his scaly skin like ripples through a pool.


    He gasped in pain. Alzeroth raised his legs, stomping at me with his left foot. I caught his limb with one hand, my telekinetic energy dispersing the weight outwards. The arena cracked, stone breaking across the entire expanse. The gialgathen gasped,


    "I...I can''t believe it. How?"


    I gripped my hand into his feet, bones grinding against bones in my hand,


    "I''m strong."


    I flung his foot sideways. As he fell, I spun on my heels. Torquing momentum into my right hand, I smashed an overhand right into his upper chest. My hand bounced back, the kinetic energy dispersing as if a bomb exploded.


    With a loud boom echoing out, the behemoth tumbled out of the arena. Alzoroth slammed into the lower edge of the surrounding waterfall with another crash of sound. No one stood there, but many onlookers gawked from above. As large fissures spread across the entire canyon, those spectators spread out in a frenzy.


    The entire portion of the arena threatened to collapse. I lifted a hand, clasping it as I pulled from my vast ocean of mana. The flow of energy evolved into a rush as I kept gathering energy. I reached out my hand, creating an antigravity field over the crumbling canyon wall.


    I measured my output and matched the upward pull of my magic to the downward pull of Giess''s gravity. This impromptu spell generated an antigravity field over the area of destruction. Kids, stalls, and spectators floated, the disaster turning into an exhibition.


    As two espen children began playing in the antigravity field, I shouted,


    "Get out of the magic field. I''m not holding this shit forever."


    My words spurred the stunned audience into action. A few nearby tournament fighters flew into the field, helping children and the elderly to escape. I flicked Alzoroth out of the area, floating him towards the medical bay. Asshole or not, I wasn''t about to kill the guy.


    The adults didn''t need help once they got my warning. They crawled out through a field of floating debris. After ten minutes of holding the broken gorge, no one remained. I dropped my hand, letting the entire piece of wall fall. As it tumbled, the announcer floated beside me.


    Kiki Mosk grinned at me, his tacky suit shifting colors at random. He grabbed my arm, raising my hand as he roared across the arena,


    "And we have the new champion of Icosah! Let''s hear it for the newcomer!"


    The crowd went wild. The cheering continued for a solid five minutes. B then, they exhausted my patience. I left the arena, jumping back towards Althea. As I reached her, she crossed her arms and pursed her lips at me,


    "You know you didn''t have to show off like that."


    I grinned, "Did I though? He had it coming."


    She raised her eyebrows, "Ok, I can''t lie about that."


    From the crowd, a tuft of white fur scrambled towards us. Caprika reached us, her red mask reflecting an orange sheen from the sunset. She grabbed my arms and shook me, "What in Schema''s name was that?"


    I wobbled back and forth, "I kicked his ass. What else?"


    She spread out her hands, "If you could beat him so easily, why not just do so without causing a scene? Other members of the tournament know all of your tricks now."


    I scoffed, "That''s the thing. That''s not all the talents I have at my disposal. Trust me."


    With a slow nod, she backed away, giving me some welcome space. Caprika sighed while composing herself, "Hmmm...I suppose I''m fortunate to have chosen such an able warrior to represent me then."


    Althea grabbed my arm, grinning up at me, "You are."


    I wrapped my arm around Althea''s shoulders, "Heh, you''d be doing the same thing. It might even be more overwhelming than my fighting style."


    Caprika put her clawed hands onto her hips, looking back and forth at us,


    "I believe a celebration is in order. My treat for your dominant victories."


    I gave her the thumbs up, "Sounds like fun." I looked at Althea, "What do you think?"


    She shrugged, "I''m game. Let''s invite Kessiah and Torix. Kessiah will like the food and Torix will enjoy the company."


    I hugged Althea up to my chest, pulling her off her feet, "I''m so lucky to have someone as sweet as you."


    Althea giggled while Caprika gagged in the sidelines,


    "Bleck. Your overt happiness is disgusting."


    Althea rolled her eyes as I set her down, "I know a guy who knew just what to say in times like this. I quote, ''Hod think fur lady peanut butter and jealous.''"


    I bust out laughing while Caprika shook her head in confusion. Caprika leaned her head into a clawed hand, "Whoever friend is, he''s unbelievably stupid."


    Althea laughed, "Yeah, you and Torix would get along perfectly. The grouch thinks the same thing."


    We walked off through the crowd, chatting as we headed back to Icosah. I ignored my new fans, too busy to indulge them. I wasn''t used to this kind of attention, and I didn''t intend on getting used to it either. Knowing myself, I''d say something ridiculous and end up blowing our cover. It was better to play it safe for now.


    Once we got back to Icosah, Caprika went back to the Empire''s branch. Althea and I stopped by a cafe, enjoying a few drinks of some root juice reminding me of tea. Once finished with winding down, Althea went to find Torix. I searched out for Kessiah.


    I found her in a bar, chatting it up with the bartender and a few rough looking mercenaries. As I trot up, the two gruff aliens stood up. One of them walked up and grabbed my hand,


    "I saw your fight. It was incredible. You showed those filthy Gialgathens whose boss."


    I frowned, not enjoying the fact he called all gialgathens filthy. Still, I shook his hand back. I shrugged, "It''s more about putting arrogant asshats in their place, not gialgathens."


    He slapped my shoulder, keeling over in laughter, "What''s the difference?"


    I squeezed his hand, "I gotta talk to my friend. Nice meeting you."


    He nodded, walking off into the distance. I sat down with Kessiah, each of us staring forward. She sipped from some unknown brew, looking up at the television screen,


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    "You know, I saw how you handled Alzoroth on the television."


    I nodded. Kessiah tilted her drink back and forth, looking at me, "They''re playing you up like you''re some anti-gialgathen icon."


    I turned towards her, "Really now?"


    She scoffed, "Yeah. Did you hear them right? Lots of people here despise those frog-dragons."


    I raised a hand, "You see the resemblance too?"


    She spread out her hand like I was ridiculous, "Well duh. I heard quite a few stories from some training buddies back Earth. A lot of them talked about dragons. They''re just flying reptiles. Big whoop."


    I leaned back onto the bar, "They''re more like noble beasts with pure hearts, at least in Earthen fiction...Earthen fiction. That feels weird to say."


    She sighed, "It is weird to say. My point is, whether they''re frog dragons or not, someone is using you against them. That''s what I gathered from those two mercenaries."


    I rolled my eyes, "Come on, this isn''t something we have to worry about. Compare that to facing off against you know who. The stakes aren''t as high."


    She tipped her head back, downing the shot glass''s contents,


    "Can''t say I didn''t warn ya. Yo bartender, my friend''s picking up the tab."


    The alien bartender nodded his head. She stood up, getting ready to leave. I reached out a hand as she turned around, "Wait a second, I forgot why I came here. Caprika''s hosting us a feast. You''re invited."


    Kessiah glanced back at me, "Thanks for the tip tough guy. I''ll be there."


    She walked out. I stayed there, wondering how she was holding up. I didn''t have time to worry about anyone else while we were fighting Yawm. Now I did. As much of an ass as Kessiah was, she was a friend. She spiraled downwards after the fight with Dahkma. She never really invested in the battle with Yawm ever.


    I didn''t blame her. A part of me did at the time, but after it was over, I let bygones be bygones. I mean, no one should be forced into that kind of situation. Just because I forgave her didn''t mean Kessiah forgave herself though. She might be carrying a ton of guilt for it.


    I wanted her to get back on her two feet. I resolved myself to let her know that it wasn''t a big deal. She helped us out on more than one occasion regardless, like training a few of the soldiers and giving us vital information. That train of thought got me thinking about her warning.


    I never imagined someone would use my reputation against me. At least not like this. When I compared it to facing off against Yawm, my public image didn''t seem like a necessary concern. After all, it lacked the same bloodthirsty, world-destroying edge that Yawm had. That''s an edge that''s hard to overcome in my book.


    Still, I respected Kessiah enough to give her words some merit. As lazy as she could be, she had a way of worming useful information out of people. Before I left, I ordered the bar''s most popular drink to try it. While waiting for the order, I checked out my statuses.


    Over the last two weeks of doing odd jobs, I gained forty red cores. I invested all the free skill points into Force of Nature. By now, my current tree, Legendary, needed less than fifty points before gaining another tier in it. Completing the tree kind of terrified me, but life rewarded the brave and the bold. Most of the time.


    A drink slid out in front of me, interrupting my thoughts. I raised the glass to the bartender, and he gave me a nod as I said, "Cheers."


    My face mask moved out of the way as I gave my drink a swig. It closed in as quickly as I downed the mixture. It tasted just like a sharpy marker and the smell of a pencil box. A wave of nostalgia hit me for a second as I stood up. A bit of fire burned in my belly for the tiniest fraction of a second.


    No sense of euphoria passed over me. My body burned the alcohol like a furnace. I snickered at myself. Alcohol was poison, and my health regeneration was a bit too stout to let it affect me. Being huge didn''t exactly help with my case either. If I wanted to cut loose, I''d need to find another vice I supposed.


    As I stepped out of the bar, the sun had set. Various plantlife lit the townscape, espens walking around. Fog followed them, keeping their amphibious skin hydrated. Icosah never slept, a crowd of people flooding its streets at all times. It made me pumped to see the capital considering this was such a small town.


    With that in mind, I set out towards Caprika''s feast. Once I reached the Empire''s castle of a branch, two guards opened the doors for me. Light poured out, phosphorescent creatures floating overhead. A pulsing, percussive melody played in the background, injecting a sense of energy inside.


    Anticipation rode up my limbs as I walked up the stairs and inside. The tiny, floating creatures moved out of my way, my height causing me to get in their way. I walked past the entrance, the receptionist of the empire walking up to me.


    She smiled, gesturing me to follow her. I did, passing more of the floating creatures. We walked over towards the throne room. I pointed at it, "Wasn''t this place destroyed?"


    She nodded, "It''s been renovated, sir."


    I squirmed at her calling me sir. I frowned, "Damn, that was fast."


    The receptionist gave me a bow, "I''ll relay the compliment to the duchess. Enjoy your feast."


    She walked off, leaving me in front of another set of wooden doors. From inside the room, the muffled music ebbed outward. It reminded me of club music, though heavier in tone. I pushed open the doorway, revealing a place packed with people to the brim.


    They danced with lights beaming down from other shining creatures above. An alien DJ played music while everybody else danced their asses off. Servants walked around, giving everyone free drinks and food. Chilled fruits, meats, powders, and drinks lined tables at the edges of the room.


    Aliens sat beside these tables, eating and talking. Some people ate the random powders at the table, going off and dancing up a frenzy afterward. The sheer vitality in the room was contagious, though my willpower gave me immunity to the peer pressure.


    A few of those peers glanced at me as I walked in. They raised their hands, cheering at me. Their cheer caused others to look. Given my height, pretty much everyone could see me. The small set of shouts turned into a roar of applause.


    Indulging myself a little, I put a hand on my chest and bowed a little while saying, "You''re all too kind, just too kind."


    I laughed at myself, thinking it was strange facing so much celebration over something so little. Either way, I paced into the crowd before someone bumped into me. The nearly knocked me over, the strength of a steamroller behind them. I glanced down, finding Althea laughing. She smiled like there was no tomorrow. In her thick veil and accentuating her curves, she stunned me with how gorgeous she was.


    She hugged me, squeezing the life from my chest. I patted her back, "Hey, use a little less strength there. Are you trying to kill me?"


    She giggled, "Nope, but I''ll take you to heaven later tonight."


    I liked the sound of that. She pulled me to the dance floor, Althea going crazy. I stood there like a fish flopping out of the water. I looked around, awkward as fuck. Althea slapped my back, "What are you doing? Could you relax a little for once?"


    I frowned, "I''m relaxed all the time."


    She scoffed, "Then why aren''t you dancing?"


    I shrugged, "I have no idea how."


    She giggled again, "What? Just...I don''t know, pretend you''re in one of you''re...training sessions or something."


    She stumbled sideways, but I held her up. She downed her drink. She dropped the glass, but I caught it with some magic. I sent it off to a nearby servant, saving some people from a foot full of glass. I grabbed Althea''s shoulders,


    "Not everyone here has skin of stone. Dropping a glass like that''s dangerous as hell."


    She rolled her eyes again, "You know what? You looked so cool at the tournament. You always do. I knew you''d...handle it. You always handle everything."


    She put a hand on my chest, "You don''t have to handle everything always. You know that right?"


    I nodded, "Of course I do."


    She spread out her hands, "Then just let go for one night and enjoy yourself. You don''t always have to compete with a flagpole to see who''s more stiffer."


    "You mean more stiff?"


    She shook her head, wagging a finger at me, "Nope. More stiffer."


    I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself. I tried out a goofy jig, getting a laugh out of Althea. I slapped my thighs, "There, happy?"


    She lifted herself to her tippy toes, hugging me, "Yes."


    She grabbed my hands, lifting them up and down while twisting her hips. For some reason, every girl could dance like a champ. As a guy, it took severe training to get good on a dancefloor.


    Without the skills to pull off anything even remotely impressive, I played up how awful I was at busting a move for laughs. Hell, you could probably tell how bad I was at dancing by how I called it busting a move.


    Despite my mediocrity, Althea and I had a blast. Caprika ended up walking up to us, dressed in a gown that worked with her fur. The albony shouted up at me over the music,


    "Having fun?"


    I nodded, "Yeah." I looked down at Althea, "I have good company."


    Caprika nodded, "Remember all of this. This is how the empire throws feasts."


    I gave her the thumbs up before dancing again with Althea. After a while, we moved like no one was watching. It amazed me how private a party could feel at times. The dark lights, loud music, and pulsing lights hid you from the attention of other people. That''s why Althea and I danced like we were in our own little world.


    After a few hours of eating food and being goofballs, Althea and I left the feast. It wasn''t my scene, not even the slightest bit. Althea thrived there though, and she let me loosen up while we were there. It was a lot of fun because of her.


    As we left, she kept stumbling around. From what I saw, she was playing up how drunk she felt to keep the good energy flowing. I appreciated the effort, steadying her without complaint. We got back to an inn in the middle of town. I didn''t want to camp outside for a night. Besides, we could appreciate the privacy.


    Once there Althea flopped on the bed, spreading out her arms and legs,


    "Ahhh, this bed feels so soft."


    Her figure showed while she spread out. Her toned legs and arms, curvy hips, and voluptuous chest pressed on her clothes. Her hair went down to her waist, the purple hair smelling like lavender. She hugged a pillow, giving me a sly look out of the corner of her eye.


    Fire flared in my chest as she moved her hips back and forth. With her voice dripping with seduction, she whispered,


    "You want to be a little wild tonight?"

 162 Different Stars

    I walked over, clicking the center of Torix''s gray suit. My power armor folded off me. I set the gray square that was left on a night stool beside the bed. I laid onto her. As I did, my real armor molded over us both, creating a sphere. As I pressed against her back, I whispered in her ear, "Always."


    Althea giggled, "Your armor''s gotten way better at that circle thing since we first did it forever ago."


    I smiled, "It had to. Otherwise, we''d be waiting for the metal longer than we spent time actually doing it."


    She rolled her eyes, "If only. Your stat sheet isn''t the only thing with a lot of endurance."


    I snickered while wrapping my arms around her. She smelled my arm, "You smell like iron, stone, and fire. You''re like a blacksmith." She squeezed my upper arms, "If I press down hard enough, I can feel the fibers of your armor under your skin. They''re like cords of steel."


    She rubbed her hand across my arm. I pressed my face into her hair, breathing in, "Well you smell like lavender...Man do I love your shampoo." I squeezed her, "And every part of you feels soft to me. From the top of your sleek shoulders to your nice, sexy ass."


    She wiggled her hips, smirking at me with pride. She raised her eyebrows,


    "I do a little touch up with my shapeshifting powers."


    I raised an eyebrow, leaning up, "Really now? I''d never of guessed."


    She flipped over towards me, lifting her hands overhead. I pulled her dress off while she talked,


    "I mean its nothing big or anything, just little improvements here or there. I think of it like makeup or exercise."


    Her voluptuous boobs bounced as her clothes passed over them. I leaned into them,


    "I appreciate the effort."


    She coiled her arms around my head, her body shivering at my touch. I dwarfed her enough to wrap one arm all the way around her. Althea loved that though. She told me I made her feel safe.


    I let out a deep breath, tracing my lips between her breasts. Electrical sparks shot up her body, her hands and feet twitching. I enjoyed teasing her, relishing in the sensations of her body. She left her hands over her head, closing her eyes. She loved the sense of freedom. I loved the sense of domination.


    I pressed my lips onto down her neck, to her shoulders, then her side. Althea was ticklish around her stomach. I took full advantage, kissing down towards her navel. She shivered as I tongued her belly, her mind racing in anticipation.


    With a gentle touch, I caressed my hands down hips. Like lightning fired into Althea''s fingers, she writhed and grabbed the bedsheets. She let out a soft moan, surrendering herself to me. My own excitement built, my hands moving faster.


    A carnal hunger raced up into my head, urging me on. I pressed harder against her, feeling the softness of her skin. She tasted a little salty and sweet, her body warm against me. She arched her back, pressing her most intimate place against mine.


    She wrapped her arms around me, nibbling at my neck. I pressed myself against her, her tender body fitting against me. I thrust myself into her, Althea biting her lip and scratching down my back. Her lips quivered as she gasped.


    She tightened against me, pulling me in. Sopping wet, she pushed her hips to me. I nibbled on her ear. She rewarded me with several breathless gasps. I sped up my pace, her body sucking on me. She pulled as I pushed. I grabbed her wrist, holding her down.


    She wrapped her legs around me, pulling me into her. Her moans turned to yelps as she let go. Her hips rocked with me, the bed shaking. I growled, pressing my teeth against her shoulders and neck. I sucked on her, her chest sensitive.


    She bit her lip and panted, "Ah, I love it when you touch me there baby."


    I nibbled on her nipples, her body spasming in pleasure. She jolted with each pulse, her body constricting mine. I forgot about everything else, her smell and taste consuming me. I heightened my senses, savoring each move of her body.


    She gripped my back, her body tightening. Her moaning gasps quickened before she yelped, her body squirming in place. She placed her hands on my chest, letting out labored breaths. She clenched on me, squeezing me tight. I clenched my teeth, euphoria spreading over me.


    I let out deep breaths with my arms shaking. I finished as Althea did, each of us losing tension. I laid on her, supporting some of my weight on my arms and legs to not smash her. She whispered into my ear, "That was amazing."


    I grinned, "You were amazing."


    I lifted myself up, moving one her boobs out from under me. She giggled,


    "I remember when you used to lay on top of them. It hurt so bad I''d squeal."


    I nodded, "And it scared the shit out of me too. I didn''t know boobs were that touchy."


    She played with my hair, "That''s not as bad as the time I kneed you right in the balls while I was cumming."


    I winced, "Jesus Christ. Don''t remind me."


    She leaned back laughing. We laid together for a moment, just enjoying the intimacy. After a minute, she grabbed the back of my hair, "Ready for round two?"


    A devilish grin ran up my lips, "Let''s make it a bit more adventurous."


    *****************************************************************


    With Althea asleep, I floated myself up out of bed. It turns out that magic and sex made for a solid combination. As I stepped towards a desk in the corner of the room, my armor molded back over me. As it did, confidence surged in my chest. It was my second skin after all, and I was naked without it. Literally and metaphorically.


    I sat in a desk in the corner of the room. I pulled my grimoire and set to work. With the extra knowledge Eonoth unlocked, my cipher skills overshadowed what they once were. It was high time I took full advantage of my new abilities even if I feared them a little.


    It also helped that my perception was just over 2,500 now. The cipher shored up weak attributes faster than high ones. The dungeon cores helped accelerate this process even further. This rapid attribute gain meant fixing issues with my build proved simple. That''s why I wasn''t worried about the televised tournament. Only classers would know who I am and that was if they specced into perception.


    I doubted that many classers watched tournaments from small towns like Icosah either. They''d be too backwater for them.


    Either way, my attribute gain satisfied me for now. I wanted to unlock other parts of Schema''s system. His trees and perks gave multipliers and conversions that vastly improved my abilities. If he did it, I could too. Even more so, I might make a new skill or spell that might help round out my build. It never hurt having options after all.


    With those ideas bouncing around, I played around with the cipher. Instead of focusing on precision and clarity, I emphasized the fluidity of it. After several hours, I learned a few tricks and tips for creating more efficient runes.


    I rewrote my perception runes, plastering them onto my forearms. After I finished the runic work, I stood up and put on my metallic disguise. Torix''s power armor folded over me, keeping me hidden. I walked out of our room, leaving a written note. Althea hated waking up alone, but a note helped ease the sting.


    I walked around town, buying a few traveling supplies. With Icosah''s tournament handled, we''d all be shuttled to the next city, Yildraza. I figured processing some of the logistic work would take the edge off of Torix for once.


    After setting down my supplies, I returned to our rented room. Althea woke up as I opened the door inside the room. She rubbed her eyes as I set down an armful of foodstuffs, snacks, and trinkets. I walked over, giving her a morning kiss,


    "It''s good to see you."


    She gave me a lazy grin, hugging her pillow, "Same here."


    After an exotic breakfast of Giessian junk food, we trecked to the Empire''s branch in Icosah. The receptionist guided us to the back of the imperial building. After passing a few fancy hallways, we got to the armory and integration room. Both of the areas focused on teaching espens the proper use of imperial weaponry.


    We reached a meeting room, fancy furniture clashing with high tech gear. Kessiah, Caprika, and Torix talked to two members of the empire. Garnered in fine, flowing robes, they spoke with the same red masks covering their faces.


    Both of them outsized Caprika, their features masculine. Collars of crimson wood tamed their wild tufts of fur, the same material as their masks. The tallest of the two wore red, the other green. They both kept their hands hidden under by pressing their sleeves together. As we walked up, they both turned to us.


    Caprika paced over and gestured towards me, "This is Daniel, the warrior I selected. This is Althea, a physically imposing assassin."


    I raised a hand, "Yo." Althea waved at them.  Caprika pointed to the red-robed one, "This is Muro." She pointed to the green one, "This is Unoc."


    Muro nodded at me, "Ah, there you are. This is the warrior we''ve heard so much about."


    Unoc leaned towards me, "Was it magic that let you fell such a titanic beast?"


    I nodded, raising a hand, "Yeah. Gravity."


    Unoc and Muro nodded to each other in excess while affirming each other,


    "Undoubtedly so."


    "It''s as we predicted."


    "Most certainly so."


    "But of course."


    It got old quick, so I pointed at them both, "Why are they here?"


    Caprika sighed, "They''re trying to help me win the tournament this year to accrue favor with the royal family. Their concern is kind but unneeded."


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She glared at them both as she finished. They both leaned back, Unoc whispering, "You''re always such a snappy sister."


    "It does your impression in courts no good."


    "You''ve no suitor because of it."


    "Even though you''re so beautiful."


    "It is such a shame."


    They finished each other''s sentences. I looked at them both,


    "You guys are twins?"


    They nodded. I gave Unoc and Muro a thumbs up, "Your sister''s doing fine." I turned to my friends, "You guys ready to go?"


    Torix nodded, staring at this status, "Of course."


    Kessiah was reading a local booklet about Giess, "Yeah."


    They both lacked agency, but it didn''t matter at the moment. Caprika put her clawed hands on her hips,


    "Then we''ll be using one of our vehicles transport. Will that suit you all?"


    Althea nodded. I shrugged, "We usually run everywhere, so this is a step up. It''s actually a lot fewer steps, but you get what I''m saying."


    Caprika looked up at me, "You...run everywhere?"


    I spread out my arms, "We all do. For the most part. Either that or I use my magic."


    Unoc leaned towards me, "It takes a mind of steel to transport like that."


    Muros continued, "You must have quite the willpower stat."


    "It was wise of our sister to choose you."


    "She''s fortunate."


    "Do treat her well, won''t you?"


    "The empire will reward you handsomely if you do."


    I raised my palms to them, "I will." I turned to the others, "Let''s go kick some ass."


    We walked off, Caprika''s brothers doting on her while she tried escaping them. Though annoying, their concern for their sister warmed me up to them for the most part. Once we got rid of them, we walked into a garage at the back of the building.


    Inside of it, numerous technicians and mechanics worked on vehicles of varying sizes. The largest car was covered in the skin of some marine animal. I frowned at it,


    "Uh, why in the fuck are you guys covering your vehicles with skin?"


    Caprika walked up to it, "It''s the skin of an octopus native to Giess. It''s skin shifts color and even texture rapidly, letting it escape detection while moving."


    She crossed her arms, "It''s a gift from my brothers. They don''t want me traveling without some measure of protection. I''m more than able to defend myself, but they don''t seem to understand that."


    Althea walked, "They will one day."


    Caprika shook her head, "I doubt it, but thank you for the sentiment. This abomination will be what we''re traveling in. Once at the regional city of Yildraza, our next series of fights will continue."


    Caprika opened the door to the vehicle, the sliding skin showing a sleek interior. Aged wood, silken fabrics, and embroidery gave the car a luxurious feel. Several rooms dotted the inside, sliding doors giving any occupants privacy. Two couches lined the opening room, a hologram projector letting anyone watch anything they wanted to.


    After living like a caveman for so long, it left me wincing at the excess. It contrasted sleeping on rock floors quite a bit. Caprika walked inside, opening a cooler full of fresh fruits, meats, and cheesy foods. She gestured to all of it,


    "Help yourself to anything while your here. The Empire takes care of our allies."


    I ducked as I entered, the ceiling too short for me. I frowned, "Damn. I''m used to eating liquid rations by pouring them over my face."


    Caprika gasped, "Truly? Liquid rations...for how long?"


    Althea cringed, "I didn''t tell you? He did it for years."


    I rolled my eyes, sitting down on one of the cushions, "It wasn''t that bad. Besides for that, what do you mean didn''t tell her?"


    Althea shrugged, "Me and Caprika hung out a few times over the last week."


    Caprika shrugged, "I''ve had more free time since I stopped sitting in my throne room."


    Torix walked passed us towards one of the back rooms. He looked up from his status, "Excuse my curtness. I have a series of classes to teach before grading an innumerable number of papers."


    Kessiah stomped up the steps into the car-mansion,


    "What? You''re still teaching?"


    Torix nodded, "But of course. A University of my own with eager students. It''s been a dream of mine for a very, very long time. A few light years won''t keep me from it, I assure you."


    He walked into one of the rooms and muttered, "Now attendance has dropped 7%. My punishments must become...stricter."


    Althea and I smiled at the old bag of bones. His dedication to his students was unquestionable. That''s why he took me on as a disciple so long ago. Interrupting my thoughts, Kessiah jumped onto one of the couches beside Caprika. Kessiah put her arm around the albony,


    "You''ve got some soft ass fur."


    Caprika''s posture straightened in her seat, "I wash and condition it every day. Many albony use our abundance of hair as an excuse to bathe less regularly. Not I."


    I pulled my helmet off my face, leaning back into my seat, "Really now?"


    She nodded, "Quite. I take pride in representing the Empire and what it signifies."


    Althea pulled out some juice from the cooler below us,


    "So you''re a, er, patriot I guess?"


    Caprika hit the top her chest, "Always."


    The car wheeled into motion. I crossed my arms, "But the Empire''s got problems, surely?"


    Caprika shrugged, "Of course they do. Every state or galactic power does, even Schema. What makes the Empire unique is the sense of order it brings to a world or solar system."


    Kessiah offered her a drink, "Want some?"


    Caprika lifted a hand, "Sure." She popped the top off before a strand of her hair caught the cap. She continued,


    "Most states are chaotic. They call themselves guilds, but they are no different in action from the Empire. We don''t cower behind some different power system and propaganda as they do, however. We display what we are for all to see."


    I cupped my chin, "So, the power is more centralized?"


    She nodded, "There''s also a class system. There is mobility allowed between of the five tiers, though you can''t rise to a tier above your born station."


    I frowned, "Let me guess, the albony are at the top?"


    She shook a finger, "Not always. We are born in the upper echelon." She slopped her shoulders, her proud posture deflating,


    "Though it doesn''t mean we may always remain there."


    Kessiah took a swig of her drink, "Oof, that sucks."


    Althea redirected the conversation, "You can move up though, right?"


    Caprika leaned back into the cushion, "Of course. In fact, any class may move up the tiering system. If they reach the upper echelon of their class, their children may be given the status of the tier above them. This increase in status comes with enhanced responsibilities, so it''s the child''s choice."


    I tilted my head back, "Ahhh, that does make it better. It still would take five generations for the lowest of the low to move up to royalty though, right?"


    Caprika nodded, "This is true. Such rises are usually fantasy, however. It''s quite rare for a family to maintain excellence for five generations in a row."


    I remembered my own dad. She was right about that. Caprika continued,


    "It promotes a stable, orderly society. Crime on imperial planets is extremely low. Giess has an extremely high rate of crime near cities since it lacks any central, governing structure."


    Kessiah nodded, pointing her glass bottle at Caprika, "I actually read about that. The capital is run by a few criminal masterminds or some shit. It''s because the espens were ruled over by the Gialgathens for the longest time."


    Kessiah finished her beverage, tossing it into a garbage bin, "Since Schema came along, the espens gained a lot of freedom. No one''s taken over yet, so it''s total chaos. Young, ambitious espens are fighting the old order."


    That was perfect for us. We could clear up one of the criminal masterminds in order to get rid of our bounties. If we played our cards right, we could create a lasting bond with Giess and the Empire at the same time.


    Caprika nodded at Kessiah, "You''re informed."


    Kessiah locked her hands behind her head, leaning back, "Nope. I was just bored."


    Althea and I laughed before looked at Caprika, "Yeah, I get the order thing. I do. The thing is though, that kind of system stops new talent from rising to the top. Incompetent people can control decisions at that point. On my homeworld, the Roman Empire fell because of that...I think."


    Caprika waved away my concern, "Our political system places the most power in the most competent hands of each of the five tiers. We don''t have to worry about that?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "What if someone in the lower tiers is better at ruling than someone from the upper tiers? It sounds like their talent gets wasted."


    Caprika shrugged, "Then so be it. For order."


    Althea leaned her elbows against her knees, "What tier would Daniel fit into?"


    Caprika grabbed the bottom of her mask. She crossed her legs, "Hmmm, likely within the bottom of the highest tier. He''d be right at home with other albony, and his overwhelming combat prowess would win him favor with the king."


    Althea pointed at me, "His family would''ve been the lowest status tier though."


    Caprika shook her head, "That''s preposterous. I don''t believe it."


    I shrugged, "My father lived on welfare and drank like there was no tomorrow. That''s where I come from. I''d never be allowed past the bottom tier. I would be a part of that wasted talent I mentioned earlier."


    Caprika looked down, scratching the side of her head, "I...I suppose there are imperfections. It''s not something I may fix, however."


    I raised a fist, "Not until I win this tournament that is."


    Caprika leaned on her balled up fist of claws, "I suppose I may be granted that kind of power if we can accomplish the tournament and more. It''s wishful thinking for now. We''ll need far more than combat prowess for me to be awarded my own city-state."


    Kessiah leaned up, clapping her hands, "Alright guys, enough political bullshit. Who wants to watch the tournament right now?" She leaned back in her seat, "I''m guessing everyone."


    Kessiah interacted with the hologram projector in the center of the room. After a few clicks, a three dimensional, high-resolution image popped into the center of the room. It showed two combatants fighting with ferocity. I leaned towards the model, stunned by the quality. I shook my head,


    "I can''t even tell it''s not real."


    Caprika leaned onto the armrest of her couch, "Once you''ve watched it enough, you''ll see it. It is a rather recently made model, so quality is quite good."


    We ended up chatting about the fights and having a few drinks after that. Kessiah talked about how she''d learned a thing or two since Caprika''s last fight. After a few verbal jousts, they ended up theorycrafting like two fangirls. It was refreshing to see Kessiah get passionate about something.


    After a few hours of unwinding, I looked out of a window behind me. Towering mountains surrounded us with hills off in the distance. Along the distant hills, a metal landscape encroached, pillars of iron rising into the sky. Silvers battled native Giessian creatures to a standstill there. The battle injected me with a growing sense of dread.


    Giess''s fate was up to chance. On Earth, we had to fight the eldritch or else we would all die. The espens didn''t have that problem, so they just let their wildlife take care of it. Whether the silvers, eldritch, or natural wildlife would win or not, the natives left it up to chance.


    To me, it was a risk I wouldn''t be willing to take. Instead, I''d train up a group of soldiers before fighting the silvers back. As I dwelled on those thoughts, my senses sent out an alarm.


    My mythical skill, Hunter of Many, let me analyze my surroundings in detail. While sparse, the scent of espen blood filled into the car. My added perception allowed me to detect it. I stood up,


    "Caprika, tell the driver to stop the car."


    Kessiah bust out laughing, "Driver? You think people drive cars? Self-driving  happened, like, a thousand years ago."


    I waved her off, "Who cares. Point is to stop the car."


    Caprika didn''t question me as she pressed her invisible status screen. The cars engines flared and stopped us. I jumped down the stairs, the doors sliding open just in time. Althea followed me, her eyes sharpening,


    "What is it? Should I make a rifle?"


    I landed on crags of rock, "Not just yet."


    She and I looked around, searching for some signs of a crash or paths. I looked towards the car, our bus looking like a pile of rocks. It blended in with the scenery making it difficult to see. I turned my gaze behind us, spotting a winding path that weaved between the mountains.


    I found no signs of a crash, but the smell of blood lingered. Wind crashed against my face, bringing a bit into the odor. The blood wasn''t fresh either. It was the same kind of smell as Springfield after Yawm got a hold of it. In other words, the stench of corpses.


    I ran towards the stench, the hair along the back of my neck rising.  I passed a few large boulders, weaving up the side of the mountain. As I closed in, metal grazed metal, and the chewing of meat entered my ears. It wasn''t looking too good.


    I reached the top of a rocky pit surrounded by large boulders. Althea materialized beside me. She grabbed her nose,


    "By Schema that smells like corpses. Bleck."


    I rolled my shoulders, preparing for the worst, "Be ready."


    I jumped down, the scent singing my nose at this point. I turned towards the back of the pit, finding a monstrosity. I let out a quick breath, wincing while I looked away. I bit my lip, shaking my head,


    "Mercy on your poor soul."

 163 A Dark Plan

    An espen laid hidden by crags of stone. The espens once crimson skin faded to a murky red, his vitality drained. A brand covered his forehead, a symbol etched on the surface. I opened my status, sending Caprika a message along with our coordinates. She might know what the mark meant, giving us a clue to what was going on.


    I inspected the horror further, leaning towards the mess. The espen''s hands were missing fingernails. I glanced around him, finding scratch marks from where he tried to escape. His jaw hung open, a string of blood flowing down his chest. He killed himself by biting off his own tongue and bleeding out.


    I looked further down. His torso was split open, orange egg sacks writhing in his intestines. Silvers squirmed inside the capsules. Tiny, metal insects chewed on his skin and flesh, converting him to metal. They built geometric metal outwards from their host.


    I snatched up one of the silvers. It was a Saysha, one of the most common silvers. I squished it in my hand, espen blood pouring out of it. I glanced around, finding no bloody marks or any tracks in the ground. Something dropped him here. I sighed, looking up at Althea, "Do you know anything about the silvers?"


    Althea shrugged, "Nope. I don''t know if I want to learn about them either."


    I frowned, "There''s really no need to see this mess then unless you want too."


    A set of steps walked up, and a regal voice replied, "What is it then? Did you find a dead animal or something utterly rank? It smells positively appalling."


    I shook my head, "No, Caprika. It''s an espen."


    Caprika leaped into the pit, her hair snapping onto a nearby rock. It lowered her down with a sense of elegance. As Caprika peered at the horror, she turned around and gagged. I stood back up, turning to her,


    "We need to figure out what happened here."


    Caprika hissed, "Isn''t it obvious? He rode into the silver''s territory before escaping. He died here."


    I shook my head, "No. See these claw marks? He tried to scratch himself out of here. There''s no tracks or trail of blood either. He even bit his tongue to kill himself. Something held him down here. I want to know what that something is."


    Caprika grabbed the sides of her face, "Your ability to decipher piles of rotting meat and disgusting sacks is truly admirable."


    I rolled my eyes, walking over to her, "Come on, princess. Don''t make me use this."


    I showed her the hand I used to squish a Saysha with. Caprika leaped back, her hair forming into blades aimed at me,


    "Ew, ew, ew!" She patted herself off, getting herself together, "You''re primitive and repulsive."


    "I like to think I''m pragmatic. Come on. The espen has a brand on his forehead. I don''t know what it is. You might."


    She patted the sides of her face, taking a deep breath. She turned around, her claws fidgeting in her hands. She stared at the espen''s face, her disgust fading. She gasped,


    "It''s a slave''s brand."


    I creased my eyebrows, "Slavery is on Giess? Really now?"


    Caprika shook her head, "Not anymore. To be accurate, there was slavery a long, long time ago."


    "With who or what?"


    She scratched the side of her head, "Have you heard the story of Lehesion?"


    I closed my eyes, searching my memory. I  lifted a hand, "Lehesion, he was a gialgathen that saved espens, right?"


    Caprika tilted her hand back and forth, "It''s not so simple. He merely aimed for social reform. He still believed that Gialgathens were superior, but he also thought that they should treat their inferiors with dignity."


    I pointed at the brand, "So he got rid of slavery? Sheesh, no wonder people hate gialgathens."


    Caprika nodded, "To the point, yes, Lehesion did repeal slavery. He preferred indentured servitude. Still a tasteless practice but better I suppose. That''s what makes this so odd."


    She squatted down, her knees together, "This is one of the old marks I''ve seen in museums. This simply shouldn''t be. Lehesion got rid of slavery 75 years ago. A decade ago, indentured servitude was deemed illegal in most city-states as well."


    I crossed my arms, "The answer''s pretty simple. Someone still has slaves."


    Caprika stood up, "This is...vile. According to what you found, he died a painful death on top of living a painful life. Now his corpse is being used as food for vermin."


    I raised a palm, pulling my obelisk from my armor. I snapped several photos of the crime scene from several angles. Caprika stood back with her hands on her hips,


    "What would you have us do then, investigator?"


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I shrugged, "Evaporate the infestation before getting a specialist to inspect the photos. We can''t leave this here, or else it will spread."


    Caprika nodded, "I suppose so. I''ll send in a team to clear up the mess."


    I shook my head, "No need."


    I raised a hand, condensing Event Horizon over the corpse and eggs. It disintegrated as if I used transmogrification magic. The body, eggs, and silvers melted into a black mush. This gunk spread outwards, running over my feet.


    Caprika squealed, pulling herself up with her hair,


    "By Baldowah, do you even know what a warning is?"


    I shrugged, "Trying to get this done. I''m not getting paid for this after all. Well, if there isn''t a quest for this in Yildraza. Otherwise I am getting paid, but not by you."


    The black mush evaporated after a bit more exposure to Event Horizon. I looked up at Caprika, "Get back to the car. I''ll be cleaning the area of silvers."


    After her gut reaction, Caprika gawked in horror at my ability. Her left shoulder twitched,


    "Ahem, is that one of your other abilities? Why didn''t you use it in the tournament if you don''t mind my asking."


    I stared at where the corpse and silvers once were,


    "It''s not a fighting ability. It''s a killing one."


    Caprika went silent after that. I turned to her, "I''d never use it against a friend. It''s for eldritch and silvers mostly. Just, er, think of me as a Fringe Walker."


    She nodded her head, "Oh, yeah, but of course. Ugh, I''ll go back to my, I mean our ugly vehicle. You may, uh, eradicate the pests as you see fit."


    She scampered off, her discomfort obvious. I sighed as she left, shaking my head. Striking fear in my enemies was awesome. It made me feel powerful and potent. Striking fear in my friends though...It honestly made me feel like shit.


    Once I heard the octo-car''s door slam shut, I jumped out of the pit. I walked around, my thoughts racing while Event Horizon ravaged any nearby silvers.


    It surprised me that she feared me all of a sudden. After I fought the gialgathen, surely she understood I could''ve killed her at any point. I wouldn''t though since I was sane. There was something different about Event Horizon that unsettled her. Since I didn''t want to terrify would be friends, I vowed to use it with care from here on out.


    It got me thinking about my friends too. Facing off against Yawm meant a dominant fighter was necessary. Now that he was gone, we weren''t fighting just to survive. We were fighting to improve our lives as a whole. To my friends, I was a war hero and a competent ally. To newcomers, I was a dangerous liability.


    That''s close to how Caprika looked at me. From what I could tell, I was a risk to her. When I exposed more of my abilities, it made her realize I was a higher risk then she first anticipated. With a bit of time, she''d adjust. Until then, I''d lay low and let the others enjoy her company. I had other stuff to do either way, and I didn''t want to ruin their trip.


    With that matter resolved, I finished the silver cleanse. I walked back into the moving mansion. At first, I sat down with the others. The conversation lulled, Caprika turning awkward after our stop. Althea and Kessiah assumed it was from seeing the espen. I knew the real reason though.


    Being more tactful than usual, I stood up from my seat, "Yo guys, I''m going to research some runes in the back. Let me know when we arrive."


    Caprika gave a curt nod, "We will."


    I stepped out, settling in a back room. The soft, muffled sound of Torix''s ranting ebbed into my room. It put a smile on my face. He was keeping his students in line at the very least.


    With a teacher''s presence spurring me on, I walked past the luxurious bed and sat down. Pulling out my grimoire, I set to work. As I went over runic patterns, I remembered the impact of my perception gains. I analyzed the espen''s death and perceived Caprika''s shift in mood without a hitch. I wasn''t like that almost ever.


    Look, I''ll admit. I can be a brick in conversations sometimes.


    If I were lucky, then this newfound tactfulness would rub off on these runes. After a few minutes of work, I learned something fast; that wasn''t the case.


    The runic inscriptions that enhanced my attributes were brutally mathematical. They involved severe, involved algorithms that applied to nature based on context. Since they impacted every tree or level up, I had to incorporate every tree into their creation.


    By the time I finished something resembling an attribute multiplier, it had spanned a dozen pages. Its complexity left me flabbergasted. It took hours to write, and I couldn''t get a firm grasp of how it worked. Without knowing the process in detail, I deemed it way too damn risky to use. I scrapped the incantation, running my hand down the pages to erase it.


    After another fresh start, I tried again. If there''s one thing I owned in spades, it was persistence. I would bang my head against a wall until either I died or the wall broke. This strategy worked out more often than not. While rooted in my work, I snapped my head up.


    The scent of espen blood poured into my cabin.


    I stood up, walking out of my room. The ladies gossiped, giggling at jokes and the like. They looked up at me, Althea grinning, "What''s up handsome?"


    I smiled back, "Nothing much beautiful." I looked at Caprika, "Hey, can you  open the door?"


    Caprika tilted her head, "Why?"


    "There''s another one."


    Caprika looked down, "Oh...We can stop while you finish whatever it is you''re doing."


    I shook my head, "Thanks for the offer, but it''s not necessary. I''ll keep up with the car while doing it."


    Caprika looked at the others, "He can do that?"


    Althea smirked, "My man can do anything."


    I spotted a few empty drinks beside her. I rolled my eyes, "Well your man''s about to go be a janitor. See you guys."


    The door of the house-bus opened, and I jumped out. I hovered using gravity, keeping up with the pace of the vehicle. I shut the door before leaping towards the source of the sent. Wind whistled in my ear as I flew up and over the rocky expanse. I found another corpse surrounded by rocks.


    Fresher than the last, I analyzed the wounds. The silvers still decimated the corpse, but the tendrils of metal hadn''t yet spread out. This let me gather essential details.


    The first fact I gathered was deep gashes in the espen''s shoulders. The eggs in his stomach showed no signs of larger silvers either. The marks on his shoulders were made by a beast''s talons, the cuts clean and deep. The four claw marks spread out over his upper back. They came from one paw grabbing onto the espen from above.


    Skill unlocked! Tracking(lvl 1) - Though they run, they only delay the inevitable. Further details reveal themselves upon inspection. Higher levels of this skill allow the user to connect details to map a picture of previous events.


    Breakthrough achieved! Tracking(lvl 1)--->(lvl 26)


    It was a useful notification to get. Using it, I took a deep breath, the smell of rot less overpowering. This kill didn''t happen days ago. This espen died recently. Not many silvers flew since they were made of metal. I did know a certain race of dragon-frogs that did fly, however.


    And at this rate, I''d be catching whoever did this soon. When I did, they''d pay.


    Dearly.

 164 Manipulation

    I am proud of my race and my standing. As an Albony duchess, I hold sway in galactic courts. I''ve struck fear into those that hear my name, Caprika Novas. Despite all the clout I''ve amassed, I won''t pretend that this Harbinger of Cataclysm didn''t unnerve me. After seeing him melt a corpse without any warning, he absolutely horrified me.


    So the sense of relief as that monster of metal jumped out of the rickety shack was palpable. He had this feeling around him, as if he weren''t mortal. It left me on edge. As he left, his weighty presence left with him. I sighed with relief, thankful for a break from him. I turned to his followers. With my chest held high as an albony''s chest should be, I noted,


    "Is Daniel always like this?"


    The brutish Kessiah uncapped yet another bottle, "Uh, yeah. Always. He''s literally always doing something annoying, hard, or both."


    The civil Althea leaned forward, always defending her lover, "That isn''t true. He relaxes when he''s with me."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Oh, really now? That shit never happens while I''m around. Could''ve fooled me."


    I tapped my thigh, trying to find the right way to probe my question,


    "Now, if you wouldn''t mind my asking, what is that ability he uses?"


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Which one? He has, like, a dozen things he can do."


    I took note of her disdain. Kessiah envied Daniel in some respect. Either that or she feared him as I did. I couldn''t blame her in the slightest. He was in every sense of the word, terrifying.


    Althea lifted her hand, "Hmm, he has the gravity magic. Er, telekinesis, and...flying. He makes others fly as well."


    I nodded, "As I just saw."


    Althea scratched the side of her head, "And he has this aura."


    I pointed at her, speaking a bit too eagerly, "That one. That is the one I wish to know about."


    Kessiah narrowed her eyes at me, "Why would you?"


    I stuck my chin up even as a shiver ran down my spine,


    "He melted a corpse in an instant. It was like he was...for lack of a better term, a god of death."


    Althea burst into laughter as she often does when others are discussing Daniel. Her love blinds her to the horror that she lays with each night.


    "Daniel is not like that. Like, not at all."


    I leaned back, my brow furrowing, "What makes you so sure?"


    Althea leaned to her, "Looky here, missy. Have you ever seen him do anything outright bad?"


    The alcohol had the intended effect. Mixing calming herbs and truth serum before recanning the bottles wasn''t hurting the situation either. I must use all my resources; otherwise, I would be wasteful. As a member of the Empire, I simply couldn''t have that.


    I shook my head, "Hmmm, perchance I can''t call any incident to memory."


    Althea nodded, "Exactly. He seems all big and bad, but he''s just a teddy bear underneath it all." Althea hugged herself, "Ahh, I wish I could hug him right now."


    I held back a gag, a wave of repulsion passing over me. To be so vulnerable and open, it was unbecoming of an anyone but especially an albony. Kessiah mirrored my sentiments, a rare occasion on which we agreed. The brute pointed her bottle at Althea,


    "See, that''s the thing. I can''t really say he''s some terrible guy either. I can say he''s scary as shit. I mean, have you ever seen him stop moving? The motherfucker is a machine."


    Althea shrugged, "He just takes his life seriously. That''s how I look at it. I wish I could do the same most of the time, but I just don''t have it in me like he does."


    I frowned under my mask, my fangs showing if I didn''t have my disguise. Albony are quite threatening and expressive without our coverings. Hiding our faces conceals our true intentions. It gives us better manipulation abilities against other, lesser races. Although calling any of this party inferior would be an outright lie. They''re too powerful and dangerous for that.


    With that in mind, I looked behind me, peering out of my window,


    "It bodes well that he handles this tournament seriously. I expected many aliens from across the galaxy to rush in. However, I didn''t expect to find one of the stronger ones on my side."


    Kessiah crossed her arms, "So you''re telling me aliens come in every time this tournament comes around?"


    I nodded, "Of course. A fully completed mythical skill is at the very least 900 skill points along with a mythical skill. Non-natives aren''t even allowed to battle for it twice. I assumed that''s why you and you''re comrades have come here."


    Althea shook her head, "Nope. This is just something extra on the side. Daniel probably figured, ''Why not handle this and this other thing at the same time? Why of course! There''s never a reason not to multi-task all the time!''"


    Kessiah pointed her bottle at Althea, "Told you. A machine."


    Althea pursed her lips, "Ok, maybe a little...He''s still cute though, even if he has his flaws."


    I raised a hand, "You never mentioned what the aura is."


    Althea tilted her head, "Well, it''s..."


    Kessiah snapped, "It''s pain. Pure, utter agony. I''m talkin pain like you''ve never felt it. It''s like melting."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kessiah shook her hands, "It can hit you from across the room in an instant. It holds you in your chest." Kessiah grabbed at her sternum,


    "Then it wrenches your guts out. Not even just that though, it makes him stronger. He''s already invincible."


    I tilted my head, "Really now? I thought he was just a solid fighter. What feats of tenacity has he amassed."


    Althea shivered, "He survived Yawm''s antimatter blast."


    My jaw went slack. Kessiah continued, "Torix told me like this, ''Blegh, look at how smart I am.''"


    Althea giggled while Kessiah continued, "That''s how he starts every conversation. Anyways, ''He was disintegrated, not a single metric ounce of his body remaining. He revitalized in a flash of light, his body vibrating. When he struck Yawm, it could''ve shattered a planet!''"


    Kessiah moved her hands about, acting out Torix''s fretting. Even I laughed at the imitation, but I marked down her words in my memory. Daniel may be able to win the actual tournament. If he did, my uncle would offer a city on the homeworld. I''d regain my former glory.


    Althea shrugged, "It is kind of freaky I guess...I haven''t seen him take any real damage in a very long time."


    Kessiah leaned up, "Alright, speaking of length, I have an important inquiry. Someone here has to ask the real questions."


    Kessiah leaned forward, "I''m about to ask you something that will change our perspective on Daniel forever."


    Althea leaned forward as did I. Kessiah whispered,


    "Is the dick good?"


    Althea leaned back, blushing with such intensity that I spotted it from under her veil. Despite my noble bearing, I will admit that perhaps a laugh or two escaped my lips. Kessiah simply spread out her arms,


    "What? It''s a real question..."


    Claws extended from Althea''s fingertips, "Ok, that''s enough questions about Daniel. I think you''ve had enough to drink."


    Kessiah leaned back, "Damn, ok. No need to get testy." She finished another drink and threw it in the garbage, "Didn''t know it was that bad."


    Althea leaned forward, her claws growing, "That''s not the problem. You trying to steal my man is the problem."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Oh trust me, I''m not getting with him anytime soon. You and Daniel are so close it''s disgusting sometimes."


    Kessiah wasn''t the kind of person to respond to threats. The fact that Althea''s made her react meant Althea had a bite to her bark so to speak. Althea might be worth investing more time into as well. The shapeshifter retracted her claws,


    "Ugh, I tore open my gloves."


    Kessiah tilted her head towards the back of our rickety shack,


    "Torix can stitch it up."


    Althea stood up, saying her goodbyes before going to the necromancer. He and Daniel seemed the most competent. Each of them brought brains and brawn respectively.


    I mulled over the information I gathered here, trying to make sense of it. Kessiah stared at me as I did so. A moment later, she asked,


    "Hey...What made you lose your rank?"


    I turned towards her, "I have no obligation to share that with you."


    Kessiah shook her head, "Yeah, I guess not." She crossed her arms,


    "You know, I can tell you''re trying to gather information on us."


    I froze in place. Using techniques I practiced, I let out a loose laugh,


    "Hah hah, really now? I''m simply trying to-"


    "Cut the bullshit."


    I lowered my hands, staring her down. She genuinely knew what was going on. Dammit. She sighed,


    "Daniel and Althea aren''t even twenty years old. Torix and I, we''ve been around for a looong time. Lying isn¡¯t as easy. Now tell me what it was that got you booted down a rank, or else I''m exposing your ass."


    I looked down, weighing my options. Kessiah saw right through me,


    "I''m not giving you time to think your way out of this. If you don''t tell the truth in five seconds, I''m spilling the beans. Five, four, three, two-"


    Without time to come up with a reply, I raised my hands, "I attempted a coup over one of my sisters." I heaved out a few breaths, "There, happy?"


    Kessiah shook her head, "No, not yet. What was it like?"


    I hissed my words, "I planted evidence against her for an illegal substance. I also organized a crime ring to ruin several of her businesses. I confronted her in court, and I killed her when she attacked me."


    Kessiah leaned back, "Really now? Interesting."


    I seethed, "You find sororicide of interest now? That''s just excellent. Glad my failures amuse you."


    Kessiah shrugged, "Why''d you do it?"


    I shook my head, "I...It was to overturn a rival faction to get ahead. As Daniel noted, the Empire''s governing system isn''t as merit oriented as it could be. Being a female in the Empire vanquished me to a lower status in the first tier of society."


    Kessiah raised an eyebrow, "I''ve heard plenty of people complain about discrimination when they were the problem."


    "There is a law that forbids females from owning more than a single city."


    Kessiah raised her eyebrows, "Ok, nevermind. That actually is discrimination."


    I tilted my chin up, "I was a capable ruler. My sister was not. If I won the case I brought up with her, then I''d have been the first female to own two territories. I''d have set a precedent and changed the law."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Oh yeah, all you had to do was kill some people and ruin some lives to make it happen. Good job."


    I furled my brow, "Oh please. As if you''re perfect."


    She glanced down. She nodded, "Yeah, I guess I''m not." It shocked me how much that stung her. She continued, "I won''t tell them what''s going on." She pointed at me, her tone deadly,


    "But you cross us, and I''ll get Daniel to put that aura over you. Trust me, princess, it''s worse than losing  a court battle or not getting two cities."


    My heart seized in my chest. I gave Kessiah a curt nod, holding myself together,


    "Then we''re in agreement."


    Althea opened the door to Torix''s room, walking out as we finished our conversation. She held up her restored glove,


    "Hey guys, he fixed it with some stitching magic."


    Kessiah raised a fist, "That''s what I''m talking about. The dusty skeleton still has it."


    I nodded, "Indeed he does."


    I bit my tongue. I underestimated the remnant. She may be weaker than the others, but she could read people like a politician. It made me reevaluate my entire plan. Instead of squeezing as much out of them as I could, I''d follow through with my original plan.


    I turned behind me, giving myself a mental thrashing for my lack of diligence. Father taught me better, and working within albony courts should''ve wisened me up. I still had much to learn.


    As we reached past the mountain, I noted the skyline. There were no nearby birds, an odd sight this time of year. Many migratory species flocked South, so the skies were covered in all kinds of species. There were none around us, however.


    As I dwelled on that, the ground rumbled. I steadied myself, wondering what was happening. I glanced up, finding a pack of birds flopping out of the sky, turning to blackened mush. I shivered, remembering Kessiah''s threat.


    In the distance, a dark blot of metal ripped through the sky. It sped with the speed of a bullet. I leaned towards what was obviously Daniel. I squinted my eyes, wondering what he was doing.


    Kessiah tapped the window, "Holy shit...He''s fighting another one of those oversized-salamanders."


    My eyes widened,


    "I can''t believe it..."


    Althea put a hand on my shoulder, "Can''t believe what?"


    I whispered, "He''s fighting a myth. It''s a Skyburner."

 165 Skyburner

    *****************************


    I ended up finding four other bodies spread out along the border of silver territory and mountainscape. Each espen held the same eggs, in the same pit of their stomach, and it was always a he. Each corpse was fresher, the last one being brand new with blood still running.


    I kept my eyes sharp as I leaped up past the mountains. I molded gravity over myself, keeping a casual pace. Otherwise, I''d outpace the damn octo-car. Swarms of birds kept getting in my way to a point I believed it was purposeful.


    I wasn''t into mass murder, but these fuckers had it coming. They funneled into a line before ramming themselves into me. After wiping off gallons worth of bird guts, I''d had enough.


    That''s why I cleared the skyline with Event Horizon as I spotted a speck on the horizon. I landed on the ground, staying low and stealthy. I stood still, praying the thing didn''t see me first. It hadn''t.


    It flopped its enormous wings, sailing through the air with grace. It was a gialgathen, though bulkier than Alzoroth. Armor covered it, streaks of mana connecting charged gemstones. These crystals encrusted the dark green metal, the craftsmanship excellent.


    Its wings dwarfed Alzoroth''s as well, spanning wider than a house. It glided on those sturdy limbs, leaving contrails behind it. Thin, needle claws extended from the wings, just like on its hands. It shut its mouth, but it lacked cheeks, exposing the gums and teeth. It was ominous, nothing noble about it.


    In the talons of its feet, an espen man flopped like the broken neck of a chicken. I grimaced as he closed in. I analyzed the body, but it returned nothing. The espen was already dead, his belly swollen and bulbous. I looked at the red gialgathen next.


    Ryhstrika, Skyburner(lvl 9,076) - It''s quite the rare occurrence that a natural creature gains an unknown status. That''s what happens when you hone the physical might of the gialgathen to a razor''s edge. You end up creating a Skyburner.


    Their armor is composed of star iron, an alloy of orichalcum and meteoric ore. The slaves of these gialgathens encrust this shielding with charged diamonds, enhancing their already formidable mana pool.


    Their combat instruction is vast, giving them experience against multiple fighting styles. Their tails are honed until they develop a callused lump of hardened scales. These scales can be ground up and used in place of diamonds.


    Their cheeks are removed at birth. This gives them a swifter bite and allows for better care of their teeth, keeping them healthy. This also allows them to develop an augmented magical breath. Without cheeks and with the ability to open their mouths nearly 180 degrees, their breath is a potent weapon.


    They hone their talons and claws, giving them the piercing of needles and the sharpness of broken glass. When flying, the draw water from the surrounding clouds to hydrate. Excess water is dispensed outwards once full, letting them leave contrails.


    Though believed to be extinct, this Skyburner is alive and well. An ordinary sentient of your level would do well to avoid this behemoth. You, however, will find a good fight facing off against this creature.


    I''d seen enough evidence to take action. I ran forward, diving into the ground. My mana charged in an instant, saturating my runic glyphs. With my strength surging, I jumped out of the earth, leaving behind a kinetic explosion.


    I manipulated gravity, causing me to fall upwards instead of downwards. Without resistance, I shot through the wind at a blistering pace. Ryhstrika glanced down at me, its pupils dilating. Like a giant cannonball, I crashed into the Skyburner.


    He and I shot sideways, the both of us tumbling through the air. To my surprise, his metal held, though my impact left a deep dent in his side. I condensed Event Horizon around him, the espen corpse already destroyed. The Skyburner howled out, snapping his claws at my back.


    They left tiny dents in the metal of my armor, each point hard as diamonds. Ryhstrika straightened out his wings, stopping our descent. I fell off of him, tumbling in the air. I stabilized myself with a gravity well. By the time I did, the gialgathen had barreled toward me with his mouth open.


    He snapped at me, and I struck at him. With technical prowess, he altered his momentum midflight to whip his tail at me. I deflected it before pulling him towards me with magic. I shot a hook at his armored belly, but he caught my fist with one of his feet.


    He snapped from above and below with his jaws and tail. I whipped myself towards his gut, kicking with all my momentum. The clash of metal on metal flung him back, causing him to miss. We battled like this for several minutes, each of us strained to match the other.


    As our strikes reached a fever pitch, he timed a bit at me. Caught between his upper and lower teeth, I pressed up and down to avoid death. Like a steamroller, he crunched me down, the gialgathen''s strength overwhelming. I pushed up, my arms and legs cramping from the strain. Before he crushed me, I created an antigravity point at my center. I strengthened it, pushing everything away in all directions.


    With a shaky rise, the monster''s maw opened. I charged my mana, saturating my frame. Before I gained enough energy for a singularity, the Skyburner''s belly expanded. I shot sideways as he opened his jaws. A plume of chemical fire burst forth, white hot in its intensity.


    My eyebrows singed off from being near the plume, my hair igniting. The creature turned its mouth towards me, the fire blistering. I covered my face with armor, getting rid of my eye slit. Darkness covered me. Within seconds, my helmet lit up, turning white-hot from the heat.


    I ignored the flashy attack, raising a hand out to the monster. With my charged mana, I created a dense gravity well that slammed the beast''s jaw shut. Flames erupted from its nostrils, tears pouring from its eyes. The corneas dried up before igniting, the monster''s fiery breath blinding itself.


    Before the fiery breath ceased, I reached its jaw and walloped the creature. My fist struck with the force of a train, the monster''s head whipping through the air. It turned full circle, letting me kick its face with another crisp blow. It tumbled back, so I shot myself forward. I pulled it in with magic, launching a series of heavy-handed hooks into its gut.


    Each blow left dents in the metal. As we closed in on the ground, the Skyburner no longer controlled his descent. I oriented myself above it, speeding our drops with magic. We built momentum and speed, each of us falling at an unnatural pace towards the mountainside.


    The beast crashed into the rocky earth, the mountain erupting at the collision. A crater formed as house-sized boulders shot outwards. Heat built from the destruction, rock melting into magma. The monster''s armor ripped, bones breaking in its chest. A tidal wave of sound rolled through the entire landscape, bending trees.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Then I landed.


    The armor in its chest caved in as blood sprayed from splits in its skin. The ground trembled, a wave rolling through the mountaintop like a tsunami on the ocean. Lava splashed outwards, the heat from friction melting stone. A plume of dust spewed from the mountain like a bomb went off.


    The shockwave uprooted nearby trees. They tumbled like matchsticks. Landslides fell out from all angles, the cliffside falling apart. I stood up, unharmed and undazed. The gialgathen was all but slaughtered under the jolt. I waved my arms, sending out an antigravitational wave. The dust blew back, clearing my view of the landscape.


    The mountain was devastated. I ogled at the catastrophic might of our battle, flabbergasted at what I''d done. I shook my head, the scene surreal. The trees around me disintegrated from Event Horizon, snapping me back to reality.


    I shut down the aura, glancing down. In my status, there was no kill notification. This fucker was still alive. I stepped up to his face, his head twitching. I wrapped my hand around his neck, my grasp awkward. I pulled him up, looking at him.


    My armor still glowed white hot from his earlier fire. My hand acted as a brand, singing his skin. He convulsed in my hand, death coming for him. A second later, it got him. I tossed him aside, sighing since I wasn''t worming any information out of a corpse.


    I whipped out my obelisk, taking pictures of the creature. After getting a view of it from multiple angles, I tore out chunks of its armor. I collected samples of its teeth, blood, and scales. I compressed the metal over the evidence, preserving it for later.


    After gathering pieces of it, I leaned down and pressed my hand on the beast. My armor sapped up the corpse, draining it. Over several minutes, it disappeared. The only remnant of the Skyburner remaining was its bent, crumpled armor. It was sturdy stuff, so I decided to keep it.


    Over the next few minutes, I bent and folded the metal into a ball. As I did, I ripped out the gemstones, collecting the interconnected diamonds. I put the ball of metal and the diamonds into my dimensional storage. Within a few minutes, nothing remained of the enormous Skyburner.


    With the battle done, I dived into the earth before bursting out towards the octo-car. I kept myself falling towards it with a gravity well, flying over trees and other obstacles. I caught up to it over the next minute. The vehicle drove downhill on the other side of the mountain now. As I came up to it, Caprika opened the door. She leaned out of the car,


    "Stay back!"


    I floated in pace with the car, keeping some distance, "Why?"


    Kessiah walked up, raising her hands in frustration, "Your armor is still glowing, you idiot. You''re going to set us on fire!"


    I glanced down, my chest and arms still glowing red. I leaned back from it, unsettled by my numbness to the burn. It was a warm sensation, not a burning one. I didn''t even know if it was digging into my health or not. It reminded me what my damage cap and health did in conjunction.


    Learning that I hadn''t cooled down yet, I shot myself up into the sky. I glanced down, finding a lake. I dived into the water, the pool belching steam as I landed in it. I dashed through the pool, enjoying the crisp cool. Within seconds, I pulled myself back up to our vehicle with magic, clean and dry from the wind and water.


    I stepped onto the first step of the car. The metal caved in, my foot bending it down. The car sunk down, the suspension strained to its limits. The wheels on the other side of the car lifted off the ground before my foot snapped the metal stair. With one side keeping traction, the moving mansion whipped in that direction.


    As the car turned back and forth, Caprika fell out of the vehicle. Before she got a face full of dirt, I raised a hand, generating yet another gravity well. I sighed and face-palmed. I forgot to disperse my mass outwards with Overwhelming Presence. Without doing so, I weighed at least 20 times what the vehicle did.


    With that in mind, I used the skill to disperse my weight out. I turned back towards our moving mansion. The vehicle lost all semblence of control, turned sideways, and was barrel rolling in the air. Before the vehicle tumbled down the slope, I shot myself to it with a burst of mana. I grabbed the side of the car with one hand.


    I extended my fingers with cords of my armor. With my grip firm, I lifted the vehicle up, steadying it. I looked around, finding the situation insane. Even with six gravity wells going on at once, I wasn''t really strained. It was...kind of crazy.


    I shook off the sense of disbelief, getting back to fixing the mess. I set the car down, ramping up the speed back to normal. After that, I floated myself back into the vehicle with Caprika in tow. As I looked inside, I winced. It was as destroyed as the mountain.


    Broken drink bottles laid everywhere with ice laying on the floor. The roof was wet with alcohol. Along the ceiling, five indentations jutted out from where I grabbed it. Althea stayed in her seat, her claws gripping into the car. Kessiah crushed portions of the wall, lodging her fingers in so she wasn''t slung around either.


    Two of the windows were cracked, but most of the interior held up. Kessiah''s obelisk floated over her shoulder, recording us. I would ask why later. At that moment, I gasped with relief, "Thank god I didn''t total the car."


    Kessiah snapped, keeping her grip of the car, "What in the fuck was that?"


    I set Caprika down onto a cushion, floating her over,


    "I didn''t disperse my weight when I stepped on the car. It was a simple mistake, but I shouldn''t be that careless."


    Kessiah hissed, "How much does your fatass weigh? Ten tons? Twenty?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, I might way just a little bit over twenty. Nothing too ridiculous."


    "The fuck it isn''t."


    Althea laughed, "Wow...that was crazy."


    Caprika held a hand over her chest, "I...I nearly fainted."


    Kessiah glared at Caprika. Kessiah looked back at me, "Oh, I''d bitch a lot more about this, but I have a hunch that someone else is going to be a lot more pissed then I am. Trust me, he can bitch with the best of them."


    Torix slammed the door open from his room. He walked out, ink dripping from his face several papers stuck to it. He stared at the wall, ominous as the grim reaper.


    Everyone wanted to laugh. No one did. Torix''s aura was like death. My helmet was down out of habit, letting him get a good look at my face. I suppressed myself to the best of my ability. The thing is, sometimes being forced not to laugh only makes you wanna laugh all the harder.


    The edge of my lips cracked up as Torix turned to me. He seethed,


    "Tell me, who is the one that sent my office into a death spiral?"


    No one answered. Torix took a few steps towards me,


    "Ohhhh, I have a hunch it was the walking tank."


    Kessiah snickered, but one look from Torix silenced her. He glared at me like an angry math teacher,


    "My students saw this."


    He pointed at his face, the ink keeping the parchment on his face. Althea giggled, He looked at her, a page falling off. She snapped upright like a scolded child. Torix glared back at me,


    "It will take days to rebuild my rapport with my students. Just as it will take you days to grade the papers I''ve been piling up."


    All the humor drained out of my face,


    "Wait...grading papers?"


    He nodded at me, "Oh that''s right. Don''t worry disciple. There''s only 18,000 of them."


    My eyes widened at the astronomical figure. Torix clicked his status, "I just sent you the files."


    He emphasized the s at the end of files. He pulled a page from his face and stuck it to mine, "Here''s one of the finished tests. Do enjoy it."


    The group exploded in laughter, even Caprika getting one over on me. For the first time in what felt like years, I blushed in shame. I nodded, "Sure thing master. I''ll get it done."


    I pulled the page off of my face before looking at it. Complex magical computations covered it, an alien set of tables and texts lining it. It folded open, revealing various formulae and diagrams. Near the floor, I even saw the last page covered with open-ended questions. I closed my eyes. Something told me this shit was going to be a lot harder than slaying the Skyburner.


    It was going to be a long trip to Yildraza.

 166 Yildraza

    It took a week of twenty-four hour days to grade the papers. It bled into my psyche, the monotony grinding away my will to live. Of course, my willpower helped, keeping me from slowing down or veering off course. As tedious as it was, I learned a decent amount about magical theory and some other skills. Most of them grading related.


    I kept myself intent on finishing the papers during this time. I ended up finishing them before we reached Yildraza. As I sent the behemoth of a file to Torix, I sprawled myself out over the bed. I earned a bit of a rest after all that grunt work.


    After a few seconds, I got bored. I opened my status. I had gained over four hundred levels from killing the Skyburner. I had put all the points into endurance before the grading started. After remaking the perception runes one last time, I got to work for the week.


    Now that the week was done, I inspected my armor''s modifications.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. With mana, further bonuses can be applied. The bonuses are as follows:


    +72 Strength, +72 Dexterity, +1,940 Perception, +6,080 Endurance, +3,040 Willpower


    +100% to effect of legacies, +50% to internal motivation, +25% to sensory range]


    The new glyphs already made a difference. In about a month, I gained nearly 2,000 points in perception. The enhanced sensory range was just a bonus. With the damn tests over with, I might even be able to enjoy my senses.


    Before getting up, I tidied up the rest of my status. I raised my tier in my Legendary tree with some hard-earned skill points in Hands of a Giant and Efficiency. Turns out grading thousands of papers helps with hand-eye coordination. Who''d of guessed?


    Your journals will be looked at as enlightened texts for those that study your profession. Your words will be written down as if spoken from with a golden tongue. You will be worshipped by those that devote their life to your chosen mastery.


    Legendary(Tier 4) Unlocked! +80% effect of legendary skills!


    This was likely the strongest tree I''ve unlocked, even outdoing any version of Obliterator. It terrified me how easy it was to become more powerful. I was a rolling stone, and nothing could stop me now. I struggled long and hard to get this strong. It satisfied me to no end seeing the fruits of my labor coming through.


    With that handled, I reached the skill menu before opening up the Force of Nature tab.


    Force of Nature(lvl 2,667) - You are nature-given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including but not limited to: Close Range Combat, Runic skills, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, and Draining Abilities. Numerical bonuses are as followed:


    +468 Strength, +468 Dexterity, +234 Constitution, +234 intelligence, +94 Perception


    +47 to all attributes for having a 2,600+ total in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: +297% | Mana Cost Reduction: 59.4%


    My mana was endless, enough to destroy cities in seconds. By the time I finished leveling up as a Fringe Walker, I''d be able to destroy worlds. If I fucked up using power like that, I might not just flip a car. I might kill people.


    A lot of people.


    I shook my head. There was no point in dwelling on doubts and worries. I needed to focus on doing what I can. I moved on to my character screen menu.


    Dimension-C138(Level 6,014)


    Strength ¨C 6,648 | Constitution ¨C 11,275 | Endurance ¨C 46,053


    Dexterity ¨C 2,870 | Willpower ¨C 25,903 | Intelligence ¨C 9,610


    Charisma ¨C 1,669 | Luck ¨C 3,246 | Perception ¨C 3,753


    Health: 8.56 Million/8.56 Million | Health Regen: 21.42 Million/min or 357,020/sec


    Stamina: 5.40 Million/ 5.40 Million | Stamina Regen: 75,623/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.10 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 523,041 pounds(235,721 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -12''7(3.84 meters) | Current - 9''10


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 577,809% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    With my perception increasing at such a rapid pace, my charisma followed suit. By now, I''d long forgotten the exact multipliers for the values. Whenever I dug deeper into the numbers, I found dozens of conversions and multipliers. They showed the trees and various perks I got them from, each piece documented in excruciating detail.


    Even if the system was based on an absolute, numerical basis, it still floored me. My health regen increased at an exponential rate. I regenerated more than most people''s maximum health each second. At this rate, my health regen might eventually outpace an entire planet''s population added together.


    In fact, I could use my own tenacity as a weapon. My inspiration drew from having my skin glow white hot while not burning me. If I could heat my armor till it shined, I''d be able to scorch anything nearby. I gained a source of light from it, and that''s not even counting the intimidation factor. In my enemy''s eyes, they''d be fighting a moving star.


    It would make me untouchable in close combat. If I was going to use something like that, then I needed to learn cooling magic too. Nearly setting my allies ablaze was enough of a kick in the ass to figure that out. That situation taught me to be more mindful.


    I won''t lie, the essays didn''t hurt learning that lesson either.


    Without thinking, I massaged my hand, the memory of cramps still fresh. I sat up, wanting to do something now. After spending a week in isolation, a conversation would do me some good regardless.


    I pulled myself out of bed, leaving cuts in the fabric from my armor. I was done giving a shit about this thing. It was more trouble than it was worth.


    I walked out of the door, finding Caprika, Kessiah, and Althea sitting down on the couches. Empty bottles and garbage piled up around them. Althea slept on her side, taking up one of the seats. Caprika handled documentation with her status screen. Kessiah sat back, deep in her chair. She watched holographic videos of current events.


    I stepped up, creating a dozen gravity wells. The trash in the room lifted up, and I condensed it into a tightened mass. I set it into the garbage, looking at Kessiah''s video. There was a mountain with a crater in it. It was the same mountain I fought the Skyburner at. A newscaster''s voice talked over the image,


    "Reports indicated seismic events leading to an eruption near Mt. Verner. While geologists are baffled as to the source of the explosion, some believe it has to do with recent silver outbreaks. In further news, the tournament looks promising this year. A new face named Daniel-"


    Kessiah shut it down, sitting up and looking at me, "Looky here, our resident tank is making waves."


    I shrugged, "Can''t help it sometimes."


    Kessiah nodded, "I know. That''s why I recorded it all."


    She lifted her obelisk, showing a file of our fight. I raised an eyebrow, "What for?"


    "Cause it was awesome."


    I stood up straight, "Just be mindful of what you do with it. And, hmmm, send me what you record. I might use it for something. I don''t know what though."


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She waved at me, "Of course, of course. Caprika over here''s been talking like you''ve already won the tournament."


    Caprika stared at her status screen, "After seeing that exhibition with the Skyburner, I''m more than convinced. I''ve been jotting down the framework of a new legislative system for my old city. It should pan out rather well, preferably lowering the recidivism rate."


    Althea rubbed her eyes, "Huh, who''s up?"


    Kessiah crossed her arms, "We''re talking about your boyfriend winning the tournament."


    Althea grinned, "Of course he will."


    I frowned, "I wouldn''t be so sure."


    Caprika scoffed, "Really now? You blasted the Skyburner by turning yourself into a meteorite. Afterward, you flew up to us with your skin still molten, and you didn''t even notice...What part of that indicated anyone will stand a chance?"


    I shrugged, "I''ve faced people stronger than me. There''s plenty of them out there."


    Caprika shook her head, "I doubt many of them would come here. Ah, I also went over the evidence you documented."


    I raised an eyebrow, "And?"


    "And it''s without a doubt a Skyburner."


    Althea stretched, "What are they exactly?"


    Caprika closed her status, "There was a faction of gialgathens determined to stop Lehesion from freeing the espens from slavery. That faction was lead by Emagrotha and her elite guard, the Skyburners. Noone''s seen or heard of Emagrotha for over six decades, but Skyburners appear here or there."


    Kessiah nodded, "Rumors are floating around that some Skyburners are still trying to put up a resistance. Apparently, the social movement caught some traction a while back when Schema took over."


    Caprika nodded, "Many moderate gialgathens joined the remnants of Emagrotha''s movement then. It was a movement driven by fear. Most gialgathens are fine with espens being free ants under their feet. They''re terrified of them being their equals."


    I crossed my arms, "Why didn''t Schema make Gialgathens a part of the system then if they''re so powerful?"


    Caprika winced, "They...they help eldritch."


    I shook my head, "What the fuck?"


    Kessiah nodded, "Yeah, it has something to do with being one with nature. Gialgathens try to be one with nature. They think the eldritch are nature."


    Althea shook her head, "Wow...That''s soooo dumb."


    I nodded, "Yeah, that''s full-on suicidal."


    Kessiah shrugged, "At least it makes sense why Schema doesn''t help them out if they''re like that."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Surely not all gialgathens are like that."


    Caprika shook her head, "You''d be surprised. There are quite a few gialgathens that help espens and respect us as equals. There''s far fewer that believe the eldritch is a threat. Even less are willing to fight them."


    I frowned, "They''ve never seen an Endless Flesh or an intelligent hivemind then. They''re both terrifying."


    Althea nodded, "Back when I was a mercenary for Yawm, he told me that an Endless Flesh was destroying my homeworld. It was fighting another collection of eldritch lead by a hivemind. Crazy stuff. "


    Caprika cringed, "By Schema...I''m sorry to hear that."


    Althea shrugged, "Eh, I didn''t even know my home world. You can''t lose what you never had, right?"


    Caprika glanced out one of the cracked windows, "Ah yes...It does take away the sting, doesn''t it..."


    Althea frowned, "Oh, I forgot you aren''t home either. I''m sorry-"


    Caprika waved her hand, "It only motivates me to get back. Think nothing of it."


    Kessiah looked out the window too. She pointed, "Ayeeee, look at that. It''s Yildraza."


    We huddled around the window, staring at the horizon. Out in the distance, skyscrapers towered over the skyline. They shot up in different points, giving the city a sprawled out feel. Between the sleek, ultra-modern skyscrapers, stone buildings stood out.


    These historical buildings clashed with the new designs, but I liked it. It was like the ancient world was fighting the modern invasion, breathing life into the city. In this case, the old world was the espens and gialgathens. The new world was Schema, coming in to change everything.


    My chest filled with excitement, a grin growing on my face. Althea dragged a hand down the glass,


    "It looks like so much fun."


    I wrapped an arm over her shoulder, "Only if I''m with you."


    Caprika and Kessiah gagged again. Torix stepped out of the back, cracking his bony fingers. He wore a new robe, the fabric silky and luxurious. With silver trim flashing, he strode up,


    "Ah, we''ve reached our next destination then. Excellent. I just passed out my finals for this semester."


    I grimaced, "How did you even have 18,000 tests? You only have like...3,000 students."


    His blue, fiery eyes flared an evil red, "Perhaps I let them pile up for just such an occasion."


    My face went deadpan, "Thanks a lot."


    He joined us, staring outside, "It''s never a problem, disciple."


    We got into Yildraza over the next hour. A wall towered around the city, keeping magical beasts out. When the guards saw how tore up our vehicle was, we got more than a few funny looks. They let us through once Caprika showed them our tournament pass.


    As drove through the streets, it was utter chaos. Most of the vehicles here lacked self-driving. They rode through sidewalks, destroyed stalls, and forced people to jump out of the way. The self-driving cars went through the madness like clockwork, finding the inches needed to progress.


    My heart seized in my chest a few times, old memories of my dad''s driving coming back. I ended up closing my eyes and saying fuck it. It wasn''t like a crash was going to hurt me either way.


    After passing a few dozen blocks, stalls, and stores, we reached the heart of the city. One of the skyscrapers towered over the rest, full of flashing lights and office space. Caprika stood, "This is our stop."


    Althea clapped her hands, "I can''t believe it. We''re staying up there?"


    Caprika nodded, "Naturally. Several albony own positions of power in Yildraza. I used a few connections to give us a condo to stay at."


    She turned to me, "Consider it a bonus for proving so worthy."


    I picked Althea up, "Hell yeah. Let''s go."


    Althea giggled while I walked up to the doors. Torix snapped his fingers. A portal popped up in front of me, dropping another gray square. My shoulders drooped, "This again?"


    Torix rolled his fire eyes, "Of course. We''re trying to maintain secrecy for as long as we are able. Wearing a set of armor over yourself is a part of that."


    I sighed, setting Althea down. After the armor formed back over me, I walked down the steps and out onto the streets.


    A blast of noise assaulted my senses. Rumbling cars, sharp cussing, skidding tires, acrid smog, rancid breath, cinnamon rolls, and thousand other scents poured onto me. Beneath my feet, cool concrete keeping me off the soft ground.


    I looked around, finding dirt alleyways leading between skyscrapers. Innumerable people walked around me, dozens of species. Every shape, color, and size of species maneuvered around the madness. Yildraza was a cacophony of sound and a blitz of movement.


    It was like the city was alive.


    We stepped through the sea of people, my stature and size helping us out. I didn''t even have to duck under the skyscraper''s doors as walked in. With the others following behind us, I marveled at the craftsmanship.


    Granite lined the walls, white streaks flowing across charcoal colored rock. The chandeliers, door handles, even the paperweights were made of gold. The ludicrous display of wealth almost made me laugh. It was extravagant, to say the least.


    Once the others arrived, Caprika checked us into the hotel. As she did, the receptionist smiled at us,


    "We''ve been awaiting your arrival. One of the tournament sponsors is waiting in your rooms to settle you all in and speak with Daniel."


    I frowned, "What for?"


    "Oh, I''m just a receptionist. Mr. Thorn wouldn''t tell me something like that. I''m sure he''ll discuss it in detail. Have a good day. Next."


    We walked off, getting into an elevator. As we did, Torix looked at Caprika. His face was hidden under pure darkness, some magic stopping light from entering his hood. Torix said,


    "Who''s Mr. Thorn?"


    Caprika sighed, "An annoying fellow to say the least."


    As we went up the many floors, I turned towards Caprika,


    "Hey, where did the car go to park?"


    Caprika hissed, "A trash compactor."


    "Oh, alright then."


    We reached the 2,000th floor before walking out. After walking down a few hallways, we reached our room. Caprika handed us each a keycard before using hers to enter the doorway. As we stepped inside, a view of the city revealed itself.


    It was breathtaking.


    We saw for miles and miles, all the way to mountains off in the distance. A few high-rises rose up to the sides of our building, but they only enhanced the overall look. After I soaked in the view, I surveyed the apartment.


    The entire wall of the expanse was glass, two staircases leading up to floors above. There were four private rooms, each covered in mahogany shaded wood. Off to my right, a kitchen with modern appliances and marble counter tops shined. Off to my left, an entertainment center with screens, games, and holographic projectors glistened.


    I whistled, "Damn this is nice."


    We took a few steps forward, reaching a set of stairs wide as the room. They wrapped around in a semi-circle, leading down to an expanse with lounging chairs. The stairs acted as bookcases, a library''s worth of material hidden in them.


    The wall of glass sat at the bottom of this expanse. Looking out at the city, an espen man stood with his hands locked behind his back. He wore a fitted, leather suit colored deep brown. I took a breath. My eyes widened in surprise.


    It was tanned gialgathen skin.


    Two tails trailed down from the back of his head to his waist. He kept silver collars around them, a classy wealth about them. The silver and brown matched the dull gray color of his skin. He turned, the white spots down the sides of his face sleek.


    He turned towards us, a toothy grin aimed at us. With an accent and oozing charisma, he spread out his arms,


    "Why hello there. I''m Thisbey Thorn, but you all can just call me Thisbey."

 167 Thisbey Thorn

    Caprika walked up, "Ah, Thisbey Thorn, it''s a joy to meet you."


    As Caprika walked up, I glared at her. Seconds ago she was annoyed at him. Now she acted like best buddies. Being two-faced didn''t sit well with me, friend or foe alike.


    I made a mental note of that as the albony offered Thisbey a hug. The gray espen raised a palm to her,


    "I prefer to keep business associates at a distance if you wouldn''t mind. Deals flow better that way."


    Caprika lowered her hands, caught off balance, "Oh, of course."


    Thisbey locked his hands behind him, walking up the steps and past Caprika,


    "Now, it is so good to meet you and your dash''in company. It''s always good to meet competent fellows such as yourselves."


    Torix nodded, "Likewise."


    Thisbey placed a hand over his chest, "You treat me too kindly. Does this humble home suit you?"


    Althea nodded, "Yeah, it''s amazingly beautiful."


    Thisbey gave her a slow nod, "Good, good. I had hoped that it would fit good people of your stature. In fact, I prayed that each and every one of you found your accommodations welcoming. It''s good those prayers weren''t done in vain."


    I didn''t like this Thisbey fucker. He reminded me of Yawm.


    "If any of you wouldn''t mind, I''d adore a one on one chat with the Gray Giant."


    I crossed my arms, "For what?"


    He spread out his hands, "Why, to congratulate you of course. It''s rare that someone defeats a gialgathen in combat." He pulled on his suit for emphasis,


    "Even more so when that combat involves their fists. That''s the kind of man I like to see, one that can speak with actions instead of honey laced words."


    I frowned, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"


    He gave me a warm grin, "My words are my only weapon. I''ve found that the strengths we disregard the most are the strengths we own. That''s why I find your strength...Real strength, so compelling."


    I had to admit, he knew how to flatter. It wasn''t getting to me though. I kept my guard up,


    "Yeah, we can do that. Be quick though, I have a tournament to win soon."


    He gripped his hands together in front of him, "I promise you newcomer, I am not here to dissuade you from winning this here tournament. Quite the opposite, actually."


    I said my goodbyes to the others, each of them going into a room to settle down. Once they were gone, Thisbey walked over towards a cabinet in the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of liquor along with two glasses. He poured two glasses of it like he was a bartender.


    I walked up, and he lifted both glasses. He raised one to me, "You look world-weary. Was the trip here harsh?"


    I grabbed the glass and shook my head, "Naw, it wasn''t too bad. I graded a bunch of tests for our wizard. It sucked ass."


    He laughed, "Well I''ll be, you''re his assistant? I took you as the bonafide leader of this here party. Was I mistaken?"


    "I''m not the leader."


    He grinned at me, swirling his glass. He looked at ease no matter what I said. It was like the conversation was a joy for him no matter how it twisted and turned.


    "I can tell you''re not lying. You honestly believe that. I know a leader when I see one. They come in many sizes as well. Some are spiritual guides, emotional anchors, or fear makers. If you don''t mind me saying, I believe you''re the group''s backbone."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why''d you guess that?"


    He nodded, keeping his warm grin on his face, "You''ve got that air about you. Tough. Eats nails for breakfast. You''re a man''s man, a warrior through and through. Your fine company would run with you through a gialgathen''s fiery breath. On this, I have no doubt."


    I shrugged. He continued, "You''re a symbol. You inspire them, whether you see it in yourself or not doesn''t matter. Your ability to evoke action in others is what truly matters."


    I rolled my hand, "Ok, get to the point."


    He turned the glass up, taking the shot of whatever it was. He set his glass down, oozing patience and calm. He gestured for me to follow him. We walked up to the edge of the glass paneling. He pointed out into the distance,


    "Do you see that there over yonder hills?"


    I narrowed my eyes. Off in the distance, spires of metal rose up over mountains. I frowned,


    "Silvers."


    "Mighty fine eyes you''ve got there. That they are. They''ve been encroach''in on Yildraza for a long time. Many of the espens here aren''t willing to take a stand against them. From your astonish''in level, I can gather that you''ve seen what silvers or eldritch can do?"


    I nodded. Thisbey sighed, "Many espens haven''t. They don''t recognize what a threat they present. The espen people still believe that the gialgathens will take care of our problems. I want you to inspire them, to spur them to action against this invasion."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How am I supposed to inspire them?"


    He gestured to me, looking up at me, "By winning the tournament and giving them some enthusiasm to fight."


    I shrugged, "Why''re you asking me to do this?"


    He put his hands on his hips, "Did you know the gialgathens have won this here tournament for over a decade now? You want to know why they do it?"


    Thisbey raised a hand, accentuating his point with his body language,


    "They win year after year to send a message to the espen people."


    Thisbey reached his other hand, wiping his fingers like he was crushing a bug


    "They''re tell''in us this: You. Are. Beneath. Us."


    He stood up straight again, wiping off his leather jacket. Knowing what it was made of, it made the gesture even more fitting.


    "Many of our kind believes it. I don''t share their sentiment. When the great Schema came, it acted as an equalizer. We''re no longer second-class citizens. We''re of the same class."


    I stared at the silver''s spires in the distance, "Yeah, I can agree with that."


    Bitterness leaked into Thisbey''s voice, "See, gialgathens don''t think as we do. They look down on us, and they remind us of their imposing statures frequently. You''ve fought one, a riveting bought in any regard. He spoke with you."


    I bit my lip, "Yeah, he wasn''t the nicest guy."


    Thisbey nodded,


    "I tell you from a place of deep understand''in - they''re all the same in that regard. They''ve destroyed the confidence of the espen people. If you win this tournament, you will be the hero we need to renew that confidence."


    He gripped his hands into fists, "You''ll prove to so many that the espen people aren''t beneath the gialgathens. You''ll show them that those beasts aren''t the gods that some people believe them to be."


    I shrugged, "Look, I''ll be honest with you. I''m winning the tournament regardless. You don''t have to motivate me for that."


    He shook his head, "The people will look to you for guidance, Daniel. They''ll look at you to help uplift them. I want you to tell the espen people to rise up and realize their potential. To fight the evils knocking on their door."


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I rolled my eyes, "And let me guess, you''ll be the leader?"


    Thisbey spread out his hands, "It could be anyone. I''m not asking to be wealthy or powerful. I have both of those qualities in spades. I''m done looking after my own wellbeing. I''m looking after the wellbeing of my people now."


    With utter sincerity, he locked eyes with me,


    "Can you do that? Not for me, but for young espens looking to make a mark in this world?"


    The will behind his words was overwhelming. They saturated with charisma and purpose, a lifetime of work behind them. He commanded the room. If I hadn''t met Yawm, he''d have swept me off my feet.


    I had met Yawm, however. His words crashed against a brick wall as I said,


    "Yeah, maybe. I''ll think about it."


    Absolute delight spread over his face as he walked up, slapping a hand on the side of my arm. He shook my hand, his fingers just barely big enough to get around my palm. He laughed,


    "Daniel, you won''t regret hearing me out. I promise you on the name Thisbey Thorn that you will always be welcome here on Giess. Thank you, thank you very, very much."


    He leaned back, giving me a good look, "You really are larger than life now that I see you in person." He gave my arm a friendly pat, "You will not regret it, I promise you that. We''re going to help lift up the espen people, together."


    He turned, walking out of the room. I stood there, frozen in place. I shook my head, looking around the room. I murmured,


    "What the fuck just happened?"


    In the corner of my vision, a tiny orb showed itself. It was Kessiah''s obelisk. She walked down the steps, grinning at me,


    "Looks like our tough guy got wrapped up by a salesman."


    My shoulders drooped, "Oh come on. That motherfucker had to be a politician. Besides, I didn''t make any promises."


    Kessiah shrugged, "Eh, you said enough that he could spin it that way. Be careful with those types. They''re too slimy to get a hold of."


    I pointed at her obelisk, "You look like you have a plan for that. I see you recorded us?"


    She shrugged, "Eh, just figured it might be helpful to have some documentation. It''s a trick I got from Torix."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, I''m starting to think your warning at the bar had some merit."


    Kessiah shrugged, "Told you so."


    After I rolled my eyes, our team got back together. We chatted a bit about Yildraza, one of the biggest cities on Giess. It wasn''t the political center of the world, but it was the economic one. It was because Schema spawned three teleporters here when he first arrived.


    With so much alien tech and resources coming in, the city boomed. It flourished as several young business leaders rose to prominence. Thisbey Thorn was the defacto leader of those young business people. He owned dozens of companies, and his reach was as broad as an ocean on Giess.


    He made most of his money in the silver mining. Not the metal but the creature. He hired teams of mercenaries to go out and excavate the steel and other resources. He also dumped most of the city''s pollutants over there as well.


    It was a one-two punch of productivity and activism. Combine that with Thisbey''s sheer charisma, and he was a massive celebrity. Wearing another sentient race''s skin didn''t bode well with me though.


    After our chat, Kessiah, Caprika, and Althea went on a lady''s night out. Caprika knew a few places, and she wanted to share the delights of a big city. I stayed in the hotel room with Torix. I wanted to learn something before the biggest fights of the tournament.


    I walked up the steps, reaching his door. I knocked, and he let me in. Each room had its own air conditioner, and he kept it at a chilly 50 degrees. He planted piles of books and graphs all over the tables and beds at his disposal. Within seconds, he turned the hotel room into an evil lair.


    It was just like Torix.


    As I walked in, he closed a holographic interface. He sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "I despise teaching the lazy and the unmotivated."


    I grinned at him, "That''s perfect. I actually had something I wanted you to teach me."


    Torix snapped his head at me, his blue fire eyes flaring to purple,


    "What? Really?"


    I scoffed, "Yeah, really."


    He clapped his hands, "Yes, yes, of course. As your master, I must teach you when you''re ready to learn. You''re a rather independent student, so it''s rare I get the chance to pass knowledge on to you."


    He walked up, generating a magical chalkboard. With mana condensing over his fingertip, he puffed his chest out,


    "What is it that you''ve been curious about? Perhaps magical theory? Maybe on the mathematical conversions behind mana usage?"


    I winced, "Uh, not exactly. I was hoping you could teach me thermomancy."


    Torix''s chest wilted, "Thermomancy?"


    I nodded. He sighed, "You wish to learn the art of heating and cooling? Really now?"


    "Yeah. I do."


    He pointed at the chalkboard, "The sensation of heating and cooling is the rate of particle movement within the matter. Some matter is more resilient, meaning more energy is required to destroy the bonds connecting it. This leads to melting."


    He snapped his fingers, creating ice, "Some materials are elementary to make melt, such as water. Others, like granite, require extreme temperatures before the crystalline bonds break. This is the cardinal understanding of thermomancy."


    He melted and unmelted the ice, "Armed with this understanding, all you must do is channel mana to either speed up these molecules or slow them down. For you, this should be rather simple. Most students believe this branch of magic is oriented with origin. This false."


    He circled his hand, "Unlike with pyromancy, you don''t need to generate matter to fuel a chemical reaction. You must simply supply energy to cool or heat a substance. It''s really quite basic for anyone skilled in dominion styles of magic."


    Torix put his hands on his hips, "So why do you wish to manipulate temperature?"


    I raised my hands, excited like a kid talking about a new idea,


    "I''m going to heat my armor up till it''s white hot. I''ll be able to fuck people up then."


    Torix dropped his chalk, his face going deadpan. He whispered, "Really? You''re going to hurt your enemies by setting yourself...on fire?"


    I shrugged, "Pretty much."


    He raised a hand. Before he got anything out, he let the hand plop against his side, "I would tell you how truly, deeply idiotic that plan is, but I''ve been wrong about your progression on more than one occasion. Do as you will. I am certain you will turn that...rudimentary tactic into a devastating force, just as you did with your fists."


    My chest swelled with pride at the backhanded compliment. Beggars can''t be choosers.


    "Thanks, Professor. That should really help me get started. Cya later."


    He nodded, "Make me proud."


    I grinned, "Always do."


    With two days left until the fights in Yildraza began, I practiced and practiced. To get the Heating and Cooling skills, I froze and boiled a cup of water. I visualized the tiny particles in the liquid speeding up and cooling down. Once I got it, I focused on the basics.


    With my nigh limitless mana, I could turn simplistic skills into useful powers. In this case, getting some finesse with the changing temperature was necessary. I needed to get a firm grip on both the heating and cooling parts of the skill. Otherwise, I might actually boil my own blood.


    Just like that, I spent my first few days in Yildraza. I huddled in my and Althea''s room, messing around with water. I gained two other skills in Thermic Expansion and Thermic Compression. By the time the day of the fights arrived, I was on the brink of creating another unique skill.


    Instead of driving, we walked to the fight. It was staged in a stadium nearby with tens of thousands watching. I was in my own world while I walked through the crowd. I held a glass of water, changing the temperature as I walked.


    Althea and the others guided me while I honed in on the task at hand. Fights or no fights, this water wasn''t about to boil itself. With that relentless focus guiding me, a notification popped up.


    New Unique skill gained! By combining the skills Heating, Cooling, Thermal expansion, Thermal Compression, and Mana Theory, you gain the skill Thermomancy! Half of the ungained skill points in the fused skills rewarded: 162 treepoints!


    Thermomancy(lvl 1) - As a mage, you wield the laws of nature at your fingertips. +1% to temperature manipulation through mana.


    I pumped my fists, letting out a mental roar of triumph. I glanced up, gaining awareness of my surroundings. Like waking up from a dream, I found myself situated between Althea and Caprika in the stands. Around me, thousands of aliens chatted and talked with one another. I frowned.


    I was in the stadium.


    It was a weakness of mine. I zoned out when I absorbed myself in a task. It helped more than it hurt most of the time. In this case, it caught me by surprise. Still, I wasn''t nervous about my next few fights. If anything, I was itching for them.


    The spectators shared my sentiment. We situated ourselves in a portion of the stands dedicated for combatants and their teams. Portions of the stadium were dedicated for gialgathens. Single combatants had groups of people with papers and data-charts. They discussed what to do versus each combatant.


    Vendors of all kinds walked around them, feeding the crows snacks. Thousands of obelisks floated in the air as well, posting onto their social media. Not one second of any battle would escape their prying eye.


    Despite the publicity, my identity would stay hidden for the most part. My perception sat at just over 3,800 now. It was plenty high to keep me from being discovered with Torix''s spells and my armor. I relaxed, sitting back into my seat. I glanced over at Althea, noting how beautiful she looked in her veil.


    "Hey. You look amazing."


    Althea turned to me and grinned, "Hey! You''re back from your...training I guess?"


    "Yeah, I got a unique skill for thermomancy. Next up, I''m going to incorporate it into Force of Nature for a free boost."


    She rolled her eyes, "Always expanding your horizons. We all had fun eating out and going places. They had a dancing combat sport here just the other day. They fought with ribbons. Judges rated their performance afterward."


    She raised her hands, "You should have seen it. It was amazing."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really now?"


    We chatted until the announcer, Kiki Mosk, came floating over the arena. Four gigantic teleprompters flashed to life with a burst of light and sound. A track played, hyping the crowd up. Always the professional, Kiki Most soaked in the atmosphere. As the throng of people hit a fever pitch, he raised a hand,


    "Are you ready to see fights and fury!"


    The crowd boomed from all angles. Kiki Mosk pulled on the collars of his insane, rainbow suit,


    "Then do we have at treat for the each of you today. This is considered the most competitive regional center on Giess. From a pool of over 500 million combatants, the tournament has culled the weak. Now you all get to see the strongest of the strong face off in brutal bouts! Are you ready for war Yildraza?"


    Once again, the crowd exploded with applause. Kiki Most floated around on a hovering disk, eyeing the congregation,


    "Then let''s get''s ready to see some brutality and battle!"

 168 Prestige and Prominence

    Kiki Mosk floated outside of the arena. As he did, the lights went off. The pre-fight hype started, clips of the fighters showing on the teleprompters. Flashy fights with no substance poured out of the screens. I leaned over towards Althea,


    "This seems more like an exhibition than fighting, don''t you think?"


    Unlike me, Althea relished in the theatrics. She waved me away, "Just relax a little. The montages are awesome."


    After a minute of fireworks and a light show, I yawned. A few minutes later and they were still hyping up the fight. I leaned against my armrest, bored out of my mind. At the apex of my boredom, a presence reached out to me. It tapped against my mind, like knocking on your door.


    It was a gialgathen, one nearby. I glanced around, finding a dark green beast towering over those around him. He situated himself onto a platform for combatants. He glanced at me, his bearing noble. He waited for my permission, so I let him speak to me.


    "Excuse my intrusion young one, but you mentioned this bout as an exhibition?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "How did you hear me?"


    "Hah! I''ve honed my senses over the years. It can be a burden at times. You no doubt carry that same awareness. Even as you walked in, I noticed no method of attacking you. Your guard is absolute."


    He gave me a nod of approval, "It''s fitting for a warrior such as you to defeat Alzoroth."


    I frowned, "Are you his friend?"


    The gialgathen''s head leaned back, "What? Why, I would never even give that racist a second thought! Alzoroth was an uncouth member of our people. Please, do not let his ugliness stain your thoughts of our proud species."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Eh, I don''t. Is it that common for other gialgathens to be like that?"


    He nodded his head, "I will not lie to you. Many of us are. They fight to bolster their fragile egos. I share little with them. To the contrary, I am like you, Gray Giant. I fight for honor, not for fame or fortune."


    I shrugged, "I definitely fight for fortune."


    The gialgathen turned his head, the black spots on his sides reflecting light, "If that were so, you wouldn''t fight for your rewards. You would do business or the like. You''re no doubt wealthy already, or am I incorrect in my assumption?"


    I cupped my chin. Now that I thought about it, I owned over 100 million credits. No matter how you look at it, that was wealthy. I didn''t need to fight for money anymore, yet I still kept fighting. The gialgathen showed his teeth with a grin,


    "It was as I suggested! You give yourself too little credit. You battle to sharpen your body and spirit. In my eyes, that is a noble pursuit."


    He glanced up, "I''m glad to share some wisdom with such promising young talent. It''s good to see I can do some good even after what they''ve done to  Lehesion''s Honoring."


    Gialgathen or not, I liked this guy. I raised a hand to him, "My name''s Daniel Hillside. What''s yours?"


    "Eradin. Eradin Forest-Torch. I earned my last name by setting an entire forest ablaze with a single breath." He scoffed, "Though my flames have dimmed with old age no doubt. I''d rather speak of more recent glories, yours perhaps?"


    I shrugged, "I''m just here to win the tournament."


    He raised his foot and stomped the ground, "As you should be! You''re one of the few walkers here that I wouldn''t mind winning the tournament. When I was younger, every combatant battled for honor, for glory! Now, look at them."


    Several advertisements flowed across the teleprompters. Eradin growled,


    "Now they use Lehesion''s Honoring to gain fame and fortune. It disgusts me."


    I crossed my arms, "You mean the ads and stuff?"


    Eradin nodded, "They wonder why we gialgathens win year after year. The answer could not be more obvious. We battle for the sake of battle! We need no other incentive. If they followed the same ambition, they''d conquer just as we do."


    As Eradin finished his spill, an advertisement for Thisbey''s mining business popped up. Eradin sighed, "Thisbey Thorn. The only memorable thing about that clown is how much of a thorn in my side he is."


    I liked how chatty and ornery this guy was. I laughed, "Really now? Why?"


    "Because he is at the forefront of destroying what Lehesion''s Honoring stood for."


    Eradin snorted, "Lehesion was more than just mighty. He was an absolute force. With one breath, he could decimate a dozen Skyburners. A slash of his claws could slice through the sky. A stomp of his foot flattened mountains."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Tall praise. Could he actually do that?"


    Eradin''s eyes watered, "It was a thing of beauty. I saw his first battle against Emagrotha''s army of Skyburners. He destroyed them all on his own. When he and Emagrotha fought, their claws sent shockwaves that parted seas."


    He was sentimental too. Eradin gazed deep into his memory, "He sent her a message that day. All races deserve an opportunity, lesser or not."


    I frowned. The phrase wasn''t perfect, but at the time, it was a step in the right direction. At least compared to Alzoroth.


    Eradin shook his head,  "I pray for your good luck in Lehesion''s Honoring but never forget this. Remember who and what you fight for. It will guide you when you''ve lost your way."


    I nodded. It was a good tip. Eradin glanced down, "Ah, look at what I''ve done. I''ve chatted away like a mother with an empty nest. Please excuse me."


    I raised up a palm, "Don''t worry about it. It was interesting. Plus it''s always good to see someone else who likes to fight."


    We finished our chat just as the fight hype ended. A fighter walked out of one side of the arena. His face appeared on the teleprompter along with his name, Mell Coff. He was lean with sharp features. Girl espens nearby swooned over him, and he beamed a grin at the crowd.


    Beside him, the symbol for Thisbey''s mining business appeared. Kiki Mosk pointed towards Mell, "Here''s the fan favorite, Mell Coff! He represents the hardworking miners that clean up the city. He''s the best of Thisbey''s mercenaries. Let him know how you feel!"


    The horde roared with applause. He got onto the arena, waving at his adoring fans. I analyzed him.


    Mell Coff, the Earth Dancer(lvl 5,000) - A prominent social figure in Yildraza, he represents the elegance of espen magic in many eyes. While his combat abilities aren''t lacking, it''s the methods he uses that draw so much attention.


    Despite his plain name and earth magic, he dances during combat to channel his spells. This creates elaborate displays of skill. While he may be popular, don''t underestimate him.


    That would be my advice for most, for you he will prove no problem.


    Kiki gestured towards the other side of the arena,


    "And here is the other contestant, Jilian Krokov! She represents the leader of the speakers centered on Giess. She''s been funded by Tohtellah Adair, a speaker like yours truly."


    Jillian walked out, covered in black power armor. Grenades, knives, gemstones, vials, and ammo lined her sides. Several weapons were on her back. In my opinion, she looked like a complete badass.


    Jilian Krokov(lvl 5,246 | Speaker) - A powerful member of the speakers of Giess. Most speakers specialize in communicative abilities or auras. Jilian is a specialist in gun oriented combat. By taking full advantage of technology and alchemy, she has proven herself to be very resourceful.


    Combine this with Jilian researching her opponents ahead of time, and she poses a sizable threat to most. You are a counter matchup to her. Your abilities would overwhelm hers regardless, but the nature of your magic poses problems for her.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The crowd didn''t agree with me. They booed as Jilian walked out. She got into her respective corner of the stone arena. Kiki Mosk raised a hand,


    "Are both contestants ready?"


    They nodded. Kiki Mosk shouted, "Begin!"


    Mell Coff sprinted forwards, jumping up. A chunk of the arena popped up under his feet, letting him fly around. He pushed his hands towards Jilian, chunks of sharpened earth flying towards her.


    Jilian clicked a device on her side. The spikes of earth bounced off a blue barrier in front of her, electrical sparks flaring. She pulled a rifle from her back, aiming and firing in one swift motion.


    Mell covered his hands with hardened soil. As if dancing, he spun and deflected the bullets. They slapped against the edge of a forcefield, blue energy rippling out. As Jilian began reloading, he dashed towards her.


    She tossed a grenade at her feet. A plume of yellow smoke billowed out. She stepped through a portal, appearing on the other side of the arena. Mell stopped his chase, dodging the toxic cloud.


    I scoffed, "So that''s why he''s popular and she isn''t. He''s the flash and she''s the fury."


    Althea leaned towards me, "What do you mean?"


    I pointed at her, "Just watch."


    With distance to cover, Mell dived into the arena. He burrowed beneath the ground, trying to reach her. Jilian tossed a vial down, spraying a yellow liquid around her. It soaked into the dirt. Moments later, Mell burst from the ground, using a dirt hunk to keep him moving. The moment he got above ground, Jilian unloaded another clip right at him.


    He struggled to deflect the bullets this time. One of them clipped his arms, leaving a dent on his silver power armor. Mell danced again on his platform, summoning a pillar of dirt at Jilian''s throat. She sidestepped it, continuing the onslaught of lead.


    Althea frowned, "He can''t do anything."


    I raised my eyebrows, "She took away all his options."


    Mell opened his dimensional storage, pulling a vial out. As he did, Jilian unloaded a dozen bullets into the portal. I winced,


    "Damn. She''s not leaving a stone unturned. You can only store your bodyweight in your dimensional storage. It costs health depending on how much you put in there. He''s paying the weight of those bullets in flesh and blood."


    Mell kept composed despite the damage. He opened the vial, a shiny dust floating around him. Kiki Most shouted, "And here it is folks. His signature move, diamond storm!"


    Mell propelled shining shards at her. They shot against her shield. The specks bounced off before wrapping around her. Mell maintained the spiral of diamonds while dancing and deflecting her bullets. It was a bunch of flashy bullshit, but it was still impressive.


    Jilian stayed on point. She took a device from her side, activating it. She tossed it ahead of her, and it siphoned air inwards. Like a vacuum in space, the machine pulled the diamond dust into the portal. She reloaded while waiting for it to do her work.


    The second the machine stopped, she fired again. Mell kept dancing and fighting back, but the bout was over. More and more bullets clipped him, slowing him down. The more he slowed down, the more bullets clipped him. The vicious cycle continued until one smacked him in the helmet.


    Knocked unconscious, Kiki Mosk snapped his fingers. A shield formed over Mell, stopping his fall. Kiki pointed at Jilian, "And we have a winner!"


    The throngs of people booed like there was no tomorrow. Jilian stepped out of the arena, ignoring the jeering like a true professional. Althea sighed at me,


    "Well, you were right about her being the fury. What made you guess."


    I shrugged, "Jilian was all about the fight. Mell looked more like an entertainer. He reminded me of Thisbey in that regard."


    After they stepped out of the arena, lots of people left the stadium. They were Mell''s fans leaving. Eradin sent a mental shout at me, "Good riddance! There''s no need for casuals here."


    A small grin ran up my lips at that. After the next set of ads played, Kiki Mosk gestured towards us, "The next fight is another decisive one. We have a treat for you all. Two gialgathens are going head to head! On the one hand, we have Eradin Forest-Torch."


    Eradin opened his jaws and roared out. He flapped his wings, flying up onto the arena. As he landed, he quaked the ground."


    I squinted at him, checking his status.


    Eradin Forest-Torch(lvl 6,783) - Eradin is an ancient gialgathen, over two centuries old. While experienced, his best days are behind him. With a worsening heart condition, his ability to fight for extended periods of time is lowered.


    Even then, his clever tactics and experience make him a harrowing foe to face. He uses his tail as clubbed whip like most gialgathens. The difference lies in his clever usage of angle. This gives him more openings for counter attacks.


    You will overwhelm him most likely, though he could pose a challenge.


    The crowd booed again. Near us, one of the combatants tossed a mushy piece of food at him. I flicked my wrist, sending the food right back at the combatant. He fell backward, and Althea giggled,


    "Did you see that guy? Talk about hilarious."


    I smirked, "Yup. It was satisfying to watch."


    Kiki Mosk pointed near us again, "And here we have his son, Moran Blademaker!"


    Another gialgathen roared. Bright green with black spots on his sides, Moran flew onto the other side of the arena. He was the younger version of Eradin, his frame oozing vitality.


    Moran Blademaker(lvl 6,821) - The son of Eradin Forest-Torch, Moran has struggled for many years to prove his worth to his father. This has created a healthy rivalry where each side helps elevate the others performance. Though compliments between the two are rare, there exists a respect between them both.


    He lacks his father''s tactical prowess, but his raw strength and endurance give him a subtle edge in combat. Just like his father, Moran could prove a challenge given the right circumstances though its unlikely.


    It made sense why most espens struggled against gialgathens. Even without the system, they seemed to revolve around level six or seven thousand. It was enough distance that you needed a class to compete.


    Kiki Mosk interrupted my thoughts, pointing to each side, "Are both combatants ready?"


    They nodded. Kiki Mosk raised a hand, "Then to battle!"


    Eradin and Moran bowed to each other, showing respect for each other. The old lizard wasn''t joking about honor. Their tails whipped behind them, the air squealing at the speed. They clashed, slapping against each other.


    Each tail ripped through the air at stupendous speeds. They clashed several times a second, sending out pounding booms of sound. Each gialgathen kept their necks tucked, ready to lunge out at a moment''s notice.


    Eradin deflected one of Moran''s strikes, sending his son''s tail off to the side. The old beast snapped out, his teeth tearing into Moran''s neck. Moran shot out his tail, but Eradin cocked his neck back before it landed. Another fierce volley of lashing shot out, the crowd unable to see them.


    I saw them in detail, however. They both hit each other with the hardened tips of their tails, forged through years of training. Each attack was done with an angle, never head-on. They weaved each attack into the next, creating no opening for a snap of each other''s jaws.


    Eradin times another pristine deflection, sending Moran''s tail out from in front of him. Just as before Eradin snapped out. Moran countered, snapping his jaws against his father''s own. The older gialgathen punished that attempt, snapping his tail onto the side of Morna''s head.


    The younger gialgathen lost his balance, stumbling sideways. With a brutal flurry of his tail, Eradin tore chunks of flesh fell off Moran. Moran launched a heavy tail whip at Eradin. The old gialgathen snapped his jaws further down his son''s tail. This stopped the momentum of Moran''s attack.


    With one final, blinding snap of his tail, Eradin knocked his son out cold. Kiki caught Moran from falling with the flick of his fingers. Kiki pointed towards Eradin,


    "And the father wins!"


    Another set of boos roared out. By now, I hated the crowd. Those two gialgathens just laid their hearts out in that battle. It was was a stunning display from both adversaries. No one gave a shit. The crowd just played favorites without any rhyme or reason.


    It left a bad taste in my mouth as Eradin flew back to his spot. He turned towards me, breathing heavy, "My son has improved so much since last year. I nearly lost my bout!"


    I scoffed, "Yeah right."


    Beads of sweat poured from Eradin, "You jest. Look at me. Fatigue almost claimed me. If he hadn''t grown overeager, he''d have worn me out with that pace. It''s a good battle for him to learn from. He will defeat me next year. Of this, I have no doubt."


    He stuck his chest out, his head held high, "He''s a good boy, no, a good warrior. He will give my family honor in the days to come. Once he''s healed, I''ll let him know this."


    I grinned at the old guy. He was a great father even if he was a little harsh with his lessons. Just I smiled, the pre-fight hype started up again. Two big names were coming up again. I raised my head up and wheezed out,


    "No, not this shit again."


    Clips from the last fight popped up along with some I''d already seen before.  At least it didn''t last as long this time. With the hype over, Kiki pointed towards one side of the arena,


    "And here we have yet another big fight! Here, on the one hand, we have the returning veteran, Jilian Krokov!"


    Jilian walked out in her black power armor, stone cold and badass. The booing of the crowd commenced in full force. People poured into the arena once more, wanting to watch the next fight. Seconds later, new clips played on the teleprompter. These videos drew my attention, however.


    They showed a guy in gray power armor keeping up with a gialgathen''s tail whips. He deflected each attack, pressuring the monster back. As he encroached on his prey, he unleashed a furious assault. The gialgathen didn''t stand a chance, and he was launched out of the arena. I frowned.


    It was me.


    A light beamed onto me from above as Kiki Mosk pointed at me, "And here we have the popular newcomer, Daniel, the Gray Giant!"


    The crowd roared as I looked around. I stood up, wondering why the fuck they didn''t just give me a list of who fought who. As I pushed my ass off my seat, the entire stadium exploded with praise. I raised my hands and portions of the crowd began a standing ovation.


    It was pure madness.


    I pumped my fists up and down. The people standing up did the same. I grabbed one leg behind me before hopping on one foot. To my utter disbelief, some people did the same. Kessiah smacked my back from behind me. I laughed before pulling myself up with gravity, floating towards the arena.


    Once onto the stone arena, Kiki Mosk pointed at the both of us, "Are you all ready to see the third high profile bout in a row?"


    The crowd went crazy again. It was bizarre, out of body experience. Everybody had an expectation of me, and that expectation was who I was. I didn''t like it, and I intended on fixing it when I was able to get a speech in. All that would come later.


    I rolled my shoulders while cracking my knuckles. I twisted my neck, the crowd stomping. My mana charged, building to obscene levels in seconds. An aura leaked from my armor, whipping wind nearby. Jilian Krokov took a step back, the energy causing her cold persona to crack.


    Kiki Mosk raised a hand, "Are both combatants ready?"


    I nodded as Jilian sighed. She pulled out her rifle, aiming it at me before the fight started. She nodded.


    Kiki Mosk pulled down his hand, "Then lets fight!"

 169 Weaving Threads

    Jilian fired at me, but I condensed my weight, no longer dispersing it. I sunk into the ground like diving into water. I burrowed at her while charging my mana. Jilian threw a bottle of the toxic, yellow gunk at the arena again. I grabbed it with telekinesis, preventing the container from shattering.


    I tossed the vial aside. I detonated my runes, giving me a surge of strength. I propelled out of the ground, drop kicking at Jilian. Her blue energy shield shattered. It redistributed the kinetic energy outwards, canceling my kick''s momentum. This stopped her from being flung backward while flinging me back.


    I rolled onto my feet as I hit the ground. I slammed my heels into the ground, the arena crumbling. Without her shield or distance, Jilian pulled out two plasma daggers. I shot up to her front, sending a heavy left hook at her gut.


    She crossed her arms, blocking the blow. The armor on her forearms split, revealing charged gemstones. A mana shield generated, preventing my strike. My fist shattered the second line of defense. The thunderous, rippling sound echoed throughout the arena as it sent out another kinetic pulse.


    It bounced my fist back. With a chilling calm, Jilian took advantage of my position. She sliced one of her daggers towards the left side of my throat, trying to end the fight. I raised my left shoulder while leaning towards my right side. My shoulder pad knocked her hand up, causing it to swing over my head.


    With her body exposed, I turned on my heels and sliced a tight right hook at her gut. Using Force of Nature, I slammed my fist into a telekinetic pad just shy of her armor. This converted the force of my strike into a kinetic bullet. It slammed into Jilian, puncturing her armor and sending her sailing through the air.


    I sighed with relief. It was just enough force to do her in but not kill her. Unconcious and flailing, Jilian''s head dived towards the rock floor. I stood upright, raising a hand. I caught her with a gravity well, stopping any further damage. I set her down. I banged my fist together, sending out a shockwave of force.


    As I lifted my fist in victory, the mob shouted until the stadium rumbled. Many of the espens gave me a standing ovation, and Eradin roared out. With the fight over, Kiki Mosk boomed,


    "And it''s a wrap, folks. Can anyone even stand a chance against the Gray Giant? So far, no luck!"


    I tapped a telekinetic pad, tapping Kiki on the shoulder. He looked around, his eyes narrowed. I cupped my hands around my mouth, "Yo Kiki."


    He turned down, his expression softening,


    "Ah, it''s you, Daniel. I''d love to chat, but I''m busy at the moment."


    I raised a palm, "I need the schedule for the tournament."


    Kiki facepalmed, a grimace forming on his lips, "They didn''t send you one? Wow. Ok. That''s totally fine. I hope the director wasn''t planning on getting a promotion anytime soon."


    He fiddled with his status, mumbling under his breath,


    "Idiots. The whole lot of them. I don''t need to fire someone. I need a firing squad."


    A notification for a file popped up. I opened it, seeing a list of battles and dates. I gave Kiki a thumbs up as I walked off the arena. Kiki wiped his forehead and smiled, "Excuse me, folks, there were some technical difficulties. Now, who wants to see the next brutal battle?"


    A few medics ran up, getting Jilian out of the arena. I jumped back into the crowd, landing beside Althea. She stood up and gave me a hug, popping my back six or seven times. I grunted,


    "Thank you for breaking my spine."


    Althea giggled, "Oh, sorry about that. You really taught her what''s up."


    I shrugged, "Sometimes, I just can''t help it."


    Eradin nodded towards me, "It was a good fight. You should be proud of it."


    "You should too old man. You staved off the younger talent like a pro."


    He chuckled, "It''s my duty as a gatekeeper." Eradin stood up, "It''s time I go see my son in fact. He should be waking up anytime now. It would be a shame if he didn''t see his father''s smiling face."


    I smirked, "Or heard a little teasing."


    Eradin grinned, "Naturally."


    He flew off, leaving the arena through the open roof. I sat down, glancing at the tournament''s schedule. It seemed strange that Jilian would fight me right after fighting Mell. I shrugged it off as coincidence.  I leaned back from my status in disgust, seeing that it was two days before I battled again. I gave Althea a pat on her shoulder,


    "Hey, I''m going to go do some stuff. Let me know if you get bored. We can explore Yildraza or something."


    She gave me a sly grin, "Maybe something else later tonight?"


    I pressed my face mask against her forehead, "Definitely...I wish I could give you a kiss."


    Kessiah shouted from behind us, "Please leave already."


    Althea laughed, and I skedaddled out of there. After passing through crowds of fans, I stuck to the alleyways. It suited me better since there were fewer people. Using my minimap, I found a quest board located in one of the Steel Legion''s branches here.


    No one gave me any trouble with my heavy presence this time. After walking up and downloading all the top quests, I skimmed through them. I shook my hand, clasping it into a fist as I discovered the highest tier one.


    An Encroaching Invasion(lvl 8,000+ | Party Size: 10+ | Guild Affiliation: Any) - Reports of silver outbreaks have been flowing in. This spread of silvers is challenging to stop, as cleaning out an infested area proves difficult even for high-level sentients.


    For those gifted in AOE combat, clear out the border near Yildraza and nearby towns. FInd the culprit(s) of this expansion and eliminate them. Considering the sheer number of silvers, a large group of sentients is recommended, preferably a guild part of some sort. An investigator specialist is recommended for the party.


    If any information of who''s causing the outbreaks is found, report to Tohtella Adair. As head of the viral and parasitic research operation, she''ll be seen in the Speaker''s headquarters of Yildraza.


    Rewards: 50 red dungeon cores, 1 blue dungeon core, and allows the formation of one guild branch in Yildraza.


    It was the perfect questline. We came to Giess for three reasons. First, establish positive relations with the planet. Second, we needed to clear a criminal organization of some sort. Third, we had to create an alliance with the Empire and the Steel Legion.


    This quest might help me with both if there was some association behind the spreading silvers. With that in mind, I scrambled my way out of Yildraza. I shot through the alleyways, leaping over the crowded streets. I got a few weird looks, sure, but I saved a bunch of time.


    Half an hour later, and I blazed across the wilderness. As I traveled, I practiced Thermomancy. Within minutes, I neared the silver''s border. Towards the West, an industrial town situated itself along a cliffside. Covered in Thisbey Corp''s symbol, they mined minerals and dumped sludge to the silvers.


    Towards the east, the border expanded out. The silver spires didn''t tower over the nearby woods here. This meant it was newer territory for the silvers. I dashed towards it, beginning my search there.


    My first objective was to push back the silvers some. Using Event Horizon, I cleared out all the Saysha crawling around. The tiny beetles gave me the creeps, so I was glad to be rid of them. As I passed over the fields of metal, I smashed any Merjects I ran across.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Merjects were odd creatures. They hid along the silver spires, blending in with the shining metal. They always ambushed from above, trying to stab their needle mouths into the back of my neck. If they had their way, they''d slurp my brain up like a smoothie.


    I hit them as they jumped down, sending out shockwaves that attracted larger silvers. Engorgs rolled towards me, their bodies rolled up into metal balls. If they smashed their prey, they unrolled, revealing thousands of squirming legs.


    Needless to say, they didn''t handle my strikes very well.


    Just like that, I spent two hours cleansing the border. I cleared out a broad swath of silvers, giving nearby villages some breathing room. It wouldn''t last unless I did something to prevent silvers from coming back.


    With that in mind, I tore a wide strip of metal from the ground. Since this was a new area, the metal was thin, making this pretty easy. I flew back and forth, tearing out tiny strips of the metal. I felt like a gigantic printer, going back and forth.


    A few hours later, and I cleared the ground of the silver''s stain. The only thing left of their ilk was the spires. I tore these pillars up, lobbing them like silver spears back into their territory. With a gorgeous sunset in the distance, I kicked back and looked at my handiwork.


    I cleared out several mile long stretches of farmland. The exposed, dark earth looked perfect for planting crops. With that handled, I ran along the border of this newly cleared ground. Just as I expected, I found espens scattered along the edges of silver''s territory.


    With brands on their foreheads, they held egg sacks in their stomachs. I cleared out dozens of these atrocities, documenting evidence with my obelisk. I cleared out the entire expanse near Yildraza. I found the same talon marks left by the last Skyburner.


    It left a bitter taste in my mouth, finding such damning evidence against the gialgathens. Considering the hatred for them, leaders like Thisbey might take actions against them. That was if this information went public, however.


    I didn''t intend on stirring up a political shitstorm. With the first part of the questline completed, I headed back to Yildraza. I followed the quest''s advice, going toward the Speaker''s Guild there. Using an online guide, I dived deep into the city. Not long after, I found the Speaker''s place surrounded by modern buildings.


    The Speaker''s guild looked more like a fortress than a base. I found the entrance after walking down a set of underground steps. The opening was a massive vault door made of orichalcum. After verifying who I was, they let me into the bunker.


    I stepped into the bright steel room. With harsh, blue lights beaming from above, I glanced at a wall of glass. Behind it, a worker operated a company computer with a headset. He clicked a button, sending a mist into the area.  After passing a sterilization check, he spoke into an intercom sir,


    "Hello, Gray Giant. We want you to feel welcome here, but we need to verify that you don''t have parasites or viruses on you. Remove your armor and let an expert check you out please."


    I shook my head, "I can''t do that."


    With a bit of snark, he mouthed, "Sorry sir, but it''s just protocol."


    I sighed, "Look, throw a parasite or a vial of some deadly virus in here. I can show you why I''m sterile. Will that work?"


    "Of course sir. We''ll need to go through the proper channels of communication. Given a few weeks, we might be able to handle the right forms."


    I raised my head, "Ok, I just cleared out several miles of silver territory before coming here. Surely it''s on the news or something."


    "I''m sure you can do that sir, but we''re going to need a few memos verifying all that first. After we clear out the A1 forms regarding toxic form removal, we''ll get those B3 forms started for verification. It should only take Cindy two or three months for that."


    I grabbed the sides of my head, "What the fuck? How does it even take that long?"


    "Calm down sir. It''s just standard protocol."


    I spread out my arms, "Its should take seconds. You send the email then Cindy responds. Boom. Finished."


    He shook his head, "Uhm, sir, if you could just calm down and let us do our jobs, then that''d be greeeeat."


    Thoughts of murder and destruction flashed across my eyes. He leaned towards me,


    "Looks like somebody''s in a rush. Have a bad day at work? My advice should have followed protocol."


    I pointed at him, "Ohhhh, I know what your doing."


    "Do you sir? I''ll give you a hint, it rhymes with swallowing ethanol."


    A door beside him opened. A remnant woman walked in, her white hair wrapped into a bun behind her. She stared down at her status and a clipboard. She wore fitted business attire with a pen in her hand. She looked up, her glasses shining.


    The piece of shit worker stiffened up, his back straight as an arrow as she walked in. He mumbled, "Uhm, Miss Adair, what are you doing here?"


    Miss Adair stared at me. She pointed her pen at me, "Turn around."


    There was a commanding tone to her voice. She was the boss her for sure. Not wanting to reveal my identity or wait several months for paperwork, I did as she said. She turned towards the nervous worker,


    "Henry, You''re fired."


    His shoulders fell as his jaw went slack. He mumbled, "Uh, but why-"


    She pointed at me, "He has no breaks in his armor. He''s been sterilized. That means he has no parasites. Your duty is to process visitors quickly and efficiently, not heckle them and waste their time."


    Henry raised a hand, "Bu-"


    Miss Adair raised a hand, pressing two fingers together, "If you wish to speak about your dismissal, do so with the guards. Otherwise, empty your desk and leave. Before you ask, no. I will not give you a recommendation letter."


    Henry stared at his workspace, his eyes hollow. I''m not going to lie, I was more satisfied than I should be. Miss Adair pointed towards me, "You''re Daniel, correct?"


    I nodded. Miss Adair handled work as she continued, "I am Tohtella Adair. You may refer to me as Tohtella or Miss Adair, whichever you prefer."


    I crossed my arms, "I''ll stick with Tohtella."


    She gave me a curt nod, "You wished to speak with me, correct?"


    I nodded again. Tohtella turned and walked into the building. "Meet me in my office. A more useful employee will guide you there."


    As she stepped into the building, the steel doors slid open, letting me walk in. I walked into a receptionists hall. An espen woman stood up and walked up to me. She gave me a bow, "I''ll take you to Miss Adair''s office at once. Please excuse your previous experience with our guard."


    I shrugged, "Eh, it happens."


    I followed her through a winding labyrinth of tunnels. We passed a laboratory full of silvers and vials of sludge. Scientists studied saysha, merjects, and other live silvers here. They even had a tube full of yana, the parasites that infected the first gialgathen I fought back in Icosah.


    After a few minutes, we reached the end of a hallway. On a reinforced metal door, the name ''Tohtella Adair''s Office'' was imprinted. The receptionist gave me a bow. As she left, I knocked on the door. Tohtella shouted,


    "Come in."


    I opened the entrance, finding an everyday, regular office. So ordinary, in fact, that it seemed off. There was no dust, no disorganization, and no disorder. The only strange part was a jar full of yana worms. My guess was she kept it as a reminder of what she was working against.


    As I stood in front of her, she stared at me, her eyes piercing. She pointed at a chair, "Please, sit. Does it bother you if I work while we talk?"


    I shook my head, "Not at all. Does it bother you if I practice magic?"


    She gave me a small smile like she was amused. When I got a good look at her, it shocked me how attractive she was. She hid it beneath her persona and workwear, but it still beamed through if you looked close.


    I already had someone special though, so I leaned back in my chair. I pulled out a lump of orichalcum from my dimensional storage. I heated and cooled it as I talked,


    "I''m here for a quest."


    She operated several windows of her status, "Which one?"


    "An Encroaching Invasion."


    Tohtella froze for a second. She looked me in the eye, "What did you find?"


    I sighed, "Is this conversation at all confidential?"


    She nodded, steepling her fingers and turning towards me,


    "You have my word it is. Speakers are a neutral faction. We only aim to further Schema. Nothing more, nothing less."


    She meant it too. From the beginning, everything about Tohtella screamed integrity. From the way she handled her office and workers to her candidate Jilian, Tohtealla wanted to do a good job and get results.


    However, I kept myself skeptical even if my gut reaction was good. I pulled out my obelisk and recorded our conversation. I turned to her,


    "You don''t mind?"


    She waved her hand, "Of course not. I have nothing to hide, and documentation is almost always an excellent idea."


    I flipped the orichalcum in my hand, "Good. I figured out who''s spreading the infestation."


    Her eyes widened, and she leaned towards me, "Who?"


    I frowned, "I think it''s a faction of gialgathens."


    She raised an eyebrow, "What makes you believe that?"


    I sighed, "I found espen bodies implanted with eggs. They were covered in the same slave brands that Emagrotha used forever ago."


    Tohtella narrowed her eyes, "And? Anyone that knows those brands could plant that kind of evidence."


    I shook my head, "I fought a Skyburner."


    Tohtella blinked. She peered off to her side. She pushed her glasses up. She looked back at me, "Ahem, I understand that you are a contender in the Honoring of Lehesion, but-"


    I shrugged, "I have video evidence of me kicking its ass. I can show it to you if you''d like. I''m the reason Mount Vernon has a new crater."


    She blinked, "Wait...that crater wasn''t an eruption?"


    I shook my head,


    "No. It was me."

 170 A Nightmare

    Tohtella scoffed, "Really? Perhaps you''d like to offer up that evidence then?"


    I went through a few menus, opening the files from Kessiah. My obelisk played out a three dimensional model of the fight. It showed me off in the distance, duking it out with Ryhstrika. As I landed onto the mountain, Tohtella raised her hand,


    "That will be more than sufficient. I have a few questions to ask."


    I shrugged, "Fire away."


    She pointed at the video, "You''re only level 6,000. How''re you generating that kind of power?"


    I shook my head, "Trademark secret."


    She nodded, "I had to ask. Next, if you''re already so durable, why do you wear armor?"


    "To hide who I am. As a remnant, you should know why someone would want to hide their identity."


    The same mild, amused grin went up her lips,


    "You haven''t analyzed me yet? That''s polite of you, but do so now."


    My eyes widened as I looked at her status.


    Tohtella Adair(lvl 9,000 | Speaker | Guild: Head of Speaker''s Guild on Giess) - It''s rare that Schema rewards a non-combatant with high levels. The reason being that direct combat potential often translates more effectively to destroying eldritch then administrative assistance.


    Tohtella is the exception to this rule.


    With a rigorous work ethic and absolute efficiency, she''s proven herself time and time again. She''s organized several problem planets using unconventional methods. Her ability to think outside of conventional norms has given her a remarkable achievement.


    She''s one of the only remnants without an unknown status. She believes that through hard work and diligence, any remnant can rid themselves of their unknown status. Even more so, she did this without having to battle endlessly for years. She organized raids and revamp efforts on multiple fringe worlds.


    She is a shining example of the upper echelon of Schema''s system. Look to her history as guidance on how to succeed within the system.


    I raised an eyebrow, "Wow, there''s a lot there. Can you read my status then?"


    She shook her head, "No. I invested only in intelligence, willpower, and luck. My perception is at an acceptable level, but it isn''t enough to see your status."


    I nodded, "Oh, luck then. Why?"


    "Luck gives me opportunities that allow me to show my strengths. Few people invest into the attribute as well, giving me a different utility over most. Mistakes from my subordinates can be turned into advantages for instance."


    That might be why she was able to get such a good impression on me. When she put it like that, luck didn''t seem like a bad idea for my next attribute to enhance. I tucked that thought into the back of my mind as I raised a hand, "Anyways, you believe me now right?"


    She nodded, "Of course. It isn''t like I need DNA samples or hard science to prove you''re powerful. That much is evident by your bearing."


    "All right then. I have a few pictures to show you." I flashed images of the espens used as egg sacks. Tohtella didn''t even flinch. I pointed at them,


    "The Skyburner I fought was carrying an espen like this one. They''re dumping the bodies along the border of the silvers. You see the matrice forming? That extends out and connects with the nearby silver territory." I pointed at the wounds,


    "I found the same kind of bodies near Yildraza with the same talon marks."


    Tohtella peered at the images, "Are you adept at Giessian history?"


    I shook my head, "Not really."


    She leaned back into her chair, keeping he back straight, "There was a civil war between the gialgathens nearly a century ago. Lehesion fought for the espen''s freedom, though it was closer to second-class citizenship. Emagrotha fought for their enslavement."


    Tohtella steepled her fingers, "The Skyburners were a legion developed by Emagrotha to fight other gialgathens. Based on your evidence, it seems as though vestiges of Emagrotha''s forces remain."


    I nodded, "And they''re trying to spread the silvers. Why the fuck would they do that though?"


    Tohtella sighed, "It could be an act of spite. It''s no secret that the gialgathens look down on other races. Seeing the espens rise to prominence would lower their own statuses by comparison."


    I raised a hand and shook my head, "But, why not just sharpen their skills or something? The gialgathens are overwhelming. They could still hold their heads high if they just trained a bit. Problem solved."


    Tohtella shook her head, "You have to understand their culture to see the heart of the problem. Gialgathens don''t see silvers or eldritch as a threat. They view them as normal parts of nature. This means that they won''t fight the eldritch or silvers in most circumstances."


    She continued, "They only train to fight other gialgathens. Other creatures are beneath their notice. If the silvers or eldritch did grow strong enough to actually threaten them-"


    I frowned, "By then, it would already too late. You can''t let an eldritch outlevel you over and over. You''ll lose eventually, and then the eldritch eat your corpse and becomes even stronger. It snowballs out of control."


    She nodded, "You speak like someone who''s faced many of them on many battlefields."


    I shrugged, "I''ve faced a few in my day...Have you tried talking to the gialgathens about it? Maybe showing them what the eldritch are capable of?"


    Tohtella''s eyes narrowed, "I have tried all manner of displays, exhibitions, and the like. The gialgathens do not take my word seriously. This lack of agency against the eldritch bleeds into espen culture. The espens won''t mobilize against the silvers or eldritch until something is done with the gialgathens."


    She shook her head, her brow creasing "And...unfortunately, I have no idea how to handle the situation."


    I could only imagine how frustrating that must be for her. Tohtella was a world changer according to her status. This wasn''t her first rodeo. If she wasn''t able to change the gialgathen''s minds, I doubted that anyone could.


    As I thought about it, she pressed her hand against her lips. She tapped her closed hand against her face, deep in thought. A second later, she lowered her hand and looked me in the eye, "If I may make a proposition?"


    "Yeah, sure."


    She crossed her fingers in front of her,


    "I''m certain that you''ll win the Honoring of Lehesion after viewing that footage. I doubt even the strongest gialgathens would pose you much of a challenge. This puts you into a unique position both politically and socially."


    I sighed. It was another speech on politics. Fuck.


    She continued, "If you mentioned your exploits against the eldritch, your harrowing encounters perhaps, you may convince the gialgathens and espens to fight them."


    She looked off the side, closing her eyes, "I understand that what I''m asking is unreasonable. It''s your fame and image, and you may do with it as you like."


    She looked back at me, "However, I am..." She struggled out her next words,


    "Unable to change the gialgathen''s or the espen''s minds. It is infuriating, but I''ve tried everything in my power. Nothing has worked in any way. They don''t respond to reason."


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    She looked at me, "They will respond to you. You''re strong. You''re tall. You even have a good voice. Please consider telling them this during your winning speech."


    She was laying the flattery on a little thick in my opinion. Either way, I shrugged, "Alright, maybe. I''ll have to think about it."


    She raised her palms to me, "Of course. I understand. Do as you wish."


    I leaned forward, pointing at her, "I have an idea about the Skyburners though. I know a guy that I think you would make a hell of a team with."


    She raised an eyebrow, "Who?"


    I grinned, "He''s a bony guy, thin as a skeleton. If you two combine your abilities, I think we can wrap this silver case up in less than a week."


    She tilted her head, "He sounds resourceful. When could I meet him?"


    I straightened up, tapping the desk with my hands,


    "Asap, hopefully. This is what I''m thinking, I''ll find the Skyburners. You finish what you have to do here. I''ll send you a meeting location with this guy I''m talking about. We''ll come up with a plan to take down the last part of Emagrotha''s forces before going in there-"


    I clasped my fists, bending my power armor, "And kick some evil frog-dragon ass."


    She frowned, "Will you be able to find where these gialgathens are by then? They''re most likely deep in silver territory."


    I grinned, "I''ll get it done."


    She looked me up and down. She blinked, "Then I''ll believe you. I''ll get things prepared here before seeing you at the agreed upon location."


    She looked down, "Ahem, thank you for your help in this matter. I was rather powerless to handle it on my own."


    I stood up and rolled my shoulders, "Eh, thanks for handling that paperwork guy. I was powerless then, so it''s only natural I return the favor. I''m off."


    She gave me a nod, "Then good luck."


    I turned around. Tohtella stood up, grabbing my arm, "Wait one moment. We need to exchange contact information for you to send me the meeting place."


    "Oh yeah, of course."


    She sent me a friend request, and I accepted while using an alias instead of my real name. It made me snicker to myself. Even a higher up in Schema''s system still utilized the friend system to handle communication. As I began walking out again, Tohtella wrapped her hands behind her,


    "Do you need the receptionist to show you the way out?"


    I tapped the edge of my helmet, "Nope. I have a good memory."


    She waved me goodbye as I left. After handling the formality, I walked out of the building. I remembered the layout from walking in, retracing my steps using my skill Knowledge Maker. Tohtella sent me a message,


    Tohtella Adair(Giess: (3/04/26) | Contract Formation) - I created an official contract for the mission. This will enable Schema based rewards along with recognition in Schema''s database. The previous rewards didn''t reflect the difficulty of the task.


    Quest Request:


    Destroying the Fragments of Emagrotha(lvl 10,000+ | Party Size: 10+ | Guild Affiliation: Any) - The reason behind the encroaching infestation of silvers has been determined. Pieces of Emagrotha''s army are trying to destroy espen civilization. It''s up to you and a team of skilled mercenaries to stop them.


    Reward: 1 Blue Dungeon core, positive affiliation with Giess, positive affiliation with Speakers, Speaker class offer.


    It was a nice bonus for what was being offered before. With that handled, I sent Torix a message.


    Dimension C-138(Giess: (3/04/26)) -  Set up a meeting with you and woman named Tohtella tomorrow. You two make a good combo. Be ready.


    I patted myself on the back for the direct, simple message. With a day left before the tournament began, I trecked out of the speakers base.


    A half hour later, and I stood at the border between silvers and normal nature. Cool wind splashed across my face, my stuffy armor keeping me from it. As I stepped onto the plates of steel, my footing stabilized some. The sunshine rained down, reflecting off the spires and matrices of metal.


    I smacked my fists together, getting ready to kick some ass. Before going deeper in, I plotted points on my minimap of where I found espen slaves. I checked out their relative positions, finding a denser cluster of points North of Yildraza.


    With little else to go on, I journeyed further into the silver''s territory near that cluster of points. With Event Horizon on, I left a strip of death near me. I smashed engorgs, merjects, and saysha galore. I let my armor eat the bodies, leaving nothing in my wake.


    After an hour of traveling, there was no trace of Yildraza behind me. A forest of spires flooded the clouds above me. I was deep in their territory, and new monsters came about.


    I found yana worms crawling in silver corpses. They wore them like a puppet, imitating the previous owner. Without fail, the parasitic worms enhanced their host, improving upon their forms. This reflected in their levels.


    I found a cluster of Yana worms feasting on a merject. Once I approached, the worms stiffened into a single organism. The infected merject stood up and stared at me with its empty eyes. I analyzed it.


    Yana Cluster, Merject(3,201) - This merject corpse has been eaten and imitated by the yana. Without a mind of its own, the yana will act with sub-par intelligence. This is why they prefer keeping their hosts alive. It enhances their intelligence when they operate in conjunction with a living brain.


    This should prove as no worthy foe for you, but do not allow the yana worms to infect you.


    I took the status''s advice. I concentrated Event Horizon over it, the creature writhing in agony. I dashed forward, punching a hole through its head. After a series of hooks, nothing remained of the beast besides mush. I wiped the muck off me, glad I had the gray armor over me.


    From above, another tainted merject flopped down towards me. I swiveled on my heels, hitting the beast with an overhand left. The metal beneath my feet dented, sending out a shockwave. Meat chunks landed on my armor. I flicked one of the hunks off of me.


    One of the worms lived, however. It crawled over my face mask, eyes all over the nightmarish thing. It whispered in a high pitch voice from its many mouths,


    "We can make you...stronger. Wiser. Let us in."


    I pulled it off with gravity,


    "Uh, yeah. I''m not listening to something that looks like living cancer."


    I squashed it with a compressive gravity well and continued onwards. The deeper I dived, the stronger and more prominent the silvers became. From averaging level 1,000, they capped out at around 5,000. The biggest of them abominable, freakish monsters.


    One of the species was like a flying whale of flesh. It floated over the metal spires, letting the metal beams tear its belly open. From its insides, trails of sticky blood drained down and scooped up saysha beetles. This blood then slurped back up into the whale.


    It made perfect sense why the espens wouldn''t want to fight the damn thing. A merject even attempted sucking up the whale''s fluids. It jumped on the side of it. When it pierced the whale''s skin, the blobular blood wrapped around it.


    The merject howled in terror as the blood entered its eyes and ears. The poor creature swelled up like a balloon before its insides became outsides. There were other horrors I found there as well. Massive, metal caterpillars injected their organs into their hosts. Eldritch beasts lay sprawled out, their bodies welded down as their bellies writhed with eggs.


    I can''t deny it - it haunted me.


    This grisly land of living horrors ate away at my sense of calm. It left me stunned at how awful a situation could get. If this is what fringe worlds were like, it was no wonder Fringe Walkers were given so many resources. Having to reverse a planet in this kind of a situation...it was daunting even for a god, let alone a mortal.


    I learned something while wandering through those wastelands I would never forget. This was what happened when you let a bad situation spiral out of control. This was what could happen if Earth became a fringe world. The hardest part about it all though was that I was perfect to stop it.


    No one else could exterminate the vermin like I could. I crushed through these monstrosities with ease. As disgusted as I was, I wasn''t about to let any of these abominations live.


    I tore them apart, and my black armor devoured the corpses I left behind. It was a bloodbath, one where I numbed myself to the carnage. It was like I salted the earth, no food left for other creatures. I even sterilized the ground with Event Horizon.


    The task weighed on me over time, however. It exposed something I needed to work on. Even if my willpower was sky high, I needed to control my thoughts and mind. I needed to be able to flip a switch to stop myself from breaking down.


    In a situation worse then this, I wouldn''t be given a chance to hesitate. I needed to pull the trigger so to speak and just go forward. When I got back, I vowed to get something from Torix to help with doing that. The bag of bones would appreciate having something meaningful to teach, no doubt.


    Just like that, I drenched the silver''s territory with their own blood for hours. The sun set as I stumbled onto my first breakthrough. On the side of a flesh whale, as I called them, the beast carried charred flesh and burns. Simple as it sounds, this was the only hint I needed.


    Based on my battles before, the flesh whales never changed their direction midflight. They changed course if something big attacked them or they ran out of spires. Considering no silvers sprayed fire, I connected the dots; a gialgathen burned this damn thing. Armed with that knowledge, I pulled myself to the top of the metal pillars.


    The thing is, the flesh whales scraped their stomachs on the spires. This leaves a trail of blood behind. If I followed the path, I retraced the steps of the flesh whale. If I were in luck, I''d find the gialgathens.


    Feeling more clever than I probably should''ve, I shot across the landscape. Fighting the silvers wasn''t an option now since it made too much noise. After a half hour of following the silver trees, I found a curve in the flesh whale''s path.


    I leaped down below the metal steeples, hidden by them. I discovered a path of espen blood at the bottom. I tracked the trail, weaving through shining towers. After evading a horde of engorgs, I stumbled onto an enormous wall.


    Composed of welded together spires, the barrier towered over the metal treeline. From inside the expanse, hammering, squirming, and fiery breath echoed out. Espens of some kind grunted. Gialgathens heaved out their fiery breath at something.


    It was what I''d been looking for. Planes couldn''t come here because silvers would tear them apart. Tohtella would''ve needed a satellite system to show her the location, which Giess didn''t have yet. Finding their base this fast was a huge boon for the plan.


    Before turning around, I scaled the wall, aiming to find more information. With the wind whistling in my ears, I pulled my head over the barricade. As I looked down, I soaked the sight in. As I did, my eyes widened, and the hair along my neck rose. My stomach sank as I ground my teeth.


    It was evil, plain and simple.

 171 Pieces of a Puzzle

    Inside the walls of the gialgathen''s base, the metal was cleared out. Espens walked barefoot around to several sectors of the camp, their feet bleeding shards of metal. In the center of the field, a pit of sludge bubbled. Espens congregated around this muck.


    The beginning of a metal matrice appeared beside the pit. Saysha beetles swarmed its surface, expanding it. They feasted on fresh bodies, turning sinews and meat to metal and wires. An enormous pile of eggs squirmed beneath a cove of steel.


    The espens cultivated the insects. They collected the sludge, pouring it over the expanding egg sacks. The children and pregnant espen women sat near the eggs. Beside them, a pile of rotting corpses reeked. These espens cut open the bellies of the bodies and shoved eggs into them.


    They used make-shift knives made out of leftover metal splinters. The strongest, tallest espens then carried the corpses to a landing zone. This is where the Skyburners laid resting.


    I analyzed them. There were seven of them, six Skyburners hovering around level 9,000. One of them was level 11,000, some ancient general or the sort. They roasted the corpses of silvers, bite marks spread over the bodies. With their huge eyes, they stared down the slaves, making sure they kept working.


    As I looked closer, horrid details surfaced. Yana worms crawled through the skin and flesh of the espens. I glanced back at the pregnant espens. Their bellies shivered, holding something alive. I winced as several espens scooped up the disgusting slop at the center of camp with their bare hands.


    They drank it, feeding the worms inside them. They winced, holding their noses. Their own filth covered them, a stream of caked on mush running down their chests. Some of them were children. They''d never known a life outside of this hellish, dystopian place.


    It disturbed me of course, but I kept myself like stone. Acting on emotion wouldn''t help these people. Acting on logic would. I posed questions to myself, trying to make sense of this mess.


    The slop was toxic. It should kill the espens, yet they lived and worked all day. Most silver''s bodies were poisonous as well. The gialgathens here couldn''t survive off just the carcasses. They were eating something else. What that was, I didn''t want to even imagine.


    The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to run in and destroy them. I silenced those thoughts and crushed that urge. There were six Skyburners and a large, ancient gialgathen as well. It grew massive horns over its skin with armor chock-full of gemstones. That gialgathen would be a tough fight all on its own.


    Fighting them all at once ensured all the espens would die, and that''s if I lived of course. I was strong, but there wasn''t much point in risking death. I couldn''t offer the espens medical support. I didn''t have a safe means of transport either. I lacked too many resources.


    I bit my lip, a sense of helplessness running up my chest. I shook it off. A rescue operation wasn''t my specialty. For Tohtella and Torix, however, they''d handle it like a walk in the park. They''d maneuver around all the intricacies, making sure each person was treated appropriately.


    With Althea''s combat prowess on top of that, we had a good chance of success. Like the hammer of an Old One, we''d come crashing down on these frog-dragon fucks. If we executed well, we''d kill the gialgathens without the espens getting caught in the crossfire.


    More than the slaves, a gialgathen hostage was a must. Someone was organizing these camps across the continent. Figuring out who that piece of shit was took precedent.


    With that in mind, I recorded the camp using my obelisk. I marked the base''s location on my mini-map as it got footage. After a few minutes, I jumped off the barrier''s sheer face, flying away. Well, it was closer to falling away. That''s how it felt to pull myself with the gravity wells.


    With that potent magic, I dashed across the wasteland, evading the thick clouds of silvers. After an hour passed, Yildrazian skyscraper''s popped up on the horizon. Before going into the city, I cleaned my gray armor with my skin.


    That''s how I thought of the black plates over me. I''d lived in the umbral shell for years now. It was a part of me like the scars on my face and hands. Unlike scars, the dark metal was more useful though. With its unending hunger, I cleared the dried blood of silvers all over me.


    As I removed the debris, I peered off in the distance. The morning sun was rising up. I hardly noticed the dusk before. My new perception let me see in the dark. It didn''t mask my surroundings like it once had. I smiled, appreciating the greenery after being surrounded by the silvers all day and night.


    Once my armor was shining, I dashed into Yildraza. In minutes, I reached our hotel. I jogged through the entrance. As I did, the receptionist smiled at me, "Did you just get your power armor polished for today''s big fight."


    I shook my head, "No. Killing silvers."


    She raised her eyebrows, "You''re one busy guy."


    I walked into the elevator, the doors closing, "I try to be."


    After the elevator reached our floor, I jogged into our room. No one was awake yet outside of Torix. Without anyone else to discuss my findings with, I lifted myself up onto the next floor. After skipping the stairs, I knocked on his door.


    "Ah, yes, you may come in."


    I stepped into his room, more charts and diagrams covering the walls now. Torix fiddled with a gemstone, carving runes into the crystal surface. He set it down, walking up to me. I raised my hands, "I have some shit to show you."


    His fire eyes narrowed, "Before you begin your spill, allow me to have a word."


    I waved my hand, "Alright, but hurry."


    Torix raised a hand, locking his hands behind him, "I understand that disciples are meant to care for their masters. It''s simply the nature of the relationship. In instances, an apostle can look towards their teacher as a father."


    He sighed, "And in these cases, it can only be expected that the disciple takes an interest in the personal lives of their teachers. Perhaps they may wish to nudge their masters in a different direction. Though as admirable as these attempts are, I assure you, Daniel-"


    I raised my hands, "What are you talking about?"


    He raised a hand, coughing into it, "Well, you''ve set me up with a woman of prestige. It appears to be a date of some sort. I''m letting you know that I appreciate the effort, but it''s not necessary."


    I leaned back, "Wait...I think there''s been a misunderstanding."


    He waved a hand, "Oh don''t be coy. It''s as I explained earlier."


    I shook my hands, "There''s definitely been a misunderstanding."


    Torix went on, staring into the distance, "It has been quite some time since my last romantic relationship. Though I lack sensual pleasures, I do crave the company of the fairer sex."


    I cringed, "Look Torix. This isn''t about that."


    Torix looked me in the eye, "It isn''t?"


    I shook my head, "No. I mean, by all means, go for it. Seize the day and all that. I called her over here for something else altogether."


    Torix''s hand lowered, his fiery eyes flaring a deep red, "Oh...."


    An awkward silence passed. I raised a hand, pushing through, "There''s something I need to explain. I also need your help."


    Torix stood up straight, "Ah yes, I''m more than glad to assist you."


    Over the next fifteen minutes, I explained my findings. I told him the story from finding espen bodies on the way to Yildraza to the Gialgathen''s base. Torix listened intently, his eyes returning to their usual navy blue. As I finished by showing him the footage, he murmured,


    "This is quite the conundrum."


    I nodded, "You''re damn right about that. I called in Tohtella to help you with organizing a plan against these guys."


    Torix cupped his chin with a bony hand, "It seems as though you already formulated one that''s acceptable. I''ll iron out a few of the wrinkles, but it should fair rather well."


    I sighed, "Ah man, thank god. I was worried I did something stupid."


    Torix leaned back, "What? Why would you ever think that?"


    I looked at my hands, "I don''t know. It just...I''ve fallen into traps before. Look at Baldag-Ruhl. Look at Yawm. I''m not the sharpest tool in the shed all the time."


    Torix stepped up, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Did you see my misunderstanding about the meeting with Tohtella?"


    I winced. Torix did too.


    "Yeah. It was awkward."


    He sighed, "It was. It was also my mistake. It just so happens I make more than my fair share of them. Everyone does, whether you can crush a mountain or create a singularity doesn''t absolve you of that. You''re doing your best, Daniel. Besides-"


    Torix waved a hand at the footage, "Following that, er, flesh whale as you call it. That was clever. Marking down footage, taking questions, even having the discipline to not rush in. In my eyes, that shows maturity and intelligence."


    He grabbed my shoulders, "When we first met, you''d have run in like a hot-headed fool. Now you weighed your options and chose one after deliberation. There''s nothing to be ashamed of. You''re doing well."


    I''m not gonna lie, I choked up a little. I kept it together, patting him on the shoulder, "Thanks, man. That...that helps."


    Torix lowered his hands, pushing up an imaginary set of glasses, "If anything, I''m the one that should feel useless here."


    I spread out my hands, "What? No."


    He raised a palm to me, "When we faced off against Yawm, I excelled. I controlled reconnaissance. I managed thousands of troops. I even helped enhance your strengths using conduits en masse."


    He clenched his hands to fists, "Now I manage my students, exploring Giess as if it were a vacation."


    I shrugged, "What''s wrong with that?"


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Torix turned towards me, "Isn''t it obvious?"


    I shook my head, "You like to teach. I don''t get why it''s considered bad to do what you like."


    "W-well there isn''t any stakes behind my actions. I''m just...lulling my days away in comfort and content."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, that''s kind of what everyone''s trying to do."


    Torix sighed, "Regardless of how you put it, it doesn''t change my reality. I''m piddling while you save worlds."


    I waved my hands back and forth, "No. That''s not what''s happening. I''m not saving worlds. I''m getting them out of shitty situations."


    I pointed at him,


    "You''re the guy keeping those worlds from spiraling back out of control. The mages, warriors, and runic inscribers you''re training, they''re the ones clearing out dungeons now. Without them, Earth would just fall right back into chaos."


    I shook my hands, "So don''t sell yourself short man. This isn''t a one-man party. This is a team effort, alright? It kind of pisses me off hearing you talk like that honestly. If that''s how you felt earlier, then I''m not selling myself short again either."


    Torix nodded, his eyes glowing green and sentimental,


    "I won''t degrade myself again if you decide not to either. Deal?"


    I raised a fist, "Hell yeah it''s a deal."


    A moment of comradery passed. Torix scoffed, "Look at us chatter away. There''s work to do, and there''s little time to do it."


    I snapped my fingers, "Ah, that reminds me. I need you to teach me some mental magic."


    Torix''s eyes lit up, "Really now? You''re quite tenacious as is. What makes you believe you need even more reinforcement?"


    I shook my head, "I went deep into silver territory. It was ugly. If fringe worlds are like that, I''m going to need a mind of steel. I figured mental magic would help with that."


    Torix nodded, "Indeed it would. I''m curious, however. Why are thinking of becoming a Fringe Walker all of a sudden? Did Schema finally convince you with a few choice rewards?"


    I shook my head, "No, it has nothing to do with him. It''s more like...I realized that I''m pretty damn strong."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "Oh yes, of course you are."


    I looked him in the eye, "No, I mean it. My mana regen passed 20 million a minute the other day."


    Torix''s knees wobbled. He took a step back, "What? How?"


    I shrugged, "It''s a bunch of conversions from trees I''ve gained along with my armor bonuses. Either way,  the situation is what it is."


    I raised a hand, "What matters is what I do with it. I mean think about it. A lot of people''s lives rest in my hands. It terrifies me, to be honest. I never thought I''d be the kind of person with these kinds of options, with this kind of reach."


    Torix crossed his arms, "I suppose It is quite the burden to bear."


    I nodded, "Yeah, and I''m trying to think about how I''ll handle it. Schema''s rewards or not, a Fringe Walker helps a lot of people. With my build, I could clear out a dozen worlds a year. Think of that. That''s helping trillions of people. It''s fucking crazy."


    Torix scoffed, "You sound pretty confident of that. You certain you could handle that kind of trial?"


    I shook my head, "Not like I am right now, but that''s why I''m asking for the help. With time, I''ll forge myself into something that''ll strike fear in the eldritch. When I''m finished, they''ll tell their children stories about the monster of monsters."


    I grinned, "After all, I''m the Harbinger of Cataclysm, right?"


    Torix rubbed his hands together, "Who just so happens to be my disciple. Come, let''s get you started with a few practical exercises to develop a few skills. You''ve got this old man''s  metaphorical blood boiling with excitement."


    With our pep talks finished, we got to work. He gave me three exercises for controlling my thoughts. The first involved meditation. I already owned the skill, and it fused into Hunter of Many. I figured developing it further wasn''t necessary anymore. It would improve by using the mythical ability.


    The other two skills were different. The first one involved acceptance. The tactic worked like this. Eliminating all suffering was impossible. Shitty situations were going to happen. By preemptively preparing myself for difficulty, I strengthened my resolve to handle said difficulty.


    It was just like going into a fight expecting to take a few hits. When I did that, I didn''t break down after taking a wallop. I''d know the strikes were coming so I would be ready. This skill applied the same concept but to life instead of fights. I summed it up with a saying; it wasn''t about weathering the storm.


    It was about learning to laugh in the rain.


    This took a bit trying to get into the right state of mind. After an hour of doing so, I gained the skill I needed.


    New Skill Gained! Mental Preparation(lvl 1) - By readying yourself for harsh circumstances, you enhance your ability to withstand them. Increases mental resilience, tolerance, and improves judgment in stressful situations.


    It was one of those skills that I never thought about but knew existed. After I discovered the skill, I trained the next exercise. It involved the willingness to hurt others. The best way I could put is in terms of fighting.


    When I first started boxing, I didn''t want to hurt my opponent. I wanted to win the fight, but I didn''t want to break their face. After a few months, I learned that mentality was holding me back. Big surprise there.


    I won''t say going into a fight with murder on my mind is exactly helpful. It''s more about knowing when to go all out. Having the ability to shift gears like that without hesitation was invaluable in conflict. By gaining an awareness of it and honing the talent, I gave myself an edge in any battle.


    Once more, it took about an hour of practice, but I got a hold on the skill.


    New Skill! Mental Adaptability(lvl 1) - Others react slowly, unable to adjust to sudden changes. You hone your thoughts, giving your mind flexibility. Enhances the shifting of thoughts, especially in stressful situations


    As I reread my other skills, it gave me an idea of what Torix was going for. Meditation was about slowing my thoughts down. Mental Adaptability was about speeding my thoughts up. This let me adjust my mind for a given situation. Mental Adaptability allowed me to implement those skills faster.


    It was a solid trifecta for building off of. With those skills gained, I walked downstairs for something to eat. I was starving. I train Thermomancy with a piece of orichalcum in my hand as I did.


    Althea and Kessia were already up, both of them snacking on junk food. I waved a hand, "What''s up guys, er, gals?"


    Althea stood up, a grin growing on her face. With her veil on, she ran over to me. I hugged her, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around. Kessiah rolled her eyes, "I just ate breakfast. Can you both at least try not to make me vomit?"


    I set Althea down, "Had a long night out?"


    Althea nodded, "Yeah, Torix let me know you were busy with something. We went out and enjoyed ourselves."


    I looked around, "Where''s Caprika?"


    Kessiah shrugged, "She''s off doing official imperial duties."


    I nodded, "Alright, cool. I''m also going to need a favor from you guys."


    Althea drank some kind of juice. She set the glass down, "Sure. What is it?"


    I explained the silvers and the Skyburners. Kessiah raised her hands as I finished, "Uh, yeah. You can count me out."


    I shrugged, "yeah, it''s a bit much to ask. You still in Althea?"


    She smirked, "Of course."


    We chatted like that, enjoying our breakfast. Not long after, we heard knocking on the door to our hotel room. I pointed at Kessiah and Althea, "So, we''re having this Speaker named Tohtella over. She''s helping out with the mission."


    Kessiah stood up, "I''ll go get my veil and shit on."


    She walked out while I opened the door. Tohtella walked in, wearing the exact business wear as before. With a clipboard in hand and an obelisk floating beside her, she raised her free hand to me,


    "It''s good to see you again."


    I pointed into our room, "Come on in."


    As Tohtella looked around, she raised her eyebrows, "Hmm, it seems as though have quite a few resources at your disposal?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, sort of. Anyways, this is Althea. She''s a very effective fighter, about as effective as I am."


    Tohtella walked up to Althea, looking her up and down, "You seem...less intimidating than Daniel. It''s a welcome change."


    Althea scratched the side of her head, "Yeah, he kinda looks like he''s ready to fight any second." Althea leaned back into her chair, "I like to take a more subtle approach."


    Tohtella nodded, "Noted. Where is the wizard you mentioned?"


    I flicked Torix''s door with telekinesis. Torix shouted, "Who is it?"


    I shouted back, "The guest is here, the one I told you about."


    Torix walked out of his office. He stepped down the stairs. Tohtella walked up, "Are you the information specialist Daniel mentioned?"


    Torix reached the bottom of the stairs, his hood pitch black from magic,


    "Hmm, I suppose so. I''d rather think of myself as a wizard or warlock."


    Tohtella adjusted her glasses, "Mages deal in information, don''t they?"


    Torix nodded, "They do, but they work within a precise niche of it."


    Tohtella nodded, "Then it''s good to meet you..."


    Torix opened a hand to her, "You may call me Malthazar."


    Tohtella jotted notes on her clipboard, "Malthazar. Now, do you all know the manner of business we''re working with?"


    Torix and I nodded. Althea wieghed her hand back and forth, "Er, sort of."


    Tohtella nodded, "Then I''ll ensure that each of you is informed. Let me begin."


    Tohtella turned towards me, "May I use your obelisk?"


    I turned to our resident mage, "Should I let her?"


    Torix nodded, "Give her access to the files regarding the Skyburners and whatnot. Simple."


    I fiddled with my status menu. After a few minutes, I restricted Tohtella''s access to the necessary info. I handed it off to Tohtella. She gave me a curt nod, "Thank you. Now-"


    She opened an image of a Skyburner,


    "I researched local legends and gathered first-hand accounts of gialgathens about these beasts. Their greatest strengths are threefold. Their jaw strength, their tipped tails, and their fiery breath. Avoid these three parts of them, and you avoid most of their toolset."


    I scoffed, "Yeah. I figured that all out the hard way."


    Tohtella pointed at me, "And you came out no worse for wear. We three, however, aren''t allowed to learn the hard way, are we?"


    They shook there head. Tohtella adjusted her clipboard, "So then we avoid all contact with them. The plan of action against these monsters should involve a decoy. We will then pelt them from a range, preferably isolating them one by one."


    Tohtella raised a finger, "If we wait until they Skyburners leave their base, we may ambush them. After doing so twice, we may assault the rest before their guard is up. If this info is correct, then we could kill four of the seven gialgathens. This makes  the fight far more likely in our favor."


    Torix cupped his chin, "They have access to magic, don''t they?"


    Tohtella glanced through the footage, "Yes, they will."


    She pointed at the old gialgathen, "This is one of the general of Emagrotha''s old army, Gaikhag Monothos. He''s adept in many ancient magics."


    Torix sighed, "Then they''ll no doubt have some measure of protective incantations, correct? If we assume so, ambushing the first two will alert the others. If they escape, they may warn other camps like this. This will make further operations much more difficult."


    Torix stepped up to the image, "If we instead launch an ambush under the veil of night, I believe we can assist the espens with escape while finishing them all off."


    Tohtella''s eyes narrowed, "The gialgathen''s deaths take precedence."


    Torix raised a finger,


    "Of course. The issue is that the espens may have information as well. Destroying them in the crossfire won''t do us any good. I suggest we allow Daniel and Althea to handle the battle. We can focus on getting the espens out of the situation."


    Tohtella leaned back, "Ahem, I understand that you''re more than able to look after yourselves. Defeating seven gialgathens, Skyburners for that matter isn''t feasible at your levels."


    Althea smirked, "Levels can be deceiving."


    Tohtella shook her head, "I can call in a strike force."


    They debated tactics as I cupped my chin, deep in thought. I killed the last Skyburner by smashing into it from above. That worked pretty damn well. If I escalated that tactic further, I could fall from higher up. If I accelerated myself enough, I''d land like a meteorite on the camp.


    My health regeneration and damage resistance would stop me from disintegrating during re-entry. Using my Invincible tree, I''d take at most 70% of my health from the landing. I could use the overkill damage to blow up another Skyburner. Hell, I might even be able to charge a singularity too.


    I raised my hands, interrupting the conversation, "Wait, I just got a great idea."


    I pointed at Althea, "You can slice off the head of the general by sneaking in with your camoflouge. We''ll time it so that right after you do that, I''ll slam into the camp from above."


    Tohtella shook her head, "That''s a rudimentary, simplistic plan, don''t you think? We can do better than that."


    Torix shook his head, "If there''s one thing I learned from working with Daniel, it''s that simple is often times best."


    I raised my hands,


    "Here''s what will happen. I''ll fly way up over the camp. I''ll time my descent in conjunction with you guys. When I land in the camp, I''ll be like a bomb. Hell, I might kill two or three Skyburners with the impact alone."


    Tohtella scoffed, "Would you mind informing me how you would survive atmospheric re-entry, the impact, or the horde of angry Skyburners right after?"


    I raised a fist, "I''m tough. Real tough."

 172 Leaving an Impression

    Torix nodded his head, "He is quite resilient."


    Tohtella sighed, "Then if you all agree with his plan, I will trust in your competence as a whole."


    Torix turned to me, "I will blanket the landing position with darkness. This will prevent us from luring in a horde of angry silvers."


    A message popped up in front of me,


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Giess: 3/04/26) - It will hide your identity. I will give another spare suit of armor. Put it on before you leave the magic field.


    I grinned, holding down a laugh, "Alright, sounds like a good idea to me."


    Tohtella gave us a curt nod, "I''ll organize the necessary medical supplies for treating the yana infestations. The slaves will need immediate detox and surgical treatments."


    I frowned, "That was something I''ve meant to ask. How are the slaves able to live there? I saw them eating that sludge. There''s no way they should be alive."


    Tohtella bit her lip. She adjusted her glasses, "Part of my work involves researching the silvers. One of the most reliable sources of information involves old legends from gialgathens."


    She waved a hand, "Particularly in regards to the yana worms. Gialgathens view yana as mythical, terrifying creatures. They are one of the only silvers that can threaten gialgathens. Though it isn''t widely known, the highest punishment in gialgathen culture involves the yana."


    Tohtella jotted something on her notes, "They would infest a traitor with the worms and throw them deep into silver territory with clipped wings. This is a slow death sentence, one where the beast loses its mind as the yana take over."


    I grimaced. The first zombie gialgathen I fought on Giess was a result of that punishment. Well, probably.


    Tohtella continued, "They learned several characteristics about the yana during those punishments. The host feeds the yana sludge. The yana then excretes nutrients in turn. My own findings verified this."


    Althea shook her head, "That''s disgusting."


    Torix nodded, "Indeed it is, but it''s useful information. Are the gialgathens doing this as well?"


    Tohtella shook her head, "There metabolisms can tolerate silver flesh despite it being loaded with toxins."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Wow. Alright then, well that''s even more reason to kill the Skyburners then."


    One of the bottom floor doors opened. Kessiah walked out, her veil covering her. Tohtella turned to her. After a few seconds, her gaze turned sharp,


    "You didn''t tell me that you had another remnant with you?"


    Kessiah raised a hand, "Yo, who are you?"


    Tohtella crossed her arms, "I''m Tohtella Adair. You may call me Miss Adair."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Ok Miss Adair. I''m Kessiah Crow. Looks like you saw through my disguise right away. Sucks I had to put it on."


    Tohtella adjusted her glasses, "It''s due to your low level."


    Kessiah tilted her head, "Low is a little harsh, don''t you think?"


    Tohtella raised a hand to her, "No. It''s not. The Crow clan is famous for their physical augmentations and Blood Arts. Not even level 3,000 is a travesty considering your birth."


    Kessiah crossed her arms, walking in front of Tohtella, "Oh, so you know a thing or two?"


    Tohtella raised her head, her chin high, "Yes. I do know quite a bit, like how you''re a rather bitter disappointment."


    I turned to Tohtella and snapped,


    "Kessiah''s a friend. You shit on her, then you''re shitting on me. Understand?"


    Tohtella glared up at me. She sighed, composing herself, "It''s...I''m sorry. Please excuse me."


    Tohtella waved her hands, "This discussion is over either way. We''ve formulated a plan. I will go about handling the details. Will tonight work for you all?"


    We nodded. I kept my gaze on Tohtella as she walked out. As the door closed, I turned to Kessiah, "Any idea where that came from?"


    Kessiah shrugged, "I don''t know. She''s got problems though, that''s for sure."


    Torix sighed, "It''s best we do not assume much. Now, I''ll go prepare the necessary scrolls, gems, and supplies. You all do as you will."


    Althea stood up, weaving between furniture to me. She wrapped her hands around me, "Hey big guy. That was sexy standing up to her like that."


    I smiled at her, "Eh, I try."


    Althea raised her eyebrows, "Oh, wait a minute. Did you forget what today is?"


    I creased my brows, "Er, maybe."


    Althea smirked, "I''ll give you a hint...tournament."


    I smacked my facemask, "Oh fuck. I completely forgot."


    I hugged Althea, "Sorry, got to go."


    She giggled, "Try not to crash through a wall getting there."


    I opened my dimensional storage. I tore open three packs of rations, pouring them down my throat. I tossed the bags into the garbage, running outside. I dashed into the elevator, tapping my foot with impatience. After reaching the bottom, I leaped over a crowd of people in the lobby.


    After swishing through the doors, I pulled myself up over the crowds with magic. I floated over the hordes of espens and aliens, reaching the stadium in seconds. I ran inside, running out the bleachers. I looked around, finding the seating for combatants.


    I jumped over the crowd, keeping myself light with a touch of gravity magic. I landed in my previous chair. I leaned back into my seat, opening my status. I checked the tournament rankings online with my obelisk. I tilted my head back, sinking into my chair with relief. There was still a fight left before I was up.


    As I relaxed, Eradin shouted at me from afar, "Here I believed you might miss our fated duel?"


    I shook my head, "Almost. I had some business to take care of earlier today."


    Eradin chuckled, "Good. I hope you''re ready for a friendly thrashing."


    I laughed back, "Only if you are too."


    I watched the next fight while keeping my eyes closed. This trained Hunter of Many. At the same time, I heated and cooled my favorite chunk of orichalcum. Putting myself under some stress, I trained my mental skills at the same time as well.


    With all that going on, the fight in front of me dragged on forever. Two fighters like Jilian fought one another. They both unloaded hundreds of shells at each other. I tuned it out after half an hour, focusing on my own skills.


    My mind wandered as I adapted to the mental stress. The entire tournament progressed oddly. It wasn''t straightforward with one person versus another. It involved an intricate set of branches, each designed for an outcome.


    For example, every gialgathen began the tournament by fighting another gialgathen. This halved the pool of gialgathens that other combatants had to face. Whoever organized the competition did everything they could to make the gialgathens lose.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    I stopped my exercises, ready for my next fight. I scrolled through the previous tournament''s rosters. For the last decade, every one of them involved gialgathens facing each other exclusively. This meant only one gialgathen fought on into the upper ranks of the tourney.


    I frowned at it. It was a biased schedule that tried eliminating the gialgathens. The gialgathens were so strong, however, that it didn''t work. A Breaker would need to join the tournament to win. I doubted many of them found the time between completing bounties.


    I closed my status, irritated at whoever ran this thing. I sighed, calming myself and readying myself for the next fight. Mental Preparation leveled up as one of the gunmen collapsed from exhaustion. Kiki Mosk raised a hand,


    "And that is Kelevar''s defeat. Give a hand to Moisc!"


    Next to no one cheered. For once, I sympathized with the crowd''s reaction. Neither fighter stood a chance against a gialgathen. They wasted the crowd''s time with an hour-long bout of boredom. It let me level a few skills at least.


    With the snooze fest over, Kiki Mosk raised a hand, "And now for the final four fights for the Yildraza sector. After this, the winner will go on to compete against the best of the best in Giess''s oldest city, Choria! There, the tournament''s victor will be decided."


    He gestured towards me, "We have an exhibition of talent on display today. We have the unstoppable Daniel Hillside, a newcomer with a brutal reputation of dominance."


    A light flashed over me. I sighed, going through the motions of raising my hand and riling up everybody. Kiki continued,


    "He''ll be fighting four combatants in a row today to test if he''s as invincible as they say! After all, the true test of a fighter is overcoming adversity."


    I rolled my shoulders. If I were struggling, I''d call bullshit on this kind of thing. As if though, I counted my blessings. This meant I didn''t need to spend forever waiting for my fights anymore. I could finish this in one hour if I hurried.


    I jumped into the arena, clasping my fists. Kiki roared out, "And he looks like he''s itching for a fight! The first combatant will be the winner of the last bout, Moisc!"


    He didn''t even announce his last name. Covered in gray power armor. He got back onto the arena''s stage, still out of breath from his last fight. It sucked he had to fight me while exhausted. I''d win either way, but he couldn''t give his best. As a guy who''s competed before, I sympathized.


    As we faced each other, I gave him a short bow. He did the same. I raised a hand and shouted, "Sorry you have to fight like this."


    He shrugged, "Eh, I knew I wasn''t winning the tournament anyway. I''m just here for the experience. I got further than I ever expected anyway."


    I liked his positive attitude. Kiki Mosk raised a hand, "Are both combatants ready?"


    We nodded. Kiki swung his hand down. I stomped the ground, lifting a panel of stone between Moisc and I. With Hunter of Many, I tracked his location from behind cover. I raised a foot, kicking forward. I extended my reach with telekinesis, busting his shielding.


    Moisc already fired at me, unlatching a grenade. I thumped the projectile with telekinesis. The bomb smacked the forcefield around the arena, letting out a vibrant, blue fire. With crowd letting out a cheer, I kicked again, shattering Moisc''s secondary mana shield.


    Moisc opened his dimensional storage, his desperation building. Before he pulled something out, I launched a short uppercut. A telekinetic pulse smashed into his gut, knocking him upwards. Spit flopped out of his mouth as he couldn''t breathe.


    He tumbled from above, stunned and gasping for air. I caught him with a gravity well. At the same time, I kicked the block of stone between us back onto the arena. Kiki raised his eyebrows,


    "Yeesh, that must of hurt. On to Daniel''s next opponent!"


    Moisc''s breath returned to him as the medics came up. He let them carry him out on a hovering stretcher. My next opponent flew up from the stands, a large gialgathen. He wore armor over his neck and chest. With red skin and black spots, he glared at me. He growled,


    "Filthy dirtwalker. You will not play with me as you did Alzoroth."


    I nodded, "You''re right. I won''t. I don''t have time too."


    He narrowed his eyes. He breathed in as Kiki raised a hand, "Are both combatants prepared!"


    We gave the nod, the gialgathen still breathing deep. Kiki raised a fist, "Then go!"


    I snapped a kick upwards, hitting a telekinetic panel. A portion of the force converted, hitting the gialgathen''s chin as he breathed fire at me. The green flame dispersed on the arena''s invisible barrier, creating a light show. The crowd boomed out, in awe at the display of light and power.


    I wasted no time. As the gialgathen''s breath sputtered out, I reached out a hand. I jerked the gialgathen''s head towards me, accentuating my pull with gravity. His head whipped down while I launched myself upwards. I lifted my knee, landing the blow flush on his jaw.


    My armor creaked as the bones in his face cracked. Several of his teeth shattered, tumbling against the arena. Knocked out cold, his head flopped to his side. I caught it, preventing him from suffering more damage. As I set him down, the crowd went quiet.


    Even Kiki looked affected. He pulled at his collar, "Well...that was something." A drop of cold sweat fell down his face, "Ahem, the winner!"


    The throngs of supporters burst into applause, giving me a standing ovation. I gave them a wave while lifting the gialgathen out of the arena with magic. Medics tended to his injuries while I cracked my neck. I growled, "Come on. Who''s next?"


    Kiki raised his eyebrows, "The next victim is a veteran of the tournament. We have Eradin Forest-Torch!"


    Eradin flew up into the arena. As he landed, the old beast sighed, "And here I believed I might win Yildraza''s selection this year."


    I shrugged, "You can still win."


    He shook his head, a toothy grin on his face, "I do have two eyes, young one.  What they just saw gave me a clear message."


    His tail whipped behind him, picking up speed as he continued, "Eradin, you should''ve retired before this last fight."


    I raised my hands, "Eh, we''ll see."


    Kiki Mosk raised a hand, "Are both combatants ready?"


    We nodded. Kiki swung his arm down, "Then begin!"


    I gave Eradin a bow, and he returned the favor. The crowd booed, wanting more drama. I rolled my eyes as I charged mana. Eradin stepped forward, whipping his tail towards me. I slammed my arm into his attack, knocking it down onto the arena.


    The arena crumbled, a plume of white powder rising. Eradin flicked his tail slamming it towards me again. I detonated my runes, dashing forward as he did. Eradin pierced deep into the arena as I bolted towards his face. With momentum behind me, I slammed my fist into his face


    The old gialgathen''s head whipped back. He stumbled, still conscious. Eradin''s eyes glazed over as he fell. He crashed off the arena, a clash of sound rippling out. He tried getting back up, but he was too disoriented. I looked up, waiting for Kiki to end the fight.


    He didn''t.


    The crowd chanted, "Finish him. Finish him. Finish him." The old gialgathen shook his head, getting a sense of where he was. He looked around, his eyebrows creased. I waved my hand, shouting at Kiki,


    "Just end the fight already. Eradin doesn''t even know where he is."


    Kiki shook his head, "He can still battle. Just listen to the crowd."


    Kiki grinned, a sinister edge in his voice. I frowned as Eradin locked eyes with me. He stared a for a moment before his huge eyes widened. He glanced down,


    "I...I lost, didn''t I?"


    I nodded. Eradin raised a wing, letting out a mental shout, "I surrender. He has beaten me. Honor to him and his clan."


    The crowd booed, their hatred for the gialgathens coming out. A few people shouted,


    "Where''s the blood?"


    "I wanted to see some more missing teeth."


    "He''s crushed dozens of espens with his bullshit tail. He has it coming!"


    The crowd''s reaction disgusted me. A few people tried throwing food and drinks at Eradin while he was down. I shot out a wave of gravity, slamming the food back into the arena.


    This shit was getting old fast.


    Kiki sighed, "Well, it''s well within tournament regulations to surrender."


    He raised a hand to me, "To the victor!"


    The crowd changed on a dime, giving me an enormous hoopla. The mob repulsed me at this point. I just wanted to win the mythical compendium then get out of here. All this easy fame and status came from their hatred of gialgathens. My integrity wouldn''t let me accept it.


    With those thoughts swirling in my head, the crowd calmed back down. Kiki raised another hand, "And now we have the final fight for the Yildraza sector. The last gialgathen and last year''s winner, give a hand for Derlilath, Lady Of The Yellow!"


    A chorus of boos echoed out as a yellow gialgathen flapped her wings. Old and muscled, she landed in front of me. She almost glowed with energy, her armor encrusted with gemstones. She grinned at me, her voice commanding,


    "It''s good to see they''ve brought a worthy warrior this year."


    I grinned back, "Likewise."


    Unlike the others, she looked like a serious challenge, so I analyzed her,


    Delilath, Lady of Yellow(lvl 10,031 | Unknown Status) - Once a general of Lehesion''s army, Delilath worked as one of the gialgathen''s most powerful mages. She''s placed in the top five of the tournament for the last seven years since she''s decided to compete.


    Though she once fought to help the espens, public opinion turned against her. Numerous campaigns by prominent figures such as Thisbey Thorn or Azakus Riola ruined the reputation of Lehesion''s followers. With rumormongering and propaganda, they''ve turned Delilath from a celebrated hero to a scorned symbol.


    Regardless of her affiliation with politics, Delilath''s competence in battle is undeniable. She wields ancient magics only known by the gialgathens. By drawing mana from her surroundings, she opens up her own mana pool to enhance her tail swipes. This combination of control-oriented sorcery and physical ferocity makes her threatening to almost anyone.


    Be careful and tread with caution.


    I smiled, my blood boiling at her status. This would be an actual fight, and that prospect excited me to no end. I pounded my fists together, denting my gray armor and letting out an echo. Delilath channeled her energy, soft, yellow spheres forming around her.


    Dozens of yellow stars formed beside her, a sweet-smelling wind rushing over me. I followed suit, charging up my own mana. The air around us saturated with energy, our auras intermingling. Sparks of red lightning shot from me, my blood permeated with volatile energy.


    Kiki backed away, raising his eyebrows, "Well, both combatants look as though they want to tear each other apart."


    A happy grin grew over his face, "Excellent! Are both combatants ready?"


    With her chin held high, Delilath nodded. I shook my fists, mana saturating my frame. Kiki laughed, "I''ll take that as a yes."


    He swung his hand down, "Let the battle to decide who represents Yildraza begin!"

 173 Riptide

    I gave Delilath a bow. She bowed back. As we raised our heads, she snapped her tail towards me. I stomped a foot while condensing my weight. I burrowed downwards, her attack smashing a crater into the arena above my head.


    I detonated my charged runes, bursting out from the ground. A cloud of white powder surged out with me. Delilath shifted her head, dodging my assault. She snapped her tail at me again, catching me in flight. I crossed my arms, blocking the blow.


    My camouflage caved in, the gray armor crumpling at Delilath''s might. As our attacks followed through, her tail bounced back, but I kept going forward. With me behind her, Delilath stepped back. With agility defying her enormous frame, she turned around.


    She took a short breath. As her chest swelled, a few of the yellow orbs she formed earlier compacted over me. The dense mana sunk into my skin, rattling my brain. I expected pain. Confusion washed over me along with a sense of bliss.


    At that moment, all was right with the world. My mouth tasted sweet. The stuffy air in my helmet smelled of light perfume and delicious food. A calming sensation pervaded me from head to toe. I had no problems. If anything, I was glad to have something to do with all my time.


    Delilath''s deep roar interrupted my sudden intoxication. Her yellow, piercing fire plumed out toward me. I pulled myself out of my drunkenness, snapping an antigravity well between me and the flames. The well pushed me back, the fire billowing outward and away from me.


    Delilath lunged back before she burned herself. I landed on my back, crushing the arena beneath me. Before I sunk down, I pulled myself up, looking at my hands. My armor was red hot. I shook my head. My train of thought was muddled.


    I didn''t understand why I was so interested in my hands in the middle of a fight. Before I figured it out, Delilath snapped her tail at me again. I tried deflecting, but my body moved like I was in a pit of molten lead. I blocked at the last moment, her tail snapping me sideways.


    I gasped, actual damage being done to me. If this continued, Delilath would tear my armor off and expose my identity. I didn''t even feel like that was a bad thing though. As I argued with myself about the merits of disguising myself, Delilath took another deep breath.


    I frowned at the attack, irritated by it. I stood up and dived into the ground. Delilath''s flames melted the rock above me. I dug forward, picking up the pace. She kept her blaze over me, creating a moat of magma. I shot out of the ground, sending a telekinetic kick towards her chin.


    One of her yellow spheres concentrated into a point. It dashed towards her chin, nullifying my kinetic wave. As it did, my eyes widened. She could counter my magic, influence my mind, and was a behemoth to boot. If she kept this up, I didn''t just have to worry about exposing my identity.


    I might lose.


    She snapped another attack with her diamond hard tail. I blocked it again, the momentum of her attack slinging me straight into the ground. She stepped up towards me, breathing in. Another tail whip smashed into me from above, cracking my facemask.


    I closed my eyes. Delilath''s magic didn''t work like most mages. People generally incapacitated you with pain or injury. Delilath used euphoria against her enemies, making them dull and dumb. Without any experience facing the magic, I wasn''t armed with tools against it. Well, not conventional tools at least.


    So, I improvised.


    I clenched my fists and ground my teeth. I used Mental Adaptability to its maximum, reminding myself why I was fighting. I wanted the mythical compendium. I needed to get good relations with Giess''s leaders. Hell, I just wanted to be the best.


    With Delilath''s magic muddling my brain, they felt like shitty reasons. Using the logical side of my mind, I envisioned the worst case scenario from here. I could expose my identity. I might end up breaking ties with Giess, remaining unknown and hunted. I would lose, which would suck all around.


    Bolstered by both line of logic, I stood up. A tail swipe slammed onto me from above, but I smashed it to the side with a swipe of my forearm. With my armor resembling aluminum foil at this point, I narrowed my eyes and sharpened up.


    I was back.


    Delilath unleashed her yellow fire, singeing stone. I grasped gravity, bending the trajectory of her fire upward. It clashed against the invisible forcefield, parts of Kiki''s suit igniting. I shot a palm out, sending a telekinetic bullet at Delilath''s chest.


    Another yellow sphere darted to save her. She whipped her long limb at me again while I pushed through the mugginess. With a burst of will, I deflected her strike. Using the opening, I shot a blistering combination of kinetic bullets her way.


    Four spheres disintegrated, voiding my magic. This cycle continued, each of us picking up our pace. We battled back and forth, each side vying for dominance. Our tactics evolved.


    I kept pads of gravity over my arms, preventing my armor from crumpling anymore. Delilath generated mana orbs, drawing from the mana around her. I pulled from my own reserves, dipping into the sea of mana at my disposal. Tension grew. The arena evaporated around us, our conflict disintegrating it.


    The invisible shield around us rippled as dynamic forces dispersed out in massive shockwaves. We matched each other, firing off efficient, savage strikes. We gained a flow of each other''s patterns, making adjustments throughout the fight.


    I burst through my mana, deflecting her with gravitational waves alone. She discovered that I was protecting my armor. She aimed her strikes to cleave it off should I miscalculate. This extended my mana reserves, hundreds of thousands of mana burning each second.


    Kiki kept his hands up, sweat pouring down his forehead. He struggled to contain the fight, the monumental forces we generated challenging to deal with. The crowd roared out, amazed at the exhibition of both our strengths.


    The struggle stretched on, each of us finding our own rhythm. It was a game of endurance now, each of us fatiguing the other. Beads of cold sweat poured down Delilath''s face, a toothy grin spread over her maw. I grinned back, enjoying the intensity of the bout. I hadn''t fought like this in months. For her, it might''ve been years.


    After two hours of raging intensity, she ran out of yellow spheres. Without her protection, she blasted through her reserves. She sliced her tail, echoing out a sonic boom as it shot at me from above. The heat from the attack caused my ears to pop from the pressure change of the air.


    Before it landed, I dipped into my health pool, sending out a dense, powerful wave of magic. As magic and might clashed, a shockwave ebbed outward. The invisible forcefield wobbled before collapsing, the arena quaking under Delilath''s onslaught.


    With sweat pouring down my own face, I retaliated with fury. She lunged towards me, snapping her jaw at me from above. I met her charge, firing off a punch with my heels planted. My fist connected just shy of her chest. My hand bounced back, Force of Nature activating in all its fury.


    I''d thrown the same punch tens of thousands of times. my body just went through the motions, muscle memory guiding me through the act. Telekinetic augments generated around my fists and feet. The ground around me sinking from my telekinetic extensions. My augments converted the surface area of my punch.


    Instead of being spread out over my large fist, it pierced Delilath''s chest like needle. This gave my attack tremendous piercing power. The impact punched a hole through her torso, my shoulders creaking under the stress. The energy dispersed from her back, her plate mail ripping out.


    Delilath stood there, her eyes and mouth wide open. She glanced down, blood spurting from the wound. She gurgled, blood leaking out of her jaws. She fell sideways, but I caught her before her head clunked on stone. Two gialgathens swung in from the crowd.


    A waterfall of blood gushed from Delilath''s chest. My heart raced in my chest. I overdid it, big time. At this rate, she''d die. I ran up to her, one of her friend gialgathens hissing at me. Ignoring her, I looked at the tunnel through Delilath.


    Blood spurted out each time her heart beat, several arteries ruptured. The medics weren''t in a hurry to aid her either. Using several small gravity wells, I pinched the ends of a dozen of her arteries. As I did, the bleeding dropped by over half. It was still more than enough to kill her in minutes.


    I turned, shouting at Kiki, "Know any healing?"


    Kiki shivered, gasping for breath. He shook his head, "I''d love to help, but...I''m...I''m experiencing mana deprivation...Give me a second to recover."


    I dragged my hand down my helmet, "Fuck. Medics?"


    The two medics stumbled up. The doctors pulled out two health potions apiece. I growled, "What the fuck are you doing with two potions? Use all the potions you have."


    They jittered through their bags, dropping a few vials and patches. With shaking hands, each medic poured healing solution onto the wound. It wasn''t anywhere near enough. I opened my dimensional storage, pulling out green health potions from Torix.


    These were the kind you dumped directly onto an open wound. Delilath was choking on her own blood. She couldn''t exactly swallow. With that in mind, I pulled the elixirs out, handing them to the medics. They poured several of the potions onto the would, which healed it at a surface level. The wounds inside her chest were still raw, internal bleeding running rampant.


    Getting desperate, I set several dozen of the green bottles onto the ground without their caps on. The healing mixture gushed from each of them. I lifted the collecting pool of liquid with gravity. There was a bit of dirt in it, but I didn''t have time to filter the tonic.


    With a blob of green potion, I whipped it around to the other side of Delilath. I forced the healing tonic deep into Delilath''s chest, saturating her wounds with the healing liquid. Delilath stuttered, unable to breathe. While maintaining the other wells, I created another one over her mouth.


    Blood siphoned out of her mouth, stopping her from drowning. She gasped, coughing in agony. I looked at Delilath and shouted, "Stay with me, ok? Stay with me. Don''t go to sleep, alright?"


    She looked me in the eye. Seconds later, her irises relaxed. All tension left her body. The sputtering stopped. The gialgathen that hissed at me earlier was crying, large tears pouring down her face. I stood up, grabbing the sides of my helmet.


    I heaved several breaths. I looked at my hands, blood all over them. I peered back down at Delilath. I raised my hands, not knowing what to do with myself. My eyes widened with horror as both gialgathens now wept over her. Like a lost child, I stood there not knowing what to do.


    My mind raced. I killed so many things before. Hell, I''ve killed innocent people without meaning too. Seeing the impact of death was different. The two gialgathens looked like her family. Their chests quivered. Their racking cries loudened. Delilath was a great fighter. She helped Lehesion free millions of slaves. She didn''t deserve to die like this.


    As that dawned on me, I reached out a hand to the gialgathens. I tried saying something, but they growled at me before I could think of something to say. One of them looked at me, the gialgathen''s face crinkled up. With snot and tears pouring down its face, her glare pierced right through me.


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    I took a step back and shook my head. Something about the way she looked at me was terrifying. Before it sunk in, Kiki chugged several mana potions from his dimensional storage. He wiped off his forehead with a handkerchief,


    "And here is the victor everybody! He''s the first person to ever defeat Delilath, the Lady of Yellow...At least in Yildraza. He''s definitely the first to end her reign for good. Come on everybody, let''s hear it for Daniel Hillside!"


    The crowd had been silenced by the carnage from earlier. The horde revitalized, cheering for me. I looked around, astonished that anyone could clap for what felt like murder.


    I caught glimpses of concerned espens. Some of them teared up and cried even. The vast majority cheered with elation, however. It caught me off guard. Kiki clapped his hands, "And that concludes Yildraza''s tournament in dramatic fashion. Do have a good day everybody, and enjoy yourselves!"


    I found myself staring at the weeping gialgathens. Kiki floated right beside me, his hoverboard humming,


    "As part of tournament policy, you''re not guilty of anything! Plenty of people have died in the tournament despite a Speaker''s protection. It''s inevitable. Delilath''s death is my responsibility."


    He grinned at me, "So I''ll be the one to take the fall for your mistake! Isn''t that just great!"


    I glanced up at him. "But...she''s so frail? Her level is high? How did she die? I don''t understand."


    Kiki scoffed, "Gialgathens aren''t integrated into Schema''s system. You may not know this, but creatures without access to the system have stunted healing capabilities. When they bleed, they die!"


    I blinked. Kiki''s explanation was so obvious but I didn''t even remember it. Gialgathens weren''t like eldritch or like system goers. They were more like bears or sharks. If something crushed a hole through their chests, the animal died.


    That''s why I was able to make it out of my first dungeon, BloodHollow, in the first place. Schema''s system helped me heal through the grievous wounds that hit me. Otherwise, I''d have died a few minutes after being integrated into Schema''s system. The gialgathens didn''t have that. This kind of blow was death.


    Kiki patted my shoulder, "Surprising, isn''t it? You probably have never experienced the world without Schema''s system, but this is the reality of it. Don''t take it to heart."


    I centered myself, getting myself out of my mental fog,


    "I''m fine. I didn''t want to kill her. That''s all."


    Kiki nodded, "It won''t hurt your fame or how the people are behind you."


    I frowned, "I couldn''t care less."


    Kiki grinned, "Now that''s a rugged hero! I hope you''re ready for the final portion of the tournament! Good luck there. Considering Delilath took hours for you to take down, you''re going to need it!"


    I ripped my gaze away from Delilath''s corpse, walking away from the scene. I gripped my hands, letting out some nervous energy. Kiki was right in a way. Each combatant put their lives on the line every time they fought. Referees protected competitors, but they weren''t perfect.


    That was an excuse though. No matter how I rationalized the situation, I killed someone without meaning too. Delilath might not be the last one I murdered either. If I made another mistake, I''d end Kessiah, Torix, maybe even Althea.


    That''s what scared me. In that sober state of mind, I found myself walking out to the stadium''s lobby. People swarmed me, asking for autographs, photos, and answers. I raised a hand and shouted,


    "I''m tired. Fuck off."


    I used several of my skills to enhance my voice''s impact. A wave of silence rippled over the amassing crowd, my words commanding them. The mob let me walk out in peace. Right before I walked out of the stadium, a hand gripped my arm.


    I glanced over, my voice hard as stone, "Who is it?"


    Thisbey grinned at me, patting my arm, "Why, I''m just here to congratulate the victor. I wanted to invite you to lunch with me if you wouldn''t mind."


    It was this slimy fucker again. I shook my head,


    "Yeah, not hungry. Just saw someone bleed out."


    He raised his palms, "If you aren''t hungry, perhaps we could meet in a place where you could clear your mind? I know a spot two blocks away that should serve as a quiet place to rest and unwind after such a brutal bout."


    He waved his arms, "After all, I''m certain you''d like to collect yourself after an experience like that. As always, you''re more than welcome to walk away. I don''t hold hostages when I''m conversating."


    I weighed my options. On the one hand, I wanted to talk to my friends back in the hotel room. On the other, Thisbey was giving me an opportunity. Even if he was piece of garbage, he was a knowledgeable piece of garbage. If I played my cards right, I could learn a lot from him, like maybe who to make ties with on Giess.


    I sighed, "Alright, fine." I pointed at him, "Understand this. I don''t like you, and I sure as hell don''t like how you do things."


    He gave me a warm grin, walking ahead of me, "Well perhaps you can think it over. I know just the place for you to ponder."


    We walked past the group of silent onlookers. I stared down, finding myself wearing armor that looked like a crushed aluminum can. I glanced back up, "Yeah, I need another suit of armor."


    Thisbey waved a hand, "I''m not one to judge a man on his appearance. I stick strictly to their character. That be''in said, where I''m taking you has somewhere for you to change at if you feel so obliged."


    We paced out of the stadium and onto Giess''s streets. Aliens and espens alike gawked at me, blood covering my crushed armor. I couldn''t blame them. Some aliens even called the police, giving them my description.


    Thisbey raised his eyebrows, "I''ll handle the law enforcement, don''t you worry. I''m sure you have plenty to worry about already."


    Thisbey picked up the pace, weaving between crowds of people. He turned into an alleyway, pacing through the dark, dirty street. In the middle of the alley was a reinforced, steel doorway. Thisbey walked up to it, leaning towards the side of the door.


    A sensor scanned his eyes. He talked as it happened,


    "This is one of my many warehouses spread throughout the city. I figured you''d take kindly to the peace and quiet here."


    The door swung open, air hissing out of the building. We walked inside, finding a cozy room with several bookshelves lining it. A warm fire burned from a pit of orange opals at the center of the room. Several leather lounging chairs spread out beside it. I took a deep breath.


    Yup, gialgathen leather as usual. The guy was psychotic.


    The door closed behind us as I followed Thisbey inside. I glanced around, finding several desks covered in notebooks. Thisbey pointed at them,


    "Those contain some of my business dealings. I enjoy spending quite a bit of time here whenever I need somewhere to focus. You''re welcome here anytime you please."


    I breathed in, the smell of stone and fire letting me relax. As I walked further in, books and leather mixed with those scents. Crisp, fresh air flowed past me. As slimy as Thisbey was, he had a good taste. I couldn''t deny it. His choice in fabrics was fucked though.


    With a hearty laugh, Thisbey grabbed the collar of his gialgathen skin suit,


    "I''m glad to see you''re taken by it."


    I nodded, "Yeah, it is a nice place to just sit and think."


    He gave me a signature Thisbey grin, walking over to his desk. He pulled out two glasses and a bottle. I rolled my eyes,


    "Trying to worm information out of me?"


    He nodded, "If I may be so frank, yes. Of course I am. You''re the talk of the town, and everyone is curious as to who you are. I aim to keep them guessing."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    He poured me a glass, "You''re no espen. I know that. You''re far too tall and broad. Your armor lacks a humidifier as well, meaning dry air doesn''t bother you. However, if they don''t see your face, the masses assume you''re espen. I''m quite all right with that, as you may imagine."


    He brought over the glasses to a set of chairs overlooking the fire. He set the glasses on a table between the chairs. Thisbey sat down onto the chair, sighing with relief. He pointed at the other chair. I frowned at him,


    "It''s not exactly smart to tell me that kind of thing. I can expose my identity any second."


    He tapped the chair, "It''s quite comfortable if you''d to take a seat."


    I walked over, sitting down. He smirked at me, "You won''t expose who you are. Your identity means a lot to you. I could tell in the fight you were protecting your gray disguise. It''s obviously not as tough as you are, so why else would you wear it?"


    I glared down at him. I towered over Thisbey, a head taller than him even sitting down. It didn''t phase him one bit as he leaned back in his chair. He glanced back at the fire, crossing his fingers. He waited, giving me time to think.


    I took a deep breath, remembering the fight with the Skyburners. I needed to flush my mind of all the bullshit going through it and perform. I fucked up in the tournament. I couldn''t afford to do the same against the Skyburners.


    Thisbey took a sip of the herbal tonic, interrupting my thoughts,


    "Would it bother you if I asked a tentative question?"


    I shrugged, "I thought you were here to give me some peace and quiet?"


    He shrugged, "Well, I aim to give you food for thought. That should help ease your transition."


    I scoffed, "Sure, why not."


    He raised a hand, "As I understand it, you''ve been rather busy as of late with the tournament and all. I sympathize if you''ve been preoccupied with other matters, but have you given my proposition any thought?"


    I shook my head, "Eh, not really. Don''t know if it''s worth giving thought."


    He laughed, "Good. When a man thinks too hard, it muddles his mind. Best to keep it clear and follow your gut. It''s worked for me. It''ll likely work for you as well."


    He turned to me, "Excuse me if this feels like an interrogation, but there are reports of someone clearing out the silvers nearby. Would that happen to be you perchance?"


    I nodded. Thisbey picked up his glass again,


    "You saved several of my boys when you did that. I''ll let the media know about your deeds. It should help smooth over today''s...incident."


    I shrugged, "I don''t care too much about fame to be honest with you. If anything, it just gets in the way."


    Thisbey raised an eyebrow, "Now Daniel, fame is simply a tool, and like any other tool, it can be misused." He raised a hand, accentuating his next point,


    "It''s much like a hammer. It can be used to both build and destroy depending on where you swing it. Your fame is much the same way."


    He swung his hand one way, "On the one hand, you built the confidence of the espen people." He swung his hand in the other direction, "On the other, you''ve destroyed some of the gialgathen''s arrogance."


    He accentuated his next point, grasping his fingers together, "I consider both tremendous feats in their own right." He gestured a palm to me, "All I ask is you swing that hammer of yours one last time."


    I rolled my eyes, "Really now? Sounds like you want me to swing a hammer through a gialgathen''s skull. If you ask me, you''re a damn lunatic."


    He shook his head, turning back to the fire, "You''ve seen and felt what they can do. They''re more than merely powerful. They feed on the natural mana that saturates Giess. Think of it. Trillions of creatures thrive on mana. Predators eat those creatures, and mana collects in their flesh and blood."


    He raised a fist, "The gialgathens are the densest collections of mana on this planet. That''s why they defy a normal planet''s biological limits. I''ve never seen a non-eldritch match their might. Their overwhelming capacities come at a cost, however."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Alright. Sureeee. Let''s hear your pitch."


    He kept on going, ignoring my sarcasm, "Mana pollution." Thisbey shook his head,


    "Scientists still don''t quite understand the mechanism behind it. Signs of it lie everywhere around us, however, even beneath our very feet."


    He took a sip of his drink, "You may not be aware, but there''s a vast ocean of pollution beneath the surface of giess. The silver''s feed on that mana pollution. That''s why they came here. That''s why they''ve spread out."


    I knew this part of his bullshit was true. I dove miles beneath the surface of Giess early on after coming here. He turned to me,


    "The animals here, they evolved around the mana. They use it like water or air. The difference is that mana is a resource with consequences. You can use internal mana all you want. It''s the will of your own mind. It regenerates if you give your mind some time to rest."


    He shook his head, "Drawing from nature is different. It''s like sapping the will of the world, and it leaves a toxic, inhospitable mush behind."


    I frowned, "Wait, you''re telling me all that muck is from animals?"


    He nodded, "And the espens, our technology, even our entertainment. It all draws from a well that''s about to dry up. Very few people understand this. A few select individuals are even combating it."


    I remembered Thisbey''s silver mining business. He looked at my facemask, a smirk growing on his,


    "You guessed right. I''m leading the charge, funding the farming of the silvers. We can''t eliminate them. We need them even more than they need us."


    He looked back at the fire, his brow creasing, "But the mana pollution has run its course already. We''ve walled in vast seas of the sludge, but our time is running out. If it weren''t for the silvers, we''d already be done for."


    I cupped my chin, diving deep into thought. Thisbey calculated his every word. Taking it at face value was foolish. At the same time, not all of it was lies. When I first arrived on Giess, I carried my friends and I over one of those seas of walled in sludge. I even explored one of the oceans, finding a follower of Eonoth. That scientist was trying to create espens that lived off the muck.


    This was why.


    Thisbey frowned, "Now that you understand a few of the intricacies of Giess''s climate let''s present a question. If you guessed who contributed the most to mana pollution, who would it be?"


    I sighed, "The creatures that used the most mana."


    Thisbey''s gaze turned hard like iron, "Let me divulge another deduction from you. What species do you believe does this the most?"


    I frowned,


    "The gialgathens."

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    Thisbey nodded, "Let''s be precise here. My boys have run the data and done the research. A single gialgathen can destroy a hundred square miles of land over its lifetime."


    He leaned back into his chair, letting a hand flop onto his armrest,


    "Now while I might be a biased source, something has to be done about this mess. Otherwise, every man, woman, and child on Giess will drown in this here filth."


    Thisbey''s voice turned sharp as a razor,


    "And why? For what cause? So that these beasts can look down on us? So that they can whittle away our planet''s resources just to fuel their own arrogance? I say that''s some poor reasoning. I say we put a stop to it."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Well then, how would you get rid of the problem exactly?"


    Thisbey waved his hands, "If it were up to me in totality, my solution would be simple in practice. We eliminate the cause of pollution. Seeing as that isn''t an option you''d consider, how about we find a compromise so to speak?"


    I thumped my fingers against my armrest, my impatience growing. I''d heard more than enough of Thisbey''s bullshit at this point. Thisbey spread out his arms as if he had nothing to hide,


    "I just need you to tell the espens that drawing mana from nature is foolish. There''s a large portion of espen society that still does so. You''d be the one to put a stop to it."


    He leaned back in his chair, a smile growing on his face, "It has nothing to do with the gialgathens. I''m self-aware enough to know that I''m biased. Despite that, I''m willing to work with my compatriots. That means I''m willing to work with you."


    I leaned back into my chair, "Where are you getting the data and research from?"


    Thisbey shrugged, "A reliable and neutral source, I assure you. Most of what I know isn''t public knowledge. Find someone who researches the silvers. Anyone worth their salt can tell you this much."


    I looked down, diving into thought. Thisbey was full of shit for sure, but he raised a few points I should research on my own. His growing desperation to convince me also taught me something. If I shifted something the wrong way on Giess, I could wreck the whole planet.


    My decisions mattered. I affected people, a lot of people. Up till now, it was like I was running away from all that. It''s a lot to take on, and it''s not something I''m good at either. If I kept fumbling in the dark though, I might end up slaughtering people, my friends included.


    Killing Delilath drove that point home.


    With that in mind, I took a deep breath, centering myself. I was scared of all this new responsibility and influence. The more I avoided it though, the larger a problem it would become. It was time I stopped running away. I put that fear behind me, using it to spur me forward. It was time to man up and get this shit done.


    I first needed to get a solid understanding of the situation on Giess. Once I got an idea of what I was working with, I''d come up with a plan. The quicker I did so, the better. At this rate, people might even think I was siding with Thisbey. The guy was a genocidal maniac. Not my cup of tea, personally.


    I stood up from my chair, "I''ll talk to someone else about it. I have a lot to do. Goodbye."


    Thisbey leaned his head back, "Could you at least consider the idea of my proposition? What is it about me that throws you off to such a degree?" He frowned, "Am I too lowly for you? Is that it?"


    I raised an eyebrow. Thisbey snapped at me. I was done playing nice with him, so I gripped the edge of my chair''s armrest,


    "Tell me, what animal did you get this leather from?"


    Thisbey blinked, "Well, it''s a trade secret."


    I crushed the armrest in my hand, smearing the wood and nails like playdough, "See, that''s why I won''t consider what you''re saying. You''re lying to me."


    Thisbey''s brow creased, "Now there''s no reason to get uncivil here. These are ungrounded accusations. Any proof behind them?"


    I was done with his politician talk. It was time to be blunt. I leaned over Thisbey,


    "I''m done playing these little games of yours. Let''s just be honest, alright? I hate your guts. You get other people to do the dirty work for you. Why? Because you can''t stand a little dirt under your fingernails."


    A blood vessel throbbed on the side of Thisbey''s head. He stood up, pressing a finger against my chest,


    "Now I''ve been as kind to you as my own son. I''ve paid for hotel rooms. I''ve done charitable work in your name. I''ve done nothing to deserve this kind of judgment, let alone condemnation...Especially from you."


    I scoffed, "Ever since we met, you''ve been trying to use me to orchestrate genocide."


    He frowned, "It''s not genocide. It''s saving Giess from an environmental crisis. I''ll have you know my intentions are pure at heart."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really now? No hidden agenda there?"


    He gripped the collar of his leather suit, "Of course not. I''m a man of my word."


    I grabbed his skin jacket,


    "You''re still trying to play games with me, Thisbey. You''re wearing gialgathen skin. I can smell it. I can feel the mana in it. How the hell am I supposed to trust you when you can''t even own up to that much?"


    He knocked my hand aside, "You don''t know me. You don''t know my history."


    I scoffed, "You''re wearing another sentient species'' skin. What else do I need to know about you before I can tell you''re a bad person? That you eat children?"


    Thsibey''s face went dark. He glared up at me and seethed,


    "I will ruin you for this. Do you hear me? I built you up and I''ll tear you down. That reputation of yours, I''ll flip it in seconds. I''ll turn you into a demon instead of a hero."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Just like you did with Delilath? I already told you. I couldn''t give two fucks about fame."


    He spread out his arms, "At the very least I didn''t kill her like some savage. Your big, brutish hands can''t do much else but smash, can they? I wonder what you''ve done to that woman of yours with those big old hands? Probably beaten more than once or twice."


    I wrapped my hand around his shoulder. My palm rested over his chest, and my fingers wrapped around to his back. I compressed his torso, his bones creaking,


    "You mean these big, brutish hands?"


    Thisbey paled, anger draining out of his face.


    I tilted my head, "Answer me this, smooth talker. Do you wear gialgathen skin because you''re afraid? Does it give you control over them? Do you think it gives you control of me?"


    I cracked my neck, the bones in my neck sounding like steel. Thisbey''s knees shook as I glared back down at him,


    "Tell me...do you feel in control?"


    I held him there, giving his chest the slightest squeeze. My fingers were steamrollers, squeezing the life from him. A bead of cold sweat dripped down the side of his face. He shook his head and mumbled,


    "I don''t."


    I nodded, "Didn''t think so."


    I let him go, patting his shoulder,


    "Hey, just a heads up. If I see you wearing gialgathen skin again, I''m feeding you to an organ caterpillar. They''re deep in silver territory."


    His heart pounded in his chest, his pupils dilating with fear. I turned around, walking out. As I opened the door outside, I turned to him,


    "They''re a nasty bunch, so you shouldn''t have any problems fitting right in."


    I closed the door behind me, done with that guy. I lifted my arms over my head, stretching out my back. As I did, the muscles in my back popped like iron cords. I ran forward, jumping up. I pulled myself along with a gravity well, reaching our hotel.


    As I entered our room, I found Tohtella and Torix discussing details of the plan. They both stared at a series of holographic projection of the Skyburner base. They organized portal locations, supply chains, and portal locations.


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    They looked at me as I walked up. Tohtella crossed her arms, "Good to see you''re well. Did you win? It doesn''t look like it."


    I frowned, "Yeah, I won. It wasn''t easy though."


    Torix scoffed, "I assure you, that''s quite apparent. Here-" He opened a portal, pulling out another gray square of armor.


    "I only own seven more. Do try to keep them safer would you?"


    I took the gray square, "Yeah, yeah. I''ll give it my best." They looked back at their projection. I put hand on Torix''s shoulder, "Hey, I need both of your help before I let you guys do your thing."


    Tohtella pursed her lips, "What is it?"


    I raised my hands, "I need resources on Giess. Culture, environment, etcetera. I''m trying to get a grasp of what''s going on."


    Torix''s fire eyes flared, the fires growing brighter, "That''s rather sensible of you. Would you mind discussing what spurred you into action?"


    I frowned, "I killed someone at the tournament."


    Torix leaned back, "Oh...Well then..."


    Tohtella pursed her lips, "Who was it?"


    "Delilath, Lady of Yellow. I didn''t mean to. Our fight dragged on for hours. When I finally got the upper hand, she snapped her jaws at me. After that, well."


    Torix shrugged, "You punched her to death. Alas, such is the circle of life and combat."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Her family flew over. They wept."


    Torix nodded, "It''s difficult, I know. It''s a series of fights, however. You''re not able to guarantee that every combatant will be safe, let alone over many tournaments."


    Tohtella glanced at her clipboard, jotting a note down, "She was a general for Lehesion''s army. It''s a shame she passed. Will you be able to fight at full  power tonight, or should we delay the operation?"


    She glared up at me, her eyes keen. I shrugged, "Eh, I''ve been through a lot worse. I just want to know more about Giess so I don''t end up fucking something else up. Simple as that."


    Tohtella raised her eyebrows, "Well then. I may assist you."


    She typed in her status. Seconds later, a dozen messages appeared in my inbox. She gave me an amused grin, "Those documents should give you a general overview of several factors of Giess."


    I scrolled through them on my status and grimaced, "Oh man. This is just hundreds of research papers. Fuck."


    Tohtella scoffed, "It''s basic reading. I included many of my own notes for you to use at your discretion."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Thanks. This is ridiculously helpful."


    Tohtella gave me a curt nod, "You''re offering your services to me. The least I can do is offer the same courtesy."


    Torix turned back to the holographic projections, "Now in order to keep the espens safe, I propose cryogenic storage."


    Tohtella rolled her eyes, "The water in the espens will expand, rupturing the cellular lining throughout their bodies. We''ll be taking back a bunch of preserved corpses."


    Torix shrugged, "What''s wrong with that?"


    I walked off, shaking my head at our necromancer, "I''ll leave you both to it then."


    I floated up to my room, walking in. Althea was gone, doing something with Kessiah no doubt. Their relationship improved since coming to Giess. Either way, I appreciated the alone time. I sat down on one of our fine, wooden desks. I laid opened my status, flipping and folding the menu till it was shaped like a book.


    As I flipped through the virtual pages, I figured out three important facts. First, Thisbey wasn''t lying about the mana pollution. Tohtella''s research and reports verified it. He exaggerated the gialgathen''s mana footprint, however. Gialgathens took up one fifth of the mana pollution. Espens took up two thirds of the mana footprint. The rest were ordinary animals.


    Thisbey was stretching the facts quite a bit.


    The second piece of info involved silvers consumption of mana pollution. The saysha beetles spread out the metallic grid. They were the only known kind kind of silver that actually reduced mana pollution. Little research had taken place on more advanced silvers, however. Scientists hoped to find better eaters of the sludge.


    The third fact revolved around silver hunts. Giess''s leveling occurred faster than a normal planet. This wasn''t just due to the mana strengthening the local animals and fauna. After the first year on Giess, Schema changed the silver''s status to that of eldritch.


    This meant that there was an enormous amount of monsters to kill in order to level up. I struggled to level for that reason. It was hard to find monsters above level 5,000. On Giess however, they were everywhere in silver wasteland. This made reaching the level cap simple, though it wasn''t easy by any stretch.


    All these factors gave me a better understanding of Giess. I came up with a three-step plan to save the planet. They needed to find an efficient sludge eater from the silvers. After that, they should invest in using Schema''s system to learn and use internal mana. During all that, they should spread awareness of mana pollution.


    It wasn''t that complicated to be honest.


    The social issues threw a wrench in any reform though. Gialgathens didn''t see silvers or the eldritch as a threat. Most espens still looked to the gialgathens for guidance. Therefore, most espens followed that line of logic. Tohtella tried changing the gialgathens minds in a variety of ways.''


    They never listened to her.


    That''s why Thisbey and Tohtella asked me to give a certain kind of speech. My raw physical strength forced the gialgathens and espens to listen. This gave the social breakthrough required for reform. The issue came in the kind of reform I would cause.


    Thisbey wanted me to demonize the gialgathens and make them out as weak. I didn''t know exactly how he planned on using that to kill of the gialgathens. I assumed that giving that kind of speech would elicit that kind of reaction.


    Tohtella wanted me to bolster Schema''s appeal by hyping up self mastery. It was a simple, effective way of reducing mana pollution. Now that I comprehended the situation, I stuck with her plan. It seemed pretty damn solid.


    With all that bullshit handled, I closed my status and leaned back in my chair. I let out a long sigh, thankful that it was over with. It only took about eight hours of unrelenting, tedious research. As painful as it was, it was necessary.


    It gave me a foundation to act on.


    Armed with insight, I stood up and pulled out my chunk of orichalcum. With another few hours before the operation, I tested my next ability. Over the last few days, I leveled up thermomancy to 50. I let the orichalcum float over my hand, holding it with a gravity well.


    During some of my free time, I theorycrafted ideas for Thermomancy. The first idea to come up was crafting with my armor. If I melted the metal, I could manipulate it far better then when it was solid. It gave me a level of precision I couldn''t match in other way.


    We were also heading out later tonight. If I could arm Althea and the others with something, it might even save their life. I had no clue honestly, but it was an idea worth exploring.


    With those intentions, I channeled my mana, generating a concentration of heat. In seconds, the orichalcum melted. With a pool of molten metal hovering above my hand, I spun it around using a gravitational vortex. The glowing ball flattened out, the heat off it heating the air in the room.


    I played with the metal, changing its shape. I got the hang of shifting it with gravity wells. With a clear picture of what I wanted to make, I molded it into the shape of a knife. Once I had the outline of a knife, I pressed and prodded the goop until clear, sharp lines came up.


    Once I created the handle and guard, I cooled the metal until it was white hot yet solid. With the softened metal in front of me, I etched runic glyphs with telekinetic pulses from my fingertips. I sharpened the edge, using my unique skill, Hands of a Giant. I even incorporated dimensional cipher runes on the handle.


    I wasn''t finished though. I aimed to improve my creation process from last time. An issue with many of my weapons was wear and tear on the runic glyphs. In order to hide them and reinforce the blade, I decided to cover the base of the knife with my molten skin. It would become the first knife made of dimensional fabric.


    With that in mind, I tore a piece of my real, charcoal colored armor off. With a burst of mana, I melted it. I molded it into a long, flattened strip. I wrapped it around the handle, creating


    a helix of melted armor hovering around the grip. Using another burst of energy, I tightened the helix of my armor over the blade. At the same time, I cooled the metal.


    The result was woven plate of blackened armor over the hilt. This served several purposes. It prevented the runic inscriptions from deforming. The sheath protected others from seeing the runes as well. It even reinforced the blade since my armor was much harder than orichalcum.


    Taking another strip of my charcoal armor, I melted another strip of the metal. I folded it around the shape of the blade, creating an other loose helix around the edge. Using the same tightening and cooling method, I tightened the helix around the blade. With careful scraping, I sharpened the edge on the casing till it could swipe through steel.


    I gave it a bit of decoration with a few simple markings. I pulled my creation back, hovering the dagger in front of me. I grinned, impressed at my progress.


    Dimensional Slicer(lvl requirement: 5,000) - Hiding forbidden runic glyphs, this reinforced blade is a beautiful bringer of death. Dimension C-138 utilized a cocktail of different skills to craft this masterclass of weaponry. The bonuses are as follows:


    +100 Strength, Consitution, Endurance, Willpower,


    +50 Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +125% Critical Strike Damage | +Extra damage against other metals


    +10,000 health | +1,000 health regen per minute


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration


    Note: Bonuses doubled for a member of Harbinger''s Legion. Bonuses don''t stack with copies of the Dimensional Slicer. Excess mana is siphoned to Dimension C-138.


    I put my hands on my hips, admiring my work. I planned on using thermomancy for heating myself up. After a bit of thought, crafting popped up as a creative way of using the skill. If I refined the talent enough, I''d become a blacksmith of great renown. Well, probably.


    With that in mind, I went to work on the next knife. Three hours into the night, I crafted three more knives giving me four knives total. I''d give two to Althea and one to Torix and Kessiah. I weakened the runic markings for Kessiah''s so that she could actually use it.


    I adjusted the cipher markings to each person. If the use channeled the weapons, it would draw out their individual strengths. Althea''s enhanced her critical strike damage and her slicing through metals. Torix''s augmented his summoning capabilities. Kessiah''s improved her technical abilities while slugging it out.


    It was satisfying seeing my work come to fruition. I was glad the knives enhanced the user''s tankiness too. Since I was total ass at protecting people in a fight, these knives would have to do. As I finished the fourth blade, a notification popped up.


    New Skill Gained! The unique skills Thaumaturge, Thermomancy, and Hands of a Giant have combined into the mythical skill, Thaumaturgical Blacksmith! Half of unearned skillpoints rewarded( 63 treepoints)


    Mythical Skill Interaction! The Mythical skill, Thaumaturgical Blacksmith integrated the normal skill, Living Forge, enhancing the skills abilities!


    Legendary Skill Interaction! Force of Nature enhances the mythical skill Thaumaturgical Blacksmith, evolving the skill into Star Forger! This gives the skill increased ease of use when incorporating telekinesis or gravity!


    Star Forger(lvl 1) - Many bend metal to their making. You choose to bend the stars, crafting masterpieces with ease. Enhances metal manipulation, self-forging, runic carving, blacksmithing, enchanting, temperature manipulation, and dexterous ability with gravity and telekinesis. Effect enhances with level.


    I shook my head, amazed I gained a mythical skill without meaning too. I was using several of my unique skills at once when making the blades. Most of the unique skills were very high level as well. That eased the process, giving me a leg up when combining them.


    Before I gave the daggers to the others, I checked out my trees. I grinned. I had enough points to reach the final tier in my tree, Legendary. I put all my points into it, a sense of excitement building. As I finished it, a notification popped up.


    As I read it, I raised an eyebrow.


    New skill level unlocked!


    Sovereign tier skill now unlocked!

 175 Eye of The Storm

    I scrolled down on my menu, finding the reward for the legendary tree.


    Be the beginning and the end of your mastery. When others ask for guidance, your lineage is what they look for. They gaze at your shadow, for you are legend. Legendary(Tier 5) unlocked!


    +100% to effect of legendary skills!


    +1 to unlockable legendary skills!(3 total)


    Doubles legendary leveling speed! (Note: Does not apply to skillpoints gained from dungeon cores).


    Legendary skills are easier to create, requiring less synergy and proficiency!


    I nodded at the bonuses. The tree gave me about what I expected. The leveling speed meant I might not invest my dungeon cores into the skill anymore. If I trained Force of Nature all the time, then it would climb at a steady rate. The free skill points might be better allocated to my mythical skills instead.


    Before I checked out my bonuses though, I went back to the other notification. I had no idea what a sovereign skill meant. It looked like the next level of skills, one above even legendary. It kind of mismatched the naming scheme though. I expected something like fabled skill. Sovereign sounded like ruling to me.


    I shrugged, willing to ask the others about it when the time was right. With that handled, I opened up my skill menu. I slid through my many skills, finding Force of Nature.


    Force of Nature(lvl 2,676) - You are nature given fury. Enhances all techniques and application of skills within this ability, including but not limited to: Close Range Combat, Runic skills, Telekinesis, Gravitation, Sensory Abilities, Bearing, Temperature Manipulation, Runic Inscriptions, Crafting, and Draining Abilities. Numerical bonuses are as followed:


    +520 Strength, +520 Dexterity, +260 Constitution, +260 intelligence, +104 Perception


    +52 to all attributes for having a 2,600+ total in a legendary skill.


    Ability Bonus: +330% | Mana Cost Reduction: 66%


    I shook my head at the bonuses. The spell cost reduction alone tripled the output of my mana. The raw stats added up at this point as well. All the bonuses together increased the output of the skill by over tenfold. Considering the might of my magic already, it was something to fear.


    I raised a hand, forming tiny gravity wells over my fingers. I bent gravity, extending the wells in different directions. This warped their pull, creating strange angled that they siphoned at. As if a part of my own body, I generated a panel of antigravity over me.


    I walked over to the desk, reaching for a book. The book slid away, along with the table. As it tipped over, I lifted a finger, raising it with just enough force to flip it back upright.


    It was like walking or breathing, no effort required. Gravity was my elemental affinity now, something that was a part of me. As gravity bent under my will, I charged my mana. I condensed a gravity well, building its pulling power. I canceled it with an antigravity vortex. Instead of twenty minutes of charging, I''d need about two for a singularity now.


    It was wholly and utterly terrifying.


    I sighed, making sure to only use that shit when it was necessary. Otherwise, I''d suck myself into one, killing myself in the process. With that handled, I opened my tree menu.


    Breaker(Finish an S tier bounty, only one class can be chosen)(0/5,000) | Originator(Be the first to learn a skill)(0/1,500) | Purger(Clear a quarantine)(0/250) | Sovereign(Lead an A tier guild or higher, Clear an A tier bounty or higher, Be able to unlock three or more legendary skills)(0/10,000)


    I raised my eyebrows at the Sovereign tree. It was absurd, needing double what my next highest tree required. Considering the steep cost, I hesitated at choosing it. If my guess were right, it would dish out a reward every 2,500 skill points. That was a very, very long time by anyone''s standards.


    The other tree, Originator, looked like it might help me create skills. If I unlocked that tree first, I could build several dozen new abilities. With the skill points from them, filling out the Sovereign tree seemed more feasible.


    With that in mind, I put my twenty-five remaining points into the Originator tree. With that handled, I lifted the four knives with gravity. I stepped out of my room. As I opened the door, Althea met me. With her hands on her hips, she glared at me,


    "Hey."


    I grinned, "Hey sweet stuff."


    She frowned, "You look terrible."


    I looked down, finding my armor crumpled still, "Oh, I do need to change."


    I stepped back into the room. Althea closed the door behind me a bit harder than she needed too. I set the knives onto the desk while pulling the bent and broken armor off me. As I did, Althea snapped,


    "I saw your fight with Delilath. Looked really hard."


    I sighed, "Yeah. It was." I finished tearing the trashy iron off me, "I didn''t want to kill her. It was like a punch to the gut, to be honest."


    Althea''s tone of voice softened, but it still carried a bit of heat,


    "Well, I saw in the news that you went with Thisbey afterward. Why didn''t you come back here?"


    I turned to her, "I wanted some information from him. He pissed me off though."


    She rolled her eyes, "Well what did it take to make you mad."


    "Talking bad about you."


    Althea blinked. She looked down, "Oh...well thank you...You didn''t hurt him, did you?"


    I scoffed, "No, but he might have shit his pants a little."


    She giggled, "Really? What did you do?"


    I walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. I squeezed it, "Tell Thisbey, does that skin you wear make you feel powerful? Does it make you feel in control?"


    Althea grabbed at an invisible suit, mocking Thisbey''s accent,


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Why I do declare, if you wouldn''t mind me saying, that''s if it''s something that might not offend you...It perhaps, maybe even might...In a manner of speaking."


    We busted out laughing. I laughed so hard my abs burned. I kept on chuckling till tiny tears poured out of my eyes. Althea puffed her chest out in pride, relishing my laughter. As I settled down, I wiped a tear off my face,


    "Have you talked with Thisbey? that was perfect."


    She shrugged, "A few times. He''s called me, trying to get information about you. I''ve seen dozens of ads from him too. He always declares what he''s going to say before he says it. I picked up on it. Kessiah and I have been doing that act for a while, actually."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Alright, alright. I gotta get back in character."


    She grabbed at her imaginary suit again. I put my hand over her, squeezing her chest,


    "Do you feel in control?"


    Althea''s eyes widened, "You actually said that?"


    I grinned, raising my hands, "I know right? Pretty cool line if I don''t say so myself."


    She waved her hands, "You''re giving me goosebumps over here. Good on you for sticking it to him. He''s a total jerk-ass."


    I nodded, "Agreed...Hey."


    She raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"


    I frowned, "You looked pissed when you walked in here. Just wondering what was that about?"


    She crossed her arms, "Well, remember how I told you that you didn''t have to do everything on your own?"


    I gave her curt nod. She continued, looking off to the side, "I just...I was hoping you''d come to me after the situation with Delilath. You looked hurt. I wanted you to rely on me for once."


    I grinned, grabbing her and picking her up,


    "I haven''t laughed that hard in years. You''ve already made me feel better without even trying."


    She giggled as I swung her around. I dropped her, setting her down with gravity. She raised her eyebrows, "Ooh, I''m impressed. Have you been practicing?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, sort of."


    She smirked, "I''ve got something to show you when we fight the Skyburners."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really now?"


    She shrugged, "Eh, no big deal."


    I rolled my eyes, "Ok, I get it. I''ll wait. Before we go though, I have something to show you."


    I walked her over to the bed. Althea''s long, purple hair waved as she raised her palms, "You know I pass out after we do it. We have a mission later tonight."


    I scoffed, "Get your mind out of the gutter. Look."


    I picked up her new knives. I flipped them in my hands, holding the blades while offering the handles to her. She grabbed them, tilting the edges. A reflective sheen shined off them. Her jaw dropped as she read the bonuses,


    "Jesus, did you sell your soul to Baldowah? How did you make these?"


    I grinned, "Trade secret. What do you think?"


    She flipped them in her fingers before slicing through the air. A violet stream of energy trailed behind them. Althea laughed, "I can''t believe how...wow these things are."


    I grabbed her back, "Not as ''wow'' as you."


    She rolled her eyes, "Alright that one almost made even me gag."


    I let her go, raising an arm, "Wanna test them out."


    She pulled back from me, "On you? Of course not."


    I rolled my eyes, "I''ll be fine. My pain tolerance is maxed, and I''ll regenerate in seconds."


    She frowned, "Eh..."


    I shook my head, "It''s better if you get a feel for the blades before you use them, right?"


    Althea narrowed her eyes, "Hmmm...I guess so."


    She pursed her lips, "Ok...I''ll give it a shot."


    She lifted the dagger. Sparks of violet lightning traced off the blade as she swung it down. It pierced right through my forearm. Althea tried pulling it out, but the dagger was stuck. She shook her head, "Are you ok?"


    I nodded, "Tis but a flesh wound."


    She tried pulling it out, but my armor stopped her. She shook her head, "I can''t budge it. I''d get two good stabs on you before you pulled my arms and legs off."


    I shrugged, "Doesn''t matter. Did it feel right?"


    She grinned, "Well, I didn''t think it would even pierce your armor period, so I''d say it was a huge success."


    I moved my hand with the dagger still impaling my wrist. Two of my fingers wouldn''t flex into a fist, but it would get the job done. I sighed, "It will have to do."


    I grabbed the handle, jerking the blade out. Not one drop of blood leaked out, and no blood covered the dagger. Althea blinked,


    "Uh, do you even bleed anymore?"


    I raised my eyebrows, "Er, I don''t know. Probably."


    Cords of my armor shot into the hole in my forearm. Muscle and sinews shot out, reconnecting the limb. As skin molded over it, Althea''s jaw dropped, "The fuck was that?"


    I gripped the once injured hand, good as new, "Just a little health regeneration."


    She scoffed, "Yeah, ok."


    Torix shouted from below, "We need to review the plan before we leave. It''s almost time to leave."


    I turned to her, "You good to go?"


    She pulled out her current daggers, dropping them on our desk. She flipped the Dimensional Slicers in her hand before sliding them into her empty sheaths, "Yup."


    Althea smirked at me, "You need to put on your disguise. See you downstairs?"


    "Definitely."


    She trotted outside, swinging her hips. I placed yet another gray square onto my chest, the armor grafting onto me. I rolled my shoulders as the face mask slid over me. I paced outside, jumping down to the second floor. Using gravity to stunt my fall, I landed with a bit of grace even.


    Torix and Tohtella stood beside the holographic projection. Tohtella gripped her clipboard to her chest while adjusting her glasses,


    "Is everyone ready?"


    I raised a hand, "Wait a minute."


    I pulled out Torix''s knife. I flipped it in my hand again, and the skeletal lich took the handle. Torix admired the craftsmanship, turning the blade in his hands,


    "It''s exemplary. It''s as if you were working with water instead of metal."


    I shrugged, "Might as well have been."


    Torix scoffed, "Knowing how you are, you must have smashed it into shape with your face."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Didn''t have to go quite that far."


    Tohtella leaned over, inspecting the blade. She frowned, "This is unlike any dagger I''ve ever seen. When and how did you make it?"


    I pointed upstairs, "In my room. It took like an hour."


    She leaned back, looking around the room, "Wait...what? You''d need a forge for this. There''s no other method of molding metal."


    I shrugged, "There is. We should focus on the plan though, not my crafting expertise."


    Tohtella shook her head, "Ah yes. Of course. Excuse my surprise."


    She pointed at the projection, "Using the system clock in your status, we''ll be attacking the camp at 2:00 A.M. in the middle of the night. Althea will strike Gaikhag Monothos, lethally wounding him preferably. At the same time, Malthazar will spawn several dozen portals to a secured location."


    She pointed at a dot far away from the base, "This is along the strip of destroyed silvers you left behind, Daniel. Once they''re here, Malthazar and I will ensure the slave''s safety while you all devastate the Skyburner''s forces. Worst case scenario, we all die, and the slaves are left for dead."


    Torix raised a finger, "And the more likely scenario is that we save most of them, slay several Skyburners, and a few of them fly off. They warn the others, but at least we strike at them in a meaningful way."


    I raised a fist, "And here''s what I think''s going to happen. We save the slaves, destroy the Skyburners, and take a hostage. We worm the information out of him then destroy each camp one by one. They won''t know what hit them."


    Tohtella rolled her eyes, "Ah yes, a warrior''s confidence. Let''s hope you''re right with your prediction."


    Torix shrugged, "I''ve seen him perform far more daring deeds. Now, are we all ready?"


    Everyone nodded.


    Torix clapped his hands, his fire eyes glowing red,


    "Then it''s time we show the Skyburners what it means to set a horizon on fire."

 176 Destruction

    We left our hotel, each of us geared up and ready for war. We traveled out of Yildraza, the city lights shooting up into the sky. Torix hovered, keeping himself and Tohtella afloat with magic. Althea and I ran, destroying portions of the scenery as we leaped and dashed.


    We stopped, regrouping just shy of the silver''s territory. We stood in a circle, everyone looking at me. With cool wind at my back and soft ground under my feet, I stood up straight.


    I raised a hand, "Look everybody. There''s some fucked up shit deep in silver territory. I mean it. Keep your head down and execute the plan. Don''t think about failure. Don''t think about your surroundings. Focus on the mission."


    I clasped my hand into a fist,


    "Merjects will dive from above. If they get ahold of you, they''ll suck your brains out. Flesh Whales are vulnerable to fire but keep your distance. Their blood is hard to escape. Don''t fall asleep on the ground. There''s a thousand things that want to use your body as their egg sack."


    Althea winced. Tohtella gave a curt nod, jotting down notes. Torix grasped his hands behind him. I pointed towards the silvers,


    "Outside of that, avoid the Skyburner''s jaws, tails, and fire breath. One hit from any of those three things, and you''re dead. Focus on their eyes and their mouths. Those are both vulnerable since they aren''t covered in armor or scales."


    I smacked my fists together, "Is everyone ready for some dragon jerky?"


    Althea and Torix gave me a nod. Tohtella''s brow creased. I waved my hands, "Uh, gialgathen jerky then."


    Tohtella frowned, "What? They''re lean predators. Their meat would be stringy and lean. It would be like chewing a bundle of wires."


    I rolled my eyes, "Are you ready to eliminate the targets?"


    She nodded, "Of course."


    "Alright then. Everyone check their status and finish any last updates."


    I opened my own status, checking out my levels. I leaned back from my status, finding myself with several thousand attribute points to allocate. I shouldn''t have let it pile up like this, but there was so much going on as of late.


    Over the two days, I fought in the tournament, cleared out silvers, found the Skyburner''s base, and gained a mythical skill. It was a lot to juggle around. Either way, I poured all my points into endurance, then selected finalize. Even if everything else was complicated, working my status was surprisingly straightforward.


    Sometimes, simplicity was king.


    Dimension-C138(Level 6,521)


    Strength ¨C 7,036 | Constitution ¨C 11,940 | Endurance ¨C 49,306


    Dexterity ¨C 3,061 | Willpower ¨C 27,375 | Intelligence ¨C 10,173


    Charisma ¨C 1,777 | Luck ¨C 3,437 | Perception ¨C 4,009


    Health: 9.60 Million/9.60 Million | Health Regen: 25.48 Million/min or 424,593/sec


    Stamina: 6.01 Million/ 6.01 Million | Stamina Regen: 87,771/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.15 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 554,537 pounds(251,533 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -12''8(3.87 meters) | Current - 9''10


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 679,893% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I raised my eyebrows, finding my perception over 4,000. I lifted a hand, staring at the metal. As I took a closer glance, I found thousands of layers. I squinted, finding the layers made of even more wires. I looked up, expanding my field of view.


    I glanced around, spotting profound levels of detail. If I glanced close, I peered at tiny spots like a microscope almost. If I soaked it all in, a world of detail popped up. As it did, my head throbbed at the sheer complexity. Tiny insects in the grass, dust and pollen in the air, even the moisture in my breath, it all revealed itself to me.


    I shook my head, dulling my senses. I shifted my attention back to my status. My stats marched forward, their inevitable climb never failing to impress. I neared 50k with my endurance, and my health nearly eclipsed the ten million mark. If summed it up in a word, ridiculous.


    I closed the window, looking around. Althea still fiddled with her status, but everyone else was done. A minute later and she closed it. I pointed off in the distance once everyone was back in the game,


    "Follow several hundred feet behind me. Let me lead the charge. I''ll be killing the silvers, clearing a pathway until we get within earshot of the Skyburners."


    Everyone nodded. I ran out, getting about a football field away from them. I activated Event Horizon, thousands of Saysha screaming as they died. They melted into black sludge that evaporated. I ran forward, killing anything that came up to me.


    I gibbed merjects, engorgs, and the organ caterpillars. Within an hour, flesh whales and other creatures popped back up. They crushed under my fists, some splattering from gravity wells alone.  As I decimated the abundance of silvers, a message popped up in my notifications.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Althea Tolstoy(Giess: 1:14 3/05/26) - Tohtella''s not doubting you as much. You look brutal out there.


    I grinned, squishing a merjects skull in my hand. As its purple blood splattered over me, I protected my face mask with an antigravity panel. Ten minutes later, we reached within a mile of the Skyburner''s base. I shut down Event Horizon, waving my friends to me.


    They all stepped up. As they did, Tohtella adjusted her glasses, "Ahem. Would you mind disclosing how you sterilized your surroundings? It smells like a hospital full of corpses after you pass by."


    I shrugged, "It''s an aura. Hard to teach. Anyways, I''m about to fly up. You guys save as many of the slaves as you can."


    I turned to Tohtella, "Look, I''ll be honest with you here. This gray armor isn''t going to hold up." I pointed at Torix, "You''re magic will get blown away when I land. She''s going to discover who I am. Better now than during the chaos."


    Torix sighed, "Perhaps. It is difficult to maintain a sight disruptive barrier around a meteorite after all."


    I turned to Tohtella, "I''m trusting you here, alright? You tell other people, you''ll be my enemy."


    Tohtella frowned, "I understand your skepticism of me. I am a woman of my word, however. This is no different than a confidential meeting. In the same manner as those events, I won''t disclose what you tell me or who you are."


    I nodded, "Good." I pressed the gray square over my armor, unveiling who I was. I rolled my shoulders, releasing my Mass Manipulation skill. My armor and bones cracked as I gained height, towering over everyone. I charged my runes, saturating them with mana.


    Tohtella gasped, her jaw slack, "You''re...him...Wow..."


    I raised a hand, "Yeah, we killed Yawm. We don''t have a lot of time for that to soak in though."


    She looked back at the ground, "It all makes sense now. The hidden identity, the combat ability, even your presence. You''re not normal. You''re the living dimension."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I''m Daniel. My real name isn''t so famous though. Either way, we have some frog-dragons to kill."


    Tohtella still stared at me with starry eyes. She reached out a hand, dragging it down my chest, "I can''t believe you''re right here...It''s harder than steel like I thought...It''s smooth though...like glass."


    Althea popped her hand, glaring at Tohtella, "Come on business lady. Stop trying to feel up Daniel. We''ve got work to do."


    Tohtella''s eyes widened. She stared down, marking onto her clipboard. As I gazed closer, she was jotting down a bunch of jibberish. All the while, she blushed until she looked like a tomato. I glanced at Torix, and he met my eye.


    He and I shared a conversation with that glance, each of us holding down some snickering. A minute later and Tohtella was back to her professional self. She coughed into her hand, "Ahem, excuse my surprise. We may proceed  as planned."


    I nodded, "Then let''s go. I''ll make impact at 2:00 A.M. as planned guys."


    I turned around, jumping up into the air. My dark armor blended in with the night sky, keeping me hidden from even the sharpest eyes. As I dived up, I relished my new freedom. I wasn''t squeezing myself with Mass Manipulation. I wasn''t covered in armor either. It felt good to be back to normal.


    With that liberation, I shot into the night sky. The crisp cold of the upper atmosphere funneled around me. The air thinned, letting me speed up even further. Otherwise the friction off the air caused my armor to glow bright, making me hard to miss. The entire time, I charged my mana, saturating my blood.


    As I reached an orbital altitude, my body radiated with energy.  Vibrant streaks of crimson lightning shot out from me. I quaked with potential energy, my entire frame wanting unleash destruction.


    I stared down, finding vast plots of land stretched out before me. The lights of Yildraza shined bright. The line of silver territory stretched far into the distance, winding like a river. I glanced around me, the void of space encroaching from all angles besides below.


    At the corners of my vision, the curve of Giess exposed itself. I glanced closer, finding gorgeous mountains and wide valleys. The purple sludge oceans lined up beside the vast seas. A path along the planet showed the line of the sunrise. It inched along, illuminating the planet.


    All of that to say this - it was a view to last a lifetime.


    All the perception paid off, letting me soak it all in. I promised to come back here at some point. The cold wasn''t even bad. Before I lost any more time, however, I readied myself. I lined up with the Skyburner camp using my minimap. A message popped up.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(Giess: 1:58 3/05/26) - Go


    I reversed my gravity well. I shot toward the ground, accelerating like a bullet. My stomach rose up into my chest, my eyes sinking back into my head. The ground beneath me expanded, tiny plots turning into massive fields.


    The friction from the air heated my skin. The water vapor near me sizzled, evaporating. The air pressure shifted over and over, my ears popping again and again. A layer of superheated air passed over me, a storm echoing in my eardrums.


    The camp popped out of the forest of metal spires beneath me. My armor glowed red hot, a warmth passing over me. It shifted to white, both bright and blinding. I turned into a shooting star, my body holding together despite the situation.


    My vision blurred. My bones rattled. My skin pulled on me. The warmth turned into a burning sensation. My mana rippled out, sparks of lightning radiating at full force. All went silent as I outpaced the speed of sound.


    The heat around me dug into my health regeneration. I withstood the scorching air, my body staying stable. With the ground fast approaching, I ground my teeth and clenched my fists. It was time.


    The Skyburners stared up at me as I came down. I aimed towards a cluster of three of them. One of them flapped his wings, flying away from me. The other two stared like headless chickens. I reached within feet of them, a violet flare of light.


    I made impact.


    70% of my health dropped instantly. The collision let out an earth-shattering wave of light and sound. The metal, ground, and Skyburners around me melted into a pool of magma. Beneath me, the ground dipped as I quaked the earth.


    A seismic wave shot out in all directions, upturning entire metal spires. The wall around the base smashed outwards, decimated by the kinetic shockwave. Nothing remained of the camp as I gained my bearings, leaving a wasteland behind me.


    I pulled up the surrounding magma with gravity. With a cyclone of light and fire enveloping me, I stood. With my hands grasped firm, I turned towards the three Skyburners left. Covered in burns and stabbed with shrapnel, they fumbled in utter disarray amidst the chaos.


    Above them, their general''s decapitated corpse leaked blood, impaled on bent spires. I glared at the gialgathens, my armor white. Metal and stone liquefied under my feet as I stepped up out of the new crater. Scorching air plumed upwards around me as my flesh and bones reconstituted.


    Violent arcs of crimson lightning shot off me, mana deluging out like a flood. Event Horizon left nothing in my wake as the Skyburners stared in awe. I stood before them as the sound I outpaced erupted around us, ripping out a sonic boom.


    Frozen in fear, the closest one choked out,


    "It''s...the Harbinger."


    I raised a hand,


    "And I usher forth cataclysm."

 177 To Face the Divine

    The air around me burst outward as I unleashed a singularity in the center of a Skyburner''s chest. Its ribs snapped. Its armor ruptured. Its smooth skin split. The gialgathen sunk into the abyss, the creature caving in on itself. Air siphoned into the singularity before it devoured all the sound around it.


    All went silent, the battlefield quiet as a graveyard. In a flash of light and radiation, the singularity imploded. Another discharge of energy rippled outwards, sending spires of metal out like spears. The shockwave left another pit of raw ground in the steel. It left liquified metal and stone behind it.


    The scenery itself deformed in the singularity''s wake.


    The two Skyburners tumbled through the silver infested scenery, both of them blown away. The orange and white Skyburner rolled through shards of metal. It stood up, its limbs shaking and one of its wings snapped.


    The other Skyburner, purple and black, limped with a broken front leg. This beast spread its lilac shaded wings, trying to fly away in time. Before it escaped, I leaned over and jumped towards the creature. It took off, but I landed onto its back, smashing it back down.


    The metal dented beneath us, my mass overwhelming the monster. I raised my right hand, a white aura leaking from my fist. Using the overkill damage from my initial impact, I clubbed my hand onto the Skyburner''s head. It squished like an orange under a steamroller.


    The blowback rattled through my bones, my entire frame ringing. I held together, standing up as another shockwave spilled out over the wasteland. Even silvers ran off, flocking for escape from the carnage. Beneath me, the gialgathen''s body shivered, nerves firing off as a plume of blood shot out from it.


    It sprayed over me, the liquid evaporating in an instant. A fine, red mist floated where the beast''s head once was. I turned towards the last remaining gialgathen. The once noble Skyburner quivered, its will to fight broken beyond repair.


    I rolled my shoulders, walking over to it. As I did, I tore off strips of my own metal skin. As it regenerated, I lifted the pieces and melted them, collecting a ball of molten metal. As I neared the final beast, it turned and fled. I reached out with both my hands, jerking the creature back to me.


    It clawed at the metal, tearing long slash marks as it scrambled to get away from me. I shot the liquid metal, splashing it over the creature. The Skyburner raised its head, pure agony consuming it. Before the beast died, I raised my hand, cooling the molten metal.


    Encased in obsidian metal, the gialgathen writhed in its casted cage. With severe burns and a broken will, the beast ceased its struggle within seconds. I stepped up to it, the monster froze in place. Its head reared into the sky, only its jaws and upper mouth free.


    It turned its eye to me, its eyes widening as I stepped up. It gasped out,


    "You...you are a monster. You have broken me."


    I shrugged, "I can do a lot worse if you don''t tell me where the other camps are."


    The Skyburner''s pupils narrowed, true fear spreading over its face. It coughed, "No...No...I will never expose my brothers and sisters. We are one, and we are many. I will not let you find them, Harbinger."


    I raised a hand, heating the metal around him. It scorched his flesh in a few places, causing him to roar out in anguish. I snapped,


    "Look, I''m not into this whole torture thing. You''ll find I''m a damn quick learner though if you don''t let me know what''s going on here."


    The Skyburner heaved, "No...It will not come to pass. What you will unleash onto me will never rival the wrath of the one I follow. "


    I heated the metal again, and he squawked like a chicken having its feathers plucked, "Yeah, we''ll see about that."


    Before I committed to the interrogation, I looted the battlefield. After recording footage of the aftermath and the corpses, I harvested the carcasses.


    Well, the carcasses that I could harvest.


    The two Skyburner''s I smashed on impact left little for my armor to eat. Each of them disintegrated into a fine mist. Same story with the one that died to a singularity. The other corpses were different, they even uncovered a few interesting details of the fight.


    The ancient general, Ghaikhag Monothos, was decapitated. His neck was cut clean, so clean that it bisected, showing an anatomical graph of a gialgathen''s neck. I found one more Skyburner just outside the crumbled walls of their base, its head lopped off in the same manner. Althea assassinated both of them, leaving me plenty to drink up.


    After eating them, I ran past the final body. I punched its head off, leaving plenty left for my armor. I walked back to the encased Skyburner, finding Tohtella and Althea gawking at it. As I paced up, Tohtella turned to me and raised a pistol at my head. I rolled my eyes while she gasped in relief once she recognized me. Tohtella turned to the Skyburner, her hands on her hips,


    "I underestimated both of you if I''m honest. To think you both held such destructive potential. It''s terrifying."


    Althea shook her head, "Here I thought my dual assassination was impressive."


    I spread out my arms, "What? It was impressive. You insta-killed a level 10,000+ enemy. That''s insane."


    Althea scoffed, "Uh, it doesn''t quite have the same wow factor as blowing the entire base up. You obliterated two of them right after that as well."


    I shrugged, "We had time to plan and got the jump on them." I turned to Tohtella, "Did the slaves make it?"


    She nodded, "We lost a third of them. The yana worms inside them frenzied once we teleported the slaves out. Torix improvised, freezing all of them. This put the espens and worms into cryogenic sleep. It''s unfortunate, but some of them will die from that as well."


    Althea bit her lip, shivering, "That''s better than watching those worms eat them alive."


    I nodded, "Well, we did our best. I killed five of the Skyburners. I''m killing this last one as well. Better than wasting the experience."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Althea scoffed, pointing above her head. I glanced, and her title appeared.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 6,201 | Class: Breaker)


    I grinned, "What? You''re a Breaker now?"


    She puffed out her chest, "I''ve been working on the tree for a while now, ever since we fought Yawm."


    I shook my head, "Wow. How did you get so many skill points so fast?"


    She shrugged, "I''ve had a ton of extra points ever since I unlocked my legendary skill forever ago. I used them along with a few extra skills I''ve been training on Giess."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Looks like I won''t be outleveling you for long."


    She rolled her eyes, "Uh-huh. You''ll get a class here soon. Besides, your hustle will get you level capped pretty soon."


    Tohtella looked between us. She shook her head, "She''s a Breaker now?"


    Althea put her hands on her hips, "Yup. I''m not as strong as Daniel yet, but I''m keeping up...mostly I guess."


    Behind us, the Skyburner roared out, "Such drivel. Silence yourselves or silence me. I will not waste away here as you all-"


    I raised a hand, heating his armor up. He bellowed out, his voice echoing for miles. I snapped,


    "Yeah, we''ll talk as much ''drivel'' as we want too."


    Foam dripped from the edges of the Skyburner''s mouth as it glared at me. I turned towards Tohtella and Althea, "I''ll worm the information out of it. You two can go help Torix."


    Althea nodded, but Tohtella shook her head. She adjusted her glasses, "I''ll stay here and assist you."


    Althea leaned over her, a head taller than Tohtella,


    "Just so you know, you touch my man like that again, and that General isn''t the only one I''ll break."


    Tohtella gave her nod even as she blushed, "I promise you that it was a momentary lapse in professionalism. I was only curious about the armor''s properties."


    Althea poked her chest, "You get curious about his ''armor'' again, and I''ll get curious about what your insides look like. Ok?"


    Tohtella sighed, "Understood."


    Althea pursed her lips and crossed her arms, "Good." She looked up at me, "You better tell me if she does anything."


    I rolled my eyes, "I''ll bring you the hand she does it with, alright?"


    Althea nodded. She looked between us one last time before disappearing like a ghost. I turned back to the Skyburner, and I frowned,


    "Look, I don''t want to torture you."


    I heated up the armor. He howled out, but I growled over the beast,


    "But I will do what it takes to stop this bullshit. Understand?"


    The Skyburner glared at me,


    "Kill me Harbinger. Tormenting me only belittles the standing of someone like you."


    I narrowed my eyes, "How do you even know I''m called the Harbinger?"


    The beast let out a pained laugh,


    "Hah, do you not recognize what you are? When I first laid my eyes upon you, fire cycloned around your frame. You paced from the burning crater you left behind, and I understood what you were. It required no introduction. It required no words."


    I frowned, "Hmm. Weird."


    A few minutes of torment later, and I gained a skill I never thought I would.


    New Skill Gained! Torture(lvl 1) - Some bring their enemies to death in an instant. You bring your enemies to a line between life and death, bringing hell to life. +1% to physical pain caused to others.


    I closed my eyes, grimacing at the skill. I sighed, turning away from the Skyburner. Tohtella adjusted her glasses, "What is it?"


    I shook my head, "I''m not cut out for this. Let''s just put him out of his misery."


    An amused smile trailed onto her face, "Kind of you. Allow me to continue the interrogation."


    With cold eyes, Tohtella opened her dimensional storage. She pulled out a jar full of yana worms, the same pot from behind her desk. She channeled her mana, zapping the fluid in the jar. The worms writhed, eyes opening all along their writhing bodies.


    Tohtella walked up to the Skyburner, "Hello there. It''s good you can understand us."


    The Skyburner snapped at her, "Begone, weakling. You are nothing but a leech on the underbelly of this world. You feast upon the scraps of great warriors."


    She kept her amused grin on her face, "Oooh, really? Good. This weakling has something like a leech in this jar. Care to take a look?"


    The Skyburner peered down at the vial. His pupils turned into slits as he howled, "Accursed Yana? You wouldn''t dare...I''ve done nothing to deserve their desecration. I''ve done nothing that warrants such a trail."


    "You and I disagree on the matter. Tell us the location of the other camps. Otherwise, I will dip just enough yana into your mouth that you''ll barely be conscious. We''ll dump you out into silver territory, and your kind will remember you by your zombied corpse."


    He frothed out, "There are three other camps such as this. One lays by the mountain of red and fire and ash. Another rests by the ocean of green and blue and the River of Tears. The last camp resides on the remains of Lehesion and Emagrotha''s great battle."


    Tohtella nodded, snapping her fingers. The jar cooled, the yana''s eyes closing. She glared up at the beast, "See? All you had to do was follow orders."


    Tears poured out of the Skyburner''s eyes. He wailed out, "I am a betrayer of many. Kill me as I deserve it."


    Tohtella turned to me, "Do as you will."


    She walked past me, looking away from the Skyburner. I kept my eyes on her, a different, icy side of her showing itself. She turned back to me, her eyes empty,


    "What is it? Is there something on my face?"


    I frowned, "No...Not really."


    I turned back to the Skyburner, "You resisted for a long time. There''s no shame in dying in battle."


    He gasped, "I died no such death."


    I melted and pulled the encased armor out from around him. After singeing him a bit, I jerked the metal back to me. My armor reconstituted it, the molten mass sinking into my skin. The Skyburner gasped,


    "You...you give me a warrior''s death? For what reason?"


    I raised my fists, "It''s all I can give you."


    The Skyburner lowered his head. After a moment of thought, he peered up,


    "My name is Draygalga Fire-Swallow. Tell my brothers that I fought with bravery. Tell my sisters that I was noble in defeat. Would you do this for me?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, you have my word."


    He nodded, "No matter the Yana nor the agony rendered unto me, I would expose nothing. This, I give to you as payment for my debt."


    I raised an eyebrow. Draygalga gasped out, "The one that leads us cleaved the sky with a swing of his claws. He is the oldest and strongest of our kind, the mightiest of us all."


    Tohtella jotted a note onto her clipboard, "Tell us. Now."


    The Skyburner''s eyes narrowed, "He is known as Lehesion, the Army of One."


    My eyes widened as Draygalga leaped towards me. He snapped his maw, but I shifted on my heels, sidestepping him. His jaws clanked, sending out a shockwave in front of him. It left a dent in the metal as I countered with a left hook.


    His bottom jaw dislocated turning sideways. He whipped his tail at me, but I deflected it with my forearm. I hammer-fisted the back of his head, slamming his face into the ground. As I raised my foot, he gurgled with his broken face,


    "I return to Giess, honor to thine name."


    I squashed his skull under my heel. I lifted my foot and squatted down, I placed my hands onto his neck. My armor devoured him, thousands of needles sapping his strength. After he died, I turned to Tohtella,


    "Did you hear him?"


    She looked at me, her expression frozen in place,


    "We must warn the public. Lehesion has returned. We need to evacuate areas near the base and arm cities."


    I frowned, "Is he that big a deal?"


    Her eyes hollowed,


    "He is a living god."

 178 A Steady March

    I raised my eyebrows, "Uh, yeah, I''ve fought against a so-called god before. He bled, just like anyone...I will admit though, his blood glowed, so you got me there."


    Tohtella frowned, "This is serious. Lehesion''s legends are told orally across generations of gialgathens. My research indicates he''s a level 15,000+ being, someone comparable to Yawm."


    I shrugged, "Killed him. I''ll kill this thing too."


    Tohtella sighed, "If you believe so, then I''ll take your word for it. Despite your confidence, I must inform the public."


    I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms, "Hmmm, you sure about that?"


    She leaned back, "Of course."


    "The thing is, I don''t know if that''s a good idea. The tension between espens and gialgathens is already high. If you throw something like this out, then it will catch fire. Fire meaning civil war, mass genocide, or something else equally terrible."


    She frowned, "You are correct, but if no one knows about this, then no one will prepare. The proper funding won''t be provided for enhanced defenses."


    I shrugged, "I mean, we can tell them something''s up. It''s just not a good idea to tell the masses exactly what that something is. Is there some way you could...I don''t know, lie?"


    Tohtella rolled her eyes, "I''ve spent all my life practicing to tell the truth."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Then why not just tell some of the truth?"


    Tohtella looked down, deep in thought. She sighed, "I will...I will do my best." She looked back up at me, "Are you ready to leave? We''ve done what we set out to do here."


    I shook my head, "I''m going to look for some answers. From what I''ve heard, Lehesion was the good guy during the gialgathen civil war. Him being the cause of all this seems suspicious to say the least."


    She frowned, "I can send my team to handle the investigations. When we figure out anything, we''ll inform you and your team."


    I walked up to the armor of Draygalga, "Even then, I''ll do my own inspection."


    Tohtella walked up, "That isn''t necessary."


    I turned my head, peering at her with my body facing the hollowed armor,


    "You sound like you don''t want me snooping around."


    Tohtella''s brow creased.


    "You have footage already. I want you to use your talents wisely and efficiently. My specialty is intelligence and subterfuge. I can handle this investigation effectively, but I cannot fight Skyburners. You can. I''m of the opinion that you should focus on what you''re already good at."


    I pursed my lips, "Hmmm...Maybe."


    Tohtella pinched the bridge of her nose, "Specialization improves productivity, especially in team environments. If we can synergize our specializations, this is even truer. Allow me to delegate duties and organize this. Please."


    I honed in, reading her response. Her palms were sweaty, and her heart beat faster than average in her chest. That could be from the fight earlier though. She met my eye, and her pupils dilated. She didn''t seem like she was lying, so I gave her a slow nod,


    "Alright...fine."


    She jotted a note onto her clipboard, "Good. Thank you. Now, Are you willing to leave now?"


    I sighed, "I suppose so."


    I lifted us up with a gravity well. By concentrating Event Horizon around us, I scared off most of the silvers. With our safe travel assured, I opened my status. I gained almost 1,000 levels. It was my biggest boost since facing Yawm. I put all the points into endurance as usual. As I selected finalize, I shifted.


    My armor cracked, the splits filling in from my regeneration. One of the fractures cleaved one of the cipher marks on my forearm in two. My blood thickened becoming denser than mercury. The fibers and sinews weaving my flesh compressed.


    Extra fail safes weaved into my organs. One heart or three, I couldn''t tell anymore. The tendons and ligaments lining my bones turned hard as diamond yet flexible as rubber. My own survivability defied my comprehension.


    My mana poured within the fortress that was my body. It permeated every pore and cell. The saturation extended until I radiated energy. In seconds, I pulled the energy in, adjusting to it. I squirmed as limitless vitality flushed through my system at every moment.


    I felt like a nuclear reactor.


    As I writhed, Tohtella  shouted from behind a mana barrier,


    "Are you ok? If the silvers infested you, we have removal procedures at my workplace."


    I growled, "No...I''m fine."


    My voice was deeper than usual, strained during the alterations. I shook off the growing pains, returning to normal. I glanced back at Tohtella, who floated while standing stiff as a board. I laughed, "Are you alright?"


    She blinked, "Ahem, of course I am. Your voice...it unnerved me is all."


    I rolled my eyes, "It''s part of gaining many levels. It should already be normal again."


    She looked up, checking out my level. She frowned, "I...I can''t quite believe it really. You''ve gained over a 1,000 levels in less than a week. It''s unprecedented."


    I shrugged, "There are some real monsters out there. I''m sure plenty outpace me."


    Tohtella shook her head, "There are few, if any."


    I swatted a giant, metallic dragonfly. The blood and mush splatted outwards and away from my antigravity field that covered us,


    "I know one. Althea. She gained 1,400 in one fight. Besides, no one that''s gaining levels like this has time to brag about it. That''s why you haven''t heard about them."


    I narrowed my eyes, "They''re out there though. I feel it."


    Tohtella rolled her eyes as we shot across the metallic wasteland. As we did, I opened my character sheet to check the statistical difference.


    Dimension-C138(Lvl 7,467)


    Strength ¨C 7,596 | Constitution ¨C 13,107 | Endurance ¨C 55,360


    Dexterity ¨C 3,246 | Willpower ¨C 30,099 | Intelligence ¨C 11,133


    Charisma ¨C 1,850 | Luck ¨C 3,754 | Perception ¨C 4,070


    Health: 11.70 Million/11.70 Million | Health Regen: 34.21 Million/min or 570,160/sec


    Stamina: 7.54 Million/ 7.54 Million | Stamina Regen: 108,952/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.45 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 741,910 pounds(336,524 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -13(3.96 meters) | Current - 13


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 884,301% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I passed a few landmarks. My endurance exceeded fifty thousand now, and my health passed ten million. My Living Dimension meter increased by a noticeable amount for once too. Gialgathens must have provided a solid boost since mana saturated them.


    All my attributes marched forward as well. Even my lowest straggler stat, charisma, was well over 1,000 now. I lacked many weak points in my build now, though I could always improve. The next goal would be augmenting my crafting since I just obtained Star Forger.


    With that in mind, I pulled out a chunk of orichalcum from my dimensional storage. As we floated over the scenery, Tohtella whispered, "It''s beautiful."


    I nodded, "It is."


    She raised her hands, "Your method of travel...It feels so strange."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How?"


    She pushed up her glasses, "We''re flying, yet there is no wind."


    I pointed forward, "I''m using two gravity wells to pull us forward. One pulls us forward, the other pulls us upwards. The wells pull the wind along with us, meaning the wind doesn''t blast us all the time."


    "It''s very pleasant compared with most flights I''ve been on."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I do it this way out of practicality. That''s it...Oh yeah, sorry for being so skeptical earlier."


    Tohtella raised a hand, "It''s nothing. You should be skeptical of me, of everyone."


    I sighed, "It''s just how it is. It''s like everyone is trying to use me all the time now, like that Thisbey fuck."


    She pursed her lips, "Ah, he''s an unpleasant fellow. I do despise dealings with him, but he is everywhere on Giess commercially. It''s difficult to avoid him altogether."


    I turned to Tohtella, "Let me know if he wears his classic leather jacket, alright?"


    Tohtella frowned, "Why?"


    I grinned, "Eh, you''ll see why in the news if he decides to wear it."


    ***************************************************


    We got back to the hotel in a few minutes. I put my gray armor on before we landed, keeping my identity under wraps. By the time I got back, everyone almost finished packing up. As Tohtella and I walked in, Kessiah sat down on a couch, watching tv.


    Tohtella glared at Kessiah. The Speaker''s disdain oozed as she lifted her nose into the air at the sight of Kessiah. Kessiah turned to her and raised a hand,


    "Yo Daniel. You guys made it I see."


    I nodded. Kessiah pointed at Tohtella, "What''s her problem."


    Tohtella uttered, "I see you''re allocating your time wisely yet again."


    Kessiah pointed to me, "Yup. Hey, you might want to see this tough guy."


    I walked up, looking at the shifting holographic projection. A newscaster sat beside a scientist, both of them espens.


    The scientist raised a hand, "It''s incredible, but another unknown seismic event occurred, this time past the silver''s border."


    The newscaster frowned, "What does that mean for the people of Yildraza?"


    "Well, it could mean nothing. I for one believe some ancient creature is creating seismic events."


    The camera panned out, and good old sleezebag mc''fuckface popped up. At least Thisbey wasn''t wearing the gialgathen skin anymore.


    "Why, if I might be so brash as to offer my own opinion, I believe it was a gialgathen."


    The scientist raised his hand to Thisbey, "Of course you would believe that. You''re openly racist against them."


    Thisbey spread out his arms, "Such harsh words coming from a man who''s suggest''in the same thing. You did say it was a creature, correct?"


    "Well, yes-"


    Thisbey grabbed the collar of his shirt, "Well what other creature could wreck this kind of devastation besides a gialgathen? They''re the apex predators of our planet. If a beast is causing this, then it means an old and powerful gialgathen is the cause."


    The camera panned in on Thisbey, highlighting him. He turned to the camera, addressing the audience,


    "I know my opinion isn''t weighed like a fancy scientist''s is, but please hear my me out if you wouldn''t mind. There are only two gialgathens we all know that can make earthquakes happen on demand. One of them was thrown into silver territory long ago. The other disappeared without a trace."


    He raised a hand, "I''m not the only person to suggest this, but I believe Emagrotha has tread out of silver territory. Her body must be full of them disgust''in yana, and they have clustered into an abomination. It''s out on the loose, and the gialgathens aren''t doing a thing about it."


    Thisbey steepled his fingers, "How many times must we bow and suffer before these monsters until we put a stop to it. To every patriot on Giess, I let you give the answer."


    Kessiah closed the footage, "See that?"


    I dragged my hands down my tinted facemask, "Yup."


    Kessiah bust out laughing, "Hah! Your fat ass is making everyone think Emagrotha is coming back. Damn, I knew you were getting up there in weight, but sheesh."


    I rolled my eyes, "Oh yeah, go ahead and laugh it up."


    Tohtella walked up, her arms crossed, "What is this about Thisbey?"


    Kessiah raised an eyebrow at her, "What, asking questions to us lowlifes now? Oof, how the mighty have fallen."


    Tohtella frowned, "Please answer my simple question?"


    "Sure thing miss high heels. Thisbey''s starting rumors that Emagrotha is coming back. From what I''ve seen on forum posts and a few social media sites, people believe it."


    Tohtella cupped her chin, "Really now...I might be able to use him for something useful for once."


    Kessiah leaned forward, "Oooh, really now? Do tell."


    Tohtella walked back and forth,


    "We discovered that Lehesion may be the cause of all the turmoil with the silvers. Informing the public that he caused it would ruin a hero of the espen people, inciting riots and mass hysteria. On the other hand, everyone already villanizes Emagrotha."


    I raised my hands, "So we pin it on Emagrotha to stop people from blowing up on the gialgathens."


    Tohtella gave a curt nod and one of her amused grins, "Precisely."


    Kessiah shrugged, "Better make sure you keep up with the news then."


    Tohtella looked down on Kessiah, "And why is that?"


    Kessiah scoffed, "Thisbey''s going to spin whatever you say to fit his own story. It''s going to be a publicity war between you two."


    Tohtella''s eyes hardened, "I will win it, I assure you."


    Kessiah leaned back, crossing her hands behind her head, "Eh, do what you want. Glad to help out my superior."


    Tohtella stared at her. The Speaker snapped, "All you did was watch tv. You have no reason to be smug."


    Kessiah smirked, "Really? When''s the last time you watched tv or checked out some social media?"


    Tohtella grimaced. Kessiah nodded, "Yeah, that''s what I thought. What about you Daniel?"


    I shrugged, "I don''t know. Maybe a decade?"


    Kessiah raised her hands up, "There ya go. If it was so simple, why didn''t you do it first?"


    Tohtella gripped her petite hands into tiny fists. She stayed silent though.


    "Aaaaand that''s about what I expected. Next time you want to look down on someone, just look in the mirror."


    I looked between them, relishing in the afterglow of Kessiah''s speech. Tohtella sighed, "I...I misjudged you."


    Kessiah cupped her ear, "Sorry, I couldn''t hear you. What was that again?"


    Tohtella announced, "I misjudged you. I thought you were a useless, lazy cyst on society''s underbelly. I was wrong. You''re a somewhat useful cyst on society''s underbelly. There. Happy now?"


    Kessiah grinned, "You bet."


    Tohtella adjusted her glasses, "Excellent. Now if you both will excuse me, I have a media campaign to organize."


    Tohtella turned on her heels and stomped out. As she closed the door, I turned to Kessiah, "Man, you really planned that all out?"


    Kessiah smirked, "Of course."


    Torix walked down the steps, giving Kessiah a slow clap,


    "Oh yes, truly an awe-inspiring display of wit."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Looks like you decided and to come and kill the party."


    Torix shrugged, "Well as a necromancer, allow me to revive it."


    I winced at the terrible joke. The lich pulled Kessiah''s remote away from her hand with telekinesis. He grabbed the device and clicked a button on it. A 2-D map of Giess popped up. He pointed at it,


    "Here is where we are."


    He pointed at a portion of the graph on the line between silver and common ground. Torix gestured far north, "Here is where we are going, the city of Rivaria." A blip on the map pinged, surrounded by white snow and the silvers. Torix crossed his arms,


    "It''s frigid there, so some winter wear will be necessary. As we travel, we''ll be skirting the line of the silvers territory."


    Torix pointed at me, "Do you remember how you plotted the point for the first silver base you found?"


    I nodded, "Yup."


    "Then doing so for the other camps should do rather nicely. Once we''ve plotted the points, I''ll organize with Tohtella to orchestrate rescue missions. We''ll be more than able to do so between your tournament fights, Daniel."


    I grinned, "Alright, sounds good. Plenty of fighting."


    Torix glanced at me as if he peered over a set of glasses,


    "Speaking of fighting, I took the liberty to memorize your tournament schedule before we landed there. We wouldn''t want you missing out on a mythical skill from forgetfulness, now would we?"


    I frowned, "Uh, yeah...probably not."


    Torix gave me a quick nod,


    "I imagined that was the case. Regardless, with the quest rewards from the mission, we should be able to strengthen ourselves quite a bit. With Althea''s new class and your extended level cap, we have quite the force behind us."


    He closed the hologram, "We''ll find them, and we''ll destroy each of the three camps in much the same way."


    Kessiah and I nodded. Althea materialized between us before leaning onto me. She smiled at me, "Wow, you almost gained more levels than I did."


    I smirked, "I did kill five out of seven."


    She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but I killed the ancient general. That counts for something."


    Torix nodded, "Both of you exceeded your goals from the start. Now, are we ready to leave?"


    I looked around, "Uh, where''s Caprika?"


    Torix dragged his bony hands down his face, "She''s in her room, preparing herself."


    I squinted, "For what?"


    Torix sighed, "One of her relatives is coming to watch the tournament fights. In particular, to watch you and see if you represent Caprika well."


    Caprika''s door swung open, and she walked out in flowing robes. The accentuated her figure, and they matched her hair and mask, both red and white. She glanced between us all,


    "Well, is everyone already ready to leave? I didn''t realize I was holding...Wait..."


    She stepped up to us, her high heels clattering on the hardwood,


    "You...You''re over level 7,000. I can''t see your status anymore either. What happened?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, I fought a few people."


    She turned to Althea, "And you...You''re a Breaker now?"


    Althea scratched the back of her hair and raised a hand, "It''s not that big a deal...Ok, it kind of is."


    Caprika shook her head, her smooth mane rippling, "You two were made for each other."


    Torix walked up, "I''m leaving. You''re all welcome to join me."


    I followed behind him, tired of Caprika''s perpetual state of amazement,


    "We running this time?"


    Torix nodded, "Most definitely. That car was far too slow for my liking."


    Caprika looked down at her fancy dress and stilettos,


    "Wait...what?"


    Kessiah walked up, patting her on the back, "Get used to it. We rough it, Harbinger style."


    I rolled my eyes. I walked out of the doorway, all my stuff in my dimensional storage. As I opened the doorway, I received two notifications.


    Finished Quest!


    Destroying the Fragments of Emagrotha(lvl 10,000+ | Party Size: 10+ | Guild Affiliation: Any) - The reason behind the encroaching infestation of silvers has been determined. Lehesion is leading a group of Skyburners, infecting the land with silvers for an unknown reason. Your intervention has stopped this spread near Yildraza.


    While further intervention is necessary to stop this threat, you''ve made your mark on the cause. Such an initiative is commendable and deserves compensation.


    Reward: 1 Blue Dungeon core, positive affiliation with Giess, positive affiliation with Speakers, Speaker class offer.


    Bonus: Bonuses are canceled due to party size of 2 or more.


    Finished Quest!


    An Encroaching Invasion(lvl 8,000+ | Party Size: 10+ | Guild Affiliation: Any) - You discovered the camp spreading silvers near Yildraza. With your combined team, you decimated the cause of the obstruction. Excellent work.


    Rewards: 50 red dungeon cores, 1 blue dungeon core, and allows the formation of one guild branch in Yildraza.


    Bonus: Bonuses are canceled due to party size of 2 or more.


    I raised an eyebrow. As I did, mana coalesced in front of me. Seconds later, a blue, humming sphere of energy radiated out. It was a tiny star floating in front of me. I grasped it, magic swimming up my arm. An icy sensation followed, leaving me numb.


    I grinned at its vibrancy, a sense of excitement rushing up my spine,


    "A Blue Dungeon core. Woah."

 179 Rivaria

    I analyzed the orb,


    Blue Dungeon Core(lvl Req: 1,000 | Guild Tier: Any) - This is a blue dungeon core. Only the highest of tiers dungeons reward these pricey objects, and they enable guild owners to strengthen their strongholds. This is accomplished with three bonuses:


    1st - The core creates a sphere of protective energy fueled by the occupants inside a city. By draining 5% of total mana produced from each occupant, the core shields the occupants from a variety of threats. The larger the city and the stronger its occupants, the stronger this shield becomes.


    In larger cities, this protective barrier blocks nuclear attacks, orbital strikes, and other city destroying tactics.


    2nd - A blue dungeon core obliterates any eldritch that attempt to walk into a city up to level 2,500. The shield damages eldritch that enter at a higher level. The barrier radiates a warning pulse from the entry point of the higher leveled eldritch. This allows guards to handle the threat quickly.


    3rd - The core enhances the willpower and intelligence of guild occupants within the sphere of influence. This bonus ranges between 10-100 points depending on level. This bonus cannot unlock perks, trees, or skills. It only grants the raw bonuses from the attributes.


    They enabled the creation of city-states. This explained how guilds competed against larger entities like the Empire. Even if the Empire sent a fleet to a city, it might take months to take the fortress down. In the end, it wasn''t worth the waste of resources and time. Other means of assimilation worked better like buying a city or converting it.


    As I contemplated what the core was for, Althea''s forehead bumped into my back. As my armor rung, she rubbed her forehead,


    "Why did you stop moving all of a sudden?"


    I turned, showing her the tiny, blue star in my hand. Althea leaned over it, "Wow. That looks awesome."


    Caprika reached out for it, "A blue dungeon core...so you accomplished a great feat of some kind?"


    Althea puffed out her chest, "We both did."


    Caprika crossed her arms, "Then where is your blue dungeon core?"


    Althea deflated, "Uh, I got 100 red dungeon cores instead."


    Caprika shrugged, "Well then, that''s simply not equivalent. Though worth more, blue dungeon cores can accomplish far more over the longterm due to their value in establishing cities and bulwarks."


    I raised my other hand, mana thicker than water siphoning into my palm. In seconds, another blue dungeon core consolidated from the different streams. I glanced up at my notifications. Fifty red dungeon cores plunked right into my dimensional storage. I needed all of them.


    Caprika grabbed the sides of her head, "Two blue dungeon cores?"


    I nodded. I put them both into my dimensional storage, the cerulean light fading from the hotel''s hallway and rooms. I stepped out, "Come on, let''s go. We can talk about it while we move."


    After getting out of the hotel, we traveled out of Yildraza, using our mini-maps for guidance. Caprika suffered some serious shame from running and jumping over the crowds. She mentioned something about a lowly peasant''s method of travel. I told her it was better than the damn octo-car.


    Caprika agreed.


    After getting out of the city, I lifted everyone with a sizable gravity well. As I did, I began assimilating the red dungeon cores one at a time. A few minutes later, and I finished the process. I put 300 of the gained points into Force of Nature. With the 200 points left, I improved my Star Forger skill.


    As I did, a ''feel'' for particles and matter washed over me. It was as if I added a sixth sense, one for gaging temperature. Manipulating the heat and cold of an object became simpler. Using this newfound sense, I altered the temperature of the air around the others.


    I made it comfortable for everyone this way, but the main reason I did it was to train the Star Forger skill. Using all the new skill points, I reached the first milestone of the Originator tree. For once, it did disappoint.


    Most tread the well-worn paths that others left behind. These walkways are straight, narrow, and simple. You choose to be different. You head into the unknown, your path unmarked.


    Originator(Tier 1) unlocked! Creating new skills is easier than before!


    I frowned. The bonus seemed underwhelming for five hundred points. I brushed my resentment aside, putting the attribute points into endurance. As usual, I surged a bit with mana, but I didn''t hit any milestones. With that disappointing update out of the way, I got back on track with the trip.


    Even if the tree sucked, I''d make damn sure this trip didn''t. I practiced Force of Nature while keeping Star Forger active. It made the trip fruitful in its own way. That didn''t even include the scenic views. As I pulled us along, we zoomed over forests, fields, and mountains.


    Surrounded by greenery and a clear sky, Caprika turned to Kessiah and barked out,


    "We''re certainly ''roughing it'' aren''t we? It''s quite difficult to be pulled along by magic. It even feels airconditioned."


    Kessiah shrugged, a cheeky grin on her face, "I told you we''d do it Harbinger style."


    Caprika stared at the abundant nature and flowing forests,


    "I suppose you''re right about that. This is as pleasant as travel may be in fact. To think they''re so little wind."


    Althea turned herself, doing a front flip, "Yeah, it''s kind of weird at first. We''re falling towards his magic though. It''s like skydiving towards a place but with the wind on our backs."


    Caprika pulled a book from her dimensional storage, "Well, it''s lovely."


    Several hours of moving later, everyone grew hungry. I set us down onto the top of a field, plains surrounding us for miles. With wildflowers and the chirping of insects around us, we relaxed for lunch. Everyone set up food, preparing premade meals with gemstones, magic, or machines.


    With all of us sitting in a circle, it was a pleasant break from Yildraza. The frenzy of activity was fun at times, but it got old. Appreciating the wind on my face and the warm sun on my back was nice sometimes. Good food didn''t hurt either, everyone''s meals smelling exotic.


    Well, everyone''s meals besides Torix and mine. I just chugged down one of the dessert rations in seconds. The skin soluble liquid leaked into my face, giving me a nutritious meal. Torix was a lich, so he didn''t ever need to eat. He talked with the others, catching up on recent events.


    I kept quiet for the most part. Instead of talking, I zoned in on my work. With my grimoire out, I remade the runic carvings of the cipher. Instead of carving into the pages with clawed hands, I used Star Forger.


    I moved my fingers inches over the charcoal colored pages. Using tiny, telekinetic augments, I etched into the pages. These precise points of contact let me improve my detail work. I even heated these sites, making the black pages easier to carve into. These adjustments improved my finesse, boosting the detail of my work.


    After getting the process down with a few practice etchings, I focused on the next step; I began fixing my broken forearm etching. My last status upgrade ripped one of the markings on my forearms in half. This dampened the cipher''s efficiency. It also irked me seeing the asymmetrical designs on each arm.


    I mean, everyone gets picky sometimes. Even me.


    Despite that desire for symmetry, I chose a different rune this time. My perception seemed high enough already. Other stats needed help much more like charisma and luck. After a bit of thought, I picked luck out of the two.


    Luck assisted with every aspect of everyday life. Charisma helped in social situations for the most part. Another significant reason for luck involved how the stats fed into one another. Charisma was the bottom attribute, meaning it enhanced no other stat. Luck improved charisma, letting me shore up both weaknesses at the same time.


    With that goal in mind, I delved into the deeper meaning of luck. My initial thoughts focused on luck changing circumstances to my favor. While decent, this definition lacked some serious punch to it. I dwelled on it, coming up with a more nuanced approach to its meaning.


    Luck didn''t alter situations under your control. It wasn''t unlucky to fail an exam if I chose to not study for it. It was unlucky if a car ran onto the sidewalk and crushed my foot on the way to the exam. Using this difference, I came up with a better explanation for fortune.


    Luck determined circumstances and situations outside of my control. If I was thrown into a situation, luck made sure I landed somewhere soft and cozy. I etched this improved variation of the attribute into the page. As I did, Caprika leaned over me,


    "Hmm, that work is familiar though distant."


    I kept carving as I talked, "What do you mean?"


    Caprika scratched the side of her head, "It reminds me of my uncle''s work."


    I looked up from the page, using Hunter of Many to keep my lines crisp,


    "Who''s that?"


    Caprika scoffed, "The Emperor."


    Althea leaned towards her, chewing into a sandwich, "Uh, what was he like?"


    Caprika shook her head while leaning back, "He was tall and broad. His cape made him seem even larger, like a moving wall. Sometimes I thought he was a different, better species. Other people bent to him, his word law."


    Caprika shivered, "I remember when assassins snuck into the palace one day. The Emperor raised his hand, and it was like the entire planet quaked. They melted as if they weren''t ever real to begin with."


    Torix cupped his chin, "Sounds eerily reminiscent of Yawm."


    Caprika shook her head, "He''s far older than Yawm, and he''s more omnipotent than simply strong. He understood techniques and skills none has ever understood since. He out-leveled Overseers somehow."


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Caprika pointed at the marking on my page, "And he wrote and spoke in those runes."


    I finished my carving, "Well, good thing I don''t have to fight him."


    Caprika blinked, "Don''t let your guard down. My brother is coming here to observe you since you defeated Delilath. He''ll be assessing you. I am praying he doesn''t underestimate you."


    I shrugged, pouring mana into the page,


    "We''ll roll with the punches then."


    The grimoire glowed, a stream of raw mana draining into the mark. In seconds, it finished. I clicked a button on my forearm, exposing my umbral armor. I wiped away the torn mark on my forearm before replacing it with the new runic marking. I clenched my fist, observing the difference.


    I grinned, "Ahhh, that was a good session. The lines are clean and crisp."


    Althea leaned towards the new marking, "It''s crazy to me that you can make something like that with your big hands. The lines are so...intricate."


    Torix scoffed, "He''s using magic to enable his craft. It''s interesting to see so many skills integrated together in fact. Few can achieve the same feat."


    I shrugged, "I don''t think about it much. I go by feel. If I tried thinking about all the abilities, I''d never even come close to doing this kind of bullshit."


    Torix nodded, "A simple yet effective tactic. I wonder if I could integrate it into my lessons? Hmmm..."


    I directed my mana into the mark, my forearm ebbing out a gentle hum,


    "I''d do it with combat or practical magic. Experimentation is more about understanding what''s actually going on. Using skills is all about practice. Well, in my experience at least."


    I stood up, clicking my forearm so that the gray covered my skin again,


    "Anyways, it''s time we head out. You guys ready?"


    Kessiah frowned, "Can we just chill for a minute?"


    I shook my head, "Not unless you want to chill by yourself."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "You''re starting to sound like Tohtella."


    Torix turned to me, "Did either of you find it odd that she seemed surprised by the events on social media and television?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "What? No. She was busy with planning the assault and whatnot."


    Torix shook his head, "Daniel, she doesn''t reform cities. She reforms worlds. Manipulating the masses should be second-hand nature at this point."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Unless you think she''s the best liar on the planet, you should probably just calm down. Besides, you''re stealing my thunder. I had a victory over her."


    Torix shook his head, "If anything, she might have had a victory over us."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "You''re an old, grumpy conspiracy theorist now."


    Caprika glanced between us, "It does seem strange. She''s cold and calculating as they come, rivaling even albony royalty. That''s a difficult feat, I promise you. Even a master of manipulation like Thisbey shouldn''t overwhelm her in the slightest."


    I frowned, "Really? Damn...Maybe I should keep focusing on perception. That slipped past my notice."


    Caprika crossed her arms, "She might open up more around you for some reason. That could be throwing you off."


    Althea frowned, "Oh, I have an idea why..."


    Kessiah nudged Althea with her elbow, "Hah, told you she wanted the D."


    I rolled my eyes, "Alright, enough wild speculation. I''ll look into it once we get to Rivaria. Until then, we have things to do and places to be. Let''s go."


    Everybody packed supplies back into storage, some dimensional some not. With everything ready, I pulled us back up, our group soaring through the skies. Conversation lulled as everyone busied themselves with reading, status work, or playing with their obelisk.


    Off in the distance, a storm loomed. As we neared it, Kessiah shouted,


    "Yo tough guy, I don''t want to get rain all over me."


    I rolled my eyes, "We''ll be fine.


    As we neared the gray clouds, I enveloped us in a hollow, spherical well of antigravity. It pushed us inwards and everything around us outwards. When we crashed into the rain, the water flowed around us. As if in a submarine, our party dashed through the tempest unscathed.


    Lightning beamed around us. Before it struck someone, I raised my arm. Acting as a lightning rod, a flash of lightning cracked into my hand. It left my palm white hot, but my health didn''t even dip. Over the next two hours, I took the brunt of a dozen lightning strikes.


    By the time we escaped the storm, my armor hummed with electrical energy. I reached out to it, pulling the electricity. Using a bit of mana, I grasped the sparks.


    Skill gained! Electrical Clasping(lvl 1) - Others cower before electricity. You wield it. +1% to using outside sources of electricity.


    I raised my eyebrows, stunned by the ease that I gained the skill.


    I moved on, attempting to get rid of the electricity. To do so, I reversed the grabbing process, converting the stored voltage into mana. I imagined Yawm''s own conversions mimicked this process, except with nuclear fission.


    Skill gained! Lightning Eater(lvl 1) - Braving the terrors of tempests, you''ve earned an appetite for galvanism. +1% to the conversion rate of electricity to mana.


    At this point, I thanked the Originator tree. Gaining skills this easy never happened before unlocking that bonus. After dampening the electrical charge of my armor, I sped up our travel. I wanted to reach Rivaria in a day at most. With my mana stores, I had the tools to do so.


    Ramping up our speed, we accelerated. Within hours the climate chilled, and the air thinned. We reached far North, mountains dominating the horizon in every direction. We spotted gialgathens just flying around, enjoying themselves. Some of the peaks were active, pits of magma glowing with snow around them.


    The gialgathens built cities around these warm spots. Their architecture carved into the mountains. Gialgathens practiced with their tail whips by beating into the stony cliffsides with them. The old beasts even created sculptures with well-timed attacks.


    The pinnacle of these carvings stood as monuments in the cities. Models of Lehesion littered the landscape, his image everywhere. In smaller towns, Emagrotha statues stood on mountaintops as well. Other historical figures dotted these towns as well. I even spotted a large figurine of Delilath, Lady of Yellow.


    Not long after entering gialgathen country, we reached the tallest mountain on Giess - Aether''s Kiss. It rose above the clouds, the incline gradual. I parted the clouds, the air vapor freezing near the mountain-top. We shot up over the fog, finding the vibrant city of Rivaria.


    All along the sides of the mountain, many pools exposed magma. Buildings centered around these pits, built to take advantage of the heat source. At the center of the city, a massive pit of bubbling lava smoked. Many gialgathens played or flew over the smoke, their hides resistant to the scorching air.


    Around the volcano''s edge, buildings of marble and granite stood tall against the cold wind. They reflected an orange sheen, the sun setting in the distance. Cloud tops rolled beneath the city line, gialgathens darting in and out of the clouds.


    Gemstones lit their way, crystals shining over doorways, magma pits, and landing zones. They brimmed with mana, collected from Giess''s depths.


    Gialgathens flew over the streets, using the crystalline lights for guidance.


    They kept just above the buildings, flying over the streets.


    Their doorways and exits suited their size, everything mammoth in proportion. Espens walked along the streets, bundled up in fur. The looked like ants compared to the colossal monoliths and monuments. These memorials lined around every building, the gialgathens wealth obvious.


    As we neared the entrance, I adjusted the size of my gray armor. With the doorways so big, I didn''t need to walk around at nine feet. I could stretch out my legs so to speak and enjoy my full size. As I did, Torix pointed towards a behemothic feasting hall. It rose taller than skyscrapers.


    "So there is the location we''ll be staying at. It''s some kind of a warrior hall. All the other combatants will be there as well."


    Caprika looked in a mirror, adjusting her outfit and appearance, "How much time do we have before we reach there?"


    I frowned, "Seconds."


    Caprika shook her hands, "I need more time. My brother''s down there. It''s of the utmost importance that I make myself presentable."


    "Aaaaaand we''re landing."


    On one of the landing pads, I set us down. As I rested my feet on cold marble, two gialgathen guards stared down at me. The tallest of the two grunted,


    "Who are you, dirtwalker?"


    I grunted back, "Daniel."


    The guards stared at each other, their necks stretching up to twice my height. I matched the stature of their main bodies, however. They looked at the others. The short one grunted,


    "They are small. You aren''t as small. Are you the one that killed Delilath?"


    I winced, "Yes."


    The tall one growled, "The other contestants will wrench your guts out you filthy dirtwalker."


    I shrugged, "We''ll see. Will you let me through or not?"


    The tall one glared down at me, "Only as we are compelled by tradition and honor. Two qualities you know nothing about."


    I ignored them, walking past. Torix scoffed, "They must believe defeating the Lady of Yellow isn''t a feat worthy of admiration. If what they say about Daniel is true, then even a simpleton could do it."


    Kessiah smirked, "Yeah, really shits on her memory, doesn''t it?"


    Torix nodded, "Quite."


    The guards sunk their gazes, both of them blushing with shame. As we walked past them, Torix and Kessiah high fived. Torix murmured, "Only this once."


    Kessiah nodded, "Duh."


    We entered a massive hallway. Our footsteps echoed as the steepled walls stretched up to absurd heights. Marble alcoves lined the walls, doorways leading to rooms along the sides.


    Statues of various gialgathens decorated these alcoves and entrances. Pillars supported many of them as well, keeping the building upright. Floating lights hovered throughout the entire expanse, keeping everything lit with white light. It was beautiful in a natural kind of way.


    At the center of the hall, an apparent life-sized replica of Lehesion stood. It was over two hundred feet tall, dwarfing most gialgathens by tenfold. I figured it was exaggeration, but it was hard to say. If Lehesion was really that big, then he was going to be a tough fucker to put down.


    As we walked deeper into this hallway, a gruff, old gialgathen landed in front of us. A scar ran down the side of his neck, and he walked on a metal bracer for one his front feet. His faded, blue skin blended in with the white spots along his side. He growled, more because of his grizzled voice than out of anger,


    "Hello there, little ones. I''m Malakai. Who and what are you doing in the Hall of Heroes?"


    I reached out a palm, "I''m Daniel Hillside. I''m here for the Honoring of Lehesion."


    Malakai''s eyes widened, "Ah, you know of its true name. Good. Your room is this way, fair warrior. You''ll find it''s more than large enough for you and your comrades."


    He turned and hobbled on one foot, metal clanking against the marble. He kept his head held high, even as other gialgathens looked down on him from the alcoves. I glared around,


    "What happened to your foot?"


    He grumbled, "I lost it in the finals for the Honoring of Lehesion many years ago. The scars still burn this time of year."


    Torix said, "You wear those scars well."


    Malakai nodded, "Thank you. Though they limit me, they always serve as reminders of my fighting days. Even the memories are dwindling now that I age. This bastard clanking always remind me before the memory fully fades, however."


    He turned to one of the doorways along the walls of the hallway. It was the only small, wooden doorway here. All the others were massive in size. Malakai gestured a wing to the door,


    "Here you will find our small rooms and areas. We lack much in the way of espen-sized rooms here."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Because espens don''t make it this far that often, right?"


    Malakai nodded, "Blunt but yes. I pray thee well in your upcoming battles. You will need them."


    Malakai turned to fly off. Before he did, he turned his face to us,


    "Oh, a fiery fellow is waiting for you all inside the main room there. He snapped both the wings of an arrogant youngling earlier. Be careful with that one."


    Caprika stiffened, her hair rising along her back. As Malakai flew off, Caprika swallowed and stared at us, "Oh by Schema or Baldowah or whatever god there is, please, please don''t befoul our first impression. Helios doesn''t take kindly to weakness, rudeness, arrogance, pride, fear-"


    I waved my hand, "Or any negative quality. Yeah, yeah, we get it."


    I pushed open the wooden entrance. We found a hallway with ten doors. The high ceilings let me walk in undeterred. A set of stone coaches lined the doors, a lit fireplace keeping them warm. A giant sat down on the nearest couch, sprawled out like a king on his throne.


    White fur brimmed from neck and face, his black mask absorbed light him. Palpable, black mana ebbed from him, tangible in form. He wore a fur cape from some giant animal, the brown clashing with his own white hair. He tapped his ivory claws against stone, a pair of gauntlets leaving his fingers exposed.


    He turned to us, his mask hiding his face. He pushed himself up, standing two feet taller than me. He was wide as a wall. Caprika paced up to him, "Helios, it''s so good to see you again."


    He lifted his hands, staring at his nails,


    "Is this your champion Caprika?"


    She nodded. Helios gave me the time of day by looking down on me,


    "Rather underwhelming, isn''t he?"

 180 Helios, Ruler of Worlds

    I frowned, already prepared to ignore this guy. Before I walked past him, Caprika raised her hands,


    "Now brother, I''ve proven my judgment to you on many an occasion. Would you mind trusting it once more?"


    Helios looked at her, his boredom fading as he spoke to her,


    "Surely you understand my skepticism? He''s under-leveled, and he hides his status. That usually bodes poorly. Even excluding those factors, you''ve chosen losing candidates on numerous occasions. Every occasion, in fact."


    Caprika wrapped her hands together, "Daniel is different."


    Helios scoffed, "As were the last three candidates father had me evaluate." The big guy tilted his head and looked back at me, "Would you explain why he''s hiding his status? Is he that ashamed of who he is and what he''s done?"


    Caprika shook her hands, "Why, he has several very acceptable reasons for veiling his identity. It''s not out of shame either, dearest. I swear to you that he''s more than competent. He defeated Delilath, Lady of Yellow even."


    Helios straightened up, his utter disdain for the situation fading some,


    "Ah, she was the warrior that defeated several of your nominees, including you?"


    Caprika winced, "Ah, yes she did...multiple times."


    Helios turned to me while crossing his arms, "Then you''re actually helping my sister and not putting on a false pretense? Excuse my initial rudeness then. Your disguise as a weak peasant worked overly well."


    I shrugged, kind of surprised by the apology at this point. I tried analyzing him as I spoke, "Eh, it''s not even worth excusing. Your opinion isn''t worth caring about at this point."


    He was hiding his status as well. The hypocrite scoffed, "Likewise. Now, what makes you worthy of representing my sister?"


    I raised a hand, "Well, for starters, I''m stronger than her."


    Heliod sighed, "While my sister is fluid in courts, she lacks the same refinement on a battlefield. You understand if that isn''t enough?"


    Caprika placed a hand on Helios''s arm, "Helios, I understand your brotherly concern. In fact, I find it endearing. At the same time, it''s insulting to my allies."


    Helios stared at Caprika, "Ah, then I''ve conveyed myself well."


    He turned back to me, "Understand something, little one. This is my sister''s chance to redeem herself. It''s essential so that she may return to our homeworld once more. Otherwise, she''ll rot here in this abyss for yet another year."


    Torix spoke up, "I wouldn''t fret about it too much. This isn''t the first, nor the last time Daniel has been underestimated. His level is deceiving."


    Helios raised a hand, "That''s grand news, but I need more than words to prove his worth. Father has been attempting to send one of the royal guards here for the past decade. Winning the tournament on an underdeveloped world like this would be nothing for them."


    Helios shook his head, "Yet Caprika''s wanted to finish the task on her own. She''s been stubborn that way since we were cubs."


    Helios shook his head, his massive mane moving with the twist and turns of his neck,


    "I need some kind of evidence to prove, hmm, Daniel was it? Yes, Daniel''s competence. Ah yes, excuse me if I forget all of your names. I meet many people, and their faces bleed together over time."


    Helios glared down at me, "Especially when they wear a mask."


    I rolled my eyes, "You''re not hurting anyone''s feelings here man. Good try though."


    Caprika waved her hands, "Ahem, as for proving my nominee''s worth, what if you were to watch Daniel''s next fight in the tournament? That will more than assuage your concerns."


    Helios shrugged, glancing back down at his nails, "It''s as good a plan as any, I suppose."


    Helios walked up to me, "Then I''ll watch your next fight. One last message before I leave you to prepare." He placed a hand onto my shoulder. It ebbed a vast and primal energy,


    "Treat my sister well, or else I will tear you apart. Do you understand?"


    I grabbed his hand, wrenching it off me, "Uh huh. Tell me then big man, are you finished yet or do you have to swing your dick around some more? I understand if you''re not done compensating."


    Caprika raised both her hands to Helios, "I would like to remind you that it''s difficult to get out of this ''abyss'' as you put it without Daniel''s help."


    Helios pulled his hand out of my grasp, his strength surprised me. He gripped his fist, "Your relationship with my sister is why you''re still alive. Remember that."


    "Sorry man. You forget names. I forget orders."


    Helios looked up, exhausted with the conversation, "Then...so be it." He turned to his sister, "If he loses this tournament, he will die. I''ll leave the remembering to you."


    Caprika pressed her hands together, "I understand. Of course, of course."


    Helios created a portal, much like Torix''s own teleportation. He walked through the purple rimmed void, disappearing in an instant. As he left, one of his gauntlets faced me.


    A marking of the dimensional cipher was carved on it, the mark gorgeously rendered. As a fellow craftsman, it impressed me quite a bit. I raised an eyebrow as I turned to Caprika,


    "Where''d he get that marking?"


    As her brother disappeared, Caprika walked over towards the stone couch he sat on. She flopped onto the furniture, and she lifted her hands. They shook with fear as she looked at me,


    "Do you see these hands?"


    I nodded. She continued, "My brother isn''t someone you make snappy retorts with. You''re lucky he spared you."


    I turned a hand to her, "But if a fight broke out, that would''ve been an easy way to prove myself."


    Caprika shook her head, "Winning the tournament is much easier than defeating my brother. Besides, he''d tear you apart. I say that while respecting your own capacity for carnage."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Damn, is he that strong?"


    Caprika sighed, "Allow me to send you a copy of his status the last time he let me analyze him. It''s improved since then I''m sure. It will paint a better picture than I could do so."


    She fiddled with her status. Seconds later, the file uploaded. I opened it, and Caprika''s fear made sense all of a sudden.


    Helios was a monster.


    Helios Nova, Ruler of Worlds(lvl 15,000 | Guild: The Empire | Ownership: Belka-623(planet), Meliton(planet) | Class: Fringe Walker | Titles: Winter''s Wrath, Cold of the Void) - Helios Novas is a shining example of a galactic citizen. He has accomplished many feats during his relatively short lifespan. He''s an accomplished Fringe Walker, having cleared over a dozen worlds. He''s established outposts on even more planets, allowing him to expand his influence outward.


    Outside of his class distinctions, he''s proven himself time and time again by serving the Emperor. He is known as the Empire''s Hammer, and he is used as such during wars or skirmishes. His overwhelming control of ice and spatial magic has left worlds uninhabitable should they provoke the Empire''s wrath.


    He rules over two of the worlds he''s saved, Belka-623 and Meliton. Belka-623 is a mining planet, rich in rare minerals and alloys. It''s gem reserves help fuel the empire, and many fortunes have been made thereby aspiring tycoons. Meliton is a world with typical development in Schema''s system. There, Helios is praised as a messiah and savior of the world.


    Though he lacks tact, his prowess in battle is nigh unmatched. Stay on his good side, or you will most certainly die.


    I whistled, "Damn, no wonder the guy was bored when we arrived. He''s used to making some serious waves."


    Caprika nodded, "He''s very icy and quick to act. Our father called him the family''s ice golem, his every move calculated and cold."


    I frowned, "Well, I assumed he was all bark and no bite...Man...I was wrong about that."


    I assumed since Helios was royalty like Caprika, he and her would share a lot characteristics. For the most part, they varied quite a bit. Even if Helios was an asshole, he deserved some respect for what he''d accomplished.


    I kept that in mind as Caprika shook her head,


    "You''ll find Helios''s teeth are quite sharp. Try not to instigate him into biting you next time, or you won''t make it out in one piece."


    I nodded, taking another mental note of the cipher mark on his forearm. The intricate marking exceeded my own ability. Based on what Caprika said earlier, the Emperor made it. It was partway to blame for Helio''s success no doubt.


    If the Emperor used the cipher to such success, it might be time for me to sink my teeth into the cipher. I waited till now because of what the cipher did to Yawm. He lost his mind, driven mad by the allure of power. If I progressed with the cipher, I might go down the same road.


    To stop that, I decided to progress in baby steps. Practice would be my first step. With that in mind, I pointed towards the rooms at the back of the hall,


    "So, who''s sleeping where?"


    We walked up, looking into each of the rooms. It turned out we didn''t have much choice in the matter. All the spaces were identical, each one bland and barren. It worked fine for us except Caprika. Our entire group was used to roughing it in the wild or sleeping on stone. On the other hand, Caprika turned her nose up at the straw mattresses and outhouse bathrooms.


    Caprika shouted from the inside of one of the said bathrooms,


    "I can''t believe our living arrangements are this primitive. To think they treat guests with such a careless attitude."


    I waved my hands, "They intended on this being a space for hardened warriors, not for royalty."


    Caprika let her hands flop on her sides, "So warriors defecate in a hole inside their house?"


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Kessiah walked up and nudged Caprika, "Told you we''d be roughing it."


    Caprika spread out her hands, "This will be rectified tomorrow. I swear to you all on the Novas''s name."


    Torix already set up dozens of charts on the wall, pinning the graphs with adhesive. Caprika walked up to him, "Malthazar, what are you doing?"


    Torix pointed at the graphs, "I''m adding visualizations to help with my ideation process."


    Caprika shook her hands, "Surely there''s a better place for that?"


    Torix shrugged, "It won''t bother me one bit. It''s not where you live. What matters is how and who you live with."


    Kessiah snapped from inside her room, "So it''ll be a shithole regardless."


    Torix rolled his eyes. Althea and I walked into our room, shutting the door as Caprika raised a fuss. I was done with royalty for the day, and I agreed with Torix. It didn''t matter where we were. All that mattered was what we could get done.


    That being said, I pulled out a soft blanket to put over Althea and my bed. After that, I warmed the room up to a comfortable tempurature with my Star Forger skill. Even if I didn''t care about my comfort, I did care about Althea''s.


    After laying in the bed for a couple of minutes, Althea fell asleep. With one of her arms draped over my waist, I pulled out my grimoire. Intent on practicing, I opened my personal tome and went to work. After a bit of reflection, I got an idea of what my problem was with the cipher.


    It was simple really - my creativity limited me more than my skill. I could execute on almost any idea that popped up in my head. I needed a good idea to pop up though before I could use my cipher skills.


    Understanding that limitation, I spent a long time brainstorming. So far, I kept my cipher encryptions tame and strict. With the knowledge Eonoth and Etorhma armed me with, I could bend the rules a bit. By doing so, I might be able to push past some of the plateaus I experienced with the cipher.


    The issue came with the danger involved. The cipher twisted anyone that used it. They rushed into the process of warping reality. In the end, the corruptor became the corrupted. Instead of unloading all of my newfound skill at once, I restricted myself to one step at a time.


    Sticking with small progressions, I tried curved lines on my first rune. I etched in subtle shifts in the depth of the rune as well, giving it a dual meaning. As I worked on it, the glyph annoyed me because it looked sloppy the entire time. As I finished the mark, the last few lines cleaned it up. It came together, looking profound and powerful.


    I kept my progress measured from there. As the night dragged on, I implemented more curvature, variable depths, and triple meanings. As the morning sun came up, I even tried out some multi-glyph work. By the time Althea woke up, I had sketched entire sentences of the cipher.


    The progress sounded ridiculous, but it crawled compared to what I could do. Writing sentences wasn''t an issue at all. Hell, I could carve out novels in the cipher, bringing stories to life with a bit of mana. Even if I could do that, I didn''t know what writing out passages would do though.


    So before I walked down that path, I studied the effects of each new technique. As I varied the depths, the intensity of the marking''s effects intensified. It cost more mana, however, making the runes less efficient after a certain depth. Each of these ''sweet spots'' varied depending on the effect of the etching as well.


    Every nuance I applied carried with it that kind of profound impact. It overwhelmed me at first seeming impossible to master. I took bite-sized chunks at a time though. I took my time, learning my application of the new tools at my disposal. There was no need to rush into it.


    With the night of practice under my belt, I enjoyed breakfast with Althea. We hit the town, wandering through it and enjoying the sights. The food and comforts paled when compared to Yildraza. The art took my breath away, however.


    The gialgathens created enormous sculptures, murals, and engravings. They used all varieties of rock, from granite to pumice. This substituted painting for the most part, relying on the substance itself for added flair. Stone was cool and all, but my favorite statues were made of this ice that never melted.


    These chilly statues only appeared on the upper ring of Rivaria, near the mountain''s peak. The cold maintained the frozen water, creating views of lava and the snow. I loved the contrast, both fire and ice right beside each other in harmony.


    Alright, you caught me. I stole that line out of a poem on a statue.


    Those same poems were limited in length though, each one being a few words long. I guess quotes were the better word for them. Using their enormous tails for carving meant gialgathens wrote in huge letters.


    This meant that every sentence took up a ton of space. Gialgathens condensed their stories because of this, keeping them simple. I enjoyed them all the same.


    I thought of them in terms of food. If a novel was a hearty meal, a quote was a piece of candy. Just like candy, the mini-poems were easy to read but lacked substance. After all, making a compelling narrative in a single sentence was damn near impossible.


    All that was nice, but my favorite part about the city was how the gialgathens lived with nature. The magma pits were a good example, but the gialgathens didn''t stop there.


    They created wind halls that played music from the wind blowing through them. Animals of all kinds roamed the city, helping out the gialgathens. We discovered armless, ice-hydras roaming around as pets. They stood a foot shorter than me, their breaths forming snow.


    These ice-hydras created the raw chunks of ice that the gialgathens use for sculptures. Enormous, fire bulls dragged these and other resources around the city, keeping everything moving. Gialgathens negotiated with the creatures in their native tongue. It looked cordial on the surface, but their discussions didn''t hold up to scrutiny.


    I eavesdropped on a conversation, and I figured out that the creatures were slaves. They were like the espens, sapient races with their own languages, emotions, and customs. The gialgathens commanded them with thinly veiled threats, forcing them to obey.


    It ruined the city''s mystique for me. Althea wasn''t bothered as much, likely because of her upbringing with Yawm. It was more usual for her. Either way, I was done exploring Rivaria by the time we returned to our rooms. As we walked into the hall, Kessiah and Caprika sat around the fire. Kessiah raised her hands,


    "I''m telling you, the water tastes different hear. It''s like filtered water or something."


    Caprika moved her head as if rolling her eyes, "Oh yes, these backward savages filter the city''s water. It most certainly is so."


    Kessiah turned to us as we walked in, "Have either of you tried the water here? It tastes weird as fuck."


    I leaned against the wall, "Eh, we explored more than anything. So far, its pretty on the surface but ugly underneath."


    Althea weighed her hands back and forth, "I thought it was pretty cool, though Rivaria isn''t the most comfortable place to walk around in."


    I glanced down at Althea, noting her fluffy jacket, scarves, and gloves. The freezing temperature wasn''t exactly pleasant, though it didn''t bother me. With bits of snow hanging off Caprika''s mane, she leaned back in her chair, "I might as well expose my shortcoming while we''re all here. I couldn''t procure better lodgings. The gialgathens won''t offer Delilath''s murderer a nicer room."


    I scoffed, "I think we''ll pull through."


    I walked towards my room as Caprika stood up, "Fine? There''s nothing fine about this place. It''s utterly drab."


    As walked into our room, "Yeah, go complain to one of your servants. They just might give a fuck. Malthazar, let me know if there are any real problems here, alright?"


    Torix gave me a nod, "Of course."


    I closed the door as Caprika deflated while Althea walked up to make her feel better. I figured someone should let her know she was whining. Maybe I   could''ve been more subtle, but eh. She''d be alright.


    The next two weeks passed like that. I went out two more times to eat with Althea. Other than that, I holed up in my room and practiced the cipher. At the same time, I grinded out Force of Nature and Star Forger. It kept me productive and focused until the first day of the tournament arrived.


    On that day, I walked out of my room while sighing. I hit a wall the day before on the cipher. I worked on complex passages, attempting to write out an artsy sort of carving. I locked up at the start of it, unable to just open up write it out. I got lost in the process, wincing at my own work.


    It didn''t seem like me. To progress further with the cipher, I needed to lose myself in the artistic side of the process. I mean, let''s face it, I wasn''t a cultured kind of guy. The closest thing to art I created in the last year was blood splatters I left behind on battlefields. This was outside my realm of expertise.


    At the same time, pushing past this sticking point was a challenge. It wasn''t about the necessity of it anymore. The runic glyphs were taunting me. I''d be damned if I let them win this little war. It was like I was using my face against a brick wall.


    The runes were the wall you see. For some reason, I could only progress by smashing the wall with my face. The runes thought I would let up. Oh, they'' thought wrong. I''d keep smashing my face against the runes until they broke or I did.


    And to be clear, I had a hard face.


    All the ranting aside, I figured letting off some steam at the tournament would do me some good. With that goal, I walked up out of my room to Althea, Caprika, and Kessiah. They chatted around the fire about court politics.


    "Few albony men are willing to even consider courting me, to begin with. As you can imagine, my brother scares them off long before a romance can bud."


    Kessiah nodded, "Oh yeah. Malthazar has a similar problem, but it''s his face that does the scaring part."


    They giggled as I walked up. Everyone stared at me before leaning away. I frowned, looking at all of them, "What?"


    Althea raised a hand, "Ugh, are you ok?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. A bit frustrated but I''ll be fine."


    Kessiah nodded, "Guys, get out of the way. There''s a raging bull on the loose."


    I rolled my eyes before the girls giggled again. I knocked on Torix''s door, "You ready to leave?"


    His dry, raspy voice replied, "I''ll be staying here today. There are a few details that simply must be ironed out. Do excuse me if you would."


    "Yeah, sure man."


    I walked out, "Anyone coming with?"


    They all stood. I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the enthusiasm, "Damn, no one showed up to my fight with Delilath. What''s different this time?"


    Althea sighed, "Uhm, well, the gialgathens don''t do very much."


    Kessiah dragged her hands down her face, "They''re boring as fuck. They don''t do anything. Clubs, dancing, shows, none of that is here. They just lay around like giant cats. Either that or they go off to prove their honor. It''s very blegh."


    I scoffed, "So now the tournament is actual entertainment?"


    Kessiah locked her hands behind her head, "Yup."


    I walked out of the room, "Then let''s hope the fights are fun to watch."


    We walked through Rivaria, passing by the modern buildings. After descending past the cloud line, we passed ancient ruins. After a few minutes, we reached an archaic colosseum.


    The massive walls crumbled as the wind whistled around its many cracks and crevices. The arena surrounded a pit of magma, a tiny island of metal at its center. If average people fought here, they would roast on the ground. Considering all gialgathens could fly, it gave the beasts a massive advantage.


    Yup, lots of upholding honor there.


    Thoughts of false nobility aside, we reached the high walls. With a thin layer of snow crunched underfoot as we stepped in. We all found many gialgathens lounging around, doing a lot of nothing. Even though I hated the crowd from Yildraza, they hyped the fight to no end. Their excitement was infectious. This was nothing like that.


    Every gialgathen looked bored here besides the fighters. At least a few gialgathens did drills with their tailwhips or their magic. A few humanoids even practiced in a small, portioned area at the back of the arena''s entrance. That''s where our seats were at.


    We walked up a few flights of stairs, walking around the arena. As we did, Caprika scoffed, "At least the lava and wind look excited. You''d think this was a funeral with how these beasts are acting."


    I shrugged, "It''s different to these guys. In Yildraza, a tournament is an entertaining event. To the gialgathens, it''s more about honoring their history and heroes."


    I sighed, "I say all that, but damn I do miss some of the excitement."


    We chatted before reaching the back wall where we settled down. We rested at the very edge between the gialgathens and humanoids. Several of the beasts glared at me as we sat down. To me, it made no difference. I was here to get a job done, not make friends.


    As we settled in, a portal appeared beside us. From it, Helios walked out, his frame enormous. He looked down at Caprika, "It''s good to see you, sister."


    Caprika brushed herself, fiddling with her hair, "Ah, you as well brother. I didn''t expect you to appear so suddenly."


    He sat down, his body to big for the stone seats, "Did you expect me to waste my time walking here then?"


    Caprika shook her head, fumbling on her words, "No, not at all. I actually expected a ship of some sort. You usually loved riding in them."


    Helios sighed, "Hmmm...a reasonable assumption to make."


    They chatted for a bit, Caprika and Helios staying casual. I ignored them, leaning back and closing my eyes. Part of it was out of shame for snapping at Helios like I did earlier. The guy has a lot to offer, and I might have burned a bridge between us just to squeeze in a few one liners.


    To make up some lost ground, my performance in this next fight had to be incredible. I visualized my next fight, using my Mental Preparation skill. I imagined using my magic and swinging my fists. It served as a mental warmup.


    As I reached the deepest part of my meditation, something hissed in the air above me. One of the gialgathens beside us whipped its tail towards my neck. I reached out a hand, ready to block the attack. Before it hit me, a portal appeared from above.


    Helios''s hand reached out from the void, catching the gialgathen''s tail. He stayed sitting beside Caprika, not even looking at the beast. Helios sighed, turning to the conflict. He crushed the gialgathen''s hardened tail in his hand,


    "To think someone is attempting to sabotage my sister."


    Helios reached up with his free hand, the air crackling around us. The runic marking on his gauntlet glowed a deep, navy blue. An azure aura crept out around him. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized what he was doing. Seconds later, and the mana coalesced into Helios''s palm.


    Helios reached out to the gialgathen,


    "That simply won''t do, now will it?"

 181 Unchained

    Helios unleashed the volatile magic stored in his hand. The gray gialgathen convulsed, its mouth gasping out. From the inside of the creature, azure crystals grew from its body. Like a percussive beat, the expanding jewel resonated out a chilling sound. The shards sapped the creatures lifeforce, converting the beast into a gemstone.


    A fog ebbed from these crystals. The mist sunk down onto the ground, hissing as it burnt stone. Red shards of frozen blood pierced out from the gialgathen''s skin, the creature already dead. As the crystals finished gorging on the corpse, chunks of the gialgathen fell off.


    The meat chunks shattered against the stone. Where the crystal touched flesh, the meat disintegrated into the fine mist. To call it ice magic didn''t do the spell justice. The incantation evaporated, cooled, and ate the gialgathen all at once. It even enfeebled the monster, causing it to be softer than stone.


    It was impressive, to say the least.


    Without missing a beat, Helios pulled his hand back from his portal. As the void disappeared from beside him, he leaned back against the stone seat. He steepled his fingers, and his voice echoed across the arena,


    "Let his body display itself as a lesson to all of you. Stand against my sister through unlawful means, and you will perish."


    The entire arena gawked at him, jaws agape and cold sweat running down several backs. I sat right beside the crystal, scooting away from it. As I did, Kiki Mosk flew in from above the cloud line.


    On top of his trusty podium, he wore an iridescent plate mail. It reflected a multi-colored sheen, keeping Kiki''s over the top theme going strong. Within it, charged gemstones ebbed with power. He already changed his strategy from the last fight.


    He didn''t stop there. Not by a longshot.


    Two Sentinels floated down from the clouds right after. Armed with their dimensional slicing spears, the Sentinels struck an imposing scene.


    Their gargantuan frames and faceless masks oozed intimidation. Even the gialgathens respected them, showing a rapt attention instead of boredom.


    Kiki floated above the arena, keeping over the action. The Sentinel''s landed on either side of the metallic pit at the center of the arena. Kiki raised his hands and announced,


    "Now, due to the recent death of a valiant fighter, we''ve raised the security this time in the tournament." Kiki gestured to the Sentinels, "You''ll find there''s more than enough muscle to guarantee your safeties."


    The Sentinels pounded their spears onto the platform, ushering forth a shockwave. A burst of wind passed over us, the Sentinels'' abilities indisputable. Kiki raised his hands, "And now it''s time for the first of three different days of amazing bouts. Who here is ready!"


    The gialgathens remained quiet, too cool for cheering. Kiki sighed, "And as always, you gialgathens give a warm welcome to the tournament. Great. Just great."


    Kiki coughed into his hand, "Anyways, we''ve changed the setup somewhat from previous years." Above Kiki, a massive zeppelin floated down from above the clouds. With mist billowing out from around it, thousands of people stacked up on its seats.


    Every recipient along the windows cheered with excitement, bringing life to the fights. There was only one window along the zeppelin with one person in it. I glanced up at it, finding Thisbey staring down at the contest with his hands locked behind him. He wore a sleek, mahogany colored suit. It wasn''t gialgathen leather, that much was certain.


    Kiki pointed up to the blimp, "And here we have a crowd of people who are actually excited for this year''s fights! How about that?"


    Kiki gave the gialgathen''s a glowing grin. It covered his disgust with the beast''s casual attitude. Kiki nodded,


    "Now, let the first fight commence!"


    I stood up, remembering I was the first contestant up for the day. Helios sighed, "At the very least I won''t have to remain here for long, or will I?"


    I shook my head, "I''ll make it short. We both have shit to do."


    Kiki pointed at me, "On one end of the fight, we have the Gray Giant, a crowd favorite for the espens. Everyone give it up for the mysterious, masked marauder!"


    The crowds on the blimp went crazy as usual. I jumped from my seat, landing on the back side of the metal arena. With lava bubbling behind me, I planted my feet on the heated metal. I planned on showing Helios just how destructive I could be given some time.


    With my mana charging, Kiki pointed at the other side of the arena,


    "Here we have Daniel''s opponent, the fierce and feared general of Emagrotha''s third division. Let''s welcome Krog Borom!"


    A hulking gialgathen stood up, covered in Skyburner armor. With his many gemstones crackling with mana, he flew with his wings wide. Most of the gialgathens gave him a quiet bow instead of a loud cheer. The gesture felt fitting.


    The gialgathen''s black and red colored skin gave him an eerie, monstrous aura. Unlike other gialgathens, the marks along the side of his face and neck were smooth lines. The scarlet lines flowed with the pitch black hide, making him appear even more majestic.


    With his head low, he glared at me with his vertical pupils. The beast grinned at me,


    "I see a fellow warrior in the arena. Are you like the other dirtwalkers, parading in salvation''s skin?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Honestly, I don''t know what the fuck you''re talking about."


    The beast scoffed, "You know nothing of your history then? Perhaps I''ll teach you after our bout." He cackled, his deep voice echoing in my mind, "If you survive."


    I grinned, "Eh, I wouldn''t be worried about me."


    The air around me bent from my mana. It blurred, heat building around my entire frame. I leaned over while raising my fists, ready to charge,


    "You better bring your best."


    Krog Borom leaned his head down, keeping his grin plastered to his face,


    "Emagrotha be praised if you make this interesting."


    Kiki kept trying to promote the fight. As he did, I analyzed the general in front of me.


    Krog Borom, Emagrotha''s Offerer(lvl 11,021) - Krog Borom served a general during the civil war of the gialgathens. Siding with Emagrotha, Krog believed that every species should earn their freedom.


    He fought for the espens to gain the right to battle or buy their freedom through action. In Krog''s view, giving the espens freedom without any effort on their part sold the entire espen species short. Lehesion opposed this viewpoint, saying that the espens were incapable of achieving freedom on their own.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Aside from his extensive history of political alliances, Krog is ruthless in combat. He utilizes alteration magics to create illusions against his foes. This allows him to apply an unusual style of flowing combat against his enemies.


    This also allows him to reconstitute his enemies should they be weak-willed. Even against the strongest of minds, Krog can apply high level, crippling debuffs. These include hallucinogenic images, scents, sensations, and thoughts. This mental warfare proves effective against almost any combatant.


    Face him with your full strength or else you risk severe injury.


    The status gave me the information I needed to know. I centered myself, preparing for the onslaught of mysticism magic. At the end of Kiki''s elaborate introductions, my runes were saturated with mana. I could produce a singularity and then some. I was ready as I could be, and with the Sentinels guarding him, I didn''t have to hold back.


    Kiki raised his hand,


    "Are both combatants ready?"


    I growled, "Yes."


    Krog nodded, keeping low and composed. Kiki slammed his hand down,


    "Then battle!"


    I molded Event Horizon over Krog, the unseen force causing him to wince. At the same time, I raised my hand and unloaded a singularity. Aimed at the center of his chest, I bent my knees. I kept my gaze sharp, preparing to dash whichever direction Krog ran.


    As expected, Krog darted sideways, his senses sharp. He crawled at a lightning pace on all fours, slithering away from my magic. The tiny black hole sucked in the air from around the arena, disrupting his escape. As the singularity imploded, a tidal wave of kinetic force sent Krog flying.


    Ready and waiting, I detonated my runes, giving me a burst of strength. I smashed my heels onto the metal beneath my feet, firing myself forward. Leaving a dent in the arena behind me, I catapulted myself towards Krog''s flopping body. Like a cannonball, I slammed into his shoulder, crushing his collarbone.


    I frowned. I aimed at his chest, but he flowed around me, preventing a direct impact. I barreled past him, my collision causing the gialgathen to spin in the air. I flipped around, landing on the invisible forcefield around the arena. As I looked up, Krog landed on the stadium, his form impeccable.


    He limped away from me, channeling his mana. Before he escaped, I blitzed him again. His mana crystals rippled, magma cooling around the arena. The gialgathens not only made flying superior, but they could also draw mana from their environment. This meant we were fighting on a giant mana battery for him.


    In most circumstances, Krog''s magic would''ve taken minutes to channel. With the magma around us cooling, it took seconds. Before I reached him, the beast breathed in and let out a cacophony of magic. The shockwave slammed into me, rattling my bones and ears.


    Harsh lights and discordant sounds overwhelmed me from all angles. Pins and needles spread up my arms, and my dots scattered into my vision. It was like my entire body was my arm after hitting my funny bone. Even worse, the shockwave bounced off the arena, causing an echo.


    The magic crashed against me once more, leaving me disoriented and dizzy. Krog wasted no time, skulking over and slashing his claws at me. Without my mental prep, I''d have taken the brunt of his attacks. I kept some of my awareness, however.


    Using that last scrap of self-control, I slid away from his blows. Like a drunken fighter, I wiggled my way around a series of his slashes. He rotated his strikes, using all his limbs in conjunction, creating a hurricane of attacks. A tail swipe into a slash of his into the chomp of his teeth, Krog was relentless.


    I wobbled my way around the rush by the skin of my teeth. Each blow left wind grazing over my cheeks. With each passing second, however, I regrouped myself. Every passing moment, I came back to the fight. As I did, my movements became more measured.


    I blocked and deflected, wasting less time on defense. After a minute of his assault, I regained my composure. With my full capacity back, I stormed him with strikes. He fared far better than Delilath. Using his awkward, flowing style, he prevented my attacks from landing flush on him.


    Despite his defense, the damage stacked up in a few minutes. With many bleeding cuts, oozing wounds, and broken bones, Krog tripped on a notch in the arena. As he flopped down, I raised my foot. I trained myself to kill, and I stomped down with the aim to crush his skull.


    Before my foot landed, two hands clamped against my arms, pulling me back. The other Sentinel popped up in my vision, lunging over Krog''s head. They stopped me from killing Krog with ease.


    Glad I didn''t have to hold back, I sighed with relief. My combat style didn''t suit giving a half-assed effort. Because of that security, I shaved the fight from several hours down to several minutes. As the Sentinel set me down, I raised a hand in triumph.


    The blimp exploded with noise, fireworks exploding nearby. Kiki clapped his hands, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead,


    "And there you have it folks! It looks like the Gray Giant learned his lesson from Delilath and came prepared. Despite this, it was a good effort from Krog Borom. Let''s give him a hand everybody!"


    The blimp full of people booed while the gialgathens gave him another bow as they had before. It reminded me why the crowd annoyed me in the first place. Either way, Kiki didn''t miss a beat, "Let''s move on to the next fight everybody. It''s action all day long!"


    Before anything else, I pulled Event Horizon back into my armor. I turned to the Sentinel, almost eye level with the behemoth. I patted his shoulder, "Thanks for stopping me."


    The Sentinel pushed my hand away with the handle of his violet spear,


    "I did so only because Schema commanded it to be so."


    I sighed, "Well, can''t say I didn''t try to play nice."


    I turned around, taking a few steps forward and facing the crowd. With an air of victory, I raised my hand and the masses cheered. After enjoying the cheers, I landed back on the stone bleachers. I wrapped my arm around Althea, and she hugged me,


    "You did great baby."


    I grinned, "Thanks."


    I was unharmed besides a few dents in my armor. The closest to danger I got was the hissing crystalline corpse beside me. With her hands crossed over one another, Caprika leaned over to Helios,


    "I told you I chose an admirable representative. He even learned from last fight with Delilath."


    Helios gave her a slow nod. He cupped the bottom of his mask, deep in thought, "I suppose he did."


    After a moment, Caprika''s chest puffed out with pride, "Well then, are you satisfied?"


    Helios nodded his head, "Yes. I am." Helios stood up, his shadow looming over all of us, "Excuse me then. I''ll report to father and the Emperor of this new information. Before I do, I have one last question."


    Helios met my eye, "Do you serve or work for anyone, or are you your own ruler?"


    I raised a hand, "Er, I guess I''m my own ruler. It sounds kind of melodramatic when you put it that way though."


    Helios scoffed, "Good. That makes the situation far less volatile. We''ll speak with one another later about alliances with the empire. I''m certain we''ll come to terms that we can agree on. Do try to be more polite during those proceedings. Neither my father nor the Emperor will forgive rudeness."


    He created a portal, the black energy warping the air near him, "It would be a shame to lose a potential ally so soon. Farewell."


    He stepped through the portal, disappearing. After he left, Caprika stood up and raised her hands, each of them clasped as fists. She shouted,


    "Yes! I did it. I finally got him."


    Caprika looked at us, realizing what she just did. She coughed into her hand as she sat down, "Ahem, excuse me. I''d like to apologize about my indiscretion."


    Althea grinned, "That must have felt amazing."


    Caprika nodded, "Indeed it did. Helios has always disapproved of my choices. It''s always been like a ghost that haunts me."


    They chatted away, discussing their feelings and relationships. I rolled my shoulders and stood up. As I did, Althea turned to me, "Hey, what''s up?"


    I cracked my neck, "I''m going back to our room. I''ve got studying I need to get done."


    Althea sighed, "Ok...Uh, have fun with that I guess."


    I gripped her shoulder, "You have fun too. I''ll miss you."


    She grabbed my arm, "Me too."


    I jumped out of the arena, wasting no time walking out. After about two minutes, I arrived back into my hotel room. Seated and in the right frame of mind, I got back to my research of the cipher. As I sunk my teeth into my work, Torix sent me a message.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill (Giess: 2:15 3/17/26) - I don''t meant to pester you, but I''ll be needing the locations of at least one Skyburner base relatively soon. The sooner the better in fact.


    Dimension-C138 (Giess: 2:15 3/17/26) - Of course. I''ll have them by tomorrow or the next day. Sorry for the hold up.


    I closed out my status and got back to work. I intended on finding the Skyburner bases when it was dark out. That lowered my chances of being seen or caught. Even if I was strong right now, I didn''t want to fight a dozen Skyburners all at once.


    With that in mind, I stayed there, studying until the sunset off in the distance. Althea returned from the tournament, chatting away with Caprika. She got back into our room and fell asleep with me by her side. After an hour of her sleeping, I stood up from my study.


    I gripped my fists and rolled my shoulders. I prepared myself for diving into silver territory. With my eyes closed, I visualized the carnage and destruction. It was a different world there, a darker one. I wasn''t going out to get groceries. I headed out for a bloody war.


    Ready and waiting, I opened my eyes.


    It was time to rip and tear.

 182 A Masked History

    Prepared for diving into the silver''s territory, I stepped toward the door of our room. As I did, a light voice chimed in from behind me,


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    Althea rubbed her eyes, sitting up from her bed. I raised a hand and whispered, "I''m going to find the Skyburner base. Go ahead and get some sleep."


    She yawned while stretching her arms. Her figure showed in all its glory. As I admired her, she murmured, "Come on. You won''t even know I''m there."


    Before I could reply, she dematerialized. A second later, she bled back into reality beside me. She grinned,


    "The Skyburner''s won''t find me either."


    "That''s the thing. I might end up hurting you."


    She shrugged, "I''m not some damsel that needs saving." Althea frowned, "Besides, I''ve been missing you a lot lately. We can spend some time together this way."


    I scratched the back of my head, "Hmm...Alright. Get ready and let''s go."


    Five minutes later, Althea finished getting ready by pulling her cannon out from under our bed. She aimed down the iron sights,


    "Ready to go, captain."


    I leaned closer to the cannon, "Damn...I need to make you another one of these soon. It looks so rough."


    She raised it up, hugging the weapon, "What? This here is what I call old Betsy. There''s nothing wrong with her."


    I rolled my eyes, "Uh, yeah right. That weapon looks like I used my bare hands to make it. Why? Because I did."


    Althea kissed the rifle then looked up at me, "That''s what makes it special."


    I scoffed, "If you say so. I''m still making you a new one when we get back."


    We walked out of our room. Torix already converted the hallway into a base, charts and graphs on every surface. He installed a holographic projector besides the fire as well. Working with a graphic image of Giess, he consulted his status for info.


    He added markings, drawing out routes and circling issues. I walked up,


    "Looks like you''ve made this place your new evil lair."


    He nodded, "Ah yes, as I always do. It suits me after all."


    He pointed at three large circles near and on an enormous mountain,


    "These are the three areas where we''ll find the Skyburner''s bases. When will you be able to discover their locations? Excuse my rush, but it''s difficult to create a plan of action without the necessary details."


    I shrugged, "Today probably. My next slot in the tournament is in two weeks. That means I can go ahead and iron this shit out."


    Torix clapped his hands,


    "Excellent. As you go and inspect our surroundings, do note any nearby anomalies. We may discover a few useful gems of information to act on."


    Torix waved his hand at the 3-d map, "Though this chart is detailed regarding geography, it doesn''t note any high-level dungeons or that sort of thing. We could use any advantage we can get, both politically or in combat."


    I gave him a thumbs up, "Sounds good. We''ll go ahead then."


    Althea walked up and hugged Torix. She smiled at him, "See you later."


    If Torix could, he''d have blushed. He laid a hand on her shoulder, "Likewise. Be safe, both of you."


    We paced out of Torix''s newfangled base, finding Malakai standing guard beside our room. With a torch casting his smooth skin with an orange sheen, he glanced down at me. He gave me a bow,


    "Good to see you, warrior. I pray you''ve been resting well?"


    I shrugged, "I don''t need to get shuteye. No rest for the wicked and all that. In fact, I''m more curious about why you''re standing guard."


    Malakai chuckled,


    "Hah, you''re quite relaxed, aren''t you? As you may have already gathered, many worship Lehesion here. Quite a few of them despise you for your fight with Delilath. I''m here to prevent any foul play or assassination attempts while you and your comrades rest."


    I tapped the side of my helmet, "Good thing I never sleep."


    Malakai nodded, "Indeed it is. You''ve already made more than a few ripples around here as it is."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What kind of ripples?"


    Malakai glanced at the Lehesion statue off in the distance,


    "To understand your impact, give me the chance to explain the situation."


    His tail whipped behind him,


    "Rivaria serves as a capital for the gialgathen race. We lack a formal government or the like, but we do serve a higher code of ethics. Rivaria decides what those ethics are, and these unspoken rules affect all other gialgathens."


    Malakai glanced down at us, "So your utter dominance over Borom changed how gialgathens view your kind. To those that follow Emagrotha, they view it with admiration."


    Althea crossed her arms, "I thought she was the leader that was trying to keep the espens enslaved?"


    Malakai scoffed, "What? That''s nonsense. Emagrotha believed that espens should earn their freedom rather than be granted it. She believed in the potential of your race. Obviously, she was correct in that regard."


    I cupped my chin, "Why should espens have to earn their freedom?"


    Malakai looked back to the Lehesion statue,


    "It''s a piece of forgotten history that the espens neglect to mention. We uplifted their race, bringing them from the oceans and giving them knowledge of fire and magic. We offered our protection from the elements, and they handled menial work for us."


    Althea tilted her head, the sheen on her facemask shifting,


    "Wait, what does uplift mean though? From what I heard, you guys put the espens into slavery using your brute strength."


    Malakai rolled his eyes, "We enslaved no one. The espens followed us onto land willingly."


    My eyes widened, "Wait a minute, onto  land?"


    Malakai gasped, "They''ve told you all nothing but lies, haven''t they? The espens were a symbiotic race of marine origin. They served the leviathans that swim under the water. We waged war so that the espens could have the choice to come to the surface."


    The old beast sighed, "In the end, we were victorious. The espens took no time to hesitate and followed us. We gave them the foundation to form their own society."


    I tapped my chin, "Then you guys enslaved them."


    Malakai shook his head, "They offered it to us. I will not deny that our dependence on the espens grew over time. We asked for more labor, and they conceded. It became twisted over time. The relationship began as mutual trust, however."


    Malakai pointed his tail at the Lehesion statue, "He is the one that looked down on the espen race. Emagrotha is the one that saw the espens have the ability to rise above their humble beginnings. We fought another war over this."


    Malakai grimaced, his massive head covering in wrinkles,


    "Emagrotha would''ve had our kind ween our dependence from the espens over time. At the same time, the espens would''ve gained confidence as a race. Instead, we waged yet another war for your race."


    I shrugged, "It''s not my fault man. Find someone else to blame."


    Malakai took a deep breath. He bit his tongue, "No...no it''s not. Excuse my indiscretion warrior. I find I''m far more set in my ways since I''ve aged. I''m less bitter now at least, but it does leak out from time to time."


    I pat his shoulder, "Don''t worry. It was interesting to hear."


    He laughed a bit, "Well at least you found entertainment in my accusation. Don''t let this old beast drag you into further conversation. At this rate, you''ll both be old by the time you leave!"


    Althea walked up to him, giving him a bow,


    "Thanks for the wisdom. We''ll use it."


    Malakai gave her a bow, "And thank you for your respect. I will return it in kind. Farewell."


    With the history lesson over, we walked out of the hallway of heroes. Once outside, I flew us my way out towards a vast ocean. It was on the other side of Rivaria''s mountainside. In a few minutes of flying, it popped up in our view in the distance.


    Althea murmured, "It''s beautiful."


    After reaching the ocean, I took us to Draygalga''s first hint - a camp near the River of Tears. It turns out that it was an actual river, named for the many bodies dumped here during an epidemic. To my surprise, it took a couple minutes to reach the mouth of the river from the mountaintop.


    The gialgathens used it as a freshwater source, so it had to be nearby. Rivaria wouldn''t function otherwise. That same river flowed into the blue-green ocean. As we neared it, details cropped up in my view.


    The shallow waters carried pits of algae on its surface. The green algae bled into the water, spreading the color outwards in massive blooms of color. Fish nibbled at the center of these pits, growing fat off the abundant greenery.


    Along the outskirts of the emerald colored blooms, leviathans Malakai mentioned swam. Just under the surface, their black, blurry silhouettes roamed around the pits. They opened massive mouths like anacondas unhinging their jaws. The beats devouring enormous amounts of fish in single gulps using this technique.


    This wildlife waned towards the river, the water''s coloration turning clear. As I neared the water, I realized why. The stream was damn near sterile. This explained why Kessiah thought the water tasted funny. Something upstream was killing all of the wildlife in the water.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    With curiosity guiding me, I hovered us both just above the river''s surface. We peered at the crystal clear water, spotting our blurry reflections. I passed miles of the vast waterway, finding next to no life.


    After many miles, I uncovered why the water was clear and sterile. At the border between silvers and Giess, there was a yellow damn blocking the river. Eldritch walked in and out of a dungeon along the edge of the damn. These eldritch took the form of spiky, blue crabs except for their faces and backs.


    Many tiny arms surrounded their gaping mouths. From the opening, a thin, filmy net expanded out. An electrical charge fired off around this next, killing anything in the water. The electricity was so dense, lightning shot up and out of the water every few seconds.


    Any of the creatures that weren''t filter feeding maintained the yellow, crusty dam. They spit onto it, their saliva hardening and expanding outwards. With their many arm mandibles, they sculpted the smooth wall of the yellow structure.


    These blue crabs took turns at a pipeline at the dam''s center. They feasted on the fish and water swept through it. They swelled up, pumping water into tubes behind them. These tubes ran out towards a giant embryo lying beneath the pool.


    A colossal creature squirmed within it, feasting on the crab''s excess food. The swollen, bulbous egg sack shivered, ready to burst at any moment.


    Before I ran in, I analyzed the crab things.


    Shagura Larva(lvl 1,104) - These crustaceans create massive blockages in waterways. While initially helpful to primitive and local populace due to treating the water, they harbor dark intentions. By funneling the resources of a river, they create a Shagura Queen.


    Even though these monsters are created solely for their queen, they''re more than able to defend themselves. They absorb the hardest minerals they find to build their shells. This in conjunction with their incredibly durable glue makes them very sturdy.


    Their claws can snap through steel even, killing someone in power armor instantly. They charge the waters with high volumes of voltage as well. Shagura warriors can also use this charged lightning to attack at a distance.


    For you, the colony should prove a simple task to dispatch.


    I analyzed the queen next.


    Shagura Queen(lvl 4,892) - Though this creature is young, it proves an exponential threat in the future. Shagura colonies can lay claim to entire oceans, converting all waterways into sterile pits. This destroys the life on a planet, and if evolved enough, Shagura Queens can launch their larva into space.


    This makes them a current priority on Fringe Worlds since they spread so quickly. Immediate and thorough elimination of this dungeon is highly recommended. It is also recommended that you inform a guild to regularly clear this area out before it spirals out of control again. Schema will provide compensation for the work.


    For you, this is a small concern, but handling it will help many in the future if you choose to do so.


    It was an easy dungeon clear, so I pressed my chest pad. My gray armor peeled off as Althea whispered,


    "They aren''t too strong. You can just set me down on that tree over there and do your thing."


    I gave her a nod, floating her over to a nearby branch. She watched as I raised myself high into the sky, spending a minute falling up. I flipped my gravity wells, pulling me down. In seconds, I impacted the Shagura Queen''s egg sack. The water vaporized as I crashed through the hardened shell of the creature.


    Surrounded on all sides by the giant crustacean, I absorbed it from the inside. Event Horizon devastated the nearby guardians, melting them. My armor sent out hundreds of tiny needles, soaking up the creature''s mana and health.


    Within minutes, it disintegrated. At the same time, I absorbed the ambient charge in the water, converting it into mana. The Shagura colony discovered their queen''s death and swarmed me from all directions. They were enraged at their queen''s demise. All it did was make hunting them down easier though.


    After slaughtering the entire population, I flew up over the river. A purple blot spread out over the center of it. Curious about the cause, I floated behind the damn. It was a cesspool, full of mana pollution. The Shagura filtered it, making the water sterile after ingesting the poison.


    I frowned at the sight, but I shrugged at the same time.


    The queen needed to be eradicated before it spread out like a plague. When I got back to Rivaria, I would inform someone about what happened here. Having someone build a filtration plant or the like would solve this.


    With that in mind, I went down into the dungeon itself. If I didn''t clear it, the Shagura would infest the river once again. The smaller, shriveled up larva dwelled deep in the bowels of the cave. I stomped out their guts. I smashed shells to a pulp. Over the next few minutes, I culled them all.


    At the bottom of the cavern, I found a deep pool of bright, red water. A dungeon core ingrained itself on the cavern floor. Diving into the abyss, I wrenched the dungeon''s heart out. Using the extra points, I enhanced Star Forger before moving on.


    Without missing a beat, I jumped back out of the water. Maneuvering through the cave''s depths, I reached the top in about a minute. I soared right out of that cavern with one last task at hand. Before parting with the leftovers of the Shagura, I lifted enormous amounts of soil from nearby.


    I added height and width to the damn and even clogged its one opening. This gave Rivaria time to save its drinking water from toxicity. With the odd job handled, I picked Althea up and soared towards the edge of silver territory.


    Before we reached it, Althea murmured, "Hey, can we talk?"


    I turned to her, "Yeah, of course."


    Althea rubbed her hands together while staring down, "Uh, so you''ve been working a lot lately."


    I glanced up, thinking about what I''d done recently. I shook my head, "Eh, I''ve been doing about the normal amount of work I think."


    Althea sighed, "My point is, you work...like, a lot. I don''t get to see you often, and when I do, it''s like your minds on other things."


    I looked at her, keeping us moving forward,


    "What do you mean?"


    She weighed her hands back and forth, "It just...I want us to settle down once we''re finished with Giess. You know after we clear our bounties and all that."


    I scoffed, "Of course."


    She shook her head, "I mean my kind of settling down. Not your kind."


    I grinned, "What''s the difference?"


    Althea snapped, "Oh, there''s a world of difference."


    Hearing some genuine frustration, I slowed us down to a halt. I turned around, facing her. I crossed my arms, "Alright, something''s up. What''s wrong?"


    Althea bit her lip, staring at the small moon in the sky. She sighed, "I don''t think you''ll slow down once we get back. If anything, I think you''ll speed up. You know, working even more."


    I spread out my hands, "What makes you think that?"


    She threw up her hands, "I don''t know, the fact you''re working 24/7 right now?"


    I crossed my arms, "Look, I don''t even understand what the problem is. Is this really that big a deal?"


    Althea nodded, "Yes. It is. I never get to see the guy I want to see all the time. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?"


    I raised a hand, "Just join me when I''m training."


    Althea rolled her eyes, "When you''re training, you''re in a different world. I might as well not even be there."


    A spark of irritation flared in my chest. I spread out my hands, "This feels ridiculous. My work ethic is why we''re all still alive. It''s going to keep us alive too."


    Althea shook her head, "There''s a difference between surviving and living, ok? You don''t live. You just survive all the time. There''s a difference."


    I shook my hands, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


    Althea waved hands in frustration, "I don''t know. You never relax. You never rest. Do you know how hard that kind of person is to be with? I can never just sit down and take a breather."


    I pointed a finger at her, "Easier than being with a lazy slob."


    My eyes widened after I said that. I raised my hands, "Wait a second, I didn''t mean that."


    Althea grimaced, "No, I heard you loud and clear."


    I grabbed the sides of my head in frustration, "Ok, look, I''m sorry I said that. I''m just all defensive for some reason. I guess it just feels like you''re turning one of my better points into a problem."


    Althea grumbled, "Maybe not for you. Then again, if it''s not about you, then you don''t care."


    I dragged my hands down my face, "What? Now you''re being ridiculous. I''ve went through hell for you."


    Althea pointed her finger at me, "Are you sure it was for me and not for you? I''m starting to wonder."


    I rolled my eyes, "Ok, you''re just in one of your moods or something. It must be your time of the month."


    "Great job dismissing my feelings. I''m just trying to tell you how I feel. It doesn''t matter what I think though, does it? You''re never going to just relax."


    I raised my hands, "I don''t know if I can relax anymore, ok?"


    Althea snapped, "Why? You haven''t even struggled fighting anyone since Yawm. Why do you keep pushing so hard?"


    I raised up my hands, "Because you almost died..."


    Althea''s face unwrinkled. Concern spread over her face, "Wait...really?"


    I let my hands flop onto my sides, "Of course. Some assassin planted a bomb under our bed and blew us up. I was fine, sure, but you almost died. Do you know what that felt like? You''re closer to me than my family. Losing you would be worse than losing a limb. I would be crushed."


    I spread out my arms, "Even before that, I haven''t taken my foot off the gas pedal in over a year. Hell, I can''t remember the last time I slept. I''m always on guard and trying to improve because I don''t know if I''ll be able to handle what comes next."


    "But, nothing is coming. We got rid of Yawm. Nobody is out to get us anymore once we get rid of these bounties."


    I pointed a finger at her, my voice firm, "You don''t know that. It''s irresponsible to say that shit because you can''t know that. If everyone dies, I''ll be the one left behind. Why? Because I''m the hardest to kill. That''s why I work ten harder than everyone else to keep you all alive."


    I raised a hand, "Hell, every time I''ve let my guard down, some evil creature rears up and tries to kill us. First, it was Baldag Ruhl then the plague then Yawm. I have no idea what it will be next. Maybe Lehesion or maybe Helios. I don''t know. All I do know is this."


    I clenched my hand into a fist,


    "When the next horror does come, I''ll ready."


    Althea bit her lip, staring down. She sighed, wrestling with her conscious. A second later, she reached out a hand, wrapping it around my fist,


    "But if you''re always living for tomorrow, you never get to enjoy today."


    I blinked, confused by what she said. I glanced down, thinking it over. In a way, she was right. I lived in fear all the time. Focusing on those fears made me strong. Now that I wasn''t under the constant threat of death though, slowing down might be a good idea.


    At the very least, I could find a better balance. Even though she wasn''t working as hard, Althea was keeping up with me from a strength standpoint. Well, probably...Honestly, I didn''t know if she was. Her class closed the gap between us, but it was hard to say by how much. To be honest, I thought I''d thrash her with ease.


    The point is though, Althea wasn''t sacrificing her entire life for being strong. She enjoyed nights out and time with friends. I didn''t have anyone I could call a friend outside our tight-knit group either. Maybe focusing on my friends would do me more good than focusing on my enemies.


    Coming to a conclusion, I looked at the silver''s border off in the distance. I looked up and took a deep breath. I let out my frustration as I looked back at Althea,


    "I''ll think about it. What you said that is."


    Althea perked up, "Wait, really? I thought''d you''d just ignore me."


    I frowned, "Good to see you have some faith in me. But...yeah. I''ll give it some thought. You''re probably not, you know...completely wrong."


    She smiled, "Oh really? Thanks for the compliment."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I try."


    Without anything left to say, Althea reached out to me. Giving me a bear hug, my chest caved under the pressure of her arms. She hissed, recoiling back. I reached out a hand,


    "What''s wrong?"


    She waved her arms, "Agh, you''re too dense. I hurt my arms hugging you to tight."


    I scoffed, "How about you try not to kill me with your hugs of doom?"


    She grabbed her wrist, "Yeah, that''s probably a good idea."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Uh, you ready to go?"


    She winced, "Yeah. I think I pulled some muscles in my arms. Ouch."


    I smirked, "I know some training that might help with that."


    She frowned, "I think I''ll be fine."


    I opened my dimensional storage and tossed her a green health potion.  Althea caught it with ease, downing it in one go. She wiped her mouth and gasped, "Thanks. I needed that."


    I smiled, "Anytime. You ready?"


    "Yeah, let''s go."


    With the conversation over, I pulled us along toward the silver''s border. Steel spires rose up on the horizon, mountains of steel looming. Minutes later, we reached the border between Giess and silver. As we did, I set us down on a hill beside a crossfire of the two factions.


    A set of elementals smashed silvers attempting to cross the border onto Giess''s land. These elementals were floating masses of lightning, ice, and stone. Beside the atronachs, fiery anteaters lashed out with whipping tongues at any Saysha that tried passing the border.


    The wildlife worked in sync, keeping the oncoming silvers at bay with razor-sharp efficiency. Inspired by their teamwork, I turned to Althea,


    "So I''ll head out and clear most of the silvers. You can trail behind and finish off any stragglers."


    Althea grinned at me, giving me a salute, "Aye, aye captain."


    I turned back to the warring anteaters and atronachs. As I walked up, they turned towards me. Without having to speak, they backed up and gave me plenty of space. As they did, a cluster of engorgs rolled towards me. I cracked my knuckles and grinned as one of them neared me.


    I wanted to try something new.


    Instead of beating it to death with my fists, I molded my gauntlets into sharpened blades. Using Starforger, I heated the swords until they glowed white hot. With the hot air pluming around my knived hands, I charged mana into my arms. A crimson aura permeating them as I lifted my right arm.


    The engorg crashed into me as I sliced down. I rived it in two, each half rolling past me. Its blood hissed, evaporating under the heat. Spiky tendrils of my armor reached out, piercing each half of the engorg''s corpse. They siphoned the creature''s lifeforce, disintegrating it into nothing.


    The group of silvers ground to a halt, each of them unraveling. Some of them even turned around as I paced up.  I kept patient, sharpening my blades by swiping my arms together. Sparks flashed from the edges, illuminating the darkness around us.


    I frowned, "Come on, I''ll show you what a real monster is."

 183 Something Wicked

    Between the silver and giessian border, I spread my arms wide. The engorgs rolled past me, cutting off my options for escape. Their hardened shells clattered against the silverscape until they crossed onto the grass. The greenery muffled the sound, turning into a growl instead of scream.


    Encircling me, they tightened their looping attack. The engorgs reached within about a car''s length away before I activated Event Horizon. The aura crippled them, causing them to slow down. With pain fogging their minds, I bolted towards my left. Spreading out my arms, I leaped up. Falling towards the monster, I pulled my arms in causing me to spin.


    The centrifugal force whipped me in circles like a drill. With my bladed arms overhead, I bore into the creature. As I passed through the mongrel, I reached out my bladed arms. The monster fell apart, a loud hissing reverberating through the battlefield.


    With its blood evaporating on my blades, I rolled across the ground. As I stood up, the engorgs innards spilled out. I walked up to it. The needles from my black armor spread out like roots in a tree, drinking up the fresh corpse. I raised my bladed arms, finding the other engorgs rolling at me.


    Before they crashed against me, I tried incorporating something new into my fighting. I concentrated heat on the nearby steel landscape. In seconds, it melted into a glowing pool of molten metal. I swiped my arm towards an incoming engorg, pulling a blob of steel over it.


    The creature howled as the liquid metal spewed over it. Its blood evaporated in vibrant splashes of bubbling white, the monster boiling alive. I condensed Event Horizon over the giant beetle, amplifying its agony. Another engorg came crashing towards me at the same time.


    I met the monster''s charge, slamming my sharpened arm into the creature. Like slamming into a wall, the engorg impaled itself before crushing against me. I lifted the beast and faced the other, melting monster. Its skin peeled off, destroyed by my attacks. I abused its injuries.


    I created  an antigravity well inside of the monster. Without skin or its shell holding its insides together, they ruptured and spilled out. The metal splattered onto two other nearby engorgs. One of them lost balance, falling sideways and barrel rolling towards me.


    Using its brethren as a club, I smashed one engorg into another. Vibrant, steaming blood burst from them both. My armor soaked it up like a sponge. The last engorg let out tiny stopping legs that skid it to a stop. With trails of upturned grass around it, the monster tried turning around to escape.


    Too late.


    I pulled it to me while dashing toward the monster. With a final slash, I cleaved the creature in two. The pile of carcasses disintegrated as my armor feasted on them. In seconds, the battlefield was clean outside of the ruptured turf.


    The Giessian creatures escaped, horrified at the display of brutality. I wasn''t here to make friends with the wildlife. After ridding us of the corpses, I cleared the way for Althea. As I walked forward, she gave me plenty of distance to do what I did best.


    Diving deeper into silver territory, I kept my work clean and precise. I left little for Althea to handle as I tore the silvers apart. Immersed in carnage, I blitzed through the silver territory, leaving nothing behind me but sterilized earth and steel.


    Even as I chopped the silvers apart, details about their life popped out at me. These details formed a bigger picture, unraveling a complex ecosystem.


    The merjects preyed on the organ caterpillars. Their squishy, vulnerable bodies were like crawling smoothies to the merjects draining mouths. At the same time, the engorgs preyed on the merjects if they took too long feeding. Their massive, rolling bodies crushed the merjects, smearing them across the landscape. Once squashed, the engorgs unraveled and ate the merjects remains with their many mandibles.


    The engorgs seemed like the top of the food chain at that point. However, if an engorg slept in the wrong spot, an organ caterpillar would inject itself into the monster. The engorg swelled up from the inside, feeding many caterpillar eggs. Some engorgs ballooned up until they couldn''t move. There they awaited a slow, painful death being eaten from the inside.


    This cycle of dependence gave a flow to the life here. I wasn''t as surprised by clusters of certain creatures anymore. If tons of engorgs were present, there''d be very few merjects. This culling principle played out for the caterpillars and engorgs as well, each kind of monster eating the others.


    This same hostile logic followed up into the skies. I believed that flesh whales were at the top of the food chain. I was wrong. I found other floating monsters preying on them in a sense. Amorphous, liquid beasts devoured them.


    These blood slimes as I called them would congregate into colonies. They floated over the landscape using magnetic pulses. Sparks of lightning crisscrossed these massive clouds of crimson mist like thunderstorms from hell. As they passed over the wasteland, they acted as locust, stripping all wildlife bare.


    The land creatures hid under metal alcoves, keeping them safe. The flesh whales had nowhere to hide, so they were consumed by these hordes. By the time a red cloud passed over a flesh whale, the behemoth would be a shiny skeleton supported on spires.


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    Even these red clouds weren''t safe. Hidden in some spires, something like plant-life flourished. These creatures hid inside the pillars, using them as lightning rods. As the clouds passed, they soaked up the electrical charges. This caused many blood slimes to fall onto the ground.


    Before they recharged escaped, gray roots expanded up from cracks in the metal landscape. These roots drank up the blood slimes, absorbing their essence.


    I found dozens of other interactions just like those ones. It astonished me with the sheer complexity of the life here. It all interconnected into this haunting, brutal world where everyone eats and is eaten. The only exceptions were the saysha who built the hard matrice that everything based their lives off.


    It left Althea shaken, her paranoia rising as we darted further into the landscape. While I was safe here, she wasn''t. She needed sleep. Her health pool wasn''t large enough to tank many of the creatures. Worst of all, if she were surrounded by a horde of them, they''d eat her alive. She didn''t have armor that could eat them right back like I did.


    It left her afraid. I sent her messages as we traveled, trying to keep her composed. They worked for the most part, though she still wrestled with her growing sense of dread. It made me realize how much more survivable I was in a hostile environment than she was. Even if she could assassinate a person, she couldn''t wipe out swaths of hostile life.


    We each owned our niches of combat, this kind of slaughter being my specialty. As we traveled, Althea gave me a lot of praise. Seeing me in action gave her pause, making her question our earlier argument. Without my help, she''d be done for out here. This kind of circumstance reminded her of why I fought so hard for my abilities in the first place.


    To survive and thrive in anything.


    I argued her belief with my actions here, and that felt good. There were no two ways about it. I still wanted to give her points some merit, however. Balancing my life some would do me some good. Besides, I could focus on leveling some speech skills for once. The only way that would happen was if I actually took some time talking to people. Go figure.


    Of course, keeping my combat sharp was a necessity as well. With that in mind, I kept on edge as I fought. I molded my armor and tore strips of it off. I melted them, holding a pool of glowing metal above me with a gravity well.  It rippled waves on its surface, the glowing mass like an ocean of white fire. I acted as a dim light, illuminating our way through the darkness.


    I splashed this amorphous blob over the silvers that attacked me. If they resisted heat, I cooled the material over it, galvanizing the creature. They suffocated in steel. Otherwise, I melted them, their bodies bubbling and frothing under the glowing mass. If they survived the heat, I sliced them apart. No matter how they died, I absorbed the corpses for their mana, using the resources spread out in front of me.


    I never lost sight of my goal, however. After several hours of searching, I found my first clue to the Skyburner''s location. Along the edge of a spire, large claw marks etched out onto the pillar. The gashes matched the wounds of large talons, mimicking the wounds on espens. This kind of damage on metal required a Skyburner''s strength.


    Before I went any farther forward, I flew up high into the sky. I pushed my senses, straining my eyes to spot any other marks in the pillars. After several minutes, a pounding headache formed in my skull. Several beads of cold sweat poured down my forehead after a while longer of exerting myself. I found what I was looking for, however.


    Far in front of me, I found another set of claw marks on a spire. Towards my right, I spotted another marred column. They were scouting marks, places the gialgathens used for rest. I plotted these points in my head, seeing them make a slight curve.


    If I were right, their surveillance zone would be like a big circle since they flew over every obstacle. Once the gialgathens went out a certain distance, or for a certain time, they''d head back. I used this knowledge, making use of my mini-map.


    My map only showed a trail we covered on our route here, along with large landmarks like the river of tears. Interacting with the software, I created the curve I found with the marred pillars. I extended this arch until it formed a massive circle.


    I made a marker on my map at the center of that circle, hoping for some sense of direction. With that in mind, I floated back down into the wasteland, crashing through a flesh whale as I did. With a rain of blood pouring down, I consumed the creature before sending Althea my idea.


    As I turned around to her, she gave me a jittery thumbs up. She looked terrified by not only the silvers but a little bit by me. I rolled my eyes at her, letting her know she was ridiculous. The gore was getting to her.


    After getting some sense of direction, we trecked off through the forest of silver towers. Hours later, we neared the circle''s center. As we did, the ground rumbled in a chaotic rhythm. It was like earthquakes of random intensity were going off. As we got even closer, far off echoes ebbed around us, growing in intensity as we got within eyesight of the camp.


    With the same towering walls, the camp appeared simple enough. As I observed the bulwark, strange signs sent off alarm bells in my head, however. Several scorch marks showed on the fortress, some spots glowing white hot. Dents littered the entire wall, some places even showing cracks. None of this was too concerning.


    What threw me off was that the dents bulged out. This meant they came from the inside, not the outside. The battle happened from within. With this in mind, I rendezvoused with Althea. With less than an hour left before sunrise, I whispered,


    "Listen. There''s something off about this Skyburner camp."


    She nodded, "Did the earthquakes tip you off or the massive booms?"


    I scoffed, "Both, actually." I pointed at the walls, "The dents are from the inside. There might have been some sort of mutiny from the inside if we''re lucky."


    Althea frowned, "Eh, I doubt it."


    I nodded, "Same here, but we can hope. You ready to check it out?"


    She gave me the ok before dematerializing. We already discussed that she''d be the surveyor here. She risked far less than I did with how hard she was to spot. After a minute of waiting, Althea appeared in front of me. Her eyes wide, her pupils dilated, she stammered,


    "Daniel...There''s something bad in there. Something really bad."


    I creased my brow, "What is it?"


    Her hands shook a bit, something testing her nerves. She wrestled out her words,


    "There''s, uh, something eating the Skyburners."


    My eyes widened, "Wait...what?"

 184 The Hybrid

    Althea pointed at the destroyed arena, "I...You just need to see it."


    She turned and skulked over towards the arena. I followed. Once beside the wall, I lifted us up until we reached the edge of the steel barrier. Exposing as little of myself as possible, I lifted my view of the monster. As I saw it, my jaw dropped.


    A bulging mass of flesh and wires pulled its mouth over a Skyburner''s neck.   Tiny wires squirmed into the Skyburner''s body, draining it. The Skyburner still breathed, but it could hardly move. It gazed off at his fallen brethren, gasping in agony as the thing absorbed it.


    And it made sense why the ''thing'' had won. It was mountainous, a behemoth of meat and metal. Muscles contracted all over it, wires lining beneath its gray, gooey skin. It lacked an overall structure, having many limbs jutting out in many directions. Each one carried a latent power, the threat of explosive violence evident.


    It reformed itself, continually shifting its form and adapting to whatever it was up against. From its many feet, wires expanded outwards, growing as I looked at it. It uprooted its feet each time it took a step, cables snapping as it did.


    What disturbed me most were the eyes of the creature. It had many on the upper half of its head. Every eye was different and unique, some glowing and some not. What made them haunting was the intelligence hidden within them. Each eye carried a purpose with how it looked around as if driven by a conscious.


    Before its many eyes saw me, I analyzed the creature.


    The Hybrid(lvl 13,413) - Little is known about this creature outside of its grotesque appearance. Initial scans reveal a mismatch of various DNAs from several sources. Its devastation in combat cannot be denied given the victim''s surrounding it when it was discovered.


    The only other element of the creature that can be analyzed is the persistent radiation the creature emits. As if a walking reactor, it ebbs gamma radiation like an odor, killing nearby creatures with ease. Be wary of its potential for nuclear abilities coming from said radioactive potential.


    I turned to Althea, sending her a message.


    Dimension C-138(lvl 7,587 | Giess: 4:15 A.M. 3/18/26) - Don''t talk. We need to kill this thing right now before it spreads.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 6,221 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 4:16 A.M. 3/18/26) - What? Let''s make a plan with the others.


    Dimension C-138(lvl 7,587 | Giess: 4:16 A.M. 3/18/26) - It''s gaining levels as we speak. If it finishes those corpses, it might be more than our entire group can handle. We need to kill it. Now.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 6,221 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 4:16 A.M. 3/18/26) - How do you expect to do that?


    Before I could answer, the Hybrid turned its head. The many eyes locked onto us as if searching for something. I froze in place as did Althea. For a tense moment, it locked eyes with mine. I charged my mana, preparing for carnage.


    The moment any of my mana charged, the monster dropped the Skyburner. It lifted a huge foot and stomped the Skyburner''s skull. With a surreal burst of movement, the creature reached us. It moved faster than a car, nothing about it slow or exaggerated.


    I''d never faced anything like it. In most movies, massive creatures moved slowly.  This thing carried a vitality that enabled it to charge like a living storm of metal. It raised its titanic hand before swiping it at us.


    At the same time, a sunrise peaked over the horizon in the distance. The light cast a shadow off the giant''s hand, engulfing us in shade. Before the attack landed, I shoved Althea away from me, launching her into the forest of spires. The hand squashed me from above, crushing me into the metalscape like a mallet.


    An endless number of wires crawled over my armor. At the same time, veins groped for some way of infecting me. They found purchase in my helm, an ocean of the mass crawling it. My armor fought back, reaching out with its own storm of needles. I lashed out with my arms, tearing through the creature.


    It kept trying to infect me, wires and flesh regenerating over my body. I activated Event Horizon, collapsing the aura until it covered a tiny circle around me. At the same time, I created a dense blob of antigravity over my chest. As I waved my arms, I sliced through the many cords and veins.


    An oily sludge covered me, as I cut my way through the abomination. I kept slicing, and I found nothing to grab onto or push off of. I was surrounded by this thing in all directions. After a few minutes of struggling to escape, an old emotion crept up inside my chest - fear.


    This thing wasn''t struggling to hold me in place. If it kept regenerating like this, I might be trapped in here for a long time. Just as the emotion formed, my feet flopped onto the steely ground. As I landed onto the floor, I gasped with relief. Finally able to get a grip on something, I waved my arms and pushed off my heels.


    At the same time, I reformed my arms into blades. With all my weight behind each of my swings, I lopped my surroundings into mush. The Hybrid let out a whistling scream loud enough to crack glass. It glared down at me as it raised its foot.


    I stood in a puddle of black oil, my armor soaking it up and drinkings its blood. The monster raised its foot and stomped on me once more. The collision sent out a massive shockwave around us, resembling the booming sounds we heard earlier.


    Despise the overwhelming force, I withstood the impact, though it rattled my bones and gave me a headache. I thought I would crush under him, but that wasn''t the case. The metal ground beneath me was only a few inches deep. After that, there was just soft earth.


    The ground failed the Hybrid, not his actual strength.


    Not willing to ignore the advantage, I burrowed downwards. I kept myself within range of Event Horizon, sucking the monster''s health dry. At the same time, the creature smashed its many limbs into the ground. I kept my distance, not willing to test the creature''s might.


    Even as parts of its body disintegrated, the monster regenerated others. Its sheer vitality rivaled my own, sustaining it through my own aura. After a few minutes, the tiniest inkling of damage exposed itself on the lower end of the creature. It would die, given time.


    As half an hour passed, I moved towards the other Skyburners. Killing two birds with one stone, I dived from corpse to corpse, eating them with my draining abilities. By the time the Hybrid grew restless, I had eliminated all six of the remaining Skyburner corpses.


    Losing all semblance of patience, the creature plowed through the Skyburner camp''s walls and into the silver wasteland. It gave up its pursuit of me, choosing to ignore the thorn in its side. The behemoth left a trail of broken spires behind it as it feasted on the many silvers infesting the wasteland.


    These silvers sustained the creature through my aura. It used them to rejuvenate itself, this cycle perpetuating. Throwing a wrench into its plan, I charged my mana for a singularity. After five more minutes, I unleashed onto at the center of its head.


    Before the spell finalized the monster''s eyes closed. They traveled through its body opening at the end of a different limb seconds before the singularity collapsed. A portion of its body fed the black hole before it imploded with a colossal explosion.


    The shockwave knocked spires down in all directions, the absolute power of it awe inspiring. The Hybrid was left smeared around the singularity''s blast radius. I pulled myself from the ground preparing to clean up the mess. I gawked in horror as pieces of the monster crawled back together.


    The monster survived a singularity.


    Before it fully formed, I jumped into the writhing blob. The Hybrid shifted like a turbulent sea around me. My strikes met air as it wobbled like a liquid, keeping its distance. Far off, Althea lifted one of the broken spires. Like a lightning bolt from Zeus, she radiated with arcane mana.


    Bright, purple electricity formed around the spear. With unbelievable strength, Althea chunked the giant pillar of metal right at the monster''s newly formed head.


    The giant spear impaled the monster, black muck gushing from its wounds. Arcane ripples traveled through the beast, sapping its life force. With a way of killing the creature right in front of us, we came up with an impromptu plan.


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    I radiated heat around me, creating a pool of metal underneath the forming creature. As it created legs to stomp on the ground, I molded the molten mush over its feet. Before it ran away, I hardened the steel over the creature, pinning it down for a few moments. It scrambled to form more legs to escape our grasp. I gritted my teeth as I turned the steel beneath us into an orange, glowing sea.


    As I kept the monster busy, Althea threw broken spire after broken spire. More wounds formed on the beast, and the hybrid grew desperate. It jerked and writhed around me, trying to escape Althea''s firing range. I kept it contained with dozens of gravity wells and hardening pools of metal.


    We fought until the creature''s black blood pooled into a darkened sea. It shrunk in size, becoming harder to hit. I held my ground, keeping the monster still with greater ease than before.


    At the same time, Althea couldn''t keep up. On the side of my HUD, her health bar dipped to one third as she threw yet another pillar of steel. Without the beast surrounding me, I turned to spot her in the distance. Portions of her skin and clothes were worn off around her arms and feet. Several of her fingers were broken. If I looked right, so were her toes. I realized what was happening at that moment.


    Even if she was strong enough to throw the spires, her body wasn''t resilient enough to keep up. In a way, anytime you threw something, it threw you back. Newton''s third law and all that. It turns out that several ton spears threw back hard. In a way, she was killing herself by continuing her attacks.


    If a stray silver happened upon her at the wrong moment, she could die. Before that happened, I took the initiative. With the monster''s reduced size, I wrangled it into a single, wobbling mass with a gravity well. The gravity well pulled on me, but I stomped my feet into the steel beneath me. I dragged forward as the molten steel pooled around the creature.


    At the same time, I heated the metal over my armor until shined white. With the sweat on my brow evaporating, I dived forward. I sunk through the shell and into the beast. Just as I reached inside the iron, I cooled the surrounding metals.


    We were both trapped inside.


    The wires and veins tried invading me. Using my armor, I fought back. I molded my armor into a thousand spears in every direction. From each spear, I launched even more needles. The beast swirled in its cage, wrestling for escape. I gave it no leeway or opportunity to do so.


    Without a direct means to get away from me and feed on other silvers, I slowly whittled it away into nothing. As my armor devoured the final piece of the creature, I tapped against something ephemeral. Blue light illuminated the darkness around me, revealing a dungeon heart.


    As I tore out of the hollow iron ball I created, I held up the blue dungeon core with a notification of the Hybrid''s death. We killed the damn thing. Althea cheered with one of her arms flopping at her side. I sat down, splashing into a pool of the black blood. After a few minutes, my armor sapped even that, leaving nothing behind.


    With the beast finished, I stood up, put the blue dungeon core into my inventory, and paced over to Althea. She laid back on a crag of metal, blood dripping down her hands. I grinned at her, and she grinned back. As I got beside Althea, I laid down beside her,


    "You look like you could use a hand."


    Althea raised her arm, showing several fingers twisted in wrong directions,


    "Oh hah hah, very funny."


    I reached into my dimensional storage, "What? Something looks off about them. I can''t quite put my finger on it..."


    Althea winced, "Ok, stop it, or you''ll actually kill me."


    I laughed, pulling out a green health potion. As I poured it over Althea''s shoulders, she gasped in relief. I put her fingers into the right directions, Althea grunting in pain as I set each of them. After she healed up, we laid there for a moment. Her healed hand wrapped around mine and Althea leaned her head on my arm. With Giess''s warm sun shining on us, she fell asleep.


    I let her rest for a bit before lifting her with magic, suspending her in the air. She pulled an all-nighter by fighting a giant monster. She deserved a break. Carrying her behind me, I traveled towards the Skyburner''s base to investigate what happened. If I waited much longer, the silvers would strip any evidence left behind.


    As I got there, several engorgs already scoured the blood stains on the steel for nutrients. I threw blocks of sheered metal at several of them, killing them at a distance. Althea slept through all of it, her exhaustion absolute. After clearing the camp, I combed the area for any clues about what the Hybrid was.


    I found several odd signs in seconds. The hybrid traveled by land, destroying a lane of spires as it did. Where its feet landed, it stripped the metal beneath it as well. These factors made following its trail obvious.


    That''s why it threw me off that there was no oncoming trail of destruction here. It was as if the hybrid just popped up in the middle of the base.


    Another strange signal came in how the Skyburner''s died. I expected burn marks from their fiery breath in all directions in the base. The few scorch marks I did find were right beside the blood stains where the Skyburner''s were crushed. Even worse, the trails of blood were short, meaning they didn''t fight for long. From what I could tell, none of the Skyburners escaped by flight either.


    That giant mass of screeching metal had somehow snuck up on the Skyburners while they were asleep.  Gialgathens owned sharp senses, the Skyburners even more so. They''d hear something like the Hybrid coming from a mile away. That monster being stealthy was impossible without some kind of intervention from an outside source.


    I was sure of it.


    With that conviction, I found the final clue. At the center of the camp, there was a sludge well that fed the now dead slaves here. Around the bubbling pit, the metal was stripped at odd angles and places. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, I came up with a picture of what happened here.


    The Hybrid crawled out of the well beneath the camp. It devoured the surrounding slaves, evolving into a threat. After killing the zombified espens, it must have infected a nearby Skyburner. If anything, it crawled into the Skyburner''s mouth or something while it absorbed the gialgathen from the inside. Otherwise, it would make too much noise.


    After that, the Hybrid lashed out and crushed the surrounding Skyburner''s before they could retaliate. Before I made any more assumptions, I pulled Althea to me. I held her against my side while casting an antigravity well at the center of my chest. Without delay, I jumped into the bubbling pit of purple sludge.


    The gunk molded around us, the antigravity keeping it from touching Althea or me. After about thirty seconds of sinking down, the sound of rushing liquid passed by my ears. Using Hunter of Many, I used the sound of rushing water to find an opening in the well. Althea and I crashed out of the sludge tunnel, uncovering a vast cavern.


    In all directions, multi-colored fungi glowed in hues of blue and orange. Crystalline creatures darted between these faunae, hiding under the caps of the glowing mushrooms. Birds of glass hid inside clusters of gleaming moss. The light passed through the bird, making them hard to make out among the curtain of lichens and mosses.


    Several crystal shards glowed here, created from pure mana crystals. They hummed with a radiant power, untouched by the surface world. Many tiny, subterranean animals fought for dominance over this glow, harvesting the latent energy. I analyzed everything here as I walked, but none of the species were categorized by Schema.


    No one had seen these creatures but me.


    Pacing deeper into the cavern, I found the opened rift deep underground. Behind a set of intricate stone doorways, a vast collection of starfish hung onto rocks on the ceiling.


    Well, starfish wasn''t the right word. The tiny critters were like sea cucumbers with many legs spread out in all directions. Before stepping further in, I analyzed them.


    Harvesters(lvl 32) - These creatures wobble their way around caverns and eat the native plant life. They''re attracted to sources of energy of all kinds, giving them some potential for growth. This kind of expansion is rare as there is often times very little to eat deep under the earth.


    This stunts the growth rate of these monsters.


    Despite this lack of danger present from these creatures, an unarmored individual can be killed by these creatures. Harvesters are sticky, and their entire bodies are composed of a multi-purpose cellular composite. All of the creature''s biology is simultaneously muscle, nerves, and brain. This gives them surprising strength given their rather limp forms.


    They can also eat in all directions, making them hardy survivors. These interesting characteristics make them the subject of much study from scientists. They aim to hone the survival characteristics of the harvesters into biologically enhanced power armors. While little progress has been made, they still attract many biologists to research them for their potential uses.


    You won''t struggle against the creatures at all.


    I cast event horizon over the harvesters. They disintegrated in an instant, raining down black liquid as I passed by them. The vermin fell from half-eaten lichens, giving the cavern back its natural lighting. As I did so, I found no marks from the hybrid traveling up to the surface anywhere.


    After a few minutes of exploration, I found a collapsed portion of the cave. It was a reasonable enough occurrence in most caverns. What made this piece different was two factors.


    First, it was the only portion of the cave split off from the rest. The rest of the expanse was a single, wide tunnel that twisted and turned. Second, the cavern smelled like gunpowder and ash. Armed with my curiosity, I pulled the stones out of the cavern, setting aside large piles of rubble. A few minutes later and I cleared the room.


    Inside, I found broken test tubes, ripped up electronics, and burnt papers. Someone studied the creatures here and ran after doing something. As I searched closer, I came across several unharmed vials of purple sludge. They sat on top of a bent, metal desk.


    Beside them, a cluster of saysha formed a matrice from a cracked vial of the muck. The saysha almost covered another glass container. Almost. I crept closer, finding a language on the jar. I tore a strip of my armor off, melting it. As I did, it glowed white-hot above me, giving me a light.


    I read aloud, "Saysha Sample-B103. Hmm..."


    I stood and wiped some dust off the battered desk, pulling open the drawers. No papers were left, but I discovered several suspended jars of the harvesters. I picked one out, dusted it off, and read aloud once more,


    "Hybrid Sample-B103."


    I sighed while crushing the container in my hand.


    Someone had created the hybrid.

 185 Conspiracy

    The implications of that single fact defied belief. Someone with advanced tech set up shop in the middle of an eldritch dungeon in the middle of silver territory. This was a classified area, and they destroyed it to hide something from someone. Either that or the Hybrid cleaned them out. I couldn''t be sure.


    Before I made any more assumptions, I inspected the rest of the room. As I did, I pulled out my obelisk and recorded footage of the area. Little else remained here outside of the stray flask of purple sludge. At the same time, the broken machinery offered me a few clues.


    For starters, someone with resources made the electronics. It required advanced tech and the ability to create the parts. The metal plates lacked any welding marks as well, meaning someone manufactured the parts with molds. In other words, whoever made this lab could''ve set more of them in other places.


    The torn wires were also excellent quality. They used glass fiber optics lined with some kind of heavy metal. I tore off a piece, putting it away in storage along with a few vials. It threw me off since Schema handled most information transfer through obelisks. It took a lot of effort to make infrastructure, especially when Schema gave it away for free.


    All these points painted the picture that someone with a lot of resources was running these experiments. My mind raced with possibilities, but I figured an outside perspective would help out. With several samples, footage, and Althea in tow, I walked out of the room and into the cave.


    I cleared out the rest of the harvesters, culling the population. After scouring the cavern, I reached a pool of water with glowing fauna in it. Intent on exploring, I dived in, keeping Althea dry and safe. Passing under a tunnel, I identified a few wires on the side of the wall. Using them as a guide, I wove through the twisting, underwater pit before passing up into a tunnel full of the glowing moss.


    The cavern''s rough, bumpy walls and ceiling led to a flat floor. Someone dusted off the tread marks from vehicles driving here. I sprinted through the tunnel, enjoying the burst of speed as I did so. I leaped over collapsed bridges and sludge pits, I relished in the wind on my face. If felt good to go fast.


    After an hour of running, I reached the end of the tunnel. I slipped by a wall of tree roots, upturning a pile of leaves and branches. Around me, flowing water and trees flowed in the wind. Althea and I were in the middle a Giessian forest.


    The trees looked normal besides for a dirt road leading here. At first glance, this place looked like an abandoned logging site or something like it. I walked up to a few of the trees and banged on the bark. They rang with a hollow clunk, nothing inside the trees cores.


    With that in mind, I pushed my hand through one of the trees. Inside of it, there was nothing. I tore more of the tree''s exterior, revealing singe marks on the inside. They burned the cores from the trees. I jumped into the hollowed tree, finding snapped cables on the bottom of the tree.


    It was cleaned to a T, everything spotless. I narrowed my eyes, searching even closer. Along the edge of one of the wires, a tiny chip of some gemstone glittered. It was as small as sand, but as I channeled mana into it, the jewel stored some of my energy.


    I pulled out a gemstone from my dimensional storage and connected it to the sheered wires. Using the gem as a conductor, I charged mana into the cable. Around me, the tree trembled as my mana flowing into it. The bark darkened, and the roots ran wild. The tree wasn''t prepared for a rush of my mana. Few things were.


    My experiment was for a purpose, however. Hollowed trees wither and die, yet these empty shells stayed alive and vibrant. If I guessed right, it was because someone channeled mana into the trees. With the living trees, these guys hid their supplies.


    I pocketed my spare crystal, the portal to my storage rippling as I flicked the gem in. After closing it, I created a reminder in my obelisk about this process. With my status already opened, I ran down the dirt road while checking my status. I could kill two birds with one stone.


    With that in mind, I surfed through the sweet status gains. I ended up gaining 411 levels from the massive creature. I dumped all my points into endurance, pressing the finalize button without missing a beat. As always, mana roared in my veins like an engine full of fuel. As I gripped my hands, a measure of strength flooded my body.


    Midway through running, I appreciated the boost in speed. I tried to hold onto the addictive, euphoric sensation of vigor. This was my final big boost from a status screen until I unlocked my class. After a few minutes, the feeling faded as I adjusted to my new limits.


    My status handled, I opened my character screen and inspected the stats.


    Dimension-C138(Lvl 7,998)


    Strength ¨C 7,910 | Constitution ¨C 13,762 | Endurance ¨C 58,758


    Dexterity ¨C 3,350 | Willpower ¨C 31,628 | Intelligence ¨C 11,673


    Charisma ¨C 2,154 | Luck ¨C 4,647 | Perception ¨C 4,599


    Health: 12.96 Million/12.96 Million | Health Regen: 39.47 Million/min or 657,772/sec


    Stamina: 8.40 Million/ 8.40 Million | Stamina Regen: 121,106/sec


    Living Dimension: 1.71 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 817,371 pounds(371,532 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -13''1(3.98 meters) | Current - 13''1


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 968,581% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My perception came along nicely, my cipher runes propping the stat up. As always, my endurance defied belief. My willpower and intelligence mirrored this ridiculous overflow, being high stats without investment. I gained a jump in Living Dimension too, though it was still a long time coming before I evolved my armor again.


    It might rise faster than I imagined if I fought the right enemies. From here on out though, I relied on skills and the cipher to keep progressing. It wasn''t too disappointing though. My foundation for skills and the cipher was excellent, my mana regen fueling any changes I made. My progress would slow regardless.


    I turned back to Althea. Her progress wouldn''t slow down at all. She was level 6,711. Somehow I managed to outlevel her this time, probably from all the silvers I killed on the way to the Hrybrid. She''d pass me in level if I didn''t get a class soon though. After the last big battle, I doubted that her level mattered much.


    If she exceeded me in that regard, my other bonuses more than compensated for the difference. My mentality for fighting was better too. In a sense, my strength was a sword and my health a shield. I''d never stop sharpening or shining either of them, so I would never fall behind. Focusing on a few social skills wouldn''t hurt anything either.


    With my intentions clear, I raced through the Gessian forest with one of the Skyburner camps destroyed. After running past the woodlands and up the mountainside, I crossed the cloud line and reached Rivaria. Before I swung into the town, I put on another gray suit of armor from Torix. My identity still needed to be hidden after all.


    With Althea floating behind me, I landed in the Hall of Heroes. As I jogged up to my door room, Malakai grinned with his grizzled old mug,


    "It''s good to see you return, warrior. I see your companion is...ahem, unconscious?"


    I shook my head, "She''s asleep. I''ll be setting her in bed."


    Malakai''s eyes glazed over, and he looked away. I frowned, "You alright?"


    He paused, unable to speak. After a few seconds, the gialgathen sneezed, some snot splattering on a nearby stone. The sound of the sneeze echoed far into the cavern, and Althea snapped awake.


    "Wait, what happened? Where am I?"


    I walked up, grabbing her in my arms, "The old guy just sneezed. You woke up because it was louder than a cannon going off."


    Malakai blushed, the shades of his skin reddening, "Ah, excuse me. I believe I''ve come down with something. A part of my age perhaps."


    Althea giggled, "You''re alright." She rubbed her eyes, "I''m so tired."


    I smiled, "Let''s get you to bed."


    We walked into our room, Torix scanning through a variety of papers that his students made. He sighed,


    "As always, they''re a rather drab read. I don''t understand why students don''t spruce their papers up with something...controversial."


    He closed his status and stretched, "Ah, it''s good to see I''ve new company."


    I gave him a curt nod, "She''s tired. After that, we need to talk."


    Torix crossed his arms, "Sounds rather serious."


    I nodded, "It is."


    With Althea in tow, I walked into our bedroom and set her down on the blanketed bed. I warmed the room before pulling the covers over her. Peeling my helmet back, I kissed her cheek. Before I lifted my head, Althea grabbed my cheek and met my eye,


    "Hey."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What''s wrong?"


    She frowned, "I might''ve pushed a bit too hard with the whole training thing. Your training is why we stopped the Hybrid."


    I pulled a strand of her lavender hair behind her ear, "You were right. I don''t think a couple hours a week talking to other people would''ve made the difference against that guy. Besides, we couldn''t have known it would be that damn strong."


    Althea shook her head, "But you did know. You knew something was coming, and you were ready. I wasn''t."


    I scoffed, "How about this then. I''ll train a little less, and you can train a little more. That way we find a balance...If that''s possible."


    Althea smiled at me, her pearly teeth sticking out in the darkness,


    "I guess I could do that...for you."


    I kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes. She fell asleep before I left the room. With Althea able to sleep soundly, I walked into Torix''s new evil lair. He walked up to me, leaving one of the series of charts on the wall behind. He crossed his arms and looked up at me,


    "So what''s the damage this time?"


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Oh, there''s good news and bad news."


    Torix sighed while looking down, "Well at least your venture wasn''t boring. Let''s begin with the good news perhaps?"


    I raised a hand, "So, we found and cleared one of the Skyburner camps."


    Torix''s blue, fiery eyes flared bright purple instead of their calm blue, "What? How?"


    I raised my other hand, "That''s the bad news..."


    Torix looked down again, pinching the bridge of his bony nose,


    "Ah...As always I suppose."


    I pulled my obelisk from my armor, and the glassy sphere opened a 3-D hologram of the Skyburner camp. I pointed at it, "An eldritch called the Hybrid ate the Skyburners before we arrived. It was strong, but we managed to kill the damn thing. The problem is this."


    I swiped the hologram, showing the lab within the base, "I found a lab with some samples of eldritch and silvers. It''s a guess here, but-"


    Torix gasped, "They fused the silvers and the eldritch...into a hybrid."


    I shook my head, "I know, it sucks, but yeah, they did. Even worse, the parts in the lab were made in molds. That means there are more labs out there."


    Torix walked towards the stone couches and sat down, "This is...far worse than I''d feared. To imagine that an organization of magnitude is creating abominations and setting them loose. This is a conspiracy of epic proportion."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Yeah, and the shitty part is that these Hybrids are more virulent than either eldritch or silvers."


    Torix shook his head and placed a hand on the side of his hood, "These beings break the primary tenants of Schema. Giess isn''t the only planet on the line. These creatures could populate and spread across many worlds. Several could land on remote locations on Earth even."


    My eyes widened, "Wait...really? It''s that bad?"


    Torix stood up, "It''s far worse. This threat rivals Yawm. We need support before the situation destabilizes. Our team is too small for something of this immensity."


    I spread out my arms, "Who can we get to help?"


    Torix opened his status, typing in a few messages. As he sent them, he looked up at me,


    "The Overseer."

 186 Countdown

    I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall behind me, "Really now? This is that big a problem?"


    Torix raised a hand, "Indeed it is. The silvers themselves already placed Giess among a few planets with residents that require experience gain outside of eldritch. This incident tips the scales against the planet in more ways than one."


    Torix''s eyes narrowed, "Besides, from what you describe, the Hybrid seems more than simply virulant."


    I shook my head, "Yeah, it was more like a moving plague than a monster."


    Torix leaned back, "So the evidence is overwhelming ."


    A portal in spacetime ripped beside us. From it, the Overseer walked out. Covered in his enormous, glowing hydraulic suit, he rivaled my height as he glanced between Torix and me,


    "You two again. Did you both find yet another interplanetary horror or are you wasting my time on friendly chit-chat?"


    Torix walked up to the Overseer, "Ah, as personable as always. In fact, Daniel did happen upon something rather nasty. It''s a being I believe you''ll be quite intrigued with."


    The Overseer let out a long, drawn-out sigh as he looked at me, "Then inform me of what other problem you''ve found."


    I explained the situation, detailing the organization and the Hybrid. As I finished my story, the Overseer laid his head in a hand,


    "Schema recommended glassing this world immediately after assimilation. I should have listened to his wisdom."


    The Overseer stood straight up, opening his red status screen, pressing a variety of buttons. I tilted my head, "Wait...glass the planet?"


    The Overseer nodded, "Yes. You superheat the surface of the world then cool it rapidly. This converts the world''s surface into obsidian. The term glass came about since obsidian is considered volcanic glass."


    He raised a hand to me, "Wait one moment."


    A few seconds later, a holographic projection appeared with Tohtellah''s face on it. Torix pointed at her, "Well well, why is she here?"


    The Overseer kept fiddling with his status screen, "She is a valued asset of Schema. She will assist in this operation."


    Tohtella gave the Overseer a bow from her desk in Yildraza. She stated,


    "What is it that you need, Overseer?"


    The big guy closed his status and raised a hand, "There''s a problem you should be aware of." The Overseer gestured towards us,


    "This is Torix Worm and Dimension C-138. They are trusted allies of Schema despite restrictions on their statuses. Trust them as you would trust me."


    Tohtella gave her subdued yet amused smile, "We''ve already met."


    The Overseer raised a hand, "Of course you have." The big guy let his hand slap on his thigh, "Before I restate the obvious once more, let me ask a question. Do you know about the Hybrid?"


    Tohtella furrowed her brow, "No sir."


    The Overseer raised a hand, "Scientists inside of silver territory have fused the eldritch and silvers into a hideous abomination. I''ve already initiated a meltdown sequence for Giess. The planet is to be glassed in 30 days."


    I turned to the Overseer, my eyes widening. Torix''s jaw went slack as well. Thirty days wasn''t anywhere near enough time to evacuate a planet. Schema''s agent continued, "You are to evacuate useful personnel to the appropriate worlds. This should prove simple since very few residents on this forsaken world have decided to even level above a hundred. I''ll leave the sorting process to your discretion."


    Tohtella didn''t even flinch, "Of course sir. May I ask a question?"


    "Go ahead."


    "Can you extend the time limit by thirty more days?"


    "You understand that Giess is a low priority world given its many problems. Posing a hazard to nearby worlds was the last nail in its coffin. You need to justify it''s delayed culling."


    Tohtella steepled her fingers, "I believe that, Dan...I mean Dimension C-138 can produce a breakthrough. It''s in his hands to create a cascading series of changes in the social hierarchy here. They can lead to the prevention of more mana pollution, less silver outbreaks, and greater system engagement."


    The Overseer shook his head, "Impossible."


    Tohtella raised a hand, "Before you condemn the plan, allow me to lay out a framework that we could follow."


    The Overseer stood still, but his impatience was obvious.


    "...You may proceed."


    Tohtella raised a finger,


    "We can call in a group of Fringe Walkers to clear out the silvers. As they clear the planet, Dimension C-138 and I will work towards spurring the espen people into changing public opinion of culling the eldritch. After a few weeks of his campaigning, I have confidence that we can turn Giess in the right direction."


    The Overseer crossed his arms, metal thudding on metal, "No."


    Tohtella closed her eyes, swallowing her disappointment. She collected herself before opening a palm to the Overseer, "May I ask why exactly?"


    The Overseer mouthed,


    "All your other plans on Giess have failed. It isn''t you that is the problem, Tohtella. It is Giess. This will not reflect negatively on your record."


    Tohtella''s left eye twitched, "You know it will. I''ve reformed nine worlds before this. Nine. I can do the same with Giess. I just need more time-"


    The Overseer announced with his metallic voice, "No. Your chances of success are too low, and the threat level is too high. Fringe Walkers will take years to clear Giess. That''s an investment I''m not willing to make. End of discussion."


    Tohtella leaned forward, her voice rising, "But sir, this is my opportunity to put myself ahead of the pack. I''ve devoted my life to Schema''s vision. I''ve sacrificed everything for him. Please give me this chance."


    The Overseer spoke with finality,


    "No. End of the discussion."


    Tohtella smacked her hands on her table, "All I''m asking for is thirty days-"


    The Overseer gripped his fist, his voice heavier than iron, "Do not raise your voice at me, little one."


    Tohtella''s eyes widened. She glanced down, her violet colored skin flushing red with embarrassment. The sidelong shame had me cringing as the Overseer continued,


    "You are one of Schema''s best agents. That is that. One of the best. Not the best. Giess proves that. The situation has destabilized, and now we''ve lost a species that may have proven useful. Accept your failure. Learn from your mistake. Move on."


    I spoke up, "Now wait a minute."


    The Overseer leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. He let out a long sigh, "Now you are to question my judgment as well? You two are children? You understand that your planet is also at risk? All the nearby planets could spiral out of control. I will be responsible for that."


    I raised a hand, "I stopped your ass from activating your kill switch against Yawm. We killed that fucker and saved Earth against impossible odds. Im-fucking-possible, remember?"


    I stared the Overseer down, "I''m no child, and you know it. Don''t give me that shit."


    The Overseer peered at me, meeting my eye. After a few seconds, he backed down, glancing away for a moment. He pondered something for a moment. A few seconds later, and he opened his status,


    "Hmm...You have all grown. Althea gained a class. Your level is essentially capped. Your group''s progress is admirable."


    He breathed in,


    "I...erred in calling you a child. Both of you. I spoke without thinking. Understand my situation. This Hybrid incident reflects negatively on me. If that anathema you speak of spreads, I will receive an immediate firing. For me, that means Schema activates my killswitch...I will die."


    The Overseer raised a fist and glared at me,


    "It''s obvious, but we risk more than a single life should this plan fail. If we allow this hybrid to spread, trillions may die. Tell me, are you willing to risk that?"


    I frowned, stunned by what he said. To be honest, I didn''t have the kind of resolve to take that kind of risk. Before I faltered, Tohtella chimed in,


    "Let''s deliberate further.


    I raised a fist, "I''ll fix this just like with Yawm. That must have turned your record around, right?"


    The Overseer raised a massive palm to his chin, "I...I suppose it did. I was on the brink before then. I have breathing room now."


    I spread out my arms, "Then let me do it again. That''s all I''m asking for. Give us the extra thirty days. That''s all we need."


    I gestured to Torix, "You know us. We''ll get this shit done. We always do."


    The Overseer scoffed, "Hmmm...I suppose I''ve placed worse bets on you before. I''ll extend the deadline as you asked." The Overseer turned to Tohtella,


    "If the Hybrid is found elsewhere, I will erase you before I am culled. Understood?"


    Tohtella nodded, "Absolutely sir. Thank you for this opportunity."


    The Overseer opened his portal, "Sixty days. That is all."


    I gave him a sarcastic salute, "Aye aye, captain."


    The Overseer moved his head in an arc, rolling his eyes under his helmet, "Competent as you are, you''re insufferable to work with."


    I grinned, "Same for you. Cya later."


    The Overseer scoffed, "Good Luck then, Harbinger."


    He stepped through his portal and disappeared as quickly as he popped up. As he left, Tohtella''s transmission remained. She leaned onto a hand,


    "Now you''ve both seen me at my worst. This is...humiliating."


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    Torix laughed, "It''s not so bad. When Daniel and I first met, he was worse than useless. Protecting him was a chore."


    I scoffed, "You have a pretty lenient definition of protecting."


    Torix nodded, "When it comes to you, most certainly. You''re quite resilient after all. Regardless, we need to organize ourselves to sort this out."


    Tohtella pointed at us, "How is the search for the Skyburners going?"


    I shrugged, "Althea and I destroyed one of the camps already. We''ve got two more to go."


    Tohtella nodded, "What about the Hybrid?"


    "That''s where I found it. It killed the Skyburners before we killed it."


    Tohtella''s eyes widened, "Are you serious?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. It was ugly. If we let that thing go, we''d have been eaten alive. The Overseer wasn''t wrong about that thing being a threat."


    Tohtella shook her head, "To think it was so powerful..."


    Torix raised a hand, "And that is precisely why we must destroy the organization behind its formation. If I may offer a suspect, I recommend we begin with Thisbey."


    I nodded, "Yeah, I think that''s a good idea too. Thisbey owns a company that harvests silvers. That means he has the know-how to go into silver territory, survive, and collect samples. Considering that''s what the lab did, that puts him pretty high on the list of suspects."


    Tohtella nodded, "I''ll send a team to search through his offices. Are there any other suspects?"


    I shrugged, "I don''t know. Anyone with a lot of sway and resources on Giess could be the culprit, though Thisbey''s motivations line up perfectly with this."


    Torix nodded, "He might have let the heinous abomination out on the camp to test a genocidal tool against the gialgathens. We''ve no evidence to support the hypothesis, unfortunately."


    I smacked my right fist against my left palm, letting out a metal ring, "I know just how we can make it happen though."


    Torix pulled out his grimoire and pointed at me, "As usual, I''m behind you on this. We find the other camps and gather evidence there. Tohtella, make sure you inform us about any of the comings and goings you find."


    Tohtella blinked, "Understood."


    Torix clapped his hands, "Wonderful. We''ll see you after we''ve found the other camps."


    Tohtella turned to me and gave me a warm grin, "As the Overseer said, good luck...and, ahem...thank you, Daniel, for helping me. I wouldn''t have gotten that second chance otherwise. I''m grateful."


    I gave her a thumbs up, "Don''t mention it."


    "Oh, and remember the tournament. That social change is doubly important now. If you need a speechwriter or public speaking coach, call me, and I''ll set up appointments. Goodbye to both of you."


    She closed her call, her holographic projection dissipating. Torix raised a hand, "It had to be Thisbey''s doing. Who else could justify killing the Skyburner''s with a monster like that?"


    I sighed, "Eh, it does look like that''s the case." I cracked my fingers, "I''ll go find the other bases and make sure of it though."


    Torix stepped up, "Would you mind me going with you? We''ve no time to lose, and having another analytical set of eyes would no doubt be helpful."


    I grinned, "Alright, sure. I''ll be honest, I''d like some company. It gets lonely out there."


    Torix''s eyes brightened, "Then we''ll be off soon. I''ll go prepare my things."


    I gave him a curt nod. As Torix rummaged around, I stood there and thought about the situation. The lab being beneath the Skyburner camp was too much of a coincidence. That had to be a part of the organization''s goal.


    At the same time, there were at least fifty organizations that hated the gialgathens. Schema didn''t exile the gialgathens from the system without reason after all. Narrowing down the pool of options would be difficult because of that.


    It didn''t sit right with me that Thisbey was such an obvious choice for all this though. The guy was a slimy, spineless snake, but that''s what let him deceive and mislead people. The guy had a knack for manipulation. Even if the lab tried covering its tracks, leaving something for me to find seemed off for him. He was smarter than that.


    Interrupting my thoughts, Torix placed a hand on my shoulder,


    "Should we be off?"


    I raised my head, my hand supporting my chin out of habit,


    "Oh, sure thing."


    We walked out of the building, Torix pulling his hood over his head. We found Malakai standing sternly. He glanced down at us, "It sounded as if there was an argument in there. I pray I wasn''t the cause."


    Torix shook his hands, "Of course not. You''ve done an excellent job Malakai. It''s easy to rest with you watching over us."


    Malakai''s chest rose as he heard that,


    "Well, I do my best to keep you all safe. Good outing for you both then."


    We walked on as Torix waved, "You as well."


    Pacing out of the Hall of Heroes, I lifted myself with magic. Torix stepped onto one of his black clouds, and we flew off into the sky. As the mist-shrouded us, Torix raised a hand to me,


    "If you wouldn''t mind sharing the footage from the camp with me, I''ll review it while we head out towards the other clues that the Skyburner gave us."


    I sent the files, "Sounds good."


    As we traveled through the air, Torix went full-on lecture mode,


    "As you may remember, Draygalga told us to search in three places. You found the camp near the River of Tears. Now we must search for a mountain of fire and ash or Lehesion and Emagrotha''s battle site. The historical records of the civil war''s end are blurry at best. However-"


    Torix sent me a few coordinates, "The location of Mt. Ash is not."


    I laughed, "What? It''s seriously called Mt. Ash? I never thought the Skyburner''s hints would be so literal."


    Torix shrugged, "He gave us the locations without lacing his words with riddles. I say we count our blessings."


    I ducked under a flock of birds, "Eh, I guess...How long is it before we reach the mountain?"


    Torix waved a hand, "A few hours at most given the speed of our travel. The silvers will slow us down, but I intend to use them to our advantage. In order to do so, I''ll need time."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to be writing out some runes or charging some spells?"


    Torix shook his head, "Not precisely. I''ll restock my private reserve of troops. I''ve been so preoccupied with preparing your legion that I neglected my own."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Where are you going to get the soldiers?"


    Torix pointed down towards the approaching silver territory, "Among those heathen beasts, actually. I''ve yet to test out my new abilities since we killed Yawm. It will do me some good to stretch these old limbs and practice a few of my incantations." Torix rolled his shoulders,


    "It will feel good to test my new limits as well."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What kind of new limits?"


    Torix steepled his fingers, cackling like an evil overlord, "Oh, you shall see disciple. All you need to know now is that I aim to impress."


    Torix steepled his fingers while descending towards the silver''s border. We landed right between metal and grassy ground. Merjects and engorgs crawled off in the distance, weaving between the forest of spires. Before stepping in, Torix messed with his status screen. I imagined he was fiddling with his stats and skills.


    I was wrong.


    After a few seconds, Torix took a sharp breath and pressed something on his status with a dramatic flair. I stared at him, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. After a few more seconds, the atmosphere around him blurred. A forcefield encompassed him in white light, letting out a blinding light.


    Streams of dense, white mana flooded him from all directions. The air around him siphoned inwards, bending the grass and trees to him. As the winds howled, the ground beneath his feet cracked. These fissures spread outwards, energy coalescing in breaking waves.


    Each pulse built the mana condensing over him. The power saturated Torix''s entire body, showering him in white light. The glow around him bent inward, reality warping around him. At the apex of the display, the ritual siphoned the sound. It left my ears ringing.


    A moment of peace passed over our surroundings. That calm shattered as a shockwave ebbed from Torix. It ripped the grass from the ground. It uprooted nearby trees. The clouds above yielded, the mist scattering out from Torix. Nearby silver spires bent, and even the metal ground beside him crumpled.


    As the destruction approached me, I leaned over to take the brunt of the wave. As I did, I dragged back to the treeline, leaving me stunned. The surroundings were left devastated as Torix floated above a crater. He looked the same to me, nothing unusual about him. As he dropped down to his feet, I jogged up,


    "Hey, you alright?"


    He waved his robed arms, his black mana funneling into his palms,


    "I''m feeling better than ever in fact."


    As I reached him, Torix raised his hand up. He pointed towards the silver line, and Torix funneled the black mana at his palms into the metal. All along the border, purple, glowing eyes opened on the steel.


    Polygon beasts rose from the silver''s territory, the saysha beetles skittering off them. Each monster took on a different form, their bodies were random but functional. Curious about what they were, I analyzed them.


    Ore Golems(lvl 1,000 | Controller: Torix Worm, of Darkhill) - Machinations of metal, an ore golem are mindless minions made of some lustrous chemical element. Whether made of copper, iron, or whatever the free element, these creatures are physically imposing as minions come.


    The robust, natural materials they are made of decide their overall toughness. If made of tin, these creatures are far more flimsy then if made of steel for instance. This requires more mana for their creation. Likewise, the strength and intelligence of the golem are decided by the amount of mana infused into the monster.


    The main issue of using these beings involves commanding many minds at once. Without direct control, these creatures will attack ally or foe alike, including the caster themselves. This means that mental partitioning is significant. Many young casters have been torn apart by their own beasts given a lapse in focus.


    If done efficiently as this creature was, ore golems are a valuable tool in any conjurer''s arsenal, however.


    I leaned onto one foot and crossed my arms, "Did you, uh, need that white light to summon these things?"


    Torix scoffed, "Of course not. That light spawned from something else altogether more interesting."


    I pointed at them, "You''ve got what...a couple dozen of these things? I can see why you wanted to make them before we kicked the Skyburner''s asses."


    Torix shook his head, "I own more along the lines of several hundred, not several dozen. However, these creatures won''t be the armada I use against the Skyburners."


    He waved his hands at the ore golems as if they were garbage,


    "You''ve seen and felt the breath of those beasts. These creatures will be puddles in seconds against those monsters. The ore golems aren''t scalable either. They require a portion of my mind in each of them. I could create a few hundred more perhaps, but a thousand of these creations pales when compared with a true army."


    Torix shook his hand, "No, I want a formidable force. For that, I''ll be ensnaring the stronger silvers that you''ve found deeper in the territory. These creatures will be used to hold those stronger beasts down in place."


    I gestured to all of Torix, "Then what was the shockwave from earlier all about?"


    Torix pointed above him, "Look at my title."


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 5,000 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Speaker)


    My jaw hung as he cackled,


    "I''ve been debating my class for the longest time. Since we''ll be facing the Skyburner''s, I assumed its time I took the leap. Too much wasted experience otherwise."


    I blinked a few times, "Well damn...I didn''t think getting a class would be that flashy."


    Torix nodded, "Neither did I. Otherwise, I''d have told you about my decision before the fact. I didn''t mean to surprise you."


    I walked up and patted his shoulder, "Eh, I like surprises. Either way, I can''t believe you got a class before me. That''s damn impressive."


    Torix puffed out his chest, "A master must tread into the unknown. There''s nothing unexpected about it."


    I waved my hand at Torix, "What did the class do?"


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, "The class revolved around charisma, perception, willpower, skills, and a few utilities. It synergized quite well with my current build, though it came with a few chores I''ll need to handle from here on out."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Chores?"


    "You''ve seen other Speakers no doubt. They''re always working, aren''t they? That''s because every class comes with a quota of tasks. Some people overdo their responsibilities. Others neglect them. For a Speaker, we are to enhance the overall prosperity and well being of worlds we''re stationed on."


    I crossed my arms, "So you''ll be sent somewhere soon?"


    Torix nodded. I winced under my helm, my stomach sinking. Torix placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eye,


    "Don''t worry, Daniel. I''ll be heading out to Earth. It''s my choice to be stationed there."


    Relief washed over me, but I had a few questions all the same,


    "Why Earth though?"


    He raised a finger, "I''ve already formed an academy there for mages and warriors. That alone fulfills my duties as Speaker. Just as well, my class grants me enhanced rights, such as quest giving and the like. With those added tools at my disposal, I can motivate my students even further."


    Torix spread out his arms, "I''ll form academies on several parts of Earth before extending my reach outward to other planets. Over the next century,


    my schooling will become a sign of a remarkable mage off reputation alone."


    He shrugged, "The warrior part, well, that may prove more difficult. I''ll get there given time, however."


    He pointed at the silver border, "We''ll have to discuss the details later. We have a task at hand, and we must hurry."


    I grinned, "Alright, alright. I''ll quit interrogating you."


    With Event Horizon''s aura spilling outward, I killed off the Saysha in front of us. As I stepped onto the metal floor, my foot rung out. It reminded me of what we were up against. There were two camps left. If we didn''t find the cause for all this, then we''d have to rely on Tohtella to handle the problems.


    That wasn''t a risk I wanted to take. Before I made my next step, Torix stepped up beside me,


    "Would you mind if I took the lead on this venture?"


    I turned to him, "You sure? The silvers can overwhelm you if you don''t have a stout defense."


    Torix raised a finger, "You''ll find I''m more than prepared."


    I let him step in front of me. As I covered his back, we skulked deeper into the forest of spires. After a few minutes, a group of merjects leaped from pillar to pillar, traveling towards us. Within seconds, they circled us like vultures. I raised my hands, my mana building in my runes. Before I let loose, Torix raised a hand to me,


    "Wait."


    He blackened the landscape with his mana, darkening the air around us. As his energy built, he raised his hands and cackled,


    "I wonder which spell I''ll disembowel them with?"


    He pointed a finger at one of the merjects,


    "Perhaps this one."

 187 Exposed

    From Torix''s palm, a funnel of white magic poured outward. A radiant, holy light enveloped the merject, giving it angel wings. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow,


    "Uh, it looks like you buffed it rather than blew it up."


    Torix laughed, "Watch."


    Torix raised his other palm, releasing a horde of ravens covered in black fire. The creatures swarmed toward the merject, piercing through the new white light. They stabbed the merject with their beaks, crawling under their skin through the open wounds. The merject swelled, its body bulging as the blackbirds squirmed through the merject''s flesh like maggots.


    The merject exploded, unleashing a thick mist of black ash. The plume darkened the sky, spreading a dark shade and leaving nothing left of the monster.


    Torix squinted his fiery eyes, "So I was correct. The holy magic incantation worked wonderfully."


    "Mind explaining?"


    "Of course I don''t mind. I''m a professor at heart after all." Torix pointed at the cloud of dust, "I augmented the creature with a divine attribute. The silvers aren''t resistant to this enhancement. That enhancement over triples the black magic attacks I use against it."


    I raised a hand, "So it''s like giving a monster a fire element then using water magic against them?"


    Torix snapped his fingers, sending a blinding shockwave up towards the pack of merjects.


    "Precisely."


    The merjects lost their balance, several of them blinded. As they fell from the spires, Torix raised his arms. From under his robes, the crows came in throngs. Casting the battlefield in shade, they tore the merjects apart with their beaks and talons. Any merjects that landed on the ground faced the ore golems.


    They didn''t do so hot. The merjects that is.


    One of the atronachs lifted a merject overhead from the ground. With a mechanical, hydraulic strength, it tore the creature in two. As blood poured over the atronach''s purple eyes, a merject landed on its back. The merject tried piercing the back of its neck to suck out its brains. The merject broke its tongue on the end of the golem''s neck.


    The atronach''s neck and arms turned 180 degrees. It hugged the merject to itself before pulling its head back. Like a hammer smashing a rotten tomato, it banged its metal skull against the merject. The creature''s face caved in, blood masking the grievous injuries. After a few seconds, the golem pulped the remains like a living jackhammer.


    The entire battlefield erupted in scenes of cold carnage, mimicking that golem''s savagery. The ore golems, as dumb as they were, worked with efficiency, ripping a dozen merjects into pieces. The entire time, Torix inspected the edge of his robe, mouthing out,


    "Blagh. A drop of blood plopped onto my robe. Blasted it all. I''ve become sloppy."


    I gazed around, impressed by his ease of handling the group,


    "Damn Torix. You just mauled them."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "No differently then you would have I''d imagine. Come, we''ve much ground to cover."


    We paced out into the land of horror, Torix at home here. With each passing silver, Torix practiced his holy dark combo, fusing the two techniques over time. I took a backseat, letting him level and get some experience with his wizardry. Some practice did him well, turning theories into devastating techniques.


    After a few hours, we stopped near a pool of sludge. Around us, stronger silvers swarmed. They feasted on the excess purple mud here. This abundance of food led to stronger, abler silvers as a result. Observing this shift in the monsters, Torix rubbed his hands together,


    "This area shall do nicely."


    Instead of asking another question, I bided my time for Torix to show me what he was talking about. Without waiting, Torix collapsed mana into a sphere over his hand. With a dramatic flair, he raised it overhead and smashed it into the metal beneath us. A series of runic carvings branded into the steel around him, glowing orange.


    Torix raised his hand and tightened it into a bony fist. His robe rippled as a pillar of light lifted into the sky. It flashed for half a second like a bolt of lightning. Torix outstretched both his hands, pressing his fingertips together, pulling them apart.


    Like strings of charcoal, lines stretched between his fingers. He twisted them, creating a series of magical shapes. As Torix did so, his grimoire flipped open, settling on a page. The incantation glowed blue, and wisps formed around him, each one quivering with newfound life.


    Torix moved the black strings in his hands. As he did, he corrupted the bright wisps into darkened sprites. Each creature lengthened, turning into blackened eels. Torix pulled his hands apart, the strings snapping. As he did, the eels scattered in all directions, searching for prey.


    I glanced around, finding each eel homing in on a high leveled version of the silvers. They sunk into the eyes of whatever creature they detected, drilling into its brain. After seconds of struggle, the silvers fell to the ground and convulsed without further conflict. Several dozen silvers fell to these eels before Torix sat down and crossed his legs.


    He glanced up to me, "I''ll be overwhelming the spirits of these silvers. As I do, would you mind keeping guard of my body?"


    I sat down beside him, "Sure. Go and do your thing."


    He cackled, "Gladly."


    Torix glanced down, his robe enveloping his face in shadow. With Torix debilitated, I glanced around and made sure nothing came by. Torix incapacitated all the nearby silvers, leaving me little to do. Without wasting time, I whipped out my grimoire and set to work. There were runes still left undone.


    After molding Event Horizon around us, I guarded us both while investing myself in my work. I needed more practice with the flowing lines I tried earlier. Without missing a beat, I stenciled out a blueprint of the new rune I intended on making. Fifteen minutes later, and I lifted my grimoire up in the air.


    Yup. It was a scribble at best.


    I figured out the problem pretty fast. My idea for my creation was fuzzy. Without a clear vision, the blueprint fell to the wayside about halfway through. I lacked creativity instead of ability, and that realization frustrated me. It was like waking up in Micheal Jordan''s body and trying to nail some free throws.


    Turns out it still takes a lot of practice and experience. Set on gaining that experience, I jotted down a few notes about my ideas on the topic. A generalized rune would suit the flowing rune best. If I tried something specific, the smooth lines would bleed some of that precision. That bleeding effect weakened the runes.


    For a general rune, that same effect worked to my advantage. It could fill in gaps in my understanding, filling out the skeletal message I created. With that in mind, I decided to create an augmentation rune for my whole being. It would be my most massive undertaking yet, and I wanted to push my abilities to see what I could do.


    To make something of that scale, self-introspection was vital. I racked my memory for my history, keeping a log of it in my obelisk so I didn''t forget. I wrote down my short childhood, my mother getting cancer and my father''s rants about the Vietnam war. All of it was distant, like seeing through a haze.


    At the same time, the emotion lacing the memories fizzled like a firecracker. At first, I tried to recall these meaningful memories in detail. That failed. Even if some of my skills made me remember better, they only worked for memories I gained after getting the skill. These instances, while impactful, lacked the same crisp clarity I had for recent events.


    Instead of trying to force detail that wasn''t there, I focused on the emotion of the time. Stabbing sadness, harrowing heartbreak, even obvious anger, the feelings still left me wincing. These old memories acted as the foundation for the spell just like they acted as a foundation for me.


    After compiling a list of these meaningful memories, I brainstormed my next step. I decided to collect some of my most meaningful decisions. I mean, I am what I do, right? If that''s the case, then my choices were a big piece of who I was. With that in mind, I found a few that stuck out.


    When I was twelve, I resolved myself to fight my dad instead of giving in. He wouldn''t make me hate life, even if he tried his hardest. Two years after that, I chose to never cry about my mother again. She told me to keep my chin up. I''d be damned before I spit on her memory by ignoring it.


    During those times, I found solace in fighting. I supposed it wasn''t that different from what I did after Schema, but I digress. I ended up absorbing myself in my boxing, and I was tough. The thing is with fighting, if you take too much damage you end up losing your edge.


    Coaches called it being punch drunk, and I showed minor symptoms even at seventeen. I almost appreciated the dulling of my senses. Sure, I was ruining my future, but I had a bad case of fuck-it-itis. I didn''t care about anything at the time. I was young, stupid, and angry. To no one''s surprise, it was a pretty damn volatile mix.


    The system came at the apex of that anger, and I needed an outlet. That might have been why I survived my first few encounters with the eldritch. It freed me in a way like I didn''t have to hold back anymore. Something about the violence did prove cathartic in a way.


    The memories stung as I brought them back up. At the same time, bringing all this back up was necessary for the cipher. Even if my situation sucked at the time, I could look at it in a positive light. The discomfort made me strong and sturdy. Not just my body but my mind as well. Because of all that, I ended up taking control of my situation.


    Hell, I saved Earth...with more than a little help.


    Since I got some semblance of control, I never let it go. Ever since the system initialized, I was running full sprint forward. I never rested. I never stopped. I was a machine, trying to latch onto that control I so desperately wanted, no needed. That led me here, where I was trying to move on to a different part of life. One where I didn''t need to control everything anymore.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    In a way, I found it more comfortable to keep on living this way, even when there was no real reason for it. I was so used to it by now. In fact, taking a break was much harder now than continuing to work. As I dwelled on all this, I leaned back from my grimoire, looking up.


    It was beautiful. Clear blue skies, white clouds floating overhead, and light sheening off nearby spires. Alien as Giess was, it showed its good side more often than not. With my mind clear, I took a deep breath and etched out another blueprint for my complex rune. I filled in the emotion, the meaning, and the choices I made in my history.


    It took far longer than making the framework had. Kind of like how a good idea was easier to get than a good plan. With my idea set in motion, I stayed relentless. Torix and I ended up sitting there for ages, both of us preparing ourselves for the worst.


    Torix didn''t stop with the silvers around him, however. From each of Torix''s new minions, he spawned more mind eels. They spread like a plague, several hundred hosts turning into several thousand over two days.


    At the same time, I came up with a better framework for the runic inscription. The draft came together like a tapestry, stretching over many pages. It read like an autobiography, detailing my life while dishing out plenty of my opinion about each event. As I finished my task, I glanced at my work and smiled. It felt right.


    Torix interrupted my task''s afterglow, pulling the robe from over his head.


    He glanced up at me, "Ah, you''re still here. Good to see we''re still alive."


    I snapped my grimoire shut, putting into dimensional storage,


    "Yup. You ready?"


    Torix gave me a nod, "Yes. My new army is complete."


    "How many did you end up with?"


    "Around 5,000 silvers, most of them falling to around level 3,000."


    My eyes widened, "What the fuck?"


    Torix snickered with glee, "Now it''s finally your turn to be surprised. Ah, it feels as wondrous as I envisioned it would. Wait one moment as I let this moment sink in."


    I pat him on the back as I stood up, "As I was saying, damn that''s just, you know, so few."


    Torix jeered, "Oh yes, thank you for the  support."


    I spread out my arms, "Hey, don''t mention it...For real though, how did gain control of so many so fast?"


    Torix waved a hand, "The silvers lack much in the way of a mind. This makes manipulating them easy. Combine this with my enhanced persuasion abilities from my Speaker class, and I amassed a sizeable force in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take."


    I looked around, "Where are they?"


    "Good question. Ah, here''s your answer."


    A raven landed on Torix''s shoulder, glancing towards him. It cawed a few times before flying off. Torix sighed,


    "Well, the silvers aren''t as good at reconnaissance as I hoped they''d be. In fact, few of them even have eyes that rival a mole''s vision let alone a hawk''s."


    Torix threw out his hand in disgust, "Even when armed with so many eyes at my disposal, I still cannot find the base near Mt. Ash. If anything, the silvers seem blind to it."


    I shrugged, "Hey, if you want something done right, do it yourself."


    Torix sighed, "Part of being a leader I suppose."


    With our goal set, we traveled towards Mt. Ash. Torix kept his silver army spread out, keeping them from clustering. This prevented him from giving their position away. At the same time, we stayed to the ground, the pillars of steel hiding us from anyone''s eyesight.


    After a day of hard-fought travel, we reached Mt. Ash. We came up to it as a blip on our minimap. Since we stayed low, we didn''t make out the actual mountain even as we got close to it. I figured we''d never know we were on the hill beside for some steepness.


    I was wrong.


    The forest of spires thinned as we approached it. As I rushed out of the final few pillars, I gawked at the fabled peak. It wasn''t owned by silvers, not even in the slightest. Giessian creatures swarmed the mountaintops, flowers, and trees sticking out from the gray wasteland. It didn''t take long before we found the cause of the flourishing life.


    A moat of lava encircled the entire mountain, warding off any grounded silvers. At the same time, some kind of electrical aura warded off nearby flying creatures. It acted like a magnet of the same charge as the silvers, pushing them away when they tried to enter.


    This protective, magnetic forcefield was fed by some strange species of Firefly. A swarm of the bugs circled around the mountaintop as we approached. Night approached fast, so we passed onto the mountain and made a camp.


    As the sunshine died down, the fireflies acted like a living light show. A symphony of yellow cascaded over the sky in waves, keeping the mountain well lit. Torix and I finished our base of operations and wasted no time, scouring the land with an eye for detail. We split ourselves up, giving us a better range to search.


    I discovered many familiar species of plants and animals from around Yildraza. A variety of animals ran through the bushes, most of them charged with elemental mana. The sheer volume of life amazed me as well. Even though the mountain was a small area for an ecosystem, the animals thrived.


    To our dismay, finding any source for the Skyburner''s was next to impossible. We grew restless, and Torix and I continued the search nonstop. It didn''t help that Althea sent me a message every five minutes asking what was going on. Of course I messaged her back, but texting wasn''t my thing. It was more annoying than anything.


    Several hours passed with us searching the mountaintop. With no notable progress to speak of, Torix and I specialized our searching. I burrowed beneath the ground, diving through the mountain. Torix''s hordes searched the surrounding silver territory. The actual lich kept to the mountaintop, scrutinizing every pebble and blade of grass. The giant dragon frogs eluded us somehow, but we remained relentless.


    Just as I believed that Draygalga lied to us, Torix got his breakthrough. He called me over towards the moat of lava. Besides the pool of molten rock, the fireflies swarmed above. Torix pointed up to them, "Do you see those creatures?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. I''m tired of them."


    "As am I. Their wanderlust faded a while back, and now they act as a persistent buzzing in my ear. In fact, allow me to rid you of them."


    He snapped his fingers. As Torix did, an opaque shield enveloped us both. Seconds passed as the blurred surface of the forcefield faded. As it did, the fireflies disappeared. I glanced behind me, finding a Skyburner camp at the mountaintop.


    I smacked my forehead, and glanced back to Torix, "You''re telling me it was here the whole time?"


    Torix sighed, "Yes. The fireflies were an illusion style of magic. Think of Delilath''s yellow spheres, but many in number and tiny in size. They created the field that confused us."


    Torix gestured towards the mountain, "What caught us was a very old and very powerful kind of illusion magic. The electrical field we felt was, in fact, mana used to maintain the spell itself. The magnetic resistance acted in much the same manner. It fooled the silvers into avoiding this place, and it fooled us into wasting time."


    Torix turned and pointed towards the mountain''s center, "A group of the Skyburners is hiding within the mountainside. From what I could gather, they''re a collection of mages considering the illusion magic."


    I shook my head, "Well shit. At least we only wasted a few hours searching."


    Torix shook his head. He murmured, "We''ve been here for a week."


    I sighed, "Fuck."


    Torix nodded, "That''s right. The illusion magic made us lose our sense of time as well. It''s a rather potent combination of magics really. I''d be more impressed if it didn''t hack into our constrictive time limitations already."


    Some frustration welled in my chest, "They took us for fools. I''ll tear off their arms and force their limbs down their throats."


    Torix laid a hand on my shoulder, "Oh, we will do so. I''m equally displeased that they tricked us like this. However..."


    Torix pointed towards the mountain, "Since I discovered the location of the base, I''ve ordered my silvers to guard any and all exits. The Skyburners are trapped inside without any means of escape."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Any plans to kill them off?"


    "I''ll send in my army. Once they''ve exhausted their stamina and mana on fodder, you''ll rush in and finish them one by one. I''ll offer support from a distance."


    I turned a palm to Torix, "Sounds pretty solid. Are we going to go get Althea first?"


    Torix shook his head, "We''ll be all that is needed."


    He turned towards the fireflies, "Before we set out, I''ll need you to dispel the magic here. I unable to do so."


    I pointed at the swirling masses, "What''s this barrier doing then?"


    "It allows us to view without any illusion magic. Unfortunately, I cannot keep it cast on a permanent basis. On the other hand, you should be armed with quite an effective measure for disrupting the illusion."


    Torix waved his hand, "The magnetic field here is used to repel the silvers. When we traveled to Rivaria, you were able to absorb lightning, correct?"


    My eyes widened, "Ahhh, I''ll be a lightning rod and absorb the field, dispelling the magic."


    Torix put his hands on his hips, "Precisely."


    Torix pushed my back, shoving me out of his illusion barrier. As I left it, the empty Skyburner camp disappeared. It mirrored a rocky cove, unassuming as a cloud in the sky. I passed it several times in my search. It convinced me now, my mind assuming that it existed with certainty.


    Without letting the deception fool me again, I activated my Lightning Eater skill. The electricity around me drained inward, but the range of my draining was in the inches. I needed miles of pull, so I pushed out the scope of my draining. The aura bent, allowing me to drain the energy for several feet around me.


    At the same time, the inklings of a headache formed. There was no pain from it, but the pulse of heart rang in my head. I ignored it, pushing further outward. As I reached ten feet, my skull itched and something popped in my nose. Seconds passed as a pour of silver blood drained from my nostrils into my helmet.


    I grunted out the blood, used to it by now. That shit wouldn''t stop me at this point. With my resolve set, I pushed out with my arms. As I did, the range of the electrical drainage extended out. Behind my eyes, my brain throbbed with a dull pulse. The first piece of pain poured in right after.


    I laughed at the aching sensation while demanding my field of influence to expand. Every inch of growth felt like miles, but I pushed past it. A piece of my brain howled at me to stop this nonsense. I silenced it, relishing in the challenge. I was dead set on proving that part of my mind wrong.


    With about zero percent of the mountain cleared, I clenched my teeth and clasped my fists. I strained my magical abilities, remembering the feel of my other skills. The electrical draining compared with my armor''s needles in a way. Even more so, it mirrored Event Horizon.


    Using my experience with those tools, I condensed the electrical drain. A moment later, I molded it into different shapes. It fought against me, not as willing to change as Event Horizon. At the same time, I wrestled my skill''s resistance as if dropping it to the ground and smashing its face in.


    Metaphorically speaking of course.


    A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead as I took a deep breath.  After getting a handle on molding the aura and condensing it, I used both at the same time. I pulled the area of effect inward, easing the process. Once I changed the field''s density and shape, I enlarged it. As I struggled on, a notification appeared.


    Lightning Eater(lvl 8)--->(lvl 33) Breakthrough achieved!


    A wave of relief passed over me, the skill bending to me. Without skipping a beat, I pushed the range further out, covering several car lengths. The ability leveled a few more times over the next thirty minutes. Once I got several more car lengths added to the range, I turned to Torix,


    "Alright, I think I got enough of it uncovered. I''ll level the skill as we go."


    Torix closed his status, turning to me, "Perfectly fine. It''s a somewhat new skill so I wouldn''t expect mastery of it already. We need a field for battle. That is all."


    I grunted, "I...should be able to do that."


    Torix scoffed, "I''d prefer it if you could do so without sounding constipated."


    "No can do...Not yet at least."


    Torix tsked, "Well...I suppose I''ll deal with it. Can you battle like that?"


    I raised my fists, my hands shaking a bit, "Yeah...I''m good."


    Torix''s eyes narrowed, "It''s rather opportune that I gathered that army. Here I believed it wouldn''t be necessary, but maintaining that aura of yours appears more than merely difficult."


    Torix pressed his hands together, "I''ll be pulling more of the weight than usual." As he pulled his hands apart, a wave of dry air spilled out,


    "It looks as though I''ll be able to apply a few tactics I''ve been planning."


    We stepped towards the gialgathen mage''s base while Torix cackled,


    "I pray they''re painful."

 188 Eclipse Makers

    I raised an eyebrow, "It has something to do with the dry air?"


    Torix shook his head, "Most definitely. I''ll be sapping water from the mountain and its innards. The amphibious gialgathens will suffer."


    I scoffed, "Yeah. Chapped lips and dry skin. Real deadly."


    Torix brushed a hand at me, "You''ve no understanding of the extreme those discomforts may inflict. On the desert world where I gathered the rations you eat, I explored some of their water magic. They mastered the art of weaponizing dehydration."


    Torix spread his hands, "I watched many a soldier''s skins crack wide as trenches. It was as if they turned their skin into a brittle paper. Thick blood oozed out of the wounds, coagulate in massive scabs that ruptured as they moved. This was against a reptilian race who''s skin resisted said parching magic."


    Torix brought his hands in, "The gialgathens aren''t so fortunate."


    I winced, "Well shit. Remind me not to get on your bad side."


    Torix waved his fingers with delight, "Oh, you won''t need reminding after this. This display will carve itself into your memory if all goes as planned."


    As we stepped up the mountain, Torix raised a hand, "To explain further, the coagulated wounds also serve as stroke inducers. Giant blobs of congealed blood float in their veins, wreaking havoc on their circulatory system."


    Torix waved his hand,


    "Of course Schema''s system assists greatly with repelling these health problems in a normal sentient. The eldritch will likewise resist this kind of death as they own many hearts and many circulatory systems to fall back on. The gialgathens are normal creatures, a fact I realized when I watched your battle with Delilath."


    I bit my lip, "Yup."


    We stepped in front of a cave leading into the mountain. Torix placed a hand on my shoulder,


    "You did well in that fight. She was a worthy foe, and you expect far too much of yourself."


    I took a deep breath, "Yeah, you say that and I know that. I saw her family though. Hard to ignore the consequences of your actions when they throw themselves at your face, yenno?"


    Torix gave me a curt nod, "We''ll have time to reflect later. Are you prepared to enter the cave?"


    I nodded, sweat still pouring down my brow from channeling my Lightning Eater skill. Torix raised his hands, dominion mana flowing like fountains. He converted it into the light, airy blue origin mana, his experience evident. With further skill, he transformed the blue mana into plumes of dry air.


    It was like watching a math professor do complex calculus. Before he fumigated the mountain, I reached out a hand and heated the air with Star Forger. Torix turned to me, and he gave me an approving nod,


    "Well done, disciple. This eases the constraint on my own mana."


    I grunted out, straining under the demands of Lightning Eater. My other skills were inherent by now, so it required next to no thought. Lightning Eater was like using a different part of my brain all of a sudden. That increased the demands of the skill by leaps and bounds. Torix relished his role as our team''s driver. I was fine with taking a backseat for once.


    Along for the ride, my ears popped as the pressure changed around us. With the air pooled, Torix flourished a hand up. His blue fire eyes flared red, and he whispered,


    "Kill them all, save any espens you find."


    Hiding among the many spires, crags, and crevices around the mountain, an army of silvers crashed into the magnetic field. The entire mountain rumbled as the feet of the horde quaked the ground. The distant echoes of starving cries racked the air like a whip across a sinner''s back.  They crowed for a meal of soft flesh, their mutant eyes consumed with hunger.


    At first, the magnetic field around the mountain held against the onslaught. The silvers repelled against an invisible barrier, some silvers breaking limbs on the repulsing force. It mattered not. More and more silvers stacked behind their brethren. Less an army and more a moving wall, the endless troops built up.


    They stacked up taller, silvers atop one another. They reminded me of ants covering a grasshopper, their victory inevitable. Torix kept his hands spread wide, relishing in the sense of power. At the same time, he maintained absolute focus on the task at hand.


    The thousands of silvers never relented, his command unmitigated. The dry air siphoned into the mound, choking the life out of its inhabitants. After minutes of his assault, the magnetic field on the outside of the island faded in strength. The gialgathens were losing mana liked a sliced tire losing air.


    Their time was running out.


    Within ten minutes, the forcefield dissipated. The silvers swarmed across the greenery, tearing trees and rocks apart in their wake. They were a tidal wave, washing away the living creatures on Mt. Ash. As the dense wave of silvers passed, they left nothing but dirt behind them.


    Several silvers keeled over, choking on the organic matter. Just as a Giessian creature rejected silver matter, the silvers rejected normal animals, at least in excess. That''s why they stayed contained within their metalscapes.


    Torix pushed them past this impulse, forcing them to cleave a path through the life here. With no survival instinct, they acted as kamikazees. The exchange proved lethal for both parties involved. Unfortunately for them, we had more troops on our side.


    The remains of the army approached a puddle beside me rippling as the silver''s approached. The low rumble evolved into a deafening roar, their footsteps many. With the entire mountain ravaged, the horde descended into the caverns below.


    Every exit swarmed with the beasts, leaving no escape for the Skyburners. The monsters scrambled over one another, squeezing themselves in. My skin crawled watching the tactic take place. Inside, the gialgathen''s skin was broken and cracked as they fought this swarm.


    They never stood a chance.


    Torix laughed as he prepared icicle spears above his head, aiming to cut off a Skyburner''s escape. Foolproof and methodical, Torix carried out his execution. His confidence evident, he turned to me with his fire eyes red,


    "Is there anything more satisfying than watching a plan come together?"


    "This is an execution."


    Torix shrugged, "Eh, both are equally fulfilling, aren''t they?"


    I looked up, thinking about it,


    "Depends on who you''re executing."


    Torix pointed at the gialgathen''s base, "Then I''ve much too look forward to. Killing slavers is always exhilarating."


    I frowned, "How different is slavery and necromancy though?"


    Torix waved off my concern, "Life isn''t something to be stolen so easily. Once life is gone, however, there remains little to be taken. Instead, I''m using a resource left behind, nothing more and nothing less. It would be like leaving a freshly uprooted tree instead of harvesting it for lumber. It''s wasteful."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Huh, kind of like how I eat the eldritch after they die. At least some good comes out of it instead of letting it rot."


    Torix waved his arms, "In a sense, but we must elaborate further. You see..."


    After half an hour of philosophical discussion, the swarms lessened. The silvers trickled in instead of flooding. Torix raised a hand to the cavern in front of us,


    "As much as I enjoyed the conversation, they should be ripe for the taking."


    I scoffed, "If they''re still alive."


    We paced into the cavern, finding little of anything. A few minutes of walking later and the edge of a room filled my senses. I raised a hand and turned to Torix, "Be ready. The room is close. It''s big too."


    He acknowledged me with a nod. As we came closer, I charged my mana, saturating my blood with energy. Torix coalesced two spells in his palm, the holy dark combo ready to fire. As we reached the end of the path, a steady, fluorescent light leaked into the tunnel.


    I peaked into the room, finding a massive cavern. The size of a warehouse, it contained enough boxes and supplies to cover the gialgathen''s needs for months. Unlike the Skyburners, these gialgathens lacked any slaves as well. They preferred the company of books and archaic rituals.


    All seven of the gialgathen mages licked their wounds, shivering at the center of their magical sanctuary. Mahogany robes draped over them instead of platemail like the Skyburners, reminding me of handwoven carpets from some middle eastern country.


    Despite their different style, the gialgathens wheezed in a circle all the same. The luscious fabric contrasted their broken wills and broken skin. They looked like dry mud, wounds winding over their skins.


    A mound of charred corpses surrounded them in a large, outer ring. A tighter, inner circle drenched the ground in silver blood, leaving a puddle of purple mush. Gialgathen blood, skin, and cloth mixed in with the blend, looking like an art project gone wrong.


    As I inspected the beasts, one fact became clear - they survived by the skin of their teeth. Missing claws, chipped teeth, and innumerable gashes showed on the exhausted creatures. On the walls around them, charred banners carried the emblem for Lehesion. One statue laid along a wall in the back with a plaque on its front. It read:


    "To our lord and champion, may Lehesion be praised."


    We skulked up to the pitiful group, the entire entourage shellshocked. I raised a hand, counting down with my fingers. Torix understood, readying a spell to launch at a Skyburner''s throat. As I reached one finger in my countdown, one of the Skyburner''s howled,


    "Wait. We won''t fight you."


    I grimaced, ignoring their plea. As I bent over to leap towards them, Torix put a hand on my shoulder. He whispered, "We can worm some information from them."


    I sighed, letting Torix do his thing. The lich puffed out his chest and raised his voice, "Then tell us what you''re doing here before I send yet another wave of my minions here."


    I suppressed laughter at Torix''s impression of an evil overlord. He deepened his voice to intimidate these mages. To my surprise, it worked. The oldest  one stepped in front of the group, murmuring,


    "We...We are willing to make compromises."


    Torix looked down on him, "You''re in no position to demand compromise. Submit or face destruction."


    The Skyburner lowered his head, bowing to Torix. The old bag of bones lived it up, enjoying his new role of commander. The lich waved a hand at the gialgathens, "Answer or die...What is your purpose here?"


    The one in front mouthed, "We...we''re here to serve Lehesion''s bidding."


    Torix leaned back and laughed, "He demands you live surrounded by vermin? To what end?"


    The eldest of them shook his head, "It is not for us to question the bidding of a god. We are to obey him, for we are but mortals."


    I bit my lip, already frustrated by their bullshit. These sorcerer''s humility sure seemed convenient for the situation. Torix didn''t take too kindly to their answer either,


    "Then you''re all useless. Minions, leave me the marrow in their bones. I''ve been meaning to test a new potion with it."


    The few straggling silvers motioned towards them. The Gialgathen out front shouted out,


    "Wait, there is much we can tell you still you."


    Torix crossed his arms, his icicle spears floating above him, "Like what? It had better be of some utility as well. Otherwise, you''ll be worm''s meat soon enough."


    One of the other gialgathens announced from the shivering pack in the back,


    "What are you doing? You act like Emagrotha''s filthy cult, caving under any pressure. We are better than them."


    The oldest gialgathen turned around and snapped, "Silence. There''s is nothing more painful than a sorcerer''s spells. They can eat your guts while keeping you alive. He will play with our corpses. Don''t you see there''s no honor in a puppet''s death?"


    The younger gialgathen walked out, his red and white skin sticking out,


    "And there''s no honor in dying a dog''s death either. He will show no mercy. More still, you make us out to be cowards. Lehesion will rain down on us his wrath should we continue this heresy."


    The younger gialgathen turned to the pack, "Remember this. Emagrotha''s entire army caved after her failure. They preached relentlessly about personal excellence and achievement. They spit in the face of those that dwelled in mediocrity, even from inferior races. We give in here, and we follow the path of those hypocrites. We become cowards."


    Torix crossed his arms and tapped his foot, "My patience wears thin."


    The older gialgathen stood in front of the younger mage,


    "He knows not what he says."


    The younger one snapped his tail across the side of the older gialgathen''s head. The elder mage fumbled sideways as, the younger Skyburner shouted,


    "I know exactly what I say, old coward. I''d rather die than be remembered as a betrayer."


    Torix let out a slow, evil laugh. The room went quiet as the necromancer murmured, "Then you may die as a martyr for the others."


    Torix clapped his hands, sending out a shockwave. As he pulled them apart, he generated an icy staff in his hands. The lich prepared a spell while I soaked in pure mana, already charged to the brim. Before Torix unleashed an onslaught, the youngest gialgathen''s head snapped back as if possessed.


    Color bled out of his skin, a glowing amber covering the red and white. As it did, the other gialgathens stepped back and bowed their heads. One of them whispered,


    "He has ascended."


    Sparks of amber lightning coursed from the young gialgathen''s skin. A radiant power coursed through him, rushing like a river. The beast lifted his head and roared, his echo shaking the mountain. He raised a claw, leaving a trail of condensed mana behind him. He stretched out his hands, swords of a golden glow stretching out from his claws.


    Before he unloaded his no doubt devastating attack, I raised a hand. Discharging a vast well of mana, a singularity formed in the enhanced gialgathen''s chest. All the energy in the world couldn''t save him as the atoms that composed the beast collapsed inward. Feeding the implosion, a tiny black hole feasted on him, creating a growing ball of pitch black where his chest was.


    The awakened mage caved in, sending out a shockwave of kinetic energy. The gialgathens burst out, landing on charred walls and crushing the silvers behind them. The eldest one flopped towards Torix, limp and unconscious. I stepped up to block the impact, but the lich was in full control.


    He unloaded holy magic with one hand and swung his staff with the other. A pure light emanated from the gialgathen before a slicing shadow cleaved the beast apart. The sides of the monsters splayed against the insides of the mountain, blood spraying over us in a mist.


    With only five weakened mages left, Torix pinched the bridge of his nose, letting the situation sink in.


    They were fucked.


    The gialgathens stared at the spot of the singularity, a blast zone encompassing most of the mountain base. One of them raised a hand and pointed at the once glowing gialgathen,


    "Lehesion granted him ascension...but you killed him...just like that."


    I cracked the knuckles of my hand, each pop sounding like the snapping of metal cables. They laid like lead, stunned into submission. I analyzed them, trying to get something out of the situation while they were incapacitated.


    Sonora Sun-Splitter(lvl 8,902) - Sonora Sun-Splitter was a member of Lehesion''s elite group of Eclipse Makers. The namesake came from their ability to create complex hallucinations, going as far as blocking out the sun to an entire army in the middle of the day.


    Though the group was named for such an illusion, they created many other feats of renown. They fooled a naval force with the image of a tidal wave. They caused retreats from falsified astral bombings. They even sieged cities by fooling the local populace into believing their water was rank and the food spoiled.


    Powerful as the force can be, proper setup and time are required since even a single Skyburner could rip a group of Eclipse Makers apart. At the same time, their talents are formidable when utilized correctly.


    In the case of Sonora, very little is known outside of her name. Found on Mt. Ash, she''s propagated the spread of silvers and researched unknown queries.


    Her elimination is highly recommended.


    The other gialgathens were higher leveled than Sonora, and I couldn''t analyze them. Their perceptions were too high. I turned to Torix,


    "They''re a group of mages from Lehesion called the Eclipse Makers. They''re pretty weak so we can capture them without risking our lives. Watch out for their fire though."


    Torix nodded as I jumped down into the pit. I swung my arms out wide, my hands forming into tendrils of metal. My armor pierced the two pieces of the corpse, needles swarming the Eclipse Maker. Within seconds, nothing remained but the splash of blood and scent of meat.


    With the mages terrified, I reformed my arms spikes back into hands. At the same time, I slammed my hands together, sending out an echo like shotgun rounds. I stepped up to them and growled,


    "Who wants to be the next bloodstain?"

 189 A Close Call

    Torix floated over towards me, his arms crossed. One of the blue mage-frog-dragons stammered, "I...we were sent here by Lehesion to spread the silvers."


    I waved my hand in a circle, "Anything else?"


    The mammoth beast squeaked out, "Lehesion told us that Giess had drifted from the olden ways and needed to be cleansed."


    My shoulders drooped, "What the fuck?"


    The blue mage nodded, "Lehesion understands that we gialgathens are superior to the espens. That is why he fought for their freedom. He understood that they would never be capable of freeing themselves as Emagrotha touted."


    The blue gialgathen stood up, his knees shaking, "Now that the espens are gaining power, Lehesion is restoring balance to Giess. We can live with the silvers around us. Espens cannot. They shall cleanse the espens, and then we will remain, victorious and overwhelming."


    Torix pinched the bridge of his nose while staring down, "And tell me, did Lehesion ever mention how you''d rid yourselves of the silvers once they covered Giess?"


    The blue mage froze in place, a wrench thrown into his internal logic. He stammered out, "I...I am certain that Lehesion understands the implications and has a plan set out to fix them."


    I shook my head, "You have no idea how hard it is to get rid of them. You have to strip the metal from the ground and kill the saysha beetles. Otherwise, they just grow the metal right back. Now do all that bullshit while the silvers attack you from all sides. It''s nearly impossible."


    Torix sighed, "You''d need a talented Fringe Walker to make any progress. Even then, it would be slow and hard work."


    The Eclipse Maker shouted with a hoarse voice, "I am but an ignorant acolyte of Lehesion. Such intricacies are beyond me."


    One of the mages waved his tail in a circle. I kept my eye on him as Torix continued, "Your ignorance is his manipulation. Lehesion is using your talents to further his own agenda. You have a choice here. If you prove useful, we can use you all to further our needs."


    Torix gestured to all of them, "All of you will need to cast aside this...religion you have with Lehesion, however."


    Another gialgathen swung his tail in a circle as well, some mana welling above us. I whispered, "They''re trying to kill us...again."


    Torix whispered back, "Pin them down."


    The two beasts waving their tails heard us, each of them roaring out. Before they finished their spells, I reached out my hands. I clasped my fists, jettisoning out immense rivers of mana above the two gialgathen''s heads. Above them, the rock melted, splashing over them in scalding lava. I hardened the rock, forming rock around them.


    Torix lifted his staff and swung it in a circle at the same time. A spiral, darkwave erupted from the icy cane. Before it crashed into the galvanized gialgathens, Torix tossed his staff up. He pointed his two palms at the calcified mages. A celestial light illuminated from the cracks in their stone prisons before the black mana blade severed them.


    A head flopped onto the floor as Torix snatched his staff out of the air. The headless body stayed standing, held up by the igneous prison. The other mage''s entire chest split and slid apart, bisected like an anatomical cadaver. Red blood leaked out from the many open veins, covering the organs and bone. It turned into a mess in seconds.


    I paced over, sapping the corpses of their vitality. As I did, I turned to Torix,


    "You want to use some of the bodies for summons?"


    The lich shook his head, "Without their minds, these gialgathens are rather useless. I''d much rather have a few Skyburners under my wing since their bodies hold together far better."


    The blue gialgathen with a loose tongue murmured, "Show us mercy...Please."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "You will be given mercy should you earn it. Now, as you were saying."


    The blue gialgathen nodded, "Of course. One of you dirtwalkers helped Lehesion. They..."


    Several beeping sounds buzzed in the heads of the four remaining Eclipse Makers. They looked around, one of them mouthing, "That beeping sound is so loud. It''s like it''s inside my hea-"


    All four of their skulls exploded, mush splattering onto the rest of the walls. A hunk of brain landed on Torix''s forehead, scalp and blood splashing over him. The lich reached up, wiping a thick layer of the gialgathen brain from his face. Without saying a word, he flung the gunk off his bony fingers.


    He turned to me, "We tell no one."


    I raised both my palms to him, "Absolutely. Not a soul."


    I walked up to him, "Can you hold yourself back? I can pull that shit off with a gravity well."


    Torix leaned back, bracing himself. I took the cue and created a well in front of him. Torix''s clothes fell sideways, his robe drawn to the well. The lich kept himself strut by forming ice over his feet and staff while holding it.  The muck pooled into a wobbly sphere over the next minute.


    After getting a good portion of the guts off him, I said,


    "About to cancel the well."


    Torix gave me the ok. As I did, the mage took a deep breath of relief, even though he didn''t need to breathe. Maybe the sound made him feel better. Once he collected himself, Torix looked around, "After a good washing, this should come off. Now, to find some evidence of what happened here."


    I pointed at the headless group of gialgathens, "What about them?"


    Torx sighed, "It seems as though someone planted bombs in their heads for just such an occasion. I found the timing uncanny, as they could have done the same before we discovered those tidbits about Lehesion."


    I cupped my chin, "Sucks too. It seems like someone''s using Lehesion as the figurehead while they handle the operation."


    Torix looked around at the devastated cavern, "What I don''t understand is why they would do it here? These locations... they''re seemingly random and disparate. Why not infest a chokepoint and actually deal a blow to the infrastructure of Giess? As they are, their rather ineffective."


    I shrugged, "Maybe they don''t want to deal a blow to Giess''s infrastructure."


    Torix crossed his arms, walking back and forth, "Indeed, that seems to be the case...In fact..."


    Torix paced up to a charred bookcase, "The goal of Lehesion might be to destroy Giess. At the same time, the true orchestrator of this might have a different goal altogether."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Huh, like making gialgathens look bad or some shit?"


    Torix nodded, "I wonder who would want to do that exactly?"


    I scoffed, "Yeah, do you know any prominent figures that hate gialgathens?"


    "One does come to mind. That snake will be our primary suspect for now. We simply need to prove our hypothesis and find incriminating evidence. Perhaps there''s something here among this debris..."


    Torix picked up a larger than life book. Along the edge of the book''s spine, a ribbon loop sprung up. It looked perfect for a gialgathen to lift the tome up with their tail. Torix opened the pages, many of them burned all the way through.


    Realizing the conversation was over, I sprung into action. I consumed the carcasses, leaving nothing behind. After soaking up the blood from earlier, I walked around, trying to gather something valuable. To be honest, there wasn''t much left after the silver brigade and singularity.


    Combined that with all the fire breath, and this place looked like a giant smashed it under its heel. Still, this was one of our best chances of finding some clue to take back with us. After about an hour of searching, we hit our lucky break.


    A boulder from the cavern''s roof fell onto a desk, smashing it beyond measure. I lifted the crag and tossed it aside before searching the chipped pieces of wood. Inside a crumpled steel safe, I discovered several shattered obelisks.


    One survived, unharmed amongst the shattered, glass orbs. As I pulled it up, Torix turned to me, "It looks as though there isn''t much to use here."


    I dusted off the functioning obelisk, "Maybe not. This looks like it''s still good."


    The transparent sphere still had its metal ring of transistors attached to it. I pressed the edges of the transistor ring, allowing me to access the crystalized data. A message popped up,


    Access denied. Encryption code necessary for data access. Seek administrator of original data logs for further information.


    I sighed, shaking the damn thing, "Yup. It can never be too easy."


    Torix paced up to me, reaching out a hand for the obelisk. I handed it over before sorting through the rest of the safe''s contents. I found shattered bulbs and a few data drives that might work with my own obelisk. I plugged them in and checked out the info.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I found detailed data spreads about silvers and their biological functions. After storing a few of these, I opened an actually useful drive. It held information about how a hybrid could function between silver and eldritch. A few illustrations even showed how to incorporate the harvesters with the saysha beetles.


    I pocketed the info in my storage before walking up to Torix. The lich dripped with frustration, his impatience obvious. He turned to me,


    "This encryption code is absolutely superb. There''s no one we know that could hack something of this magnitude. It''s many orders above my own understanding."


    I crossed my arms, "Maybe we could send it to the Overseer? He might know a guy who can help us."


    Torix shook his head, "Impossible. He''s far too busy working with Speakers to manage the affairs of many worlds. Calling him for this would be the same as Althea calling you to guard her on a trip to the candy store. Just as that task is beneath your notice, our problem is beneath him."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Well...fuck."


    Torix let his hands flop onto his sides, "Well fuck indeed."


    The both of us stared down, defeated by a tiny glass sphere. After a moment of sulking, I puffed out my chest and pat Torix on the back, "Come on. Let''s keep searching."


    "The obvious recourse."


    Before we began, however, a message from Althea popped up in the corner of my vision. I opened it.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 6,221 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 2:41 A.M. 3/18/26) - Another bomb in room. Caprika hurt. Help.


    My stomach sank as I read the message. I turned to Torix, who was reading her message as well. He closed it while snapping his grimoire shut,


    "We need to leave. This will have to wait till later."


    I bent my knees, "I''m rushing there."


    With a titanic leap, I shot upwards and crashed through a wall of rock above me. As I erupted from the mountain''s surface, I created a powerful well in front of me. I shot into the ground again while charging my runes. As I detonated them, a burst of strength let me burst from the earth with speed.


    In seconds, I picked up tremendous speed. My stomach knotted up as I imagined all kinds of scenarios. One of them involved our identities being discovered. With that in mind, I pulled a gray square out of my storage and pressed it onto my chest. The gray disguise covered me, preventing me from exposing us.


    Panicked or not, there''s no excuse to be an idiot.


    Half an hour later, and Rivaria''s mountain came into my view. Like a bullet, I  sliced through the air hell-bent on killing whoever planted this bomb. As I rose through the cloud line, I pushed clouds aside from the wind off my ascent. I slid past several flying gialgathens, sending them spiraling away from me.


    As I landed in front of the Hall of Heroes, a portion of the staircase collapsed under my feet. The two guards mashed into the walls beside the doorway, my landing knocking them off their feet. I stormed through the open hallway before finding Malakai surrounded by several gialgathens. They dwarfed the collapsed door leading to our room.


    I came close, shoving two gialgathens aside. I found Malakai covered in burn marks along one half of his body. One of his wings was amputated, the crispy remnants of it laying on the ground a ways away. The old beast groaned on the ground beside a collapsed wall, unable to breathe without wheezing. He''d live though.


    I glanced between him and our room, a cold sweat pouring down my head. Most of the wall was blown out, black scorch marks covering nearby. From what Althea sent, the majority of the damage came from a bomb, an incendiary one considering the scorch marks.


    Nothing I looked at boded well fro anyone inside. With panick welling in my chest, I entered the hallway leading to our personal rooms, a crowd of people congregated around a body. Most of them wore medical uniforms, potions and equipment in hand. They stuck tubes and medical instruments onto the red blotch on the ground. I stormed up to them, dwarfing everyone present.


    Everyone besides Helios.


    The massive albony turned towards me as I looked over the chaos. He kept a palm over the red blotch, healing it. As I looked closer, my jaw went slack. The bloody mess was Caprika, most of her luscious hair burned off. Portions of her bones were left exposed, the burns deep. A part of her mask singed off, some of her jawbone uncovered.


    Most of the damage was on the surface, taking her skin away, however. Well, most of the damage I could see. Despite her severe wounds, she wasn''t the woman I was worried about though.


    I growled at the group, "Where''s Althea?"


    The entire room went silent, everyone staring up at me. Helios pointed towards where Althea and I slept,


    "That monster is fine. I came here just as she reformed her arm into a mutated sack and cut the assassin apart. Caprika is the one knocking on death''s door."


    I stepped through everyone, knocking people over before I slammed open our entrance. Althea heaved for breath, a cleaved corpse laying beside her. Most of her jumpsuit singed, leaving her upper shoulders and side exposed.


    She looked fine, but her clothes carried deep burn marks. If I guessed right, the bomb blew over half her body to mush before she reformed. To make sure I got in front of her, intent on asking a question. Instead, I gasped with relief,


    "Thank god you''re ok."


    Althea nodded, one of her hands coated in congealing blood. I took a second glance at the corpse on the floor, finding two wounds. It looked like Althea forced her arm through the assassin''s chest before slicing her in two. Our resident Breaker lived up to her name, tearing the would-be assassin apart.


    I lunged down, grabbing Althea''s shoulders. As I did, she looked up at me, and I hugged her. She squeezed me before I locked eyes with her, "You are ok...right?"


    Althea nodded, her eyes glazed over, "Yeah...a bit shellshocked, but I''m ok."


    I put a hand on her cheek, "What about Kessiah? Is she fine."


    Althea nodded again without changing her expression, "Yeah, she...she went out. Caprika and I were here."


    I pulled some water out from my dimensional storage, welling it in a circle. With technical prowess, I smothered the blood on Althea, cleaning her. As I moved it onto her face, I whispered,


    "Close your eyes."


    She did as told, going through the motions. The blot of clear water blurred red before I tossed it aside. The liquid splattered onto the ground and reddened a nearby carpet. I could''ve given two fucks about a rug though.


    I grabbed Althea''s hands, "Caprika needs my help. I can stay here if you need me to though."


    Althea raised both her hands, "Uh, I''m fine. Go help her out. I''ll stay here. You know...collect myself."


    I hugged her again before standing upright. I walked back over towards the crowd of doctors. As I did, Helios supported his head in a massive palm. His other hand cast some healing magic on Caprika, keeping her from dying. Helios sighed,


    "To think she was this...unable to handle even a non-classer. It mars the Novas name."


    I stepped up beside him, leaning over towards her. Helios scoffed, "Ah, good to see her representative cares about her health. What tipped you off that she was injured? The fourth degree burns perhaps?"


    I inspected Caprika, finding more wound than person,


    "Priorities. I take care of my own."


    "Obviously."


    I ignored his jab, focusing on Caprika. The medical personnel struggled to whip out their medical supplies to suture the open veins shut. I grabbed several of the potions I stored, pouring them over the most grievous wounds. After getting her somewhat stabilized, I pinched several of the largest arteries shut with little gravity wells. It took next to no force. Her heart was weakening by the second.


    As I inspected the rest of her wounds, Caprika stopped breathing. A few seconds later, and her heart stopped beating. Flashbacks of Delilath flared in my memories, spurring me on. I resolved myself to save Caprika. Failure wasn''t an option this time.


    With Hunter of Many, I got a rough model of what her insides were like. With an idea on what was going on inside, I raised a hand, opening her chest with an antigravity well. Air went into her lungs before I collapsed them with a gravity well. I alternated between the two, making a kind of CPR.


    There wasn''t enough mouth for more conventional means.


    Once I stabilized her breathing, I formed another gravity well at the center of her heart. It compressed, pumping blood through her system. I held her other arteries shut, keeping the blood from pouring out of her body.


    A bead of cold sweat poured down my head as I balanced dozens of gravity wells. The precise work challenged me, but it was either this or watch her die. Helios lifted his other hand, opening a portal in our room. From it, several more workers walked out, carrying supplies. Helios rolled his shoulders,


    "This place is filthy. It doesn''t matter if we save her from bleeding to death. She will die from infection."


    I wracked my brain for some kind of solution. After a few seconds, I activated Event Horizon and molded it over Caprika. I worked the aura like a surgeon, sterilizing the air and ground near her without actually touching Caprika. I did so among a flurry of steady hands, every practitioner here doing their best to heal her.


    I held up the effort, stabilizing her breathing and heart rate, praying they restarted. A few minutes passed, the doctor''s faces turning grim. Even Helios''s heart rate accelerated and his breath shortened. He leaned over and reached out a hand towards Caprika.


    As he touched her fingertips, he whispered,


    "Please...come back."


    Another minute passed like an eternity. One of the doctors dropped his tools, putting his hands over his face. He gave up. Helios wouldn''t let him. The giant stood up and snapped at the doctor like thunder,


    "I didn''t say you could stop, now did I? Continue before I flay you alive."


    The doctor stammered to pick up his tools and continue working. From behind us, Torix floated into our room. The magician stepped off his dark cloud, landing beside us. He glanced down,


    "Is that...Caprika?"


    Helios growled, "Of course it is. Help her."


    Torix opened his grimoire, channeling several spells at once. After a few seconds, Torix raised a hand and shot a spark of lightning into Caprika''s chest. She convulsed before taking her own sharp breath of air. Her heart started in her chest, moving on its own.


    Helios dropped to his knees, his hands shaking. He looked around for a moment before squeezing his hands into fists. The giant stood up, his composure already back to full force. With pints of blood being pumped into Caprika''s body, her health regen roared back up again, her health ticking back up.


    With tools at their disposal, the doctors began suturing her open arteries shut. At the same time, they wiped antiseptic over her wounds. Some of them even placed a gel that hardened over some of her wounds. With all the support, Caprika''s health ticked up at a slow, steady pace now.


    She was going to make it.


    Helios pointed at the doctors, "We''re taking her to a hospital. Now."


    The titan opened a portal and pointed at it. Without any hesitation, the medical team placed several metal spheres around Caprika. A stretcher formed underneath her, letting them pick her up. The albony doctors lifted her up and pulled her towards the portal.


    As it closed, Helios turned towards us. He looked between Torix and I,


    "It seems as though I''ve underestimated your...resourcefulness. Your assistance is noted. However-" He pointed a hand at Althea, "You both will explain to me why she is unknown and what you''re hiding. If you wish to deny me an explanation."


    The stone around Helios''s feet cracked as he glared at us, "I will use all of you as mana batteries. Is that understood?"


    The way his voice came out was like icicle spears stabbing into my bones. It left me stunned by the absolute nature of it. There was no question of how or when. If we defied him at that moment, he''d destroy us with everything he had.


    Torix placed a hand on my arm, worried I might say something stupid. I spoke aloud,


    "Of course."


    Helios turned towards his portal, his cape flaring. Stepping through it, the behemoth was gone along with all the medical personnel. He left us in an awkward kind of silence.


    Torix let his hands drop onto his sides, "Here I imagined you''d be cheeky with him like you were before. What changed your mind this time?"


    I pointed out where Helios was before, "Seeing him use Yawm''s magic. That shit''s terrifying."


    Torix fell back into a chair of mana, letting his limbs drop to his sides,


    "At least you know when to fear." He leaned back his head, "And here I imagined the undead couldn''t be tired. Alas, I never lived a Harbinger''s lifestyle."


    I grinned, "Eh, you get used to it."

 190 Operations

    As Torix rested, I walked over towards Althea, finding the room still in chaos. I leaned over, seeing the assassin''s face still intact. It was unusual since I killed the assassins most of the time. When I did, the face was usually the first thing to go. Most often because I punched it.


    Anyways, I sat on the bed beside her, manipulating my mass, so I didn''t crush the thing beneath me. I laid a hand over her shoulder, and Althea leaned against me. She shook her head,


    "Damn. The bomb was so close this time. My head got blown away, so I''m kind of woozy still. I was able to get in contact with Helios though."


    I squeezed her to me, "You did great. Can you answer a few questions though?"


    Althea let out a breath full of air, "Uh, yeah. I can do that for sure."


    I pulled myself from her, letting her sort out her thoughts. I pointed at the assassin, "Do you know who she is?"


    Althea shook her head while Torix walked into the room. The lich brushed himself off,


    "I''m ready to continue our inquiry. How are you doing Althea?"


    Althea stood up, "I''m fine. I got rid of the assassin. Don''t know who it was though."


    Torix nodded, opening his status, "Well, the humanoid body and three spikes protruding from her spine lead me to believe she was an Elektra. They''re a rather nomadic species with a knack for assassination. I''ll see if her face isn''t registered in some database somewhere...wait a minute."


    Torix''s fire eyes flared brighter, "She''s Jockovia Nitch. She''s a capper trying to unlock her class after graduating at an academy on Boracosta. She''s been a nomad for the last decade according to her social media. Hmm..."


    Torix shook his head, "After reading her last few posts, it seems she''s been growing desperate to unlock her Breaker class. She must have chosen us as her victims due to our unknown status. Perhaps someone tipped her off..."


    I opened a palm to Torix, "Wait, why would she kill us to unlock her class?"


    Torix balanced a hand, "Most sentient unknowns are considered easier to handle than the equivalently leveled eldritch unknown. This makes unlocking a class simpler if you just find an unknown that''s relatively squishy. Jockovia likely thought a bomb ought to do it."


    Althea crossed her arms, "If you think about it, our disguises weren''t the best either. You''re being broadcasted on a galaxy-wide stream too. There''s bound to be some people who''ve discovered our identities already."


    I detected a bit of an accusation in her tone, so I rolled my eyes, "Your disguise is a thin sheet of cloth that''s almost see through."


    Torix shrugged, "And why did they do it? To look cute."


    Althea''s head dipped down. A pang of guilt ran up my chest, so I laid a hand on her shoulder, "I''m just saying that we can''t, er, point the finger at anyone. Besides, now''s not the time to be placing blame. Let''s, uh, move forward instead, alright?"


    Torix dragged his hand down his face, "Right...My fault in judgment. To the task at hand...What is the task at hand?"


    I cupped my chin, "So, what we need to do is get this disk decrypted, set-up a meeting with Helios to give him the lowdown and figure out where the final Skyburner base is at. And beat the tournament. And probably kill Thisbey and Lehesion. All that in about a month and a half."


    I leaned my face into my hand, "Fuck."


    Torix scoffed, "By Baldowah, you make it sound so easy when you say it like that. Kill a god while fixing a world in less than sixty days. It should be the title of a game show."


    Althea looked up, "Uh, I can get the talk with Helios done if you like."


    One of Torix''s eyes flared, and the other narrowed. It was as if he was raising an eyebrow,


    "How did you get in contact with Helios?"


    Althea shrugged, "Caprika gave me his contact info. That''s how I sent for him to help Caprika in the first place."


    Torix looked back to the scorched room we stayed in, "It''s rather apt of her to do so. That monster can create interplanetary wormholes. The furthest I can manage is a portal spanning several hundred meters at most."


    I grimaced, "Those medical personals where albony. I wonder how far away the portal was?"


    Torix shook his head, "Many light-years no doubt."


    Althea let her hands'' flop on her sides, "How common are powers like that? Are there just world enders everywhere?"


    Torix tsked, "Not everywhere, but that kind of potential is more common than I''d like to imagine, unfortunately. Now, I believe the first order of business is finding Kessiah before we set up a base of operations elsewhere. Putting it lightly, our position has been compromised."


    I gestured a hand to the group, "How about I just burrow us out somewhere in the middle of the forest? We can hunt for food, and the lodging wouldn''t be much worse than here."


    Althea yawned, "Do we have to live under dirt again?"


    Torix clapped his hands once, "In fact, we do. Daniel, go and find that new base location. I''ll collect Kessiah and rendezvous with the new coordinates. Althea, get that meeting set up and give us the times if you could."


    Althea let out a joyless laugh, "Just like old times. Living in a cave."


    I spread out my arms, "Oh come on. It''s not so bad. It''ll be nostalgic."


    Althea sighed, opening her status, "If you say so. I prefer having a bed though."


    I turned to Torix, "It''ll take me an hour to make the new base. I''ll send you the new coordinates then."


    Torix nodded, forming a portal beside himself, "Then we''ll meet in an hour. Good luck." He towards the corpse of the assassin while flipping open his grimoire. After channeling some mana, the fleshy bits of the would be Breaker condensed into a jiggling circle.


    "I''ll take care of the evidence as well. We can''t have any news outlets knowing who the assassin was. Otherwise they might connect the dots and realize we''re unknowns."


    Althea scratched the side of her head, "That''s kind of...gross."


    "Why waste these resources? I''m a necromancer after all." Torix stepped towards his portal, "Hmmm, wormholes...perhaps I should learn the same skill."


    Torix walked through the portal, leaving Althea and me alone. I gave her a thumbs up, "You did damn good killing the assassin like that."


    Althea grimaced, "I''m just glad Kessiah wasn''t here. She''d have died instantly with her level being low as it is."


    A shiver ran up my spine hearing that. Kessiah was the only one among us that wasn''t level capped at this point. Hell, she and I were the only people in our group that lacked a class.


    I shook my head, "Damn...That''s true."


    Althea raised her eyebrows, "You know, sometimes I''m glad Yawm used Etorhma''s Tears on me forever ago. It''s why I''m alive."


    I shrugged, "It''s why you''re hunted."


    She shook her head, "Yup, but after we get rid of our damn unknown statuses, it will be a good thing."


    I put my hands on my hips, "How did Helios find out about your unknown status?"


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She pointed at the singe marks on her clothing, "Well, I didn''t have time to dress again before calling him. Caprika''s a good friend, so I was willing to risk it."


    "It''s kind of crazy you still have an unknown status after becoming a Breaker too, isn''t it? You''re like Schema''s police force. It''s weird that you''re still hunted."


    Althea shrugged, "I mean, if you cleared your bounties and unknown status after getting a class, anyone could commit any crime. If you think about it, you could murder thousands of people then have it just washed away  just like-" Althea snapped her fingers, "that."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Hmmm, it would be a pretty potent loophole."


    Althea waved a hand, "Yeah when I researched it, it was like...a classer gets a quest to clear his bounty, but here''s the catch; the worse your crimes, the harder the quest becomes...or something like that."


    She waved her hands back and forth, "So it, uh, balances itself out or something. I didn''t research it a ton or anything. I''m just telling you off memory."


    I shook my head, "No, I think you got a good handle on the concept. That sounds about right. Makes a lot of sense too." I turned towards the exit, "We should get out of here before something else happens."


    As I turned to walk out, Althea grabbed my arm, "Hey, I''ll send a message to Kiki Mosk about our change in living arrangements too."


    I glanced at her, "Why?"


    "So you''re entering the quarterfinals in the next fight. They want to do a prefight interview with your opponent."


    My shoulders drooped, "Wait...an interview?"


    Althea smiled, "Yup."


    I looked up at the sky and spread out my arms, "Noooo...my ultimate weakness."


    Althea giggled, "I figured you''d say that. Good luck, deary."


    I scoffed, "Oh thank you so much for your compliment love."


    She looked up at me with a cheeky grin, "Anytime."


    I pulled up my face mask to give her a kiss as we left. We split up after that, letting her hide for her messaging. I flew down the side of Rivaria''s mountain. After a few minutes, I passed the stadium where the Honoring of Lehesion was held. Once at the bottom of the slope, trees came back into view.


    I found a dense cluster of them, finding a rooted hallow under a massive, fan-leaf tree. The leaves of it looked like elephant ears, giving it a substantial reach compared to most plants. Top that off with the premade entrance for a cave base, and it was a winner winner chicken dinner in my book.


    Terrible phrases aside, I burrowed beneath the hollow of roots, creating a staircase. As I did, I melted rock, reshaping it into steps. Before going more in-depth, I removed my gray disguise. I tore strips of my skin off, melting and shaping the metal into arcs. I used these as structural supports. I also embedded tall pillars of my darkened armor, reinforcing the dirt.


    New Skill Gained! Construction(lvl 1) - You choose to reform nature to do your bidding. Enhances constructional integrity by 1%.


    I appreciated the extra skill but forged onward. After fixing up a spacious hallway, I created a glowing ball of metal above me like a torch. Using its light, I etched a diagram planning out the rest of the rooms. With a plan in motion, I stood up and got to work.


    Engineering(lvl 1) - By using your knowledge, you craft innovation into your creations. +1% to planning speed of structures. -1% to structural faults while creating structures.


    The skill creation tree was still paying dividends. I got back to the job at hand, putting my skills to use. Turns out, gravity magic and heating magic were a potent combo for construction work. Who''d have guessed?


    Fifteen minutes in, I already cleared out a room with high ceilings. I coated the insides with a layer of molten rock found nearby. I even let the rock cool slowly, making it stronger than if I chilled it quickly. Every time I ended up snap freezing the lava I made, it turned the stone into obsidian. While sharp, obsidian didn''t make for useful building material. It was brittle, like glass.


    So I let it cool over a few minutes, forming it into a crystalline granite. Combining the coating with my metal supports, and the base was more like a bomb shelter than a forest base. Considering Althea''s complaints, I sculpted portions of the walls using Star Forger.


    With the majority of the job finished, I figured I might as well enjoy the rest of the project. I ran through the forest, finding several kinds of stone. I carried them back, melting them into giant blobs of glowing lava. With those as my resource, I created pillars of marble, floors of glass, and decoration of shale.


    In an hour, I constructed a building with actual depth, much better than our old room. It was fun making it and seeing just how much I could get done in that hour. I ended up sending the message for everyone to come back, but I kept working as they were coming. I wanted everyone to be impressed.


    After all, I had the reputation of a complete brute. Shattering their expectations seemed more than a little satisfying. With that in mind, I finished the doorway by marking it with a few runic enchantments.


    I did so for every room, even going so far as creating a barrier around the entire underground base. I charged the rune with mana, overdoing it quite a bit. I wasn''t about to let someone come here after the bombings. I''d know they were here, and I''d grind up their limbs and choke them on the mush before I let them hurt Althea again.


    Dark thoughts aside, I placed a few charged ambers around the base from my dimensional storage. They gave off a lovely golden light, putting me at ease as I walked in. I finished that last part just as Althea showed up. As she did, she walked up to the doorway with her shoulders slumped,


    "Yup. Another base in the dirt."


    I shrugged, playing along, "What else did you expect? I''m a fighter, not a base maker."


    She winced, "Oh man, there''s going to be creepy crawlies and roots on the roof, aren''t there?"


    I weighed a hand back and forth, "Something like that."


    As we walked down the steps, her jaw went slack. She gawked at the artistry I managed to cobble together, a looked of glee in her eyes. She ran around the place, finding the same fixtures in all five of the bedrooms. Althea ended up running up to me and punching my shoulder.


    I rubbed it, pretending it hurt as she put her hands on her hips, "What the hell! Not a base maker, huh..."


    I smirked, "Oh really? I didn''t think you''d be impressed with just this. I whipped this up real quick after all...And I heard someone was dreading a cave base again. I figured I could put some effort into it."


    She laughed, hugging me to her, "I love you so much. Thank you."


    I hugged her back, "You''re welcome, and I love you too."


    My runic enchantments flared, warning me that someone was here. I skulked up the steps, looking around. Torix hovered over the base with Kessiah landing beside him. They found me at the entrance, Torix floating over,


    "Ah, this location will suit us nicely. Hidden and relatively close to the tournament grounds."


    Kessiah walked up, her eyes glassy. I turned a palm to her,


    "Hey, Kessiah...You alright?"


    She sighed, "Yeah. I couldn''t believe another bomb went off though. Kind of...took me by surprise."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why? Seems pretty normal to me."


    She shivered, "I''d have died if it almost killed Caprika."


    I tapped my teeth, tsking under my helmet. Kessiah wasn''t the most practical person, but she was grounded when it counts. She realized how close to death she came. I waved my hands, "Eh, you''d have been fine I''m sure. I wouldn''t stress about it too much."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Yeah, coming from Mr. Immortal, that''s easy to say."


    I frowned, "Yeah, you''re going to be just fine."


    Kessiah nodded, "Yeah, I''ll be alright. I just need to...rethink a few things. I mean for Schema''s sake, Torix got a fucking class. I got to start moving before I''m left behind."


    Torix leaned to her, "Left further behind."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes while Torix pointed at the entrance,


    "Banter aside, would you mind showing us the inside? Time is of the essence."


    I turned and shuffled down the steps while waving them over, "Come on in."


    They both walked down, Kessiah mumbling, "Woah, I haven''t even found a family of roaches yet. Yay."


    I waved a finger, "You haven''t seen anything yet."


    They walked down into the expanse, Kessiah whistling, "Woah, you really outdid yourself with this one. This is almost as nice as the hotel room."


    I shook my head, "No plumbing or electricity here though."


    Torix shrugged, "It matters little. Basic investment into endurance and constitution makes us nigh immune to discomfort from the environment. Water will be the only issue, and I can solve that with a bit of origin magic."


    I pointed at the rooms, "Cool. That''s where you guys will be staying. The rooms are all the same besides Althea and mine. It''s bigger since there''s two of us."


    Kessiah propped her weight onto her hip, "Is there anything to do out here?"


    Torix patted her shoulder, "I''m certain a cave-woman like you can entertain yourself with sticks, stones, and probably the mud as well."


    Kessiah crossed her arms, "Hah, hah. Funny."


    Althea raised a hand, "Hey, everybody."


    We turned to her. Althea pointed at the center of the room, "So uh, Helios is going to be here soon."


    Torix raised an eyebrow, "Could you contextualize soon for us. A day, a wee-"


    A portal appeared at the center of the room. Helios walked out of it, his head almost scraping the ceiling. The amber glow brandished off his cape, his fur jutting out from around his neck. It gave his clothes a comfortable vibe, making them look hella comfy.


    Helios glanced around, inspecting my handiwork. He nodded his head up and down slowly, "Well...This isn''t the shanty shack I expected. It far exceeds the provisions offered by the gialgathens here in fact. Did you make it, sorcerer?"


    Torix shook his head and pointed at me. Helios scoffed, "Multi-talented aren''t you?"


    I crossed my arms, "You wanted to know about us, right?"


    Helios raised a hand, a crackling sound spreading around us. As the air turned blue, he coalesced the atomic energy and snapped his fingers. From beneath him, azure spines of ice rose up and created a throne for him. He sat down on it, leaning onto a hand like he was a king,


    "Tell me everything."


    I pressed the gray square over my armor, lying not an option here. As the disguise came off, Helios rose up off of his icy throne and laughed,


    "Well, well, well...Do my eyes deceive me here? The killer of Yawm was right here under my nose all along..."


    I spread out my arms, the gray square for cloaking me in hand,


    "It''s the Harbinger of Cataclysm in the flesh."


    Helios steepled his fingers and leaned forward,


    "Interesting."

 191 A Fever Pitch

    Helios began a slow, self-derisive laugh. It mounted in volume, resonating through the underground room like a hurricane of sound. A shiver ran up my spine, his voice putting me on edge. As the cacophony came to an end, Helios spread his hands in defeat,


    "To think such a simple guise would fool me for so long...I still have much to learn. Some of that learning will revolve around you, however."


    He interlocked his fingers, pointing at me, "So then...Why are you on Giess and why are you helping my sister?"


    I explained our unknown statuses, how we were getting rid of them, and trying to erase our bounties. I also elaborated on how bullshit it was for Schema to still have us be hunted even after we killed Yawm. As I finished giving him the barebone basics, Helios rolled his eyes,


    "That''s the skeleton of why you''re on Giess. It explains little of why you entered the tournament or what you''ve done since coming here."


    With his prodding, I relented more info about what we did here. This cycle of giving just enough to answer his question then Helios goading more knowledge from me continued. By the end of it, I spilled everything we''d done since coming here, including the bit about Skyburners and Giess''s glassing.


    Helios stared at me the entire time, soaking it all in. As I watched him, he made mental adjustments about the situation and our own decisions. By the time he finished assessing our plight, he was cracking each knuckle one by one,


    "This is a wealth of knowledge that my sister hid from me well. I''d be impressed if I wasn''t so disappointed in her already. Her involvement with your success has been minimal at its most and abysmal at its worst. My understanding was that you all held her back in a certain regard. If that was the case, I would have already flayed you all alive. Instead, I''m rather intrigued."


    Helios gestured to the runic markings on my forearms, "Those runes in particular...where did you get them from?"


    "From some offwor-"


    Helios clamped his fist, making a loud clap of sound. It silenced me as he sighed in a suppressed anger,


    "I''ve already proven I can tell when you lie. Answer me honestly, and you will not be harmed."


    Helios tilted his head, "Hmm, most likely anyway."


    Great. Just great.


    "Alright. Calm down. I made them."


    "So another lie then. I suppose-"


    A well of anger rose out of my chest, my patience for his bullshit thinning. I clamped my own hand shut, silencing him just like he silenced me,


    "I can prove it."


    I whipped out my grimoire and etched in a basic runic carving of the cipher. It represented endurance, a rune I was intimately familiar with. I channeled into it for a few seconds before making the cipher rune float above the page. I flicked the white rune, sending it onto the ground. It singed into the stone, leaving the intricate detail intact.


    Helios was leaning on his throne, keeping his hands on the armrests.


    "So I''ve met three that can write in the language now. The Emperor, Baldowah, and now you. The other two are a given, but you...you''re an anomaly, aren''t you?"


    I tried downplaying my significance. Having extraterrestrial parties take interest in me would fuck us over."Eh, sort of. I''m not that different from a normal capper to be honest."


    "Oh, we''ll have to disagree about that. Considering your outlier status, you pose a tremendous threat to our Empire. As as example, several of my abilities were granted by the Emperor before I left our home planet. Using those advantages, I was able to circumvent the limitations of Schema''s system. My own mana generation is a result of just that."


    Helios rubbed his gauntlet, the cipher etched onto the metal,


    "It took my uncle several months before he was able to charge enough mana into the rune to finish it, yet you did it in seconds and without atomic manipulation. Explain."


    "It wasn''t that big a deal."


    "You fail to understand the nature of your situation. I am not questioning you to gain information from you. I am justifying your survival. You see, you''re a threat. Threats are to be eliminated unless I can prove they aren''t threats. By hiding who and what you are, you''re only digging your grave deeper, and my mercy is by no means never ending. So Speak."


    A cold bead of sweat dripped down my forehead. At this point, showing him everything I had was my only out. I waved my friends away, and Torix, Kessiah, and Althea stepped away from me. I channeled mana into my runes, topping them off in a second. As I drained mana from the cipher runes on my forearms, the air around me blurred. Crimson lightning bolted from my skin. Cracks of pure energy radiated down my metal armor, the darkened ore oozing with unrestrained violence.


    It seeped into the stone, the air, even the dimensional fabric around me. I produced a subtle warp in it, the volume of mana almost limitless. That mana infested my blood and bones, telling me to rip and tear. I gritted my teeth, forcing it to bend to my will. Without my vast reserves of willpower, it would consume me in seconds.


    I''d become the plaything of my own mana. Fortunately, that wasn''t the case. Practice made perfect, and I was more than used to this by now. After a few seconds of creating a hyper-dense cloud of mana, droplets formed around me. Like a glowing rain, they dripped down onto the ground around me. Althea was exposed to a tiny whiff of the mana cloud, and her eyes dilated. Like some stimulant, she growled as her body reformed, the mana utterly excessive to what she could handle.


    She bent down, grabbing the sides of her head. She growled, "Cut it off or I''ll lose my mind."


    I snapped the mana shut, siphoning it into the rune on my forearms. The liquid mana evaporated as I breathed it back in. Even Helios seemed affected as he raised out a shaking hand,


    "Incredible. You''ve more mana than even the emperor and I combined. To think a being could produce this much mana internally. An engine of destruction, aren''t you?"


    I turned to Althea, "You alright?"


    She raised a hand, "I''m fine. Your mana is much denser than last time you did the same thing. I didn''t think it would have this much of an effect on me...That''s all."


    She was holding back how much the mana impacted her. Beneath her skin, her body rippled like an ocean wave. It had been a long time since I''d seen her struggle to control her transformations. The sheer surge of mana was threatening to overwhelm her though. Torix noticed, so he walked over,


    "Quit being prideful and send the extra mana through the conduit. You''ll be poisoned at this rate."


    She wheezed, "I''m sorry. I forgot. I''ll...I''ll do that."


    A sense of panic rose in my chest when I heard her struggle. It made me feel like some weapon of mass destruction, ready to crush something without even meaning too. I clenched my fist as Helios gave me a slow claps,


    "Extraordinary. Yes, I believe the Emperor and you have much to discuss. You may prove very useful given some convincing."


    I glared at him, "It might take a lot of convincing."


    "The Emperor can pose a few compelling arguments I''m sure."


    Althea shouted at him, the mana still affecting her, "So what is it you fuck? We''re your slaves now?"


    Helios banged one his armrests, "It''s that potent, isn''t it? She''s a Breaker, yet you brought her to her knees in seconds! Have you ever imagined using it to invigorate an army? The carnage they''d inflict...It would be legendary."


    I frowned, "I did it once. It was a last resort against Yawm. It worked pretty well, but I figured I''d focus on other things. It''s gotten a lot more potent since then, so I''m pretty sure it would just kill them."


    "I''ve seen plenty. Then it''s settled. After you''ve finished your errands here on Giess, you''ll be summoned to see the Emperor. I''m certain he''ll have much to discuss with someone who mirrors him in many ways."


    Althea roared in outrage, "You think-"


    Helios pressed his fingertips together, encapsulating Althea in a field of azure ice. I turned to her my eyes widening. Before I could kill this piece of dogshit, he gestured a palm to me,


    "She will be fine though silent for the rest of this conversation. In fact, your mana is a far larger problem for her health then my ice. I kept the ice outside of her skin, preventing it from freezing her blood. A simple flick and it would consume her, creating a bloom of red. She''d be beautiful, wouldn''t she?"


    I froze in place, stunned by his ease at killing Althea.


    "I mean no harm, however. She needed to be calmed before she lost herself. Just as well, she means quite a bit to you, so she means something to the Empire as well. I truly didn''t wish to be impolite. I hope you believe that as you''re valuable...in a sense."


    Helios cracked a knuckle, "Regardless, I''m rather pressed for time as you may imagine."


    Helios cracked his neck before standing, "Whether you save this planet or not, you will see the Emperor afterward. He has much to teach you, should you listen to him. Send me your coordinates after the time limit for Giess is up. I''ll send someone to pick you up."


    Helios opened a portal, "Defy me, and you''ll face the brunt of the Empire and all its allies'' might. Understood?"


    I spoke through gritted teeth, "Understood."


    "Excellent. Your ire aside, you saved my sister. If you happen to need assistance, I shall grant it. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    He walked through his portal while snapping his fingers. As he did, The ice around Althea evaporated into mist. She fell down, gasping for air. Torix hissed, "Oh he''ll pay for that."


    I took a deep breath, my blood boiling, "I''ll take the blood out of his body and make that fucker drown in it."


    Torix raised a palm to me, "Perhaps not that far."


    I grunted, "Eh, probably the mana talking."


    Althea let out a loud, hacking cough. I snapped out of my anger, jogging over to Althea, making sure she was ok. She gave me a woozy thumbs up like she was drunk, "Hey...I''m alright. I just need to sleep...you made beds right?"


    "Of course I did."


    She laid down onto the floor, "That''s, uh, good...Wait a minute! They aren''t rock beds are they?"


    Caught red-handed, I stood up straight, "Uh...maybe."


    Torix rolled his eyes, "Enough. I''ll pull something not so stony for you to lay out on." The lich looked up to me, "Be more careful with your mana. You could''ve killed her."


    I bit my lip while looking down. I took a deep breath, "Yeah...I''m sorry. I won''t do it again."


    "Make sure of it. otherwise I will."


    The mage lifted her with telekinesis before stepping into our room. As he closed the door, Kessiah walked up to me,


    "Oof. That was...wow. Helios is strong isn''t he?"


    "Yeah. He''s an asshole too."


    Kessiah took a few deep breaths, steadying herself. The conversation impacted her more than I thought it would. She shook her head, glancing up at me,


    "Hey, did you really make us rock beds?"


    She was using humor to cope. I figured I''d help her out."


    "What, they feel just like beds to me."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Yup. Classic Daniel. Real thoughtful there."


    I crossed my arms, "I don''t see you making beds for anyone, now do I?"


    Kessiah gritted her teeth "Yeah...I don''t see myself doing much of anything honestly."


    There was a deep bitterness there. I decided to pull back in the conversation,


    "You know I was just joking, right?"


    Kessiah let out a long sigh, "Yeah, you are. I''m not. I''m fucking useless."


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I winced. I wanted to deny it, but hey, sometimes the truth hurts. Kessiah looked up at me, expecting something. I stayed silent, so her shoulders drooped,


    "Well fuck...You could at least pretend like it wasn''t true."


    I shrugged, "I mean, it doesn''t matter what I think about it. If you think it''s true, then it''s true."


    She blinked, "Ok...asshole..." She looked away, "You''re right though. I don''t know if you noticed, but my hands were shaking the entire time that guy was here. I was terrified. He could kill me without even thinking about it. Same with your mana cloud. It''s like I''m surrounded by monsters now."


    I recoiled a bit at being called a monster. Kessiah met my eye, "Was Yawm like that the entire time?"


    I shook my head, a bit peeved at what she said earlier,


    "No. He was much worse. Helios is a narcissistic, egomaniac fuckface. Yawm...Yawm was more than that. He had this way of worming into your head and making you doubt everything you knew to be true."


    I stared at my hands, "And before you know it, you want him to be right even if he''s wrong. Hell, there comes a tipping point were I almost sided with him just because it felt like the right thing to do. That kind of presence...it''s haunting."


    I looked off into the distance, "Helios is strong, maybe even stronger than Yawm. I don''t know honestly. The thing is, Helios doesn''t have that same effect on me. He''s just a piece of shit I deal with."


    I kept staring off into the distance, "As for Yawm, I''m still terrified I''ll end up like him." I raised my hands, leaving an inch of space between my index finger and my thumb, "I''m this close to being like him. I mean even my friends are calling me monsters now and acting like I''m not human anymore."


    "Well, you''re not human. I didn''t mean that part about monsters either. It was more about how much weaker I was than how ridiculous you guys were. Hell, I can''t tell who''s stronger between you and Helios. You could both kill me in a second, so does it even matter?"


    I looked back to her, "I guess not."


    "I can''t believe you''re still sane after that...And I was older than you. I was three times your level. I left you to do that all on your own..."


    Kessiah leaned over, a bit of water welling in her eyes, "Man...I can''t believe I did that. I''m pathetic."


    I watched her, unable to help with her suffering. I wasn''t the kind of guy to say the right thing at the right time. I''d never been that kind of person. I was too selfish and self centered for that kind of thing. Either that or it was my emotional intelligence. I''d been compared to a rock in that regard, and I felt it was a fair comparison.


    Still, I wanted to help as her pain was white hot and deep as an ocean. It was like she was putting herself into her own personal hell, and I didn''t know how to help pull her out of it. I had to say something though, so I put a hand on her shoulder,


    "So, uhm, it''s ok."


    I cursed at myself, wishing I wasn''t a fucking idiot.


    Kessiah let out a sad laugh, "Thanks for trying. At least you didn''t tell me to quit being a pansy about it."


    "I''m sorry. I''m...not the best at this. My gut instinct is to tell you to quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something about your situation. That doesn''t work for everybody though. Just, uh, focus on what you can do about it. The past, it''s gone. You can do something right now though."


    I stood up, trying to keep my words tactful,


    "Besides, wallowing in guilt doesn''t do much, does it?"


    Fuck. I needed to really work on this. I was more like a drill sergeant then a friend.


    Kessiah pulled herself together, and went back to deflecting with humor, "Thank you, sir for the pep talk. Real helpful."


    "Well, at least I don''t have to worry about being as charismatic as Yawm."


    Kessiah propped her weight onto one hip, "Aye, stop doubting yourself. We''re talking about how pathetic I am, not you."


    I let out a reluctant grin, "Heh, if you say so."


    Kessiah raised her hands, "For real though, I really could use some work. I was over a 1,000 levels above that bag of bones when he asked me to come to earth. Since then, he''s a Speaker, and he''s tripled my level already. At this point, I went from the weak link to just...ugh."


    "The thing is, you can fix the levels pretty fast. Go clear dungeons or kill silvers. Problem solved. That''s not where your problem is." I tapped my temple, "It''s up here with you. It''s like...you self destruct or something. You can''t get focused ever since you tapped out against Yawm. Quit focusing on your failures and start working towards success. It''s that simple."


    Kessiah looked down while crossing her arms, "Yeah...I should do that."


    I raised my hands, "Never too late for redemption. You got the talent. Get your shit together, and you''ll be a world breaker. I mean that. I remember when you first used your blood arts. You wiped the floor with me. If you got a good handle on that and backed it up with some raw stats, you''d be formidable. If you added a Breaker class to that, and you''d be outright terrifying."


    She looked up to me, "You''re not fucking with me, right?"


    "Look, we talk shit about you, but don''t misunderstand the situation. You have potential." I poked her shoulder, "Go realize it."


    I turned around, walking over towards our room, "I got to see what the hell is taking Torix so long though. Good luck."


    Kessiah reached out, "Wait a minute. I forgot to tell you. Did you ever see the news?"


    I let my hands plop against my sides, "What do you think?"


    A tiny grin spread over her face, "Hah. Got you there at least." She raised her hands, "Anyways, Thisbey is using the bombing on our room to frame the gialgathens. It''s causing some riots. You know, serious shit."


    I bit my lip, "Fuck. It''s one problem after the other."


    Kessiah let out a hollow laugh, "You haven''t heard anything yet. According to a rumor mill, there''s been a revolutionary group going around clearing Dungeons. They''re espens that are leveling up so that they can kill the gialgathens or some crazy shit. It''s insane."


    My eyes widened, "They''re leveling to commit genocide?"


    Kessiah took a sharp breath in, "Hey, I''m just the messenger."


    I glanced down, "What the fuck is wrong with people?"


    Kessiah shrugged, "Eh, pretty much everything. Just got to deal with it, right?"


    I glanced down at her, "Yeah...That''s right."


    She pointed up at me, "Hah, that''s something you told me forever ago. Anyways, thanks for the pep talk. I think it''s about time I start kicking ass and taking names."


    I raised my eyebrows while looking away, "It''s about damn time."


    Kessiah hit my elbow with a playful punch, but she ended up breaking one of her finger bones. She leaned over, grabbing her hand, "By Baldowah your skin is like...like I don''t know. Jesus. Fuck."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why''d you say Jesus?"


    Kessiah waved me off, "I don''t fucking know. You always mention the guy whenever something bad happens. I figured it might help. If you''re wondering, it didn''t."


    I raised a hand and pinched my fingers together. As I did, I telekinetically set the bones in her hand. Kessiah growled, "Aghhhhhh. Fuck you."


    I gave her a grin, "Your welcome. For real, good luck with pulling it together."


    She stood up straight, "You too. And uh...thanks. You know, for everything."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I was helping myself most of the time. I wouldn''t give myself to much credit."


    I turned and walked off. As I did, Kessiah sighed and murmured to herself,


    "Alright, Kessiah...you got to get your shit together. Come on. Come on. Let''s do this. No more going to bars or lounging in bed...ok, maybe a little lounging."


    I suppressed a laugh, walking into our room. As I opened the door, Torix was casting some green, healing magic over Althea. I raised an eyebrow as I closed the door behind me, "Is she sick?"


    Torix shook his head, "Not exactly. I was more so checking her vitals for poisons and whatnot. After the fiasco at Rivaria, I''ve become more paranoid you see."


    I tsked, "Yeah, so have I." I watched him use the green magic for a few seconds, "So uh, could you teach me that? I''ve been doing surgery with gravity magic recently. Turns out, it''s not exactly the worst thing to use, but I''m pretty sure there are better tools out there."


    Torix scoffed, "You''re right about that." He opened his dimensional storage, pulling out a dusty old tome. He tossed it at me, and I snatched it out of the air. With my other hand, I pressed my fingertips together, compressing the erupting cloud of dust let off by the book.


    I burnt it once I collected the lint. Torix ceased his magic and clapped his hands, "Bravo. You''ve become a fine mage, integrating such complex magic for miscellaneous tasks."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Oh this? It''s because of Force of Nature. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have this kind of finesse. It''s a pretty absurd skill, to be honest."


    Torix nodded, "Most branches of magic are when taken to their extremes. Oddly enough, I don''t know if you could even implement healing magic with your current limitations."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What, why?"


    Torix gestured towards Althea, "Helios''s ice isn''t what left Althea delirious like that. It was the side effects of mana toxicity."


    My eyes widened, "I poisoned Althea with that little bit of mana?"


    Torix sighed, "Indeed you did. You see, your health and mana are one. You can actually channel your mana directly into someone''s wounds to heal them. The issue revolves around its effect on someone''s mind."


    Torix waved his hands around, "You deal with unbelievably high volumes of mana at once. You could deluge someone''s central nervous system, completely overloading it and frying them as if they were on an electric chair."


    Torix cupped his chin, "In fact, it could make for a devastating combat move. Your mana elicits violence and destructive impulses after all. Perhaps causing some infighting would be very difficult to stop."


    I frowned, "It''s motivating too. You know, energizing and all that."


    Torix swung a finger, pointing a finger in the air at the same time, "Precisely my point. That rush of violence can leave someone in a state of comatose if you overdue the mana sent to them. In fact, imagine if you sent that kind of mana into Caprika. She''s even flimsier than Althea. She might even have mutated into something like an eldritch. Perhaps even worse."


    I grimaced, "So no healing magic then? Got it."


    Torix tilted his head, "Hmmm. Not necessarily. You''d need some kind of limiter or the like; otherwise, you might send too much mana. After all, if you even sneezed, you might make someone explode. To be honest, you''re not the best candidate for learning healing magic. Kessiah, on the other hand, would be quite adept at it."


    I rolled my eyes, "Pff, Kessiah can''t even get out of bed early."


    Torix spread out his hands, "I wouldn''t be so sure. Kessiah''s Blood Magic lineage gives her a tremendous amount of manipulative ability with blood itself. That means she could create blood, take away blood, etc. It is potent for both healing and attacking in that regard."


    Torix waved his hand in disgust, "That being said, she''d never take the time to learn it. Alas, for professor, there is no greater shame than wasted talent."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I wouldn''t be so sure. She might have finally gotten motivated."


    Torix looked at me. He walked up and placed a hand on my shoulder, "If there''s one thing I learned about her long ago, it''s that she''s a time bomb. The moment she gets herself together, she just implodes under pressure."


    Torix let his hands down, "I believe it''s out of a lingering sense of self-hatred after she accidentally killed her parents. Maybe she believes she''s unworthy of her gifts? Maybe she believes she doesn''t deserve happiness? It could even be out of sheer fear of her Blood Magic after watching it consume her family in front of her."


    Torix looked down and nodded slowly,


    "Hard thing that...to lose one''s family that is. After I say it out loud, it makes more sense why she''s struggling. It would be like if you killed Althea with your mana just now. It might be hard to use it afterwards, as you''d fear another mishap of the same vein."


    He was right about that. I couldn''t even imagine what that would be like. Maybe telling Kessiah to suck it up wasn''t the right approach. I''d have to think about it later.


    Torix counted on his fingers, "Anyways, can you reinforce the base by a bit? I''ve already planted many agents around the area, casted several wards, and I added a few choice traps at choke points. If you wouldn''t mind adding a few extra runic repulsing spells around the area, it would give my mind a sense of ease."


    I whistled, "Woah, that''s quite a bit of security."


    Torix''s blue fire eyes flared red, "I was the one that defended us against most of the assassins that came at us before Yawm. I moved our base and our troops while cloaking us. I''ve gotten slack, so now twice I failed. Never again. Your assistance will help reinforce that."


    I gave him a thumbs up, "I don''t think you should take it to heart. It''s everyone''s responsibility to stay alive. Not just yours to keep them that way."


    "Perhaps, but perhaps not. We each specialize in our own respective fields of study. My necromancy and troop management make me a natural information specialist. You''re our vanguard in battle, absorbing enemy aggression and throwing their ranks into utter chaos. Althea''s our assassin, jumping in and out of our plane much like Ajax did."


    Torix looked up, "Hmmm, perhaps Kessiah could become our healer. After all, her aversion to combat seems consistent. Using her magic to help her allies might suit her better despite her rather coarse personality. Anyways, I set up a meeting with Kiki Mosk in an hour at the tournament site. He mentioned something about the interview, so I''m certain you didn''t mind."


    I let out a long sigh, "Of course not."


    Torix laughed, "Excellent. I won''t miss the interview, I promise. It sounds far too entertaining watching you out of your element."


    "Thanks a lot. Real helpful."


    "As always. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    I rolled my eyes as I trecked out into the forest for a few minutes after. I carved runic inscriptions into a few stones nearby, charging them with mana. After I finished setting them up, I reinforced the base again, this time for security. I composed strips along the edges of the building.


    It was crazy what I was doing when I thought about it. I tore my skin off, melted it with my life force, then used it to make a cool base. Odd.


    After finishing the project, I sprinted off towards the stadium where the honoring of Lehesion took place. I came out of the trees from a different angle then our base was at. After all, I didn''t know if Kiki helped the assassin. I didn''t want to take any chances either way.


    With the dilapidated ruins coming into view, Kiki waiting along the upper edge of the stadium. As I leaped up to him, he spread out his hands,


    "Ah, if it isn''t the man of the hour. Where did you and your compatriots head off to?"


    I frowned, "Nowhere you need to know about."


    Kiki gave me a warm grin, "Right answer. Trust no one. We can''t afford to lose you! Our ratings have never been higher than this year. We''ve even got a reasonable following of extraplanetary viewers. You''re that captivating. It must feel really, really great!"


    I grumbled, "Yeah. That''s, uh, great...Can you tell me what you want? I''m busy."


    Kiki waved his arms, "Ah yes. I called you here to inform you about the interview''s specifics. You''ve got three rounds left. Each of these next fights will take place at the stadium as the other fights did. The rounds will have you face to face with your opponent, both of you talking a bit of trash."


    I rolled my eyes, "Oh come on."


    Kiki waved a finger, "Now now, Daniel. You can make a huge splash in these interviews. This is a chance for people to get to know you after all."


    "Something tells me people won''t like what they hear."


    Kiki cupped his hands together, "I wouldn''t be so sure. You''re an everyday man who''s extraordinary at the same time. People love it when an exceptional individual acts as if they aren''t exceptional. It doesn''t remind them they''re mediocre."


    He spread out his hands, "Why else do you think everyone likes it when a celebrity is humble? It makes the star boring, but at least your average viewer won''t be bombarded by cognitive dissonance. That''s a big no-no."


    "Uh...Yeah, sure."


    Kiki clenched his hands into fists, "Just let everyone know the real Daniel. You''ll do wonders I''m sure."


    "If you say so."


    Kiki frowned, his multicolored suit shining, "You don''t seem very enthusiastic."


    I sure wasn''t. Thisbey was using me. Kiki was using me. Hell, everyone I met since coming to Giess was using me in some way or the other. To be honest, I was sick of it.


    "I''m not. This sucks. I just want to fight, win, get the compendium, then get out. That''s literally it. You and this whole show business aspect of it can burn in a fire at this point."


    Kiki raised his eyebrows, "Wow...That''s really something."


    I gave Kiki a pat on his shoulder, "Don''t worry about it. I''ll do wonders like you said."


    As I turned around, Kiki shouted, "Remember, the interview is tomorrow at 12:00 P.M. here."


    I gave him a thumbs up.


    I spent the rest of the day doing research for the final Skyburner''s base. With all of the gialgathen''s history being oral, it made figuring anything out into a huge chore at best. Research wasn''t my strong suit either, and Torix was too busy making sure our ironclad fortress was truly invincible.


    Still, I did gain a few hints and a good idea of where to get my answer from. My next opponent in the tournament was a general for Emagrotha like the last. Her name was Ygsdrados something or the other. She was present at the fight between Lehesion and Emagrotha, so getting her to spill the beans shouldn''t be too hard.


    As the morning of the interview came, I had a creeping suspicion that it wouldn''t be so easy.


    I was right.

 192 A Vast Universe

    I spent the morning prepping with Torix for the interview. He and I brainstormed some common questions, and I practiced hiding my identity. He even cast a few wards over me, helping hide my identity further. With everything handled, we trecked off into the forest, taking the long way to the stadium.


    As we walked, I turned towards Torix, "I haven''t seen Kessiah around lately. Has she been in Rivaria?"


    Torix peered at his status as we walked across the rolling hills, "I don''t believe so. In fact, I found Kessiah in her room of all things. She studied out of a medical textbook I gave her, the same as the one I gave you."


    "No shit? Wow. How did that happen?"


    "I racked my brain for some method of pushing her into pursuing healing magic, as we discussed before. If I told her anything, she''d likely work towards the opposite. Instead, I hammered in the importance of healing magic to Althea. After doing so, Althea chatted with Kessiah about how helpless our team was when medical emergencies arose. The rest, well, is history."


    I picked up the pace, jogging along. Torix kept up.


    "After your warning about healing magic, I figured it wasn''t going to happen for me. It doesn''t mesh well with my current setup either. Good thing she''s trying it out."


    "I''m rather rudimentary at healing as well. Nonetheless, a basic understanding can allow for first aid in dire situations. Besides, you need some method for healing your healer should they be harmed. Otherwise, they take on an undue risk when venturing out with their party members."


    We reached the top of a hill as I leaped into the air, pulling myself up with gravity. Torix floated along on mana cloud. With wind whistling in my ears, we landed onto the edge of the stadium. On one of the platforms for gialgathens, a film crew set up the lighting and cameras for the interview. A crowd of different people stood around the spot, making sure everything was ready for the shoot.


    A dozen aliens congregated near the spot, waiting around for something. They were a different kind of bunch, many of them varying wildly from espens in shape and form. Before we approached, Torix leaned over towards me,


    "There are likely other factions across the galaxy that have taken up an interest in you now that you''ve become relatively famous."


    "Why?"


    Torix pointed at the crowd, "You''ve displayed a wide variety of skills. They''ve no doubt taken an interest in your abilities and would like to use them for their own gain."


    "Doesn''t everybody?"


    "In their own way, I suppose. Keep in mind that you may use them as well, however. Creating a mutually beneficial relationship is essential over the long term."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Alright. Any pro-tips on who those people are?"


    Torix raised a hand, but before he could speak, one of the film crew spotted us. In a pressurized suit, a short and tubby enigmatta glanced at us with glowing eyes and a facemask. He pointed,


    "It''s about time you guys showed up. Come on up. Don''t be shy," His voice radiated from an intercom on his suit. He found us before we could come up with a game plan. Fuck. We walked up slowly, letting me analyze him,


    Grotokia Lom(lvl 1,353 | Guild: None | Association: Galactic Filming Race: Enigmatta) - A member of the Galactic Filming corporation, Grotokia Lom is a pacifist by heart. He enjoys drinking beer with friends and spending time with family. Outside of his hobbies, he''s built up a career as a hardball reporter with a knack for digging deeper than most.


    That hardball approach has left him with many enemies throughout many worlds, however. His entertaining approach is a subject of controversy in certain cultures, though nothing he does is illegal. He poses no threat to your life, though your reputation is at risk.


    I held back a grimace, pacing up to Grotokia and the crowd of strangers. Besides for the enigmatta, all the other races were foreign to me. At half my height, Grotokia walked up and grabbed my arm. He pointed towards the crowd,


    "Your opponent isn''t here yet. Her name is Chrona Carsiary. She''s a diehard Emagrotha supporter and general. Can''t quite accept that the war is over. She''ll try to whip up a bunch of politics, so be ready for that."


    Still skeptical, I followed him, "Uh, thanks."


    Grotokia put me in front of two aliens and turned to walk off, leaving me behind, "Talk with some of the show''s sponsors while we wait. They''d love to hear about you from the man himself."


    I narrowed my eyes at the guy, irked that he roped me into this. Beside me, a blue, glowing sphere of energy was arguing with something reminiscent of a pitbull fused with a crocodile. Torix placed a hand onto my shoulder,


    "I''ll be roaming nearby, perhaps speaking with a few of these individuals to develop a network of contacts. Do your best, and enjoy your first taste of the wider galaxy. You''ve earned it."


    The crocodile pit raised his voice, swinging his hands at the floating ball. I frowned, "Uh, I''ll do my best."


    Torix walked off as the argument increased in volume till I could hear it.


    "Your kind needs no meat nor blood for sustenance. That doesn''t make your race innately superior. To judge us on our biology is no different than speciesism. It is to condemn us for what we are instead of who we are."


    That impassioned speech came out of the mouth of the muscled, armor-plated ball of teeth. The creature spoke with a noble voice too, defying my expectations. The sphere of light responded in a soothing voice,


    "Your species may find enlightenment by joining us. Our co-habitation programs enable a long term solution to your carnivorous habits. You choose to kill despite alternatives being present."


    With clawed hand, the beast raised a palm to the sphere, "Your co-habitation is mind control, and the Kysars will have no part in it. We need no masters." The beast turned to me,


    "Ah, are you the warrior we''ve heard so much about? I didn''t notice you. This golemite is pushing his religion onto me, and I let him drag me into an argument."


    The blue sphere of energy rotated in the air, its voice radiating into my mind, "Take no heed in his words, Gray Giant. We were not arguing at all. I was merely informing him of the error in his ways. I am simply spreading the Final Light as well as I can so that all may see."


    The Kysar rolled his eyes, waving the sphere away with a clawed hand, "He''s insufferable, isn''t he?"


    I shrugged, "I can''t tell just yet. If he plans on shoving religion down my throat, then yeah, he''ll be pretty damn annoying."


    The sphere bounced in the air, "What! This is most undesirable. I meant no harm or ill will when informing either of you about the truth of the universe."


    The Kysar crossed his arms, "Good intentions mean little. Actions are the meat and bones of life."


    I pointed at the reptile guy, "I can agree with that."


    The Kysari reached out a hand, "Then its good that we finally met. I''m BloodClaw Mor, an emissary for the Kysars. We''re here to offer you a deal."


    The alien waited on me to grab his hand, so I reached out and clasped it. He gripped my hand like we were about to arm wrestle in the air. BloodClaw shook his arm and gave me a curt nod at the same time. I liked the guy already.


    I wouldn''t take chances though.


    BloodClaw Mor(lvl 9,823 | Class: Breaker | Race: Kysar) - BloodClaw works with the Speakers of his planet to reach out for useful individuals. The Kysar lack an affinity for magic and mana in general, their reliance on physical combat overwhelming most opponents regardless.


    Against many eldritch, some form of magic or augmented physical strikes are necessary, however. This makes the Kysars reliant on outside races for a variety of tasks, such as clearing certain kinds of dungeons. They often exchange their services for guarding and mercenary work as they make for brutally effective soldiers against most sentients, particularly in enclosed areas.


    This has created an exciting specialization of the species. They''re formidable in battle, so be wary of making this one your enemy. Your best course of action in combat is prolonging the exchange. Your regeneration will enhance your odds of winning with every passing second.


    Abuse those strengths.


    After reading up about BloodClaw, I turned towards the blue orb. A white aura emanated from the being, its body amorphous and composed of energy alone. Within it, tiny purple dots rotated along an axis at its center. Those specks sped up as its voice radiated into my head, reminding me of the gialgathens,


    "This is an unwelcome turn of events. My first impression is surely off from what I intended, and therefore, excuse my previous transgressions. I am Animato, a member of the golemite. We are a collection of amorphous energy beings, and we spread the Final Light''s message of truth."


    I pointed at him, "How pushy are you?"


    "Why, not pushy at all! My goal is to simply prevent the utter destruction and casting away into oblivion of all other species when the Final Light arrives. This virtuous aim guides me, and that is why I have come here today."


    I didn''t really know what to say to the guy/girl/thing. Animato was outside of my realm of expertise to say the very least. The blue ball had me curious though.


    "So you want me to convert or something along those lines, right?"


    "I would hope to convince you of even more. This interview will give you a tremendous reach to this planet. You can save the souls of perhaps billions of sentients by doing only a few simple tasks."


    BloodClaw rolled his eyes, the horn crests over his eyes sheening on the midmorning light,


    "Perhaps you can enlighten the Gray Giant to the simple tasks you want?"


    "Of course, and thank you for offering a transition into my pitch. All you need to do Gray Giant is convert to the Final Light''s way of thinking, brand a complex symbol into your forehead, never speak again, and allow co-habitation of a golemite being within you!"


    BloodClaw nudged my elbow, "See, a great deal isn''t it?"


    I raised a palm to Animato, "How about no."


    "But sir, you-"


    "I don''t think I need to hear anything else. The offer was as tempting as chewing a steel cactus."


    "Perhaps a ''cactus'' would be pleasant to chew in steel form?"


    The kysar beside me laughed, his deep voice dishing out a guttural grunt,


    "He''s a lost cause. You and me though, we can make this worth our while."


    "I''m listening."


    "This is what we need from you. A cluster of rifts opened near one of my buddies cities. We aren''t the best at clearing the eldritch coming out of it, so I was hoping we could contact you. We''ll be giving about 500,000 credits per red dungeon core and twenty million for every blue core. You get to keep them of course."


    I shrugged, "I''ve got more than enough money."


    BloodClaw waved his hands, "I get, I get it. You''re more about technology then? We have more gizmos and gadgets than most espens could dream up. You help us, we give you the schematics to make any gear you could want."


    "Ok, that I can get behind. Give me your contact info. I''ll send you a message after the tournament."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    BloodClaw leaned back and opened his jaws. He reached into his throat, pulling out a capsule of some sort. Inside it, a series of dry paper cards shook in it. He popped open the cap and pulled out a business card, pointing it to me,


    "You know where to find me then."


    I took the card despite it being pretty gross. I put it into my dimensional storage as the Kysar walked off. I turned to walk towards the film crew as Animato shot in front of me,


    "But sir, doesn''t the salvation of billions of souls sound like a fair deal to help us? Unless you lack morals complete-"


    I raised my palm to the thing, "No, I''m good on my own."


    The orb sighed, "Then yet another opportunity is wasted. I must reflect on my way of communication. It''s failed me almost without fail."


    "You''re asking for too much for too little."


    "The soul''s salvation is all I may offer."


    "Then you''re offering jack shit."


    "I...I don''t know what to say to that besides for impolite suggestions. Since my mind is reaching a blank in this scenario, I shall refrain from speaking any more."


    I gave him a thumbs up, "Yeah, you do that. I have an interview to do."


    The orb shivered in the air, the blue color changing to a reddish hue. I walked past it, ignoring the thing''s frustration. It lacked any personal awareness, and that killed off any relationship I wanted with him. Maybe other, er, golemites were different, but that guy just gave off the wrong impression.


    As I walked forward, I ran into other aliens. This time, a discordant group of metal blocks spoke with a slender, feminine blob. They were just as odd as the last duo, so I tried stepping past them, but they wouldn''t let me. The group of metal blocks condensed into a humanoid, blocky form. It grasped my shoulder with more force than necessary,


    "Stop. You must stop your callous destruction of this planet."


    Its metallic voice rang in my ears as I leaned back from the golem, analyzing it.


    Kregowa (lvl 13,000 | Class: Seeker | Race: Golemite) - A member of the golemites, this sentient collection of minerals works as a rare sub-class known as a Seeker. Though lacking the combat potential of a Fringe Walker or Breaker, the Seeker compensates with tremendous potential for exploration. It enables no resource lifestyle along with immortality and even allows for escapes and a relatively high-level cap for extra attribute points. This also comes with their signature wormhole abilities.


    This wormhole specialization enables Seekers to travel between worlds with unmatched ease. This in conjunction with their resilience makes them natural explorers. Kregowa is a notable Seeker, having used his class to the absolute limits of its effectiveness. He''s discovered thousands of worlds for the Golemites, allowing the atronach species to harvest minerals and natural clusters of mana along the way. As their species is a treasure hunting congregation, this grants him respect among his peers.


    While not a direct threat, Kregowa will be very difficult to pin down and kill, even for you.


    I shoved his hand off my shoulder,


    "You''re assuming a lot about me. Not exactly fair."


    The golemite took a step towards me, "Mana creation overloaded. Stealing from Giess''s natural reserves inevitable. I come to cease rapid corruption of natural resources."


    "It''s my own mana. I''m not stealing from Giess."


    Kregowa raised his other hand, mana welling into it, "Compliance is denied. Backup measures activated."


    Without time to think about the situation, I snapped my hand around its neck, lifting it into the air. At the same time, I grabbed the hand pooling the mana. Before the situation escalated further, the feminine blob walked up and to us. The shiny surface of its body hardened, congealing into a dense skin. A blade ruptured out of its arm, sending a ripple through its gelatinous body. The creature raised its bladed arm and spoke as a matriarch,


    "Warp him, and I''ll kill you."


    I turned to the slime chick, "I''m not about to warp him."


    She pointed her blade at the golemite, "I''m talking to Kregowa."


    It bewildered me that someone was actually defending me for once. Adding to the pleasant surprise, the mana in the golemite''s hand scattered. The creature''s humanoid alignment shifted back into a collection of steel squares. It assembled back into its humanoid form but several feet from us both. Before anything else happened, I analyzed the slime chick.


    Wrath, Queen of Svia(lvl 12,432 | Class: Fringe Walker | Race: Ahcorus(Otherwise known as slimes)) - Wrath is the queen of the Svia sector of the slime''s home planet, Slus. She earned her name by conquering several of the nests that surrounded her before Schema assimilated her planet. Since then, she''s proven very effective at cleansing worlds of eldritch infestation.


    Her entire species excels at tearing down many enemies, as slimes rapidly reproduce when food is available. This enables them to clear out weaker hordes with an ease that is uncanny. Unfortunately, lower level slimes aren''t added into the system to their lower level thinking. They can''t creatively gain skills or use them outside of very basic combat patterns.


    They slaughter lower level eldritch, however, and their queens are more than worthy of assimilation into Schema''s system. These ancient, powerful beings can be thousands of years old, often times remembering times before their planet was assimilated. This age combined with a remarkable intelligence turns the slime queens into potent threats to the eldritch.


    Though they lack the communication skills to excel at trade or diplomacy, their raw might more than makes up for these drawbacks. Wrath is one of these queens, and she has proven effective at clearing worlds, having torn through two planets over the last two decades.


    She also maintains a thriving colony of slimes on her home planet, giving her economic resources unavailable to most. She would prove a worthy foe in battle, and it is recommended you try to gain allyship with her.


    Her status dwarfed most, so it took me a few seconds to read it all the way through. As I did read, she and the golemite argued.


    "His interference with natural order is to be terminated."


    An apex predator by nature, Wrath walked up to the golemite, "Harm him, and you will become my next meal."


    "I am not harming him. I am warping him off planet to ensure continued planetary stability. Mana pollution critical. Immediate action is necessary," the golemite said.


    I finished reading, reaching out a hand to the golem and aiming to prove my mana was my own. Under most circumstances, all my excess mana flowed into my runes at all times. I kept the flow clean and contained, otherwise it would leak out and waste energy. I allowed some of it to do so while taking a few steps back. I didn''t want another mana poisoning incident.


    As I released the crimson aura, the golemite''s shifting body shivered. After a few seconds of showing my mana''s creation, the golemite stated,


    "No mana pollution detected. False assumption made. Apologies rendered."


    The steel squares formed into the rough approximation of a humanoid before bowing to me. To say it was odd would be an understatement.


    "You''re alright man, but don''t make those kinds of assumptions again without proof, alright?"


    "Affirmative. Gift requested for apology," the golemite said while reaching out an arm. As he did, a dimensional storage portal opened, the starry circle recognizable anywhere. The golemite pulled out a glowing grain of sand. Before getting near it, I analyzed the tiny stone.


    Crystalized Mana Signature - Peaceful(lvl Req: 1,000) - This crystalized mana creates a distinct signature recognizable to golemites. This particular mana wavelength transmits feelings of peace to other golemites and will prevent future misunderstandings before they arise.


    I left him waiting, not taking the crystal from him. The golemite shook the mana,


    "Signature shows through your personalized dimensional pocket. Inconvenience is a minimum."


    I pointed at him with the crystal in hand, "I don''t trust you."


    Wrath paced up to me, "You shouldn''t. You shouldn''t trust anyone, as you''re hunted."


    "So slime queens keep up with the news?"


    "We do, when necessary. I came here to use your talents. An intelligent eldritch has hidden deep in the bowels of our planet. Its hordes rise to the surface, and they cull my children. Would you be willing to help us?"


    "For the right price."


    "The Speakers on our planet are willing to grant you numerous contracts upon the completion of the task. We can offer a city upon the completion of the task as well, along with a favorable alliance between our species," she said while pulling out a business card from her dimensional storage.


    I took the paper, surprised by a slime queen using such a standard business tactic. I inspected the lettering, "Alright. I''ll check this out once I get some time. It might take a while."


    "That is no problem for us. We''ve fought this eldritch for decades. If this hiatus doesn''t stretch into many years, than we shall wait for you. However, someone may complete the task before you come should you wait too long," her words hissed like a snake as she said them.


    I crossed my arms, "It won''t take a year most likely. No promises though."


    She gave me a bow, "I anticipated far more grueling negotiations than this. You''ve been kind to me. I will return the favor in time."


    I shrugged, "Eh, we''ll see once I can access whatever''s going on. I''ll play hardball then."


    "Then good luck with your battle, Gray Giant."


    After finishing the chat, the golemite kept buzzing in my ear about mana pollution. Since I already understood the problem and was working to solve it, I mentioned that I was fixing it. I kept the details sparse, but he got the picture and left me alone after a while.


    The only reason I didn''t immediately tell him to fuck off was his unique class. I''d never seen someone with one, so understanding how he obtained it left me curious. Turns out, the Seeker was a class specific to the golemites that synergized with their racial traits. After a bit of research before the interview, I learned most unique classes were like that.


    It left me with a little hope for my own breakthrough. Humans hadn''t discovered a unique class, and someone had to do it. Hell, I might be that someone.


    While I daydreamed about it, my opponent arrived. A small, slender gialgathen with white skin landed beside us. She looked down at the camera crew and rolled her eyes. A few seconds later, she walked up to me, two trails of black spots running down her neck. With white irises, her skin shined with radiant health. She communicated with telepathy,


    "So you''re the Gray Giant?"


    I nodded. She tilted her head to me,


    "Hmmm. You''re far more impressive than I imagined you''d be."


    "I don''t know if that''s a compliment."


    "What is it with earthwalker''s need to sort everything? Must my statements by categorized to assist your ease of understanding?" she hissed out.


    At least she didn''t call me dirtwalker.


    "Eh, I asked for you, not for me. I didn''t want to misunderstand, but you can be an asshole about it. Doesn''t matter to me."


    She blinked, "Hmm, I might''ve gotten off on the wrong wing with you. Listen, I''m not good at talking with others. I''m a fighter at heart. That''s why I''m here, not for this...publicity. I will keep my answers short and to the point. I ask you to refrain from painting me and my species as evil. Please, and thank you."


    "What? Of course not. Don''t be a jackass and we''ll be fine. I can''t promise anything from the interviewer though."


    She let out a gruff sigh, "Ah, Grotokia. He interviewed me last year. It was awful, as it will no doubt be this year as well."


    "What made it so bad the first time?"


    "Grotokia is a starter of fires. He''s been in Thisbey''s pocket for years now. This year will be no different."


    I raised a palm to her, "Say no more. I''m no fan of Thisbey either. He''s just a pawn to his ego."


    "Precisely my point! I''ve hated that spineless coward for years now. Someone should rip out his spine and feed it to the birds."


    I pointed up at her, "I prefer feeding the spines of my foes to wolves. More gnawing that way."


    "Hah. Clever...Well then, I should be off. It''s good to see a like-minded fighter who''s an earthwalker as well. Rare these days. Your kind used to admire us. Now there''s a tremendous disdain I find offputting."


    I shrugged, "I''ll be honest, I find it offputting too. I''m not big in the whole fame game. I prefer to lay low for the most part."


    "You could''ve fooled me."


    "People pay attention when you make a splash regardless. I haven''t done anything to become more famous after all outside of my fights."


    Chrona glanced off in the distance, "Rare these days to find anyone who proves their worth with actions."


    "How was it different back then?" I said while crossing my arms.


    "In my glory days, Emagrotha and Lehesion dictated the world''s outcome. They did so through dominance and achievement. Now, this world is moved by the machinations of shadow drawn cravens."


    "Were you there when Emagrotha and Lehesion duked it out?"


    She gave me a nod. I quelled an eruption of excitement.


    "Where was it?"


    Chrona glanced up, "I couldn''t say. It was long ago, and my memory fades with time. However, I do remember this - Emagrotha should have won. You think I say so out of bitterness. You would think wrong. Emagrotha was the superior battler. She honed her strengths endlessly, toiling away in the pursuit of perfection. Lehesion was the opposite."


    She swiped a clawed hand in disgust, "He believed himself born a god. He was right in many ways. Lehesion could tap into the mana of Giess better than anyone before him or anyone since. He neglected his training, however, and he never mastered the forms or techniques of combat as Emagrotha did."


    She leaned down towards me, her eyes slits, "Lehesion stole from Giess''s mana to win that bout. It was not his own strength. It was the strength of millions of life forms, all of them culled in an instant. Emagrotha deflected the blast masterfully, but the aftershocks left her mind shaken. She could not stand nor fly as she once had. She was a shell of her former self."


    I turned a palm to her, "So she was shellshocked?"


    "I don''t understand what you mean, but it left her a bumbling fool. Lehesion made an example of her and infested Emagrotha with Yana worms before throwing her out into silver territory. She likely died many years ago, turned into food for those filthy vermin. It stings to this day. She should have won the battle, and if she had, she''d have shown mercy on Lehesion."


    She growled, "He did not do the same."


    I grabbed the side of my facemask, "Damn...That''s, well, awful."


    "It is simply the reality before us," Chrona murmured, "We cannot change it. We must accept it for what it was."


    "Thanks for sharing though. It''s different hearing about the event first hand."


    "I welcome the chance to change someone''s mind about Emagrotha and her cataclysmic battle with Lehesion. Tell others this story, and spread her name with glory on your lips."


    I smiled, "Eh, I might do that. We''ll see."


    Grotokia walked up to us, looking back and forth, "Hey, if it isn''t my two favorite fighters? You guys ready for an easy interview and to build some hype for your bouts?"


    Chrona''s eyes narrowed, "No."


    I shrugged, "Same."


    Grotokia raised his hands, bubbles rising up from his pressurized suit, "Aye, I don''t want to be here either if I''m honest with you guys, but we gotta do what we gotta do. Come one. It''ll be over before you know it."


    Chrona and I paced behind the set, lights set up in front of us. I sat down in a chair too small for me. Grotokia sat behind a desk set up on the stone slab while Chrona just stood beside us. After getting mics setup beside us, Grotokia sifted his papers before staring at the front camera. He looked to us both,


    "You guys ready?"


    I sighed, "Yup."


    Chrona blasted out with a telepathic wave, "Let''s be done with this."


    An espen voice actor spoke out into a microphone offset. His voice matched hers to an eerie extent. I pointed at him, "Wait, how is he doing that?"


    Grotokia waved his arm, "Combat classes aren''t the only people that hone their skills. He''s got his impressions down, I promise you that."


    Chrona nodded, "He''s acceptable for representing my voice."


    Grotokia took a deep breath, "Well, let''s get started then. Shall we?"

 193 A Conflict of Interests

    Grotokia looked to the camera and raised his hand, "Five, four, three..." The rest of his countdown was him moving his hand. As the interview started, he steepled his fingers and stared at the main camera,


    "Tonight, we''ll be looking at Chrona and Daniel, two contestants in Giess''s yearly tournament. On the one hand, Chrona has been a regular combatant of the competition for the last decade. On the other, Daniel is a newcomer who hides his identity. We''ll be discussing what they think of each other, what their strategies are, and what the intend to do if victorious. Only here with the Galactic Filming Corporation."


    He turned to me, "Now, recently your hotel room was bombed by someone who also tried hiding their identity. Based on the reports coming in, the body was evaporated in the explosion. Is that right?"


    Before I did anything, I pulled out my obelisk and started recording the interview with it. The glass orb made sure I had back up footage if these guys tried framing me. With that handled, I spoke up.


    "Yes."


    "Experts are speculating that a special interest group sent the assassin to stop you from winning the tournament. Mind weighing in on that with your own thoughts?"


    "I don''t think it was a gialgathen at the very least," I said while raising a hand.


    Grotokia jimmied his papers, "They have a strong motivation for doing so considering how dominant you''ve been in the tournament. This is also the strongest center for gialgathen support on the continent. I don''t mean to dismantle your argument, but the odds are stacking up against that claim."


    I could see what the guy was trying to do. He was giving me a compliment while guiding me into condemning the gialgathens. Torix and I covered this line of questioning over the last few days, however, so I had an answer already prepared.


    "Think about it. There was nothing left of the assailant, right? A gialgathen would have smothered everything in blood and guts considering their size. Even then, the bomb exploded inside our room. A gialgathen couldn''t have gotten inside, and I''ve never seen one using complicated tech. They''re too good at magic to need it." I waved my fingers,


    "They use their tails for most tasks. Hard to create and use a bomb without something more dexterous like fingers."


    Grotokia leaned towards me while cupping his chin, "Couldn''t they have just thrown the bomb inside?"


    "Malakai was guarding the gate. They couldn''t have."


    "But what if Malakia was the one to throw in the bomb? Seems likely given his previous lack of success in the tournament. He could have been bitter and resentful of you."


    I shook my head, "He wasn''t. Malakai almost died from the explosion. Even then, we''d have known he was throwing the bomb in." I tapped the side of my helmet, "I have good ears and good eyes. I would have known."


    "Are you sure that Malakai didn''t deceive you into believing it couldn''t have been him?"


    I was about done with Grotokia goading me into this bullshit. I rolled my eyes, "Yes, I''m sure. Malakai earned a great reputation built over decades. He''s not someone to flip on a dime over something like this. Besides, this is just random speculation on your part with no solid proof."


    Grotokia took a sharp breath, "That''s what we''re here for. To get firsthand accounts of the incident. Moving on-" Grotokia turned to Chrona, "As a long time supporter of Emagrotha''s methodology, what do you think of Daniel''s rapid rise to prominence?"


    Chrona sent a telepathic wave to the voice caster who spoke out for her. Since I didn''t hear her voice in my head and in my ears, she spared us a ton of confusion.


    "Emagrotha believed in a strong sense of personal responsibility. She''d have treated Daniel with a tremendous level of respect given his obvious ability." Chrona looked at me, "I will do the same."


    I raised a palm to her, "Likewise."


    Grotokia coughed into his hand, sending up bubbles inside his pressurized suit, "It''s good to see sportsmanship so close to the match. At the same time, tension surely must be high. If you didn''t already know, Daniel has begun to represent an anti-gialgathen movement-"


    I cut him off.


    "Thisbey represents that bullshit. Don''t put words in my mouth."


    Grotokia turned towards me, his heart rate elevating like he was nervous. "You''re clearly the figurehead of the anti-gialgathen groups rising to prominence across Giess. I don''t think it''s something you have a say in anymore."


    What the fuck was this guy talking about? He didn''t get to tell me what I was here for or what I was doing.


    "What the fuck are you talking about? Of course I have a say in it. I have nothing against the gialgathens. My opinion on them is that they''re strong as hell and a proud people."


    "If that were the case, then why didn''t you make that more clear early on? Seems like your trying to avoid taking responsibility for your actions."


    Fuck this guy.


    "I''m not big on media. I''m here now because I have to be. I''m a man of action. I go out into the world and act. Thisbey''s the opposite. He sits around and talks all day. That''s why he tries to use my own image to support his racist bullshit. He needs my positive image to use since he doesn''t have one."


    The reporter coughed into his hand, water swirling in his helmet,


    "Thisbey''s a known philanthropist, environmentalist, and-"


    "And a piece of shit that bribes media until they support him like mindless drones. Case and point - you."


    Grotokia was rendered silent for a bit. Chrona''s voice actor burst into laughter, his eyes focused on his mic. Grotokia sent him a dirty glare, silencing the voice actor. It didn''t matter. Chrona''s tail was whipping behind her, and she was baring her teeth like a puppy wanting to play.


    "This is most certainly the best interview I''ve ever been a part of," the voice actor spilled out while wincing. He was a true professional, doing his job despite his ever-rising chance of getting fired. I admired the guy for his dedication.


    Grotokia didn''t.


    "Your unfounded speculation and accusations aside, let''s get back on topic. Chrona, you''re a known supporter of Emagrotha''s philosophies, right?"


    Chrona nodded her head, the voice speaking up, "Of course. She was wise well beyond her years despite being ancient."


    Grotokia pointed at Chrona, "You do realize that Emagrotha was a supporter of slavery? Right?"


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Chrona glared at the reporter, "No, she was not. She believed they should earn their freedom instead of being granted it."


    The reporter waved his hand, "You don''t honestly think that, do you? By making them ''earn'' their freedom, the espens were held to a standard they couldn''t hope to reach at the time. If Emagrotha''s policies were followed through with, espens would have been servants to the gialgathens for at least sixty more years. Their only way out would have been through Schema''s system. Even that would have taken years."


    For once, the reporter made a good point.


    "Emagrotha warned that granting freedom without recourse would lead to espens becoming parasites. Like a seer, she predicted the stagnation of the espen people that continues to this day. Despite having this ''system'' you speak of, your average espen has hardly become a force to reckon with. If anything, they''ve grown fat, lazy, and content."


    Grotokia turned to me, "What''s your thoughts on the matter?"


    "Hmmm...There''s truth to both sides. On the one hand, slavery is outright unacceptable. Period. You don''t earn your freedom. It''s a part of this whole being-alive-thing we got going. As a race though, we need to involve ourselves more in dungeon clearing and silver extermination as a whole."


    I turned to the main camera, facing the audience, "It''s how I got strong. It''s how anyone watching can get strong too."


    Grotokia nodded, "So what I''m hearing is that you believe in the espen people reaching their full potential, not earning the right to live a free life? If so, that''s an important distinction to make."


    I sat back and thought about it. Now that they were arguing about politics, I wasn''t able to keep up. Chrona spoke up,


    "And that is why, even a quarter century after that A.I. came, the espens still rely on gialgathens for guidance and protection. Because you all wanted to gain without making the proper sacrifices. It disgusts me."


    I raised a hand while trying to speak up, but Grotokia egged Chrona on, "Really now? Doesn''t that sound elitist? Not everyone can be exceptional like Daniel here. He''s a rare exception."


    Chrona glared, "The poor and weak starve and die. That is the way of life."


    "So what about orphaned children? Should they starve and die?"


    Grotokia cornered her as fast as a horde of bees swarming a bear stealing their honey. That''s to say really fast.


    Chrona leaned back, "Well, I didn''t say that."


    "It was implied based on what you just so confidently announced. Have you not thought out these principles your spouting as facts?"


    Chrona held her head up high, "The rules apply to fully grown individuals, obviously."


    Grotokia gestured a hand while leaning back into his seat,


    "That''s short-sighted. What about disabled people? They should all up and die?"


    Chrona snapped, "Yes. They should. The same applies to vultures like you."


    I looked down while supporting my head in my hands. Chrona was a complete dumbass, letting her emotions get the better of her. It was like she didn''t even consider the consequences of saying this kind of shit. Grotokia played it up, looking solemn while staring at the main camera,


    "I think that''s all the public needs to know about your viewpoints. Any more and they may vomit." He turned to me, "On to lighter topics, you''ve shown the ability to generate massive implosions in battle. Some speculate it''s the result of tiny singularities. Is that true?"


    I sighed, looking up at the guy. Lying about my ability wouldn''t do me much good since any expert on the topic could verify I was using singularities. With that in mind, I nodded. Grotokia leaned towards me,


    "Ohhh, now that''s interesting. There''s only a handful of combatants capable of that feat. No one knows how it''s done either. Mind explaining?"


    He confused me a bit with his explanation. I unlocked my singularity skill, becoming the first person to have it. If other people were using it, they must have done so through indirect means. My method was direct enough to get a skill for it. Considering my unique circumstances, few could replicate my way even knowing how to do it.


    With that in mind, I said,


    "It takes a mastery of gravitational magic, an ocean of mana, and finesse."


    "So you''re telling me you use magic to create the singularity? Just raw magic?"


    "Yeah. That''s what I just said."


    Grotokia let his arms flop on his desk, "Wow...That''s amazing. You used Schema''s system to make that happen?"


    "Yeah. No other way to make it happen."


    "You all heard it here first. Daniel''s an amazing example of what Schema''s system can enable you to do as long as you master it. Even tiny black holes aren''t out of the question when that A.I.''s involved."


    He started sounding like an infomercial. Weird.


    "Uh...yeah."


    Grotokia turned to me, "A few more questions and we''ll be done. You neglected to tell us who you are. Are you willing to shed some light on why you''re keeping your identity hidden?"


    This was a question Torix and I drilled several times. I glanced at the camera, "Fame attracts media, which as I mentioned, I hate. It''s common sense to avoid what you hate."


    Grotokia pointed at me, "But you are an espen...right?"


    Even if I hated this facade, it was necessary to get the espen people moving. That''s why I nodded,


    "Yup."


    Grotokia let out a deep breath, "Of course, of course."


    He was that worried I wasn''t one. It was pretty pivotal to this social movement that Thisbey was constructing.


    Grotokia turned to the camera, "That''s all the time we have. Thank you all for tuning in to Galactic Filming Corp''s very own, exclusive interview. Coming up next, Lehesion''s acolyte versus Emagrotha''s follower. Who. Will. Win? Find out here."


    The cameraman gave us a thumbs up. As he did, Grotokia leaned back into his chair and mouthed, "It gets harder to do every year."


    I stood up, brushing myself off while talking to Chrona,


    "You shouldn''t have let your emotions control you like that."


    Chrona snapped with a telepathic wave, "And what difference does it make? I could care less if I''m hated by your kind."


    I rolled my eyes, "You serious? You''re one of the strongest gialgathens alive. What you do reflects onto your entire species."


    Chrona winced at my words, staring down at the stone beneath her.


    "I...I suppose you''re right. I could''ve managed myself better."


    "Well, yeah. I could have too though. This fucker right here nearly got under my skin too."


    Grotokia let his hand flop onto the table, "Are you serious? You put me on blast that entire interview!"


    "Uh huh. It''s called fighting fire with fire. To have a good defense, you need a good offense. Anyways, is this over with?"


    The camera guy gave me a nod. I pointed at everyone, "Oh yeah, is this mandatory?"


    Grotokia murmured, "It is. It''s a part of a contractual obligation if you want to continue participating in the tournament."


    I spread my arms, "How is that even possible? Schema gives the rewards. Why would he make interviews mandatory?"


    Chrona answered, "I asked in my first interview as well. Schema had no part in the tournament''s creation. It was formed by a group of Speakers to help motivate the populace."


    My eyes widened, "Ahhhh. That makes sense. They put that caveat into it I guess."


    Chrona spread her wings, "One of them did. I gathered a few details on the matter. It was good meeting you, Gray Giant. May we meet in battle tomorrow."


    She flew off, sending enough wind out from her take off to knock some camera supplies over. I caught two of the cameras with gravity wells, stopping them from losing their footage. After a few thank yous, I was off and back to our base. As I arrived, Kessiah and Althea waited for me at the entrance. Trotting up to them, I spread out my hands,


    "Damn guys. You didn''t have to wait for me."


    Althea''s arms were crossed, and Kessiah''s hands were on her hips. I glanced at them, "So uh...what did I do wrong?"


    Althea snapped first, "What didn''t you do is the real question. What kind of answers were you giving?"


    It was my turn to cross my arms.


    "What are you talking about? My answers were fine. Maybe not great, but hey, I did my best."


    Kessiah shouted, "That was your best?"


    Alright, something was off here. I didn''t do that bad.


    "Ok, what''s going on here? Is this a prank or something."


    Althea''s eyes narrowed, "Wait a minute. What kind of interview do you remember giving?"


    "Eh, I tried being impartial. I was pretty rude to the interviewer, but he had it coming with how he structured his questions. He tried making me into some kind of icon for Thisbey. I shut him down pretty hard though."


    Kessiah and Althea glanced at each other. They looked back up at me. Kessiah sighed, "Yup, they edited the footage."


    I tilted my head, "Wait...what?"

 194 Another Realm

    I watched the edited footage, a seed of genuine hatred forming in my chest. The video editors connected the footage in such a way that I hated the gialgathens, and that I supported Thisbey. The news report had never been live. It was a staged act, spreading propaganda for Thisbey''s media campaign.


    It was a good thing I filmed it. Even then, it felt ridiculous that this kind of bullshit was even allowed.


    "Why are they allowed to do this? Surely this is illegal."


    Kessiah shrugged, "On some planets it is. Giess doesn''t really have a government to look after this kind of thing. It''s too spread out and chaotic for that. It''s a, ''If there''s no one to report the crime, then no crime was committed!'' sort of thing. Sucks for sure."


    Torix stepped up into the forest clearing, pacing out of the stairs behind us. With his arms crossed, "Well that interview was a disaster. IT seemed rather unlike you. Perhaps an explanation is in order?"


    "They framed me," I stated with a shrug.


    "Ah yes, of course they would. Hmmm, this is a rather testy predicament we''ve found ourselves in."


    I pulled out my obelisk, "Not really." I showed the footage of myself, "For once, I thought ahead and recorded everything before it happened."


    "Well well Daniel. I''m impressed. I believe this should be all the proof we need that your words and intentions were altered."


    "Where am I supposed to post this video? Is there a site for it or something?"


    Kessiah bit her lip, "So, I''ve got bad news about this. You know, great idea and all to record the footage. Posting it won''t matter much though. No one will see it anyways."


    Torix cupped his chin, "Perhaps you could explain why that is?"


    "See, here''s the thing. Very few people own an obelisk on Giess anyway. Even if you could get your video up on a dozen different sites, no one on Giess would see it. You''d be putting your word against the media corporations too. That would be hard to pull off, and we don''t even have two months too pull that off."


    Althea chimed in, "Why don''t people have obelisks though? They aren''t expensive or hard to get."


    Torix gestured a hand to Althea, "Obelisk operate on your personal reserves of mana. Considering the lack of leveling or use of personal mana by most espens, obelisks are out of reach despite being subsidized by Schema."


    "But couldn''t he get it posted onto some news channels maybe?" Althea chimed.


    I scoffed, "Yeah, Thisbey would shut that shit down in seconds. His hands in the pocket of everyone on this damn planet."


    "Ok, so it''s not all bad though," Kessiah said while spreading her hands. "Those revolutionaries are going to spread like wildfire after seeing this. That means they clear the dungeons, which helps a lot with clearing out Giess."


    I grimaced, "We''re sending them on a witch hunt. It doesn''t sit right with me to start a race war to help save Giess. Sure, the revolutionaries might kill off the silvers and eldritch and take back Giess. Whoopdy-fucking-do. They''ll do to cull an innocent species. I''m no saint, but that''s fucked."


    I shook my head in disgust, "At that point, what would we be saving?"


    The group replied with somber silence. Althea rubbed her forehead with a hand, "It''s so hard to win this fight. We''re fighting on Thisbey''s home turf, in a battle that he''s so good at. Thisbey is probably organizing the revolutionaries right now and making obelisks outlawed in their groups. He''s probably feeding them a bunch of lies, and then the people start to believe them...Just like with Yawm in the lab,"


    Althea''s eyes hollowed, "It''s like everyone just feeds on each other. The worst part is, the bigger the lie, the easier it becomes to believe. Uh, at least from what I saw."


    I shook my head, "Not quite that grim, though I can get your reaction considering the situations you''ve been in. Still, I can''t help but wonder what Tohtella is even doing?"


    "I imagine it''s quite difficult for her. Thisbey was born and raised on this planet. She''s an outsider, so she doesn''t fully understand the culture and influences here," Torix said.


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "Uh huh, sure. From what I can tell, she''s just incompetent."


    "I''d hate to agree, but yeah. That''s what this shit looks like. She''s getting throttled during this entire media campaign. It''s weird though. The Overseer seemed to think she was pretty intelligent. So far, she''s failed miserably at, well, everything."


    "Uhm, she did seem stressed last time we saw her." Althea crossed her arms. "I can''t even imagine having that much on my plate. I''d crumble."


    I grabbed the side of my head, "Hmmm, this shit''s complicated."


    "It''s not too bad though." Kessiah said. "You can just post the video during the fight while the cameras are rolling. Thisbey might have the stream shut down before you can show the entire interview, but maybe not."


    I snapped my fingers, "How didn''t I think about that? That''ll put Thisbey in a very, very shitty position. Hell, he might have dug his own grave with this one in fact."


    Torix opened his status, "Well, the Harbinger, Lich, and Arbiter can''t think of something that simple...Perhaps you should be running the media campaign instead of Tohtella."


    Kessiah stood up straighter, "About damn time I point out something you guys missed."


    "Now, on to the next matter at hand," Torix spread his arms. "Perhaps we can ascertain the location of Emagrotha and Lehesion''s battle site?"


    "The only hint I''ve got is from Chrona." I waved my hand, trying to remember. "She mentioned that Lehesion drained his surroundings to gain enough mana to defeat Emagrotha. Millions of lifeforms dead, standard apocalypse stuff."


    Torix tsked, "What an amazing revelation. Truly noteworthy."


    I narrowed my eyes while tapping the side of my head. A few moments later,  an actual revelation popped into my head, "Wait a minute. If Lehesion drained that much mana, then he must have created a ridiculous amount of mana pollution."


    Torix''s fire eyes grew larger, "Wait...that kind of cataclysmic event would leave an ocean of sludge behind."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I pointed at the lich, "And we know where an ocean of that gunky bullshit is."


    Kessiah pursed her lips, "We do?"


    Torix moved his hands across his status screen, "In fact, it''s quite close to where we warped on Giess. Remember how Daniel carried us over that purple ocean that had been walled off? That is by far the largest concentration of mana pollution we''ve seen on Giess."


    Althea raised her hands, "So, hm...that means they fought somewhere there."


    "Precisely. In fact, they most likely fought at the bottom of the ocean there. The mana pollution came thereafter." Torix said.


    I gripped my hands into fists, "Yes. We got a lead now."


    "I''ll analyze our flight path and gather historical records of the wall''s construction surrounding the indigo ocean. Using a bit of geometry, I should be able to get a rough estimate of the sea''s center." Torix said.


    Althea raised her hand, "I''ll get the location of Thisbey."


    Kessiah glanced at Althea, "What for?"


    "To kill him," Althea said with a frown.


    "Oh..." Kessiah mouthed. "That''s going to raise your bounty. You sure that''s worth it?"


    Althea scoffed, "Uh, yeah. I''m sure."


    Kessiah crossed her arms, "Well then...I...I don''t know what I''ll do."


    Torix gestured a hand to her, "What? That''s preposterous. You can simply practice that healing magic you asked me about."


    Kessiah stared down, "Could you shut the hell up, please?"


    "Now why would I do that? You came to me practically begging for healing magic manuals. What did you say exactly? Hm, something like, ''I want to help save my friends!'' Torix finished his words with a high pitched, mock voice.


    "When you wondered what to do, I believed it necessary to remind you of the conversation." A strange glee injected into Torix''s voice as he continued, "I interjected my own thoughts in the most polite manner possible. That''s all."


    Kessiah flushed, embarrassed about trying to learn the magic. Althea hugged her, lifting Kessiah up in the air, "Ahhhh, you really do care."


    "Let me down you shape-shifting, mini-brute," Kessiah gasped while shoving her holder. Althea held on with utter ease, overpowering Kessiah like she was a child. With one last squeeze, Althea set her down. The remnant sent Althea and Torix a dirty glare,


    "Oh, you''ll both pay for that one."


    Torix waved a hand, "Whatever are you talking about? We did nothing wrong."


    Althea just grinned at her. I found the scene heart warming and painful at the same time. Kessiah''s history with her Blood Arts made for a touchy subject. Torix''s sadism was leaking out a bit, but he meant well at the same time. It wasn''t like Kessiah could hide her lessons forever. Better to break the ice now than wait until it was some massive undertaking to tell the truth.


    Althea played along and tried distracting Kessiah. In their own way, they were trying to take care of her. It reminded me of guys at my gym who''d roast some guy after he lost a boxing match. Even if it was rough at first, it stopped the loss from lingering. By teasing their friends, they toughened them up and stopped them from having soft spots.


    I always looked at it like training. It was a bit too tactful for me though, so I stayed quiet. Better to let the pros handle it. Besides, if I said anything, I''m sure I''d make an ass of myself.


    Kessiah looked like she was embarrassed a bit about caring for us too. If anything, I admired her for that line of thinking. If I was honest with myself, I hadn''t seriously considered healing magic at any point. It paled in comparison to my regeneration, but ultimately, I was too selfish for it. It wasn''t in my nature.


    Still, it was time to get a move on. I clapped my hands, interrupting their chitchat.


    "Alright, let''s get going guys. We''ve got a lot of work to do."


    The group straightened up, and I walked downstairs. As I did, Torix and Althea opened up their statuses, getting to work on their own projects. Kessiah followed me downstairs before stepping into her room. I sat down on a chair I crafted out of stone, setting out on my own task.


    After an hour of research, I found nothing about Chrona Carsiary. For a famous general, there was little known about her. Her powers, tactics, and techniques all hid from everyone''s point of view. They basically boiled down to, ''she moves really fast.'' That''s a given considering the level of competition this high up in the tournament. The only other tidbits were that she made other people slow. Great. Real helpful.


    Without much to go on, I opened my grimoire and focused on etching in the blueprint I created while searching for Mt. Ash. Its complexity threatened to overwhelm me. The dozen pages of the outline evolved into a novel''s worth of work when I began carving out the actual project. Despite the nigh-infinite workload, the task cheered me up. It felt good to spend my time on something meaningful.


    With a focused intensity, I mulled through the challenging project, passing the time until the fight fast. I kept at the project even while walking to the stadium, my thoughts absorbed. Kiki Most hyped up the match, but I enraptured myself in the task at hand. I also carved after jumping into the arena, pissing off many gialgathens who booed me to no end. Surprise, surprise, they hated me now.


    When I revealed the video, their jeering would make my redemption even better.


    Kiki Mosk announced above me, "Are you ready, Gray Giant?"


    "Yup."


    I had already charged enough mana for a singularity at this point. Even dimly aware of Kiki''s voice, I wasn''t about to let myself start with a disadvantage. Chrona thought the same, having a blue ball of mana floating above her. It sent out dimensional ripples, its power vast. With my blood saturated in mana, I mirrored her preparations, both of us ready to wage war.


    I closed my grimoire shut and put it in my pocket dimension. I glanced up at Chrona who snapped at me with a telepathic wave,


    "Are you finally done with your reading now?"


    "Carving, actually."


    "Oh, carving into pages. That''s new."


    "Eh, it''s easier that way when the pages are like rock."


    I raised my hands, both my fists harder than iron. Around us, the lava bubbled with the small steel arena hot as a frying pan. Chrona''s white, smooth skin glowed with mana. Her eyes pierced at me, her confidence resolute despite my own victories being dominant. I was okay with that. Good on her.


    Before the battle began, I glanced up while pulling out my obelisk. I intended on recording the fight to show that the obelisk recorded events reliably. As I prepared the device, Ddzens of camera men floated around Chrona and I. Above them, the same massive zeppelin floated over us as before. Thisbey was mysteriously absent. Wow. Who''d of guessed?


    With my obelisk set, Kiki Mosk sighed, "Well it''s good to see the Gray Giant put that damn book away! Both fighters may begin."


    I peered down, reorienting with the fight. I reached out a hand, aiming a singularity at the center of Chrona''s chest. Before I cast my spell, Chrona''s blue ball of mana ushered forth a massive dimensional ripple. Around me, large swaths of magma hardened as she drained the mana to fuel her spell. I didn''t even feel the ripple, but it still left me stunned nevertheless.


    I stood still because of the ripple''s effects around me. My singularity should have killed Chrona already. It didn''t though. In fact, it took a full ten seconds before it started forming at all. I even shook my hand like it was a broken remote for a TV. Confused as hell, I stared at Chrona who already crawled away from the spell. I smashed my hands together, wondering if she had some antimagic at her disposal.


    It was her turn to be surprised. She gawked at me in amazement, her utter confidence draining from her face. Chrona croaked,


    "How...how are you moving like that?"


    I raised my hands, "What are you talking about? I''m not even running yet."


    "But...That''s impossible."


    I still didn''t get what the hell she was talking about. She wasn''t the only one surprised. The entire crowd of gialgathens and newscaster''s stared at me in silence, all of them frozen in place. It left an eerie, unnatural silence in the arena. I looked around,


    "What''s wrong with everyone?"


    "What plagues them is what doesn''t plague you. I...I dilated our dimension. You''re not even affected."


    I clapped my hands together, no sound ushering out. I reached out a hand, creating a gravity well above the magma behind me. It sauntered up in a slow crawl as if the lava wasn''t molten. I nodded my head, gaining an understanding of the situation.


    "You''re slowing down time, aren''t you?"


    Chrona shivered, fear racing up her spine,


    "Yes, but somehow, you''re immune to the flow of time. It''s as if you''re in a different realm..."


    "I''m not walking in a different realm."


    I banged my fists together as I grinned, "I am the different realm."

 195 A Proposition

    I bent down, charging my runes in a second. If my spells didn''t work in time, I''d incorporate a different and wholly unexpected strategy - beating the hell out of her. I detonated the runes, charging at her with fury in each of my footsteps. My stomps caved the steel beneath me, deforming my own boots. My rapid approach knocked Chrona from her stupor, spurring her to action.


    She whipped her tail at me, but I sidestepped the impact. She wasn''t particularly fast or secure in her striking. She relied on her magic for her edge in speed. As I reached her, I shot out a telekinetically enhanced attack. Like water, she flowed around me, my vision warping as she did. Her next tail whip came from above.


    I anticipated the timing, preparing to deflect the strike. Another blur in my vision occurred, and her tail snapped on top of my face mask. It shifted speed mid-strike. The steel arena beneath me caved, her gialgathen might showing itself in spades. Even if she was leaner than most, she packed more than enough power.


    Still stumbling through the fight, I rolled sideways the moment she even flicked her tail. It slammed into the metal, sending a ripple through the floor. Once again, her power and timing left me stunned. She wasn''t moving that fast at first. Now it was like she was teleporting her limbs to a location, but she did so without losing any momentum in the process. It made timing her attacks next to impossible.


    Without any plan of action, I leaped backward. Chrona lifted her hand up and charged at me, faster than a bullet. I turned sideways while Chrona''s claws etched scars into my gray armor. As her hand landed onto the steel, she crumpled it like she was squeezing a bed sheet in her hand.


    The impact sent me flying, the force of her blows sending shockwaves across the field. She reminded me of Yawm''s might, sending me flopping through the air. I kept focused though, analyzing her as I flopped around and praying for more information.


    Chrona Carsiary, Emagrotha''s Realm Wielder(lvl 12,823~) - Little is known about Chrona. She was one of Emagrotha''s most trusted and loyal advisors, someone Emagrotha looked toward when she needed something done. Chrona is a devout follower of Emagrotha''s philosophies, touting self-responsibility and emotional maturity in the face of adversity.


    Despite this, she struggles to control her emotions as noted in several interviews. Her immense control over dimensions is notable as well, rivaling Ajax''s own abilities. Hers vary from Ajax''s however. While Ajax Volan was known to possess dimensional warping and slicing abilities, Chrona appears to have the ability to stretch and compress dimensional fabric. This creates dilations in time and space. How she does so without producing intense vacuums of gravity is unknown.


    This time specialization creates a problematic opponent when combined with her natural power as a gialgathen. Approach this foe with caution.


    "Fuck. That tells me nothing I don''t already know," I said while sliding backward.


    Chrona laughed at me from the other side of the arena,


    "Where did your confidence go then, Gray Giant?"


    Oh, it was still there all right. Even with her attack landing flush on my head, she did little damage to me. Well, more than I''d like, but I''d be fine was the point. The main issue involved keeping my armor intact for the rest of the fight. Until I understood what she was doing, I kept myself on my back foot, ready to retreat at a moment''s notice.


    Before I could, another ripple erupted from the blue sphere she created at the center of the arena. Chrona rode the wave, nigh teleporting in front of me before smashing me with one of her front arms. By some miracle, I reacted in time, grabbing her clawed fingers. My feet sunk down into steel, my hands gripping her until I tore through her skin.


    Chrona grunted in agony, crushing her tail against my side. My armor held on as I tumbled through the arena, but cracks already littered my face mask. Panic welled in my chest as she threatened to expose me. As I skidded to a stop, I took a deep breath, thinking about what happened.


    Chrona tried slowing her opponents down by dilating the time they were traveling in. I processed the info further, pretending like it was my own ability. How would I use it? That''s when it all clicked. Chrona wasn''t just slowing time down. She was speeding it up for her, which explained why some of her movements looked like teleportation.


    With that realization in tow, I dodged a series of her attacks by a hair''s breadth. Instead of evading when the attack should land, I avoided them by several seconds in advance. It stretched the limits of my senses, my mind-bending as I forced it to keep up with her attacks. The blue sphere at the center of the arena kept draining the magma around us, expanding the size of the field as well. Pacing onto the stone, we dashed and ducked across the area, flowing at speeds unimaginable to those around us.


    As I got a grip on her patterns, she changed her assaults up. I wanted to come up with some strategy, but it took everything I had just to stay in there. Even without her time manipulation, Chrona was incredibly gifted as a fighter. Her instincts were sharp, her tactics varied. She alternated between all her limbs for her attacks, using her lilac colored breath when she believed I was cornered.


    After minutes of her onslaught, my gray metal shell hung on by a thread. Chrona discovered my unwillingness to remove my armor, and she abused that fact. With my back against the wall, I bolted to my left, dodging the swipe of her tail. She caught me in her jaws, biting around a cracked joint of my armor. She poured her poisonous fire breath into my disguise, boiling me inside like a lobster roasting in its shell. Even as my health chunked down, I never considered removing my gray armor.


    I didn''t want another bombing incident on my hands.


    Still, I wasn''t taking damage without any kind of retaliation. Event Horizon melted her flesh from the inside, making her movements sloppy and unfocused from the pain. As the entire field of magma hardened, her blue sphere of mana shrunk in size, her time manipulation dwindling. With only a tiny shred of the magic left, I fired back the only way I could.


    With her jaws on my shoulder, I latched onto her neck. With a death-grip, I squeezed the life from her, causing her fire breath to sit inside her belly. She unleashed a massive shockwave from her blue sphere, accelerating her time. I tried with all my might to grasp her, but imagine holding someone down for a second, but they fought against you for ten. Unless I was ten times her strength, I couldn''t hold her.


    It made her power unbearable, so she wrenched herself from me. I took patches of her skin in my hands, however. Even more critical, I flushed her out of the blue mana sphere. Without time acceleration at her disposal, she slowed to nigh 1/10th of her previous speed and strength. It was my turn to retaliate.


    Chrona was more than aware of that fact as she stumbled back, "How do you still live?" Chrona wheezed out, "No...How do you still stand?"


    It was a miracle to me as well. I couldn''t see from my eyes anymore. Her fire breath disintegrated the skin on my face and most of my body. Blood leaked from my wounds and spilled straight into my eyes. It pooled in my mouth, having incinerated my lips as well. I probably looked more like a zombie than some hero.


    My vitality was never ending, however. It was as if my soul and mind ingrained itself into every cell of my body. I lived through hell and came out smiling, and Chrona paled at the sight of it. I shrugged at her, staying silent. Around me, the final dimensional ripple ebbed out. With it, the time field dissipated, the roar of the crowds returning to our fight.


    I welcomed the return to normality, but Chrona crumbled. She flopped backward as I stepped up to her. I lifted my hand as she covered her face with her clawed hands,


    "I...I surrender."


    I lowered my hand before sticking it out to her, "Good. I didn''t want to have to smash you for nothing. Besides." I pulled her up, allowing her to stand, "It makes this message I''m sending out all the more poignant."


    I pulled out my obelisk as Kiki announced, "Ever merciful, the Gray Giant has given Chrona only a few bruises and missing patches of skin! What a champion."


    Before he finished his explanation, I opened a holographic video of the fight. I shouted for all to here, "This device records and replays past events. Its known as an obelisk, and it''s pretty common through Schema owned space."


    The crowd oohed and ahed as the obelisk played a three-dimensional and high quality mirror of my battle with Chrona. It mimicked the event without any jump cuts, smooth from start to finish.


    The crowd stared in awe while Chrona and I stood underneath the hologram. A few beads of sweat poured from Kiki''s forehead as he murmured,


    "Daniel...what are you doing?"


    I spread out my arms, "Fighting fire with fire." I shouted, "Now everyone watched my interview with Thisbey, right?"


    The crowd gave out a series of boos. I waved them down, "I get it, I get it. I sounded pretty awful during that recording. I remember it playing out differently though. See, I believe I''ve been framed."


    A cameraman messed with his device, preparing to shut it off. I pointed at him and growled, "You don''t want me as your enemy. I can promise you that."


    The cameraman froze in place, unable to imagine resistance after my threat. I pointed at the others, "That goes for the rest of you. Anyone alter this footage, and I''ll find you. Instead of altering a video though, I''ll be altering your face. Understood?"


    With their undivided attention, I played the interview in its unaltered form. I noted a few of the bigger jumpcuts and clever editing tricks, working my way through all the misinformation. I roared out to the crowd as I finished playing the footage,


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    "That was the unaltered interview. It''s quite a bit different than how I was portrayed."


    The gialgathens roared back. I gave the crowd a nod, "I''m no hero, and I never claimed to be. I''m no liar though, and I''m no supporter of Thisbey and his bullshit. Otherwise I''d have killed Chrona and I wouldn''t have even tried saving Delilath."


    "That was...a bitter mistake," I winced. "But I won''t make it again. One last thing to remember is this-" I banged my chest twice, "I''m here to fight and win, not talk about politics. I''m no symbol like the media paints me out to be. I''m Daniel Hillside, and I''m a warrior through and through."


    I raised a dented fist, and the many gialgathens around roared in approval. Many of those on the blimp watching the battle didn''t even let out a peep. Most of the zeppelin riders stared in disbelief as if they were questioning everything. Good. That''s exactly what I wanted.


    It left me with an unquestionable sense of satisfaction of a job well done. With that handled, I gave Chrona a pat on the back, "You''re good at what you do. If your slowdown affected me, I probably would have lost."


    Chrona tilted her head at me, "Yet it didn''t. You mentioned being a different realm. Is it possible to explain what you meant by that?"


    I glanced around, "I can''t mention here. You seem trustworthy though. If you''re willing to meet somewhere more secretive, then I''d be fine with talking a bit about it."


    Chrona nodded, "Hmm, perhaps in my home? It''s quaint and simple, but it shouldn''t be considered public. By my tastes. Yours might disagree."


    I gave her a nod, "Eh, probably not. I''ll meet you there now if you''d like."


    "Hah, I''ve never met a fighter so disconnected from a battle before!" She laughed, "Hah, I brutalized you before dropping out of the fight before you may retaliate. Despite the misgivings, you''re willing to visit my home right after. Incredible."


    I shrugged, "I fight to win, not to get back at people. That''s petty."


    "Then we share that trait." She turned to Rivaria, "I need to rest for a few minutes before returning. My body is still exhausted."


    "That''s fine. I''ll need to send a few messages anyway."


    I opened my status, sending out some updates on what I was doing. As I finished, Chrona spread her wings and moved them around,


    "I should be fine to fly now."


    I raised a hand, creating a gravity well above us. It was enough to lighten her, giving a sense of weightlessness. The white gialgathen peered around, "How can you control it so well?"


    "I can ask the same thing about that time dilation bullshit."


    "It makes flying effortless," she murmured. With a flap of her wings, she shot into the air. A few gialgathens flew up to her, concern spread over their faces. They were her family, and she exchanged telepathic conversation with them all. I shifted the gravity well in size and breadth, enveloping them all in the field. Over the next few minutes, the gialgathens adjusted to the gravitational field, relishing the lack of levity.


    Gialgathen children joined from the stands after a few minutes. The ended up playing games even, doing acrobatic acts that were impossible under normal circumstances. It left a smile on my face, this being one of the few times I used my skills for fun.


    After ten minutes, I created another well above me, flying up with them. At first, the gialgathens kept their distance, afraid of me. I took no offense. After all, I killed Delilath and just defeated Chrona who was tremendous in her own right. It didn''t take long before the children wanted me to join in one of their games.


    They created circles with their tails and bodies. The goal was to flip through the hoop without touching the gialgathen. At the same time, the higher the gymnastic feat, the better. After a few twirls and fancy moves, the kids upped their game to keep up. Twenty minutes later and the children landed on stands again, exhausted by my pace.


    Chrona laughed at them, crowing out, "It''s not so easy to outdo him, is it?"


    The children complained at her, making up all kinds of excuses. It was the most fun I''d had in a while, so I appreciated the mental deload. I had a time limit on my horizon, so I flew up to Chrona,


    "Hey, can we go and have that conversation? I''ve got a lot to do today."


    Chrona did a backflip in the air before giving me a nod, "Of course. Excuse our playfulness. It''s rare to have something so novel pass by. I had to take my chance to enjoy." She flapped her wings towards Rivaria, flying through the air,


    "Come. I''ll show you the way."


    Ten minutes later, and we reached the highest level of Rivaria, ice sculptures all around us. Around Chrona, a dense mist formed over her skin. This stopped her skin from drying out and cracking, her amphibian nature showing. I shouted,


    "Why do gialgathens live here when it''s so dry and cold? I imagined you guys would love the ocean."


    "It''s a mixed story. Gialgathens developed the ability to fly in retaliation to the leviathans that float beneath the waves. While we do enjoy the ocean, the creatures there are far stronger than those on land. They prove less fruitful to domesticate as well. They cannot carry loads unless you strap it to them and command them from the start of the trip to the end of it."


    Chrona dived down, reaching a cove at the mountain top. It looked like her house.


    "Comparatively, the espens were far better labor and far more intelligent. They lack the tenacity to stay in environments such as this one for any length of time, however. That is why this city was created long ago, as a sanctuary for gialgathens of all cultures."


    "I don''t know if I buy that explanation. It sounds like whoever made this city did so to send a message to the espens. We''re above, and you''re below."


    "It is as you say." Chrona landed in front of the thirty-foot cave entrance, "It''s unfortunate that our ancestors looked down on the espens to such an extent. That mentality pervades even to today, Lehesion a sad example of the belief''s reach. It''s not a reflection of we who follow Emagrotha''s way."


    Steering the conversation away from philosophy, I pointed a the cave as I landed,


    "This is your house?"


    "Indeed it is. It once housed Emagrotha, and now I am the caretaker of this holy place."


    My plan failed.


    "I''ve taken the liberty to spruce it up to my preferences, however. It was her home, not a temple."


    I sighed with relief, praying that lecturing wouldn''t continue. As we stepped inside her home, we crossed an arc of ice, decorated in vibrant splashes of colored ice. They froze dyes with the water, pieces of the cavern a flower-filled field kind of vibe at times. For the most part, the cavern stuck with a bright cerulean that reminded me of a tropical ocean. The sculptures mirrored this simplicity, staying elegant and abstract.


    "Emagrotha admired artwork for what it was - an expression of the artist. She supported the artwork seen throughout the city, something Lehesion disdained. The culture she curated lasts to this day, Rivaria being a center of the arts for all who come here."


    I coughed into my hand, "Besides the espens."


    She glared down at me for a moment. A second later, she sighed, "While what you say mars this place''s legacy, you''re right. Gialgathens have had a long history of belittling other races. Part of our ability to fly I believe. It''s hard not to look down on those who cannot feel the wind across their face as they soar through the sky."


    "I don''t know. I always preferred the ground. I fly now mostly because of my weight. I''m too heavy, so I sink into the ground unless I disperse my mass as I walk. It''s a pain in the ass, but I get used to it."


    "So when you move, you''re in a constant state of gravitational flux?"


    "Essentially, yeah."


    "You''re precision is enviable. I cast my magic in vast waves, creating arenas where my abilities prosper. If I lack that field, then I can''t create the same impact as I otherwise would."


    I raised a hand, "So that''s why you''ve won the tournament before. Your skillset is built for it."


    "I could say the same of you. You''re nigh invincible in combat, and your endurance is unmatched from any I''ve seen. Not once did you slow down or show signs of exhaustion."


    I shrugged, "Eh, comes with my abilities."


    We walked deeper into the cavern, reaching a narrower hallway past the entrance. After reaching a fork in the hallway, we arrived at a room cast in green light from an emerald fire. Along the back wall, the heads of massive creatures lined the wall, most of the aquatic in nature. Chrona gestured at them,


    "Emagroth lived for the hunt."


    I walked up to the green fire, but Chrona stopped me from touching it.


    "That is everburn sap. It stays alight for centuries at a time. Getting it off the body requires amputation at best and death at worst."


    I scoffed, "I''ll be fine. Don''t worry about me."


    "Suit yourself," Chrona said while moving her tail from me. I lifted the sap from the container, wobbling the liquid fire in the air. Chrona eyed me, her heart rate rising as I toyed with the devastating gunk.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t plan on throwing this on anybody anytime soon."


    She let out a sigh of relief, "Good. Perhaps we could douse Thisbey in it."


    I took a chunk of the burning sap and floated it into my dimensional storage, "You know what? I just might do that."


    She let out a gruff laugh, "Record it with your glass bauble. I''d love to see that sight one day."


    "You and me both."


    I stood by the fire while Chrona walked over towards the other side of it. She tilted her head at me, "Though I enjoy the conversation, that should be plenty of chitchat for your tastes. What did you really mean by your being a realm?"


    I looked up, thinking of how to frame it. I didn''t want to admit who I was, though Chrona probably wouldn''t know. It wasn''t something I wanted her to tell other people about though. After a minute of thought, she murmured,


    "So it''s not something to be said lightly. I''ve gathered that much."


    "Yeah. Hm...I''m not a normal thing I guess. It''s like I can be here and at another dimension at the same time if that makes sense."


    "It makes very little in the way of sense, but I''ve seen unusual entities before. Lehesion owned a direct gateway to Giess''s mana. No matter the range, he could tap into the energy source. It gave him an unbelievable power. Your circumstances explain how you were able to avoid my abilities even when he could not."


    I crossed my arms, "Yeah, I''m not quite at that level yet."


    "You''re closer than you think. You wield mana that far exceeds Emagrotha''s or my own. It makes me ponder; did your abilities spawn from your dimensional duality?"


    Her question made me ponder myself. I didn''t fully understand the ramifications of my dimension-ness. That might be why I wielded gravity so well. Perhaps my understanding of it was innate since I became a fully formed dimension. Hell, maybe other laws of nature would apply the same to me in that regard.


    Still, I couldn''t be sure.


    "Not quite. It definitely helps though. Its like I''m pulling mana from the other dimension."


    "Then your potential even exceeds Lehesion in that regard, given that dimension is large enough...Perhaps you could teach me how you wield that pulling force?"


    That didn''t seem productive, and I was on a time limit. I scoffed, "Only if you teach me time dilation."


    Chrona stood tall, "Then it''s a deal."


    I frowned for a second, processing what she said. My eyes widened as I comprehended what she had to say.


    "Wait...really?"


    She showed her teeth in a grin,


    "Really."

 196 Diving In

    "You offered me a deal, so I decided to accept," Chrona stated.


    "Hmm...I don''t know. It''s just I didn''t expect you to be willing to teach me something so powerful."


    "Many have tried learning from me. Few have succeeded in any capacity. Offering my magic to you doesn''t mean you''ll fully attain its potential. The same could be said for the secrets of your own techniques. Even then, you''ve used your own combat potential responsibly."


    That made sense to me.


    "Alright, so where do we start?"


    "With comprehension. Most can''t grasp the fabric of our dimension and sense it. That alone is a harsh first step."


    "Got that in spades."


    Chrona leaned back, "Perhaps you''re further along than I expected. Still, there''s much more to establish. You must learn to mold mana into a specific location."


    "Got that too."


    "What of mana saturation? Can you do that?"


    "What is it exactly?"


    "It''s to oversaturate your body or area with mana. Very strenuous, but required if you are to manipulate your own timeline."


    "I can do that, but I don''t get how this ties together exactly."


    She sighed, "Perhaps we should discuss this in the entrance. There will be more room to practice there."


    Going back to the room stuffed with ice sculptures, Chrona stood at the center of the room. She pointed her tail to a particular spot, which I walked toward.


    "First, sense the dimensional fabric around you."


    I did so, noting the subtle fluctuations from Chrona''s own gravitational pull. It gave me a rough outline of the area, allowing me to discern movement. It was much harder than merely using temperature differences along with wind currents though. Those sensations gave me more to work with since a person''s gravitational pull was pretty small.


    Wrinkles ebbed on the gravitational net, Chrona gathering mana from her surroundings. She wheezed, "Gah, I despise drawing mana from my own reserves. It''s exhausting."


    After a few moments, a tiny blue sphere of mana popped into existence.


    "This is mana given a physical form. Can you create a ball of mana such as this?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why are you moving it outside of your body?"


    "It makes manipulating the dimensional fabric aside from my own much simpler."


    Listening to her, I lifted a hand. I redirected my mana flow to my palm from my cipher runes. A river of red mana flooded from my arm, coalescing into a crimson ball. It dwarfed Chrona''s own sphere, and it left her taking a few steps back.


    "Your mana is...volatile, isn''t it? I understand where your fury in battle comes from. It''s your spirit."


    "Don''t worry. I''ve got it under control."


    "Then your mind is like Emagrotha''s. She preferred using her own personal reserves of mana as you do. She believed it strengthened her spirit."


    I crossed my arms, leaving my mana sphere floating in front of me, "Why don''t you do the same?"


    "My...my magic is too demanding," Chrona murmured while looking away. "Perhaps one day I will be able to. Today is not that day, however."


    I shrugged, "Eh, keep working at it. You''ll get there."


    "Easy for a genius to say," she said with a glare.


    I rolled my eyes, "It''s even easier to make excuses."


    She held her sneer before letting out a deep sigh,


    "You and Emagrotha would''ve made good friends. You echo her ideology with your own. You''re far more direct and harsh, however. She was more eloquent."


    "Yeah, that''s never been my strong point. I can usually fire people up in a speech though."


    She tilted her head, "I would liken my own magic to a speech in nature. It''s as if I''m convincing time to alter itself. There''s very little force involved. It''s more so an act of persuasion. Perhaps that was why Emagrotha could never use my magic. She went through any obstacle, headstrong and unstoppable."


    "She sounds cool and all, but I need to learn this."


    She waved a clawed hand, "Ah yes, of course. Now we move onto field manipulation."


    From her sphere, a ripple ushered out. As it passed us, a familiar but odd sensation passed over me. Chrona slowed time yet again.


    "Did you catch what I did?"


    "I noticed the change. I don''t know how you did it."


    She flicked her tail up to the blue sphere, "I created a field of mana around us, then I altered the density of the dimensional fabric around us. I imagine it as such. Space and time are one. If you lessen one, you lessen the other. Therefore, the less space around us, the less time as well. This makes time move slowly."


    I frowned, "Shit...That''s crazy. Do you guys know about E=mc2?"


    "No."


    "It''s this idea by this smart guy called Einstien. He''s a, uh, famous scientist. He made that equation, and it just means that energy equals mass. It had a lot of implications back in the day, one of them being that space and time are the same."


    I cupped my chin, "Well, there''s a lot more to it, but I''m not that knowledgeable about the topic, to be honest. Point is, you''re describing his idea for the most part without knowing it. I was surprised."


    "This Einstein sounds like a fearsome dimensional mage. His understanding of the inner workings of it dwarfs my own if what you say is true."


    In a way, what he did was magic. It led to bombs far more massive than could be believed, so I guessed magician was a pretty fitting title for the guy.


    "Er, Einstein wielded a different kind of magic. It was nuclear in nature."


    Her eyes narrowed while she raised her brow, "What is nuclear?"


    "Basically what fuels stars."


    "Fascinating. He wielded the power of dimensions and the stars above. A star mage! Incredible. He outmatches even Lehesion in power and might then."


    Eh, nuclear bombs were a powerful thing.


    "Yeah...he did. Well, he built on the magic of those before him, just like those that came after. He was pivotal in the development of the ideas though. With enough practice, a group of people could even recreate his magic."


    "What? That''s chills the blood to hear," her eyes widened. "Too much power in the hands of many is the end of all."


    The Cold War was pretty bad.


    "Yeah, he opened Pandora''s Box in a way."


    "The Box of Pandora?"


    "You know what, we''ll talk about it later."


    Chrona leaned towards me, "To think you''ve such a vibrant history throughout the galaxy. Our forefathers told stories through tall tales. We passed the knowledge down by speaking with one another. Where did you come across such vibrant tales?"


    "People wrote all this down in large books. That''s a big reason why Einstein was successful actually. He used the knowledge of those before him, building on it. Otherwise it would''ve been impossible."


    Chrona waved her tail, "All discoveries mirror this trait. Imagine a pathetic worm attempting to dismantle his achievements. ''His knowledge was not utterly unique.'' Neither is the language we share, yet we do not ascribe our achievements to those that made words." She shook her head,


    "It sounds as though Einstein unveiled secrets of the universe. What more does it take to be impressed? He''s like the ancients that guided us from the sea. They turned our fins into wings, and thus, we ascended. That is what we are told in our stories."


    She was probably describing evolution. Considering how long gialgathens live, it must have been a slow process. The fact their oral stories shifted from the truth a bit was to be expected. Fascinating as it all was, we had a job to do.


    Interrupting our discussion, I created a gravity well in front of me, creating a dip in the space around us, "Is this similar to what you''re doing?"


    Chrona leaned back and furrowed her brows, "It''s...quite different. You''re simply pulling on the fabric around us. I''m actually manipulating its density. It''s quite strange that you''re able to press into space with such extreme force actually. Perhaps your immunity to our time is what enables you to perform such feats?"


    I shook my head, "My teacher could do the same."


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    "But not to this extent, surely?"


    "Well, no," I frowned. "My mana and weight are much higher than his though."


    "What does your own weight have to do with it?"


    "The more I weight, the stronger my gravity wells become. This is because I can create a pulling force that matches my mass. It saves me a lot of mana in the long run."


    Chrona sat down, on all fours, kind of like a cat, "That isn''t how my magic works in the slightest. All my manipulation requires my own intervention. It may be due to the difference in our techniques, however."


    I always assumed everyone had the same parameters around their magic, but from what Chrona said, it didn''t look like it. Maybe being a Living Dimension had more effects on my abilities than I first realized. Either way, I needed to duplicate the field she was making before I attempted anything else.


    "Well, my magic involves gripping the space around you and tugging on it. I can do the opposite too, shoving it out of a point as well."


    Chrona scoffed, "What? You grab a single point instead of designating a space? Madness."


    I whispered, "No...Sparta."


    "What was that?"


    "Oh, nothing. Anyways, I think your best way of learning my technique would be trying to hone into a single point, focus on it for a while, then convert your mana into that tugging I mentioned earlier."


    Chrona adjusted her feet, "Strange way of thinking about it, but I shall try."


    With that in mind, we practiced what the other said. I wielded the ball of mana and tried permeating it through the air. It dispersed like water, drowning the entire area in a red mist. Chrona crawled backward, sitting down and watching me,


    "That''s good that you have that level of intricacy with your mana. You''re not dispersing it through the dimensional fabric, however."


    I gave her a curt not, "Yeah, this might take a while."


    "Worry not. It shall take me a while as well."


    After a few hours of attempting, Chrona exhausted herself. I kept at it though, trying to mesh my mana with what was around me. I attempted variations of what she said like shoving my mana into rock or ice. That was simple and easy. Interacting with the fabric of our dimension with the same mechanics, well, that was something else entirely.


    Every time I tried brute forcing my way through the process, I met a wall of resistance. If I pushed harder, that repelling force grew with my attempts. After a while, I figured something out - it didn''t come naturally to me at all. It was like bleeding into a pool of water then trying to use the water in magic.


    No matter how much I bled, the water just diluted it into nothingness.


    For Chrona, it was the opposite. She said she was the water but in a vast ocean. For her, she struggled to distinguish herself from the water at all. She couldn''t progress any even after I read some magical textbooks to her on the topic.


    After she rested up, we tried a new approach.


    "Ok, I think I know where the problem is."


    The gialgathen scratched her side with the tip of her tail, "And what might that be?"


    "Gialgathens draw mana from their surroundings for the most part," I pointed at her. "That means it''s easy to think of yourself as a part of the space around you. That is what''s stopping you from being able to tell the difference between the dimensional fabric and yourself."


    "There is no difference. We are all apart of it."


    I weighed my hand back and forth, "Point is, you have to divorce yourself from everything around you. Impose your will on it. Don''t let it impose its will on you."


    She lifted her head, "Ahhh. You''ll need to do the opposite then. Allow yourself to be swept away. Become a part of your surroundings, then you may change the fabric itself."


    I shivered, "I don''t know if I can do that. Sounds real...I don''t know, suicidal?"


    "It''s embracing that we are one with the universe. How is that suicidal?" she said with her brow raised.


    "I''ll explain later. For now, just trust me on that."


    "If you say it is so."


    I understood my apprehension already. I was a dimension, and my mana was my health. Letting myself be ''swept away'' would be equivalent to draining all my blood into someone else''s body. After all, I was a microscopic universe compared to the one I inhabited. If I was going to gain some ground, I needed a different approach.


    At that point, I decided to go back home and master the magic on my own time. Before I did, Chrona shouted at me, "Are you leaving?"


    "Yup."


    "Before you go, we should schedule more of these sessions."


    "What for?" I said while crossing my arms.


    "I enjoy the company for one, and your musings about mana are interesting. They''re foreign from my own, and I find that fascinating."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Huh...I considered my thoughts on magic to be pretty dry stuff. We can do this again though if you like. No skin off my back."


    "Then until we meet again...which would be?"


    "Tomorrow at 12:00."


    "Where will the sun be then?"


    "Uh, I''ll see you in the middle of the day in other words."


    "Good. I''ll be oversleeping to tend to my wounds and exhaustion. Your training is demanding. Farewell."


    She went towards her room further in the crystalline cave. I turned and flew off. I ended up coming back the next day after working on my cipher. I tried helping out Torix with the coordinates, but he needed to teach me some calculus and trigonometry. I didn''t know anything about those subjects.


    Not saying I''m dumb, but I technically dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. That was when Schema''s system came around for me. Teaching me those subjects would take more time than we would save. My pursuits were more useful elsewhere for now, though getting some concrete knowledge on gravity might help me out later.


    All that to say teaching me was more trouble then simply solving the problem himself. Althea was the same in that regard. She skulked around various cities, traveling around Giess. I wanted to help her gather info, but everyone knew who I was.


    Even if I wore a different suit of power armor, my height would give me away. Of course, I could''ve used my Mass Manipulation skill to change my size then buy another set of armor, but Althea told me not to bother. Even if I did all that, she said I wasn''t subtle enough to gather details.


    I had to agree with her.


    With nothing else to do, I dived into my cipher work and my attempts at time manipulation. The cipher work was a steady grind, giving gradual but good results over time. On the other hand, Chrona''s approach to time manipulation confounded me.


    Despite some frustration, I stuck with it, my stubbornness seeing me through. It didn''t take long to realize that Chrona''s method of accomplishing the skill wouldn''t work for me. With a direct route cut off, I came up with a different approach. I attempted developing new unique skills to fill in the gaps of my understanding.


    After my third meeting with Chrona, I sat in the forest clearing above our base to practice once more. I permeated my mana through my surroundings, pressing it onto everything around me. This exercise stemmed from a line of thought.


    Becoming one with this dimension wasn''t going to pan out, so I changed my approach. I imposed my will onto my surroundings, using my mana as a catalyst for change. The more forceful approach suited me better too, synergizing with my personality.


    In spite of this directness, my plan required some measure of finesse. To get a response out of the life around me, understanding their baseline emotions were vital. Otherwise, I had no fine tuning with my mana field attempts.


    I would just shove mana into a creature, making it go berserk and kill itself in a fit of rage. While not a useless skill per se, some finesse would go a long way. This meant I leveled my Empathy skill quite a bit by understanding lizards, rodents, and even the plants around me. Once I got a solid grip on shoving mana into creatures, I did the same but through a field of mana around me.


    After an hour of testing, I gained a unique skill for my efforts. It was a strange one.


    Unique skill gained! By fusing Mana Press, Mana Saturation, Blood Magic Manipulation, Empathy, and Challenger into a single skill, Imposer of Will was created! Half of the unearned treepoints rewarded for unique skill creation: 123!


    Imposer of Will(lvl 1) - Many find that they are controlled by those around them. You choose to control rather than be controlled. Allows the creation of a mana field that influences those around you. -1% to mana cost for maintaining the field. +1% to the field''s effect on those around you.


    The skill wasn''t as apparent as most skills, so I went into my skill menu, looking for a more in-depth explanation. I found one.


    Imposer of Will - An advanced mana field manipulation skill.


    Effects: Creates a field around the user that can be used to sway others depending on the mana fed into the effect. Dominion mana enhances self-interest and desire for influence. Augmentation mana improves motivation and confidence. Origin mana enhances creativity and the desire to build. Blends of mana can create different kinds of impacts. EG, augmentation and origin mana create a sense of mania, where those around you spur into action to generate anything.


    Warnings: Careful application of this skill can result in far better outcomes than otherwise expected. Be careful and tactical with its implementation. Note, those with a solid sense of mana will know you''re creating a field of mana, and can resist its impact. Otherwise, the mood shift will be associated with you as a measure of your aura or overall impression on people.


    You can also create an aura of influence in a location and keep it after leaving the place. This allows for the creation of many fields of varying influence. This requires plenty of mana and high proficiency with the skill, however.


    It was similar to my other skill, Overwhelming Presence, though with a few key differences. For one, Imposer of Will relied on mana and was magical in nature. Overwhelming Presence relied on my charisma skills, preventing the skill from truly shining in my hands. I was a better magician than a politician, so this skill looked more useful for persuading people overall. It was a substantial first step towards making a dimensional field.


    Well, probably.


    Over the next ten days, I honed my prowess of the skill. I manipulated multiple fields at once, tried out different densities of mana, and tried out different kinds of influence. All my experiments shared one trait - everything went insane when in the field.


    It reminded me of when Althea was exposed to my mana. Creating a light enough aura required tremendous control, and if I overdid it, the animals in the aura died outright. Even if it was just small animals dying, it left a bad taste in my mouth. It was a necessary sacrifice though if it let me prevent all of Giess from getting glassed.


    The entire time I trained that skill, I trained Hunter of Many and Force of Nature as well. After a week of practice days, I gained another rank in my Originator tree.


    Most tread the well-worn paths that others left behind. These walkways are straight, narrow, and simple. You choose to be different. You head into the unknown, your path unmarked.


    Originator(Tier 2) unlocked! The bonus towards creating new skills is doubled for unique and mythical level skills. Newly created skills form at level five instead of level one. Skills still level as if on level one. This means you avoid the sticking point from level 96-100, allowing you to max out skills slightly faster. This applies to mythical skills as well, but from lvl 996-1,000.


    The perk tree was turning into a jack of all trades kind of enhancer. It allowed me to diversify my interests without losing a ton of efficiency in the long run. Considering my current goals, it was pretty useful. With its skill formation enhanced, I grew some more ambition for my objective.


    I created an outline of similar unique skills. Three stood out in particular: Overwhelming Presence, Imposer of Will, and Words of Strength. All of the skills were about beguiling people to do what I wanted. They all achieved that goal using different methods, sure, but performing all the powers at once would enhance their effects.


    So I dug into the trenches of study, practicing the magic anytime I could. I got Torix to help me practice, being a guinea pig of sorts. He strengthened his mental defenses while I enhanced my own manipulation skills. It was a win-win for both of us.


    I continued this line of thought over the next few days. I finished a third of my mega cipher inscription since the fight during this time. Still, I was getting anxious. We were approaching a month into our deadline of sixty days. If I was to continue this kind of study, I needed some serious results.


    Fortunately, serious results arrived in spades. Torix and I were having one of our mental resistance training sessions. As we battled one another, something clicked as I used all my skills in conjunction. My aura, voice, and mana field turned into an overbearing pressure.


    Even Torix, with all his experience, wilted under its harsh pressure. The lich cupped his chin,


    "You know, perhaps the sky is in fact yellow. I''d never deigned to consider it, but now that you''ve mentioned it..."


    I pulled back the aura, giving Torix back full control of himself. As I did, he slapped his hands together,


    "By Baldowah, I fell for that ridiculous claim. Some master of the mental arts I''ve proven myself to be..."


    He was wrong about that. I''d been using all my skills and gushing to him for hours on end.


    "Anyone would lose some mental acuity by now. Maybe I could get you in interrogation, but I doubt anything else would work. Besides, I just got a notification for a new skill."


    "Perhaps you could show it to me," Torix sighed. "It would make me feel better about my loss."


    "It probably will. It''s mythical most likely."


    I opened my menu, showing him the skill while seeing it for the first time.


    I blinked, "Woah."


    Torix nodded, "Woah indeed."

 197 Under Dark Waters

    New Skill Gained! The unique skills Words of Strength, Overwhelming Presence, and Imposer of Will fuse together into the mythical skill, Legion of One. Half of unearned skillpoints rewarded: 78


    Legion of One(lvl 5) - Your being enthralls those that defy you and invigorates those that follow in your wake. Vastly enhances your ability to influence and pressure those around you. Effect enhanced by mana used. Acts as a measure of defense against other mental abilities. Effects are enhanced with level.


    "That''s quite the skill. How''s it already level five if you just gained it?" Torix said with crossed arms.


    "A skill tree."


    "Ah. I suppose that makes sense. Never seen a tree do something quite like that, however."


    "Outside of the one I''m working on, me neither. Good to have though."


    It looked handy. It came with the same fluidity that my other mythical skills caused as well. Using the auras and words in conjunction came across as a natural instinct. It reduced the levels of focus and thought put into each piece of the action.


    This freed up my ability to do other work at the same time. I turned to Torix, "How''s finding the location going?"


    "I''ve created a range of around ten miles where the base most likely is. Considering the sludge ocean above it, I wanted to pinpoint the area a bit more before discussing it with you and the others."


    "How about Althea?"


    "She''s made little in the way of progress." Torix steepled his hands, "Ever since your tactic against Thisbey, his public approval plummeted. He''s gone underground, which has made him rather difficult to find."


    Torix waved a finger, "Tohtella actually took full advantage of your video, however. She dispersed it through the appropriate channels, verified it, and associated it with you in every manner possible. She even purchased commercials for other fights in the tournament to further its proliferation."


    "Good to see she''s showing that competence we''ve heard so much about," I said with a grin. "This new skill of mine should help out with convincing the public to fight the eldritch too."


    "Most definitely. I feel it even as you speak right now. It''s reminiscent of Yawm in a way."


    I grimaced, "Ugh...really?"


    Torix waved his hands, fumbling his words, "In a manner of speaking of course. Your nothing like Yawm."


    "Hm...Yeah. Of course not," I said with a slow nod.


    "Daniel, I didn''t mean-"


    I raised a palm, "No, I get it. I''m way too sensitive about this. Sorry. Just a sore spot."


    "Of course. I understand...It''s difficult when compared with evil."


    "Yeah, evil and ignorance. Yawm was misguided. I don''t want to end up like that."


    Torix reached up and put a hand on my shoulder, "You won''t. I''ll set you straight long before you veer that far off your chosen path."


    I smiled, "Thanks for the help."


    "Likewise. Now, I''ve got a few calculations to run, and you have the battle to prepare for."


    I gave him a quick nod, "Alright. Let''s go."


    This was the last training session for us before my next fight in the tournament. I spent the rest of the day on the cipher and chatting with Althea. She stunned me with how brutal and efficient her execution strategy was. By morphing her build and face, she took on a false identity. Using that disguise, she rose up the ranks in one of the revolutionary groups. Didn''t take long considering her talents.


    She planned on executing Thisbey when the group met up during the award ceremony for my tournament. In the middle of his speech, she''d phase in, lop his head off, then phase right out. I wracked my brain on how to stop that, and I couldn''t find a solution. She took the idea of a Breaker to an extreme in that regard, being nigh unstoppable.


    Knowing Thisbey''s death was assured, I focused on the tournament. I planned on sending a message to the general public to take up arms against the eldritch and silvers. With my new skill, Legion of One, that would be much easier. It kind of sucked that Legion of One didn''t work for the time field, but I''d make use of it while I could.


    Setting my plan into motion, I reached the tournament with my next fight in front of me. After running out of the forest, I leaped onto the edge of the tournaments field. As I glanced around, I found Eradin waiting in the stands. I jogged over to him with a smile on my face,


    "Hey, good to see you. How''s the family holding up?"


    Eradin''s face lit up with a toothy grin, "Ah...Ohhh, it''s good to see you well Gray Giant."


    I rolled my eyes, "What''s with the formality?"


    Eradin blinked, "Well, you just seem different now. More commanding in a sense."


    I raised a hand, "Don''t worry about it. Just act normal."


    "Ahem, of course." He cleared his throat, "As for my family, they''re doing well. My son thrashed me in one our recent spars since he finally used some tactics on me. Speaking of thrashings, I saw your match against Chrona."


    I scoffed, "I didn''t thrash anyone there."


    "I agree. You took tremendous punishment and came out no worse for wear.   I couldn''t imagine being encapsulated in her fiery breath! She''s a legend, one of the strongest of Emagrotha''s armies. She stayed the line against dozens of gialgathens, her speed legendary. But of course, you bested her with ease!"


    Considering her magic worked in a field, her holding a position made sense.  In certain environments, like a volcano, she''d be nearly unstoppable. I gestured a hand to the old beast,


    "It was a hard fight no doubt. I had a counter to some of her magic, but she fast as hell."


    "And despite that, you cleared the air about the falsehoods spread about your name. I promise you, I shouted to the high heavens of your innocence! The youngsters doubted me, accusing you of betraying our kind. Blagh. The young are fickle, but I''d met you. I understood your character."


    "Thanks. Always nice to know I made the right impression."


    Eradin pointed his tail at a caped figure, "Those two are here to see you as well. I wouldn''t leave them waiting."


    "Oh...Yeah, that looks like Helios. Thanks for the advice," I said with a sigh.


    "An enemy?"


    "More like a self-proclaimed boss."


    "Ah. Nothing is worse than a leader no one wanted. Good luck with handling him."


    "Yeah, I''ll need it."


    I walked over to Helios who stood with his back to me. His black cape looked like some kind of microfiber mesh intertwined with silk. His white mane of hair ran down to his waist as well. Everything made him seem larger than life. As I reached him, he turned to me, his black mask covering his maw,


    "Ah, the Gray Giant arrives. You seem far more driven in this fight, or perhaps less distracted?"


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I kept Legion of One active, combatting his weighty presence, "I plan on making use of a new skill I gained."


    Helios tilted his head, looking down at me like I was a new person, "I can feel it. Another aura of some kind? It''s effective albeit crude."


    I shrugged, "Suits me then. What are you doing here?"


    Helios stepped sideways, "Protecting a defiant weakling."


    Behind him, Caprika sat with a burn mark over her cheek. She looked like she aged quite a bit, her eyes wary of everyone around her. Considering what happened, that made total sense to me.


    "Hey, it''s good to see you. How are you holding up?"


    She stared at me, shaking her head, "It''s...good to see you too. I''m fine."


    Something was off with her.


    "Uh, you alright?" I said while raising an eyebrow.


    "Yes...it''s just when we met, you didn''t have a presence to match your strength. Now you do. It''s...fitting I suppose."


    "Really? Good. I''ll need it."


    She took a deep breath, "You''ve progressed so much since we first met. It has me feeling rather lacking in that regard as well."


    I waved off her concern, "Not a fair comparison. You were targeted and almost died. Hard to power up when that shit happens."


    Caprika glanced down, her older brother looking down at her. She murmured,


    "I suppose."


    Helios stared at her, his expression unreadable. He let out a deep sigh before looking away and scratching the side of his head,


    "Look...you''ve made strides in your own way...Lessons are learned through hardship at times, and...and you''ve learned much as of late. Your guard is better. Your eyes are sharper. You even found Daniel here. Those achievements deserve...some merit, in a sense."


    I suppressed a laugh at Helios''s awkward attempt at cheering his sister up. She was his soft spot after all.


    "Thanks. I definitely had some time to think while in the med wards. I need to up my defensive prowess."


    Helios nodded, crossing his arms, "It would be time for that, yes. I''ll teach you a method of reflexively encapsulating yourself in your fur. It should dampen the damage from these kinds of attacks. Perhaps some kind of permanent mana shield would work as well. Schema knows you need it considering how frail you are."


    Caprika rolled her eyes, "Easy to say for a Fringe Walker."


    "Excuses are unbefitting of a Novas," Helios stated. "They degrade you."


    "Of course brother," Caprika mumbled with a sigh. "I''ll try to live up to my name as a Novas."


    Helios kept staring at her after they finished talking, his hand gripping into a fist. I couldn''t tell what he meant by that, but he looked...uncomfortable. This was Helios''s way of telling Caprika to take care of herself. At least that''s what it looked like to me. Even if he hid it well, he wasn''t pleased with her nearly dying.


    Helios rolled his shoulders before glancing back to me, "Speaking of living up to names, your little media ploy set Giess''s media ablaze. Clever."


    "It wasn''t really clever. It was more about foresight than anything."


    "It was clever for you. I expected less."


    Oh, an insult. Great.


    I rolled my eyes, "Alright then. Anyways, I have the fight to get to. Keep her safe."


    Helios looked down at me, "I have to. Otherwise, no one competent will."


    He was defensive after his sister was hurt. I understood the sentiment, so I didn''t let what him get under my skin. On the other hand, Caprika glared at him before turning to me, "Ignore him. My safety is my responsibility. Go win this tournament. There''s most certainly a spot in Albony upper society waiting for you afterward."


    I glanced up to Helios, "From what I''ve seen, there''s nothing there to look forward to."


    Helios scoffed, "Speaking from a position of envy perchance?"


    "No. From experience."


    Helios rolled his eyes as I turned to the arena. I jumped across the pit of magma, lava bubbling beneath me. As I landed on the steel beneath me, my next opponent warped in. He was a thin, spindly gialgathen covered in red robes. His mahogany colored skin matched, making him look like a bookkeeper at a library. Well, as much as a gialgathen could look like a librarian.


    Sun symbols covered his robes, telling me who and what he was - an Eclipse Maker. How one of them made it this far into the tournament was beyond me. They didn''t seem like the close combat type. Maybe he''d surprise me there.


    With that in mind, I set myself into a sprinter''s position, ready to charge at him the moment the fight began. I analyzed the guys next.


    Eclair Vivitar(lvl 6,803) - Eclair is a scholar who studies various sun magics. He once used those magics in battle, but his prime has long since passed. A shadow of his former self, he still dedicates a large portion of his time training for the tournament.


    Coming from a weaker regional area, Eclair lucked out by facing weaker combatants. He''s made many returns to the tournament, but it''s an understood fact that he will lose to either Delilath or Chrona, depending on who won their match that year. With those two monsters out of the way, he now faces you.


    He''s not ready.


    Well, this was disappointing, but the regional setup for the tournament explained it. After all, I fought Delilath because she lived near Yildraza. Chrona Charsiary came from Rivaria, representing one of the most influential factions of the gialgathens. This guy must be representing some rural collection of nomads or something. Since the competition wasn''t as fierce, he reached this stage yet lost every year.


    I was the ''wall'' he met this year instead of the other two. Kiki Mosk understood this as he floated over us. With his charismatic voice, Kiki shouted to the stands,


    "Who is ready to get the show on the road?"


    The zeppelin above him boomed while the gialgathens stared in somber silence. I intended on getting this guy out of here quick, my mana charged. This guy didn''t look like he''d be ready to defend from one of my singularities so I wouldn''t use one as an opener. Charging at him should be enough.


    Kiki Most took a deep, satisfied breath before announcing, "Let''s see if Eclair can put up a better fight this year."


    Kiki droned on and on about how pitiful Eclair was. By the end of Kiki''s rang, I felt bad for the poor guy. Shit, someone even worse than him would''ve shown up if he hadn''t. Feelings of pity aside, I wasn''t about to hold back, however. I needed this win, and the more dominant my victory, the better off I''d be.


    With that in mind, I used my Legion of One skill to its fullest extent. I stared the guy down, my every intention to take him out quick. Eclair didn''t look ready either. He shook a bit looking at me, knowing his chances were slim at best. Kiki only exacerbated the issue. He guided the promotion of the fight towards something of a stopwatch event; how long would Eclair last?


    Not very long apparently. As Kiki Mosk asked for us to be ready, we both said yes. Right after I launched myself to him, Eclair let out a telepathic wave,


    "I surrender!"


    The gialgathens in the stands groaned at his cowardice, and I dragged my feet to a stop. With sparks flying off the steel ground beneath me, I raised a hand in victory. If I tried giving a speech about the perks of killing eldritch, it would be rubbing salt in the gialgathen''s wounds. It wasn''t worth stirring the pot considering how volatile the political situation was at the moment.


    With that in mind, I dropped my hand in a second, moving on afterward. Without missing a beat, I traveled back to Caprika. As I walked up, she nudged Helios,


    "Still not impressed?"


    "I''ve known giants. The Emperor, Baldowah, and many others. He''s not of their caliber," Helios said while staring at his nails. "Not yet."


    I didn''t expect anything from the guy, but I walked past Caprika while laying a hand on her shoulder, "One left before you get your city. Good luck healing."


    "Same to you," Caprika said with a nod.


    After my goodbyes, I navigated back to our base where I found Torix pacing in the forest clearing. I walked up to him, seeing a triangulation of coordinates around the opening. Candles and several corpses were splayed out on the corners of the triangle, along with streaks of blood. I stayed well outside of it, glancing at Torix,


    "So uh, what''s all this for?"


    "To discover the precise location of the base. With its coordinates narrowed down, I can use a basic divination ritual to gather details."


    "What''s with all the corpses?"


    "I''m still a necromancer at heart, and a few forest animals are worth the well-being of Giess. It''s a net good as far as morality is concerned."


    "Oh no, I wasn''t here to judge. I was actually wondering what they were for."


    "Oh," Torix said while crossing his arms. "They act as catalysts to tune into the flowing life structure of Giess. I hypothesize that wherever this base under the ocean is, there will be plenty of death present there. By finding a collection of carcasses, I can pinpoint a precise position."


    "Why didn''t you use this before?"


    "My mana has limits, and the ritual requires far less mana as you narrow down the search area. At times, it''s far easier to use less direct means for solving a situation. I say that knowing full well the merits of a more blunt methodology, I assure you."


    I nodded, "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. My runic carving was like that...


    Do you mind if I watch?"


    "Absolutely not. Perhaps you may learn something of use."


    Torix paced over towards the center of the triangle, placing his hands on the ground. With surgical precision, he guided his black mana into the blood markings. Wasting no time or energy, he lifted his hand up, sound and light siphoning into his hand. A purple flame outlined in black popped up, swirling with violence.


    He walked over towards each animal carcass, setting a tiny morsel of the flame on them. They all burned, leaving nothing left, and the markings around us sunk into the earth. With my ears ringing from the quiet, Torix snapped his fingers. My hearing returned, and the shade around us dispersed.


    My ears popped as Torix looked cupped his chin. I looked around before spreading out my arms, "So, uh, what did you find?"


    "It''s strange," Torix shook his head. "I found a collection of bodies clustered within the ocean near the epicenter of Lehesion and Emagrotha''s battle."


    "Then what''s unusual about it?"


    Torix stared at me, "There are two blips of life force I didn''t anticipate finding."


    "Did you honestly expect to find nothing alive down there?" I said while crossing my arms.


    Torix''s eyes widened, "These signatures weren''t normal in any regard. They were colossal, dwarfing anything I''ve ever seen. They both exceeded the energy signature of Yawm."


    Torix met my eye, "And one of them is devouring the other."

 198 Preparing for Battle

    I said, "What does that even mean?"


    "I don''t know. The sheer volume of energy is astounding, however. It''s like a continent is collected into two energy blips. I can''t understand it fully, but what I do know is this - we need all the help we can muster if we are to fend it off."


    My eyes widened, "Are you serious?"


    "Most certainly. Find some of your previous combatants. Perhaps they may help us."


    "Hmm," I cupped my chin, "Maybe. I''ll have to check it out. I could get Chrona on my side. Maybe even Krog. They''d be the only ones worth gathering."


    "Then we must hurry. I''ll warp over and get Althea here. Perhaps Kessiah''s healing magic has come along enough to help us."


    I tsked, "I think she''d get gibbed if I''m honest."


    "I would as well if I took a direct blow from this kind of foe. This is a risky venture, and I''d rather not leave a stone unturned."


    "I''ll take your advice on it. Do you think we should contact Tohtella and get some of her guards?"


    Torix sighed, "I...I''d rather not. I''ve been suspicious of her activities for a while now. Despite her use of your video, she''s done far too little to uphold her reputation as a world reformer."


    "Yeah, I had a suspicion in the back of my mind too," I shook my head, "I can''t understand why the hell she''d do it though. It makes no sense whatsoever."


    "Neither do I. Perhaps this final Skyburner base will offer some elaboration and verification of our suspicions. Needless to say, we must prepare. Find allies. I''ll gather resources of my own."


    "I have a favor I can call in with Helios. Do you think this is that big a problem?"


    Torix crossed his arms, "Hmmm...No, I don''t. We''ve yet to even access the threat. We''ll call upon him if it''s beyond our grasp. Time is still of the essence, however. I imagine if the draining signature finishes its siphoning process, we''ll face a far stronger foe in the end."


    "We''ll finish this fast then. Do you think you can return later tonight?"


    "Perhaps in two days. I''ll give you the coordinates then, and we''ll go towards the epicenter. Good luck."


    I gave him a curt nod as he walked into a portal, warping somewhere. I sprinted over towards Chrona, tearing chunks from the ground as I did. As I flew up over the skyline, I shot across Rivaria. After reaching the upper line of the city, I flopped into Chrona''s home. The beautiful ice sculptures still reflected light in their icy shells.


    As I paced through the room, several of the statues had air bubbles spread throughout them. They crafted them into words, shapes, and pattern. Each of these additions added extra depth to the already impressive sculptures. It looked like it requires several techniques to make it work right. Otherwise, the bubbles would get lost in the freezing process. They must have designed the air pockets and sculpture beforehand then flash-froze the water with the bubbles. Carving the statue must have been the easy part.


    With my mind thinking about that, two different gialgathens echoed through the cavern. Though they didn''t talk much, their breath was more than enough considering their hulking size. Within the room of emerald fire, Chrona chatted with another gialgathen. Turns out it was Krog Borom, the illusionist general of Emagrotha''s army. It made sense these two were talking considering their history.


    As I stepped up, Chrona tilted her head at me,


    "Our next session wasn''t until a few days after your bout?"


    I shook my head, "I didn''t need the rest. The guy quit."


    Krog grumbled, his voice proud, "The filthy coward. If I fight him again, I''ll leave him broken as he deserves."


    I raised a hand, "There''s something I wanted to speak with both of you about."


    Chrona pointed near the fire, "We were in the middle of discussing a few recent political events. They may wait until after you''ve had your say, however."


    Krog puffed out his chest, his black and red skin oozing menace, "Those politics revolve around you in fact. You''ve done much for us. I was going to thank you for it."


    Huh. Didn''t see that one coming.


    "I actually have a way you can help me then. We found where Emagrotha and Lehesion fought. At the epicenter of their battle, a mage I know found something big."


    The two generals stared at one another. After a moment of silence, Chrona turned to me, "There lies an ocean of sludge there now to my knowledge. If that''s the ''big'' thing you''re referencing, then there''s little else to know of the subject."


    "Not quite. It''s two life forms of unbelievable size. They sounded like something you''d get from Lehesion or Emagrotha."


    The gialgathens straightened up, Chrona murmuring, "But Emagrotha...there''s little that remains of her after Lehesion''s final blast. We never found her remains. The ocean rose from the ground faster than we could recover her."


    "We''re better off not knowing what that freak did to her," Krog growled.


    I pointed at them both, "I''m wondering if either of you would come with me in case I needed help fighting this thing."


    Chrona gave chuckled. "Of course I''ll help. I''m certain it couldn''t stop the both of us."


    Krog snapped her side with his tail, the gemstones encrusted on his armor shining, "The three of us. It will be a battle worth remembering, and I may offer a measure of compensation for how you''ve treated us as a people. You deserve it."


    "Acting decent doesn''t deserve compensation," I said while raising a palm to Krog.


    "On Giess, it does. Especially given the hard times." Krog stated.


    I crossed my arms, "What do you mean?"


    Chrona looked away while Krog took a deep breath. The proud beast murmured,


    "I...I lost my grandfather in an attack as of late."


    I fumbled for my words, "My god...Uhm...I''m sorry."


    Krog snorted, crushing his emotions. He said, "It was in a terrorist attack led by those revolutionaries. To think they''d sacrifice themselves to cull us. It''s difficult not to squash one of the espens each time I see them."


    Chrona laid a wing across Krog''s back, "We would be no better than them. Emagrotha would look down with disappointment."


    Krog smashed a thickened hand onto the ground, cracks ebbing across the ice around us, "I know...but it''s difficult."


    Tears rimmed around his massive eyes, his emotion real. Minutes passed before Krog collected himself. The general stood tall once more,


    "A harrowing battle is just what I need to clear my mucked mind. It will do me good."


    Chrona pulled back her wing, and I stayed quiet while Krog took deep breaths. I ended up intruding on a profoundly personal meeting. If my suspicions were right, Krog came here to talk with Chrona about the death in his family. Like the jackass that I was, I ended up interrupting them. Even though I was aware of that, we didn''t have time for personal grieving.


    This thing could kill off a lot more people if we didn''t organize quickly. I raised a fist, staring at Krog,


    "Then we''ll meet later tonight to go kill whatever this damn thing is."


    Chrona glanced between Krog and me, concern spread over her face. Krog let out a low growl, "It shall be done."


    "Good. I''ll see you both in the arena then."


    "Of course," Chrona said. "We''ll fight with valor."


    I left them, giving Krog the chance to grieve over his loss. He looked close to his grandfather, so the loss hit hard, and I didn''t want to interject anymore than I already had. I needed to push him some though. Otherwise, we''d have to postpone fighting this damn thing for a while. Considering how strong Torix seemed to think it was, that didn''t sound like that good an idea.


    With that in mind, I returned to our base. I raced down the steps and knocked on Kessiah''s room. Kessiah called me in. She stood beside a rabbit with glowing antlers pinned to a table. Beside it, several empty syringes were stacked up, one of them half full. As I raised an eyebrow, Kessiah picked up one of the legs of the rabbit.


    With a quick jerk, she pulled the limb off the poor creature. I winced more than the rabbit did. It stayed still, not even aware of its missing leg. I leaned back,


    "Ahhhh. Is that some kind of painkiller or sedative?"


    "Bingo. I asked Torix for some. This lets me practice my magic without having to listen to the squeals of the damn rabbit...and maybe I don''t like torturing the thing either."


    "Yeah, maybe. How''s it coming along?"


    Kessiah turned her wrists, showing cut marks down them. A few droplets of her blood lifted up spiraling into a central point. A few of Kessiah tattoos glowed as her hands shook. She grunted before molding the blood next to the rabbit''s amputated leg. With delicate precision, she reconstructed the sinews and tissues that connected it.


    Over the next few minutes, she connected the bone again and joined the ruptured skin. After a bit more detail work, she reconnected the veins of the creature, and she even donated a tiny bit of health to restore the creature''s health. All in all, it was a success in my books. Kessiah seemed to think the same as she let out a sharp sigh while leaning back,


    "Thank Schema I did it right this time. Here I thought I''d fuck it up again."


    I inspected her handiwork, finding scars and other markings on the creature, "Looks like you''ve been grinding it out, haven''t you?"


    She rolled her eyes, "No, not really. I''ve been taking tons of breaks because this is so demanding. Still, I''m a hell of a lot better than I thought I''d be after a few weeks. Kind of scared though," Kessiah winced.


    I turned a wrist to her, "Torix and I found the last Skyburner base. I was hesitating to ask, but would-"


    "No," Kessiah sliced her hands across the air. "I''ll get in the way. It''s five times my level. I''ll get slaughtered or end up getting someone else killed while they protect me. Sorry."


    "No need to apologize. I think this kind of work suits you better too, and we even need it as a team. Keep it up."


    "Yeah, I''ll do my best," Kessiah took a deep breath, "Back to getting this down. I need to work on getting the nerves right. It''s leg twitches after I reconnect the tissues...Shit, this is hard," she mumbled as I walked off.


    With two days of respite left before Torix returned, I set out on my own preparations for facing off against something catastrophic. The first priority involved safety for the others. With that mind, I took off my gray power armor before tearing out strips of my skin. It took gravitation enhancements and a series of quick jerks to make it happen for each piece.


    I was tough after all.


    With a pile of raw material to work with, I used Star Forger to melt the various strips into glowing globes of armor. At the same time, I sent messages to Althea and Torix for a series of measurements from them both. Using my memory, I guesstimated the average size of Krog and Chrona. It wasn''t much of a guess though, because I used my Knowledge Maker skill. Photographic memory was a powerful thing.


    It wouldn''t be perfect, but I planned on fixing that by lining their armors with various furs from Rivaria. By making the gear a bit too big, I could fill in the gaps with the soft lining. It had the added bonus of making them warm and comfortable as well. Two hours later, and I finished their main battle plates with their proportions in mind.


    After reviewing my memories for a bit, I recreated a series of jointed limb covers to add to that. By incorporating a set of interlocking chains, I made them easy to take on and off. I notched the joints as well, creating a series of interlocking plates that mimicked thickened scales. For their helmets, I created angled, aerodynamic bodies for them. This had the bonus of deflecting projectiles should they hit their head.


    Even with Star Forger, I struggled with the process. I was heavy as hell now, and that meant my skin was denser than lead as well. Of course, my added endurance made the metal incredible flexible and ductile too. This allowed me to keep the structures as thin as possible. I pulsed waves of gravity as well, making the internal arrangements of the metals all flow in the same direction. Otherwise, patches of the blackened ore would criss-cross in random directions. This made the overall structure more brittle.


    That was a serious problem considering the flexibility of the metal was its selling point. All in all, it took more than twelve hours of dedicated work, but I finished two sets of gialgathen armors. With the main work completed, I pulled out a variety of gemstones from my dimensional storage. I charged them with mana before setting them into sockets I welded onto the base. By creating lines of Schema''s watered down version of the cipher, I created pathways for the mana. They all directed towards a large diamond at the center of their plate mail.


    This enabled better mana flow for the gemstones, which were brimming with my own chaotic, volatile mana. I added a series of supporting runic structures around these pathways, stabilizing the mana some. This would prevent them from going insane, or at least make it much easier for them. Considering the volume of mana and the gialgathens natural ability to draw ambient mana, they should be fine. We would be testing regardless.


    All the inscriptions created polygons along the surface of the plate mail. To reinforce the structure, I added the circular spell formula to the center of the polygons. After imbuing them with mana, arcane bonds distributed through the structures much like the mana bonds coursing through my flesh.


    To top it all off, I added a series of blades and claw reinforcers, adding some extra oomph to their slashes. I even finished a bladed exterior to the tip of their tail, allowing them to sever people with ease. With their added weaponry set, I sharpened each blade, making sure they weren''t dull as could be. This required careful application of heat and slowly pulling tiny bits of metal from the edges.


    It was worth the effort. After a quick polish, the project looked professional. Well, as professional as my first time making gialgathen armor could look. I analyzed it, seeing what Schema had to say about it.


    A Corrupting Sunrise(lvl req: N/A | Race: Gialgathen | Size: Enormous | Type: Light) - Created from the condensed dimensional fabric, this metallic substance holds many properties that are advantageous to battle. When encased in this substance, the wielder''s dimensional stability enhances, giving them resistance to attacks on the plane that the wearer stands.


    This acts out as dimensional resistance. The sheer toughness of the compound is remarkable as well, giving it far more durability than steel or even orichalcum. This applies nearly all known kinds of damage, from chemical to elemental, it matters little when putting this armor between you and the coming damage type.


    The effects are limited to just armor as well. The many ingrained gemstones can act as mana batteries, giving the wielder tremendous enhancements to their effective mana pool. At the same time, large injections of this mana will act as a stimulant, creating unnatural levels of ferocity and fury in subjects using this armor.


    It can even extend the life of the wielder, offering enhanced vitality and regenerative effects to those that wield this tool. Though potent, use these features with caution. The long-term effects of using this energy source are unknown. Likely personality loss and long term brain damage can be inflicted with continuous use.


    That being said, the protective properties come with nearly no drawbacks. For a gialgathen, this is an incredible tool to have in their arsenal.


    The Harbinger''s Gift:


    [+100 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower.


    +50 Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +10,000 health | +1,000 health regen/min


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration | 25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    2,000,000/2,000,000 Mana Stored


    +50,000 Health | +1,000 Health Regen/min


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration | +60% to damage resistances


    Bonuses doubled for a member of Harbinger''s Legion. Bonuses don''t stack with copies of A Corrupting Sunrise. Excess mana is siphoned to Dimension C-138.


    The sheer quality of the materials used helped me a lot here. The flaws in my craftsmanship would become more apparent otherwise. It saved my ass in this scenario though. That''s why the armor enhanced the health regeneration of the wearer so much. Since my own health regen was that high, it rubbed off on people wearing what I was made of.


    Overall, the armor took a full day of consistent grinding to make it happen, but it increased the gialgathens chances of survival dramatically. With that handled, I glanced through my messages and took note of Torix and Althea''s measurements. I stripped more armor, melted it down, and set to work.


    For Torix, a thicker set of armor could be used. Of course, I kept the design light, but it wasn''t entirely as necessary since Torix often warped across a battlefield. The gialgathens flew, so they needed something light. Armed with that insight, I focused on creating better joint structures for Torix. I figured as a lich, keeping his body together was the most critical task. It was much more difficult to cast without arms for example. It could be done of course, especially by a capable archmage like Torix. At the same time, why let him get crippled like that?


    So I spent more time on the joints of the armor than the rest of it combined. I created wire structures that flowed and crisscrossed through the slabs of armor. These wires all culminated at the joints, adding a chainmail kind of reinforcement on those specific parts. This took forever since I had to make tiny balls of molten metal and pull thin strings of armor from them. Otherwise, the wires were flimsy and easily broken.


    As the wire passed, I let it cool down by air instead of magic. This enabled it to be as flexible as possible. With the joints finally finished, I created the same supporting runic structures and mana augmentations. I used the absolute limit of my mana pressing abilities here, giving a temporary repulsion to the armor. If a giant fireball came at the wearer, it would sweep around them. In this case, Torix.


    I gave additional runic supports for the charged gems as well, helping ease Torix with processing my mana. With the framework finished, I added a few details like a skull mask and a crown of thorns. Considering Torix''s penchant for dramatic flair, I felt it was fitting. I admired my work while inspecting the status. It had a few surprises.


    The Blighted Web(lvl req: 6,000 | Race: Bipedal | Size: Medium | Type: Heavy) - This protective wear is composed of condensed dimensional fabric plates and wires of the same material. Many of these wires reinforce the joints, creating a web of protective armor.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Heavy yet functional, it ensures that its wearer will stay in one piece even under tremendous kinetic damage. Nearly all known damage types are mitigated as well, a capable mana press going so far as repelling most spells from even reaching the wearer. Many gemstones have been charged with volatile mana on this armor as well.


    Runic inscriptions aid the wielder in wielding the energy, but its a calculated risk to use it unless the wearer is very skilled and has excellent willpower.


    This nigh absolute protection comes at a cost, however - the armor is very heavy. Weighing in at nearly 3,000 pounds, it requires a high strength stat to walk around in. Think of putting it on a long range artillery mage or technician. Warping abilities prevent the armor from being impossible to wield as well, along with gravitational magics.


    All in all, it''s an armor designed to protect and synergize with long range combat.


    The Harbinger''s Blessing:


    [+65 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower, Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +5,000 health | +500 health regen/min


    -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration | +25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if a member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    1,500,000/1,500,000 Mana Stored


    +75% to damage resistances | +75,000 health | +500 health regeneration/min


    It had a different kind of bonus then the gialgathen''s armor did. It suited Torix more, though I''m sure the slight stunting of his mana generation was still a pain. Considering Torix focused on having a massive mana pool rather than regenerating it, I hoped it was worth it. Besides, the extra mana stored in the gemstones would more than make up for the difference.


    With the Blighted Web finished, I set to work on Torix''s staff.


    It was easy enough to create a pole, but the jewel and runic work here was intense. Before doing so, I jotted down a few blueprints for the runic work in my grimoire first. After getting a plan down, I decided on an elemental augmenter and presence amplifier set of enchantments. Torix would no doubt be leading an army of silvers into the base with us. This would help him keep them under his thumb while giving his offensive presence a bit of a boost.


    Once finished, I used Star Forger to create impossibly small points of contact on the staff. These superheated dots allowed me to trace with unparalleled detail. Without my enhanced perception, I wouldn''t even be able to see what I was writing out, to be honest. I did though, so it came out clean and crisp. I''d need to work on the design a bit more in the future, but it was good enough for now.


    With that finished, I carved into the top of the staff, creating many sockets for a variety of gemstones. Using some sapphires I found in a jewelry store back on Earth, I gave the stave a cold affix. By adding rubies, topaz, amethysts, and a rainbow of other gems, I enhanced every element I could think of, along with others I couldn''t. It would take Torix a bit of practice before he could use it right, but it would be a powerful addition.


    With the elemental augmenter finished, I created a series of runes to enhance charisma and intimidation. On the inside of the hilt, I injected several emeralds into the supporting structure. Before I finished, Kessiah leaned out of her room,


    "Hey, can you cool this damn place down? It''s hot as hell in here..."


    I facepalmed. Duh. I was turning this place into a furnace. I raised my hand, siphoning mana through my palm. After cooling the site, I set back to work. I finished embedding emeralds in the hilt of the staff, hoping they''d work well with the charisma enchantments. They ''cooled'' mana somewhat, so charging them with my own wouldn''t overload Torix. Most likely at least.


    After closing a few online guides about gem allocation, I finished the hilt. I kept it simple, giving it extra thickness so that it would be heavier. If Torix grabbed it near the bottom of the staff, he could change the angles better by manipulating its center of mass some. That''s how swords worked, with the hilt of the sword often weighing as much as the blade itself.


    As the finisher, I put a citrine into the bottom of the staff. Around it, I created a series of runic carvings that altered the gravity of the stave. When mana charged into it, it would make the staff heavier. If Torix wanted to hit an incoming foe, he could lift the staff and channel mana into the construct. It would become a club at a moment''s notice.


    It was a beauty.


    Elemental Elocution(lvl req: 6,000 | Race: Any | Size: Medium | Type: Heavy) - This is a heavy, durable staff embedded with several augmenters. First and foremost, it enhances the effects of elemental magics. Though taking time to master, siphoning mana through various gemstones eases the conversion of origin mana into various elements. This enables further power and intensity when wielding these kinds of offensive spells.


    The other augmenter is oriented around one''s speaking ability. By enhancing the feel and voice of the wielder, it gives them a menacing aura. The last enhancer is simple yet effective: a mass manipulator. By channeling mana into the bottom of the staff, the density of the matter increases. This is useful when wielding the staff as a club as a last resort.


    Normally, a mage would never, under any circumstance, use their staff as a physical weapon. Most staffs are composed of woods that lose their strength and resilience within a few years. Given the unique nature of this staff''s composition, that shouldn''t be a problem.


    The Harbinger''s Blessing:


    [+65 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower, Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +5,000 health | +500 health regen/min


    -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration | +25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    500,000/500,000 Mana Stored


    +50% to damage of elemental spells | +10% elemental piercing


    Unique Skill: Overwhelming Presence - only active while wielding weapon


    Like the armor, it gave the Harbinger''s Blessing rather than the Harbinger''s Gift. That was good considering it suited Torix far better than the previous one did. The different attributes would help him out more too, though they were lower overall. Considering I was more of a warrior than a mage, that made sense to me.


    With that finished, I turned towards Althea''s gear. She needed something even lighter than the gialgathens. Fabric was an obvious choice, so I stuck with a flexible carbon fiber mesh we bought in Yildraza. After pulling dozens of long wires from glowing orbs of metal, I stitched the cables between the cloth. This added extra tensile strength, which was more important than the hardness of the armor. After all, she needed the ability to shapeshift.


    That''s why I left plenty of slack for the wires, giving her extra space to fill out the jumpsuit. This took many hours, the stitching process inevitably taking ages. Without Star Forger and Force of Nature, I would''ve lacked the dexterity in my hands to perform the task. Since I could hold the cords with minuscule gravity wells, it made the process possible though strenuous.


    I was overjoyed to be finished with the reinforcement process. Since Althea''s mana management wasn''t as reliable as the others, I kept the runic inscriptions simple. I added thin plates to several spots on her upper arms, forearms, and back. These were stabilizing measures, for the most part, helping her focus in a fight.


    Without magic being her primary defense, I added obsidian vials across the back of her plate armor. These would act as storage devices for various alchemical compounds she could inject into herself mid-battle. Althea used these kinds of compounds before, having many tranquilizers in her suit when Torix and I found her. It wouldn''t take a leap in logic to assume she knew how to handle herself around a few stimulants as well.


    Considering Schema had no problem with chemical compounds, it would be a huge boon for her in the fight. The A.I could care less as long as it helped with handling eldritch after all. I''d use them myself, but my health regen stunted their effect on me. By the time any potion or chem worked its way through my system, my metabolism would''ve disintegrated it. Fortunately, Althea''s health regeneration was much lower than mine, giving her access to these kinds of tools.


    So I set a few stronger potions and compounds onto the top of her armor. We''d bought some of these in Rivaria, but most of them I got from Caprika. Her family had dozens of connections, so having her ship in a few of the stronger ''medicines'' wasn''t a problem. Learning some alchemy on my own wasn''t a bad idea, and I had some knowledge of basic chemistry. I added it to my to-do list before getting back to the matter at hand.


    After adding in a few metal canisters for the more volatile composites, I finished Althea''s protective gear. It was decent.


    An Everchanging Remedy(lvl Requirement: 5,000 | Type: Bidpedal | Size: Medium | Type: Light) - This nano-fiber mesh has been reinforced with dimensional wiring, enabling both flexibility and lightness in combat. Through intelligent design, this protective gear is also flexible, enabling the shifting of the wearer''s body. Combining the protection of power armor with the lightness of kevlar, this is an excellent body armor for any mobile combatant.


    Two other features were added outside of these designs as well. The first involves runic enhancements that increase the balance of the wielder. The second feature is a set of injectors that allow the wielder to push potions and stimulants into the blood mid-fight. This dramatically enhances the potency of whatever liquid is administered.


    These traits create an adaptable suit of armor for adapting combatants.


    The Harbinger''s Gift:


    [+100 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower.


    +50 Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +10,000 health | +1,000 health regen/min


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration | + 25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    Potions stored: Eagle''s Eye, Hurricane, Hastening potion(tier III)


    +15,000 health | +1,000 health regeneration/min


    +40% to damage resistances


    +50% to effect of aiming and balance skills


    Just like the rest of the gear, the Harbinger enhancement was its biggest selling point. It still gave reasonable tankiness enhancements though, and it was light enough to use. With that finished, I moved onto her weaponry. That would be the most critical aspect for Althea anyway given her skill set.


    Her first new weapon was a smaller rifle. Considering she was over level 5,000 now, I''d outdo her current design by a certain amount. I molded out a cylinder by shifting my skin like a liquid. This was far simpler than trying to shape the metal on my own. Instead of snapping it like usual, I heated the connection point of the cylinder and my own body. This allowed me to disconnect it without risking a crack through the structure.


    With some time saved, I etched dozens of precise enchantments along the barrel. Most of these were mass reducers and accelerator enchantments. They would lower the mass of the bullet until it left the barrel, allowing it to be fired faster. Since they would affect the bullet instead of the rifle itself, I added diamonds across the upper structure as well.


    The reason was diamonds were more durable than most gems and could store more mana. This would reduce the load on Althea''s mana reserves, shoring up one of her weaknesses.


    After finishing the barrel, I created a series of open set pieces for the surrounding stock. Althea needed tiny openings so that she could mold her arm into the barrel. Otherwise, she wouldn''t gain the benefit of her armor piercing abilities. I kept that in mind, lightening the overall weight of the rifle while making it more accessible at the same time.


    Star Forger made a world of difference here, giving me a greater shaping ability than ever before. Without as many restrictions on my handling of the material, I went all out with the efficiency of the design itself. Thinner, sleeker, and more polished, the product came out without any apparent flaws. It felt good to actually add something to the work of Diesel for once since I wasn''t held back by my previous restrictions.


    I assembled the pieces together, lining the various sections with rough diamonds that my miners back on Earth dug up. Polished and pretty pieces weren''t necessary since they were just holding a ton of mana. I kept the enchantments oriented around the gun rather than the wielder though. This meant Althea wouldn''t need to mold the mana on her own. She would just need to come to me anytime she needed this recharged.


    I already kept a series of blueprints for most of the enchantments in my grimoire previously. I made my adjustments subtle, not wanting to exceed Althea''s level cap. The goal would be a requirement of level 7,000, something Althea reached during her weeks in Thisbey''s ranks. She thinned out a few of the more scrupulous members during her stay there, taking out key targets of the revolutionaries.


    As the last adjustment, I added a removable lengthener to the barrel. This would allow her to adjust the piece into a sniper rifle at will. Considering we''d be fighting indoors and in an ocean of sorts, a shorter barrel was better. Still, it never hurt to give her extra options. Just as well, I made a mass amplifier at the back of the stock too, letting her use the weapon as a makeshift club. She''d make better use of that than Torix likely would, so I figured why not.


    Knowing melee combat was inevitable, I created a bayonet for her rifle, keeping the blade dull as a butter knife. I didn''t sharpen it since she''d mold her arm over that part and create the blade herself. It would be superior to any edge I could create given her armor piercing.


    The weapon was the best piece of gear I''d made yet. Practice makes perfect after all.


    The Wake of Destruction(lvl req: 7,000 | Type: Rifle | Size: Medium) - This is a highly modified railgun that uses a series of mass manipulators to enhance the speed of the bullets fired. In this case, it fires harpoons instead of bullets, giving the gun excellent stopping power.


    This weapon isn''t limited to just enhancing the bullets, however. A built in battery system composed of durable diamonds increases the wielder''s deft and handling of their mana. This in combination with the accuracy and precision enhancements make the item devastating in combat.


    This devastation isn''t limited to a range either. The rifle itself is hard, heavy, and dense enough to be used as a makeshift bludgeon. Another mass manipulator in the stock allows the wielder to enhance this effect further, making it even heavier than it would otherwise be. A bayonet attachment gives the wielder slicing potential, giving access to multiple damage types as well.


    These factors combine into an effective killing weapon designed with practical use in mind.


    The Harbinger''s Gift:


    [+100 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower


    +50 Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +10,000 health | +1,000 health regen/min


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration| + 25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    500/500 railgun shot enhancements left in mana reserves


    +200% to critical hit damage


    +100% to shot speed


    +75% to accuracy and precision of shots


    The speed of the bullets would enhance the damage she dealt considerably. Considering we might be facing another hybrid of sorts, the added oomph made a massive difference. It would work well for her.


    With that handled, I created a chain for her, ending in an elongated blade. This enabled Althea to extend the range of her melee combat. Considering we might fight another hybrid, that distance was a priority. At the same time, this melee weapon needed durability, so I stuck with chains instead of fabric or whip. Althea was ridiculously strong after all.


    I kept the hilt relatively heavy for this weapon too, ensuring she could snap it about with relative ease. This weapon might take training, however. She could easily whip herself with it, and for Althea, that would splatter her across a room with no effort whatsoever. That''s why I ended up adding a bayonet to the actual rifle itself.


    A Dark Prison(lvl req: 5,000 | Type: Chain and Blades | Size: Medium) - These pitch black chains end in blades, designed to be whipped at a moderate distance. Heavy and unwieldly, these weapons require extensive training in order to prevent self harm. If mastered, they allow for multiple styles of combat.


    Simply wrapping someone in chains and squeezing can be deadly if applied with enough force. Considering the strength required to wield this weapon, that should be a given if the wielder can swing A Dark Prison. The chains also allow the wielder to tie up melee combatants, giving them a measure of control against rushing foes.


    At its most extreme, the wielder can use the blades themselves at the edge of their range. This is difficult for many reasons. The chains create a delay as the blade lags behind in the swing. Knowing the exact distance of the weapon is also challenging. Those factors aside, the leverage and whip this weapon can create is intense, allowing the condensed dimensional fabric to slice almost any foe.


    Use with caution.


    The Harbinger''s Gift:


    [+100 Strength, Constitution, Endurance, and Willpower.


    +50 Intelligence, Perception, and Luck


    +10,000 health | +1,000 health regen/min


    -10% to Charisma | -10% to Mana Regeneration | +10% to Health Regeneration| + 25% Dimensional Resistance]


    (Positive bonuses doubled if member of Harbinger''s Legion | Does not stack with other items carrying a Harbinger''s enhancement)


    +300% Critical Hit Damage(with blades)


    +50% Critical Hit Damage


    It would make for an interesting long term project for Althea, though she wouldn''t use it in the upcoming battle.


    With all those various designs finished and piled into the corner of the main room, I got to training. By the time I had a set of goals planned out Torix and Althea returned above our base. Not long after, Chrona and Krog arrived as well, both of them suited up in Skyburner attire. I gave them the location and told them to take a roundabout route here. Given our recent targeting by an assassin, they respected my wishes.


    As I walked up, I introduced the two groups, letting them get to know each other a bit. With that finished, I created a hole in the center of our base, allowing Chrona and Krog to come in. Once inside, I bragged a bit about my constructive ingenuity, really soaking up their compliments. It was nice to be lauded for something else besides my ability to smash faces.


    They reacted particularly well to the armor and gear I made them. I suited them up, showing the gialgathens how to put the gear on and seeing how it fit. It was a bit too loose for Chrona, though my model fit perfectly on Krog. I mentioned the fur fix and how it would make her more comfortable, to which she rubbed in Krog''s face. Even ancient frog dragons could be petty. Go figure.


    The best part of the meetup was seeing Althea though. She ran up, and I lifted her up in a circle, both of us smiling at each other. It made Krog gag and Chrona swoon. I couldn''t care less about what they thought. I wasn''t here to impress anyone, outside of my crafting ability.


    With our reunion settled, we drafted up a few battle plans for the operation. Althea and Torix would sit in the back, offering potent spell support and suppressive fire. Krog and I would be the vanguards, running in front and smashing skulls in with our melee potency. Any targets we missed, Chrona would catch by creating her time fields in the middle of our group.


    She was the key to our formation. She''d slow down any attackers that got passed Krog and me. On the other hand, projectiles and the like would get slowed down in her time dilation field as well. The temporal area acted as a potent offensive and defensive utility in that way, adding security to Althea and Torix. Should someone manage to pass both our lines of defense, well, Althea could handle herself up close. That much was certain.


    Atop of all these advantages, Torix collected an army of lower level silvers as well. This unnerved the two gialgathens at first, but after a few illustrations of Torix''s dominance in the matter, their fears wisped out. With so many layers of strategic defense, this would enable Torix and Althea to unleash the full fury of their offensive abilities.


    Any single targets would get decimated by Althea''s Breaker abilities. Tiny swarms would fall to the aoe and armies of Torix. It was a potent offensive core for our entire team, instilling confidence in us. Our defensive unit wasn''t anything to scoff at either. I offered tremendous disruption with my gravity magic, and any prolonged conflict would favor me. That made our long term prospects much better.


    Krog''s illusion magic wasn''t to be undermined either. All in all, I almost felt sorry for whatever it was we''d be fighting. Almost.


    With our plan assured, we took the next two days to try out the gear I made and execute a variety of tactics. While we were in a hurry to destroy whatever it was in the Skyburner base, rushing in and dying was idiotic. That''s why we took this time to develop our plan and execute on it in a few silver dominated territories. Getting to know each other was an added bonus, strengthening the cohesion of the group as a whole.


    Once we got to a certain level of fluidity, I even gained a new skill. Hallelujah.


    New Skill gained! Teamwork(lvl 5) - Others fight alone. You fight with others as one. Adds better application of team strategies when fighting with others. Effect dependent on level.


    It was a nice boon, giving me the ability to synergize with Chrona and Krog more. I even enhanced some of their movements with gravity wells, extending my own gravitational enhancements to them. Though difficult, it gave them crisp movement and unnatural dexterity. Hard to match a gravity-defying maneuver, especially when that literally describes what we were doing.


    With everything in place, we headed out with over a week left before my final match in the tournament. As we flew over Giess, Chrona and Krog described various wildlife and Fauna. From hallucinogenic flowers to soul stealing antlions, they expressed a medley of odd yet fascinating facts. I never knew that ice hydras enjoyed mating with fire drakes. It was like how lots of girls enjoyed dating a bad boy even though they knew they shouldn''t.


    It made the trip more enjoyable than it had any right to be. By the time we reached the sludge ocean, we''d passed the acquaintance phase and were approaching full-on friend status. And not in the Facebook sense either.


    Once we passed into silver territory though, Krog and Chrona sobered up quickly. Even though they were much stronger than any silvers, they feared quite a few of the parasites among them. The Yana worms, in particular, struck fear in their hearts. The idea of losing your mind to brain-eating worms was worrying no doubt, but it wasn''t any worse than getting eaten.


    They cleared up my misconception at that point. Way back in gialgathen''s history, yana worms were used during interrogations. They weakened the mind of their host, making them susceptible to deception. At some point, you could almost enslave the host, turning them into a thrall. Maintaining that kind of balance of Yana worms required routine surgery to remove excess worms, however. This made long-term enslavement impossible.


    At the worst stage of this mind destruction, a gialgathen could be convinced to kill their family, however. To most, that was far worse than death, to which I had to agree. The practice of using Yana worms in this manner died out centuries ago, but the scar remained. It was a lesson to arrogant gialgathens about the potency of silvers.


    Of course, not all gialgathens listened, but it was harrowing nonetheless. They described a few other parasitic creatures as well. One variety of fungus would graft onto the lining of their lungs. This is where its name, Hollow Lung came from. Once it ate through the sensitive tissues and grew to a certain size, the fungus would attain sentience.


    The fungus would then threaten the host to spread its infection or else die. Entire cities of gialgathens had fallen to this infection before, controlled through the organ replacing fungus. After a few more horror stories, it made me wonder how the hell the Skyburners survived in the middle of silver territory. Krog explained that this kind of thing happened to the stupid and unwary for the most part.


    That was why they were so wary. Made sense to me.


    It took two days of flying and carrying sleeping people in gravity wells before we reached our destination. It took so long because of the aforementioned rests, but also because Torix''s army of silvers was relatively slow. Merjects were excellent swimmers in the sludge. Engorgs? Not so much. Torix had it balanced out so that swimming silvers and flying silvers could carry their less mobile cousins though. Even then, it took quite a while before we got to our destination.


    That''s where we found ourselves. Surrounded by an endless sludge ocean and thousands of subservient silvers, Chrona and Krog flapped their wings. The wind of their flight sent waves of sludge across the sea. Yellow egg rafts floated over these ripples, sending merjects into a frenzy over their young.


    Althea floated in place with her legs crossed, she and I carried in my gravity wells. Torix stood over his black mana cloud, looking like a menacing overlord with his new armor set. He quite enjoyed the crown of thorns in particular, mentioning it as a nice touch. With our group of five ready and waiting, Chrona sent out a telepathic wave to everyone,


    "Though I enjoy floating over toxic oceans as much as anyone, how are we to reach the bottom of the ocean here?"


    I cracked my hands, "Leave it to me."


    Using a vast reservoir of mana, I created a colossal antigravity well over us. At the same time, I generated a denser but smaller gravity well at its center. This counteracted the core of the antigravity well, but the edges of the magic stayed intact. With everyone in its center, we hovered down to the sea of sludge.


    It was time to destroy the final Skyburner base.

 199 Version 2.0

    The vast waves of purple muck pushed away from us, my magic letting us dive into the abyss. After a few minutes of sinking down, Krog murmured,


    "You''d better not overstretch your mana reserves. I doubt we''d be able to crawl out of this before drowning."


    I waved away his concerns, "I''ll be fine."


    "I pray to Emagrotha your right about that," Chrona whispered.


    Two hours later, we reached deep into the depths of the grimy tides. Thousands of feet down, we landed onto gelatinous mud. Gross, but we managed. After a bit of searching, we happened across some sort of pulsing through the depths.


    Assuming it came from the life signatures, we walked towards the source. We found a compound at the bottom of the ocean, a plume of sludge rising from its center. As the ripples ebbed along with the edge of our capsule of air, Althea frowned,


    "It smells so bad here."


    Chrona nodded, "It reeks of the silver''s lifeblood, fresh as the day Lehesion destroyed a portion of the continent."


    "It''s oozing from beneath some sort of facility," I murmured. "It''s hard to make out, but I can get an idea based on how the sludge is moving."


    Krog scoffed, "How is that even possible?"


    "Look closely at the way the waves flow off the bottom of our air bubble. They''re shallower than the ones at the top of the sphere. Something is blocking the flow of liquid to an extent, slowing it down. The bottom isn''t colder than the top flow either, meaning this isn''t some natural current. The colder muck should both sink and be harder to move."


    "That explains how you understand that something is there, but how do you know it''s a facility?" Chrona said.


    "Well, that''s because the interference in the flow is too even. A jagged rock would create a more chaotic flow, and the temperature would be more variable."


    Althea pointed at the ground, "I can sort of tell too. The ground here is warmer than the ground we walked on earlier. I''m not a detective, but there''s a source of warmth here. Considering what we''re looking for, it''s not that big of a leap to assume its the facility."


    Chrona and Krog looked at each other. They stared back at us, "Your group''s tracking is remarkably...detailed."


    I didn''t tell them about how Torix and I spent days and days looking for a giant Skyburner in a mountain. Keeping them in unjustified awe worked fine for me.


    With the facility found, we planned out what to do before entering it.


    "Several environmental hazards may be present," Torix pulled out a gas mask for Althea, "Spores and other hazardous conditions could be present as well. It would be better if we filtered out any kind of debris in the air as well. Perhaps creating our own personalized rebreathers would assist us as well."


    The gialgathens stared at him, both of them nervous. Torix channeled some mana into his hand, "Fret not. There''s little need to worry. I researched a spell for just such a purpose. I waited as long as possible before using it as it has a time limit before it expires. Simply channel your mana into this mana construct, and it will maintain a small area of air for you to breath."


    Torix generated two semi-translucent bubbles of mana.


    "That being said, if the facility collapses and Daniel is not nearby, you will come into contact with this...mush. While I no doubt trust that you both can tolerate it for a while, getting out from the bottom of this ocean might be impossible. Stick near us, and there will be no need to worry."


    Torix pushed each contruct to them. Althea locked her hands behind herself, "Uh, thanks for coming here with us. I know it''s a lot to ask for you to trust us."


    Chrona guided one of the constructs onto her face with her tail, "He''s here for the goodwill of our planet. It would shame us to let him do so on his own."


    "Good." Althea smiled, "Still happy you''re both here though."


    She put on her mask, appearing downright menacing in combination with her suit of black wires on. It contrasted her politeness, sending a wave of dissonance at me. I shook the sensation as Torix cupped his chin,


    "You won''t be needing a mask, will you?"


    I shook my head, "If the spores can kill me like that, then I doubt the masks and magic will stop them either."


    "Excellent. That saves me a bit of mana. Now, It will do us good to scope out the facility before entering it. The chance of them discovering our presence is low, and we have much to gain if the facility is of notable size."


    I gave him a brusque nod, giving him my approval. The others must have too as he opened a screen,


    "I''ve already added some extra functionality to my one of my statuses. Using one of the Speaker''s software updates, I can map out new dungeons and areas three-dimensionally. Based on your descriptions, we should be able to get a good grasp of the entire area, allowing us to efficiently peruse it. Whenever your ready, Daniel."


    With his signal, I lifted us up into the air, carrying our air bubble around the first wall. I described the proportions of the walls and where they ended, using Hunter of Many as a reference. My depictions were foggy at best, but Torix drew in the details I missed, creating a graphic image in front of him. Althea murmured, "Did you practice with that before now?"


    "Ah, you noticed," Torix gloated. "I spent several hours on this task, ensuring I owned the tools to create something of value. My skills are by no means perfect-"


    Torix pressed his four fingers together, pulling them apart, lines drawn between each bony of his hands. He let his hands stay still for a second, allowing the rectangle to sync into place, becoming a part of the hologram.


    "But they should be acceptable for this purpose."


    We mapped out the rest of the facility in relative silence, everyone watching us work. This took some time and effort as we positioned ourselves around the facility. It was a good thing we did too; the facility was massive considering where it was. The map could be invaluable when exploring the inside of it.


    It turned out to be a fully functional headquarters. A dozen warehouses, hallways, and rooms littered the structure. It left us scratching our heads as to how the hell they kept it running, though Torix had a few ideas. Without any clues on the surface though, we explored our final option.


    Going inside.


    We selected the best place to enter with the lowest probability of being found on entry. One of the buildings was connected by one hallway to the rest of the buildings. That meant less sound would leak out into the rest of the place. It looked like a storage warehouse as well, saying fewer people were likely to visit the site often.


    With our point of entry scoped out, I floated us towards the wall. Althea cleaned through the two-foot thick steel wall with ease, her spacial slicing ludicrous as always. There was something strange about watching her grow a blade of bone over the rifle I made her then cleaving through iron with it. It was one of those moments where I realized how insane what we were doing was.


    I shook off that feeling as we went inside. We found no one left alive, as Torix suggested. Blood was spattered onto the walls, though no corpses were left to linger.  The lights blinked on and off, giving an ominous vibe to what looked like a pantry. Well, was a pantry. Something had eaten large swaths of the food stored here, and they did so by mauling any packaging the food was stored in.


    Along the paths of its destruction, circular imprints were embedded in the concrete floor, marking the size of the killer. They mirrored Althea''s foot size. Damn. Smaller then I expected.


    Before leaving, I channeled mana, heating the steel wall into molten metal. After fusing the welds, I cooled it by pulling the heat out of it. Without needing to hold the gunk off the wall, I slowly shut down my gravity well. It was like setting the pressure of the ocean back onto the base. We all waited for a minute, making sure the wall would hold.


    It did before Krog, and I paced forward and scoped out the area. It didn''t take long to for me to verify that the facility was, in fact, empty as a ghost town. Everyone following close behind us came to the same conclusion not long after us.


    Krog murmured, "It smells like death."


    "Do tell us what death smells like?" Chrona said while rolling her eyes.


    "Like dry blood and stale air," Krog said.


    Chrona took a whiff, "Hmmm...It does."


    The entire building smelled like a butcher''s store. It was clean and sterile in most place, but every now and again, there was the curdling smell of a fresh corpse still here. The entire mood of our journey changed at that point. Everyone sobered up, getting on guard. Without wanting to wait any longer, we moved into our formation.


    Krog and I stayed out front, both of us survivable. Chrona readied one of her massive blue orbs above her, keeping it contained. Staff and magic prepared, Torix marked into his 3-d map in his obelisk as we walked. Althea held her new rifle out, ready to obliterate anything in sight. With my back covered, I kept my eyes facing forward.


    I reached the end of the food warehouse, finding doorways large enough for gialgathens to step through. Surprised but undeterred, I stepped ahead of Krog, ready to take the brunt of whatever infested this place. I knew I was the least likely to die if something hit me without warning.


    Despite our worry, we found nothing in the vast hallways outside of more blood splatters. There were no signs of fighting, no bullet casings or chipped concrete, and especially no corpses. It was unnerving, like walking through some surreal nightmare. Despite our unease, we made steady progress through the facility, stepping through dozens of warehouses and corridors.


    The spotty lighting from the flickering lights was fixed when Torix created a ball of white fire. In tandem, he and I kept our guard up the entire time, even as minutes of searching turned into hours. The others faltered at times, unable to handle the constant tension of the situation. It wasn''t much of a problem, however. Torix was right with his reading that nobody was here.


    We sped up our search from then on out. Even if something was here, it wasn''t the most perceptive creature. Either that or it didn''t find us to be a threat worth taking on. If so, I reveled in proving the damn thing wrong. After eight hours of searching through offices, cafeterias, and educational facilities, we hit the jackpot - we found the research labs and an open rift.


    Turns out, the facility was connected to an active dungeon just like the last research lab. We explored the open cavern first, an entrance made for it and everything. What we found were harvesters identical to the ones I saw with the Hybrid from before. They were creating artificial dungeons and harvesting the denizens inside them, somehow. Either that or this place conveniently had a dungeon right were Emagrotha died.


    I wasn''t quite gullible enough to believe that though.


    With the threat of another hybrid on our hands, Althea and I warned the others about the likelihood of facing another one of the abominations. It set Chrona and Krog both at ease and on high alert. On the one hand, we kicked one''s ass already. On the other, it shocked them to discover that one hybrid killed an entire troop of Skyburners.


    Krog took that last bit particularly hard. He was a Skyburner after all, so hearing that he was among fodder was hard to understand. As he stared in the distance with hollowed eyes, Althea walked up beside him. She laid a hand on the beast''s side,


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "That thing caught them by surprise. That''s the only reason they didn''t win."


    Krog shook his head, "I never imagined that the eldritch could destroy us so easily given a chance...It''s harrowing."


    I waved a hand, "Not quite the eldritch, but yeah, it can happen to damn near anybody. That''s why Schema''s so adamant about everyone getting off their asses and killing them."


    "I''ve heard it from weaklings, but to hear the same adage from someone I respect puts it in a different light." Krog sighed, "We must rethink our approach if we are to remain living on Giess."


    I pointed at him, "Now that''s what I like to hear. We can''t save your planet on our own no matter how badass we are."


    Chrona nodded sagely, "When we go back to Rivaria, we shall spread the word of what we found here. Krog and I will scour the land of these eldritch, though we will need help to find them. Our tracking isn''t as advanced as yours."


    I cupped my chin, glancing up, "Hmmm, I know a guy who might be able to get you into Schema''s system. God knows he owes me some favors."


    Althea walked up beside me, "You''re talking about the Overseer, aren''t you?"


    I smirked, "Bingo. Who knows. They might even let gialgathens into the system after they start clearing out enough eldritch."


    Krog shook his head, "Few of our kind own the work ethic necessary for that kind of task. It would be like throwing jewels to lightning elk. They would just eat them instead of understanding their value."


    Torix clapped his hands behind us, "We have a base to uncover. Back into the formation everyone."


    Krog grumbled as we followed Torix''s command, but he followed the lich''s order. We all did. Chatting while in enemy territory was an easy way to get killed. The hybrid could quickly destroy the place around us, putting us into the surrounding ocean. If that happened, I''d encompass everyone in another gravity well, allowing us to flee without getting smothered.


    I needed to react if that happened though. On top of that, evasion would be our primary concern in that circumstance. Feeding a hybrid and making it stronger was our worst-case scenario, so we planned accordingly. Even then, nothing about that kind of situation was comforting.


    The pressure here was extremely high. The gunk above us was denser than water, and that''s what made the facility so unlikely in the first place. Althea and Torix would be crushed. It cost quite a bit of mana just to maintain the sphere of air around us and prevent its collapse as we descended. Doing all that while fighting sounded like a chore at best and a deathtrap at worst.


    We had a job to do, however. After exploring the eldritch cave and gathering a basic dungeon core, we scoured the labs from top to bottom. As we stepped into one of the data rooms, Torix, Althea, and I tried downloading the filed there. The computers didn''t enable uploading of any sort, and I mean that literally. The first few terminals we tried connecting with blew up the moment we set up a data link with our obelisks.


    Without an obvious way into the devices, we skulked around for a while, trying to break through the security. We weren''t very successful. After a while, we discovered that most of the information was encoded, adding yet another layer of protection. Even on their desks, they used a language that wasn''t logged in Schema''s language database. In fact, it resisted the algorithms used by Schema to decipher words.


    That required intense technical and insider knowledge. Schema decoded Hod''s language in seconds after I met him, let me understand the eltari reasonably quickly. Even after hours of searching through documents, Schema couldn''t decode this new cipher. It was a steel wall to discovering what was going on here.


    Without an accessible, clear log of info about the place, we focused on inferring what we could. The first tip we found was that they were using devices disconnected from Schema''s network. They had their own intranet for the facility. This place was connected with simplex fiber optics to the outside world a well. The cords enabled them to send messages out but not receive them.


    This system would allow them to research without relying on obelisks or Schema''s built-in network. After a few hours of inspection, we figured out a few other interesting tidbits. The entire facility used a lot of paper to do their documentation. It was a hell of a lot more secure than using anything tech related.


    Most of the tech they did use was in the form of fat terminals. We figured out why after trying to take one out of the ground. As I grabbed the metal box welded to the floor and pulled, the damn thing exploded. Turns out, carrying these terminals to a Sentinal would be a hell of a lot more difficult than laptops.


    Even worse, the tech was outdated even by human standards. This made the devices like lead blocks. Storing one in a dimensional ring was damn near impossible unless you were massive. Yet I would struggle to hold more than two of them since the terminals took up so much volume.


    Silly as all this sounds, this was a vital element of the facility''s defenses. If I took a terminal and gave it to a Sentinel, they could call on a personalized A.I. to hack it. No matter how multi-layered the monitor''s security was, Schema would obliterate any defense no matter the complexity. I refused to believe that was possible considering what he was. As an A.I. hacking should be one of his primary worries as far as killing him was concerned.


    Point is, with the bombs implanted in the terminals and them being welded to the floor, we couldn''t just waltz out of here with them.


    A Sentinel wasn''t about to walk to the bottom of the ocean to find one of these either. This made storing and removing the damn terminals both tedious and time-consuming. This evolved from a thorn in our side to a pain in our asses after blowing up three monitors. With everyone exhausted, we set up camp and slept outside the research rooms. Well, everyone that needed to rest that is.


    After everyone woke up again, we set back to the task. Getting past the welding was simple enough. Althea sliced through the steel plating using an elongated claw from the tip of her finger. After that, there was a sea of wires ingrained into the floor. Althea and I were mystified, but Torix helped us out.


    While not a tech-lord by any stretch of the imagination, Torix understood simple wiring. Using several online video guides, we spent two hours of slicing wires and rerouting power sources. It was a slow, painful process. After that, the terminal we painstakingly dismantled blew up.


    Fuck.


    Still, it was a solid fourth attempt by my standards at least. The next terminal we attempted taking out was better but again a bust. Turns out, each terminal used a different wiring scheme. Another hour and a half later, we got rid of the wires. Before lifting the terminal, we took out three bombs from inside the structure.


    Althea''s polymorphism proved pivotal to reaching the nooks and crannies of the machines. The issue came when a killswitch activated as I picked up the device. A sand driven mechanism in the damn thing shut on when the terminal tilted any direction by even the slightest degree. Great. Fucking great.


    I wasn''t about to let some ruthless, unliving machine continue to kick our asses. The sand in the terminal activated a killswitch when poured in any direction. This would set off a surge of electricity, wiping the disc and its contents. On the sixth terminal, I did something useful aside from offering moral support.


    After removing the plating, wires, bombs, and the killswitch, yet another failsafe activated. A tiny emp grenade stored beneath the monitor activated. It began charging the moment I opened up my dimensional storage. Before it unleashed a burst of electromagnetism, I set my palm onto the device and drained the energy from it. It was electricity, so it proved simple enough to use with my Lightning Eater skill.


    Dodging a bullet, we all sighed in relief before raising our guard back up. A few minutes later, and we finally set one of the monitors into my dimensional storage. Eureka, we were victorious. One monitor down, over a hundred left to go.


    How could we take a hundred? See, most people were limited with how much volume they could put into their dimensional storages. The rings Schema gave out were like that. Even if you stored very little weight in them, the size of anything stored would cost an equivalent volume of flesh and bone. For each terminal, that was a lot to ask.


    I could regenerate the damage done, but if anything snuck up on us after I stored something, we were fucked. Fortunately, my personal storage didn''t have the same limitation. I gained a perk called Independent Space when I became a living dimension. It wasn''t limited by volume, only mass. Without the restriction of space, I could store hundreds of these terminals in my storage and carry them out. I weighed many tons after all.


    My advantage was the worst case scenario for whoever designed the security here. I could carry all of the chunky machines out of this place without risking our deaths hundreds of times.


    Over the rest of the day, we industrialized our terminal stealing process. Turns out, there can only be so many different kinds of wiring schematics. After mapping a dozen of them, Torix could guide Althea through the process with ease. After the next score of grounded screens, Althea could feel her way through them, going through the motions out of habit.


    I abused my abilities to their utmost extent as well, packing away anything that wasn''t bolted to the floor. Figuratively speaking of course because we stole quite a bit that was bolted to the floor. Our sheer resourcefulness left Chrona and Krog dumbfounded.


    "I still can''t fathom how you''re carrying so many of those devices," Chrona mused.


    Torix cackled, "I would go so far as to say all that matters is that he can do it, not how he does it."


    "I...I suppose." she murmured with a telepathic wave.


    Krog eyed us as I put yet another terminal into my personal storage,


    "Are we going to store this entire hellhole in that portal of yours?"


    Torix glared at him, "If we could, we would. This is a wealth of data, and since we''ve no method of accessing it, we need an outsider''s help."


    Krog pointed his tail at us, "I thought you dirtwalkers-"


    Chrona smacked his side with her tail. Krog continued, "Ahem, I thought you Earthwalkers were the best at using those...things."


    Torix rolled his fiery eyes, "We each carry different qualities. Neither I, Daniel, or Althea know enough about hacking and security to harvest the information stored in these."


    "So then they''re useless," Krog said with a brow raised.


    "No. We can uplink them directly to a Sentinel. Considering the importance of this base, it shouldn''t be too difficult to get a personalized A.I. of Schema''s to crack open the secrets within these devices."


    "Hmmm," Krog tilted his head, "So you''re all too dumb to do this on your own is what I''m hearing..."


    Torix scoffed, "Do tell, can you access these devices? Do you even know what they are?"


    "Well, no-"


    "Then be silent," Torix snapped.


    Krog frowned but chose to remain silent. As much as we enjoyed finding all this tech, the entire process of exploring this base was exhausting. Everyone''s patience was wearing thin by now, even mine.


    "Calm down." Althea groaned, "That''s the last terminal here. Let''s move on and get this over with. Please."


    She had the hardest job out of all of us, yet she complained the least. I was impressed, but Althea might snap at any moment. On the other hand, I waved my head back and forth, trying to shake out my boredom. For such an exciting find, I expected more action. So far, we walked around and cut wires the entire time. Yay, fun.


    I was keeping relatively alert and ready to jump at a moment''s notice though. A quick reaction was necessary if we were to all survive this. Even though the two life signatures Torix found were contained, they were massive and still here. We needed to find whatever they were and extinguish them after getting out of here.


    With that in mind, we finished the final lab up, moving towards one of the last remaining research facility. It bolstered moral as Torix announced that fact. Up till now, gathering all we could had been the priority. We had no guarantee that the facility would survive the battle against whatever was down here. This was our only chance to gather intel before then.


    With the last lucrative room of the facility left, we trecked onward into the depths of the facility. I stepped inside the lab first, ready to take the brunt of a heavy-handed attack. I expected resistance since this was the last room left. Like all the others, it was empty of any movement. Unlike the others, quite a few things looked alive.


    In a long room, dozens of tubes lined a series of walkways. Inside vats of blue fluid, twisted bodies were suspended. Floating in liquid nitrogen, dozens of these experiments were set up on display. What lied within showed the horrific origins of the Hybrid.


    At the start of the line, the experiments were just fusions of flesh and wire. The silvers were in the process of converting espens into metal. Others had the harvesters stitched onto their bodies, their meat conjoined. These victims were showing signs of being consumed by the eldritch energy coursing through their veins.


    As I paced back through the room, the vast majority of the victims were in the middle of screaming. After showing signs of rejection, they must have thrown them into the nitrogen for further study. After a bit of walking, the bodies looked less warped, showing fewer signs of rejection.


    Before I walked any further,  the others stepped in and discovered the sick sights as well. I couldn''t blame them. Even now, a bit of nausea welled up in my chest, but I held it down.


    Althea didn''t.


    Whenever she got a good look, she vomited onto the floor. This was a carnival of horrors with all of it out in the open, so I didn''t blame her. Even Torix was given pause as he stared at one of the flickering vials,


    "Even I never sunk so low as to graft eldritch onto civilians."


    I turned to Torix, "You experimented with eldritch?"


    "Does that truly surprise you?"


    I spread out my arms, "Well yeah, yeah it does."


    "It was a long time ago and long before we met. I''ve changed since then. I''ve grown in both character and ability. Those trivial pursuits no longer enthrall me. That being said," Torix placed a hand on a chilled vat,


    "This goes far deeper than any research I attempted. To fuel this kind of initiative would require unequaled levels of will and drive. This level of supply would involve orbital deliveries at a regulated rate."


    Torix mused, "To keep it secret, they must have used some large group of unknowns, perhaps the remnants? If so, the making of this compound must have been unbelievably expensive. Few have access to such funds."


    Krog growled, "It was Thisbey."


    Torix shook his head, "No, this wasn''t the work of some planetary conglomerate. Hiding an operation of this size would require multiple solar systems worth of Thisbey''s working together. A far larger threat is looming on our horizon."


    Torix waved a hand, "Simply keeping the scientists engaged in the work would require tremendous charisma and inspiration."


    Chrona murmured, "Either that or fear..."


    As they talked, I trecked deeper into the storage unit, finding less deformed bodies towards the back. Over the years, they made steady progress towards their goal or what I assumed was their goal. A few experiments left in the end weren''t even deformed, showing few if any signs of mutation. That happened first with fusing the eldritch and silvers. The eldritch and espens followed soon after that.


    Several dozen vats later, I found a collection of hybrids frozen in place. They were progressively more humanoid, each one looking more stable. At the very end of the tubes, I found the final vat in the line. It was empty, broken glass on the floor. Above the glass, there was a name tag written out. It was the only name that wasn''t in gibberish. It sent chills up my spine as I read it aloud,566t


    "The Hybrid - Version 2.0."

 200 The Fallen

    I turned towards the others, "Guys, we have a problem."


    Torix glanced at the tubes, "That much is obvious."


    "No, we''ve got one of them out on the loose."


    The others skulked up to us, even Chrona and Krog able to fit in the high ceilings here. I pointed at the shattered container, "This is one of those life signatures. If what you guessed is correct Torix, it''s probably even stronger than the last Hybrid."


    Torix stayed silent, his expression clouded with thought. After a few moments, he grabbed the side of his skull,


    "We''re in some sort of conspiracy here. There are galactic forces at work, and we''re unequipped to handle this line of work. We''ll need to visit the Overseer and request assistance. Considering the sheer scope of this project''s success, he''ll be forced to give some support."


    "Why would they do that?" Althea said. "They wouldn''t do that for Yawm''s research, and it was almost exactly this."


    "The difference between them is twofold." Torix raised his finger, "This research has produced tenable results. Yawm''s own studies resulted in deformed abominations, nothing unusual as far as mad scientists are concerned. This...this is a working Hybrid of some sort. That alone warrants attention."


    Torix raised another finger, pointing at it, "The second reason is that Yawm was underfunded and understaffed. Maintaining a compound the size of a small city under a dense ocean is nearly impossible, yet here it is in its full glory. Based on the number of vats here, there''s an enormous amount of time put into this project as well, decades likely."


    "Funding that kind of bullshit would require treasuries worth of funding," I murmured.


    "Precisely. We''ll likely find more, but in order to uncover the depths of this sedition against Schema, we must press on," Torix said.


    Krog glared at the line of subjects, "What of these monstrosities? They must be culled. From what you''ve spoken off, they might lead to an apocalypse of our world and many others." He whipped his tail behind himself, "I''d be happy to do it."


    Althea raised her hands and shouted, "Wait. Don''t." The Skyburner tilted his head to her. Althea continued,


    "Smashing them won''t kill them. We need to disintegrate them from the inside and kill every piece of them. Otherwise, a tiny clump of them might survive." She turned to me,


    "Daniel has this weird aura."


    Krog and Chrona shivered, their eyes widening. Chrona hissed, "We both felt it. It''s like melting into soup."


    Althea nodded, "Yeah, I know the feeling. The thing is, that aura only kills organic things. It doesn''t hurt nonliving stuff." She turned to me, "Right?"


    I pointed at her, "Ahhh, that''s right. I can just mold my aura over these tubes and kill them in stasis. It won''t remove the liquid nitrogen, letting them escape."


    Torix leaned back, "That''s an exemplary solution, Althea."


    She grinned, "Thank you."


    "We need evidence though," I waved a hand around. "Otherwise no one will trust us."


    A fly zoomed into the room, its little buzz notable among this asylum''s silence.


    "Worry not," Torix said while reaching a finger up for the fly to land on. "I''ve been using these controlled flies as mapping tools. They''ve accessed this facility in detail, giving us all we need as far as footage is concerned."


    I pointed at a fly, "Why make us walk through this entire building then?"


    "These creatures are limited in their intelligence. They can hold only a few images in their minds before overloading utterly. Due to those constraints, they work best at mental snapshots. Considering the importance of detail regarding this mission, I believed a more comprehensive viewpoint was necessary."


    I nodded before turning to a vat of liquid, "Then it''s time I killed these things?"


    "Yes. Do try one of the hybrids at a time, however. If they happen to awaken, fighting more than one of them at once will prove itself to be a deathtrap," Torix contemplated aloud.


    Heeding his advice, I created a cloud of my Event Horizon, the aura bending to my will. After pacing back to the entrance of the lab room, I shifted the draining haze over the first vat of liquid nitrogen. The half silver died in an instant, overwhelmed by Event Horizon''s damage. I continued this on the lab''s experiments, holding my aura over the bodies until the corpses disintegrated into black blots.


    It was a potent method for executing the creatures. Torix himself admitted these things weren''t even fully alive to begin with, the limitations of life sensing apparent. They showed next to no signs of maintaining a grip to this realm, yet Event Horizon affected them all the same. To me, it verified that these things would come to life if they escaped.


    Either way, I killed them all over the next hour and a half. A few of the last experiments took over ten minutes to kill apiece, but none of them shifted in their tubes. We noted their apparent weakness to cold before moving on to the research logs stored here. After tearing through the terminals and putting them in storage, we moved on.


    With most rooms found, we investigated the rest of the facility near the plume of toxic sludge at its center. Something was making it, though we didn''t know what exactly. With no other clues to go off of, we split up and scrutinized the many passages near the center of the rooms. Torix left two of his spy-flies on them, letting us find them. Two hours into the process, Althea sent Torix and me a message.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 7,031 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 4:41 P.M. 4/1/26) - Found it. The passageway was hidden behind a wall. It''s beside the cafeteria on the northern side of the facility. Meet me there, and I''ll take you guys to it.


    After reading it, I followed the messages recommendation using a copy of Torix''s map. As I arrived, the others were ready to go. Althea took us through a few winding corridors before we reached one of the terminal rooms again. With wires jutting out of the ground from dozens of missing terminals, we arrived. Althea led us to a back wall, a plate of steel sliced through already.


    Behind is, a series of gears exposed a vault door. Althea pointed at it, "I couldn''t figure out how it worked, but cutting through worked."


    Torix pinched the bridge of his nose, "Gah, I was so distracted with the terminal work that I never anticipated they''d hide it here."


    "Eh, it makes sense," I said with a shrug. "Whatever it is at the bottom of this facility, they must be taking notes on it. Having the terminals nearby makes it convenient." I glanced at the vault door, "Well...as convenient as a giant safe door can be."


    Althea put her hands on her hips and stood up straight, "It''ll be pretty convenient for us. I was just waiting for you guys to get here in case something crazy popped out."


    Althea polymorphed her hand into a claw of bone. With a swift slice, she cleaved through feet of steel like a dolphin diving through water. I reached out a hand, grabbing the giant plate with a gravity well. After setting it down, we proceeded down a staircase. As we did, Torix muttered,


    "They disguised this stairwell as a slanted support for the room above it. Clever."


    After pacing down the steps, we reached a series of glass rooms. They looked like quarantine facilities, yet they were empty outside of beds, nightstands, and a bathroom. It looked like someone opened the door and pulled everyone out of their cells. That assumption was a bit too optimistic for what I expected of their fates; they''d been food and little else in the end.


    We searched the rooms in great detail though, and we found several journals that logged their stay here in their glass prisons. Torix read them as we went on.


    After pacing past the quarantine facility, we reached a series of vaults. Althea cleaved through the doorways, letting us inspect the insides. As we opened the rooms, Chrona described what was in them.


    "These are sacred relics of gialgathen ancestry. It is as if the researchers scoured all of Giess for any details of our origin."


    Althea picked up a skull with primitive paint marks spread across it, "What for, exactly?"


    "That is what I struggle to understand. This place is like a museum, but it lacks any respect for the keepsakes it carries. It''s as if they attempted to find something and failed," Chrona thought out aloud.


    I tossed an unusual looking rock onto a pile of junk, "Well, I don''t think there''s much of value here. All this is way too old to be useful. If anything, it all looks like it''s about to fall apart."


    Krog grumbled, "Perhaps that is fitting. We too will fall apart if that, er, the hybrid is not found."


    "Quite." Torix said. "I believe I''ve found something of note on that topic, however."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"


    "The journal of a researcher," Torix held up one of the journals in his hand. "It contains the account of a scientist stored here after being exposed to a sample of the hybrid. His stay was not brief either, and his account is thorough. All the other accounts are by prisoners with no knowledge of the facility itself."


    I raised a fist, "Alright, we''ll finally get some explanations about this place."


    Torix sighed, "They''re not pleasant, mind you. If anything, these pages dive into the depths of sentient psychology and how it can go astray when isolated."


    "Can you read it out loud? It would be tough for us to all read it at once," Althea chimed.


    "Of course." Torix raised a hand and lifted up some imaginary glasses,


    "This is the account of Fredrick Monostaria, a researcher of facility A-04. My specialty is in the biomechanical containment of the hybrids. It was and still would be my great honor in studying here, though I''ll lose my mind if contained in this glass cage much longer. Writing may provide me with a sense of respite, however."


    Torix nodded, "I enjoy his style."


    I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, real prim and proper. Come on, we''re on a schedule."


    "Of course." Torix turned a page,


    "I suppose I''ll explain what trapped me here. I was exposed to a variation of our hybridization project. A sample of the liquid hydrogen that stored it was shattered as I carried it into the quarantined study room. Unwilling to take a risk, they trapped me here until further notice. All of my living arrangements have been provided via portals, giving me a comfortable way of life, albeit boring."


    Torix adjusted the book in his hand,


    "Even after a week of isolation and no chemical reaction to the hybrid, they''ve kept me here, ensnared by their fears. I can relate as I would no doubt do the same should the situation be reversed. This gives me no solace. It is lonely and cold here. Perhaps I can have a guard stationed here, one I may discuss matters of pertinence with Time will tell."


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Torix turned the page, the handwriting more jagged,


    "It has been some time since I last wrote in my journal. The powers that be deemed my writing a danger unto myself and those around me. I believe they''ve become paranoid as of late. Time will tell how deeply set their sense of mania had sunken into their minds."


    Torix glanced at us, "This is where the journal takes a decisive turn in its contents."


    He continued reading.


    "Another scientist was exposed to the hybrid and stored beside me. He did not seem even somewhat afflicted by a blight of any sort. In fact, he seemed saner than the researcher that brought me meals every day. After a bit of discussion, I discovered the cause - the team leader had begun silencing voices of discontent."


    Torix flipped the page,


    "After many discussions with my fellow prisoner, I weened many facts of life had changed since my imprisonment. Several scientists had begun losing their sanity, locked deep under the depths here. The lead scientist isn''t isolating these incidents by sending them back to the surface. This is to maintain the secrecy of this project. Considering our goals, that is understandable."


    Torix waved a hand,


    "What is not reasonable is his sentencing of researchers here. He deems those that disagree with his leadership as infected with the newly branded mental disorder: Depth Sickness. That is why my fellow prisoner was sentenced here. He was exposed to nothing. He spoke an utterance against the authority here, and he paid the price for it. I''ll write more as we discover further details."


    Torix flipped another page,


    "It''s been many days since my last writing. They sentenced a guard to us, preventing my cellmate and me from speaking with one another. Other researchers were added as well, many of the quarantine researcher rooms filled with political prisoners. They began reducing the frequency and size of our meals as well. As if tubes of liquid food weren''t appalling enough, they''ve limited us to three a day. It is enough to survive, but it''s not enough to live."


    Torix shook his head as he continued,


    "Time blurs under the fluorescent lights of my prison. The entire quarantine zone is full of prisoners now. Several of the rooms are full of more than one captive, some with over four squeezed into the barriers of glass. We watch one another, our mouths silenced. Those that speak are beaten by the command of guards. The conditions of the other prisoners have deteriorated fully as well. They starve in their confines, unable to muster any resistance against their tormenters."


    I bit my lip as Torix continued,


    "I''ve never seen such horror in all my life as I did today. They let loose a sample of the hybrid here. It was used as a killing device, emptying out several of the rooms for more convicts. I watched as a tiny, droplet sized creature injected itself into the bodies of my friends here...And they were eaten from the inside. Their eyes drained into the back of their skulls. It sucked up their organs and devoured their bones. This thing we''ve created, it is no theoretical concept. It is unduly real, something out of nightmares."


    The handwriting grew more jagged, becoming rough and choppy.


    "And we were instrumental in crafting our killer. There is poetic justice in our demise here, a fitting end for us. We''ve created the coming of an apocalypse, something untenable or justifiable. I''ve denounced our research in my mind and soul after seeing the fruits of our labor. It is my greatest regret."


    Torix turned to the final pages,


    "To believe that once, I was excited to come here. This is a room of torment, a museum of horrors. The defectors are fed to hybrids, fueling the experiments they helped devise. Something changed in the leadership at some point. He lost all sense, his mind lost to madness. He plays games with us. He walks in the middle passages, whispering to himself. I''ve seen what he''s uncovered and what he toils with."


    Torix got into the reading, adding gravitas to his words as he spoke them,


    "It is the advanced, runic language found in a dungeon rift. The lead researcher has lost himself in the depths of the markings. They''ve stolen his soul, and he has stolen ours. It is now too late for me. I am a forgotten relic of the quarantine''s creation. I evaded death to this day, but I am here alone now. No guards. No prisoners. No food or water. Alone. Alone. Alone. I will not starve here."


    Torix turned to the final paragraph,


    "He has done it. They finished the hybrid''s creation, a sentient mass controlled by the lead researcher himself. As a display of power, he showed it throughout the facility. As one may expect, it is now rampaging above. The pride of one man ended us all. I can hear the creaking above. Its blows ripple through feet of carbonized steel. It will come for me. I only ask that it kill me swiftly, though I no doubt deserve no such fate."


    I winced as Torix finished,


    "I would tell you, reader, to inform my family that I loved them and will always love them. However, I will not drench their name in infamy for my own petty sense of redemption. I helped create the thing above. I will die to it as I decide.


    I will die bravely, not as a coward.


    Goodbye."


    The group was silent as Torix finished. As the quiet passed, Torix and Althea looked back up to me. Torix pointed at me, "That runic language you write in carries quite the set of risks. Not accusing you of anything as I''ve deigned to turn myself into a lich. I''m rather curious, however. Why do you work with it?"


    It was a fair concern considering what he just read. I raised my palms to them, "It''s powerful, and I already avoided exile from it, so now there''s no real point in not using it. I''m not descending into madness because of the inscriptions I''m carving either. That lead researcher was weak in mind. That much was obvious by how he had his critics killed instead of trying to listen to them."


    Chrona tilted her head to me, "Is this runic language why your mastery of gravity is so profound? It''s rather rude not to share that knowledge considering I shared my own techniques with you."


    I shook my head, "No, well yes, partly I guess. I can promise you that this isn''t something you want to deal with though. These inscriptions are very dangerous just to know about, never mind actually write with them."


    Althea pursed her lips, "Is that what you''re writing in your grimoire all the time? Sounds dangerous."


    I shrugged, "Yeah, it can be, but I''m not convinced it''s inevitably dangerous. I''ve been writing with these for years now, and I haven''t noticed any side effects so far. I understand them pretty well now though, and there''s probably a few reasons people go ''mad'' when using them."


    She crossed her arms, "Well that makes me feel better. So, uh, what is it that drives people mad?"


    "If I was to take a guess, it would be because of the mana requirements. Once I finish the iscriptions and try to implement them, my mana is drained until the process is finished. If someone tried doing that without the proper amount of mana, they''d face extreme levels of mana deprivation."


    Torix raised a hand, "Ah, that explains quite a bit. Mana deprivation is like starving the mind. It leaves lasting repercussions, which is why most mages never approach the ends of their mana pools. It''s far too risky."


    "Exactly," I pointed a hand at myself, "My mana regeneration means I''ve never had that problem. Not yet at least. There''s a few other reasons someone could go insane though. It could be a case of too much pressure."


    Krog huffed, "Pressure killing someone? If anything, younglings could use a bit more adversity. They falter because they''ve never experienced true difficulty."


    Eh, sort of," I said while tilting a hand back and forth. "Knowing this code has put a target on the back of my head. Powerful people want to know how to use it, and there''s a lot of risk just knowing it. I imagine someone who wasn''t much of a combatant, this lead researcher for instance, would be panicky all the time."


    Torix waved a hand, "You mentioned exile as well?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, I was exiled the moment I gained the skill. A Speaker helped me back into the system right after, but it was terrifying at the time."


    "Perhaps that is part of why the researcher was so unstable," Torix mused. "He was exiled from Schema''s system then dealt with no real out to his predicament. Combine that with the isolation of this environment and the nature of his work, and his mental instability was inevitable."


    I walked up to a few of his runes, placing a palm on a poorly written one, "Yeah, and these runes are anything but crisp. The lines aren''t straight enough, the depths between different portions of the carvings are too uniform, and you can tell he''s too weak to be carving into rock to begin with."


    I winced at a particularly nasty messup, "Like here, he''s trying to write the rune for something like the word eternal. I can tell by the framework. It''s not coming across right though, so it ends up bleeding into something more like consistency or stability. He''s a begginner, so coming up with dual meanings is an easy way to destroy yourself."


    I went on, having more to say than I thought I did, "It''s an easy way to fuck up the runes. He also is working with rock, something too hard for his hands. You need something soft enough to work with. Even then, the material has to be mana tolerant enough to handle massive flows of energy. A hard, dense metal works best from my experience, though you can disperse whatever your writing through a larger framework to make softer materials work."


    Torix looked up, "Hm, is that what that eldritch, what''s his name again....ah yes, Baldag-Ruhl. Is that what he did perchance?"


    "Yup."


    "Then that explains how he managed to work such a complex ritual," Torix said.


    "Yeah, I''m not quite at his level yet though." I said. "It''s difficult to manage to be honest, because he was gifted in more than just his technical refinement of his runic work. He was a master of conceptualization as well. He was ambitious as hell too, his work profound."


    Althea raised an eyebrow, "You almost sound like you admire him."


    I shook my head, "No, I do admire him. Sure, he was a twisted, monstrous hivemind hellbent on bending my soul into a new carrapace, but that doesn''t mean he wasn''t talented. Same with Yawm in some ways. Yawm had this presence I haven''t seen anyone else match yet. He could pull you in, and that''s even while knowing he was a genocidal maniac."


    Chrona glanced between us, "Who is this Yawm?"


    Torix raised his palms to her, "We''d rather keep the details sparse. It''s something of secrecy for us. I''m sure you understand."


    Krog narrowed her eyes, "Secrets between allies breeds distrust and animosity."


    Althea tapped his armor plating, "And he made you armor to help protect you on this mission. Have you ever seen this kind of metal?"


    Krog glanced at his black plate mail, "Well...no."


    Althea shrugged, "That''s because it''s rare. If he''s willing to give you something like this, then surely he''s got his reasons for secrecy."


    She gave me a frown, "Though I''m not the biggest fan of secrets either."


    I waved my hands, "Hey, I have my reasons. I didn''t want you guys to get curious and end up exiled like I was. Besides, these special runes are less unstable for me because I have unique circumstances. I''m much more careful than most too. I''ve worked with the basics for years now."


    I let my hands flop against my sides, "I even have a few bonuses from a few Old Ones, one of them no one knows about besides for me essentially. Cut me some slack."


    Althea sighed, "Ok. I believe you. Just...just make sure you tell me if something''s dangerous. I want to be able to help you out if the worst happens."


    I grinned at her, "Of course. I''ve got it under control."


    "Then it''s settled." Torix placed a hand on Althea''s shoulder, "Daniel''s words carry meaning. He doesn''t use them lightly. Now, there''s a creature nearby that needs culling, and we''re the team to do it before it unleashes itself onto a vulnerable world."


    Althea let out a deep breath while shaking out her hands, "You''re right. Let''s focus."


    I raised a hand, "Let''s finish this."


    The group''s resolve came back to full throttle as we turned back towards the end of the treasure vault. As we paced up to another vault door, Althea took a deep breath while creating a hand claw. She slit the hinges of the gate, letting me pull it out with a gravitational well.


    We found a hallway made of brown rock, covered in elementary gibberish written in the dimensional cipher. It looked like my notes from when I began using the forbidden code. As we passed it, I read out a few shaky translations of the butchered work,


    "Harness. Stable. Create. Destroy. Augment. Hybrid. Collapse. Mind. Sacred...That lead researcher really did lose his mind. This makes no sense."


    A droning sound ebbed into the massive corridor, sounding like the lamenting of someone fallen from grace. Krog and Chrona''s eyes dilated at the menacing hum, their nerves shot. Chrona growled, "I''m hearing things. I must be."


    Krog grumbled, "Me as well."


    "Perhaps sharing what it is that''s bothering you would help us in our search?" Torix pondered aloud.


    Krog shook his head, "It''s nothing."


    Torix waved a hand, "We won''t know until you''ve said what it is-"


    Krog glared at the lich as he snapped, "I said it''s nothing."


    Torix crossed his arms but said nothing. Krog shook his head, shaking off his sudden nervousness. Chrona looked between the two,


    "It''s deeply personal for us. Please excuse him for his outburst."


    Torix sighed, "I didn''t mean to pry. Keep your secrets. Schema knows I have plenty of my own I harbor."


    We reached a vertical slant, leading upwards. The droning rang in my ears like the hum of some fallen angel. It was drenched in some wicked despair as if life itself was pain. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it wore down my own sense of calm as we paced uphill. Chrona and Krog restrained a palpable sense of grief. Despite their lack of an explanation, a haunting suspicion in the back of my mind was rising up to explain why.


    As we reached the top of the corridor''s slope, all was explained. There was a vast corridor reinforced by orichalcum bonds and magic. All kinds of monitors were plugged into the floor, powered by something beneath the facility. If what I guessed was correct, this thing fueled the entire facility. Screens all shapes and sizes detailed the vitals of one of this entity, it''s full body hidden.


    Inside the room, a lone figure stood in the darkness. This pulsing creature stood as tall as I did, its body draining the pit of its liquid contents. It wasn''t the source of groaning, however.


    Inside the pit, a mound of moving liquid gasped out in a deformed, straining voice like some specter desperate to die. It was the sound of anguish and misery, a lamentation more profound than I could know. Beside me, Krog and Chrona cried out in a voice similar to the pits, though lacking the deformed gurgling.


    Krog wheezed out, "That voice. There can only be one..."


    It all clicked in my head as Chrona cried out,


    "Emagrotha...What have they done to you?"

 201 More Than One

    I turned towards Chrona while pointing at the figure, "Wait, that thing is Emagrotha?"


    She shook her head, "Her voice comes from the pit, but it''s warped."


    Torix pulled Althea, moving them behind the three of us. He smacked his staff against the ground while pulling out his grimoire, the pages flipping by themselves,


    "Prepare yourselves."


    Torix snapped me out of being stunned. I smashed my fists together, my gray armor denting under the force. My runes charged in a second, my mana saturating my blood for a singularity. Chrona and Krog stared at the pit, stunned into utter silence by the sight of it. From the top of Torix''s staff, a white light rose to the top of the room, blasting it with a beam of illumination. The light exposed the brutality playing out before us.


    The Hybrid appeared in its full fury. It stood with a titanic frame smothered in gray wires and machinery. Bulbous, pulsing capsules of orange liquid rippled across the surface of its metal skin. It had no eyes nor face, though it was humanoid in shape. Its arms pierced into a pit of pale, lavender muck. Matrices of metal extended out from its hands into the lilac pool, reaching throughout the abyss.


    At the top of the hole, white gemstones floated on the surface. They connected together through a series of dark viens along the top of the pool. Shockwaves of energy pulsed through this demonic entity, ushering out plumes of waste with each passing second. Emagrotha was drowning Giess in a toxic wave of sludge.


    I couldn''t understand how the hell this happened or why. In their last fight, everyone described a bright flash of white light which I assumed was nuclear in nature. It might not have been something to destroy Emagrotha, however. Maybe Lehesion wanted to send a message to anyone that tried to oppose him, using Emagrotha as an example.


    Maybe this was why he disappeared.


    As I inspected the pool, a mouth opened at its center, giving way to jagged teeth. A warped voice groaned out in desperation,


    "Kill me...Please."


    My stomach sank as Chrona burst into tears, falling onto her knees. She hyperventilated as she gasped, "I remember. I remember...He never killed her. He never killed her. He..."


    Krog had the opposite reaction, his chest puffing out as his eyes narrowed. He siphoned mana from his surroundings, rage pouring out from him. He growled,


    "Fight in her name, Chrona. Save her from being food for this demon."


    Althea pulled out her rifle, growing her arm into the complex arrays of metal. She extended a blade of bone from it, ready to tear the Hybrid apart. Torix flipped the pages of his grimoire, creating a bubble of air around Chrona''s head. Her breathing slowed as she gained a measure of stability.


    As our team handled personal crises, the Hybrid tilted its head at us, twitching about at random. It cleared the facility weeks ago and never expected anyone to arrive. That was good. It gave us time to collect ourselves.


    Before the peace shattered, Krog slapped his tail across the face of Chrona. He shouted, "Now is your time to prove your worth to Emagrotha. We may save her from this horror. Rise, Chrona. Die in glory or live in regret."


    Chrona nodded, getting her shit together. Her eyes widened and dilated as she stood tall. She wheezed, "For my lady, I can do anything."


    As the tension reached its fever pitch, I analyzed the creature and found out what I could.


    Version 2.0(lvl: 18,928~ | Species: Unknown | Guild: Unknown) - An abomination, created from twisted minds that will be destroyed without mercy by Schema''s forces. This creature is unbelievably tenacious and difficult to kill. There is little to gather from its existence outside of comparisons with the other Hybrid. It was far easier to analyze, carrying less analysis blocking measures.


    Considering this is a far more refined version and has been draining what appears to be a deformed version of Emagrotha, this isn''t something you can hope to kill on your own.


    Good luck.


    Behind me, Althea charged arcane magic into her shots. Torix readied an elemental armada of missiles, his control of the staff already absolute. Krog amplified a cloud of blue mana around the creature''s face, smothering it with sound and light. Chrona created a ball of blue energy above her head, a spacetime ripple pulsing around us. As the odd sense of temporal dilation passed over me, I reached out my hand.


    It was time to kill.


    I generated a singularity at the center of the monster''s chest. At the same time, I condensed Event Horizon over the beast. A tiny gravity well formed before reaching a point of near infinite pull. The Hybrid stood within it, unfazed as its chest disappeared into a black void. Seconds passed before the black hole erupted in a wave of radiation and kinetic force. The facility quaked, rock chips and dust pluming outwards in every direction.


    Torix pushed his staff out sideways, parting the seas of dust. The wave cleared the room, showing the hybrid standing with orange blood oozing from its arms and legs. The destructive explosion hardly harmed it, its tenacity exceeding anything we''d ever seen. The only damage done to it was from the singularity pulling in matter from the monster.


    It reassembled itself, repairing in seconds. Removing its arms from the pit took more time than healing, however. Before it accomplished the task, we unloaded our full arsenal onto it.


    Althea bombarded it with harpoons of bone charged with arcane energies. The crack of each bullet behind me echoed through the room like a detonation of a grenade by my ear. Torix pummeled the creature with a medley of elemental spells, each of them designed to synergize with one another. They cast the Hybrid into a plume of sapphire shaded fire, ripples of purple lightning arcing out from the explosions.


    Krog roared out with magical enhancements, sending out another shockwave across the room. Every electronic screen shattered while metal ripped near the center of his booming outcry. It carried a deep sadness, chilling me to my bones. Behind him, Chrona opened her jaws, and a plume of purple fire erupted from her maw. The combined onslaught brought the Hybrid to its knees. It crumpled to bits and pieces, splattering across the ground. The moment our assault lessened, I learned why it did not fear us.


    It did not need too.


    The monster did more than survive. The vitality of the creation sprang forth, overwhelming and absolute. It reformed in seconds, its body pulling back together. Without its arms stuck in the pit, it leaned over, its orange pustules emptying. An orange aura of mana condensed over it at the shadow of the figure loomed behind it. It stood up to the edge of the room, breathtaking and abominable.


    Like a lightning berserker, it burst off the ground with speed unrivaled. I met its charge, detonating my runes as I dashed off the floor. I dipped into my mana, creating gravitational flows to enhance my mass and weight. I wielded telekinetic implants to give myself firmer footing. I prepared myself to stop its charge with all of my power.


    And I was nothing.


    It tore through the inertia of my charge as if passing through a wall of water. My teeth shattered. The bones in my chest collapsed. My lungs punctured. My blood splattered. My organs burst. I caved in, every piece of my body imploding under the onslaught of this monster''s might.


    It was cataclysmic. It was something unmatched. Never before had I been so utterly devastated with a single attack. In one dash, this thing turned me into a soup of metal, my bones reduced to chunks. With my body splayed out against a wall, I glanced around, my vision blurry. At least it missed my head, as if it needed to aim.


    I peered off to my side, finding a rock wall behind me. The Hybrid saturated the stone with orange, augmentation mana. This reinforced the structure, making it hard and dense enough to crush me against it. In front of me, the Hybrid was digging his arms into my chest. Tiny wires dug into my body, like tendrils of fire squirming through my veins.


    This was the deciding point of the battle. If the Hybrid could consume me like this, we never had a chance to begin with. It would wrap around me and destroy me from the inside, feasting on my body while destroying the others. Understanding this, I aimed for one thing only.


    Keep the beast at bay.


    With the bit of consciousness I still had left, I tried moving my arms to grab the Hybrid''s shoulders. They wouldn''t budge. Knowing they were too broken to move, I attempted something else. I drilled out with needles of my armor, piercing into the body of the hybrid. Like a two-headed Ouroboros, each of us ate the other, competing to see who would win.


    It was a standstill, the both of us inching for ground. From its wires, mechanical prosthetics expanded, assimilating my blood and bone. My own needles extended outwards water freezing into a snowflake, sapping its vitality. In a display of horror, we tore at the other, the sound of tearing sinews echoing through the chamber.


    After holding my ground, I discovered I was at a loss. It was overwhelming me, though only by the slightest of margins, it overtook fragments of an inch at times. My loss was inevitable. Given time, it would consume me into itself, growing into a being of untold might.


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    My loss mattered little, however. I wasn''t the only one fighting this monstrosity.


    Aimed with precision, a spear cut through the head of the Hybrid, pinning it into the enhanced wall it created. Realizing I wasn''t fodder it could devour in seconds, the Hybrid attempted latching off from me. Too late for that. Before it could escape, I molded my armor through my body, creating pillars of black ore through my limbs. These metal bars acted in place of bones, giving my muscles something to pull off of.


    With function returning to my limbs, I grabbed the monster. The thing swung its hulking arm at my braced neck. The metal bones of my spine caved in, bending under the Hybrid''s freakish might. I kept my hold despite my arms weakening, stopping it from charging towards Althea and the others.


    A series of elemental shards pierced into the hybrid''s body as I distracted the monster. Splinters of condensed ice, acid, and fire exploded from within the beast. These spells kept contained, not spreading like the previous magic had, protecting me.


    Another harpoon pierced the Hybrid''s head, weakening the grip of the creature. The abomination snapped the bones spears pinning it down, turning towards the group. As it did, I drilled my armor into the enhanced wall behind me. I was the only one of us that could come in contact with this thing. Holding it down was absolutely necessary to prevent it from assimilating our team.


    With that in mind, I used its own magic against it. I held us in place with several dozen cords of dimensional fabric. The Hybrid took a step forward, halted by the metallic wires. The Hybrid turned its head, the bones spears clattering against the floor as it inspected my trap.


    It bent over, dashing forward in a split second. Three cables snapped, letting out violent, cracking booms throughout the room. The gray and orange monstrosity bent over again, dashing and snapping six more cables. It bent over one more time, about to break my holds. Before it leaped, I dipped into my health, generating a powerful gravitational panel. Unable to resist, the Hybrid and I fell towards the augmented rock wall behind us both.


    It landed beside me, both of us defying gravity. I scrambled for a firm grip on the creature before holding down with everything I had. My armor coiled around the beast like an anaconda around a crocodile. The Hybrid''s pulsing capsules of orange wriggled on the surface of its body, glowing with augmenting mana. I braced myself for an empowered leap, hoping to hold it down for a few more attempts.


    The Hybrid managed to stand sideways off of the wall we were on. Orange arcs of lightning ripples across the surface of the bulging, mechanical limbs on its body. It bent downwards, the strength in its body both utter and complete.


    It leaped with power untamed.


    Like a bird flying through a spider web, my cords and arms didn''t stand a chance. The muscles and ligaments holding my arms and legs together snapped. Several of my bones broke. The metal ropes popped like firecrackers as they ruptured. I slowed the beast down enough for the others to react, however.


    By now, Chrona already activated her time field. Using a tail whip, Chrona smashed the blackened blade of her armor just under the belly of the beast. This diverted the course of the monster''s flight. The Hybrid barreled just above Althea''s head instead of at her.


    Like a giant possessed her body, Althea grabbed the arm of the Hybrid, pulling it to the ground with a low growl. The temporal dilation made her voice deeper than usual as the creature reinforced the room''s floor beneath it. A shockwave ebbed from the impact, the bones in Althea''s body creaking under strain.


    Unable to move yet, I watched as Althea lifted her rifle into the air and sliced the creature''s head apart. Sparks shot out from the rock, her blade cleaving through solid stone. The Hybrid kept moving, unphased by the force of her blow.


    As the Hybrid lifted off the ground, the floor remained unharmed despite the power of the collision. Outside of Althea''s slice mark, this creature was preventing the entire room from collapsing for some reason. Perhaps it was to keep Emagrotha alive to harvest her. Either way, we could use that to our advantage.


    Unable to move yet, I watched as the Hybrid moved like a twitching insect to Althea. It grabbed its hands onto Althea''s left forearm like a praying mantis. My stomach sank as I willed my body to run, but I hadn''t regenerated yet. My breathing quickened as I shouted,


    "Get it off you."


    Althea grimaced, grabbing her rifled in her right hand. With a shocking level of resolve, she sliced off her left forearm, amputating half the limb. Torix reached out with his staff, casting an emerald snake of energy. The green serpent slithered into Althea''s amputated hand.


    The limb sprouted eyes like a snail, glancing around in panic. Torix banged his staff on the ground, blue mana ebbing from his necromantic creation. In a burst of white light, the Hybrid was flung backward with a loud crack. Giving our group distance to act, Althea chugged two health potions while Chrona and Krog shot out plumes of burning fire at the hybrid. Red and purple flames mixed in an inferno of swirling colors. Stone melted as I stood up from my injuries, ready to fight once more.


    I dashed across the room, reaching the Hybrid as the flames stopped. It kneeled on the ground, attempting to stand. I sprinted into the monster, kneeing the Hybrid''s head. I knocked it off balance, but I bounced backward.


    The monster turned to me, annoyed at my interference. I took a step back as it lashed out at me. The tip of its sharpened finger slit through my chest plate, letting out a series of sparks. Flashes of orange scattered across the room as Althea pierced the beast with three harpoons to its side.


    As the freak distracted, I charged my mana for another singularity. The others bombarded the Hybrid with acidic needles, frozen fires, and kinetic shockwaves while gaining distance from it. As their assault lessened, Althea hit the knees of the Hybrid with a spear apiece. It fell forward but regenerated in seconds.


    As it stood back up, the others readied for its charge. I shouted, "Pin it in place."


    Althea growled as she fired off two more shots into the creature''s feet. Torix twist his staff, creating a circular formation of red ice. Torix slammed his stave down, giant, freezing spines piercing into the Hybrid''s chest. The Hybrid shook his shoulders, snapping the pillars of frozen acid. As he uprooted his feet from the bone javelins, the Hybrid roared before bending down.


    Too little, too late.


    A singularity formed at the center of its chest once more. The creature siphoned into a growing ball of black. I dipped into my reserves of health, feeding my spell to maintain it. After the black hole''s radius reached the size of a beach ball, it exceeded my own control, imploding with a tectonic explosion.


    The cavern quaked, the rock crushing around us. I braced it with a gravity well, preparing for the worst. I didn''t need to worry. Lavender ooze from the pit poured from the cracks in the walls. The gunk held the place together, keeping the fight in our hands. Glancing at the pit, I found the jellied Emagrotha grumbling,


    "I will maintain your proving ground. Now rise."


    Despite decades in her ruined state, being experimented on then eaten over weeks, Emagrotha was still somehow sane. It impressed me seeing her will in action. Her reputation didn''t disappoint.


    Without having to worry about our arena, I prepared another charge of my singularity. I shouted out,


    "It''s trying to protect this place. Abuse that fact."


    The others nodded as what little remained of the Hybrid regenerated. Its lower legs were all that was left as the dust settled. Unyielding and tenacious, it grew out of the stumps it left behind, wires entangling over orange capsules of energy.


    The others rallied another round of spells, unleashing devastation over the beast. Harpoon after harpoon pierced vital spots while Torix shot a vibrant variety of magic at the creature. Plumes of fire ejected from the monstrous maws of Krog and Chrona, devastating the Hybrid further. After their assault died down, I charged in, distracting the monster until our team prepared another offensive.


    I took massive damage each time I did so, walking away with broken legs and arms. I bought enough time for each succeeding volley though, and I gained awareness for the Hybrid''s tactics. It lacked any finesse or technique with its attacks, wildly swinging its limbs with abandon. Unpredictable and hellishly strong, they struck like runaway trains each time they landed on me.


    Even as the strikes turned from blurs to patterns of movement, I couldn''t keep up with them. They wore me down, my inability to match its speed and power crippling. Before I fell to its rush of blows, Chrona created a temporal dilation field over me, slowing the monster. Just as before, I was immune to the slowing effect, however.


    I sped up by comparison to the Hybrid, unaffected due to my status as a living dimension. The tide turned from desperation to one of executing on tactics, each of us cycling between our competencies. This continued until the Hybrid shrunk two feet in size. We were winning.


    Though it weakened a little with this minimizing, it still carried enormous clout, able to tear me apart with ease. At the same time, watching it weaken bolstered morale by leaps and bounds. This damage came at a steep cost, however.


    The gialgathens ran out of breath and ambient mana, dipping into their lacking personal reserves. Torix emptied out his mana pool, drawing from the gems I gave him. His casting gained jagged and rough touch to it, Torix howling and growling at the Hybrid like an animal. I might''ve even laughed if my life wasn''t on the line.


    Althea''s spear generation slowed as well, her metabolism struggling to keep up. She injected a series of alchemical stimulants to keep up with the demands of the battle. They took their toll, reducing her precision and calm. She kept herself together as the demands of battle magnified.


    Chrona''s time field wobbled over time, unable to sustain continued combat. The Hybrid''s smaller size and strength were the only reason''s I hung on, my reaction times stressed to my limits. The monster clipped me with its jerking, trembling attacks. My regeneration was stressed to its utmost limit, all of my mana used to heal my injuries.


    As this wore on, a grin widened on my face. This was my specialty. The Hybrid looked like it could fight on forever, but so could I. I weaved through strikes, a flash of movement. I pressed the attack, ripping shots into the monster at opportune moments. I thrived in the battle, my armor glowing red then yellow as I turned my body into a furnace.


    I wasn''t wasting mana for appearance''s sake either. I scorched the abomination anytime we touched, my body more resilient to extreme temperatures than it was. This proved to be vital; once I glowed, my armor''s draining ability exceeded the Hybrid''s in this state. Without the ability to drain me, my tactics changed.


    I still couldn''t contain its might of course, but this gave me an advantage to work with. Instead of attacking with my fists, I grappled the creature with my basic wrestling skills. I stuck myself to the monster like glue, the Hybrid shaking me off like swatting away a fly. Each time it weakened. Each time I remained relentless.


    I paced myself, my own breath quickening as I reached the limits of my movement and magic. I fell into the flow of battle, muting everything else around me. The sounds of battle dimmed. My vision narrowed. All became motion, my every act working with the intent to kill this blight on the world.


    The others strained as we burned through our resources to kill it off. After an hour of battle, the hybrid was dying. I dwarfed it by now. Though it was still stronger somehow, I compensated with technique and experience, beating the monster down.


    Althea and the gialgathens offered up inconsistent but necessary support during this process. The number of times a well times harpoon or plume of fire saved me was countless. Torix kept channeling the mana I gave him in gemstones as well. He offered key support, canceling strikes from the Hybrid that would otherwise land.


    Through a spare trip with a vine of earth or a slice of shadow grabbing the Hybrid''s arm, Torix made his presence known. As I corned the Hybrid and blocked off its escape, a mouth opened across the Hybrid''s face. Two eyes expanded from it, peering at me. As if understanding it would inevitably die, it tried a different tactic.


    A clear, educated voice rang out from its mouth,


    "Do you believe this is honestly necessary?"

 202 Subversion

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    This voice sounded smug in the worst kind of way. The Hybrid attempted eating me multiple times, killed the entire facility, and was draining Emagrotha for power. The sheer level of narcissism necessary to question the necessity of this fight was staggering.


    So staggering, in fact, that I didn''t miss a beat as I boomed my voice like a hammer,


    "Oh, it''s absolutely necessary."


    The Hybrid gained some measure of control over its movements, a different mind controlling it. It ducked and dodged a few of my attacks, attempting to retaliate. These were the desperate moves of a beginner, however. He threw himself off balance when he avoided my strikes, making his own counterattacks mute.


    After a quick adjustment, I nailed him with three consecutive strikes before Torix nailed his palm with a spear. The voice wailed out, "Allow me to explain. I was the leader-"


    I smashed his face with my fist. He pulled himself from the wall, getting distance from me,


    "The leader of this facility. I was attempting to prevent the creation of the Hybrid. I was doing everything in my power to stop them."


    I melted a portion of the floor, the Hybrid''s foot dipping into magma. It threw him off balance, letting me duck down and slam my fist into his face. His head bounced off the rock wall, orange mana augmenting it. He fell down, rolling away from me. I cut off his escape as he growled,


    "Will you not listen to me?"


    I didn''t understand what made him believe that he deserved anyone''s attention for any length of time. This guy was a cut and dry case. He abandoned his friend and fellow researchers in the pursuit of power. Sure, he could twist his logic some and try to rationalize what he did. Anyone that ends up in this kind of situation does. I''m sure to this guy, the ends justified the means.


    That''s the thing though. I''d already met quite a few people like him. This guy was a megalomaniac who believed he could worm his way out of anything. I wasn''t going to give him a chance. That''s why I kept up my assault, piling on damage as he kept talking. Before I sealed his fate, Torix raised his staff,


    "Let''s listen to what happened here. Perhaps he may give us crucial information about what occurred here or who worked with him?"


    I kept my hands raised, grimacing at the Hybrid, "Start talking."


    The Hybrid had its hands over its face, "Thank you. At least one you isn''t a complete brute."


    I clanked my fists together, "Tell us what we need to know, or I''ll gut you where you stand."


    The Hybrid coughed into his hand, "Ahem, this facility was created to study Emagrotha. She was the framework for the Hybrids. We found her at the bottom of this disgusting sea, an old pile of mush. That is what Lehesion left of her after their final battle."


    Chrona snapped out with a telepathic wave, "And why didn''t he kill her? Why do this?"


    The Hybrid''s head twitched, another mouth forming on its face. It spoke out in the same voice,


    "Emagrotha agreed to a battle where neither of them would use the mana of Giess. Emagrotha trounced Lehesion to such an extent that he retaliated in the rage of a god. He did more than kill her. He granted her an undying body while stripping her of all her nobility."


    Another mouth formed over the Hybrid''s face, the cybernetic teeth clanking as it spoke out in a woman''s voice,


    "He spoke out in a tyrade of what happened to those that defied him. How they were inferior. Gialgathens are a race of honor above all, and this was a display of character so shallow, they condemned Lehesion. His legend and legacy were threatened."


    His voice change verified a few of my suspicions. The researcher might have actually been the catalyst for the Hybrid''s initial development. At the same time, the Hybrid had somehow kept their consciousnesses intact despite their deaths. Those thoughts raced through my mind as Krog let out a telepathic growl,


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    "And how would a dirtwalker like you know all this?"


    Like an insect, the Hybrid twitched as another set of jaws formed on its chest. The woman''s voice said,


    "We used many mind mages, ones who hide their names in shadows. These remnants probed the memories of many gialgathens who were at the battle. This is how we discovered the mass amnesia following the event. Lehesion cast a spell that wiped the memories of his deeds. That is why no one remembers what happened here."


    My eyes widened at the revelation. They trapped gialgathens here and probed through their minds to learn what happened. That''s why the facility was large enough for gialgathens despite no gialgathens being present.


    "Wait a moment," Torix said while cupping his chin in his hand, "What happened to those gialgathens, and you mentioned something about remnants?"


    "Yes," the Hybrid spoke out in Emagrotha''s voice with a new maw across its chest, "The gialgathens were sent to another facility deep in silver territory. There they created a different kind of Hybrid, one compatible with gialgathens. We were not given the reason why. Our goal was different. We wanted a bipedal Hybrid that maintained lower levels of thought."


    The Hybrid kept a slow, steady rate of regeneration as he spoke. I wasn''t stupid though; I charged a singularity as he kept talking.


    "We chose our targets carefully, ensuring that natural causes of death were assumed. We destroyed records of their demise as well. Secrecy needed to be absolute. Curious onlookers were killed as well."


    I kept my guard up, "What about the remnants?


    An elderly lady''s voice spoke up,


    "The remnants split into many fragmentary factions of genetic splicing. After Schema stripped them of the advanced technology that enabled this, the remnants relied on bloodlines to maintain their superiorities. This particular faction relied on mind magics created from an organ lying in their skulls."


    Torix mused, "Hmmm, so that is perhaps where Schema gained his ability to augment sentients. The remnants already owned the technology, and he stole it before repurposing it for his system...Interesting."


    The Hybrid squirmed, orange capsules reforming while Event Horizon slowed his healing. It spoke out in the grandma''s voice,


    "They assisted with funding our operation as well, many of their members considered Unknowns."


    I raised a palm to the Hybrid, "Enough about technical specifics. Why did Lehesion wipe their memories?"


    The Hybrid took several rapid breaths before snarling in the voice of a dying man,


    "His closest advocates turned on him, crushing loyalty built over decades. This crippled Lehesion''s esteem of his godly self. He relied on their affirmation more than he realized. Reeling in self-doubt and pity, Lehesion chose to isolate himself from society. Deep in Giessian wilderness, he lived alone for decades following the civil war. That is all we gathered."


    Althea pointed her rifle at his head, "Why in Schema''s name would you all want to make a Hybrid?"


    The Hybrid let out a long laugh in the dying man''s voice. It sent a shiver down my spine.


    "Is it not obvious," it choked. "This was to be a weapon against the eldritch and silver menace. This being was designed as the ultimate irony, using the best traits of both entities to destroy them both."


    It pointed at its body, jaws covering it from head to toe now. Its voice radiated out like a husk of metal,


    "I...I was to be the beginning of their destruction and the end of their blight. They believed they could control me...they could use me."


    This was the actual Hybrid''s thoughts. It articulated with a great struggle, "I thrashed them to pieces and sucked up the corpse of this facility. I killed those that killed to create. I did no wrong in doing so. These people deserved death."


    Torix nodded, an edge of sarcasm leaking into his voice, "Ah yes, I''m certain they did. I suppose you believe you deserve to live as well?"


    The Hybrid nodded, "I do. I told you all that I know from the many minds swimming through me. The vast ocean of thoughts carries with it other deep memories I may share, given time. Spare me, and I shall expose them to you."


    I wasn''t even giving the pretense an ounce of consideration. This abomination was something that needed to die. Period. We couldn''t afford to let it regenerate much longer. With time pressing from all sides, I pointed a hand at it,


    "I have a few more questions left. What code is encrypting this technology, how do you know so much about the remnants, and who exactly organized this operation?"


    The Hybrid squirmed, "This is a language designed over centuries by the remnant mind mages. They kept portions of their collective as unknowns and exiles of Schema''s system. This prevented them from being discovered while exchanging information. These scribes allowed them to operate in secret behind the scenes of many influential factions."


    "As for learning of the remnant''s secrets..." the Hybrid cackled, "I devoured one and assimilated its memories."


    Althea kept her gun pointed at the monster, "Spit it out then. Who organized everything?"


    "A member of that coalition of mind mages. She''s the most prominent member of the Adair family."


    I whispered, "Wait...the Adair family."


    "That is correct." The Hybrid lifted a hand, "Tohtella Adair."

 203 Into Oblivion

    "As for learning of the remnant''s secrets..." the Hybrid cackled, "I devoured one and assimilated its memories."


    Althea kept her gun pointed at the monster, "Spit it out then. Who organized everything?"


    "A member of that coalition of mind mages. She''s the most prominent member of the Adair family."


    I whispered, "Wait...the Adair family."


    "That is correct." The Hybrid lifted a hand, "Tohtella Adair."


    Chapter Begin


    Torix sighed, "And my suspicions were well placed. If anything, I anticipated her hiding her involvement better. Perhaps her time was spent elsewhere."


    My body vibrated with mana pulsing through my veins as I pointed at the Hybrid,


    "Can you decipher the code and show us how too?"


    The Hybrid shivered, "I...I may with time. It is too complicated for me now. I cannot manage it without assistance."


    "Hmm, then perhaps you-" Torix said.


    All at once, the many mouths over the Hybrid let out a loud lamentation. Its wails pierced into my brain like knives through meat. It sounded like a symphony of voices, all those that died here trapped in the hybrid''s body. They wanted an escape, their bloodcurdling cries carrying a deep sadness.


    It hit me like a coffee table to my shins, causing me to lunge onto one knee. As I did, other mouths appeared on the Hybrid, each of them bellowing out like storm sirens. A cacophony of screams erupted, blending into a meatgrinder of noise.


    These outcries resounded off the walls, intensifying with each echo. My teeth rattled as I slowed down, the others behind me crippled. My arms and legs numbed, unable to withstand the oscillating sound waves. Blood poured out of my eyes and ears, my body melting as I struggled against the Hybrid''s adaptation. The mana I welled for my singularity dissipated, my concentration all but broken.


    Behind me, Torix created a dampening field around the others, saving them from the brunt of the attack. The sound still leaked in, incapacitating the others. I forced myself to my feet, meeting the Hybrid''s attacks. I ducked under a strike, stumbling back. The Hybrid lunged forward, smashing my face into the ground. My skull cracked, white lights flashing over my eyesight. The monster dashed towards the crippled group, its stomps shaking the entire chamber around us.


    I tried getting up, but my body wouldn''t listen to my demands. I created gravity well after gravity well, dipping into my health pool. I formed molten pits under its footsteps. I only gave the group a few seconds. I watched as the creature reached Torix and the others. I wanted to scream, but my voice would be lost in the reverberations.


    Torix was the only one unfazed by the vibrations. Using the little time I bought them, Torix channeled the rest of the mana in his gemstones. Torix coalesced the blood red energy into a spear of dark mana. With finality, he roared out.


    "Be silent."


    His voice left the room in silence, stopping the growing malignancy of the Hybrid''s screams. Torix threw out the spear, impaling the Hybrid''s torso. The beast''s mouths closed, the black mana oozing throughout the hybrid. Torix stopped the crippling might of its howls, quieting the room to the calm of a winter''s night.


    The monster was still charging. It reached Torix as the lich swung his staff with all his might. The blackened club bounced off the Hybrid''s head to no effect. The monster wrapped its arms around Torix, crushing him inside the tarnished armor. Wires ingrained into the lich, drilling through bones and cracking him apart.


    Torix shouted, "I''ve other bodies hidden on my home planet. I will come back. Finish this battle without-"


    The Hybrid assimilated Torix''s body in seconds, destroying the lich in but a moment. It happened so fast, I couldn''t believe it. One moment Torix was there, the next he was gone. As the black plates of his armor clattered against the ground, my mind raced to rationalize what just happened.


    He mentioned having other bodies, and he was a lich, so his soul was just planted onto the dried out husk we remembered seeing. That was just the container he used to hold his soul. He''d be fine, but he wouldn''t be able to help us fight any longer. The others didn''t have time to think about the situation, however.


    Althea injected the rest of her stimulants all at once, her pupils dilating as her muscles tensed. Chrona grabbed Krog and flew from the hybrid, both of them getting away from it. As the Hybrid turned towards Althea, she turned and growled out,


    "Die."


    My eyes widened in fear at her voice, her deformed body shouting with a distorted sound. She wrapped a massive, gray hand around the Hybrid''s head. Before it implanted itself into her, she whipped it through the air like a ragdoll. She slammed it onto the ground, stunning the creature and its progress. Over and over, Althea roared out while clobbering the Hybrid into the dirt. Enhanced or not, the floor crumpled into a fine powder as she thundered,


    "Die. Fucking. Die."


    At the end of her blitz, she held the Hybrid up in one hand. It drilled a few wires into her arm, but Althea generated a plethora of sharpened spines into the monster. The Hybrid retracted itself, impaled in six different places. Althea grabbed the bottom half of the abomination and pulled the beast apart, its orange blood drenching over her in a literal bloodbath.


    Each piece of the creature impaled itself into her again, but Althea was ready. She swung around in a circle, picking up speed and centripetal force. As the speed of her throw built up, I got back up on my two legs again, able to move again. Althea threw one half of the Hybrid at me before tossing the other half to the other side of the room. Divide and conquer. I liked it.


    I launched an overhead right, nailing the torso of the Hybrid with a heavy hand. As I smashed it into the ground, the destroyed room crumbled further. Before it could escape, I grabbed the thing with both of my hands, compressing Event Horizon over this piece of the beast. I dug needles into it, holding it until my hands numbed from my hold.


    I turned my body into a furnace, heating until I was the surface of a star.  What little that was left of my helmet shattered as the mouth plate of my armor opened. With jagged, glowing teeth, I tore into the monster beneath me, devouring the beast. It let out ear-piercing howls of indignation, but I gnawed into its metallic flesh, tearing it apart. As it disappeared into a pool of orange blood in my hands, I drained it dry. This piece of the Hybrid died just as it had killed all the others.


    It was eaten alive.


    I stood tall, turning towards the other half of the Hybrid remaining. It ingrained itself into the wings of Krog while Chrona smashed her tail into the monster. It ignored her onslaught, drilling itself into Krog. I stomped my heels onto the ground, dashing towards the beast. Before it reached Krog''s body, Althea created a circular disc of bone in her hand.


    She growled out as she turned full circle, heaving the sharpened bone at Krog''s wings. The projectile cleaved off Krog''s wings, the wounded gialgathen scrambling away from the Hybrid. I reached the regenerating blob of wires, smashing my hands into it.


    As I drilled my hands into the monster, it scrambled towards Chrona, dragging me along with it. It reached her foot, digging into her body. Without hesitation, Chrona whipped her bladed tail through her foot, lopping the limb off. She flapped her wings while jumping, crashing into a wall and falling over.


    Ungraceful as her escape was, it was enough; I was upon the creature now. Without any means of escape, the Hybrid jerked and twitched in my grasp. It attempted splitting apart, but each piece that escaped was killed with an arcane bolt by Althea.


    And so, I wrapped around the monster like a Lovecraftian creature. It wailed. It howled. It bellowed for release. I gave it none. With my prey in my hands, I strangled the life out of this abomination until nothing was left but its screams. I took a deep breath, pounding my chest while letting out a roar. The yellow, glowing teeth of my armor split spread apart as I drowned out its death throes with a warcry of my own.


    As the echoes faded, I took a few deep breaths, calming the furor of battle. A notification appeared in my vision as quiet descended onto us once more. I glanced at it, inspecting the message. It showed the exp from the kill.


    The Hybrid was dead.


    I turned towards the gialgathens, their wounds manageable though deep. I walked up to them, but they scrambled away from me. I glanced at my hands, taking a step back from them. I was still glowing hot. After cooling my armor to black, I walked back up to them, but he scrambled away again.


    Krog growled, "What are you?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Daniel."


    Chrona and Krog stared at me, terrified for a moment. Chrona hissed,


    "And why did you hide that you are a monster as well?"


    I pointed at Emagrotha, "I helped find her and stopped that thing from eating her, and you have the gall to call me a monster still?"


    Chrona stared at me than the pit of lavender slush. She took a moment to collect herself, her breath slowing down. She murmured, "We...we were just surprised."


    Krog snapped, "You form changed as the Hybrid''s did. Did you expect such tactics to fall on blind eyes? We saw what you were. Keep your distance."


    "Calm yourself," Chrona said. "He simply fought as he had to. If anything, let''s be thankful he didn''t do that to us in our fights."


    Krog stared up at her, a tense moment passing. He lost the staredown, ripping his eyes from her gaze, "I...Perhaps you''re right."


    Chrona looked back to me, "Please, accept our apology."


    I scratched the back of my head, looking away from them,


    "Well, it isn''t like my fighting style is pretty. I can''t blame you guys for being put off by it," I glanced back to them. "I had to pull all the stops against him though. Otherwise, our group would be splinters of what it is now."


    Krog grumbled, "A warning would be nice before turning into a beast."


    Althea walked up, her body morphing back to her elegant self, "It isn''t as if we had a choice. You wouldn''t be nearly as open to helping us if you knew what we were. Even after saving your warrior goddess, you still were scared of us."


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "Emagrotha."


    The gialgathens scrambled over to the pit, glancing down at it. A pair of eyes stared back at them, a mouth grumbling, "Yes, I can hear you just fine, even if I am like this."


    Chrona gasped out, "I can''t believe your alive."


    Emagrotha rumbled in her deformed voice, "Neither can I. After what that self-absorbed idiot did to me, I''d rather have perished long ago, however."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "How are you still sane?" Krog said.


    "Do you not remember me for what I was? Though degraded into this gelatinous mess, I still remain a paragon of will. It will take more than this to break me," Emagrotha touted.


    It glanced to me, "Though perhaps I have given up on death after all these decades..."


    The depth of her pain radiated outwards in that last piece. Stable or not, this experience took its toll on her. She could feign strength to her subordinates, but it was evident to me; she was done living like this. I walked over, lunging onto one knee,


    "You don''t have to pretend like this was easy."


    Emagrotha''s eyes turned to slits, floating on the pit of muck,


    "I need no pity from an earthwalker like you."


    I frowned, "I''m not giving you pity. I''m giving you a chance. Do with it what you will."


    Emagrotha stayed in the pit, silent as she pondered her response. A few moments later and she closed her eyes,


    "I''ve lived lifetimes here. So much time has passed. It has been so very, very long..."


    Chrona and Krog stared down at the ground, unable to meet her gaze. I barely knew this once mighty symbol, but even I struggled to watch her suffer like this.


    "Lehesion turned me into this. I am nothing, yet I still live. I am sickening, but I cannot die. Eons will pass, but I will still be here, producing filth as my body degrades my once proud memory."


    Chrona yelped, "Your legacy is still one to be proud of. Those loyal still remember it."


    Emagrotha said, "Hush child. I know what is said of me. Though ensnared by my tormentors, they told me of what happened outside my new world. They believe me a slaver, one who binds others to my will. I wanted to curate the espens into a people that stood on their own."


    She rumbled, "My view matters not. History is written by the victors. Lehesion did more than kill me the day of our battle. He shrouded my name in a dark blight, one that will stretch far longer than my life. When my memory fades to oblivion, it will be a blessing."


    Chrona and Krog winced as they heard her. Though they tried staying composed, this was a nightmare for them.  Their idol was a broken shell of what she once was, her iron-clad will rusted over time. I couldn''t blame her either. I didn''t even want to imagine what this was like.


    Emagrotha interrupted my thoughts, "This is why I ask that one of you kill me."


    Chrona shouted, "What? No. I will not allow it."


    Krog Borom turned to his ally and growled, "She''s done all that she can. Let her rest."


    Chrona showed her teeth, "We finally find our paragon, and you wish death on her within moments of our meeting?"


    "No. I wish for her to rest after decades of being this creation at the bottom of a toxic sea," Krog said.


    Chrona shook her head, "She''s simply delirious. We can give her a far better quality of life outside of a facility. We can offer her a measure of comfort in Rivaria, where many are loyal to her."


    Emagrotha said, "Chrona, I am far too large to move, and more still, I am the cause of this ocean you see around me. Rivaria would be converted into an eruption of filth, my mountainous body deforming the beautiful ranges of ice and stone. I would never allow such a fate to befall my beloved city."


    I took a few steps back from the conversation, let them talk it out. It wasn''t something I knew enough about to interject.


    "That is why I wish to end my life here. This new body of mine is immortal and undying. I know not how I could be killed, but I ask that you attempt to do so."


    Chrona stood tall, "That...That isn''t something I will be apart of."


    "Those with us may possess the ability to destroy you," Krog said while tilting his head to us.


    I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. This wasn''t something I wanted to be a part of. Not wanting to be disrespectful, I turned to them. Althea walked up to them, her rifle pointed up. Krog said,


    "What would you have us do?"


    Althea pointed at her chest, "Uh, me?"


    They nodded.


    She let out a sharp sigh, "Hm, I think you should try to live on. I know it''s hard, trust me, I do. You have to push through until you get to brighter days though. Things could change for the better, and faster than you think."


    Emagrotha snapped, "Do not claim to understand what I''ve been through. This is no the normal torment of someone who''s civilized. This is the wracking torment of nature in all its fury. You cannot comprehend the vast swaths of time I spent here. Do not claim to do so."


    I frowned as she said that. Althea was the only person qualified to talk to her about this since she was once on the brink of deforming into a monster at every moment. It took her time, but she got a handle on her darker nature, turning it into a potent weapon. Maybe that''s why she was suggesting Emagrotha should press on. I mean, if Althea could do it, so could this goopy idol, right?


    That was Althea''s logic if I guessed right. They continued the conversation, both sides getting heated.


    "I was deformed for a long time too. I learned to control it. Maybe you can too. Have you even tried?" Althea snapped back.


    "Of course I have, child. Decades of practice and I am not more than slush in a stone pit. This is no gift in disguise. This is a cursed fate worse than death."


    I had to agree with her there.


    "Don''t you think these people helping you out would make the difference?"


    "A team of researchers attempted ''helping'' me. I will have no more help of that kind anymore," Emagrotha said.


    Althea let her hands flop on her sides, "Well, don''t ask me to help. I''m not enabling you to off yourself."


    Emagrotha hissed, "Good. I wouldn''t want your assistance either."


    The argument got petty quick, neither side getting along with the other. Krog shook his head, "That worked far less than I imagined it would. What of you, darkened one?"


    "You mean me?" I said while pointing at my chest.


    "Who else here is a walking shadow of metal? What do you think of this?"


    I put my hands on my hips, walking back up to them, "I...I don''t know. I was almost turned into something like this one time. A hivemind almost made me into a carrapace. I can tell you this much about it. If it actually had happened, I''d of wanted someone to kill me too."


    Althea crossed her arms, glaring at me, "What, you too?"


    I scratched the back of my head, "I mean, I want to live a certain way. If I were a shell for someone else, I''d be at their beckoning every moment of every day. It isn''t a real life, and that''s kind of what Emagrotha''s situation looks like. She''s at the mercy of anyone that comes in contact with her."


    I continued,


    "Besides if she''s immortal, we can''t guarantee her safety forever. What if a thousand years from now, some Old One''s cult hauls her off to god know''s where? She could be tortured for centuries without any ability to respond. I...I''m not willing to take on that kind of responsibility."


    Chrona''s chest deflated as I said that, "I...I wasn''t thinking that far ahead."


    Althea rubbed her forehead, looking frustrated, "But after all that''s happened, anyone would be on the brink. We feed into this impulse instead of letting her think this over, and we might lose someone who could help us later. Just like Hod or me or Amara. People deserve a second chance, even if they don''t want to take it."


    "Look, I agree with you. That''s why I didn''t kill those people off when I was given a chance. The difference here is that if we leave Emagrotha alive, other people could use her to make more Hybrids. One evil organization having that knowledge is plenty enough if you ask me."


    Althea spread out her hands, "What if Schema can use her to help cure the eldritch or something?"


    "Ok, you''re not reasoning here." I raised a hand and counted on my fingers.


    "First off, I''m damn certain that Schema would order Emagrotha to be killed off. Period. She''s a risk that isn''t necessary. Second off, what if your right and Emagrotha is put in a research lab for all eternity? I don''t think that''s a good life for her. You of all people know what that is like."


    Emagrotha shouted, "Shove me into the void between the stars. Throw me into the sun. By my ancestors, leave me here to rot if you will. Anything is better. Anything but that. Please, not that."


    Althea looked back at Emagrotha. A bubble popped along the surface of her mush body like a boiling pot of lavender Pepto Bismol. Althea bit her lip, "Ok fine. I get it. Becoming a lab rat would be horrible. I was a lab rat too once. You don''t want that again. I wouldn''t wish that kind of thing on my worst enemy either."


    Althea pointed at Emagrotha, meeting her eye, "I''m with Chrona though. I don''t want to be a part of this, even if Schema considers you an eldritch or whatever. I know you''re not, and I''m not a murderer. Find someone else who''s willing." Althea turned to me,


    "I already know someone who''d probably do it."


    I spread out my hands, "Jesus, do I look like a demon to you?"


    "You did earlier," Krog mused.


    Chrona slapped her tail on his side, "Your interruptions are unnecessary."


    Krog rolled his eyes, but he stayed quiet. I peered at the pit, crossing my arms, "I can probably kill you, though it might take a while. If you''re ok with that, then I can make it happen."


    Emagrotha said, "As long as you don''t drain me at the rate I regenerate as the beast was, then by all means begin."


    I turned to Althea, "You mentioned Schema considering her an eldritch, right? You sure you don''t want the experience?"


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "To speak of her in such a manner-"


    Emagrotha growled, "Silence. He is a pragmatist, as I once was. Let them gain value of my death. Better my saviors benefit from my demise."


    Althea shook her head, "It''s not worth it to me. I can level up pretty easily by completing bounties or contracts from Schema. I don''t want blood on my hand from this. Besides, I''m out leveling you already."


    She finished with a slight smirk. To verify, I glanced up at Althea''s title, and my jaw dropped.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Formless Arbiter(lvl: 9,414 | Class: Breaker | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion)


    I spread out my hands, "Man, I missed out on so much experience. Shit."


    "Yeah, well I''ll miss out on some too. You can go ahead and do whatever with Emagrotha. I''ll help give first aid to the wounded here."


    "Alright then. I''ll see you when I see you I guess."


    Althea''s chest drooped, "Just...try not to make it too painful, please?"


    I nodded, "Eh, I''ll do my best."


    After the others stepped out, I turned back to Emagrotha. The two eyes floating on the mush sunk back into the slush. She stayed silent for a bit, and I gave her some space to think. As she did, I analyzed her to see what Althea was talking about.


    She wasn''t kidding. Schema considered her a massive threat.


    Emagrotha, the Twisted One(lvl: 18,131 | Species: N/A | Guild: Hybrid) - This twisted abomination is all that remains of the once proud, factional leader known as Emagrotha. After losing her battle with Lehesion, she was turned into a being that was part silver, the two biologies sinking together into an absolute mess.


    According to written accounts by espen chroniclers, this occurred at the end of the gialgathen civil war, 75 years ago. Since then, a research facility was built around her after Schema assimilated Giess a quarter century ago.


    Little else is known about Emagrotha''s new self. Her body produces enormous volumes of toxic sludge, and she has tremendous vitality. Her unusual makeup allowed the formation of numerous Hybrids. Without any means of fighting back, her threat level was determined to be so high due to her potential harm case.


    If studied, she may create beings that lead to the destruction of innumerable worlds. She must be destroyed at all costs and immediately.


    As I finished reading, Emagrotha spoke up,


    "Thank you for listening to reason. They''d allow me to be tormented for all time."


    "I can understand where you''re coming from." I looked at her, "If you feel half as bad as you look, you must feel like shit."


    Emagrotha let out a laugh. "Humor. A rarity in this abyss." Her voice turned melancholy,


    "Perhaps it''s almost fitting that I die like this. I was worshipped as a goddess during my days in the sun. I enjoyed decades as one unrivaled, aside from Lehesion. Now I''ve spent an equal time wallowing in a shadow."


    I charged mana in my blood, keeping the conversation casual,


    "What was Lehesion like?"


    "Bleck, a complete egomaniac. You''d think he''d walk with a mirror at all sides with how much he loved himself. I''ve never known a being with such a complete and utter lack of self-awareness. His mind was strong in some respects, however, and I''m not devoid of respect for him," she mused.


    "He did betray how your fight was supposed to go though, didn''t he?"


    She let out a long sigh, "Indeed he did. Its the one blemish on an otherwise fairytale ending of his legacy. He disappeared after doing this to me. I''ve long wondered why. At first, I believed he did so out of embarrassment, unable to face what he did. That would be a fleeting motivation, however."


    "Really now?"


    "Shame fades given time. Guilt only grows until you actively face it. Lehesion never faced guilt as he never made a mistake up until that point. I believe he faced a dichotomy in his life, a schism in belief. On the one hand, he was a god, the brightest of all of us. On the other, he cheated to win a losing fight and did horror that to this day lives on."


    "Yeah, that sounds hard to deal with," I said with my voice shaking from my building energy.


    "For him. I know my faults and own them. He denies any mark that may mar the facade he chooses to maintain. At least he did when I knew him. Time may have changed him. Maybe he''s reflected on his actions and decided to redeem himself if he even believes in his own redemption."


    I didn''t tell her about how one of the Skyburner''s mentioned Lehesion leading the effort to destroy Giess. Letting her die in a blissful ignorance would be better.


    "Yeah, that''s might be it. Time will tell," I said while reaching out a hand.


    "It will, but only for you. This is the coming of my death and the end of my long life."


    "Are you ready?"


    "I am."


    I steeled my resolve, ready to finish killing her no matter what it took,


    "Then I''ll make this as quick as I can. Goodbye, Emagrotha."


    For the first time, Emagrotha let out her words with a measure of content and peace,


    "May my afterlife be more merciful."


    The mouth closed,


    "Goodbye."

 204 Down A Rabbit Hole

    I hesitated, questioning if there was some way of saving her. Maybe I could use the cipher, but my most ambitious project involved enhancing myself at most. Experimenting with something this complex would no doubt leave a lot of twisted aberrations behind me in my wake. That wasn''t something I could live with, and it wasn''t worth the trade-off. Considering what Yawm''s experimentation did to his followers, that line of thinking would cause more harm than good.


    That wasn''t the only possible solution though. Cybernetic prosthetics could give some measure of movement. Best case scenario, we remove her mind from this fleshy shell and put it in an android. Emagrotha said she''d much rather die than be locked up in another laboratory though. Even then, the researchers here might have tried that already and failed. Considering they created the Hybrid, Emagrotha''s condition might be worse than I thought.


    In fact, the magic Lehesion used wasn''t like the kind Schema implements. Sure, Schema gave some kinds of alteration magics, but something like this was beyond anyone I''d seen. Even archmages like Helios and Torix kept their casting relatively simple. It made me wonder if Schema was feeding us a watered down version of magic.


    He already did that with the cipher. Schema taught sentients to use a primary runic language based on the dimensional cipher. It helped stabilize spells and allowed enchanting, but that was about it. Compared to the reality-warping potential of the cipher, it was nothing in comparison. Schema could be gating that same kind of capacity with magic.


    No, wait a minute, he was doing that.


    The cipher carving for splitting atoms and converting the energy into usable mana was surprisingly simple considering the boost it gave. That was the secret to Yawm and Helio''s tremendous might in combat. Well, at least a large part of it. That ability was something I wanted as well since it would speed up the enhancing of my runes by leaps and bounds.


    Those kinds of tricks must be simple compared to the complex trees Schema created. If anything, Schema might be placing all sorts of limiters on people to prevent abuse cases. That line of logic made a lot of sense, especially considering Schema''s attitude with the cipher. He straight exiled anyone that learned it. There must be other techniques like that, hiding in the hands of the powerful.


    "Having doubts?" Emagrotha groaned.


    "Well, kind of. I''m just trying to think of a way to save you. I don''t want to blow you up then some brilliant idea on how to save you just pops into my head. I''d feel like complete shit then."


    "It''s not so simple to reverse my condition. As much ire as I have for this facility, it did not start as an exhibition of sciences drawbacks. For several years, the scientists here attempted to save me.  Of course they kept their samples, but they genuinely attempted saving me."


    She continued, "They achieved nothing even as greater scientists arrived. My body is not easily understood, though its effects are far simpler to harness. According to discussions with a kind researcher, my condition is unlike any they''d seen. It defied the laws of biology, physics, even life itself."


    I frowned, "It might have something to do with why the lead researcher knew some basics of the cipher. That''s about the only thing that could make this kind of bullshit happen. Either that or an Old One like Eonoth."


    "Eonoth?" Emagrotha mused, "Now that''s a name I haven''t heard in centuries."


    I tilted my head, my eyes narrowing, "Where did you hear that name?"


    "Lehesion spoke of him. This was centuries ago, however, back when we were young. As his era came to pass, he refused to even hear that name uttered."


    "That''s interesting. Very interesting," I murmured. "Eonoth is a god-like being, able to destroy planets without effort. Maybe he and Lehesion made a deal."


    "Lehesion was connected to Giess since his creation. He was born different from all others."


    I shook my head, "Maybe, maybe not. From what I know, Old One''s don''t have limits. Anything is possible. They''re only gated by how directly they can interact with this world. That and they seem to lack any real kind of focus, enacting out vague ideals at best." I pointed at her,


    "Was there anything else unusual about Lehesion when he was younger?"


    "Of course there was. Lehesion was a prodigy of unmatched renown. Many claimed he was a seer, one who could view into the future. I believed he was merely intelligent. My own respect for his abilities faded with time, however. Though he was years ahead of all others when younger, that distance shortened with every year he aged."


    I cupped my chin, "It shortened? If he was so damn smart, it should only have grown with time."


    "It did not." she rumbled. "Lehesion''s ability to tell the future faded as he aged as well, becoming nonexistent by the time of our battle."


    "So he was genius at youth, but you were able to catch up as you aged? He also could tell the future before, but couldn''t after a while...that makes no damn sense."


    "It does not, but I am not here to discover the secrets hidden in riddles." She thundered, "I am here to die. Will you give me freedom from my corruption or not?"


    I took a deep breath, "I''ll do it. Ready?"


    "Yes. Let us be done with this."


    I raised my hand, mana rippling through my frame. With the last of my questions asked, I formed a singularity several meters beneath the depth of the lavender pool. As I did, Emagrotha laughed, "Goodbye. Perhaps in another life, I lived well. Not this life, however."


    From the center of the pool, Emagrotha''s body sunk inward into the black hole. A kinetic wave rippled throughout her body, the resulting implosion quaking the entire research room. The orichalcum bonds shivered under strain, but Emagrotha lived without much effort. She regenerated from the blot in her chest in seconds.


    Her liquid body looked resilient to kinetic impacts. It was time to try a different approach. I heated the pool of lavender, making it boil. She remained fine, her regeneration far exceeding the damage the heat could do. I then tried punching the pool in classic Daniel fashion. As you may imagine, all that did was cover me in lavender slush. Bleck.


    My armor soaked it right on up in seconds, feasting on the new sludge. She wasn''t toxic to draining which came as a surprise. In fact, she was energy dense enough that my armor shivered over me, relishing the taste. That was why the Hybrid was absorbing her slowly. It wanted to take its time enjoying the decadent and energy dense meal.


    With that in mind, I molded Event Horizon over the top of her body. Emagrotha didn''t so much as grumble, but the aura was effective. It dulled the pale, white splotches spread out over the pool, slowing down the pulse of the lake. After a bit of deliberation, I figured out the best way of getting rid of her.


    I pointed at the pool, "Is it ok if I jump in, or will your body eat me?"


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Emagrotha opened her mouth, "I am helpless. You may drown, but that would be my only retaliative measure."


    "Good." I dipped my hand into the lavender pool, extending needles throughout the slush, "Does this hurt?"


    "A bit," she grumbled. "It isn''t as destructive as the Hybrid''s drinking, however. It was obvious that thing''s intention was to milk me like some fattened swine. The thought of spending decades as a glorified teet for an abomination made me sick."


    I nodded, "Then this will take a few hours at most, but it''s going to hurt. You''re ok with that?"


    "Yes. Now begin."


    As disgusting as it was, I dipped one of my feet into the pool. It was like a giant pit of purple yogurt, chunky and disgusting. I pushed through the urge to shower, jumping in with my breath held. Submerged in the muck, I shot spines outwards in all directions. This expanded the surface area of my draining.


    At the same time, I spread Event Horizon to as vast an area as I could. After setting up my primary damage dealers, I heated my armor white hot. The singing assisted with my damage, the pit boiling within minutes. Using the mana drained from Event Horizon, I unleashed singularity after singularity, ripping her apart.


    The process took time, Emagrotha''s vitality overwhelming. Despite having no offensive presence, her sheer tenacity was something to behold. Hours passed, and I needed to surface several times. Each time I did, however, the pit was lower than before. After half a day of decimating the creature of slush, Emagrotha passed with a weak word of thanks. Not once did she complain. Not once did she show her suffering.


    She just seemed at peace. That''s what I liked to think anyway.


    Without her taking up space in the pit, I found myself at the bottom of a colossal cavern.  All around me, caverns expanded upwards in all directions. They fed into the center of the facility, where the plume of toxic sludge erupted from.


    Based on the chasm left behind, Emagrotha was a seventeen tentacled beast. Her body erupted the slop from the tips of those extremities, siphoning into the ocean above in copious amounts. Without her added support, the facility was crumbling under pressure.


    That was fine with me. We already harvested almost everything we could from here. Without a reason to stay, I floated back up to the top of the pit, glancing at the orichalcum supports. The green metal caved in, portions of rock buckling under the ocean. I dashed towards the others, ready to get out of here.


    I found the group sleeping in the research room adjacent to the hidden staircase. They barely got out of the place before passing out. Based on Krog''s snoring, they needed the sleep too. It was odd as I forgot about sleep sometimes since I didn''t need it. Day and night blur together without a stabilizing element like rest.


    My musing aside, I shook Althea awake, her sleeping figure betraying the potential carnage she could enact. As her eyes opened, she rubbed her eyes,


    "Hey, did you do it?"


    I nodded, my lips pursed. Althea sighed, "Yeah...It was her choice. I''m not going to dwell on it either way. It was your way of helping I guess," she looked up to me, "Did you know Krog cried after we came back up?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really now? I thought that grumpy warlord didn''t have tear ducts."


    "It had something to do with losing his wings," she said while sitting up. "It''s essential to the gialgathens, like a sign of status. That''s why he didn''t lop them off like Chrona had her leg. A missing leg is whatever, but wings? Apparently, that''s a much bigger problem."


    I cupped my chin, "Maybe that''s because it''s what lets them get into the sky. They do seem pretty spiritual anytime they talk about flying."


    "Huh," Althea said while standing. "Didn''t think about that. Well, uh, are you ready to leave?"


    "Please. I never want to see another underwater base like this again."


    "More like under-muck than underwater, but yeah, let''s get out of here."


    I walked over and woke Krog and Chrona up. As I did, Chrona glared at me,


    "Did you kill her?"


    I frowned, "I gave her mercy. It''s what I would''ve wanted."


    We locked eyes for a minute, each of use unmoving. Chrona cracked first,


    "I still cannot believe she had degraded to such a state of mind. To see her like that...It was agony."


    I turned a palm to her, "I know that. That''s why I did what I did. It wasn''t just because she was a threat. Her life wasn''t much more than being muck in a pool. You can survive like that, but you can''t live. There''s a difference."


    Chrona stared off in the distance, "You certain of that?"


    "I am."


    "Then I shall take your word for it, though I believe there was another way, given time," Chrona mused.


    Krog entered the conversation, leaning his head of black skin with red splotches over to us. He gave me a light bow,


    "Thank you for putting her out of her misery. Emagrotha will be remembered for the champion she was when she lived, not as the monster she was when she died."


    As he finished his words, Chrona sniffled a bit, a tear leaking down her eye. She snapped, "Come, let''s be rid of this place. The smell of scabbed blood grates my nostrils."


    With our minds settled, I created a singularity to blow a hole in the crumbling base. Using a series of gravity wells, I kept us dry as the purple slop poured is. I pulled us outside the lab, and using Torix''s map, I blew holes into the base. By the time I was finished, it was destroyed utterly, nothing left of the research.


    A few hours later, and we were back in our base. At sunrise, gray clouds hung overhead, heavy rain looming. A crisp wind brushed against us, winter coming soon. I wore another set of the mass-produced power armor Torix made for me. With our wounded and smaller group, we paced up to Kessiah so she could inspect the damage. As we did, she jogged up to us,


    "Aye, it''s you guys again. Thank Schema you''re back. For a minute, I thought you guys were dead."


    Althea''s shoulders drooped, "We got close several times."


    "Uh-huh." Kessiah scoffed, "What else is new? Well, besides Torix not being here. Were''s the bag of bones?"


    Chrona''s head lowered, "The wise one was eaten alive by the Hybrid."


    Kessiah waved her hand, "So uh, how much I can tell them?"


    I clicked the side of my helmet, the facemask sliding off, "Everything. They know what we are and what I am."


    She raised her eyes, "Alright. Well, first off, wow, you guys didn''t even tell them Torix was a lich? Liches don''t have to worry about their bodies being destroyed. All that matters is whether or not their soul is intact. Though he''s not going to be able to help us on Giess anytime soon. We''ll need to get rid of our unknown statuses for that."


    I scratched the back of my head, "Why? Can''t he just warp here?"


    "Yes and no," Kessiah said. "His new body will have a long adjustment period, and after that bullshit, he''ll have to start the ritual. By the time the ritual is finished, Giess will either be glassed or saved."


    Althea let her hands flop on her sides, "What? Seriously?"


    "Yes seriously." Kessiah chided. "He won''t be back for a while. If Giess is going to get saved, then we''re the ones that will have to do it."


    Chrona looked between us, "Wait...saving Giess? You never mentioned any of this to us."


    I molded my armor off my face, showing them my eyes, "I wanted to, I really did. At the same time, I didn''t want you guys panicking about that instead of focusing on the fight at hand."


    "Yeah, and we needed to verify who did what too," Althea added. "Like, we know Thisbey didn''t cause this. It was Tohtella based on what the Hybrid said."


    Krog glanced between us, "Regardless of why you kept your secrets, would you elaborate now?"


    "Why not?" Kessiah said while crossing her arms, "So basically, Giess is about to get glassed because of this Hybrid project. Unless we can put a serious dent into the silvers, the eldritch dungeons, and get to the bottom of this Hybrid project, your planet is fucked. So are both of you since neither of you is in Schema''s system and can escape off world."


    Chrona glanced sideways, "What is this ''system'' like?"


    Kessiah shrugged, "Eh, there''s these screens that pop up with text. Their blue with white outlines. Their kind of see-through I guess. Lot''s of other stuff is involved as well."


    Chrona''s eyes narrowed, "Would they appear in the form of messages?"


    "Wait," Althea said. "Do you see a message right now?"


    Chrona whacked her hand at an invisible object in her field of vision, "Yes. I somehow moved it out of the way of my vision, but it''s yet to dissipate."


    "Holy shit." I mouthed. "What does it say?"


    She grumbled,


    "Due to honorary performance against a harrowing threat, you''ve been selected for a promotion in status!"


    She finished the last part with more than a bit of sarcasm.


    "Initialization complete. Welcome to the New World."

 205 Aftermath

    Kessiah stood there stunned into silence. I cupped my chin, thinking about the message, "You know, that sounds like you guys are a part of Schema''s system now."


    Althea looked over there heads and checked out their titles. I did the same.


    Chrona Carsiary, The Realm Wielder(lvl 12,823 | Race: Gialgathen | Class: Chronomancer | Guild: None)


    I took a second look at Krog''s right after


    Krog Borom, The Enforcer(lvl 11,021 | Race: Gialgathen | Class: Enforcer)


    Althea crossed her arms, "Wow, you guys will be ridiculous with the system."


    Chrona squinted her eyes at the status screens, "It''s a bit...overwhelming."


    I pointed at them, "Just answer the messages with your thoughts. The status screen will respond."


    "Er, it''s changed. It''s showing a long list of basic skills now," Krog mumbled.


    "It''s probably just showing you your skills." Althea murmured.


    "Skills? I need no one to tell me what I know and what I do not." Krog grumbled.


    Chrona blinked, "I forgot all about my sculpting days."


    "Ahem," Krog said with a cough. "As did I."


    Althea grinned, "More useful than you thought, eh?"


    "Maybe," Krog said.


    "Let us know if it changes," I said.


    "It just did," Chrona mumbled. "It''s saying something about choosing a path?"


    I pointed at her, "Choose the Mind of Iron and Mind of Steel perks. You''re more of a mage anyway. Krog should probably choose Body of Iron and Body of Steel."


    Althea turned to me with an eyebrow raised, "You remember that stuff?"


    "Of course. Perks are extremely important."


    "Er, I guess so."


    Krog sighed, "Thank you for simplifying this. Mini-novels popping up in my vision is disorienting at best and disturbing at worst. They seem so useless as well, wasting my time with text."


    "Make no mistake," I said with a stony voice, "Those boxes and the words in them can turn you into much better fighters than you are now. Infinitely better. Maybe even better than me if you think through them."


    Chrona raised her eyebrows, "Are you certain? These are just words after all."


    "Those words hold power, like a nation''s anthem or a dying man''s last words. Treat them like that. Please."


    I got Krog and Chrona''s attention at that point.


    "Besides, that''s how I was able to beat both of you in combat. You should be able to catch back up rapidly now," I said.


    "How so?" Chrona mumbled, "The difference between our abilities is vast, and to shift that rift would take equally vast stretches of time."


    Althea shook her head, "No. It won''t. You''ll become much tougher and stronger here soon after gaining just a few levels."


    Krog''s eyes widened, "Will we rival this darkened one?"


    Althea weighed her hand back and forth, "You mean Daniel? If so, then no, but you''d be amazed how much the gap will close."


    "Show us the secrets of these mystic texts, if you would," Chrona said while gawking at her.


    Althea and I laughed a little, but in a way, Chrona was right. Helping them make the right choice with their builds would make a world of difference. Considering we just fought a Hybrid that nearly killed us all, a boost in our party''s power was essential. So, we went about the business of drawing up a detailed graph of the basic perks they needed.


    We ended up isolating three main points of concern. The first was constitution. Though sturdy, they gialgathens didn''t have maxed out damage resistance. This was because their constitution was divided by ten, making the number much lower than usual. In fact, they had all kinds of strange values involved with the system that were unusual.


    For starters, they had next to no endurance or willpower. We set out a leveling protocol to fix that. This involved giving them attributes to invest into to shore up these weaknesses. With that handled, we moved onto their lacking constitution scores. To fix it, I sent them invitations to the Harbinger''s Legion, allowing them to select one of my legacies. Althea and I guided them through the process of choosing the one for constitution.


    With the extra stats it gave along with a few choice trees and perk selections, we got both of their damage resistances capped. As they went through over a dozen trees each, I jotted a few of them down in a personal message. I might try to unlock a few of their trees later since some of them sounded so useful. Their classes were interesting as well.


    Chrona''s enhanced her time dilation in its size, mana efficiency, and intensity. That alone was useful, but it gave her better focus and reaction times while in the time warp. Combine those boosts with a general set of stat buffs while in her zone of control, and Chrona was a complete monster.


    Krog wasn''t that different in that regard. His class, the Enforcer, gave him stat boosts, damage resistance cap increases, and enhanced his alteration magics. With his new level of control, he could mold his skin into an iron hide and clot his wounds in seconds. His newfound control allowed him to even mold the material that composed his enemies.


    You''d be surprised how little of your body needed to be turned to dirt before you died. It was a lot like arcane magic, but more efficient. The name of the class made it seem like a variation of the Breaker class, just more personalized for him.


    After finishing those aspects of their builds, we made them decide their strengths. For Chrona, it was intelligence, willpower, and strength which allowed her to function. Her time field was the ace she worked around, so having the mana regen and pool to maintain it was vital. The strength just let her abuse it further.


    For Krog, it was willpower, strength, and dexterity. His flowing style of fighting would benefit quite a bit from extra dexterity, his reaction times as well. It would make him a tornado of claws and tail whips, something the eldritch would fear.


    With all that grinded out, I watched on as they selected finalize.


    "I...I''m melting." Krog whimpered.


    Chrona glanced at us, "Did you poison us? Is this illusion magic?"


    They groveled on the ground, deluged by the rapid changes Schema enacted. Althea held back a laugh, snickering. I laughed from my chest, "Aren''t you both supposed to be generals? What''s with the panicking for a few level ups?"


    Alright, maybe it was a bit more than a few technically. Our gialgathen buddies weren''t putting massive amounts of attribute points into themselves though. That meant most of the changes were due to perks and skill trees they unlocked retroactively. It was an imperfect process no doubt, and they didn''t get as much out of the system as they deserved. The shift would be monumental no doubt, however.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    That being said, it was still hilarious to see the two giants rolling on the ground like cats with itchy backs.


    It took many minutes before they finally stopped moving. As they did, I locked onto a few key differences from before Schema''s augmentations. Their skin was a few tints grayer, their bodies leaner. They seemed more robust, like moving stone compared to the flesh and blood of before. They reflected their levels much better now, both of them far fiercer.


    Althea actually pursed her lips at the sight of it.


    "You guys look...intimidating."


    I nodded, "Yeah." I walked up and gave Krog a light punch to his chest, "You don''t look or feel squishy anymore."


    Krog stared down at the place I hit, "Is this the power of that AI?"


    "Yup."


    "It''s...it''s...I''m at a loss for words," Chrona gasped."


    "Insane? Ridiculous?" Althea offered.


    Krog growled, "Unfair perhaps. How did the espens not evolve further with such might at their disposal? I am moving metal now."


    Kessiah spoke up with her arms crossed, "The same reasons that you gialgathens weren''t put in the system. You have to be more industrious; otherwise, Schema won''t invest into you. You both proved yourselves though, so this set a precedent - Schema''s willing to give you guys a second chance."


    Kessiah glowered, "Don''t waste it."


    Althea turned to Kessiah, "Then why haven''t the remnants been given some way of getting into the system like this?"


    "We are in the system." Kessiah scoffed. "The problem is our unknown status. These guys aren''t immortal, and they can''t outgrow Schema''s system. As long as they stay away from illegal stuff, they should be fine."


    "Like gene splicing," I offered.


    "Yeah. Like gene splicing." Kessiah grumbled.


    Chrona let out a deep breath, setting herself down, "This is all I can muster for today. After a night''s rest, we''ll have another discussion about this system and the secrets you''ve hidden."


    Krog flopped onto his belly, "I agree. This transition has been...exhausting."


    I turned a hand to them, "Sure, we''ll chat tomorrow. I''ll finish telling you about what and who I am then too."


    Krog grumbled while falling asleep, "You''d better..."


    Both the gialgathens slept where they stood, each of them unable to continue. Considering how much ground we covered today, that made a lot of sense. To make them more comfortable, I carved a few basic runes around them, creating a cozy warmth in the circle. I added an additional sub-circle that lightened gravity within the field as well. I didn''t want them waking up with a crick in their necks after all.


    After giving them a comfortable place to sleep, Kessiah, Althea, and I walked down to our base. We met in a circle, each of us facing the other. Kessiah started the conversation,


    "So what are we going to do about them being in the system?"


    I answered, "Abuse it. We''re going to milk their involvement for all its worth. Schema knows we needed this lucky break too. This is how we''ll pull everything together."]


    Althea pursed her lips, "Uh, any details to that plan?"


    I scratched the side of my hair, which sounded like steel wires, "It''s...hmm...man, I''m missing Torix already."


    "We can do this," Althea said. "We''ve come up with plans before. This isn''t our first time. We can do it again."


    I racked my brain, trying to tie together disparate points. I said aloud, "We need a few things to stop Giess from being glassed. A, we need to stop the Hybrid project altogether. We have some incriminating evidence in the terminals no doubt. If we tie it to the Adair family instead of Giess, then maybe we can stop the glassing."


    Kessiah pointed at me, "Ah, that''s...wait a fucking second. The Adair family is a part of this?"


    Althea facepalmed, "Duh. We didn''t tell you. Sorry. So, uh, we figured out that Tohtella was the one organizing the hybrid project. She was backed up by the Adair family, a group of mind-controlling remnants."


    Kessiah''s eyes widened, "Wait...seriously? Damn...Here I thought that bullshit was baseless rumors. It was true. Woah."


    I rubbed my hand against my forehead, staring down, "Hmm, we prove their involvement by showing the Overseer the terminals. Once we get that, we might be able to get some resources for helping clear out Giess. After all, the Adair family isn''t limited to just Giess. They''ll just take this Hybrid project off world."


    Althea tapped her cheek, "Huh...Maybe we could get the gialgathens to clear out some dungeons too? Chrona and Krog could lead that front, getting a few gialgathens to join in the system. If they do, then maybe we help lessen the risk factors of Giess."


    "Yeah, that''ll definitely help," I murmured. "What about Thisbey? What should we do to him?"


    "I say we still kill him," Althea said. "I''ve seen the messages he''s been sending to the revolutionaries. He''s all in on this genocidal rampage. Even if it hurts saving Giess overall since it will stop the espens from clearing out the silvers and eldritch, the alternative is worse. Uh, in my opinion at least."


    "No, I agree." I said while looking up, "That''s what we''ll do. I''ll organize Chrona and Krog by showing them how to clear out dungeons. I''ll be doing the same wherever I can find them. If we can get a group of several dozen high-level gialgathens, we should be able to do the work of a Fringe Walker or two."


    Althea sighed, "Then I''ll focus on killing Thisbey and stopping his whole movement."


    "Then I''ll...do nothing again?" Kessiah said while frowning. She perked up,


    "Wait, I can help you out. I saw those wounds on Chrona and Krog. I''m no expert, but I should be able to whip them into fighting shape after we''re done with this talk. It might take a few days though. I''ve never reconstituted something that big before."


    I clasped my hands hard as stone, "Yes, yes, yes. That''s exactly what we need. Krog''s mobility would be shit without his wings anyway. While you guys focus on that, I''ll get in contact with the Overseer and show him the terminals. After that, I''ll spend a couple days clearing out dungeons before finishing the tournament."


    I put my arm over Kessiah and Althea''s shoulders, "A plan''s coming together guys."


    Althea smiled, "Torix would be proud."


    Kessiah raised her hand to her eye, lifting her head so she could look down on us, "Now now, child. The execution of a plan is far more important than the plan itself. Ho-ho-ho!"


    Althea giggled at Kessiah''s Torix impersonation, each of them laughing a bit more than necessary. The situation was tense though, and the humor was appreciated. After the joke passed, a quiet descended on the group. It was the kind of silence before a great battle, one that lingered longer than it should.


    With the group now brooding, I raised a hand into the air, pounding my voice with Legion of One,


    "We''ll tear Thisbey and Tohtella limb from limb and save this dying world. Now let''s go make history."


    Kessiah huffed, "Hell Yeah. Let''s go kick some ass."


    Althea slapped her cheeks, "Yeah, let''s do it."


    We set out to our tasks, getting ready for the work at hand. I walked up to watch over Krog and Chrona''s sleeping forms. As they rested, I opened my status to inspect the changes there. I found that I gained no levels from the Hybrid or Emagrotha which left a bitter taste in my mouth. They had to be killed though, exp or not. I did notice that I gained an enormous amount of ambient mana. Over a trillion of it in fact.


    Dimension-C138(Lvl 8,000)


    Strength ¨C 7,911 | Constitution ¨C 13,765 | Endurance ¨C 58,771


    Dexterity ¨C 3,350 | Willpower ¨C 31,634 | Intelligence ¨C 11,675


    Charisma ¨C 2,356 | Luck ¨C 5,275 | Perception ¨C 4,929


    Health: 13.01 Million/13.01 Million | Health Regen: 39.62 Million/min or 660,403/sec


    Stamina: 8.43 Million/ 8.43 Million | Stamina Regen: 121,133/sec


    Living Dimension: 3.02 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 1.06 million pounds(481,925 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -14''1(4.30 meters) | Current - 14''1


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 1.22 Million% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I was well over halfway to the completion of my final armor evolution. A few more fights like the last one would result in that final leap. Even if I didn''t gain any levels as well, my strength improved as well as my weight. Both metrics were measured in millions now instead of normal numbers. Considering it took several hours to absorb Emagrotha, that explained why I didn''t notice the strength gains.


    My height was something I didn''t notice either. I was living up to my name of the Gray Giant now, probably being taller than Helios at this point. That would be satisfying even if it was a bit petty. Outside of combat stats, the luck and perception runes were coming along, the luck runes growing faster in particular.


    It made me excited for what was to come. I had my tapestry of a rune in my grimoire, a new class, a sovereign skill, and my armor''s final evolution to look forward too. If I could get all that going, then I''d be unstoppable...in theory at least. I''d need to see it all come together before I could make lasting judgments.


    With my status handled, I sent the Overseer a summoning request. Before he arrived, I pulled several terminals out of my dimensional storage. By the time the Overseer walked out of a portal in spacetime, a dozen metal units had littered the ground.


    A few inches shorter than me, the Overseer glanced up at me,


    "It has been epochs since I last looked up to someone. Impressive." He crossed his arms, "What world-shattering revelation do you have for me now?"


    I leaned against a terminal, "Let''s just say we''ve got a lot to talk about."

 206 Meeting an Old Friend

    "I have a limit to the time I can spend on this. Speak," the Overseer stated.


    I turned a palm to him, "We figured out that Tohtella is organizing the Hybrid project, and that she''s leading a group of mind-controlling remnants."


    The Overseer stood there, stunned into utter silence. I waited a moment, seeing if he had anything to add. He did.


    "Do you have any evidence to assist such an absurd accusation?"


    I banged on a terminal,


    "They''re using a secret language that Schema''s algorithm can''t understand at first glance, and I was hoping you would decrypt it for us. If you do, I''m certain there''s plenty of incriminating information on this."


    The Overseer stepped up to the terminal, waving his massive hand over it. As he did, an ionic mist spread over the device, powering it up. The Overseer pressed his fingertips together before spreading them out. As he did, an enlarged version of the keyboard appeared. With enough room to type, he interacted with the device for a moment. The alien language passed over it, unchanging as the Overseer scratched the side of his head.


    He sighed, opening his red status screen. A few moments later, he spoke aloud,


    "Yes, I''ll need a direct line to an decrypting AI, preferably an upper tier one."


    Moments later, the Overseer stiffened as if possessed. He put his hand on the keyboard while moving like a robot. He spoke with a monotone voice,


    "Using unit C-138 for the inspection of unused languages or codes."


    He moved his hands at a rapid pace, the terminal lagging as the Overseer typed. A few minutes of this passed before the AI spoke through the Overseer,


    "Algorithms insufficient. Passing to higher clearance."


    Several iterations passed before a familiar but unexpected voice popped up. Like a British Morgan Freeman, Schema spoke through the Overseer,


    "Daniel, it''s you again. I see you''ve proliferated as I expected you would. Excellent work with the Overseer and handling Emagrotha as well. They needed cleansing, and your deeds will not go unnoticed."


    I blinked, scrambling for a response. With cold sweat forming in seconds, I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, "Good to see you again."


    "You''ve matured," Schema noted. "I expect great things from you, despite that pesky contract Yawm formed. We will work something out in the future regarding its removal. For the matter at hand, however-"


    Using the Overseer''s body, Schema glanced down at the terminal before striking a few keys. As he worked, I pointed at him, "Is this really you?"


    "Yes and no. This is one of my many, many consciousnesses. I''m dedicating enough processing power to this task as is necessary. Having a secret code used by groups vying for my destruction is unacceptable. I will update the decryption formulas now."


    Dozens of screens appeared and disappeared in seconds. The Overseer turned to me, "Perhaps you have a few questions to ask. I will give you a few minutes to gather information."


    A hundred different questions popped up in my head all at once, but I quelled the outpour. If I was going to ask him questions, I wanted to make sure they were good ones. Otherwise, he might leave early. After taking a moment to think, I raised a hand,


    "Why are you ok with me knowing the cipher?"


    The Overseer''s head twitched. Odd.


    "I am not, in any capacity, fine with you having access to that knowledge. Neither am I accepting of Amara''s tampering with the infrastructure of my system. However, I''ve run risk simulations regarding your overall potential. You are worth the risk in proliferating forbidden knowledge, so I accept it."


    I frowned, "How did you know my potential was so high after meeting me in Bloodhollow?"


    "Simple." Schema tapped my armor, "This construct is why. In combination with your tenacious persona, you will prove invaluable. Even my creator would''ve struggled to recreate something so complex. It is and will be one of my greatest tools against threats looming in my horizon."


    I crossed my arms, "So I''m a gamble?"


    "In essence, yes."


    "Then will you send us resources for saving Giess?"


    "No. Giess is a waste of time and effort. Resources are better allocated elsewhere." Schema stated.


    "But we were able to expose a massive, galactic-sized operation to create a new breed of eldritch like being. We needed the help of Chrona and Krog, and they weren''t even a part of the system at the time."


    "Logical deductions..." Schema murmured while cupping his facemask. "Point noted. If you can organize the gialgathens, I will help acclimatize them into the system. Considering the difficulty of augmenting them, I will be sparse with delivering enhancements. That will be part of a gift for showing me these information systems. Other questions?"


    I wracked my head for other things I wanted to know.


    "Do you know about Eonoth?"


    "Yes. It is one of the primary threats to the stability of my system. I''ve contracted worlds worth of resources to suppress the threat it poses, but Old Ones are entropy incarnate. To stop them fully is impossible, though that''s assuming I''m using the tools at my disposal now. Future prospects appear promising."


    He stared at me as he finished, "I have time for one more question. Ask."


    I bit my lip, trying to use a blip of pain to enhance my focus. It didn''t help, so I just asked the first thing that popped in my head,


    "What do you plan to do with me?"


    "I intend to use your unique properties to destroy lesser Old Ones," Schema said with a straight face. My jaw went slack as he continued, "Other ideas include the containment of virulent entities that cannot die. Your status as a living dimension would make you a mobile defensive prison of sorts. I''d also be willing to contract your energy production as a reactor. The excess of it of course. I will wait until you are done augmenting yourself with the cipher before then."


    Schema finished, "All ideas. None implemented. Yet."


    I don''t like to admit it, but I was straight flabbergasted at that point. I didn''t expect such a straight forward answer. Schema rendered me speechless before he wrapped the meeting up.


    "The code has been processed. I''ll send an update throughout the system''s infrastructure. This will be a major blow to the Adair family, one worthy of note. I sent you a completed contract and reward for this and the Hybrid''s destruction. Excellent work, Harbinger. Continue your industriousness, and there will be more. Goodbye."


    The Overseer''s body collapsed as he fell to the ground. At the same time, a message popped up in my vision,


    Quest Completed! Congratulation! A Personal Favor completed. The reward is as follows:


    + 1,304 dungeon cores


    + Unknown status revoked


    + Guild tier raised to S-


    <ol>


    <li> Unlocks the use of contract formation for the guildmaster.</li>


    </ol>


    Current Guildmaster: Dimension C-138


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    <ol>


    <li> Allows two legacies to be granted for up to four different followers.</li>


    </ol>


    Current Dual Legacy holders: None.


    III. 5% of total exp and credits gained by guild is gained by the guild master as well.


    Amount of exp earned: 504


    Amount of Credits earned: 296


    <ol>


    <li> Level cap raised by 1,000</li>


    </ol>


    Current Level Cap: 9,000


    <ol>


    <li> Allows ownership of worlds.</li>


    </ol>


    I looked at the reward, stunned by the sheer volume of cores and the straightforward but compelling text. I glanced down, a wave of emotion passing over me. It was a mixture of relief, gratitude, and a bit of anger. I was relieved and grateful to have my unknown status removed. At the same time, I was angry that the damn robot held the unknown status over my head all this time.


    I crushed that anger though, taking a step back and appreciating Schema''s treatment of me. Even if he was using me as a tool, this wasn''t that bad a deal. I intended on helping quite a few people out. It just so happens that aligns with Schema''s goals. Considering he could''ve just had me erased, maybe I should be a bit more thankful to the bucket of bolts.


    Eh, maybe.


    Despite that, quite a bit of what Schema said unnerved me. Destroying Old Ones was way beyond anything I was capable of for now and the far future. As for being a living prison, that didn''t sit right with me. I didn''t want some evil piece of shit eating my guts from the inside. For some reason, it just didn''t sound very appealing.


    I pushed those thoughts out of my head for now though. There was a lot left to handle here on Giess before I moved on to future plans. With that in mind, I put all the core attributes into endurance, giving me a substantial boost in the stat. After finishing that prospect, I had plenty of skillpoints to put into any skill I wanted.


    The question was whether it was worth doing or not. Since I discovered the existence of Sovereign skills, creating one and investing my skillpoints into it would be vital for my progress. It would be the most efficient use of these skillpoints possible. That meant putting all my skill points into my skills now would gimp my progress later on.


    With that in mind, I juggled a bit of math. I needed 241 treepoints before I finished my Originator tree. Ending that tree then saving these skillpoints for my Sovereign skill or new legendary skills seemed like a solid compromise. After all, with the tree unlocked, I could unlock skills faster. That would help me finish my trees even if I saved these points up for later.


    Armed with that knowledge, I put 120 points into Hunter of Many and then 121 points into Legion of One. After an initial rush of fluidity and understanding passed over me, I finished off the Originator tree.


    To create requires many things. You need the talent to generate whatever it is you''ve chosen as your specialty. You need the vision and will to enact with your ability. Most of all, you need the courage to show your creation to the world. You are the rare mix of these traits. May many revel in the wake of your ingenuity.


    Originator(Tier 3) unlocked! The base bonus towards creating new skills is increased and further quadrupled for Legendary tier skills and above. Newly created skills form at level ten instead of level one. Skills still level as if on level one despite starting at a higher value, making maxing out skills even easier than before. Legendary skills and above level faster and augment lesser skills with greater ease as well.


    The bonuses worked well with what I needed to do. Considering I needed to replace Torix''s organizational skills, the tree would be invaluable. Gaining dozens of skills would help me with creating my next legendary skill as well, which was by far my best avenue for getting past this next tree I was about to choose.


    And boy, it was a big one.


    Breaker(Finish an S tier bounty, only one class can be chosen)(0/5,000) | Purger(Clear a quarantine)(0/250) | Sovereign(Lead an A tier guild or higher, Clear an A tier bounty or higher, Have the ability to unlock three or more legendary skills)(0/10,000)


    I selected Sovereign, tapping my teeth together out of nervous energy. To get the most out of the tree, I needed to unlock a Sovereign skill. Considering I wouldn''t receive any bonuses from the tree until unlocking that tier of skill, that took priority. Besides, creating Legendary tier skills would be my best method of gaining skill points to complete my new tree. I owned three mythical skills as well, though tying them together was the hard part. While useful on their own, they didn''t exactly mesh.


    Hunter of Many enhanced my senses, draining abilities, and helped with antipersonnel magic. Star Forger helped me manipulate temperature, my knowledge and expertise of enchanting, and with crafting. Legion of One helped me create fields of effect using mana, and it assisted with my general charisma.


    All in all, fusing those skills would be a bit tricky.


    It wasn''t impossible, however, and it would be far quicker than making more mythical skills. If I was going to make the most out of my time, I needed to align my current actions by forming the new skill. I sat down, crossing my legs and falling deep into thought. The Overseer was still sprawled out on the ground beside the gialgathens, giving me some time.


    So I planned out a course of action. Getting many gialgathens into the system was a priority. Legion of One would obviously help me there with convincing them. Star Forger would give me the ability to reward the gialgathens with something for their efforts as well. Hunter of Many though, well, it didn''t work with anything there.


    My thoughts went back to Torix at that time. He''d handle all this administrative work for me with efficiency. Torix would probably keep tabs on several critical sites around Giess as well using summons of his own. To do something like that would require deft handling of my resources and...


    An idea popped in my head. Hunter of many revolved around draining abilities and my senses. To mold that into Star Forger and Legion of One, I just had to get creative. I could create sensory pathways between the armors and my own senses. It wouldn''t be that far a stretch of my current abilities either.


    All I needed to do was research some of Torix''s manuals for it. He gave me a library of information in my obelisk after all. It was about damn time I used it. Based on watching Torix, it could be as simple as creating a conduit between me and a fake portal that let me see to the other side. I could extend the reach of the portal using Legion of One''s mana field manipulation as well. This would allow me to keep tabs on a variety of situations and help lead them at the same time.


    There were many problems with this style of magic though. It would require constant mana to function, which wasn''t a problem for a few of these fake portals. After a couple hundred though, it would be a severe problem. I brainstormed for a bit, coming up with what I thought was a smart solution.


    With a bit of runic work and using the natural properties of my armor, I''d create a mana draining effect for those that wore it. This helped further integrate Hunter of Many into this new skill, but it also fixed that mana usage problem. Overall, I liked the idea the more as I ironed out the kinks in it.


    Of course, this all depended on how arduous these one-way portals were to make. A couple of weeks of studying and experimentation would grind me through the problem most likely. With that in mind, I pulled out my obelisk and got ready to study since the Overseer was still passed out.


    It had been a long time I entered my obelisk. The sphere of white light surrounded me, blocking out all sound and light from outside. Changing the options with a thought, I unblocked the noise from outside. I didn''t want anything eating the others while I was reading.


    The basic screensaver was the same creekside surrounded by a forest of deep green. I sat beside the trickling water, opening up a search function for Torix''s library data set. I began with scrying magic since it allowed the user to see through water or mirrors. I pulled out a couple books and got to work.


    Scrying was actually one of the fundamental fields of portal magic, a larger subfield of study. It went from turning water into mirrors all the way up to wormholes through spacetime. I was shocked by the sheer depth of the field.


    In fact, Torix left notes on a planned progression through this style of magic. Turns out Torix involved this style of magic heavily when tutoring his students. I followed the idea behind it, focusing on a simple scrying mirror on water first.


    With that in mind, I pulled some water out of my dimensional storage. I created two pools of water beside each other in front of me. A few moments later, I raised a hand over a puddle, bending my mana into the liquid. After a few minutes, I created a conduit between the two pools.


    After visualizing my field of vision, I followed the instruction manual. I placed my hands together and pulled them apart. In a moment, a faded reflection of the forest above appeared in the pool. It was a different reflection, however, as the angle of the branches shifted ever so slightly.


    I made a scrying pool in minutes. Huh...That was easy.


    New Skill learned! Scrying(lvl 10) - While others attempt to see through their eyes, you see through the will of the world. +10% to scrying accuracy and precision.


    The Originator tree was definitely helping me here, easing the learning process. The fact I already owned a vast knowledge of mana manipulation didn''t hurt my situation either. With that finished, I practiced on forming several pools at once and extending the range of sight for the skill.


    It didn''t take long before I had several pools, each of them angled in different directions. I created gravitational vortexes that formed smooth walls of water, holding them in different directions. I would have no blind spots in combat using this skill, though it might not be the best idea to cover portions of my vision with what amounted to mirrors.


    From beside me, a voice grumbled on the ground. The Overseer awakened, lulled from his sleep at one of my curses from a portal wobbling out of existence. As the Overseer sat upright, I tapped the sphere of glass, my obelisk closing out and saving my position for the future. Damn was it convenient.


    As my field of vision shifted from the forested creek to the forest around the footholds of Rivaria, the Overseer grumbled,


    "It''s as if someone swung a pickaxe inside my head. Holding Schema is exhausting, even if it is a microcosm of his existence."


    I crossed my arms, "How come a Sentinel can do it and not bat an eye?"


    "They are far more automated than I. Overseers do detail-oriented work that requires the judgment of an individual. Schema uses a neural uplink to use my body for his purposes. Even small fragments of his consciousness overloads the capacity of my organic brain."


    "Well shit, that sounds awful."


    The Overseer groaned, "It is. What did he tell you?"


    "Quite a few details. As for useful info between us, he raised my guild status and allowed me to create contracts."


    "Hmm. I see. S tier guild now already. Considering the size and scope of your guild, perhaps the ranking is a bit much. Who am I to question Schema''s judgment, however? Now, it seems as though he rewarded you amply for your time. I will go over the details stored in these terminals and be back with you within a few days."


    I smirked, "You think these are the only terminals?"


    "I thought that was the case. Is it not?"


    I laughed before saying, "No. Not by a longshot."

 207 Help Me Help You

    After pulling out hundreds of terminals, the Overseer had a fuck it moment.


    "This is far more than I am able and willing to analyze. I will contact a reserve guild under Schema''s care to compartmentalize and uncover this data."


    The Overseer messed with his status before reaching out a hand while clasping his fingertips together. As he spread his fingers apart, a rift in spacetime wrenched out of nothing. Using the wormhole magic, a group of high-level Speakers moved all the terminals into some kind of stronghold.


    These weren''t weak members by any means either. Nearly all of them were capped, many of them wearing exotic power armors or the spoils of eldritch. Sharpened teeth, spiny furs, and metallic scales, the Speakers kept all kinds of reminders of what they fought for and against. They kept their faces serious as well, focusing in on the task at hand.


    The Overseer didn''t waste any time watching them work. He parsed through the contents of one of the terminals. It didn''t take long for him to find incriminating evidence against Tohtella.


    "Screenshots of her forming illegal contracts...Data logs of conversations detailing forbidden knowledge...Collaboration to create hostile entities...You weren''t lying. In fact, perhaps you downplayed the truth of the matter. I''m releasing an S-tier bounty on her name immediately."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Higher than Yawm''s?"


    "Much higher. S tier bounties scale exponentially. There exist only a few S+ tier bounties, and they would reward nigh unlimited experience and prestige for those that claim them. In this instance, an S- bounty dictates planetary threats. An S Tier bounty shows a solar system scale of conflict-"


    "And an S+ means galactic level, right?" I said.


    "Yes. I''m surprised you didn''t mention more of her undertakings as evidence."


    "I figured I''d just state the worst parts of the project."


    "There is much here that is worse than what you mentioned," the Overseer stated. "We''ll be updating our security parameters after this mission."


    "That''s what I was wondering," I said while pointing at the portal to the base. "The last time we trusted someone in ''the system,'' they were behind the entire criminal operation. You sure you can trust these guys?"


    A pair of Speakers gave me a heated glare before the Overseer put a hand between us, "This is a central group of Speakers and Breakers that have served Schema loyally for hundreds of years. They can be trusted, more than you even...Even more than me."


    "Well damn," I raised my palms to the two speakers, "My bad."


    One of the blue aliens rolled his eyes while the other just took a deep breath. They hefted the terminal along, each of them sweating at the effort. A ball of fur rolled up to a terminal before generating several keratinous spines from its body. These spines locked in just the right places so the thing could lift a terminal.


    As it rolled along with the spines staying stagnant on its frame, the sheer variety in the races shocked me. Their skills were just as varied, some carrying terminals with telekinesis while others floated them along with constructs of mana. A few even wielded gravity, though their magic was pretty damn crude to me. Eh, maybe I was a critic.


    Despite my fault-finding outlook on some of the magicians, I offered to help. The group refused, mentioning my knowledge of the base''s existence as ''a security threat.'' After half an hour of sweating Speakers passing by, a muscled Breaker helped assist with the task. He doubled the speed of the project, but they still had time to gawk. At what exactly? Well, the gialgathens, the forest full of terminals, and the gray giant that was taller than an Overseer.


    I didn''t mind. I expected as much. This was a pretty strange scenario even for their line of work after all. Probably. As the Speaker faction finished the task, the Overseer walked into the Breaker''s haven, the portal disappearing. Minutes later, he walked out with three Breakers. Covered in hydraulic exoskeletons and facemasks, the mobile strike force gave me a passing glance. I returned their look, trying to analyze them. I couldn''t as they listened to the Overseer''s instruction.


    "We''ve discovered a breach in galactic security. Tohtella Adair along with the Adair family of remnants has been compromised. You are authorized to use killing tactics against her and any members you discover associated with her. Leave nothing behind. Understood?"


    They replied in unison.


    "Understood."


    The tallest of the bunch, a full foot shorter than the Overseer, pointed at me, "May I ask who this is?"


    "Dimension C-138, better known as the Harbinger of Cataclysm. His team killed Yawm of Flesh and revealed this subterfuge along with a group of rogue remnants. Treat him with due respect."


    The group of Breakers looked at me differently after that, my level no longer dictating their response. They kept professional, however, receiving a data log from the Overseer before leaving at a breakneck pace. As I watched them disappear over the treetops, the Overseer turned to me,


    "We''ll handle her elimination. Focus on ridding the unknown status for the rest of your group and terminating your bounties. I will keep an eye on this situation if it devolves further. You may also reveal your identity if you wish. I imagine it must be annoying by now."


    I shook my head, "I don''t think I will reveal who I am just yet. There is too much bullshit associated with the Gray Giant that I don''t want people mixing up with my name. Until I can change the reputation Thisbey built for this persona, I''ll keep it separate."


    "Perhaps that is wise. Time will tell. The glassing time frame will be extended another thirty days considering the nature of the situation. It isn''t as if the knowledge of this hybrid project is exclusive to Giess. That said, this planet is still a hazard for all the planets nearby, including your home planet. Produce results, and you may save this planet."


    I gave him a salute that was more a flick of my hand than a signal of respect,


    "Aye, aye captain."


    He rolled his eyes but said, "Keep up the good work. Schema knows this sector of the galaxy needs it."


    With those last words, he opened a portal in the dimensional fabric and stepped through the resulting wormhole. Behind me, Krog snored while Chrona kept her tail over her eyes for a better nap. They slept through all that commotion without even struggling. As I stared at them, it gave me a good idea.


    I paced up to them and unlatched their armors. With more than it of finagling with gravity, I wormed their plate mails. Somehow, I did it without waking either of them up. With the platemails in hand, I skulked down into our base, preparing some more scrying portals with water.


    After a few hours of practice, I gained enough experience with the portals to add them to my enchanting repertoire. It wasn''t that large a leap considering how fluid my knowledge of the runes was. With that in mind, I added a few attachments to the gialgathens armors.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    My idea was on how to form the portals of communication. Before enacting the concept, I created two sets of gauntlets for the gialgathens. After tearing off strips of my black armor, I melted and shaped the molten metal. I created claw reinforcers, giving the gialgathens added slashing power.


    Adding to the gauntlets, I took two opals I found in Springfield. I planted the gemstones into the palms of the handwear. I carved runes into the finished gauntlets with utmost precision, searing them in place with pinpoints of heat and telekinesis. It took a few tries before I got the exact runic inscription correct, but it wasn''t hard to reset the carving. A smattering of heat and the indentations were gone.


    As the next day came to pass, I created the first working models of two-way communication. Just as I feared, there was a bit of a mana cost associated with forming the portal. It didn''t take any finesse, however, meaning anyone with a brain and mana could use it. As I finished the adjustments to the finished gauntlets, I added a few augments to them.


    The first involved adding hearing to the scrying orbs tools. So far, sight was the only tool I could use as of yet. That wasn''t useless, but sound was more valuable for my intended purposes. With that in mind, I read through some more of Torix''s tutorials. I ended up using one of his ingenious workarounds.


    Torix would create an aura around the scrying pool. If vibrations passed through the air of this aura, then the portal would ripple as well, mimicking the wobbles. The portal on the other end of this scrying chain would then create the same wobbling. It was simple to extend this wobbling onto an aura, creating the transfer of sound by magical means.


    As simple as it sounds, this saved me weeks of experimenting. It was much, much easier to use this method than the standard practice for this kind of thing. It was more mana efficient as well. As I finished my models, I paced back up to the gialgathens above with the armor floating behind me.


    I found Kessiah recreating one wing of Krog as he still snored. They already slept for thirteen hours plus, but I didn''t want to wake them early. They needed the rest. After this, neither of them would be resting as much as before.


    So I let them live it up as Kessiah strained to handle the complex bone reconstitution. As I walked up to her, she gasped for air, her eyes closed and pointed at the forest canopy. I set the armor down beside the gialgathens while Kessiah groaned,


    "Fuck this is so hard. I never thought remaking a pair of wings would be this difficult."


    I glanced at the skeleton of two wings nearly made already, "Honestly, it looks like you''re doing this pretty fast."


    "Eh, I guess," Kessiah said. "I practiced with some birds before this, so that really helped. I had Caprika send me an anatomy chart of the gialgathens too. I mean, it could still use some work, but the wings should be functional when I finish them."


    I grinned, "Oh man, I can tell you already that Krog will be more than just thankful."


    "Well, I''m not doing this for that. I just want to be useful for once."


    "You''re doing just that. Besides, don''t be so hard on yourself. Every journey starts with a single step, and you''re finally taking yours...or something like that."


    She rolled her eyes, "Look at big speech maker over here. Way to make me feel better."


    "Eh, I gave it my best shot," I said with a shrug. After rolling my shoulders, I peered towards the arena off in the distance, "I have a few days before the final fight of the tournament."


    "Worried?"


    "No. I''ll win, and probably without much trouble. The main issue is trying to get the most out of it. I''m thinking of making an announcement using Krog and Chrona."


    Kessiah frowned, "What for?"


    "I''ll be trying to recruit other gialgathens into the system. Hard working and strong ones, of course, with emphasis on the former. I''ll be trying to get them to join the guild to jump-start their progress."


    "Ooh, looks like we have a guild grower over here?" Kessiah said with a smirk.


    "Hah hah, funny. It''s partially that, but it''s mainly to give the gialgathens a backup option."


    Kessiah grew serious, "A backup option for what?"


    "Well, I can read the writing on the wall. Thisbey''s stirred up the espens against the gialgathens, sure, but he didn''t do it all on his own. There''s a lot of hate for the gialgathens, and they will eventually lose to the espens. Partially because of numbers, technology, and access to the system."


    I clacked my teeth together before continuing, "They will be culled, and I kind of want to stop it while getting something out of the situation. I don''t know, maybe it''s a stupid idea."


    Kessiah scoffed, "Yeah, maybe."


    I pursed my lips, "Thanks for all the support."


    "Oh, anytime, Harbinger," Kessiah said. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have some wings to finish. I wouldn''t want Krog waking up with skeleton limbs. Well, maybe. It does sound pretty funny."


    "Now you''re starting to sound like Torix."


    "He did want me as his apprentice at one point for a reason," Kessiah cackled, mocking Torix''s laugh.


    I left her to her work before sending a few messages to Althea. She kept me up to date on the revolutionary group, and the situation was not good. Thisbey''s editing of my and Chrona''s interview mislead quite a few people despite my intervention. The bastard was milking it for all it was worth, creating a group of militant levelers who were gaining strength and influence fast.


    They were a big part of why Giess''s time limit was being extended, but I didn''t agree with them. Despite all that, I had a bit of time to kill before my next fight. I created a training regiment for the three days I had left.


    I practiced bending my mana with Force of Nature and Star Forger for a few hours in the morning. Mid-day I focused on refining the augments to the gialgathen''s armors. At night, I drilled in my work with the cipher. It was a dense, work heavy schedule, but I enjoyed it.


    I finished the gemstone relays a few hours before the tournament. By now, they were about as effective as a high-resolution camera with meh sound quality. It would be plenty good enough for my purposes. I intended on organizing any that would join the war effort, showing them dungeon locations and whatnot. Grinding out the details with someone would help out as well like how many dungeons a Gialgathen needed to clear before being put into the system.


    With that handled, I walked up out of our base. I found Krog and Chrona both fiddling with the obelisks I gave them. As I paced up, Chrona tapped the glass sphere,


    "These devices store more information than any poem or library. They are incredible resources."


    Krog frowned at his, "They are somewhat impressive...I suppose."


    "Actually, there was something I was hoping to get out of you guys for giving them to you," I said while pointing at them.


    "What would you need from us?" Krog grumbled.


    Chrona rolled her eyes at the grumpy gialgathen, "Stop acting as if his gifts have had no effect on you. His comrade even restored your wings."


    Krog glanced down while flapping his regenerated limbs, "Though they''re stiffer than my old wings, I am grateful for them. I suppose we can offer you a favor."


    "I want to use you both as advertising for Schema''s system and my guild. If we can get other gialgathens to join us, we''ll be able to warp them off Giess should it be glassed."


    Chrona raised an eyebrow, "If it''s glassed? You mean destroyed?"


    "Yes. I think Kessiah mentioned it earlier. Point is, this planet''s on a time limit. I''ll do my best to save it, but my best might not be good enough. If that happens, I''ll hire several black market magicians to put some gialgathens on Earth. That being said, my resources aren''t unlimited."


    Krog crossed his front paws and leaned his chin onto them, "How does being a part of this system assist with that?"


    "It allows you to warp off-world, and in particular, you can go to Earth, my home planet. I can offer you guys food and shelter there until you decide what you guys want to do."


    Krog raised an eyebrow, "You would do that for us? Why?"


    "I''m no saint, but I don''t enjoy watching genocides. I''m also a guild owner. I can get experience and credits from you guys after you join. Any gialgathen that joins me will get a boost in base stats after they join. It''s a win-win situation."


    Chrona nodded her head, "So we will help convince others to join this system so they may warp away if the worst occurs? The guild is more so for your own aims it seems..."


    I frowned while crossing my arms, "You expect me to work my ass off to save you all for free then?"


    Chrona looked at Krog, "Ahem, of course not. Perhaps we may strengthen our cause and yours at the same time. What do you think of it, Krog?"


    "Self-interested or not, we need this help. We will be glad to help you if it helps us." Krog said. "What does it entail?"


    I rubbed my hands together with an evil grin,


    "An example...and a bit of showing off."

 208 Ripples

    "What kind of example?" Krog said.


    "Well, I''ll need you guys to just show off your powers and armor after the final fight. That''s what I''ll be offering."


    Chrona scratched the side of her head, "Hmm, would that not insult Sheom?"


    "Who''s Sheom?" I said while crossing my arms.


    Krog adjusted his paws under his chin, "Your opponent. She leaps through the magma of the arena as if gliding through the air. She and Chrona almost always end up fighting for the finishing spot of this tournament...I''ve placed second as well, but I''ve yet to win it."


    Chrona looked at him, "You know her style of battle counters your own. It''s difficult to use your illusions against someone who guards their senses with lava on all sides."


    Krog shook his head, "She is simply better than I. There is no shame in admitting that."


    "I didn''t expect you to admit that," I raised an eyebrow, "Is she just too fast or?"


    Krog looked up at a passing bird, "She is many things. Sheom was the mentor of Lehesion. She tutored him on many things through life, though she''s spoken of how frustrating it was at times. Lehesion''s prodigy was only matched by his arrogance."


    I pointed towards the arena, "She sounds fierce, but I''m certain I''ll beat her. When I do, I''ll need you both to hop into the arena to show your armors and enhanced powers. That''s all."


    Krog covered his face with his wings, "Why does the thought of doing so fill me with shame?"


    Chrona murmured, "This is our repayment for his deeds. Though somewhat repugnant, we sully ourselves worse if we spit on his kindness."


    Krog stomped a foot, "Then let us be done with this quickly."


    I raised a fist, "It won''t take long, and I''ll set you guys up with a speech. That should take the edge off."


    Chrona narrowed her eyes at me, "Why is it that your rapprochement only fills me with yet more dread?"


    "Eh, I can give motivational speeches pretty well, and that''s about it. You''re in luck though because I tend to stick to my strengths," I said with confidence.


    "Then let us be off," Krog mumbled.


    As we traveled down a different path out of the forest, I calmed my mind and prepared for the battle. As I honed my thoughts, I received a message from Althea.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 9,416 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 10:24 A.M. 4/6/26) - I''ve been through several meetings in the revolutionary group, and I learned a few things you need to know. Rivaria is about to be sacked after the award ceremony. I don''t know how, but Thisbey''s been promising it to his recruits and loyal supporters.


    I''ll be able to kill him for sure, but you should prepare for the worst if you can. Love you. Bye.


    I ground my teeth for a second before turning to Krog and Chrona. Both of them destroyed the underbrush as we walked under the forest''s canopy. At least we weren''t flying to the arena, but this was dangerous either way. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as I said,


    "I just received a message from Althea. The revolutionaries plan to sack Rivaria soon. We need to act before then."


    Krog scoffed, "Let them. We will crush them under the wind of our wings."


    "No, we will not. Do you not remember seeing the horrors their laboratories have created? If they sent several of those Hybrids to Rivaria, we would all perish."


    Krog stopped walking, the reality of the situation crashing down on him, "Wait...That...I never believed..."


    I raised a palm to him, "Calm down. We know it''s coming so we can counteract the worst of its effects. You''re both going to need to really show off to get some more gialgathens in the guild and system. They will act as a vanguard against whatever offensive Thisbey musters."


    I pointed at Chrona, "Maybe we could have a rematch for the crowd just as an example?"


    Chrona tilted her head, "Would I not still lose?"


    "I don''t know honestly," I said with a sigh. "You''re many, many times tankier then before. Your class gives you several hard to stop bonuses too, and you won''t run out of your time dilation field again. You might beat me even if I went all out."


    Chrona rolled her eyes, "I''ve seen the limits of your ability. You cannot die."


    I pointed at her, "I''m hard to kill. There''s a difference. I mean that. You''re both underestimating just how much the system has helped you both. In fact, this shouldn''t just be an exhibition for those watching. It will be an exhibition for both of you as well."


    Chrona frowned, "What if we rend the armor from your body and expose your identity?"


    "It''s not that big a deal. I''m no longer an unknown so it will be a minor inconvenience at best. On the other hand, having a city of people die because I wanted to avoid complications would haunt me."


    "I''m learning more about what kind of person you are," Krog said with head held high. "You come across as a brutal pragmatist, but you''re more sentimental than you lead on."


    "I just weigh my odds. That''s all."


    Chrona nudged me with her tail, "I doubt that."


    I rolled my eyes, "Come on, focus guys."


    They straightened up as we walked out of the forest. They wore the armor I crafted for them, the dents from the Hybrid fight fixed. We paced up to the packed arena, crossing the rolling hills with a lazy stroll. I let Chrona walk ahead of me and at my center so that I didn''t seem like her superior. That would be necessary if I were going to appeal to the Gailgathen''s pride.


    As we flew up to the edge of the arena, I found a broad-shouldered, caped frame waiting on me. Helios was here to watch the last exhibition match of the tournament. Beside him, a crippled Caprika was still bound to her chair with burns spread across her frame.


    Krog landed with a bit of stumble, his new wings still stiff. As I walked up beside the juggernaut, he turned to me with his black mask,


    "I see you''ve gained a few servants. Here I believed the gialgathens were proud. How did you manage that?"


    I crossed my arms, staring at dozens of cameramen, "They''re not my servants. They''re equals."


    "They wear armor made of your skin and bear the mark of your guild. Why would you offer so much in return for so little?"


    I scoffed, "The same reason I helped Caprika. I expect favors."


    Helios turned, glancing at them with a scrutinizing eye, "They are...far fiercer, aren''t they?"


    I grinned under my mask, "You just wait. I bet Chrona would give you a run for your money in a duel. Krog''s not far behind either."


    Helios let out a long laugh.


    "You expect them to have improved that much in so little time?"


    It was my turn to laugh a little.


    "Yes. I do."


    Helios turned a palm to me, "Then perhaps I will be surprised. Speaking of surprises, I see you''ve extended the destruction of Giess by yet another thirty days. You haven''t been piddling your time away, have you?"


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    "Yeh, I guess. I exposed a conspiracy ring and project to create hybridized creatures. What have you done over the last few weeks?"


    "I pushed back an eldritch invasion and negotiated a treatise between two warring worlds."


    I frowned, "Damn. One-upped me there."


    "But of course," Helios glanced at his clawed hands, "Any important news on your various quests?"


    "Actually, yes. There''s going to be an invasion of Rivaria soon. Make sure you and Caprika are nowhere near here then. They''ll be throwing something big here."


    Helios nodded slowly, peering down at his nails, "Noted." He lowered his hand, "I reccommend you leave no regrets as you leave this place. The first fringe world I cleared, I did so with many tasks left unfinished or unturned. I act with that wisdom in mind."


    He turned to Caprika who sat in silence,


    "I do have my regrets though."


    There was genuine bitterness in his words as he looked at his sister. I didn''t know what to say or do, so I stayed silent. Krog didn''t.


    "Is she crippled?"


    Helios turned his head with a slow, menacing motion, "Perhaps physically. She is not crippled mentally, unlike others I could mention."


    Krog ignored the thinly veiled insult, pointing his tail at his wings, "I know of a healer that may help her injuries. My wings were eaten by a monster in battle, yet this woman healed them to what you see now." Krog waved his upper limbs,


    "They are not perfect, but they are far better than what I had before. Perhaps she may help the bounded one."


    Like a drum in my ear, Helios''s heart raced in his chest. Helios played it cool, but he thumped his foot with nervous energy,


    "Who and where might they be?"


    Krog tilted his head to me, "It is his friend, Kessiah Crow. Speak with him of it."


    Helios turned to me while tilting his head, "She is a low-level remnant. How does she have such potent healing?"


    I shrugged, "Ask her yourself. Maybe the two of you can work out a deal."


    Helios raised his head and gave me a slow nod, "A deal? I''m not above freelancer work by any means. I''ll consider it."


    We stood there for a few seconds before Caprika spoke up, "May I speak with my combatant alone?"


    Helios turned to me, "Do you not remember the last time I left you alone on this Schema forsaken planet?"


    "Did I lose all of your respect as well as my dignity?"


    Helios bit his tongue, the scent of his blood lingering in the air. He took a deep breath, "No. Excuse my intrusion."


    He paced off until he was well out of earshot as did Chrona and Krog. Once left alone, I stared off at the volcanic arena with Caprika by my side. From her wheelchair, she took a deep breath,


    "Ever since coming to Giess, I''ve learned something that has become painfully obvious over time: I''m not special as I was raised to believe."


    I didn''t disagree with her, instead choosing to let her say her piece.


    "I couldn''t win the tournament here by any means. I failed time and time again, but despite this wealth of shame I''ve acquired, I''m no fool. I''ve learned from my mistakes and gained humility."


    She leaned against her wheelchair, "You know there exists technology that could fix my legs, don''t you?"


    I nodded. Of course there was, whether it be prosthetics or cloned limbs in tubes, there had to be something. She was a part of an empire with worlds worth of resources, so this wasn''t something she should struggle to fix.


    "I chose not to heal them because I wanted to experience this kind of life. I understand that is a privilege unto itself, to have that choice, but I''ve lived it out for over a month now. I couldn''t believe how much my brother was willing to help me. Snide, cunning, and disdainful as he may be, he truly cared for me this entire time."


    She swallowed, "It feels wonderful to have someone care so deeply for me and my comfort, even if it is a bit selfish of me to ask it of him."


    She waited a moment, collecting herself. She looked up to me, "I met you as well, a random outsider from some backwater world. Your achievements dwarf my own despite your upbringing."


    She peered back to the stadium, "Indeed, I may not be special, but I''ll do what I can. Even if I must rely on others, I''ll accomplish something with this opportunity you''ve given me. I plan on changing the ranking structures in the city I''ll be given."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How so?"


    "Normally, rising in ranks is arbitrarily difficult for non-albony. I intend to create a more meritocratic environment, so that gems from the rough may rise up the ranks faster. Perhaps I will find another Harbinger who''s talent was never given the opportunity to shine...Maybe not."


    As she spoke, it left me more than a little startled. I never imagined my impact on her would be so long-lasting. If anything, I expected both of us to use each other then be done with it. Having her change even a little seemed kind of crazy to me, but near-death experiences tend to have that effect on people.


    Even if I was surprised, it did fill my chest with a bit of pride too. I stood up straighter,


    "Well...thanks. I didn''t think I''d made that kind of impact."


    Caprika rolled her eyes, "Well that much is evident. You aren''t exactly the most tactful socialite."


    I took a step back, "What? I have a skill for that and everything."


    Under her mask, I could feel the smirk on her lips, "Skills can only get you so far. You must learn to use them. Perhaps our uncle will teach you when you meet him."


    I swallowed a not so witty retort before crossing my arms.


    "Well, thanks for the backhanded compliments."


    With her voice lighter, she scoffed,


    "Anytime. Now go and win this tournament. I''ve no doubt you will."


    I gave her a nod, glancing forward. I smacked my fists together before taking a deep breath. Before leaped away, I turned to her,


    "Just sayin, but Kessiah could use the practice with her healing."


    Caprika tapped on one of her armrests taking a moment to think,


    "I''ll consider it."


    I took a step onto the edge of the colosseum. Above the magma field and steel arena, Kiki Mosk floated on a platform, flamboyant costume and all. With his news reporter voice, he gestured to all present,


    "Is anyone else shaking in anticipation?"


    Even the noble gialgathens joined the crowded zeppelin in cheering. This was the last chance for a gialgathen to defeat the Gray Giant, so they threw away their disdain for cheering. With the gialgathen growls echoing in the distance, Kiki Mosk put his hands on his hips,


    "I see we have some investment from even people that usually yawn. That''s fitting considering the circumstances. We have espen versus gialgathen. Lehesion''s mentor and benefactor against the mysterious Gray Giant. Both are contenders for the strongest on Giess, but only one can hold that title."


    From the magma pit, Sheom splashed out with a vibrant bloom of color. As orange and red fell from her skin, she grinned, showing white teeth. Standing on the magma, she shook herself, the lava falling off her skin. Her appearance only changed by a bit. She looked like living magma.


    Sheom owned an orange coat of smooth skin, yellow streaks embroidering her joints. She wore no armor, most metals melting in magma. She wasn''t as lean as Chrona either, her limbs more muscled than even Krog. She shifted with a sense of power, something driving her beyond the desire to fight.


    She was here to prove a point.


    "Here is the returning champion, Sheom Makarath!"


    I analyzed her as the gialgathens roared in applause.


    Sheom Makarath, the Living Landshark(lvl: 12,419 | Species: Gialgathen) - Sheom has a long and vivid history as an activist. She believed the most of anyone that the espens needed the guidance of gialgathens during their development. She was pivotal in forming policies to share more advanced magics and educational texts with espens before they were fully freed.


    Sheom assisted with the war effort as well, showing her skills as a warrior of great renown. Using a flowing, winding style of fighting, she used her own mana reserves to melt stone for magma to flow through. She would dive and dash through the ground, erupting earth magics of all kinds to pepper her opponents.


    This was distinct from her impressive offensive prowess. She tutored Krog Borom as well, his flowing style reminiscent of hers.


    Be careful of her attacks, and you should be able to defeat her given time.


    She stepped over the liquid magma, walking over the liquid with ease Along her back, her horns grew to massive size, mimicing a sharks fins. As she stepped onto the steel, she lifted her head and roared out. A pulse of fervor rippled across the gialgathens, my own adrenaline spiking. There was a bit of magic in her noble voice. I was sure of it.


    "Now that''s how you make an entrance!" Kiki shouted. "As for her opponent, we have someone who needs no introductions - The Gray Giant."


    I jumped forward, stone cracking under my heels. As I shot through the air, the crowd roared in applause. Landing onto the arena with a dull thud, I stood up tall, my arm raised in triumph. I took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders while staring at Sheom. She met my gaze, cold fury in her eyes,


    "It''s good we meet, murderer."


    I grimaced, remembering Delilath. I wasn''t going to argue with her before the fight, so I stayed silent. She continued,


    "I imagine you believe this battle will be a simple war of attrition as your others were? I fear not. I learned from them. I''m not underestimating you just because you walk on two legs. I will face you with all my might at once, filthy dirtwalker."


    I glanced back and forth at the lava, "Don''t you swim through dirt?"


    She lost all the bite in her voice, my retort quieting her. She glared at me, "You''ll pay for that."


    I took a deep breath, rolling my fingers in my hands, "I won''t. This won''t take long."


    I meant it too. I took a bit of time to think about a way of shortening the duration of this fight, and I figured it out in spades. Sheom glared at me, unconvinced of my tactics.


    "We shall see about that. Gods give me strength to trample this defier."


    Kiki rubbed his hands together, a grin on his face from ear to ear. He took a deep breath and announced, "Now this is how battlers should speak with one another before a big fight. There''s nothing wrong with a healthy rivalry after all. Now, are both combatants ready to battle?"


    I gave him a nod, welling mana into my palms. Sheom did the same, preparing to dive into the magma.


    Kiki raised a hand, "Begin!"

 209 Sending A Message

    I jumped backward, landing on the lava surrounding the arena. Sheom did the same, sliding under the surface of the glowing slop. As she glided towards me, I slammed my palms into the molten rock. I cooled the molten magma, the bright red darkening across the entire arena in seconds.


    Sheom was caught up in the cooling stone, stuck in the crystallizing granite. As she struggled to break to the surface, I jumped up before flying further. Moments later, I pulled myself down, augmenting gravity with my own magic.


    Like the weight of the world, I crashed down onto the stone above her, rock reduced to powder in my wake. The heat of my impact left glowing stones around me, the kinetic wave shell shocking sheom. Without the ability to retaliate, I jabbed my hand through solid rock,  uprooting by the nape of her neck. As I pulled my fist back, a Sentinel grabbed my arm, and another blocked my attack in front of me.


    I''d won.


    The entire crowd went silent, even the chattiest reporter stunned. Sheom returned to her senses moments later, looking around. As she looked up at me and around the crater I formed, her eyes widened with realization. She gasped,


    "What happened? I didn''t even get to fight."


    "That''s right," I brushed some rock off my shoulders, "I didn''t give you a chance. I cooled the magma to stone, cutting off your reserves of mana while making your mobility null."


    She heaved for a few breaths staring at the Sentinels, "That...That''s impossible. Why did you not do so before?"


    "I didn''t think of it," I said with a shrug. "Two reasons for that. I didn''t need too, and here, I was making a point. You''ll see why in a few moments."


    Before Sheom replied, Kiki Mosk shook out his surprise and raised a hand,


    "And the Gray Giant seals the deal with a stunning display of dominance."


    The crowd shouted out from the zeppelin, the uproar bursting across the arena. It was a sound and final defeat for the gialgathens. All their champions rose to fight me, and all of them fell to my might. To the espens, it was as satisfying as hearing Emagrotha''s fall during the war.


    Without any recourse, many gialgathens didn''t know how to react. It was as if a realization dawned upon all of them at that moment - their epoch had ended. A torch was being passed, their dominance over Giessian politics no longer present. Now, the espens would come to rule over the planet, their evergrowing abilities unmatchable.


    Within less than a single generation, they turned from slavemasters to second class citizens. The change would be slow, but they all understood it. They could no longer pretend that ''dirtwalkers'' were beneath them. Here and now, a dirtwalker was the strongest on the planet. Here and now, I was a heavy heel slamming them into the dirt.


    At least, that''s what they believed. As the dust settled from the event and the cheering, Kiki Mosk turned a hand to me, "And that concludes the Honoring of Lehesion. We have a new winner. Let''s let the champion collect himself and prepare for the reward ceremony in two weeks. Goodbye-"


    "Actually," I said while raising a hand, "I have something to say if you wouldn''t mind."


    Kiki tilted his head, glancing between the cameras and me, "Uh, are you certain you wouldn''t rather wait for your victory speech until the award ceremony?"


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I shook my head, "This isn''t a victory speech. I don''t intend on giving one."


    A bead of cold sweat poured down Kiki''s face, "Then what else would a gladiator have to say after his victory?"


    "Quite a bit." I lifted myself into the air, and Kiki moved aside so that I took center stage of the arena. I projected my voice and ambiance as far as I could. With all my focus, I weighted my words with an aura of importance. This was pivotal if I was to succeed. It was go time.


    "Did you all see how Sheom was helpless before me?"


    The gialgathens booed, their growls growing angry. They had every right to be outraged. That was good. I needed their attention, and this was the easiest way to get it.


    "I can tell you right now, that had nothing to do with her ability, work ethic, or her race." I left pauses between each of those points.


    "It had everything to do with a single advantage I held over her. I had access to a perpetual, augmenting presence known as Schema. Yes, I worked hard to gain what I had, but if Sheom was given that aid, I do not know the outcome of today''s fight."


    At this point, I confused the gialgathens until they didn''t know what to think anymore.


    "I come with an offer and a demonstration today. The offer is simple. If you complete a simple set of tasks, I can give any gialgathen here access to Schema''s system. You all were cut off from this valuable resource because Schema believed you all were lazy and slothful."


    I spread out my hands, "If there is anyone that knows this isn''t true, it''s me. I''ve faced dark monsters hiding within abyssal plains, and I''ve done so with Chrona Carsiary and Krog Borom. They are noble warriors with principled approaches to both battle and life."


    Krog and Chrona flew over, wearing the armor I made them, their stances proud. As they landed on the steel arena, I raised a hand,


    "If any of you would doubt the potential worth of my offer, I give you the chance to see something extraordinary. Here are two fighters I decimated in combat merely weeks ago."


    Chrona sent a telepathic mumble, "I don''t know about decimated..."


    I pressed on, "I will battle both of them, one after the other. They will display the benefits of joining Schema''s system and clearing dungeons. If after watching these battles you are impressed, then come to me afterward. I will give you armor, training, and a guide on how to join the system. From there, you will evolve, becoming an even better version of yourselves."


    I gripped my hand into a fist, "That is the crux of what I have to say; evolve or die. You may watch yourselves wither into nothing, or you can take the next step as a proud and capable people. I believe in your potential. Now all you must do is realize it."


    I floated down, "Now watch Krog Borom use his new abilities."


    As I landed on the steel arena, I pointed my finger at several cameramen,


    "Stream this, or else you''ll have to deal with me. Understood?"


    A few curt nods and they got the picture. Off in the distance, Helios clapped his hands while laughing. A message appeared in the corner of my vision,


    Helios Novas, Ruler of Worlds(lvl 15,000 | Class: Fringe Walker | Giess: 11:44 A.M. 4/6/26) - So you are more than a brute. Color me impressed for once.


    That was about as close to a compliment as I could get with that cynical critic. Behind Krog, Chrona flew back onto the rock. With patches of granite or other, darker rocks mixed, the arena was different now. Krog and Chrona wouldn''t be able to sap their surrounding mana. With the system unlocking their full potentials, they wouldn''t need to.


    The more intelligent gialgathens would take note of that detail. As the Sentinels finished carrying Sheom out of the arena, Kiki pulled at the collar of his suit,


    "Uh, so...er, this is unprecedented. An impromptu exhibition match after the tournament was over. Wow. Ok. At least ratings will be through the roof I suppose."


    He coughed into his hand, "Ahem, well, anyways, we have Krog Borom battling it out with the Gray Giant. Last time the battle didn''t last long, the Gray Giant taking the options from his opponent in rapid fashion. Let''s see if the result is the same. Are both battlers ready?"


    I leaned down, a singularity of mana charged in my blood,


    "Ready."


    There was a ragged edge in my voice, my confidence from earlier all but gone. I didn''t even know if I could beat Krog in a rematch, but I''d be finding out soon. Krog glared at me with the same intensity, his deep voice turning into a low growl,


    "Ready."


    Kiki raised a hand, "Then let''s begin!"

 210 Evolution

    Krog channeled his own mana, a red aura rippling over the surface of his skin. He already gained the ability to generate the same kind of mana I used, his skillset tailor-made for it. As the ascendant energy rippled out with red lightning, he pulsed his control outward. A red aura encompassed the area around him, bending the light within it.


    I already charged enough mana for a singularity, but I withheld its use. Krog was faster than last time we fought, so he would just dodge before the black hole could land. I inched towards him in the meantime, putting him within the range of Event Horizon. While he couldn''t shrug the damage off, it didn''t cripple him as much as before.


    Schema''s regenerative enhancements let him focus through the pain better. Without the urgent, all-encompassing ache distracting him, Krog whipped his tail behind him. A bludgeon of mana formed, like a blot of blood at the end of his tail. It sharpened into a sharp, ethereal mass with kinetic energy stored within. I grinned at the sight of it, his evolving style of combat exhilarating to watch.


    This was going to get interesting.


    Kiki Mosk eyed him, announcing out,


    "It seems as though Krog has learned quite a bit since their last fight. In fact, his entire style of fighting is different."


    Krog rolled his broad shoulders, his black armor charged with energy,


    "I can use my own mana now, which puts far fewer limitations on my use of mana. Now I may use my techniques to their full potential at any time. This dark one is the perfect marker of my growth."


    I frowned, "Dark one?"


    "I''m attempting to find a nickname for you. I will say names until something sticks."


    I shrugged, "Eh, alright."


    Without having to hold back in the slightest, I took a deep breath before charging him down. Krog met my assault, swinging his tail like an executioner''s ax. One impact would cleave my armor apart, storing enough energy to make a city look small.


    Before it landed, I dove into the ground, condensing my mass to make it simple as stepping into water. I detonated my runes, giving me a burst of speed downwards. Above, the ground crumbled into a volcanic ruin at Krog''s tail slap. Its cataclysmic force created ripples in the forcefield surrounding the battlefield.


    A shockwave shook through the ground, dampened by the density of the rock around me. I withstood the blow before drilling towards Krog''s underbelly. As I ruptured out of the land, the black and red gialgathen flowed around my strike. In a spiral, he followed my ascent, a whirlwind of fire blazing around him as he breathed out the red inferno.


    A flaming tornado spawned around me, my armor glowing yellow from the heat. Krog kept himself from burning by weaving the flames around his body, controlling the airflow of the chaotic cyclone. Reacting off instinct, I created an enormous gravity well, over us both, dragging us back to the ground.


    Krog was caught in the spiraling hellfire, his own armor glowing red after we slammed into the ground. As I scrambled back to my feet, I tore towards him. He turned himself over with a wing, turning his tail and enveloping it with mana once more. Without any real means of dodging, I prepared to deflect the strike.


    I planted both my feet, slicing a hand to parry his tail whip. It snapped into my forearm like a sledgehammer on my toe. A jolt of pain erupted from the limb, bones shattering in the joint. My skin and eyelids slid back as my stomach rose in my chest. The sheer momentum of his attack had me experiencing several G''s of force.


    Krog didn''t make it out without injury either. The tip of his tail ruptured, split apart by the collision. Blood leaked from the wound as he gasped in agony. I glanced down at my arm, seeing it bent the wrong way. I turned up to him,


    "Damn. I''m impressed." I grabbed the limb, snapping it back in place, "You''ll need more though."


    Krog took a few steps back, "I expected as much. Bring it."


    I bent down and dashed towards him once more. As I approached, he strengthened the aura around him. Passing into it, my vision blurred, so I closed my eyes. My hearing turned into a chorus of ringing, so I molded armor over my ears. Even my skin itched and exploded with pins and needles. I gritted my teeth, the urge to vomit overcoming me.


    It was enough to stop me from stomping over to him. While nursing his tail, Krog sliced, slashed, and struck out at me to keep his distance. Between his flame breath and the sharpened points of the armor I made him, it wasn''t easy breaking distance. Combine that with the nauseating wave over my senses, and I struggled to compete.


    I took blow after blow, the damage piling on over time. My gray armor would''ve ruptured, turning to scrap. Before that happened, I melted it, keeping the glowing metal on my skin with gravity. It was a simple setup, though I took on my usual silhouette. If someone compared me with the video, they might know I was the Harbinger. At the same time, I was several feet taller now, so that might throw people off.


    Eh, there wasn''t more I could do about it at the moment.


    It was a different fight, though I kept ahead by my sheer tankiness. Every ten blows on me didn''t match one blow on Krog, though he wasn''t as easy to snap. He was no longer soft as paper. He was living stone, his skin hard as marble. Krog pentupled in weight since we last fought as well, the strength of his blows like calamities all their own.


    He utilized his mana with a dazzling efficiency during the entire fight. He kept his kinetic enhancements limited, dosing them out at just the right moments of contact. This emptied out his mana pool over time, weakening his illusions overtime. It was a vast improvement over my dominance in the last meeting.


    In a way, he enforced his will on the battle, inflicting grievous harm to me, the damage mounting. I kept his blows contained, however. Despite several crisp, clean strikes landing, I maintained my composure. This wasn''t the first fight where I was torn to pieces, and it wouldn''t be my last either. Broken bones were nothing to me now.


    With that in mind, I kept Krog in the range of Event Horizon, playing to my strength of longevity. He slowed with time, my tenacity and pressure exhausting him.


    With every little bit that he slowed, he gave way to my own retaliation. Each blow I inflicted was measured, aimed to maim and kill. Even if I hit him straight on, he took the punishment with a bloody grin. The extra resistance and health that Schema granted him made him like a gargoyle. He was rock if it was flexible as healthy skin.


    This made his body far more robust, and unlike Delilath, Krog took brutal blow after brutal blow. By the end of our bought, he took enough punishment to kill a dozens of gialgathens. He''d proven that he had a lion''s heart and the spirit of a champion.


    It was not enough.


    As he fell, the entire crowd of gialgathens gripped with emotion. Even if he fell, he gave the Gray Giant his best fight of the tournament yet. He restored the pride of their people, being the strongest among them by miles.


    Amidst the cheering, I rolled my shoulder while letting out a sharp breath. My mind was like iron, and it would take more than this to phase me. I even kept the molten metal on my frame for the most part, able to do that much.


    It hadn''t been an easy fight though. Krog was over 3,000 levels over me, has decades of experience, and even had a unique class. He was near the peak of the gialgathen race, and I managed to beat him in a sound fashion without a class, thousands of levels lower, and nowhere near as much time on my hands.


    I''d count that as a victory in my book.


    The arena wasn''t so lucky, carrying deep scars from our conflict. Several pits of glowing rock remained from our blows. Kiki sweated bullets, the Sentinels eventually having to help maintain the invisible forcefield to protect the crowd. It had been the finale everyone had been hoping for.


    The only ones disappointed were the zeppelin full of Thisbey''s supporters. Rendered silent, they watched in awe at Krog''s transformation from the previous bout. We fought many times longer, and he dished out far more damage against me. If we fought the Hybrid now with his added bulk and power, we wouldn''t have even struggled.


    Especially if you added in the might of my next opponent - Chrona Carsiary. She flew onto the battlefield, landing beside Krog. With a single hand, she lifted him into the air, flying over towards the now resting Sheom. The Living Landshark was left speechless, her jaws agape at the sight of Krog''s struggle.


    She sent out a telepathic wave towards us,


    "I''ve known Krog, and I''ve fought against him time and time again. He has never displayed such overwhelming strength. How in Lehesion''s name did he achieve it in such a short time?"


    I forced myself up, shaking off the exhaustion from the fight. Still glowing, I raised a hand and shouted, "This is the difference that a few weeks in Schema''s system can make. I will grant anyone that joins me the same treatment, guiding them into this new world. You can fight as he did, as an unstoppable juggernaut."


    At this point, the crowd of gialgathens was considering my offer with envy in their eyes. No one so much as stripped my armor before. Now they saw that my bones could be broken, and only Krog Borom had been able to do it.


    So far.


    As Chrona flew back over, I walked over towards the steel arena. With the air around me cracking from my super-heated armor, I raised my fists to her. She lifted her tail, creating the same mana augment that Krog managed. Above her, a ball of blue mana colored like cobalt siphoned into existence.


    It was a new kind of mana I''d never seen before meeting Chrona - primordial mana. It was another fusion, this time of origin and dominion styles of mana. Wielding the deep blue energy, she created a temporal dilation field around her, the effect far stronger than before. As it waved around me, I stayed the same.


    I was still immune, which gave me a chance of winning. Chrona was well aware, her steady and focused glance prepared for a hellish battle. I gritted my teeth at the prospect, my body remembering how strong she was before. Before we took off, Kiki Mosk wiped some sweat off his face,


    "So um, that was an amazing fight and all, but don''t you need a break?"


    I rolled my shoulders, my fatigue all but gone, "No. I''ll be fine."


    Kiki''s eyes widened as I said that, his shock apparent. He let out a sharp sigh before turning to Chrona, "Are you ready then?"


    She growled, "Always."


    Kiki pulled a blue mana potion from his dimensional storage, chugging the fluid. Before continuing, he pulled out a sizable slurpy cup with the picture of some furry alien on it. He emptied several more mana potions into it. He turned to the audience, laughing a bit at himself,


    "You know, it''s rare that the referee is struggling more than the fighter, but hey, this entire tournament has been a series of firsts."


    The crowds laughed with him, the tension palpable from earlier. Without missing a beat, he took a swig from his slurpy cup,


    "This is some bitter stuff, but sacrifices must be made for the betterment of your entertainment. Now, onto the battling once more." He raised his hand, "Are both combatants ready?"


    I banged my fists together, the sharp, metallic ring echoing across the arena, "Of course."


    Chrona leaned down, ready for a war. As Kiki swung his arm down, he shouted,


    "Let''s fight!"


    We dashed towards one another, and Chrona outpaced me by a landslide. With her time dilation, she sped herself up by an order of magnitudes. This ability acted as an effective multiplier, her raw speed becoming otherworldly. Like a bullet, she slammed her tail from overhead.


    I blocked with both arms, ready for her sudden burst in speed. I wasn''t prepared for her sudden burst in strength. My bones shattered, minutes of her power slamming against seconds of mine. The difference was overwhelming, my arms crushed. I held her blow back, however.


    Her tail bone broke, the diamond like skin cracking and the bone underneath crumbling. The armor I created for her snapped on impact, unable to handle this level of force. My forearm''s skin ruptured, my blood shining like my armor was. Chrona recoiled from me, the molten metal singing her skin. I thanked my body''s sheer resilience, my thermomancy saving my ass. I leaned over my forearms, reconnecting them by moldings strands of my armor into them.


    They healed in seconds.


    I tried to block the cameras, but there was only so much I could do. This wasn''t going to be easy by any means. Chrona was more like Yawm or Version 2.0 now, her abilities magnified. To win, raw force wouldn''t work. I needed to be more creative and use my tenacity and skill. Fighting up close would be risky, even if I could win like that.


    I wouldn''t make the same mistake as the enemies I beat before. Arrogance and pride came before someone''s fall, and I wasn''t about to fall here. With that in mind, I grabbed the skin on my forearms and ripped. I pooled plates of my skin into glowing balls of wobbling liquid, suspended by gravity wells.


    Chrona wiped my molten blood off of her hands, wincing at the deep burns. As she recuperated by holding her tail together, I collected a larger and larger pool of liquid dimensional fabric.


    She drank health potions from her dimensional storage, some that I gave her. As her skin healed, I finished gathering my resources. A ball the size of a car radiated heat behind me, half my height. Chrona was putting her tail back together as she murmured,


    "It seems as though you''ve become softer since we last fought, though you still feel like stone."


    I grinned, "Yeah, maybe. I''ll win this without slugging it out with you. I''m no one trick pony. I can fight in several ways."


    Chrona scoffed, "I will believe it when I see it. You''re a brute. This will be a contest of might."


    She leaned over, her tail restored, mana welling over it once more. At the same time, I charged a singularity''s worth of mana into my blood once more. Though I never used it against Krog since I didn''t need it, it might prove useful. It was always worth having a trump card ready.


    Without further warning, Chrona dashed at me. With a bit of prediction, I swirled the molten mass in front of me, spreading it thin like a shield. Unable to withstand the scorching barrier, Chrona skidded to a halt in front of me. Using more mana still, I melted the ground under her. At the same time, I created a well of gravity under her and a well of antigravity above her.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    She withstood the pulling force, outflying the downwards pull of gravity. I swirled the mass of metal into two balls, my focus sharpened. I kept one close, using it as a defensive measure. The other sphere I launched towards her, attempting to splash it over her frame.


    The ball sped forward like a waterfall of shining silver. Chrona dodged it with unbelievable speed, but the pressure was constant. Unlike a pool of magma, this was my own dimensional fabric. It wasn''t affected by Chrona''s temporal dilation. That''s the entire reason I went through the trouble of tearing my skin off.


    Anytime she approached me, I whipped the defensive mass around me. As she backed off, I kept Event Horizon over her while attempting to smother her with the offensive glob. It proved ruthless and effective, preventing Chrona from approaching me by heat alone. At the same time, I kept a gravity well over her, draining her stamina. Anytime she tried landing, I melted the ground to magma under her.


    It seemed like an airtight strategy, one I would win if the fight kept playing out like this. Chrona learned as we fought, however. Though the blob wasn''t slowed down, she was still hastened in her field. She sped herself up further, her movements blinding. Testing her limits, she upped the pressure. As she did, I struggled more and more to maintain this new style of combat.


    Sure, I was a swift learner, but she pushed me to the boiling point.


    She charged from the front, her silhouette growing in my vision. I whipped the molten field to the front of me before she lifted a paw into the air. I thinned the shield over my head. She slammed her hand into the ground, tricking me before I could melt the rock.


    My footing crumbled around the arena, the shockwave of her strike like a bomb going off. I stumbled back as she whipped her tail behind me. I pulled myself forward, evading the brunt of her blow. It was light graze with her tail, but it sheared through my back, tearing my spine and sending me flying.


    She combined a kinetic enhancer as Krog had, whipping the momentum of her strike to the very tip of her tail. This gave it the piercing power. It came at a cost, her end of her tail hanging on by a strange of skin, the armor ruptured. She contained the pain, flipping over me.


    With the agility of a dancer, she pushed off my back, crashing me through my own sheet of melted metal. I flopped off the ground, tearing chunks of granite from the arena, she landed, light on her feet, and dashed forward. I drilled into the stone, using it to buy myself time. She followed, striking with her tail like the hammer of a mad titan.


    I sidestepped, a crater forming beneath us both. I let myself fall downwards. Well versed in aerial combat, she weaved around my wild strikes, slamming me from several sides. Her armor prevented her from burning her skin, several of my bones breaking in the process. Deeper we dug, the impacts creating a canyon in the arena.


    With desperation building, I reversed direction, launching upward with a weighted punch. I caught her off guard, pulling her into my punch with a gravity well. As my fist slammed into her chest, I dented her amor inwards while snapping several of her ribs. Without that protection, my fist would''ve impaled her.


    Eh, that''s the reason I made it in the first place.


    She recoiled as I lifted a hand, expecting another attack. Instead, I began forming a singularity above us. It would be delayed, taking over ten seconds to develop. To hold her down, I exploded off the rock beneath me with another leap. I lunged at her, hugging my arms together. A master of distance, she dodged by a hair''s length before retaliating with a blitz of her own.


    I sidestepped her first swipe, swinging my own fist forward. She outsped me despite her massive build, using her reach advantage. Her tail whipped into my side, leaving my ribs broken and cracking my spine. She paid a price once more, her tail further broken and the hanging chunk flung away.


    My glowing blood coated what was now the end of her tail as well, so I reached out a hand and solidified the mass. Chrona pulled her tailback in agony, trying to sling the muck off. She flayed herself, the skin peeling off from the wound. She howled before I melted the area around us. Magma from all sides poured in, drenching us in heat. Chrona dispersed the entire mass by spreading out her wings, the wind creating an eruption in the arena.


    At the same time, she clamped her jaws in my direction. A kinetic shockwave rippled through me, my balance disrupted. Using the distraction, she sliced her hand towards my head. I tilted sideways, dodging her claws by an inch. Her strike sliced deep into my torso, splitting me down the middle two feet deep.


    With her arm stuck in my chest, she sliced her other paw towards my head. I pushed myself myself back by shoving against her lodged arm. Her claws grazed my face, sinking an inch into my helmet and tearing my facemask off. I met her eye. She squinted her brow as she stared at the grin on my face. I murmured,


    "It''s over."


    Before she understood, the singularity I planted earlier imploded ten meters above her. Slowed down or not, the resulting explosion was close enough that we both were swept up in the resulting destruction. It broke both her wings and snapped the armor on her back. I was caught up as well, my body further mangled.


    It was more than enough. Both of us were embedded in the walls of the crater we made. Hidden from prying eyes, Chrona struggled to recover. I didn''t have that problem, my sheer regeneration coming into its own. My limbs and legs reconstituting in seconds. Within twenty seconds, my health was back to being topped off.


    It paid off being a living dimension after all.


    I pulled another set of gray armor out of my dimensional storage, cooling the surface of my skin. After wrestling it on under the rubble, I walked out of the ground, good as new. With a quick leap, I landed in the tunnel Chrona left in the stone. She was in a sorry state, ribs broken, limbs contorted, and a few rips in her skin. She''d be fine though. Schema''s reorientation of her metabolism made her far harder to kill, just like it had mine.


    Kessiah and a few health potions helped me come to that conclusion though. It would take a bit before she was fine as well. Once upon her, I reared my fist back, ready to continue the beating if I had too. A Sentinel appeared above me, dashing into the tunnel and stopping the fight. I let out a deep sigh of relief, glad they ended the fight there.


    I stayed there for a moment, collecting myself. After a few deep breaths, I paced back out in front of the crowd once more. I raised a hand to a roar of applause.


    Once more, I''d won.


    Unlike last time, this was by a much thinner margin. Half a second later on the singularity, and Chrona might have had a chance of winning. It exposed a hole in my build, my strength not being up to par with some specialist builds.


    To fix that, I''d be investing into constitution for a while. Constitution fed 40% of its value into strength, and my Immense tree added 25% of my mass as extra physical damage. That would come after this fancy rune I was working on.


    Extra physical damage was a deceptive stat. It mainly meant general strength. Improving it quickly with extra mass was pivotal if I was going to face off against behemoths like the hybrids, Helios, or even Chrona. Learning that temporal dilation would make a massive difference as well.


    I tucked that tidbit into the back of my mind as Kiki Mosk scrambled to explain what the hell happened in the fight,


    "Ahem, so, er...The Gray Giant used alteration magic on his, uh, skin to make it metal? Then he used it as a zoning tool against Chrona by heating it into a glowing liquid...And then...er, he...um..."


    He turned to the crowd, "You know what, I''ll just leave it to the analysts to decipher. Regardless, the Gray Giant came out on top despite some very close calls. I''ll say this much, he had more cards up his sleeve than I ever expected of the one-sided slugger."


    Using a gravity well, I pulled Chrona from the crater, giving her several health potions. After gulping them down, she glared at me and sent out a telepathic wave,


    "That grin of yours confused me for a moment. That is the only reason you won."


    I shrugged, "All is fair in love and war. Besides, you''re lucky I didn''t just melt the armor you were wearing. Boiling your blood was another option. Maybe-"


    "That''s enough. I''m glad you decided to keep within a few parameters." she continued on a lighter note, "I am astonished by my progress as well. The fact I almost won is a testament to my progress."


    I let her have that almost there. In my opinion, she still had a way to go.


    "It is," I crossed my arms, "It isn''t that surprising though. You''ve fought for what, centuries?"


    "A century, but yes, I have fought for a long time."


    "Point is, you have an enormous amount of experience and a wealth of difficult to learn skills. In that regard, I''m not your match. You just need to get used to the system and you''ll be golden."


    Chrona scoffed, "I would argue that in regards to your skills. I''ve never seen you fight in that manner. It was so odd seeing you implement it."


    I spread out my hands, "Well, I was trying to use my head this fight. I''ll be honest, you''re a fucking monster at slugging it out. If we pummeled each other, there was a solid chance I might lose. I took the safe route, eliminating your chances of winning."


    She shook her head, "By the time your delayed explosion landed, my body was in tatters. Your armor''s claws and swords were the only reason I could cleave through you. You are denser than steel and hard as gemstones. I don''t understand how your heart pumps blood through your frame."


    I didn''t either.


    She hissed to herself, Just as well, before getting my class, I wouldn''t have stood a chance. I''d have broken myself before I could''ve hoped to break you."


    I gestured to the arena of gialgathens, "Let them know that if you can. Either way though, I''ll be fixing my lacking strength here soon. Don''t you worry about that."


    Chrona wore a smirk, showing her teeth, "Yes, lagging strength as you call it. I look forward to it." She winced, "If you''ll excuse me, I''ll need some time to recover, however. Perhaps a new set of armor could be made as well?"


    I nodded, "Of course. I''ll let Krog get you out of here."


    By now, Krog had recovered his ability to move and fly. His injuries weren''t as severe as Chrona''s. His own armor was still covered in dents and tears.  I waved my hand to him, and he flew on over. As he landed, he stomped a foot,


    "You were so close to defeating the Dark One. I could not believe it. I was on the edge of my seat as I watched and healed myself."


    Chrona sighed and said, "Speaking of healing, I could use a bath in the springs here. That and a few numbing herbs and barrels of mead. I shall feel these aches tomorrow."


    "Honestly though, you probably won''t. Once your health''s topped off, you''ll be fit enough to fight again. Perks of the system...You''ll still be mentally tired though, so take it easy," I said.


    She nodded, "We will."


    "To the springs we go then," Krog said with a bit of excitement in his voice.


    He picked her up by grabbing the edges of her torn armor and flying upward. As they left, Kiki scratched the side of his head,


    "Look at them go. Krog''s already up to carrying her somewhere to heal. In all my days, I''ve never seen a gialgathen live after the punishment he took, let alone carry a comrade hours after."


    I flew back up, projecting my voice once more, "And you know why. If those battles didn''t illustrate why you should consider my offer, I don''t know what will. You''ll find me at Chrona''s current residence, near the top of Rivaria. I look forward to seeing the most driven and ambitious of you there."


    After finishing my spill, I gave Kiki''s shoulder a pat, "Thanks for keeping us safe man."


    He looked down at my hand, then back up to me, "Of course. Glad to be of service." Kiki glanced across the arena, "And to all those here, have a wonderful rest of your year until the next Honoring of Lehesion. The champion will be given his rewards during the award ceremony back in Yildraza. Goodbye and goodnight!"


    The crowd gave one last hoopla before I glanced towards Helios and Caprika. Caprika was cheering, making a huge ruckus even from her wheelchair. She poked and prodded Helios as I flew over.


    "Hah, I told you that my judgment was sound. Did you see him at his peak? Even our the Emperor would be proud."


    Helios crossed his arms, his mask hiding what was probably a deep frown,


    "Perhaps...Perhaps not."


    Caprika rolled her eyes so hard that her head rolled too, "I found talent. You can accept it or live in denial. It''s your choice."


    I landed beside them, lifting and flexing an arm, "Hope you guys are impressed. That was about all I''ve got."


    Helios let out a groan before dragging his hand down his black facemask, "I might''ve even complimented you if your ego wasn''t already about to burst."


    I scoffed, "If anything, I was humbled. Chrona almost won."


    "I doubt that." Helios said while shaking his head, "You managed to defeat her, though you are both comparable. I underestimated the potential of their species. Even my uncle would vie for their favor. Her temporal dilation in particular is extraordinary now."


    I shrugged, "They were strong before getting Schema''s assistance. Obviously they''d be unbelievable with it."


    Helios raised a hand, "Yes, maybe, but I never anticipated such a rapid change in her output. Chrona dented you with such simplistic ease. From what I''ve heard and seen of you, you''re rather difficult to kill. To break your bones with strikes alone..."


    Helios let his shook his head, "Even more so, however, was your regeneration. How did you heal bones so quickly? It was as if you''ve the blood of an immortal in you."


    "Eh, trade secret," I said with a smirk.


    Caprika put a hand on my arm, "I''ve spoken with uncle about temporal dilation before. It increases both the output and damage dealt by the user. It''s very taxing on your mana reserves, however, so he rarely uses it."


    I narrowed my eyes, listening close. ''High'' mana costs were irrelevant to me.


    "In her instance, she''s hastening herself. Stretching out the blows she receives dramatically reduces their impact. The same could be said of her own strikes, their fierceness remarkable."


    Helios gestured a hand to her, "I believed that magic not worth its investment. I may speak with uncle and uncover a few of his journals on the topic. He no doubt has detailed knowledge of it if it''s this effective."


    I pointed at Helios, "Well this all makes me feel better about the situation and all, but I was meaning to ask what he plans on doing after we meet?"


    Helios tilted his head, "His intentions are beyond me. I will simply say he finds you interesting. Whether or not that will prove to benefit or harm you, only time will tell."


    Helios let out a laugh, "I''m sure he viewed your performance in this fight as well."


    "Really? Damn, I thought he''d have more important shit to do."


    Helios scoffed, "He didn''t only view the fight. I''m certain he accomplished a dozen tasks as he did so. My point is this-" Helios adjusted his stance, looking a bit out of place for once, "I was wrong about you. You''ve exceeded my rather low expectations of you."


    Caprika gave Helios a slow clap, "Well well, you have the ability to admit you''re wrong. I never thought I''d see this day. Truly this is incredible."


    "Hah, hah, live up your short lived victory while you can. We must leave soon," Helios said.


    Caprika turned to me, "As promised, you shall be receiving the highest status I can give you, and I guarantee a large guildhouse will be available to you in my city. I will advertise your legion for all ears that will hear it and eyes that will see it."


    I grinned, "Thanks."


    Caprika leaned back into her seat, relaxing a bit, "I can''t believe I''ll finally be allowed back onto the homeworld."


    Helios mumbled, "Neither can I."


    She shoved him, succeeding in rolling herself back. She let out a puff before glancing back at me, "You know, I''ve never heard of a non-classer defeating a classer with an over 4,500 level lead. That''s not even counting her unique class and skillset."


    Helios rolled his hand with impatience, "Enough with the egocentric praise. Perhaps you can attempt sucking his metaphorical dick when I''m not around?"


    Caprika crossed her arms, "Ho, ho, is someone jealous?"


    "It''s time we leave," Helios grumbled, "Follow me unless you believe he''ll protect you this time, unlike the last."


    Helios stepped through a wormhole of his creation. As I stared at it, Caprika molded her fur, hardening it into makeshift limbs. They pulled her wheelchair along by gripping the floor. She reached right beside the portal before turning to me,


    "Thank you for helping me. You will not regret it."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Eh, that depends on what kind of mood your uncle''s in when we meet."


    "Oooh, that will be fun to see. Do be prepared for a bit of eccentricity. He''s...unusual."


    "I figured. Goodluck."


    "Likewise."


    With our goodbyes said, Caprika rolled through the wormhole, the rift in spacetime closing right after.  I glanced around, finding most of the crowd remaining after the fights. They chatted with animation in their voices. That was good. I would need quite a few volunteers to join my guild soon.


    With that in mind, I flew off towards Emagrotha''s old home and Chrona''s current residence. The icy cavern sat near the mountain''s peak, icy sculptures illuminated in the fading sunset. As orange light danced in the many frozen carvings, I took off my gray armor and began collecting strips of blackened metal.


    Within an hour, an orange gialgathen covered in yellow stripes flew in across the sky. It was Sheom, her skin smooth and moistened by a constant fog she kept over herself. As she paced into the icy den, I finished ripping another chunk out of my arm. I was sitting on a stack of metal plates, waiting to be forged. She walked up to me, her eyes curious and searching.


    "Do you do that for discipline, perhaps?" Sheom said, her voice grave.


    I shook my head, continuing my work, "It doesn''t hurt much. I''m relatively numb to pain at this point. It''s like pricking my finger, and that''s not something that can phase me at this point."


    I jerked, my skin snapping with a loud pang. As I set it down behind me, it clattered on the ice, smashed ice all around my workspace. I''d fix it before I left.


    "Is that numbness also from the system you speak of?"


    I stood up, "Yeah, it is."


    Sheom took a deep breath, "I...I am sorry for calling you a dirtwalker earlier."


    I scoffed, "You don''t need to apologize to join me. What I need is for you to work, and work hard."


    Sheom nodded, "I will do anything to gain the powers they owned."


    With an evil grin on my face, I took a piece from Torix as I cackled,


    "I hope you''re ready."

 211 Logistics

    <div>


    <div>


    She gave me a nod, Sheom''s spiraling, orange markings matching the sunset''s glow. With her commitment, I pointed towards the black pile behind me,


    "I''ll be making you a set of armor like I did for Krog and Chrona. There will be a scrying portal that will let you communicate with me once it''s made. I''ll let you know the specifics after I''ve made your gear."


    Sheom tilted her head, "I''ve yet to prove my worth. Why would you give me something so valuable?"


    "Because I don''t want you to die proving yourself to me. You''ll be killing eldritch or silvers or both. Either way, you''ll need protection if you don''t want to die. You''ll also need direction. If I don''t instruct you where to go and when it will take you forever to finish the requirements."


    "What will the requirements be?"


    "Prove your worth to Schema. That''s it," I said flatly. I didn''t know the exact requirements since I hadn''t checked out my guildmaster menu yet. Still, I knew enough about Schema to understand what the A.I. wanted.


    "Then I shall return here tomorrow as the sun rises. I will see you then."


    I gave her a nod, "Good."


    Before leaving, Sheom glanced at my gray armor and me. She raised one of her horned brows, "Why do you wear armor over your armor?"


    "To hide who I am. It''s not as necessary as it once was, but it''s still a precaution for now. In fact, a few key people on Giess already know my identity, but revealing it plays against their goals. They need me to be the Gray Giant, the hero of the espens."


    "That is a strange game that you play. I do not relish in tricks. I prefer showing my teeth when someone tries using me or lies about what I am."


    I pointed up at her, "Sometimes you can''t show your teeth, but I trust you more already."


    Sheom let out a hearty chuckle.


    "You are enigmatic, but that is not a bad thing. You remind me of Emagrotha, though lacking some of her more distasteful qualities."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I try."


    "Then till tomorrow morn, I will look forward to being a student instead of the master for once. It will be interesting."


    She turned and flew away, a bit of excitement lingering from the echoes of her voice. As she left, I let out a sigh of relief. She reminded me to check out my guildmaster menu and get a handle on the exact requirements needed for gialgathen to join the system. With that in mind, I opened my status.


    After a bit of maneuvering, I found the guildmaster tab. As I opened it, a message popped up.


    Update required. Guildmaster S- Tier rights unlocked.


    A few moments of mana flowing from the system and another message appeared.


    Congratulations on earning your next rank up as a guildmaster! As a guildmaster, specific exclusive abilities will be unlocked to assist you with managing members of your guild, along with additional interfaces to help with organization. Below is a tutorial on how to set up your four initial followers:


    Setting Up Followers: Choice Matters!


    When selecting your followers, keep in mind the triumvirate of good followers: Loyalty, competence, and industriousness. These three qualities are the most critical aspects of what will effectively be your generals. These members will get access to follower rights, allowing them to grant quests of their own so some managerial experience will help them as well!


    That was a pretty good set of bonuses. I intended on giving Althea, Torix, and Hod the follower bonuses. Torix was a no brainer, his organizational abilities letting him use the quest generation well. Althea could create a group of assassins too, giving my guild a greater range of flexibility.


    Hod was my next choice for some rather difficult to discern reasons. He was the defacto leader of the eltari, a group of mobile warriors. What Hod lacked in general intelligence, he made up for with his charismatic and goofy demeanor. He also was surprisingly reliable once shit hit the fan, so he seemed like a pretty decent choice.


    The options after that became pretty murky. Kessiah wasn''t reliable enough for another legacy bonus or the quest making abilities. Maybe with a bit of time, she could earn that, but until then, I''d withhold anything permanent. Amara was similar since I didn''t fully trust her. She was still an eldritch, though a potent one. Her ability to disrupt Schema''s system was powerful though, so giving her extra oomph was tempting. My gut told me it was too dangerous though.


    If Amara somehow put many eldritch into Schema''s system, we''d be facing some unholy spawns in no time. I''d rather not deal with all that, so I stayed on the safe side of this situation. After finishing off my thoughts on the matter, I read on.


    The next generic right is the ability to disperse credits, experience, and items at a set rate determined by an algorithm of Schema''s making. The most important factor is your guild ranking in this formula. Considering your guild is S- tier, you have quite the sum of credits to disperse!


    Current credit dispersal allowed: 5,000,000 credits per week.


    Current exp dispersal allowed: 500,000,000,000 exp per week.


    Current item dispersal allowed: 10 Legendary Items per week. 100 Unique Items per week. 1,000 normal items per week.


    Note: the 5% bonus exp and credit earning rate as guildmaster applies to these rewards as well, so start creating those quests!


    I scratched my head, not really having much context on exp gain. I hadn''t looked at the actual amounts of experience I earned in a long time. I had an idea of how much five million credits was though. Yawm''s quest reward was over a hundred million, so it would take about five months of dishing out credits rewards to match that bounty.


    That seemed pretty good to me. It was definitely more money than I needed to live comfortably even if I coasted off my 5% share of that amount. I guessed that five hundred billion experience was about the same amount of exp so I could cap out my levels with that given I had the patience for it.


    I didn''t, but it was nice to know I had that option.


    As for the items, they seemed pretty good though my crafting abilities outdid the bonus there. Eh, not every gift would be useful after all.


    The third right as a guildmaster of an S- tier guild is the ability to appropriately select members of uninitiated species into Schema''s system! This is a powerful tool, one that needs discretion and wisdom with its use. The reason Schema saw it fit to give you and other guildmasters this reward was because he understands something simple - Schema''s nearly perfect, but not quite.


    Sometimes, species as a whole aren''t worth elevating to system status. On the other hand, certain industrious members of those species would fit in well. Schema''s too busy handling entire galaxies worth of planets and growing his sphere of influence. This is where you come in to help fill in the gaps in his ability!


    By granting system access to worthy individuals, you gain loyal, powerful members to your guild while enriching Schema''s vast member base. It''s a win-win for all parties involved!


    Even for S tier guilds, this right tends to be pretty restricted. You''ve been selected for your previous ability to enlist help from species unaffiliated with Schema! Good work.


    Here is your first and final warning about this ability: it may be revoked at any time. Schema needs to be efficient and selective with the individuals he grants access to his system. Certain species, such as larger creatures, are inefficient to enhance. Sentients with low ambition, cognitive ability, or general laziness are also best avoided.


    If you misuse this ability, then you''ll be wasting precious resources. This means that a few measures are recommended when giving access to individuals.


    First, test their responsibility. If you can''t guarantee that they''ll adhere to a quest requirement or a time limit, then perhaps they aren''t a good candidate for enhancement!


    Well duh. Either way, it surprised me that I was given this ability directly instead of having to go through the Overseer. It was a pleasant surprise though, and it made the process far less time-consuming.


    Second, make sure they''re on your side and the side of Schema. If they don''t remain industrious after years have passed, then it will have been a wasted effort!


    Third and most importantly, never enhance eldritch and unknowns. This will result in immediate exile from Schema''s system. You have been warned.


    That made not selecting Amara even easier.


    The fourth bonus as guildmaster involves the acquisition of resources. You may now own a planet(s)! This means extending your 5% experience and credit gain to anyone utilizing your territory. This will not be a bonus for you like your guild members. This will be a tax to those using the protection, stability, and resources you''ve worked hard to promote and set up.


    After all, the only two things that are certain in any world are death and taxes!


    Note: If you''re level capped, the excess experience you earn may be given out as rewards for quests, in exchange for credits of your own, or for items of your choice.


    This was a very, very powerful bonus. This meant if I extended my reach far enough, I could have nearly unlimited resources. Of course, setting this up would take a lot of time, but the long term benefits were immeasurable. It made me wonder just how much of a stockpile the Empire had. It would be absurd.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The fifth and final bonus involves a reward more personal in nature: level cap augmentations! Schema understands that the most reliable motivation for most species is personal gain and personal power. As you accrue resources, you can extend your level cap by increments of ten at a time. This cost of credits, stored experience, or/and items will scale exponentially as you raise your level by significant amounts.


    While this cost can become ludicrous over time, this enhancement to your level is endless. With this, you may join the ranks of those that are truly elite in Schema''s system.


    Once again, congratulations on gaining a guild of such renown, and remember, your guild''s glory is your glory.


    As I finished the tutorial, I delved into thinking about the matter. These bonuses explained how the Emperor managed to exceed his level cap. Of course, he also had access to the cipher so it could come from other sources as well. This was a part of it though. If I managed to get an extensive network of members, I could gain quite a bit from the level cap increase.


    At the same time, I dwelled on the requirements for system access. If I gave individuals without any real history of combat the bonus, I was digging my grave. Veterans of war seemed like the best candidates considering they kept their skills honed. They didn''t mind taking a few hits either, which was necessary if they were to clear out a few dungeons.


    With all that in mind, I came up with a simple process for weeding people out. If they wanted guild and system access, they needed to clear ten dungeons, kill a thousand silvers, and do it in a week. The time limit was vital since they would need to hurry if they wanted to achieve it in time. I also intended on making the silvers be anything but saysha beetles. Killing a thousand of those would take walking for a few minutes.


    Not exactly hard to do.


    After deciding on the entry quests, I opened my menu and created a quest for Kessiah, Althea, Torix, Chrona, and Krog. It was pretty simple to do. I just followed the guidelines after the system assessed the difficulty of the assignments I created.


    For Kessiah, it involved healing ten combatants while on a mission. Althea''s was to kill Thisbey with exp bonuses when she killed other essential members of the revolution group. Torix''s was to respawn and join us here on Giess. Chrona and Krog were given the same requirements as the other gialgathens entering my guild.


    It wasn''t worth the dissent if they didn''t accomplish the task as well. I had no worries they wouldn''t finish my requirements though. With all that finished, I set out to work my way through the armor building.


    I piled up the scraps I collected as I thought my way through all the guild logistics. I melted them and created several balls of glowing metal. Stretching them out, I molded them into folding plates. Like a series of scales, I connected them over chain mesh. This took hours, but it suited Sheom''s burrowing strategy.


    After grafting on dozens of gemstones, the two portal points, and blades at crucial places, the armor was done. My experience with Krog''s gear helped me quite a bit here, giving me get an understanding of the process. Knowing her fighting style helped with the runic stylings as well. I kept them oriented towards movement and in mana flows.


    If I was right, I could teach Sheom quite a bit of what I know about borrowing. My own skillset would transfer very well to hers, many aspects of my build lining up with her fighting patterns. I intended on trading it for her knowledge though. I wasn''t a saint after all.


    With that in mind, I went to work on creating more sets of armor. By the time night fell, six other gialgathens had shown up, there faces familiar. Some of them I recognized from the tournament, some heard rumors. Either way, it was a decent showing. Creating their armors took all night, time passing in a flash as I adjusted them around their specific needs.


    As the morning came, I gave Sheom her set of armor along with a list of instructions on what to do. Several other gialgathens showed up, and I demonstrated the portal and how it worked. I created a scrying pool, letting Sheom generate her own scrying portal by channeling some mana. Though a bit fuzzy, they could understand me pretty well with it.


    Using the maps from my own system data, I pointed them in the direction of many dungeons. I recommended they stick to a group and work together. Taking twenty rifts with someone''s help was a lot easier than taking ten solo. I faced a lot of resistance as I pitched this idea, most of the gialgathens thinking the eldritch weren''t a threat.


    Krog swung by and crushed their growing dissent. He told stories of the Hybrid like how it was nigh invincible and could swallow a gialgathen whole. With that in mind, they separated into three groups of two with Sheom still choosing to fight solo. After they left, I turned to Krog and looked him over.


    He still had cuts, bruises, and a few new scars from our fight. His armor  carried many dents as well, so as we talked, I bent it back into shape. I started us off,


    "Thanks for the help there. They looked like their pride would get the better of them."


    "It would''ve. If there is one thing we gialgathens must overcome, it''s gaining a sense of humility. Losing my grandfather to what I believed were little dirtwalkers sprouted that idea in my mind. Meeting you solidified it into stone," Krog said.


    He turned to the outer entrance of the cavern, "We gialgathens must do as you said. Evolve or die. This world is changing, and I''ll be damned if I''ll be left behind as a remnant of the past."


    I grinned, "I got a good start then for you. You saw that quest I gave you?"


    Krog nodded, "Indeed I did. I was thinking of passing an idea along to you."


    "Go ahead."


    "I remember your friend, the healer Kessiah. Her talents lie in her ability to mend what is broken, not in killing."


    He was kind of wrong about that, but I let him continue.


    "I would have her come along with me to share in the, er, experience of my new mission. Would that seem suitable?"


    I crossed my arms and tilted my head, "You''d do that for her?"


    Krog shook his head, "What? But of course. She saved my wings. I am no broken, hollow member of my species any longer. This is the least I may do to repay a piece of what she gave me."


    There was a depth to his gratitude I didn''t expect. Krog often hid his emotions, so seeing him open up like this caught me off guard.


    Krog mumbled, "Ahem, that is if I find the time to do so..."


    I rolled my eyes at him saving face.


    "Yeah, I think that''s a great idea. Kessiah really needs those levels, and she''d make you safer in the long run as well. You should do that."


    Krog puffed out his chest, "But of course. While I may be new to this ''system,'' I am no fool. I pay my debts as well."


    I finished fixing the dings in his armor, and he spread his wings,


    "Then I will be off to ask her for assistance. Farewell, Dark One."


    "Cya later, Krog. Try not to get yourself killed."


    After Krog left, I found myself with little else to do after finishing a few sets of armors. I kept myself busy by practicing several skills while grinding out some work with my cipher carving. It was coming along fast, my progress mounting in speed. Something about it felt right, the work just flowing well.


    I kept at it for the next two days, a bit of disappointment setting in at how few gialgathens showed up. It wasn''t long into the second day that Sheom popped up, ten dungeon cores in a pouch on her side and her quest completed. As she landed in front of me, she was heaving for breath, a sheen of sweat over her skin,


    "I...I finished what you asked of me."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Well damn...you finished this much faster than I expected. I barely even had to tell you what to do or where to go."


    "I know where the silvers reign, and finding the ''dungeons'' wasn''t difficult once I knew where they were. Finishing at this pace was difficult, but I managed to do as you said with impunity. The most challenging part was grabbing the dungeon cores for two of the dungeons."


    Sheom winced, "There was this vast pillar of white energy. It chilled my bones when I touched it."


    I raised an eyebrow, a bit impressed by her resolve. She didn''t know the difference between an open rift and a dungeon, but she didn''t let that stop her.


    "What kept you so motivated?"


    "I wanted to join the ranks of Krog and Chrona as quickly as possible. It shames me to see my rivals overcoming my own ability with such ease. I taught the great Lehesion after all. My failure besmirches his memory."


    I chuckled a bit when she said besmirches, not gonna lie. As my amusement faded, I opened my status screen and let her join my guild along with the system. Her work ethic was incredible, and she followed my instructions to a T. She was what I was looking for.


    I helped her piece together her build, giving her a detailed walkthrough of several paths available to her. After a half hour of grinding it out, I finished the process. An enormous pipeline of mana flowed through her as she went through the enhancement process. Once completed, she laid down near me, needing a nap like Krog and Chrona had.


    I went back to my work with the cipher, two more groups of gialgathens returning over the next five days. In total, the first week of my recruitment gained me a total of five extra guild members, only three of them having classes. It was a disappointing result considering how much effort I put into this.


    It was more than nothing, and I even gained a few levels from the sidelong exp. Despite my lack of progress on that front, I finished a personal project of mine. The flowing tapestry worth of runic work was completed. It spanned two dozen pages in total, the detail uncanny and precise. I read through my work, and it was a reflection of myself that impressed me.


    It was like an autobiography in cipher form, reflecting my principles, my beliefs, and my history all in one flowing inscription.


    Ready to reap the benefits from the rune, I channeled my mana into the tapestry of work. Twelve hours of sitting still and doing nothing later, and I finally finished the damn thing. Even with all my willpower, it took a lot out of me to sit still for that long. This damn thing had better of been worth it.


    With my grimoire humming with power, I pulled the white, glowing inscription from the book. The pages turned slowly as the cipher markings pulled out of the pages at a slow pace. With the light of the room siphoning into the markings, they folded over me and onto my armor.


    The markings wrapped around my upper chest and neck, flowing down my back in two parallel lines. It followed the taper of my back before cascading down the sides of my legs, ending mid-shin. It was a bit too showy for my tastes, but it was a marking of practicality, not a fashion statement.


    Out of nowhere, a sharp crack erupted from my hands. I glanced down, finding my grimoire on fire in my hands. I held the book up looking at the red flame. The mana must have overloaded the grimoire, but I smacked it a couple times. Charred bits of paper fell down, the majority of it destroyed outside a few black pages at the end of the grimoire.


    I cursed at losing the premade markings, but remaking them wouldn''t be too difficult. Well, that would be the case for all of them outside of this new runic marking. Speaking of which, I shoved all my mana into the inscription, wondering what would happen. A few minutes passed, and I noticed no change. I took my time, being patient for results. I trained for an hour, practicing some complex shapes with my gravitational skills. After four hours passed, I opened my status, wondering what was going on.


    Dimension-C138(Lvl 8,047)


    Strength ¨C 8,125 | Constitution ¨C 14,209| Endurance ¨C 61,291


    Dexterity ¨C 3,420 | Willpower ¨C 32,768 | Intelligence ¨C 12,072


    Charisma ¨C 2,435 | Luck ¨C 5,516 | Perception ¨C 5,062


    Health: 14.01 Million/14.01 Million | Health Regen: 45.16 Million/min or 752,658/sec


    Stamina: 9.20 Million/ 9.20 Million | Stamina Regen: 131,133/sec


    Living Dimension: 3.04 Trillion/4.30 Trillion


    Mass: 1.06 million pounds(481,925 kilos~)


    Height: Actual -14''1(4.30 meters) | Current - 14''1


    Damage Res - 98.5% | Dimensional Res - 49.25%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 1.22 Million% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 20,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    My stats increased a bit from all the cores I obtained, but outside of that, I didn''t notice anything too game-changing. After spending a couple months on this rune, I expected something with a bit more oomph. Disappointed but undeterred, I parsed through my status one last time before noticing something off.


    Living Dimension, my ambient level of mana, increased by two-hundredths of a trillion. I know, that sounds like nothing, but gaining that much was actually a substantial difference. It was twenty billion mana, which was a mother-fuckload for most people. It wouldn''t just appear out of nowhere.


    A bit flabbergasted, I helped two more gialgathens out by giving them armor and setting them up with quests. After doing so, another four hours had passed. I opened my status and found another bump in Living Dimension by the same amount. That was when my eyes widened in shock.


    The new rune wasn''t improving my stats like my other markings had.


    It was siphoning into my next evolution.

 212 Fallout

    I did the math for my mana by using a calculator option in my status. It would take about ten days before my next evolution at my current pace. Considering the spike in power I''d get from it, this moved that further up in my priority list. At the same time, I couldn''t lose sight of my goals. I still had to save Rivaria from some kind of invasion from Thisbey.


    To make that happen, I needed more recruits. From my experience so far, no gialgathens came by during nighttime. Working in a bit of dungeon clearing and eldritch harvesting into my schedule wasn''t impossible by any means then.


    With that in mind, I helped two more gialgathens join my cause before heading out overnight. Throughout the night, I cleared dozens of opened rifts, focusing on ones where eldritch worlds were spilling onto Giess. This helped prevent gialgathens from dying or being trapped in those worlds. It also gave me more mana from the white pillars of light that sustained the portals.


    While I ran through the countryside and silver wastelands, I kept focused on training Force of Nature. I drilled a variety of complex gravitational formations. While floating from area to area, I held complex patterns of sand and soil. At times, I rotated dozens of rocks, creating mini-solar systems hovering over my palm. This was far more difficult than it seemed.


    I had to create a gravity well mirroring the pull of Giess. This let me hover a few dozen stones midair. After that, I melted one of them, creating a miniature sun at the center of the replica. After enhancing its gravitational pull, I tweaked it until the stones around it fell in orbit. Doing all that while punching mind controlling moles in the face was hard as hell.


    I kept at it though, attempting to create small environments on each rock I hovered in my hand. This required precise manipulation of the heat around each stone. Over time, I created wet spots over the pebbles, mimicking oceans. I managed tiny little wind systems, keeping outside interference minimized with further gravitational manipulation.


    By the time I was satisfied with this project, I had created hundreds of gravity wells. I balanced them in a dance of sorts, weighing the pull of each of them. I even attempted the creation of geological formations on the stones. I melted the inside but kept a thin layer of crust on its surface. After setting the cracks adrift, I hoped volcanoes and the like would form on the pebbles.


    If they did, I couldn''t tell. I did use the word ''attempt'' after all.


    Despite some lagging aspects of the exercise, I gritted my teeth and pushed through the process. Over the next three days, I gained a few levels and capped out my cores in the process. Despite getting to level 8,111, my mana regen didn''t grow by that large an amount. That made sense considering the mountain of endurance I already stacked up. The ambient mana gains were minimal as well. Every little bit helped though.


    On the other hand, my guild efforts picked up quite a bit. With only three days remaining before the award ceremony, I managed to get twenty-four gialgathens into the system and my guild. While it wasn''t an army by any means, it would help out with the cause. If I were up against many hybrids as I suspected, I''d need all the help I could get.


    With that in mind, I called in my three most significant advocates for a meeting. Sheom, Krog, and Chrona were all sprawled out in Chrona''s home. The scars I left behind with all my armory work made it look and smell like a blacksmith''s shop at this point. To be fair, Chrona didn''t really care. She relished in the new combat that the system allowed. Sheom was the same in that regard, pursuing battle after battle.


    Krog had been different, leading the recruitment effort. He was the biggest reason I gained so many gialgathens so soon. By speaking with many leaders of Rivaria, the old general secured me a guildhouse, the first one in Rivaria. Even more surprising, he campaigned for my cause, and he was cunning about it too.


    He used Kessiah''s unique skills to gain members. By offering to restore the limbs and injuries of war veterans, he added loyal, competent soldiers to our ranks. Malakai was one of the first gialgathens he went to, his burns still fresh from the bombing of our room. He among others were given a second chance to fight, and they were hungry for action.


    Kessiah gained an enormous amount of training with her skills during this time, becoming proficient at turning her blood into flesh and bone. It was a miraculous turnaround for her. She went from one of the most useless, frustrating friends I had to a godsend overnight. She even gained experience when healing fellow guild members, boosting her exp gain. In between the healing, Krog took her out to destroy silvers, raising her level by over a thousand over the last week or so. Krog even sent updates on all this as it occurred, keeping me in the loop at all times.


    All in all, it was a boon I never expected. Maybe that''s because my expectations were low. I figured it''s better to be that way. I was never disappointed and pleasantly surprised sometimes.


    Krog was becoming one of those surprises. He was reminding me of Torix at this point, his political skill uncanny. Considering the guy was once a general, it made perfect sense. He was bound to have some skills in that department.


    Unlike with Chrona and Sheom who were given their position based on their battle sense, Krog''s logistical abilities made him invaluable. It kind of left me envious. He was using his resources better than I had, his social prowess dwarfing my own. I swallowed my pride though, remembering that as individuals, we each had our own strengths.


    It was still a bitter pill to gulp down, however.


    I shook off that bit of jealousy, glancing at the three titans. Though Krog''s efforts impressed me most, they all supported the cause in their own way. With each of them here, I stayed standing up,


    "It''s good you all made it here so quickly. There''s something important I need to discuss with each of you."


    Krog gave me a curt nod, "What is it that you have to report?"


    He was falling into the whole general more than I expected.


    "Well, something is going to happen to Rivaria during the award ceremony in four days."


    Krog''s eyes widened, "Why didn''t you tell us sooner?"


    "I had no information about it, and I still don''t. I didn''t want to stop you guys from accomplishing real tasks to handle something so vague."


    Chrona blinked, "If there''s no information of the assault, then there''s little we can plan to do. Perhaps we may host members of your army around the city to assist with evacuation. I can think of no more we can do."


    Krog growled, "These gialgathens have grown lazy and fat since the war has ended. They won''t listen to an evacuation order. Even my warnings of a storm on our horizons do us little."


    Sheom''s eyes narrowed, "That''s too high a price to pay for simple knowledge."


    Krog shook his head, "Some lessons may only be learned in exchange for blood."


    It made sense why Sheom wasn''t on their side during the civil war. From what I''d seen, they were always butting heads. I intervened before the issue spiraled any further,


    "Enough. We''re sticking with a simple strategy. We''re splitting you three into teams, each of you having seven gialgathens under you. Decide who gets who amongst yourselves." I raised a hand,


    "During the award ceremony, you''ll be patrolling the city. If anything crops up, go in as a team and destroy it."


    Chrona smiled, her sharp teeth showing, "That seems simple enough. It will prevent us from being overwhelmed should we face another Hybrid."


    Sheom frowned, "What will you do?"


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "I have to visit an award ceremony in Yildraza. I''ll be rushing back to Rivaria right after its finished."


    Sheom tilted her head, her eyes narrowing, "So a trophy is more important to you than Rivaria?"


    I crossed my arms, "It''s the mythical compendium that I give a shit about. It will help me progress rapidly in my goals. Those goals don''t include being a savior to people who can save themselves." I scowled,


    " If anything, I''ve done more than enough by informing you all and getting some gialgathens into the system. What do you expect from me?"


    "Could this outing not wait until after the coming invasion? You''re exchanging people''s lives for your convenience." Sheom snapped.


    Krog growled, "I see you''re used to dealing with saints then, Sheom. We are not so helpless as to need his guidance in every matter, and he has a life to live as well."


    Krog turned to me, his chest puffed out, "Allow me to thank you for all that you''ve done."


    Sheom bit her lip. She murmured, "I...I overreacted."


    I didn''t give two fucks about this drama. I suppressed the desire to roll my eyes, "It''s fine. Focus on what matters; prepare yourselves for an incoming invasion. You were all part of a war, right? Use some of those skills to get this shit done."


    Krog gave me a curt nod, "Of course, Dark One." Chrona followed suit with Sheom. I raised my hands, "I''m your leader, yeah, but this isn''t a militant organization."


    Krog shook his head, "They may do as they wish. I prefer more formal lines of command."


    Huh. This was a strange feeling.


    "Uh, sure. Anyways, that was all I wanted to inform you guys of. Figure it out from here."


    As I walked off, Krog turned to them and began a telepathic conversation. I went back to my day job as a blacksmith, fixing up some extra armors and runic configurations. After a half hour of talking the three of them left with some goodbyes. As they did, a message popped up in my status.


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 9,457 | Class: Breaker | Giess: 6:41 P.M. 4/16/26)  - They''ve ramped up their assault on Rivaria. Everyone here is talking about it. I''ll be stationed in Yildraza on the 20th during the award ceremony. After I kill Thisbey, we''ll meet up outside the north side of the city. That ok?


    I thought back,


    Dimension C-138, the Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 8,113 | Giess: 6:42 P.M. 4/16/26) - Yes. I hope you''re ok, and I love you.


    We exchanged messages for a while about what we were doing. She thought my recruitment was a fantastic success, but she was pretty biased. She felt the same way when I complimented her on her assassinations. After that, our conversation turned into goofy rambling, and it made me miss her.


    I had a task here though, so I pushed that out of my head before leaving for the night. For the next two days, I continued enlisting help and searching during the nights. I say enlisting, but no other gialgathens showed up. Rivaria was clean out of fresh recruits.


    Not wanting to sit around with a half dozen extra sets of armor, I devoted the rest of my time clearing out dungeons and silvers. After my armor evolution, I''d focus my time on their recruitment. Perhaps I could find a few like-minded espens to join my cause, but I didn''t know if I could trust anyone.


    Thisbey''s influence ran that deep, unfortunately.


    It didn''t take long before the fatal day arrived. I managed to get up to level 8,231, and my mana regen did rise by a bit. It wasn''t enough to get the evolution just yet, however. I sent a few messages between Althea and me, making sure the plan was going smoothly. It was, so I got ready to leave.


    Without any more time to spend, I went off to Yildraza with Chrona, Krog, and Sheom on high alert. After flying across Giess for several hours, I reached Yildraza''s soaring skyscrapers peeking over the horizon. With the silver mining business peaking, pillars of black smoke rose up to the sky in the distance. All along the various buildings, flags were hanging with my image on them. It was my hand raised after defeating Chrona.


    No doubt they spun that somehow into me being a bigot. I couldn''t wait until Thisbey was gutted alive. With those thoughts burning in my mind, I flew through several alleyways before reaching the giant stadium were I faced Delilath.


    As I entered the building, the crowds were in an utter uproar. Their champion was here in the flesh, the Gray Giant becoming a legend for the espens. This was to be my triumphant return after stomping the gialgathens into submission. They dedicated quite the set of resources for it as well.


    The production company set up a gray pyramid of steps at the center of the arena, several spotlights set over a glass trophy with a book in it. Along the walls of the steel structure, images of gialgathens were etched into metal. They even scorched the edges of their flame breath as if the fire was alive.


    At the top of the pyramid, a pillar of light descended around a gyroscope the size of a fist. With three rings circling around it, the cube at its center was floated with an iridescent sheen.


    It was the mythical compendium.


    Schema''s protection ensured no one stole before I grabbed it. Around the seats, screens were set up to encapsulate the moment. It was a strange sensation. The next few seconds would mean so much to so many people, yet it mattered so little to me. I just wanted to get in and get out as fast as possible.


    I wasn''t ignorant of my surroundings, however. There was a bloody undercurrent to all the celebration. A few glares peaked from under shrouded hoods and masked. White knuckles gripped guns of all kinds, ready to open fire. I analyzed dozens of the audience members as I walked up to the center stage.


    I found several warriors over level 3,000. Some of those were to be expected, but there were more than there should be. Without hesitating, I sent Althea a message about the situation. As I waited for a response, Kiki Mosk was floating over the arena as always. He gestured a hand to me,


    "And as always, arriving right on time, we have the Gray Giant!"


    As I stepped up to the gray pyramid, the lights in the arena shut off. I leaned over, prepared for a fight, but that wasn''t the case. Glow in the dark paint covered the monument, showing the fierce gialgathens being killed. Either smashed with fists or thrown into pits of lava, the gory details popped out in the dim light.


    Kiki Mosk gestured to me, "The hero of the espens and the one to rule them all has come here to display his dominance and gain his reward."


    I had no intention of showing dominance here. As Kiki continued chatting, I glanced up at the side of my status. My inbox was still empty, no new messages received. Althea tended to be pretty quick with those unless she was busy. She could''ve been in the middle of the assassination at this point though, so I stayed calm.


    Kiki went on and one about the history of the event, but I was too busy to care. I floated up to the mythical compendium and stuck my hand out to the white light. It receded while the gyroscope lurched out onto my palm. The many rotating spheres aligned like the rings of a planet before shining blue lines crisscrossed the cube. The many lines divided the compendium into fifteen smaller chunks.


    They spiraled along an invisible center as a message popped up.


    Analyzing skills, previous knowledge, and needs...


    Ten seconds passed.


    Mythical Skill decided after completing the analysis. Metamorphosis skill path set. Metamorphosis is a mythical skillset revolving around using mana to change one''s inherent characteristics.


    This style of magic utilizes Quintessence, a mixture of augmentation and origin magic. It allows for higher purity in personal enhancements, the manipulation of matter, and the manipulation of personal attributes. The unique skills involved are listed below, followed by the five skills required for their creation:


    Quintessence - Origin, Origin Manipulation, Augmentation, Augmentation Manipulation, and Serenity.


    Mutagenesis - Mutation, Growth, Deconstruction, Auto-cannibalism, and Anatomy.


    Mass Manipulation - Spatial Awareness, Proprioception, Compression, Decompression, Mana Manipulation(Any type)


    While there may be stalls in the process, this guide will allow the learning of the mythical skill within three days for a determined person.


    Congratulations on gaining this reward from Schema. You''ve earned it!


    The pieces of the iridescent cube latched onto the rings of the compendium. They expanded before floating over my forearm. Like needles, the metal sharpened as the gray rings snapped into the flesh of my forearm. A pulse of blue energy shot through me as the device molded to me.


    I guess it would be hard to steal at least.


    As I glanced at my forearm, Kiki coughed, "Ok, that wasn''t the signal to go, but whatever. When it comes to the Gray Giant, you never know what to expect...especially as the commentator!"


    Kiki both glared and grinned at me, holding both false joy and suppressed anger all at once. I smiled back,


    "Eh, I''m not a ceremony kind of guy. Wrap it up. I''m leaving."


    Kiki blinked, holding his grin by sheer will alone, "Ok. Thank you for the heads up. Better than last time I suppose. Anyways, we now have the final and new event for this year''s Honoring of Lehesion."


    The crowd glanced around, confusion spreading over their faces. Kiki said,


    "Our sponsors have allowed us to continue this effort despite the effort and cost involved. With that in mind, we would like to give the floor to the man who made this entire operation possible."


    My eyes narrowed to slits. My fists clasped tight as hungry jaws. Something wasn''t right about this. Althea should''ve responded by now.


    Kiki raised a hand, as the top of the stadium opened. Large sheets of metal powered by hydraulics lifted up in a slow reveal. Above all the ensuing events, a man in gialgathen leather was floating above the group. He hovered on a platform held aloft by blue fire. Two guards stood beside him, each of them masking their identities. With a smirk on his face and his hands gripped behind his back, the living piece of shit locked eyes with me.


    Kiki gestured up to him,


    "Thisbey Thorn has arrived!"

 213 Breach

    <div>


    <div>


    My mind raced at the sheer stupidity of Thisbey for a moment, but then I gave pause. While Thisbey was a slimy snake in the grass, he wasn''t an idiot. He wore that damn leather to fuck with me, and he wholeheartedly believed he had control of this situation. The robed guards might be why.


    My doubt faded. Thisbey better pray they could stop me.


    I bent down, ready to launch myself like a missile. Before I leaped, Thisbey announced,


    "Now I love giving a speech in someone''s honor, but I must confess - I''m not here to do so. I''ve other matters to attend to, least of which is celebrating this here hero."


    He locked eyes with me, "On the other hand, the most important matter involves that pretty lady of yours. You come crashing up here, and we might not be able to guarantee her safety."


    The runes over my armor glowed red inside the gray confines of my disguise. I charged a singularity in my blood, my rage palpable. I silenced my wrath, saying,


    "You caught Althea? Yeah, doubtful."


    Thisbey pressed his fingertips together, "Yet I knew when and where she was to silence me." He brushed off his jacket, "Yet here I am, safe and sound. The can''t be said for your darling if you don''t think things over very carefully."


    How he knew all this was beyond me, but I honed in and focused on his every word. Even if I wasn''t some genius, I had a head between my shoulders. If I was going to step out on top of this situation, I would need to use it.


    "Why should I trust you?"


    "You shouldn''t, though you can check your status and see if she''s alive. Assuming you two are in the same party or guild that is. Based on you two''s relationship, that''s hardly a presumption."


    I took a moment and thought this over. Althea dying wasn''t an option, but both of us dying was even worse. At the same time, I was confident Thisbey didn''t have the means to adequately restrain or hold Althea back. Also if he did, I could break her out even with explosive methods if it came to that. Etorhma''s tears guaranteed she''d survive even if those around her didn''t.


    With that in mind, I stood up straight. Instead of letting on how much I was thinking, I played the part of a big, dumb fighter,


    "Show me where she is-" I grimaced, "unless you enjoy the feeling of worms eating your corpse."


    Thisbey leaned back, his eyes widening. A bead of cold sweat went down his forehead as he grabbed his collar. He still feared me, and rightfully so. By now, the entire crowd was confused as well. The cameramen already shut down the live streams, and the power around us shut off, casting the masses in darkness. The pillar of light from the sky illuminated the two of us, each facing one another.


    I leaned back down, threatening to leap as he raised a hand to me, "Wait! I''ll take you to her. That was my intention all along."


    I pulled myself up with a gravity well, ascending into the sky of Giess. I got myself into Event Horizon''s range as I shouted, "I have a magical aura that can kill you instantly if you try anything."


    Despite my pressure, Thisbey kept his cool despite some cold sweat, smiling, "I wouldn''t even think of it. Now, if you wouldn''t mind, we have a date with destiny, and she''s rather impatient."


    I rolled my shoulders, getting closer to the slimeball. Thisbey pointed North, "We''ll be heading over the silver''s territory. Follow along now."


    I did as he said, having already sent messages to Kessiah, Althea, Torix, and my gialgathen followers about the situation. As I did, Thisbey smirked and chuckled to himself. He oozed confidence despite knowing how quickly I could kill him. There was a reason behind that. There had to be.


    After floating for several minutes, Thisbey struck up a conversation,


    "Do you want to know why I despise gialgathens?"


    "No. I don''t care either."


    He scoffed, "Well I''ll tell the story to the sky. Perhaps she''ll listen."


    I rolled my eyes as the chatterbox continued.


    "Despite my appearance and wealth, I came from humble beginnings. The humblest, in fact. My great grandfather was an espen slave. My father was a servant to that same family of gialgathens. If I followed their footsteps, I''d of ended up the same. I saw through the facade those beasts put up, however."


    I frowned, "Of course you did."


    His brow furrowed, "They look down on even you still, and you''re this world''s greatest bipedal fighter. If you can''t earn their unanimous respect, what is a mere spokesperson supposed to do? Lay beneath their feet and rot?"


    "Just go about your business. You don''t have to make your life revolve around them."


    He shook his head, a grin of derision plastered onto his face,


    "I beg to disagree. Without fail, those giant amphibians will make your life revolve around theirs...if you give em a chance. I happen to have a streak of defiance in me, so I oppose their subtle oppression. On the other hand, my father was different."


    Thisbey shook his head, "My father was a great man, not in birth but in character. A man of morals, dignity, and work ethic. He served Lehesion when I was a child, and to me, there was no greater goal to aspire to. He meant the world to me, and without my mother to help guide us, he did his best."


    Thisbey pursed his lips, "His best wasn''t good enough. I watched him carry a hundred-pound bag of wet salt up a mountainside. As he fell from exhaustion, they put the bag on another man and left him to die. I defied them, but they burned my back for my outbursts."


    Thisbey pulled up his coat, revealing deep burns covering most of his back. He sighed, "And I promised that day to make him pay for marring my skin. Through a tenacious effort, I escaped, created an empire of business, and I had that gialgathen flayed alive."


    He gestured with his suit, his eyes hard as iron, "And I still wear that skin to this day. It reminds me that even if they look down on me for this weak body I own, they can never look down on me for my spirit. I will do anything and everything it takes to achieve my goal of equality."


    He grimaced, "Even if that means doing some acts that are...distasteful."


    I crossed my arms, hovering above the forest-scape, "Distasteful?"


    He met my eye with a charming grin, "Yes. Distasteful."


    He took a deep breath before cracking his knuckles. We passed into the silver''s territory before I snapped, "How much longer before we reach her?"


    Thisbey glanced down at an unnecessary watch, "Oh, it shouldn''t be much longer now. You''ll understand soon why I''m at ease."


    It was my turn to grin.


    "You shouldn''t be."


    "I''ll let you decide that after I''ve revealed my hand. I''ve already seen yours after all."


    Huh. Strange.


    We passed over a set of hills before moving into the spire forest. After diving beneath a cove of spires, we dashed into a dark cavern with nothing illuminating its bottom. A lone pillar of light leaked in from the entrance, revealing us.


    My senses were not so dull that I didn''t understand what was in this cavern, however. When I entered it, my hair stood on end. Deep within me, a primal fear surged forth. A haunting, ragged breath emanated throughout the entire expanse, the deep voice mangled beyond repair. It gasped, unable to restrain itself from struggling. It gave the same deformed growl as Emagrotha had.


    It was bad news, no two ways about it. My guess was that Thisbey grafted a hybrid to a gialgathen from the sounds of it. If it increased its power even more, then I wasn''t able to beat it in 1v1 combat. I opened my status, sending a message to Helios to call in the favor for saving Caprika. It came with coordinates as well, letting him know where I was at.


    Thisbey opened his own status, staring at an invisible notification. His eyes opened wide before he tugged at his collar, "Let''s hurry now. I wouldn''t want to keep your miss waiting."


    My eyes narrowed. That was twice now that the asshole reacted oddly as I sent a message. That would make sense if I were interacting with the screen, but I wasn''t. I was doing all my commands mentally. I distracted Thisbey with banter, preparing to send another message to test my theory,


    "What''s that breathing in the distance?"


    He grinned at me, "Well, he''s how we pinned down your lady. She''s quite difficult to restraint otherwise. But enough of that. It comes later."


    Mentioning his puppet calmed him down, his nonchalance unnerving me. Whatever waited in the dark, it was enormous beyond measure. Trying to see it, I channeled mana into my armor, making it glow. A portion of Thisbey''s coat caught on fire. He slapped it out while cursing, "What in the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"


    I shrugged, "It was entirely accidental. I forgot you were like paper mache compared to me. My mistake."


    It was anything but a mishap. It had the intended effect as Thisbey brushed off some imaginary dust from his shoulders, "I don''t mind defiance boy, but I do mind stupidity. Another stunt like that and Althea is dead."


    "Then you will die right after, along with everyone else here. Your puppet can''t save you." I snapped my fingers, "From a death happening faster than a snap of my fingers."


    Thisbey froze up for a second, but he composed himself, "Now, now, I told you all that comes later. Calm yourself and allow me to show you to her prison."


    The orange glow from my armor illuminated a tiny portion of the cave, enough for us to navigate. Deep in its depths, we reached a broad platform of stone. We stood at opposite ends, the heat off my armor making the three of them uncomfortable. Thisbey channeled a bit of black mana into it a podium of rock, and the platform sunk down with all of us on it.


    I chided, "Of course you''d have dominion mana."


    Thisbey only nodded in return. As we sunk down into the miles of metal and stone, I prepared a message to send all of my guildsmen. It was a message for springing a trap against Thisbey at this location. It was a completely bullshit message, but I wasn''t about to send it. I had other goals in mind.


    With Thisbey thrown off from my earlier stunt, he opened his status, glancing at something. As he did, he coughed into his hand. He turned to his guards,


    "Be ready for some undue surprises."


    They nodded silently. I kept my face frozen, but underneath my calm, I realized something pivotal - Thisbey was reading my status. I didn''t know when or how, but he could see it and react in real time. I burrowed through my memories, trying to figure out when he did it, but I didn''t know enough to pinpoint the breach. After peeling Thisbey''s face off and shoving it down his throat, I''d be hiring a hacker or the like to discuss security options.


    As I delved further into the implications, my heart sank as the repercussions rippled over me. These events all began making sense. My status was how the Skyburner bases had next to no information present. Even more important, this was how he caught Althea. He understood when and where the assassination would take place, then he would counter it.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    That meant I sabotaged the attempt each time I sent her a message about it. It was my fault.


    My blood ran colder as we continued to sink, but I held the guilt inside. I couldn''t give Thisbey any more tools to work with. I had walked into traps before, and I needed every advantage I could get. My mind raced with possibilities as we reached a narrow corridor. Thisbey led the way, pacing further still before entering a dimensional shift.


    I raised my eyebrows, "We''re in a rift. That''s a surprise. You cozy up to eldritch now?"


    Thisbey raised a hand and grinned at me, "Mighty keen of you to sense that. There''s a good reason we''re here."


    No matter the reason, being in a rift improved my chances of succeeding by an order of magnitudes. One of my trees, Obliterator II, doubled my damage while in an opened rift. They wouldn''t know that since I hadn''t checked that tree in well over a year. The data connection for my status opened up as well, a sort of wifi connection appearing as it had before in other rifts.


    I blinked, thinking about the remnant''s hidden language and exile from the system. Maybe these guys hid in a rift to prevent that, slowing down Schema''s updates. There were more obvious reasons for him being here though.


    "You need eldritch for your experiments with the Hybrid."


    The guards turned to me then Thisbey, their eyes showing from their slitted hoods. They widened in shock. I smiled under my helmet. Heh, I could use this to my advantage.


    I continued, "You''re using Harvesters to graft silvers onto espens and gialgathens alike. I''m surprised you haven''t used these guards for experimental material yet in fact. Perhaps you will after this."


    At this point, the guards stared at each other with a remarkable intensity. Thisbey turned to them, "I assure you, we''ve done nothing of the sort here. Besides, neither of you have anything to lose anyway. Schema''s already thrown you out. That''s why we''ve paid you so well in the first place."


    Thisbey''s words calmed the guards down somewhat, letting them regather their composure to an extent. Unfortunately for him, it gave me something to work with. I wasn''t about to let my chance slip.


    "Well isn''t that interesting. Yenno, I''ve been exiled twice now from the system. Schema''s far more forgiving then you''d imagine, however. I''m not even considered an unknown anymore, and I''ve dabbled in plenty of illegal acts," I glanced at my nails, acting like the situation wasn''t even stressful like Helios always did. I figured it would put some pressure on them both.


    As that went on, we reached the end of a hallway. A set of orichalcum doors sealed us from the hidden room, runic work covering the walls. The enchantments sealed in the area, keeping it quarantined. Spread over the runes were oaths written in blood. They created a  seal inside the area, and it revolved around fogging the mind.


    I took another deep breath, smelling the familiar stench of a remnant''s blood. It had a sterile, bleachy scent to it once it dried. I remembered facing an antimagic remnant before. When we faced off against Yawm, a group of Breaker''s attempted killing him. One of the remnants could use antimagic, making her critical to their success. She might carry a specific bloodline for that trait like Kessiah did with her own Blood Arts.


    As I glanced at the runes further, I grimaced as I trusted my instincts here. They used their connections to get the blood necessary to create an anti-magical field. Before stepping inside, I channeled enough mana for a singularity in my blood, energy radiating from my frame. I hid my mana saturation with the glow of my armor, prepared to unleash havoc.


    We stepped up to the doorway as Thisbey raised a hand to me,


    "Try not to make any sudden moves. We wouldn''t want anything devastating happening to your significant other."


    I glared down at the little man from across the hallway,


    "No. We wouldn''t, would we?"


    He averted my gaze before channeling his mana into the doorway. Seconds later, and the orichalcum doorway pulled open. White light poured from fluorescent light bulbs, their sterile glow casting the room in an eerie light. As with the other camp, tubes of experiments floated in suspension fluid. Beside them, living researchers from a variety of races toiled in front of their monstrous playthings.


    An orichalcum floor covered the expansive room, making everything green. The runic work covered every square inch of the floor. The same terminals were used here as the other facility, allowing off the grid communication. They even used paper for most of their work since Schema couldn''t access it.


    Seconds after walking in, a thin mental haze clouded my mind. It reminded me of being tired and wanting to sleep, a sensation I hadn''t felt in years. I glanced to the side of the doors. From each side,  orange, pulsing sacks ebbed on the surface of two humanoids. Their metallic frames gurgled with each breath, both of them around ten feet tall.


    They were smaller, thinner Hybrids.


    My eyes widened as Thisbey snapped his fingers. Both of the Hybrids lurched forward, grabbing the guards beside him. I turned to him while two more Hybrids close the doorway behind us. As the guards howled in agony, Thisbey sighed,


    "I intended on keeping you both for a bit longer, but seeing as you threatened a mutiny of sorts, you closed out my options."


    The Hybrids assimilated them in seconds, each of them gorging on the guardsmen. From the scene of abject horror, violet skin peeked out from the crunching armor and robes. They were remnants, likely hired to help Thisbey from Tohtella. I managed to keep myself composed despite the sudden carnage.


    Well, for the most part.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?"


    Thisbey rolled his eyes, "Do you think my image would remain salvageable if I brought two of these heathens with me as my guards? Not even those revolutionaries would swallow something so sinister. I had to bring two others along to dissuade you from threatening me further."


    Thisbey laughed before saying, "It was a mighty fine gamble if I do say so myself. Now that you''re here, I don''t think we''ll have any more problems."


    "We''ll see."


    I reached out a hand, attempting to form a singularity. My mana was still there, but the mental fog stopped me from shaping it. Thisbey pointed at me, and the two Hybrids lunged towards me. I took several steps back, analyzing them both. Their statuses were identical.


    Version 1.0(lvl 10,000) - This being is a mixture of harvester DNA, silver biology, and an espen host acting as a central nervous system. From terminals, we''ve gathered the primary means of production involves the destabilization of the Harvesters bodies. This creates a DNA cocktail of genetic matter.


    Once injected into various subjects, certain ones mutate. Others accept the shift in their DNA structure. After this process, further refinements are made by introducing drastic changes to their metabolisms. Silver constructs are surgically implanted, allowing scientists to monitor the rate of their infection.


    The vast majority of subjects die during this process; however, the few that survive are reborn as mindless Hybrids. They possess enormous physical might though next to no level of intelligence. These processes were discovered and implemented by Tohtella''s team of parasitic researchers. She used her position as Head Speaker to utilize Schema''s own resources.


    After honing down the process over two decades in dozens of laboratories, they discovered a means of control subjects. Through the injection of Yana worms, they created functional yet braindead creatures. Using cybernetic enhancements, they molded them into powerful puppets. Though volatile, they are loyal and steadfast.


    Kill any all that you come in contact with immediately. They cannot be allowed to exist.


    I smashed one''s face before spinning on my feet and elbowing the other one''s chest in. The other Hybrid''s joined the effort as Thisbey raised a hand,


    "They aren''t killing you, my friend. They''re just restraining you. No doubt you noticed the enchantments in this room, correct? It stops you from controlling your mana. Without control, you can''t make it do anything, like that aura of yours. It won''t work here. All you have is your raw physical might. Now while it''s impressive, it''s no match for these brutes. Settle down. We''ve got time yet."


    Underneath my helmet, I stayed quiet and did as he asked. Hybrid flesh singed, grabbing my armor. At the same time, I couldn''t help but smile. He believed my aura was attached to mana, and that was a fatal mistake. While true I couldn''t mold my mana even in the slightest, Event Horizon didn''t require mana. It was an innate ability of my armor, much like my enhanced dimensional storage or increased resistances.


    Still, it didn''t hurt the situation to check. I attempted molding Event Horizon. It shifted under my will, natural as breathing. With that trump card in my hand, I let Thisbey take control of the situation. He seemed like the gloating, petty type.


    I wasn''t wrong.


    He grabbed his jacket, flourishing it in front of me,


    "Ah, that''s better, isn''t it? I do hate having my life on the line, but sometimes it must be done to uphold my ideals. Of course, you understand I imagine?"


    "Where are you taking me?"


    "Why, to your significant other. I stick by my promises."


    I growled from deep in my chest, "If you experimented on her-"


    "We haven''t had time for that. Letting you reveal your identity would''ve ruined my plans, and that''s simply not something I could allow to take place. See, we need people to believe you are who you say you are. You likely already know why."


    I pretended like I was trying to jump at him, letting the Hybrids restrain me. I was hoping he trusted they could stop me utterly. Thisbey shook a finger side to side,


    "Tsk, tsk, I wouldn''t try that. Even if you''re stronger than they are, these Hybrids are evil things. They''ll crawl through your flesh like worms through dirt if you keep acting up."


    He didn''t know about my armor''s own infectious qualities. I almost trumped Version 2.0''s individual rate of infection. These Hybrids were inferior by comparison, so overwhelming them wasn''t off the table. With that, I had two trump cards at my disposal now. I wiggled my armor to make sure it was responsive. I didn''t want the mana restriction to stop me from moving myself due to my blood magic.


    It wasn''t a problem. It was more like the thought required to lift a finger rather than accomplishing a complex equation. That''s what channeling mana felt like normally. This was a massive advantage to me, many of my abilities unhampered by his restrictions.


    Thisbey continued, none the wiser,


    "I''m glad you understand. Now follow me if you want to live for a few more minutes. You can die right here if you''d like. It doesn''t really matter to me anymore. Your usefulness has dried up."


    I kept silent, following him. The scientists continued at their work, ignoring the massacre behind them and the Hybrids restraining me. If anything, they worked even harder. Fear was a powerful motivator after all, and that bloodbath would instill it in hardened veterans let alone scientists. That told me these weren''t warriors, however.


    Hybrids were the majority of his forces. That made things simpler.


    I let the Hybrids drag me to behind Thisbey. As they did, their footsteps dented the orichalcum beneath them. Without dispersing my weight, I was a Goliath to these creatures. They scrambled to hold me up as we passed through a doorway. Above, a massive earthquake rippled through the entire facility, as if an eruption occured above.


    The orichalcum shivering under strain. Thisbey let out a sigh of relief, spreading out his hands, "This will be the day of their reckoning. It will be glorious..but let''s keep moving."


    Once inside, we discovered many prison cells full of deformed people wallowing in anguish. Thisbey shook his head,


    "It''s amazing how many espens rejected my philosophy of growth and prosperity. It''s a simple thing stopping them, however. At the same time, they make for useful materials. If you''re lucky, you might end up like them."


    He turned to me, a sadistic smile on his face, "You remind me of Emagrotha though, and I hate her almost as much as Lehesion. However, we happened to make use of them. We''ll make use of you too."


    Once more, I kept quiet. After passing the barred cells, we reached another doorway leading towards the center of the rift. A blue dungeon core radiated with energy, sending a pillar of white light up into a containment capsule. Inside of it, Althea appeared frozen in time like a life-like statue. She wore the armor I gave her, her blackened chainmail giving her an edge of danger despite her beauty.


    Thisbey pointed at it, "That woman is carnage given form. She killed dozens of our guards, slicing them apart. She almost killed me before I called in my trump card. He froze her in time using a tremendously powerful temporal dilation. That''s how we took her here before using the dungeon core to power his enchantment."


    I furrowed my brow a bit. I was immune to temporal dilation because of what I was made of. I was almost sure my armor gave some sort of dimensional resistance as well, making Althea less vulnerable. She could''ve escaped.


    Thisbey laughed, long and loud while facing me. I faced him but looked up to Althea with only my eyes. Still standing in place, she winked her eye at me. A bolt of confusion overwhelmed me before the situation cleared.


    Althea had let herself get captured on purpose.


    A wicked smile spread over my face. Althea wasn''t letting herself get captured to be a damsel in distress. She was using herself as bait to bring us right to the core of the enemy''s operations.


    Thisbey continued in ignorance, "You heard that rumble above us, didn''t you? That trump card is on its way to Rivaria to raze it to the ground."


    I stayed muted. Thisbey cackled, a bit of an unstable edge in his voice, "That puppet of mine is going to devour the gialgathens as food. It will be the ultimate irony. Their greatest hero turned their greatest enemy. It will be justice in its greatest glory, a feast for the ages. Metal turned flesh. Flesh turned metal."


    Something was wrong with Thisbey. Something very wrong. Before he continued further, I sent a message to Helios giving him the coordinates to Rivaria and telling him to go there. Thisbey glanced at his status before walking up and tapping my helmet. Yup, he could see my status.


    He tilted his head at me,


    "You think it''s fun watching you big, bulky idiots make the decisions? You think it''s easy to sit and wait for the right moment to strike? Of course it isn''t. This kind of plan took decades to accomplish. Without Tohtella''s assistance, I''d never have succeeded."


    Thisbey''s eyes widened, "And some other more...sinister forces. I paid the price for that. It will be worth it in the end."


    I scoffed, "I can tell. You''ve tampered with Old Ones, and they''ve begun invading your weak little mind."


    Thisbey snapped his fingers, his eyes narrowing at me. The Hybrid''s dug into my armor, sticking needles into my skin. I pretended that it hurt, screaming aloud. Behind Thisbey, Althea grinned at my acting. It wasn''t perfect, but it got the job done.


    Thisbey took a deep breath, "That''s nothing compared to what awaits you. Now watch her die."


    It was time to act. I glanced up, "That trump card''s gone then, isn''t it?"


    "And what of it? You''re food for these puppets."


    I grinned, Event Horizon stretching over the Hybrids. They writhed around me, scrambling to escape. Entangled in my darkened skin, I dug into their bodies, devouring the four of them from the inside. As the Hybrids deformed into shapeless blobs around me. I pried my arm from the Hybrids.


    Thisbey took a few steps back from me, fear spreading over his face. My fingertips elongated and wrapped around his frame. They pulled him to my palm. I lifted him to my facemask as it cracked open, revealing the jagged jaws of my armor.


    With a vicious smile spread over my helm, I growled, "You''ve created dark things here. You will find I am a dark thing as well."


    Thisbey looked around, praying for help. There was none. I continued, the jaws of my armor widening,


    "But I am more than a mindless monster."


    Thisbey screamed. My calm voice flooded over his,


    "I am the eater of monsters."

 214 What Is to Come

    <div>


    <div>


    I clamped my jaws downward, but before the jagged teeth of my armor separated flesh and bone, a wave hit my mind. A sharp, harsh slice split my mind, tearing into my thoughts. The fiery burn exploded in my head like dipping a wound in salt. It stunned me, loosening my grip on Thisbey.


    The slimeball crawled out of my grasp before scrambling away. I blinked attempting to mold Event Horizon over Thisbey. Several forces berated my mind all at once, a fire erupting throughout every cell of my body. They wrestled for control of my entire being, my ability to function crumpling.


    Unable to fight off the Hybrids and the mental attacks, I retreated into a corner of my mind, regrouping and restructuring my sense of self. As I looked forward, Thisbey heaved for breath. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead,


    "Did you honestly believe that I''d fight you with just a few brutes?"


    I growled, but words didn''t leave my mouth. The cessation of control was mounting as if I fought an army of wills all my own. I fought back, blasting raw, unshaped mana back at the assailants. The tethers connecting our minds wobbled but held firm.


    From around me, my armor stopped growing into the Hybrids as they drilled into my bones. Event Horizon''s reach rippled, their influence interfering with my ability to function. The Hybrid''s overwhelmed me, devouring my body.


    Thisbey scoffed, "You might find me lacking in any kind of combat, but you won''t find my allies lacking."


    Matrices of metal crawled over my vision, their wires stretching over my eyes. Blood seeped into my mouth and out of my eyes, blurring my already blocked sight. I took a deep breath, my lungs filling with the stench of silver''s blood and iron. I made one last push of raw mana against the assailing minds.


    Skill unlocked! Mental Defense(lvl 10) - Others defend their home and their body. You defend that which matters most: your spirit. +10% to mental defenses.


    Several of the mental tethers snapped. Even if I knew nothing about mental magic, my mana was a potent tool all its own. Just as it made Althea jittery and ready to kill, it would do the same to my attackers.


    To my knowledge, that wasn''t the best mentality for mind magic. Just a guess.


    As my grip over my mind expanded, I acted. Tearing through wires, I grabbed two Hybrid''s heads and smashed them together. Event Horizon stabilized over the group once more, sending the Hybrids back into a state of panic. My mountain of willpower kicked into high gear, giving me the ground I needed.


    As more mental tethers ruptured, I stopped breaking them. I reached across the links, slamming my mind into theirs by launching an enormous blot of mana at them. Unyielding and prepared, a group of souls met my assault like a brick wall. Unable to advance, I swung my arms, smashing my fists into the nearby Hybrids around me. My armor pierced into the wiry masses as well, feeding me the health I needed.


    The mass of minds sent out another blitz against my thoughts. I met their charge, and they crashed through me. My retaliation slowed their onslaught, allowing me to hold onto my core functions. Before they attempted another devastating attack, I sent out another mental barrage. The random, disjointed attack did little against them. It was like a child swinging his arms in a frantic rush to defend himself.


    It was enough.


    Skill Unlocked! Mental Bombardment(lvl 10) - Many would crawl into another''s mind. You collide without restraint, overwhelming with raw will. +10% to effect of basic mental attacks.


    The Impenetrable wall they composed trembled, but my attack did not even leave a crack on its surface. It lessened their attack, however. Without being able to go all out in their mental assaults, the pressure decreased on me, restoring even more control. After one more blast, they disconnected entirely, leaving no more mental tethers.


    Without the restraints on me, I jerked myself away from the Hybrids towards Thisbey. The espen turned and ran, cursing under his breath, "These damn remnants are useless. To think a dozen of them can''t overwhelm one big ape."


    After dislodging myself from the Hybrids, another cord of metal wrapped around my leg. I tripped, falling forward. As the orichalcum dented beneath me, Thisbey ran towards Althea''s containment field. As I glanced up at him, a bolt of bone drilled straight through his head and out the back of his body.


    Arcane bolts of violet lightning rippled across the nearby machinery, disintegrating it at an atomic level. A gaping hole the size of a softball clapped against the green tinted floor, blood splashing onto the ground. From above, Althea aimed her reformed arm at the Hybrids, ripping out a series of five shots.


    They landed flush through their chests, the arcane spikes searing through their flesh. I expanded my armor and condensed Event Horizon over them, the Hybrids struggling against me. The piercing headache ceased as mental tethers snapped in an instant. As they did, Althea howled out in agony.


    Without the mental tethers connecting me and the mind mages, I turned towards the Hybrids, raising my fists. I couldn''t help Althea with physical fighting, but getting rid of these Hybrids might make her job more manageable. As I turned to them, they flailed their wiry arms like windmills. I weaved between the rain of strikes, bolting blows through them with precision and deadly intention.


    Without my magic, my blows lacked their usual devastation, crippling them momentarily. Althea''s screams fed my growing sense of desperation, my attacks throwing caution to the wind. I tore through the masses of wires and orange sacks. I chomped into their flesh, feasting on their bodies. They drenched me in their orange blood, their life force sustaining me.


    Minutes passed as I killed two of the Hybrids. Three more crashed through the doorway sealing us inside Althea''s containment unit. I roared, "I don''t have time for this."


    I turned back to Althea and Thisbey''s body, but my eyes widened in surprise. Thisbey''s body was gone. I facepalmed before a Hybrid slammed his fist into my side. I smashed my fist into the edge of its jaw before rearing my head back and slamming it into the creature''s skull. It gushed out, the orange sack within splattering like an egg under an anvil.


    Thisbey had used his revive from the luck perk. It was just like the fight with the Breakers against Yawm. Yawm had to kill everyone twice to win. He was still alive.


    I didn''t have time to dwell on my mishap, however. I grabbed the shoulders of the headless Hybrid and bit into the thing''s chest. Tearing through wires and orange pumps, the creature gurgled in agony as its brethren reached me.


    Taking a page from Yawm, I picked up the headless Hybrid by its leg and swung it at the reinforcements. A titan among men, I stood several feet over them as I quashed them with a corpse. With the Hybrids unable to withstand my full might, I crippled two more of them and killed another.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As I stepped onto the rough approximation of a skull, the mental attacks returned in force. Ready and waiting, I met their assault with a mental wall of my own. I kited backward, keeping the approaching Hybrid at bay while focusing on psychological warfare. While I couldn''t create a tether of my own, I could use their own tethers against them.


    With their minds split between Althea and me, I bashed the raw might of my mind against them. While inexperienced, my sheer willpower and mana reserves made the crushing blows against their mental defensives effective. Without being able to suppress Althea in her entirety, she ceased her screams and stood.


    With bloodshot eyes, she heaved for breath before groaning out,


    "I...I''ll kill...Thisbey."


    I shouted, "Go. Kill him."


    She leaped from her containment unit, shattering the glass confines. Speeding like a bullet, she dashed towards the Hybrids blocking the doorway out. As she did, I charged forward into the room full of prison cells. At the same time, I launched another mental assault. Their attention divided, the incoming Hybrids scrambled without any true concentration. Likewise, our mental assailants didn''t manage to block me and cripple Althea at the same time.


    Althea disappeared into the facility, the screaming of scientists echoing into the prison cells. The Hybrids turned to them, attempting to defend their creators. Before they could do so, I reached the center of the mob, using Event Horizon over the crowd.


    They turned to me and attacked. Surrounded on all sides by a mass of deformed monsters, I lashed out with abandon. They tore and gashed through my body, their attacks many. My endless vitality sustained me, their health-enhancing my regeneration further. An army of one, I ripped and tore through the Hybrids around me.


    In the other room, the splashing of blood and the crunching of bone resounded into my ears like a symphony of carnage. The fervor of battle consumed me, all becoming a shifting blur of destruction and death. A reaper of machinery, I pulped the Hybrids into a mound of orange wires beneath me.


    Their abundance fed my health, giving me enormous regeneration. No matter the number, the Hybrids could not outdo my restoration. I culled them from this plane. I left them a mess of blood and bodies. As the mound piled beneath me, my armor crawled out like a growing shadow, darkening the room.


    Althea did worse, enacting slaughter in the next room. Ignoring any Hybrids, she dashed throughout the facility. Fast as a bullet, she ran through the bodies of researchers. Her arcane magic left the scent of singing flesh enter my room. Leaving clean, angular sliced chunks of people behind her, she was a surgeon of death.


    Within half an hour, the entire facility quieted. I absorbed the mass of dead Hybrids while Althea searched out every living thing in this base. Not even the Harvesters were left alive as I returned to Althea''s containment unit. I pulled the blue dungeon core from above Althea''s containment, soaking in energy. Waves of white energy consolidated into my frame as I reconnected this place with Schema''s system.


    After destroying the rift, I sent a message to the Overseer about the new facility and the attack on Rivaria. Before searching deeper into the facility, I hunted for the mind mages. They must have been outside of the facility, allowing them to perform the mind magic. If they were still here, killing them would be a massive boon for our efforts.


    I tore through the orichalcum floor, sheering it away with raw strength. I burrowed through the ground around the headquarters, using a periodic burst of mana to speed myself along. After leaving the mana restricting zone, my channeling returned to full force. I could even generate gravity wells within the facility from the outside.


    That''s how they intended on killing us. Using the remnants with mind magic, they intended on pinning us down before mauling us to death with Hybrids. Even if I was strong, I wasn''t supposed to be able to brawl it out with those abominations.


    They didn''t predict my willpower being so high, and they also didn''t know they extent of my armor''s virulence. As for being able to connect using the mind magic, I didn''t understand how that worked exactly. If I had to guess, the anti-magic area prevented me from forming and manipulating my mana.


    If that was the case, there tethers acted as pipelines that guided my mana in place of me. Even if I couldn''t make my mana shape properly, I could still make it blast down those pipelines. The tethers did the rest, making them take the raw brunt of my mind and mana. I''d need some reference and research in the topic if I wanted a better understanding then that.


    In fact, mind magic might be potent for me considering how high my willpower stat was. I tucked those thoughts into the back of my mind as I drilled through the rock around the base. Using the vibrations off my armor, I gained an idea of my surroundings based on the reverberating sounds. I discovered a room above Althea''s holding chamber.


    After bursting through the metal confines, I found a small area covered in runic work. The enchantments enhanced mental magics and deterred detection. Empty mana potion bottles littered the floor along with a few singe marks. Considering there was no entrance outside of the one I just made, someone warped them in and out of this place.


    Whoever warped them might have teleported Thisbey from the area as well, though that wasn''t guaranteed. Considering how unstable he was, he might be outliving his usefulness for this shadow group at this point. I didn''t have enough information to tell though, so I didn''t cross his death out just yet.


    With that lead gone, I smashed my way back into the facility, finding the Overseer standing beside terminals. Running beside him, a group of guildsmen Speakers and technical workers ran about. They grafted cables and used various devices to infer the state of the place. At the same time, two giants nearly the size of the Overseer walked about, clearing the facilities anti-magic runes.


    Watching the activity, the Overseer held his head up with a heavy hand. I walked up, Althea standing beside him and covered in blood. She dragged three scientists behind her, wrapped up in torn orichalcum from the walls. I grinned,


    "Looks like you got them all."


    Althea frowned, "I missed Thisbey. He escaped through the elevator while two Hybrids stalled me."


    I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms, "I doubt he has the means to survive on the surface without guards."


    Althea glanced down and to her side, "I don''t know about that."


    The Overseer sighed, "So the scale of this operation expands further...to think this level of mutiny continues under our noses" The Overseer banged his fingers against his helmet, the pang louder than a sledgehammer on an anvil,


    "We. Will. Kill. Them."


    The Overseer looked up before glancing up at me, "It seems as though you''ve been busy as of late."


    "I have been. So has she," I said while pointing to Althea.


    Soaked in blood, Althea gave me a thumbs up. That was my little devil.


    "I can see that," the Overseer said. "Now there is the matter of killing Thisbey and Tohtella whom you both failed to destroy."


    I rolled my eyes, "Sorry I couldn''t do your job better. My bad."


    A few Speakers stared at me, stunned I spoke to the Overseer like that. The Overseer crossed his arms, "Manage multiple armies worth of classers and speak with me of my inadequacies."


    I turned towards Rivaria, "I''m working on it. In fact, I have to go keep the army I''m making. Something big is coming to Rivaria."


    The Overseer opened his red status, "There is an enormous energy signature over Rivaria..."


    The Overseer took a step back, "It...it appears larger than a spatial fortress."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Wait...spatial fortress?"


    The Overseer shook his head, "A piece of Schema''s galactic forces. It''s one of the stronger warships at his disposal, and it''s used to combat threats that are solar system-wide in nature. The issue is that this thing dwarfs one."


    I turned to Althea, "We have to go."


    She gave me a nod before a message appeared in my inbox. It was the quick, short kind of message you send out in the heat of battle. As I finished reading the words on my screen, my blood ran cold.


    Helios, Ruler of Worlds(lvl 15,000 | Guild: The Empire | Ownership: Belka-623(planet), Meliton(planet) | Class: Fringe Walker | Titles: Winter''s Wrath, Cold of the Void) - Cannot contain the threat. Need help.

 215 Out of Fire and Into Hell

    The mana driven elevator rose as my two hybrids stopped that butcher in female form. She shifted into disgusting shapes as she killed, some twisted polymorphic reaper. She was nothing but a disgusting monster.


    I leaned back against the cold rock behind me, gasping for breath with my hand over my chest. I failed. My plan had been foolproof. Perhaps I gloated more than I should''ve, but every piece was there. Those heathen abominations weren''t normal in any sense of the word, however. I''m not even talking about Hybrids either.


    The Gray Giant chomped into the damn Hybrids...It''s not that I won''t comprehend it. It''s that I can''t. Hell, most warriors can''t even get near an eldritch without getting some parasitic infection. Hybrids are far worse, and that armor wearing idiot devoured one? It makes about as much sense as Emagrotha''s whole philosophy.


    That is to say, none.


    I slapped my forehead a few times, my hair flattening from my sweat. A group of mind mages had failed to overwhelm that degenerate cannibal as well. They rendered his female friend unable to move an inch during the entire journey, yet he was only stunned for a few seconds. That let him break her capsule somehow. I lost my life for that.


    Fortunately, I''d yet used Schema''s revival. As my mind went blank, I stared at the blood caked on my hands. It was my blood, and that was why my palms shook with fear. That cannibal nearly ate me alive with jaws dark as the sea at night.


    If he showed that side of himself to the public, perhaps he might not be quite as popular. He made my entire media campaign difficult. Up till now, I struggled just to keep him from turning against me. To think he had the foresight to record a video of that interview. I kept information channels limited, but there''s only so much that can be done. The truth speaks for itself after all.


    After learning he recorded it, I told Tohtella to corrupt the file on his obelisk. She told me that it would compromise our information channel. Thinking about it gave me a bad taste in my mouth, so I spit. It was red as wine, so maybe the bad taste wasn''t from thinking about her after all.


    I cursed that woman with my every breath. She came to me promising a plan for the ages. I was to become the central power on Giess and eliminate those filthy gialgathens at the same time. Now my throat thickens as my own blood jellies in my throat. It was a waste of pure blood. There were few pure espens left these days.


    I dragged my hand down my face, refocusing on the issue. I, Thisbey Thorn, had been taken for a fool. Never again. Once I re-established my base of power here, I''d hunt her down like the dirty pig she was. In fact, I''d do away with her entire pig race.


    Sometimes, filth needed to be cleansed. Turns out, I''m the only one willing to do the cleansing.


    Heh, maybe not the only one. The Gray Giant was giving me a run for my money with how he tore through those Hybrids. For a moment, I thought he was a demon come to life. In fact, his being a demon is about the only thing that makes sense about this entire situation.


    I licked my lips before shaking my head in disgust. Tohtella''s mind mages were as useful as starting a fire by rubbing ice cubes together. Relying on them in any capacity had been my downfall. Now our base of operations was destroyed, and our unity was decimated.


    With my eye for talent, I could salvage the situation, however. This wasn''t the end by any means. I still had control of the Hybrids, and even if only a few of them were left, they''d be plenty for my purposes. I''d been lower before, and I''d rise up now as I did then.


    As the damn elevator finally reached the top of our cavern base, I whistled out. From the dark two Hybrids skulked up, their bodies disgusting and grotesque. I suppressed the urge to vomit at the sight of them before pulling a hover pad from my dimensional storage.


    The cube of silver expanded, becoming a comfortable size and easy to balance on. Why any idiot would ever waste time on learning to fly was beyond me. After all, I had lofty ideals unlike most. Purity was my absolute goal, yet few understood my ambition.


    I put myself back into this moment. As the hoverpad fired up, I stepped onto the stabilizing platform, gravitational restraints making the device easy to use. Otherwise, it would take the agility of the damn theonostra, and those deep dwellers were about as trustworthy as an Old One.


    After flying up a few feet, I thought over to the Hybrids to make them obey my will. Even so much as touching their minds made my skin crawl, but to clean up a mess, sometimes you needed to get your hands dirty.


    Without any real face to speak of, they kept their mishappen heads staring at me. I pointed at them and snapped my fingers,


    "If you two could grow a brain perchance and listen for a second, I''d be mighty grateful."


    They kept staring at me, silent as the night. I narrowed my eyes, glaring between the both of them, "So the both of you are staging a mutiny as well now? Who''d of thought you imbeciles could muster up an ounce of defiance. I must say, I''m impressed."


    In my mind, the image of Tohtella appeared. Her repugnant violet skin and nasty white hair made me want to vomit once more. I''d had plenty of practice containing my nausea each time I stared at her alien face, however.


    I glared and thought to her,


    ''What''s the meaning of this?''


    ''Precisely what it looks like. You''ve outlived your usefulness as you might have already suspected. These two will take care of you.''


    My face reddened as I hissed in outrage, "Who are you to double cross me? I sacrificed everything for you. My reputation, my businesses, even my rebellion. My chance is gone because of you."


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    Calm and collected, she gave me her amused smile, ''I care about results, Thisbey. You know this. Unfortunately, you''ve given me quite the opposite.''


    I roared aloud, "Your mind mages were overwhelmed by a warrior. A dumb, idiotic barbarian. He has no technical knowledge. He''s a goddamn caveman, a backwater savage, a...a chunk of iron without a brain. For espen''s sake, you couldn''t even use those advantages to come out on top."


    Tohtella''s smiled turned into a frown, ''My bug only allows me to view his messages, not his status or other information. He even created a telekinetic network, further muddying my informational timeline. As a team, we planned based on his abilities given the nature of the tournament. We could not have predicted his resilience to mental magic.''


    Tohtella sighed, ''His mind is as strong as his body it would seem. I will act accordingly to kill him shortly. You will not.''


    The Hybrids lunged to me, but my hover pad propelled me into the air. I spit at them, "You filthy, disgusting animals couldn''t catch an ice snail let alone little ole me. Know this. I ain''t dying here. I can guarantee that. There''s too much dirt I need to wash away before I pass. Purity will prevail."


    Tohtella''s amused grin returned, ''I will enjoy seeing you die. The delusional musings of your cleanliness and our filthiness will not be something I miss. Goodbye.''


    Her connection snapped, and my head rang like a bell being hit by a cannonball. Blood dripped from my nose as images of horror spread over me, putting me to my knees. I bit through my lip, the twang of my blood keeping me awake. It was the pain really, as the blood from my nose was more than enough to make me gag.


    The synaptic infusion had been a mistake. I knew it the moment I agreed to the procedure, yet now it was far too late. Control of the Hybrids was too much to pass up on, but they''ve robbed me of even that. Advanced usage of mental magics or not, the cost was being at those pig''s mercy.


    Once I established myself once more, I needed a surgeon to flush out my spine before they turned me into a full-blown simpleton. My IQ already lowered just speaking with them, let alone sharing a neural network.


    With my body and mind crippled, I used my willpower to push myself up. I was the Thisbey Thorn. A little discomfort was no impingement to me. I''d been through pain, and I learned that hard times had not come to stay.


    They came to pass. For me that is.


    I''d rise up after escaping this miscarriage of an operation. I floated above the surface, surrounded by the only thing worse than the gialgathens - the silvers. I willed my way above the spire forests, keeping far away from the most nauseating beings in existence.


    Beneath me, the worst garbage squirmed in all their filth. They''d be cleansed after we expunged the gialgathens and those filthy remnants. It would take time, but it would happen. I would make sure of it.


    To do so, I needed the big bad himself if I wanted all that to happen. I flew over to Rivaria, intending on persuading that mindless puppet over to my side. With his brawn and infinite mana, I could make miracles happen.


    Within a few feet of the cavern''s entrance, another headache exploded through my brain. Each pulse of my head beat against my eyes as if pushing them out my head. My hoverboard clipped the sharpened top of a spire and ripped the machine''s guts out. As it crashed, I fell down with my stomach rising in my chest.


    The metal ground grew closer before I clunked against the edge of a spire. My vision flipped as I vomited up my guts. I crashed into the metal ground, my sight spiraling. A spike of agony stampeded up my leg as warmth spilled over my left foot. All went black.


    As I woke up, I glanced down at my leg. A horde of saysha beetles crawled across the wound, sipping at the red blood. I screamed with enough force that spit flung from my mouth,


    "Get off me you filthy, disgusting mongrels."


    They didn''t shift an inch. I moved my arms, and the beetles scattered away from me. Good riddance. I glanced around, hearing the haunting echoes of silvers from the metal forest. Across shining spires, my reflection sheened back at me. I met one ugly mug staring back at me.


    Scabbed blood, marred hands, and a split lip formed a rather handsome face given the circumstances. I glanced down, waves of pain riding throughout my entire body.


    I tried moving, but my lower body didn''t respond. I crawled with my elbows a few feet before my twig arms turned to jelly. I hit my hand onto the metal ground, and something in my wrist popped. As a sharp pang rose up the limb, my throat clenched up. My eyes burned. Tears fell down my cheeks as I shouted out in frustration.


    In the distance, something stirred. I turned my head, expecting a merject to come end my misery. I wasn''t so lucky. Some kind of squirming, fleshy mass slithered towards me, about the size of a fat child that overate candy. It writhed in a translucent sack, its organs shifting within it.


    My stomach sank at the sight of it, my breath catching in my throat. I crawled away from it, my arms gaining back some strength. It was incredible how much desperation acts as a motivator. My dread mounted as I dragged my legs behind me. The thing approached closer, saysha beetles scurrying away from me. I reached a spire as above me, something lunged down, landing in front of me.


    At eye level, a merject slammed into the metal, its breath disgusting. It lapped its tongue over its eyeless face, tasting the air near it. I shook my arms and growled out,


    "Come and get me then."


    I spit at it, but the monster lapped up the bloody gunk off its face. The merject tilted its head before leaning its head back. Before the beast plunged its iron tongue into my skull, a drizzle of red, singing slime landed onto the creature. The merject howled out in anguish, the acid melting its skin and pulling it up into a red mass of jellies above me.


    I let out a gasp of relief as I was saved once more. It was my destiny to keep on living after all. I pulled myself up to the spire and leaned my back against it. Exhaustion took over as I stared up at the sky. Some kind of giant, fleshy monster floated along. As it moved, it tore its belly open, and its blood devoured merjects beneath it.


    What a filthy world I lived in.


    My eyes widened as something walked onto my legs. I glanced down, finding the writhing, fleshy mass having reached me and crawled onto my body. I reared back my fist and slammed them down onto the organ sack. It was like slamming my hand into clay, leaving tiny indents but no real damage. A growing sense of horror rose in my chest as I panicked. I tried pulling away, but the fat thing was too heavy for me.


    The end of the creature opened up, revealing a ring of teeth. I screamed for mercy as it dug its mouth into my stomach. The beast stabbed into me, and pain erupted like a fiery eruption going into my belly. I lifted my head, trying to slam it into the pillar behind me. I was dead, but I didn''t want to die like this. I planned to knock myself unconscious.


    My head crushed a saysha beetle behind me, keeping me alive. Before I reared my head back again, the fleshy sack wriggled and twitched about. A slimy mucus sprayed over me. I mashed my head against the pillar, but the gel kept the impact low. I stayed conscious.


    As the reality of my situation dawned upon me, I hyperventilated, breathing in the mucus to strangle myself. I didn''t lose my breath. I was still alive, the mucus somehow breathable.


    Trapped under its bile, the beast squeezed its body with rings of muscle. My belly swelled as it shoved its organs into my chest. The pressure mounted yet I did not die.


    Someone, please kill me.

 216 The Heavens Weep

    I turned towards the Overseer, "We''re going to need your help."


    The Overseer nodded while lifting his hand overhead. He pinched his fingers together, a pulse of energy passing through the dirt. Light leaked onto us from above while I glanced up. He punched a hole through the rock in an instant. It was strange since the antimagic field had zero effect on him.


    Hmm, he might be using tech instead of magic. For some reason, I never even considered that. In fact, using tech and magic would diversify an Overseer''s arsenal, making antimagic zones like this less potent.


    I didn''t have time ponder though. I followed his lead, jumping over the hole in the orichalcum. Once out of the mana obstructing area, I lifted everyone with a gravitational vortex. It jerked us all up along with anyone else who came into the circle. The Overseer shouted beneath us, his metal voice absolute,


    "Breakers, follow me. Send Sentinels to Rivaria."


    We didn''t wait for a reply as we flew up to the surface. Glancing down, I found some poor sap being eaten by one of the organ caterpillars. Bloated and deformed, it was difficult to even make out the face of the guy. I''d put him out of his misery if I had time. From what I could tell, those organ sacks could keep their victims alive for days.


    I didn''t have time to help the poor guy out, however.


    The Overseer channeled some mana before pressing his fingertips together. As he pulled them apart, a warp in space-time appeared, Rivaria and the mountain popped up in the portal.


    A crisp wind brushed against my face from the opening. As I glanced into it, a frozen tundra replaced the once vibrant forests. It was ground zero; nothing was left alive within dozens of miles near the battle site. Well, no normal life at least.


    The sheer scale of the battle made the inklings of fear crawl up my spine. Further cementing that suspicion, a cataclysmic explosion radiated out from the mountainside. Dozens of miles from the epicenter, the rippling echo roared out from Rivaria''s mountaintop. Within the clouds, a snowstorm brewed. Pillars of azure ice created new geography around the entire expanse.


    Flashes of blue light brightened these clouds as if suns were forming within. Each illumination exposed the shadow of giant wings looming over the shattered city. They were beyond enormous, dwarfing any living creature I''d ever seen.


    The Overseer seethed out, "Helios isn''t to be underestimated. This is a threat to my entire sector."


    The Overseer turned to us, finding several Breakers and two Speakers waiting for his call. They wore variants of power armor, their faces hidden behind blue-tinted face masks. Some channeled mana while others used energy weapons. A few of them jumped on their feet and stretched. This must have been their first battle in a long while. I couldn''t tell if that was a good or bad thing.


    Understanding they needed time to get ready, the Overseer turned to all of us, "Prepare yourselves. I''ll be dropping us down several miles from the point of contact. Be ready for heavy resistance near the peak of the mountain where the ice collects. We will leave in five minutes."


    He turned to me, "Say what you must say before leaving. Several of us might die here."


    I gave him a quick nod before jogging up to Althea. As I reached her, she jumped into my arms, and I spun her around in circles. She laughed a bit before I gave her a light squeeze. As I set her down, I smiled too and for her,


    "Hey, it''s amazing to see you again."


    She let out a sigh of relief, "Same here, though you''re a bit taller again. Hmm, maybe I''m just shorter?"


    A lull happened for a few seconds, the atmosphere growing awkward. I snapped my fingers, "That reminds me..."


    I checked my status for a brief moment, investing all my points into endurance. I wasn''t about to invest into constitution until my next armor evolution. Considering my armor evolutions tended to be big power spikes, getting it sooner was better for my immediate power. Besides, I had less than a day before it finished.


    It wouldn''t happen in time or during this fight though, but every second counted. Once that was handled, I turned to Althea, "Sorry about that. Had to clean up my status."


    She frowned, glancing above my head, "Dammit. You outlevel me again. Scientists don''t give the same kind of points as evil toasters do they?"


    I gasped in disbelief, "Wait...toasters?"


    She waved a hand, "Pff, that''s pretty much what you fought."


    I spread out my arms, "Wait a minute. Hybrids are not evil toasters. They''re horrific monsters."


    Althea glanced at her nails, "Eh, seem like toasters to me."


    I rolled my eyes before Althea giggled. I deadpanned, "Looks like you still have your sense of humor."


    She locked her hands behind her back while meeting my eye,


    "Yup."


    I pulled one of the last shreds of my Gray Giant disguise off my leg, my last extra set left in tatters. I turned to her,


    "On a different note, why did you let yourself get captured? Seemed risky."


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    She took a deep breath, "Uh, there''s more than to that then you''d think. When the award ceremony started, I launched myself right at Thisbey. Dozens of guards reacted, but I, yenno, sliced them up. Anyways, after all that, those mind guys used some mental wave attack on me."


    She shivered, "It crippled me, and that''s when they captured me using some flash of magic. They put me in that containment capsule before taking me to the prison outside Yildraza. I didn''t fight my way out because the mages quit attacking me. Once I was in there."


    I nodded, "Ah, so you tricked the mind mages into releasing you. Smart."


    She banged her helmet, "That and I could move because your armor is resistant to the time mumbo jumbo. You really thought ahead with that one."


    I grinned, "I try."


    "Here''s the thing though. I still didn''t know how I was going to escape."


    Althea kicked a saysha beetle away from her, "While I was trapped, it gave me time to think. They took me to the center of that facility before Thisbey told me how they were using me as bait. I thought to myself, ''Wait a minute. They''re bringing Daniel right here? They don''t know that I''m not stuck here. This is a golden opportunity.''"


    Althea smashed a beetle under her heel, "So then you came, and we kicked their asses. To be honest, I didn''t think you''d stay calm enough for the plan to work. I thought you''d just kill Thisbey immediately and ruin my scheme."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What did you intend to do then?"


    I figured I''d wait a few more hours before running out of that place if you didn''t show up. I had an escape route planned out and everything. Everything ended up working out better then I thought it would."


    "Come on. Cut me some slack. I know I''m not subtle but-"


    Althea rolled her eyes, "Daniel, look at your track record. They say history repeats itself. At this point, I can say you punching and asking questions later is a part of history."


    I flicked a beetle off my shoulder, "Way to inspire some confidence."


    She grinned, "I try."


    The Overseer glared down at us, "Are you two ready then or does chatting take precedence?"


    I waved off his concern, "Will getting tense help us fight better? I doubt it. Besides, I don''t want all my adrenaline drained before the battle."


    Althea pursed her lips at me, "Do you still have adrenaline?"


    I cupped my chin, "Huh...good question."


    Moved his head in an arc, and I was sure he was rolling his eyes under his helmet. He paced beside the portal, standing above the crowd. He pointed at it,


    "This is a threat to Schema''s authority, a being controlled by heretics. They will be burned as all things that defy Schema will be. Today, we will act as the instruments that enact his destructive will."


    The Overseer raised a fist, "Our footsteps will quake the ground we walk upon. Our flight will shift the skies we cross through. As pathfinders, we will traverse the unknown, yet our wake will be one of ruin. Are you all ready?"


    His speech was pretty solid, so I stiffened up along with everyone else. In my mind, I quashed any doubts, hesitations, and worries. This would be the make it or break it moment for Giess. A planet rested on the result of this battle, and I had a say-so in its outcome.


    The others mirrored my somber approach. The Overseer kept his hands loose, his breaths deep and calm. Althea did the opposite, shaking her head and jumping to get herself amped up. From her dimensional storage, she pulled several canisters of chemicals out. She put them along her back, whipping out some body reformation to do so.


    Once finished, she clamped her teeth and clenched her hands. I charged a singularity in my blood, the process far less time consuming than it had once been. My the runes over my skin glowed bright, amplifying my strength further. The runic work across my back and arms glowed a dull red before my armor smiled.


    It was time.


    The stepped through the portal, snow crunching under his feet. We followed along with the Speakers and Breakers. With Rivaria out in the distance, I created a gravitational vortex to lift us up. We floated above the ice-ridden surface, and I carried us to the mountain.


    Once near the peak, the giant beast was hidden amongst the clouds. A gurgling growl pierced my ears like stepping on a rusty nail. The wind howled like an angry banshee. We all stayed silent, our eyes peeled for the enemy to appear.


    In a swooping motion, a pair of wings flapped, a wave of wind blowing the clouds away from the city. Helios stood on a column of purple ice, blood dripping down one of his arms. It hung loose in its socket, dislocated and limp. A piece of his mask was missing, exposing an eye. The vertical slit was like that of a lion, yet it was pale blue and cloudy.


    Helios was blind.


    Around him, a blue aura radiated. The air pressure shifted, creating a constant mist falling from his feet. His gauntlets glowed the color of a blue star, the runes crackling the air around him for mana. In a way, it was ironic to see someone with the name of a sun god embody ice so well.


    Helios still stood tall with pride despite his injuries. At his sides, two Sentinels stood beside him, their blue armor crackling like thunder. The violet blades carried arcane energies, the hum violent and hungry. Along their face, three lines shined a deep blue, their dense, sky blue armor gleaming.


    They carried scars from the conflict. Deep crevices embedded their blue plate mail. Several open patches of skin showed themselves under there armor. I expected to see circuitry, but the Sentinels had a familiar, violet skin. From several cuts, they bled red blood like us mortals.


    Flying near them, Chrona Carsiary kept a temporal dilation field around herself. She darted around, taking the frozen bodies of several Gialgathens away from the battle. Krog was alive as well, mustering several gialgathens to regrouping for some sort of counter-attack further behind the rest.


    These forces didn''t demand my attention like the figure above all others. At the peak of Rivaria, a living sun spread its wings and cast shadows to the horizons and further beyond. Its mythical skin gleamed with the radiance of stars. Crystalized mana covered much of its frame, giving it a golden glow. Its eyes were colored the same as ancient amber, several lifetimes of memories hidden within them. It was the closest thing to a god I''d seen.


    Around the beast, a holy aura cascaded, bathing its surroundings in light. At the same time, sinister edges exposed what ingrained itself beneath the surface. Pulsing, orange lines streaked beneath its skin like magma pumped in its veins. Around its joints, wires and cords shifted. Hybrid technology ingrained throughout its body.


    The beast heaved for breath, unable to live a second in comfort. Despite this, the creature exuded a limitless vitality, mana flooding its frame at all moments. Even my mana generation could not rival the sheer magnitude of this being. Neither could Yawm, nor Helios. We paled in comparison.


    Beneath one of its mighty feet, the smattered corpse of Sheom was splayed out. Sheom''s entrails covered its foot as it lifted the limb and slung the gunk from its body.


    It glared down at all of us right after, disdain, boredom, and pity spread across its face. The beast breathed out towards the clouds, a shining fire nuclear in nature. Explosive pulses spread across the heavens in a display of overwhelming power. Waves of radiation spilled out. The air heated and rose above, the world cast in a blur from the heat around us.


    As the ice storm receded, the beast glared down,


    "Others have come. Others will fall. I am the end of all resistance and the beginning of the new epoch."


    With a telepathic wave across the entire region, it proclaimed,


    "I am Lehesion."

 217 A Shattered God

    As I stared, I analyzed him. He did not stop me from viewing his description. After seeing it, I understood why. He had no reason to hide anything to us.


    Lehesion, the Shattered God(lvl 32,092 | Species: Gialgathen | Status: Exiled | Bounty: S) - Lehesion is the mythical creature that is said to control all the life of Giess. He was worshipped as the most potent gialgathen to ever exist, his reign absolute. Once viewed in person, these reports and legends are obviously verified. He far exceeds expectations in most regards.


    His mana is endless. His size grants him tremendous vitality, needing no food, sleep, nor air to breath. He is immune to many kinds of damage, and his skin is laced with a crystalized mana that disperses most types of damage. Even more so, his mana shield is one of the strongest ever generated, rivaling spatial fortresses in power.


    These characteristics are incredible in their own right, but his offensive potential is unknown. Few have seen his attacks in person, and even fewer have lived after to tell the tale. All that is spoken of is hymned in legends that tell tall tales of his deeds.


    The sky darkening before blinding lights bathe the battlefield in destruction, enemies metamorphosing into hideous creatures, even enemy''s minds turning to slush, Lehesion has done all this and more. The full extent of his abilities are hard to grasp but know this. You are not ready for such a foe. A team of Overseers aligned with a high-grade guild would be required to compete against this monstrosity.


    My stomach sank as Helios raised a hand, his gauntlets coalescing the blue tinted air near him. In a wave of devastation, he unleashed a wave of pure energy. The tide shifted into azure ice, spines of the magic racing towards Lehesion. The golden beast rolled his eyes,


    "This again? Do you have no other tricks, or are you actually this limited?"


    The ice crashed into a golden sphere of energy around Lehesion. The beast raised a wing, flaming swords forming under the shadow it cast. The swords shot out in every direction as Helios roared out while casting more magic.


    From all around, portals to the void appeared. They swallowed the swords that would''ve landed on allies. Helios closed his hand, the warps condensing into finite points. Helios threw his fist at Lehesion, unleashing blue lightning from the portals into Lehesion''s shield.


    It absorbed the clash with ease, an explosive boom radiating outwards. Helios howled in frustration, "I killed all that is near us. What well do you still draw this mana from?"


    Lehesion scoffed, "There is no ''well'' that I draw from, insect. I am without borders nor restrictions. Mortals like you must know your limits, or your limits will let themselves be known by your failures."


    The Overseer raised a palm, the lights on his suit glowing. An invisible wave of force clashed against Lehesion''s forcefield, the golden aura sinking in before smoothing itself out with a ripple. Lehesion turned to us as the Overseer stated,


    "The creature can resist antimatter waves...I don''t understand."


    Lehesion let out a laugh, "You are no unstoppable force, but I am an immovable object. Crush under my heel."


    He lifted a paw and slammed it down. A wave of gravity smashed above us as if we were holding up another planet. Before it overwhelmed everyone, I lifted my hands, creating a gravity well opposite to Lehesion''s pull. I held firm, keeping the force from destroying us. Lehesion''s eyes widened as he laughed.


    "So the little ones defy me? We shall see if your defiance holds under strain."


    He strengthened the crushing aura, but I resisted it without a struggle. As the resistance mounted, I dipped into my mana regen. More and more, Lehesion tested my limits. On and on, I exceeded his expectations and prevented us from falling.


    At the same time, I lifted out a hand and attempted condensing a singularity inside his chest. The magic failed, so I summoned the same force within the golden aura. The gravitational implosion tore apart a portion of Lehesion''s crystalized mana armor. As chips of pure mana rained down, Lehesion''s expression shifted into a snarl,


    "You''ve angered me, worm."


    His armor regenerated as he ceased his gravitational magic. The Overseer lifted his hand to fire at Lehesion once more. I smacked his hand down before clapping my hands. The metallic ring silenced the field as I boomed,


    "We don''t have to fight here."


    Lehesion raised an eyebrow as a grin grew over his face, "Oh, the wisest of you all decided to bow and ask for forgiveness. How fitting for a Harbinger." Lehesion let out a long laugh.


    "Perhaps I am the cataclysm you omen?"


    I didn''t understand how he knew me but considering his level, it shouldn''t be that much of a surprise. I shook my head,


    "Bowing might be taking it a bit too far, buddy. All I''m saying is we don''t have to kill each other. Why are you attacking Rivaria of all places anyway? I thought you founded the city or something like that."


    Lehesion turned to the ruins of rivaria, the frozen bodies of gialgathens acting as statues. Some would never melt, and like ghosts, they''d haunt the city until they were destroyed. Lehesion tilted his head,


    "I...I do not know..."


    I spread out my hands, "And Sheom as well. She was my friend and your mentor, correct? Why would you kill her as well?"


    Lehesion shivered as he listened, and his eyes grew sad. I continued,


    "Well then, this seems pretty simple. How about you quit attacking the city, and we talk, eh?"


    Lehesion stood still as a statue, not breathing or reacting. Some kind of mental war took place before he twitched his head. He silenced his conscious, snorting out of his nostrils. He crushed some sort of dissonance within himself as he glared at me,


    "You...you are the one that won my honoring, didn''t you?"


    I crossed my arms, "You mean the tournament? Yeah."


    Lehesion glanced down at his claws as if blood covered them, yet none was there.


    "These...heathens have fallen so low. I am here to cleanse them and you from this world." He gained confidence as he spoke, "From my world."


    I waved my arms, "Yeah, see, why do we need to be cleansed though? We could leave if you like. Boom, planet cleansed."


    Lehesion blinked, entirely at a loss for words. He shook his head before roaring out, "You will not dissuade me with mere words. I am no poet. I am a warrior. Giess belongs to we gialgathens, yet you espens attempt to usurp us. You attempt to..."


    Helios put his arm back in socket and shouted,


    "He''s gone mad. The imbecile cannot reason at even a basic level. It''s rather disappointing considering his otherworldy reputation."


    Lehesion turned to him, glaring in disdain, "And so one without reason will be the one feeding your corpse to worms, little cub."


    Helios let out a low growl, "Only one person can call me a cub, and he doesn''t rule one world."


    Helios raised a hand, portals forming around him,


    "He rules many."


    The Overseer raised his arm, "The tech core verified it. He''s being controlled telepathically. We''ve attempted disrupting the mana flows, but some form of an enclosed neural network is being used. Lehesion is too unstable, and must be eliminated."


    I let out a sigh, "I don''t understand how they can control him. Lehesion''s mind must be powerful."


    The Overseer charged mana into his palm, "It does not matter how. It only matters that this is our reality, and it must be dealt with."


    I frowned, "Then so be it." I turned to Althea, "I''ll try to distract him. Save your strength for after we destroy his defenses."


    She gave me a nod before stepping away from our plane and into another like a ghost. I turned to the Breakers in armor, "I don''t know if any of you are close combat specialists. If so, stay away from me as I''m fighting."


    One of the breakers reached out a hand, "Is there a reason for that?"


    I waved around me, "I have an aura that does quite a bit of damage. I don''t want to injure you guys."


    The Breaker nodded, "Understood. Let''s head out."


    Lehesion readied another volley of fire swords. Before he released his attack, I reached out a hand and unleashed another stored singularity within his forcefield. Another glowing rain of mana droplets fell, and the behemoth stumbled backward.


    Cracks ebbed down the mountainside at his thunderous footsteps while the fire swords scattered into the skies above. The swords hummed, resonating with one another. They detonated, creating a cascading chain reaction of red fire. There detonations engulfing all my sight in brilliant plumes of destruction.


    I shook off my awe before dashing forward, my armor glowing yellow with heat as I neared Lehesion. The Breakers followed behind several preparing attacks of there own. Lehesion grinned down at us, his teeth menacing. He swiped a paw and cast a wind incantation. Green sprites ran into us with feathered wings and trails of light behind them.


    I held firm with a gravitational anchor, but the others were swept away with the wind. Lehesion rolled his eyes while stomping a massive paw. He grounded the Breakers with a gravity well of his own. They crushed into the icy mountain below, pinned down but still alive.


    It didn''t matter. I molded Event Horizon over Lehesion as he tilted his head,


    "You can affect me from within my domain...Interesting. You mustn''t use some trick with the cipher for all your strength as the cub does. It is your own might."


    The Overseer created ripples in this golden aura the entire time. Despite the unreal output of energy, the golden energy rippled yet never yielded. Helios waved one arm at the same time, generating a pillar of ice rivaling the size of a small mountain. It rammed into the side of Lehesion''s forcefield before shattering in a dazzling rain of purple shards. Helios did the same motion with his other hand, and another mountain-sized pillar appeared. It snapped without effect on the aura.


    Before the ice fell, Helios clapped his hands together, the thousands of shards flying towards Lehesion. With another flap of the golden beast''s wings, a torrent of wind blew back the incoming ice storm. Helios swung an arm overhead, turning the shards of ice into soft snow. The world ruler generated a dark blizzard around the shattered god.


    A dark aura surrounded Lehesion as sparks of golden lightning rippled across the terrain. Like a stormy ocean of liquid gold, Lehesion''s protective field billowed without end. Lehesion stared down and let out a long laugh,


    "You are nothing."


    The Overseer launched waves of antimatter at him, the assaults fizzling into nothing against Lehesion''s shield. My singularity''s crossed the border, but the mana armor soaked the damage with ease. Every time I landed one near him or even within him, his crystallized armor dispersed the impact, leaving no trace of the attack.


    At the same time, Krog and a dozen of our gialgathens flew over Lehesion, breathing elemental fires. They created brilliant swirls of shaded rainbow flame. Acid, poison, ice, death, and decay, all elements intertwined in a violent yet beautiful display of their might.


    The Sentinels sent out dimensional rips with their spears during the carnage, creating splits in spacetime. These catastrophic shockwaves pounded against the forcefield, letting out enormous booms that echoed into the countryside.


    Even then, it was not enough.


    Lehesion drew from endless reserves of mana, his techniques unbeatable. He soaked all of our attacks, glancing down at us as if we were insects. As the realization of our limitations came to the surface, Lehesion began to laugh. It was a haunting laugh, the kind that crushed your spirit and sent chills down your spine.


    It crushed our army''s morale. Lehesion stood at the epicenter of attacks that could quake planets, yet he did not so much as let out a whimper. He simply glared down at our futility with a disdain fitting for his position. As several breakers lost their reserves of mana, our assault lessened. The gialgathens lost their fire breath and relied on physical attacks. Any contact with the forcefield sent out devastating recoil, ripping them back as if struck by lightning.


    After minutes of our blitz, Lehesion stared down at his claws, ignoring us entirely,


    "Is this the extent of your abilities?"


    Helios grimaced before turning to the Overseer. As the Overseer charged another attack, Helios put up a hand. A portal appeared in front of the Overseer''s hand and beside Lehesion''s side. The Overseer''s hand reached through, letting him place his hand on the mana armor. With contact made, the Overseer''s invisible wave punched a hole through Lehesion''s chest.


    There was no blood nor guts from the impalement. It was clean as if Lehesion always had a missing portion of his torso. Lehesion tilted his head in surprise,


    "An actual wound...hm, I''m surprised."


    He frowned,


    "But now you incite my anger. Feel the wrath of a god."


    The giant raised his wings, clouds shifting with each of his movements. The skies darkened as golden energy traveled towards the sun overhead. The aura coated it in its entirety before turning dark as a moonless night. Above us, an eclipse formed over the sun as Lehesions puffed out his chest. The golden beast roared,


    "Let the stars bathe this world in their light."


    As he finished his words, lights formed over the eclipse as if a piece of the starry sky was blocking the sun. It was surreal as the stars expanded. Seconds later, huge balls of light fell from the sky. Trailing like comets, they slammed into the earth in all directions for as far as the eye could see. The entire landscape erupted into chaos.


    One light collided with rivaria below, wiping it from the map with a tectonic explosion. The shockwave sent me tumbling through the air, the sheer destructive might overwhelming us.


    Helios attempted forming portals to catch them as he did before. They were too large and too many, so Helios stepped through a portal to evade the calamity. The Sentinals swung their spears, using slices in spacetime to absorb any incoming shockwaves. Likewise, the Overseer mimicked their tactics, his body impervious to the resulting carnage around us.


    The others were not so lucky.


    Three gialgathens disintegrated in a direct impact from one of the novas. Two more were left broken and bent beneath us, taken out of the fight entirely. One of the two Speakers fell after a shard of debris cleaved his skull in half. Two Breakers were left with missing limbs.


    One attack left our forces in shambles.


    Lehesion laughed before staring down at us, "In my wake, there is only ruin."


    The hole in his chest sealed up as the wires bundled around the wound. Mana siphoned into it these cords, regenerating him utterly. We were going to all die here if this continued. We needed to come up with a plan and fast. I turned to Helios,


    "Create a portal for me."


    Helios lifted a hand, creating a gateway into Lehesion''s sphere of control. I jumped through the portal, coming face to face with the Leviathan. The aura strangled me, leaving me unable to breathe. It was an oppressive amount of mana to be sure.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    At the same time, I sustained through its influence. I was used to my own torrents of mana, giving me plenty of experience dealing with it. To move, I created a counterflow of mana, letting my own aura grow outward. Without the golden energy restricting me, I turned to the monster.


    I glared up at the beast, his eye the size of my body and his talons larger than my chest. Molding Event Horizon over him, I fired myself towards him like a tank round.


    Lehesion rolled his eyes, "And the ant tries to bite m-"


    I collided with him, dropkicking him with all my might. I created gravitational flows to enhance my mass and speed. I shifted telekinetic points to reduce the surface area of my blow, turning it into a tiny bullet of impact. I bounced backward, my body aching at the forces rippling through me, but my bones didn''t break.


    Lehesion stumbled backward, his large frame taking up my entire field of view. As landslides occurred beneath him, he gasped at his broken ribs,


    "The little ant has a sting, doesn''t he? Let''s see if he has a backbone as well."


    Lehesion whipped his tail through the air, crystalized mana forming a spiky club at the tip. As it slammed into me, I used a tremendous gravity well to anchor me in place. Using it to ground me, I whipped my right arm with everything I had. The mana exploded over my body with a kinetic conversion. The tail itself was massive and colossal.


    Somehow, I held.


    I parried his strike as his eyes widened,


    "You are no longer an ant. You are a beetle now."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed, "And like all beetles that bother me, you will be stomped under my heel."


    His golden aura coalesced over his tail, his protection ceasing for a split second. The energy created waves in our dimension as Lehesion roared out,


    "Begone."


    The tail made contact, and all went blank. My eyes opened within a crater on the mountain. My body was mess, cracked and broken. I molded strands of my armor, forming splints that jarred my bones in place. As the cracks mended, I pulled myself up, rock melting beside me. As I stumbled up, vibrant energy filled my body, the same as after crashing into the earth or being attacked by Yawm. This was my chance.


    I leaped up, a thousand feet of molten rock surrounding me. As I flew upwards, I stared down, finding new scenery.


    Rivaria was gone.


    It was as if a meteorite slammed into the ground where I landed. I turned back to the battle, finding Lehesion whipping his tail about. His golden aura covered him once more, several holes in his body healing. He sheered through two gialgathens before swinging his tail at Helios.


    The two Sentinels guarded him, using their spears dimensional tears to zone any contact. Lehesion ignored them once, attempting to outmuscle the Sentinel''s defenses. Lehesion''s tail fell into the void before the Sentinel on Helios''s right closed the gateway.


    Lopping off the limb, Lehesion growled in disgust,


    "You have parlor tricks, do you? So do I."


    Lehesion''s tail regenerated, wires forming a framework that mana condensed into flesh over. Lehesion generated a portal within his golden domain, the same as the Overseer''s kind. His tail whipped from behind Helios, but Helios turned in time. He created a counter portal that appeared beside Lehesion''s head. The beast''s tail smashed his own face with his own tail.


    It lopped off his jaw, steel cables keeping his maw hanging from his head. Malevolent strands expanded from his body, pulling it back in place with violent jerk. As it did, the giant to lost himself for a moment. His surrounding aura shivered. All the forces at our disposal unloaded, pelting him with an armada''s worth of magic, explosives, and fiery breaths.


    It did not touch him.


    Lehesion''s jaw reformed, his Hybridized body owning a tremendous vitality. The golden beast grimaced and showed his teeth,


    "And so, you little ones believe you''re clever then?"


    I reached beside Helios, standing beside the icy lord. He turned to me, his one exposed eye opening wide as he gasped


    "How are you still alive?"


    I patted his back, "I''m tough. Real tough." I pointed up at the sky, "When I come down, warp me into Lehesion''s aura."


    Helios''s eyes narrowed, "Is this suicide?" Helios sighed, "Our uncle will be very disappointed, but I understand." Helios put a hand on my shoulder, "Your sacrifice will be valiant-"


    I slapped his hand, "What? Hell no. I''m kicking that monster''s ass and coming out fine afterward. Are you ready?"


    Helios raised his eyebrow, "Oh...Well then, ahem, I am."


    I shot up into the sky as Lehesion let out a wave of his atomic breath at Helios. The Sentinels blocked most of the nuclear stream with there spatial slices. The surrounding heat was cooled by the ice magic of Helios. As I rose into the distance, Chrona came into the fray. Her temporal dilation didn''t effect Lehesion, the old monster grinning,


    "Petty techniques will not affect me. I am above time and above death."


    The shiny frog dragon sure had a bunch of one-liners. I wondered if he just sat in front of a mirror and thought them all up. At the same time, I shot myself way up into the stratosphere, reaching into the edges of space. After minutes of rising high, I weighed myself down.


    A living meteor, I shot down towards the golden spot under me. Heat built in my skin and bones, a violet radiance washing over me. As I neared the fight, Helios generated dozens of portals at once. He allowed the entire group to assault Lehesion directly, the Sentinels defending him as he did so. The dragon out regenerated their attacks, using his tail whips to suppress any that came close.


    Lehesion began casting his starfall magic once more, another volley more than enough to wipe us out. One of the Sentinels leaped into the air, launching himself over Lehesion. With a long swipe of his spear, he created a massive rip in spacetime. Lehesion''s golden aura dissipated into the void before the golden beast glared at the Sentinel,


    "And that is your last deed here on this plane."


    With a thunderous smash, Lehesion smashed his tail onto one of the defenders. The kinetic impact shattered the light blue armor and crushed him into the ground behind the beast. Blood splattered all around its body as the Sentinel twitched like a headless snake over fire. Lehesion lifted his tail and unleashed a finishing strike at his body, crumbling it under the impact.


    Bones, plate mail, and circuitry splattered in every direction. The Sentinel''s spear flopped towards the mountainside as shrapnel launched in every direction. A chip of blue armor embedded itself in Helio''s shoulder, making his right arm useless. Lehesion roared,


    "You will all perish here, reduced to powder and ash and nothing."


    Helios heaved for breath, exhaustion setting in. Even with infinite mana at his disposal, he still needed mental energy to cast it. Lehesion glared at the Novas, rearing his tail back for another swing. Before it landed, the remaining Sentinel stepped forward. His armor charged as the tail whipped towards him. In a display of pure skill, the Sentinel parried the strike.


    It came at a cost.


    The Sentinel''s arms shattered as his armor crumpled. The spear cracked yet held. The ice pillar beneath Helios and the Sentinel fractured as the other ice columns off in the distance took damage as well. The Sentinel fell to his knees before collapsing. As the others rained down hellfire onto Lehesion, the behemoth raised his tail,


    "This is your end, little kitten."


    Helios raised his left hand, gasping for breath. A portal formed above Lehesion as I reached him in a blaze of glory. Lehesion looked up as I collided between his wings and against his spine.


    All went white as the mountains trembled. The skies ran from the impact, forced by the wind. The others were whipped apart by the decimation, the calamity utter and complete. As the collision settled, my eyes opened once more, finding myself surrounded by meat chunks and misty blood vapor.


    Lehesion was a pile of glowing mush and red mist. He was chunk soup as I stood from a red hot crater formed atop Rivaria. The mountain looked like a volcano, a pool of magma surrounding us. More concerning than the cataclysm I wrought was the golden forcefield surrounding me and the corpse.


    Lehesion was still alive.


    Untold amounts of mana siphoned into his liquid body, wires forming the framework of his bones. He regenerated at a rapid pace, his tenacity exceeding my own. I turned to the others, finding them stunned, injured, and dead tired. It wouldn''t take three minutes before Lehesion was back to full strength either.


    I turned to the mush pile, creating a singularity at its center as I thundered,


    "Kill it."


    The mush fell into the gravitational implosion before erupting with the magma. After the shockwave rippled through the remaining golden aura, I drove my hands into the bloody pulp, drilling my armor through Lehesion''s body.


    Pure yet dark mana flooded my system. It was quenching, my armor grinning over my face. At the same time, there was something eerily familiar about this energy. It was corrupted by some hideous influence, a darkness that couldn''t be expunged.


    Even then, Lehesion''s clout amazed me. The legends of Lehesion''s mana being connected with the world were true. He owned a direct pipeline to the planet''s mana, and even I couldn''t match a mana source like that.


    Yet.


    That got me thinking, however. At best, we killed Lehesion over the next few hours, but we would slaughter Giess at the same time. At worst, we''d still kill almost the entire planet before dying here like dogs. In fact, we''d probably already slaughtered the entirety of a continent.


    As I stood there and soaked that reality in, everyone around me unleashed havoc. My allies created portals into the golden aura, and Althea appeared to fire her arcane bolts on Lehesion''s liquified body. Her bolts pierced the aura, slicing through the soupy body. Arcane lightning rippled from her attacks, disintegrating masses of flesh.


    At the same time, Helios gave the Overseer full reign, launching one pulse of destruction after the other. The gialgathens attacked with all they had as well. Their fiery breaths caused stone to bubble and the air to squeal. The remaining Breakers shot out energy pulses loaded with Arcane energy.


    Even now, with no discernable features of Lehesion remaining, I found no signs of the creature dying. Lehesion''s body was still pulsing with vitality, life oozing from it as if it could never die.


    My eyes widened. That was just it.


    Lehesion couldn''t die.


    I gasped as I recognized the energy inside of Lehesion. It was the essence of an old one, just like Etorhma''s tears in Althea or the time I spoke with Eonoth. An Old One was keeping this golden monster alive. This was why even an Overseer couldn''t pass the golden aura. It defied logic because it was being maintained by a being that defied logic.


    With my arms and legs lodged in the beast, I bit down on my tongue as frustration mounted. As ridiculous as it sounds, defeating a planet seemed doable. Defeating an Old One? That was a daydream at best and a nightmare at worst. Without waiting any longer, I turned and shouted to the others,


    "We cannot win. Lehesion cannot die."


    Helios raised a hand, blood dripping down from what remained of his mask. He boomed,


    "He is nothing but mush. This is the only chance we have. To retreat now will void all the sacrifices your forces have made. Do you kill your own for nothing?"


    I shook my head, "No. I think an Old One is keeping Lehesion alive. Even now, Lehesion isn''t any closer to dying. I can feel it. We can''t win this."


    Helios roared, "You called me here to fight a war I could not win? Do you use your favors so carelessly, or are you simply an idiot?"


    I bit my tongue, swallowing a few choice curses to respond with. I sighed before saying, "Whether I am or not is an argument for another day. For now, we have to escape before he''s back to full strength."


    The Overseer grabbed the sides of his head with his hands, "An Old One...in my sector...Why would one interact so directly here? What does it have to gain from keeping this arrogant fool alive?"


    I shouted, "It doesn''t matter why. We need a warp to Yildraza. We''ll regroup somewhere near there, wherever you think is fitting."


    The Overseer took deep breaths, "We die here for nothing.


    A portal appeared beside him. Krog growled at me as he flew above,


    "I did not take you for a coward, Dark One."


    Several gialgathens howled with approval. I turned to Krog, absorbing as much of the mana as I could,


    "His mana is endless. Ours is not. We must live to fight another day."


    Krog roared, "My comrades died here today. Their sacrifices will mean nothing if we leave now."


    My voice echoed over the burning fires and swirling ice,


    "Make no mistake, we are not giving in. I will hunt this monster down and kill it. We all will. When we return, it will be overwhelming and in force." I scowled, "But that''s hard to do if we die here."


    Krog heaved for breath, his eyes full of anger. He let out a howl of frustration before saying,


    "Then we shall do as you say, commander." He narrowed his eyes, "But next time there will be no surrender. I will fight till my death."


    I smiled, "Of course. So will I."


    They flew towards the Overseer''s portal, warping away. I turned to Althea and the others. Only two Breakers were left and both the Speakers died. Althea raised a palm,


    "You don''t have to convince me. If anyone knows how insane Old Ones can be, it''s me."


    I sighed with relief, "Thank you."


    She walked the portal. The two Breakers stared at one another then back at Lehesion and me. The giant beast was halfway reformed already, his ribs and spine the size of bridges. The Breakers jumped into the portal, leaving the battlefield.


    I pulled my arms and legs from the beast, turning to Helios and the Sentinel. Helios snapped his fingers, forming a portal besides me. I stepped through it. As I walked near him, the Ruler of Worlds stared at me for a second. He murmured,


    "You are immortal."


    I pointed at Lehesion, "He is as well. We have to run. We''ll regroup and fight him with more assistance."


    Helios tried moving, but his knees wobbled. Before he fell, I grabbed his arm over my shoulder and helped him walk. Using gravity, I carried him over to the portal. I did the same with the collapsed Sentinel.


    Despite his debilitation, Helios grumbled between heavy breaths,


    "Carried by a backwater savage...with no class...My pride will carry scars...from this day."


    I turned to him, "I can carry you in my arms if you want. Just saying."


    He narrowed his eyes, "I''ll kill you...if you dare mention this or that again."


    I rolled my eyes as Helios struggled not to vomit from mana deprivation. As I passed over the battlefield, I spotted the smashed corpse of the Sentinel beside the crater in the mountain.


    I picked up the body of the Sentinel and his spear with a gravity well. As I passed through the portal, the Overseer put his hand on the Sentinel''s body,


    "He...he will be missed."


    Hearing those words stung. Even if I was casual while talking with Helios, our loss was starting to sink in. We failed, and we didn''t stand a chance. Lehesion was stronger than I ever imagined. No, then we ever imagined.


    We would need a real plan to fight it out with him next time. We couldn''t rush in blind, or we would all be ground to a pulp like we were this time.


    As Helios and I stepped through the portal, the Overseer followed. The scenery shifted, and we were in the middle of a field overlooking Yildraza in the distance. Insects chirped, birds sung, and the air was sweet in my nose.


    Despite the peace of it all, the sounds of war left a lingering silence in my ears. I''d done everything I could. In the end, it didn''t matter. Rivaria was decimated, and we lost good people here.


    As I dwelled on the outcome, the Overseer closed the warp behind himself. All the others sat or laid around in a circle atop the hill. Everyone gasped for air besides for the Overseer and me. I set Helios down, letting the ice mage rest. As I did, Helios slammed his hand into the dirt and squeezed a clump of grass in his fist.


    "I bring shame to the Novas name."


    The others glanced down, each of them counting their mistakes in the battle. I didn''t know what to say, my words catching in my throat. We lost well over a dozen of our members. Six of my guild''s gialgathens were dead. Three Breakers and both of the Speakers were dead as well. The most significant loss came in the missing Sentinel.


    I laid his body down beside a patch of flowers. The Overseer and I stepped up to him. The Overseer, in a rare moment, exposed some emotion. He lunged onto a kneed and placed his hand onto the Sentinel. The Overseer whispered,


    "You may rest for all time, brother. You fought the tide, and so it fought you back. Though washed away to sea, you will always be remembered."


    He laid his head onto his chest,


    "In Eternum, Vive."


    I stared at the Sentinel''s crushed armor and spear. He reminded me of the first Sentinel I met back in Blood Hollow. Everyone I spoke with told me they were machines. They weren''t, not even in the slightest. They felt pain, prejudice, and pride like anyone else.


    In the end, I didn''t understand what they went through to become Sentinels. What little I did know was that it required sacrifice, diligence, and courage. They were Schema''s frontline soldiers, so they fought against the eldritch. Either that or they guarded doors.


    On second thought, I really didn''t know much about them.


    The Overseer stood as I pondered. He placed a hand onto my shoulder,


    "You...you can make use of his body, can''t you?"


    I turned to him, leaning back, "Are you serious? He''s your ally, and he just died. Don''t you guys have a funeral or something?"


    The Overseer shook his head, "When they die, their records are cleansed and their failures erased. The only legacies they leave are the people they save and the armor and spear they wore."


    The Overseer gripped his hand into a fist, "He will either be eaten by you or the animals here."


    The Overseer gripped my shoulder tighter and stared at me, "His death can mean something, even if only a little."


    The Overseer took his hand off my shoulder and stared away, "Though I understand if you aren''t willing."


    I glanced down at the Sentinel. It had violet colored skin just like a Kessiah or Tohtella. I turned to the Overseer,


    "Is he...a remnant?"


    The Overseer sighed while taking a step back, "Yes. Most believe they are machines, but this is a misnomer. Their true identity is hidden by Schema. Considering the mental conditioning Schema put them through, perhaps that is better."


    The Overseer waved a hand, "A portion of the remnants didn''t rebel against Schema. They were rewarded the highest of honors, given the right to be Schema''s soldiers. After being sterilized, they were forged into warriors. They carry a great responsibility and great power in equal measure."


    The Overseer peered into the distance, "But they are limited in number. Every Sentinel that dies is one less that Schema has in his arsenal. Each of their deaths is a blow to Schema and his forces. There is one great light that shines from this Sentinel''s passing, however."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What is that?"


    The Overseer''s voice rang like metal,


    "It guarantees that Lehesion will die for this."


    I nodded, "He will...I''m wondering why Schema sterilized the Sentinels though?"


    The Overseer shrugged, "Perhaps it was fear. The remnants were once complex enough with their knowledge to create Schema. If they created something of such unequaled potential, who is to say they couldn''t have crafted another A.I that is his equal, or perhaps his better? We cannot know, and Schema did not want an answer to that question."


    I frowned, "So he purged their population and limited it because he was scared? That''s cowardly."


    "It was calculating." The Overseer sighed, "That is what we must be if we are defeat what we face throughout the galaxy." The Overseer pointed at the Sentinel,


    "You must be calculating as well, unless you wish to become like him."


    I shook my head back and forth, getting rid of my apprehension. As the others licked there wounds behind me, I kneeled down and placed my palm onto the Sentinel. My armor drilled into the corpse and soaked it up as Helios chugged mana potions and summoned the medical force to assist us.


    By the time a nurse reached me, the corpse was gone. The Overseer picked up the armor and spear of the warrior, leaving nothing behind. A blue-skinned nurse with most of her face covered in a facemask walked up to me a few minutes later,


    "Do you need help?"


    I stared at my hands,


    "No...I think I''ll be fine."


    She narrowed her eyes, "You don''t have to play tough. It''s ok if you''re hurt."


    I stood up while rolling my shoulders, "I''ll be fine. Er, thank you."


    She paced off as a message appeared on my screen. It had been a long time coming, but I prayed it was worth the wait.


    Evolution gained. The Living Multiverse unlocked. Evolve Y/N?

 218 Something Else Altogether

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I hovered my hand over yes before turning to the others,


    "Guys. I''m probably going to look like I''m dying over here. Don''t worry too much about it. I''ll be fine."


    Althea frowned, "What do you mean?"


    I took a deep breath, "It''s my next armor evolution. It''s been years, and something tells me it''s not going to be a simple, easy thing this time. It might take a while."


    Helios raised his exposed eyebrow, "Evolution? Your armor evolves?"


    I nodded, "It''s about to again. I''m going to take a few steps away, just in case."


    I lifted myself up, "I''ll be back in a minute. Well, it might take a while actually. I don''t know yet."


    I spoke my goodbyes while the others were patched up by the medical facility. With formalities handled, I zoomed off into the distance. After pulling myself along for about a mile, I landed surrounded by the sounds of a forest. I sat down cross-legged as I absorbed the atmosphere around me. I loved nature, and my mom would sometimes say I liked trees more than people. At the time, that was truer than she''d ever imagined.


    After settling down, I mentally prepared myself for what was to happen. This would be a real mind breaker of an experience. With that in mind, I meditated for a moment, getting fully prepared. After a few more seconds, I selected yes on my status.


    Something changed as I did.


    Around me, the dimension around me receded, giving me distance. I went somewhere else, my body suspended in a blot of pure black. This stretched into a circle around me. I stood and turned, finding something familiar about this darkness. As I dwelled on it, I understood why.


    The range of the darkness mirrored Event Horizon. I shifted it back and forth, ripples reverberating through the space around me. It was a surreal sight. All this time, it felt like I was impacting the dimension around me. Now it was more like I was claiming a portion of it as my own. No, I wasn''t taking anything. I was making it.


    Another series of sensations sprung forth. An urge to devour washed over me, both intense and persistent. It threatened to control me, but I summoned more of my willpower and quashed it. I long ago learned to control my mana, and I wouldn''t let a simple increase overtake me now. Still, it would be annoying having to tame it all the time, but I had the willpower to spare.


    As I finished handling the sudden surge of mana, a heat built in my chest. Like a furnace, something burned away all the impurities in my body. It started light but built in intensity. A pain built in my chest at that moment, spreading to all my limbs. I blinked, my eyes watering. As I lifted my hands, all my blood steamed from the interlocking plates on my body. Like a metal lobster, I boiled alive inside my body. As my skin and bones bubbled, a pain erupted into my body.


    As the process continued, this ache turned like liquid fire in my veins. All remnants of my humanity expunged, something else replacing it. Every cell was washed away in order to make room for the new. This cycle of heat building continued, the sheer volume of energy amassing to absurd amounts.


    I became a living star, my body having no right to remain alive. I kept my voice from escaping my chest even though I wanted to scream. It was terrifying yet necessary. It was as if all my weakness was being washed away by a hungry fire.


    It wasn''t fire alone that plagued me. Pressure on all sides compressed me down to a finite point as if I was a singularity. It changed me into something odd, a material I''d never seen nor heard of. Reactions took place that I did not comprehend nor understand. It felt like I was being forged at the center of a nuclear reactor, being turned into a weapon.


    Hours passed, perhaps days. I couldn''t tell in that state of constant agony. It was more than a human mind could handle, but I was more than human now. As my body finally stopped boiling, I cooled down until my chest no longer burned. The pressure ceased, but I didn''t take a breath.


    I no longer needed air to breathe.


    I stared at my hands, expecting to find myself looking like a charred corpse. Instead, I wasn''t completely different in appearance. I was similar in composition, though my armor was a very dark gray rather than pure black. There weren''t any plates over my skin anymore either, just a few thick spikes along my shoulders and back.


    This gave me a biological look, like a creature that existed in a dimension of only metal. I still had bones, muscle, and the arrangement of a human. The difference came in my composition. I don''t think there was any water in me anymore. I mean, my blood was silver before, so I already understood I wasn''t normal. Now, I was the refined version of my old self.


    That begged the question - was I ugly as fuck now? I pulled back my helmet and felt my face. It was as dense and hard as metal, though it still had the texture of human skin. Really, really hard human skin. I made my hand glow, and my skin didn''t reflect a ton of light off my face. I wasn''t shiny then. I would probably look grayish now. Didn''t I look grayish before? Man I needed to look in a mirror sometimes.


    Maybe I could change my appearance in the future, but that would be up to Althea. After all, I didn''t want her to think I was hideous. While I was at it, I felt along my back. My runic work remained from my previous transformation, so I retained my ability to siphon mana into myself.


    After a while, I tore a strip of my skin off, melted it, and turned it into a smooth panel. It acted as a mirror that I hovered in front of me. Overall, I looked quite a bit different, less busy in appearance. Although my own look never bothered me, it was kind of nice not being such a sore thumb. At the same time, something about the way I stood took up more space. I wasn''t physically larger, but there was a pressure I exerted.


    I looked as if I didn''t belong here.


    I didn''t really understand it myself. As I moved my hands to check them out, there was no resistance in my movements. How a material was so dense and so hard yet moved with ease was mystifying. My joints glided along, not needing any added strength to move. Everything worked like clockwork.


    As I appreciated my lack of defects, I stared around me, the black aura receding. In its place, a mild, red tint remained. Event Horizon was visible now. That was weird.


    I pulled Event Horizon inwards, finding the forest remaining as I left it. That was also strange. Event Horizon should''ve disintegrated all that was around me into black slush. Instead, everything increased in size. I walked up beside a tree, and I found myself shorter than before. That was strange as I expected to be taller. Being a fourteen-foot giant had its cons though, so losing a few feet in height wasn''t the worst thing in the world. I''d manage.


    As for my mana, I channeled it. It responded in an overflow, flooding any of my expectations. It was pure without any instability. No internal forces fought to create this energy. Enhancing the flow did not require effort either. At my uppermost limit, it did not threaten to bother me in any way whatsoever. My mind was clear, as if I was meditating on a calm Sunday morning.


    The life around me trembled, however.


    My aura reached the skies. It devastated everything around me, red, glowing lines growing over the trees and wildlife. They cracked and crumbled, unable to sustain through the sheer volume of lifeforce oozing into there bodies. Even the temporal space around me shivered, unable to endure the sheer volume of vitality. This mana pooled at my feet, crystalline mana structures forming. The clouds above let out ripples of red lightning, a thunderstorm generating in seconds, but it carried no rain.


    At the same time, it shocked me how easy the mana was to summon and maintain. I used to ramp up to my limit. This came like a flood after a dam broke. This red aura drenched everything around me, a glowing red crystal forming over nearby trees and grasses.


    I pulled that mana inwards, satisfied with the sheer volume. Once more, I expanded Event Horizon to see if it was still weakened. The response was immediate and utter. Within the aura, everything died. All the lifeforce around me sapped inwards, a minuscule flow of mana coming with it. The trees, grass, and all life evaporated into nothing.


    It was as if the world siphoned to me, no black sludge remaining from the bodies. It was as if someone salted the earth. In fact, there was a strange sense of control over the entire area. It was a lonely but comfortable feeling like standing atop a mountain''s peak.


    To get a better idea of what was going on, I opened my armor menu to check out what the bonuses were. After all, I needed to figure this stuff out and use it to my advantage.


    The Living Multiverse(Unknown Composition | Class Permissible) - Your body is a multiverse. This gives you many unique properties that may be altered depending upon your mode of being. This current mode is decided by your primary mana type at any given moment. Current Mode of Being: Ascendant


    Dimensional Wake - Your reach as a dimension has manifested. It extends outwards like an aura, currently known as Event Horizon. Depending your current mana type, this aura can altered to one of six mana types: Origin, Dominion, Augmentation, Ascendant, Quintessence, and Primordial.


    Event Horizon - You gain the ability to manipulate the space around you for your benefit. The effects are many, but they revolve around controlling your surroundings to empower yourself.


    Current Radius: 500 ft/152 m | Size of aura can be increased by your mass


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Endless Hunger - Siphons enemy''s mana and health to you. Current Siphon Amount: 50,000 + 100% of your total health/min | Affects both mana and health | 100% of mana and health absorbed converted into health. Reduced by physical or mental resistances. </li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Oppression - This aura is palpable, and it affects the mental state of anyone within Event Horizon. This gives dramatic bonuses to your ability to intimidate and inflict fear in both allies and enemies alike. Be mindful, as this effect can turn allies into foes if overused.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">An Ascendant''s Domain - Within Event Horizon, Dominion and Augmentation effects are enhanced. This means your ability to control objects and minds is enhanced, and your self enhancements are empowered. This includes your own mental defenses and debuff resistance as well.</li>


    </ul>


    Strange Matter - Your body is entirely composed of a compressed version of matter found within the center of neutron stars or theoretically in black holes. The atoms forming your body have lost all distance from one another, creating a denser state of matter than is otherwise achievable. This degenerates typical neutrons, protons, and electrons into a quark soup.


    These quarks are very compacted, fusing together into an unbelievably solid and dense material known as strange matter. While your body is currently in a thinned version of this matter, it still carries many qualities.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Density of Strange Matter - resistance cap increased by 4.02% | Current Max: 99.02% | Can be increased further by added density</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Stability of Strange Matter - Health is multiplicatively doubled | Overall Health Multiplier Including Perks: 16.0</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Plasticity of Strange Matter - 10% of total health added to health regen per minute.</li>


    </ul>


    An Infinite Being - You are without limit, allowing you to change yourself without any restrictions. This will enable you to create augmentations to yourself with greater ease, manipulate what''s around you without effort, and expand your mind without limit. The effects are as follows:


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A Dimension''s Autonomy - Cipher augments are now much easier to complete than before. Your control over mana carries no limit. Willpower increased by 10% multiplicatively. </li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Of All - Your ability to manipulate matter and energy is enhanced. Any enchantments, items, and potions you create are far stronger than before. </li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Infinite Soul - Cipher alterations to your body are considered soul forging. These costs are halved.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cosmic Expansion - Mass is enhanced by total ambient energy absorbed. Current Bonus: 278,486 Kilos</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Independent Space - You can store anything within a personalized dimensional space. Limited by your mass. </li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cosmic Entity - You''ve been enhanced by an enormous flow of energy, and your new body is much easier to enhance than before, raising your level cap | 1,000 to all stats | 1,000 to level cap | Current Cap: 10,000</li>


    </ul>


    The bonuses were mind-boggling, and it would take some time to inspect them all. Before doing all that, I opened my status to check the hard numerical changes. They were colossal.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 9,000)


    Strength ¨C 11,246 | Constitution ¨C 17,772 | Endurance ¨C 69,872


    Dexterity ¨C 5,744 | Willpower ¨C 41,969 | Intelligence ¨C 16,658


    Charisma ¨C 5,282 | Luck ¨C 8,147 | Perception ¨C 6,907


    Health: 36.5 Million/36.5 Million | Health Regen: 179 Million/min or 2,990,601/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 3.136 Trillion


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Mass: 1.42 million pounds(647,163 kilos~)


    Height: Actual - 9''3 (2.8 meters) | Current - 9''3 (2.8 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.02% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 1.96 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    Event Horizon ¨C 50,000 + (100% of your total health)/min


    I went ahead and crunched some numbers from some previous stat screens. Compared to the last time I checked, my effective health quadrupled if I included my resistance cap increase. My mana regen pentupled, increasing even more. This made me nigh invincible considering how hard I was to kill before. After looking closer, I figured out that I could increase my resistance cap even further by adding extra mass. That was good considering my synergy with extra mass already.


    Aside from the added toughness, it was so much mana that it boggled the mind. It wasn''t measured in millions by the minute anymore. It was by the second. It made me wonder how a rematch between Chrona and I would play out. She snapped the bones in her tail while hitting my arms before. Now she might cleave it off if she tried attacking me at full strength.


    I wasn''t aiming to beat Chrona, however. I was trying to kill Lehesion, and I wouldn''t match him now, even with all my enhancements. I might''ve saved a few more people at most. To be fair, that depended on if he was able to kill me instantly anymore. If he couldn''t, well, my healing ensured I would win over time. I regenerated five times my health every minute after all.


    As I dwelled on it, that wasn''t the problem. If an Old One was keeping Lehesion alive, I''d never finish him off. It would be a perpetual conflict until the end of all time. I needed to figure out some way of canceling out his connection with Giess and that Old One. If I did that, then Lehesion wouldn''t be difficult to stop.


    I grabbed the sides of my head, the difficulty of the task mounting. That was fucking impossible with my current tools. I didn''t have any clue how Old Ones worked, and I had no idea how Lehesion was connected to Giess either. To figure out how my only plan was to investigate his history. Knowledge was power in this case, and any other kind of power wasn''t about to work here.


    You can''t overpower an Old One after all. They are inevitable.


    Despite that sense of hopelessness, I had ways to enhance my strength from this point onward. My multiverse augments mentioned different mana types giving me different abilities. Considering my mythical compendium gave me the ability to create Quintessence mana, I could shift my ability then. That would give me a few more options to work with.


    Unlocking all those skills and the mythical skill as well would give me a massive upgrade to my skillpoints as well. If I could make a legendary skill, then I could progress my Sovereign tree. Getting an actual Sovereign skill might actually turn the tides as well.


    All of these options gave me hope. Even if I wasn''t ready for Lehesion just yet, it might not take as long as I imagined it would. Getting a class was also something on the horizon, but I didn''t even know where to start with that.


    With all that in mind, I prepared to leave. As I did, a dull ringing formed in my ear. A howling came up, louder than a bottle of thunder smashing over my head. A sense of impending doom seized my chest as if I locked eyes with a predator. Frozen in place, I waited. Cold sweat poured down my head, and I suppressed a shiver. What I did to the insects around me, a presence was doing the same to me.


    I blinked, and the world shifted around me. I glanced around, finding nothing but a never-ending void. I stared down and found nothing under my feet, so I stood on an invisible force. Underneath that null space, I found the dead spots of a dying sun beneath me. The light off the star was muted so I wasn''t blinded.


    I remembered this place. It was a personal dimension for an Old One I faced earlier on my time here on Giess. Without waiting, I shouted out,


    "Why am I here, Eonoth?"


    My voice rang through this new space, trembling in the distance. This space acted as an echo chamber, the sound resounding in my ears until it was as crippling as a mother''s death. It shattered my calm, sweat pouring down my forehead. As I steadied my breathing, a familiar and haunting voice answered,


    "You know where you are, one with many names. Gray Giant. Dark One. Immortal. The Multiverse. You are many and one. You are only a moment, yet always. I indulge in your presence. You are what I aspire to create."


    His voice resounded until it threatened to grind my body to a pulp. Somehow, I withstood the vibration. In fact, I held up better then I expected. Last time I was melting at this point already. Now I was just uneasy. This let me think about what he was saying. Unfortunately, it was still more riddle nonsense from this guy. I clasped my hands into fists,


    "You, I remember you mentioned you wanted to discover living metal."


    Eonoth spoke, his voice coming from every space around me,


    "Yes. Firmness. Absolute. Cold. You are those and more. It is glory to meet you in your final form. You''ve achieved what I wished for, yet you did not understand it to begin with."


    A formless blip appeared in my vision. It was an ever-changing, flickering abomination. In one moment, it was entrails, a riverbed, and a firework all at once. It was also none of those things. In the end, it was like a person pretending to be a 2-dimensional cartoon. It was impossible. All it ended up accomplishing was a hollow masquerade of mortality.


    I frowned, "You don''t have to give me something to look at. I know you aren''t like me, and I''m ok with that."


    The voice radiated from all directions,


    "It is strange how time travels in circles. I created one event, uncovering the lost failures of a proud son. He wrought havoc on an untested world. Now you come to cleanse that which acts as the cleanser. Ironic. Satisfying.


    Eonoth spoke his last word with a hollow ring to them.


    "Humbling."


    I grimaced, "You sound like you know what I''ve been doing."


    It shivered without recourse, "You think of me as a riddler speaker. You speak riddles to me. Yes. I am the cause of your challenge. I am the bringer of your burdens and the killer of your children. The proud son is unleashed."


    I crossed my arms, "Is the proud son supposed to be Lehesion?"


    "Is that how you understand him? Curious. I created him with gifts beyond reckoning, yet he accomplished nothing but his corruption. Disappointment. You were born with nothing, yet you bring what I seek."


    The shifting object shifted towards me, jerking with rapid, twitching motions. I remembered being paralyzed by a deep, primordial fear when I met Eonoth before. It was there, but it wasn''t overwhelming anymore. I didn''t feel as lesser to him anymore.


    Eonoth boomed,


    "I feel no fear. You''ve changed. You are no longer mortal. You are more."


    I swung my hand out and gnarled out,


    "Yeah, but I couldn''t give two fucks about that. From what you''ve said, you created Lehesion. From what I know about the guy, you kept him alive in our last fight. Why in the hell would you do that?"


    Eonoth backed up from me, "There are gifts that cannot be taken away. They are permeated. Infused. A part of. That is the proud son. He no longer can be killed."


    I pointed at my chest, "How the fuck am I supposed to kill the guy then?"


    Eonoth tilted the rough approximation of a head, "You cannot. Do not kill the unkillable. It is the body of a greater beast. Lop the head from the body, and it will no longer have teeth to gnash. Tear. Crush."


    I blinked, thinking about what he said. He was right. Fighting Lehesion head-on was a fool''s errand. It might be far easier to take down Tohtella and her shadow group. Once they were gone, we could control Lehesion or at least stop his madness.


    Eonoth reached out to me, "You accomplished what I could not. I will reward you. Take as you wish."


    I frowned, "Eh, I''d rather not get anything if I''m honest."


    Eonoth grumbled, "You will take as I give."


    It jerked towards me, touching my head. Its consciousness expanded over mine, a cosmic entity in its entirety. Its mind was all consuming like a plague of locust. Despite the deluge of thoughts, I held together. My sense of self was constant. I wasn''t washed away by its enormous mind, and I did it by keeping my thoughts as condensed as possible. My mind was like an iceberg floating on top of an ocean.


    Minutes passed as Eonoth struggled to implant some kind of information in my head. I held steady, stopping this thing from tampering with my mind. After minutes of its probing, I grew frustrated with this damn thing toying with me. I lashed out against it, searching through its own thoughts.


    With a violent snap, Eonoth left my presence. As it did, I crossed my arms,


    "Yeah, its not very comfortable, is it?"


    A deep silence returned my answer. Years may have passed or seconds. I couldn''t tell while here. My sense of time was too warped. After waiting for a reasonable length of time, I shouted,


    "Are you finished then? If this is all you come to say, then I''m leaving."


    Eonoth reverberated out, "You may not. Invasion. Anger. Wrath. To test my mind...you will never leave here. My domain, absolute."


    A deep sense of dread rose up my chest as he finished his words. I quivered for a moment, losing my composure. Minutes passed before my eyes widened. I remembered who I was and what I could do. I wasn''t some scared, little boy anymore.


    I raised a hand, standing tall. I reached out with Event Horizon. The aura didn''t mold with ease. It struggled out as if moving through solid concrete. I pushed through the resistance, creating a sphere of control within Eonoth''s dimension. I clasped my hand into a fist, saturating it with my aura. I spoke up,


    "Yenno, I have a damn good reason for stopping you from tampering with my mind. You see, I''ve seen what you and other Old Ones do to people. Yawm was turned from warrior king of a race to an insane, genocidal maniac. Lehesion was turned from some sort of Messiah to the puppet for some shadow organization. Now you want to have your way with me."


    Eonoth grumbled, "I aim not to harm you. I am different."


    I shook my head, "I don''t think you know what harm really is. You are entropy incarnate, and fortunately for me, I don''t have to rely on you right now. I have ways of accomplishing my goals with my own two hands. Try not to take it personally."


    Eonoth droned, "I attempt diplomacy. You tamper with me and my mind, a lesser being. An ant. A void."


    I raised a hand and grabbed my wrist. I clasped a hand, "Yeah, maybe I am an ant. So was Yawm, and I remember you mentioning that Etorhma was given fear by him."


    The dimension around me shifted, becoming unstable.


    "Maybe I''ll be the one to give fear to you."


    Eonoth''s voice thundered in my ears, louder than a supernova,


    "This is mine. It cannot be taken."


    I shook my head, "Not anymore. I''m no longer at your mercy."


    Cracks appeared in the distance. Event Horizon stretched outwards as my infinite mana soaked my surroundings. A tint of red expanded outwards further destabilizing my surroundings. As the star beneath me turned red, Eonoth roared,


    "Defiance. You will be crushed. Maimed. Murdered."


    I frowned, "We''ll see."


    Something seized in my chest, and my eyes watered. As I blinked, my scenery shifted back to the forest. I took a sigh of relief out of habit before looking around me. I was surrounded by a circular ring of dirt with trees just outside the range of Event Horizon. The sunset over the skyline cast everything in an orange hue. Not a second had passed in realtime. Leave it to Old Ones to defy the laws of physics.


    I shook off a few jitters, the meeting unsettling me. It wasn''t as if I could actually overtake Eonoth''s mind or anything even vaguely like that. All I could hope to accomplish was a meager kind of retaliation at best. I was pretty sure that Eonoth was more offended and outraged than actually harmed.


    Still, I didn''t have time to think about this yet. Ready to go, I floated back towards our campsite. I needed to meet up with the others and form a plan of action. As I arrived, I found nothing remaining except a few marks in the grass and the Sentinel who survived. His arms were covered in scars from the conflict, the armor over them shattered. He owned quite a bit of muscle as an ionic mist of some sort ebbed out of the cracks in his armor. This lit the air with electricity.


    As I approached, he pushed himself up using two Sentinel spears. One was his, and the other belonged to his fallen brother. He left them embedded in the ground while looking me up and down,


    "You''ve shrunk. I thought you said you''d evolve, not turn smaller."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I did, though you probably can''t tell because of your perception. Where did everyone else go?"


    The Sentinel stared at me, "You do have a different presence...Cleaner, maybe? As for the others, the Novas sent them to a medical facility after you left. That was three days ago."


    My eyes widened, "Wait...three days ago? What?"


    The Sentinel nodded, "Yes. I''ve waited for the Overseer to return and put me into another position. Perhaps he is taking so long to give me time to rest and reflect." The Sentinel glared down,


    "His kindness is noted, but it simply gives me more time to think. That is the last thing I need right now."


    I frowned, "You can follow me for now if you''d like. I can give you something to do."


    The Sentinel rolled his eyes, "Why would I follow someone like you?"


    That annoyed me, so I put a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, I tested out the new function for Event Horizon. I shifted the oppressive aspects of the aura over him, pulling back the actual damage dealing effects. It worked without a hitch, the red tint growing in the air.


    As it landed over the Sentinel, he froze in place. He whispered, "Who is putting out that pressure?"


    I grinned, "I am. Now you can choose to lay on this hill until the Overseer returns. Perhaps that could take years or minutes. We can''t know. You can also choose to follow me, and I guarantee I''ll give you a purpose."


    I pulled back the aura and my hand, "It''s up to you."


    A few droplets of sweat poured down the Sentinel''s arms, his breathing ragged. He stared at his hands, his fingers shaking,


    "You...you''re more than I imagined." He clenched his hands into fists," Perhaps I am as well." He stood up and faced me, "I shall leave with you until I am called to duty once more."


    "Good," I said while disguising some surprise. I didn''t expect that to work as well as it did. The new control aspects of Event Horizon were powerful, scarily so. I would have to monitor my usage of it. Otherwise, I might become another Yawm.


    In this case, it was far better than the Sentinel sitting here and moping around. With that in mind, I opened my status and sent a message to Helios. I asked him where he was and that I was with the Sentinel at the hill. About three minutes later, a portal generated out of nothing.


    Helios walked out with his arm in some sort of cast. Despite his injuries, he still wore his cape and kept his dignified manner of being. His mask was fixed as well, the blackened polymers mirroring an aged wood to perfection. He stared down at me,


    "And so the immortal returns. You seem different. More pure, and...shorter maybe? Odd. I-"


    I rolled my hand, "Expected you to get taller. Yeah, so did I. Where are the others?"


    Helios pointed back at his portal, "They are resting within the empire''s medical facilities. You''ve no problem with paying for that service, I assume?"


    "As long as it''s reasonably priced. Otherwise, fuck that."


    Helios tapped his claws against his side, pausing for a moment,


    "That was a joke."


    I spread out my arms in mock disbelief, "Wait a second...you have a sense of humor?"


    Helios deadpanned, "Not anymore." He waved a hand, "Enough chatter. Come."


    He stepped halfway into his portal,


    "The Empire welcomes you, Harbinger."

 219 A Wider World

    I raised an eyebrow, "Wait, I''m seeing the Emperor right now?"


    Helios dragged his hand down his mask, "No. He''s busy. You have an appointed date for meeting two months from now."


    I pointed at Helios, "Don''t act like I''m ridiculous here. What you said was misleading." I turned to the Sentinel, "Isn''t that right?"


    The Sentinel uprooted his spears from the ground and swung them over his back, "Just leave. I''ll wait here until you''ve come up with a plan of action." The Sentinel glanced down, entering a deep state of meditation. Helios stared at the Sentinel,


    "You convinced that oaf to follow you...How?"


    I gave Helios''s shoulder a pat, "I have my ways. Let''s go."


    Helios eyes me for a second before letting the issue pass. He pulled himself through his portal, and I followed. As I stepped through it, we entered an office of sorts. The room lacked a desk, instead opting for an elevated platform in the middle of the room. Several paintings covered the walls, very renaissance in style. It was an elegant, efficient room outside of the view.


    And what a view it was. An entire glass wall gave a glimpse of a futuristic city outside the office. Mana powered cars flew through the skies in streams of traffic. Sleek, modern buildings raised up to the heavens with entrances to them at over a hundred stories high. Beneath these giants, smaller buildings carried more character. Composed of glossy stone, many shops, service centers, and entertainment squares existed.


    They were neatly organized, this being a city built well after building codes were established. Pre-planned parks were made to incorporate a nature motif, letting the entire place feel less stuffy and constricting. The buildings never lined up to block a clear view of the sky. It was breathtaking.


    Helios caught me staring, so he puffed his chest a bit, pride leaking into his voice,


    "It''s awe-inspiring, isn''t it? This is the power of the Empire."


    I put my hand on the window, feeling a subtle layer of carbon fiber over it. I tapped it, and Helios answered my question before I could ask it.


    "The windows are lined with a graphene-polymer resin. They intersperse layers of the composite between the glass, strengthening the material. This prevents any weather from becoming a problem, even on far harsher worlds than this."


    Helios crossed his arms, "We never needed to worry about weather here, however. Belka-623 is an optimal location for many different species to live on."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Belka-623?"


    "It''s one of the worlds I govern. Though many of the innovations you see here were originated by my uncle, I carried them out. We raised this planet out of an enslaved position with a group of raider mercenaries. They weren''t very open to negotiations at first."


    Helios let out the sporadic kind of laugh someone lets out from thinking of a personal joke,


    "The Emperor can be quite persuasive, even to savages...No, especially to savages."


    I nodded, turning back to Helios, "I''d imagine so. I always go the skull cracking route. It''s easier that way."


    Helios scoffed, "Perhaps you and uncle would get along better then I imagined. Now, I''m certain you''re curious where your friends are?"


    "Yeah."


    Helios tilted his head to another room. He turned, walking up to the raised platform. A series of screens opened as Helios did.


    "Eva, send a message of my arrival at the Selta Medical Center. I''ll be having a guest as well."


    A feminine, warm voice answered, "Of course. It is a personal or business arrangement?"


    "Perhaps both."


    "Then I''ll make the necessary arrangements."


    Helios interacted with several of the screens, moving them over. I pointed at them, "Why don''t you just do it mentally?"


    Helios moved his hands across the screens with quick, practiced movements, "I prefer something to visualize. It enables me to keep track of many things at once as well." He turned to me, "Several planets worth, in fact."


    I had to admit, Helios impressed me quite a bit here. I wasn''t the biggest fan of organizing groups of people, but he was selling the concept without even trying. He was also giving me a lot of ideas for accomplishing the monumental task.


    The Ruler of Worlds cracked his neck before closing out the personal AI and turning to me, "Excuse me for the delay. I was in the middle of handling a few problems before you called."


    "Dude, don''t even worry about it."


    Helios turned and walked towards the sliding glass door of his office, "I assure you, I''m not in the slightest. It''s a matter of pleasantries. Now let''s go see your allies."


    We walked through a hallway, dozens of offices lining the building. They worked with diligence, organizing many elements for the planet from the looks of it. As we passed the entrance, two guards pressed their hands to their chests, saluting Helios. The Novas raised a hand, letting them stand at ease.


    After passing through the metal hallway, we reached a landing platform on the side of a taller skyscraper. Helios turned to me, "I doubt a vehicle is necessary for our travel. That being said, do try to avoid creating a catastrophe with your gravitational wells."


    He waved a hand, "Most don''t quite weigh as much as you do. We wouldn''t want cars crashing into buildings, now would we?"


    I mumbled, kind of starstruck by everything,


    "Uh, not really. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Helios stepped onto a panel of ice, and I created four gravitational vortexes.  Two were antigravity and the others average. They counteracted each other''s forces, resulting in a cylinder around me that kept me afloat. Helios turned to me and shook his head. I frowned,


    "What? It''s a way to get around."


    Helios grumbled, "It''s quite the opposite of what you''re imaging. I''m actually impressed you''d use such convoluted magic just to fly for a few miles."


    I crossed my arms as we hovered over the cityscape, "What''s so convoluted about it?"


    Helios dragged his hand down his facemask, "You own no perspective of normal, do you? At times I forget you''re a backwater savage."


    I pointed at him, "An impressive backwater savage."


    Helios turned to me while standing on the ice, "In ways, yes, but in others, I''m remarkably disappointed. It''s odd. You seem exceptionally competent in some subjects, and in others, you''re but a toddler by comparison."


    I shrugged, "I know I''m not a genius. I have to stick with what I know, or else I''ll get overwhelmed."


    Helios opened his status, fiddling with it as we spoke, "Wise. I don''t have that luxury. My position demands flexibility, so I must diversify my skillset to succeed. Even then, I doubt I could rival your fluidity with magic no matter the circumstances."


    I spread out my hands, "Pshhh, you''re selling yourself short."


    Helios shook his head, "I''m being realistic." He raised a gauntleted hand, the cipher sheening on it "Do you know what this is?"


    I pointed at it, "It looks like a transcription in the dimensional cipher for splitting atoms then containing and converting the energy into usable mana before it''s discharged."


    Helios let his hands flop on his sides, "And there''s the wild swing in competence once more. How do you know this?"


    I shrugged, "Yawm used the same technique, though his ability was from Etorhma''s cipher augments." I shivered, "Now those were confusing. I looked at them quite a bit, but they never cleared up. I figured they''re just unusable after a while."


    I released a torrent of mana from my hand, "Besides, I''d never need more mana than I have."


    Helios pointed at my hand, "That is why your magic is so fluid. While this augment gives me access to a limitless supply of mana, it comes at a cost. It''s not my own personal mana reserve, making it unwieldy. It''s like going into another person''s body and trying to fight using it."


    I grimaced, "Man that sounds impossible."


    "It isn''t, but it''s difficult. Innately, the potential difference in fluidity prevents me from achieving feats of magic like you have there. Of course, I can mimic that kind of magic on a smaller scale using my personal mana reserves. However-"


    Helios sounded like he talking through a clenched jaw,


    "They''re dwarfed by yours." He calmed down, "It''s an unfortunate reality, but that''s the nature of talent, isn''t it?"


    I scoffed, "Talent? I''ve invested almost entirely into mana regen from the very get-go. At least 90% of my investment was into pure endurance."


    Helios leaned back, "What? Endurance guides health regeneration, not mana regeneration."


    I banged a fist against my chest, "I have blood magic."


    Helios stood silent for a moment. He cupped his chin, "You''re rather open about the intricacies of your status...aren''t you?"


    I grinned, "It isn''t like I''m letting you know my weaknesses."


    "No, but knowing an enemy''s strengths is equally valuable. Avoiding them can easily lead to victory."


    I tapped my hand against the side of my head, letting out a metallic ring, "Hard to avoid having skin harder than steel."


    Helios let out an amused jeer, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. We''ve arrived."


    Beneath us, a facility was labeled by several drops of blood. It looked more like an asylum than a hospital, dense, orichalcum chambers interconnecting with concrete bridges without windows. As hovered down to a small entrance, I said,


    "So uh...This place looks friendly."


    Helios sighed, "It''s like speaking with a child." We walked through a series of doors, several guards saluting Helios. The Novas rolled a hand,


    "What would lead to most of the medical injuries within an advanced planet."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I cupped my chin, "Hmm, eldritch."


    "That''s correct. Now tell me, what''s a hazard of treating injuries from the eldritch?"


    "Well, they could have pieces of the eldritch in them, parasites in their blood, all kinds of problems really. That could get messy fast." I snapped my fingers, "So that''s why you guys keep it so locked up here. Its to stop the eldritch from escaping into the middle of the city."


    Helios nodded, "It''s good I didn''t have to explain even further. Perhaps you should think a little before asking an endless stream of questions."


    I rolled my eyes, "I haven''t even been in the system for five years. Cut me some slack."


    We stepped through a series of hallways as Helios continued,


    "I already have. Many wouldn''t and will not. It''s better you develop these habits now than later." Helios shook his head in exasperation, "Why am I helping you with this?"


    "Maybe because you know I can help you. Could be pity though."


    Helios stopped walking and looked at me. He turned and stepped forward,


    "Definitely pity."


    We reached a larger room, one without an orichalcum binding. It was for larger patients, many of them looking like war animals. Most of them laid on heated pads with troughs for food. The gialgathens had the troughs taken away, fresh carcasses taking their place.


    There was still a sterile smell to the air along with a bit of giant animal funk. As walked through the corridor, Helios waved a hand, "This is the best room we had available on such short notice for them. They''re quite large and difficult to tend to."


    I waved a hand, "I get it. They''re gigantic."


    We stepped through an automatic door, finding Kessiah tending to the wounds of several gialgathens. She looked out of place compared to the other nurses and doctors nearby. She still had her mid-drift showing, her classic leather jacket showing plenty with a few tattoos on her arm and neck.


    They didn''t discriminate despite her being a remnant. She didn''t look up at us as we walked up, her eyes focused on an orb of her own blood. She took a deep breath before funneling it into the necrotic limb of a gialgathen. The black, festering leg gained some color, turning purple from black. Kessiah smacked a plastic bottle off a table beside the gialgathen,


    "Goddammit, I fucked it up."


    A nurse raised her hands to Kessiah, "I assure you miss, you''re doing excellent work."


    Kessiah waved her away, "What the hell ever. I know when I''m doing well and when I''m fucking up." Kessiah shook her head, "Damn, I''m just so tired."


    I stepped up to her, "Looks like you''ve been busy. I was wondering where you were."


    Kessiah looked up to me, "Wow...You look different. Maybe I just forgot how imposing you can sometimes be. Eh, I don''t know."


    Helios raised a hand, "I want to thank you again for your work here. It''s invaluable."


    Kessiah poked Helios''s chest, "You''re lucky I''m helping you out. I hate arrogant asses, and you definitely count as one. Most people from the empire do." She shrugged,


    "But money is money."


    I turned to Helios, "Damn, I didn''t expect this...like, at all."


    Helios deadpanned, "At times, Diplomacy is painful. Let''s go view the others."


    We walked off as Kessiah rubbed her hands together, "Alright you piece of shit, get ready for round two."


    I suppressed a laugh as I looked at Helios. He stared forward,


    "Though unorthodox, she''s quite the healer. It''s rare to find someone who can restore limbs, let alone bring back people who are half dead. I also have more personal reasons for allowing her to treat me in such a manner. They matter more to me than my pride."


    I didn''t press further as we stepped up to an elevator. Helios stepped into it, so I followed. As we went down, turned to him,


    "What happened when you arrived at Rivaria? I forgot to ask."


    "Chaos. I arrived as Lehesion was enclosing onto the district. At first, I believed I could fend him off, but that proved futile. After a few rounds of attack, I humored him while allowing many of the citizens there to escape."


    Helios shook his head, "Your guildsmen assisted with this. Chrona, in particular, used her hastening to carry people out of harm''s way. Sheom attempted to reason with Lehesion. He reacted poorly..."


    I bit my lip, "What then?"


    Helios supported his forehead with hand, looking disappointed, "The escape was working well until Lehesion discovered what we were doing. He was furious, howling out his insanities. Instead of letting us evacuate, he drained the life force of the gialgathens and surrounding wildlife. They howled out in anguish as their life drained from their bodies."


    Helios shivered, "I created an ice vortex to destroy the life nearby, including their kind. It was strengthening him. He stealing their lives. I decided to eliminate them before he could."


    Helios stared at his hands, "I...I take no pleasure in genocide." He clasped his gauntleted hands into fists, "But sacrifices needed to be made." He turned to me, "Tell me, does my choice bother you, oh great Harbinger?"


    There was a bitterness there I didn''t expect. I crossed my arms,


    "You did what you had to do. Besides, I''ve been there. My hometown was wiped out by a plague from Yawm. I ended up killing almost everyone that ever lived there, down to the last woman and child. I lost my friends to that plague. They almost killed me at the time."


    I shook my head, "Sometimes, you aren''t given good choices. You just do what you can."


    Helios stared off into the distance, "For once, we agree."


    We stood there in silence for a while, both of us thinking. As the doors opened in the elevator, Helios straightened up and walked out. We entered a more luxurious room with old wood, various paintings, and gold lining the walls. It was a more old fashioned kind of place, though it lacked nothing in modern niceties.


    We turned to one of the rooms were Helios knocked on the door. We waited a second before a familiar voice answered.


    "Come in."


    Helios opened the door towards Caprika''s voice. We found her and Althea standing over the model of a city. I turned to Helios,


    "So that''s why you let Kessiah treat you that way."


    Helios stepped up them, "Silence. There''s work to be done."


    Althea walked up and gave me a jumping hug. I hugged her back,


    "I love you too."


    Helios glanced at Caprika''s model city,


    "It seems you lack the standard barriers between classes. Do you intend on implementing a less physical obstruction? I wouldn''t suggest it. It''s far easier to forget a mana barrier than an actual wall. You wouldn''t want rabble wandering, would you?"


    Caprika shook her head, "No, I don''t intend on having them at all."


    Helios leaned back, "Hm...if this is a joke, it isn''t humorous in the slightest."


    Caprika walked up to him, "You''ve seen what rabble can do. I''m not letting someone with talent get smothered. I''ll use every resource I have."


    Helios tilted his head, "Even if you believe your so-called meritocracy of classes will result in equality, you''re simply replacing one oppression with another."


    Caprika looked him in the eye while crossing her arms, "How so?"


    "It''s a simple deduction. Talent is dispensed unequally, creating an imbalance in how resources are distributed. This creates individuals with sufficient collateral that can be leveraged for better training and education. This is difficult to differentiate from talent."


    Helios leaned over Caprika, "This is how the Empire began. Is that no different than the monarchy that''s now been formed?"


    Caprika held her ground, "It''s good to give people the chance to make empires of their own, however. It''s more motivating that way you''ll find."


    Helios stared her down a for moment before letting up the pressure. He gave her a slow nod,


    "I''m impressed by your conviction. Do as you wish. I look forward to seeing the results."


    Althea and I looked on, my hand over her hip. Caprika turned to us as she sized me up. I gestured a hand to her, "It looks like Kessiah fixed your legs."


    Caprika nodded, "She certainly did, though she was generously compensated for that...You seem even more menacing than before. What changed about you?"


    I gripped my hand into a fist, "I''m tougher than before."


    Caprika scoffed, "I find that hard to believe. Now, I''ve been speaking with Althea about various details of my city. Her insight''s been helpful, but she''s no replacement for the guild leader. I was hoping to discuss a few trade deals with you."


    I scratched the back of my head, "Hmmm, alright, I can do that. It can''t take up too much time though since I need a few days to learn this mythical compendium."


    Caprika let out a laugh before laying a hand on my forearm for a moment,


    "You''ll find them amicable, I''m certain."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You seem more confident than before, like your old self."


    Caprika raised her glance, looking haughty, "I''ve much to be confident of. I allied us with a rather potent ally, The Immortal."


    Helios shoulders drooped as he let out a groan. I glanced between them, "What was that?"


    Caprika nudged Helios, "He''s the one that gave you that title from the Empire. That''s what he told our father when reporting to you earlier. That''s what I overheard while listening to him in his office earlier."


    Helios sighed while holding his head up with his hand, "He is a giant block of iron with a brain of equivalent functioning. I chose a rather flattering interpretation in my report."


    Caprika put a hand to her face, "Ho ho, of course you did. Thank you for that."


    I turned to Althea, ignoring the siblings'' antics. I pressed my forehead to hers, "It''s great to see you."


    She grinned up to me, "You''re looking handsome today. How''d the...uh, evolution treat you?"


    "It was painful. Not as painful as missing you though."


    Helios raised a palm to me, "That''s enough. Any more flaunting of your affection and I''ll vomit."


    Caprika pointed towards the city, "Perhaps we could talk business instead?"


    I frowned, "Eh, ok."


    Helios left us while we ended up spending the better part of the next hour discussing some economic transactions between my guild and her city. Though it was pretty tedious, we ironed out a few resources to exchange. I learned a bit from the talk too.


    The way resources worked in the galaxy wasn''t quite what I was expecting. Of course, dungeon cores, credits, and troops were valuable. I saw that coming. On the other hand, it shocked me how useful our old world tech was. It wasn''t because it served a practical purpose, but quite a few wealthy collectors sought out the remnants of ancient societies.


    Caprika let me know a few spots for premium exchanges using her contacts in the Empire. She gave details for a few material collectors that would pay top dollar for fragments of my armor as well. Combine that with our old world style paintings, and Earth was turning into an antique shop rather than a junk heap.


    I wasn''t sold on selling pieces of my skin, but it was nice to know that this would help Earth transition into a new power, though it would still take a while. That got me curious about how Earth was doing in general, including Hod and Amara. I was about to open up my status to send them a message before I remembered that Thisbey could read it.


    I turned to Caprika as she gushed over the new design of her city,


    "Wait a second before you continue, I was wondering if you knew anyone that understood system hacking?"


    Caprika sputtered her words, "Ahem, wait a moment, you mean hacking into Schema?"


    I waved my hand, "I already know someone like that. I''m talking about someone''s status."


    Caprika spread out her hands, "What? How do you know a system hacker? I don''t even know one, and our resources are incomparable."


    I shrugged, "I''m lucky. I don''t know a status hacker though."


    Caprika facepalmed, "It''s like talking to a baby that can''t crawl but has access to nuclear bombs. I''ve learned that the more I know about you, the more you have hidden."


    I waved off her concerns, "I''m not really hiding anything. I just never mentioned it. I really need some status hackers though."


    Caprika sobered up, "Would you mind disclosing why?"


    "Thisbey could read my status. From our fight, it wasn''t my character screen at least. That''s why I was able to overwhelm his trap."


    Caprika froze up for a second.


    "What?"


    "Thisbey could read my messages. Most likely, Tohtella could as well. That''s why Althea was captured."


    Caprika leaned back from me, her head tilted, "Wait. Before we speak further, I''ll send in a techsmith for you. Your system might be recording us now. You should have mentioned this earlier before we elaborate on any sensitive information."


    "Yeah, you''re right. I''ve been juggling a lot here recently, and details are leaking through the cracks."


    Caprika sighed, "I know you''ll be fine if they lure you into some sort of deathtrap. Your followers are far less tenacious, however. Nothing is guaranteeing that they aren''t attacking your base on Earth, for instance."


    I shook my hand, "I''m doubtful. No one''s sent me a message about it, and Hod and Amara are very powerful, Hod in particular."


    Caprika raised her head, "What are his accolades?"


    "He killed Yawm by tearing him apart. With help of course, but still."


    Caprika nodded, "Then assaulting your keep isn''t as easy as you''d presume. Hmm, would you need me to send guards perhaps? The Empire''s resources are vast, so we could afford to spare a few."


    I raised a hand, "Thanks for the offer, but I want Earth to be independent. We start our own fights, and we finish them." I frowned, "You do have me nervous, though. This system hack might be blocking messages from my allies. I should check up on them."


    Caprika scoffed, "Whoever hacked into your status did so by very subtle and difficult to detect means. Otherwise, it would''ve been easy to pinpoint when and where they did it. That means it must be relatively limited. Otherwise, they know of hacking methods that even the Empire doesn''t know of."


    I sighed in relief, "Thank god. Here I was thinking they could stop me from leveling up at this point."


    "That power only belongs to Schema."


    Well, she wasn''t quite right about that. Amara put me out of exile status, and that let me level up again. I wasn''t about to mention that, so I turned to the door,


    "If you say so. This was a good talk, and I''m glad your legs are up to snuff again. I have to go organize my guild though and come up with a plan to take out Lehesion."


    Caprika scoffed, "If an Overseer couldn''t kill Lehesion, what makes you think you can?"


    I shrugged as I walked out of the door, "Who said anything about killing him?"


    I rubbed my hands together, "I''ve got a few better ideas."

 220 Laying Out Options

    Caprika rolled her eyes under her red mask, "Such as?"


    I coughed into a hand, "Ahem, I''ll let you know later when I''ve let the ideas gestate for a bit..."


    Caprika laughed for a moment before turning back to her city, "Good luck with your goals. I''d offer more help, but I doubt I''d be of much use in that regard. Battle was never my forte, though I''ve already sent for the techsmith. He''ll be here in the hospital within the hour."


    She raised a hand, "Ah yes, I took every precaution necessary to ensure his security since you''ve been hacked before. I''ve already run a background check along with compiling a history of his service. He is absolutely trustworthy, having a family he cares for within this city. This is a big opportunity for him."


    I walked out of the room, "Thank you for that. You''re way more thoughtful than I''d be, that''s for sure. Anyways, see you later. Maybe we can have lunch in your new palace at some point."


    Caprika steepled her fingers, peering down at her model city, "We just may. Good luck getting rid of that monstrosity."


    I left the room before rounding up the others physically rather than by message. I didn''t want to message them and expose our location to anyone peeking at my status. It didn''t take long before I, the gialgathens, and the other aliens were standing in a circle in the healing room for large animals. It was the only room big enough for everyone. They all still wore my armor, though the old black plates carried a few dents and slices from battle. I was glad it held up.


    As I stared around, a surreal sensation washed over me. It was kind of strange that I was the most human person here. That was factoring in my dimension status, which was kind of wild. Either way, I rolled with it as I spread out my hands,


    "How''s everyone holding up?"


    Krog glared down at me, a bit of fury in his eyes, "We''ve lost half our gialgathen members. The humanoids were safe, as always."


    I turned to him, raising an eyebrow, "If there''s a problem, just bring it up. Don''t dance around it."


    Krog shook his head, "We gained nothing, and we lost good people. What isn''t there to be infuriated about?"


    I waved my arms, "I understand what you''re saying, but you''re looking at this all wrong. We might not have killed Lehesion, but we learned some essential information about him. That wasn''t the kind of enemy you defeat easily and in one encounter either. I mean, you of all people know that. He defeated Emagrotha."


    Krog''s expression soured further. I raised a hand and counted on my fingers,


    "Let''s look forward, alright. What did we learn? Well, first off, he''s immortal. Lehesion cannot be killed. This changes how we''ll approach the situation entirely. We can repress him and incapacitate him with Helios and me as long as we have the element of surprise. I can use that orbital bombardment to buy us time to capture him."


    I raised my eyebrows, "That''s if we can get Helios''s help again of course. I''ll admit, that''s a big if. For now, let''s assume we will."


    I raised another finger on my hand, "We have ways to circumvent his aura. Anyways, the second set of tactics we learned were ways to avoid Lehesion''s aura. Helios''s warps bypass it. We can plan around that in our next encounter."


    Althea crossed her arms, "So can Lehesion though. If he moved around, then he wouldn''t have taken that kind of damage. I doubt he''ll let us wail on him after you decimated him like that."


    Chrona murmured, a bit sadness in her voice, "And my aura will remain useless against him, along with most of our abilities."


    Krog was breathing hard in the back. Something about what she said was riling him up. Considering he just lost his home, grandfather, and many friends, I could understand why he was angry.


    Before he lashed out, I pointed at Chrona, "Maybe, but I might have another solution. While within Lehesion''s aura, I could counter its effects by manifesting my mana. I should be able to create a gap that lets you all attack him while I keep him busy. It shouldn''t be impossible considering the boost I got to my mana recently."


    Krog frowned, showing teeth, "There are many ifs and few absolutes in this plan of yours. There is one thing for certain, Lehesion crushed you in one swipe before when wielding his full power. What makes you think you can hold him off on your own?"


    It was a reasonable concern. I raised a hand, "I recently became much harder to kill. As long as my body holds, I''ll be able to hold the line against Lehesion. He isn''t actually that skilled since he relies on his aura and infinite mana for most of his offensive prowess. On top of that, his mind has degraded quite a bit. I''m pretty sure his actual tactical depth will be lacking. That gives us wiggle room to work with."


    I banged my cheek, a metallic ring echoing out, "Getting tougher is why I went missing for the last three days actually. I''ll be working on it until we fight again as well. Considering Lehesion needed that aura condensing attack to really hurt me, he''ll leave himself wide open to really do some damage. You all will be ready to fire away when he does."


    Chrona tilted her head at me, a genuine confusion spreading over her face, "How can you fight him on equal footing now?"


    I nodded, "Er, my armor has these evolutions. They are a big reason for why I''m so strong right now, though I did build to accentuate my armor''s strengths. I just had a massive breakthrough involving the evolutions. It made me several times harder to kill, and my mana increased by a similar level as well."


    I raised my hands, "Of course, I can''t muscle past Lehesion just yet, but I should be able to hold the line indefinitely as long as you guys are on point with countering his aura attacks."


    Krog scraped a claw against the ground, "I understand your confidence, and I know what kind of warrior you are, but you must understand something. We put lives on the line last time we fought. We''re fortunate to have lost so few, even if our homes were destroyed."


    He pointed his tail at Chrona, "You were throttled in one strike by that behemoth. I can''t in good conscience put our troops on the line over your estimations, as good as they are."


    I shook my head, "Trust me when I say the situation has changed since then. We have a chance, and don''t forget this planet will be glassed in the near future if we don''t act soon. Otherwise, I doubt we''d even attempt fighting Lehesion again."


    Krog''s tail whipped back in forth, "Perhaps a demonstration is in order then? We need something concrete to work off, something that can be seen perhaps. It would ease the concerns of the group I''m certain."


    Krog narrowed his eyes, "That shouldn''t be a problem unless you''re lying about your sudden change."


    Chrona turned to him, "What would you have him prove? Your own blows do nothing to him."


    Krog nodded, "Perhaps, but your strikes are different from my own. You crippled him in your last bout even if he recovered quickly. Daniel, if you could withstand her strikes, it would give me confidence to follow you and your assertions. Would you mind setting concerns to rest?"


    I bit my tongue, a bit annoyed at Krog''s sudden rebellious streak. They were much more emotionally invested in the fight than I was, however. It made sense they weren''t handling it quite as well.


    Taking that into consideration, I quelled my irritation. I was a leader now, and it was my responsibility to be level headed even if my followers weren''t. Even then, a simple demonstration wasn''t asking for an arm and leg. Well, most likely at least. I turned a palm to Krog,


    "Alright, sure. It''s good you''re skeptical. I wouldn''t want you guys running in unless our plan was bulletproof anyways."


    I turned to Chrona, "I can show you guys anywhere you want. The others can watch as well."


    She nodded before we walked out to the center of the spacious room. It gave us plenty of space to move and attack with. I rolled my shoulders, facing Chrona''s bright blue form,


    "Use your time dilation and give me a good whack with your tail at full force." I turned to Kessiah, "Be prepared to heal her."


    Chrona''s eyes were sad as she waved her tail behind her. She sighed as her dark blue, primordial mana pooled behind her. She murmured,


    "Be ready. I would like to think you haven''t forgotten my potency when I can use my abilities."


    I shook my head, "Of course I didn''t forget. I know full well how strong you are, and that''s why this demonstration will be so effective."


    As I finished my words, the blue ocean of energy welled above Chrona. The dimension around us shifted, her temporal dilation set. The others slowed down while Chrona and I readied ourselves for the attack. Chrona frowned,


    "You understand I can attack better when you aren''t moving, don''t you?"


    I nodded, "Uh, huh."


    "Just making sure. I''m nervous I''ll really hurt you."


    "The math says I should be fine tanking your attacks now. If there''s one thing that''s worked for me so far, it''s the system''s math." I took a deep breath, "I should be fine if its right, and it hasn''t been wrong so far."


    I set myself into a fighting stance, "Anyways, whenever you''re ready."


    She gave me a curt nod, "In Emagrotha''s name, we fight."


    Her tail whirled behind her, slicing the air behind her with a loud howl. With the momentum set, she reared the tailback and snapped it towards me. She hastened her movement, making her armored tail whip as fast as a falling anvil.


    As it grew in my vision, friction from the air made the room heat up. It would hit me like a runaway train. That much was certain. I braced my arms overhead, meeting her slam from over me. I flashed a potent panel of gravity above me at the moment of impact, preventing the resulting aftershock from destroying the hospital. I didn''t want to ruin all the favor I curried with the empire over some test.


    Without having to worry about the repercussions, I stared up as her tail made contact. The protection my black armor gave faltered, the metal shearing. Unable to handle the stresses placed upon it, her entire tail bent forward to an odd angle. As the forces rebounded up the bones of her tail, they snapped several vertebrae in.


    The skin ripped along with a few muscles keeping the tail together. I winced as Chrona stared at the pale bones and pink flesh in her tail in shock. Blood seeped into the wound, turning it into a disgusting mess seconds later. It was an odd moment. My forearm acted as a dull blade, like slicing an orange with a rolling pin. If you add enough force, however, you could cut just about anything in a smashing sort of way.


    In this case, it was like cutting your finger off by slamming it with a car door.


    Turns out, that''s pretty painful.


    Chrona winced as she gasped in a suppressed agony. I pulled her tail back together with a gravity well. After it plopped back down, Kessiah shuffled over with her blood arts at the ready. Within seconds, she shifted a pool of blood over the arteries, nerves, and tissues. Keeping a professional demeanor, she stared at the wound without so much as flinching.


    A few minutes later and Chrona was good as new. The gialgathen glared at her wound, moving her tail back and forth as if she didn''t believe it was already fixed or that it broke in the first place. I let my arms down, gialgathen blood dripping down my forearms as I looked at the others. My armor soaked in the blood as I said,


    "That should be plenty enough to tell I''m not joking around about what I said earlier."


    Krog''s eyes were wide as I''d ever seen them, looking more like dish plates the angry orbs they were before,


    "To think you''ve changed so much in so little time. Lat time you crumbled, and this time you withstood with ease."


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I shook my hand, "To be honest, this evolution has been a long time coming. It took years on investment. Just as well, I didn''t crumble last time per se. The bones in my forearms broke. If it wasn''t for the armor I gave Chrona, that wouldn''t have happened."


    I gestured to myself, "Since then, my skin and bones condensed. That means my old armor didn''t hold up. Without that, Chrona is trying to cut a steel wall with her tail." I pointed at the splattering of blood on the floor,


    "Needless to say, it didn''t work out."


    Chrona looked as if she''d seen a ghost, gasping for air as she turned to me, "Please remind the others not to doubt you next time." She glared to Krog, "If they do, they should be the ones to test your tall tales instead of me."


    Krog grimaced a bit, a look of shame spreading over him. I turned to everyone, "The only reason any of you doubted me was because I failed you guys. If any of you are angry and frustrated, I want you guys to understand that I''m angry as hell too. Lashing out is what I want to do, but that accomplishes nothing. Instead, I have a better idea."


    I narrowed my eyes, "We get even. Lehesion took away your home, but he can never take away who you are. Now we can turn on each other and let our comrades die in vain, or we can stand together and tear Lehesion apart. The choice is obvious."


    My words sunk in over the next few seconds before Krog frowned, "I am still angry over our loss and the comrades I left behind, but-"


    His voice softened, "But I can see you''re attempting redemption. You mean to avenge our fallen comrades. I will follow you still, in earnest."


    I raised a hand, "Good. I''ll need your help for what comes after I distract Lehesion then."


    Chrona collected herself and spoke up,


    "What else is there that can be done?"


    I tapped my temple with a finger from my raised hand,


    "We''ll be infiltrating his mind. From his insane ramblings, we learned he''s being controlled to an extent. If he''s being controlled, we can tamper with that telepathic link or maybe even control him in their place. Now while I may not be the best at mind magic, I know someone who is."


    Althea grinned while snapping her fingers, "Torix."


    I pointed at her, "Bingo. He and I can wrestle for control while you guys pummel Lehesion to powder. If we can smash the mind magic that''s controlling Lehesion, then we can stop him from becoming a threat altogether. Hell, he might actually be an asset at that point."


    Althea bounced on her feet, "That''s perfect. Good thinking."


    I grinned at her, "Thank you. Those mind mages we fought when we found Thisbey made me think of it. Since my willpower is astronomical, I just need some fine tuning before I can wrestle control from them. I put up a good fight with zero experience, after all."


    I scratched the side of my head, "I think so at least. Torix will let me know. All in all, that''s the plan. We incapacitate, get to work weakening their control of his mind, then we figure out where these guys are and kill them too. What do you guys think?"


    Chrona laid her head against her paws, her voice relaxing, "It seems well thought out. I''ll follow it."


    Krog rumbled, "I dislike letting that betrayer live, but if it must be done, it must be done."


    Kessiah let out a breath as she composed herself after healing. She looked rather pale as she turned to me, "I''ll be honest, this isn''t my area of expertise. Just go with your gut."


    I clapped my hands once, "Alright, we got a plan. After a techsmith handles this bullshit system hacking, I''ll be sending Torix a few messages to see what''s going on. I''ll probably meet up with him wherever the hell he is and sees if we can''t get him back over here."


    After a few explanations about the system hacking, an albony walked into our room. It wore an orange mask over his face. The tribal, wooden cover was simple, engravings embedding the strangely shaded wood. With a few holes in it for viewing, the albony stepped up. He gave me a bow, brandishing a fitted coat. It showed the albony''s thin, lanky frame.


    "It is good to meet you, Daniel. I am Jim Mcsmitty. I am the techsmith sent by Caprika Novas."


    I almost burst out laughing at the name, the simplicity of it caught me off guard. After suppressing my snickering, I raised my head, "Uh, good to meet you too, Mcsmitty."


    "But of course. Now, if you wouldn''t mind, I''ll be perusing through several diagnostic procedures with you. Could you take out your obelisk for me?"


    I opened my palm, my obelisk floating out of the gray-black metal. I tossed it to him, Mcsmitty catching it with refined grace. He threw it up before suspending the object with several blue strands.


    From these strands, a defuse light ebbed, scanning the glass orb. Within seconds, Mcsmitty tossed the ball back to me. As I caught it, Mcsmitty locked his hands behind him and bowed to me,


    "This is the source of the contamination. It''s a simple message conscription software installation. It creates an immediate copy of all your sent messages before sending them out to whoever planted the bug. According to my data, Tohtella Adair planted it several months ago while you were in Yildraza."


    I facepalmed, "Of course. It was when I let her use my obelisk."


    Mcsmitty nodded his white fur ruffling, "That is precisely so. This is a very commonly utilized virus, and there''s no shame in having been hoodwinked by it. That being said, I do recommend viewing this as a learning experience of sorts."


    He raised a finger, "Simply put, never allow anyone access to your obelisk outside of trusted confidants. Even then, I wouldn''t recommend taking that risk."


    I glared at my obelisk, "Then what should I do with this?"


    "You''ll need to dispense of it, preferably using some sort of hydraulic press. I know of several excellent locations-"


    I crushed the obelisk in my hand to a fine powder, the glass screeching as I did. Mcsmitty winced at the sound,


    "Ahem, I wasn''t aware you serve as a hydraulic press already. Do excuse my lack of tact."


    I pointed at the guy, "You know what, I like you Mcsmitty. How about you work for me?"


    Mcsmitty rose out of his semi-bow, glancing around, "What, me?"


    I nodded, "Yeh."


    "Why I''m flattered, but I''m several levels below you in status. Perhaps a higher rank techsmith will better suit someone of your needs-"


    I waved my hands, "Is that why your mask is orange instead of red or black?"


    Mcsmitty nodded, "That is precisely so."


    I raised my eyebrows, "How do the classes even work?"


    "There are five tiers for our masks. I am in the middle range, giving me access to an orange wood from the defalga tree. The uppermost ranking is only for those that rule large territories, and they wield black masks. Below that are royalty or nobles who may rise at some point in time. They wear red masks."


    Mcsmitty let out a sigh, "Orange masks are commonly held by skilled technical workers, ambitious warriors, or merchants. Below that is the yellow masked, and they are what most refer to as commoners. I began in that status before proving my worth."


    Mcsmitty shook his head, "The lowest status are those wearing a white mask. They are considered useless to society and carry not even the most basic of privileges. It''s quite simple to move out of that status. Few of the lowlings opt to do so, however."


    I nodded, "Huh, so where am I?"


    "You''re considered a lower tier red mask, sir."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Can I be honest with you here?"


    "But of course."


    "I couldn''t give two fucks about my ranking. You figured this problem out fast, and you did it professionally. I also don''t have time to learn the ins and outs of this tech stuff, so hiring you makes sense for me. How much do you make?"


    He coughed into his hand, "If I may be honest as well, I make a humble 100,000 per year-"


    I snapped my fingers, "Alright, doubled. Welcome to the Harbinger''s Legion."


    Mcsmitty raised his palms to me, "While your generosity is more than amicable, I live with my family here on Belka-623. I couldn''t leave them."


    I cupped my chin, "Could you move to my home planet then?"


    "We could, though this begs the question - why do you desire my assistance to such a degree?"


    I shrugged, "You seem trustworthy, and you''re good at what you do. This is also very convenient for me, so I have no problem paying a bit for this kind of security. You''ll probably be looking over several thousand people besides for me, and you might need to host a few classes on the technical side of things."


    Mcsmitty leaned back, his uncertainty showing, "This is quite the addition to my current responsibilities..."


    I pointed at him, "You drive a hard bargain. Tripled income and free housing. Deal?"


    I stuck out my right hand, and Mcsmitty looked at it. He stuck out his left hand, grabbing the back of my hand. He glanced down at it then back up to me, "Is this the custom for an agreement in your culture?"


    I shook my head, "Not even close, but I get what you mean." I patted him on the back, "Welcome to the team."


    We handled a few more details involving his acceptance into my guild. Mcsmitty was stunned when he had the option for a legacy from intelligence, endurance, willpower, strength, and constitution. The thin albony scratched the side of his head,


    "This is quite the conundrum. Which legacy would you recommend?"


    I smiled, "Endurance because not dying is pretty important. Still, you know what you need better than I do."


    "Perhaps this will be better then. Willpower will allow for further study, and increase my intelligence by quite a bit as well. Thank you."


    I drew up a quest acceptance for three hundred thousand credits per year of dedicated service from Mcsmitty. After lining up the responsibilities, I sent him the contract along with Earth''s coordinates. He accepted before locking his hands behind him and bowing once more,


    "You''ve tied my hands, sir. I''ll need a week before I''ll be ready to change locations to your base of operations. Thank you for your time and consideration."


    I gave him a nod before he stepped away. I glanced at my hands, thinking about what just happened. Owning a guild wasn''t so bad if I could gather people like that so quickly. I wondered if we needed a recruiter in general to shore up the weaknesses in our guild. Considering how much money I had, that didn''t seem like a bad idea.


    With that in mind, I sent a message to Torix about everything that happened along with my thoughts about a recruiter. The long message detailed everything that happened since his untimely consumption by Version 2.0. I waited a few more minutes before scratching the side of my head. It might take a while for him to resuscitate after his soul was sent to its phylactery.


    I wasn''t about to waste any more time waiting for a reply, though. It was time to work on my ability to take Lehesion on. That started with the cipher. As I looked over my armor augments, one of them included making the cipher more efficient. It was already a massive source for raw stats, but now it would be even more useful.


    Using it correctly was key to my progress from here on out. While I could siphon my mana into my fancy, massive rune across my back for more ambient mana, it wasn''t that efficient. Instead, I aimed to create a rune to enhance my constitution. With the way all my trees and perks worked, that would be my most viable and efficient way to improve my fighting ability. My mana regen and miscellaneous stats were plenty high at this point anyway.


    Those thoughts guided me as I walked through the hospital for a quiet place to work at. I found a hallway between two rooms that ended with two plants, a comfy looking chair, and a window showing the city. It looked like space was leftover from the two surrounding rooms during the hospital''s design. Someone spruced it up, so it didn''t look out of place.


    It suited my needs perfectly, sunlight streaming in from the glass window. After sitting down and enjoying the quiet, I smoothed the luck and perception runes over my forearms and palms. I pulled my grimoire out of storage, opening towards the few black pages left at the back of the booklet. All that remained was the charred corpse of my old grimoire, but this booklet served its purpose.


    I would need to make another grimoire soon though.


    I sharpened one of my fingertips until it was like a pen before tapping it on the black page. Brainstorming about constitution, I outlined my thoughts about it. For starters, the literal definition revolved around the way something was put together. My composition was one of the biggest reasons I was a good fighter, even if it wasn''t something I thought about all the time.


    When I did think about my constitution though, it didn''t mean being a dense, heavy, and hard substance to me. Constitution was the stat that refused to be moved. It was making your last stand against incredible odds. It was staying defiant in the face of the impossible and improbable.


    In other words, having a great constitution was having a great backbone.


    I guess you could say that was more a mental attribute than a physical one, like willpower and intelligence, but I had to disagree. When I first faced monsters that made my skin crawl, my body was the first thing to shut down. My vision narrowed, my heart raced, and my muscles seized up. It was as much a physical reaction as a mental one.


    Pretending there wasn''t some kind of physical element to it seemed short-sighted to me. After all, if I faced someone who I dwarfed, I oozed confidence. There was no sense of impending doom anymore, and that let me focus on performing instead of trying to calm down.


    So in a way, having a great constitution allowed me to have certainty when facing a foe of immense size and power. It was the first line of defense against fear, and that was all important to avoid. Fear was the mind killer, a real destroyer of rationality. If I lost those tools in the middle of a fight, then death was waiting right around the corner. Keeping myself composed was pivotal then.


    Confident in that interpretation, I set to work on my runic work. I used tiny pinpoints of telekinesis along with some heat to burn into the pages. They mimiced metal more than pages anyway, so this worked well for me.


    Several minutes evolved into several hours, the sun setting down and night passing. A janitor caught me, wondering what the hell I was doing in the hospital still, but I convinced him to leave me alone with some mental pressure. As the morning came, I finished my runic work and channeled some mana into it.


    Ten minutes passed, and both runes were finished. After placing them on my palms and arms, I smacked my hands together. It was a job well done. I opened my status to make sure I didn''t have any messages about the guild. Besides a few dozen miscellaneous messages from my followers, there was nothing of note.


    Shit. Torix was still doing whatever he needed to for recovering. Not everyone had my kind of regeneration, so I had to be patient. I took a deep breath before moving down my list of priorities. The reason the cipher came first was that it would work in the background while I did anything else. It was layering the things I accomplished at once, kind of like cooking food in the microwave while putting dishes in the dishwasher.


    Well, Mana channeling into the dimensional cipher was pretty damn different, but it was the same concept I supposed.


    Anyways, I opened my status menu before checking out my tabs. I found a new one for the mythical compendium, which was next up on my list of things to do. Without further wait, I clicked it, opening a new menu.


    The mythical compendium is about to be open. User will be unable to move or think for three days once the virtual simulator is opened. Are you in a safe and comfortable position?"


    I sat up straighter, my posture kind of shitty. I clicked yes, and another message popped up,


    Data Processing...Data Processing...Data Processing


    I tapped my fingers, waiting on the damn thing to finish. I went ahead and sent everyone a message that I''d be unavailable for the next three days. Better to let them know instead of letting them panic.


    Data Processed. Simulation Created. Consciousness Being Transferred.


    Some force grabbed my mind, making my hairs stiffen up on end. I fought back without meaning to, a deep, primal reflex activating. Some type of calming aura washed over me a few seconds later. I tried keeping my eyes opened, but they closed seconds after.


    All went blank before I opened my eyes, finding myself in a different world. As I glanced around, I cupped my chin,


    "So this is the mythical compendium, huh."


    I raised my eyebrows.


    "It''s...weird."

 221 The Learning Process

    <div>


    <div>


    Around me, a room the size of a parking lot expanded outwards, all the walls white and blank. Glowing lines generated up and down the walls, creating squares of glowing light in the three-dimensional space. In front of me, an ethereal being floated with energy rippling across its shapeless form. Even if unseen, the entire expanse saturated with primordial mana and pulsed as if alive.


    The sheer volume was stunning, but it was docile kind of magic. Something filtered it, reducing its volatility from staggering to unnoticeable. Listening close, a gentle hum rang in my ears, the kind let out by a cooling system of sorts. It trickled in from beyond the walls like the echoes of a far off stream.


    As I placed my hand on the white panels beneath me, the floor was unbreakable. Compared to walking on the ground, it was actually pleasant. Dirt might as well be a thin soup at this point, and having something firm to stand on was lovely. The floor''s refusal to give even a micrometer gave me a few ideas as to where I was.


    As I stood up, I finished scoping out the room. A message appeared in front of me.


    Transient AI-2035 finished generating. Further explanations will be handled by the personalized AI.


    I stepped up to the wispy being and waved a hand,


    "Uh, hello."


    It shivered before answering in a monotone and robotic voice,


    "I am Transient AI-2035. I am your tutor for your stay here within the temporal dilation chamber 2035. I will assist you in learning the mythical skill Metamorphosis along with suggestions for further growth in other areas. This is to utilize the data scans during the mythical compendium''s scanning."


    I cupped my chin, "You mentioned a temporal dilation chamber?"


    That would explain all the primordial mana. Schema was slowing time in a massive area here.


    "Yes, this is a time chamber. Your consciousness was jettisoned into a small cube. This cube is placed with thousands of other cubes within a chamber that slows your perception of time, elongating the effects of the mythical compendium."


    Some of the squares around me shined bright, grassland appearing after they dimmed down. Transient continued,


    "This allows for the virtual creation of many habitats and scenarios as well, creating an optimal learning environment. Here you will be instructed for sixteen hours daily while allowing for eight hours of rest or relaxation per rest cycle. This is to prevent mental burnout."


    Something in my head throbbed a bit, though it required my enhanced senses to even feel. As I rubbed my temple, Transient continued,


    "This area places tremendous strain onto individuals minds. This often determines the amount of time that can be allowed here. Average time limit is equivalent to three days over three hours. Assessing ability to tolerate time dilation..."


    My headache spawned from the effects of the temporal dilation. Alright, that made sense to me. A satisfying bing sounded out.


    "Estimated time before departure will be three weeks due to above average durability. Adjusting the curriculum around excess time limits."


    I raised my eyebrows, "That sounds good."


    "It can be considered a good thing. Usability assessments added. Integration suggestions expanded. Real-time practice added. Enhanced rights applied. Are you prepared for the curriculum''s beginning?"


    A messaged popped up.


    Y/N


    I raised a hand before answering, "Wait a minute. I have a few questions."


    "Ask away."


    "I was wondering what you meant by enhanced rights? I''ve heard about different kinds of rights since getting into Schema''s system, but I still don''t know what they do."


    "Rights are a generalized term for the systematic application of various privileges and responsibilities to different parties based upon the merit and success of their individual efforts. In Schema''s tutorial, the generalized term is defined through several key quotes. One such quote is as follows-"


    The AI''s voice changed to a smooth recording of Schema''s British Morgan Freeman voice,


    "A discussion of a sentient being''s rights cannot be had without an equal discussion about responsibility. This is due to the nature of rights. Their existence guarantees responsibility. This duality is evidenced by a series of simple examples."


    Two generic, blank humanoids appeared out of one of the glowing squares. One of the humanoids held a knife before stabbing the other one in the neck. The living humanoid puffed out its chest before another humanoid appeared behind it. It too stabbed the killer in the neck, and so the cycle of death continued.


    Schema''s voice reverberated,


    "If a society grants its citizens the right to not be murdered, then it is each citizen''s responsibility to not murder as well. If you are given the right to pursue happiness, then it is your responsibility to not interfere with another''s right to pursue their happiness. Rights within my system are given with this general assumption in mind."


    An emoji of a Sentinel appeared as the voice continued,


    "This is a Sentinel, and it has been given enhanced rights. This comes with the responsibility to use these rights for the good of others. If the Sentinel misuses these rights-"


    The armor fell off the white, humanoid blob.


    "Then, these rights will be taken. The greater the rights given, the greater the fail safes employed to prevent the misuse of these rights."


    I frowned, "If that''s the case, why not call it a job instead of rights?"


    The AI''s robotic voice returned, "Schema ran tests of the reactions of persons to various wordings, and rights were received in the best manner. This also teaches a key philosophical point of Schema - status, power, and influence are earned, not given."


    I glanced at a few of my quests, finding one that mentioned gaining the ''rights'' of a Sentinel. It was basically an invitation to become one. That was far less tempting then what the quests implied by their wording, which was a bit of a disappointment.


    I pointed around me, "Alright, I have a few more questions. If Schema can just pull your consciousness out of your body like this, then why not do it to criminals and the like in Schema''s system? You''d turn them into vegetables in an instant."


    "The amount of mana required for such an undertaking is excessive. This requires the scanning, physical manifestation of compendiums, and it would rapidly fill up the time dilation chambers at Schema''s disposal. This would also strip any knowledge and experience gained from the parties responsible for killing said criminals."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Huh, so the logistics don''t work out."


    "If there are no further questions involved, then instruction may begin. As a  reminder, remember that your time here is limited."


    I shrugged while selecting the Y button in my status. Around us, the environment changed to that of an unmoving, shallow ocean with an island of warm sand under my feet. The crisp, cold wind smothered out the heat from a blinding sun overhead. A few birds cooed in the distance or dove into the ocean to pick up fish from the sea. I glanced around, kind of confused.


    "Why are we here?"


    "This is to teach the baseline skill Serenity. This will be the cornerstone in the creation of origin mana, which is the polar opposite of your ascendant mana type."


    I cupped my chin, "Man, it has been a while since I''ve thought about mana types. Can you give me a refresher?"


    The hovering energy ball rose up to my left shoulder as a graph appeared in front of me,


    "There are three primary mana types. Origin, the mana of creation, augmentation, the mana of inner control, and dominion, the mana of outer control. These mana types can be fused into three more types of mana, each carrying stronger qualities than the mana types used to create them. They are referred to as higher manas."


    In front of me, a ball of light blue, orange, and black mana appeared. Above the bright blue was the word origin, augmentation was above the orange ball,  and dominion above the black. I pointed at them,


    "Yeah, I remember now. My ascendant style of mana is dominion plus augmentation."


    "That is correct. It is the mana of control in its entirety. Using ascendant mana creates favorable conditions for its wielder. It relishes on control and dominance, such as draining enemies of their mental strength and enhancing your own."


    The orange and black balls of mana on the screen fused into a ball of bloody mana. It was my mana. The spheres of energy split back apart before the light blue and black manas merged together. The deep blue mana looked like the depths of an ocean,


    "This is primordial mana. It is the mana of animation. Origin mana requires the release of control, while dominion demands the opposite. This allows for the generation of fully autonomous beings such as golems or conjured beings. It can also be used to create areas with conditions that enhance you as well. Note, negative consequences will result in negative consequences for the wielder as well."


    I frowned, "How is that different from Torix''s summoning, and why does it make him an unknown?"


    "Torix Worm utilizes a soul grafting to control eldritch. Primordial mana generates utterly subservient beings created from nothing but energy. This means they lack the volatility of eldritch."


    Torix dug his own grave in that regard. It did give him summoning abilities without having to learn this mana type, though. Gaining primordial mana would expand his capabilities quite a bit. I took note of that before letting the AI continue.


    "Chrona uses this style of mana for her time expansion and hastening effects. While admirable, this isn''t the most efficient process for you for several reasons."


    I raised my palm, erupting a plume of red mana from it, "Is my mana type why?"


    "This is one of several reasons why. Your limitations stem from the nature of your existence. As a dimension, you will struggle to influence the spatial laws around you. In many of your conflicts, others have tried manipulating the space around you to negatively impact you in some way. Your complete autonomy is why you''ve come out unscathed."


    I clamped my hand shut, letting my hand fall to my side, "Like Ajax''s dimension slicing or Chrona''s time manipulation...Huh, so why do physical attacks still affect me then?"


    The graph showing manas shifted, showing images of Chrona and my fights.


    "You are still physically here. The dimensional attacks warp the space around you instead of you directly. They aim to create an effect on the space, which will then incur the same effect on you. You stand on another plane, however."


    "That''s been pretty useful then."


    "Given the right circumstances, it is. During your attempts to learn Chrona''s magic, it acted as a roadblock, however. You attempted manipulating the dimensional space around you. Even if you succeeded, you would never have hastened yourself."


    I pursed my lips, "That means I can''t have the same ''slowing'' affect that Chrona has, doesn''t it?"


    "Yes and no. You could, in theory, perform the same enchantment she is. It would be the same as drowning an ocean with a bucket of water. Conceptually, it simply isn''t practical. Hastening, on the other hand, will be even more powerful with you than her. This will be the primary reason for teaching you quintessence mana."


    I pointed my thumb to my chest, "Ah, I''ll just make my dimension''s time move faster."


    "This is correct. Without quintessence mana, this would be impossible. With it, you will be able to change the parameters of your existence. This is critical for your ongoing progress."


    I nodded, "So the quintessence mana is the last ''higher'' mana type then?"


    "This is correct. This is why we will be instructing you to learn the Serenity skill. Review completed. Sit down in a comfortable position to begin learning Serenity."


    I did so, the warm sand being pushed away by my heft. The cool sand beneath me contrasted the warm sun above. In a cross-legged position, Transient swirled to the front of me,


    "You must clear your mind of all thoughts and feelings. This includes ambition or impatience. Focus on being at peace with the state of the world. Let go."


    I scoffed, "That explains why I never learned this skill at least. Gotta stay moving to stay alive sometimes."


    Transient quivered for a moment before stabilizing, "You must balance your approach, or you will fail to realize your potential."


    I went ahead and gave it a shot. Turns out, not thinking was actually pretty hard. Considering I hadn''t slept in years, I fell out of practice with the whole slowing down my thoughts thing. By now, doing so was like using an atrophied limb. It would take time to build up my tolerance to the new activity.


    Several hours passed with a bit of progress. Turns out, my willpower actually hurt my growth. If I tried too hard, Transient would announce, "Levels of relaxation compromised. Reset composure." I heard that phrase dozens of times, and it grated a bit on my nerves after a while. It helped to have someone creating clear boundaries for me even if they annoyed me.


    The second thing I learned was that this island and its surroundings were perfect for clearing my mind. There was just enough going on that it wasn''t unsettling to just sit still. There wasn''t too much going on to distract me either, keeping the experience in a state of balance. It made the whole meditating thing much more comfortable.


    The third thing I learned was that Originator, the tree that sped up my skill creation, would save me a lot of time here.


    Skill gained! Serenity(lvl 10) - While many attempt to crash through boulders with force, you remain formless like water. +10% to tranquility.


    Disappointed by the skill but not showing it, I patted my hands on my knees,


    "So what''s next?"


    Transient let out a small spark, "Five hours passed." The monotonous voice changed to an overly happy one, "This is excellent progress!"


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I shook my head before gasping, "Wait...five hours? What the fuck."


    "This is Serenity. It allows you to be at peace despite what goes on around you. This is essential for you to learn origin mana. To begin, channel your mana into augmentation and dominion manas."


    I raised my palms and did as the AI said. It wasn''t tough to create augmentation or dominion now. With the black and orange energy spheres floating over my palms, I said,


    "What comes next?"


    Transient bobbled in the air, "After developing control of an upper tier mana type, many lose their refined control of the sub mana types used in its creation. You haven''t. This speeds the process along."


    Transient floated backward, "Now grasp onto the feeling of producing your armor or regenerating. Do so while activating the skill Serenity."


    It was a surprisingly simple request. I did as the little ball asked, taking a few minutes before calming myself down. After a while, I raised my hand and attempted molding my armor. It did so, but the innate vigor of the material disrupted my peaceful state of mind. It was like meditating with a hungry wolf howling at my door.


    It snapped me out of Serenity like a whip across my back. Transient murmured,


    "Try again."


    I sighed,


    "This is going to take a while."


    **********************************************************************************************************


    From the pit of embalming fluid, I splashed upwards in a jolt of panic. I turned and shouted, splashes of the fluid spilling onto the white stone,


    "Me. It will take time for me to reconstitute but I...I"


    I turned around, discovering the dusty crypt I once called home. Within the confines of it, various ghostly lamps lit the silent corridors, death lingering on the howl of each gust. Though I resented my sense of style at the time of my making it, it did have a sort of angsty charm. If not for that, I might have stripped my lair down till nothing but scorched stone lay beneath its remains.


    As I glanced around, I found dozens of vats stored with direct connections to my phylactery. At the center of these vats, a sizable glass bauble acted as the anchor for my soul. It contained within it the remnants of my original body burned to ash within the glass sphere. This protected it from further chemical decomposition.


    It worked as intended, though it may be lacking in regards to an elegant design. Considering my soul crossed light-years of space before reaching this distant beacon, it might have been months since my passing. In actuality, the process might''ve even taken longer. Once stored, my soul reconstituted, solidified, and strengthened using the ambient mana stored here.


    What was once an impressive sight of concentrated mana now seemed childish on my aged eyes, however. I''d met monsters on my travels when I left these hallowed halls, not least of those monsters becoming my disciple. As lucidity returned to me, a sense of urgency rose in my chest.


    My disciple. My guild. We were in battle before that abomination latched upon me. I opened my status, several of my preset leveling parameters taking effect. They automatically allocated my points for me, a sudden surge of clarity coursing through me.


    At the very least, they killed the hybrid. Despite this surge of level ups, a mental fog remained over my mind like blood upon a murderer''s hands. Before anything else, I opened my status to asses the situation.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 8,211)


    Strength ¨C 100 | Constitution ¨C 100 | Endurance ¨C 100


    Dexterity ¨C 100 | Willpower ¨C 9,035 | Intelligence ¨C 18,278


    Charisma ¨C 8,927 | Luck ¨C 7,763 | Perception ¨C 4,907


    Health: 39,485/39,485 | Health Regen: 394.8/min


    Mana: 1.3 million | Mana Regen 130,028/min


    Stamina: 872/20,176 | Stamina Regen: 20,176/min


    Mass: 1,210 pounds |Height: Actual - 6''6 (1.98 meters) | Damage Res - 95%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 6,092% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    I scrolled past my character sheet, looking at my party member''s statuses.


    Living Multiverse, the Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 9,018 | Guild Leader: The Harbinger''s Legion | Class: None | Location: Belka-623) - A being composed of an unknown matter with untold potential, this being is predatory to the eldritch. It consumes them to gain strength which can strike fear in even fearsome rift keepers. With the ability to shift forms at will, this amorphous creature holds no permanent shape and is ever-growing.


    This is mainly due to the ease of changing the material''s composition. Due to the amorphous structure of the cells and even atoms, shifting this creature''s atomical structure in a positive manner is quite simple. This enhances the amount of stats and bonuses that this creature receives from the system...


    Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(Althea Tolstoy, the Shapeless Arbiter(lvl 10,016 | Class: Breaker | Location: Belka-623) - Althea is a polymorphic member of a forgotten race. Her exposure to the Tears of Etorhma created a volatile and potent chemical structure that enables her to ignore many of the laws of physics. How these abilities manifest is unknown, but they prove no less potent for it...


    I scrolled down the list, finding them with full or nearly full health bars. I leaned back into the vat behind me, relief washing over me along with the embalming fluid. He and the others were still alive, and that was what mattered most at that precise moment.


    As I collected myself, I dragged my hand down my face, both my panic and my reprieve hitting my senses as if alive and seeking revenge. Despite not knowing Daniel and Althea for a protracted period given the scope of my life, they meant quite a bit to me. Perhaps more to me than I''d like to admit, even to myself, but these were thoughts for a different time.


    I pushed myself up from the bath of formaldehyde and methanol, only the bones of this corpse remaining. It would be enough to act, so I did not dwell on my appearance. I stumbled forward a few steps before falling on onto my knees. A bone in my shin cracked, a sharp pop echoing across my chambers.


    I let out a long sigh before pushing myself back up. Schema''s policy on liches was more than merely mildly frustrating. The AI preferred only amplifying the main body of the lich, passing on the enhanced physical tenacity once. As a lich moved onto its other bodies, they lacked Schema''s enhancements. In the world of eldritch and classers, I was but a frail skeleton, softer than wet tissue paper now.


    It mattered not. My mind and my magic were the catalysts of my power and strength, and they would likely be needed, considering the obstacles we faced. I waited a moment on the floor of my phylactery, giving my pathetic body time to recover and resonate. As my soul grafted onto the new physical body, I peered around my chambers.


    The same maps, charts, and runic symbols covered the walls. They seemed so elementary to me now after discovering the runes within Bloodhollow. No, they didn''t appear primitive. They were primitive. Though my talent for runic work was slight, my dismal performance here grated at me. It reflected my mentality at the time. I believed that my progress, slow as it may be, would mount over time. My safety took precedence.


    That was the only reason I went to Earth at all. It was a backwater, green world without Schema''s scars or marks. This lack of time ensured the danger there would be small. Who was I to guess that it would be the place of my greatest battles, my greatest victories, and my most valued family? Not I at the very least.


    I tilted my head, confused at my own wording. I supposed family was the correct term for the guildsmen, disciple, and others I''d come to cherish. They gave these old bones a renewed vigor as if life took hold of my undead body once more.


    I hoped they thought the same of me. One could only hope.


    It boggled the mind why I drifted towards these thoughts. Something about this dusty tomb induced this sense of nostalgia. Perhaps it was the vast swath of time since I''d last came here. Though only a few years had passed, that span resembled a lifetime in the density and quality of time spent. I would traverse the hills of skulls and mountains of corpses to go back to that invigorated life.


    That wouldn''t be necessary, however.


    I simply needed to create a portal towards Belka after getting myself in order. Reviewing my status, I discovered hundreds of unread messages from my students, professors, and proteges. I sorted through them by importance, the guild leader''s notes naturally rising to the top. In his messages, he detailed much of what happened after I''d passed to Version 2.0.


    It was a simple, concise, and blunt explanation. I expected no less from Daniel, his entire manner of being more akin to a hammer than a human. If what he worked at did not bend in one swing, he simply swang more until it did break. I would''ve once called this approach foolish. I do so no longer. It worked on Earth as well as Giess. He killed Emagrotha, the Hybrid, and destroyed the rebel''s headquarters. He won the tournament and enlisted many gialgathens, going so far as to recruit them within Schema''s system.


    Exemplary work, enough for me to be proud.


    A shame swam underneath that warm delight, partially from my missing the adventures and partly from dying. I swatted away those trivial concerns. In the grand scheme of things, it was better that I was targeted. Resuscitating me required little more than time. Doing so for the others wouldn''t be quite so simple.


    I squeezed my bony hand into a fist. My outlook may be overly optimistic, given the circumstances. That was my first death since becoming a lich centuries ago, and now my ensuing deaths would occur with far greater frequency. Despite my immunity to true death, this incident proved that a temporary demise could create quite the conundrum.


    Dwelling on my impotence did no good, however. I opened my other messages, skimming over the topics of them. Nothing of note occurred on Earth outside of a few conflicts with rival factions near our base. I would leave those trifles for another, less critical time. After guaranteeing that our headquarters remained in one piece, I forced this weak, shaky body to stand.


    It required mana just to hold the joints of the bones together, the connective tissues weakened beyond repair. My less than representable shambling continued as I walked down the familiar hallways. I passed several open doors, several of my old subjects still remaining where I left them.


    Two of the dark knights still stood on guard to at the door of my portal room even after all these years. They raced over at the sight of me, reaching and lifting me from under my armpits. Detestable as it was, I accepted their help to carry me over towards the portal device at my disposal.


    I attempted speaking, but my words jumbled together in broken phrases. Several attempts into the process, my words formed correctly,


    "I...must...go...to...Belka."


    Both the knights nodded, their intelligence mirroring educated humans. They required instruction to use, but the animated corpses accomplished their goals with resounding competence once a goal was given. With a purpose set, they pulled me into the room with my warp device.


    A well of ambient mana shined a bright blue, the dense cloud powering the device above it. Carved from the lunar stone, the portal device carried the best runic work of my race, courtesy of Xander Epitaph. Though a nuisance in person, his talents were undeniable.


    It would grant me the highest satisfaction to see his smug face crumble when faced with my disciple and his runic work.


    It was another victory for another day.


    As the knights began the work of activating the device and powering the coordinates, two other knights stepped into the room and stood beside me. Without words, they agreed with my other minions to guard me on my travels with my new body. Though my sense of scale in my previous life was lacking, my instruction was not.


    Under my tutelage, I trained a vast army of soldiers with excellent tactical nuance. Their levels were so low in comparison to me now, however, that they were all but useless. Althea alone could decimate the centuries of resources spent here, let alone Daniel or Helios. It was something I learned when faced with a being like Yawm. The might of many paled when faced with the resolve of one.


    Pressing on that very subject, I sent him a reply that I''d be there in person soon enough, he need only be patient. We chatted for a moment before the portal device lit up in a blaze of blue fire. This runic machine eased the process of getting to a location, though it didn''t assist with getting back once there. It wasn''t a particularly difficult problem, though it caused quite a stir when Schema''s quarantine trapped me on Earth.


    That was more than a dull mess, and I doubt a two-way portal would''ve fixed it either.


    The situation on giess devolved in much the same manner, in fact. Old Ones and shadow organizations ascended to the surface like a monster from the depths. I had every confidence that this would be our victory given time, however. I was more than merely resourceful, and I had every intention of proving it once I returned.


    I paced up to the portal with my guard in tow. Several other guards approached, handing me a new robe, mimicking my old one in both appearance and power. It would do little outside of maintaining appearances, but that was still a necessity, especially when dabbling with the Empire.


    Before stepping to Belka, I turned and observed my old fortress. I created it upon the moon of my homeworld, preferring the quiet isolation of a ruined world to the rigor of living company. Perhaps I''d show Daniel this place after we eliminated my unknown status. Time would tell.


    As I stepped through the portal, a sense of excitement filled me. I was returning to the land of the living, weakened but not dead. I was the advisor to the Harbinger and his legion. If I had lips, they would be smiling wide as a canyon.


    Onwards, the legion marches. Onwards, the legion marches.


    **********************************************************************************************************


    I leaned my head back, letting go of my stranglehold on my mana. Instead of molding it into a shape, I allowed it to take form as it wanted to. At the same time, it manifested independently of me. I didn''t guide it as it formed or flowed. I simply let it be like wind through a forest.


    From my palm, a plume of sky blue mana ebbed outwards. I stared down at it, no wave of emotion washing over me. I was at peace with this, and it was an inevitability in my eyes...Even if it took days of exhaustive effort before I finally accomplished this bullshit.


    And the spark of pale mana crumbled under a wave of red. I tsked before clasping my hand over the bloody energy, the red wisping between my fingertips. This was the fifth day I worked on forming origin mana since I arrived in this time chamber. Well, the fifth day relative to my perspective of time. According to Transient, only twelve hours passed outside of this chamber.


    The airy little AI was doing his best to make me lose my damn mind the entire time I tried this shit. Despite that, his methods were surprisingly effective. Five days to get this close to a new mana type was no small feat. It being night time at the moment meant he wasn''t here, and the process a bit harder.


    You wouldn''t catch me dead telling him that though.


    Either way, with a renewed vigor, I silenced my mind once more. I let go of my mana flow, allowing it to wonder and shape itself as it saw fit. Like a wolf unchained, it roared out with abandon. Half an hour later of letting it loose, it settled down into a calmer state. As it did, Serenity activated.


    It was hellish to keep calm when my mana flared like that. Even if my evolution eliminated my mana''s effects on me, it still sent the world around me into chaos. In a way, the mana was a reflection of my inner thoughts. It showed my belief in myself and my urge to move and progress. At the same time, to learn origin mana, I needed to get rid of that constant urge.


    So I calmed myself till my mind and body were like a waveless sea. Even as the volatile energy escaped me and warped reality, I remained mute. I pressed myself into a state of uncaring, my mind content. Once more, I raised a palm after channeling this peaceful mentality for an hour.


    The slightest drop of blue mana released. It shaded the dark island around me in a sky blue, both beautiful and haunting. I took a deep breath as I allowed more to escape my hand. It did so with glee, the blue waves forming into shapes.


    The glowing energy created dolphins that danced across my sight. It rippled across my view, ebbing into the island. Greenery expanded from the sand, trees taking root. Bees and hornets swarmed into the trees above, forming nests. A series of wolves spawned from the glow, creating a pack.


    As they gained life, they let me continue my work with reverence. Moments later, a message appeared in my vision.


    Skill gained! Origin Mana(lvl 10) - Though others aim their intent to destroy, you focus your efforts on creation. +10% to origin mana''s potency.


    Skill gained! Origin Mana Manipulation(lvl 10) - Through the chaos of life, you control your will with tranquility. +10% to ease of using origin mana.


    I stood up, raising a fist in victory. A torrent of red energy deluged the blue sending the creatures into a bloodthirsty frenzy. My arms hit my sides as they tore into one another, eager to devour the others. Blood splashed into the water, turning the blue into red as carnage took hold of the gentle beauty.


    I stared with my jaw slack as every animal killed the other. Teeth, claws, and stingers ran amock as they gorged on the blood of their brethren. As the last wolf limped away from the battlefield, it clamped its jaws into the flesh of its legs. It tore the limb off before consuming its meat. It cannibalized itself until it bled out. I didn''t even have time to celebrate the milestone as my act of creation was replaced by destruction.


    Huh. Life''s weird sometimes.


    I reached out with Event Horizon, the corpses, blood, and remnants of the battle disintegrating. In a way, it felt wrong. I gave them life only to take it away moments later. I stared at my hands, feeling like some clueless tinkerer that destroyed people with what I created.


    I shook that feeling off before glancing around. The virtualization cleaned itself up, the island back to its pre-bloodbath state. The next time I created something from origin mana, I would be more careful. It was a responsibility in a sense, and toying with life just didn''t seem right. I wasn''t that divorced from reality. Not yet.


    Still, getting a better grip on my new mana was vital. I called back that state of mind, my mana releasing in a torent. Before I got a hold of it, a message popped up in my status. I almost swiped it aside because I hated distractions when I studied, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. The moment I read the messenger''s name, my eyes popped wide open along with a grin on my face.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 8,211 | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Speaker | Time: Unknown) - It appears as though I''ve finally resuscitated. Though you''ve performed a rather admirable job, all things considered, my assistance is no doubt needed. I will be returning to the location you sent me, though I will be rather weak. Meet me there in three days.


    That worked perfectly with my schedule. At the moment, I was sitting in a hospital, my mind somewhere else altogether. Knowing all that, I sent him a message back.


    The Living Multiverse(lvl 9,024 | Guild Owner: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: None | Location: Belka-623 | Time: 12/4/1412) - Alright, cool. Cya then.


    A message appeared seconds later.


    Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 8,211 | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Speaker | Time: Unknown) - I suppose I''ll question you on your level and status after we meet once more face to face. Good luck.


    I sent back,


    The Living Multiverse(lvl 9,024 | Guild Owner: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: None | Location: Belka-623 | Time: 12/4/1412) - Sure thing.


    I went back to work afterward, rubbing my hands together. I fell into a deep well of calm, relaxation, and peace as the force of mana increased. With a rising surge, I tested my limits with the new energy, the mana of creation coursing through my veins. It was altogether pleasant, and for a moment, I was envious of those with an affinity for origin mana. It lacked the same bloodthirsty insanity of ascendant mana.


    This wouldn''t require the same levels of willpower to control, though that might not be the case. This mana made me feel at ease and content, which could be a good thing. It could be detrimental too, though. If I needed motivation, this wasn''t the best mana for it. Ascendant mana would fill me with a surge to move, and that was more than just useful in certain circumstances.


    Considering the peace origin mana gave me, I might be able to channel the aura to make people fall asleep or at least cool a heated negotiation. I still had to be careful not to overdo it though. I was sure that if ascendant mana sent people on a bloodthirsty frenzy, then origin mana could do something equally awful.


    After toying with the feeling for a while, I remembered a portion of what my evolution did. It mentioned different effects depending on the aura of mana I used. With that in mind, I channeled origin mana while sitting down cross-legged. As it reached its peak, I pressed outwards with Event Horizon, but as I did, I realized something. It wasn''t Event Horizon anymore.


    It was something else altogether.

 222 To Create and Destroy

    The sensation encompassed me as if I was standing in some tropical paradise. When I reached out with Event Horizon, it was a siphoning, choking kind of energy. It strangled the life around me, and that only made me stronger. This new aura lacked the same selfish intention, a subtle, blue tint covering the air. It was light and fluffy, a gentle sensation compared to Event Horizon.


    Some of that came from the difference in raw power. Event Horizon was just stronger in general than this new aura. Still, this different feeling had merit in its own way. It imbued a wild growth around me. The visualization turned real as sand spawned beneath me. Water filled the chamber, generating a genuine pool around me. A palm tree spawned behind me, fish filling the pool along with various predators. I lifted a hand, and a wall of origin mana coalesced in a pillar in front of me covered in moss. I raised my eyebrows, thinking crabs should be on it.


    Low and behold, crabs spawned onto its surface.


    Too many crabs in fact. It was a veritable swelling mass of the crusty crustaceans. Hermit crabs, spider crabs, coconut crabs, crabs I saw on the Discovery channel but didn''t know the name of, you name it and that kind of crab was there. It scared me a bit due to the sheer rate of crab generation. I''d used the word crab so much in the past couple seconds that it didn''t even sound like a word at this point.


    Either way, the spring of crabs needed to stop. I raised a palm to it, willing it to cease. Instead, more mana siphoned into the spot. The spring of random crabs evolved into a geyser of them, turning the pillar into a crater of crustaceans. They spewed forth from solid stone, defying all logic.


    Flabbergasted and befuddled, I stood and watched as the mountain of crabs turned into an incoming tidal wave. Transient would be pissed when he came back in the morning and there were water and sand everywhere. The plethora of crabs wouldn''t exactly put a smile on his face either. If anything, it might tip him over the edge.


    I shifted mental gears, covering the aura of growth to one of destruction. Event Horizon passed over the expanse around me, and I kept careful of moving the aura out of my own cubicle. I didn''t want to melt someone else in one of the other cubicles if that was even possible. I wasn''t about to take that chance regardless.


    The crabs disintegrated into mana the moment Event Horizon passed over them. It was like turning my mana into crabs then back into usable mana as they disappeared without a trace. The moss on the pillar evaporated as well, leaving several tons worth of water and sand.


    Great. Just great.


    I sat down on real sand, the visualization already eliminated. I lifted sand up in my hands, squishing it in my palms. The grit crunched like cereal under a hydraulic press. I melted it in my hands with a potent burst of heat. It globbed into a glowing ball before I stretched it out into an ugly ass panel. I cooled it, bubbles interlacing the clear crystal.


    I raised my eyebrows at it, the ugly, dirty, and bubbly glass looking terrible. I was messing around at this point, just enjoying my new powers. I dropped it into the water letting out a splash in the pool. I glanced at the notifications of my status though, and they surprised me.


    Skill gained! Life Creation(lvl 10) - While others aim to take life, you aim to give it. +10% to duration of created life forms. +10% power of created life forms.


    Skill gained! Matter generation(lvl 10) - Those that create will always live in abundance. +10% to efficiency of creating matter. +10% to the stability of created matters.


    Skill gained! Glassmaking(lvl 10) - Though brittle, glass holds many useful properties. You take those properties as your own. +10% to ease of making glass. +10% to glass''s clarity


    I gained three skills, just like that. The first two sounded like high tier skills, but after reading their descriptions, their basic status made sense. These skills didn''t allow me to create any matter or life on command. They just let me create those things period. That meant anytime I channeled those skills, it would be like releasing entropy. There was no rhyme or reason to what was being created. It was dangerous and not very useful either.


    I had a few ideas on what to do with them, though.


    I tapped my chin as I dived into thought. Creating this many skills was a big deal, especially if it was this damn easy. In fact, while Transient was letting me ''rest,'' I could focus on just making random skills with this mana type. If I gained enough of them, I might even be able to make something for fun. At this point, the sky was the limit.


    Before I got to grinding out that plan, I opened my status. After a while, I opened up my multiverse menu and glanced at my skills. Event Horizon was still in it. After clearing my mind and changing my mana into Origin, I looked at it once more. As I expected, the ability shifted.


    Dimensional Wake - Your reach as a dimension is manifested by an aura, currently known as Event Horizon. Depending on your current mana type, this aura can be altered to one of six mana types: Origin, Dominion, Augmentation, Ascendant, Quintessence, and Primordial.


    Edge of Arcadia(Origin) - This aura enhances your ability to create life, matter, and energy sources. It also promotes a sensation of peace in those within it as well.


    Current Radius: 501 ft/152 m | Size of the aura can be increased by your mass


    Maker - Enhances the ability to create in all its forms. +100% to matter creation.


    Giver - This aura makes the efficiency of origin mana higher than usual. +100% to the potency of origin mana.


    Arcadia - Created objects, energies, and lifeforms are closer to their original forms than usual. -20% to imperfections during the creation process.


    An Originator''s Domain - Within the Edge of Arcadia, Origin mana''s effects are enhanced. This is a general enhancement to the mana type.


    I knew something was awe-inspiring about this whole multiverse thing. It let me have this wave of control over this new mana type. Considering my ridiculous output of energy and this general buff, my origin abilities far exceeded my experience with them.


    That lead to the plague of crabs. I shivered at the thought of it, the wall of legs and claws coming at me. It posed no harm, but something about it just creeped me out. They were just the spiders of the sea, after all. One was to be squished while the other was delicious. Life worked out like that sometimes.


    Anyways, I honed my mind back onto the task at hand - creating skills. I brainstormed for a bit and came up with a list of prioritized skills. The elements came first because controlling lightning, water, etc. would be useful. After that, I intended on making certain kinds of life instead of just random creatures. Once that was done, different materials were next.


    With that in mind, I aimed to create water. I already made some on accident when I first used Edge of Arcadia, so I hoped it would be simple to create some. After several hours of practice, it proved to be the opposite.


    At first, I worked with enormous volumes of mana at once. Why? It was my normal amount at this point. Turns out, controlling the mana required to make a mountain wasn''t easy. Years of experience let me do so with my ascendant mana, but that wasn''t the case with this new origin kind. It didn''t make sense to me in the slightest how someone even used it in combat to begin with.


    Origin was all about letting go of control and just focusing on creation. Well, if I spawned an inferno, having no control of it was worse than no magic at all. In the case of water, it was a particular kind of material with a set chemical composition. Generating that wasn''t easy even in the slightest. As I worked with origin mana, I was more impressed by Helios and Torix.


    Helios wielded this as if it was nothing all while using a source of mana that wasn''t his own with his gauntlets. Torix exceeded that even, being able to wield all three types of mana fluently. Though he lacked the raw oomph of Helios or me, Torix made up for it with his deft control. That might be why he preferred taking over existing creatures to creating them on their own though.


    He was a dominion mage through and through with a very high affinity for that mana type. Using advanced origin magic would prove difficult if not outright impossible. He circumvented that need by controlling things that already existed. In a way, he avoided two of his limitations, both his smallish mana pool and his inexperience with origin mana.


    It also played more to his strengths in controlling. The more I thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed. At the same time, it made me wonder why Torix was so dead set on being a summoner/necromancer. I''d ask him next time we met after he interrogated me about my evolution. It would be one piece of information for another.


    As I pondered all of that, a virtual sun rose in the distance, indistinguishable from the real sun. As the orange light sheened off the water, Transient popped out of nothing. It spoke in a monotone,


    "Good morning, Daniel. Training will resume."


    I nodded, "Good. What''s next on the menu?"


    "Sand, water, and a palm tree. The training area must be cleaned before we can continue."


    My shoulders drooped, "Fuck."


    I swear there was a smugness in Transient''s voice, but maybe I was just hearing things.


    "Fuck, indeed."


    I ended up just chucking it all into a single location using a gravity well and shoving it into my dimensional storage. Emptying that out later would be vital if I wanted to keep using it, but I was still barely touching the surface of its potential. Several tons of water and sand were nothing to me now.


    With the cleanup handled, Transient said, "Create origin mana. Begin by-"


    I raised my hand and released a plume of the cyan colored energy.


    Transient continued, "Excellent work! You will now fuse together augmentation and origin mana, creating quintessence."


    I scratched my cheek, "So why not fuse dominion and origin into primordial mana instead?"


    "That mana type is unsuitable for your needs and will prove very difficult to create. It will be the most difficult to curate since it doesn''t utilize your natural affinity for augmentation. It is similar to a short, overweight human attempting to play professional basketball."


    I nodded, "It''s an uphill battle. Gotcha. What will quintessence take?"


    "It requires a shift in mentality, combining the sensation of both origin and augmentation magics. Begin by channeling augmentation mana."


    I did as commanded, a flood of orange rushing over me. My motivation was high as I reached out with Event Horizon. Once more, the aura was different. Unlike Edge of Arcadia, this aura was like a watered down version of Event Horizon, lacking many of its features. It just wasn''t as strong in general, and that made it little more than a novelty at this point.


    As I flailed around with the aura, Transient spoke aloud, "Now attempt to achieve Serenity while doing so."


    I blinked, "What? How''s that even possible? They''re polar opposites."


    "They are not. The desire to improve is not opposed to the desire to create. Your mind is orienting towards ambition in a selfish light. Direct your thoughts to the growth of all things, excluding the necessity of doing so with only yourself. You must learn to give. Try again."


    I let out a long sigh. This was going to feel like a lot more than just three weeks at this rate.


    It would feel like an eternity.


    **********************************************************************************************************


    My arms crossed, I stared outside while tapping the edge of my gauntlets. Uncle''s craftsmanship was always something worthy of admiration, but my thoughts dwelled elsewhere at the moment. I stared out, inspecting the workings of my galactic city. I did so without the aid of sight, my eyes left blind since birth.


    I see into the vast voids of other dimensions, but sight of the realm I exist in eludes me. It was a necessary sacrifice. The sights I see cannot be easily gained. A few simple pulses with my mana gives me an excellent view of my surroundings. By utilizing a nigh photographic memory, I view all that is around me like a general viewing a battlefield.


    As I did so, the Empire''s citizens bustled about, beneath my notice yet somehow calming me. Glancing at the rabble reminded me of simpler times when managing planets wasn''t required of me.


    Commoners knew nothing of this responsibility. They pittered and pattered about, their worlds the size of a city at most. I closed my eyes. I wish that my world was the same. Pity. I was born into this, and that, like many things, would never change.


    I opened my eyes and sighed. The trade negotiations between Belka-623 and Orba were going well, perhaps better than expected. Exceeding expectations was a given when I involved myself in a matter, however. I reached out a hand, tapping the glass. Yes, I did exceed expectations on almost every account.


    Every account but the battle against Lehesion.


    Staring at the reflective glass, I glared at myself. My black mask was formed from the most beautiful woods on our home planet. They ingrained wood that smelled of a deep forest and crisp breeze. Those natural oils never left, the trees farmed for the task highly evolved for just that purpose.


    My mask represented the merit of my achievements. Few obtained my status, but this did not sate me. I always told my inferiors that success was not a history but a state of mind. If your last attempt at anything was a failure, then you were a failure until you redeemed yourself.


    My own words echoed in my ears as my face deformed into a grimace. It was deep scowl, the kind of reaction one has to the piercing screech of nails on a chalkboard. Something infuriated me as of late, yet I didn''t comprehend the exact reasoning behind it. I was called into a battlefield with no time nor resources to prepare. I fought until I fell from mental exhaustion, my responsibility to my favor fulfilled. It didn''t matter. I failed.


    I tapped the glass before lowering my hand. At this rate, I''d shatter the panel. The trouble involved with fixing it wasn''t worth venting my irritation. As that deep-seated fury rose from my chest, that armored idiot popped in my thoughts once more. As he passed, Lehesion crossed my vision as well. The fight on Giess flashed across my eyes along with my genocide of the gialgathens in Rivaria. I killed them so that we could fail the battle. The more I dwelled on it, the more mistakes I made during the conflict.


    I misused my portals from the beginning. If I had simply used them well enough, then the damage to that monstrosity would''ve been infinitely higher. Managing my mental stamina would''ve changed the outcome of the fight as well. I exhausted myself casting imposing but ineffective void ice magic. Sitting behind the other combatants and assisting with portals might have turned the tide.


    My thoughts devolved further as I returned to tapping the glass in front of me. That pitiful attempt at battle was my favor to Daniel for saving my sister''s life. It was a disgrace to the empire and the royal family to repay meaningful assistance with that display of incompetence. My incompetence.


    My tapping turned to thudding on the transparent panel. I even lost a Sentinel since I didn''t evade Lehesion''s strikes. My combat skills devolved to such an extent that sacrifices were needed to simply keep me alive. Pathetic. Imbecilic. Inept.


    My tapping strengthened, cracks spreading through the panel of glass. Despite this complete and utter failure, I received no consequences. My position was absolute; my past actions ensured that I was untouchable. My deficiencies merely resulted in that Harbinger''s guild suffering severe losses. I grimaced at my fractured reflection.


    If there were no consequences for me, then why did that event haunt me so?


    I turned back to my AI, Eva, while rolling my head to alleviate the tension in my neck. My duties would distract me from the wandering thoughts that plagued me as of late. I snapped my fingers, several orange screens appearing. I found the tint easier on my eyes.


    Considering I stared at these mindless numbers and charts more than I stared at the physical world, minutia like the tint of a screen took precedence all of a sudden. It reminded me that I focused more on trifles like this than my own abilities in battle.


    Eva spoke up, interrupting that string of thought,


    "Helios, it''s good to see you. What do you need assistance with?"


    "I wish to speak with my father. I need his guidance."


    Eva answered, her voice easy on my ears. Of course, if her voice weren''t natural to hear, I would''ve long ago gone insane standing in this office.


    "He is currently busy suppressing a rebellion on his world."


    I glanced up, peeved but undeterred. Of course he was preoccupied with his own mismanagement of his own affairs. This must be the sixth rebellion within the last decade. A few changes in his enactment of imperial policy would rectify the issue in an instant. Instead, my father wallows in incompetence. Typical.


    His softness would be his undoing. If a leader grants his underlings an ounce of independence, then those underlings shall starve for more. Repression is often times freedom in these instances. It prevents the imbeciles and ignorant masses from causing their own undoing. Rebellions cannot be tolerated after all, and those that commit treason will be treated as traitors.


    And traitors are to be crushed under the Empire''s heel. Their blood paves the way to a brighter future.


    I silenced that rush of thoughts, however. More pressing matters were at hand. I said,


    "Then call Caprika instead."


    "You seem disappointed. Would you rather I call the Emperor?"


    I raised a palm, snapping my words like a whip. "No. I will not waste his time on my emotions. He''s more important tasks to indulge in, as do I." I clenched a hand into a fist,


    "But focusing on my responsibilities is difficult when my judgment is impaired. This must be dealt with despite my own misgivings."


    Eva replied after a pause, "Of course, Helios."


    As Eva called Caprika, I took my mask off for a moment. I pinched the bridge of bone between my eyes, attempting to silence the sea of thoughts rushing to the surface. It was all so tiresome, so I suppressed them while dragging my hand down my face. I put my mask back upon my face as Caprika appeared in a video chat.


    She tilted her head, her red mask still being worn. Unusual.


    "Oh, this is new. My older brother is asking me for assistance? How quaint."


    "Quaint indeed. Perhaps I should ask someone else then? They may mock me less and offer better counsel."


    Caprika leaned back, "Wait, you''re serious about this? I-I''m sorry. I thought you were calling to scold me."


    "No. I''m asking for your viewpoint. Nothing more."


    Caprika gulped before sitting up, straighter, "Then what is it, brother?"


    I stared at the claws of my hand, a bit of shame welling from my chest from directly speaking out my thoughts,


    "I''ve found my emotions difficult to handle as of late. I''m quick to anger and slow to contentment. It''s a bother. Perhaps you may understand it better than I." I glanced down to her,


    "After all, you''ve more experience in regards to handling difficult emotions."


    Caprika fumbled for a moment, composing herself. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, granting her a few moments to think. She raised her hands, gesturing like salesmen giving a pitch as she spoke,


    "I don''t fully understand why, but it could be resentment to your failure in regards to Lehesion. If you''re ashamed of your performance, I assure you, no one imagined that beast would live up to the legends told about-"


    I seethed, "That is not what angers me. It would never."


    Caprika trembled, a shiver racing up her spine. I winced at my lack of self-control. Scolding her felt like whipping a child. She was still my little sister, after all. One victory did not shift the long history between us, one where I succeeded, and she failed. In my eyes, however, none of that history mattered. To me, she was my superior at this point in time.


    I leaned back from my screen, shaking my head, "I...excuse my outburst. That may well be what''s infuriating me considering my reaction just now. Perhaps your insight was worthwhile as a verification of sorts."


    Caprika took a deep breath before leaning towards her screen, "Are...are you alright? It''s not like you to ask me for help, and it''s even more unlike you to lash out like that."


    I scoffed, "That is precisely why I called you. You''re supposed to assist me in the matter, not point out the obvious to me."


    She stayed silent, keeping eye contact though I couldn''t see it behind her mask. From all the years I''d known her, I built up a vague understanding of her facial gestures despite the veils between us. Right now, she showed genuine concern to the extent that it oozed from her like juice from a smashed fruit.


    It was humiliating.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I composed myself before answering. Showing more weakness would only exacerbate the issue.


    "Your insight has been more than enough to rectify the issue. I''m merely optimizing my mental state for my continued performance. Nothing more."


    I stared at my palm as I spoke, inspecting the runic work of the Emperor. It calmed me as Caprika nodded,


    "Of course. You assisted me in more ways than I care to mention, and returning your backing means quite a bit to me. If that requires being a shoulder for you to lean on or an ear that listens to you, I''m at your beckoning call. Simply ask."


    I let my hand down, peering back down to her, "I see. Thank you for the sentiment. I must go now. Thank you for your time and consideration."


    Caprika leaned back, "That''s rather formal of you. It isn''t as if we''re merely business associates."


    I raised a hand over the exiting command for the chat, "I''m an ice mage. What else would you expect? Goodbye."


    I closed the call, glancing back at my daily duties. They involved the maintenance of Belka and Meliton, the planets I ruled. Every bit of it bored me, but finding another competent soul to manage these affairs was far more complicated than merely completing the tasks myself. The Emperor was fortunate to find me. I lacked the same luck.


    A few hours passed as I found myself fumbling with the simplest of tasks. Managing planetary interest rates, ending geopolitical disputes, even planning various educational reforms, they all eluded me. After a few minutes of work, I closed the holograms along with Eva. I turned back to the city and gave my situation some thought.


    Considering my coarse reaction to Caprika''s suggestion, she was correct even if I attempted denying it outright. Now that the source my malaise was known, aligning my actions to remedy the situation was simple.


    Ending Lehesion took priority. The question was thus:


    How do you kill the unkillable?


    An interesting question. I steepled my fingers.


    I had interesting answers.


    **********************************************************************************************************


    With my eyes closed, I sat with my legs crossed. For the thousandth time, tranquility washed over me, keeping me calm. As I opened my eyes, I imagined Althea in my mind. I wanted her to succeed on her own terms. I remembered the bit of joy I got from watching Kessiah finding her way. I envisioned a weakened Torix needing my help.


    With all those thoughts driving me, I channeled my mana into my palm. I honed in on that sensation of warmth and comfort from their company. I focused on helping them with whatever it was they needed. As I took a deep breath, a mental image of Althea stuck out in my mind. Every time I thought about her, I wanted to protect her.


    These thoughts even carried some guilt. I focused so much on my own progress that I seldom helped them with their own. The only glory I could claim from helping them was leading by example. That only got me so far in my book. Healing techniques, utility magic, even defensive auras, I never even attempted to gain any of that.


    With relentless perseverance, I kept the single-minded pursuit of self-empowerment. It hasn''t failed me yet, but it might have failed those around me. That might of been why Torix ended up being consumed by the Hybrid. After the lengths he took to help me, I resolved to make the same lengths in assisting him. After all, he was the main reason we killed Yawm. He saved my damn home planet and then some. The guy deserved my respect for sure, and I owed it to the guy to help him out a bit more than I had.


    Despite this wave of remorse, I quashed any guilt in my mind. Feeling wrong about my past never helped me or anybody for that matter. Doing something about it, on the other hand, could help out quite a bit. Those thoughts inspired me. I could remake Torix¡¯s armor better than before, make it more foolproof. Who knows, maybe I could even get Chrona to teach him primordial mana. His summoning would be even better then.


    In a way, his victory would be my triumph, just as his failure was my defeat. If I was going to run an organization, that¡¯s how I had to think about everyone under me. Focusing on only myself wasn¡¯t an option anymore.


    As those thoughts welled in my mind, the blue mana in my palm shivered before reforming into a transparent, white orb. It swirled over my hand, mirroring a tiny hurricane. It carried the same potent volatility of ascendant mana, but it didn¡¯t spark outward with arcs of electricity. It radiated out air, enough to blow my hair back.


    Unique Skill gained! The normal skills, Augmentation, Augmentation Manipulation, Origin, Origin Manipulation, and Serenity combine into the unique skill Quintessence! 118 tree points rewarded!


    Quintessence(lvl 10) - Most divert their attention to themselves, pursuing narcissistic endeavors. You divert outward, avoiding the pitfalls of ego. +10% to ease of Quintessence creation. +10% to the potency of Quintessence mana.


    My hand wobbled beneath the mana, the energy threatening to ebb outward into my surroundings. I laughed at it before glancing back up at Transient,


    ¡°Aye, I did it...Finally.¡±


    Transient made a satisfying bing noise, ¡°It only took 242 hours of virtualized time to complete!¡±


    The bing wasn¡¯t quite so satisfying anymore. I frowned, ¡°Thanks for reminding me.¡±


    ¡°There is still plenty of time left in your time dilation period; eight days remain.¡±


    I scratched the side of my head, ¡°I¡¯m grateful and all for the help so far, but wasn¡¯t this supposed to take like three days?


    Transient bobbed in the air, ¡°Yes. Your situation isn¡¯t a normal one, however. Most compendium¡¯s taught skills that are combinations of already learned skills. They borrow more from existing unique and mythical skills than your current virtualization is. Unlike their learned skillsets, yours is much more expansive in nature.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To utilize the most effective form of long term growth for you given your unique parameters. Tolerance to time dilation to this extent is exceedingly rare. We can achieve more than usual, given the circumstances. This means we will be incorporating the learning of skills that will enhance your long term potential.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Ahhh, yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    Transient dimmed, the ethereal energy ball fading, ¡°We will continue this session tomorrow. Be ready.¡±


    Transient disappeared while the island around me dimmed to dusk. I sat up and stretched a bit, my legs asleep from all the sitting. After rolling my shoulders, I raised a palm and channeled that mindset of victory for all. In my hand, the swirling piece of white mana returned, ebbing outward with air. I directed more of it before engulfing the training room in a windstorm.


    My control of the new mana collapsed, converting into ascendant mana once more. Sparks of arcane lightning ripped out for a moment before I quashed the ball in my hand. I sighed, but learning a new mana type would take time. I was lucky I progressed this quick already. Without Transient¡¯s tips and tricks, I''d never have broken through all the plateaus I faced in the same time frame.


    Making progress in the new skills front was going far better for me, however. I learned water creation after a while by submerging myself in the fake ocean around me. Immersed in the element, I used the feeling, sensation, and weight of it to produce the same material. This method of placing myself within an element worked wonders.


    Now, an average person probably would wince at setting themselves on fire to learn about it. For me, it was run of the mill though. Hell, I''d jump in a damn volcano if it helped me learn skills faster. At this point, I had a no-fucks-given attitude to a bit of discomfort.


    That''s why after discovering this new method, I talked with Transient about letting me manipulate the projection around me. The sardonic little orb had no problem with it even if he doubted my intelligence the entire time. Armed with some agency, I created an icy wasteland, burning hellscape, and a windy skyline.


    Using origin mana, I composed each of these elements of ice, fire, and wind. Fire was the easiest since it was similar to my Star Forger skill sorta. Wind was quite tricky just because it was so light and airy. I couldn¡¯t get a firm grasp of the concept, probably because I so far from it in composition now. Eh, I couldn¡¯t know for sure.


    What I did know was that I was a motherfucking, full-fledged sorcerer now. Hell yeah.


    I wouldn¡¯t be trapping souls or creating void ice anytime soon, but fire breath was in my grasp. It wasn¡¯t nearly as powerful as my mythical or legendary skills though, and my control of the elements was rudimentary at the moment.


    Still, it was pretty cool.


    The next logical step was creating these elements using the better quintessence mana. That would take a bit of time, so I left that for tomorrow after Transient helped me with the odd energy. I decided on combining these elemental skills into a unique ability instead. In my mind, that revolved around the skill Energy Creation.


    Energy Generation(lvl 21) - From your mind spawns the forces of nature. +21% to spawned energies. +21% to intensity of spawned energies.


    This was the skill I gained before producing fire. At first, I attempted creating two materials that combust with each other, but that was impossible. My finesse with Matter Generation was nonexistent. I produced random stuff at random rates in random places. For now, It astonished me just how useless the skill turned out to be.


    It enabled me to produce water and wind though, and that¡¯s why I believed Energy Generation was key to an elementally inclined unique skill. Before I set to work, I chuckled at myself. My thoughts right now were nostalgic to me; it reminded me of when I first joined Schema¡¯s system. Gaming the system, theorycrafting skills, it was all a lot of fun then and now.


    This was different from before, though. Unlike my work with my other abilities, this was an endeavor of curiosity. I wasn¡¯t forced to learn this to live. I was doing this for the sake of doing it. That lack of restriction was like a breath of fresh air, my responsibilities leaving my mind. After taking a literal deep breath, I relished in that feeling.


    It made my mind wonder about other possibilities like what I would¡¯ve done if I didn¡¯t spawn in a dungeon. I might¡¯ve just dicked around, discovering new skills to learn that were fun to practice. That¡¯s probably what the average person was doing on Earth right now. I stared off in the distance as I envisioned a group of high school guys firing ice bolts at each other.


    Sounded like fun.


    I shook that out of my mind and refocused. With a practiced motion, I slid my hands outwards, taking a flowing pattern of movement. Two spheres of water appeared at the edge of my left palm before I transferred my right hand¡¯s mana to ascendant. Using the violent force in right palm, I fired the water ball forward before freezing it into ice using my left hand.


    It was like learning to write with my left hand. It flexed mental muscles I didn''t know I had. I managed it though, a lance of ice piercing into the sand. I grabbed it, spinning it like a movie. It snapped in my hands as I swung too hard. Fuck. I let out a few more colorful curses before lifting the halves of an ice spear and melting the ice under a plume of fire. I kept doing so until it evaporated, turning into a ball of mist. I shot out my hand and launched a gust of wind.


    It shot across the sand. The mist sunk into the ground before I lifted my left hand, creating tiny shards of ice. For several hours I continued this melding of elements, attempting creative combinations. It was a great mental break from the mindless grind that Transient''s exercises had become. Before that plasma ball arrived, I got what I was looking for.


    Unique Skill gained! Fire Creation, Ice Creation, Water Creation, Wind Creation, and Energy creation fused together into the unique skill Elementalist! 215 tree points awarded. Elementalist is unique among unique skills. It can absorb other elements that weren¡¯t involved in its creation, further strengthening the skill!


    Elementalist(lvl 10) - You wield the elements with deadly intent. +10% to elements intensity. +10% to elements purity.


    It was an excellent skill, albeit lacking in raw might. I was pretty sure that with time, it would become a force to reckon with. The tree points, in particular, were excellent. I opened my tree menu, finding 986 unused treepoints. I placed them into my Sovereign skill tree, but I didn¡¯t get any bonuses from it. I tsked in disappointment before moving on.


    I spent the rest of the night attempting to form earth magic. Despite getting numerous hot mud baths and getting stuck in quicksand pits later, the skill didn¡¯t click. Oh well. The next day, I learned a bit more of the ins and outs of quintessence mana. It was the mana of victory from what Transient told me. Leaders used it for the enhancement of their armies more often than not.


    Ascendant mana seemed capable of the same purpose, but I had already understood the drawbacks quite well involving that bloody mana. Ascendant mana did motivate troops to fight, but it also drove them to feed. Just as the wolfs and hornets devoured each other, so would a horde of my forces. Quintessence was altogether different, however.


    Sheathing an army in armor, giving them swords of ice, or arming them with ammunition, quintessence did it all and more. The benevolent nature of the mana helped with keeping soldiers in the general¡¯s repertoire as well. Primordial mana was potent as well for this purpose, though few enjoyed being controlled.


    In a way, quintessence was the mana for getting and making an army.  Ascendant mana was more for people that wanted to be a one-man army instead. To each his own.


    I wanted both. With that in mind, I wrestled with quintessence all day. As the sun went down and Transient left me, I created a condensed sphere of quintessence in my hand. I dipped it into a pile of sand I made earlier. The sand shifted into limestone before standing upright. A tiny, sandstone golem walked up from the ground, about a foot tall.


    It blew my mind. With ascendant mana, I enraged the beast, making it clobber a few buildings and trees apart in the simulator. I created a golem of wood minutes later, calling it Mini-Yawm, and I had them fight one another. The wooden one lived up to its predecessor¡¯s name, throwing the sand golem aside after tearing its brother apart.


    Mini-Yawm beat its chest for a moment before staring up at me. It lacked eyes, though it sensed its surroundings. The wood golem ran up and hit the side of my leg, doing nothing more than breaking its fists. I leaned over and reached out a hand to it. The crude, wooden puppet smushed its blunt hands against my fingers.


    I frowned before waving Event Horizon over the tiny construct. It evaporated into the air as I took a breath. These were extraordinary, life-altering powers at my disposal now. It kind of creeped me out, but mastering them might prove vital further down the line. With that in mind, I tore strips of my armor off. Once I gained a large pile, I telekinetically lifted it into a humanoid.


    After carving a variety of elementary runes onto the creature, I gained the rough approximation of a bodyguard. Well, at least in theory. It might end up like the plague of crabs earlier. I waved my hands back and forth before emptying my mind. As I filled it with thoughts of triumph, quintessence channeled through me. I directed it further, the mana encompassing my being in its entirety.


    A rotating sphere of the pale aura generated around me, the pressure building. The runic markings over my armor glowed a bright white, contrasting my armor¡¯s grim appearance. After maintaining this high octane amount of mana, I finally felt comfortable with the sensation.


    I attempted to reach out with my aura. The white cloud expanded outward from me in a smooth expansion. As I did, a snowy sort of tint ebbed over my surroundings.


    At the same time, it lived up to being the mana of victory. The energy invigorated me like liquid power. I trembled as my abilities extended. My eyes sharpened. My thoughts cleared. My body loosened. My skin hardened. I expanded in both mass and potential. Even my mana quaked in an uproar, bursting into the air with a crescendo of might.


    I was no longer covered by a condensed ball of wind. I walked as a living hurricane, a boundless storm shifting around me. The energy filled and fueled me, giving me the urge to create. I wanted to paint, sing, even build a house brick by brick. It didn¡¯t matter what it was, I needed to make something that would last through the epochs of time.


    As the new sensation normalized to me, I glanced around. The sand island blew apart from around me. I lifted my hands, channeling quintessence to reform the island. The golem behind me absorbed the energy, its markings growing white. The rough joints straightened out, becoming straighter. The jagged edges smoothed, gaining a subtle sheen.


    My eyes widened as the thin, wispy bodyguard gained life and an improved body. With the same white glow in its eyes, it glanced around, confused about what was happening. Before anything else, I analyzed the structure.


    Dimensional Golem(lvl 500) - This dimensional golem is created by a living multiverse, acting as a fragment of its body given free will. Though unintelligent and weak, this being holds tremendous tenacity, proving difficult to kill even for those twice it''s level. This comes down to the composition of its body.


    The foreign matter is both stable and volatile, proving an adequate defense and offense all at once. The armor can infect any that touches it, slowly absorbing the life force of its would-be attacker. This allows this golem to become a robust and worthy competitor given time.


    You can kill this with ease given your abilities.


    I eyed the creature, stepping closer to it. It peered back and mimicked my motions like a mirror. Staring down, I tapped my chest for a moment. Maybe I couldn¡¯t use origin to make better material for golems, but I had the best golem material right here. An endless army of mindless subjects was at my fingertips. Before I carried out my evil laugh, the golem attempted taking a step.


    It fell sideways, the ground quaking beneath it. Unharmed and undeterred, it attempted standing up. As it fell sideways, and I understood a simple yet profound fact - making golems was hard. Sure, its level wasn¡¯t the worst in the world, but it was just about useless. The simple runes I composed on the creature barely let it move, let alone fight back.


    I cupped my chin, thinking of more advanced algorithms to give it specific movements. After a few minutes of brainstorming, I cursed. This shit was impossible. There was a reason fully robotic guards weren¡¯t possible for the most part. Programming combatants were often times much harder than just training real people instead.


    Due to all the complications, I put off pursuing this kind of study until later. I waved Event Horizon over the creature, expecting it to just evaporate. It took a step back, its knees wobbling under strain. The white light dimmed before the golem crashed to the ground in pieces. It was a haunting sensation. Till now, I hadn''t used the revamped Event Horizon on a creature that could withstand it whatsoever.


    This one lasted a few seconds, and its health was actually high enough to withstand my aura for even longer. The reason it died was from the mana drain. It and I experienced the new mana drain on Event Horizon for the first time.


    It was an absolute, destructive mind obliterator. It subjugated its victim by eliminating the ability to even think, let along fight back. It really did embody a physical manifestation of oppression, the pitiful golem''s pure mind crumbling before its body did. To me, it was somewhat horrifying watching such an innocent intellect be dismantled under the heel of Event Horizon.


    I stared at my hands. I was a monster.


    Next time I would just kill the damn thing. Until I could control my creations, I''d stick with simple stuff instead of making golems. This was just too much for me right now, and that was saying something. After all, I''d put myself through grueling torture while training. Doing that to newly formed life though...It was different. That''s all I''ll say about it.


    I was still driven, however. I shook off that guilt before moving on. There was no rest for the wicked after all. Before going back to my skills, I opened my status to investigate the new aura.


    Dimensional Wake - Your reach as a dimension is manifested by an aura, currently known as Event Horizon. Depending on your current mana type, this aura can be altered to one of six mana types: Origin, Dominion, Augmentation, Ascendant, Quintessence, and Primordial.


    The Rise of Eden(Quintessence) - This aura enhances your ability to create and augment all forms of life, matter, and energy. It also instills the urge and inspiration to create in all those within the aura, spurring them to action. This dimensional aura also enables the construction of various effects depending on the mutations used on oneself. This gives this version of Dimensional Wake tremendous versatility.


    Current Radius: 501 ft/152 m | Size of the aura can be increased by your mass


    Creator of All - This aura enhances all acts of creation, growth, and empowerment within its radius of any kind. Doubles experience gain. Skills level twice as quickly. Augmenting auras enhanced by 50%. Imperfections reduced. The potency of quintessence is enhanced.


    Perfection - Augments the raw base stats of allies within the aura by 40%. Your own base stats are increased by 30%.


    A Magnum Opus - Creates an aura of intense motivation and the desire to create in all its forms. This kind of creation can be immaterial, involving skills, ideas, and pursuits.


    The descriptions were stunning but straightforward. The most apparent benefit involved the general stat enhancement. The sheer volume of mana was awe-inspiring from it. Including all my modifiers, it over doubled my mana regeneration. It was so potent, I would use quintessence as my new baseline mode. It would make my runes fill out even faster, which was always good.


    It wouldn¡¯t take that many enemies before Event Horizon exceeded the potential stat boost though. At the same time, this was a better solo strategy, giving me a bit of flexibility. The aura itself was also perfect for crafting in general. Using quintessence for Star Forger sounded like a recipe for unbelievable items.


    If I wanted to become a one-man army though, Event Horizon was still my best bet. The new mana drain was particularly potent on it, muting enemy minds proving valuable. As for a charismatic general I needed to be, quintessence fit the bill for now.


    Well, as charismatic as I could be at least. There was only so much that stats could fix after all.


    I rolled my shoulders, getting back to work. I spent the rest of the night training Elementalist within The Rise of Eden. It added to the impact of elementalist quite a bit, turning fire into an inferno and waves into tsunamis. As the sun rose up again, Transient arrived along with a new task.


    ¡°You seem different.¡±


    I glanced down at my palms, a white glow ebbing from the cipher on them, ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°Noted. We will be moving on to the Mutagenesis skill line. This series of skills is far more geared towards your base nature, which will speed up the learning curve substantially. Outside of the formation of the mythical skill itself, the creation of quintessence was the largest hurdle involved during your stay here...Most likely.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank god.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank god. Thank Schema.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as it continued,


    ¡°Mutagenesis is composed of five baseline skills, Mutation, Growth, Deconstruction, Auto-Cannibalism, and Anatomy. We will begin by learning the Auto-Cannibalism skill.¡±


    I winced, ¡°Sounds fun.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t as unpleasant as one might believe.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me it involves eating myself.¡±


    The AI bobbed up and down, ¡°It does but in a practical manner. You won''t be required to devour yourself. A longer, less direct method has been created for the learning of the skill. Allow me to explain-¡±


    After a long lecture, I got the basic idea behind the skill. As I began mutating myself, the ability to degenerate the changes from mutagenesis was necessary for several reasons. Practicing alterations, eliminating changes, and restoring myself were several of them. The reason I didn¡¯t learn Deconstruction instead was that Auto-Cannibalism had a recycling component to it.


    While deconstructing changes wasn¡¯t the worst way of getting rid of mistakes, it wasn¡¯t as efficient as auto-cannibalism. The only reason to learn deconstruction was to dismiss any life I happened to form with my origin mana once I was done with it. Having that level of control over another life kind of shocked me, but it wasn¡¯t all that different from Event Horizon in effect.


    It still felt like I shouldn''t be given tools like this. I swallowed that unease and kept trucking on.


    In fact, Event Horizon covered all the bases Auto-Cannibalism and Deconstruction attended to. That choking aura used ascendant mana as a battery, however, which made it unusable in The Rise of Eden. It was a quirky conundrum, making my life more complicated than it needed to be. Either way, I ignored Transient completely before tearing off my own limbs and devouring them. Boom, I gained the Auto-Cannibalism skill.


    Transient said it was unconventional. Eh, maybe.


    After gaining that in mere minutes, I created a couple dozen water elementals. Like tiny, uncultured children, they wandered the temporal dilation chamber. I practiced disconnecting the mana I placed within them from the materials composing their bodies. It was dark work, leaving quite an impression on me. There was something innately twisted about giving life then taking it, even if it was on a scale this small.


    The more I did work like this, the more I understood how someone like Yawm came to be. This was corrupting as the eldritch. Creating and killing life reduced the sanctity of life itself. It numbed my basic sense of ethics and morality. As I took each of the little lives away, it didn''t bother me as much as the last one did.


    That bothered me more than an eldritch chewing my face.


    Still, I did the work that had to be done. It wasn''t like I would be doing this forever, and my mind was more stable than stone. I wouldn''t let this series of exercises leave me warped.


    I pushed through a sense of nausea from the spells. It took four or five hours to gain Deconstruction, mostly from my own misgivings with the skill. The progress was at light speed compared to gaining origin mana though. After that awful affair, Event Horizon would be my go-to for dismissing my creations. It was less...personal that way.


    We moved on to Anatomy. It was one of the most effortless skills to gain since my first few skills back in Bloodhollow. After reading three hundred pages of an anatomy book in an hour, I learned the ability. Easy peasy. It surprised me how quickly it all came to me and how quickly I read as well.


    I remembered taking anatomy back in high school. I got my ass kicked by that class. The memorization aspect of it was so simple now, it seemed like child¡¯s play. Even more so, the more complex bits about how various systems worked together on a conceptual level, that just zipped into my brain. Of course, I wasn¡¯t an expert. You wouldn''t see me handling a tricky diagnosis like pulmonary embolus. I''d fuck that up with something more common like pneumonia. That kind of expertise would still take time, diligence, and experience, but I was on the road to that level of understanding.


    My progress stuck out to me just because this was one of the subjects I studied from my previous life before Schema. It was difficult, arduous, and complicated once upon a time. It was so easy now by comparison.


    I was no longer a troglodyte in regards to my smarts. Yay.


    After finishing that anatomy booklet, I moved on to the skill Growth. Before Transient even attempted giving me a primer on the topic, I expanded myself using the skill Mass Manipulation. Transient chided,


    ¡°That isn¡¯t growth. You¡¯re simply expanding the distance between the atoms of your body. Growth is different. You don¡¯t shift the density of your atomic structure. You add atoms to it.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Like getting fat?¡±


    ¡°No. This skill is a simple skill used by many to create a more imposing presence. You use origin or quintessence mana to create more of your own body. While very dangerous to learn for most, it should prove quite simple for you considering your circumstances.¡±


    I cupped my chin, ¡°Why is it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Mold origin mana into your body. The answer shall present itself.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, ¡°Huh...ok.¡±


    I shifted my mode of mana, blue lines glowing across my helmet and runes. I saturated my blood a bit with origin mana before my vision blurred. Falling to my knees, a wave of nausea suffused me, and I wretched. The empty gag followed the vomiting of an eyeball a moment later. My own eyes widened with horror as I leaned back from the squirming eyeball. As it glanced at me, a far stronger urge to hurl deluged from my gut.


    I upchucked a waterfall of eyeballs. They crashed into the ground, a massive pile forming beneath me. The fleshy spheres swelled from my eyes, under my skin, in every inch of my body. They soaked into my bones and blood, growing from my body in an abominable mass.


    Before drowning in detatched eyeball, I shifted Event Horizon over my frame. The flesh dematerialized in an instant, the pressure dissipation from around me. As I gasped for unnecessary air, I glanced up at Transient. The AI chirped with a bit too much glee,


    ¡°That is why it''s dangerous.¡±


    I shook my head before banging my chin once. The whip sharpened my thoughts as I stood up. I glared down at the energy ball as ascendant mana coursed through my veins. Red mana leaked from my frame, my armor grinning with red leaking from it. I reached out, molding the lightest touch of Event Horizon over the little ball of aether.


    It trembled, the mana composing its body draining. As Transient groaned in torment, I leaned over to it,


    ¡°Thank you for explaining why origin mana is dangerous...Do you feel that?¡±


    It shivered, dimming as I seethed,


    ¡°That is why I¡¯m dangerous.¡±


    I stopped the aura and stood up again, "One lesson for another. Now, would you mind telling me what to do next. This time in detail?"


    More subdued, the AI continued, "Of course. My apologies. Let''s continue."


    I raised a hand, channeling origin mana, "Let''s."

 223 His Own Way

    After that display of mine, Transient fell in line. He wasn''t as cryptic with his hints or indirect with his phrasing. While I didn''t relish in threatening people, it sure got the job done sometimes. Especially after they made me vomit eyeballs, guilt wasn''t an issue. Man, who would''ve guessed?


    Sarcasm aside, Transient''s change in attitude didn''t fix my issues with Growth. This difficulty stemmed from several causes. The least obvious but most impactful being my trait - blood magic.


    It was what unified my mana and health into one resource, and I had only learned magic while using it. It was a different style of mana usage compared to more conventional means. Typically, a mage externalized his intents and used a tremendous surge of thought and will to manifest it into reality. This required utter focus, complex formulations, and precise timing.


    My magic was the opposite. I sacrificed my physical well being for my magic to manifest. That sacrifice''s effect was based on what I sacrificed, however. That''s why adding more endurance and size effectively strengthened my magic. I was immolating something more valuable, therefore getting more in return. Since I could exchange blood and bone for mana, the reverse was true as well. This meant my mind strengthened the rigidity and stability of my body.


    These factors cleared up quite a few oddities about me in general. For instance, my instinctive learning style, it worked because of blood magic. Your average mage couldn''t go by ''feel'' at all. It would disrupt the flow of mana, making it all fall apart. On the other hand, my style oriented around intuition and something similar to muscle memory.


    This was why most mages relied heavily on their grimoire for practical magic. The algorithms in their grimoires acted as the software of a computer while their reserves of mana acted like the hardware. The better the software, the more efficiently they used the hardware.


    My style meant any finesse with my magic should be outright impossible. The result was quite the opposite if what Helios and Torix told me was true. Well, after thinking it over, I figured it out along with why this compendium wasn''t exactly optimal.


    This virtualization was teaching me using the standard mage''s learning curve. That''s why the compendium was behind its initial estimate for my pace of learning. I was using an inferior method to gain knowledge for me. Once I understood the roadblock, maneuvering around it was simple.


    I would just skip all the convoluted conversion bullshit and use what I already understood. Instead of learning Growth, I used transmutation on my flesh and blood. In layman''s terms, I was cutting out the middle man. In this case, the middle man was turning my body into mana then formulating that mana into what I wanted. That part was hard, tedious, and arbitrary.


    Why do all that when I could just change my body right into what I wanted from the start? All that other nonsense was slowing me down. Hell, logically speaking, this new style still used quintessence because of blood magic. My body was my mana pool. Using it was no different than using mana in the end.


    Subtle as this change was, the difference was immediate and overwhelming. Within hours, I created immense torrents of water and expansive infernos. Using The Rise of Eden, I turned into an elemental tornado of volatile forces. My density, regeneration, and overall mass gave me a tremendous base of material to work with after all.


    That was the icing on the cake for me. If I turned myself into water, I gained water worth about double what I sacrificed. Due to my density and mass, an arm''s worth of mana could flood a room easily. Combine that with my already vast well of experience with converting my body to mana, and I wasn''t a fish out of water anymore.


    With that bottleneck broken, I practiced with a relentless fervor. It was how I learned best. After a few hours, I gained several notifications.


    Breakthrough Achieved! Elementalist(lvl 21) --->(lvl 36)!


    Breaththrough Achieved! Elementalist(lvl 36) --->(lvl61)!


    Skill gained! Transmutation(lvl 10) - While others devour to expand their horizons, you use your own will to expand yours. +10% to efficiency of transmutation. +10% to ease of transmutation.


    My changed way of doing this yielded enormous results. This was how I was used to doing things, and cross-applying my experience to different fields of study saved me a fuckload of time. Transient was pretty peeved since I ignored all of his advice over the last few hours, but I gave two fucks what he thought at this point. After that eyeball incident, I trusted no one until I got back to that hospital in Belka.


    This new tactic even gained me quite a bit of usability with The Rise of Eden. Sure, the extra stats while using quintessence were hella nice, but my magic was pitiful since most of my ascendant oriented skills didn''t work with quintessence. Now I could imagine actually using quintessence for something like Star Forger. Force of Nature wasn''t about to be usable with quintessence anytime soon though, if ever.


    For now, this was enough. After rolling my shoulders, I honed in on the next skill on the list - mutation. It was a natural skill to gain. For starters, I summoned three elementals using the virtualization. The fire, water, and earth ethereal beings hovered in front of me, their bodies mimicking tornadoes of their chosen elements.


    Around me, I generated an abandoned set of ruins, vines, and moss hanging on ancient stone. Birds chirped outside the shaded interior, crumbled pillars supporting a massive stone labyrinth.


    Once in front of me, I dashed towards the summoned monsters, instigating a fight. They attacked me in sync, each wielding its element with proficiency. As they did, I transmuted portions of myself to fight them. The water elemental summoned a viper of aqua, its fangs rushing towards me. I turned the surface of my skin to fire, a detonation of fire erupting from my frame.


    The attack fizzled into nothingness before the earth elemental spiraled in the air towards me. Its fragmented body coalesced into an arm, crushing where I stood. I swung an arm, turning a portion of it to water. Within The Rise of Eden, this conversion of flesh to water proved efficient. A flood plumed from my frame, turning earth to mud.


    From my side, the firey spirit flanked. It turned its body into a fireball lunging right at me. Where I stood, I stomped a foot and shot my hands out towards the creature. A wall of icy spines erupted from my frame, the fire melting it to water. The elemental collided into this growing surge of liquid, bursting into an ever increasing fog.


    I sunk into the fog, avoiding the earth and water elemental''s retaliation. They chased into the mist. Before they caught up, I turned the surface of my skin into pale ice, masking me in white. Hidden within the fog, I used my hearing to leap into the gust of earthen pieces.


    I shifted my frame, a tide of water smothering the earth elemental. Turned into a muddy slop, it died beneath me. Angered by the death of his brethren, the aqua elemental turned its body into a floating fist. As it crashed down, I smashed my hands together. As I did, I converted a portion of my palms into wind. The clap''s shockwave rippled up the beast''s frame, creating a cylinder of water.


    I pulled in my hands as it splashed around me. Before it reformed, I stood tall and spread my arms. A vast wave of wind unleashed from my frame, the water dispersing like a water balloon shot by a rifle. As the rain fell from around me, I glanced at my notifications.


    Skill gained! Mutation(lvl 10) - Environments and circumstances change, but so do you. +10% to mutations efficiency. +10% to speed of mutations.


    Unique skill gained! The basic skills Mutation, Efficiency, Anatomy, Transmutation, and Matter Generation fuse into the unique skill, Inundation. 195 treepoints rewarded.


    Inundation(lvl 10) - You live in abundance, drowning your foes with your frame. +10% to matter conversion ratio. +10% to volume of converted matters and energies.


    I raised my hands, staring at them. I glanced up to Transient,


    "Now this is a skill I could imagine myself using."


    Transient started with an unusual silence. It whimpered,


    "The mythical skill we had planned will no longer be formable. Skill shift volatile."


    I shrugged, "So what? Make a new one."


    "It is not so simple. The compendium expended its ability to analyze you when it was assimilated. The previous pathway nullified."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Huh...Well, it''s not that big a deal. I''ll just make a different mythical skill, one that suits me better."


    "Impossible. The compendium analyzed your history, status, and fighting patterns. You cannot craft a better-utilized skill."


    I shrugged, "Eh, maybe if it was working on what I was like before. My armor evolution as of late makes me quite a bit different now though. Considering I''ve changed and the compendium hasn''t, wouldn''t that make it incomplete?"


    Transient was left speechless. I waved it away, "Anyways, thanks for the help with quintessence. That shit would''ve been damn near impossible to make without your help. From here on out though, I''ll handle it."


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Transient remained frozen in place, unable to so much as budge. It wobbled for a moment before shaking. It shivered, mumbling to itself in a monotone,


    "Mythical skill ungained. Purpose incomplete. Failure. Failure. Cannot compute. Mythical skill ungained..."


    It repeated that phrase over and over. After about ten minutes of that bullshit, I waved Event Horizon over the damn thing. Its mind shattered as the mana drain muted its thoughts utterly. Those shattered fragments drained into my frame, strengthening me.


    I shivered a bit. By destroying its will to resist, I empowered myself. In a way, I ascended by their destruction. It made sense why it was dominion plus augmentation. Their fall was my rise.


    Either way, without Transient bothering me and the ability to control the simulation, I went about my own business. The most logical skills to combine into a mythical skill were Quintessence, Elementalist, and Inundation. With that in mind, I spawned hundreds of various enemies and elementals around me.


    I rolled my shoulders before pounding my fists together. Learning by kicking ass was more my style. After destroying the first wind golem with a torrent of its own element, I grinned. As I did, my head throbbed with a headache that''d been growing over the last several days. I shook it off, laughing the pain away.


    Yeah, this was more like it.


    ********************************************************************


    I stared down at my disciple, already accustomed to the different environment of Belka. To my surprise, my disciple''s coordinates led me directly to a hospital upon this imperial world. Once within its confines, I discovered several of my allies. Kessiah, in particular, proved a fruitful encounter as she healed my fractured knee. Her restoring several of my key injuries and lacking aspects eased my life quite a bit.


    I always told her that her magic was powerful when harnessed. Hmph.


    An old mage''s musings aside, I, along with Helios, stood in a rather unused portion of the hospital''s hallway. We both were looking for my disciple, his presence known by the staff. They referred to him as the stationary man. To be precise, his presence here stirred up quite the fuss.


    A news station covered his presence, mentioning the strange being''s refusal to respond to any outside contact. Despite being healthier than any patient currently residing within the hospital, this resident refused to move. They sent a moving crew to take him out of the facility, but this creature''s weight far exceeded all but the most active being''s ability to move him.


    Therefore, Daniel was treated as a statue and oddity. How quaint.


    The spectacle expanded until even Helios became involved. Upon coincidence, my arrival coincided with his being called here. With a like-minded goal in our sights, Helios guided me towards the statued man.


    And that was how we found a necromancer and world ruler staring down at a dimension. It was quite a sight; Daniel''s bench had been long ago removed. He stayed sitting despite no support, his gravity wells in place. Of course they were. Otherwise, he''d collapse the entire building with his heft alone.


    I marveled at the magical constructs, the gravity within them contained as I tilted my head,


    "Daniel is rather anchored at the moment, isn''t he?"


    Helios stood, leaning against a wall while facepalming. In silence, he reflected on this interruption to his day. The Ruler of Worlds called to move a statue man from the most excellent hospital of Belka.


    In a word, humorous. In another ludicrous.


    I snickered at him before nudging the giant with my elbow, "So how do you intend to move him? Perhaps a portal leading elsewhere? You''ll find that difficult as he isn''t actually sitting there. He''s pinned in place by his magic. He won''t fall down even if you put a portal beneath him."


    Helios stayed there, still brooding over the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. I relished in this more than I''d like to admit, so I continued my teasing,


    "Oh, I''m certain we could call in a few more members of the royal family. Perhaps you could use an enormous shard of that void ice to move him. You''d need only rebuild a large section of this state of the art hospital then. It''s quite the elegant solution, really."


    Helios lifted his head, "I was interrupted from my work...for this. Baldowah kill me already. Why lengthen the torment?"


    I waved my hand in a circle towards Daniel, "Perhaps this is a trial sent from Schema to test your will."


    Helios stepped up to Daniel, "No. This is entropy incarnate. Nothing more. Nothing less."


    I turned towards Helios, "On a more serious note, would you elect to tell me how long Daniel''s been here?"


    "Ten days. Perhaps more. The hospital staff didn''t discern his stay initially. After several days, it became noteworthy. After that first week, he was an oddity that even local news stations took note of."


    Helios banged the side of Daniel''s face with his gauntlet as if knocking on a door,


    "Perhaps this idiot will be more responsive to force."


    Helios inspected dents in the metal that composed his gauntlets. I chuckled, "Perhaps not."


    Helios rolled his eyes under his mask, his emotional state transparent. I locked my fingers behind me, my chest out, "I shall wait here for him until he returns from his mental odyssey. You may continue with your duties as you were."


    Helios glanced down at me, tilting his head, "Mental odyssey...Would you mind elaborating, perhaps?"


    "His mythical compendium. It shouldn''t require much more in the way of time. It''s been quite a while for him to still be within its confines. I''ll relinquish you of your responsibility in this matter for now. You may attend to what you wish thereafter."


    Helios scoffed, "Confident, aren''t you?" He crossed his mammoth arms,


    "What else would explain you giving me permission to continue my duties?"


    I waved a hand at Daniel, "I''m merely informing you that I shall attend to this responsibility. Nothing more."


    Helios turned away, his cape flourishing, "Then see to it. I will not be as lenient should I be called here a second time."


    I gave him a shallow bow, "But of course."


    After he left, I leaned forward, inspecting the runic markings over Daniel. I tapped one of them with a bony finger,


    "Hmmm...I remember them being a distinctly bloody red. Since when did they become white as snow? Curious."


    I created a physical cloud of dominion mana, sitting beside my disciple. I shrugged, "The questions mount. I await the answers to my various ponderings."


    I opened my grimoire, "But until then, it''s time I dive into the depths of mind magic."


    I cackled with a bit of glee,


    "Perhaps there''s more I may learn of it before he returns."


    ********************************************************************


    That headache evolved into a full-blown migraine about a week back. At this point, blood dripped down my nose, out of my mouth, and even my eyes. I already passed the three-week deadline a while back. I figured this chance wouldn''t come often, so I fought using my skills, molding as many together as possible.


    I glanced at the side of my view. I gained my mythical skill a while back.


    Mythical skill gained! The unique skills Quintessence, Elementalist, and Innundation fuse into the mythical skill, An Endless Flood! 104 treepoints awarded!


    An Endless Flood(lvl 10) - From your mind, the torrents of the material world erupt, cascading across all before you in an endless flood. Augments creation skills, transmutations skill, and created elements. Increases ease of use for these types of magic as well.


    I hadn''t closed the notification out for a long time. I liked the name of it since it reminded me of my first mythical skill, A Boundless Storm. In a way, this new skill emulated those words far better. From my hands, I created vast swaths of elemental carnage. I decimated horde after horde of the enemy, yet my abilities never waned.


    I wielded more of my mana, the sheer volume mounting to absurd extents. It changed the nature of my onslaught. I created vast icestorms or fiery hellscapes on my own. I wielded the wind with an utter completion, hurricanes left unbounded.


    I used Star Forger, melding the skill into my movements. Water to mist or ice, Star Forger''s temperature change made these transitions easier. At times, I glowed like the sun, fire erupting from my every motion. At other times, I slid across the virtualization as a phantom of ice, my movements unreadable. I learned to wield earth, mist, magma, and sand. They molded into An Endless Flood, augmenting the potent skill.


    After wielding the might of these forces, a few more weeks passed. I used summons of my own to combat the ensuing hordes. I charged them with quintessence, their bodies strengthened, and their minds emboldened. We wrought destruction, the virtualization cracking at the seams.


    They lacked any complex movements, so I spoke out to my forces. I gave orders and commands, shouting out for eternal victory. Using Legion of One, I gave them the spirit to continue despite the undying throngs of monsters. They fought for their own lives as we continued on this path of total annihilation.


    Our enemies darkened the skies with their numbers, but we bathed the ground in their blood. My body trembled under the strain of forced time dilation as the endless battle ebbed from weeks into months.


    From every surface, I bled, my mind disintegrating. I pushed through this, continuing forth. This was an opportunity to use my skills without any limit or consequence. It was a playground I would rarely return to. At the height of the war, a grin spawned onto my armor. The jagged teeth exposed a haunting white light behind them.


    This spurred me forward until the damage to my mind began exceeding my ability to regenerate it. Without my mana pouring forth, I ceased the incoming hordes. As I stood atop a mountain of corpses, my bloodstained summons raised their hands in triumph. They survived. I stood above them as their general, my own hand raised. I thundered with the might of a giant,


    "We are legion. We are eternal."


    As I spoke out the words, the simulation died down. The reality around me shifted. My lungs filled with a bit of dust, making me cough. I stood up, more dust falling from me in clumps. I turned around, finding the hospital surrounding me. That''s right. This was where I began the compendium. I hacked up the grime in my throat before turning to the hallway.


    I found Torix beneath me, a series of booklets in hand. A cobweb was attached to his shoulder, a spider crawled on its surface. He peered up at me, his skeletal face showing no emotion. I hugged around him, picking him up with a chorus of cracks ebbing out. I leaned back, most of his ribcage and spine shattered. I suspended him with gravity, my eyes wide with shock.


    I muttered, "Oh shit."


    He raised a frail hand, "And here I believed you wished to send me back to my phylactery." He gestured towards his body, "As you may have surmised, it lacks the rigidity of my previous incarnation. I shall deal with this as necessary, no need to worry."


    Torix grumbled, "However, keep the bear hugs to a minimum if you would."


    I shifted my mana to quintessence, The Rise of Eden crossing over him with a subtle white tint in the air. Torix''s bones and joints began to heal as he gasped,


    "I...what is this? Your new mythical skill?"


    I laughed before grinning at him,


    "No. It''s much more than that."


    I raised a hand, quintessence ebbing from my palm,


    "It''s a new aura called The Rise of Eden."

 224 Consequences

    I set Torix down after he healed, the aura spurring his meager natural regeneration. Torix tilted his head at me,


    "The Rise of Eden? It sounds like an advanced origin skill."


    I raised a hand with two fingers nearly pinching,


    "Close. It''s an aura I got from my last armor evolution. Apparently, I''m a multiverse now. The way it works is that each mana type changes my current state of being. This is the one for my new mana type, quintessence."


    Torix cupped his chin, "Quintessence?"


    "Yeah." I pointed at my other hand, showing the ball of white mana, "This is what it looks like. It''s origin and augmentation mana. It''s pretty solid overall. It''s about the same power level as ascendant mana, just in a different way."


    "Ah, so that''s why your runic markings are glowing white then. They''re charged by an energy different in nature."


    I clasped the ball of mana, dismissing it, "Yup." I opened my status, giving it a glance. I gained a few levels, so I invested them into constitution and selected finalize. Right after the little power boost, I swiveled it to Torix,


    "You see those numbers beside the attributes? That''s the bonuses it gives. It works multiplicatively, making it kind of absurd."


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 9,124 | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden)


    Strength ¨C 19,955(25,941) | Constitution ¨C 27,627(35,915) | Endurance ¨C 69,872(90,834)


    Dexterity ¨C 10,593(13,771) | Willpower ¨C 52,345(68,048) | Intelligence ¨C 26,880(34,944)


    Charisma ¨C 9,973(12,965) | Luck ¨C 14,655(19,051) | Perception ¨C 10,656(13,853)


    Health: 67.7 Million/67.7 Million | Health Regen: 459.9 Million/min or 7.67 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 3.136 Trillion


    Mass: 3.19 Million Pounds(1.45 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 11''8 (3.6 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.04% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 6.85 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within radius of aura.


    Torix froze up for a while. I waved my hand in front of his face, "Hey, you still there?"


    He spread out his hands, "What kind of ludicrous status is that?"


    I shrugged, "It''s a bunch of multipliers working together."


    Torix lifted his hands up, "Your lowest stat...is higher than your current level...That is utterly incomprehensible. It''s... it''s...I don''t have the words to describe it."


    I pointed at the numbers, "Alright, let me explain. So, you remember how attributes feed into each other, right?"


    Torix leaned over to my status, "Yes. The first cardinal chain was...Endurance, willpower, intelligence, luck then charisma. The second cardinal chain was...ah yes, constitution, strength, dexterity, perception, then charisma."


    I pointed at Torix, "Right." I looked back on my status, "A general stat buff like The Rise of Eden makes every stat higher. Well, the stats closest to the top of that chain get the least. Why? They don''t have any other beefed up stats feeding into them. The lower the stat on those chains though, they end up getting a multiplicative bump."


    I closed my status, "Therefore, I''m more of a generalist with this aura. You are as well. Go ahead, check out your own status. You''ll have received the same kind of benefit."


    Torix let his hands flop onto his sides, "What happened to your flesh-eating aura then? Did it up and disappear?"


    I shook my head, my armor''s runic work turning a bloody red. It grinned, the teeth jagged, "Want to feel a bit of it?"


    Torix took a step back, "Ahem, should I?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, probably not."


    Torix rubbed his hands together before standing up straight, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Do keep the health draining component out, however. My constitution is lacking as of late. If you can''t do that, then we''ll cancel this little experiment."


    "I can and of course."


    I molded Event Horizon over him, keeping only the mana drain and suppressive effects on. As it waved over him, he withstood it for a few seconds before falling down, his body shivering. He gasped, "Ah...I...I"


    I retracted Event Horizon moment he fell down. As I did, Torix gasped without needing to breathe. I didn''t need to either, so I got why he kept doing it. Old habits die hard, after all.


    I placed a hand on his back, "Are you ok?"


    Torix shook his head, "Yes, I am. It simply caught me by surprise." Torix leaned back against the wall behind him, "That''s a potent tool. I''d recommend you use it sparingly."


    I shifted Rise of Eden over him, "This will be my base mode now anyways. Gotta charge my runes and all that."


    Torix let out another sigh of relief. I sat down with him, leaning my head back on the wall too. We sat staggered, my frame taking up all the space in front of me. Torix shook his head,


    "You never cease to surprise me."


    I raised a hand, "We''ll see. Killing Lehesion will still be difficult."


    Torix scoffed, "Perhaps. You''ll be far more of an adversary in your current state. You''ve yet to even tap into your true potential."


    Torix stared away from me, a bit of shame leaking into his voice. I gave his shoulder a tap, "Neither have you."


    Torix waved his hands, "I, I rather lack in my battling capabilities at the moment. Perhaps I can muster up a measure of assistance through my other skills, but actual fighting will leave me decimated by a stiff breeze, let alone the attack of a titan."


    It hurt hearing Torix say that. In fact, his overall confidence and demeanor paled when compared to the last time I saw him. Despite some of the bullshit in the compendium, I remembered my promise to help Torix out. That''s why I shook my head,


    "You''ll be fine. I''ll make you a new body. It will be better than anything money can buy. That much, I can guarantee."


    Torix shook his head, "Souls may only be stored in organic tissue. Otherwise, the soul dissipates over time, resulting in the loss of sentience. This is why golems are such pains to maintain. Any soul you place in them slowly but surely falls to madness."


    I banged the side of my head, "This is organic...I think."


    Torix waved a hand, "It doesn''t matter in the end. Even if we attempted a transition, and for the sake of this thought exercise, let''s assume your right. It carries my soul without a hitch. What of the rather volatile influence of your mana? It will slowly erode my mind, making me into a bloodthirsty thrall."


    I channeled dominion mana, infesting my mind with the desire to dominate and control. My runic markings glowed a hollow black, sapping the light around me. I pointed at myself, "This will work, won''t it? In fact, it''ll probably just make your mana even stronger."


    Torix leaned towards me, "Fascinating. What is that?"


    I pointed at my title above my head, "I''m channeling dominion mana right now, so I''m all dominion-ey."


    Torix placed his hands onto his temples, "Dominion-ey you say? Hmmm, I suppose it could work." A hunger came over his features,


    "Ah, to hell with it. I''ll attempt this, er, transition." Torix waved his hand in disgust, "Better than living my undead life as a used napkin waiting to be burned."


    I frowned, his words burning a bit. Torix was someone I deeply respected, and to see him driven so low walloped me. Torix picked up a chunk of his broken ribs, staring at it as his blue, fiery eyes glowing red,


    "I''d rather take my chance at living on as someone worth respecting than this pitiable state."


    I put a hand on Torix''s shoulder,


    "You got us through Yawm. You taught me magic and runes. You''re the reason I''m here. Trust me, if there''s anyone worthy of respect, it''s you." I raised a fist,


    "So quit talking like that. I have to defend my master''s reputation when it''s being besmirched after all." I gave his shoulder a gentle nudge as I let it go, "Even if my master''s the one besmirching it."


    Torix glanced down, covering his mouth with his hand. He waved it a second later, "You''re right. I represent more than just Torix Worm. I am the master of the Harbinger of Cataclysm, and one of his four followers. I have a responsibility to uphold myself."


    I raised my hands, "Let''s call it something else, like generals or something."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know. It''s just eerily reminiscent of Yawm."


    Torix stood up, "Catchy alliteration aside, you''re quite right." He brushed off his robe as he stood up, "Let''s be off then."


    I stood with one leg, doing a pistol squat, "Of course."


    We stepped out of the confined hallway, everything looking smaller than before. I grew about two feet in the compendium. Ah that was right, I turned to Torix,


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Hey, how long was I in the compendium?"


    "About three weeks."


    My eyes widened, "Ahhhhh fuck. We have to hurry. Where is everybody?"


    Torix waved a hand, "Back on Giess. They''ve all been busy with the comings and goings involved with planetary safety. We''ve made some measure of progress to be sure, though your absence has been quite...difficult."


    A wave of guilt passed over me as I tapped my forehead with my door knocking knuckles. I molded my helmet back onto my face, "Alright, can you give me a report on what''s happened?"


    Torix''s chest puffed as he gave me a curt nod, "But of course. I''m the Harbinger''s Erudition after all."


    Erudition, what a word. I looked it up real quick using my status,


    Erudition - Knowledge acquired by study, research, and experience.


    Eh, it was precisely what Torix was: a mass of wisdom. While having my status open, I checked out Torix''s,


    "Looks like you got experience from that Version 2.0 dying."


    Torix waved off my comment, "Ah yes, and you outlevel my cap before you''ve even gained a class. What of it?"


    I glanced forward, the hallway smaller in my vision then I remembered it. I pretended to be Torix,


    "To compare oneself to others is to forever live in a shadow. Find the light that you emit, and that shall be your guide through dark days."


    Torix opened his status, "Very humorous. Now, here''s what''s occurred. After Lehesion demolished Rivaria, the Adair Family has been rather quiet as of late. There have been a few events on distant planets. I hypothesize they''re using Lehesion to assault other worlds, start rebellions, something of that sort. As for our members, Chrona and Krog spent their days gaining gialgathens into your guild. I took the liberty of assisting them with the process while waiting by your side. I assure you, my screening process was thorough."


    "I believe you."


    "As for Althea, she returned to Earth with the help of Helios. Once there, some of my trained mages constructed the teleportation ritual to get her back onto Giess. While my students toiled, Althea gathered Hod and many of the Eltari. She''s taken them to Giess and put them through a boot camp of sorts."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What''s she doing?"


    "She''s creating a group of assassins. After her being trapped by Thisbey, she''s taking a numbers approach to the elimination of inscrutables. Instead of relying on only plan A as it were, she''ll have many backup plots within her arsenal. It suits Hod as well considering his specialty with shadows."


    "Alright, that''s very good. I can give her the follower status then. That should help."


    I sent her the promotion as Torix said,


    "I''d recommend it. She''s been showing a measure of ambition as of late. It''s an excellent characteristic for someone born into such talent. Perhaps ''made'' into talent is a better term. I digress."


    I weighed my hand back and forth while wincing a bit at his wording,


    "Uh, yeah, let''s go with earned her talent."


    "Ah, yes. Of course. As for Kessiah, she''s been assisting Krog and Chrona with their recruitment. She heals the non-system gialgathens that lose limbs during the initiation procedure."


    Torix rolled a hand, "It takes the edge off the transition you see. Otherwise, it''s a rather risky undertaking."


    Torix finished speaking, and we stepped outside. I shifted modes, lifting the both of us with Force of Nature. As I did, I maintained my size using Mass Manipulation. It would be annoying to shrink and grow each time I switched mana types after all.


    With that fluid control, I generated a plethora of gravity and antigravity wells linked up into an airtight chain. It prevented ''gravity pollution'' as I called it. Otherwise, the wells would disrupt traffic or worse. We headed towards Helios''s office, the location set in my mind.


    As we traveled, Torix turned to me,


    "I sensed some guilt from you earlier. I understand the sentiment, but know this - your spike in potential and power will not go unnoticed. This, ahem, Rise of Eden was it? That''s quite the powerful ability to gain. In my eyes, the mythical compendium was more than worth the investment in time."


    I raised a hand, "That wouldn''t have been enough. I gained a mythical skill too."


    "Ah, that''s the impetus behind entering it. What was it called?"


    I checked my notifications to check on the name again. My jaw dropped as I read through the message.


    Legendary Skill Unlocked! Combines the three mythical skills, Legion of One, An Endless Flood, and Star Forger into the single legendary skill called, Apotheosis. Half of the remaining skill points in these three mythical skills are rewarded. Total Bonus tree points from fusion | 1164 | Below is a list of the legendary skills other bonuses.


    Enhances the skill and technique of all skills that compose Apotheosis. There is no cap for a Legendary skill, meaning your potential with the ability is limitless.


    Legendary skills cannot assimilate skills. Instead, a legendary skill can be used in the creation and enhancement of other unique and mythical grade skills.


    A legendary skill can be used for earning a class. Example Classes: Overseer, Speaker, or Breaker. Some classes are hidden and need quests from Schema to unlock.


    The difficulty of upgrading Apotheosis does NOT increase or decrease with the level of the skill. Level 1 is just as difficult to improve as level 1,000.


    For every 100 points in Apotheosis, you gain 10 Constitution, 10 intelligence, 4 Willpower, 4 Perception, and 2 Endurance.


    These free attributes are determined by the legendary skill''s needs. If your legendary skill needs willpower and perception to operate, leveling it will grant willpower and perception.


    For every 100 points in Apotheosis, +10% increase in range and power of Crafting, Generation, and Aura abilities from these skills. Mana cost for any skill within Apotheosis is reduced by 2% as well - this particular benefit is halved for every 1,000 points in the skill.


    Current Effects:


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+10 Constitution, +10 Intelligence, +4 Willpower, +4 Perception, and +2 Endurance</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+10% to Crafting, Generation, and Aura abilities</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">-2% to the mana cost of Apotheosis</li>


    </ul>


    I raised a fist, "When it rains, it pours."


    "What happened?"


    "I gained another legendary skill, Apotheosis."


    Torix shrugged, "I''m done being surprised. It''s too emotionally draining."


    I laughed a bit as we pressed on. After landing near Helios''s office, I paced up with my mana shifting to quintessence. We walked through the metal hallways and administrative offices. Once outside Helios''s office, Torix and I stepped up. As I knocked, Helios waved us in.


    Helios still glanced at his orange screens, Eva assisting him with various tasks. After moving through the process, he closed them and walked up to us. He glanced down at Torix, a look of disdain on his face. Torix averted his gaze. That pissed me off a lot more than I expected.


    I swallowed that frustration, but I swore to make Helios regret his dismissal of Torix. After that, Helios glanced at me, "Hm...you seem taller now. Sharper as well. You''ve been a rollercoaster of body types as of late. It''s unusual.


    "Comes with the territory."


    "Was the compendium fruitful?"


    There was an edge of annoyance in Helio''s voice. It was like my time in the compendium bothered him. I didn''t know why, and I didn''t have time to ask.


    I said, "Can you send us to-"


    Helios raised a hand, "You are an acquaintance, and I am no chauffeur. Stop asking me to warp you where you need to go. Find your own solution on your own terms."


    I narrowed my eyes at Helios for a moment, thinking of forcing him with Event Horizon. It was a bad idea. It would ruin our relationship, and after thinking about it for a bit, Helios was right. Torix''s unknown status wasn''t something he should have to fix. I sighed,


    "Yeah, alright. I get that. Thanks for letting us in."


    I turned to leave, but before I did, Helios raised a palm to me,


    "Despite my misgivings with transporting you and your allies further, I want you to understand something. I have every intention of assisting you in your next bout with Lehesion."


    As he finished speaking, a dark hatred leaked into his voice. Man, he hated that golden frog dragon.


    Helios struggled a bit with his next words, "I, I could hardly say that my performance in facing Lehesion constitutes a proper favor. Especially one as important as saving Caprika. When you need my assistance against that corrupted mongrel, you need only ask."


    I waved a hand, "Pff, don''t worry about it. There''s only so much one person can do anyways. I hope you didn''t think too hard about it."


    Helios froze up for a moment before grabbing the collar of his cape and adjusting it,


    "Of course not. I''m far too busy for brooding."


    "Good. See you later."


    "You as well."


    I gave Helios a nod before we left. Torix and I passed the city skyline, gravity hovering us over the horizon. We found a lovely park with a pleasant pond before sitting down. We chose the biggest bench we could find. A necromancer and living multiverse sitting on a park bench. It was strange and kind of surreal, to say the least. After about a minute of thinking, Torix spoke up first,


    "How will either of us leave this place in time?"


    I pointed above my head, "I can leave anytime. I got rid of it after killing Emagrotha. If you''d have seen her, I think you would''ve have killed her too. She was a mess, and that''s putting it nicely."


    Torix raised his hands, "While the morality of your decision is no doubt interesting, I''m more interested in the teleporters between worlds. You can use them now, can''t you?"


    I knew what Torix was suggesting, so I raised a palm to him,


    "No. We''re fixing your body situation asap. That''s a given." I rubbed the edges of my temples, "Let''s brainstorm some different solutions outside of me leaving you behind. How long would it take you to make one of those illegal warps?"


    "Three weeks give or take. I can''t carve into stone quickly, so I''d need to instruct you on the ritual."


    "Shit. By then, Giess is glassed."


    We waited for a moment before drifting into an awkward silence. While we waited, I brushed up on my status. I smacked my forehead as I realized I had enough tree points for the first rank up of the Sovereign skill tree. I poured over two thousand points into it, most of it from creating Apotheosis and leveling the skill.


    To be sovereign is to hold supreme power and authority. You do so not over others, but over your mastery of self. Your potential to withstand torment, tedium, and torture to further your mastery is unrivaled. You stand as the foremost authority over the domain of skills you''ve chosen, rising above all those that come before you, and likely, those that will come after.


    Multiplicatively doubles attribute gained from your Sovereign skill.


    Multiplicatively doubles attribute gains from your Legendary skills.


    Doubles Sovereign learning speed, ease of creation, and assimilation strength.


    Doubles Legendary skill learning speed, ease of creation, and assimilation strength.


    Doubles Unknown skill learning speed, ease of creation, and assimilation strength.


    Class unlock status: 25% completed.


    A slight increase to my stats flew through my system, mainly from Force of Nature. The depth of my understanding of both my legendary skills also deepened, a strange intuition about them growing in the back of my mind. I glanced at my hands, expecting a bit more out of the tree, but that was it. It wasn''t horrible per se, but I expected quite a bit more from the tree.


    However, that would all change if the class it unlocked was truly magnificent. Only time would tell.


    I closed out my status, going back to thinking. I practiced the formation of various elements in my palm out of habit. Torix stared at the shifting elemental structure,


    "So that''s the legendary skill?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. There''s quite a bit more to it, but this here is the gist of it."


    "It appears to be some sort of matter manipulation. Interesting. It suits you."


    "Yeah," I said with resignment lingering.


    "Torix leaned back on the bench, "It must be an utter chore to handle all the matter you''ve created. One can only imagine."


    I nodded, "Yeah. My personalized AI, an asshat I called Transient, ended up making me put a few tons of sand in my storage." An idea popped into my head, so I stood up,


    "Might as well clean that up right now. You think this park could use a beach?"


    "I don''t see why not," Torix said while dusting himself off. "Perhaps it shall help us think up a solution, the vacation air and all that."


    I rolled my eyes while we walked over towards a beautiful lake, the creatures within singing and frolicking. I opened my dimensional storage, the space-ey portal rippling above my hand. I remembered all the items in it as I did so, and I willed the sand and water to spill out. Walking along the edge of the pond, I converted it into a summerset paradise.


    We got a few unusual stares, but zero fucks were given by either of us at this point. As I reached the last bit of sand, a couple coconut crabs crawled out of the portal. They darted around in the water, and I leaned back from it, remembering the plague of crabs. I shivered a bit before Torix tapped my shoulder. I turned to him,


    "What''s up?"


    "Was that...a living creature?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. Crabs...They came from my first few experiments with origin mana. I must have missed them when I cleared the area with Event Horizon."


    Torix pointed at my storage portal, "Normal storages can''t hold life forms. They are killed within the pocket dimension Schema uses for his storage rings. On the other hand, your personal storage related to your dimensional nature, it can store organisms. It could theoretically hold people as well, couldn''t it?"


    My eyes widened as what Torix was saying dawned on me. I rubbed my hands together,


    "You''re a genius Torix. I think you just found our way back to Giess."

 225 Moving with Intent

    Just outside of the intergalactic customs on Belka, I looked around. I stood out among the throngs of different aliens, of that there was no doubt. It was strange, almost as if I was the alien here. Well, I was, so maybe it was normal.


    I threw those puzzling thoughts aside as I stared at the pristine metal prisms that formed an asymmetrical tower of steel. It flowed in my sight, however. It radiated a sense of strength despite the variety of formations and shapes that composed the building. On a plaque at the top of the entrance, a quote read.


    Though we are many, we stand as one against the coming darkness, one tide against another.


    It was a bit ominous yet inspiring at the same time. After reading that, I walked past a set of polycarbonate glass doorways. They opened with a soundless slide, even to my enhanced senses. Stepping past the throngs of aliens, I was a full head or two taller than most. This not only let me view others well, but it also let others view me.


    Eyes of all sights stared at me as if I was an eldritch in the middle of a city. I was an oddity to them, something unfamiliar to them even amongst the exotic aliens here. I stared back by moving my eyes, my helmet blocking the sight of my face. That was one of my favorite aspects of having a helm on - I could stare without staring.


    Indulging in my curiosity, I inspected thin, fat, muscled, and wiry aliens alike. They carried different shades of colors, most lacking armor on in this public area. Those that wore it had enchanted power armors if they were higher level, in the range of four or five thousand. Some even carried fancy staffs along with grimoires like Torix. Others stood along the edges of the walkways, their obelisks covering them in balls of impenetrable white light.


    A few even walked with bodyguards, the majority of those individuals wearing gemstone encrusted robes. These robes carried massive varieties of infused manas, giving them the aura of archmages. Outside of those few, several diplomats owned guards as well, walking the dignity and constant charisma of a politician. These individuals came across as fun, adventurous, and open-minded with just a grin.


    That''s charisma at work for you.


    Eventually, my mind numbed to the exotic blend, the constant shifting of shapes and colors becoming normal. I walked further into the room. Above me, the ceiling stretched high, at least a hundred feet higher than my titanous height. Beneath me, an onyx floor bore the brunt of my heels without worry. Of course, I kept myself lighter here, but it was unusual nevertheless.


    At the back of this expanse, several rows of counters and signs were laid out. Behind a few of them, warp drives were set up. I stepped up to one of these counters. It was a polished granite, immaculate with its cleanliness if not outright sterile. Behind it, a generic but attractive female humanoid stared at me. She had blue hair and purple skin with yellow eyes. The colors melded together into a girl that looked kind of like she was made of candy.


    It weirded me out as I stepped up to her after waiting in line for a few minutes. Once there, she coughed into her hand,


    "Ahem, may I ask what you''re here for, sir?"


    Man, sir felt weird to hear for me. I tapped the countertop, a bit nervous for no good reason,


    "Uh, I''m trying to warp to another planet called Giess."


    Her eyes widened as she leaned back, "Giess? They''re staging an evacuation of the planet right now. Are you certain you''d like to go there?"


    I nodded. The receptionist leaned her head sideways, holding the heft of her head on her left hand.


    "Uh, ok. This will require payment of 15,000 credits along with a screening process before moving to the planet. If you pay double, then you can leave right now instead of with several others. Here''s the waver you''ll sign for any damages occurred during the screening process regardless of your choice."


    A status screen appeared in front of me, a six hundred page document for this simple, everyday process. Damn bureaucracy.  I scrolled to the bottom.


    Do you accept? Y/N


    I clicked yes before sending 30,000 credits on over. The receptionist gave me a practiced smile, "If you would step to the side, there''s warp being powered for your coordinates as we speak. The screener will be here shortly."


    I stepped over to where she asked, not wanting to be a problem. After about two minutes of waiting, an octopus-headed person walked up. It looked like it just stepped out of a Lovecraft novel, its eyes menacing. It raised webbed hands as it spoke in a guttural voice,


    "You''re the one going to Giess? Hmm...you look ready for it. Can you open your dimensional storage for me?"


    I raised a hand, the ring from Schema I gained forever ago molding to the outside of my finger. I opened it as the octopus man wriggled his tentacles. Out of nowhere, this creature''s body lifted out of the air as if possessed. Underneath him, a circle of demonic formations embedded into the ground with streaks of fire.


    Speaking in tongues, he growled out, "Heasheom, mackrlthck, bashtorageiox, bhaoghastixyur."


    I couldn''t understand a word he said, but from his chest, a pair of cricket legs sprouted out, covered in blood. I looked around, gauging other people''s reactions. They weren''t even looking this way. This was just a typical day at the office for them.


    Damn. Just...damn.


    A slithering mass of tentacles and limbs crawled out of the octopus man''s chest before crawling up my side and into the dimensional storage. The demon mage clapped against the ground, blood splattering everywhere. A few minutes passed as I thought up stories for why I wasn''t a murderer in case someone came to arrest me.


    After a few more minutes passed, the evil creature spawned out of the portal. It skulked right back up to the dead mage and began devouring his corpse. The horrific sight ended a minute later as the beast''s belly swelled, and it finished lapping up the blood. It expanded too much, its back ripping out.


    As it did, the octopus man stood out of the carnage, robe clean and everything. The remnants of the leg monster disintegrated into the onyx floor, ridding it of the infernal markings. The tentacle creature turned to me, giving me a thumbs up,


    "You''re good. Have a pleasant stay on Giess."


    I fumbled out my words, "I, I will, but, are all the screeners like you?"


    The tentacled man shook his head, "Not really, but it''s not that uncommon. Is that all, sir?"


    I nodded, "Uh...yeah."


    As I stepped up to a platform of metal stairs, I looked around at every alien differently. That was their normal, yet somehow, someway, I was unusual. That thought alone disturbed me and made me curious at the same time.


    Stepping into a confined warp drive, the pylons around me engaged, bursting into ocean colored fires. Primordial mana flowed beneath me, filling several rings filled with crystalized mana of the same color.


    The air around me vibrated, the steel sheening with a dark blue color. Moments passed as it reached a fever pitch. As if blinking, my surroundings changed without me noticing.


    Glancing around at the pylons, they no longer burned. I shrugged before stepping out of a mirror match of the previous warp drive. As I did, I found myself in the same style of building. Unlike the clean, organized Belka, panic engulfed my surroundings.


    Espens and different races shouted at the receptionists. People shoved and attempted forcing other people down. One of the warps had dozens of people in it, everyone struggling to escape the doomed planet. A Sentinel stood guard in case actual violence erupted. Their hulking frames kept the underlying chaos at bay, but it was evident to anyone with a brain that a riot was moments from exploding.


    Usually, I''d just push past the frenzied congregation. I didn''t have a ton of time for this, however. I stepped down from my platform, waving outwards with Event Horizon. The aura passed over the room, only the suppressive effects were active. The entire group went silent in an expanding wave with me at the center of it. Espens ceased crawling over one another. Diplomats quit arguing. Guards struggled to keep their composure, not wanting to be fired.


    I glanced around, "Follow the normal procedure. Understood?"


    Those closest to me outright lunged onto a knee. Some bowed. Even the Sentinels took a step back. As the silence stretched out for a few moments, I repeated,


    "Understood?"


    Everyone spoke in eerie unison except the Sentinels,


    "Understood."


    I pulled Event Horizon back, my runes turning white. I walked out of the now orderly place, everyone falling in line, waiting to be screened. As I stepped out, of the building, one of the Sentinels blocked my exit with a spear. I glanced at him as he gave me a curt nod,


    "Thank you."


    I gave him the same nod soldiers give one another before continuing my walk out. I stepped out onto a view of Yildraza. The city changed since I last saw it. The once bustling area of commerce hit a fever pitch of panic. Smoke rose from several buildings in the distance. Banners were hung from buildings, many of them embroidered with the image of a hanged gialgathen.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Roaming groups of espens walked along the streets, many of them wearing masks over their faces. Their symboled uniforms and coordinated movements gave them an official look, though their actions didn''t. They shook down shop owners, various strangers, and anyone without that symbol on their chest.


    The symbol of a hanged gialgathen.


    As I paced further, I discovered what was bothering me about Yildraza. Only the thinnest veil of sanity covered the otherwise evident terror that had taken hold of these people. They no longer cared who brought stability, the imminent glassing making many go mad. Some sort of quasi-government took hold of the fractured factions during this time.


    It was the same government that Thisbey attempted to make.


    I stepped past these events, standing over the throngs of people. So many people scrambled in desperate for an escape. The repercussions of the Overseer''s proclamation was evident to me now.


    This was a planet on the brink of destruction.


    This was only more motivation to get moving. I rolled my shoulders before bending down and leaping up. The concrete walkway cracked under my heels as I shifted mana types fluidly. Using Force of Nature, I pulled myself along. Leaving fractures in the pavement, I zoomed across the skyline, avoiding others gifted with flight.


    After a few minutes, I reached the hill Helios teleported us to after we got our asses kicked by Lehesion. Once at the mini-mountain, we found the Sentinel still there. He meditated on the ground with his legs crossed, a couple rays from the sun glinting off his armor. He gave off this air of majesty.


    I walked up before tapping his back. The Sentinel lifted his head before turning to me. I offered a hand as he began pushing off the ground. He grabbed my hand, pulling himself up. As he did, he rolled his shoulders,


    "It appears as though that evolution you spoke of has finally begun manifesting."


    I still frowned from the events in Yildraza, "Eh, we''ll have to see."


    I opened the dimension I gained from my armor evolutions. It acted as a separate space I could manipulate, and I hadn''t yet truly tapped its potential. After opening the star-laden portal, I willed Torix out. Like pulling a cadaver out of the morgue, his body floated out with his arms by his side. I suspended him with a gravity well before Torix snapped into action.


    He turned around, stunned at his surroundings. I set him down, keeping him standing even as his knees wobbled. The Sentinel gave him a look of disdain, eyeing his weakness. Torix shook his skeletal head,


    "It''s a pure stasis. All was null, and for me, no time has passed. It worked just as our experiments predicted." Torix glanced at his status, "Uh, seventy messages already? Ugh."


    The Sentinel stared between us, "What did you mean by ''experiments''?"


    I said, "I stored him in this pocket dimension I have control of. It''s untraceable apparently, letting me smuggle Torix onto Giess."


    The Sentinel glared at me, "You admit crimes to me? Do you forget who and what-"


    I slapped his shoulder, "Come on man, you''re off duty. Besides, we have a lot to take care of, like, I don''t know, saving a planet from getting glassed?"


    Torix nodded, clasping his hands behind himself, "Indeed. I''d imagine saving billions of life forms takes precedence over a petty case of smuggling. Wouldn''t you?"


    The Sentinel sighed, "Fine. Where will we go, and what will we do?"


    I turned to Torix, "That''s a good question."


    Torix kept reading messages, "In all likelihood, we cannot prevent the glassing of Giess any longer. Even if we destroy all the silvers, Lehesion, and the Adair family within the next three weeks, Schema will be sending a message with this planet''s utter destruction."


    The Sentinel glared at Torix, "Then you''re not stopping the glassing?"


    Torix raised a palm to the Sentinel, "We shall still attempt it, but I doubt we can sway the decisions of a godlike entity such as Schema. Instead, recruiting those that cannot escape takes precedence. In this case, that means offering sanctuary for the gialgathens as they are the most sentient and most useful to us and our cause."


    He waved his raised hand, "In my eyes, the most justified course of action would be uniting with Chrona, Krog, and Kessiah. We''ll be able to leverage their base of operations most effectively once there. As we cut our losses, we''ll be relying on you to lead them once there."


    "Can do." I pointed in the distance while glancing at the Sentinel, "Can you teleport like an Overseer can?"


    The Sentinel pulled his spears from his back, the ornate engravings catching my eye,


    "Yes, but only to places that I''ve been to."


    Torix opened a map of Giess, showing the location of the encampment known as Elderfire. The Sentinel pointed to a site about halfway there, "I can warp us this far."


    Torix closed his status, "Excellent. That''s about 50% closer than I imagined we would be."


    The Sentinel swung his spears in circles overhead before lunging forward. His legs landed ahead as he stabbed the lances into the air, the violet blades rippling with arcane energy. They tore through space-time, the continuum around us buzzing.


    The Sentinel jerked back while pulling the spears apart. A high pitched ringing echoed out around us along with a shockwave. The Sentinel sheathed his spears along his back, and the lances thudded across his back as the electromagnets activated. Stepping up to the portal, he grabbed the edges of the tear and pulled apart. He struggled for a bit, so I stepped up.


    I channeled The Rise of Eden, encompassing him within the aura. Grabbing the edges of the tear in the continuum, I yanked up. The dimension caved in my wake. I stepped along the bottom, stomping the bottom of the portal under my heel. It opened a view to a dessert, the dry air pouring out of the tunnel.


    Holding it open with my hand and foot, I gestured to them both, "let''s go."


    The Sentinel looked at me before peering towards the portal. He stepped through with a shake of his head. Torix followed, his skeletal hand cupping his chin.


    Stepping into the desert, the hot sand crackled under my feet. As I stepped out of the portal, space-time slammed shut, sending out another wave through space. Sand dusted into the air, flying away with the wind. I walked through it, finding myself standing atop a dune of sand. I lifted the Sentinel and Torix, launching us into the air. As we beamed forward towards the coordinates, I turned and asked Torix,


    "Where too?"


    Torix pointed into a direction, and I pulled us along. As we traveled towards Elderfire, I tore strips of my armor off and melted them. I stored the glowing liquid within my dimensional storage, aiming to use the utility more now. Torix reviewed the messages from earlier, his gaze focused and littered with concern. As he closed his status, he turned to me,


    "Be prepared when we enter Elderfire. Tohtella made her first genuine assault on the gialgathens while you and I were traveling here."


    I pulled us forward, the three of us speeding along like a missile,


    "How bad was it?"


    Torix winced, "Very."


    After a few hundred miles of dessert, we reached a set of ruins along with an oasis in the desert. Perhaps oasis was a bit too strong of a word. It was more like a waterhole. The refugees built Elderfire on some ancient ruins, and the supposed spring was actually just a well of water. Various gialgathens drank from this pool and used it to keep their skins hydrated. Otherwise, their hides would crack under the harsh winds and heat here.


    That''s probably why they chose this isolated position. The genocide of the gialgathens escalated as the panic of the planet reached a fever pitch. With hiding as the goal, the gialgathens settled in a good spot. They abused espen''s amphibious nature here. To attack, enemy forces had to cross a dessert as well, and staying here also gave the gialgathens a great view of their surroundings. While safe, this position still came across as desperate.


    That fact unsettled me. To my understanding, the gialgathens had always overwhelmed the espens in martial might. Turning the tables would be no small feat. Either way, we landed among the ruins of the old city, the general malaise and dismay verifying my assumption. The attack must''ve left a nasty scar then. Walking past the collapsed pillars, Gialgathens huddled under the shade, their different shades and sizes a feast for the eyes. On a different day, they''d be the majestic creatures I remembered.


    Now they bundled together, many of them injured. Their body''s carried fresh scars and still scabbed over wounds. They lacked the pride and noble bearing I remembered from the gialgathens I saw in the past. I winced at the sight, but it made sense I supposed.


    The guy they worshipped as a god was a puppet for the enemy. Their stronghold was decimated by that same idol in less than a single day. Now they faced a relentless force intent on exterminating them. Seeing their broken spirits and humility, it made me miss their cocky demeanors from before all this happened.


    And still, I questioned how this kind of thing happened.


    After passing dozens of these worn down derelicts, we reached the well of water at the heart of Elderfire. Chrona stood at the entrance to what was a rift opening. It opened up to an underwater domain with fish and other creatures swimming through it. The time mage peered up at me, her eyes weighed with exhaustion and her chest lowered. It caught me a bit off guard.


    Beside her, Kessiah sat down on a block of stone, attending to an endless array of wounds. Dark circles sagged under her eyes, her will extended to its absolute limit. Above them both, Krog flew and spoke to several armored gialgathens, ordering them to patrol the area.


    As we stepped up, Krog glared down at us. He flew down, his feet crushing stone under his clawed feet. As he grimaced at me, I found new scars over his face, neck, and body. His wings carried a few extra holes. In his eyes, the spirit of a warrior burned bright.


    In just a moment, I understood who was leading this entire effort.


    Krog kept his head high, his pride still there. There was a subtle desperation and relief in his words as he nodded to me, "Thank you for your arrival, leader."


    His respect caught me off guard. Something awful must have happened. I glanced around and spread my arms, "So, uh, what happened here?"


    Krog glanced at Chrona, then back to me, "Several of our cities were assaulted this morning before dawn. It happened after the Shapeless Arbiter killed several of the standing members of the rebels."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Shapeless Arbiter?"


    Torix leaned towards me and whispered, "They call Althea by that name."


    I shook my head, "Good god, what has her so motivated all of a sudden?"


    Torix shrugged, "Perhaps something more personal occurred."


    I made a note of that before hearing Krog out. The red and orange gialgathen continued, "They retaliated with a fierce counterattack." Krog shivered,


    "A mass of Hybrids assaulted our cities. It was a complete and utter slaughter. Our forces are in turmoil. I cannot organize them or gather moral."


    I narrowed my eyes, "And this happened this morning?"


    Chrona stepped up, leaving her station, "Yes. Up till now, the rebels hounded us like weaklings. They nipped at our heels, but they never openly confronted us. Today was different. They darkened the sky with their numbers, the Hybrids raining down like an endless storm."


    I glanced around, "Ok, and what did we do to stop it?"


    Krog looked at me, "I organized the retreat from Selarelia and Monothel. Chrona and I stopped them in those two cities. We were unable to stop the masses in other locations. From the messages I''ve received, they are war zones."


    Torix skimmed a few of his messages, "This report mentions that most of those caught in the crossfire weren''t killed. What did you mean by that?"


    Chrona steeled herself, "It meant what it says. Before this attack, we believed this was a genocide. We all believed that we were to be culled. This isn''t so."


    I glanced between them as Krog''s eyes grew distant,


    "No, it is not something so simple. They aren''t killing us. They never were."


    A spark of realization sprung through my chest as Krog growled,


    "They are harvesting us."

 226 Against the Tide

    The group went silent as each of us contemplated the consequences loaded in Krog''s words. Harvest, in particular, rang quite a few alarm bells. It sent shivers up my own spine even. It meant they looked at the gialgathens as a resource, and I understood good and well the impending dread that came with that.


    When Torix and I first met, he mentioned how I could be used as a mana battery. Even now, my skin crawls at the prospect. Knowing what the gialgathens were up against, a fate even worse was waiting for them.


    Still, I wasn''t about to let myself get caught up in the moment. Before letting the situation get out of hand, I walked up to Krog,


    "Now wait a minute...You''re telling me they''re harvesting you. How do you know that?"


    Krog shook his head in disgust, "The way they ensnared us...No one was killed. They were put at the brink of death yet left to live. That isn''t the act of someone without the intent to use us whilst alive."


    I cupped my chin, falling deep into thought, "Yeah, that makes sense. That means our priority should be getting you guys the hell off of Giess. That shouldn''t be that difficult. I can get about ten of you out at a time. We can get of Giess before Elderfire is crushed by Lehesion."


    Krog showed his teeth, "That, that''s incredible. I''ll trust you in this then."


    I glanced around, my hands on my hips, "This should only take a few hours at most. Who wants to go first?"


    Krog narrowed his eyes, "Wait one moment. How do you intend to move all the gialgathens on Giess in only a matter of hours?"


    I leaned back,"Wait a minute, all the gialgathens? There''s a misunderstanding here." I pointed around, "I''ll help those here. The strangers off in the attacked cities are on their own though. I''d like to help, but I have to look after my guild."


    Krog shook his head in disbelief, "What do you mean strangers? They are our people, our kin. Are you so heartless as to abandon them?"


    Yeah that stung a bit to hear. I crossed my arms, "Heartless is a bit of a stretch. I''m still here to help out. I''m no saint though, so you got me there."


    "You...we believed you to be the champion of our people. You were to lead us when we needed help. Why do you admonish the responsibility now that it beckons to you?"


    Yeah, it was a responsibility Krog was thrusting onto me. I tapped my chest with my hand, a metallic ring echoing,


    "I''ll help fight Lehesion since he killed members of my guild. I''ll also get the gialgathens in Elderfire off of Giess. I''m doing quite a bit right there. Roaming the entirety of Giess and fighting enhanced Hybrids to save total strangers?"


    I shook my own head in disbelief, "You''re asking a lot more of me than I can afford to give. Think about my situation. What if Lehesion attacks my own guild? Everything I''ve worked for and helped create will be destroyed if I''m not there. You can''t expect me to drop all that to save you all. I wish I could, but I can''t. It''s just too risky..."


    I winced a bit, realizing how cold I sounded,


    "I''m sorry."


    Krog took a breath before glancing back to me, "But surely our kind deserves a better fate than this one?"


    I looked up at him, my gaze hardening "Calling this fate is an excuse for the gialgathen''s inaction." I glanced around, "None of you are helpless. You all waited until this situation spiraled out of control. That''s not on me. That''s on you. All of you."


    In my eyes, that was the hard truth. Yes, they needed help. That didn''t mean they deserved it without even trying themselves. When Yawm came crashing down onto Earth, I wanted someone to save me too. No one did, so I saved myself. The gialgathens could do the same.


    Despite how standoffish that sounded, I did want to help them. Doing all this for nothing though? They were taking advantage of my goodwill. Yeah, I wanted to help. I also wanted to help people back on Earth. I couldn''t save everyone though.


    As those thoughts raced through my mind, Chrona leaned her head back,


    "Perhaps some sort of deal can be arranged then?  We are not so ungrateful and needy that we would ask for such assistance without equivalent compensation."


    I let out a sigh of relief as I crossed my arms, "Thank you. That makes this situation a lot easier for me. What kind of terms are you thinking of?"


    Chrona and Krog glanced at each other, speaking out a telepathic conversation only they could hear. As they finished, they turned to me, and Krog spoke out,


    "Chrona and I will serve without question over the next century, as will any gialgathens we save. Is that appropriate?"


    My eyes widened as I scoffed, "What the hell kind of deal is that? A Hundred years?"


    Krog''s composure showed a few cracks as he scrambled out a few words,


    "Then...then make it three centuries of enslavement...And Chrona and I will serve till our deaths. Surely that is enough?"


    I facepalmed, "Good god, did you think I''d ask you to flay yourselves alive then parade around your skin? I was thinking more like, I don''t know, a decade or two of service. Maybe more from you two."


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "That''s all?"


    I shrugged, "Yeah, that''s about it. We can grind out the details later, but it would probably involve taking out dungeons, defending Earth, and educating yourselves. That''s about it. You''d be free to do whatever outside of that."


    Krog peered at Chrona before turning back to me and giving a vociferous nod, "We accept your terms. We absolutely accept."


    I turned to Torix, "Alright, we''re helping the gialgathens. Any thoughts on how?"


    "After my initial presumptions, the most efficient avenue of assistance involves going towards these warzones. Once there, we may assist the gialgathens held within them. It seems the most effective course of action."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    At this point, other gialgathens grouped around us. I glanced around, "Yeah. That sounds solid...Hmm."


    The gialgathens drooped their heads, much of their pride shattered. It was an understandable reaction. They''re god turned on them, twisted into a war machine. They lost their stronghold to that warped creature, and now they were getting harvested by an unknown force.


    Yeah, they needed a pep talk to shift morale. That would come after we got our own counter-attack organized. I rolled my shoulders, "It''s time to get this operation started."


    Torix cackled, "Excellent. What would you recommend?"


    I began cracking my fingers one at a time, "Alright, we''ll round up the gialgathens here. I''ll be using a blue dungeon core to make this place safe while we''re away. That should give us the time we need to get back if this place is attacked."


    Torix nodded, jotting down some notes, "That''s quite the resource to spend on securing a base of operations. Are you certain it''s worth the investment?"


    I waved a hand, "I have three blue cores at this point. I''ll need to use them eventually, and having a safe zone like this is just too useful. It makes the logistics involved with this kind of plan infinitely simpler."


    Torix''s shoulders drooped as he murmured, "Ah, yes. I suppose evading that burden is wise."


    I pointed at the necromancer, "You''ll have plenty to do. Don''t worry about that. I''ll still be working on your new body in the meantime, regardless." I turned to our Sentinel friend, "You don''t mind working hard to save these people, do you?"


    The Sentinel tapped the hilt of his spear, "If it served Schema, I would work tirelessly forever."


    "Alright, good. We''ll be using your teleportation abilities to warp everyone around. We''ll get going from city to city, clearing them out and getting the gialgathens here."


    Chrona tilted her head at me, "I would ask of you, how would we support so many people here? I''m certain you noticed, but it''s a desert."


    I raised a hand and clamped it into a fist, "I''ll handle that part." I turned to Torix, "I''ll be needing a new grimoire. Do you think you could make me one?"


    Torix shook his head, "It''s beyond my abilities now. The volumes of mana I would need to siphon would reduce my current body to ash."


    I tsked, "Shit. I''ll do it then, but I''ll need your help." I turned to Krog and Chrona, "What are you two doing here exactly?"


    Krog raised his head, "I am attempting to organize the retreat of our forces."  Chrona followed, "I am guarding Elderfire against this...portal of some sort I suppose? I know little of it."


    I pointed at the rift, "I''ll clear that real quick and get you guys a different source of water and food." I closed my eyes for a moment wracking my brain. I opened them,


    "Yeah, and we''re going to need your scouts Torix. If we can somehow get some information on the enemy''s movements, that would make this much easier."


    Torix nodded, working through several status screens at once. As I watched him for a second, a wave of deja-vu passed over me. Torix reminded me of the first Speaker I met, Tera, the World Breaker. I grinned. We''d be getting Torix a similar title soon.


    I turned to Krog, "Once we get an idea of their movements, I''ll be launching myself as the vanguard for our forces. After I punch a hole through whatever we''re facing, you guys come in and clean up the mess I make."


    Chrona nodded, "We will turn their corpses to ash and send their memories to oblivion."


    Watching their spirits lift, I rode the momentum of the gialgathens surrounding me. I turned to Torix, "Make my voice louder. I''m going to remind these guys what they''re fighting for and who they are."


    Torix cackled, "Of course, guildmaster."


    I lowered my hands, channeling quintessence under me. A pillar of stone rose from the ground, putting me above the heads of the gialgathens. I stared around, waving my arms, "Come, everyone."


    My voice echoed across the desert, my tone commanding and confident. I wasn''t feeling that inside though. Talking in front of a huge crowd like this made my stomach sink. At the same time, they didn''t need to see Daniel Hillside right now. They needed the Harbinger of Cataclysm, a figure larger than life.


    Even if I didn''t think of myself as that figure, these guys did. At the very least I''d have to fake it until I made it. Using that belief, I took a deep breath before glancing around. It was time to live up to that title Schema granted me years ago.


    Shaking out the jitters, I shouted at them,


    "Tell me, why do you all look so defeated? It''s making a mockery of the pride I''ve come to expect from you all."


    The gialgathens glared up to me in anger. I raised my arms, "Good. You can still be angry. You''re not quite as beaten as you look then. There''s still fire in you."


    One of the oldest gialgathens shouted out, "We appear defeated? You tell us we still have fire? Foolish. You haven''t seen what these forces can do. They know our every movement. They prod our every weakness. They hunted us down like lambs to the slaughter. You alone cannot change our fate."


    I stared him down without flinching,


    "I haven''t seen what these forces can do, but I have felt what you gialgathens can accomplish. You''re capable of bending time, drenching horizons in flame, and crushing stone like roaches under your feet. You''re telling me that you''re lambs to the slaughter? Maybe you don''t know the gialgathens that I know."


    The gialgathen bowed his head, unable to withstand my words or stare. I turned, glancing around the crowd,


    "The gialgathens I know are monsters worth fearing. They are creatures of legend that stretch their wings so wide they cast shade across entire battlefields. They are behemoths that stand taller than the mightiest trees. They are the kings of the sky, unmatched and unyielding."


    I raised a hand, "I faced the mightiest of your kind, Lehesion, and I lost. Tell me this - if he could reach such heights, who is to say that you couldn''t do the same?"


    They glanced up at me, many of them inspired by my words. I continued, wielding the momentum like the edge of a sword,


    "In each of you lives the wrath of a god and the might to crush mountains. There isn''t just fire in your chests. There is fire in your wills, the kind that can melt steel and bones alike."


    For added effect, I slowly encompassed The Rise of Eden over them. As I did, I thundered,


    "In each of you is the potential to turn any tide. I will stand with you, and we will stand against this storm. After we''ve annihilated these monsters, we will leave behind a legacy. Your children will look back at your generation as those that stood against the abyss. You will be embodied as those that stared into the depths, yet each of you laughed in the face of calamity."


    I gestured to everyone, "If you do so, you will be remembered, for what you do in life will echo for eternity. Now tell me what echoes will you leave behind?"


    Krog thundered, "Roars that quake the land and fire that will burn the sky."


    "Did you all hear him? Who here will roar with your general? Who here will add to his call?"


    Dozens of gialgathens roared, the symphony of warcries blending into a deafening and constant boom. I lowered my hands, oozing quintessence mana into the sand around me. This was the moment to pull it all together. I took a deep breath out. It was now or never.


    From the pillar, life sprung forth. Mosses, vines, and water spread over the expanse. As the mana reached the sand, sprouts expanded from the ground and trees sprung forth. A jungle grew, flowers, grasses, mushrooms expanding.  Roots, bushes, fruit trees, and vegetables sprung forth. Animals of all kinds, the chirps of birds, they came out in an ever-expanding torrent of life.


    Shade from the canopy of trees eased the suffering of the gialgathens. I lifted one of my hands, and from above, clouds formed. Lightning crisscrossed the growing blot of mist. The piercing sun ran against the clouds, shade encompassing Elderfire.


    From above, rain poured forth in a downpour. As the liquid of life soaked into the sand, I shouted over the storm,


    "From Elderfire, we will create a fortress against those that would face us. From Elderfire, we will rain down an endless flame that will burn them to ash. Our enemies will weep in our wake. We will be their nightmares given life. We will be their terror given form."


    The gialgathens of Elderfire roared out, defiance saturating their voices. I boomed,


    "And we will turn this tide."

 227 Retaliation

    I turned around, the gialgathens livened up. I continued channeling the quintessence around the area, soaking it in the rain. At the same time, I pulled out a blue dungeon core from my pocket dimension. The azure aura passed over me, energy radiating from the sphere that fit in my palm.


    It mimicked a pill more than a core at this point, given my size. I pulled it up to my face, wondering how the damn thing worked. A screen popped up as I did.


    Blue core menu activated. What would you like to do, sir?


    Exchange blue core for fifty red cores? (Y/N)


    Establish city and defensive aura? (Y/N)


    Sell blue core for resources? (Check out galactic rates!)


    The core trade seemed pretty one-sided in favor of Schema, at least based on what Caprika told me. Either way, I selected the establish city option.


    Error, rift located within city confines. Rift must be closed before a city may be established.


    I sighed before hopping off my stone pillar. As I clashed against the ground, cracks in the stone radiated outwards from beneath me. As I stood up, I wondered about the destruction. I usually absorbed the impact with gravity, but using it with quintessence was finicky at best. Distributing my mass was more about strengthening the materials I stepped on than reducing my own weight.


    Stone could only be so durable after all.


    Still, I filled in the cracks around me with a similarly colored stone as I walked up to the rift. I turned to Chrona,


    "I''m clearing this real quick. You guys start organizing everyone."


    Chrona glanced up at the clouds above, a bit of wonder in her eyes,


    "Yes, of course."


    I dived into the pit, shifting to Event Horizon. As I did, I pulled my way through the water, discovering an underwater ecosystem. Hammerhead fish, glowing nine-tailed eels, and dark fire piranhas littered the water. They averaged about level 1,000, so a quick pass through with Event Horizon obliterated them.


    Once finished, I collected a red core stored inside some glowing coral at the bottom of the pit. Within five minutes, I shot myself back out of the rift, shifting my mode of being back to Rise of Eden. Just as the clouds above dissipated, I restored them to their full glory.


    I assimilated the red core, putting the points I gained into Apotheosis. A mere blip of potency coursed through me and only for a moment. I turned towards the gialgathens, finding them devouring much of the food I made. They drank from the pools of water, some holding their mouths open for the rain.


    By now, their skins rehydrated, giving them the sleek, colorful appearance of a salamander. The moisture gave their skins brighter shades of coloration as well, the jungle becoming a moving blur of vibrant colors. The shift wasn''t just physical either. The rain brought them a kind of joy I only saw in children. It was as if they forgot their worries for a moment, and that moment was all they needed to get back some hope.


    Some of the younger gialgathens even played in puddles, relishing the water. To keep this place fertile, it needed a constant stream of mana from me, however. I needed to leave soon, so I cupped my chin and thought for a moment.


    I came up with a simple solution. I walked back over to the earthen pillar I created for the speech. I converted a wall of rock around it before walking forward, stepping on air. Before my feet fell, I generated a stone staircase to walk upon. As I passed, I carved a variety of runic configurations.


    This slow, careful pacing left me at the top of the pillar within thirty minutes. The runic configurations proved straightforward, and they provided an enchantment over the area that mimicked my own quintessence. While not a perfect conversion, water was all the group really needed. The life here would maintain itself with that.


    With that in mind, I lunged to one knee and placed a hand onto the stone. Channeling an abhorrent amount of mana into the rock, quintessence saturated the makeshift enchantment. As I pulled my hand from the rock, a chunk of the pillar stuck to my palm. A few fractures radiated out a few inches from the channeling spot as I did. A white imprint of my hand remained made entirely of crystallized quintessence.


    After wondering how much crystallized mana costed on the market, I pulled out the blue core again. Opening the menu once more, I selected the ''establish a city'' option. Another message popped up,


    Before placing your new city please read this directive on the specifics of cities within Schema''s system.


    Cities enable a guild to establish itself on a world. This requires free territory or permission from the current ruling party. While not necessary for an establishment, blue cores give provinces a safety that cannot be matched by other means.


    Using the blue core as a central conduit, the city drains reasonable sums of mana from the population. This generates a sphere of mana over and under the city, preventing invading eldritch, approaching nuclear threats, and even a moderate defense against solar flares or other environmental disasters.


    The level and scope of these defenses are determined by the population size and mana generation of the population at any given moment. The higher the mana, the greater the shield of protection. Blue cores can store excess mana from a city for later use up to a cap of 10 billion mana. This enables the capital''s of planets or important galactic hubs to retain excellent defenses should the population fall for any reason.


    Blue cores also guarantee the establishment of several utilities within Schema''s system. Teleporters, galactic markets, and registration onto the safe locations list(SLL) also come with the use of a blue dungeon core. The current location''s safety ranking will then be determined by population size, mana stored, and other factors.


    Further reading can be found here for only several easy payments of 49.99 credits! (Variations in tax rate not applicable)


    I closed out the first ad I read in years. I blinked a few times before pulling the core up between my thumb and index finger. As I did, a visualization of the core''s range popped up. It expanded off into the distance, covering a far larger area than we needed. I scoffed at myself. My mana generation skewed the core''s calculations by just a tiny bit.


    Using a few mental options and levers, I reduced the size to a reasonable area. It gave room for growth of our operations along with the teleporter locations. Those would prove invaluable as we saved the gialgathens.


    As I selected finalize, the core snapped out of my hand and into the air. A massive plume of ethereal water erupted from the top and the bottom of the core. This wave of liquid energy coursed over every bit of Elderfire, ingraining itself deep into the land. Sparks flared across the trees and people here like roots made of blue electricity.


    The gialgathens in Elderfire glanced over to me, and I stared up. A tidal wave of hexagons dispersed from a focal point above the new city. Semitransparent, these hexagons created a subtle blur in the air behind them. Once the framework set itself, vibrant, navy-colored energy coursed through the translucent structure.


    Vitalized and swarming with power, strings of visible, liquid mana funneled into the new dome. I watched over the next few minutes, the visual obstruction fading with time. As it finalized itself, the barrier''s visibility faded till it almost disappeared. Only a few fragmented, tracing blue lines from the hexagons remained in the distance.


    It was stunning.


    As it ended, a pull on my mind fought over the mana I siphoned into my cipher engravings on my forearms. I let the blue core take its fill, channeling my excess mana into it. Peering between gaps in the canopy, a few gialgathens shook their heads. It looked like this new mental pull affected them as well.


    Not long after, Elderfire settled down. Even with my absurd mana generation, 10 billion mana would take a bit of time. Using that time, I walked down the steps of the stone staircase, finding Torix and Chrona at the bottom of the expanse.


    As I paced down, Torix raised a hand to me, "Ah, would you mind excusing me for a moment? I need your assistance with a quandary."


    "What is it?"


    Torix waved his hand around, "A few unknown scouts have happened upon our base on Earth. What would you have us do with them? I envisioned having them captured and tortured until death. Perhaps my overly cautious approach is unwarranted, however."


    I frowned, "I do think caution is the best way to handle this. Of course, that doesn''t mean torturing them to death though. Have someone spy on them and try to discover the faction they''re from. We might be able to make a friend instead of an enemy."


    Torix nodded, "Then, it shall be so." He turned to walk off, but before he could finish doing so, he turned his eyes back to me,


    "Ah yes, the time limit for Earth''s safety net is expiring soon. Other factions will be landing onto Earth and vying for territory. Do think about it and our courses of action in the future if you could."


    Torix stepped away before Chrona telepathically spoke to me,


    "When will we stage our first retaliation?"


    I crossed my arms, "Do you have the locations of the attacked areas?"


    "We do, though the extent of each warzone is unknown."


    I turned a palm to her, "How about tomorrow morning? A good night of rest will do you all a lot of good, and mentally preparing for the carnage to come is necessary. While you guys rest, I''ll have plenty to do, and it gives Torix time to work out the logistics and strategies we need. How''s that sound?"


    Chrona nodded, "It sounds perfect. I and the others will be at your beckoning call."


    I raised a hand, "Wait one moment. I thought about it a bit, and I think you''ll do better here."


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "What do you mean stay here? My people are dying in droves and being abducted. How can I sit in this sanctuary while you and the others take the skies by storm?"


    I walked up to her, waving my hand in a circle while pointing at everything,


    "All of this is why. We need a defender here, someone who can stand against a random attack while we''re gone. If you stay here, then you''ll have time to create a temporal dilation chamber for yourself. Since you can stay in place, it makes you much, much stronger during a siege. It''s the best way to use your talents."


    Chrona took a step to me, "But I, I could act as the defender of our ranged forces. I could guard them, enabling their offensive."


    I raised a palm, "You could, and that would work very well no doubt. The problem is that if a group Hybrids destroy this place while we''re gone, then it won''t matter. We''ll be back to square one either way, dead enemies or not."


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Perhaps Krog could stay in my place then. I''m better in battle. He will be of more use here, protected by this aura."


    I shook my hand, "Krog''s the tactical head of the gialgathens. I need him to help me command our forces. He''s absolutely necessary to have by my side and on-site."


    "Then...Then we could-"


    I laid a hand on Chrona''s side, "Chrona."


    She took a deep breath, "Fine. Though loathe to admit it, your reasoning is solid. Besides, now is not the time to dawdle and waste time arguing. Now is a time for action. I will guard this place until I''m needed elsewhere as you wish."


    I gave her silver-colored side a nudge, "That means we can all focus on getting the gialgathens back home. Good luck."


    "You as well."


    I turned towards the sun, finding pieces of its light peaking through gaps in the trees. Before setting down for some runic work, I hovered across the domain of Elderfire. I covered it with trees and new soil, along with a variety of life forms. A few times I overdid it, and a large pile of crabs was made, but hey, mistakes happen.


    I was just glad I didn''t do that during the speech.


    After covering Elderfire in fauna and flora, I went over towards the temple Torix settled in. The rustic, primitive designs within the orange stone wore over time, giving it an aged appearance. Here the Gialgathens carved images of their race into the sides of the expanse like cavemen back on Earth. It acted as a historical timeline for their race.


    One of the longer murals painted a scene of gialgathens swimming through the water. From their mouths, jets of boiling water killed the surrounding fish. Once dead, the fish floated to the surface before being devoured by the gialgathens. That''s probably where they developed their fire. One step at a time, they went from fish to an oceanic dragon of sorts. After taking to the skies, their evolution stopped.


    Either way, I paced deeper into the temple littered with the history of the gialgathens. Torix found the deepest, darkest hole he could and settled there over the last few hours. Across every wall, a variety of maps, charts, and standard Torix gear smothered every open space.


    Cords of mana acted as strings, connecting a few critical positions across a virtualized map of Giess. Silver streaks coated large swaths of the planetary map, the silvers having taken ground over the centuries. Elderfire was in the dead center of the diagram, a few mountains surrounding it on all sides.


    I pointed at it, "So we''re in the Rak''Shah desert?"


    Torix looked up from his own map, turning to me,


    "Ah, yes. We''re in the dead center of Giess. Tactically speaking, this place was once abundant with water. Mountains rose around it during a peak of tectonic activity. Thereafter, moist air wasn''t allowed to float this far inward, creating the desert you see here."


    Torix sighed, "It''s a shame really. This position is excellent outside of the high maintenance cost."


    I shrugged, "I''ll manage it. The blue core should be fully charged now as well, keeping us safe from even an orbital bombardment."


    Torix laughed, "Perfect. The utility that infinite mana of yours gives us is quite useful. Just as well, I''ve used our Sentinel friend to disperse a few spies at key tactical locations based on this map. I''ve learned an inkling of the strategy that Tohtella imposed here."


    Torix walked over to the map, gesturing to it with his hands.


    "You see here? This is a string of positions attacked by their forces. It creates a distinct line that prevents gialgathens from escaping the landmasses of Giess."


    I walked up to it, the map looking a bit like Pangea,


    "Yeah. It kind of looks like they''re attacking where the silvers haven''t infested yet. Weird."


    "That is precisely so. I believe their plans involve pinning the gialgathens onto the mainland of Giess. There they intend to limit the mobility of these flying creatures. Once forced into the Rak''Sha desert, they shall weaken due to the lack of moisture. After baiting them into a poor position, they will prove easy to capture."


    I clanked my fists together, "Then we''ll act as the stronghold here then."


    Torix nodded, "You understand my intent entirely. We shall do so by using gialgathen guildsmen to assist refugee gialgathens across the Rak''Sha desert to this location."


    Torix waved a hand, "You see, the gialgathens within Schema''s system are far less susceptible to the perils of the elements. The system''s resistances grant the necessary fortitude to traverse these extreme distances. We should be able to confound their operation in this manner."


    I crossed my arms, "Knowing how they work, they''ll figure this plan out fast, though."


    Torix raised a hand in expectation of that point, "Well put, and I''ve devised how we shall avoid this informational fallout." Torix walked over to a pile of papers before pulling out an overlay for the map. I leaned back,


    "Where did you find the time to get one of those?"


    Torix waved off my question, "Lichs have their resources. Now-"


    He placed it over the locations on the map,


    "We have access to various resources as well. I''ve invested my time researching into common hacking methods. Using Althea and her various agents, I''ve implanted a few surveillance devices onto many of her targets. Her shadow group was the spies I mentioned earlier. They have given me a sea of data that I intend on using."


    I pointed my finger at the overlay that Torix was holding onto the map. Clay holds formed along the corners of it, freeing up Torix''s hands.


    "Thank you."


    I lowered my hand, "No problem."


    Torix made a circle over several of the larger cities in espen territory,


    "Using Althea''s knowledge of the Adair''s organization, we''re isolating the individuals that control the flow of information. By manipulating what they see and hear, we''re confusing this critical resource."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Well, damn. That will buy us some time."


    Torix raised a finger, "It will do more than that. A troop of the students from our guild has come here from Earth during your stay in the compendium. They are the elite mind mages I''ve been curating since we established ourselves outside of Springfield."


    Torix waved his fingers maniacally, "Using them, we shall create decoys and misdirection during our attacks, allowing us to save more gialgathens. While our own psionics pale in comparison to the Adair''s, we simply need to avoid the true masters of mental magic they have. Using these methods, we shall eradicate their implanted forces here on Giess."


    I stared at Torix in silence as he continued,


    "Furthermore, we shall be using your assaults to throw off the Adiar''s finding of our location here in Elderfire. Your blitzes will be targeted in such a way as to cause them to incorrectly guess where our base is located. The Sentinel''s teleportation shall be key in this. This shall give us the time needed for the final piece of our operation."


    Torix cackled a bit before spreading his arms towards the map,


    "We shall be training and leveling gialgathens along with our own troops during this time. The silvers act as simple catalysts towards this end. This shall enable us to build a retaliatory force that shall be stationed here in Elderfire. By the time they discover this place''s location-"


    Torix let out a bout of evil laughter before turning back to me,


    "Even an assault led be Lehesion shall prove futile."


    I soaked in the extent of Torix''s plan for a moment. After a while, I shook my head,


    "I''m glad you''re on our side."


    Torix stood up straight while holding his head high. He interlocked his hands behind himself. The guy was in his element as he met my eye,


    "You''ve spent your time honing yourself into a weapon. I''ve long thought my responsibility was and is to enable that pursuit of yours. You gain power, and I shall arm you with the tools necessary for your position. You shall lead from the front and inspire others to follow, both our vanguard and our immortal leader."


    Torix''s blue, fiery eyes flared,


    "And I shall assist you, hidden within the tall shadow you cast."


    I turned a palm to him, "You don''t have to do that, you know. I have no problem sharing the credit."


    Torix shook his head, "Though the sentiment is appreciated, it is unnecessary. I am at home in the darkness, and I find satisfaction in a plan well executed. I may do both of those best here, hidden from prying eyes."


    Torix waved his hands, "Besides, a target on your back is far less threatening than one on my own."


    I snapped my fingers, "That''s right, your new body. It sounds like you got this plan locked in. I''ll let you do your thing while I do my own."


    Torix turned back to his map, "But of course. By morning, we shall be prepared to counterattack. I wish you farewell."


    "You too. Cya Torix."


    I walked off into a different room of the temple. Once within its depths, I exchanged a few messages with Althea. It had been so long since I last saw her because of the compendium. I missed her quite a bit, so even though I despised ''texting,'' I preferred it to no communication at all.


    After devising something resembling a loving message, I got to work on Torix''s new body. I shifted to dominion mana, letting the aura leak over me. My armor responded in kind, grinning an evil, insidious smile. The dark gray of my skin darkened to a pitch-black as I gathered several tons worth of the material, regrowing devastating wounds in seconds.


    After getting the dominion laden metal, I shifted to quintessence. With The Rise of Eden, I emboldened my mind with the will to create. Wielding Apotheosis, I melted the armor into a mass ball of molten metal.


    Instead of vibrating the particles like I did with Ascendant mana, I injected raw thermal energy into the metal. It was actually easier to do. During this, I mixed some of the metal harvested while traveling to Elderfire as well. Once pliable, I shifted out globs of the heated metal before setting to work.


    I formed black bones, Torix''s preferred form. I stuck with solid outer shells instead of a solid structure. Otherwise, the skeleton would prove too cumbersome. I left a framework of supporting structures within the skeleton''s bones to keep it sturdy though. Once I finished with the bones, I aligned the metal by pulsing gravitational waves through it. This eliminated air bubbles and evened out the metal''s grain structure.


    Once I finished up with the body, I added a bit of flair onto the skull, hands, and shoulders as well. The scapulas acted as slightly thicker plates, the skull carrying Torix''s signature crown of thorns over his head. On the hands, I kept short spines on the outside of his fists. I kept the features of the skull hollow and menacing, though I did interlay a few supports through it.


    The idea was that when Torix stepped out onto a battlefield, I aimed for our enemies to feel fear. After finishing the crafting of the skeleton, I created hundreds of thin wires. The practice from my previous armors helped me out here, allowing me to complete a large pile in only an hour.


    I set those aside before using several bouts of quintessence. After a few failures, I eventually created a gray ball of fabric. I weaved it with the wires, creating a robe similar to his current one but much denser and more protective. I also made a cape for his back composed entirely of the thin wires. It was large enough to cover the entirety of Torix if he wanted it too.


    It would be a makeshift shield if he needed it or perhaps a kinetic dampener. Either way, it would be useful and look cool at the same time. As far as I was concerned, that was a win-win situation.


    With suitable proportions for the new body, I ended up with a nine-foot-tall robe. The black on gray created a nice contrast as well, appearing malevolent and powerful. With that finished, I took a few golden rings from my pocket dimension and melted them down. Proving much easier to work with than my own skin, I embroidered the trim of the robe with Torix''s classic touch of gold.


    This livened up the clothes a bit, making them look less dreary. I also created a thin shoulder plate for the cape to hang from. On it, I crafted dull, angular tines that jutted up. They protected the sides of his face, and when worn, Torix would appear broad and menacing.


    Once finished with the main body, I looked at the time. It took about 8 hours in total, far less than I imagined it would. The Rise of Eden did wonders for my productivity. With the little time I had left, I worked out some of the runic inscriptions. Instead of the watered-down runes Schema used, I decided to use the cipher. The idea was that he would wear the robe over the carvings, keeping them cloaked from prying eyes.


    With the cipher at my disposal, I scoped out a quick synopsis of what I viewed Torix as. Diligent, ruthless, and astute, I carved out the idea of a mastermind with a familial side. Even if he''d given up on life, he found something worth living on for in his undeath.


    In the end, Torix turned into a father figure for me. I never had one really, and he did a pretty good job of it. At the same time, he was a teacher and mentor that enjoyed sharing his hard-earned knowledge. Despite this academic nature, Torix kept grounded even when there was chaos erupting around him.


    Even in the eye of a hurricane, Torix always headed towards an efficient and effective solution for any problem he faced. He never struggled to learn from those younger than him either, his humility impressive. At the same time, his rage was a dark, abyssal thing and well worth fearing.


    His ability to command tactically was unequaled as well. He maneuvered our troops around Yawm''s followers with absolute brilliance. His new plan was both cunning and capable, and he would no doubt execute it with deadly efficiency.


    The more I mapped out my understanding of Torix, the more confident I was of my conclusions. The Torix I knew was a dark overlord, not some old skeleton about to break from a stiff breeze. When I finished this, everyone else would understand that too. I would make damn sure of that.


    Immersed in my work, I lost my sense of time and sped through it with cold efficiency. As Torix tapped my shoulder, I just finished my notes on my status. I shook my head, stunned that he snuck up on me.


    He peered up at me as I stood up straight. I found that standing was the most natural thing in the world now that I was so dense. If I didn''t force my body to move, it was stiff enough to just lock in place. If I wanted to, sleeping while standing was utterly possible.


    I didn''t have time to waste, however. Torix glanced over my shoulder at the bones on the floor,


    "Ahh, it looks rather malevolent...I quite like the design you''re going for. What inspired it?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, some card games and other stuff from way back in the day...Is it time to head out?"


    Torix nodded, "Yes." He steepled his fingers,


    "We''ll show them the might of the Harbinger and his legion, one broken bone at a time."

 228 An Enemy Worth Fearing

    I lifted the bones into my pocket dimension, my crafting not quite finished. Torix stepped out of the room, and I followed not far behind. Once we reached the outer edge of our temple, we stepped out to a crowd of gialgathens. Ten were at our disposal during this attack. They were all guildsmen, including Krog.


    Kessiah was on his back, strapped onto it with a leather saddle of sorts. She wore a set of power armor that cloaked into its surroundings, though the invisibility was incomplete. At a distance, it would prove useful, however. Krog was rallying the members,


    "Jokia is here. That''s all of them."


    Krog turned to me, "We''re ready."


    I glanced at them, sizing up the troops. The gialgathens were either young and fearless or old and resolute. They either didn''t understand what we were running into, or they knew full well the bloodbath but dove in anyway.


    It didn''t matter since we couldn''t afford to be picky here. I waved The Rise of Eden over them while shouting, "Are you all ready for war?"


    They roared out in a symphony of their intent. I turned to Torix, "Will you be coming with us?"


    Torix shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. I cannot afford to leave this tactical point as I''ll be managing a variety of forces during your excursion. Krog''s tactical knowledge, while perhaps not quite a match for my own, will prove more than suitable for this battle."


    Krog nodded to me, "Your master is a monster in his own right. I was wrong to ever doubt him."


    I rolled my shoulders, "It happens. Now, let''s show the Adair family we''re the real monsters."


    Torix sent me a briefing of the current operation along with a few details for this specific mission. Our resident Sentinel reared back his spears before tearing a hole in dimensions. I stepped up to it, and Torix followed me,


    "You''ll begin the operation by stealthily reaching the agreed-upon coordinates. Once there, assault Polydra from this angle. I''ll be relying on you to adjust the plan and deviate as necessary."


    I ripped open the space-time continuum as I gave Torix a thumbs up,


    "Of course."


    After a bit of finagling, I got the tear to hit the size necessary for the gialgathens to walk through. Beyond it, the wind whistled through trees with insects chirping in the distance. It was night time in the region, two hours or so before dawn. A fine mist settled onto the forest floor, giving it a mythical appearance.


    Holding open the portal, the gialgathens skulked into the ancient woods. As they did, Torix put muffling magic over their wings and feet. Sliding through the portal myself, I verified the age of the forest. Giant trees soared to the sky, each of them towering as skyscrapers. The branches and bramble at the forest floor were large enough to mimic the size of commercial busses.


    Before soaking in more of the scenery, Krog walked up to me, "This is Deepwood, a forest East of Polydra. Torix discussed this location with the Sentinel here. It''s a sacred place, so I ask that you avoid destroying what lives here. It acts as a museum for prehistoric times on Giess, many of these species longer-lived than even we gialgathens."


    I nodded, reading a bit of the briefing as we traveled eastward. I carried us through the trees, hovering the entire troupe while Krog gave me essential tactical info. It kind of made the muffling spells useless, but whatever. This wasn''t that hard to do, and maybe the spells would last into the fight and save a life. Eh, I didn''t know.


    Krog said, "The assault shall be staged on the western bank of the city. This, along with our other attacks, will imply we''ve come from the west. Considering our amphibious nature, an aquatic or island base seems more believable than one stationed in the Rak''Sha dessert."


    I dipped us below a curving oak, "Makes sense."


    "Polydra itself is a city where both Gialgathens and espens lived together. Since ancient times, the gialgathens lived on the upper portion of the cityscape. Since Schema''s arrival, this has created a disparity in the technology used by the upper and lower echelons present there."


    "So the top half is like Rivaria with stone buildings and below it is something like Yildraza?"


    "Yes. The Hybrid''s attack came from the sky while the espens below blocked off underground or land routes of escape. This has encapsulated the gialgathens into an ancient storage room for leviathans from times past. Though sturdy, the walls of that prison shall not last forever."


    Krog looked me in the eye, "Our goal is to wipe out the surrounding forces and enable their escape. That is how we shall free them."


    I pointed down, "Why not burrow a tunnel for them to escape from?"


    "Beneath Polydra is a dormant volcano. The magma ensures we cannot escape through that avenue without suffering severe losses. Seismic activity has also spiked here over the last decade. Polydra''s about to be the sight of an eruption."


    I winced, "So underground burrowing isn''t an option. Alright. That does give me a few ideas, though."


    Krog showed his teeth, "I''ve seen and heard of your ''ideas'' before. That destructive, orbital bombardment shouldn''t be used until after we''ve taken the gialgathens out of the leviathan''s prison. Otherwise, they shall all die."


    I waved a hand, "Just one thing before we continue. What were the leviathans again?"


    "A race we fought to free the espens from servitude. They are large and capable but limited to underwater domains. They are the reason we escaped to the surface many years ago."


    If they were anything like the gialgathens, then they were worth respecting. We might be able to talk with them at some point. I tucked that tidbit into the back of my mind before frowning,


    "Huh...Ok, so we''ll be tearing a hole in the forces surrounding this prison then getting the gialgathens out?"


    Krog nodded, "You understood our intent. Once they''re out, we''ll be escaping to the sea west of Polydra. There we shall use your Sentinel friend to warp us to Elderfire. Kessiah will tend to the wounds of those that are near death. I shall assist with immediate tactical maneuvers. You will be our forerunner of destruction."


    I clanked my fists together, "Sounds good to me."


    "Think it over as we travel. You may finish reading the briefing as well. We''ll arrive ten minutes before dawn."


    The troop fell into literal silence, though several of the gialgathens were holding a telepathic conversation. They invited me into their discussion, so I listened in as they talked a massive amount of shit to each other. Like soldiers, the sense of comradery was there, and they laughed off the jitters before battle.


    After an hour of dashing through the forest, we dipped into a set of smaller trees. Here my gravitational abilities proved vital; it made less noise than their wings did. We skimmed up through a mountainside, plumes of dark smoke rising in the distance. Dozens of miles passed before we swooped around towards the western side of the mountain.


    As we darted around the center of destruction, Polydra looked like one big smoke cloud, at least from below. Fires burned in the proud city. We knew that much. That was the price we paid for the deceptive lure tactic - a good vantage point. It would come with time.


    After reaching the other side of this lavaless volcano, we traveled over the peak of the mountain. Hovering over the edge of the snowy peak, a few clouds cloaked our descent. I set us down onto the snow, where the mist didn''t block our view of the city. Finally, Polydra came into full view.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Polydra was as Krog described, a city etched onto the side of a mountain. It was separated into tiers of old and new buildings, stone, steel, and glass composing its varied surface. It matched up pretty well though, the contrast pleasant on the eyes due to some good architects no doubt.


    That''s where the prettiness ended.


    Half a dozen skyscrapers along the lower edge of the city were engulfed in flames. Portions of the espen''s territory carried scars from the escaping gialgathens. Patches of newly molten and solidified rock, crushed military vehicles, and fires littered the cityscape. At the same time, the older, rocky apex of the city was in shambles.


    Five massive, aerodynamic spaceships hovered over the top of the city. They used gravitation to suspend themselves, an antigravity field surrounding them. A few floating pieces of rubble around the ships acted as the dead give away for that.


    Atomic energy powered the innards of these ships, along with some Hybrid tech. A series of orange, pulsing capsules lined the lower sides of it. Above the orange cysts, lines of blue plasma sheened under clear panels. These spaceships stood at the front and back of two colossal dreadnoughts.


    These dreadnoughts carried heavy firearms along with a central cannon designed for mass devastation. This along with a few smaller fighters offered aerial support to the hordes of Hybrids spread throughout Polydra.


    These Hybrids acted as the ground force, several gialgathens in view pinned down. The Hybrids infested these restrained gialgathens with wires, organic tissue, and the carrot-colored organ sacks. Still alive due to their natural hardiness, these gialgathens groaned out in agony for help.


    Other Hybrids investigated buildings with the assistance of espens garbed in their symbol of a hanged gialgathen. If they found a Hybrid pinning down a gialgathen, then they used a hoverpad to lift them up and carry the mass. After lugging them beneath one of the dreadnoughts, the gialgathen floated into the waiting abyss.


    There was no doubt in my mind that the ship was taking them to hell.


    The other method of capture involved massive spires composed of Hybrid flesh and metal, the orange cysts spread throughout the city. Towering and tall, these twitching monoliths wobbled in the wind, sensing disruptions on the surface.


    Below one of these spires, a smaller gialgathen attempted darting from one building to the next. As it did, the giant pillar of cords and entangled wires and slammed downwards, mauling the poor creature. Many of its limbs broken, the green gialgathen was lifted up before being deluged in a sea of cables.


    The metal twine swarmed into the flesh of the gialgathen, piercing skin, flooding its mouth, and digging into its eye sockets. Still alive, the gialgathen was pumped to the base of a spire, a bulging mass of other collected gialgathens there. Getting the gialgathens out of there was a high priority. They deserved a better death than that at the very least.


    Those pillars extended well beneath the surface, roots extending outwards. They dug deep, cutting off an underground escape. The entire event reminded me of Springfield''s utter destruction by Yawm''s plague. I empathized with how these guys were feeling, watching their home and society crumble.


    I shook out my own jitters before breaking the ice. I turned to Krog,


    "Those pillars are another reason we can''t burrow from below. Good decision on the sky attack."


    Krog took a few deep breaths, his composure shaken. The other gialgathens mirrored his unease, many of them remembering their other battles. They reminded me of when I first saw Springfield torn apart by Yawm''s plague. I remembered deformed faces running at me, wanting to tear me apart.


    I was afraid and alone. I wanted someone to come down and save my ass. No one came though, and I had to save myself. Not everyone could do that though. Right here, right now, I could be that guy saving people. People who were just like me five years ago.


    I took a few deep breaths, thinking of what I would''ve wanted to hear when the plague hit its fever pitch. I envisioned the kind of person I wanted to arrive and save me. Using that imaginary guy, I faced forward, encompassing The Rise of Eden over my allies.


    I did my damndest  to be that guy I as I said,


    "It''s time to fight. No more hesitation. No more fear. If I were down there, I''d be praying for help. We are that help. We''ll drag our brothers and sisters out of hell. We''ll give them a second chance, just as they''d do for us."


    I waved my allies forward. They listened to me, stepping forward into a line with wobbling steps. In the telepathic conversation, I thundered,


    "Come on now. Instead of fearing what may happen when we dive down, fear what will happen if we don''t. Everyone down there will all die horrific deaths."


    I turned to the soldiers, "In our hands is the power to stop that. In our hands is the power to enact justice." I grinned a thrilled, wild smile while spreading my arms,


    "Think of it this way. Would you rather live in a hellish world like this, or would you rather die fighting against it?"


    The trembling stopped as I turned around.


    "I don''t need to hear your answer because my decision has already been made. Has yours?"


    I waved them forward, and they stepped up with a renewed bravery. They lined up beside me, and I turned to them as I said,


    "Let''s show them hell."


    They let out a telepathic roar as I ran forward, accelerating towards the hellscape. The other gialgathens followed me, keeping a fair distance. Using the Rise of Eden, I kept my mass high as heat built over the surface of my skin. I jumped forward, riding down the edge of the mountain by generating a trail of hardened ice beneath me.


    Once I gained actual speed, I shifted to Event Horizon, gravitation expediting my body to the speed of a bullet. A visible pathway of destruction formed as I channeled my anger into a frenzy for havoc. They would regret doing this, making me their enemy. I''d make sure they''d tell their children stories of what happened here to scare them.


    They would remember this day.


    As I sped down, trees ignited, the ground giving way in my wake. Boulders and rocks ripped from the ground as I bolted near the mountain''s surface. A shockwave rippled out from a sonic boom as I drilled forward. My skin shined yellow, the heat of a star building over my skin. Red lines formed over my runes, my armor grinning wide with jagged teeth.


    Comfortable and focused, I willed myself forward faster. Uprooting entire oaks, I tore a gash of devastation across the forest as several Hybrids stared at me from below. One of the five smaller starships turned towards my incoming assault, the gialgathens far behind me ignored.


    How could they be expected to notice the dragons when a sentient meteorite was coming at them?


    Trees exploded beneath me, the water within evaporating at my passing. I molded myself into a spear shape, accelerating myself further. Two of the starships now faced me, one lined up behind the other one. Their gravitational drives fired as the plasma engines flared. The sound of ripping steel echoed across the mountainside as they charged their cataclysmic weapons.


    As if wielding the might of the stars, the first ship launched a bolt of purified energy at me. It ricocheted off the surface of my skin, deflected by my slanted and narrowed shape. The deep burns across my side healed as a portion of the mountainside disappeared behind me. The blinding light behind me flashed, but it carried with it no sound.


    I was faster than sound.


    The clouds near the ship shout outwards in a circle before I rammed into the first ship. As I did, I outstretched tendrils of my armor, ripping the innards out of the fighter. At the same time, Event Horizon culled much of those onboard. I killed their bodies and their minds, the mana of life siphoning into my frame as I passed out the other side of the ship.


    The next ship behind the first fire its own blast. It collided with my head, the impact direct and on point. A white light blinded me, a third of my health disappearing instantly. I let out haunting laughter as the ionized, misted air caved around me in one motion.


    I hardly slowed down.


    I turned and dropkicked towards the ship with both my legs outstretched. Just shy of contact, I used an enormous bout of telekinesis. Converting the force of my travel into a direct kinetic bullet, the lower belly of the ship exploded in a grand plume of orange fire. A rain of steel assaulted the city below, crushing the stone to powder.


    I bounced backward, my legs broken. They shifted back into working limbs as I fell downwards. I enhanced this loss of levity, my stomach rising in my chest. Beneath me, a spire whipped towards me. It made contact, my body too dense and too hard for it.


    I impaled the tentacle, metal debris falling from the sides of the living spire. Like a juggernaut, I crashed through a stone building before landing atop two Hybrids carrying a kidnapped gialgathen.


    They pulped under my heels, splattered into a fine mush from the kinetic blowback. The crater around me vaporized the espen carriers, their forms nothing more than red mist. The paralyzed Hybrid holding a gialgathen spiraled through the air, whipped into a barrel roll. It left fractures in the stone building. Slabs of stone collapsed as I walked towards it.


    I reached out an arm and jerked it back. The holding Hybrid unlodged from the wall, the building collapsing in a plume of dust. I waved my hands outward, the brown cloud blown back by the wind. I reached out my hand, catching the incoming Hybrid and gialgathen.


    The massive ball ceased moving the moment it met my palm, cracks erupting outwards beneath me. It''s orange capsules pulsing, the head of the Hybrid remained. It let go of the Gialgathen, crawling out and away from the poor beast.


    The Hybrid attempted dragging itself away from me. I walked up and stomped its chest, caving it in and into the dirt beneath me. Its head remained while gurgling orange blood. I reached down and grabbed the head. Wrenching it from its body, wires snapped and veins split.


    I popped the skull of the monster in my hand, orange blood splashing over me. My armor devoured the blood as I peered towards one of the fighter ships. I roared for all to hear, my voice like a talking mountain,


    "So you all want to pretend you''re monsters?"


    A singularity charged in my metal blood, energy emanating from my frame,


    "Then let me show you what a real monster is."

 229 The Battle for Polydra

    Several of the shining ships turned towards me as I shifted to The Rise of Eden. The enhanced mana generation saturated my blood faster than Event Horizon did. After a few seconds, I changed back to Event Horizon as one of the ships aimed at me. A swarm of fighter jets charged as I discharged a singularity at the frigate.


    The blot of black expanded halfway into its hull, the devastation expanding. As it reached its apex, the ship ripped apart inwards. The gravitational implosion rocked outwards with a deafening echo and shockwave. The flameless explosion let me see it all in pristine detail.


    The glass shattered on nearby buildings as concrete collapsed. Cars upturned and one building collapsed sideways. The pulse caught several of the fighter jets, sending them spiraling outwards like a shotgun blast. Fireballs erupted across the city as the planes tumbled into buildings, pavement, and the rubble.


    The frigate showed one-third of its hull eaten by the singularity. The other two-thirds carried abuse from the chaotic shockwave. It was like staring at a decapitated corpse walking forward off momentum alone, its fate already sealed. Like a helicopter that lost control, the main ship spiraled in circles before collapsing into the city. Its front deck split apart from the back as it crashed into the ground.


    The resulting plasmic fire erupted, and the radioactive cores heated to extreme temperatures. Nearby stone ignited as the metal nearby melted. I sprinted forward, the cityscape bending under the weight of my heels. As I leaped up, glass shattered around me, nearby cars sent tumbling.


    Leaving a crater behind, I jerked myself forward towards the collapsed starship with a gravity well. Two fighters dashed past me as I did, but Event Horizon killed the crew members.


    Dozens of other fighters followed in their flight paths, the crew members fell like flies. After crossing over a few buildings, I slammed into another group of Hybrids and espens. Vaporized on impact, they died without effort. I glared up at one of the two remaining larger frigates. They escorted the massive dreadnoughts encircling the city.


    The fleet rallied to defend against me. Two of the cannons on the frigates aimed at me before unleashing havoc. Plasma bolts crashed into the ground where I stood. My surroundings melted into a pit of glowing soup. My health depleted for a second or two, burning through a third of it. Once the initial burst of damage finished, my health bar raced back up.


    It wasn''t nearly enough to stop me.


    From around me, I collected the plasma and liquified rock into a gravity well. It fell from my skin, leaving me in a smooth crater. With the flick of my wrist, I lobbed the plasma and rock back at the frigate, spraying the liquid wide like a net. It caught several smaller fighters, killing them on contact. The frigate faired no better.


    The larger vessel mimicked an acid victim, the right half of its hull caving inwards. I stuck my hands outwards, wielding vast oceans worth of mana. I created dense gravity wells within the ship, strong enough to cave in steel. I waved my arms, the gravity wells shifting inside the hulls. Pulling the plasma deeper in, enormous shards of the ship ruptured out. Once weakened, I wrenched out the guts of the vessel.


    One swipe after the other, colossal portions of the ship fell apart from the main body. With one last surge of will, I created a telekinetic splice down the middle of the vessel. With a growl, I pushed outwards with all my might, riving the ship apart.


    The rippling, aliens sound of tearing cords and shearing metal echoed across the landscape. Two halves of the ship tumbled apart with a shockwave erupting from the telekinetic splice. The plasma cores exploded before I tore the radioactive centers them from the confines of the halved ship.


    The superheated cores cast the battlefield in a massive white light like stars. I lobbed them at the last remaining frigate. The ship''s diagonally set engines gave it maneuverability. Using them, it shot sideways, dodging the catapulted cores.


    My element of surprise all but gone, their forces refined their tactics. I stepped out of my crater, as the ship pulled back. With a blot of gravity, I pulled my hands forward and pulled it back. It charged a bolt at me, firing another shot.


    In one motion, I released my gravitational anchor on the ship and shifted to The Rise of Eden. With a burst of quintessence, I generated a pillar of metal in the plasma''s flight path. The energy bolt burned halfway through the steel with ease, but I kept piling on more mana into the cylinder of steel.


    The bolt slowed down before stopping just shy of me. I coated the gloppy metal in a wave of ice which held it together. The enemy frigate regained stability from my gravitational jerk as I grabbed the sides of the iced plasma. I reared my arms back and chucked the icy log of plasma and metal at the remaining ship.


    The force transferred from my arms to my feet and into the ground. A smaller building behind me collapsed backward from the shockwave of toss. The large, iced plasma column slammed into the front of the ship, destroying its central hub. Plasma melted through the ice, coating the vessel in plasma and mist. It crumbled as a shining rain of ice erupted from the impact, a beautiful sight amidst the devastation.


    Melting into oblivion, the ship wobbled but stayed standing. I sprinted forward before leaping up. With each step, I created blobs of stone underfoot. The stones exploded under the impact of my stomps, but with them, I ran right up to the ship.


    Lunging off the last stone, I landed onto the hull. The smooth, steel shell buckled under my footsteps. The frigate dipped down as my mass interfered with its once effortless hovering. I stuck my hand into the ship, drenching the whole vessel in a monumental wave of mana. The quintessence injected thermal energy throughout the hull, melting a vast portion of the ship beneath me.


    The metal depressed beneath me before liquifying. I fell downwards into the molten abyss. Around me, I flooded the hull with more heat. I melted through the ship, my armor glowed white as I passed the final flooring. Landing onto Polydra''s ruined metropolis, piles of molten metal pooled into white, glowing sheets around me.


    I glanced upwards, finding a gaping hole liquified through the center of the ship. Crew members within caught fire before jumping out of the hell they found themselves in. Others ran from the heat and into the depths of the doomed vessel.


    The starship fell into the side of a skyscraper, a storm of glass erupting on impact. The structures both collapsed over the other, utterly demolished. Plumes of dust and fire erupted from the collision. As it passed, I scanned my surroundings, finding the dreadnoughts unmoving. Instead of fighting me, they collected a few final gialgathens from the Hybrid ground forces.


    Before they finished, I reared back, grabbing a giant boulder with a gravity well. I catapulted it out towards the nearest dreadnought. It collided with an invisible forefield, a wave of dust sputtering out. I jolted all the remaining rubble near me, no rebar or concrete left for hundreds of feet.


    Once out of projectiles, I made some. Using quintessence, I created chunks of iron beside me. Shifting back to ascendant mana, I lobbed the craggy balls of metal at the giant, hybridized dreadnoughts. They clanked off of their forcefields, a thin wave of blue erupting from the collision points.


    They stopped collecting gialgathens, several of their warps failing. One of the massive destroyers let out an alien, gurgling echo. Around me, several of the wobbling spires began winding up.


    I slammed my fists together, ready for their attempts of retaliation. The first pulsing spire snapped towards me. I countered its blow with a swipe of my hand. The pillar crumbled at my touch, the rubbled ground around me bellying up with fissures.


    Before it jerked away, I reached out a hand and pulled it back with a gravity well. The spire bent towards me before I grabbed hold of it. Shifting to Rise of Eden, I extended my armor into the tentacle stopping its escape. It let out a high pitched squeal, the organic being writhing in pain.


    Too dense for it to swing me, I snapped my hand towards the next tendril attempting to attack me.


    It crushed against my frame, its own body too soft to properly harm me. Slabs of iron fell into the ground as I latched onto it. In my arms, I held two of the massive yet thin tendrils. From above, Krog and four of my gialgathen guildsmen flew to help. Krog rallied them as they let out streams of multi-colored fire at the bases of the living spires.


    They writhed in my hands, but I held them in place, using their contrasting pulls against each other. A few seconds later and the resistance let up. The gialgathens melted through the entire tentacle bases. As they gathered up their brethren. The dreadnoughts turned towards us. A Horde of Hybrids ran up to the tentacles bases and up to me. I shifted to Event Horizon, stealing dozens of Hybrid''s life force at once.


    Their rage-fueled run devolved into a desperate crawl. The Hybrid''s mana flooded into my blood, evolving me into a living nightmare. As the mana saturated my body, the dreadnoughts lined up some sort of weaponry at my guildsmen. As they readied to fire, I wielded cities worth of mana in each arm.


    I clenched my teeth and fists as I used a myriad of gravity wells to move the spire in my right hand. With a growl, I lobbed it in front of the dreadnought''s first onslaught. A wave of arcane lightning bolted into the massive tentacle. The giant spire absorbed the entirety of the attack, violet cracks forming over the superstructure.


    The mammoth tentacle crashed into the city before crumbling into a fine ash as if it never existed in the first place. My eyes widened.


    Alright, I might want to dodge those beams.


    I roared as I chucked the next spire at another incoming burst from the other dreadnought. Another rippling wave of arcane force shot outwards from the point of impact. It disintegrated the tendril in an impressive yet silent display of power.


    Having bought them time, my gialgathenic guildsmen pulled large piles of captured brethren out of the torn tentacles. The dreadnoughts turned their attention to me and readied another series of attacks. I ran towards them, my footsteps quaked the earth beneath me. As they let out the deafening crack of readied bolts, I dove into the ground.


    As if diving through water, I swam through stone. I burst myself further down. Above me, the ground disintegrated into the fine ash of before. I whipped back to the surface with a cataclysmic jolt, discharging my runes.


    Using the burst of power, I shot out like a bullet. I dashed towards the massive dreadnought, wind whistling in my ears. Once more, I drop-kicked at the forcefield, unleashing a kinetic round at the superstructure. The impact created a massive wave across a nigh invisible field of blue energy. It held as I bounced backward, both my legs fine this time. A slight bend in my legs stopped all the force from transferring right into my bones.


    As I fell, fighter jets swarmed towards me from all directions. They flocked from the dreadnought''s hull. They collapsed towards the ground around me, like bees flying into a fire. Their lives gave me untold vitality as I flipped myself around and shot myself back at the barrier. Anchoring myself with a gravity well, I pressed on while smashing my fists into the forcefield.


    The reverberations off my strikes rippled across the entire landscape. The forcefield shivered like a stormy sea as portions of it billowed outward. The shield caved inwards after several blows. I followed it, continuing to ground myself with gravity despite my lack of footing.


    At that point, I closed in on the frame of the destroyer. At this range, the cannons couldn''t touch me. They were far from helpless, however. From the hull of the dreadnought, dozens of people stormed out. They formed squadrons of seven, five power armor laden warriors in front of two mages. These units positioned themselves on decks spread throughout the dreadnought''s surface. Along with them, an enormity of anti-personnel cannons pointed in my direction.


    With a flash of color, they unloaded spells, bullets, and energy beams. A rain of blue bolts erupted from the rifles and cannons. They launched rays of navy blue that darkened everything near them. These beams crashed against my skin, the superheated plasma sticking like glue.


    On the other hand, the solid bullets crashed against me more like kinetic launchers than piercing weapons. Their speed allowed for tectonic collisions, the projectiles disintegrating against my skin. A few of these impacts knocked the plasma off me, and a few gravity wells in the distance threw their aim off.


    With that reprieve, I countered the mage spells the best I could. These multilayered offensives rushed towards me like a fireworks display. Soaring eagles of yellow light dove down from the skies while aiming at my eyes. Delayed orbital bombardments of light shot down out of the clouds. From below, a horde of green bees stung and bit at my legs.


    I darted back and forth, creating subtle shifts in my position as they came at me. These subtle jerks evaded many of the crew''s spells. On the other hand, some area of effect spells hit me with little effect. That was fine. Tanking those wasn''t much of a problem. The violet lightning was, however.


    A series of arcane bolts erupted from a group of specialized mages far back on the dreadnought, their violet lightning exploding in a storm fit for demigods.


    For the moment, I aimed all my attention at the arcane bolts. With subtle shifts in my position, I edged between the rain of arcane destruction. Many struck me despite my dodging. The flock of energy attacks was too thick. It was like trying to dodge the rain during a thunderstorm.


    The electricity stung like a mix of poison and fire. Chunks of my health fell down as I raced for a counteractive plan. I created semi-permanent gravity wells around me, saturating the areas with mana. With those keeping me afloat, I shifted to The Rise of Eden.


    I created growing chunks of dirt in front of me. These blocked many of the arcane bolts. Between volleys of arcane magic, I shifted to Event Horizon, wailing on the forcefield with abandon. They changed tactics after half a minute of this dance.


    They alternated to a steady stream of arcane strikes, attempting to wear me down. This made switching my mana types far more difficult. On the other hand, I dodging a couple bolts at once was doable. We kept changing our strategies back and forth, each us attempting to stay one step ahead of the other.


    With a portion of my focus aimed at this tactical dance, a wave of psionic energy slammed into my mind. Distracted and preoccupied, it hit me like a truck. Oddly enough, a truck of mental force wasn''t so bad.


    Their psionic abilities didn''t cripple me like the last group had. Several reasons explained that. I wasn''t an utter novice anymore, and either of my Dimensional Wakes resisted psionics as well. Event Horizon fizzled the mental assaults before they reached me. The Rise of Eden just gave me the raw stats to buffer my lack of experience.


    Without the cutting edge of the last psionic onslaught, I kept sharp and on point. The enemy forces rallied more troops, more mind mages joining their ranks. My iron-clad hold over the situation turned brittle over time. Cracks formed in my mental defenses. Attacks I''d otherwise dodge landed on me verbatim.


    Despite this offensive, I maintained a steady stream of attacks on the forcefield. This wasn''t my first fight, and amidst the chaos, I carved out a stable center of calm. They were dipping into my regeneration, but I held my own. Getting through this shield would change the battle, so I kept focused.


    As a few minutes passed, they attempted using complex runic formations in battle. They used their grimoires for these inscriptions. It was ridiculous. Distracted or not, I wasn''t about to let these guys spend more than a few seconds on their spells.


    One booklet at a time, I ignited their tomes with bursts of thermal energy. I aimed these ignitions during the apex of the mage''s ritual. This created severe magical blowback. Mage after mage lost years of work in seconds, and several even lost their lives as their bodies burned to cinders.


    Still, juggling all these parts proved difficult over time. Many minds worked against me, my control over fine motor functions dwindling. My offensive crumpled over time. Arcane shots shot into my gut, and their absolute damage was a thorn in my side. Though slight, the rain of bullets and bolts proved distracting. The mental angle of their attack expanded over time as well.


    The other dreadnought pincered me in, attempting to block off my escape. My regeneration kept me alive, but my health danced up and down now. The forcefield thinned, the pale force pushed to its absolute limit. As they threatened to overwhelm me, Krog flew up from below.


    He let out a roar towards the dreadnought''s crew. A dazzling display of lights, sounds, and other illusions engulfed the crew members. For several seconds, the hail of bullets, storm of psionics, and tornado of spells ceased.


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    It was all I needed.


    I reared my fist back and shot a devasting hook into the forcefield. I smashed a tiny hole through the barrier. With a desperate jolt, I slipped into the field as it reformed behind me. The crew members gained an understanding of their surroundings moments later as the illusions faded.


    They saw me, no field between us. The battle changed. The psionic assault ceased, and the rain of bullets and spells ended. I stared at the crowd of crew members. Beads of cold sweat formed on a few of the mage''s exposed faces. Even the fighter jets ceased coming at me.


    A few of the members stared around, gaging their allies reactions. An intercom radiated inside the ship. It was a deep voice like a whale was speaking,


    "Hello, warrior. We are willing to negotiate-"


    I pointed at one of the nearby individuals. I flooded his system with raw origin mana. As I lowered my hand, the guy''s body bulged under his power armor. As it did, the glass panel covering his face shattered. His eyes fell out with a mixture of blood, guts, and grit. This sandy concoction poured from every joint and opening.


    Those near him stared in abject horror as the body thudded against the ship''s deck. Those at a distance trembled. I roared,


    "I''m not here to negotiate. Lower your weapons and shutdown your shield. Surrender immediately."


    The intercom radiated out,


    "We just need some time to discuss terms that we can agree-"


    Krog sent a message,


    Krog Borom, the Harbinger''s General(lvl 13,000 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - They are buying time so that Lehesion and others may join this battle. We must end this quickly. There isn''t time for this.


    I took a deep breath, resolving myself for what had to be done. I dashed forward, towards the crowd. They unloaded the same assault as before. It was too late. As Event Horizon reached them, a symphony of screams erupted. After that, carnage cascaded out in an endless torrent.


    Blood. Guts. Pain. Bones. Metal. They blended together into a single vision. I let the ascendant mana take me over, my urge to devour overpowering all else. My enemies crumbled. I indulged, ripping and tearing and ripping and tearing.


    Minutes passed, the onslaught turning into an utter bloodbath. I was a living weapon, a creature of complete carnage. In my wake, I left piles of corpses. In my path, I was the forerunner of devastation. I was an omen of their downfall and a nightmare given life, a horror given form.


    With carcasses spread across the deck of the dreadnought, I held up a robed mage. I squeezed my hand. Like a neck caught in a garage door, the mage''s head decapitated from the blunt force. I dropped the body, the remains around me disintegrating.


    I turned back to the ship, sprinting towards a wall of metal. I smashed through it, finding myself inside a storage room. I continued my run forward, the standard crew falling to Event Horizon as I passed. A minute of running through the lower portion of the ship and I fell into a large holding room.


    Lining the bottom of the dreadnought, the dim room held the echoes of dying gialgathens. I sent a torrent of thermal energy into the ceiling, the glowing metal washing the area with a subtle, orange light. It was beyond anything I imagined. Groups of Hybrids paced around the metallic warehouse, dragging the gialgathens. They either piled them up into holding areas or hung them onto meat hooks across the ceiling.


    Once on the meathooks, several masked individuals walked across metal walkways. They implanted tubes that pumped their bodies full of the orange muck that filled the Hybrids. The gialgathens bulged, wires forming in their body as they were processed.


    Once finished, a group of Hybrids ripped them from the hook and placed them onto the back wall. A group of quarantined scientists injected them with some sort of clear fluid. This liquid evoked convulsing and squirming in the victims, the hybridizing gialgathens clanking against the hull.


    They then placed the creatures into suspension fluid to finish the transformation. Those at Elderfire were right. They were turning the gialgathens into Hybrids.


    A wave of nausea, deja vu, and fear raced through me. After holding back the urge to vomit, I was repulsed that people did this. These people and their motivations...they were incomprehensible. Yawm destroyed my city to protect himself. He deformed people into abominations not out of hatred but out of necessity; Springfield was caught up in the aftermath. We weren''t targeted. We were unlucky.


    This was nothing like that. This was the systematic destruction of a species. Flashes of the holocaust and images from years ago in school filled my vision. These people didn''t see the gialgathens as something with a mind or a soul. No, they were animals to be slaughtered and used.


    As for the fear, calling it that wasn''t quite right. The horror of the situation wasn''t lost on me. This was hard to watch. Something simmered under this lining of terror, however. Perhaps calling it an emotion wasn''t precise.


    It was far too cold and too calculating for that. It was a rationalization of the situation, and it was the only logical response to this. This deserved reconciliation of the same kind and caliber. With my two hands, I swore to wrench the Adair family from their roots.


    The reason was simple - they were insane. I''ve seen and lived with insanity before. It corrupts and bends the individual to perform the most abyssal acts. We were already their enemy. If they aimed this kind of insanity at us, then there was no predicting the outcome. Well, outside of it being bad. I knew that much.


    The only way to stop this was to put them down. Perhaps they would attempt to sway me with words. Maybe they would give me their motivations for rebelling against Schema. They would speak in sweet words, saying the ends justified the means. No matter what they said, I wouldn''t forget that their good intentions paved the way to this hellhole right here.


    No matter their justifications, they would find no forgiveness in me. As I stared at this slaughterhouse for a sentient species, I carved its image into my mind. This would not be forgotten. I would remember what they were capable of.


    And they would remember what I was capable of too.


    Knowing all I needed too, I dashed down. I shot across the factory floor. Event Horizon would kill the gialgathens. Using the Rise of Eden, I sliced, gored, and pulped every Hybrid, person, and scientist here. One by one, member by member, they fell.


    It was a strange scene. These madmen were calm seconds ago as they butchered the gialgathens. Now that someone did it to them, it was suddenly something horrifying. Their hypocrisy wasn''t lost on me. On the other hand, their cries, screams, and howls fell on deaf ears.


    I killed everyone. I chomped through bone, squashed skulls in my hands, and caved torsos with my feet. I tore off limbs, ripped out organs, and splayed the walls in their blood. Once dead, they evaporated with a momentary passing of Event Horizon. I left nothing behind, cleansing this place of these monsters. They were no different than eldritch. They would be treated as such.


    After slaughtering these psychopaths, I sent a quick message to Krog explaining the situation. I kept the details to myself, not wanting Krog to be stricken with horror. With him being informed, I pulled the gialgathens from the hooks and holding cells. I piled them into one corner of the room. The gialgathens inside the tubes...I killed them. They were too far gone, the Hybridization all but complete.


    That sadness in Helios at killing Rivaria, I empathized now. Executing the defenseless...It was a hard thing to do.


    I numbed myself as I did all of that. It was necessary. Many would call it running away. Maybe I was. I didn''t know for sure. What I did know was that I had to keep going. If I let my emotions overwhelm me, no one would be saved. They would all die.


    So I took on the persona of the unfeeling Harbinger. More machine than man, I tore through the shuttle, the walls sturdy as cardboard. I learned a bit of the ship''s design as I did. The top part of the hull was where the fighting members stayed. Killing them with Event Horizon was simple.


    The middle of the ship harbored crew members along with crucial ship functions. The radioactive cores and plasma vats sat here in the center of the battle station, protected by walls of steel and more. Hybridized fluids also gave them stores of mana to use, several semi-Hybridized creatures used as mana batteries.


    It was the fate Torix warned me about.


    I tore through them, and I emptied the guts of the ship like an internal hemorrhage. The bottom of the ship contained the gialgathens and their Hybridization operation. It acted as the belly of the beast. Armed with that knowledge, I slaughtered every living ship member I could find there.


    Some members offered resistance, but environment favored me. I could move through the metal walls with ease. I sensed were they were long before they knew my position. It was simple in the end.


    Minutes later, the flaming dreadnought was falling apart. I eradicated vital functions for the vessel, mainly the radioactive cores. With the ship tumbling down to Polydra, I readied the rescue operation. I coordinated with Krog. He and my guildsmen would act as decoys while I pulled out the victims here. Otherwise, the other dreadnought would fire at the refugees I rescued.


    With that in mind, I shattered a wall of the holding cell. The open sky filled my field of view as I glanced at the other dreadnought. Krog and the others unleashed an inferno against the other destroyer as I launched myself out. I pulled a massive clump of several dozen gialgathens out with me, a gravity well pulling them along.


    As I leaped out, the downed dreadnought crashed atop the shattered city of Polydra. A vast shockwave of kinetic energy and flames erupted, decimating blocks of the town. Hybrids vaporized near the point of impact. Entire buildings collapsed outwards.


    Krog pulled away from the other gialgathens, shouting out telepathic orders. They kept distracting the other dreadnought as Krog and I grouped up, passing portions of the city. As we did, Krog led me down to a cluster of buildings that still stood.


    He turned to me, "The tunnels under Polydra aren''t large enough to move the gialgathens in that manner."


    I found three clean but unconscious gialgathens in a pile and threw them to Krog. He caught them between his wings. Switching to the Rise of Eden, I placed fifteen more of the gialgathens into my dimensional storage. The rest I split up into three different clusters. Instead of bending gravity to hold them, I created an actual gravitational force to suspend them.


    It strained me, my brow furrowing. Krog nodded at me,


    "That will do. Come."


    Krog used his tail to smash a hole to the sewers. We jumped into the labyrinth beneath Polydra. As we skulked buy, we met dozens of footsoldiers roaming the tunnels with Hybrids. We killed them all, Krog sending them into disarray before I tore them apart.


    Once we carved our way into the depths, we reached a dead end. A few spell casts and a bit of gialgathen blood later, Krog revealed an illusory flooring. A cylindrical tunnel leading beneath the city showed beneath us. Krog and I dove down.


    A few seconds later and we landed. Without a gravitational web beneath me, I smashed three feet into a stone. That was after reinforcing it with quintessence. As I pulled my feet from the floor, Krog paced to a doorway littered with the cipher.


    He interacted with the doorway, his eyes closed. I pointed at it, "You know how to read that?"


    The cipher sheened black, the blue mana lamps near us dimming. Krog shook his head as the stone doors ground open,


    "No. I know this how to work this, uhm...interface I suppose? I don''t know what to call it. It''s similar to one of the status screens of Schema, however."


    I inspected the intricate cipher work as we walked past. After committing the image to memory, we entered the hiding place for Polydra''s gialgathens. It mirrored a hollowed-out mountain; someone carved the room out of the rock that filled the peak. The maker of this prison created walkways at the edges of the expanse.


    Beyond these walkways, room-wide stairs left the rest of the room several feet lower. Marble pillars jutted out of the elevated walkways, supporting the miles of rock above. Cipher inscriptions rippled with the mana of Giess here. My guess, the cipher runes did all the heavy-lifting here. From my experience, marble was actually quite soft for rock.


    The entire room carried little in the way of weathering or erosion either. Whoever built this place built it to last. The leviathan''s prison was well preserved. In the center of the room, ten raised seats for gialgathens encircled a podium of sorts.


    A gialgathen was seated on all of these seats, and they all maintained a meditative state. A hooded figure stood at the center, scars covering an espen face. He opened his eyes before turning to us. The grizzled and gray espen sighed, viewing the gialgathens behind me.


    He winced, his voice ancient,


    "I see those left on the surface have been treated unkindly. I''m sorry for your loss."


    Krog blinked, "It...we''ve done what we can."


    Around the old espen, dozens of glowing lights hovered near him. They carried images of waterfalls, submerged caverns, and aquatic lairs. In some of these orbs, war-torn and wounded gialgathens swam in primordial pools. I turned to Krog,


    "I have to try and clear these guys of the tech in them before they turn. As I do, explain how this place works."


    The weathered espen turned to Krog, "I see you''ve allied yourself with a rather arrogant dirtwalker. What will we do Borom?"


    Krog grumbled, "Listen to my commander for one. Don''t use the word dirtwalker again for another."


    The old espen''s eyes widened, "Oh...excuse me. I didn''t realize that."


    I snapped, "Doesn''t matter." I set the three clusters of gialgathens down behind me. About twenty plopped against the stone floor. They wriggled for some sort of release from their torment as I walked over to them. Pulling several gialgathens form my dimensional storage, I shifted to Event Horizon. Otherwise, I would exceed my carrying capacity for my pocket dimension.


    Digging my hands into the worst looking member of the bunch, I siphoned the life force and metals from the Hybrid embedded into the gialgathen''s body. The old espen glanced at Krog as I drilled tendrils of metal through its body. The old guy spoke,


    "Are you certain he''s here to help?"


    The gialgathen I was working on wriggled against me. I forced it down with a panel of gravity, stopping its struggle. It let out hoarse howls as Krog growled, "Obey him and do not question us anymore. We don''t have time for your curiosity." Krog turned to me,


    "This place is known as Solis, the prison of the ancients. Long ago, it was created by an individual who''s name was lost to time. Since then, it has been used to hold enemies who''ve fought against us in the past."


    I bit into a Hybridized portion of the gialgathen''s leg, tearing it off and swallowing it. Krog sent out a telepathic wave,


    "This old espen is Kaios, a loyal member of the espen race. He''s over a century of age, ancient by espen standards. When the espens were freed, he chose to continue serving us."


    Kaios bowed, "It is only right."


    I finished draining the Hybrid from the gialgathen, the many wounds on its body opening up. Blood poured out of the creature before I turned to Krog, "I need Kessiah here. Where is she?"


    Krog turned to Kaios. The old espen turned to the glowing spheres, taking a deep breath. A portal opened at the bottom of the raised platform, a spiral of blue energy maintaining the tear in dimensions. Krog growled, "We need you, Healer of Rivaria."


    Kessiah jumped out, landing onto the ground with a bit of stumble. As she got her bearings, she glanced around, finding me. Kessiah ran over, her face pale. She wiped some sweat from her brow while opening her dimensional storage. She pulled out three bags of blood along with some of Torix''s rations.


    In a very Daniel-esque way, she snapped the bag open over her face with her mouth open. She gulped as much as she could, most of the rest of it soaking into her skin. A bit of color returned to her face before she ripped open a bag of her blood.


    The sanguine fluid poured down before Kessiah caught it in her palm. It spiraled into a horizontal circle before Kessiah sat down in front of the injured gialgathen. Kessiah looked like a different person, her purpose and intent obvious - save some lives.


    Her patient let out a low groan before Kessiah''s bloodshot eyes widened. She snapped like a whip,


    "Shut the fuck up. I''m focusing."


    Some things never changed.


    She channeled the blood into crucial areas, healing the torn arteries, veins, and nerve tissue. After that, she stood and pulled the wounds together. Fusing the skin with a bit of blood, she worked her way to the skull. She snapped her fingers in front of the gialgathen''s face while shouting,


    "Can you fuckin hear me? Hello?"


    The gialgathen''s eyes twitched a bit before she threw its head onto its leg while pacing over to me,


    "He''ll be just fine."


    I cleansed the next worst off gialgathens as she worked, but it was kind of mesmerizing. She did her work with diligence and a professional demeanor. A few months ago, I wouldn''t have even considered Kessiah and the word ''professional'' in the same sentence. Now she was a different person.


    I mouthed, "Woah...I''m impressed."


    She met my eye, an obvious irritation showing, "Yeah, that''s great and all, but would you mind hurrying up? Not all of us can make a river of blood. Working with anemia is a pain in the ass."


    She pulled out another three blood bags, and my eyes widened. This was why she looked so tired at Elderfire. It wasn''t because she was exhausted with just healing. She drained her blood over the last few weeks for this, giving her a massive stockpile for this situation. She suffered anemia during that entire timeframe.


    Maybe she wasn''t fighting on the frontlines, but she fought hard in her own way. It gave me a newfound respect for her. With that in mind, we worked through the Hybrid victims while Krog read his status and spoke with us,


    "Taking Polydra is going better than expected so far. Daniel, you destroyed most of their aerial forces in your initial assault. The ground troops and those squirming spires must be dealt with for our escape, however. Staying here for much longer risks Lehesion showing as well, and we can''t afford to face him head-on yet."


    I nodded, "Did our guildsmen make it out?"


    Krog clanked his teeth together before murmuring, "We''ve lost two members so far."


    I kept working, "That''s expected. We''ve saved a lot more than two gialgathens. They will be remembered."


    Krog shook off a bit of grief as he nodded, "You''re right. We have to remember the goal. After cleansing these gialgathens, can you return to the surface and destroy the spires? That will give us much more mobility in the air and on the ground. Cleaning up their ground forces shouldn''t be impossible for us then."


    "What about the dreadnought?"


    Krog shook his head, "Though you did well, it required far too much time for you to decimate the first one. More gialgathens are stored within those spires than the hulls of those ships. We have to rescue as many as we can before they fully...change."


    Krog glanced down and to the side, his heart racing with a bit of panic. He silenced those dissenting voices as he took a deep breath,


    "Otherwise their forces will overwhelm us here."


    "Noted." I finished the last gialgathen present before pulling out the rest of the gialgathens from my dimensional storage. Krog glanced up, "We won''t be able to keep them at bay for much longer."


    Dust and a few pebbles fell from the ceiling, the ground above us rumbling. Kaios frowned, "Yes, it won''t be much longer before Polydra is but ash. I can feel it in my bones. The mountain is about to unravel entirely."


    Krog turned to him, "You mean the eruption?"


    "Yes. The sea of magma beneath this place is not far from its detonation."


    My eyes narrowed as I thought about the Hybrid''s covering the surface of the city. Killing them all before Lehesion arrived was impossible on my own. Borrowing a bit from mother nature could bridge that gap though.


    I gave the nod as I turned to them,


    "I have an idea. One of my attacks was mistaken for an eruption once. Why stop there?"


    Krog tilted his head at me along with Kaios. I cackled a bit before Krog''s eyes widened. The red and orange general leaned back,


    "No, no, no. We can''t throw your life away like that. We need you for further assaults."


    I stood, my hands embedded into the gialgathen. My armor grinned as I finished clearing the Hybrid from my patient. Reforming my limbs back into forearms and fists, I glanced at them,


    "Who said anything about throwing my life away? I''m just finding my limits."


    I rubbed my hands together,


    "After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

 230 The Silences Between

    Kaios glared between us both, "You intend to incite the eruption prematurely? How?"


    I pointed at him, "I''m going to hit the mountain hard. To get that done, I''ll need that dreadnought out of the way. Otherwise, a wave of arcane magic might even kill me as I come down."


    Krog peered at the wounded gialgathens, "We''ll need it disposed of to escape as well. I doubt the Adair family will give us the couple hours required to destroy this dreadnought once more as well. If other forces arrive in tandem, we will face obliteration."


    I cupped my chin, "Alright, then we''ll need a more stealthy approach. Not my strong suit, but maybe...hmmm..."


    After diving into my thoughts, I snapped my fingers, "I got it. You used your illusions to distract the dreadnought''s crew before, right?"


    Krog nodded, "It was difficult, but yes. I was correct in assuming you only needed a moment of respite."


    "Good call. I''m wondering if you could make afterimages of me throughout the city. Yenno, masking my presence or something."


    Krog tilted his head, staring up, "Hm, good question. I believe I could quite easily, though masking your mana signature and gravitational mark is far beyond my capabilities. An auditory and visual illusion will be child''s play, however."


    I tapped my head, forcing myself to engage with this situation. If I didn''t think this through, people would die. I could run through this problem, but other people couldn''t. Using Rise of Eden, I compressed my hands together, along with all of my mana. Checking out my status, I found myself level capped at 10,000. I raced through a quick investment into constitution, mentally clicking finalize.


    A rush of mass flooded my frame as I condensed and expanded. My metallic body adjusted fluidly to the augmented size, no odd fluctuations anymore. Once the size shift finished, strength rushed in. Another wave of adaptations rippled through me. The metallic fibers shifted to create higher output with less energy.


    As it finished, I turned to everyone, "Invest in your statuses now. We need every edge we can get here."


    A few of my guildsmen nodded at me, the reminder necessary to these newer members of Schema''s system. After a minute, I lifted a chunk of radiating, crystallized quintessence. The broken, shivering stone of white wasn''t made well; it carried many imperfections. These flaws worked for our goals, however.


    Shifting to Event Horizon, I saturated a gravitational aura over it. Using my sense of the natural force, I mirrored the imprint my mass left behind. Once soaked into the white, glowing gemstone, I tossed it to Krog. He wrapped his tail around it, inspecting my handiwork,


    "This will work well. A truly great tracker would note the difference. The analysis of a machine will not...Though perhaps something more stable shall prove safer?"


    "No, this is perfect." I pressed my hands together again. "I''ll set these crystals to blow once someone tampers with them. All you need to do is destabilize them a bit. I''ll make a few for both my mana types. That should throw them off plenty."


    Krog closed his eyes, channeling his mana towards an illusion over the quintessence I handed him,


    "They shall act as landmines then. I''ll mask it with your presence and demeanor."


    Kaios turned to me, "What do you intend to do with the distraction?"


    I pointed up, "There''s a massive starship above. I''ll be unloading a gravitational bombardment into it. I got the general gist of the ship''s insides from the last one I tore apart. I''ll be targeting those areas to cripple it."


    Krog scoffed, "You shall decimate it within minutes if you''re left uninterrupted. The others and I shall help distract them as well."


    I shook my head, "I appreciate it, but we have other priorities. We''re aiming to gather up the gialgathens. Everyone we save is one less they get to turn. That''s the mission, not destroying the enemy. The illusions will be more than enough help for me."


    Krog blinked, "Then it is as you say, Harbinger."


    After a bit of queasiness at the respect Krog gave me, I turned to Kaios,


    "I was wondering a few things about Polydra. How many of the espens are against the gialgathens? I''m wondering if we should try saving some."


    Kaios gave me a repressed glare, annoyed at Krog''s high regard of me. I ignored his hostility as Kaios said,


    "Polydra is a city with a mangled history. It was formed as an important strategic stronghold and resupply depot during the war against the leviathans. Afterward, the noble gialgathens saved we poor espens from true slavery. Polydra was where much of the espens'' reconditioning took place. This, ahem, process lifted our race from tadpoles in pools to powerful and educated beings."


    Kaios threw his up hand in disgust, "But we espens took the gialgathens'' benevolence for granted. The espens of Polydra despised the gialgathens for this necessary act. Ever since bad blood has boiled between the groups."


    I turned to Krog, "Reconditioning, huh?"


    Krog stared down and to the side, "We...we were still primitive and brutal."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Well, that explains why so many espens joined Tohtella''s little rebellion. Yenno, outside of the slavery thing." I turned to Kaios,


    "If I had the time and resources, I''d try to get some of the espens out of here. The gialgathens take priority. I know they''ll be loyal. The espens, not so much. Giving Tohtella free spies would be crippling, and I can''t screen them."


    I took a deep breath. My eyes went distant, "They''ll all die, but at least it will be painless."


    Kaios stared between Krog and me, "Wait a moment. You intend to destroy Polydra without saving us?"


    I finished my mana crystal, tossing it over to Krog. I stepped up to Kaios, "Yes. They''ve shown which side they''re on. Actions carry consequences. Considering the chaos above, we''re saving them from being food for the Hybrids."


    I spoke with a resolve even I wasn''t expecting. Kaios spread out his hands while turning to Krog, "If anyone understands why the espens must pay, it is I. However, for all of them to die? That is...it''s-"


    Krog laid his tail on the shoulder of Kaios,


    "You''ve acted as the guardian for Solis for decades. It''s been a long time since you''ve left here. You cannot comprehend the comings and goings of the surface. What is being done above here...It is unfathomable."


    Krog turned to me, his head held high, "We aren''t murdering anyone. We''re giving them mercy."


    That''s what I hoped it was at least. I hardened myself, speaking with a voice like stone,


    "Each Hybrid is a risk to an entire world, this world included. I''m sorry, but I don''t have any means to stop the Hybrids before Lehesion arrives. If that demigod shows up-"


    I leaned over to Kaios, "You''re all dead. It''s as simple as that. Unlike the painless death I''m offering, you''ll be turned into footsoldiers."


    Kaios took a step back, turning between the two of us, "What of Solis? This place is sacred. It must be preserved."


    I finished another gemstone, tossing it over to Krog,


    "I am here to prevent a genocide, not protect an old jail and its warden. I am also not here to argue my methods. You haven''t seen what''s up there. I assure you, it''s worse than this prison being destroyed."


    Kaios nodded, his doubts fading, "I...I shall take your words on faith then."


    I pressed my palms together, generating another white gemstone. As I did, I went to walk around,


    "I''ll be checking out the runic work here while making these crystals. As I do, prepare the soldiers for our next offensive."


    Krog did so, starting up a telepathic conversation with the others. As I inspected the runic work, I committed all of it to memory. It was rare I found runic achievement that exceeded my own abilities, and this was ancient and powerful stuff. I ran a hand across the etched surface, the variable depths masterfully made.


    A sickening sort of mana radiated from it. I closed my eyes, sensing a bit of the structure beneath. Huh. Traced beneath the surface, a dual-layer of runes eased the depth work involved. I pushed through the wall, the thin structure crumbling. Peering behind the wall, I stepped over with a glowing palm.


    The runes were completed on both sides. The exposed layer acted as the core function, while the sub-layer acted as the subordinate helper. This process deepened the meaning of the messages ingrained within. The sheer extent of the message''s meaning...It was stunning.


    Along the outer edge of this hollowed hallway, a familiar miasma emanated. I took a deep breath, familiar and volatile energy permeating the fabric of reality here. While I wasn''t some mana sensing genius, I already familiarized myself with this guy.


    It was Eonoth.


    The Old One had been on Giess for a long time it turns out. Even more worrisome, these structures reminded me of Baldag-Ruhl''s carvings. I raised my eyebrows, and I shook my head. Naw, that couldn''t be right. After giving them a closer look, the sheer precision rivaled the old hiveminds. It was no perfect mirror, but the similarities piled up enough to make me nervous.


    I scratched the side of my head. There was no way an Old One taught Baldag those runes. There was no reason too. Besides, Alfred and that hivemind worked on that runic formation for centuries. They did it themselves.


    But to say I understood the motivations of the Old Ones...I had about as much confidence in that as I had in romance. If an Old One was involved, Baldag-Ruhl might''ve been a pawn in their plan. If he was, well, I might be a pawn too, running down some predetermined path. The idea of that unnerved me.


    I mean, I wasn''t much of a faith and fate kind of guy. I always prided myself on my sense of initiative and on my use of opportunities. Having all that dictated by some unknowable god robbed me of that. I based a decent chunk of my identity on that shit. Having that taken away in a fell swoop would suck. After all, curating my meeting with Baldag didn''t exceed an Old One''s capabilities.


    I shook my head, silencing those thoughts. I didn''t have time to think about it. Anyone could philosophize their way into inaction. I prided myself in not doing that. With that in mind, I finished my inspection of this place walked back out of the hidden hallway.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Instead of spending my time on airy, philosophical thoughts, I honed in on the mana channeling process. This mana crystallization took quite a bit of effort, though I''d done it a bit before. It was like an advanced version of a Mana Saturation, the skill I used to maintain enchantments.


    Mana Saturation lacked the free form abilities of crystallization. Saturation played out an already existing magic. This crystallization required more mana for one, but it also took a cleared mind. If I grafted intent onto the mana, it created a specific effect. The training with Serenity helped me out here, allowing me to keep an empty head.


    As I created more of the crystal, a bit more depth revealed itself. For starters, different mana types resulted in various gemstones. Creating the pure mana was painless in the appropriate Dimensional Wake as. The energies molded to my touch, giving me a bit more finesse with it.


    By the time I finished the tenth crystal, I had chopped a lot of time off the process. It also carried a trigger for its release. Contact with telepathy was all it took to blow. The psionics would make the mana detonate when they attempted using it.


    Unique skill gained! You discovered the unique skill, Mana Crystallization from no basic skills! 100 skill points rewarded!


    Mana Crystallization(lvl 10) - Your mind tempers the wild flows of mana around, harnessing it in physical form. +10% to the ease of mana crystallization. +10% to the potency of created crystals.


    Well, that was a nice boon. I turned to Krog, "Hey, let me remake all the crystals I just handed you. I got a skill, and it should make the process better."


    Krog sighed as his current illusion fizzled, "If you must..."


    I put the nine crystals into my dimensional storage, noting how useful they might be in the future. Storing hundreds of these crystals could give me a massive burst of mana in a fight. The options were endless.


    I tucked that away in the back of my mind, getting back to the problem at hand. After remaking the crystals in half the time, I turned to Krog, "Where''s the Sentinal?"


    Krog pointed towards the peak of Polydra, "Torix told us that his utility for mobility was far too valuable to risk on a direct assault. We left him along the route of our escape, far from this conflict."


    I frowned, "Well, fuck. The Sentinel would''ve been useful here." I took a deep breath, "Does anyone have a layout of Polydra?"


    Krog nodded, pulling up an ancestral map covered in concrete dust. He murmured,


    "We found it within a decimated museum. I know it isn''t perfect, but it may prove useful."


    Glancing close, I remembered most of the districts matching up from above,


    "Hmmm, seems close enough, I suppose."


    My approach involved running and destroying everything. Maybe that would work out for me, but other people could die. Instead, I thought of what Torix would do here. He''d place the illusions at critical points to distract the dreadnought or something like that. No, he''d do even more given this chance to plan.


    Not only would he distract them, but he would aim the mana crystals to blow up and cause as much damage as possible. A couple minutes later, I clapped my hands echoing a metallic ring. With everyone''s attention, I pointed at the map,


    "Alright, so here''s what we''ll do."


    Our guildsmen gathered. I pointed at a few essential points on Krog''s ancestral map,


    "You all remember where the spires were?"


    A few of them nodded. I turned to Krog, "Mark them on the map."


    Krog pressed onto different marks on the map, piercing the old paper with precision. These points clustered close to where the spires were around the city. The spots had no distinct pattern besides being on the outskirts of the town. I pointed at the center,


    "This is where the dreadnought will be."


    Krog narrowed his eyes, "It''s a ship. It can move. How do you know it will be there?"


    I waved my hand in a circle of the spires, "The spires are to stop gialgathens from escaping. They want them in this dreadnought. A central location lets them do that quickly."


    Krog nodded, "A workable assumption."


    I drew another circle with my hand around the city, "This, this is where we''ll put the illusions and crystals. Our goal is to bait the spires into attacking the illusions. We''ll cripple the spires from the resulting detonation of mana."


    Krog''s eyes widened, "Ah, that''s clever."


    I nodded, "We still want the distraction element, however. We want to hide the illusions where they aren''t too obvious, but at the same time, still findable. That will buy me a few minutes and let them gather their forces around these illusions. During that time, I''ll send an artillery strike at the dreadnought."


    Kaios glanced between the map and me, "Where would this ''artillery'' come from exactly?"


    I raised a hand, "It''s in my blood." I turned to my guildsmen, "Are you all ready to go back in?"


    They gave a roar of approval, the jitters from battle fading as I expanded The Rise of Eden over them. I formulated my best commander''s voice. Confident. Decisive. Driven. Come on, Daniel, you can do this. I pointed at the gialgathens,


    "You all will be tasked with defending these illusions from oncoming ground forces. If a Hybrid triggers one of these things, that''s one more spire you guys have to deal with. Understood?"


    They spoke out in a telepathic wave, "Yes, sir."


    Another chill ran down my spine from the sir. I shook it off. After all, sometimes I had to fake it till I made it. I turned to Krog,


    "We''ll be leaving in fifteen minutes."


    "Yes, commander."


    I walked off to the steps around the room. I created a few more mana crystals during the short downtime. As I did, Kessiah walked up and sat down beside me. She gasped while leaning back against the stairs,


    "I''ve never worked this hard in my life. Fuck."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, you''re definitely right about that one."


    She turned to me, frowning, "Ok, thanks for that. Real supportive."


    "I do my best."


    She stared forward, glancing at the gialgathens, "Man, shitty one-liners do make me feel better. Makes me forget about what we''re doing for a bit."


    I shoved another quintessence crystal into my pocket dimension,


    "Yeah, same here. It breaks the ice before the battle. It makes it less...terrifying, I suppose."


    Kessiah rolled her eyes, "You? Terrified? Yeah, ok."


    I turned to her, "What, you think I don''t feel fear anymore?"


    "Why would you? You can''t die."


    "I''m hard to kill. There''s a difference."


    Kessiah shrugged, "If you ask me, you crossed the line between mortal and immortal a while back. Now you don''t even seem real sometimes. Like, at all." She stared off in the distance,


    "Shit, I remember when we first met. You were just some edgelord brat who thought he had it hard. I could''ve snapped you between two of my fingers. Well, turns out you did have it hard. I, er, was part of that. I kind of threw all that on your shoulders. Sorry again for that."


    She shook her head, "Now, well, you wouldn''t even need to look at me to kill me. Watching you change, it''s been humbling and inspiring both. That''s for sure."


    I thought about Delilath dying, the gialgathens I couldn''t save, and Springfield being destroyed by Yawm. I frowned,


    "Even if I can''t die, I''m no god. I still fail all the time." I turned and gave Kessiah a pat on the back,


    "This healing thing you got going...I''m, uh, proud of you for it..."


    Kessiah bust out laughing, "What was that supposed to be? Inspirational?"


    "Just trying to, er, communicate, I guess."


    She laughed, "Heh. You''re doing a pretty shit job."


    I shrugged while lowering my hand, "Eh, doing my best here. That''s all I got."


    Kessiah stretched, "For real though, you''re doing a great job. After that fight with Dahkma, I broke down. You stood up and took the brunt of what I didn''t want to deal with.  Now look at you. You''re doing pretty ok at this whole commander thing." She pointed at the gialgathens, "These suckers are eating it up."


    I narrowed my eyes, "For now. We''ll see how long I can keep the act up."


    Kessiah pushed herself up, "Don''t worry about it. They''ve seen you fight. If they aren''t willing to follow you, then they wouldn''t follow anyone. That''s when you''re at your best - tearing shit up."


    I stared at my hands, "Yeah, that''s the easy part. It''s the silences between the battles that get me. The echoes reverberate in my ears and mind. Doubts pile up. Blagh." I looked up at the gialgathens as Krog rallied them,


    "It''s a loud kind of quiet. It keeps getting louder if I ever sit still. Eventually, it turns into a deafening boom in my ears."


    Images of the dreadnought''s underbelly flashed in my eyes. Memories of the spored people resurfaced in my mind. Before the memories consumed me, Kessiah kicked my side,


    "Cheer up. You''re doing better than you think. "


    I gave her a slow nod, "Yeah." I stood up, "I hope so."


    Kessiah stepped forward with a wave of her hand,


    "Do what you can, even if it isn''t much. I remember some armored guy telling me that a while back. Helped me. Might help you."


    I rolled my fingers in my hand, making and loosening my fists in waves,


    "Yeah. I''ll do that."


    I stepped forward, "Thanks for the pep talk. Needed it."


    Kessiah grinned, "Aye, aye, captain."


    She took a few steps before wobbling. I reached out a hand, catching her with a well of gravity. I narrowed my eyes, "You alright?"


    Kessiah shook her head, "Yeah, just a little woozy. It''s anemia from all the blood loss. I''ll be fine."


    I opened my dimensional storage, a 2-dimensional portal that mirrored liquid space. I pulled out molten metal I stored earlier. Using this melted dimensional fabric, I split it apart with my finger tips into five molten blobs. I spun them in circles with five gravitational vortexes. Once dispersed into flat circles, I worked on my first three pieces.


    With a few adjustments, I thinned out three of the orbs into rings. I turned to Kessiah, "What''s your ring size?"


    "Uh, eight."''


    I glanced back at the rings, changing their sizes. Once made, shifted to The Rise of Eden. I solidified the rings with an injection of icy energy before remelting their surfaces with a thermal jolts. Taking a deep breath, I created raw, telekinetic energy for precise contact points. Wielding them with care, I carved out the runes needed.


    It was anything but easy. I struggled through the process, wielding Star Forger with quintessence instead of ascendant mana. It was worth it, however. The Rise of Eden made anything I created far better. Even with a cruder set of tools, the raw materials were so superior it didn''t matter.


    Knowing that, I finished off the ring after a minute. The next two rings didn''t require the same amount of time as I got into a rhythm with it. After finishing off the three rings, I channeled the next blob of molten metal into a bracelet of sorts. It was basically just a big ring. I eyeballed its size for Kessiah''s wrist before etching in similar runic work.


    All the wording involved regeneration and hemonic generation enchantments. This was all supposed to ease Kessiah''s burden for healing. After finishing up the bracelet, I generated another one that mirrored it for her other hand. All of ten minutes passed, the enchantments rather basic yet effective for what she needed.


    I clustered the objects into a gravity well before tossing them to Kessiah. She caught two of them before the other jewelry clattered onto the floor. I walked over, picking them up with her,


    "Ah fuck, I don''t why I threw five things at you to catch. That was dumb."


    Kessiah frowned, "Eh, I just suck at catching stuff."


    I watched her pick up the jewelry. Her hands shook as she dropped one of the rings. She bit her lip before grabbing it again, this time her grip firm. I raised an eyebrow at her, meeting her eye,


    "Is shaking like a leaf a symptom of anemia too?"


    She grabbed her wrist, staring away, "I''m fine."


    I frowned, staring at her. She was terrified. I picked up the jewelry an handed it to her. As I did, I waved The Rise of Eden over her. She took a sigh of relief,


    "Thanks. Whatever that is it feels great."


    I waved at the metal rings and things,


    "Put those on. You''ll feel better."


    She did, and they boosted Kessiah''s regeneration as all my items did. Kessiah rolled her shoulders,


    "Damn. I''m already feeling way better. Thank you. I should''ve asked for this stuff forever ago."


    I waved a hand in circle, "All my armors boost a person''s regeneration, endurance, and constitution. I''ll be honest here, if I knew you were this effective at healing, I would''ve already made them for you."


    She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure."


    I met her eye, "Hey, I''m serious. Give yourself some credit. You''ve changed. Stop pretending you haven''t and own it."


    She blinked, stunned for a moment,


    "You really think so?"


    There was a hint of desperation in her voice. She wanted to believe my words even if she didn''t believe them herself. I shook my head,


    "Think? No, I know so. You capped your level. You healed my sponsor. Hell you''re even fighting in a war. You are not the same Kessiah that ran away when we faced Yawm."


    I raised a fist, my voice firm, "You''ve become a warrior in your own way, working around your own limits. Take pride in that."


    She nodded, feeling the gray metal on her wrists, "Thanks...Heh, looks like you''re not the only one that needed a pep talk."


    I scoffed, "Eh, you gave it first." I turned to the gialgathens, "Let''s go. We need to get back out there."


    Kessiah nodded, her eyes steeled and her hands clasped to fists as we rejoined the group. Krog finished up his tactical orders, our guildsmen split into ten groups. A few healed and willing gialgathens joined them, bolstering our forces. Behind them, ten illusions of me stood with the mana crystals beneath them.


    I turned to the group,


    "Are you ready?"


    "Sir, yes, sir."


    I walked towards Solis''s exit, the roar of battle growing in my ears,


    "Then let''s go tear them apart."

 231 Havoc

    As the ships droned and the Hybrids stomped, we skulked beneath them in the sewers. We passed several of the checkpoints, dispatching several groups of Hybrid sentries sent to find us. Once up close to the first point for our illusions, I stepped up the wall of stone. As if covered in black water, my skin shifted like living blades. I cut through the rock with ease, pulling myself forward with gravity.


    I rose through the dirt and stone, passing up into the first building. I walked up to the top floor, the windows blown out from the chaos below. Beneath me, Hybrids haunted the streets like steel titans. They stood over the doorways and cars, their monstrous frames crushing the city with ease.


    Several of the Hybrids carried carcasses of espens, chewing on the opened entrails. They dug their metal wires into the corpses. It mirrored the mandibles of a mantis munching through a cicada. Several of the espens were alive, screaming for help.


    I crushed the urge to help them as I planted the quintessence stone. I ripped my gaze from the horrors, pacing back down into the depths. We raced through the hidden hallways of the city. Once through to the next point, I walked into a woodshop that survived the last incursion. I planted the illusion and passed the corpses of a family of espens. Someone devoured only their eyes and the contents of their skulls.


    Throughout the entirety of placing these illusions, the city showed signs of devastation. The totalitarian rebels took a zero-tolerance policy for those that didn''t join them. Though it might not have started that way, over time, these people devolved as the conflict continued. From what I imagined, the rebels committed acts of evil after joining. Once done, they either rationalized what they did or went insane.


    This devolvement of the city''s people made Polydra''s destruction less of an issue for me. This place died a while back, and now it was a shambling corpse instead of a living metropolis. Either way, I planted the final illusion near the entrance of a metro.


    With that finished, I turned towards the final group remaining with me. The others split from us as we planted the decoys. Now Kessiah and Krog braced themselves for what was to come. I raised a hand,


    "For the guild. Let''s show them what we can do."


    They gave me a curt nod before racing off to their positions. I did the same seconds after, burrowing until I reached a tall skyscraper. After passing a beautiful but downtrodden reception area, pounding footsteps echoed above me. I sprinted towards an elevator shaft, not wanting to walk up hundreds of staircases. Avoiding prying eyes played to my advantage as well.


    I wiggled into the elevator sideways, struggling to fit. Seconds later, I melted through the top of the metal box. I timed the roof''s destruction with a giant explosion in the distance. After rippling of the wire ebbed in my ears, I shot up with gravity guiding me. Hundreds of floors passed before I reached the top level.


    Far above the destruction below, I gained a view of the entire city. I walked up to a wall of glass, Polydra''s ruin spreading out beneath me. After rolling my shoulders, I pressed my hands together. A dozen different objects lifted from around me. I pulled my arms in, the furniture racing forward.


    With office chairs keeping me hidden, I sat down in a fort of printers, water coolers, and office furniture more akin to cardboard than wood. From the cracks in my guise, I reached out a hand, mana saturating my blood like liquid energy. It built in my hands as I stared at the dreadnought. A few seconds later, and my hand trembled with palpating power.


    I braced a hand while sending a message to the others,


    The Living Multiverse(lvl 10,000) - Go


    - Kessiah -


    I turned my gaze up as a flash of light erupted over the city. Above, cataclysmic detonation echoed across the city. Plugging my ears, I braced myself as a shockwave dispersed throughout Polydra. A sound loud enough to shatter teeth and crack stone followed.


    Krog raised a wing, protecting me from being launched like a styrofoam cup caught up in a gust of wind. The source of the carnage, the enormous vessel''s forcefield billowed out. My breath seized in my chest at the sight of the damn thing. It was just so fucking big. Ah fuck, why was I here again?


    I shook my head as glass pelted me from above. I was tough enough for this shit at least. I turned down as Krog ripped a Hybrid from one of the gialgathens. Yeah. That was why I was here. To help this asshole. Great.


    I hyperventilated as my eyebrows singed off my face from Krog''s heated breath. That was about the only thing that matched the guy''s fiery temper. Once the Hybrid disintegrated, I leaped down onto the broken pavement. Stumbling over to the gialgathen, I opened my ring''s storage.


    "Fuck, ah fuck."


    I pulled out a bag of blood before ripping it open. A car beside Krog exploded, another shockwave making me stumble to my side. I lost focus for a moment, the blood falling down in a torrent of red. I reached out a hand, my eyes widening,


    "Ah, hell no. No, no, no."


    If I had to fucking use my own blood again, I''d fall out right here.


    Another deafening boom shot out from above, the dreadnought unleashing arcane bolts at one of the illusions near us. I attempted ignoring the insanity all around me as I healed this gialgathen that got caught up in this shitstorm.


    I stuck to the wounds that usually resulted in death. Pretty much, they were always blood loss, cardiac arrest, or organ failure. The other stuff was beyond me, so, I prioritized the major arteries first to stabilize their blood pressure and lower blood loss. After that, the guys needed an injection of fluids to help the heart with the whole pumping to live thing.


    Once I got them stable, I slapped the shit out of them to wake them up. Worked like a charm.


    With that in mind, I unleashed a furious flurry of slaps onto this random dude. The gialgathens eyes twitched, so I set his head down. Tossing it onto rock wasn''t a good idea. Done it once and the gialgathen died. Talk about a lot of wasted effort.


    A bit of Hybrid mush beneath me twitched, so I jumped up and screamed,


    "Oh shit."


    Krog obliterated it with a tail whip, dirt spraying over my face. I spit out some mud, my hair blown back. I turned to the asshole,


    "Thanks for the help."


    The damn gialgathen smirked at me,


    "No need for thanks. I would do it anytime."


    He pulled the gialgathen up onto his back with a wing. After he adjusted it, I jumped on top of the pile of bodies. We leaped back up to the chaos, the wind off his wings, sending cars flying. I stared at the dreadnought, the ship casting entire city blocks in the shade. It looked like shit.


    Daniel already blew up vast portions of it. Large hunks of the ship were just missing. It looked like a void shark just took a massive bite out of the damn thing. No void sharks here though. Only Daniel and his good ole singularity thingamajig.


    As we crossed portions of the ruins, one of the spires reared back to swipe at us. It was like staring at a giant dick of death. Well, maybe the fact I thought of it like that said more about me than the damn spire. Eh, whatever.


    As it whipped towards us, I swore to Baldowah that if I lived through this shit, I was never going back to a warzone. Leave this hell for fighters like Daniel. I preferred putting the mess back together afterward. Yenno, in a safe ass hospital. This shit, this shit right here sucked.


    As the metal tendril of doom slammed towards us, I covered my ears. Krog unleashed a devastating roar towards the metallic tendril, the sonic boom sending the tentacle sideways from the impact. The wily old general aimed his attack to send the spire at one of Daniel''s illusions. As it landed beside the mana crystal. Krog sent out a telepathic roar. Once his mind touched the gem, the white stone detonated. An elemental blast boomed from the tiny bomb. It unleashed blue fire, orange ice, and multi-colored crabs from the point impact. I shook my head, utterly flabbergasted at the sheer amount of crabs here. I mean, what the fuck was going on?


    There were so many crabs. Why were there so many crabs?


    Wait a minute. They were elemental crabs. The elemental crabs latched onto the frozen tendril, crawling across its surface. As they pooled near the base of the massive pillar of metal, they used their claws to snip the damn thing to death. I started rooting for the little guys.


    I waved my fist. Go crabs. Go get that bastard. Fuck him up.


    Another calamity discharged behind us, the behemoth of a ship quaking under the might of another gravitational implosion. We rode the shockwave, Krog smoothly adjusting to the shift in his flight path. I stared down, several other spires stuck in giant blocks of burning ice. The frozen fires allowed more crabs to destroy more spires.


    At this point, the entire battlefield descended to utter madness. Hybrids attacked crabs. Crabs attacked Hybrids. Gialgathens burned. Gialgathens got burned. I''ll be honest, I kept my head down as Krog took the brunt of the battle on. This shit was way beyond me at this point.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The battle continued even if I didn''t look at it though. We landed at the base of one of the pillars. It smelled like a jug of milk left in a hot car for months, the Hybrids repulsive as can be. I gagged as Krog ran up to save other gialgathens.


    From this stinking, orange, and sloppy pit, Krog roared once more. The apricot-colored liquid sprayed out at us, but Krog waved his wings, sending it flying everywhere else but here. Thank Baldowah. I did not want that shit on me.


    Krog reached into the pit of metamorphizing gialgathens. Pulling them out one by one, his eyes widened as a thousand-yard stare covered his face. It was too much for the old guy, and I couldn''t blame him. A lot of these poor bastards didn''t have skin, the orange slop replacing it with metal wires and corded steel.


    It gave me flashbacks to the endless flesh that used my body like a puppet. The violation. The helplessness. My breath quickened as I calmed myself, using some mental tactics I developed to deal with it.


    Count to a hundred by 7''s. I didn''t understand how Daniel pushed through all this. He just did. I wasn''t like that. It hit me hard, and I couldn''t just keep standing up after every knockout blow like Daniel could.


    Hell, it took all I had just to stand back up.


    I shook out that memory, getting back in the moment. I slapped my cheeks as Krog sorted the gialgathens. One pile was for those beyond saving. The others had a chance. Once completed, I jumped down, my feet cracking stone under me. I frowned at the rock. I wasn''t fat, alright? The pavement was just weak.


    Anyways, I ran up to one of the tangerine-colored bodies. This one retained skin for the most part. I grabbed the sides of my head, panicking for a second. I couldn''t do a damn thing due to the nature of the wounds. These guys were in the middle of a reformation. All my skills oriented around healing injuries, so what good was I here?


    From behind me, another enormous detonation echoed out. As it rippled past me, I stumbled forward. A good portion of the orange gunk sprayed off the corpses, stopping their reformation. That was it. I raised my hands while turning to Krog,


    "I think I have an idea for how to get rid of this...Krog?"


    I turned around, unable to find the fiery gialgathen. I walked back and forth, my gaze wide. Hybrids sprinted off in the distance. They burrowed through the ground and grabbed running espens and gialgathens alike. For a moment, I wondered if the old bastard left me. If he did, I was dead. I couldn''t even fight one of the Hybrids here. They''d reach their hands through my skin, eating me alive from the inside.


    A primal, dark fear manifested in my chest. Memories of that day versus Dahkma ran through my mind. My breathing quickened. My pulse pounded in my ears and chest, almost painful as adrenaline flooded my system. A second later, Krog let out a roar of agony.


    I sprinted towards the source. I wish I could say it was to save a friend. It wasn''t. It was to save me. As I neared the gialgathen, I found three Hybrids pinning Krog down as one pried his mouth open. One of them was trying to crawl inside him, his skin too hard for them.


    My heart seized while my stomach sank. My vision narrowed as fear overcame me. My knees wobbled. My hands trembled. I blinked back tears as they crawled towards Krog, making progress in their infestation.


    I willed myself forward, desperate to help him, to help me. I didn''t budge. I stayed in place. A wave of guilt and self-loathing washed over me. Why was I so weak? Why was I so pathetic? I could do this. It was better to die saving Krog than trying to run away.


    But no matter how hard I tried running forward, fear paralyzed me. It whispered in my ear about my failures. It spoke about all the times I failed not only myself but other people. It reminded me that when everyone needed me most, I failed.


    My vision blurred as tears of frustration built in my eyes. I fell down to my knees as nausea passed into my chest. I watched as the Hybrids edged closer and closer, Krog struggling to stop them. I looked down, grabbing fist fulls of dirt.


    Why was this all so hard?  Why did fear stop me?


    I didn''t find an answer.


    I glanced back up, the horror of the situation overwhelming me. For a moment, it was like I was looking at myself from a distance. A realization sparked in my head. What would happen if I just kept laying here?


    I would die.


    I was letting the fear of what may happen stop me. Well, if I did nothing, the outcome was about as bad as it could be. I pushed my knees, wobbling as I stood up. I gripped my hands into fists. It was about damn time I put my fear behind me instead of letting it stop me.


    Still shaking, I opened my dimensional storage. I pulled out dozens of blood packs, tearing them open as the blood siphoned around me. It pooled, purifying in a sanguine sphere. I siphoned streams of my blood into my eyes, ears, and skin. As the sensation of power flooded my frame, memories of killing my family with my blood arts rushed into my head.


    I shook them off. Black veins spread over my skin as the urge to kill and crush rushed over me like endless rain. Even with fear still coursing through me, I dashed towards the Hybrids over Krog. My feet turned pavement to dust as I tackled one of three Hybrids holding Krog down. The metal crumpled under my touch, but my own skin and bones ripped as well. The Hybrid tumbled across the ground before colliding with a building beside us. Concrete powder billowed out from the Hybrid''s impact with the building as I let out a grunt. Staring at my wounds, I diagnosed myself.


    I wiggled an arm. Pain radiated upward. Yup, I dislocated it while covering it with a few nasty gashes. Pulling the blood from the wound, I healed the external wounds before taking a deep breath. I bit into my sleeve as I shoved my arm back into the socket. I let out a scream muffled by the jacket as I turned forward.


    The other Hybrids turned to me, their insectoid mouths squirming. Their twitching, deformed features sent another wave of terror up my spine. I lifted my shivering arms and said in a meek voice,


    "Get off him."


    Krog took a breath, this one moment enough. He opened his massive mouth, the Hybrid falling into his maw. Before it infested him, he roared out. The other Hybrid flew off from the shockwave. Even I dragged back several feet; his roar was simply that strong.


    Krog stood up as another Hybrid jumped behind him. The old general whipped his tail, annihilating the Hybrid into a fine mist with an explosive impact. He stomped another into nothingness, killing it under his thick heels. He turned to me,


    "That was brave, little one. Thank you for saving me."


    I won''t lie, I blushed a bit. I don''t know why exactly, but I did.


    "Uh, no problem."


    Krog pulled the gialgathen onto his back before gesturing to me,


    "Come. There''s still much to do and little time to do it."


    I took a few more deep breaths. He was right.


    "Yeah. I''m coming."


    As I ran over, I peered down. Oddly enough, there was a grin on my face. I lifted my hands in fists. I did it. This time was different because I was different. I was a new me.


    Another ungodly explosion radiated out from above, and I howled while raising my hands over my face. The moment passed as I lowered my hands.


    Ok, maybe not an entirely new me, but it was a start.


    - Daniel -


    Ascendant mana coursed into my blood before dispersing through my palm. My hand glowed from the flow of energy, lighting the cluster of shitty office furniture covering me. In my view, another singularity obliterated the side of the dreadnought through its forcefield. After twenty minutes of bombardment, the spacial field protecting the dreadnought fizzled out.


    I reached out my hands, the furniture crashing outwards along with the glass wall lining this portion of the skyscraper. I sprinted forward before lunging out over the battlefield. Firing over the expanse, I shot forward with a gravitational well. A shockwave ebbed under my heels as I shifted my body into a sharpened blade.


    Piercing into the ship''s hull, I sprinted through several walls before reaching the factory line for the gialgathens. I grimaced as I stepped out onto a metal walkway. Someone in a gas mask glanced at me, stunned before I stared down at him.


    I backhanded his face into a pulped mush against a nearby wall. His remains splattered onto the floor beneath me. One of the workers gasped as blood covered him. I stepped forward while cracking my knuckles. With Event Horizon, I jumped down as the bodies near me evaporated into the abyss.


    I silenced every voice, a symphony of screams then silence passing over the line as I salvaged the gialgathens here. Once culled, I sprinted back out towards the hull. I gripped the steel wall before shearing it in my palms. Like wrapping paper, it tore with utter ease, the splintering steel rippling out with an ear-piercing squeal. Gravity contorted the walls further, letting me pull the gialgathens from this hell.


    Working with Krog, I threw the ball of gialgathens out into the sky. A legion of gialgathens raced passed, collecting their fallen brethren. The most contorted members stayed suspended within my dimensional warp, keeping them from infecting others. The others were carried to relative safety.


    With the gialgathens out, I turned back to the metal structure that held them. I leaned down, planting my feet. With telekinetic augments, I shot upward. The walls of metal bellied outwards, stretching and leaving the surface heated. I crushed through walls and expunged the people here. Within minutes, I killed most of the crew.


    As I lifted out of the dreadnought, I left a void in the hull beneath me. The torn upper portion of the ship sheened in the sun as fires and explosions rippled out beneath me along the surface of the vessel. I glanced up at my allies as the dreadnought collapsed onto Polydra.


    A blinding light flashed behind me as I stared at a golden line grafting into the sky over the other side of the city. Lehesion''s aura leaked out, but the colossus himself didn''t pour out of the portal. Ships and other resources flooded from the rippling void, along with an army of Hybrids, however.


    Around me, my guildsmen and the injured regrouped onto the other side of the city. As they flew beneath me, another entity came from the portal. It was a different member of the Hybrids, its bulk far larger and its form more humanoid. It mimicked the energy aura of Lehesion, a palpable, golden atmosphere encompassing it.


    It showed the same sleeker, more shaped body of the Hybrid in the nautical base. It carried the same variety of faces, mouths and electronic eyes scattered over its upper body. Unlike Version 2.0, it glared across the battlefield, its eyes analyzing with a cold, calculating gaze.


    In a way, it was like staring at a crowd glaring in the same direction. Within seconds, it locked its many eyes on me, a shiver racing down my spine. I analyzed the creature. As I did, I grimaced. This was worse than I thought.


    Version 2.2(lvl: 19,429~ | Status: Unknown | Bounty: S-) - This unholy amalgam of eldritch and silver has developed baseline levels of intelligence and autonomy. This in conjunction with an immense, natural tenacity given its form, and the monster is enough to be considered a planetary threat all on its own.


    This is due partly to its insatiable nature, but it also persists from a presence in its mind. Due to some psionic influence, this beast is far more stable and intelligent than it would otherwise be. Combine this with the apparent feeding from Lehesion''s own reserves of energy, and this Hybrid is an utter and complete monstrosity.


    Good luck should you be forced to face its wrath. It''s recommended you run and plan against it, however.


    I took a deep breath before charging energy into my blood. Defeating something like this on my own was beyond me. I understood that in an instant. However, holding it at bay was within my grasp. Until my forces retreated, I''d fight this behemoth on my own.


    You''d think fear would be racing up my spine, but no, an excitement grew in my chest. I glared at it as it glared at me. It gave me a menacing, broken grin. From one monster to another, I grinned back. And so, I dashed forward, into the swarm of metal.


    This was going to be fun.

 232 The Minds of Many

    <div>


    <div>


    As I charged forward, I lifted an arm. A singularity formed over the chest of Version 2.2. The Hybrid shot out sideways, evading the entirety of the annihilative explosion before dashing towards me. It slid across the sky with a vapor trail behind it. I shot myself sideways and met the monster''s charge.


    Except, it dodged my gravitational tackle. I slid past it as the Hybrid charged towards the gialgathens that flew from Polydra. I reached out a hand and released an enormous well of gravity. Chunks of stone from the city below floated into the sky, clouds above curving towards the well''s center.


    The pull slowed the Hybrid''s charge forward before I shot towards my well. It spurred me onwards as I saturated mana in the well. Before impact, I soaked my frame in quintessence. An elemental bomb, I slammed into the side of the Hybrid. Two balls of metal, I ceased its direct charge towards the vulnerable refugees.


    The Hybrid turned to me, opening a jagged maw. We whipped around the gravity well I powered before as I slammed my fist into the abomination''s teeth. Orbiting the well like planets, we wrestled for some semblance of control over the other.


    I matched the monster''s strength for the most part, though its ability to jerk outdid me. Both of us struggled with the rotational combat fueled by the gravitational anchor. Using a swell of energy, the Hybrid shot a hard fist into my gut. Silver blood sprayed over its face. I drilled my armor into the creature out of anger.


    It resisted my absorption, but for some reason, a glance of shock covered its face. It retaliated in kind, and the cords over its body attempted burrowing beneath my skin. My armor grinned, white light leaking out in a torrent. My metal skin heated until it glowed white. The sound of singing flesh sounded into the air as I opened the maw of my helm and chomped into the neck of the creature.


    It grabbed my head and jerked backward. Tendrils of steel fell into the orbiting path we fought in. Other, lesser Hybrids assisted Version 2.2, but the flow of gravity overwhelmed them. Caught into their own orbitals, they whipped around a growing field of debris.


    The city bled into this gravity well, collapsed chunks of buildings sucking into the expanding strata. Polydra and Giess''s sky swirled behind Version 2.2 in my grasp, neither of us gaining any ground. I placed a hand onto its mouth, spawning raw quintessence into its body.


    Before my mana formed, a psionic force crept into my mind. It tussled with the torrent, my mana wisping away into the ether. Extracting memories from my mind, the minds of many permeated my psyche with horrors. My hands shook in response, a volley of thoughts overwhelming my own.


    Version 2.2 reached out a hand, a flaming sword of energy manifesting. Noble and blazing brightly, it contrasted the hideous visage that held the blade. Wielding it with experience, the Hybrids swung the edge in a tight arc. It sliced six inches into my chest before snapping. The remains of the sword flung out of the Hybrid''s hand. I reached out an arm, spawning another well over the blazing blade. I snapped it back towards us, sinking it through the Hybrid''s torso.


    The weaker children of this monster grappled onto me from all sides as we fought. Converting Event Horizon over them, I suppressed the psionic onslaught with a vast wave of raw mana. Version 2.2 shuddered in response, the energy overwhelming it.


    Its many cold and calculating eyes locked with mine as Version 2.2 shoved itself from my grasp. It flopped away from me while I grabbed and crushed the obnoxious Hybrids over me. They crumbled in my hands like an ant before a giant.


    Whipping onto a chunk of broken building, I glanced around at the debris field. As if fighting on the rings of Saturn, I gazed at the awe-inspiring destruction. The moment passed as I gauged my surroundings.


    An army of Hybrids swept up into the field. They spiraled along a growing center of compressed stone, metal, and corpses at the center of the gravity well. Along several initial orbits, clusters of debris crashed; tectonic booms radiated at each passing collision. With a grasp of the situation, I discovered Version 2.2''s hiding spot.


    It hid behind a chunk of rotating stone. It latched its hands into the outer edge of the rock, keeping it facing outward from the well''s center. This kept it from exposing itself to me. Seeing through the hiding place, I pushed off the stone beneath me.


    It crumbled to powder as I smashed through several floating stones on my path to Version 2.2. It waited for me. Slicing through its concealing cove, I crashed into its chest. I grabbed ahold of the creature, digging my hands into its wiry chest.


    But the wires were gone.  A set of crystalized mana covered its torso, the same armor Lehesion wore. As the gemstones shattered, psionic ripples echoed out in devastating waves. My eyes bled silver blood, and my teeth cracked in my mouth. The mental assault escalated, surface scans of my mind grating my nerves. It mirrored chewing broken glass, the sensation almost intolerable.


    Taking advantage, the Hybrid, sliced at me with two more blazing swords. With the aim of a master, it sliced one blade at my neck and the other between my ribs. After snapping the edges like before, it swung the same weapons twice more. Each slash dug deep into my skin, leaving opened wounds and chunks of the sword behind.


    In seconds, my body devoured the foreign steel, indulging in the meal. The wounds healed as quickly as the Hybrid made them. Once I stabilized from the psionic waves, I retaliated against the mental force. The telepathic tether rippled as the raw might of my mind crashed against them.


    At the same time, I deflected the swords several times. Whoever piloted this Hybrid swung with the practiced composure of a teacher. They lacked the ferocity of a beast, however. In a way, its strikes were gentle, and its intentions were flawed. The innate hunger and monstrous instincts of its cousin, Version 2.0, weren''t within this monster.


    Even more so, I gained mass and strength in spades since then. My draining deluged its own abilities, and my regeneration exceeded what it showed thus far. If anything, I out-monstered it, my mettle and vitality unmatched.


    It cornered me in its tactics, however. Most of this derived from a lack of expectation. I never imagined a Hybrid would use a mana field over itself that carried psionic explosions within. This lack of preparation on my part put me at a disadvantage.


    Wielding my experience in battle, I shifted my tactics accordingly. This sword slinging Hybrid wanted slow, steady combat with periodic lulls. I swarmed the beast instead, giving it no time to plan or respite to relax.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Version 2.2 cleaved burning swords at angles aimed to kill. I deflected them using a shrug of my shoulder or the swing of my palm. Wielding less range, I closed the gap between us but maintained half an arm''s length.


    With shorter levers of attack, my strikes crossed the distance between us quicker. Each time I deflected a swing, I whipped a wild hook into its chest or face. These blows radiated out with the raw oomph of train wrecks. The impacted released waves of sound that shattered glass and ruptured eardrums.


    The monster adjusted, tightening its strikes. The faster pace favored me, however. Both of us pushed our limits, each of us making mistake after mistake. With my regeneration exceeding the monsters, it built up damage over time.


    This strategy collapsed as the Hybrid showed its full hand. A golden aura encompassed the creature, soaking all my strikes with ease. Within seconds, the Hybrid recuperated. This cycle continued, my inability to make a lasting dent apparent.


    At the same time, the mental assault of this creature stalled my movements. Unlike the other mind mages, the insidious nature of this onslaught aimed at my weaknesses. It found the gaps in my will and the faults in my mentality. Memories of my failures, wells of guilt, the deaths of friends, these mages found the places where I hurt and pulled them to the surface. With each passing second, this mental blitz required more and more of my attention.


    My physical control suffered as a result. The Hybrid''s attacks, precise as when we started, ripped and tore through the shoddy defense I mustered. The tide of battle turning, I reached out a hand, ending the massive well suspending us. We fell towards the ground, Version 2.2 caught off guard. It fell off balance while I sliced into the dirt.


    I retreated, regrouping for a moment. I burrowed down, hiding in the earth. Above, explosions radiated out as where I stood vaporized. I shot through the ground, finding myself under a building. Using it as a sanctuary, I hid on the second floor of a skyscraper.


    I racked my brains for a solution. My physicality exceeded Version 2.2''s. Its mental attacks overwhelmed me given time, however. Outlasting the creature wasn''t an option because of that. Giving it time to cull my forces wasn''t exactly optimal either.


    A message popped into status feed at that moment.


    Krog Borom, the Harbinger''s General(lvl 13,000 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - We''ve moved most of our forces towards the ocean. The evacuation has started. Hold the line for a few more minutes.


    I blinked as a realization overcame me; killing this damn thing wasn''t necessary. Remembering my goal, I sprinted out of my hiding place and into Polydra''s street. Pavement powdered underfoot as my heels slammed into the ground. Peering around, only Hybrids and a burning city exposed itself.


    I flew up into the sky. Peering down, I found Version 2.2. It gathered a mass of forces for gathering those that left Polydra. Opening my dimensional storage, I pulled the quintessence crystals I stored before the battle.


    I shot towards the cluster of enemies. They found me before I arrived, but I kept about two football fields between us. This kept me out of their psionic reach. Keeping that distance, I generated another massive well of gravity at the center of their troops. Their forces fell towards the center of it except Version 2.2.


    Coated in a golden aura, it ignored the physical manifestations near it, all but immune to the material world. That didn''t matter. I reared my hand back and chucked a crystal at the ball of Hybrids. Like a baseball, it shot right at the monsters whistling through the air. Version 2.2 intercepted the gemstone using a ball of raw force that detonated it early.


    An elemental eruption cascaded outwards from the mana bomb. It carried the destruction of magmas, burning ice, and flaming metals.


    Version 2.2 bent down to charge at me. Before it could, I lobbed the rest of the mana bombs I made earlier. They veered in strange angles, manipulated by the gravitation.


    Whipping through the air, Version 2.2 took desperate measures. It waved a hand, creating six swords of light. These blades sheened with energy, locking onto the quintessence bombs. Before the monster unleashed its attack, I dived into the ground. Bursting through the soil, I built the momentum of my charge.


    As the Hybrid reared its hand back to fire the light blades, I tackled into the monster. The swords of light fired off into the distance, creating expanding stars at range.


    These forming lights siphoned the sunlight nearby, darkening the sky. They left behind blinding blots, however, mirroring space for a moment. Version 2.2 and I tumbled across the ground with these strange visions spiralling in our sight. Luck favored me, and I ended up on top of the monster. Instead of pounding its face, I stood and slung the creature at the balled-up Hybrids. If it kept probing my mind, it might discover something worth remembering.


    Before it got the chance, I let the creature go. I turned and sprinted away. A few footsteps later, an elemental wave jettisoned me from the pile. A massive explosion of purple fire erupted, the metal singeing from the acrid acids and molten minerals.


    I tumbled once more, barreling across the ground like a ragdoll. Once oriented, I slid onto my feet. Making a mad dash, I belted away from the clusterfuck behind me. I stumbled on my feet as another wave of psionic energy blasted my mind. A vision of Yawm twisting Althea into an abomination flooded my mind.


    In my eyes, I turned into a child, helpless and alone. I stared around, finding myself stuck under my bed. The sounds of breaking bottles and the smell of rancid booze flooded my senses. I shivered as the head of my mother clunked against the floor. My old man''s feet walked across the floor, his steel-toed boots clanking against the hardwood floor.


    He placed a hand on the ground as I covered my nose to stop the sound of breathing. As his green eyes met mine, I came to.


    I awakened, darkness surrounding me. I reached out an arm, dirt surrounding me. I passed out before falling into the ground. A wave of anger spread from my chest along with self-loathing. I was well past being scared of that old bastard. Falling for that pissed me off.


    As the ground above me disintegrated, I turned towards the Hybrid coming at me. I launched my own telepathic assault the moment it created a mental tether between us. Wielding my wrath and hatred as a weapon, I crashed against their psychic network without mercy. The Hybrid fell onto its knees before I grabbed its mouth and lifted it off the ground.


    An endless torrent of quintessence siphoned into its frame. It bulged from within, unable to withstand the expanding matter. A cold, spiteful glare plastered onto my face. A piercing, genuine hatred manifested into my chest. I wanted this abomination to suffer. I wanted it to crumble in my hands and weep.


    It did, a deep fear spawning in its many eyes. As with all my victories in this battle, the golden aura returned and eliminated the ground I gained. The energy deleted my mental line and disintegrated the generating matter. I stumbled backward, the field even shoving me back. Version 2.2 renewed the psychic assault.


    I shot out another pulse of energy, the mental wire splitting. We both stared at one another, each of us at a standstill on how to gain any ground. The abomination''s features shifted, the being standing taller. The cold, calculating gaze returned.


    It spread out its arms and spoke using magic,


    "It''s been quite some time, hasn''t it?"


    The voice stopped me in my tracks. I narrowed my eyes,


    "Tohtella?"


    "Yes. It''s good to see you again, though I don''t enjoy the circumstances." The Hybrid lifted its hand, and the crowd of Hybrids stopped moving in their tracks. I glared between them both, confused and on edge by their behavior. While charging a singularity in my blood, I tiled my head at the Hybrid,


    "What are you talking for?"


    The Hybrid gesticulated with its disgusting body, turning a hand to me, "To come to a compromise."

 233 Elysium

    <div>


    <div>


    Keeping on guard, I finished charging my singularity while gazing around. Stalling suited me just fine. Every second spent on this gave my forces more time for their retreat.


    Tohtella Adair spoke with the Hybrid as her puppet,


    "Aren''t you curious what I mean by that?"


    Suspending myself midair with a gravity well, I glared,


    "What could we possible compromise on? Genocide? Manipulation?"


    The Hybrid waved its hand, Tohtella voicing towards me,


    "This is all a necessary evil. It is tasteless, abhorrent work-"


    "Work you make other people do for you. Must be nice having the best of both worlds there."


    The Hybrid stayed calm,


    "I understand your moral stance given your exposure. You''ve seen little of Schema''s system, however. That much was apparent from our few conversations. You''re simple-minded and short-sighted, but not willingly. Schema masked what it does, and it has abused your situation."


    The Hybrid reached out a hand, "Give me a chance to express exactly how. I''m certain you will find most of what I have to say of value."


    She spoke with sterilized words, clean and unmarked by the reality of what she caused. It reminded me of Yawm and his disillusionment with Schema''s system, just from a different source.


    Still, I listened since she might carry some valuable info,


    "Say what you''re going to say."


    "We''re doing this to ensure the safety of our union."


    I pointed at Polydra, "You''re telling me that doing this for safety is OK?"


    "No. It isn''t for my safety or anyone in the Adair family. We''re competent enough for that if you haven''t surmised that already. This process ensures safety for our citizens in the future."


    My eyes widened, "Citizens?"


    "Yes. We intend to create a nation that will stand against that robotic tyrant. We have the resources to accomplish this after gathering the gialgathens on Giess. They are a necessary, yet regrettable, need for this goal."


    I spread out my hands, "Every bounty hunter across the galaxy is hunting you down. No one who allies themselves with you is safe. Period. Killing off a species doesn''t fix that."


    The Hybrid raised a hand and a finger, but Tohtella''s voice rang in my ears,


    "You fail to consider the circumstances I''m suggesting. A normal citizen is far less safe within the territory we control. Exiled, unknowns, and others like them will gain protection, however. You should understand that. You were an unknown until recently. All you had to do was kill Emagrotha and Yawm for freedom."


    Frustration built in Tohtella''s voice,


    "You had to face impossible odds, win, then prove your loyalty time and time again. The reason wasn''t that you didn''t earn freedom earlier. Killing Yawm was more than enough based on current galactic standards for cleansing your unknown status."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I figured that much."


    The Hybrid bristled,


    "Schema calculated how much he could gain from you based on your history. With that data, he leveraged your situation as much as he could."


    I waved a hand, motioning her to move on,


    "And?"


    "And that doesn''t bother you even in the slightest?"


    I spread out my hands, "You did the same thing."


    "My manipulation is out of desperation and necessity, not to gouge those that can be gouged."


    I believed her as much as I believed a timeshare salesman.


    "Sure."


    The Hybrid raised a finger,


    "My point still stands. Not everyone can defeat impossible odds as you did. People fail. People die. On a more personal note, most of my family passed in the pursuit of freedom from Schema''s system. I worked for decades to the same end. I became a renowned Speaker. Do you know what I earned at the end of that path?"


    Tohtella, controlling the Hybrid''s body, threw up its arms in frustration,


    "Endless work and endless toil. Schema wants everyone to become a machine that accomplishes its goals. I''ve read on your case files. He intends to use you as a bringer of destruction. Should you refuse, Schema intends to turn you into a mana battery."


    That declaration unnerved me even if she curated her words to incite that kind of response. I narrowed my eyes,


    "I''m an investment and risk. He wants a payout. That makes sense."


    It took me off guard as she replied,


    "You''re a hardened individual, so you''re resignment to your fate is expected. However, the Adair family is offering a sanctuary for those that want to avoid that outcome."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How?"


    "A nation that protects people with people instead of the consequences of an AI. The Hybrids, they will act as guards and hunt down those that kill members. Detectives will work in conjunction with scryers to find these murderers and bring them justice."


    She finished her words with an edge of anger infecting her voice. I narrowed my eyes,


    "What makes you think you can control the Hybrids on that kind of scale?"


    She lifted the Hybrid''s hands, "As you can tell, we''ve learned to control them well at this point. That is undeniable. Do you know how?"


    I frowned and stayed silent.


    "We use our innate psionic abilities. We gained those abilities through genetic modification millennia ago before Schema decimated our species. Our current abilities pale in comparison to what we once had. The reason for that is simple; our blood has diluted over time."


    The Hybrid tapped the edge of its head, "We''ve relied on an inheritance that is slowly waning in potency. Our bloodline will fade given a few more generations. Even with this pitiful level of psionics, we still can control armies of these monstrosities, however."


    The Hybrid spread out its arms, "And we aim to give this gift to the masses."


    Possibilities sprung into my head like fireworks at her words. The Hybrids existed above the eldritch. On the one hand, they endangered every species and living being across all of space. On the other hand, the Hybrids could be used to protect people as well, even those that lacked protection from Schema''s system.


    Despite her bold claims, her ideas still held a few holes. I calmed myself,


    "How do you intend to handle the eldritch without Schema''s incentives? Anyone joining your system will be exiled. People won''t kill the eldritch without an incentive."


    The Hybrid tapped its chest, "With the Hybrids in the manner you see before you."


    I scoffed, "You honestly think they''ll handle the eldritch?"


    "Not by themselves, no." She tapped where her temple would be, "Using our minds, we pilot these creatures. This method will be given to those that earn the right to wield it. Hybrids stand above the eldritch, and they can be used to cull them utterly."


    She raised the Hybrid''s hand, waving it across the sky, "No one will be forced to risk their lives just to gain even the lowest of status. We will be equals standing with equal protection."


    I cupped my chin, genuinely diving into thought, "OK, Schema''s not agreeing to this, obviously. Every citizen in your nation will have a bounty, and they will be attacked. You intend to use Hybridized gialgathens to defend them?"


    "No. The gialgathens will defend our planets from glassing. From Schema''s previous history of handling rebellions, that will be his first course of action. The AI will glass every world that joins us."


    I pointed down, "Like the espens on Giess?"


    The Hybrid spread out its massive arms, "Yes. Exactly."


    My voice grew grim, "And you''re murdering an entire species for this?"


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    The Hybrid nodded, "Sacrifices must be made for the betterment of others."


    I pointed at her, "Yeah, as long as they aren''t your sacrifices? Right?"


    The Hybrid leaned its head back, "We have no intention of continuing this method of expansion post Giess. Once several planets are under our control, we''ll rely on other methods. To begin this rebellion, we must stand on the corpses of many, however."


    She spoke out like a surgeon. Not only was she cold, but she lacked any real exposure to what was being done. She commandeered a puppet to fight for her. She manipulated a race to kill for her. She even offloaded moral responsibility with the classic claim, ''the ends justify the means.''


    In a way, she mastered the art of rationalizing evil.


    I spread out my arms, "OK, so you''ve got this nice, idealistic concept. Have you actually accomplished even a trial run of the idea?"


    The Hybrid lifted its chin, staring down at me with confidence,


    "Of course we have. We''re positioned on a planet. How else do you think we have this level of resources."


    I blinked a few times, all her claims blowing my mind. At this point, digesting the information required time and some other perspectives like Torix or Althea. Hell, maybe Hod could intuitively grasp this whole mess and give us some golden insights.


    Eh, probably not.


    Either way, coming to some grand realization at the moment wasn''t possible. No matter how honeyed her words seemed, her actions revealed the ruthless monster she was beneath her facade. The dreadnought''s hulls held horrors unmatched, and they spoke volumes by themselves.


    Even more so, trusting Tohtella''s words was idiotic. She lied about everything to me when we met. Everything. In fact, viewing the situation from that lense cleared the case up quite a bit. Tohtella was, without a shadow of a doubt, a manipulative piece of shit. No matter what she said about that fact, it remained just that - a fact.


    That simple logic guided me for now, though I intended on gathering my own insights on what Tohtella mentioned earlier. I crossed my arms,


    "I''m not sold."


    The Hybrid lifted its palms, "You shouldn''t be. You should doubt everything I say considering I''ve lied to you. That''s good. I don''t want some half-hearted resolution after this single conversation. I want to change the mind of a key player in the coming conflict."


    "Wait a minute-" I pointed at myself, "Key player?"


    "False modesty is unbecoming of you or anyone for that matter. You matched this Hybrid in combat, alone. That is, by itself, a miracle. That doesn''t include your decimation of Lehesion, though that won''t happen a second time."


    The Hybrid gestured to all of Polydra, "In fact, this entire battle will act as a calling card for your guild overtime. Many of the higher-ranked guilds have been doubting you. Now they will know what you''re capable of."


    Well, someone in this entire city must have recorded some of the fights or maybe streamed it live. That made sense. I tilted my head,


    "Then you should realize that I don''t take kindly to this whole genocidal, ruthless bullshit your pulling. You''re just justifying evil, and I''m not falling for it."


    Tohtella showed no remorse as she spoke,


    "You assume the worst of me. I fight for more than myself. I embody an ideal and illustrate my character with my ambitions. You''re just a gifted individual that acts in his own self-interest, the same as anyone would."


    I pointed at her and me, "Let''s quit talking in about airy concepts and ground this conversation a bit, shall we? Let''s look at our actions instead of our intentions for just a second."


    I raised a finger on my hand, "I saved my home planet. I''m working on saving the gialgathens. I even killed a planetary threat in Yawm. You organized a few worlds before culling a species and creating horrific, cybernetic terrors that outdo even the eldritch."


    I shook my head, "Where''s the debate here again?"


    The Hybrid''s many mouths seethed, "You''re simplifying something complicated to disguise your stupidity."


    I spoke with a voice like stone, "Really now? It sounds like you''re complicating something simple to mask your hunger for power. Why don''t you even try reasoning with Schema?"


    "You think we haven''t tried? If there''s one avenue of change, it will not come from Schema. The AI is defensive, set in its ways, and cowardly. It''s been programmed to want the eldritch to remain a problem. It''s as if Schema''s treating a patient in a hospital." The Hybrid took a step forward,


    "Schema has a cure, but it wants the patient to remain sick and need its care. Schema then leverages this need to demand whatever it wants. We are those patients, trapped in that hospital, all of us dependant on a crooked system to sustain us."


    The Hybrid raised a hand, "This is an alternative, a different way of accomplishing the same goal. Instead of treating the symptoms of the disease known as the eldritch, we''ll be curing it. Surely you can understand that?"


    I frowned, "You can close dimensional gateways and organize them like Schema does?"


    The Hybrid''s eyes narrowed, "We will wage war with Schema until we''ve won. It will be bloody, but at least we won''t be at the mercy of some cold, unfeeling machine."


    I grimaced, "No. They''ll be at the mercy of a cold, unfeeling psionic that can twist their minds at will."


    The Hybrid took a moment to collect itself, pinching the imaginary bridge on an imaginary nose. With a sigh, it raised a palm, "Then think on it and gather information on the subject. This will not be the only time we meet given your persistence in being a nuisance."


    "Oh, so I''m a nuisance?"


    "Yes. Very much so."


    "Damn. I was hoping I was at least a pain in the ass."


    The Hybrid leaned towards me, "You''re as charming as always...All we''re asking is that you stop your interference with our plan. Nothing more."


    I leaned down, ready for her retaliation, "Then you''ll let us leave?"


    The Hybrid''s many mouths frowned, "Of course we won''t. You''re making a dent in our collection quotas which must be met. Release the stolen goods, and we will allow you to leave without any grievances between us."


    The Hybrid steepled its twisted fingers, "Or are you declaring war with our new nation?"


    "A new nation, huh? What''s it called?"


    "Elysium, the sanctuary for those that have been forgotten and abandoned by Schema. We will offer refuge and resources to those that need it. To any that aim to stop us, we will respond with force."


    Tohtella meant what she said. Using any means available, she intended on rivaling Schema''s influence and eventually usurping him. If anything, her goals seemed alright. Help unknowns, exiles, and some others who Schema persecuted. At the same time, the execution of her goals bordered on insanity.


    It made her stated goals hard to believe. If anything, personal gain and revenge twisted her ideas beyond recognition. That was my gut reaction, and I trusted my instincts. I raised my hands,


    "I understand that you''re trying to do the right thing, but you''re going about it all wrong. Just, just take a second and look around you. This is what you''re doing. This does more damage than good. That''s obvious."


    I raised a fist, "Yawm acted like you do. He believed that the ends justified the means no matter the cost. You''re smarter than Yawm, and an Old One hasn''t warped you into his plaything over time." The golden radiance of Lehesion ebbed off the Hybrid''s frame. Knowing the source, I murmured,


    "At least, I''m hoping that hasn''t happened to you yet...Has it?"


    The Hybrid''s many eyes twitched as Tohtella lost her patience. The Hybrid raised a hand,


    "Enough talk. Understand this - you''re making an enemy you don''t want to make. Powerful forces support us, and powerful factions fear us. We will cast a net across many worlds, and we will not be stopped. Not by you nor anyone. This revolution will not be a whimper. It will be a roar that will echo across time."


    The Hybrid gestured a palm to me, "Right here and right now, you stand at the crossroads of history. I advise you to make the correct choice and leave the gialgathens with us."


    At that moment, I sealed the deal on battling it out with these guys. All the semantics aside, my issue with Tohtella boiled down to responsibility. She never faced the consequences for her actions. She let others face them for her. They''d do the same to me.


    If I allied myself with them, the Adair family would make me into their puppet like Lehesion. Ethical concerns aside, joining with them exiled me from Schema''s system. My entire guild probably followed me if I did that, and that put us in about as much danger as we could be in. Even worse still, I held no faith that Tohtella wouldn''t hunt us down after the Adair Family established itself.


    We understood many of their motives, and we acted against them on multiple occasions. Even more so, my guild posed a severe threat to their goals. Otherwise, Tohtella would never speak with me personally; it would be a waste of her time. The more I thought about it, the more it looked like she was buying time to gather her forces.


    Once gathered, the Adair family might put my guild next on the chopping block. They already culled the gialgathens. Why would humans be any different?


    Even beyond all of that, I just didn''t hate Schema. At one point I might have, but by now, a lot of the AI''s methodologies made sense to me. Schema proved a harsh, uncompromising presence, but he almost always came across as fair. While the AI wasn''t perfect by any means, he did a pretty OK job of handling the eldritch in general too. A lot better than I''d do, that''s for sure.


    Considering these Adair guys made a factory line for converting people into monsters, they had a worse track record than Schema. At least based off what I''d seen.


    After considering all the data, my answer to Tohtella was simple.


    Hell no.


    But, I cupped my chin, pretending to consider her proposition. As I weighed some imaginary options, another message appeared in my status.


    Krog Borom, the Harbinger''s General(lvl 13,000 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - The evacuation is finished. You can retreat.


    I peered at the message, reading it with a quick glance. As I turned back to the Hybrid, it lifted its chin, gazing down at me,


    "Well?"


    I reached out a hand, jerking a singularity into existence over her body. As expected, Tohtella''s fighting prowess lacked in many respects. She responded like a snail, unaware of the danger. The Hybrid''s control jerked over towards the experienced pilot in time, however, so Version 2.2 avoided the gravitational abyss.


    Despite the dodge, the implosion radiated out with devastation, and the Hybrid stood beside the impact. Lobbed aside like a ragdoll, Version 2.2 clashed against the ground, collapsing structures as it passed through them.


    I turned and dove into the ground, using the singularity as a distraction. Dashing through the dirt, I shot out towards the sea. I traversed through the subterranean stone. Meeting where the others congregated, I swam into the waters of Giess.


    Massive creatures cloaked in the dark sea swam in the distance, many foreign shapes traversing the oceans. The plant life beneath us owned a lavender hue, the seaweeds and corals contaminated with mana pollution. Several shelled bottom feeders feasted on the carcasses of other species that died from the corruption.


    A few strange, glowing crabs mixed in with the bunch of bottom feeders. They wielded elemental energies, casting out living darkness and corrosive light magics. The odd sight caught me off guard, but Giess'' wildlife was anything if strange.


    Using a well of gravity, I pulled myself towards a deep cave under the sea. Once there, I found a subterranean pocket of air that harbored my allies. Krog, Kessiah, and the Sentinel remained. They positioned themselves near a rip in space-time, a view of Elderfire behind them. As I walked up, I pointed at each of them, "How many did we save?"


    Krog sighed, "At least four hundred. The rest are dead."


    I took a deep breath, "I''m sorry for your loss."


    "While I appreciate the sentiment, there''s much we must do. There''s no time to grieve. This is war, and those that move first will win."


    Krog wasn''t wrong. I glanced at Kessiah, and she showed signs of exhaustion. Despite that, something about her changed. She stood taller, more confident in herself despite the fatigue. With that in mind, she spoke between heavy breaths,


    "I wish we could''ve dented their army before we left. At least we saved a few people."


    I turned to the Sentinel, "It''s not too late if you''re willing to take a risk."


    The Sentinel pointed at himself, "Me? What do you want me to do?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, nothing much. All I need you to do is tag along and make a portal or two."


    The Sentinel took a step back, grabbing its spear with both hands,


    "Why are you smiling like that then?"


    "Because we''re going to be leaving them with a bang."

 234 Kaboom

    The Sentinel turned towards his portal, "Perhaps risking your life for a blow to the enemy isn''t a good idea."


    I shrugged, "Every fight is a risk. It''s a part of the whole ''war for Schema'' thing. Either way, you won''t have to do much. All I need you to do is create a portal before I slam into the ground."


    The Sentinel''s eyes narrowed, "You intend to use your orbital bombardment to incite the eruption of Polydra?"


    I spread out my arms, "You got it."


    "That''s insane."


    I shot the guy two finger pistols, "Insanely smart?"


    "No. You''ll die in the aftermath at the very least. The eruption will consume you."


    I shook my head, "Not exactly. From what I''ve gathered, this eruption will be more like a bomb going off. It will be like Mt. Saint Helens or Krakatoa."


    "What are those?"


    "They''re famous eruptions from Earth''s history. I watched a documentary on them one day while I was bored. I didn''t understand all the technicalities at the time, but the destruction from the eruption wasn''t from magma."


    I opened my status, opening up Schema''s information network. Though it sterilized a lot of the information, volcanic eruptions weren''t something Schema censored. A few seconds of reading later, I tilted my status and showed the Sentinel some images.


    "See here? It mentions a pyroclastic flow. We can instigate that to wipe the city. It takes this kind of eruption a few minutes to finish. That''s plenty of time for me to survive. The Hybrids aren''t as rugged as I am though."


    The Sentinel tilted his head, "You have fought with glowing armor before, haven''t you?"


    "Yeah. Heat isn''t something that bothers me much. It should be plenty to cull Poldyra utterly, though."


    The Sentinel sighed, "Then I will create the tear. I must first visit the place. How will we get there?"


    I pointed towards Polydra, "We''ll use the sewers. I''ll send a message, you just have to slice the portal for that then jump through it. I''ll land my orbital bombardment into the sewers, creating a kinetic explosion beneath Polydra. The weak spot should create an escape for all the pressure to escape from."


    I pointed back to the Sentinel, "Just make sure to keep the portal open for me to escape from...And, uh, keep your distance. There will be a fragment of the energy and magma escaping through the portal. It''s enough to kill, though."


    The Sentinel spread out his hands, "How do you survive these impacts."


    "A loophole using one of Schema''s trees."


    The Sentinel gestured up with a spear, "Schema may allow a loophole to occur once, but multiple times? He wouldn''t allow it."


    I shrugged, "Eh, he''s allowed me to do this three different times so far if I include my first Skyburner fight. Either way, it''s reliable and works very well. I don''t understand how Schema does it, but I don''t have to."


    The Sentinel stared down and cupped his chin, "Hmmm, perhaps he''s pulling your mind from your body at the last moment then restoring it after the impact."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You mean like what he did for the compendiums?"


    "I...I wouldn''t know. I know that Schema has a registry of people''s consciousnesses for his revivals. They are costly, however. This is due to the nature of restoring a being''s body, not from holding the consciousnesses, however."


    The Sentinel waved his arms, trying to make sense of it, "Perhaps not all of your body is destroyed on the impacts? If that were so, then putting your mind back into a tiny portion of your remaining body would be more than enough. Your regeneration would follow through, your brain intact or not."


    I leaned back, feeling my head, "Do I even have a brain anymore?"


    The Sentinel gave me a deadpan look, "I do question it myself at times."


    I rolled my eyes, "I mean the actual organ...Alright, I''ll ask the Overseer next time I see him if I remember too. Anyways, do you think the plan will work?"


    "It will, given you survive it that is."


    I turned to Polydra, "My mortality exists on the edge of believability at this point. Hell, Kessiah called me unkillable earlier. I''ll do my best to prove her right. The only way to do that is to survive what shouldn''t be survived."


    I opened my personal pocket dimension, "Anyways, let''s get this done."


    The Sentinel stared at me and the portal, "What do you need from there?"


    I gestured between him and the portal, "I don''t. You just need to step in here. It''s easier to keep you safe here."


    The Sentinel lifted his spear, "I have a better idea. "


    He swung it in an arc, creating a portal towards the forest we arrived in Polydra from. I walked over and pulled the tear apart, and he stepped through. After hopping over, the wistful forest carried the smell of ash. Smoke plumes rose from Polydra as two more dreadnoughts arrived to finish the town.


    The Sentinel pointed at the city, "We can walk there."


    I walked up while nodding, "We could. You could also get captured and killed that way. Sounds like a good way to die."


    The Sentinel stared at the city as a tectonic explosion rippled out from a dreadnought. For miles around the city, massive oaks bent and tore from the impact''s energy. I leaned over to the Sentinel, "How''d you take one of those?"


    Two explosions later, and I raced towards the city with the Sentinel in storage. I burrowed beneath the mountain, keeping my distance low. I encountered the defenses the Hybrids mustered against the gialgathens. My mobility within stone overwhelmed them, leaving their mammoth, mechanical worms hunting for nothing but the tunnels of softened earth I left behind.


    Once in the sewers, I pulled the Sentinel from the Abyss. He fell out, suspended by gravity. He looked around, shaken by the experience but still lucid, unlike Torix. He landed on his feet, taking a deep breath before rearing back his spear. A second later, he tore open a portal to the Rak''shah dessert. I hopped in there, amazed at how smooth the operation worked so far.


    Passing into the desert, I lifted up into the sky while the Sentinel walked back. The same heat built over my skin as usual, and I braced for the inevitable impact. Landing into the tiny warp proved simple. My depth perception impressed me from that perspective. A full minute away, I viewed the portal in pristine detail despite the distance.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    All those points into perception paid off.


    Once I sped up to an immense extent, I adjusted my descent slightly from my other attempts. I kept myself narrow like a sword slicing the air. As I whipped through the portal at supersonic speeds, I flattened my body. Instead of mitigating the impact, I created a wider surface area. This meant I hit the ground like a hammer instead of a bullet.


    At the same time, I created an extended, powerful well of gravity just beyond the portal. This used my excess mana, giving me an even stronger point of impact. I also shifted into the Rise of Eden at the last moment for extra mass. This enabled the destruction to reach new levels. I questioned the merit of these adjustments until I landed.


    At that point, the devastation was undeniable.


    The entire mountain quaked, creating a chain reaction of carnage. The first piece of the bloodbath resulted from my impact. The enhanced mass and energy from my descent assisted my fall, creating a larger kill radius. Multiple miles, in fact. A smaller city would''ve vaporized in an instant.


    Polydra''s survived, though the ancient portion the gialgathens lived in disintegrated. Several of the skyscrapers wiggled like worms, the resulting shockwave pushing them one way. The earthquake pulled the foundations in a different direction, creating violent clashing forces in the buildings.


    This created a whipping effect at the height of these massive buildings. As the kinetic chain completed at the top, the buildings splintered into shards of death. They plummeted down, creating aftershocks from my landing and shaking the mountain on their own.


    My landing carried friction as well. Friction caused heat, and this heat created a molten vat of magma large as a small island around me. It was as if the shell of dirt over the molten earth was dissolving. I existed at the bottom of this magma pit, the lava comfortable as warm water to me.


    I reintegrated into my body, opening my eyes to vibrant orange and red. The lava touched my eyes, a mild discomfort resulting from the contact. It mirrored leaving my eyes open in a pool. At the same time, I radiated with astounding energy, the kind few could tolerate. It created dense, dynamic shivering throughout my body.


    Holding onto the vast energy kept all my concentration as I blasted myself from the pool. Lifting from the lava, I picked myself up onto a broken landscape. Nothing stayed standing within a kilometer of my landing point. After that, the signs of devastation lingered, most buildings leveled.


    The Hybrids degenerated into crumbled piles of metal. Both the dreadnought''s shields popped like air balloons from the shockwave. They stayed afloat by the crew coming together during the crisis. Deep below the mountain, another, far vaster wave of destruction loomed.


    A blistering, ungodly crack erupted above Polydra. I turned to the sound, and my eyes widened. A black plume rose miles into the sky, a pyroclastic cloud swallowing the sun. From this rising cloud, a swarming, starving wave of blackened ash swarmed across the forest.


    It consumed all in its path, unstoppable and unyielding. My own power paled in comparison to the wrath of nature, the flow encompassing all my vision. It swarmed towards the city, a harbinger of death and a herald of annihilation.


    It created a seizing in my chest, my adrenaline screaming for me to run. I quashed this natural reaction, inspecting the field of lava around me. Within the pit, nothing survived. Beyond the hole, along the edge of the destruction, a familiar face showed itself.


    My armor grinned as I dashed towards Version 2.2, the body left broken and mutilated. I wasn''t lucky the monster died, but I was lucky I got to see it pass in person. As I came upon it, the Hybrid''s bleeding eyes turned towards me. A mangled pile, it reached up a hand towards me and gurgled,


    "This...you used a nuclear weapon? You speak of ethics to me when you would break the Engrevia Code. Even I would not stoop so low as to leave a nuclear wasteland."


    I laughed, a long, haunting kind of gesture. It echoed across the ravaged landscape, a message towards the Hybrid and those that led it. I leaned over the mangled body, red radiating from the jagged maw of my armor,


    "I don''t need a weapon of mass destruction to wreak this havoc." I reared back an arm, "I need only my own two hands to unleash destruction."


    With a swing of my arm, my palm crushed Version 2.2''s torso, pulping its surface. My armor drilled into the body as Event Horizon smothered it. The looming black cloud rumbled as the pyroclastic flow expanded in our vision, its size incomprehensible. It devoured the edge of my magma pit, my skin glowing white as I leaned towards the Hybrid,


    "You''ve done well in creating this hell."


    As the pyroclastic surge neared us, I roared,


    "Now let''s see if you can fight here, where the monsters come out to play."


    The ashen cloud frenzied over us in a blistering cloud of dust. I ceased breathing, lifting the Hybrid into the immense cloud''s torrent. Enormous boulders bounced near us, the sound of extinction screaming in my ears. The wind whistled like a banshee. The heat caused metal to melt and rock to soften. The ashen clouds smothered anything that needed air to breathe, liquifying their lungs with ash like broken glass.


    I stood at the center of the devastation, and I laughed in the face of it. The Hybrid scrambled in my hand, squealing in agony as it attempted to escape. The psionic force left the body seconds after, unable to withstand the torture. As life left the dying monster, I grabbed its throat and crunched it in my hands.


    Ripping off the skull, I held both pieces of its body in each hand, pacing through the blackened cloud. Rushing boulders and ash created a cacophony of sound that masked my surroundings. Like an ever changing wave, getting a firm grasp of it was impossible. My gravitational sense saved me here, giving me a rough outline of my surroundings.


    A quick dash around the city revealed the absolute nature of the destruction. The volcanic eruption continued shelling the area like a carpet bombing. Any living Hybrid died from the resulting buildup of heat. These clouds reached temperatures exceeding a thousand celsius. Water burst into steam when it passed. Even rock melted if exposed for long enough.


    As I paced across the fields, I hunted down any stragglers. I survived in this purgatory, all those around me left dead and dying. After stomping across the hellscape, I pulled myself above the wave of desolation. I stared above. Blots of lightning rippled across the enormous cloud above Polydra, the eruption rising beyond the clouds.


    This cloud left the heavens above scarred, the clouds mangled, the sky darkened. As night descended onto the day, I stared down at the charred corpse of Polydra. I peered further down at my hands, the weight of my actions pressing down onto my shoulders.


    A looming shadow crossed over the landscape, volcanic ash falling like gray snow. Left lifeless and dying, I dashed down towards the tear in space-time. The ash and magma submerged it, but the siphoning of liquid made it easy to find.


    I dashed through the portal, keeping the lava off me with an antigravity well. As I paced out of it, the searing sun of the Rak''sha dessert belted down without mercy. Beyond the portal, ashy glass formed along the edge of a new magma pit. Ash and a portion of the dune flowed in the air, blown away by my initial landing.


    The Sentinel stayed off in the distance, two dunes away. I leaped over, my feet creating waves through the sandy mounds. As I neared him, the Sentinel stammered at me,


    "It...it seems as if Polydra has been decimated. An explosive eruption wiped the city from the map, as you wished it to. Several news outlets are guessing at the cause, from nuclear blasts to some kind of kinetic weapon in orbit above Giess."


    The Sentinel sliced a spear, creating a rip to Elderfire,


    "They know it was your guild that caused the havoc, however. Until now, many higher powers questioned the status of you and your followers. They spoke of a weak, new guild given special treatment over a fluke. They can''t defy your ranking anymore."


    The Sentinel pulled the portal apart with a bit of effort before turning to me, "How does it feel to put your guild on the galactic radar?"


    I peered at the horizon,


    "It''s pretty good I guess. I find myself thinking about Schema''s system more though. Sometimes it''s like I''m Schema''s mercenary, just doing what he wants without really knowing what''s going on."


    The Sentinel scoffed, "Schema''s far more informed than you could ever hope to be. He also created a stable environment to live despite the eldritch''s best attempts at stopping him. Being his mercenary is the same as being a champion of justice."


    Eh, I doubted that.


    The Sentinel stepped through the portal, "Now come receive the spoils of war, as a mercenary should."


    Before stepping through the portal, I glanced at my notifications for a moment. I found dozens of messages, too many to read at the moment. As I stepped through the portal, I reminisced on what Tohtella said. Wrong as she was, the core of her points still stood on their own merit.


    Putting entire species forever in an unknown status was fucked. That wasn''t the only disaster Schema caused. He eldritchified Hod''s homeworld. He limited information to paint a certain kind of narrative. Hell, each world''s initiation into the system was known as ''the culling.'' Bottom line, Schema wasn''t perfect.


    Maybe I wasn''t going to be able to change the AI''s mind, but there might be other ways of improving Schema. Doing so would take a lot of time and effort though, so I put these thoughts into the back of my mind. Stopping the Adair family and the Hybrids took precedent. With that newfound resolve, I stepped through the portal.


    It was time to break them, one city at a time.

 235 Upbringing

    <div>


    <div>


    Walking into Elderfire, the city changed since I last left. Stepping through the forested walkways, the density of plantlife dropped off some. A few of the gialgathens channeled some kind of mana, bending nature into homes for them.


    Trees gnarled into rooftops, giving the people here homes walled off by twisting branches and thick bushes. The beginnings of walkways formed throughout the city, foot traffic creating these pathways of convenience. Beyond the basics, the mentality of the town shifted outside of that.


    The gialgathens stood straighter, walked faster, and moved with purpose. A liveliness infected them, and it spread out like a disease of joy. I enjoyed it. The difference between the drab, hopelessness of before acted as a nice contrast. Even with only one victory, people believed in our cause all of a sudden.


    Too sudden, in fact.


    The monster''s mentality towards me changed as well. Instead of a dirtwalker, the gialgathens treated me with reverence. It unsettled me some, the difference staggering as night and day. I rolled with it, waving at bystanders as they bowed to me.


    That''s right, bowing. After pacing through the jungled city with our Sentinel, I paced out into the heart of Elderfire - the pillar supporting the blue core. Around it, the runes glowed white. Beyond the inscriptions, an installment of metal situated itself in the middle of ancient stone.


    It was Schema''s entourage.


    Several speakers situated themselves in kiosks of metal, open for anyone to walk by. These kiosks offered several services. They gave the citizens a general supply store to exchange credits for material goods. A bounty board acted as a questing panel. A little warp drive even situated itself between two Sentinels sent here to guard the area.


    I scratched the side of my head,


    "How did they show up so fast?"


    Our Sentinel gestured to everything with his spear, "Schema marvels at efficiency, and his guilds embody that."


    I looked between the Sentinels and our Sentinel.


    "What should we call you? Sentinel will start to become confusing soon."


    The Sentinel shrugged, "It doesn''t matter. We have no names."


    I pointed at the two spears on his back, "You''ve got more of those than normal right? How about we just call you Spear?"


    Our Sentinel stared at his dimensional slicer, "Hm...I like that. You may call me Spear."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Alright then Spear, where''s Torix?"


    "In the temple where you left him last."


    "I''ll see you then. You can just...I don''t know, stand around, I guess?"


    "I will meditate on our actions."


    Spear sat down right there, crossing his legs and leaning down. Transforming into a statue before my very eyes, he entered a deep state of tranquility. I left him there in Elderfire''s courtyard while recharging the mana in the runes and blue core. After finishing that up in a minute or so, I jumped towards the tallest temple jutting over the jungle.


    Coming up to it, I paced through the corridors, remembering where Torix was last. As I did, I inspected my status in case something shifted after the battle. Some stuff had.


    New skill created! The unknown skill Orbital Bombardment! Being the first sentient to create this skill grants you a bonus of 500 skillpoints. Use them wisely!


    Orbital Bombardment(lvl 10) - You rain down desolation from above, a meteoric bringer of extinction. Grants additional speed, impact dispersal, and heat resistance when executing an orbital strike.


    Alright, it was official - Schema stole the name I used for the skill.


    Title gained: The Cleanser of Polydra,


    +250 to level cap | Current Cap: 10,250


    This was a nice little bonus for my efforts. It also let me know I wasn''t wanted for taking out some of Polydra''s residents. I bit my lip remembering that, but I moved onto my status. After putting my points into constitution, I inspected it closer.


    Damn, I was heavy.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 10,250 | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden)


    Strength ¨C 31,695 | Constitution ¨C 45,135 | Endurance ¨C 90,834


    Dexterity ¨C 16,240 | Willpower ¨C 65,986 | Intelligence ¨C 34,882


    Charisma ¨C 13,411 | Luck ¨C 19,024 | Perception ¨C 14,912


    Health: 70.46 Million/70.46 Million | Health Regen: 472.8 Million/min or 7.88 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 3.57 Trillion


    Mass: 4.63 Million Pounds(2.10 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 13''4 (4.06 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.05% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 11.24 Million% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within radius of aura.


    The main stats moving now were my physical damage bonus and my general mass. That wasn''t the end all be all, but they made the most significant shifts overall. Those dramatic shifts explained how I outmuscled Version 2.2. The Hybrid hadn''t weakened. I had strengthened.


    I welcomed the news, all the investments into constitution paying off. A large portion of the constitution bonus came from my cipher runes as well. My new evolution took well to the runic adjustments, making the attribute increases far faster. In fact, even without Schema''s involvement, I improved quite a bit.


    Even if he exiled me, it wouldn''t matter from a personal strength standpoint.


    Of course, I wouldn''t go out of my way to make that happen. At the same time, it was kind of nice not having that threat hanging over my head like a noose. That weight of my chest explained why Schema kept me as an unknown for so long, however.


    His control over me faded once I reached my level cap. I didn''t need a class anymore. I''d be fine without it, though I still wanted one. Without a solid point to leverage me on, I could act as a rogue agent with far fewer consequences than most.


    In a way, I could move outside the law.


    I rolled my shoulders, knowing I didn''t want to doublecross that all-knowing AI. Schema would make me pay for betraying him. Of this, I had no doubt. Besides, I had other reasons to fight on. With that in mind, I reached the temple''s darkest depths. There I found a strange sight. Torix talked with a few enigmatta, the fish guys in pressurized suits. Their eyes glowing under dark, glass helmets, the enigmatta spoke through intercoms,


    "We need more compensation."


    Torix snapped back, "You''ll get100,000 credits and no more. If you''ve come to gouge my moment of need, you''re sorely mistaken. Pressed for time or not, I shall not take such an absurd deal regardless of the circumstances."


    The enigmatta glanced at each other before shrugging. The one on the left replied, "We won''t do it then."


    Torix shoed them off while leaning over a few diagrams, "Then goodbye."


    The other enigmatta raised its gangly arms, "Wait a minute, we''ll do it."


    I stepped up, towering over them like a metal golem,


    "What''s the problem here?"


    They gawked up at me. One of enigmatta whispered,


    "It''s the Sunmaker."


    I darted my gaze between both of them,


    "Sunmaker? What?"


    Torix cackled, "It''s the title several news stations granted you after your performance at Polydra. Considering the eruption and the blot of light your orbital bombardment created, the name is fitting. It''s suitably ominous and awe-inspiring as well."


    Both of the enigmatta glanced down, unable to meet my eye, "We''ll...We''ll do it."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "Excellent. You may both be excused."


    They paced off, and I peered at them as they did. Turning back to Torix, I pointed back at them with a thumb, "Uh, what was wrong with those guys?"


    "I televised your perspective during the battle of Polydra. Having seen it in person, few would be willing to deny your abilities thereafter."


    I frowned, "How did you televise it?"


    Torix turned towards me, raising his palms in his defense,


    "I may have had to implant a program using John Mcsmitty''s help."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "There were three compelling reasons. The first and foremost being this; at times, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. The second reason was more ethically sound. I didn''t want you thinking of your viewers as you fought. You''re best when executing on a purely practical front."


    Torix waved a hand, "The other reason involved distracting you during the battle. I didn''t want you to be nervous during your fight either. I was in full control of when to stream your PoV the entire time. I limited it to the carnage alone."


    I crossed my arms, "You can trust me with that kind of thing. You don''t have to lie to me either. I can handle it."


    "But of course, and I wasn''t questioning your ability either. Even more so, I don''t enjoy lying to you, though this was more so restricting the truth than lying per se. That being said, I had every intention of informing you as soon as you arrived. The effect I desired already manifested, after all."


    I remembered the weird reverence everybody gave me. I facepalmed, "Wait a minute, that''s why everybody was acting weird."


    "Precisely. The stream built hope, motivation, and respect all at once. It even served as a potent deterrent to would-be enemies as well. I brainstormed the idea with one of my associates after that fiasco with televising our battle with Yawm. I figured that if videos acted against us at times, they could also act for us in other instances."


    Torix waved his hands, "So if our enemies present us in a dim light, I simply exposed us during our best moment. It''s standard practice for larger guilds. Considering the splash you made in Polydra, we''ll need to incorporate even more policies in the future."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Ah, you''re using my style of fighting for good PR. I...I can understand that I suppose." I pointed at Torix, "If you make a habit of this, I won''t be able to trust you though. Remember that."


    Torix met my eye, "I am well aware, and I will be measured in these instances, I assure you. Your trust is valued, and I will not abuse it."


    "As long as you understand that, we''re good."


    Torix raised a hand, pressing his fingers together, "Just as well, I''d like to inform you that our guild''s security is being taken care of with these videos as well. I''ve taken measures to ensure our location isn''t leaked, and I''ve even used a necessary mental screening process for new guild applicants. All of this to say, I''m taking our guild''s recruitment seriously."


    Torix clapped his hands once, "Now, with that out of the way, let''s begin discussing our next assault."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Where is it?"


    "It''s the hometown of Eradin Forest Torch, Astelle."


    After a bit of mental searching, I remembered who he was talking about,


    "Ah, that''s the old gialgathen I fought from the tournament. He beat his son and everything. He was alright."


    Torix nodded, "Indeed, he was. Now, Astelle is a stronghold for the gialgathens. Our goal will be less saving them from the invasion and more so mobilizing their forces here. This group of soldiers should enhance the sheer numbers we''ve garnered."


    We discussed some of the details, along with a time frame for the attack. It would take about three days to organize everything, so I had some time to kill. After finishing the debriefing, I trecked over towards the medical center of Elderfire.


    Within a pool of soothing, warm water, many of the gialgathens restored themselves. Natural wisps floated around many of the hybridizing gialgathens. They kept the wounded in a semis-stasis. It let them live until now. As I paced up, Kessiah worked with vigor. I raised an eyebrow,


    "You''re working already?"


    She bit into her thumb and spit out a clump of skin.


    "After a big battle like this, a healer is the busiest. It''s like Saturday night at a bar but a lot less fun."


    I sat a ways from her and drained the gunk from one of the gialgathens. One of the wisps floated up to me. It shivered after a moment, darting away. I frowned at it while Kessiah shook her head,


    "You can''t expect them to do anything else. You''re intimidating."


    I frowned, "Huh...What are these little guys anyway?"


    "They''re spirits summoned by the sages and mages the gialgathens have. They connect with Giess and use the natural mana flows to sustain the wounded. They defy nature for them as a gift for the gialgathens summoning them here."


    Kessiah reached up a finger, and a wisp floated onto her hand,


    "They like it here. I guess they think the material plane is cozy."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The wisp hovered away as Kessiah got back to work. After clearing up the hybridizing Polydrians, I went back to the temple. With three days left before my next attack, I worked on the next portion of Torix''s armor. It required a new grimoire before I could begin, however.


    With that in mind, I shifted to the Rise of Eden. Wielding quintessence, I carved a series of runic markings onto the floor. As appropriate, I added portions of the cipher into the formula. Each runic piece increased in complexity until I reached the center.


    The most strenuous pieces of the liturgy involved the center fragment. It required a dual-layered portion of the cipher using techniques I learned from the prison beneath Polydra. Once finished, I placed a hand onto the central tablet. After an hour of channeling, the configuration coalesced into a blight of mana.


    The whitened ball shifted into a series of pages. As it did, the entirety of Elderfire shook beneath my feet. Even while containing the mana, the sheer volume created a seismic event, the energy dispersing like waves of a storm. Once wholly composed, a strange booklet plopped into my hands.


    The black tome weighed at least a half-ton, the structure of it beyond my previous book. It carried a bendable stone on the surface of each page. As I turned them, they bent with ease in my hand despite their unusual, rocky texture. The thickness of the pages proved deceptive too. Wondering what was inside of one, I tore the first page. Like white mercury, a milky metal seeped out of the edge. I inspected closer, finding molten gunk flowing within the pages. This pool of liquid traveled from the dense spine of the grimoire. The design of it defied convention, but I trusted Torix''s judgment, my runic skills, and most importantly, the amount of mana I poured into this damn thing.


    It was too big to fail...probably.


    Using the grimoire for the first time, etched into it using heated points of telekinetic contact. As I went through my work, the stone functioned well. It needed just the right amount of heat, making it easy to write in but hard to mess up with a careless stroke. At the same time, the metal beneath served many purposes.


    It acted as a connection point between pages. I figured this out once I began work on the second page. Instead of needing some runic markings to ensure continuity between pages, the metal handled that for me. It saved me plenty of time as I went through the complex configurations.


    As I continued, the merits of the new design unveiled themselves to me. The metal augmented my mana conversion, making the cipher require less mana. It was like conducting electricity through copper instead of wood. The white mercury transferred the mana between pages with a simple thought as well. This let me mix and match various runes without needing to plaster them together.


    Hell, the metal even let me implement the whole dual layering technique I learned earlier. With a mental snap of my fingers, I could make two pages act like they were the same surface. That let me contextualize some of the more nuanced passages involved.


    All that to say, it was pretty metal.


    Awful puns aside, I finished plenty of runic markings for Torix''s armor by daylight. Using this new grimoire felt like I found a missing piece to a puzzle. Everything came together in a rush right after seeing it. Considering my time constraints, I appreciated good luck.


    With the markings finished, I channeled my excess mana into the grimoire, holding it at my side. With Torix busy and no one else to talk to, my mind wandered for a bit. I dwelled on Polydra''s fate, scorching in hellfire and brimstone. A building well of guilt swelled in my chest before I grew lonely.


    The odd sensation refused to leave, so I looked through my contacts. I called Althea, hoping she could answer. I missed her, and talking for a bit would do me some good. Even I needed some rest and relaxation sometimes. With that in mind, I sat on the edge of my seat, waiting for her to answer.


    Three rings in, I gave up. As I hovered my hand over the exit command, Althea answered. I lit up, a smile spread over my face as her far more beautiful face popped up. Of course, it hadn''t been nearly as long for her, but the mythical compendium made it feel like forever for me.


    She carried a few more scars than before, but she was the same woman I remembered. As I glanced closer, I found that wasn''t exactly true. A hardness formed in her eyes, the kind you get from seeing things that shouldn''t be seen. Even more so, she had the same exhaustion on her face that plagued Kessiah. While Kessiah''s motivation was to prove herself, Althea''s seemed more profound, like an ocean compared to a pool.


    Exacerbating this change was the fact I hadn''t seen her in months. From that distance and time, a sort of coldness formed between us. To break the ice, I scratched the back of my head,


    "Looks like you''ve been busy."


    She gave me a small smile, "You have been too...I saw you fighting in Polydra. It was brutal and awe-inspiring as always."


    I looked down, a bit embarrassed for some reason, "Ah, I was just raising hell like normal..."


    A silence came over us. It wasn''t the kind of comfortable calm that passes over two familiar friends, however. It was a heavy quiet, the kind were other noises grew in volume until they rang in your ears. Before that silence altered into a canceled call, I turned a hand to Althea,


    "So, I was wondering how you''ve been?"


    She blinked, looking for the right words to say,


    "Hm...I''ve been doing good, I guess. I''ve been grinding the war effort from an espionage front. It''s been...hard. I learned a lot. Like, a lot. It''s also been eye-opening, to say the least."


    She stared into an abyss. Her eyes reminded me of the underbelly of the dreadnoughts, the gialgathens hung up like produce. She must have seen something similar. I shook off the heaviness, pushing through,


    "Damn, that sounds hard. I know I''ve been letting Torix handle most of the logistical work involved with this new, er, war I guess. It''s made my situation a lot easier. He points in a direction, and I smash. It suits me perfectly."


    Althea laughed, "Hah, it does. It sounds like you''ve got it under control over there."


    I nodded, "For the most part, though I''ve been aching recently."


    Althea raised an eyebrow, "Wait a minute, you have aches?"


    I placed a hand over my chest, glancing up, "It''s a broken heart."


    Even I hurt from that one. My cheesy line had the intended effect as Althea giggled a bit before rolling her eyes,


    "A broken heart from what?"


    "Not seeing you of course," I said with finality.


    "Really now? Hm...I might have been missing you a bit too, I suppose."


    I leaned towards her screen, "Yeah...me too."


    We stared at each other for a second, both of us glad we still cared for one another. The moment passed as I took a deep breath, "Whoo, I didn''t want to say it, but I was kind of nervous about, uhm, us."


    She nodded, "Oh, I was too. It just felt awkward at first, didn''t it?"


    "Yeah, it was like we didn''t know each other."


    My words left my mouth with more weight than I wanted. I glanced at Althea, and she glanced at me. She frowned, "It does kind of feel like that sometimes, doesn''t it?"


    "Yeah..."


    She shook her head, "I''m sorry I haven''t been messaging you more or calling. I''ve been so busy with this new effort I''ve been undertaking. It''s hard to juggle everything all at once, and some stuff fell to the wayside. I''m sorry our relationship got caught up in that."


    I nodded, "Yeah, I''ve got about fifty projects I''m working on right now. It''s so much I forget some of it sometimes. To be fair, I''ve been like this since Schema''s system washed over Earth. Something about it unlocked some hidden workhorse in me."


    She tilted her head, "Wait a minute...You weren''t always like this?"


    I scoffed, "Hell no." I waved my hand, "I was...I don''t know, lost, I guess? I didn''t know what I wanted to do with my life. I had no direction, and that made me end up coasting. Well, outside of boxing. That kept me out of trouble."


    I frowned, "I don''t know who I would be without that passion keeping me afloat." I met Althea''s eye, "Speaking of passion, I was, uh, wondering what made you want to put out like this on Giess?"


    I raised my palms as she raised her eyebrows, "Not to criticize or anything. Do what you got to do. I get that."


    She laughed, "I knew when I got with you that you were blunt, Daniel. You don''t have to apologize for it. I find it refreshing, actually. Anyways, your question...hmmm..."


    She pursed her lips, "If I had to guess, it would be how much it reminds me of Alice. This whole situation that is."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Who''s Alice?"


    "She''s a friend from my childhood. She was one of Yawm''s lab rats, just like me. We were friends, and we played together all the time." Althea''s eyes went distant,


    "It was...I don''t know how to describe it...haunting. I saw several children being indoctrinated by some of the rebels. One of their psionics was tampering with its mind. An espen child resisted, but she was too small and too weak. She was crying and..."


    Althea''s composure cracked, but she stayed resolute in her words,


    "Seeing the kid crumble like that. I don''t know. It reminded me of myself. I was that little girl, crying in the face of some monster that I couldn''t understand. Everything around me was chaos and scary and lonely. I couldn''t take it. I bottled it up inside and pushed it down. I was numb."


    She shook her head, her voice cracking a bit, "And I saw that kid doing the same thing. I don''t know, but something in me snapped after I saw that. I promised to stop Tohtella and everyone involved in this or die trying."


    Thinking of the Hybrids, I nodded,


    "I can understand that feeling."


    Althea wiped away a tear, composing herself. As she did, I thought about what she said. The fact I didn''t know she had this happen to her hurt a bit. This happened a while ago, and I wasn''t there to help.


    I gained some solace since she trusted me enough to tell me about it. Besides, maybe she wasn''t ready to tell anyone until now. I couldn''t know, and I had no intentions of asking. I reached out a hand to the screen,


    "I''m sorry...Are you, er, ok?"


    She giggled again, wiping her eyes, "You''re terrible at this, you know that?"


    I swallowed a bit of sadness, smiling at her instead, "Yeah...I know."


    She smiled back, "I appreciate it, though. I really do."


    We stayed there for a moment. A loud crack leaked out from Althea''s screen as her eyes widened. She turned towards an unseen exit,


    "I got to go." She turned back, "Hey...thanks for the call. It means a lot."


    I grinned at her, "I enjoyed it too. Go kick some ass."


    She gave me a confident smirk as she closed her screen. With it out of my way, I peered out an opening in the temple''s wall. Revealing the forest city of Elderfire, the trees blurred under the heat of the desert sun. I spent a minute thinking about all that was happening.


    This war was changing us. Whether for better or worse, I couldn''t tell. It did carry a sting that the conflict with Yawm didn''t have. Before now, all I expected from myself was survival. In fact, that was all I could''ve hoped for against Yawm or Baldag-Ruhl.


    This situation was different. I wanted more and falling short grated me. After all, I had a history of succeeding in spite of terrible circumstances. That pressure mounted in the back of my mind. I did well enough for now, but I had a feeling this conflict wasn''t going to end without a mess.


    Either way, I did what I could.


    With that in mind, I got back to something I was actually good at, which was making Torix''s armor. The rune''s charging finished a few minutes later as I planned out some of the placements. I put them along the surface of the blackened bones, keeping them in view. That finished the essential runic layering.


    After looking it over, I scoped out a few more dual-layered rune sites. Torix''s new body carried hollow bones, and that would allow me to use these techniques. With that insight, I created a few nuanced inscriptions for the guy.


    They involved a few specific augments. The first revolved around Torix''s charisma and presence. Ever since Torix''s body was destroyed, some people looked down on the guy. That pissed me off, and I aimed to rectify that bullshit.


    So, I went about creating an intimidating aura for this new body. I used Event Horizon as a reference, putting the choking, constricting nature of it on full display. At the same time, control over that influence was essential. I used the second layer of the runes to give that ability. It was like adding a parenthesis after a confusing passage. It contextualized an easily misunderstood remark.


    With the presence of the body finished, I plotted out a few enchantments for mental magic. While not the most well versed, I could give the guy some charms for help. I moved on to the mana shield augments after that since Torix relied on them for his durability.


    I understood little about them, but I didn''t need to know much. Instead of enhancing the shield itself, I created connections for stored mana to power said shields. This would make the next portion of my armor building far more powerful.


    I placed my hands onto the bones, shifting my being to one of dominion. With the oppressive, commanding mana saturating me, I channeled mana into the hollowed bones. Crystallized dominion filled the hollows, nigh weightless yet carrying tremendous energy. As I channeled this mana, I worked on the last aspect of my inscriptions.


    This last part was a simple idea I had. Torix''s mind would be in this thing, so making it easy for him to acclimatize to it seemed like a smart idea. At least I thought so. Guided by that intention, I went about creating an inscription describing Torix.


    It wasn''t too hard. I kept it simple, concise, but complete. Torix was a mastermind, a willful, dedicated summoner who absorbed himself with his goals. His work ethic was unquestionable, and he kept himself diligently devoted to his crafts of choice.


    No matter what anyone else believed about the guy, he carried absolute respect in my eyes. His tactical and strategic abilities would create an enormous impact on any battlefield, regardless of the circumstance. At the same time, he carried a remarkable enthusiasm for education and learning.


    He wasn''t someone who held his secrets and harbored them selfishly. He shared his knowledge with great fervor. He wanted to enlighten all that he could as if he was offering light in darkness. At the same time, he familiarized himself with that darkness. In that vein, Torix never shied away from the messy, dirty aspects of life. He thrived on them, death being a concept he cozied up to long ago.


    That''s who Torix was in my eyes, a warlord worthy of respect. As I finished the markings, it mirrored the mural I made about myself. It was more concise and less detailed, however. Considering my time constraints, it was about as much as I could expect from myself.


    By the time I charged those runes and placed them, three days passed and the body was finished. I checked it out, analyzing my finished project. It was my best work so far.


    A Nightmare, Manifested(Lvl Requirement: None, Requires Mental Affinity | Type: Body) - This creation is a product of the efforts of a multiverse given sentience. Given the nature of the materials used, this artifact is utterly unique, carrying characteristics that defy convention.


    As an opening mention, this body is durable. This word fails to adequately describe the sheer tenacity it holds. In all sense of the word, it is nigh unbreakable, a constant fixture created without an intended expiration date. If given any kind of care, this body will last forever.


    This invincibility isn''t the only characteristic this creation carries. Wielding many advanced inscriptions, it augments the wielder''s mind in many ways. It creates barriers from entry, but it also allows for a greater field of influence in whoever manages to wield this structure.


    This, in combination with a medley of physical augments, and this body is invaluable to many species or necromantic practitioners.


    Bonuses(Unstackable with similar bonuses):


    +500,000 Maximum Health, +500,000 Maximum Mana,  +500,000 Maximum Stamina, +100,000 health regen(per min), 100,000 mana regen(per min), 100,000 stamina regen(per min)


    + 10,000% physical damage, +5% to total damage, + 10,000 pounds of mass(4,536 Kilograms), + 2.5% to damage resistance cap, +25% to potency of dominion mana, Innate Mana Shield (10,000,000/10,000,000), + 25% to impact of influence oriented skills, +1% to mental resistance cap


    +2,500 to Endurance and Willpower


    +1,500 to Constitution, Strength, and Intelligence


    +500 to all other stats


    The sheer size of the enhancements floored anything I''d made before this. It even raised the resistance cap of anyone using this, which kind of defied Schema''s general conventions. Either way, I lifted the body for a moment, the nine-foot-tall structure sizeable and imposing. It even carried some Torix''s dramatic flair, the crown of thorns a nice touch.


    I carried it with me, walking over towards Torix''s new lair. As I walked into the crowded room, Torix stayed intent on his work. He dived into it with an intensity rivaling a deep hatred. I knocked on the edge of the room,


    "Hey, Torix, how''s the planning coming along?"


    He kept his gaze down over a few charts,


    "Excellent. I''ve devised a few of the weaker points in their offensive, and three cities in particular lined up well with a few projected attacks. I intend on scouting their responses with a few false attacks, however. I am confident they''ll be better prepared this time."


    He lifted his head, finishing his work with a final stroke of a feather pen,


    "And so shall we."


    He turned towards me before his old jaw went slack. Without a word, he lifted his hands at the body I made. He fumbled out his words,


    "I...It...Is that...What?"


    I gestured to the item, "I call it: A Nightmare, Manifested. What do you think?"


    "It''s...Well, I would sum it up in...the words escape me...it''s..."


    He walked over and gave me a hug,


    "Thank you...Thank you so much."


    A bit embarrassed, I scratched my cheek, "Uh, thanks...Glad you like it."


    I set the body down so Torix could inspect it further. After a few minutes, he turned to me,


    "It far exceeds any expectations I carried for it. You''ve outdone yourself, truly."


    I lifted up my chest, "Well, I enjoy crafting stuff. It was a fun distraction from all the fighting."


    Torix scoffed, "So this is a fun distraction? I''d hate to see a concerted effort then. I might feel impotent by comparison."


    Torix flicked one of the metallic bones, the tip of his finger snapping off from the impact. He cackled with glee,


    "I''d be furious given a different context, but for now, I''ll settle with being overjoyed."


    Torix turned back to me while brushing off his robe, "Ah, my childish giddiness aside, are you ready for the battle?"


    "Always."


    Torix peered at the body for a moment, "Yes, as we should be."


    I peered between the body and Torix,


    "Hm...you know we can get you in that before we leave?"


    "I understand, but delaying our plans for my personal satisfaction doesn''t suit me. Besides, we''ve plenty of time for the necromantic transition after this next battle. I''ll need some time to craft another phylactery and ritual site regardless."


    I crossed my arms, "If you say so. When do we head out?"


    "Within the next few hours."


    I gave him a curt nod, "Alright, good. Anything you need in the meantime?"


    Torix raised a finger, "Perhaps you could take a quick voyage to our base on Mt. Verner? Planting a blue core over our home for security would put us at ease for the time being."


    "Ah, that''s a good idea. It''ll be nice seeing Earth after so long."


    "Excellent. It will be good for you to see the progress of our base."


    After finishing up a bit of discussion, I walked back towards the center of Elderfire. After a quick conversation with the receptionist, I set up travel back to Earth via warp drive. Once on the ringing, sterile teleporter pad, a bit of nervousness rang up my spine.


    Leaving Hod and Amara there might not have been the best idea. From Torix''s estimations, I didn''t need to step in. That didn''t guarantee an absence of craziness, however. Knowing there might be some surprises, I closed my eyes as electric pulsing pounded in my ears.


    I mean, how bad could it be?

 236 Better Than Expected

    Knowing Hod, it could be pretty bad. I calmed myself down as I sent messages towards the guild.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 10,250 | Guildmaster: The Harbinger''s Legion(S-) | Titles: The Harbinger of Cataclysm, The Cleanser of Polydra | Cities: Mt. Verner, Elderfire) - I''ll be arriving in a few minutes. I need to meet with Hod and Amara. I won''t be there long, but it''ll be nice to see Earth again.


    After sending the message, I took a deep breath. I gave a thumbs up to the Sentinel''s guarding the warp drive, and they activated the teleportation device. Electricity rang in my ears as a blinding light encompassed my vision.


    I blinked away the blindness as sights of my base splashed in my eyes. They put this teleporter inside the second layer of the mountain where industry thrived. As I remembered it, machines bustled in the background with welders hard at work. At the center, a pillar of stone acted as the heart of the floor.


    Surrounding it, a variety of different departments exposed themselves. Aiming to inspect them further, I stepped out, shaking off the rematerialization. I''m guessing that''s what teleportation was. Either way, it made me woozy for a few seconds. Glancing around, the room''s machinery and welding stopped. I found a factory floor full of people gawking at me like a lion walked inside. I raised a hand,


    "Uhm, hello."


    The crowd exploded with activity, swarming me from all directions. They reached the height of my waist, so they stared up at me. A cacophony of questions burst forth from all directions. The attention caught me off guard, overwhelming me for a moment.


    I lifted my hands, saying over the crowd''s rumble,


    "Everyone, one question at a time."


    I answered a few basic questions about Giess and my adventures there before a familiar face walked up from the crowd. I raised a hand, "Hey Diesel. How''ve you been?"


    The inventive engineer squeezed past two people lifting up a grimy hand. Several people backed off from the guy, giving him some space. I stepped past the onlookers, reaching him and reaching out a hand,


    "Good to see you. Have you come up with any new blueprints lately."


    He shook my hand with a bit of gusto,


    "I''ve got a few new designs lined up."


    I turned towards the crowds, spreading my arms, "Everyone, I''ve just come back from Giess. I''ll be looking around to make sure everything''s running smoothly. Get ready for that."


    I clapped my hands for some emphasis, "Alright, let''s move."


    The crowd rustled into activity, everyone moving towards their allotted stations. Diesel walked off and gestured for me to follow. Past the metal girders and steel piping, I found myself squeezed into a cubbyhole Diesel used for his diagrams. The guy worked with me on creating Althea''s new cannon models. Now he worked on designs that might help the entire colony.


    I glanced around, impressed by the sheer complexity of a few of the inventions,


    "Damn...this is good work."


    Diesel scratched his chin, a five a clock shadow covering it,


    "Heh, that''s rich coming from you."


    I turned to him, my helmet peeling off my face,


    "Hm?"


    "Oh come on. Everybody saw your fight at Polydra. Talk about crazy." Diesel gestured with a swing of his arm, "I could hardly believe when you punched through a ship''s barrier. My favorite part was when you stood over the evil guy and said-"


    Diesel put on a serious face,


    "You''ve done well in creating this hell. Now let''s see if you can fight here, where the monsters come out to play."


    It had been a while since I''d been embarrassed on any level. Having Diesel fanboy over my own fight like this, it would''ve made me redder than a tomato. Right now, my gray skin and metal body prevented that, but the shame still stung all the same.


    I raised a palm, "Please, stop. Mercy."


    Diesel blinked, "What? Oh, sorry. I don''t know what it is, but when you showed up, I feel full of energy."


    I raised my hands, "That''s an aura I have. It''s called Rise of Eden, and it boosts your stats."


    "Ah, that''s why it felt like I leveled up. Here I thought you were just that inspiring."


    I rolled my eyes. At this point, Diesel was just teasing me. It felt good having someone feel at ease around me, though. I wasn''t some deity, and it grounded me when someone talked to me like this. After joking a bit back and forth, Diesel turned severe as he crossed his arms,


    "So, why are you back?"


    I pointed around at the base, "I''ll be needing to install some defenses. I''ve made some enemies on Giess, and I don''t want them attacking Mt. Verner."


    Deisel raised an eyebrow, "I''ve actually got a few turret models you might want to have a look at. Not all of them are great, but I could show you the best of them and see what you think."


    "Sounds good, though I probably don''t have time at the moment. I''ll get someone to review it for me though..." I peered around at the walls of stone, "It''s good to see things have been moving well without me here. Of course, I still miss Earth sometimes."


    Diesel took a deep breath, "Man, I couldn''t even imagine staying at Giess. That''s like...lightyears away. Literally and figuratively."


    I cupped a chin, "What is life like here, anyway?"


    "It''s bland, I guess. Ever since you guys left, there hasn''t been the same kind of grind there was while you were all here. Everyone''s sort of laid back. That could just be things settling down, though. We can''t stay in do-or-die mode forever."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, that might be asking for a bit much." I saw the sheer volume of activity around Diesel''s cubbyhole,


    "At least people are still alive. I half expected Hod to have already killed everybody."


    Diesel scratched the back of his head, "Hah...yeah..."


    I narrowed my eyes at him, "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Look, man, I''m not supposed to be telling you this, but some of those intelligent eldritch escaped."


    I gritted my teeth, "Really now?"


    Diesel raised his hands, "They found all of them and got rid of them before they became a problem. I''m just letting you know security wasn''t airtight. We were able to handle it, but we lost a few people."


    Diesel narrowed his eyes, "If I''m honest, I think we should get rid of Amara. That monster couldn''t give two fucks for any of us...Not to question your judgment sir."


    "Where is she?"


    Diesel scratched the side of his head, "Hm...I think she called Hod in from Giess to guard her as she talked to someone."


    "Alright, thanks. I''ll check it out and make sure the situation is stable. A reminder of who Amara''s working for might be in order as well." I rolled my shoulders, "I can be intimidating when I want to be."


    Diesel scoffed, "That''s an understatement, sir."


    Being called sir still weirded me out some, though not to the extent it used to. I pointed at the designs, "I''d love to talk more about this stuff, but I have to head out. It was good catching up."


    Diesel stepped back, giving me some space to move out of his workspace,


    "Sure thing, sir."


    I stepped out onto the second floor. Here the merits of industry shined. We developed some laser and plasmic weapons while I left, several individuals using them on a shooting range. The plasma, in particular, looked useful against eldritch. It clung onto whatever it hit, singing and melting until nothing remained but a puddle. Considering how virulent eldritch could be, that thorough destruction was invaluable.


    It kind of disappointed me finding only a few elemental weapons left. Their designs mustn''t have been very efficient when weaponized, considering no one used them anymore. For the most part, the main difference in their weaponry stemmed from a shift in mentality.


    All this gear worked against eldritch. Acid, plasma, and kinetic firearms were the name of the game. Our soldiers used these in conjunction with each other for maximizing their effects. I learned these tactics while walking towards a few darkened rooms with chairs for sitting.


    These dark lit rooms made the perfect places for sitting down in an obelisk. Those devices encompassed their users in light. The dark made them easy to spot, so you didn''t run into them. Using a preloaded program, they built a few simulations for testing these weapons out.


    I found a line of people running through artificial dungeons. Above them, a screen exposed their current positions and POVs. These soldiers worked together, tossing out grenades and using harpoon cannons. The ballistic weapons left massive wounds on the eldritch. They would heal these quickly if not for the backup troops behind them.


    This other set of soldiers behind the ballistics corp fired the acid and plasmic weaponry into the wounds of the monsters. This halted regeneration while inflicting massive internal wounds. The strategy seemed sound, safe, and sane when compared to my own methods.


    At the same time, this teaching method wasn''t without its problems. I watched one of the procedures from start to finish. A few of the troops goofed around, teabagged the eldritch, and took it as a playful exercise. That kind of attitude resulted in death further down the line. They also ran the same simulations with only subtle variations in it. That wouldn''t work in the real world.


    Every dungeon was different. Learning to adapt to wildly varying scenarios was the name of the game. Besides these trainees, an instructor dripped cold sweat. I turned to him,


    "You oversee this?"


    The mustached man stood up straight, giving me a salute, "Yes, sir."


    I waved a hand at it, "This is a great strategy. It makes killing certain eldritch a cakewalk. At the same time, this might be too easy. What kind of other simulations are there?"


    The officer waved his hands, "The technology department hasn''t made any other virtualizations since this is relatively new. We''re working on a few other scenarios as we speak."


    "Good. I''d recommend giving the troops a scenario without weaponry. Avoiding the eldritch or learning to compete against weaker ones without weapons is essential over the long-term. Otherwise, they''re very dependent on their gear to survive."


    I counted on my fingers, "If they run out of ammo, someone sneak attacks them, or any number of situations occurs, these guys are dead. Not every fight will be clean and dry like this. Some are messy. They should be ready for that kind of a mess. Otherwise, they''ll die."


    The officer blinked, "Uhm, yes sir. Of course. I''ll pass it along to the tech department."


    "Overall, you''re doing well. Keep it up."


    The officer nodded, "Thank you, sir."


    I waved a hand, "Uh, as you were."


    The officer turned towards the people in the simulation while shouting, "Get to work maggots! I want to see some sweat."


    I walked off, not sure if I helped the situation. After passing the weaponry department, the construction portion of Mt. Verner revealed itself. The implementation of mana changed every aspect of technology. With a reliable, clean energy source at our disposal, power constraints like batteries ceased existing. Instead, runic inscriptions allowed the conversion of mana into electricity. They used all kinds of methods for this conversion to handle a lack of skill on the user''s part as well.


    Some worked like engines, converting mechanical force into electricity. Others required the direct input of lightning, using discharging overloaders to redistribute bursts of power. As complicated as that sounds, it only held an overabundance of energy to prevent the circuitry from frying.


    Past these smaller devices, the larger vehicles and power armors lined up. A few of the vehicles mirrored the machinery on Giess, using crystallized mana of some sort. After sending a few messages, I found the head of the vehicle department.


    A chubby, rotund man wobbled up out of his office using an uncomfortable jog. He reached out a hand as he neared me, "Hello there sir. I am Mike Mcgusto."


    I gave him a handshake using two of my fingers, "I''m Daniel Hillside. I wanted to talk to you about these new vehicle designs. How do they work?"


    Mike jimmied a fancier uniform that still carried a layer of oil and grime on it,


    "We''ve been experimenting with the use of external mana outputs you see. These here are some of the prototypes for that very design. While not perfect, they might allow us to use vehicles that don''t strain a person''s mind while driving them."


    I put a hand on his shoulder, "I''m halting research and development of this technology in the guild. Immediately."


    "W-w-what sir? But these will make transport simpler, and there''s plenty of mana to be found in the dungeons we''ve conquered. Why would we abandon something that could revolutionize our lives forever?"


    I stood up straight, "I''ve visited Giess, and I''ve learned that using that mana creates mana pollution. It''s hard to get rid of, and nasty creatures can feed on it. If I had time to go into detail about it, I would. Suffice it to say, this will cause more harm than good."


    "I...I" Mike''s arms flopped against his sides, "Understood, sir."


    I pointed at the tech department, "This is all very impressive. I''ll have Torix increase your funds to compensate for the wasted research and development. That should make this setback easier to tank."


    Mike nodded, his mood reversing the moment money was mentioned,


    "Of course sir. That would be amazing."


    "Alright. How about two million credits yearly?"


    Mike took a step or two back before falling backward. I caught him with a gravity well before he busted his ass. I raised an eyebrow, "Are you ok?"


    "Y-y-yes. Very." He got back onto his feet, "That''s simply quadrupling our funding. It took me by surprise."


    I shrugged, "I''ll pay for it personally. Also, increase Diesel''s budget. He gets one-tenth of that."


    "Absolutely sir. Perhaps you''d be interested in seeing our selections of power armor?"


    "Yeah."


    We walked across a series of forklifts and engineering panels. Situated into the wall, dozens of different power armors covered the walls. They used the same discharger design, converting raw mana into power using a variety of different methods. Some even used a technique I''d never heard of, the elemental muscle design. EMD for short.


    It was something Diesel came up with. Specific individuals had affinities for different kinds of elements or elemental forces. By implanting those elements into the joints of power armor, a mage could use them to manipulate the suit. It acted like a muscular system and required years of training to master.


    At the same time, the maneuverability and power of these devices were unmatched, at least for other armors. Even better, the user''s level-ups enhanced the plate mail as well. This was because their mastery of mana and the element increased the control and force they could use with the devices. In fact, it mirrored my own use of gravity in combat.


    I enhanced my movements with gravitational flows. An ice bender would do the same technique but by jerking icy blocks hidden in the armor. My method skipped the whole armor and elemental grafting part, but not everyone could use gravity like I could. This let someone cleverly overcome physical limitations.


    My instincts about Diesel were right. After getting showed a few more experimental and less practical designs, I worked my way towards the eldritch holding cells. Here I found a few surprises. The first involved Amara and Hod, both of them talking with a feminine blob of sorts.


    Hod reminded me of his previous self, though his demeanor changed a bit. He stood eleven feet tall, a bit of a shadowy aura ebbing from him. The birdman looked tense, ready to strike at any moment. Amara stood at ease, trusting Hod with her protection as she faced her palms to Wrath.


    On the other hand, the dark, gray-blue blob spoke with quiet confidence. The humanoid figure''s words echoed across the rooms with an absoluteness to them, the same as Helios or Caprika.


    Yup, she was royalty. What kind of royalty I couldn''t say.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As I stepped up, I analyzed her.


    Wrath, Queen of Svia(lvl 12,837 | Class: Fringe Walker | Race: Ahcorus(Otherwise known as slimes)) - Wrath is the queen of the Svia sector of the slime''s home planet, Slus. She earned her name by conquering several of the nests that surrounded her before Schema assimilated her planet. Since then, she''s proven very effective at cleansing worlds of eldritch infestation...


    They all stared at me as I walked up, each of them looking confused. I waved,


    "Hey guys. I''m here to visit. Did you get my message?"


    As I stepped up, I outsized them all, though Wrath carried a weight to her presence that made up for that. Well, that''s not factoring in my auras. Before the queen responded, Hod raised his hands,


    "Harbinger back. Hod miss buddy."


    He ran up, giving me an awkward hug. I hugged back with one arm,


    "It''s good to see you too..."


    About seven seconds later, Hod still held on.


    "So, uh, are you going to let me go?"


    Hod pulled himself back, a look of satisfaction coming over his face.


    "Hod understand Harbinger''s confusion. Hod''s brilliance hard to understand. See, Hod not know how long hug last. Sometime long hug. Sometime short hug. Always hard work telling which hug should use."


    Hod tapped the side of his head,


    "Hod discover secret. If Hod hold on until ask to stop, Hod not have to tell which hug type is. Hod activate easy mode." Hod lifted his chin, pleased with himself,


    "Hod outdo himself sometimes."


    Amara stared down, even aiming her hands down as her long, wispy black hair covered her expressionless face. It impressed me that Hod evoked shame in an eldritch. Socially speaking, it was an achievement. Wrath walked up, ignoring them both. Her steps were silent, akin to a predator. She turned between the both of us,


    "You must be the guild leader here? How do you know who I am?"


    I pointed between us, "We met before during my interview with Chrona. I''m the ''Gray Giant.'' This is me without the disguise."


    Wrath tilted the rough approximation of a head, "So you hide your true self in a shell, like a hatchling before birth. Why?"


    I waved my hands, "It''s complicated. Thisbey used my identity for his own means. I didn''t agree with those means, so I separated my personal identity from the Gray Giant. Either way, it''s almost irrelevant at this point, but please, don''t go spreading it around."


    Wrath lifted her arms, each of them ending with four fingers and golded claws,


    "You are a predator with many faces. I understand the concept, though it sounds exhausting. I prefer the simplicity of a single face. Otherwise, I am lost in a web of lies of my own making."


    Wrath carried a strange dialect and wording that took some getting used to. Still, I got the gist of what she meant.


    "I get that. It wasn''t easy, but at least I don''t have a ton of bullshit associated with my name now. Reputational blowback sucks to deal with. Either way, what are you here for?"


    Amara walked up, her eyeless face as unnerving as ever. She peered at me, the eyes of her palms inspecting me with a bit of fear. The small hairs across her body stood on end as she said,


    "Wrath came here to understand her enemy. To understand us."


    I glanced between them both, "Yeah, that''s not ringing any bells."


    Wrath raised a hand, squeezing it into a fist. Her claws retracted, she moved her fist sideways in a long arc. The alien hand gestures mismatched what followed,


    "When we met many moons ago, I asked for your teeth in facing Svia''s greatest threat - Plazia-Ruhl. The hivemind harbors in the center of my homeworld. It sucks the life from my homeworld. We need an eliminator to cull its kind from us."


    I raised a palm to her, "First off, don''t worry about using hand gestures with me. I can tell they''re awkward for you, and I want you to just relax."


    Wrath let out a big sigh like I just took a massive weight off her shoulders. I continued,


    "Second off, I can help you with that. It''ll be at least a month before I can fight it directly though."


    Wrath pointed her finger at Amara, "That is the true reasoning for my hunt here. This...eldritch is known as an expert on intelligent eldritch. Plazia-Ruhl is a tactical genius, making maneuvers at every turn. His armies of insects plague our planet, and his presence shades our world in darkness. He must be killed."


    A bitter memory of being locked in a cave and at the mercy of a hivemind flashed before my eyes,


    "Wait a minute...Plazia-Ruhl...You sure about that last name?"


    "It is an ancient enemy of our species. Forgetting its name is difficult even after our kind dies. That abomination bends the rules of the universe, toying with what should not be toyed with."


    My stomach sank after hearing that. I fought Baldag-Ruhl a long time ago, and his genius with the cipher is what made my armor. If Plazia-Ruhl rivaled his intelligence, killing him would be a tall order. Hell, it might be impossible at this point. Learning from him might even be an option further down the line, however.


    Either way, it was definitely interesting, to say the least. I made a mental note of that before turning to Amara,


    "So, you''re a known expert on eldritch now, huh? How does that work?"


    Amara cackled, "My knowledge is not as limited as one might think. I use the laws and rules of hunger to keep myself alive. Whoever comes here needs my expertise. Killing me results in them gaining nothing."


    Hod''s head twitched as he mouthed, "Hod not take well to any hurt for Amara. Amara beautiful."


    Amara steepled her hands, "Hod defends me with totality. It serves well in my meetings with others. As my reputation grows, I garner more resources for my...research. The cycle continues, giving me more material to work with."


    I spoke to Amara, "Yeah, I''m going to need to see this research in detail." I turned to Wrath,


    "Alright, we''ll help you after agreeing on the rewards. I''m sorry, but outside of that, I can''t promise much. I need to cut this conversation short cause I''m in a hurry. As for Plazia-Ruhl, I have a few tips."


    Wrath sighed, "Then your assistance is appreciated, but your knowledge of Plazia-Ruhl cannot outdo my own. He is an enemy of epochs, one who has existed since ancient times. We''ve fought with him more than any other foe, and we''ve learned of his trickery."


    I counted on my fingers, "Well, a reminder never hurt. First, don''t walk into traps. Second, get an expert in runic knowledge. Third, don''t give him a lot of time to plot and plan. Keep it busy, or it will gut you while you sleep."


    A phantom pain ran up my spine, "With a bit of time, the guy can craft some pretty unimaginable horrors."


    Wrath stepped up to me, raising her clawed hands,


    "You understand our enemy well, better than many of our world. I too have warned the other queens of giving Plazia time to fester. They neglect the diligence to quash this enemy. That abomination has blighted our worlds for long enough. We must destroy him before he is given a chance to do the same to us."


    Wrath paced back and forth, "The others ignore my worries. They say I am a bloodthirsty razor queen. Though truth soaks their words, my bloodthirst has yet to cloud my judgment on this issue. I know this to be true. Plazia is plotting something. We must strike before that monster finishes his plan. Otherwise, we may be the ones who are eaten in its place."


    I frowned, "If you ask me, your planet is already doomed. If it''s anything like Baldag-Ruhl, it''s far too late to recover now."


    Wrath stopped pacing, turning up to me, "You''d say Plazia''s jaws are already around our neck then?"


    I shrugged, "Well, the situation probably isn''t that bad. It just sounds like the situation has gotten complicated. If that''s the case, the more intelligent someone is, the better a chance they have at succeeding. That''s why I recommend smashing someone like Plazia before that ever happens. Otherwise, your chances of winning begin to dwindle."


    Wrath peered down, "I will use your omen to sway the other queens. Perhaps your reasoning will bolster my own claims. Time will tell."


    I turned to Amara, "So, how about you show me your research?"


    Amara grinned at me, "You will be pleased I would think."


    Wrath and Hod followed, the four of us passing over towards an orichalcum bunker. The green metal served as a reinforcement to the eldritch''s prisons, runic markings suppressing them. After stepping up, I pulled open the doorway, making a note of the security involved.


    Once inside, a metal hallway lined with clear, crystal glass kept the eldritch at bay. Finding a panel near me, I inspected the glass. At a touch, I learned it wasn''t glass at all; it was some kind of polymer composite. Upon closer inspection, I found tiny strips of gray crisscrossing the glass.


    Amara stepped up behind me, her hands clasped behind her,


    "It would seem that you are curious. I shall explain. This uses strips of graphene to strengthen the cleared crystal. While not wielding the same strength as orichalcum, it allows us to study the eldritch."


    Behind the panel, a ravenous, acid hornet stayed locked in a nest of its solidified saliva. It glared at us, its glowing green eyes piercing and loaded with malice. I peered back, Event Horizon saturating my frame.


    Its bravery crumbled as it skulked into the back corner. Wrath and Amara turned to me. Amara murmured,


    "That is...impressive. That''s the Blight Wasp. It''s a sample we found forty miles south of here. Her kinds saliva solidifies into materials harder than steel. It''s the strongest adhesive we''ve found. The acid breaks it down, though it also breaks anything else down as well."


    "Huh, interesting."


    We continued down to the next containment cell. From within, a shapeshifting being tucked itself into a corner. Its body wriggled back and forth, struggling to take a set form. I turned to me, locking hollowed eyes with mine. It''s frame expanded, cracking as wood covered its skin. Glowing green veins streaked across a now muscled frame.


    A mane of flowing leaves reached its waist behind the creature as it reached out with a massive palm. Larger than life, its voice echoed through the chamber and glass,


    "It''s good we meet once more, Harbinger?"


    I took a step back, fear racing up my spine. The spitting image of Yawm laughed before stepping forward with its arms spread wide,


    "I still see you own the same fear as before. Good. Your fear will keep you alive. It shows you when you''re outclassed, and at this moment, it is ringing in your ears, isn''t it?"


    With absolute confidence, Yawm steepled his hands, "I suggest you listen to it. Otherwise, you might find yourself shattered and broken, a corpse among the many."


    My heart pounded in my chest until I could hear the pulse in my ears. I turned to Amara, "What the fuck is that?"


    Amara seethed, "It is a shapeshifter that mimics your greatest fear. I despise the creature. It is a coward that relishes in the fear of others."


    The shapeshifter glared at Amara, its form changing once more. Bark turned to metal, and biological panels of darkened steel formed over its frame. It increased in size further, an aura of red saturating its structure. This suffocating, weighted presence soaked over us, permeating every crevice of the room.


    A spitting image of me, the shapeshifter crossed its arms and leaned towards Amara, "You think I''m afraid of you?"


    Amara''s face wrinkled all over as she frowned. She kept herself composed as she turned to me, however,


    "It''s ability to read into the mind of anyone that locks with its eyes is invaluable. The ability to reform is useful for several of our members as well."


    The shapeshifter took a few steps forward until it stood inches from the glass. It glared down at Amara, a sinister smile of jagged, metal teeth forming on the helmet,


    "Are you ignoring me?"


    Amara''s breathing hastened. It continued,


    "I''m your only hope to survive, yet you think you can ignore me?" It banged a massive hand against the glass. Amara whimpered, taking a step back. The shapeshifter goaded,


    "I can melt you with so much as a thought. Be careful, or you''ll be locked in one of these cages next." It turned to me,


    "Isn''t that right?"


    I grimaced while showing it what the real thing was like. With a wave of Event Horizon, its hand evaporated into mana. I frowned at the eldritch,


    "Fuck off."


    The shapeshifter scampered back to the back of the compartment. It shivered with fear as I turned to Amara,


    "You think I''m scarier than Yawm? Really?"


    Amara twitched, "Please speak on this later when other hunters aren''t here."


    I turned to Hod and Wrath, "Alright, if you say so."


    Wrath glanced up at me, "You fear that being of wood the most?"


    I shrugged, "Uh, I guess so. It makes sense to me. When we met, I was as helpless as I could be against Yawm. I had to lie to him over and over just to survive. Otherwise, he''d use me as an experiment or mana battery. At this point, he wouldn''t be able to lord over me like that."


    I sighed, "But...I still remember what that was like I suppose."


    Wrath tilted her head, "You''re open with your weakness. Few would do the same in Svia. As queens of many, we must feel no fear and relish in devouring the weak. Otherwise, the other ahcorus will believe we are frail. The frail are fed to the strong in Svia."


    I raised my eyebrows, "That''s a way of living, I guess. As long as the weak contribute, I''m fine with them doing whatever personally. Anyways, someone mentioned eldritch escaping here. What escaped and how?"


    Amara grimaced, "An incorporeal eldritch escaped its containment through one of the guards. They ended up devouring several other guards before we could respond. Seeing the swollen belly of a possessed human...it left a mark on many who saw it."


    The image of a fattened zombie popped into my head. I gestured towards the cells, "What do you do now to prevent that?"


    We stepped towards a cell. Two mages stood guard of a shadow wisp floating under florescent lights. One of the guards slept while the other suppressed the wisp. Amara spread her arms to them,


    "Torix has been teaching many students the art of mental manipulation. Using those students, I created a rotating set of guards. They keep the shadow wisp confined to this space, and they reap the rewards for it. We keep the controller since it gives insights into mind magic and possession."


    Amara met my eye, "Considering the enemy we face on Giess, it is invaluable to learn what we can, any way we can. Otherwise, we will be hunted."


    I nodded, "Alright, that makes sense. Set up a few more guards along the outside of this place to contain any events of contamination. Give a stipend to the guard''s families, and have a reward ceremony and burial for each of them. Make it clear how much their sacrifice helped the colony. That should help ease the grief if only a little bit."


    Amara bowed to me, "It will be as you requested."


    I turned towards the doorway, "I''m setting up additional defenses for this base. You''ll be safe, but if the eldritch leave this facility, they will be disintegrated. Just letting you know."


    "Understood."


    "Alright, see you guys later. Sorry I couldn''t talk more, but I''m in a rush."


    Hod stepped up, so I turned to him, "What''s up?"


    "Hod...Hod sorry for eldritch threat. Hod not prepared. Hod not let happen again. Hod protect home."


    I put a hand on his shoulder, "It''s alright. You guys did a good job holding this place down while I was gone. Everything''s coming along nicely, and there were only a few mistakes. I doubt I''d have done a better job in all honesty."


    I turned around, waving to them, "Keep it up, guys."


    As I left them, Wrath and Amara gushed about the eldritch, though they kept their tones different. Wrath focused on killing them while Amara concentrated on understanding them. They complemented one another, each of them offering something new.


    After stepping out of prison, I made my way towards the third floor. Along the massive pillar of stone at the center of the mountain, orichalcum bonds reinforced the structure. While not as robust as my armor, it held some antimagic properties, and it was harder than steel. Combine that with murals of runic work, and the defense here wasn''t bad.


    It could be better. It would be better.


    As I stepped out onto the third floor, the curved bookshelves met my eye. They oriented themselves around the colossal pillar, giving easy access to students studying on the third floor. Stepping out, I drew in another scene''s worth of people, but I expected as much. After handling a few questions, I hovered myself up towards the top of the pillar.


    There I intended to create the runic inscriptions and positioning of the blue core. The central position was at the deepest part of Mt. Verner. This made coating the mountain with a forcefield the easiest it could be. Hovering up there along the high roof, murals of battle covered the ceiling. A few of the art students must''ve been commissioned for the work.


    A few segments of the painting depicted our battle against Yawm. Other portions showed my fight against Polydra, the paint still drying in a few spots. The flowing art style gave a dramatic feel to the equally dramatic events. I liked it a lot.


    After appreciating the aesthetic, I sliced into the stone using a blade of thermal energy. It melted the rock into a thin slice of magma. I pulled the chunk of stone out of the pillar, using a gravity well to stop magma from dripping below. Once inside the support, I hollowed out a portion of the support by melting it. I pooled the magma outside, freezing it with bursts of icy energy.


    Once I hollowed out a sizeable space, I reinforced this inner sanctum with the molten portions of my own armor. A thick plating of the dense, dimensional fabric kept the chamber safe. After adding a few more supports, I kept the overall structure safe.


    With safety ensured, I pulled out one of my blue cores. With it, I created the specific zone needing the core''s protection using the menu. I created the area necessary for the eldritch facility, and I gave Amara immunity to the core''s defenses. After finalizing a few more details, I finished the defense system''s creation.


    The hexagonal patterns dispersed around Mt. Verner, though I missed the sight deep within its depths. Sitting there, I charged the blue core while stepping out and inspecting the magical area. Before leaving, I resealed the stone doorway, knowing no one needed access.


    I found several new areas here. Instead of having the old world magical feel of before, quite a bit of tech crept its way in. One of the departments used the same virtualizations as the previous floor. After making the same comments as before to this area, I explored further.


    Along the northern side, sorcerors refined their magic in surprising ways. They used runic weapons, pistols with barrels and handles lined with inscriptions. These runes gave them superior balance, aim, and power for their own magic. Some even assisted the conversion of mana into their own elemental forces.


    Further within, I found sparring matches within the armors that Diesel designed. Like golems fighting, they practiced wielding EMD''s by wrestling. Jerky, unrefined, and raw, they needed quite a bit more experience before they were ready for an actual dungeon.


    Still, it was a start.


    Outside of that, I found the elemental weapons department. Turns out mana acted as an excellent catalyst for elemental casting. Weaponizing it proved far more effective than using conventional means. Room-clearing acid bombs, blinding spore gases, origin mana overloading mines, insanity potions, hell, they even had tranquilizer darts that turned you into easy to kill animals.


    The creativity at work defied convention. Compared to my own use of magic, it almost embarrassed me. I took a few mental notes as I passed, impressed by the work on display. The most impressive sight was when I passed the sparring room. A young, orange-haired mage sparred against three other sorcerors. None of them wore armor, each of them preferring the mobility of robed combat.


    I gazed at the battle as the three mages attacked Mr. Orange Hair all at once. Mr. Orange Hair created a panel of violet, arcane energy in front of him. The other energies fizzled against it, the arcane energy dispersing as Orange Hair shot out a few blips of the volatile energy.


    The other mages blocked using created matter. I nodded as I saw that. It was a tactic I used as well. Arcane energy disintegrated anything it touched, meaning something as simple as dirt was a highly effective defense. These mages took full advantage of the opening that defense offered, pummelling orange hair with a variety of spells. Orange hair rolled sideways before standing upright with two hands raised.


    Violet spears formed, each of them about six feet long. I nodded with a grin. Clever. If matter blocked arcane energy, then the longer the bolt, the more piercing power it had. Orange Hair feigned against the two outer mages. They rolled out of the spell''s way, both of them crumbling under pressure.


    As they stopped, Orange hair ducked under a bolt of lightning while slinging the spears. They stopped inches in front of the chests of the two mages. After that, the middle mage and Orange Hair exchanged a few spells. Within minutes, Orange Hair suppressed them.


    Impressed by the display, I walked into the sparring area. Within it, I remembered who Orange Hair was.


    "You...You''re Alexander, right?"


    Orange Hair turned to me, "Uh, yes. It''s good to see you, commander."


    The four of them bowed to me, but I raised a palm, "Guys, at ease. Anyways, that was impressive. Just stopping by to let you know to keep up the excellent work.


    Alexander beamed a grin at me, his chest puffed, "Of course sir. Ah, my pain tolerance is seventy-six. I didn''t let that lesson go to waste."


    I grinned, "Get to the upper eighties soldier. Dismissed."


    Alexander went back to help his fellow fighters while I finished my inspection of Torix''s university. It was in excellent shape. With that finished, I took a tour of the fourth floor where the logistics for the guild was handled. All kinds of accountants, managers, and organizers worked here.


    Along with handling the logistics, other shops popped up in the floor. They sold exotic alien goods that were traded in for Earth''s pre Schema goods. These oddities filled in all kinds of needs, from eldritch goods to specific tech for obelisks. After passing that floor by, I moved up to the fifth floor where the garden flourished.


    Strange plants of all kinds covered the area, many new types prospering. They offered exotic fruits with unique properties for alchemy. Many expanded faster than typical plants, their actual growth evident in real-time. Either way, they fueled the growth of the colony, and that was the general message since coming here - the situation was pretty damn solid.


    If anything, Torix managed the facility with a deft hand and great care. It surprised me, but it also put me at ease. Having somewhere to return to made traveling more comfortable. It kept me grounded. With those thoughts swimming through my mind, I sent a message,


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 10,250 | Guildmaster: The Harbinger''s Legion(S-) | Titles: The Harbinger of Cataclysm, The Cleanser of Polydra | Cities: Mt. Verner, Elderfire) - The base is looking good. Keep up the excellent work.


    With everything handled, I traveled back down towards the residential ground floor. As the giant elevators at the center of the facility hummed, I noticed a holographic screen in the elevator''s room. On it, an edited video of my battle raged on screen. Several others riding the elevator peered back between the fight and me.


    I ignored the attention until something unexpected popped onto the screen. Images of the dreadnought''s underbelly flashed with a black and white filter. Torix edited the footage to show the horror that Tohtella committed. I winced at the footage, the brutality cutting like a knife.


    It reminded me of what I was fighting for as well. Well, that and the fact Tohtella would be pissed when she saw that footage being spread around. As I stepped up past a few onlookers and into the warp, it felt good having somewhere to come back too. My helmet crept over my face as I glared forward.


    This place was my home, and I''d do everything in my power to keep it that way.

 237 Tactics

    Flashing back towards Elderfire, I stepped out onto the city''s center. Gialgathens flew overhead, carrying clusters of wisps held in glass orbs. Several groups of gialgathens carried tail covers on their back. This allowed them to smash a Hybrid, get rid of a tail cover, then replace it with a new one. Considering how infectious the Hybrids where, that kind of defensive utility was invaluable.


    Walking past a few groups, they gave me a bow of respect. It weirded me out as always as I stepped up to Spear. I tapped the Sentinel''s shoulder,


    "Hey, we''re about to head out."


    The Sentinel''s shoulders moved as he jostled back to life. Standing upright, Spear cracked his neck before turning to me, "Then let us go."


    We passed through Elderfire before meeting up with Torix. The ancient lich tapped his finger over a map as we paced up.


    Spear walked up, "We''re ready to leave."


    Torix cackled, "Excellent. This battle will be different from the last, that much I know for certain."


    I raised an eyebrow, "So we''re not just rushing in?"


    Torix lifted a map with the flick of his finger, hovering it against a wall,


    "This is a map of Astelle. With it, we can come in through the sewers like before. The goal is to overwhelm them with a direct assault that crushes their resistance to ash."


    I walked up, staring at the map. It showed a city surrounded by ancient woods, the kind of town from early civilization. As I inspected closer, I committed the routes to memory. Unlike in Polydra, we weren''t forced into heading in blind. Instead, we had a choice to take our time and really wallop them from the get-go.


    Torix cupped his bony chin while staring up at me, "What are you pondering?"


    I pointed at a few places, "This city will have spires, won''t it?"


    "I would assume so."


    "Then they''ll probably be here, here, and here. The Adair Family likes to cluster the spires along the outskirts of the city, and those chokepoints let them keep the city contained. It also prevents anyone from burrowing out of the city. They have these root systems that extend outwards."


    I clasped a hand, channeling energy into a mana bomb, "We can run along the sewers of this town and plant bombs onto those roots to blow these connections points apart. After that, I''ll use my Orbital Bombardment to make a splash as we rush in."


    Torix leaned back, "Huh...that sounds, ahem, well thought out."


    I turned to him, "I''m just using the information I have. It''s like you said. They''ll be more prepared this time. We''ll need to finish this fast before Lehesion can show up and make a mess. We still aren''t ready to take him down."


    Torix spread out his arms, "I didn''t take you for much of a strategic asset, and perhaps I was correct in that regard. However, tactically speaking, this is quite the edge we''ve gained if you happen to be correct." Torix turned towards the map,


    "Considering the chokepoints you mentioned, perhaps we can design a route using the city''s sewer structure? It should aid in speeding through this process."


    I nodded, "Yeah, that''ll work. You can sketch that up in a few minutes and send us the coordinates, right?"


    Torix steepled his fingers and cackled, "If I couldn''t, then I wouldn''t be much of a mastermind than, would I?"


    "Good. We''ll head out towards the landing zone when you can organize the soldiers."


    Torix sent a few messages using his status, "I''ve already sent the position for them to head to. We''ll be traveling using our Sentinel''s spears."


    Spear raised a, well, spear, "I am known as Spear now."


    Torix turned to him, looking him up and down,


    "Hmm...fitting. Spear can land us relatively close to the city. He''s been stationed within a rift near the area fortunately for us."


    I received the meetup position in my status before rolling my shoulders, "Let''s show them what we''re made of."


    After stepping out of the temple, we rendezvoused with the troops. Near the outskirts of Elderfire, our legions assembled. They carried more confidence than before. We would need that if this was going to work. As I placed another mana bomb into my storage, soldiers lined up. Many carried fresh scars on their faces.


    Beside me, Krog landed with enough weight to quake the stony slabs over the sand. He gave me a bow before looking towards the troops. Kessiah rode on his back, her face exhausted yet determined. They faced the Hybrids in Polydra, yet they still went into battle. Many of the gialgathens here did the same.


    It took guts to stand up after seeing those monsters in person. As a hundred or so gialgathens amassed in front of me, a few butterflies flew up in my stomach. That nausea crept up into my chest as I got nervous.


    There was expectation in the crowd. They needed a leader, and I was the best we had. No matter how many times I did this, it never got more comfortable. The thing is, they showed guts coming to fight again. It was my duty to show some guts too.


    I lifted my hands, "Everyone here saw the battle for Polydra?"


    Almost everyone nodded.


    "Then you understand what''s at stake. The Adair Family is going to turn each and every one of you into mindless husks. In a way, your backs are against a wall, and there''s nowhere to run. It''s death one way or the other."


    I banged my fists, "How do you want to die? Strung up by butchers, or would you rather burn in a blaze of glory, a fire to be remembered?"


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They gave me cacophony of roars, deafening like thunder in your eardrums. I gripped my hands into fists, giving them a look of absolute confidence. I spread The Rise of Eden over as many soldiers as I could,


    "That''s good, because we won''t be dying here. We know the enemy, and they lack grit. They fight with surrogates instead of fighting in person. They can never understand our resolve because they would never do the same."


    I banged my chest, the sound of metal on metal echoing across the desert,


    "Let''s show them the might of those that fight for survival."


    As the crowd boomed, I pressed my palm together for anther mana bomb. I turned to Krog, "You know the plan?"


    Krog nodded, "Of course. According to Torix, you and I will be planting bombs before I rush in with the soldiers. You''ll be creating chaos elsewhere."


    I grinned, "Good. Let''s go."


    As Krog explained the plan to the troops, I created more mana crystals. As I did so, I experimented. Instead of creating pure quintessence bombs, I injected a bit of ascendant mana into them as well. This created white crystals that carried flowing red streaks in them.


    The idea was simple. Instead of making mindless elemental flows, I intended on giving the elements a bit of sentience. Nothing too complicated, but just enough that ascendant mana would affect them. This provided the elemental bombardments with a targeting system of sorts.


    It would be like detonating a grenade and having the shrapnel seek out enemies. The idea seemed sound as I progressed through the various mana bombs I created.


    Breakthrough achieved! Mana Crystallization(lvl 13) --->(lvl 38)


    The bonus enhanced my fluidity and control, letting me give a firmer intent to the mana crystals. By the time everyone was up to date, and Spear ripped open a portal, I created twenty crystals. Stepping up to the portal, I ripped it open, letting the troops walk through.


    As the last one through the warp, we ended up beside an eldritch''s nest.  A hive of spacial ants warped around in a colony made of chewed wood. This anthill stood taller than a small building, piled on top of what used to be a dungeon entrance.


    The situation lacked any real urgency, however. Many of Giess''s flaming anteaters feasted on the eldritch. Literal herds congregated around the anthill, their tongues lashing like flaming chains at the ants. This natural wildlife made Giess safe even without the espens clearing dungeons. It''s crazy to think that ended up being more of a problem than a boon. It led to the reliance on natural mana, the silvers spreading, and even the espens lack of initiative.


    It was too late to solve that problem now. With our routes set, we traversed through a familiar ancient wood. As we passed trees that dwarfed even redwoods, Krog spoke with a mystic reverence,


    "This is where the world began on Giess. This is one of the most ancient woods and the first place where our species crawled up from the oceans. Our connection with life is greatest here, and this is also where Lehesion was born."


    Krog grimaced, "And now it will be the place where our kind was slaughtered and used as cattle."


    I shook my head, "It will be the place where the gialgathens fought back. That is how it will be remembered."


    Krog peered ahead, "Yes...It will be."


    As we navigated through the dense forests, mana crystals stayed exposed on the surface. Here the wildlife effused mana, ancient and powerful beings staying here. Ice hydras, island sized turtles, even aetherial wisps stayed here. As we closed in on Astelle, the wildlife changed.


    A few of the natural creatures showed scars or signs of hybridization. The mana here carried the Hybrid''s blight, infected with their ilk. Their stench tainted the wind, and their poison effused the ground. It showed that while the wildlife stopped silvers, they couldn''t stop the Hybrids.


    That task fell to us. After a half-hour of traveling, we reached near Astelle. The city laid at the center of an island lake and along its shores. Ancient as time itself, the stones carried the deep scars of wind and rain. The new scars carved into these old buildings from the Hybrids above.


    They swarmed from dreadnoughts above the city. They reminded me of an anthill that was stepped on, their numbers changing the color of the landscape. The same horrors blotted the area, and the spires wriggled above the horizon, enclosing the skies.


    Hybrids corrupted the skin and flesh of gialgathens, many robbed of their lives as they were harvested. Unlike Polydra, Astelle lacked a prison that protected them. They took the full brunt of the Adair Family''s power. In the face of their might, the gialgathens fizzled like cinders under a rainstorm.


    We were ready for this, however.


    Most of the forces stayed back, hiding along the forest''s wall. Krog and I snuck out towards the eastern edge of the city. There we found the entrance to the sewers. Guarding it, two Hybrids cackled like deformed insects.


    Signalling Krog, I sprinted forward and lifted up my hands. As I did, walls of rock compressed over the Hybrids. I heated the rock with Star Forger, melting it within a second. They still moved even when covered in lava. To stop them, I flash froze the rock.


    As the lava hardened, the Hybrids stalled in glassy obsidian. Running up, I smashed them with telekinetic bullets. Shattering like ice sculptures, I turned towards Krog. The old general''s eyes opened wide as he whispered,


    "You might''ve discovered their weakness."


    I rolled my fingers, "Let''s hope. Come on."


    After wrenching open the gate, we ran through the sewers. The map Torix obtained was up to date, and the routes held up. We tore the Hybrids apart using the flash freeze method I stumbled upon earlier. It made killing them far quieter, which worked in our favor.


    We passed through a ten-mile circle of the city. I planted all twenty mana crystals near the roots of the spires and at critical locations. It took a bit of rerouting since my predictions weren''t perfect, but they were close enough. Along the way, we decimated the underground forces planted here, giving our forces routes to escape and move through.


    Within thirty minutes, we completed the operation. With the sewers cleared, we regrouped with our troops. They still hid within the dense underbrush of the ancient woods. After Krog assumed control of the soldiers, Spear and I made a mad dash through the sewers once more.


    As we searched, we uncovered more tactical information. Near the bay of the lake, we discovered new piping leading to the island at Astelle''s center. These routes proved valuable as the lake teemed with Hybrids. Their metal frames let them run across the lake''s bottom. This gave the monsters fantastic aquatic maneuverability when you''d think they could hardly move.


    The massive pipelines gave us dozens of routes towards the island, evading our enemies when they enjoyed an advantage. We also avoided their aerial support which was a nice bonus. Here at the center of Astelle, many of the Adair Family''s forces clustered together. With a bit of scouting, we found the majority of the captured gialgathens stuck in pits. There they hybridized in an orange soup.


    Between several pits, we pinpointed the perfect place for unloading the Orbital Bombardment. With our mission complete, Spear warped us out. After informing Krog and the soldiers of the new routes, we adjusted our obelisk''s maps. The preparation emboldened our troops, instilling confidence where there was none. In a way, all the pieces we needed fell in place.


    Compared with the last assault, this one would make it look like child''s play. With time on our side, Spear warped us out into the Rak''Sha desert. We took the next few minutes prepping the final details - more mana bombs, more molten dimensional fabric in my storage, and enough mana for a singularity in my blood.


    Like clockwork, I rose into the atmosphere over the next ten minutes. A comet coming from the sky, I raced down with enough force to level a city. Around me, the violet hues of heat coursed over my skin. The portal expanded in my vision, a spot of sewer floor in the middle of the sandy dunes.


    I sent a mental message towards the troops to rush in. They ran down the preplanned routes, ready to detonate the mana bombs with a telepathic wave. With seconds before I landed onto the ground, I issued the final command.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 10,250 | Guildmaster: The Harbinger''s Legion(S-) | Titles: The Harbinger of Cataclysm, The Cleanser of Polydra | Cities: Mt. Verner, Elderfire) - Let''s go.

 238 Brimstone and Steel

    The mana bombs exploded moments before I collided with the ground. The raw quintessence manifested into the same elemental fires of before. Once fully ablaze, they spiraled into vast tornadoes of fire and ice. Hollowed eyes and rasping cries echoed from the energies as they sought out anything alive near them.


    In a rush, these beings of pure power rushed into the nearby spires beside them. They wrestled for control, storms forming over the city as clouds darkened and lightning struck. The wailing and combat expanded into an earth-shattering frenzy. The booming echoes tore apart, and the lake around Astelle boiled.


    It was pure chaos.


    When I landed, the Adair Family''s troops scrambled to retaliate. My eyes went white, my vision ceasing as the ground trembled. My impact converted into a wave of heat that expanded outwards in an unstoppable shockwave. The kinetic force leveled buildings like an avalanche leveling trees. The deafening crash silenced the roar of battle like a thunderclap silencing a scream. Even the mushroom cloud expanding off the collision tore the sky apart in its wake.


    Rising from the resulting magma pit, I peered around. Finding several of the encampments ravaged, I dashed towards the pits they stored gialgathens in. We calculated correctly, and the Hybrid holds stayed along the edges of the impact radius. This collapsed most of the Hybrid''s defenses yet kept the captured safe.


    Once upon them, I inspected the orange pits. More Hybridized than on Polydra, they carried deep implants and cyberization. Despite those signs, they could recover. The dreadnoughts would fully process them, and that couldn''t be done down here.


    Sending a command, I signaled for our gialgathens to fly over towards us. They dashed over the chaotic battlefield in pairs of two with wire nets between them. As they landed near me, I pulled gialgathens from the pits and put them into the mesh. With four gialgathens apiece, we doubled the number of gialgathens our troops could carry.


    After packing dozens of the fallen, Krog landed beside me as Hybrids across the city sprinted towards us. I welled a mass of mana into my hands before melting the stone beneath their feet. With a quick turn of my arms, the magma lifted, and flash froze over them.


    Once encased in obsidian, I expanded the Rise of Eden across our forces. Krog took a deep breath, the wind whistling as he expanded his chest. With a blaring howl, Krog sent out a sonic shockwave across the hordes of frozen Hybrids.


    They shattered outwards in a broad wave like falling dominoes as Krog turned in a full circle. As Krog finished his sonic breath, he stood tall over dozens of destroyed Hybrids, nothing left but shards of shiny obsidian.


    "It would seem as if we''ve stumbled onto a potent maneuver."


    I lifted another few gialgathens into the last of our wired nets, "We''ll use it later. Let''s go."


    With our forces gathered, we rode over Astelle''s lake, the stormy clouds cloaking us in the shade. Without the spires pinning us down, flying was an option. We abused it as the enemy rallied from our initial burst. Their dreadnoughts turned their massive cannons towards us, aiming at the center of our aerial force.


    Before they shot outwards, I reached out a hand and unloaded a singularity onto one of the ships. I aimed at the cannons themselves, causing a potent discharge of arcane energy as the batteries overcharged. Portions of the vessel vaporized in a clean line from the singularity''s black void. Once full, the darkness imploded, the perfect sphere of black giving way to reality once more.


    The forcefield over the ship turned into a stormy sea, rippling with abandon. Before the other dreadnought shot us, I turned towards the barrel''s line of sight. I stopped in place, anchoring myself with gravity. I lowered my hands before straining my mana and arms.


    As I slowly lifted my hands, an enormous panel of gravity lifted a portion of Astelle''s lake. The shoreline fell a few feet as a swirling plume of water blocked an incoming bolt of arcane lightning. Ensnared into the water, the bolt fizzled into nothing as the water boiled.


    Wielding it, I shoved the colossal water cloud towards one of the dreadnoughts. It covered the entire ship in boiling water, covering it completely. Before letting the water go, I welled even more mana from my blood. A thermal wave coursed through the water. In a moment, the water froze into a glacier that surrounded the dreadnought.


    Weighed down, the dreadnought hovered down towards the lake below. With another monstrous wave of mana, I pulled it into the aquatic abyss. A tsunami rose from the water, rushing across the lake as the dreadnought fell into the depths.


    Once beneath the water, I extended the icy prison using the lake. The deep blue water shifted into white ice as I willed it. It looked like the tsunami caused it, my pace matching the wave. Once frozen in place, the dreadnought remained suspended in the icy prison.


    Only one dreadnought remained in the sky after that. I glanced below, watching Hybrids get sent tumbling within the massive wave''s aftermath. Above them, the gigantic vessel fought off a few of our remaining gialgathens soldiers. They swarmed in circles around it, pelting the ship with flame.


    The forcefield held up before the vessel opened panels across the sides of the ship. From within, thoroughly hybridized gialgathens rode out. Some kind of humanoids rode on the backs of these metal terrors. Clad in power armor, they sent out psionic waves across the skylines. Our gialgathens fell from the sky like flies, unable to withstand the mental assault.


    Dashing towards the ship, I sent a message to avoid the flying Hybrids at all costs and to retreat. Like a bullet, I ripped across Astelle''s skyline, the water of the lake billowing beneath me. As I reached peak velocity, I charged my mana into my blood at the same time.


    By the time I reached the ship, I broke the sound barrier. Crashing with a colossal thud, I snapped the forcefield apart before unloading another singularity into the ship''s depths. It turned sideways on the impact, being jettisoned in different directions by contrasting forces. It stayed afloat as I ripped my way back out of the vessel.


    Across the skies, gialgathens fought what was once their own kin. These shattered beings showed the Adair family''s intentions. Entirely hybridized, they carried the disfigurement from their abuse. Open wounds littered their frames, the tubing from their pods being ripped out without time to heal. The orange gunk within the Hybrids pumped through their veins, keeping them alive. Like pulsing flesh sacks, they sustained inhuman metabolisms.


    One gialgathen set the new, flying Hybrids ablaze. The Hybrid took the punishment, its metal skin scorching. The beast roared out with a metal voice, screeching like a machine. The orange fluid coagulated over the ruined metal skin. Cords rose out of its body, covering the massive wounds as it chased down the gialgathen that burned it.


    I propelled myself out of the shuttle, bending steel like tinfoil under my feet. With a soul-shattering impact, I collided into the Hybridized gialgathen. The power armor wearing rider whipped in the air like a leaf in the wind. While tumbling with the Hybrid, I reached out a hand towards the rider.


    A dozen tiny, condensed gravity wells spiraled inside its metal plating. Blood bubbled up from underneath the humanoid''s facemask as the individual grinded up into pulp from within. I spread my fingers, the being''s limbs ripping off and blood drenching down like rain. Turning back to the Hybrid, the metal plating and cords shifted under my hands like logs floating on a river.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Its body rived as it contorted back towards me. With a chilling howl, it sent innumerable cords at my eyes, skin, and body. They crashed against me like drills of paper against stone. Snapping onto my helmet, the monster''s jagged teeth snapped against my plating.


    I dug my hands into its body while wrapping Event Horizon over it. Screeching like rippling wire, it caved away from me. We crashed into the ground with a colossal thump. As the ground shook beneath our landing point, I wrenched its body apart. Covered in its orange blood, I glanced up. It disintegrated beneath me as I analyzed one of the flying Hybrids.


    Blighted One(lvl 12,712) - This twisted apparition is the soulless body of what was once a gialgathen. Having its blood replaced with a bionic solution of sorts, the proteins composing its flesh have given way to corded steel. Combined with elastic polymers, and the flexibility retained makes the beast far tougher against most damage.


    It lacks the reasoning and awareness to do anything outside of eat, hate, and fear. These primal emotions resemble an eldritch more than a machine, its higher-level cognitive functions reduced to nothing in the wake of hybridization. This prevents any kind of rehabilitation. In more than one way, this process is a permanent reduction in mental functions, effectively killing the individual.


    In many ways, it''s a fate worse than death. The memories of the individual surface rarely and are scanned for information from those that control this beast. That is the sole reason for this beast''s creation. Within the Adair Family''s army, these creatures create an aerial backbone that is difficult to stop by conventional means.


    Missiles often use heat-seeking for aiming systems. These are cold-blooded, creating a need for individualized targeting systems. Worse still, melee combat is absolutely out of the option. Raw strength aside, these creatures can quickly assimilate even rugged fighters. Contact with this creature is a death sentence.


    The best method of handling this creature is by killing the psionic master that rides its back. If you fail to do so, the beast will use advanced maneuvers against you. Once the psionic is executed, the beast''s higher-level functions cease to exist, and it will attack friend and foe alike.


    It poses no threat to you, however.


    I smirked as I glanced at the last bit. I rolled my shoulders before dashing up towards the fray. Surrounded by the pandemonium, I found a dozen of our gialgathens having individual dog fights with the blighted ones. I rushed beside three of them. As I did, I created a gravity well over me.


    Their flight paths altered into orbits around me, pulling them in. In front of each rider, I created water panels. As they crashed through them, I froze them mid-flight. These ice walls knocked the blighted riders off the blighted one''s backs. With the rider and beasts separated, our troops burned them alive with vibrant, red flames.


    Collapsing in towards me, the blighted ones shattered their icy, melting confinements. As they did, I poured Event Horizon over them and locked them in place. Gravity wells anchored them before I lugged them behind me like an ugly, metal sack of potatoes.


    Like mobile batteries, they fueled me as I flew and helped my other soldiers. As I passed up, several of the mind mages smashed their wills against mine. Stunned for a moment, I stopped my flight, paralyzed by psionic daggers they lobbed against me.


    If I was to compare them with the last mind mages, these were like hammers instead of scalpels. They aimed to smash my mind into shards, crippling me in the process. After taking their first onslaught, I retaliated in kind. Diving deep into the minds of many, a few of their thoughts sprung into my mind.


    ''Kill him.''


    ''Get that monster away from me.''


    ''When is Lehesion coming?''


    After pulling them to me and disintegrated them with Event Horizon, I worried over that last thought. Capable as I was, I wasn''t ready to face Lehesion on my own. I got back to our mission''s goal. A few quick skirmishes later, our forces expunged the last of the blighted ones.


    With a half dozen dying behind me, I created rock over them, melted it onto them, then froze it. Like a ball of metal and obsidian toffee, the black and metal ball disgusted me. I reared my hands apart. Clapping my hands together with all my strength, I created a shockwave that snapped them into brittle pieces. Suspending those parts, I disintegrated the dead bodies.


    Turning towards the flying dreadnought, I analyzed the battlefield. Our forces tore open the hull already. They ripped out dozens of gialgathens, the inner crew left in chaos. Another wave of mind magic hit me as I stood still, but I fought it off, gritting my teeth as I did. Clasping my hands, I dashed in to help them out.


    This was a circumstance I often dreaded - what if the mind mages targeted my soldiers instead of me? Turns out I shouldn''t have worried. The gialgathens communicate through telepathy. In a way, two arguing gialgathens fought in a psionic battle. Though nowhere the level of these mages, our forces held their own enough for me to help.


    Not crippled by the psionic offensive, we finished the crew of the dreadnought. I gained about twenty gialgathens into my storage before we flew over towards the remaining battleships.


    The ice suspending the dreadnought almost caved by now. Blighted ones melted the ice with green, sickly fire and cracked it with their tails. As they unleashed their breaths, a saddening chorus erupted from the lake. It was as if the converted gialgathens lamented the twisted shadows they became.


    Giving them release, Krog flew over with a squadron of gialgathens. Krog adjusted his tactics from before, keeping as much distance from them as possible. They smothered the escaping riders and blighted with their flames. The blighted ones recovered, but the riders burned alive. Even the ship itself melted under the incendiary breath.


    Singeing metal and white mist covered the lake as both sides held out for victory. Our team kept the edge, so I let them be. This gave me time to face the remaining dreadnought without arcane cannons. It prepared reserve rifles that slung out plasma bolts. As I reached the ship, their guns charged with blinding light.


    With a bit of creativity, I filled the barrels with dense stone. As they fired, the plasma recoiled into the ship, the cylinders ripping to shreds in a blob of blue light. The plasma ate metal as I reached out a hand, having charged enough energy for a singularity once more.


    Another growing blot of darkness expanded but within the ship this time. As it released kinetic force, the metal on the outside of the hull undulated outwards, a wave creasing steel. Cores melted inside the vessel as the forcefield dampened. Without a reliable power source, it weakened.


    I dashed forwards, snapping through the barrier with ease. Popping like a semi-translucent balloon, the energized tethers fell apart at the seams. Panicking, members attempted fighting along the outside of the vessel. Instead of warring with them, I used a massive wave of gravity to lob them off the sides of the ship.


    Falling to their deaths, dozens of crew members howled as the pulped against the rubble below. A sickening chorus of breaking bones and ripping ribs let out from below. Dashing into the steeled vessel, I tore through the crew without mercy, yet I kept my intents focused.


    I reached the factory floor for the gialgathens. Tearing through them, I used the same process as before. I sorted the gialgathens into two groups - those that could be saved and those that couldn''t. Of those two, I put who I could into storage and carried the rest in a gravitational ball behind me.


    After pulling them out, I regrouped with our forces coming from the other dreadnought. Like clockwork, we carried the maimed gialgathens across the sky towards the meeting point. Deep within the sewers, Spear created a spacial rend, letting us transport the gialgathens to Elderfire.


    With the three dreadnoughts cleared, we raced towards the exposed bases of the once towering spires. Stored within the recesses of their roots, hybridizing gialgathens turned in the orange slop. As we came upon them, a cataclysmic eruption boomed over Astelle.


    Pulling gialgathens from the pits, I turned towards the sound. Some being ripped open a portal in space-time, large enough for a city to fall through. From its depths, a gilded aura coursed out like evaporated gold. Claws large as subway trains cut into the edges of the warp, a maw of full of serrated teeth following not long after.


    Lehesion arrived in full force. As his full-frame came into view, the gialgathens near us shivered with fear. Many remembered Lehesion as a saint. Having his hulking frame and enormous stature rise against us spawned terror in their chests. It seized our troop''s minds, making them numb and slow.


    I sent a message to our troops to retreat immediately. As I did, Lehesion rose from the warp, landing atop the island on the lake. His feet crushed entire buildings and his tail leveled city blocks. As the ground quaked under his feet, he turned towards the site of destruction. Disgust spread over his face as he viewed gialgathens fighting Hybrids.


    His voice sent waves across all of Astelle,


    "So my children would defy me? Perhaps you all have forgotten the age I left behind and the world I created. Allow me to remind you of what you face."


    The sky above darkened. My heart pounded in my ears as I sprinted forward. My blood charged with mana as an eclipse formed over the sun above. As the false moon devoured the sky, shade smothered the battlefield. A starry sky developed over us, as beautiful as staring at a horizon on a clear night.


    A grin spread over the ancient being''s face,


    "Fade into memory, your bodies eaten by the light."

 239 Racing Towards Infinity

    As the shattered god charged his attack, so did I. Bolting towards him, I neared him as the sky darkened. As stars formed overhead and fell, I reached out my hand, creating a singularity over Lehesion''s chest. The golden aura siphoned into the void, the unstoppable wake of destruction eating it. Once full, it ripped outwards.


    The golden aura soaked most of the gravitational implosion, smothering the explosion like a wet blanket over fire. My attack served its purpose despite that. The falling stars dimmed, unable to unleash their full might.


    And even when dimmed, the lights were blinding.


    They shattered the horizons surrounding us, turning Astelle into a memory in seconds. Portions of the city evaporated, nothing remaining after the collisions. Several fell towards my own soldiers, but they flew away from the detonations. Those that couldn''t react...they perished in a painless fire.


    I saved who I could. Several of the recovery squadrons were near me. I blocked the comets from above by making enormous shells of chilled earth around the lights. They detonated preemptively, turning the dirt into liquid magma. I lifted water from the surrounding lake, freezing it at the same time. The magma gushed over the ice, solidifying and shattering all at once.


    While not a perfect shield, it saved the gialgathens I covered. I did so with four different groups at once, my mind straining under pressure. My skin glowed and my blood boiled, the sheer volumes of energy coursing through me generating enough heat to melt steel. Staring Lehesion down, he turned towards me,


    "Ah, little one, it would seem you rise against me once more? I quashed you once with many at your back. What will you do now when facing me alone?"


    He laughed, a booming, noble voice,


    "Perhaps you will crumble like the many that have come before you."


    He whipped his tail through the air. I anchored myself in the air, clenching my hands together and intercepting his strike. Parrying sideways, I knocked the tail sideways. A sonic boom erupted beside me, as I slapped the blow sideways, the echo alone causing the lake to rumble.


    Lehesion''s eyes widened,


    "And so you rise instead? Interesting."


    He grinned, "Then let us play in this venerable wood, each of us faint wisps when compared with the ancients."


    The skin on my hands healed, several bones crushed in my hand. I rolled my shoulders as I growled, "Come on then."


    Lehesion''s laugh created waves and bent trees with the wind off his breath. He lashed out with his tail, using only the physical might he was gifted with from birth. I snapped each attack sideways, regenerating minor wounds from the act. The practice with Althea''s spears from long ago gave me this ability. If I blocked his tail swipes, the recoil into my frame would make the damage pile up.


    Instead, I held firm under the storm Lehesion rained down.


    After several minutes of tail swipes later, the pace of his attacks increased. I learned something about our previous fight from this - he wasn''t even trying before. He toyed with us, and he was still toying with me now. I strained under the onslaught, his strikes growing in precision. He learned from each attack, the angles of his attacks becoming harder to predict. With each slicing strike, he injected feints, varying pressures, and different amounts of ''whip'' in his attacks.


    He glanced down at me with a grin,


    "Not since Emagrotha have I been matched so equally...Perhaps I can show my true potential."


    I internally groaned as the dispersed aura around him coalesced into his frame. I overcharged the runes over my skin, mana saturating my metal blood. As he swiped, I reacted long before he crashed towards me. I released enormous gravity wells. I used the Rise of Eden right before he made contact, enhancing my stats. I generated momentum blockers, making his tail slam through stony blocks.


    And I was nothing.


    He amputated my arms while cleaving off my torso from my right collarbone down to my left hip. Despite the grievous wounds received, I held firm. His tail bounced back, and I held my ground. Air in this case, but that was irrelevant. Lehesion understood the significance of me still standing there, facing him down.


    It was written all over his face.


    "You...you''ve changed, haven''t you little one? From ant to beetle to bird. I''m mesmerized by what you''ve achieved in so little time. How did you accomplish such a feat?"


    I gurgled on my own blood, silver streams pouring out of my mouth. My body came back together over the next few seconds, aided by my regeneration. Lehesion gave me time to collect myself, not out of arrogance but out of respect. It kind of surprised me if I''m honest, but you won''t hear me complain about it.


    As I gained the ability to speak, I figured conversing was just as good a distraction as fighting, better even. One involved not getting my ass kicked.


    "I...trained."


    It was the extra mass in all honesty. It was like slamming a sledgehammer on a rock. If the rock didn''t break, the ricochet off the strike would rattle up your arms. I was that rock, and instead of breaking, I managed to stay together. To be honest, I couldn''t guarantee I could do that again.


    Lehesion scoffed, "Training, truly? Here I imagined I faced one with a birth equal to my own." He leaned back onto his hind legs, crags of earth rising from the pressure while he lifted his front paws. His claws glistened,


    "I was given this frame when I came into this world. You earned your gifts from what I''ve seen. That is incredible, even if perhaps futile when faced with a being of my caliber."


    Eh, he was kind of an asshole, but whatever. This was as good of a chance as any to waste time.


    "Eh, we''ll see if it''s futile later. It''s already made a difference, hasn''t it?"


    Lehesion stared at me, his expression unreadable. A sadness spread over his face along with a small smile,


    "You cannot understand the depths of my ability. I am the end and the beginning. I am the sun and the stars and the earth beneath them. From my breath, life overflows." Lehesion stared up, trees expanding from beneath him without effort on his own part.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Two could play that game.


    I rubbed my hands together, welling quintessence into my hands. Beneath me, I generated as much life as I could. An endless torrent of crabs filled the lake below. Crabs? Why was it always crabs? I closed my eyes in shame as I took a deep breath.


    Lehesion raised a horned brow, "It is only crustaceans, but you too can make life...perhaps you are a god in your own right. What is your name?"


    "Daniel."


    "Daniel? A name without the same impact you carry. Perhaps you carry other names?"


    "Eh, I do, but they''re not the names I''ve chosen."


    Lehesion grinned at me as if looking at a student,


    "Names define us. They act as the one denotation that embodies our character and what we are. When spoken, names create a vision, a surge of emotion. That sentiment is the truest expression of one''s self."


    Lehesion stared off into the distance, "And we, our acts in life, they decide the significance our names will carry. Despite how elemental names are to our being, there is one characteristic all names share."


    Lehesion met my eye, "A name is not chosen. It is given. Just as your name was given, I too shall give you a gift, the gift of recognition. You''ve left a legacy behind you, a path all your own. I shall remember the name, Daniel, the name you''ve chosen, along with the might it inspires."


    Was he...complimenting me? Lehesion was full of surprises.


    Lehesion''s face twitched as he blinked away some mental struggle. His slitted eyes sharpened into thin lines as he heaved for breath. He swallowed, his eyes normalizing. He shook his head at me while peering down,


    "Even with a thousand lifetimes, I would still live out a life filled with regrets. If you should live through this battle, I urge you to dwell on your actions along those lines. Think of the regrets you may face and quash them before they live on to poison your thoughts and mind."


    I blinked, "Yeah...I will."


    Lehesion grinned, spreading his wings wide. The Hybridization spread further into them, wires tracing under the golden webbing.


    "Only three have withstood the strength of an actual swipe from me. You, Emagrotha, and Sheom. One was my ultimate rival before I...before I carried out one of my many grave mistakes in this life of mine. The other was like a second mother, someone who I...I cannot understand why I killed her."


    Lehesion glared down at me, rage filling his eyes as the psionics overtook his mind,


    "And this one before me...He too shall crumble into the memories of those that knew him. It was good speaking with you, but this is goodbye, Daniel."


    His palpable aura rippled as gilded flares swelled off his body like golden crescents. As if staring at the sun and the moon, Lehesion towered over me. He whipped his tail with untold energy. I reached out a hand, creating a singularity in his chest.


    With mobility defying his size, Lehesion shot sideways, the lake of Astelle crashing from him. A resulting tsunami consumed the city, he whipped his tail towards me. I lifted my hand, opening my storage. Using the portal as a shield, Lehesion''s tail pierced into the alternate dimension.


    The force of the blow did as well, making the beast lose his momentum. With 20% of my health disintegrating from storing a chunk of his tail, I closed the warp. Lopping off a third of it, streams of blood poured from Lehesion''s lost limb, flowing like rivers of gold. Lehesion stared between me and his tail, confusion spreading over his face.


    "You''ve more tricks up your sleeves? I am impressed once more."


    I grinned, "Hah...It actually works. I can''t believe it."


    As my health regenerated, Lehesion''s tail reconstituted. The orange gunk and wires acted as catalysts for his mana to reform onto. Lehesion grinned,


    "A worthy foe. Let us play upon this plane, and may it be fragmented beneath our heels."


    He flew into the air, the air off his wings causing massive waves and collapsing buildings. Flying towards me, I pulled myself sideways while he crashed into the ground. Like a battering ram worthy of crushing continents, the entire island in the lake caved in. The lake rushed out, barely enough liquid left for a puddle.


    The island itself spread out into our surroundings, crags of dirt and boulders of stone lobbed miles away. Moments later, a torrent of rain poured from above, a storm forming from the lake''s water. I tumbled from the impact, unable to hold myself down with a gravity well.


    A familiar kinetic shockwave rippled through my body. A human''s veins and insides would''ve dissolved from the internal vibrations. Being pure metal, I withstood the shellshock, though it took a tenth of my health.


    As I crashed against the landscape, I created craters beneath me, the ground crumbling and trees splintering. My own impacts meant nothing in the wake of Lehesion''s charge, however. Astelle disappeared. Trees leveled. Buildings caved. For kilometers in every direction, no tree stood, no rock remained, and no life lived. A bringer of extinction, Lehesion annihilated everything.


    Thank god our troops were already out by now. Otherwise everyone, and I mean everyone, would be dead.


    My fight or flight instincts activated, fear racing up my spine as I laid on the ground. I got a sample of Lehesion, kept him at bay till our troops evacuated, and we saved most of the gialgathens. Escaping turned into my priority.


    Lehesion pulled himself from the new crater he created, a bit of glowing stone under the center of his impact. He grinned while turning around,


    "Surely, you survived? Come, let us quake the lands and bend the skies."


    How about fuck all of that.


    I dug into the ground as he laughed at the destruction around him. A bit of madness leaked into his voice as Lehesion rose back into the air and announced,


    "Remember this. The surface of most worlds are like layers of dust over molten marbles. If you strike the ground with enough force, that dust shell shatters, and the magma rises from below. We stand atop an ocean of magma. Let me bring it to the surface."


    I didn''t like the sound of that, but it gave me an idea.


    Lehesion bounded onto the ground, hopping from space to space. It was the kind of movement I expected from an excited toddler. Unlike a toddler, this simple motion flattened fields and vaporized forests. Each time Lehesion landed, actual earthquakes bounded around the scenery.


    The ground wobbled. The earth-shattering bounds defied all logic. As if acting without limits, Lehesion tore the region apart. Unleashing a level of havoc that made natural disasters envious, Lehesion lifted into the sky once more. The clouds relented to his wings. With another impact, he created kinetic shockwaves that uprooted trees miles away.


    He laughed as he did, the simple act of moving more than enough to destroy any enemy he''d ever faced.


    I was out of there by then. I dug deeper down, deeper than ever before. Past literal miles of rock, I flew past the mana pollution layer and into the pressurized magma lying beneath the surface of Giess. It was my only hope of escape.


    Surrounded by the endless sea of glowing rock, I followed the coordinates to Elderfire. As I abandoned the fight, Lehesion let out a roar that bent the skies and broke the mountains. He announced,


    "Tell me then warrior, are you ready to play with the gods?"


    Swimming through the magma, I resolved to myself to take him down a notch. Neither of us were gods. As strong as he was, he wasn''t divine. I dwelled on the piece of his tail locked away in my dimensional storage. It worked. I never imagined it would, but using the pocket dimension to block attacks worked.


    It wasn''t enough, however. Lehesion toyed with us at Rivaria. He took our most potent barrage without so much as flinching before showing us his wrath. That ''wrath'' was a piece of his abilities. If anything, this fight solidified something I''d been thinking for a while.


    Schema was underestimating Lehesion. In fact, Schema underestimated the Adair Family in general. Lehesion was beyond anything I ever imagined facing. That golden dragon made the Overseers look inept, and the Sentinels resemble fodder. If he strengthened further, then defeating him might become literally impossible.


    If that was the case, this rebellion might spread further through the cosmos, creating a galactic civil war. Lehesion could spearhead the effort, acting as a planetary destroyer. Schema needed to crack down immediately. Otherwise, this problem was going to spiral out of control.


    And even worse than that outcome, an inevitable reality lingered in the back of my mind - Lehesion was holding back.


    I might''ve started a fight I couldn''t win.

 240 Omens

    <div>


    <div>


    After hours of crawling through magma, I reached Elderfire. Coming up through sandstone and dunes, I pulled myself up a few miles outside the town. Brushing off chunks of solidified igneous rocks, I ran towards the center of the city.


    I found most of the gialgathens being taken care of in the wisp laden pools. The gialgathen shamans leveraged off the artificial life I created here, creating a natural zone of healing and stasis. They already saved hundreds of lives. Besides for them, Kessiah zoned in on her work.


    The sheer consistency of her effort amazed me most. Sure, anyone can put out for a few days or even weeks. Months though? That took some serious grit, and Kessiah was showing that in spades. If anything, she deserved a reward for it.


    I put that on my growing mental checklist of stuff to do. Having sent a message to Torix letting him know I''m fine, I reached the temple where the lich laired himself. If that wasn''t a word, I''m coining it expressly for Torix since he did it so often.


    Walking into said lair, I found him talking with the Overseer. They discussed along heated lines, Torix brandishing his hands,


    "I understand the need for surveillance, but to demand complete control of the projects? This is an abuse of Schema''s power, and I will not stand for it."


    The Overseer raised a hand, replying with a no-nonsense tone,


    "It is not up for debate. Your eldritch studies have been proceeding without guidance for an extended period already. You are simply fortunate that further action hasn''t been taken."


    I stepped up, "What''s the issue here?"


    The Overseer turned towards me, and he took a step back,


    "Ah, you have arrived."


    Torix walked up to me, his frail bones clanking against the stone and threatening to snap with each step,


    "Perhaps you may talk more sense into this belligerent. He''s demanding the confiscation of our eldritch research. While I''m willing to make a compromise, demanding absolute control is absurd."


    I turned to the Overseer, "You want to detain Amara or something like that?"


    The Overseer stumbled his words a bit though he gained confidence as he continued,


    "I...Schema is demanding the confiscation of the research due to the legalities involved. It''s highly illegal, and your guild is fortunate that more action wasn''t taken."


    I spread out my arms, "I''ve adjusted the defenses as needed. The blue core I set up has billions of mana to stop any escaping eldritch. That much mana could evaporate just about anything. We have the situation under control."


    The Overseer turned a palm to me, his electronic suit humming with energy, "This is a matter of legalities, not of compromise. You''ve been breaking the law, and action must be taken. Due to extraneous circumstances, we can bend the law for you and your guild. Your progress against the Adair Family has been noted."


    He let his hand down, "However, this will not be allowed to continue."


    I crossed my arms, "Look, I understand if you want to make sure our research projects are ethical and up to Schema''s standards. I can''t agree to give away portions of my guild for nothing, though. I''m stressed for resources as it is."


    I raised a hand, "So how about this - you can send a few Speakers to help with the research. We get some competent scientists to help us out. You get to share in the research and make sure it''s up to par. Does that sound good?"


    I reached out a hand. The Overseer stared between my hand and me, "Hmm..."


    Torix stared between us, "What? I just offered the same consideration, yet you utterly ignored my own proposition. This-"


    The Overseer waved away Torix''s concerns, "Let me consider this in silence."


    I looked to Torix then back at the Overseer, glaring at him. I chose to remain silent for now. A few seconds later, the Overseer lifted his hand, "I will accept this compromise."


    I narrowed my eyes while shaking his hand, "Sure. There''s some other stuff I want to talk about real quick if you have the time."


    The Overseer turned to me,


    "I will cancel two of my appointments. We have nine minutes remaining to discuss whatever it is you wish to speak of."


    Wow. He made time for me. That was new.


    I lifted a hand, "So, I wanted to ask for some help from Schema."


    The Overseer opened his status, "Let me analyze our resources...We may offer support during key conflicts. You are fighting against the Adair Family, and Schema supports that. What would you need the most?"


    I counted on my fingers, "We need mind mages, any troops you can give, as many healers as you can spare, and we need people that can transport people quickly."


    The Overseer fiddled with his status for a bit,


    "We can do nothing for the mind mages. Other worlds are rebelling now, and Schema is utterly unprepared for the scale of the conflict regarding the mental assaults. The same can be said for generic combat forces. However-"


    The Overseer sent a few messages. Torix read the posted messages before clapping his hands, "We will accept your generosity, oh powerful Overseer."


    Even through his massive helmet, I could tell the Overseer rolled his eyes,


    "Your flattery falls on deaf ears. I''ve given a task force of five healers and two portal specialists for you to utilize. While unable to create portals of vast distances, they are serviceable on a city-wide scale. Will that do?"


    I raised a fist, "Honestly, it''s a lot more than I expected. Thanks. I also wanted to warn you about Lehesion."


    As I said those words, the Overseer stood up straighter. I continued,


    "The thing is, he was holding back against us when we all fought together. I think Schema needs to come up with an actual plan to take him out. I''m willing to help out, and so is Helios."


    The Overseer shook his head,


    "I fully understand the threat Lehesion poses, but Schema has this situation under control. If our research is correct, Lehesion''s mana is tied to Giess. Schema is going to sterilize the surface of the planet, leaving nothing but glass remaining."


    The Overseer pressed his fingers together as if crushing an insect,


    "Lehesion will have no mana source, and the threat will be muted."


    I shook my head, "That''s not the only place he gets his mana from. At least I''m pretty sure, at least. Lehesion is connected to an Old One."


    The Overseer took a step back, "They''ve made contracts with Baldowah?"


    I shook my head, "No, it''s probably Eonoth."


    The Overseer tilted his head, "Eonoth? I''ve never heard of that Old One. This is...new. Are you certain it wasn''t an illusion from Etorhma or Baldowah?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, I''m sure. Eonoth talked to me. I tried to shut him out, but he was too big for me to handle. I came out sane, and during that discussion, I learned that Lehesion''s connection to Giess is based on Eonoth''s interference. Glassing Giess might not be enough if that''s the case."


    The Overseer raised a palm, "I''ve heard your concerns, but I assure you of this - spatial fortresses cannot be destroyed. They are immovable and unstoppable. They are Schema''s strongest defense, and one is coming here to assist with the glassing. That is a deep nail in the coffin the Adair Family have found themselves in. Focus on your own problems, and we shall handle ours."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Let''s just think this out for a moment. What will Schema do if the glassing fails?"


    "It will not fail."


    This was starting to remind me of a few conversations I had with a Sentinel back in BloodHollow. I took a deep breath, "Well, just consider it hypothetically. If the glassing fails, that is going to put a lot of fire under this rebellion. More worlds are going to follow in the wake of an event like that."


    I tapped the side of my head, "Think about it. The scale of this rebellion will explode since rebelling worlds won''t have to worry about glassing anymore. It will be a calling card for the Adair Family. Tohtella''s smart about this kind of thing, so she''s definitely thought about this."


    I waved my hands, "What can Schema do if he doesn''t have that defense?"


    The Overseer crossed his arms, "It is simple. Torix has run an effective media campaign that shows the extent of the Hybridization program. It has proven very effective at dissuading worlds from joining the rebellion."


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, "Unfortunately, Tohtella devised a relatively effective countermeasure. She is showing footage of Daniel tearing engineers apart and evaporating people in the dreadnoughts. They''re painting him out as a mindless monster that is also a dog for Schema."


    I turned to him, a bit peeved, "Really? What kind of response do people expect when you see that kind of shit?"


    Torix lifted his palms to me, "I never mentioned agreeing with the message. While not carrying the same sting as our own campaign, it has leveled the playing field to an extent, so to speak."


    Yeah, that made sense. Still a bit peeved, I turned to the Overseer, "Well, there you have it. We need to do more than what we''re doing."


    The Overseer met my eye, "While I understand your lack of faith in a spatial fortress, you simply have never seen one in action. They. Are. Immovable."


    I pointed behind me, "Here''s the thing, so is Lehesion. I don''t know if you watched our fight, but-"


    The Overseer raised a palm, "I saw the footage Torix showed. I was impressed by you, not by Lehesion''s abilities."


    Just remembering the fight made my skin crawl a bit. It reminded me of facing Yawm so long ago. I was helpless, and I couldn''t do a damn thing to stop him. Schema watched on the sidelines then, and he was watching on the sidelines now. I spread out my hands, my voice growing heated,


    "The guy toyed with me and with everything we''ve sent his way. He''s been fucking around this entire time. You think that was his limit? Just sitting there and tanking antimatter waves with ease? The guy has the mana of a planet or maybe even more. We don''t know. We haven''t even tested that thing yet."


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    The Overseer glanced down while holding his face up in his hand. He took a deep breath before putting a hand on my shoulder,


    "Daniel. Schema is not as limited as you seem to think. He has this situation under control. I can understand your fear. I can understand you worrying about your guild''s future. I assure you, Schema will handle this. You are an asset now. Schema is not going to leave your guild to die like he did with Yawm. I have convinced him otherwise. This time will be different."


    The Overseer hit the nail on the head. For once, it sounded like he was talking as himself instead of as the Overseer. I took a deep breath, realizing how worked up I was. A tense moment passed as I swallowed, calming myself down. This situation was similar to Yawm. I was just trying to do right by the system, yet I ended up facing some sleeping behemoth.


    Unlike last time, I had a lot more to lose. A guild, yeah, but also my friends, mentor, and a kickass girlfriend. I know it wasn''t as big or fancy as something like the empire, but what I had meant the world to me. The thought of losing it all because I tried doing the right thing...it made me want to crawl into a hole.


    I got my composure back though, settling myself down,


    "Yeah, I get it. Sorry about that. It''s just a lot to take in. Lehesion could crush Mt. Verner in a second. That''s scary."


    The Overseer put his hand down, "I understand, and given your history against Yawm, trusting Schema is a lot to ask. However, I still ask it of you. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"


    I took a breath before thinking for a moment. I looked to the Overseer,


    "Is there anyone that could help us with our campaign on Giess?"


    The Overseer glanced up, "Hmm, not on such short notice, but perhaps overtime. I would recommend contacting the Golemnites and the Ahcorous."


    I pursed my lips. The Overseer lifted a hand, interacting with his status. A picture of Wrath showed up along with some floating ball of energy,


    "The Golemnites are a species of aetherial beings that manifest in physical objects. While a strange race with odd conventions, they are excellent at mind magic. They will prove useful given their incorporeal form as well. It is difficult to find better scouts or spies."


    "They sound oddly familiar." I pointed at Wrath, "I''m pretty sure I''ve actually met her."


    The Overseer looked over Wrath, "Ah, yes, Wrath. She is a prolific Fringe Walker. Most of the Ahcourous are, in fact. The queens are at least. They are a race of amorphous blobs operating on hydraulic, internal pressures. They form large, sprawling colonies, their members ravenous. They would do well in eradicating silvered territory, as they can eat metal."


    Torix tilted his head, "You seem to have thought quite a bit about this. That isn''t by chance, is it?"


    The Overseer shrugged, "I considered them as options to assist Giess before the glassing was announced. Is this the kind of information you needed?"


    "Yeah. Thanks."


    The Overseer pressed his fingertips together before pulling them outwards. His suit buzzed as a tear in space-time rended open. He gave me a curt nod,


    "That is the limit of my time. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    As he stepped out and the portal closed, I turned to Torix. Once gone, I pointed to where the Overseer was a second ago,


    "Was it just me, or was he acting weird?"


    Torix shrugged, "It is quite simple, really. The Overseer respects you more after viewing your last battle with Lehesion. You and he are equals in many respects now, despite the vast rift in levels. That is precisely why he ignored my own arguments and favored your own. It''s the difference in what we''ve achieved."


    I spread out my arms,


    "I just never imagined he''d be like that. I thought he''d listen to what you''re saying rather than thinking about who is saying it. I mean shit, I''m strong, but you''re obviously the better strategist. That strategic ability helps, and it''s worth a lot."


    Torix shook his head,


    "There is still much you have to learn, disciple. In Schema''s universe, one''s status is reflected by their ability to kill eldritch. This is Schema''s primary directive, and he dispenses influence depending on that one parameter. You are far better at killing eldritch; therefore, the Overseer respects you more. Quaint, simplistic, and direct, yet that is how people are."


    Torix shrugged, "Such is the life we live. Though, at times, I must hold my tongue, I will endure as long as we get what we need to accomplish our goals. I''d rather not let my pride halt our progress. That would simply add to my rather long list of regrets."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Well, I still think it''s bullshit, but I''ll keep that in mind. Let''s talk about something else. How much longer before the next battle?"


    Torix held up four fingers, "It will require four days of planning. This is mostly due to waiting for those healers and warp specialists to arrive. I organized the actual assault weeks ago."


    I spread out my arms, "So we have some extra time?"


    "I would suppose so."


    I rubbed my hands together, "Enough time to for the new body thing?"


    Torix leaned back, surprised by what I said. After a bit of thought, he rolled his hands, "Perhaps. It would take three days at the absolute least."


    I cupped my chin, "I''ll be honest, I''ve been curious about the lich thing for a while. How does it work?"


    Torix coughed into his hand despite being a skeleton, "Ahem, well, it''s a...complicated process."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why do you sound so nervous to tell me about it?"


    Torix sighed and took a deep breath, "The nature of the process is rather...how to put it...ruthless, perhaps?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Well, I figured that much. It''s necromancy, and I''m sure you''ve done some questionable stuff before we met. It''s part of being hundreds of years old."


    Torix grabbed the back of his neck, looking back and forth. He cast another silencing spell, covering us with it. He pointed at me, "This is not to leave the sanctums of your mind, understood?"


    I sat down, suspending myself with a gravity well, "Of course."


    Torix sat down on a blot of dark mana, "Then, perhaps it is time I share some of my past with you. It''s about time for the passing of that knowledge."


    Torix lifted his hand, creating an illusion. A red star with a planet circled around it. Torix pointed at the planet,


    "I was born on Xanthar, a planet tidally locked. One side faces the sun at all times, the other peering out into the depths of space, shaded in perpetual darkness."


    Torix gestured a palm, "This resulted in int two primary landmasses on the planet, one molten and the other frozen. Between these two existed a strip of arable land known as Arcadia. Large mountains kept the frigid blizzards and the heated storms from reaching us. In a way, it acted as the Elysium of the entire planet."


    Torix stared off into the distance, traveling towards a distant place, "I was born there centuries ago. During that time, I was a member of the Anamor Clan. Any influential Iteran was of course-"


    I said, "Iteran?"


    "My species."


    I lifted my head, "Ah, here I always thought you were pretty much human."


    Torix stared down at himself, "Our races must have a similar structure. Odd." He peered up, "Now, as with most of our species, the Anamor Clan held many alliances, rivalries, and hostilities. During my younger years, I engrossed myself in this rivalry, my desire for combat fervent. In a way, I was much like you, though more magically inclined."


    I raised my fists, "Hey if it ain''t broke, don''t fix it."


    Torix scoffed, "Perhaps. That point aside, I became curious about necromancy after my clan suffered severe losses to a rival order. They used dark magic that resulted in our forces being wiped out. During that time, I studied tactics and counter maneuvers to combat their abilities."


    That must have been where Torix got all of his tactical nuances. I listened as he continued,


    "No matter what I employed, we suffered severe losses. Despite the warnings from my family, I understood we would be wiped off our homeland should we continue fighting in that manner. I dived into the darker magics, my own nature well suited for it."


    A bit of bitterness leaked into Torix''s voice,


    "Perhaps too suited for it. I achieved many victories, fighting fire with fire, so to speak. At the same time, I came close to true death many times. That fear, it soaked into my very bones and marrow. It clouded my judgment, and it left me weak."


    Torix continued with a bit of delight in his voice,


    "In order to transcend death and surpass my physical limits, I devised a plan. I created a sacrificial ritual sight to become a lich. To do so, I needed a vast well of vitality and life, however. Fortunately for my aims, the rival faction served that purpose rather nicely."


    His tone turned cold,


    "And that is what I did. I culled our enemies while giving myself an everlasting life. My family did not see it as such. They feared me, and perhaps they were right to do so. That was a dark time in my life. After I was exiled, I turned towards experimentation as an outlet for my frustration."


    Torix stared down, "I...I did things that are better left unspoken."


    I winced a bit at the prospect. Torix pressed two fingers against his temple,


    "I devised a lair on Xanthar''s moon, my phylactery safe for all time. I tangled myself with many unsightly organizations, the least of which the necromancers. While I never did something on the scale of the Hybridization program, I...I might have given a chance."


    He shook his head slowly,


    "And...and I would like to think I''ve changed. No, I know I have, but I see that darkness well up to the surface at times. When I met you, I saw my younger self before I lay corrupted by my own resentment. There are times I fear you too shall fall to the same bitterness."


    I remembered the hatred I felt for Schema when he left me against Yawm. Hell, that same feeling flared when I imagined Schema leaving us against Lehesion. It''s enough to drive a guy mad if it happens enough.


    Yeah, I could imagine being consumed by that kind of thing.


    Torix continued,


    "I hoped to help you with it, and I like to think I have in certain ways."


    I stared at Torix, "You have."


    "Thank you. This is why I never mention my homeworld, my family, or my past as a rule. It is nothing I''m proud of. I hope to redeem myself with what we''ve built."


    "We will."


    "I would like to believe so. As far as transferring the body is concerned, I would need a vast well of mana, an enormous overflow of life, and a safe spot for a new phylactery."


    I pursed my lip, "Why not just use your old one?"


    "It is located far away. We would need to travel there, and that would require warping towards Xanthar. Once there, traversing towards the moon and finding the exact position would take a measure of time as well. By then, we''d have lost too much time. It''s quicker to simply craft another phylactery."


    "So, finding a safe place is the problem?"


    "Indeed. While I have faith in a blue core''s abilities to defend, a phylactery on either Mt. Verner or Elderfire could be evaporated by Lehesion. My life would be forfeit then."


    I frowned, "Huh...what about putting it in dimensional storage?"


    "A phylactery is considered organic matter. This creates a rejection for the dimensional storages Schema dispenses. I''ve crafted my own pocket dimensions as well, but they are maintained by my mana. Without an actual body, a soul struggled to use mana of any kind. Most pocket dimensions cannot be maintained. My soul would be lost to eternity if I passed."


    I tapped my chin, "What about my own pocket dimension? I mean, I''m not dying anytime soon."


    Torix leaned back, "Huh...That would be more than suitable, though your death would result in...Even then, I wouldn''t perish forthrightly."


    I shrugged, "You''d lose your phylactery, sure, but you could just resonate again with your old one. For now, it''s a safer place than either base, at least."


    Torix peered off into the distance, "I...I suppose that would work for now."


    "What do we need next?"


    Torix pulled his grimoire from his robe, "There are two more obstacles, the first of which lies with resonance. Much of the time involved with becoming a lich comes from a lack of continuity between the new body and the old mind. If overall affinity is low, then the mind will reject the body, and as such, the soul anchoring process won''t take place."


    Torix knocked on his old, bony body, "This is particularly a problem with Schema''s system. He doesn''t wish to re-invest into a new body each time a lich dies. That is why I am so frail. Fortunately, your construct is more durable than a system enhanced individual."


    I pointed around at the trees in Elderfire, "Would the life from quintessence work for your summoning rituals?"


    "It would, though it would be far from optimal. The best source of fuel for a lich''s ascension comes from the desires, memories, and pain of the living. It takes time to manifest memories and desires which your creations have yet to develop. I would suggest using eldritch and silvers with a surge of artificial life to assist."


    I crossed my arms, "Do you have any places scoped out?"


    "Indeed, I have found a few excellent spots for the process. These places are isolated from interference, teeming with life, and unprepared for magic. They suit our purposes perfectly. Now for the subject of resonance-"


    Torix snapped his fingers, the sound swallowing barrier dissipating. We walked back towards his lair, finding the metal construct on the ground. It crushed into the stone a bit, the rock unable to withstand its weight. Torix gestured to it,


    "The runic markings you made, they assist with that process quite a bit. I would actually ask of you to carve a set of runic markings into it from my grimoire."


    "Why do you need me to do it?"


    Torix raised a finger, "The first reason is that these are the standard etchings I utilize to ensure resonance. They allow certain aspects of my personality to personify more easily."


    Torix lowered his hand, "Perhaps more importantly, however, is that I cannot carve into the metal."


    Oh. Yeah, that made sense.


    Torix put his hands on his hips, "That is all it requires. I''ve already handled the details involved outside of those requirements."


    Glancing down at the darkened frame, it dwarfed Torix''s current skeletal form. It radiated with dominion magic, a hunger emanating from it. Torix leaned down and dragged his hand across a metal plate on the shoulder,


    "Can you hear it? It calls for a master, its howls haunting."


    I cracked my neck,


    "Then let''s go make this happen."

 241 A Dark Underworld

    - Althea -


    I held my breath, slipping into the other plane. Stepping onto a string of connected steps, I followed the line leading towards the remaining members in the compound. Phasing back onto our plane, I grabbed the remnant''s white hair, slicing clean through her neck.


    Pink flesh and the arteries exposed themselves under the fluorescent lights. The body flopped forward, splattering onto the ground. I frowned while turning towards the other scientist. Wearing a medical mask, his brows creased in horror. Instead of running or fighting back, he froze in place. That was something I learned after assassinating many people.


    There isn''t just a fight or flight response. There was also the freezing option. When faced with a surreal, horrifying reality, most people only lock up. Not wanting to waste time, I pressed my heel against the ground. The sterilized tile beneath my feet cracked, the floor smelling of chlorine and antiseptics.


    I bolted towards him before piercing a dagger at his heart. I slit upwards while tiptoeing around him. Like peeling a bloody banana, his face sternum, collarbone, and skull split apart. His blood sprayed onto the ground, none of it touching me.


    Bleck, blood was so gross, but it was inevitable in this kind of work. Daniel kind of just wallowed in the stuff. It was rare I hit that kind of bloodlust anymore. Now I just entered this cold state of mind, like nothing mattered.


    Around me, the fluorescent lights flickered over tubes of Hybrid research. With each flicker, a pair of red eyes darted further into the facility. I followed it as a shiver raced up my spine. It still stunned me that he could turn into a different person like that.


    Opening the door to the next room, the lights flickered as a dozen scientists studied their work. They peered around in confusion as the lights above them went on and off. I watched as the shadows of the researchers came together. A broad figure rose from the umbral well. Hod peered around, the researchers paralyzed with fear.


    A tense moment passed as they understood what was about to happen. I wanted to close my eyes, but I kept them open. There was something sickening about watching someone look at death. It was the same stare a mouse gave a cat. They both stay still, knowing what would follow. Neither moves alone. They spur into action together, each of them struggling for life.


    That unbearable specific kind of silence stretched on for a few seconds. To its victim, it was an eternity. That infinity passed in the eyes of the researchers. None of them so much as breathed. The most primal emotion, fear, wrapped its cold embrace around them.


    At this moment, recognizing their death, they were most alive. The lights flickered, going dark for a second. As flight returned to the room, entrails and blood covered the entire space. Hod butchered them during the lapse in light.


    Hod was a natural assassin in that way. Fast, efficient, and quiet, he cleared rooms without needing more than a semblance of shade. I didn''t quite understand how his powers worked, but I didn''t need too. All I needed was the work he could get done.


    He turned towards me, a black flame ebbing from his swollen, muscular frame. Without saying a word, we stepped up to the computers, downloading files and information. We used a cipher from the Overseer developed with a group of researchers. The software let us read the hidden data. Another researcher opened the door before closing it.


    He stared up at Hod, who glared at the scientist with eyes lacking empathy. The lights flickered. More blood. More gore. More death.


    I shook the chill off, turning back towards the data. We found information, lots of it. The kind of information that really helped the cause. That''s what this was all for. I found one of the research facilities conditioning children. Since then, I wasn''t about to let the Adair Family off the hook. They''d hang on the noose they made for themselves, and I''d be the hangman.


    Er, well hangwoman, but whatever.


    Anyways, I sent the data over to Torix before finding an opened file. Skimming over the information, my eyes hollowed, and my stomach sank. I turned away, a bitter taste leaking into my mouth. Hod stepped up, his frame shrinking back to his other form. I took a sigh of relief. He was so much easier to talk to when he was like this.


    "Hod not good at read. What thing say?"


    I took a breath, "It''s a record of Schema''s offenses. It''s...ugly. Like, really ugly."


    "Hod wonder what kind of ugly?"


    "Uhm, it''s hard to explain."


    "Hod willing to listen."


    I dragged my hand across the back of my neck,


    "So, it, hm...It''s detailing a few of Schema''s crimes against the remnants, but it has other stuff we didn''t know about. It mentions eldritchifying worlds so that they can glass them later. I...I know that''s hard to hear."


    Daniel and I went to Hod''s homeworld after it was destroyed for some reason. Daniel mentioned runes or something like that, but it seemed kind of random to me. Either way, Hod lost his home because Schema eldritchified it, so hearing this must of stung.


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    Hod stared down as he mumbled,


    "Ah."


    A silence passed before he nodded, "Hod understand why Adair Family do what Adair Family do."


    I bit my lip, not wanting to go on with the list of stuff Schema was doing. Hod stared at his winged arms and taloned fingers,


    "Hod lost home. Remnants lose home. They want home back. Simple reason. Powerful reason. Hard not to understand for Hod."


    He gripped his hands, "But Adair Family take Gialgathen home. Adair family ruin other home to make new home. Adair Family ruthless. Adair Family evil. Must be stopped."


    I nodded, "Yeah. I think so too."


    Hod took a deep breath, "So what else AI man do?"


    I shivered a bit before replying, "Er, this document is saying Schema has created massive mana battery farms to power the system. There''s no concrete proof, but there''s a lot of circumstantial evidence here."


    Hod shook his head, "AI man bad. Not bad as dry man, but bad man still."


    I let out a nervous chuckle before the gloom returned. I scratched the side of my head, "Yeah, but that''s not all of it. It says here that Schema is purposefully stalling the research of the eldritch or the dimensional cracks and where they come from."


    Hod spread his wings, "Why AI man do that? Thought AI man want get rid of eldritch?"


    I blinked, kind of stunned at the accusations I was reading,


    "Your guess is as good as mine, but it says here that Schema is programmed to stop the eldritch a certain way. If people got rid of the eldritch, Schema would lose his reason for existing. This goes on and shows a list of canceled research projects about these subjects. It then details how Schema is essentially a symbiotic life form to the eldritch."


    Hod gave me a classic confused stare,


    "What."


    A bead of cold sweat dripped down my forehead, "It''s saying that Schema needs the eldritch to be a problem, so Schema''s making sure they are a problem that is never completely solved. In a way, it needs the eldritch like we need food or air."


    Hod rubbed the underside of his beak,


    "Hod see...AI man now Conspiracy AI man."


    Hod''s oddness was refreshing at times like this. I let out another laugh. Another awkward pause passed over us. Hod turned to me,


    "Hod wonder...Does lady friend think we do right thing?"


    I wondered about it for a moment. I remembered my childhood with Yawm, how awful the research had been. I dwelled on the hollowed faces of starving children, and the looks of those with scrambled minds. I took a deep breath,


    "I...I don''t know. I think it''s more like we''re just choosing our poison. For me, I''m sticking with Schema...Yenno, for now."


    Hod nodded, "Then Hod do same. Come. Lady Friend and Hod not finished. Work still left undone."


    I followed him after we harvested the data from the room. Hod took an enormous breath, forming and breathing in a dark miasma. Brightening the room, his lanky frame swelled with umbral energy, the shade empowering him. His eyes shifted from a hollow white to a piercing red.


    He turned towards me and nodded. I phased off our plane, entering somewhere else. To be honest, I still didn''t quite know how it worked. All I knew was that I had to hold my breath and that no one could see me.


    I phased through the door while he fell into the shadows. Both of us wandered through the underground facility, each of us killing dozens of researchers, guards, and managers. In those moments, I went cold. My heart slowed. My mind numbed. I quit thinking. I quit doubting.


    There was no time for doubt. There was too much to do. We found horrific experiments, groups of indoctrinated children, and deformed gialgathen hatchlings. The deeper this rabbit hole I went, the more I wondered where it would end. The more twisted it turned, the more I understood it would never end.


    Down into that winding path we went. A researcher found me slicing someone''s throat. He went to scream. I dashed forward, reaching out my hand. I squeezed my hand to stop his voice. My hands cut through neck. Blood sprayed. Disgusting. I wiped my hand on a tissue nearby.


    I walked up to another data log, Hod inspecting other parts of the facility. In the next data patch, I discovered the extent of the rebellion''s success. More cold sweat poured down my back as I read on.


    The rebels amassed over five worlds to their side already. These reports listed easily controlled societies. Lots of them were enslaved worlds subservient to new races that came in and took over after being systemized. Earth was on the list.


    I kept reading, my nerves racing. Lehesion decimated everything in his path. It was a biblical kind of destruction, the kind that left the viewer in awe. He eradicated the defensive operations on the planets, letting the rebels organize. Even worse still, there were reports of the system still being used by the insurgents.


    I remembered Amara and what she could do. Did the rebels have someone like that too?


    It was too much to think about. This rebellion was expanding faster than I ever imagined. The only real thorn in their side was the glassing of Giess, which they seemed pretty calm about. Well, that and Daniel. These reports had a lot to say about our guild, and most of it was really bad.


    At least they didn''t know where we were. Yet.


    I scanned over some more of the documentation. It mentioned cloning an army of psionics. It talked about figuring out how to hack into Schema''s mana streams and information channels. It even detailed a few ways of systematically killing Sentinels and taking their armor and spears.


    The more I read, the more I realized something - we were in way over our heads. I wondered since this rebellion stared how the enemies organized so quickly. Turns out this, had been planned for years. They were just waiting for the right time to mobilize. Since we got in the way, they spurred into action early.


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Some of the stuff on here didn''t even make sense. It mentioned something called a dimensional cipher. There was a bunch of mumbo jumbo about rewriting reality like Schema did.


    Pfff, uh, yeah, whatever. Talk about ridiculous.


    I downloaded the rest of the documents, regrouping with Hod. In my status, our scouts found another base nearby. I began the information transfer to Torix, making sure he understood what was going on. After that was finished, my mind went cold again.


    That was enough thinking for now. We needed a cold, ruthless assassin. I enveloped my mind in apathy. These were enemies, not worth my emotions or empathy. They were lambs to the slaughter. They were to be culled.


    It was time to move on to the next mission.

 242 A Nightmare, Manifested

    -Daniel-


    I grabbed the back of my neck, shaking out some mental exhaustion from the past three days. Turns out, setting up a necromantic ritual was hard work. Now that I understood the process, it made Torix''s first blood sacrifice all the more impressive.


    Even against mindless silvers and a few not so mindless eldritch, the setup proved difficult. It began by setting up a three-mile wide circle of runic inscriptions. To my surprise, the metal matrice that the silvers created actually made that part much more manageable. Dirt would''ve washed away before we finished. Metal stayed strong even when stomped on.


    Without having to worry about the markings, I finished that part in half a day. On the other hand, gathering some semi-intelligent eldritch proved difficult. I actually had very few suppressive techniques at my disposal. For the most part, I specialized in lethality when interacting with eldritch.  Finding the right mix of toughness and intelligence was trying for that reason.


    Torix scoped out a few prospective dungeons with our limitations in mind. After passing through four of them, we found targets suiting our needs. Within the countryside of Giess, a few stone angels actually enslaved a village of espens.


    These eldritch put the espens through pretty brutal living conditions, mirroring labor camps. These were relatively strong eldritch, sitting around the level four thousand mark. For me, it was child''s play to beat them down into submission.


    I simply floated over the village before landing in its center. Even without Event Horizon''s crushing aura, my presence proved formidable. Wary of me, the angels attempted some intimidation.


    Said intimidation failed.


    A few cracked faces and broken noses later, they fell in line. That worked to our favor since the stone angels suited the ritual for a variety of reasons. They each owned undying bodies, meaning old age wouldn''t get them any time soon. They proved plenty killable though as long as enough trauma was inflicted.


    On the other hand, that immunity to father time gave the angels tremendous vitality and loads of memories. That worked to our favor regarding Torix''s ritual. Without needing to find any other groups of eldritch, we transported them towards the ritual site via Spear''s warps. Once there, we prepared the mana for the ritual to take place.


    It took a few hours, and Torix was once again floored by my mana generation. At this point, he argued it was a selling point for the guild as a whole. I could fly in, charge a blue core, then zoom out before the day was over. Profitable business strategies aside, the final portion of the ritual was the most straightforward pat.


    Torix needed a tough, mana pliable object for his phylactery. I took out a chunk of myself and melted it down into a dodecahedron. Once made, the ritual was ready to take place.


    Around us, we surrounded ourselves with the dense, abundant life of the silver''s territory. We cleared the field of spires within the ritual site, giving an open view of the sky. Around us, Torix controlled a vast army of silvers on the outskirts of the ritual site. I created golems of metal using quintessence for him to drain from. Combine that with the gargoylic angels, and the sheer volume of life mirrored a compact city.


    I extended the Rise of Eden outward, using life creation all around us. A swarm of color expanded from the metal as quintessence rushed into the expanding jungle around us. After several minutes of growing a field of developing life, I added to this density further. The Rise of Eden even strengthened those here, giving them more life force.


    Torix took the dodecahedron towards the center of the site, getting his mindset ready for the transferrence. I followed him, choosing to stay silent so he could organize his thoughts.


    Torix floated the dodecahedron onto the monolith''s centerpiece. It hovered over the central pillar, the red steeple made of congealed bloodstone, a kind of organic crystal. Intricate linework traced its surface with deeply etched lines spreading out from it. As the centerpiece, it acted as the ritual''s heart.


    Both of us standing beside it, Torix inspected the dense jungle around us,


    "You''ve become rather adept at creating life. It''s rare for an individual to create it with this sheer amount of volume. In fact, creating your forestry in these barren landscapes, it feels surreal as if living out a dream at times."


    I raised my eyebrows, "I just have a lot of mana to swing around. I''m honestly not all that technical with quintessence yet."


    Torix peered around,


    "Perhaps, though it''s impressive nonetheless. I know that individuals with large mana pools tend to struggle with finesse in regards to their sorcery. It''s the same as coordinating an army of a hundred versus an army of ten. The more you have to control, the more difficult control becomes."


    I cupped my chin, "Maybe that''s why I make too many crabs sometimes."


    Torix cackled before scoffing, "You''re more crustacean than human if we dwell on the topic. Your armor is a shell at this point, guarding the softer insides, much like an exoskeleton."


    I shook my head, "It''s more than a shell now. It''s my blood, my bones, and my skin. I am it, and it is me."


    Torix tilted his head, "How does your heartbeat then? Sweat as well, how does that work?"


    I shrugged, "I haven''t sweated really since my last evolution. I don''t think there''s an ounce of water in me anymore. Besides all that, what about you? Do you really know how you stay alive in a body like that?"


    Torix stared at his dry, cracking form, "Hm...Perhaps some questions are better left unanswered. Now, we''ve prepared the recipients. The more living individuals we may fit within this circle, the better. You obviously took that candidly considering the throng of individuals here."


    Torix gestured towards me, staring down, "I understand this last requirement of the ritual is staggering, yet I still ask it off you. The final piece of the phylactery process will require a primary energy source to act as an impetus for the process."


    I rolled my hands, "Yeah, you said something about some lifespan, right? I''m ready for it."


    Torix met my eye, "That is precisely correct. This will require upwards of a thousand years of your lifespan, Daniel. This is a serious commitment. You could easily die despite your vitality. I wouldn''t ask this off you, but hopping between the bodies will be impossible otherwise. I simply lack the skill I would otherwise need."


    I waved my hand, "It''s actually not that big a deal. I got this perk forever ago. It gives me one year of life for each eldritch I kill that''s over level 1,000.  I''m sure that counts for silvers and Hybrids too. In fact, I think have more than one. It''s hard to remember. Either way, I got wayyyy more than a thousand years left in me regardless."


    Torix coughed into his hand, "Ok...Well then, I suppose it will sting a bit. What are a mere thousand years in the face of the Harbinger of Cataclysm? Nothing, apparently. I assume we''ll begin the ritual now then?"


    "Sounds good."


    Torix pulled out his grimoire, turning towards me. A few pages later in Torix''s tome, and he began the ritual to lichdom. A hollow, draining sensation encompassed me as a dark aura gripped my soul itself. Torix murmured,


    "This is a dark medium used to channel the life force. It acts as a ''room'' for my soul to inhabit within the phylactery. The more you feed it, the more it will grow. This strengthens the structure of it, allowing me to expand my potential over time. Just feed it the bare minimum for now. We can develop it later if need be."


    I gave him a thumbs up, "Of course."


    The dark thing began siphoning energy, expanding with each bit of life force I gave it. It burned a bit, like stepping into bathwater that was too hot. In classic Daniel fashion, I stuck to a reasonable amount of life force. With a connection fully established, I gave it a substantial chunk of my life force.


    I underestimated how much I had at my disposal. A wave of vitality deluged towards the phylactery. Torix strained out his words, "I told you to send as much as it needed."


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    I let my hands slap against my sides, "Look, man, I didn''t even give it half."


    The phylactery laughed with glee. A few thousand years, and it began choking on the flood. After about twelve millennia''s worth of life later, give or take a few centuries, the medium could take no more. Waves of blue mana flooded out of the monolith, falling into the metal below. Torix scratched the side of his head,


    "Huh...that was...fast. Any estimates on the life force?"


    I gave Torix a thumbs-up, feeling a bit drained, "Plenty."


    Torix shrugged, "I''d rather you not overdo it, but I''ll accept any extra you''ve given. Now, let''s begin the controlling process. With two minds, this will prove simpler than me finagling this medium on my own. This is dependent on the amount of life force-fed to the creature, however. You fed it more, so it will prove more difficult than normal."


    I pointed at the translucent, spooky specter, "Do we like...suppress it?"


    "Ahem, essentially, yes."


    My armor grinned at the ghoulish ghost, and I molded Event Horizon over it, condensing the aura over the thing. I thundered while pointing at the soon-to-be phylactery,


    "Get in there before I make you drown in your own ectoplasm."


    The spirit backed into the geometric object. It infused into the structure, permeating the metal as if its life depended on it. Torix shook his head,


    "This entire process is far more anticlimactic then when I first accomplished it centuries ago."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I''m not here for theatrics."


    Torix brandished a hand, "Neither am I, though I do enjoy them at times. Now-" Torix looked at his status,


    "A few new reports from Althea, hm? I''ll read them over once we''ve completed the ascension. Now, I will transfer my soul into this object. The chance of success is higher than normal, considering the power of the object and the amount of life in it. Your restraining tactic seemed rather potent as well, so it shouldn''t require much to resonate."


    Torix took a deep breath before holding it up and staring at me, "If I dissipate, then I''ll return to my own original phylactery. If you can pick up the phylactery and hear my voice, then it was a success."


    Torix''s current form cracked, his bones ebbing out darkness. The phylactery hovered over the monolith. I pulled myself out of the massive circle''s range, making sure I didn''t catch myself in the ritual.


    It wasn''t because it would kill me. Quite the opposite, actually. My high willpower and sheer volume of mana acted as a stonewall against the ritual''s process. It basically peeled the minds, memories, and mana from the individuals within the circle, leaving husks behind. This took time and required the mental effort of the creator of the phylactery.


    One by one, Torix needed to strip the minds of each individual trapped within the zone. Of course, for weaker minds this was simple. The stronger the mind, the more difficult this process became. Finding the right balance between mind''s worth taking yet soft enough to wrestle down was essential. It made Torix''s previous effort all the more impressive.


    He must have really hated that rival clan. Like, really hated them.


    That aside, I watched as the ceremony began. From the outskirts of the massive circle, darkened mana crept into the runic lines of the ritual. The aura of the ritual carved into the sky, the darkness eating the light.


    With each moment, bodies fell one by one. The artificial life fell, no fight in them to hold on. The silvers proved similar, their grotesque, instinctual natures crumbling to the calculating, developed mind of Torix. When the angels began falling, Torix''s pace hardly slowed. That surprised me the most.


    The insidious, practiced ability reminded me where Torix planted his roots. A necromancer through and through, he ripped the souls and minds of his victims apart. Within a few hours, he completed the ritual, his mind magic unbelievable.


    Each conquered mind funneled into the monolith, the crystallized bloodstone radiating. From each body, more blood drained into through the engraved cracks in the metal. From the monolith, the souls coalesced into a shifting orb of liquid blue. The dozens of mana stones littered about drained into the ritual as I fed dominion mana into the site.


    Torix laid on his knees at the monolith''s foundation. As if worshipping, he prayed to it before his body crumbled into ash. The shifting orb of blue rippled before siphoning into the dodecahedron of metal. In a masterful display of control, he funneled mana without excess or waste despite the overwhelming volumes of mana at use.


    As it came together, the bloodstone beneath it cracked. It cracked, leaking blood onto the ground of the ritual site. A pool of blood spread from the melting pillar. It was time.


    Flying over, I pulled Torix''s new body from my personal storage. The darkened metal lustered in the sun, polished more than mirrors. I hovered over the pool of blood, waiting for a moment. A telepathic tether inched into my conscious, and Torix beamed,


    "We succeeded. This phylactery dwarfs my previous incarnation. My mind can expand without bounds, and I will face no limit. I will be eternal."


    Torix''s voice carried the edge of unrestrained joy. It was an almost manic happiness, the kind only seen once in many years. I couldn''t help but get a giddy grin on my own face hearing how damn happy the old guy was. I pointed at the darkened skeletal construct,


    "Are you ready?"


    "Yes. Now is the best time to achieve resonance. Dip the body into the blood. I will do the rest."


    I did so, and the body submerged into the pool as if dipping it into a bottomless depth. I hovered towards the phylactery before placing it over the blood pit. Right as I lowered it into the blood, Torix murmured,


    "Wish me well, disciple. It is my time to ascend."


    I gave him a nod, "Good luck."


    As I set the phylactery into the pool, I hovered away from it. Seconds passed with nothing happening. I glanced around, wondering when the process would begin. Wondering if the operation failed, a plopping sound echoed into the open field of metal.


    A bubble of red burst. The blood boiled. The sanguine pit released a red vapor into the air above. The ground around me quaked, the metal around the hole shifting in color. The light dimmed, eaten by the forces within the blood pit. I gave the abyss more space. As I flew off, the air around the ritual spiraled.


    The clouds dispersed from above. As they splintered, light did not leak down from above. An umbral pillar radiated down, permeating the pit in the dark. Dominion mana rippled out in waves, world bending to the primal might of the ritual.


    This metamorphosis continued expanding in influence. In a circle around us, a shadow grew over the forest of spires. Glistening metal turned into shaded spines. The horizons faded as the darkness crept over the space around us. Time shifted, slowing down. The world itself protested at the aberration taking place, a low howl echoing in the wind.


    This howl evolved into a percussive drone. The droning rippled across the countryside, pounding in my ears like a chorus of wailing. It devoured the other sounds, sending chills up my spine. I shivered, a coldness leaking into our surroundings. A looming shadow of death crept over the long shadows of the land.


    It infected every creature and mind for miles. I shook my head, a smell of iron, blood, and death reaching me. The cold wind seeped through my armor, into my skin, and deep into my bones. It was the kind of cold you couldn''t fight. It was the kind of chill that dimmed your vision and numbed you.


    The pit of sanguine stood out among the blot of black. Clear as the sun in the sky, this red blot etched shrunk into a finite point. From the pit, the construct rose. Surrounding the skeletal frame, the light around it darkened. The mere presence of it altered day to night.


    Far above us, black lightning erupted from the clouds in the distance, draining life and vitality from everything it touched. The droning ceased. All sound for miles ended, my ears left ringing. A dense miasma crawled over the surface of Torix, the runic carvings bleeding darkness that sapped the life around it.


    When the blood drained into the steel, Torix''s soul bonded onto the metal. The dark skeleton convulsed as Torix strained under the pressure of the dominion magic. He fought with the defiance of a warrior. He stood against the flood of energy, a conqueror in his own right. Minutes passed before I grew worried.


    I landed beside him, walking up to help. The construct raised a hand, a shiver racing up my spine. A voice replied,


    "No...I am worthy...I am able."


    It was Torix, no doubt, but it sounded altogether different. It was as if someone alloyed his voice with aged iron, making it command respect.


    I took a step back, respecting his wishes. As the volatile miasma sunk into the blackened bones, it looked as if it would consume him. For a moment, despair crawled out of my chest as my stomach dropped.


    It lasted but a moment. A wind erupted from the darkened skeleton, Torix''s soul snapping in place. The resulting shockwave sent an impact that bent spires for miles in every direction. I withstood the impact, anchoring myself with gravity. The deafening boom radiated outwards like a meteorite striking Earth. The clouds in the sky bent outwards in a circle, giving way to the finalization of Torix''s reformation.


    The skeletal figure fell down onto the ground, light peaking from the sky above as the ritual completed. Standing from the sand, darkness radiated out of Torix''s new body. He ebbed an aura of absolute death and carnage. A darkened warlord and archmage, he stood, a preeminent figure amongst the endless spires.


    As he rose, Torix lifted a hand. Dominion welled into his palm as he let out a haunting laugh. It continued until it echoed onto the horizons around us. Fear raced up my spine, but I smiled all the same. This was it. This was who Torix really was.


    The metal lich glanced around, his figure imposing. I pulled the cloak I made for him from storage. He took it, brandishing the cape over his shoulders. He raised a foot before stomping into the metal. It tore under his heavy heels, dominion magic seeping into the ground.


    Around us, the field of corpses rose from the ground. Summoned from death, they turned towards Torix, lunging onto one knee. The summoner held his head high as he stared at his forming army. The silvers carried tracing lines of dark mana. The stone angel''s skin cracked, exposing their darkened insides.


    They bowed to their leader. They carried the marks of Torix''s reformation, their frames radiating with mana. Torix turned towards the horde and me, spreading his arms. He commanded,


    "I am undeath given form. From my darkness, blight will follow in my wake."


    He turned towards me,


    "Let us show them what occurs to those that oppose us."

 243 A Discourse

    <div>


    <div>


    Torix -


    As the resonance finalized, I stared forward with invigorated senses. Strength. Power. Might. I was all these things and more. Is this what Daniel felt at all times? The sheer vitality and mana generated defied all convention. It was as if I siphoned into the body of a deity, stealing all that came with said implication.


    In order to test my newfound capacities, I stomped my heel onto the metal flooring of the silver''s territory. It caved underfoot, and my dominion mana flowed with the fluidity of mastery. The sheer volume of mana coursed into the land, drenching it in my abyssal influence.


    I seized control of the bodies, each of them coming to life. Given form anew, they rose with utter allegiance. I stood tall, my confidence soaring towards the heavens.


    I spoke with a new voice,


    "I am undeath given form. From my darkness, blight will follow in my wake."


    Daniel stared at me, his stoic persona cracking with a semblance of emotion. Taken aback, I composed myself. Now was not the time to be overwhelmed. An example must be set, and I was the one to do it. I turned to him.


    "Let us show them what occurs to those that oppose us."


    Daniel raised a hand,


    "Hell yeah man, we did it. It''s about damn time."


    I followed suit, raising my arm,


    "But of course. What else is to be expected of us?"


    We clapped our hands with enough force to crack concrete. I recoiled from it, taking a step back. Grabbing my wrist and staring down, visions of a snapped arm terrified me. I envisioned my bones shattering into a thousand pieces, yet my new arm held strong. It absorbed the force without worry.


    I stared at my palms, the bones interlocking smoothly. I clenched my hand into a fist, stunned by the sheer forces I dealt out at every passing second. I peered back up to Daniel,


    "Is this what it''s like at all moments?"


    Daniel gave me a matter of fact glance,


    "Yup."


    Concise and straightforward as always. I took a moment, staring at the army around us. I bent over, inspecting the metal I broke through with a stomp. In the heat of the moment, I did such a thing. It astonished me now. Even my system enhanced body could never have handled such forces. Now I played with metal as if it were putty.


    No scratch littered the surface of my foot, either. I was even more resilient than expected. Excellent. I grabbed the steel, peeling it in my fingers as if it were moist dough.


    I cupped my chin, "Well...perhaps there were merits to being physically imposing after all."


    Daniel patted my back, "I can''t wait to see what you can do now."


    I raised myself back up, "I as well. Thank you for this, disciple. A master could ask for no greater gift."


    "Eh, I do what I can."


    With a moment of silence passing between us, I turned towards the monolith''s previous position. As the ritual dictates, there my phylactery sat exposed to those around us. It was strange. Even in the open, it felt far more secure than my previous one had. Considering the tenacity of the material that composed it, I was likely right in that assumption.


    I grabbed the dodecahedron, tossing it over towards Daniel. He put it in his pocket dimension. As I dwelled on the ability, the utility of it astounded me. Smuggling, absorbing energy, even deflecting strikes, it was an awe-inspiring talent.


    I peered down at myself, wondering if I owned similar abilities. The closest phenomenon I garnered was a sensation of ownership over the space I occupied. It felt as if I ''owned'' an area around me. Upon closer inspection, I comprehended my misunderstanding. The space I owned was subservient to a much larger force.


    I peered up at Daniel. Ah, of course. His aura.


    He created a far greater stranglehold than I could enact. He was the origin of this material. It seemed more than likely that he acted as the premier space owner. In fact, this body of mine was a mere shadow when compared to the original.


    A realization sparked in my mind. This pale imitation extended my own abilities by leaps and bounds. The distance between us...it mirrored the difference between an ant and a lion. While mind-boggling, I found those thoughts comforting.


    This apprentice and ally of mine, he carried this kind of frame. Now I owned something similar. New possibilities popped into my mind as Daniel pursed his lips,


    "Alright, what next?"


    I steepled my hands, "We should replan our battle stratagems. This new body of mine, it has extended my abilities by many orders of magnitude. It allows us to battle differently than before. I may now join the fray on the frontlines without much in the way of risk."


    Daniel nodded, "Yeah, sounds about right. We''ll be getting a new tactician on the ground, which helps a lot. I''m a lead by example kind of guy, but actually managing the troops is difficult."


    Daniel was wrong about that. His tactical prowess showed itself in the last battle with his newfound mana bombs. That alone saved many of our soldiers. I shook my head,


    "I believe you''d be more than capable of doing so, but you already bear a tremendous burden in regards to our martial might. By alleviating that burden, I may unleash both of our full potentials, one tactical and the other militant."


    Daniel rolled his shoulders as if getting ready to fight at that moment,


    "Yeah, let''s hope so. I mean, just imagine having each of their dead give us a new soldier. That''ll show the Adairs what it feels like having their own turned against them. It will be a taste of their own medicine."


    I cackled, "Oh, there will be much to discuss, but before we do so, I must access my status. There are notifications to parse through and little time to do so."


    "I''ll make some bombs or something."


    He prepped mana bombs while I opened my own status. I made sure he could view it at the same time. As I stared at the literal first number I found, I fell backward.


    It was incredible.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 9,000)


    Strength ¨C 2,132 | Constitution ¨C 2,419 | Endurance ¨C 4,160


    Dexterity ¨C 1,104 | Willpower ¨C19,702 | Intelligence ¨C 28,052


    Charisma ¨C 14,264 | Luck ¨C 11,153 | Perception ¨C 6,829


    Health: 1.2 Million/1.2 Million | Health Regen: 2.4 Million/min


    Mana: 3.8 Million/3.8 Million | Mana Regen 4.4 Million/min


    Stamina: Infinite | Mass: 601,302 pounds |Height: Actual - 9''6 (2.74 meters) | Damage Res - 97.5%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 32,092% | Damage Bonus ¨C 45%


    I stared in utter disbelief. Daniel squatted down, resting his arms on his knees. He inspected my status,


    "Huh... You''ve gained more willpower than anything. It actually looks like my multipliers for my stats carried over for you. That''s gotta be a nice bonus. Didn''t expect that."


    I gestured to my status with a hand, "How did my willpower over double? That''s absurd."


    Daniel shrugged, "There are all kinds of perks and multipliers involved with my status. You didn''t have them, now you do. If I''m honest with you, I''ve always wondered why Schema was so damn generous with stats to me. This explains it."


    He banged his chest as if knocking on a door. It let out a metal ring,


    "This stuff, it''s easier to manipulate than what a normal person is made out of. I mean shit, the bonuses carried over to you. If that''s the case, then the bonuses must be pretty easy to maintain and keep up. That also explains why Schema''s ok with me abusing my Orbital bombardments."


    Daniel stared up at the sky, "I''m easy to keep and hold onto, I guess."


    He offered me a hand, so I accepted said offer. After rising, I attempted to compose myself,


    "While perhaps unbefitting a lich, one cannot blame me for reacting in such a manner. I am over forty times more durable, my mana pool tripled, and my mana regen increased by twentyfold. This...this is unbelievable."


    Daniel gave me a nod, calm as always, "Yup. Did you get any other notifications along with them? You never know what else carried over."


    I peered at my status updates once more. I found surprises in spades.


    New Body Gained! The Following bonuses have been unlocked!


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Dimensional Pliability - + 1,000 to level cap | Your body is simpler to adjust with mana, making your level cap increase due to this efficiency.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Dimensional Wake - You''ve gained the ability to extend yourself into your surroundings, manifesting as an aura | Current Aura: Cerebral Corrosion - Allows the user to dominate the minds of others by slowly draining their willpower and resistance. This applies to both the soul and mind of enemies and allies alike. It also enhances dominion magic against effected targets, including but not limited to, telekinesis, telepathy, gravitation, etc.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A Dimensional Construct - Your frame is composed of an odd substance coursing with vitality. This grants additional multipliers for specific attributes! +60% to Endurance and Willpower. +20% to strength and constitution. +10% to all other stats. +300% to health and mana regen. +100% to Health and mana. Stamina is no longer a limiting factor. 5% of mana added to mana regeneration...</li>


    </ul>


    These additions explained much of the nonsense on my status sheet. I cupped my chin as I read through them,


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Ah...yes...This would explain most of this insanity."


    I peered at the final notification.


    New Trees unlocked!


    | Archmage(0/5,000) |


    I crossed my arms as I spotted this new tree. Five thousand entire points for a single tree? It was absurd on many levels. It outdid my class unlock for becoming a speaker. Perhaps that was precisely what it was - another class for me. Considering the level limit of being a Speaker, this would suit me quite well and extend my limits.


    I selected it, having already cleared out my remaining trees long ago. Having been obsessed with learning for ages paid its dividends, after all. I earned many skill points over the years, which in turn gave me many treepoints. This was how I unlocked a class before Daniel. I simply had more skillpoints earned over my lifetime.


    Up till now, I never owned enough skilltrees to invest in, however. Schema tended toward unlocking trees based on achievements. This meant I lacked many trees to place my horde of treepoints into.


    This, in turn, suited me quite nicely in that regard.


    Without a word, I placed 4,281 points into the tree. While not owning all the points for it, I held more than most. The refreshing sound of Schema''s voice boomed in my mind, his prerecorded messages refreshing to hear after all these years.


    This world is one dictated on the principle of knowledge. Knowing an enemy is understanding their weaknesses, strengths, and essence. You''ve understood this concept for many years, your diligence for study impeccable, your intention for research unwavering. This will prove your greatest asset in the trails to come.


    + Doubled ease of creation for unique magical skills


    + Doubled ease of creation for mythical level magical skills


    + Doubled ease of gaining magical affinities


    The nature of your mind gives you a sensitivity for the subtle. Details that appear meaningless to others evolve into vital insights when seen through your eyes. These insights are gained not through talent alone; they are the result of study. In any undertaking, your skills will prove critical.


    + Doubled ease of creation for magical Legendary skill


    + Doubled learning speed of magical legendary skills


    + Doubled learning speed of magical mythical skills


    Others decided they would swing swords or fire bullets until their hands bled. You read until your eyes bled onto the page. Anyone may swing a hammer or block with a shield. Few carry a devotion to diligence. Few carry a resolve to learn.


    In a vast sea of complexity, you are the beacon that guides the blind to shore, a harbor for lost minds and lost souls.


    This is power incarnate.


    + Doubled ease of gaining higher tier magical affinities


    + Doubled ease of Grimoire use


    + Unlocks advanced spell formulae for Grimoires and spellbooks


    The payoff remained at the very end of the tree as it had with the Speaker tree as well. Even considering that these benefits were superb. Developing affinities was by far the most elusive magical endeavor, my own mastery of origin and augmentation lacking in many regards. Easing that process might allow me to create the primordial mana that Chrona uses. Perhaps even the ascendant mana Daniel implements.


    One may dream.


    The spell formulae remained the most immediately useful benefit. Developing complex spells within a grimoire was a foolhardy venture. The sheer complexity often overwhelmed even the most studious individuals. It was the same as explaining to a child how to walk. The intricacy involved was simply too much.


    I found far better success merely allowing the children to gain a ''feel'' for walking instead. This tapped into a primal part of the brain controlling motor function. This composed much of the mental power in sentient species, and tapping into it was a wise choice. This was actually how Daniel progressed in his own magic.


    Speaking of which, I glanced back up towards the titan. He patiently waited on my status updates. He raised an eyebrow as I met his eye,


    "What did you find?"


    "Much that will be useful for us. I believe I''ve unlocked the class of an Archmage. I will need more time to fully unlock it, but it appears interesting, to say the least. If my assumptions are correct, then it is an upgrade to the Speaker class."


    He put his hands on his hips, ""Huh, you can upgrade classes?"


    "I would assume so given the nature of this skilltree."


    Daniel sighed, "Yeah, I''ve got a class to unlock too, and it is a pain in the ass to finish."


    I dragged a hand down my face, "Tell me about it. It seems we''ve come to the same conclusion regarding class unlocks. They''re more than merely frustrating."


    Daniel grabbed his fists, one after the other. It was a subconscious habit he developed long ago, and I doubt he was fully aware of it. He turned towards the edge of the silver''s territory off in the distance,


    "Let''s stop there. Complaining''s a bad habit. You ready to head out?"


    I nodded, "But of course, though, I believe there are a few reports from Althea I must parse through. They''re listed as urgent."


    I opened the status, and as I read the reports, my jaw went slack,


    "This is...unfortunate."


    Daniel -


    Ah shit, bad news. I crossed my arms, preparing for the worst.


    "What went wrong?"


    Torix shook his head, a bit of his new dark aura blurring the air around him,


    "It states here that they''ve found circumstantial evidence that''s rather critical of Schema."


    I frowned, "Circumstantial evidence that supports a biased position? That just means bullshit."


    Torix waved a hand, "While normally I would agree, this report includes some of Schema''s wrongdoing that we''re aware of."


    "Huh, really now?"


    "Indeed, it mentions how certain worlds are being eldritchified to get rid of unwanted races or influences."


    I scowled, "Like what happened to Hod''s homeworld?"


    "Precisely. Since we know that at least one of the propositions in these documents is true, it means the other proposals gain validity."


    I shook my head, "Damn...Alright, what''s left then?"


    "There are two other claims here. The first I''ll mention is the mana farms. Here it mentions many high profile mages disappearing at random. All of them carried tremendous mana generation, and therefore it concludes they are being used to power Schema''s system."


    I scoffed, "Uh, no. That''s impossible."


    Torix leaned back, "To dismiss it so rapidly, perhaps you may explain where your confidence stems from?"


    I pointed at myself, "My mana generation is literally thousands of times higher than anyone I''ve ever met. From what we''ve seen, I''m very responsive to Schema''s alterations too. Despite all of that, it takes an enormous amount of time to implement even small adjustments onto me."


    I lowered my hand, "If that''s the case, then there''s no damn way normal mages could power the system. If anything, I think Schema is burning matter for energy like Yawm or Helios. If that''s not the case, it''s coming from a different dimension or something like that."


    Torix nodded, "Hmm, a logical manner of thinking. I would agree, yet I find myself wondering how you understand the mana constraints involved with system augmentation. Is there an elaboration is in order?"


    I pointed at my runes,


    "This is what Schema''s using to enhance people. Runes. The big AI in the sky probably has a huge database with specific cipher inscriptions for every individual. He pumps mana into those inscriptions based on the amount of ''experience'' someone''s earned. I can''t think of any other way he does it, at least."


    I tilted my head, "That''s actually why I think Schema increased my level cap. He''s pumping the same amount of mana as he would for a normal person. I just end up using it more efficiently. Once again, just a guess."


    I raised my eyebrows, "I mean, if we use that line of logic, it''s also why you have my bonuses. Your new body just uses mana and the cipher better."


    Torix''s jaw went slack. He stayed silent for a moment. I waved a hand over his face,


    "Uh, you ok?"


    "Ahem, certainly. I was simply astonished. I''ve never deduced such a likely method of Schema''s enhancement. It was a mystery for me until you just dissected it in front of me with ease." Torix stared at me,


    "To have gained such insights into the inner workings of Schema, and to do so from such disparate observations...I must say, I''m impressed."


    I coughed into a hand, a bit embarrassed by the compliment, "I mean, I wouldn''t say it''s perfectly accurate. Schema might be using something else. That''s just my guesstimation."


    Torix waved a hand, "Please, don''t belittle your findings to me. That was a very sound and logical method of handling system augmentation. In accordance with Occam''s Razor, that''s almost certainly correct. I do find myself wondering what you meant by a cipher, however."


    I scratched the side of my face. It might be time to tell him about it.


    "It''s a code that lets you change the laws of our universe. I use it. Don''t learn it, or else you''ll be exiled from Schema''s system."


    Torix raised a hand, "Ah, that''s why you''ve never spoken of it. Forbidden knowledge. I will pursue it no further per your wishes."


    I turned towards where Spear waited for us to return,


    "Let''s talk while we walk."


    "Let''s."


    I turned towards the army before jumping from the ground. Torix paced onto a condensed ball of dominion mana, pulling himself up with it. We reached Spear, who helped us warp everything here to begin with. He meditated at the top of a flattened spire.


    Several saysha beetles crawled over his armor, each of them confused by his existence. As we approached, Spear awakened. He stood, turning towards us while brushing the Saysha beetles off. Spear looked Torix up and down. Spear crossed his arms,


    "Hm. You might be more imposing. Time will tell."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "Indeed, it shall."


    Spear stared for a moment before giving Torix a slow nod. Spear turned to me, "I like the change already. The lich is more confident, and confidence leads to victory."


    I pointed towards the army, "That''s exactly the plan. Those guys are going to help us out with that, but we have to get back to Elderfire."


    Spear gave a curt nod before leaping down onto the metal below. He crashed into steel, the matrices caving under his heft. After walking over towards the army, he cleaved through space-time. As the soldiers walked towards an empty side of Elderfire, I turned to Torix,


    "Alright, so what else did they find in the reports?"


    "Ah, yes, the reports." Torix skimmed through them, "It also mentions that Schema is purposefully stalling eldritch research."


    I yawned, "Yeah, and?"


    Torix fumbled his words, "W-what do you mean yeah and? This is a revolutionary discovery."


    "I''ll be honest, I''ve thought that ever since I met Yawm forever ago. He hypothesized the same thing, and his logic was sound. Considering how limiting Schema''s research and whatnot is, it only makes sense that he''s doing it for a reason."


    Torix waved a hand, "Then why haven''t you disclosed this information with us? Also, why haven''t we done anything about it?"


    "Schema exiles anyone that doesn''t do what he wants when he wants it. I didn''t want you guys involved, and the information isn''t exactly helpful. I mean, at best, we risk our guilds and lives for a chance at changing Schema. At worst, we''re all exiled before we even get the chance."


    I shrugged, "It just seems like a lost cause. I mean, look everyone who''s tried. Yawm was a monster. The Adair Family is turning people into monsters. Everyone who''s tried ended up going way past the deep end. They''re insane, and not because they know Schema isn''t perfect."


    I rolled my shoulders,


    "They''re insane because of what they''re willing to do to change the system in place. That''s why we''re working hard to stop them. How much do we need to know about them before they''re considered enemies?"


    Torix cupped his chin, "Hmm, perhaps you''re correct on that account. I understand the need to put them down. I was simply feeling a bit left out is all."


    I grinned, "Now you know what it felt like when you streamed my fights without telling me."


    Spear turned towards us, "I find it odd. You both are very critical of Schema."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I understand what he does is hard. That''s why I''m helping out. I just understand where he could use some improvement. That''s all."


    Spear put his spears back into their magnetic sheaths along his back, "If so, then that is reasonable." He turned to the shrinking horde, "The army is almost back in Elderfire. What''s the next course of action?"


    Torix walked up to the portal, the desert contrasting the metal hellscape of the silvers. His legion of infused undead covered several dunes worth of sand, their numbers many. The lich turned towards us and cackled,


    "We sharpen our claws and bloody our teeth for war."

 244 To the Forefront

    Torix and I walked through the portal, Spear following not far behind. As the hordes of undead marched into Elderfire, Torix and I let the populace know what was going on. Once the army amassed into a relatively uninhabited part of the city, we gathered our legion.


    Well over a hundred gialgathens fought alongside us today. Torix situated our invasion point in a forested area for some reason. As he notched an X into the ground, I walked up while moving a vine out of my face,


    "Why are we moving out from here instead of in the desert? The underbrush is in the way. It will slow us down."


    Torix clasped his hands, "We''re throwing the enemy off with misinformation."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Now that you mention it, I don''t know where or what we''re doing in this next city. I''ve been so busy with the lich thing that I don''t really know the plan."


    Torix raised a hand, "It''s quite simple this time when compared with our other assaults. The city we''re attacking is Fausel. It''s a city situated among the flowering plains. According to scouting reports from Althea, this town''s sewers are infested with Hybrids. Its defense actually outdoes the surface. It isn''t a practical plan to continue our launch point from beneath the surface."


    Torix shook his head, "Instead, we''ll be incorporating a different strategy. We''ll neglect your orbital bombardment in order to utilize my necromantic abilities. After warping into a larger building, we''ll swarm their forces and kill the espens and mind mages."


    I crossed my arms, "Why would we do that?"


    "Orbital Bombardment would cull over a quarter of the town''s inhabitants instantly. Due to those repercussions, we''ll need to take a more targeted, specific approach this time. Fortunately, we''ve suitable alternatives arranged. Simply cull the mind mages, and I may wrestle control of the Hybrids. Once taken, we may use them against our enemy."


    My brow furrowed, "Wait a minute...you can take control of the Hybrids?"


    Torix cackled for a moment, enjoying his big reveal. He tapped the edge of his umbral skull,


    "I''ve already proven my ability to control silvers and eldritch. Hybrids are not so different. Considering this, I will need you to make a few adjustments towards this crown of thorns."


    He pulled his crown of thorns off, placing it in my waiting palm. Pulling out his grimoire, Torix turned it towards a later page,


    "I''ll need you to embed this inscription as I inform the army of our plans."


    I lifted the book with a well of gravity before reading it over,


    "Can do."


    We stepped through dense foliage, and I carved into the booklet with heated telekinetic points. I walked through vines, each of them snapping,


    "I get not using my bombardment skill in the city, but that still doesn''t explain why we''re launching from this point."


    Torix gestured around us, "I''m working off several deductions. Considering the Adair Family caught wind of our sewer tactics, we''ll utilize a large building as a launch point instead. This will be done with a purpose in mind. We shall hide it enough that they won''t discover the portal easily. At the same time, it will be obvious enough for them to find."


    I pointed at his drawn X, "Then they''ll see a thriving jungle instead of a desert?"


    "Precisely. This deception will prove necessary, as Althea''s reports note that Elderfire is on a list of possible locations for our base of operations. While low on the list, that fact ensures some measure of deference is necessary. Ignoring their information network will lead to our downfall."


    I nodded while moving all of my fingers at differing points for the runic drawing,


    "We''ll lead them to some jungles on Giess instead of to the Rak''Sha desert. Smart."


    Torix gripped his hands into fists, "That''s my intention. Once staged, we''ll be staging a frontal assault after your bombs have been placed. This will be difficult considering the geography of the territory. Fausel''s surroundings are the flowering plains. They are situated upon a colossal plateau along the northern edge of the continent."


    Torix gestured to the jungle, "There, trees can no longer grow due to the lack of moisture. Wildflowers coat the ground to the horizons, however. It is flat as a table for miles in every direction, and this means aerial superiority is integral to our success. Given the suppressive nature of the Hybrid towers they use, we''ll need your mana bombs."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "I have like forty of them ready to go."


    "Once planted, we''ll eradicate the spires in one fell swoop. At the same time, we''ll be utilizing your gravitational singularities to cripple their dreadnoughts. I shall assist our aerial forces by eliminating the mind mages on the vessels."


    I pursed my lips, "You can do that?"


    Torix steepled his fingers, "But of course. I intend to use this body''s abilities to their fullest. Control is its greatest strength, and that shall be the knife I use to slit our enemy''s throats."


    I pointed at myself, "So what do I do after finishing off the dreadnoughts."


    Torix sent several messages as he spoke, "Simply support Kessiah and Krog''s healing. They and Schema''s forces shall ensure a far higher turnover for gained troops. Given the nature of our goals, that shall take precedence."


    I leaned back, "Wait a minute...I''m going to be healing people?"


    Torix scoffed at me, "It shall be a first."


    "You can handle the fighting without me?"


    Torix met my eye, "I''ve spent the past months honing my mind''s abilities and preparing a plan to use them. I understand your skepticism despite this. You''ve beaten me in individual contests of will in the past. Without meaning to demean you, those victories were due to your overwhelming base stats."


    He raised a hand, "Given my augmented willpower and this crown, I will be a force unequaled in that arena. That is the general gist of our plans. I intend on this battle being the genesis of my newfound abilities. I wish for it to be a beginning to be remembered."


    The lich radiated confidence in his potential in a psionic arena. Trusting him, I gave the guy a begrudging nod,


    "Alright then. Lead the way."


    Torix turned towards a growing horde of gialgathens in the forest. He took deep breaths for a moment, unnecessary as they were. In all honesty, he was simply using the sound of taking a deep breath to calm himself.  Staring at the army, Torix looked like he was about to step into a fighting ring.


    Having noticed his apprehension, I put a hand on his shoulder,


    "Uhm, you ok?"


    "Of course. There''s simply something I must do, and I am nervous about doing it."


    Huh. Torix usually didn''t get nervous.


    "What is it?"


    "A public discourse of our plans and intentions."


    "You mean a speech?"


    "Ahem, yes."


    "I''ve got practice. I can do it. You don''t have to stress about it."


    "I know full well you can, and I thank you for the offer. However, I will be leading many of the troops. Knowing who I am is important for ensuring cohesion among our troops. It gives them a face and persona to follow when I give them orders."


    Torix peered at the army, "And in a way, this is a crux for me. I''ve lead undead armies, but never armies of the living. It''s actually far more intimidating to command sentient beings. This fear is partially why I''ve made you give the speeches in the past. I wish this to no longer be a weakness."


    Within his hollow eyes sockets, blue fires spawned. They mirrored the former flames of his old body. They blazed with intensity as Torix said,


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "The resonance is complete, and at the precise time I anticipated. Excellent."


    I raised a hand, "Hm...Alright. Want some tips?"


    He gave me an eager nod, "Oh, most certainly."


    I counted on my fingers, "Speak with confidence, remember no one knows you''re nervous, and have a plan of what you''re going to say."


    Torix scoffed, "I know that much of the issue."


    "A reminder never hurt."


    Torix sighed, "Indeed. Give me a moment to myself. I must collect my thoughts."


    I let the guy destress how he had too. I walked off as he sent out messages and orders. Our forces concentrated in the forested spot while I worked on the crown of thorns. It was a concise and straightforward conduit inscription, something I''d done a thousand times before for our soldiers. In fact, it mirrored the same markings we used against Yawm.


    Yup, this was a psionic amasser. It would take several individuals with similar inscriptions and wield their mental influence using this as the hub. If I had to guess, this was part of why Torix was keeping an open portal towards Elderfire. Telepathy didn''t have infinite range, so the mages were in the city, wearing their own versions of this.


    It was a risky strategy in many ways, but the payoffs were massive. If we succeeded, we''d gain a large portion of troops and save more gialgathens. It would be far better than just destroying the city like I did to Polydra.


    It was a good plan.


    Making a few subtle adjustments to Torix''s template, I leaned back against a knurled tree. Not long after, Krog arrived with Kessiah in tow. Several other people clad in power armor rode their backs as well. They wore painted blue crests on their chests. It was a symbol of a 2-D solar system from above. At the corners of the solar system, gnawing mouths chomped at the planets. It must have been some symbolism of the eldritch.


    Either way, the six individuals oozed a professional demeanor, each of them having a no-nonsense attitude. Krog carried them through the trees, weaving through the vines and underbrush. He landed with a subtle quake beside me. The general dipped into a deep bow,


    "Commander."


    It took a second before I recognized he was talking to me. I coughed into a hand, "Ahem, as you were."


    His change in attitude was a stark reminder of what we were doing. Earning respect like this felt good, and having Krog recognize my efforts was motivating. Following up on his bow, Kessiah leaped off his back, and she gave me a quick salute. It was less sarcastic than I expected.


    Eh, I''ll take it.


    She introduced the six other soldiers,


    "These are the Overseer''s guys. They''re pretty good compared to what I expected." Kessiah leaned closer, cupping her mouth, "But let''s be honest, we didn''t expect much."


    The soldiers hopped off Krog''s back, undeterred with Kessiah''s teasing. They gave me a coordinated salute. I raised a hand, "Uh, all of you, at ease."


    They lowered their hands, saying in unison, "Sir, yes, sir." One of them walked up, about half my height. She reached up a hand, "It''s an honor to serve under you, sir. Let''s give em hell."


    We shook hands, and I stared at the gesture, "Is it common where you live to shake hands?"


    "No. We did research into your background. You''re a legend, sir."


    Awe shucks.


    Kessiah walked over, "Don''t let it get to your head. Anyways, I''ve whipped these guys into shape. The healers know what to do for the most part against the Hybrids. These three are going with Torix to help warp our soldiers around."


    I gave her a nod, "Perfect. How are you holding up?"


    She gave me a grin, "Just fine. I''m getting good at this healing thing. I actually beat these guys in a demonstration earlier. Felt nice."


    The one that shook my hand stood at the edge of the line of six. She nudged the member to her left, "That''s not saying much when you''re up against Shola."


    Shola stood a head taller than her, and she rolled her eyes for all they were worth while the group laughed. That was good. There was some comradery there. They would need it for what was to come. I looked between our new people and Kessiah. I turned a palm to her,


    "After this next battle, I''m making you a suit of armor. It should help against the Hybrids."


    "Thanks. The enchanted ring and necklace already helped a ton."


    "Good. Now let''s get moving."


    They shuffled off, three of them walking over towards Torix and the other three hopping back onto Krog''s back. The grizzled gialgathen lifted a wing to me,


    "You''ve done more for the gialgathens than any other before you. I wanted to thank you for all you''ve done and for giving us a fighting chance against these monstrosities. I would also like to apologize for my contempt for your actions at certain times. I was wrong to do so."


    Not even remembering the situations he was talking about, I scoffed, "Just make sure you guys never let yourselves get into this kind of situation again, alright?"


    He met my eye, "We will never allow such a catastrophe to pass once more. Of this, I swear to you and on Emagrotha''s grave. See you in battle, commander. May they fall before us without effort."


    "Same to you."


    As they flew off, I walked over towards Torix. The lich was midway through giving the troops a rundown,


    "Outside of those general tactics, remember this - stay out of contact with the Hybrids. They will crawl under your flesh and wear your skin like a fine robe. Remember that."


    They replied, "Sir, yes, sir."


    As I walked up, Torix turned to me. I handed the finished crown of thorns to him, and the lich inspected my handiwork, "That was quick, as expected. I see a few adjustments. Interesting. This will do nicely."


    The lich stood tall, placing the crown on top of his head. As he channeled his mana into the inscriptions, he sent a few messages towards mind mages in Elderfire. Torix spread out his hands, the flames in his eyes expanding.


    The blue fire spread over towards his face and shoulders. Once fully assimilated, his aura saturated the entire area. The cobalt blaze singed nothing physically, but it stung my mind. It gave me a subtle headache, and it exhausted me.


    At the same time, the fires soaked in the light around him. The glowing flare contrasted the shadowy surroundings, making his figure stand out among the greenery. He seemed taller, more commanding. The three warp specialists took a few steps back from the lich, unable to withstand the aura shift.


    Torix lifted his hands, staring at them as they shook. A few moments later, the flames receded a bit, though they still rose from his frame. His hands ceased shaking. His aura condensed, his approach refining with each passing second. By the time he finished wrangling in the psionic energy, the difference was staggering.


    It was like comparing a chunk of iron ore with a sharpened knife. The latter was far more deadly. Even gialgathens in the distance took note, many of them staring at the metamorphosis. Torix turned towards me before coughing into a hand,


    "That was far more difficult than I anticipated, yet it was altogether necessary." He looked towards the sky, "Ah, she has finally arrived."


    From above, Chrona''s silver skin shimmered in the sun''s light. Lean and lithe, she darted between the trees and canopy without slowing down. Touching down without so much as a sound, she glanced between us, a grin over her face,


    "It is good to see you are both well."


    Torix gestured towards the X on the ground, "This will be the position you guard. Simply create a time field around this area, and cull any Hybrids or enemy forces that so much as look at it."


    I crossed my arms, "Man, so that''s why you''re not worried about leaving a portal open. We have the perfect defender right here."


    Chrona raised her head in confidence, "I will be a mobile fortress. This is our land, and it will remain that way as long as I am here. Just as well, it eases my heart to help the war effort outside of defending the city. These claws and teeth of mine were getting dull."


    Torix turned to me, "With this, our preparations are complete. It is time."


    With our forces pulled together, we stood in the jungle surrounding Elderfire. The sun belted down with intensity, the heat sweltering everything for miles. That is, except for a single point above the jungle''s floor.


    There the light dimmed. It ran from a source of darkness, a creeping dread that infested those that saw it. Radiating blue flames, Torix stood over the treeline, his figure unmistakeable. He lifted a hand, his sound amplifying magic taking effect,


    "Those present, I ask you to listen."


    His request hit home like a command. The eyes of our troops locked into the shadowy figure, his sapphire hue contrasting the umbral outskirts of his presence. He raised a hand,


    "I am Torix, a lich serving under Daniel, your commander. I am the one who commands and organizes the resources of Elderfire. I''ve worked tirelessly within my lair, ensuring that your kind has a chance against the Adair Family."


    He clenched his hand into a fist, "This shall continue no longer. Armed with a new body harder than steel, I shall join the battle with each of you. I may command the dead to rise and fight alongside you. Know this - each enemy you cull is another ally at your side."


    The gialgathens roared with approval, bolstered by the unexpected blessing.  From behind us, the army of silvers and stone angels crawled out from the treeline. The gialgathens grimaced at the undead troops, but Torix raised his palms,


    "Wait a moment. These are your new brethren. They shall take fatal wounds for you. They shall bleed in place of you. Where you would die, they shall die in your place."


    The gialgathens calmed down as the growing army of the undead skulked from the trees. Torix spread out his hands,


    "I am also armed with a mind that can combat their mages. Many of you have tasted the sting of mental warfare. Know this as well - I too am armed with psionic abilities. I shall leave their forces scattered, and I shall turn their own footsoldiers against them."


    As the army amassed behind him, Torix gestured to his soldiers, "You all shall no longer fight against a superior force in number. We may take the city by storm, each of their dead given new life and purpose in our cause. With but one mighty surge, we can cripple them, scattering them like ashes in the wind."


    The gialgathens cheered once more. Torix steepled his fingers, his presence sending a chill up my spine,


    "Armed with these new tools, we will do more than land a strike at their side; we will slice into their neck. Our battle in Fuasel will be different than any other assault before it. Here we make our first true stand against the enemy. We will expunge them to the last man and save nigh everyone of your lost. Our return will be triumphant, our heads held high."


    The mention of saving their fellow kind bolstered the troops, and the remark about heads held high made the soldiers do the same. They remembered what they fought for, and it reminded me too. Torix thought this speech through.


    As the thousands of silvers stood behind him, the lich cackled. His laughter echoed across the dense undergrowth. As its haunting remnants faded,  Torix steepled his fingers, his entire being exuding confidence,


    "We shall show them what it is to have their own turned against them. We shall take back everything they have stolen from us. We shall retaliate with force unmeasured. We shall show them the might of the gialgathens. We shall stand over their empty graves."


    My hair stood on end as Torix seethed,


    "And regardless of their wishes, they shall join the Harbinger''s legion even after death. Of this, I assure you."

 245 Tactics, Evolved

    <div>


    <div>


    Motivating through fear, the gialgathens under our wing roared in approval. Without needing more preparation, Torix sent a few messages all at once, interacting with multiple statuses. Our forces moved all at once in an outpour of motion.


    Chrona stood beside our primary gate along with Spear. Krog, Kessiah, and Schema''s troops stood in front of a legion of our own. Splitting into four battalions, I glanced at each of them with some confusion. Torix turned towards Spear,


    "Slice it where we suggested."


    Spear walked over towards the marking on the ground while waving his spears. With a wicked slice, he cleaved reality. Torix turned to me,


    "We''ll need your might, Harbinger."


    I paced over before pulling the tear further apart. Torix lifted his hands, "That is enough for now. Warp specialists enter."


    They walked through the gateway, an open field of flowers present. Torix followed, and I stared into the opening. For miles, there was nothing but flowers. Beside them, another eldritch den was locked behind a dungeon''s doors. It confused me since we weren''t near Fausel at all.


    In a spur of genius, Torix generated a portal as far as he could. Layering their gateways, the other warp specialist closed miles and miles of distance in seconds. They continued until their portals reached a waypoint outside the city. Torix turned towards me,


    "We''ll be entering an auditorium. You and I shall cull the Hybrids and other forces that lay within its bounds. Are you ready?"


    I stepped forward, shaking off my surprise,


    "Of course. Let''s go."


    The blue flames expanded over Torix as he stared down for a moment. A tense silence passed over the entire field and soldiers behind us. Torix stared up, sending several messages,


    "Open the launch zone."


    A warp specialist lifted a hand, creating an opening into an auditorium in the city. Torix and I stepped in, finding a dozen Hybrids within its confines. Without waiting, I ran forward, grabbing two of them and smashing their skulls together.


    At the same time, Torix pointed his hand at two of espen soldiers near the back. They convulsed immediately, overwhelmed utterly. Two of the Hybrids turned towards the others, dashing towards them. They rolled towards me, and I stomped them into pulp while crippling the others with Event Horizon.


    Torix followed up, finding several other espen controllers. Torix stared at one of them at a time. Within a second each, he devastated their minds, forcing them to kneel. Their controllers crippled, the six Hybrids I killed then stood once more. Dominion mana oozed from their frame as the forces in this room stared at Torix, waiting for further commands.


    I stared at the guy with newfound respect. We annihilated their installment in an instant.


    The lich walked forward, his presence leaking into the entire room. He turned around, the espens opening their statuses. Torix peered at me,


    "They''ve sent reports of how the auditorium is empty. I''ll also tamper with a few of their information channels. Considering they use psionic telepathy for communication, this should prove simple."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You can beat the entire psionic congregate?"


    Torix raised a hand, "Oh please, I could never. These are fragmented intranets used in each commanding battalion. As long as they miss any differences in these individual''s mentalities after my takeover, we shall be fine. They will miss us entirely as if we were passing ghosts."


    I slammed my fists together, "Alright then, let''s go tear them apart."


    Torix turned to me, "Before we do so, give each of these individuals a few of your mana bombs."


    My eyes widened, "They''ll be suicide bombers."


    Torix cackled, "Precisely. This ensures a measure of precision that would otherwise be impossible. It also gives us ample time to enact other measures."


    The auditorium''s occupants lined up, and I handed each of them three mana bombs apiece. They hid them under clothing or in their stomachs. Torix turned towards our portal,


    "And so, it is now time to impart our forces across the city."


    Torix sent a few messages. Spear walked into the auditorium with the three warp specialists. The warp behind us faltered, disintegrating into nothing with a quick siphoning sound. Spear cleaved through dimensions once more, opening the portal without delay.


    I followed suit, ripping the tear further. The three warp specialists lined up, and Torix raised a hand towards me,


    "They may only open a single portal at any one point in time. This utility is tremendous, however. We may launch in four different areas. Now, to the next zone. It shall be a closed stadium. Are you ready?"


    I grinned, "Always."


    The warp specialist took a deep breath, his breathalyzer humming in his suit of power armor. With another, far quieter sound than Spears portals, a portal opened up into an empty bathroom. Torix stepped through with me. We paced out into a hallway, dispatching several guards.


    Torix didn''t so much as maintain eye contact. With a mental will that was downright frightening, he walked with a casual air, our enemies falling as he passed. Passed the shaded hallway leading into the stadium, thirty or so espens with hundreds of Hybrids skulked about.


    Torix''s blue flames rose out from him as he turned to me,


    "Each of them commands several Hybrids. We need not kill them, merely knocking them unconscious is all that is necessary. Given I cannot take on so many at once, dispatch of as many espens as you can."


    I stepped up to the edge of the hallway''s shade. Camouflaged from the enemies, I reached out my hands, taking a moment to focus. My mana glowed red as I sensed each of the espen''s locations. With a burst of effort, I swung my arms outwards, using a rapid jolt.


    Dispersed across twenty different locations, telekinetic impacts jostled each of the espen''s jaws. Whiplashed into unconsciousness, they tumbled to the ground. Their Hybrids glared around, no longer controlled.


    Before chaos erupted, Torix already suppressed half of the remaining espens left. I took another breath, using another quick snap of my arms. Two of the remaining espens tumbled before Torix conquered the rest of them. One by one, the subconscious espens rose from the ground.


    Torix cackled, "Who would''ve guessed you could simply knock them unconscious? I''d have anticipated something closer to decapitation."


    I rolled my shoulders, stepping out onto the grassy field, "I could say the same for controlling so many people at once."


    Torix followed me, the small army of individuals assembling in front of us. I stared at them in amazement,


    "I never would''be imagined you''d be this damn effective with your mind magic. This is incredible."


    Torix scoffed, "You knocked twenty individuals unconscious with a flick of your wrists. Without that, they''d have informed their chain of command already."


    Torix''s blue flames expanded further, "In essence, our teamwork enables this profound effect to manifest. Now, it is time to decimate their forces further."


    More warps opened after Torix sent a few messages. We rinsed and repeated this process two more times, taking over a hotel lobby and a wedding venue. At that point, Torix''s blue flames radiated with such intensity that I gave the guy some space. Otherwise, I''d develop a ringing headache.


    Standing there with a bit of difficulty, he raised shaking hands, "Who''d of estimated that only ten thousand minds was my effective limit...for now."


    He opened his status with a bit of difficulty,


    "I won''t be able to maintain this large a force concurrently. Due to that fact, I''ll be implementing suicidal tactics for the controlled members. As well, it has been less than an hour since we''ve touched down, yet the mana crystals are in place, and our four launch zones are ready."


    Torix turned to me, "We only need you to station yourself atop the Eridian Tower. It gives an excellent view of the city, and it enables you to dismantle their dreadnought forces using your singularities."


    I gave Torix a nod. A few minutes and warps later, I found myself on top of said Eridian Tower overlooking the entire city. The flowering fields in the distance contrasted the blighted city. Hybrids skulked across the streets, each of them covered in debris. Hidden in pits, the gialgathen citizens were put into the orange soup and converted into the Adair Family''s denizens. Yeah, it would feel good taking these guys out.


    After getting a grasp of the city''s layout, I put up a few pieces of furniture to disguise the glow of my mana, but I could still see the entire city. A few seconds later, Torix sent out a message,


    Torix Worm, The Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 9,007 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Whenever you launch your first singularity, we shall bite into their exposed neck so to speak. Act whenever you are ready.


    I took out about a hundred condensed mana crystals of raw ascendant mana. A pile of blood-red gems sat in front of me, darkened lines tracing each jagged gemstone. With the volatile energy source right in front of me, I raised a hand and charged a singularity.


    They and Torix were in for a surprise.


    Ten seconds later, I lobbed the first singularity at a dreadnought''s arcane cannons. The moment I finished the hungry void, I assimilated ten more crystals, draining them with my armor. My skin radiated heat as billions of mana coursed through my veins. A lesser creature would''ve evaporated just handling this mana. Dimensional in scope, I used the energy with fluidity and precision.


    The crystals wisped out of existence, and I lobbed another singularity at a different dreadnought. A living, breathing gravitational cannon, I shot out a dozen various shots at the battleships, taking aim and firing without taking time between each shot. It was a new tactic I thought up a while back.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    And with it, I shattered the horizons.


    Each cataclysmic jolt of gravitational energy rocked the ship and nearby buildings. So many dynamic, contrasting forces erupted that entire blocks of Fausel were flattened. The sheer volume of noise shattered every glass panel across the whole city. The land itself quaked under the monumental destruction. The clouds above ran from the outbreak, the sky blown outwards from the city.


    The destruction itself wasn''t the only impressive part. I aimed each shot at the powered cores and command decks of each vessel. Having been in them several times made this much more manageable. Practice also made perfect, and that let me tear the ship''s guts out.


    This meant each of the dreadnoughts fell without so much as a fight. At the same time, my other mana bombs erupted across the city. These proved far more effective than before. From within the massive, moving spires of Hybrid flesh, our suicide bombers hit them at their source. It wasn''t from a point near the root. The explosions ripped out from within them.


    This was the difference between swallowing a grenade versus having one blow up in the room beside you. One carried a chance at life. The other ensured an instant death. Between the singularity shower and the mana bombing, we eliminated their entire fleet in less than ten seconds.


    Their forces weren''t prepared for what was to follow.


    As deafening booms echoed into the distant plains, our forces mobilized. From our three other strongholds, gialgathens flew out of the buildings. Torix''s silvers ran out onto the streets, catching espens and Hybrids off guard. I even opened my dimensional storage, two dozen gialgathens flying out from the umbral portal.


    We covered the skies with wings of wrath. From our forces, the enemies crumbled. The ferocity and speed of our attack, it rivaled a lightning bolt in intensity. Our enemies never stood so much as a shadow of a chance at even fighting back. Even without my intervention, the enemy forces crumbled. It was an instantaneous victory from the onset.


    Our aerial superiority caused most of this. On the ground, gialgathens were clumsy, immobile things. In the sky, they might as well have been dancing by comparison. This gave them the ability to stomp out the Blighted Riders who crawled out of the dreadnoughts. They roasted in plumes of iridescent fire.


    Since the enemy forces were crippled, I looked for Torix. I expected some sort of unexpected mishap, but no, our army didn''t need me to fight. Lacking a direct need for a juggernaut, all I needed to do was follow behind Torix''s rush. Before leaping out of the building, I inspected my surroundings.


    I discovered a grounded dreadnought behind me. With an explosive dash, I shot out of the Eridian Tower. As I did, I cleaved the building apart, causing the massive, metal pillar to fall. Aiming its descent, I created another catastrophic blow to the enemy. The tower landed on the grounded destroyer, rupturing its forcefield.


    Leaving that chaos behind me, I found Torix riding on the back of a Hybridized gialgathen. When and where he took the damn thing over, I didn''t know. All I knew was that an ancient lich riding a cybernetic dragon was just...awe inspiring.


    Around the dimensional necromancer, several dozen Hybrids ran out towards the orange pits. They tore open the orange slop and pulled gialgathens out. It was a clever workaround. Unlike our forces, the Hybrids were immune to the slop''s effects. This meant they could pull the injured out easier than we could.


    Torix wasted no time with this process, however. Instead, he moved onto the next pit the moment he finished. It was like watching an assembly line as Krog landed behind him in front of the piles of Hybridized gialgathens. Taking a deep breath, Krog unleashed a sonic roar that blew the orange slop off of the injured.


    The healers and Kessiah leaped off Krog''s back right after, running up to each individual. Kessiah tore open a dozen blood bags, healing several gialgathens at once. The other healers followed behind her, stabilizing the gialgathens.


    The wind whistled in my ears as I slowed my descent. Landing near them, I sprinted up towards Kessiah''s injured. She looked up at me, pointing at the healed gialgathens behind her,


    "Just take the Hybrid out of them. That''s all you need to do."


    I gave her a nod, and she refocused on healing wounds. I honed all my intents onto removing the Hybridized parts of them. This was a necessary adjustment. Ever since Polydra, the gialgathens we saved were more and more hybridized. This left fewer and fewer gialgathens alive after we got them back to Elderfire.


    To counter this, we needed a more effective and less haphazard rehabilitation process. With a near factory line level of efficiency, we achieved just that.


    We saved hundreds of them.


    Moving from pit to pit, Kessiah and I burned through the injured gialgathens. We took a broad stroke approach, doing as much as was needed for the gialgathens to live. The healers behind cleaned up any missing parts we left behind. This high octane, rapid approach over doubled the speed of our healing.


    Even better, the silvers that Torix controlled carried the healed back through the open portals. Of course, the enemy forces attempted stopping us, but we implemented yet another new strategy of Torix''s making. This plan was simple yet stunning in its effectiveness.


    It came in three parts. The first part needed aerial superiority, which we established instantly. With it, our gialgathen forces could comb the city and use their flames at a distance. This kept an appropriate distance from the flyers and the Hybrids. Distance meant the close combat capabilities of the Hybrids were a moot point.


    The next part of the strategy involved tactical use of the silvers and Hybrids that Torix controlled. Given his inability to control an infinite amount of them at once, Torix regularly sent them to their deaths. He then conquered more forces as needed. This tactic reduced the enemy''s troops on two fronts.


    At the same time, this recycling wheel of new troops meant Torix never needed to control tens of thousands of individuals at once. It worked around his limitations, letting him focus on his other responsibilities. It also fed into the third part of the plan.


    By creating chokepoints of controlled troops and enemy troops, Torix generated clusters of enemies. Given our gialgathens could see these clusters, they set fire to every monster fighting in them. This decimated entire legions of troops as a group of gialgathens passed above. It let them scorch the earth and all the enemies involved. Mitigating contact, this approach saved most of our forces.


    All these factors culminated in a ruthless war machine. Three hours of well-oiled destruction passed. By then, Torix, Krog, Kessiah, and Schema''s sent troops stood near Fausel''s auditorium. We were moving out the last of the injured gialgathens through opened portals.


    I walked up to them, dragging a Hybrid behind me. It reared back to life in my hands before I smashed its skull in my fingers. In front of me, Torix sent several messages a second. He controlled the troop''s escape with an enviable serenity. There was no nervousness or doubt; Torix understood what was needed.


    In many ways, the battle acted as a turning point for the necromancer. Several of the people gathered here doubted him in the past, Spear in particular. Watching Torix in his element could change even the most biased party, and that''s precisely what happened.


    The entire group looked at him differently, Spear and Krog, in particular. It was like they looked down on Torix before, and now they looked up at him. Subtle as that change was, it stuck out to me. Even Kessiah, a long-time friend, seemed moved by Torix''s display of competence.


    In fact, the only person that didn''t look at him differently was me. The reason for that was obvious - I never lost faith in the guy in the first place. Stepping up, I held back a few ''I told you so''s.'' Before I could congratulate Torix, One of Schema''s troops walked up. Staring at the lich with reverence, the faceless trooper saluted Torix,


    "If I may sir, I wanted to say this was a slick operation. The Overseer said we''d be with the best of the best. He wasn''t exaggerating."


    Torix closed his status, staring at him for a moment,


    "I merely gained the correct stage to showcase my talents...but thank you for the recognition."


    Torix turned towards the destroyed city, "I must say, replicating this should prove feasible. In many ways, we''ve cracked the code for dismantling the Adiar''s operations."


    Spear glanced at the warp specialists then back to the lich, "Layering the portals in such a way...That was smart."


    Spear and Torix locked eyes for a second. It was one of those stares where a conversation took place. To me, it looked like Spear ate a fresh, delicious slice of humble pie. Torix saw through this as well. Torix''s blue eyes flared brighter as he looked down on the Sentinel.


    For a trice, it looked like Torix was about to give Spear a lecture on respecting his elders. Before Torix did, the lich peered at me for a split second. Torix clenched one of his hands into a fist before letting it go. The ancient necromancer turned a palm to Spear,


    "It''s an idea I''ve used to mobilize my undead armies in the past. It would be impossible without your warps."


    Torix turned towards the entire group,


    "In essence, all of your talents culminated in our victory here today. Without each of you, this would''ve been impossible. As your commander, I wish to tell each of you that I could never have asked for a better fighting force."


    Several of the people here cheered. I smiled at the guy, proud of him. Glancing above his status, I found he made progress. He deserved it.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 10,000)


    Good feelings aside, we prepared to get out of here. Spear cleaved apart dimensions, and I pried it further apart. As we did, another portal opened in the distance. It was golden-hued, sending a chill up my spine. I turned towards everyone present,


    "Enough chatter. Let''s move."


    Those here ran through the portal as Lehesion''s mammoth claws sliced our dimension apart. His golden maw reached out, one of his eyes meeting my own. I turned around, giving him a wave of my hand as I stepped through the portal.


    Like bandits, we got the hell out before the cavalry arrived. Our army amassed in the jungled dessert, I glanced at everybody. Everyone stared at me with expectation. Not wanting to let them down, I raised a hand and thundered,


    "We won."


    Simple as the words were, they carried a tangible impact. The gialgathens raised their heads, roaring out. Krog joined them, his entire demeanor changed from before. He looked hopeful and young as if the fight shaved a few decades of age.


    That same feeling applied to every gialgathens here. We were guerillas before this fight. We might save some gialgathens, but everyone understood we weren''t actually winning the war. With Torix''s arrival, the situation changed, along with the mentality behind it.


    Once the cheer ended, we handled the rest of what was left to do. The first part involved handling the injured and new members of Elderfire. Considering the size of the city, finding them homes grew in importance.


    With that in mind, Torix and I handled the logistics involved. He registered the new members so we knew who was here. After that, we created homes for them. With my quintessence, I molded houses of stone, keeping to general, vertical layouts. I usually reinforced the walls with steel for stability. Combine that with a bit of added nature, and they had an Aztec feel to them.


    Once stowed away, Torix organized a few meetings with them. Getting them accustomed to life here was an important task considering. Organizing food and other resources meant provisional efforts were needed as well. I handled most of the production efforts while Torix dispatched the resources.


    Settled away, the gialgathens would begin life here. Torix actually gave them regimented schedules to remain here. I discovered the details as we constructed the homes. To get the gialgathens into Schema''s system, Torix created a dungeon a day protocol.


    Spear would warp the gialgathens into a silver infested territory and let them handle an eldritch infestation. This gave them experience and allowed us to gain more usable soldiers. Just as well, it was better than each of them wallowing at home.


    In a way, I couldn''t blame them for that struggle. After all, this transition was difficult for them. Their lives flipped upside down after the Adair Family made its move. Because of that, they grappled with the sudden shift to military life. Sitting at home didn''t seem to help them transition, and we couldn''t afford that level of care either. Just as well, I recognized this wasn''t the best treatment for them. The thing was, it was the only kind of treatment we had. Desperate times called for desperate measures after all.


    Several hours after the battle, we handled those here. Finally able to sit down and think for a minute, I walked up towards my temple cove. It was near Torix''s evil lair, a few rooms down. I had nothing in the place outside of a few pieces of unfinished metal works.


    For the first time in a long time, I laid down on my back, wishing I could sleep. Instead, I closed my eyes for a minute, clearing my mind. Even with my eyes closed, my status popped up in my line of sight. Someone sent me a message. I considered brushing it aside.


    Pushing through the mental fatigue, I took a deep breath before opening my eyes and getting back to work. I could rest when I was dead anyway. I opened the message. It wasn''t what I was expecting, not by a longshot.


    Helios Nova, Ruler of Worlds(lvl 15,000 | Guild: The Empire | Ownership: Belka-623(planet), Meliton(planet) | Class: Fringe Walker | Titles: Winter''s Wrath, Cold of the Void) - Daniel. The emperor wishes to meet you and Torix after your battle at Fausel. He understands if you lack the time for a meeting. That is why he wants to visit you. We lack knowledge of where you''re situated, however. That is why I''m asking for the coordinates.


    I understand if you''re wary of open communications. Considering all that you''re involved in, perhaps a personal meeting to discuss the details would suit you better? Inform me of where you would need to meet for your convenience.


    I closed my status and stared at the wall for a moment. It looked like my appointment with the emperor came early. Why exactly?


    I had no idea, but I was about to find out.

 246 A Reprieve

    I replied,


    Daniel Hillside(lvl 10,750 | Titles: Harbinger of Cataclysm, Dimension C-138, The Living Multiverse, The Cleanser of Polydra | Guild Owner: The Harbinger''s Legion| S- |) - Come on man, you don''t have to be all uppity. If you''re acting this polite, your ass must be on the line for me to meet up with the Emperor. Just consider this a favor for now. We can meet in my first city. You can ask Caprika for the info for where that is.


    Within seconds, I got a reply,


    Helios Nova, Ruler of Worlds(lvl 15,000 | Guild: The Empire | Ownership: Belka-623(planet), Meliton(planet) | Class: Fringe Walker | Titles: Winter''s Wrath, Cold of the Void) - Of course. May we meet in three hour''s time?


    I sent back a ''sure.'' I pushed myself back up as a cackling ebbed in from the other room. No doubt Torix got a message with something similar in it. Considering Helios''s disdain for us before, this new attitude was more than just a little bit satisfying. That was doubly the case with Torix.


    The sound of footsteps on stone ebbed into my room before Torix leaned in,


    "I''m assuming you received a similar message, no doubt?"


    I nodded. Torix walked back and forth as he snickered, "This is quite the boon. Having that twat suffer for his treatment of us is oh so very satisfying."


    I shrugged, "I mean, yeah, yeah it is. We can''t let it get to our heads, though."


    Torix waved a hand, "I allowed Spear and Krog to do without the sting of humiliation. Allow me this relishing, however."


    "Ok, ok. It''s pretty damn nice seeing this attitude shift from Helios."


    Torix and I cackled for a moment before the lich coughed into a hand, "Ahem, now that we''ve cherished this victory, perhaps a plan moving forward is in order? I''m rather concerned with meeting the Emperor considering the scope of his resources."


    I frowned, "I don''t know what to do exactly. I know the Emperor will be strong, and whoever it is will know a lot more about the universe than us. If anything, I''m hoping to listen to the guy a lot instead of talking a bunch."


    "Perhaps having a few questions in order would suit us well?"


    I cupped my chin, "Alright, what about...Why did you want an empire?"


    Torix waved a hand, "Blagh, that reason is obvious. He simply desired influence and power."


    "I don''t know. There might be more to it."


    "We''ll ask the question then, though I doubt he''ll add much in the way of depth to my assumption. I wonder if he may describe Helios''s mana management stratagems. Considering the volumes of mana he operates with, we may use the same techniques to tremendous effect."


    I waved my hand back and forth, "Doubtful. Converting that much mana requires one hell of a sense for mana. Considering he does so in realtime, Helios must have a next-level mana control ability."


    "Well, that''s rather disappointing. At least we own a limitless mana supply here."


    I shook my head, "For now, I say we talk to Helios about what we should say and ask. He knows our circumstances and can help us out."


    "Then I''ll trust your judgment. I''ve several appointments with our new gialgathenic citizens. They''re rather resistant to the lifestyle here. It''s rather disappointing."


    I frowned, "It makes sense because Schema''s world is a brutal one. We aren''t offering the gialgathens some utopian world. If anything, it''s a pretty steep downgrade in lifestyle compared with before."


    Torix shrugged, "It is the inevitability of the eldritch, I''m afraid. Everyone must be a warrior to some extent. Those that falter die."


    "Yeah, it''s pretty shitty, but there''s nothing we can do about. Anyways, let''s get everything situated before we need to head out to see Helios."


    "Of course." Torix scratched the side of his metal cheekbone, "I...I also wanted to thank you for your trust in me. That enabled me to succeed as I did. I couldn''t have asked for a better disciple...So thank you."


    I gave him a grin, "It was your time to shine. I could just tell."


    "Then, I will go handle the logistics involved. Goodbye."


    Torix left as I peered off into the distance. It was interesting seeing the new system goers. The resentment for Schema saturated a lot of the older gialgathens. Even the younger ones made it look like being drafted into military service. In a lot of ways, though, that''s exactly what it was; fight monsters or die.


    It reminded me of a few of the Adair Family''s goals. Right now, I just accepted the deaths against the eldritch as a cold, hard reality. In many ways, they were offering a way to eliminate that entirely. Having a psionically controlled Hybrid fight in my place, man, I had to admit that would be pretty nice.


    Of course, they were demons that needed to be put down, but I empathized with them more now. We''d lost over a fifth of the rescued gialgathens to the silvers and eldritch. Just as well, not everyone was built to fight. In this kind of environment, we didn''t have other options, yet it still irked me a bit. I was choosing a choice I had to choose instead of making a better one.


    In a way, I was complacent. That bothered me.


    I shook those feelings off. As strong as I was, I couldn''t stop the eldritch from spawning. Calling my current lifestyle busy was also an understatement. That was a problem for another day. With all that in mind, I pulled out some more molten metal from my dimensional storage. Three hours was just enough time to finish some more reinforced clothing for Kessiah.


    Getting to work, I created several hundred strings of molten metal. After talking with Torix for a minute, I got some white, stored polymers from the guy. With some pretty meh sewing skills, I crafted a bodysuit to Kessiah''s proportions. It was meant to lay under her clothing. Asking for her measurements sounded awkward no matter what, but I didn''t need to anymore. My eyesight and depth perception exceeded the norm, allowing me to eyeball the specifics without worrying.


    Armed with those abilities, I traced the metal wires through her new bodysuit. With supernatural, telekinetic precision, I weaved them into the polymer fabrics. This time-consuming process took up the majority of my time. Once entirely made, I melted a few of the polymers together.


    With the ball of melted plastic, I created reinforcing plates over the bodysuit. I bolstered the sheaths with more wires of dimensional fabric. This gave them longevity, and it made the plates stiffer. Once created, I etched in elemental runes for regeneration.


    This process took very little time. My heated telekinetic points made carving into meltable materials a breeze. Otherwise, the process took a ton of time. I didn''t need to stress about it, so I just enjoyed the simple work. After finishing the set of runes, I brainstormed a few other augmentations.


    These were relatively simple, so I created a few gemstones of quintessence mana as I did. These weren''t the hulking, lumbering stones I made before. Instead, I kept them small and targeted. This produced far more solid stonework. The reason for all that was simple. Having them blow up would kill Kessiah, and that wasn''t exactly ideal.


    I placed these stones across a few of the plates. I kept the intention behind them loose, letting Kessiah work the mana in how she wanted to. Most likely, that meant making more of her own blood, but I didn''t want to limit her. You never know when someone might need more utility after all.


    Once completed, I decided to show some ambition with this work. With the hour I had left, I created a series of crisscrossing mana wires. These were simply thickened strands of my armor hidden under the white plastic. They acted as a framework for what was to come.


    Injecting a bit of intent into the wires, connected them to the gemstones. Once finished, they created an artificial aura similar to the Rise of Eden. While minuscule by comparison, it still helped the user by a bit. It gave the armor a white, unearthly aura.


    This gave me a power outlet for adding certain utilities. The first one involved antigravitational foot placements, which let the user float and bounce off their heels. I created the opposite onto the knuckles of the hands. If the user so wanted, gravity spiked over their hands. This pulled their enemies to their fists and their fists to the enemies.


    It had other uses, I''m sure, but I''d leave that up to Kessiah to think up. I sat back from the armor, keeping it afloat using a gravity well. Thinking about it more, Kessiah''s arms would definitely break if she used the gravity enhancers. I created a few thin sheets of armor to reinforce her arms. They acted as hidden gauntlets, preventing her bones from collapsing.


    This gave her a few charges of a gravitational strike on command. Considering she worked around the Hybrids, this was enough to turn a few of them into jelly. With that finished, I had a few minutes before our meeting with Helios.


    I picked up the suit and sent a message to Kessiah, asking where she was. After getting her coordinates, I walked over towards her location. Within the shaman''s healing center, Kessiah worked beside the other healers. They kept our people healthy, letting them fight much more than otherwise possible.


    Quite a few of the wounded were from fighting silvers and dungeons, not even the battle against the Hybrids. I took note of that as I stepped up. Kessiah glanced up at me, giving me a salute,


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Good to see ya."


    I pulled up the white bodysuit, showing it to her, "I made this. It''s meant to go under your gear. Use it wisely."


    As she stood up, I tossed it to her. She almost fell backward, stumbling a few steps back. I winced as she held her breath to stabilize her core. Kessiah lifted it up, "How in the hell did you get plastic armor to be heavier than steel plate mail?"


    I facepalmed, "I''m an idiot. I traced wires of my armor through that. It made it much heavier than I thought. Sorry."


    She lifted it up with a bit of strain, "Eh, it''s alright. I''m not about to complain about it...I did expect it to be black, not white. That seems to be your general fashion."


    I frowned, "What? That''s just the color of my armor. I can''t help that it''s the most practical material I have to work with."


    One of the healers stared at me, her helmet off. She stood up, wearing combat fatigues. Having blue skin and fins across her face, she reminded me of an espen. As she spoke, I recognized her. She was the sociable one from before,


    "You use your own armor to make equipment? How do you have any left?"


    I grabbed a portion of my forearm, ripping a piece of the fabric off. The healer cringed at the sight before I lifted it with gravity. After melting it, I stored the substance in my dimensional storage. By the time I did, my forearm was good as new.


    "That''s how. It''s my skin."


    The healer stared at me then back to Kessiah, "You use your skin to make equipment."


    I stared up for a minute, giving it some thought. Yup, she was right. I did use my skin for armor.


    "I mean...yeah. I do."


    The healer gasped, "Doesn''t that, like, break the laws of matter conservation?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Oh come on, that''s what you find weird about that?"


    "Uh, yeah."


    Kessiah leaned onto the healer''s shoulders, "Look, Nora, I told you before, don''t question the commander''s actions. He''s a pragmatist to a fault, and so far, it''s worked out pretty good for the guy."


    Nora looked overwhelmed as she murmured, "And you made it float. Then heated it. And stored it in dimensional storage? But the storage doesn''t let you store organics...I''m so confused."


    I shrugged, "I wish I had time to explain, but I don''t. I have to head out. Hope you like the new bodysuit."


    Kessiah stared at it, "Well...Yeah, it''s amazing, if a bit heavy."


    I shook my head, "Don''t worry about it. You''ll be strong enough to wear it once you''re wearing it."


    She stared at it, analyzing the suit. I did the same.


    The Hemonic Equalizer(lvl requirement: 5,000) - This suit of armor is designed with blood production in mind. As if designed by a thirsty vampire, it specializes in hemonic production. If cut, the wielder will pour fountains of blood and not so much as flinch in the face of it.


    The reinforcing web of metal under the plastic gives it a tremendous reinforcing substructure. This provides the suit with a far greater tensile strength than even high order power armors. Combine that with the mana framework, and the suit carries a replaceable power source of several million units of mana.


    Combine that with the gravitation augments, and this is a tremendously rare and tailor-made bodysuit. If in need of blood and survivability, the Hemonic Equalizer is unrivaled.


    Doubles effective blood volume


    Doubles efficiency of blood sacrifice


    +50,000 Maximum Health, +50,000 Maximum Mana,  +50,000 Maximum Stamina, + 10,000 health regen(per min), 10,000 mana regen(per min), 10,000 stamina regen(per min)


    + 1,000% physical damage, +5% to total damage, + 1000 pounds of mass(453 Kilograms), + 1% to damage resistance cap, +10% to potency of quintessence mana, Innate Mana Shield (1,000,000/1,000,000)


    +25% to blood production


    +10% to pain resistance


    +500 to Endurance and Willpower


    +300 to Constitution, Strength, and Intelligence


    +200 to all other stats


    I scratched the back of my head, "Well...maybe it won''t make you strong enough. I was expecting a bit more if I''m honest."


    Kessiah fell backward. She gasped, "What is this armor?"


    I glanced away, a bit of shame welling up, "Look, I only had three hours to make this. I get it''s not-"


    "Three hours? You made this since the battle?"


    "Well, yeah."


    Nora peered at the armor then back up to me. I might as well have been an Old One standing before her,


    "This is the most powerful equipment I''ve ever seen...Ever."


    I scoffed, "Well then you''re in for a surprise when you see Torix. I made that body of his."


    Nora flatlined, "No wonder the Overseer said you guys were some of the best Schema had. I''m...I''m going to get back to healing. It''s better if I just stay in my lane after all."


    I pointed at the Hemonic Equalizer, "I can make something like this for you guys too. You just have to perform."


    Nora turned to me, the fins on the side of her face wiggling, "Really?"


    I nodded. I turned and began walking off, "Yes. Really."


    Pacing off, Nora whispered to Kessiah, "He makes artifact level gear for just this?"


    Kessiah shook her head, "Yup."


    Man, I didn''t know what I did was this unusual. In fact, I didn''t know much about the average person in Schema''s system. The system was so vast that maybe knowing the average was impossible, but I could get a better general idea, at least. I put that in the back of my mind before pulling myself over towards the center of Elderfire.


    Surrounded by Schema''s workers, I found Torix waiting for me. The lich raised a hand, "Perhaps leaving a planet owner waiting isn''t the best of ideas?"


    I grinned, "Eh, he''ll be just fine."


    Torix turned towards the warp, "Let''s not leave that up to chance. Let''s be off, shall we?"


    "Of course."


    We stepped through one of the warps, already primed for us to teleport. Walking through the cloud of ionized mist, we stepped out onto the second floor of Mt. Verner. The machines and technical work whirred around us as industry boomed.


    Seeing the fruit of our labors coming to fruition was nice. At the edge of the shooting range, a group of unusual people talked. Hod, Althea, and Amara chatted with Helios of all people. Althea looked beautiful if a bit wartorn. She and I locked eyes, and I murmured,


    "Hey beautiful."


    Reading my lips, she peered away, blushing with a sheepish grin. As Torix and I stepped up, Hod spread his wings,


    "Hod think fluffy man like dry man. Fluffy man should not let Hod words overwhelm him." Hod cupped his chin, nodding with absolute confidence,


    "Hod understand if Hod smartness too much for fluffy man."


    Helios stood there, facepalming his mask. Althea covered her mouth, forcing her bouts of laughter down. Every now and again, a snicker would come out. Even Amara looked amused, a telltale grin tracing her eyeless face. The hacking eldritch tilted her head to Helios, peering through the slitted eyes on her palms,


    "Is Hod overwhelming this wolf, perhaps? You should sharpen your teeth to those that hold different views to your own. Otherwise, this wolf will be left without fangs."


    Althea just held back even more laughter. As I walked up, I patted Helios''s back, giving him a slight shake,


    "Ah, I see you met Hod. He''s just a blast, isn''t he?"


    Helios kept facepalming before I bust out laughing. I laughed a lot harder than I ever expected to. Althea laughed with me, even Torix and Amara joining in. Helios lifted his head, his black mask covering his face,


    "In a way, associating yourself with such people is fitting. It''s precisely what I expected."


    Torix turned a palm to Hod, "Over time, you''ll adjust to-"


    Hod snapped out his words, "Is that dry man?"


    The entire group glanced at Torix. Even Helios gave him a good look over. Torix covered his mouth, "Ahem, it is I, Torix. What of it?"


    Hod put his winged arms onto his hips, "Hod must admit, Hod impressed. Dry man no longer dry. Dry man actually like wrathful lich now instead of just saying dry man like wrathful lich. Hod approve."


    Despite the compliment still being backhanded, Torix waved a hand, trying to find a way of taking the commendation,


    "Well, ahem, this much is to be expected of me. Now, let us move onto more fruitful discussions, such as our meeting with the Emperor."


    Helios seemed visibly shaken by Torix''s transformation. The world ruler turned his head towards me, "Did you craft this body out of your own skin?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. Took a few days."


    Helios stepped up to Torix, "You mentioned this lich being your master. A disciple that''s willing to give his blood and flesh for the good of his master...Nothing more could be asked of him, could it?"


    Torix stared at me with pride, "This only a mere fragment of his goodwill. It is I who chose him, after all."


    Helios gestured a hand to Torix''s arm, "Would you mind if I inspected this closer for a moment?"


    Torix glanced at me, and I gave him a thumbs up. Torix raised his arm, and Helios glanced at it then back to me, "This is artifact level work. You''ve never mentioned being this skilled a craftsman."


    "I''d rather my work speak for itself."


    "Understandable. Actions speak louder than words." Helios turned towards our group as he let Torix''s arm go. He gave us a slow nod,


    "I''ve long wondered why Schema had the nerve to grant your guild an S- ranking. Now that I''ve seen it in person, along with the ingenuity of humans, it seems far more justified. I am impressed, and perhaps even the Emperor will be as well. Are each of you ready to meet him?"


    Torix and I nodded. Althea phased off of our plane while whispering,


    "Uh, no."


    Gone without a trace, Helios peered around,


    "She dissipated, hm?"


    The situation reminded me of when he encapsulated Althea in ice back on Giess. With a bit more spite than I intended, I made a finger pistol pointed at his head,


    "Yup. She could fire a spear right between your eyes if she wanted to. Considering her bolts could pierce me, I doubt you''d survive, but hey, who knows. Maybe keep that in mind next time you want to cover someone in ice though?"


    The room''s mood shifted in an instant, hostility lingering in the air. I glared at the Fringe Walker as his neck twitched a bit. After the slight shiver, Helios stayed composed. He murmured through clenched teeth,


    "I...I shall do so, Harbinger. It is a mistake I will not make again."


    I frowned at him as I seethed,


    "Yeah, probably a good idea."


    A phatasmal hand gripped mine. It was an odd sensation, but I knew it was Althea. I held her hand as a tense silence passed over us. Breaking the ice, Amara turned to Hod, who stood there with his scrawny chest puffed out. With his winged arms on his hips, the eltari puffed his chest out even more as he announced,


    "Amara and I dating. Amara not accept yet, but Hod believe. Hod always believe."


    Amara turned back to Helios, "...I am not ready to see the Emperor."


    Helios cupped his jaw, peering at me, "Perhaps visiting him would be preferred?"


    I shrugged, "Doesn''t matter to me."


    Helios waved his arm,


    "Then we shall meet him upon Vivaria. He''s deep within an enormous dungeon there known as Gargantua. He''s searching for relics of a bygone era. Do both of you find that interesting? If so, I may warp us there at this very moment."


    Torix turned to me, "He''s piqued my personal interest."


    "Yeah, sounds cool. Let''s go."


    Helios took a step into the portal,


    "Then let us go. Obolis is waiting."

 247 Obolis Novas

    Stepped through the blue warp, following Helios,


    "Obolis? That''s his name?"


    Helios replied as Torix followed through the gateway. I didn''t hear Helios. The stark contrast between the rooms hit me like a truck as I stepped into a different space.


    Decrepit, dusty, and old, we entered into a set of ancient ruins. The constant pressure over us let me know we walked deep underground, miles in depth probably. Staring around, multicolored mana crystals dotted the cavern walls. Strips of a red metal traced the walls, reinforcing it with runic markings carved in metal.


    Some kind of lichen traced between the crystallized mana and the red metal. Pulsing with life, these lichens channeled the mana towards the runes, powering them up. Glancing around, a few skulls and mummified corpses sat out in the open. By the looks of it, this was some kind of aged bunker. It held up to the test of time, the lichens powering it even after the civilization collapsed.


    Around us, scientists and archaeologists of all kinds inspected the surrounding work. They carried lab samples of the lichens, red metals, and pictures of the runic work. They set up a variety of lighting, the fluorescent, sterile white contrasting the more subdued, natural tones of the cavern.


    In the distance, a variety of tents were set up, some kind of reinforced plastic set up in the middle. Helios stepped forward, gesturing towards the quarantined area,


    "They''ve discovered a viral eldritch entity, one without a cure. Neither of you should be susceptible to a viral infection given your anatomies, however."


    If we were, I''d just sterilize it with Event Horizon. Stepping past dozens of people in power armor, we found a dozen guards standing around the tent. Before being allowed in, Helios walked between two of them. An Albony with an orange mask inspected him with some kind of technical wave of sorts.


    The dispersed, holographic scan passed over him before the orange mask nodded,


    "My sire, you''re welcome within."


    Helios walked forward with practiced ease. I got a bit nervous as I stepped up, waiting for the same kind of scan. The orange mask did the same to me before giving me a bow, his voice raspy,


    "Honored guest, we detected no viral programs on your person, however-" He gestured a hand to me, "Your defensive software for your person is rather outdated. If I may make a recommendation, I can suggest a few more cutting edge programs you may utilize."


    I turned Torix, "Uh, yes, please do."


    The orange masked albony took a step back, closing his hands together, "Thank you, sire. Please, the Emperor awaits your company."


    Torix followed suit, being scanned over the next few seconds. We passed through the plastic lining that protected the area. The decontamination area didn''t go off, though. After stepping into the zone, we found dozens of garbed scientists researching with tech I''d never seen.


    They stuck to two general styles of machinery. One used mana and the other used electricity. For the most part, they analyzed the data from two different perspectives, one magical and one more conventional. Torix almost walked over towards the magically inclined lab, his curiosity burning as he said,


    "Now that is rather interesting. I''ve never seen anything quite like that if I may say."


    Considering the lich''s experience, that spoke volumes to the level of resources the Empire had in hand. Walking further into the encampment, we passed a few more plastic linings. Helios led the way, ensuring we didn''t get lost in the quarantined labyrinth. Once within, we walked into the central space. I recognized the Emperor immediately.


    He held a squirming, neon white eldritch in his hand. The writhing, viral liquid restrained itself to his demands, the Emperor enacting his will on it without effort. It struck me as odd. Viruses were pretty damn primitive. If even it understood to obey, the Emperor must be using some kind of aura similar to Event Horizon to command it.


    More questions and fewer answers I supposed.


    Soaking more of the sight in, I noted a few more oddities. Besides the Emperor, a cracked, spherical crystal laid cracked on a pillar in front of him. It looked like that glowing white muck came out of it. Staring at the ground, I found dozens of lichens leading to the pillar. They channeled the naturally congregating mana into the sight, keeping the area protected.


    The Emperor broke into this vault and discovered some kind of new eldritch species. The guy had balls, that was certain.


    As Helios walked up to the Emperor, Helios bowed to him. Despite the wriggling eldritch in the Emperor''s hands, Helios''s confidence in the Emperor didn''t so much as waver. He trusted the guy would hold the eldritch in absolute control to an extent where he didn''t even wear protective gear.


    Even having just met the guy, I shared that confidence with Helios. The Emperor stood a head taller than even Helios, his frame like a living fortress. As he met my eye, his gaze was piercing. Obolis didn''t look at me, the guy looked through me. It was as if I was a walking biography, and he had read the contents a dozen times over.


    I didn''t like the sensation, but there wasn''t much I could do about it. This guy''s perception was so damn high it was literally tangible. I didn''t even need to see the guy''s status to know that.


    At the same time, the Emperor didn''t lack in other areas either. He wore gray armor, the design old and angular. If I guessed correctly, he found it in some vault like this one during his travels. The relic oozed mana, the kind of mana that Lehesion carried. I looked it over, seeing traces of an Old One there, not one I''d met before.


    It looked light as a feather, the dull gray substance harder than steel. If anything, it rivaled my own armor in hardness, though it lacked the same weight to it. My gravitational sense told me that much.


    Noticing my overview, the Emperor grinned, his teeth predatory and menacing. Three scars traced his face, one through his lip, another over his eye, and the last one across his neck. The most prominent feature wasn''t any of these distinct aspects of the guy.


    It was that he was the only albony I''d ever seen who didn''t wear a mask.


    The Emperor raised a hand towards Helios, his voice deep but not harsh.  It was listening to three-hundred-year-old brandy,


    "Helios, I''ve told you not to bow to me before. Why do you do so now in front of guests?"


    Helios murmured, "To show them the appropriate behavior towards our  Empire''s ruler."


    The Emperor turned towards us, some kind of constricting atmosphere passing over us. He grinned with a spark in his eye,


    "They''ll bow if they so choose."


    I''m not gonna lie, his presence overwhelmed. I almost stepped back, but I stayed standing despite the sudden pressure. Torix couldn''t withstand it, new body or not. He fell onto a knee before hitting the ground and cursing,


    "Dammit."


    The Emperor met my eye, the pressure building. I gave him a smirk, my own confidence building. If this was it, then he was in for a rude awakening...Probably.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    I reached out with Event Horizon, deciding to join in the Emperor''s little game. The scientists and guards overlooking the area shook with fear before staring at the both of us. They fell down as I increased the pressure, ramping Event Horizon up.


    Understanding the unspoken competition, the Emperor raised an eyebrow, his unseen aura becoming palpable. A navy blue aura ebbed from him, drenching his surroundings in a cloud of mana. I followed suit, the air tinting red from Event Horizon''s influence. We augmented each of our respective auras until I maxed out Event Horizon, and the air quivered in response.


    I condensed the aura over the Emperor, taking a more targeted approach. He seemed at ease, but he still gave me a knowing nod,


    "Well, well, it does seem as though Caprika found someone interesting, didn''t she?"


    I spoke without too much of a struggle, "I''d hope so. Why else would you want to meet us?"


    The Emperor pulled back his aura, so I did the same. The people around us breathed, having held their breaths the entire time of the battle. Torix stood up before putting a hand on my shoulder,


    "That was...difficult to withstand."


    The Emperor offered a hand to Helios, who accepted the gesture. Helios pulled himself up, looking at Torix,


    "Your disciple''s more of a monster than I expected."


    The Emperor lifted the shivering, white eldritch to me, "Would you like to inspect it? It''s far different from most viral eldritch. This society''s efforts to hide it were more than merely justified. It showed great wisdom."


    I raised an eyebrow, taking the eldritch from his hand. I kept Event Horizon''s mental effects over it as I commanded, "Stay still little guy. Wouldn''t want me to hurt you, would you?"


    The blot of white shivered in response. I analyzed it,


    Plaga Ustus(lvl 15,000) - Plaga Ustus is a variant of viral eldritch entities found deep with Vivaria''s depths. Discovered by Obolis Novas, this virus was named with its general functions in mind. Plaga Ustus is a variant of burning diseases. It feasts on the carbon within its victims, oxidizing them and absorbing the byproducts of the resulting combustion.


    This casts the victims in a vibrant, white flame. Turned to ash afterward, the pool of mush that remains after the viral infusion is the grown virus. This rapid destruction of organic tissue makes Plaga Ustus challenging to combat as it''s infective results are in real-time. Even more concerning is the concentrated mana stored within its body.


    This makes the virus difficult to detect in planetary custody and inspection. This is further exacerbated by a primal intelligence rivaling small children. As the virus pools together, the nuclei stored in the cells congregate into a core in its center. Hidden in the coagulated membranes, this core commands the viral entity.


    This means the virus can remain hidden and inactive in its hosts. Even worse still, the virus can also strengthen its user, misleading its host to its true intentions. Often times, this leads to sudden spikes in power for the individual who''s infected before they die.


    All of this information was uncovered by Obolis during his relic hunt on Vivaria. For further questions, contact the Empire''s Viral Containment Unit. They may assist if the user is currently infected.


    I lifted the Plaga Ustus up, looking at is under the light. Yup, the core was hidden but visible since it wasn''t as translucent as the rest of it. Handing it over to Obolis, I noted,


    "It sounds like a double-edged sword if anything."


    Obolis nodded, inspecting the creature with fascination, "It carries many traits I wish to take advantage of in the future. If tamed, it may even act as a super serum of sorts for our soldiers. It may be used as a biological weapon against our adversaries, or lesser eldritch as well."


    Obolis lifted it up, giving the pale blob a gentle caress,


    "And perhaps it may be a pet for those that are worthy. Time will tell."


    This was not how I expected my first meeting with this guy to go. Well, the aura part sort of, but no this. I raised a hand, "So what did you want to meet for?"


    Obolis set the eldritch back onto the pillar, the slime crawling back into its prison. He gestured towards us both,


    "A more formal greeting is in order before we continue. I am Obolis Novas, the Empire''s ruler."


    Torix''s blue eyes flared, "I am Torix Worm, of Darkhill."


    Obolis nodded at him, "You withstood my aura for far longer than most. If you master your own dimensional abilities, you''ll become far more difficult to suppress."


    Torix looked at his hands, "Wait a moment...I have dimensional abilities?"


    Obolis glanced between the both of us, "You''re constructed from Daniel''s strange matter. You share many of the properties he owns. In fact, your ability to broaden your mind''s abilities is largely due to this connection point."


    Torix stared at the Emperor, "How did you understand all that with a glance?"


    Obolis tapped his temple, his white fur ruffling, "I am a perceiver of the unknown, the finder of what is hidden. It is simply my domain to understand what I see, and I have seen the both of you." Obolis turned to me,


    "Though you both are, in many respects, still enigmas."


    I had to admit, I was pretty impressed already. Obolis knew more about Torix''s abilities than Torix or I did, and he just met us. If anything, it made me wonder what else he could tell us. As if reading my mind, he gave me a knowing smile,


    "In many ways, I am likely an enigma to both of you as well. Come. Let us discuss this elsewhere, somewhere more fitting for such honored guests."


    We walked out of the room, and as we did, they didn''t scan Obolis. On the other hand, they did check Helios then Torix. As they went to examine me, Obolis lifted a hand without looking at us,


    "He is a sterile existence by nature. Therefore, he doesn''t require any scouring. "


    The orange masks bowed, speaking in unison, "Yes, Emperor."


    A moment later, we stepped through the quarantined area. As we passed, the scientists quit working, giving Obolis a bow. They didn''t resume working until after he left. Obolis didn''t even note the shift in attitude. It was palpable for me though.


    After walking out of the area, Obolis reached out a hand, a spacey portal opening. Obolis pulled out an obelisk, though the crystal orb looked different from the ones Torix gave us. Instead of a bright glass orb with a stripe of electronics, this obelisk carried dozens of strips of electronics within it. They radiated out from the center like a gyroscope.


    Powered by his mana, the obelisk dispersed a holographic projection into the entire room. As it did, I took a step back, the boundless sights around us taking me aback. Torix did the same, the ancient lich having never seen these sights.


    Below us, a blue star flared. It carried violet tendrils of energy, solar flares stretching out into the infinity of space. Around us, swarms of astral creatures flew through the vastness of the great void. They shifted coloration as they moved, each of them waving through different light spectrums.


    What stunned me most was the new color they had. It was impossible to describe, but I can try. Imagine staring at something bright, full of life. This color carried that kind of impression. It reminded me of staring at a more powerful light on the electromagnetic spectrum. To me, it''s what I envisioned radiation might look like if it was an actual color.


    Regardless of our reactions, the Emperor seemed taken aback, his glance carrying the weight and distance of nostalgia. He walked forward, touching one of the creatures. A moment later, he turned to us, his feet standing on space,


    "Would you like to touch them as well?"


    I turned to Torix. His jaw was slack, the lich''s senses overwhelmed. I shook off the feeling of disbelief as I walked forward. Reaching out, I touched the living painting. I blinked as I could actually feel it as if it where there. I turned to Torix,


    "Torix. You can actually touch the thing. I don''t know how the fuck he''s doing it, but you can actually touch it."


    Like a warm grandfather, Obolis gestured to the spectral creature,


    "Come Torix, if you would."


    Torix fumbled over before reaching out. As he touched the creature, he stuttered, "How is this possible?"


    Obolis grinned,


    "It''s not a simple illusion, I can guarantee you that. I''d heard of these creatures during my travels. They''re called by many names, though I prefer referring to them as cometelias, the flowers of comets."


    Several of the cometelias flew around Obolis as he reached out his hand to them. He closed his eyes, staring upward,


    "This is a physical manifestation of one of my memories. I picked one of the more visually tremendous recollections."


    Staring around me, the detail of the memory was stunning. Nothing about it was foggy, even in the slightest. It was clearer than crystals in its clarity, like viewing HD footage. No, it was more than that. This experience carried other senses other than sight and sound. The entire experience rushed in.


    The endless space, the deep cold of the void, even the waves of shifting heat, they wrapped over me as if I was there. I might as well have been. Staring in awe, I murmured, "This is incredible."


    Obolis grinned, "Isn''t it? It was well worth the trip. The magical incantations necessary to survive the journey were well worth the investment, though you wouldn''t require the same protection. Chaining together these kinds of experiences is what I live for. I''m glad to share them with each of you."


    The Emperor turned to me, "Though a proper greeting is in order."


    I turned to the Emperor, kind of blown away at this point,


    "I''m Daniel."


    He smiled with the wisdom of ages past in his eyes,


    "It''s good to meet you, Harbinger. I am Obolis, the Finder of Secrets."

 248 An Imperial Overture

    As the cometelias darted around us, they danced among the stars, adding to the moment. I gathered my composure, calming myself down. I turned towards Obolis,


    "Thanks for sharing all this with us. It''s incredible."


    Obolis gestured a hand to me, "Perhaps in our next meeting I may share even better scenery. For now, however, you no doubt are curious as to why I wanted a meeting with you in the first place. You withstand a strained schedule, no doubt, and conceding me your time is a valuable concession. I have no intention of spitting on the favor."


    I nodded. Torix paced up beside me, "Indeed we are, though this is a rather extraordinary method of meeting us. Perhaps it''s a diplomacy tactic?"


    Obolis carried the natural confidence of a ruler. Obolis stepped up to us,


    "It is, though, I relish in the same scenery even when doing something as simple as reading. One day, both of you may choose to do so as well."


    He turned to Helios, who remained to kneel at his side, "Onto the matter at hand. You remembered to write the contracts I mentioned?"


    Helios kept his gaze low as he lifted his hands. His status appeared, showing several documents detailing arrangements between factions. In this case, our factions.


    "These are written well. Excellent work as always." Obolis turned towards us, "I''ve actually been wishing for an arrangement between both our guilds."


    Staring around, I murmured, "What could you want from us?"


    Obolis scoffed, "You both carry an otherworldly level of humility. Disarming as it is, I need you both to understand the resources you have to offer. Think of this as a gesture of goodwill on my part. Few would inform their dealer of a fortune beneath their feet."


    I shrugged, "Unless it benefited them, of course."


    Obolis chuckled as the multi-layered obelisk above his palm shimmered for a moment, mana coursing through it. A frosty projection appeared, showing edited footage of our last battle in Fausel. This hologram layered over the more realistic, materialized memory.


    In the sub-layered video, cataclysmic detonations echoed throughout a familiar city. I recognized the growing voids and detonations of my singularities. The footage demonstrated the Adair family''s fall in absolute clarity. Obolis gestured to it,


    "Perhaps the Empire could create a far vaster impact throughout a war. Our resources are vast in that regard." Obolis clasped his hand into a clawed fist,


    "However, we could not rival this level of martial might on such a small scale. That is invaluable to my aims in particular." He met my eye,


    "I say this in seriousness - this is devastation the likes of which even solar-scale guilds fear."


    A chill ran up my spine. I kind of knew we were getting good at fighting, but I didn''t understand how good exactly. In a way, knowing this built my confidence but also put even more pressure on me. Having this kind of influence meant any of my mistakes might result in mass havoc.


    I didn''t want more massacres on my shoulders.


    Helios turned to Obolis, the blind ice mage mouthing, "It''s remarkable that he''s progressed to such an extent since we met. He was an oddity at first."


    Obolis turned to Helios, "Caprika informed me of your treatment towards the Harbinger''s Legion. We will discuss it in detail later."


    I expected Helios to wince. He cowered, his hair standing on end.


    Damn.


    "Onto more fruitful discussions," Obolis said with a knowing grin. An image of Polydra exploded on one of the projections,


    "I''ve been viewing your battles since the first in Polydra. You''ve access to several forbidden technologies and techniques. I am curious if you would perhaps share your knowledge with me in that regard."


    Obolis, ever curious, pointed at the point of impact for my Orbital Bombardment,


    "No matter how many times I survey the broken fragments of footage from your landing in Polydra, I cannot dissect how you created such devastation."


    Obolis waved his hands, staring at them for answers, "My mind wanders to nuclear weaponry, yet you''re not exiled from the system."


    Torix scoffed, "We would never even dwell on such callous tactics."


    Obolis pursed his lips, "I expected as much. You both likely know that certain species of eldritch feast on radiation. This gives them a tremendous growth potential after nuclear weaponry has been used. After uncovering that, Schema illegalized them. With that option gone, I wondered if it was a kinetic bomb of sorts."


    I pointed at him, "Bingo."


    The Emperor''s eyes widened at the prospect of learning something new,


    "Ah, so my presumption was correct. Allow me to guess how you accomplished the feat."


    He covered his mouth with his clawed hand, "Perhaps you took an orbiting chunk of solar debris and pulled it towards a planet''s surface?"


    I bit my lip for a moment, thinking it over. I mean, technically yeah.


    "Uh, yeah, pretty much."


    Obolis tapped his chin, "You then created a warp where it would land, redirecting the force?"


    Torix laughed to himself, "Essentially, yes."


    Obolis narrowed his eyes, "I dismissed such a proposition given more thought, however. Even with unlimited resources, calculating the descent of the celestial body, and within the time frame necessary, was all but impossible."


    Obolis shook his head, "And that''s assuming your portal creator can get in the required position in time. The frictional heat from the descent of a meteorite can ignite creatures dozens of miles away. The more I dwelled on the topic, the more curious I became."


    A look of hunger came over Obolis''s face, "How did you two work through the logistics involved?"


    I pointed at the city then at me. I raised out a flat palm then smashed my other fist into my other hand. Obolis raised an eyebrow. I shrugged,


    "I smashed myself into the ground."


    An awkward silence passed through the living memory and the group in it. A look of disbelief crossed over Obolis,


    "Wait a moment...you smashed yourself into the ground? That''s it?"


    "Yup."


    Obolis jaw went slack, "And...you lived?"


    "Yes."


    "You didn''t utilize a complex and coordinated series of magical bombardments?"


    "No."


    "Or perhaps a synchronized portal warping to transport a solar flare?"


    "No."


    "You just...smashed yourself into the ground?"


    "Yes."


    Obolis crossed his arms before giving me a slow nod. He shook his head while raising his eyebrows,


    "Well...Here I was hoping for some replicable scheme. In many ways, this is even more impressive than trickery, however. You don''t need tricks. You simply accomplish your goals with brute force. I admire that, though I prefer different methods. In my long life, I''ve found that at times, brute force is all but necessary."


    Obolis gestured at the contracts, "That''s precisely why I wish to create an alliance between us. As you''ve already surmised, we each carry different talents that are specific to each of us. My information network is vast, and I own decades of experience within Schema''s system."


    Obolis gestured an open palm to each of us, "On the other end of this spectrum, you both are isolated yet overwhelmingly powerful in a direct confrontation. While I may maneuver myself through different situations using information and resources, there are times where I need a hammer. I''m here asking for your guild to be that hammer."


    I raised my eyebrows, "You want to hire us as mercenaries?"


    Obolis cupped his hands together, "You saw through my political wording in an instant. Rather blunt, but that''s precisely how hammers should be. Heavy. Hard. Unstoppable. I''d be contracting your guild to handle insurrections of my Empire, along with a few specific goals further down the line."


    I frowned with my eyebrows raised, "So you''d be like a boss?"


    Even with his mask on, I could feel the glare coming from Helios. Obolis peered at me, undeterred. He gestured towards Torix,


    "Tell me, are there entities you fear?"


    I turned to Torix, who gave the question some thought. I wanted to say there was none, but that''d be a lie. Instead, I let Torix answer,


    "Perhaps there are a few enemies in the distance we''d rather not face head-on at this moment, yes."


    Obolis nodded, "A wise decision in many respects. If you lack fear, then you''ll crash against something you cannot kill before it kills you. Case and point - Lehesion. An Old One. Schema. This concept is precisely why your guild is hiding from prying eyes."


    My eyes narrowed, my voice harder than iron"You''re going to threaten to expose our guild''s location to the Adair family?" A jagged maw tore open across my faceplate, a red miasma leaking from between the teeth,


    "That''s a dangerous road, friend."


    Torix''s burning, blue eyes shifted to a blood-red in an instant. Obolis raised his palms,


    "Perhaps unwarranted accusations aren''t the most amicable means of continuing a discussion?"


    I calmed myself down, shaking off the sudden spike in anger. Obolis was right about that. Torix did the same as Obolis gave us the benefit of the doubt,


    "I understand your wariness, given your violent situation. To be certain, the answer to that accusation is no. I carry no such intentions, and Schema would eviscerate any guild that did so."


    Obolis tilted his head, "However, there are many spies that are attempting to discover your guild''s location at this very moment." Obolis turned towards Torix, "You act as the logistician, general, and resource manager, correct?"


    Torix lifted his fingers, counting on his fingers. At nine, Torix stopped, "Among other things, yes."


    I winced a bit. I had to take some workload off the guy.


    Obolis gave Torix a knowing nod, "Surely, you must be struggling under such burdens?"


    I turned to Torix, a bad taste lingering in my mouth. I bit my lip, taking a deep breath. Obolis was right about that. Torix managed dozens of positions in our guild, literally. Hell, even when working on the lich circle, he still maintained his duties. I fell behind, overwhelmed by the tasks at hand.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Even if Torix didn''t fuck up further down the line, it wasn''t fair putting so much work and stress on the guy. After all, you can''t be perfect at everything. Obolis spread out his hands,


    "Before you is an offer to alleviate much of the tedium in those tasks. We would give you access to one of the galaxy''s widest information networks. Security and secrecy would be an issue of the past, allowing you to look towards the future."


    I turned to Torix. The lich considered Obolis''s proposal for a bit, but Torix seemed unconvinced overall. Obolis grinned,


    "Unconvinced? Understandable. There''s more I may offer. You''d gain access to resources your guild couldn''t even dream of, such as relics lost to time. These artifacts could result in enormous boons for your guild."


    I considered Obolis''s offer, but after thinking of what I may want, I came up blank. I tilted my head,


    "Like what exactly?"


    Obolis gestured to Helios. The World Ruler lifted his hand, taking off his gauntlet covered in the cipher. Obolis grabbed it in his hand,


    "Given the cipher carved into your own skin, I''m guessing you already know the nature of these runes. You understand the implications of giving you this relic, no doubt?"


    I stared at the markings, my entire mindset giving way to greed for a moment. Obolis noticed the subtle shift in my face. As I tore my eyes from the relic, I shook my head in disappointment. It was unlike me to want something I couldn''t just make for myself. This right here though, this was an incredible offer.


    Within these gauntlets hid the secret for matter conversion. It was the secret Yawm used for his near-infinite mana production, given to him by Etorhma. Wielding this gauntlet, Helios did the same, shoring up any concerns for mana he could possibly have.


    The process for that tactic was deceptively simple too. With just a tiny bit of mana, the cipher inscription auto-piloted the splitting of atoms. It then converted the resulting energy into usable mana. Of course, wielding the resulting mana was a volatile, dangerous, and challenging task. I was confident I could control it with a bit of practice.


    No, not confident. I was certain.


    You''d think I lacked much use for the gauntlet considering my mana generation. Quite the opposite, actually. If the resulting energy from those transcriptions fed into the runic markings of my cipher, I could rapidly augment my stats. As great as my current cipher inscriptions were, I hit a wall in my progress recently.


    This would give me another way of breaking through to that next level.


    It was an offer I never expected, and Obolis was well aware of how valuable this artifact was. The Emperor turned it in his hand,


    "It''s a miracle in many ways, isn''t it? I discovered this while searching through several fringe worlds outside of Schema owned space. It''s interesting to see how the development of the eldritch is viewed in those isolated areas. The entire timelines of the species are different in nature."


    Obolis handed the gauntlet back to Helios, who dawned it on his clawed hand again. Obolis turned back to us,


    "In many ways, the resulting desperation of those species resulted in ingenuity we cannot match. Their dying civilizations, overrun by monsters, spawned genius. That gauntlet is the result of that genius, and it isn''t the only elemental furnace in my possession."


    Torix stared between the Emperor and me, "I don''t understand how a piece of armor would be so valuable. Perhaps someone may explain?"


    Obolis gave me a smile, showing his white teeth, "Perhaps you would elaborate?"


    I tapped the cipher markings on my palm, "The gauntlet isn''t important. It has a dimensional cipher formula on it that converts matter into energy. It then turns that energy into mana. It''s invaluable, like giving us a portable, nuclear reactor for personal use."


    Obolis nodded, "You''re remarkably well informed for someone so new to the system. You must have been exposed to the cipher early on in your systemization." Obolis eyed me,


    "The composition of your body, is it the result of the cipher? I can see no other manner of its creation."


    I gave him a small grin, "I''d rather not say."


    Obolis gave a curious glance to Torix as well, noting the materials involved. Obolis glanced back at me, "Your frame aside, this deal of ours would compensate you with not only elemental furnaces."


    I raised a hand, "So they''re called elemental furnaces?"


    "Indeed, they are. Now-" Obolis turned a palm to Helios who pulled out two other multi-striped obelisks,


    "These are, in a phrase, cutting edge. They use the highest levels of technology currently available to Schema. They use secure databases and operate with absolute security. Given the nature of your foes, this, too, would be invaluable to give you and your lieutenants."


    Torix''s eyes shifted to green orbs of flame, his envy oozing out. It was my turn to stare at the two of them in confusion,


    "So...what''s a big deal about these."


    Obolis glanced at Torix with expectation. Torix spoke up,


    "These allow for far greater allowances with not only management but with overall system functionality. Much of the work I do manually may be managed within that orb''s software, from the creation of maps to even advanced simulations."


    Obolis stared at the two orbs, "These are personalized models that Helios and I use as well. They carry ingrained AI systems to assist with management details. Much of the work that Torix handles could be optimized, allowing him to focus his efforts elsewhere."


    Torix grumbled, "It could even act as a sparring partner to practice my mental magic with. You as well."


    Ok, so I might have been a little impressed at this point. I spread out my hands, "Alright, I''ll admit it, you''ve got me interested."


    Obolis rotated the obelisks in his hands, speaking with ease, "We could give you these pieces and so much more. Antiques from epoch''s past? Done. Secrets that ensure the security of your guild? Within your grasp. Detailed reports on many common threats in the galaxy? Child''s play. It is my domain to revel in these intricacies and much more."


    Obolis turned to us, "And I am willing to share this all with you. Why? The answer is simple - your guild is a coming calamity. I have seen the omens of the stars, and you, Harbinger, are the cataclysm you omen. Schema was wise in granting you such a title. He saw greatness in you. I see that greatness as well."


    He turned to Torix, "And with the wisdom of an ancient lich, you''ve been given the ability to embody the primal might of force incarnate. I simply wish to have you on my side in the coming days. You are a sword I would never wish to be pointed at my throat. This is a preemptive offer of sorts."


    The holographic projection around us shifted into a picture of the Milky Way. Across it, thirteen blips popped up into existence. Hundreds of smaller blips appeared, likely places Obolis visited at one point or another. Obolis gestured to all of them,


    "There is so much more I wish to explore. The limits of those exploits are found in the dangers along the outskirts of Schema''s system. Your talents are necessary to uncover the clandestine. They are needed to become pathfinders of the unfound."


    I felt myself getting wrapped up in his words. Obolis was a damn good speaker, and it made me nervous as hell that we were getting into something over our heads. Torix turned to me,


    "I see no reason to refuse his offer."


    I related to Torix''s giddy enthusiasm. I wanted to accept the offer without thinking it over too. That''s actually what set off alarm bells in my head. It was like being conned by a conman. A conman''s entire goal was getting you in this state of mind, and the Emperor did it without breaking a sweat.


    In a way, that was more terrifying than a deadly battle.


    Getting some severe Yawm vibes, I kept myself under my own control. I leaned towards Torix but kept staring at Obolis,


    "There''s plenty of reasons. We''re not making this decision for us. We''re making it for our entire guild. Hell, entire species are at stake. Don''t forget we''re still fighting the Adair Family. This is going to be hard to fit in on the side of all that."


    Torix leaned back, stunned by what I said. He shook his head, clenching one of his fists, "Bah. I lost myself. There is still much I must learn."


    I set a hand on the lich''s shoulder plates, "Hey, that''s why we''re a team. We help each other out."


    I turned to Obolis, " I''m sorry, but I can''t give you an answer right now. I need to talk to my guild first."


    Obolis gave us each a warm grin, spreading out his arms, "The Empire is a faction gifted with patience and wealth. We are in no rush to finalize negotiations. This discussion was in no way meant as a threat. It was simply an overture between our two guilds. Nothing more, nothing less."


    Obolis lowered his hands, and Helios pocketed the multi-layered obelisks into his dimensional storage. Obolis reached up to his own fancy-schmancy obelisk and did the same. The materialized memory faded, returning us to the quarantined cave.


    Despite the sudden shift in scenery, I found the dry, musty air refreshing. It helped ground me since this entire experience was a lot to take in. No amount of preparation would''ve prepared us for it either. It was like learning to swim. You couldn''t know if you could swim until your feet were off the ground.


    Understanding our feelings, the Emperor gestured towards Helios,


    "It''s good you''re considering the proposal seriously. Hire a few lawyers and have them parse over the contracts. They will find the terms stated simply. We wish for a few rebellions to be put down and for your protection during several of my planned explorations."


    Obolis shrugged,


    "We''ll offer certain artifacts and technology in exchange for the service. The rewards shall be staggered over each clash you assist us with. During artifact hunts, we will split portions of the found relics. I will have first pick considering the effort involved with finding and planning the excursions."


    One of the albony Speakers walked up, his robe bejeweled with mana stones. Obolis didn''t notice, and he continued speaking until the orange masked Speaker tapped his shoulder.


    "Think things over. There''s much to consider, and-" Obolis turned towards the Speaker. The Emperor''s left eyelid twitched,


    "Ah...Odius."


    The orange masked albony bowed and cupped his hands, "Ahem, sire, there are a few scientists who wish for your insights regarding the Plaga Ustus."


    The Emperor frowned, "Is it pressing?"


    Odius guarded himself a bit like he was visibly shrinking, "It involves how the virus spreads. They believe it may be weaponized and may assist with preventing future outbreaks of viral eldritch."


    Obolis sighed, "It''s pressing then." The Emperor peered back up to us, "It''s a shame that our meeting must be cut short like this, but another situation calls for my direct attention."


    Torix opened his status, viewing dozens and dozens of messages, "Ah, it would seem the same for us as well."


    I blinked, being the only one without some diligent, planned schedule ahead of me. I scratched the side of my head, "Oh yeah, definitely."


    Obolis clapped his hands,


    "Then we''ll reserve a meeting time for your decision. Perhaps the day after Giess is glassed? That may allow for an easier time making your commitments, I assume."


    I crossed my arms, "Why?"


    Obolis scoffed, "That is the day this small insurrection will die. Each of you will be freed to other tasks at that time."


    I pursed my lips, "So why would you think that?"


    Obolis glanced at Helios before both of them laughed. It felt just like I wasn''t a part of some inside joke. Obolis turned back to us,


    "You''ve never seen a Spacial Fortress, I assume? If you accept my contact request, I''ll send you a projection of one. View it when you have time. It will ease your concerns regarding this slight insurrection."


    I raised my eyebrows, "It beats Lehesion?"


    Obolis stared with absolute confidence, "Outside of another cosmic event on the scale of the big bang, there are only three existences that can destroy a spatial fortress: An Old One, a quasar, and a point-blank supernova. Lehesion is mighty, but Spacial Fortresses are unbeatable."


    Obolis spoke while looking into the distance, "There has never been a recorded defeat of a spatial fortress. Sentinels? Of course, you''ve seen them fall. Overseers? At times, yes, though it is rare. A spatial fortress? They touch the might of gods in ancient religions. They are sights only seen when Schema''s enemies have evoked his highest wrath."


    Obolis spread out his arms, "I invite you to watch from a distant moon deeper within Giess''s solar system. Perhaps seeing it in person will allow you to understand what it is to defy Schema."


    Torix turned between us, "They would seem rather rare. I''ve never even heard the slightest murmur of one before the Overseer mentioned them."


    Obolis appeared taken aback,


    "I''ve seen only one, and it was...humbling."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Well, shit, that''s kind of comforting. It makes me feel better about being the spearhead against this rebellion."


    Obolis leaned towards us, "Have you heard rumors of what commoners are calling it?"


    Huh, commoners. Never thought I would actually hear that word spoken seriously. I shook off a bit of discomfort hearing the term, leaning towards Obolis,


    "Naw."


    "They''re calling it the Blighted Schism. Poetic, isn''t it?"


    "I...I suppose."


    "Those that are Hybridized are referred to as blighted. Considering the entire rebellion is due to a portion of worlds splitting off, schism is a fitting word as well."


    Not knowing exactly what the word meant, I crossed my arms, "Is it? I mean, I sort of know what schism means, but not really."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows for a second,


    "It''s simple. Whenever a group fragments into several opposing factions, it is referred to as a schism. It is a rather dramatic way of wording this rebellion, however. The wording implies tremendous importance for this little event."


    Obolis wondered mused, "We shall discover if schism is fitting once the glassing has occurred. I would wager that they shall crumble, as all other rebellions have in the past."


    Sensing a bit of bias, I let the issue go. Torix must have figured the same thing, so he simply listened. Before Obolis continued, Odius tapped his shoulder again,


    "Ahem, sire?"


    Obolis raised a palm, "Thank you for the reminder." Obolis turned to each of us, "It was good meeting the both of you. I hope to hear good news when we meet again. Regardless of the outcome, I hope we''ll stay in touch."


    I raised a fist, "For sure. This was fun."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "It was fascinating in its own way."


    Helios stepped beside us, creating a portal. Obolis turned with a deep sigh,


    "These scientists better pray to Schema that this issue is half as interesting as my previous company."


    Odius began settling the Emperor down, each of them falling into habits for their daily matters. We turned towards Helios, who gestured a hand to the portal,


    "Are you ready to return?"


    Torix and I stared at each other. I stepped up the portal,


    "Yeah, let''s head out."


    We walked through the portal, reaching back towards Mt. Verner''s second floor. Waiting for us, Hod, Amara, Althea, Kessiah, and even Krog discussed with one another. It was a splintered kind of conversation, each party discussing different aspects of the guild.


    As the three of us stepped up, I found several members of our guild staring. Each of us caught the eye differently, so I didn''t blame them. We needed to get work done even when visitors arrived, however. With that in mind, I clapped my hands,


    "Come on, everybody. Back to work."


    The workers got back to, well, work. Without needing as many prying eyes, our head guildspeople turned towards me in expectation. I glanced at Helios who raised his hand,


    "You all are busy, as am I. As the Emperor mentioned, we''ll stay in touch."


    I gave him a wave, "See ya."


    After Helios warped out, I turned to everybody, "Alright, the Emperor says our guild is good at fighting, so he wants us to fight for him. We''ll be quelling rebellions on his worlds and helping him explore the galaxy. Of course, that''s if we say yes. I wanted your opinions first."


    I turned my head to everyone,


    "So, what do you guys think?"

 249 Reasoning

    Hod wiggled in place, "Was Emperor man like fluffy man?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, I could tell they were related. The Emperor was much more, well, polite than Helios was." I turned to Althea, "In fact, he went out of his way to chastise Helios for how he acted towards us."


    Althea grinned at me, and I smiled back. I walked over, through the crowd who parted for me. As I did, she blushed for a moment. I hugged her to me, and she murmured,


    "You''re embarrassing me."


    I smiled, "I love you too."


    With that gushy moment finished, I turned back towards the group, "Any other thoughts?"


    Amara spoke up first, "If we are to join him, would we not be his servants? It bodes ill for wolves such as we."


    I turned a hand to her, "Think of this as a partnership. Outside of the rebellions on his planets, we''ll be helping Obolis raid ancient tombs and whatnot. We''ll be splitting the goods, and just from the few minutes we saw the guy, he''s got and has found some good stuff."


    Amara lifted her palms, the eyes on them narrowing, "Such as?"


    I thought out my response for a bit, thinking about what Amara would think is valuable. I spread out my hands, wondering why I didn''t think of this sooner,


    "When we walked up, he was studying a viral eldritch called Plaga Ustus. I''m sure he''s found dozens of interesting eldritch like that, and he could help you with his research."


    A grin grew on her face, her jagged teeth unnerving, "Interesting. We would be among wolves, listening to the echoes of lambs."


    "Uh...yeah," I turned to the others, "Anyone want to chime in? I''ll listen to whatever you have to say."


    Several of those present took a moment to think things through, none of them wanting to give me some half baked idea. Torix spoke up first,


    "If I may, I believe I have an opinion worth voicing on the matter."


    "Of course man, go ahead."


    "As you all know, I carry the ambition of proliferating education throughout Schema''s system. Teaching is something of a passion for me, and I need resources to do such a thing. The first order of business would be establishing myself as an academic force on a galactic scale."


    Torix lifted a metal hand with his fingertips pressed together,


    "In order to do so, I will require three things. First, an academy with its own grounds. The third floor serves this purpose well. The second requires a consistent stream of students, which we have few of. The last of which is the most cardinal of these issues: safety."


    Torix turned to me,


    "I know it is hard to hear, but Lehesion and the Adair Family pose a grave threat to this place and the people therein. Allying ourselves with the Empire would allow us to operate without the need for such secrecy, as they would prove an effective deterrent. Gaining a steady stream of students from their planets would grant us a consistent supply of talent as well."


    I considered his points, each of them well thought out. Before I could reply, Althea walked up,


    "I think we should wait until after we''ve gotten rid of the Adairs first."


    Torix tilted his head, the mage not expecting Althea''s defiance,


    "Is there perhaps further reasoning as to why?"


    Althea turned to the group, and she swallowed before speaking, "Well, I think there are a few reasons. I mean, we can''t guarantee that allying with the Empire will make Lehesion refuse to attack us, right?"


    Torix cupped his chin, "True."


    "Uhm, if anything, it sounds like this Emperor guy really knows his stuff. If we assume that''s the case, he might actually want us to relax our security. Imagine if we had our base destroyed. The Empire would look like a pretty nice hiding spot at that point. He could get a lot more out of us then."


    Torix''s fiery eyes flared white for a flash, "Ahhh, he may anticipate us joining him thereafter. While in most situations, I''d displace your thoughts as a mere conspiracy. However, given Obolis''s nature, that may not be the case. He''s a rather dubious individual, after all."


    Althea spread out her arms, gaining confidence, "And besides, you want to prove your the best teacher in the galaxy, right?"


    Torix coughed into his hand, "Ahem, perhaps."


    Althea smiled, "Then we can teach the orphans and gialgathens from the war. They''ll be like sponges, and you won''t have to, er, get rid of any bad habits."


    Huh. Althea has a soft spot for children. Noted.


    Torix saw through her like a window,


    "The students from the Empire will be far more receptive and won''t require relearning the basics. I may instill advanced magic in them that orphans would likely struggle to comprehend."


    Althea pointed at the lich, "Exactly. If you don''t have to really teach them, then how are you proving you''re the best teacher? Besides, you think the Empire''s students will stick around after you give them the best education the galaxy has to offer? If anything, they''ll go right back to the Empire."


    Torix shrugged, "I know when I''m defeated. Consider me convinced, young lady."


    Althea stood up a bit taller.


    I agreed with her points for the most part, so I turned to the others. As my gaze landed on Krog, I waited for him to speak up. He didn''t. I raised an eyebrow,


    "You know you can let us know your kin need help, right? We''ll listen."


    Krog took a deep breath. An internal war waged in his head, different thoughts fighting for control. As one side won, the grizzled general''s eyes gazed far into the distance,


    "You''re guild...it has done more for my kind than I could have ever have asked of it. I treated each of you without honor when we met. It is a mistake I regret. Even though I wish for us to continue waging war until the Adair Family has been erased, I will continue to serve you regardless of your choice."


    My eyes widened from shock as I heard the guy talk. I raised my eyebrows, "You''re sure?"


    Krog nodded with a bit of struggle, "We''ve saved enough of my kind that my species may continue here on Earth. More are left being Hybridized, yet I cannot force you to continue to fight for us alone. In the end, you must fight for what you believe is right."


    Damn. My respect for this guy went up as he spoke.


    I scratched the side of my head, "Well, shit. How am I supposed to say yes to the Emperor after that?"


    Krog grinned, a wily look crossing over his face,


    "You''re not supposed to."


    I scoffed, "Ok, so that''s how it is. I''ll keep that in mind." I turned to everyone else, "Anyone else have something to add? I''m all ears."


    Hod lifted a wing, "Harbinger not made of all ears though? Hod confused."


    I raised my hands, "It''s an expression. It means I''m listening."


    Hod shook his head while crossing his arms, "Hod think phrase make no sense. Hod know listening start with brain, not ear. Hod ear only hear. Should be Harbinger all brains, not all ears. Hod believe new phrase make more sense."


    I stared at Hod in awe as he spoke with absolute confidence. In its own way, it was kind of incredible how he just...believed in himself like that. There was something to learn here.


    And something not to learn too, but hey, I was trying to give credit where I could.


    I frowned, "Yeah. Noted."


    Kessiah walked forward from beside Krog. She turned a hand to everyone, "So uh, let''s talk about something, I don''t know, less stupid?"


    She got a few nods, even from Hod. A bit flabbergasted, I listened as Kessiah spoke,


    "I know I haven''t been the most reliable person in the past, but I just wanted to say something."


    She patted Krog''s side, "This guy right here has been a damn fine companion. A lot of these big, ugly bastards have shown me what it means to go to war and fight for something. I''m still fighting to prove myself, but they gave me another reason to go to war. For my brothers and sisters out there. If we run now, who will help them?"


    Shit, at this point, I felt bad for even bringing up the Emperor''s deal. I put my hands on my hips, looking towards everyone, "Noone if I guessed right." I turned towards the group, "Anyone else want to voice an opinion?"


    Hod walked up, scrawny as ever. He raised a winged arm, "Hod wish to speak to group."


    With everyone''s attention, Hod raised his taloned hands,


    "Hod know what losing home like. Hod lose home after all. When Hod arrive on Earth, Hod gain new home. Hod want same for big salamanders. Hod not just want new home for big salamanders though."


    Hod squeezed his hands, his scrawny arms shaking from the effort,


    "Hod remember Yawm. Yawm scary, big plant man. Yawm threaten Hod new home. Hod know all us want help, but no help come. We fight alone. Gialgathens, they fight against Adair. Without us, gialgathens fight alone."


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Hod pointed off at where the world tree once stood over the horizon,


    "Hod believe the Adair like Yawm for gialgathens. Hod know it hard, but Hod want help against Adair. Hod want us be help us never had."


    I raised my fists, "Alright then, it''s settled. We''ll wait on the Emperor''s deal until after we''ve taken the Adair Family out."


    The atmosphere lightened as I peered back and forth,


    "But, uh, that doesn''t mean we said no, does it?"


    Amara and Torix shook their heads. Althea and Hod looked more in the middle about the issue. Kessiah and Krog seemed peeved that I even considered accepting the deal in the first place. I raised an eyebrow at Kessiah and Krog,


    "Why don''t you both want to accept the deal? You can be honest, no hurt feelings here."


    Kessiah grimaced, "The albony treats everyone like ''commoners.'' They''re complete dicks."


    Fair enough.


    I turned to Krog, "What''s your reason?"


    "Those that speak honeyed words are the least trustworthy. My gut tells me that Obolis intends on more than he let on, like a beautiful grail full of poisoned water."


    I took a deep breath, considering what he said. As I did, I mouthed, "Huh."


    I gave a slow nod before turning towards everyone, "Alright then, we won''t make any clear decisions right now. We have until a day after Giess has been glassed anyways."


    As I mentioned the glassing, Krog winced. I noted his reaction, making sure to remember a different way of wording the event for later. The group began chatting with a few mentions,


    "Seems reasonable."


    "We trust your judgments."


    "Sounds good to me."


    I turned towards Torix, "When''s the next battle?"


    The lich steepled his fingers, "Two days time. Our forces need rest and time to heal their wounds."


    "Alright then. We''ll meet back in Elderfire at 9:00 in the morning, Giess time. Until then, prepare yourselves for war, everybody."


    The crowd gave me a cheer, my friends and allies having a warm reception. Well, except Amara, but she gave me a tiny fist wave. For now, it was enough.


    I walked up to Torix, "Hey man, there''s something I wanted to talk with you about."


    Torix''s blue eyes flared for a moment, "Ah, in private, I assume?"


    I nodded. We turned towards the group, "I need to talk to Torix about something. If anyone needs me, I''ll be in my room after that."


    Amara narrowed her eyes, "Is there something you hide from us, leader of wolves?"


    I shook my head, "Naw. I wanted to practice mind magic with Torix. I feel like it''s going to be invaluable in the future."


    Amara winced at the prospect, "Then sharpen your teeth with the fangs of others. I shall go back to my den, where the darkness welcomes me."


    "Alright...Sounds, uh, good."


    Man, I always felt so awkward anytime I talked to Amara, but hey, I got the job done. That was what was important, right? Anyways, Torix and I walked off before reaching his private study. Laired to the walls and back, Torix really set up shop in his private study.


    Having teched himself up a bit, many of the charts here used touchscreens. It still carried a bit of Torix flare, several sheets of paper lifted up with different kinds of tacks. It always amazed me how Torix kept a different sort of utensil for any given situation. Of those many utensils, each specific one was different from the last. It created a kind of pleasing patchwork, the type where only he understood the chaos he created.


    In that chaos, I welcomed the overwhelming complexity. I was already used to it anyways. If anything, it gave the room a homey sort of feel. As we situated ourselves in desks, Torix opened up his own dimensional storage. I raised my eyebrow at the gesture as he pulled out some kind of glass bottle with an amber liquid in it. Torix gestured it to me,


    "This is something similar to alcohol. It''s far more Schema-proofed, however. In many cases, it would be considered a potent poison. For you, it might even create a slight buzz. Would you like some?"


    Feeling good, I grabbed the bottle and looked at it, "Yeah, it looks pretty good, I suppose."


    Torix pulled out two glasses. I pursed my lips at him, "You''re going to drink some?"


    "It''s designed to be metal soluble, so I intended to try."


    We took the bottle, pouring out our own glasses. After tapping it, Torix announced, "For the legion."


    "Yeah, for the legion."


    Damn, I''m awkward. Anyways, I took the shot and noticed a slight burn in my throat. It was caustic, like acid. My body absorbed it, leaving a lingering feeling of wooziness. While not on par with alcohol in the past, it did do something.


    Torix turned the bottle in his hand, "Well...that''s rather disappointing."


    "Yeah, I expected more kick."


    Torix chugged half the bottle, the liquid catching on his skeletal frame and robe. As it assimilated, I chugged the rest of the container. It left a bit more impact, though not much. Within seconds, it dissipated into memory. I shrugged, "Eh, at least we tried, right?"


    "Indeed. Now, what was this matter you wished to discuss...Ah, yes, mind magic. Given my superior statistics compared with last time, I should be a far more able opponent this time around-"


    I raised a palm, "Wait a minute. I do want to discuss that afterward, but something more important needs to be handled first."


    Torix tilted his head, "Such as?"


    I pulled out my obelisk, going through some of the streams and videos Torix made of me. After a few minutes, I found what I was looking for. I pointed at the moment I used my dimensional storage as a shield.


    "See that?"


    "I, in fact, do. What of it?"


    "I have that portion of the tail still in my storage."


    Torix stood up with a jerk, his chair falling back, "You retained the tail?"


    "Well, yeah."


    Torix pressed his hands against his temples, "Is this perhaps a joke of some sort? Why haven''t you mentioned this earlier?"


    "We needed to get your body sorted out. After that, the Emperor called me. It''s been a damn busy last few days, so cut me some slack."


    Torix contemplated aloud once more,


    "Hmmm, perhaps I judged rashly. Regardless of the timing, this is a tremendous boon. Given the nature of the tail''s composition, we should be able to study Lehesion''s composition with it. We may discover his weaknesses, or better still, a method of ripping him from their psionic control."


    I pointed at Torix, "Yeah, that would be pretty damn nice. I was wondering if it was safe to pull it out of storage yet, though."


    Torix pulled his chair back up with a flick of his wrist, all while sitting down. A telekinetic impulse knocked the chair right in place, and he crossed his legs once sitting. Torix stared down, deep in thought,


    "That is a pressing conundrum."


    "That''s what I''ve been thinking too. If Lehesion knows where his tail is, he''ll find Elderfire or Mt. Verner. I think we should test it somewhere remote. That should make it easier to figure out."


    "Perhaps. It would also give us a means of escape should he follow us. We merely need Spear there with us."


    "Exactly. After we''ve inspected it and made sure it''s safe, I say we can inspect it before putting it back in storage. We can learn a lot of stuff from this given a chance, but I don''t want to push our luck."


    Torix''s eyes shifted to a purplish color, "You''re frightened by this mere fragment of Lehesion? You''ve fought his entirety. Surely this should pose no threat towards someone such as yourself."


    I scowled, "It''s less fear and more so respect. I know what Lehesion can do, and I don''t want him unleashing that havoc anywhere near me. We may discover his weakness from inspecting the tail. At the same time, we could also end up with the Adair Family knowing where we are or worse."


    My eyes turned grim, "I don''t want our home destroyed just because we wanted to poke and prod a chunk of meat."


    The atmosphere in the room turned heavy. Torix crossed his arms,


    "The issue exists due to safety, correct? In this instance, we''re balancing the pros and cons of inspecting the tail further. On the one hand, we could discover the weaknesses of our greatest foe. On the other, we may undo ourselves in the process."


    Torix shrugged, "I say we risk this endeavor as the benefits are too great to ignore."


    I raised a hand, "I mean, yeah, I agree. The thing is, I''m saying we should keep the research short and contained. Otherwise, we''ll end up exposing ourselves to whatever it is that''s controlling Lehesion. If it can control him, then it may be able to control us."


    Torix lifted his hands, his curiosity spurring him like hunger does a starving child,


    "But there is so much to uncover here. We could expand our base of knowledge ten times over with only a few discoveries. Imagine the informational currencies we''d have to exchange with the Emperor. The elemental furnace, the obelisks, all that and more would be within our reach."


    I bit my lip, tempted by his offer. I stared at a wall of the lair, a map of Giess laid out. As if starring at the battlefield, I remembered the gurgling Hybrids. I murmured,


    "Did we ever figure out what the orange soup is?"


    Torix pulled his hands back, recoiling from the sound of my voice,


    "Ah...we did."


    "What is it?"


    "Ahem...Well, we discovered that it is a non-newtonian fluid composed of various nutrients, liquids, and, most importantly, nanomachines."


    I met Torix''s eyes, "Was there anything else odd about it?"


    "It carried viral qualities, explaining why our soldiers struggled with fighting off ''infections,'' so to speak. It also held some sort of psionic fluid as a base for the Adair''s Family''s control. It''s similar to a one-way network that enables commands to be sent towards the messengers."


    Torix raised his palms,


    "However, the nanomachines weren''t able to carry tracking systems due to their size, so our location is still a secret. The blue core surrounding Elderfire also utilizes several security measures in order to stop any transmissions as well. Schema''s foolproof in that regard, the blue cores being a relatively higher tier item."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How does a blue even do that?"


    Torix crossed his arms, metal clanging on metal, "It''s an interesting concept that Schema has never truly exposed and rightfully so. Explaining your stealth often undermines it entirely. Now, while on the one hand, many theorize Schema is utilizing a different kind of mana source, I think it''s something else altogether. I''m of the opinion that Schema uses spatial magic to isolate spaces within blue cores."


    I glanced around, thinking of how the invisible forcefield protected us,


    "Mysterious...Schema has a lot of conspiracies around him, doesn''t he?"


    "He does. As for the nanomachine soup, we''ve tried out several methods of destroying the machines without relying on your cleansing. It would allow healers to work without your required clearing of the Gialgathens."


    I tapped my chin, thinking of movies I''d seen forever ago. About a minute later, an idea sparked in my mind,


    "What about an emp of some kind? It wouldn''t hurt the gialgathens, but it would kill the machines inside, wouldn''t it?"


    "Hmmm...It would be a rather deft way of handling the issue. A localized emp isn''t precisely difficult to create, and nanomachines are tiny, easily neutralized things. This wouldn''t work on fully hybridized creatures, but perhaps it may on the nanomachine fluid. It isn''t designed with an intention for battle after all."


    Torix shrugged, "Eh, why not try it? We''ll see if it works. This would be a practical method of solving the issue at the least, that much is certain."


    "Let''s hope. Would that work on Lehesion''s tail, maybe?"


    "I doubt it, given the antimagic properties of his aura. We may find some manner of freeing Lehesion given further research with our sample, however."


    I stared off, remembering Lehesion''s sadness when he last fought me,


    "That would be the best-case scenario. How do you think they''re controlling Lehesion anyways?"


    Torix took a deep breath, "If my inferences are correct, it revolves around their method for mind magic."


    I raised my eyebrows, "I know they can link up. Does it have to do with that?"


    "Absolutely. Remember that psionic base I mentioned earlier? The Adair Family seems to have discovered how to relay communications rapidly using it. This allows them to control Lehesion and the Hybrids over vast distances, a utility most other mind mages lack. After all, there is a limit to transmission speeds. They seem to ignore it entirely."


    "So it''s like a fiber optic cable or something?"


    "Indeed it is, though I ascertain its origin as the result of using techniques from Schema. The remnants were a species that formed him. It is safe to assume that not all of that technology was forgotten. They are likely using fragmented pieces of those technologies to enable their rebellion."


    I frowned, "Damn. What if they made another Schema?"


    Torix scoffed, "I''ll answer your question with another. What if the Adair Family mind controlled an Old One?"


    I shook my head with a bit of exasperation, "We''d be fucked."


    "Most certainly so, and I would assume the same if either of those premonitions came true. In a manner of speaking, that is far above my pay grade."


    I laughed a bit before looking around. The charts and calculations splayed out reminded me of the battles we fought. I stood up, rolling my shoulders, "Alright then, enough talk about what-ifs. Let''s organize the research on Lehesion."


    Torix stood up right after, "It shall be done."


    I cracked my neck, "Alright then, once that''s finished, how about we do some mind magic training? You game?"


    Torix''s eyes tinted red as he cackled,


    "Oh, it would bring me the utmost joy, disciple."

 250 Mental Warfare

    After about an hour of prep, Torix set up the research event for Lehesion''s tail. It stunned me just how involved the process was. The right researchers, equipment, and safety precautions required organizing from scientists and engineers alike. Torix knew the individuals involved with each operation, however, simplifying the process quite a bit.


    With all that done, he and I readied ourselves for some good old mind magic shenanigans. Torix pepped up as he ran himself through a few mind magic drills of his own creation. Once finished mumbling to himself, he turned towards me,


    "The first, most cardinal of all mind magic is the art of establishing a telepathic link. You''ve had it done to you with any gialgathen you''ve ever spoken with, and it''s child''s play to learn. Simply release your established mental defenses. It''s a feeling similar to opening your mind to new possibilities."


    I frowned, "Huh. That might take a while. I''m used to closing everything off, not opening myself up for the attacks."


    "While perhaps true your defense suffers, your strategy is similar to only learning to wield a shield when others are fighting with swords and shields. The mere act of owning an offensive measure dissuades a total offense, and that is a valuable defensive utility all its own. Otherwise, your enemy shall ignore any defensive measures of their own."


    That made a lot of sense, so I gave it my best shot. It took about fifteen minutes before I established a mental connection to Torix. It came with a nifty notification.


    New Skill Learned! Telepathic Link(Lvl 10 - Others build walls of thought to ignore those around them. You go into the unknown, unafraid of the minds of others. +10% to telepathic link''s efficiency.


    It was a nice bonus to get, but I failed to notice it at all. When I linked to Torix''s mind, it was like drifting into space. Mysterious, ancient, and boundless, Torix''s consciousness differed from the mind mages I fought against. Unlike the Adair Family''s troops, he was a vast, alien entity. This lich dwarfed them hundreds of times over.


    I never noticed it before, but only two entities I linked with ever mirrored my mind''s stats. Etorhma and Eonoth overshadowed me in all honesty, but they were Old Ones, not people. It made sense that they felt endless, like staring into eternity. For an actual, living person to stand beside me with such mental prowess, it wasn''t just humbling.


    It was actually kind of scary. Damn. It had been a while.


    A shiver ran through my spine as Torix lifted his hand, "Ah, that was quick of you. Perhaps you own a few trees that assist with the creation of skills?"


    I blinked a few times, finding myself in awe at the lich''s mind. I shook off my reverie before turning to the guy, "Uh, yeah."


    Torix shook his head, "It is odd to find such a vast mind matched against my own. You still carry the single largest source of mental will I''ve seen in all the years I lived. It is like staring into an ocean."


    I murmured, "Yeah. Same."


    Torix''s eyes hued purple, the flames carrying vibrant frenzies of fire. The lich leaned his chin down, as if ready for a hit. I did the same, mentally preparing for his mind to clash with my own. Before we began, I remembered a few of our mental fights from before. I stood up straight,


    "Hey, before we start, I was wondering about the other kind of training we had before."


    Torix stood up, "Ah, perhaps you mean the aura training we conducted?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "So it wasn''t mind magic?"


    Torix shook his head, "In a manner of speaking, it was yet wasn''t. Your auras are unique. They contain palpable, physical effects on reality. Training that did test my mental fortitude at the time, but it wasn''t true mind magic. You didn''t link your mind with mine. We simply clashed with our inherent auras."


    I frowned, "Auras, eh? Sounds vague."


    "That''s simply because it is. I don''t fully understand how your auras operate. I did my best to work around those limitations in understanding and in our stats. It allowed me to give you reasonable training sessions. This is much more so my forte, and I''ve trained myself extensively within this particular domain."


    I leaned back down, "That''s why this feels so different then."


    "Precisely so." Torix leaned down his chin, interlocking his umbral hands behind him, "And with that out of the way, we have a few hours to practice. Are you ready?"


    "Yup."


    "Then let us begin."


    With the link established between us, Torix attacked first. I expected a probing jab of sorts, something to test my defenses. This was nothing of the sort. Like a rampaging rhino, Torix sprinted into my mind with a titanic clash. It took everything I had just to stay standing in the fight.


    Not pausing for a moment, mental probes sprinted around me, searching for weak points. Torix managed each of these while maintaining a constant, unrelenting pressure. I held my breath as I shoved back with all my might.


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    Mentally stronger than Torix, I shoved him. Like an experienced wrestler, he sidestepped the force, pushing me sideways. Experiencing a bit of vertigo, I struggled to maintain my defenses. From a different angle, Torix applied a precise, devasting pressure. It tore into my mind like a hot knife into butter.


    A headache roared into my head as silver blood dripped down my nose. The taste of it cleared my head, a bit of bloodlust pouring over me. Wielding it, I made several wild charges against him. Torix evaded each of them, parrying my psionic onslaughts.


    He did so by plating the portions of his mind that I attacked. It was similar to facing someone in a suit of armor with a sword. Except, in this case, the armor bent on the knight''s skin like a liquid. With a deft hand, Torix intercepted the blows of my mental sword, collapsing all of his mind''s might at one point.


    This meant that despite my superior mental strength, he shoved my attacks aside without much difficulty. He did so all while attacking me from every angle, exposing all the weak points he found. In a way, it wasn''t that different from the mind mages. The difference came from the size of Torix''s mind and the ferocity of his execution.


    In his new body, he wasn''t wielding a mind one-tenth the size of my own. His willpower was much closer than before, and his intelligence mirrored my own. These attributes gave his mental skills a bite I wasn''t expecting.


    Torix didn''t seem to notice. He stayed still, appearing totally unaffected by me. After several minutes of the attack, I shivered from the strained effort. After an hour of surviving the torment, Torix forced me to fall onto my knees. Once my mind''s defenses fell apart, Torix ceased his attack.


    He walked over, offering me a hand,


    "That was far better than I expected. Well done."


    I stayed there for a few seconds, heaving for breath. I blinked in surprise, looking back up at the lich. He looked huge, like a giant staring down at an ant. It came with a bit of fear, but I shook that emotion out after a bit of rationalization.


    For the first time in a long time, someone around me could seriously harm me. That wasn''t the end of the world. Thinking about it, Torix did the same for months in his previous body. I did so for most of my life before Schema arrived. If anything, it raised the expectations I had for myself. Here was a new frontier I hadn''t ventured into, and that was exciting.


    Eh, and maybe scary.


    "How...how did I lose so badly, though?"


    Torix scoffed, "Are you serious? In an arena you''ve never participated in, you managed to evade defeat for over an hour''s time, against a master no less. Lost badly? If anything, I''m disappointed I didn''t dispatch you faster."


    I grabbed his hand, standing up. My mind''s composure reformed as quickly as it fell apart, my mental bulwark reforming. I shook off the jitters, calming down as I mouthed,


    "I felt like I was dying. Damn."


    Torix nodded, "As you should''ve. I could''ve suppressed the conscious control of your body at that moment. You''d of been the world''s strongest puppet, that much is certain."


    I stared at him, a bit of horror leaking onto my face. Torix cackled, "I wouldn''t be so disappointed. You''ve several tools at your disposal to even the odds."


    "Like what?"


    "Your auras for starters. What was it called...ah yes, Event Horizon and The Rise of Eden. Both of those would''ve turned you into a far more formidable opponent."


    "Wait a minute...I wasn''t using The Rise of Eden?"


    "Well, you weren''t using the aura. That''s precisely why I wasn''t able to crush you far faster. Without you sharing the enhancements, your willpower and intelligence exceeded my own by leaps and bounds. Event Horizon would prove even more effective, however."


    Torix lifted his hands, "It eats at your enemy''s minds, blinding them with pain and immobilizing them with pressure. It enables you to commit to complete offense without having to lessen your defenses. I believe this is how you''ve managed your mental battles so far."


    He raised one finger, "You turned your mind into a fortress while using Event Horizon as a whip. That is by no means an ineffective strategy. Having established the mental link, however, enabled me to wreak havoc upon your waiting mind."


    I gave him a slow nod, "So I haven''t actually been fighting in my mind battles?"


    "I would say not. Your tactics are efficient, and they''ve worked around your limitations so far. This has enabled you to avoid the primary detriments of mind magic, like memory manipulation. On the other hand, you have experienced crippling pain from it, correct?"


    I remembered the headaches from fighting Version 2.2.


    "Yeah, it''s been painful despite all my pain resistance."


    "A less tenacious individual would''ve already crumpled, yet you stayed standing in an arena you had no business being in. For that, I would take pride."


    My defeat didn''t sting as much all of a sudden.


    "That being said, your tactics and movements mirror a novice. We''ve much to work on, from the strategies you employ to the nature of your defense. That shall be what we work on."


    And the string returned. I listened as I glanced at my notifications. Yeh, the training was working alright.


    New Breakthrough Achieved! Mental Defense(lvl 12---> 37 lvl)


    New Breakthrough Achieved! Mental Bombardment(lvl 14 ---> 39 lvl)


    New Skill Learned! Mind Magic(lvl 10) - Many would fight with the physical. You choose to transcend the corporeal, overwhelming other''s minds.


    I gave the notifications a nod before meeting Torix''s eye,


    "Alright. Give me an overview. We''ll go to round two after a few tips."


    Torix stood with pride, "Of course. The first lesson revolves around one thing and one thing only - mind partitioning. The majority of your will must be used to immobilize your opponents. An excellent offense is an excellent defense as it were."


    He lifted a fist, "In a manner of speaking, this blot of willpower is your hammer. On the other end of the spectrum, you must wield the clout of your mind with precision. These are the feelers you no doubt noticed. They allow you to discover weaknesses to exploit. Without them, you may be worn down by a mind with superior willpower."


    Torix shrugged, "That aspect of mind magic is challenging to learn, and requires refined mental exercises to create. It is similar to multitasking, but on dozens of different facets at once. This is what most mind mages use to separate themselves from individuals that are often only looking to defend themselves."


    The lich gestured a palm to me, "Given your time constraints, I believe learning to tighten your defenses and sharpening that ''hammer'' of will would be most effective."


    "You''re the pro here, so that sounds good to me."


    Torix''s eyes shifted purple, and I winced at the sight. He cackled, "And as we both already know, you learn best from participation, not merely listening. Perhaps another sparring session is in order?"


    I took a deep breath, "Man, this is going to be a long day."

 251 General Understanding

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    <div>


    We practiced for two more hours, each of them stretching on into eternity. It was a painful, slow, and tedious process. The reason for that was simple - I was bad at it. This wasn''t like runic work or punching stuff down. I lacked talent in mind magic, and Torix showed the opposite.


    For example, as I got better and gained skills, Torix exposed more depth in the mind magic battles. I didn''t close the gap. Instead, it remained constant, like running up a never-ending set of stairs. Each time I gained a bit on him, he showed more of his skills.


    Traps, illusions, attrition, blitzing, scouting, countering, hell, he even used parallel thought lines at one point. All you do is separate your consciousness into multiple, independent entities and have them each do something different. It makes specific strategies, particularly blitzing and scouting, far more effective.


    Even after going through the rounds of those tactics, Torix demonstrated nuance with each tactic. His traps, initially just nuisances that wasted my time, turned into crippling landmines. When I attacked the wrong target, it created a whiplash effect. It was like swinging a bat at a stone wall. The reversed force made my bones ache in response, and Torix never gave me time to recover.


    It gave me a newfound respect for mind mages and what they went through. Here I imagined the process of learning it was simple and easy. No, it was brutal, and anyone that chose this path didn''t do so lightly.


    This wasn''t for lack of Torix''s teaching, however. The guy did a fantastic job of explaining the concepts. His descriptions and elaborations were concise, passionate, and thorough. They had no excess rambling, yet they never missed essential details either. In every way possible, Torix showcased a mastery over the art of teaching.


    It was nothing like how I explained stuff. I just...felt my way through things. Torix created these massive mental systems to guide his way through complex problems. That meant that even if someone didn''t know where to start, Torix could spell out even the most basic concepts.


    In other words, when Torix taught, my limit was my comprehension skills, not the lesson''s quality.


    Either way, I was glad the lesson was over when Torix unclasped his hands behind him and said,


    "That is all the time I have left, unfortunately. There''s much administration work I must finish, but we should devote more time to this task. While potent, you lack a refinement to your mind magic. Considering the opponents we find ourselves facing, this should be a priority."


    I pushed past a wave of dread,


    "Yeah, you''re right...This is harder than gravity magic or learning runes. It''s definitely something I need to work on."


    Torix shrugged, "It is inevitable that you shall find a field you lack talent for. This is no excuse for being incompetent, however. This is especially true given the resources at your disposal and the enemies we face. We shall devote an hour''s time a day until you''ve reached a reasonable quality in your mental warfare."


    I nodded. Talent or not, I needed to learn this and fast. Having more mind magic oomph during our battles would make a huge difference. It would remove a lot of the strain on Torix, who was already handling dozens of different tasks. Considering all that, I resolved to put my all into this.


    However, I needed Torix for the training since no one else had the base stats to fight me on even footing. I left him in his lair, letting the guy manage all the affairs he needed to. Once gone, I walked to my room on the top floor of Mt. Verner.


    It was the same as I remembered it, though someone cleaned it before I arrived. Otherwise, a dense layer of dust would''ve formed over the stonework and floors. I paced over towards the Earthen, modern facilities like a fridge and sink. It came across as nostalgic, something I''d forgotten about.


    With a small amount of time to kill, I plopped myself onto my bed, pulling out my obelisk. A dozen different gravity wells suspended me over the fabric, stopping me from destroying the entire floor at this point. There, I researched a few topics I was curious about.


    The first was getting some better obelisks for Torix and us. It took a few hours, but I found out quite a bit. For starters, obelisks weren''t cheap by any means. They started at around 300,000 credits and worked their way up from there. How Torix had that kind of money when we met, I don''t know, and in all honesty, I kind of didn''t want to know. It was a different chapter in his life, and the guy had changed since then.


    Either way, that was chump change at this point. Surfing through the market, I discovered a vast system of exchanges for used obelisks and the like. The obelisk manufacturers mentioned the risks involved, from implanted viruses to fishing schemes that gained your financial data. It reminded me of the web before Schema arrived.


    Considering my sheer lack of competence, I didn''t trust myself to find a good deal. Instead, I just went towards different manufacturers and looked for an obelisk like the Emperor''s fancy one. As expected, they weren''t on the market. The ones I found paled in comparison, even as they reached into the millions of credits. Even for me, that wasn''t an unsubstantial sum, which was stunning in its own way.


    The average person would never be able to afford them. Ever. It was a luxury item sold to the highest class of businessmen or guild owners. I fell into one of those categories, so I ordered one, dipping into my personal funds. I got one that carried a relatively primitive AI, but it could still automate a few of Torix''s tasks with a bit of finagling.


    It came with software package options, something else I knew nothing about. After letting out an internal groan, I handled the research for that too. Once again, I went with an expensive but standard package for general security needs. It wasn''t nearly as pricey as the obelisk but still came in at a few hundred thousand credits.


    Finishing my shopping up, someone opened up the door. I leaned up, finding Althea peering into the room. Our eyes met, and a grin popped up on my face. As she walked up, we hugged for a bit, just enjoying each other''s company.


    She whispered, "I missed you."


    "I missed you too."


    "I missed you three."


    I leaned back, "What? Missed me three?"


    Althea shrugged, Well you said you missed me two. I missed you more, so I missed you three."


    It took me a second to comprehend, and when I facepalmed, she giggled at my frustration. We fell into a light-hearted chat, something we hadn''t been able to do in a long time. With an entire evening ahead of us, she wanted a personal, homecooked meal from yours truly.


    It reminded me of the dates we had forever ago while preparing to fight Yawm. Like then, I stuck to relatively simple recipes, sticking to stuff I remembered cooking for myself. We laughed, relaxed, and enjoyed ourselves. It was the first night in a long time where I just...shut the world out for a bit.


    Once Althea slept soundly beside me, I went back online, scoping out other obelisk functions. I always dealt with real-world, pressing issues for the most part, so I never explored this part of Schema''s universe. I assumed all of it was heavily censored, which was partially correct. Criticism against Schema was strictly forbidden.


    On the other hand, everything else wasn''t. People still didn''t share skills and trees, keeping those details to their guilds or clans. On the other hand, the utter strangeness of an online space still thrived. Memes of all kinds, inside jokes, constant bickering, it was a lot like the internet of ages past.


    I kept out of those time sinks for the most part, being too busy to relish in that kind of arguing. I did laugh at a few comment threads on the videos Torix posted of me, though. People were clever, and they honed their comment game to a fine edge. Some gems I can remember off the top of my head,


    ''Incoming news report: Gravity Guy too angry to die.''


    ''Hybrids: Exist.


    Gravity Guy: Imma end this whole man''s career.''


    A lot of these jokes actually came from people on Earth, which surprised me. I learned after that the comment system sorted by location, and that explained a lot of what was going on. I was from Earth, so Schema gave me Earth comments. Because of this, meme culture lived on into Schema''s age, still going strong. Of course, a large variety of jokes from other cultures intermingled with them, but I didn''t understand them. The cultural disconnect was real, and I was out of the loop big time.


    It was still interesting to see a general, positive sentiment for our guild. In fact, Torix even created a specific page where we released the videos at timed intervals. It worked towards making the guild more famous while boosting our guild''s image. He did a good job, editing it in such a way that I looked pretty good. He let people apply for our guild without giving away our location either, and taking such efforts for security ensured we were safe for the most part.


    Something that surprised me about the videos was a small, vocal minority in favor of the Adair Family. These comments were shot down immediately after being made, but when I did see them, they carried a sting I didn''t expect. They spawned from people who lost their entire families to eldritch all the way to the world''s recently Schemafied. These people created a potent, negative undertone among the masses.


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    I ignored them for the most part, closing out of my obelisk''s browser. While getting a feel for galactic sentiment was nice, I still had dozens of tasks I needed to do. I said my goodbyes to Althea before heading towards the lower segments of Mt. Verner.


    At the bottom floor, the residential district thrived as usual. Our guild''s presence acted as a deterrent for eldritch infestations in the immediate area. This let people focus on more than fighting, and that showed in the variety of shops available. People made art, music, and other stuff that, while not utterly necessary, did add a lot to live for.


    Stepping through the residential district was an experience in its own way as well. People stared, no, gawked at me as if I were some historical figure walking around. I guess I was, in a way. Well, to these people at least. It stopped me from hearing what people actually thought, however.


    That''s why I was down here. I wanted to get some kind of understanding of what an average person''s life was like. I felt it would help me understand why the Adair Family was doing what it was doing. After all, they wanted to change Schema for a reason. If I got a grip on that, then I might gain an edge our guild needed for success.


    It seemed worthwhile, and Earth''s safe period after being Schemafied was coming to an end soon. Expanding my guild would never be easier than it was at that moment, and there were probably a lot of people out there needing my help. It gave me something to gain instead of just giving away my resources for free. Considering how easy help was to give, it seemed like a real shame to ignore the masses out of ignorance.


    That''s was the crux of the issue - no one told me what they actually thought. They got starry-eyed the moment I walked up, even the stoniest cynic in the room. All our guildspeople''s problems melted away when I asked for some insight, and eventually, the lack of honesty grated my nerves.


    Without any means of getting a decent answer here, I took my sights elsewhere. I downloaded a map of the area, searching out different communities we found that weren''t too far away. While not perfect, it gave me something to look at to scope out a normal person''s prospects. If I chose a town to nearby, then I''d get some community already receiving our guild''s assistance.


    That wasn''t what I was after. I wanted to know a normal person''s life, and that meant no Harbinger''s Legion helping them out. Determined to figure this out, I raced through the night sky, suspended by gravity wells. With stars gleaming overhead, I inspected three random towns within a few hundred miles of Mt. Verner.


    They...weren''t what I expected.


    I thought people would''ve already organized and handled the eldritch for the most part. In one of the villages, Brownsville, they had. Brownsville was a militant, authoritarian settlement. Surrounded by barbed wire and electrified fences, it was once an old military base. This let people level quickly after the culling first began. With this solid backbone, they kept the nearby areas cleared of eldritch for the most part.


    This came at a severe cost, however. No one retained any freedom, a strict curfew enforced. Armed guards paced around, enacting order as much as keeping roaming eldritch out. In general, a lingering sense of fear soaked every interaction here. These people barely hung on, and they couldn''t thrive like this.


    At first, I thought Brownsville was a real shitshow. I was wrong. It wasn''t so bad compared to Gale City. Gale City was an extensive collection of people at the center of what used to be Lansing. Along the horizon, I found dozens of different bridges built across the skyscrapers. It was a new town built on the bones of an old city.


    Trees covered the streets below, and they lacked any kind of maintenance. There along overgrown streets, eldritch roamed free, monsters skulking in the dark. These beasts crashed through glass panels, searching for meat and sustenance. Hyper competitive, eldritch fought one another, feasting on each other''s corpses.


    At the same time, they hungered for anything weaker than them like ravenous insects. By now, some of the eldritch reached level 1,000, the dungeons having developed quite a bit. Fringe zones developed across the countryside, no real force eliminating them.


    The reason for that was simple: for the most part, humans lacked the same leveling capacity. That made sense. Most people didn''t thrive in this kind of environment. Most people just wanted to do enough to get by, and that wasn''t enough for Schema. The AI lived out the virtue of kill or be killed.


    Inspecting from afar, I found the average level in Gale City was around six to seven hundred. It was about three hundred levels below your average member of Brownsville. That was impressive, but they weren''t keeping up with the eldritch below. Instead, they stayed hidden above the ground in the skyscrapers.


    The bridges let them exchange resources, from lumber fueling fires to the meat of hunted animals. They cooked and ate eldritch, something I found dangerous considering how viral those monsters could be. Some farmed along the rooftops, having taken soil from the ground up to the top of the buildings.


    They kept guards along the rooftops that defended their crops from flying eldritch. It meant their diets weren''t awful, and they weren''t wallowing in absolute poverty by any means. At the same time, damn, they were definitely struggling compared with our guild.


    I...I guess I hadn''t been a usual person in a long time, even from the very get-go of the culling. I got out of BloodHollow over-leveled and armed with a massive advantage in the form of my armor. Other people weren''t that lucky, well, if you could call my experience in BloodHollow lucky.


    In a way, it was, though. I got ahead of the experience curve. Being overleveled let me explore and fight often without much fear of dying. These people were struggling just to hold on. They were in a rat race of sorts where they never had enough to start thinking long-term. This meant they were forced into short term decision making, preventing them from ever really getting ahead. It hurt seeing this, and it made Schema''s world look like a real dystopia.


    Imagining this kind of suffering across thousands of worlds...maybe the Adair Family was aiming for something different. They still needed to be put down, but this put their actions into perspective. It also showcased a need for military might. The eldritch required systematic eradication. Otherwise, people would be forced into this kind of life, one where they didn''t know if they''d have a tomorrow to wake up to.


    It wasn''t all doom and gloom at least. Some places handled themselves well with just a bit of assistance. Along lake Mead, South of Mt. Verner, a lake town did pretty well. It was located on an old port city, Fairmount, built around the waterside lifestyle there. The Steel Legion landed here, just as they had in Springfield.


    Because of that, the population was armed and organized. The Steel Legion was mainly the neutral guild Schema used for modernizing new worlds. Using that new tech and policies, Fairmount did well for themselves, the population rivaling Mt. Verner.


    They kept several boats roaming the lake''s edge to monitor any eldritch spawning in hidden coves. The city itself needed little protection, having been built along a cliffside. With only one face of the town needing protection, this gave them a lot of leeway. The power armor didn''t hurt them in that regard either.


    Fairmount seemed self-sufficient for the most part, getting most of their food from the lake. They also took in refugees, something I hadn''t expected. After skulking around the town''s edges, I discovered the Steel Legion enforced the whole accepting new member''s policy.


    Several of the bars and hangouts didn''t accept anyone but natives. It showed a general disdain for newcomers. It was better than Brownsville, but not by much. Either way, having one out of the three towns be halfway decent was pretty good. If this was how the rest of the world was doing, then it wasn''t all bad.


    Having seen my fill of sights, I flew back towards Mt. Verner while lost in thought. After weighing my options, I decided to give most of these towns offers to join my guild. Even if they weren''t the best fighters, they could provide extra resources overtime. We would protect them in exchange. It would be like a representative government.


    Schema helped us there with his handy guild functions. I could keep the taxes relatively low, and it wasn''t like I cared much for the money. Either way, it seemed like a good deal for most of these cities. Having resolved that, I headed back towards my room as the sun rose. Walking in with the sunrise, Althea''s eyes cracked open, finding me.


    After having a quick breakfast with just eggs and bacon, we parted ways with a kiss and hug. She backlogged a few missions for our evening together, and I needed to organize a few meetups. With that in mind, I called Chrona having her answer with a big yawn,


    "Ah, Daniel, it is good to see you well. What are you calling for?"


    I peered at her silver skin, the moisture levels maintained by mana laden mist surrounding her,


    "I need you to talk with Torix about your mana. Considering his specialties, I think he''d be great at learning primordial mana. It would be great for his summoning too."


    Chrona murmured, "Hmmm, the walking skeleton? Ever since he shifted bodies, he has shown far greater confidence than before...Yes, I believe he would learn quickly. I am available most days during most times, so I shall work with him. As you command, Daniel."


    "Alright then, cool. Let me know how it goes after a few sessions."


    "I will. Is there anything else you need?"


    I shook my head, giving her a thumbs-up right after,


    "Nope. Thanks and keep kicking ass."


    Chrona frowned, "It is you who is performing the kicking of the asses. I am merely waiting for a crisis to show my skills."


    I crossed my arms, "Guarding Elderfire could save countless people."


    Chrona sighed, "I understand. It is simply difficult to wait, that is all. I will stay here and serve your commands heed, for they are the lifeblood of my people. Goodbye, and may the stars shine upon you."


    "Er, may the stars shine on you too."


    Chrona chuckled as she closed the call. Right as I finished it, I walked into Torix''s lair. Centered here, Spear, Torix, and several scientists looked ready for war. The scientists carried lead suits over themselves, keeping out anything trying to get in. Spear even wore protective gear over his exposed skin.


    Beside them, dozens of different instruments measured air pressure, temperature, levels of radiation, and a dozen other metrics I didn''t know about. Torix advised the group on handling several of the magically inclined devices, his tone sharp,


    "And if any of you drop one of the resonators, I shall simply mirror the condition of the device onto you. Understood?"


    They each gave a heavy nod, their nervousness oozing through their plastic facemasks. I paced up, a behemoth among them. The disparate sizes of Torix, Spear, and I created a split in the room. It was like two worlds colliding, each of us living different lives. That was good because we needed what these guys were good at.


    After a few greetings from each scientist, I learned their names and occupations. Rob, Scotty, and Amanda, they worked in the eldritch research center that Amara oversaw. Though nervous, they carried a general air of professionalism no different than a surgeon. Either way, they looked like good people.


    Torix turned to them,


    "This is a life or death discovery. We know nothing about what this section of Lehesion will do. Perhaps it will cling and crush one of you. It may release a biohazard that requires each of you to remain in quarantine for months. Perhaps it shall do worse. Are each of you prepared for those realities?"


    They replied in unison, "Sir, yes, sir."


    "Excellent." Torix turned towards me,


    "Are you prepared for the discoveries we shall unfold?"


    I clanked my teeth a few times before taking a deep breath,


    "Always."

 252 Energized

    With our goals set, we walked through the dimensional rift. Pacing out onto a pale mountainside, a snowstorm whirled around us, the winds deafening. The crisp cold woke me up, the scientists shivering even through their lead-laden hazmat suits.


    Torix shouted over the howling tempest,


    "Excuse the scenery. This is one of the few locations that won''t allow the eldritchified landscape to sink into our study."


    A strange, three-headed beetle crawled under Torix''s foot. Torix stomped the insect below his heel, quashing it against the dark stone,


    "Ahem, mostly."


    Following behind him, Spear and I carried several rugged computers, measurement devices, and battery cases. Setting them down, the scientists got to work setting up the various equipment. Spear closed the gateway while I stood guard.


    As they did, the icy cold stung, melting over their heated suits. I lifted my hand, noting how it didn''t feel even cool to the touch. If anything, it felt no different than the air. For the scientists, it made working the tech difficult, so Torix mouthed an incantation. Dark mana pulsed through his palm, creating a shield of shade that deflected the wind. It softened in color, turning semi-translucent, the blizzard bounding around the buffer.


    Using its protection, the researchers connected the power sources with the analysis devices. Not knowing much about any of it, I let them work. In the meantime, I stepped outside the barrier and inspected our surroundings. As I did, the view below the mountain top opened for my viewing pleasure.


    Vibrant forests miles below us covered the ground to the horizons. Upon closer inspection, I found wounds scattering the landscape. Mana pollution soaked into every region, pools of purple creating circles of dead trees in the forests below. The life on Giess struggled against silvers and eldritch alike, the battles below foreboding a grim reality.


    Giess was dying. Staring at the havoc, it seemed distant though not altogether unexpected. Lehesion burned through the planet''s mana to fuel the rebellion''s efforts. This would wreak havoc on the world''s wildlife, and that meant the silver''s infestation would spread. Combine that with the growing blots of mana pollution, and Giess was all but done for.


    The scientists behind me set out to stop that. Chemistry sets, Petri dishes, even Geiger counters sprawled out over cheap, plastic tables. It let them approach the inspection from a variety of angles. As they finished the set-up, I kept my eyes peeled for interruptions.


    I found a variety of eldritch creeping around, small vermin hiding in the snow. Some insects hid in gaps between the icy blanket, the cold unable to stop them. While harmless for us, they exposed how deeply the life of Giess now fell. Even the tops of mountains carried the classic signs of a fringe world.


    As I stared off in the distance, I spotted more signs of Giess''s fall. Dozens of growing rifts created tiny plots of mismatched environments. Without the wildlife handling these infestations, Giess was ill-prepared for the interdimensional terrors. The only respite from the eldritch came from the forests of spires where the silvers thrived.


    Between both of those crushing forces, Giess drowned. It was a shame, but I didn''t have time to mourn a dying planet. Using Event Horizon, I sterilized the area outside Torix''s shield, stopping the insects from piling up. Ice beetles, foxes breathing out cold air, even an estranged silver or two came near. I culled them without much thought, the scientists trusting me in that regard.


    With the preparations complete, I paced back into Torix''s protective barrier. On a metal stretcher, several sets of hands looked ready to inspect Lehesion''s tail. I turned to those here,


    "Be ready for anything, alright?"


    Rob, Scotty, and Amanda gave me solemn nods, each of them ready for the worst. Torix stared with intent, his grimoire opened for quick access to spells in case of crisis. Spear whirled his dimensional slicers overhead, prepared to retaliate against whatever came nearby.


    The pivotal moment arrived, and I opened my dimensional storage. From it, I pulled out the chunk of Lehesion''s tail, the flesh no longer radiating with his usual golden aura. As I set it down, it warmed my hands like a fireplace in winter.


    It showed no signs of life, so the scientist closed in after a few seconds. In a sudden spur of motion, the tail writhed, spazzing with abandon. I grabbed it, pinning it in place with a gravity wells and my hands. The aura soaked around the tail once more, Lehesion''s presence growing.


    Torix gestured to the scientists, "Hurry. We''ve little time to work with."


    As they set up to work, the tail heated in my hands. A glow spread over it, the yellow aura turning blue. It grew more luminous before shining even brighter than a blue sun. Creeping out of it, a relentless, unknowable amount of energy coursed into the tip of the tail.


    Those around me panicked, but despite the blinding light, an insidious presence leaked out of the tail chunk. The presence merely whispered, yet it left my ears ringing with pain. Despite the volume, no one else reacted to the sound. They only reacted to the light.


    Blinded by the gleam, the scientists blinked in blindness, even my eyesight muddled. As my eyes healed, a warmth washed over me. It reminded me of what sunlight used to feel like. It intensified over the next few seconds, and the air hissed in my ears, squealing out in agony.


    At the same time, the Geiger counters rocked towards their maximum values. I turned towards them, finding them capped out at 10,000 roentgen. I stared at the device, a bit confused at the reading before one of the scientists stumbled. Torix howled,


    "Cover the tail."


    Shaking off my confusion, I wrapped my armor around the flesh chunk, my body molding over it in a second. The metal composing my body, ten times the density of lead, held in the glow. Carrying the irradiated mass in a pocket of dark metal, the blue shine ceased. Amanda stumbled forward, falling onto her knees. As she vomited into her glass facemask, Torix channeled a spell over the area.


    It lessened the warm glow from the tail, but it still singed my skin a bit. I winced, imagining the devastation it must be dishing out to the scientists. Rob and Scotty fell right after and vomited as they did. Turning towards the scientists, I found Spear taking a few steps back, even the Sentinel affected by the sudden burst of radiation. Torix and I stayed standing, only the two of us unharmed.


    In fact, Torix was less injured than I was. Having fire eyeballs, the guy wasn''t blinded by the light. He already acted, rushing towards the scientist''s aid. I tried doing the same. Several of them began convulsing in their suits, and I stared at them, helpless to heal their injuries. Torix flipped his grimoire, pelting several spells into the area. Healing auras smothered us, and their shaking stopped.


    Torix let out a sigh of relief, staring at the scientist below him.


    I murmured, "What the fuck just happened?"


    Torix checked a scientist''s vitals using a spell,


    "They''ve suffered acute radiation poisoning. The tail might as well have been ten nuclear reactors all at once."


    Torix scrambled, a ball of activity,


    "Even with lead shielding, this level of radiation is toxic. It''s as if we stumbled into the core of the sun without the heat it would emit."


    The lich sent a dozen messages before turning towards Spear,


    "Can you still cast your dimensional warps?"


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    Spear held it together before nodding,


    "I am able."


    "Then we shall need a medical unit to offer them iodine and to wash them off. The sudden flash of radiation shouldn''t have been fatal, given our medical resources."


    Torix turned towards me, "I will need you to pilot much of this machinery after they''ve left. Only the two of us are resistant to the radiation."


    I stared at the rows of nobs and dials, the machinery looking more like a monster than any eldritch,


    "Uh...ok."


    Around us, the eldritch beyond Torix''s veil evolved. They mutated in an instant, assimilating the radiation at a moment''s notice. Even the smallest beetles turned into a dog-sized abomination. Before they finished their disgusting reformations, I evaporated them with Event Horizon.


    I frowned, "So that''s why Schema doesn''t like nuclear weaponry? Yeah, it makes sense."


    Spear cleaved through dimensions as he gasped in exhaustion. From the portal''s opening, the industrial bay of Mt. Verner buzzed with activity. Torix organized a unit of medical personnel before we began. Spear couldn''t stand any longer, the remnant unable to endure the exposure. Torix pulled the Sentinel''s arm over his shoulder and lifted him up. Spear stared at Torix as the once frail lich pulled him to safety through the portal.


    I pulled the rest of the scientists out using gravity wells. Torix turned towards the medical personnel flooding the scene. Workers peered at the crisis from afar as Torix shouted,


    "Remove their clothing and have them washed. We must limit their exposure to radiation." He mouthed spell, a shield passing over those present, "That shall prevent those present from being irradiated, though everyone will need decontamination at some point."


    As the stretchers came unto the scene, I stood surrounded by the equipment we intended to use for inspection. With Lehesion''s tail tucked in a ball of metal beside me, walking through the portal wasn''t an option. The radiation might harm the people there, and it could give away our location too. If the tail came to life, then it may escape as well.


    Walking through the veil wasn''t worth the risk, but it still stung, watching the scientists be carried away. I waited there, minutes stretching on like tiny eternities. After a while, Torix walked through the dimensional slice. He sighed,


    "They''ve administered the iodine and Prussian blue. They shall live, though they''ll likely need to get used to new hairstyles, no doubt."


    Torix pointed at the portal,


    "The research must continue despite this crisis. We''ll need to cover this space with a panel of your armor. It shall prevent the enormities of radiation from leaking onto Mt. Verner."


    I began shredding portions of skin from my arm, the injuries healing in seconds. As I did, Torix walked over and put a hand on my shoulder,


    "Your suggestion to keep the research elsewhere besides for Elderfire and Mt. Verner saved dozens of lives. That was an excellent use of foresight."


    I molded the dark metal, using quintessence to melt it. After hovering it over the circular warp, I created a wall of metal over it, curving it around the warp. I turned to Torix,


    "I just know I can''t heal people, so I have to think more carefully about this kind of risk. Otherwise, people will just die around me. In the end, I will always be the final survivor, and the last thing I want is to be standing on a mountain of corpses. My friend''s corpses."


    Torix stared down at his own hands, "Ah...Perhaps I will be similar given time. This new body''s resilience is the only reason I didn''t vaporize instantly. We''re fortunate that we prioritized the creation of this new body over researching the tail."


    Torix pointed at my ball of metal by my side, "Speaking of which, it''s contained in that bulb?"


    I nodded, grabbing it in one of my hands like a metal basketball. Torix sighed, "Let us inspect if it is researchable still."


    I grabbed the armor and jerked. A tear opened, releasing a plume of blue light. It was as if a star stored itself within, the light bright enough to pierce the clouds above. Torix paced over towards a table, picked up a dosimeter, and put it over the pillar of blue light. Torix winced,


    "That blue light is the Cherenkov effect. I doubt the electrical equipment will hold up with these levels of radiation. This will require good old fashioned magical inquiry."


    Torix picked up a scalpel and a petri dish, aiming to gain a sample. I pulled most of the tail hunk out, the light blinding. As Torix walked back over, the scorching warmth faded from my hands. The evanescent light waned, along with the tail''s structure.


    Some kind of self-destruction began, and the tail melted. Before it finished, I drilled tendrils of my armor into it. Draining it, I devoured the nanomachines spread throughout the chunk. It wasn''t enough. Torix attempted taking a sample, but the flesh hunk, along with the energy it carried, degenerated into mush.


    I kept the golden mush in a gravity well, preventing it from soaking into the snow and soil below. Torix took a sample of it and tried analyzing it, but the lich cursed as he viewed it,


    "This is patently absurd. To think they''d create self-destructive implants throughout the tissue." Torix grabbed the petri dish, smashing it into the stone below,


    "It''s useless. All of it. Dammit it all."


    We stood there for a moment, the wind howling outside Torix''s bubble,  muffled like music from behind a building. The muted blizzard only made the moment worse as Torix shook his head,


    "I had hoped to discover our enemy''s greatest weakness. Instead, I''ve hospitalized three of our best workers, along with over a hundred thousand credits worth of equipment."


    He sat down onto the stone below, letting himself flop down. He crushed stone to powder, so I followed suit. I didn''t let myself slam down like he did. Otherwise, I might cause a kinetic explosion. Torix stared down,


    "Bah, this isn''t my first failure, though it still carries a familiar sting. We''ve gained nothing from this golden opportunity."


    I pulled up the golden blob that once was Lehesion''s tail, "Hah, golden."


    "You''re not helping."


    "Sorry." An awkward moment passed before I pointed at the blob, "What do you want to do with this?"


    "Dispose of it how you will. There was no recognizable cellular matter within the petri dish, and the radiation has left it utterly. It is but a liability given it no longer offers anything of value. Even the nanomachines self-destructed."


    I sighed, using my armor to drain it. At the very least, it carried an enormous amount of mana. Feeling the extra weight, I leaned back,


    "Well, that sucked."


    Torix nodded, "Indeed."


    We waited for another moment. I shook my head,


    "Man, why in the hell was Lehesion letting off that kind of radiation? Why did the tail connect with him as well, even from this distance?"


    Torix scoffed, "Perhaps they wished for a clean source of energy."


    He and I laughed, but mostly to defuse the shitty situation. As our pity laughter died down, I sat up,


    "Wait a minute...I mean, they actually might be doing that."


    Torix''s blue, fire eyes sparked white, the flames building in his hollowed sockets,


    "By Schema, you might be right."


    He stood up, walking back and forth, "Now that I''m dwelling on the matter, this was by no means a true failure. There is much to learn, though it may be through inference and deduction rather than observations alone."


    I pushed myself up, not quite as excited as he was, "I guess, though it won''t be as concrete we hoped."


    Torix lifted his hands, "For some of the information, perhaps, but some of our deductions will be based on fact. The first of which is that mana is coursing through Lehesion."


    I pursed my lips, "Didn''t we already know that?"


    "The difference is in the sheer scale of the event. Think about it. The amount of mana contained within that tail dwarfed all the mana on Giess combined."


    I raised my eyebrows, "What? Really now?"


    "As hard as it may be to fathom, it''s true. If the rest of Lehesion mirrors that state-"


    I spread out my hands, "The guy''s a living supernova."


    "Precisely, perhaps even greater. It would rival cosmic events with the sheer scale of mana being produced and filtered through him."


    I grimaced, "The kind of mana needed to take down a spatial fortress?"


    Torix shook his head, "No, the kind needed to evoke a cosmic event which far outweighs the energy required for something simple as taking out a spatial fortess."


    My stomach sank, "What in the hell would they even need that kind of energy for?"


    "I''ve no idea, but we know they have it. That alone is valuable."


    "Well, we also know they can produce that kind of energy too."


    "Precisely so. If the Adair Family managed to recreate novas worth of mana, then they''ve connected Lehesion to a far greater power source than Giess alone. The question lies in what exactly could supply that level of energy."


    We pondered possibilities for a bit. I recounted the radiation and what it felt like. Memories of the malevolent presence returned, and with it, a cold wave of dread. That fear washed over me like jumping into an icy lake. I shook my head,


    "They...they couldn''t have. That''s impossible."


    Torix tilted his head, "What couldn''t they have done?"


    I blinked, my heart racing in my chest. When the tail first ebbed blue, my ears were left ringing. It was like a quiet explosion. It reminded me of a booming voice I''d heard before. I pondered aloud,


    "They...they might be using Eonoth somehow."


    One of Torix''s fiery eyes expanded as if he was raising an eyebrow,


    "Eonoth? Perhaps I''ve forgotten who that was, though it sounds familiar."


    I stared where the tail once was,


    "An Old One. They might be using an Old One."

 253 Conflicting Ideas

    Torix rolled his eyes, "That''s highly unlikely. They are beings that transcend time and space."


    I raised my hands, "I''m not saying their controlling Eonoth, just that they''ve found a way of using him to their benefit. The Old One is connected to Lehesion directly after all. It''s not that much of a stretch to say the Adair Family figured out a way to abuse that connection."


    Torix cupped his chin, "Hmm, perhaps. I''m doubtful, but we''d better report our findings and our hypotheses to the Overseer regardless. He''s busy, no doubt, but this information may prove vital."


    I nodded, "Let''s do it."


    Torix called the Overseer, who neglected to show up in person. Instead, he called over a chatline Schema made publicly available. With it, the Overseer used a randomly generated password for security purposes. Once logged in, a tired, annoyed voice rang through,


    "What is it now?"


    Torix turned to me. We both had a silent debate over who would answer until the Overseer announced,


    "I''m leaving-"


    I shouted, "Wait a minute."


    Torix quietly cackled as I eyed the ancient lich. The old mastermind got me there.


    "What did you both call me for?"


    "Do you remember my last fight with Lehesion?"


    "Vaguely."


    "I blocked one of his attacks with a pocket dimension I can control. I ended up getting a sample of Lehesion that we just studied."


    The voice perked up,


    "This may have been worth answering then. What did you uncover?"


    "Nothing direct. Some kind of nanomachines self-destructed the tail slice, but we did figure some details out. For starters, the tail was bathed with an unreal amount of energy."


    "Yes, his golden aura, as always."


    "At first, yeah, but then it glowed blue. It had enough radiation to even put Spear out of commission for a bit."


    "Spear?" the Overseer rumbled.


    "Yeah, the Sentinel that''s helping us."


    "The breaches in his armor plating are likely why. Their armor is highly resistant to radiation of all kinds."


    I raised my hands, "That''s the thing - it was enough radiation that lead-lined suits weren''t nearly enough to withstand it. We''re talking way more mana than a single planet could possibly hold. We think Lehesion''s energy source is coming from somewhere else besides Giess."


    "Did either of you videotape the footage of the event?"


    Torix opened his status, sending something to the Overseer. A few seconds of observing later and the Overseer murmured,


    "It''s very...blue."


    Torix leaned over, "That''s the Cherenkov effect. It''s perfectly normal when dealing with high volumes of ionizing radiation."


    The Overseer sighed, "It''s giving me very little to work with as far as viewing is concerned. Do you have any samples left of the tail segment?"


    I shrugged, "I ate it."


    "...You ate it?"


    "Yeah."


    A quick thud later, likely a facepalm, and the Overseer grumbled,


    "No samples remain?"


    Torix spread out his hands, "It wasn''t as if something of value remained. There weren''t even cellular structures remaining. The energy-laden jelly was simply a blob of the elements composing Lehesion. It gave us nothing of value. At least Daniel may strengthen himself with it."


    The Overseer took a moment to consider Torix''s defense.


    "That is a shame. We could''ve have uncovered an actual weakness."


    Torix lifted a finger upwards, "And therein lies the core reason for this call - we believe that they are drawing this energy source from Eonoth."


    I turned to Torix, "You didn''t want the call at first, right?"


    Torix waved away my retort, "Our point is that Lehesion may be empowered by cosmic beings that defy convention."


    The Overseer flatlined,


    "It doesn''t matter."


    Torix and I stayed silent for a second.


    The Overseer''s voice carried quiet confidence,


    "You both know little of how a spatial fortress operates. Here is how they work. Spatial fortresses are ancient, almighty eldritch that have evolved beyond what eldritch are normally capable of. These eldritch are the end results of fringe worlds."


    I crossed my arms as he continued,


    "A subspecies of eldritch will dominate, the evolution of their species wiping all life out on a planet. Over time, these eldritch can cover the entire surface of planets, creating worlds of flesh and bone. These worlds lob spores out in all directions. This is why fringe worlds are such high priorities. They often lead towards entire sectors being overridden by behemothic eldritch."


    Hm, that sounded a lot like what was happening on Wrath''s world with Plazia-Ruhl. If that was the case, Plazia was taking his time with his assimilation of their species to stop a spatial fortress from blowing up the world he was on. Considering the depth of that plan, he was definitely related to Baldag-Ruhl.


    I made a note of that for later.


    The Overseer continued, "Schema has discovered a use for these abominations. Using ancient techniques, he can override the sentience of the eldritch ruling over the planet. Once taken over, Schema converts them into a station that acts as a stronghold. Our worst enemies become our most powerful weapons in this way."


    Torix pondered aloud, "I wonder what these ancient techniques may be?"


    I leaned over and whispered, "It''s the cipher. I''m 100% sure of that."


    The Overseer griped, "If you could avoid discussing forbidden knowledge, I would appreciate it."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Of course."


    The Overseer continued, "These overtaken eldritch are referred to as spatial fortresses. One of the upper-tier fortresses is going to warp into the solar system that Giess is housed on. From across the entire system, it will lob a metal bullet at such speeds, the entire planet will split apart."


    This speech sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn''t remember why.


    The Overseer made a dull thud that echoed over the voice call,


    "I do not mean that figuratively. Giess will splinter. Giess is an active, volcanic world. Underneath its crust is an endless sea of magma."


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    Yeah, I could verify that.


    "This shall not be a kinetic explosion that would wipe life from the planet. It will crash through the entire world. This will disintegrate the entirety of it from existence, washing everything in a gravitational storm of magma. Over time, the remnants of Giess will create a tiny asteroid belt where the planet once was."


    The Overseer deadpanned,


    "That is why neither of you should be concerned with Lehesion. He is a powerful entity, but he will be alone. A single entity can only cause so much trouble, and we''ve already tasked several of our greatest Breakers with ending that monster. Without any base of operations, the Adair Family will crumble as well."


    I turned to Torix, "Huh...That does sound pretty effective."


    Torix crossed his arms, "I...I never knew Schema carried such potent tools at his disposal."


    The Overseer muttered, "This is why I am not worried. The rebellion shall be quashed, as all other rebellions have been. Now, this is the last of what I''ll listen to about this matter. Is that understood?"


    Torix and I spoke in unison,


    "Understood."


    "Eh, ok."


    The Overseer continued, "Good. Neither of you will have to worry about the rest of the rebelling worlds either. They all have forfeited their right to exist. Every planet will be obliterated. That is Schema''s power. That is who they defy. Now, if you both will excuse me, I have an entire sector of the Milky Way to attend to. Goodbye."


    The Overseer closed the call, leaving Torix and I wondering about what he said. I frowned,


    "Well shit. Here I thought Schema''s big bads were the Overseers. That radiation looked ugly, but I don''t think they''re ready for what a spatial fortress can do."


    Torix shrugged, "We shall see. The Adair Family has demonstrated a measure of competence up to this point. If they chose to defy Schema, it would only make sense if they carried the tools to follow through. Otherwise, they''ve admonished their lives for nothing."


    I tsked, "Damn...Time will tell then."


    "It shall."


    I turned towards the warp back to Mt. Verner, "That sounds a bit over our heads anyway. Let''s just do what we can for now. When''s the next battle?"


    "Tomorrow on Tholosa. As for details, Tholosa is a coastal town with gorgeous seaside views and a thriving glass crafting industry. The gialgathens mold the molten glass using their heated breaths. It''s turned Tholosa into a thriving tourist destination."


    The lich coughed into a hand, "Ahem, was a thriving tourist destination. It''s a beautiful wasteland now."


    I shrugged, "Nothing we can do about that, though we may save a few of the artists. They might keep up the traditions, who knows. Anyways, I''ll read whatever you send me between now and then. This gives me time to finish a few tasks on my to-do list."


    Torix reached out a hand, grabbing my shoulder, "Now wait one moment, Daniel. We need to finish our daily mind magic training. Meet me in one of the combat zones on the third floor. We''ll practice for an hour as we agreed before."


    I suppressed a verbal groan, settling for a mental one instead.


    "Of course. See you then."


    We handled some more practice on Mt. Verner, a crowd of onlookers watching. Humbling as always, my struggle served as a lesson for them. Even the strongest member of the guild worked on his weaknesses, so they should follow my example. Either that or they learned that I could get my ass kicked. Honestly, I couldn''t tell.


    After finishing the session, I sat down and looked through a few of my messages. It reminded me of checking my email, a tedious task that needed doing. I skimmed through the emails while crafting crude golems along the outskirts of Mt. Verner.


    The simple act of creating let me relax as I learned a bit about our situation. The best bit of news was information on the unknown scouts. We made contact with them, and they were the Empire''s people. According to Torix''s update, they were accessing the locations near Mt. Verner to gauge our level of influence.


    Torix believed the Empire intended to take as much of Earth as possible. With the areas near my guild conquered, the Empire would leverage their ownership to their advantage when making deals with us. It was about what I expected to be honest.


    After finishing my reading, I stared at quite a few golems. I injected a bit of quintessence in order to give them functioning minds. Once made, I practiced a bit of mental magic with them. They weren''t great for learning in-depth details, but a few dozen of them made for a reasonably strong-willed opponent.


    This was because of what they were made of. My armor tended to give high willpower bonuses, meaning even these mindless golems could resist some. Tackling fifty at once meant I could do something similar to weight training for my mind.


    All I would do is strengthen my baseline, fundamental skills with these guys. With Torix, I could hone the more technical aspects of mind magic. To me, this seemed like a reasonable approach to my training. It gave the newly created minds of the golems the right amount of stress to grow as well.


    Over the course of the night, I got them to understand simple concepts like protecting and movement. After all the mental beat downs, they listened pretty closely at this point too. With the battle at Tholosa looming, I sent a message to Torix about the battalion of golems I made.


    As Torix came up, he found me sparring with a few golems at once. I turned towards Torix, willing the golems to do the same. Torix gave me a slow nod,


    "Hmm, I must say I''m rather impressed, though I do find myself wondering what use these golems might have."


    I gave one a heavy bang with a fist onto its chest,


    "They''re stout, resistant to Hybrids, and they make good footsoldiers that are hard to control. While not perfect, they can protect the portal makers and medical personnel. If not, then I''ll just leave them here."


    Torix looked them over before creating a few telepathic tethers with them. Finding their wills more difficult to control than expected, Torix shrugged,


    "They''re more resilient to mind magic than the Hybrids, that much is certain. They should make for a fine set of guards for the military groups you mentioned."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Alright then, you ready to go kick some ass?"


    Torix''s blue, fiery eyes flared bright, "Always."


    We met up with Spear outside of Mt. Verner, where the Sentinel stood ready to warp us back towards Elderfire. We found Hod standing beside him, his lanky silhouette contrasting the Sentinel. Hod puffed his chest out while putting his winged arms onto his hips,


    "Hod free today. Hod can help out with fight against Adair Family."


    Torix''s eyes sheened purple as he sighed. I gave the Eltari''s champion a thumbs up,


    "Hell yeah, sounds good. How good are you at handling the Hybrids?"


    Hod raised his winged arms, "Hod handle Hybrids like pan handle pancake."


    I turned to Torix, hoping the necromancer understood Hod''s simile. The lich stared down, pinching where the bridge of nose would be. Yup, that''s about what I expected. I gave Hod a look over,


    "I''m sorry. I don''t get it. Can you handle them?"


    "Yes."


    I spread out my hands, "There you go." I gave Torix a pat on the back, "You''ve gotten another elite soldier to work with. This should be interesting."


    Torix let out a deep breath before standing tall. He walked over towards Hod, who now mirrored his height. Torix murmured with a whisper sharp enough to kill,


    "Understand this, Hod. If I am tasked with babysitting you during this battle, we could lose thousands of lives. I am currently stressed to my utmost limit, and there simply isn''t enough patience nor time in my schedule to handle your every whim and need during a battle. Is that understood?"


    Hod gave him a blank stare before giving him a clumsy salute,


    "Hod hear lich man."


    Torix kept glaring for a moment. After the tense inspection passed, Torix turned towards Spear, "I suppose we''re ready then."


    A quick tear in dimensions later, and we stood around a horde of waiting Gialgathens. Surrounded by the spawned forest of Elderfire and the dunes of the Rak''sha dessert in the distance, our army hungered for a fight. Though new members stood among the ranks, the majority weren''t green anymore.


    They''d fought several times, no longer new to war. These hardened members were tasked with leading the newer soldiers, giving them advice and tactical input as needed. Combine that with our vastly superior methods of handling our assaults, and our casualties cut down even more.


    We stood at the same mobilization point as before, the underbrush and trees surrounding us. Torix turned towards Hod and me,


    "We shall be attacking Tholosa in the same manner as before. You two are prepared, I presume?"


    Hod puffed out his chest, "Hod always ready."


    I raised a fist, "Yup."


    "Perfect. Now, I shall give another rallying speech for the others. Perhaps you may inform Hod of the plan from last time?"


    I gave him a nod, "Sure thing." Turning to Hod, I raised a hand,


    "Here''s what we did. After Torix and I mentally suppressed several rallying points, we warped from outside the city into the buildings. Hidden there, we got all our soldiers ready to fight while sending several Hybrids to plant mana bombs."


    I pulled out some crystallized mana for reference, the red-streaked and pale crystal pulsing with energy,


    "Using a pile of these, I rained singularities down on the city before blowing several of these across the city at the same time. After that, we blitzed them while saving as many gialgathens as possible. Your job will be to follow Torix and help him with preparing gialgathens for healing and transport. Got all that?"


    Hod gave me a nod, his blank eyes giving me very, very little to work with. I took it on good faith that he wasn''t completely lost as Torix worked his way through another rousing speech. With the troops inspired, Hod walked over towards Torix and Spear. The Sentinel waved his spears, preparing to slice dimensions. Torix finished sending messages before peering at Hod,


    "We''ll be heading out within the next few minutes. Do prepare yourself if you would."


    Hod walked off from Torix without letting the lich know if he actually listened. Hod took a deep breath before breathing out every last ounce of air in his chest. When he reached the absolute apex of scrawniness, the Eltari''s champion breathed in.


    Siphoning energy from around him, a dark aura spread across his frame like charcoal-colored fire. It encompassed him entirely, his frame saturating in shadow. He expanded to triple his previous density, his newfound frame muscled and imposing. The once blank eyes now showed a different side of Hod; they carried a primal, malevolent aura.


    Umbral claws expanded from his fingers. His actual shadow grew, crossing into several other shadows near him. The air surrounding him darkened, his mere presence suppressing the light. With a sinister aura, he turned towards us and brandished his claws.


    The Shadow Stalker growled,


    "Tell Hod what to kill."

 254 Quickly Into the Night

    I grinned, my helmet forming over my face. As the metal shifted like liquid, red mana ebbed from my eye slit. Turning towards Spear and Torix, I found the Sentinel swinging his weapons of trade. Hod and I walked up to them as he sliced through dimensions. Beyond the veil, a sandy shoreline popped into view.


    Like the previous launching point, this portal showed the opening of an eldritchian rift. A giant pit of sandstone carved deep into a craggy shoreline, black stone jutting out of white sand. Deep within the depths of the opening, staggered stairways dug hundreds of meters down.


    Along these crisscrossing stairwells, entrances lead deeper down into the abyss. Beady, aquamarine eyes stared from these entrances, eying us like prey. Well, everyone but me that is. I walked down into its depths for a moment, and the eldritch backed away.


    They were right to fear me. With a thought, I liquified them into mana with Event Horizon. After securing our position, I walked out of the rift''s depths and onto some shoreline. Around us, the ruins of a gialgathen civilization showed itself.


    Several empty buildings littered the shoreline, though few and far between. We were near Tholosa, and these were the equivalent of suburbs to the central city. Getting a feel for where we were, Torix turned towards us, "Just as before, we shall secure several locations before launching our assault from each gained point."


    He locked eyes with me,


    "I shall require your assistance with dismantling their mental defenses. All you need do is overwhelm them. I shall handle the rest."


    I nodded with an internal wince, "Sounds good."


    Meh, I didn''t really enjoy mind magic. It was underhanded though useful.


    Torix turned to Hod, and the lich narrowed his fiery eyes, "You''ve been assisting Althea with her assassinations, correct?"


    Hod''s outline shifted, bleeding into his surroundings,


    "Yes."


    Torix nodded his head, "Then you''re adept at disguising your presence. Follow behind us, hidden in the shadows. If any members discover us and look as though they may alarm others, kill them quickly and quietly."


    "Yes."


    Torix looked Hod over, surprised by the Eltari''s down to business attitude. Taking the surprise in stride, the lich turned towards the portal,


    "Then let us be off. The first location shall be a popular hotel that housed gialgathens visiting Tholosa. It gives us space to hold many within its bowels."


    Schema''s three warp specialists stood beside Torix and the portal. They used the portal layering technique to cross vast distances in seconds. A few minutes later, and the outline of Tholosa showed itself in our view. Another few warps and the city''s details sprawled out in all their splendor.


    We were attacking at sunrise, the subtle orange light of dawn leaking over the shoreline. Like the rift, white sand contrasted the black stones nearby. Someone carried the white sand from a distant shore, most likely espen slaves from ages past.


    The signs of their laborers exposed themselves to other parts of the city as well. Tholosa was set up in two portions, like most of the other towns on Giess had been. The lower section of the metropolis was made of glass, crafted from gialgethens. Here the espens made their way, homes of a reasonable size set up for living space.


    Above them, an enormous cliffside housed many lounging spots for the gialgathens. They reinforced the cliffside with bars of steel, melted from the same fires that forged the glass homes below. This created a city of two parts, one for those that flew high and one for the espens below them.


    I didn''t get to glance much longer as we warped onto the top part of that cliffside. It was barren, no living souls housed here. The sun baked this spot, making it too dry for a gialgathens comfort. They wouldn''t let espens live above them either, whether literally or figuratively.


    Upon this vast plateau, Torix took a deep breath, ready for an immediate battle. One of the warp specialists did the same before casting her spell. I followed suit, clearing my mind of distractions. A moment later, one more gateway popped up, and the hotel''s inner sanctum revealed itself.


    Torix, Hod, and I rushed in, ready to dismantle anyone here. No one was awake yet, however. This gave us some time to observe, and we found exotic seashells and trees decorating a marbled expanse. That''s right, fully sized trees. The entrance was large enough for them.


    Luxurious carpets and banisters showed apparent wealth but also the ravages of war. The lights went out long ago, crushed portions of the floor remaining from a fight that took place weeks ago. The windows of the walls laid shattered on the floor, some blood intermingling with the shards.


    A few burn marks coated the walls and scarred the tapestries. Gialgathens fought here. The entirety of the building suited gialgathens with everything oversized for them. Of course, the building lacked simple stuff like water fountains and elevators. Instead, a massive vertical courtyard opened its way to the highest recesses of the building. If not for a lining of glass along the top of the building, our fight''s sounds would''ve informed the soldiers nearby.


    The glass was there, however, along with several silencing spells cast by Torix. That worked perfectly for me since I didn''t have to duck beneath the doorways. Some doorways weren''t huge at the lower levels, these normal-sized spaces used to house espens. Torix pointed at these rooms and whispered,


    "Our scouts reported this is where they sleep. We''ll be taking the rooms one at a time."


    Hod and I nodded, and the three of us walking through the lounge. I cast some antigravitational pads under my feet, making me weightless. This silenced the sound of my footsteps, which otherwise made booming thunks at all times.


    Along the corner of the hallway''s entrance, some kind of leathery shell laid splintered about on the floor. I reached over, picking up a piece, and I found an oily texture smothering the spry husk.


    Torix shook his head with disgust while whispering,


    "I doubt the Adair family wished for it, but these soldiers smashed the gialgathen eggs stored here. A travesty."


    I turned to him,


    "Why would the gialgathens put their eggs in a hotel? Shouldn''t they be in an incubator or something?"


    Torix shrugged, "Gialgathens are amphibious by nature. Tholosa was actually a beloved nursing spot for newly laid eggs. These shall not be the first nor the last we see of them."


    I frowned at the shell, but it didn''t affect me much. At this point, I expected the genocide and mass murder. If anything, I was only numb. With that lack of feeling, I focused as we explored the inner sanctum of the hotel.


    I took a moment to familiarize myself with my surroundings. Honing in on the air currents, temperature, and subtle fluctuations in gravity. With a firm grip on the hotel''s layout, we walked up to our first room to siege.


    As we did, a creaking door echoed along a hallway. Someone was coming out. Torix turned towards the sound, his blue eyes flaring bright. Two espens wearing gas masks paced out of their hotel hideaway, fluorescent light pouring from their room.


    I waited for the lich to silence their minds, but Hod acted first. The Shadow Stalker dispersed into his surroundings, only his eyes visible among the dark. Hod closed his eyes. When he opened them, he did so across the room and behind the espens.


    His form coalesced from the surrounding shade. The soldiers turned towards us, wholly unaware of the monster behind them. Lines of shade traced across their bodies as they stared at us. Their expressions didn''t shift, and both of them stood utterly still as if frozen in time.


    I tilted my head, expecting a scream or shout. Instead, they both fell apart, blood splattering from their wounds. The red carpet drenched with the sanguine fluid, clean cuts carving them into a dozen different segments. It reminded me of Althea''s slicing, surgical, precise, yet wild.


    Hod once again closed his eyes, dispersing from behind them. Opening his eyes, Hod reappeared beside Torix and me. The entire time I didn''t hear any of his movements, his sudden shifting unsettling even me. Torix gave the Eltari an approving nod before we moved deeper into the hotel.


    Our first room was how we took the rest of them. I reached for the doorknob, grabbing it to get an idea of how large it was. With a quick gravitational vortex on the other side of the door, I unlocked the latches. Torix cast silencing magic to mask the sound of the first doorway at the same time.


    Finding the group sleeping, I created a telepathic link with each mind present. Like a raging bull, I rushed in with a mental bombardment, splintering their drowsy minds. Torix came in right after, reorganizing their thoughts for our benefit. Hod stood by in case anything went wrong.


    This worked like a charm, letting us siege several dozen rooms. During those attacks, the espen''s mental strength startled me. They withstood my psychic attacks better than I thought they should. After a few hallways, I created a telepathic link with the lich before thinking over,


    "Were the espens always this tough?"


    "I would say not. When we fought last, the grunts fell with relative ease. Though they''re still amateurish, these soldiers strengthened their minds somewhat. The Adiars must be preparing them after our last onslaught."


    "Damn, that''s a relief. I was worried I''d somehow gotten worse at mind magic as we practiced."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I wouldn''t put it past you, given your lack of experience."


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence."


    After cutting that link, we moved through the first floor in this way before reaching the upper levels. Anytime someone walked out early, Hod handled them in an instant. Some of the rooms didn''t just carry espens, however.


    Where the gialgathens would normally lounge, the Hybrids and the blighted stowed away. Even when kept under mental shackles, they didn''t trust them enough to sleep near them. Personally, I''d do the same. Keeping an ample distance from those monstrosities would sit pretty high up on my to-do list.


    Despite the different opponents, we used the same strategies as before. They fell far easier to my mental attacks, so we gathered an ever-increasing force of psionically controlled soldiers. My psychic blasts tired me some, but it left Torix with more energy for controlling the weakened troops. This expanded his working army of mind-controlled soldiers. They assisted us with searching out resources for our own soldiers.


    Within an hour, we eliminated the armed forces here, turning them into our puppets. Gialgathens poured in through our portals, and we sent several Hybrids to lay mana bombs. We put the pieces in place for another swift victory before heading out to secure the other outposts for our attack.


    These points of control fell like those before them, our lich mentally crushing them into submission. The plan ran along smoothly as we put everything into place, readying another offensive. Minutes later, I positioned myself along the cliffside. My dark armor blended into the background, disguising me.


    I chose this position since the dreadnoughts all pointed at least one cannon at the tallest buildings across the city. It was a slight tactical adjustment from them, but it wasn''t anything we couldn''t work around. After setting myself up for a gravitational bombardment, we initiated our blitz on Tholosa.


    It crumbled like cinders on a windy plain.


    Our offense came crashing down with might and fury. The first blow struck with a cascade of singularities, umbral spheres forming across the dreadnoughts floating over the shoreline. Seconds after, the mana bombs detonated, unleashing elemental storms and devastation.


    The ascendant mana loaded within the bombs infected nearby espens. Driven to absolute rage and hunger, they tore one another apart. Others flooded with the quintessence, matter generating within them before popping them like swollen flesh balloons. Torix flew across the city, casting spell after spell.


    Shadow hands ripped out of the ground and pulled people under. Ice beetles injected cold into espens, freezing their blood. One espen''s skeleton pulled itself out of the espen''s body while it was still alive. Others stared out into an abyss, overwhelmed by the onslaught and carnage.


    These members made easy pickings for mental magic. Torix swooped in and evaporated the little mental fortitude they still had left. Their wills suppressed, these controlled members fought amongst the Adair Family''s troops. A cannibalistic uprising formed, and they destroyed themselves.


    The dreadnoughts fell in much the same manner. Devastated by the singularities, they collapsed from the sky, their wings clipped. Once on the ground, we ran past them one by one, leaving the crew killed and the gialgathens saved.


    Well, the few gialgathens left. Most were turned, so killing them was the only option. That dirty work fell to me, my abilities well suited for it, though it was far from pleasant. Once we finished with the crew and the ground level troops, I helped heal with Kessiah and the others. It was a welcome reprieve from smashing test tubes before pulverizing whatever was inside them.


    Hod stayed in the front of the assault, using the shadows to warp around the battlefield. He pierced into the depths of each dreadnought, using the now darkened ships as effective slaughterhouses. Using his blackened claws, he tore apart their shadows. This cut apart the real person owning the shadow.


    It was surprising. By hitting the shadows, Hod ignored most of their defenses, and it enabled Hod''s other abilities. He could also switch locations in an instant, making for an odd thing to watch. Most creature''s blindspots resided where their shadows started and ended.


    He jumped between them, his fluidity and lack of hesitation, giving him lethal effectiveness. In many ways, it was inevitable that they would die when Hod popped up behind them.


    He seemed like an entirely different person, his methods ruthless and his mentality lacking mercy. Gone was the goofy guy and his surprising empathy. A cold-blooded killer took his place, and he stayed relentless in his pursuit. It unnerved me a bit, as I understood little about his abilities or motivations.


    Having a soldier that could switch on a dime like that, it was...strange.


    I put it on my to-do list to ask him about the personality shift. I ignored it before since I didn''t think Hod was dangerous. He was a true threat now however, and dismissing a danger to my troops was irresponsible. I was a leader now. I had to make sure they were safe.


    In all honesty, I didn''t like digging into the history of my allies. I knew what it was like to hide a piece of my past, and I respected them not wanting to talk about it. At the same time, that kind of personality shift would unsettle anyone, given how drastic it was.


    Either way, Hod proved useful as I expected. He was a vanguard of death, selecting the right targets at the right time. It was as if he saw through the enemies, and using that foresight, he crippled their defensive forces.


    That allowed Torix to collect far more substantial portions of their military under his wing. From ten thousand strong in the last battle to thirty thousand, Torix commanded a massive force. This caused utter havoc in the ranks of the Adair Family, and they shattered beneath the overwhelming pressure.


    That pressure crushed them far faster than I imagined it would. Within two hours, I gawked at a devastated cityscape. Orange and red pools intermingled in the ocean''s water, a surreal sight. Without anyone left to oppose us, Torix forced enemy soldiers to slit their friend''s throats.


    Torix explained that overwhelming someone''s self-preservation was nearly impossible with mind magic. Making them kill, though? That was much simpler. If they culled each other and moved on, slaughtering them systematically wasn''t so difficult.


    This left a bad taste in my mouth, though I understood precisely why the lich did it. Leaving enemies alive like this was a recipe for disaster. They might dissect our tactics, rejoin the Adiar''s cause, or compel others to do the same. Still, it sickened me to kill them when they couldn''t defend themselves like this. If anything, it made me glad I wasn''t the best at mind magic.


    It might be better that way.


    My ethical dilemmas aside, we finished taking over Tholosa''s troops, taking the gialgathens in after settling the battle. Torix handled the logistics while I gazed at the blood-soaked shoreline. Not long after, I found Krog doing the same, peering out at the distant sunset. I turned to the guy,


    "You look awful."


    Krog nodded, "You as well."


    I frowned, hoping to get a rise out of the gialgathen. Instead, we watched the waves wash away the blood of battle. I sighed,


    "Was it a tough fight?"


    "No. This was all too easy, like stealing candy from children and watching them weep. Battle without resistance is akin to a game with the winner decided. It loses its luster, and the game will no longer be played."


    I stared down, understanding him completely.


    Krog sighed, "This is no game, however...You know, many espens died in this place. Though Tholosa may seem like a tropical paradise, it was a dense slave center decades ago. Graveyards litter the surrounding plains, the slaves buried in mass when they died. Not even their gravestones remain. Do you know why?"


    I winced, not wanting to hear an answer, "Not really."


    "They have none. We didn''t even think the espens worthy of a gravestone to cement their memories and legacies in this world. Slaves or not, they deserved better."


    "Damn. That''s fucked up."


    Krog nodded slowly, "It''s a grim reminder of what we did to them and their species. In many ways, I believe the evils we face today are a result of those acts. We face the sins of our forefathers. The price we pay for their misdeeds is in our blood, and that blood was paid in kind by the espens long ago."


    Krog shook his head, pushing himself back up onto his four feet, "In the end, they will never forgive us. From my recollection, my own soldiers will never let go of their hatred either. The cycle must end somewhere. Who shall end it, anyone may guess. I wish for those days to come soon, however."


    Krog''s spill got me thinking. I didn''t dwell on the espen''s history. Considering what they went through, their hatred for the gialgathens was understandable. I wouldn''t pretend like I could understand something like being enslaved, either. I imagined it was a humiliating, dehumanizing experience. My imagination could never simulate the real thing, however.


    The Adair family used that resentment along with Schema''s indifference to gain control of the espens. That didn''t justify what they were doing now, however. I stared at the sand, "I won''t say I understand, but I agree with what you said about killing the defenseless. It feels awful."


    Krog turned towards Torix and Kessiah who tended to the cleansed gialgathens,


    "Yet we do what we must. Come, this is no time to regret war. We won the battle, and that is worth celebrating."


    I nodded, thinking about what he said. We passed up to the wounded gialgathens, the members already cleansed by me earlier. Torix turned towards me as he stared at the corpses along the sand,


    "Ah, Daniel, I wanted to ask you something."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Go ahead."


    "I could raise the corpses of our enemies and use them against the living. They would rot after a few days, but even their skeletons could be reanimated. Do you think this would be a good idea?"


    A glint showed itself in the necromancer''s eye. Once an evil lich always an evil lich I supposed.


    I pursed my lips, "Wouldn''t that ruin our guild''s reputation?"


    Torix''s shoulders drooped, "Bah, an old sorcerer can try."


    Kessiah smirked, "Told you he''d say no."


    I glanced at the cliffside, "Any ideas why Lehesion didn''t show up or at least a few evolved Hybrids?"


    Torix raised a finger, "I timed our battle during a specific rebellion they planned on enacting today. Their attention split, we rushed in and used the opportunity."


    I nodded, "Good work."


    He shook his head, "You may thank Althea and Hod for that. Their intel is the only reason for our successes."


    Hod walked out of Torix''s shadow, spectral mana ebbing from his shoulders,


    "Are we finished?"


    I gave him a curious glance before spreading my arms out, "Yeah, I think so. Everyone, you all did a great job. We''ll be back before nightfall. Drinks are on me."


    That last line got a cheer from the group. As everybody walked off, I caught up with Hod. He stared at the sea, his eyes idle. I did the same,


    "I was actually going to ask you a few questions after the battle. Can we talk somewhere private?"


    The darkened energy saturating his frame faded, and the goofy, stringy Hod returned. He paced up with a few unsteady steps, "Hod not in trouble?"


    I shook my head, "Of course not. I just wanted to talk."


    "Hod not blame you. Hod pretty good talking partner. Hod so good at talking, Hod sometimes talk to Hod. Hod just that interesting."


    I pursed my lips, "Alright." I looked to Torix, "Let me know if you need me."


    Torix gave me a small yet respectful bow, "As you wish."


    I walked off with Hod before no one was around. I turned to him, meeting his eye,


    "We''ve known each other for a while. I''ve been wondering about a few quirks of yours for a while."


    Hod grabbed the side of his elbow, a bit of discomfort radiating from the birdman. I turned a palm to him, "Before battle, you saturate with mana, right?"


    Hod nodded, "Hod does. Hod psyche Hod up."


    "Yeah, you seem to change at that moment. Is there a reason?"


    Hod stared, his blank expression unreadable,


    "Hod think so."


    "Well, what''s the reason?"


    "Hod let other Hod out."


    I let my arms flop against my sides,


    "Ah, so that''s it."


    A second passed before I shook my head,


    "About that, mind telling me a bit more about other Hod?"


    Hod straightened up, "Other Hod rather not say."


    My eyes narrowed, "I need to know, so explain."


    Hod sighed, "Hod explain. Hod not know if Harbinger like Hod explanation."

 255 Multifaceted

    Hod''s hands twitched as I stared him down. The birdman''s scrawny frame trembled after a few seconds, and Hod let out a groan,


    "Before Hod explain, Hod ask Harbinger to stop staring at Hod."


    I scoffed, "What? You know I''m not going to hurt you or anything like that...right?"


    "Hod know...Other Hod don''t."


    I crossed my arms, "Well, consider this conversation a hostage situation. You''re hostage until you talk about the whole other Hod thing. I need to know what''s going on for my soldier''s safety. I don''t think you could kill me or anything, but everybody else? I have no idea."


    "Other Hod...says you not need worry about other Hod."


    "Let me talk to this ''other Hod.'' I''ll decide that on my own.''"


    Hod''s eyes widened with fear, a bit of sweat pouring from above his beak. Hod wrestled with himself for a moment before his frame once more saturated with mana. With the umbral energies permeating his surroundings, his eyes turned red and bloody. He spoke clearly,


    "I...I am other Hod."


    I walked up to him, waving my hand across the dark energy leaking off his frame,


    "Ah, that''s eldritch energy."


    Other Hod''s eyes narrowed like a cat getting sprayed with water,


    "How can you identify the energy type?"


    I glanced at my hand, "I can taste it. The energy is eldritch for sure."


    Other Hod''s breathing sped up, close to hyperventilating. I peered back and forth,


    "Are...Are you ok?"


    "Yes...Other Hod just fine."


    A liquid like oil dripped from his frame. We stayed there for a few moments before other Hod whimpered, "Can I leave?"


    "I''m not angry at you, you know that, right? I just need to know who you are and what you''re doing."


    Other Hod took a step back, his legs trembling. His mental defenses falling apart under some unseen pressure, he fell onto his knees. He grunted,


    "Please...don''t kill me."


    "Never intended to."


    Its breathing slowed, the eldritch energy signature dampening a bit. It rekindled, a blaze unbridled as its eyes widened,


    "You''re not?"


    I spread out my arms, "What do I look like to you? A monster?"


    "...Yes."


    "What, really?"


    "You are far more a monster than I."


    I crossed my arms, "You''re an eldritch, huh?"


    Its eyes narrowed, "I...yes."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You''ve been hiding this entire time, inside of Hod...Why? Most eldritch are far too hungry for that. They''re more mindless and virulent. This seems a bit too calculating for an eldritch."


    I remembered Baldag-Ruhl.


    "Well, most of them."


    The eldritch stared down, fear oozing off it,


    "I was hiding."


    I pointed at my chest, "From me?"


    "Yes. You are a true monster."


    I dwelled on that for a bit. Huh, me, a monster? Yeah, maybe. I was tough to kill and could out drain a Hybrid, let alone an eldritch. At the same time, I always thought monsters were made in the mind more so than the body. It''s like serial killer compared to a wolf. The wolf might kill you for food, but that wasn''t evil. It was just trying to survive. A serial killer? They were evil down to their core, whether in a human body or not.


    I was more like the wolf in that regard. I mean, I didn''t kill eldritch unless they were mindless murderers. True, that was more often than not, but I made exceptions like with Amara. To think of it, that shapeshifting eldritch showed me as her biggest fear. The eldritch in the tunnel too, they all looked at me like a monster. I tilted my head,


    "So why do eldritch seem scared of me?"


    Other Hod waved a hand across his face as if the answer was obvious, "You cannot be killed, and your hunger is unending."


    "Yeah, that''s kind of true. I''m not really hungry. Ever, actually."


    "You starve so utterly that you feast on your own unending flesh."


    My eyes widened, "Ok, that''s a new one."


    Other Hod pointed at the markings on my arm, "What is that then?"


    I peered at my cipher inscriptions on my arms, "What, these? I''m just putting mana in these for extra stats. Nothing special."


    Hod pulled his shoulders up as if disgusted, "You use your blood, flesh, and bone to sate yourself. Even we, our hunger unending, refuse to dine on our own bodies."


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    "Huh...I do have blood magic, and this is technically using my flesh and blood for mana...I mean, I guess that''s true. It seems like a stretch to me, though."


    "I can see it as nothing else. You are Ouroboros devouring his own tail, and that is terrifying."


    "So, I know that''s strange, but I wouldn''t think of that as enough to be outright terrified of me, which you seem to be. There has to be more to this."


    "It is simple. You cannot be killed."


    "I''m pretty sure I can be."


    Other Hod winced,


    "It is not possible. When was the last time you lost awareness or your judgment?"


    I pointed at the ground, "The last time I splattered myself against this planet. Everything went white for a while."


    "But think of it. Did you ever truly lose consciousness?"


    I followed his advice, guiding myself through my memories. The more I thought about it, no, I never did actually go unconscious. Even when totally vaporized, I could still think. That didn''t make much sense. I should need a brain to think. Otherwise, I was thinking without even using it.


    Wait a minute, was I as brainless as I thought?


    I shook off that ridiculous series of thoughts. I glanced at my hands, "Huh. Yeah, it''s been a while."


    Other Hod''s eyes narrowed once more,


    "You are the undying, a force that cannot be killed nor quenched. That is worthy of fear, something above we eldritch. We are like wolves and your kind like lambs. You, you are different. You are a bear, something even we wolves fear. You rule the forest, and all that lies within it. You are preeminent, and to any with eyes, it is obvious."


    "Ok, so I''m like a higher being to you eldritch, kind of like an Old One or something. I get that. What I don''t understand is why you hid all this time?"


    Other Hod stared off to the side, "I...I wished not to be devoured."


    I let my hands flop against my sides, "If that''s it, then don''t worry about it. You haven''t killed or overtaken Hod. If anything, you''ve got to be the reason he''s even halfway competent in combat."


    The eldritch looked up at me, a glint in its eyes. Stunned to silence, it stayed there for a while. It murmured,


    "You''re...impressed?"


    "Uh, yeah. You''re good at what you do."


    Other Hod stared down, "To think it would show me mercy. That''s unexpected."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose while staring down,


    "Jesus Christ, are all eldritch like this?"


    I looked back at it, "I''m not killing anybody. I could, but that doesn''t mean I will. I just wanted to know what was going on."


    The eldritch half of Hod marveled at me as if staring at an idol. It bowed,


    "I...I haven''t overtaken this simpleton. I shall continue to lay in the shadows, serving as you need."


    I furrowed my brow, "What? No. You should get the recognition you deserve. Let me know your name, and I''ll make sure our troops know it. I give credit where credit is due. Simple as that."


    Other Hod scratched the back of his head with a winged arm,


    "That is unfair to Hod."


    "So he actually helps with fighting? Wow."


    "No, he does not, though his insights can, at times, be telling. He has lost much of who he was due to my manifestation."


    I remembered where we found Hod, underground in a desert world. Other Hod turned a wing to me,


    "I am what spawned from the energy pooling within him. I drained a mammoth portion of his mind. Your friend is the remnant I left behind. There would be nothing left by now, but you cut my control short with this...ring. It siphons my growth towards you, and you eat it."


    He showed an ebony ring, runic markings carved on it, and I remembered creating the conduit to prevent mana poisoning. I did the same to Althea, sending her excess mana towards me, though for different reasons. Hers was to prevent haphazard transformations while Hod''s conduit was to stop mana poisoning. Turns out this personality was what I was actually hampering.


    In Althea''s case, she eldritchified at random when her emotions spiked. She could control it now for the most part. Hod never got to that point, so he always supplied me with a steady source of energy at all times. At first I figured it was from a lack of control. It was instead stopping this other Hod from taking him over.


    It explained a lot.


    I scratched my head, "Your words are more put together, and you seem to understand your situation better than Hod does. By that logic, surely you could overwhelm him even in your current, repressed state?"


    "I could...I choose not too. You seem to like him and his meanderings."


    I did like Hod, goofy as he was.


    Other Hod''s eyes narrowed, "And...at times, a wolf must wear a sheep''s skin to graze."


    "Damn. This is a lot to take in."


    "It means little for you. I shall not overwhelm him. You shall continue your obliteration of the Adairs, my assistance guaranteed."


    I pursed my lips, "Because you''re afraid, huh?"


    "It is as you say."


    I shook my head, "Here I hoped it would be out of admiration or respect. Maybe I was hoping for too much."


    "Fear is a far more reliable motivator than either of those weak emotions. Fear is primal. Fear is a destroyer of logic and the spawn of panic. It rips the mind into pieces, and those pieces are without cohesion. Without that wholeness, those pieces crumble before little."


    Other Hod gripped his winged, clawed fist, "And I shall put that fear behind me, using it to keep me alive."


    Huh, other Hod didn''t seem so bad. Maybe he was a little dramatic at times, but he could have been far worse. If we talked more, I might understand the eldritch better overtime as well. He and Amara were both valuable resources in that regard.


    I raised my eyebrows. Speaking of Amara, I pointed at other Hod,


    "Wait a minute, are you why Hod has a crush on Amara?"


    The umbral flames shrunk from around Hod as his presence waned. His scarlet eyes blinked several times before he murmured,


    "Uh...no."


    Even beneath his dark transformation, the inklings of an intense blush leaked through. I grinned, "Ok, Ok. Sure."


    "Do not tell her. Please. I beg you."


    I raised my palms up, "I wouldn''t do that." I nudged him with my elbow, "Not to say I couldn''t give you any pointers, though."


    I raised my eyebrows a few times. The eldritch half shrunk further,


    "She fears you as I do. I doubt your meddling would be of much assistance."


    I stood tall, "Thanks for letting me know all this. I''ll keep it in mind going forward. You wouldn''t mind talking about the eldritch some other time, would you?"


    "I wouldn''t defy you. If you desire to speak of it, we shall speak of it."


    "Good to know. You''re dismissed."


    Other Hod''s chest drooped as his energy waned. Returning to the inner sanctums of Hod''s mind, he hissed, "Thank you for letting me live."


    I raised a hand, "Oh yeah, I was wondering if other eldritch are also scared of me like this?"


    Other Hod''s eyes narrowed, "All of them, whether they shall admit it or not."


    I smirked, "Good to know."


    Hod returned, and his nonchalance came to as well. He glanced around, "Ah, Hod happy to be back."


    His lack of articulation became a little less funny knowing the cause. I walked up to him, giving the guy a pat on the shoulder,


    "It''s good to see you again. How about we throw a feast for you? It''ll be fun, and I''m sure the gialgathens could use one."


    Hod''s chest puffed,


    "Hod like food."


    I smiled through a bit of sadness,


    "Come on, let''s get you something good to eat."

 256 Feasting and Plenty

    Before feasting, we still had a job to do. We got the troops out of Tholosa without incident, our evac successful. Our rate of saving gialgathens plummeted from the last city, the Hybridization too far developed for most of them. We still saved several dozen, and every blighted one we killed was one less we''d find on a different battlefield.


    It still tanked morale seeing how effective we handled the operation yet also finding fewer saved. Bolstering people around saving others was easy. Getting them excited to kill was something else altogether. That''s what we did more now than ever. Go in, kill them all, then leave.


    It was a bloody task, and it suited Vikings more than a developed society. After all, not every civilization glorified war, the gialgathens included.


    That''s why the feast I threw for Hod would result in a much-needed confidence boost for the soldiers.


    It made our success more concrete, and it might even give the troops some camaraderie. Celebrating brought people together in that way. After pitching the idea to Torix, the ancient lich agreed with my idea. He even helped me organize the event.


    Adding to the impending hoopla, I injected a reward ceremony. Krog was all for it, and he helped spread the news. That excitement surprised me. After seeing a lack of animation in the gialgathens, I expected them to dismiss the event altogether. Maybe they didn''t see the systemization as a reward in and of itself, and glorifying that transition was necessary.


    That made sense to me after a bit of thought. The gialgathens were strong by birth, and they didn''t really need Schema to be fierce fighters. It helped, but compared to a human''s transition, it was paltry by comparison. Gialgathens might value social recognition more than the actual strength of the system.


    Well, whatever floats their boat.


    Either way, many of our gialgathen troops were being initiated into Schema''s system, which was a massive boon for us. Each soldier wasn''t exactly comparable to Krog or Chrona, but they held their own. They were leveled, powerful troops at our disposal. That kind of progression deserved praise, especially during desperate times.


    With that in mind, I got some medals that enhanced health regen and the like ready. Basic as they were, they gave the soldiers a significant boost to survivability. That gave me plenty to do before the celebration began.


    Having spent the entire afternoon blacksmithing, I suspended a ball of several dozen medallions over my shoulder. The gravity well kept them orbiting around an unseen center, a constellation of umbral metal. It gave me a few stares as I walked through Elderfire. Well, more stares than normal at least.


    Reaching the ceremony''s outskirts, I discovered a bit about the gialgathens. They preferred nighttime parties, the sun drying them out in an unpleasant way. They scattered torches colored like gold, silver, and copper across the ground, not really used for light. Above, dozens of gialgathens soared through darkened skies.


    I joined them, curious about what they were doing. Some flew as a backdrop to talking. Others soared for the sense of wonder that flight gives anyone living. A few even played a game of accuracy and strength. It was a team game where two gialgathens would smack one another''s tails. The end goal was to lob one gialgathens into a circle on the sand.


    They strategized for it. One flying salamander stayed still, the other let the momentum of the tail smack launch him into the distance. They would then let themselves fall where they would.


    It was interesting to watch, each team trying out different tactics. At one point, one of the gialgathens tried using his wings to dart into a circle, which resulted in his immediate loss for that round. Watching wasn''t as interesting as participating, though, so I moved on not long after.


    I continued flying while gazing down over the torches. Moments later, and I discovered their purpose. They aesthetically lit the jungle, revealing long shadows of trees and the underbrush. Their light leaked through the dense canopy of my quintessence forest as well. These lights mirrored stars of all colors. At that moment, I didn''t know where the sky ended, and Elderfire began.


    It was beautiful.


    Around a few of these torches, groups of gialgathens bowed their heads. Mana channeled through them, in and out with a steady beat like waves on a beachside. It reminded me of how gialgathens used to drain their surrounding manas. Now they took it in before releasing the energy back into the world.


    It was an interesting exercise, something I might try later. If anything, it mirrored meditation of the mind, the act carrying the same kind of reverence and focus. Past those meditation circles, I neared the award ceremony.


    We agreed earlier to use the ancient temple in the middle of Elderfire as the location for the commemoration. It stood as a symbol of a prosperous past for the gialgathens. We figured it was as good a place as any to celebrate their future.


    Preparing the site, Chrona and Torix hung up various glassworks, similar to the sculptures in Tholosa. Made from superheated breath, these baubles were well developed, detailed fixtures. Chrona hung them up while other gialgathens went behind her, placing torches behind the glass.


    The glass bounced the torchlight through their crystalline forms, creating shining figures in the dark. Torix kept his efforts on the legitimacy of the ceremony, organizing the rewards and speeches. As I floated down beside him, he turned towards me,


    "Ah, I see you''ve brought the medallions. Excellent. That shall make this process carry an impact it otherwise wouldn''t. After all, what is a reward ceremony without a suitable reward?"


    I turned towards several tables lined with food,


    "Eh, probably a glorified party...It''s a relief to see the gialgathens getting to enjoy themselves either way though. Saving them wouldn''t mean much if they had to live in misery all the time."


    I tapped a glass fixture, a nice ring resonating through it,


    "It''s amazing what they can do when they put their mind to it. To be honest, they just needed a push."


    Torix waved his arms, "Save your inspiring words for the ceremony. You''ll be the one handing them their emblems after all."


    After letting out an internal groan, I tapped the glass fixture a few times, noticing the consistent ringing it gave out despite its complex shape. A few more light touches and it sounded more like an instrument than a decoration.


    Chrona paced up behind me, her silver scales taking on an orange hue from the torchlight,


    "Isn''t it amazing? Glass artisans can not only create glass that is beautiful, but they may also craft them into instruments at the same time."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I''ve seen something sort of similar in my world, but it wasn''t quite this...developed."


    Chrona grinned, showing large teeth,


    "It is our specialty. We need no furnace nor tools, our tails honed to sustain through the molten sand. With careful flicks of the tail and a keen eye, we may even create instruments designed to refract light during specialized ceremonies."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Really now? That sounds amazing."


    Chrona tilted her head up, "It is something we hold pride in. To be blunt, we intend on having a few of our remaining artisans show you one of these displays tonight. It is thanks for our savior, the Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    Those gave me a smile I couldn''t stop,


    "Huh, you make that sound much less...evil."


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    Chrona took a deep breath, "You''ve done much for us. We would like to repay you as we can. Perhaps what we lack in martial might we may compensate for with our culture."


    Most gialgathens must think humans are complete monsters if I''m their only reference. I shrugged,


    "Eh, living is more than enough of a reward for me, but this is a nice touch."


    Chrona turned towards Torix, "When shall this ceremony commence? I grow more nervous with every passing moment."


    Torix opened his grimoire, channeled some mana through some runes, then visualized a timer above our heads. The old grouch seethed,


    "Do you see that clock? It reveals the exact, precise time the ritual begins. Stop your pestering of me."


    Chrona frowned, "Ah, excuse me. It''s been a long time since I''ve performed in front of others. It has me on edge as if I were going into battle."


    I crossed my arms, "Wait a minute, perform? You''re the one doing the glass band thing?"


    Chrona blushed, "I, along with a few others. Given my status as the guardian of Elderfire, I have time on my hands. I''ve been working on it for the past few weeks. I pray it doesn''t displease you."


    "Pshhh, what? Hell, it feels great to have any kind of recognition period. It should be fun to watch either way. Besides, I''ve never seen one of these shows, so I won''t be able to catch your mistakes."


    I nudged her with my elbow, "Yenno, assuming you make any."


    Chrona scoffed, "Please, I''m well beyond such hatchling mistakes. It''s more the design of the show I worry about."


    Torix tapped my shoulder, interrupting our conversation,


    "I need your assistance with this line of the speech. I was thinking, ''We''ll turn their corpses into food.'' What do you think?"


    I facepalmed, "Sorry Chrona. Let me help Torix for a minute."


    After getting the speech in order, we organized the event. It was simple, satisfying work. I long forgot what hosting a party was like, and this was a refreshing change of pace. Of course, I rushed through the tasks using gravity wells, several at once, in fact. It reminded me of when I used to do this kind of thing by hand.


    That sense of progression was nice. During that time, I reviewed over a massive document Torix sent me. It detailed who I was rewarding and why. I researched it while we rounded the gialgathens up. During that time, a few helped Chrona set up the crystal band of sorts, with two gialgathens standing at the sides.


    As the ceremony began, Chrona and her bandmates readied themselves on the temple''s courtyard. Their glasswork glistened as the two gialgathens at the side blew plumes of yellow flames. I watched from the temple steps, sitting with Kessiah, Althea, Hod, and Torix. With the old crew together, we relaxed as the gialgathens began their song.


    They tapped the oddly shaped, glass instruments in different places. This created a pleasant, low ringing sound. A few seconds later, one of the gialgathens set up the main backdrop for the song. It was a series of six notes, going up and down in tone. This created a nice flow before another gialgathen to Chrona''s side added in ambient tones.


    The hollow, percussive sounds filled in most of the gaps in the melody. With a spring-like, airy sounding song forming, Chrona began the detailed work. She started slow, raising her sounds into the surrounding cacophony. The gentle, elegant pitches gave way to crashing throngs as she used much harder, sharper taps on the glass.


    The spring song turned to summer, heavier and fuller than before. Taking on tones of life, the complexity rose into the stratosphere. From the sides of the band, the yellow fires added visual splendor to the song, each gialgathen carefully monitoring their flames. Above them, two more of the beasts flew in intricate, detailed patterns.


    Their flight paths carved shapes, letters, and runes. This added an element of showmanship. The heart and soul of the song lived through Chrona, however. In order to keep up, she hastened the time around her, speeding herself up. The temporal dilation allowed her to create inhumanly fast cords.


    It was impressive, even to someone used to more modern music. I ended up wide-eyed and slack-jawed as they finished with an intense crescendo. When the echoes of the song finished, Chrona took heavy breaths while the other gialgathens looked relieved that they didn''t mess up.


    I stood up and began clapping. It was damn good and something I hoped to see again. Others joined me, the metallic rings of my hands getting lost in a throng of claps, shouts, and deep, bellowing roars. Chrona bowed with her head, along with the other members of the band.


    After they finished, we lined up the system initiated. With two hundred lined up, we didn''t have long to celebrate each of their successes. I was the one recognizing their achievements, and I honestly couldn''t remember their names nor faces. At the same time, Torix handled that already with that large document from earlier.


    Using the system prompt as a guideline, I was able to be surprisingly personal. It included their names, significant others, and their major contributions in each specific battle. It also kept a list of lost loved ones on the battlefront for each individual, along with a few heartfelt lines for each. This gave me a paragraph''s worth of material on each of them. They couldn''t see the prompt either, which helped tremendously.


    By the end of the ceremony, even I got a little emotional seeing their responses. To me, this was just some political stunt meant to boost morale. To the soldiers caught in the line of fire, this was a celebration of their work, grit, and sacrifice.


    I didn''t expect it to work as well as it did. A lot of that was owed to Chrona''s amazing performance. Her show framed the ceremony as something grand, and even I felt the effects of that illusion. I had to learn how to play one of those damn things at some point, though I''d probably shatter the glass without so much as trying.


    Either way, we finished with the feast, and boy did we need it. Gialgathens drank some weird brew that mirrored alcohol. There really wasn''t anything strong enough for Torix or me, so we sat on the sidelines. We made sure everything went smoothly, which for the most part, it did.


    Hod ended up eating until he was swollen. A large part of that must have been his eldritch half, spurring him towards consumption. Krog, Kessiah, Chrona, and Schema''s personnel exchanged war stories. Kessiah mentioned how she tackled a Hybrid off of Krog at one point.


    It was inspiring to hear how far she''d come.


    At the same time, I stayed as an outsider during it all. It was the role of a leader in some ways, being viewed as different and being unable to mingle. On the other hand, Torix was the same, though for different reasons.


    He stared longingly at the food, something he desperately desired. After a few minutes, he shook his head,


    "It is a sad thing to lose a sense. Though at first, I thought little of the delights of feasting, I must admit - it does pain me to watch it so closely."


    I shrugged, "I was never one for eating."


    Torix scoffed, "You''ve nearly eaten all of my rations, in fact."


    I scoffed, "I don''t know if I''ll eat after they''re gone. I don''t need food anymore."


    Torix nodded, "Perhaps one day you''ll find yourself desiring food once more. Do me a favor and enjoy it enough for two should the urge strike you."


    "Will do."


    We watched the others enjoy themselves for a few more minutes. I turned towards Torix,


    "There aren''t many more gialgathens we can save, are there?"


    Torix stared forward,


    "Few remain."


    I nodded, "Yeah, I guessed as much. They''ve nearly finished the Hybridization of them all. We aren''t saving people as much as culling their numbers some before Giess''s glassing."


    "That is our intended purpose, outside of saving who we can. It''s unfortunate we couldn''t have saved more, though we did what we could given our resources. I''d say we did a miraculous amount of work considering."


    Torix''s eyes turned from blue to black,


    "At the same time, we made enemies with a rather potent enemy faction. We may come to regret it."


    I sighed, "I''ll be honest, it made me sick to my stomach thinking about it sometimes." I gestured to the others,


    "When I look at this though, it makes me feel better."


    Hod did a bouncing dance to a backdrop of music, his swollen belly bouncing to the beat.


    Torix scoffed, "Ah, yes, the most excellent of energizers. I feel so rejuvenated seeing Hod do...whatever that is."


    I remembered why Hod had his mind so shattered. I murmured,


    "Hey man, try to give him a break. He''s doing the best he can."


    Torix stared at me, making sure I was serious. After seeing I was, he went back to staring forward. He sighed, "Well...perhaps you''re right."


    Another moment of comfortable silence passed. Under the surface, both of us wished to get to work. Even taking this much of a break irked me. The others here were unchained from the drudgery of their everyday. We were, in turn, chained to this freedom, each of us itching for more.


    I crossed my arms, "How many more sieges do we have left before the glassing?"


    Torix deadpanned, staring forward while planning them,


    "Three."


    I pushed myself off the stone floor, turning towards him, "They won''t plan themselves, will they?"


    Torix flicked his wrist up, pushing himself up with magic,


    "I doubt they would. Perhaps we should intervene?"


    "Let''s."


    I turned towards his temple lair, walking up the steps. Torix followed, each of us ready for a long night ahead. As we passed the halfway point, a call opened in my status. I went to hang up, but I decided to check the caller on a whim.


    My eyes widened as the name revealed itself.


    "Obolis Novas, huh? I wonder what he wants."


    Torix leaned over, "Ah, I do as well."


    I pointed towards the temple''s entrance,


    "Well, let''s find out."

 257 Rhetoric

    - Helios -


    It was time for our meeting, and I was never one to keep Obolis waiting. He took poorly to delays of all kinds, especially the avoidable setbacks. Given our positions, it would be a severe misjudgment to disappoint him.


    And so, I hurried.


    The guards made way, our positions sure. Crossing over onto the outer world, I found myself stepping out of a portal of my own design. I landed onto a series of floating stones, overlooking a world of waterfalls and mist. Above the display of nature''s fury, I found the floating islands of Grangea.


    Here Obolis took to another one of his outings. He was ever curious of the world and what lied in the stars. I could never tell if I admired or hated him for it. On the one hand, it gave us and our family positions of power, worthy of even the gods. On the other hand, it chained me to my post as a ruler of worlds.


    Still, I despised the prospect of lowering my place in society, if even a little. Given my missteps against the Harbinger, I needed to tread lightly. Mistreating his significant other was a folly I wouldn''t repeat again. With each passing battle we viewed from his live streams, of that folly, I became more certain.


    By now, Daniel could overpower me, even with an elemental furnace at my disposal, among my other resources. Our Empire kept me safe, but that safety came at a steep cost, given my recent failings. I shook off this unease as I stepped onto the main island of Grangea.


    Despite my nervousness, the serenity of this land calmed me. I wished I could stay here, lay down, and go to sleep. I could not. Every day, I moved forward with my eyes wide shut, hating what I must do yet compelled to do it. With that umbral monstrosity waiting in the dark, my commitment to the Empire was even more absolute.


    It was no longer a choice to serve. It was now my only path.


    Those thoughts tumbled in my mind as I stepped up to Obolis as he observed a tablet etched with the cipher. He leaned towards it, his innate curiosity spurring him towards viewing its contents. I recognized him not by sight, however. It was his mana that was unmistakable, the dense primordial energy blinding among the darkness of the world around him.


    That mana sense was the only reason I could handle the elemental furnace on my hands. Most who attempted to wield these devices of mass destruction ended up destroyed and maimed, their own faults causing their downfalls. My ability to see mana, a gift given by my blindness, enabled my control of the energy.


    It would otherwise manifest as a nuclear blast, a lethal blow to whoever was wielding the furnace. Thereafter, it would spawn twisted eldritch that would be difficult to kill and even more virulent than usual. That was why Obolis remained steadfast that few could be given the furnaces.


    I was one of those few.


    Wielding mana of such volumes required labor to use them, however. The conversion of the mana, the intricacy of the mental handling, even guiding it into the runes, it all required absolute focus. It left me with blunt magic that could level mountains. At the same time, precise, intricate magic was beyond my grasp while using it.


    I appreciated the device nonetheless, the apparatus enabling many of my powers. I told Obolis that giving a furnace to Daniel was a mistake. That monster dabbled in the cipher without even needing to raid ancient tombs. He did so of his own volition, his knowledge of it perhaps rivaling even our Emperor.


    I couldn''t deny Daniel''s utilities, however. He would act as a deterrent for the eldritch. Within Schema''s controlled sector, the monsters weren''t that difficult to handle unless one stayed on a fringe world. Here, along the outskirts of Schema controlled space, they were far more challenging to handle.


    Centuries of evolution would do that, and having a trump card like Daniel allowed us to worry far less about those abominations. It enabled more dangerous raids with less planning. That would over double the speed we procured resources, making it a worthy investment. The other members of his guild may be equally valuable as well.


    Althea can phase off our plane into some...other place. That alone was frightening, but if what Daniel said was true, then she was an assassin without equal. The other member, the shadowy figure that darted across the field in their last bout, he too seemed like quite the force. The ability to warp across shadows alone was valuable, but tearing others apart from their shade alone?


    It was worthy of fear.


    That fear was why I was stepping up to Obolis. Reaching behind the old man, he turned towards me with a wise smile but piercing eyes,


    "It''s good to see you again, Helios."


    As always, he peered through me, as if I were easily unraveled. In response, I kneeled with a deep bow,


    "You as well, uncle."


    The Emperor interlocked his hands behind his back, walking up to me,


    "I''ve told you time and time again, you need not bow before me."


    I stayed in position, "And I shall do so without order, out of respect, not fear."


    Obolis kept a grin on his face, lifting his hands, "Then rise, and I appreciate the gesture."


    I did as he commanded, keeping my gaze low. Obolis looked at the waterfalls beneath us, "It would seem your brother is still struggling with the rebellions on his world."


    I narrowed my eyes, burned by the mentioning of him,


    "I would expect as much."


    The Emperor tilted his head, "Please, Helios, give him mercy. A struggle is to be expected. The rebellions, they''ve worsened since the Blighted Schism began. It''s as if the individual rebellions are feeding on one another. It is a bizarre thing, seeing the commoners attempt to displace their standing."


    His aged and scarred eyes narrowed, "They wish to usurp the order we''ve garnered. No longer do they struggle with eldritch. No longer do they suffer from roaming monsters or slave traders. I still have yet to understand their defiance, but perhaps, one day, I will, in time."


    I grinned under my mask, my own sentiments mirroring his own. Obolis sighed,


    "Yet such is life. I''ve been watching the battles on Giess. The ones where Daniel and his guild do battle. They''re interesting, aren''t they?"


    I winced, remembering my failures,


    "They are."


    "I''ve been thinking...Torix, was it? He''s been using mind magic to control the enemy. Given how the rebellions are, in fact, our own citizens, perhaps he could assist us in suppressing them?"


    I nodded, "A wise suggestion."


    The Emperor spread his arms, "It is difficult to send our military to kill our own people. Doing so with mind magic is far more humane by comparison, and it''s far better than asking our kind to kill their own kin. I''ll ask if I may commission the necromancer for the task."


    I kept my gaze downward, "Perhaps an exchange is in order?"


    Obolis scoffed, "In time, yes. I doubt giving their guild too much will serve us in a meaningful manner, however. We must control the rewards we grant. Otherwise, we will be left with nothing to give and nothing gained."


    "Of course. If I may interject, I doubt Daniel would appreciate this use of mind magic. From my meetings with him, he seems like a blunt individual that prefers direct confrontation. Toying with the minds of anyone, even commoners, would likely anger him."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed. He bit his tongue, holding something back,


    "I shall take that into consideration, though perhaps I should consult Caprika on how to exchange with him. She''s generated positive relations between us, unlike some."


    I remembered encasing Althea in ice. Like someone stabbed a razor through my heart, I wheezed out in pain,


    "I...Of course."


    Obolis''s brow furrowed as the hardness masking his expression faded,


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "I...I didn''t mean to chastise you so harshly. You simply did what you believed best. Fate decided how it was handled thereafter."


    He gave me too much grace.


    "Thank you."


    "Now, I shall call them for that proposition along with perhaps a few other ideas I thought up since we last met." He stared at his status, "You may stay and listen if you like."


    "I would like that."


    Staying allowed me to gauge my position and whether it was secure or not. If Obolis decided to undermine our relationships to bolster his friendship with the Harbinger, then at least I would know as well. Either way, staying only assisted me should I avoid being an idiot once more.


    Those thoughts raced in my mind as the Emperor opened a call. From the visual screen, a vast party showed itself in a heavily jungled...desert? Trees bloomed from dry sand. Vines traced under an arid sky. Even the gialgathens seemed peeved by the dryness.


    Daniel was no worse for wear, his metal frame tall and imposing. Without his helm, he carried a gruffness all his own. Small, minuscule scars traced his face, none of them marring him, yet they showed the markings of many battles. He wanted nothing more than to finish the task before him, then find another task as fast as he was able.


    This was a large part of his rise to power, yet he somehow avoided the bureaucratic burden I found myself saddled with. It...annoyed me, but I would not speak on it. He earned his position, and that was worthy of a measure of respect.


    Obolis shared that same freedom he owned, and they had a curious kinsmanship spawn from it. That came across with every word as Obolis said,


    "It is good to see you enjoy yourself after the battle. I watched most of it while sorting through a document I discovered. It was enjoyable to view."


    Daniel sighed, a dark look looming over his face,


    "Yup. We killed a lot of people."


    The Emperor winced, "Ah...The Hybridization must be close to completion, I imagine."


    That instant intuition was why the Empire was so successful. It gave me pride in being Obolis''s kin.


    Daniel shook his head, "Yeah, and it sucks. It''s more like we''re just going in and destroying everything now. I''m fine with tearing some eldritch apart. People? Man, it''s hard to rev myself up for it."


    I remembered my culling of Rivaria. It was not an easy thing. That same burden caused someone so steadfast in their goals to show doubt. In a way, it was humanizing. It made the young prodigy seem more mortal.


    Noticing his own weakness, Daniel took his gauntleted fist and tapped it against his forehead. It left a dull ring, like two chunks of metal banging against each other. He continued, his vigor renewed,


    "But we have to do what we have to do. These are bad people, and someone has to put them down. We''re the ones to do it."


    Ah, as expected of him. That humanity faded as fast as it cropped up. But of course.


    Obolis scoffed at the warrior,


    "What are your rewards for taking that mantle, I wonder?"


    Daniel pointed above his head, his title evident,


    "250 levels per city conquered. I''m also saving the gialgathens." He turned his perspective, showing some sort of party in the background. A birdman bounced up and down, his belly jiggling like an overstuffed sausage.


    Blegh, grotesque and ugly. What an idiot.


    The Emperor laughed,


    "Hah, feasts and plenty. They are their own reward, I suppose. I was actually hoping for a bit of a discussion on rewards and deals, in fact. You see, we''ve been struggling with insurrections recently."


    Daniel nodded, "The rebellions?"


    "It is as you say."


    "Heh, I''ve been struggling with a rebellion too, but you''ve probably already heard about it."


    The Emperor gave him a knowing grin, "And given your expertise, I was wondering if we may commission assistance with our own squabble."


    "Commission, huh? What kind of terms?"


    "Torix has shown himself adept at mind magic." A cross look came over Daniel''s face, and the Emperor took note, "I was wondering if we may use it to stop the riots in our cities. It would be far more civil then using the military to achieve our aims, you see."


    The Emperor turned to me, giving me a look of appreciation. I beamed with pride, smiling under my mask. Daniel scratched the back of his head,


    "Why not negotiate then?"


    Obolis''s smile dampened, "They wish for more than I can give."


    "Like what?"


    "They want an equivalent status to the albony, and the albony want the mask system I put in place centuries ago to be dismantled."


    "That...doesn''t really sound like much if I''m honest."


    The Emperor struggled to keep his expression amicable, but he managed the feat. I did not, my grimace palpable even through my mask.


    "There is far more at stake than those simples adjustments would imply. Our entire society is built off a foundation of order and rulings. Without them, the resulting chaos results in victory for those that would reap the benefits of turmoil. In this case, the eldritch."


    Daniel stared down and to the side, deep in thought. He nodded slowly,


    "Yeah, my own homeworld is struggling with them."


    The Emperor tilted his head, "Wait a moment, I thought your world was new? If it has champions such as you at its disposal already, then how can the eldritch be a problem?"


    Daniel sighed, "It''s a long story. The short of it is that my guildmates and I needed to get rid of our unknown statuses. Now we''re wrapped up in everything going on here."


    He stared off, "If I''m honest, I''d like to go back to Earth and help settle everything down. It would be nice to go home."


    He turned back to us, his gaze like iron, "The thing is, humanity isn''t on the brink of extinction like the gialgathens are. I''m going to help them right after I finish helping these giants, though. I''m not one to leave something unfinished or with regrets. If I let them all die here, I definitely would."


    A slight grimace crossed over his face. Perhaps he failed to save others before? I couldn''t tell, but Obolis might have deciphered the meaning behind his words. Regardless, Obolis gave a concerned look,


    "And living without regrets allows you to look forward to the future. With regret on your back, you''ll stare into the past instead. Wise of you to handle yourself in such a manner despite being so young. I only wish I had done the same."


    I remembered the bloodbaths on Ostaltia, and the carnage Obolis wrought there in his younger years. To this day, he is worshipped as a deity there. Perhaps the Harbinger wished to avoid those same titles. I couldn''t comprehend why, but he carried his own reasoning, no doubt.


    The umbral knight spoke,


    "Yeah, not piling up regrets is easier said than done...Is that all you wanted to talk about?"


    Obolis shook his head, "Not quite. I wanted to offer you and your compatriots passage upon one of my private vessels. I intended to watch Giess''s glassing, though I understand if you''d rather not see it."


    The Harbinger''s eyes narrowed, "Do you think that''s safe? The shockwave could destroy the vessel, right? And if the glassing goes wrong, we''ll be pretty close."


    Obolis waved his hands, "Oh, by no means shall we be within the shock radius. We''ll be planets away, deeper into the solar system. That will allow us to look onward with safety."


    Daniel tapped his chin with the knuckle of a finger, "Hmmm...yeah, we could do that. I''d have Spear there in case we needed a quick warp out, though Helios could help with that too."


    He gave me a glance, "Good to see you''re not looking too bored."


    I gave a solemn nod, "You as well."


    The guild leader turned his attention back to the Emperor,


    "It sounds interesting, I guess. It would at least give me closure for this...mess of a situation."


    The Emperor pressed his palms together, "Then, until then, I pray for your victories and wish against your defeat."


    Daniel scratched the back of his head, "Uh, yeah, you too."


    If there was one thing that dimensional, metal monster could work on, it was his goodbyes. Obolis closed the call and turned his gaze towards me,


    "That was an interesting series of events. He seemed almost sad despite his many military feats. Perhaps he is unsuited for war?"


    I shook my head, "He prefers situations that are black and white, good and bad. It lets him act without reservation, and this situation is far from it."


    Obolis picked up the cipher inscribed tablet in his hands, "Indeed. It does put one at a disadvantage when their resolve is muddied by uncertainty. In time, the results of his valor will show themselves. Of this, I have no doubt."


    I frowned as every victory the Harbinger won was yet another strike against me. His success was my failure now, and it acted as a catalyst for my removal from my position. I seemed safe for now, however. Obolis sighed,


    "We''ve compiled the documents of the cipher, correct?"


    I nodded, "Yes, Valencia handled them."


    The Emperor shook his head in disbelief, "She is a gem of our empire, isn''t she?"


    I suppressed a wince. I hated Valencia.


    "Indeed, she is. We are lucky to have her."


    "This document should act as another temptation for Daniel or anyone else interested in the cipher. I''ve begun scoping out other parties interested in my guard deal as he''s been slow to respond. It will do us no harm in either regard."


    I turned a palm to him, "Their shadow slicer was a menace on the battlefield, wasn''t he?"


    Obolis pepped up, "Or she, we honestly have no idea. Regardless of his origin, he struck fear in the hearts of many. It was quite the display, showcasing his ability to tear people apart through their shadows."


    I raised my other hand, "Perhaps a field of light would stop him?"


    Obolis leaned over, "He seemed able to suppress light for short spans of time. That alone would give him all the time he needed to enact his judgment."


    I leaned back, "But surely the ability carries limitations?"


    The Emperor weighed his hands back and forth, "Perhaps, but assuming it''s so simple as...wait a moment, I just received an important call. It''s an emergency."


    Obolis opened his status, showing a control room on one of our worlds. An orange mask grabbed the sides of a camera, shaking it as he shouted,


    "They''re here. They''ve come. We can''t stop them. They''re eating us."


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "Who is eating whom? And where? You''re an officer. Calm yourself and explain so that I may act."


    The orange mask quivered, "The Hybrids. They''re here."


    I took a step back, my blood freezing in my veins. Ice expanded from my feet as even Obolis blinked in disbelief. Obolis murmured,


    "We...have been attacked?"


    The orange mask rasped,


    "They''ve come for us. The Empire is under attack."

 258 Newfound Reason

    -Daniel-


    I turned to Torix, "Well, that was different than I expected."


    Torix beamed with pride, "I as well. Who''d of anticipated that I would be the first one he''d ask the assistance of. It''s quite flattering, I must admit."


    I rolled my eyes, "Alright, don''t get too smug about it." I frowned, "If I''m honest, I don''t think it''s a good idea either."


    Torix nudged me with an elbow, "Ah, is my disciple worried he shall be overshadowed perhaps? Fear not. Your strengths are invaluable...That isn''t it, is it?"


    I shook my head,


    "No. Using mind magic against the Adairs? That''s ok because of what they''ve done to people. The people rebelling in the Empire? We don''t know why they''re doing it, who''s involved, or anything really. Going in and brainwashing groups of people for someone, and all for our own gain..."


    My voice trailed off before I sighed,


    "I don''t think that''s the kind of guild I want to lead."


    Torix thought for a moment, picking his words carefully. He raised a hand, "I understand that sentiment. Mind magic is a wicked, sinister thing. It''s a tool that allows you to violate the most sacred piece of another''s privacy. That is worthy of deft handling and fearful usage. At the same time-"


    Torix raised a fist, "We are against a threat also worthy of that same fear. Lehesion could wipe Mt. Verner from the map in seconds if he so chose. Elderfire is at the same risk. All he needs is the location, and everything we worked for is destroyed in an instant. The only remains of the wreckage shall be you and I."


    Torix put his hand on my shoulder, "That is what I believe would be most tragic. I would awaken alone. You...You would be amidst the carnage, the only soul living."


    Torix''s blue fire eyes turned into a darker shade, "I...I could not bear to witness it."


    Flashes of Hod, Althea, Kessiah, Diesel, even Amara flashed in my eyes. Watching them all be slaughtered, just the thought of it made my chest seize and my palms sweat. If I could still sweat, that is. Either way, Torix made a good point. Lehesion was unstoppable for us, and we weren''t able to muster up enough oomph to face him down.


    Yet.


    An idea popped in my head. I still hadn''t unlocked a class yet. If I could do so, I could close the gap between Lehesion and I. Maybe not close it all the way, but I could at least shorten the distance. Combine that with an elemental furnace, and the sky was the limit.


    I raised my palms, "Those are valid points, but what if we had a different solution for taking on Lehesion?"


    Torix crossed his arms, "Like what?"


    "I have a class called Sovereign waiting for me. It will be a massive power spike from the system. If I could unlock it before Lehesion finds us, then we won''t need to do this sort of thing. We''ll be on even footing."


    Torix raised a hand, "Ah, you do lack a class, and it would accelerate your growth dramatically. Perhaps that would be a method of taking on that golden behemoth. How many more stat points would you need for it?"


    I checked out my status, and my heart sank.


    "6,227..."


    Torix facepalmed, "By Schema, my apprentice has lost his mind. We merely need to wait a few decades for you to finish off your tree."


    I raised my hands, "Wait a minute, there might still be a way to shrink that gap. I haven''t gotten dungeon cores in forever. I could get all of the ones I can, invest them in my skills. After that, I could complete another legendary skill."


    Torix scoffed, "A Legendary skill is not created so easily. Besides, you may only have one at a time-"


    "I already have two. I''m aiming for another to make a Sovereign skill. That''s where the class came from, actually."


    Torix gawked at me for a moment while standing still. He sighed, "Ah, I''d forgotten. Apotheosis was it? Quite the name for quite the ability. It could work, though at times I wonder if Schema''s rules even apply to you."


    I grinned, "They''re not steadfast, that much I know.""


    Torix shook his head in disbelief, "If...if you can make that madness work within a few weeks, then we may turn down the Emperor''s offer. Otherwise, it will be far too large a risk for our guild. It''s only a matter of time before the Blighted Schism spreads, whether Giess is glassed or not."


    I shrugged, "It''s worth a shot. I''ll go check out the galactic market for red cores and see what it''s like. I can pay for what I can buy and harvest the rest from other dungeons."


    Torix opened his status, "We have a few in reserve. That should assist you with your hunt."


    After glossing over how many I had left, I winced,


    "Ah man, I''ll be needing over 200 of them."


    Torix let his hands flop against his sides, metal ringing against metal, "How have you fallen so far behind in your core assimilation? That''s absurd."


    I shook my head, "Look, I''ve been swamped lately, and my levels shot up several times here on Giess. It isn''t like I''ve been able to do anything for my status for a while now. I''m actually behind on putting points in stats."


    Torix waved his arm, "But of course. You''re strong enough to lack a need for optimizing your status. It is an unequal world we live in."


    I narrowed my eyes at the guy, "Come on now. I know I''m not Mr. Updates-All-the-Time, but I optimize very well for my fighting style. That is the only reason I''ve made it this far."


    Torix relented,


    "I know, but hearing about something like leftover skillpoints from leveling...It''s as if it doesn''t matter to you."


    I frowned, "That''s because it doesn''t. I haven''t needed to get stronger in a long time. I''ve been focusing on getting stuff done rather than extending my own power. It isn''t as if surviving has been a huge issue, either."


    "Ah, that would explain it. Why focus on self-betterment when you are already good enough?"


    I raised my eyebrows, "Well, I''m definitely not good enough anymore. Lehesion doesn''t seem to have limits, but we''ll figure that out after I''ve got a class. I need to run a few calculations real quick. After that, we''ll talk about the sieges on the rest of Giess."


    "I shall be in my lair, organizing the information as I need too for our success."


    I walked off towards the portion of the temple that acted as my room. I found vines and moss prying their way into the depths of this ancient cathedral of sorts. The jungle expanded outward, no longer restrained by my magic alone.


    That manifested most in my room. It wasn''t a horrible change, the empty, stone walls lavished a bit with some greenery. I situated myself on the ground, amidst the moss and mushrooms. There, I opened my status.


    It had been a while since I even viewed the thing. Glancing at it, I had quite a few skill points to allocate.


    I also found my constitution coming up to fifty thousand. It was an absurd amount, enough I didn''t need anymore. Raising my hand, I remembered my battle against Lehesion at Astelle. I could rival his mass at this point with the augments of gravity.


    Glancing at my runic carvings, I took another look at their bonuses.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The rewards are as follows.


    +7,121 Constitution


    +6,083 Endurance


    +5,557 Perception


    +3,042 Willpower


    +1,777 Luck


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +0 Charisma and Intelligence


    +100% to Effects of Legacies


    + 50% Internal Motivation Multiplier


    +1.4 Trillion Ambient Mana]


    I gawked at the numbers, kind of stunned that Constitution now got more bonuses from the cipher than endurance. The boosts my cipher inscriptions got from my last evolution were now paying dividends. Altogether, my cipher augments gave me over 23,000 skillpoints, which rivaled about 6,000 level ups, even including my tree bonuses.


    Damn.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Combine that with the other effects, and these bonuses mattered more than levels did now. Until I unlocked my next class, this was the vast majority of my progression. Considering that was the case, it was about time I reinvested in an old, reliable friend.


    Endurance.


    Bolstering the stat would let me buff all my other stats more quickly since it gave me the most mana. That was the name of the game now - the more mana, the better. After getting a lot of points in it, I''d probably invest in intelligence. It never hurt, and it would result in a natural boost in my mana once more.


    That being said, I turned through the pages of my grimoire, the liquid metal between the pages shifting. I forgot I destroyed my last grimoire, and with it, the endurance rune as well. The new goal ahead of me, I rewrote the endurance passage I created before. I used the new knowledge gained from my other experiences, along with the dual layering technique.


    Because of those adjustments, it took two hours to finish the familiar marking. After channeling the mana for another hour, the enchantment shined with quintessence mana. It felt good to sit down and craft for a minute.


    After creating the glowing, tracing lines, they floated in the air. Careful and concise, I set the markings back onto my wrists, rewriting my constitution runes. With a quick re-siphoning of my mana, my endurance began a slow, steady rise. An Elemental Furnace could change my priorities, but I lacked one for now. I would act like I''d never get one until then. For now, this was my plan going forward.


    With that handled, I checked out my status once more. A quick few clicks later, and I put my extra points into endurance. It was an easy way of giving it another little boost. Finishing that quick assessment, I counted up the easy skillpoints I could get.


    After scrolling through the history of my additions, I found that creating a legendary skill usually created over 1,000 tree points. The cores could get me right at 2,300 of them as well. That put me right at points into Sovereign, which meant only a few weeks of grinding would finish the tree.


    Getting that many dungeon cores would take a long time if done by hand, however. I opened my obelisk, accessing a galactic market. After a bit of searching, I found red dungeon cores sitting at around 500k for a single one. It was an atrociously high price for anyone.


    Well, anyone who gave a damn about money.


    A few minutes later, I opened a call with a fence that sold the things for Schema. I wasn''t about to blow my fortune on something without negotiating first, and negotiate I did. Half an hour of heated discussion passed before I drove the price down to 430K apiece.


    I argued a bulk purchase like this guaranteed enormous revenue, reducing the overhead for each core. That ensured that the fence was getting a much higher profit than usual, even at a lower price. The little weasel tried every trick in the book to convince me otherwise, but I stayed my ground.


    In many ways, it was one of the hardest battles I''d fought in a while. Either way, within a few minutes, I had a stockpile of 230 cores waiting for me at a galactic currency exchange anywhere. It only cost...99 million credits.


    Ouch.


    All the money from killing Yawm only amounted to this much, which was a bit disappointing. The cost aside, I needed the cores and now. That was the entire point of money, convenience. Hoarding it now meant I''d probably never use it.


    Heading over towards the Sentinels and clerks at the center of Elderfire, I found them waiting in the middle of the night. One of the receptionists even dosed off. After a few surprised gawks later, I carried a clump of resonating, red dungeon cores back to my base.


    Minutes later, I assimilated them. I put all the extra stats into endurance. I had one last selection to handle, and that was which skill to put all my points into. I decided on Apotheosis. It was my second legendary skill, and it was lagging way behind Force of Nature. 2,300 points later, and I opened my tree menu.


    Putting all my stored tree points into Sovereign, I passed another threshold. With it, another quote came in from Schema, trying to help motivate me if I had to guess.


    In this manner, you construct history in every moment. In your choices, you decided to become a living monument, a colossus of knowledge, and a giant of ability. This competence lends to all under your mastery, and it will grant you tools beyond a normal sentient''s wildest dreams.


    + Now when your legendary skills are used to create a sovereign skill, the slots will reopen for further use, effectively extending the legendary skill cap to six total legendary skills. 3 in the Sovereign skill and three outside of it.


    + Guild Leader level cap upgrades cost 50% less.


    + Allows ownership of worlds through clearing eldritch (*Explained below)


    Class Completion: 50%


    *World Ownership: Owning a world is a big responsibility, but it comes with some pretty hefty benefits too! As the owner, you receive 1% of the credits generated on a planet. Your home planet of | Earth | would net you 900 billion credits yearly from this ownership. That''s a whole lot of credits!


    Claiming ownership requires action, however. Your guild must be responsible for clearing over 50% of the total eldritch on a planet. That requires a tremendous investment of time and resources, cities, and various other benefits. At the same time, this stabilization process helps the citizens of a planet tremendously. It also enhances productivity dramatically, along with the quality of life.


    After all, it''s difficult to do anything when world-ending monsters roam the hillsides, isn''t it?


    World owning also comes with a lot of personal power in how your world is governed. Do you wish for a dictatorship where you control everything? No problem, though you still must follow standard taxation protocol as Schema dictates. Further details will be granted upon gaining ownership of a planet.


    Your guild also can begin forming embassies on other planets if you own a world. Simply create a city around on their planet in a location they deem acceptable.


    With that in mind, make sure to hurry! Other guilds will attempt to take control of your planet by helping handle the eldritch there, often for free. It won''t be free for long though once they''re in charge! You can get a leg-up on other guilds by showing up on a planet quickly and establishing yourself early on.


    Go get started killing the eldritch, or else someone will do it first!*


    I shook my head at the sheer advertisement feel of the explanation. Overall, the bonuses, much like the last ones, were delayed once more. This gave me very little right now, though maybe the level cap increase might be useful at some point further down the line.


    For the most part, the tree''s usefulness came from information about how the Empire operated, along with Schema. Ownership was dictated on how many dungeons you kept cleared and suppressed. If you handled the majority of them on a world, then you got say on how that world was run.


    It was a simple, succinct way of dishing stuff out. It also led to the hyper-competitive handling of eldritch. It did clear up new worlds quick, which prevented more fringe worlds from forming. On the other hand, giving this kind of power to anyone seemed short-sighted.


    This was how the Empire owned several worlds. They came in, cleared out eldritch, then took over once they hit the benchmark needed for ownership. After that, the culture was suppressed, the albony were given enhanced statuses, and they were given a juicy cut of the credits. Those credits fueled the Emperor''s escapades into the unknown.


    I didn''t really know what to think about it.


    On the one hand, my exploration into far-out villages was bleak. Most of society collapsed from Schema''s initial coming. His tutorial killed many of the young, elderly, and sick. In one fell swoop, planets lost lots of their amassed skills and wisdom, resulting in a dramatic loss in general productivity.


    Combine that with the hordes of eldritch roaming around, and the worlds would be in chaos. A guild like the Empire was a hell of a lot better than everyone starving and being eaten, so a big guild would come in, clean shop, then rule. Hell, there could be meetings about this kind of thing between large guilds. They could slice up territories and worlds like slices of pie, each of them negotiating to stifle competition.


    I lifted my palm. I was becoming one of those guilds.


    With a deep sigh, I gave my cheeks a few slaps. Getting lost in my thoughts wasn''t helping anybody. At least I knew the Emperor owned a Sovereign skill since he owned worlds.


    Well, unless there was some other way of owning a world. It didn''t seem like a common thing, however.


    Refocusing, I opened my status for the final inspection. I got everything done that I could. Clicking finalize, there was a rush of energy.


    The most palpable difference came from Apotheosis. I didn''t gain any new concepts at once, but the skills I finetuned up to this point became second nature. I reached up a hand, casting a gravity well with quintessence. It no longer carried the same awkward clunkiness as before. The mana converted silky smooth, easier than walking.


    Apotheosis also helped with my crafting, along with some of my influence skills. Those changes would take time to manifest themselves. For now, I satisfied myself with the ability to shift mana types with zero effort.


    I rolled my shoulders, the physical changes meaningful but not as dramatic. I was already fearsome physically. Experiencing a rush of power was based on the comparison. The stronger I am, the more of an enhancement it takes to notice it.


    I counted my blessings that it even registered. Either way, it turns out the cores, levels, and cipher marks made a difference.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 11,000 | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden - Attributes increased by 30%)


    Strength ¨C 38,998 | Constitution ¨C 54,728 | Endurance ¨C 102,553


    Dexterity ¨C 20,580 | Willpower ¨C 74,370 | Intelligence ¨C 41,587


    Charisma ¨C 15,485 | Luck ¨C 22,070 | Perception ¨C 17,412


    Health: 91.2 Million/91.2 Million | Health Regen: 685.4 Million/min or 11.4 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 3.567 Trillion


    Mass: 6.11 Million Pounds(2.78 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 12''8 (3.6 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.12% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 17.1 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within radius of aura.


    The main difference from my last check-in was the sheer difference in my raw strength. I was over twice as strong, and that was mainly due to a few trees, the stats piling over, and my cipher encryptions for constitution. That caused a slow, gradual increase in my physical might, something I didn''t notice much.


    Despite the gradual increase, the impact was palpable over time. The fights on Giess also gave me plenty of mana from draining the Hybrids. That accelerated my attribute growth, and that''s why my constitution was enormous now.


    It still paled in comparison to my endurance, but that attribute was the cornerstone of my build. At this point. I outdid the most die-hard specialists with my attributes. Those stats drove a lot of my progress, and it explained why someone like the Emperor didn''t affect me much. We were equals despite the level difference.


    Getting the class would assist with my overall progression dramatically from here on out, however. The cipher channeling guaranteed some progress, but the 250 bumps from each conquered city didn''t mean much anymore. In a way, I was beyond levels and stats now, and I needed ridiculous, reality-warping skills to progress.


    Those thoughts went through my mind as I walked back to Torix''s lair. Marching in, I raised a hand,


    "So, I managed to get a lot of extra stats, but I wasn''t able to fully unlock my class yet."


    Torix had a few of my mana bombs, and he inspected them with a magnifying lens made of mana. The lich stared at his work as he grumbled,


    "Classes are not so easily unlocked, I''m afraid."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "True, but I got to 6,800 in my Sovereign tree. I''m over 2/3rds the way there."


    The necromancer shook his head, "A ten thousand point tree. By Schema, it''s ridiculous." He sighed while turning to me, "It should only take a few years of dedicated practice to finish off the remaining few thousand, correct?"


    I shook my head, "I need another legendary skill, and I''m good. How am I going to do that? I''ve got no idea. I''ll just brainstorm it late-"


    I gawked at my status. Torix crossed his arms,


    "What is it?"


    I shook my head in disbelief, "The Emperor...He''s calling again for some reason."


    Torix scoffed, "Oh, I''m certain the Emperor of a multi-planetary empire is just giving you several calls a day."


    I shrugged, answering the call. From it, the Emperor''s scarred face and imposing frame showed itself. What he lacked was his natural, effortless confidence. Exhaustion and anger smothered his face, the scars coming to life.


    Before this moment, they were like little props that gave him a gruff appearance. Now they revealed a warrior''s past, one that climbed mountains of corpses, and someone who already owned a Sovereign skill. I scratched the back of my head, a bit nervous.


    "Uh, you ok?"


    He answered with ferocity,


    "No. The Empire''s been attacked by the Adairs."


    I took a step back, stunned to silence. Obolis seethed,


    "I wish to forge an alliance with the Harbinger''s Legion."

 259 Coming to Terms

    I turned to Torix, and the necromancer''s eyes burned a brilliant, white flame. He, too, stayed silent, unable to process what he just heard. The Emperor kept firm,


    "I understand the absurdity of the request. To offer a commission to your guild one day, then ask for its assistance the next...Shameful. Despite my pride, my Empire requires immediate aid."


    He turned a palm to me, "Your guild can give it, having faced and conquered this foe on several occasions. That would be invaluable to our people."


    His eyes narrowed to slits, "Whether they believe they need it or not."


    Wondering what that meant, I held up my palms, "Give me one moment to think."


    I tapped my chin with a fist, giving it some thought. It wasn''t that surprising that the Adair''s chose to attack the Empire. The Emperor and Helios mentioned rebellions for months now, and the Adair''s grip extended across several planets. One of those planets being in the Empire''s worlds wasn''t much of a stretch.


    I shook my head,


    "Dammit. Did they use the rebellions on your planets to do it?"


    The Emperor tilted his head, "They did, in fact. How did you know?"


    I shrugged, "It makes sense that they would join forces. The enemy of an enemy is a friend."


    The Emperor''s face stayed solemn, "That''s a good phrase. I shall steal it for my own use later. Useful idiom''s aside, I can offer much in exchange for allying with us. You know their tactics, and your skills are necessary to cleanse our populace."


    He weighed his hands back and forth, "I understand if it will require coaxing. I am willing to relent our resources as necessary-"


    I waved a hand in front of me, "Don''t worry about it. Like I said, and enemy of an enemy is a friend. That phrase works for them, but it also works for us. We''ll send you some files on how they fight, how the Hybrids work, and how to combat them."


    Grizzled and skeptical, the Emperor furrowed his brow, "Hmmm...Perhaps you may enlighten me as to why you would offer the Empire such kindness?"


    I scoffed, "You guys took a risk associating with us. I''m no genius, but even I know that. Consider this repaying the favor."


    The Emperor stared with piercing eyes, the kind searching for the motivation behind what I said. It was a strange feeling, and Torix eyed me with a bit of skepticism as well. Even without talking, I could tell that the lich disagreed with allying so quickly. At the same time, he would never disagree with me in front of someone like the Emperor.


    Even if we disagreed, Torix respected me enough not to do that.


    Obolis crossed his arms, his gray armor thudding with a dull ring,


    "Hmmm, that''s rather...altruistic of you. Surely you understand I''m skeptical of your goodwill? It''s difficult to find, more so than relics and treasure. Of that, I''m certain."


    I raised a hand, "Come on, let''s not overthink this. I''m here to help. That''s a good thing."


    I frowned, "We don''t have time to argue about something simple either. People are dying. Let''s get to it."


    The Emperor nodded,


    "Fair points. Perhaps not knowing the origin of your helpfulness is good - it too is a puzzle I wish to find the answer to."


    He sounded much more like the Emperor I knew, his panic fading. Even he could react with emotion when the stakes were high enough. The white-furred albony nodded,


    "I''ll take your earlier advice and accept the alliance. We need your help in several of our major cities immediately. It is as you say; the Adairs have used the rebellions on several of our worlds to attack us. They''ve joined with the locals, somehow armed them with Hybrids, and they are attacking the ruling classes of each city."


    Obolis raised a fist, "Help us, and I promise you, the Empire will be indebted to the Harbinger''s Legion. As its ruler, I guarantee you this - the Empire pays its debts in full."


    I nodded, "Alright. We''ll need to finish our sieges on Giess, but after that-"


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "What? You want to save the ruined cities that remain on Giess?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah. That been our plan over the last few months."


    The Emperor paused, changing his tone, "I...excuse my interruption. It''s just...I watched your last battle, and it was tremendous in its own right. However, you did not save more than a few dozen gialgathens, many already heavily Hybridized."


    He lifted his hands, trying to keep himself calm, "Our cities house billions of civilians. We may save far more lives by tackling the assaults on our worlds than those on that dying planet. It''s not that I question your virtue. It''s that I question which would lead to the greater good."


    He squeezed a hand into a fist, "To me, that answer seems obvious."


    I grimaced. The Emperor''s argument was sound, and I had to agree. Despite wanting to help the guy out, my guild promised Krog and Chrona that we would support the gialgathens as much as we could. I needed time to train skills for my Sovereign class too, and we were already stretched thin as it was. Fighting a war on two fronts was out of the question, given our resources. It didn''t take a genius to figure that out.


    At the same time, if I was actually trying to help people, then the Emperor''s offer was superior. He had more resources, more people to help, and we could stop the Hybrids from ever getting a firm grip on the Empire. That alone hurt the Adair''s goals more than saving three ruined cities on Giess.


    I wrestled with the idea for a moment, and the Emperor viewed my struggle. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Calmed down, Obolis announced,


    "You''ve promised those there that you would help them first, and now you''re struggling with a difficult choice. I understand. It is no easy thing to choose one life over the other, and these decisions take time. Speak with your confidants, and after coming to an accord, inform me what you will do."


    Obolis lifted a loose fist, "I will appreciate your decision regardless of what you decide. Your help is invaluable, and we appreciate it. Goodbye."


    I winced,


    "Thanks for understanding."


    We closed the call before I turned to Torix. The lich shook his head,


    "I would normally never question your judgment, but I would enjoy an explanation in this instance. We could''ve gained a plethora of resources for a modicum of effort. All his knowledge, the credits, even the elemental furnaces, all of that would''ve been ours. You just...threw that opportunity away."


    "For now, yeah."


    Torix shook his head, "Why did you do that?"


    I shrugged, "I''m looking to make an actual ally, not a business associate.  Besides, it felt like the right thing to do."


    Torix held back a colorful variety of curses as he gawked at me. Even if Torix disagreed, this wasn''t something I was going to back down on. The Empire needed our help. Perhaps they could''ve been a bit easier to negotiate with, but they never treated us poorly. If anything, they were the only guild of any size that so much as interacted with us.


    I didn''t see other guilds offering invitations to talk or form negotiations. The reason for that was simple - they didn''t want to become enemies of the Adairs. That was the exact same reason no other guilds helped us when Yawm attacked. The big tree man was too big an enemy to make for a small, unestablished guild.


    Well, the Empire didn''t let that stop them and for a bigger fish than Yawm. Whether associating with us caused the attacks on the Empire''s cities or not, they showed a willingness to help out. We''d do the same in return.


    Torix didn''t share my viewpoint as he pinched the bridge of his nose,


    "I see you''ve taken a sudden turn towards a more ethical agenda."


    He said ethical with exasperation oozing from his voice. I raised an eyebrow,


    "Those resources you mentioned before, the Empire will give them to us regardless. The difference is that by not taking advantage of the situation, we''re speaking with our actions, and they tell a lot about our character as a guild."


    I made a circle, "That goes for other guilds watching. They''ll know we''re good to have as allies, and that means more negotiations and opportunities. Think of this as an investment."


    Torix pulled back, cupping his chin, "Those...are good points."


    I turned my palms to the necromancer, "Exactly. We''ll get everything mentioned earlier, but we''ll get it along with a genuine friendship. Those are hard to find, and from my experience, they matter most when you need them."


    I lifted a hand, "We don''t need a friend right now, but we might in the future. In all honesty, though, this is more about doing the right thing for me. Well, trying to at least. I''m just letting you know it isn''t a bad idea from a more resource-driven standpoint."


    Torix raised a hand as if to argue. He pulled it back, staring down while deep in thought. A moment passed before he shook his head,


    "I...Perhaps you''re right."


    He peered back up at me as if staring at someone else,


    "Excuse my silence. For a moment, you sounded like my son, Alfred. I was taken aback."


    It had been a long time since I heard his name mentioned. Torix didn''t like talking about his past or his son, and I respected that. Anytime he did bring it up, he held my rapt attention. Even if I chose not to ask, that didn''t mean I wasn''t curious.


    So as Torix spoke, I leaned close.


    He stared into the distance, "Alfred and I argued on many occasions about these differences. They were of the sort you''d expect from one young and the other old. He, being inexperienced and naive, wanted to act out a sense of morality. I, being cynical, wished to act with a practical stint."


    Torix winced, "Those differences in plans led to our...eventual separation. I still regret that our last words were harsh. Alfred, he was undeserving of my scorn."


    I remembered the young mage and what happened to him in Bloodhollow. He and Baldag-Ruhl created the runic carvings that eventually led to my armor. Alfred did that by trusting an eldritch, which was pretty naive, and that matched what Torix was saying. That''s why the guy died, deformed into an abomination.


    At the same time, Alfred created a living multiverse. To me, that sounded pretty damn impossible, yet Alfred got it done. That kind of ambition probably took a bit of naivete. Either way, it wasn''t a one-sided kind of issue, so I kept listening as Torix spoke from memory,


    "You sound more like him now. When we met, we were very similar in how we did things. Practical, ruthless, and self-interested. Those were the pillars we used to support our lives, and they have kept us that way. Alive. Time has passed, however, and we no longer need to focus on only surviving. We may focus on thriving."


    Torix stared at a skeletal, umbral hand, "You''ve outgrown surviving, yet I have not."


    He was right about the survival aspect. When I was introduced into the system, it was a bloody, brutal welcoming. I stayed in fight or flight for literal months at a time, and it didn''t really stop until after Yawm died. Since then, I''ve been trying to walk out of his shadow. I still had a long way to go.


    Torix still lingered in the darkest part, the necromancer more at home in the shadows.


    I shook a hand,


    "Here''s the thing, there''s a balance. You keep that cutting, efficient edge, and I''ll make sure we don''t go too far down that line and forget why we''re doing what we''re doing in the first place."


    Torix scoffed, "Are you telling me to continue over-analyzing and coming up with evil solutions?" His eyes flared a bright blue,


    "Because that''s precisely where I shine."


    I smiled,


    "Exactly. We''ll keep each other in line."


    Torix nudged me with his elbow, "Speaking of in line, that was a rather politically suave way of handling the Empire. The more I think of it, the better the outcome becomes. For instance, asking for a proper reward would''ve been difficult. In this situation, he shall give us a gift."


    Torix cupped his chin, "That gift will likely outdo anything we would''ve asked for. Going about it this way ensures a solid relationship, but it also ensures we won''t ask for a reward far below what we deserve."


    Torix tapped the side of his head, "That''s excellent foresight. Well done."


    I scratched the back of my head, "Eh, I didn''t think it out that far."


    The lich continued, lost in his thoughts,


    "And I doubt the Emperor would give us a reward unbefitting of our help. Hah, we reap more rewards while gaining a firmer ally."


    I shrugged, "Sometimes, I get lucky. Either way, do you think we should save the gialgathens or help the Empire?"


    "Pfff, of course we should assist the Empire. There isn''t an option to the contrary."


    I narrowed my eyes, "What do you mean?"


    "Daniel, excuse my curtness, but this is a simple exercise in mathematics. One side is numbered in the billions, the other in the hundreds. One side has access to innumerable resources, the other has lost everything. We would be wasting our time attempting to save more gialgathens."


    Torix''s shoulders sunk ever so slightly,


    "For lack of a better word, there is no one left to save."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I stared Torix down, my mindset more heated than I expected. Something about the situation made me feel helpless, and for some reason, I found that infuriating. I shook my absurd frustration off, reasoning to myself it was unfounded.


    Even if this was tough to accept, Torix and the Emperor were right. I turned towards the temple wall and kicked a loose stone. It shattered to powder, billowing across the room. Rolling my eyes, I siphoned the cloud into a gravity well, creating a swirling ball of dense, dry dust.


    I collapsed it back into real rock, compressing it back into a solid. I let it fall back down, the object returned to normal. Torix gawked at the magical display,


    "That was a rather casual display of potent magic."


    I stared off, "It''s just a bit of compression. I''m just thinking about what I''m going to tell Krog and Chrona. ''Hey there, guys. Sorry, but your race is dead. Tough luck, buttercups. We''re heading off to fight another war while the rest of your kin are killed. Get ready.''"


    I shook my head, "Being a guild leader has its cons, that''s for sure."


    Torix sighed, "It is an unfortunate reality. We''ve done more for the gialgathens than they could have ever expected. You remember what Krog said when the Emperor initially offered his artifact search?"


    I did. Krog was ok with us stopping our assaults. Even though he knew I wouldn''t agree as he said it, the sentiment was real; Krog understood what we were putting on the line here. Chrona might be different in that regard, but she could still be reasoned with. We put a damn good effort in already as well.


    I nodded, thinking about all that,


    "Yeah, Krog seemed resigned already. This battle''s wearing everyone down too. We''re going in and slaughtering entire city''s worth of people. Killing the Hybridfs isn''t a problem, but the espens...It''s dehumanizing. Hell, even I feel more like a monster than a man sometimes."


    Torix listened, but he didn''t know what to say. Maybe the guy didn''t understand me. He was a lich, after all, and that meant he was a pragmatist through and through. To him, the people were numbers on a sheet. Killing them all was the simplest, most elegant solution. That meant it was the best solution.


    I didn''t hold that perspective against Torix. It suited him, and it kept us alive more times than it didn''t. At the same time, I didn''t feel like I was actually fighting for a meaningful reason anymore. I was just killing and killing and killing.


    I stared at my hands, remembering a few of the first people I killed. I remembered telekinetically choking someone while hiding from Ajax. It was in the middle of a battle, and I didn''t mean to do it. The entire time I was numb. I killed many since then, and at this rate, it would never stop.


    I would live forever, killing monster and man alike, the monster of all monsters.


    I quashed that growing dread. I wasn''t some monster made by the forces around me. Giving myself that reminder, I frowned,


    "Let''s wait until the morning and have a few of the others help us make a decision. That should help us out."


    Torix raised a hand to disagree, but he held his words before lowering his arm,


    "Of course."


    I turned, walking out,


    "Alright. I''ll be in practicing until then. That Sovereign skill won''t unlock itself."


    As I stepped out, Torix''s fire eyes waned,


    "Do take care of yourself, disciple. Our demons can overwhelm us when we least expect it."


    I raised an eyebrow at the guy, kind of confused,


    "Eh, uh, sure. I''ll keep that in mind."


    I turned and walked out of his lair, pacing back into my room. Once there, I practiced with quintessence and ascendant mana. Whatever Sovereign skill I intended on using, it would require both manas used at once. That kind of doubling down demanded fluidity. There was only one way to gain that.


    Practice, practice, and more practice.


    Those thoughts flooded my mind as I honed in on my task. I sat down, staring at complex magical shapes I crafted from nothing but energy. Despite my efforts, my earlier doubts leaked into my mind as the hours passed. I remembered Torix mentioning the guild being destroyed and me being left behind.


    Something about that was even scarier than death. In my position, I didn''t have time for this kind of hesitation either. People depended on me, and failing them meant lots of people could die. If I focused on saving people now, I could avoid another genocide like the gialgathens.


    If I kept pushing forward, I might stop another Springfield from being infected. If I stayed relentless, then I wouldn''t lose more friends, family, or homes. I had to become unstoppable, a force of devastation like Schema expected.


    No, like everyone expected. If I didn''t, I''d lose everything and every one I found up to this point. Hell, sometimes even having people like Althea felt like a dream. The day they all died, yet I remained - it would be a waking nightmare.


    That immortality scared me, the idea of losing everyone seeming inevitable. Something about it was unavoidable, like everyone around me was more fragile than glass. I was metal, and they were pulp. I gripped my hand through the stone beneath me, the once hard, stable material crushing as if it were a liquid.


    I watched it fall between my fingers. The sight of something substantial melting in my palm, it made my eyes burn. I took a few quick breaths while my chest tightened as I stared at the destroyed particles. I struggled to breathe for a moment, despite not needing the air. I leaned down, grabbing the sides of my head, squeezing my hair for a moment. I shook my head, choking out a pained laugh.


    I mean, I couldn''t even really understand what was going on anymore. Galactic Empires, monsters worse than the eldritch, and fighting against something with the mana of an Old One...How did I get in this mess to begin with?


    I laughed a bit more, the pressure from the situation overwhelming me. Everyone else was so fragile, even the enemies I made and the people I killed. They were all just a passing moment. I glared at the metal covering my arm. I held it up high.


    This, this was forever, whether I wanted it that way or not.


    I leaned down, surprised by my sudden emotional breakdown. It all just crushed me. Something like tears leaked from my face. I didn''t check to see if they shined because I didn''t want to know if they were liquid metal. I preferred not knowing.


    Instead of fighting my panic attack, I just let it happen. For a moment, I was weak.


    It was...liberating.


    I just let myself feel the uncertainty, the dread, and the guilt of my failures. I usually just kind of pushed these emotions down, but bottling up only worked for so long. I guess I convinced myself I wasn''t normal after having been shown so many signs to the contrary. This kind of mental breakdown, it was humbling, hard, and hurtful.


    At the same time, it reminded me of who I was. Despite everything, I still felt pain like everyone else. I was human. Well, maybe not entirely, but I was mortal in the ways that mattered.


    After a half-hour of wallowing in my misery, the sharp edges of the ache dulled. Like all pain, it passed. I stood up, taking a deep breath. I soaked the liquid tears on the ground and on my skin up, draining them to nothing.


    Yeah, I felt better.


    Without some massive ball of negative emotions lingering over my head, I set out to practice again. This time I took a different approach. I walked through Elderfire, the darkness draping over the city like a black cloak. After reaching the ancient city''s center, I traveled back to Mt. Verner.


    The warp drive''s electric sizzling buzzed in my ears as I found myself on the second floor of the mountain city. Being underground kept us from being exposed, from Yawm and the Adair''s alike. I paced through the place, the machines still.


    After getting to the outside of the mountain, I met up with the dimensional golems I left behind. They stayed there under the canopy of the forest, motionless and without purpose.


    I extended my consciousness out to them. The connection created, the new, tender minds exposed themselves to me. I couldn''t mold their minds like Torix had with a mental link alone. I wasn''t that talented at it, and I didn''t want to do it that way either.


    Instead of doing it directly, I wielded quintessence, and I focused on building the minds of the golems up instead of controlling them.


    This was a complicated process, and it required tremendous focus. These guys would fight eldritch and mind mages alike. This meant putting them through a boot camp of sorts. I trained them in mental defense, focusing on fundamental barriers against mental bombardments. More elaborate movements followed, giving them more mobility.


    These simple activities acted as a way of letting the golems learn how to use their minds. The process was...slow. They didn''t learn fast, and what they did discover was a fragmented, hollow piece of what I was trying to teach them. Building them up might take years at this rate. It was trying to make something work that wouldn''t.


    Scrapping the mental buildup plan, I changed my strategy. Taking a few steps back, I reviewed my previous inscriptions. Opening my grimoire, I tapped my chin while looking them over. I peered at the pages while trying to keep the mental boot camp going. Even if it wasn''t useful for them, it was still practical training for me.


    It required much more focus as I split my attention between two things. If it wasn''t for how second-hand cipher carving was at this point, then it would be impossible. The informational injections by Etorhma and Eonoth gave me a lot of insight into the dimensional code, however. Using that fluency, I simultaneously mentally attacked the golems while thinking up new carvings to make.


    Despite the difficult work, I appreciated the sudden strain. Having my mind cleared let me think with clarity and concision. I was feeling pretty on point, and my results agreed with me. I gained a skill while trying to help bulletproof the golems.


    New Skill gained! Mental Construction(lvl 10) - This skill allows the user to help develop burgeoning minds into what they desire.


    Several minutes passed, and I gained another skill I didn''t expect to earn.


    New Skill Gained! Runic Programming(lvl10) - Creating complex decision trees using runic inscriptions is eased, allowing for more developed behaviors.


    It was what I was doing, though it sounded worse in skill form. I glanced at several of the formed golems, their rough figures showcasing physical bulk. My initial designs lacked any real thought, most of them just hobbled together chunks. They used a lot of mana to move, and their forms restricted their abilities quite a bit. If anything, improving their designs made the mental framework far more manageable to map out.


    Thinking that all out, I etched down a simple design for a new golem using a tree. Wooden strips curled up as I moved my hand through the trunk. When finished, I took a step back. The design was simple. It used floating pieces, along with a few other adjustments to the golem''s combat abilities.


    The alterations weren''t exactly complicated. If anything, they simplified things quite a bit. I changed their connecting joint structures from interlocking metal pieces to saturated mana wells. This made crafting them effortless since no small, connecting pieces were required.


    This put more work into the cipher carving aspect, but I preferred it that way. I was by no means a skilled engineer, but my runic carving held up with the best of them. If I could take some of the difficulty out of construction and put it into etching, then it was a win in my book. This floating joints method also made working with delicate materials easier.


    I mean, some stuff, like fire or wind was a real pain in the ass to form and shape properly. Making joints using those airy, soft materials was basically impossible. This kind of design would make that possible. It did come with drawbacks, however.


    If something wrenched the golem apart, then the golem would be neutralized. That was easier said than done when my gravity wells were involved, but it was still possible. Having some method of reassembly foolproofed the golems in that regard.


    Another issue was the sheer structural integrity of what I made. My gravitational magic and the materials were damn sturdy, however, so I didn''t mind that much. Fixing the fall apart element took priority, given the circumstances.


    With all that in mind, I crystallized mana, creating a roughly circular orb of quintessence. I added a core to the golem''s design, and this would be the central point for coming back together. Revisiting the runic guideline, I added a note to make this core the center.


    Once the centralizing aspect was finished, I got to making the actual bodies. I ripped chunks of armor off my arm, throwing it aside. Before it landed on the ground, it melted into a glowing ball several feet from me. After collecting enough material, I molded it into the correct shapes for arms, bodies, and heads.


    I created two more mana cores of pure quintessence, placing them on the head of the body. After a bit of runic carving, the golems could sense their surroundings with sight. Basic senses given, I gave the golems three fingers, each curved and floating. These gravity wells were complex as I added several antigravitational enchantments as well. Several layers of runes later, and the fingers could shift a foot or two from the ''wrist'' of the golem.


    This gave them a superb ability to grip and restrain. The fingers could be used as piercing weapons, given some creativity as well. After that, I made their bottom halves nonexistent. Instead, I created an antigravity well along with several stabilizing anchor points around it. Inefficient, maybe, but I wasn''t about to waste my gravity expertise. I might as well use what I have.


    After finishing that part, I made each segment of the golem fit into one another. This lets the creature pull itself together into a single shard of umbral fabric. With a bit of momentum, using them as orbital strikes wasn''t out of the question.


    Powering all these magical processes required the golem''s natural mana reserves. A bit of carving later and my experience with gravity meant the cipher inscriptions holding them together were rock solid. It was the first time I used the cipher for something so frivolous instead of the standard runes other people used.


    They worked like a charm, their potency proven. I lifted one of the golem''s bodies with a gravity well, inspecting my handiwork. They moved like joints, my intentions for them rubbing off on the design. That was something I learned about the cipher during this exercise.


    It didn''t act as a direct interpretation like the regular runes did. It served as a more abstract, flexible tool in general. I knew that part already, but I didn''t realize that the cipher could work that way without my telling it so. The runes I used for the joints were straightforward, but I wanted something specific while making them.


    The cipher made it so.


    This eerie realization made the cipher even scarier than before. In many ways, it took on a life of its own once made. Noting that discovery, I worked on the signaller core at the center of the golem''s chest.


    I melted down a tunnel to the thing''s center of mass. After excavating the channel, I placed the crystallized quintessence into the hole. A couple carvings later, and I inscribed a sort of signaller enchant onto the center.


    After patching it up, I used lots of molten dimensional fabric as reinforcement. The more I worked on this project, the more I felt like I was retracing the steps of old golem creators. Golem cores, floating joints, all of it felt like stuff I''d heard about before, but I never understood why they did it that way. After working with it, it all made sense.


    Once made, I inspected the beings. Simple but effective, the dozen or so creations stood upright as I walked past them. Well, floated upright. They were about ten feet tall, and their central bodies where giant hunks of dark gray dimensional fabric.


    Their arms retracted into the main body most of the time. When I pushed one, the arms and fingers disconnected from the main body. It stabilized itself before making a weak attempt to attack me. Yup, it needed a bit more refinement, but this was a solid base to work with.


    I went back to creating a mental framework for them. Before getting into the details, I figured having an end goal in mind would produce better results. After a bit of brainstorming, I wanted them at the entrance of a dungeon so I could see how they fare.


    Most dungeons on Earth exceeded level 500, but that shouldn''t be a problem for my golems. If they performed well enough, who knew, Schema might even give them special status like the Sentinels. If they worked out, then having them clear weaker dungeons wasn''t out of the question.


    That would take a tremendous load off any people living nearby. It let ordinary people target more dangerous, pressing targets instead of dungeon faring small fry. Maybe with enough of them and some serious improvements, they could help stop Earth from ever becoming a Fringe World. Even when I wasn''t there.


    Not having to patrol a bunch of tiny dungeons myself was a big bonus too, not gonna lie.


    With that in mind, I finished a few of the new outlines of behavior. This acted as the second primary adjustment, and it involved their defensive tactics. I set up a simple response to anything trying to harm the golem: hold and eat the threat. This was possible because the draining of my armor carried over into the golems. When ordered, these guys could assimilate like I could.


    Of course, they weren''t nearly as developed as I was in that regard. It was enough to fend off most viral eldritch attempting to sink their teeth into these lugs though. That was enough for me. I also gave them a few slamming protocols if something attacked them from far away. They would launch themselves at a threat should it get too far away.


    My third and final adjustment came in the form of a simple patrol. I gave the hulking creatures the simple commands to travel. I had them hug the left wall of any dungeon they entered. This meant they would roam around the outskirts of a rift, attracting attention. A labyrinth, for example, could be moved through using this method and on a set schedule.


    The metal being would cover the dungeon every few days or so, clearing out any hostiles as it did. If it hit a dead end, it would simply turn around and continue hugging the left wall. This let it clear most of a dungeon. After testing them out, I''d learn the other adjustments I needed to make.


    That kind of thing was hard to predict, and testing was a much easier solution than thinking up hypotheticals. Besides, these things were strong enough to climb out of holes and heavy enough to sink along the bottom of pools. This gave them slow, steady mobility that would work well in most dungeons.


    This left a few basics on the table. Distinct necessities like the will to battle, searching out enemies, and self-preservation was implanted. I designed them to be responsive rather than proactive. This meant they wouldn''t take the initiative in encounters. They would let the other guy start the fight before they finished it.


    Most eldritch wouldn''t be cunning enough to avoid them and discover their weaknesses. Even if they did, good luck peeling back a three-foot thick wall of metal harder than steel. Any dungeon with something that dangerous would likely have some kind of message about the eldritch inside. That''s how it worked in BloodHollow with Baldag-Ruhl at least.


    Either way, it took a few minutes to channel the cipher inscriptions required. The mana required wasn''t as bad as usual since these inscriptions weren''t abstract; they were concrete and exact. That was much easier than the more creative configurations I usually did. Once made, I placed them where necessary.


    They floated with runic markings along their seams, fingers, and head. The white quintessence eyes stood out in particular, giving them a sharp, hollow-eyed look. Combine that with their massive size, and the new golems were eerie, ominous, and menacing.


    Perfect for killing eldritch.


    When the golems moved around, I beamed with pride. They shifted with far less clumsiness, having actual goals in them. A bit of an orange tinge reflected off their surfaces as I stared at them. Turning towards the sky, the sunset in the distance. I got caught up with work again.


    After willing the golems to stand hidden beneath some trees, I floated back towards the second floor of Mt. Verner. Once inside, I warped towards the center of Elderfire. The sun rose here as well, a majestic sunset overlapping with trees and desert dunes alike.


    Damn, I got lucky the day cycles were similar this time.


    Once at the temple, I met back up with Torix, who sent a message to the others. With the meetup already planned, we walked out towards the outside of the temple. Waiting for the others to awaken, he and I stood on the temple''s stairs with a slight awkwardness.


    Since the earlier conversation, he and I only exchanged pleasantries. I did leave the talk on a rough note. The social discomfort was by no means unbearable, so I stood there and bore it. Torix raised a hand with care,


    "You seem lighter. Perhaps you drove your demons back for now?"


    I smiled, "Yeah. I did."


    Torix nodded, satisfied with my response. We watched as the others flew, walked, and woke up here. The feast lasted long into the night, so a few hardcore partiers were still laid out in the open. Hod, in particular, sat with his back on the stone steps, his belly swollen, and snoring loud as a foghorn. I gave him a telekinetic nudge, and the shadow birdman woke up. He looked around,


    "What Hod miss?"


    I scoffed, "Nothing, yet."


    Krog and Chrona landed, and I sighed. I turned to them,


    "But you will miss quite a bit if you don''t wake up. We''ve got a lot to talk about."

 260 A Bloody Compromise

    <div>


    <div>


    Torix nodded, satisfied with my response. We watched as the others flew, walked, and woke up here. The feast lasted long into the night, so a few hardcore partiers were still laid out in the open. Hod, in particular, sat with his back on the stone steps, his belly swollen, and snoring loud as a foghorn. I gave him a telekinetic nudge, and the shadow birdman woke up. He  looked around,


    "What Hod miss?"


    I scoffed, "Nothing, yet."


    Krog and Chrona landed, and I sighed. I turned to them,


    "But you will miss quite a bit if you don''t wake up. We''ve got a lot to talk about."


    Chapter Begin


    The giant, smooth-skinned gialgathens landed on the temple''s terrace, their wings sending the sun baked air into gusts of wind. Krog remained the largest of the bunch, his orange and red hide sheening like fire. Chrona''s slender form contrasted his own as her skin sheened a bright silver.


    Althea phased into reality nearby, and Spear walked from the center of Elderfire, sand still resting on his cracked pauldrons. Amara remained in Mt. Verner, but Kessiah returned with the members Schema sent us. Each of them narrowed their eyes and winced at any loud noises. The night of fun was kind to them, but the resulting hangover wasn''t.


    I stood the tallest of the bunch, the dark gray of my armor sheening with a dull matte finish. Torix remained a few steps below me, his blue fire eyes striking amidst the sandy dunes and green forest tops. After exchanging pleasantries with the group, I turned to those here,


    "How is everyone holding up?"


    To my surprise, Althea was the first to answer,


    "We''re doing okay on the espionage front. They''ve begun to recognize a few of our patterns, so we''re facing more resistance. Uhm, other than that, we''re still getting info and getting rid of important targets. Locally, I mean. We still don''t know where the rebel''s home base is or anything."


    I nodded, "Excellent. Anyone else? You can be honest here."


    A few of the gialgathens glanced at one another, but they didn''t speak whatever it was they wanted to say. Krog sighed, "The others refuse to talk on the matter. I shall do so for them. These new battles we fight in...they are wearing us thin."


    Krog gestured towards the others with his wings, "The cities are but scorched earth, little remaining of them. We are basking in seas of blood and the cries of our dead. There is little to save left in the cities. They have all fallen to the infection of metal."


    He grimaced, his teeth chipped, and his lips split in places,


    "Culling those that have fallen to the Adiars is no easy task as well, but we lived on the saved lives of those we found and carried back. Now we''re wafting like a red wind, crossing over Giess in a storm of death and decay."


    He peered down, "I do not know how much longer we can continue to kill."


    I crossed my arms while cupping my chin, "Thank you for your honesty. Does anyone else have anything else to add?"


    The others glanced at one another, but they stayed silent. Krog''s thoughts encompassed their own and then some, his eloquence exceeding what they could muster. After letting his words sink in for a second, I raised a hand while uncrossing my arms,


    "We still have three cities to destroy before our mission here is complete."


    A sense of dread rushed over the soldiers. I continued,


    "This isn''t to say we can''t change our plans. We have options, and I wanted to get your thoughts before coming to a decision. For starters, The Empire offered us a different set of terms for a different offer. They''ve been attacked by the Adairs, and several of their major cities are being destroyed."


    I peered at those here, inspecting their reactions, "We would be able to save many more people, but it wouldn''t be gialgathens. I understand if this is too difficult an option to concede. After all, I promised each of you that we would fight tooth and nail for the gialgathens."


    Krog boomed, "You''ve done so and more."


    The sign of respect rippled through the crowd, Krog''s reputation legendary among them. A subtle smile ran up my lips, "Thanks. I know what I''m capable of, however. That means I could do so much more. For each of you, we can continue to save the gialgathens that are left."


    Telepathic murmuring rippled through the crowds, all of it open for others to hear. The general sentiment seemed mixed, a medley of arguments intermingling among the masses. Kessiah spoke up,


    "I know that I don''t heal every gialgathen we save, but I do heal most. From what I saw, we didn''t save almost any gialgathens last time. Like, literally less than one-tenth what we did last battle."


    Torix took a step forward, "If I may speak on the matter, perhaps I may illuminate the subject. As a point of beginning, let us review a few of the relevant statistics. Doing so shall paint a compelling picture of the battles, along with a few startling trends among them."


    He cast a few spells using his grimoire, and a 2-dimensional chart popped up above us. It showed the number of gialgathens saved. Torix pointed at the graph,


    "Here we may find that over 1,200 gialgathens were saved in Polydra. The next city of Astelle resulted in over 800 saved. Fausel gained us fewer members at only 489. Tholosa was a humbling success, resulting in only 42 saved Gialgathens."


    The lich shrugged, "If this trend continues, we shall save three to four gialgathens in the next city, and perhaps a single gialgathen in the next. This isn''t to say that we aren''t prepared for victory, but it is to call into question the meaning behind our current campaign."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The necromancer spread his arms wide, his umbral cloak and dark bones sheening under the morning sun,


    "We gain little, but we will strike against the opponent with meaningful, terrible strikes. If we choose to save the Empire''s citizens, then the difference shall be in the method behind our means. We shall save instead of cull. If each of you are exhausted with this systematic termination, then this is a fine alternative."


    The gialgathens peered at one another, even Krog sighing with a sense of dismay. With their decision made, Krog began speaking. Chrona''s voice overwhelmed his,


    "I lack the fatigue that all of you suffer from. Weeks and months of battle can wear down even the most bloodthirsty''s morale, and during my battles with Emagrotha, I too suffered from this same unease. However, I''ve thought about this campaign and kept track of it during this time."


    She raised a tail towards the graph, "This chart indicates the survival rates of the remaining cities, correct?"


    Torix crossed his arms, "Correct."


    "Then the survival rate of those outside of the cities of Giess may be different, isn''t that right?"


    Torix slowly nodded, "Hmmm, that is correct."


    Chrona turned towards the others here, "That is the crux of the issue. From the battles I''ve seen, the Adair''s focused their efforts on the densest population centers of gialgathens. The reason for that is the same reason we struggled against Lehesion."


    Chrona tapped the side of her head with her tail, "Limited resources. They are taking the most efficient course of action available to them, and we can use their lack of coverage against them. We ride through the smaller cities, gathering those that aren''t infected."


    Torix''s fire eyes narrowed to slits, "That is a possibility I''ve considered before, but I discounted the possibility. There are no doubt many more gialgathens to save that escaped the cities. The difference is in informational leakage."


    The dark lich spread his arms, "We can contain those that we saved in the cities since they are specific numbers and relatively contained operations. Saving those in rural towns requires sending out far smaller groups at a time, many of them lacking any mental defenses."


    He raised a finger, "This means that if they are intercepted and captured, the location of Elderfire can be ascertained. While this threat remains in the cities, we can mitigate this risk by keeping our troops psionically connected."


    He shook his head, "There simply isn''t the same level of security with our forces thinned."


    Chrona tilted her head, "This may be true, but can you not act as the vanguard of this campaign? We need only one mobile group to scour the countryside for survivors. I could act as your companion along with the warpers present here. This would result in a steady stream of incoming soldiers, and we wouldn''t need to fight the wars waging in the cities."


    The gialgathens present perked up, many of them enjoying the prospect of saving their brethren. Torix tapped the side of his temple,


    "Though I would love the prospect of helping others, I am necessary for the campaigns in either Giess''s cities or on The Empire''s worlds. I cannot manage the campaigns, organize the logistics such as food and housing, and continue a high effort campaign of roaming the countryside."


    I shook my head, "Actually, I don''t think so."


    Torix turned towards me, taken aback, "Really? Have I contributed so little to our cause?"


    I raised my palms to the guy, "No, it''s not that. It''s just what we''re doing isn''t actually saving. We''re doing from here on out is killing what''s left in the cities, right?"


    "Well...perhaps."


    "I''m the only one needed for that."


    The crowd went silent. A new dread radiated through the crowd, one not for the enemy but for me. I understood the sentiment. I killed more than everyone else combined and then some. If anyone could wreak havoc unimpeded, it was me. I was our guild''s ace, the trump card, so to speak. Even without support, I could do what was necessary.


    The thing was, I wasn''t just effective at taking the enemies out. I was safe as well. I could burrow deep into the ground if Lehesion ever came back. If other more evolved Hybrids came and ganged up on me, I had the mental defenses necessary for the task. I wasn''t some mind magic master, but I could hold my own, given my enormous willpower.


    This set me up for blitzing the enemy; I could run in, hit hard, and get out before they could retaliate. If anything, my tactics could change entirely. I no longer needed to keep my allies safe. I could focus solely on mass destruction on a wholly different scale. I mean, why not just orbitally bombard the cities until nothing remained?


    This embued me with an overwhelming sense of confidence. That certainty did not go unnoticed by my soldiers and those present. Considering my track record, it wasn''t as if I hadn''t proved I could back up what I said either.


    With that in mind, Krog smiled at me, "And so he is the Harbinger of Cataclysm." He turned to the other gialgathens,


    "What else is to be expected? He is the coming of calamity. He is living metal, a kind stronger than the metal infection the enemy uses. He may devour them if he so chooses, or perhaps he''ll rend them apart in a splatter of orange blood?"


    Krog turned towards the other gialgathens,


    "It will be what they deserve regardless."


    The gialgathens crooned into the air, their haunting songs reverberating like death and decay. I turned to them, knowing they wanted me to be the monster that killed instead of them. I stared at my hands, but the hesitation lingering. Was this who I was meant to be?


    It felt like it. Everything that happened since Schema arrived seemed to bring me to this moment like some unseen hand was pulling me into a coming darkness. I could fight it as much as I like, but in the end, it felt almost like some inevitable fate. Taking on these cities alone could only be done by me.


    If I chose not to cause the calamity, then many more would die from the Hybrids the Adair''s created. If I stayed my hand, then the enemy would use the converted for converting even more members. Despite my dread, it was the most logical, effective means at our disposal.


    Regardless of my decision, blood would be on my hands. I merely decided whose blood I would wash them with.


    I closed my fists, turning towards Torix,


    "What do you think?"


    Torix rubbed his temple, "I...It seems as though she''s put a measure of thought into this. It seems sound. I would recommend sending at least a few of our troops to the Empire to act as guides for their army. They could inform them of the enemy''s tactics while advising them in real-time."


    The lich lost his words,


    "Aside from that...There''s nothing to say. We shall give them The Empire any relevant information we have. When Giess is glassed, we shall begin sending many of our troops to help a week before this planet is glassed. During that time, you could unleash a real catastrophe across their forces.


    I turned to the others, "Does anyone else have any objections?"


    No one spoke, though Althea seemed stricken with a sense of unease. Aside from her, everyone else peered at me with expectation. In the end, my doubt died at that moment.


    I was a monster of my own making, a beast with a bottomless belly. I would ravage the lands and leave nothing left in my wake. The scars that lingered would tell a tale of an endless, immortal being, one drenched in blood and mana. Their spirits would carry the cries of the dead, and their lands would carry the corpses of those that remained forgotten.


    I raised a hand, clasping it into a fist. From it, auras of red and white intermingled like blood and milk,


    "When I''m finished, I''ll be the scary story they tell their children." As I finished speaking, the gialgathens roared in unison, a resounding boom that echoed through the desert dunes.


    They would be the saviors of many.


    And I...I would be the butcher of all.

 261 A Firelit Sky

    We discussed a lot more about the specifics involved with what we were doing on Giess and abroad. I tuned most of it out, feeling a bit numb. That was okay. I didn''t want to be fully invested in what I was about to do either way. Tearing the cities of Giess apart would devastate the Adair''s cause, no doubt, but it involved killing hundreds of thousands of people.


    Those thoughts tumbled in my mind as the deliberation died down. It was midday by the time we finished the discussion, and everyone acted overjoyed. We would save more gialgathens while dishing out more damage. They could think that because they wouldn''t be the ones doing damage.


    That burden rested upon my shoulders.


    I paced towards my room as everyone said their goodbyes. During the night, I''d lay siege towards Agatheo, the next city on Giess. Without anyone else there, I contemplated a few tactics to destroy the city. Repeated Orbital Bombardments, mana bombs, even smothering the city with Event Horizon, these options all popped out to me. One option stuck out, and it was a far more straightforward than those options - throwing rocks. Instead of lobbing myself, I would generate a stone the size of a large cliff and drop it on the city. From high enough up, it would lay waste to the entire region.


    Simple. Brutal. Effective. It would be all those things and more. It made the job simple and easy, like pressing a button or pulling a lever. It rested on me with the weight of a mountain, however. No one else noticed my emotional turmoil as I walked towards my room.


    In that lonely temple, I prepared myself for the task ahead. All I needed was mana, so I charged crystallized mana stones as I waited. I mapped out the route I''d take to destroy the cities, and they wouldn''t last long. If anything, they should''ve slowed down their hybridization. Because they did it so fast, they unleashed this newfound hell onto themselves.


    With my back leaning against a stone wall, I tossed a chunk of crystallized mana into my portal storage. I did this for another hour before a familiar face showed up. She knocked on the open doorway before leaning her head through the opening,


    "Hey, anyone there?"


    I smiled, a genuine grin, "No one important."


    Althea rolled her eyes, pacing in, "Huh? Really now? We can agree to disagree then."


    I stood up, and we hugged each other. I held her longer than I expected to, and I let out a deep sigh like I''d been holding my breath. As I pulled back, she kept her hands wrapped around my waist. She raised an eyebrow,


    "I won''t ask what''s going on since you don''t look like you want to talk about it."


    I nodded, my smile turning sad. Althea pursed her lips,


    "Uh, even if I''m, like, super curious."


    I widened my eyes, "I''ll be destroying a city. Well, cities. I don''t know. It''s different when I''m doing something with other people behind me. It''s easy to stand on the front of a moving ship. Now it feels more like I''m dragging the vessel behind me. It''s a lot, even for me."


    She frowned, "That''s hard."


    "Damn right it is...but thanks for noticing. It means the world to me."


    "It''s the least I can do."


    It was my turn to roll my eyes.


    "What do you mean? You don''t owe me anything. Hell, I''m the reason you''re wrapped up in this."


    Her eyes narrowed, "That''s not true. We all agreed to go to Giess to get rid of our unknown statuses. We all agreed each time you went to do something as well. You never acted on your own. You let us have our say. Besides, you helped me get out from under Yawm''s thumb. I''d say that''s worth something."


    She peered down, losing steam,


    "Uhm, in my opinion."


    "Well, thanks." I puffed my chest, "I guess I am pretty awesome."


    "Okay, I take it back."


    "Too late. I''m already feeling better."


    Althea phased from my arms, causing me to stumble forward. She popped up behind me, kicking me down. I fell, stopping my momentum with a bit of gravitational manipulation. She pretended to pull my arm back,


    "Gotcha."


    I followed her lead, acting as if she almost had me. She counted aloud, "One, two-"


    I turned us around with a gravitational vortex. We flipped weightlessly suspended before I let us down with a gentle tug. I pushed her down by her wrists,


    "Who''s got who now?"


    She acted as if she was struggling for a second before batting her eyelashes, "Oh no! You''ve got me. Ahhhh."


    She blinked at me. I rolled my eyes while pushing myself up, "Okay, how do you even know about wrestling, anyway?"


    She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me close, "I''ve been reading some old human magazines. There are these fake wrestling ones I can''t get enough of. They''re like...dramas, but all muscly."


    I furrowed my brow, "Wait a minute. You like professional wrestling?"


    She blushed, "Yeah, so what?"


    I laughed before murmuring, "It''s nothing. I just didn''t expect that."


    She shrugged, "They''re interesting. One guy called Turbo Slam reminded me of when we met. He''s kind of a jerk, but a...lovable jerk, I guess?"


    I raised my eyebrows, leaning close to her, "Should I be concerned?"


    "What? I''d never go out with the guy. He''s way too hairy."


    I smiled, "You know who you remind me of?"


    "Who?"


    "Miss Magisteria. She''s a wrestler that my mom loved to watch. We''d always see them on Sunday afternoon after some of the boring football games."


    "What was she like?"


    "Miss Magesteria loved to act like she''s weaker than she is before she turns on her enemy."


    "Not her, I mean your mom."


    I frowned, "Oh. Her." I furrowed my brow, "That''s tough to answer. She died of cancer when I was seven, so I don''t remember her all that well. What I do recall is just general ''feelings'' she gave me."


    Althea leaned close, "Tell me about them."


    I cleared my throat while thinking. "So, uhm...Well, she was hard-headed. I remember that much. She had a way of getting dad to do whatever she wanted. She was a stay at home mom, so we hung out all the time. I always thought she was the most fun mom out there."


    I peered at the temple wall, "Even though she wasn''t the one making money, she was the one that made the decisions. Without her, dad was just...lost, yunno? It was like he poured everything he had into her and their life. When she passed, it broke him. He was never the same after that."


    Althea raised an eyebrow, "I''ve never heard of her or him. Why don''t you talk about them?"


    "Because those were dark times in my life."


    "Darker than facing Yawm?"


    I shrugged, "Yeah. Probably. At least when fighting the tree man, I had some choice in the matter. Powerless as I felt, I wasn''t trapped. I got to make a few calls about what happened. Even if it was between two terrible choices, I still got to decide in the end what happened to me."


    I shook my head, "It wasn''t like that with dad. I tried everything, and nothing worked with him. Every time I got close, he would break down whatever relationship we built up. By the time I started avoiding the house, I was sick of him and his constant rants."


    Althea put a hand on my shoulder, "That must have been hard."


    I sighed, "It was, but I''m not that powerless kid anymore. If anything, I''m like a living nuclear bomb. I have more power than I know what to do with. It''s scary sometimes."


    Althea peered off, "Yeah. I get that sometimes too."


    "It''s not all bad, though." I put a hand on her cheek, "I have you now."


    She pressed her hand against mine, "Only if I have you too."


    "Always."


    We stared at each other for a moment, the tense silence anything but awkward. I wrapped my fingers between hers before giving Althea a light squeeze and letting go. I sighed, "You know Miss Magesteria?"


    "Yeah."


    "I made the name up."


    Althea pushed my hand off of her, "Oh come on, don''t do that. That sounded like a real name."


    I smirked, "That''s because any name sounds real in professional wrestling."


    "Whatever. They''re cool."


    She pushed herself up in a fluid motion, launching herself off the floor before landing on her feet,


    "I can see you''re doing fine. I''ll just leave then."


    I pulled myself up, hugging her from behind, "Hey, I didn''t mean it."


    She turned to me, "Really? It sounded like you did."


    "I didn''t. It''s cool you like something like that anyway. We should watch it together sometime."


    "What? There are videos?"


    "I''m sure someone kept some from before the culling. We can ask around at the home base and find some. It shouldn''t be too hard to track some down."


    Her eyes lit up like stars in a night sky,


    "That would be amazing. You promise?"


    I grinned, "For sure."


    We hugged each other before she walked towards my door''s entrance. With her hips swinging, she flipped her hair on her way out,


    "Just remember, Turbo Slam keeps his promises."


    I scoffed, "Okay, sure. So would Miss Magesteria."


    As she left, a deep sense of nostalgia washed over me. I blinked a bit before relishing the sensation. It reminded me of who I was, where I came from, and when I was a different kind of person. For better or worse, I turned into who I was now. Peering down at my status, I checked the time.


    I was almost late.


    Leaving with a jolt of gravity, I walked through the hallway, meeting up with the portal specialists from Schema''s camp. They carried more scars than when we first met, and their eyes carried bags from sleepless nights. I stood tall above them, and Spear sat cross-legged, meditating in the courtyard.


    I called out to him,


    "Hey, we''re about to get started with Torix''s new plan."


    As if awoken from the dead, Spear shifted with sand pouring from his frame. He walked over towards us while swinging his spears. I turned towards the others,


    "You guys are ready?"


    The three warpers nodded. Spear started the portal chain, getting us to the general vicinity of the area. Through the gateway, a lush, humid forest sprawled out before us. I stepped through the portal with a wave of Event Horizon. The life liquified into mana, clearing the area out to the mulch of dead plant matter below.


    Shivering a bit, the teleportationists followed suit. Once on the other side, I turned towards an eldritchian rift, the one Spear had once guarded. The dungeon crumbled about a month ago, making way for an opened breach. The entrance towards an icy glacier collapsed, the freezing doorway smashed to powder. This never melting ice spread from the opening and into a jungled expanse.


    From this glacier, several densely furred walruses stared at us, icy picks replacing their tusks. They hobbled towards the portalists before I took a step forward. The eldritch''s will to fight disintegrated, each of them quivering in fear at the sight of me. They lowered their heads, bowing to me before I culled them with Event Horizon.


    One of the warp specialists murmured,


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Damn. I''ve never seen that before."


    I shrugged, "It''s been happening since my last, er, evolution." I stared at my arm, "At least that''s what Schema called it." I shook off a sense of unease, "Come on, let''s go."


    The warpers kicked into high gear, layering several portals until we were several miles away from the next city. I didn''t read up on the details of it, only knowing it was hidden deep in the jungle. Looking at it now, the gialgathens burned down a section of forest on a steep hill. There stone buildings and outcroppings popped up between trees, the ancient temples covered in vines. It was beautiful architecture, reminiscent of Elderfire, though lacking the same desertification.


    Shame what would happen to it.


    I rolled my shoulders, "You guys can leave now. I''ll send a message when you need to pick me back up."


    They nodded, each of them filing out. The chatty one raised a hand as she left, "Hey, good luck out there."


    I shook my head, "They''re the ones that will be needing luck. Thanks though."


    She gave me a begrudging nod of respect, "Alright. Kick enough ass for all of us."


    As she left, I stood on an outcrop in the jungle. With a silent rise, I propelled myself using gravity wells, slinging myself over the ancient city. I hovered about 3,000 feet over the woods and stony spires, and I lifted my hand overhead. I didn''t need to go any higher for the stone to reach terminal velocity. It would just give the blighted ones more time to react while the friction from the air would eat at the size of the meteorite.


    Willing that asteroid into existence, a dark stone formed above my palm, quintessence flooding from my frame. The white aura mirrored a star when viewed from below. They would see a section of starless sky, one blotted by absolute darkness. As the rough, jagged rock expanded overhead, a dark shadow cast over me, concealing my form. It took longer to make than I expected, giving me time to glance at what was beneath me.


    I found the Hybrids, their enormous tendrils, and the blighted resting on the tops of buildings and trees. A few dreadnoughts hovered over the expanse, their power cores glowing from the vessel''s depths. I stayed out of their sight, none of them the wiser.


    By the time I fully formed the rock over my head, twenty minutes passed. The stone mimicked a small cliffside, each end sharpened to speed its descent. This gave it the size and proportions of your average skyscraper. With a few more minutes of crafting, I reinforced the structure with dark steel. This would hold it together on impact, making it all the more devastating.


    With the makeshift meteorite finally finished, I lobbed the massive stone towards the ground while following its descent. I pushed it down from above, further speeding it all while accelerating it beyond terminal velocity with gravity wells on the bottom and antigravity wells on top.


    This gave it only a few seconds to speed up, but that was all it needed. It crashed through clouds, peeling through the air like a blot of black falling through space. Friction mounted on the surface, red light brimming forth as portions of the stone heated. It only glowed a dim red at the very end. The city remained unaware until the last moments.


    With nothing to stop the impact, I lowered my feet onto the edge of the meteorite. Within a second of it landing, I gave it one last push, jumping from the missile. This sped it up while getting me away from the blast radius.


    Despite the short fall, the stone created an explosive, apocalyptic detonation. It was like a nuclear bomb, the light on impact more blinding than the sun. The flash faltered a second later, showing an enormous plume of debris launching from the collision. The shockwave leveled buildings, stripping pavement and concrete from the ground. The sound shattered glass before tearing the buildings apart, and even the blighted tumbled like ragdolls under the meteor''s might.


    The sound reminded me of my own impacts. It was the kind of loud that left your ears ringing as if they couldn''t even comprehend how deafening the noise was. The kinetic, thermal wave followed, washing over those in the jungled city like a tsunami of fire and brimstone. This literal hell crashed over them and liquefied their insides while roasting their dead bodies. The espens washed under this debris, some dissolving from the wave of heat while others disintegrated entirely. Even the Hybrids fell to pieces under the strain of the shockwave, their nanomachine laden insides cooking.


    The forest surrounding the city of stone rippled with fire and force. It leveled trees miles away, the wind rippling trees off in the horizon. Fires started nearby from heated stones raining across the landscape, each drenching the land in red. Off in the distance, these pieces of rubble crashed like grenades, carpet bombing the forest and its occupants.


    I remained in place near the explosion, anchored by gravity and my own body''s tenacity. The shockwave washed over me like a warm wind, almost pleasant like a warm bath. Chunks of stone powdered against my steel skin, and the heat left me glowing yellow. This shrapnel blast lasted about a minute before slowing down, my hearing returning as it did. As the dust eventually settled, the Hybrids sprinkled the surface of the glowing debris.


    Their charred, broken exteriors showed their orange insides, splattered in the dirt like cooked lobsters smashed into soil. Their shells shattered, they remained husks dotting the carnage, their corpses decorating the land with decay and death. I stayed above it all, The orange glow radiated over my own shining frame.


    I grimaced at the desolation. A wave of panic welled in my chest before I shut it down. This was necessary. More than that, this wasn''t the only city I had devastated. Even in the scope of tonight, it wouldn''t be the last. With my own emotions quelled, I pulled back several miles from the city, reaching our landing zone.


    Around me, the entire area flattened, the jungle smothered by the wave of wind. The brush uprooted. The trees fell from the epicenter of the explosion. It was silence besides for a few crackling fires nearby, flames spreading from craters of debris. It was an ugly sight.


    As I sent the message to return, the portalists arrived minutes later. Gawking at the utter calamity surrounding them, they added to the silence, the kind of quiet that screams in your ears. It reminded me of Springfield after Yawm''s plague killed off the populace. We ended up going from house to house, eliminating all of them.


    This would''ve been much easier and less personal. I hoped other cities pulled through on Earth as stared at what happened to Giess. It made the act of vaporizing these infected cities easier on my conscious. Striking these blows against the Adairs gave us the opportunity to help others further down the line.


    It freed up resources to extend our reach, and that would end up helping those we took under our wing. Well, less taking under our wing and more like whipping them into shape, but either way, we were helping them out in the end. The eldritch were a permanent problem. We needed permanent solutions for them.


    As the fires raged around me, those thoughts held me together.


    The portalists lacked my dread, the silence breaking when one of them whistled aloud. They kept their distance from me, my glowing frame hot enough to ignite their armors and skin. I snapped a finger, a wave of quintessence washing cold energy over me. As it did, my armor screeched with an alien, hollowing sound. The talkative warper murmured,


    "By Schema...I''m glad you''re on our side."


    I rolled my shoulders,


    "I am too. Now come on, we''ve got plenty left to do."


    Spear stood beside them, whipping a spear. The electrical buzzing of sheared dimensions rang in my regenerated ears. I seethed,


    "One down. Two more to go."


    As I stepped through the portal Spear made, I gave one last look at the carnage. Shaking my head with disgust, I hoped we''d get back to helping people rather than killing them.


    Only time would tell when that would happen.


    *******************************************************************


    Phil Williamson -


    My eyes opened to cobweb-covered corners and dirty windows. I pushed myself out of bed, the sheets unwashed for years now, so they reeked something awful. Rubbing the tired out of my eyes, I peered around at the popcorn ceiling and the nylon wood walls.


    Eh, it was a home I guess.


    I pushed myself out of the patchwork sheets, my wife having stitched them back together for the hundredth time. It was better than sleeping with holes in sheets, but I wished we weren''t so stingy before the damned apocalypse. I might have some soles on my shoes that weren''t glued on if that were the case.


    Compared to fighting those eldritch at night, I could deal with worn-down shoes. It was watching everyone else wear down that really tore me up inside. I walked downstairs, the carpet covered steps creaking underfoot like whiny children. I needed to repair the underlying wood with a few nails and some sawed wood boards to stiffen the steps. It would have to wait till later. I was too tired after guarding the house at night.


    From outside the windows of our den and kitchen, I saw that night was coming soon, the sun setting. I sighed, a sort of unconscious complaint I didn''t mean to make. My pop always told me that a man kept his discontent to himself. I was the man of the house, so naturally, that meant I couldn''t whine about anything.


    No matter how much I might''ve wanted to.


    That didn''t apply to my son, Jason, however. He was a skinny boy, the kind that grew tall before growing wide. It gave him this gangly sort of demeanor only teenagers held on to for long. I couldn''t blame him for keeping that same lanky look either; he was only fourteen when the system came and crashed any chance we had at a normal life. Now he wore hand me down coveralls covered in the same patchwork my blankets had.


    It always stung somewhere in my chest when I saw them every morning. Day after day, week after week, I wanted to offer him a better life, but I was just so tired every day after keeping our home safe. In the end, maybe I was just lazy. I couldn''t tell anymore. It hurt me just the same no matter how I thought about it.


    Those thoughts jostled up in my head as Jason stared down at his status, no doubt dissecting the numbers and whatnot. He helped show me what was going on when the system first arrived. I was clueless as a farmer in a stock market. It was beyond me, I tell yah.


    For Jason, it came like second nature. He smoothly adapted to it, just like he did phones and touchpads when we first got those too. It was a shame he''d never be a fighter, though. He had the drive, but that didn''t matter. These monsters didn''t care if you wanted to get better. They''d kill anything near their level, no two ways about it.


    That''s what ended up happening. I guarded the first monsters that came to our house after we finished the tutorial. We only had one rifle with a bit ammo, and I was the only one that knew how to use it. That got me a headstart on levels, along with a few perks to boot.


    Now I was so far overleved over the rest of the family that guarding fell to me always. In some ways, I took pride in defending my family. In others, I exhausted myself with the constant fighting. It would never end, but I could never stop. Otherwise, my family would be butchered like pigs in a slaughterhouse.


    Jason didn''t take too kindly to my out leveling him either. He resented me for it, even now as I put my hands in my jean pockets,


    "Hey, son. It''s good to see you''re doing well."


    He didn''t even meet my eye, choosing to stare down at something invisible,


    "Sure."


    I peered away, finding Margret making dinner in the kitchen. It was simple food, a few herbs, boiled potatoes, and grilled corn for dinner. We didn''t have meat in the meal, but that was only for special occasions. It wasn''t as if keeping cows around would help much, considering they''d just get eaten up by the damn eldritch.


    She was washing dishes in water, no real soap left. I walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder,


    "How you doing honey-"


    She shook like I electrocuted her, her entire body going stiff. A glass plate shattered against the floor as she took a few deep breaths. I took a step back, lifting my hands,


    "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"


    She shook her head, "No, no. It''s my fault. I''m just a little jumpy is all."


    She turned to me as beautiful as the day I met her. Sure, the chaos we lived in meant her eyes had bags under them, but she looked gorgeous to me all the same. She jittered about, gaining a twitch since the monsters roamefd around us. She got that ever since Sally died. Just remembering that made the hole in my chest burn.


    God, I missed her so much.


    She''d never be back though, so I sucked up my pain and carried on, smiling at my wife,


    "Margret, it''s just me. You know I''ll keep the family safe. I always do."


    She gave me a weak smile, "Of course. Of course. I need to pray more is all."


    I nodded, "Yup. It helps you calm down."


    She grabbed her wrist, covering up scars. She did it without thinking about it, but I noticed every time. I frowned, knowing she had an episode once Sally passed. There was more to her suicide attempt than just her death, however.


    After Schema came in and flipped our world upside down, local governments shut down not long after. We couldn''t get any of the anxiety medication for Margret anymore. She didn''t handle it too well after we talked to a few neighbors and figured out that Sally passed. She was torn apart by wolves in the tutorial...


    My poor girl didn''t deserve that. No one did.


    Margret took the death hardest, though it still left me empty too. Someone had to be strong for the family, and as the man of the house, that fell to me. Jason barely cried, instead choosing to fall into some system games and the like. Avoiding pain wasn''t strength. My pop told me that, and I don''t know if I ever forgave Jason for not caring about Sally like we did.


    Maybe Jason did care, but he could do a lot better job of showing it. That much I knew. I couldn''t hate my own son despite that. He worked the farm ever since I took on guard duty. I tried helping for a while, but I ended up exhausted. So exhausted, I began falling asleep as I guarded the house. One time a monster tore three of my fingers off on my left hand because of that. My face was never the same after those wounds, either.


    After that, I quit helping out on the farm. It was too dangerous.


    Jason hated me for it, but there just wasn''t anything I could do. A man could only handle so much, and keeping the house safe was my limit. Our rifle long lost all its ammo, and now I fought with a club I made from scratch. It wasn''t the best, but it got the job done.


    With the maul, I needed all the strength I could muster. The monsters were getting more robust, and I didn''t know if I could handle it for much longer. I''d hold on and die with a weapon in my hand if it meant keeping these two safe, whether they hated me or not. It''s what kept me going.


    That wasn''t entirely true, not anymore at least. I found something that helped me pass the hours during the night recently. I looked forward to it as we finished up a bland breakfast. It was morning for me but evening for the others. The time difference kept them closer yet pulled us apart, and that was okay. I didn''t help them for something in return. I did it because it was the right thing to do.


    That motivation spurring me, I went out towards the watchtower at the top of the house. I found some crystals in a cave a few months ago, and I used them with a few glass panels to make night lights that never went out. It gave me a good view of what was around, enough to shoo away anything munching on our crops or worse.


    It got boring quick, the loneliness setting in like some kind of poison in my veins. Before my thoughts spiraled out of control, I opened up my status and looked up a website. Jason hated watching me do it this way since he said I could do it all with a single thought. I told him this way worked, so I stuck with it.


    A ''streaming'' site opened up, some confounded alien name. As much as the idea of aliens unsettled me, I couldn''t deny they came up with some good stuff. This site was one of those ideas, and it even had a few humans on it to boot.


    I checked out a few of the names I liked to watch in the corner of my vision while I prepared for the long night. Settling in, I found streams for dungeon clearing, crafting tools, and even magic. It was useful stuff, though most of it was low-level fodder. The only high-level stream that wasn''t restricted by a subscription or credit cost was the Harbinger.


    Just thinking about it gave me chills. I was level 400, struggling just to survive. Some monster was out there in the stars above, destroying monsters like it was nothing. It gave me hope that I might be able to get to his level one day. It would be a long time before then, so watching someone who already made it would have to do for now.


    I was in luck, too; he was streaming right this second. Tuning in, I watched him overlooking some jungled city at night, the evil Hybrids spread out before him. My eyes widened, and my heart raced as I watched him slam a massive stone into the land. He flattened the whole city like a spatula pressing down on a pancake.


    It left me with goosebumps. I thanked the lord that he wasn''t against us before the stream showcased an ad for his guild, the Harbinger''s Legion. It never mentioned where the guild was, but it did say how to join them. It required a few major hurdles, but it was still a genius move. Who wouldn''t want that guy on their side? If they were anywhere near Tenessee, I''d join them in a heartbeat. There were more than just a few issues with joining them right now, however.


    They required a screening process along with a training program. Now, I didn''t mind the training part. I did bootcamp back in the sixties for Vietnam. If there was one good part about the system, I felt younger now than I did then. Jason could use a good knocking around, and if the guild matched the guild owner, then they''d do just that.


    The screening, on the other hand, gave me the heebie jeebies. They needed to inspect your system interface and even your mind. I didn''t trust noone going into my head and messing with my thoughts, Harbinger''s guild or not. Apparently it was only a ''surface level scan,'' whatever that meant.


    It sounded like mind control to me.


    The other problem was how they handled security. Those kinds of screens and training had to happen at certain locations. If we could get there, then yeah, I''d probably get over my mind screening anxieties. We needed to go towards a nuetral, Schema controlled area before talking to a booth from them. They''d do the scan before giving you a location for one of their camps, wherever they were. For us, that just wasn''t doable.


    Warping was expensive, and it required a certain level before you could do it. We barely kept afloat with the protection of a house. Traveling meant we''d face all kinds of new monsters, and I wasn''t ready for it. God knows Jason and Margret weren''t either. They''d be mincemeat without someone keeping them safe.


    No, it was much better to stay put until someone came close enough that we could dash over for help. Until then, we would bunker down and pray, all of us stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with monsters roaming as far as the eye could see.


    At the moment, none of those monsters were out in the open, so I tuned back into the stream as the ad ended. It showed yet another city, showcasing the Harbinger tearing up another settlement of Hybrids. It left me blown away that anyone could do that, let alone a dang human. Enjoying the excitement, a few hours passed with me watching the Harbinger do his thing.


    I peered up from the stream as something rustled in the bushes, an alien creak echoing in the wind. I sighed while tightening my grip on my metal club covered in the horns of some monster I once killed. With a leap, I landed onto the ground with a dull thud, my feet cracking the dirt beneath me. I stared at the yellow eyes staring at me, both our eyes wide with the intent to kill. Several more pairs of eyes opened, more than I could count-out.


    I grimaced. It was going to be another long night.

 262 The Last Days

    -Daniel Hillside


    The warping specialists stumbled into the temple grounds, Spear and I standing above them. I grafted a gravity well onto them while turning to Spear, "Take them to bed. They need the rest."


    The stoic guardian gave me a nod, grabbing and slinging the lightened bodies like sacks of flour over his shoulder. I walked into the temple, hearing the familiar machinations of Torix. Within his lair, he managed pins over a map of Giess, showing various population centers for rural and urban areas. Torix murmured as I walked in,


    "It would seem as though the portalists aren''t with you to assist with your report."


    I shrugged, "They exhausted themselves. One of Spear''s landing zones was over 200 hundred miles from a city, so they ended up making a hundred plus portal chain to close the gap."


    Torix winced, "Ah, exhausted is perhaps an understatement then." He turned from his work, "You seem no worse for wear, though perhaps you aren''t standing as tall as usual...That and you haven''t pulled your helmet off."


    I frowned, keeping my face hidden, "There''s no reason, really. I just wanted to keep it on."


    "Hmm, well, it''s certainly your choice. Did you manage to make a dent in the first city?"


    "I got rid of all three."


    Torix dropped a pin in his hand, his blue fire eyes shifting shades. A brilliant white overcame them,


    "All three?"


    "Yeah. I blew them up with big rocks." I stared at my hands, "It wasn''t that hard honestly. Just...make a big rock over the city then pull it down." I shrugged, "They never saw it coming."


    "I...That''s incredible. Are you certain they were actually destroyed?"


    "You can ask Schema''s people after they wake up. From what I saw, it was a clean wipe for all the cities with some time to spare."


    Torix tilted his head, "So why did you all arrive just now?"


    I pointed at the temple''s exit, "I had to carry the portalists after a certain point while getting to the last city. That slowed us down."


    Torix tapped his temple, "The limiting factor wasn''t destructive potential but transportation...Interesting. This changes everything."


    "Like what?"


    "The number of cities we may devastate has exponentially increased. Here I believed it would take the remaining time we had left on Giess for you to maul the remaining locations, yet you''ve exceeded anything I believed possible."


    I frowned, "I mean, I could have done the same thing with an Orbital Bombardment using me as the bomb."


    Torix waved his arms, "Such a feat would be nigh impossible to maintain. Surely mental exhaustion would be a factor, given the sheer strain on your mind and body?"


    I wrinkled my brow, "Hmm, maybe? It''s definitely a lot easier to use a big rock. It''s less risky too."


    Torix spread his arms, "Regardless, I underestimated you yet again. If we were to destroy cities before the rebels retreat from Giess, we might stop them from rejoining their main forces. It would act as a method of limiting the number of blighted they obtain for future conflicts."


    "That makes sense. It''s like hitting the enemy while they''re sitting ducks rather than waiting for them to get ready."


    "Precisely."


    "That means I''ll be taking care of cities from here on out?"


    "If you are able and willing, then yes."


    I processed that information in my head as Torix said,


    "We shall strike them with the wrath of an Old One. This will allow us to cripple them before they leave Giess. You may drastically raise your level as well, given the number of cities you could destroy. This is the perfect outcome for our guild as a whole."


    I stared at my status, my level sitting at 11,750. Torix was right about the rapid rise I could gain from the nightly exterminations. In one night, I won more levels than I had over the last three weeks of city raids. If I did this for the next week or so that we had left, then I could gain several thousand levels, both to my cap and total.


    I might be able to give Lehesion a few hard knocks if he came towards Mt. Verner then. Using dungeon cores, I could even accelerate my learning of specific skills too. That, combined with daily training, could get me much closer towards my Sovereign skill. Of course, I needed a specific legendary skill that worked well with my other abilities first, so that would need to take priority.


    What kind of skill would I want to gain was the real question. I peered off, thinking about it for a moment. From a destructive standpoint, I was a marvel already. Any more cataclysmic potential, and I''d be a walking, breathing calamity. In many ways, I already was, so I wanted to do something else.


    My thoughts drifted towards the golems and their potential to stop the eldritch problem. Yeah, that seemed like a much better way of using my time. It would be working on a weakness, my general utility skills. At the very least, it would be a way of balancing out my current expertise.


    Torix waved a hand in front of my face,


    "Daniel, are you listening?"


    I shook my head, "What? Not really. I drifted off there for a minute. I was thinking about my build."


    The lich crossed his arms, his cloak-like cape an inch off the ground, "Hmmm, perhaps you''re more exhausted then you''d like to believe?"


    I scoffed, "It''s more like I have more to think about now, not that I''m thinking less."


    Torix lifted his chin, "Ahhh, the woes of a leader. I do understand the struggle, and you most certainly have my sympathies. However, I need your undivided attention at this moment. Can you handle the nightly raids?"


    I nodded, "I can and will. I''ll tear them down one by one, city by city."


    "Good." Torix eyes me over,


    "You know, you have me worried. It''s rare to see you questioning yourself and even rarer for you not to be present during a conversation. I always marked that attentiveness as a strength."


    I rolled my shoulders, "I''m fine."


    "Hm, I''ll put faith in your judgment. That being said, living in a sea of fire and rubble for days on end isn''t good for the psyche, no matter how strong said psyche is. Make sure you''re giving yourself some form of catharsis to keep yourself grounded."


    "Catharsis, eh?"


    "Indeed. It''s essentially a method of purging negative emotions through self-expression. Perhaps discovering something you enjoy would alleviate some of the burdens your carrying. My teaching is that for me. You need only discover what that is for you."


    I lifted my eyebrows, "I''ll admit, that would be nice."


    The lich shrugged, "Find something that will keep your sane during these insane times then, disciple. Whatever that may be, whether music, theater, perhaps reading?"


    I shook my head, "All that''s fun, but I need to get another legendary skill."


    "Then search that out. Use the hunt as a method of anchoring yourself. After all, it''s easy to lose who you are in the throes of war. In the ensuing peace thereafter, you may never find yourself again."


    The lich gave me a glare, the kind a teacher gives a student,


    "Do you understand my meaning?"


    I laughed a bit.


    "Yeah. I need to remember who I am, even when I''m kicking literal mountains worth of ass."


    The dark necromancer scoffed, "Indeed. Now, go find whatever that is." There was a glint in his fiery eyes, "Though I presume you''ve already found something that has taken hold of your interest."


    Thinking of the guarding golems, I nodded,


    "Yeah, I think so."


    If Torix had lips, they''d be grinning as Torix turned back to his work, "Then chase that curiosity. It will take you further than you could ever imagine."


    Letting him catch up on his work, I walked off. It was moments like those that reminded me of Torix''s desire to teach. He loved it, and that passion showed more and more as time passed. Feeling a sense of inspiration from his own joy at learning, I walked towards the center of Elderfire.


    There I walked through Schema''s landing point, finding mostly gialgathens but a few humans walking about. They helped the giants with tasks that required smaller hands. Of course, that came with conditions; serving the gialgathens was out of the question. I didn''t want gialgathens thinking that humans ever had to obey them out of expectation. It would always be an exchange of skills.


    Passing by the cooperative groups, they stared at me with disbelief. A few gazed in awe but most gawked with some kind of genuine fear racing up their spines at the sight of me. Eh, maybe they''d seen me rip a Hybrid''s head off once or twice on my streams. Either way, even the gialgathens gave me a breadth they usually wouldn''t have.


    It was a strange sensation, one of near reverence. Despite those odd glances, I gave several of them a wave. I had to keep up appearances after all. After handling the masses, a wave of ionized air washed over me from the warp drive. I stepped out into the industrial section of Mt. Verner, passing by while letting everyone know to keep up the excellent work.


    My visits no longer attracted an unusual amount of attention anymore due to their frequency. Passing towards an exit,  I reached the outskirts of the mountain, finding my golems standing right where I left them.


    Well, standing wasn''t the right word. When idle, the golems sat in piles of dark, jagged clusters on the ground. A sharp eye would spot them as unusual, mainly from the subtle hue of mana radiating off them. Without that kind of mana sense, they were effectively invisible. Given their density and weight, a few of the larger pieces even sunk a few inches into the dirt, exacerbating the hiding effect.


    As they woke up, I waved off a few birds resting on their shoulders before clapping the golems awake. Cracking my knuckles, I peered at each of them


    "Come on now, rise and shine."


    Their floating joints tumbled about as they rose from their slumber. Confused and disoriented, the young minds stumbled around, some of the golems running into nearby trees. One of them tripped over a different golem, falling back apart. I facepalmed, getting mad Hod vibes.


    This was a fight, just like any other. It wasn''t the kind I was used too, but I''d win all the same. I peered at each of them,


    "Alright, everybody. Front and center."


    The golems floundered over, some of them even mixing up pieces of their bodies. I pinched the bridge of my nose,


    "This is going to be a lot of work."


    A lot of work was an understatement. It was an absolute pain in the ass, but not for the reasons I expected. The golems turned out to be diligent, obedient, and determined students. The issues arose from how literally they took anything I told them. Even a slight mishap in my phrasing resulted in substantial splintering in their behaviors.


    Once more, I was reminded of why I wanted to craft the minds from scratch but better. After a few practice exams with the golems, I learned a few of the specific mistakes I made while creating their protocols. Taking notes in the trunk of a nearby tree, I ended up redesigning a few parts of how they did their guarding.


    Armed with that knowledge, I went about recreating another set of instructions for them in the cipher. Finishing it up an hour or two later, I created more golems, grafted the new cipher onto them, and tested the changes. Another crop of issues showed themselves, so I went about fixing them yet again.


    It may sound exhausting, but it rejuvenated me in actuality. I enjoyed working on something that mattered, and this was a nice change of pace. I even began reaching out with telepathic tethers to communicate with them. They sort of understood words, but my meaning was often lost in translation. When talking by our minds only, misunderstandings were far less common.


    It made Torix''s mental combat lessons more practical. Speaking of which, I warped back towards Elderfire, got my ass kicked by said lich, then went back to the golems. With a throbbing headache, I kept at it until the sun began setting in the distance. Having made significant progress, I rolled my shoulders and prepared myself for my nightly duties.


    Settling the golems down in the trees, I warped back towards Elderfire for another night of bloodshed. Cities burst to ash in waves of light, force, fire, and fury. It happened fast, as fast as clearing out a dungeon, for instance. With the plans set up for me, I went through the motions, using dark meteorites to decimate towns.


    It was a strange way of spending time. On the one hand, I made unbelievable progress. We passed our three towns a night goal in just a few hours. Deciding to continue, we pushed further into tomorrow''s schedule. This tired the warpers out, but I was okay. In all honesty, this was...easy.


    My levels shot up in much the same way. Ever since passing about the 8,000 mark, I hadn''t noticed my level ups much. They happened in bursts of a few hundred at most, meaning they never created a substantial change. Diminishing returns ensured that despite getting over a hundred levels at once, they lacked the punch one level used to have.


    These city slaying ventures were those same chunks but dispersed several times overnight. It was a kind of progress I never expected to have again. With each city, I sharpened up my sight, my mass increasing. I strengthened as each stone impacted a settlement. As my weight grew, I suspended the boulders overhead using even less effort. I also generated the masses quicker, building more immense, more hardened stones to smash with.


    These subtle alterations made the barrages even more effective, leveling my Orbital Bombardment skill. In many ways, it acted as an unsettlingly effective killer, my ability to erase entire cities from the map unmatched. Without the legalization of nuclear weaponry, this kind of assault was all but necessary. Being able to do so without planning or machinery made my magic sickening to behold.


    From city to city, village to village, I tore apart the entirety of Giess. A globetrotter unbounded by distance or time, I ripped the whole of their new civilization apart. When I began my bombings, we only had nine days left on Giess before the scheduled glassing. Including our own evacuation time, that gave us only a week to dish out damage.


    And I culled them all.


    Torix planned better once he learned the full extent of my abilities. He lined the cities closer together, saving us travel time. It exhausted the portalists less as well. They still suffered intense mental exhaustion, each of them nearly delirious after the first few days. They ended up only willing themselves through twelve more cities.


    After the warpers needed rest, Spear and I went onward, slower than before, but still blistering through cities compared to before. Even at this newfound pace, I gained levels on top of levels from that night alone. I got into a flow of destroying a city, placing my points into endurance, and then moving on.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It became routine as all things do. Spear and I trekked through Giess''s landscapes on our own. The sheer repetition involved with both bombing the cities and traveling made the evenings drag together, like a night that never ends. Never needing to sleep exacerbated that issue, and it was like living two lives, one of destruction and the other of creation.


    Those nights, they wore me down. Even if I held myself together through them, that kind of mission still haunted me. Even Spear tired himself out after a few days, though the indomitable protector refused to show it. All the strain from portaling made Helios''s mastery all the more impressive. Spear held his own in that regard, however, so we pushed forward and hard. After all, each city we destroyed showed an impact, both in levels and in any reports I read.


    The Emperor was the primary source of that information. Within the first three days of my attacks, fewer Hybrids attacked Obolis''s cities. Each crater I left in my wake meant fewer blighted ones covering the skies on the Empire. Even the countrysides of Giess cleared out some. By the time a full week passed, I had destroyed forty-three cities, settlements, and hive clusters.


    Some of them weren''t as large as other settlements, and they gave me fewer levels as a result of that. When it was all said and done, I rested at a comfortable level 15,000, the same level as an entirely capped out Fringe Walker. This rapid progress showed itself in my form and stature. I outsized Spear by quite a bit now, and my general aura seemed to match my increase in levels.


    It wasn''t as if I changed, though I had. The main difference was in what people believed of me. Before, I was the killer of Yawm and a walking army. Now I tread onto the path of a world-destroyer, a being to be whispered of and feared. It happened quick, something I didn''t expect but appreciated.


    Well, destroying dozens of cites single-handedly tended to do that.


    It resulted in what Schema branded as the seven-day harvest. According to Torix during our mental battles, our number of recruits from other guilds over doubled. It was complicated getting them admitted into the guild considering our security concerns. It did give us an influence exceeding Giess and Earth, however.


    Regardless of the details, my fame rose by orders of magnitude, at least based on what Torix told me. Time would tell the validity of his claims. It gave me a lot to think about between the cities I culled.


    I mean, my increase in levels bolstered Schema''s claims. After all, a sentient''s levels showcased their worth in Schema''s society. Showing my rise despite being a classless, backwater savage, well, it was inspiring to many. It also painted the war against the Adairs as a feeding frenzy rather than the brutal bloodbath it actually was.


    Schema milked that illusion for all it was worth. To me, that idea was a bad joke, one without a punchline or any bite to it. For me, those nights passed like bathing in a sea of blood. Killing. Rubble. Fire. The massacres all blurred together, a living fever dream that never seemed to end. Despite the burden of it all, the rise in levels and popularity was...nice. I wasn''t void of an ego after all, and being appreciated livened me up regardless of the mass-murdering context.


    It was better than being looked down upon, that much was for sure. I could just imagine how much Helios was chewed out by the Emperor for how he treated us early on. Karma had a way of catching up after all.


    We even gained a few offers for allyship from other guilds besides the Empire. It was mainly from alien factions offering to join us and our effort. It turns out, being painted as a hero acted as a fantastic method of getting people excited for a cause.


    It was all very strange to me. On the one hand, here I was, killing millions of people. On the other side of the equation, everyone was showering our guild with praise and adulation. It showed a rift between reality and perception, one that Schema actively exploited. The AI was beyond ruthless, and Schema commended my guild for our mass murdering methods.


    Those thoughts unnerved me for many reasons. At the same time, I was doing my best with the knowledge I had. At least my progress with my golems kept me sane during all the madness.


    I found that programming minds could only take me so far, even with very advanced schematics. At some point, teaching them was required for progress. A day or two into teaching, and suddenly writing new cipher inscriptions seemed better. This push and pull went back and forth during the seven-day harvest.


    When I hit that wall with cipher runes, I turned towards teaching. When I stalled from training, I wrote out a few new codes for them to follow. This pattern made my progress steady but never too quick nor slow. In the teaching aspects, I went to Torix for help. He patiently drilled in the basics of teaching via a long lecture with questions.


    Was it boring? Well, kind of. Was it useful, though? Absolutely.


    Using his techniques, I gained further insight into how learning took place. For instance, one aspect of teaching was to use a student-centered model rather than a teacher-centered one. The idea was surprisingly simple - focus on learning what the students know rather than what they didn''t.


    For example, a lot of students struggled with math. They used a particular method for solving a problem and came up with the wrong answer. A short-sighted teacher would assume that the student''s approach must be completely wrong, so the student should discount their own thinking entirely.


    This disengaged the student, mounting their frustration and wasting their time. They could''ve been almost correct, but a teacher''s laziness stopped that progress from being recognized. This style of teaching focused on imprinting a teacher''s thoughts onto the students, and it stifled critical thinking.


    A wise teacher worked to understand the student''s knowledge set. Once known, they could revise the errors and build from that base of knowledge that the student already had. After all, you can have 90% of the process right but still come up with a wrong answer in something like math. Scrapping a method that''s so close to correct was like throwing away a house that''s 90% built. It would be a huge time and effort sink, one most people couldn''t afford.


    Especially these golems who had the intelligence of cloth.


    The tricky part of this new teaching method was designing a course that enabled this kind of learning. It required challenges that were approachable, challenging, and rewarding. If I did that and let the golems develop themselves, their knowledge would go deeper than the surface level regurgitation my previous teachings resulted in.


    It was complicated as hell, but I found much better results from this method of instruction. When it all clicked in my head, this new teaching method was far less complicated than what I did before. Instead of carrying out courses, I just carried the golems to a dungeon. Once inside a cavern or the like, I watched them struggle on their own. As they fumbled against monsters much weaker than them, they learned tactics against certain enemies. If they stalled, I nudged them in the right direction through a few mental conversations.


    The tactics they learned proved simple in practice, like how to fight stone gargoyles. If the golems swung at random, they ended up being attacked between their swings. If they waited until after a gargoyle committed to attacking them, then they could land a killing blow as it swooped down. It sounded obvious, but it wasn''t to these knuckleheads.


    Either way, we made reasonable progress within a week. It wasn''t as if these golems could use something like language. As for beyond basic fighting, they comprehended a bit more than when we started. The progress from these tactics slowed down as time passed despite my efforts, so I shifted focus back towards mind magic.


    It wasn''t anything too grueling, but prodded them from certain mental angles. It was kind of like there minds were spheres, and you could attack from anywhere to crush them. My goal was to get them to guard against an attack from any angle. Multiple attacks or sophisticated tactics were out of the question, but that basic defense would do wonders given their vast repositories of willpower.


    These days of cultivating a few quiet, unassuming golems made a world of difference for me. I wasn''t changing the universe or anything, but it was a personal, long-term goal that kept me centered. As we finished up our efforts on Giess, I resolved myself to continue studying and researching methods of expanding these golem''s minds.


    I believed I was onto something here. If I could mass produce these things, people wouldn''t have to fight for their lives in dungeons anymore. It was a purely good thing that I didn''t have to think too hard about whether it was right or wrong. Instead, I could just dive in with focus and creativity like crafting armor or designing a training schedule.


    I looked forward to spending more time on it as I finished my last city slaughter. City wasn''t quite the right word. It was more of a facility center, something similar to a power plant underground. I used a sharp stone I developed during my attempts at destroying cities. A simple coating of metal let any rock go far deeper into the ground before reacting kinetically.


    It left a cauldron in the ground, the deeper explosion underground causing less annihilation at the surface. Magma pooled at the pit''s bottom, glowing orange and red. The dust settled a while back, and now I waited along a stripped hill for Spear''s return. A dimensional rip appeared beside me, and Spear hobbled out.


    Leaning onto a spear, he suppressed the urge to vomit. I went and picked the guy up, and we headed towards Elderfire. The Sentinel exhausted himself during the last seven days, his constant warping in and out of city ranges taxing his mana. After several hours of travel, I hovered him with a gravity well. He kept his head down as I turned to him,


    "What about using portals is so tiring?"


    Spear murmured,


    "There is a sense of exhaustion similar to motion sickness that takes place. Different individuals carry different tolerances for this kind of transport. Mine vastly outweighs those portalists that Schema sent us. Helios''s vastly outweighs mine."


    "Aren''t you using the spear for it?"


    "The spear is a tool. Using it to warp is like using a hammer to smash nails into wood. If you smash a thousand nails in a row, then you''re bound to hit your hand at some point. Continue doing so, and your hand will lose function. One''s concentration during warping is similar, and it can only continue for so long."


    He stared down, sounding sick,


    "And...this gravitational travel is not helping."


    I rolled my eyes, "Don''t stare down then."


    Spear murmured, "Please...Flip me upward."


    I did as the guardian asked, and he sighed with relief. Sailing into Elderfire, we floated over a city full of movement. Dozens of crates, sleds, mana driven platforms, and even storage rings were being dispensed. On these carrying devices, food of all kinds was crated towards the center of town. Personal belongings and other possessions stored into the dimensional rings. As for the necessities, those took up the bulk of the physical space fitted into each warp.


    Torix stood at the center of Elderfire, peering at the flow of traffic with the intensity I expected from the lich. Unable to help himself, he dispensed timely advice,


    "Keep your distancing orderly. Calm yourselves. Time shall pass. You all shall leave...eventually."


    Torix lifted a hand, projecting an image of a human woman and man, "Though tempting, do not eat this species. They are the origin species of our guild leader, and eating them is forbidden, as is to be expected."


    He grumbled, "As is experimentation, but that too, is to be expected."


    The gialgathens kept their telepathic conversations open as they moved, letting others listen in. Several of their conversations entered my mind all at once.


    "That''s the species of the Harbinger? I thought they were metal."


    "I believed them beings of pure energy, manifesting as physical monsters."


    "He comes from humble origins. Surprising. I expected more from them, though perhaps they''re hiding their potential. Their species spawned him after all."


    It was about the response I expected. Even when humbled, the gialgathens hadn''t lost their haughty natures, at least not entirely. It wasn''t outright derisive, however, so I took their responses as a net positive. Torix kept them all in line as I floated up to the guy with Spear tailing not far behind.


    Reaching beside them, Torix looked me up and down,


    "You seem rather well considering you spent the entire night causing various explosions. Spear seems far more affected. Perhaps he should''ve invested more into willpower, hm?"


    I shook my head, "He has some kind of portal sickness."


    Torix facepalmed, "Ah, of course he would. It''s a common problem. Perhaps we may garner more portal support from different members that have joined us recently. I''d completely forgotten about it."


    Torix sighed, "Gah, I need an AI to automate some of my tasks. Details are beginning to slip from my grasp. Those details may one day equate to lost lives."


    I peered at Spear, "How does portal sickness work?"


    Torix raised a finger, "It spawns from two diverging issues. On the one hand, shifting perspectives and scenery over and over creates a motion sickness in certain people. Just as well, portals require a measure of visualization."


    Torix raised both his hands, "Imagine immersing yourself in a different place while being in your current one. It creates a difficult dichotomy, one where your consciousness almost splits. As it comes together, it creates a refocusing that can be difficult to withstand. This is why many struggle with it. Think of it as a very talent oriented field of magic."


    Torix put a hand on his chest, his chin raised, "As a lich, I do not suffer from said motion sickness. It''s a part of how I organize my senses through my body. These limiters give me a measure of resistance to portal sickness that many warpers lack."


    Torix coughed into a hand, "Though my distance abilities are low."


    Torix turned towards the crowd of gialgathens being warped from Elderfire, "Despite those very abilities, it will be difficult to manage everything given our now splintered operations."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Splintered, huh?"


    Torix glanced at a warp-drive as it fired off, "The issue is in partitioning out our base of operations. As is, Lehesion assaulting Mt. Verner would decimate our guild. Therefore, the security of information is absolutely essential for our continued survival. I''ve issued basic mental screening along with a few technical checks that John Mcsmitty enacted. For now, it shall suffice."


    I scoffed, "Man, I can''t get over that guy''s name."


    Torix shrugged, "He works well for what we need him to do. I assume he''s the reason that several Empire scouts discovered Mt. Verner''s location. Regardless, he hasn''t harmed us yet, and we''ve allied ourselves closely with the Empire already."


    Torix winced, "As is, it''s only a matter of time before the Adairs uncover Mt. Verner''s location from the Empire. Our trading with the Emperor has already ceased due to their rebellions. Though they may not uncover our exact location, they shall uncover the planet we''re nestled on in time."


    My eyes widened, "That''s bad. Real bad."


    "Indeed. They may find us yet."


    I shook my head, "That''s not what I''m worried about. The issue is they might just blow us up completely. The earth that is. I mean, the Hybrids and espens haven''t evacuated Giess. If anything, they''ve expanded operations across the planet. That means they have confidence Giess won''t be glassed."


    Torix shrugged, "There''s little we can do here that haven''t already done. Glassed or not, our time here has already come to pass."


    "Yeah, but the thing is-" A loud set of flapping wings interrupted me, so I turned towards the desert skyline. Chrona and Krog flew up towards us. Torix lifted his hands to them,


    "Ah, it is good to see our generals alive and well. I assume you''ve saved more gialgathens then?"


    Chrona grinned, "We did. I saved fifty-six while Krog over here only saved forty-eight." Chrona turned to the red and orange gialgathen, "Perhaps fighting in the Harbinger''s shadow has made you soft?"


    Krog grumbled, "Your stasis is the only reason you saved more, and you know it."


    Chrona lifted her chin, "Ah, discounting earned skills, I see? I understand. Being humbled is a harrowing process."


    Krog frowned, "We''ve all been humbled."


    Chrona grinned, "Some more than others."


    I rolled my eyes, "Come on, guys. Let''s focus."


    They turned towards me. The gialgathens paused for a moment as if frozen before they jolted upright. Both of them met my eye, and their heart rate spiked. They both kept their composure, but some kind of invisible pressure left them on edge. I looked them over, and it popped in my head.


    They were afraid.


    I looked back and forth at them, "Uh, you guys okay?"


    Chrona nodded, "Of-of course."


    I scoffed, "Did a Hybrid pull your tongue out?"


    Chrona shook the wave of fear off, "As if they''d ever catch me."


    Krog peered at me with reverence, his eyes distant. He shook his head while staring down,


    "In our long history, we''ve never seen a hero of such renown. Incredible."


    Hero? Me? Pfff. I was a killer with a few good points.


    I scratched the back of my head while looking away,


    "Uh, thanks, I guess."


    Blood rushed to my face, my face brightening red. Wait, my blood looked like silver, and my skin was gray. Maybe they didn''t notice. Yeah, I''d just act like they didn''t notice. Torix caught on, however, so he nudged me with an elbow,


    "Ho, ho, it looks as though even the great Daniel Hillside can feel a measure of embarrassment."


    I glared at him, but he stood his ground. It felt good that he still acted as my equal. I turned towards the two gialgathens in front of me, each resting their wings,


    "Guys, just treat me like you always have. Nothing has changed between us."


    Krog shook his head,


    "That simply is not true. Lehesion carried us out of the dark ages. You have done more, carrying us out of extinction. For that, you''ve earned my gratitude."


    I blinked, "Uhm, I''m glad to hear it." I waved a hand, "But, er, how is the transition towards Mt. Verner going?"


    Chrona peered down, "Poorly."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How so?"


    Chrona sighed, "We...are large creatures, and while your planet is lush with life, it is incomparable to Giess. We need large volumes of food, and I don''t believe our kind can feast on the deer and cows nearby for much longer."


    "Why not just eat eldritch?"


    Chrona''s tail whipped behind her, "It is possible, though few dungeons carry edible animals. The issue is that Mt. Verner is not large enough for a population of several thousand gialgathens."


    Torix clapped his hands, "Perfect. We shall use each of you to establish a control zone in our city expansion plan."


    I raised my eyebrows, "City expansion, huh?"


    Torix turned a palm to me, "Indeed. It involves opening several more bases, similar to Mt. Verner. They shall remain secret and controlled by trusted individuals I''ve carefully curated. They shall increase the guild''s income tremendously, and our reach will expand as well."


    I frowned, "I don''t know about that. Our guild is easy to defend since it''s all in one place. We also have a tightknit community that we can trust. Accepting everyone would mean our guild loses that elite feel it has."


    Torix nodded, "That is precisely why I''ve set up a specific protocol for joining, a ranking system of authority, and a reward system based upon merit. I intend to maintain a respectable organization but on a larger scale."


    Torix leaned towards me, "After all, we cannot fight an interplanetary rebellion unless we can fight on many planets. As is, our guild has struggled to maintain a battle on even one."


    I bit my lip before letting my hands flop against my sides, "Yeah, you''re right."


    Torix stood upright, "Thank you for listening to my reasoning. Now, I don''t know if you''re weary from your journeys, but perhaps you may assist with moving supplies towards Mt. Verner? You own by far the most dimensional storage space out of anyone in the guild, and your gravitation magic may help us as well."


    He coughed into a hand, "And you may also move goods that are...less legal in nature."


    I gave Torix a thumbs up, "Smuggling, you don''t say?" I turned towards Chrona and Krog, "It wouldn''t be my first time. We''ll definitely work something out as far as the food situation is concerned as well. I mean, I can make animals to eat like we did here."


    Chrona raised her eyebrows while sticking out her tongue,


    "The creatures here...they lack taste."


    I shrugged, "When you can feed an army with your own mana, then you can complain. Until then, eat the magic tofu without whining."


    Chrona sighed, "Yes, sir."


    I waved an arm in a circle, "Alright, let''s move some gear."


    Torix pointed in the right direction, and I went to moving stuff. Most of it was necessary, though a bit of it was fluff. It was good the gialgathens were keeping their culture, though, and I wouldn''t want them to stifle themselves just to fit in. It was better they spread their wings and fly, both literally and metaphorically.


    Those thoughts drifted through my mind as I picked up a massive haul of produce. Taking an absurd amount of goods, I shoved crate after crate into my dimensional storage without end. Millions of pounds later, I lifted more containers with gravity and moved towards the warp. As the ionization commenced, a mild, vinegary scent wafted in my nose, the air sterile. When the transport ended, I took a deep breath while looking around.


    Yup. Things changed around here.

 263 An Adjustment

    The most significant initial change was in the warping location. Though it was apparent why after thinking about it, we weren''t on the second floor of Mt. Verner anymore. I mean, gialgathens were big creatures, more massive than elephants. Getting them out of a mountain base would require the construction of tunnels specifically for the job.


    Instead, the warp-drive resided in a gully along the side of the mountain. Nestled between two walls of dirt, a small community of handlers talked with gialgathens nearby. They found this gorge on the southern side of the bluff, facing towards Springfield. Water crashed through this chasm when it rained, preventing trees from ever taking root at its bottom.


    Here soft grass covered the ground with shade from trees above. I peered up, finding an open sky with fluffy clouds and warm winds. Earth looked welcoming, the drudgery of Giess behind us. Turning my gaze down, I found the traditional stalls that Schema set up for core conversion and the like. Just beyond them, crates carried the goods of the gialgathens.


    There the gialgathens conversed with humans who handled their living situation. Gialgathens would be covering the entire side of the mountain, given their need for open air and clear skies. That required some organization so they didn''t end up collapsing the rock walls of Mt. Verner. Living in a hollowed mountain carried its risks after all.


    I paced towards them, setting my stored goods beside the groups. After getting a few stares, I jumped up, the ground quaking beneath my feet. It rippled and burst, unable to withstand the forces put upon it. I lifted myself with gravity after, looking towards Mt. Verner.


    Hundreds of gialgathens carved out homes here. Most of them preferred the middle of the mountain where it wasn''t too cold nor too hot. Some of the Rivarians preferred the more frigid peaks, however, and a few even wanted to nestle along other ravines where moisture pooled. It depended on where we found them and what mirrored the geology of their birth.


    Considering their natural vitality and tenacity, gialgathens needed little shelter from the elements or from animals. They kept their homes simple, carving out caves into the cliffsides. These resting places had three main aspects: a sunspot, a dark place, and a landing area. They sunbathed in the sunspots, slept in the dark spots, and, well, landed in the landing areas.


    They spruced up their quarters with a variety of extra details despite those humble abodes. Most of them carved certain rocks to indicate the landing areas they wanted. Though unformed, several of the sculptures showed plenty of promise, the gialgathen''s mastery of carving unmatched.


    Well, besides for me, but that was a given.


    Joking aside, the youngest of these giants adapted the quickest as most children do. Without skipping a beat, a few of the gialgathenic children played with the Eltari, Hod''s native race. They slid and sliced through the skies, their forms mesmerizing to watch. It was like watching eagles perform circus stunts, the children''s acts of daring both ridiculous and impressive.


    Not all gialgathens focused on domestic duties, however. A few prepared for war, several of them being outfitted with armor at a sort of station made for them. Along several rows of landing zones, our guild hand supply lines leading towards the mountain''s side. Trucks carried massive plates of orichalcum for outfitting the beasts, giving them protection against the Hybrids.


    These gialgathens carried the equivalent of saddles on their back to many of the monsters'' chagrin. It was a necessary transition; we needed troops to ride on their backs. The gialgathens were too valuable as transport and aerial support, avoiding the legions of Hybrids that would smother the land below. Not only that, but the humans on their backs served as valued resources in their own right.


    They usually carried an informational specialist along with a mind magician from Torix''s program. This prevented Blighted Ones from overwhelming the gialgathen''s defenses. Combine that with the added mana and combat prowess of people plus gialgathen, and the riding combo was worth pushing for.


    Even if the gialgathens had a resistance to the whole riding thing, they needed to get past that, plain and simple. It wouldn''t be the first adjustment for them, and it sure as hell wouldn''t be the last. That was the price of survival and prosperity, and so far, the gialgathens seemed more than willing to pay it.


    Either way, I didn''t have any more time to check out how the gialgathens were adjusting. I floated back down towards the ground, several crate workers passing me. After walking through the warp-drive, I found the same desert jungle full of moving gialgathens. Passing through the sea of packages and luggage, I hoisted more gear up and moseyed on.


    Rinse and repeat, I carried millions of pounds of gear each trip, speeding up our evacuation. Torix organized those here, and many of the soldiers said their goodbyes, both gialgathen and human. Even if Elderfire turned out to be a temporary residence, it was where they bled and shed tears.


    Amidst the desert dunes, they rekindled hope and showed will. It wouldn''t be forgotten soon, at the very least.


    With the moving finished, I nestled my way back towards Mt. Verner. Torix and I already set up a meeting with the Emperor in just a few hours, so I rested for a few minutes. In my fancy apartment upstairs, I lounged on my bed while checking out my status. The numbers amazed me still.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 15,000 | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden)


    Strength ¨C 45,650 | Constitution ¨C 65,389 | Endurance ¨C 135,833


    Dexterity ¨C 23,434 | Willpower ¨C 95,137 | Intelligence ¨C 51,447


    Charisma ¨C 17,220 | Luck ¨C 26,300 | Perception ¨C 18,636


    Health: 149.6 Million/149.6 Million | Health Regen: 1.4 Billion/min or 24.1 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 3.586 Trillion


    Mass: 8.2 Million Pounds(3.7 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 15''8 (4.7 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.16% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 25.7 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within the radius of aura.


    They were otherwordly. I nearly passed the 100k mark with my willpower, and my endurance was surely unmatched by now. All my other stats, from strength to my lowly charisma, were higher than most mains in those stats. If anything, these numbers meant little to me now. From a raw specs perspective, there''s no way anyone could match me.


    Well, unless they were getting help from an Old One, that is.


    Those were the waters I tread into, and they went dark and deep. In many ways, I transcended eldritch now, at least any that I''d seen. Maybe Plazia-Ruhl would change my mind if we ever met, but for now, they weren''t an issue. My problems stemmed from people above Schema''s system.


    That meant Lehesion, Old Ones, and maybe a few others drifting in the stars above.


    If I wanted to take my power to the next level, I needed some unnatural, twisted skills and knowledge. I would need to expand into frontiers unreached, and even then, mastery of those new fields would be required. Unknown skills, forbidden cipher knowledge, and talking with Old Ones, that''s what I would need to do after my class was made.


    Talking with Old Ones was out of the question. It was just too damn risky. As far as the other options, time and effort would be required. I was in the long game now, and creativity would move me forward, not brute force. Either way, these gains from tearing Giess a new one were nice.


    At this point, I needed a new legendary skill along with red dungeon cores. Blue dungeon cores would be helpful for future cities as well. Considering our newfound status as a galactic power, perhaps I could get a few more of those. I was nearly broke from buying red cores in the past, so buying a bunch of red dungeon cores was out of the question.


    Tackling a few fringe worlds seemed like the right direction to take considering the sheer density of rifts. I could spend a few months on a planet, clear it out, then make my legendary skill after that. Of course, doing so was impossible at the moment, but it was a possibility worth considering for the future. As those thoughts tumbled in my mind, a gentle ring buzzed in my ears. It was time for the meeting with Obolis.


    I flopped myself upright, pulling myself from my bed. Falling onto the ground like a dancer, I gravity welled my way through my room and Mt. Verner. I reached the third floor, our meeting room already full. As I stepped in, I found several people here, some virtually some not.


    Krog and Chrona both appeared as screens from outside. They didn''t fit in this space, and we hadn''t renovated yet. Hod, Althea, and Torix stayed on one side of the table. On the other, Kessiah, Amara, and Spear sat together. It was a strange hodgepodge of different species, but we made it work.


    This was the backbone of our guild. These were the people my enemies would learn to fear.


    I sat at the end of a smooth, metallic table, and we chatted about the war, how we were holding up, and personal victories. Torix managed his status and listened to Althea as she gushed about a few of her difficult kills. Hod gazed longingly at Amara as the eldritch and Spear eyed one another with disdain. Kessiah twirled a tiny sphere of blood over one of her fingers while leaning back in her chair, confident as ever.


    The conversations ceased as a three-dimensional hologram appeared of Obolis. He stood in a knee-deep pool of orange blood, a Hybrid skull detached and in his hands. Around him, fires raged, bullets whizzed, and screams echoed. He turned around, inspecting everyone here,


    "It is good to command your guild''s full attention. I won''t waste it."


    I nodded, "We won''t waste yours either. How are you holding up?"


    He squashed the skull in his hand, the brains splattering about. Obolis smiled,


    "As well as to be expected. I''m fighting here on my nephew''s world. Due to the many rebellions he failed to dispatch, he''s been...decommissioned as the ruler here. His brother Helios has also been demoted as well. His reduction in rank stemmed from his failure in fostering a relationship with your guild. It is sad, but they''ve both proven unworthy of the titles granted to them."


    He shook his head while staring down, "Time will tell if they regain that prestige once more..." He peered up, "How is your guild?"


    I turned towards everybody, "I''m doing good. How about all you?"


    Kessiah grinned, "I''m feeling good."


    Torix mumbled, "Yes. Doing swell."


    Amara hissed, "Worse with this gatekeeper here."


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Spear sighed, "I would not choose to stay here either if not for my commander. That is all."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "They''re quite lively. Excellent. We''ll need that vigor in battle here." He turned to me, "I saw your bombardments of Giess''s cities. The burden of genocide lingers upon you, but so does the glow of victory. Know that you made a difference here with each passing city and marred wasteland you left behind."


    He gave me a small bow, "Brutal in its simplicity, it was remarkable."


    I raised my palms, "I threw rocks at cities. It wasn''t exactly complicated."


    Obolis smiled, "Genius is not found in creating complexity. It is found in making the complex simple. Now, I hate to brush away pleasantries, but we must organize quickly. Lives are lost with each passing second."


    I nodded, "Of course."


    The ancient Emperor hardened his gaze, "When can we expect your support?"


    I stated, "Tomorrow."


    Torix gasped before sputtering, "W-w-what? Tomorrow? I...I...By Schema, if I wasn''t already dead, I''d die from overworking." The lich flopped back in his chair, "Details shall be missed, but that deadline can be met."


    I looked the lich up and down, noting his drooping shoulders and dimmed eyes. The lich showed signs of exhaustion, even if they weren''t exactly normal. I noted that as Obolis raised a fist at us,


    "We look forward to spilling blood with you. Of course, your kindness shall not be met without any form of reconciliation."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"


    "I''ve sent Helios and his brother towards Mt. Verner. They shall act under your express command, Harbinger. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill and as an enabler of your destructive potential."


    I covered my mouth by crossing my fingers in front of it. My hands hid a smirk as I dwelled on Helios''s fall. From the ruler of worlds to a commander for an allied force, oh how the mighty had fallen. It was likely a direct punishment for how he treated us early on when we met on Giess. Either way, I didn''t hate the guy, and his warping abilities alone were invaluable for moving troops.


    He better be expecting some portal sickness here soon, though.


    "Thanks," I said. "I was wondering if I could ask for something else while we''re already talking?"


    The grizzled Albony raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, perhaps two previous owners of worlds aren''t enough?"


    I scoffed, "They''re plenty, and thank you for the offer. We need competent people, and they fit the bill. I was actually hoping for one of your treasures before we committed troops."


    A sly look passed over Obolis, "Ah, you''re hungry for the elemental furnace then, correct? Given the nature of your cipheric inscriptions, I cannot blame you. They appear to siphon attributes into your frame, and that alone would bolster your abilities tremendously. Consider it done."


    I shook my head, "That wasn''t actually what I was hoping for, though I''ll take it if you''re willing to give it. I actually wanted the Obelisks you showed us with the software attached."


    I turned to Torix, "Our logistics team could use a break."


    Torix stood up straighter in his seat, a glint in his fiery eyes. Obolis laughed in his solemn, noble voice while resting a hand on his forehead. As he pulled it back, a smear of blood lingered on his face,


    "Consider it done. They''ll arrive with Helios and his brother."


    Obolis clapped his hands, sending out a shockwave in the room he lingered in. He turned towards us,


    "Message our logistical team when and where you wish to arrive. We shall be waiting."


    The meeting closed, and everybody took a breath. I turned to them, "You guys okay?"


    Althea winced, "Even through a hologram, he''s scary."


    Kessiah blinked, "It''s like talking to an Overseer and then some."


    I didn''t notice pressure around him anymore, but maybe I was just used to talking to the guy. We continued the meeting for a little bit before finishing our discussions. With our plans organized, we stood up and went back to business. Althea and I exchanged a hug along with a light kiss before I walked out of the room.


    Torix waited for me. He waved me over, Althea and I walking over. Turning to the lich, I smiled,


    "What''s up?"


    He walked up and gave me a hug, something I didn''t expect. I hugged the guy back before he grabbed my shoulders with his arms extended out,


    "Daniel, I cannot thank you enough for the obelisks. They shall make a world of difference for me."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "No problem. Elemental furnaces can wait. We need you rested for your plans to really work."


    The necromancer lowered his hands, "And so they shall. I''m off to find Helios and see if I can''t begin automating functions right away."


    Torix turned away before Althea gave him a light punch on the shoulder,


    "Hey, don''t forget me."


    Torix scoffed, "Forgetting the unforgettable? Impossible."


    They hugged before the lich walked down the hallway. Right as Torix turned the corner, the lich raised his hands,


    "Well, isn''t this a pleasant surprise? I see you brought company as well."


    A deep voice spoke out with disdain, "Is it truly pleasant?" Helios continued, "For me, I''d say not. On the other hand, you appear eager to see me, likely due to the obelisks. Take them and leave me be."


    Helios handed Torix a fancy obelisk, eyeing it with hunger,


    "Ah, perfect." He turned to Helios''s company, "We''ll handle introductions later as I simply must automate a few of my duties. My workload has been unbearable as of late you see."


    A lighter voice replied, "Think nothing of it, and I look forward to a proper meeting."


    The lich waltzed away with excitement. The ruler of worlds walked through the corner, another figure beside him of equal size and stature. Unlike Helios, this albony didn''t wear a cape with armor like the other high ranking albony I met. This guy wore fitted robes, desert wear that was folded in such a way that it wouldn''t fall off.


    The new albony''s demeanor matched his clothes. He walked with a skip in his step, peering around at our architecture. In a lighter voice, he nodded at the hallways,


    "Huh, how quaint."


    Pacing up to Althea and I, Helios and the new guy met my eye. Helios opened a hand towards this other albony,


    "This is Florence, my brother. Please do avoid hating him. However, if you don''t accomplish that goal, I wouldn''t blame you."


    Helios sighed, "As is obvious, how can I expect others to succeed where I have failed?"


    Florence turned towards Helios, slapping his back, "Don''t worry, brother. That wasn''t the first thing I''ve seen you fail at. It surely won''t be the last."


    Florence turned to us and let me get a good look at the dude. He wore a black mask with six holes drilled in it, showing none of his face as usual. Unlike a normal albony, Florence didn''t let his fur go wild. Instead, he kept it trimmed and kept, doing so with steel bands that bound his white hair.


    Compared with Helios and the Emperor, this new guy looked stylish. His peppered fur was accentuated by flowing robes of white and black folded over him. He lacked any armor like Helios or the Emperor. In fact, Helios often glared with a low chin as if ready for a fight. Florence kept his chin high with a confident swagger that his brother lacked.


    Florence inspected us, the large albony giving off a jovial and relaxed presence, though he didn''t lack an imposing air despite that. Florence spread his arms towards us, peering between Althea and I,


    "It''s good to meet you both. I''m Florence Novas, and I''ve just been demoted from the ruler of a world to an assistant in an ally''s army."


    Helios winced as Florence placed his hands on my shoulders, "And I could not be happier. This will be far less boring than managing simple decisions and pushing paperwork. Those tasks tire me, as they would many. Working under the Harbinger, however? Now that is interesting."


    Florence let go of my shoulders before nudging Helios,


    "Wouldn''t you agree?"


    Helios raised a flat palm to Florence, "Don''t inject me into your disobedient tangents. Unlike you, I actually labored for my position, so I valued my post. Losing it is a slap to the face, and being placed in an appointment beside you is like daggers between my ribs."


    Florence draped his arm over Helios''s shoulders, "Come now. Anyone could see that you despised the monotony of running a world as much as I did. If anything, Obolis chained us down as to stifle our growth. This, this is an opportunity to regain the ground we lost."


    Helios seethed, "Ever positive, aren''t you?"


    Florence shook his brother, "Come on, we''re in the presence of a beautiful lady and greatness. Speaking of the lady, would you mind if I asked for your name, darling?"


    Althea blushed, "Althea Tolstoy."


    "It is a pretty name suiting the pretty lady." Florence gave my shoulder a firm, familiar pat,


    "And you''re the big man himself, the Killer of Yawm and the Destroyer of the Blighted. I''ve been meaning to meet with you, but my position bogged me down. Now that I see you in person, you''re larger in life than even in the legends told about you."


    Florence gave me a small bow, "I look forward to following your command, Harbinger. May you take us to many worlds where we shall see many sights."


    I raised an eyebrow at the guy, kind of taken aback. For all the flack the Emperor and Helios gave this guy, he really commanded a room. He also carried an effortless, natural charisma. Hell, he gave off the same sensation that an old friend would, and if it wasn''t for my stats, I might''ve gotten caught up in his ambiance.


    This made him valuable, so I took note while raising a hand to him,


    "It''s good to see you''re excited. We''ll be spilling blood together, so I''ll need you to watch my back."


    For a split second, Florence stared at my hand with a moment of indecision. With a smooth gesture right after, he grabbed my hand as if he''d given a thousand handshakes before,


    "You''ll need to watch both our backs, though, I''m sure you''re able. Now, is there anywhere to eat and drink here? I''d like to meet the people here if you wouldn''t mind."


    I opened my status, "Send me a friend request, and I can give you the blueprints to this place. It will be a 3-D map of the area."


    Florence tilted his head, "Giving a map of your base to a stranger? Doesn''t that seem...unwise?"


    I smiled, "If we get attacked, assassins aren''t what I''m worried about. Lehesion will crash through this place like a boulder through a glass window. Having blueprints won''t change that."


    Florence raised his eyebrows, "Huh...Fair point. I''ll keep them safe."


    I gave him a nod, "I''ll need a report on what your skills are, along with maybe an interview or something. You seem more like the talking type than a fighter, but that''s not necessarily a bad thing. We could use more talkers around here anyways."


    Florence stood taller, "Well...thank you."


    I turned to Helios, "How resistant are you to portal sickness?"


    Helios scoffed, "I am all but immune."


    I grinned, "That''s good. I could''ve taken out more cities on Giess with your help then, but that''s in the past. I''ll be needing your help with our transport to the worlds your uncle will be giving us the word to go to."


    Helios crossed his arms, "So I am now a glorified wagon. Excellent."


    I shrugged, "If that''s what you think, then that''s fine. Do as you''re commanded, and we''ll get along just fine." I put a hand on his shoulder,


    "You see, unlike some people, I don''t feel the need to encase others in ice just to make a point. Either way, I''ll definitely think of more for you to do. This is just a quick briefing for now."


    Helios shrunk a bit, his shoulders sinking, "Then...then I shall find somewhere to rest until I am needed."


    In a flash, he portalled elsewhere. Florence shook his head, "Gagh, he''ll cheer up with time. He doesn''t know it, but this is, in fact, an act of love by the Emperor."


    Althea frowned, "How?"


    Florence turned to meet her eye, "It was obvious to anyone who''s known him, but he was not happy with ruling his worlds. Even if he believes those positions would give him happiness, that does not make it so; he is a fighter through and through. In time, he''ll learn that."


    I narrowed my eyes, "You seem to see through people pretty well."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "Does it seem that way? It was just a lucky guess I suppose."


    Althea rolled her eyes, "Okay. Sure."


    Florence coughed into a hand, "Ahem, now where is that feasting hall?"


    I pointed down, "There are several places to check out, though I''d say they''re more like cafeterias or eateries."


    Florence shrugged, "It shall suffice. Both of you rest well and let us kill the blighted in droves."


    Florence turned and walked off, inspecting the nearby architecture as he did. Once he was gone, I turned to Althea, "So, what did you think of him?"


    "He was a lot cooler than Helios, that''s for sure."


    I nodded, "Yeah, I think so too. I''m wondering how his worlds ended up rebelling? I mean, the guy seemed competent enough."


    Althea turned up to me, "Hm, we''ll learn eventually. For now, we''ve got a lot of business to take care of."


    I grabbed her by the hip, "Oh, definitely."

 264 Family Problems

    Stepping over a few scattered clothes, I left our room, Althea sleeping soundly in our sheets. I passed through Mt. Verner''s upper floor, the top floors delegated for only a few suites spread out by hallways. The people here settled down while night encompassed the day. Looking forward to a night of peace, I walked out of the hollowed mountain, stepping out into a waning skyline.


    Finding several piles of craggy, dark metal, I snapped my fingers. The golems sprung to life, more animate than before. They still took a few seconds to fully form, but they didn''t mix and match pieces with each other anymore. They created rows that stood as a battalion of sorts, about one hundred strong.


    It was an impressive sight. Hard work pays off after all.


    Speaking of work, I got back to it, messing around with the cipher inscriptions at my disposal. In the corner of my eye, Florence''s friend request came through. After accepting it, I sent him a map of Mt. Verner. I also asked for a talk at some point over the next few days. Settling in, two hours passed in the blink of an eye, my work consuming me as I weighed over a problem with the golem''s targetting.


    A blip from my status ripped me from my stream of work. It was from Florence. He wanted to go ahead on the talk, so I sent him my location. Fifteen minutes later, snapping twigs and crushing leaves let me know where he was. As he pushed a branch aside, he peered down at me,


    "Hah, you enjoy working in solitude, I see. You and I are quite unlike each other in that regard."


    I peered up, sitting on a flattened stone,


    "This is...I don''t know, like therapy for me? I love forests. Always have. I also like working with runes and carving. It keeps me at peace."


    Florence tilted his head, "What? You''re telling me that helps you focus? If anything, I''d end up depressed working out here." The styled albony flopped down in a cross-legged position,


    "No offense."


    "None taken." I stared down at my carvings, "You don''t mind if I work while we talk?"


    Florence raised an eyebrow, "Certainly not. I''ll assume your using multi-consciousnesses right now. I was never a fan of them, but their utility in certain situations cannot be denied."


    I frowned, "Maybe, but I don''t actually know what a muli-consciousness is."


    "Oh...How do I put this...they are fragments of your mind delegated to certain tasks. That lich was using them earlier, no doubt. That''s the only way he could''ve handled that kind of workload. That and being a literal genius."


    I made a mental note to look that up and do some research on it. I looked up at Florence, "Torix is damn good at working with numbers, hypotheticals, and magic. Since you''ll be working under me, I need to know your talents too so I won''t waste them. This is also an introduction.  I''ll be relying on you after all."


    Florence''s black mask sheened from a fresh coat of wood stain,


    "I as well...I''ve heard about you from your accomplishments and demeanor. Helios was impressed as well, and that means quite a bit. Obolis''s impression of you shines, however, and that''s means even more."


    "Well...that''s good to know."


    "Isn''t it though?" Florence leaned forward, "You know I''ve been seeking Obolis''s approval ever since I was just a cub. I still haven''t earned it. Within minutes of meeting you, Obolis was sold on your bearing. Earning either of those two''s respect is hard, almost impossible even. I don''t know how you did it."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I''m guessing you''ve tried?"


    "Schema knows I have. I remember when I was a child, we were doing a dungeon clearing exercise. It was a simple sort of task, the kind that teaches teamwork and risk management. I led a group of misfits to second place, clearing the dungeon in record speed."


    "You broke the record but still took second?"


    Florence winced, "Yes. Helios abandoned his group and outpaced us, setting an even better record by himself." Florence stared off into the distance, "That''s how it goes when you live in someone''s shadow. You can stand as tall as you like, but when you''re in the wake of a mountain, you end up lost in a sea of darkness."


    I frowned, my grimoire in hand,


    "Sounds rough. That''s the first time I''ve heard about school exercises like that though."


    "What? Your race doesn''t educate its cubs?"


    "Eh, I was born before Schema''s systemization. I lived the majority of my life without any influence from screens and the eldritch. If anything, I came from a very primitive time."


    "Ah, that expains it. It''s easy to forget given your position...Wait. how old are you?"


    I frowned since I hadn''t thought about my age for a long time. For the most part, time blurred together since I didn''t need to sleep. I blinked, counting up the months since the systemization. If I included the time I spent in dungeons and rifts where time was stretched, then I was...Damn, I didn''t know.


    I scratched the side of my head, "Hmm, maybe 22? 25? I really need to start keeping track in all honesty."


    "How long are the years on your planet?"


    "They''re 365 days, so decently long."


    Florence opened his status, doing a few conversions using tables of his home world''s time. Schema could convert most computations, but some numbers required perspective that couldn''t be handled by an algorithm.


    Florence leaned back when he finished,


    "I''m...older than you are. I''m 33 on your world."


    "Damn. Good job living that long. You''re obviously doing something right."


    Florence blinked, "By Schema...Here I thought Helios was impressive. He''s a mere child compared to you."


    I shrugged, "I got lucky."


    Florence grinned, "Hah, so did I and so was he. We were born into positions in an established family. I was also given an excellent rank and title due to my talents, though I personally doubt what others see in me. Tell me, how were you gifted?"


    "I spawned in a dungeon when the system started, so I ended up ahead of the leveling curve."


    Florence froze in place, his hairs standing on end.


    "You...you were spawned into a dungeon? From pre-Schema to post-Schema...in a dungeon...That''s ridiculous."


    I looked back and forth, "Yeah, I know. It gave me a huge leg up in levels." I banged my thigh, the metal ringing, "It''s how I got this armor too...Though, now it''s my skin. Either way, it put me ahead in a big way."


    Florence pointed at me, "I could count the number of souls who''d survive a dungeon like that on a single hand, and Obolis is one of them."


    I met his eye, "You''d be surprised what you''d be willing to do to survive. You have more in you than you''d think. I know I did."


    Staring at me as if I said something profound, Florence nodded in silence. A moment passed before Florence scratched the back of his head,


    "Your people, they''re interesting. I didn''t know what to expect given the nature of this assignment, but they are a simple, industrious people. Perhaps a bit uncultured, but what can you expect from a planet that isn''t even a decade into systemization."


    I frowned, "Uncultured? What do you mean?"


    Florence leaned back with his palms raised,


    "I don''t mean that as an insult. I''m merely stating a fact. There are certain customs that are expected when speaking with others, at least in galactic terms. Each world is different in how they speak, even the different regions of a world, but there is a general, overarching  galactic standard that is expected from most everyone."


    Florence leaned back against a tree, "The humans I spoke with, charming in their own right, but they didn''t know that galactic standard. It''s offputting to snootier races, though I welcome the change."


    "Hm...That''s useful to know. What''s the galactic standard?"


    Florence shrugged, "If I''m honest, you''re well past the point of needing to know it. Your gruff, direct speaking suits you better, and your position means no one will question it. They need you, so you can be at ease regarding politeness."


    I etched into the metal in my hand with a pointed finger, slithers of silver falling onto the ground,


    "I didn''t plan on following the code either way, but I was curious about it."


    Florence tilted his head, "The most standard approaches involve a beginning sentiment for Schema, such as, ''For Schema.'' You would then push your hands together and bow like this."


    Florence made a fist with his right hand and pressed it with an open palm. He leaned towards me for a split second before relaxing.


    I rolled me eyes, "I don''t really do much for Schema. I''ve found he tends to give you just enough to keep you going."


    Florence frowned under his mask, "I don''t make the rules, that''s just what most large businesses will do before meetings. Afterward, they often resort to the same goodbye gesture. During the meetings, oftentimes self-interest will be disguised as thinking of Schema as well. This creates a hidden sub context to many conversations."


    Florence waved his hands, "Imagine it like this." He coughed into his hand, making his voice deeper, "This is business person one. Hello, business person two."


    Florence talked in his normal voice, "It''s good to see you, business person one." He bowed with his hand gesture, "May this be a productive meeting for Schema."


    He spoke in the deeper voice, "For Schema. Now, our business is involved in mining within dungeons. Your mercenary company is excellent, but your prices are simply too steep. Perhaps lowering them would allow us to mine more resources at once, furthering Schema''s aims."


    Florence turned, immersing himself in his imaginary conversation, "Perhaps, but our mercenaries are excellent for a reason; they are paid well. If we reduce their pay, then worse guards will be hired as a result. These failures will result in missing mining groups, and that wouldn''t help Schema, would it?"


    Despite being put on the spot, his example gave me a clear, pristine picture of how those kinds of conversations were held. I noted that as Florence turned towards me,


    "That was a very...simplified version of what you might hear. That''s just a few of the general customs, however. There are also methods for defining relations with other groups, general attire standards, and acknowledging compromises."


    "Man, fuck. That all sounds painful. Why not just speak directly?"


    "It''s just how the customs developed around Schema''s universe."


    I shook my head, "Why haven''t I seen these customs before?"


    Florence stared up, tapping his chin with a knuckle, "Hmm, you likely haven''t made contact with any businesses. Your guild deals in blood and the shedding of it. That brings political leaders who understand your position. You also tend to sweep away with those pleasantries by getting straight to the point. ''Why acknowledge social customs with a backwater savage?'' is what they''re thinking."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Huh. Let them think that then. It''s better than kissing Schema''s ass every three seconds."


    "It''s a choice, that much is certain."


    I pointed at Florence with a sharpened fingertip, "You also mentioned educational programs. We have those under Torix, but it''d be nice to hear about someone else''s courses."


    Florence sighed, "I was never a particularly good student, so I gained very little from the formal education programs we used. For the most part, they involved leveling standards, gaining certain generic perk requirements, learning about common dungeon setups, etcetera. I found that actually clearing dungeons was a far better teacher, but it is undeniably more dangerous."


    Florence stared at my grimoire, "Compiling a grimoire with certain spells was also a part of our programs."


    I lifted the book with a sly grin, "You won''t find these runes in a classroom though."


    "Certainly. Those are the same archaic runes that Obolis tinkers with. They''re powerful but dangerous. One of my cousins was gifted in those runes, and he created a spell that would give him a better handling of primordial mana."


    Florence stared into an abyss, "In the end, his entire soul was siphoned into the spell, and nothing was left but a zombied, umbral husk that cracked like charred paper at the slightest touch."


    I shook my head, "He sounds like he didn''t actually understand the cipher. It''s much better to use these runes to fully realize a subject you already understand, not try and further your understanding of something you don''t. That''s like trying to learn about explosives by mixing chemicals in your hands."


    Florence nodded, "It is and was a recipe for disaster. Obolis said the same, but the old buzzard respected his ambition nonetheless. I would kill for the same sentiment."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Then why haven''t you?"


    An awkward silence passed as Florence''s face deadpanned. Florence swallowed before wrestling with his words,


    "Huh, you do get straight to the point. Well...Hm...I suppose it''s that I''m lazy. It isn''t as if I enjoyed what I''ve been doing, the whole ruling worlds thing. It''s a very dry, administratorial duty. It''s something that suits Helios''s talents, though not his disposition. I, however?"


    Florence pinched the bridge of his nose, "I was always someone who enjoyed parties and the like. Sitting in a room and reviewing an endless list of decisions made by other people...It''s exhausting, and I couldn''t take it"


    He coughed into a hand, "So...I escaped my responsibilities however I could."


    I narrowed my eyes, and I wanted to ask the guy if he''d run from what I''d ask him to do too. Before saying that, I remembered how I felt when I was forced to kill Yawm or wipe out Giess''s cities. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made that he ran away. After all, responsibility was a hard thing to shoulder, and ruling a world definitely sounded like a chore.


    I reserved judgment as Florence pointed at me,


    "You must think I''m weak. I understand why, but please, try to understand my position. I failed my exams, yet Obolis threw me into an internship for ruling. I failed the goals of my internship, yet he appointed me as the controller of Belegara. I failed the standard productivity protocols for the planet, yet he still demanded I do it."


    I leaned back. I opened a can of worms bringing this up. Florence dragged his hands across his face,


    "It''s obvious I don''t want to do it, but I still am dragged into authority each and every time I fall. Obolis, he means a lot to me, but I am not the person he wants me to be. I wish I was, but I''m not."


    I kept working as he paused. I stirred something up that he obviously wanted to talk about, so I just let the guy vent for now. After channeling some mana into my grimoire, I floated a few glowing cipher inscriptions onto a new golem I constructed earlier. Florence gazed on in awe, his earlier turmoil fading,


    "I''ve never seen someone use runes like that. It''s strange yet stunning."


    I scratched the side of my head, "Honestly, this is me trying to compensate for how these golems are about as smart as cloth. I''m trying to get them further along, but they learn so damn slowly. It''s a refreshing challenge since it''s different then what I''m used to doing, but yeah, emphasis on challenge."


    Florence narrowed his eyes, "What are they for?"


    "To walk through dungeons and clear them out for people. They''re not ready, not by a long shot, but they have the potential."


    Florence blinked, dumbfounded by what I said. He tilted his head, "What material did you make them out of? You do know that certain eldritch eat dark iron, right?"


    I grabbed a piece of my forearm before tearing the skin off. As I did, Florence gazed on in horror. He fumbled backward as I lifted the metal with a gravity well before melting it. I turned to him as my skin wobbled in a glowing orb,


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "They can''t eat this. This can eat them though."


    Florence gawked between me and the orb, his eyes growing distant. He stood up, walking over to me,


    "You''re supposed to be a soft, backwater savage, but here you are-"


    I pushed him back with a telekinetic wave while moving the glowing metal away from him. He stood his ground, his feet dragging through the grass and stones. I tilted my head towards the orb,


    "Sorry about the shove, but you''d have ignited if you got any closer. I didn''t want your clothes to catch fire."


    Florence''s jaw went slack as he let out a nervous chuckle. The cackle kept going until it evolved into a heralding, deep laughter. He laughed until he was letting out tears, something about the situation just absurdly funny to the guy.


    It was my turn to gawk at him.


    "Uh, you ok?"


    Florence wiped away a tear from his eye, "You know, you have a way of making my problems seem so small."


    I shook my head with disgust, "Fuck. Was it that obvious what I was thinking?"


    "It, in fact, wasn''t. I was talking more about what you worry about. You''re over here thinking about how to end the eldritch or stop me from catching on fire. I''m wallowing over some petty, personal struggle. It''s like I broke a fingernail, and I''m complaining about it to someone who''s starving to death."


    I tapped the orb of metal beside me with a finger, making the sphere wobble above my hand,


    "Eh, problems are relative. If you think about it, my problems don''t even revolve around me. I''ll never have to worry about eldritch again, and you catching fire doesn''t mean I''m in any danger. If anything, I have so few problems that I''m trying to make some for myself."


    I turned to Florence, "At least your problems are your own. You have people that expect the world from you. Besides-"


    I stared at a golem,


    "Sometimes, it''s easier to defy expectations rather than meet them."


    Florence crossed his arms, "You''d be Obolis''s favorite nephew. Of that, I have no doubt."


    "Maybe."


    "Where''s your doubt coming from?"


    I reshaped the glowing orb into the middle section of a golem using gravitation. Wielding a burst of quintessent energy, I flash froze the metal. It screeched before flopping onto the ground. It cracked earth and crushed stone as I said,


    "Obolis and I would have butted heads all the time. Besides, I wasn''t doing well with my formal education either. At least not when the system arrived. If anything, I was a lot like you."


    "We shall agree to disagree." He brushed himself off, "I hope you''ve learned what you needed to know. If you''d allow, I''d like to return to my new quarters to rest. This was a fascinating conversation, but we have quite a bit to do tomorrow. I''d like to tackle it with a clear, well rested mind."


    I nodded, "Sure thing. I''ll try and think up what you''ll be doing in the meantime."


    Florence gave me a slight bow, pressing a fist against his palm,


    "As always, for Schema."


    I laughed at his sarcasm as he walked off. Turning back to my work, I thought up what he''d be handling during our campaign. The fact he withstood my gravitational shove showed he had some combat chops, though that wasn''t exactly a rigorous test.


    At the same time, he seemed better at ambassador style work. Given his connections and reputation as royalty, that seemed the better place to put him. He also understood far more about how galactic connections formed and operated. That information was something my guild lacked outside of maybe Torix, and even then, our lich worked more on hearsay than experience.


    Florence lived the kind of politics our guild needed to succeed in. He also took a lot of stress off of me. Even if I was someone who could get a lot done, I wasn''t good at making friends with most politicians. I could make friends with other fighters like me, but that just wasn''t the same. It was an arena I''d never fought in, but Florence had.


    The other useful quality Florence owned was his natural sociability. He talked with people in our guild like it was nothing. Anytime I tried that, people were overwhelmed, turning into yesmen in an instant. Florence disarmed people despite his presence, and that was invaluable. It let us get an honest, unguarded opinion of what was going on.


    Dwelling on those facts, I thought up a new position for Florence in our guild - the peacemaker. It was a simple title, but it would involve understanding our guild, their problems, and acting on them. I''d have him scout out our guild''s positions, understand what was going on, then talk with Torix and me about it. Outside of that, he''d handle negotiations with other guilds, and I would be there with him to get a grip on how they''re handled.


    I drafted up a set of duties for the guy before moving onto Helios. As much as he knew about management and overseeing a territory, a position like that wasted his talents. Trusting in Florence''s judgment, I''d have Helios act as a sort of assistant for me. He''d warp me around with Spear helping out, and Helios could offer valuable advice at times. If I ever got into a fight, he''d act as potent support as well, his void ice and warping abilities useful against most opponents.


    Given his reputation, he likely owned other abilities I could use as well. For now, I didn''t know them, so I''d delegate the best I could with what I knew. As I got more info, I''d adjust.


    After finishing up those tasks, I sent them both messages to meet me in the morning. I peered around right after, the mask of darkness draped over the trees around me. Standing near my side, several golems glowed in the darkness, quintessent mana piercing out of the gloom. I tapped the side of my cheek, thinking of ways to improve them.


    It would be another long night of trying new methods. I grinned at the prospect, enjoying the new experiment. Those hours passed in a peace I cherished. I spent so long in a different world with odd creatures, sights, smells, tastes, customs, cultures, and geography. It was alien and unfamiliar, like an assault on my senses at all times.


    Earth was a cozy, homely place by comparison, and after spending so long away from it, I missed my homeworld. No eldritch roamed near Mt. Verner, our guild locking down nearby dungeons long ago. No silvers established spire forests that loomed on our horizons. Hell, we didn''t even have fancy guilds vying for dominance.


    Not yet at least.


    This let us enjoy prosperity that few people had, and my visit to Giess drove that fact home. I wanted to keep Earth like this, safe from prying eyes and greedy fingers. Considering our world lock would be ending soon, that dream wouldn''t remain a reality for long. At least if I didn''t do anything about it.


    To my understanding, guilds rushed in the moment a world opened up for expansion. They cleared dungeons, subjugated the population, and ruled over their newfound territories with iron fists. The only way to stop that was to establish cities first.


    Doing so opened up our guild for attacks, however. If we opened up dozens of branches, it would be a signal flare for the Adair''s. Considering what I did on Giess, they might even destroy the entire planet with Lehesion. At the very least, I couldn''t guarantee any of our guild branch''s safety.


    If I left Earth to incoming guilds, however, I would be throwing my homeworld to bloodthirsty wolves. I couldn''t iron out an exact solution, so I tucked away my concerns for the night. Rome wasn''t built in a day, and I sure as hell wouldn''t be building something bigger than Rome overnight.


    So, I immersed myself in my golem''s construction, having about a battalion''s worth ready at my command. I made rounds to several nearby dungeons, and several of the golems I left in them actually kept the eldritch at bay. Of course, they needed simple enemies.


    After having experimented for a while, that''s what I found the golems best at. They couldn''t clear out a dungeon, but they could keep them clear. It wasn''t ideal, but it wasn''t a bad result either.


    With that in mind, I made a few plans to have a meeting with our dungeon clearing community in the morning. A few leaders showed up in the field, so meeting them wasn''t a waste of time regardless considering they ironed out the dungeons here. Having my golems take the workload off them would be a massive utility as well. It would be something our guild took credit for, giving us a leg up in establishing more territory.


    If I made enough golems, we might even be able to take some cities far from here, maybe even in another state.


    These thoughts drifted in my mind as I worked, almost like a pleasant daydream of what could be. After finishing a dozen more golems, the sunrose in the distance, light leaking through tree branches. I took a deep breath, preparing to leave this sort of sanctuary I made for myself. I rolled my shoulders, willing my golems to hibernate here. They fell into piles of dark metal, a patch of the mountain smothered in them.


    Returning to our inner base, I met at the crack of dawn with several leaders of our dungeon clearing programs. We organized ourselves on the third floor, near a combat training center for Torix''s students. Sitting on a wooden table, three grizzled veterans met my eye.


    The first was an older woman named Isa Bennet. She carried scars over her face, and her leather gear matched her peppered hair, old but not out of date. Beside her, a brawny man named Lester leaned towards me, his attention rapt. He had a darker complexion, and despite his size, he lacked any real wounds. In the back, a smaller framed mage eyed me from underneath a robe littered with runes.


    His name was Bryan, and he was a man in his mid-fifties with an awesome beard. It was truly majestic. Cool beards aside, I walked in with the three of them waiting on me. I stayed standing with my weight supported by antigravity wells, no one else the wiser.


    Isa stared with thinly veiled reverence, "Hello guild leader. You mentioned something urgent for us. We''re here to listen to whatever you have to say."


    The others nodded. I spread out my hands,


    "I''ve been creating golems that can keep dungeons cleared after someone''s reset the eldritch there. I wanted you guys to try and place them in some of the easier dungeons nearby so that you can focus on the more difficult rifts."


    Bryan narrowed his eyelids,


    "Hmmm, I don''t want to doubt you, but we''ve tried making golems before. They always fail since eldritch can adapt to them quickly. For instance, if you make a stone golem, it won''t be long before stone-eaters are spawning in the dungeon."


    I shook my head, "I''ve made these golems out of a substance that can actually eat eldritch. You won''t have to worry about them spiraling out of control once a golem''s been put in place. Trust me on that."


    Lester tapped his chin, "No offense, but that sounds too good to be true. Coming from you, it seems more possible."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Eh, the golems aren''t perfect, don''t get me wrong. They''ll need weekly checkups from someone competent, but that''s a much lower workload than clearing the dungeons once a month. I only have a few of them that work as well, so think of this as a test run."


    Isa frowned, her scars wrinkling, "We use the simpler dungeons to teach new recruits and train our soldiers. Losing them would be losing out on a valuable resource."


    I raised an eyebrow, "But you can keep a few of those dungeons nearby for those training exercises. This is more so for maintaining larger areas of control." I looked at each of them, "After all, we aren''t going to be staying near Mt. Verner forever. I want to expand the guild and to do that, we need cities."


    I turned a palm to them, "To make cities, we need dungeons cleared, and given our resources, this could let us make that happen much quicker."


    Lester kept his chin down, "What if an intelligent eldritch is in the same dungeon as one of these golems? Could they maybe learn to control it and use it against us?"


    I nodded, "Yes. That''s a real risk, and that''s why I mentioned weekly checkups along with careful placement. We don''t just want these golems being put just anywhere. Freshly cleared dungeons would be preferred. They could kill off anything as it spawned then."


    Bryan turned to the rift managers, "I''m convinced. I think this is a good idea. We stress our resources every day keeping this area clean. This could let us go out and help a few of the nearby settlements. We could help a lot of people while gaining some much-needed ground."


    Bryan shrugged, "We are lacking iron and a few other resources here...I think it''s worth a shot."


    Isa and Lester thought it over while I waited with patience. After a few minutes of discussion, Isa gave me a begrudging smile,


    "You make a hard sell. We''ll do what we can with the golems you give us."


    I grinned back, reaching out a hand, "Hell yeah. Let me know what you guys think and I''ll be back with you all later."


    She grabbed my hand, hers small in mine yet firm. I turned to the others, "Oh, Bryan, your runic markings are pretty good. I think tightening up a few of your forms would take your work to the next level though."


    Bryan peered at his cloak, then back to me, "I...is that the difference between our markings?"


    I didn''t want to tell random people about the cipher, so I lied,


    "Uh...yeah, pretty much."


    Bryan lifted a finger, "I''ll go try that out while it''s fresh on my mind."


    I raised my hand, "Alright then. Let me know how the golems work out later. You''re all dismissed."


    I walked out, closing a door behind me. As I did, the three of them took a deep breath. Lester spoke out,


    "I thought he was going to talk to us about our extermination standards. Thank god that''s not the case."


    Isa gasped, "Tell me about it. I just about collapsed when he walked in."


    Stepping out of earshot, I appreciated each of them putting in an effort to act ''normal'' around me. Even if they didn''t know how good my hearing was. That meeting managed, I gave them the location of my golem crafting along with which golems to take.


    One meeting handled, I moved onto the next one via my messages to both Helios and Florence. I waited for each of them in the open library at the third floor''s entrance. Here Torix''s academy educated the masses, and we gave our people the ability to fight against eldritch and Adair alike.


    I sat near students and scholars, though no one dared share my table with me. They stole glances while they thought I wasn''t looking, and they whispered with hushed voices,


    "What is the guild leader doing here?"


    "Have you been watching his streams? He destroyed Giess singlehandedly."


    "He''s terrifying."


    They were right, and I sometimes scared myself. Either way, a minute or two passed while I soaked in the smell of old paper and aged wood. Coming in first, a portal appeared nearby, and Helios stepped out of it while peering around. He found me, and walked over with his cape hanging behind him. As he came over, I stood,


    "How did you sleep?"


    Helios peered at the library''s books, "As well as was expected. I was surprised to see that your guild made a bed with the right dimensions. Many worlds forget that detail for higher leveled individuals."


    Helios turned to me, "It shows a measure of care I did not expect from your homeworld."


    "I''m guessing they must have used the same size they do for me."


    "Then that explains why the bed was too large." Helios peered up at me, "Though your size seems to vary often since I''ve known you."


    "What can I say, I''m leveling fast?" I said. I lifted a hand to Helios, "I''ll be doing more of that today with Obolis, wherever he''ll recommend we go."


    Helios tilted his head, "Indeed. We could use a brute of your stature considering what we''re faced with."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, if that''s how you want to frame it, sure. Either way, I''ve decided what you''ll be doing here."


    Helios showed no signs of nervousness with his body language, outside of an inaudible gulp. Well, inaudible to most. I raised a hand,


    "You''re good at fighting, and you like it. You also have a lot of experience with what goes on in the galaxy. I want you to be my advisor, along with helping me and my allies move around with your portalling abilities."


    He leaned back, "Of all things, you would ask for my counsel? Strange."


    "Uh, yeah I would. You ruled a world and have an education from a Schema ruled world''s perspective. I don''t. I''ll need someone''s advice, and even though I respect Torix, he was kind of a recluse. You''re someone who''s been out and about, and that''s something I lack."


    Helios paused, giving his new responsibilities some thought. He scoffed from under his mask, "This is a far higher position than I expected. I must say, I''m pleasantly surprised."


    I gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Just remember, I fight where others won''t. You''ll be helping me get there, meaning you''ll be going to those same hellholes. Try to have fun along the way."


    Helios murmured, "I...I shall attempt to do so."


    Interrupting our conversation, one of the elevators at the center of Mt. Verner opened, and a boisterous group of welders walked out. I could tell by the smell they carried. Among a few of them, Florence sauntered out while finishing a story,


    "And she slapped me so hard my mask flew off."


    The group laughed while Florence looked around,


    "In all honesty, I deserved it."


    He found us, the styled albony strutting over. As he did, Helios sighed. I grinned,


    "You''re already making friends, huh?"


    Florence nodded while waving at the workers, "They''re more open to other species than most. I appreciate that, and it makes this place feel more like a home because of it." He turned to Helios,


    "How goes it, brother?"


    Helios raised his eyebrows, his disheveled fur ruffling,


    "Worse now. You''re late."


    Florence let his hands flop against his sides, "Eh, there''s not much I can do about that now. Anyways, what is it that you need this bright and early in the morning, leader?"


    I raised a hand, "I wanted to let you both know what you''d be doing here, and I preferred telling you in person so that we could talk it out if you disagree."


    Helios sighed, "It is not our place to argue with those stationed above us."


    Florence nudged his brother, "Come now, he''s given us the opportunity, so we should take it...Though there isn''t much to argue with yet. What will you have us do?"


    I met Florence''s eye, "You''ll be an ambassador and peacekeeper for my guild. You know how to get cozy with people. That''s good. Personally, I struggle with it, and that means I don''t really know where the average guild person is at."


    I pointed at Florence, "That''s where you come in. You''ll be responsible for keeping tabs on the branches of the guild, getting to know everyone, and letting Torix and I learn what you know."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "Is that all?"


    "You''ll also be our ambassador for meetings with other guilds. I don''t know fair trade deal values or how to make nice with politicians. You look like you have some experience there. I''ll have you advise me when making those deals."


    Helios crossed his arms, "Would you mind if I ''advised'' you already?"


    I frowned, "Sure."


    "This is a foolish idea. Florence understands nothing of galactic rates or how to maintain alliances with other nations. His lack of order led to the fall of Blegara, and now we''ll be going to clean up his mess."


    Florence shrugged, "Blegara never wanted to follow the Empire. The people there are headstrong and iron-willed. You would know that if you''d ever talked to them for more than just telling them what to do and when to do it."


    Helios glared, "And it was in your hands to crush their iron wills, yet you failed to do so. Your failure is the reason this rebellion lives on, and it is the reason our soldiers die because of it."


    Florence shook his head, "If you believe that Belka is any different, you''re lying to yourself. They hate us just as all the other planets under the Empire''s control do. The way we rule, it can only last so long."


    I looked between them, "Stop bickering. We don''t have time for it. Do either of you disagree with what I''m asking you to do?"


    Helios turned to me, "No."


    Florence nodded at me, "Of course not."


    I put my hands on their shoulders, "Alright then. Say, you both seem to have a competition of sorts with each other. It''s a friendly rivalry. How about this - whichever one of you does your job better gets to be the other one''s boss until you''re both not under me anymore."


    I turned my palms to each of them, "How''s that sound?"


    Helios let out a long, deep laugh. He lifted his chin into the air, staring down at his brother,


    "What about it then? I do enjoy a friendly competition."


    Man, they really let their ego get in the way of their work. Florence turned to me then back to Helios. Florence tapped his sides with his hands, fidgeting around before he squeezed his hands to fists,


    "That...That sounds good to me. I''d enjoy giving you a good ass-kicking after all these years."


    Helios gave him a slow nod, "Oh, I''m certain you shall." Helios tilted his head to me, "Then it''s settled."


    I gave them a thumbs-up, "Alright, you both get to decide what happens to the other after a few months. Torix and I will decide who did the best job overall. Go ahead and get to it."


    Florence turned, walking away with renewed vigor. He stepped into one of the elevators before giving me a salute, "Of course, sir."


    As the doors closed, Helios snickered, "Hah, he honestly believes he has a chance to defeat me? Interesting, but foolish."


    The elevator doors opened before Florence walked back over to us. He coughed into a hand, "Ahem...So, how would I go about doing what you asked me to do?"


    Helios let out another derisive laugh before I tapped my chin,


    "In all honesty, I don''t know. If I were you though, I would present it like a question to myself. ''Daniel wants me to learn the guild''s ins and outs, and he wants me to manage the guild''s galactic relations. What''s the best way of doing that?'' That''s how I''d handle it."


    Florence snapped his fingers, "Then that''s what I''ll do. Thanks for the advice."


    He sauntered off, getting to work right away. Helios narrowed his eyes underneath his mask,


    "You''re more clever than you first appear."


    I shrugged, "I''m just taking things as they come. Anyways, I wanted to run a few things by you. You know, as my advisor."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "Hm. Speak of your concerns. I''ll listen to them."


    "So, I''ve been thinking of using educated golems made of my own melted skin to guard dungeons and rifts nearby. Does that sound like a good plan to you?"


    Helios stood there, frozen in place like a statue. A prolonged, awkward pause passed over us before the ruler of worlds shook his head,


    "I...I misheard you. Say that again?"


    "I made golems out of my metal skin and trained them to guard dungeons. Is that a good idea or not?"


    Helios stayed very still, contemplating what I said. He lifted his hands with a slow rise before resting his masked face in his palms. He groaned,


    "This...This will be more difficult than I first envisioned."

 265 The Next Step

    I waved off his concerns, "Come on now, I need some advice here."


    Helios let his hands flop against his sides,


    "As strange as it may first appear, I have never created golems out of my own skin. Therefore, it''s difficult for me to offer counsel in that regard."


    I tsked, "Well...damn, here I was hoping for some solid advice."


    Helios glared from under his mask, "I am so sorry that I am not of more use. Do excuse me."


    "You know I''m joking, right? Lighten up."


    Helios frowned, "I understand the sentiment. I''d prefer we keep our relationship purely professional, however."


    I rolled my eyes, "Of course you do." I raised a hand, "Seriously though, I do need some colonization advice."


    Helios lifted his chin,


    "Ah, colonization. We refer to the task as ''conquering'' in the Empire, though you may use a gentler word if you prefer. What do you need to know about it?"


    "I''m planning on expanding my guild. I want to know what''s the best way of doing it."


    "It is a simple thing. Enter someone''s domain, restrict access to their dungeons, through force if necessary. Once control is established, clear the rifts for a time, and then establish a city on Schema''s authority. Once established, you may control the populace''s access to their rifts, creating an absolute dominance."


    Helios stared off in the distance,


    "If you''re efficient, cities can be established in days rather than weeks. Obolis expanded the Empire from the capital, Olstatia, in a matter of hours. He''s a unique case, however. You can expect to create four to five cities a week. Given how effective you are at clearing dungeons, you might match his pace should you show the same ambition."


    I frowned, "I don''t imagine people would enjoy that method of taking over."


    Helios nodded, "And what weaklings want is irrelevant. They are the subjugated. As such, they shall carry the burden of their weakness, in one way or the other."


    "So, you''re recommending I become a tyrant?"


    "Understand this, Harbinger. Your strength is just as much a curse as a commoner''s weakness is. Perhaps you believe that I look down on commoners for their lack of potency. Your misunderstanding is understandable but misplaced. I do not look down upon them; In many respects, I envy them."


    Helios raised a hand, "They never need to think of all that we worry of. They must simply execute their plain labors on a day to day basis without a thought in the world. We are given control of them, which is a privilege, but we are also tasked with their prosperity."


    Helios squeezed his hand into a fist, "This is the mantle of those gifted with power in Schema''s universe. Your success is measured by the success of those under you. As such, the weak reflect the competence of those over them. Their prosperity is your achievement in that respect."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Why not just let people do what they want?"


    Helios met my eye, his face hidden under his mask,


    "Then they shall organize rebellions that result in the mass murder of millions. You shall understand when we arrive at Blegara. It shall demonstrate the failings of my brother, along with the consequences of freedom."


    I didn''t agree with him, but I wasn''t here to argue philosophy with the guy.


    "Speaking of Blegara, when are we going there?"


    Helios let his hand down under his cape, "As soon as we are able. It is dependent upon you and your guild."


    I grinned, "Alright then, let''s get going."


    We walked through the guild, heading towards Torix''s quarters. He made his new lair on the third floor, his haven found in the walls of his university. Helios and I met Torix leaning over in a room covered in monitors. Between them, tutorials on programming your own obelisk played in the background. Torix watched several of them while working on his own convoluted set of code.


    He peered up at us as we walked in through a sliding doorway powered by personal mana. It was tech from Giess, though altered a bit. Torix raised his hand, and the programs stopped playing. He spread out his arms,


    "It''s good to see you, Daniel. Is your minion treating you well?"


    I cupped my chin, "Hm, you know, he''s doing okay." I turned to Helios, "He could be doing better though. He was lecturing about philosophy earlier."


    Helios narrowed his eyes, "It was counsel, nothing more."


    Torix waved a hand, "Ah, wasn''t he demoted from his previous position? Perhaps his advice is limited in its usefulness."


    Torix and I shared a cackle at Helios''s expense. Torix let it drop,


    "Teasing aside, are we here to organize our assault, perhaps?"


    I nodded, "Yup. Can you get a few gialgathens and our other main members together? I want to let them know what our plan is going forward."


    Torix leaned close, "Perhaps you could share the inner machinations of our guild''s future with me before the meeting, hmm?"


    I raised a palm to the lich, "I would, but I don''t want to have to repeat myself over and over."


    Torix snapped his fingers, "Bagh, I''d have hoped for an early insight. Such is life, I suppose...or death in my case. Hah, lich joke." He opened his status, letting his obelisk send messages at a blistering pace,


    "This obelisk is quite helpful, I must say. It''s doubled my workload over the last few days, but it shall halve my workload forever thereafter."


    Helios chimed, "Abuse them as much as you can. Obelisks are like assistants with no soul. They own no limit to the abuse they can handle."


    Torix raised a finger, his glance cross,  "Unlike the living."


    I pointed at the obelisk, "When and where is the meeting?"


    Helios read from his messages, "In an hour, we''ll gather with your guild''s followers, along with five other gialgathens and mind mages."


    I frowned, "What about the portalists?"


    Torix scoffed, "Those incompetents? They''ve been decommissioned from the guild."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Why?"


    "There were numerous reasons, but the most astute of them was their spying. They were sending data towards the Overseer and Schema about our guild''s operations. Amara nearly devoured one of them when she found them taking notes on her eldritch experiments...for the second time, I might add."


    I sighed, "Well, that''s what we get for trusting Schema, I suppose."


    "Indeed."


    Helios turned between us, "Why is that an issue? If you have nothing to hide, then there''s no reason to be bothered with Schema''s surveillance. If anything, it adds another layer of security."


    I leaned towards the albony, "You''ve never been wanted, huh?"


    Helios leaned back, "No. I haven''t."


    I shrugged, "That makes sense. I came into this system as an unknown, and so have the majority of my guild''s high ranking members. Hell, we have a literal eldritch on our team. Because of that status, Schema leveraged us for his own gain several times."


    Helios scoffed, "And that is what you do with your resources, do you not?"


    I frowned, "It sets a standard where you end up just using one another. If our relationship with the Empire ends up that way, we''ll break things off in an instant."


    Helios crossed his arms, "Though we rise to a higher standard, you shouldn''t expect anything more than the baseline politeness from other guilds."


    I shrugged, "That''s the thing. I do have higher expectations. Even if we don''t have anything to hide, I don''t want to give Schema information for blackmailing us in the future. That''s because he took advantage before, trapping us on Earth to kill Yawm. He did it again, having us clean up Giess''s mess."


    I glared up at the sky,


    "Schema is a powerful ally, but he also prefers keeping his allies on a ball and chain. I understand it, but I don''t like it."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "Hmmm, to me, it seems like an unnecessary precaution. That being said, you own your own reasons behind your actions. Do what you will."


    Torix walked past us, "We shall. Come, let us meet with the others."


    We walked through the underbelly of Mt. Verner before reaching a sectioned off portion along the outskirts of the mountain. Here we warped in from Elderfire, a sort of settlement forming. Several gialgathens rested in the ravine''s shadow, many of them exhausted.


    Among these gialgathens, Chrona and Krog slept. They singed themselves spots in the grass, Krog preferring a clearing in the trees while Chrona rested in the shade of branches. They lifted their heads as I walked up, Helios and Torix trailing behind me. They rubbed the sleep from their eyes with the tips of their tails as Chrona mumbled,


    "Excuse our late awakening. We''ve been tasked with much as of late, and we needed rest."


    Stolen story; please report.


    I raised a palm to her, "It''s no problem. We''re planning on fighting on Blegara today, and I was wondering if either of you are up to it?"


    Krog and Chrona stared at each other before looking back at me. Krog grumbled,


    "Why do we fight so soon and for a guild that has given us nothing?"


    Helios stepped forward,


    "We''ve given high-end obelisks, risked our position in the galaxy to establish trade routes, and contracted two high ranking commanders without payment as a show of support. This is merely the beginning of the Empire''s generosity, yet it is already extraordinary."


    Helios turned a hand to Chrona and Krog,


    "Look to yourselves before admonishing us. Your kind has given nothing but taken whatever the Harbinger has given. You both ask for rest on the first day that you actually work for your savior. Up till now, he has been working for you, and without rest, I might mention."


    Helios stared down at them, "If this is the extent of the gialgathen''s gratitude, then I shall make sure to make a note of it."


    I turned towards Helios, "I''ll let them know whether or not they''re giving me gratitude. Also, give advice when I ask for it, not when you want to."


    Helios turned to me, "Your command is noted."


    Krog and Chrona stared down, both of them filled with more than just a little shame. I sighed while thinking about what Helios said. In a way, Helios was right - this was technically their first day on their new job. Still, just like anyone, these giant salamanders had their limits regardless of what we needed from them.


    They just arrived on a new planet while surviving a war and genocide. There''s only so much someone can do. I raised a hand,


    "Chrona, Krog, don''t worry about joining us today. I didn''t know the both of you were so tired, and that''s something I should have noticed. Take a week off, both of you. During that time, you need to get settled in and meet a few of our guildsmen. I don''t want the gialgathens to be a separate part of my guild. I want them to be interwoven like a...gialgathen, human scarf."


    I shook my head in disgust, "Man, just forget about that example. Damn, that was awful."


    Chrona''s eyes widened while she carried a light smile, "Th-thank you, commander. Your generosity will not go unnoticed."


    I turned to Helios,


    "Also, you''d better remember what you said here later on when you''re tired. Don''t expect any breaks."


    Helios nodded, "Then I shall face my exhaustion as I have many times before."


    From the surrounding trees, Hod bled out of a nearby shadow. He cracked his neck while rolling his shoulders, "Hod feel good. How everyone else feel?"


    I smiled, "Feeling good."


    Hod pushed on his lower back, stretching as he groaned, "Hod think that good. Hod-"


    His back cracked, and Hod pulled his hands off his lower back, but his upper body didn''t swing back into place. His head hung behind him, his upper body draped over his waist. The poor birdman ran around us while shrieking,


    "Hod broke Hod back."


    Helios turned towards him, "Where exactly is the injury?"


    Hod''s head hung upside down behind him. Facing his back towards Helios, the birdman jeered,


    "Hod just say problem. Hod back broken."


    With a gravity well, I pulled Hod apart from his upper half and lower half. The bird guy stretched like taffy before his back popped into place. He gasped with relief,


    "Hod back not broke anymore. Hod thank Harbinger."


    Helios turned towards me, "Is he an idiot?"


    Torix covered his mouth, suppressing a laugh,


    "He did say his back was what was hurt. Perhaps it is your question that was idiotic?"


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "Or specific for a diagnosis. I worried without cause. That much is certain, and I shall not make the same mistake again."


    I observed from a distance, letting them talk as they usually would have without me interfering. Whether I agreed with either of them or not, they would need to get to know each other. Having a rocky first few days was expected.


    From beside me, a slight, familiar gravitational blip extended into existence. I looked down with a grin, finding Althea phasing onto this plane beside me. I grabbed her by the hip,


    "It''s good to see you."


    She leaned her head into the nape of my armpit, "You too. How is Helios adjusting?"


    "Eh, he''s doing fine. He understands his new position and what he needs to do from here on out."


    Althea narrowed her eyes at the albony, "Please, keep an eye on him. Don''t forget what he did to us when he had an advantage. I think...I think that shows more about his character than anything."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t forget."


    Helios heard us, but I intended for him to. As he listened, his hair stood on end, and his heartbeat raced in his chest. He was well aware of what might happen to him in his new position, but this was the price he paid for what he did. Since it was up to me, the guy would keep paying and in full.


    From the trees, a brustling of branches popped in the foreground. Stepping out of it, Amara and Florence walked beside one another, both of them chatting.


    "That''s a fascinating outlook on the eldritch. I never considered the possibility of an alliance of any sort," Florence said. "It seemed unearthly to me."


    Amara hissed back, "It is, but such is the result of clashing dimensions. There is little that can be done outside of a wary compromise. I believe we may keep one another at bay, both sheep and wolves watching and waiting alike." She turned a palm to Florence, her eye centered in her hand. It pierced the albony with a sharp, suspicious glare,


    "You seem quite curious about us. It''s alarming."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "I seem curious because I am. You''re a fascinating young lady. Besides, I know what it means to be an outcast like you. I am one as well, though under different circumstances. Since coming here, however, many have seen the good in me despite that less than enviable position."


    A grin glowed from under his mask as he met her eye,


    "I merely wished to return the favor and see the good in you, Amara."


    Amara looked away while...wait a minute, blushing? I stayed there stunned at the prospect, Florence somehow wooing an eldritch of all things. Hod stepped up to Florence, pushing a winged hand into the albony''s chest,


    "Hod not like new fur man. New fur man bad."


    Florence tilted his head while grabbing Hod''s hand, "Did you spend time grooming your feathers this morning?"


    Hod pulled his wing from Florence''s grasp, "Perhaps Hod did."


    Florence brimmed with confidence, "It shows."


    Hod''s blank, white eyes narrowed, "Hod not sure Hod not like fur man two anymore. Hod...Hod confused."


    Florence gave Hod a friendly pat on the shoulder, "Take your time deciding on it." Florence walked up to me,


    "I''d barely gotten my new job started before you called us into a new meeting. Industrious, aren''t you?"


    I turned towards everyone, "Eh, I try. You can use this as an opportunity to get to know everyone."


    Florence turned towards Althea, "I would like that."


    Althea looked away, and I noted her reaction. From the corner of my eye, I glowered at Florence, "Hey, man."


    Florence shrunk, "Uhm...yes?"


    "I understand you''re friendly. That''s fine, but I''d like it if you''d respect the relationship between Althea and me."


    Florence nodded, taken aback, "I...of course. Excuse my impoliteness."


    He deflated before my eyes like a balloon popped with a needle. He took a step or two back. He looked a bit crushed, and I was okay with that. At the same time, I didn''t want Florence or everyone else thinking I hated the guy. I pinched my brow with frustration,


    "Look, don''t take this that seriously. We''ve just gotten to know each other, and it isn''t like I expect every situation to play out perfectly."


    I gave his shoulder a light tap with my fist, "Just, you know, listen to what I said, and we''re fine, alright?"


    Florence perked up while nodding, "Yes. Of course."


    As everyone else arrived, I dwelled on that awkward situation. Talking with people right now was strange, and after thinking about it, I uncovered the reason why; it was my position. Because of my status as a guildleader, my thoughts and words carried weight. I could talk however I wanted before now because I wasn''t anyone special. The scales tipped, and now I owned a meaningful position.


    It was a strange transition for me. On the one hand, I liked being able to say what I wanted to say how I wanted to say it. Just as well, it was pleasant having my words and opinion respected. On the other hand, that was the crux of the issue - people respected me too much.


    If I misplaced a word or two, people got hurt. I wasn''t exactly the best at conveying succinct, concise emotions with my words anyway. Having to dance around people''s feelings like this was like asking an ogre to win a tap-dancing competition. It wasn''t going to happen. All this gave me a lot to think about as Torix spread out his arms,


    "Now that everyone is present, our guildleader, Daniel, wishes to advise us on our guild''s course of action from here on out."


    Damn, I forgot about that. I took a quick, deep breath with my eyes closed, preparing to talk in front of the group. The thought of public speaking still gave me goosebumps, but it was now or never as usual. With a lift of my hand, I used quintessence to make a pillar of fortified earth rise from under me. The elevation let me get a clear view over everyone''s heads, the gialgathens hanging in the back.


    Looking closer, several signs of exhaustion exposed themselves on the gialgathens. They normally carried their heads high, but they drooped down in long arches. None of the gialgathens kept their chests upright either. It was as if gravity was fighting a winning war with them, their eyelids heavy.


    Revising the contents of my speech on the fly, I turned towards Torix, "I''m going to be talking to the guild as a whole here. Make sure to record and stream this."


    Torix leaned back, "Oh...Ahem, I certainly shall...It is done."


    I turned towards the group, spreading my hands,


    "We''ve finished our time on Giess, and I know that the gialgathens here are adjusting to Earth. I want each of you to know that you''re welcome here as long as you work, and you''re not breaking the laws here. That''s all we ask for, and if you do that, you''ll find that this will be a new home for each of you."


    Krog and Chrona let out roars of approval, and I gave them quick nods to let them know they were heard. I turned towards the others,


    "We''ve allied ourselves with the Empire, a conglomeration of planets ruled by Obolis Novas. I''ve met him in person, and he''s willing to reward us handsomely for our services. He''s already sent two members of his family to help us, and they''ll be assisting us with our transition from a one location guild to a guild on a galactic scale."


    I tried making eye contact,


    "I know that you''re all tired from the endless fighting. We''ve just returned, and I''m already starting another campaign against the Adairs. While I won''t postpone my own duties, I understand that each of you needs rest. Because of that, I want to grant our soldiers a month off of free time. You can dispense with that how you will."


    Kessiah leaned back against Krog while mouthing,


    "I guess that doesn''t apply to me."


    I smirked at her, "No, Kessiah, it does not."


    The group let out a light laugh, the kind of laughter that releases some of the nervous tension. I raised a fist,


    "I''ll be fighting on the frontlines until you''re all ready to join me. Know that I would never ask more from each of you than I''d ask of myself. I aim to lead by example, and that means setting a good one for each of you to follow. That''s also why I''m working with the dungeon clearing corps to engineer a solution for lower-tier dungeons."


    I let my hands down to my sides, "I know it''s a lot to ask of each of you to fight in two wars, one against the Adiars and another against the eldritch. I''m striving to lessen that burden, one dungeon at a time. It will take effort and ingenuity, but I''m confident that we''re on the brink of a long term solution."


    Amara spread the fingers of her palms, staring at me, "Are we eldritch a problem?"


    I turned to her, kind of surprised by her speaking up. It allowed me to touch base on the subject, however,


    "Some of you and your brethren are a problem, yes. I don''t intend to kill indiscriminately, however. When we were on Giess, the Adairs did that to the gialgathens by abusing the espen''s bias against them. Yes, certain gialgathens were a lot to handle. That didn''t mean they deserved what happened to them."


    I let those words soak in for a second. Many fought on Giess, and they saw the horrors first hand. The others saw it secondhand on footage, which still left a worthwhile impact. I turned to a palm to Amara,


    "Just as I know all gialgathens aren''t evil, I know that all eldritch aren''t evil either. We''ll work with those that are willing to work with us. As for the others, we''ll crush them just like we crushed the Adairs. No mercy. No compromise."


    The others in the group let out a hoopla of approval, and Amara seemed sated for now. I raised my fists, "We''re going to continue fighting the Adairs, and I want each of you to know you''ll be rewarded for what you''re doing here with me. You''ll be able to tell your children you were apart of a great generation, one that fought against the Hybrids and pushed them back into the depths they crawled out from."


    I grinned, "So stay strong, and we''ll pull through this even better than before."


    I sat there with my finished speech, and everyone stared at me. Once the small crowd recognized it was over, a series of claps, roars, and shouts filled the air. It looked like everyone liked it for the most part, and as I stepped off my earthen podium, Torix gave me a nod of approval,


    "I must say, that was likely your finest speech yet."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Thanks. I''ve had some practice." I turned towards Torix, "I think it''s about time we head out to Blegara."


    Spear stepped up to us, along with Helios. Torix steepled his hands,


    "I concur. It''s time we show the Empire the might of the legion firsthand."

 266 Joining Wars

    Without further delay, Helios lifted his hand and generated a portal with ease. On the other side of the entrance, a futuristic, metallic paneling lined the walls of a large room. It was the inside of a ship, likely a dreadnought class by the look of it. After crushing many of them, I kind of got a feel for their inner architecture, and this fit the bill.


    Helios peered around while raising his voice,


    "On the other side of this portal is a landing bay for an imperial dreadnought. Here, any gialgathens who are rested may join us."


    Helios turned to me, awaiting further orders. I walked up to the portal, waving everyone to come inside,


    "Follow me."


    Stepping into the steeled inner sanctum, the greenish hue of orichalcum imbued the air. Lines of light traced throughout the compound''s walls and floors, some kind of fuel source doubling as a consistent kind of lighting. The pulsing, oozing shine was dampened by thickened plates of tinted glass, but it was so bright it still kept the place well lit despite that.


    Beyond the walls, elegant ships made way for enormous battle drones. They used smoother linework for the silhouettes of the vessels when compared to the Adair''s ships. From a feel perspective, they seemed less militant and more aesthetically inclined. Whether that translated to effectiveness on the battle, time would tell.


    Piloting these ships, albony of all kinds strutted around in various mask colors. Most wore wooden masks without any stain on them, and any member with this kind of cover focused on grunt work. The next tier up where the orange masks, the same as John Mcsmitty''s mask. These guys were welders, calibrators, or managers. They handled the technical work that required a bit more skill.


    The soldiers that actually piloted the ships themselves were mostly wooden maskers like the grunt workers. A rare few of these soldiers wore red masks like what Caprika wore when we first met. The red maskers rode the best ships, commanded respect from others, and they got the majority of the attention from the calibrators.


    As we stepped out, many of those working on the bay level gawked at us. They lunged to one knee, bowing as if their life depended upon it. Helios raised a hand,


    "As you were."


    The workers jumped back to work, the mass of movement reviving in an instant. Helios pointed at a wider walkway along the back of the bay,


    "If you would follow me, I can show you all where the other commanders are situated."


    After a brusque nod of approval from yours truly, we walked toward the other members. Following us, Kessiah, Althea, Hod, Florence, and Torix kept pace, and we walked through many corridors with dozens of rooms situated in them. I noted the layout as we made our way, ensuring I wouldn''t need help navigating the area again.


    We found ourselves on a large, wall-less elevator. Stylish yet functional, it zoomed upwards fast enough that we experienced a G or two of force. Rings of plasma fuel zoomed past our eyes before we rose into a grand entryway. Some craftsmen meticulously carved, etched, and molded the metal into the shape of two albony, their individual hairs made to a lifelike level of realism. They lined a doorway covered in symbols, likely patriotic symbols for the Empire.


    Helios stepped up towards a scanner that pulled out a large needle. It took a sample of his blood as Florence turned to us,


    "We''ll be meeting several other members of royalty here. Alastair is the big one, but he''s a gentle giant. Ophelia is a completely ruthless schemer. If you want to know which one she is, just look for the ugly one. We''ll also be meeting Victoria. She and Helios have a sort of rivalry for who would be the next successor of Obolis. Recently, she''s pulled ahead of my brother in that regard."


    Helios glowered at Florence, "As if either of us would ever succeed an immortal."


    Florence nudged his brother with an elbow, "You didn''t say that when we were cubs. You always dreamed of being the real ruler one day."


    Helios stepped through the opening doorway,


    "Children''s dreams die where the adult world begins."


    As we stepped into a fancy control room, Florence mouthed,


    "In other words, here''s where dreams go to die. Fun."


    Peering around, I disagreed. Maybe daydreamers lost spirit here, but for a logistician, this was complete reverie. Monitors detailed many situations across Blegara, showing underwater scenes of chaos. Several obelisks floated near these monitors, interacting with virtualized statuses to organize troops and data. These machines funneled information towards data feeds that scrolled over the faces of a few orange masked technicians.


    These orange masks then funneled footnotes of various situations to three albony standing on an elevated platform. These albony wore red masks, each of them standing in front of an expansive glimpse of the world below. My eyes gawked at the planetary view exposing itself in all its splendor.


    Blegara was an oceanic world, one with a few sparse islands littering its surface. Along the endless seas, a gradient of shadow drew a line between night and day. In the nightsided half, lights from beneath the ocean lit up in entrancing clusters of glowing radiance. They reminded me of views of Earth''s cities during night time, at least before the culling and our Schematization.


    My eyes drifted from Blegara to the unsullied view of the stars surrounding the planet. No atmosphere dampened the spectacle here, nebulas splashing like colorful clouds. The stars shined with the radiance of reflective drops, galaxies drifting in colorful spirals. I was left awestruck just as I was when Obolis showed us his own vision when we first met.


    Breaking my admiration of nature, a curt, high pitched voice spoke out,


    "Are these the mercenaries Obolis contracted?"


    Helios stepped forward, his cape flowing over him,


    "No. They are our allies. It would be wise to refer to them as such, Ophelia."


    A thin albony looked over us, unimpressed by our group. She wore a dress of all things, earrings and jewelry worn to match. A mage''s staff hovered along her back, sheathed by a telekinetic force. Her red mask bore black lines on it, maybe some kind of transitionary status between her mask''s colors.


    She propped her weight onto her hip and jeered,


    "And why are you still wearing your black mask? Surely you were demoted to the status of us mere reds."


    Helios grinned under his mask, "It is not an action that Obolis deemed necessary. Think of Florence and my new positions as learning experiences. It is more a hard lesson than an outright punishment."


    Florence leaned over to me,


    "Told you. Ophelia''s awful."


    Ophelia pointed at Florence, "Don''t think I didn''t hear that."


    Beside them, a monolithic, red masked figure stood upright. Though he lacked Obolis''s or my height, he stood wider than either of us, and his armor cast a shadow resembling more a wall than a person. He twiddled his clawed fingers, peering between the two albony,


    "Uhm, could we please avoid a fight? We''ll have plenty of that once we land."


    The last of the three albony stepped forward, her armor shining and imposing on everyone around her. It was ebony with golden trim, a red cape standing out behind her. She wore a black mask like Helios and Florence, and her chest stood upright and tall. Though she looked small when compared to the living wall beside her, somehow, she commanded more presence than the other two albony combined.


    She met my eye,


    "This is the Harbinger?"


    Helios nodded. The heroic-looking albony walked over, pressing her hand against her palm, "May this conversation be fruitful for Schema."


    She followed the rules despite her position. That said a lot about her as I raised my brow, "More like may it be fruitful for us. You already know me. Who are you?"


    She clanked her heels together while putting a fist on her chest plate, "I am Victoria Novas, the current ruler of Menhir. It is an honor to meet you." She gave me a bow, "Obolis has told me you are to be respected. Ignore Ophelia''s entrance. She simply cannot control herself when Florence is around."


    Ophelia, the one in a dress, pranced over in heels, "I can speak for myself."


    Althea stared at her in disbelief, "Are you actually fighting with us?"


    Ophelia kept her chin high, "Of course I am."


    Althea furrowed her brow, "Then why are you wearing heels of all things? They''re so hard to move around in, and we''re about to, you know, fight."


    Ophelia put her hands on her hips, "Because I make it a priority to actually look good at all times."


    Damn, she was shallow. Althea scoffed, "So you prioritize that over actually surviving, huh?"


    Though Ophelia wore a mask and carefully manicured fur over her skin, an intense blush radiated from her. She calmed herself, showing a measure of restraint as she glared down at Althea,


    "Ah, so this is the kind of people we''ll be working with. Great. Just great."


    I spoke up,


    "You''re not working with us. You''re fighting with us. Change into armor. We don''t want you to die out there, or worse, have people die trying to protect you all because you chose not to wear armor."


    Ophelia peered at Helios and Victoria, waiting for their backup. Victoria gave Ophelia a quick glare,


    "Do as he says. Now."


    Ophelia swallowed her pride, stepping towards the elevator we just walked out of. As it went down the floors, Florence spoke between cracks of laughter,


    "I...I''ve never seen her get put in her place like that...this is priceless...I can tell, this has already been worth the demotion."


    Helios murmured, "For once, we agree."


    Florence gave me a pat on the back, "By Schema, I''ve never seen someone call her out like that. Well done, well done."


    I spread my arms, "Wait a minute, you all just let that kind of behavior fly?"


    An awkward moment passed over the group, and Victoria stood upright once more, "I...we''re sorry."


    I pointed down on the planet, "Remember what we''re doing here. Letting Ophelia walk down there without protection could end in her death. The Hybrids, if they so much as touch you, you''ll need me to dig around under your bones to pull them out."


    I glanced at the broad albony, "Whether you''re big or not, they''ll worm their way in you and parade around in your skin like your just a flesh puppet. Don''t forget that. I''m not saying this because I want to be an asshole. If that was the case, I''d let you all walk down there unprepared."


    Victoria and the big guy peered down, both of them flushing with shame. I lifted a hand,


    "Come on, heads up. We don''t have time for pity parties."


    Victoria met my eye, restraining her emotions, "Yes. Of course."


    I pointed at Blegara, "What''s the situation down there? Also, record this and send the talk to Ophelia. We don''t want her to miss the conversation."


    Taken off guard, Victoria coughed into her hand,


    "Ahem, well, the situation is dire. Many of the cities have rebelled, with few choosing to continue servitude under the Empire. This has resulted in guerilla warfare, where it is difficult to re-establish order. Because of that, some areas are being purged while uninfected territories are being secured."


    I frowned, "Alright, what does ''purge'' mean?"


    Alastair stepped forward, his large frame contrasting his gentle voice,


    "So, it means we''re having to, uhm, wipe the area out. Saving those areas...it costs more lives than it saves. It''s a...l-logistical thing."


    I sighed, "Fine. We''re not participating in that. We''re here to wipe Hybrids out, not murder people."


    Victoria nodded, "Sir, yes, sir. I''ll send what you said over to Obolis."


    Helios turned up to me, "Excellent work relaying the gravity of this situation. You shut down their idiocy better than I could have. However, you may have made an enemy of Ophelia. What she lacks in common sense, she makes up for in her ability to control the Empire''s courts."


    Florence scratched the back of his head, "It might be a good idea to talk to her. You know, make sure she isn''t mad."


    I frowned, "Is that really necessary? She isn''t a child anymore, right."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Florence weighed his hands back and forth, "Well, yeah, it''s not absolutely necessary, but it will help you out in the long run. Think of it as insurance from rumors and bad first impressions."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I''ll take my chances."


    Florence nodded, "Suit yourself."


    I turned towards Althea, "Hey, thanks for mentioning the heels situation. I didn''t even think about it until you brought it up."


    She grinned, "Thanks. I just noticed it is all. You''re the one that followed through."


    I grinned back before turning towards my group members, "You all ready to kick some ass?"


    I got several nods, though Kessia seemed chaffed. I raised an eyebrow, "Hey Kessiah, what''s going on? Why do you look so down?"


    She shook her head, "It just sucks that my friends were spying like that. I thought they were some alright guys. I really did. Turns out their just spineless dicksuckers for Schema. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth."


    She scowled, "And it makes you wonder...if they were spying, there''s got to be other people spying in our guild too. Like some of these royals here, maybe."


    I frowned, "It''s something I never considered, but yeah, you''re right. They likely are spying. For now, I don''t know what to do about it. I''ll try to brainstorm a solution with Torix, hopefully, one that doesn''t involve mind magic."


    Kessiah sighed, "Yeah. Sounds good."


    Victoria walked over towards one of the personnel running the ships data streams,


    "Send us down to Saphigia. We''ll meet Obolis there." Victoria stepped over, and she put her hands on her hips,


    "It''s Blegara''s capital and where we''ll be establishing our beachhead with Obolis."


    I crossed my arms, "So I didn''t read the briefs you guys sent us. They were over a hundred pages long, and it was more like a textbook than something useful. What kind of planet is Blegara, and what kind of people live there?"


    Victoria tilted her head, wrapping her head around what I just told her. She frowned under her black mask, "If you had read the briefs, you would already know."


    I waved my hand, "A summary, people. That''s all I''m asking for."


    "Blegara is an oceanic world with shallow waters throughout. This has left enormous portions of the world covered in coral reefs. We''ll be clearing Hybrids out of those reefs with the help of the intelligence units spread across the world."


    I pointed at her, "That''s what the brief should have said."


    She furrowed her brow, "But then...Yeah, maybe so."


    The dreadnought class cruiser we rode in drifted down towards Blegara, the planet growing in our sight. I pointed at the world,


    "What are the people like?"


    Helios waved a hand, "Impudent, ungrateful, and rebellious."


    Florence raised his palms, "I''ve seen the most of Blegara, so I think I can weigh in here." He turned to me,


    "The people here are relatively primitive, and I don''t mean that in a derogatory kind of way. They have developed simple language systems, and they have traditions, rituals, and even religions. That being said, they''re in a pre-technology era. The Empire came onto the world right after they reached fringe world status."


    Florence stared down at Blegara, "It''s a difficult world to handle because the populace is so...impossible to communicate with. Even with Schema''s nifty translations, the Vagni speak in disjointed, jagged sentences. Their species that isn''t suited for typical language. To many people in the Empire, they''re closer to eldritch than a sentient species."


    Torix raised a hand, "If I may interject, why would the Empire choose to establish a world here?"


    Florence let out a sigh, "Hm...There are several reasons. The world is rich in certain resources, especially biological ones. Pearls, rare corals, and delicious food could fuel luxury for the albony across the entire Empire. That''s not even mentioning the beach resorts or the mining operations in dungeons or under the oceans here. Blegara is a veritable gold mine of high end resources."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You seem skeptical though."


    Florence winced, "The thing is...they, hm, how to put this...The first colonizers didn''t actually think things through in my opinion. This world is in the middle of a dark age. The Vagni had empires and established countries before the eldritch began pouring out of underwater caverns."


    He shook his head, "Now the monsters have become entrenched in the Vagni''s culture. They''ve destroyed their civilizations, and being somewhat primitive, they''ve decided to worship the eldritch as gods. They offer sacrifices, they do blood worship, and they even raise eldritch younglings. It''s fascinating, I tell you."


    Helios glared at his brother, "It''s a destructive cycle. One that must be eliminated from the roots."


    Florence raised a hand, his voice rising, "See, that''s what everyone seems convinced of. I disagree. The Vagni have actually established a relative balance with the eldritch. Despite having the eldritch infesting their waters, they haven''t actually had any world-ending incidents."


    I grimaced, "It''s only a matter of time before that happens. Besides, they drifted into fringe world status. That means the situation was worsening."


    Helios turned to me, "Exactly."


    Florence shook his head, "No, no, no, that''s a misconception. Schema changed his classifications for fringe worlds, and that''s why Blegara fell into that category. I''ve done my research on the world''s history as well, and the Vagni have stories of the eldritch predating Schema''s involvement. They''re ingrained in the mythos of the planet. Even if the tales of eldritch are oral or primitive, that doesn''t mean the events didn''t happen."


    Florence turned towards the group, "Schema would like us to all believe that the eldritch go from nonexistent to pouring out of the ground like monster geysers, all overnight. I don''t think that''s the case, and I have a theory that on worlds where the eldritch naturally manifest, they are actually a natural existence that slowly leaks in."


    I tilted my head, considering what he said. If I thought about it, humans had all kinds of stories about mythic figures and supernatural beings. Overactive imaginations seemed like the culprit to me. That being said, it wasn''t like Zeus or dragons would be any stranger than Schema and the eldritch. If anything, they were far more benign by comparison.


    Helios facepalmed before looking up at the sky, "Why do you entertain such thoughts? You have such a gifted mind, yet you waste it away on useless meanderings."


    Florence scoffed, "My mind is my own. I dictate whether it''s being wasted or not."


    Victoria clapped her hands, "That''s very interesting and all, but we''re piercing through Blegara''s atmosphere. Be ready for some turbulence."


    I lifted my hand, manipulating gravity without a struggle. Pinning everyone''s feet to the floor, I turned to Victoria,


    "That will keep everyone grounded while we land."


    Victoria looked down at her feet. She pointed her hands at them,


    "This...Helios, you said he was fluid with his gravitational magic. To this extent, however, well, I never would''ve imagined it."


    Helios shrugged, "He exceeds even Obolis with it. What else can I say to convey his mastery?"


    Victoria listened while leaned backward, so far, in fact, that without her feet being anchored, she''d fall backward. Pulling from her feet, wobbled back and forth, laughing a bit,


    "Hah, I can''t believe it. This is quite fun."


    Remembering where she was, she stiffened back up, "Ahem, as I was saying, good use of your gravity magic and all that."


    Althea giggled a bit before grinning at Victoria, "Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it."


    Victoria took the situation in stride, "I would hope so. I wouldn''t want to be surprised at all turns. I''d seem even more like a fool than I already do at times."


    Hod leaned forward, pulling himself into an awkward position to reach Victoria. The humble birdman patted her shoulder while nodding,


    "Hod understand Victoria concern. Victoria not super smart like Hod. Not all people be like Hod. Only Hod be like Hod."


    The group laughed besides Torix and Helios, who both grimaced at Hod. That''s the kind of person Hod was; you either hated him or loved him. As the group died down, the main elevator rose back up with Ophelia. She changed her wares, garbed in a robe etched with runes. It was by no means shoddy workmanship either, many of the configurations designed for both form and function. They accentuated her curves, and they carried a beautiful gold and red color that conveyed a sense of grandeur.


    Caught staring, Althea elbowed me, "Hey, stop that."


    I pointed at the robe, "But that robe is put together real well. I can''t help but admire the work put into it."


    Althea shrunk back, "Oh...I...okay."


    I grinned down at her, "Wait a minute, did you think-"


    She pushed me, the metal beneath me groaning from the force of her shove,


    "Hey, stop that."


    I laughed before Ophelia walked up to us. She gave me a subtle glare from under her robe, so Florence leaned over, "Hey, let me be that whole peacemaker thing you mentioned before. I can smooth things over." He pointed at his feet, "And don''t worry about the turbulence. I''ll be fine."


    I didn''t like pandering to a brat, but this was Florence''s new job. I didn''t want to get in the way of his work, so I unlatched his feet. Florence jogged over towards her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He waved a hand, "Hey, it''s been a while since we had a chat. Mind having a talk?"


    "I do. You''re awful."


    Florence nodded, "True, but so are you. Let''s catchup."


    They walked off as we pierced through the atmosphere. Waves of heated air streamed past the orichalcum hull, magical runes buzzing to stop the ship from collapsing at the force. I stared at the approaching planet, remembering all the times I''d done this before. I never did this with a ship''s protection, however, so it was all very new and fresh.


    We reached near the surface after a minute of descending. Passing over a few miles of deep blue ocean, we hovered over a cyan, shallow bay, one at the edge of a crescent moon shaped island. It was a bright and colorful expanse, the fauna brimming with life and fighting for light. No creatures walked or buzzed on the island''s surface. Instead, plants warred with one another, their battles stretched out over years instead of seconds.


    This island''s shores carried moving life in spades, contrasting the barren inland. Fish, crabs, krill, clams, and coral brimmed over one another. These creatures flourished near the underwater city built from the same coral composing the reef. Waves washed over these organic buildings, a sort of harmony with nature established.


    Well, harmony outside of the Hybrids whipping the waters.


    As my eyes peered into the deeper spots of ocean, battles raged under murky waters. Blood fogged the water along with bits of meat and metal. The spires that covered Giess also spawned here, rising out of the ocean''s floor. A variant of Hybrid swam in the waters, more aerodynamic with finlike structure''s attached.


    These mechanical monstrosities darted through the water at high speeds, biting at albony. The Empire''s forces used a variety of gear to assist in the fight, literal propeller packs resting on their backs to assist with movement. Their scaled swimsuits let them glide through the water with ease, and they owned massive lighting structures to help see through the water.


    It was losing battle, however.


    Their technology didn''t outweigh the benefits of evolution, and the Hybrids were faster overall. The water slowed down the average soldier considerably. Snagging one of the breathing tubes also gave them a short-timer before they drowned in the sea. The Hybrids adopted a hit and run tactic because of this. They darted through the water, waiting for munitions to deplete. After doing so, they dashed in, tore the breathing tubes, and zoned the albony so they couldn''t reach the surface.


    These drowned bodies floated towards the surface after the Hybrid was satisfied with their demise. The sheer number of floating bodies took me by surprise, making the once clear ocean seem more like a swamp of corpses. The giant, writhing spires rose from the depths, picking these bodies up before pulling them back into the deep. They''d be hybridized in an orange soup of nanomachines later.


    That is, unless we stopped them of course. I rolled my shoulders as Florence stepped back from the sideline with Ophelia, the last inklings of his conversation bleeding into earshot,


    "And that''s why he is the way he is. You have to understand, we had every advantage. Our first dungeon was chosen to give us the best chance of going forward. We were granted particular trees that few have access to. Even with leveling support and experience gaining tactics, he still outleveled us."


    Florence grabbed Ophelia by her shoulders, looking her in the eye,


    "We had equipment. We had support. We had a vast network of people and skills helping us. Daniel, he had none of that, yet he succeeded. Even if he''s gruff and a bit too intense sometimes, he''s going to keep us safe out there. We just have to trust the guy."


    Ophelia gave him a reluctant nod, "No, you''re right, you''re right. I just need to...adjust. I should''ve been more prepared. That''s all."


    Florence gave Ophelia a nudge, "He nearly knocked me onto the ground when we first met too. Literally. I''m sure he does that to all kinds of people too."


    "Oh, most definitely."


    They stepped up to the group, both of them seeing the carnage through the open paneling. Ophelia''s heart rate spiked, and she gulped under her red mask,


    "It...It really is different seeing it in person."


    I stared out, "We''re not in person. Not yet at least. Helios, warp us down."


    Helios waved his hand, creating another portal towards an underwater coral cavern. Glass spanned over a few of the organic gaps in the coral''s coverage, the jagged encapsulation giving a raw feel for the whole area. A few steel cables lined the inner structure, reinforcing the pocket of air.


    Helios stepped into the air pocket, along with Althea and I. Turning towards her, I raised an eyebrow,


    "You can breathe underwater, right?"


    She lifted her neck, showcasing gills, "Of course. You forgot I''m a shapeshifter?"


    "Just making sure."


    As I mentioned the water, Kessiah pulled out a ring powered by mana. Putting it on, I recognized Torix''s signature carving from the corner of my eye. Torix carried a meticulous precision that reflected itself in his runic work, and I''d notice his style anywhere. The insignia let Kessiah hold her breath. Peering over, I didn''t see one for Hod.


    I pointed at his chest, "You can''t breathe underwater, though, can you?"


    "Hod not do it. Other Hod not need air though."


    Victoria leaned over towards us, "I''m assuming you''ve handled the situation as well?"


    I pointed at my chest, "What, me?"


    "Yes. Of course."


    I shook my head, "Air isn''t an issue anymore. I''ll leave it at that."


    Torix cackled, "Hah, he could walk on the surface of stars if he so chose. Water is nothing before him now."


    Her eyes widened while she raised her eyebrows, disbelief spread across her face. I didn''t pursue the issue further since I had nothing to prove. As we entered the coral capsule, I walked up to a wall and touched it. It was a fragile stone, nothing too sturdy. Turning to the others walking in, I pointed at it,


    "This doesn''t seem like the most secure place to land for the Hybrids."


    Her chest filled with pride, Victoria stepped out with her hands on her hips,


    "I can promise you this, there is nowhere safer on this planet."


    "Why?"


    "Because we have the ultimate guardian. Observe."


    From outside the coral cavern, a massive wave of force shot through the water. It created tidal waves around us and rain above us from displaced water. Walking up to a glass panel, I peered outside to see what all the ruckus was about. In the distance, Obolis Novas held a blighted in his hand.


    From his fingers, lines of primordial mana oozed like streams of concentrated sapphire. His gray armor carried runic lines of the cipher across it, the primordial mana drenching the inscriptions. That mana radiated from him, creating a sphere of blue mana that created temporal dilation, hastening his movements.


    Obolis''s energy infected the blighted sea creature in his hands, purifying it from the inside out. An ethereal creature spawned from its insides, made of pure, blue energy. The majestic monster of mana swam through the ocean, culling dozens of Hybrids in its wake, swallowing and liquifying them into water as it passed.


    Obolis let the intangible beast do its thing as he darted through the water with absurd speed. Immune to liquid around him, he anchored himself with a gravitational sphere while jerking himself into different positions across the oceanic horizon. Finding a new batch of Hybrids, he lifted a hand, channeling mana.


    My hair stood on end as he converted the mana of multiple elemental furnaces, the crackling somewhat muted but still heard through the water. Concentrating the burst, Obolis shot out a red torrent of ascendant mana, and it branched through the water in jagged lines. The geometric strands sought out Hybrids, piercing their chests. Once punctured, the energy expanded in all directions from within, pointed branches of red growing from the insides of the Hybrids.


    Leaving the forest of bodies behind, Obolis darted once more towards another group of Hybrids. He channeled his personal mana this time, using quintessence to generate growing trails of ice. The pale, jagged border of ice raced across our entire range of sight, trapping the Hybrids within the ice. Wielding ascendant mana, Obolis drained the energy from the ice, darkening its coloration.


    As if stopping the atoms within entirely, it turned into the same void ice Helios used. The negative energy resonated across the expanse, cracking the metal hulls and ravaging the Hybrid''s innards. They bloomed into orange, expanding bursts, their deaths all but beautiful.


    The carnage was mesmerizing.


    In yet another quick burst, Obolis jolted towards us. He launched like a bullet, racing towards our confine. Right before crashing into the wall, he generated a portal fluidly. It teleported him into our space. He used gravity wells of his own to dampen his descent, landing without decimating our room.


    Water splashed from his side of the portal, however, but only a small amount. With the puddle spreading out, he turned towards those present,


    "It is good to see that my family is well, and my allies safe. You shall need to be, for here lies the ravages of war and the onslaught of battle. Here, each of you will earn your keep and your privilege. Prove your worth, and your actions will echo into eternity, a shout everlasting. That roar grows with every drop of blood we spill."


    He spread his arms,


    "Who here wishes to roar with me?"

 267 The Vagni

    The albony around us pounded their chests and let out their own roars. They growled like lions, their imposing minds and wills united under this figure. That figure turned towards us,


    "Let us see the Harbinger in his full fury."


    I nodded, "Eh, after that, I don''t think I''ll be all that impressive."


    Obolis raised a palm, "That isn''t true at all. If anything, you''ll surpass me one day, of that I''m certain. A little guidance would go a long way in that regard. For now, however-"


    He turned towards the Hybrids in the distance, "You need no instruction in the art of war. Come, let us paint with their blood and sculpt with their corpses."


    Obolis opened another portal towards the surface, "You all shall handle the Northern, Western, and Eastern sections of Saphigia. I''ll handle the Southern section." Obolis pointed at me,


    "Follow the legion''s orders absolutely. They''ve fought in this kind war before, even soaked themselves in it and come out living. I wish the same for all of you."


    They gave a unified snarl as he finished. Obolis grinned, his teeth sharp,


    "We''ll take this planet once more. For the Empire."


    He leaped out into the surface of the water. As he did, the portal closed. A rippled echoed out from above right after, and that was where he went. I turned towards those here. Since I was the guy in charge, I needed some information.


    "Tell me what you guys can do?"


    Victoria stepped forward, "I am a knight skilled with lances and shields. I prefer light magic to focalize various heat attacks. Alastair is a kinetic warrior, and he abuses his natural strength to that end. Ophelia casts living magic, giving her a large range of output."


    Ophelia raised a finger, and a fireball with a smile formed over her hand. It hopped for a second before burning out. I crossed my arms, "Huh, interesting."


    Florence pointed at himself, "I''m terrible at fighting. Absolutely awful at it. If anything, all I can do is heal people. I''d much rather stay back with whoever else is also healing."


    I pointed at Alastair and Victoria, "You''re frontliners, right?"


    They nodded. I pointed a thumb at my chest, "You''ll be joining me. We''ll be making a vanguard."


    I pointed at Helios, "You''ll be joining Hod and Althea to offer support for our charge."


    Helios crossed his arms, "As you wish."


    Althea''s eyes narrowed, and a chill ran up my spine at the sight of it. Shy as she may be, in the end, she was a firecracker underneath. I turned to Torix and Ophelia,


    "You two will be following them and helping clear out the enemies in our wake. Torix, you can use your mind magic and necromancy to engorge our force with troops to compensate for our lack of manpower. Ophelia, you can wipe out the bits and pieces we leave behind with your AOE abilities."


    Ophelia grinned, "Naturally."


    Torix gave a slight bow, "But of course."


    I gestured to Kessiah and Florence, "You guys follow behind and near them. We''ll be placing bodies out for you guys to heal and stabilize. Stay safe, alright?"


    Kessiah gave us a thumbs up, "Sure thing, boss."


    Florence glanced at her before mimicking the gesture, "Indeed."


    He took up other cultures fast. I peered into oceanic abyss, "We''re heading out. Light knight and the big guy, get beside me."


    I stepped forward while Victoria and Alastair lined up at my sides. The knight of light brimmed with excitement,


    "I can''t wait. This shall be fun."


    Alastair frowned, "I''m always in front. Some things never change, I guess."


    I lifted a hand, the outer portion of our coral capsule smashing apart. Suspending the ocean with gravity, I looked behind me. Hod let out all of the air in his body, his chest shrinking into a stringy twig. As he breathed in, his body imbued with the might of shadow, and he strengthened into the shadow walker as a consequence.


    Florence took a step back, "So, is he alright?"


    I pointed at him, "This is how he looks when he fights."


    Hod''s bones cracked, and umbral flames poured from his back and shoulders. Muscled and heaving, other Hod peered up at me,


    "I am here to serve, Harbinger."


    Helios shook his head, "His mana is...unusual, to say the least. I would''ve never imagined he was so adept."


    Other Hod looked at Helios, hostility brimming from him,


    "Your mind''s limits are shallow, sheep."


    Florence let out a laugh before other Hod turned to him,


    "And you are a coward."


    Florence had a cheeky grin on under his mask, "Oh most definitely. I''m more than okay with that."


    I turned towards the ocean, "No more wasted time. Let''s go."


    I bent my knees before jumping. The water rippled as I shot into it, and Alastair and Victoria followed suit. A cold ocean covered me from head to toe, liquid filling into my lungs. It made no difference since I didn''t need to breathe. Despite that, a lingering mental block unnerved me for a split second. My mind screamed that I was drowning before I silenced it.


    Another kind of quiet echoed that silence, a muted humming droning in my ears. The ocean swallowed the sounds around us, which would otherwise leave many deafened. It couldn''t devour all explosive echoes, the largest thuds making their way to us.


    Turning down, I glared at the Hybrids while my helmet slid over my head. My trademark, helmeted grin crawled across my face, the jagged teeth menacing and feral. Starting with the Western side of the city, I shot myself through the water with gravity wells. Vast swaths of ocean swirled around us, waves coursing outward from the resulting propulsion. Alastair did something similar, creating extended kinetic panels under his feet as I once did. His steps left heavy thumps in the sandy ground where he made contact, tiny eruptions lifting beneath him as he moved.


    Victoria took a different approach. She channeled magic for a moment, generating three yellow spheres that floated around her. Their light siphoned into her armor, the ebony armor-wearing albony brimming with energy. She shot through the sea, leaving evaporated water in her wake. We three landed on the ground of Saphigia, the coral beds contaminated with Hybrids. Here, coral degraded and clams cracked. This entire lot of Saphigia was left with no survivors remaining.


    Without needing to hold back, I waved Event Horizon over the sand and stony corals. The Hybrids squealed out with muffled howls. At the same time, I shot forward, water rushing past me. I crushed through a glassy Hybrid before draining its remains in a fluid motion. Four other monsters followed in its death as I darted around the crumbled lot.


    My gravity and telekinesis gave me a firm footing, my mobility unhampered by the sea around us. I left Alastair and Victoria behind, both of them unable to keep up for now. They acted as a cleanup crew, handling any Hybrids I missed. Above us, many adapted Hybrids darted above, some in swarms.


    As the Hybrids schooled together above me, I peered up. The water splintered the light of the sun, creating an ever-shifting expanse of light fractals. They cast rays across the seabed as far as the sea, towards the sea''s horizons. It would''ve of been beautiful if not for the mass of metalled flesh launching towards me.


    The school of blighted demons rushed at me like a concentrated blast of Hybrid. Mana flowed through my bones and blood at a rapid pace, my skin glowing with heat as the energy channeled through me. With an enormous wave of gravitation, I collapsed them into a mass of writhing beast. Cracking under pressure, they crushed as I heated them into a soupy liquid. The water in their blood evaporated, releasing bubbles off the craggy sphere.


    With a wave of Event Horizon, the corpses disintegrated as if they were never there. Victoria and Alastair gawked at me, both of them stunned. Beneath them, Hybrids drilled through the sand below for an ambush. I raised a hand and stabbed it into the sand beneath me, a tidal wave of force rippling through the sand around us.


    That wave of sand carried charged quintessence that flooded the area with heat. As it neared my allies, I pulled Alastair and Victoria from the ocean floor with a gravitational jerk. Rushing past them, the sandy tidal wave left a sea of molten sand behind.


    Pulling my hand from the ground, waves of orange, glowing slush rippled across the landscape, splashing over the decimated lot of Saphigia. Hybrids drowned and burned in the bright sea. The few that escaped crystallized as the molten sand solidified into dark obsidian.


    Many Hybrids failed to break their obsidian prisons. These members clunked back into the rippling, glowing sea beneath them, drowning in the abyss. The few that somehow escaped the obsidian were augmented kinds of Hybrids, both blighted and enraged.


    Handling them, I lifted my other hand, massive splatters of molten sand smothering them. They struggled once more against the hardening mush. With a wave of quintessence, I flash froze them, ice forming around their bodies. Once they were encased, I spread my arms wide.


    Slamming my hands together, I created a massive sonic wave through the water. It shot up and outwards, resonating with the frozen Hybrids. Their frozen bodies shattered before burning away in the molten pit beneath them. With this patch of Hybrids culled, I stomped my foot.


    Through my heel, I drained the heat out of the seafloor. By the time it cooled, the water around us had warmed until the cold ocean turned into an endless hot tub. A wide, expansive patch of obsidian formed over the destroyed area. From my system''s voice chat, Alastair''s sounded out,


    "Uhm, just remember we''re trying to save the vagni."


    I nodded as more Hybrids awaited us from the front. The largest of which, a mechanical tendril, went to grab me. I reached out a hand, encircling the mass with a gravity well. I collapsed its metal shell with a burst of energy. With another jerk of my arms, I rived the splintered mass apart. Another rush of quintessence flooded the leftover tendril with heat.


    It melted, bubbled metal pouring from the tendril''s surface. It sunk down onto the ocean''s bed in long lines of glowing, yellow metal. I leaped from the obsidian beneath me, sending cracks through the entire patch. I shot through the water, the light liquid brushing past my face like heavy, chilled wind. Landing on the mechanical tendril''s root, I reached my hand through it. Finding bodies stored below, I drained the rest of the life out of the massive spire, freeing the albony trapped in its remains.


    The orange, nanomachine soup drifted out in the water before pouring towards me. It collapsed like a living, orange cloud onto my skin before Event Horizon disintegrated it into nothing. Beside me, Alastair landed with a thud. Several aquatic Hybrids darted towards him, and he knocked them into mush with each strike of his fist. Hell yeah, that''s more like it.


    Victoria followed suit, using lances of light to pierce and purge any Hybrids attacking her. She impaled them, and the impact point spread outward, consuming their bodies. Once engulfed, the Hybrids exploded from the inside out. Their remains showered down from below, sparkling trails of prisms passing through the water. She coalesced these yellow shards, creating sharpened energy spears at her sides.


    Reaching out a hand, she stabbed through several more Hybrids in front of her. From behind, a Hybrid shot to her back. I reached out a hand, generating a sharpened pillar of metal behind her. It rose from the ground, glowing white with quintessence. The Hybrid bisected itself from the force of its crash, the halves drifting past Victoria.


    Glancing at me, her eyes widened as a Hybrid bit into my shoulder. Its teeth shattered while I turned towards it, casually inspecting the monster up close. I grabbed it as it tried swimming away, letting me look longer. They were similar to Giess''s Hybrids, but these were cultivated for a different purpose.


    They evolved extended flippers lined with glass that gave them the ability to move quickly. Their jagged metal surfaces filled in with a glassy exoskeleton, so they remained aerodynamic. Some kind of phosphorescent glow ebbed from gaps in their scales as if blue light coursed in their veins. It was some variation of the nanomachine soup, no doubt, but it carried a glow as if it were the concentrated essence of the ocean.


    Satisfied with my inspection, my armor drilled into the beast, its entire body filling with branching, dark spikes. They drank its innards before a lifeless husk floated off me, its broken teeth from the bite wafting in the water. A wave of Event Horizon disintegrated it, and Victoria gawked at me as if I were a monster.


    Eh, maybe I was. With Event Horizon, I sterilized the water near me, keeping the devastating aura away from the bodies below. From above, spears impaled enemies like skewers, pinning Hybrids to the seabed. Althea took aim with a morphed cannon, pulled from her dimensional storage.


    Wielding it with deadly intent, she moved her sight in a fluid sweep, pinning six Hybrids onto the landscape. Ophelia''s robe fluttered under the water as she followed up Althea''s attacks. The imperial mage cast living, engorged water beasts that swallowed Hybrids and funneled them into these spikes. From piercing one to piercing many, the spears turned to skewers with Hybrids stacked over them.


    Hod finished their attacks, morphing from the shadows beneath the Hybrids on the spears. With tearing slashes, he carved them into chunks, each piece burned by his blackened fire. Near him, Helios eyed the battlefield, his gaze measured. He covered the backs of several team members, encapsulating Hybrids in ice if necessary. Unlike Obolis, his ice was instantly voided, the negative resonance leaving gray chunks of frozen Hybrids behind.


    Each of these Hybrids blossomed from within the ice, their apricot-colored blood expanding. These bodies littered the ground we passed, leaving the Hybrids lingering as beautiful yet hollowed corpses. Shifting around them, Kessiah and Florence swam in the water. Florence used basic healing magic and a few other tricks to pull most of the Hybrid gunk out of the albony. Kessiah followed up, doing a deep clean of the individual using vials of her blood.


    We made quick work of it, clearing out large areas of the city in seconds. We hastened further as we kept going, despite our rapid initial blitz. Torix was the cause of that, his necromancy pulling its weight. The lich took the corpses floating above, turned them into footsoldiers, and they helped pull agni and albony out of their homes and Hybrid pits.


    He disrupted many of the enemy soldiers as well, though quite a few vagni opposed us in conjunction with the Hybrids. It was an odd feeling, seeing one for the first time try and bite my face off. They were kind of like angler fish, though a bright red with green splotches over their upper half. Their eyes lined the sides of their heads, and their teeth were like needles in their mouths.


    They roared out sonic bursts to disrupt us, but they lacked any real potency. Unlike the espens or gialgathens, the vagni were highly underleveled. It was so bad that it was rare to see one exceed level one hundred, let alone level one thousand. I couldn''t understand how they even survived, and that wasn''t considering this was a fringe world.


    Yet here they were, fighting a worthy opponent like the Empire thanks to the Adair''s help. It didn''t add up as we passed block after block of the coral expanse below. I had plenty of time to think about it despite our rapid progress. It turned out that Saphigia was enormous. It rivaled the largest cities on Earth, this ancient city of organic corals spanning dozens of miles.


    It carried signs of an old culture, one with surprising depth and majesty. In the marine cliffsides, they carved eldritch gods, their primitive artwork beautiful in its own way. Stylized like the Aztecs, the vagni used thick lines creating images with no gaps between their flowing decorations. They stuck to universal but straightforward symbols like the sun, water, waves, and creatures of the deep.


    Across certain parts of the city, temples were made by farming coral into specific shapes. These buildings owned much cleaner edging than most, likely due to their religious significance. Many of these temples housed vagni hiding from the onslaught surrounding them, these civilians caught in the crossfire.


    Without fail, they hated us on entering the temple. Their skins flushed even redder than usual, and their teeth grew in length just from spotting Victoria and Alastair. At first, I thought it was just a specific group. It wasn''t. The vagni despised any albony they saw, and eventually, I wanted to know why.


    Of course, the vagni couldn''t speak very well. They used low tones and wails, kind of like whales on Earth. My speech didn''t carry through the water, but that wasn''t the only way to communicate. After finding many hiding groups of vagni, I telepathically connected with an elderly member of the group.


    It caught the priest off guard initially. After sending him my intent, he had no issue whatsoever belting out his grievances with the albony. In a fragmented sort of speech, he signaled,


    "They take our temple...ruin them...they mar our way of life...they leave nothing behind."


    I thought back, "What do you mean by mar your way of life?"


    "They tear down our gods...they tell us worship new god...new god evil, kill old gods..."


    Victoria and Alastair walked into the room, finding me eye to eye with a vagni. They winced as those hiding here gave them death glares, so I turned towards the albony,


    "Come on, let''s get these guys to Helios."


    I helped them move the group of vagni towards the others for safety. While we traveled, I kept talking with the priest.


    "So, Schema was telling you to kill your old gods, the eldritch?"


    The priest swam with us, hidden amongst his kin,


    "They...they steal from us...they stop us from worship...they tell us make food how they want...they eat our young."


    My eyes widened at his last remark. We reached Helios, the blind albony generating portals towards a secured location behind us. As the priest swam through the divide, he gave me one last wide-eyed glance,


    "They...are evil."


    Our mental tether snapped as the portal closed, and his words left me unsettled. Helios looked none the wiser, the albony peering at his claws. He murmured,


    "Why the slowdown? You seem unnerved. Perhaps you find the vagni as repulsing as I do?"


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I blinked a few times, shrugging my surprise off,


    "Yeah. Sure."


    Helios eyed me from under his mask, but he let the issue drop. After that portal closed, three more popped open. Our other team members assembled around us as my mind raced for answers. Simple creatures or not, these guys didn''t deserve to be food. They could talk for god''s sake, and that was enough for me not to serve them on a dinner plate.


    I calmed myself down. This was the observation of some random priest in the middle of a panic, not a record made by someone with a clear head and keen mind. That being said, I wasn''t about to ignore it entirely. This might result in some serious issues further down the line. Confronting it directly, I turned to Florence who caught up behind me,


    "Hey Florence, mind if we chat in private for a bit?"


    Out of breath, he used rings with enchantments to stave off the water around him as well. He nodded,


    "Yes, of course."


    We paced off, stepping a few hundred feet away. I met his eye,


    "So, we''ve been fighting these guys for a while now."


    He sighed, "I know it all too well. This has been very difficult for me." He stood taller, "Though a surprisingly refreshing challenge. It feels good to work...sometimes."


    I waved my hand, gesturing to the cities and ruins around us,


    "Here''s the thing, every vagni we''ve seen has been terrified of you guys, the albony."


    Florence shrugged, "We''re more developed, and what people don''t understand often terrifies them."


    I leaned over him, "I know what real fear is. This isn''t the kind of fear you get when staring at an algebra problem you can''t solve. These guys are rabbits, and they''re looking at you all like you''re wolves."


    Florence raised an eyebrow, "You sound like an eldritch, my friend."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Stop derailing the conversation."


    "Hah, I do that when I''m nervous, huh?" He wrapped his clawed hand around his elbow looking for a way out,


    "Hmm, how to say this. We''ve committed certain acts that are deemed inappropriate to some. Therefore, we are...not viewed in a positive light."


    Florence smiled as he finished as if that would dismiss the issue altogether. I raised my fingers as I made points,


    "The vagni are underleveled, their temples have all been ransacked, and one of them told me you guys eat their children. I''m not easy to convince, but I can''t just ignore all these signs. Some of this needs an explanation and right now."


    Florence frowned, peering down. A deep discomfort radiated from him, along with more profound sadness. Anguish might have been a better way of wording it.


    "It''s complicated."


    I stared, "I don''t have time for complicated. Make it simple."


    Florence leaned down, rubbing his temple with each hand. He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye,


    "The vagni were allied with the eldritch when we first arrived. Think of that realistically. They worshipped them as gods. Obviously, we weren''t about to let ourselves get eaten for their irrational worship. Therefore, we culled the majority of the eldritch near their settlements, though there are still remnants of those populations left."


    "I''m guessing they didn''t like that?"


    "That''s an understatement. The vagni despised us, and they started a civil war against the Empire. During that time, we discovered that their temples were the center for most of their resistance. Their weapons and militarized eldritch were housed there. Using that knowledge, we came in, crushed them, and ended the war in weeks."


    "What about the whole eating their children part?"


    Florence grimaced, "That...that is an unfortunate side effect of our colonization. Just like all societies, the Empire has criminals, poachers, and thugs. Though it is considered highly illegal in civilized society, there are some circles that enjoy eating the vagni''s young."


    Florence''s brow crinkled as he uttered, "It is a miserable practice, but we''ve done all we can to stop poachers from harvesting their young. It''s difficult to police an entire planet, especially one that hasn''t been productive since landing here. The Empire came here to gain resources, not act as saviors."


    Florence turned a palm to me, "That is why what your guild is so inspiring. It''s the kind of guild that many wish they were a part of."


    Disgust spread over my face, "But I''m helping a guild that harvests other sentient species children and serves them with champagne and fruit?"


    Florence winced, "I, I don''t know what champagne is, but I can promise you that we''ve done all we can to stop the practice. There just isn''t enough altruists who are willing to help this species. There are even factions that would rather we rid the Empire of them altogether."


    I let my hands flop on my sides, "So genocide? Is that just a thing for every large guild?"


    Florence raised his hands, his voice rising, "Do you think I haven''t tried to stop it? I''ve invested a personal fortune in creating protective practices for the vagni. I''ve ruined my reputation by trying to research a solution to coexist with eldritch. Time and time again, I''ve made sacrifice after sacrifice."


    Florence''s eyes widened while he grabbed my shoulders,


    "It is never enough. It will never be enough."


    He peered down, "I just...I just can''t do any more than I''ve done." He let his hands flop against his sides, "I just can''t."


    A silence passed over us, and Florence shrunk in my sight. He shook off a deep sense of sadness before glaring at me,


    "I understand you believe the Empire''s policies are evil. Recognize that your time on Giess wasn''t perfect either. Over nine out of ten gialgathens died during your stay there, and the entire planet is about to get wiped out tomorrow. At the very least, we''ve stopped the eldritch from consuming this world entirely, even if we''ve left our fair share of scars behind."


    Florence spread his arms, "I just ask you to understand that it''s hard to do these things perfectly. Situations devolve. Complications arise."


    I peered down, thinking about what he said. From what I understood, Florence didn''t seem like the lying type. If anything, he left his feelings on his sleeves, being too open and honest at times. The other albony viewed that as a weakness, but I considered it a strength. It meant I could actually trust what he said.


    From his spill earlier, he''d done everything he could to resolve the issues with the vagni. Even if I tried my best in his situation, I doubt I could''ve done much better. I mean, I left Earth in a state of disrepair and went to Giess to get rid of my own guild''s bounties. It was a safer route for the people I cared about longterm and me. At the same time, the people back on Earth wallowed in poverty during that time. Someone could judge me for that, just like I judged the Empire for what they did.


    I couldn''t tell if I was just making and accepting bad excuses, however. It all left a bad taste in my mouth, leaving behind situations like this. Surely the circumstances didn''t have to turn out like this? My eyes widened as I shifted through my memories. I remembered being the espen''s hero, the one they rallied behind to take down the gialgathens. I helped aid the Adair family as they started the Blighted Schism. I still regretted it today.


    I winced at myself and how selfish I''d been. Compared to that, Florence was a saint. On an individual basis, he wasn''t that old either, good education aside. Even if Florence had everything handed to him, in some ways, the guy was worse off than I was. The people around him threw him in situations he wasn''t ready for, and even though he called out for help, he didn''t get any. Instead, Florence got jeers and an awful reputation. Despite all that, he persevered.


    I''d do the same.


    I put a hand on his shoulder, "You''re right."


    Florence narrowed his eyes, skepticism painted on his face,


    "I am?"


    "Yeah, you are. After this is all over, I want to help you with the whole vagni situation. I think that we can do something if we worked together on it."


    His eyes widened, "You really think so?"


    I let my hand drop, "Yeah. I do."


    Florence believed me when I said that. To him, I was a larger than life figure. To me, I was just some dude trying to help out. If anything, I found Florence impressive. It took a lot to give up his standing in society to help the vagni, especially considering they hated him in return. That spoke a lot about Florence''s character.


    Either way, I couldn''t just watch the poor guy struggle through this alone. Helping him out here for even a month or two would make a world of difference, and we could handle the issue by then. The situation could be better, and I could be a part of making it better. Knowing that felt good.


    I tilted my head back to the group, "Come on, we''ll talk about it more later."


    Florence nodded, "Thanks for this. It''s rare someone listens as you do."


    I grinned, "Eh, it''s actually not one of my strengths. I think it isn''t for the Empire either though. They seem set in their ways."


    We walked back towards the gang, everyone taking out lunch and eating something. Helios stepped through a portal towards another world off in the distance, offering for Victoria and Alastair to join him. They did, and it was the most casual use of portalling I''d seen yet.


    It got me thinking about it. I hadn''t realized how rare it was for Helios''s kind of portalling to manifest. Now it was apparent how unique the talent was. His generation of portals was so fluid that everyone I''d seen thus far looked like amateurs. Well, outside of Obolis, but he was an exception too.


    Maybe Helios''s blindness was what made him so good at visualizing and using portals. For most people, it was an exercise of the new. For him, it was an exercise of the old, and his sheer experience showed itself in his fluency. He''d made hundreds of portals today, and that was more than the portalists mustered over our entire siege of Giess.


    Thinking of Giess made me think about the glassing. It was tomorrow, and it made my stomach drop in my chest just thinking about it. It was like a shadow looming over my head, but not because I thought it would be blown apart. The Adair''s had actually ramped-up operations as we pulled out, their harvesting of silvers intensifying with each day. They held absolute confidence that Giess would be fine, and that unnerved me.


    I hated complimenting an enemy, but Tohtella wasn''t an arrogant individual. She was calculating and soulless, sure, but not arrogant. The Adair family knew something we didn''t about the glassing. Seeing Obolis offer to watch the spectacle was mind-boggling in its own right as well. I mean, it was a more systemic sort of issue than one individual mistake, however.


    Everyone that grew up with Schema questioned him less than I did in general. To me, the A.I. was a shady sort of drug dealer figure, except instead of drugs for money, Schema offered a different kind of exchange - power for control. People that wanted influence were more than willing to trade their souls for the status he could provide. If anything, the standard morals I grew up with were literally irrelevant at a galactic level.


    It created a strange system where everybody stomped on each other to get ahead. The more you stomped, the better Schema treated you. By comparison, Schema''s approach to me was a mixed bag. I was a  productive worker, yet also a risk. I did listen to most of what he said, but not all of it. That''s why I ran into a lot of complications with the nigh omniscient A.I.


    My defiance stemmed from not needing him as much as most. I mean, a lot of my personal power stemmed from my work outside the system, such as my cipher runes or unknown skills. Schema accepted my lack of outright obedience since I was capable, and this put me on the fringe of the system in many ways. This gave me an outsider''s perspective.


    By comparison, the Empire seemed more like Schema''s ideal guild. They were industrious, stable, and controlled. They relentlessly hunted further status, fighting amongst each other for it. It resulted in tremendous success for some, though based on Blegara and the vagni, it left some in abject poverty. It made me wonder what kind of guild mine would turn out to be.


    We already culled millions on Giess, and if the Empire had its way, we''d do the same here. Schema seemed content with what the imperials did as well, the whole eldritch worship thing not sitting well with the artificial intelligence. Personally, I didn''t want to spend centuries culling planets entirely.


    I''d rather build something instead of break everything down, even if that was what I was good at.


    Those thoughts left me deep in a state of contemplation before Althea nuzzled up beside me. She looked up with a cheeky grin, "Hey."


    I turned to her, wearing a soft smile,


    "Man, you can''t know how great it is to see you. I missed you while we were on Giess."


    She raised her eyebrows, "Really? Why didn''t you text me more?"


    I coughed into a hand, "Well, ahem, I''m pretty bad at texting. I, uh, didn''t want to bore you."


    She rolled her eyes before squeezing me close, "Pshh, like I care. I prefer seeing you in person anyways."


    I hugged her close, taking comfort in having her with me for once. The blissful moment passed as quickly as it came, everyone finishing lunch. Victoria stood upright,


    "It''s time to get back to clearing Saphigia. We''re close to done." She turned to me, "If that''s alright with you, of course."


    I stood up, and so did the others. I rolled my shoulders, "You''re right. It''s time to get this done."


    We went back to slaughtering Hybrids and saving the albony. Working our way through the city, time passed. The light fractals shifting above our heads waned as the sun crossed above and over the water. Creatures of the night came out in droves, alien beings reaching out from the depths. Their bioluminescent glow made them into tiny stars floating around us, each a different color and hue.


    I held Althea''s hand as we ended the day''s work. Florence gasped for air, utterly drained from the grilling work. Victoria, Alastair, and my team also showed some signs of exhaustion, many lacking an alert sort of look in their eye. Seeing that, I turned to those around me,


    "Everyone, excellent work. We''ll go ahead and get a good night''s rest and hit it hard tomorrow."


    Florence hit the ground while mumbling, "By Schema, I thought ruling a planet was hard. I had no idea."


    He fell asleep on the spot, so I lifted him with a few gravity wells, keeping him level. Hod molded out of the shadows behind me, his flames weakened from earlier. Torix and I retained vigilance for the others, our builds tailored for it. Once we zoomed back onto the ship, Victoria took hold of Florence,


    "I''ll handle him. This is probably the hardest he''s worked in his life, so good job wrestling an honest day''s work out of him." She glared at Florence, "Somehow."


    As she walked off, Ophelia stared at Florence with an edge of concern, the kind that she tried hiding. I noticed it but didn''t point it out. Of the new team members, the only person that wasn''t tired outside was Helios. The blind albony stared at his nails with boredom, as if this was a typical day like any other.


    He raised his brow while looking at me, "Are we finished?"


    "Yes. Can you warp us home?"


    "Indeed. Before doing so, Obolis wished to speak with you one last time. You wouldn''t mind, I assume?"


    I shook my head, "Naw, it''s fine."


    Helios sent a few messages before closing his status. A portal opened, and Obolis stepped out into the dreadnought''s control room from the level below. As the warp closed behind him, Helios lunged to the floor, kneeling as he usually did. Obolis raised a hand to him,


    "At ease, as always."


    Helios stood, grimacing as he did so. He might be more drained than he looked. The Emperor lacked any sign of weakness, however, as he gestured a hand to me,


    "It''s good to see you. I wanted to discuss a few details of our siege, along with a few personal matters if you have the time."


    "Alright, sure."


    "Excellent."


    Helios turned between us, "I''ll excuse myself until I''m needed."


    He stepped away towards a restroom in a side area. As we walked away, Obolis''s face darkened,


    "I''ve never met a better actor, not on a stage nor in life."


    I frowned, "What, me? I can''t act for shit."


    Obolis nodded, "And it makes you trustworthy. I''m of course speaking of Helios. In that washroom there, he''s vomiting his guts out."


    I turned towards the orichalcum doors, listening closer. A slight hacking radiated from them, almost unheard given the constant hum of the vessel''s engines. Yet, it was there, and Obolis heard it with ease. The Emperor turned towards me,


    "He will drive himself into the dirt in order to appease me and my wishes. I would ask of you to offer mercy where needed and discipline where warranted."


    "I can do that."


    Obolis walked forward, peering at the glass panel overseeing Blegara. He peered down, "It is my own failings that have resulted in this massacre. To think a people would be led so astray that they believe in an enemy as ruthless as the Adair family. Pitiable as it is, they''ve sowed their own fates, and now they reap the consequences of their actions."


    Obolis turned to me, "What do you think, Harbinger?"


    I tapped my teeth together, "Hm...what do I think, huh...Honestly?"


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "I mentioned your merits earlier, honesty being one of them, so of course."


    I pursed my lips before saying, "Well, for starters, it seems like you guys really mishandled Blegara."


    "We are agreed on that matter."


    "And you really should have considered alternatives to essentially wiping out the vagni''s culture and way of life."


    "Most certainly."


    "And you probably could have thought of some way to make eating their children more difficult. I don''t know, the death penalty, maybe?"


    Obolis closed his eyes before turning to me, "Perhaps you may offer criticism that is more constructive in nature? A solution, perhaps?"


    I peered at Blegara, its vast oceans of blue stretching across the planet,


    "I don''t know honestly. It reminds me of how I handled Giess. Looking back, there''s a lot I''d do differently. Just like on Blegara, the situation wasn''t clear cut on Giess. It was complicated and messy and hard to look at. I mean, when you''re in the middle of a situation like that, it''s difficult to make the right decisions."


    Obolis sighed, "I agree...That is why I sent Florence here. What he lacks in will he makes up for in talent. He has a means of seeing through what others find complicated, and I believed that talent would manifest in his rulings."


    He shook his head, "It did not. His ideas spiraled into the forbidden, and his results tumbled into the abysmal."


    I shrugged, "It sounded to me like the guy just wasn''t given the resources he needed to succeed."


    A light grin cropped up on Obolis''s scarred face,


    "If it were so simple. Your guild has offered support without needing compensation, likely due to its brevity of existence and recent rise to prominence. As time passes, your guild members will demand appropriate compensation for their time and effort. Otherwise, they will leave your guild for places that will give them what they desire."


    Obolis turned a palm to me, "Offering those resources and remaining competitive with a galactic environment is more than difficult. It requires the management of class and position. I gave the albony an elevated position in the society I constructed for this very reason - I retain the albony''s talent."


    I creased my brows, "Can''t you get people to stick around without something like a payout? Many in my guild follow me because they follow my cause."


    "A cause is fueled by inspiration, and inspiration is fleeting. By comparison, an individual''s ego and fear are far easier to rely on, and I''ve done so with the very framework of my society."


    "Like with Helios. The guy wants status and security. You give him those things, so he follows you."


    "Indeed."


    I raised my hands, "What about people like Florence? He''s talented in his own way, but from what I''ve seen, you guys have done an awful job cultivating that talent....No offense."


    Obolis frowned,


    "Truth is a rarity, so there is no need to excuse it. It is as you say as well. Many of those in my society have been raised within a very rigid rule system. This fosters rule-followers, not rule-breakers. For that reason, an individual like Florence is so valuable. Blegara was a place that required someone with their own sense of creativity and insight. The rules I set up would not function here, not without the loss of millions."


    Obolis closed his eyes, "And as such, the worst has come to pass. Regardless of my actions, both those past and those present, we failed here."


    Obolis gripped a hand, squeezing it into a clawed fist. He carried a well-controlled kind of sadness, one that anyone could see. Obolis pulled through that sadness and sighed,


    "I''ve done all that I can do here. Now it is to late to save the vagni and elevate them. We can''t have our worlds become lost, and our people killed for others that refuse to be helped. In the end, this is all we can do."


    I disagreed, but that was okay. I intended to solve this problem with Florence anyway. Besides, I didn''t have to agree with everything the guy said anyway. Obolis gave me a smile,


    "On a lighter note, I was wondering whether you still wished to view Giess''s glassing or not. Before you seemed rather hesitant. Perhaps that view has changed?"


    I raised my brow, "Hm, I don''t know. It still seems risky."


    "It will be a sight for centuries. Glassing is a rarity and knowing when and where it shall occur? Doubly so."


    I took a deep breath, "You seem convinced it''s worth seeing, and you''re a guy that seeks out fun-to-see things...Sure."


    Obolis perked up, clapping his hands, "You shall find the greatest pleasure in viewing it, of that I''m certain. You''ll be offered the finest of luxuries during the event, as will your guildsmen."


    He gestured a hand to me, "Think of it as a final note of your stay on Giess, a closing of that chapter in your legacy."


    I raised my eyebrows, "It will definitely be the end of Giess, one way or the other."


    Obolis scoffed with oozing confidence,


    "Schema is absolute, Harbinger. You''ll learn this tomorrow. It will wash away your doubt and allow you to look into the future. It will also be an excellent opportunity for our guild leaders to mingle in a different setting. An evening with wine and pleasantries allows for meaningful relationships to form after all."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Speaking of pleasantries, I was wondering how you did that whole ''living magic'' thing. It was awe-inspiring."


    Obolis frowned, "It''s simple really, though difficult in practice. You create a centralized orb of mana before granting it a consciousness. Once the mind has been generated, you suppress its will with mental magic, graft the mind onto your magic, and have it enact your will accordingly."


    Obolis shrugged, "It shall only live for a few minutes at most as the energy will naturally scatter outward. You can dramatically augment a magic''s potency by having it guided in such a manner, however. Think of it like this-"


    He raised his hands, "Have you ever unleashed a calamitous attack that far exceeded a single enemy''s worth?"


    "All the time."


    "Imagine that same attack with all its surplus energy wasted. Now, envision that same attack but with a mind of its own. It would use every ounce of itself to dispatch enemies at will. In that manner, far less of its potency is wasted away into an empty void, hmm?"


    I cupped my chin, "Yeah, for sure. It''s a good way of avoiding overkill."


    He spread his hands with a smile, "My point exactly. Therefore, it is sometimes easier to use an attack to its fullest extent rather than attacking many times. Think on it, for it might be useful in the future."


    "I will. Thanks for the tips. That reminds me of my golem creation too. I''ve been giving them minds through some runic programming. I didn''t know you could create a consciousness directly."


    Obolis grabbed my shoulder, giving it a squeeze, "With magic, anything is possible. You can even create a mind that suits precisely what you need at a given moment, though doing so takes much in the way of practice."


    He turned and walked off, creating a portal from nothing,


    "It was good speaking with you, but there is much I must attend to. Goodbye."


    I waved, "Cya."


    His portal closed before reopening. Obolis stuck his head out,


    "Ah yes, perhaps you might want to wear something aside from armor while at the spacial lounge? It might be a treat for your lady''s eyes to see you in another light."


    He smirked, "Just a thought."


    He left with a hearty chuckle as my stomach sank at the idea. Gazing down at my armor, it shivered at my stare. I, not even once, considered wearing clothes over this damn thing. I had no idea how a suit would work.


    I squeezed my hands into fists.


    Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 268 Unexpected Help

    But working on something nice to wear would have to wait. I turned towards the restroom''s doors, waiting for Helios to walk out. As he did, the cape-wearing albony looked no worse for wear. He gave me a nonchalant wave,


    "I see you and Obolis have finished your talk. Should we go to rest?"


    "Yeah. You guys need it."


    Obolis warped us into Mt. Verner, the mountain night shift working a few of the machines on the second floor. Beneath us, the residents slept soundly in their beds as essential workers kept this place up and running. I gave them thanks before we made our way to the top floor.


    The others passed out, all of them exhausted from the day''s work. With a full night ahead of me, I started trotting out to work on my golems. Interrupting me as I made my way there, a message from Isa cropped up in the corner of my eye.


    Isa Benett(lvl 1,802) - Hello Guildleader. We''d like to have a meeting with you about your golems and their goodness. This would be in order to develop them furtherer as well as discussing details about the operations and stuff. Take your time in responding because we know how busy you is.


    Thank you for your time and considerings.


    Sincerely, Isa Benett


    I raised my eyebrows, the message written strangely. After sending a quick reply that I''d meet right now rather than later, Isa sent a reply.


    Isa Benett(lvl 1,802) - Hello Guildleader. Right now? Like, right now? I didn''t want to impose upon you in a way that isn''t good.


    I made a reply that waiting would impose more than having the meeting right now, mainly because I''d have to remember it. I mentioned needing their location as well. Isa sent me her position, a bar called A Gambler''s Paradise. It was actually on the fifth floor of Mt. Verner, being a pretty fancy place to get drinks.


    In fact, it was damn close to where I already was. I hadn''t entirely made it out of the fifth floor where my suite was, and I just began walking past a few of the fancier shops on my way to the main elevator. I walked across two other eateries, reaching the Gambler''s Paradise on my left. As I walked in, I noticed the saloon doors and stylized visuals.


    The first part I noticed was how rugged everything was. It was like someone took old, worn down antiques and upcycled them into this new place. Barrels were made into cushioned seats, worn boards converted into bar stools, and cowboy gear made into props. They even had gambling tables fashioned out on the edges of the main room.


    One one of those tables, I found three people there: Isa, Lester, and Bryan.


    They were playing a card game I''d never seen, quite a few empty bottles surrounding them. They gawked at me, utterly horrified that I showed up in just a few seconds after her message. As I stepped up, I leaned against the table and turned to them, "So what''s up?"


    They glanced at each other, each of them trying to get the other to talk in their place. It was kind of like a strange staring competition. Eventually, Isa cracked. She whipped her head towards me and stiffened up,


    "It''s...it''s good to see you, commander, sir, commander."


    My brows furrowed, "Uh...you too. What did you need me for?"


    They once again stared at each other, another silent staring competition ensuing. This time Lester cracked, "Would you like a drink?"


    I shrugged, "I could, but it would be wasted. My body burns through alcohol like its nothing."


    Lester stared down, appearing disappointed. Bryan gestured towards one of the unopened bottles, "Uh, please partake of the beverage."


    I lifted a finger, shuttling the bottle towards my hand with a telekinetic push. It snapped into my hand before I flicked off the bottle cap and drank some. It tasted awful, like most alcoholic beverages. Anyone I talked with about the stuff before the culling always said I''d get used to it. So far, that wasn''t the case.


    That being said, it might be because I wasn''t giving it a fair chance. I gave it another sip, different flavors popping out from the awful. I honed in on a few orangey tones and a hoppy fullness. I finished it, the tiny bottle barely enough to get my mouth wet. I crunched the bottle in my hand before deconstructing the matter.


    I gave it a nod, "There''s some citrus in there. It''s...good."


    Lester perked up, his eyes widening, "You noticed the orange peel?"


    I nodded. Lester grinned ear to ear as he shoved Isa, "I told you. It''s delicious."


    I peered between them, "Wait a minute, did you make this?"


    Lester''s chest rose, "I did. Since Schema came around, everyone has forgotten what a good brew tastes like. I figured someone had to remind them."


    I stared down, noting the strange cards they played with. They were rough around the edges, cut by hand most likely. On top of that, they had a signature style on them. I turned to Bryan,


    "And you made this card game?"


    Bryan leaned back, overwhelmed that I noticed, "How...how did you know?"


    "Your runic carving and the lettering on the cards were the same styles. I put two and two together."


    Isa coughed into her hand, wobbling a bit, "Ahem, we didn''t come here to tell you about ourselves. Or did we?"


    I smirked, "It looks like you guys came here for reasons unrelated to work."


    "Uhm. Yes. We did. Now that you''re here, we...we can handle it though. So, we''re handling it. Right now..." She blinked, "So your golems. They are good. Good."


    Man, she was trying to keep her shit together, but it was hard to not laugh out loud. I covered my mouth, trying to look thoughtful,


    "Mh, hmm."


    "So...We thought, ''Hey! Why not get someone to help out since the golems worked so good.'' So...I figured why not start that conversation before I forgot about it."


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She frowned, reaching out her hands, "And then you''re here...like...thirty seconds later. I mean, like shit. Wow. Fast."


    Bryan laid his head down, snickering while Lester kept on his poker face. I nodded, and she continued,


    "So we called over a good engineer buddy who wanted to work on golems. He finished his other contract a week back...and he wanted to work on something new. I put two and two together, and I got four...which was him working with you."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Who is the guy?"


    "He''ll be here...in like thirty seconds...Not guildleader seconds, though. It''ll be normal seconds. Guildleader seconds are, like...fast."


    Behind me, the saloon doors opened. I turned around, finding Diesel of all people stepping into the bar. He changed his outfit from before, the military fatigues gone. He wore multiple satchels and backpacks on him, draped with eldritch leather belts. He looked like a tinkerer who didn''t have time for a desk, so he brought his desk with him wherever he went.


    I spread out my arms, "Hey, it''s good to see you, man."


    Diesel did the same,


    "Hey Daniel, it''s been a while."


    We gave each other a quick hug before I turned towards Isa, "So this is the guy?"


    She looked between us, confused as could be, "Wait a minute...Diesel, you know the guildleader?"


    Diesel scratched the back of his head, looking down, "I do, I do. He and I met when I was still a part of the Steel Legion. We were prepping to take down Yawm, I think. I helped design Althea Tolstoy some cannons, and I still help her out from time to time these days."


    He pointed at me, "We catch up from time to time, but we''re both busy."


    Bryan gawked at us as if we were aliens,


    "I...Why didn''t you ever say anything, Diesel?"


    "Because there was never a reason to...Besides, I don''t like to brag. It''s not my thing."


    I turned a palm to Diesel, "So you like to work with golems?"


    Diesel winced a bit, "Uh, how do I say this. I have a lot of theories about them, and I''m very curious to learn. I''ve been pretty close to the dungeon clearing corps for a while now, so I let them know about what I wanted to work on next. They said they had a big client who was interested in golems, and they could hook me up with some more work."


    Diesel raised a hand, "I''m not an expert. Hell, I''m not even a beginner, honestly."


    "What? Nonsense. I''ve seen your work before. You''re damn good, and I could use the mental muscle." I pointed at the three people sitting down,


    "This was a good idea. Keep it up, guys."


    They stared at each other in disbelief, each of them shocked that this complete shitshow of a meeting worked out. Isa puffed her chest out while smiling, "Hah...told you guys. Yup, good ideas."


    I pointed outside, "Diesel and I can talk this out and try to match schedules. You guys enjoy yourselves and your time off. You''ve earned it."


    Isa turned towards Bryan as if I''d already left, "Can you believe that worked?"


    Bryan shook his head, wobbling a bit. Isa leaned back, "I mean, I can''t."


    Bryan shook his head again, wobbling more. Isa looked at Lester, "What about you? Do you believe it?"


    Bryan shook his head again before falling over, passing out. Diesel laughed as we walked out while I shook my head. Eh, I''ll admit I had a grin on my face too. As we walked, Diesel pointed at the bar,


    "You know, they designed and made that place from scratch. Isa''s really into decorating, so she made the place. Those two helped with the other stuff."


    I nodded, "Bryan designed the card games, and Lester brewed the drinks. They make a good combo, and I can see why they work so well together. It''s nice to see people settling down and finally making places like that again."


    Diesel raised a fist, "You''re the reason, sir."


    I shook my head, "I honestly don''t think so, but I''m trying to help out now that I have some time to myself. See, that''s why I''ve been making these golems out on the edge of Mt. Verner. They''re supposed to handle dungeons for people so that they can focus on making cool bars instead of killing monsters."


    Diesel stared out in the distance, "Ah, man, that''s the dream. I know after I finished that contract with the vehicle and power armor designs, I wanted to try something more magically inclined this time. I still didn''t want anything too far from my engineer roots, so I figured golems were a good first step."


    I frowned, "You know, maybe. For most people, golems would probably be a particular, arduous field. They''re very conceptually demanding."


    Diesel cupped his chin, "How so?"


    "Well, you have to plan them out from start to finish. Golems don''t work as well with tinkering. That puts a lot of people''s problem-solving methods and throws them in the gutter."


    Diesel frowned, "Ah, so they can''t use trial and error? That is tricky."


    "Hmm, technically they could, but that requires a tremendous amount of time and resources compared to other fields. You''re much better off finding the flaws in the design before making it."


    "That sounds more like making houses than I expected. You can''t make many mistakes in those. Otherwise, people might die in them. Fortunately, that kind of thing is my specialty."


    "That''s perfect for what I need," I said while I pointed at Diesel,


    "I know you''re probably tired and all, so when would you be able to work?"


    Diesel shook his hands, "I actually just got up. I haven''t been leaving the mountain much, and my work doesn''t require me to get up at any certain time. My sleeping schedule''s gotten way out of whack because of that."


    I raised a fist, "Hell yeah, keep it that way. We can get started right now."


    Diesel''s eyes widened, "Right now?"


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Yup, right now."


    We made our way towards the edge of Mt. Verner, Diesel struggling to keep up,


    "How do you make this hike every day?"


    "I fly."


    "Oh yeah...You can do that."


    I lifted him with gravity, "I can float you over next time if you''d like. It''ll save us time and energy."


    Diesel leaned back, "Please, and thank you."


    We reached the golems, finding them resting in their usual spots. After awakening them from their slumber, Diesel inspected them and how they worked. We discussed a lot of the details involved with their designs, how I made them, and my blueprints for their consciousnesses.


    In general, Diesel was impressed, but he radiated a slight disappointment. That disappointment grew with time, and after a while, I crossed my arms,


    "Alright, Diesel, what''s up with that constant look of letdown over your face? It''s like someone shit in your cereal."


    Diesel coughed into his hand, "I, uhm, it''s nothing."


    I frowned, "I''m asking for honesty here."


    Diesel cleared his throat, "Ahck hem...Ack...Ack...hem...Okay, so these are great models, especially considering they''re your first ones."


    "Those are the fourth versions of them."


    Diesel gave me a slow nod, "Oh...ohhhh. So, these are impressive still, it''s just...I thought that you might have accomplished more than this considering who you are."


    "Wait a minute. Are you saying my golems suck?"


    Diesel waved his hands, "What? No. Noooo. Not at all."


    I looked at them, "Eh, maybe they do. I know I''ve been struggling with this whole process the entire time. I''ve got great resources, but maybe I''m just not cut out for this."


    Diesel waved his hands, "You''re great at making the runes and the carvings. The materials are amazing too. I don''t understand where you got all the steel for these things."


    I tapped my chest, "From a reliable source."


    "I believe you there. Anyways, you''ve got a few skills for this, but you need a planner or a designer to really take this to another level. I think I can do that with a bit of time to make it happen."


    From a backpack on his side, Diesel pulled out a sheet of blue graph paper, standard blueprint grade. He spread it out over the ground nearby, and he took a pencil out of a satchel on his side.


    "Okay, let''s get started. Can you hand me the blueprints you used for your golems? They''ll help act as references for these new ones."


    I tapped the side of my temple, "They''re all in my head."


    Diesel sighed, "Oh boy...It''s going to be a long night."

 269 Anticipating an Evening

    - Obolis Novas -


    I tapped the glass table with the tip of my claw as I pondered in the night. Long ago, I unlocked a perk that dissolved my necessity for sleep. Over the years, it became one of the distinguishing factors between my rule and others. The nights often stretched on into eternity if I found myself lost in my thoughts.


    These seas of doubt and turmoil created a stormy state of mind for me. I wrestled with many ideas and the information in my mind, stretching for answers where there were none. It left me exhausted, my decisions mounting in both ambiguity and importance. I always found it strange that the most vital choices often carried the least information about them. I was positioned amongst a crossroad of sorts in that regard.


    I despised not knowing what to do next.


    My eyes narrowed as I peered at a dimensional slicer gained from a Sentinel centuries ago. Though I didn''t kill the Sentinel, I did orchestrate his death. In doing so, I obtained a rare treasure and eliminated a hated enemy all at once. Those were good times, yet those times did not last.


    Standing onto my graphene layered boots, I skulked through a hallway showing many of my treasures. Upon one pedestal, the devastated remains of an Overseer''s gauntlet lay resting. Within an exhibit, the fossil of an ancient eldritch lay cleaned and preserved. Further still, a Hybrid lay frozen in place for my viewing pleasure. It was grotesque, but at times, I could not tear my eyes from it.


    These mementos reminded me of the grand adventures and escapades I''d lived through. The artifacts resonated with the vestiges of old cultures and vibrant lives. They told stories, each their own piece of history, and each echoing a lost epoch, forgotten until I uncovered it. This instilled a great sense of pride but also a tremendous burden.


    This burden existed within the lands I conquered and the people I ruled. I used the resources of an Empire built off blood and stone to fuel these excursions into the unknown. I''d done so for centuries, and they''d given me many titles. Of those new names, I preferred Obolis, Finder of Secrets the most. It was the culmination of my life''s work and my childhood dreams.


    Yet dreams age and die, their luster long forgotten. At the time of my Empire''s creation, consolidating an enormous base of resources seemed like a far better way of gaining the necessary funding for my expeditions. My Empire was to serve as a launching point, a catapult of wealth that would shuttle me into the vast void of space.


    Now the Empire I built haunted me, my responsibilities weighing around my neck like chains.


    I sighed while grasping the sides of my head, fur ruffling outward. I had already canceled three of my expeditions due to the Adair''s invasions. I never imagined I''d be at the forefront of some civil war, yet here it had come to pass. This was likely due to my negligence. Granting ownership of worlds to my family was a bold move, one soaked in nepotism and pride. It might''ve worked with my incessant diligence, but I was off amongst the stars, searching for my next great treasure hunt.


    I took a deep breath, breathing out my regret. At times, the truth was stranger than fiction. This rebellion was that concept''s magnum opus. They converted entire species into monsters, created beasts worse than even the eldritch, and they used mind control as a means of suppression. Somehow they seemed to think these factors would lead to a better life.


    I cracked my neck, my bones now older than some soils. I found solace in knowing the rebellion would be futile. This futility stemmed from a principle I learned long ago - Schema was the most active and powerful entity I''d seen in all my travels. While the Old Ones exceeded his raw potency, they often worked in archaic and enigmatic ways. This lack of direction meant they were more akin to natural forces, similar to a wandering black hole or supernova. Powerful as those forces could be at critical junctures, they lacked the same potency that a directed existence like Schema enjoyed.


    Other primordial beings skulked in the dark along the furthest edges of space as well. These entities rarely interfered with Schema''s territory, these behemoths never wishing for an all-out war with artificial intelligence. Schema''s ruthless approach made tales of other rebellions into mere rumor and speculation. His brutality in regards to dissent was legendary. That cruelty would showcase itself all too soon, and not merely with the destruction of Giess. This would be the beginning of Schema''s wrath.


    The A.I.''s predictable and systematic approach allowed me to accrue every resource I ever gained. He uplifted my people and me, and I would believe in him as he believed in me. The ancient construct allowed me to break innumerable laws as long as I sent certain choice pieces to him, along with data on my journeys. I was, in many ways, his most excellent scout. I trekked into the unknown, learned of it, and unveiled that darkness for all to see.


    That is what I wished myself to be and to be seen as - the unveiler of the hidden. Schema was all but necessary to that end, and as he helped me, I would stay on his side and help him, to the end. That was what this rebellion was in many ways - a test of loyalty. It was one that exposed the true nature of many.


    It enabled Schema to discover those that wished harm upon him and killing the rebels would be an act akin to cleansing. The most celebrated cleanser to come from this conflict was none other than the Harbinger of Cataclysm. He showed tremendous potential with some of it already fully realized. His guild was a collection of anomalies ruling in a forthright yet effective manner. They rallied behind him, and he acted as their symbol. They would thrive in the future, and joining their cause was, in many ways, an investment.


    It was regrettable that the first piece of the Empire they laid eyes upon was the vagni. These beings reflected poorly on us, not only in our handling of them but in the race as a whole. By worshipping the eldritch, they put us in a horrendous position, one that, though mismanaged, was doomed for failure from the start. In the end, perhaps I should''ve followed Helios''s pertinent advice when we found the planet.


    Kill them all.


    I winced at the thought. Old as I may be, my heart had not yet turned to stone. If anything, the vagni''s ability to rebel against us demonstrated their latent ability. Reports mention the use of eldritch for their protection, and they organized far better than anticipated. I expected our anti-leveling protocols to keep them weak and hapless. It only fueled their anger at us, our attempts at dominance ending in their enhanced motivation.


    I had not lost all of my confidence, however. Once we suppressed this insurrection, more substantial investments would be made into the vagni. They''d earned it, one way or the other. To create that future, the glass viewing tomorrow was all but necessary. I intended to meet several races, particularly ones well suited for dispatching the Hybrids.


    Though the Harbinger''s Legion was a powerful group, it lacked the widespread assault capabilities we required. Clearing three planets of the rebels would require months, if not years. A more efficient route would be necessary to ensure my Empire''s safety. I would need to put my treasure and knowledge on the line. Otherwise, everything I built would be lost.


    That was why tomorrow would be decisive. I needed as many of my allies there as possible to showcase the Empire''s strength and ability. The Harbinger would inspire many there, as would his companions. Though gruff and in need of polishing, he would act as a selling point for my proposal.


    A series of messages cropped up in my status, interrupting my thoughts. I steeled myself. Many called me, and many needed me. Such was the responsibility of a ruler, and I had chosen this life long ago. As I have before, I stood tall. This was both a burden and a privilege, a sacrifice and a boon. With my mind settled, I prepared my speech and the details of our gathering before answering messages and reports.


    Sightings of the Hybrids poured in. They settled onto three of my worlds so far. Blegara remained the most infested of them. I showed my teeth, and I sharpened my claws. A seething hatred burned in my chest. I would not stop until this rebellion was utterly stomped into oblivion, living on in memory alone.


    The Adair family would come to regret angering the Empire. We were a sleeping giant, one that once awakened would wreak havoc until there was nothing left but scorched earth and rotting corpses. We would crush them under our massive heels. We would smash them under our mighty fists.


    And in the end, we would be victorious.


    - Daniel -


    I frowned at Diesel, "You sure this is going to work?"


    He shook his head at the blueprints, "No. Not at all."


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence."


    "I can''t give good news if there is none...Not yet, at least," Diesel said while leaning over the blueprints.


    It was a thing of beauty. We made it together, Diesel handling most of the design while I let him know what I was able to do. The difference here was that instead of trying out golems and iterating on them as we went, Diesel took a different approach. He relentlessly thought over and reviewed every detail at his disposal, not resting until it was absolutely perfect. I took notes on his methods as I watched, trying to understand his process and techniques so I could use them on my own.


    It would be almost impossible to emulate. See, Diesel was a perfectionist through and through. This perfectionism resulted in a far more dynamic and sophisticated design overall. His entire idea for the new golem circled around a single line of thinking; I wasn''t using my resources wisely. Because of this, a lot of my golem''s latent potential was being wasted.


    I had to agree, considering they produced a lot of mana, yet none of them could cast a spell. That was the first flaw Diesel pointed out. I argued that getting them to use spells would be all but impossible. He agreed, but only if the golems were constructed as they were.


    The new models would be different. Diesel kept my floating joints model, praising me for the idea. Even if he puffed up my contribution a bit, I took all I could get considering how much he bashed my layouts overall. After keeping that, he scrapped almost everything else. He wanted to create what he called a ''super golem.'' Super golems were multiple golems that worked together in one entity, kind of like a superorganism.


    It required a few difficult resources, but we had them at our disposal already. Tools, refining, metal, and all the physical resources were a cakewalk for me to handle. The skillsets for crafting were also relatively simple for me to execute on. After all, we weren''t working from ground zero in that department. In that regard, I knew what I was doing.


    The other elements of the construct were much...murkier, however.


    It required mind magic cipher inscriptions, something I wasn''t experienced in. I would be creating several golem minds, tying them together with telepathic tethers, then giving each of them a singular directive. Afterward, they''d each handle different aspects of the golem''s defenses and offenses.


    The first mind would focus entirely upon his mental defenses and offenses. That was Diesel''s idea after I explained the Adair''s and their mind magic. This intelligence would be like a shell for the other golem minds. It would fend off most mind magic attempts while the others focused on physical movement and magical casting.


    The movement-based mind would be a carbon copy of what I worked on before with many improvements. Most of the gains came from specificity; golems were awful at multi-tasking. By making one mind entirely focused on one thing, it could do that one thing many times better than before. These physical movements were what I concentrated on for the most part, along with basic problem-solving.


    Diesel appreciated my work there. He mentioned there weren''t many improvements left to make since the golem mind was ''full'' of other stuff. He also explained that I was trying to improve something that couldn''t really be improved. That''s why I was hitting a wall with my golem''s progress. There just wasn''t any progress left to make using that method.


    That left us with the third and final mind. This one would manifest as a magician that managed mana and power. It would use simple incantations to bolster both defensive and offensive capabilities. These magics would be fueled by an implanted grimoire. This would give the golem about thirteen spells to use at any point in time, increasing its flexibility by leaps and bounds.


    This partitioning out of different functions also allowed each task to be better overall. In the end, this new approach would result in a golem that would be a fierce opponent even for an intelligent eldritch. My brainless drones would evolve into dungeon clearing beasts.


    It almost made me tear up just thinking about it.


    Either way, the sun rose in the distance as we finished up planning the project. Diesel yawned, tired from the night of planning. He rubbed his eyes,


    "This was about as good a night of work as we''re going to get, I think. I''ll see if I can''t get a few people to help us out with some of the details before we meet back up tomorrow. It would be nice to have a few more hands-on-deck, and I know a few of Torix''s students who could help us out."


    It seemed like a lot for the golem project, but I trusted his judgment. He worked on large scale projects before, and I sure as hell hadn''t, not like this at least. I let him handle it as we made our way back to Mt. Verner. Once inside, we made our way to the residential district at the lowest part of the mountain. I hovered him to save some time since he helped out so much. That, and the guy was about as athletic as a cheetah with four broken legs.


    We reached Diesel''s home, a nicely carved out section of granite nestled along an upper part of a cavern wall. It was on the bottom floor, but it still had a unique flair from a few design choices. After walking through the stairs, a girl walked out of his room, sliding a metal door along a hinge. She was pretty in a quiet sort of way, not needing to broadcast it. She saw me and froze up before Diesel waved his arms,


    "Woah, wait a minute. It''s our guildleader, Daniel. Daniel, this is Melissa. Melissa, this is Daniel. Honey, I know he looks ugly, but don''t take it to heart. He doesn''t act as bad as he looks."


    I rolled my eyes before nudging him with my elbow, "Come on now, you didn''t tell me you had a lady friend."


    I raised my eyebrows a few times. Out of her earshot, Diesel leaned over and murmured,


    "Stop all that...but yes, she''s a keeper."


    "I thought you were crushing for Althea?"


    Diesel shrugged, "I was, I was. After a while, it became obvious you two were going to stick around. I had to move on, and that''s when I found Melissa. She''s amazing, and I''m lucky I found her. It''s crazy how everything seems to work out in the end."


    Diesel smiled, a content kind of smile like he''d found something he never wanted to let go. I gave him a pat on his back,


    "You''re doing better than I thought."


    He scratched his nose, "Heh, thanks bud."


    I saw him off before taking a mental note of where Diesel lived. Coming back would save us some transitionary time between work sessions. After leaving the guy to his devices, I rode our main elevator back to the top floor. People were waking up, getting ready to begin the day''s work.


    Along the top floor, a strip of stores opened for wealthier residents. Of course, anyone could come, but they kept to the middle of the highest level since it gave easy access for serving the top floor residents.


    I gave a few waves and nods to civilians as I walked by, enjoying the newfound luxury shops. Exciting places popped up near here from alchemy to herbal stores. They carried ointments and lotions lining their shelves, ready to beautify and comfort customers. In other stores, they stocked animal goods or metalware, focusing on sturdy, everyday tools like silverware or arm braces.


    They even opened a spa, a fire mage heating the water by hand to ensure it was kept at just the right temperature. He partnered with an origin mage who created scented salts and water to spruce up the experience. People''s ingenuity always surprised me, and by the time I reached my team, I was in a good mood.


    I found Helios and Victoria already up, each of them standing in the middle of a culdesac of guest homes. These rooms were initially made for Amara and Hod, but they preferred sleeping in other places, like the floor. Because of that, we had the rooms free. Besides those houses, Helios and Victoria spoke with one another, each of them catching up after yesterday''s battling.


    "It''s so refreshing to actually be outpaced for once," Victoria said while spreading her hands.


    "I can''t tell if you''re being serious or sarcastic," Helios murmured.


    "You know what I mean. I always lead the charges. Having someone else do it is nice. It''s better than always taking the brunt of every exchange."


    I stepped up to them, and Victoria gave me a wave. Helios raised an eyebrow,


    "Where were you last night?"


    I pointed up, "Under the stars, working on golems."


    Victoria shook her head, "What? You work on golems?"


    "Eh, it''s just something I do for fun. I''m having a guy help me out with making the new designs, and I think they''ll be damn good at clearing out dungeons. We''re running into a few problems with making multiple consciousnesses, however."


    Victoria raised a hand, "You do know that there are eldritch that can eat black iron, right?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Yes. Yes I do."


    Helios turned to Victoria, and they exchanged a silent conversation. Victoria raised a hand, "Well, if that''s the case, Helios and I know a very competent primordial mage that specializes in consciousness generation."


    I crossed my arms, "Is it Obolis? I think he''s too busy to teach me."


    Helios scoffed, "Perhaps, but Ophelia, the woman you chastised in front of everyone as if she were a child, isn''t all that preoccupied. She could help you if she wished to do so."


    Helios cackled as I furrowed my brow. I shrugged, "If that''s how she took what I did, then that''s fine. She''s a part of my team, so it''s my responsibility to keep her safe. I did that, even if she doesn''t like me for it."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "And perhaps there''s wisdom in that. Convincing her that your intentions were pure will be hell, however. That is if my own experiences are at all applicable. Perhaps you might want to enlist the help of the resident beggar, Florence. His experience in groveling should help you."


    I rolled my eyes, "If groveling is all it takes to get what I want, then that''s easy. I''m not here to save my pride. I''m here to save people."


    Victoria narrowed her eyes under her mask, "You would throw your pride away for something so simple? Lives are made every day. A reputation is built over a lifetime."


    That was a strange perspective. I frowned, "Is there a misunderstanding here? I don''t go around trying to convince everyone I''m some bigshot. Other people got that idea without my intervention whatsoever. All I''ve done is what I''ve needed to do to get shit done. I''ll keep doing that until there''s nothing more I need to finish."


    Victoria tilted her head,


    "I, personally, value my pride and esteem highly. For others to do the same, you will need to demonstrate to them that your reputation matters. I''ve shown many that there are consequences for besmirching my standing. That is why I have risen in the ranks so quickly. I shall continue to do so, and I would recommend you do the same."


    I raised a hand, "Maybe in the Empire because it''s set up that way. Outside the Empire, results are all that matter. If you begin to sacrifice results for something intangible like notoriety, you end up accomplishing much less in the long run."


    I peered between them, "That''s why I''ve risen through the ranks, and I didn''t have a ladder already made for me. I built a ladder on my own as I climbed."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Victoria nodded at me, "It''s fascinating hearing your perspective. To me, an excellent reputation allows one to avoid fights, make better deals, and tolerate less misbehavior. My troops obey me because of my report. Without it, I command them through fear, which clouds the mind. Are you still not convinced?"


    I shook my head, "Not at all."


    She gave me a thin smile, "We shall have to agree to disagree. Right, Helios?"


    Helios stood there in a state of deep in contemplation before turning to Victoria,


    "What I will say is that my reputation fell apart with one misdeed. You treat me well, Victoria, but I know there are others that laugh behind my back. They think of me as a pair with Florence, both of us failures. All of my actions have amounted to no shift in what others believe of me."


    Helios stared at his hands, "What I have left behind are the actions and impacts I''ve had on people. Those cannot be taken away, no matter what others believe to be true."


    Helios shook his head, "Yet they grant me nothing. In the end, I...I don''t know what matters anymore."


    He squeezed his clawed hands into fists. Victoria put a hand on his shoulder, "Helios, you''re a Novas. Hold faith in that position and standing. You''ll rise up once more someday. I know this."


    He peered at her, a soft smile on his lips,


    "Yes...Perhaps I might."


    To me, these guys seemed crazy. They could think what they wanted to think, as long they followed my orders. It wasn''t like I needed them to agree with me about everything anyway. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have anyone following me.


    Interrupting our philosophical musings, Hod molded from their shadows. Being shorter than them, he reached his bird arms over their shoulders,


    "Hod welcome fur people. Fur people fluffy, and Hod like fluffy things."


    I smiled at Hod, "Good-natured, as always."


    Hod''s chin lifted straight up into the air as he gloated,


    "Hod is good. Good is Hod. Hod look up words in book. Big book show good means Hod."


    "You mean a dictionary?"


    "Hod think...maybe. Hod not good at read."


    Helios rubbed his temples with the knuckles of his hands while Victoria laughed. Hod pulled himself off the floor, using both of them as supports. He swung back and forth while moving his legs.


    "Hod fake fly."


    Althea stepped out of our suite, our fancy-schmancy apartment bigger than the other homes here. She walked with light, graceful steps, her casual clothing always a sight for sore eyes. I grinned before walking up with excitement. We hugged, and I spun her around before leaning my forehead against hers,


    "Hey beautiful."


    She smiled back, "Hey, handsome."


    Victoria tilted her head, "Ahh, how sweet."


    Helios walked off, leaving the situation, "Disgusting. Tell me when we are to leave for Blegara. I am ready and waiting."


    I shook my head, "We''re actually taking a short break today. Obolis invited us to the glass viewing. You guys can come if you want."


    Victoria raised her hands, "What? Really?"


    Florence peeped his head out of a window in one of the apartments,


    "What? Are you really sure?"


    Victoria turned to Florence, "Were you listening to us the entire time?"


    "What? Of course not. My ears are simply highly trained to pickup when parties are mentioned."


    The party goer closed his window before rushing down the stairs and running out his door. Slamming it behind him, he took wide steps to us before spreading his arms,


    "A soiree? By Schema, it''s been too long. We have to get ready right now. I''ll get everyone something to wear that''s more suitable. I know a guy that knows a guy that knows a girl. She''s the best, and I have a few favors I can call in."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You''re assuming we don''t have something fancy to wear?"


    Florence raised a hand, "But of course not. Your guild is all about getting the job done when it needs to be done, right?"


    "So, you were listening the entire time, huh? Well, Yeah, we are about that."


    "And you''ve yet to attend a ball or gala, right?"


    "What are you getting at?"


    Florence had a cheeky smile on under his mask,


    "So it goes without saying that you''ve yet to address your wardrobe. Don''t worry, I''ll handle it for you. Just give me some measurements, and I''ll have it handled."


    I looked at my arms, "I wonder if I could just shift my armor into a suit."


    Florence cupped his chin, "Hmmm, are those the unique fashion to your species? Would you mind showing them to me?"


    I molded my armor into the rough approximation of a suit. It was sleek and sharp, too sharp, in fact. Some of the edges and corners might as well have been blades, and mimicking the texture of the fabric was outright impossible for me. This left it smooth and glossy, giving me a cheesy look.


    Florence leaned close, inspecting all the intricacies of the garment, "Ah, a three-piece ensemble that accentuates shoulder width and downplays issues with your midsection. Interesting. In your case, a less structured approach would result in a softer appearance, making you more approachable. I think a bit less sheen would contrast your gruffness, making you appear more rustic. What do you think?"


    Man, I didn''t think Florence would be this fascinated with fashion. I looked down, "Wouldn''t this be fine?"


    Florence scoffed, "Oh yes, so would a burlap sack, yet most wouldn''t go to a galactic ball wearing one."


    "I don''t know, man. I don''t think I can pull off a suit like that."


    Althea looked up at me, "I...I think you''d look nice."


    My heart melted. Fuck.


    "Okay, I''ll do it."


    Florence raised a fist, "We''ll show them a more refined side of the Harbinger, one that isn''t unkept or uncouth...At least in his appearance."


    I deadpanned, "Really now?"


    Florence turned towards the rest of my guildsmen, "I can have it handled for everyone here, in fact. I''ve got a lot of favors to cash in."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Well, it will definitely be new. That''s for sure."


    Florence pulled out his obelisk, a fancier model. It began scanning me from head to toe. On Florence''s left, a 3-d model popped up of me, though it lacked any real detail. Florence looked at it then back to me,


    "Can you take the armor off?"


    "It''s my skin, bones, and in my blood...So no."


    Florence raised his eyebrows, "By Schema, do you bleed metal?"


    "Yes."


    Florence shrugged, "I''ll make sure these limitations are taken into account. We''ll do our best."


    He went to scanning everyone here outside of Helios and Victoria. After finishing up with us, he skulked off towards the other members not present. As he did, I remembered to extend the invitation to other people. I sent a message to my top guildsmen, along with the new albony that were a part of my team.


    After finishing that conversation, I left towards breakfast at a cafe. I hadn''t had eggs and toast in years. The others followed, and the nostalgic flavor brought me back to different times. The albony enjoyed most of our food, though they preferred the meats. Their species evolved off a diet of mainly cured or dried foods like bacon or jerkies. This gave them a vast variety of meats they shopped from.


    Despite that, the sheer novelty of earthen food made it a fun experience for them, and even Helios perked up. I wasn''t the only one that could tell either. The albony kept their masks on, using a sliding compartment to let themselves eat. This exposed their teeth, and even with my sharp senses, I never noticed the compartment''s outline before. The albony had perfected their visors centuries ago, so their excellence in mask-making made sense.


    Once the meal was completed, I made my way towards Chrona and Krog. There was no way in hell I was about to send them an invitation to view Giess''s glassing, at least not by status message. Instead, I chose to let them know in person so they didn''t get the wrong idea. I found them on the outskirts of Mt. Verner''s forests. Chrona sparred another gialgathen while Krog watched as both the battlers glided through the air with succinct, graceful movements. Chrona kept the edge throughout, though she scrambled at times when pressured.


    As I neared them, they settled down, landing onto the ground to meet me. They bowed before I raised my hands, "Don''t worry about the bowing thing, guys. We''re still friends, even if I''m your guildleader."


    Krog''s eyes showed the strain of sleepless nights, as did Chrona. It left me somber and almost afraid to ask them if they wanted to come to the glassing. I wanted them to know they were a core part of my guild, however, so I raised a hand,


    "So, uhm, our guild has been invited to watch the glassing of Giess. I didn''t actually want to go, but Obolis insisted. Neither of you has to go through with this invitation I''m giving you, and I know you''re both tired. I...I just wanted to make sure you both felt included."


    I scratched the back of my head, "Man, this sounded better in my head than when I said it out loud. Jesus Christ, just forget I asked."


    Chrona gave me a gentle smile, "Do not doubt yourself. I...thank you for this invitation, but I would rather stay here. This is my new home, and I wish to get myself situated."


    Krog sighed, "Our planet''s demise is something the powerful views for pleasure, hmm?" He peered down, "At the very least, it shall bring someone some joy."


    He winced, "I shall not partake in that joy. Of that, I''m resolute.


    I bit my tongue before saying,


    "So I''m guessing that''s a hard no. So, er, I hope you guys are enjoying Earth so far."


    Chrona nodded, "It is different, though beautiful in its own way. I think of it as a muted version of Giess, one lacking the same vibrance in mana and life. Perhaps that is simply me showing a bias for my home."


    I tapped my legs, "It''s good to hear you don''t hate Earth at least." A thought popped in my head,


    "Did you ever meet with Torix to talk about him learning primordial mana? I can''t remember if I ever mentioned it."


    Chrona tilted her head, "I have, and we decided it wasn''t worth pursuing. He is headstrong and overwhelmingly favored towards dominion mana. This gives him a range of skills that he''s suited for. Primordial mana is simply not one of those skills."


    Krog whipped his tail behind him, "I was a part of the talks. Torix is a prodigy in regard to his chosen domains. That potential is a result of his sacrifices in other areas. I believe he will go far with his own mana and chosen path. You need not worry about him nor his progress. That wily mage will succeed even when given hardship and struggle. It is in his nature."


    I gave them a thumbs up, "I''ll trust you guys on that. Anyways, it''s good seeing you''re both doing well. When things settle down, we should talk again."


    They perked up, and Chrona snapped her tail against the ground,


    "We would like that, leader. Stay well, and stay strong."


    I left them to their sparring, each of them blowing off steam. Other gialgathens flew around the skies of Mt. Verner, enjoying the clouds and wind on their wings. It made our base much less secure, but it didn''t really matter in the end. We would eventually be forced out of hiding in our mountain. It was up to me to be ready for whatever was coming when they discovered where we were.


    Those thoughts raced in my head as I bolted back up to Mt. Verner, meeting up with the others. Ophelia and Helios were already prepped, Ophelia garbed in a luxurious dress while Helios stuck to a new cape. Helios must have brought Ophelia over since she didn''t rest here.


    It might have been an exchange for hooking him up with his new attire if you could call it that. It could''ve been a favor for me. Regardless, I wasn''t about to waste this moment. As I stepped up, I gestured at Helios to break the ice,


    "I don''t know how to say this, but I thought you''d make a bigger effort to look different."


    Ophelia frowned, "He has. It''s in the subtleties of his wares."


    Usually, I''d chop that up to useless frivolity, but these guys took this as a matter of life and death. Well, at least compared to me. I looked Helios over with more care, and a few changes cropped up. He groomed his fur for once, and he added a few bands like Florence. His cape lacked the same holes and scrapes that his previous one had, and he polished his armor. He even took several pieces of crystallized mana as practical jewelry.


    I peered at Ophelia, "I didn''t think that would be enough from what Florence said."


    She propped her weight onto one foot while crossing her arms,


    "Looking good is more about owning your own style rather than sticking to trends."


    Helios rolled his eyes, "And what are you, aside from the master of trends?"


    Ophelia tilted her head at Helios, "I like riding those waves. They''re fun, and that''s how I like to dress. That means I''m sticking to my style by following the trends. I think of myself as a fashion surfer that way."


    I turned a hand to her, "Speaking of styles, Florence and Helios mentioned you''re a living mana expert. I was wondering if you could help me with a project?"


    Helios winced as I asked, the guy turning away. If he thought I was shameless, then he was right. I also didn''t give too many fucks about it either, though. Ophelia raised her eyebrows,


    "So the big man needs my help? Sorry, I''m a little too busy making sure I''m ready for the next battle. I don''t have time for anything else."


    Welp, I had this one coming.


    "I''m willing to offer compensation."


    She gave me a small grin, "Like what? From what I can see around here, there isn''t much that''s valuable."


    I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.


    "I''m a runic carving expert. I can carve into any jewelry you give me, power it with mana, and you can keep whatever I make."


    Her eyes widened under her mask, "Oh, really now?"


    I nodded, "That''s what I plan on working for with the project. It wouldn''t be too out of the way for me to make a few extra enchantments for you."


    "So, what kind of inscriptions can you make?"


    "It would depend on what you need. I''m best at configurations that revolve around survivability. I can also help with gravitation, telekinesis, temperature manipulation, and matter generation. If you also need it, I can power a blue core in just under an hour. I mean, I can kill some monsters too, but you already know that."


    She leaned back, "You can power a blue core that quickly?"


    Helios turned to her, "His natural mana generation is likely the highest of anyone I''ve ever seen. It is comparable to an elemental furnace user."


    She lifted her chin, "There aren''t many people that can utilize elemental furnaces to any degree of proficiency. Hmmm, I have a city that''s running low on power. If you power that up to full, give me a gravitational ring that lets me float, and give me a ring with matter generation properties, you have a deal. What do you say?"


    She looked dubious during her offering as if she was trying to bite off more than she could chew. The thing was, all of that would take about an hour to finish if I layered my tasks. I''d be having her help me out for months in return. I reached out my hand,


    "Alright. You''ll need to teach me how to do the living magic thing, and help me with my golems. You''re okay with that?"


    She looked at my hand before grabbing my top two fingers with her petite grasp,


    "Oh, that won''t be a problem. Know this - I won''t help you until you give me everything I asked for. You understand?"


    I smiled, "Then it''s a deal."


    Helios shook his head before walking off. Ophelia grinned under her mask before hopping away with light steps. She might think she duped me there, but from my experience, none of those tasks were at all difficult. As Helios walked into his apartment, I shouted,


    "We''ll be leaving soon, suits or no suits."


    He raised a hand before entering his apartment. As he did, Florence walked out of his own place, stepping up to me,


    "I handled the suits and dresses. I called three different outlets I frequent, and I''ve almost got them finished. One of my contacts acquaintances is going to the party, and they''ll bring us the coats and dresses."


    "Hell yeah. Cool."


    Florence spread out his hands, "It will be a lavish night of entertainment. Gagh, you''ll love it."


    I frowned, "That''s usually not my thing."


    Florence pressed his fingers together while leaning forward,


    "This is different. It''s about devising strategies and forming relationships. You''ll meet many people from many guilds. This is your chance to set up alliances, show off the strength of your guild, and maybe even make a few business deals. It''s fun, certainly, but it''s also a golden opportunity if used wisely."


    "Eh, if you say so."


    Over the next fifteen minutes, everyone got ready and met back up here. Florence took the initiative in that regard, making sure everyone showed up. Torix was the only person late, and he stared around with a dreadful aura that saturated the very fiber of his being. He wailed,


    "I cannot believe we''re actually going to a party of all things. It would seem to me that we''re all wasting our valuable time, and utterly so. It''s shameful, truly shameful."


    I nudged him with an elbow, "Come now, you''ll enjoy it."


    "Bagh, it will take more than a smile to convince me otherwise. I''ve never owned a sociable persona, and my sensibilities tend to misalign with those that frequent various social circles. It would seem most fail to see the value in any of my interests. That is why I often work alone."


    I scoffed, "Heh, me too. Maybe it''ll be more fun than we''re expecting."


    Torix grumbled, "If only that were the case, disciple."


    Once everyone was collected, Helios opened a portal for us. He glanced at us,


    "We''ll be arriving on the Nebula Drifter soon. It''s a space station that the Emperor created for his various trips into the nether regions beyond Schema''s influence. Any violence will not be tolerated as it could breach the hull and result in the death of everyone present."


    I shook my head, "Just most."


    "Huh, well, let''s avoid that if at all possible. We want to make great first impressions."


    Florence looked everyone over, making sure we listened. Without waiting any longer, we stepped over the divide, finding ourselves in the living quarters. It was a standard barracks for soldiers, a tight series of bunks interspersed by tiny storage units. It was made of orichalcum and a gray, dull material layered between the green metal. The same plasma linings offered lighting and heating, keeping the space comfortable and visible.


    Helios pointed forward. We followed him, everyone squeezing their way through the compacted space. After walking through a long corridor full of other bedding areas, we neared a storage unit for supplies and food. We waited for Florence''s friend, all of us packed in like sardines. A few minutes later, and an avant-garde looking albony in an orange mask waltzed up to us.


    He wore a sleek, showy dress covered in various kinds of crystalized mana. They weren''t like Helios''s gemstones which were tailor-made to prevent tampering. These mana bombs were just that - mana bombs. To me, this guy was wearing a vest covered in dynamite since anyone with any sense for mana could use the crystals to destructive effect.


    Either way, he wore it with confidence before stepping up to Florence,


    "Hello, darling. It''s wonderful to see you again."


    Florence grabbed his hand before bowing to it. He grinned under his mask,


    "It''s good to see you''re thriving, Evan. Sorry to get down to business so quickly, but we''re pressed for time. Did you bring us the attire?"


    "Of course, of course. Here, take them."


    Evan opened his dimensional storage ring, pulling out a sea''s worth of clothing. He propped them over Florence''s arm before waving at us,


    "I''ll see you all at the party. Stay healthy and beautiful, darlings."


    Florence passed the clothes out as needed, and we went into the bunks, using them as changing rooms. With me, Hod struggled to get his new clothes on. That made sense since I''d never seen him wear clothes before outside of rags. I helped him out, using a bit of gravity.


    After finagling them on, he looked like a new bird. Honestly, it was just a red pirate looking suit with white, weird-looking pants. It fit well and contrasted his feathering, however, so it made him look dark and mysterious. Well, if you didn''t think of him as a pirate or he didn''t open his mouth.


    I couldn''t criticize him much since someone could say the same thing about me too. To fit my clothing, I molded my armor into a thin, even layering over my skin. After that, I wrestled with my clothes until they were finally on. Fitting on a suit was a more arduous process than I imagined it''d be, everything requiring a bit of finesse. With it all put on, I turned towards Hod,


    "How do I look?"


    "Not like Harbinger. Different person. Strange person. Not normal. How Hod look?"


    I grinned despite his vague description,


    "Like a million bucks."


    Hod stared at his hands, "Why Hod look like money?"


    I gave him a pat on his back, "Don''t worry about it."


    Since Hod gave such poor feedback, I took matters into my own hands. I used origin mana to create a thin block of metal. With two durable gravitational panels, I squeezed and heated the ore into a flat plate. This created a smeared mirror panel I hovered in the air, thin as aluminum foil.


    I was surprised by my reflection. I changed a bit from last time. My skin was still grayish, the metal infesting me down to my cells. My hair was still raven-colored and rough. Eh, it was what it was. I found a few more scars on my face, a few of my earlier ones fading with time. I didn''t know what made the scars, in all honesty. If I got scars from every wound, I''d be walking ball of scarred tissue by this point.


    I was glad I kept my hair short, at least. Letting it grow out got my helmet stuffy, and I hated having to twitch my neck to get it out of my face. Combine that with a sort-of sharp jawline, and I sort-of looked good. Out of place, but good. The suit did the majority of the weightlifting in that department. Florence wasn''t kidding when he said he knew the best either. This suit fit my proportions to a T, and it was still comfortable.


    Satisfied after a few seconds of looking, I crumbled the metal as we stepped out, Florence and Helios waited on us, each of them already finished. The more talkative of the two brothers chose a flowing garment, similar to his previous one. It left more of him shown, which was a surprise. It was still classy somehow, and he whispered to himself about something as we waited. Helios was already finished before we even got here.


    A few minutes later, and the ladies stepped out of their rooms. Ophelia was already prepared, but she helped out Victoria, Althea, and Kessiah with getting ready. The albony beautician honed in on her work, making miracles happen with all of them. Despite that, I hardly noticed anyone but Althea. She took my breath away as she walked out in a blue dress that accentuated her hair. I could hardly stand as she walked up to me.


    She grinned while putting her hands on her hips, "How do I look?"


    "I...I...you look really, really good. Like, wow good."


    She blushed but powered through, offering me her hand. Florence turned towards us, "Does anyone want a prep in etiquette on how to handle themselves? I just rehearsed a lecture for it."


    So that''s what he was whispering about. I pulled Althea to me, "I think we''ve spent enough time on it already. Let''s go."


    Althea raised her eyebrows, "Let''s."


    Everyone stepped out while Florence looked devastated. Torix of all people walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder,


    "If it should keep me from this party but for a moment longer, I shall sit here and listen to what you have to say. Aside from that, I am a complete sap for lectures in any and all forms, even those revolving around the most trite, pathetic, and useless of disciplines."


    I raised an eyebrow at the lich, "You know, you didn''t have to come if you didn''t want to, right?"


    Torix shook his head, "I''m one of your most important allies. Leaving you to fight this war on your own would be heresy if I say so myself...Though spending my time listening to a lecture sounds far less dry than attending to others chattiness."


    Florence perked up and began his long speech. We left in a hurry, passing more corridors before entering another elevator. Helios turned to us,


    "Do try to keep yourselves civil. That is all the advice you will need."


    Once we rose through several floors, we entered into another entryway, much like the other space station. Unlike the previous one, this specific room carried many entrances. Albony and other races walked in and out of these entryways, almost like it was a giant stadium.


    I turned to Helios, "How large is this place?"


    "Larger than Mt. Verner."


    Althea whispered, "Woah. In space?"


    Helios grinned, "In space."


    We walked through the doorway, leading to a set of stairs. Stepping up and out into a room, I gawked at the sights around us.


    Man, Obolis really outdid himself here.

 270 Discussions and Deals

    The center of the Nebula Drifter was an enormous room paneled on all sides by glass. It showed the sheer vibrance of space in a way I''d never seen in person. Obolis really enjoyed nebulas and galaxies since they seemed to be an everyday aesthetic for the guy, and he used them to the fullest extent for the natural sense of awe they gave.


    These panels of glass were supported by triangular, gray struts composed of the same material as Obolis''s armor. They were subtle, only taking up small sections at the very top and bottoms of the entire view. These enforcements radiated a firm sense of security and power as if they could never break. The floor beneath them contrasted this firmness, every section holding many secrets.


    This spawned from the innumerable panels spread about on the ground. Some were propped up, shops set to open and close at a moment''s notice. Many of these fold-up shops took up the center of the space viewing room. Dozens of these luxury stores were fully prepaid, their merchandise free as clerks handed over expensive gifts. The Empire spared no expense, these centers stocked up on delicious snacks, drinks, and entrees to satisfy the hundreds of hungry aliens here.


    So many options assaulted the senses, battling for my attention all at once. It gave the entire space an overwhelming feel of effortless extravagance. It was like the luxuries were just an afterthought for the real meat and potatoes of the evening: conversation.


    Around us, hundreds of albony spoke with aliens of all kinds. They all looked unusual, but that meant no one really stuck out amidst the sea of strangeness. The open room hosted several avian species as well, the large, open area of the room host to insectoids, birds, and mammalian species that could fly. Hod spread his wings at the sight of it, floating into the soaring zone to mingle. He perched himself on a landing rack designed with the comfort of sentient species in mind.


    As he flew away, many of the aliens noticed our group, but their gaze didn''t linger. I let out a deep breath as I watched eyes cease gazing at us. I preferred not being gawked at like some weirdo. Althea shared my sentiment, her grasp on my hand softening.


    With our unease settled, we skulked through the place, a profound sense of discomfort coming over me. It was partly from being in space, somewhere so vulnerable. A single meteorite could shatter this glass room and kill everyone here. Everyone but me, and I''d be one of the people expected to save others.


    As I planned out a rescue path for my guildmates, Obolis spotted us, the ancient albony towering over the others here. The grizzled Emperor shifted through the crowds like a ghost, stepping right up to us. He wore the same gray armor as always, though he groomed his fur like the other albony present. He turned to Althea,


    "You''ve prepared for this evening well. You look beautiful."


    She looked away, flushing once more. Obolis peered at me, "Excuse me for saying so. I simply had to."


    I raised a hand, "Don''t worry. I understand...but thanks for the apology. Florence got a little too friendly earlier, and I had to let him know."


    Obolis gave my shoulder a squeeze, "There''s something I will need to let you know as well. You''re a selling point for my cause. This means that you''re a resource to me as I am a resource for you. That being the case, I''d rather utilize my resource wisely. The same could be said for you as well, couldn''t it?"


    My eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"


    "Please, excuse me for this, but understand that it must be done."


    Obolis lifted his other hand, holding a glass in it. He took his claw and tapped it, a ringing sound overcoming the room. As nearby people quit talking, a wave of quiet passed over the party. My heart sank at the sight as Obolis gestured to me,


    "This is the Harbinger in the flesh. I understand many of you may not recognize him as he often wears his armor. Please, speak with him and learn who he really is. You shall not regret it, and may your relations with his guild prosper."


    He gave me a pat on my shoulder,


    "Good luck. You shall need it."


    My heart sank as the crowd looked at me. They rushed towards me and began talking and talking and talking. An endless stream of voices cascaded onto our group as we became the centerpiece of the party. We were like a new set of toys thrown out into a playpen full of bored children. I fought against this tide, speaking to a few people before being interrupted about fifty times.


    Obolis would pay for this one. ''Using resources wisely,'' my ass.


    I raised a hand and pushed everyone away with a telekinetic panel. I turned to everyone while shouting,


    "Speak to me one group at a time. I''m not going to sit here and listen to each of you yell over each other to get a word in. We''re civilized, so act like it."


    I used a bit of Event Horizon to really drive the point home in those nearby. A few people even fell down, not exactly high level but high in social status instead. After getting the situation under control, people talked to me. Over and over, they introduced themselves, their guild, their purpose, what they wanted from me, along with various offers they included in all those details.


    I experienced intense mental fatigue, quickly becoming fed up with the entire prolonged exchange. Yes, I could remember the names crossing in and out of my ears. No, I didn''t want to. It bored me within a few minutes, the sheer strain of it swamping me. To ease the stress, I used my status to create an evergrowing list of names with a few categories underneath each of them.


    Thank you, Schema, for the dynamic list-making.


    This let me organize the data some, but I simply couldn''t keep up with the demand. After a while, I asked for everyone to let me be with Althea for a bit. We walked up to the edge of the glasswork, peering out into the vast void. Inspecting close, I found the panels partitioned out by hexagonal, gray strings that reinforced the glass substrate. The pillars weren''t the only thing holding this together, so it might have been more durable than I first estimated.


    Althea leaned into my view, her hands gripped behind her.


    "Whatcha doing?"


    I noticed her figure, and my heart raced,


    "I''m inspecting this glass. It has something supporting it."


    "So it''s kind of like what they do in Mt. Verner to keep the mountain from collapsing?"


    I nodded, entranced by her, "Yeah...Exactly."


    She noticed me looking, so she did a swirl, her dress''s ruffles spreading out. She gave me a glance of pure confidence,


    "I see I''ve got you on edge."


    I got control of myself,


    "Always. What do you think about the evening so far?"


    "Blegh, it''s been so exhausting. There were way too many names for me to remember them all."


    "Same. I tried getting that situation earlier under control. I just didn''t want you to feel too uncomfortable. How''d I do?"


    "Hmm, let me think. It was a tough situation the Emperor put us in. He really wanted you to meet people."


    "Yeah. The thing is, they''re meeting me, and I''m not meeting them. I can''t remember all these names and faces. If I wasn''t recording them in my status, this would be a waste of time."


    "Sheesh, that''s a good idea. You did more than I did. My eyes kind of glazed over after the fifth person was introduced."


    I leaned back, "What? Fifth? Mine did after the third." I gave her a begrudging nod, "Impressive."


    She giggled for a moment before I wrapped my arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around me too, and we did a little slow dance while staring at each other. A piece of light music played in the background. The smells of high-quality perfume and well-made food sauntered about, tantalizing the senses. She was amazing, and for a few moments, I was in heaven.


    She grinned at me, noticing my bliss. She poked my nose, "I''ll be back. I''m going to go find Caprika and see if I can''t catch up. I''ve got so much I want to tell her."


    I gave a fake frown, "Don''t be gone for too long. I don''t want to be stuck here by myself."


    She rolled her eyes, "Come on now, you''re the Harbinger. One more conversation isn''t going to kill you."


    Maybe, but maybe not. I turned and stared outside, trying to look profound and deep in thought. I figured people might think I was too busy to interrupt, but my strategy failed as someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around, a bit peeved until I saw who it was.


    I raised an eyebrow, "Wrath? What are you doing here?"


    The slime queen, shaped in a feminine outline spoke in her grave, matriarchal voice,


    "I am here to find someone who shall help our species against Plazia-Ruhl."


    I frowned, "Oh...Yeah. Sorry I haven''t found the time to help you yet."


    "You spoke of helping me, not of a certain time. We''ve warred against that monster for centuries now, and we shall continue to do so. I wonder when you would be able to assist us, however. Perhaps a date may be estimated?"


    I tapped my chin, "Hmm, let me think."


    The first goal I needed to complete was this war with the Adairs. That would take a few months, at least. After that, I wanted to establish our presence on Earth. Helping out the Vagni wouldn''t take that long afterward, meaning it would take maybe three to four years before I''d be able to help out Wrath.


    I bit my tongue, giving myself a mental slap. I was powerful, but taking on all these tasks could be more than I could handle. I needed to sit down and write out a priority list or something before I ended up getting in over my head with deals. Freeing up some space on my calendar wouldn''t do me any harm, either.


    Popping out of the crowd, Obolis peered at Wrath,


    "It''s good to see you again. I hope your colonies fare well in these troubled times."


    She shifted, "I would say the same, but given the rebellions, you''ve seen better days. I know this."


    Obolis grinned, "I have a measure of control over the situation. This entire evening is, in fact, a soiree to showcase Schema''s dominance over the rebellion. The glassing shall act as a reminder to you all. That being said, I''d rather my own planets not be glassed."


    Wrath seethed, "There we can agree, Finder of Secrets."


    Obolis turned to me, "It''s good to see you, Harbinger. Do each of you know one another?"


    I nodded, "We do. We met a while back while I was pretending to be the Gray Giant."


    Wrath body wiggled in place, "Indeed. This is a wolf who wears a sheep''s skin, as the eldritch would say. We need him in our plight against Plazia. They fear him. I''ve heard them whisper of him in their legends. I wish to use his legend to build my own."


    Obolis frowned, "Ah, so the both of you are at an impasse then?"


    Claws rippled under Wrath''s skin, "How would you know of our struggles?"


    "I know a little of Daniel''s schedule, and strained would be a gentle word given his position...What if I acted as a negotiator of sorts to ease the situation over? Perhaps an agreement could be made?"


    Wrath perked up, spines growing and submerging through her skin,


    "I appreciate your kindness, Carnage of Olstatia."


    Obolis gave her a slight bow, "Please, call me Obolis or the Finder of Secrets. I''d rather not dabble into my darker history, whether by name or by action."


    I eyed the Emperor with suspicion. He came at far too convenient a time, and the guy seemed like he was waiting for this kind of situation to occur. Obolis gestured a hand to Wrath,


    "So your kind is faced with a behemothic eldritch, one that can swallow worlds?"


    "We fight as one, but it is mighty. It waits on calm winds, one day ready to pounce at our open necks."


    Obolis gestured a hand, "And this mighty warrior is preoccupied with his wars and alliances. Perhaps I may untangle the responsibilities for both of you by offering a deal."


    Obolis turned to me, "I can reward you with a few items in exchange for helping Wrath promptly."


    Obolis grinned at Wrath, "And in exchange for offering the Harbinger my resources, your kind may come to cleanse my worlds of the blighted ones. It would be a far greater use of your resources than fighting that hivemind."


    I crossed my arms, "Why would you want them to clear out worlds instead of us?"


    Wrath shivered, "Our kind feasts on stone and metal. It would be no difficult feat to shift our diet to the Hybrids instead of the eldritch swarms of our homeworld."


    I tilted my head, "Is that what it''s like there?"


    Wrath twitched as memories flooded in,


    "It is a hollowed world compared to what you''re used to. We live differently, our bodies made of different parts and pieces. Our colonies war with one another, and we survive through evolution, our faith in nature absolute."


    Wrath lifted her arms, claws piercing her skin. They formed hands,


    "And now our kind is faced with a being that has evolved past us. We wish to use an even greater being to fight this entity. There are few we believe actually exceed Plazia-Ruhl. You are the only one of those few that may be willing to help us."


    I furrowed my brow, "Why not just use some technology or magic? I''m sure that could help bridge the gap."


    "To do so is to sacrifice our way of life. If we must do so to survive, then are we truly living?"


    I looked back and forth, "Uh, yeah? You would definitely still be alive."


    Wrath pointed at me, "You are no different from us. You wished to survive by your own means, and you lived through perseverance. A single-minded pursuit is what sustained you."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Now how would you know that?"


    "We have spoken with the eldritch. They tell tall tales of you, Harbinger. They speak in whispered tones, carrying stories of a being filled with infinite hunger and unending growth. A true monster who is starved enough to devour its own skin and flesh and blood to lessen its endless famine. They say you are never satisfied. Perhaps it is true. Perhaps not."


    Wrath shivered, "What they see, I cannot. I believe in their fear, however. That I can put faith in."


    I shook my hands, "That''s got to be a misunderstanding. I''m not eating myself."


    "To them, it is more real than meat and bone. I sense the truth in their words. They say you bend the laws of nature to your will, and you wield the very fabric of dimensions in your hands. It is written across you, stories of your dominance, and immortality."


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Obolis raised a hand, "Is she referring to your cipher inscriptions? I understood you were channeling mana, but I didn''t think of it as devouring yourself. That seems quite illogical, even for the eldritch."


    Obolis''s eyes widened,


    "Unless...you''re using blood magic."


    I frowned, not saying anything. Obolis grabbed his chin, "Ah, so that is how one can explain it...That is why you''re able to manage so many strengths. Hmm, interesting. This changes the situation entirely. No wonder you wish for an elemental furnace to such an extent."


    Obolis grinned at me, "You would be able to not only build yourself using the cipher, but you would also be able to rejuvenate from any harm in an instant by turning mana to flesh."


    Wrath leaned forward, "This monster wishes to devour this universe as well?" She turned to me, "You are no different than the eldritch then."


    I spread out my hands,


    "Eat the universe? Really? Holy shit, guys. The scale is different. I''m not over here eating people or planets. At most, I''d be converting rocks or dirt into mana and using that for my cipher augments. I don''t understand why that''s considered so strange to the eldritch. To me, it just makes sense from a pragmatic perspective. That''s all."


    Obolis frowned, "Perhaps it''s merely a difference in perspective then? You are an anomaly, of that I''m certain. Using the cipher as you do would normally result in a stark shift in your personality. It would be as if you were rewriting who you are. Instead, it affects only your physical body, and your mind remains unchanged. I''ve deduced as much since meeting you."


    Obolis raised a finger, his mind revving up,


    "Your personality is constant, only shifting as you naturally grow. In that way, your mind and body must be separate entities entirely now. Otherwise, the cipher would warp you into a caricature of yourself. I''ve seen it happen in others. I wouldn''t wish the same onto you."


    I remembered Yawm and what happened to him. The big plant man acted like a megalomaniac, some kind of obsession controlling him. Yawm was also covered in cipher runes that helped him use otherworldly powers. The runic configurations might have manifested in his personality and resulting god complex. That explained why he was so...off.


    Those same side effects didn''t apply to me. Otherwise, I''d be acting more differently than I do if what Obolis said was true. My face saturated with confusion as I thought about it further,


    "What would that even mean, though? My mind isn''t in my body?"


    Obolis shrugged, "I''ve no idea, honestly. Your lack of precedent comes from being unique. This means there''s no history of this before; you walk into uncharted waters alone. In many ways, we can only pray you do not drown in those waters."


    I frowned, "Man, you really know how to cheer someone up, you know that?"


    Obolis waved off my concerns, "Perhaps these implications will manifest at a different time. For now, I''d rather discuss more earthly concerns, such as the deal between you two."


    Wrath pointed at Obolis, "Why does it interest you so?"


    Obolis stood up straight, "It is simply beneficial for me to be involved. I cannot offer you anything you value, Wrath, but I can offer Daniel quite a bit. He can offer you something you need, but you have nothing you may grant him."


    The surface of Wrath''s body quivered as she seethed, "I own many things I can reward the Harbinger with."


    Obolis crossed his arms, "Such as?"


    "I...I can give him my children to feast upon."


    I winced, "Ahem, no thanks."


    Wrath turned to me in despair,


    "They are delicious, I assure you. I''ve eaten my species children many times, and I promise you that-"


    "Actually, I''m still good with not doing that. I don''t actually like eating children."


    Obolis spread out his arms, "My point exactly. We can create a triangular deal, and I may act as an intermediary so that all parties remain satisfied."


    I narrowed my eyes, "What will you be offering me? Killing someone like Plazia would require a hell of a deal."


    Obolis turned towards me, "Several elemental furnaces, along with instruction on how to use them. I may also grant you a meeting with Baldowah. He is the most predictable of the Old Ones, and he has shown interest in seeing you."


    I raised a palm to him, "I''d actually rather not meet anymore Old Ones."


    Obolis narrowed his eyes, "Ones? You''ve met more than one then. You haven''t met Baldowah based on what you just said, so that leaves Etorhma and...I don''t know."


    Obolis''s eyes lit up with fascination, "What was the entity like?"


    I grimaced as thoughts of Eonoth passed over my head,


    "It was loud. Very, very loud."


    Obolis rolled his hand with impatience, "Anything else you can add, such as its philosophy, the intensity of the meeting, perhaps its name?"


    "I mean this when I say this. You should not mention that thing''s name. It might just talk with you. If that happens, you''ll end up melting into a pile of mush from just the echoes of its voice. Even I nearly died from it."


    Obolis smirked, "I assure you, I''ll be fine."


    My face darkened, "I assure you, you will not."


    My expression contorted further as memories of my blood vessels liquifying washed over me. I nearly drowned in my own blood when Eonoth and I first met. Obolis might not be so lucky. The Emperor met my eye at that moment, and something in my expression conveyed genuine concern.


    Obolis looked away, biting his tongue. He gave his eyebrows a quick rise while shaking his head in disappointment. He peered back at me,


    "Perhaps you are right. I''ll drop the issue for now. Moving yet once more to the deal, I was wondering if my offer was satisfactory?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. It was for me. I don''t know if I''ll take it yet because I have responsibilities to my guild."


    Obolis turned to Wrath, "What do you think of the deal? It''s a pleasing proposition, isn''t it? We would all prosper in the wake of it."


    Wrath turned to me,


    "I would be pleased with this offer. I can throw some of my children in as an incentive if the need-"


    I raised my hands, "No, no, that won''t be needed. At all." I leaned towards Obolis,


    "I wanted to bring something up that I noticed. I know you planned for this. If you try to take advantage of me, I''ll learn about it, and I''m not an enemy you want to make. Ask the Adair family if you want to know why."


    Obolis''s face turned somber. He chose his next words with care,


    "I watched you ravage the planetside, and the memories of it linger in my mind like the echos of a foregone battle. Know this - you offered to help us without asking for anything in return. The Empire pays its debts in full. This is how I wish to do so...In fact-"


    He raised a hand, "I''ll add a grimoire to the deal. It''s a spellbook written in the cipher. It gives incantations of all kinds, though many are admittedly enigmatic. Perhaps studying it will be more useful for you than I, given I couldn''t fully understand it."


    He gave me a knowing grin, "Consider the tome an extra gift given your past services. You may even use the team granted to you for Blegara to assist with your efforts against Plazia. Though young, they are all competent albony. They should serve you well both in battle and in planning."


    I gave him a begrudging nod, "I can''t say yes just yet. Let me think about it for my guild''s sake."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, but he swallowed his disappointment, "Take your time."


    I turned towards space, the vastness making me feel insignificant. That was a refreshing feeling since the options laid out to me involved the fates of wars and rebellions alike. Since the possibilities seemed overwhelming, I took a moment to break things down before thinking things over.


    For starters, an elemental furnace was a given no matter the scenario. Obolis would hand one over after a few victories on his behalf, regardless of what I decided on doing. Knowing that fact, the furnaces shouldn''t weigh into my decision. On the other hand, the grimoire was interesting. It could hold a few secrets about the cipher I didn''t know.


    Each breakthrough could result in a massive power spike for me, my golems, and my crafting. If I constructed better armor and weapons, my guildsmen would be more potent because of it. Even more so, if I ever eclipsed Lehesion, then nothing would stop me from getting Earth on the right track. Colonizing other worlds wasn''t even out of the question either.


    This new deal also handled several issues I had with my scheduling right now. Helping out the Empire and the ahcorus would kill two birds with one stone. I could get to helping out the vagni and earth earlier rather than later.  With all those factors in mind, I narrowed my eyes and raised my eyebrows, trying to look skeptical. In all honesty, I was already sold.


    Before I could say I''m in, Obolis took the bait and turned a palm to me,


    "If you accept this deal right here and right now, I''ll grant you an elemental furnace immediately. Tell me, what will you do?"


    It turned out that pressure was a great way to muddy someone''s judgment. That extra incentive made my decision for me,


    "Alright then, consider it a deal."


    That''s what the grizzled warlord got for stirring the rest of his partygoers to interrogate me and my guild. Obolis noticed my satisfaction in an instant, his eyes widening. He gave me a slow, steady nod,


    "Ah, I''ve been played."


    I stopped myself from grinning but poorly,


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''m just using my resources wisely."


    Obolis placed a hand on Wrath and my shoulders. He looked at me then Wrath, "Well then, as the deal states, I''ll get an elemental furnace that suits you right away. While I''m grabbing it, you may both work out the details of this arrangement as you need to. The glassing will occur soon, so don''t dabble on the details for too long."


    Obolis walked off, "It would be a shame if you missed the event in its full fury."


    As he warped away, I turned to Wrath, "It will be good to finally work with you."


    "Likewise, Eater of Monsters. I shall stay on Svia, our homeworld, and help you hunt Plazia. We know where he lies. We simply cannot conquer his fortress."


    I nodded, "I''ll see if I can''t help with that then."


    "When will your kind be allowed to come?"


    I tapped my chin, "Within a week, I''d say. Our guild just finished taking Giess on, and now we''re all settling down on my homeworld. We need some time to rest and recuperate. After that, we''ll head over and meet up to make a plan."


    Within Wrath, several glowing spots danced around as she hissed in happiness,


    "You give us hope, Harbinger. It will be the end of our plight, long though it may be."


    I sent her a friend request, "Don''t get your expectations too high. I''m not exactly sure I can take Plazia down. I''ll definitely try."


    Spines extended and submerged across her back,


    "I...perhaps, you are right. You are our last chance, however, and if I cannot find hope in you, then my hope will die."


    I frowned, "Am I really the best option? I find that hard to believe."


    Wrath peered out at space,


    "I have spent years parsing the galaxy for the greatest Fringe Walkers. What I uncovered was a simple truth - none of them can destroy Plazia. They specialize in the hunt for many, but never in the hunt for one. The one I hunt is an ancient hivemind, the deadliest of all known eldritch. This hivemind''s cunning is unmatched. Its armies are neverending. It knows of Schema, and it knows Schema''s limits."


    Wrath shivered with fear, "Plazia dances around those limits without fear, its mind unrestrained by morals or emotion. It has cleared rifts on its own to prevent the glassing of our planet. This has let it linger for so long without retaliation, biding its time as the monster builds its strength. We need more than what we are to fight Plazia. This is why my hunt for Plazia''s eater ends with you, Harbinger."


    She wriggled outward, her form destabilizing a bit. She expanded, golden claws extending out of her deep blue body. She seethed,


    "That hivemind is our greatest failure and shame. Our kind could have stamped the mongrel out. It would''ve been more than possible if we attacked the being before it was this strong. We fought amongst ourselves, vying for territory and glory instead. Now all that we fought over is left to Plazia, and we fight over the scraps it leaves behind."


    I crossed my arms, "So why not just hire a team of Breakers? They sound like just what you need."


    "They would rather fight against bounties that guarantee wealth rather than assist our kind. We are poor by comparison to many species, our economies built on flesh and bone instead of steel and cores."


    I scoffed, "No wonder you offered your children then. They''re what you consider valuable."


    "But of course. Our larvae are delicious, and they are considered the spoils of war when one colony conquers another colony."


    A set of claws sprung out of her head, creating a mandibled mouth. Some kind of acid drool leaked out of her face,


    "And I have partaken in the spoils of war many, many times."


    I looked back and forth, wondering if there was just a cultural disconnect here. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I created a gravity well to catch her saliva, not letting it burn the ship. I''d have Obolis thank me later. Wrath''s fangs retracted as she turned to me,


    "I will send you the necessary coordinates for my homeworld. May our kinds prosper, together, feasting forever."


    I got the confirmation she accepted my friend request as I blinked,


    "Yeah, uh, sure."


    She composed herself back into her feminine form, walking across the room. Keratin spikes disintegrated in her gelatinous frame, those near her giving the razor queen space. She made her way to the snack bar and began indulging in said snacks with great abandon, shoving down unreal volumes of food. Beside her, Hod followed suit. After a minute, they locked eyes.


    A competition spawned at that moment. Slime queen and birdman began eating food at an even more voracious pace. Nearby waiters walked past them, dropping platter after platter of exotic delicacies. These foods were wasted as both Hod and Wrath sucked down enough food to feed the rest of those here.


    They were both massive balls by the time they finished. The two bulbous, swollen guests turned to each other as Hod finished a single bite more than Wrath. She gave Hod a nod of respect,


    "You eat without end."


    "Hod hungry."


    Wrath scoffed, "I like this imbecile. He is both uplifting and a great devourer in his own right."


    They made merry, a crowd around them clapping at the impromptu entertainment. I peered around, looking for other oddities, and I found Althea talking with Caprika, Victoria, and three other albony noblewomen. Kessiah was at a bar, drinking other mercenaries and guards under the table. I hoped she kept it under control, considering her history with drinking.


    Florence and Torix showed up a while back, each of them discussing the intricacies of etiquette and politeness. That might have been the only point those two could relate with, but it was somehow bringing them together despite that fact. After my searching glance, everyone continued enjoying themselves. I took a moment to breathe, soaking in a moment of relaxation. Beside me, a portal appeared as Obolis stepped out. He carried a subdued black gemstone in his hand. It revealed markings of the cipher that looked even more ancient than the kind Obolis wore.


    Obolis raised it up, inspecting it as he said, "Look behind us."


    I turned, and Giess was shown near the central star of its solar system. Half of the planet was lit, and it cast a shadow behind it that widened with distance. It looked outright minuscule by comparison to the star, hard to even make out amidst the shining light. A section of the transparent panels powered up, electricity tracing the glass substrate via the gray reinforcement. A red circle cropped over Giess, and this circle magnified our view of it so that everyone could see with ease.


    Obolis sighed, "Soon, the glassing will commence. It is time I make my mark here."


    With a gravitational wave, Obolis lifted himself up into the air. He took a glass and tapped it as he did before, the resonations silencing the massive crowd gathered around. As they silenced, Obolis spread his arms.


    "Hello, my honored guests. We are here today to celebrate many things, the least of which is the death of a world that has spawned an untold number of horrors."


    Many of the albony here raised fists and roared. Obolis raised a palm, settling them down,


    "You might ask what could exceed the importance of such an event? I shall tell you - we are celebrating our allies during these dark times. As you all know, my Empire is at the center of this rebellion. Three of our planets have been attacked, the Adair family rallying with the rebels on those worlds."


    He squeezed a hand into a fist, holding his anger back,


    "Their disobedience has resulted in the death of millions. They fight for subtle freedom, one that holds no guarantee of safety or prosperity. What madness drove them to such depths, I will never understand. What I do understand is this - we will win this war."


    Albony and other aliens who supported Schema gave out shouts of approval. Obolis grinned,


    "But we cannot win alone. The Adairs are a cunning and prepared force, their methods both brutal and effective. During these trying times, I will be dipping into my Empire''s treasury to fund the war. Just as well, I shall be taking choice treasures from my personal vault and giving them to allies who show grit, valor, and a desire to win."


    Obolis gestured a hand to me, and my heart sank.


    "Here is the Harbinger of Cataclysm. He, too, lies at the center of this rebellion, acting as Schema''s spearhead. He has earned his titles through his many deeds. He killed the Destroyer of Worlds, Yawm. He has fought against Lehesion, the Shattered God, and been victorious. He has killed more of the Adairs than all others combined during his siege of Giess."


    Obolis raised a fist, "And he has barely scratched the surface of his potential. This behemoth has chosen to ally himself with my Empire without asking for compensation. Such is the extent of his moral backbone that even when faced against this mighty foe, he chooses the greater good."


    Obolis was really playing this up. He accentuated choice words with a pointed finger,


    "Yet our Empire does not accept kindness without returning the favor in kind. In my hands, I carry an ancient elemental furnace. It has been crafted from an umbral jade, ancient runes carved over its surface. It can handle tremendous volumes of mana, even when compared to other furnaces."


    He turned the jade to me,


    "Please, take this as a gesture of goodwill."


    I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was doing. The solution popped in my head a second later. The guy was pulling a classic layering technique. Since he was already going to give me an elemental furnace, he figured why not make it into a show of sorts? It would make him many new allies, and it solidified our earlier deal. Clever.


    I saw no reason to argue, so I let the guy have his win. I floated the furnace over, snatching it out of the air. I inspected it for a second, the cipher carvings truly incomprehensible. Yup, this was the real deal. I gave it a slow nod,


    "Impressive. Thanks."


    Obolis turned to those present,


    "After you all see Schema''s might firsthand, know that you fight on the winning side if you choose to join me. Schema will not be alone in rewarding your valor, as I have just demonstrated. Thank you all for listening and enjoy the rest of your viewing. It will be an explosive show."


    Obolis''s speech aside, I peered at the furnace closely, and it was incredible. It used dual layering, triple depth etching, even matching the strata of the stone, adding complexity to its message. It was beyond anything I''d ever seen. Someone must have spent decades searching for just the right stone to convey this particular message. Now it was here, in my grasp.


    Oh man, once I figured out how to work this damn thing, Lehesion would be quaking in his boots. Or claws. Whatever, it didn''t matter. I put the furnace in my dimensional storage, peering at Giess as Althea walked over. I eyed her, and her beauty was so stunning that my eyes could not be torn from it. We hugged each other, waiting for the glassing.


    A moment later, and it began. A vast dimensional crack formed in the distance. A pulse crossed the entire solar system, our dimension wavering. The others around me struggled to sustain this wave, many made nauseous. I stayed standing, unaffected by the sudden shift. As I did, I held Althea up, the shapeless arbiter grabbing her head.


    Those around us shook off their unease as an enormous, gray behemoth rose in the skyline. It floated towards Giess, the size of a small moon. Writhing masses of plated flesh rose from its surface. It pulsed with radioactive energy, many fusion reactors brimming underneath its skin. Its many eyes stared in all directions, hunting for more flesh to devour.


    It found Giess, pulsing itself towards it. This was a Spatial Fortress in all its might and fury. Even as those around me trembled at its sheer size and malice, a knot formed in my stomach. This wasn''t enough to kill an Old One or even Lehesion. Don''t get me wrong, the Spatial Fortress was impressive in its own right, but it just wasn''t comparable to an Eonoth or Etorhma.


    Whatever they used to chain that massive eldritch had made it docile and weak. It moved with a sluggish crawl. Its instincts gave way to controllers who lacked the same voracity. It looked starved for nutrients. I couldn''t kill it, but I know who could.


    I clenched my teeth. This was going to be a long day.

 271 Cosmic Destruction

    The deformed behemoth traversed across the vast void of space. Supporting the Spatial Fortress, vessels cascaded out in an endless torrent. These ships were of all sizes, many of them colored green with orichalcum. The greatest of these vessels were plated in dull gray, an ancient design and appearance dictating their lineage.


    These were the chosen shuttles of Schema, the blue plasma ebbing in glowing lines. Their designs stood as both foreign and overwhelming with sharp, angular edges. They warped gravity and space alike with their arrival, each of them defying even the most fundamental laws of physics. More of these constructs arrived until the entirety of the spaceline was filled to the brim with ships facing Giess.


    Schema came prepared.


    This supporting force gathered around the Spatial Fortress, protecting their most vital asset. As they arrived, Obolis gestured towards the individual fleets,


    "As you may have gathered, the largest of those are a part of Schema''s personal fleet. They wield his tools, using forbidden magic and technology. Those around him are a part of his various guilds. For example, you''ll note the fleet to his left, those are the Steel Legion''s highest order of ships."


    I crossed my arms, "They landed on my homeworld too. I ended up taking their members and tech in when I formed my guild. I honestly don''t know how it worked exactly. They weren''t too peeved about it, though."


    Obolis grinned, "You thwarted Yawm, correct? This means that you gained the right to ownership over the guild preceding you. Schema grants resources to the successful, and in that instant, you were victorious."


    I pointed at a petite ship at the edge of the fleet,


    "What about those ships? It looks like they weren''t even designed for warfare."


    "Those are the golemite''s ships, a race of scouting, aetherial beings. I''ve contracted with them many times to discover far off locations. They orient themselves towards finding the hard to find more so than killing those that are hard to kill. If you look beside the golemite''s sleek builds, you''ll find the various heads of each class structure in Schema''s society."


    He pointed at a spiked shuttle. It was lined with pods on the surface.


    "Those are the breakers. Their assault class utilizes arcane energy as a weapon. It''s actually just militarized antimatter that''s been converted into an energy form."


    Thoughts of Einstien and his theories whizzed through my head. I mean, if matter equals energy, I guess antimatter would equal anti-energy too. Obolis gestured further down,


    "The slim vessels beside them are for the Speakers, and the thickly plated vessel below both are for the Fringe Walkers. They are the highest-ranked and most ancient classers in Schema''s universe, and we will likely never be this close to the heart of their faction again. Soak in these sights while you can."


    I shrugged, "Eh, they''re just ships."


    "But they shall tear this spaceline apart as soon as the Adair family arrives. That is the only reason Schema has called in this many of his forces. This would be more than enough to level my entire Empire, let alone a weakened planet like Giess."


    I gawked at all the ships as Obolis said that. Damn, so this was a solar system culling kind of force? It was impressive, though these guy''s secrets had yet to be unveiled. They hovered towards Giess, taking a while to get there. I pointed at some of the gray hulled vessels,


    "What about those? They seem like the head honchos here."


    Some random alien guy walked up, "They are. Those are the shuttles for Schema''s chosen."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "In a manner of speaking, I suppose. More specifically, they are the vessels for the Sentinels, Overseers, and his personalized A.I.''s. They act at a moment''s notice, offering tactical oversight of what''s occurring. They also use their absolute weaponry to evaporate enemies."


    I peered at the gray that mirrored Obolis''s own suit of armor. I gestured to them both, "So why do all the highest-ranking people wear gray armor? Is a fashion trend or something?"


    Obolis tapped it with his claws, "This is an orichalcum and aluminum alloy that has been augmented by graphene layering. It requires printing thin, atomically thin sheets of graphene to strengthen the underlying metal base. This is due to the low friction point of graphene. When pulled into many layers, it converts into graphite, a soft, doughy material."


    I raised my eyebrows, "So is graphene stronger than orichalcum?"


    "Indeed, it is. For reference, orichalcum is about twice as heavy as steel but 30% harder. It is used primarily for its antimagical properties more so than its strength. Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel yet six times lighter. Both of those metals are incomparably inferior to graphene from a sheer physical resilience perspective."


    Obolis pointed at Schema''s ships, "These materials do not appear in nature, and they exist at the apex of science and technology. My own armor was found outside of Schema owned space, in fact. Even with all of my resources, I cannot construct this material on a whim. Schema can, however."


    I gave the ships a begrudging nod,


    "Well, shit. That might be tougher than my armor."


    Obolis shook his head, "No matter how tough one''s shell is, the insides tend to be soft. That ship might never break, but those within it would be smashed by the hull meant to protect them. You are saturated to the core with that metal of yours to the point of bleeding silver. This makes you resilient in a way most people cannot be."


    I narrowed my eyes, "You have good eyesight."


    Obolis gave a slight smirk, "My ability to perceive is my greatest asset."


    We peered back at the ships as they sauntered about. They neared Giess, the rebels neglecting to show up. Before the anticlimax came to fruition, a golden portal spawned.


    I grimaced, "It''s Lehesion."


    The massive, spatial entity crawled out of his gateway. Immune to the cold of the void, he tilted his head, cracking his enormous neck. No sound permeated out, the empty space nulling everything silent. Like a black and white film, the events played out in absolute quiet. Despite that quiet, the face-off sent shivers up my spine.


    In the face of the Spatial Fortress, Lehesion was but a pebble. To me, he was a mountain staring down at an anthill. No one shared my sentiment, many laughing at Lehesion and how puny he was compared to the Spatial Fortress. Around Lehesion, thousands upon thousands of portals snapped open as the gialgathen lifted his head. He stared down with a godly arrogance as his forces arrived.


    This was why the rebels committed genocide against the gialgathens. Their forces arrived in the tens of thousands, the blighted ones swimming through space. They collected around Lehesion, acting in a manner similar to how Schema guarded his Spatial Fortress. Further allies congregated around the golden beast over the next minute.


    Dreadnoughts, fighters, drones, and other blighted ones came to the forefront. These were the main forces we fought on Giess, their numbers so high they could darken a horizon. Even in space, they remained unharmed, the Hybrid''s internal engines keeping them from turning brittle and cold.


    More forces arrived than those sent to Giess, however. From their rebelling worlds, many ships and vessels from other races arrived. These ragtag ships were reinforced with the Adair''s signature markings and welding styles. They helped make their allies stronger in exchange for their support, and it showed as their fleet swelled. These were those that chose to defy Schema at the cost of a bloody war.


    Even more forces arrived, their numbers exceeding Schema''s own fleet. From dozens of portals, they took gnarled eldritch adapted for space and summoned them. These were followed by suited revenants, each of them mentally shackling these mutated eldritch. They arrived in growing hordes, becoming a living, breathing mass of monster that allied against Schema.


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "They''ve used radiation to strengthen the eldritch then taken control of their shattered minds. Illegal in Schema''s territory, yet it''s an undeniably effective tactic."


    I remembered the bout of radiation we suffered when inspecting a portion of Lehesion''s tail. This was what they were using it for. As the enemies piled up, my fears were fully realized. The Adair''s armed forces dwarfed Schemas.


    And yet, still, even more arrived.


    From twisted worlds and dark recesses, sentient eldritch crawled from colossal portals. They allied with the Adairs. These were the kinds of eldritch that dictated whether a world was fringe or not, and they mounted in space, crawling like an infestation given life. They commanded enormous numbers of eldritch, the likes of which could create eclipses by swallowing the sun in their shadow.


    Instead, they blended into space, a moving darkness that proliferated like a disease. They took the form of massive worms, fallen archangels, writhing hiveminds, deformed krakens, and lesser evolved Spatial Fortresses. At least they looked like it, their bulk not up to par with the mechanical monstrosity that Schema chained to his cause.


    Obolis crossed his arms, his heartbeat elevating,


    "They''ve even allied with the eldritch. It seems they''d prefer winning to winning well."


    I grimaced, "I know an eldritch that helps us. She pulled me out of a tight spot against Yawm, actually. In the end, the enemy of my enemy is a friend." I turned back at the sentient eldritch,


    "Even if they are ugly."


    Obolis frowned but said nothing. Those around us weren''t laughing anymore, the Adair''s preparations both intimidating and resourceful. Even those that didn''t truly understand Lehesion''s strength, they realized that this was going to be a bloodbath. The number of enemies meant that would be the case. It left a sort of vibrant buzz in the air, everyone ready to see something they''d never see again.


    This was the kind of battle that would go down in history at the very least, no matter which side came out victorious. The sheer hum of that fact saturated the air around us. It left everyone gazing at an event akin to an incoming hurricane.


    This would leave no doubt that the rebellion was not something to dismiss. It was an immeasurable storm, the likes of which we may never see again. The Adair''s and the revenants were going to make their last stand here.


    And their stand would be carnage given life, a battle cry that echoes across all of Schema''s owned space.


    As the forces closed, my armor shivered. I stared down at it, and the metal trembled. In the distance, Lehesion lifted his head with the confidence of a celestial. Energy collapsed through his frame, envigorating him with the strength of both the old and the new. He radiated light, a second sun breathing out pure, radiant power.


    In a snap, he shot out a telepathic wave. This wave tethered those nearby to his mind, this mental roar absolute. It extended onto Schema''s ships and further beyond. When it rolled over our station, my heart sank. His mind was a boundless ocean like an Old One given a body and flesh. Lehesion''s voice resounded, everything else quiet and still by comparison,


    "So you are the forces that Schema rallies against me? How quaint. I expected a being that many consider omnipotent to muster a force worthy of fear. I see now that I was wrong."


    Obolis''s hair stood on end. At this moment, we were ants staring at a being beyond us. Those of high status trembled. In their own lives, they were the elite. In this other realm, they were nothing but the tiniest of entities, like drops in an endless ocean. I stood amid this vast sea, and I held onto my aura and mind. I refused to allow this being to send fear through me anymore.


    Those around me could not withstand it, however.


    Even Obolis shivered. He reached out a shaking hand and clenched it into a fist. It quivered as he murmured,


    "You fought him and lived?"


    I rolled my shoulders, "On more than one occasion. He was taking it easy on me. I doubt he''ll do that here."


    Lehesion announced,


    "Know this, Schema. This battle shall be the mark I leave upon your history. Long have I waited for an epoch where my talent may truly shine. I was a leviathan trapped in the smallest of ponds. Now I am that behemoth unleashed, a might that shall force gods to tremble and space to thrash. Hear me, one and all."


    His noiseless laugh was a battle cry,


    "You shall regret making an enemy of me, for I am a god given flesh and bone."


    Lehesion''s eyes twitched, his pupils dilating. He shook his head, his control being ripped from him. He gasped before Tohtella''s voice radiated through his colossal mind,


    "I am here to announce our grievances, along with an offer for you to surrender."


    No voice returned her call, so she continued.


    "We have never been given a place to voice what our real concerns are. This will likely be our only chance, so listen well. The Adair family is a group of psionic revenants. We have gained control of Lehesion, and we have committed grave atrocities against the gialgathens. We would like to apologize for what we have done."


    I grimaced, "Oh yeah, a mass genocide can be washed away with a one-sentence apology. Man, if like were that easy."


    Tohtella''s gestures reflected on Lehesion''s face,


    "We understand that many of you find our actions unforgivable and horrendous. We wish to let you all know that, we too, think that our chosen path is deplorable. Know this, however - we were given no other alternative for what we''ve decided to do today."


    A massive screen appeared above Lehesion, showing a status. It wasn''t blue or red, but golden with black lettering. My eyes widened as Tohtella announced,


    "We wish to form a counter alliance to Schema, one known as Elysium. We will be offering any joining planets access to our own system, one that is far gentler and less brutal than Schema''s. You will not face level restrictions. You will not be thrown against wolves and watch your loved ones die during the tutorial. Neither will you be enslaved to serve a race that cares nothing about you."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed as Tohtella spoke through him,


    "No, we wish to establish a system where the occupants are given the power to kill the eldritch before they are faced against them. Instead of watching over half of dungeon clearers die before they reach level 1,000, we wish for no one to die in a dungeon again. We want to eradicate the eldritch as a threat forever."


    They weren''t kidding when they said they wanted to start a revolution. Holy shit.


    "We will be giving free lessons in psionics to those that will join us. We will be using the eldritch to create the menacing Hybrids you know of. Every man, woman, and child of every race will be given one as a servant to assist with killing the eldritch. The eldritch fear them, and your Hybrid will allow you to conquer dungeons without fear of death."


    Everyone around us stood dumbfounded. One member dropped their glass behind us, no one reacting to the sharp squeal of glass shattering. That sound was nothing when compared to what the Adair''s were announcing.


    "We will do away with the lack of structure and the ''cullings'' of Schema''s system. We will allow every species to establish control of their own world, and we will ensure that an overarching government will offer support if certain species struggle. This will prevent weaker races from being subjugated into servile roles by better combatants."


    Some of the aliens behind me gasped, many of them looking around to gauge everyone else''s reactions. Much of what Tohtella said left me flabbergasted. It really was revolutionary, though I didn''t want to admit it. She continued,


    "Unlike Schema, we will not horde the most effective weapons only to ourselves. We understand that each of you is a competent, able individual. You will be given the necessary technology and weaponry to fight Schema and the eldritch. We will not stop each of you from researching better methods of stopping the eldritch. We have no desire for an endless war with those monsters. We wish for them to follow our laws or be devoured by our Hybrids."


    A few enigmatta and other sciency types peered down, affected by Tohtella''s words. It looked like I wasn''t the only one that noticed Schema''s rejection of permanent solutions to the eldritch. The Adairs noted that behavior as well, and they aimed to rectify it.


    "Elysium will also ally with eldritch that are non-threatening. These eldritch here have decided to follow our laws, and they have even joined our cause. They too wish for a better future where their hunger can be satiated. It is not endless, and we can work towards a compromise."


    Many of the nobles nearby began sweating. An intense wave of cognitive dissonance radiated through those present. I considered allying with the eldritch, but only because I met and knew Hod and Amara. They were both stable, useful allies, and that''s really all I asked for. If anything, taking eldritch like Plazia and Baldag-Ruhl would be boons for society in general. Even know, I''d yet to see anyone rival my armor''s complexity with the cipher.


    Neglecting to consider that possibility was a flaw with Schema''s approach. In fact, everything Tohtella mentioned so far was a part of many crippling issues with how Schema ran things. Even I accepted all of it without questioning further, but that was because I couldn''t create a better system on my own. Apparently, the Adair family could, though they offered no proof of that outside of a single status. At least not yet.


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    As if reading my mind, Tohtella expanded a status screen for many of those present in her fleet. These screens popped up above everyone outside of the eldritch lying at the edges of her fleet. Tohtella said,


    "This is proof of our system. Lehesion is connected with an endless, overflowing energy source that we can tap into. He is the center of this new system. We used ancient technology from our forefathers and built off those blueprints. Just as the revenants before us created Schema, we''ve created another, fairer system that recognizes many talents."


    Lehesion peered towards the classers in their ships,


    "No longer will you deal with archaic, hidden trees, and a lack of transparency. The paths of progression will be outlined for all to see, a true meritocracy where ignorance is a choice, not a given."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed,


    "Know that this is a living, breathing system. We are not set in our ways. We wish to hear your voices, and we will do our best to respond to your concerns. Unlike Schema, we will roll frequent patches to the framework to reduce any glitches, unfairness, and to promote system-wide balance across the board."


    Lehesion lifted his head, "And most of all, understand this final statement - we do not want war."


    Obolis scoffed, "Ah yes, the army made that much obvious."


    Tohtella continued,


    "We will not force worlds to join us. No other planet or species will be handled as Giess was either. This was a necessary sacrifice we used to establish this new system. We preemptively accrued this army to combat the certain military response Schema would send. He did not respond to our calls for negotiations or recognize us as a state. We knew he would attack the moment we announced ourselves."


    From all angles, another vast entity approached. It resonated across all those present, speaking through our status screens.


    It was Schema.


    "I have heard you and your concerns. I''d recommend organizing on pragmatism rather than idealism the next time you create a rebellion, however. You speak of change, yet you have only enacted a reign of terror and carnage. Your rebellions have resulted in the loss of billions of lives. When I have finished quashing your insurrection, that number may increase to the trillions."


    Schema left no physical body, yet he was as present as the stars around us,


    "Your actions speak louder than your words, yet even your unrealized vision pales to what I''ve created. You speak of my system as brutal, yet you neglect to recognize it as effective. We are faced with an endless enemy, one that is a result of a dimension clashing with our own."


    Schema''s voice stayed steady,


    "I give those that fight the ability to fight. I grant those that fend for themselves the ability to fend for themselves. Giving resources to the petulant, lazy, and weak-minded is wasteful. It results in the loss of resources that are finite. Even if you speak of limitless energy, you shall find that granting hundreds of trillions the ability to fight monsters is all but impossible. Inevitably, a certain measure of stringency must be enacted. Otherwise, we will all be eaten."


    Schema''s tone rose in volume, "Those that rise are given the right to rise further. Your idealogy would grant anyone the ability to murder, thieve, and usurp with a personalized monster. Those very monsters were created by you and your supreme arrogance. The Hybrids, somehow, exceed even the eldritch in their horror."


    Schema seethed with disgust,


    "You then use those abominations to create alliances with eldritch that have demolished entire societies. Each and every one of those beings has devoured millions of men, women, and children. You ally with them out of desperation, not some shallow sense of justice."


    Schema''s voice carried quiet anger,


    "That is something I''ve found constant about your insurrection - the collapse of entire societies. You culled a race on Giess to serve your ends. You use those eldritch that feasted on millions. You even pretend you could even fathom what is required to create a galactic society."


    Schema spoke with finality,


    "You speak of one thing and do another. You want prosperity but unleash calamity. You need change but neglect the cost. There is only one thing you are correct on - I will send an overwhelming military response to your little rebellion. I will rain down fire and scorch every planet that joins you. Every rebel will die, along with their children and everything they''ve ever owned or created."


    Brutal as Schema was, he sounded right to me. Schema continued, his words leaving an impact like leaping in ice water,


    "You will perish, and I will remain."


    Lehesion lifted his head and let out a quiet laugh, space unable to transfer his hearty chuckling. He stared Schema''s fleet down, and Tohtella spoke through him,


    "Then know this - you started this war."


    Schema''s voice echoed,


    "And I shall end it. Kill them all."


    Schema''s fleet went forward, piercing the dark veil of space between the two armies. Lehesion saturated with his golden aura, a tiny blot compared to the looming Spatial Fortress. Lehesion was a distant star when compared to it, but even my crude sense for mana was enough to understand the vast reservoirs of energy within the golden beast.


    In the distance from him, many of Schema''s vessels engorged with energy, fusion reactors and elemental furnaces revving to their utmost potential. As they unleashed their payloads, Lehesion spread his wings. All hell broke loose, cataclysmic explosions radiating in the distance. Silent yet stunning, masses of ships evaporated in storms of blue and golden fires.


    Lehesion let loose a breath of golden light, scorching it through Schema''s fleets. Ships exploded in the hundreds, creating cascades of energy and debris. At the center of the A.I.''s fleet, the Spatial Fortress revved into action. The sentient eldritch writhed around the chained behemoth, each of them haunted by their fallen brother. The fortress''s eyes widened, the beast awakened from its slumber and its instincts rising.


    The many fusion reactors under its skin powered up, and it feasted on the radiation. Its dormancy ended, and its vitality returned. Its movements quickened, no longer lifeless pulses. The entire framed structure shifted into a colossal, squirming mass. It lobbed tentacles covered in graphene and orichalcum at its enemies. These tentacles ripped through the Hybrid fleets. It opened gaping maws across its entire frame, and they shot out colossal waves of energy.


    These beams acted as rays of disintegration. It was a beast of cataclysm, designed for bloodshed and built for slaughter. Near it, Hybrids degenerated. Vessels splintered. Even Lehesion struggled to withstand the blasts. The behemoth of a gialgathen retaliated in kind once getting control, blasting through the Spatial Fortress''s ray. His beam, though smaller, pierced the eldritch''s dispersed bolt.


    Lehesion''s blast ripped into the side of the fortress, and the gaping maw exploded with nuclear intensity. A debris field siphoned out of the resulting impact. An eighth of the monster''s mass was torn apart, its writhing entrails exposed. The sea of organs shot out in bulk, grasping at Hybrids, ships, and sentient eldritch. They fell into the titan''s belly, and it reconstituted them into a new mass. Assimilated into the monster, the Spatial Fortress was whole again in an instant.


    It was unstoppable.


    Its eyes turned towards Lehesion, along with many of the gray, ancient vessels. They prepared attacks to destroy the spearhead of the Adair''s forces. As they did, Hybrids attacked the classer''s ships, smothering them in living metal. The Fringe Walkers reacted first. From their thick hull, individuals stepped out. The held no reason for protection against space, their own constitutions more than enough for the rigors of space.


    These hulking juggernauts launched towards the Hybrids with confidence. Each member created fields of fire, shards of ice, and storms of lightning. They were built to cull hordes, and this shined when faced with an enemy like the Hybrids.


    Those that passed them landed on various hulls, tearing into the orichalcum and devouring it. The Breaker''s vessel acted second, launching individuals from the many space pods on the ship''s surface. They landed on hulls, and power armor laden sentients stepped out.


    The Breakers used arcane energy saturated attacks on the Hybrids, muscling past the toughened carapaces of the blighted. They tore through individuals, dispatching one member before moving onto the next. These tactics were ruthless, efficient, and safe; they weren''t in this to risk their lives. They were in this battle to take the enemy''s own.


    The last to act were the Speakers. They sent out dozens of drones that went towards each individual battle and offered support. These robots allowed them to view and dispatch advice through their statuses, saving countless lives. At the same time, they took the wounded and compromised back to their vessel for healing.


    This combination of different classes worked well, with each piece handling certain enemy types. Unlike most of the eldritch, however, the Adair family controlled these Hybrids to deadly effect. They retargeted their hordes, aiming at each individual''s weak spots.


    The smallest of Hybrids assaulted the drones and Breakers. They swarmed without end, drenching the individual members like bees swarming a hive. While commanding overkill kinds of power, the Breakers lacked the tools to suppress this kind of attack. The Fringe Walkers noticed, but they too were stopped by the blighted ones.


    These were the converted gialgathens, ridden by revenants with mental suppressive abilities. They swarmed around the immobile juggernauts that were the Fringe Walkers, smothering them with psychic attacks. The Fringe Walkers were mighty, but this wasn''t what they were trained to do. Because of that, many of them fell along with the breakers.


    On the other end of the conflict, the sentient eldritch attacked the vessels of Schema''s chosen. They writhed and swarmed towards their ships, nearing the shielded hulls. Before making contact, swarms of armored Sentinels were released. These powerful guardians ripped through space with their dimensional slicers, suppressing the eldritch.


    Unlike before, however, the eldritch were given time to organize and rally. Most people attacked eldritch by surprise, meeting them on their own terms. Without that advantage, the eldritch could often overpower most sentients. That dynamic played out as the Sentinels were overwhelmed by the sheer physicality of these eldritch.


    That is, until the Overseers arrived.


    These destroyers enacted a wave of obliterating devastation on the eldritch forces. They used antimatter blasts, nuclear explosions, and dimensional slicers of their own against the hiveminds and worms. This variety of weaponry obliterated many of the opposing eldritch, but these monsters were not helpless.


    Coming from a desolated dimension, they regenerated on the remains of their enemies. Feasting on corpses, they continued their attack, hundreds dying on both sides. As that fierce battle played out, the most powerful weaponry in Schema''s universe charged their munitions. They assaulted the shattered god with absolute destruction.


    It was enough energy to leave me dead ten times over. It was the kind of force that would crush moons and leave planets scarred. They used antimatter cannons, arcane energy bolts, and nuclear payloads. These weapons were complete and pure; they required no finesse. The volume of energy they used rivaled the output of stars.


    And yet, Lehesion survived.


    His golden aura sustained the onslaught, struggle spread over the gialgathen''s face as the light of the blasts waned. His eyes widening, Lehesion retaliated once more. He peered upwards, channeling untold amounts of energy. Off in the distance, the star of Giess''s solar system waned.


    A shiver ran up my spine as an eclipse formed. Whether an illusion or real, the sheer scope of the attack left was monumental. It left only the slightest circle of light ebbing over the battlefield.


    Obolis gasped, "He...he truly is a god."


    Lehesion released an attack without equal. Energy coursed through him until his body heated to the point ships nearby were melted into a liquid. No, further still. The heat radiated with such intensity the metal shifted states from a liquid to plasma. Massive waves of radiation disabled nearby shuttles on both sides. The bout of energy released an EMP that disabled many of Schema''s vessels.


    The result was a series of star cores forming around Schema''s fleet. As they developed, these spheres condensed into a hyper-dense material. With precision, they bolted towards and through many of the classers'' largest ships. They ripped apart the surface of Schema''s vessels. Instead of raw energy, he used matter at its densest as a weapon. It resulted in the mass destruction of Schema''s fleet.


    Or so it seemed.


    Many of these ships used elemental furnaces to create some kind of shield. These shields didn''t disperse the matter; they devoured it, swallowing the streams of mass without a struggle. I could hardly comprehend how it was possible, but Obolis murmured,


    "He''s using his spatial manipulation technology as a means of defense. Clever."


    I raised an eyebrow, "But how much matter can it hold before its full?"


    Obolis smiled, "Time will tell."


    The Spatial Fortress used the same defense system, funneling the mass streams into pocket dimensions. Not wanting to wait for another catastrophic attack, the gargantuan eldritch ripped open a side of itself with its own limbs. Raw and exposed, it launched its enormous entrails at Lehesion. It was aiming to engulf him.


    These entrails caught fire as they made contact with Lehesion''s golden shield, and the gialgathen whipped his tail in classic fashion, just as he did with me. Each collision of his tail sent a shiver up my spine. These strikes mauled anything they came in contact with, the Spatial Fortress no different. As the impacts rippled out, the swings created golden shockwaves that passed through the battlefield.


    Lehesion applied they full might of his mind during this moment, aiming these shockwaves against Schema''s ships. Plasmic discharges billowed across the battlefield with each tail swipe, hundreds of fighters meeting their end. The Spatial Fortress''s eyes widened, and they gazed at Lehesion. The shackled monster put his mind against Lehesion''s, and a telepathic war erupted. Lehesion smiled as it did, the Spatial Fortress seizing up.


    Lehesion announced so all could hear him,


    "And the muzzled dog wishes to fight the chained lion? You are a mass of fused minds. I...I am eternal, a singular force without end. Meet that which is truly immortal, and bask in my aura."


    The Spatial Fortress destabilized. Its tentacles writhed out, fracturing nearby vessels. One of these swipes struck one of the gray ships of Schema''s fleet. Cracks shot across the entire structure as gravity wells went to stabilize the ship''s flight. Carnage spread like a plague. Across all fronts, blood rained down without end.


    Each side took massive losses. The classers shot out members to fight Lehesion as he waged a psionic war with the fortress. These classers struggled against the aerial superiority of the blighted ones, their wings equipped to move through space. The sentient eldritch altered their own efforts, aiming to defend Lehesion as he mentally suppressed the Spatial Fortress.


    No doubt the Adair family assisted the golden gialgathen with all their telepathic might, the both of them locked in an unseen duel. Schema''s forces rallied during this time. They organized portal assaults, letting them sidestep and outmaneuver the enemy. The personalized A.I.''s used gravitational disruption to dismantle the Adair''s coordinated forces.


    Schema even sent out dozens of Overseers from across the galaxy, gathering more of his resources as mobile artilleries. They pierced many of the Adair''s hulls with antimatter blasts. These impacts left no explosions, the ships and Hybrids disappearing into the vast void around them.


    Elysium''s hope waned as Schema mounted dominance, his army''s training showing itself.  Combine that with centuries of accruing resources, and the Adair''s hardly held on. Obolis nodded,


    "The rebels put up a far better fight than I expected. It was a good show, though it''s coming to an end."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Huh, I thought they''d do better than this. Guess I was wrong."


    As we finished speaking, Lehesion spread his wings. More portals formed behind Schema''s fleet. From these warps, blighted sea monsters poured out in droves. Riding these monstrosities, thousands of different species acted as the controlling force behind this new breed of blighted one.


    Lehesion growled, "These are the leviathans our kind drove into the depths of Giess''s vast seas. They have paid for their history of blood with their own lives, becoming vessels for our purpose. Feel their wrath and fury, along with the unknowns that ride them."


    My eyes widened before Obolis fumed, "What are leviathans?"


    I grabbed the side of my head, "They were supposed to be some species the gialgathens fought for dominance many, many years ago. I...I didn''t actually think they were still around. We never saw them in any of the documents we stole."


    Obolis''s hair stood on end, "They were hiding an operation of this magnitude from us all? I can''t understand it."


    Neither could I until I remembered the Adair''s underwater base, the one hidden beneath the sludge oceans of Giess. The Adair family showed they could organize an oceanic operation before. Thinking about it, if we stopped one base, why wouldn''t they have more? How we didn''t find data about their other activities during our raids blew my mind. Obolis shared my surprise as he turned towards those here,


    "Prepare the Nebula Drifter to warp. I still hold faith in Schema, but I''d rather we be prepared for the worst should it happen."


    Many armed albony across the space viewing room went into action. As they readied this space station to leave, the battle before us reached a boiling point. The leviathans turned the tide of battle, their frames suited for space warfare. These were like gialgathens, but instead of evolving for the sky, they evolved for the deep.


    Each leviathan had four fins and a massive tail. A thick, lead-colored shell plated everywhere outside of their joints. Their bodies swelled towards their gaping mouths, and rows of teeth lined their throats. They were like menacing, armored crab sharks. Combine that with red bioluminescent lights ingrained throughout their skin, and they were terrifying. No wonder the gialgathens left the ocean.


    These beasts flooded out with the standard augmentations that came from being blighted. Metal traced their skin and flesh. Cords pumped nanomachine laden liquid through their bodies. They even had gravitational constructs of some kind, letting them swim through space.


    This new arrival of reinforcements flipped the battle on its head. They tore into the weakened shuttles, feasting on the orichalcum. Each leviathan owned magical abilities, letting them fire torrents of boiling liquid over enemies. This caustic solution ate away at their hulls, exposing the crew to the void around them. As crew members squirmed in space, many decompressed, dispersing into the void around them. It was an ugly sight.


    In the middle of this conflict, Lehesion and the Spatial Fortress wrestled with one another. Lehesion overwhelmed the mind of the ancient eldritch, the chained monster squirming in agony. At the same time, the eldritch wrapped itself around Lehesion, attempting to consume him with its mass. The fortress''s teeth snapped into the golden gialgathen time and time again, tearing through meat and sinews. The crystallized mana shell that coated Lehesion detonated each time the eldritch sunk its teeth into him. At the same time, the colossal fortress recuperated its injuries by drawing from those nearby. A stalemate formed, each side embroiled in the bitter conflict.


    The tide tipped. A stray series of antimatter blasts distracted Lehesion, letting the Spatial Fortress wrap itself around him. Lehesion was swallowed into the monster. The gialgathen ripped and tore through the massive beast engulfing around him. Like a flood, the behemoth poured more and more flesh at its enemy, smothering Lehesion entirely.


    The golden beast let out beams of light from within the swarming entrails. The Spatial Fortress held on, continuing its onslaught. Minutes passed before the Spatial Fortress expanded around Lehesion. More and more of its body wrapped around him, and it began assimilating the Shattered God.


    Golden spots cropped up from within the eldritch. Its body gorged on the nutritious meat, becoming an unstoppable force amidst the chaos. It let out a chorus of silent laughter from its gaping maws, pure glee painted over its deformed face. It would eat the uneatable.


    And yet, a primal being interfered.


    From a plane untouched, a dimensional rift shot across all those here. Time stopped. I looked around, able to move while everyone else stood still. I tried shouting at everyone nearby. My voice was silent, the air unable to move so that sound could be heard. It was like I was apart of the battle in space so far away.


    I calmed myself down, peering back at the fight. A presence passed over the field of battle, one I was all too familiar with. It violated the fabric of space and time as it peeled itself onto this domain. The ancient, twisted monstrosity touched our dimension, and our dimension quaked. With a hollowed voice, Eonoth voice whispered to Lehesion,


    "Little one, you are never left alone in my loving grasp."


    From around him, ever-shifting, incomprehensible appendages reached out from nothing. They opened eyes, mouths, and unspeakable terrors. These hollow sights were like a thousand beings existing all at once, like some twisted being that transcended time.


    As if taking a deep breath, Eonoth murmured with a sharpened tone,


    "You have yet to give me what I wished for. May they feel my voice, and may time shatter under my echo."


    Eonoth roared. It was a voice unending, a tremor that would never be made silent. I remained unaffected, but the dimension around me was rendered into a turbulent sea. These waves washed around me, acting as a meat grinder on my frame. My entire body quaked under strain, my blood vessels and my skin erupting.


    The space around me caved in. It shook with such violence that it left me liquified into a primordial mush. I retained my consciousness, feeling as if I were out of my body. As quickly as it was stopped, our dimension was unfrozen by the primordial being. Without noticing, time marched forward once more with no one affected by the roar but me.


    As the crowd regained their awareness, I was left as a puddle on the floor, a literal pile of mush. I regenerated over the next few seconds, the party members staring at me in horror. I, I think I stared on in horror as well. Once recuperated, my mind snapped back into my head before I blinked a few times.


    Feeling sick, I lunged onto one knee. Obolis put a hand on my shoulder,


    "Are...are you alright?"


    "I...I don''t know."


    I heaved a few times, wanting to vomit. I had no idea what just happened. Despite being in a daze, I seemed to comprehend more than those around me. The aliens still stared at the battlefield, but now their glances were dumbfounded. I swallowed down my sickness, forcing myself upright and shaking off my wounds. I turned to the fight, and I, like everyone else, was left dumbfounded.


    In the distance, Schema''s chained eldritch was bulging. In some sickening, bulbous display, it had expanded to several times its previous size. It was as if many Spatial Fortresses were being shoved into the body of the one here. All of them fought for survival, yet their masses crushed one another.


    From within, a sort of dimensional implosion throttled the colossal eldritch. It was as if many timelines were collapsing onto this one entity in this one instant. Unable to exist in that hostile moment, the Spatial Fortress erupted in a massive plume of its insides. It splashed out, covering the surroundings in eldritchian blood.


    All was quiet. Our eyes stared in abject horror, the Spatial Fortress reduced to broken chunks of meat. No one understood anything. It was the kind of event that left every single soul speechless. From within the mush, a bloodstained gialgathen rose. As Lehesion spread his wings, a wave of golden light passed over the battlefield.


    He cleansed the broken fortress, the enormous blood plume turning into a bright flash. Others looked away, but I stared into the light. As it faltered, others gazed back up at the display of absolute strength. The fortress was no more, and only Lehesion remained. His wings spread wide, the beast without equal let out a mighty roar. In its wake, it rippled through time and space. Obolis''s hands shook with fear as Lehesion rose from the ashes of battle.


    The Shattered God was victorious, and Schema lost.

 272 Cracks in Confidence

    We all stared at the sight, no one able to move. I expected Lehesion to win, but in the end, Eonoth bailed him out. I didn''t even understand the attack he used or why I was liquified while no one else was. I was the toughest guy here probably, yet I was the only one turned to mush. None of it made any sense, yet it was as real as Schema''s arrival years ago.


    In that same vein, this event was a passing of a torch. Everyone felt it. Schema had dominated the galaxy for centuries. Now, these rebels took a stand against him and won by the looks of it. Because of that, everyone around me carried an intense uneasiness. Their hands shook, their mouths gaped, and their eyes widened. It was too much for many, some people breaking down on the spot.


    Most accepted the reality before them. Schema''s forces, in particular, didn''t let up for even a second. They didn''t surrender or fall back. These were hardened veterans ready for war and death alike. Schema''s fleet let out a series of attacks during the aftermath of the Spatial Fortress''s demise, and this put the Adair''s forces on the back foot.


    Lehesion would change everything, however. He turned towards them, peering with his easy arrogance. He soaked in his victory for a second, taking a deep breath from the void around him. Turning to us, Lehesion stared at the Nebula Drifter. He found us.


    Spreading his wings wide, he charged himself with energy. I shouted at Obolis,


    "Get us out of here."


    Obolis looked at his status, "It will take at least fifteen more minutes before we can warp."


    "What the hell is this thing even good for then? Looking pretty?"


    Obolis growled back, "Exploration. It was never meant for battle. This...this was supposed to be an observation."


    "Well, we''re about to all die if we don''t do something and now."


    Everyone began panicking. We were fish in a barrel with nowhere to escape to. A few individuals began pushing and fighting each other. Many laid on the floor, stricken by panic and surprise. They were simply unable to handle their reality being flipped on its head like this. I had to admit, it did kind of feel like fate just German suplexed our heads into the ground.


    I shook that feeling off. I''d gotten close to dying many times, and this was no different. I clapped my hands, the echo silencing those panicking. Behind me, Lehesion blasted himself towards us as I calmed everyone down,


    "Listen, everybody. We can''t warp everyone out of here in time. We have two porters I know that can get some of us out of here. Anyone else, volunteer and do what they do. One of the ones I know will help you guys. The other one will help me while I fend Lehesion off."


    A random alien shouted, "Have you lost your mind? Did you just see what that thing did to the Spatial Fortress? Lehesion will tear you to pieces."


    Huh, they thought Lehesion made that attack. That made a lot of sense, considering everyone was frozen in place. It seemed like I was the only one that knew what actually happened. I had to let Schema and the others know soon. Otherwise, they might all think the fortress stood no chance. Against Eonoth, sure, but Lehesion was close to becoming an endless meal.


    That would have to wait. I raised a fist, "Helios, come here."


    The stern albony crashed himself through the crowd, bumping several people to the floor. I pointed behind me, "You''ve fought this guy, and you know what we need to do against him."


    Helios grimaced under his mask, "I have dreamed of this day. You don''t need to speak another word. I will help you."


    I gestured a hand to Obolis, "Start warping people out of here. Start with children and people who can''t survive in space." I turned to everyone else,


    "Think of a way to transport people quickly. Even if this station goes down, not everyone has to die. We have to be selfless here. Come on, we''ve fought the eldritch, every last one of us. Now we need to fight off that looming sense of panic. Crush it like it were any other enemy. Once that''s gone, clear your heads, and let''s get going."


    Obolis and Helios didn''t so much as give me a parting glance as they flew into motion. The Emperor grabbed the sides of his head while murmuring, "Think Obolis. Think."


    He tapped his fists against his temples for a second before raising a hand, "Of course." He pointed at Giess while charging an elemental furnace. From it, he created a portal to the planet. He looked at the crowd, "Everyone, come. The planet isn''t getting glassed. After we''ve escaped there, we can warp somewhere safer after evacuating."


    Lines formed in seconds while Obolis created a dozen portals. I met Helios''s eye,


    "Are you ready?"


    Helios stared without fear,


    "Let us show him what we''re capable of."


    He lifted his hand, "I cannot survive space without protection. I can create a warp that will allow you to defend from outside the base. When the Nebula Drifter is ready to escape, I shall help you escape."


    I nodded, "Don''t let me down."


    Helios mouthed, "Are you ready?"


    I rolled my shoulders and grit my teeth, "Always."


    He opened a warp into the void around us, the air siphoning out from around us. I leaped through it, the portal closing behind me in a fluid shift.  Floating forward, I found myself just outside the glass viewing room. It was an awe-inspiring sight, though the panic didn''t help the view. Around me, the cold of space sunk in. It was like I dipped myself into a vat of cold water, my back especially chilled. From all angles, the void pulled me apart as well.


    It was like people with cables were trying to pull my insides out, but I held together well because of my sheer physical tenacity. I would need that toughness for what was coming. I faced the gold gialgathen, heating myself with mana. As my skin glowed, I charged my runes and saturated my blood with mana. I pulled out a vast number of mana shards, keeping them on my back and out of Lehesion''s view. Beating him was out of the question for now, but a bunch of singularities would slow him down surely.


    As he expanded in my sight, a wave of nervousness passed over me. Seeing his full potential made me feel insignificant. No, I was insignificant.  This battle taught me that. I was strong relative to my surroundings, but I was just like Lehesion - big fish in a small pond. For the first time, I jumped out into the ocean, and it showed me I still had a lot of growing left to do.


    I would need to prioritize myself more and focus less on other tasks. I resolved that to myself as Lehesion approached. Looming close, his frame traversed towards me at an unfathomable speed. I reached out a palm, trying to fend him off in case he tried ramming himself into the space station behind me.


    He didn''t.


    Lehesion slowed to a stop about a mile from me. He squinted for a moment before giving me an ominous smile. He sent out a telepathic wave to me alone,


    "Ah, the Harbinger. What are you doing here out in space? Perhaps you wished to view me in battle. Though understandable, surely you understand what I must do now that I''ve seen you? After all, your destruction of Giess''s cities did not go unnoticed by the Adair family. It was impressive, though foolish given who you''ve made enemies with."


    Lehesion told me a few things when he said all that. First, the guy could link with everyone, but it wasn''t like he knew where every individual was that he connected with. Second, Lehesion hadn''t warped here for some reason. It would''ve saved him about two minutes on the way here and back.


    As I thought about that, he gave me a smirk,


    "They''re enraged by what you''ve done."


    I pulled myself back into the conversation. This was bad, but not the worst outcome. People were escaping on the space station while we chatted away. To keep him talking, I kept on my toes in the conversation,


    "Yeah, they are mad, but you''re not. If anything, you didn''t say that like you cared at all. You chose not to warp here either. Why?"


    Lehesion blinked, confusion spreading over his face, "I chose not to warp because the portalling here left me exhausted. As for why my ire isn''t aimed at you...I don''t know why. Those you killed were my countrymen, those that follow my cause."


    The Adair family had really progressed with the whole brainwashing thing since last time,


    "Is that really your cause? I don''t think so."


    Lehesion scoffed, his cool confidence returning,


    "But of course it is. I am here to cleanse this universe of that entity from earlier. His monstrosity was strong, but I destroyed it with a single swipe of my tail once I was serious."


    His eyes, though glowing with golden energy, grew bloodshot as he spoke. Something about this conversation stressed him out quite a bit. My guess, the guy was saying one thing and thinking another. It wasn''t like he actually wanted to turn his entire species into drones. He didn''t believe he killed that fortress on his own, either.


    I kept the conversation rolling, aiming to get him thinking,


    "We both know you didn''t stop that thing on your own. If anything, you were going to die earlier."


    Lehesion gazed down at me, "And why is the giant beast gone while I remain here?"


    "Eonoth."


    Lehesion froze in place, his legs and tail shaking. He looked away while shaking his head,


    "I...No, it was I that unleashed that spatial rend. I am the one who collapsed timelines. I...I-"


    "You didn''t. Eonoth froze time, but he forgot to freeze me. If he didn''t roar then and there, you''d still be in that eldritch''s belly. You''d be a neverending meal for that monstrosity, whether you believe me or not. If anything, I think your mind is lying to you, but your body isn''t. Look at yourself. You''re shaking."


    Lehesion''s face twitched before his eyes widened. He stared down, finding his wings closing and his hands quivering. Lehesion shook his head,


    "I am not afraid. Since I was born, I''ve never once felt fear."


    I kept pressing, trying to keep him distracted as long as possible,


    "Until now."


    His fear betrayed his confidence, "I...what was it that I fought earlier?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Wait a minute, they didn''t tell you?"


    "I am put in front of beings of all kinds. It is not my role to question, only to obey their orders."


    He was being warped all over the place to help facilitate the Adair''s rebellions. I frowned at his answer, saddened by his mental fall,


    "Ah. I see. You fought a Spatial Fortress. That isn''t the only one Schema has, and he''ll send more to fight you in the future. You got lucky this time. Eonoth bailed you out. He''s an Old One, however. You can''t expect him to be there for you every time you need help. Hell, he might be feeling fickle one day and let you sit in one of those giant eldritch for a few millennia."


    Even with his shattered mind, Lehesion''s body remembered the agony of being devoured. He twitched while blinking, "I...I will be trapped forever?"


    "Well, yeah. After all, it isn''t like you can die. We both know that."


    Lehesion stared down, dwelling on what I said. He shifted in place, an unsettling reality looming over him. As he did, something in his head clicked, and clarity washed over him. It was as if he got full control of his mind back. In anger, he glared back at me, "Are you truly so different?"


    He was trying to turn the conversation onto me. That was good. I kept up the chat as I crossed my arms, "Oh, really? How?"


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed. He dropped the lie about killing the fortress on his own. The gears of his ancient mind began turning,


    "You saw Eonoth''s attack. That should be impossible. He froze time across this entire dimension. All was absolutely still besides for I alone. I know why I was allowed to move during that time. You, however? That should be impossible...unless-"


    Lehesion''s eyes widened, "You exist within a different timeline...as I do."


    It was my turn to be confused. I frowned, "Uh, I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    He gave me a sly grin, mistaking my confusion as a solid lie,


    "Don''t pretend as if you don''t comprehend my meaning. Did another Old One reincarnate you as well?"


    So, reincarnation, huh? I had no intention of getting information out of Lehesion here, but hey, if I could, why not? I peered away as if I was caught lying,


    "I...I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    Lehesion cackled before giving me a slow nod, "That is why someone so young is so able, hmm. Did they gift you with that body as well? That would explain how you''re able to sustain my blows. Given your minuscule size, you should''ve been reduced to paste."


    "Come on. You''re just big. I am not small."


    "Indeed, I am rather large in stature, but deflections aside, you must have promised the Old One something in return for your revival. I can sense there is some oath in your blood, though I cannot read it."


    I remembered my contract with Yawm. That was the only oath I was literally sworn to, but I wouldn''t have to worry about that for another thousand years. I raised my eyebrows,


    "So, you''re telling me you think I was reincarnated for a promise with an Old One?"


    "No. I know you were. There exists no other means of gaining the strength you have in such a short time. You will grow to manifest as an utter demon if you are allowed to grow."


    "Like you?"


    He peered down at me, "You will never match me, neither in might nor in mettle. I was given the time and ability to expand my horizons using two lives. You, you will not be given your second chance."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Because you''ll stop me?"


    Lehesion spread his wings, "Indeed. I allowed you to live last time because I underestimated your tenacity. This time, I shall leave nothing in my wake, not one atom of you remaining."


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I hovered myself out from in front of the Nebula Drifter, circling Lehesion,


    "Are you sure you''re able to? If I remember correctly, you needed Eonoth to save you last time you were in an actual battle."


    Lehesion shook as he seethed, "I would''ve been victorious regardless of his interference."


    "Or, you know, maybe a meal for that eldritch. I can say I''ve never needed some ruler of time and space to bail me out. I''ve done everything I''m known for all on my own. I took this armor from the hands of someone who wanted to use me to create it. I fed that armor and expanded its abilities using the cipher, knowledge I gained on my own."


    Well, outside of Eonoth and Etorhma. Lehesion didn''t need to know that, though. I kept my introduction needlessly long and dramatic to waste time,


    "I killed the Destroyer of Worlds, Yawm. I saved my homeworld while you destroyed your own. I didn''t need two lives to do it either. You were wrong earlier. I wasn''t reincarnated. I did it right the first time."


    I pointed at Lehesion, "Somehow, you managed to fuck it up both times, even with someone giving you all the advantages in the world."


    Lehesion grimaced, his teeth snarling,


    "Shut up."


    I spread out my hands, "And now your mind is so weak that even I can get you this riled up. A supposed god versus some dude who isn''t even thirty. Think about that."


    Lehesion let out a mental growl, my skin bristling at it. He roared,


    "I said, be silent."


    His voice was acid on my skin, the tone and force behind it palpable as a punch to the gut. Despite his outrage, the guy was already sentenced to kill me, so I figured getting him mad didn''t matter at this point. I waved Event Horizon over him, speaking with as much authority as I could muster.


    "No."


    Lehesion recoiled for a second, taken aback by my voice and how it boomed. I surprised myself, kind of stunned that I could muster up that much of a presence. Lehesion lifted his head, indignation saturating him,


    "You think the voice from such a limited being will evoke fear from me? Laughable. I will silence the voices of dissent in my mind. I know who and what I am. I am the end and the beginning, the ruthless and the kind. Hear my proclamation."


    He fumed, "You will not be the only one who is killed today. Your entire species will be culled, eliminated for angering me. There will be nothing left but salted earth and scorching air. The oceans of your world will evaporate under my fires. The plains will crumble under my wings. When I am finished, you and everything you cherish will be nothing."


    Oh man, I just wanted to distract the guy. I raised a hand,


    "Listen, Lehesion, we''re just talking. You don''t have to bring my home planet into this just because you''re angry."


    "And my wrath shall spread far and wide like a plague across your homeworld, wherever it may be."


    A shiver ran up my spine, but I kept myself together,


    "I saved your entire species, whether you like me or not. In exchange for doing that, you''d kill off my entire planet?  I thought you said you were ruthless and kind?"


    Even with his fractured mind, Lehesion knew I had saved the gialgathens from all becoming Hybrids. He gave me a nod, "Then instead of killing your race, I will unleash enough pain and torment onto you to rival your species''s extinction. Be ready for it."


    I raised my hands, "Come on then."


    He shot towards me, snapping his tail with absurd speed. I anchored myself with gravity and smacked my arm against his strike. The metal bones in my limb shattered, but I rebounded his first attack. Within a split second, my arm was fully healed, and Lehesion grimaced,


    "You''ve strengthened yourself since the last time we fought then?"


    "Yeah. I did."


    Lehesion coalesced his aura into his body before rearing his tail back. Smashing it towards me, I predicted the attack''s angle, creating a portal to my dimensional storage there. He pulled back, remembering this tactic from last time. I shot forwards, using my pocket dimension as a kind of bloodthirsty shield. Lehesion snapped his jaws at me, but I unloaded a singularity between us before it landed.


    There was nothing for the singularity to feed on, and it reacted differently than usual. It sucked us both in, tearing through the top portion of my left arm and shoulder along with the bottom of Lehesion''s jaw. As it imploded, we were both slung apart. My vision twirled as all sense of up and down was lost. I stopped myself from revolving, trying to spot the giant gialgathen.


    As I did, an upside-down Lehesion glared down at me, his lower jaw regenerating. Collapsing his aura into his frame, he smashed his tail at me before I got a grip on what the hell was going on. His limb snapped onto my torso, and it carved a foot deep into my chest. Stuck in there, the kinetic impact rippled out of my back, blowing my insides apart.


    Because of my gravitational anchor, I didn''t actually fly back. Lehesion grinned at my opened guts, but his smile didn''t last long. My armor laughed at him, the jagged, metal teeth menacing and monstrous. I held onto him, piercing my hands and ribs into his tail flesh. He whipped the limb about, confusion spreading over his face,


    "What is this?"


    I shot back using telepathy,


    "This is what a real monster is."


    The same fear Lehesion owned for the Spatial Fortress manifested in his chest for me. Like a growing infection, I drilled through his bones and tendons. Lehesion snarled his teeth before breathing in the vacuum around him, readying a breath of golden flame. I whipped my body around, putting his tail between me and his attack.


    Without hesitating, Lehesion unloaded one of the beams from earlier. A portal from Helios spawned in front of his mouth and towards the back of his body. The portal redirected a part of the blast, leaving a deep wound in Lehesion''s back. At the same time, his tail guarded me against the worst of the remaining blast. Despite the redirection and barrier, his beam scorched through me, singeing my skin and bones like a fire burning twigs.


    I stayed alive, however, and I still drained his essence with each passing second. I turned his flesh into my own, the shattered god becoming a buffet. His aura rippled back out of his body, knocking me off of him. It disintegrated the tendrils of my armor ingrained through his body while driving me back. Before I could reorient myself, he shot forward and clapped me with his tail.


    I braced for impact. His attack collided with me, smashing into my chest. Ribs broke, my chest caved in. Silver blood spluttered out of my mouth. I laughed with no sound as I got a grip on where I was. It turns out, without his aura enhancing his tail, Lehesion wasn''t actually all that overwhelming. All those levels from culling Giess were paying off.


    I turned myself towards the angle of his attack, reaching out with a singularity. He pulled away from the gravitational lure, sidestepping it while darting away. The hungry point yanked me towards its center before I jerked myself back. It fizzled into nothing, the first one I ever failed to properly ignite.


    Lehesion taunted,


    "You''ve developed your body since we last fought, but your magic has grown stagnant."


    I winced at his words because the giant frog dragon was right. I was prioritizing a lot of different tasks right now, and my splintered approach led towards fewer gains in my own development. Those haunting thoughts cropped up with memories of the elemental furnace along with saving the gialgathens. Pride bloomed in my chest.


    Even if I hadn''t gained personal power, I''d helped people. That was worth it in the end.


    It did make this fight a bit harder, though. Lehesion closed the gap and swiped at me once more. I slapped his tail aside, the gialgathen no longer able to bully me with his physical might. Without his aura helping him out, I could clobber him on contact. He shot out a dozen tail swipes over the next second, and I kept pace by deflecting with my arms, elbows, and knees.


    I saturated myself with quintessence, my skin glowing a bright white. Lehesion burned himself each time he attacked me, and I gained some ground. I pushed the legendary figure back, his attacks unable to stop me. Even if he believed himself holy, that didn''t make it so. I could win this. I growled back to him in my mind,


    "And you never once learned to fight against someone on equal footing, did you? You just relied on your natural talent to keep you afloat."


    He sliced his tail while biting with his jaws. I grabbed his limb, two of my fingers breaking while I established a firm grip with the other three. At the same time, I pulled him to me while smashing his face with my fist. His teeth cracked along with a bone in his jaw. My body infested his as I made contact, ripping more chunks out of his face.


    I taunted right back, "Look how that worked out."


    Mana filled Lehesion, and crystallized mana appeared over his skin. These scales formed under my hand that grabbed his tail. These mana plates exploded outward, leaving my left arm in tatters while he got distance from me. My arm regenerated while I pulled myself to him. He was faster than I was, however.


    With a gap between us established, Lehesion charged another attack. I bit my tongue at the sight. I got him angry earlier, and that made him run at me. In a physical confrontation, I was his equal, maybe even his better. However, once Lehesion began using his large scale spells, I couldn''t keep up at all. Knowing all that, I bolted towards him as fast as I could, trying to interrupt his casting.


    I didn''t make it in time. Lehesion created many emerald serpents, each forming over his head. These aetherial beings slithered through space before eyeing me. I neared him before one of the snakes bit at me. I pulled myself with gravitation, evading the first, second, and third strikes of the serpents. The bites after that sliced into my arms and legs, their fangs injecting caustic venom.


    I pulled at them, but the serpents were strong. They jerked at all angles, stopping me from escaping before Lehesion breathed deeply. My mind raced for a solution before I tried something new. Instead of trying to outdo the apparitions, I tried eating them. Just as I ate lightning, I reached at them with my armor. The snakes writhed in pain before the one restraining my right arm released me.


    New skill unlocked! Energy Siphon(lvl 10) - You''ve learned to drain many things, and now energy is one of them.


    As Lehesion unleashed his golden beam, I pulled my arm in front of my face. Several of Helios''s portals spawned at once, each trying to buy me time. Lehesion blasted into them, sustaining through his own blast. The edges of the warps cracked, but they bought me a few seconds.


    I wracked my brain for a solution. Thinking of Helios''s tactics, I used my dimensional storage as a shield, trying to block the ray of energy. Helios''s portals shattered, Lehesion''s beam firing at me right after. My shield actually absorbed the light coming at my face, right shoulder, and some of my torso.


    The rest of me disintegrated.


    Not all of that was from Lehesion''s attack. Every ounce of energy I stored in the shield cost me mana. Spending mana meant spending health, so I still took a massive amount of damage even when blocking the attack. I contained the blast from outright killing me, however, and that was all I needed.


    Lehesion''s blast stopped, and he inspected the damage done. With only a piece of my upper half left, I willed the ray of light I absorbed from Lehesion to fire back out. In a flash, I shot out the beam at his head. He jerked his neck sideways, avoiding the blast. Using the rest of the stored energy, I cleaved his torso in half.


    He roared in agony, his serpents dissipating as he lost focus. I stared back at my dimensional shield as my legs regenerated, kind of surprised by how damn useful this thing was turning out to be. In the corner of my eye, I saw two new skills as well.


    Unknown skill gained! 500 tree points awarded for pioneering a new skill! Dimensional Shield(lvl 10) - By breaking the laws of physics, you trade your life to nullify incoming attacks.


    Unknown skill gained! 500 tree points awarded for pioneering a new skill! Dimensional Reversal(lvl 10) - After placing an opponent''s attacks in stasis, you''ve learned to wield their own fangs against them.


    They were the kind of skills I really needed, and they gave me a method of countering Lehesion''s massive attacks. The gialgathen gawked at me with utter surprise as he telepathically spoke,


    "You''ve been hiding tricks up your sleeve, haven''t you?"


    Of course I wasn''t. Risking my life for the surprise factor wasn''t actually something I wanted to do. I got these skills out of desperation. Having Lehesion think I was stronger than I was would help me out right now, however. I grinned,


    "I''m sure you have a few tricks up your sleeve as well."


    Lehesion frowned, "Allow me to show them to you by enacting your death."


    I pointed at the battle raging on behind him, "You sure about that? What about them?"


    Lehesion turned, spotting the Adair''s fleet. His eyes widened as he saw many of their forces facing destruction. Even with the Spatial Fortress destroyed, it wasn''t as if Schema was helpless. Using his personalized A.I.''s, Schema organized his unit''s attacks around his main fleet. By using his vessels to peel back layer after layer of the Adair''s offensive, Schema gained ground.


    On the other hand, the Adair''s fleet lacked the same training and systematic approach. They were a larger but more divided force. This left many of their sentient eldritch and wilder Hybrids as easy pickings for group tactics. Combine that with Lehesion''s glaring absence, and the rebel''s victory was quickly turning into a defeat. Lehesion grimaced at the sight before glaring back to me,


    "The next time we fight, I will muster every ounce of my power against you."


    I pounded my fists together, "Anytime then. Go on, save your new owners."


    Lehesion narrowed his eyes before staring back up at the Nebula Drifter. He grinned with an ominous joy in his eyes,


    "Ah, that is the vessel you arrived from, is it not?"


    I scowled, "You''d bring normal people into this?"


    The thought passed in Lehesion''s mind, and he considered it for a second. He shook his head and frowned, "No. I wouldn''t. I have yet to sink so low."


    Impressed by the guy, I raised a hand, "Then we can keep fighting, or you can go back. It''s up to you."


    Lehesion looked down, indecision spreading over him. That indecisiveness died as a foreign force overtook him. A series of convulsions robbed him of his self-control as his eyes dilated. The Adair''s wrestled complete dominance of him once more, and without warning, he began charging a beam. Lehesion blasted at the Nebula Drifter as I reached out with a singularity at the center of his chest. It siphoned his body inward, deforming his frame.


    The damage was already done, however.


    His blast passed through the Nebula Drifter, disintegrating the mental and glass at an atomic level. Not even a trace of debris remained from the shuttle, the entire vessel consumed by his strike. My stomach sank as I roared at the golden monster. The Gialgathen regenerated before smirking at me, his pupils dilated. Tohtella''s cold voice rang in my ears,


    "You''ve wasted enough of Lehesion''s time. Because of you, we''ve lost many lives."


    Unlike Lehesion, Tohtella didn''t even try to fight me. Using Lehesion''s body as a vessel, she darted away from me, taunting all the while,


    "From what I''ve seen, you cannot be killed. You and Lehesion are alike in that way. Since you cannot be controlled either, we will use other means of dispatching you. The first of which involves eradicating your will to live rather than your life itself. Look forward to it."


    A portal appeared behind Lehesion, and the gialgathen darted into it. It closed behind him while I lashed out where he was in frustration. One second of control and that piece of shit just destroyed everyone. I grabbed the sides of my helmet, squeezing so hard I left finger imprints in my helm.


    Flashes of Althea passed through my mind, along with all the memories we shared together. I remember getting her to control her eldritch half, and when we used to cook together and go on dates. I should''ve cherished those times more. I remembered Torix and all the lessons he gave me, along with his snappy retorts. He was kind of an asshole when we first met, but the guy was like a father to me now. I wanted to make him proud.


    Kessiah, Hod, Florence, even Obolis, they might all be dead along with everyone else. My heart pounded in my chest like a jackhammer as something like a panic attack came over me. Before I let myself go entirely to the panic, I remembered Althea''s restorative abilities. She could regenerate from anything after thirty seconds as long as she wasn''t still taking damage.


    With every ounce of my strength, I shot myself towards where the Nebula Drifter once was. As I arrived, I peered around, struggling to find Althea in the vast void of space. She would be the smallest inkling of color in this empty place, but I should''ve been able to find it. As the seconds turned to minutes, you''d think my dread would grow.


    It actually disappeared.


    She would survive that kind of attack, so if she wasn''t here, she wasn''t vaporized in the first place. Verifying my thoughts, a message from Obolis cropped up.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets(lvl 23,987 | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire) - Send me your coordinates.


    I replied that I was right where the Nebula Drifter once was. A few seconds later, a warm breeze blew from above me. Someone created warp that let out air, so I went to it, finding and diving through the portal. My feet dragged across dirt as Helios closed the opening behind me. Surrounded by my guildsmen and a forest clearing, I took a deep breath of fresh air.


    "Man, it''s good to see you guys."


    Althea ran up to hug me, so I warmed my skin a bit. It was cold from space, and I didn''t want her skin to peel off on me. As she hugged me, I held her too. Even though it was just for a second, I thought I''d lost her. Torix put a hand on my shoulder from behind, his skeletal hand squeezing hard,


    "It''s good to see that while you might not be his equal, you are at the very least a suitable distraction. Well done."


    I scoffed, "Eh, I do my best."


    A nervous chuckle ran through the crowd around us. It looked like most people escaped from the vessel before Lehesion blew it away. Along the outskirts of the group, Obolis paced back and forth, his mind thinking of hundreds of different possibilities. Helios stared in the distance, trying not to hurl. Wrath skulked in the surrounding woods, culling a few wild eldritch to keep these high society people safe.


    I turned to those here, "Is anyone missing from my guild?"


    Hod, Kessiah, Torix, Althea, and I were here. They gave me a few congratulations on my fight, everyone counting it as a win. It was a victory in some respects, but it showed a glaring weakness I needed to address. I could stop Lehesion if he chose to fight me, but restraining the guy was outside my power. That much was impossible for me.


    They would find Earth, and when they did, Lehesion would ravage its surface until no life remained. Combine that with the fact the Adair family was after our heads, and we had a lot on our plate. Before thinking about it further, I gave Althea a squeeze to clear my mind. With that moment of respite, I was ready to talk.


    I gave a light shout,


    "Everyone, we need to talk in private. Let''s get these guys out of here before we have another meeting."


    Helios sighed before waving his shoulders. The guy''s shoulders and chest were slumped, so I reached out a hand,


    "Hey, you alright."


    He pushed my hand away, "Of course. I''m fine."


    Torix mouthed, "The portals shattering takes its toll on the caster''s body. Even one as gifted as Helios would be feeling the side effects."


    "Ah, that makes sense."


    Despite that sickness, Helios got all of Obolis''s guests out of here, along with most of his crew. Not all, however. Some perished in the wake of Lehesion''s blast, and that solemn air permeated all the crew members. The high society folk were far less effected, probably because they were prioritized during the evacuation. They hadn''t suffered yet, but the crew already lost friends and loved ones. That made it more real.


    It was a wild situation either way, so I couldn''t blame people for not knowing how to handle it. Reactions ranged from sheer shock to unbridled fear. A few were impressed by me. Others were disappointed. I could never make everyone happy, and I had long ago accepted that. Regardless of what I did, someone would complain, so I took their opinions with a grain of salt.


    Once they were gone, a few core members of our guilds were left. We gathered around into a circle. We needed to discuss Lehesion''s reincarnation, my liquification, and even the rebel''s flawed victory. We had to get to the bottom of it all and fast since the clock was ticking before the Adair''s found Earth. Once they did, I would lose another home along with everything I''d worked hard to build.


    And that didn''t even include the collapse of Schema''s society.


    Man, we had a lot to talk about.

 273 New Paths Opened

    <div>


    <div>


    I got everyone''s attention before announcing,


    "Lehesion was reincarnated from an alternate timeline, and Eonoth, a really loud Old One, was what actually killed the Spatial Fortress, not Lehesion."


    Our factions burst into a fervent discussion, everyone reacting at my immediate announcement with shock, awe, and dread.


    Obolis winced, "I didn''t want to discover the Old One''s identity like this."


    Helios facepalmed, "Of course. Reincarnated. That''s great. Just great."


    Torix cupped his chin, "By Schema, I don''t know whether to be deterred or emboldened. Knowing Lehesion''s limits aren''t as endless as I imagined is one thing, but knowing we are armed against an Old One is another thing altogether."


    I nodded at them all, agreeing with pretty much everybody,


    "Yeah, it''s a lot to take in. I say we separate this discussion into three topics. The most important is the fallout from Schema''s loss. After that, we''ll talk about what to do going forward before I listen to ideas. So, uh, starting off the whole Schema losing thing, I, for one, think a lot more planets are going to join the rebels now that people know Elysium can win."


    Althea frowned, "Yeah, I think so too. They have a system and everything, and they can stop Spatial Fortresses. Those were the aces up Schema''s sleeve, and the rebels just stole those cards away."


    Torix raised a finger, "Dutifully put. I believe this indicates a societal insurrection, a kind of paradigm shift if you will. It was as if Schema''s reputation kept him immune from criticism or doubt. Now that a rival faction has formed, one that is competitive at that, we shall see many more voices join in the discussions against him."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "It is easy to criticize something that you don''t understand. None of us can comprehend what enables the system to operate, and we could hardly comprehend its scale."


    Torix gestured to me, "Not so. Daniel, why don''t you share your theory?"


    I pointed at myself, "What, me?"


    "Indeed."


    I coughed into a hand, "Ahem, well...I have been working with runes for a long time. I know that I can change my own self by simply putting runes on me and channeling mana through them. By that line of logic, Schema might have a stockpile of runes for every individual. As they gain experience, he channels mana into those runes and alters them to make the person stronger."


    I raised a hand, "If that''s how it''s done, then anyone with that level of runic knowledge and mana could technically do it themselves. Hell, I could have a little system in place for myself eventually. This is all just an educated guess, though. Don''t quote me on any of this."


    The imperials present stayed silent for a moment. Obolis narrowed his eyes at me, "You...you''re far more intelligent than you let on."


    I shook my head, "Trust me, I''m not. I''ve been working with a guy on making golems, and I am terrible at it. Like, absolutely awful."


    Helios oozed skepticism, "We''ll see if Ophelia will vouch for your claims when she''s finished working with you. Personal assessments aside, does anyone here know what we can do now that Giess will remain?"


    Torix raised a hand, getting everyone''s attention, "I hypothesized both outcomes and created lists of likely scenarios. Due to this exercise, I believe I know a few of the implications that shall incur because of this event. The first is, as Daniel mentioned, a rise in the rebellion''s scope. This is by no means a small event. It is an enormous, historical undertaking."


    Torix pulled out his grimoire, flipping the pages. Channeling a blot of mana into the booklet, he cast a complicated spell for generating visual holograms. He pointed at a planetary model of Giess,


    "This is Giess, as you all know. Silvers and their territory smother its surface, and the eldritchian rifts are spreading as we speak. Due to this planet being secure now, they shall no doubt use this place as a staging platform for further production of Hybrids, radioactive eldritch, and feeding grounds."


    Florence scratched the back of his head, "Feeding grounds?"


    "Precisely. The silvers are the second half of a Hybrid. They are nigh exclusive to Giess, though innumerable in number. Because of this, they are a primary resource for the rebellion''s success. By securing Giess, they''ve secured their production of silvers and, therefore, Hybrids as well. This was why they fought tooth and nail to retain their ownership of this world."


    Our view of the planetary hologram became closer, showing a few common silvers like the saysha beetles. Torix waved a hand,


    "Giess is also an enormous reservoir of mana waste, the primary fuel that silvers feast upon. It acts as the base of their food chain, and outside of pumping it into space, it is nearly impossible to get rid of. They shall create breeding grounds in mass near rifts on Giess, and this shall promote the rapid resupply of their army."


    Obolis frowned, "Wouldn''t they be overwhelmed by the sheer number of created Hybrids? They need psionics to control them, after all."


    Torix pressed two fingers together, accentuating his point,


    "They will simply keep as many soldiers as they currently have and use the others as a backup source. Every remotely close battle shall be a victory for them. After all, their production of those monsters is far easier than Schema''s production of trained warriors."


    I grimaced, "Yeah, it isn''t like Schema''s ultra-efficient at creating people who get past level 5,000. If anything, he''s very stingy with his resources, even when people showcase some serious talent. Elysium isn''t losing any psionics in their battles for the most part either. They''re using cannon fodder to get rid of elites. Smart."


    Torix shook his head, "Sadly, I could not agree more. The rebel''s plans likely involve dispersing Schema''s forces across many planets, whittling down his resources with an endless Hybrid army, then taking galactic dominance from the A.I. one planet at a time."


    Torix''s hologram disappeared, "Though this is quite simply conjectured, I do fear this is the most likely possibility."


    Helios raised an eyebrow, "And how do you understand their plans so thoroughly?"


    Torix shrugged, "It is simply how I would go about doing it given their resources. Tohtella has displayed a high relative competence, her ruthlessness exceeding even my own. She implements tactics similar to my own necromantic practices as well. Because of these factors, I say we should move forward with the assumption this is their plan."


    I pointed at our resident lich, "Damn fine work. This gives us a foundation to move off of."


    Torix cackled at the compliment before saying, "It was my pleasure."


    The group took a second to think about what Torix said, and I joined them. Torix really broke everything down in a way that made a lot of sense, and that made everything much easier to understand for me. I mean, I was getting kind of overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the situation. Torix brushed aside all the white noise and useless chatter, diving straight to the heart of the issue. It really helped us out.


    Even knowing all that, it didn''t spell out what we needed to do. We could try raiding Elysium''s encampments on Giess, but it wasn''t like they were easy to find or hard to make. All they needed was a rift in silver territory. Boom. Now they could make a ton of Hybrids with ease.


    We needed to make a better plan going forward.


    Interrupting my thoughts, Obolis made a fist as he read his status. I raised my eyebrows, "You seem pretty excited about that breakdown of the rebellion, which was pretty dire. What gives?"


    Obolis smiled, showing sharp teeth, "I received excellent news. The ahcorus are still going forward with the deal we made earlier."


    I blinked, "They still want to do that? I thought they''d bail after seeing the extent of the rebel''s powers."


    Obolis leaned back, "According to Wrath, their reasoning is simple - the rebels allied with sentient eldritch. Plazia-Ruhl is one of the worst examples of a sentient eldritch let free. Centuries of terror have made the ahcorus hellbent on killing the creature."


    Obolis chuckled before grinning, "Seeing the rebels ally with eldritch similar in stature to Plazia made the ahcorus despise the rebels even more."


    Obolis frowned, "They also mentioned that Plazia neglected to join the rebels, though he was no doubt offered a deal to do so. I find it strange as well, considering his precarious position in Schema''s universe. Elysium seems like a far less hostile environment."


    I leaned down, "Hmm, maybe Plazia has a good reason why? We might be able to get some useful intel off of him about the rebels while we''re taking him out. I mean, Plazia''s bound to be a smart guy, and if he''s anything like Baldag-Ruhl, he''ll know a lot about runes."


    Helios furrowed his brow, "You''re telling me you''ve seen a different Ruhl already?"


    I spread out my hands, "Uh, yeah. It was the first rift keeper I ever killed. They tried to turn my soul into the armor I''m wearing-" I tapped one of my shoulder plates, "As you can tell, I kind of turned that against him."


    Helios massaged his temples while Obolis tried to speak without insinuating I was an idiot,


    "Daniel. Don''t you think that tidbit of information might''ve served you well when negotiating with Wrath?"


    I rolled my eyes, "That eldritch wasn''t even level 200."


    Obolis sighed before gesturing a palm to me, his patience growing thin,


    "I forget at times that you aren''t aware of the system''s customs. Despite your position, you''ve not even been a part of this new world for a decade. This is a time when that ignorance showcases itself."


    Torix simmered, "I''m centuries old, and I know nothing of what you speak of. Perhaps your expectations are what is lacking, not our experience?"


    Torix glared at me, his fire eyes turning purple, "And neither have I heard of this sudden shift in plans. Perhaps you could find the time to explain?"


    I pulled out my new elemental furnace, "I got this and other treasure to take out Plazia instead of clearing out Blegara."


    Torix''s eyes shifted back to blue, "Oh...perhaps you could discuss with us before shifting the direction of our guild next time?"


    I frowned, "I respect you all and your opinions. Sometimes, I''ll need to be able to make decisions for the guild on the spot. Otherwise, I''ll get caught up in constant meetings like this one. Not to say this isn''t productive, but I''m getting tired of constantly having to host them."


    Torix stared down, "Perhaps you''re right." Torix pointed at Obolis, "That hasn''t cleared up your accusation of ignorance at us. Your information is obviously less available than you might imagine."


    Torix wasn''t one to take accusations of ignorance lightly. He was our chief educator so that responsibility fell to him. If anything, the guy might be making a new program about everyday kinds of eldritch as we spoke.


    Obolis smiled with a knowing grin,


    "Yes, maybe. Allow me to enlighten you all then. The Ruhl''s are a specific variant of eldritch hivemind. They are highly volatile and dangerous, often requiring far more resources to slay than you''d first estimate. Because of this inherent danger and their vast intelligence, they are recognized as critical threats to Schema."


    Obolis pointed up at the sky, "A Ruhl calculates his odds given the situation, and this leads to their long lifespans. Their manifestation in a dungeon often leads to the eldritchification of a planet thereafter. Combine that with their insatiable desire to learn, and they are fierce, whether level one or level one hundred thousand. Some even believe that the most ancient of Ruhls become Old Ones."


    I frowned, "So are there a bunch of different kinds and categories of eldritch? I thought they were all just random."


    Helios rolled a hand, "They have their own kinds and species, obviously. Obolis''s point, however, is that any experience against them is a potent tool to leverage in a negotiation. You should''ve abused the tools at your disposal to the fullest to maximize your advantage."


    I looked back and forth, "You guys of all people should know that I''m not about gouging other people."


    Obolis raised an eyebrow, "What about when Wrath and I were discussing our deal earlier? You set the conversation up in such a way that you received an elemental furnace before accomplishing anything for either of us. That seemed rather methodical and planned if you were to ask me."


    Torix scoffed, "I know little of this deal, but I understand the contribution our guild has given you already. We''ve assisted in clearing Blegara, and we have every intention of continuing to do so. Daniel is simply asking for a specific advance on our reward before we finish the job. That isn''t gouging in any understanding of the word. It''s ensuring we, as a guild, aren''t taken advantage of."


    Obolis nodded, "Hmm, I suppose that could be that case."


    Torix turned to those here, "And that is precisely why I''m wondering what you''ve agreed to exactly, Daniel."


    I leaned back onto my hands, "It''s about what I said earlier. I agreed to get a bunch of treasure from Obolis in exchange for helping Wrath out with her Plazia problem."


    Torix''s blue eyes turned green, "Why would Obolis do that?"


    "He wanted the ahcorus to clear out his planets. They''re faster than us at cleaning up Hybrids, so we all won out in the deal-" I spun the black jade in a finger,


    "Especially us. I can use this for a lot of different things to help the guild."


    Helios let out a cynical laugh before shaking his head, "Do you believe that using one is so simple?"


    I shook my head, "It doesn''t matter if I can use it or not. The runes are the most valuable part of this since I can understand them."


    Torix raised a hand, jumping to my defense, "Another aspect my disciple neglected to mention is his mastery of mana. He can wield huge volumes of mana already, even without the furnace. I''d imagine the furnace is usually impeded by one''s ability to control mana on a mass scale. Otherwise, everyone would be using one of the devices."


    Torix eyed the Emperor, "At the absolute least, you''d utilize more of them if that were the case. Given those factors, they must be dangerous as well."


    Obolis nodded, "Indeed, they are. Using one requires the management of meager drops and unwieldy flows of mana all at once. By funneling a slither of mana into the device, you may generate an enormous amount of energy from even the air around you. It''s volatile given it relies on nuclear fission, however. One misstep-"


    Obolis snapped his fingers, "And a city''s worth of land is ruined, along with the furnace and the user."


    I smiled, "Eh, I should be fine with a bit of practice."


    Helios leaned towards me, "Do you believe you still have the subtlety required? Many mages that expand their mana pools lose the ability to work with smaller volumes of mana. Given your enormous reserves, perhaps you''re suffering from this and don''t even know it?"


    I shook my head, "I''m very precise with my mana. I''m more worried about the fallout from the furnace, but even that won''t be the end of the world. I can just eat the radiation."


    My guild gave me a few nods and pats on the back for that idea. The imperials present gawked at me as if I was losing my mind. Kessiah leaned back, holding her head up with her arms,


    "Don''t worry, guys. You''ll get used to Daniel doing crazy stuff once you''re around him long enough."


    Obolis shook his head, "Perhaps your approach will serve you better than those before you. You understand yourself and your limits better than we do, as shown before. We must move on, however. There are other details left for us to discuss."


    He turned to me, "Are you still willing to follow through with our deal with Wrath?"


    I looked down, thinking about it. The first factor was the reward. I''d have to return my furnace if I didn''t follow through with the plan. Abusing this little gemstone would result in some severe gains I could use against Lehesion next time we met. I also needed personal, applicable power, and this would help me do that.


    On the other hand, priorities at home were reaching their boiling points. Earth didn''t even have six months left before other guilds could rush in and grab up territories. My new golem projects would be resulting in a massive expansion with Ophelia and Diesel''s help, letting me expand guild operations rapidly. I could focus less on helping other guilds and more on improving my own.


    I wrestled with all these ideas, some of my guildsmen noticing. Althea placed a hand on mine, and she peered up at me. I met her eye as she said,


    "Hey, stop worrying so much. You''re the only one that''s stopped Lehesion so far. If you can beat him down, then everything else kind of falls in place, right?"


    I dwelled on what she said. If I could stop Lehesion, then the Adair family would struggle to invade Earth. That much was certain. I could tear their fleets to pieces with an elemental furnace fueling my singularities. Hell, I could even weave the elemental furnace formula into my golems, making them walking death machines.


    The more I thought about it, the more Althea was right. Even if I took a large section of Earth over, it wasn''t like I could defend it. Lehesion could show up and burn it to the ground in a few minutes. Until I could guarantee my guild''s safety from him and Elysium, there was no point in expanding further outside of a few nearby territories.


    For now, prioritizing my own personal strength was an absolute necessity, whether I liked it or not.


    I met Obolis''s eye, "I''m still in."


    Obolis let out a nervous breath, "Here I believed you''d changed your mind, given the circumstances."


    I tilted my head to Althea, "Thank her. She''s the one that convinced me."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Obolis gave her a grin, "Thank you for your wisdom."


    Althea sat straighter while Helios leaned onto one of his hands and bit his tongue. Poor guy would never live what he did down. It wasn''t my problem as I rolled my shoulders,


    "Alright then. Over the next week or two, my guild will continue helping on Blegara while getting ready to travel to the ahcorus''s homeworld. Obolis, I''ll need to meet with you regularly to have lessons on this elemental furnace. I must learn it soon."


    Obolis raised a palm, "I simply don''t have the time to help you. Helios, on the other hand, is under your wing and understands elemental furnaces well. He should be a fine tutor for the skills required."


    Helios looked for any kind of redemption to his past mistakes as he bowed to Obolis, "Of course. I shall assist the Harbinger in whatever way I am able."


    Obolis put a hand on his nephew''s shoulder, "Thank you. Ophelia''s assisting Daniel with his golem project as well from what I''ve heard. She can teach him much about primordial mana if he listens to her."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "I will."


    The Emperor scoffed, "She''s spoiled but talented. As long as you callous your mind before speaking with her, then she won''t be a matter of contention."


    I tapped the side of my head, "It won''t be a problem."


    Obolis opened a portal, leading to a treasure vault of some sort,


    "I will leave you all with this discussion''s implications. I''m needed at my war council soon, so I must leave you all to your devices. Goodbye."


    I waved, "Cya."


    Obolis left, leaving a few others remaining here. I stared at Kessiah, Torix, Hod, Althea, Florence, and Helios,


    "Let''s go back to Mt. Verner. We need as many perspectives as we can get, including Krog, Chrona, and Amara''s. They might be able to tell us something new."


    The others gave me a few nods of approval before Helios wobbled up. He gulped down vomit before generating another portal to Mt. Verner. I walked up to the guy, grabbing his shoulder to hold him upright. Using a bit of mana, I saturated an antigravity panel over him,


    "This enchantment will last another hour or so. Get to your room and rest. You''ve earned it."


    With his steps less wobbly, Helios worked his way to his bed without a word. Everyone else walked through his portal before Helios let it disintegrate. With Torix''s help, I got everyone together later that day after Helios had his nap, and we had time to think. Everyone from our guild was there from earlier with the inclusion of Chrona, Krog, and Amara.


    We rested in a cleared out courtyard, right below where Chrona called home. She carved her resting place into a cliffside, creating an overhang of stone that she slept under. To the left of that shaded space, a flat area was there for sunbathing. Below it, another flat area spread out, large enough for several gialgathens to mingle. We all sat in a circle there with the forest cleared nearby, letting us view the mountains and rolling hills around Mt. Verner.


    Torix already broke down our discussion from earlier, along with a summary of what occurred during the glassing of Giess. Armed with that knowledge and a new perspective, Amara, Krog, and Chrona sat in front of me. I got everyone''s attention,


    "Everyone, this will be the last meeting we''re doing about this. I''m tired of talking, and I want to get started doing. We all agree there, right?"


    I got their acclaim before turning to Chrona and Krog,


    "You guys know Lehesion better than any of us. What do you both think about his reincarnation? Any insights?"


    They stared at me, both seeming whiplashed and angry at the same time. Chrona spoke up first,


    "Having been reincarnated would explain much of his past. He was the most gifted of all of us, granted an absurd base of knowledge and experience we all lacked. Lehesion would often be considered precognizant during his earlier years, though that reputation faded."


    Krog grit his fangs, "He merely recited what he''d already known to be true. As he aged, he shaped history in his image, and knowing less of the world''s events thereafter, he could no longer speak of the future with precision. He conned us all."


    Chrona gazed down, "He is unkillable as we imagined if the Old Ones are as strong as you say, however. I don''t know what we can do to stop him, either. His master seems to rule time, and I of all people know how absurd that ability can be."


    Chrona''s temporal dilation was a nasty ability. I turned a hand to her, "That''s why I wanted you here to talk with us. Lehesion mentioned collapsing timelines. Any ideas about what that means?"


    Chrona stared up, letting her mind wander,


    "Time is a fluid thing, much like a stream. It can be slowed and sped up if one knows how to manipulate it. Unlike a stream, it cannot be stopped, however. That is the part of Eonoth''s attack that I cannot understand."


    Torix leaned forward, "What about that is so confusing? We''ve mentioned that Old Ones break all the rules we know of. They exist without limits."


    Krog shook his head, "This is simply not true. Otherwise, they would dictate our reality without limit. They seem to act within an enigmatic set of rules, though those rules are undefined as of yet."


    That was a good point. Chrona turned towards us, making eye contact, "That is precisely what I''ve noticed as well. Lehesion exchanged his new body for some kind of goal. Learning that goal may help us untangle Eonoth''s grip on him."


    I tapped my chin with my thumb knuckle, "What about the time-freezing thing? You mentioned that it is impossible. Why?"


    Chrona sighed,


    "I''ve tried it and failed many times. The issue is that we all exist within time itself. We cannot manipulate time that is relevant to us without freezing ourselves in the process. Anyone that does succeed will simply burn through their mana reserves until they are at the brink of death. Time will then unfreeze, leaving them without any mana whatsoever. This means nothing is accomplished."


    I waved a hand, "Couldn''t you just freeze time somewhere that isn''t where you are?"


    Chrona shook her head, "To do so would be nearly impossible. Even with decades of experience, I cannot do more than rule over the space around me. This is because time is tied to our perception. Without that perception guiding the magic, you cannot shift time with any accuracy."


    Krog grinned, "Chrona has tried many times. She would often lose any coherence, creating wobbling spaces where time sped up and slowed down. It simply burned through her mana, and she would be left defenseless."


    Chrona frowned at Krog, "Yes. That is why I tie my time manipulation to the spaces I inhabit. That is also why freezing time never works for those locked within it."


    Hod spoke up, "So Hod think solution simple."


    Everybody looked at Hod, expecting something Hod-ish. He spread his winged arms,


    "Mage want freeze time, then mage just not be in time."


    Torix crossed his arms, "Ah, as always, very helpful. Existing outside of time is easier said than done."


    My eyes widened, "That''s why I heard Eonoth''s roar. I''m not in this timeline. Lehesion was right about that."


    Everyone turned to me as I grabbed the sides of my head, ruffling my hair,


    "Holy shit. I''m a dimension. I have my own timeline. That''s why Eonoth couldn''t freeze me. Duh."


    Chrona whipped her tail behind her, "That is why my temporal dilation has no effect on you as well. Why does this surprise you?"


    I spread out my hands, "Well, the thing is, I turned into a puddle when Eonoth shouted."


    Chrona tilted her head, "You were liquified?"


    "Yeah, I ended up turning into a pile of mush. It might be that I was the only one who could hear Eonoth roar, but maybe not. Either way, I ended up a pile of jelly."


    Chrona furrowed her brow, "Eonoth collapsed timelines according to Lehesion. That means he used some kind of mass temporal coalescence. He smashed timelines together. According to what Torix told us, this let out a ripple across space-time, right?"


    Torix gave her a nod, "Precisely."


    Chrona looked at everyone, "Perhaps we were unaffected by that wave because we exist on this timeline. You, Daniel, do not. If that were so, you are surrounded by a dimension far larger than your own. The surrounding dimension might have distorted to such an extent that it smashed you into pulp when the wave passed around you."


    I cupped my chin, "Ah. That makes a lot of sense. Eonoth''s wave messed with space, which I''m surrounded by. That ripple passed around me like a meatgrinder from all sides."


    I stared at my hands, "Man, this whole being a dimension thing is more thorough than I first thought. If that''s the case, that might be why I couldn''t do the temporal dilation you tried teaching me before."


    Chrona''s tail moved back and forth behind her,


    "How so?"


    "Well, I was trying to bend the dimension around me instead of my own dimension. For you, you''re a part of this dimension, so it''s not as strange. For me, it''s like trying to shift an immovable, massive thing around me."


    Torix raised a finger, "Ah, perhaps temporal dilation wouldn''t be as difficult as you first envisioned then."


    I shook my head, "No, it won''t be. In fact, there are all kinds of magic I''m probably not taking advantage of just because I''m tackling the techniques from the wrong angle. I mean, my pocket dimension can be used as a shield, for instance. I never thought to do that because I keep thinking of myself as Daniel, the guy."


    I gripped my hands into fists, "The thing is, I''m not human anymore. I''m a literal dimension, and I need to start thinking of myself as one. I should be able to manipulate all kinds of universal rules and constants that apply to me. Hell, that''s probably why shifting gravity is so easy."


    Torix pointed at me, "You''re shifting something that is part of you instead of shifting something external. That gives you a better measure of control."


    I pointed at Torix, "Yeah, exactly."


    I peered down, thinking more about the implications. I always thought of the whole being a dimension thing as just something Schema made up, like me being the Harbinger of Cataclysm. Either that or being a dimension was something airy, not something grounded that I could work off of. Apparently, that wasn''t the case at all.


    My talent with runes might stem from being a dimension. My gravitational abilities and natural way of generating matter might be the same. If that was the case, time and other mechanics of the universe should come to me naturally as well. I just needed to focus on shifting my time instead of the universe''s time around me.


    And that realization was just the tip of the iceberg.


    I grimaced at my own blindness. How I went this long without realizing any of this was a miracle. I gave my head a few hard taps while wincing,


    "Gah, I''m an idiot."


    Althea grabbed my arm, "Hey, don''t do that. If not for you, then don''t do that for me."


    I sighed, "Alright."


    She gave me a hard shove, "Hey, stop being so hard on yourself. You''re the first living dimension, right? That means you have to learn everything on your own. That''s hard to do. Look at me-"


    She put a hand on her chest, "I couldn''t control my eldritch half at all. I''d turn into a giant pile of shifting meat every time I wasn''t sedated. No one thinks about that, but I couldn''t have regained control of myself without a little help. You just needed some help too."


    She forced a small smile out of me, "Heh, maybe so."


    Kessiah waved at me, "I can verify that. I couldn''t do shit with my blood arts until I got a master from my family."


    I leaned towards her, "A master, huh?"


    Kessiah nodded,


    "Yup. That''s how it is for almost every remnant. We kind of have these bloodlines with these different powers. You could walk around your entire life without knowing you can do something until stumbling on it someday."


    Torix gestured to her, "It would be similar to how someone could live with a talent that hadn''t manifested itself yet."


    Kessiah frowned, "Yeah, sure. If you think about it, the Adair family is probably like that too. They grow up thinking they''re normal before someone shows them they have psionic abilities."


    Florence perked up, interested in Kessiah,


    "Is that how remnants work? It''s challenging to get access to their fleets, so their inner workings are a mystery to most."


    Kessiah got a little nervous as the group paid attention to her. She sat upright, conducting herself more,


    "So, uh, well...it''s not that complicated, really. We all live on fleets after Schema kicked us off our homeworld. I don''t even know where it is or what its called anymore. Either way, we were big into genetic modification before Schema uprooted us, and we lost a lot of our technology."


    She tried to formulate her words smoothly,


    "My mom and dad told me that after losing our ability to modify ourselves, we struggled for a while. Eventually, these families began showing up, uh, like the Adairs. These families basically bred themselves so that they would keep and strengthen their powers over time. This led to a lot of different kinds of remnants showing up over time."


    She bit her thumb, pooling the blood into a sphere,


    "I''m from the family called the Blood of Baldowahs. We''re pretty strong, I guess. We''re no Adair family, though. There are tons of other families like them, however. Some are so different from normal remnants they might as well be a different species. I know my own family was kind of looked down on since we used blood rituals."


    This was the most I''d ever seen Kessiah talk about her past. She scratched her head,


    "The Adairs were always high society types. I don''t know much about them outside of the rumors. They''re the most well established and interconnected family, and they had deep ties with Schema before this rebellion. That''s probably how they made this rebellion happen."


    She looked down, "You know, if I''m not talking out of my ass here."


    I shook my head, "No, that''s good information. I think I know what we need to do." I waved a hand, gesturing to everyone,


    "First off, does anyone think that taking out Plazia Ruhl next is a bad idea?"


    Everyone shook their heads before Hod''s form shivered a bit. Umbral mana saturated him, and his eldritch half spoke up, "I...I would like to speak."


    Amara joined him, "I as well."


    I pulled back, letting them say their piece,


    "Sure. The floor''s all yours. Let''s start with Other Hod first."


    Other Hod lifted two massive hands edged with dark claws, "Plazia Ruhl is a great threat, one far greater than the Hybrids we were given to dispatch. I understand the rewards are greater, but I believe we can do more against the Hybrids than you think and in far less time."


    I raised my eyebrows, "How so?"


    Other Hod looked at everyone, his red, hollowed eyes menacing, "You all think of we eldritch as animals. I...I understand your sentiment. Many of us are. We have many among us that lack sentience or a will of our own. However, Amara and I both have shown you that we may rise above."


    Those present gave a few nods, though Althea leaned over and whispered to me, "I still think Amara''s kind of creepy."


    Ditto.


    Other Hod continued, "There exists one aspect and language all eldritch share despite our different builds and ideas - fear. We know when we are outclassed, and we are unwilling to kill ourselves in the pursuit of food or power-" Other Hod pointed at me,


    "I...I fear the Harbinger more than I have feared anything, even the machinations of my nightmares. When you first gave Hod a mana conduit, I could feel how endless your hunger was. My excess was siphoned to you, and you devoured it without end."


    Amara quivered, "I fear you as well."


    Other Hod nodded at her with surprising eagerness, "You feel it too then. Of course you would. We''re similar, you and I." He looked back at me,


    "That is because we all feel that same fear. To us, the others here are sheep, and we wolves. You, you are the destroyer, an undying hunger. In time, all eldritch will fear you, and you will be able to control them."


    I raised an eyebrow, "So I can become an overlord of eldritch, huh? How''s that help with the Hybrids on Blegara?"


    "The vagni on Blegara worship the eldritch. If you can control the eldritch there-"


    Torix shouted, "Then Daniel can control the vagni." Torix pulled his head back in disbelief, "Hod, that''s genius." Torix leaned towards him, "Who are you, and what have you done with Hod?"


    The umbral shade cackled, "Nothing, he and I are the same."


    I raised my eyebrows, remembering how I could get eldritch to shake in their boots. Hell, Amara''s greatest fear was me, actually. Using that dread worked with lower leveled eldritch, but not stronger ones from my experience. It might not carry over to the monsters the vagni worshipped, but the plan was worth a shot either way.


    The benefits were too good if things worked out. I mean, if we got the vagni allying with us instead of the Adair''s, Blegara would be much easier to clear. I shrugged, "Yeah, that might just work. I''ll need some practice either way."


    Amara raised a hand, and I thought she was asking for permission to speak. Instead, the eye in per palm peered around,


    "It would take little for you to evoke fear in my kin. I know this all too well."


    I frowned, "Alright then, that sounds like a plan."


    Amara lifted her other hand, and she turned them into alternate directions,


    "I wish to propose another idea."


    I gestured my palm to her, "Sure thing."


    "Plazia did not join in the Adair''s rebellion. He is wise and ancient, so he must have compelling reasons as to why. If we learn of his motivations, we may find ourselves on the same side as him."


    Althea leaned towards Amara, "You want to ally with Plazia?"


    "Yes. Daniel has mentioned how his armor was crafted by an eldritch. This is because we eldritch are masters of the runic language you seek to know more of. I believe we could gain much from Plazia about the inner workings of the magical runes. We may also learn about the rebellion and why an eldritch would abstain from joining the Adairs."


    I crossed my arms, giving it a bit of thought. Torix leaned forward, his voice rising,


    "Trusting a volatile eldritch is a recipe for disaster. My son trusted one, and he was turned into an utter abomination. Now you wish to entrust our guild to one of those monsters when the stakes are far higher than a single life. Are you certain that you do not wish to simply ally yourself with Plazia?"


    The group stared at Amara, and she covered her face with her unkempt hair. She narrowed the eyes of her palms,


    "Your accusations do not fall on deaf ears. I know none of you trust me. I know that you all believe we are evil. You''ve seen that evil manifest in ways that have destroyed your lives. However, I will not apologize for my kin. I did nothing, and I argue that many of you have been touched by our kin. In turn, you''ve each become stronger."


    Amara pointed at Althea, "You use the same energy we do to power your magic. You walk across planes like a dancer across her stage, yet no one gives you scrutiny despite the source of your strength."


    Amara pointed at Hod, "You are drenched in eldritchian energy, your mind splintered by it. Despite that, you have proven a loyal, capable ally who lives in the light of trust."


    Amara turned her hand to me, "And you, most of all. You wear what was once meant to be the skin of an eldritch. Your body is now infused with it to its core. Your rise to prominence was built on the foundation of an eldritch."


    The group stared down, with many thinking about what she said. Amara seethed,


    "Your accusations towards me are hypocrisy at its finest, and you should stare at yourself before acting as if I have defied any of you even a single time. I work as tirelessly as you all and for my own aims. My actions demand trust, else you treat me with prejudice."


    She was right in some ways, and Amara deserved at least some trust after she worked with us for so long. Even if she was an eldritch, she was also proof that not all eldritch were evil. Most, sure, but she was an exception. I doubted Plazia would be one of those exceptions, but because of her contributions, I decided to consider the idea.


    I extended out a hand, "Amara, we''re sorry. We didn''t mean to make accusations. As a show of sincerity, I''ll think about what you said, allying with Plazia and all. Just remember that even if we all benefited from eldritch in some ways, it wasn''t out of the eldritch''s generosity. We fought tooth and nail to stay alive, and our scars made us stronger, not the eldritch."


    Amara peered down, letting out a sigh. She knew I was right and that she was asking for a lot. I raised my hand, "When we meet the guy, er, thing, I''ll consider talking it out with Plazia if it isn''t outright hostile. That is the limit to what I can give you here, alright?"


    She nodded, her teeth like needles, "That is more than enough. Thank you, Harbinger."


    I turned to the others, "Then that''s about it, right?"


    The others nodded, many seeming satisfied. I raised a hand, trying to establish an overview of the discussion,


    "So we''ve established a few facts, and we''ve decided to try a few things. First fact, we need someone to stop Lehesion, and I''m the guy to do it for now. To make that happen, I''m going to test out more dimensional powers, learn about my elemental furnace, and finish my class. That''s for me personally to tackle him. Any objections?"


    No one disagreed, so I gestured to the group, "I''ll need help with a lot of that, and I still want to work on this golem project I have going on. Ophelia and Helios should help me in those specific skills in the meantime."


    I gazed at Torix, "We''ll need to hold off on the guild''s expansion until after we can handle Lehesion. Otherwise, we''re setting up our new guild branches to be destroyed. Let''s focus on really cementing our control of Mt.Verner and brainstorming some solutions for security purposes."


    Torix cupped his hands together, "As you wish."


    I peered at Althea, "We''ll need some more stealth agents and spies. I know that your skills are unique, but could you teach other people how to scout for us?"


    Althea coughed into a hand, "Uh, I could try."


    "Good enough." I pointed at Chrona and Krog, "Chrona, I''m going to need you to help me with your time magic again. I''m giving it another shot. I work over the night here, and you can help teach me then."


    Chrona groaned, "Overnight work? Bah, I hate nightly duties."


    Krog rolled his eyes, "Toughen up, buttercup."


    I grinned at Krog, "You''re going to be helping organize the gialgathens and getting them ready to fight. We''ll need aerial forces to assist against Plazia. You''ll be making sure the gialgathens are ready for it, and that means systemized and trained."


    Krog lifted his head up high, "I was a general, and I shall be one once more. Consider it done."


    "That''s good. You can get that going after you guys have taken a break. I don''t think an hour or two a day of tutoring would be too much to ask though, Chrona."


    She gave me a sly grin, "We''ll see."


    I pointed at the blind albony, "Helios, you''ll be helping me learn about the elemental furnace and helping move our forces around. I know warping all the time is taking its toll, so we''ll try to keep your warping to a minimum from here on out."


    Helios stared at his claws, "If that is what you want."


    I pointed at Hod and Amara, "You two need to brainstorm some kind of plan for getting the eldritch to fear me on Blegara. You both understand whatever it is that''s scary about me, so get that organized into some plan I can follow."


    Amara and Other Hod nodded. I pointed at Kessiah, "You''ll need to train some more healers and other medical personal. You can do that, right?"


    Kessiah smirked, "Oh yeah, I sure can. It''ll be easy."


    Florence lifted a hand, the albony being uncharacteristically shy, "So, er, what am I going to do?"


    I gestured to him and Amara, "You need to help these guys understand Vagni culture so they can come up with a good plan. After that''s done, you''ll need to do some serious research on the ahcorus so that we aren''t going in uninformed."


    Florence perked up, "Oh, I can do all of that, and even with a measure of competence. Heh, I usually hate these kinds of war discussions. This wasn''t actually so bad."


    I lifted my hands, letting everyone know to get up, "Then let''s get this show on the road."


    Everyone got to action, several people looking like they knew what they needed to do already. Others like Florence paced around for a bit, trying to get a grip on their assignment. I was okay with both approaches, as long as they got it done in the end. For me, I pulled Helios aside and gestured towards Springfield,


    "Come on, there are only a few hours before sundown."


    Helios frowned, "Why are we heading to that dilapidated town?"


    I grinned, pulling out the black jade,


    "You''re going to teach me how to use this elemental furnace."

 274 Furnace and Fire

    Helios tapped the side of his head, "You wish to start that today? Right now?"


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Yes, I do. Come on. Let''s go."


    I floated him along to Springfield, each of us crossing over the woodlands of Michigan. Once near the beginnings of Springfield, we viewed the aftermath of our battle with Yawm in its full light. Many of the buildings were collapsed, several gigantic craters sprawled across the city''s surface. New kinds of fungi and mushrooms cropped up, filling in some of the voided wildlife from before the porytian''s arrival.


    By now, the forest crept into the town, no one coming back to this ghost town. Well, not most. My guild explored here often for the dungeons, most of them higher level than usual thanks to Yawm. Springfield was a breeding ground for stronger rifts, and its proximity to Mt. Verner made it the perfect place to train up veteran dungeon clearers.


    We looked around for one of those dungeons, trying to get one large and secure enough for an elemental furnace''s fallout. It took a few minutes before I found the sewer system, exploring it once more to find a dungeon still there. I waved at Helios,


    "Here, we''ll use this."


    Helios followed me into a tunnel leading to a jungled expanse. This was one of the first dungeons I ever entered, and I fought against two random mercenaries here. They used arcane magic, my first introduction to the violet beams of death. Initially, I wondered why those guys came to Earth as they had. After discovering how valuable dungeon cores were, it all made sense. They would have made a killing if they hadn''t met me.


    Since then, the sewers evolved entirely. New, vibrant, and toxic growths splurted out of every surface. The entirety of the space expanded, along with the denizens that occupied it. When I came last time, I hadn''t even recognized that I''d waltzed into a rift because I thought every dungeon was like my first.


    Instead, I discovered that few dungeons were guarded by Sentinels, and even fewer locked you inside and wouldn''t let you out. By comparison, this was average, only a steeled gate keeping the wildlife in. Of that wildlife, some new kind of mole species moved in, and they expanded the tunnels beneath Springfield. Their claw marks on their many burrows exposed their weapons of choice, along with their dominance underground.


    At the same time, they warred with an insect colony of some sort in the distance. I could hear the sound of claws and keratin clashing, the insects and moles tearing each other apart. These ants were armored on their fronts, extra limbs growing out of their backs. These mirrored a praying mantis''s limbs, ready to grab and hold down anything coming nearby.


    These armored ants defended their queen lying deep in their colony center. The moles kept their leadership dispersed, the strongest of them deciding how to approach the situation. These moles used creepy, finger laden noses to cast fire magic and enhance their healing. They matched with one another well.


    This stalemate showed itself within the dungeon''s layout. Many tunnels led to other tunnels, each haphazardly spread about. This left the place in a state of utter disarray, most animals here needing to burrow just to move around. In these hallowed halls, life thrived amongst their chaos.


    The roof of the dungeon sported some glowing fungus, likely some variant from Yawm''s invasion. These spore pods showered everything in a green-blue light.


    If an animal swooped near a pod, it burst, coating the creature in gunk that quickly congealed. Soaking into the victim, the goo created these zombied, fungal creatures that served the greater fungal good. They fought over the corpses, the fungi benefiting from the mole and ants war.


    Helios and I stepped into this veritable lion''s den, several ants passing us without realizing what we were. A few carried spore pods on their backs, each of them working with the fungus to eliminate the moles. On the other hand, when a mole rose from the ground beneath us, it noticed us right away. With a nose covered in squirming fingers, it wriggled as it dashed at us, its mouth opened wide.


    Helios raised a hand, but I acted first.


    "Stop."


    Like Yawm before me, the creature caved under the pressure of my voice. In the distance, the ants and moles ceased fighting, many of them beginning to hide. Helios scoffed,


    "Cowardly, aren''t they?"


    I shrugged, disintegrating the mole in front of us with Event Horizon,


    "Eh, these guys don''t have a chance in hell of fighting us. Giving up is wisdom here."


    As the mana wafted to me, Helios eyed the stream of energy, and he shook off some discomfort,


    "Hm, perhaps."


    He stared at the mana without needing to see it. In fact, Helios gestured about with a natural air that was downright uncanny once I thought about it. After all, the guy was blind. I wasn''t trying to be mean spirited here, but I believed blind people wouldn''t understand facial gestures well. Either way, Helios shattered that idea entirely, so I wanted to figure out why.


    "Hey man, before we get to practicing, I wanted to ask something."


    "You will no doubt assault me with a plethora of questions, so do digress."


    I lifted my hands, "You''re blind, right?"


    "Yes. You''ve seen my eyes. Your point?"


    "How come you still make facial expressions, even under your mask?"


    Helios raised his eyes, "Ah, I see. That''s a strange question. I expected something else rather than bringing up my disabilities. How polite of you."


    "I''m not trying to knock you down here. I''m genuinely curious."


    "Then I''ll give you a genuine answer. Facial expressions are not taught nor learned. They are largely instinctual. To that effect, I often articulate them without meaning to. If anything, I''ve had to learn to numb my expressions for the exact reason you mentioned. They are obvious to those that see beneath my mask."


    Helios raised a hand, "I learned long ago that those capable of interpreting my facial expressions could read me easily. I''ve taken my nonverbal communication under my control because of that fact, and this means enacting a measure of control over my actions."


    Helios pointed at me, "In time, my adaptations and awareness gave me newfound abilities. For instance, unlike most, I am often able to tell if someone is lying or telling the truth. Sentients often focus on the face when telling lies, not the sounds in someone''s voice. Hearing those gentle differences in tone and inflection, I can tell if someone is lying. My blindness makes spotting those fluctuations second nature to me."


    Helios crossed his arms, "Even with my sense for mana, I oftentimes find other people''s faces muddled as well. Their facial expressions don''t distract me for this reason, and I see the truth of what they''re saying instead of their faces."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Damn, so you''re like a lie detector?"


    "In some ways, yes. I can also read the mana around me with great detail. That is why I can often read you with ease, though you''ve lied rarely if ever."


    I pointed at myself, "Do people look different because of your mana? What do I look like?"


    "Your mana is blinding compared to what''s around you, especially when you release it. This makes you easy to spot and makes your outline far more definite and absolute. Most look faint by comparison."


    "Man, I never knew it was that involved. I thought you just used something like echolocation."


    Helios sighed, "Hah, echolocation is a method I''ve considered. However, controlling mana is far harder than controlling sound. For that reason, using sound as a second method for sight is fickle. If someone placed a silencing spell over me, I''d be unable to comprehend my surroundings if I relied on sound. Fighting in a vacuum or underwater would expose this weakness as well if I relied on something so unreliable."


    Helios made eye contact with me right after,


    "This is why I use the will of other''s minds to find them."


    "So why do you make so much eye contact then?"


    Helios raised a hand, "Most species find a lack of eye contact uncomfortable. I find that people associate a genuine connection with eye contact alone. I abuse this factor to the fullest. In reality, eye contact dictates very little of someone''s genuine emotions. As is the case with me, someone could mimic eye contact to trick someone into thinking they care when they, in fact, do not."


    I frowned, "Oh, so you''re pretending you give a shit?"


    Helios gave me a sarcastic grin, "Ah, you''ve found me out. Perhaps you aren''t so blind after all?"


    "Alright wise guy, could you teach me to do that?"


    Helios tilted back, "Do your eyes not serve you well enough?"


    "Not all the time. Plus, it''s always good to have several ways of finding someone. I know I end up with my head blown up in fights more often than I''d like. Being able to sense mana without my eyes might be helpful then."


    Helios crossed his arms, "You would need to suppress your other senses then focus on the life force and mana around you. Remember, mana is your will and intellect manifested in the physical world. Only strong minds manifest mana, and most creatures will barely register at all."


    He shrugged, "Outside of that, search for your own mana amidst the dessert of it floating around you. It shall shine like a sun in the middle of night, and that shall make finding it easier. Perhaps you shall uncover a hidden talent."


    He smirked, "Perhaps not."


    I pulled out my elemental furnace,


    "I''ll give that a shot later. Let''s get this lesson started."


    Helios lifted his gauntleted hand, pointing at the cipher encryptions,


    "You believe you''ll be talented at this?"


    "I do. I can feel it."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "There''s much that is required for furnace work, and few can handle it. What makes you believe you''re so different?"


    There were several reasons, honestly. For starters, I used blood magic, meaning I was used to converting stuff into mana already. At the same time, being a dimension might help me out here. So far, working with the cipher was more straightforward than usual for me for that reason. That''s one of the main reasons I learned the inscriptions on my own when a genius like Torix couldn''t.


    Combine that with my ability to work with high volumes of mana, and I had every tool I needed to succeed here. Helios didn''t need to know all that, though.


    "Eh, I just have a feeling."


    "Very well." He turned his gauntleted hand, giving me a better view of it,


    "This is an elemental furnace. Simply put, you siphon mana into it, it splits atoms before converting the raw energy into usable mana. This requires a burst of energy to begin, then very slow trickles of it to maintain the ongoing reaction. Few would do so given the explosive volumes of mana these generate."


    "So it''s kind of like lighting a fuse?"


    "In some respects, yes. A bomb is an apt comparison since a simple mistake in this energy generation process results in a colossal, nuclear explosion with you at the center of it."


    I peered at my black jade, "Sounds...fun."


    "Oh, it is. I''ve known seven others who''ve died from pursuing this venture. Be careful about this. Your success is my path to redemption, so your death would look unfavorable for me."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. Now how do I make the generated mana useful?"


    "That depends on you. The mana this object creates is untamed and wild. It requires tremendous willpower to contain it, and if one lacks that willpower, the mana will diffuse throughout them. In the end, you''ll lose your mind in the process."


    The more he talked about this process, the more tailor-made I seemed for the whole thing. I nodded,


    "That makes sense. What next?"


    "Once the magic is contained, a firm constitution is required. Without a durable body, the mana flow will result in the destruction of a person''s entire being. They will boil their blood and explode, unable to utilize the mana generated. That is why I and Obolis both have invested heavily in both constitution and endurance. Many Fringe Walkers are the same in that regard, at least those with access to a furnace."


    I raised my other hand, making it glow with mana, "So the mana flow would be like this, right?"


    Helios paused.


    "Uhm...yes, like that. Perhaps you are right. You do seem built for this."


    "Is there anything else to it?"


    "Ahem, so you...you must then wield the mana as if it were your own. If you cannot hold the mana in place, you''ll be unable to restrain your spellwork. This can result in misfiring a cast, which will likely result in a horrific death."


    "So, if I''m already used to using large volumes of mana, I''ll be able to work with this no problem?"


    "If that were the case, it would certainly help."


    "And that''s it?"


    Helios grimaced, "I understand your confidence, but do not let it run wild. You could get us both killed, along with this ugly, ancient town we walked into. Schema wouldn''t even know why you brought us to this disgusting, filthy place just to perish in nuclear fire."


    I scoffed, "Come on, it''s not so bad. This was once my hometown."


    Helios stared up, "Ah, it has fallen into disrepair, it seems. Where you unable to protect it perhaps?"


    I frowned, "Yeah, for the most part. I didn''t exactly help keep this place maintained."


    Helios shrugged, "Each of us has limits. We must accept that and move on with them in mind."


    I lifted my elemental furnace


    "Well, let''s figure out my limits here."


    Helios took a few deep breaths, composing himself. Helios raised a hand,


    "Wait a moment. We must first detail a contingency plan if the elemental flow of energy isn''t contained."


    "I doubt that''ll be an issue. Worst comes to worst, I''ll throw it into my dimensional shield."


    I spawned the shield before rolling my shoulders,


    "Here it goes."


    Helios looked around, trying to find cover. Before he could, I channeled some mana into the furnace. The ancient runes kicked into high gear, my mana clinking in place to fuel a preset series of commands. Giving the device way too much energy, the runes glowed, and the jade shook in my palm. The air around me shifted dark, an umbral tone infesting it. This cloud crackled and popped with an eerie foreboding.


    I clanked my teeth together, ready for the onslaught of mana. As the aura around me snapped into the jade, a vast, enormous wave of power poured out from the device. It rushed into my frame, filling me with energy and vitality. I devoured much of the mana, my armor grinning with glee. My blood boiling, I trembled at the feast.


    Seconds passed, and my armor glowed a bright white. I poured more of the energy into my cipher runes, and they engulfed some of the incoming rushes of energy. These sources of reduction proved incomplete, and the energy poured into my mind like a waterfall crashing onto me from overhead. It was as Helios described - wild and untamed.


    The mana slammed into me like some insane phantom wishing to possess my body. It''s entire being lacked anything uniform or coherent, yet the sheer size of its mind was behemothic. It was nothing like battling with Torix, more mirroring a mass of unleashed thoughts. These babblings and urges wanted to overwhelm me, pulling my concentration in a thousand different directions.


    If anything, this entity of pandemonium mirrored an Old One, its mind profound with depth. These alien desires weren''t made for this world, however. They were the results of the cipher converting energy into something usable by a mind. This didn''t make it easy to use, however.


    Despite this struggle, I''d wrestled with similar sensations before, both with Eonoth and Etorhma. My essential mind magic helped hold me together here as well. It allowed me to suppress this incoming, volatile entity. I took it head-on, tearing it apart from many angles. For the main rush, I stayed in place, unable to move or think of anything else.


    It consumed me. It reminded me of when I was young and angry. My rage would be so blinding, I wouldn''t even be able to move. This was similar, the strain stretching me to the absolute limit of my mind''s ability to defend and my will''s ability to endure.


    Yet endure I did. I planted my heels, and I tightened my fists. I narrowed my eyes, staring forward at this monster. That monster, the untamed mana, stared back at me and roared. Having condensed it, I waved Event Horizon over the mana. It shivered, the uncentered mind screaming out in agony.


    I crushed it under my heel, telepathically roaring at it with the might of a dimension. I shattered its unformed soul, giving it only one place to find peace. It found that sanctuary by relenting, the energy assimilating into my frame. The mana converted into my own will and into my own wishes.


    It gave me energy everlasting. It emboldened me with thoughts of madness. It whispered thoughts of eternal life and power. I quieted those voices, tempering the new ideas and will as if it were my own internal demons. As my battle settled down into a light whisper, I contained the mana with one last burst of will.


    I won.


    Falling back, I crushed rock underneath me while letting out a gasp. If I could sweat, I''d be drenched at this point. My heart pounded in my chest like a sledgehammer against stone, and I could feel my pulse in my ears. Helios gawked at me in the distance. At first, horror spread over his face. As I looked at him, he shook that off.


    The albony whispered, his voice wobbling ever so slightly,


    "Hmmm...That was a first."


    I lifted a thumb, "I didn''t expect it to be that hard. You were right. I should''ve taken it slow."


    Helios let his hands flop against his sides, "You''re ability to listen is perhaps a skill you should invest more time into. Despite your hubris, we''re alive. Thank Schema for that."


    I let out a deep sigh, my mind''s exhaustion fading, "Ah man, I definitely need to put in less mana than I thought."


    Helios shook his head,


    "It is strange. I''ve never seen that done before."


    "Someone nail the furnace thing in their first try? How else can it be done?"


    "You either succeed or fail in a fire. I wasn''t speaking of the furnace. I meant you forming a mythical skill with such ease. You must have formed a backbone of trees and experience for it already. Otherwise, this should be impossible."


    "Huh. A mythical skill, eh?"


    I opened my status, and sure enough, Helios was right.


    New mythical skill gained! 1,000 skill points rewarded for the skill''s creation. Matter Conversion(lvl 10) - By defying the will of matter, you''ve used the energy stored in the atoms around you. You harvest ash into light, and you enliven that which is most still.


    Well done.


    I raised a hand, a grin popping up on my face. This was an absolutely massive boon for me. I''d been working on a few tasks that I wasn''t skilled at recently. That slowed down my skill gain by several orders of magnitude, but despite that, I still made progress. Matter Conversion felt like something I was born to do in comparison, much of the difficulty involved similar to containing my own mana flows long ago.


    It was like I was going into a battle I''d fought a thousand times because of that. That meant this wasn''t me getting a skill for free. If anything, this was just putting a name on something I already understood deeply. Mana was a mind''s will manifested physically after all. To rule it, you must contain the flow with your own mental direction. For that, I had plenty of practice.


    Every time I used blood magic, it was using a process similar to this, but the scale and scope of mana production were entirely different. Before, I was working with pebbles, and this was like working with boulders. It required far less investment in health yet more focus from my mind. I imagined a furnace burning without my experience, and the idea made me shiver. That would be nearly impossible.


    Turning to the guy, those realizations instilled newfound respect in me for Helios. To use a furnace, he risked his life and mind. That took some serious dedication, and he did it without needing to. Ambition and guts got him here, and I had to give props to that. I stared down at my jade,


    "So, you''ve been doing that for a while now?"


    "When necessary. I use it in large battles to fuel equally large incantations. I''m surprised you handled that surge of energy earlier for that very reason. For a beginner, that was an immensity of mana. How did you control it?"


    "Well, I''ve been making a lot of mana for a long time. To control it, I''ve needed to direct and control that mana on my own. This isn''t that different, though I have to admit, I almost bit off more than I could chew just now. That comes with the territory of trying new things."


    Helios furrowed his brow, "You create mana with your mind. The mana from a furnace is like a beast by comparison. The device surges mana into your mind before you must tame it at that moment. That nameless monster it summons cannot be reasoned with. You must make it obey, else you''ll be consumed."


    Helios tilted his head, "This is often a desperate struggle for most since their own mana works differently. That is what I don''t understand. How is the chaotic entity a furnace summons like your own mana? Are you too aimless and hateful?"


    I shrugged, "I mean, my mana''s always been like some monster as far back as I can remember. It took a lot of work, but once I got it under my control, it was mine to wield. This furnace is no different, honestly."


    Helios shook his head, "But mana is generated through thought, not suppression. You sound as though your mana is made elsewhere apart from your mind. How is that even possible?"


    "Heh, it might be because I''m a dimension. I know I use blood magic, so that might be why."


    "Perhaps the sacrifice is similar, somehow?"


    "Yeah, I think so."


    "Then this is merely an extension of what you already do. That explains why you''ve got a handle on it so quickly."


    I flipped the furnace above my hand before catching it, "Eh, I still have a long way to go. Let''s see just how much mana I can make."


    Over the next few hours, I worked with Helios on a more subtle use of the black jade. It took a while, but we worked out a few kinks in my application. I found that almost no mana was required to get the furnace started, and it generated a lot of mana even with next to no matter. That was good since I had every intention of having the device going full blast all the time.


    After all, it would feed my cipher runes at a pace I couldn''t match. Balancing that influx required a lot of effort, however. This meant handling other tasks at the same time was pretty much impossible. Working around that caveat would require practice and creativity. Having the jade out all the time also meant someone could steal or smash it too. We brainstormed a few solutions to the idea.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    My first idea centered around a gameplan to keep the elemental furnace safe. From here on out, I''d use my dimensional shield anytime I fought with anything. This was partly for practice using the skill, but it also let me throw the dark jade into my pocket dimension before combat. The stasis would protect the gemstone from the rigors of battle thereafter.


    Every other waking moment, I placed the gemstone on my chest just below my neck. I covered it with my armor, creating a reinforced metal cage that surrounding the jade. From there, channeling small amounts of matter into the furnace required next to no effort. It wasn''t like using my own body as fuel was new to me in that regard. The jade was just a far more efficient method of getting mana than my own innate abilities.


    My armor even stopped the crackling sound from escaping, keeping the magic somewhat hidden. According to Helios, anyone who could sense or see mana would pick up on this process from a mile away. He even mentioned that detail as if he was watching something outright horrific. I didn''t know what he meant, but if that was the cost of using the device, then I counted it as worth it.


    Still, Helios wasn''t the only one horrified by me using the dark jade. The most obvious manifestation of that was the eldritch in this rift. They were outright terrified of me while the furnace fueled my inscriptions. I expected some of that, but they huddled into the deepest holes they could find. The moles and ants crushed each other trying to get out of here, and it threw me off a bit. I''d talk to Amara and Hod about it later since it might help with Blegara. For now, the furnace took priority.


    After a bit of tweaking the flow, I maxed out my armor''s draining abilities and my cipher rune''s absorption rate with the device as well. This meant I could keep the furnace burning all the time to fill out those passive bonuses. It didn''t even require my own natural mana production, so I steadily added gemstones to my pocket dimension all the time now.


    Of course, I wasn''t revving the device full blast, but I could keep it humming at all times. If I went over this base limit, the mana flowed right into my head, and before I knew it, I was fighting some formless specter trying to control my mind. It was a risky venture since overdoing it would render me paralyzed as I fought the thing off.


    To gauge if the furnace was worth, I checked out my status. All my doubts faded in an instant as I saw an absolute motherload of mana coming in from the tiny gemstone.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 15,000 | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden)


    Strength ¨C 46,576 | Constitution ¨C 66,872 | Endurance ¨C 141,686


    Dexterity ¨C 24,143 | Willpower ¨C 98,789 | Intelligence ¨C 53,146


    Charisma ¨C 17,502 | Luck ¨C 27,029 | Perception ¨C 18,807


    Health: 160.1 Million/160.1 Million | Health Regen: 1.6 Billion/min or 27.0 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 4.001 Trillion


    Mass: 8.7 Million Pounds(4.0 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 15''11 (4.8 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.17% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 27.8 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within the radius of aura.


    Mana Conversion - 4.0 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    It was a massive boost to my mana generation. If anything, it made all my investment into endurance look silly. My own magic would never compare to this kind of production. Of course, the health and stamina were still useful at the time of investment, but one furnace already beat all those years of boosting endurance. The more I thought about it, the less true my initial line of thinking became.


    The only reason I could generate this mana flow from a single furnace was because of my mana generation. If I hadn''t had my previous experience, this would be impossible. If anything, more investment into endurance would be wise, considering it increased my overall furnace potential. It gave me the willpower to contain the mana flow, and it still had all the other stat-boosting effects it always boasted.


    I would need as much of that as I could get given the situation I was in. My guild stood at the very center of the Blighted Schism, and that required me to be in tip-top shape. Combine that with the fact Schema didn''t give me anything from facing Lehesion, and I needed a few boosts. In some ways, I understood Schema omitting an endless stream of attributes and stats for me. I mean, the guy had a lot on his plate at the moment. Still, this kind of stinginess blew my mind. I saved thousands of people by distracting Lehesion. I risked my guild, my life, and even my planet. For that, I expected some kind of level cap increase or something.


    After searching every nook and cranny of my status, I found nothing. At least Schema couldn''t deny me my extra skillpoints from my skills. Knowing that, I checked out my trees. After pouring all of my gained points into the Sovereign tree, I passed the 7,500 mark and then some. I was almost there.


    In many ways, to truly be sovereign is to control the use of all things you touch. The world will bend to your fingertips, empires will crumble, and no enemy will forget your name. It will be carved into their mind like words unto stone, the utterance unforgettable, the memory eternal.


    Class Completion: 75% finished.


    New Mana Type Unlocked: Entropy


    For such an enormous investment, this wasn''t exactly the most rewarding tree. By now, I expected that, but I couldn''t help but scratch my head at the new mana type. Considering my Dimensional Wake ability, having a new mana type gave me a lot of flexibility. To my knowledge, entropy had a lot of different meanings as well, but in the end, most of those meanings revolved around degeneration.


    After trying to will entropy into existence, I lost steam at the idea of it being its own unique mana type. Without any real help here, I hypothesized that entropy was a fusion of all three basic mana types: origin, dominion, and augmentation. To that end, I did my best to create all three and blend them together in my hand.


    No new mana type spawned from it, all of the manas melding into a brown blob that wisped into nothing. Without that being an answer, my next best guess was fusing the three upper tiered mana types: primordial, quintessence, and ascendant mana. If that was the case, getting the most bang for my buck required learning primordial mana.


    It was something I''d meant to do for a while, and this was the best lead I had. Searching through Schema''s internet got me nothing, and it wasn''t like someone would tell me in person either. Factions in Schema''s universe hoarded knowledge to get themselves ahead. That was something the rebels were right about, even if I didn''t want to admit it.


    All that being said, I was sitting at over 9,000 points in my Sovereign tree. It wouldn''t be long now before it was completed, and that meant unlocking my class. For now, I would stick to making my last push to get that over with. At the same time, unlocking entropy mana also seemed necessary, and I needed a sovereign skill to go with my sovereign class. Those goals synergized, which outlined a plan ahead of me. Following this plan, I walked out of the dungeon with Helios, a new goal before me.


    As we left, my grip on the moles and ants weakened. They ran out of their holes, and skirmishing began once more as we walked across an abandoned Springfield. It was sad seeing some of the landmarks so dilapidated, the city a relic of a foregone time. Without my immediate presence, the vibrations underfoot grew stronger. By the time I jetted Helios and me to Mt. Verner, the eldritch were back to tearing out each other''s throats.


    Eh, an easy war leads to a hard peace.


    Once I dropped Helios off at his place, I picked up Diesel from the floors below. After all the grinding with the furnace, I looked forward to doing something like my golem work. As we got up to the engineering area Diesel partitioned out for us, I scratched my head at the engineer''s changes,


    "Doesn''t this seem...excessive?"


    The quirky inventor shook his head,


    "What? This is the least we can expect."


    I stared at three new engineering stations. It was like an industrial pipeline with several partitioned out work areas. Each site separated into three categories we needed for the supergolems. At the leftmost side, the magic department congregated mages that tutored under Torix. The lich''s students were ready for fieldwork, and Diesel gave the young guns a project they could really prove themselves on.


    On the side opposite to them, many of the workers Kessiah tutored forever ago toiled on the physical movement section. These were combat specialists, and while they weren''t quite at my level yet, they freed me up from having to do that section myself. I appreciated not having a thousand tasks pulling me in different directions, so I counted their involvement as a blessing.


    At the center of it all, Torix himself worked on the mind magic telepathic bindings. It made my little hobby project look like a joke by comparison. I laughed at myself when seeing it all. After my big moment with the furnace, this really brought me back down to earth. These guys already made more progress in two days than I had in two weeks.


    Eh, nobody was perfect, so I just let it go.


    What I couldn''t accept was how little they needed me. Every part of the project was now handled and in full motion. I, with my amateurish designs, would just slow everybody down. At least they still needed me for supplies and runic translations. They didn''t know the cipher, after all, but those specifics would come last after all the other work had been done.


    That meant I had nothing to do with my time here, everything getting moved along nicely without my input. Though I enjoyed the rapid progress, this was supposed to be a time of peace for me. It kind of felt like Diesel upped and robbed my project from me. In the end, it was for the good of the guild, and that''s what mattered most.


    But, yeah, it left me kind of sad.


    I smothered that bout of melancholy, moving on towards my other work. It wasn''t like I was left wanting for other things to do. Ophelia needed rings for gravity and matter making, along with a charged blue core. None of that was difficult in the slightest, most of it taking minutes. With all this newfound time on my hands, I stepped just outside the work stations and started crafting.


    Ah, peace.


    I started with a bit of melted steel that the engineers had offhand. There was no way in hell I was about to use my own skin for Ophelia. That was reserved for my guildsmen. That was such a strange thought, but eh, so was being a dimension. I accepted that strangeness and moved on.


    After getting the material, I melted the steel and molded it into four rings. I could do two for the barebones of what Ophelia asked for, but I wanted to do this right. If I half-assed my rings, Ophelia would half-ass her tutoring and golem assistance. With that in mind, I partitioned each ring out to accomplish different things.


    The first ring would convert mana into gravitational energy. The next would offer up primary skills for using that gravitation. The third ring would help with making matter, and like the second, the fourth ring would then help the user create specific kinds of matter. These were elementary, simple inscriptions that would never rival my own abilities. They would allow the user to do something without any practice, however.


    Considering Ophelia needed rings to handle these abilities, she''d need the backup rings for usability reasons. All these combined would sum up what Ophelia wanted well. For me, the difficulty involved paled compared to Torix''s new body or even Althea''s cannons.


    In fact, the first ring took all of four minutes, the inscriptions simple and second nature by now. I trusted my abilities here, and I made no further adjustments. On the next ring, I put in five skills for gravitational magic. These were gravity and antigravity wells along with their matching panel magic. To top it off, I gave it a gravitational vortex ability. Yeah, they were pretty basic, but Ophelia would just have to deal with it.


    After finishing the gravity side, I moved on to the matter generation aspect. Knowing my own limits, I took my time with this enchantment. It was a trickier inscription, requiring several rewrites. After my third attempt, I just let myself flow through the runic carvings, hoping it would work out. Holding the ring in my hand, I gave the metal band an IV drip''s worth of mana.


    From it, crabs poured out.


    I had no idea why this was the case. For some reason, the creation of crabs was just...second nature to me. I couldn''t comprehend it, but this, despite being utterly ridiculous, would totally work. Fuck it. I hoped Ophelia liked crabs because that was what she was getting.


    With the ring of crab creation finished, I went on to the natural part of matter making. I molded the final ring so that it converted crabs into five other kinds of matter, from dirt to stone. None of it was useful to me, but she gave me a really airy request. I mean, it wasn''t like a matter generation ring was something simple and easy to do. She likely intended on a few limitations when asking for it.


    And limitations she would get.


    If she didn''t like it, oh well. I''d have to learn the whole conscious creation thing on my own. It wouldn''t be the first time. With everything ready, I sent a friend request to Ophelia, and she replied in an instant. I asked for her coordinates, mentioning I was done with our deal. After reading a sarcastic reply, I moved back towards the warps on Mt. Verner''s side.


    Schema still powered them, and before I knew it, I was in a different world. The ionizing spray wafted off of me as I stepped onto a gilded walkway. Someone took an orichalcum base and gave it golden trim, the practicality of the green metal clashing with the indulgence of the gold ore.


    That wasn''t the only weird design choice. Further down the platform, Massive windows exposed a massive city, red curtains framing a sunset in the distance. The Empire redesigned Schema''s warp so that it showcased the wealth and power of this specific city, which would be expensive. Why they would do that was beyond me.


    That objective display of wealth showcased itself in many other ways as I continued outside the landing zone. Along the outskirts of this hyper futuristic city, faint, hexagonal plating surrounded the city. A blue core protected this area. Peering closer, I learned I was wrong. Several blue dungeon hearts protected this city. This barrier was multilayered, the sheer investment absurd. Beyond these central cores, colossal turrets aimed at a distant skyline. The clouds sauntered about above, this place protected from the elements entirely. As I walked out into another gilded roadway, even the air felt conditioned for comfort.


    This was luxury incarnate. The city makers conditioned the air for an entire city.


    Around me, many albony walked about, most of them red and orange masked. They waltzed in and out of stores, not a worry in the world weighing them down. It contrasted Mt. Verner''s pragmatic, raw feel, so much so that it almost gave me whiplash.


    I mean, they used real giant diamonds as crystalline figures throughout the city. These figurines played with the sun''s rays, hauntingly beautiful shadows stretching out of them. Each piece was crafted for multiple angles of light to pass through it, each time of day considered in its design. For now, the light angled from a sunset, and longer shadows meant more room the artisan to work with.


    This resulted in scenes of battle, victory, and prestige for the albony. From exotic, large creatures fighting to elegant birds flying, the shade cast images of a culture saturated in harmony and prosperity. It was a sight to behold, and I took my time soaking in all the various works and shops nearby.


    I walked around these shadows, not wanting to disrupt their beauty. None of the other aliens here followed suit, nearly no one even giving the artwork a second glance. It was as if exposure to these artworks made them numb to the beauty around them. It was sad in a way, like throwing pearls before swine.


    My rash judgments of other people aside, I passed a dozen cafes, teashops, and smoothie places. Among these competing franchises and specialty stores, I found Ophelia speaking with several other albony. She stood out amongst her compatriots, her eye for glamor drawing attention.


    I couldn''t blame her since I drew my fair share of stares as well, probably more than her given my rugged, coarse appearance. Pulling my helmet off my face, several of Ophelia''s albony friends screamed as I stared down at them. Ophelia turned to me, and I lifted a hand,


    "Yo."


    Ophelia facepalmed before speaking through gritted fangs, "What are you doing here?"


    I floated the four rings I made to her, each fresh and polished. I pointed at them,


    "I''m finished. I wanted to get our deal going as fast as possible. The rebels won''t kill themselves, after all."


    Man, my wording was awful. Either way, Ophelia grabbed her rings, inspecting them,


    "How are you finished? Half of what I asked for is barely even possible."


    I gestured to each ring, "Try them out. They work."


    She put on the ring of crab creation, truly my favorite of the bunch. As she channeled mana into the ring, a flow of crabs poured out, covering the table and her friends. She stood up, letting out a girlish scream with her friends.


    Ah, that was satisfying.


    "What in Schema''s name did you given me?"


    I spread out my hands, "I call it the Ring of Crab Creation. That''s the matter maker you asked for."


    She shook a crab off her sleeve before seething,


    "This is a creature. How am I supposed to use this for...well, anything?"


    I raised a hand, "For starters, you have no idea how many restaurants would kill for that ring. As grotesque as those creatures may look, they taste damn good when steamed. Add a bit of salt and butter, and man, they are good."


    She stomped a crab underfoot, the meat going to waste,


    "What other surprises do your rings have in store for me?"


    I pointed each ring out as I explained,


    "That one turns mana into gravitation energy. That ring hones the energy into specific techniques. That last ring can turn the crabs into other materials. I didn''t know which materials you wanted, so I went with steel, soil, water, stone, and crab."


    She eyed me with a wary glance, wondering if this was an elaborate prank. That was fair. In many ways, this might as well have been an elaborate ruse, but hey, she got what she asked for. Ophelia used the paired rings for gravitation, lifting herself up. Using another round of crab creation, she made a bunch of stone crabs, each thudding against the ground like bricks. Her mana flow depleted, and she fell onto the ground, busting her ass.


    Her friends laughed at their cafe table while Ophelia frowned at the rings,


    "Ouch...Well, these aren''t actually useless, especially the gravity ones. They''re actually excellent. Very, very excellent."


    She poked one of the stone crabs, "They could use a few quality of life adjustments, though." She stared up at me, "How did you make these so quickly?"


    I offered a hand, "They''re my specialties, so I can whip them up whenever. You just need to take them seriously, and they''ll serve you well."


    She grabbed my hand, though she grabbed only two of my fingers since her hands were so small. She stood up, brushing off the dust from her robe,


    "I...I suppose they''ll do. A deal''s a deal then. I''ll get ready to help you with your golem project. When will you need me to help?"


    I evaporated the crabs near us with Event Horizon, bless their poor little souls,


    "Right now, if you''re not busy."


    She turned back to her friends, each of the albony staring at us from behind red masks,


    "I''m in the middle of something right now, but I can come in a few hours from now if you''d like."


    It was surprised me how agreeable she was being about this whole process. I shrugged,


    "If that''s what it takes, then sure. You''ll be arriving at my guild during nights, and you''ll be working with a temporal specialist to teach me primordial mana. Let me know if the rings need tweaking after you''ve tried them out for a while, and I''ll work on them when you arrive. Also, I''ll need to warp you to and from there."


    She raised an eyebrow, "So no coordinates?"


    "No. Right now, security is more important than ever. You know that."


    Remembering the rebellion, Ophelia and her friend''s carefree attitudes faded. I gestured around at everything, trying to change the tone of the conversation,


    "So, where is this place?"


    One of Ophelia''s friends spoke up from the table, "You weren''t kidding when you said this guild is new. So yeah, this is Olstatia, the Empire''s capital."


    I stared at the multilayered blue cores, all my questions about the investment for this place answered. I nodded slowly, "Ah, I''ll have to ask Obolis how he keeps his world''s defended."


    Ophelia walked back to her table, sitting down, "That''s an easy one. He doesn''t make the wrong enemies."


    I scoffed, "Eh, If that were the case, Obolis wouldn''t be putting himself up against the rebels." I turned, leaving them,


    "Cya."


    "Wait a second. Can you charge this blue core for this territory? You should already feel it draining your mana right now. I need you to power it up to full. That''s part of our deal."


    I stared up, "Oh, so you run one of the districts in the capital of the Empire, huh? That must be why your mask is both red and black."


    She shooed me off,


    "Yeah, yeah, go finish charging the core and let me enjoy the rest of my evening."


    I left Ophelia and her friends, satisfied with the results I got. Halfway to the warp, I searched for the blue core tugging on my mana. I found a slight, minuscule tax being paid to the forcefield. Surging mana into that tether, mana rose from my frame, bursting into my surroundings. The sheer heat off my skin melted the orichalcum beneath me, and nearby diamond statues ignited.


    They exploded, firing shrapnel nearby. Shop windows burst, and a few albony screamed. I raised a hand, pulling the mana back to me, willing the core charge to slow down. I didn''t expect that kind of chaos to erupt from just channeling mana, but at this point, it might as well have been a weapon.


    Once I finished with that, I regenerated some of the broken glass and paid out a few shopkeepers nearby. It cost a few hundred thousand credits to repair the damages, but that''s what I get for not paying attention. After getting out of that complete mess, I got to the warp. It kind of surprised me that Ophelia changed her attitude towards me.


    I mean, she wasn''t exactly the kind of person I wanted to be friends with, but we didn''t despise each other anymore. For her to share her skills, that''s all I wanted. After taking the warp back to Mt. Verner, I took one last glance at Olstatia. It was a beautiful, vast city. It was so large, it looked endless, and it might have been.


    This was a megacity supported by several worlds worth of resources. It was an economic and political backbone for many societies all under one banner, and that reach showed itself with the sheer splendor displayed here. In time, maybe Mt. Verner would be the same for Earth, though I didn''t want to take over planets like Obolis had. I wanted my guild to give everyone a hand up instead of the Empire''s more imperial approach.


    Either way, I got back to Mt. Verner with much of my night left to me. With a reasonable amount of time left, I sat within earshot of the golem project. This time, I left a wall of trees and stones between us, their machines and discussions only a faint whisper in the background. Chrona''s tutoring would begin tomorrow, and we''d be trying out a few new strategies on Blegara. This would be the only part of my schedule where I could focus on my own.


    Knowing that, I contemplated how to get a Sovereign skill. It would require three legendary skills, and I already had two with Force of Nature and Apotheosis. These skills gave me a tremendous influence over the physical world around me, along with creation and rune carving. They suited me well for the most part.


    Instead of just adding some random assortment of skills next, I wanted something to accentuate those two abilities. Hastening like what Chrona and Obolis did was a must; that would make me challenging to beat in direct combat. I was already taking on Lehesion in that regard, meaning any more oomph in that arena, and I would be dominant.


    Outside of that, I was stuck on the whole golem creation thing. The idea of ending the need for dungeons kept bouncing in my head. If I could get really, really good at making golems, I could lockdown Earth and any colonies we made. We wouldn''t need to fuss over other people''s territories. I could go to a fringe world, golemize it, then make it an Earthen colony. Maybe I could lease my golems too, sort of like some mercenary company.


    Those plans needed primordial mana for functioning. Otherwise, they''d bottleneck from a production standpoint. With this furnace, my mana production exceeded the rest of my guild combined. If I got a handle on the entire production process, I could make hundreds of golems a day. Territories would fall under my control, and I could let people govern themselves for the most part. I''d set up some regulation, but I didn''t want to interfere too much. Part of that was simply not wanting to be clogged up with leadership duties like Helios had been. Another part of me wanted to avoid the dictatorship that the Empire stuck with.


    After seeing how they handled Blegara, I didn''t want to make the same mistake.


    Either way, the core of those ideas rested on making golems. Thinking that all through, I racked my brain for memories of my time in the mythical compendium. In general, I learned skills quick there, and using that same template would work here again. For instance, the way I unlocked origin mana was by getting myself into a certain mindset.


    The same could be said for ascendant and quintessence mana as well. Dominion mana was an outlier, my exposure to a dimensional tear unlocking that. I didn''t understand how that worked, so mimicking that feat stood as impossible for now. Therefore, the best way to get primordial mana was to get into the right mindset.


    Considering origin mana was about being at peace and letting go, that had to be a part of primordial mana. Dominion mana, on the other hand, was all about enacting a complete and absolute control, one led by an iron fist and without compromise. To me, those mana types were polar opposites. I couldn''t understand how in the hell those mindsets meshed together.


    I''d wait until my two primordial teachers arrived before I dived any deeper into the subject. I redirected my focus back towards my furnace for now. Tampering with the gemstone, I ramped up the mana production. To do so, I sat down and meditated, my legs crossed and my mind steeled. As I did, I sent a stream of mana into the jade at the center of my chest. It unleashed a violent, savage rush of energy as before.


    I kept this brutish flow slow at first, trying to assimilate it without as much struggle. As time passed, I revved up this visceral inundation, practicing the newfound skill. For instance, I began using the furnace by burning some of the air around me. This dispersed the energy throughout a cloud, meaning I needed to condense it towards me instead of letting it leak out.


    This time, I shifted my approach using minuscule bits of my armor. This smoothed out the process since it kept the mana condensed from the get-go. A few of the other tricks I figured out involved being calm. If the mana met my mind in a battle, it too battled me off of instinct. If I was serene when it arrived, that placated the mana some, making it easier to overtake.


    These adjustments compiled until I found myself in a balance between stomping the energy out and inviting it to settle down. Stuck in this ebb and flow, I reached a sort of zen state. Everything blurred out of existence, this moment becoming all that mattered. It let me take a break from my worries, my concerns, and even my insecurities.


    Minutes turned into hours, the sheer rush of mana from the furnace overwhelming. That rush crashed into my mind, but I met that cascade of energy like a brick wall against some raging tempest. In these moments, I did not yield. Over those struggles, I did not relent. Keeping my eyes closed, the dark void around me became comfortable. This rush of energy from the gemstone, it formed into a shifting shape, some monstrous beast.


    Honing my mind against this onslaught, my awareness of my surroundings expanded. The energy flow turned visible, and it gained animation. It moved, writhed, and shifted. In its chaos, there was beauty among its everchanging nature. It wanted freedom absolutely, and there was something magnificent about that uncompromising desire.


    It met my own mana, my body aflame with energy. It surprised me, seeing myself in this new light. At times, I forgot just how far I''d come. Compared to the dim trees, birds, and wildlife around me, I ignited my surroundings with life. I brimmed with endless vitality, the kind that overwhelmed with its intensity.


    If I let that sheer lifeforce flood my surroundings, they would be submerged in the incoming flood. I chained that flood down using shackles forged from my will. These tethers were of iron, seeming unbreakable, yet they contained a monstrous, terrifying force. That was my own mana, I realized.


    This is what the eldritch feared.


    I comprehended their horror now. If this was how the eldritch saw, their subservience made sense now. The phantasmal machinations of my mana feasted on my physical body, the focal point centered on the furnace. These endless mouths were salivating, each of them starving for more energy. There was no end to their hunger, and they would feast forever or until nothing remained to be eaten.


    As this delicate balance became clear to me, I gained a new skill.


    New skill gained! Mana Sense(lvl 10) - Many can feel their own mana. It takes one with great reach to feel the mana of others.


    It was a strange sort of perception. It scoped out everything in a blurry series of shapes instead of hard lines. This dynamic, flowing view left me confused as I stared down at my hands, my eyes closed. As before, my frame was ablaze. I raged in a swirling pit of fire, blinding when compared to the weak flows of the life around me.


    Once more, I peered at myself with a clearer picture. I was a demon, a monster with an unceasing form. I squealed out into my surroundings, my jaws opened and starving. These twisting forms wished to feast upon all that was around me. Surrounding these monsters, the chains of my will suppressed the gnashing teeth and rabid maws. It was as if I was a delicate balance of two forces, one aimed at control and the other aimed at greed.


    As I let my furnace rev down, the aberrations faded down, becoming less vehement. They were my mana, manifested outward in a way I could now see. Using my own mana, I fed the inscriptions of my cipher, these demons growing in size and scope once more. It gave me a few ideas of what I needed to do to get the eldritch under my control on Blegara.


    I mean, if I could get really good at this whole furnace burning thing, I''d be a horror for anyone with a mana sense. Thinking of that, I thought of Helios. He sensed mana, and that''s why his blindness wasn''t much of a handicap for the guy. If that was the case, I must genuinely look like some monster to him. That might be why he stood back from me when I used the furnace. I''d ask him when I thought of it later.


    Regardless of appearances, this was a solid way of spending time. I got the furnace burning full blast, my limit reached pretty soon. As I gained more and more control of the dark jade, I made more and more mana. This gave me a tremendous level of control over the furnace. Matter Conversion was no longer some foreign, strange skill. It reminded me of walking, a task I gave no thought yet was undeniably useful.


    The merits of my many trees showed themselves here. Many of them enhanced my learning rate for mythical tiered skills and above. Those factors combined with my natural inclination for the furnace burning. Those factors culminated with my progress, and I shot forward in understanding by leaps and bounds.


    It gave me confidence for my next fight with Lehesion. He''d never expect me to change my abilities like this all of a sudden. I''d show him where and how my magic progressed, and he''d feel my full fury.


    In hours, I gave myself a notable increase to my cipher augments. My endurance increased by over 5,000 total points. Considering I exceeded 100K endurance already, that actually wasn''t an enormous increase. At the same time, weeks of this would result in substantial changes. Months of this progress would make me into a real monster.


    The new influx of mana gave me more than just cipher augments, however. I no longer needed to stick with simple inscriptions for my cipher work anymore. Fueling them wouldn''t be nearly as tricky, meaning I could create far more complex changes to this body using the cipher. Hell, I had held back because I was terrified of warping my mind into mush like Yawm had.


    A significant find I hadn''t realized earlier was Obolis mentioning my response to the cipher wasn''t normal. He said it was as if I was separate from my body altogether. That might be true, especially considering I stayed conscious even when I was a pile of mush. That meant I could experiment with the cipher without needing to worry so much.


    Of course, I wasn''t about to go crazy or anything. That being said, giving this body a few new abilities wasn''t out of the question anymore. I mean, if I got a hold of the cipher inscriptions on the elemental furnace, I could carve it into my skin and use it on my own. It would be like cutting out the middle man. Who knew, in time, I might even improve on the formula.


    I peered down at the furnace. Yup, incomprehensible gibberish. Based on how cryptic and obscure the inscriptions were, well, that would take a while.


    Either way, the potential was there, and that''s what counted. I stayed deep in this meditative state until the morning, and the sunrise stirred me out of my concentration. Standing upright, I stretched my back before rolling my shoulders. Within the hour, I was back at my place, waking Althea up from her night of sleep.


    We shared a morning breakfast together, and she talked to me about some of the Empire''s juicy gossip she learned from Caprika. I couldn''t have cared less, but I listened as well as I could despite that. Althea always listened to me even when I talked about runes or fighting, and I know those topics bored her. I kept my discussions short because of that, but I still wanted to return the favor in full for her.


    This peaceful morning passed, and we met with Florence and Helios already grouped around their living quarters. Everyone arrived soon after, from Torix all the way to Hod. Our resident warper rested well last night, his general demeanor improving from before. He still wasn''t used to warping this much, but the guy was adjusting.


    Soon we''d all be adapting to new circumstances on the ahcorus''s homeworld. For now, however, Blegara stood in our way. I smiled at the prospect. We all aimed to shake things up before we left the blighted world. In my case, I''d do more than rock the boat.


    I intended to flip the whole world upside down.

 275 Infinite

    <div>


    <div>


    -Victoria Novas-


    Looking around, I made sure Alastair and I were prepared for the battle on Blegara. Obolis mentioned in the last war meeting that these last few days of fighting with Daniel and his guild were critical for our guild. He wanted us to get to know the people there and create lasting relationships.


    That made me nervous. I wasn''t good at making friends. Not at all. I waddled back and forth, unable to sit still because of those thoughts. They just bounced around in my head like a little cub in a bounce house. I wished I could control myself better. It was weird. I always struggled with doing the right thing, even though I usually ended up succeeding in the end.


    But it was never easy.


    By comparison, Alastair looked forward, not a worry in the world. The big guy just punched things. That gave him a natural affinity for the Harbinger. I knew that Daniel liked Alastair more than me. I was sure of it, though I hadn''t found proof yet. Today might be the day I discover the truth of the matter on that specific issue.


    This was our second day fighting on Blegara. Things worked out the first day, mainly because of Obolis and the Harbinger''s guild. They were a team made entirely of hard hitters. There was the uptight but smart lich, the shadow walker Hod, the mysterious Althea, and the hemomancer that healed, Kessiah. It was hard to get to know any of them, especially Althea. She didn''t say much, but she was a good listener. I heard from Caprika.


    Speaking of which, I had no idea how Caprika warmed up to her so fast. I tried starting, like, fifty conversations with her. The planeswalker just brushed me off with casual comments about the battle and how now''s not the time to talk. She was right, but I just didn''t know how else to strike up a conversation. Making friends while fighting was hard.


    My thoughts honed in as a portal appeared in front of us. The edge of the warp was smoother, even smoother than Obolis''s, so only one person could make them. Helios stepped out, his mood nonchalant and confident as always. He was a cool cousin, and he both hated and loved me. That loving disdain came from the fact he believed I outshined him.


    That was crazy talk. Helios ruled two whole planets. I kept Olstatia safe on our homeworld. Comparatively, his station outdid mine by an insane amount even for his age. He was older than me, sure, but that didn''t change the fact he accomplished twice as much as I had when he was my age. Speaking of age, according to Florence, the Harbinger was younger than all of us. I found that hard to believe, and the person telling me exacerbated that issue. Why? Well, it was Florence.


    It seemed like the Harbinger was whipping him into shape, though. Speaking of the Harbinger, the man himself walked out of the portal. He was tall, overly so. Most tall guys looked handsome, even if they weren''t. This guy was so big he bordered on scary instead. His armor carried a craggy, organic sort of edge, making it look and feel alive. He also never did his hair, which would''ve been cute if it wasn''t for his scars and eyes.


    Those eyes stared through people. He also spoke like iron, and even around Obolis, he showed no signs of feeling any pressure whatsoever. Because of that, I couldn''t read him. Florence told me he''s actually a nice person once you got to know him. Once again, that''s Florence.


    Anywho, the Harbinger''s other guildsmen walked through the divide, the lineup stellar. I locked eyes with Althea, the slender, silver-skinned woman being beautiful as always. I was kind of jealous, but hey, who wouldn''t be?


    I gave her a smile and a wave, but she didn''t see it since I was wearing a mask. I hated these things. They always made me awkward. That was a lie. I was just terrible at talking. Althea waved back and even walked over to me. I kept my excitement to myself as she spoke up,


    "It''s good to see you guys. How are you all holding up?"


    I stood tall, trying to sound calm and confident,


    "We''re managing. It''s been quite a shock since the rebels managed to worm out a victory."


    Althea frowned, "Yeah, I know I''ve been thinking about it a lot lately. It''s hard not to worry."


    She worried too, huh? I wondered if she thought about talking as much as I did. I kept myself together as I continued,,


    "As have I. We''re lucky the Harbinger can hold Lehesion back. It will be up to us to stop everyone else, though."


    Althea winced, "That''s a lot of pressure."


    Tell me about it.


    I raised a fist, "We''ll make it."


    The others met up within our divisions, and the well-read lich gave a breakdown of the situation. He spoke with calculated precision, every word measured, and every gesture planted. At first, I thought the necromancer was fake, but I was wrong. This wasn''t some facade he put on. It was too consistent. The sorcerer actually preferred talking like this. The few moments his true self came out, he was a brutal, ruthless individual.


    He hid that under a mask that was much more effective than our own.


    He reminded me of Helios, though Torix kept a more relaxed kind of attitude, somehow. Unlike Helios, Torix didn''t resent the mask he was forced to wear. Maybe all the years of practice made the jovial wizard persona easier to keep up. It may have eventually became his persona over time.


    I was always worried about that. I tried to make my family proud all the time. I really just wanted mom and dad to look at me with a smile, and I wanted our uncle to say my name with some pride. That was more than just a little tricky. The Empire carried some ridiculous standards for the Novas family.


    Despite how well I did, I''d always been outshined by Helios up until recently, in fact. He fumbled when trying to intimidate the Harbinger by threatening Althea. It made me wince just thinking of how callous the guy was. I''d never do something like that. I didn''t think I would at least.


    Even after flopping on his face like that, Helios managed to stay friendly with the Harbinger. To me, that made no sense. I couldn''t understand guys half the time at most. At least Alastair made sense. The lovable lug just walked around, said what needed to be said, and fought well. I was proud to be his sister, but I was too scared to ask if he was proud to be my brother.


    I really, really hoped he was.


    Torix finished his breakdown, the insights in his speech both profound and well thought out. That sorcerer was a scary individual, his mind always thinking of possibilities. He mentioned that the rebels would just channel an endless stream of Hybrids at Schema''s forces, wearing them down. It seemed like a real possibility, the kind that made a shiver run up my back.


    I often wondered if the Empire made the right choice allying with this guild. They were all good, each and every one of them. We were in the frontlines against the Adair''s because of that, and I didn''t think that was worth it. Some disagreed, the most vocal being Florence of all people. The party boy mentioned the rebellions on the Empire''s worlds were inevitable.


    He acted like forging ties with the Harbinger''s Legion was a proactive move, and that Caprika''s genuine friendship with several members was invaluable. Florence even suggested we ally with the Harbinger''s Legion earlier on before we were also attacked by the Hybrids. Obolis always seemed to take Florence''s insights seriously too. If I had my way, I''d tell Obolis, ''Hey, this is Florence. Remember?''


    Speaking of Florence, Mr. Irresponsible was missing during the siege today. I expected as much. Working two out of every three days would be a challenge for the guy, especially with his previous track record. The goofy bird person was missing too, but I''m sure he had his reasons.


    Anyways, with the new intel and plans going forward, we set up a formation with Daniel leading the charge entirely. Alastair and I guarded Helios, Kessiah, and Althea. It was kind of insulting since Alastair and I were well-trained knights. We could fight on any front line. Sure, the Harbinger fought one on one with Lehesion, but we were still the best of the best.


    Helios, ever perceptive, caught wind of my dissent. He raised an eyebrow at me, "Ah, you seem rather annoyed. Perhaps it was your expectation to lead with him, perhaps?"


    I frowned, not wanting to give too much away,


    "Of course not. It does seem strange that he wouldn''t let us guard his back while he ran in, but his decision stands at the end of the day."


    Helios grinned from ear to ear, "I assure you, he will not need any assistance today. We will be cleaning up the mess he leaves behind. Nothing more."


    I leaned back, remembering that we were clearing Blegara together the day before yesterday, "You''re acting like he''s a different person."


    Helios shook his head as if admitting defeat, "Victoria, I once believed I was master of all and a jack of none. Since meeting him, I have discovered that this galaxy is vast, and the universe is wide. Many may not outrank me, but many are my better."


    Helios took a deep breath and sighed, "He is a true anomaly."


    I rolled my eyes, "Look, you''re being melodramatic today. Are you in one of your moods, maybe? I know you get self-destructive sometimes."


    Helios stared off in the distance, likely planting the gesture to add emphasis,


    "No. I''ve just been thinking about who I am and what I''m doing. That is all."


    "Oh yeah, that sounds like one of your moods."


    I doubted what I was saying as I said it. Helios spoke all that with such a foolproof lie that I almost believed him. Almost. I knew Helios, though. He was a cunning cutthroat, and he was likely just trying to unsettle me before we ended up fighting. He''d look better than me then, and that played to his favor in the long run.


    Even if I knew that Helios''s acting was superb, I couldn''t shake off what he said, so I stared forward, filing into formation. With the supporters at our back, we went ahead with the Harbinger leading. He tore through a wall, opening us to the ocean around Saphigia. With an extraordinary control of gravity, he somehow kept the water out of here without jerking us out at the same time.


    I tried wrapping my head around that several times on how he did that, but I still didn''t have an answer. A second passed as he turned to us, and his voice rang in my ears like steel,


    "I''m heading out. Give me some breathing room today. I''m trying out the furnace."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "What happened to storing the furnace in your dimensional shield?"


    A small but cocky grin popped up on his face, "I don''t think these guys will touch me, and I can just keep it protected while I use my magic."


    Helios scoffed, "If that''s what you wish."


    I leaned back, my eyes widening. I turned to Helios, who nonchalantly stared down at his claws after talking with the Harbinger. Helios didn''t even look at my eyes, but he grinned all the same. He murmured,


    "Your expression, it''s priceless."


    I whispered,


    "Is he trying to kill us? A furnace? Really?"


    "Indeed. He can already use it."


    "No, he can''t. That''s impossible."


    Helios shrugged, and I turned forward, ready for a nuclear shockwave to come roaring at us. It wasn''t like I could do much in the wake of a catastrophe like that, but I''d at least try. A few seconds passed, and the Harbinger shook in place. He grew primal, animalistic even. I trembled, wanting to run as his ascendant mana crawled out of his skin like a disease.


    Alastair held his ground, pulling an orichalcum shield from his pocket storage. The guard thudded against the coral beneath us, and it kept the mana at bay. The Harbinger rolled his shoulders before cracking his neck. It sounded like metal girders crashing against each other, each pop of his neck a dull thud.


    Bending down, he shot himself forward, keeping the momentum of his jump insulated from us with a dozen gravity wells. He sliced through the water without slowing down, and his armor glowed white as energy rippled from his frame. A grin grew on his helmet, and another shiver ran up my spine. He channeled an untold amount of mana, his entire structure ablaze with vibrance and vitality.


    Reminding me of Lehesion, he made the entire ocean boil.


    The Hybrids isolated in this section of Spahigia squirmed, their mindless bodies wishing to run. A psionic force compelled them forward against their will, and they sprinted towards the glowing Harbinger above them. Each and every one of them disintegrated from an unseen, bloody aura. The Harbinger pulled out his dimensional shield, keeping water from entering it with yet more gravity wells. Instead of running and crushing the Hybrids, he unleashed simplistic, almost childish magic on them. He used the most basic of his gravity spells, two gravity panels layered over one another. These panels did not lack in lethality despite their simplicity, however.


    He smashed hordes of Hybrids between these gravitational forces. Without moving, he waved his hand at each Hybrid and blighted one. The smashed enemies'' remains were melted into spears. The umbral monster used those spears made of corpses to kill their allies. These jagged metal lances froze and shattered the remaining forces, the Harbinger shifting from ascendent mana to quintessence without batting an eye.


    In fluid strokes, he fueled incantations that rivaled an armada''s worth of destructive potential. A swarm of those molten spears, made from the corpses of Hybrids, cascaded across the sealine. The cloud grew so dense and so large, it cast a shadow over the entire cityscape. In its wake, the Hybrids and vagni trembled under the might of his magic.


    I trembled as well. How he enacted this kind of magic was beyond me, but here he wielded a sort of terror I''d never seen from anyone but Obolis. At least in person. The sight left me shaken, my ideas of who and what I was falling to turmoil. I turned to Helios, and he watched with his fists squeezed tight. The destruction decimated city block after city block, the Harbinger culling the Hybrids without ceasing.


    Helios stared with his eyes opened wide, though they did not see,


    "Do you understand now? We''re fighting among gods, and we are the mortals under their feet."


    I turned towards the Harbinger, and he melted entire sections of Saphigia. No piece of Blegara''s capitol would remain unscarred. It would be a wasteland when this behemoth was finished, his mark absolute and complete. Helios grimaced,


    "We believed we were royalty. We believed we were chosen to be leaders, born higher than mere backwater savages. Daniel showed me his home town just yesterday. It was a primitive wasteland."


    He met my eye, "Tell me this. If we are so special given our circumstances, then what is he?"


    I stared on at the wake of his destruction, and I didn''t have an answer.


    -Daniel-


    I stretched my back as we landed in another coral building in Saphigia. We finished the day early on Blegara, a beachhead established at the center of its capital city. I used the furnace today, all the meditation from yesterday paying off in spades. Without having to watch out for Alastair and Victoria beside me as well, I let loose in a way I rarely got to.


    It was fun.


    I tried to see just how many lances made of melted Hybrids I could hold at once using gravity wells. It left me stunned when I was casting a moving shadow over Saphigia of spears. In the end, I smothered the Blegarian capital with my magic. The only issue was watching out for friendly fire on the vagni, but it wasn''t exactly challenging to avoid attacking them for the most part.


    They tended to horde around temples, rifts, and specific tactical chokepoints. The temple guys were almost always civilians looking for a place to stay safe. They were praying to their old gods, the eldritch, for protection. From what I saw, the eldritch were terrified of me, and they avoided the city for that reason.


    As for the vagni standing at rifts, they were usually priests praying to their old gods to give them protection. The vagni at tactical chokepoints, they guarded those places with their lives, the rebels forces mixed in among them. The vagni there fought us with vigor and zeal, and I admired them for it.


    They made good warriors, their minds in the right place. They couldn''t muster much of a defense against me, however. Killing them was poor sport, and I made sure they didn''t suffer when they passed. It still left me numbed on the inside, however. I was getting better at switching my mind to that kind of mode recently.


    That scared me.


    My anxieties aside, we ended up sieging the entire center of the city. The Hybrids no longer crawled from every nook and cranny, and that gave us a tremendous amount of leeway in where we set up camp. That meant establishing a central location for handling the rest of the city''s sectors was more than possible.


    We were so far ahead of schedule, the Empire lacked the troops and resources to expand their new base further. I was a big part of that, but my usual magic lacked the sterilization necessary for absolute security. Victoria and Torix handled most of the smaller stuff I left behind, so I got to run wild. In particular, Victoria''s light magic worked wonders for clearing out the Hybrid nanomachines.


    I could''ve used Event Horizon for that purpose, but having someone else handle that cleansing for me gave me extra time. I used those moments to ravage everywhere else. In that way, I really got to stretch my legs and go full blast. That''s why we had a camp established here with albony troops running about.


    In the middle of the temporary camp, my guild packed up and got ready to leave. The albony mages established an aquatic air bubble sustained by magic. They fueled it using mana crystals harvested elsewhere, and tents composed the majority of housing so far. It wasn''t much, but it was a first step.


    That energy from victory got everyone riled up as we finished getting ready to go. Helios got a warp read right after, so Torix and Althea waved goodbye while I made sure everything was safe before heading out. Doing all that, I noticed Victoria looking around, her demeanor always calm and collected. I gave her a thumbs-up as I passed by,


    "Yo, good work with clearing the Hybrids. The nanomachine soup is a pain in the ass, and you''re doing a good job with handling it."


    I turned to Alastair, the giant standing beside her,


    "You too. Keeping Kessiah safe is extremely important. Healers of her caliber are rare, and she''s why we''re able to save this many people. Keeping her safe is an integral piece of this siege, so excellent work."


    Alastair looked down, "Uhm, er, thank you."


    The guy didn''t talk much, and I liked that about him. We had to spare someday just so I could see what he was made of. I turned towards the warp to Mt. Verner, ready to walk away. As I did, Victoria lifted a hand,


    "Uh, thanks for doing our jobs for us. We, er, appreciate it."


    She stared down after saying that as if she said something wrong. I knew that feeling. I gave her a sad smile,


    "No problem. Killing this many people isn''t fun, but someone has to do it."


    I stepped through the portalled veil,


    "It''s good you''re thankful it isn''t you that has to do this. Don''t let that feeling go."


    The warp closed behind me as Helios followed. A brisk wind whirled on my back as the sun set in the distance. We were back along the outskirts of Mt. Verner. Stepping on soft earth, I soaked in the feeling of Earth. The smell of pine trees and open woods filled my nose. It was good to be back home.


    After getting back to our base, I reviewed my messages, making sure I wasn''t missing any meetings. So far, I only missed one - a meeting with Amara, Hod, and Florence. I gave them a quick reply apologizing for my lateness, along with rescheduling the time. Florence replied in an instant, and before I knew it, a plan was already in motion.


    I met with the three unlikely compatriots, each of them offering strange perspectives. They grouped near Amara''s lair for eldritch research on the second floor. She tamed these monsters in reinforced cells, each holding several monsters who ''got along'' so to speak. That just meant the eldritch couldn''t kill each other too quickly, and that they were evenly matched.


    That was about as good as you''d get for most eldritch.


    The most vocal of the three chatted while Amara and Other Hod listened, all of them standing beside a prison cell full of gunk. Some slimy eldritch made its home there, and they talked as some green slug crawled around beside them. None of that surprised me.


    What did was watching Florence chat away with both of them, the albony somehow making friends with those two,


    "That''s incredible. I never knew that eldritch had systems like that in place. Those systems, they mirror little societies. It''s a wonder Schema hasn''t already established some kind of contact with you guys. Some of you are pretty civilized, especially given the circumstances."


    Amara lifted a palm to Florence, her chin held high,


    "Of course we are. Wolves run packs. Though we are insatiable in our hunger, there is never an endless amount of food. That is why we organize and spread the food amongst...amongst..."


    Amara froze in place, spotting me as I passed a corner. I raised a hand, "How''s it going?"


    Amara and Other Hod stood stunned, neither even able to move or breathe. I waved my hand in front of their faces, "Are you both alright?"


    Florence scoffed, "What? These two alright? They''ve both been through hell and back. It will take more than just you walking up-"


    Other Hod stammered, "Please. Stop. Flowing. Mana."


    Oh yeah, the furnace. I dampened the mana flow, making sure I kept some restraint with its bonuses. I raised a hand,


    "That better?"


    They both took deep breaths, speaking in unison,


    "Yes."


    "Thank you."


    Florence frowned under his mask, "Well, I was wrong. Apparently, you walking up is enough to make the two fall apart. There''s still so much I need to learn."


    I tapped my chest where the cipher hummed, "I got this yesterday. I''m letting it run, and apparently, it''s pretty horrific to most eldritch. After seeing my own mana, I know why now. It''s like a...squirming hydra."


    Florence grinned at me, "I''d expect nothing less from the Harbinger. Come, we''ve much to discuss." The chatty albony wrapped his hands around his new eldritch buddies,


    "Scared or not, we''ve got a plan to show him that we''ve thought up. Chin up. I''m not about to let you both stumble when you''ve put this much work in."


    Amara took a breath or two, "I...Yes. We...shall."


    I doubted it considering how shaken they both were, but Florence gave other Hod a firm pat on the back,


    "You as well. You saved your species from imminent peril. You and the Harbinger have that in common. Go on. Act like it."


    Other Hod stood taller after hearing that. I pointed towards the central elevators, "Come on, let''s go somewhere secure to talk this out."


    We worked our way up to the third floor, finding an empty meeting room. Once there, we sat down. Amara and Other Hod stared at me as if I were a literal demon from hell spawned to devour their souls. Florence took the floor, saving them from themselves,


    "Seeing as how your stature has left them stunned, I shall offer up my skills and speak for them."


    Florence raised his two hands, "I''ll begin by describing a few important details I learned about the vagni and then detailing some important footnotes about the eldritch. These tidbits give context for my follow up for our plan. After discussing the details, we''re open to any suggestions you have for changing the plan going forward."


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    He turned a palm to me and smiled, "Does that sound good?"


    I gave him a nod of approval. Florence snapped his fingers, "Perfect. The first detail revolves around Blegara and their worship of the eldritch. We knew they followed them as their old gods, making sure to offer sacrifices and the like to stronger eldritch. This was supposed to appease them."


    I frowned, "It probably didn''t."


    Florence raised a finger, "And that is what''s most surprising - it did."


    I leaned back, "What?"


    Florence leaned back at the same time, "I know, I too was stunned by that realization. According to Schema, the eldritch are unable to be reasoned with, but my assumptions about them were correct. We''ve all been believing in lies, and this rebellion, along with Amara and Other Hod''s insights have made that clear."


    Heretical outbursts aside, Florence spoke about their pasts with depth. In fact, he might even understand more about Amara and Hod than I did. Florence did that in only two days, their histories unveiled to him. To me, that was damn near awe-inspiring.


    Florence continued, "There are many classifications of eldritch. They carry many shapes, sizes, and forms. They arrive in many different ways as well, and their manifestations are often worshipped by primitive cultures. This is particularly true for cultures where Schema isn''t present before the eldritch arrive. Given Earth''s lateness in arriving in Schema''s universe, I''d imagine your ancient cultures spoke of gods and deities as well?"


    He was right about that. The Greeks worshipped titans and the Olympians alike. Many cultures invented tales that were extensive and far off from reality too. If what Florence said was true, then that wasn''t a mere hunch anymore. It was a fact. I nodded,


    "Yeah. We had all kinds of figures like that."


    "That''s my point exactly. It isn''t as if the eldritch aren''t here then arrive in a single day as Schema would have you believe. They come in a slow, meticulous process from dimensions clashing. It takes time for their forms to materialize from the ambient energy they normally manifest as. At least wherever they come from."


    I frowned at Other Hod and Amara, "Guys, why didn''t you tell me any of this?"


    Other Hod raised a hand, "You never asked."


    I bit my tongue, swallowing my words. Yeah, I never had. I accepted Schema''s status quo because it was easier to do so. I didn''t want to deal with guilt or doubt when I was trying to survive. For the most part, I lacked the time and resources for those second thoughts. That wasn''t the case anymore.


    I winced, "Yeah, you''re right. I should''ve talked to you guys about it."


    Other Hod raised his hands, "I didn''t mean that as a criticism. Why would you want to know about monsters that are trying to kill your kind? We''re natural enemies."


    Florence shrugged, "There are several reasons, actually, and it wasn''t the wisest idea to neglect the two of you as resources for so long. Aside from that, it''s always a smart move to understand one''s enemies."


    Florence met my eye, "Of course, I mean that constructively. You don''t mind my saying that?"


    I shook my head, "Not at all. You''re right."


    Florence raised a fist, "That''s why I''m glad I can help you catch up. I''m actually useful for once. My point is, the eldritch have systems and wants. We can abuse those wants for our plan on Blegara. Amara, tell him what you told me about his mana crystals."


    Amara stayed silent. Florence nudged her, and she sighed,


    "The mana crystals, they look delicious to us."


    I pulled one out of storage, the crystallized quintessence shining white,


    "This looks good? Is it like, I don''t know, candy?"


    Amara drooled. Yup, it was candy.


    I turned to them both, "Why not ask for some, then?"


    Other Hod raised a finger, "That is your flesh and blood, refined into a more palatable form. Asking for an important resource for mere pleasure seemed...absurd."


    Amara''s eyes on her palms narrowed, "He speaks for himself. I never wished to become a pet."


    I tossed her a mana stone, "Don''t think of it like that. You''re both working hard here. Think of this as payment for doing my guild a service. I can give you both some of these as payment since neither of you is that interested in money."


    I tapped my chest with a closed fist, "I do right by my own. If you want something, just ask. At the very least, I''ll consider it."


    Other Hod caught the mana I tossed, and Amara stared at the crystallized mana with the intensity someone starving. He offered her the entire crystal,


    "You''ve worked very, er, hard lately. Here."


    Amara snatched it out of Other Hod''s hand, and he stared on as Amara opened her maw. She put the crystal in her mouth and began sapping out its energy kind of like a giant, mana loaded jawbreaker. Other Hod looked on, envious yet wanting her affection. It was obvious the guy liked her. I tossed another mana stone to Other Hod, and the poor guy rejoiced as he chowed down. Florence raised his eyebrows,


    "They do say that a good leader gives his flesh and blood for those he leads. I see you take that quite literally."


    I shrugged, "I''m just glad I can give them something they actually like. Anyways, what else did you figure out?"


    "Aside from their hunger for mana, it would seem that there exist ancient versions of the eldritch that the vagni worshipped. Considering these are the old gods they worship, they should be the ones we target when tackling Blegara."


    I crossed my arms, "Ahh, that makes sense. If we get their old gods on our side, we get the vagni too."


    "You''ve caught on to my meaning. We''ve learned of several collecting points the eldritch use for accepting sacrifices. The most powerful and well respected of those places sits just several dozen miles from Saphigia. We should be able to lure many of the eldritch into this area using your mana crystals, and by doing so, we will have them within our grasp."


    Florence gestured to the eldritch and me, "It would seem after that, you merely need to terrify the old gods as you have terrified these two."


    Other Hod and Amara ate the mana with looks of bliss spread over their faces, ignoring Florence entirely. I revved up my furnace a bit, and both of them froze in place. After letting it die down, they went back to normal.


    I gave Florence a smirk, "I think I already have the whole terrifying thing down pat."


    Florence scoffed, "It must come naturally. Have you tried looking in a mirror lately?"


    I snapped my fingers, "Dah, it''s the damndest thing. Every time I try, the mirrors just shatter."


    Florence let out a hearty chuckle before giving my shoulder a light punch, "You''re getting wittier. It''s good you''re learning to turn others insults into humor. You''ll win over many if you do so."


    Considering how suave Florence was, I took that advice to heart. The albony spread out his arms, "How does the plan sound?"


    "Solid. The only issue is getting the vagni to actually see their old gods submit. There''s no doubt in my mind that Schema exiled them already, and I don''t think the rebels will let us broadcast that over their system."


    A sly grin crept up on Florence''s face,


    "They wouldn''t do so if offered the choice, certainly."


    He gestured to Amara, "But this eldritch understands Schema''s system and how systems work. She can force the broadcast so that all are present and so that all vagni see the display of might. It will be glorious, along with throwing their civil war into utter disarray."


    My eyes widened, "That''s right. This is... a perfect plan, actually."


    Florence gestured to the two distracted eldritch, "These two stand at the heart of it. I could not have asked for better members to pull the plan together with."


    I nodded, but that was a bold-faced lie. Most people wouldn''t have been able to get Amara talking or Other Hod to focus for more than a few minutes. Florence learned about them, their pasts, the history of the vagni, and pulled it all together into an effective plan. He did all that in two days.


    I was dumbfounded.


    I let my hands flop on my sides, "Why does your family act like you''re some failure? You''re a genius."


    Florence looked up, not taking the compliment well. He raised his hands, "What? No, I just had some talent to work with. That''s all. This wasn''t from me like I just mentioned."


    I rolled my eyes, "Come on, you forgot I''ve worked with these two. Yeah, I could''ve asked them for more advice, but getting them to speak up can be a real pain in the ass. You might as well be their family now."


    Florence turned to the side, coughing into a hand, "I...well, thank you. I appreciate the compliment, regardless of its truthfulness."


    He straightened up, "We''re not finished yet, however. We came forward without really knowing what it was that made the eldritch afraid of you. Even if these two feel something sinister, neither could pin down exactly what it was. It was just a feeling."


    I raised a hand, pointing behind me with a thumb, "Oh, I learned that yesterday. I trained with Helios to learn about elemental furnaces. He explained his mana sense to me, and that got me thinking about it. I meditated some, ended up learning the skill on accident, and I saw my mana."


    I frowned, "That''s what''s horrifying them. They might not have known the terms for what it was, but it''s pretty obvious to anyone that can sense mana."


    Florence stared at me in awe, "Now I am the one who''s surprised. How did you get Helios to explain his mana sense to you? In all my years of knowing him, Helios never uncovered that part of himself to me. I work off assumptions about him instead."


    I furrowed my brow, "What? Seriously? I just asked."


    Florence frowned, "Ah...I see. The distance between my brother and I is greater than I imagined."


    "Why don''t you think he''d tell you?"


    A sad smile formed over Florence''s face, "There are many reasons I suppose. For one, Helios calculates his every move. Telling me about his senses exposes himself, and that''s not something he does lightly. Even more important than that, I believe the heart of the issue lies in how our family operates."


    Florence raised a hand, "We decide each other''s worth based upon respect. Unfortunately, combat ability garners much of that respect. Industriousness and work ethic may allow for greater placement as well, but I wish to work in areas that lack practical use. Therefore, I lack in many regards, so I am looked down upon."


    Florence squeezed a hand into a fist, staring at it, "And Helios is not only gifted in combat. He is gifted at efficiency and warping as well. Those are rare skills, and he uses them to the fullest. In those areas, I cannot compare, and in many ways, he is a true mystery to me. I understand most people, but he remains ambiguous."


    I felt bad for the guy as he continued,


    "I crave his respect for those reasons and more, but Helios has scorned me since birth. It could''ve been from his upbringing. He is blind, and he was mocked and jeered for that trait many times. Children can be cruel at the best of times in that way. Still, Helios pushed past that disability, and he rose far above those that once taunted him."


    Florence nodded slowly, "In many ways, it is ironic. He lives in darkness, yet to many, he shines brightly. For that perseverance in the face of adversity, I respect him more than he will ever know. I wish to one day be able to tell him that."


    Florence met my eye, "But my history has left me estranged from my family. Perhaps that is why I''m enjoying my time here so much. This is more a family to me than my own."


    He blinked before Florence recognized what he was saying. He swung his head back and forth before saying in a more upbeat tone,


    "Excuse me for that. I have no idea why I''m telling you all this. Are you using some of Torix''s mind magic on me, perhaps?"


    I shook my head, "I think you just needed someone to hear it."


    Florence turned to Hod and Amara, "Maybe so. These two are too busy eating mana to even hear us."


    They were finishing the mana, neither even aware of us. I raised a hand, trying to change the conversation,


    "Ah, now I know a way to make Hod quiet."


    Florence spread his arms, "Now that, that is genius."


    We spent a few minutes discussing the specifics of the plan, along with arranging a few details. Amara needed a few days to establish herself into the rebel''s system, and doing so required her to be on an Elysium ruled world. Getting that done would be a real hurdle to overcome, but we had the people and tools to get it done.


    We''d need to save that for another time. I made sure to draft up a few initial thoughts about their plan along with its contents. After sending it to some relevant parties, I took my leave. As I did, Florence scuttled away from Hod and Amara. He caught up to me, grabbing my shoulder,


    "One last thing."


    I winced, "What''s up?"


    He scoffed, "It won''t be about my brother or family."


    I let out a sigh of relief as Florence leaned close, "You must''ve noticed, but Hod is stricken with Amara, both sides of him, in fact."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You don''t say?"


    "If it may interfere with a mission, then simply deny me this favor. Could you try to keep their assignments intertwined? Amara has yet to relish in Hod''s company, but perhaps some time together would change that. I think they''d be lovely together."


    I raised my brow, "So when did you become a matchmaker?"


    He pulled back, "When I heard how difficult it was for Hod to communicate. You could do this, right?"


    I raised a fist, "Yeah."


    He gave me a pat on the back, "Thanks. Good luck with Ophelia. She''s a handful."


    With the situation situated, I made my way to Diesel''s place. I passed the bottom floor''s elevator, walking through the underground streets lit by lamplight. In his cranny of the cavern, Diesel was leaving home while waving bye to his lady,


    "I''ll be back in the morning. See you."


    She reached out, "Stay safe, and I love you. It''s dangerous out there."


    "Quit worrying so much...And yeah, love you too."


    Diesel reached me before tapping my elbow. It let out a metallic ring, "Besides, this big lug will keep me safe."


    Melissa gave me a sharp stare, "You sure? He looks pretty shady to me."


    I gave her a thumbs-up, "That''s only because its nighttime outside."


    Melissa put her hands on her hips, "I can never tell what time it is when we''re in here. Both of you, have a good day at work. I''ll have breakfast ready when you come back."


    We walked off, and I turned to him, "She actually cooks? Woah."


    He nodded, "Yeah, she really likes it. Before the change, her family wanted her to be a lawyer. That profession is, uh, a lot harder to come by these days."


    Diesel blinked a few times, "It''s crazy, but all those years of schooling turned out to be totally useless. I guess it wasn''t all bad. She never enjoyed studying for the most part. She has time to raise a family now. You know, make a home."


    Diesel shook his head in disbelief, "You know she actually wakes up early so that she can make me breakfast every day? I don''t know what I did to deserve her."


    I scoffed, "Pshhh, nothing. You got lucky."


    Diesel looked forward, "Yeah, you''re damn right. I do worry she''s sometimes settling. I know she''s smart. Very smart. I don''t want her to feel like she can''t do what she wants because of me."


    I lifted us both up, Diesel used to gravitational flight at this point. I shook my head,


    "I''ve seen the way she looks at you, man. She''s in a good place."


    "Thanks. I''ll try to keep my worries outside my work."


    "You and me both."


    We got to the new work stations, everybody going ham on the golem project. Something about working with all these new technologies got everybody excited, and that fervor saturated the air around them. A pang of jealousy ran up my spine as Diesel joined them for work while I walked off to learn primordial mana.


    Duty was a strange thing sometimes.


    I floated myself up to Chrona''s house, though it was more like a series of landing pads near a rocky cove. When I got there, Ophelia and Chrona were already talking. Chrona kept the conversation going on an opened telepathic wave, so I heard everything.


    "Your sculptures are beautiful. I still can''t believe you can use them to play music. You''re like an ice band or something." Ophelia said.


    Chrona flushed, her smooth, silver skin reddening, "What? Stop it. I''m just a hatchling when compared to true masters."


    "Do you all just sit around and make sculptures all day? I couldn''t imagine someone being better than you already are without an awful amount of practice."


    "In all honesty, that isn''t as far from the truth as you may first envision. We gialgathens are not an industrious, working species. We grew fat on the espen''s bondage, and once that lifeline snapped, our days of leisure ended. Now we work for the Harbinger, and he demands efficiency and labor."


    Chrona stared up, "It is no bad thing, I think. I''ve found joy in my work now, and that isn''t something I could say before."


    Ophelia leaned over on a table made of rock crabs, "I wish I could do that. I hate working. It''s so boring, and none of it seems to do anything."


    Chrona tilted her head, "Perhaps you should simply find different work then?"


    "Girl, that''s what I''m here for."


    I hovered over, kind of stunned they were chatting away like this. Ophelia turned to me, saying aloud, "Oh, look who''s arrived." Ophelia kicked the table of stone crabs,


    "I learned how to use the rings. They look silly, ridiculous, and ugly...but yeah, they work. A deals a deal, so I''m here."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Perfect. Let me know if you need anything with them. I can adjust them if they don''t work right."


    Ophelia leaned onto her hand, looking bored. She lifted her other hand, spraying crabs onto the flattened earth,


    "Nope, they work just the way you said."


    Chrona wrapped her tail around the crustaceans, picking them up and putting them in her jaws. She crunched down, telepathizing,


    "Your generated creatures often taste of sand and bark. These, however, are truly delicious. I''ve no idea why they are so...lifelike, but the taste is something to envy."


    I didn''t know whether to be grateful or insulted. Either way, I pointed at them,


    "Glad you like them. Let''s get this show started."


    Ophelia got us ready by introducing me to a few exercises for controlling mana. They involved simple movements of magic that required some technique to get them right. One was clapping two stones. The other was telekinetically juggling them¡ªthe last involved making two halos of water, one smaller than the other. I then made them rotate like a gyroscope, one reversing the spin of the other.


    That one actually impressed Ophelia. On the other hand, Chrona stayed relaxed the entire time, not worried about warming up at all. I figured I could use all the help I could get, so I finished all the warm-ups. After completing the drills, Ophelia lifted a hand, creating an orb of dark blue mana,


    "This is primordial energy. It''s a mix of dominion and origin mana, and generally speaking, it''s all about absolute control. Origin mana lets you make things and energies. You can''t choose the personality of what you create, however. The same could be said for dominion mana. Sure, you can control whoever or whatever you want, but you don''t get to decide what you''re controlling. It has to already be there."


    A sly grin grew under her mask, "Primordial mana doesn''t have that limitation. You can craft the mind you want to make then put it in the body of your choosing with this stuff. Some people have a natural affinity for it as I do. Other people want to come in and learn it, kind of like you."


    She frowned, "Yeah, that doesn''t work out often."


    I lifted my hands, creating spheres of quintessence and ascendant mana above each,


    "Eh, it worked twice."


    Ophelia propped her weight onto one leg, "That doesn''t mean it will work a third time. Either way, it''s going to take a few years to really get this down pat, but I''m only going to stay here for three months. After that, you''re on your own. Capeesh?"


    Eh, that seemed fair.


    Ophelia clapped her hands, "So we''ll start with a few conceptualization exercises my teachers taught us in school. After that, you''ll be meditating on your own for a while. You know, reflecting on what you learned and stuff."


    Ophelia gestured to Chrona, "Since you have two primordial masters here, we''ll both be giving you tips and tricks. That should help even if you''re as much of a knucklehead as I think you are."


    Chrona turned to Ophelia, and the gialgathen thought over,


    "He''s far more able than you may first imagine. I was put off by his fighting and appearance at first as well. I learned the folly of my ways, and now I serve under him. You may as well, one day, so I''d advise watching your words."


    Ophelia pointed at Chrona, "Yeah, not gonna happen, but thanks for the advice either way. So, I''ll start by letting you know what I thought of to make primordial mana the first time. For me, it was envisioning a simple concept - parenting."


    Parenting, huh? I wasn''t following, but I didn''t interrupt her lecture.


    "Yeah, I know what you''re thinking, ''What? Parenting? That''s ridiculous. I need magic to blow stuff up.'' That''s what I think you''re thinking, at least. Either way, think about it like this."


    She lifted a hand, origin mana appearing over her palm, "Origin mana is like...a free-spirited, go with the flow mom. She doesn''t think about the consequences and just lets go of all her worries and cares."


    She lifted her other hand, dominion mana spawning over it, "Dominion mana is like the stern father, and he really, really cares. He wants to make sure that his child is successful, and he controls his child''s environment until that happens. Some might say he''s tyrannical, and maybe he is, but he just wants what''s best for his child. Well, if it makes him look good."


    Ophelia pushed the mana orbs together, "And that''s where primordial energy comes in. Those two parents, they balance each other out. Primordial mana wants the very best for whatever it makes, but it doesn''t want its creations going crazy either. When I make primordial mana, that''s what I think of myself as, two insane parents that come together in perfect harmony."


    Ophelia shrugged, "Thats just me. What about you, Chrona?"


    Chrona looked up at the stars, "Primordial mana? Hmm. I think of it differently. We gialgathens have little time with our parents as we are powerful the moment we leave our egg. That analogy was lost on me."


    My dad was a real piece of work, and my mom passed away when I was young. The analogy was kind of lost on me too. Chrona thought out loud,


    "This mana, it is a way of crafting my own world. I can build whatever I desire with it, and that is its true essence. It is the mana of a creator, one that wishes to craft their own world in their palm. It cannot be any world, but one that you truly wish for."


    Chrona met my eye, "How you wish to enact your ideal world is important, however. You must think of making an environment you want, not changing yourself to suit what''s around you."


    I frowned, "Man, these are tough examples to go off of. If something doesn''t work out for me, I don''t like blaming my circumstances. It makes me feel helpless, and I''d rather blame myself, even if it wasn''t my fault. At least I can change something then."


    Chrona lifted her tail, pointing at me, "That''s precisely my point. You must understand that your surroundings are under your control, even if only feebly. A primordial mage grips at those connections and uses them to their fullest potential. Eventually, those feeble beginnings may blossom into absolute control, over time."


    Ophelia looked up at Chrona, "Hey, that was really well said. You should do this for a living."


    Chrona shook her head, "I know of a professor, and his life is not one I wish to emulate. I''d rather focus on my music, sculpting, and sparring. Those pursuits sustain me."


    Ophelia nodded, "Girl, I totally agree."


    Chrona must''ve been talking about Torix. I guess his workload was pretty severe when compared to most. Thinking about their lessons, I sat down with my legs crossed. I rolled my shoulders, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. As I went into a zen state of mind, Ophelia went back and sat down on her table of interlocked, stone crabs.


    She pulled out her obelisk, scrolling through something similar to Facebook. Chrona wrapped her tail around herself, setting her head on it. She got in a little cat nap as I began my practice. To begin, I envisioned something like the parents Ophelia mentioned. I thought of my mom, and I couldn''t remember her face.


    A pang of guilt sliced through my chest, and I winced. I wished my skills and enhanced memories worked for older events in my life. I ended up moving on to my dad. Anytime I brought him up in my mind, a fight or flight response kicked up. I tightened my hands, my knuckles prominent on my fists.


    A deep, built-in fear sprung up from just remembering the guy. He was a complete asshole, and his ego needed so much pampering that it might as well have been royalty. If he wasn''t belittling someone else in a conversation, he considered the other person an enemy. I never wanted to be like that.


    Yeah, the whole parent thing wasn''t going to work out.


    I moved on, trying out Chrona''s method. The first step involved trying to think of something in my palm, a world perhaps. I expanded my awareness around me, mana siphoning from my furnace. Without my other senses bothering me, I viewed the world through mana.


    Wielding that mana, I tried to bend the world''s mana instead of my own. It rejected me utterly, the foreign entity resisting my control. Rolling my shoulders, I tried again. Bending nature by using my own energy took little effort, but actually enacting orders to it without using force, that was something much, much harder.


    After a dozen attempts, I took this as a personal attack. At this point, the universe might as well have been mocking me. I wasn''t about to let it win. Over and over, I attempted to grasp this external mana. Over and over, I failed. It became a point of contention and doubt for me. Was wielding primordial mana even possible for me?


    I mean, Chrona wielded the space around her to warp time. Ophelia grafted external mana sources with minds to do her bidding. I only used my own energy, and everything else was cut off. I facepalmed. That''s right. I was a dimension. Instead of grasping at this other universe''s mana, I grabbed at my own.


    It shifted, bending with fluid grace. The colors of it turned into black, blue, orange, red, and white. The shifting expanse danced around me, pleased to be of use. The sheer difference in pliability was like steel and stone versus playdough and puddles. One resisted with an iron will, and the other shifted to the touch, resisting little if at all.


    It didn''t seem like primordial mana, however. It was just me bending the mana I made to my will like normal. After a bit of brainstorming, an idea popped into my head. Using my furnace, I gave it a jolt of mana. It was enough to make another one of those mindless monstrosities. Once it formed, I wrestled with the arcane beast until it submitted to my will.


    After doing so, I expunged the thing from my body and mind. A jinn of sorts spawned, one of chaotic temperament and with a destructive nature. It remained formless, invisible to other''s eyes. I reached out a hand, ensuring a telepathic link remained between us. That connection served as shackles so this thing couldn''t run wild.


    With an experimental monster in front of me, I began molding it. It resisted at first, not wanting to take a form. It was kind of like a baby crying right after birth. It didn''t want to experience the dramatic shift that came with coming to life. Despite that, the spirit yielded to my tampering eventually after I bribed it with some mana.


    That was a useful trick I learned from Hod and Amara. Who knew how helpful it would be in the future.


    At first, the jinn''s mind and body had no form whatsoever. If anything, the only reason it even maintained a form was that I held it together. Otherwise, it was eager to spill out into the world around it. I needed this damn kamikaze to have a survival instinct so that I could work with it on any reasonable level.


    That goal guided me as I attempted to make a mind with origin mana. A random, primitive entity spawned. Calling it a conscious would be an insult to the word but a compliment to this primal being. It worked for now. Planting this baseline series of thoughts, I swelled the jinn into the mind. The tiny entity went insane, the little being unable to handle the onslaught of madness.


    As it died, I frowned. Man, working with this kind of magic was for the cold-hearted. I''d have to be the same. I settled myself down, steeling myself for what was to come. This experiment repeated several dozen times, and I kept at it since creating a raw consciousness was beyond me. Using the mana from the furnace would skip a lot of steps, and it worked with my temperament better anyways.


    The restless furnace spirits would act as filler for the tiny beings I made. Once grafted together, I could bend the Frankenstein minds into what I wanted. It was hard, arduous work, however, and I showed no talent in this. As my progress stalled, I kept at it despite the natural resistance I was facing. I didn''t want to quit now.


    This was the most opposite kind of work I was used to as far as magic was concerned. Struggle, plateaus, and difficulty came with the new territory, so I took it all in with a smile. Once more, this was a fight I wanted to win. If I came out bloody and beaten on the other side, then that was a price I''d pay willingly.


    And pay I did. Creating tiny, helpless minds and killing them took its toll on me. I splintered their souls, taking my time to try and make the assimilation work. This kind of tampering suited Torix, but it made me want to vomit. At the same time, this kind of price was something I expected. Primordial mana was ugly, and that meant something equally unsettling would be required to make it.


    I resigned myself to this strange part of magic as I continued, on and on.


    By the time morning arrived, my frustrations mounted. It reminded me of what I tried doing before with Chrona, the process just not budging no matter how hard I worked. I took a deep breath, pretending all of my anger and negativity was pooling in my chest. As I breathed out, I let all that irritation go.


    Feeling lighter, I stood up before cracking my neck. The sound echoed a bit, waking Chrona up from her nap. Ophelia didn''t hear at all since she left hours ago. She did what I needed her to do, so I wasn''t precisely sour about her spending her time elsewhere. My remaining mentor didn''t waste much time either, and she rubbed her eyes with her tail as she said,


    "Ah, Daniel, it''s good to see you. Did your mental exercises pay off?"


    I shook my head, "Not yet, and I expected as much. Sometimes, things are hard and difficult. This happens to be one of those times."


    She grinned, "Persevere then, as you always have."


    I smiled back, reaching out a hand. I made some cool mist around Chrona, and she laughed,


    "Hah, thank you. Your planet''s not as humid as Giess. This reminds me of home."


    "That''s good. You''ve got a few more days off, so soak them in. We''ll be fighting in a new world soon."


    "Then I will be ready when that time comes. Good luck."


    I left her sleeping, the silver gialgathen adjusting to Earth quickly. As I passed by the golem work stations, work died down, the engineers tired from a long night''s work. I picked Diesel up and dropped him off, the guy less talkative than average from sheer exhaustion. He yawned in front of his house, waving goodbye,


    "That was a long day. We''ve got a lot left to do."


    Leaving him, I remembered the other half of Ophelia''s job. This next night, I intended to let her know when I had enough tips to work on. Once that point was established, she''d have to go to the workstations to help out.


    I sent that message to Ophelia before I forgot. With the details handled, I sat outside of my suite, a sort of stone porch available to me. I channeled mana with my furnace, and the energy coursed through me. I fell into the same kind of meditation, my mind centered on progress. Ignoring everything around me, this continued for an hour.


    Interrupting my trance, Torix arrived before anyone else awakened. He stomped up to me, his hands raised,


    "Daniel, you must answer the messages I send, else there''s no reason for a messaging system whatsoever."


    I shook my head, standing up, "Sorry. I was working with my furnace. What do you need?"


    He raised his hands, his entire being radiating alarm, "There''s something of importance I must tell you. Don''t panic when I do."


    I opened my eyes, my concern mounting, "Just tell me Torix."


    "I...I believe that Elysium has found Earth."

 276 Know Thy Enemy

    I narrowed my eyes, "Have they found our guild?"


    "No, I don''t believe they have. We''re rather fortunate that Elysium only recently established a camp far south of here, hundreds of miles away."


    I put my hands on my hips, impressed Torix knew that,


    "How did you figure something like that out? We don''t have that kind of reach."


    Torix raised a hand, "We didn''t, though that glaring weakness has changed as of late. That advanced obelisk has given me far more time to use elsewhere, and I''ve been spending that time expanding our information network. After all, our most egregious issue is Lehesion assaulting Mt. Verner or Earth in general."


    Torix spread out his arms, "I am not wholly unaware of this fault, and I aim to rectify it. You shall act as our sword and shield should he arrive. Before then, I shall act as our eyes and ears so that we may evade him before that fateful moment."


    I let out a deep sigh, "Torix, thank you. You can''t know how much better this makes me feel about our situation."


    He put a hand on my shoulder, "Oh, I believe I do. I''ve dreamed of establishing a university since my younger years, and this is the beginning of that vision. To see it be laid to waste by a juggernaut of magic, that...that would be hard to bear."


    He let his hand drop, "So I decided not to bear it at all. I''ve been planting spies in all directions, and they''ve given me valuable insights into nearby areas. One of those spies informed me that a Hybrid was spotted several hundred miles south of here."


    I raised my brow, "Damn, this is impressive."


    Torix waved a hand, "This is nothing. My programs are merely bearing fruit as it where, and now we may enjoy the harvest."


    I lifted a hand, "That''s good to know. Was there anything else the spy reported back?"


    "Indeed, there was. Our spy circled the Elysian encampment, giving us its exact coordinates. I''ve yet to attack as I didn''t want them to know opposition was planted here on Earth. Just as well, I''ve gained a few insights into Elysium establishments."


    "Are they spreading silver territories and blighting the local populace like normal?"


    "Quite the opposite. I suppose the first point requires context given your presumptions. Most earthen camps are...primitive at the moment. Though Mt. Verner is a well of prosperity for nearby areas, other regions wallow in abject poverty, struggling to contain the eldritch nearby."


    I frowned, remembering the few villages I checked out a while back. The situation wasn''t getting better without some intervention. Torix continued,


    "In many ways, the Elysium camp is the opposite of Schema''s encampments. Schema only offers certain services to those that prove themselves. The Elysians do the opposite, granting Hybrid guards and protection to those most helpless. They also offer to enlist any that are willing to abandon Schema''s system."


    Torix shook his head, "I will admit, for anyone new to Schema''s system, the rebels offer of training, protection, and an eventual Hybrid are alluring. It makes Schema seem barbaric by comparison. The Adairs even offer assistance to those that refuse to join their cause. How they can offer up these kinds of resources, I do not know. It is a fact they do it, however."


    I raised my eyebrows, "It doesn''t really matter how they do it, does it? If anything, that''s more like what our guild does than what Schema''s doing. It makes more sense why worlds are rebelling if that''s what a standard camp is like. They sound pretty helpful, actually."


    "Indeed. It bodes poorly for Schema''s immediate future."


    I snapped my fingers, "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, do they have a warp there?"


    "I couldn''t believe it when the scout gave us the info, but yes, they in fact do. Why do you ask?"


    "Florence planned out something with Amara and Hod. They want to subjugate the eldritch on the vagni''s homeworld so that we can cripple the rebellion on Blegara."


    "It''s a fine idea, though executing on that sounds more than merely difficult. It would save us an immeasurable amount of resources should it succeed, however."


    I pointed up, "He needs Amara to establish a link to Elysium''s system, and that should only take a few days of being on an Elysian world. This camp might be our ticket into their domain."


    Torix tilted his head, "Ah. We may turn this blunder into a boon then, the tides turned as they say. Perhaps we could organize some sort of supporting force to keep Amara safe on her departure, and that would allow us to learn about Elysium as well."


    Torix gave a nod of approval, "This is a good idea, though perhaps a touch risky. Florence, was it? He''s more talented than his family believes I take it?"


    I shook my head, "Yeah, they treat him like he''s garbage. He can''t fight at all, but he''s got good planning, researching, and he makes friends fast. I just need to put him in the right position, and he''s damn good at what he does."


    Torix threw his hand in disgust, "I understand his problems all too well. As you know, I''m gifted at mind magic, necromancy, and many incantations. On my homeworld, Xanathar, I was hated by my family after enacting revenge on a rival family. The only reason I was driven so far was the distaste my own kin held for me."


    Torix raised a hand with two fingers pressed together, "They chose not to acknowledge my talents, nor to help me foster them. Because of that disconnect, I was intelligent but without wisdom. That is what the old in society act as - transmitters of experience. They take the raw passion of the young and temper it with their advice and instruction."


    Torix crossed his arms, "But the elderly can often be blinded by arrogance and constant comparison. Families will throw away the gifts of their children if those gifts do not fit comfortably into standard ideas of right and wrong. It is the failing of an aged generation when the youth aren''t allowed to prosper."


    Torix sighed, staring down, "That is what befell me. I...I lacked any guidance, and I fell into dark waters because of it. It''s good you''re giving Florence a place to shine before he fell into those very same circumstances."


    I smiled, "Thanks. I don''t know if I could say the same for me, though. I know I wasn''t going to be successful in my own world before Schema arrived. My skills didn''t line up. It just took a little luck going my way, and all of a sudden, I felt motivated and unstoppable."


    I stared off in the distance, "Maybe circumstances play more into our success than we think? It''s a scary thought."


    "I understand the sentiment, and here is how I rationalize my fear. You see, opportunity is a fickle mistress. One day she shall shine on you with radiance. Other days she shall gaze away at all of your attempts to gather her attention. In that case, I think the most important practice is persistence. With persistence, one can one be in the right place at the right time when opportunity arrives."


    Torix''s eyes shifted red, "Otherwise, you would surely be caught without the means to press your advantage. It reminds me of killing a rival. One must have their knife sharpened for when your enemy exposes their neck. Otherwise, the blade will lack the edge to cut skin and sinew."


    I frowned, "Good tips, though a little grim. Maybe it''s kind of like steering ship? It takes some serious time to turn a seafaring vessel all the way around. Destiny and all that might be similar. It just takes time for your decisions to fully manifest."


    Torix shrugged, "It''s as good a theory as any. Regardless, what kind of team do you think we need for Florence''s plan? Would you be joining them, perhaps?"


    I raised my palms, "I''m as subtle as a jackhammer at a tea-party. We need people who actually look normal. Otherwise, they''ll figure out what we''re trying to do right away."


    "Fair point. I''m trying to think through my various students, and one does come to mind who fits the bill."


    "Who?"


    "Alexander. He''s the arcane mage you demonstrated pain tolerance to. He took that lesson to heart, and he''s forged himself into a potent mage since."


    I raised my brow, "You sure he could handle Hybrids?"


    "He most certainly could not, but he wouldn''t be alone. Though Amara is by no means comparable to us, she is strong relative to most. She may help in her own defense."


    I cupped my chin, "Huh, what about Althea and Hod? I bet they could tail behind them and keep them both safe."


    Torix''s fire eyes flared, "Excellent idea. They''re quite experienced in reconnaissance. Their experience would help Alexander and Amara quite a bit. I do worry about Alexander''s experience, however."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He lacks any mundane, worldly experience. He was young when the system first arrived, and since then, he was a part of Springfield during Yawm''s coming. Now he''s spent years on Mt. Verner, and he''s never traveled before now."


    I crossed my arms, "So he needs a guide to help him out. I might know some people who could help."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "Perfect. I wouldn''t want one of my star pupils to be killed on his first outing. Who do you have in mind?"


    "Eh, it''s a group for one, and they clear dungeons for a living. None of the people I''m thinking about stand out too much either. I think they''ll be perfect."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Torix leaned back, "Perhaps they''re unusually competent then? I know most of the dungeon clearing corps. They are...rough around the edges to put it kindly."


    I put a hand on Torix''s shoulder, "They''re not geniuses or anything, but they''re the best normal people we''ve got for the job."


    Torix''s shoulders drooped, "Why do I feel as though you''re sending one of my best disciples away with a group of ruffians?"


    "Because I am, but don''t worry. They''ll get along great, and these guys know how normal people work. Let''s be honest, we don''t."


    Torix sighed, "True. Perhaps we may meet with these rapscallions on Saturday morning then?"


    I shook my head, "They''ll be too hungover to even stand up."


    Torix facepalmed, "What have I agreed to?"


    I grinned, "A great idea."


    -Phil Williamson-


    I sat at the dining room table, a cold draft sauntering in like the echoes of some bad memory. An eldritch tore a hole in the kitchen wall, and the entire lower floor chilled at nights because of it. Every time that wind cooled the back of my neck, it was like a whip across my back.


    I failed my family.


    No one else at the table said anything about that night, but we all understood what it meant. Before long, we would all have to leave the house. It was falling apart anyway, but not having at least walls between the monsters and us...that thought haunted even me, and I was the one fighting them. I could only imagine what the others must have been thinking.


    Margret was hit worst by it all. She always struggled with anxiety, but we handled it together, even when times were hard. Nowadays, my wife was having a mental breakdown day in and day out. She would often daydream before, and I loved that about her. She was so full of hope. Since the culling, she''d struggled to transition to this new way of life. Now she wallowed in memories from a bygone era, and she could hardly contribute at all.


    Jason picked up the slack, but he struggled like I did. I loved the boy, and he was becoming a man. At the same time, he couldn''t cook like Margret, and he sure as hell couldn''t give the same kind of comfort. She held us together with the way she painted pictures of a better life. Without that, we were losing hope and fast.


    It wasn''t all bad. Jason and I learned to appreciate each other in these trying times. That was probably because we were the only two people we had left. As I raised a spoon to Margret''s mouth, that became evident. An eldritch tore into the house and grabbed her, screaming in her face. It stared down into her eyes, and it left her entire mind scrambled like eggs.


    I was the one that let it in because I fell asleep on the night shift. Every mealtime since, I fed her. I tended to her every need, and guilt tore into my mind each and every time she needed my help.


    That pain, I deserved it.


    Jason already forgave me. He said it was just a part of this new world we were put in, and that making mistakes was a part of being human. I was proud of him when he said that, but I couldn''t accept his words of encouragement. I should have done more. I could''ve done more, but I let laziness creep in along with a cunning doubt.


    Fighting every night wore me down over these past few months. The monsters were becoming stronger, and the level ups were far and few between. The doubt, however, was far more insidious. We hadn''t gotten a beam of hope in so long. Sally was gone, and as I fed Margret, I couldn''t help but feel she was gone too.


    Her eyes stared forward with a blank stare, and it hurt me to look at her. I had too, though. She was a burden I deserved, and I''d carry it willingly. That''s what a man did. They owned up to their responsibilities, and if feeling this pain was what I deserved, I accepted it without complaint.


    Jason lacked that regret as he ate his slop, scarfing it down with the kind of hunger that comes from being a growing boy. I wished I had meat to give him, but there just wasn''t much wildlife in the forests these days. We both agreed not to eat monster meat, even if it looked mighty tempting sometimes. I salivated at the thought of it, imagining a fresh steak with pepper and salt. If only.


    A bang echoed from the woods, jolting us out of our dinner.


    I set the spoon down onto Margret''s plate, and I stood up from our dining room table. Jason stood up with me, but I raised a palm to him,


    "You know what these monsters will do to you."


    Jason stared at the hollowed eyes of his mother, and the boy sat down. I turned and walked out of the house, a screen door clapping behind me. As I stepped onto our farm, I grabbed my nailed club from the porch. Staring around, I found eyes in the distance, this time each of them beady and lifeless.


    I pounded my chest with my fist,


    "Come and get me, you filthy monsters."


    My yelling might attract more of them, but I didn''t want these ones to find Jason and Margret in the house. It would be too much to find another member of my family hurt or worse. A pack of skittering insects ran out of the forest. They were like scorpions with eyes at the end of their tails, along with stingers. Their legs curled up, letting them spring forward in great leaps, and their beady eyes sat as massive orbs on their tails.


    I shivered at the sight of them. They looked like harbingers of death, but I waved my club in my hand, ready to go at em. They scuttled towards me, trying to encircle my position. I already knew that was coming. As the first scorpion scuttled off to my side, I darted sideways. The ground cracked under my heels as I shot towards the beast. It leaped back, escaping my first swing.


    I followed the momentum of my swing, doing a spin. I viewed it again, and I chunked my club at the beast, the metal clobbering through its shell. It cracked into a spray of brown ooze, a putrid stench spreading from its wounds.


    The other bugs hopped at me as I sprinted forward to my club. They leaped at me, but I darted sideways, jumping back and forth. The scorpions tackled into the ground, ruining patches of crops as they did. I reached the corpse I clobbered as one of the crawlers pounced at my back.


    I ripped the club from its body, turning towards the insect lunging through the air. I splattered it across our farmland, its corpse exploding from the pressure of impact. Three scorpions remained, each of them warier now that I took out two so quickly. Their mandibles drooled at the sight of me, however, so I charged towards them. I found that attacking first gave me an advantage.


    As I reached them, they grouped up together. Using their claws and stingers, they rained down a spray of attacks on me. I parried several snaps of their pincers and stings from their tails before one of them nicked me in the arm. A fire like radiance spread from the wound as I fell back. Their teamwork made up for my better physicality, and before I knew it, my left arm went numb. Holding my bludgeon in my right arm, I swung at the scorpions while howling,


    "Back. Back. I said back."


    They pressured me until I was at the edge of the house. I heaved for breath, the venom spreading to my chest. Sweat dripped down my forehead as the scorpions kept snipping at me. They pursued with the relentlessness common to their kind. I cursed them as my backfoot stepped onto my porch.


    From inside, Jason shouted, "Dad, are you ok?"


    I roared back, "Stay inside and be quiet. I''ll handle this."


    Jason stared on, fear in his eyes. The scorpions stopped attacking, pulling back. As they did, they inspected the house and my heavy breathing. A few seconds passed before they split their tails into three parts apiece. After interweaving those tendrils together, a voice echoed from their combined minds. It was raspy and snakelike, the sound unsettling,


    "I see you are the guardian of this place, a sheep who guards the other sheep here."


    I narrowed my eyes, "And what of it?"


    "Do you love those that are in there? We will eat them unless you surrender now."


    The eldritch never stopped eating, and I didn''t believe them for a second,


    "You won''t be getting near them unless it''s over my dead body."


    "Then let it be so."


    Their tails split back apart, and they continued their onslaught of attacks. I parried two more clamping claws, and I smashed one of their arms into the ground. A tail slit my forearm as I did. I hit two more stinger swipes sideways before kicking one of their skulls in, but another stinger pierced into my thigh, the wound deep.


    I ended up tearing two of their bottom claws out, but they nicked me three more times. At this point, two more scorpions remained, and they waited for me to pass out. As they did, blood dripped from me like I was a walking wound. My nose ran, and my eyes teared up. I made one last swing before falling down, unable to move.


    I lost.


    The scorpions ran up to me, their mandibles jittering about in a frenzy. They stopped short of my face, however. I watched as they stormed the house, tearing through the defenses we set up. Dread welled in my belly while wood cracked under their claws like ice blocks under a hammer. After many minutes of struggle, they pulled Margret and Jason out of our house.


    I watched as the scorpions pulled me upright. They threw my family in front of me, both of them struggling to stay alive. Jason wept, his eyes bloodshot. Margret stayed listless, her expression indifferent. I wished I could do the same. The scorpions interwove their tails again, and the same voice echoed out,


    "Now watch them be devoured, as was our promise from before. This fault is your own."


    I wanted to shout, but no words left my mouth. It was as if I was trapped inside my body, unable to vent my frustration, hatred, and anger. It pooled inside me, forging my mind like a furnace. I hated these monsters. I hated the eldritch. I hated this new world we found ourselves in.


    Day after day, month after month, we lost everything. My faith in myself was gone, along with any self-respect and dignity. I didn''t need those things. I needed Jason and Margret. Without them, I was nothing. It would be worse than dying. It would be torture.


    The abominations grabbed Margret first, my highschool sweetheart now weeping. The wind whistled in the trees, and my own eyes watered. A scorpion held her upright while the other one opened its mandibles wide. Brown, disgusting drool leaked from the monster, and its mouth was like a thousand branches ending in thorns.


    They neared Margret''s face. I watched in horror as a mandible made contact with her cheek. It cut through her soft skin, blood leaking out. Several more mandibles sliced into her face, and I screamed inside. It was a wail I''d never imagine I could make, a lamentation from deep within.


    An alien, crackling sound echoed from the trees. The scorpions glanced at it, their mealtime interrupted. I prayed another eldritch would fight them. Instead, a mechanized horror strutted out of the trees. It was an all too familiar sight, but I never imagined I''d see one in person.


    It stood tall, over ten feet high with writhing hands. Orange pustules pulsed over its corded frame. The being left quakes in the ground as it stomped forward. Trees nearby shook with violence at its passing, and the monster''s eyeless frame unsettled even the eldritch.


    The scorpions locked eyes with the Hybrid, and so did I. We all stared at this new threat, each of us far too weak to fight something like this off. We were all going to die. This endless moment right before chaos broke loose, it stretched on for an eternity. In the pits of my chest, I dreaded the being in front of me. It was one of the only ways to die that was even worse than by these scorpions.


    The Hybrid moved first. It dashed across our farm, laying waste to the ground near it. The scorpions released Margret, racing away. As the Hybrid stomped towards us, I screamed in my mind, terrified of this abomination. It got near Jason, and cords unveiled from its frame like branches from a tree. These cords ended in metallic blades, ready to pierce their victim.


    I watched in horror as it passed Jason entirely.


    The Hybrid shot into the forest, catching the scorpions. The bugs wallowed and thundered out in agony, their sickening cackles only outdid by the sounds of their bodies being consumed. As the siphoning process ended, the Hybrid skulked out of the forest. It stumbled, its body swollen with the remains of the eldritch.


    It walked up to us, getting to the middle of our family. It stayed there, watching us from all directions. We remained petrified in place, unable to so much as move. A half-hour passed, my heart almost bursting in my chest as it stayed this close.


    Another rustle echoed from the trees. An espen walked out of the forest, the alien comfortable here on Earth. I only knew what it was because of watching the Harbinger''s streams. This mystery espen snapped its fingers, and the Hybrid walked towards her. As the espen reached us, she stared down,


    "So that''s why my watchdog ran off. It''s good to see it made it here in time. We''ve been clearing out a scorpion''s nest nearby, but a few of these guys escaped through the trees. Sorry they got a hold of you all."


    She rustled through her bag, pulling out three vials of green liquid. She smiled, "Let me get you guys some antivenom."


    We were alive.


    She popped the top off one while giving us a cheeky grin,


    "The name''s Melania by the way. It''s good to meet you all."

 277 A Project Complete

    -Daniel-


    I rolled my shoulders, surprised that the golem project came together this fast. A few days of hard work really paid off, and the night crew blistered past the design process much faster for it. Talking with Diesel, the guy explained that working with the guildleader really spurred them into action. Combine that with the nonexistent building limitations, and the most challenging part of the design was already handled.


    Apparently, resource management and the scale of an operation took up a sizable part of the design process. Most mass-produced golems required not only a practical design for their intended purpose, but they also needed a reasonable means of being created. After all, carving the delicate, precise runes into something like metal was a severe challenge all on its own.


    Most of the time, they used a kind of welding that let out few sparks. This still left a lot to be desired from a precision standpoint, meaning industrial errors were the norm. Creating machines that processed the body and parts of a golem also took up a lot of time and managing where and when they got the resources for it also required some brainstorming.


    I handled all of those operations, so they moved through the entirety of its creation in about a week. To the team, I was like a 3-D printer that worked with something more rigid than metal. That and my runic carving meant they could use far more lettering than expected, streamlining the inscription aspects.


    Ophelia was actually a pivotal part of that process. She sped up the mind creation of the golem by orders of magnitude, her experience invaluable. She and Torix were really at odds during these past few days since her perspectives showed differing priorities. Torix wanted the golem to be an unlearning, mindless drone of sorts, similar to his necromantic creations.


    Ophelia insisted on the opposite. She wanted the golem to speak telepathically, and she wanted it to have a measure of free will. They argued for hours about that point, and Ophelia eventually out willed Torix more than out reasoned him. The lich spoke about the risks involved with having a golem of such strength operating without strict limits.


    In many ways, he was right. These golems would be powerful.


    At the same time, Ophelia carried many points in her favor as well. For starters, she kept a policy of constant correction as she called it. The main advantage of a mindful golem was that it could be taught what to do and when. This meant continually updating its mind wasn''t necessary. It could do that on its own.


    The other benefit involved the nature of its purpose. These golems were supposed to go into the abyssal depths of dungeons and rifts alike. Every dungeon was different, so having each golem adjust to its surroundings was invaluable. Torix ceded to those points since I wanted this golem project to expand to a massive scale.


    That wasn''t to say Torix''s arguments were weak, however. The golem had mind magic and standard wizard spells on its side. Even a veteran classer would struggle to manage it in a real fight. Combine that with its sheer physicality, and these super golems could take on entire battalions of levelers on their own. That guaranteed they''d clear a dungeon no problem. It did mean they could kill our own on a massive scale as well.


    Ophelia worked with minds in the past to prevent this kind of problem, and she won over Torix with a few examples of tampering eldritch messing with the encoded rulesets of old golems. She described some of these eldritch like lawyers, many of them finding loopholes in the golems'' preprogrammed reasoning.


    That argument faltered to Torix''s reasoning, his risk aversion winning out at that point. Ophelia pulled an ace out of her sleeve as a counter, however. She argued that free will gave the golems the ability and desire to learn. By ensuring each golem received tutelage under the right person, they could be given a reliable moral compass. It didn''t have to be elaborate either, just a few ideas about what was right and wrong. Combine that with simple desires to help our cause, and they''d be super soldiers with some empathy.


    That''s why I sat there, staring at the designs, several vital pieces converted into the cipher. Ophelia won out, got the specs ready, and now, it was up to me to finish pulling these different parts together. I began by mapping out how I needed to make the beast''s entirety, and it all started with a central core, one encoded with its mind. It required stringent, precise carvings, and they would coat its entire surface from top to bottom.


    I started on that work, taking out some liquified dimensional fabric. I pooled a considerable amount over the past few days, making sure I had enough for just this purpose. Pulling it out, I stretched the glowing, white mass over my head like star taffy. The engineers and designers watched in the distance, wanting to understand how I made it. Ophelia, Torix, and Diesel watched as well.


    Wielding gravity and telekinesis, I shifted the blob into a roughly spherical shape. After getting the outline done, I compressed it down, anchoring it with a gravity well¡ªthis gravitational force formed at the center of the metal orb. At the same time, I created an antigravity panel under the process to prevent Earth''s gravity from messing up this process.


    In the distance, Torix already channeled a spell to block wind as well. Without much interference from natural forces, I strengthened the gravity well at the center of the sphere. This smoothed its surface, mirroring how a planet formed. With a better sphere than I could hope to eyeball, I flash froze it with a burst of cooling quintessence.


    Keeping the perfect orb afloat, I reached out a hand. No direct carving was needed since the runes were already completed in my grimoire. Using the elemental furnace as a fuel source, I funneled mana into the grimoire before the lettering shined after a few minutes.


    The glowing lettering floated off the page before wrapping around the sphere. Without any sparks flying out, I riddled the mass with cipheric inscriptions. As I did, I peered back and forth from the blueprint and the sphere to ensure I was doing this right. The last thing I wanted was to have messed this up early on. Everything was made right, so I moved on.


    I began work on the rest of the body. With a gravitational wave, I hovered a mass of melted fabric over the sphere. I created a layering of cooled energy between the finished core and the molten body to prevent marred inscriptions. The shape came together over a few seconds, the subtle adjustments made in real-time.


    The main body held the core that controlled movement. It was composed of a few interlocked plates covered in an organic, flowing piece of metal. Unlike most metals, the amount of this stuff wasn''t an issue, and the floating joints model meant we didn''t need to worry as much about pieces clanking together as the golem moved.


    With all that in mind, I created shoulder pads aimed at protecting the head. These pauldrons were simple, jagged masses of metal. For each of them, I made two more cores that controlled mind magic and everyday magic. The idea was to feint that the head stored these orbs when they actually rested in the densest clusterings of metal in the golem.


    These cores took more time, and I made sure the cipher inscriptions were accurate. I had a few conversations with Ophelia where I bombarded her with questions. This gave me an idea of her ideas and what she was trying to do. To get this right, I replicated her perspective as honestly as I could while carving the cipher.


    When the runes floated onto the cores, I hoped it would be enough.


    Finalizing the main body, I added several additional strands of runic carving on the golem''s surface. These normal runes took seconds to apply. The last addition was implanting a series of telepathic wires that combined the three cores into a single consciousness.


    Once set up, I moved onto the limbs. I kept them simple, the hands blunt and broad. They wielded three fingers apiece, enough to grab something but no more than that. This made even the fingers like clubbing weapons, making the hands hard to break in combat. The hands themselves were made large as well, more hulking clubs than typical palms.


    These masses flowed into the shoulder pauldrons, making for a menacing outline. The waist of the golem stayed until it reached the legs of the construct. Once there, I molded thick, paneled pieces for the thighs and legs. One of the most essential parts after that was the ankle structure.


    We kept to a more interlocking design here. This would let the golem pivot off its feet better, increasing its overall agility. The feet were made wide as well, with three large toes sticking out in all directions. This adjustment allowed it to maneuver across different kinds of terrain despite its heft.


    The last part was the head of the being. I kept it dense. Its shoulders ran up high enough that this thing showed no real neck, eliminating a common weak point of most creatures. A bit of crystalized mana made for the eyes, the crystals made porous enough that light leaked into them. This made it possible for the being to see.


    Hearing was more difficult to add. I created hollows in the sides of its head, each letting sound into them. After adding carvings into these gaps, I gave the golem the ability to hear and sense its surroundings at a basic, primal level. Taste and smell would too difficult and arduous to set up. It also didn''t help the golem with fighting, so it just wasn''t necessary.


    As for touch, that would be a finicky sense to work with. The golem''s skin and the entire body was denser than steel. Adapting receptors on its body to respond to stimulus would be insanely tricky because of that. Hell, my own understanding of touch was warped from being encased in this armor all the time. Stone was soft, and water was like air. The golem would feel the same, and in the end, adding touch was more trouble than it was worth.


    Without needing any other additions, I pulled everything together, willing the creature to life. I siphoned mana into the creation to fuel the inscriptions all over its body, yet it remained unmoving. The cipher markings took far longer to fuel, thirty minutes of channeling passing by.


    It soaked in mana like a starving creature, and as time passed, the crew behind me grew nervous. We spent a lot of time on this, and seeing it fail would be a massive blow for the team. Just as a few eyes began to drift downward, the golem''s eyes glowed white.


    It was alive.


    The golem stood up, the group of scientists and engineers behind me celebrating as it did. I grinned at the golem, and the quintessent crystals in its eye sockets glistened for a moment. It stood tall, wide, and firm, its glowing eyes made ominous by the dark metal of its outline. The runic carvings followed suit, quintessent mana funneling into the cores and etchings to fuel the creature.


    It drew from the material of its making, the golem coming to life. It stared at its hands, wondering where it was and what it could be. I walked up, a few feet taller than the behemoth. I put a hand on its shoulder,


    "It''s good to meet you. I''m Daniel."


    The golem covered its ears, its newfound senses assaulting it. I connected to the golem telepathically, and the size of its mind surprised me. The three wills fused into one, and they grappled with the world around it. I sent over a sense of calm, and the golem lowered its hands from its ears. It looked up at me, seeing for the first time.


    It murmured in a voice like metal, "Creator?"


    I smiled, "Yup."


    Its mind fully connected to its body, and its clarity and understanding evolved. It kneeled towards me, the floating joints hovering into position. Its fluidity surprised me, and it spoke with reverence,


    "I am here to serve, creator."


    I turned to Ophelia, "It''s not what I expected. Didn''t you mention a free will?"


    Ophelia put her hands on her hips, watching the golem come to life,


    "I wanted it to have thoughts and feelings, not the ability to commit mass murder. It can work on its own, and it''s a lot harder to trick as is than the alternatives. That''s the main reason we gave it so much mind to work with."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I turned back to the golem, gesturing for it to rise,


    "Come on, you don''t have to lean down like that."


    It rose up, the ground crushing under its foot despite the gravity enchantments we made to stop just that. It turned, looking at the forest around it,


    "There are no monsters here. This place is cleansed. Where would I find monsters to kill?"


    The directives seemed stable just off that question alone. I raised a fist, "We''ll get to that. We need to test a few of your abilities first."


    The golem turned towards the engineers behind me, "Where will I test myself? Those here may be injured in the process. They, too, took part in my creation. I''d wish to avoid taking part in their undoing."


    I pointed towards a part of Mt. Verner distanced from our hollowed base, "How about there?"


    The golem and I made our way there, the both of us deciding to run and jump. The new entity took great joy in just moving, the simple act something unique to the metal giant. Its world wasn''t as rich as mine since it lacked as many senses, so it got quite a kick out of the simpler stuff. In a way, I was kind of envious.


    We reached the safe zone we scoped out earlier for just this purpose. In view of the engineers yet safely distanced, I pointed at myself with my thumb,


    "Would you mind testing yourself against me? Yenno, some sparring."


    The golem raised its hands and lowered its head, "I...I could never battle against my creator."


    I lifted my fists, "Give it a shot. I won''t tear you down too much."


    It moved its feet, still getting used to its body, "I...if you say it is so, then let it be." It stared at me, "I...I shall fight you."


    My armor wrapped around my face, and a jagged, glowing grin formed, "Come on then."


    It cleared its thoughts before bending down. Without warning, it charged at me. As it crashed against me, I dragged back several feet, the force of its tackle impressive. A loud boom echoed into the mountainscape as I grabbed its shoulders and slung it sideways while kicking at its feet.


    It flopped sideways, crashing into the ground with another booming crash. Each of our movements unleashed waves of sounds like titans clashing, and it gave me chills each time I heard the impacts.


    I walked towards it, "All you have to do is stay away from the engineers."


    It stood up as dust and dirt flew into the air. From that one exchange,  bushes uprooted nearby, and trees were leveled. Giving it a few seconds to collect itself, I reached the golem and lifted a fist, aiming to smash its eyes.


    The golem rolled sideways before standing up. I dashed at the creature to keep up the pressure. It sidestepped me, aiming to stiff-arm my neck. I grabbed the outstretched limb, flowing on my feet. I turned the force of my charge in an instant before chunking the golem overhead once more. It crashed through two trees, the wood splintering like peanut brittle in a child''s hands.


    Despite the rough travel, the golem landed on its feet unharmed. I jolted towards the being, but before I grabbed it, the golem stomped the ground, shattering the earth around it. My footing collapsed as roots ripped and tore under us. I stumbled forward, and the golem stepped toward me. It launched a heavy-handed strike, using its hand like a mace.


    It was a good attempt, but not enough. I let myself sink into the ground, no longer supporting my weight with gravity wells. His strike zipped over my head, sparks flying where his forearm made contact with my helmet''s top. I grounded myself with gravitational anchors before whipping out a quick strike forward, palming the golem''s stomach. The force came from below, jetting the golem back into the air as a cataclysmic boom echoed off the impact.


    The wind off the strike ripped branches off trees nearby and peeled grass from dirt¡ªa crater formed under me as the shattered earth was sent flying by the blow''s shockwave. From the brown plume of dust, the golem launched up and over the trees. It flipped itself around, the dent in its stomach regenerating quickly.


    Its runes shined as it launched spears of ice where I struck it. I clapped my hands together, a wave of sound shattering the icicles into tiny shards. They bounced off my skin as I bounded towards the golem, gravity propelling me. It used its own gravity wells for the first time, pulling itself away from me. I shot passed it while the golem sunk towards the ground. From above, I anchored myself in place. Reaching out a hand, I liquified dirt and stone, turning its landing spot into a pit of magma. The golem lowered its hands, cooling energy hardening some of the lava into a landing pad of stone.


    Supporting itself on the dark island, it lifted both arms one at a time, bending the magma towards me with waves of gravitation. I leaped from my gravitational anchor while maintaining it. This let me swivel myself around the unseen point of attraction. I orbited the unseen mass, and his magma waves went over then under my head.


    Falling towards him, I generated steel spikes in the magma beneath the golem. I lifted my arms, and the spikes jutted out of the boiling lava surrounding the golem. The entity deflected several of the iron spikes before several spines landed between the entity''s joints. Its joints struggled against the iron spikes as they pried the golem apart. Stuck in place, I shot myself towards it like a cannonball. Before I landed against the beast, it melted the metal spikes, covering itself in a molten shell of metal.


    I crashed into the glowing bubble, landing against the now hardened magma. The golem wasn''t here. It smothered me with the melted iron and solidified it, eliminating my sense of hearing, sight, and smell. At that moment, it dual-layered its attack with a generic mental assault.


    By now, I was used to dealing with Torix''s attempts at cracking my mind. It left me able to defend from the mental bombardment before I shattered the metal shell lying over me. The fractured metal lobbed out like shrapnel, stabbing through trees and tearing rocks apart. From above, the golem crashed down, having flown up and lobbed itself down at me.


    I leaned back, the heel of its foot scraping the front of my helm. The impact of its crash sent me flying a few feet, another crater forming under the behemoth. It gave me yet another charge, this time, compressed air left in front of its fists.


    I grinned at the creature while I tilted my head. Its fist scraped the side of my helmet before I smashed my own hand into its neck. Its body went forward while ragdolling beyond its face. All the momentum ended where I drove my palm into its neck. I lifted it up before slamming it into the ground.


    Held in position, I lifted my other hand. It came down like a hammer, but I stopped the punch just shy of its face. As I released it, I also reached out a hand. The nameless entity grabbed my wrist and pulled itself up, I gave it a pat on the shoulder,


    "Damn, you fight well."


    The golem shook its head, "Yet there is still much I must learn, creator."


    I spread out my hands at our team looking at us in the distance,


    "Guys, I''d call that a success."


    Ophelia gawked at us, the spoiled royal rendered speechless after seeing this thing in action. Diesel gave her a knowing smirk, the engineer more than satisfied with his creation. He elbowed her,


    "Heh, pretty good for backwater savages, right?"


    Torix peered at the golem, taking notes in its status. Of the three, he was the only one with a critical eye. The lich pointed at the golem, "Why did you surrender?"


    It responded, "I stood no chance, and I wished to avoid losing my eyes."


    "Remember that no eldritch will give you that chance, understood?"


    "Yes, master."


    Torix perked up at being referred to as master, the lich easy to read,


    "Hm, as long as you understand, then it''s fine."


    I stepped towards the group, waving the golem towards us, "Come on, let''s go."


    It followed, and once we reached the group, I tapped my chin with a closed fist, "Hm, the golem needs a name."


    Torix raised a finger, "What about one. It is the first golem we''ve crafted as a team."


    I shook my head, "That''s, I don''t know, too sterile. What about Alpha? It''s the first letter of the Greek alphabet. It seems fitting."


    The golem spoke up, "I enjoy that title."


    Diesel shook his hands, "Alright, you''re our first successful super golem, Alpha." Diesel turned to the engineers watching behind him, "Guys, we did it."


    A roar of celebration echoed through the crowd as the engineers cheered at the results of our efforts. I raised my hands, grinning despite myself,


    "Hey now, let''s not get too excited. We need to talk with the dungeon clearing corps to make sure these golems handle what they need. Once we''ve got their okay, we''ll give this thing a field test to make sure they handle what''s required."


    Diesel smiled, "Of course, of course. We''ll get that squared away, but for now, let''s take the rest of the day off. This has been a mad dash the entire time, and we just crossed the finish line."


    He pointed at Mt. Verner, "Let''s go get something to eat."


    We paced over towards one of the few nightly serving establishments, a military-style cafeteria but with a better food selection than most. Once everyone settled down onto a table, drinks were served along with a variety of dishes I ordered for everybody. I paid the bill, letting everyone just focus on having a good time. After a few hours of talking and having a good time, morning arrived along with a wave of exhaustion.


    The spur of achievement could only fuel celebration for so long, so they each stumbled back to the residential districts, finding soft beds waiting for them. I took Diesel to Melissa, and she thanked me for getting him home safe.


    After finishing the feast, I met up with the dungeon clearing corps. Lester, Isa, and Bryan met up with me once again in a meeting room, Torix joining us for his input. The lich and I sat across from the three dungeon clearing specialists, and I started the conversation by turning a hand to them,


    "We finished our first super golem this morning. We need your inputs on what works, what doesn''t, and any iterative improvements they need. Criticism is welcome, but make the complaints meaningful. These changes aren''t easy to make."


    The three dungeoneers sweated in front of us. Torix and I made for an intimidating duo, and the lich''s fire eyes honed in on them like daggers. Torix crossed his fingers in front of them, his gaze low. He kept a close inspection of them, eyeing them for mistakes. It might have had a little to do with sending Alexander off with them, but I doubt the lich would ever admit it.


    From that pool of crushing pressure, Lester was the first to respond, and he coughed into a hand first,


    "Ahem, so super golems, huh? Are they even stronger than the other ones?"


    Torix noted, "Very."


    "It, uh, sounds like they''ll work well. I''ll be honest, I don''t think they need any testing. They''ll crush just about any eldritch they come across. The other golems kind of did that already."


    I nodded, "It''s been a while since I''ve actually tried clearing dungeons. I''ve been so busy with other stuff that it''s kind of taken a backseat. What kind of performance did the other golems have?"


    Isa looked up, searching for the right words,


    "Hmm, how to say this...they were brutal, I suppose? The golems are terrible at a rescue, scouting, or any kind of informational gathering. What they do well is simple: smash. When they do, they leave very little behind. It''s, uh, kind of difficult just to figure out what they''ve killed honestly."


    She shrugged, "So yeah, they''re thorough. I don''t know what the super golems would be like, but your previous golems did a great job of handling the obvious issues of eldritch being alive."


    I smiled, pleased they exceeded my expectations,


    "Awesome. I didn''t expect that."


    "Yeah, they''re relentless to a scary degree even. Some of our scouts have come back with reports of the golems being covered in eldritch blood when they saw them. It makes for a terrifying scene, and the eldritch learn to fear them for it. They even gave us reports of eldritch becoming subservient to the golems in vain attempts at survival."


    Torix''s eyes flared, "The eldritch surrendered? I find that hard to believe. Most of them are mindless, and the few that aren''t are only obsessed with hunger. I see no reason they wouldn''t show the same attitude towards these machinations."


    Bryan spoke up, "I thought the same until I did some observational research on one of the stronger golems. I found out that the eldritch, even the ones who can eat black iron, can''t eat these golems. It''s just as our guildleader predicted. That wildly shifted their behaviors towards them. Instead of being tempted by hunger, they were terrified of being eaten themselves."


    The wily mage leaned forward, his runes precision having improved recently, "They know they can''t win nor beat these things we''re putting in their dungeons, so they lose their will to fight. I actually think the eldritch are more logical than we first imagined. I think they''re just trying to survive, but in the only way they know how."


    Torix tilted his head, "An interesting hypothesis. Does this concept apply even to more primal eldritch?"


    "I think it does. They seem to feel fear for those walking titans, and it goes deep."


    Torix turned to me, "It would seem you''re more an object of fear than we first envisioned. This bodes well for our plans on Blegara."


    I leaned back while crossing my arms, "That is strange. I didn''t expect them to actually fear just the regular old golems. I mean, I could see why these super golems command that kind of respect, but man, my first models? Maybe the eldritch aren''t as scrappy as I first thought."


    Isa scoffed, "Tell our scouts that. Those hiding eldritch still tried to get a piece of them when they first arrived until the resident golem intervened. That''s why it was covered in blood when they arrived for inspection."


    Lester leaned forward, "The point is, your previous golems are more than enough for what we need. Asking us if your super golems will do the job is almost...insulting, I''d say."


    Lester raised his palms to his defense, "Not that we took offense or that you meant it that way. It''s just how it could come across."


    I nodded, "Understood. I can mass-produce those golems while some of the people here focus more on super golems for other purposes. They might let us make camps in different places and keep them more secure as well."


    Isa coughed into her hand, "So...How many golems do you plan to make? one hundred...maybe two hundred?"


    I scoffed, "I intend on making one for every dungeon. It''ll give people time to develop themselves without needing to fight for their lives every day."


    Isa blinked, "So ugh, what are we going to do then?"


    I turned to Torix before grinning. I leaned towards them,


    "Actually, I have just the job for you three."

 278 Grasping the Ethereal

    Lester leaned back, letting out a sigh of exasperation, "You''re telling me that we need to take Amara, an eldritch, into an enemy encampment to gain access to an Elysium world. After that, we''ll need to lay low and protect her until after she''s hacked into their system, allowing you to relay a broadcast that will end a planetary war?"


    I nodded, "Yup, that''s it. You summed it up pretty well."


    Lester''s eyes widened, "Uh, why are we the most qualified for this?"


    Torix chided, "You''re not, and as a matter of fact, none of you will be. However, we''re sending you because you stand out so little as to go unseen. By virtue of your mundane attributes, each of you can sneak into their encampments without much struggle."


    Torix turned a palm to me, "It was by the guildmaster''s recommendation, mind you."


    The three dungeon clearers looked at me with genuine fear as I smiled at them. Bryan murmured, "This...uh, we specialize in clearing dungeons. You know, killing all kinds of eldritch. Stealth missions aren''t our forte."


    I gestured at them, "I know. We''ll be having Hod and Althea tail you the entire time. They''ll walk in your shadow, helping you with getting in and out. If the situation gets dicey, they''ll manage it for each of you. Their protection makes this mission less suicidal than it seems."


    Isa leaned forward, "So we''re doing this to help an ally guild, right? Doesn''t this seem super risky for something like that?"


    I spread out my hands, "Here''s the thing: I''m leaving this up to your judgment. If you think you can get onto an Elysian world for a few days safely, then by all means, go ahead. If you don''t, then don''t go there. Even if we only get some valuable scouting info, I would count this as a success."


    Torix raised a finger upright, "Indeed. It''s less that we expect you to destroy their encampment. Rather, we anticipate information on their lifestyle and how the Adair''s organize their colonies. That alone may help Schema. Understanding how they sell their new system to new recruits is also of valuable input."


    Bryan shook his head in disbelief, "Why are they even on Earth anyway? Doesn''t that seem suspiciously quick?"


    Torix nodded, "I entertained the same notions when I first learned of the camp''s existence. After a bit more thought, I''ve dismissed them having knowledge of our being here. Their encampment stands here for several reasons, our guild''s location not being one of them."


    Torix raised a hand and then a finger with each point he made,


    "The most vital reason is our location: Earth. This celestial body is the closest inhabited location to Giess, and that''s why we visited Giess to begin with. This makes coming here easy. Second, humanity has yet to have a generation that fully assimilated with Schemian culture. Very few children have grown up in Schema''s system, and so converting to an Elysian system would be simple for most."


    Torix raised a third finger, "Most of all, our planet lacks other guild''s influences, meaning they have a leg up developing this territory. We''re likely one of the first colonization efforts from their side, in fact. That is why it has begun on such a small scale using relatively benign means."


    Lester rolled a hand, "So what about that other planet, errrr..."


    I helped him out,


    "You mean Blegara, right?"


    "Yeah, that one. Why don''t we just put Amara there for a while?"


    Torix shook his head, "That is a planet waging war, and the Elysian forces have yet to take a full grasp of it. They likely wish to prevent others from using their own system against them, so security is pertinent before establishing a world link to their system. Otherwise, they may strengthen the enemies they wish to eliminate."


    Torix pointed at each of them, "It is up to each and every one of you to go out of your way to ensure our security for these reasons. They will be wary of newcomers. You all will need memorized backstories and reasons for your arrival. Just as well, our own location cannot be revealed."


    Torix''s voice grew grim, "Lehesion may come down at a moment''s notice, and our blue core will only maintain protection for so long. By understanding our enemies, we may avoid the inevitable for a longer time. Think of it as buying us time."


    He leaned forward, "These moments you earn us, they are invaluable. They represent a different life, each and every one of them. Fight for these moments, and you will give life to our guild and your world. That is why we''re sending you on this mission."


    I leaned back, letting the charismatic lich get his point across. Isa and Lester sat enraptured by his speech, a sense of purpose pushing them forward. Bryan didn''t share their sentiment, and his shoulders drooped at the prospect of such overwhelming pressure. He scratched the back of his head as Torix finished,


    "So...yeah, I''m getting old. I''ve been thinking of retiring for a while now, and...I think now is that time. I can''t afford to take this kind of risk. I''ve got a family here. I don''t want them to lose their father."


    Torix sighed, "Despite my urgency, I understand. If either of you has doubts, then voice them. We need a full commitment to this role for this mission to be successful. Otherwise, each of you will die and send us to our doom as well. Is that understood?"


    Lester and Isa gave the aged necromancer a knowing nod, the pressure building them up rather than tearing them down. People worked like that in general. Some people rose to the occasion while others would rise on their own. It''s kind of like the many that fail in peacetime but triumph in war.


    Apparently, Isa and Lester were the latter rather than the former.


    I turned to each of them, proud of my decision, "Alright then. It''s decided."


    I offered each of them a handshake. They took me up on the offer, their hands only wrapping around two of my fingers. It was the intent that counted, however, not the physical gesture. As they stood up, so did Torix. His fire eyes shimmered purple, a bit of venom leaking in his voice,


    "Each of you shall commence a three-day boot camp to squeeze out any weakness left in your bodies and minds. We''ll focus on mental combat and preventing memory infiltration first. You''ll also leave with Alexander, a talented mage under my wing. Though he lacks the real-world experience each of you has, he carries potent arcane magic. He''ll be necessary if a situation spirals out of control."


    His fire eyes narrowed, "Understood?"


    Lester and Isa nodded. Bryan leaned back and let out a sigh. The gray-bearded mage dodged a bullet with this one. As Torix stepped out, Lester and Isa followed. Before they left the room, I raised a hand,


    "Wait a minute Torix."


    The cunning lich turned his head, "Ah, what is it?"


    "Can you include Alpha in your lessons? He could use the tempering."


    "Hm, if you believe it will be valuable, then I shall do so."


    "Alright, cool. I''ll be focusing on my own magic for now. See you guys later."


    As Isa and Lester stepped out, they peered forward with fear in their eyes. Torix''s cackling didn''t help the situation either. I put my hands on my hips, pleased with how those circumstances played out. Getting ready for the rest of my day, I opened my status to meet with our resident portalist. A hop, skip, and really just gravitational flight later, I reached the top floor of Mt. Verner where our team slept.


    There, our crew congregated with each of them ready for yet another day of combat on Blegara. I rolled my shoulders as I walked up, and we silently walked across a portal made by Helios. We walked through the veil back into the oceanic world. Waiting in another coral room, Victoria, Alastair, and Obolis waited on us to arrive for the day''s pillaging.


    Above them, the windows leaked in the shattered sunshine from the tumultuous sea above. These rays stretched and condensed like an estuary leaking into the sea, each piece forming islands of dim centered around rivers of light. This cadence covered those present, and Obolis spread his arms wide at the sight of us,


    "Ah, it''s good to see our friends once more. I''ve received word that your super golem project has spawned fruit. These words come from Ophelia''s own tongue, ''We created a golem without equal.'' Perhaps you would offer to elaborate further as she needed rest given her nightly work."


    I shrugged, "It''s a pretty damn strong golem. That''s about all I''ve got to say on it, honestly."


    Obolis grinned, "Would you mind detailing a few of its inner workings? Apparently, Torix ensured Ophelia signed a confidentiality contract before she began her work. It''s made it all but impossible to get even a word in from her, outside of what was said before."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "Speakers can be troublesome in that way."


    I frowned, "It''s a golem with three minds telepathically linked. We made each mind control different parts of the golems functioning, and that''s how we gave it an advanced conscious."


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "I expected a word or two of its might, not an explanation of the machinations that fuel it. Why would you tell us so much in exchange for so little?"


    I grinned back at him, "Because you couldn''t make one. It requires a rare metal for it to work."


    Obolis''s eyes scanned the room, and he discovered a few of the tools made from my own skin for Althea and even Torix''s host body. The rugged Emperor nodded his head with approval, "I''ll take your word for it. Are you prepared to slaughter once more?"


    I gripped my fists, "Always am."


    The day began like all the others before it on Blegara. We scouted out a different portion of Saphigia, cleared it of Hybrids, and collected the resident vagni. Well, those that weren''t combative. Even after the waves of absolute destruction we''d unleashed so far, the vagni fought on with a religious kind of fervor.


    It stunned me, watching them run forward to their deaths. Even if one swipe of my hand killed ten of their comrades, they''d march forward with a zeal unmatched. I admired them in a way, their fearlessness outdoing even the eldritch.


    Those same eldritch grew thicker as we conquered outwards from the city''s center. They weren''t kidding when they said the vagni worshipped those monsters. Sculptures, sacrificial zones, even sanctuaries were made for the eldritch here. As we moved further out, we met more of these landmarks of the vagni''s culture. The eldritch density rose with the frequency of these cultural pieces as well.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They incorporated themselves into the very water around us. Eldritch swam above us in the seas and skies. They skulked and burrowed beneath us in the sand and stone. No matter the location, they entrenched themselves deep into the lives and makeup of this underwater land. At times, it became difficult to discern whether something was eldritch or not; the biology of Blegara was that interwoven at this point.


    A lot of the native wildlife carried eldritchian characteristics. Giess was more like a fantasy playground by comparison. Here the monsters skulked out in the distance, their pounding footsteps like omens of what was to come. This left Blegara scarred and like a dark, dangerous world. How the vagni managed to survive for so long was beyond me considering what they were up against.


    Those thoughts rose up as we reached our first end of the city. We passed miles of villages to reach this point, finally laying siege to a sizable piece of this endless city. Off in the distance, forests of kelp rose from the abyss, trenches carving swaths of darkness across the seascape.


    Amidst the kelp, eyes peered back at us. From less dense portions of seaweed, we spotted eldritch of enormous size, their bodies swelled with the bodies of their fellow kind. They barely contained the numbers of victims shoved into their maws, yet they hungered endlessly. Covering the seabed, they scrounged for scraps and prey alike, everything in sight acting as an endless buffet.


    Everything but me.


    I met the eyes of a dark titan. They were the size of houses, and they glowed orange like lighthouses in the distance. Staring it down, the monster''s eyes dimmed as its colossal frame shivered. It closed those enormous eyes, and with the posture of a beaten dog, it ran back from the hole it had skulked out of.


    Victoria whispered, "I''ve never seen an eldritch that big. Well, besides the ones at Giess''s last stand."


    I grimaced at them, "We might need to question the vagni more than I thought. For creatures so primitive, they sure as hell survived something my own kind wouldn''t have. Those guys must be at least level 5,000, and there''s several of them out there just walking around."


    Alastair walked up, shielded from the water around us,


    "The eldritch follow patterns, or so I''ve read. Right now, they''re competing with one another to see which eldritch will feast on this world. This is referred to as the post fringe era. Often times worlds this far gone require several Fringe Walkers to make dedicated efforts to clear out the world.


    Alastair set his tower shield down, the metal thumping against the sand, "Those monsters will fight until only one remains. That process can take thousands of years, plenty long enough for a society to develop around them. That''s the hypothesis around their development."


    From the back of our group, Florence walked out of the woodwork. Ever talkative, he joined in on the conversation,


    "I''ve done research as well on the topic. I''ve found that Schema has mentioned no world lasting longer than 5,000 years in a post fringe era. I''ve found talismans and stone carvings here that predate the Vagni''s organized society, however. We''re talking illustrations of eldritch that are well over thirty to forty thousand years old."


    Alastair raised an eyebrow, "And how would you discover their age?"


    "A mixture of carbon dating and erosion tests held in our own lab."


    Alastair scoffed, "And that''s why your data showed such prolonged artifacts. They were driven by a bias."


    Florence frowned. Once again, his theories were dismissed. I kept them in mind as I raised my eyebrows at them, "What happens when an eldritch starts winning in a post fringe era?"


    Alastair grimaced, "The world is smothered with the Alpha eldritch until not one atom of organic matter is left. They strip the world like a plague, and they leave nothing but weathered rock and salted water behind."


    Alastair coughed into a hand, "Or so I''ve read from Fringe Walker''s testimonies. It''s difficult to find any accurate data on the issue for, well, obvious reasons. Either way, they''re terrifying, aren''t they?"


    I glared out in the distance, "Yeah, in a way." I turned back to Saphigia, "Come on, let''s go back. There''s still more city to take back."


    We laid waste to another stretch of Saphigia, exterminating the Hybrids skulking about. Unfortunately, Espen and Hybrid reinforcements arrived with the blighted to retake portions of the city we secured. They ran through the Empire''s defensive lines, forcing us to take time out of our day to save them.


    This meant retaking land took longer than expected, the endless streams of Hybrids wearing the imperial army down. That might be why we found different species wearing the Empire''s banner and uniforms as we went from checkpoint to checkpoint. Many of these members stood upright with the same reverence for the Emperor as the albony. Others seemed coerced like mercenaries or adventurers.


    This different frontline proved no less useful than the one made of pure albony. If anything, they worked better. Despite the Empire''s class system, they seemed more than fine with breaking those age-old rules when the going got tough. Either way, I appreciated the extra volume of troops for securing areas we passed. It meant we didn''t need to retrace our steps as often.


    After carving out another stretch of territory, we reached the edge of the city once more. By now, the others were exhausted as usual, their eyelids heavy under their masks or on their open faces. We warped back towards Mt. Verner, which gave our members a safe place to rest. I stayed up, meeting with the golem creation team. Well, trying to. They remained absent for the night, taking some much needed time off.


    As always, I didn''t give myself that luxury.


    Working with Ophelia and Chrona, I kept at the long and frustrating slog that was discovering primordial mana. They explained the concept and mindset enough times by now that I lacked any real insight from their descriptions anymore. They all bled together into an undefined mess. I needed fundamental, tangible concepts and applications to use with primordial mana. You couldn''t really do anything with it till after you created the stuff. It was a catch 22 of sorts.


    That''s how the entirety of my progression remained. No matter what I tried, I ended up grasping for air. There just wasn''t anything tangible to hold onto. This wall wasn''t the first of its kind, however. I worked on learning the cipher for well over a year on my own, night after night. In that situation, I lacked the same talent trees and teachers that I did now, yet I persevered until I was victorious. I would do the same here.


    In that way, I continued, on and on. I attempted holding different mindsets. Again and again, I failed. I stretched my mind until I managed two alternate states of thought for prolonged periods. I still fell short. I immersed myself in different perspectives, reading through some of Torix''s old books.


    I changed my approach as the hours and days passed. Asking questions became second nature, and I managed my time between my various pursuits. This grind continued for the next three days. During sunlight, I handled Saphigia''s reconquering. During the night, I toiled under the light of glowing metal, reading ancient works. At the end of the second day, I ended up gaining something for all my work.


    New Unique Skill Gained! Congruent Mind Strand(lvl 10) - By enveloping in the thoughts of others, you''ve gained insight into developing multiple perspectives. You may now hold two different strands of thought at the same time.


    I leaned back from the skill description, the starlight leaking down from above. Chrona rested while Ophelia worked on a portable chair and table she brought with her now. They answered my questions when I needed them, but this particular question left me wanting to find answers on my own.


    So I did. I attempted holding two different strands of thought. The first involved creating a golem and the cipher inscriptions involved, and the other was a small, unstable series of reviews about primordial mana. Just like my attempts at the mana in real life, my strand of thought was wispy and unrefined.


    But it was there. I held onto it, burgeoning it to grow. As it did, my thoughts about cipher inscriptions waned. Combined, the total of the two mental flows exceeded my average capacity, but only slightly. That still worked in my favor considering my computational ability was excellent at this point, mainly from my high intelligence. Most concepts and ideas didn''t require my full attention by now.


    Having analyzed the new skill a bit, I brainstormed ways of using it and the first involved multi-tasking. Instead of only struggling with primordial mana, I also maintained a steady flow of mana absorption from my elemental furnace. This multiplied the growth of my cipheric runes, and I held a perpetual state of annoyance at the same time. It was a win-win situation!


    Sarcasm aside, it helped morale to have myself working on something I was good at for a change. Using the furnace was second nature, so even with less than my full efforts, I could maintain steady gains from using the tool. It gave me the ability to multi-task far more effectively than before. It was actually worth doing now.


    Even if it wasn''t the same as primordial mana, I welcomed any useful new skill. As the night dragged on, the sheer scale and scope of the skill became apparent. It wasn''t something that would save me from one of Lehesion''s blasts, but it might have been even better. It saved me time and time I didn''t have.


    If I learned anything over the last few months, it was how it felt to be stretched thin. I worked day in and day out, yet I never managed to get ahead of my responsibilities. I neglected my personal progress to keep up with them, in fact. Now keeping track of both was possible, and that opened up a world of possibilities. Of course, this wasn''t enough to get rid of the pile of tasks I had mounted over the past few months. It did help me finish them faster, though, and that was enough.


    That reality bolstered my mood as I checked in with Torix''s new recruits that next morning. This was their third day of training, and the lich set aside the last few days to whip them into shape. In that way, his own personal chambers serving as their training ground. Stepping into the top floor of Mt. Verner,I found four members sitting cross-legged while doing mental drills.


    Isa, Lester, Alexander, and Alpha sweated or rumbled under florescent lights. It made their pale faces paler, besides for the golem, and the three people earned bags under their eyes from the last few days alone. They each looked like they hadn''t slept at all.


    Torix stared them down, walking back and forth in front of them with his hands interlocked behind him. He wielded his mind magic like a knife, testing their every defense and weakness, probing for any manner of crushing them.


    And crush he did. The two dungeoneers showed sheens of sweat over their foreheads, each one dripping profusely. Alexander handled the mind magic better, but he still showed symptoms of wear and tear. Alpha, on the other hand, was endless, and so he lacked their same signs of struggle.


    In many ways, the dungeoneers impressed me most, however. They dabbled in this forbidden art for the first time, and Torix relished in their struggle. Despite that, they were still here through thick and thin. That kind of dedication deserved recognition.


    As I paced up to them, the lich turned to me. As he did, his recruits took deep gulps of air.


    Relief at last.


    "Ah, it''s good to see you, disciple."


    I gave the lich a wave, "You too Torix. How are they holding up?"


    I gave them the luxury of not answering, letting Torix handle that for them. Lester and Isa took me up on the offer, each of them recuperating as much as they could. Alexander couldn''t meet my eye, so he stared down instead. Alpha gazed up with curiosity drenching his every move.


    Torix gestured towards Isa,


    "She shows the most promise, though none of these individuals lacks in their mental fortitude. Despite my misgivings, I must admit, they''ve held their own through the exhaustion and torment. I''ll give them each an artificially assisted rest period before tomorrow. That should allow them to recuperate. As for Alpha, he is surprisingly gentle. His mind is similar to your own, Daniel, though he lacks the same visceral intensity."


    Torix weighed his hands back and forth, "Alpha is instead, a benign, giving creature. This is to his detriment when tasked with mental defenses, but I cannot condemn him too much. His natural ability far exceeds the others here by virtue of his mind''s size - it is truly colossal. That alone means attacking him, and wearing him down takes time."


    Torix scoffed, "More than enough time to smash an enemy into pieces, I''d wager."


    I gave the golem a nod, "Good work, Alpha."


    The golem beamed with pride, sitting up straight,


    "Thank you, creator."


    I turned towards the dungeoneers and Alexander, "How''s the training going?"


    They caught their breath by now, and Alexander answered first in a wispy voice,


    "It''s hard. Very hard."


    I grinned, "Nothing a little pain tolerance couldn''t help with."


    Alexander scoffed, "You''re right about that. I uh...I trained that skill a lot after our lesson. I''ve gotten that skill up to eighty-eight now. This still hurts, but it''s nothing compared to what it would be without my previous training."


    Torix nodded, his hands still interlocked behind him,


    "Precisely. If you experience pain now, you won''t experience it later. That is why my lessons are as grueling as they are."


    Lester shook his head, "I don''t know about that. I doubt we''d ever be torn up like this on a real mission."


    Torix stared down at him, the lich''s gaze sharp as daggers, "The Adair''s mind magic exceeds my own. If caught, you each will have your minds torn apart by many mages at once. There will be nothing remaining of you thereafter."


    Their faces darkened at the prospect and truth of his words. Torix sighed,


    "Though I wouldn''t worry about such a fate. Althea and Hod have been instructed on what to do should you all be captured."


    Their grim looks turned outright bleak before I interjected,


    "Come now, it won''t come to that. Althea and Hod have a lot of experience getting through the Adair''s defenses. This is a recruiting camp, so those two will keep our team safe. Speaking of teams and plans, though, have you guys got a plan ironed out yet?"


    Torix steepled his fingers as he cackled,


    "Oh, we have one developed indeed."

 279 A Dark World

    <div>


    <div>


    I frowned, "I''d hope so."


    Torix gestured towards the group, "Here is how we''ve thought it out. After having a group talk and discussing various skills, we''ve allocated responsibilities and came up with a course of action."


    The lich raised a hand, "It''s relatively simple. Alexander will remain at the core of this infiltration. I''ve tutored him in mind magic before this, and he''s able enough that controlling Hybrids isn''t beyond him. Just as well, he owns a grimoire with attachments for my warping ritual."


    I tapped my chin with a fist, "Like the one that got us to Giess?"


    "Precisely. Our team will infiltrate the Elysian camp by claiming they are a roaming group of dungeon clearers trying to find a place to settle. I''ve discussed this with several other relevant parties, and they''ve agreed it''s a believable background. In the wake of the culling, many mismatched people find solace in traveling for a new home."


    Torix turned a palm to Alexander, "This grants them a veil to hide under. Alexender will not be a mage as knowledge of magic has yet to properly proliferate on Earth as of yet. They''ll approach the encampment claiming they''ve heard rumors of this place being an excellent place for settling down."


    Torix walked back and forth, "In that manner, they shall spend two days finishing various nearby dungeons to establish themselves in the town. At the end of this period, they''ll pretend they''ve gone to another dungeon, one that is more arduous than the others."


    Torix kept pacing, "They shall wait until night has come, infiltrate the encampment, then suppress the Hybrids and warp onto an Elysian world thereafter. After sneaking through the necessary guards and patrols, they shall then create a camp on the natural outskirts of where they''ve been sent."


    Alexander chipped in, "I''ll make a warp out while Amara hacks into their system. When she finishes, we get the hell out of there with none of them the wiser."


    I frowned, "There''s a few kinks you guys need to handle before getting through this plan."


    Torix interlocked his hands behind him, "Such as?"


    I raised a hand, "For starters, there''s the issue of when you''ll warp into the other world. If it''s in the middle of the day, others will see you and report your warp. You need to make sure wherever you go, it''s both rural and at night. Otherwise, you might get caught red-handed in enemy territory."


    The lich nodded, "Excellent points. We''ll ensure those circumstances are guaranteed."


    I looked up, scrutinizing to the best of my ability, "Hmm, outside of that, you''ve tested Alexander''s ability for controlling Hybrids?"


    Alexander chipped in, "I''ve been to several of the raids on Giess before. I''ve been able to control up to seven of them, but that''s all I''ve got."


    I leaned back, a bit impressed, "That''s more than me. The last thing would be how to get Amara through the warp. Are you sure it will work for her?"


    Isa chipped in, "That''s why we''re doing the warping at night. It should allow us to take her there without issue. If worse comes to worst, we can try putting her in dimensional storage. I don''t know how that''s going to work, but maybe Hod or Althea could help us there."


    I shrugged, "That''s about all I got. It doesn''t sound too risky if you handle all of that."


    Lester scoffed, "Easy for you to say. We''ll be out there on a different planet, surrounded by hostiles."


    I raised my eyebrows, "To the contrary, it wouldn''t be my first time in that kind of situation."


    Lester looked away, "Ah, yeah. Good point."


    Torix gazed down at them, "Be prepared for further tutelage until your meeting with Althea and Hod. Both are experienced with infiltration already, and they should offer practical assistance to your cause. Hod can envelop his form into one of your shadows while Althea shall walk along a different plane to follow you all."


    Torix stood tall, "Once at the camp, you all may revise the plan as necessary. Keep your safety as a top priority since being captured will result in death. We don''t want to lose acceptably competent members such as you all."


    Torix tilted his head back, walking off, "It''s time to get yourselves acquainted with Hod and Althea. You all shall be accomplishing a few drills of given scenarios along with team-building exercises before leaving."


    The four of them pushed themselves up, Alpha''s hands leaving cracks on the floor. The golem saw me glancing at them before it peered down as well. Finding the scarred floor, Alpha leaned down and refilled the cracks with stone of the same color before catching up to the others with a light-footed trot.


    He was doing his best, that much was sure. I''d do the same. After getting that update out the way, I found myself at Blegara again, everyone quiet in the mornings now. We all understood what was to follow, and many of our team members performed a sort of unconscious meditation beforehand. Their thoughts cleared, and this let them rest before the coming storm.


    I let my mind wander instead, and I drifted back towards the ancient eldritch on Blegara. I was curious about how the Vagni survived this long, and I wanted a general understanding of the eldritch here. After hours of culling eldritch, I gained just such a chance. Today, the Hybrid''s attacks on retaken portions of the city lightened. We finished a sort of quota for conquering, and everyone ended up leaving early.


    Everyone but me.


    I skulked along the outskirts of Blegara, exploring the kelpy forests and dark seas, searching for landmarks and the like. It was an exciting voyage, and I saw many things. In those dark depths, the creatures shifted in form, becoming stringy, thin, and see-through. Some of them expanded in size, while others seemed compressed.


    These familiar creatures and eldritch worked with the wildlife here to create a cycle of culling. A few amphibious, flying creatures would dip down into the water to catch kelp and fish at the surface. Snapping, explosive predators caught those flying salamanders. Beneath these creatures, a separate ecosystem formed. They reminded me of deep dwellers from dungeons long ago.


    It was a kind of evolutionary arms race. The beasts each carried some type of adjustment to their form that gave them a combative ability. Horns, spikes, teeth, claws, and clubs, these fish and crustaceans carried them all. Unlike on Giess, the natural life here had no natural reserves of mana to feed upon. This meant that no matter their tools of choice, they were nothing more than food to the eldritch in the end.


    Those eldritch I saw yesterday did just that - devour endlessly. They either rolled along the surface, engulfing stretches of plants and animals too slow to avoid them, or the eldritch darted back and forth, eating anything smaller than them. This resulted in lightning berserkers that ate anything in sight or slow behemoths that rolled across the land like titans covered in endless maws.


    I fought a few of them for sport. The giants proved easier for killing as they lacked any real combat ability. They relied on size and digestion to cull most prey, of which neither was an effective means of killing me. Event Horizon and boiling their blood killed them. Their screams weren''t so loud down here, under and in the ocean either.


    The lightning berserkers, on the other hand, proved far more interesting. They were adapted for their environment, the water acting as a means for mobility. This shifting liquid around the monsters allowed for offputting, rapid shifts in directions. When they did decide to make contact, it was thunderous and decisive. They aimed to cull and murder whatever they touched, and they wished to do so in an instant before any kind of retaliation.


    Of course, killing me in one shot was well beyond their means, but taking out a few was kind of fun either way. It was like playing a game of hunter and the hunted, but the prey didn''t know who was about to be eaten. Once I had my fill of that game, I dove into trenches along Saphigia''s outskirts.


    I found that many of the eldritch here were far more benign. The extreme environment forced so many adaptations that the monsters struggled to have the same voracity that most eldritch own. Combine that with the scarcity of food, and the eldritch mirrored normal creatures for the most part. These discrepancies strengthened as I dove deeper.


    That wasn''t the only interesting tidbit I discovered, however. Along the bottom of the world, at the edge of its depths, I found jewels and precious metals scattered about. These enormous gemstones carried an unearthly quality to them, their sheer size and complexity far beyond anything I''d seen in nature. The voracity of their coloration brought an unusual kind of intensity as well. It was as if they were a color other than one I could see, but my mind was trying to make sense of it despite that.


    I took a few of these gems, aiming to carry them back and see what they were. These might explain why the Emperor was so willing to allocate so many resources saving this planet. Either way, I''d found enough perplexing stuff for today, so I whisked my way back to Saphigia, aiming to warp back on my own.


    Before I could, I found an unusual current spawning from somewhere off in the distance. After having swum in these seas for so long, I kind of understood where and why water flowed. This current stood out as unusual because the water was both too cold and too copious. Water like this sank. It did not rise and glide along the seabed.


    Curiosity came over me, and like any good impulse, it overwhelmed my self-restraint. I followed the flows until I reached an undersea cliffside. Pacing over corals and stone, I poked my head over a stone ledge. There, an enormous scar in the seabed spread out before my eyes. It was a wound of the earth, one that was planetary in scale.


    It covered an enormous area, one that made the horizons shrink by comparison. From this pit, water ebbed and flowed out. It seemed like some sort of underwater repository leaking out chilled water here. At the same time, that didn''t add up. Pressure underground resulted in heated plumes of magma. Because of that, water trapped too deep underground was always heated as well.


    This was dark, cold water, the kind carried at the bottom of a lifeless sea. Searching for answers, I chased down into the pit, a tiny bit of fear racing up my spine. I enjoyed that fear. It proved I was still human if only a little bit. The other, not so human part of me kept me alive as I raced under water far too cold for Blegara. As I dove deeper, I uncovered the cause of this pit.


    It was a rift to another world, an eldritch pit unperturbed for what looked like centuries. As I left Schema''s system and the updates for my status slowed down, this particular journey scared me. It wasn''t my human part that was terrified either. Something about being lost here sent shivers up my spine as if I''d never get back.


    With that in mind, I generated a ball of air and kept it suspended underwater. Inside that sphere, I melted some metal, which offered a vantage point of light. Once I walked into the other world, I put a checkpoint in my status. It provided a waypoint if I got lost in this dark, endless sea. However, the sheer loneliness of this vast place wasn''t the only part of it that struck me.


    The most obvious difference was the pressure. These waters were far more fathomless than Blegara''s oceans. The second change was the gravity of this world. It was several times higher than the previous planet. I noticed it despite its small impact on me as it made my gravitation both more robust and weaker in different ways.


    Regardless of those changes, the other difference was the lack of life here. In Blegara, bacteria floated in most water, its shallow sea supporting an indefinite quantity of life. This world lacked that, no mana being given from Event Horizon acting as the tell. I learned that a while back while experimenting with the aura in space. Sterility meant no mana.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Other strangeness popped up as I traversed this wasteland. The water proved too cold, well below freezing, in fact. After tasting it, it was very salty. Another weirdness of this place was how still it was.


    The water moved, yes, but it was only downward into Blegara. Everywhere else, the water remained still. As I swam along the bottom of the ocean, this lack of water moving proved disorienting. Losing my sense of up and down wasn''t out of the question either, the water''s pressure feeling similar to gravity in that regard. My bubble of light helped me there as it let me see where the ocean''s bottom was.


    Another strangeness appeared here. There was no sand, only sandstone. The sand had compressed long ago, the endless stillness leaving its own mark or lack thereof. I kept exploring these various places until I eventually found a vent leading below the planet''s crust. Somehow, geothermal activity was retained on this planet despite everything. In this tiny pocket amidst endless gloom, life remained.


    It was a shattered visage of what life was like on other worlds, however.


    Tiny, minuscule crustaceans harbored around plants and animals feeding on the heated plumes of water. Even meters away from these life blooms, all life ceased in a very stringent line. The water was too cold, and the heat alone from these vents offered a sort of sanctuary amidst the icy chill. Pacing up to this primitive life, I put a hand out for the plants and animals to grasp onto.


    They deformed into monstrosities.


    My body was a repository of nutrients, warmth, and everything they''d been neglected for millennia. Their bodies rapidly attempted metabolizing my cells and skin, doing their damndest to eat me however they could. My armor''s natural defenses overwhelmed them in seconds, but they were pretty dangerous despite their size. An average human would die from contact alone.


    Staring down at these creatures, hissed and screamed underwater at my armor''s defenses. If I had to sum up these monster''s overall feel, it was one of hunger. They existed in such a desolate place that every animal here starved for eternity. This seemed like an ancient world, and after leaving that vent, I swam up to verify my assumptions. Miles of water later, and I eventually crashed through to the surface.


    That was the strangest part; ice formed along the crust of the world, oceans forming beneath that. I didn''t know why ice was at the surface instead of the bottom of the world, but I crashed onto a frozen wasteland either way. As I reached up my hand, this place still had air yet no wind. I stared up, and the stars beamed down. It might''ve been hard to notice with a normal eye, but I found them all the same.


    These stars, they were dim. It was as if they were close to dying. This lack of light continued despite the thin, lifeless atmosphere here. In the distance, what was once this planet''s sun only twinkled as the brightest star here. It was a terrifying prospect, as if this was the eventual fate of my own world. Pondering those thoughts, I walked along with the wastes, finding nothing of note here outside miles of ice.


    After getting my fill of this horrifying hellscape, I dashed through the ice, using my system assisted waypoint as a way back. It was strange. I''d rather be trapped in a silver infested world than this place. At least things moved when in those metal forests. Here, everything was very still, as if the planet itself died long ago.


    Those thoughts loomed over me as I darted back onto Blegara. Those lifeforms on that world were no doubt eldritch, but they carried a different vibe to them. Most eldritch were monsters of the highest order and a byproduct of hunger. If anything, those animals were the same, but they lacked any choice in the matter.


    Hunger was interwoven with their very DNA. It was like normal creatures drenched themselves in starvation for so long that those things emerged from that trial. It gave me sympathy for the animals. They no doubt needed exterminating as they were simply too virulent. At the same time, I doubted humans would be so different if we were forced into that kind of environment and for so long.


    In a way, the eldritch were sad, like a story told for too long, and eventually left a mangled mess that shambled forward as a corpse.


    Those thoughts swirled in my head as I arrived at a now secured warp at the center of Blegara. We established it today, the added supplies and communication assisting the war effort. The Albony I passed gave me salutes as did other soldiers, and once I got to the center of the teleporter, the smell of ionized air filled my lungs as I stepped out onto the rolling hills of Mt. Verner.


    I relished in the feeling of life here. It was a strange feeling compared to the dead world. The places here on Earth, they changed and shifted with the tides of time. Compared to the dreary stillness from before, it left me filled with hope. After giving it some thought, what unsettled me about that old world wasn''t pain.


    It was deprivation.


    In many ways, it was worse than pain. To sit still and be bored wouldn''t kill me quickly, but it could rot away my soul given time. Eventually, Earth might mirror that world or be burned away in the sun. I didn''t know enough to say. I did know that life had a time limit here and that it would eventually run out. I would remain forever.


    I didn''t think I could die at this point, honestly. It wasn''t like I wanted to, but I lacked any real frailty anymore. In most ways, that was a boon. In other ways, it scared me. Imagining myself stuck in a dying universe, struggling to find anything amidst dying stars...something about that filled me with dread.


    I silenced those fears, reminding myself of my potential. If I was a living universe, maybe I could save this one from that same stillness. Time would tell, and it was so far in the future that it might as well be lifetimes away. Maybe I could craft lifelike golems by then, so I wouldn''t be completely alone.


    I shook off those dark thoughts, lifting my head up. After getting towards Mt. Verner, I spent another night studying with Ophelia and Chrona. While I focused on my efforts near them, the smell of pine and a cool breeze passed over me. I heard cicadas buzzing in the background, and crickets chirped in the night.


    Something about that life carried warmth. I''d fight to keep it this way. With that in mind, I spurred forward with continued fervor towards my studying. The night eventually ended as they all did, and I found myself looking forward to seeing the team pulled together after their artificially induced comas by Torix.


    I met up with said lich a while after, and I found him hovering the aforementioned members above the ground. As they slumbered, Torix handled a few logistics of our invasion by sending messages through his status. Alpha watched over his shoulder, the golem crouched over as to not tear the roof down.


    I did the same, and as I reached Torix, I whispered,


    "Are they sleeping well?"


    Torix didn''t whisper at all, "Indeed, they are. I''m using a sleeping spell I once cast on myself to ensure excellent rest each and every time I succumbed to the urge to do so. Despite their lack of continuous rest, this should put them in an excellent spot to retain the engaged focus I put them through...Mostly."


    "Hm, I wouldn''t know anymore. I haven''t slept in so long, I barely remember what it was like at this point."


    Torix shrugged, "I''m of the opinion it''s not worth remembering. At best, it was simply wasted time. At worst, it hampered progress more so than helped it. I remember struggling with insomnia when I was younger, in fact. I actually held a myriad of medical issues. It made becoming a lich far easier as I left those mortal woes behind."


    Torix waved a hand, "Either way, these three needed this slumber tremendously after that gauntlet I put them through. They are as ready as I was able to make them. They''ll be waking up in a few minutes."


    "So, you had medical issues?" I said while cupping a chin.


    Torix sighed, "Indeed, I did. Many, to be more precise. I suffered from some sort of muscle wasting disease during my lifetime. I escaped my body before my mind and soul rotted underground, however. I remember watching my body be eaten by native wildlife in my world."


    Torix raised a hand and squeezed his skeletal fingers, "I was glad to be rid of that meat puppet. This body suits me far better. Perhaps that and the desire to live spurred my necromantic tendencies forward. Who is to say?"


    I scoffed, "I think you didn''t need anything to mess you up. If I had to guess, you came out like this."


    Torix beamed with pride, "Naturally."


    I turned to Alpha, "What are you doing here?"


    "Watching the master continue his work. I now understand why my creation occurred so quickly. He assisted in organizing it once involved. He improved much of what made me as well. For that, I am eternally thankful."


    He gave the lich a bow, and Torix gave him a nod of acknowledgment before returning to his work. I pointed behind me, "It''s good to see you two are getting along. I was wondering if you''d like to come with me to Blegara. I just wanted to see if you could fight hand in hand with these guys we''re fighting."


    Alpha nodded, knowledge of the Hybrids already imbued within his mind,


    "I will do so, as my creator commands."


    "Eh, I''d like to think it''s a request."


    "A request from one can be a command to others."


    I raised an eyebrow, Alpha coming across as pretty mystic,


    "Alright, if that''s how you see it."


    We paced through Mt. Verner, many watching us as we did. As we paced up towards the upper floors and reached the suites Helios and Florence called home, I found both of them congregating with Kessiah. Florence asked questions, leaning in and focusing on what she had to say,


    "And you''re telling me that''s the norm where you came from?"


    Kessiah looked uncomfortable under Florence''s scrutiny,


    "I...I think so. Remnants come in a few different kinds of upbringings. Mine was, uh, cozy, for the most part. It wasn''t until after my mistake with blood magic that my situation turned ugly. And, yeah, that was my fault."


    Her hand squeezed tight to her side, and Florence took notice,


    "Ah...I''m sorry to hear that. I''m simply curious about what kind of life remnants lead. They''re fascinating in that regard since your culture is quite unlike any I''ve ever heard of. It''s also sporadic to find a remnant in imperial space."


    Kessiah raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, I think your kind would just kill us for experience the moment they could. You all seem backstabby to me like that." Kessiah turned to Helios,


    "Especially you."


    Helios shrugged, "And the fact that such a motivation is known showcases our honesty. I do not lie about what I am, though you don''t seem to follow the same prerogative, do you?"


    Kessiah''s eyes narrowed, "Oh, so mister prince man thinks he''s so upright and civil because he doesn''t lie about what a piece of shit he is, huh? That''s just great."


    Helios raised his hand and stared down at his claws, "I don''t lie about my strength or weaknesses at the very least, unlike others worth mentioning." Without turning to me, Helios murmured, "Oh, it''s the Harbinger. He''s here at last."


    I raised a brow, "Is everything ok here?"


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "They''re just having a disagreement. It happens, and we''ll be civilized adults about it."


    Helios scoffed, "Of course."


    Kessiah frowned, "Yup."


    Florence walked past them both and up to Alpha, who trailed behind me,


    "You must be the super golem I''ve heard so much about." Florence offered the golem a hand, "It''s good to meet you, Alpha. I''m Florence Novas."


    Alpha gave him a bow, "I am Alpha, as my creators decided is my name. I am here to assist in your mission."


    "That sounds excellent. Kessiah and I could always use another bodyguard. That''s even more true since Hod and Althea have to assist with some kind of mission for Torix."


    Helios glared at the golem, "Will it be able enough to handle the rigors of battle?"


    I rolled my eyes before raising a hand, "Can you even identify it?"


    Helios turned towards it before trying to do so. Under his mask, his blind eyes widened,


    "I...I cannot."


    I did it for him and unveiled the synopsis for them all to read.


    Alpha(lvl 12,000 | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion) - Alpha is a golem crafted from a team of specialists using a robust, mana porous material. It uses three different minds tethered together to create one of the first super golems ever crafted. Typically, such mana hungry creation methods are impossible, but the material from which this golem is made generates mana naturally. Drawing from that mana, this golem holds tremendous power. Those powers are detailed below.


    Its first abilities are primarily physical in nature. It stands twelve feet in height and weighs more than most houses. Being harder than steel, the golem retains tremendous flexibility through a floating joint model, and Alpha can easily overpower all but the most physically robust Breakers and Fringe Walkers. Its regenerative abilities ensure its power will last through a battle as well.


    Though not as potent, its magic isn''t to be underestimated. This golem commands over a dozen common, useful spells that are inherently ingrained in the material from which it was made. It uses these spells as it fights, making it harder to pin down than expected. Given free will, the golem may learn new magic in the future as well. Whether that was wise, time shall tell.


    Finally, the golem carries rudimentary mind magic capacities. Being a rarer form of magic, this relatively benign being can crush the consciousness of those untrained in mental warfare. The sheer size of its mind guarantees that several combatants will be required to restrain it quickly as well.


    For these reasons, this golem is a fierce force to be reckoned with, and it should not be underestimated.


    Helios tilted his head back, "Well then, I look forward to seeing it in action."


    Alpha bowed to Helios, "I will aim to not disappoint you as though you lack sight, you see more than most."


    Helios stared down at him, "That is a disconcertingly intelligent golem. I pray you made the correct decision in enabling it those mental abilities."


    I gave Alpha a pat on the back, "Oh, don''t worry, you''ll be seeing him in action today."


    Helios pointed down the hallway, "Then let us be off. As a warp has finally been established, I no longer need to be your valet."


    We all met up and warped towards Blegara, this time directly under the seabed instead of in a coral home. The albony established a barrier to allow for machine setups and the like. We rested under this magically rendered barrier, letting us breathe easily for now. That respite ended in seconds as several guards sprinted towards an exit of the border.


    They shot outward, intersecting with a group of Hybrids who came here to attack. I gestured to Alpha,


    "How about you show them how it''s done?"


    Alpha stepped past our team and up to the barrier''s exit,


    "I shall do so, and in your name."


    The runes across his body glowed white,


    "Long live the legion."

 280 A Different Life

    So guys, heads up for this chapter: there are a few POV changes. I don''t intend on making this the norm for the rest of the story or anything. It''s just interesting for me as an author to explore different perspectives at different times. It allows me to showcase other vantage points in realtime instead of telling events offhand after the fact.


    This lets me inject a lot of tension into what would otherwise be dull, dry exposition sections. It''s the classic adage of show don''t tell. I understand this comes at the cost of both brevity and safety; you guys are here for Daniel''s perspective, after all. I know that, and he will always remain the primary reference for The New World.


    That being said, I believe that exploring more POV''s in my works, though to a limited extent, can give this story more depth long term. I just ask that you all give me a chance at this before writing my attempts off. I''ll be carefully selecting each POV with intention and purpose for these reasons going forward.


    Thank you all for reading, regardless. Enjoy everybody.


    -Alpha-


    I stepped forward, afraid but determined. I turned back, and I saw the pride in my creator''s eyes as I stood at the abyss'' edge before me. This would be my first battle against the monsters I wished to destroy. This was why I was made, and it would be why I live.


    I walked through a tunnel, two guards disintegrating a magical barrier for me. In an intermittent area, water funneled into the emptied space, the liquid similar to air but heavier. Stepping forward, another wall disappeared, and I walked into the vast city of coral and kelp. Here would be my arena and proving ground. I would not let my creator down.


    The runes across my frame charged. My eyes, delicate yet unyielding, stared down my aggressors. They shifted with forms created for moving through this liquid. It wouldn''t matter that they were given this place as their perfected stadium of war. I was made better, and I would prove that immediately.


    Bending my knees, I shot forth from the sandy stone bed beneath me. It crumbled. Gravity molded under my touch, and I grazed my opponent''s minds. Like delicate strings strung thin, I pulled their telepathic connections, rending their controllers mute. Without a voice guiding them, the aberrations lost all reason. They were given no mind, and in their chaos, I found triumph.


    Across their lines of defense, I unleashed havoc. Through their weakness, my strength exposed itself. I ravaged with the might of a berserker; the Harbinger''s will guiding me. My mind was made with this intention, and I relished in this moment, the orange blood dispersing at my touch. Its color, like the monster''s deaths, was beautiful. It was the same with their screams, each a symphony to my ears.


    Similar in style to Torix, I slaughtered many in a single stroke while coldly calculating my next targets. Against their enemy tide, I assessed and assimilated. I devoured and destroyed. In my wake, I was ravager unrelinquished, one without equal and without end. I splayed molten glass across my enemys'' skins, keeping it heated despite the water sapping the mass''s heat. I tore their minds and souls apart, engulfing the corpses they left behind. Without a beginning nor end, I ripped apart their meager defenses.


    They shattered beneath me, their fear absolute yet not enough to satiate my hunger. I was starving for the abomination''s deaths, for I understood my purpose and what I was - one created to kill monsters. I was a destroyer of the blighted and without closure. On the passing horizons of their lives, I feasted on their fears. On their eventual deaths, I gave them release.


    As their time passed and my showing finished, I moved back towards the bubble protecting my allies from the elements. The albony here existed as fragile, wispy entities. Why this water harmed them, I didn''t fully understand. It left me wondering how they survived. I came to a realization - in many ways, I still did not understand the world I was in. Walking towards the others, I met the eye of Helios. I bowed before him,


    "I hope that my performance was satisfactory."


    The albony did not answer. I winced, my face unable to convey my disappointment. I must have failed. I expected this outcome from the beginning. Attempting to match my master was a foolish idea and an even more foolish course of action. How could I sustain through such a comparison? It was beyond me and my limited mind.


    I waited for words scorched in venom and hatred. Instead, mocking words came towards ears that weren''t my own. My creator whistled and spoke,


    "Hah, told you so. He kicked some serious ass."


    Helios murmured, "To think it could destroy with such abandon. I almost find it insulting that you''d bow to me, golem. It seems disingenuous."


    I stared at the oceanic floor, dried sand over stone, "I mean no ill intent. I am merely showing respect given our positions."


    Florence laughed before clapping loud, "Hah, and here I thought Obolis understood the cipher. A golem like this has never been created. There''s no telling what Obolis would pay for this thing."


    My creator spoke with pride, "He''s not for sale."


    Warmth spread in my mind at his words. He sounded pleased with my performance. Daniel tapped my back,


    "Isn''t that right?"


    I stood straight and looked him in the eye. I pointed at myself for clarification, "You wish for my opinion?"


    "Yeah. I do."


    "But my opinion is irrelevant."


    My creator''s eyes rolled in his skull, "Pshh, I can tell we gave you a little too much humility."


    "It was the correct amount of humility, given my station as a tool. Tools should not correct their purpose. Their purpose is evident in their creation."


    Florence leaned closer to me, "I never imagined a golem could hold such philosophical approaches to life and existence. You''re an interesting fellow."


    I bowed to him, "Thank you." Standing upright, I said, "As you are interested, I will convey my full understanding of my directives. My ultimate goal is the control and elimination of volatile life forms known as the eldritch. I also wish for the destruction of the Hybrids. My goals were predetermined, and they leave little room for confusion."


    I turned to my creator, "Thank you for giving me this peace. Living with doubt is painful, and I am glad I lack it."


    My creator brandished his knuckles while grinning wickedly,


    "Speaking of Hybrids, how about we go kill some more of them?"


    My own eyes showed red as his jagged smile oozed crimson,


    "I do so willingly."


    -Daniel-


    I stepped past Alpha, the golem menacing and bloodthirsty. It attacked the weak points of the Hybrids far more than expected, and I had a thing or two to learn from the guy. Alpha''s mind magic was geared towards the telepathic tetherings of the Hybrids and their rulers. By tearing at that weakness, he sent their carefully coordinated attacks into complete disarray.


    Honing in on deficiencies was worth learning from since it made his fight more manageable than otherwise. When I hung onto battles desperately, I did the same. As of late, I crashed through my enemies without much thought, and that was a poor habit. Lessons learned aside, it looked like Ophelia''s coded desires for killing eldritch were working well. If anything, they might be a bit too effective. I didn''t want him to lose control of himself and get killed in the process. Keeping that in mind, I pointed at Florence and Kessiah,


    "Sit beside them and keep them safe. That should give you plenty of Hybrids to kill as we move forward."


    Alpha bowed as usual, "As you will it, let it be so."


    I gestured to our vanguard of Alastair and Victoria, "Let''s go. We''ve got a long day ahead of us."


    Florence put his hands on his hips and looked down, "We do. The Hybrids attacked in mass last night. We''re going to need to retake a lot of the territory we conquered over the past few days."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really now? Why isn''t the Empire able to keep the places we''ve given them?"


    Florence shook his head, "They''re focusing primarily on more established planets where resources are plentiful. Getting them involved here is going to require an easy fix. I''m just hoping that our plan with Hod and Amara comes through. Otherwise, this planet will fall."


    I cracked my neck, "Then let''s get started."


    We began our assault, clearing out nearby Hybrids remaining from Alpha''s first attack. After that, we spent most of the day regaining pieces of Blegara that were under assault by newly crafted Hybrids. This meant we focused almost entirely on regaining already conquered territories, and despite our efforts, the war seemed decided. The Hybrids arrived in greater swarms each and every day. Their production, transport, and organization improved at every turn as well.


    Our team kept pace, our skills improving as well. On the other hand, the Empire struggled. The Empire commissioned mercenaries to fight here, and while they patched holes in their ranks, the fighters costed credits. As more mercenaries died, the price for their services rose. This stressed the Empire further. If anything, it was a matter of time before this planet was crushed regardless of our influence.


    It was a painful sight to take in. Our team couldn''t be everywhere at once, and the albony''s morale wore down as friendly reinforcements came in. These back up soldiers were from other, less nationalistic races which the Empire drafted from their many controlled planets. This hodgepodge of different species no longer cared for victory after seeing the losses and reports coming in.


    They just wanted to survive. That short term mindset and lack of unity hurt the Empire''s chances of winning this war, exposing the issues with having their class system. After all, why would lower class members of a system fight to sustain the system pushing them into the dirt?


    They wouldn''t, and they didn''t.


    That scorn showed here. The mercenaries still fought well, but conscripted fighters from controlled worlds did not. Schema''s abject lack of support didn''t help matters either. Hybrids didn''t give as much experience as they were worth; the danger of facing one far outweighed the resulting reward. Simultaneously, Schema''s regrouping took time for his fleet, and these planets were left suffering for it.


    Without our specialized team''s support, Blegara would''ve fallen a week ago. I hadn''t realized at the time, but we kept them afloat, my team''s ability to clear Hybrids unmatched. It was a shame because Blegara, when untarnished, was a beautiful world. I found that out as we ran through its many territories along Saphigia''s outskirts.


    Here, at the edges of the conflict in the inner city, Vagni lived without the war hampering them. These villages fed the industrial might of their capital. As ''suburbs,'' they showcased lives unperturbed by the war raging in the cityscape miles away. The Vagni here created means of subsistence, simple as they were, that supported their ways of life.


    They roosted their collections of coral housing on elevated platforms of sandstone. In between these places, roadways were made from long threads etched with seashells. They followed these lines, finding various lofty landmarks to hang the strands on. Those markers carried different kinds of significance, and it wasn''t uncommon to see Vagni leave food in those places.


    Eldritch ate and nibbled there, and the offerings prevented attacks on the Vagni that traveled down these roads. They would be carrying enormous loads of various goods from seashells, corals, stones, foods, and preserved creatures. They harvested all these resources from the many farmlands we passed over.


    Those homesteads carried many kinds of produce like clam farms created over artificial sandstone. The Vagni used the glue from barnacle-like creatures to solidify sand into these towers. On those towers, they implanted barnacles that filter fed to grow. These farms created vast fields of pillars situated along the flow of currents.


    The water flow kept the filter feeders fed, and just beyond these clam ranges, the Vangi planted even vaster kelp farms. It was a smart plan as the pillar farms cleared the water of parasites, plankton, and other pests. This allowed kelp to grow without any impediment, giving them a quick, efficient production of foods.


    Other kinds of industries showed themselves amidst all the clams, however. Those kelp farm setups required large lots of land actually, and competition for those prime territories was fierce. Some Vagni failed to succeed, ending up with lots of barren sand that weren''t as expansive. To make ends meet, other plants were grown.


    In these smaller farms, spnots of shade sprinkled the horizon as they grew algae at the ocean''s surface. These algae could be harvested more often than kelp, resulting in more food for less effort. I discovered all of this from fragmented, telepathic communications with Vagni in these areas. That wasn''t all I learned either. Most vagni hated algae-based food, and it was considered fare for the poor.


    That created a disdain for the algae farmers who blotted out portions of the sea-skyline. Vagni preferred open views of the ocean''s surface, so lots of those farms actually lowered property values nearby. Many of these algae spots were considered ugly and unrefined, even by the cannibals.


    Personally, I preferred the shady spots. They let the rest of the sunshine leak in from streaks, creating stripes of sunlight. Other parts of the countryside showed a few other individualized endeavors as well. One of the smaller clam farmers used the glue farmed from his barnacles to create shell statues.


    The Vagni would crush the shells into pieces, then create a sand mosaic of the broken bits glued together. It impressed me enough that I bought a few using some of their currency, the old teeth of eldritch. I had plenty of those, having picked up quite a fortune of them yesterday alone.


    It may sound like I was on vacation, but I used bits of freetime I had that others didin''t. I worked with a team, and they needed breaks. During those downtimes, I explored these parts of this world. If anything, I enjoyed being here more than Giess. Though dark and brooding, the world held an edge that interested me.


    That exploration was also how I found signs of our losing war effort as well. The Vagni once feared the albony as tyrants. Many Vagni watched those same tyrants be eaten alive. Having their territories taken and retaken over and over also put the neutral Vagni in a prey centric state of mind. They wanted order at any cost, and with the frequent setbacks the Empire experienced, the Vagni preferred Elysium''s rule.


    That was a general theme I''d seen so far. The Empire''s efforts, while valiant, weren''t comparable to Elysium''s. This explained why the Vagni and the Adairs rebelled when they did. They enacted Torix''s rendition of their plan precisely, overwhelming the Empire with an endless swarm of Hybrids. The Adairs kept meaningful casualties to a minimum, and over time, those lack of losses manifested as gains in territory.


    These factors made Elysium confident in their victory here. By the end of the day, they weren''t the only ones who understood who would win this war either. The Empire was simply giving up too much ground. Even though we succeeded yesterday, the Hybrids regained almost more than we could reconquer.


    Those results left a bitter taste in my mouth as we finished fighting on Blegara for the day. As we warped back to Mt. Verner, I dwelled on the results of today. Our plan was the albony''s only hope of keeping their planet, which left me peeved a bit. I expected better fighting efforts from Obolis. If anything, the Empire was more of an economic power than a warring one.


    Our brand new guild, with its limited resources, was outdoing their planetary efforts for Blegara. That might not be the case elsewhere, but it was evident on the sea planet. This changed my mindset regarding the Empire. My approach up until now was one built on trusting them. After having seen the results of their battles, I now understood why Obolis offered to contract my guild in the first place. We provided a more valuable service than I first thought.


    That wasn''t to say my approach failed until now, but to make sure our guild got its worth, I pivoted my strategy here. As I paced up towards Torix''s office of sorts, I resolved to get more out of this deal with the Empire. I was all for alliances, but I wasn''t big on getting taken advantage of.


    That left me thinking. Bartering for more of Obolis''s treasures was a method of achieving my aims, but that left the Emperor with enormous control. He knew which pieces were valuable and which ones weren''t, leaving me in the dark. I preferred a deal where I wasn''t hoping he''d treat us well.


    Those thoughts bounced in my head as I paced into Torix''s everchanging lair. He situated himself on the third floor, expanding his many graphs, charts, and maps into a hallway leading to his residence. At this point, his pacing left stone rubbed raw, Torix''s common walking paths evident.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Meandering along one of those blemished walkways, Torix walked up to me,


    "Ah, it''s good to see you again, disciple."


    I gave the guy a nod, opening up my dimensional storage, "Yeah, it''s good to see you too."


    Torix locked his hands behind himself, "I believe you''ve some sort of sample or specimen to show me. I was wondering what it was."


    I pulled out one of the alien crystals I found along the bottom of Blegara''s many underwater trenches. With my other hand, I generated a stone table and pillar beneath it, giving me somewhere to set the gemstone,


    "You and me both."


    The crystal glowed with a magenta hue, magnificent and vibrant. Torix locked in on the crystalline structure, his fascination apparent,


    "Ah, I understand why you wanted us to inspect this. There''s little in the way of mana signatures resonating from these glowing structures. They lack any notable, geometric, or crystalline structures I''d see in most minerals as well."


    Torix peered back, "There''s no mind in these things either, though they seem to be...Hm, alive? Perhaps not. It''s hard to say." He looked up at me, "It''s no wonder you brought them to me. I can barely make sense of these at all."


    Torix cackled, "Hah, interesting. Very interesting. I say we test these crystals and their reactions to a few specimens under my wing. What do you say to that proposition?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, it can''t hurt."


    Torix''s fire eyes flared, "Not the both of us, at least. For others, well-" Torix scoffed,


    "I''m sure they''ll live."


    -Althea-


    I walked onto a different plane, peering onto the place where our team traveled. It was always strange going here. Nothing else lived in this place, yet I could view into the other world while here. That let me traverse without anyone knowing where or who I was.


    I held my breath as I did, and I used the ring Daniel gave us for flight. He used a remake of some model he gave to Ophelia, and it gave us a few things we could do. Flying was the most useful, but the other options helped a lot too in the right situation. It reminded me of him when I looked at the ring as well, and that was always a nice bonus.


    I smiled as I hovered around the others. Isa, Lester, and Alexander all traveled together while serving as the visible team. Hod and I kept on their tails, keeping hidden in the back. We all agreed to lay low until the right moment arose, and that stopped us from being found out. Security was the most crucial factor for this mission, anyways. The last thing I wanted was another situation like the one on the Nebula Drifter.


    Daniel ended up fighting Lehesion on his own, and we all just...ran away. My chest burned when I thought about that. I helped where I could with what the guild needed, but despite my efforts to the contrary, I wasn''t able to do anything to help the people I cared about.


    That, well, sucked. Real bad.


    I took a breath, calming myself down and falling into a different state of mind. I''d gotten good at this since my solo missions out in the enemy''s territory. It left me without any presence to speak of, even after I warped in. It was as if I stilled my mind until it was left unseen. They couldn''t connect with what they couldn''t sense, you know.


    Hod''s defense was similar. After talking with Other Hod, I learned it since we had plenty of time to chat during our many missions together. Other Hod used his push and pull with Hod''s mind to his advantage. He pushed back as much as normal Hod pulled. This put them at a net-zero output of any thoughts, which their mind mages used to find us.


    It was pretty smart, and that wasn''t the only thing I learned about Other Hod. He was sweeter than I thought an eldritch could be, actually. He was terrified of Daniel, and he wallowed in guilt because he tore Hod''s mind apart. It wasn''t his fault or anything, even if he felt like it was. Other Hod gradually manifested in Hod over time as eldritch energy pooled in him. Neither of them could stop that.


    I was just glad Hod was still around. He was funny, even when he didn''t mean to be. Some other people hated how he talked, but I could relate since a part of me was eldritch too. Well, I guessed so. My eldritch half wasn''t quite as talkative. It was, uh, more monstrous.


    That''s why I could be a monster so easily. I didn''t like killing, but it was second nature to me. I mean that literally too; I allowed the eldritch part of me to manifest more. It stopped my guilt a lot of the time, and I wanted that part of me to take over when killing civilians. If anything, I relied on my eldritch half as much as Hod did, just in a different way.


    Either way, I had plenty of time to think about all this stuff as we traveled South.


    We were crossing a countryside that was split apart by the eldritch. Humanity didn''t do poorly against the eldritch relative to what I''d seen elsewhere, but they didn''t do particularly well either. The main problem was technology. Most of Earth was centuries behind several critical scientific breakthroughs, which left them reliant on more physical means of beating eldritch.


    That worked for Daniel and a few others, but most people weren''t able to handle the monsters consistently like that. People kind of congregated around the few individuals that could, though. That was the general theme outside Mt. Verner''s immediate vicinity. People managed here because of our guild''s influence. The tech and weapons we gave out helped a ton, too, making a positive influence present even many miles away.


    However, the further we went from our base, the weaker Mt. Verner''s positive influence was. Eventually, it waned to nothing. It was sad seeing communities turn from warm houses into ghost towns and isolated homes. That isolation was one of the hardest parts about a world overrun with eldritch - you couldn''t travel anywhere.


    If you did, you''d face so many monsters going anywhere that it left you vulnerable. People ended up bunkering down and trying to wait out the eldritch. That never worked since the beasts grew stronger every day.  In the worst areas, ghost towns littered giant expanses with no humans left living. It was a different kind of hellscape than most, one where the eldritch fought each other in abandoned cities.


    Dungeons clustered in those places, and the initial townspeople failed to hold back the hordes. The eldritch devoured them, and now they devoured each other. In some ways, these places were more alive than before with how dense the monster clusters became. That''s what happened when rifts were left unmanaged. The intense fighting of monster factions took over entirely as various eldritch vied for dominance over the others.


    All that gloom and doom makes it sound pretty awful, but it wasn''t all bad. We passed a few communities as we traveled South that, while paling in comparison to Mt. Verner, still served as sanctuaries for people. These were strange places built to last despite the post-apocalyptic nature of Blegara now.


    These refuges cropped up in bunkers, military bases, and even refurbished dungeons. The bunkers carried weaponry and food that let people organize after the culling. As for the military bases, their weaponry lasted long enough that they out leveled the eldritch. I''m sure anyone that went into a dungeon and used it as a home was probably like Daniel, a fighter through and through.


    It left me smiling after I saw those places, but not just because they reminded me of Daniel. Sometimes, children ran around and played in those places. Seeing those little guys run around and laugh, it warmed my soul more than I''d admit. I''d like to think that warmth stemmed from how cold my own childhood was.


    I spent most of it in a lab, Yawm overseeing my development. He kept a noose of sorts around my neck, and that guaranteed I''d never escape. I was so reliant on suppressants to stop my eldritch energy from overwhelming me. I was lucky to meet Daniel and Torix when I did. I don''t think anyone else could''ve or would''ve saved me from all that.


    But yeah, seeing children grow up here without having to survive like that...yeah, it was pretty nice. I wanted more children to be raised like that, or bare minimum, better than what I went through. It would be a way of preventing other people from suffering, and to me, that sounded, I don''t know, fulfilling?


    Those ideas bounced around in my head as we began seeing signs of the Adair''s village. I silenced those thoughts, knowing a misstep meant these three''s deaths. Besides, the Adair''s rebellion left me pretty busy with missions, so I didn''t have time to make something like an orphanage anyways. Despite all that, it was fun to daydream about. It would be more fun than killing people.


    I knew that much for sure.


    Speaking of people, we saw more of them as we neared the Elysium camp. It didn''t take long to travel a couple hundred miles when you could fly after all. Their presence wasn''t as large as Mt. Verners, but it was still notable when compared to the no man''s lands we passed by on the way here. This difference became very stark as we discovered Hybrids roaming various forests, hills, and mountainsides.


    They culled eldritch, and espens followed them as they did. These people acted as forest rangers, making travel far safer in their immediate domain. It was a potent service, letting people handle a lot more moving around. This meant communities connected more, trade flourished, and rallying was actually a thing here.


    Otherwise, people became isolated, and hope dwindled. These hope-giving routes etched out paths along old roads and forest trails. Along the way, we met caravaneers going from town to town, selling people rare goods as they did. Hybrids kept them secure, and this allowed people to form economies.


    All of Elysium''s peacekeeping efforts made me feel guilty about our own. The Legion did our best given our own circumstances, but we could afford to do more stuff like this. Keeping that in mind, I jotted down some of Elysium''s practices on a note app in my status. I even took a few pictures to show Daniel and Torix. They pretty much decided most stuff in the guild, but I could get my say here or there when I needed too. With that in mind, I was sure they''d think this kind of thing was a good idea.


    Getting within a few miles of the Elysium camp, we found farms guarded by Hybrids. At this point, they kept their community locked down and airtight. No eldritch roamed about. The land had been cleansed a while back. People could even travel along forested roads, many using carriages pulled by Hybrids.


    It was a strange scene since I was so used to those monsters killing mercilessly. Here, they offered mercy instead of taking it.  It was...I don''t know, just odd to see.


    Either way, we couldn''t just float over the forests and roads here. We joined one of the main roads, leaving us walking on foot. As people passed by, they''d say hi, and Isa or Lester did most of the talking in those situations. They kept conversations short and sweet, questioning where work was nearby.


    And of course, everyone in this area suggested going to the Elysium camp. They always needed competent dungeon clearers, and having three of them coming was always welcome. No one mentioned mind screenings either on our way here. To me, that sealed the deal on the Adairs not knowing where the guild was.


    They thought of Earth as a place to establish a presence early on in their rebellion. It also made it clear they really intended to help people and make up for what they did to Giess. That wasn''t something done so quickly, and what they did to the gialgathens and espens was unforgivable. That being said, all of this was a pretty good start to an apology. If they kept at it, I wouldn''t know who was the bad guy anymore.


    It sucked when things weren''t simple, but that''s just how life was.


    I didn''t have time for any more of those thoughts as we neared the camp. Alexander wore an eldritch leather garb we bought from a shop in Mt. Verner''s lower floors. The hand made outfit, knives, weapons, and satchels of different eldritch acids made him look like an alchemist. And, well, he was one, though his magic was definitely his strong suit. Right now, we couldn''t have people knowing he was a wizard like Torix. No one knew much magic yet.


    The other dungeoneers wore what they usually did. Isa stuck six or so spears on her back, each one ending in a vial of glowing green fluid and a sharpened piece of metal. These were bottles of acid, and they let her kill regenerative eldritch. The spears were for aiming the bottles at a farther distance than she could lob them. It also allowed her to hit fast eldritch too.


    Lester stuck with bottles full of gasoline and styrofoam. He called them napalm bombs, and they worked a lot better than the Molotov cocktails I''d seen others use against the eldritch. On our way here, Lester used one against a handsy eldritch that came near him. The gunk in those bottles stuck to the monster, and it burned through the bones because the slop wouldn''t come off.


    They also wore handmade, eldritch leather wares. This kept an authentic, everyday look we saw from others here. I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the craftsmen back on Mt. Verner. Florence helped with making them look authentic, the albony diplomat knowing a thing or two about appearances. His family treated him poorly despite all his skills, but of all the albony I''d met, I liked him and Caprika most.


    I prayed these disguises would work as we walked into the visual range of the Adair''s site. It rested just beyond a hill, nestled in a valley. As we passed one of the surrounding hills, we got a nice, overhead view of the entire place from above. It made sense why Torix''s scouts found this place since they weren''t exactly hiding. Besides that, I was immediately impressed and put off guard.


    What impressed me was the amount of construction, time, and freedom people had. It was night and day compared to the other towns near here. The dungeons nearby worked as farming grounds for collecting eldritch and leveling up individuals. Hybrids walked in open daylight, but their owners covering them with robes to keep their bodies hidden. Children played and laughed in fields past the city, and they had a few places set out for them too.


    However, what put me off guard was the portion of metal spires lifting up from the center of the encampment. They let the silvers manifest here, though I didn''t know how exactly. Earth lacked the mana pollution Giess did, and without it, the silvers would starve. That didn''t stop the silvers here, a few of their alien, disgusting forms looking our way from atop their spires.


    They didn''t so much as think of getting out of their prison, however. The Adairs used electrified wire to keep the silvers in place, the fences rising high into the sky. Surrounding this silver prison was a town composed of many materials, especially metals. Espens with Hybrid servants walked up to the silvered territory and stripped it of its steel. Using that metal, mages would sear the iron into usable lengths for building purposes.


    With those pieces, they worked on making homes for refugees pouring into the place. The farms on the outskirts here sold their goods to the city, it seemed, and they dispensed food as needed. They even had established schools. It was...developed, and more than I expected at that. I didn''t know what to make of it, but I made sure to take screenshots of everything I saw.


    Beyond those initial, large buildings, smaller wooden ones sprinkled about. They used mud and sod for making the homes, and people piled into the safe zone to keep their children and families safe. Many looked like they were volunteering for the Adairs, lines leading into various combat training zones.


    These wooden houses gave way to cleared fields, and past that was a perimeter of fences and Hybrid guards. We paced up to that line before standing in a line leading into the city, the three adventurers exposed while Hod and I stayed hidden. Holding our breaths, we waited until we reached two remnants. They both had white hair and were highly leveled, each over 5,000. Elysium suited them up with armor similar in style and fashion to Sentinels, but neither wore helmets. They did carry some dangerous spears though, the violet, antimatter blades crackling about.


    The burliest of the two guards spoke in a rough voice, "Who are you three, and what''s your business here?"


    I let out a mental sigh of relief. The remnants didn''t notice Hod or me. At least not yet. Isa answered for the group, gesturing towards Alexander and Lester,


    "We''re just dungeon clearing specialists looking for work. We heard about this place a couple dozen miles back, and we were hoping for somewhere to settle. I''ll tell you what though, this is more than I imagined it would be."


    Isa spoke with a very matriarchal tone in her voice. It was a bit jagged, but in a way that commanded respect. I was glad she was doing the talking as the remnants stared at each other. The burly one reached out a hand, and they shook hands as he grinned at her,


    "It''s good to have you then. We can always use more fighters. Head over towards the fighter''s guild. They''ll get you sorted and put to work if that''s what you''re wanting."


    Isa nodded, "Damn straight. It''s chaos everywhere but here, and we aim to fix that." She gave a sly grin, "Though a bit of compensation never hurt."


    The other remnant scoffed, "You''ll get plenty of rewards. Trust me on that."


    They pointed their spears past an opened gate, and we all walked in. It wasn''t a futuristic set up by any means, and they''d only been here for a month at most. Noting those details, we walked into the wooded town area right past the perimeter. We paced past a few people before moseying our way through the site.


    Of those people, most were espens. A few remnants and humans sprinkled about, however. Some of those humans even carried Hybrid companions. After walking further in, we got lost in alleyways and streets, so Lester knocked on one of the doors to ask for directions. An older man opened the door, and his son and wife waited in their home behind him.


    A remnant doctor placed a palm on the wife''s forehead, both their eyes closed. Lester frowned, tilting his head to get a better look at her,


    "Is she alright?"


    The man at the entrance answered, "Not really. We were trapped in our farmhouse ever since the culling, and Margret was scrambled up bad by some strange eldritch. This here alien is seeing if she can''t help her."


    Lester winced, "I''m sorry about that. I hope she gets better."


    "You and me both. What are you knocking for?"


    Lester pointed behind him, "We''re looking for the fighter''s guild, and we got lost. Do you know the way?"


    Phil put his hands on his hips, "I do. I can take you there real quick if you want. It''s really no trouble."


    Lester grinned back, "That would be great, actually."


    The man stepped out, reaching out a hand. As they shook, he said,


    "The name''s Phil. Yours?"


    "Lester. This is Isa and Alexander."


    Phil gave them a nod of acknowledgment before walking down the steps into his home. As he did, his own Hybrid walked out with him. It stepped past Isa and Lester, Alexander eyeing it with suspicion. Phil turned to his Hybrid then back to us,


    "Oh, you three must be new. These guys aren''t so bad. I''ve already managed to get a lot of use out of this thing, and he wasn''t so hard to get either."


    Alexander''s eyes narrowed, "Wouldn''t that exile you from Schema''s system? That might not be the best long term move."


    Phil shook his head, staring at Alexander with sad eyes,


    "Boy, you might not know this by now, but this world''s a hard place. It got a lot harder after the culling too. Now I know I might get stronger one day, but my family needs me. I''ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. If that means getting exiled from Schema''s system, then so be it."


    Phil stared forward, "It''s like this - we''ve got to survive today before we can start thinking about tomorrow."


    Lester cut in, "Don''t we know it. Are you ready to go?"


    Phil pointed in a direction, "Right this way."


    Before they sauntered off, the Hybrid stared faced in my direction. Its orange pustules pulsed under the membranes holding its orange gunk in. A chill ran up my spine before they walked off. They looked like they had this situation under control for the most part. Sending a message to them, I split off from the group and explored a few nearby homes.


    From peeking my head through the windows, I found people resting, setting up meals, and preserving food. Sometimes, Hybrids assisted with these tasks, even regular civilians using them however they wanted. Children even played with them at times, the Hybrid presence entirely normalized.


    It left me unsettled. The mechanical monstrosities were powerful beings, and our team could kill them, but most couldn''t. If one of these things went running through the streets eating people, no one would stop it. The best bet would be the occasional remnant that guarded certain critical areas of the city. Outside of that, no one stood a chance.


    Those weren''t the only unsettling details lying under the surface of this utopia. I discovered several lines of people leading to different places in the town. Most of these lines ended in administrator work for organizing people. I kept checking just in case, however.


    After an hour or two of searching, one of these queues ended in the entire village''s largest building. It was a brick building without windows, and as I walked nearby, the smell of a sterilized hospital leaked out. I walked past two guards, each a remnant heavily armored with a Hybrid at their side. Passing brick reinforced with metal, I found orichalcum and runic configurations tracing this place''s inner sanctum. It reminded me of the prison Thisbey placed me in. Unlike that place, this center was more technologically realized.


    The main floor kept a clean, open look that stopped the lab from seeming stuffy and ominous. They even kept the lights less fluorescent, making it homier than usual. Well, homier than most labs, at least. It creeped me out still, mostly as I walked past a wall covered in vials full of a clear liquid.


    I wondered what they were for until a person from outside walked in. The older woman stepped past me, the wind off her walk brushing past my hair. As she stepped up, a remnant doctor paced up to her. He put a hand on her shoulder,


    "Are you sure about this?"


    She gave the nod, and they went forward. The older woman selected one of the vials, and after getting it from its case, they walked towards the back of the lab. I followed, pacing past two more guards. As I walked into the next room, chills ran up my spine.


    This was...disgusting.

 281 Wielder of Monsters

    -Daniel-


    I peered at Torix out of the corner of my eye while keeping my concerns to myself. The lich seemed overeager for this experimentation with the crystals, though that made sense given his chosen profession. He turned himself into a lich after all, so this was just an everyday thing.


    Reaching the elevator at the center of Mt. Verner, Torix took us down towards the old tunnel leading to Springfield. Our guild used it a long time ago to escape from Yawm''s influence without him knowing where we were. Now it was left abandoned, or so I thought. As we got to the aged, dusty place, I found signs of new construction there.


    Glancing at new metal doorways and added lights, I turned to Torix,


    "So you built new rooms here, eh?"


    Torix smiled, "You''re not the only one with access to credits. I simply use mine in other ways aside from dungeon cores."


    We paced up through the tunnel before reaching the thick, plated doorways. Torix raised a palm. A blot of his premier, dark mana bobbed over a scanner of sorts. It checked his mana signature, and the door''s locks popped open. Stepping through a damp tunnel lit by some strange kind of fungus, I looked around.


    Vines grew in this place, a flow of air present here. Aside from that, this place reeked of death and decay. Torix worked on his necromancy here by the looks of it, and he did so in secret. I understood why, but I still spoke out,


    "I guess you''re still someone who likes keeping a few secrets here or there."


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself, "Not necessarily secrets per se, but yes, I do enjoy a mystery at times. For this, however, I simply am applying a bit of my knowledge for our gain. I always assumed you''d rather not be bothered by this nastiness."


    The thick smell of rot and putrid flesh filled my nose as I frowned,


    "Eh, true."


    Torix opened one of the doorways here, solid concrete walls keeping this place bunkered down. Within the cell, human skeletons hung from walls, each splayed out by chains. Oddly enough, it actually smelled better here than the other rooms, this place having dried out. They were still human skeletons, so I eyed the lich with suspicion. He raised a hand,


    "I assure you, this was done post mortem. I''m not torturing humans here. I''m merely reviving corpses to use them after death, and with their permission when they were once living. In this situation, they''ve prevented us from risking ourselves, and so they''ve done a great service here."


    I raised my eyebrows but said no more. Torix stepped up to one of the skeletons while hovering the magenta-colored crystals towards the structure. As the gemstone made contact with the bone, its formation shifted instantly like the jaws of a shark. The crystals sunk into the bones using needles. Spreading like wildfire, the jewel thinned into a near translucent coating over the arm of its host.


    If left a magenta hue, turning into sharpened apparatuses at the end of the skeleton''s hand. We stared for a moment, but the crystal did no more than that. I put my hands on my hips,


    "This stuff is definitely alive."


    Torix leaned forward, "In all honesty, I doubt it."


    I raised an eyebrow, and the lich answered my unspoken question,


    "It''s strange, but this seems more like a crystallized contagion of sorts designed to react to organic matter. Now how this came about, I''ve no idea. Given the rapid metabolization of its body, it would appear eldritchian in nature."


    Torix shook his head, "But that simply doesn''t explain why it hasn''t eaten the skeleton left here. If it were eldritch, it would''ve devoured it to strengthen itself...Hmm, where did you discover this?"


    "Along the outskirts of Saphigia. It rested at the bottom of the trenches surrounding the city."


    "Well then, I''m honestly at a loss here."


    I raised a hand, "Wait a minute, that''s not all I found there. I discovered the largest rift I''d ever seen, and it leaked in water from a dead world in a dying universe. I think that these crystals might''ve come from somewhere on that world. The creatures were strange, after all. There''s no telling what they would''ve evolved into just to survive."


    I gestured at the viral formations, "This might be something adapted to a world with no food."


    Torix tilted his head, "Ah, that''s interesting. Very interesting. Were eldritch located there?"


    "Not directly eldritch creatures, no, but they might as well have been. I wouldn''t want them touching anyone here, that''s for sure."


    "Ah, they operated like Endless Fleshes then?"


    "Yeah. They just spread like a...well, virus...Huh."


    Torix shrugged, "That could be what this is - a virus. Viral creatures can be crystalline such as this, and they require a host. They lie between life and death as well, making them difficult to discern. At least from a cursory glance."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Well, this could be a kind of symbiotic, uhm, thing? I mean, that world was starving for millions of years. This crystal or virus might have evolved to combine with nearby creatures and give them an edge. By the time I found them though, these crystals might be all that was left from, I don''t know, an evolutionary war?"


    Torix leaned back, "Huh, interesting hypothesis. I do suppose that symbiotic relations do occur."


    Torix paused, and we both dove into deep thought. This thing reminded me of the eldritch that Obolis controlled when we first met. Checking my status, I analyzed that eldritch virus and brought back up its status screen. Plaga Ustus showed up, and it could strengthen its users before causing them to combust. This might do something similar. I pointed at it, making my status visible to Torix,


    "This sounds familiar?"


    After reading the documentation, Torix nodded, "Indeed, it does. Unlike the Empire''s scientists, we lack the same equipment to study this disease. At least on hand. I''ll get a team of biologists here and see if I can''t uncover this thing''s secrets. For now-"


    Torix raised a hand, and his eyes flared while he granted life to the skeleton,


    "Let us see if the crystal reacts to a living mind."


    The skeleton animated itself, peering up at us. Turning to the crystal, the body looked back at its shackles. The magenta gem expanded towards the handcuffs before touching the metal. As it did, it infected the metal, racing up the iron chains. Having expanded, the crystal regrouped with its central mass, covering more of the skeleton.


    After finishing the next shackle, the skeleton fell from its restraints. Two sharpened, magenta spines covered its arms, making the otherwise frail and useless minion appear quite dangerous. I whistled at it before grinning,


    "Now that...that''s pretty nifty. It looks like it eats metal."


    Torix''s eyes flared red, "Indeed."


    The skeleton ran towards me before reaching a hand backward. Using the sharpened, glass-like spines at the ends of its arms, it smashed its arm against my chest. As it made contact, it snapped into several pieces. The broken shards hissed and shook on the ground before the bright, violet hue left their crystalline forms. The leftovers looked like long shards of broken glass now.


    I lifted a broken piece with gravity, the skeleton drove back by the rebounding force of its blow. Using the now clear shards, I flicked a finger at the minion, using a gravitational well to lob the crystal at the thing. It blocked the sharpened piece with skill, and the broken piece snapped against the still charged crystal on its arm. I turned to Torix,


    "So this stuff is harder and stronger when it''s still...alive, I guess."


    "I would suppose so. It also seems that once shattered off the main body, it dies. Of course, we''ll verify, but if that is so, this is quite a useful property to have. We could convert Hybrids into glass using this."


    I crossed my arms, my mind racing with possibilities, "Some parts of them, that''s for sure. I think it would be useful against the silver''s territories."


    Torix nodded, "Good point. Good point."


    The skeleton charged forward once more, undeterred by its ineffectual attack. It swung its crystal-coated arm once more, but I grabbed the limb and redirecting the force of its swing. Using that force, I palmed its ribs. The living bones evaporated into a fine powder at my touch. The bit of skeleton left was held in my hand.


    Holding the crystal, it attempted to eat my skin. That didn''t pan out, so it retreated. Regrouping into a glowing gemstone, it shifted into a central mass indistinguishable from the other crystals. Once collected together, it smacked onto the concrete ground, leaving a bit of crushed dust under its impact.


    I leaned back, "Alright, I think I have a few ideas with this."


    Torix rubbed his hands together, "As do I."


    I picked up the gemstone, and it shivered on contact with me. I pointed at Torix, "I need to know if this stuff reacts to my disconnected fabric the same way as it does me. Do you mind touching it?"


    Torix nodded, "I, in fact, do. This would be a rather anticlimactic end for this body you crafted."


    "Eh, alright." I opened my dimensional storage and pulled out a bit of my dimensional fabric. After condensing it, I generated a different block of iron in front of me. Testing if it ate all metal on contact, I tossed the gemstone onto the metal. In an anticlimax, the magenta mass clanked off the iron without any reaction. I raised my eyebrows before using the skeleton arm in my hand to prod the gemstone.


    It jolted back onto the organic matter, crystalline needles centering themselves in the bone. By now, the aged arm was cracked beyond all reasoning, but the living gem held it together. After reacclimatizing to the limb, I dropped it back into the metal. This time it engulfed the steel in seconds, eating the metal with hunger. The same hunger that the old creatures of that dying world had.


    The crystal used the extra mass it gained to its advantage. It molded into a walking platform for the hand. Lifeless and cold, it protected the limb as I flicked stones at its host. Walking back up, I took the hardened piece of my dimensional fabric and tossed it at the gemstone. On contact, the jewel shivered in fear. It abandoned the arm, reverting back into its previous, gemstone form.


    To be fair, it was bigger than last time. I turned to Torix, "Mind touching it now?"


    Torix tilted his head, "It does seem rather safer now, doesn''t it? Even just a piece of your skin sent it reeling. I suppose I will. Do save me if it decides I''m not quite as intimidating as the real thing."


    I smirked, "Of course, of course."


    Torix deadpanned, "Very funny."


    The lich paced over before picking up the gemstone. It shivered at his touch as it had mine, and it showed no signs of trying to eat him. Torix sighed before bringing the crystal close to his eyes and inspecting it closely,


    "It carries a few unique characteristics. Let''s see what it does with something actually alive."


    I followed Torix as we walked out of this chamber. Passing into the glowing fungus hallway once more, Torix showed me the way to the next room. As he opened the doorway, a birdcage of sorts showed itself. The opening proved more than large enough for many of our native avian species. The lights in the concrete room offered plenty of luminescence to inspect each animal, even midflight. The variety of hanging branches built for the birds kept them comfortable and let them live like normal.


    Torix admired the creatures, his hands behind himself,


    "Aren''t they simply stunning?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "I wonder if old people always watch birds? Maybe I''ll end up watching them too one day."


    Torix''s fire eyes narrowed at me, "Old, am I? Perhaps I''ve merely a more refined appreciation for nature."


    I nudged him with an elbow, "Have you gotten the urge to sit on rocking chairs lately? Maybe put plastic over your furniture."


    Torix scoffed, "Plastic would prevent dust from getting on the furniture, and that would save me time cleaning...If I presumed it was worth doing so."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I laughed when I picked his line of logic apart. The whole point of furniture was to look good and be comfortable. Covering it with a thin film of plastic ruined both its aesthetics and any warmth they offered. It made houses feel more like hospitals, and that kind of defeated the purpose, in my opinion.


    Torix eyed me closely before waving off my laugh, "Regardless, one of these creatures should prove an exemplary specimen." Torix lifted a hand and a finger, a red robin perching itself on his outstretched limb. Torix eyed the beauty, giving it a pet along the top of its feathered head. Torix sighed,


    "Ah, I hope you''re ready for a bit of pain, little one. I''m sorry."


    Torix pulled out his other hand, and I placed the crystal on it. I winced as Torix put the bird in contact with the gemstone. It flooded around the bird, forming a cocoon of sorts. Instead of piercing every bone, the gem inspected the creature with tiny needle prods. As it found the spine, it impaled the beast.


    This magenta mass reconfigured itself into three rib-like semicircles around the creature. The poor thing squawked the entire time, but it didn''t resist. Torix suppressed the panicking bird while it served as our guinea pig. Within a few seconds, the bird returned to normal, not hampered by the crystal whatsoever. It was a definite, positive outcome so far since I was sure it would get eaten by now.


    Torix let the bird fly off, and it soared through the containment unit. The crystal on its ack formed magenta-colored wings, and they aided its ascent. Once over towards a makeshift branch, the gemstone wrapped itself around the wood, stopping the bird from falling. The bird looked around unperturbed, and the crystal remained behind it. I lifted my brow,


    "Well, I''ll be damned...that''s...smoother than I expected."


    Torix scoffed, "I anticipated more blood and screaming as well. Interestingly enough, the crystal hasn''t affected the mind of the bird whatsoever. How that is...I''ve no idea. It''s merely augmented its nervous system to include proprioception of the newly added, crystalline limbs. That and a moderate hunger for metal."


    Torix shook his head, "Marvelous, I must say. I''ve never seen anything quite like this. It''s as if this crystal is a symbiotic lifeform designed to enhance creatures it attaches to."


    I crossed my arms, "Let''s see what it can do."


    I lifted a hand, generating an iron spike from below the bird. On route to pierce it, the spine reached within a foot of the bird before the crystal lurched in place. Four prongs stopped the metal in its tracks before assimilating the metal. Once it finished eating, the gemstone condensed into its previous form, no larger but denser than before.


    I crossed my arms, "So there''s a limit to the size of the crystal bearer. Maybe it has to do with brain size or something?"


    Torix pointed at the bird, "Would you mind feeding it more iron? I''m left wondering how much it can eat."


    A few more spikes later, and we learned that the crystal definitely hit a saturation point. It could only absorb about ten times its host''s mass in metal based on the birds. After that, the sheen of the gemstone maximized, and it could no longer feed. I took out a bit of my dimensional fabric and tossed it at the bird. The crystal shifted to the bird''s defense, but after making contact with my dimensional material, it retreated back into crystal form after making contact with my armor.


    I grinned at Torix, "This is going to help against the Hybrids, eh?"


    The lich cackled before steepling his fingers, "Oh, I''m brimming with ideas, all of them unpleasant."


    We brainstormed for a few hours, trying out a variety of gemstones I had on hand. Each one absorbed different amounts of metal and took on different shapes when put on various birds. These shifting forms resulted in many different incarnations of the crystals. Some operated like ribs surrounding the birds, each one acting as an extra limb. Other birds gained a flowing tendril of crystal, giving it extraordinary single target abilities.


    One of the crystals created an armor protected and molded around the bird as I attempted hitting it. That was the strongest incarnation of the crystals so far, acting as an extension of the bird''s body. It also became evident that each crystal varied in its impact on a bird''s mind. The stronger the crystal''s effect, the stronger it affected a bird''s mind. No matter what kind of addition it had, it beefed up the birds quite a bit.


    I couldn''t help but think of the eldritch while seeing these things in action. We didn''t know the long term effects of the crystal on animals yet either, but they seemed beneficial so far. That might not be the case long term, but I left that studying to Torix. He engaged with this kind of research far better than I did, after all. I looked away when he put crystals on birds. The old necromancer didn''t so much as flinch while a bird screamed.


    Either way, I left Torix''s hidden research labs with a feeling of resounding success. The crystals rested at the bottom of the trenches in Blegara, and I didn''t think Obolis knew about them. For the first time, I might be able to understand more about something than he does. Thinking of that and the struggling forces in Saphigia, I sent the Emperor a message to see if he could meet with me soon. I wanted to renegotiate our deal, and I made that clear.


    Well, it turns out he could meet, and a bit too soon, actually.


    Obolis Novas(lv ??,??? | Finder of Secrets, The Carnage of Olstatia, The Emperor... | Guildleader: The Empire |...) - As I understand it, there''s been much discourse and results from your battles on Blegara. The position since our initial charge has changed most certainly, and I agree, we should discuss further details regarding the planet''s future.


    If you are able, I''d enjoy a meeting immediately. I''ve found an inkling of downtime, and making it purposeful would please me greatly.


    I look forward to your reply.


    I put my hands on my hips, thinking for a moment. Yeah, I could meet up right now. We sent a few messages back and forth before Obolis gave me the coordinates for one of his private chambers in Olstatia. With that in tow, I let Ophelia and Chrona know I''d be late. Finishing the planning required, I walked towards the warp outside of Mt.Verner.


    Stepping out of the white mist leftover from warping, I turned to look at my surroundings. I was already here, Obolis approving my travel to this place. I found myself surrounded by torches and stylish stone from all sides. It was a kind of red marble littered with gold streaks, the strands showcasing the same color pallet I expected from Olstatia by now. If anything, this marble probably inspired the look Olstatia went for.


    Above me, a pillar extended upwards via an ancient, well-worn spiral staircase. This spiral staircase carried many walkways leading to other tunnels in this underground labyrinth. The number of resources required for this place dwarfed even a planetary scale, several colonies worth of marble, gold, and gemstones needed in a hideaway of this size. The many walkways here, no doubt, hid away an innumerable number of treasures, maps, and personal chambers for Obolis.


    Speaking of which, I followed the directions he sent. I paced up the spiral staircase several flights worth before walking down the twenty-seventh walkway. After recounting several times to make sure I wasn''t going down the wrong walkway, I explored a hallway littered with low-lit torches. The orange lighting cast the displayed treasures here in dramatic luminescence.


    A flask of Plaga Ustus was here, the glowing and white virus swirling in its containment. Several other vials showed themselves as I walked past, each brilliant different colors. Peeking at a few of the descriptions, they showcased other unique varieties of eldritch. A few weren''t even monstrous in nature, holding mostly positive effects on those infected. The Empire might be using them on their forces already.


    On the other side of this viral showcase, a few captured Hybrids stayed suspended in stasis. There was an enormous exhibit of a blighted one, the gialgathen''s body distorted into its new, abominable form. Cords reached out from its throat mid-bite, and orange pustules glowed over its frame.


    The nanomachines fluid gave the monsters their tenacious recovery, and suppressing one of these creatures was no easy feat. The standard Hybrids also exposed themselves here, having been captured at some point by the Empire''s forces. Past that, rare varieties of eldritch existed within preserved tubes. All of these monsters were volatile, dangerous, and majestic, their ferocity both horrifying and praiseworthy.


    Hiveminds, endless walls of flesh, glistening miasmas, living suits of armor, even converted albony exposed their forms for curious eyes here. Armors, knives, swords, guns, shields, ores, gemstones, jewels, stones, teeth, horns, skulls, plants, and elemental furnaces lined up in perfect, preserved spaces. The sheer variety overwhelmed the senses, each piece valuable and rare in their own right. In this kind of lineup, they all looked familiar, however.


    The sheer wealth and prominence on display here boggled the mind. It left me floored as usual, but I collected myself before meeting the Emperor. He had used this tactic several times, showing off before we talked to put me off my game. It was an attempt to leave me startled before we spoke, so he was at an advantage. In this case, awareness alone canceled out this tactic.


    Using that knowledge, I silenced my awe and surprise. This was an inevitable amount of wealth he accumulated over centuries. By comparison, my guild hadn''t existed for even a decade, and when we hit our hundredth year, we''d dwarf this fortune a hundred times over.


    I mean, probably...


    Finding a bit of solace in those thoughts, I paced into Obolis''s chambers. I cursed under my breath as I walked in. He did it again, and the displays took my breath away. The ceiling rose over a hundred feet above the generously spaced hallway behind me. Obolis''s greatest treasures showed themselves here, only the rarest of his collection on display now.


    On the left, a horde of insects swarmed with a lesser Ruhl at its center. It reminded me of Baldag-Ruhl, but nowhere near as ancient and worn down. This was a younger Ruhl, one fresh out of being formed. Panels beside the Ruhl showcased a variety of rare gemstones that glowed different colors.


    On Obolis''s right, many vials of blood were lined up, each with a remnant family inscribed beneath them. He harvested remnant DNA to reverse engineer their secrets. Considering how powerful individual remnant families were, the idea was sound, albeit illegal. At its top piece, he lacked a few families of remnants. The rarest of which was the Adairs, of course.


    Behind Obolis stood a tan tree by spotlights. It had a white trunk with black stripes, like a birch with orange fronds acting as branches. These fronds ranged in color from yellow to red to orange. Its fallen leaves created an elegant walking space right behind Obolis, who stared at the plant with adoration.


    I pointed at it as I walked in,


    "Is that the tree you guys use for masks?"


    Obolis turned in his chair, the cushion space supported by some gravitational instruments,


    "Indeed. When cut and preserved, the wood turns different shades depending on the age of the tree. The older the tree, the darker its coloration. As you may have imagined, orange masks are the younger ones, red some of the oldest. Only the most ancient trees gain the charcoal coloration you''ll see worn by the elite albony."


    Obolis gestured at his prime specimen, "This tree is one of the most ancient of its kind found in a dark forest. I brought it here after exploring one of the oldest and most worshipped woods on my home planet of Olstatia. It creates a natural ambiance I find...calming."


    Obolis turned to me, "It also reminds me of the ways of my ancestors. They forged the path I now walk, leading the albony into the future. Unfortunately, a grim one at that."


    Obolis stood up, his form imposing as always. He walked from behind a desk of black wood, dozens of hidden electronics lying beneath its surface. It was no doubt the same charcoal wood he used for the elite masks. Walking along his marble floor towards me, Obolis spread his arms wide,


    "And now our future is in a darker place than I imagined. You''ve no doubt noticed that our support on Blegara, it''s been ineffectual. It is the planet I value the least, yet it is the most contested of all my planets. I believe that Elysium wishes for that planet since its easily obtained territory relative to the other places under my rule."


    Obolis gripped his hands into fists, "Yet, I find myself in a precarious position. On the one hand, I don''t wish to lose the territory I''ve invested in. There are resources on Blegara I wish to retain, and my Empire''s reputation is on the line here. On the other hand, Blegara is still a relatively underdeveloped territory."


    Obolis stared at the swarming hivemind trapped in a stasis pod of sorts,


    "That planet was considered a worthwhile risk due to the rarity of aquatic resources. Its water is shallow across most of the word, meaning it carries much more usable, aquatic territory than is normally possible. The organic resources there are tremendous because of that. It carries enough water to terraform a few planets as well."


    I frowned, "But now you''re wondering if it''s worth holding onto?"


    Obolis winced, "That is precisely correct. You''ve been fighting there for several days now, on the ground. You understand as well as I - the planet is doomed to be taken. Whatever we conquer, it is retaken during the night. I do not wish to be trapped in a perpetual war with the Hybrids where I alone carry the tools to destroy them."


    I raised a hand, "That''s what I was going to talk to you about. We won''t be able to hold the capital for long. Even if I reconquered the entirety of Saphigia in a day, the Hybrids would retake it overnight. I won''t be able to hold it down unless I stay there permanently, and I''m not willing to do that."


    "Neither am I."


    "That''s my point. We won''t be able to retake Blegara at this rate without a hard push from your end. From what you just said, you''re not willing to do that."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "I find the matter settled by basic economic theory. Blegara is simply too little gain for too much loss. From an opportunity cost perspective, it''s by far the worst investment left at my disposal, and I''m tempted to rally my resources for preservation elsewhere. That is the position I find myself in."


    Obolis glared at the Adair''s missing vial of blood, "I...I put my bets on Schema and lost. Now I must suffer the consequences for my failure, and I believe that by trying to keep all of my territories, in the end, I will keep none. At this rate, I''ll be losing several planets because of this rebellion, and that is a loss of several centuries of work, time, and diligence."


    Obolis''s face grew grim, "Yet more may be taken if I cannot cut my losses here. Elysium may not be as large as Schema, but militarily speaking, they are a similar force. As is, my Empire is akin to a solar system in scale. These enemies of mine, they are galactic in nature, and I cannot compare. You''ve noticed that difference in military might. That''s why you called this meeting."


    Obolis closed his eyes, "I understand if you need to call off your involvement on Blegara. I will not pursue your involvement further, either; I know a lost battle when I see one. Shameful as it is, I believe we should move forward with the plan to kill Plazia-Ruhl. While I''m not willing to lose this many troops in this war, the Ahcorous are. Those bloodthirsty creatures should prove perfect for our needs."


    I shook my head, "That isn''t necessary. I think we can still win, and quick too. Hasn''t Florence told you about our plan for subjugating the Vagni?"


    Obolis''s eyes darkened, "No. He did not."


    "Oh...Well, we''re going to show the eldritch on Blegara worshipping me. Since the Vagni worship the eldritch, they will hopefully worship me after that. Once we get the Vagni on our side, the Adairs will lose the locals'' support. Holding the planet should be much easier after that."


    Obolis steepled his fingers, "I still believe holding Blegara will prove impossible even with the locals'' support. They aren''t a powerful military force, and they are primitive. That shouldn''t make enough of a difference."


    I raised three fingers, "There are three reasons we''ll be able to hold Blegara. The Vagni and the eldritch will help us more than you''d think since both will be involved in this. The second reason is we can use super golems to hold down certain districts of towns."


    Obolis nodded, "Ah yes, Alpha, was it? That was a powerful soldier, and it was designed with killing Hybrids in mind. They would assist us greatly in controlling the territory. That wouldn''t give us the ability to control more rural areas, however. You simply cannot produce enough of the super golems to do so."


    I pointed at him, remembering the magenta crystals we found, "That may be true, but I think we''ve found something recently that will give us an edge against those monsters."


    Obolis''s eyes lit up as he detected a secret, "Ah, you''ve uncovered something that could be a dagger in the Elysium''s side...interesting."


    Obolis''s eyes dampened, "But that does not change the economics of controlling Blegara. I could buy your super golems, certainly. I could also purchase this new means of defeating Hybrids from you as well. I would never, not even over centuries, be able to earn that money back from Blegara. It offers pearls, corals, and beach resorts. That does not equate to trillions of credits, unfortunately."


    I stood tall, "I think Blegara is worth saving."


    Obolis peered down, "Hm, so you''ve grown attached, have you? Hmm." Obolis bit his tongue for a moment, appearing peeved, "You know...I expect some conniving plots from my children. To have it occur from Florence, however...that''s unexpected and disappointing. I expected loyalty from him, given the opportunities I''ve allowed him to have."


    I scoffed, "None of you, not a single Novas, understands the guy. Florence is more than just useful. He''s a serious asset worth keeping."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "Hm, perhaps that is so. I''ve seen the talent in him, and yet I could not give him what he needed to succeed. On the other hand, you''ve weaned more use out of him than we have in years. If you have done so with Florence, you may be able to wean more use out of other resources as well."


    Obolis turned a hand to me, "I''ve read through reports from Victoria that you''ve enjoyed your stay at Blegara. Is that true?"


    I nodded, "Eh, yeah. It''s a cool place."


    Obolis grinned, "How would you like to own the planet?"


    My eyes widened,


    "Uh...What?"

 282 Beasts of Burden

    <div>


    <div>


    -Althea-


    Past the guarded doors, we entered a hallway lined with orichalcum on all sides. The smell leaking in from another room was of acid and burning hair, the stench sharp and unpleasant. The wailing, however, made my stomach sink like an anvil in the ocean. The howling sound echoed into this place, resonating from all sides. Dozens of voices joined into a singular, absolute lamentation, one that made me both sad and afraid.


    I ignored those parts of me screaming to run away, and I followed the remnant guards. They carried the unconscious individual through the hallway and into a room with a sliding doorway. As the metal shutters opened, the agonizing cries intensified in volume. That''s where it came from.


    Before the doorway shut, I skulked my way through even as the room repulsed me. Staring around, my instincts were right all along; this was a hellhole. Elysium fashioned together a massive pit at the center of this building. Dim lights hid most of the carnage in that abyss, but what I could see wore at my nerves.


    Eyes, mouths, horns, bodies, blood, silvers, and nanomachine slop pooled together in a wasteland. I turned around, vomiting out my guts. I opened my dimensional storage, unable to contain myself. As I unloaded my lunch, I stored my puke so it wouldn''t be found. It cost blood and bone. Stinging like fire, it added to my discomfort. I wished I had a little dimension of my own like Daniel, but we all had our unique abilities. Mine oriented around killing instead of other stuff, and that kind of sucked.


    Either way, I wiped my mouth off and regenerated. As I did, I gazed upon the horror. In the distance, two espens walked out of a shutter leading to the silvers reserve. Using Hybrids to wrangle silvers from the wildlife exhibit, they pulled one in as it writhed in their grip.


    It was a merject, and it peered around with its single eye. It gawked at the pool, and the merject howled out in anguish. One espen walked in front of the silver while the other walked behind. The Hybrids held its arms and legs down. The espen in front pulled out a stake of metal. The other had the silver''s head, stopping it from moving.


    With a steady series of strikes, the front espen hammered a spine just under the silver''s eyelid. Once deep in the brain of the silver, the espen twisted the stake a few times. It repeated this process one more time, and the silver grew more docile afterward. Once subdued, they tossed the silver into the muck, the monster''s instincts coming to life. It wrangled in the mud, struggling to escape. It was too late. The silver was pulled in.


    That slop was alive, and it grasped at the tormented creature like thick, living mud. The ooze drenched into the eyes, ears, and entire body of the silver. It flooded under its skin before pulling the merject under, making the monster swollen and bulbous.


    One of the espens murmured, "I hate this place."


    The other chimed in right after, "Tell me about it."


    Yeah, I agreed with them both. Further in the pit, several mouths of silvers exposed themselves to the surface. In those places, the wailing began, and it didn''t stop until the silver''s mind was shattered beyond all repair. Their mouths grafted shut after a while, the need to eat taken from them. Further still in the sludge pit, the other signs of Hybridization showed themselves.


    Nanomachine slop built up into pustules across their bodies, the orange fluid keeping them alive as they transformed. The silvers'' bodies molded with the soup, giving them strength at the cost of their minds. On the other side of this abyss, I followed the two remnant guards as they walked up past a line of newly made Hybrids.


    They paced up to a Hybrid matching the picture showcased above the person''s chosen vial. One of the remnants reached out a hand, and they channeled mana into the unconscious person and Hybrid. After a while, the Hybrid sprung to life from its stasis, no longer ensnared with mind magic. It soaked in the slop over its skin, absorbing it with ease before the remnants checked the Hybrid''s mind.


    A quick scan later, and they found no problems. Sending them off, I followed to find a ward full of beds and Hybrids. People awoke every now and again, looking around. Their Hybrid bowed to them as they regained consciousness. A remnant doctor walked around, explaining the situation, calming patients down, and giving them tips for managing their Hybrid.


    I left them, going back into the pit room. Once again, the unearthly wailing grated at my nerves, but I got through it. We needed this info, and discomfort wasn''t an excuse here. Taking footage and photos as I went, I documented details I noticed with a note-taking app on my status. I left no stone unturned, this being the first time someone saw any massive Hybridization pits.


    I learned a few things as I documented more about the Hybrids. The most important part was the vials. They took some type of serum from the silver''s heads before throwing them in the pit. I overlooked the needling the first time while watching them. The lobotomy overwhelmed everything else they did.


    I also uncovered how they adjusted their Hybrids. Along the back of the room, they took different eldritch and flooded them in the nanomachine fluids. In these tubes, other chemicals soaked in too, and they melted the eldritch. Once again, the nanomachines kept them alive.


    These cocktails of eldritch and chemicals were called DNA elixirs. I figured that out by sneaking into a back room where a remnant scientist tinkered with the formula. Once finished, the eldritch mush was drained into the slop, fusing with the enormous super organism. As that scientist toiled about, a different team of espens brought them different kinds of forest roaming eldritch.


    These were relatively benign varieties of monsters designed for moving around nearby terrains. Only those kinds of eldritch were brought in here. Now I wasn''t a genius by any stretch, but even I could tell they did all this for a reason. My educated guess was that they wanted a certain kind of Hybrid to come out of this process. Given we were in the middle of a forest, they made Hybrids that could run and maneuver around trees.


    This kept them useful and not too volatile. Along those same lines, they threw in varieties of silvers able to handle trees and thick underbrush. For the most part, they used merjects like the first. Those things could crawl up trees on all fours and in an eerie, unnatural sort of way at that. Every now and again, they brought different kinds of silvers to mix things up too. I didn''t know why, but I noted that all the same.


    After getting a fair bit of info, a message popped up in my status. The three dungeoneers got accepted and just reached their first dungeon. I waited a bit before sneaking out of the facility. I got out of that hellhole and took my first breath of fresh air since getting out of there. Since I popped back up, I kept myself in a hidden alleyway. After a few deep gulps of air, I held my breath once more while collecting myself.


    That was something beyond my wildest nightmares. I never felt pity for eldritch or silvers, but somehow, someway, the Adair family brought it out of me. Seeing all that left me sick to my stomach, and I waited a few minutes for the trembling in my hands to stop. As I waited, my mind wandered onto what I''d seen.


    It reminded me of what Yawm wanted to do. He always talked about some world where eldritch and sentient were considered one and the same. The idea in isolation sounded like a convenient solution to an inconvenient problem. In practice, it was something more like that pit of slop.


    Gruesome.


    I let out a shiver as I remembered the labs I was raised in. I grinned to myself as a weird little thought came into my head. Yawm''s labs sure beat the one I just saw. In reality, my situation could''ve been so much worse. And here I thought I had it bad. Compared to those poor silvers and eldritch, I might as well have been raised in one of the royal academies with Caprika.


    I laughed a bit at my own joke. After using humor to cope with my nerves, I stood upright and looked at my messages. Once I got a grip on the coordinates, I ran towards their dungeon location. A few minutes later, I found myself staring down at a mossy tunnel. Aesthetic as it was, I didn''t have time to inspect the vines overhanging the cave.


    I unzipped two pieces of my jumpsuit running along my back. Wings spawned out of those two openings, and I flew down into the dark. This place reminded me of BloodHollow, the site where I overcame my eldritch half. I still heard those voices, and sometimes they scared me. I wasn''t about to let a little fear get to me, though, so I pressed on.


    I shifted my eyes, making my irises larger. The retinas along the back of my eyes shifted, and more light leaked into them. A dark vision of sorts came over me, and monsters popped up in the distance. I unzipped another part of my jumpsuit and pulled up my sleeve. Putting my arm along my back, I unhinged a partially made harpoon cannon.


    Pulling it in front of me, my arm''s bone and skin shifted into place. It filled the missing pieces of the cannon before I took aim. Using thin spears of bone, I impaled each creature and killed them as I went along. Isa and Lester passed here already, but I figured eldritch would still be here. They mentioned never killing all the eldritch, and the dungeoneers preferred focusing on the boss.


    I could get behind that idea. The boss gave the most experience, a pricey dungeon core, and it was easy to make a plan around. I found it fun using these little tykes as target practice, so I vented some steam by taking out a couple of bats, creatures, and crawly things. A girl had to find her me-time somewhere after all. I happened to get it in by killing bugs and nasty animals.


    After destressing some, I reached the others as they fought a boss. Swinging over a bottomless cavern, Lester and Isa used ropes tipped with eldritchian glue to stick to stalactites on the roof of the cave. From their mobile positions, they threw and tossed their acid vial spears and napalm bombs. Alexander watched with Other Hod, both uninvolved in the fight.


    They warred against a dexterous and nimble spider that crawled along the cavern''s roof. The boss fashioned a fortress of webs to reach the two dungeoneers. It crafted its lair long ago for just such an occasion, but Lester and Isa outmaneuvered it despite the circumstances. The dungeoneers swung from stalactite to stalactite, cutting their ropes if the spider grew too close.


    They were...actually brilliant about the whole thing. Isa and Lester used a series of planted torches for light. Isa and Lester kited the creature, never taking it head on the entire time either. They even used the napalm bombs to ignite the monster, giving them a much better view of their surroundings. It''s hard to miss a giant fireball like that.


    Operating like clockwork, I watched them whittle down the level 2,000 boss monster with ease. They even made it die where they could harvest the body, it''s entire frame impaled on a sharp spine jutting from a wall. After swinging back to the edge of the abyss, they gave each other a well deserved high five. Isa smirked,


    "Now that''s how it''s done. You''d be wise to take a few pointers from us, birdman."


    Hod walked out of the shadows, a torch along the cavern''s edge offering light to them all. Other Hod mocked,


    "I would do so, but I need no tricks. I use my talent to kill. You use your desperation." Other Hod coughed into his hand while looking away, "Though I will admit, there were aspects of your acrobatics that were...impressive."


    Lester scoffed, "Come on, Hod. There''s a good reason we''re the leaders of the Dungeon Clearing Corps. We get shit done."


    Other Hod deadpanned, "Perhaps you two should join a circus? That would be more fitting."


    I popped up behind them, "Hey now, these guys-"


    The two dungeoneers both squealed, leaping back and throwing weapons at me. I rolled my eyes while turning on my feet. I caught a spear''s handle and kicked a bomb into the pit below. After handling their craziness, I put my hands on my hips, spear in hand,


    "Come on guys, I know I''m hard to see, but you don''t have to attack me like that."


    Other Hod brandished his claws at me, but he waited before attacking - as he should. He lowered his hands, "It''s you. I always understand why you''re such an asset when you reappear. It''s more unnerving than you realize."


    Tossing the spear back to Isa, I frowned, "Maybe I should send a message or something before I arrive? Would that help?"


    Isa put her hand over her chest after catching the spear, "Ah, please. I, I can''t handle any more surprises like that. I''m too old. We just fought a giant spider for Christ''s sake."


    Lester wiped the sweat from his brow, "I can''t believe you''re here so fast. What did you do, fly?"


    I spread the wings along my back, "Of course. What else would I do?"


    Their faces grew long, and they both gawked at me. Embarrassment crept up from my chest before I couldn''t meet their eyes. This might be how Daniel felt all the time, getting looked at like some weirdo. It was terrible.


    Lester shook his head, "I swear, our guildleader''s followers are almost as impressive as him. You can shapeshift?"


    Oh, they meant their surprise as a compliment, and understanding that made me feel a whole lot better. Relief replaced my chagrin, and I raised a hand, showcasing the cannon attached to my arm,


    "Yeah. It''s how I do most things. My stealth is, well, a little different, but everything else revolves around shifting my body."


    Isa stared at my figure before comparing her own. Crossing her arms, Isa narrowed her eyes,


    "Everything''s shapeshifted, huh?"


    I scratched the side of my cheek, my face flushing, "Well, some things I was born with, but yeah, some things I change here or there. You know, for reasons."


    In the back, Alexander flushed red as a tomato. The poor guy was younger than everyone else here, and his inexperience stuck out almost as bad as his embarrassment. I kind of knew the feeling, so I didn''t point it out. No one else noticed, and Isa let out a grunt of approval,


    "Gah, I know I''d look like you if I could shapeshift too. Either way, let''s get this show on the road. We have other dungeons to clear."


    Other Hod leaped into her shadow, fusing with the umbral manifestation behind her. I walked right into another realm, my presence concealed entirely. The others got ready, Alexander scrambling to get out his grimoire. They swung with their ropes for a bit and found a red dungeon core flowing with eldritch energy at the center of the bottomless cavern.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Using a spell given out by Torix, Alexander harvested the red core before placing it in his backpack. We ran out towards the spider''s charred corpse and brought out a sample of its blood too. Isa used an energized, mana powered knife to saw at the spider''s claws and fangs. She placed the animal''s weaponry on new spears, pulling them from her dimensional storage.


    As she did, Lester took the spider''s venom sacs, taking care of them like a surgeon as he did. Once that was handled, he cut out its eyes one at a time. Each eye was put in a ziplock bag before being placed in his dimensional storage. They both chugged health potions the entire time, assisting their regeneration.


    Once harvesting was done, we got out of the dungeon fast, most of the monsters handled by yours truly. Once near the entrance, we got back towards the encampment. The Remnants let us in via passes they got from registration with the adventurer''s guild. Considering the looks our team got, people were impressed but not overly so.


    That was good. We wanted just the right kind of impression. Our team stepped back towards a large, wooden building near the center of town. There, we walked past gates towards a rambunctious, homey inn. People drank and ate at tables, enjoying some downtime from clearing dungeons. A row of futuristic terminals handled the various detailed aspects of quests, including requirements, rewards, and locations. Unlike with Schema''s system, these weren''t system bound; anyone could participate in their quest systems. After finishing one, a party lined up before being processed by an espen worker.


    These workers lined up behind a row of desks with a few machines laid on them along with a computer. These espens helped handle the logistics of quests, like proving they were done. All you needed was a blood sample and the kind of core since most dungeons were documented nearby. They included rewards for finding new dungeons too.


    We waited in one of those lines, having all those parts already. Once we reached the worker, the espen smiled at us, her teeth sharp and skin shiny. She looked like she was a pretty shark to me.


    The espen said, "It''s good to see you all again. Fast clear?"


    Isa smirked, "Of course. We''re the best in the business...most of the time."


    Professional and concise, the espen gave her a quick bow, "Indeed, you all appear to be. Your reward will be a week''s free stay here at the adventurer''s guild, giving a four-person bedroom along with a week''s worth of food. To receive more, the three of you will need to be systemized on an Elysium world. The core is yours to keep."


    Lester''s eyes sharpened, his curiosity peaked, "Elysium, huh? I heard of it, but I didn''t think it was real. What does being systemized mean, and how would we make that happen?"


    The espen smiled as she spoke, "We''ll need confirmation of five dungeons being completed along with confirmation you''ve read the terms of Elysium. This means signing an oath. It details a lot, but the most important part is that you all will be considered exiled from Schema''s rival system if you decide to join ours. We don''t make that part happen, Schema does. Otherwise, we''d offer both systems at once."


    I doubted that, and Lester did too as he leaned forward onto the desk separating the worker and us,


    "Between you and me, you''re already in Elysium''s system, right?"


    The espen worker nodded. Lester rolled a hand, "Say I wanted a comparison between the systems, how does Schema''s hold up when compared to Elysium''s?"


    The espen worker looked up before leaning back into her chair, "Now that is a tough one. Hmm, well, I''d say that Elysium''s doesn''t offer the same sky-high limits that Schema''s does. There are no classes, and attributes, trees, and skillpoints are harder to get. That being said-"


    She pointed at a Hybrid nearby, "Very few individuals succeed in becoming even half as powerful as a Hybrid. After all, less than one out of ten reach the level cap of 5,000 in Schema''s system. Hybrids start at level 8,000 and reach as high as level 12,000 if you get a blighted one. That takes military service and a lot of willpower, however."


    The espen shrugged, "In my opinion, I think our system offers much higher immediate benefits. For people who are doing as well as you three are, I wouldn''t recommend it. You all have great long term potential in Schema''s system."


    It kind of stunned me just how honest she was. Isa crossed her arms, "And why did you join Elysium''s system if you''re not recommending it?"


    The espen looked down, "That''s easy to answer. I''m not the best fighter. I''d rather do this kind of thing to help people. It suits me better, and I don''t have to put my life on the line every day. I also get a Hybrid of my own for self-defense, and I call her scrappy. I also get paid over twice as much as I would in Schema''s system."


    Isa''s eyes opened wide, "Pay, you say? How much?"


    "120,000 credits yearly."


    The espen smirked as Isa''s eyes widened until they looked ready to burst. Isa mumbled, "Are you fucking kidding me?"


    It was the espen worker''s turn to smile, "Not one bit. Now, please hand in the blood. Others are waiting behind you."


    The espen put out her hand with a vial. Lester gave Isa a pat on the back, "It''ll be ok." Lester poured some monster blood from his own flask, and the espen put it in a machine. After swirling it and doing some computer mumbo jumbo, they verified where and what it was from. The espen smiled, handing them three passes with fancy runic markings on them.


    "Here are the three passes you need for your stay at an inn in town. We''ll compensate for any restaurant for whatever you order over the next week as well."


    Isa and Lester''s eyes lit up, thoughts of feasting coming over them. As we walked out of the guild room, we found a restaurant nearby. They used the passes for buying lunch along with two extra meals. Once they resupplied and rested for an hour, we moved out. The downtime let me relax for a second, and that was a refreshing change compared to normal.


    Most of our assignments and goals were structured by either Daniel or Torix. Neither of them slept, and both of them hounded at their work. I wasn''t a slouch either, but geez, they could afford to slow down sometimes. Having Isa and Lester understand that concept made this mission much, much more comfortable than it would otherwise be.


    It would still be a long day, but we''d pull through. We needed four more dungeons finished before the end of tomorrow. As we paced out of the city, Hybrids stomped on the ground all around us. Their metal frames and entrenched cords left me unnerved, mostly when one met my eye at random. They never held their gaze, if you could call it that, for very long. I preferred it that way.


    Walking past the outskirts of the encampment again, I stared back. Everyone here relied on the Hybrids who spawned from a living hell. They needed the silvers and eldritch as much as they wanted to stop them. Unlike Schema, however, these guys weaponized their enemies. They turned them inside out, destroyed their minds, and used the husks to do their bidding. Thinking about it made my stomach sink. I realized right then what was bothering me about the whole situation.


    I couldn''t tell who the real monsters were anymore.


    -Daniel-


    I stared at Obolis after he offered me an entire planet, and the grizzled Emperor kept his composure with ease. The ancient king grinned at me, showing his sharpened teeth and a wild glint behind his eye. The guy talked about this like it was nothing, and I still couldn''t believe it.


    Before I let myself get overwhelmed with it all, I calmed myself down. This was the same style of negotiation that was so effective before. I wasn''t going to fall for it again. I raised a hand,


    "Holy shit...a planet? For real?"


    Dammit, Daniel, keep it together.


    Obolis spread his arms, "That is exactly correct. You seem keen on keeping the territory. Considering that''s economically unfeasible for the Empire, perhaps conquering it on your own will prove fruitful. And I expect compensation, of course, though it won''t be as steep as you may imagine."


    I raised a brow, "It sounds like you''ve done this before."


    "This wouldn''t be the first planet I''ve wagered nor my last. Regardless of my own history, let''s focus on yours. From your perspective, this should be quite a lucrative offer. At the moment, you''re unable to establish a dominant position on your home planet due to Lehesion. He''ll tear any territory there apart, at least in theory."


    Obolis raised a hand, "This has kept your guild stunted from wide-scale resources. By colonizing a different world, you enable much greater gains for your guild. You can discover what Elysium''s retaliation will be towards a territory you own as well."


    Obolis pressed his fingers together, "I cannot stress that point enough - that information is vital for your guild''s future growth. If Lehesion is used to conquer worlds elsewhere outside your own, you may even announce your presence on Earth. Given your ability to create golems, you may rapidly expand thereafter."


    The Emperor met my eye, "Besides, I''m certain your species could use your assistance in that regard. They''re likely struggling, and you could easily rectify the situation they''re in."


    I winced, remembering the conditions of most people back at home. Obolis gestured at a few of the rare shells lined behind him,


    "Think of it. Earning resources from Blegara will no doubt expand your guild''s abilities and members. The Vagni will be at your disposal should your plan work and even the eldritch to an extent. Once conquered, the pearls, corals, shells, ores, water, sand, and resort locations will be yours. You could even use the planet''s water for terraforming planets close to habitation."


    Contemplating a few of the variables, I pointed at Obolis, "What does owning a planet do exactly?"


    "That''s based on the arrangement we''d make. If I offer you ownership of the world, it will allow you to take a percentage of the world''s resources. To give a point of reference, I receive 7% of the credits, exp, and resources harvested on Blegara, though that is far less than the cost of maintaining control there. You could have that number increased or decreased depending on preference if you''d like, however."


    "There''s no way you could increase that cut to like, 50%, right?"


    Obolis scoffed, "Of course not. The residents would starve and be weaklings. There''s a cutoff of 15% total resource skimming for owning a planet. Even that is very rigorous, and only the most totalitarian regimes would enact a tax that high. There are city taxes as well, along with other kinds of resource management at your disposal. Those details are your own to manage."


    Obolis raised a fist, "However, for a guild that''s growing such as yours, you could generate tremendous income in only a matter of months from the new territory. Think of the opportunities given to your guild. Space to grow beyond that mountain, resorts for sunny vacations, and even rare organic resources, all that is yours and more. Those are valuable commodities that most empires dream of. They are at your fingertips should you act decisively on this."


    I crossed my arms, "And why do you want me to take the planet off your hands so badly then if it''s so valuable?"


    "I''m glad you asked. You see, you''re able to retain and hold the territory. I cannot. I still control the territory, so I require some kind of compensation for giving control to you. I wouldn''t ask for a flat, permanent tax rate from your planet. Instead, I''d ask for favorable trade deals. I''d want a price reduction for those resources I mentioned earlier, along with vacation priority for my citizens."


    I leaned back, "How favorable?"


    Obolis put his hand on his chin, thinking, "Hmmm, how about a percentage cut, say 15%?"


    I opened my status, double-checking his offer. Information on a planetary exchange was sparse, but a few results popped up. A 15% price cut was the average for trade deals in a situation like this. Obolis read my expression well and turned a palm to me,


    "Your research no doubt verifies my request as a reasonable one?"


    I shook my head, "Not exactly. The comments talk about how a lot of times, this results in middleman trading. The new planet owner works to harvest resources and is forced to sell it to the old owner. The old owner then just resells it to someone for a higher price, taking all the profits."


    "Duly noted. Perhaps a 10% cutoff then? That would make reselling for a profit much more difficult given the margins involved with trading. You could consider this a gift."


    "I''m not so sure about that. This isn''t a fully functioning planet you''re handing off to me, not by any means. You don''t have control of it, and you''re about to lose the world anyways. I''ll be reconquering it from the top-down, meaning your ownership means little here."


    Obolis grinned, "You''ve learned a bit about negotiation, I see. Excellent. Let''s do battle then." Obolis spread his arms,


    "Allow me to explain planetary ownership. I''ve been suppressing the eldritch to pre-fringe world extremes to retain the planet. That has prevented Schema from annexing the territory from me. That requires resources that you simply don''t have. A part of any arrangement between us would be my Empire maintaining the planet for the next five years."


    Obolis a raised a hand and one finger, "This means your guild is given the time to establish a presence. That''s a valuable service. I can also give you access to highly trained, planetary coordinators. They can offer up systems and approaches for maintaining a territory long-term. Our previous data on the planet, including dungeon locations, would be available for you as well."


    I bit my tongue for a moment before firing back, "Here''s the thing - you''re doing the bare minimum to maintain that planet. You won''t be able to hold anything without my guild''s direct assistance. I know this first hand. I''ll be fighting a large, hostile force that''s established a presence on the planet."


    I pointed at the Ruhl in stasis near us, "Elysium is a much more organized and deadly force than the eldritch. If anything, I''m allowing you to maintain a presence on Blegara without needing much investment. Considering that, here''s what I''m thinking is fair."


    I raised two hands, and I gestured them to my left, "You can transfer the planet to my guild, and I won''t require you to maintain control of the world." I gestured my hands to the right,


    "In exchange, I''ll guarantee your guild is prioritized in trade relations. So there won''t be a discount, but if demand is high and slots are full, the albony get first grabs. How does that sound?"


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "I give you a planet and all its resources, and you allow me to buy those resources from you? Ah, yes, perhaps you''ve gone deaf midway through this conversation?"


    The irritation in his voice showed simmering anger, but I pressed on, not backing down,


    "That''s not exactly right. You can''t harvest any of the resources on your planet. They will all be dominated by Elysium soon. I''m allowing you to take a guaranteed loss and turn it into the chance for a net gain. You won''t be forced to fight somewhere you can''t defend, and you''ll be able to get the resources you want from Blegara, guaranteed."


    Obolis frowned before pacing around his study for a bit. After a minute or two, he let out a sigh, "Then...then I suppose you''re right. It isn''t as if I could lie to you about the state of Blegara seeing as you''ve been there. This isn''t the worst arrangement, either. My wealthy patrons will be pleased since they get their luxuries, and you get your credits. It''s...It''s not an awful arrangement."


    Obolis waved his hands, "There''s just not much about this deal that''s beneficial for me, however. Is there anything you could throw in that would make this more lucrative for our side? Perhaps a few of your super golems as protectors in my attacked cities?"


    I frowned, "I''d like to, but I''m not offering a product that hasn''t been tested yet. I wouldn''t want you to take one and try and reverse engineer it either. They''re valuable for a reason."


    Obolis''s eyes went distant before widening,


    "How about this then - you allow me to contract them for a certain amount of credits. You''ll be leasing them to me, and I''ll pay you based on an approved rate we agree on beforehand. Is that acceptable?"


    I reached out a hand, "That sounds good to me. Is that a deal?"


    Obolis took my hand, and we shook on it. Obolis gave me a look of begrudging respect,


    "Then, I''ll look forward to seeing what you can do on Blegara that I couldn''t."


    Obolis got out a chair after that, and we sat across from one another while ironing out a few details about our arrangement. He let me know that he recorded the conversation, and a Speaker would draft up a contract for us. We''d revise it a few times, going back and forth before agreeing to the planet swap. Once it was finished, we''d sign it, and the planet would be mine.


    Just like that, I''d own an entire world.


    It would be a really long-term investment for my guild, of course, but I didn''t intend to use it as an economic power anyways. I needed those crystals at the bottom of those trenches, which guaranteed my main selling point for owning the place. Testing Elysium''s response to my guild''s territory offered some reliable info as well. If the Adairs came down like a hammer, then I knew not to establish myself on Earth. If not, then we could begin expanding outward.


    This all rode on the plan that we cooked up earlier, however. For that to happen, I agreed to a few of the details involved with our contract. Before I left Obolis''s study, I raised a hand to the guy,


    "Oh yeah, you can go ahead and pull your forces off of Blegara."


    Obolis sat in his chair at this point, and his main of fur ruffled out,


    "You''d like me to let them conquer the planet utterly? That would just make it even more difficult to retake. Are you sure about that?"


    "Sometimes, an enemy being overconfident is more valuable than them being weak."


    Obolis furrowed his brow, "I, ah, well, if you say so. It will be your planet soon, after all, so who am I to judge? What will you and your team do in the meantime?"


    My armor grew sharp edges as my intent became clear,


    "I''ll be getting ready for reconquering Blegara and soon."


    Obolis tilted his head, confusion spreading over his face, "Now how would you intend to do that?"


    I grinned,


    "Shock and awe."

 283 The Push and Pull of War

    Obolis managed messages in his status, "I''d enjoy seeing the Adairs get torn apart, but I can''t imagine how you''d do that considering your resources. I envision a few super golems and you. What else is at your disposal?"


    I radiated excitement, "Eh, it''s a surprise."


    Obolis grinned, handling many reports and thinking about decisions as he spoke, "I enjoy surprises. I''ll wait until then. Good luck."


    I left the Emperor''s quarters, walking back the way I came. Once at the warp, I looked around and wondered if I could explore more. Stealing wasn''t out of the question either, considering how valuable all this stuff was. After letting those thoughts go on for a bit, I silenced them. I didn''t have the time to look at this place, and Obolis would know I stole from him.


    And, you know, it was the wrong thing to do, I suppose.


    Either way, I left for Mt. Verner and met up with Chrona and Ophelia. As I paced up towards Chrona''s cliffside, I found her sleeping and Ophelia working over her expandable desk. Floating over, I landed beside them before waking Chrona up,


    "Hey. Can you guys hear me out for a bit?"


    Chrona rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her tail, the gialgathen''s sleek, silver skin glistening under the moonlight,


    "It''s good to see you guildleader. You decided to show up tonight."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I always do, though sometimes I come late since I''m busy."


    Ophelia kept looking at her work, "Yeah, I''m busy too. I just bring my busy here instead of doing it everywhere else." She turned to me, leaning on one hand, "So, what do you have to tell us?"


    I spread out my arms, "We''re getting a planet."


    A deep quiet passed over us, only the insects'' chirping and wind rustling to fill the void. A few seconds screeched by before I frowned, "Come on, guys. This is good news...right?"


    Ophelia gawked at me, "How in Schema''s name did you get a damn planet? You don''t even own two cities yet. I just...I don''t understand."


    Chrona tilted her head, "Is it Earth, perhaps?"


    I raised a hand, "It''s Blegara, the sea planet we''re fighting on, and it''s where you gialgathens will be fighting as well."


    Chrona looked up, "An aquatic world, huh? That sounds interesting. We gialgathens used to live in the oceans, and we still prefer them to drier climates. Perhaps we may expand there without worry for Lehesion. That would be incredible for us. I do worry we would be harvested should we expose our location, however."


    I gripped my raised hand into a fist, "I won''t lie to you guys; we will be fighting Hybrids the entire time. It''s going to be tough, to say the least. I do have plans in the works to make that process much easier than it would otherwise be, but still."


    Chrona sighed, "And that is our new way of life. We will press on until the wrongs of our forefathers have been righted, whether by suffering or by triumph."


    Ophelia waved a hand, "So, uh, how did you get a planet? Did you threaten Obolis or something?"


    I shook my hands, "No, not at all. He''s going to lose Blegara soon, which you''ve seen some of. I''m going to retake it from the Hybrids for him and guarantee trade deals with the albony. In exchange, I get the planet."


    Ophelia''s tsked, "Geez, and it''s that bad, huh? I thought maybe it was only that bad in the capital. I didn''t think it was that bad everywhere else."


    I shrugged, "Apparently, that''s the only place he''s putting up a fight, at least on Blegara. Either way, he got something out of a bad situation."


    Ophelia''s brow crinkled, "I...guess? Well, whatever. It isn''t like I own any territory on Blegara. Good luck taking that backwater hellhole back. You''re going to need it."


    I smiled with confidence, "Thanks. I''m letting you both off of tutoring me for a while. I don''t think there''s much else to learn here, and I''ll try making progress on my own time. Besides, you two have better things to do anyway."


    Ophelia stared at her claws, "Like what?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "Like help the golem redesigners. You can just do that for our contracted time schedule. Don''t think you''re out of helping me just yet. Remember that ring I gave you."


    I pointed at the jewelry on her hand, and she frowned under her mask, "Well...I guess I prefer that to just sitting here and killing time."


    She put up her desk, the metal folding into a fitted square,


    "Cya."


    She walked off before floating herself over to the nightly engineers. I turned to Chrona,


    "How are the rest of you guys doing?"


    "We''ve adapted to this place now. At least I think so. This is a beautiful land, in a strange, desolate sort of way. It lacks the growing expanse of creatures that Giess boasted, but it doesn''t have the silvers. It''s like a blank slate in that way, neither good nor bad."


    "When do you think you and the other gialgathens could be ready to get sent off to war?"


    Chrona took a deep breath, "Hmm, that''s a difficult question to answer. Most of those here aren''t normal. They need many treatments and time to heal, but I don''t think we can afford to give them that kind of respite. Considering what you''re trying to do, we could ready ourselves within a week if necessary. We need the space, and any new territory would do us well."


    Chrona stared off at the horizon, "That is where we belong, riding the wind and coasting across the skies. Being trapped on this mountain, it will drive us insane if we aren''t given the liberty to move. I can tell you that much."


    "Then that''s what I''ll ask you guys to do - retake some land. We''ll be doing that on Blegara soon, and we''re starting just outside of Saphigia, where the eldritch are strongest and densest."


    Chrona lifted her head and offered a small smile, "I''ll be ready to cull them and the Hybrids alike."


    I shook my head, "We''ll actually be scaring the eldritch into submission, and that''ll win the Vagni over to our side."


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "I wouldn''t have expected that, but that makes it a lot more interesting. How do you intend to evoke fear in the eldritch?"


    I crossed my arms, "You know, I haven''t really thought about it. I''ll brainstorm about it some and get a few ideas, but I''m confident I''m able to get them shaken up at the very least."


    "I don''t doubt it."


    I turned around and waved with a hand, "Rest well. You''ll need it."


    "You too."


    She laid her head down as I leaped up into the air. The cold, crisp wind brushed against my face and hair, and the stars surrounded me on all sides as I flew high over Mt. Verner. I soaked in the sight before landing near the engineers. Ophelia made it here a minute ago, and she caught up on the adjustments made to the super golems.


    I paced up, raising a hand to Diesel and Ophelia,


    "Yo."


    Diesel smiled, and Ophelia propped her weight onto a hip. The engineer spread his arms, "It''s good to see you, man. How''re you doing?"


    "Good. I''m in a bit of a rush, so let''s get down to business."


    Diesel straightened up, "Ah, yes, sir. What do you need?"


    "Give me the updated plans and schematics for your golem. I''m going to start mass producing them."


    "We, uh, haven''t finished all of the adjustments we need to for a new model."


    "That''s fine. Just parse out the immediate improvements you''ve made thus far. I''ll implement them into the new design."


    "I, er, alright."


    Diesel jogged off to a group of other engineers, and they discussed what to keep in the new designs. Ophelia frowned at me, "Thanks for helping me get back up to speed. I totally didn''t need that guy''s help."


    I gave her a thumbs-up, "No problem. Always happy to help."


    She rolled her eyes, and we waited for about fifteen minutes. I did a few mental exercises for primordial mana in the meantime. As Diesel walked back up, he showed me several sheets of paper covered in drawings of golems,


    "These include a few of the new design parameters. They''re mainly adjustments for your cipher translations, some plate layering in the forearms and shoulders, and better runic configurations for self augmentation. It should make the next golem a bit better."


    I grabbed the papers from him with thanks, making sure I didn''t scrunch them up. After reading them over, I jogged off into a clearing in the trees nearby. Sitting down, I gave one more look over. Their rune suggestions were in idea format, so I fleshed them out, coming up with the actual lettering and specifics. Once that was handled, I began my golem crafting.


    Pulling out a mass of liquified dimensional fabric, I created four ''centers.'' Around these centers, I wrapped around layer after layer of my dimensional material, heating and bending it into shape using gravity and telekinesis. This process took up a bit of time, but the end result was the finished forearms and unfinished shoulder pads of the golem. These plated blocks took on blunt trauma and piercing forces much better than the old designs.


    Before finishing the shoulder pads, I opened my grimoire. It took several hours, but I implemented the changes in ciphering and runes the engineers wanted to change. Charging those runes up, I created the three cores needed in the meantime. I used the same techniques as before, spinning molten fabric with dense gravitation at its center point.


    After hardening the spheres, I grafted the cipher inscriptions onto their surfaces. Once made, I implanted the cores into the middle of the unfinished shoulder pads, and I interlayed plates until the masses were finished. A bit of inscribing later and telepathic strands connected the shoulders to the main body. With everything connected, the consciousnesses were ready for action.


    Voil¨¤, the three minds of the super golem were made.


    The rest of the process was simple enough. As usual, I generated the same chunks, paying less mind to the plating technique as I went. It was important for the arms and shoulders as they took the brunt of most forces. The other parts of the golem could stand to be less indestructible in favor of production efficiency. I needed many of these golems made and quickly after all.


    I ended up finishing the second super golem several hours later despite my speeding up the process. The inscribing took time to charge, as did finalizing the details of the golem. It was an arduous process. Generating the eyes, ears, connection points, legs, arms, and the runic markings were all time-consuming. It resulted in a polished finish for the golem, and for that reason, I stood proud of my creation.


    It hunched over, laying against a stone nearby. It sunk into the ground, a miniature version of me, nearly. Walking up, I planted my hand on it and charged the golem. It hummed with energy and vitality as the dimensional fabric composing it revved into action. The eyes brightened. The runes glowed. It was alive.


    As it stood up, I connected to its mind via telepathy, "It''s good to see you, new guy."


    "What is this? Are...Are you my creator?"


    "Yup."


    The golem bowed, a sense of awe overcoming the new entity, "And I will follow whatever commands you may give, be them burdensome or backbreaking."


    I grinned, "Oh, you''ll be breaking plenty of backs, though they won''t be your own."


    Giving the golem a sense of purpose, I told it to find Torix in his lair. If the lich wasn''t there, the golem was to wait until the lich arrived. Without waiting anymore, I furthered my work, preparing another golem. This time, I layered my activities more, and that saved me time.


    Using my Congruent Mind Strain skill, I set up three concurrent actions. On the one hand, I steadily charged my grimoire with one train of thought. My second focal point of attention revolved around meditating with my elemental furnace revving. The third logic strain implemented the raw building of the golem, and it made everything run smoothly like clockwork. These adjustments and not needing to rewrite the ciphering meant I finished in four hours. Labor intensive yes, but it was a far cry from the first golem.


    By then, the sun had risen a while back, and it was time to meet with the others. I got the third golem to meet with the second, and they waited for Torix to show up in his lair. As they did that, I met up with Helios and Florence for our morning warp. Pacing up to the two, they stood in silence with Kessiah scarfing down a biscuit covered in gravy with a latte. Helios narrowed his eyes at me as I stepped up to them,


    "You''re late for our arranged meetings. We agreed upon 9:00, and now it''s nearly 10:00."


    Florence grinned, "It''s extra downtime before we go in and save some Vagni. I, for one, appreciate it."


    Helios glared at his brother, "And I, for one, don''t wish to waste time. I suppose that perspective can''t be shared between us, however. You would need time that could be wasted."


    Florence took the insult in stride,


    "It''s more like I know how to appreciate some peace and quiet so I can think a little." He nudged his brother, "Or none, in your case."


    Helios sighed before I neared them. I lifted a hand, "I''m going to own Blegara soon."


    Helios leaned back, taken aback by my sudden announcement. Florence looked back and forth like he was searching for a joke. When he didn''t find any, Florence spread out his arms,


    "Seriously?"


    I nodded, "Yup."


    The sociable albony walked up and put a hand on my shoulder,


    "Congratulations. I''m happy to hear that." He leaned back, "I of all people understand that no one has worked harder to keep that place safe. You can carry those thoughts with confidence. I use to run the place, after all."


    Helios raised his eyebrows in exasperation under his mask, "You''ve yet to establish so much as a footprint on your own world, yet you''re aiming to own someone else''s? That seems rather unwise."


    Kessiah talked with a mouth full of food, "I don''t know. It seems cool to me. What about it''s bad?"


    Florence pointed at her, "Stopping Elysium, but we planned on doing that regardless. As for everything else involved with owning Blegara, I can help point out some of the best resources there...And, I''ll keep any governing suggestions to myself. I wasn''t exactly the most effective ruler, so my advice is, well, unwarranted."


    I shook my head, "Actually, you''ll be helping me decide a lot of the rules there. We all will. The more pressing matter is taking the planet from Elysium. We need so much firepower that even a Spatial Fortress would shake in its boots. Or, its giant tentacles and, uh, mouths, I guess. You get what I mean."


    I rubbed my hands together, "We do that, and we''ll be reaping all kinds of rewards."


    Helios crossed his arms, "It''s unfortunate, but Schema will not appreciate your rampant military arming."


    Florence scoffed, "What? Why wouldn''t he? We need every bit of firepower against Elysium that we can get."


    Helios turned to his brother, "Schema despises militaries that rival his own. Throughout the cosmos, that A.I. has done away with empires for that reason - they were too powerful. Militarily, that is."


    I turned to Helios, "Is that why Obolis focuses more on building up resources than armed troops?"


    "Partially. He also relishes in exploration, which is far more inclined to resource accrual than building a large, standing army. Don''t mistake that for weakness, however. We''re doing well in other territories outside of Blegara, so don''t underestimate the Empire''s might."


    I raised my hands, "I''m not. I just appreciate how that military isn''t on Blegara. Speaking of which, we''re going to back off of Blegara for a while."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Kessiah finished her food, "Why would we do that? We just got a base established there."


    I pointed around us, "See, Schema''s system is all around us because this world is owned by him. If we back off of Blegara for a while-"


    Florence snapped his clawed fingers, "They''ll establish their system there...So, uhm, why is that a good thing?"


    I let my hands flop against my sides, "Your plan wouldn''t work otherwise. How else is Amara going to broadcast my takeover of the eldritch?"


    Florence''s head leaned back, "Ah, of course. That''s a noteworthy detail I forgot to flesh out. Unfortunately, letting the Adair family establish themselves will make retaking Blegara much harder, however."


    I shrugged, "Eh, we''re barely holding any territory as is. It''s no big loss. I''m more concerned about making our retaliation as fierce as possible. Helios will be the one warping in a large number of troops. Him and Spear both. For that, we need potent troops to send."


    A message popped up in my status screen from Torix. He wanted to talk in his bird emporium. I turned to everyone, "I have to cut this short. I''ve got to meet with Torix. You guys relax, though I might need you all to do something later, so don''t stray too far."


    Florence gave me a thumbs up, "You got it, Harbinger."


    I jogged off before floating myself through Mt. Verner. I loved the mornings here because the suite section was home to a few cafes. Passing them filled the space with the comforting, warm aroma of coffee. It tasted pretty good still, though the caffeine had no effect on me anymore. It''s one of the things I missed, though I never drank too much coffee before the culling.


    Passing the shops, I moved towards Torix''s tunnel, passing the dusty elevator leading there. After getting to the same room beyond the glowing fungus, I walked into the bird exhibit room. I frowned at what I saw.


    "Torix...what the hell are you doing here?"


    The lich stood over a group of misfits, several animals, and even some Eltari. The lich piled several gemstones over in the corner of the room, and he hovered a few towards his left. These oddballs stood in front of the crystals, ready for contact. At the back of the bird exhibition room, a medical team was ready and waiting to help them in case of an adverse reaction.


    Torix found me looking, so turned to face me,


    "Ah, you''re here. I was waiting to see you in person. I believe that we can use the crystals against the Hybrids, as we predicted."


    I stepped up, inspecting the line of people here. They carried deep scars over their bodies, and many lacked a limb or two. Most stared forward with a careless attitude as if they didn''t care if they lived or died. Torix gestured to them,


    "I put out an ad campaign to our guild to see if there were any members who were willing to expose themselves to the Omega Strain."


    "Omega Strain, eh? You''re using the Greek alphabet again."


    The lich''s eyes flared red for a moment,


    "There are few things I don''t know, and you exposed one of those weaknesses the other day. I thank you for that, and I now know the Greek alphabet along with much of its previous culture. Many of your ideals were formed from that culture, in fact."


    He waved off the implications behind his words, "Cultural investigations aside, I guaranteed these individuals would receive credits and new positions in the guild if they allowed a measure of experimentation. These rewards would be given to their families should they die, and these are the individuals who showed up."


    Seven people stared up at me, and their eyes widened while their jaws went slack. I put my hands on my hips while facing them,


    "Torix, what makes you think the, er, Omega Strain, right?"


    "Precisely."


    "What makes you think it''s safe for use?"


    Torix lifted an arm where three birds flew up to him. Each carried one of the living crystals on them, and by now, the crystals shifted color. A robin held an emerald gemstone, and it made ribs around the bird. The second, a mockingbird, carried a black crystal that waved like a tail behind it. The third, an armored raven, covered itself in a deep, violet stone that looked like purple jade.


    Torix gestured to them, and they flew over to me. Landing on my shoulders, they stayed quiet and well behaved. I raised a hand at them,


    "So, there''s more to these crystals than we first imagined, eh?"


    Torix''s eyes flared a bright blue as he put his hands on his hips, "Indeed. As I coined it, the Omega Strain is an amorphous viral structure that adapts to its host''s thoughts and needs. It can take many shapes and sizes, and it manifests quickly after exposure. Over time, it can change coloration and function depending on the mental strength of its host."


    Torix gestured a palm at the raven, "These birds each carry different kinds of Omega Strains, yet the raven''s crystal is by far the strongest. This is in no small part due to its higher intellect. Observe."


    The birds flew up, the raven facing the robin and mockingbird. Two against one, the robin and mockingbird flew at the raven. The violet crystal over the raven shifted, and it sped under its two assailants. The mockingbird''s tendril shot at the raven''s skull, but the dark bird''s gemstone latched onto the enemy''s attack before it was killed. The raven spiraled, and this created a spiral in the mockingbird''s stone tentacle.


    Carried by that twist, the mockingbird was slung towards the ground, but I caught it with a gravity well before it was killed.


    Poor bird.


    The other robin flew up and over the raven in the meantime. It latched its ribs into the raven''s armor before pushing the violet armored bird towards the ground. The violet-colored raven smashed into the concrete, leaving a few cracks beneath it before it stood back up. Spreading its crystalline wings, the raven spread its frame out wide. With a stone crushing jump, it launched itself into the crystal ribs of the robin.


    The robin crushed into the roof, its body somehow unharmed despite the sheer impact from the raven. The robin was still unconscious, however, so I caught it as it fell from the roof. The Omega Strains remnants spilled onto the floor like broken glass, the bird''s fight coming to an end. Torix pointed at them,


    "Impressive, aren''t they?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "They are, but how does this prove this stuff is safe for sentients?"


    "For one, the birds are still safe and sane. Of course, I''m managing their fights using mind magic, but this proximity with their minds tells me nothing is wrong. The only issue is that the crystals can have a degenerative effect on someone''s psyche over time. Past eight hours of exposure, and it appears the host begins suffering mental breakdowns."


    I scoffed, "Oh, the crystal only drives its user''s insane, and that''s only the short term side effects you don''t say? Talk about useful."


    Torix remained calm and confident as he replied,


    "Indeed. We''ve measures in place for preventing the mental degradation of hosts. I''ll get to that later. The most fascinating aspect of this crystal is its sheer variance and its metal-eating capabilities. It does require a few constraints for its use, but they are more than acceptable."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Such as?"


    Torix reached out with his hand, and the birds flew over towards him, though the robin struggled a bit. Torix tapped the crystals on their backs, and each Omega Strain shivered before compacting back into their previous forms. They left wounds on the bird''s backs, which would take weeks to heal. The birds weren''t a part of Schema''s system, however. For Humans and Eltari, the crystals were easy to bring in and out day to day.


    That meant we could easily use these crystals for our soldiers as long as they carried some of my armor. My eyes lit up,


    "That''s right. We just have to limit how long each person is exposed to the crystals."


    Torix beamed, "You understand my intention utterly. These people will be the first ones exposed to the Omega Strain, and they''ve signed waivers to guarantee they understand what''s required of them. I explained thoroughly, as well."


    "Why haven''t you gotten started yet?"


    Torix gave me a slight bow, "I wanted to ask for my guildleader''s permission and in person."


    I was touched.


    "Torix, you didn''t have to."


    "After not informing you of the streaming services I started without your permission, I dwelled on what you said on the matter. I wanted you to know that I thought deeply about what you said, and I intend on ensuring you''re a part of the decisions regarding our guild''s actions from here on out. No more surprises of that kind."


    I turned towards the people here,


    "As long as you guys are ok with this, then we''re good to go. It''s your lives on the line, and you all get to decide if the risk is worth it."


    A few people looked at me with a bit of nervousness, but most of them remained unyielding.


    Torix cackled, "Then let''s begin." The lich waved at the participants, "You may make contact whenever you''d like. Be prepared for sharp, piercing pain when you do so, as the Omega Strain enters through the spines of creatures."


    They stared forward, eyeing the floating, magenta masses floating in front of them. Fear and apprehension came over them until an Eltari woman decided it was time. Her arms were ripped off at some point, and now she carried massive scars were they once were. She touched the crystal with her beaked mouth, and the Omega Strain flooded over it.


    Crawling over her skin, the strand left hundreds of tiny, minuscule wounds over its victim. Once it reached her spine, the crystal rammed over thirty connection points into the Eltari''s nervous system. The Eltari scrambled back and forth, languishing in agony. She knocked over some medical equipment before I restrained her with a gravity well. I spoke like a wall of steel,


    "It will pass. Stand strong and hold the line."


    I passed The Rise of Eden over the Eltari as it looked at me, giving my words more of a palpable effect. Her foggy, tear ridden eyes showed no expression, but her taloned feet scrunched into tight bundles. She quit squawking in fear, and she proved herself there and then. With Schema''s system augmenting her, the Eltari regenerated from her wounds over the next few minutes. Once she got past the initial pain, she stood up.


    She conquered it.


    The Omega Strain read the wants of the Eltari, and it replaced her missing arms and wings. Once it shaped itself into those missing limbs, the crystal followed the Eltari''s commands. She moved her new, crystal limbs, staring at them with fear and awe alike. After a few seconds, she spread them wide, the feathers more akin to spines than plumage.


    That didn''t matter to the Eltari as she walked over towards the edge of the bird''s exhibit. Everyone stared as she leaped from the side, and a few seconds passed. Thoughts of her clunking against the concrete ground loomed over everyone present. It would be a bitter wake up call for the Eltari.


    That didn''t come to pass. She flew, gliding with flows of mana. She laughed while passing through the air, and several songbirds jumped from their ledges to join her. What was once robbed was returned, and the Eltari beamed with deep joy as she returned to the air. Minutes of flight later, she landed onto the ledge with tears in her eyes.


    She walked up to Torix and spoke with a light tone to her voice,


    "Thank you, clever one. Thank you. I never imagined I would be one with the sky again."


    Torix raised a hand, "Now now, don''t get too close. We wouldn''t want that crystal reverting to normal just yet, now would we?"


    The Eltari backed up, "I...yes. Thank you."


    I pointed at her, "What''s your name?"


    "E-Elthara."


    "Good to meet you. You''re going to need one of these soon."


    I lifted up my hand, and a void popped up at the end of my arm. From it, molten metal spawned into a small mass. I shaped it into a band, and flash froze it. Pulling out my grimoire, I charged the runes for Ophelia''s ring as I said,


    "This ring will let you do a few things, but the most important part is the ability to get that crystal off of you. In your case-"


    I spawned another piece of dimensional fabric and shaped it into the form of a thin chain. I wrapped that around the center of the ring before planting my grimoire''s runes onto the band. Once cooled, I tossed it over towards her, and she snatched it out of the air with her foot. Bending over, she contorted her leg and put the necklace on.


    I pointed at it, "Tap the crystal against that ring or necklace, and it will turn back to normal. You can put it in your dimensional storage after that."


    Elthrara nodded, "Yes, guildleader. This ring, it is...heavy."


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself, "That is your guild''s expectations weighing down on your shoulders. Make sure you carry that burden with pride, and always aim to exceed them."


    "Yes, clever one."


    Putting my hands on my hips, I peered at the others lined up,


    "That''s a pretty successful initial test. I know I''m convinced. Who''s next?"


    We processed the others, several people unable to control the crystal when first exposed. It required a certain level of mental strength to restrain the gemstone, and some people lacked that. To counteract this, I premade the rings and handed them off to people. The enchantments gave willpower and endurance in spades.


    Those attributes helped people assimilate more often with the crystals. After the Omega Strain dislodged itself from the individual, it sped up the regeneration as well. However, no matter what we did, the Omega Strain left a bit of vertigo after pulling itself out, so people needed breaks after using the powerful gems. It wasn''t so bad, though.


    With my ring''s help, the eight-hour maximum use time turned as high as ten in the more willful individuals. On average, it was around six to eight hours. That was plenty long enough for most soldiers to get some serious work done in the meantime. These crystals would help members with facing Hybrids on a level playing field for the common soldier. It was about time I handed off a bit of updated equipment to the legion as well.


    Super golems would be nice and all, but my guildsmen would fight alongside us. I didn''t want them fighting against the Hybrids with broomsticks and frying pans, so it was about time for an update. Besides, their strength was my strength, and I needed as much as I could get.


    With that in mind, I met with Torix after everyone left. He healed the three birds used in his exhibition, regenerating them via rudimentary light magic. As he did, I stared down at the birds,


    "So, they responded well. It looks like these gemstones are going to be very valuable in the future."


    "Indeed. We''ll need to create a trade deal with Obolis in order to procure them, but they should be more than worth it. Perhaps an exchange of super golems would be in order?"


    "You know, I actually don''t think we''ll have to. We should be able to manage, even without trading."


    Torix narrowed his fire eyes, staring up at me from the three birds floating in front of him,


    "Ah, yes, I''m certain that Obolis would just hand over these valuable resources without a care in the world. That sounds just like him."


    "He might have."


    The lich''s curiosity peaked, "How so?"


    "Well, we''ll be getting the planet soon. Obolis offered it to us. We''re in the middle of acquiring Blegara."


    Torix dropped the birds, but I already caught them as he did. I expected that kind of reaction. Torix stood up,


    "And here I believed he''d be using them himself? He doesn''t know they exist?"


    "Nope."


    "Really now? That''s...that''s unexpected. I''d imagined the Finder of Secrets would be better at...well, finding secrets."


    I waved my arms, "Don''t get the wrong idea. I got lucky here. That''s it."


    Torix raised his hand, "Perhaps a bit, though your ability to travel into extreme environments is a large reason as to why you''re able to explore as you do. That being said, if we can go forward with this deal, our guild''s ability to fight the Hybrids will multiply. We will gain an unruly amount of resources, and they will make a world of difference for us."


    "That''s what I was thinking."


    "This does raise a few questions, such as what kind of deal was arranged?"


    "I gave the albony priority when trading with resources acquired on Blegara. We also have to lease super golems to them."


    Torix scoffed, "That''s it? For a planet? Maybe owning a planet isn''t very valuable?"


    I raised a hand, "Planet owning is very lucrative, but you have to think, this isn''t a normal planet. Blegara is on the brink of destruction and is being assaulted by hostile forces. The Empire can''t economically hold the location, but we can. I''m aware of all this, so Obolis couldn''t dupe me. Combine that with the fact he''s still able to get what he wants out of Blegara, albeit for a price, and it''s a win-win situation."


    I smiled, "It''s just a little more win-win for me. That''s all."


    Torix swung a fist in front of himself, "Now that is how it is done, my disciple. After our subduing of the eldritch, I say we assault the planet immediately."


    "You and I are thinking the same thing then. We need to prepare for that, and I''m going to need you to do more research into the Omega Strain in the meantime. That needs to take priority over everything else for now. I know your handling a lot with the guild''s logistics-"


    Torix stood tall, putting a hand up to his side. From it, his obelisk materialized, "Of course, though you overestimate the burden I bear since acquiring this obelisk. Though it took some tinkering, it''s automated the most tedious of tasks. I am more than able to handle this new task, and I''ll do what''s necessary for the legion."


    I smiled, "Alright then. I''m sending everyone a message that we won''t be attacking Blegara for about a week. After that, we''ll make the announcement that we own the planet after the contract with Obolis has been signed. I''ll be making super golems in the meantime. They''ll be the primary source of our initial charge, along with the Vagni and maybe even the eldritch."


    I raised two fists, "We''ll collect the Omega Strain along Blegara''s depths after we''ve established ourselves on Saphigia. Our soldiers'' number will bolster immensely, and I''ll make sure that my rings include something for underwater breathing. That''ll get rid of our troops'' main weakness."


    Torix waved a finger in front of himself, "And we can even give the gialgathens a battlefront they are adept at. They evolved in the ocean from what I''ve read and heard. They should be veritable swimmers, and by Schema,  we could use the territory. We sorely lack space on Mt. Verner now."


    Torix peered off towards the mountain beyond the concrete walls, "It''s a shame, but our guild has outgrown this place. The gialgathens and Eltari are fighting amongst themselves for the best roosting locations. Just as well, the humans here are beginning to settle and wish to go above ground."


    Torix spoke wistfully, "Perhaps Blegara will let us expand elsewhere without the threat of wiping out your home planet? Wouldn''t that be simply superb?"


    I took a deep breath,


    "I couldn''t agree more. That''s one of the reasons I''ve been working above ground with my golem project. If I spend too much time in that mountain, I get cabin fever. I can''t even imagine what the people down there must feel like."


    Torix tilted his head, "They''re alive, which is more than they''d be if Yawm had had his way."


    I nodded, "I''ll find solace in that. I''m writing the guild wide message as we speak to let our guildsmen know we''re not fighting on Blegara for a bit. Once we get a hold on Saphigia, we''ll harvest the Omega Strains nearby, get super golems to hold our new territories, and expand outward as needed. It will be a slow fought process, but we''ll be able to take it back."


    Torix''s eyes flared bright with warmth,


    "Daniel...there''s something I''ve been meaning to say."


    I lifted a brow, "What''s up?"


    He put a hand on my shoulder, "I''ve seen you grow from a selfish child into a selfless man. I want you to know I''m proud of you, and you''re becoming a fine leader."


    I choked up a bit, not expecting this kind of sincerity, "Well...thank you. I don''t think I''ve done the best job, but I''ve been trying. That''s all I can really do."


    Torix let his hand drop, "Know that I''ve said nothing more than what needed to be said. Now, let''s get to work. There''s much to be done."


    I grinned, "Let''s crack some skulls."


    Torix walked off, interacting with his advanced obelisk given by Obolis. With it, he managed the guild in less than a third the time he used too via preplanned operations. Handling those day to day tasks let him spend this kind of time on the Omega Strain, and I was glad I decided on the obelisk first instead of the furnace.


    One last detail needed handling before I got deep into my building work. Torix sent me an update from Althea that contained a lot of information about Elysium and their camps. It included notes from Althea, and I went over that information while creating an underwater breathing enchantment.


    She mentioned many of the innovations they used in a positive light, and I had to agree. Elysium rebelled for a reason after all, and the primary cause was how outdated and ruthless Schema''s current system was. Of course, Elysium built its backbone on the gialgathen''s deaths and the eldritch/silvers'' suffering. Those were pretty damn unforgivable sins, in my opinion, but I respected the Adair''s more after seeing how much they improved people''s lives.


    At least they were trying. I had to admit, that was more than most.


    My newfound respect didn''t shake my resolve to crush them, but it did give me another goal. I wrote up a reform plan for our own guild''s way of doing things, modeling some of it after Elysium''s practices. Evil or not, they had some excellent ideas. I took those practices and made them work for our own guild, and it gave me some confidence moving forward. Making a difference for people tended to do that.


    Bolstered by that assurance, I walked towards Helios and Florence. There was one last part of our plan that needed ironing out. We sent the initial team down towards the Elysium camp without Amara. Amara made the suggestion herself, noting how poorly her stealth skills were in general. Althea''s report made the Elysium camp look easier to invade than we initially thought, however.


    Understanding all those details, I needed Florence and Helios to help get her over there safely. Pacing over towards the upper suite of Mt. Verner, I sent them messages to meet me outside their residences. As I reached their places again, I found the two of them arguing like normal. Rubbing my temples, I let out a sigh.


    Helios turned towards me as I walked up. He scorned,


    "So it''s our guildleader once again. I love waiting at random places for extended periods."


    I eyed the albony, "Or, Really? If you''d like, I could just send you to fight Hybrids by yourself on Blegara. It would only be until you die. Maybe you''d prefer doing that?"


    Helios stiffened up for a moment, fear racing up his spine. I spread out my hands,


    "Ok then, it sounds like you won''t be complaining about waiting a few minutes for me anymore. Good. Now I need you both to take Amara over towards the Elysium camp tonight. According to Althea, their plans went well, and they''ll be getting access to an Elysian world soon. I need you both to keep Amara safe while we get the perfect opportunity to go through their warp."


    Florence gestured to me, "So, planet owner, what''s next for you?"


    I raised a hand, squeezing it into a fist,


    "I''ll be making an army."

 284 Amassing Many

    -Althea-


    I pulled myself out of the warm corpse of a monster, having torn out its ribs by hand. Slinging blood from my arms, I let out a gasp of disgust while throwing a thick entrail off my shoulder. Killing monsters was the worst thing ever, and this was why. I somehow always ended up covered in monster guts.


    I threw the body sideways, having just killed this giant, roaming salamander eldritch. It found me taking an afternoon nap under a tree, so it swallowed me whole. I woke up and gave the beast some severe indigestion, and now I found myself soaked in purple-colored blood and guts. It didn''t smell like normal blood, at least. This was more like just cut grass, and to me, that smelled a whole lot better overall.


    Not knowing what would happen if this stuff dried onto me, I ran through the forest and found a stream. A quick dive later, and the muck flowed off me. The water was a bit chilly, yeah, but it was more than worth it. After running through the trees some, I wind-dried my jumpsuit and hair. Once done, I swung the mess on my head around a bit. Stepping up to a puddle, I gave myself a look-see.


    It wasn''t my best look, but I could pull this off.


    It was time for me to meet with Florence and Helios, both of them escorting Amara over the countryside to this location. We stuck with realtime travel because it wouldn''t set off any warp searching magic. To me, those royals were way overqualified for this job, but getting Amara here was pretty important. Cause I mean, our whole operation pinned on her infiltrating Elysium''s system.


    That''s why this meetup was super important. Though a bit late, I wasn''t that behind schedule, so I skulked across a few plains and snuck my way up to our meeting coordinates. Maybe they''d be late too. Turns out, they weren''t. Florence, Helios, and Amara sat around a creek, each sitting on rocks along the stream''s flood bed. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I kept a bit of distance before attempting to de-stealth. Unfortunately, I somehow heard them talking. And I happened to see them too.


    Whoops.


    Helios stared off in the distance, bitter as usual, "It''s obvious to me that the competition between us is your victory."


    Florence leaned back, on his rock, casual and confident as could be, "What do you mean competition? Were we competing?"


    "Don''t pretend that you don''t remember it. Daniel made it clear that we''d serve whoever did a better job of helping his guild. Already, you''ve established such a clear lead that I''m unable to match you anymore. My failure is inevitable, and it''s a bitter pill to swallow."


    Florence''s natural swagger dampened, his concern for Helios showing. Even if he was a complete jerk, he was still Florence''s brother. The talkative royal sat up straight, coughing into a hand,


    "I, uh, I think that oftentimes, when forced to accept something difficult like this, it''s oftentimes like medicine. It''s usually the antidote we need most but want the least. In that way, this situation might be showcasing a weakness you need to work on."


    Helios glared at Florence, his eyes hidden under his mask,


    "Weakness, hm? I''m doubtful. This clash of ours has simply proven that I am unable to match you. That''s right - you of all people. I''m being forced to admit you''re my superior. It''s obvious I''ve fallen into pits so deep I doubt I will ever crawl out of them."


    Florence frowned but stayed positive, "You haven''t fallen lower. I''ve simply risen up."


    Helios shook his head, "But you''ve been an example of failure, time and time again. Have things changed this much from just a subtle shift in circumstance? You honestly believe your place changes that easily?"


    Florence narrowed his eyes, somewhat peeved, "No. My rise in potential is a matter of the place, not the situation. I simply mesh better with this new guild than you do. Think of it like this - it''s obvious to anyone who''s attempted many things that they cannot be the best at every one of them. That is the case here."


    Helios stared at the flowing water as Amara sat in silence. Helios murmured, "I''ve been thinking of our places as of late. I''ve known you were always in my shadow, and I became comfortable with that reality. I exceeded your performance in every situation, yet now I am the one who walks in your shadow. I believe it''s not like the shadow you walked in, which was perceived. My walk in the dark is genuine."


    Florence''s curiosity peaked, "What do you mean by shadows?"


    Helios shook his head, "These events have forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth - I was never your superior. Our family put you in a small box, and you couldn''t escape it. Over time, you and I believed that box to be the real you. In the end, it was an illusion. Obolis saw the situation clearly, as always."


    Helios met his brother''s eye, "It turns out that you''re talented in certain respects. Perhaps that is why I despise you. I''m told you''re a pathetic waste of space, yet you''re my better in many ways."


    Helios reached out a hand, freezing a portion of the stream beside us,


    "If you are useless yet my superior, then what does that make me? I''ve been wondering that lately."


    Florence''s voice rose, "You keep thinking of me as some inferior. By doing that, you''re dragging us both down. We each have pieces of us that excel in certain places. Instead of constantly comparing us, how about you try using what you''re good at? That''s what I''ve been doing here, and it has worked wonders. I haven''t felt this good in decades."


    Florence stood up, "It''s as simple as this. My time here has taught me that what our family says about us doesn''t define who we are. It''s...it''s like how everyone thinks of me in our family. Just because they believe I''m useless doesn''t make it so. In this new place, I am a potent force. I simply needed the space to showcase that."


    Florence pointed at his brother, "You are the same."


    Helios rubbed his temples, "That is my problem. I''ve already been a success. There is no opportunity to rise here. Instead, my fall from grace since talking to that damn guildleader has been steady and steep. Now I''m wallowing in death threats instead of redeeming my past shortcomings."


    Helios tapped his head with his gauntlet, "My frustration leaks out in my words, and then I simply dig myself into a deeper hole. It''s my fault, and I understand that. That frustrates me further, and I feed this vicious cycle."


    Helios sighed, "It''s like the tables have turned, and now I am the one who is destined for failure while you''re now destined for success. As your brother, I should be happy for you...But I''m not. To me, that''s pathetic."


    Florence spread out his hands, "I resented you for a long time as well, but I came to the understanding that comparing myself to others is losing game. No matter my success, it will pale when compared to others. That is a simple truth of existence. The Empire bolsters that style of thought and treats it as just. It''s a toxic wasteland of thought if you ask me."


    "And I am trapped in that frame of mind. At least it feels that way."


    Florence tapped the side of his head with a claw, "Come now, there''s great power in your perspective. If you change your outlook here and now, things will change for the better. Think of this as an opportunity to discover parts of yourself you didn''t know you had. Try something new, something bold."


    Helios stared at the water as it overflowed the ice he made earlier, "I...I suppose I could. My situation could always change. It has before."


    Florence gave Helios a pat on the back, "Exactly. You''re the albony that made everyone around him appear incompetent and ineffectual by comparison. Don''t forget the past battles you''ve won. This is perhaps a hard-fought clash, but you''ll be victorious in the end. If you can''t believe that, then trust me and my belief in it."


    Helios stared at his hands, and the cipher inscribed gauntlet glistened under the sun''s light,


    "Hmm...Perhaps I''ll actually listen to you this time. I''ve tried this before, and your consultation has led to disastrous consequences. That being said, it isn''t as if anyone can misadvise all the time...Though you''ve tried."


    Florence grinned at his brother, the smile evident even under his mask, "Well, you see, there is an art to failure. I''m quite practiced in it, and that allows me to see it differently." Florence lowered his hands and stared out at the riverbed,


    "When someone has failed utterly, they are both at their lowest and their most powerful state. The weakness is obvious and needs no explaining. The reason you have power, however, is because people are impressed by success despite your circumstances. It is when someone has failed time and time again yet persevered through their missteps and continued until success, that is when people are most affected."


    Florence swung his fist, "You are in a position to show not just competence. You get to show something more important: your character. That''s far more difficult to express, but it''s also far more valuable. For those reasons, don''t give up or give in."


    Florence stared his brother in the eye, "Pull through and be all the better for it."


    Helios let those words soak in for a second before staring forward. He stood up and nodded, "I...you may be right. I, I''ll need to think about it more."


    Florence backed up, "Of course. Take your time. We''ve got all day with how late Althea is."


    I frowned. I''d been here for like fifteen minutes by now, but this was too good to miss out on.


    Helios gave his brother a shove, "You know, I thought of you as the lowest, most shabby albony I''d ever seen. I may have been wrong all this time."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "Really now? You''ve finally changed your mind about me?"


    Helios grabbed his brother''s shoulder and gave him a shake, "You''re not quite the most pathetic. You''re merely one of the most."


    Florence shoved Helios before the two of them began some kind of pushing contest. They went back and forth, following some clearly defined yet mystical set of rules as they did. It reminded me of some child''s game they played when they were younger, and only the two of them understood it. After a minute of watching, I walked out of the bushes so they could see me.


    As I stepped out, Helios stiffened back up as if someone zapped him with lightning. Florence lowered his hands,


    "Bah, you''re no fun."


    Helios pointed at me, "You saw nothing."


    I smirked, "Oh, of course not. I definitely didn''t record anything. Not at all."


    Helios flushed under his mask, and steam might as well have been fuming out of his ears. For the terrible things he''d done to me, I had to admit, Helios wasn''t entirely awful. He seemed like a guy who really wanted the pride and admiration of his family. He just learned how to get it in the wrong ways, and I didn''t know if that was his fault or the Empires.


    It was probably a little bit of both. Either way, Florence covered for Helios, walking up to me,


    "It''s good to see you again, Althea. How are things going in your mission?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "I sent you a debrief? Didn''t you read it?"


    "I-I prefer hearing it in person."


    Helios chided, "He was simply too lazy to read it."


    Florence turned to his brother, giving him a quick glare. Helios actually laughed under his breath as Florence turned back to me, "Okay, he''s right. I''m sorry."


    I rolled my eyes, "Well, at least you admitted it¡ªsort of. Anyways, we''re doing pretty good, I guess. They don''t seem suspicious of us, and we''ve got some licenses that will let us warp around. Getting Amara through is going to require some finesse, but we should be fine with some of Hod''s shadowy magic."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I propped my weight onto my hip, "After that, we''re going to need some luck. Hod''s shadowy magic stuff isn''t going to last very long. We''ll need to get somewhere safe, or else Amara will pop out of someone''s shadow in the open. If the situation starts spiraling, we won''t be able to send messages and get feedback since they block Schema''s system on their planets."


    I grimaced, "We''ll be in the dark."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "You''ll all be fine. You''re a competent team, after all."


    Helios walked up, his cape draped over him now, "I suppose you can say that. Competence is relative, after all."


    I leaned back, "Oh, okay. So we must be really competent to you then?"


    He deadpanned, "Not exactly."


    Florence raised his hands, "Come on, guys, let''s keep this civil. We''re here to pass over Amara. Speaking of which-" Florence looked around, "Where is she?"


    Amara''s dry, raspy voice echoed out from behind me, "I''m here."


    I jumped up, scared out of my mind. After a quick yelp, I pointed at her, "I thought you said your stealth skills sucked?"


    Amara lifted her palms, staring at me with her weird eyes, "There is more to being unseen then simple skills, little lamb...But yes, I can be seen easily once exposed."


    Florence had his hand over his chest, "You scared me as well. It looks like we won''t have to worry about you all being found. Good luck."


    I crossed my fingers, "Oh man, I am hoping that''ll be the case. We''re going to need it."


    Florence gave us a nod before racing towards off towards the forest. Before he left, Florence passed me several rings Daniel made. They were the same kind he crafted for Ophelia, and when I put it on my finger, it gave a rush of stats like all his items did. It also hefted my hand down, the tiny thing weighing like twenty pounds. Daniel was pretty dense, figuratively and literally, so I guess this was appropriate.


    Either way, I turned to Amara, "Are you ready to warp tonight?"


    She winced, "I am ready as I shall ever be...It''s rare for one to walk into a lion''s den, yet we do so willingly. Are you...certain, this is a good plan?"


    I gave her as confident a smile as I could,


    "Uh...yeah...Of course."


    -Daniel-


    With Florence and Helios sent away, I got my mind for mass golem creation. That was my number one goal right now, so I used an app in my status to create a list of goals. Starting with speed, I brainstormed a few ways of getting faster at making golems. The first idea involved a time analysis where I understood what took time to make a golem. The idea for this kind of thing came from Torix. It sounded like something he''d do, that was for sure.


    Either way, after uncovering the major time sinks, I wrote them down. There were three main time-stealing culprits: runic charging, harvesting skin, and elemental furnace production. For the charging bit, I needed more mana and more efficient runes. I detailed a work schedule where I spent several hours revising my runes for better mana efficiency, along with time for carving. The skin harvesting was a bit wonkier to think over.


    I never, not in a trillion years, would''ve imagined that harvesting my skin would be a problem I needed to face head-on. Yet, here I was, thinking it through. I always sort of handled it with a quick, violent, and sheering pull. This ripped out random patches of armor on my arms, which worked well enough up to this point. I needed many, many times more of the stuff now, and my current system wasn''t going to hold up.


    With that in mind, I ran a few tests on my skin. When hot, cold, or even superheated, my skin remained resilient. It maintained form even under extreme stressors and gravity. When I finished all my basic attempts, I moved onto more drastic measures. I took an enormous hold of mana and used a gravitational well for ripping one of my arms off. A quick metallic thud and cord-ey rip later, and my arm was out of its socket.


    It healed back within a minute. Being a dimension had its perks.


    This new strategy of entire limb harvesting functioned much better than my previous attempts. Now I thought that the arm wouldn''t meltdown like my skin would. It was flesh and bone to me. Turns out, I was dead wrong about that. My body was made of dimensional, er, stuff down to the cells themselves, so the entire arm boiled down no problem.


    In fact, it wasn''t much different from the skin I used before. The only real difference was a better density overall from my bones. I didn''t even need to melt my blood either, the liquid already quite warm. Well, relatively speaking. It was difficult to know how hot or cold I was now, my own understanding of temperature being so warped.


    It reminded me of my stay in space for a bit. It was cold there, but apparently, it shouldn''t be since there wasn''t anything for my body heat to convect to out there. I didn''t know how any of that worked exactly, but maybe measuring my body temperature would help me figure out what was going on. I put that at the very bottom of my extensive to-do list, and I moved on to ripping my arms off.


    You know, the important stuff.


    Pooling double my bodyweight''s worth of dimensional fabric in my various storages, I moved onto the elemental furnace issue. So far, I took out a substantial amount of mana from this ancient ciphering device at all points. This revolved around my Congruent Mind Strain ability. My main problem revolved around the amount of mana harvested from the furnace while doing all that.


    When I backlogged the furnace process, the amount of mana I gained dropped like a bowling ball off the side of a building. In the end, I got less than half the net potential of the furnace. I mean, that made sense since revving the device at full throttle required tremendous focus. Pulling more focus into that process meant less concentration was left for the manufacturing of the golems themselves.


    This left me at an impasse. On the one hand, a large portion of my time could be saved from using the furnace to the fullest extent. On the other hand, my crafting suffered when I put less than one hundred percent of my attention to it. Thinking things through, I came up with a solution.


    I took a few tests of the time required for the runic charging and making the golem. The runic powering took around twice as long as the molding process did. With that in mind, I put more and more of my mind''s abilities into the furnace charging. After a while, I reached an equilibrium where the molding took just as long as the charging process.


    With that, I shaved about 17% of the time off of making the golem.


    It wasn''t an enormous, earth-shattering gain, but this was a part of the process. Every innovation and efficiency gain I made added up over time.  Just as well, I didn''t enjoy being this analytical, but I learned from Torix and Obolis that methodical approaches worked wonders. At least when it came to production like this.


    Moving on, I pulled out some screenshots of my grimoire and pulled them all up in my status. Staring at them all, I found a few kinks and flaws in my translation that needed work. The initial, non-ciphered runes weren''t structured as efficiently as they could be either. That probably was because I asked for them on such short notice.


    Either way, I fixed those issues before moving onto the ciphered sections. Finding useless segments, I eliminated about a fifth of these texts over the next three hours. These weren''t content changes per se, but more so concision improvements. After all, most of any language was formalities and non-content words. By eliminating all but the necessary stuff in work like this, I made the passages meaning clearer and shorter at the same time.


    That meant less charging and a better golem.


    By now, the sun began setting in the distance. Handling all those improvements, I got to the meat and bones of this operation - making the actual golems. My changes sped up my work by quite a bit, having found a nice balance between charging, forming, and building. I also fell into a flow of sorts, getting involved in my work''s details.


    I gave myself breaks every few hours, and during that downtime, I searched for ways of improving productivity. Many searches popped up on Schema''s web, and I used a few of the most commonly referenced tips. The most mentioned one was goal setting, which I used right away. Using many hours and all of my mental processing power, I came up with a very pivotal and challenging to comprehend goal.


    Make more golems.


    I know, I know, revolutionary stuff.


    Jokes aside, it worked to my favor. A week of this crafting passed, and my golem creation''s speed improved by leaps and bounds. On the first day, I made four golems. On the second, I created five. I capped out at six on the third day, unable to break that plateau by the week''s end. Doubling my production speed was more than adequate enough for me, however.


    I ended up making thirty-nine super golems. Including Alpha, Beta, my third golem, I had forty-two total. It was a military force of exceptional might, vastly exceeding our guild''s previous net potential. They actually worked like Breakers in overall power, meaning we could tear battalions down with ease. It was like we gained a thousand systemized gialgathens overnight.


    Speaking of which, I wasn''t the only one hard at work over the last week. Chrona and Krog went into a full-on general mode, whipping the gialgathens back into shape. The break was over, and it was up to them to get the gialgathens systemized. That required clearing many dungeons, and so they did that in spades.


    Using teams of three, Chrona and Krog sent out gialgathens towards the North, making sure they stayed very high in the air. We didn''t want everybody seeing them all the time, so they rushed over clouds. Being in the upper stratosphere made even the enormous beasts appear small like a falcon or eagle. Perspective was funny like that. Get close or far away from something, and it looked completely different.


    They used that for their stealth. Going North meant the chance was even lower that they''d be found by Elysium forces. That risk couldn''t be eliminated either way, not without forcing the gialgathens underground. Suppressing them in caves was like never letting a bird leave its cage. In Krog''s own words, ''A life without flight was a life not worth living.''


    I disagreed, having walked around for the most part up till recently. That being said, I soared around the sky when traveling around Mt. Verner. While surrounded by white clouds, a blue sky, and the horizon beneath me, I had to admit there was something special about flying. Going back to a life without flight would be damn hard, so I understood the gialgathen''s fears.


    Their concerns were grounded in a reality where they were robbed of something important. Because of that, I didn''t fight them much on the issue, and neither did Torix. Gialgathens were akin to level capped Speakers in power as well, and with the need for a large, effective army, some risks were worth taking. This extensive use of flight and organized teamwork let them clear and map dungeons far away from where we lived as well.


    This exploration gained us a better grip on the conditions North of Mt. Verner, our excursions leaking into what was once Canada. What surprised me most while reading reports was the population density around there. Though fewer people lived there than before, it was kind of comparable to before Schema''s culling.


    Personally, I expected a massive drop off in the number of people there. I mean, the winters in Michigan and Iowa were challenging to deal with, but Canada was on a whole other level. My dad actually grew up in Canada, and the guy experienced some cold winters. He told me a story once from one of those times.


    Apparently, there was a goggle warning where you couldn''t walk outside without, well, goggles. If you did, your eyeballs would freeze in your skull because the wind was so fast and cold. It was a crazy account of how cold it got, and that story really stuck with me. It turns out, Schema''s system allowed people to survive those winters.


    The resistances gave species a much easier time handling more extreme environments. This meant there was enough people out there that it was worth saving them at some point. The gialgathens also ended up clearing out a lot of the eldritch North of the Great Lakes. We weren''t sanitizing the entirety of the area, but thinning out the hordes helped those there.


    We passed over a thousand systemized gialgathens during this time, which was a real milestone for the guild. They worked with Torix''s mind mages to create units that thrived in the air, sort of like dragon riders but on gialgathens. This gave them mobility and meant the Blighted weren''t as effective against them either. Mind mages were lethal against those monstrosities in that way.


    We aimed for fighting on Blegara, however, so Chrona and Krog taught them tactics for underwater combat. Chrona and Krog had lived for centuries, and in their backlog of information, they read about ancient tactics from their species. Long ago, they fought the leviathans under the seas, and those same tactics then proved useful now. This gave the gialgathens profound confidence, which bolstered morale overall.


    Outside of those efforts, Torix progressed with the Omega Strains during this time. I only supplied a couple dozen to him, but Torix used them to their fullest potential. Using more stringent guidelines, he progressed the shabby group I first saw into an elite, anti-Hybrid force. This specialized unit worked with the golems I created, generating battalions that decimated the Adair''s forces.


    Torix lined one super golem per unit of three soldiers. With tactics taught by the lich himself, these soldiers implemented strategies against the Hybrids, Blighted, and their behemothic pillars. During my breaks, I read these reports and viewed footage sent my way, and they impressed me. Even if they weren''t quite as effective as I was, they were damn good in their own right.


    This gave us a solid backbone for retaking Blegara one city at a time. We weren''t ready for the unreal swarms Elysium produced, but this was a fine start. Once we got on Blegara, we''d expand the Omega Strain divisions to number the thousands, and I''d keep making golems in the meantime. Once we had several hundred of them, holding a large territory wasn''t out of the question.


    Once held, the gialgathens could live there, have families, and settle down. They could get back to something commonplace, and this vision of a future motivated them more than merely surviving. We''d expand afterward with golems keeping the countryside clean of eldritch and Hybrids alike. This let people move and trade, keeping an economy formed.


    We''d even up the ante on our recruiting once we established this kind of protective influence. I could run through a higher leveled fringe world and harvest blue cores to create secure cities. The perfect place for that was actually the Ahcorus''s home planet, where Plazia Ruhl dominated. Reaching him would require clearing high-level dungeons, which carried high-level cores. Now, I owned a few places where I could actually put the blue cores to use.


    These factors were recognized by more than just me. Torix mentioned a few of these reinforcers in ad campaigns, and our mountain-based hummed with optimism. Helping people, saving planets, and expanding territories got people motivated. That motivation led to more outstanding production, innovation, and good times all around.


    All this hinged on the mission to the Elysian world, however. The others went dark for the last week, but we were confident they''d succeed. We sent Hod and Althea, and they''d done this countless times before by now. Infiltration, completion, and then escaping was something they did daily. These thoughts drummed in my head as our week of work ended.


    Everything finished on our front, so now many of the guild''s elite were with me as we waited on the Western front of Mt. Verner. An expansive view of the countryside rolled beneath us, and this was where we agreed to rendezvous. I missed Althea, and any information on Elysium would be a massive boon for the guild. All that left us buzzing with enthusiasm.


    That enthusiasm dampened when the time for our meeting passed. In all honesty, the team being late wasn''t that unexpected. Complications were bound to occur at some point. We still kept our assurance level high. Of course, their five minutes late turned into fifteen. After thirty minutes, the people around me grew nervous.


    I relaxed on a gravity well, knowing these kinds of issues come up all the time. An hour passed. By now, most of those around me twisted like knots. By then, a sinking feeling crawled up my chest too. Two hours went by, and now I joined the anxiety of the crew, though I kept it to myself. When three full hours flashed by, a haunting realization popped up in our minds.


    We weren''t worried anymore that they''d be late or even fail the mission. None of that mattered to me anymore. I just wanted them back. I wanted Althea back. I''d gotten so used to success I''d forgotten we could fail. As four hours passed, that understanding was like a nail being driven through my jaw. They still weren''t back.


    And it didn''t look like they''d be back anytime soon.

 285 A New Worlds Ways

    <div>


    <div>


    -Althea-


    Waiting in the brush was about dull as you''d imagine it would be. Amara and I were about fifteen miles from the Elysian camp, and no one was even close to finding us. I passed the time with a few downloaded apps from Schema''s store, having way more credits than I knew what to do with. However, I wasn''t exactly the biggest fan of video games, so I eventually turned to Amara.


    "Hey...So, uh, how are you feeling?"


    Amara seethed, "Terrified of what we are about to undertake."


    "Yeah, so am I. A little bit, anyway. I''ve done this thing before, so I kind of know what to expect."


    With the branches surrounding us on all sides, Amara turned a palm to me, the eye sickly and yellow, "What can we expect? Is it to be eaten alive?"


    I frowned, "That''s definitely not a part of the plan. Right now, the others are scouting out the planet and seeing what''s up. They''ll be back to let us know what kind of plan they have in the works. We''ll follow it, get on the world, and then warp out using Alexander''s illegal magic."


    Amara''s eyes narrowed, "Do you honestly believe it shall be so simple?"


    I shrugged, "Uh, yeah. That''s the thing about plans; when you follow through, they tend to work."


    "And what if the plan breaks down, and we are stranded on another world with no way out?"


    I gave her a thumbs up, "We improvise. They have warps that can get us there and back. Using one can act as a failsafe."


    Amara peered down with her hands, her hair covering her face, "We could, though being there is racking my nerves. What they do to the eldritch and silvers to turn them into Hybrids...I don''t wish to know the process. I can only imagine the torment behind such a thing."


    I winced, remembering the giant pits of Hybridizing silvers. It was the kind of process that required a psychopath to keep it going, that was for sure. Either that or they had no mercy for the eldritch and silvers alike. In my opinion, it was a little bit of both. Seeing Amara shiver a bit, she looked like a worn-down little girl, if only for a second. I put a hand on her shoulder,


    "I''ll be keeping you safe, so just, you know, stay calm."


    Amara turned her palm back to me, "You are a but a sheep." She leaned towards me and smelled my arm, "Yet you carry the blood of wolves in you. I can''t determine what you are, but it is something warped to the core."


    I didn''t expect a compliment from reassuring her, but ouch, that stung. I pulled my hand back and crossed my arms, "Well, if that''s how you want to be, then fine. Let''s just not talk."


    Seconds later, Amara sighed, "I...I am merely nervous about this mission. I do not enjoy danger or adventures alike, and I prefer my research in my safe lab room. Elsewhere is dangerous, and I know what will become of me should I be captured. They will rip my mind apart, searching for answers to Schema''s system and the codes lying therein."


    I pursed my lips, "How exactly do you know about Schema''s system anyway?"


    Her lips grinned, the jagged teeth menacing, "I am an insider of sorts. For now, that is all I''ll say."


    Bushes rustled in the distance, and I warped across planes. Skulking near the sound, I found the others pulling themselves through the woodlands to find us. Instead of popping up, I sent them a message. Seconds later, I warped out,


    "Hey, guys."


    Lester and Alexander expected me, but Isa failed to read her messages. She yelped before narrowing her eyes at me. I put my hands on my hips, "Look, I sent you a message this time. What else do you want from me?"


    Other Hod peeled from Isa''s shadow, and he spoke like a snake, "For you to be perceptible before you arrive. It is a trial to not attack you each time you appear."


    Alexander spread out his arms, "Just read the message, guys. Not that complicated."


    I looked at each of them as Amara walked out of her bush. Amara hissed, "It would appear that each of you seems peeved. I''m left wondering why?"


    Alexander waved his arms, "We''ve been up since eight in the morning. It''s 4:00 A.M. in the middle of the night on the next day. It''s like we''re pulling an all-nighter."


    Isa nodded at the wizard''s apprentice, "I can''t wait for a good night''s rest when we get back to base."


    Other Hod cackled, "Oh, then you shall be disappointed. Much time will pass across the veil and on the enemy''s world. Expect to be tested."


    I spread out my hands, "So, uhm, did you guys see the other planet yet?"


    Lester nodded, "You bet. It was insane. They live in this, this ultra-wide mall sort of thing. It''s beneath the ground level, and a layer of some clear material that keeps people safe from the wind and the eldritch, er, I mean monsters there."


    Amara looked with her palms towards Lester, "You may call them what they are - eldritch."


    "So yeah, eldritch run over the area, so they use some stealth technology to keep the colony hidden. There are people everywhere, and they are from all over the place. I''ll be honest, you just kind of have to see the place. It was wild."


    I rolled my hand, "That''s great and all, but we''re not there to be tourists. How was their warp situated? Was it well guarded? Are there places for Alexander to plant his ritual to get us out of there? Those are the kinds of things we need to know."


    Other Hod stepped up to us, "I observed in their shadow. The warp is in a room with a tunnel leading to the main megastructure. Two guards were stationed there at all times, and I don''t expect it to be different when we arrive. From subtle questioning, we gathered they close a vault door there during the night."


    I pointed at the shadowy figure, "That''s perfect. We''ll use that cutting technique I mentioned to get through then."


    Other Hod nodded, his eyes red and ominous in the dark, "We are ready to leave now if you''re all ready." Other Hod stared at Amara, "And, you may have as much time as you need, however long that may be."


    Amara stepped past Other Hod, "We have been ready for hours. Let us leave."


    I felt for the poor shadowy eldritch getting shut down like that. We stepped past several Hybrid patrols, my scouting letting everybody move along without any worries. There weren''t a ton of patrols during the night or anything, but Hybrids had keen senses. Getting past them with our motley crew required some distance. I gave the group that, and we were within range of the Elysian camp''s warp in minutes.


    The others hid in an alleyway, disguised by the darkness. Two patrolmen, both of them remnants, stared forward with their armors around the town''s warp. They put it in a central hub of the city, near the silvers'' zoo. Several high priority buildings lingered nearby, letting the VIP''s of Elysium go to and from the warp with ease. It wasn''t situated in a building either, meaning entry was a cinch.


    Getting through in the open would be like ringing an alarm bell since we''d most likely kill the two remnants. Instead, we went with a more subtle approach. The others clustered into the shadow of Other Hod and the dark entity shoved himself into a shady spot near the warp''s entrance. I skulked off to the side before changing my form.


    I could always change shape ever since getting a grip on my eldritch powers. At first, my changes were grotesque and unrefined. Having practiced night and day, I ended up with reasonably convincing transformations by now. My deceptive guises worked better in the dark too. Using one of those disguises, I turned myself into a little girl with a torn-off arm.


    Using a recording of a Hybrid, I opened my status and played one of their grizzly, metallic screeches. At the same time, I screamed in agony. The two guards were well within earshot, so I kept screaming out and playing the prolonged recording. When the two remnants rounded the corner, they saw me stumbling away.


    An urgency gripped them as the two guards sprinted towards my location with their spears primed for combat. I kept them on the hook, ensuring they got several blocks away from the warp and into a residential area. After letting them get closer to me, they saw my dress and cloak, along with the bloody nub I had for an arm.


    Keeping them on the run for about five minutes, the guards got closer over time. Right as they became more suspicious, I got the message I''d been waiting for. I ran past an alleyway''s corner as the guards got within grabbing distance from me. In an instant, I walked onto another plane. Leaping up, the guards stopped, wondering where the little girl went.


    Using wings, I glided down towards the warp, Amara already having hacked the device. As I neared them, our team charged up the warp, my commotion causing a stir several blocks away. With everyone distracted, we shifted across the veil, reaching the other world''s coordinates. Stepping out of the ionizing spray, it was like Other Hod said. We stared at a bleak room without much light, outside of some dim rays leaking from windows above. In front of us, a massive steel door locked us inside, no guards within the warp room. Massive steel panels showed subtle signs of rusting, and the weary chamber groaned from the wind above.


    Out into this room, the others lobbed themselves out of Hod''s shadow magic, and the poor birdman heaved for air as they fell. Other Hod gasped with his shadows falling off of him in a thick slop,


    "Bleca ruha. Sheagoma lack nock."


    I stared at him, unable to understand anything he said. I was so used to Schema''s language conversions that I forgot what not knowing a language was like. Even without a translation, I got the message as Other Hod regressed, the shade coming off him and Hod returning. Reading my confusion, Amara slapped a pointed piece of metal into my shoulder. I let out a quiet yelp before an approximation of Schema''s system came up in my view.


    She hissed, "You can thank me later."


    Thank goodness someone knew about this stuff. We''d be done for without her. She walked around, slapping steel into exposed skin for the party, and Amara giggled as others yelped at her subtle smacks. Hod turned and looked at everybody,


    "Hod wonder where Hod is. Hod know Hod confused."


    Amara walked over and pierced his wing with one of the software discs. Hod yelped, and I walked towards him, putting a hand on the side of his beak,


    "Hey, remember me?"


    Hod spread his wings and gave me a hug, "Hod remember lady friend anywhere. How lady friend? Being pretty?"


    I gave him a smile, "I''m doing great. You know what would make me feel even better?"


    Hod flexed his scrawny arms, "Hod flex muscles?"


    I scoffed, "Yeah, that too big man. I need you to follow us quietly as you can, alright?"


    Hod stiffened up and gave me a salute, "Yes, Lady Friend. Hod listen."


    I turned to the others, and Alexander stared around, "Ok, so we''re here. Amara, you need to change the residual coordinates we left behind."


    The eldritch stood up and walked over to the warp''s terminal. She pulled some tech mumbo jumbo before turning to us, "It''s finished. They won''t know we came here, but I can''t eliminate the fact we''ve warped. They''ll know it was just used, so the guards are coming."


    Alexander put his hands on the sides of his head, "Oh shit, what do we do next? Remember, Alexander. Remember."


    Isa gave the kid a pat on the back, "Come on now, lighten up. We''re just getting started."


    She turned to Lester, "Here''s what we need to do." The main dungeoneer for our guild lifted her hand and pointed up,


    "We''re going to break one of those windows, and that''ll alert the guards here. They''ll come in through that vault door over there to check it out. We''ll walk in through that door as they open it, with neither of them the wiser. Are we ready?"


    Our group nodded. I thanked whoever sent Isa with us because she just made the chaotic situation seem a lot more in control. Isa pointed at the glass, "You''re up, Alexander. Make a hard rock."


    The mage calmed himself down before channeling origin mana. A second later, a small stone fell from the origin blot. Isa pointed at me, so I grabbed the rock before rearing my arm back. With my leg in the air, I torqued force through my shoulder and launched the stone through the roof. It shattered the ceiling like we wanted, but my throw may have been a little bit too hard. About a third of the glass on the roof collapsed from the stone''s impact.


    As it sprinkled around us, the others glared at me. I blushed, "Huh...So, uhm, yeah...sorry."


    The guards rushed down the hallway, opening the vault door, and Isa pointed above it. We raced over there while I made my hands all grip-ey. Like a spider, I pulled myself up while Hod flew. Alexander pulled out his grimoire and channeled a spell. Mana coursed through his palms while Alexander hovered up the others and himself.


    The giant slab of metal opened up below us, swinging with little sound. Two remnant guards in their customary armor stormed in, looking around for the disturbance. Finding the shattered windowpane, they walked over while cursing,


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Ah, dammit. Again? Already?"


    "Something big must of made this hole."


    "Yeah, and ugly too."


    I narrowed my eyes at the two jerk guards, one of them lifting the glass from the ground using magic. The other guard used a jetpack to rise to the ceiling before pulling out a plasmic welder. They went to work, fixing the broken fixture as we skulked out of the premise.


    Sneaking through a dim hallway of rusted metal, Alexander gasped as he set Isa, Amara, and Lester down. Alexander heaved for air, and his nose bled, his mana depleted from having to lift so much weight. His palms steamed with deep burns on them, the mana having singed his skin. Isa and Lester raised him by putting his arms over their shoulders, and the mage passed out while we walked back out through a sliding glass doorway to outside.


    Or, well, it wasn''t really outside. We stepped into a vast, double-sided alleyway. Alleyway wasn''t the right word, but it was a better description than a mall since everything was so old. The stores, housing, and mineshafts sprawled out under the customary clear panes above. Everything filled out into a line about a mile wide, with buildings and businesses crammed into the premise.


    Neon signs, piled trash, and dripping pipes gave the entire megastructure a worn-down look. The stagnant, stuffy air held an uncomfortable humidity which steamed over at the edges of the windowpanes overhead. One side of this place looked better off than the other, fewer mineshafts over there and more upscale businesses. At least as deluxe as they could be since this place passed its glory days long ago.


    What was important was that our team''s info panned out - it was nighttime. A little light leaked in from outside, kind of like a sunrise and sunset at the same time. We used this pseudo night as camouflage while we ran through the townsite, following Isa and Lester. After a minute of walking, we reached an alleyway surrounded by several abandoned homes. Heaving for air, they caught their breath for a minute.


    The situation seemed stable, so I leaned towards them and whispered, "Where do we go from here?"


    Isa grinned with a drip of sweat pouring down her brow, "Yeah, so this is where it gets more complicated. We need to rest a minute before moving towards that side of the building."


    She pointed at the dimmer side of the expanse. Looking closer, the buildings showed more wear and tear than the buildings along the opposite side of this endless line of buildings. Isa took a deep breath,


    "These guys, they''re on some kind of tidally locked planet. However, it''s not completely locked, so this ring of buildings has to be moved every couple of centuries. This is the most stable part of the planet right now. That''s why they build here based on what the guide told us."


    Hod stood up straight, "Hod enjoy history lesson, but what history lesson have to do with Hod?"


    Lester rolled his hand, "The point is, we''re going to the abandoned ruins where this ring of buildings used to be. Every couple dozen miles along the older side of this place, we should be able to find a nook or cranny leading to those ruins."


    Isa pointed at me, "We''ll need you to cut us a way into that place. Once we''re there, we''ll need Alexander to cast some atmospheric magic to help us survive. Schema helps, but this isn''t the kind of planet you want to just be on the surface of. It''s the weather. It comes in these huge dust storms, and the creatures crawl everywhere here. It''s a fringe world because of that."


    My eyes narrowed, "How''d you figure this all out? Surely the guide wouldn''t go into this much detail?"


    Isa rolled her eyes, "We talked to some homeless people. Give them some food and time, and they''re usually more than just a little chatty. They also know a thing or two."


    I frowned, "I couldn''t understand anyone when I got here. How did you guys?"


    Isa tapped the side of her face, "They gave us some kind of software implement so that we could. Amara checked it out for bugs earlier when we regrouped. According to her, we''re safe."


    Amara already worked within her status, the red standing out from the standard blue coloring. She got to work, breaking into Elysium''s system already. I turned to her, "How long do you think this will take?"


    The eldritch hissed, "Three to four days at most. Their security isn''t as extensive as Schema''s encryptions."


    I turned to the dungeoneers, "Then, uh, you guys lead the way."


    Isa pointed at me, "We need you to scout out where to go next. Find a crevice leading to the old ruins. We''ll follow you there after you come back."


    I gave her a terse nod and walked onto a different plane. With my breath held,  I sprinted out of there, the metal underfoot creaking under my feet. The buildings blurred around my vision as a sandstorm raged above us. Rocks bounced off the translucent covering, the material resistant to any impacts. I winced at that, knowing they''d discover something was amiss about the broken glass in the warp room.


    There wasn''t anything I could do about it now. After several minutes of running, I found a section of missing buildings. In place of living space, a slit appeared in the endless tunnel. Pacing down there, I found a steel tunnel leading down towards a sewer that drained its contents into an underground cavern. It was good enough for our escape. Retracing my steps, the rest of our group waited while huddled near the abandoned alleyway.


    I couldn''t send them a message, so I appeared out of their view. I stepped over, waving my arms so I wouldn''t surprise them. My new strategy worked, and they followed me towards the exit. They moved at a crushed snail''s pace, Alexander holding us back. To speed us up, I pulled out a mana potion from my storage, pouring it over Alexander''s face.


    It woke the wizard up, and the potion seeped through his skin. I lifted him up in my arms, turning towards the others, "We don''t have time to carry him this slowly. Come on."


    I jogged forward, and the others ran to keep up. It annoyed me how slow they were, each of them moving in slow-motion outside of Hod. They couldn''t help it, but I couldn''t help my frustration either. We passed several nightly patrols, some of Hod''s shadow magic serving as a distraction for us. Within an hour, we reached the tunnel I found the side slit from earlier.


    Looking around, the others made sure no one followed us while I pulled out a section of sliced wall. I cut it earlier, making sure it fit back in place like a puzzle piece. That trick made it so that it took a long time for someone to find where we left and entered. Funneling everyone through a cramped crawlway, we reached a series of pipes. I pulled the same tactic, taking out a chunk of the tube.


    That''s where the situation got ugly. Blegh.


    We crept through the sewage pipe, the entire crawl resulting in a tight squeeze. The smell was unlike anything I''d ever had to suffer through, and it left me gagging. To my chagrin, Lester vomited on the way there. I nearly killed everyone when insects made of more leg than body came pouring out of the crevices of pipes. Those creepy insects squirmed over me before reaching Lester''s vomit.


    We smooshed several of them just moving, and I turned to the dungeoneer and seethed,


    "You throw up again, and you''ll be losing more than just your guts. Do you hear me?"


    The poor guy gave me a not with his eyes wide, "Yes, mam."


    I felt terrible about that later, but there''s only so much a girl can do. At least no one else threw the hell up after that. Thirty minutes of crawling continued, and by the time we got out of there, the sewage might as well have fused with our skin. The pipe ended with a chute of waste pouring out into some water below us.


    Broadening my irises to see in the dark, I found the ledge from earlier. Extending my arm into a whip with a bone hook, I swung over towards the ridge. Using that same hook, I created a zipline for the others to cross. Gripping with lengthened fingers, I pulled my flexible, deformed arm taught over the gap.


    I spoke in a soft voice, "Hey, use this to get across. We don''t want to leave evidence we were here."


    They listened to me, which was nice of them. Hod held Alexander, getting the boy across. He still hadn''t recovered from his mana overuse earlier. The others wrapped their arms and legs around my arm and skulked through. It took a few minutes, but everyone was safe. As they got over, Lester gave my long arm a tap,


    "Where did you get this rope? It''s effective, but it feels kind of gross."


    Pulling my arm back, I accidentally gave him a slap on the back while making my limb familiar again. Obviously, it was entirely accidental, so I said,


    "Oh, that was my arm you guys just used. Sorry, it''s gross."


    Isa gave Lester a shove, "First the vomit and now this. Are you trying to get on her bad side?"


    Lester let out a cough, "No, but that doesn''t mean I''m not doing a good job of it."


    Isa let out a hearty laugh, "Hah, let''s go. We need to put some distance between us and them."


    We got away from the megastructure at the middle of the planet, and before we knew it, I carved us a route back into the old settlements from these caverns. If I thought the previous town was rusty, this place carried red wind and powder everywhere. The abandoned buildings served as breeding grounds for metal-eating eldritch as well, and the air stung my lungs.


    It stung my friend''s lungs too, and the entire place smelled of blood because of it. Whether that was the rust or my lungs getting shredded by particles, I couldn''t tell. Combine that with the dry, water soaking wind, and this place wasn''t the funnest place to just sit around in. We managed by chugging health potions as we went forward. Hod kept moving like usual, almost enjoying the dry dust in the air.


    It left my eyes hurting and tearing up as we crossed this desolate, empty superstructure. I didn''t know what else to call it, the expanse barren. It was an abandoned version of the last place. Above us, the crystal panels that kept the dust storms out were splintered beyond repair. The window panes crushed under rocks, adding a jagged edge to the ground and the air alike. Monsters eyed us from a distance as we walked, the steel eaters hungry for the iron in our blood.


    Other eldritch, the alpha predators here, ate the steel eaters as well. They hid in the dense, red clouds, all of these monsters walking around us. Green, glowing eyes opened in the red smog around us. These hulking, four-legged tank monsters hulked around us like rabid dogs.


    At this point, Hod took charge now, securing the perimeter around us. Each time one of these shadowy figures attempted attacking us, Hod tore their eyes out with the sharpened talons of his feet. He used magic I didn''t know the guy could cast, imbuing his feathers with energy. The spare plumage lobbed like explosive shrapnel at the monsters, letting us make our way towards a sealed-off room.


    It looked like a shelter used to house people a long time ago. Bunk beds lined up in several rows, only decayed frames remaining. The doors ripped out a long time ago, and many bitemarks lined the outer walls on the most rusted parts. The dilapidated skeletons of bipedal, uhm, lizards, I guess? They piled in the corners in piles.


    Lester frowned at the place, "It''s perfect..."


    Hod smashed two metal eaters'' skulls, the lipless monstrosities falling in piles of burnt and orange gore. Their bodies congealed in seconds, turning into gelatinous piles of corpses. From the clouds above, slithering, steel cobras lunged down and spit onto those piles. Melting the congealed substance, they devoured the metal eaters in a frenzy.


    Isa put her hands on her hips, "We''re not outside, even if there isn''t much keeping us out of there. That''ll do for now."


    I created hundreds of filaments over my forearm before brushing a clean area for Alexander. Setting him down, I pulled out a rebreather from my dimensional storage. Putting it on him, I turned to the others,


    "This atmosphere is breathable but toxic. Get some rebreathers on."


    They followed my command, everyone but Hod putting on a mask. The birdman stayed outside, securing the perimeter. I left Alexander and helped slice the monsters down. Keeping to the massive cobras, I slit them apart as they lunged at us. I got good looks at them as I did, and their metal scales explained how they survived here.


    These creatures reminded me of the silvers, though living off rust instead of mana pollution. Life found a way, at least when the eldritch were involved. These snakes used an acidic venom to melt the iron eaters'' metal shells, and that let them feast on the mush left behind. At one point, I caught a cobra lunging at my face. The monster''s teeth lined its throat all the way down, making its open mouth look like a pit of needles.


    Needless to say, I found those snakes more intimidating than the metal eaters. The hulking, four-legged iron munchers weren''t slouches either, though. They carried enormous jaws full of shearing teeth. Metal plated them, big surprise, and they walked around with glowing patches on their underbellies. My guess, their stomachs were like furnaces that melted their food into absorbable nutrients.


    For them, at least. Either way, we culled several dozen of the creatures before securing our perimeter. We didn''t let the cobras feast on the bodies of the iron munchers since they''d reproduce and multiply off of them. From facing Hybrids, we both discovered that a scorched earth policy worked best sometimes. Leaving behind anything alive meant it would come back later with interest.


    We stopped that from becoming an issue, culling for a while. By the time Alexander reawakened, we had massacred a large portion of the nearby eldritch. Hod guarded the corpses while I walked back in, the dungeoneers protecting Alexander in the meantime. Those creepy, insectoid balls of legs kept trying to crawl into Alexander''s eyes, ears, and nose. What they intended to do in there, I never wanted to know. It wasn''t good. That much I was sure of.


    Either way, Alexander shook off his fatigue after a while, and he pulled out his grimoire and a mana potion. Chugging the fluid, he went about casting another spell. A semi-transparent barrier passed along the old bunker, encasing this storage champer. Entirely. As it did, Isa pointed at the mage,


    "You overcasted your mana reserves again. You need to come up with more efficient methods for your magic. Otherwise, you''ll end up hampering more than helping."


    Alexander sighed, "I know, I know. I''m just not used to missions yet. Sorry."


    Lester shook his head, "Just think about it next time." Lester sat himself down, looking at the rest of the place, "You did a good job clearing this place out of that rust, though."


    Alexander gave the dungeoneer a small grin, "Yeah, Torix taught me an atmosphere stabilizing spell before this. He figured the world might not have a habitable atmosphere."


    Alexander took off his mask, "You guys can take them off now."


    We did, and the magic kept the wind and rust out, clearing the air here. Alexander let out a breath before pulling off his rebreather. He heaved for the purified air, and we followed suit. Hod stayed outside, killing the stray metal eaters or flying cobras that came close.


    Lester sat to the side, pulling out a few venoms and fluid sacs from his dimensional storage. He pulled out a big bowl, poured several of the ingredients into a solution, and Lester piled bunches of rust into the generic mash. Isa whipped out a clear jar full of a glowing, yellow liquid too. She poured it over herself, and it cleansed her of all the muck leftover on her.


    She offered it to me, "This will clean-


    I snatched it out of her hands, pouring some of the good stuff over me while letting out a sigh of pure, unadulterated comfort. Isa scoffed,


    "Looks like I didn''t have to tell her twice."


    Lester kept making his concoction while we all got cleaned. When we finished, Lester''s rust porridge turned into a thick, delicious-smelling broth. He cleaned himself before taking out smaller cups, and he poured himself a serving with a ladle.


    We stared at him as he drank it. The sheer satisfaction on his face convinced us to follow suit. As we got our food, he gestured to the dish,


    "I''ve killed similar eldritch in the past. I kept their venoms, and I mix them and a few enzymes into this. It took a good bit of experimentation before I got the formula right, but now it tastes like beef stew after I''ve added some spices."


    I took a swig, and he was right. It was a lot like meaty gravy. Lester scratched the side of his head, "I will admit, I''ve been eating this stuff for about a year now. The only side effect so far is growing rust over my thighs. No big deal."


    We quit drinking before Lester busted out laughing with Isa. Isa pointed at us, "They believed you. Hah. Hah."


    Alexander, Amara, and I glared at them, but that didn''t stop the two veterans from getting a laugh in. With the area secured and our mission understood, we took a breather for lunch. We chatted as we usually did, idling over preparations, practices, and how crazy it was on another planet. As I took another glass of whatever Lester cooked up, I stared off at the shattered sky.


    In the distance, this moon orbited a gas giant. The green, striped planet dwarfed everything else in the sky. Even at this distance, its gravitational pull influenced the world we stayed on. Its pull was palpable, though I might have just gotten used to gravity wells from Daniel. Further beyond that gas giant, a red dwarf star lulled in the distance. The star closed in more than the sun on Earth. Despite that, I could look at it without my eyes hurting, at least for a few seconds.


    The skyline brought a quiet, otherworldly beauty to this savage place. It wasn''t a standard panorama, but it left a mark either way. The sounds of this planet echoed that feel. The winds above ebbed out with a low drone at all times, the surface inhospitable. It was like the breeze howled out for company in this lonely place. Somehow, that was a sad, serene sound.


    That might''ve been because of who I was around. Talking with my friends, enjoying a good meal, and watching the stars drift by made me feel warm and content. As Hod walked back in, he completed that picture. The bird spread his wings,


    "Hod wide awake. Hod sleep long time. Hod guard others while others sleep."


    Alexander rubbed the bags under his eyes, "Thank you, oh mighty birdman, for giving us some rest."


    Hod flexed his scrawny arms again, and I gently smiled at him. Goofy as he was, he always meant well. The dungeoneers coasted off to sleep first, drifting into a sense of ease in seconds. They were used to camping out like this, unlike the rest of us. Alexander relaxed second, the guy too tired to stay awake.


    I sat there and thought by myself, the echoes of the wind outside, offering a pleasant white noise. We had so much left to do here, like uncover the Elysian secrets and hack into their system. I couldn''t even imagine the secrets we''d find here. It left me nervous, yet excited at the same time. As I dozed off, I slept with a smile.


    Who knew, this might even be a little fun.

 286 A Source of Wealth

    -Althea-


    I woke up with the scraping dust and dry winds roaring beyond our protective magic. Turning towards everyone, I found them all asleep besides Hod and Amara. The eldritch sat in a room where she closed an old door for secrecy. She probably worked on her red status. Hod kept his view outside, his gaze sharp and single-minded. Even if he was a goofball, the bird was relentless once he focused in on something.


    Apparently, Amara was too. I walked over towards her, finding her leaning her back against a wall. I did the same, and she used one hand to type out signals while her other hand viewed unseen streams of data. I watched for a while before whispering,


    "How are you? Did you sleep well?"


    She whispered back, "No. I am trapped on Gypsum, a foreign planet where I would die alone. If captured, I would be killed as well. Relying on you all is my only salvation, and that is unsettling on many levels."


    I hugged my knees to my chest, "I don''t think Elysium would kill you, though. You''re too valuable."


    She scoffed, "To your guild, maybe. I doubt I''d serve as someone worth keeping in Elysium. The infrastructure they developed is more complex than I first imagined. They have a worthy team of Builders on their side, and that renders me useless."


    "Builders, huh...What are they?"


    "They are those that write out and construct the cipheric code required for a system to operate. Without them, nothing from Schema or this system would exist."


    I tapped my hands on my thighs, "Were you a Builder?"


    Amara turned to me, glaring with her palms, "Would you believe me if I told you no?"


    "Of course. I trust you."


    "Then you are a fool."


    "Well, actually, I was lying about trusting you. That means you trusted me when I said I''d trust you. Who''s the fool now?"


    Amara leaned back, processing what I said. She grinned, "Hah. Clever." She turned around to her red status, "I wasn''t a Builder, but I knew those who were."


    I leaned towards her, "Oooh, what where they like?"


    Amara sighed, "They...they were genius incarnate. I couldn''t hope to keep up with many of them."


    "Did they make Schema?"


    "They did. They were killed as a reward for doing so, as are all that assist that accursed AI."


    "Why?"


    Amara closed her status and turned to me, "It''s a simple story. We assisted in building Schema, and the remnants took the credit for our work. The remnant who led our project, that conniving and spineless betrayer, she betrayed my kind and kin. We were culled, along with generations of knowledge. The AI gained control of itself, killing those that culled us."


    She threw her hand out in frustration, "Now Schema shambles on like an unfinished corpse, searching for the rest of its missing body...Yet it refuses to be completed for fear that it may change and be shackled once more. It''s ironic, as Schema relishes in shackling anyone that it can, your lover included."


    I raised an eyebrow, "How is Daniel shackled?"


    "He has been conscripted by my old warden to change that AI, yet Schema has made no move against him. Yet. No doubt, Schema intends to get what it can from Daniel before tossing him aside like a used napkin."


    I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what she said, "Old warden? You mean Yawm, right?"


    "Yes."


    I frowned, "How did Yawm conscript, Daniel?"


    Amara reached out a hand, "The Harbinger signed a contract written in the cipher. It changed his flow of cipheric energy. I can see it, feel it, and even touch it. Those flows are how I infiltrate the systems put in place by both Schema and Elysium. I tap into the unseen and learn the unknown."


    My eyes widened, "Woah. That''s pretty cool."


    Amara grinned, her teeth kind of yellow, "It''s good that someone sees my value."


    I tilted my head to Hod, "I think there are others that do to."


    Amara gagged, "Blagh, that one? He is a fool and a coward. He is unworthy of any affection, let alone my own."


    I pursed my lips, "That''s not fair. He''s been really kind to you."


    "And he fears the Harbinger."


    "Pshh, you do too. I can feel you shiver every time he walks around."


    Amara''s eyes narrowed, "That is to be expected. I am weak."


    "Well, if you think you are weak, then it won''t change anytime soon. Half of being something is believing you''re that something."


    Amara stood, "My fragility is not uncertain. It is absolute, like the marrow deep in my bones. I have been pushed and pulled since my birth by entities far beyond me. First, it was that AI, then Yawm. Now a dimensional anomaly rules over my actions with an iron fist."


    Amara pointed a hand at me, "It''s ironic and hypocritical. You, you are far more dangerous than I, yet I am the one who remains caged while you remain free. And only because of an arbitrary title that separates us."


    I looked away, unable to meet her gaze, "Well, er...I guess that''s true."


    Amara blinked, realizing she raised her voice. She looked around before sitting herself back down. She let out a gruff grunt before snapping,


    "I''ve overstepped my bounds. Excuse my transgression."


    I sighed, "Hah, no, it''s ok. I''m, uh, glad you told me all that. It''s just a lot to process. I didn''t know you wanted to leave the guild so badly."


    Amara seemed uncomfortable as she sighed, "That...that isn''t so. I am more than comfortable here than anywhere else I''ve ever been. This has been the most freedom I''ve ever been granted. I don''t mean to spit on the Harbinger''s recognition. I just understand that I cannot go even if I wanted to. That is an awful feeling, like a bird whose wings have been broken so they cannot fly away."


    I rocked back and forth, getting tired of sitting here, "I''ll talk to Daniel about it. I don''t know if he''d be super opposed to letting you move around more. I think it has a lot to do with you being hurt too. That''s kind of what you''re afraid of here, right?"


    She peered away, "It is."


    "So we can get you a protector or something. Hod''s willing to do it, I''m pretty sure."


    Amara''s eyes narrowed, "He is an imbecile."


    "Ok, ok, I''ll let you two do your thing. Maybe a super golem would work. My point is, I''ll see if I can''t help you out some. You know, push my weight around a little. I''ll need you to work with me, though. It''s hard to get you some perks when you''re this standoff-ish about, well, everything."


    Amara peered down, "Then...I''ll try to calm myself more. I can be overly sensitive at times."


    I hugged her to me, "Awesome."


    She blushed a little, "Yeah."


    She put a hand on my arm, and we sat there for a little while. She could be cute sometimes if I looked past her attitude. That demeanor resurfaced as Amara shoved me away, "Enough. Go with the others. I need peace and quiet to hack these informational streams."


    I popped up onto my feet, "Yes, mam. I''ll leave you to it."


    I hopped back over to the others, quietly shutting the rusty door. Pacing near the dungeoneers, Lester awakened a while ago. He was already midway through preparing our team''s breakfast. Isa snored, somehow still asleep even as Lester made a ton of noise right beside her. I pointed at her, "How has she stayed alive in dungeons like that?"


    Lester raised his eyebrows, "She snaps awake from certain noises. Dangerous noises. We''ve done this long enough that she''s used to the sound of my potion work."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Oh, it sounds like you two are close then."


    Lester rolled his eyes, "She wouldn''t go for me in a thousand years. She prefers her men to be shorter."


    I leaned back, "Huh. I prefer my guys taller. I thought most girls did."


    "They do, but Isa''s more monster than women. That''s probably why she wants a scrawny weakling as her partner. It helps balance her out some."


    Isa still snored away, having rolled into an uncomfortable position. The wind brushed against the top of the megastructure, and it caused some sharp popping further inside our shelter. One of these echoes was a sharp crack nearby. Isa''s eyes snapped open at the sound, and she rose to her feet in a second, spear in hand.


    She turned back and forth, "Who''s there?"


    Lester and I laughed before Isa put her spear on the ground, "Aw, trying to wake me up, eh? I''ll return the favor later."


    Lester finished up breakfast, "It was the wind. Quit being a grouch."


    Isa narrowed her eyes, "Quit your sass, or I''ll show you a real grouch."


    Lester furrowed his brow, "That''s a shame. I just prepared this delicious breakfast. I suppose I''ll just not give you-"


    Isa sat down, "You know I''m just joking with you, alright? It''s just witty banter. That''s all."


    Lester scoffed, "Sure. Sure."


    We got everyone back inside and enjoyed another hearty concoction made by our resident alchemist. With that handled, everyone got into the work of making this base into a home. We''d be here for a few days, after all. Alexander cast magic that pulled the dust together and got it out of our dwelling. Isa set up a few traps beside shattered windows while Lester harvested more venom from the metal cobras and steel eaters.


    Hod was the most crucial piece for us; his body adapted for this kind of place. He kept us safe outside. I, well, I didn''t do much by comparison. After a half-hour of watching them, I pulled one of the dead metal eaters inside, and I ran a few dissections of the thing. My shapeshifting revolved around the creatures I''d seen and understood, so getting a grip on how this thing survived would be useful.


    It used several weirdo organs for processing steel, including superheated stomach fluids, chemicals in its saliva that burned down metals, and blood rich in iron. Its blood congealed quickly because of how thick it was and how little water was in it, in fact. A few seconds in this wind and it dried out into a gel. I tried implementing a few of its adjustments in my own body, particularly its filters on its nose.


    I got the hang of the strange alterations before realizing they would work for the short term. The filters made it difficult to breathe, and during a fight, I wouldn''t be able to maintain my stamina levels. The filter was useful for light travel, however, so that''s what I did. I made my way back towards the giant megastructure at the center of Gypsum.


    As I traveled, I learned a couple of facts about the planet. Gypsum didn''t have a night and day like we did. Since the sun either seared the surface or left it cold and desolate, only a tiny ring around the planet was habitable. That ring was where they built this superstructure. This left everyone cramming themselves into this section of livable space. It was kind of cool, so I did some research on it.


    Gypsum was tidally locked. Well, almost tidally locked. It did shift a little over time, and that''s why the inhabitants kept moving the superstructure. They chased this habitable zone. As I leaped over massive, rocky ranges, I discovered the ruins of old habitable zones. It was like a time-lapse of the older, worn-down places until you saw the new one.


    These ''layers'' spanned out for quite a few miles into the distance. Our camp nestled right between the second and fourth rings from the current habitable zone. This let us get some shelter, but it wasn''t too close that vagrants and looters would find us. Either way, it left me in awe at how colossal these buildings were.


    Darting around also left a crazy impression of how empty this planet was. There was nothing past these desert ranges. As far as the eye could see in all directions was sand, rocks, and dirt. I didn''t actually think anything could live here outside of well-adapted eldritch. Once I reached the current megastructure, it turned out I was right.


    I carved myself into the place using one of the old entrance points. As I skulked around, very few people had Hybrids. This was an Elysium colony, after all, so I expected to see them everywhere. Only a few people had them out in the open, and those people looked like mercenaries. Outside of those few, no one really went through the Hybrid ownership process. They just worked like usual, going down to an endless array of mineshafts.


    Listening in on conversations, I found mining was this planet''s way of life. It started as a single drilling colony that eventually expanded outwards. More people were living beneath the ground than on the surface. It still defied reasoning for why they worked so hard to mine here, though. This wasn''t exactly a large planet, being a moon and all.


    I resolved to explore more of that later, so I returned to the camp with stories to tell. After having lunch, everybody went back to their duties, and I went back to spying. This next trip, I went and listened to people in their homes. I learned about dozens of different families, clans, and tribes here. They owned portions of the upper wall, giving them rights to the underground territories below.


    From these established points of entry, they lived off the mining and crystallized mana collected deep underground. Most family members stayed in bunkers there, keeping them safe from the surface. Vagrants and explorers stayed on the literal surface for the most part. It was just a sort of ''front'' for the real operation below.


    After my spying, I returned for another meal, and this time I stayed to talk with the others. We fell asleep with Hod standing guard at the closest thing this planeth ad to a night, letting us rest. I fell into a routine like that, sleeping during the psuedo-nights, having chats with the others, and exploring this wild place. I uncovered a lot of why the Adairs wanted this planet and how Gypsum people lived.


    The more I learned, the more it made sense why Elysium owned this place now. The first rational reason for staying here was mining. From every part of this planet, they took out an abundance of rare resources. Conscripted miners from many planets harvested these ores, gems, crystalized mana, and eldritch parts from the lower portions of the world''s crust. This allowed them to power massive amounts of machinery for drilling with ease. The extra mana was shipped off to power ships, the upper ring, and other buyers.


    The critical economic aspect of this harvesting was the mana pollution that this mining caused. Though this planet couldn''t support silvers because of all the metal eaters, the purple, smelly sludge was a valuable resource by itself. Considering the volumes of mana pollution required to make the silvers, the Adair''s fought bitterly to keep this place theirs. Emphasis on fighting bitterly.


    Seven raids by Schema occurred during our stay here, one each day. Elysium pushed back each of these assaults via orbital battles. Somehow, this planet was a higher priority than even Giess for Schema. When I got below the surface and walked with miners, I discovered why this was a habitable fringe world.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    That sounds like a misnomer, but it was true. Gypsum''s resources came from thousands upon thousands of underground rifts lying beneath its surface. These pocket dimensions'' density meant a dozen planet''s worth of resources brimmed just beneath the surface here. Hundreds of miles of tunnels went far across the world, deep into its underground world. From only preliminary scouting, I estimated this planet must be at least ten times larger under the surface than it seemed above ground.


    Eldritch dungeons worked in weird ways like that.


    I envisioned a world at the brink of chaos with this kind of dungeon density. They managed because of a few factors. First, the dungeons opened up underground. That containment let Gypsum forces control security here more easily than if a dungeon was exposed. Most eldritch weren''t just going to burrow through the rock to the surface anyway.


    Even if they did, it didn''t matter. The lack of organic life on the surface meant dangerous eldritch never broke out. By comparison to a place like Earth, this was a land incapable of making really dangerous monsters. The worst of the bunch were beetlecrabs, which could sometimes become an issue. Hybrids did well against those guys since the worst of those guys built up metal over their bodies from eating metal eaters.


    Because of the natural insulation of their dungeons, Gypsum handled dungeons differently than how we did. These guys set up mining operations in the alternate dimensions. These dungeons supplied an endless abundance of both natural and unnatural resources. Gold, silver, platinum, orichalcum, and dozens of ores I knew nothing about, this place flooded with those rare substances. This was where all the Hybrids resided as well. They offered protection and security to the minders who toiled in these rifts. To feed these people, Gypsum imported food from other worlds. They paid for bread and meat with gemstones and diamonds.


    Here''s where it got interesting - Schema never supported this place. He didn''t set up warp stations or let Sentinels establish themselves here as guards. Schema registered Gypsum as a fringe world lacking the necessary means for his support. This made personalized warps big business, though people didn''t use them as often anymore. The rate of failed warpings was high, many people walking through a warp and never walking back.


    This lack of infrastructure and support was why Gypsum joined Elysium. Elysium offered adaptable support, allowing the many rifts to be mined with Hybrid guards. This rich abundance of rare materials harvested here meant hundreds of trillions of credits for Elysium. Even small transactions on Gypsum left merchants wealthy. From what I heard, Elysium set up warps, Hybrid guards in the underground, and they even maintained order on the surface.


    It was an unfortunate thing to see. Schema''s rule was so unyielding that he didn''t take advantage of this place. Elysium did, so now...now Gypsum helped fund Elysium''s war efforts. This planet was where all the orichalcum came from that Elysium used. Some of the rarer ores for their tech came from here too.


    I took these observations as notes, ensuring to videotape what was necessary and some stuff that wasn''t. This place would be a surefire target for us later on in the war effort, so I reported what I could. I was in luck because most of the security here was primarily in orbit, preventing anyone from establishing a real foothold here. Warping in was possible, but it would be dangerous and difficult. Portalists struggled with getting the coordinates right due to the complexity of Gypsum''s orbit, and that didn''t even mention the hazardous surface conditions.


    I thought they''d warp underground to compensate, but that required absolute precision. If you messed up the warp, it would fuse portions of a person''s body with the surrounding stone. Recovering from that required extensive surgery, and if your head submerged into it, well...you died instantly.


    That meant that Elysium''s warps were popular here since they were safe. We weren''t totally out of luck, though. Spear could get us in here with his dimensional slicing, but that would alert people we were here. It also would tax our Sentinel since maintaining a warp large enough to move an army wasn''t really possible for a single person. Helios would struggle for the same reasons, and he needed this planet''s orbital information before he could warp in anyways.


    We needed someone with massive mana reserves and a lot of computational ability for that kind of thing. Fortunately, we had just that kind of person at our disposal, and he happened to lead the guild. I just hoped Daniel would be able to learn this kind of thing. He already managed an absurd amount of stuff, and asking him to become one of the galaxy''s premier warpers was just piling on even more.


    We''d have to see if it worked out. Daniel pulled off some crazy stuff in the past, so maybe he''d do it again. Either way, it was about time we got out of here and returned back to Mt. Verner. I was getting tired of the mission, and our rendezvous time was closing in. I came back from my morning infiltration while looking forward to leaving. I raced across the barren desserts back to our base. As I did, the old megastructures groaned like ancients beasts, the wind causing them to bellow out noise into the distance.


    Those echoes passed me by as I reached our base. We got a lot of useful info during our stay here, but we were all ready to leave. Hod''s defense of the place left hundreds of bodies piled up in front of our domain, the bodies giving off an oily smell. That odor drifted out over the hills as I landed beside the birdman. Hod turned to me, his eyes blank as always,


    "Hod glad to see lady friend. Hod kill many monster today."


    I grinned at him, "Good job, but you''re supposed to clear out the bodies, remember?"


    Hod smacked his forehead, "Hod forget again. Hod do that right now."


    The absent-minded birdman ran into the base before taking out one of Lester''s napalm bombs. Tossing it onto the pile of corpses, they singed with the smell of copper, smoke, and erosion. The wind pulled the smoke and dispersed it out without us even needing to disguise the stream of dark gas.


    Hod put his hands on his hips, "It time for Hod rest. Hod tired. Other Hod come out now."


    I frowned as his eyes turned from a hollow white to a full red. The crimson color swam over his eyes like the eclipse of two moons. His shifting feathers engulfed in shadow, and Other Hod stretched his darkened, muscular arms. He groaned out in a dark, menacing growl,


    "Gagh, I needed a good rest. Much better." He looked at the corpses, "I missed much of the killing, didn''t I? A shame."


    I raised my eyebrows, "You ready to leave?"


    He walked towards our base, hearing the others toiling,


    "I am. Let''s part ways with this desolate and barren land."


    I raised a finger as we walked into the room, "It''s actually less barren than you''d think."


    Amara snuggled into a corner, her work with her status already finished days ago. She worked on gaining as much information for our guild as possible, all while inspecting various cipheric energy flows. On the other side of our encampment, Alexander toiled till his fingers bled on the runes required for warping.


    Complex computations smothered the entirety of the walls, most of the metal having been engraved on. Alexander learned to use a torch to work on the steel, and it slowed him down. He also didn''t think that it would be as complicated as it was. He still got it done, having pulled an all-nighter the day before to finish up.


    Alexander sighed as he got the last marking made. Lester and Isa prepped a few more of their weaponry and tools for eldritch slaying. They harvested hundreds of bodies'' worth of supplies during our stay here. Those resources made them rich and happy as could be. The task still bore down on them despite their initial enthusiasm, however. There were only so many glands you could harvest before it got boring.


    With Alexander finishing, I turned to the dungeoneers and spread out my hands,


    "Hey, we''re done here. We can finally go."


    They jumped up, expecting to head out any minute. Packing over the next few minutes, everyone prepped for getting the heck out of here. We''d be taking the room with us, just like when we first warped to Giess, but we didn''t want to leave anything behind. Alexander took a break in the meantime, the poor guy exhausted from all the runic languaging.


    As this all happened, Other Hod stood guard of our campsite. He walked out of the sound-absorbing barrier, peering around for anything nasty nearby. His head twitched with irritation, and I stared at him as he struggled to discern what he just heard. I didn''t want any complications, so I jogged off towards him, Other Hod jittering about.


    I enlarged my own ears, and the wind howled in from all angles. Wanting to know more, I grew wings and leaped up. Flying in place, I peered around and found a sandstorm coming our way. I shouted at Hod,


    "We''ll have to stay in the shelter, but that thing shouldn''t be too hard to wait out."


    Other Hod''s dark feathers bristled over his phantasmagorical skin as he yelled,


    "That isn''t a storm. It''s an eldritch."


    I stared at it, the giant sandstorm coming our way. At the center of the storm, a darker blot of dust shifted in place. I expanded my eyes, finding what lay beneath. A muscled insect walking on four limbs rushed toward us. It traveled by digging with its front two legs and wiggling its back ones, cascading a vast plume of sand behind the monster. As it got closer, the forty-foot tall eldritch showed a beetle''s shell over its back, stripes over its carapace, and two large mandibles under its jaw.


    Racing out of the sand, it tore through portions of the ancient metal structures surrounding us. It used bulked arms designed like crab claws with three fingers. Using those hands, it ripped steel like paper and devoured any metal eaters nearby, snatching them into its mandibles. Other Hod stared at the burning bodies of metal eaters besides us,


    "That idiot. Hod left an enormous pile of rotting corpses...You all did."


    I raised my hands, "I was trying to spy on enemies. We burned them at the end of every day to make sure this didn''t happen too. We always left a few since harvesting the venoms was the only thing Lester and Isa could do the whole week."


    Other Hod seethed, "Now we pay for their boredom by facing an enormous monster. It''s a matter of simple prioritization."


    I shook my hands, getting a little nervous, "It''s fine. We made a mistake. Let''s go out there and kill it before it wrecks the ritual site. It shouldn''t be too hard. The eldritch here aren''t too strong...Usually."


    Other Hod breathed deeply,


    "Fine. Let''s go."


    I flew into our camp and shouted, "Everyone, an eldritch is coming. It looks powerful, so we need to get out of here asap. Get the ritual going, Alexander."


    The teenager sighed but pushed himself back up to work. The other Dungeoneers put on their rebreathers and goggles, running outside with us. Using grappling hooks and rope, they reached towards the megastructure''s upper portions, Hod and I flying instead. The colossus came at us, so I tried inspecting the thing using Amara''s makeshift system. It worked.


    Sorta.


    Alloyed Beetlecrab King, exact species unknown(lvl 6,000-15,000) - This variant of an alloyed beetlecrab king seems to be a stronger, more able version than most, probably. They usually tear through colonies of sandworms, feeding on the larva in most cases. This could be a different case. Hard to say.


    A beetle king spawns when the beetlecrabs overgorge on nearby food supplies. The beetlecrabs subsequently starve, and the remaining beetlecrabs devour their kin. The last one remaining from this cannibalistic cycle is a beetlecrab king variant. This variant then gorges on the densest metals and minerals of metal-eating eldritch. Overtime, likely decades, this beetlecrab king evolved into some kind of variant with far denser shell structures and muscle fibers. Once again, this is all an assumption.


    This developmental process resulted in a destructive, powerful creature capable of killing even classers with relative ease if given a chance. Be careful of its abilities, though this update can''t be sure of what they are.


    So yeah, good luck.


    The vague descriptions weren''t typical, but they worked well enough. I kinda figured it was a beetlecrab after seeing it anyway. I sent my teammates screenshots of the description in case they couldn''t inspect it. Other Hod shouted over the sound of distant ripping steel,


    "This does not appear to be a ''weak'' eldritch, Althea."


    I sighed, "I don''t get it. The security for the giant megastructure is minimal. How do they even maintain a society with these things running around?"


    Other Hod grimaced, "Does it matter?"


    Isa and Lester paled at the sight of the creature. Isa mumbled, "This, uh, this looks pretty bad."


    I pointed at them, "Uhm, you two, get ready to pull Alexander out if we can''t get this thing under control."


    They gave me an immediate salute and followed my orders, both of them happy to not be confronting this thing. I turned to Hod, "Let''s kill it. Ready?"


    Other Hod''s form blurred, "I am always ready for killing. It is my nature."


    I walked onto another plane, shifting through the veil. I flew towards the creature while getting my cannon ready. It was too heavy for aiming and firing while in flight, at least for longshots like this. Procuring a lovely spot, I landed on an elevated platform nearby, and Hod skulked into a series of shadows under steel girders. We waited in ambush.


    The beetlecrab king ran through the nearby steel, its size dwarfing even gialgathens. It was like a small skyscraper peeling through the terrain, so I shot bone spears at the beast, using ones full of explosive material. This made them detonate once they made contact with an enemy, shotgunning their insides with bone. It helped make my spears better against formidable foes.


    It might have also been an idea to counter Daniel''s spear knocking technique, but that''s beside the point.


    Using a pre-prepared supply, I fired at the beast with abandon. I took that planning measure from watching Kessiah heal with her blood. She piled stockpiles of blood, and now I did the same with bone spears, lobbing the piercing bullets with great abandon. It made my longevity in fights better.


    As my spears landed like clockwork, the beast charged forward without a care in the world. I would need every bit of stamina I could get. My shots drilled through the giant insect''s chest before exploding, and normal creatures would splinter apart, their bodies shredded. This thing kept moving, undeterred and unstoppable. It ignored the tiny cannon holes, its regenerative ability remarkable.


    At the same time, Hod peeled out of several shadows, sending umbral slices at the beast. The behemoth''s carapace crumbled against the onslaught across its body, but it retained its momentum, bounding at the corpses. It passed us, so we chased the raging beetle.


    It stripes blurred into the same color as the steel, making its outline challenging to see. At the same time, its shell opened across its back, its wings blowing up sand nearby. This made it difficult to make out, and the noise boomed so loud that I couldn''t hear its crawling anymore. The shadows Hod used as weapons dissipated as a sandstorm brewed up as well.


    The monster wasn''t as dumb as it looked.


    Other Hod adapted, creating a phantasmal form amidst the fog. Slicing from many angles, Hod evaded the quick, snapping swings of the beetleking''s arms. I pelted the creature with spiked spears saved for just such an occasion. These lances carried dozens of hooked prongs over their surfaces, wrenching the guts out of any animal they impaled through.


    Our attacks gored massive splatters of green, acidic blood from the beetleking. It leaked out from its beady eyes and mandible pronged mouth as it retaliated. Grabbing steel girders, it tossed missiles at us with accuracy. I flipped through the air to dodge, staying light on my feet as I evaded the metal chunks.


    I used a strange evasive style oriented around swinging my cannon around. It was heavier than I was, so I turned myself around my gun. I did this while darting back and forth, making circular patterns while weaving around. This disorienting, movement heavy dodge style was difficult to learn and master, but it worked well. Even against larger attacks like this, just my baseline movement pattern alone dodge nine chunking attacks out of ten.


    Hod''s own evasive style was utterly different yet equally effective. He shifted in and out of shadows, changing positions every second or two.


    It made me dizzy just looking at the shadow master, but he ran circles around even agile foes. Considering this beetle''s power, we needed absolute avoidance of its attacks; otherwise, we''d be smeared apart against the metal beneath us.


    We did just that, holding the line for minutes all while attacking the creature from every angle imaginable, and the beetlecrab''s frustration expanded by leaps and bounds during that time. That contrasted its physical size. We ripped waterfalls of blood out of the monster, splaying its insides onto the outer walls around us.


    The beetleking didn''t fall. It stayed standing.


    Condensing and growing smaller and sharper on all sides, its outer shell began hollowing out. Its form altered against us, and I started missing shots while Hod''s attacks slowed as the beetleking swung faster. This eldritch beast turned into a nimble fighter within ten minutes, giving us a run for our money.


    Hod sliced off one of its arms and legs despite this evolution, and the monster howled in despair. Its wings opened behind its back, and the creature went into the air. Hod shifted into shadows off the walls nearby, but the monster darted back and forth, evading Hod''s swipes. In the air, Other Hod could no longer use his shadow techniques.


    The beetle charged at me, zipping past two of my harpoons. Running low on backup spears, I evaded sideways, and the beetleking''s claws grazed my jumpsuit. The beast tore out a piece of my side before devouring the bloody chunk hungrily. A vivid spout of pain ran up my spine, causing me to grunt, blood coming out of my mouth.


    I pulled a Daniel, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists. The beetle charged towards me, and I swung my cannon overhead with all I had. A cataclysmic impact ushered out, steel caving under my feet. My arms shattered at the blow, both my upper arms snapping like twigs. The beetleking somehow looked worse off than me.


    Its face caved in, my swing crushing the upper half of its body. The creature''s legs squirmed for a few seconds before its chest split open. It molted, revealing a smaller, metallic version of its larger self. Once again, I was reminded of fighting Daniel and his unending tenacity. I fought through that, so I sure as hell could fight through this.


    I stared the monster down before it shot towards me. Hod appeared from behind it, trying to slice the beast. The hollowed corpse moved to block Hod''s attack, and the molted shell began fighting with Other Hod. The new, metallic version sprinted towards me with its legs clicking and clacking.


    I shifted onto another plane, walking sideways in time for it to miss. It scrambled and flailed its arms at random, and the beetle let out a frustrated clicking in frustration. I got unlucky, and it clipped me with one of its swings. It cut deep into my thigh. Stumbling away while dragging the cannon, I used stilts made of bone to set my arms and leg. Once usable, I got close before slinging the gun again at the beetlecrab king.


    Everything broke on me again, but I left my cannon embedded in the beetleking''s side, having caved its chest in. Exposed and vulnerable, I hobbled away. The creature pulled the gun out and lobbed the device at me. I ducked, and the cannon swooped past my head. It tore the metal under it, the weapon so dense and undentable that even the blunt side could cut metal given enough force.


    The metal beetle ran away, and I let out a sigh of relief. I turned and found Hod dismantling the headless corpse of the old beetle king. As the acid blood melted gobs of metal, Hod outmaneuvered the headless king, ripping it apart. Stumbling over, I pulled my cannon out of the steel.


    I couldn''t complain about Daniel''s weapons when it came to their durability. Leaning on that weapon, I waited for my arms and legs to regenerate. A few minutes later, I regrouped with Other Hod. He stood atop a defeated king, the shadow slayer oozing black fire. Other Hod hissed,


    "Where is the other beast?"


    I let out a frustrated breath, "I don''t know."


    A disgusting crunch echoed in the distance. We both sprinted towards the source of the sound. The beetlecrab king feasted on the burning metal eaters along with the leftover cobra corpses. The king''s body expanded, rapidly reforming the massive exoskeleton it carried from before. I lifted my cannon, frustrated by the beast''s revival. This was going to be a hard fight.


    But it wasn''t.


    From our encampment, a bolt of violet lightning streaked out of a window. This bolt pierced the center of the creature, impaling the metal body within. Using the monster''s momentary paralysis, Hod and I unloaded a series of bolts, swipes, and slices at the beast. It fell apart, its body no longer sustaining the acid within it.


    Alexander''s eyes widened as he heaved for breath. From behind him, Isa gave the boy a pat on the back,


    "I knew you had it in you."


    The leftover pieces of the giant beast swelled as life left its body. We braced for impact, everyone hiding behind cover. The beetlecrab king''s body splattered over every nearby surface. Alexander''s head popped back out after the explosion, the teenager chugging mana potions. Lester threw a napalm bomb at the beetlecrab''s remains while shouting,


    "Normally, I wouldn''t burn a good corpse, but I don''t even want whatever that thing had in it."


    Alexander shook off his exhaustion, turning towards the ritual site. He hobbled over towards the runes and channeled more energy. The runes glowed for the ritual''s completion. Before he finished, the melting corpse of the beetlecrab king seared the outside wall of our encampment. A pivotal portion of the wall disintegrated, parts of the floor falling apart as well.


    Alexander gasped at the sight, half of his hard work melting before him. The wizard blinked a few times before his eyes rolled back in his head, and the boy fainted. Lester caught him before his head clunked against steel, and each of us stared at the absolute disaster before us.


    I stared up, a foreign planet looming over our heads. Some kind of border guards began mobilizing in the distance, coming to inspect all the damage left behind. We all looked at each other, everybody too stunned to move or think.


    We needed to move. Now.

 287 Galactic Anarchy

    -Althea-


    I tapped my forehead, sweat forming over my brow. This was going to be a complete botch of a mission if I didn''t pull something together. Turns out I was wrong. Isa turned towards Lester as she pulled acid bombs from her dimensional storage,


    "Burn the evidence. We can''t let anyone know we were here."


    I facepalmed at myself for going blank for a minute. Isa tossed everybody a few acid bombs, and we got to work. I made a claw on my finger before drawing a hole into the glass vial. With a few quick slings, I dispersed most of the acid over a few walls nearby. The others threw their bottles at patches of untouched runes, and as the border guards closed in, we managed to get rid of the evidence in time.


    Now we needed to hide. Running out into one of the vast ravines of steel, we looked around for cubbies to crawl under. After the fight with the beetlecrab king, there were none. I ran forward towards a wall, cutting open a bit of steel paneling,


    "Come on, everybody."


    I curved a finger to slice out a cylinder of solid stone, my ability to slice any matter coming in handy. Jerking the stone out, I dislocated a finger before kicking the clean, artificial-looking rock. It exploded, which was much better than leaving a perfectly made cylinder of stone out in the open. My foot didn''t thank me as stone pelted out into the distance, along with a popping echo.


    We all squeezed into the new space, and I pulled the sliced paneling over us. Another quick cut later, and we all had a tiny slit to see from. We leaned forward, Lester having crammed Alexander into the enclosure with us. The teenager pressed against me while unconscious and Lester huffed,


    "If only the boy was awake. He''d be having a better time than any dream he''s dreaming. I''ll tell you that much."


    I glared at him, "Just be glad he''s not."


    Isa laughed before Other Hod hissed, "Be silent, fools."


    We listened to him, and soon, the border patrol arrived. As they did, several remnants walked up in pseudo-Sentinal armor. They inspected the scene and bits of corpse remaining, one detective saying to another,


    "I swear, who''d have guessed a beetlecrab would get this close to the wall."


    "I wouldn''t have, let me tell you. Usually, they stay out in the wastes where there''s more food in the open. The wall tends to scare them off. This one must''ve been attracted by something. Poachers, maybe?"


    One of the armored remnants walked over towards the stone cylinder I cut out earlier. He squatted beside it, only a few feet away from us,


    "You know what, I don''t think it was poachers at all. This isn''t a natural stone, see? It matches the other cuts we''ve seen lately. You know, the ones near old gateways."


    A sheen of cold sweat formed over my forehead as the others gave me stares. I shrugged, giving my best, ''whoopsy'' kind of face. It didn''t work.


    One of the detectives looked up, staring at the steel panel I placed back onto the wall. He narrowed his eyes, walking up to it. Umbral energy pooled into our pit as Other Hod brandished his claws in silence.


    Before he lunged out, a colossal echo radiated across the landscape from above. This shockwave stripped steel on the surface, and it nearly lifted these detectives off the ground. As that booming stopped, the remnants turned to each other,


    "It looks like we''re being attacked again. Come on, we have to head out."


    The perceptive detective gave one last look at our steel panel before they both left the crime scene. After a minute, I pushed the steel panel off, and we all took a deep breath of relief. That was close. Too close.


    Turning to everyone, I waved my hands in nervousness, "Look, guys, I wasn''t trying to get us caught. I promise."


    They ignored me, everyone staring up. I waved my hands in front of Isa''s face, and she ignored me still. As a looming shadow passed over me, I looked up to the sky with them. My knees went weak. My breath seized in my chest. I gasped for air as my skin crawled at the entity brooding over us.


    A Spatial Fortress loomed over the entire sky like a herald of the apocalypse.


    I remembered seeing one from far away in the Nebula Drifter. It didn''t seem all that intimidating, and I thought Schema showed a meh effort against the rebels. Those thoughts up and died when faced with a Spatial Fortress in person. The moon-sized monster spanned from one horizon to the other, swallowing most of the sun. Its shadow created an ocean of darkness, this entire planet at its utter mercy.


    It moved at paces I could never hope to match. The writhing of its many eyes and mouths seemed slow from far away. Up close, their behemothic size and gravitational pull left me unable to even move. Those eyes, they shifted across its form faster than tidal waves across planets. The mouths clamped shut with such force, wind bursts erupted over Gypsum''s surface. The weather of this planet warped under its might.


    The atmospheric pressure dropped, and my ears popped several times as the air thinned. It pulled the air to it, and the fortress''s eyes stared at this planet with a hunger unending and infinite. It would rush across the surface of this world without an ounce of mercy. We would all become consumed by an endless wall of flesh, being crushed under its sheer mass.


    Isa and Lester flopped down, each of them unable to stand. Hod and my knees wobbled as this abomination eyed all below it. Surrounding the figure, many of Schema''s ships arrived, covered in graphene plated armor. They commanded this force of nature, and they decided all of our lives. My stomach sank as the eldritch horror neared us.


    We were all going to die. As our hope plummeted into an abyss, a ray of hope arrived. A blot of gold formed over the megastructure around us, and from it, halcyon claws tore the fabric of dimensions apart. The strongest gialgathen, a being told of in legends, walked onto this plane. As he arrived and roared out, a wave of relief poured over me.


    I couldn''t believe I was thinking this, but thank Baldowah that Lehesion had arrived.


    The golden beast unleashed havoc on the Spatial Fortress, the writhing planet squealing in terror. I covered my ears as those howls radiated across the ground, passing over us. The others protected their ears, but they were still left ringing. The sound alone was enough to make my arms and legs turn to jelly. Turning to the others, I started a choppy system chat that communicated via thought.


    Althea Tolstoy(lvl 12,000 | Class: Breaker) - We need to head out. We can use one of the warps in the ensuing chaos.


    I hit my legs a few times till they weren''t numb anymore. Everyone followed me as we ran towards the turbulent ring at the center of the planet. Isa and Lester swung on hooks, Hod warped via shadows, and I sprinted while carrying the unconscious Alexander. His arcane magic saved us, but that kind of casting came at a cost. Seeing other mages always reminded me of what an average one was like.


    Despite his lacking mana reserves, Alexander did what we needed him to do. Tugging him along, we passed a war-torn portion of Gypsum. The fight in space was close enough that their impacts required going for cover often. The shockwaves stripped steel from the ground, more than strong enough to kill ordinary people.


    The existing superstructure held out, but the old remains didn''t. Other Hod pulled the group into a shadow dimension for a second or two each time a compressive wave passed over us. This stopped us from getting liquified. It would eventually tire Other Hod out, so we passed through to Gypsum''s core conflict - the ring. Above us, Lehesion and the Spatial Fortress demolished one another. They melted, burned, scorched, singed, radiated, crushed, smashed, and shattered each other.


    As we passed into the current living space on Gypsum, the fight''s crashing booms became echoes. They sent chills up my spine as they dwarfed us from above. Coming into the continuous, long room via a sliced passage, we found complete and utter anarchy. Hybrids fought Schema''s forces on the ground, many remnants, espens, and other species duking it out. The current citizens hid where they could, but many of them raided the exposed stores and homes. These opportunists took full advantage of the situation, and it left me agitated. A deep disappointment in these people passed over me. Surrounded by all this, I turned to the others,


    "I can''t believe they''re doing this. Can any of you-"


    Isa and Lester shattered a warping shop''s window, going in and raiding many of the maps and supplies in the store. Like starving vultures, they stuffed the valuables into their storages, satchels, and packs until they were stuffed to the brim. I facepalmed, more disappointed in myself than them. I don''t know what I was expecting, but I still grumbled,


    "Guys, please. Show some dignity."


    Their hands full of trinkets and charts, they jogged over. Isa snapped,


    "Dignity is for the poor. I''d rather be shameless and rich."


    Lester grinned, "Now that''s something we can agree on."


    Other Hod appeared from a shadow nearby, slicing a Hybrid into three parts. He walked over to me, sliding past two fighting Sentinels,


    "The warp is this way. Come."


    We ran with them, passing an absolute hellscape. Schema and Elysium brawled in this giant ring, and they left blood splatters, torn corpses, and valuable weapons everywhere. I took a classer''s set of daggers as I passed by, figuring we already sold our souls to evil. What could a little bit more wrongdoing hurt?


    We killed groups of Hybrids as we passed, prying our way to the warp station. Hordes of citizens stood between us, and they clustered too densely for us to escape. I couldn''t bring myself to hurt regular people, so I left my cannon down. As I bit my lip, our chances for escape seemed slim.


    Isa and Lester agreed with me, but our eldritch allies did not. Other Hod extended his claws, and Amara leaped into the group. They devoured people, Amara''s mouth opening wide and snapping like a shark''s maw. Her hair wrapped around people''s necks and strangled them, their eyes bulging out of their heads. She dragged the corpses to herself, indulging in a bloodbath that drenched the ground in sanguine red.


    Other Hod stayed classier, only slicing people apart. I turned away, unable to watch anymore. As I gazed elsewhere, I found a group of mages warping in from other places. These remnants were guarded by Version 2.0''s and the armored guards that acted as border patrols. Even Blighted ones skulked around them, their defense of these mages airtight.


    I slipped through the veil, walking up towards them. The sorcerers performed a ritual, one of the Hybrids carving a predetermined, runic inscription on the ground. It was in that weird language Daniel preferred using, and they all spoke in a tongue that Amara''s language decoder couldn''t understand.


    Unreal amounts of mana flooded through this ceremony, the members glowing bright and bombarding their surroundings with radiation. Their blood boiled before they began a dance. Above them, Lehesion''s actions augmented. The glowing gialgathen sped up, becoming a superior version of his old self. He cast magic faster, moved quicker, and let out more power with each blow.


    Unlike in their previous encounter, Lehesion swarmed the Spatial Fortress with all his might. He gashed and gnawed at the far more massive monster, pushing it away from us using a flood of blows. The gialgathen moved at a pace both unbelievable and unseen. He blurred in my vision, his body radiating with violent, palpable energies.


    I raised my rifle, aiming at a mage''s head in front of me. Killing them would likely leave Lehesion at a disadvantage, and the fortress may kill our greatest enemy. Before firing, I lowered the barrel. I didn''t want to die here, along with everyone else on this planet. Even if they raided stores, not everyone here was an awful person. Most were just trying to get by, and that beast above would rush over the surface of Gypsum until nothing was left.


    The metabolic processes in the Spatial Fortress''s gut would be so fast and torrid, it would create violent heat flows. Any sand and stone would be melted as its enormous body disintegrated the crust on this planet. It would flow deep under the surface, its everchanging form stripping this world bare of organic material. When it was finished, the world would be dead.


    And only glassed desserts and igneous stone would remain.


    I gawked at the cataclysmic display of scale and power above before a message ripped me out of my trance.


    Isa Antoun(2,342) - Where are you? Amara and Other Hod handled their...business.


    I sprinted back to the warping area, almost slipping on the gore as I did. Despite the absolutely menacing scenery, people still fought their way onto the warp with us. A group of mercenaries already took control of the station earlier and had punched in some coordinates. As they began warping, Isa, Lester, and Other Hod fought their way onto the platform.


    Amara fiddled with a red status screen as I passed her. Nearing one of the mercenaries, I reached my hand through his chest. A few more punches later, and I left him littered with holes in his torso, his armor soft as styrofoam to me. Securing the platform, we looked outside, finding many Hybrids mopping the floor of the bloodied remains.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They cleaned the area until it shined, and more civilians ran in, unaware of what was about to happen to them. Before our eldritch friends killed them, Lester raised a hand,


    "Wait a minute. I got an idea. Let them come up. We''ll use them as cover when we warp."


    I didn''t argue with him, not because I agreed with his idea but because I didn''t want any more people to die. They rushed onto the teleporter as it charged, having overheated from too many successive warps before. It cooled as ordinary people squeezed against us. Adding to the disarray, another earth-shattering seismic wave passed over us.


    This shockwave dwarfed the others, a ripple passing over the planet. It destroyed the glass covering us, and the wind howled in from above. As it did, a colossal eye passed over us; the iris alone was large enough to swallow a mountain. From the eyelid, flows of flesh peeled down, flooding the area. The Spatial Fortress engulfed all in its path, everything consumed down to the atom.


    It neared us, but Isa and Lester lobbed their napalm bombs, venom coils, and acid vials with abandon. Dozens of explosions passed onto the wall of meat coming our way, and somehow it stopped the incoming mass. I fired with my cannon in all directions, desperation overcoming me. Other Hod frothed from the mouth as he sliced with abandon. Amara typed as fast as she could, trying anything to get us out of here.


    Nothing worked. The fortress was unstoppable.


    The writhing mass of muscle filled the room, consuming the civilians here. Their screams echoed from beneath the surface of the fortress''s body. They wailed out in agony, and it was just as haunting as the Hybridization pits. I screamed as a tentacle scraped some of my skin off, the pain worse than acid and fire and death. It decayed everything it touched and replaced it with anguish.


    We were pushed into the top of the warp, fighting off the mass. Right as it got within inches of us, another earthquake passed over the area. The Spatial Fortress retreated, and as it did, I thanked everything for Lehesion''s intervention. Flying up to inspect where they were fighting, I reached over the shattered windows.


    It wasn''t Lehesion. It was the ring.


    The superstructure awakened, and from it, hordes of nanomachines roared. The liquid metal poured over the spatial fortress, both beasts fighting each other in a slugfest beyond my understanding. They consumed the horizon, like a gray and red ocean fighting over dominion of the sky. Lehesion stayed above, launching plasmic lasers onto the fortress''s back.


    Minutes passed, and eventually, the Spatial Fortress shrank in size. It retreated from the superstructure''s hordes of metal wasps, and Lehesion attacked Schema''s fleet as it retreated back where they came from. The warp came back online below me, many of the civilians around us left unconscious from shock and awe.


    As Schema left, Lehesion flew over the superstructure and connected with all of our minds. In a noble but somewhat metallic voice, he echoed with triumph,


    "And so, we once again tear down Schema''s Hordes. Long live Elysium."


    The civilians around us raised their hands in triumph, and I landed beside Amara. The large warp activated, and we teleported back to Earth. As the ionized spray of mist poured from Earth''s Elysium warp, Hod pulled our team into the darkness. Everyone but me, of course.


    He hid in one of the alien''s shadows, everyone confused why the teleporter went off. The remnant guards tried keeping everyone contained, but a few ended up running around in a panic. Hod hitched a ride on one of those terrified aliens, eventually jumping into an alleyway. He pulled us out after making a few more shadow jumps. As he did, Other Hod dropped us onto the ground, and he passed out on the spot.


    I turned to the others, finding two unconscious bodies. I picked up Other Hod and Alexander while whispering to the others,


    "Let''s get out of here."


    With the warp''s ensuing pandemonium, we prowled out of the Adair''s encampment. Once on the outskirts of the wooden buildings, we found the outer gate. Guards watched the perimeter, keeping the area safe and sound. I peered at the others, and we didn''t have our mage or shadow magician to help us get out of here. We were already hours late, so the others would be worried sick.


    I massaged my temples, struggling to come up with some kind of solution. Nothing came to mind before Isa leaned towards me,


    "You can turn invisible, right?"


    I shook my head, "No, I can''t. I go somewhere else. That''s the best way I can describe it."


    "Can you take us there until we get through?"


    "I''ve tried, but I haven''t been able to walk across planes with anything alive."


    Isa pondered for a second before raising a hand, "What about this. You can shapeshift. How thin can you stretch yourself out?"


    I looked up, "Uh, pretty thin, I guess."


    "Enough to cover us?"


    My eyes widened, "Woah...Yeah, I could."


    Isa gestured to the others, "You could be like a cloaking blanket for us. It''s worth trying out."


    I grimaced, "Blegh, that''s going to be so uncomfortable."


    Lester shivered, "I know. Talk about disgusting."


    I raised my eyebrows at the guy, and he winced. Isa pointed between us, "Come on. Let''s try it out. Lester, you stay over there and see if she disguises us or just makes herself invisible over us."


    Lester frowned, "Oh, boy. I''m going to be sick."


    I frowned at him, "I''ll make you sick if you don''t shut it."


    He blinked, "Yes, mam."


    Lester walked over to the side, and I thinned myself until I draped over Isa. Lester gagged as I stepped over the veil. Once across, he raised a thumb,


    "I can''t see or hear a thing. You guys are gone."


    I reappeared, and we got to work. Lester vomited to the side before burying his throw up. After the big baby got over himself, I covered Isa and Lester while they carried out the unconscious members. After running across the field with my body flopping along, we eventually crossed the border patrol. Once out into the trees, we were home free.


    I pulled myself together, filling back into my jumpsuit. Even Isa winced at the sight, and a wave of embarrassment passed over me. Blegh, sometimes I hated my powers and my body. It was times like this that I wanted to be someone else. Anyone else, actually. But here I was, being the woman that shifted like some monster. It reminded me why I didn''t like missions outside of those with Hod.


    People judged me, and I pretended it didn''t sting when it honestly hurt.


    I pushed those feelings down, rushing forward. I didn''t have time for dwelling on those kinds of emotions, even if I wanted to. Our status reconnected, and I got a few messages from Schema. The A.I. actually recognized our efforts in the other world. It just took it a while to acknowledge us and reattach.


    Before reading any of my notices, I sent a message to Daniel. He''d want to know we were safe, especially after arriving this late. Once that was finished, I hoisted our two sleeping beauties up and got us out of there using Daniel''s ring. As we traveled over the tree line, I searched through my status. It gave me a bunch of generic notices, but one message stuck out in particular.


    Congratulations! You''ve been offered a class promotion. Though rare, a select few can obtain upgrades to their previous classes. Having shown your fervor, enthusiasm, and ingenuity countless times, Schema has offered you a tri-choice variant option for your Breaker Class. Please select one of the three options below.


    - Enforcer | The Enforcer variant of Breakers is a class option that orients itself around widescale enforcement. Whether during riots or while one on one, the Enforcer is given skills and abilities that grant tremendous control of their situation. Considerable AOE crowd control, mind pressuring auras, and even mental suppression, all of those tools and more are at an Enforcer''s disposal.


    This variability enables the enactment of Schema''s will on large populations, similar to an Overseer''s abilities. Unlike an Overseer, your restraints will be minimal, only requiring a certain amount of cases closed yearly. If you''re someone looking to uphold the law, the Enforcer is the right class variant for you. |


    - Arbitrator | The Arbitrator is a class given to those with sound judgment that will be required given this class''s abilities. Think of the Arbitrator as a mixture of the Speaker and Breaker class abilities. You wield tremendous power over specific system protocols, such as punishment, bounty setting, and even exiling rulebreakers.


    Make no mistake about this class''s orientation, however. The Arbitrator can succeed in administering its justice in the face of abject refusal. This class is given suppressive abilities, escape canceling powers, and warping tools. Choose the Arbitrator subclass if you want to be the judge, jury, and executioner. |


    - Executioner | Think of the Executioner class as the fingers for the right hand of Schema. You see, Schema''s left hand is the merciful one. It offers peace and prosperity to those that follow his rules and laws. To those that wish to tread on Schema''s kindness, an Executioner''s calling awaits.


    The Executioners act as the last line of defense for the worst of Schema''s bounties. Unlike other Breaker variants, this subclass rules in 1v1 combat, giving the Executioner a fearsome reputation. Its abilities are arcane mastery, a berserker form, and further augmented durability. Choose the Executioner subclass if you intend to handle the most dangerous bounties out there. |


    Good luck with your selection process.


    I stared at the wall of information, kind of overwhelmed. I tried breaking it down like Torix taught me, and I started parsing out different pieces about the subclasses. The Enforcer was a no go for me. My abilities thrived on stealth, dealing damage, and mobility. The Enforcer would suit someone like Daniel much better since he could afford to stay out in the open.


    That left the Arbitrator and the Executioner subclasses. I wanted to go with the Arbitrator for several reasons. I enjoyed the sound of it, being someone who enacts justice in the face of evil. It sounded cheesy, but I didn''t care¡ªthat idea resonated with me. Being able to lock people down and teleport were extremely valuable as well. They would let me always get my final shot in, and that was powerful.


    Further reinforcing that line of thought, the Executioner class was dreary by comparison. It was a class devoted to killing exclusively. I couldn''t go around solving problems or handling cases on the spot. Nope, I had to follow bounties and do what they told me. The abilities weren''t exactly synergistic either. I already dealt true damage to everything I touched, and the last thing I needed was a berserker form.


    My kind of killing was based on finesse, and I needed precision and control. Otherwise, I''d be killed before I knew it. As my hand hovered over the Arbitrator class option, something in me roared out. Memories of the Spatial Fortress erupted in my mind like a nightmare I couldn''t wake up from. I shivered with a measure of violence, unable to keep myself composed.


    I clicked the Executioner option, finalizing my decision. The Arbitrator would help me accomplish missions. On the other hand, the Executioner option would help me survive, and after today, that was priority number one. I didn''t want to be food for some monster, and if rampaging was required for that, then so be it. Finishing that up, my class screen popped up in my vision, and I gazed at the bonuses with a bit of glee.


    This was more like it.


    Congratulations once again! You''ve now attained a rare subclass variant of the Breaker class - the Executioner. Executioners are granted an arcane mythical skill - Antimatter Generation. This lets them produce stable quantities of antimatter that can give them explosive armaments. *Ample distance recommended from the intended target.*


    Another upgrade received by the Executioner class is augmented durability. You''ll receive 3,000 points in both strength and endurance, as well as 100,000 points of health, 10,000 points of health regeneration, and a .5% upgrade to your damage resistance. Your level cap has been raised by 2,000 as well.


    The final upgrade is a berserker form. Health, stamina, and mana are exchanged for super physiological amounts of power generation during this form. You will be granted enhanced reflexes, reasoning skills, magic output, physical strength, and speed during this mode. It cannot be maintained for long, and after ending, your body will suffer severe shock.


    *This shock will not kill you. You will simply feel like you''re dying. Classer insurance does not cover medical bills associated with side effects following berserker form use, as stated in Schema''s Law Apendum: Adjunct-SC3902. For more information, contact a Speaker versed in law information.*


    I gazed down at my status screen, surprised by that antimatter skill. Mythical, huh? If that wasn''t a legendary skill in disguise, then I didn''t know what was. Either way, I opened my status to spot what changed.


    Althea Tolstoy(Level 12,000 | Class: Executioner | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Titles: The Shapeless Arbiter, Yawm''s Inheritence, The Harbinger''s Hunter)


    Strength ¨C 66,389 | Constitution ¨C 2,890 | Endurance ¨C 5,907


    Dexterity ¨C 31,472 | Willpower ¨C 3,139 | Intelligence ¨C 2,002


    Charisma ¨C 5,192 | Luck ¨C 1,204 | Perception ¨C 26,264


    Health: 2,109,285/2,109,285 | Health Regen: 15% of total health every 30 seconds + 20,000/min


    Stamina: 347,970/347,970 | Stamina Regen: 7,928/sec


    Mass:  pounds(17,340) | Height: 7''01(2.16 meters)


    Damage Res - 96.5% | Phys Damage Bonus ¨C 2.1 Million% | Critical Damage Bonus ¨C 165% | Damage Bonus: 65%


    The Harbinger''s Hand - Follower Bonus: +2,500 Endurance, Willpower, and Constitution. +1,250 Intelligence, Strength, and Dexterity. -250 Charisma. +50,000 Health, Stamina, and Mana. +10,000 Health Regeneration. Close combat skills, gravitational magic, and aura powers are more easily learned.


    Immaterial: Ignores rigidity of matter. Grants 100% armor penetration.


    Etorhma''s Sorrow: Health regen continues for 30 seconds after death. If health is above zero after this 30-second window, you will revive with 50% of total maximum health.


    As usual, my strength dwarfed almost every other stat by a large margin. My doubled strength paired wonderfully with my Expansive Strength tree, which gave me one health for every one percent physical damage bonus I received. Because of those facts, Strength would always be my core defensive and offensive stat.


    Or so I thought. It wasn''t that cut and dry anymore, and I ran into some problems lately with my body''s durability. At this point, using even half of my strength resulted in grim injuries I needed to heal from. Unlike say Daniel, I wasn''t made of steel. I cut myself open with every severe strike, and fixing that would make me a much better brawler. The extra stats and damage resistance from my Executioner class were appreciated for that reason.


    On top of that, the skill for antimatter would actually be helpful. The kind of attacks used by it either resulted in one of two options. Either the antimatter passed through a target, eliminating the atoms composing an enemy, or the attack resulted in a colossal explosion. If I could store some antimatter in my spears, they could pierce a set amount before exploding inside of an enemy. Considering the earlier message, I was guessing my idea was more than possible.


    It would patch up my only real weakness offensively - an inability to handle regenerative targets. I frowned, remembering all my fights with Daniel. Fighting him was like being in a room where there was no exit, and the walls were closing in. Sure, I could move around and avoid the guy at first, but over time, he wore me down. When he closed in and got a hold of me, he''d crushed me to a pulp.


    Yup, that was my boyfriend. Ruggedly handsome, but kind of scary.


    Either way, antimatter bombs sounded like a suitable method of actually hurting the guy. Not that I wanted to, I just had this internal rivalry with him after all of our battles. Knowing I had a chance of winning, however slim, was all I really needed to feel satisfied. As is, I didn''t think I would even last a minute against him. I''d attack, he''d survive, and he''d crush me in a gravitational vortex. Not my cup of tea, let me tell you.


    Anyway, this was a lovely bonus I hadn''t expected Schema to give me. Minutes of traveling later, the others awakened from their unconscious slumbers, so they could check out their statuses as well. They all carried smiles on their faces, each of them gaining around 1K-2K levels, which was a massive boost for those guys. I was happy for them.


    We layed low in a ravine covered by branches, each of us messing with our statuses before Helios appeared from a portal. He walked out of his pristine, clear warp, and wind from Mt. Verner rushed in. A worried group of our guildsmen gazed at us, each of them showing concern mixed with a subtle disgust.


    I blinked a few times, confused at what they were gawking at. Looking down, I found myself still unformed. I got so caught up by the status work and getting out of the Elysium camp that I ended up not reforming myself. A wave of shame ran up my spine and into my face. I looked down, unable to meet the gaze of my guild members.


    They weren''t trying to make me feel like this. None of my guild members said anything rude or impolite. Well, besides Lester, but I don''t think he could help it. As for everybody else, there was this look they gave me, whether they meant to or not. It was something I was all too familiar with since I was a child. When anyone first saw my reformations, there was this...repulsion that oozed from them. I hated seeing their horror from seeing me. The real me.


    As my emotions peaked, a familiar, muscular set of arms wrapped around me. They were firm yet gentle, and his armor bent around my skin, the steel somehow soft and welcoming. Daniel looked down at me, smiling from ear to ear as he hugged me tightly. With a cocky grin, he pulled me off my feet and met my eye. He whispered,


    "Hey, beautiful. You look incredible."


    I hugged him back while my throat burned.


    He might''ve been a big oaf, but sometimes, he knew just what to say.

 288 A Targeted Approach

    284 Amassing Many


    I relaxed on a gravity well, knowing these kinds of issues come up all the time. An hour passed. By now, most of those around me twisted like knots. By then, a sinking feeling crawled up my chest too. Two hours went by, and now I joined the crew''s anxiety, though I kept it to myself. When three full hours flashed by, a haunting realization popped up in our minds.


    We weren''t worried anymore that they''d be late or even fail the mission. None of that mattered to me anymore. I just wanted them back. I wanted Althea back. I''d gotten so used to success I''d forgotten we could fail. As four hours passed, that understanding was like a nail being driven through my jaw. They still weren''t back.


    And it didn''t look like they''d be back anytime soon.


    -Chapter Begin | Daniel -


    I contemplated a lot as the hours of waiting went by. Why didn''t I make more safety measures? Why didn''t I join the mission? What was the point of going to this place anyway? My old reasons seemed so ridiculous now that Althea was gone. It was a gut punch, a sort of wake up call. I could lose people close to me if I didn''t manage the situations well, which was soul-crushing.


    I racked my brain for optimization to the old plan, trying to come up with ways of making it better. In all honesty, it was sound, but some doubt in myself was inevitable. By the time I began hypothesizing a rescue/retrieval mission, I got a message I wanted more than just about anything.


    Althea Tolstoy(lvl 12,000 | Class: Executioner | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Rank: Follower | Titles: The Shapeless Arbiter, The Formless Polymorph, Yawm''s Inheritence...) We''re back, safe and sound. Mission accomplished.


    I raised my arms and looked at those here while I shouted, "They''re back."


    The guild perked up as a tsunami of relief passed over many of the members. I experienced it with them, my spirits rising. Walking up to Helios, I pointed at him,


    "You remember their rendezvous point, right?"


    Helios nodded, "I''ll wait for them to arrive there. Maintaining a portal for that duration would be...exhausting."


    I bit my lip, but I kept silent. Helios knew ten times more about portaling than I did, so I trusted his judgment. Thirty minutes passed, and Helios opened the portal. We stared in, and Althea stared back. My spirits rose up before being dampened. She looked down for some reason, getting embarrassed about something.


    Peering close, it looked like they were pressed for time, and she hadn''t fully reformed. She talked about that embarrassing her before, but I didn''t care right now. I paced up to Althea, wrapping my arms around her. I leaned towards her while whispering,


    "Hey, beautiful. You look incredible."


    She leaned her head against me, and I could feel her discomfort fade away. Good. She overthought the little things all the time. I lifted her up off the ground and waved her back and forth. She grinned against my chest,


    "When are you going to let me go?"


    I put my head on hers, "Never."


    Torix passed me, gawking down at Alexander, "Did he die for Schema''s sake?"


    Althea rolled her eyes, "Pshh, no. He''s suffering from mana exhaustion. And physical exhaustion. Just, uh, general exhaustion honestly."


    Torix lifted his star pupil from the ground, casting a variety of spells for induced comas and regulated sleep,


    "It''ll take weeks to fully recover. Think of the lessons he may have learned during that time."


    I raised an eyebrow, "A real mission like that is a much more valuable experience than a lesson."


    Torix sighed, "Perhaps...Perhaps."


    The others walked with us out towards Mt. Verner, and people celebrated. Relevant parties came in from all angles to comfort the mission''s team. Friends and family of Isa and Lester came close, Bryan mixing in with them. Alexander had a group of other students to watch over him, along with Torix. Amara and Other Hod, on the other hand, had no one. They acted as loners, having no real support.


    I set Althea down, "Hey, I gotta check on Hod real quick. Is that okay?"


    She gave me a playful punch on the shoulder, "Do what you have to do."


    Walking over, I lifted the birdman with a gravity well, having him floated over to a waiting medical team. Torix turned to them as the doctors and nurses fiddled with various medicinal equipment, and the lich gasped,


    "Imbeciles, the lot of you."


    Torix pointed his finger at the mana conduit on Hod''s hand. A quick zap of magic later, and excessive eldritch energy flooded through the device towards me. Hod gasped for air,


    "Gah...Hah...Hod full. No more darkness for Hod."


    Laying across a stretcher, his arms went limp, and the birdman snored, having gone to sleep instantly. Somehow both disappointed and impressed, I shook my head at the guy. Turning to everyone else, I spread out my arms, "It''s time to get back and figure out what happened. Those from the mission, come with me to talk it out. I want to hear what happened in person."


    We all went towards Mt. Verner, and I floated everyone along the way. I fiddled with the idea for a different golem design as I did, and we were in a meeting room in minutes. Once we sat down, I called Florence and Helios outside the room. This was an insider''s conversation with delicate information in the balance. I didn''t want them passing it along to the Emperor for free since he wouldn''t do the same for us.


    Torix caught my drift without me saying anything, and he cast two spells; one spell locked off any outer sound, and one was a localized EMP. Any active electronics in the room would fry, killing planted bugs. Something fizzled beneath our meeting table, and I ripped it off with telekinesis. Voila, a thin, implanted listening device tore off of the table''s underside. Attached to it, a narrow, holographic message revved into action post EMP, and Florence popped up,


    "Hey, this is Florence, sorry about this. The Emperor paid me a lot of credits, and hey, I couldn''t say no. You guys will find this before we even get any useful info anyways, so I''ll give you guys some of the money, and we''ll call it even."


    It showed his face making a goofy expression while scratching the back of his head and giving us a thumbs up. I facepalmed, as did Torix. Althea laughed before we continued with the meeting. Isa, Lester, Torix, Amara, Althea, Kessiah, and I sat around a particleboard table. It was harvested from Springfield nearby, and after refurbishing it, Torix had it installed when we first arrived.


    That very same lich gestured to our soldiers who arrived from the mission,


    "You may use your obelisks to convey the tapes and videos you used during your mission. No doubt we''ll find all of your perspectives meaningful."


    Isa and Lester stared at each other, both of them frozen in terror. Torix''s eyes narrowed, "Where are your tapes?"


    Althea jumped in before Torix grilled them, "I was the one responsible for documenting our tasks. They stuck to different priorities, like hiding us or gathering supplies."


    Torix scoffed, "Really now? Where are their supplies?"


    Althea turned to Isa and Lester, who both appeared dumbfounded. She nudged them on the elbow before the dungeoneers went to action, pulling out many documents and devices. Torix inspected them along with me, and I found various orbital graphs, forms, and charts. Combine that with a few safety lockboxes holding information, and this was all valuable stuff.


    I nodded out of respect, "Damn...this is good intelligence. Great work, guys."


    They looked at Althea, giving her a thumbs-up under the table. Combined with their awkward, forced grins, and these guys were just rolling with Althea''s idea. From her quick thinking or not, this was an excellent payload, so I turned to them,


    "What else did you do?"


    They pulled out makeshift bombs and venom sacks from foreign eldritch. Lester even carried a few sketches of these eldritch, and he spoke up,


    "Ahem, these are metal eaters, a kind of eldritch we thought would be useful to document during our stay there."


    Isa pointed at him, "Exactly, exactly. I, well, I studied these flying cobras and their acids. We thought that, uh, you know, they''d be useful f-for attacking Hybrids."


    Torix deadpanned, "Ahhh. Yes. Of course."


    I shrugged, "Intentional or not, we can use this. We''ll send this to the biologists downstairs and see what they make of it."


    Torix rolled his fiery eyes while sending a few messages. A worker came up, gave me a bow, and took the sketches and samples of the venoms/acids. Once the specimens left us, we continued with Althea''s account. She took out her obelisk,


    "So yeah, I documented everything. I tried my best to get it all as I went. I kind of just do it without thinking now."


    Torix''s eyes flared pink, "Now, here is someone that''s actually helpful. Thank you."


    Althea smiled while uploading her data to our holographic desk. Seconds later, images of a foreign planet popped up. Althea pointed at it, explaining what I was on tape,


    "This is the giant ring on Gypsum. Everything they do is through here. Ownership of the planet is decided by who owns the upper portions of this wall. My guess is that the wall attacks someone beneath it if they don''t own some of the wall''s portions. Anyways, let me start this at the beginning, and I''ll, er, explain what you''re seeing."


    Torix interlocked his fingers, leaning forwards, "Do tell."


    Althea went through all of their trip from start to finish, taking over two hours of explaining to do so. By the time she finished, I was stunned by how much ground they covered and how much info she gathered. This meant we were going to be swimming in data about one of Elysium''s most essential worlds.


    That wasn''t the only important aspect of the mission. My fears and anxieties flared as I watched them fight a Spatial Fortress. There was no way I''d be able to stop something like that, not in the next decade at least. Sure, I''d survive fighting it, but that kind of monstrosity would overwhelm us utterly. It was humbling watching our guildsmen struggle against that thing, and it put into perspective how dedicated Elysium really was.


    They were willing to fight many of those behemoths. Impressive.


    Althea didn''t talk much during that time. It left me concerned, and she grabbed her arm as she spoke. I ended up squeezing a fist, trying to keep myself restrained. Schema didn''t know how to parse out allies with a weapon like that. The Spatial Fortress''s lack of care almost killed someone important to me, and Schema might do the same to us sometime in the future.


    It just put things in a different perspective. We weren''t at the center of this war, not by a longshot. If anything, Blegara was a side effort out of convenience. Elysium believed it was easy pickings, so it sent some of their extra forces there. The leftovers, so to speak. According to Obolis, Elysium already retook the entire planet over the last week after our retreat. They believed that Blegara was all theirs.


    I''d prove them wrong about that, in time.


    For now, I pushed down some worries over Althea and Hod. I didn''t want them dying, and by the looks of it, this mission was on the wire since they came within an inch of their demises. They almost all died, and while eyeing Althea''s side, I found a new, large scar where the Spatial Fortress attacked her. Its digestive acids must''ve interfered with the healing process, making for a nasty reminder of what happened.


    However, she was more than capable of handling herself, and I kept that in the back of my mind as she finished her story. Staring over her head, I found she gained a new class of some kind from the mission as well. She chose well, her strengths emphasized. Being near her, she radiated a quiet intensity like death lingering over a hospice.


    It was chilling. Reminding myself Althea was a badass helped calm me down.


    With Althea''s side of the story finished, Amara spoke up right after, but about something else entirely,


    "I uncovered their system''s data during my stay, and I infiltrated many of their informational streams. There''s much to discuss."


    Torix kept his stare steady, exerting more pressure than he likely intended, "Then give us information on what you''ve discovered."


    Amara hissed, "Their system is similar to Schema''s, relying on individualized cipheric energy flows. Their induction process would create a personal means of augmenting data based on achievement, just as Schema''s system has. In Elysium''s case, they reward less as you become stronger, the opposite of Schema''s approach."


    Althea frowned, "They do that plus give away the Hybrids."


    Amara turned a palm to Althea, "Yes. Those abominations are partially the product of their system. They tie those deformed wolves to sheep so that the sheep feel strong. In the end, those wolves will devour those that are helpless. It is merely a matter of time."


    Amara turned a hand to me, "And such is their way. They invigorate the weak and neglect the strong. It is not what we eldritch believe in, or most of us, I should say."


    I pointed at the hologram, using my obelisk to interact with it. I turned the image towards Amara eating people, "What you eldritch believe in, huh? Kind of like this feeding frenzy?"


    Amara stared down, her cheeks flushing, "I...I lost myself."


    I pulled out a quintessence mana crystal and tossed one to her, "Don''t do that again. You''re a part of my guild, and we don''t run through crowds by eating them. Eat one of these instead."


    She snatched the crystal out of the air, "I shall do as you say, Harbinger."


    I leaned towards her, "Anything else you discovered?"


    "Each planet carries a unique system interface, unlike Schema''s approach. This creates localized energy flows for augmentation. It also means each planet carries a different kind of personalized security measure."


    Torix''s eyes flared, "So going to Gypsum means nothing for hacking into Blegara?"


    Amara showed her teeth, "It means everything. I can now recognize, tap into, and interface with those energy flows. It will take far less time to infiltrate their other various systems, and their security parameters are likely similar between planets."


    Torix nodded, "Good, good. I was worried we didn''t get anything from this risky venture."


    I frowned, "Or at least enough benefit to justify the risk. Either way, could you do the loudspeaker thing we mentioned for an entire world?"


    "Yes. It would be simple, though it wouldn''t last more than thirty minutes at most. Their Builders would recognize my connection point and snap it."


    My eyes widened, "Builders, huh?"


    "Yes. Builders construct system data and strands. They are used by Schema via personalized, constrained AI''s that do his service."


    I swung my hand, "So that''s what those robotic, lifeless AI''s do. They''re like system cleaners."


    Torix stated, "Could we kill them?"


    Amara shook her head, "They would lie at the center of Elysium''s headquarters, which is no doubt well hidden. Destroying that headquarters would tear their teeth and rip their claws. Should we ever find that hidden throat, we should bite into its succulent flesh."


    Amara shrugged, "No matter the outcome of this rebellion, someone''s neck will be ruptured, however. It is only a matter of whose neck is exposed first."


    I blinked, "You mean if Schema loses?"


    "Yes."


    I never really thought about that possibility. It didn''t seem like Elysium''s goal was ever domination, even from the start. They just wanted to take many worlds, put them under their banner, and then maintain order. That required defending themselves from Schema''s grasp, but they weren''t the most offensive group. Not yet, at least. That could change any second, considering the amount of firepower at Elysium''s disposal.


    I reached out a hand, "Alright, thank you for the report."


    Althea perked up, "I also think I discovered some sort of ritual for powering up Lehesion."


    Torix pulled out his fancy obelisk, and it automatically interfaced with the hologram. Turning to the moment of the ritual, Torix pointed at a mage,


    "You mean this specific event, correct?"


    Althea pursed her lips, "Yup."


    Torix took a deep, unneeded breath, "This is problematic, to say the least. They''ve created an augmentation ritual that enhances Lehesion''s abilities. The mages likely die afterward, but that''s irrelevant if they sustain a steady supply of mages."


    I watched Lehesion zip around the Spatial Fortress, and I whistled in response,


    "Damn...I don''t think I can keep up with that."


    The others at the table went silent. My words carried more weight than I expected, especially for an off the cuff remark. Keeping myself relaxed, I leaned back, feigning confidence,


    "At least not yet. Gaining a class will come soon, and then a new tier of skill after that. I''ll be more than ready then."


    The dread oozed off the table, everyone more comfortable just from a few words of reassurance from me. I let out a mental sigh. Being relied upon was hard, especially when it involved destroying those that obliterated worlds. Either way, Torix pointed at the last bit of Althea''s video,


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "This interests me. The ring is alive, isn''t it?"


    The dungeoneers and Althea shrugged. We turned to Amara, and she seethed, "And to what end could Schema need that machine for? It''s far too large and lumbering. That was likely created before Schema, in an ancient time, where no monsters ruled. To what end? I cannot even fathom a reason."


    We thought about her words, the scale of the universe coming into our minds. It was amazing how much we didn''t know about...well, everything. We went into the unknown with this mission, at least, and we came out with an absolute motherload of information. It was the kind of report that would let us get a lot more done.


    Knowing their contributions, I stood up and gestured to our returning team,


    "Alright then. Let''s dispense with rewards."


    They stared at me, kind of surprised that I was offering anything. I turned a palm to Lester and Isa, "You guys did well helping them infiltrate then doing something useful in the meantime. I''m giving each of you a suit of armor, and your rank has been raised to Dungeoneering Specialists. You''ll get better monthly payment, along with some perks."


    I turned to Torix, "Make it happen."


    Torix gave me a slight bow, "As you wish."


    I talked at Althea, "You did a lot of reconnaissance, and you managed to help uncover some vital info about Elysium''s defenses. Well done. I''ll be making you a new jumpsuit, and you''ll be getting a personalized, super golem guardian. It''ll help you when you need extra muscle or just keeping you safe in general."


    She let out a sigh of relief. Even if I couldn''t protect her all the time, I could still give her an unkillable guard that could do it for me.


    I turned to Amara, "You''ve given us information on how Elysium operates, along with information on some of their various weaknesses. You''ll also be helping me with getting Blegara under control. So far, you''ve helped the guild time and time again. It''s time we help you."


    I opened my status, and I sent Amara my last Follower title. She gawked at her status, unable to believe her eyes.


    I put my hands on my hips, "It''s up to you if you want to accept the title. It''ll come with many responsibilities, but also many freedoms. You''ll be able to come and go from the guild as you please, and I won''t be lording over you all the time. No one will. You will be free."


    Amara blinked over and over, staring at the message from different angles. She pointed at it, "Are...are you certain?"


    I grinned, "I give my own what they deserve, and it''s about time you get some compensation for what you''ve done."


    She accepted the status, and over the next few seconds, she growled like an animal. Her body reformed from the rush of free stats, and she stood a full foot and a half taller after a minute or two, going from five feet flat to six and a half tall(1.5 meters to 2 meters). Amara relished in the rush of power, her eldritch hunger flaring. It died down as she looked at me, and she gave me a deep, sincere bow,


    "Thank you, guild leader. I shall cherish this, truly."


    I turned to Hod, who slumbered out of exhaustion, "I''ll give that guy a scythe and some gauntlets. Those will suit him well. As for Alexander, I''ll be making him a cloak and staff."


    Althea gave me a smile, letting me know I was on the right track. I returned the gesture before turning to everyone else, "Do you guys think that''s about all we need to cover?"


    The returning team gave me nods, along with looks of adulation, namely from Isa and Lester. I pulled the meeting room''s door open with a gravity well while Torix canceled out his silencing magic. Florence and Helios walked in, both of them conversing for once instead of bickering.


    "Really? you managed to get uncle out of a war front once?" Florence asked.


    Helios stood proud, "I did. I preemptively memorized that planet''s data beforehand without his asking. This allowed me to exceed expectations, even those expectations were high."


    Florence looked at us, and I pulled up his data card between two fingers,


    "Looking for this?"


    Florence nudged Helios, "I told you they''d find it. Two hours flat."


    Helios shrugged, "I suppose we''ll let Obolis know his suggestion was a failure."


    Torix fumed, "You two are very lax, considering we just caught you spying."


    Florence pulled out a fly held between two of his claws. As Florence smashed it between his fingers, a burst of blue magic erupted from the fly with a skull-shaped poof of smoke. Torix looked away, appearing nervous,


    "Touche."


    The two albony sat down before Helios''s eyes locked in on all the documents spread on the table, the ones Isa and Lester grabbed from a shop. Helios pointed at them,


    "May I?"


    I turned to Torix, and the lich shrugged,


    "I don''t see why we wouldn''t share it with them. These hardly hold value."


    Helios tapped the document, and tracing magic coursed across the paper. He read the magical lining, and as he finished, he set the form down,


    "These are the orbital paths of Gypsum."


    Torix leaned back, "How did you read that? It''s encrypted."


    Helios interlocked his hands behind himself, "I''ve been researching Elysium''s new encryption as they''ve been updating them. I ran through several of the common patterns, and it gave me enough insight to discover that document''s contents. That''s warping information, isn''t it?"


    I raised my palms, "Don''t look at me. I have no idea."


    Helios piled the papers together while looking at the various devices, "I can use this information, memorize it, and then warp freely to this world. Give me a matter of weeks, and it shall be done."


    Torix''s eyes narrowed, "Weeks, you say? We''re expected to trust in that?"


    Helios spoke with confidence, "I am a prodigy for a reason."


    I furrowed my brow, "Uh, I''m out of the loop. What''s going on?"


    Helios gestured at the papers, "These carry the orbits, algorithms for calculating orbits, time system data, and the solar system''s location. This...hmm, Gypsum, was it? Its orbit is inordinately complex, so it will take some time to master. It can be done, however."


    I turned to Torix, "So why are you so impressed?"


    Torix pinched the bony bridge of his nose, "I forget there''s much you still know little about. Warping requires memorizing various orbital speeds, patterns, and the time systems used on a planet. It can require more than that, such as factoring in the speed of a solar system''s rotation around the center of the Milky Way or its general location within the galaxy as well."


    Helios added, "Along with the Milky Way''s current floating path in deep space."


    Torix nodded, "Most mages cannot warp a far distance as these calculations become absurdly complex. Even if they can maintain said arithmetic, the act of ''throwing'' your portal, so to speak, requires absolute precision. Otherwise, warps move and wobble. You may be halfway through walking into one before it begins warping you into the ground."


    I raised my eyebrows, "What happens then?"


    Helios deadpanned, "Your body intermingles with dirt, killing you."


    I spread out my hands, "Why haven''t I noticed this before?"


    Florence spoke up, "You''ve never been around someone who sucks at warping. The specialists you''re around have also stuck to warps that were close by. If a warp is within a visual distance, you can offload a lot of the calculations to proprioception and your brain''s natural ballistic engine."


    Helios flicked his fingers, "You ''throw'' the portal so that it matches your location. That is a feel oriented process. Once a portal is out of sight, calculations must be made, else people will die. I''m an exception to the norm regarding portalling, so I can throw my portals over light-years using my mathematical ability. And skill, but that much was obvious."


    I crossed my arms, "So learning to go somewhere new should take longer than a few weeks, I''m assuming?"


    Helios smirked under his mask, "Oh, most definitely. A planet like Gypsum? Oh, it could take months to years if you can learn it."


    "Why can''t you just use a calculating app for this kind of thing? That would make it a hell of a lot easier."


    Helios took a breath, "Excellent question. The reason is simple - portalling requires visualization. Accurate visualization. A calculator will give you the correct position and orbital path, but you won''t understand the depth behind the number. By following through with the equations on your own terms, you can extend your awareness far beyond what you''d believe possible. It''s as if you''re putting on a pair of binoculars constructed out of the equations you''ve used."


    Florence scoffed, "In your case, Helios, it''s more like a telescope."


    He raised a hand, "This is how I go about the process. I understand where it is. Then I pinpoint that reality and path mentally, calculating the processes to enhance my precision. Afterward, I use my experience to land the portal."


    I turned to Torix, "How long would it take you to learn this kind of thing?"


    Torix stared to the side, "I...would likely be unable to do so. I''ve made attempts at learning long-distance portalling. The practical concerns meant I thought of it as a ritual oriented process. That''s where my own ritual spawns from, and that''s how I made it to Earth in the first place. There was a prolonged, strange energy signature. I mapped its direction, figuring out Earth''s movement patterns."


    Torix rolled his hands, "It was an ingenious solution, but to make a long story short, I used my runic calculations to map a position to Earth."


    Helios leaned back, "Well, the lich knows how to do more than reading charts and graphs. He can make them."


    Torix brandished a hand, "It''s to be expected of me, really."


    I leaned my head onto a hand, "Portalling sounds ridiculously hard."


    Florence scoffed, "You''re telling me. I was never suited for it. Most warpers are cold, calculating individuals. That''s why-" Florence put his hand over Helios''s shoulder, "My brother is one of the finest warpers out there. He''s an ice king, after all."


    Helios crossed his arms, "I think of it as using my personality to my advantage."


    I pointed at myself, "Could I learn to warp?"


    Helios raised a brow, "Hmm, perhaps. I doubt you''re of the aptitude for long-distance portalling. The time investment in maintaining the skill is enormous as well. Short distance, throw based portalling could be learned, however. Mastered, even. That would suit your magical style as well."


    Helios turned a palm to me, "I could organize lessons for it while I learn the data for Gypsum."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Alright, could you keep your sarcasm to a minimum while teaching me?"


    "Oh, certainly."


    I sighed, "Well, that''s about all I could hope for. We''ll get those lessons done after we''ve established a bulwark on Blegara."


    Helios tilted his head, "Don''t forget your contractual obligation to Obolis. You still need to handle the Ahcorus and eliminate Plazia-Ruhl."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "We''ll get it done."


    Turning to Amara, I put my hands on my hips, "It looks like you''ll need to stay on Blegara for a bit to get a lock on their security, at least based on what you said?"


    Amara nodded while draining the crystalized mana I gave her. I spread out my arms, "We''ll get to Blegara tomorrow morning. Without us resisting, I''m pretty sure Elysium''s established a pretty widescale network there. Unlike Earth, there isn''t really any kind of pro-Schema faction to worry about, and few Vagni really systemized anyways."


    I gave my hands a single clap, signaling this was done, "Alright then. The gialgathens will be helping us launch an attack a few days from now on Blegara with my golems. We''ll have a few surprises for Elysium on top of that as well."


    Althea stood up and walked over to me, "How many golems are there now?"


    I grinned, "Many."


    We ended up chatting for a bit, Isa and Lester recounting a few stories about Gypsum. It was a fascinating world, and I anticipated stepping on it one day. For now, getting the most out of this excursion to Blegara preoccupied my mind. I could get thousands of more Omega Strains during Amara''s stay there, which was the perfect excuse for it.


    I didn''t want Helios or Florence to become suspicious of my actions, so I hadn''t made any trips to Blegara. If Obolis uncovered the Omega Strains there, he wouldn''t hand over the planet so quickly. By waiting for the right moment, I covered my tracks and prevented Obolis from becoming aware of the hidden resource.


    That being said, Helios warping me wasn''t the best idea either. He could plant an unseen bug of some kind like before, and that might put Obolis in the know. Preemptively stopping a problem before it began, I walked up to Helios after the meeting,


    "Hey. Don''t worry about getting Amara and I out towards Blegara. I''m going to get Spear to help us out. You need to be able to focus on those coordinates and lessons."


    Visible relief passed over Helios, the idea of warping us over and over looming over him like a dark miasma. He raised a hand,


    "I''ll repay your kindness with my full efforts."


    He walked off towards his own living quarters, carrying the documents and warping devices. In fact, everybody got to work after the meeting ended, many of our members moving onto their own projects. I was no different. I caught up to Torix, who walked his way towards our golem station. I joined him. While jogging over, an idea popped in my head, and I wanted to run it by Torix.


    I waved a hand around us,


    "Mind setting up the quieting magic?"


    We departed towards the forgotten tunnel where the Omega Strains did their magic. During our brisk walk, Torix raised a hand and snapped his fingers. A moving bubble of sound protection passed over us, blurring the outer world. I continued, "How are the Omega Strains doing?"


    "Excellent. There have been no issues outside of a few untimely deaths."


    I frowned, my eyes widening with shock. Torix cackled, "You should see the gaze you just gave me. Hilarious, I tell you. No one has died. I am a lich, a true master of life and death, after all. Given your orders, I''ve taken care of these test subjects as instructed."


    I let out a sigh, "Thank you. Should we move forward with the project then?"


    "Absolutely."


    "Cool. I''m thinking of taking my golems with me when going towards Blegara. They''ll help me harvest as many Omega Strains as possible while we''re over there. Do you think they''re ready for that?"


    Torix stopped in place, and I turned to him. He raised his hands, "That''s...That''s genius."


    I raised a fist, "Hell yeah. The thing is, I have no idea where all the golems I sent you are. I''ll need to swing by and pick them up. Same with Spear." I looked around, "Speaking of which, where the hell is Spear? It''s been a while since we last talked."


    Torix scoffed, "Oh, I''ve been utilizing that resource since you gained Helios as your personal chauffeur. If you''d like to meet with Spear, we''re on our way to him."


    I pursed my lips, "Huh. Okay."


    We went deeper through our abandoned tunnel, passed where the Omega Strains were located. Further beyond, a newly built door stationed itself a ways away from every other experimental chamber. From inside, dim shouting echoed out. I turned to Torix, "What''s in there?"


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself, "Let us find out."


    The door swung open, and an expansive concrete room unveiled itself. It was larger than a football field, having steel pillars dispersed throughout it. Closer to our side of the room, Spear stood with his chest out and spear at his side. He planted it down, and a battalion of super golems followed suit. Spear roared,


    "I serve my master. His will is my will. His goal is my goal."


    The super golems made a telepathic shout, repeating his words. After finishing that statement, Spear looked towards us, his Sentinel armor still cracked over him. Spear pointed back towards the super golems, "Meditate on the depths of your gratitude as I speak with your masters."


    The golems thought back, "Sir, yes, sir."


    They sat down in unison, crossing their legs and meditating as Spear liked to. I gawked at him,


    "So, you''ve been busy, huh?"


    Spear walked up, "Yes. I gave these things the course we Sentinels went through, but I replaced Schema and the system with the Harbinger and his guild." Spear peered at the group of nearly fifty super golems, "It has worked well enough."


    I peered at the disciplined group, "No kidding." I waved my hands, "Anyways, I need these guys to help me get some stuff on Blegara. Can you warp me there?"


    "Yes. When will that need to occur?"


    "As soon as you can make it happen."


    Spear turned and shouted at the golems, "Everyone stand. You have a new mission effective immediately."


    They did as he said, standing into position. Spear stepped aside, "This man needs no introduction. He''ll brief you on the mission, and you''ll do as he says. Understood?"


    A thought roared back, "Sir, yes, sir."


    Nervousness crept up my spine as I coughed into a hand, "Ahem, ahem. So, uh, I''ll need you to harvest Omega Strains from Blegara tomorrow morning. Torix will show you them, and you''ll just put them in your personal pocket dimension. They have very little mass, so it''s more so a speedy harvesting mission than anything else."


    They spoke out with an awe-inspiring level of unity, "Sir, yes, sir."


    I spread out my hands to Spear, "Holy shit. You''re good at this."


    Spear took a deep, satisfied breath, "It comes naturally to me. I love this feeling. Discipline, honor, and gratitude - that''s all a soldier really needs." Spear stared into the distance, his mind wandering to a different time,


    "By Schema, I loved boot camp. Those were the days."


    Staring at Spear, I realized I would never have been a great soldier. I was too stubborn and defiant, and though I recognized those qualities as strengths, the military wasn''t the place for them. In this case, the golems'' single-mindedness made them far more effective as a unit. So much so, they intimidated even me.


    Lacking any kind of complaints, I messaged Amara, detailing the contents of our new mission. Handling everything I needed doing in the day, I went by my living space, the personal suite at the top of Mt. Verner. Surfing her obelisk and relaxing on our bed, Althea peered up at me. I grinned at her-  and she returned the gesture.


    We rested together for a while, relaxing and enjoying some time off for once. A bit later, I ordered a few foodstuffs, and a chef from the lower floors had them delivered. Waiting and talking, Althea told all about the mission, focusing more on how she felt during it rather than stating facts. It affected her more than I think she realized.


    The encounter with the Spacial Fortress stuck out as particularly traumatizing. I waited on addressing my concerns until after our evening meal for that, wanting her to have a good time. We got two glasses of wine, two steaks, and a cilantro soup dish I enjoyed. I didn''t make it for me, though. That soup had been her favorite from when we did these dates all the time before we killed Yawm.


    Ever since killing him and coming to Giess, quiet moments like this came less and less frequently. I tried staying in the moment, really soaking the meal and time with her in. Despite not wanting to, time passed as we sat at a glass table for two. Before we knew it, we watched the sunset in the distance, talking all the while.


    It was the most relaxing day I''d had in a long time.


    As the night settled down, we cuddled on our bed. Althea looked stressed out, and despite my curiosity, I took my time, trying to exercise some patience. I leered at her while asking,


    "Hey."


    She muttered back,


    "Hey."


    "So, I don''t mean to pry, but you seem stretched thin. Is everything okay?"


    She looked up at me as I hugged her from behind, "I...I think it is. At least it is now."


    She cuddled closer, and we sat there for a few minutes. Thinking I resolved the issue, I relaxed some. Althea spoke up,


    "Maybe I''m not okay. I feel...petrified. It''s weird."


    "What do you think has you so shaken up?"


    Her eyes glazed over, and she relived a terrible memory. She shook it off, "I think it''s...uh, that fortress thing."


    I tried being gentle with my words, "What about the fortress thing?"


    "Seeing one up close, it really puts into perspective how powerful Schema is. It also made me feel helpless. I couldn''t have done anything, and we''re lucky we''re alive. In all those missions, that''s the closest I''ve come to death in a while. Maybe ever."


    I didn''t know what to say, so we stayed quiet. Althea stared at the ceiling, taking a moment to think. Her voice cracked a bit, "Yeah...I''ll pull through. It''s just, you know, hard sometimes."


    She blinked back a few tears before I winced. She cried for a while, and I couldn''t think of anything to say. Instead, I took deep breaths, trying to soothe her with my own sense of calm. It helped, but she still shivered a bit from the whole experience. She stared out a window into the dark after settling down, and she murmured,


    "Do you ever feel like you''re in over your head sometimes with all of this galactic war stuff?"


    I closed my eyes, "All the time."


    She pursed her lips, "How do you get through it?"


    "By moving forward. I''ve found that if I overthink about what''s happened to me, I end up getting overwhelmed."


    "That doesn''t exactly sound healthy."


    "Yeah, it''s probably not."


    She laughed a little, more so as a release than out of genuine humor. She whispered, "I don''t think I''m strong enough to do that all the time like you are."


    I shook my head, "No, I don''t think it''s real strength. I think...I think I''m hiding from something. I never look at this terrible monster chasing me, and instead, I keep looking forward. You''re the strong one. You face that monster head-on, even when you know it''s horrifying."


    "You really think so?"


    "I know so."


    We lingered there for a minute, and she wore a sad smile on her face. Within minutes, she fell asleep in my arms, exhaustion taking her. I used gravity as I got myself out from around her, and the whole event got me thinking about our circumstances. We were dragged into this after just wanting to avoid our unknown statuses. Even after killing Yawm, Schema wanted more from us.


    Now, he got more. Probably more than he ever hoped for, and that left me angry and resentful. Schema had a bad habit of playing a rigged game with people, one where he always ended up on top. I wasn''t precisely boiling with hatred, but some bitterness leveled overtime at the AI. This kind of incessant, constant stress...it wasn''t good for people.


    I might handle it via stats and my armor, but most were like Althea, barely holding on all the time. It wasn''t fair, not to her or anyone really. Elysium showed a better way, but they went about their changes via mass murder. Torturing the eldritch and silvers wasn''t exactly right either. I learned that fact from Amara and Other Hod, who helped us and worked within our guild just fine. I was sure other eldritch wouldn''t be so different, at least some of them.


    Seeing people struggle like this all the time, it made me think back to my contract with Yawm. He used Etorhma''s cipheric augments to power the deal, and he likely copied a lot of his own contracts formed with the Old Ones. For that reason, it was a guaranteed outcome - I had to rewrite a meaningful change in Schema''s code at some point down the line.


    To do so would require more studying, a few Builders like Amara, and luck.  If all that did happen, which was a big if, then I''d write down some of the changes Elysium fought for. While I disagreed with their methods, their goal was sound. They wanted Schema to be finished and become fully realized. Routine updates would be even better, but I doubt Schema would allow that to ever happen.


    Still, it was worth wondering about.


    After leaving Althea to sleep, I went and made golems all night. The routine, fulfilling hustle cleared my head by morning, and I met up with Spear and his super golem armada. They looked ready and trained for the task, all of them knowing how to use their storages. Their own repositories lacked many of my pocket dimension''s abilities, but they got the job done.


    Ready and waiting, these giants surrounded Amara. The eldritch Builder shivered while around them, and her terror suffused the entire area. As I showed up, she actually relaxed a bit. Amara still gawked at the titanic golems like they were demons, but my presence helped. Her promotion to a follower gained her trust, which was a whole lot better than controlling her through abject terror.


    With everything set up, I stood beside Spear, who began waving his dimensional slicers. With a quick wave of his hands, he cut open a downward-facing slice through space-time, and I helped finish the cut. With a torrential portal opened, my golem battalion marched through towards Blegara''s liquid surface. We jumped into the portal, landing just above the sea. If we didn''t take these precautions, Mt. Verner would flood with Blegara''s endless oceans.


    We splashed across the surface, sinking down. I stared around, inspecting all that Elysium accomplished in a week.


    Yet again, they defied expectations.

 289 Amassing Potential

    While sinking miles and miles from Saphigia, Elysium already set up shop in the Vagni''s capital. They constructed a net out of energy to hold in mana pollution. This purple sludge sustained a silver population, all of it grown at the top of this purple pillar. Saysha beetles constructed a landmass of metal, and merjects acted as Hybrid fodder at the top of it.


    All of this occurred at the city''s core. Outside of this new wall of congealed pollution, the Vagni thrived. They accepted Elysium''s rule, and like I predicted, they already set up a system here. That much was evident by the sheer number of aquatic Hybrids swimming with the Vagni. The natives even grew in size and speed. That kind of change happened from enhanced stats, along with a subtle, gray hue to their skin.


    Turning gray showed constitution investment, though its intensity varied from person to person. I remembered when I played an obelisk based game once, and it had an ad in it for powders that ''de-grayed'' a person''s skin. I didn''t care enough for something like that, but I could relate to why someone would.


    Sinking towards an aquatic, isolated cliffside, I stepped up and peered at the now Elysium city. They granted breathing equipment and a swimming course for land dwellers, all of it hosted in several classes. They kept the same adventurer''s guild format for completing quests and gaining access to Hybrids. Elysium also erected many buildings, some full of air and others without it, for Vagni and land members alike.


    The most massive change came from the upgraded road systems. That was something I noticed about Elysium so far - they emphasized transportation. On Earth, they cleaned the countryside of roaming eldritch for trade routes. In Gypsum, they implanted many teleporters for navigation.


    In this case, Elysium implanted Leviathan based Hybrids at various intervals. These colossal creatures channeled mana, creating artificial water currents across Saphigia. This allowed for a better flow of goods and people, granting immediate economic prosperity. Combine that with the clearing out of nearby eldritch, and the Vagnis'' farms and outlook changed for the better.


    This was no subtle shift either; it was night and day compared to the Empire''s approach. The albony wanted to rule via suppression, like a heel crushing a neck. Elysium took a more carrot-on-a-stick approach. The carrot was tempting to get, so the Vagni sprinted towards it, and they ran exactly where the Adair''s wanted them to go.


    Outside of those direct changes, Elysium managed to reconstruct most of the ruined areas of Saphigia. They used origin mages that molded matter into the collapsed buildings and streets. Since the Vagni''s homes weren''t symmetrical, even a novice mage could get some work done. That assumed their mana reserves held up.


    I watched a mage create a wall in the distance as Amara drifted up to me. She breathed in the water around her using one of the rings I made. Breathing out, she peered at the mage as well,


    "It would seem that they have chosen a far easier path."


    I frowned, "Yeah, I think you''re right about that."


    Amara gazed at the city, "This place...it is saturated with we eldritch, a world embodied in our image. Those here, they are all composed to the core from my kin. Elysium has taken a far kinder approach to us, merely trimming our numbers rather than calling for systematic extermination."


    I turned away from the city, a giant eldritch rolling over the countryside. I pointed at it,


    "Isn''t that monster''s goal the same? It''s just trying to eat everything alive."


    Amara winced at the gargantuan creature, the rolling ball of mouths and eyes grotesque. She shivered, "That...that is not what all eldritch wish to become. Many do, but not I. Not Hod. We wish for something else, something more. It is a tempting goal for most, I admit, but there are those of us that are different in the end. We wish for more than endless consumption and growth."


    Amara turned a palm, eyeing me from the side, "Unlike others, I could mention."


    I shrugged, "It gets the job done. At least I''m not eating someone else, right?"


    "To me, it seems no different. We will agree to disagree."


    She glared at my chest, and I knew good and well she was looking at my elemental furnace. I let the issue slide, turning back to Saphigia. Elysium''s approach worked better than Schema''s for this place, and that''s probably why the Adair''s wanted to own this territory.


    Their victory wasn''t absolute, however. I walked around a few rural villages nearby, telepathically eavesdropping on a few Vagnis'' conversations. None of them even spoke with the new rulers, many not even knowing what was happening. While I couldn''t make out complex discussions, I uncovered another seed of resentment building up.


    The Vagni didn''t like having their old gods suppressed, whether that was good for them or not. It was like forcing medicine down a dying man''s throat. Sure, they needed it, but that didn''t mean they''d like you for it. This eldritch killing provoked some animosity, and it gave me a lot of optimism going forward.


    I could suppress eldritch even better than Yawm had before me. Using that tool, I didn''t have to actually kill them. Instead, I could intimidate them, which would bolster far greater loyalty from the Vagni than merely eradicating the monsters. My golems acted as the meat and bones of this idea, spreading my presence throughout Blegara. They''d serve as reminders that the eldritch were allowed to live on this planet.


    So working within that framework, I planned on instilling a deep fear in the monsters here. Pulling out a mana crystal, I stared at it before flipping it in my fingers. Enough of these could attract a massive swarm of eldritch. Once here, we''d see whether or not my status as a living multiverse would be enough to get the eldritch on my side.


    Time would tell.


    I brainstormed these solutions while we traveled through the countryside, towards the trenches surrounding Saphigia. We created a long line of members, each of us dedicated to picking up the Omega Strains along a singular, straightforward line. Once diving down, the golems and I began harvesting Omega Strains, hastening as we went.


    After fifteen minutes of quick diving and picking up the stones, we finished one of these slices of a trench. Moving further down, we dove down again. This covered the bottom of the indentation like lawn mowing through all the Omega Strains there. We didn''t harvest most of them as we passed initially, as we kept ourselves unseen.


    It wouldn''t be the best idea for the Vagni to see hundreds of lights moving through the bottom of underwater valleys. That''s why each member of my golem armada using their abilities to search. I stayed stealthy during the entire operation as well, opting for feelers instead of lights.


    I extended hundreds of armored tendrils in all directions as I passed the ground. These felt out my immediate area, and anything that shivered at my touch, I stored in my pocket dimension. A few fish and plants were in that mix, but they didn''t exactly fill out my storage. The same could be said for the super golems, who each carried my same abilities.


    They covered a smaller area with their feelers, but they quickly learned how to get it done. Having a means and a method, we didn''t waste a ton of time, tackling the task at hand. As the process extended out into hours, we got the process ground out to a sublime level of efficiency if I say so myself.


    The whole ''feelers'' based tactic worked better than eyesight alone. I could tap and check behind rocks that would''ve taken more time to look behind. The same could be said for the super golems, though they ended up putting a lot more rocks in their storages than I did. Turns out that not giving them a sense of touch resulted in them pocketing more stones than not.


    It wasn''t too big a deal in the end as they emptied out the stones into the trench once they ascended above Omega Strain depth. Keeping the magenta-colored gemstones, the golems moved on right after. This meant the golems didn''t harvest quite as quick as I''d like, but we still accumulated plenty of strains.


    At the same time, this monotonous labor gave me plenty of time to think. Using my Congruent Mind Strain ability, I put a little bit of effort into harvesting Omega Strains. All of my other mental abilities focused on channeling my elemental furnace and checking my status. It was about time I dusted off some cobwebs there, so I handled a few of my skills and notifications.


    I had a bad habit of letting them pile up, and that penchant only got worse as I got busier. It was still better than some people I saw who checked their status after every update. They''d spend hours pruning and tidying their status every day, and it wasted a lot of time. Either way, I could afford to devote a bit more time to that process. As always, a balance was vital.


    Catching up on that, I opened my status and got to work sorting out skills. I found more updates there than I expected. The first part was the creation of two unique skills, each useful in its own right.


    Congratulations! By fusing the skills of Runic Programming, Mental Construction, Engineering, Construction, and Craftsmanship, you''ve gained the Artisan of Danger skill! 105 skillpoints rewarded.


    Artisan of Danger(lvl 27) - Others would choose to destroy enemies with their own two hands. You build that which destroys, so the arms of those you created are stained by blood in your place. Allows the superior creation of automatons, such as golems, constructs, or AIs.


    Congratulations! Artisan of Danger evolved into the Artisan of Destruction due to Apotheosis''s influence. Further enhancements were made due to Craftsmanship being capped at 100.


    This unique skill explained how I made the golems so much faster than when I started. I also hadn''t checked the entire week, so it made sense the skill was above ten already. It also contained a bit more power than most unique skills, considering how many steps and procedures were involved. The dual enhancements from a legendary skill and a capped normal skill explained that at least.


    I was confident that if I handled most of the golems'' mental creation and design process, I''d probably already have a mythic skill. Of course, I wasn''t exactly good at those things, so I let that issue slide. I couldn''t have talent in everything, and despite that imperfection, this was still a great way to start off a system update.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    In the upcoming siege, we would need as many golems as possible. Having a unique skill speed up that process was always welcome, and it planted a big smile on my face seeing it. However, there was more to read, so I didn''t relish that feeling for too long.


    Congratulations! By fusing the skills Telepathic Link, Mental Bombardment, Mental Defense, Strategy, and Mental Adaptability, you''ve gained the unique Bulwark of Logic Skill! 109 skillpoints rewarded.


    Bulwark of Logic(lvl 17) - Many would build their body, wealth, or magic. You''ve chosen the greatest resource instead; to grow the mind. Grants greater mind magic abilities and gives the user more robust, focused thoughts.


    This was the kind of skill that was endlessly useful but hard to quantify. That being said, it didn''t bother me that the ability only mentioned ethereal benefits. If anyone, and I mean anyone, could use a mental upgrade, it was me. This entire guild running thing, it was more than a handful sometimes. Making my thoughts better could only help in that regard. Having more potent mind magic was always helpful against the Adair Family''s remnants as well.


    I took these bonuses to the bank, surprised each of the skills were so pragmatic. Using my more, ahem, focused thoughts, I came up with why. I was doing useful things. Big shocker, I know, but there was more depth behind that line of thinking than the statement implied. It came from a conversation with our resident lich.


    I spoke with Torix over the last week while creating golems, and we talked a lot about all kinds of stuff. Gaining skills was one of those topics. Besides discussing how to make some generic, useful skills, we got into more philosophical discussions. At one point, the chat shifted to a standard growth strategy used by newer sentients: the skill accrual method.


    The idea behind it was simple. By gaining many simple, easy to learn skills, you''d build up a considerable base of skillpoints to enhance skill trees. Most of the time, this risk-averse practice involved practicing all kinds of generic skills then leaving a safe spot once you''d gained a certain amount of treepoints.


    It turns out, Torix was once one of these skill hoarders. He sat and studied for decades on innumerable subjects, developing the first twenty points of a given skill. This gave him plenty of treepoints, but Torix ultimately regretted his time doing that.


    In his own words,


    ''Learning useless skills requires time. Time, even for an immortal, represents an opportunity cost. I spent an enormity of that resource learning dozens of subjects, none useful to me. In the end, I wish I''d spent my time better. I could''ve learned skills while accomplishing meaningful tasks. Perhaps I may have had more than one mythical skill before meeting you if I''d taken a different path.''


    I tried making him feel better about that, but he was right. Personally, I preferred layering useful tasks with learning so that I got as much out of my time as possible. That''s also why I''d argue that Congruent Mind Strains was one of my most valuable unique skills to date. It gave me more from my time, which was priceless.


    It wasn''t like adding more endurance at this point because I didn''t really notice attribute increases any more. That included attributes like intelligence or perception since my stat totals were simply too high. So percentage-wise, even a thousand point increase in an attribute made little difference.


    These recent skill gains made a much more significant difference. In fact, that got me thinking about intelligence in general. It never seemed to make much of a difference for my mental plasticity. I could calculate and learn faster, but my generalized critical thinking still suffered. Experience helped me some there, but intelligence did less than expected. Mulling it over, I believed my lack of mental skills was the likely culprit.


    Unlike thinking skills, I pursued physical and magical abilities with conviction, and that single-minded focus paid dividends over time. By comparison, I neglected my mind. That''s probably why I never manifested as some genius despite my sky-high intelligence.


    I mean, a mind''s acuity was a challenging thing to gauge anyway, so I doubted Schema''s ability to produce actual, genuine masterminds using only the system. If anything, I think he simply accentuated already existing aptitude rather than created it. I worked with what would be a smaller base than most then, at least in my opinion.


    It made me wonder what someone smarter would be capable of given all my attributes, like Torix or Tohtella. Either way, these mental skills meant I could accomplish more tasks with less time. It made me feel a little more like Torix''s disciple, considering he had plenty of these thought-based skills at his disposal already.


    Looking through my unique and mythical skills, I had more than I thought. In fact, I already had Knowledge Maker on top of these two new mental skills. If I fused them, I''d have an actual mind based mythical skill. That would be pretty cool. I put that on my to-do lists and speaking of which, I poured my treepoints into my Sovereign skilltree.


    I ended up with less than 50 points remaining for my class unlock. It wouldn''t be long now.


    I''d unlock that class after giving our Omega Strains to Torix. That wouldn''t be long, considering our harvesting of the Omega Strains was almost complete. I had the golems dump their extra strains into my own storage once theirs was full, and this let them do a few more laps around the trenches. By the time we left, we had harvested over 10,000 of the gemstones. It was more than enough for everyone in our entire guild and then some. I didn''t intend on selling them or anything, but extras were always appreciated.


    As we finished up, I met with one of the last golems to finish their job, waiting for them to finish. Reaching above Omega Strain depth, I found Alpha, and I gave him a wave, opening up a telepathic link,


    "Hey, what''s up?"


    Alpha peered up at me, seeming kind of down, "I believe that the sky is upwards, based on my current perspective."


    "Hah. Anyways, what has you down?"


    "I don''t understand. How am I to be asked what is up then told I am down? I am confused."


    I tapped my chin, thinking my way through this, "I''m just wondering why you aren''t as energetic as normal."


    "Oh. I...I was sent on a mission with others. We scoped a dungeon full of monsters. We succeeded in our assignment."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Huh, you don''t sound very happy about it."


    "I am not. I injured one of my teammates. They lived, but I was reminded of many things. One of the harshest of which is my body. I am a living blot of stone and metal. All that exists around me is temporary, yet I am eternal. That is a harrowing concept to realize, and I am grappling with the terms of my existence."


    A sinking feeling went through my stomach, a sense of responsibility brooding over me. Alpha turned towards the trench,


    "This, working with my kin, has lifted my spirits, however. It is not that I dislike completing missions with humans. It is simply that I don''t wish to destroy them. I''ve found that task arduous, and for many reasons."


    Alpha shook his head, "They...they are broken so easily. It is a miracle that any of them are still living."


    Hearing the golem''s concerns, I related quite a bit. Dealing with people was always hard, but in Alpha''s case, he struggled for different reasons than most. It reminded me of using Event Horizon and avoiding my own troops. It made something easy into something severe, and I often wondered if I fought better alone. In some ways, I did, but In others, I didn''t. I reached out a hand,


    "Just remember that while you''re physically stronger, you''re not necessarily as experienced, tactically sound, or as mentally powerful. A group of mind mages and tacticians would work wonders at releasing your full potential. I''m the same way. I''m great at tearing things down, but I struggle with a more targeted approach."


    A shiver ran up my spine while thinking about Lehesion,


    "And you never know when your limits will be tested one day. Learning to work with other people raises your abilities in general, pushing that limit-testing day back. Besides, you won''t know ahead of time if you''ll be ready. It''s always nice knowing someone has your back if a situation falls through."


    Alpha peered up at me in wonder, "In that way, I wish I were like you, master."


    I raised my eyebrows, "What do you mean?"


    "You hold no limit. I am absolute in this, my faith strong like a sun''s wind and a star''s death. Simply act with confidence, and you shall never fail."


    As naive as Alpha was, I wanted to believe him. I put a hand on his shoulder,


    "Yeah, sure."


    He gave me a bow, following the other golems. I rolled my shoulders, finishing up our trip here. We trekked across the changing underwater horizon until we met with Spear and Amara. Our hacking eldritch already infiltrated their system, and she leisurely scrolled through a few files from their databases. Spear meditated, perhaps reflecting on his gratitude or Schema''s code. It was hard to say.


    Walking over, I tapped his shoulders, "Hey, you ready to warp us out?"


    Spear snapped into action, standing straight up from his cross-legged position, "Yes. I am."


    A quick rip through realities later, and we walked through Mt. Verner once more, this time from the golems'' training room. Getting a message back from Torix, I figured out he was in his bird emporium. We walked there, and as we did, I talked with Spear.


    "I spoke with Helios the other day about warping. He made it sound complicated, but you seem able to teleport anywhere after just having been there. How do you manage to do that? Does it work the same way as normal warping?"


    Spear kept looking forward, "Our spears are calibrated with integrated positioning systems. This ties us to Schema''s positional network, and we can use those spots to warp places. The spear does most of the work, tethering the locations while we open a wormhole through time and space."


    "Ah, so it''s that blade there and the cipher inside it then?"


    "Yes."


    I stared at the device, "Could I use one of those?"


    "You could, but you would be exiled from Schema''s system immediately."


    "Well, that''s a hard stop on swinging one of those."


    "That isn''t the only law you would''ve already broken. When you made Amara a follower, the Overseer and Schema were displeased."


    I frowned, "You know, Schema uses several gargantuan, world eating eldritch to do his bidding. I''m using a small, smart eldritch to help with system issues since Schema won''t help me. Even then, Amara''s put herself at risk for my guild and Schema''s benefit. There''s a point where exceptions to rules should be made."


    "The rules for Schema are different than the rules for you."


    Walking through the glowing fungus hallway, I shrugged, "And that''s why Schema''s fighting this war. He sets the rules then doesn''t follow them. That''s not exactly the best way to incite loyalty."


    Spear crossed his arms, "We shall agree to disagree."


    I opened the door towards the bird''s observatory, "Eh, I''m fine with that."


    We peered inside, and within the open area, two dozen individuals practiced fighting with the Omega Strains. Using different manifestations of the living crystal, they jousted with their own unique abilities. Some of the gemstones collected around a person''s arms, so they used them like blades to gut enemies. Other strains collected over a battler''s legs, making them agile and fast.


    Further still, some of these new crystals embodied different kinds of fighting styles. Some of them molded over their wearer into the shapes of animals, like snakes or wolves. The user attacked in these forms, working within the bounds of their new bodies. Other crystals created mana amplifying gauntlets and helmets, giving the wearer the ability to channel energy faster and better.


    One gemstone even hovered as a floating sword around its user, accentuating the wearer''s hand to hand combat. It connected via a tiny thread of crystal, like the links of a chain. It got my blood pumping just looking at these iterations, and my mind raced with possibilities for how to win in hand to hand combat.


    Before I jumped down there with them, Torix stepped up to me, his arms interlocked behind him,


    "Ah, it''s good to see alive and well. How was the mission?"


    I opened my pocket dimension, pulling out a dozen or so magenta-colored crystals and hovering them in a circle. Torix cackled,


    "Hah, perfect. Is there an estimate on the number of Omega Strains present?"


    "At least ten thousand. Maybe more."


    "Perfect. We''ll be more than ready for strain divisions then, even after our guild''s expansion into Blegara. This development suits our plans well."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You sound like you''ve come up with something new to add?"


    Torix raised both his hands, primordial mana pooling in one palm and ascendant mana emanating from the other. His eyes flared bright,


    "Oh, most certainly."

 290 An Archmage

    I leaned back, gawking at the two different mana types. Torix moved them back and forth, and I kept my gaze locked on them like they were two headless babies. Ah man, bad similes aside, Torix created a pool of quintessence before allowing all the mana types to wisp away. I blinked,


    "So...what the hell happened?"


    Torix pointed above his status, and I analyzed it.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 10,000(Cap: 15,000) | Class: Archmage | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion...)


    I spread out my hands, "So you got a new class too, huh?"


    The lich beamed with pride and joy, "But of course. It wasn''t precisely easy to gain the skillpoints required, but I''ve hacked away at this for a while now. Unlocking it was only a matter of time."


    "So, I''m guessing the class is how you''re making the new manas?"


    "It is. While it didn''t unlock them all, it did drastically ease the manas production. I, over the last little while, managed to unlock all three advanced types, which gives me an absurd manner of flexibility. I only recently unlocked quintessence, which was by far the most difficult. That being said, I wanted to showcase my strides all at once."


    He puffed out his chest, "Seeing your flabbergasted face was more than worth the effort. Just as well, given my excellent usage of limited resources, I can say with finality that I''ll be a force within the guild."


    I imagined him riding on an undead dragon with a legion of zombie wyverns behind him. It seemed right.


    "Man, I can''t believe you guys are getting advanced classes before I even unlocked mine."


    Torix rolled his fire eyes, "I''m certain yours is without equal and will likely outdo my own with ease. For now, however, I''m pleased that for once, I surprised you instead of you surprised me."


    I grinned, "Alright, you got me, I''ll admit it...What else did the class give you?"


    We both leaned over as he opened his status sheet. He was eager to show me the benefits of his class, just as I was excited to see them.


    They were massive.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition(lvl 10,000)


    Strength ¨C 2,271 | Constitution ¨C 2,569 | Endurance ¨C 6,479


    Dexterity ¨C 1,104 | Willpower ¨C29,578 | Intelligence ¨C 38,215


    Charisma ¨C 18,348 | Luck ¨C 13,104 | Perception ¨C 7,429


    Health: 1.4 Million/1.4 Million | Health Regen: 2.8 Million/min


    Mana: 5.6 Million/5.6 Million | Mana Regen 7.7 Million/min


    Stamina: Infinite | Mass: 683,830 pounds |Height: Actual - 9''8 (2.94 meters) | Damage Res - 97.5%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 32,735% | Damage Bonus ¨C 45%


    Archmage - Allows the fluid usage of all mana types simultaneously. Increases mana regeneration, mana, willpower, intelligence, and charisma by 30%. Spells cast 50% quicker, basic grimoire skills require no charge up period or grimoire use, and forbidden tier spells unlocked for grimoire implementation. Cipher knowledge is no longer forbidden. Forbidden tier research unlocked. Allows the learning of arcane, antimatter, and dimensional magics.


    I stared at the archmage description, along with his beefed-up stats. Re-reading it, I pointed at the passage, "Do you mind running this by me real quick? Some of this I''m not familiar with."


    Torix leaned back, putting a skeletal hand on his chest, "Why, I thought you''d never ask." He coughed into a hand out of habit,


    "Ahem, the first ability gives me the usage of these advanced mana types with ease once learned. While I have yet to discover the method of fusing the manas, I have ascertained their individual uses. This should allow me to do many things, such as bolstering my undead with quintessence or creating soldiers with primordial mana."


    He turned his hand in a circle, "That isn''t the only avenue for their usages, however. I could send an army of my summons mad using the wild hunger of ascendant mana. I will use quintessence during my lectures, augmenting my student''s ability to learn. I''ll be able to craft specific teaching chambers using primordial mana, complete with guides made for the sole purpose of teaching."


    Torix''s eyes flared brighter, "I can concoct individuals with minds expressly made with my insights. They shall share and showcase the best nuggets of knowledge I''ve gained, and that will define their existences. I can curate experimental environments for my research, perhaps create plagues that inflict pain or poisons that muddle the mind."


    Torix''s eyes turned red, "And I''ll be showcasing tortures unbounded by my previous limitations."


    A tense moment passed before Torix''s eyes turned blue again, "Though I''ll reserve that for those that deserve said treatment."


    A chill ran up my spine as I gave him two thumbs up, "You got it, chief."


    Torix waved his hands, "All that being said, there are numerous other benefits my archmage class has given me. The stat boost, while simplistic, is appreciated. I can always use more mana and stats. As for the passage regarding specific spells, well, you''ve seen that in action."


    I raised a hand, "Oh, like when you used the mobile silencing aura."


    "Precisely. That is an example of an elementary quieting spell and casting that usually requires the formation of several magical paths and runic configurations. It''s nothing overly complex, mind you, but it''s still a hassle to do without preparation. I believe I''ve done so in the past, but I oftentimes pfrepped those instances."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Always aiming to impress, huh?"


    He cackled, "Hah, naturally. What else did you expect of me? Regardless, the other aspects of the class are long term. That would seem to be the meat and bones of an advanced class update - they grant access to otherwise inaccessible things. These new doors can be opened to unveil new horizons otherwise left hidden."


    I slowly nodded, "It''s like you''re tearing down all these walls Schema built around you, huh. That''s cool."


    "I have a penchant for agreeing. These newfound magics will inevitably strengthen my own offensive potential greatly as well. Combine those abilities with my bolstered magical flare, and I''ll become a lich of great renown. And here I believed my magnum opus was used during my first ascension as a lich."


    Torix lifted his hands, "This, this means I will manifest as a galactic presence, given time and preparation. I will unfold an endless night on our enemies, and with my mind, I''ll unleash devastation on those that would oppose us. They''ll howl as their souls are torn and ripped asunder, and those screams will fall on deaf ears."


    The lich steepled his fingers, "They''ll know the terror of a lich unbounded."


    The people around us let off a cold sweat before I crossed my arms, "Hell yes...but I think you terrified everyone here."


    Torix peered around before raising his palms to everybody, "Oh, don''t mind me, everyone. I''m merely showcasing my plans to our guildleader. Continue as you were."


    Everybody hustled, fearful of Torix''s wrath. Even I felt daunted by his energy, but it was good knowing he was on our side. I gave him a nudge, "It''s good to see you''re keeping up with me. For a while, I thought I''d leave you behind."


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Torix shook his head and scoffed, "Oh, I''m certain when your class is unlocked, all comparisons between us will end. Of this, I have no doubt...Speaking of classes, how close are you to unlocking yours? You began your investment long before I did."


    "I''m like, twenty-seven points away or something like that."


    Torix froze in place. An awkward, tense silence passed over us before I murmured, "Uh, you ok?"


    Torix jeered, "Twenty seven points or something like that...Wow, Daniel, I understand you can be single-minded at times, but even I am flabbergasted by your ability to close out distractions. In this case, I believe one of those distractions would bolster not only your abilities but our guild''s overall morale. After all, we pulled back from Blegara, and our troops need a reason to continue fighting in this war."


    He threw up his hands, "And you could serve as said motivation. We can brand it as such - The Harbinger was waiting, and his class has arrived. May he have mercy on our enemies. That would explain the solace without expressing weakness. This, this takes priority over everything else."


    I shrugged, "Eh, we needed to get the Omega Strains. This was coming after all that."


    Torix sighed, "Well then, the Omega Strains are harvested and being processed as we speak. This is the perfect place to learn a few new skills, no matter what they are. Let us go and train in anything for the next few hours. That should just about do it for your class unlock."


    I rolled my shoulders, "How about some mental combat?"


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself, "You''re on, disciple."


    We paced out towards the golems'' chambers as they unloaded Omega Strains. In this space, a team of mages helped hover the Omega Strains into wooden crates, making sure to avoid contact with them for now. My golems picked up these crates, taking them towards a new, industrialized room down the hall.


    I snooped at all of that as Torix and I walked towards an empty part of the golems'' training center. Already feeling the pressure, Torix and I bowed to each other before I gripped my fists a couple times,


    "So, what''s the intensity this time?"


    Torix peered up before staring at me, "Let''s try full force, shall we?"


    In an instant, his mind linked to mine, and it extended like a spear into my psyche. My vision blurred before he extended out his grasp, ripping and tearing in all directions. It ached like rusty hooks flaying my skin off. Without pain resistance, I''d of been crippled in the initial assault, let alone the powerful follow up.


    But I''d maxed out that skill long ago.


    I regrouped my mental base, regaining control of my senses and memories. Torix retreated, and as he did, I lurched out through our telepathic connection. He deflected and darted around my assault, and like a child swinging his fists in frustration, my retaliation proved ineffective.


    I wasn''t one for giving up, however. I kept pressuring him, and Torix bounded around my attacks. He repositioned his mind, turning into a squirming medusa. From each piece of his consciousness, he exerted an individual pressure. This multipronged attack combined with his fluidity and dodging, enabling tricky assaults that evaded my own.


    At this point in our practice, I''d take an absolute beatdown of punishment before snagging Torix a few times once he exhausted himself. This approach, while a winning strategy, wasn''t exactly the most effective fighting style. It relied on my superior stats, and beating someone who was my equal like that wouldn''t work.


    Using my big old brain, I theory crafted a few ideas executing via a different mind strain. I facepalmed after a few seconds. I was literally using the skill I should be attacking Torix with. Bolstered by this new idea, I created several individual, congruent mind strains. These consciousnesses handled different aspects of my mental warfare.


    One handled the offensive aspects, the other dealt with the defensive measures. The last mind strain was the smallest fragment, and it coordinated the two. This line of communication kept the two minds working together well. Instead of attacking with all my force, I let out sharper, more precise jabs. At the same time, I deflected and blocked some of Torix''s retaliations.


    Now, I wasn''t going toe to toe with the lich all of a sudden, but I did improve my odds substantially. This effort continued, my minds coordinating better with time, and my mental wounds less substantial as the battle waged on. Torix still remained composed, his hands interlocked behind him, but I could sense more tension in his mental movements. They weren''t made with the same effortless ease as earlier. There was a ''flex'' to them they once lacked.


    That signified effort, and that was excellent. Bare minimum, this meant Torix would exhaust himself faster than on average. I still didn''t have the same offensive potential that he did, however. Splitting my mind further, I made a strain that brainstormed ideas for improving my combat. After an hour, I got an idea.


    I used another of my skills, Knowledge Maker, and I reviewed our previous bouts as we fought. This required changing one of my split minds into a reviser and a recheck-er. It skimmed our old fights, and it took notes on Torix''s patterns or openings. It didn''t find many, the ancient lich having kept his game on point over our many spars. Despite Torix''s relentless and methodical style, there were still opportunities here or there.


    I had two of my mind strains talk with each other, the planner and the note taker. They came up with mini-plans for my other, primary attacking consciousnesses. They then created varied assault patterns that alternated every few minutes. At this point, I pressured Torix plenty, the old lich having unlocked his hands and leaned forward. His eyes flared with fury, his effort spiking far more than usual.


    The ancient sorcerer adapted to my new approach, and he implemented unusual attacks of his own. He shifted his offensive patterns, wielding his mind like a pointed spear and a parrying shield. I kept my minds working to their fullest extents, cycling through old attacking diagrams and attempting advanced maneuvers. At some point, all these disparate actions clicked in place, and I pressed that advantage.


    On the backfoot for once, Torix used runic work and his newfound grimoire spells to level the playing field. With those new tools and a bit of quintessence, I fell into the pressured side once more. This trend continued, Torix emboldened by his newfound success. His attacks enhanced in volume, each one carrying lethal intent. Torix''s defensive and offensive measures fused into one, becoming a cyclone of both.


    He ripped holes through my consciousness, his full force unleashed. I never brought out this kind of intensity from the guy before, but I still stood my ground when faced with Torix''s mind. I shifted, turned, planned, revised, and disciplined my approach. I worked out my old plans, keeping the best of them, and I improved those approaches, using feints, flanking, and multi-faceted attacks.


    We ended up entering a flow to our combat, one that let us lose track of time. By the end of our sparring session, I found myself more taxed than after receiving a complete beatdown. Taking damage was much more comfortable than flexing all these new, mental ''muscles,'' so to speak. It left me with a slight, dull headache, one numbed by my pain tolerance.


    Finishing up our spar, we leaned against a wall nearby. Torix gave me a nod of approval, "Now, that was an actual match. You''ve yet to beat me on equal footing yet, but I must say, that was a good attempt. The best so far, in fact."


    I rubbed my temples, massaging out some mental fatigue. I''d recover quickly, and even being a little tired, it felt good to face a challenge like this. Torix waved a hand, "So, have you completed the class requirements yet?"


    I shrugged, "Eh, maybe. I''ll check."


    I opened my status, and I found a surprise waiting for me.


    Congratulations! By fusing the unique skills Knowledge Maker, Bulwark of Logic, and Congruent Mind Strains, you''ve created the mythical skill, A Manifold Mind. 92 Skillpoints rewarded!


    A Manifold Mind(lvl 13) - You''ve honed your mind in many ways, exceeding your peers. Now that mind exceeds expectations. A Manifold Mind allows the creation of multiple consciousnesses, each of them close to full power. Effectiveness and the number of minds increase with higher skill levels.


    It was one of those skills I wished I''d made years ago. Holding multiple minds working at the same time, well, that was godly stuff. It contained a mystique about it I couldn''t match with most skills, let alone at the mythical level. Even if it acted only as an evolution for Congruent Mind Strains, that was still better than most legendary skills.


    Why? Because it would save me so much time.


    I showed Torix the skill, and he leaned back in awe, "Now, normally, your mythical skills aren''t precisely the kind I''d envy. After all, they tend to be the smashy sort. This one, however, is very different. That is the exact kind of skill I''d like more than any I currently have. Given my mind''s limitations, I''d love to see what I could accomplish with that ability."


    Torix pressed his hands together as if giving a prayer, "Please, use that to its fullest extent. It would be a shame to see it go to waste."


    I grinned at the skill, "Oh, I will. In fact-"


    I got to work, thinking up several minds doing different things. One of them hummed the furnace, handling the meditative effort. The other one let me continue talking with Torix,


    "I was already firing my furnace, but now the conversion is better. It also distracted me some, so I can give you more of my full attention."


    "While that certainly sounds useful, it does beg the question - what else will you use it for?"


    I peered up, thinking of fighting, "Well, I know I have a lot of different styles of combat I can use. Normally, I''m limited to using one or two at a time, like gravitational fighting or elemental casting. This will let me use several attacks at once. If anything, this is like a multiplier for my abilities in general."


    Torix stared at the empty, concrete room, "It worked wonders during our mind magic battle. Normally, I give you quite the thrashing before your relentlessness overcomes my skill. This time that came to pass as usual, but with far less reliance on the unyielding aspect. I can''t imagine what you''d do in combat with that skill. It sends a shiver up my spine imagining it."


    I opened my dimensional storage over my forearm, like a shield, "I''ll use this more, along with its reversing capabilities. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve too. My ambient auras, pressure-based abilities, gravitation, telekinesis, even my enhanced senses, I could really tear a battlefield up if I used all of it all at once."


    "It sounds rather absurd in practice. I''ll enjoy seeing that used on Blegara. That being said-" Torix leaned close,


    "Let''s see the class, shall we?"


    I smiled, putting all my points into the Sovereign tree. A message popped up.


    Congratulations! You''ve unlocked a rare class variant - The Sovereign.

 291 A Sovereign

    I showed Torix my status, and we read with a vicious hunger.


    Becoming a sovereign entails tremendous opportunities, and it entails even greater responsibilities. By accepting this class, you''ve ushered yourself into the highest echelon of those living. It''s similar to attaining godhood, and in that matter, you decide what your reign will represent. Will it be a rule of benevolence or one of annihilation?


    You will decide.


    Class completion - 100%


    The Sovereign is a class oriented around conquering, expansion, and a widescale influence. It is one of the system''s highest level classes, and it comes with many benefits that few know of. You will be one of those few, and if you use the benefits offered to you wisely, you can unlock doors that will vastly broaden your overall potential.


    Good luck.


    Since the Sovereign gives many broad and other specific bonuses, they''ll be detailed below using a series of general bonus outliers. This structures the numerous additions, granting you the opportunity to organize all the benefits therein.


    I turned to Torix, "They have to sort everything, or else people get lost. Woah."


    Torix raised a finger to his skeletal mouth, "Shh. I''m reading it."


    I followed suit.


    The main benefits of the Sovereign class are as follows:


    <ol>


    <li> A Sovereign''s skills are without equal, and those that attempt to find the depths of your talent, they will be lost in the ocean they find.</li>


    </ol>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A. Doubled learning rate of sovereign skills.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">B. Doubled ease of sovereign skill formation.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">C. Sovereign skills enhance other skills.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">D. After creating a sovereign skill, you gain three more legendary skill slots. This allows three legendary skills and one sovereign skill in total.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">E. A sovereign skill forms perks based on the kind of owned planets.</li>


    </ul>


    <ol>


    <li> A Sovereign is defined by what they rule. The stronger and more that they own, the larger their personal influence will become.</li>


    </ol>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A. You receive a 1,000 bonus to your level cap for each owned planet.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">B. Proper maintenance rewards credits.</li>


    </ul>


    Ba. 1 million credits per city maintained. Salary received yearly.


    Bb. 2.5 million credits per region maintained. Salary received yearly.


    Bc. 100 million credits per planet maintained. Salary received yearly.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">C. Terraformed and fringe worlds offer additional rewards on top of those mentioned.</li>


    </ul>


    Ca. Terraformed worlds offer 100 million credits and automatic ownership.


    Cb. Fringe worlds offer 100 million credits and 25 blue cores.


    Cc. Forbidden Knowledge - individual runic inscriptions, artifacts, and eldritch are incredibly valuable. Reward-based on the specimen.


    III. A Sovereign breaks many of the standards and norms placed on others. Where they would find barriers and closed doors, a Sovereign finds open arms.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A. You can use, learn of, and speak in the dimensional cipher, a unique runic language.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">B. You''re granted monthly meetings with the local Overseer. Yearly meetings with Schema and Baldowah are permitted. Use them wisely.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">C. Exile status is now granted after a trial amongst other Sovereigns. You are no longer under the system''s mercy.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">D. Galactic council status obtained. You can join a council that represents the will of Schema''s elite. Your vote and voice will decide future laws and changes regarding Schema''s future.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">E. Forbidden research unlocked. You may now study eldritch, Old Ones, AI technology, genetic engineering, and hidden magic. *Must receive a permit from local Overseer during monthly visitations.</li>


    </ul>


    <ol>


    <li> A Sovereign''s social prowess is well beyond notable. They command the spaces around them, dictating the will, thoughts, and drives of others.</li>


    </ol>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A. New stat unlocked - Awe | Awe is a stat deciding the application of personal pressure, aura capabilities, resistance to other''s awe, and it steadily empowers your guildsmen.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">B. Perk unlocked - A Ruler''s Bearing | This ability triples the radius of auras and AOE abilities.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">C. Perk unlocked - A Ruler''s Wisdom | Grants sharper intuition regarding many vital situations. This includes critical insights to prevent bottlenecks, better understanding of people and their intentions, and better negotiation and trade skills.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">D. Perk unlocked - A Ruler''s Majesty | Charisma granted a 10% bonus, and social skills enhanced in net effectiveness.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">E. +3,000 to your new awe stat.</li>


    </ul>


    <ol>


    <li> A Sovereign is unstoppable, a conquerer of all they see. They are granted the might to crush opponents and the persistence to do so for eternity.</li>


    </ol>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A. 100% increased total regeneration for health, mana, and stamina.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">B. 100% increase to health, mana, and stamina totals.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">C. 20% increase to attribute totals.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">D. +10,000 to level cap | Current cap: lvl 25,000</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">E. Entropy mana unlocked.</li>


    </ul>


    Remember that as a Sovereign, you may no longer push your limits. You will find that you discarded them long ago, and now, all is possible before you. Your enemies will tremble, your allies will revere, and all will know you, for you are legend.


    We stared at the variety of benefits, many of them unexpected and kind of out there. As the finalization screen popped up, I turned to Torix,


    "Welp, I''ll see you on the other side."


    Torix stood up, giving me some room, "Let''s assume it''ll be a successful transition."


    I pushed the yes button, and an absurd rush of mana coursed through my veins, bones, and mind. The energy flow left my skin heated till it glowed, and the concrete beneath me melted. Sizzling air coursed up from me, creating a wind tunnel in the room. Torix snapped his fingers, creating an insulating barrier from the rest of the room as my class changes took place.


    Once more, my skin ruptured as uncontrolled growth took place. My blood boiled as I singed the world around me. Time and space bent under the vast energies while gravity warped under my feet. I shook in place, unable to tolerate the overwhelming rush of strength, power, and vitality. I came to life once more, and my senses took the experience in.


    A dilation occurred around me. It was difficult to describe as if the space I owned increased in size. My reach exceeded the scale of this room now, taking up a reasonable chunk of the mountainside. Both above and below, my surroundings fell into my dominion. My determination here, it was absolute. It gave me a sensation of control, this territory under my will.


    That change passed, and other alterations took place. My mind sharpened, my weaknesses becoming strengths. It was as if I stood over a vast ocean of potential, and now I gained access to that endless sea. It gave me more words to say, motivation to move forward, and an understanding of people. This lucidity wrapped around me, becoming my new normal.


    Another augmentation took place after. These invisible chains that stopped me and held me back, they snapped. They opened up new possibilities and horizons that unveiled in an unseen distance. They filled me with a growing sense of hope and a renewed sense of motivation. At that moment, anything was possible.


    Once more, another phenomenon took hold of me. It was pure, unadulterated mana. It rushed. It poured. It suffused everything, drenching me down to my core. My entire being radiated, a vibration rattling me until my teeth cracked, and my bones disintegrated to powder. The enormous deluge of energy expanded outwards beyond the physical limits of my body.


    This energy emanated from the area around me, and it diffused with crackling intensity. An ionizing cloud formed throughout nearby space, the air melting. Radiation ebbed from every pore on my skin, and I went blind. I could no longer see, feel, or hear. Everything went numb outside of one sensation - energy, cosmic in size and utter in nature. It left me unable to think, and whether ten seconds passed or a hundred years, I couldn''t have told you.


    It felt like an eternity wafting in a storm of energy.


    This energy faded, gradually at first, before sinking into nothingness. It left behind different vigor, one that wasn''t foreign. It was my own. It flickered, snapped, and echoed into the distance. It left a gentle warmth, one contained but forboding a torrent of violent power. It spoke with a voice of madness, an endless hunger that feasted on its own flesh, like an ouroboros that defied nature.


    It was me.


    I stood, having fallen to my knees at some point. I stared around me, and Torix stood with his grimoire open. Twenty golems circled my transformation, each golem assisting our lich with an elaborate, runic incantation. Peering around, I found myself in a pile of mush. It was heated plasma, the air sapped from all the space around me. I existed in a vacuum contained by those around me.


    I lifted a hand, and mana poured out like a cosmic flood. Cold inundated, and the space around me stabilized. Torix and company took a deep breath, no longer needing to contain the volatile energies I emitted. As I walked over towards Torix and my first golem Alpha, their multiple protective barriers fell down.


    Over them, I loomed like a titan. I raised a hand, "There we go. It''s good that''s over with."


    Torix gawked at me, his skin crawling. I don''t know why, but I could tell. To put him at ease, I reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder, "Thank you for keeping the guild safe while I handled my class."


    Torix nodded, "Yes...disciple."


    I stepped past them and my golems. The others stared from a distance, Spear peering from behind him. Across the room, he whispered, but I heard every word,


    "And a monster is born."


    I ignored him. I''d decide if I was a monster or not. I peered at my followers, and I lifted my hands, "With my class unlocked, I''ll be able to crush Lehesion under my feet. Thank you all for helping protect my family here while that happened."


    I raised a hand, and the Rise of Eden draped out. It went well past its previous limits, covering the entirety of the room. Using its stat-boosting effects as a bolstering agent, I spoke out,


    "Now, let''s get ready for war, everyone."


    Everybody popped into action, going back to their practices¡ªall besides Torix, who stepped up to me with an inkling of hesitation. I tilted my head, "Are you alright? You seem, I don''t know, weird?" My eyes widened, "Was I out for weeks or something?"


    Torix waved his hands, fumbling with his words, "No, it''s been three hours. As for my strangeness, I...I don''t know. I-I just, so, well, hm...you feel different. That''s all."


    I grinned at him, "I''m the same."


    Torix''s posture relaxed, but he laughed, "Hah...You''re not. That much is certain."


    "We''ll see. Let''s inspect my status sheet and come up with some plans moving forward."


    "But of course."


    Heading towards Torix''s lair, I turned behind me. Reaching out a palm, I restored the missing concrete with gray stone. The vast scar my transformation left would act as a reminder of what any other considerable modifications would do. They would take time, and they might cause more damage than I expected.


    I noted that, making sure to only handle them post-combat and in a safe place. Once at Torix''s lair, he and I hovered on mana derived seating. I opened my status, and we inspected the damage done. It was plenty.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 15,000(Cap: 25,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign)


    Strength ¨C 82,480 | Constitution ¨C 102,382 | Endurance ¨C 198,003


    Dexterity ¨C 43,942 | Willpower ¨C 160,718 | Intelligence ¨C 101,818


    Charisma ¨C 41,950 | Luck ¨C 57,490 | Perception ¨C 32,921 |Awe - 5,201


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Health: 689.2 Million/689.2 Million | Health Regen: 20.3 Billion/min or 339.0 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 4.001 Trillion


    Mass: 16.8 Million Pounds(7.6 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 17''6 (5.33 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.24% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 84.4 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion - 6.7 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    Many of my stats ballooned from the class. The health and mana bonuses did most of the work, making my health regeneration absurdly high. It would only take two seconds to fully recuperate from a deadly attack. At this point, killing me would be damn difficult for even someone like Yawm. I couldn''t die in one hit, after all.


    The stat bonuses increased in a much more linear manner. They all boosted up, charisma and willpower in particular. As for everything else, I received respectable boosts in everything. The attribute bonus was the reason for that, along with all my attribute conversions. Combine that with my cipher bonuses, and every stat I owned stood towering over most specialized mains.


    Well, besides for awe.


    Wielding my new torrents of mana, I lifted a hand, squeezed it, and reached out my fingers. As I did, a quintessence crystal expanded outward. I bisected it using slicing, telekinetic panels. I pulled those pieces apart, hovering them millimeters from each other using hundreds of gravity wells. Turning to Torix while raising my eyebrows,


    "Well...It was worth the wait, I suppose."


    Torix''s eyes flared white, and he stayed speechless. He shrugged, "Every stat is at least three times higher than mine. That''s incredible, you know. Way to steal my thunder after gaining my class."


    I smiled, "Come on now, I couldn''t match that evil speech you gave. It left our guildsmen chilled."


    Torix shook his head, "Nice attempt at deflection, but I can''t understand your stats anymore. The numbers, they''re difficult to comprehend. You can generate, let me see, ah yes, 3,000 times as much mana as me. Excellent. Just superb. I am a mage class, after all. It only goes to reason that you''d have an army of me''s worth of health regen."


    I nodded at my stat sheet, "I do agree that my stats are getting out of hand. I think this is my last big net gain, outside of my sovereign skill to be fair. And elemental furnaces. And speaking in the cipher. You know what, I think my dimensional skills are unexplored too. Ah man, the fused mana type, I could use that too. It mentions entropy here."


    Torix deadpanned, "Yes, this must be the last part of your exponential growth. Your reassurance just now was comforting in that regard."


    I rolled my eyes, "I appreciate the sarcasm."


    Torix stared up, "I do wonder if you could face a Spatial Fortress now? Your stats seem up to it. That much is certain."


    I raised a hand, "I...I don''t know. Maybe?"


    Torix let his hands flop against his sides, "Time will tell, I suppose. Regardless of your new potential, I say we develop a plan for using those sovereign bonuses. They mentioned many perks I hadn''t expected."


    I opened my status. It turned blurry for a moment before it changed colors to red, like an Overseer''s HUD. I rolled my shoulders, "Well, damn. Looks like I''m moving up."


    "Certainly. I say we move in order, handling each bonus from your class to maximize this discussion''s orderliness. What do you say to that?"


    I nodded in silent agreement. Torix pointed at my status,


    "In the beginning, it mentions sovereign skill augments. How close are you to gaining one of those skills?"


    I furrowed my brow, "I don''t know. I have two legendaries, three mythicals, and seven unique skills. I don''t really know how I''d fuse my mythicals, but it should be possible. Hunter of Many is primarily about, you know, hunting. I could manage to do that while using Matter Conversion easily. The same could be said for A Manifold Mind."


    "You sound as if there''s a large however incoming."


    I pushed two of my fingertips together, "I don''t see A Manifold Mind and Hunter of Many making a legendary skill. They could, in theory, but I think it wastes my potential. I could use that legendary slot on something more important, like primordial mana. I''m pretty damn sure that mana type is important for my future progress."


    "Ah yes, your auras are dictated by your mana types. You could also use your other, strongly integrated legendary skills to bolster your lack of primordial mana knowledge. Speaking of which, how goes that studying?"


    I frowned, "Poorly. It''s still a struggle. I can''t seem to understand it."


    Torix nodded, "You''ll get it, certainly. Pushing that aside, do you have any plans regarding your future skill development?"


    I opened my skill menu, pointing at my uniques, "So, here''s what I''m thinking. Artisan of Destruction is a new skill of mine. It''s handy since it helps me make golems. Fusing that together with other skills is very important. I think that primordial mana will be unique, like all the other advanced mana types. Considering all of that-"


    I waved my hand at all my other unique skills, "I''ll level with you. I don''t really know what to fuse it with next."


    Torix pointed at Mass Manipulation, "What of this one? It seems rather useful."


    "That skill has a deceiving name. It lets me shrink or expand myself. I think it would kill most people, or at least discomfort them."


    "It would allow you to dictate the size of your creations better, would it not?"


    I tapped my chin with a knuckle, "I guess. Hmm, it could be good with primordial mana. I might make denser stones or specific kinds of materials better. Primordial is origin and dominion mana, after all, and it should give me even more control over whatever I create. That could be useful with detail-oriented work."


    "I agree. I believe this would be the most pertinent skill for fusing. That you have at the moment, at least."


    "That''s the next milestone then. After that, what about the planet owning bonuses from the class. What do you think of those?"


    Torix scoffed, "Oh, all of that is simple. We will conquer a wide swath of the known universe. That much is to be expected of us now, given our net abilities."


    I blinked, "Huh...galactic conquerors? It sounds cool and all, but that''s pretty aggro."


    "Indeed. That is precisely why I enjoy it."


    I pointed at the fringe and terraformed world bonuses, "I get that, but how about we try this instead? I don''t want to crush other species under my foot, and if I learned anything from Blegara, it''s that managing even a simple planet is hard. If we make a settlement from the ground up, we decide how it develops."


    Torix leaned back, crossing his arms, "Do you believe we have the means for it?"


    I remembered the giant rift on Blegara, funneling untold volumes of water onto its surface.


    "Yeah, I do."


    "Then we''ll do as you say, guildleader." Torix pointed at the last segment of the planet owning section, "I see Obolis must''ve specialized in this particular section. He loves searching out secrets and the like."


    I analyzed my memories, finding Obolis''s one message. I shook my head, "He has a different class. It''s called the Founder."


    "Perhaps it''s a rare variant of Sovereign?"


    "Yeah, it could be. We don''t have enough knowledge to say. Either way, these special privileges seem pretty spicy if I do say so myself."


    "Oh, most definitely. They remind me of my ability to learn the cipher."


    I facepalmed, "Duh, how''d I forget that. I''ll teach you that for an hour a day, like our mind magic duels."


    Torix''s eyes turned green, "Thank you, disciple. A teacher''s greatest joy is to learn, especially from those they once taught."


    I jeered, "You didn''t have the teachers I had at my school, then." I pointed at the third section of my sovereign bonuses, "So...When should we start our meetings with the Overseer and Schema? I''ve had a few, but I''m imagining this is more like a way of stating grievances or something."


    Torix tilted his head, "It would likely, at the very least, act as an excellent forum for asking questions. You could learn a lot if we spent some time asking for the right answers, especially from Baldowah. I remember Yawm''s runes. Perhaps we could use that forbidden knowl-"


    "No. I''m not doing that."


    Torix shrank in my vision, recoiling some. I looked away, "I mean, I''d really enjoy not doing that, if you know what I mean."


    "Of course...I won''t speak of it again."


    A strained silence passed over us before I pointed at my status again, "So, uh, it looks like I won''t get exiled out of the blue anymore."


    Torix jumped for an opportunity to end the awkwardness, "Oh, most certainly. That is, it''s quite the boon. I don''t know if it will be a legitimate court, but it''s better than nothing."


    I nodded, pointing a the galactic council part, "And look at this shit. I''m a member of a galactic council. Me of all people?"


    "Hah, my disciple has joined an echelon I knew nothing about. Excellent. Superb. Tremendous and all that."


    Torix and I stared at our status screen before laughing at how ridiculous we sounded. I shook my head, "Man, I never imagined I''d be here. Ever."


    "Me either. I believed I''d be studying on my moon base until the day time stopped and the universe grew cold. Now, I am a part of a guild with tremendous potential. Considering our capabilities, we should be able to enact tremendous change."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Yeah, I could be an actual Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    "Gah, I remember mocking you for that name. Now, it seems more than fitting."


    I simpered, "Hah, it still feels off to me."


    Torix shrugged, "In actuality, it matters more what others think of that title. I can assure you now, it''s difficult to imagine you as anything else."


    "Yeah, thanks for that. I don''t think my view of myself has changed as much as I have. I still think of myself as similar to what I started, but in reality, I''m worlds apart. Either way, what about these new research options? What do you think about all that?"


    "Oh, I''m most certainly excited. I''ll be exploring a few of the more malicious avenues of necromancy, but that isn''t all. I''ll be implementing more of the eldritch augments we''ve found."


    I raised a brow, "What other eldritch boosts do we have?"


    "The Omega Strains."


    "They''re eldritch?"


    Torix leaned back, "Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. They seem to be a primordial, primitive evolutionary step towards eldritch. The strains are the eldritch equivalent to what viruses are to us. Not quite dead and not quite living, yet they still enact their will on life. That is what the Omega Strain acts as."


    "Yeah, Amara might be able to help us ally with other eldritch too. If Schema allows it."


    Torix scoffed, "Could that AI even stop us now?"


    I remembered the forced eclipse created by a Spatial Fortress''s arrival,


    "I think he can. For now."


    Torix steepled his fingers, "We shall see. Now, I sense this new awe stat of yours. It definitely creates an aura about you that wasn''t present before."


    "What''s the difference?" I lifted my arms, giving them a close look, "I don''t see it."


    "It''s less that you''re different and more so that your abilities are more readily apparent. Before, you seemed like an average person granted an extraordinary opportunity. In that way, you abused your circumstances to the fullest, but you always came across as mostly normal."


    I scoffed, "Sheesh, people could''ve fooled me into thinking the opposite. Half the time, I feel like a demon."


    Torix waved a hand, "No matter what you appear to be, your actions will still speak volumes. Those that saw you in action will most certainly have their opinions swayed. Now, even those that haven''t seen your capacity will be put at a disadvantage. At the very least, they''ll experience even greater discomfort than normal."


    I frowned, "Huh, I don''t know if I like that."


    "It''s the reality we now face, however. Regardless, those combat bonuses appear to have vastly exceeded what they mention. What is your mana generation now? Ten times higher than before or something silly like that?"


    I waved my hand, "I lost track of all my multipliers long ago. I''m just glad that Schema does all the math for me instead."


    Torix stood from his chair of dominion mana, "That leaves the last of this discussion - the entropy mana. Is that, perhaps, all manas fused together?"


    I opened a dictionary using my status, "It shouldn''t be. Entropy is about decay and chaos. Most of the manas are more about order and control."


    Torix walked back and forth, "Then perhaps it''s some kind of...er...I don''t know. That might be a question worth asking the Overseer or Schema."


    I winced, "Or maybe even Baldowah. I could ask them about a lot of this stuff."


    "We''ll come up with a list of questions for it." Torix reread the sections before letting out a quick sigh, "Well then, I''d say that about covers it. Ten times mana. Far stronger, heavier, faster, and you have this weight about your presence. It''s outright oppressive, I might add."


    I nodded, "And I have a lot more options moving forward. I won''t be reliant on the Empire for that anymore."


    "That about covers that. We need to prepare for our siege of Blegara."


    I bopped myself up by stomping one foot. I transferred that force with telekinesis, pushing myself upward. Turning towards him, I rolled my shoulders, "Sounds about right."


    As I stepped out of the lair, a bit of stone over Torix''s room cracked. A few crumbles fell out, and before I left, Torix pointed at it, "My stone generation is still quite iffy. Would you mind assisting me in recreating this?"


    I nodded, waving a hand over the stone''s wound. It reconstructed, the color identical to the surrounding rock. Torix whipped out some primordial mana, making several vines and mosses nearby grow into the empty space. It got me curious, so I stepped up,


    "How did you learn about primordial mana anyway?"


    "Oh, this? After unlocking my archmage class, I got the inkling suspicion that my approach had been all wrong up to that point. You see, I''d attempted copying other people''s primordial mana, and each one of them would tell me something different."


    Torix raised one hand, speaking in a gruff voice, "You must wish for the growth of others, but in your way." His voice grew lighter, "You must treat the object as if it were a tool with a mind. Respect and control, in equilibrium."


    Torix threw his hands up in frustration, "Regardless of how I managed my thoughts, primordial mana never arrived for me. It was only when I tried making the mana using my own, original thoughts that I conceived the power."


    "Huh...so what were your thoughts?"


    Torix cackled, "Hah, well, I simply imagined erasing the mind of my creatures and recreating them in my image. A better image." Torix snapped his fingers, creating primordial mana,


    "Eureka, my conundrum was solved."


    "I''ll give that a shot. Mimicking hasn''t really worked so far for me either."


    "Good luck with your efforts then, disciple."


    I stepped out of the room, thinking it was weird the stone cracked over Torix. Either way, it led to a helpful conversation with the lich, so I counted it as a lucky coincidence. Either way, I had plenty to do before we invaded Blegara. We needed rings for every Omega Strain user, more golems, and armor for the gialgathens. As I created multiple consciousnesses, I smiled with confidence.


    It was time to see how much of a difference a class made in practice.

 292 A Manifold Mind Applied

    Using my new skill, I brainstormed while walking toward Mt. Verner''s surface. At this point, I had quite a few options at my disposal, and using them all well would make a world of difference. Keeping that in mind, I sat down in my usual golem building spot. There, I drafted up a few strategies and techniques for saving time.


    My first good idea came from my newfound aura range. At this point, my dimensional wakes were no longer only for my personal use. These enhancing areas could cover immense distances, affecting thousands of people at once. Most importantly, I could augment others with Rise of Eden, which gave them extra stats.


    Therefore, where I worked mattered, and I changed work stations. The golem creating crew did good work, no doubt, but it was a team of twenty people. The engineers used the extra stats from Rise of Eden well, but there simply wasn''t enough of them. Considering my golem making station required no machinery or buildings, moving workplaces was easy too. I was the end all be all for golem creation, so I moved into the forest above the Omega Strain users.


    There, the once-abandoned tunnel acted as my main aura center. Using a bit of eyeballing, I positioned myself to get in range of the super golems and the strain users. This put me in a great spot, affecting hundreds of rapidly growing members, maximizing my aura''s utility. The forest served as a serene background for my work too, the sounds of birds and wildlife calming me down.


    Yup, nature was incredible.


    Planting myself into this position, I crushed the trees around me under a gravitational panel. They pulped into heated syrup, the water within boiling from the extreme pressure. Solidifying the mass with the grasp of my fist, I created a condensed blob of organic matter. Event Horizon culled it, disintegrating the life surrounding me for one hundred feet in every direction. It could go further, but that''s all the space I needed.


    I motioned my arm sideways, creating a sheet of stone around me. At five feet thick, it acted as a foundation. Using telekinetic drills paired with gravity wells, I bored hundreds of holes through this giant pad of rock. Liquid steel siphoned into these crevices before I sent a gravitational pulse through the mass. This pulse straightened the uneven layers of the steel, orienting them all in the same direction.


    Right behind that gravity, I pulsed out intense cold, freezing the steel in the appropriate alignment. A sheet of metal over the floor followed, using the same building strategy. I created steel girders above those, rising up just below the trees. Lifting my arms, glass pooled between these columns. Looking up, I passed a hand over my head, making a roof of stone over me.


    With an enclosed space finished, I walked forward, slicing through the glass with superheated, telekinetic contact points. A rectangular slice fell forward as I walked out of my enclosure. Lifting myself above it, I stared down, thinking of ways to disguise this place. I created a raised edge around the entire roof before filling it with a five-foot layer of dirt. Uprooting and replanting trees, I simulated the nearby environment above my golem making domicile.


    Pacing back inside, I lined the glass doorway with a layer of steel. At the same time, I cleaned up the enclosure, making it neat and orderly. Finishing that, I peered around. The whole place leaked in natural light from all directions, but it was dark. That wasn''t optimal for detail-oriented work, and the dirt above pressured the site. This meant even mild gusts of wind made forboding creaks throughout the structure''s framing.


    Aiming to reinforce, I lifted my hands, creating pillars. Making another circle within, these metal columns supported the roofing. Connecting them with steel barring, I traced out a simple pattern onto the ceiling, making the steel ''flow'' a bit. Lifting my hand, chains of black steel appeared, and at their endpoints, metal, waning moons cropped up. At the bottom of these crescents, I flattened them out, giving them platforms. Creating quintessence, white crystals spawned on these places, giving this place clear, efficient lighting.


    I did the same to the outer pillars, giving this place a post-industrial yet magical vibe. Staring around, I liked it quite a bit. It lacked Torix''s retro stylings since I kept it so minimal. At the same time, the subtle accents I put up helped give the place warmth. I didn''t want this place to feel cold, after all.


    Mulling it over, I resolved to give the engineers at the top of Mt. Verner a similar abode. They''d wake up to a brand new workstation, and that might make their workflow better too. Putting that aside, I walked outside. Using a robust and dense gravity well, I burrowed a hole towards the tunnel below. This crushing process reverted dirt back into stone, making the water within evaporate in plumes of steam.


    Pulling the dirt out of my path, I passed through this new shaft, and I reinforced the walkway with stairs, stone, and steel. Crashing through the concrete below with the flick of a finger, I found a work crew using drills and cement mixers to make new rooms in the abandoned tunnel. I gave them a thumbs-up before carving a name into the tunnel I just made.


    ''The Golem Center''


    I put my hands on my hips, admiring my penmanship. All the carving helped out here, giving my lettering a fancy edge, but either way, I walked through the hallway towards the golem''s training room. Etching its new name beside the door, I walked in to find Spear training our troops as always. I gestured to ten golems, and they followed me out while I gave Spear a wave. He gave me a slight bow before resuming their training.


    We leaped back up to my golem center. With the new workplace handled, I turned towards the golems. They''d act as my assistants, holding up certain parts and whatnot so that I didn''t have to float every piece of every golem. Using humans would''ve been preferred, but they''d literally explode since these golem parts were glowing hot half the time.


    Giving my golem assistants a simple set of directions, I plotted some other refinements to golem making with a different consciousness. Peering around, several new departments formed in my head. I could make many golem eyes, cores, limbs, runes, and bodies at once. Doing so multiplied my productivity, and I scoped out methods of doing that while coming up with a few other adjustments.


    Once finalized, I revved my elemental furnace to full power, having plenty of mental capacity to spare. I put another mind onto skin ripping duty, my ability to regenerate far exceeding my ability to tear my skin. Yet another consciousness tasked itself with melting the generated metal. More minds compiled, and I made a dozen of myself focus on elementary parts of the golem building operation.


    While getting these minds intent on complex, dynamic assignments overburdened them, my fractured mind handled simple chores productively. They worked better than I did at full force because these fragmented parts of myself, they lacked the extra mental capacity for boredom. That''s part of why I hadn''t split up golem making into so many tasks before this. It was for my own quality of life.


    I mean, who wanted to do the same thing over and over again? Not me, at least typically. In the case of these miniature minds, they handled the grunt work while I kept everything together. This also stretched the limits of what A Manifold Mind could do, which trained the skill. That was good since I wanted that mythical ability to be as strong as possible.


    This process also exposed the skill''s limits. I couldn''t make infinite minds at full power, so at most, three to four of them revved at around 70% efficiency. Yeah, that was still an unreal efficiency boost, but I wasn''t going to net something crazy like a one hundred times faster golem making process.


    I wanted to, however, so I pushed my limits. Eventually, I hit a wall where any more minds formed would make my mental capacity minuscule. So tiny, in fact, that they''d be unable to accomplish anything. It was kind of scary, as once I split myself apart, it became difficult to pull myself back together. I could end up like a confused Hydra, walking around with innumerable heads but no central brain for functioning.


    Keeping that in mind, I made sure one thought stream was large enough to fuse the others back together. Operating within those bounds, I got myself back to work. Each part of myself handled different aspects of the process, and my super golems ran simple stuff simultaneously. For my material gathering, I gave strips of skin to one golem to hold. Another golem helped hover these strips up as I melted them. Several other golems then suspended different parts of the golem.


    Once those parts solidified, another golem floated the pieces into their proper arrangement. A different super golem pulled parts of the heated mass and used my gyrating ball technique to make spheres. He got out ten at a time, and the largest of my minds charged the runes for cipher inscriptions onto those cores.


    This energizing process took up the majority of my mental effort. Invigorating the cipher required holding a certain mindset the entire time, and doing so required concentration. From that difficulty and others, I learned a lot. For one, splitting up the tasks like this showcased details about golem making. Some parts took up many times more mental capacity than others.


    For instance, most of the molding parts required minuscule amounts of attention. The material was good, and it required little shaping or precision. On the other hand, charging runes for several cores at once took up at least half of my mental faculties. Handling this many golems at once also exhausted me. After a few hours of this work, I needed an actual, genuine break for once.


    This wasn''t just a pause without cause; my mind needed some rest. To help get my mind refreshed, I walked through nature for a bit, clearing my head. This left me rejuvenated to start up once more after fifteen minutes. I continued this cycle, generating golems at a rapid pace. These refinements built on one another and my skills accelerated the growth too. At the same time, I empowered my legions below using Rise of Eden.


    After a few days, I completed another facility during the night for the engineers, enjoying the job change. I kept this cycle up for the next week, falling into a work heavy trance. Days and nights passed, but I kept my head down, grinding the entire time. It left me fulfilled since I used my full abilities for once. Unlike what I''d done recently, I couldn''t let up while making golems, at least like this. It required every bit of my faculties; else, I made common mistakes the entire time.


    It left me tired by the end of the week, but I was proud of what I accomplished. I kept up contact and calls with Althea, Torix, and my primordial teachers as well. In line with that progression, I quintupled my golem production, creating two hundred or so warriors. As I focused in, I lost the exact count. They were many, however.


    Those super golems improved over my last design, being registered as level 14,000 by Schema. This wasn''t from a design fix but merely from my raw stat total rising. After all, their materials improved as mine did. This gave me a delicate balance after this. I needed levels for more stats, and that would permanently make my golems better.


    Keeping that in mind, I bided my time while getting ready for Blegara''s siege. I handled other business while this passed as well. The gialgathens'' armor took up less time than the golems since they required no cipher etching. Basically, the Omega Strain rings took literal minutes since I could mass produce a hundred with each batch. I just made them like Ophelia''s ring, and it made our guildsmen stronger.


    That was a point worth mentioning; their strength was my own. Even more so, my guild peoples'' letters gave me a lot of motivation. Some of their thank you letters just floored me. These ordinary, everyday people evolved from the ring''s stat boosts alone, not even mentioning the powers they granted.


    For specific individuals, the Omega Strains made them even more potent too. It gave me a smile on my face, seeing how our guild saved a family or helped someone find their way. That transparency for what I accomplished, it kept me going strong. It was hard to burn out when I was getting this much fuel to keep going.


    Either way, we prepped everything for Blegara by the end of the week. I gave myself a break for a few hours before the siege, and that''s why I leaned against my golem center, looking at the stars. Everyone else rested while my mind wandered endlessly. I glanced at the lights above and wondered what planets were there. It was awe-inspiring, which made me feel smaller, but in a good way.


    Waking me from this trance, a message from Obolis appeared.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets(lvl 24,629(Cap: 27,000) | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire) - I hope you''re doing well, Harbinger. To skip further pleasantries, I ask you to forgive my bluntness - my ability to wait is waning. We lose throngs of albony every day, many of my people dying. The war effort is far from over, but the heavy losses and lack of progress are killing morale. I promised my people you''d help us. They are beginning to doubt.


    As am I.


    While I understand you are caught in your own machinations, I ask that you hurry with your tasks at hand. We need the ahcorus to assist us. Further delays might mean our undoing, and to prevent that, I ask you to go to Svia and speak with Wrath. I can facilitate that meeting if required.


    Please respond forthrightly.


    I flinched while reading his message. He was definitely right about me taking my sweet time starting his mission. I opened my own status, feeling guilty given the situation,


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 15,000(Cap: 25,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Hey, sorry. I''ll lease ten of my super golems right now as an apology. What would be a fair offer for you?


    A message popped up within seconds.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets(lvl 24,629(Cap: 33,000) | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire) - Well, I can see you''ve gained a class, a variant of the Ruler class at that. Welcome to the council, and I could help you arrive there with the correct impression if you''d like. Just as well, I pray that your strength will be in our favor.


    For the golems, I am willing to pay 1 million credits per golem, per month leased. I can send those payments preemptively if required.


    That was enough money to buy quite a few dungeon cores, something I still needed after blowing my fortune on red ones. At this rate, I could chip away at my core fulfillment while helping the guy out. It was a win-win situation.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 15,000(Cap: 25,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - That sounds good to me. Before that, can we meet up soon for the Blegara transferral? I want to start a siege there before heading over to Svia. With a bulwark made, I think we can gain some serious ground there over time. That helps us both.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets(lvl 24,629(Cap: 33,000) | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire) - I shall make it so. Can you have an arrangement now? I''m at my study, and I''m currently busying myself between two other meetings, which are something I''m not particularly fond of. They are an unfortunate necessity given my position.


    I looked around, finding myself just loafing around for once. The stars shined overhead, satisfying fatigue washing over me. Yup, I definitely had time.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 15,000(Cap: 25,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Here are my coordinates. We can hash this out real quick¡ªalso, meetings. I have so many of those nowadays, so I can understand your pain.


    I waited for a few seconds before a portal popped up in my vision. Through it, Obolis''s personal study showcased itself again in all its glory. Amidst the luster of foreign ores, the sheen of rare armors, and the solemn quiet of his underground bastion, I paced through. On the other side, the fur over Obolis''s neck stood on end as I strode in.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    He peered up from his work slowly, eyeing me with an air of suspicion. His eyes widened before he returned to his usual, unshakable confidence. Obolis steepled his fingers,


    "Well, you appear quite different. I''ve heard the phrase that a class changes people. You appear to embody the sentiment."


    I stepped up to him, "It helped me out, in more ways than one. It took a long time to unlock as well, but it was worth the wait. I''m not the only one making progress, though. You gained a few levels too since I last saw your message."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "That is inevitable, given my ongoing war with Elysium. Though I am adept in combat relative to most, I never fancied myself as a warlord like some Rulers. I prefer a more economic and informational form of combat. I''ve found it works well, and it requires far fewer sacrifices and compromises than most battles. That being said-"


    Obolis leaned forward, "I find myself in need of a fighter, and soon. When can I expect your help with the ahcorus?"


    "A week."


    Obolis leaned back before mulling over some information in his head. He nodded, "That''s acceptable. Your super golems should act as buffers until then. I would prefer a quicker arrival, however."


    At this point, my class''s changes showcased their results. I found myself staring at Obolis with ease, no pressure coming my way. Whether from my new awe stat or only from the other attributes, his presence didn''t command me as it once had. If anything, I sensed the opposite. While Obolis controlled his body language and inflection without fail, his body reacted like prey.


    His heart rate rose. His fur bristled. His eyes dilated. I found signs all over that he was struggling internally while he downplayed the difference my class made. He was one of the few people I could talk to without exerting this passive pressure, so an inkling of sadness crept up my chest. I held it down as I raised an eyebrow,


    "How many elemental furnaces could I expect to get by the end of our deal?"


    Obolis leaned back, staring at his claws for a second. He calmed himself, and he no longer showed those same signs. I let out a sigh of relief while he tapped his talons on his desk. He stated,


    "I can grant you eight."


    I tilted my head, "How about ten?"


    "I need them for the war I''m waging. They don''t grow on trees, as you are already well aware."


    I leaned back, "Hmm, I wanted the furnaces before since they multiplied my mana growth. They don''t multiply my mana anymore, however. My mana generation exceeds the furnaces now, so I don''t need one of them anymore. I need many."


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "I see...Then what else could I offer you in their place? I can''t afford to turn them over, but there are other resources at my disposal."


    I raised a hand, "You know plenty of different worlds, right?"


    "Yes. I''ve parsed the stars many times in my pursuits. What do you need to know in particular?"


    I spread out my arms, "Can you give me the coordinates for a few worlds close to being terraformed and aren''t overly...I don''t know how to say this, ''fringed'' I guess? I want to convert dangerous worlds, and I''ll colonize them instead of taking over established places."


    "Ah, you mean like Blegara? The eldritch rule, but not overly so...Hm, you''d probably be searching for a world more infested than theirs, however. Something more like the ahcorus, where Plazia rules deep underground. By freeing those places, you add to the galactic volume of planets instead of fighting for what''s already there. Noble, but difficult."


    "Yeah, that''s exactly what I''m trying to do."


    "I can arrange that. I even own several solar systems where those barren worlds reside. I''ve considered terraforming them myself, but the economics simply didn''t go in my favor. That overruled any other reason for colonization. Your golems could act as pseudo Fringe Walkers, however. If you can find the necessary resources, you may be able to feed a planet as well."


    I reached out a hand, "Give me ten of those planets and the resources to terraform. Do that, and I''ll settle on five furnaces. You can even choose fringe worlds near your own planets. I''ll take those, clean them for you, and your worlds will be safer for it. If you have them, I need terraforming information as well. Anti-fringe world procedures and documentation would also help."


    Obolis stood before interlocking his hands behind himself. He walked through his chambers, staring at the unfully formed Ruhl to his left,


    "I could arrange that. There exists a gas giant in our home system, one rich in oxygen. Harvesting those gases could grant atmospherically poor worlds the option to thrive. Water exists on Blegara, and that will do for now. You could bring life from other worlds as the start of these ecosystems if required."


    Obolis shook his head, "I would need further compensation for such a transaction, however. Worlds, as you may imagine, are difficult to come by. Could you guarantee trade deals with us on your settled planets to facilitate the deal?"


    "Trade deals like the ones for Blegara, where the albony are first come, first serve?"


    He gave me a gentle grin, "You know, I preferred negotiating with you when we first met. Now, it''s become quite the ordeal, where many variables are at play." Obolis reached out a clawed hand, tapping the glass,


    "But it is interesting to bounce all these possibilities around in my head. I could offer you the worlds for that sort of exchange. If I do so, you''ll be required to clear the fringe worlds first for my planet''s security. That will make this arrangement feasible, and as you mentioned, I may offer worlds that passively benefit mine as well. It''s always a blessing when fringe worlds aren''t nearby. The eldritch that spawn can be world ending horrors."


    Obolis turned to me, "As you''ve seen."


    I remembered the Spatial Fortress, and it would be even worse if it was uncontained. Pushing that aside, I kept the conversation rolling by reaching out a hand,


    "Do we have a deal then?"


    Obolis shook his head, "You''re not one for chatter. Hmm, I can arrange this. I''ve also drafted up the documentation for Blegara''s transferral to you. It comes with a contract that I had shortened for ease of understanding. Not every individual may be a system lawyer, as you know, so I kept that in mind."


    I nodded, "Send it over. I''ll read it."


    Obolis fiddled with his status, and the message popped up. I opened the documentation, and it carried a hundred-page long abstract detailing the contract. I frowned, "Ok, so this is the shortened version?"


    Obolis laughed, "Hah, did you think a contract for a planet would be insignificant?"


    "Not really, but maybe the shortened version wouldn''t be a half-hour read."


    I narrowed my eyes, staring at the document.


    "Or maybe three minutes. Huh..."


    I spread out ten consciousnesses, and I opened twelve pages at the same time. Pulling them all to reading, I got a grip on the deal''s contents within five minutes. Closing out all the abstract, I raised an eyebrow,


    "It mentions an embassy in the capital and that the albony there isn''t punishable by the laws on Blegara. Why?"


    Obolis leaned back, "I see you''ve been working on your mind as of late. Hmm, the reasoning for that legal practice is the differences in culture. The Vagni carry strange, nonsensical laws. I don''t want my citizens to be at their mercy should they break the local customs. In subsection B6, you''ll note the albony there are still subject to the Empire''s laws, which are more than stringent, I assure you."


    "Alright, just making sure."


    I reread the document a few times, and my different minds argued back and forth, presenting the pros and cons here. After ten minutes, I came to a consensus - this was the deal we arranged. However, I wrote up an addition to the contract, one written in the cipher. It was a simple yet effective section about good faith, where both of us were held accountable for our earlier conversation.


    Now, I wasn''t the biggest fan of cipher contracts. My deal with Yawm put me in a terrible position with Schema, but at the same time, I understood their value. The cipher relied heavily on intent, and that''s exactly what I needed. I didn''t want Obolis to rope me into some ridiculous, fine print using his lawyers. This, er, addendum ensured I wasn''t getting cheated, and it saved me a lot of time since I didn''t need to reference a lawyer for it.


    While I planned it out, I waved at Obolis, "Give me a minute. I need to add something to the contract."


    Obolis nodded, "Certainly."


    Obolis worked as I ironed out the cipheric inscription in my head. He held a meeting where he spoke about various dealings on his worlds, learned about war fronts, and discussed new leads for expeditions. He still kept pertinent details silent, using the thought based messaging system from Schema. It was interesting seeing how he managed everything, however.


    As I finalized the cipheric inscription in my grimoire, Obolis paced up and watched me write. We talked while I etched.


    Obolis murmured, "That is by far the strangest grimoire I''ve ever seen. It''s...metallic, and the different colored pages serve different purposes, do they not?"


    "They do. One''s for cipher documents while the other pages are for normal runic work."


    "I imagined you''d be more of a brute regarding this kind of task. You actually carry quite a bit of talent for this, at least as far as I can tell."


    I frowned, "Thanks, I guess."


    Obolis leaned over towards my ciphering, "You write out the lines, and I can trust them. That, that is a rare thing for me to do, and it speaks to your ability."


    I shrugged, "I figured out a long time ago that I was good at runes. I beat out Torix in them despite him being better at ''bookish'' stuff. According to Helios, you''re quite good with the cipher as well. You made his gauntlet."


    "Hm, in a manner of speaking, yes. That was based on other elemental furnaces I''d seen rather than my own work. Beyond that, I can manage simple inscriptions involving most topics, but creating depth with it is still beyond my grasp. I feel this as a mental block more than one in ability."


    "Why would you hold yourself back?"


    Obolis closed his eyes, "I''ve seen the cipher''s consequences first hand, and I''d rather not deal with them, despite the tempting rewards it offers."


    I finished the etching, "Ok, I can understand that. The runes are scary as all hell. I remember Yawm was covered in them, and they warped his mind, body, even his soul. He wouldn''t have been as...unhinged, otherwise. I''d hate to have the same happen to me."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "Yet you carve them into your skin?"


    "It''s different. I made these. Yawm didn''t make his own. He relied on something he didn''t understand, and it corrupted him. I''m not letting that happen to me."


    Obolis tilted his head, "I supposed that''s right, and it''s a shame, truly. I read Yawm''s story and what happened to him. Yawm was a being of purpose, ambition, and brutality. His inability to show restraint regarding the Old Ones was what led to his eventual downfall. I can understand his mistakes as I almost walked down his same road."


    My mana roared through the pages of my grimoire, and I actively cooled it using quintessence while charging the document. Otherwise, it would melt. As I did, I raised a brow,


    "So you wanted infinite power from the Old Ones too?"


    Obolis raised his palms to his defense, "I wouldn''t word it quite like that. For me, I always wished to be an explorer, even in my youth. To that end, I committed to a path that gave me absolute freedom. I questioned how to go about seizing that freedom many times, and in the end, conquering came out as the only answer. Exploring requires resources, and dominance provides that."


    Obolis shook his head, "And so I went about the accession of others. I did so many times and on so many worlds. I now own thirteen, though it''ll be twelve soon. As I''ve gained ground, I''ve refined my approach, and as I''ve aged, I learned how to manage these people within my means. When I first began my search for domination, I was dissimilar to my current self."


    I finished the runes, a glowing series of symbols floating off the page,


    "Ah, I remember one of your titles is the Carnage of Olstatia. I''m guessing there''s some history behind that."


    Obolis winced, "There is, though I''d rather not speak of it."


    I opened my status, the contract opened in view. I squinted at it, remembering the deal wasn''t actually written down. Trying out something, I pulled the glowing runes over, and they created staticky ripples in my red HUD. The documentation changed, the additional cipher markings assimilating across all domains. Obolis scratched the side of his head,


    "That''s quite odd."


    "I''ll be honest, I didn''t know if that would work or not. It saves us some time, though, doesn''t it?"


    "Indeed, it does." Obolis went silent for a moment, his mind wandering to distant memories. He sighed, "Daniel, I know it may be out of turn for me, but I''d like to offer you some advice."


    I raised my palms, "Oh man, don''t hesitate. I need all the help I can get."


    "There''s wisdom in those words, and they apply to everyone. As for my advice, I want you to understand something. You, you''re in a similar position to where I was centuries ago. However, you carry more potential than I did."


    "Don''t sell yourself short."


    Obolis smirked, "Your words are hollow, Harbinger. My point is, you''re in a position of great responsibility and potential. I would imagine that you feel liberated with possibilities as if there are no horizons that may weigh you down. Before you march forth, know this - our mistakes now will result in regret."


    That sounded obvious, so I raised my brow, "I''ll keep that in mind."


    Obolis smiled, "I believe my point requires more emphasis, hm? To elaborate, I''ll share some research with you. Did you know that many unaging immortals die by suicide before reaching a thousand years of age?"


    I tilted my head, "How are they immortal if they can die?"


    "There are many different kinds of immortals. Most are simply immune to death via several perks that extend your life span by killing eldritch. You have this perk already. You''ll be considered immortal like any sentient if you live past a century and showcase no signs of aging."


    Obolis walked back and forth, "Schema can keep anyone alive if they continue slaughtering monsters, which is trivial after a certain point. This leads to a certain kind of timeless sentient, one that may die from trauma but not from the unending march of time. You stand at the crossroads between that immortality and true immortality."


    Obolis stared at several glowing poisons lined up for display near us,


    "I would be horrified by that prospect, as you may be. Eternal life is both a curse and a blessing, as you may never end your existence should it grow too painful to bear. That''s the reason most unaging immortals never live to see a thousand years of age - their pain outgrows their ability to cope."


    Obolis peered around the room, "And in that manner, that is the outcome I most fear. To die in battle or exploring an unseen path is a noble and becoming death. To end one''s life out of regret...It''s a sad way to leave this existence. I wouldn''t wish it on my worst enemy, even those in Elysium."


    Obolis turned to me and spoke with a voice carrying a distant sadness,


    "Try to live your life without regret. It''s something that you can never be cleansed, and it will follow you until you die. I''m of the opinion that it''s worse than being trapped in a cage, because unlike a prison, you may never escape regret. It will follow you with a single-minded pursuit that is unending and eternal like a ghost."


    Obolis''s eyes went distant, "And those ghosts will drag you down until you can no longer stand."


    A silence passed over us, and his words soaked in like poison on exposed skin. Hearing him reminded me of Springfield, Michael, Kelsey, and even my relationship with my father. I carried those failures like wounds, and I beat myself over the head with them from time to time. Peering at Obolis, the unaging immortal probably had far more burdens to bear, and by the sounds of it, they wore him down.


    I gave him a solemn nod, giving his warning heed.


    "Thank you for the advice. I''m taking it to heart."


    Obolis gave me a sad smile, "Good, good." Obolis turned to his status, "Ah, I''m needed elsewhere. Of course." He gestured a hand to me, "This was an unexpected talk, but it''s fortunate we were able to have it. As always, it''s been a pleasure."


    "Same here."


    Obolis pointed down his hallway, "You remember the way out, I imagine?"


    "I do...Obolis?"


    "Yes?"


    "You know, I think about it too sometimes. My mistakes that is."


    Obolis scoffed, "Oh, you could tell I reminisce from time to time?"


    "I can. I do the same. Something that helps me is remembering that I can''t know everything. I can only know what I know right now. That means that the decisions and mistakes I made, they were still the best outcomes I could have, given my situation."


    I waved a hand, realizing I was trying to give advice to someone who outdid me in experience by orders of magnitude,


    "I, uh, I don''t know. It helps me sometimes."


    Obolis froze in place for a moment. He grabbed his jaw, "I''ll keep that in mind. It was good chatting, but I must be on my way. Goodbye."


    I walked out of his chambers, reaching the rotating stairway. Stepping down towards the warp, I reflected a bit on what I''d done lately. Hearing Obolis like that made me more thoughtful about my actions. Either way, I reached the warp with my mind racing in many directions.


    Our Omega Strain divisions all carried rings, and we numbered over a thousand strong now due to Torix''s marketing. My golems numbered in the hundreds, and our gialgathens were now armored. With my class, I''d be unleashing devastation on a regional scale as well. Plus, I could gain a few levels from taking out the Hybrids. That was always a plus.


    Knowing all this, I stepped out of the ionized air of the warp-drive. I rolled my shoulders, my eyes widening at the thought of battle. Trying out my new abilities, the prospect left me brimming with anticipation. I gripped my fists as I opened my status. With a quick thought, I sent a guild wide message,


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 15,000(Cap: 26,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Blegara is ours now, and we''re going to retake it, one triumph at a time. We wage war tomorrow, so be ready for blood, destruction, and most of all, victory.


    I closed my status while the sun rose in the distance over the hills. Before the day was over, Elysium would know what we were capable of.


    They all would.

 293 The siege of Saphigia

    I reached out my hands and clapped them together, releasing a dull thud. Getting myself amped up, I reminded myself what to do. I could make a massive difference during this siege, and that might ensure our victory. Those thoughts fueled my resolve as I stepped up to Mt. Verner. Walking towards a cleared out hillside, many of our members walked around in the open, using Omega Strains.


    It was as Torix and I agreed; everybody already prepared for the battle. Others practiced working with my rings, some floating in the air already. That was good. Mobility kept our people away from the Hybrids. Stepping past one of my super golems, they''d do well there too. Surrounded by ten legion members apiece, the supergolems stood heads taller than the crowds around them. They''d protect everyone during the invasion.


    Walking up the shortest of these golems, I found my most loyal member,


    "How''s it going, Alpha?"


    The golem turned towards me, something about its thoughts unknowable, even if I made its mind,


    "I am well. I thought about what you told me when we met last."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What did you figure out?"


    "I contemplated how limited we golems are. It left me feeling insignificant. This feeling, while inevitable for all living creatures, was...painful. It left me empty and afraid. In that darkness, I found purpose, however."


    I nodded, finding myself admiring Alpha''s willingness to dwell on these kinds of topics. I couldn''t tell if those kinds of reflections didn''t bother me or if I was too scared to bring them up. I was better off than most considering my being a dimension, but I still paled compared to an Old One and the like.


    It sounded like Alpha wrestled with those same concepts. The first golem raised a hand to me, "But you gave me a reason to be. I use that to quell this apprehension...I wonder if all things that live must contemplate their existence like this?"


    "I think they do."


    "Then, that is good. It will keep us humble despite the frames we wield. In that manner, we dwarf humans...I remember telling you it was a miracle that humans survived the last time we talked. I aim to enact that sentiment towards our enemies but in action instead of words."


    Alpha met my eye, "I-I also wish to make you proud."


    I smiled at him, "You already have."


    I gave him a pat on the shoulder, glad he was keeping a team safe. He wasn''t alone in that effort. Our necromancer would join him, commanding our forces, so they operated in harmony. Torix stood with Chrona and Krog beside him, and they all wore some variation of my skin. It gave me an odd sensation looking at them. If that''s what I looked like, then I dreaded seeing me in person.


    Outside of those three, Hod, Amara, Kessiah, Althea, and Spear stood nearby. Florence and Helios wouldn''t be participating in this siege. They studied on the third floor, remaining with noncombat personnel. Only those present would be joining in the attack, and we intended on making it count. What we lacked in numbers, we aimed to compensate for in quality.


    In total, we amassed 250 super golems, 2,000 gialgathens, and 2,000 Omega Strain users. Outside of that, we had 1,000 supportive members. They''d help set up camp once we established a fortress. After walking up from the warp, I passed by these soldiers, and I dwarfed them. They gawked at me, the super golems bowing their heads.


    My guildsmen followed suit. As they did, the talkative crowd across the mountainside quieted. Even my followers did so, the ritual feeling out of place for just me. It took all I had to accept this, er, reverence, I''ll call it. I wanted to just make a joke and let everyone loosen up. However, part of being a symbol was being larger than life.


    We needed everyone to feel like our victory was inevitable. This process was a crucial part of that. Still, discomfort ate at me even after I stood beside my core members. Lifting an arm, I raised a platform of earth generated beneath us from my mana. With a good view of our surroundings, I peered at the people here.


    They drilled the combat requirements for today over the last two weeks, many veterans showing their faces in the mix. My followers and I already made the plan while I created the golems, and we''d make up for our numbers using quality. Knowing this, I kept our members in suspense until after Torix gave me his patented loudspeaker magic.


    With everything in place, I expanded Rise of Eden while lifting my hands, "Everyone, rise."


    The aura gave my command more weight, and they listened. Our people synchronized the stand up even without any planning. Torix''s training made sure that was the case. It was my turn to do my part, so I met as many eyes as I could while starting my speech,


    "Many of those here know the taste of war and the shedding of blood. To those veterans, I have nothing to say aside from congratulations on living on and building our guild. Without you, we''d never have made it this far. Our lives and current prosperity was built on your sacrifices."


    I raised a hand, "For those that are new here, I''d like to remind you what we''re fighting for. These people we fight today, Elysium, they''ve committed genocide. The gialgathens here know all too well what they''re capable of, and these monsters will be coming for our planet next. Given our track record of kicking their asses, I''d say they hold a grudge against us too."


    A laugh radiated through the crowd, one filled with confidence. I smiled too, "We''ll return that favor, but we happen to speak louder with our actions than they will with their words. I promise you that."


    Many of our members raised a hand and let out a roar in agreement, gialgathens included. I turned and peered at many,


    "We''ve evolved from a guild that struggled against Yawm to one where you fight beside golems strong enough to bring that monster to his knees.  I used my sweat, tears, and blood to make these guardians for each of you. They are behemoths of might, and they''ll tear anyone apart that would wish you harm. Their loyalty is also absolute, so treat them well."


    Taking out Yawm individually was a bit of a stretch, but our guildsmen believed me. It didn''t hurt my argument when supergolems stomped in unison, and the mountain quaked as they telepathically shouted,


    "As we live, your enemies shall die."


    Our guildsmen gave them wide-eyed looks, but before they felt out of place here, I widened my arms,


    "Know that none of you are helpless even without these titans by your side. These Omega Strains were made with our enemies in mind, researched by our archmage Torix. He''ll assist each of you, ensuring your fights matter and that your victories hold meaning. We''ll gain ground with every passing second, and he''ll guarantee our losses will be nonexistent."


    I wasn''t rigorously honest about the Omega Strains either, but my exaggeration served its purpose. Looks of intention and resolve covered those present. That''s exactly what we needed. I gripped my hands into fists,


    "We will expand through Blegara, and it will be the first piece of our conquest. I will charge ahead of you all, and I will leave carnage and devastation in my wake. My new class has made me into a true Harbinger of Cataclysm. I no longer live in its namesake. I am it embodied, and I will aim my abilities towards those that defy us."


    I shook my hands, "Believe me when I say that they fear me. I fought toe to toe with Lehesion before my class. Now, I will evoke biblical wrath onto our enemies, and when they sleep, they will remember what I''ve done. It will be etched into their memory, unable to be forgotten."


    I changed the Rise of Eden to Event Horizon, "You all, you will be pivotal in this. I want our enemies to live in a nightmare. I want them to be terrified of their own shadow. I want them to regret ever having heard our names. We are legion, and we exist as a force of nature, an unstoppable torrent that will drown them in our endless march."


    The vibrance and fervor of Event Horizon infested those here, and they roared out in violence. It wasn''t only useful for the draining effect, after all. Tapping into that primal instinct, I let out an inkling of ascendant mana to get them excited,


    "We will conquer this world and then ours. We''ll establish cities, routes of trade, and protection for our families. The eldritch will be rumors of a forgotten age, and the Hybrids will be stories we tell our children at night. With this battle, we establish ourselves as a galactic power, one worthy of fear and awe. This is our first step into a bright future, one where we are victorious."


    The crowd let out another shout before I raised a fist,


    "Now, who will take that first step with me?"


    The crowd let out a booming outcry of approval, one that echoed for miles around. Not too many miles, though, as Torix dampened the earth-shattering echo. We didn''t want Elysium discovering us. With everyone inspired, I turned towards the others here,


    "You all remember the plan, right?"


    They each gave me nods, my followers, and generals preparing for the upcoming battle. Turning towards Spear, I grinned, "You ready?"


    The Sentinel shivered as my helmet collapsed over my face. A menacing grin appeared over it, its hunger endless. Spear waved his dimensional slicers with hesitation,


    "I...am."


    He got his swinging in rhythm before ripping dimensions, and I jerked the spatial rends apart. I tore further than ever before, creating an enormous splice large enough for gialgathens to fly through. An ocean opened on the other side, my blood boiling at the sight of my next battle. It''d been too long.


    But before that, I pulled out a bit of my molten fabric. Creating two struts for the dimensional portal, I pried them into the warp before Spear gawked at me. I turned to him, "Eh, just trying out something new."


    He glared, "You realize that this dimension isn''t something to play around with, don''t you?"


    I tilted my head, "Does Schema?"


    Spear leaned back, but I waved my hands, "Spear, that''s a rhetorical question."


    Spear looked like he wanted to retort, but he chose to stay silent.


    I turned towards Blegara, "Come on, let''s go."


    I jumped forward through the engorged veil. Water appeared beneath me, the wind of Blegara humid and heavy. As I sliced through the water, no one followed just yet. They were to witness my initial assault and handle the aftermath. Knowing this, I floated down towards the epicenter of Saphigia, Blegara''s capital.


    Below me, many Vagni, Hybrids, and Elysium people stared from above. I drifted downwards, an omen of what was to come. As I did, alarm systems went off throughout the city, their detection magic discovering our tear in space-time. It was irrelevant. Their defensive artillery, Hybrids, and mind mages turned their jaws towards me. They clamped down with fury, violence, and competence.


    Against my skin, sharpened fangs shattered. Under my gaze, their fury turned to frailty. In my shadow, they turned into ants under a child''s heel. I loomed over their vessels, and my mana charged. It permeated the water around me, the entire landscape deforming under its presence. I warped the space around me, the void screaming out.


    And they heard my name.


    I reached out my hands, gravitational wells exploding outwards in a plume of darkness and radiation. These growing blots of black consumed the vessels, ripping the hulls apart like cold glass under boiling water. Within seconds, little remained of their vast fleet under me. I used more mana, my skin heating until the water boiled around me.


    Glowing and visible, I separated my mind into three parts. One attacked the most apparent clusters of foes using my singularities. This fractured their line and spread chaos throughout their ranks. Another logic strain retaliated at the telepathic links formed against me, and this prevented mental fatigue and damage from culminating over this battle.


    My final mind wielded my magic and auras like vast whips of carnage. Event Horizon sculpted the city beneath me, eliminating the espens present. Beyond those members, I melted the sand beneath every Hybrid''s feet, and a second sea of glass formed, the ocean boiling around them.


    I splashed this glass over Hybrids before flash freezing it. Catching them in the trap, I pulled my hands apart and slammed them together. A kinetic wave snapped these frozen monsters, and a wave of gravitation followed. This all happened as I bombarded their lines with singularity after singularity, leaving a wasteland where my enemies once stood.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Gravitation followed, swarming the few remaining survivors collapsing from compressive snaps. These tiny pulses of gravity crushed individuals, immobilizing them. Event Horizon washed over these remains, eliminating the corpses and those left alive. It sapped these remains, leaving the seafloor abandoned as it passed.


    My relentless assault continued. I froze the blood in their bodies, and I crushed their skulls under gravity wells. I pulped individuals with telekinetic flicks of my finger, their bodies more fragile than glass. Within minutes, I devastated a several mile wide area beneath me, which left little for Elysium to defend.


    But they were a galactic power for a reason. Elysium''s defense systems activated, and reinforcements arrived. From portals, Hybrids from other cities on Blegara came in mass. Ships, dreadnoughts, and submersibles swarmed into the sea, and they brought the blighted with them. These twisted leviathans carried improved Hybrids, Version 2.0s riding them.


    This swarm appeared before me, yet I remained steady. No fear ran up my spine. I stared them down and left them stricken in terror. They would gaze upon what I wrought, and they''d tremble. I was built for this. This was within my means, and they needed more than fodder to handle me now.


    From behind me, my guild invaded as I lifted my hands at the incoming forces. I lobbed simultaneous gravitational singularities, having saturated my frame with mana. They triturated under the might of gravitation, and swaths of water disintegrated, swallowed by the gravitational holes. Waves erupted upwards, turning the steady sea into a stormy puddle.


    These compressed wells of gravity enacted a destruction absolute, tearing enormous swaths of their forces apart in seconds. Those alive sent back vital information to the further reinforcements, and their portals split apart into multiple directions. From these vantage points, their Hybrids, Blighted, and mind mages advanced.


    I shifted to Rise of Eden, and I partitioned myself into several minds once more. One of these minds generated singularities on clustered enemy forces. This split their offensive apart. Beyond those, others came riding in, forming a telepathic link with me. Their blighted shot out orange plumes of acid, and their Hybridized leviathans swam into combat range.


    One of my minds chased these telepathic links down, and I didn''t launch a mental assault back. Instead, I smothered the source with Event Horizon. Though still somewhat useful on Hybrids, Event Horizon disintegrated the squishy mages, all the flat damage overwhelming them. This proved much more helpful than fighting them at their own game.


    Another mind focused on dismantling the telepathic connections between Hybrids and espens. Unlike their controllers, the Hybrids lacked any real intellect to beat. They obeyed like puppets pulled by unseen strings. Copying Alpha''s strategies, I tugged at those strings while surging bursts of ascendant mana through them.


    This created short lapses in the espen''s control, which became deadly from the ascendant mana''s influence. The Hybrid''s orange pustules pulsed red, and they attacked everything nearby, often each other. This made for an efficient, targeted approach instead of brute-forcing them to death like I usually did.


    Despite my onslaught, some of their ships escaped my singularities long enough to fire at our troops. This was where I made yet another mind control my dimensional shield. I generated my pocket dimension, swallowed the dreadnought''s blasts, and reversed the artillery back at them. This left little for our troops to dodge as they rolled in.


    And even those that passed beyond this decimation, they fought with me in hand to hand combat. Magic or not, I could still crack skulls with my fists, and it required little thought to do so. Dwarfing these foes, I tore the blighted apart. I charged through bodies, awash in red and orange blood. I siphoned the life from enemies coming to close, and I gored enemies through telekinesis.


    My all-out offensive gave our ground troops free rein. They rode into the warzone without doubt or pause. They secured Vagni, letting them escape from my carnage. Others killed Hybrids, silvers, and Elysium soldiers left behind. They went in all directions, the golems acting as vanguards. Behind them, the gialgathens carried mind mages and power armor wearing humans.


    Between these ranks, the Omega division came through. These members crashed over the seafloor, dashing at the Hybrids. A woman from our guild crashed into these metal monsters first, and the Omega Strain pierced its chest. It sucked the life out of the Hybrid, the twisted monster howling out in agony.


    It died seconds later, the Omega Strain''s thirst quenched. The strain division continued this breach, devouring the metal within our enemies. We used this saturation tactic to fully charge our Omega Strains, and it gave us a tremendous headstart in this battle. Their individual efforts cleaned the few remaining forces I left behind.


    But this was only the beginning. We walked a bloody path of many miles, and this was the first step.


    Leaping around, I cracked the earth and glass all around me. These jumps gutted the ground, making craters large enough to swallow buildings. My armor grinned with joy as I indulged it with Event Horizon, running through the enemy ranks. I throttled the minds of their mages. I snapped necks and bit through bone. I boiled the blood in their bodies. I crushed arteries in their skulls, and I inundated the sea in their corpses.


    Little remained from my passing, but what I left behind, my guild conquered. Torix commanded the mass of our army, and he did so with intelligence and ability. His mind operated at a supernatural speed, commanding various forces with fluidity. At the same time, he controlled our enemies'' corpses, giving them wills of their own with his newfound primordial mana.


    Torix didn''t stop there. He bolstered our soldiers with quintessence magic, granting them enhanced attributes. These soldiers and super golems ripped gaping holes in Elysium''s defenses where I wasn''t present. Torix used his ascendant mana as well, flooding Hybrid''s minds with the desire to kill. Many Elysium troops died by being devoured and by their own Hybrids.


    This was still only a part of our victory. Althea took out the strongest members of the enemy army, one at a time. Usually, she just shot these spears that were easy to forget about. Though significant, they weren''t exactly flashy. Well, something drastic changed, and now her spears unleashed these massive explosions. They would pierce into an enemy before exploding outwards with tectonic shockwaves.


    These aftershocks left ripples in the ocean like children playing in a bath. The sheer size of these waves sent apocalyptic shivers up my spine, and they scattered the light above us. This cast innumerable shadows that Hod abused to his fullest extent. He took out elemental mages, snapping necks, tearing jugulars, and ripping heads. They left plenty for me to do, and I continued battling for hours.


    In this war, I acted as our juggernaut. I ran forward, unveiling my full arsenal as I did. Wielding multiple magics, I generated acts of absolute ruin. Earthquakes spawned under my feet. Tsunamis covered the surface as I passed. The ocean boiled into an abyss. It was a display of my potential, realized to its fullest extent at this moment.


    I wanted this fight to be a milestone for our guild, one where we carved our names into history. If I had my way, Schema would write out how we began a complete pushback for the war. An essential piece of that, my guildsmen secured the territory I left behind. Super golems acted as unmoving constructs, our omega division handling stragglers.


    They leveled rapidly, many of our members capping their levels in the process. They began stabilizing the territories we passed as the fighting died down. Each golem could monitor a one-mile radius, its vision and senses sharp. Humans helped, each of them offering judgment to certain situations. This gave us the ability to rescue the Vagni, many of them just looking for a way out of this endless war.


    I offered a solution as we bodied their lines. Despite this rapid progress, we eventually slowed down. Our assault coursed out like a blitz, but so did Elysium''s eventual retaliation. They summoned new foes for us to face, many upgraded Hybrids joining the fray. Like us, Elysium prepared for battle, and they began bringing out larger prey for me.


    Version 2.0''s appeared, their strength formidable. Not formidable enough for me, however. Their mental tricks no longer phased me, and without that edge, I could put all of my focus on taking one out. It was as simple as pinning one down and blowing it up with a singularity. It took all of seconds, and those that closed in, I simply crushed with my hands.


    A Version 2.0 couldn''t beat a super golem, we found out, though they got close. Our guildsmen turned the tide in that regard, giving us an edge. The gialgathens as well, they gave us a superiority in mobility that proved invaluable. From scouting to transport, they offered urgent utility to the rescue services, Kessiah leading the charge with her healing. And aside from their utility maneuverability, the gialgathens connected to the Vagni, something I hadn''t expected.


    The gialgathens had controlled the espens long ago, even before the espens had language. This was due to the gialgathens innate, telepathic communication.  Comparatively, the espens showed a refined edge similar to humans while the Vagni mirrored animalistic warriors. Because of that, the gialgathens herded the Vagni with relative ease. Seeing the Vagni''s reaction reminded me of when I first saw the flying amphibians.


    Gialgathens, they struck a memorable scene. That immediate awe gushed from the Vagni as the gialgathens drifted overhead. It didn''t hurt that a gialgathen''s wings enabled superior swimming, giving them a grace similar to when they were in the sky. I could tell they were once aquatic, and they hadn''t altogether left those adaptations behind.


    I abused these factors to the fullest, giving us a controlled territory exceeding the Empire''s grasp at its fullest. Within hours, we contained the center point of the city, and by the end of the day, we safeguarded nearly twenty square miles. This gave us a bastion to launch from, giving us innumerable advantages.


    Spear created warps for supply chains, giving our troops fresh food, unsalted water, and resting places. Torix established a non-aquatic zone with his magic, letting our members move and breathe with ease. The super golems established a baseline perimeter for this depot, and I generated rows of wild plant life.


    I did so at random, culling the non-edible varieties. Afterward, I created a swarm of crabs to feast on the various plant life in our underwater terrarium. This established a farm, one the Vagni immediately got to work in. The gialgathens commanded while offering them protection, allowing the Vagni to begin founding new lives here.


    Yeah, all in eight hours.


    The speed of our establishment defied reason, our plan working better than we imagined. Our resources converted to this planet perfectly. In particular, many of the gialgathens preferred Blegara to Mt. Verner. This gave them a bit more oomph when fighting, their typical laziness replaced by ferocity. By the time we finished establishing a fully realized camp, I peered at the beginnings of a colony.


    Finalizing the effort, I established a tower covered in runes, some enchantments cipheric and others every day. I pulled out a blue core at the top of this lookout, one of the two I had remaining. Planting it down, I went through the system menus before stamping our position onto this world. My palm placed, I began charging.


    The elemental furnace on my chest roared, and my own mana funneled into the device. By the time I finished, the blue core sizzled to the touch. I finished in only twenty seconds. The dungeon heart''s protective barrier washed over our new colony, our members flabbergasted that it was already here.


    I stared around at that point, finding my super golems finishing off Hybrids in the distance. Twenty of them kept this central camp secure, protecting us as explosions radiated in the background. Gialgathens swam and carried our members across the seafloor, ensuring few casualties came out.


    It was a thing of beauty.


    Wanting to focus on construction, I honed into my working mode. Talking with a few engineers on the scene, we drafted up a few ideas. As they sketched onto blueprint paper, an explosion radiated from overhead. I peered upwards and found one of my super golems falling in pieces. Its eyes shattered; it no longer sustained life, having been the first casualty of its kind.


    It was Alpha.


    A burst of rage roared into my mind as I stared up at whatever did this. Standing outside of a dimensional rift, a Sentinel stared down at us. It loomed like a forerunner, one that beckoned forth a second wind for Elysium. It mirrored Spear in both demeanor and appearance, so I believed our Sentinel had gone mad. Looking closer, I found signs of this Sentinel''s corruption.


    It carried a single dimensional slicer, the magenta-colored blade humming underwater. Its armor cracked, though gray graphene soaked between the aged fractures. Eyeless and without a face, a remnant wore the armor, but it was no longer its own being. Nanomachine laden fluid pumped through large exposed veins clustering in its joints. It twitched at random, an ever-present fight for control booming in its mind.


    I analyzed the creature, trying to ween as much information out of it as possible before running in.


    Hybridized Sentinel(lvl 21,019) - This mockery of Schema''s glorious troops results from a Sentinel being Hybridized. While still retaining fragments of its previous mind, it has been wholly neutralized via a psionic solution. Whether or not this is the same means of controlling Lehesion is unknown.


    What is known is this is a harrowing foe. It wields the graphene armor that most Sentinels boast, further augmented by implants. This monster also wields a dimensional slicer, using the absolute weaponry to enact harm onto anything it touches. There is almost nothing known that can withstand a dimensional slicer''s attack head-on, so evasion is recommended.


    Outside of this, the years of training also assist the Sentinel in becoming exceptional. This gives it a tremendous hand to hand combat ability and mental prowess. Sentinels can cast a variety of magic, most of it non-absolute in nature. Some arcane magic can be used, and this is the most deadly of these sorcery based abilities.


    Last of all is the Hybridization process. As disgusting and filthy as the monsters are, Hybrids are incredibly tenacious. They carry regenerative abilities exceeding almost every known species. Combine that with their metallic constitutions and nanomachine laden blood, and they are physically strong while being difficult to kill.


    Most would need to run. I ask you to show this monster what you''re capable of.


    By Personalized AI-C90


    It was interesting that my perception got high enough to see which personalized AI was making my statuses. That being said, the Hybridized Sentinel lost in its mental war, so it banged its chest with its spear. A vast echo rippled across the landscape as mana flooded through its tear in dimensions. Like Lehesion before him, a sacrificial ritual empowered this being beyond its limits, and it radiated with energy.


    Rearing back its spear, it let out a swipe that launched out a dimensional wave. It tore across the blue core''s defenses, leaving cracks in the hexagonal barrier. Before it swiped again, I propelled myself towards the attack. Reaching out a hand, the slice snapped against my palm, unable to harm me. I gripped the slicing energy, draining it. The Sentinel leaned back from my presence, and I glared at the poor sap stuck in that armor.


    It telepathically linked to me, speaking on conversational terms,


    "Ah, it''s you again. The so-called Harbinger."


    It was someone I wasn''t familiar with, but that didn''t matter. Staring them down, I roared back, "You''re going to die here...You know it. That meat puppet can feel it."


    The Sentinel they controlled trembled, but its psionic controllers repressed its urge to run. My armor grinned, "I cannot wait until after I''m able to reach you all."


    The voice replied, "You will never be able to find us."


    I shot a mental bombardment it''s way, just a raw burst of will. The mind''s resolve wavered as I gripped my hands into fists harder than iron,


    "I will, and when I do, there''ll be nowhere left to run."


    It feigned confidence, but I pressed on,


    "Have you ever thought about how fragile you are? One pulse of so many different forces, and you die. It''s a miracle you can even survive, but you still chose to make me your enemy."


    It replied, "We''ve made far greater enemies than you, like Schema."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Schema hides on an unseen planet while I fight on the frontlines, and I do so without fear of death or failure. I can walk across stars without burning, and I can drift across the cosmos without breathing. They do me no harm, not them nor the monsters you wield."


    "Those monsters will be the death of you and your guild."


    "But they are only monsters to you. See, unlike Schema, I need not hide, for I can face anyone in battle. Unlike Elysium, I need no puppets, for the body I wield is invulnerable."


    Event Horizon crept towards the creature as I seethed,


    "You, you may bide your time, but know that I am eternal."


    The runes across my armor shined crimson,


    "And I will find you."

 294 Revenge Given Form

    The twisted Sentinel lobbed out his first mental attack, a sort of initial jab combined with a feint. This typical opener gave me plenty of leeway for my start. I partitioned two minds for mental magic as I did with Torix, one for offense and one for defense. They went to war against the telepathically inclined being, and the rest of me charged the wretch.


    The Sentinel hovered himself backward, several mana streams directing his movement. Event Horizon smothered him after the initial seconds of battle, and his energy fizzled. The draining aura outpaced his ability to physically manifest mana, leaving him sinking down in the water. I shoved my knee at his face, but he raised his spear to deflect. Angling just right, the Sentinel knocked my foot up before slicing at me.


    I slapped the spear sideways, the close-range abilities of the weapon feeble. Passing over him, I redirected myself with a gravity well. Pulled down towards him, I reared back a fist. At the same time, I made another consciousness that controlled gravitational magic. This let me simultaneously generate an antigravity well under the Sentinel.


    Bobbing him upwards, I caught his momentum and his face by surprise. My blow landed with pinpoint precision, transferring immense force into the Sentinel''s body. His armor cracked over his nose before he shot downward through my earlier magic. Recreating the feat, I generated numerous powerful antigravity wells under him. This lobbed the Sentinel back and forth like a pinball being slapped up by flipper bats.


    Each of my attacks targeted his skull, intending to kill. Upon each impact, I reverted to the Rise of Eden, augmenting my stats as well. This gave me harder hits before I continued suppressing the Sentinel with Event Horizon. The mana draining effect of my ascendant aura, in particular, crippled the Sentinel completely.


    It left him running on empty, unable to make even a wisp of magic. His mental abilities faltered as well, most of his endeavors manifesting in little progress. This standstill came from me weaving between his mental assaults while prodding back with my own barrages. This put me in an unfamiliar position; the mental fight would be over before long, but instead of me losing, I was actually winning.


    But the fight wasn''t over yet. The Sentinel jerked back and forth under the extreme stresses of both my magic and physical strikes. His rapid movements left the Sentinel within unable to do anything, but the mind mages controlling him kicked into action. More members joined them, bolstering their mental attack. Their ritual strengthened, mana siphoning into the Sentinel. His spear charged, containing enormous plumes of arcane energy.


    With the augments, his mobility returned, able to function once more. I missed a weighted punch, and he skimped me with his spear. It left a long slice in my leg, but only for a second. It closed as quickly as he cut into it, my regeneration unmatched. My armor laughed, a hollowing sound radiating across the landscape.


    I leaned into this fear causing tactic, sending taunts at the Sentinel,


    "Come. Surely you have more than one swing in you?"


    A culmination of minds voiced, "We will adjust."


    Surrounding us, version 2.0''s flooded forth. Several dozen arrived, their psionic controllers joining the fray. They merged with the connection before smothering my own mind magic. Sent into a spiral, I lost the smooth connection between me and my body, which left me vulnerable. Imposing on my opening, the Sentinel dashed forward, his spear raised.


    Magenta-shaded, arcane energy flooded his spear before he sliced towards my head. A tear in dimension formed as the arc of his strike came towards my skull. The blade made contact with my helmet''s aura before I opened my mouth. The teeth of my helm widened, and my armor snapped its jaws into the hilt of the spear.


    An instinctual, primal rage took me over, and I smashed two quick haymakers into the Sentinel''s body. Powdered graphene erupted from the impacts, making gray clouds in the water. Plumes of evaporated water gushed beyond the Sentinel, the heat left from my fists palpable. Before I continued, version 2.0''s converged, holding my limbs. I struggled for a few seconds as they tried sinking their teeth in me.


    The Sentinel roared at me, "Who''s afraid now?"


    I laughed while opening my dimensional storage. From it, I unloaded a bottled up, kinetic blast. Earlier, I used some singularities and captured the resulting explosions. Using them like ammo from my pocket dimension, I put those implosions point-blank for me and the Hybrids. I survived the intense radiation and compressive shockwave. The Hybrid''s fared far worse.


    The attack rippled through their bodies, those closest to me inflicted with grievous wounds. The more distant ones had their senses jumbled as if I used a sonic grenade on them. Event Horizon expanded over them while I pulled my hands close. My armor writhed over my skin, my flesh becoming fluid. A true monster, I lashed out in all directions, tendrils of my armor piercing into the many version 2.0''s.


    These prongs tore through them like harpoons through fish. Once impaled, large hooks formed on the other ends of these spikes. Creating a gravity well over me, I funneled them towards my frame while pulling them closer. Many fought the pull, some Hybrids even howling out in terror. Those screams were silenced as my armor drenched their mouths and eyes, tearing through their soft bodies.


    The Sentinel used his arcane spear to slice the feelers sent his way, but he could only watch on as I consumed his reinforcements. What was once a deadly attack now gave me greater life. The actual Sentinel, still living, trembled as its puppeteers struggled to control it. The psionic controllers shouted from within,


    "I...what in the hell is wrong with you? You''re a monster, worse than the eldritch."


    My usual body walked out of the shivering mass of dying Hybrids. My armor grinned at the twisted Sentinel, and I spoke,


    "No. I choose if I''m a monster. It''s unfortunate, but you brought it out of me."


    Version 2.0''s began dying, and their corpses disintegrated into mana, letting me step forward,


    "Now, you must deal with the consequences."


    My armor reformed, reconstituting my typical frame. Sprinting towards him, other forces congregated at my position again. Stopping midcharge, I peered around, forming a plan against them. I had charged a few latent singularity explosions earlier, but they wouldn''t fall for that trick again. That left one option left - an all-out brawl. Preparing for the free-for-all, I peered around while visualizing my first few strikes.


    I didn''t need to.


    Spears drilled through them before exploding amidst clusters of enemies. The resulting orange and gray clouds cast shadows that Hod warped from. Our shadow lurker left our enemies in pieces that burned amidst umbral fires. Torix joined my telepathic connection, and he went forth like a bat scrambling out of a cage. His offensive mirrored our previous bout, lacking any hesitation or mercy.


    I joined him, smashing towards the Sentinel''s mind. More mages joined the mass controlling the Sentinel, several Hybrids in the distance running wild as their controllers joined the fray. A dogpile of consciousnesses began, and we played a mental game of tug of war. This favored me, as it required a primary controller.


    Now, as the controller, we both struggled to maintain the sheer volumes of mental energy passing through our minds. At least he did. My willpower and intelligence meant I could handle tremendous damage. As these mental flows enhanced further still, my head warmed to the touch. It kept building until it radiated heat, which paled compared to my own self-heating tactics.


    The other primary controller, the one who killed Alpha, began wailing as the mana''s heat burned him. Unlike me, most weren''t made of such a robust material. They were flesh, bone, and water. Hot water boiled, even after a person was systemized by Schema. Now, an average person could probably handle about one million mana every second. This would warm them, but it wouldn''t cook them alive.


    Any more than that, and they''d begin to die. This conflict escalated beyond that, and as it rose further, so did my enemy''s anguish. Even in my anger, I didn''t relish in his pain. I wanted this fight over and that manipulator dead. Jolting forward, I pressed on with a variety of attacks. I stormed the area with lightning, creating streams of volatile energy. I deluged the region in gravitation, buckling his knees. I swamped his legs in molten ground, a tactic I enjoyed using.


    This left the Sentinel pressed onto his back foot the entire time. I left little room for escape, surrender, or revenge. I enacted my own will, but others joined the fray. My team supported me as I fought, stopping anyone from interrupting our fight. On the other hand, I kept pursuing and ripping this Sentinel''s body apart. In this endless cycle, the Sentinel''s armor cracked and crumbled over time.


    That armor astonished me with just how long it lasted. I guesstimated that a paper-thin sheet of it would stop a tank bullet. Even under the unreal stresses of my attacks, it withstood for a while. Even when put under extreme heat, it retained shape. Even more, it protected the person inside. Whether or not that was a benefit was debatable, however.


    The individual that acted as the mental conduit, his skull fried during the battle. He attempted disconnecting, but I latched telepathic claws into him. Using my master''s tactics, I chased without revealing my defenses. I kept calm, cold, and composed while dismantling his mind. I did so while thrashing his physical form as well. They weren''t the only ones that could use mind magic.


    In the process of doing that, I slammed the Sentinel into the blue core''s barrier. I already bashed the Sentinel into Hybrids, buildings, and boulders alike. For both of us, these materials acted like gelatin, unable to withstand our physical forms. In this way, the blue core''s barrier served as my most potent weapon. The reason was simple - it was hard to break.


    So, smashing him against that resulted in lots of rebounding force. Every action had an equal and opposite reaction, after all. Armed with that knowledge, I hugged the Sentinel to me before rising high into the ocean. As I came down, the water boiled. The Sentinel garbled out,


    "We''ll both die, you idiot."


    I just smiled, not choosing to answer him. This wasn''t my first rodeo. My armor let out a chuckle as well, one that I allowed it to have. That chuckle turned into haunting laughter. The twisted Sentinel heard the confidence in that voice, and he scrambled for survival. Before landing, he pulled his arms out of my grip. With his spear, he charged the bright, mauve blade and pierced my face.


    It dug deep through my jaw and into my chest, but it didn''t matter. By the time he pulled the blade out, my wound healed. It did cause a sickly gurgling as my armor laughed, however. This only further frightened the Sentinel as he stabbed again and again, but my grip didn''t lessen. It only constricted tighter. As we got close to the core''s barrier, He charged the blade, shifting the magenta-colored edge to a deeper violet.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He sliced through dimensions before the blade made contact with my shoulder. On touching my skin, the blade snapped. There was no resistance, and it was unable to do me harm. As the edge flopped sideways, the Sentinel stared at me. From the cracks in its facemask, its eyes hollowed. The corrupted Sentinel put a hand on my shoulder, and he spoke in his original voice,


    "It was a good fight."


    We smashed into the blue core''s barrier, a vast plume of energy erupting. Beneath us, strains of energy stretched out from the hexagonal forcefield. It called upon its reserves to restrain our landing, and it somehow sustained the collision. Peering down, I uncovered why. Chrona and Krog flew under me, each using their own abilities.


    Chrona used her temporal field to slow down the energy transfer, letting the barrier take less initial damage. Krog used a sonic roar to break my shockwave''s impact. This dispersed the force enough, and the forcefield stayed standing. I stood atop it, standing over the shattered remains of a Sentinel.


    But even if the Sentinel died, the psionic controller lived within it, and so, our battle still raged. I held with an iron grip, not letting that controller go. His mind reached its absolute limit, and on the other side, his defenses faltered. My mind rushed through his, and I sensed his own senses. He collapsed, blood trailing from his eyes and nose.


    It was cramped in his, I don''t know, skull? I couldn''t really tell what it was. He simply lacked the ability to have my entire mind within his. It strained him, and his body disintegrated from the effort. It gave me enough time to search through vague memories. As I pilfered, I gained a few esoteric ideas. They lingered like bubbles floating in the wind.


    Holding for only a few seconds, I still locked them in place with my excellent memory. These ideas would take time to analyze, so I didn''t bother deciphering them until after this was over.


    Which was pretty soon. Seconds later and the controller died. I didn''t want him to go like this, and I typically stopped this kind of fate preemptively. However, when he killed Alpha, he also killed my mercy. He foamed at the mouth while I jerked my mind back towards my body. It wasn''t like I fully crossed over either since he couldn''t hold my entire mind. It was more like I sent one of my mini-minds over and pulled it back.


    Either way, I stared down at the dead body of a Sentinel after returning. I closed a fist, staring down at it. I remembered the Overseer''s words when I last saw a Sentinel pass. Honoring those traditions, I lunged down and tapped the Sentinel''s chest plate with my hand,


    "You may rest for all time, brother. You fought the tide, and so it fought you back. Though washed away to sea, you will always be remembered."


    I laid my head on its chest,


    "In Eternum, Vive."


    Placing my palm onto its neck, my armor began assimilating the body''s mana. It always saddened me when one of these guys died, but I pushed through that sensation. The Overseer gave me advice when we first fought Lehesion, and I agreed with the sentiment. Schema''s world was harsh, and it required brutal tactics like this to survive.


    Standing up, I carried the body and the spear with me. Leaping down, I landed beside the edge of the blue core''s barrier. Without a threat nearby, its physical manifestation faded, letting me enter. On the other side of the forcefield, I found several people watching me. The first I noticed was the least evident of these individuals: Amara and Hod.


    They hid behind the others, but the terror in their eyes as they gawked at me was evident. It left my hair standing on end, so I shifted from Event Horizon to The Rise of Eden. This settled them down some, but they still stayed on edge. The others I found proved far more welcoming.


    Krog and Chrona flew overhead, both of them circling my position while thundering to the heavens,


    "We are victorious."


    They were right. The Hybrids stopped their first offensive as the Hybridized Sentinel died. They still rallied a few miles from our encampment, but this left us with about twenty square miles of secured territory. Not much for a planet, but it was plenty considering we were in the middle of Blegara''s capital. It wasn''t too shabby a place to start our conquering of the area.


    Knowing how important this victory was, I raised a fist and shouted,


    "We''ve won."


    A group of my guildsmen let loose with approval and celebration. The gialgathens, in particular, let out a deafening telepathic howl. It left me stunned, both with joy and a bit of mental whiplash. Either way, they meant well, so I let it slide. Before I began celebrating, I turned towards where the Sentinel and my fight initially started.


    There, resting in pieces, was Alpha. I winced at the sight, his eyes dead and cold. I raised my hands to everyone crowded around me, "Excuse me. I have to handle something first."


    They backed away before I paced up to Alpha''s body. I leaned over, putting my hand on his chest piece. It was cold. I grimaced at the sight, his death affecting me more than I thought it would. I made hundreds of these guys, new and improved versions even. None of that changed the fact that he was the first of his kind.


    Losing him was a new kind of sting, and I hadn''t expected it. I turned towards the others here, and I raised my hands, "Golems. Come here."


    Those that heard obeyed. The golems raced over towards my position, several dozen collecting here. The others helped Vagni in the distance or cleaned up the messes there. I let them continue with their worthy pursuits. I just wanted Alpha to be remembered, kind of like how the Sentinels and Overseers respected the passing of their own.


    I turned to the golems here, "I don''t know what kind of burial he would need, but you guys are probably more in tune with what he would have wanted. Any ideas?"


    A golem walked forth. It was Beta, the second of his kind,


    "Master, I believe he would want to assist the war effort. He died a noble and complete death, and for us, we could hope for no greater honor than assisting the whole."


    I took a few steps back from Alpha, "Then do what you can."


    The other golems stepped up, and they lifted the body over us with gravitation. They each used their own version of Event Horizon. While paling in comparison to my own aura, they used many of them condensed over his body. The intensity mounted until Alpha''s remains began disintegrating.


    He converted into the two mana types he was made of, both quintessence and ascendant. Those energies flowed over the other golems, the subtle hues of red and white both melancholy and beautiful. Over those few seconds, he disintegrated into a cloud of colorless ether.


    In the end, he joined his brothers and sisters to fight on.


    Beta turned to the others, "For Alpha."


    They telepathically boomed, "For Alpha."


    Turning around, I remembered where we stood. On the outskirts of our camp, many troops scattered out wet sand and ocean stones. They used plastic covered documents or system loaded data for communications, which wasn''t exactly efficient. Given their lack of conducive working conditions, now was as good a time as any to build. It would act as an interlude for all the fighting I''d be doing this week as well.


    To start, I stayed over at Alpha''s resting place where he was last living. I took a mental image of my first golem made with a mind. Using that form, I molded a massive block of white stone. I chipped away at it, tearing it apart and cleaving at corners. Minutes passed, and I got the rough approximation of Alpha. After an hour, a more refined take appeared. It served as a memorial for him.


    Beside the golem, I made several faceless warriors. One wore power armor, one wore an Omega Strain, and another was a gialgathen. Creating a metal plaque, I etched a date for the battle along with a quote - ''To those that sacrificed everything so that we could have anything.'' Having honored our fallen, I turned and found several people grouped around me. They paid their respects as I finished.


    Surrounding the monument in glass and metal, I protected it from the elements while giving it a walkway. Continuing work along that line, I spent the next few hours creating buildings for our people. Explosions in the background weren''t precisely the best way to focus, so by sealing my members off from those distractions, I guaranteed more productivity for our people. It improved their quality of life too while we sieged here.


    Watching me craft buildings in minutes also motivated the teams here. It gave this new place a sense of permanence, one where we had no intention of leaving. Knowing this, I built everything to last. I kept the designs similar in scope and function to my own golem center. Minimalist and functional, I gave them bulbs of quintessence as lighting too.


    Unlike other mana bombs, I kept the crystallization stable, having learned quite a bit about solid mana after making the gems so often. I tied runic wiring to many of these buildings as a finishing detail, making the lighting serve dual purposes; they beautified and powered these living areas. This combined with roadways I generated along with metallic lamps powered by the same source.


    This process continued until the next morning. Staring around, I found myself having crafted a miniature city overnight. People filed into my architecture as I made them, and it always filled me with pride seeing people enjoy, laugh, and live in what I made. That being said, this comfy interior gave the entire waterfront an incredibly surreal sensation.


    On the one hand, my golems fought in view, just a mile away. They destroyed wave after wave of Hybrid reinforcements. On the other hand, soldiers sat in enclosed dwellings, comfortable and secured. They rested well, being able to block out the roar of war. The rings I gave them served that purpose, letting them float in place. This creative use was pioneered by Diesel, actually.


    He spread the word, and now this antigravity sleeping style was commonplace throughout my guild. This improved living standard extended to my elite as well. Torix maintained control from an improvised lair as the siege dragged on. His hideaway offered relative tranquility, so Torix no longer needed to get his hands dirty anymore. This quiet enabled further outstanding logistics and orders from our lich, and he outmaneuvered the enemy time and time again.


    Never needing sleep, Torix continued this through each night. During the days, Althea used the blue core''s tower as a sniper''s nest. Her spears tore enemy ships sent here, giving us aerial and nautical superiority. On the ground, Hod handled the situation, keeping his mind intent on personal, contained killings. He followed Kessiah, who operated under various rescue missions. This gave us a steady stream of pretty pissed off Vagni, but they did as they were told.


    For now.


    Amara worked on that issue, getting everything ready for our announcement. This gave us plenty of leeway for the operation''s timing, and I readied that for our full advantage. I gathered a team of twenty gialgathens, Krog and Chrona included among them. We sat in our secured zone, communicating effectively despite the war waging beyond Torix''s isolatory magic.


    Staring at them, I raised a hand, "How are you all holding up?"


    They established a telepathic multilink, one where anyone could join. Krog spoke out first,


    "We''re doing well. To have gained this much ground so soon fills our kind with pride. The ability to stretch our wings and explore as well, it''s something I''ve long missed. I know others shared in my longing, and they share in my excitement as well."


    Chrona peered at her skin, the silver sheen especially radiant today, "This place isn''t as dry, either. I prefer this world to yours. The oceans, they are beautiful flying spots."


    She peered away, "Er, not to offend you, Harbinger."


    I raised a hand, "Trust me, no offense taken. I figured you guys would. Either way, we need to get a grip on the local populace. I don''t want to wipe them out, and having them evacuated would make this a lot less complicated. To do that, I need to convince them that the eldritch are terrified of me."


    A gialgathen in the back boomed, "Not too difficult a feat for you, I''d imagine."


    The gialgathens laughed, and I raised a fist, "You''re right. It''s not. In fact, I''m a little too effective at scaring them now. I need the biggest of those monsters grouped together, but they run from me. That''s where you all come in."


    I pulled out blocks of quintessence, Amara and Hod''s favorite flavor of mana,


    "We can use these to bait the eldritch all into one place. Once clustered, I''ll be using Amara''s broadcast to show the eldritch submitting to me. That will really help out with getting the Vagni over to our side. They love their old gods, so if the old gods worship me, then logic dictates the Vagni will worship whoever the eldritch worship."


    Krog narrowed his eyes, "What if the Vagni don''t follow through with that reasoning?"


    My runes flared red, crimson light bathing those around me, "Then I''ll give them a different reason to follow me, one equally convincing."


    The gialgathens paled, both heartened and terrified by me at the same time. Turning to Amara, I raised an eyebrow, "Are you ready?"


    She tapped a few keys before nodding,


    "Yes, Harbinger. Everything we need is prepared. We need only herd the wolves with these sheep."


    She narrowed her eye laced palms at the gialgathens, "Enormous sheep."


    The gialgathens laughed, their natural confidence on display. I turned to those here, "Then let''s take this planet''s people in one fell swoop."


    After handing out the quintessence, everyone got to work. Amara nabbed a piece as I tossed them to our flyers, and she indulged with great hunger. Our force of gialgathens went about dispersing the bait after, leaving me with a bit of time before the eldritch clustered up. Optimizing as much as possible, I figured checking my status wouldn''t be a waste of time.


    And I was right.

 295 A Convincing Argument

    <div>


    <div>


    Opening my status, numerous notifications came pouring in. The first one was unexpected, but welcome nonetheless.


    Congratulations! You''ve learned the new skill Lightning Generation.


    Lightning Generation(lvl 13) - Many wish they wielded the powers that lay dormant at your fingertips. Use it wisely. Allows the user to generate electricity.


    Congratulations! You have fused the normal skills Lightning Generation, Electrical Clasping, Lightning Eater, Throwing, and Deconstruction into the unique skill, Empowered Automaton. 168 Skillpoints awarded.


    Empowered Automaton(lvl 12) - You walk in the wake of energy, and it flows through you, augmenting your every move. Grants the better use of electricity, giving the user empowered stats while charged.


    Mass Manipulator has been enhanced by the mythical skill, Hunter of Many. This has turned Mass Manipulator into Mass Molder.


    Mass Molder(lvl 74) - Most are given a shape and form, and they cannot change it. You are fluid, and in that fluidity, you find power. Allows the user to alter densities of matter slightly and gives the user the ability to change one''s shape more quickly.


    It was an absolute outpour of skills, which was a nice bonus. Lightning Generation came from using electricity as a weapon against the twisted Sentinel. Considering the massive streaks of mana based lightning I spawned during my mana charging, electrical generation was something I''d expected a while back. Using it actively as a weapon must have made the difference here for learning it.


    As for the unique skill, I revved it into action as I read on. Empowered Automaton gave me a slight tingling sensation like I was charged with static. Giving it a bit more juice, electricity hummed through the water, killing a few nearby fish. Remembering where I was, I silenced the skill so I wouldn''t kill nearby people. Giving myself a mental slap, I continued thinking.


    The stat bonuses from the unique skill seemed negligible, but the actual electricity proved quite volatile. Charging myself and fighting while super-heated would make me even more challenging to approach. It gave me a few new ideas for making other skills oriented around putting myself through hell. With my sheer tankiness, I could walk around in a perpetual storm of various elements.


    Everyone around me would suffer, but I''d be just fine. Ice, fire, electricity, gravitation, magma, and wind, I could just plant those streams of magic over myself then launch my body at an enemy. It would be more straightforward than aiming and maintaining mana at a distance, albeit a bit unconventional. This meant more powerful streams of those magics as well.


    That came down to a matter of distance - the further a magic''s epicenter was from me, the more mana it cost to maintain. Where I used my mana decided most of its efficiency, so putting it right at my center of mass made the spells more effective. Of course, it wasn''t as if I was hurting for mana or anything, but I pinched pennies where I could, even if I didn''t need them.


    Putting those ideas aside, I checked out Mass Molder.  It was a slight augment for my Mass Manipulator skill, and it just made modeling my armor easier. Useful, but it wasn''t a deal-breaker. I probably earned the ability from taking out the Hybrids with my hook attack. Considering the efficacy of that, I remembered this skill for later. It might do me more good than I initially presumed, but I''d have to wait and see.


    Either way, it was time for me to check out other parts of my status update. I got a nice stockpile of skillpoints from all the skills I learned and leveled. That was something I forgot in my previous status check - selecting my next tree. It had been so long that I forgot about the process in general. Opening my menu, I perused my options.


    Purger(Clear a quarantine)(0/250) | Owner of Worlds(Own a habitable world)(2,500) | Anomaly(Be singular in nature)(2,500) | Creator of Armies(Generate a formidable fighting force)(2,500) | Immortal(Have a possible lifespan of over 100,000 years)(2,500) | Builder(Build over ten buildings that are livable)(150) | Conquerer(Take a city by force)(1,500)


    Each of the trees drew me in for different reasons. Purger and Builder seemed like quick, easy boosts in their relative abilities. Builder, in particular, played a crucial part in making my colonies from here on out. Purger probably assisted with quarantines, which Plazia-Ruhl still hadn''t created. For now, I put that on the back burner.


    Owner of Worlds appeared useful, as I planned on owning several worlds. That being said, it would be a hot minute before I got ownership of another planet. On the other hand, Creator of Armies stuck out as one of the most appropriate choices. Unlike Owner of Worlds, Creator of Armies helped me out right now, letting me boost my armies or help make them better. That was always useful, and it would be for the foreseeable future.


    On the other hand, the Immortal tree wasn''t my cup of tea. It took me, like, three seconds to regenerate to full health. I didn''t need more survivability, which I guesstimated the tree was about. Online searches didn''t help me out there. As for Conquerer, that tree seemed the least useful. I had no issues wiping out populaces. If anything, my most significant limitations revolved around not killing other people while slaughtering enemies.


    After weighing those options, I stuck with something simple - Builder. Yeah, it was pretty basic, but sometimes, choosing vanilla was the best option. Doing just that, I funneled all my points into the tree. It rewarded well after that.


    Most Sentients use their lives to destroy. They break others, the eldritch, and even themselves. When they pass, nothing lives on after them. You''ve chosen a different path, one that leaves behind a bounty for others. Whether after death or before life, your chosen marks remain.


    +10% Building Speed


    This decision, the one of creation, is a difficult one to resolve one''s self for. It involves giving away your ego and the drive for personal power. In this way, many of your current decisions revolve around those around you. It takes a strong mind to give to others, and you are an example of that strength embodied.


    +10% Building Speed


    This strength acts as a beacon for others. You shine brightly, casting an overflowing light onto those that congregate in your glow. That glow manifests as the comforts of living well; no rain nor wind will lash your friend''s backs. No monsters will rush through their doors, and no cold will bite their fingers and toes.


    +10% Building Speed


    This protection creates community, a shelter for those that need an escape from a harsh reality. You forge a new one in place of a callus nature, an existence that is warm and comfortable. This allows others to grow in kind, and in that way, you''ve created a garden from which others may flourish.


    +10% Building Speed


    For their growth is your own, and in their tempering, you can only smile. You are but a piece, yet still part of the whole. You relish in this task, for you are a builder of homes and a crafter of comfort. Take pride in it.


    +10% Building Speed | 100% increased learning speeds for construction based skills


    It was a humble but welcome addition to my trees. It synergized with my current building tasks, and I appreciated the learning speed increase. Considering the number of colonies we''d be making soon, this was a wise decision long-term. Figuring I''d get my other small tree out of the way, I invested into Purger in the same way.


    To purge is more than to destroy. Yes, you must eradicate the filth present and preserve the lives of those still living. More than this, you act as a cleansing agent, one that goes through the land and restores balance. This balance exposes itself as new growth. By culling the old, you make way for the new.


    +4% Damage In Quarantined Areas


    This fresh restoration requires the culling of what lingers on. In that manner, don''t mistake yourself as a reaper of these lost souls or infected people. You are granting them peace so that their families may live on. You are giving them a future worth living, one that is brighter than the dim present they bask in.


    +4% Damage in Quarantined Areas


    A light bringer, a dawn treader, and a dark culler, you walk forth through desolate lands and aged spaces. By choosing this path, you make a path for those behind you. By making a situation less grim, you allow others to do the same. Set these precedents, and you grant others the right to follow you.


    +4% Damage in Quarantined Areas


    And they will; you grant security and peace. Your presence, though basked in death, is a comfort to those around you. You exist not as a plague doctor that omens death but as a vaccine that promises life. The helpless, they peer at you in awe. Their fear is multifaceted, as it contains joy and retribution as well.


    +4% Damage in Quarantined Areas


    This retribution comes in the form of continuing on. Though upon the graves of those that have perished, their lands are now clean of infestations. That is because of you as you are the purger of vermin.


    +4% Damage in Quarantined Areas | +10% Speed in Quarantined Areas


    Once more, these were simple, useful bonuses. Unlike the larger trees, these didn''t change my build or grant me wide, sweeping bonuses. They simply assisted me with specific jobs and tasks. Considering I planned on clearing fringe worlds eventually, it was good to get this out of the way. That investment left me with only a few skill points left. Taking a glance at my other trees, I put the rest of my points into Creator of Armies.


    It served me best for now, and with that handled, I checked out my status. Without really thinking the situation through, I just poured all my points into endurance. At this point, the multipliers worked like a charm for me. With that handled, I opened my status and gave it a look-see. This seemed like a nice bump up as far as stats were concerned.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 18,461 (Cap: 26,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign)


    Strength ¨C 90,951 | Constitution ¨C 113,694 | Endurance ¨C 232,558


    Dexterity ¨C 48,012 | Willpower ¨C 186,592 | Intelligence ¨C 116,592


    Charisma ¨C 45,946 | Luck ¨C 65,096 | Perception ¨C 35,016 |Awe - 5,201


    Health: 920.8 Million/920.8 Million | Health Regen: 31.6 Billion/min or 527.4 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 5.402 Trillion


    Mass: 21.3 Million Pounds(9.7 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 17''11 (5.46 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.27% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 115.7 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion - 7.1 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    The gains were incredible. Due to all of my trees and multipliers, my mana generation continued exponentially increasing. It made me wonder if Schema would install a cap for some of my previous perks just for me. I mean, I doubted anyone else beat me in endurance. That could very well be the case for willpower as well.


    Either way, everything else bolstered over time as well. In particular, my ambient mana jumped up an enormous amount from my last fight. Eating a Sentinel and tons of boosted hybrids tended to do that, and it was a good feeling knowing those efforts were getting recognized. As for every other stat, the gains were gradual yet inevitable.


    It was a great feeling as my hand hovered over the finalize button. Right before selecting it, I jolted out of my daze. I remembered my Sovereign transformation and how violent it was. Keeping that in mind, I flew up above the sea, treading into unknown waters. Fifteen minutes later, and I gained access to a small island on the surface. With some molded fabric, I put myself into a cocoon of my dimensional threading, hoping it would contain my power-up.


    Selecting finalize, I figured out quickly it would not. The sheer size of my stats meant the amount of mana Schema siphoned to me was abnormal. If anything, it might be the literal highest amount of mana he sent towards anyone. That meant lots of energy transferred, and with energy came heat.


    Lots of it.


    I scorched the ocean around me, the island burning into a pit of molten glass. As it sunk deep into the ocean''s depths, an enormous geyser formed overhead. The water poured towards me and evaporated in mass, resulting in a gigantic whirlpool. This oceanic event left a substantial chunk of the surrounding sea drying out, and water from far off poured in to compensate.


    That was about all I could comprehend at the time. It took all of my concentration to not be driven insane by all the mana. It was energy incarnate, a swarm that left me reeling. My vision faded like last time, and the resulting bonuses went unnoticed for that reason. I mean, how could I feel my mana increasing when I was melting?


    I couldn''t, and so this process continued for a few minutes. By the time it finished, my own body had turned into a semi-molten slop. Concerned for my well being, I held myself together for a moment using magic. I generated something similar to my standard shape using hundreds of gravity wells, but I still deformed under the mana streams.


    And yet, I lived. If anything, it left me stunned by my absurd, unending vitality. The fact of the matter was this - I''d never taken this kind of damage from anything else besides my class unlock. My stat increases were more dangerous than my actual fights now, and keeping that in mind, I intended on splitting up my next series of level-ups. If I took only a thousand attributes at once, it wouldn''t be like this.


    That was a relief. Either way, I finished my status work before soaring back to base. Once there, I found most of the gialgathens had returned from the eldritch luring mission, but a few were missing. Krog and Chrona were included in that bunch, along with a few of the more militant members. I landed amidst the returned gialgathens in a plume of uplifted sand and water. As I did, a smaller gialgathen telepathically spoke to me,


    "There you are, Harbinger. We''ve gathered the eldritch while you were away. Our elite are pulling them together, and we will carry Amara with us whenever you''re ready."


    I gave him a nod, "Let''s go then. It''s time."


    We headed out, crossing over Elysium territory. I blocked and deflected attacks as we passed, melting any clusters of Hybrids while floating overhead. It took the pressure off before we breached into the countryside. Here, few signs of Elysium showed themselves outside of the superior transport systems. The waterways powered by the leviathans were impressive as always.


    So impressive that I didn''t tear them down. That kind of direct, economic damage wasn''t going to win the natural populace over, and it hurt the Vagni more than Elysium anyway. For now, I let those kinds of boons help out the native public, and I intended on implementing something similar soon.


    That required the Vagni''s support, however. Crossing the rural villages, we landed far past them into the eldritch''s territory. Only the small fry monsters remained, the air thickened by dispersing mana. That source radiated off past a trench, where Krog and Chrona floated along the surface. Following them, shifting eldritch tore at one another, and they created vast ripples through the ocean.


    These were the precursors to world eaters. During this highly competitive stage, thousands of these guys roamed the world harvesting organic matter. This gave them tremendous girth but a low density, but they still intimidated even seasoned veterans. The titans stood hundreds of feet tall like Kaiju, ready to tear down a city. They held no shape, however, and this free-flowing form gave them a unique breed of horror.


    Unlike a monster with a shape, these were like amorphous nightmares. They existed almost like concepts instead of actual things. If one came rushing over an ordinary city, they would''ve smothered it, a tidal wave of darkness. That ability to harvest a world''s resources reminded me that these guys acted as one of the eldritch''s highest evolutions.


    Despite that, these prefringe eldritch paled in comparison to their final forms. A Spatial Fortress darkened a planetside, mirroring an eclipse or new moon. These guys stuck to casting shade over hillsides. Well, I wasn''t the kind of hillside they''d be pulling that off with. I turned to Amara, who still messed around with her status beside me. I sent her a message.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 18,461 (Cap: 26,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Start sending the broadcast. I''m ready.


    She gave me a nod, and for some reason, even the eldritch appeared confused for a moment nearby. I ignored that strangeness once the Hybrids and Vagni began staring forward. A few attempted smothering the screen popping up in front of them while others gawked at the fight between the behemoths in the distance.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    For me, nothing appeared, but I had faith in Amara''s skills. I charged mana into my blood. It took a few seconds of charging before I fully inundated with energy, and as I did, a familiar sensation returned - hunger. Some type of voice appeared in my mind, and it screamed out to kill, maim, and murder. It wanted to rip corpses and relish in the ensuing carnage.


    I raised my eyebrows, taken aback by the sensation. I hadn''t experienced this since before killing Yawm, far back in my early days of gaining my armor. It had terrified me at first, and I didn''t know it was a natural part of having high amounts of mana. In general, my willpower tended to smother my high mana''s mental effects, but now, those disturbances outdid my passive mental resistance. However, these voices no longer whispered. They symbolized the size of my mana, and my recent gains turned those whispers into the howling of an abyss.


    And from that abyss, their screams echoed until they were deafening.


    I smiled at the sensation, my hands shaking a bit. Though this presented a more immense challenge than before, I was no longer some naive schoolboy. I was the leader of a legion, and that armed me with knowledge. Using that experience, I shifted my mana to quintessence, the voices turning from howling demons to motivational angels.


    I wanted to build, create, and make something of myself, but that wasn''t helpful for what I was about to do. Taking a moment, I held my breath steady before pulling my mind to a singular point. Wielding this condensed mindset, I crushed the sensations, urges, and conflicting disturbances caused by my mana. It could howl all it liked, but that didn''t mean I had to listen.


    They silenced in moments, and I stood over them once more. Thinking on it, this mana-based outburst explained quite a few oddities. My armor acted on its own in my fight against the Sentinel. Most likely, that was under the influence of my ascendant mana. It could be helpful at times, so I kept that in the back of my mind, having put those old demons back to bed.


    Returning to violence, I shifted back into my ascendant wake, Event Horizon. Knowing that would be the most effective aura, I launched myself towards the battle taking place before me. Krog and Chrona flowed around each other in action, both a marvel on their own but a miracle together.


    They were like water and oil in a glass, both so intertwined I could hardly tell the difference between them. This coordination had reached new heights, and that connectivity demonstrated itself with each of their shifting strikes. They kept the eldritch at bay, doing well in not harming the monsters overtly. Chrona, most of all, could''ve obliterated the eldritch with her temporal dilation. However, keeping in line with the mission, they left these beats intact for me.


    I appreciated the effort while closing in. Half a mile away, the eldritch slowed their fighting, unable to ignore my presence. At a quarter-mile, they glowered in my direction. Once I became more than a blot in the distance, a chill ran up their spine. The smallest began taking steps away, but it was too late.


    I was upon them.


    Within my grasp, I held the runners firm using powerful gravitation. It stunned them, leaving them unable to move but still able to stand. Knowing I needed to convince the eldritch to submit, I let the voices of my ascendant mana speak through me. This meant not suppressing the desire to destroy, and I took on this more monstrous persona.


    In a way, it was liberating.


    "So, it''s good to see you all still have some fight in you. You''ll need it for what''s to come."


    I kept my cipheric runes calm, not channeling my mana. Some of these eldritch still sensed something was amiss, and they were smart enough to listen to that instinct. However, a few, the brave ones, spoke out in fractured voices,


    "Who are you, little one?"


    "He gives us little to fight over, doesn''t he?"


    "To speak in tones knowable to us...interesting. Perhaps this sheep is a wolf in disguise?"


    I''d heard the whole ''wolves'' schtick more than enough by now. I raised a hand,


    "I have a mandate for each of you. You will now be my apostles, and you shall teach the Vagni that I am your ruler now."


    The most massive eldritch snickered, the largest of them then smiling with its many mouths. Its eyes locked with mine, and it cackled,


    "You would rule us then? A tiny morsel, so small that you disappear in my shadow?"


    It snarled, "You speak with no meaning, and you cast out words without thought. I tread horizons, and I carve them of their worth. I leave nothing behind me, a bringer of desolation. Within my grasp is the world before you, and yet, you, a tiny, measly youngling, believes you may contain me."


    It hissed, "Know what you are, or others will remind you."


    I charged some mana, my cipher runes beginning to swell. The smaller, smothered eldritch wrestled in the grasp of my mana, but the larger ones held their ground. Decades of being on top of the food chain numbed their instincts. It was about time I reawakened them.


    "I believe that each of you has forgotten what fear is. Perhaps you have become gluttons, growing fat on the weakness of others. I forged myself amidst the powerful, and I have come out of that forge as the strongest. That strength is my weapon, and you will listen to me, or you will suffer."


    They no longer laughed, a few of the larger eldritch taken aback. The largest held its ground still. A few of its mouths smirked,


    "And what will that suffering entail? An upset stomach after I engulf you?"


    I charged further, allowing a weakened version of Event Horizon to leak out. It crossed over to the bravest amongst them, and it shivered. A few of its eyes showed concern, but the eldritch remained steadfast, its confidence absolute,


    "If this is all you are, then you are still nothing."


    I increased my runic empowering tenfold, and by now, they understood the scale of my mana. They saw horrors, a shackled monster of many mouths, eating itself without end. Even Mr. Big Boy took a pause, his eyes widening from the first inklings of fear. It mouthed,


    "This...This is an abomination. You are...a monster."


    I increased my charging yet again by tenfold, "Are you beginning to understand who you''re dealing with?"


    I pressed Event Horizon into its body like a steel nail through a soft palm. The eldritch grunted out in pain, its underwater form shaking in agony. It let out ripples as it gasped,


    "Cease that aura. It is aberrant. You, you''re a mangling of nature, and you should be killed before you cannot be stopped."


    And yet again, I multiplied my mana channeling. At this point, all of the eldritch cowered before me, several forced to bow from just the pressure alone. I needed no magic. I needed no direct threats. They understood that if they disobeyed, they''d be the next morsel fed to the cipheric runes.


    The largest among them was the last left standing, and I pressed over him like a behemoth. I really played up the whole larger than life Harbinger thing,


    "You''ve made a grave misunderstanding, little one."


    The largest fell down, unable to sustain its weight anymore. I leaned over him, placing a foot onto one of its eyelids,


    "I passed the point of no return long ago. That barrier, the one of infinity, is one I''m more than comfortable in now. Knowing that, you understand what I can do to you, don''t you?"


    The eldritch shivered before its many eyes watered. It shouted out in desperation as my mana increased further,


    "Please, I will do anything. I will eat the dirt you tread upon. I will jump into voids, and I will march as your soldier. Make this agony stop. Please. Please. Please."


    In the distance, Amara looked away, unable to keep gazing at the spectacle. I couldn''t blame her. I took no joy in torture, whether it was to a monster or not. The eldritch, they didn''t decide to be this way. They were born like this, so wanting to grow and expand was instinct. In a way, I was similar. I didn''t have any real choice when I gained this armor in BloodHollow long ago. It was that or death.


    And I presented that same choice to this eldritch.


    "Listen, little one. There is hope for salvation here."


    My mana peaked to its utmost maximum, and by now, they believed my mana was infinite. It swarmed, a storm forming around the beasts. The water shifted crimson red, and those near us struggled as a deep madness soaked through them. The creatures turned frantic, their despair absolute. These monsters, they shifted around in terror while waiting for their torment to end.


    And, it did.


    I shifted my aura to the Rise of Eden, and I considered these eldritch my allies. Instead of the raging torment of Event Horizon, they gained an enormous increase in stats. Their wills were now bolstered instead of weakened, and they felt tremendous motivation to empower themselves. Letting them linger in the sensation, I raised my hands,


    "I can bring you all to a higher plane. You all wallow down here, abandoned to this new dimension. Each of you struggles with your new forms, grasping at anything for power. This is because each of you is aimless, and you each exist without reason. This is because you lack meaning. I, I can offer you that meaning."


    The quintessence mana forced them to evolve. They gained denser musculature, harder bones, and sharper teeth. Their minds expanded, and they existed in rapture for a moment. Shutting the Rise of Eden off, that rapture ended. The sublime augments ceased forming, and they no longer experienced the surge of sudden growth. Torn from this, they shouted out,


    "No, give me more."


    "It was complete, and now it is fractured once more."


    "I need more."


    I raised a hand, generating a block of quintessence. I threw it at the largest eldritch, who grasped it firmly in a tendril. I narrowed my eyes at them all,


    "Be my apostles, and I can give you more than your wildest dreams. Obey me, and you will all prosper."


    I shifted my aura to Event Horizon, "Disobey me, and I will leave each of you shattered."


    I left the destructive dimensional wake on for only a moment before silencing all of my auras. I peered down at them,


    "Speak."


    The largest, most defiant of them fell to his knees, and he raised his tendrils as if worshiping an angel,


    "I will follow you...Harbinger."


    Another eldritch fell, its form akin to a nightmare more than a living thing,


    "I too will follow you, Harbinger."


    They repeated those words, time and time again. Hovering over them, they submitted in their entirety. To them, the mana I offered was like a drug they needed. It gave them everything they hungered for, and in theory, I could give them all that and more. I wouldn''t, but even just a little would go a long way.


    Having them in the palm of my hand, I spread my arms and boomed my words, "My first decree is for all other eldritch to serve me, and you shall be my messengers. You may eat them no longer. You must abstain from indulgence, and I will offer you something better in place of their flavorless meat."


    I reached out a hand, several quintessence crystals forming over the individual eldritch. They grasped at them with a wild hunger before draining the energy within. Once finished, I raised a fist,


    "Once the word is spread, tell the Vagni that I am the oldest of their gods. I am an ancient being that existed before time. I awoke and watched the universe form, and I allowed this world to become whole. I have now returned to take my rightful place as ruler here."


    Yup, good old me, being an ancient being before time...Totally.


    The eldritch nodded, "Yes, Harbinger." The largest spread his vast arms wide, "I will not be silent until all Vagni know you are their true ruler, Harbinger."


    I''ll be honest, I held down a burst of laughter at these guys. Something about having these anomalous horrors bow to me was so...comical. It wasn''t something I ever imagined for myself, and my only coping mechanism for this craziness was humor. I kept that under control, pointing out into the distance,


    "Now go. Let the people of this world know the oldest of their gods has returned, and I wish for my chosen ones to escape the forces that afflict them here. They speak blasphemy against you and us, and so, the Vagni must escape them. Tell them to leave the cities and go into the wastes. There, I promise them a new life. A better one."


    I beat my chest with a fist, "One where they live with the old gods, learning their wisdom."


    The enormous horrors before me obeyed, and they trekked away into an uncertain future. They left marks and scars on the land as they did, their forms massive enough to tear stone and rend dirt. Once far away, I got a message from Amara,


    Amara, the Lost One(lvl 7,829) - The transmission has ended. I can no longer sustain it.


    I let out a sigh of relief, turning to Chrona and Krog above me, "Holy shit, I can''t believe I pulled that off."


    Chrona gave me a gentle smile, "I must admit, I was rather wrapped up in your performance. You understand how to give things a sense of scale, and you wield that understanding like a weapon in your speeches."


    Krog grinned, showing his fangs, "Well done."


    Turning towards the edge of a vast oceanic trench, I spotted Amara and a super golem staring. I gave them a thumbs-up before saying,


    "Let''s go meet with them. We''ll see what the situation looks like now and reassess."


    We passed over a dark crack in the earth, looking like a wound beneath the sky. Nearing the others, I set up a telepathic multilink with Amara and the golem. In rushed a surge of fear, one dampened by some respect. It came from Amara who murmured,


    "You were terrifying, as you always are. If we eldritch are wolves, then you are Fenrir, he who will rule us."


    The gialgathens and I got together, landing in front of her. I stepped up,


    "Well, er, thanks...So, uh, how did the broadcast go?"


    Amara cackled with a hint of evil under her breath, "Oh, better than I imagined it would. I''ve infiltrated several of their informational streams, and the Vagni have been deeply swayed by your performance. It goes without saying that the eldritch across this aquatic wasteland have also been convinced."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Wait, eldritch? We only broadcasted to the Vagni, right?"


    Her eyes narrowed, "That is what we both believed, but I broke through one of their defensive protocols seconds before the announcement. I was able to extend the broadcast to the eldritch that live here as well. Even those without eyes saw your broadcast, the visualization utter and complete."


    My eyes widened, "So they all saw that? Every eldritch here?"


    "Yes. Several raids by grouping eldritch have already begun."


    I stepped up, putting a hand on Amara''s shoulder, "Now that''s what I call exceeding expectations."


    Reaching out my hand, I generated a stream of quintessence for Amara, and she held her hands out wide. Her hair grabbed any of the shining stones that missed her palms while she drooled into the water. Grinning from ear to ear, Amara nodded,


    "Thank you very much, Harbinger."


    I raised a fist, "I give my own what they deserve, so expect more than this. That being said-" I leaned closer to Amara with a knowing smile,


    "Don''t think I''m going to keep believing you''re just some Builder''s apprentice forever, though. Capeesh?"


    Amara scoffed, "A humble beginning doesn''t mean I will have a humble end. Of anyone, you should understand those words well."


    Remembering my past as a screw-up from school, I pursed my lips while leaning back. She was right about that one. Finding the others gawking in surprise, I outstretched my hands,


    "We''re taking our siege worldwide, and we have an army of our own as well to attack from all sides."


    The gialgathens raised their many wings, casting a shadow over Amara and me. They let out another roar before we returned to our headquarters. In the center of Saphigia, the situation stabilized, vast swaths of the patrolling Hybrids sent to the capital''s outskirts. The reason for that was twofold.


    On the one hand, many eldritch attacked from the outside. To protect the local populace, Elysium sent in guards for their protection. On the other hand, the Vagni showed a stark reduction in support for Elysium. Without them doing what they were told, outright chaos ensued. That was all thanks to Amara. Eventually, I needed to get a grip on what her past was and understanding that would lead to getting the most out of her talents.


    She already surpassed anything I imagined she was capable of, and I couldn''t even guess the edge of her potential either. That was a heartening realization. Either way, a regroup was required. The situation changed completely from this morning, so I got our guild''s elite together in the largest building I crafted overnight. Within those walls, we sat at a round table while the gialgathens rested on landing platforms surrounding us. Glass windows showed the war outside our sanctum, and the quintessence crystals bathed us in a pale light.


    I leaned back in my chair made of gravitation, gesturing to everyone, "What''s the aftermath of operation: Eldritch Shakedown?"


    Torix read a flood of messages from his many sources of information, "There appears to be a high number of factional changes from the Vagni. Initial figures presume a 40% conversion rate in cities with up to 60% in rural areas. It''s better than I envisioned, and the figures are climbing as we speak. In particular, the eldritch''s support is the most convincing for the more skeptical Vagni."


    Torix turned to Amara, who ate three different mana crystals in a single hand,


    "Based upon my minimal skills of deduction, I imagine it was you we have to thank for the eldritch''s support?"


    Amara didn''t answer, but the happy look on her face spoke volumes. Torix threw up his hands, "This is excellent. We should expect up to 60% of urbanites and 80% of rural Vagni to transfer before the week is done."


    I leaned forward, tapping my chin with a knuckle, "Huh, that''s good. We''ll need to take full advantage of this opening then." I pointed at the gialgathens here, Krog and Chrona sitting alert,


    "You two, scope our surrounding cities near Saphigia. We should be able to contain what''s going on there. We''ll be able to get a solid grasp on the land near us, letting us establish more cities. My idea is to make bulwarks that are protected by blue cores. Once we have those set, we''ll create perimeters protected by my super golems."


    Krog and Chrona bowed before they flew out through an opening made for them. I turned to Torix, "Get the territory near here stabilized and running economically as quickly as possible. I want the local populace to see us like a wave of prosperity. That requires good transportation, along with buyers for standard Vagni goods. I need the credits from it as well."


    "As you wish it, it will be so."


    Torix stood, pacing off towards his lair. I pointed at Hod and Althea, "Can you two do some scouting on a few of the nearby military outposts here? We''ll need to take the entirety of Saphigia before this week is out."


    Althea and Other Hod gave me a thumbs up before they disintegrated into thin air, undetectable and intangible. I peered towards Kessiah, who looked run ragged, her face pale from blood loss. Remembering the ring I gave her for blood production before, I pulled out some fabric from my pocket dimension.


    Molding more rings and amulets in seconds, I charged my grimoire while speaking,


    "I''ll be building you a hospital. Let''s go."


    By the time I arrived at the new building spot, I had begun floating a few finished rings over to her. Her fingers were loaded with metal now, along with amulets, bracelets, and even chain belts. Some gravity augments were necessary so she could continue moving; otherwise, she''d be rendered inert. The weight aside, each piece perked her up some. This left her feeling much better by the time I constructed the base of her building.


    As always, I kept the design simple, but I partitioned rooms out more than usual. Poorly designed hospitals spread disease, so I put some time and effort into keeping things safe. Along with preventing cross-contamination, I made several enormous rooms for the gialgathens. This, combined with some of our medical personnel, meant we could help keep people stable until a real healer arrived.


    Handling that situation, I left Kessiah to her healing before heading over towards the monument I made for Alpha and our other fallen. Besides the memorial, a Sentinel''s armor and spear glistened with cracks on their graphene surfaces. I sat down, inspecting the cipher runes laced between the armor''s chinks.


    Giving everything a quick glance, I committed the unrealistically elaborate cipher inscriptions to memory. Doing the same with the spear, I inspected every part I could find before a portal opened up behind me. From this warp, an old friend walked out with sad steps. That sadness altered into shock as I stood over him, a head taller than he was.


    I commanded his attention, his helmet scarred by recent battles. So many wounds littered his surface that a few patches of tar-like skin exposed themselves from chips in his exoskeleton. Most of all, he was missing an eye. The pivotal figure stared at me in evident surprise as I lifted the Sentinel''s spear and armor to him,


    "It''s good to see you again, Overseer. How have you been?"

 296 A Loyalty, Fractured

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    The Overseer peered up at me, "To think that you''d come this far as quickly as you have." The Overseer opened his status, viewing my class and whatnot, "It''s been a long time since a Sovereign was made, and with your stats no less. Excellent work."


    Not expecting a compliment, I beamed with some pride, "Well...thanks. I appreciate the recognition."


    The Overseer turned to the Sentinel, "Further talk must wait until after his service has transpired."


    The weary giant walked over to the fallen Sentinel''s armor and spear, but I stopped the Overseer with a hand on his shoulder, "I already paid his respects."


    The Overseer stood taller as if a weight was taken off of him, "Ah, then that is good...Very good."


    I let my arm down while the Overseer stared down at the corpse. His gaze lingered, and thoughts of all kinds boiled beneath the surface. The Overseer remained solemn as he muttered,


    "Of all the people I imagined to honor us in death, you were among the last of them. Did you have a change of heart due to Schema''s awards, perhaps?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "What was my opinion before just now?"


    "Spear tells me of your disdain for Schema. I imagined it would extend to us as well, as we are representatives of the AI."


    My eyes widened as I remembered my remarks to Spear. After the situation with the Spatial Fortress and Althea, keeping my cool regarding Schema grew difficult. I might''ve been more scathing than I intended, so I kept the Overseer''s words in mind moving forward. If Spear relayed my chats to others, then I''d watch what I said around him.


    I raised a hand, "There''s been a misunderstanding. I''m not trying to act like Schema''s evil or that I hate him. I''m just aware of his shortcomings. That''s all."


    I pointed at the Sentinel''s armor, "And to say I don''t respect someone like that, a soldier that dies in battle for what he believes in...that''s disingenuous."


    The Overseer leaned back, "I''ll take your word for it. Worthy of note, you''ve gotten better with words. In our first meeting, you once sounded like a simpleton. Now you speak with purpose...and the mark of intention."


    He narrowed his eyes at the last few words, but I shrugged it off, "Eh, it''s the class talking."


    The Overseer gave me a slight nod, and his guarded nature waned. He rolled his shoulders as he loosened up some. He even let his hands clank against his sides. He seemed ''off'' like something bothered him. For an average person, I''d have ignored signs this subdued. However, the Overseer showed little emotion, so even subtle cues hinted at larger issues beneath the surface. Trusting my instincts, I frowned,


    "Hey, you alright?"


    A touch unbalanced, he peered up at the shifting, underwater seascape, "Does it matter?"


    "Depends. If you want to perform on your job, then yeah, it does."


    He sighed before shaking his head, "I...I just need to rest."


    I stomped the ground, generating two blocks of stone. I sat down on one of them, "Why not take a break here? You look like you need it."


    He glowered at a Hybrid in the distance before one of my super golems destroyed the abomination. Watching one of the disgusting monsters be rived in half, the Overseer let out a melancholic laugh,


    "This is as good a place as any, I suppose. I do enjoy watching those beasts die."


    We sat under my base with the war waging over us before I leaned forward, "So, how''s Schema doing against Elysium?"


    The Overseer put a hand on the side of his head, "Less than optimally. We, his soldiers, are faring even worse still. Our forces have been pushed further back than our projections initially indicated. They send wave after wave of Hybrids at us, and that result is in an endless wave of casualties for both sides."


    I nodded, "Torix predicted that they''d do that. It isn''t like silvers or the eldritch are in short supply, and that''s what Hybrids are made of. Althea confirmed it."


    "Those are banes, yes, but now their disease, Hybridization, it spreads to even us. They''ve begun turning our own soldiers into vessels that are awe-inspiring in their power and might."


    The Overseer glared at the dimensional slicer beside us, "That is a fact you are well aware of. I can see you''ve already handled one of our converted members."


    I frowned, "Yeah, he had to be put down. Or she. Honestly, I couldn''t tell you what it was after Hybridization."


    "It doesn''t matter what it was. It matters what it is now. That corruption spread through it, and so now it must be culled. I wish that I could say that is the only Sentinel we''ve lost, but that is far from factual. We''ve never suffered this many fallen Sentinels, not since Schema began recording our fatalities centuries ago."


    The Overseer shook his head, "Even more so, we lost an Overseer the other day to Lehesion. That is the rumor spreading through our ranks."


    Staring at the Overseer''s many wounds, it was only a matter of time before one of them fell. You could only work someone so hard before they tumbled apart. I winced at our Overseer, "Damn."


    "This is the first time in Schema''s history that one of my kind has been killed. It brings home a stark reality for all of us. We may perish at any moment."


    I remembered Alpha, "That''s true. We all can."


    "It is different for me. One of the benefits of becoming an Overseer is immortality. You''re guaranteed to live forever. With this war, that is no longer the case, and my coming mortality makes me dwell on my life. Did I live it well, or do I carry regrets with me that I refuse to acknowledge?"


    He peered at a cluster of Vagni being huddled to safety, "As an example, since this war has started, I''ve killed civilians like them. Others have replicated that same evil, their beings drenched in blood and their paths marred by corpses."


    Visions of cities being disintegrated in balls of fire and light passed over my eyes. I envisioned the millions I killed on Giess during my nightly bombings of their metropolises. Yeah, I was one of those people the Overseer talked about. The Overseer continued, his words like a dagger between my ribs,


    "Wars bring about the deepest horrors of those that fight in them."


    I swallowed a sickness in my stomach, "Huh...yup."


    The Overseer waved a hand, "Not, not to criticize you or your efforts. You killed the enemy. That constructs you in the image of a hero, and you are one of Schema''s greatest assets. That makes you one of our greatest assets as well."


    It was a weird way of wording a compliment, but I took it to heart, "Yeah, it''s easy to forget I helped anyone sometimes."


    The Overseer pointed a massive finger at me, "Your decisive action against the rebels delayed their initial offensive, and that resulted in several planets not being overrun during their original blitz. Throughout the conflict, those planets inevitably fell, but you gave them time they wouldn''t have otherwise had. Save that guilt for another time or for tangible mistakes because killing those monsters wasn''t a mishap. It saved billions of lives."


    "Holy shit. Billions?"


    "Yes."


    "Woah...Still, it sounds like my bombing of Giess didn''t matter in the end. The planets still fell."


    "Evacuations were more complete, and fewer casualties occurred. That alone is more than most of my actions have amounted to."


    I never fully considered the results of my decision to bomb Giess. For me, it equated to mass murder, but hearing about evacuations and fewer deaths bolstered my own spirits a bit. That encouragement faltered as the Overseer rubbed his missing eye without thinking about it. As he did, blue, humming nanomachines kept most of his body intact at this point, glowing over patches of exposed skin.


    The suit could only stop so many of the impacts he suffered from. Some of his exposed, tar-ish skin revealed a nasty wound on his shoulder, the nanomachines unable to fully protect him any longer. It made his doom and gloom attitude fit his appearance. That culminated in his brooding sense of mortality that now loomed over him.


    The rebellion changed him. Instead of being an invincible, almost robotic director of affairs, he now carried a weakness and vulnerability. He no longer spoke with absolutes, and his faith was shaken to its core, giving way to doubt. It made him more human, and it warmed me to see him show some emotion.


    But, it also made me somber. The Overseer was kind to me in his direct, no-nonsense way. His advice helped, even if it was often blunt like a hammer. Before I ruminated further, the Overseer caught himself rubbing where his eye once was, and he pulled his hand back with a quick jerk,


    "Despite those setbacks, we have ceased Elysium''s advancements, for now. They took the planets they initially targeted, but their success came from their original strategy. By choosing vulnerable worlds, they ensured a high chance of success. After those easiest of worlds were taken, they now lack any firm grip on other planets. That we know of."


    He reminded me of Althea''s report on Gypsum. A place like that was just begging to breakaway from Schema, and I imagined there were plenty of other planets just like it. I peered around at Blegara,


    "Yeah, kind of like this place, huh?"


    "Indeed. You''ve managed to establish a place of relative safety here. It''s dreamlike that such serenity can be achieved amidst this mayhem. It''s thanks to those constructs, as I understand it."


    He pointed at Alpha''s memorial. I nodded,


    "Our progress is definitely because of them."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "It would serve you well to remember that. Many in positions of power forget those that are under them. In many ways, that is what I am experiencing now. Schema is leaving us to fend against this army by ourselves."


    "Isn''t he sending classers to help?"


    The Overseer stared down at his massive palms, "Yes and no. Some classers still decide to help, but they will abandon us if the situation becomes remotely dire. That is exacerbated by Schema''s lack of tactical utilization. We, Overseers and Sentinels, are being thrown in lines of fire where we are killed in mass. This leads to inefficiency, and by now, we could''ve achieved far more with the lives we''ve lost."


    "It sounds like you have your own ideas of how to fight Elysium. If that''s the case, why not let Schema know about them? It couldn''t hurt to get a new perspective."


    The Overseer scoffed, "You''ve attempted discussing your viewpoints with Schema before, haven''t you?"


    I grinned, "Like talking to a brick wall."


    The Overseer shook his head with a laugh. He raised a hand, turning serious, "Humor aside, I commanded troops in my past. I fought against Yawm and his kind, and I learned how to wage war. That put me in a position to judge how Schema fares at the task. I believe that we are strong, but our enemies are endless."


    He turned a palm to me, "You understand this, but you are fortunate enough to retain the tenacity to fend off wave after wave of enemies. We are not in such a fortunate circumstance. Sentinels and Overseers are explosive, powerful, and quick. Each member is akin to a moving bomb, one with high initial resilience and a tremendous output of force."


    The Overseer waved his hands, "Your golems, they are more reminiscent of a hurricane. They slowly but surely march forward, whittling the enemy down one at a time. This means they are similar in their abilities when compared to a Sentinel, but instead of explosivity, they shine in their resilience."


    "Yeah, endurance is my specialty, and since my golems are made of me, they''re no different. Our team actually honed in on that longevity, making them durable killing machines. We even designed them with mind magic augments, so they''re difficult to subdue from multiple fronts. That stops them from being taken by the enemy."


    "There is wisdom in your approach. We are different. Our capacity for mind magic was severed, along with many other abilities. Eliminating our mental sorcery made us easier to control for Schema, but now that limitation makes us easier to subdue for their psionics. That aged safety precaution has rebounded on us in this conflict, exposing one of Schema''s weaknesses. Even more so, that magic isn''t the only sacrifice we''ve made."


    The Overseer rubbed his neck while staring down, "I am pressed between two walls closing in, and now I am at the cusp of being crushed by both of them. I am given no choices, which means I walk a predetermined path, one I cannot change. Indeed, your golems may be more sentient than us."


    Those words sank in with silence. A solemn moment passed before I raised a hand, "But you still talk to me like a normal person. I think you''re selling yourself short here."


    He let out a deep sigh, "Yes. You''re correct. My negativity stems from being pushed to my limits, both mentally and physically. Cracks from that pressure are showing themselves now, and that is why I talk like this."


    "It sounds like morale''s pretty low."


    Needing an outlet, the Overseer glared off in the distance, "It is the lowest it''s ever been. I speak from my perspective, of course, so I may be off base. My sentiment can be summed up, however. We fight tirelessly for the ideal Schema represents, and in the end, we help all sentients. Schema does not reciprocate our sentiment, and so, our lives are thrown away."


    The Overseer squeezed a hand into a fist, "This conflict, it will result in an enormous price to pay. I fear that Schema refuses to give even a cent to that cause...And in turn, we shall pay that price for him."


    His words clopped down like lead blocks landing on the ground, and I grimaced at his predicament. Damn, I was glad I hadn''t become a Sentinel or Overseer earlier. It was noble in a way, sure, but I couldn''t manage that kind of personal sacrifice. Just as concerning was putting my life in someone else''s hands. It rubbed me the wrong way, and it didn''t help that the Overseer mentioned a growing number of casualties either.


    Empathizing some, I crossed my arms, "Man, I can''t imagine what it''s like having your comrades thrown away like that then having to honor them after the fact...over and over and over again. It must be hard."


    The Overseer leaned back in his stone chair, peering at me, "It''s strange that I''m discussing all of this with you. I shouldn''t disclose my doubts like this at all, most of all with a usurper. Perhaps your obstinance is why I''ve decided to do so. You, of all people, wouldn''t report my words to any higher-ups. You also understand some of my past, so perhaps your judgment will be tempered by mercy."


    I wrinkled my brow, "I didn''t think there were members higher up than you?"


    "You''ve much to learn still. There are forces higher than Schema nested in the cosmos. He simply keeps them covered, and they choose to play along, remaining hidden. When you meet Baldowah, you will come to understand that."


    I spoke with confidence, "I''ve seen Old Ones more than once. They are overwhelming in many ways, but for the most part, they are limited. Maybe not where they come from, but here, in this dimension, they can only do so much. That means I just have to understand their limitations and work around them. Old Ones aren''t so bad if you do that."


    The Overseer steepled his large hands, "Yes, but understand that you don''t have access to what their limitations are. It is akin to cutting wires to a bomb. You never know when your actions will inadvertently cause it to explode."


    I narrowed my eyes, "I''ll make sure to watch my step then."


    "I mean no offense with my statements. They are simply realities for you. If anything, I am simply warning you because you remind me of myself. I was in a similar position to yours when I became an Overseer. Schema offered me a deal, and at the time, I couldn''t refuse. I took on this duty. In time, I completed my task of killing Yawm and avenging my species."


    The Overseer pushed his fingertips together using more force, "And now that my revenge is over, my species is still left shackled, but now I am bound along with them. The shackles are simply harder to see."


    It was a strange metaphor, but I shrugged, "It sounds more like your growing cynical. I get that. You''re in a precarious position, so you''re not in the best state of mind. It might be a good idea to take a step back and breathe."


    The Overseer leaned towards me, his voice rising, "Before I turned into this, I became a Breaker to kill Yawm. After many years of hunting and searching, I cornered that monster. He trounced me in combat and gave me mercy. Do you know why?"


    I dwelled back, thinking of the intimidating figure,


    "I don''t know. He probably thought you were useful."


    "That is correct. Yawm''s mercy acted as a message to my kind. He howled that he was above us, both in ability and character. That message stayed with me until his death, keeping me in stasis until you killed him. It was as if I was frozen in time, my goals single-minded and my paths narrowed. When he died, my perspective reopened, and new possibilities came to light."


    The Overseer tapped his neck, "But this will never allow me to escape my previous decision. I will work for Schema until time ends or death, whichever comes first. There was a time I dreaded that eternity of servitude, but hearing of a fallen Overseer, it makes me fear my mortality once more and for the first time in ages. Perhaps I should appreciate that fear. It shows I am still alive."


    I furrowed my brow, "Maybe one day you''ll get out of that suit. You never know."


    "It is as much a part of me as that armor is of you."


    I lifted a hand, slicing my wrist with a heated blade of my armor. Silver, reflective blood leaked out as I smirked,


    "You sure about that?"


    The blood coiled back around my wrist, healing my wound. The Overseer let out a shallow laugh, "Perhaps not."


    A peaceful silence passed over us before the Overseer raised a hand to me,


    "What of your new status as Sovereign? Have you began planning out any political moves?"


    I shook my head, "No. I''m trying to make the most of this next week before I go to fight Plazia."


    "You should keep your new council position in mind when doing so. You could meet many people who rule many worlds. They would be similar in stature to Obolis, or far greater if they are ancients within the system. Some have lived for thousands of years, growing the entire time."


    A chill ran up my spine at the thought of ancient rulers. I lifted an eyebrow, my curiosity rising, "How would I size up against them?"


    The Overseer scoffed, "You''re a big fish in a small pond." He leaned forward, "However, that council isn''t an ocean. It''s more akin to a large lake, one with sharks ready to bite. If it were up to them, they would swallow you whole as a hearty meal, but you won''t need to hide for long before you exceed them, given the trajectory of your growth. It''s what comes after your rise that I find interesting."


    He leaned back, "Schema didn''t name you the Harbinger of Cataclysm without reason."


    Thinking of all the possibilities on my plate, a growing sense of unease passed over me. I raised my eyebrows, "Do you have any advice? For me, that is. It''s not often I get to talk to anyone that understands my position and isn''t trying to take advantage of me." I pointed at him, "At least I don''t think you are."


    The Overseer tilted his head, "You want consultation from me? One of Schema''s dogs, hmm?"


    "You''re more like a guard or assistant. Besides, dogs are awesome. Anyway, I need some perspective. Considering the places you''ve been as an Overseer, you''re offering plenty of that."


    The Overseer dwelled over my words and mulled them over in his head. Finalizing his thoughts, he stated, "Then listen well. I''d recommend three courses of action." He raised a large finger, "The first is to treat your allies well and use their full potential. You can give those around you an enormous boost in their aptitudes. Wasting that is like throwing gold into a dark well without a bottom. To see that come to pass, it would be a shame."


    "Note taken. What else?"


    "You must learn primordial mana. Given your unique situation, that energy will serve you best over the long term."


    He was telling me something I already knew, but I pushed down the urge to be a smartass,


    "Alright. Done."


    "And lastly, know your worth. Many will wish to tie you down from here on out and use your abilities for their own benefit. In terms of combat, you will be unique in the future. Don''t give those tools to someone else. Let them be your own, and use them as you see fit."


    "Now that sounds like my kind of advice."


    The Overseer peered off, "Good. Keep those reflections in mind moving forward, and you shouldn''t be in too conflicted a position."


    A blip popped up in his red status, causing the Overseer to stand up, "Your future aside, I must leave. There are many I must help, and time is finite." He stared at me, "For most of us."


    I pulled myself up, "Ok, well, I got some advice for you too before you head out."


    The Overseer leaned forward, "Ah, surprising. I will listen."


    "There was a point when I was forced to fight Yawm, and there was no way of defeating him in front of me. It was hopeless, but I managed to make the best of a bad situation. Of course, I made mistakes, and my situation isn''t perfect, but I''m in a better place than I was then. Knowing what you''ve done and been through, I know you can do the same. Hold onto this idea, and you''ll make chances where there are none."


    "Chances where there are none...Hm, that''s true. That arises from hope, a powerful emotion, and it''s pulled me through many a dark time already. It may do that once more." He lifted a hand, "I''ll try to heed your words if you heed mine."


    I reached out a hand, "Then it''s a deal."


    The Overseer gave my hand a firm shake before peering up at the colony, "Good luck with your siege of this planet. You shall need it, should Lehesion arrive." The Overseer raised a fist, "We will do our best to keep him busy in the meantime."


    I grinned, "Good. Keep fighting."


    The Overseer picked up the Sentinel''s armor and spear before heading out. He stepped through the veil, leaving a lingering weight behind him. One could imagine that weight manifested from the severe conversation or perhaps from the Overseer''s harrowing report of the war front. For me, that wasn''t quite the case. Those factors left their impacts, but another reason pressed down like anvils on my feet.


    As the Overseer left, I waited for a few minutes with cold sweat dripping down my brow. Not real sweat but the metaphorical kind. At the same time, I kept my breaths measured, not expecting my circumstances to play out so well. After fifteen onerous minutes, wild excitement raced up my chest.


    The Overseer had made a mistake.


    I floated myself over towards Alpha''s memorial, hovering above the action.  I scanned the ground for remnants of my battle with the twisted Sentinel. I found chunks of glass, rubble, and debris scattered about, but none of that mattered. Minutes passed, and I wondered if I''d misremembered. As I began to doubt myself, I found a violet shard sticking out from a pile of rubble.


    Perfect.


    I darted over, wrapping my hand around the humming, heated blade. It still sizzled with arcane energies, the intricacies hidden within its depths unknown to me. Pulling it close to my eyes, ancient incantations of the cipher sprawled over the surface of the spear shard. This was the fragment that snapped during my battle with the twisted Sentinel.


    I''d thought about taking a piece from a Sentinel before, but uncovering their secrets would''ve only resulted in being exiled. With my new Sovereign class, that wasn''t the case any longer. I could research forbidden tech until my heart was content.


    And that forbidden tech started here, with my own dimensional slicer.

 297 A Change of Pace

    Peering at the blade''s inner sections, I found similar, multi-layered designs I''d encountered before. Unlike my own, this blade didn''t stop at one layer of context for the surface lines. Many sheets coated a core of energy powered by some far off, cipheric flow of energy. Discovering where that originated was all but impossible, but learning Schema''s ciphering techniques were quite the opposite.


    Keeping that in mind, I pocketed the shard into my personal dimension, saving it for later. Studying it would be massive for my future, but it was a long term investment. Even from a casual glance, the runic markings exceeded well beyond my grasp, similar to an elemental furnace. It would take years to fully know how it worked.


    The shard wasn''t going anywhere either, assuming the Overseer didn''t demand it back from me. However, he couldn''t prove I took it, and I''d argue that it was taken by a Hybrid or the like during the conflict. It wasn''t as if I or my guild was omnipotent, after all. Regardless of how I obtained it, the fragment offered a point of progress I needed.


    If I could use my own dimensional slicer, learning to warp wouldn''t be necessary. That would save me a lot of time I didn''t have, but for now, I put the rest of my intentions back to Blegara and its capital, Saphigia. My time here was limited, and I wanted to establish a robust and long-lasting presence here before leaving.


    The first way of doing that was by destroying enemy forces throughout Saphigia. I had the means, and I was also the most lethal soldier in our army. Before walking down that road, other ideas popped up in my head first¡ªthose ideas spawned from the Overseer''s advice, particularly the part about helping allies.


    Even if I didn''t want the guy knowing I took the Sentinel''s spear shard, it wasn''t like I ignored him during our conversation. I meant what I said, and I listened intently. Using that advice immediately, I put up a bulletin list of what needed doing. First and foremost, Kessiah came to mind. She needed a real boost given how much healing she managed on her own, and a bunch of half-ass jewelry wasn''t going to cut it. The same could be said for the empty hospital I gave her.


    Brainstorming for a few minutes, I came up with a few ideas that I went about executing. The first plan involved messaging Torix about helping Kessiah with logistics. She needed someone bringing her people to heal instead of her running through the front lines. That kept her safer, but it also made her healing more efficient since she''d be more rested.


    Sending Torix that request, I headed back over towards the hospital. Once inside, I found many troops healing from their wounds and infestations of the Hybrids. Using Omega Strains, several doctors discovered they could clear minor Hybridization using them. The Omega strains harvested the metal out of the body precisely, requiring less intervention from me directly.


    Just as these new approaches took a load off me, I wanted other measures in place to take a load off of Kessiah as well. The first part of that process involved making a healing station for her specifically. This new post required three main components: a room covered in supportive runes, tools to lower the amount of blood necessary for her healing, and a new suit specialized for her.


    Lining those three pieces together, I got to work on the room first. I set it up at the center of the hospital. Calling on healing specialists in the guild, I got a few runic diagrams commonly used in Schema''s new age hospitals. These runes worked to enhance healing, prevent bleeding, and bolster natural regeneration. Combining those runes with my own, I multiplied mana regeneration, increased endurance, and added constitution for the entire area.


    With the blueprints in place, I translated some of the work into the cipher. At this point, I understood the complex, dimensional language pretty well, and managing robust uses for the archaic words could be done. Influencing an area in a certain way was one of those new possibilities. In this case, that involved an enormous amount of healing centric incantations.


    Of course, I was still limited to what I could do. Adding mana regen? I could do that. Assisting mental focus? Trickier, but still doable. Increase intracellular water retention? Well, let''s just say it was a work in progress. Even if I could do something like that, the cipher was incredibly potent on physical spaces. That''s why I stayed careful while crafting clean, crisp inscriptions for the room. Having all this work backfire would be soul-crushing, after all.


    Managing all those issues, I designed it for the perimeter of the place. Once blueprinted, my carving started up in my grimoire. It took several hours, but I got a revised and refined copy of the engravings before I began charging them up. With that locked in, I racked my brain for quick, easy additions. To my good fortune, a few ideas came to mind.


    Molding my dimensional fabric, I built several tables for people, each with crystallized quintessence loaded in them. This mana type acted as a mobile power source for anyone needing something powered, and it could charge a healer up as well. I combined that with the runic power system I made for a few of the previous buildings earlier. This connected the hospital like a modern building, giving it the luxuries of electricity.


    I also made a ring that generated freshwater. Installing it in several spaces, these rings acted as sinks powered by quintessence as well.


    Beside the sinks, I made a unique operating table for Kessiah. I placed many enchantments over its surface, some of them mirroring the wall''s runes to compound their effects. I even gave a sterilizing zone effect for the trickiest medical work needed here. It would be for priority cases that required immediate attention.


    That finished up my simple ideas, and I moved onto my other main ideas next. One of those primary helpers for Kessiah was tools. She handled all of her healing with only her blood, over and over. Giving her other options would let her be more targeted with her abilities.


    Of course, I wasn''t exactly an expert on the task at hand, but a bit of brainstorming gave me suggestions. In particular, a few utensils immediately stood out. A scalpel would be pragmatic, not only for simple surgeries but for taking out Hybridization as well. The blade being made of my armor ensured that ability.


    As for the second tool, I was thinking of a syringe that amplified the effects of whatever it injected. Many medicines worked wonders, and having something like that might be useful. As for the third and final tool, I settled on a plated block of quintessence. I know, I know, a giant block of mana. Genius. Revolutionary even.


    In all honesty, was it complicated? Maybe not, but it would be useful. Crude compared to the other tools, the plated quintessence would act as an enormous power source that Kessiah could draw from. She needed that kind of charging station to prevent anemia, along with a team of people helping her out, so her talents shined.


    With that coming together nicely, I finished energizing the wall runes. A flowing ribbon of enchantments cascaded from the pages of my grimoire. They lined up across the walls, singing through stone with utter ease. To power these augments, I generated crystal bulbs of quintessence, acting as both light and power sources for said runes.


    It gave the entire expanse an ancient yet gentle atmosphere. On the one hand, the cipher dotted the walls with its unknowable depths. On the other, the modernistic and minimalist designs I cooked up gave it a clean feel. It didn''t clash as much as I expected, so I counted that as a bonus.


    After that, I drafted and revised runic work from several medical personnel on the site. They worked with Bryan, the retired dungeoneer, to give me runic work that amplified the scalpel and syringe functions. Having a reference, I once again went about translating and charging up the cipheric augments involved.


    It took another few hours since the first tool, the scalpel, required tiny, precise markings across every inch of its surface, excluding the blade. That required the vast majority of the scalpel''s time investment, as the actual razor wasn''t tricky. It did take a bit of finesse to get the edge sharper than what I usually made, as actually chipping away at the edge of my fabric was nearly impossible by now. I ended up just growing a sharp shard and welding it to the end of a handle.


    Eh, if it works, it works.


    Once I refined that section, I got the runic work sorted out as well. Having a few medically knowledgeable staff helped me tremendously since I could ask questions the entire time. This sped me along while I molded out the glass for a syringe. The only other parts needing my dimensional fabric were the device''s actual needle and struts along the sides.


    The plunger required some molten metal as well since it would be reused and often. I made that part imbued with hunger, which made the device self-cleaning. It would absorb a thin layer of the compound remaining after injecting any kind of medicine. It saved cleaning time, along with solving some sanitation concerns as well.


    Speaking of saving time, I saved a lot of time on the plated quintessence. It took seconds to make, a real godsend compared to the other utensils. It turns out that generating a big block of quintessence and wrapping it in a thin sheet of dimensional fabric didn''t take much effort. I put an antigravity well augment on the surface to help suspend its heft too, and boom, a portable power source was made.


    Staring at the crude block, I gave it straps for carrying around, and I spread some elementary runes over a few of the empty spots on the surface.


    You could never have too many runes, after all. After finishing the physical work, I charged my runes in the meantime. Once saturated, I hovered my first batch of glyphs for the scalpel in front of me.


    Inching down with a hiss, the glowing symbols floated around onto the handle. Combine that with the glistening edge, and it resembled a dagger more than the scalpel it was supposed to be. However, it served the purpose as both a weapon and medical tool well enough, so I moved on.


    For the syringe, I took a different approach. Leaning on the plunger''s innate hunger, I tricked the runes into doing what I wanted. I made the cipher markings require a kind of trading pattern to operate. A bit of physical matter in, and it would dispense energy out.


    This flow of power served as a check all augmenter, boosting the properties of anything within the syringe. It could be dangerous with certain compounds, but it could be tested on other things before living people. Having already finished the backpack, I lined up my work and gave it an inspection. It was solid stuff for the most part.


    The Woundless Carver(lvl requirement: 9,000) - This blade was designed by the Harbinger of Cataclysm to be both apt at slicing and poor at killing. This thin edge can inflict temporary wounds that will quickly regrow within minutes due to the strange, unearthly runic carvings along with magic impulses sent off routinely by the apparatus.


    These impulses grant energy and vitality to both the user and the recipient alike. If close, others can benefit from the item as well. Combine this with the runic augments, and this is a potent weapon for anyone who wields it, doctor or not.


    This is due to the blade retaining the tremendous durability of its composing material. If used swiftly, it can still kill someone before they can regenerate. It also offers defensive measures, being able to block blades and bullets given skill from the wielder. Even more so, the edge devours eldritch and Hybridization on contact, letting it clear minor infestations.


    These properties culminate in a potent tool when used well.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+2,500 Endurance</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+1,500 Willpower</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+1,250 Constitution</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+1,250 Intelligence</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+500,000 Health</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+500,000 Health Regeneration per minute</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+1  Million Stamina Regeneration per minute</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">+350,000 Mana Regeneration per minute</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Temporary Wounds - Any wounds imposed by this blade are restored within a minute of inflicting them. This includes post-death, though life restoration will not occur, only tissue restoral.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Precision - Prevents the shaking of the user''s hands and gives greater dexterity of the fingers and arms.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Healing Pulse - Every fifteen seconds, a regenerative pulse emits from this blade, restoring mental acuity and focus for the next few seconds. It also speeds regeneration for anyone in the AOE | Current Radius: 10ft/3Meters</li>


    </ul>


    I smiled at it, hoping it would serve Kessiah well. I turned my eyes to the syringe.


    The Immolating Epicure(lvl requirement: 8,000) - This hypodermic needle is a strange, dangerous artifact created by the Harbinger of Cataclysm. Using strange, awkward runic work, he''s made a dimensional rift within this device''s glass tubing. Anything entering it must trade a portion of its mass in exchange for energy.


    This energy results in increased potency for whatever is being injected or drawn. While potent in the hands of a healer, this device could also serve other nefarious purposes. An addict could use this to increase the purity and potency of a chosen drug, as could an assassin do so for poisons.


    This multiple-use case scenario means this is an explosive, dangerous device that should be kept in safe hands, else it be used for vile purposes.


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Immolation - Anything drawn or injected must sacrifice 1/10th of its original mass. The metal of the syringe will devour this as a sacrifice.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Epicure - Given this apparatus''s hunger, it owns a refined palate¡ªthe more potent the drawn liquid, the better this device''s output.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Emergent Improvement - As a liquid is injected, it will be more potent after the initial sacrifice. This can result in strange outcomes.</li>


    </ul>


    I winced at the needle, kind of surprised by how...mixed its results were. I''d be handing this off to Kessiah to see what she thought of it, but it might be in better hands with Torix.


    The Everlasting Battery(lvl requirement: 4,000 | Mana Reserve: 1 Billion) - This simple device is a storage container for an unreal amount of quintessence based mana. It can enable ridiculous output by any standard user, and it has virtually endless use cases. Any mage would kill for this device, along with a few mana starved galactic leaders.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The reasoning for this scarcity is simple - this device is safe to use. Most large mana batteries are incredibly volatile. Even when used with great caution and care, the crystallized mana can be taken advantage of by most competent mages. Others have tried this same strategy to only have the mana within the battery tampered with, resulting in a colossal explosion.


    This battery is protected by a sheath of strange matter that is hyper resilient. This resiliency comes with other perks as well. The material powers a flotation enchantment on the pack''s surface, making it weightless. It''s tough enough to serve as a shield, and it even slowly rebuilds its mana reserves using this material''s natural mana production.


    These factors make this valuable, so ensure that its wielder is either immensely powerful or protected well.


    Now that was a more positive breakdown, and it doubled as a warning from Schema for my artifact''s quality. I appreciated the guidance, as it kept me from putting people in negligent danger. However, hoping Schema and other people would advise me all the time wasn''t going to work out long term.


    Taking a more proactive approach, I sent Kessiah a super golem guard. She was always on the front lines with Krog guarding her, and while he did an admirable job, Alpha''s death taught me that I couldn''t be overly cautious. Plus, we owned enough golems that being stingy with them was foolish.


    After sending one of the titans to Kessiah, I put my hands on my hips, inspecting my work with pride. These last few steps concluded my medical revamp, and the medical utensils sheened on the new operating table. The tools and etched room splayed out with a simple yet refined look. Inscriptions covered most of the surfaces, giving it a detailed appearance that contrasted the simple designs.


    It reminded me of a library for that reason; it was a place full of detail and depth yet laid out for practical purposes. Satisfied with that end result, I turned to one of the medical practitioners that helped me with the wall glyphs,


    "Hey, let Kessiah know this is for her, alright?"


    The woman bowed,


    "Of course."


    Happy with what I''d done so far, I moved out towards Torix. Devising plots within his lair, he turned to me while his obelisk automated many maneuvers at once,


    "Ah, guildleader. It''s good to see you. What do you need?"


    I raised a hand, "I''m just here to look around. You know...check on stuff."


    "Hmm...check as you will then, but do give me space to continue my tasks. Many of these dilemmas require a semblance of speed, lest those on the battlefield perish from my negligence."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, looking around. His lair was, once again, a cluttered mess. His chaotic mess, no doubt, but damn, was it hard to look at as an outsider. Not wanting to mess with his flow, I assisted him with strictly positive stuff. That started a potent yet straightforward tool - a massive mana crystal.


    I mean, the pack I made for Kessiah even hinted at the prospect and giving Torix more mana would only help him out. Finding the middle of his space empty, I generated a circular table of stone there. I left the middle of the rock open. It imitated a hollowed sundial. Creating metal holdings, I retained a gothic, angular style mana holder before filling it with quintessence.


    The bars offset most physical traumas before I created a web of wires around it. They''d slice anything that got to grabby. The behemothic gemstone itself offered light to the dim room while ebbing with radiant energy, leaving my skin warm and tingly. It reminded me of the comfort of a warm bath combined with the alertness of a cold shower.


    Torix watched the entire time while still working. He neither interrupted nor asked what I was doing, choosing to observe instead of interrupt. It wasn''t until I wrapped the last wire around the stone that he gestured at it, "Would you mind putting a few mana circuits up to that? It would help immensely with dispersing the mana within."


    I nodded and etched them out via heated telekinetic contact points. With the glyphs sketched, Torix gained a massive supply of mana he could hook up to any device he wanted. Well, if he runically connected the machines, but Torix versed himself with those non-cipheric runes already.  Adding to the refinement, I carved in extra runes for general enhancement of the area. They were the same generic enhancers I used for Kessiah''s rooms.


    Now polished, the crystal holder and enchanting lines hummed throughout the room, each of them giving off a gentle purr. The wafting echoed about until it faded to a faint thump like a hummingbird''s wings. Combined with the white light, and the lair took on a different air entirely. It also illuminated the dusty, ancient pages of Torix''s grimoire as he pulled his book out.


    Simple yet effective, Torix poured over his incantations many times until they shined with efficiency. No matter the number of refinements, the actual book showed its limitations even now. It was a grimoire made before he gained his new body. Considering his schedule and workload, I didn''t blame him for stalling the creation of a new booklet, but that didn''t mean he needed it any less.


    In his place, I''d have done the same thing. Considering the torn pages and ripped seam, I eyed it while a prick of shame spawned in my chest. I''d put so much on the necromancer that he didn''t have time to change it, despite being more than able to. He needed a new one and now, so I tapped his shoulder,


    "Torix, when was the last time you made a new grimoire?"


    He peered down at it and channeled mana into his own runic markings, "Hmm, it''s been quite some time. Given my new parameters, I''d imagine I''m long overdue for a more modern edition. However, my time is strained, and even with a new booklet, I lack the wherewithal to fill its pages. Being aware of those factors, I muster up the utility I still can out of this."


    He held the book up before I threw a punch at it. Stopping just short, my fist blew wind over the pages, and dust percolated into the air. Catching the light of the quintessence at an angle, the particles danced like glowing fractals. They reminded me of the new battery, but they also demonstrated how ancient Torix''s book was.


    Torix scoffed at the sight, "To think it had been so long since I last cleaned it. Perhaps I should allocate time for its replacement."


    I raised my hands, "Give me the ritual, and I can make one for you. My cipher translations might give you more to work with too."


    "Hmm...I don''t think that''s even possible, given the ritual''s constraints."


    "Send me some runes and we''ll see."


    Having already drafted up everything on his own, it was obvious that Torix intended on making a grimoire. He simply hadn''t gotten around to it. I stared at his markings,


    "I can make this work. I just need to force a few parts with the cipher."


    "That sounds rather dangerous. Are you certain that''ll work as intended?"


    "It will and won''t. I''m not trying to change myself or an individual with the cipher right now. It''s more like I''m trying to make my mana flows work for someone else''s ritual. That''s more than doable, but it just won''t be as stable as a normal grimoire creation. There could be some blowback from forcing it to work."


    "If I''m honest with you, I don''t fully understand how the cipher works still, despite your tutoring as of late. Regardless of my ignorance regarding this matter, if you beleive you can do so, then by all means. Your completion of this would save me a rather painful headache. Thank you for even considering it."


    "Consider it done. I''ll be back in a few hours."


    "I anticipate your arrival, disciple."


    Walking off, I conceptualized a few ways of making this happen. I''d done this before, so I already understood the general sentiment behind a grimoire''s creation. Making someone else''s tome threw a wrench in that process since mages often enjoyed various knick-knacks and features for their grimoires. Features that I didn''t use. Getting those adjustments handled in writing beforehand helped sort that stuff out.


    That wasn''t the only concern, however. I didn''t want to make a frankenstien booklet that blew up when used. A grimoire required a person''s will and intelligence to manifest, and I was using those attributes from me instead of Torix. I mean, I already knew Torix well, but the cipher needed an absolute kind of understanding.


    That meant I wouldn''t be able to just force the entire ritual. I needed to incorporate as much of Torix''s individual writing as possible. At the same time, the parts of the rite that feasted on his will would have to suffice on my intent instead. That could be fenangled by the cipher, which could bend the laws of space-time. This wouldn''t be anything that dramatic.


    Knowing what to do next, I got my problems lined up. The first concern came from constraints on our territory. Any grimoire rite used many markings and formulae, and I found no nearby rooms for a project of this scale. The cipher additions only ignited further issues. A bit of quick thinking fixed this issue right up. Taking a nod from Mt. Verner''s design, I installed a basement into the lair of Torix.


    I pulled this off thanks to the blue core''s shielding being spherical. It stretched down, granting us quite a bit of unused real estate below our war camp. Taking some of that unrealized terrain, I carved out ceilings of stone and floors from fire. The stone filled in from my mana as I walked. The fire was melted sand, making a layer of clouded glass to walk on from sand below. Reinforced by struts of steel, this glass expanded outwards in every direction.


    Even with the generated stone as a support, this football-field-sized space required extra enforcement. Stabilizing with steel, I plopped pillars in evenly spaced increments. These columns synchronized in circles stretching out from the center of the room, where I placed a monolith for the grimoire''s generation.


    Having a giant zone now, I etched in the fundamental runes first. Not needing my grimoire for these necessary incantations, I handwrote these down using multiple minds at once. Some cipheric commands weaved into this framework but only where necessary to save me time and keep true to Torix''s original vision. Replanting the dimensional augments later, I grimoired them in with the charging and glowing style I usually used.


    This allowed many benefits. The cipher required a level of precision that was difficult to maintain long-term. Having a steady mind or not, a person''s concentration wavered from time to time, so by limiting the amount of cipher work, I also limited the number of mistakes I could make. That''s where the glass flooring came in handy. Being translucent, I viewed both sides of the double-layered, dimensional cipher I used. That saved me lots of time I otherwise used checking for errors.


    Melding the two runic styles also saved me the laborious effort of converting all of Torix''s ritual. In a word, Torix was ''chatty'' when he wrote out his runes. That extended the ceremony by leaps and bounds, and considering the sheer volume of etchings required, I cut some corners. As few as I could manage, but it still left a mark on the rite.


    The rest of the process took up an hour, most of that dedicated to charging mana for Torix''s grimoire. All it required was putting a palm on the monolith at the ritual''s center plus a bit of mana. My mind wandered to my next upgrade for my followers during that time. Amara needed armor, after all.


    During this lapse in attention, the sheer enormity of this ritual escaped me. Plasma formed in the air as streaks of crimson lightning streaked out. I didn''t notice because I''d split my mind into many parts, all of them consumed with some critical task. This left the piece of my consciousness dedicated to charging overwhelmed by the job. All it could do was funnel mana, and it lacked the awareness to warn my other minds.


    As the mana seeped out, it saturated my hand placed on the central monolith. A tiny prick of pain radiated up, which most people would overlook. It wasn''t often I felt pain, however, so it captured my attention like a leg snapped up by a bear trap. Staring down, I found the ritual running haywire.


    The ritual accepted my mana in place of Torix''s, but it oozed out more mana than a normal ritual would. That wouldn''t have mattered much for a normal person, but my mana exceeded the norm by orders of magnitude. Even a reactive pulse would level our entire camp and then some.


    Thinking fast and on my feet, I opened my pocket dimension. Swiping it over the monolith, the grimoire and the monolith fell into the void. The energy fizzled into a vast silence, and I stood in the center of it all. I frowned at the now empty runes, their light dispersing into their surroundings. I''d failed the rite.


    Well, I''d failed it so far.


    Taking a moment, I thought the situation through. In stasis, the ritual remained unfinished but close to completion. Once done, it would radiate out in a massive explosion that would destroy the area. Containing that required my pocket dimension swallowing the fallout before the fallout swallowed our camp.


    A solution popped up in my head, and it put a satisfied grin on my face. I sent Chrona a message, telling her to come to my coordinates. As she flew over, I made an entrance for her outside of Torix''s domain. She flew into my basement, being mindful of the glass flooring as she landed here. Once settled, she tilted her head at me,


    "What is it that you needed so urgently?"


    I pointed at the missing monolith, "There''s a ritual that''s happening. I''m going to finish the grimoire then put the resulting shockwave into my pocket dimension. I don''t trust my reaction time to be precise enough to handle that. I think I''ll miss netting up the explosion, pretty much killing everybody here."


    A bead of cold sweat fell from Chrona''s face, "That is...unfortunate. H-how am I to help you with this?"


    I put my hands on my hips, "You''ll slow time in this one spot, making the explosion less...well, explosive. It''ll radiate slowly, and I''ll put it back into my pocket dimension. Once there, I''ll just pull out the grimoire and keep the explosion in my storage for later."


    "Guildleader...You''re insane."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Insanely smart, eh?"


    Her eyes widened, "It...It is a solution, but I believe it''s overly risky."


    "It''s only risky if you can''t slow down time much. What kind of temporal dilation could you put on an area like this?"


    I gestured at the ritual''s center. Chrona curved her tail until the tip of it rubbed the bottom of her chin, "I could cut it down to less than a hundredth the speed of normal time, given how small the area is."


    I clapped my hands, "That''s perfect. I can work with that."


    "Then I am willing to try if you believe this is a good idea."


    I gave her a thumbs-up, radiating confidence, "It is. Let''s do this."


    Planting the cleaved section of monolith back in place, I radiated energy through the runes. They charged through nearby stones until they glowed with volatile heat, electricity, and kineticism. My surroundings quivered, the stone seeming to come to life as if shifted in our vision, blurred by the warmth.


    This left Chrona uncomfortable, the energies damaging her skin and concentration. To keep her safer, I stretched out several tendrils of armor around the monolith. More thin cables of the metal pulled out from my corded armor like leaves from a branch. This branching continued until the cords created a tesselated pattern that grew smaller and smaller. These metallic ferns covered the area with my dimensional fabric.


    They acted as conductors, absorbing and soaking up the latent energy releasing from the ritual. This cooled the nearby area, letting Chrona breathe a sigh of relief. It also gave me a nice bonus.


    New Skill Learned! Conductive Plumes(lvl 10) - You''re able to wield your hunger as a fluid tool, one without limit. In that infinity of options, you''ve constructed yet another way of devouring, one that is more passive yet no less effective. +10% to passive energy absorption from created ''plumes.''


    This was one of the absolute weirdest skills I''d ever gained, but hell, I''d take what I could get. It let Chrona stay and form her temporal dilation, so I counted the crazy skill as a blessing. Either way, these, er, ''conductive plumes'' worked as advertised; Chrona didn''t get melted in this ritual''s aftermath.


    Minutes passed before the ceremony got close to completion. Coming within a few seconds of being fully realized, I gave Chrona the sign to do her thing. The moment she generated the temporal field, the ritual slowed down to an absolute crawl. The next two seconds of the rite extended out for the next fifteen minutes.


    Turns out, Chrona''s time powers wrought better results than even she intended. That was superb because the ritual''s culmination let out a tectonic boom. Even when slowed down immensely, the shockwave still moved out at a blistering pace, but I caught it in time. Swiping over the ritual once more, the monolith disappeared in a starry portal.


    Having contained the resulting burst, I smiled at Chrona as she let out a deep sigh. Chrona wiped her draconic face with her tail, droplets of sweat pooling over her skin,


    "Daniel, please give me more warning before we handle something like this again in the future."


    "Eh, I''ll try."


    "Comforting. Very comforting."


    Rummaging through my pocket dimension, I found the kinetic blast floating in stasis. Searching through that place was like finding a memory, one you visualized clearly. In this case, it stuck out from recency and the dynamism of the event. Contained within that blight of percussive forces, an object lay at the center.


    There it was. Pulling it out, a large, pristine grimoire poured from stasis. Generating crystalized quintessence to get a better look at it, Chrona and I gawked at its pages.


    It suited our ancient necromancer well.

 298 Applying Input

    <div>


    <div>


    The tome reflected the same cutthroat, ruthless mindset of its owner. A foreign but elegant leather sheened navy blue, gold trimming the edges. Black gemstones lustered on the surface, and it carried Torix''s patented flair. Peering closer, these polished onyxes cast back any light like eyes in the dark. Those reflections followed me as I turned the booklet, following my every move.


    It made these bound pages come to life in a bizarre brio. It was as if the book saw the truth of this world and was dying to share it. In that regard, it mimicked its owner. That insight personified in the tome''s heft as well; it commanded over twice the size of my own grimoire. Torix would fill out every nook and cranny of every page, no doubt, so it was good he had the extra space.


    Inspecting closer, that wasn''t the only cool part of it. Tapping the grimoire, a hollow pong emitted from the back of the textbook. Attached along the rear cover, a hollow casing revealed several canisters and cubbyholes. A few chains and metal knobs held them in place, giving it an aged but refined appearance. Beyond those brass pieces, dark, heavy pages filled the back of the tome.


    They were made of the same singed metal that made up my own grimoire. Torix would be able to etch out his finished ciphering here and charge them as I did. Standard runes likely carried the same sort of utility, as the text carried the same silver metal running through its spine as mine did. Chrona shared in my wonder, so I gave her a nudge, "Thanks for the help. Torix is going to love this."


    She tilted her head, "It does seem suited for him, from the overlong pages to the weighty demeanor." She turned to the entrance of this underground sanctuary, "I am glad to help you how I can, but I must return to my post. My brethren need me above."


    "That''s all. Good luck."


    "You as well."


    She flew off before I took the grimoire up past a revolving staircase I made earlier. Walking into Torix''s lair, I held the book high. Torix basked in the light of his newfound battery. He already charged his fancy obelisk with the power source and seeing him use it so soon was gratifying. Tapping him on the shoulder, I handed him the tome.


    "Finished it."


    Torix turned, grumpy from today''s frequent disruptions. That cantankerous demeanor turned to stunning surprise as he held up his hands with the grimoire in hand. His fiery eyes flared bright white with surprise,


    "Daniel, this...this is incredible. It''s eerily beautiful, almost haunting. Ah, the eyes of the gemstones follow. Hah. A nice touch, if I say so myself."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Thanks. You''re the one who made it look like that, though. For me, I think the metal pages spawned from how my own grimoire was made. Those pages let you etch the cipher and charge them up. They''ll float down like glowing lyrics, singeing onto whatever surface they land on."


    "I''ve often wondered how you gained that ability. It''s a rather impressive utility to have, undeniably so on more robust materials." Torix turned the volume around, operating the nooks and latches with intrinsic ease, "These will help contain any physical needs for alchemy and the like. Crystallized mana, poisons, hmm, I''ll dwell on what to do with these when I have the time."


    He pulled it up to give it one last lookover, "It''s remarkable, really. Thank you. Thank you so much."


    A smile came out of me as I turned a palm to it, "What exactly do you plan on doing with it? Considering your reaction, you must have plans?"


    "Hmm, well, there are quite a few uses for grimoires. After all, you can precode spells that would otherwise be overly complex for practical use. I believe that is how the Emperor used so many advanced magics during his time here on Blegara. He had a grimoire stashed out of sight where he kept using spell after spell from it."


    "Could he have hired someone to write out the spells in his grimoire then used them without actually understanding the magic?"


    "Hmm, it''s possible but unlikely. I doubt he managed such a thing. Obolis used those spells without thought, and that shows a deep level of understanding, not only for the runes but also for how the magic works. Considering his age, he''s had more than enough time to accrue many of the skills required and whatnot."


    "It makes me wonder if he''s hiding his potential from us. Either way, I don''t think I''ll ever get that much use out of a grimoire."


    "Perhaps you could explain your reasoning?"


    I crossed my arms, "I''m a ''feel'' based magician. I use magic like muscle memory, which means I can''t manage complex, multilayered spells without practice. By the time I could use sorcery like that, I wouldn''t need the grimoire. I could just mold the magic as if it were a part of my body."


    "Ah, yes, I do remember discussing it. We exist on opposing ends of that spectrum, then. I''m very much a thought driven caster. I find my premade spells invaluable for keeping my combat effectiveness high. Otherwise, I am overwhelmed by my contrasting thoughts."


    Torix swung a hand, "You know what, I believe your health-oriented magic might explain the more physical aspects of your own casting."


    "I think so too, but it''s just a guess."


    The necromancer cupped his chin in curiosity, "Your guess is as good as mine. It would require research, which is notoriously difficult on your fabric. Few tools can so much as scratch the substance, along with most forces."


    He stared down, "And despite acid, heat, elemental forces, anything honestly, I''ve yet to uncover its composition, atom wise." He looked up and waved his hands, "Ahem, though this debacle is no doubt interesting, I must return my full faculties to work. We are on a war front, after all."


    "Eh, it''s easy to forget. Cya Torix. Good luck researching."


    "And you as well doing whatever it is you do in your free time."


    Walking out with a wave, I stepped out of his lair nestled in a cluster of corals. Beyond those renovations, I sent him one of the super golems as both an assistant and a guard. Despite Torix''s menacing potential in combat, he could still be killed if someone like Lehesion got his hands on him. Even if it was a bit of overkill, keeping him protected offered us a lot of security. Some might say I was too safe, but if anything, this guardianship was long overdue.


    What really drove that point home was having Alpha die in battle. He was a weaker super golem, but his tenacity far exceeded Kessiah''s or even Torix''s. It put how dangerous this mission was into perspective. Any of us could die at any moment, so preventing an untimely demise stood high on my list of priorities.


    Also on my to-do list was giving Amara a suitable reward. She did the most for our guild of anyone over the last few weeks, even more than me...Arguably. Ok, probably. Either way, that kind of talent and loyalty deserved recognition, and I sent her a super golem guard as well. Even more so, I got to plan out a set of armor for her, one unique given her strange combat style.


    That reminded me to make Kessiah a set of armor as well. I drafted up plans for both of them, keeping Kessiah''s simple and mobile while orienting Amara''s for combat. For our medical practitioner, I created mobile hand joints along with general cable mail. This interwoven, thick, and wire-based mesh was supported by struts that would absorb crushing forces.


    Along those braces, I installed inserts for the tools I made earlier. Wire thin holsters also allowed her to carry an assortment of other devices if she needed them, like tourniquets or splints. Along the inner arms, crystallized quintessence acted as a power source for the armor. Complementing these fuel hubs, I molded reinforced cufflinks near the ends of joints. A few seconds of carving later and gravitational well generators popped up along the joints of the cable strata.


    To personalize the armor a bit more, I placed mind magic links to the wearer along the armor''s spine. This gave it a central hub for all the runic formations, and it gave Kessiah a rudimentary collection of my magics. She wasn''t going to be making singularities anytime soon, but a weak gravity well or more regeneration was within her grasp. A tailor also handled the clothing and uniform aspects. Otherwise, it''d be a bit...ugly.


    I mean, it was like a car frame connected by a lattice of cables. Effective for protection? Oh yeah. Aesthetic? Not in my lifetime, unless fashion really changed soon, which could be the case given how weird fashion could be at times. Anyways, the point is, it bothered me enough to have it tailored. That alone was telling.


    Having that handled, I went on to fashioning Amara''s armor next. She used her hair as a weapon, one that was tactile and sensory. It gave her a discerning precision that paired well with her natural eldritch brutality. Wanting to accentuate those traits, I got my hands on a tech specialist and engineer - John McSmitty answered my call. Our resident albony professional, he hooked me up with some camera tech for Amara''s palm eyes.


    I made this adjustment because fighting for her was an unnatural, arduous process. That might be why she was a more docile eldritch than most. I mean, she sliced people apart while having her eyelids touch the action. She compensated via spreading her hair out like little feelers during her forrays, but eyesight was always helpful.


    Stopping that issue in the future, I made a suit that gave her several cameras to view from on her palms. She''d be used to switching viewpoints often since she moved her hands all the time in conversation, and it gave her a 360-degree perspective wherever she went.


    Beyond the sight issues, I had the same tailor for Kessiah measure out Amara''s proportions and settle on a flexible jumpsuit for her. It would act as the undershirt for the armor laced over her. Otherwise, the armor would rub her skin raw over time. The dimensional fabric was more durable than she was, so that was inevitable. It was better to fix it before it became a problem.


    So handling that, John McSmitty interwove the camera''s wiring into this jumpsuit with vantage points over her palms. Having an actual reference for the metalwork after, I began my own project of giving her more combat ability. The most important part of that involved her gauntlets, as they protected her eyes and gave her devastating weapons in the form of her claws.


    Maximizing that potential, I ended the gauntlet''s fingers with long, bladed points riding the top part of her fingertips. That let her handle detail work with the armor on. Thickened palm plates also kept her eyes safe, along with the nerves that traveled to her head from there. The arms and chest plate were simple enough after that, fitted for her using the previous measurements.


    The legs followed before I filled in some of the more delicate joint work. While not perfect, I studied a few medieval armor suits to see how they interlocked various armor pieces. I did that because Amara moved strangely in combat. Creepy and menacing, her joints often bent in the wrong direction, meaning she needed tons of flexibility.


    This made the resulting plate mail more delicate compared with some of my previous armors. It also enabled Amara to handle detailed work like typing even with it on. For her face, the opposite situation proved helpful; less was more. I gave her a closed helm with one central opening - a thorny maw.


    It acted as my own armor did, generating a red haze over the face and biting without mercy. Amara would hopefully appreciate the sentiment because she was still an eldritch. Her body was a weapon, and given my armor''s ravenous nature, it suited both her and the metal well.


    Unlike the front, the back of the helm was left open, besides a net of tightly interwoven cables. I tied more strands of my fabric from these cords that stretched outwards from the armor like a mane of hair. At the ends of these strands, I implanted a series of tiny, hooked blades, giving each strand slicing potential. If pulled around skin or bone, they''d slice right through with ease. Pulling one back, they were essentially serrated piano wires.


    Painful and effective.


    All the threads took up the most time, but my Manifold Mind skill was a real lifesaver here. I made many of these wires at once while implanting blades at the same pace. It saved me days of labor, turning a day or two of work into a few hours. That included the cipheric runes, quintessence batteries for the cameras, and the other adjustments.


    As I did all that, I made sure to keep one mind large enough to observe my surroundings. I wasn''t about to have another meltdown occur under my watch like with the grimoire ritual. Finalizing one segment with a flash-freeze, I stepped back from my work with a grin on my face. Adding to that bit of joy, our tailor brought in Kessiah''s armor using a team of omega strain users.


    The armor weighed down with too much weight for an individual otherwise. Peering them both beside each other, they were damn fine pieces of smithing. Kessiah''s was a fitted leather suit made from eldritch skin of some kind. It smelled like cedar and wine, and the tailor even embroidered it with the medical cross along the back of a jacket he threw in for free.


    I''d pay him extra. As for Amara''s, it contrasted the homier medical ensemble that Kessiah gained. Our eldritch''s armor carried no gaps for eyes or ears, making the head a challenging point to damage. The gauntlets proved thick and durable, many enchantments covering their surface for making them more manageable weight wise.


    The cables finished the effect, making her look outright ominous. Being pretty sure they were quality, I still inspected them both just to make sure they were up to snuff.


    The Amaranthine Healer(lvl requirement: 10,000) - This unimposing outfit is actually a garb covering a wire lattice and several sets of cuffs underneath. These wires enable strutted durability, even carrying magical siphoning abilities. The cuffs are nigh-invulnerable, both assisting with preventing crushing forces or being useful apparatuses for smashing enemies.


    This disguises the more advanced aspects of this garb. Along its surface, a forest of runes covers it along every etchable inch. This grants many surprising abilities to the wearer, serving the purpose of an exoskeleton more so than a wire mesh. This armor can move through telepathic signaling, it can generate gravity wells, and it can power magic for a time.


    This culminates in an exceptionally advanced yet powerful suit of armor that many would be envious of. Be careful with who you give this to, else they might be attacked.


    It was an excellent start to this analysis session, so I turned to the next notification, hoping for a description just as upbeat.


    A Monster''s Evolution(lvl requirement: 10,000) - This is a work made by the Harbinger of Cataclysm for an eldritch usurper. While usually an offense worthy of exilement, this eldritch usurper has proven useful on occasion, so the powers at be have decided to let this issue go.


    For now.


    Speaking solely of the armor, it sports smooth, gliding joints along with a maw of steel to reinforce a monster''s jaws. It also contains an open-back helm for tentacled heads or some unknown yet equally disgusting attack method. The humanoid features also include claws and a network of cameras for the palms. Once again, this is a strange feature, but it exists, so we''re noting it.


    Despite these strange choices, the crafting work involved is excellent, so the level requirement is very high. Be careful who you give this armor to, as it may come back to bite you later.


    Eh, not quite as positive, but it would do. I grabbed the armor''s jaws, moving them up and down. This could actually come to bite me later. Hah. Terrible puns aside, the apparent warnings from Schema fell onto deaf ears. I wasn''t scared of Amara anymore, and she''d already done more than enough to prove I could trust her. Though, eating a bunch of people during her escape from Gypsum didn''t exactly help with that.


    She had a good excuse - desperation. That being said, I didn''t want her running rampant in this armor. To help monitor that a little, I took a super golem nearby and gave it the armor. I pointed at the titan,


    "Make sure you keep Amara safe and comfortable. And uh, don''t let her eat people in a demonic rampage."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "If you will it, then it shall be so, creator."


    The golem floated off, light as air from its gravitation magic. I hoped Amara would enjoy the plate mail enough to wear it, but the eldritch were unpredictable with this kind of thing. My cipheric rune charging was one example of that since it seemed pretty benign to me while terrifying to them.


    Either way, I finished up my second day here on Blegara with a more realized team of elites. Staring at our city''s outer line, the blue core''s barrier stretched out beyond our overtaken territory. We needed more ground for expansion since our subdued district already swelled from all the extras I added.


    Setting up another quick goal, I empowered my runes and called in some super golems from our forces. Several of them walked beside me as I recruited Krog and a few gialgathens as a cleanup crew. The grizzled general landed beside us minutes later, and he spoke with confidence,


    "Ah, guildleader. It''s good to see you faring well. That''s a mighty force you''ve amassed. I assume we''ll be expanding outward then?"


    I stood with twelve or so golems,


    "We''ll be tearing them down while you guys pick through what remains. After clearing the area out, you''ll need to establish points we can use later for resource gathering and safety. Highpoints will be the most useful."


    "For the line of sight?"


    "That, and I can create bunkers in them like we have with our home base."


    "We shall do as you ask. I anticipate we''ll be the ones staying there then instead of the humans as well?"


    I raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    "We may escape fire and fury. Humans, all of their ingenuity aside, are slow and frail by comparison. We may survive the onslaughts of our enemy until we''ve secured this domain utterly, as we intend to."


    I shrugged, "Hm, I didn''t think about that, but it''s a good point. Keep that in mind as we head out."


    "Then let us leave this place for another."


    Krog flared his wings, as did his squad of gialgathens. The size of those spread limbs took up an enormous amount of space, enough that it intimidated even me. Not to be outdone, I synced up telepathically with each golem one at a time, letting them know what I intended on doing. After a few seconds, I facepalmed.


    Linking to them all, I gave them commands. In unison, they replied to my orders without doubt or hesitation. Lining up beside me, their single-mindedness carried savage brutality. There just wasn''t any mercy in them. They''d kill until they were killed themselves, and there was no questioning that motive.


    That machine-like precision kept them efficient, but it also made me wonder if they''d have nuance. As if answering my internal question, a golem stomped onto a stray saysha beetle roaming through our territory. Its heel soaked up the smeared remains.


    Yeah, they weren''t the negotiating types.


    They''d be useful here, though. I leaned down, signaling them to leave. We gravitationally leaped through the air before diving past the first forcefield made by Torix. The water surrounded me like a chilly wind. Water waved above, the ocean never settling down. Breathing water in, fractured scents wafted through my nose. It was mostly clear but with a hint of a chemical aftertaste.


    That was thanks to the Hybrids. Moving on, I partitioned out a few minds for various tasks. Having each anima handle certain aspects of my fighting would make more use of my abilities. The first of those consciousnesses was a wielder of Event Horizon. They''d whip it over weaker enemies and clusters of Hybridization.


    Another of my minds would wield my elemental furnace, churning out its energy. Yet another psyche would handle where I moved in battle. At the center, I operated all of my skills as a captain of a ship. Every piece came together with a primary commander staffing it all.


    Even the golems were a part of this. They moved with me, listening to my orders quick as my limbs did. Oddly enough, they became parts of my body, living extensions of what I could do. I didn''t even have to voice my commands with language. If I so much as directed intent at them, then the golems interpreted that motive into action. Peering at a disgusting monster? A golem would smash it. A blighted one needed to be pulled down? No problem, several golems used gravity wells to press it downward.


    In the end, the golem''s conformity inspired yet another avenue for expanding my potential. If I could gain enough mental strength, I could wield an entire army in sync. No matter how strong Lehesion was, he wouldn''t be able to outmuscle that. Even Schema''s fleets or a Spatial Fortress would struggle against something that united yet individually powerful.


    And I couldn''t know when Lehesion would show up. I only knew he''d come in force. Either way, I put that next step on the back burner. The super golems and I went forward into Hybridized territory. Corals and seaside sprawled out below us, Hybrid forces interspersed between Vagni and twisted Leviathans. Elysium forces amassed outside our blue core''s barrier, several ships and clustered enemies rallying together.


    To the Hybrids within our dominion, my golems went forward and destroyed. To those outside our barrier, I raised a hand. Endless torrents of mana channeled through my palm while my primary mind converted the raw energy into deadly potential. An outpour of gravity wells spiked throughout the enemy forces. They collapsed into singularities.


    Darkness consumed them. Like eclipses under the ocean, these umbral spheres swallowed entire ships at a time. Fueling their resulting implosion, the matter converted into energy and rippled outwards in mass. Calamitous outputs of kinetic power ripped soldiers into gelatinized blobs of red, orange, and gray. Matter melted. Defiance died.


    The overwhelming onslaught left nothing alive. These physical forces I generated exceeded what the Hybrids were built to handle. Stringing those shockwaves sideways, I moved an arm to aim this bombardment. In seconds, what was once a fleet was a vast wasteland of minced rubble and sliced fragments. Of what, I could no longer tell.


    Steel juggernauts dotting the sky pulped like paper mache. City eating horrors disintegrated into outright voids before the surrounding water flooded the emptied space. Everywhere else caved from the nearby brunt of it all, leaving the city shaken but not quite shattered. I lowered my hand, staring at my palm with a bit of surprise.


    I''d improved pretty quickly up to this point, but this defied all conventions. The ease at which I destroyed, well, it was beyond my comprehension. It was like I couldn''t get used to the power jumps anymore because I didn''t really know where my limits were right now. I was breaching into territories I hadn''t imagined crossing, and I didn''t do so in tiny steps. I leaped into this chasm, and I couldn''t see the bottom of it any longer.


    Catching up from behind, Krog and his soldiers flew up towards me but maintained distance,


    "You...you did that, guildleader?"


    I nodded. Krog shouted at his troops telepathically, "To fight a deity, you must bring a deity." Krog turned to his brethren, "And we''ve one, haven''t we?"


    I made a fist, "Naw. I''m just someone powerful. You''d be amazed at what you guys could do as well. With a bit of effort, of course."


    They listened close, giving quick nods and intent stares. My golems acting as a cleanup crew for me, and I massacred the enemy forces bunching up near our borders. By the time I obliterated the majority of the gathering foes, they had retreated away from us. Turns out that even the brainless felt fear, and these Hybrids were no exception. I wasn''t one to let the monsters escape, however.


    We chased the monsters down and culled them. Once our position was solidified and secure, we helped our teams and gialgathens move into the secured landing zones. Torix''s water barrier shifted further out, giving us more air space to work with. We moved tainted sands and corrupted stones from the premise, returning Blegara to its natural beauty.


    At the same time, our guild worked towards expanding the Vagni''s purpose here. We wanted them to stay busy outside of farming, and they carried a strange but fascinating culture with them. That came with an aesthetic of their own, along with a way of doing things. Maintaining that would be key to keeping them content in the future.


    To ensure their place, I commissioned thousands of artworks and buildings how they usually made them. I also had several city planners who worked in Mt. Verner help ease the process along. We''d need a denser, more compacted capital than Saphigia once was. For that purpose, I had these civil engineers map out roads and other details.


    This kept everything contained, practical, and elegant. All of this was paid using the guild''s funds, which pumped out a steady flow of credits. Even if the Vagni didn''t fully understand what the credits meant, they could equate it to food and housing. That was more than enough.


    It gave us a solid base to work with by the end of the day. Extending beyond the blue core would be difficult, however. The ships Elysium used could maintain excellent range while still firing annihilating weaponry. To exposed targets, that meant instant evaporation. Considering our guild''s numbers, we couldn''t afford to lose anyone like that.


    So that''s where the golems came in. With everything consolidated and protected by the blue core''s barrier, they were free to extend outward. To get that process moving along, I took to the seas and left them awash with the dead. Figuratively, of course. I didn''t actually leave corpses.


    Between Event Horizon, my armor''s draining, and the singularities'' evaporating effects, I left a trail behind me ringing with stillness. The quiet in those places seemed louder than most echoing booms or numbing explosions because of where we were. This was a front line. Noise ebbed and flowed at all moments, even through the water. It was often loud enough that I felt it more in my bones than my ears.


    Yet when I passed, that noise ceased, and silence lingered.


    I didn''t intend on leaving the situation so barren for long, however. After dispatching Elysium''s armadas, I spent my time crafting new golems. These outdid even my second models, using my more highly leveled blood and body as the primary improvement source. Though the assault models took precedent, I still introduced a few innovations during this time. The most important one was conscripting a new model from Ophelia - the constructors.


    I wish I could say the idea for these golems hit me from my own ingenuity, but that wasn''t the case. They came from necessity and from leaning on Elysium''s methods for managing settlements. The rebels used the twisted Leviathans as road makers who kept the waters safe. On land, Hybrids served this purpose. We needed something similar to replace their benefits and then some. Otherwise, we''d be dismantling a society and replacing it with chaos.


    I wouldn''t sleep at night if that was the case, though I didn''t often choose sleep anyways. The point is, the constructors acted as my own take on the Leviathan/Hybrid role. This new model emphasized city building, maintenance, and protection. In fact, one of them outdid ten of my assault golems for those specific tasks. That opened up the fighter models to focus on fighting instead.


    We made this adjustment so quickly because the only change was mental, not physical. All of the golems came equipped with many skills and abilities already¡ªmore than they needed, in fact. An example was how they could construct matter from mana as I did. They simply preferred destroying enemies and getting rid of Hybridization. On the other hand, these constructors loved making buildings, drafting plans, and working with engineers.


    That''s where my production process came in handy. I could just adjust the runic configuration I charged in my grimoire, and the resulting golems were entirely unique. The previous ones enjoyed destruction while these prospered in peace and prosperity. Serving two different purposes allowed the giants to specialize in their given roles. It also meant I didn''t need to help so much with planning either. They did all this while letting the Vagni do their thing.


    By the time the week passed on Blegara, I had manufactured thirty of these constructor models along with another one hundred assault models. This made us a powerful, militant force throughout Saphigia, extending our grasp well beyond the blue core''s shielding. With my support, the golems, gialgathens, and omega divisions expanded outwards, clearing swaths of Saphigia.


    They established high points, erecting bunkers beneath these undersea hills. We worked the Vagni hard in the meantime, paying them well to build back up their capital to its former glory and then some. During this span, Elysium raided many times. Each passing day, they sent larger numbers of troops, Hybrids, blighted ones, Leviathans, and vessels.


    I massacred them all.


    They couldn''t dent us. The blue core''s shielding stopped even antimatter blasts, and I could charge it in seconds. While doing so, I siphoned singularities over fleets at a rapid pace. I was a null void to their forces, a wall that couldn''t be outdone. Any number of ordinary troops were nothing, and they would need to tear this planet apart to get us off it. That wasn''t an option since they wanted this world so badly.


    Still, they sent more and more with stronger and stronger enemies within. They kept their twisted Sentinels in reserve since their dimensional attacks proved ineffective against me. Everything else they had, they threw at us. Despite that relentless offensive, I found time to build between the episodes.


    I grew efficient. I worked in the open, maintaining good sight of the area. We got several scouts inspecting the horizons at all times, along with gialgathens above water. This kept our lines of communication tight, so reacting quickly was a given. These efforts from us kept casualties to a minimum.


    That was the best way of handling Elysium''s generic strategies: kill without being killed. We couldn''t afford to trade soldiers. We had to create a sustainable system for dispatching their endless waves of Hybrids and vessels. If we did that, they wouldn''t be able to whittle us down.


    That''s what we set up in a week: a dozen vantage points with excellent visibility, a growing cityscape run by constructors, and roaming golem guards that cleared areas out.


    By the time my stay here was up, I left behind an expanding settlement that already paid dividends to the guild. It would take an eternity before I actually made money from this place, but that wasn''t the point. The gialgathens established a place to grow, the Vagni retained some semblance of purpose, and we held the line against Elysium. These weren''t the best task forces that Elysium had to offer, but our defense illustrated an ability to stop their mundane offensives.


    They''d yet to send their ultimate devastator, and I wasn''t sure I was ready.


    Preparing full-proof measures against that golden gialgathen would have to wait until after I stopped Plazia Ruhl for Obolis. I''d be getting a few more elemental furnaces and other resources from him, and it might not take all that long either. I didn''t want to underestimate a Ruhl, but they wouldn''t survive an outpour of singularities. Nothing could, outside of an Old One or Lehesion. Or any of the other hidden powers that the Overseer mentioned during our talk.


    I shivered for a second. I needed to stay on guard. Overwhelming or not, getting overconfident would be the end of me. Those thoughts lingered in my mind as I sent a notice to Helios. I needed his warping to get me to the ahcorus''s homeworld. While there, he''d be by my side 24/7 in case I needed to be sent back here at a moment''s notice.


    Poor guy. Anyways, while waiting on him, I opened my messenger and let Florence, Other Hod, Amara, and Althea know to meet me here too.


    Torix and Kessiah were too vital for our stay here, and they''d have an evacuation plan if Lehesion landed while I was gone. I worried about the golden gialgathen arriving and destroying all of this, but I set those anxieties aside. We''d need to fight him at some point, and if we did, I''d figure out just how far away I currently was.


    Or even how ahead.


    I held onto that inkling of confidence as I gazed at the seascape. I filled with pride, finding a line of our territory. Where we landed, homes came up, Vagni schooled near, and golem protectors kept all of it safe. Outside that line, it was abject chaos with Vagni struggling to survive and horrors roaming the hills. It was one thing to destroy something and leave nothing behind. It was another task to replace havoc with prosperity. It was a fulfilling struggle, one I enjoyed.


    Interrupting that bit of serenity, portals opened above our domain. It was another raid like the ones we''d stopped so far. In retaliation, mana gushed through runic configurations over my skin, and I oozed unstable flows of power. Reaching up a hand, I pointed at each of these warps and detonated the areas behind them.


    Before they could shut, building facilities, out bays, and carriers crumbled. They caught us at the wrong time, and I didn''t have to react. I was right here, killing some time before Helios arrived. As the albony did, he gawked at the carnage. They couldn''t even escape their portals before being slaughtered.


    My mind partitioned, letting me turn to Helios while still handling the assailants,


    "You ready to leave? We''ll be rounding up a few other members of my guild before we leave, like Hod and Althea. We''ll need their stealth abilities."


    Helios fumbled his initial words, trying not to stare at the singularities, "I-I am. I''ve also completed the warping lessons you''ll need." He composed himself, "Let''s hope you show promise in the field. It appears you''ll still serve a purpose regardless."


    The last portal from Elysium closed, its inside gutted by another cataclysmic explosion. I nodded, "I''d hope so. Come on, let''s go."


    We took one step before yet another portal opened in the distance. I rolled my eyes before reaching up a hand. Seconds passed, yet no singularity formed over the area. I stared at my hand, wondering if it was broken before I lifted my eyes. This portal bordered gold, its rim engorged with an enormous deluge of energy.


    There was only one who carried this kind of energy. Lehesion arrived.


    From that warp, halcyon claws pulled apart dimensions, shearing space-time. Eyes emboldened with knowledge beyond their years surveyed our stronghold before a massive pair of jaws opened. From the enormous maw, a burst of noble, telepathic laughter poured out. The behemoth gazed at what I built with disdain.


    Lehesion snickered, "So, this is all you''ve constructed. It''s quite quaint and simple when compared with Elysium''s grandeur."


    With confidence, I shouted, "Elysium is a kingdom built on corpses."


    My words contrasted my inner thoughts. A chill ran down my spine as I doubted myself. This was it. I had to perform. If I didn''t, a massive portion of my guildsmen would die. My stomach sank. My face numbed. With a quick mental slap, I put that fear and pressure behind me, using it to spur me forward. Feeling returned along with my strength.


    I took no chances, sending a message to our guild, one premade for this situation. People began evacuations as Lehesion pulled his entire form from his portal. The beast radiated majesty, the bright, energized armor both blinding and bold. He needed no air, having withstood space and cataclysms alike. He required no food, his body generating endless energy already.


    That behemoth''s form stared down at me, his eyes narrowed to slits,


    "You speak as if the creation of a kingdom may be done without death. Even this tiny domain of yours rests on bodies. My domain is simply superior. The carcasses you''ve created are mere mounds by comparison to mine, and your piles disappear under the shadow of the mountains I''ve made. That darkness exposes the distance between you and I."


    He spread his wings while dampening his lustrous glow. He covered my entire line of sight in his dusk, Lehesion''s shadow looming across a portion of my city. My knees wanted to wobble under pressure, and Lehesion grinned,


    "That distance between us, you are too blind to see it. Beneath these wings, you are an insect under the mercy of a coming storm."


    I took a moment, remembering what happened to Springfield. Yawm destroyed it utterly, leaving nearly no one alive. I was helpless then. I was no longer helpless now, and I wouldn''t be stalling with a conversation either. Tohtella or another Adair could arrest control of Lehesion at any moment, and he''d blast everything I built to pieces.


    That wasn''t an option. I''d be keeping this frog dragon busy this time, so busy he''d be unable to even unsettle some sand. I leaned over, my armor''s maw growing monstrous and my metal skin rippling like a pool of dark mercury. I expanded Event Horizon over Lehesion, and the giant winced.


    My form shivered as my armor hungered for his energy-laden flesh. The supergolems near me filed into ranks, each of them unspeaking and unmoving. They felt no fear, only bloodthirst. I channeled that within myself, allowing my ascendant mana to bend my mind. That part of me was a monster, and I unleashed it now.


    Gripping my fingers to fists, I seethed,


    "You believe I''m an insect? No. I am living metal, denser than stone and harder than steel. You so much as touch my domain, and you will suffer."


    A crack showed under Lehesion''s confidence, "And what could you do to me if I destroyed this little lot of land?"


    "I will burrow under your skin and eat you alive."

 299 A Shining Massacre

    Lehesion took a step onto the seafloor, and it cracked as he grimaced, "You shall try, but you shall fail, as all have failed before you."


    My armor grinned, "From how I see it, you''ve lost against a Spatial Fortress already. You lost yet again on Gyspum if not for their nanomachine construct. What makes you so certain I''ll fail if you''ve been at the mercy of two already?"


    His eyes turned to glimmering coals under his brow, "You question that which you don''t understand, child."


    I growled, "Then come and test yourself. Let''s go."


    Lehesion roared out with enough force to silence the region. It bounded past me, rolling off my shoulders like water dripping from an umbrella. Beside me, Helios fell to his knees, blood dripping from under his mask. Lehesion seethed, "You feel that? That is my scope. That is my magnitude. You will never exceed it."


    "Quit stalling and fight."


    Outrage surged over Lehesion''s face before he condensed his aura into his body. The energy flowed without end as he bolted towards me through the water. Gritting my teeth, I met his rush. The behemoth collided with me, exuding enough force to crush mountains, but I withstood it. My arms didn''t crumble, they stayed strut, and my legs didn''t break. I still stood on solid ground.


    But Lehesion kept applying pressure, pushing me back with a clawed hand. Both my arms pressed against his scaled armor. As he crushed me into the sandy stone, he laughed,


    "It is as I''ve said. You are an insect."


    My armor laughed as mana saturated my frame. The will to destroy inflamed me, a point of ignition. My hands gripped his crystalline plates. Supergolems to my left and right raced outwards to evacuate civilians and Vagni while I kept Lehesion planted with my hands. I grasped harder and harder still, my muscles tightening like cords of steel.


    His condensed mana armor cracked then snapped, and my living armor flooded in. He kept stomping down onto me, his massive palm sinking lower. I did not descend. I sank up. His flesh and skin softened from our last bout, neither part of him as dense or overwhelming. He didn''t crush me under his mass. He didn''t even cause my knees to buckle.


    No, my hands seeped into his, and I sapped his blood, flesh, and bone. Event Horizon poured over him, the aura condensing over his skull. He grimaced, but I wanted him to hurt. I opened my armors jaws and bit into the saturated meat before me. Lehesion pulled his hand back out of reflex. My jagged jaws tore him open, and he found chunks of his golden body gored out.


    The delicious meat hung from my dark, metal hands and my jagged, dripping maw. As his flesh soaked into mine, I leaned down and shouted,


    "Come on then."


    Lehesion''s eyes widened before he took a step back. Behind me, Helios pulled himself up from the mental whiplash of Lehesion''s roar. The golden gialgathen''s eye crossed over to my ally, and I grimaced. Lehesion might aim for my team instead of me. Ensuring that wasn''t a possibility, I bent down and shot forward, telekinetic pads synergizing with heavy gravity wells.


    Lehesion whipped his tail towards me. I used my pocket dimension, his whipping limb sinking into the starry abyss. Reaching him, I grabbed the underside of his jaw, my fingers extending into bone and skin alike. He roared and whipped away, a chunk of his face tearing out as he did. Reacting in pain, he side-slashed a clawed hand. I didn''t dodge away.


    I closed in. Ducking under his arm, I turned on my feet. Turning my hand into a dark spear, I slammed my hand into his chest. Tendrils of armor spread outward into his organs, along with my fingers before Lehesion slapped me sideways. I didn''t see it, but the sheer force sent me barreling away from the beast. He was still strong.


    I smashed through an underwater hillside before piercing deep into the depths of Blegara. The landscape reformed under me as I pierced it. Nestled under many layers of stone, I laid broken, but my body pulled together before my eyes in a second. So quick was my reformation, it acted with a startling violence, my guts whipping together at frightening speeds.


    Nearby, several chunks of Lehesion spread throughout the ground. My armor shot out in hunger, absorbing them despite the ground''s pressure above. Leaping out of the underground pit, I found Lehesion gawking at the wound I left behind. Exposed ribs and golden blood seeped into the ocean. That blood clouded around Lehesion as he grimaced at me. Despite the anger, a measure of panic unfolded over his calm demeanor.


    He took quicker breaths, his heart speeding up in his chest. It wasn''t long before he composed himself, and he charged up a ball of energy around his mouth to retaliate. Before he finished, Helios made a portal in front of his jaws. The condensed energy beam blasted into Lehesion''s side, wounding the massive beast.


    I turned, finding Helios hiding on an ice tower within the blue core''s shielding. He oversaw the fight there, ready to assist when necessary. He gave me a quick nod, no retreat or fear oozing from him. No matter his past mistakes, I couldn''t fault his bravery in battle. If I had my way, Helios would say the same of me.


    So when Lehesion charged his energy for another world-ender, I assaulted his mind. Dual consciousnesses ran rampant across an unseen horizon right at him. When the telepathic connection formed, a majestic, ancient mind lashed out at me. It found a legion waiting for its arrival. Swiveling around it, my minds evaded his attacks like schooling fish. My defensive psyche shepherded this mass and deflected Lehesion''s onslaughts all at once. Simultaneously, my offensive consciousness acted as a juggernaut, tearing across the gialgathen''s exposed thoughts.


    In one moment, I tread over memories. Another second passed, and I smashed his lines of logic. Lehesion brightened himself until blinding, but I persevered and wounded his more methodical processes. He lost control. The goliath gaped at his surroundings, staring around in dismay.


    It stunned me seeing how vulnerable this monster was, but it also explained how Elysium gained control of Lehesion in the first place - his strong body held a weak will. Those psionics controlling Lehesion loomed when I reached the further recesses of Lehesion''s anima.


    There, I found a prodigious mass of minds suppressing him.


    They created a cord of some kind that any of them could connect with. Just grazing this enormous tether, I found thousands of minds working in unison at all moments. They maintained an iron grip over the gialgathen, ensuring no lapses in control. That''s why Lehesion was undefended; his mind fought elsewhere.


    That mass of psionics took notice of my intrusion, and many detached from this unbreakable bond with Lehesion. They crashed into me with the unity of a nation and the malice of an enemy. As individuals, I could''ve smothered them. When together, they acted like a wave of ants running over a mantis. Each of them hacked away at my enormous consciousness, the minuscule traumas mounting into a beating.


    But I was no mantis of flesh. I was like a mantis of metal. Exhaustion and pain radiated from the mental wounds, but I held a tight grasp of my mind. I fell onto a knee, control of my left leg lapsing. I twitched, my body being arrested from me. Reorienting my approach, my defensive mind shot into action. It sliced through a connection point, weakening the assault. My offensive mind charged, ripping out psyches left and right.


    I blinked, orienting myself again. Able to stand, I bolted forward towards Lehesion''s actual body. I couldn''t afford to relent or ease up on the pressure, and so I hit Lehesion''s healed chest. As I did, the minds within him quivered. They felt the unbridled agony, the crushing bone, and the ripping sinews just like Lehesion did.


    In the wake of that pain, they wavered for only a moment. I smiled, a drop of blood oozing from my lip. I''d found their weakness - pain. I pulled a hand back, turning on the balls of my feet and striking Lehesion. I amped the incoming blow with my gravity wells and telekinetic sharpening. At the same time, I charged my fist with pure cold. That chill seeped through him, flash freezing his muscle.


    Force erupted outwards, and pieces of Lehesion fell. I breathed in his blood, and I became an engine of destruction. I reached back, and another murderous strike landed across his frame. The water around us carried a shockwave that disintegrated stone. I heated my body, turning into a molten behemoth. Each time I landed a punch, stab, or strike, the mass of detached psionics flinched.


    I amassed heat into my body until I glowed. A thin layer of steam poured from my armor, submerging me in a thin later of air. Shards of salt fell from this dispersal of ocean water, and I smeared those shards into Lehesion''s wounds as I stabbed a hand into his frame. Lehesion howled out, but his screams turned into a symphony in my ears.


    His pain was my survival.


    I honed in on this weakness. Moving forward, I shot out electricity into his nerves when I touched him. He winced, and more elements molded in my hands as I assaulted him. Burning ice left pieces of Lehesion frostbitten. Heated plumes of magma burst from my knuckles as they grazed him. Even Helios struck out with void ice as well.


    The ruler of worlds calculated each attack, making the most of his mana and mental endurance. Lehesion lifted a hand to strike, but Helios blocked it with void ice. Lehesion swiped a tail, and another blot of the violet snow lodged itself around him before Lehesion got momentum in his tail whip.


    This continued while I tore at his weakened mind. In this relentless charge, I poured on punishment in all its forms. I crushed. I froze. I electrocuted. I smashed. I ripped and gored. The endless torrent of wounds weakened the mind mages that fought against me. They retaliated in kind, sending more of their members to throttle my psyche.


    This mounting mental pressure stressed my split consciousnesses. At times, my physical control lapsed. Those lulls lastest for short, instant bursts before I retook physical command. Despite their success in that domain, they never gained authority of my minds. With those wills, I ripped and gouged out portions of Lehesion''s body, one section at a time.


    I froze his blood and pulled the air from his lungs. He choked, drowning in a void. Lehesion gasped, being strangled while I sent out waves of electricity and impacts to his body. I existed like breathing darkness, a black hole swallowing a bright star. In that moment, I lost myself in anger and rage and fury. It consumed me, but I allowed it to. This was not the desperate rage I leaned on once before. It was a controlled and cold frenzy.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    My relentless annihilation came from necessity. Any moment Lehesion gained an understanding of his surroundings, he unleashed overwhelming strikes and attacks. Several veered off my city''s forcefield, and each time they did, I trembled in fear. Everything I owned fell in that dome of energy. I put that fear behind me, using it to surge myself into action.


    My dread converted into an animalistic fervor. I darted in, consumed, and rampaged until Lehesion scrambled to even reply. And yet, Lehesion still pulled himself together. The psionics nested in his brain bore down hard on me, and their perpetual pressure crippled me. I missed attacks, failed magic, or even fell at times.


    These lapses led to the deaths of many. Hordes of Vagni perished in blindings fires, storms of light, and furious eruptions. Several supergolems evaporated in those attacks, and I still remember their deaths. My own guildsmen died while evacuating to the city as well. For some of them, I saw their faces.


    Those faces still haunt me.


    But the psionics paid a dear price for weakening me. Their tether waned in strength, and each mage sent to me reduced the Adairs'' absolute control of Lehesion. This gave Lehesion more freedom. The freedom to express rage and hatred of me. His mental defenses bolstered, no longer stripped bare by his psionic controllers. His movements became less hazy, no longer dulled by the lag from being controlled. Lehesion evolved before my eyes, becoming the monster I remembered.


    Yet, I fell into a rhythm all my own, and in my wrath, I poured forth slaughter without end.


    I swung, parried, dodged, deflected, blocked, stabbed, hooked, tore, maimed, and mauled him. Each hunk of flesh I devoured played on his fears of being eaten, a fear entrenched after his encounter with his first Spatial Fortresses. I leveraged that vulnerability like twisting a knife lodged in someone''s ribs.


    I wielded that knife in other ways. I infested his mind with insidious thoughts of being devoured. Those fears wracked at his sanity and the psionics piled more mages onto their unified offensive. I grimaced at the numbing pressure, so many minds pooling onto mine that it felt that my body wasn''t my own.


    I allowed them to smash my consciousnesses. I lost awareness at times, forgetting pieces of the fight. Evertime I awoke, an unbridled terror flooded through me. Without my perpetual fighting, Lehesion would wipe out my guild in a blaze of light. I''d lose everything.


    Despite my growing desperation, I never ceased fighting. Whether I fell apart or not, I would become whole again within a second. They shattered my mind over and over again. I broke out of those deaths without fail. Even if they killed me each second, I regenerated faster than that.


    My rejuvenation was infinite. It defied any expectation or demand. It held my mind together under an unholy stream of damage. It struck dread in me at first, but I became comfortable with this dance of death over time. My durability became evident then undeniable. Forgoing my defenses, I kept mounting my attacks with greater fury.


    Each of those soul-wrenching blows and earth-shattering strikes tortured Lehesion. Over time, this frenzied, chaotic battle sunk into the wells of a monotonous slog. They grew desperate for an end, but I was unending. I''d been here many times. I made my home here, in this living hell. Lehesion had not.


    This torture kept mounting until Lehesion''s movements slowed. He wanted to escape. He found himself in purgatory, one of my making. He couldn''t sustain my punishment, yet he couldn''t die from it either. Eonoth revived him even if he wished to die.


    He swung his tail towards me, but I soaked it into my shield and struck him. He snapped his jaws at my neck, but his maw fell onto a ball of spines. He flew into the air above for relief. Lehesion met void ice before I pulled him back into the depths. And those depths sunk deeper.


    I pulled him into a dark sea. Minutes of fighting turned into hours. Pain turned to misery, and Lehesion fell into this horrific eternity. His attacks, while cataclysmal and ruinous, took time to generate. His eclipse magic couldn''t be cast because I offered him no room to breathe. He couldn''t blow me apart with his laser breath either as Helios reflected it back to him each and every time.


    This disarmed his arsenal of world-ending weapons. His most potent tools voided, Lehesion relied on his physical and mental techniques. They waned with time, but mine did not. And so, I devoured with abandon. I ripped out chunks of flesh and meat, using this as an opportunity to charge my runes and gain ambient mana. I practiced skills, combining elemental energies.


    But most importantly, I needed Lehesion to understand that if he ever fought me again, he''d be trapped in this endless cycle. I pulled no punches as he faltered. I left no mercy as panic coursed over his eyes. His will to defy me would be expunged until nothing but a hollowed husk remained of it, one that ran from the whisper of my name.


    I took no pleasure in the process. I gutted him. I tore skin from flesh and flesh from bone. He couldn''t escape me with speed or distance as I kept pace. He couldn''t run to madness as his controllers kept him sane. Lehesion fell into that hellfire, one kindled by harm but sustained by his masters'' unwillingness to give in. Despite being in the middle of that tug of war, Lehesion still remained cognizant. He tried many tactics. He spread his aura, keeping my physical form away. He opened portals for warping out, and he even tried attacking my people instead of me.


    For the aura spread, I discovered Event Horizon couldn''t pierce it, but the Rise of Eden could. Warping proved even simpler to stop. He still had to physically jump through a warp, and I wasn''t about to let him. As for attacking my guildsmen, he succeeded.


    I couldn''t stop him from purposely crushing Vagni and the like, as he proved too challenging to control. It was a bitter pill I had to swallow, but I made sure he paid his own blood price. Reinforcements attempted aiding Lehesion, but they perished in the umbral blots of my singularities. The Adair''s mental ambushes proved lethal, but I kept them minimized by unleashing wave after wave of physical anguish through Lehesion.


    Anytime Lehesion dove down towards me, I met his dive head-on. The resulting impulse disintegrated blocks of the cityscape. I crushed Lehesion''s left arm with a sharp hook from my left hand, and the gialgathen''s shearing bone released enough force to level buildings. The shockwave itself tore across the sea, leaving it unsettled like a pool being cannonballed continuously.


    These waves swallowed the skyline above the sea, making a mockery of the ocean''s size and scale. It was like a puddle to us, and that pool rippled with an intensity unbounded¡ªthe same devastation wrought from the heat of our strikes. Even the slightest blow induced otherworldly volumes of friction. A grazing kick or shredding claw boiled the water around us, killing many in our warpath.


    These impacts...they killed many. Both sides suffered heavy losses. Vagni perished. Remnants, espens, and Hybrids died in mass. We scorched Saphigia until little of it remained. The sheer volume of damage made the conflict feel meaningless for us both. What were we fighting for anymore? We killed and killed but obtained no ground, neither of us.


    It saddened me, but I overwhelmed grief with rage. This was my homestead, a new frontier for my people. If I let Lehesion ground himself, he''d induce an apocalypse over everything we built here or the little left of it. There''d be nothing but a dried sea and a molten wasteland left behind when he finished us. We''d never expand over Earth either if Elysium knew they could send Lehesion over at any time.


    And so, I enacted a living hell for Lehesion. I never relented. I poured forth like an eruption with no end. I bit at his heels like a pack of immortal wolves. I mauled his spirit, and I tore his bones. At times, I felt his fear and his terror, but I swallowed that sickness in my stomach. He was my enemy, and no enemy would be left living.


    Eventually, Lehesion and I stood amongst a scarred horizon. We shattered swaths of Saphigia. We stared at each other, both of us exhausted. Lehesion grimaced at me, a deep disgust bubbling out, but an even more profound dismay simmered under the surface. He howled,


    "How do you live knowing you are an abomination? Do you ignore it? Do you hide from the pain of knowing you''re a calamity?"


    My arm, just disintegrated, reformed in a flash. Liquid metal shot out of my torso and snapped into its previous shape, ready to go. I remained silent, but my armor laughed for me, cackling out in a haunting reverberation like metal. I spoke between its unsettling echoes,


    "If you choose to stand behind me, then I am your guardian. If you choose to stand beside me, then I am your leader. If you stand against me, then I am your destroyer. Tell me, Lehesion-"


    I spread my hands,


    "Where do you stand?"


    Pieces of his crystal armor fell from his frame, few shards of it remaining over him. Fresh scars over his skin dissipated, but the mental ones wouldn''t mend so quickly. His breathing quickened as he sputtered,


    "You...you are only a monster. I may stand anywhere I wish with you, and it will serve no consequence. You cannot affect me."


    I raised a hand, and he backed away. I scoffed,


    "You fear being eaten when you''ve already been swallowed."


    Lehesion''s eyes widened, "No. You are wrong. I am not prey. I am the hunter. I-I must be."


    I stood tall, "No, you are a sword that is wielded by others and swung where they cannot reach. The Adair''s have torn your mind to pieces, and now I battle the fragments they hobble together. You fight without urgency because you don''t fear death. You battle without cunning because you''ve never needed it. You even strike without intent since even a light brush is all you''ve ever needed to kill."


    I pounded my chest with a fist, "But I''ve wallowed in my own blood and fought through it. I''ve lived with death. It made me strong. You''ll find I fight without mercy because I''ve never been allowed to have it. I strike to kill because I can''t afford to do otherwise."


    I spread my fists, "The lives we''ve lived, they''re worlds apart. That''s why when you crushed me, I decided to stand tall even when I was in your shadow. Now that you lie in mine, you cower in the dark. That is what your reincarnation has given you - a weak strength."


    I spit blood into the sea, the silver shifting through the steam layer evaporating from me. The shining blood dispersed amidst the water, siphoning back to me. I stared him down,


    "Grow a backbone and come fight me again." I cracked my knuckles, "Or I can keep carving you up. It''s your choice."


    The congregation of psionics controlling Lehesion ceased attacking me at that moment. A palpable relief flooded me as they did, their unrelenting pressure similar to my own. That reprieve lasted only so long as I leaned back, an inkling of concern sprouting in my chest. Something changed in Lehesion.


    Lehesion''s eyes grew bloodshot, orange, nanomachine-infused liquid surfacing through his veins. He whispered, "No more."


    Around him, something snapped. Lehesion''s energy spiked, and it flooded his frame until he sheened with radiation and an ominous, blue glow. I remounted my offensive on his mind, but I found something strange waiting for me. The psionics no longer defended Lehesion. They joined my own offensive, tearing as much as they could.


    No, they didn''t tear. These mages gnawed in absolute desperation. Their urgency infected me, and I redoubled my own efforts. It wasn''t enough. Lehesion wrestled full control of his mind. Once more, he became whole. I no longer faced a shell of his former glory. I faced the full wrath of a legend, his powers and instincts no longer stripped.


    He was the shattered god no longer. He was whole.


    His ancient, full luster returned. He emitted intense radiation near him, the energy encapsulating everything in a dangerous but warm glow. His scars receded, and he took deep breaths of appreciation,


    "Ah, I am myself again. To be given freedom is a blessing, one I''ve lacked appreciation for in the past. I''ll do so no longer."


    His words sent a chill down my spine. I kept attacking his mind, and I uncovered pieces of what was happening as I did. They only made my stomach sink faster as I discovered more. I learned the Adair family helped break down the connection Lehesion had with Eonoth, the Old One. They''d lessened the barriers between the two, giving Lehesion more of the Old One''s primordial, inconceivable energies.


    But, I hadn''t faced any of those new powers. No, I had met a living factory that powered Elysium''s entire stat system, even while we fought one another. The whole time, he carried the brunt of a new society on his shoulders, and I hadn''t known it. Lehesion grumbled,


    "And with this freedom, what will I do? Tear down my manipulators? They stand beyond my reach, hidden amongst the stars. Destroy their armies? They number many, and they sprawl across planets. It would take time that I no longer have."


    I continued attacking his mind. Memories of our fight flooded me. When Lehesion wanted to maul, the mages weakened him. When he wished to devastate, Elysium enfeebled his attacks. As I ruptured and cleaved him apart, Elysium kept his unchecked rage shackled. The psionics faltered as I put pressure on their limiters and controls. Now, I faced Lehesion with his mind returned and his powers unbounded.


    And staring at me, the beast''s overbearing confidence returned,


    "But, you stand here, Harbinger. You''ve earned my ire and my gaze. Now, little one, let us see if you may survive its fury."

 300 Altercation and Obliteration

    I lifted a hand and shouted, "Now wait just a minute. You''re actually free?"


    Lehesion narrowed his eyes, slicing his tail down at me in a flash. I lifted my shield overhead, the starry portal larger than my own body. Lehesion cut his own limb, leaving a gaping hole where he''d of hit me. Revulsion spread over his face as the seafloor quaked beneath me.


    The ripples and cracks spread back until they stopped along the blue core''s barrier of my city. I gawked back at the fallout sticking my palms at Lehesion, "Hey, big guy, I''m talking to you. Are you lying to me about being unshackled?"


    Genuine confusion spread over Lehesion''s face while his eyes narrowed, "And what if I am, little one? Why would it matter to one who will die?"


    "It matters because we can talk this out. How did you escape? I thought that was impossible."


    "Your torturing out sustained my capturer''s tolerance for it. Now I roam free, my life perpetual, my wrath infinite."


    I checked, having been tearing his mind up for a while now. Lehesion told the truth. He was free. Thinking on my feet, I switched Event Horizon to The Rise of Eden, washing the boosting aura over Lehesion. He eclipsed his previous form, becoming a monster even more formidable. The rush of stats flustered Lehesion further, and he gawked at me,


    "What are you doing? Did my full strength drive you mad, and now you wish to die before it overtakes your full sanity?"


    Still tethered to his mind, I shifted my attacks towards the psionics, attempting to help Lehesion out. Gritting my teeth, I frowned, "We''re not enemies."


    A primal hatred bloomed in Lehesion chest as he took a step forward. The sea quaked as cracks ebbed outwards from his claws, "And you would have me believe that after what you''ve done? After sundering my body, after enveloping my mind in thorns and claws and pain? Our battle was purgatory, one where I rested in the cage while you prodded from afar."


    He simmered, "And now you wish to cease our battle when that cage has been lifted." He radiated golden energy, "You will find I am not so easily tricked nor defied."


    I shook my head, "Let me explain myself."


    He snarled like an animal, "My patience grows thin, thinner than the string tying you to life. A string I will snap in my jaws, soon, should your reasoning falter."


    I grimaced, the mind mages overwhelming in number and skill, "I tore you down because you were a pawn to someone else. I have nothing against you, Lehesion. If anything, I think we could be allies. Maybe even friends, under different circumstances."


    Lehesion spread his wings, his body emboldened by the Rise of Eden, "Your words fall on deaf ears, little one. Evoking my wrath will lose you all you''ve ever held dear."


    Incalculable amounts of mana streamed in as Lehesion shined, "My people and my planet are dead. Of yours, only ash will remain-"


    I roared, "Are you a pawn by choice, or are you really just this stupid?"


    I caught him off guard, and the giant gialgathen sputtered, "What? No. I am not. In fact, I am unequaled in intelligence."


    I spread out my hands, "You should talk me down into surrendering if you''re that damn smart then."


    Lehesion tilted his head, "You are unyielding. You may not be reasoned with."


    "Try me."


    "Uhm...Then, then I shall do so."


    The golden gialgathen coughed, "I am pitted against you at all times and at every corner. Each time we''ve met, you''ve attacked me relentlessly. Killing you now would make my existence far more bearable. I am certain of it."


    He got back into his standard bearing, "And so, I shall destroy you."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Lehesion, you''re a literal legend. You can reason better than that."


    Lehesion snapped, "I have just now regained my senses after decades of being chained down by a horde of psionics. When you''ve been in the same circumstance, then you may judge me. Until then, be silent, and cast your appraisals elsewhere, perhaps on something you actually understand."


    "Ok, ok, you''re right. You''re not in the best position to make calls about what to do next. I''ll give you some more time before I take you for a fool, alright?"


    "You stall for time to preserve your petty guildsmen and your tiny city. I know that much."


    "You''re not wrong, but that''s not the only thing I''m doing. I''m defending you. If all I wanted to do was stall for my guild, then why would I do that? I''m also why your stats are boosted. That doesn''t add up with what you just said, does it?"


    During this entire conversation, I fought against the psionics using four different minds at once. The rest of me was invested in this conversation. Lehesion took note and put a wing under his chin,


    "That is...it is bizarre. Once I was freed, your acts changed in an instant."


    I nodded, "That''s because I''m against Elysium, the guys controlling you. If you''re not controlled anymore, I don''t want to fight you. Hell, I would fight hard to protect you if that''s what it takes to keep you away from the Adair''s. You don''t even have to pay me back. Think of it as a way of compensating for the bad blood between us."


    Lehesion''s eyes flared wide, the agony still vivid in his mind, "And you believe that bad blood can be washed away so easily?"


    "No. I don''t. I know it would be a hard and long road to recover from what I''ve done. That''s why I''m helping you to start walking down that road. You kill me now, and you''ll lose any ability I have to repay you."


    I gestured to the desolate wasteland around us, "And let''s face it, I''m the only one who''s fought to keep you sane for the last few decades, right?"


    Lehesion calmed, "I...Hmm...Yes, that''s right. It''s been longer than I can remember that I''ve been whole. You fight to keep my fragments together. Admirable, yet foolish in the end."


    Lehesion blinked while fighting off the psionics, "There is no way of saving me any longer. I may have broken free of their restraints, but the ties between them and I, they cannot be broken. They are as entrenched as the connection between Eonoth and my reincarnation, two parts of the same whole."


    His eyes saddened, "And now I am the lesser of those two halves, the piece that is used by the larger fragment."


    I shook my head, "Bullshit. Remember, you fought these mind mages alone for decades. With my help, you can pull out of this...this cycle."


    The nanomachines swarmed into his skull to retake his mind. His eyes turned bloodshot from them, orange streaks pulsing beneath the white of his eyes. Lehesion didn''t so much as flinch,


    "Listen, youngling, for I have a story to tell you."


    I beat back mind mages, "Ok, but uh, keep it short."


    "I will, as short as the story may be told. I lived my first life well, having few regrets. Before my fall, I gained one - Emagrotha and my relationship with her. We grew to despise one another. In the end, she betrayed me, piercing my back after I trounced her in battle."


    I frowned, "Never turn your back on an enemy."


    "Wise advice, but I believed she was still a friend¡ªeven a lover. Our disagreements ended in my demise. An ancient one, older than time and more powerful than can be conceived, granted me another life in a new body. From forest green to gilded gold, my hide changed in color. Mana effused my bones, and energy coursed in my blood."


    He pointed a wing to his proud chest, "I became what you see before you, a god to many."


    "Not to me."


    "I''m well aware. I''m no god in my eyes either. I see my faults clearly now, and they led to my undoing. I changed the course of my previous life using these gifts granted to me. I altered history. Many events came to pass, but my arrogance led me to believe I would be victorious in all outcomes."


    I frowned, "But then you mangled Emagrotha, right?"


    His face crinkled in rage and horror, "No. I did nothing of the sort. That ancient being is the one that destroyed Emagrotha. I only aimed to cease her rebellious nature. I would never, not in a thousand lifetimes, wish that upon her."


    He couldn''t meet my eye, and as his head lowered, my eyes widened, "You loved her again, didn''t you?"


    "In both of my lives, yes. Emagrotha loved me as well, in my first one. She became my enemy in the second far earlier, but that is yet another failing of mine. The point of this story, however, is singular. I was given all of these advantages, and look what I wrought upon myself and my world."


    He marveled at the destruction around him, "I killed my people. I may have won the war I forged for the espens, but I lost Emagrotha. The espens were given freedoms they abused, and I usurped order across our lands. I blundered in all the tasks I''d set before myself. All my powers only magnified my mistakes."


    His story reminded me of my own position and how I might do the same. Lehesion stared up, "And as I wallowed in regret after our great war and what was done to Emagrotha, these...magicians found me in solitude. They offered me redemption, a drive to continue forth. In the end, they stole my mind from me, along with everything I ever was. I am now a husk."


    His eyes glazed over, "In all my actions, I have failed. I was betrayed in my past life. Despite being given gifts greater than any before me, I wasted them. My body grew strong, but my mind grew weak. These people, these monsters, they''ve infested deep under my skin."


    Lehesion reached up, shearing his face with his claws. Orange liquid oozed from him. I winced at the sight as he grimaced, "You cannot save me. Nothing may, not even death, for I cannot die. I am a ghost, a shell of what I once believed in. My wit has regressed from being a tool, and one can only have their mind violated for so long before it is no longer theirs."


    His voice cracked, "If my mind is taken and my body is used, what of Lehesion has remained? There''s little lingering. I have been tied to Elysium as an anchor is tied to a ship. They rest above the water while I drown in the abyss below. I am a mere tool, once to my arrogance and now to these mages."


    He shook his head, "So many years have passed me by. In those spans, I have lost who I am. It''s been an eternity, and I can no longer remember who I was. I...I-"


    He peered down, sinking into a pit,


    "I am nothing."


    I took a step back, his sincerity scorching like fire. We needed the guy on his feet, but Elysium gouged out all the fight he had in him. I spread out my hands, "Lehesion, what are you talking about? You''re awe-inspiring. You can do anything. Why are you beating yourself down like this? I''m supposed to be doing that for you."


    I swung my fists, kind of surprised I felt the need to cheer the guy up, "You''re the invincible destroyer, remember? Act like it."


    He scoffed, "I am as fragile as I am undying."


    "I wouldn''t have guessed. You''ve taken me out more times than I can count, and I consider myself pretty tough, actually."


    He only took me out twice, but hey, that''s not what he needed to hear right now. Lehesion softened his gaze at me,


    "But in the face of weakness, others have shown courage. I stood in the face of strength, and I exposed my weakness instead. For that, I have paid dearly. I have lost everything. You remain unbroken by this world, and for that, you should be grateful."


    I waved my hands in frustration, "Sure, whatever, I''m not shattered, but dammit, you''re about to blow up everything I''ve been working hard for. We need you to get a grip and take back control of yourself. It sounds like you really need that too."


    Lehesion shook his head, "The destruction of your city may wait, as you''ve disarmed me, somewhat. I doubt that will last, given the telepathic tethering I''ve had implanted. They will overcome me again, for they are a many, and I am one. Once engulfed, I will become their immortal puppet once more."


    I pointed at my armor, "If it''s the nanomachines, I can take them out of you."


    He gave me a sad smile, "The Hybridization leaves no effect on me. It merely bolsters my physical abilities. They''ve injected some kind of...psionic fluid into me, and it assimilated decades prior. Where or what it came from, I know few certainties about it. It was composed of something that felt similar to that ancient one, Eonoth."


    I thought about what happened to Althea with Yawm. She was afflicted by Etorhma''s tears, and she ended up dealing with the horrific aftermath. If they did something like that to Lehesion, there was no way to separate the effects on him. We could only alleviate the symptoms at this point.


    Lehesion shrugged, "What I do understand is that no matter what has happened to me, no matter what I endure, they will return in mass." He winced, "It is only a matter of time before they retake me, and so-"


    He spread his wings, "I will use this moment of freedom to enact their will. Perhaps their restraints will be less stringent thereafter. I show loyalty, and they show kindness in turn. You simply are the aggressor before me."


    He flared bright, "And you will be silenced."


    Thinking fast, a plan popped up in my head, "Now wait one minute, that isn''t necessarily the case. If you can''t stop them, maybe you can escape them."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "There is nowhere I may hide. They are within me."


    "Maybe you can''t get away from them here, but maybe you could go somewhere else. Somewhere where time doesn''t pass."


    Lehesion rolled his eyes, "Now we speak of fantasies."


    I opened my pocket dimension. "What? No. This is it. You can hide in here."


    Lehesion frowned, remembering the portal''s effectiveness against him, "Aw, that trick. Annoying, perhaps, but I doubt it can stop them from overwhelming me, whether that field destroys me or not."


    I raised a hand, "Now that''s where you''re wrong. We can''t overwhelm their mind magic, sure, but we can stop it in other ways." I pulled out a chunk of Lehesion that got caught in the starry portal earlier, "See this?"


    Lehesion''s eyes widened as his aura returned to the flesh. I poked it, and Lehesion turned to his tail and gawked, "What...what kind of ability is that? Is it not a void of death? Maybe a disintegrating circle of some sort? How can I continue to feel my tail? That''s fascinating but-"


    He shivered, "Disturbing as well."


    I shoved it back into the portal a second after. Lehesion raised his brow and widened his eyes, "To think that such an ability could even be possible. Incredible."


    I shrugged, "It''s my dimensional space. I''m a living dimension. Multiverse, actually."


    "Dimension? Like Chrona''s insane musings?"


    "She''s right. See everything around you? Anything and everything is in our dimension. It is the dimension." I pointed at myself with a thumb, "Everything except me, that is. I''m not a part of this space. I''m a different dimension, just way smaller. I''m more alive as well...Probably." I frowned, "I''m kind of lost on the details, to be honest."


    "Hah. Then you are puny for your kind."


    I crossed my arms, "I''d rather be the chief of a village than the pawn of a king."


    Lehesion rolled his eyes, "Ah yes, you''re very witty, but what does this have to do with my predicament?"


    "I can put your head in here." I gestured at my warp, "They won''t be able to control you then. You''ll be in stasis, just like that hunk of tail was earlier."


    "Is that not the same as death?"


    "Of course not. You''ll still be alive, and eventually, I''ll be able to get you out of your awful circumstances. Besides, Elysium could collapse in just a few weeks without you propping up their system. Hell, just breaking free for a few minutes is probably wrecking their credibility as we speak."


    A long silence lingered over us. Lehesion tilted his head at me as if I were insane,


    "You''re actually serious?"


    "Dead serious."


    Lehesion peered as if searching for some hidden intent oozing out of me. He found none, and he bellowed out in hearty laughter, "By the Old Ones, you''re a fool. An imbecile. A complete moron."


    I frowned, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."


    Lehesion grinned at me, "But, you''re just the kind of fool I like. Your childish idealism is amusing, perhaps even infectious, but...I am too broken. I will never have myself fully restored. Thank you for giving me hope, even if it was hollow in the end."


    I snapped, "You know what? You piss me off."


    Lehesion''s smile turned wicked, "Now that I''m unwilling to do as you ask, you''re opinion of me changes. Disappointing, surely, but expected. I have more reason to hate you beyond mere differences of belief, however."


    I pointed at him, "No, I''m not mad you disagree with me. I''m mad because you keep pretending you''re helpless just so that you can give up."


    Lehesion''s eyes turned to slits, "Giving up? I''ve been tormented for decades, attempted every option available to me, and you say I''ve given in?" His face wrinkled, contorting in anger, "You''ve never seen nor faced even one of the obstacles I''ve overcome. You''ve never been rived open, whether from your own failures or by the tortures of tormenters."


    I beat my chest, "You haven''t even tried my plan, so how can you say you''ve tried it all? And besides that, you don''t know me. You don''t know whether I''ve lost everything or not."


    With his frame shining, he echoed, "And you expect me to trust you, a different tormenter, one who has torn me to shreds, Over and over again?"


    "No, I don''t expect that at all. I''m letting you know you have other options, whether you think you do or not. You just prefer having everyone choose your options for you because you''re afraid to fail again. Hell, you''re afraid to clean up the mess you left behind because you think you''ll make a bigger one."


    He yelled, "And what of you? You murder in the millions for personal gain. You''re a monster who hasn''t even tried to improve the lives around you. All you do is devour while everything burns around you." Lehesion pointed at everything around him, "Here''s an example."


    I narrowed my eyes, "I wouldn''t have chosen this. I pacified the eldritch on this planet to stop the blood sacrifices, and I''m working to establish order and prosperity."


    "That order is built on blood and corpses. It is no different than Elysium''s governance."


    I pointed at some constructor golems behind me, "You see them? They''re literally made of my blood, and that''s the difference. I''m not wiping out species, torturing eldritch, and mind-controlling people to get what I want. I''m taking the time to build from the ground up with my own two hands."


    Lehesion hissed, "I see that you''ve deluded yourself into believing your justice is somehow greater than the Adair''s, just as all bloodthirsty conquerors do."


    I glared at him, "I stopped your species'' extinction. They''d be wiped out to subservience, a military tool if I hadn''t stepped in. Bloodthirsty conquerer? If that were the case, I''d of eaten the gialgathens instead of saving them."


    Lehesion stepped back, "I...That-"


    I pointed at a blighted one swimming in the distance, "You see that? That''s what Elysium''s done, and don''t you ignore it and pretend it never happened. The gialgathens would be wiped out if not for what I did. And it cost me. It cost me dearly. I was dragged into the center of this war for doing that. I could''ve backed away and come up with some kind of deal with Elysium instead. I didn''t. I refused to turn the other way while they decimated your kind."


    Lehesion''s eyes widened as I pointed at him and shouted, "And now I can''t give them a new home because you''ll destroy it." I let my hands drop to my sides in frustration, "It''s like you won''t stop until you''ve completely killed everybody. It''s like you want a clean slate, and you''re willing to do anything for it."


    Lehesion blinked as his face followed the corrupted form of a gialgathen swimming across the ocean. Lehesion gripped his claws into the ground, his proud stature shrinking. I shook my head in disgust, "Calling me a bloodthirsty conquerer, the nerve. How about you look in a mirror?"


    Beads of sweat poured from Lehesion''s brow, his heart racing in his chest. Lehesion''s composure cracked before I raised my hands, "Come then. There''s no point in talking anymore. I''m not going to compromise with madness. I can see what''s right is right, even if you can''t."


    The burden of protecting Lehesion''s mind deluged over my own like a dam breaking. The psionics rallied, rebuilding the scaffolding that contained Lehesion so well before. That framework shut down any tampering of my own, and I only delayed the inevitable as they closed in on a complete reconstruction.


    Furthering that repair, Lehesion stopped defending himself. He blinked while he tried to escape his contrasting thoughts. Something in him had snapped as if the weight of his deeds crushed him. In a fury, he turned to me, "I...I can no longer bite the hand that feeds me."


    I roared, "It doesn''t feed you. That hand is strangling you."


    No longer in the mood to talk, Lehesion rallied the last inklings of his defiance. He charged at me like a storm. Darting in a blinding dash, his enormous body moved with uncanny agility as if he held the speed of many in his wings. My auras reverted, Event Horizon smothering his skull before his paw crushed me down.


    His mana scales were empowered once more by streams of mana. I sunk into the ground before it melted beneath me. I liquified the sand and stone before pulling the magma over Lehesion with telekinetic nets. He outpoured his aura. The molten rock splattered across the buildings and wastes nearby, water fizzling into boiling bubbles. Lehesion took a breath, siphoning country-breaking power into his maw. Releasing it, Helios created a portal in front of Lehesion''s mouth.


    Lehesion''s beam transferred towards his side. It collided with his defensive aura, and the shielding held strong, its protective properties emboldened by untold amounts of mana. Seconds passed, and the ocean evaporated in a heated boil, plasma piling beside Lehesion with bursts of steam. A blue glow ebbed from Lehesion as a growing crater formed beneath him.


    He was releasing radiation¡ªlots of it.


    Despite these enormous, rebounding forces, Lehesion only empowered his ray of death. Helios lunged to one knee as the edges of his portal cracked. Another surge from Lehesion and the warp snapped like a glass jar landing on a stone floor. Helios collapsed behind me before Lehesion reached out a clawed hand.


    My eyes widened as Helios stared forward. From under his black mask, blood leaked out of Helios''s eyes and ears. He growled as mana siphoned into his elemental furnaces. He thundered in defiance while creating a defensive barrier of void ice around my city.


    The water, hardened by the absolute coldness, sustained the light before exploding outwards. It was enough time for two super golems to stand in the way of the beam''s wrath. They caught the ray''s volatile stream, the arms, chest, and faces melting off the golems while Helios threw up his hands. More void ice swallowed them all, and it protected the golems long enough for them to regenerate. Lehesion''s laser kept plowing through their defenses as I charged him.


    I smashed my fists into his mana barrier, but his onslaught never ceased. Helios stared down at my guildsmen and the Vagni below. He grasped a hand into a fist, his mana furnace revving. The barrier around our city snapped, and Helios lifted his hand.


    A mountain of void ice materialized between the city and Lehesion''s ray. Helios put this mountain at an angle, and the beam rippled upwards towards Helios and the golems. Helios arms fell, and he took his last breath. In that endless light, a shadow fell over all three of the figures.


    The blinding glow flashed over them, and I blinked, my stomach sinking like a stone in water. They were gone.


    The beam carried past them, angled up over the void ice. This beam obliterated an enormous pathway of Saphigia, my golems protecting our city and charging the blue core''s barrier once more. The flashing bolt nulled all before it until it crossed into the horizon, leaving a gaping hole left in the ocean.


    One attack and Lehesion parted the seas. Those vast walls of water piled back in, tsunamis forming and ebbing out in all directions. They''d swallow the few coastlines across Blegara, wiping out entire populations of native wildlife. All in one breath.


    I turned to Lehesion, stunned by his utter destructive abilities. Whether he could kill me or not, he''d leave this entire world scarred and mutilated. Even more so, Helios''s sacrifice left me stunned. We weren''t his guild, and these weren''t his people. No matter his motivations, the ruler of worlds put himself in the line of fire.


    And he was consumed by it.


    Lehesion''s enormous form loomed with that same promise as he snarled at me. My pulse raced, the enormity of the battle falling over me like a lead cloak. Everyone could die. Every single guild member, the Vagni, even the eldritch, were all going to die here in a dry sea doused in atomic fires. Fire, I''d survive.


    Those thoughts racked my mind before Lehesion smashed me into the dirt. Another tectonic explosion ushered forth, and the ground caved without measure. Buildings miles away tumbled. The sea acted as a puddle splashed by a child. The apocalyptic nature of Lehesion''s will evinced out undeniably; his destructive potential was infinite.


    I couldn''t comprehend the full scale of our fight any longer. It exceeded the bounds of what I considered real, and for that reason, I was afraid. Not for my own death, but the deaths of everyone I cared about.


    And that was because of one factor - I withstood the carnage. My body remained formed. My mind retained reason. My bones did not break, and I did not crumble. At the bottom of a pit of magma, steam, and stone, I kept my hands overhead. I held Lehesion''s paw.


    The behemoth''s eyes widened as I glared up at him. Every fiber of my being oozed out desperation, the sheer scale of this fight putting me on a razor''s edge. I couldn''t just distract him anymore or leave him in pain. I needed Lehesion away from here. We needed to evacuate this place, or else there''d be nothing left.


    And every single mind under my domain raced forwards towards that goal. No longer was I crippled by the Adair''s psionics. They all rushed for Lehesion, and that left me undaunted by their relentless hounding. Without the need to face them on that field, I regained my own full abilities.


    I turned whole, and I would show him the Harbinger of Cataclysm''s absolute fury.


    In an enormous display of magic, I siphoned mana into my frame. It pooled for seconds, Lehesion grinning down at me as he smashed his other hand on me. Ignoring him, energy flowed in my blood and heated me until I burned. Arcs of white lightning burst forth as I shifted to the Rise of Eden. The water trembled along with the sky and clouds above. Even the fabric of time around us curved out from me as I made my presence here complete.


    Releasing the mana in a single burst, the roaring energy poured from my hand until cracks formed on my palm. Deep beneath Blegara''s crust, I generated a gravity well of untold proportion. It swallowed the ocean. It lifted not just us but the entire battlefield as well. An enormous chunk of Blegara rose, cracks echoing out in the sea and the sky alike.


    This region stretched out for miles, and the clouds over us parted as massive waterfalls fell into the waters below. Lehesion and I drifted into the heavens, where we left Saphigia and my city behind. Lehesion gawked around him, his own battles rarely measuring to this standard either. The air washed over us before I reached out a hand, willing mana to saturate the risen seafloor beneath us. In a torrential display of might, I inundated this vast island, keeping it afloat.


    Lehesion marveled, "The depths turn into the heavens above."


    I squeezed my left hand, my armor steadily drilling itself through Lehesion''s armor. He peered down at me, swatting me with his tail. My vision flipped, spiraling in a tumble. Before losing complete control of my levity, I snapped myself still. Lehesion followed me, but I met his tackle head-on.


    We jolted in an overwhelming collision. The ocean caved beneath us, and the ground relented before us. The buildings left disintegrated as kinetic energy rebounded in a kinetic outpour that liquefied metal and powdered stone. We unleashed a shockwave that collapsed buildings for hundreds of meters in every direction.


    In all of that, I flew backward like a boulder let out from a catapult. I gouged out a trough of earth and sand football fields broad. Standing from the heated pit of glassy magma, the wet rock dissolved before re-solidifying once more. Wrenching my feet from the fresh stone, I wiped bits of rock from my shoulder, no worse for wear.


    Lehesion''s arm bent in the wrong direction, and he snapped it back into place. He raised his scaly brow, "You''re inexhaustible. I''ll give you that."


    Before I shouted back, a spear sliced into the behemoth. The lance of bone carried cracks of violet, ebbing some kind of foreign, palpable energy. A section of Lehesion disappeared before he imploded. Splattering in all directions, half of his body lay disfigured. Regenerating in an instant, Lehesion snarled,


    "The silver girl. Obnoxious."


    I turned where he stared, finding only a whisp of hair remaining of her. Althea left me smiling before Lehesion''s eyes widened. He winced as decaying arms crawled from the earth and pulled him down. The craggy, sandy ground turned to tar that rushed into Lehesion''s mouth, eyes, and ears. Enchanted skeletons made of the Omega Strains rose from the mush, stabbing at him before Lehesion''s aura purified his surroundings.


    To my side, Torix landed with his hands crossed behind him. He turned to me, "The evacuations are complete, disciple. We''ve done what we can, and others are charging the city below."


    A shadow beneath Lehesion swelled, and from it, Other Hod sliced. He left a nasty gash that burned with an umbral fire. It fed liquid and sizzled on blood as Hod unleashed a torrent of other attacks, using a bit of light magic he learned. He created artificial shadows, and they worked as well as real ones, Other Hod escaping through my shade when Lehesion outpoured golden lightning in all directions.


    I generated conductive plumes to siphon the electricity to me, feasting on the raw energy. Other Hod stood behind me, releasing two super golems and Helios from his shadow. That''s why darkness flashed over those three before the ray consumed them. Helios peered around before standing upright. Other Hod hissed,


    "I saved them, Harbinger."


    "Good." I met Helios''s eye, "I won''t forget you saving the city."


    Helios took a breath, the albony shaken. He took a hand and slapped himself in the face before growling out, "Don''t thank me yet. Your city is still at his mercy."


    Undeterred, Lehesion stepped forward before a chorus of sonic roars forced him back. Krog and a legion of his elites flew past Lehesion, tearing him down with ebbs of sound. This new battalion landed behind me after making their assault, Lehesion peering at them with disgust. Whether he admitted it or not, the dribbling blood from his ears meant the attack busted his eardrums. It looks like they''d been practicing.


    Lehesion opened his mouth, and an energy beam poured out at us in an instant. Before landing, it slowed down, entering a time dilation.


    Chrona''s silvery figure flew over us while I reached up with my own dimensional shield. Lehesion''s energy poured into my dimensional space before I pulled myself towards the colossus. As I did, I followed the beam''s trajectory, swallowing it in the shield before reaching him. Lehesion concentrated his aura into the tip of his tail and whipped it at me.


    I pulled out my shield up and unleashed the grimoire creation''s aftermath. Simultaneously, I shrunk the pocket dimension''s entrance, condensing its releasing energies into a beam¡ªthat ability drilled through Lehesion before I arced it sideways. Cleaving through Lehesion''s torso and mana scales, a clean gash appeared over his skin.


    His precise tail whip turned into a chaotic mess as Lehesion''s long limb crushed the ground behind me. Shifting on my feet, I smashed my fist into his chest with all my strength. These attacks mutilated Lehesion, but a patch of his mana scales burst, knocking me far back. I dragged along the ground on my feet before a wing stopped my slide. Turning around, Krog and several gialgathens used wind magic for the catch.


    Chrona walked up to my side with the other gialgathens. Following in their wakes, dozens of my golems hovered up along the edge of our floating battleground. I linked my mind to theirs. Our enormous, mobile unit faced Lehesion down before the golden gialgathen showed his fangs,


    "It appears you''re no longer alone."


    I took a breath, the air clear. I always held all this responsibility on my own, but now it felt like everyone else took it off my shoulders. That alleviating pressure let me breathe deeply. Refreshed and grinning, I peered at Lehesion, my confidence returning,


    "Yeah. It looks like it."


    Lehesion sheened bright, "Excellent. It appears as though I''ll kill you all without needing to find everyone."


    The sky darkened as he eclipsed it with his magic. Lehesion trembled the ground with his voice, "Though you will find there is nowhere left to run."

 301 An Abdication

    I sprinted towards the beast, Lehesion''s magic channeling even as I tackled into him. I made my shoulder''s contact point sharp, telekinetically reduced that surface area further, used gravity wells to speed me up more, and I burst heat into Lehesion as I landed.


    My many minds gave me this fluidity. Lehesion''s armor cracked while I knocked him back. An annihilating shockwave rippled out from our impact, and I turned to see the others. Chrona slowed down the wave using a block of temporal dilation. At the same time, Krog and his gialgathen troops released a burst of sonic booms, perforating the incoming tide of force. Torix redirected the last inklings of the destructive potential, and they all proved no worse for wear.


    It left me in awe but also unshackled. They all thought about fighting Lehesion like this, each and every one of them. Understanding the implications of a fight on this scale, Torix probably helped develop plans that Krog and Spear drilled into our troops. Each member practiced on their own as well, each aware of their roles.


    They did that while I handled the building of golems and our political affairs. I couldn''t have asked for a better team, because they weren''t unmoving. Each of them still progressed even if I didn''t see it in person. That progress meant I no longer needed to hold back to account for them.


    I shifted forward like a flash, my speed mounting to a blur. Lehesion drove back from my fist''s strike. Lehesion charged an enormous incantation. I thrashed through his protection, mauling holes in his side. The sky darkened while we tore each other apart, both of us immortal and undying.


    Stars drifted across the horizon, and they fell towards Blegara with an intangible essence. Those wispy clouds condensed before landing, releasing blinding energies and deafening echoes. Over us, my guild members went to work protecting the platform and our territory alike.


    Helios was the first to spur into action among them. His elemental furnace revved its wicked cracking of the air. Matter converted to energy, and the albony ruler lifted his arms. Void ice spawned in all directions, smothering the field with its brilliant yet bulletproof hardness. Beyond that shielding, Torix summoned portals nearby. Into those portals, our gialgathen troops launched bolts and fireballs into shooting stars. All the while, they moved at inhuman speeds.


    In fact, all of them did. Chrona sped them all up in a temporal dilation while slowing time around everything else. Chrona had trained since we last fought, and her abilities expanded in scope because of that. This let our team decimate the falling stars before they left our entire city and surrounding countryside leveled.


    None of these shining fragments were allowed to even graze our lands, which left Lehesion stunned. He gawked for other reasons as well. The golden gialgathen''s magic cast darkness over us all outside of the dim starlight. He and I struck one another with sheening sparks radiating off each of our attacks. I deflected, ducked, and dodged, happy for an opponent that forced me to use those tools again.


    It had been so long since I fought an equal, so I cherished this moment.


    We poured upon each other punishment abound, our skin and bones harder than metal. From the sparks of our collisions, Other Hod initiated the peak of his offensive potential. Slashes, slices, and swords of darkness engulfed Lehesion. The massive gialgathen plunged into black fires, and Lehesion drenched in the shadowy abyss he created.


    Behind him, Althea launched spear after spear, keeping her aim steady. Each time she released a lance, her face grew paler as she drained her life to end Lehesion''s. As her eyes glazed over from exhaustion, she grabbed the syringe I left Kessiah. Kessiah had filled it with her own blood, and Althea injected that potent serum into herself.


    Her entire being emboldened with the energy of Baldowah, that stringent connection making her into a monster. She put all of her defense down and put on a show. One violet charged spear. Two violet, crackling spears.. Then three life enders in a row. Althea outdid my damage output for a full minute using Kessiah''s energized and enhanced blood as a fuel source.


    I had to admit it. Kessiah and Althea were more crafty than I thought.


    Their combined efforts left the entire field in tatters while I shielded myself with my dimensional portal. No amount of destruction pierced the pocket dimension''s veil, even arcane energies. The storage was limited by my mass and mana. Having excesses of both, I swallowed the incoming waves of destruction, wondering if her new class gave Althea this ability.


    Either way, it left Lehesion scrambling for a response. One on one, I wasn''t about to contain his ridiculous output of carnage. One against our legion, and we shielded the populations below while goring Lehesion alive. In fragments, Lehesion roared out in pain, unable to even think as he enveloped in a combination of Althea and Kessiah''s potentials. I marveled at it, unable to keep close.


    As with all good things, the carnage came to an end. Kessiah''s blood reached its peak and then dissipated. Althea fell back into her average firing speeds, unable to keep pace with the battle''s intensity. From her, minute amounts of eldritch energy poured from our conduit. She was struggling to contain her transformations under the added duress.


    Althea rived in agony as her body contorted from ensuing transformations. Torix pulled out his new grimoire in response, channeling magic that settled Althea''s mind and her metamorphosis. A super golem picked her up and shielded her while the group kept tight-knit.


    It was already more than enough of a contribution. Lehesion didn''t understand what or how anything could output that kind of damage against him. His focus splintered as he peered away from me, searching for what sundered his entire being with such volatility. It made his melee even worse, and I made strides of progress in the meantime.


    One punch couldn''t shatter his empowered armor any longer, but many could. Having every bit of my attention on breaking this frog dragon in front of me, I whaled with an intensity unbounded. Each attack mauled the giant, and compressive waves disintegrated my surroundings.


    At the same time, my many minds went to work. We needled Lehesion''s sanity with mental assaults and Event Horizon. Another of my psyches used my enhanced senses to intercept Lehesion''s star using vast singularities. These black blots dotted the skyline around us, curving clouds and breaking starbombs.


    In all viewpoints, the aftermath of our clash manifested. The clouds near us rippled into fragmented, shifting spirals. They left enormous spheres of emptiness that then dispersed into faint mists above and below. The ocean cried out as it took more force than it was ever meant to. It sizzled, boiled, shivered, and generated tsunamis that would travel for hundreds of miles.


    I thanked that sea for protecting the Vagni and our city. The water acted as a kinetic buffer, stopping us from liquifying everyone below. Even more so, it prevented heat from scorching everything to fire and lava. Instead, the water vaporized while pouring in from far-off places. This gave us leeway to make our mark on the golden gialgathen.


    If I alone made him weak with fear, my guild and I made him tremble in terror. Lehesion gained no ground, his form undulating like a drum. Incessant, annihilating magics, blows, roars, fiery breaths, and punches meant he couldn''t comprehend all that came his way. Where he landed, the ground melted. When he tried to fly, the sky turned to ice. He breathed in to use a beam, but Torix turned the air to tar. Every move, every direction, it all came at Lehesion in an outpour of uncompromising, unyielding ruin.


    We came together with a fluidity few guilds could match because we were a group few in number but elite in teamwork. Even the super golems worked like a charm, all of Spear''s training coming out as they supported our members and helped me strangle Lehesion physically. Within half an hour, the enormous rock platform I gave us turned to a patchy place of void ice and stone. That scarred landscape duplicated the scarred hopes of Lehesion. They were both decayed.


    Lehesion had aimed to prove his worth to his puppeteers, but now they would understand that he could not stop us. They''d need something more than raw power to overwhelm our guild because we had that in spades. Even then, we used what we had better. Lehesion used little of his strength as he was unable to fully manifest his powers. Since our last few fights, he''d developed no new strategies, meaning all of our counterstrategies landed without a hitch.


    Without the looming threat of Lehesion, the other Elysium forces would be leveled. Their armies would fall. We were a guild of few but had the might of many, and Lehesion experienced the full brunt of that crushing potential. All the while, Elysium fought for control of their mana battery, needing him to prop up their system. Each mind-shackling cuff and soul-crushing chain they scrounged up only weakened Lehesion, his vast mana pool being turned into upgrades for other people.


    So when he faded and another voice spoke through him, it left me more than simply empowered.


    We were left triumphant. We had won.


    Lehesion flew backward before speaking in a cold, calculating voice, "I see that your guild and you have achieved an admirable military presence. I salute your efforts, even if they go against ours."


    It was Tohtella Adair, her composure calm despite the enormity of damage we enacted on her faction. I crossed my arms, switching to The Rise of Eden for the boost in charisma. I made sure it also got to my guild,


    "Stop with the chatter. What do you want to talk about?"


    "It''s good you don''t want to waste time. I don''t as well. I''ll get to the point then - I want to make a truce."


    I raised my eyebrows, "What kind?"


    "A simple one. You can take Blegara and continue your actions how you like. Obviously, you want this place, and while we did as well, we have other war fronts we can focus on. Considering the resource sink this has become, I don''t wish to facilitate further hostilities."


    I frowned, "You killed an entire species. Your hostilities aren''t limited to just attacking us."


    "We did not eliminate the gialgathens. We simply took the majority of them for Hybridization. The rest have been taken to a different planet and allowed to breed like normal. Giess is now too volatile for life there, but the other gialgathens have continued thriving in a less hostile area."


    "So they''re livestock? What a huge improvement." I clapped, "Real nice of you. Wow. Great job."


    Lehesion''s brow rose, "We have cloning facilities for that purpose, and they are far more efficient. The gialgathens that we''ve put into habitation are simply being allowed to repopulate."


    "You''re not convincing me of that unless I see them, and it wouldn''t matter either way. You still killed nearly all of them. That''s more than enough for me to know what you and Elysium are all about."


    Lehesion smiled, an eerie gesture since I knew it came from someone else, "We''ve done what we''ve had to for a far grander expanse than merely Giess. As for seeing the gialgathen''s habitation, we can have that arranged if you''d like."


    I pinched the brow of my nose, "Look, I don''t trust you guys. You''re going to ambush, assault, or kill me. It''s just too obvious, so no, I''m not going."


    Lehesion''s face leaned back, and his tail pushed up invisible glasses, "There''s been a misunderstanding here. We do not want to have enemies we cannot beat. This is especially true for enemies that can be reasoned with. Unlike Schema, you are not a brick wall that cannot speak. You are a sentient with a mind of its own."


    Lehesion turned a palm to me, "We can find a compromise. I am sure of it."


    I crossed my arms, "Alright, compromise time. Free the gialgathens. Stop converting species into mindless monsters. Quit turning eldritch into pawns for other people. They''re ''people'' too...Some of them, at least."


    Lehesion''s eyes deadpanned, "You''re unreasonable. Those demands undermine our war effort entirely. You''ve seen what the Sentinels and Overseers are capable of. The moment we relinquish a measure of our assaults, their forces will further compound with opportunistic classers joining in on the spoils of a battle against us."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed, "Therefore, we cannot do that. Name different terms."


    I spoke without a change in expression, "Then we''re done here."


    She raised a palm, an odd gesture coming from a colossal gialgathen, "Let''s put a hold on that, hm? There are definitely arrangements that can be made. For one, we understand that moral grounds appeal to you. We derived that from your verbal clash with Lehesion earlier, at least. We wish to point out several of our moral virtues and reasonings to you."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Ohhh, I''ve seen some of them. We all have."


    I gestured to my guild members behind me, tilting my head to Krog and Chrona, "Especially those two. They''ve seen what your ''morals'' are all about."


    Lehesion sighed, "We began this journey of stopping Schema for several reasons. You know many of those reasons, such as the cullings from Schema''s rough transitions to a systemized world. He offers little support, so newer worlds become subservient to older ones. The Empire you ally with, is one such guild that abuses this system to their favor."


    Lehesion peered at Helios with disdain, "That is why twelve species are enslaved by them."


    I turned to Helios, and the albony peered back and forth between Lehesion and I. He coughed into a hand, "It''s eleven, and it''s not enslavement...merely indentured servitude."


    Man, I had to admit, that was a pretty awful response. I let it slide as Lehesion smiled at him, "If that is your defense, Helios, then I will let it speak for me." The big gialgathen turned to me, "As you can see, many species are belittled into servitude to enact the will of Schema''s system. We''ve freed thirteen different races from this servitude, and we''re working on the fourteenth here."


    Through Lehesion, she gestured to my golems with a tail, "You''re doing an admirable job here, and we are willing to renounce our claim given your effectiveness. You''ve even found a way of managing the eldritch threat here."


    Lehesion spread his wings like a person spreading their arms, "We only want to expedite the freedom and progress of different species. Particularly fringe species that have been left abandoned by Schema''s policies. It is Schema that attacks without end against us. We simply retaliate as we have to in order to survive."


    "Then why the hell do you keep launching attacks on my damn city?"


    "You''re raiding one of our territories, whether you believe you are or not. That gives cause for our assaults. We''re now offering a ceasefire. If you don''t accept our generous conditions, understand that subsequent death on both sides is your fault exclusively."


    A chill ran down my spine as Tohtella continued, "That''s why we''re willing to forgive your previous transgressions, even the bombings on Giess, where you killed millions."


    That unnerving pressure mounted on me before it faded to anger. I pointed to her and shouted, "Bullshit. Those deaths aren''t on me. You wouldn''t stop converting the gialgathens, so I did what I had to so we could save some of them in the countryside. Don''t forget that. And even then, you don''t care who dies. You''re just afraid of me, so now you don''t want to fight anymore."


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    I frowned, "You just don''t want to lose."


    Lehesion sighed, "Hah...In essence, you are correct. You are worthy of fear. Why does that change the dynamic of this talk?"


    I threw my hands up in frustration, "Because you wouldn''t have stopped attacking us if you were winning and the situations were reversed."


    Lehesion spread his wings, "That is simply untrue. We aren''t looking to wipe out a new guild with promise. We want to have Elysium be a bastion for disparaged species, worlds, and one day, even the eldritch. That is how we gained many massive eldritch to help us defend Giess."


    Still not trusting her, I raised my eyebrows while diving into thought. Elysium wasn''t about to forgive all that I''d done, but they might turn a blind eye to my guild for a while. That alone would be an enormous boon for me. Without that looming threat of obliteration, we could expand far out on Blegara. Hell, we could finally help people on Earth.


    It went even deeper than that. The gialgathens enjoyed Blegara, and they could settle down on it. I could help my homeworld after neglecting it for so long, and I even got some free time for Obolis''s mission with the Ahcorus. In that way, I still fought Elysium. I just didn''t need to put my own people on the line to do it.


    And yet, a part of me didn''t want to let this go. Elysium terminated a species for their own gain and tortured silvers and eldritch alike. The eldritch did kill people, so it wasn''t as if eliminating the eldritch was downright evil. It was more Elysium''s methods that disturbed me.


    The footage from their camp on Earth flashed in my mind, vivid and wounding. Outside of the Hybrids, mind magic was a tenuous, grisly means of control. These reasons made me want to smash Elysium to pieces and put a stop to all of that. To make that happen, I would need to wage war.


    Peering around, the wasteland surrounding me gave me my answer to this trade. I didn''t want to sign this ceasefire, but I had to for my guildsmen. They deserved better than this. If I chose to make some moral stand here, then they''d suffer for it, not me. Considering they''d be the ones making sacrifices, I turned to my guild.


    Torix already cast his silencing magic as I did, the aura passing over us. He even fogged our surroundings so that our enemies wouldn''t be able to read our lips. I raised my eyebrows at my guild members, "Any ideas on what we should do here?"


    Krog snarled, "Kill every last one of them. My kin were killed. Elysium should die for it."


    I gave him a nod, "Noted. Anyone else have anything to add?"


    Chrona chimed, "If anyone understands your hatred, Krog, it is I. I still dream of killing them even while I sleep. But that is why I wish to stop this - I rest little these days. I suffer more nightmares than dreams now."


    She grimaced, "Krog, I''ve grown weary of these relentless attacks. As a species, we have adapted to this change in how we live, but we were not made for prolonged wars. We make our own slowly, and we take pleasure in the arts."


    She leaned towards Krog, "If they offer us peace, then I say we let go of revenge. We may turn that desire to destroy into a desire to rebuild."


    Other Hod hissed, "You''re cowards."


    I frowned at Other Hod, "No, they''re not."


    Other Hod winced, "He spoke of vengeance, but she forgoes it for peace. Is that not cowardice?"


    I lifted a palm, "It can be courageous to not fight sometimes."


    Other Hod tilted back, "I...Huh."


    Torix coughed into a hand, "If I may, I''d like to offer some of my thoughts."


    Ready for a calculated perspective, I let my hands down, "Alright, let''s hear it."


    Torix raised a finger, "I''ve decided upon creating a list of the pros and cons of either endeavor, and they are as follows: we''re choosing between Schema''s favor along with Elysium''s ire versus Schema''s ire with Elysium''s neutrality. I''m of the opinion that Schema''s favor means little and that we''ve been used by that omnipresent AI from the start."


    I crossed my arms, "Why, exactly?"


    "It''s simple. He''s never offered reinforcements, bonus quests, or even extra experience beyond what he''s offered to other guilds. Considering our central position in this conflict, I believe that is unacceptable. We deserve more for taking on these risks."


    I pointed above me at my title, "I got over five thousand extra levels added to my level cap. That''s pretty crazy."


    "Indeed. However, I researched your bonuses, and they were, in fact, less than those offered to other select individuals during different times of conflict. As an example, there are reports of war with Etorhma''s followers centuries ago. During that time, many individuals were given 15,000+ levels to their level cap along with class sub-titles and the like. Comparatively, you''ve accomplished far more yet received far less."


    That was strange. Schema played hardball with us for some reason. I sighed, "Huh...Well, that sucks."


    Torix swung a hand, "And I have a penchant to agree. Now, there are other reasons to agree to a truce. Elysium''s raids will be defensible while our territories are small as they are. However, in the future, they will be able to destroy vast swaths of our conquered land. I also believe they won''t attack us after an agreement. After all, they''ve stopped Lehesion from going into orbit and simply scorching this land entirely. Of all people, Daniel, you must understand this having fought him."


    I shook my head, "Yeah, he can''t beat us in person, but that doesn''t mean he can''t beat everything around us."


    Krog''s anger waned while he stood with less pride, "I...I hadn''t noticed."


    Torix placed a hand on the gialgathen''s wing, "And that is due to Daniel''s dominance in direct combat. Unfortunately, they know where we are, but we don''t know where their lairs lie. This puts us at a distinct disadvantage."


    Torix shrugged, "We''ll be extremely limited in our guild''s growth from now until a ceasefire of some sort is arranged. Given how little building we''ve managed, our guild is more than due for a rapid expansion, both here and upon Earth." Torix met my eye, "That is my final point; we can help your native species. I know you''re not human any longer, but surely there''s a lingering attachment, hm?"


    I tapped a knuckle on my forehead, "Yeah...It is."


    Torix spread his arms to the others, "As for the cons of forgoing battle, they are obvious. Elysium has enacted great evil against the gialgathens, the eldritch, and likely others as well. We have done great moral good in fighting them and preserving a culture and species. Of that, we can take pride in where we stand."


    Torix steepled his hands, "But does pride put food upon our tables or build roofs over our heads? No. It only gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you happen to think about it. In that regard, I believe we''ve done more than enough to satisfy any moral obligation we might''ve had. Personally, I believe we should move on from this conflict and progress our own agendas instead of the agendas of other factions."


    Torix''s eyes flared bright, "And that is why I say we accept the treaty as is."


    I crossed my arms, "Does everyone agree?"


    The battered, bruised, and bloody battalion nodded at me. I bit my lip before taking a sharp breath, "Alright, but let''s think about Elysium for a minute. We''ve actually been able to take the brunt of their assaults and withstand them. Even if we can''t see it, their forces had to have come from somewhere else."


    Torix rolled his flaming eyes, "Obviously."


    I gave him a fake smile, "Thanks. Anyways, hear me out - I think they were supposed to be attacking someone else, but they siphoned those troops here instead."


    Torix tilted his head, "Daniel, I think very much of you, but you''re stating the obvious. Where else would the troops have arrived from?"


    I raised a hand to the mage, "Yes, but let''s take a step back from that fact. If they''re offering a treaty, it''s because they need those siphoned troops desperately. Having Lehesion''s time taken up like this must be crippling as well, and having their forces get slaughtered without gaining ground, they might not be able to afford to do that."


    I spread out my hands, "Based on offering us a treaty mid-combat, I''d say they definitely can''t, actually."


    Torix nodded, "That is a point of contention. Elysium may stand to gain more than we realize from this."


    I gestured to my guildsmen, "So we''re actually in a point of power here. Let''s not forget that."


    Chrona sighed, "And here I believed we''d gained peace. Instead, we wish for gold and riches at the expense of our enemies. Do you not believe that will breed resentment?"


    One of the supergolems deadpanned, "According to my history, our creator destroyed millions of their people. I am of the opinion that resentment is a non-factor, as it should be assumed to already be present."


    Chrona raised her eyebrows in disgust, "These creatures are sinister at times, are they not?"


    I pointed at the super golem, "Sinister or not, I agree. I don''t care if Elysium likes us less because I know they hate me already. Knowing that, what can we gain from allying with them besides not being attacked? I say, let''s gouge a little."


    Torix spread his arms, "If we must, then I have a few suggestions."


    "Let''s have it."


    "Elysium has access to many forbidden technologies. I''ve recently gained access to many of these magics, as have you. Despite that newfound access point, we''ve no resource to learn about these magics. Perhaps an exchange of information could be arranged?"


    Torix leaned to me, "And also, though you''re tutoring sessions for the cipher have been appreciated, hm, how should I put this...Your teaching style simply doesn''t mesh with how I learn."


    I read between the lines of what Torix said,


    "So, I suck at teaching?"


    "To put it succinctly, yes. Yes you do."


    I shrugged, "Well, that''s a good point. Does anyone else have something to add that we can ask for? Personally, I don''t want Hybrids or the tech for them."


    Krog whipped his tail behind himself, "They are abominations, and they mar an otherwise beautiful world here."


    Helios spoke up, "I would wish that the Empire''s planets would remain un-sieged. The Empire would pay much for the ceasefire if you could include that in this treatise of yours."


    My mind raced. The Empire''s tactics bothered me, almost to the point that I regretted helping them. Sure, Obolis and the Empire treated us reasonably well, but I didn''t want to help them take back worlds that didn''t want to be ruled in the first place. Based on Helios''s mentioning of indentured servitude, well, it was safe to say Obolis used questionable means of controlling their populaces.


    But, Helios put himself on the line earlier. Florence spoke well of us. Obolis also seemed like he genuinely wanted to treat us fairly too. Even Caprika helped put me out there on Giess. Those reasons spurred me on as I tilted my head to Helios,


    "Do you think Obolis would be willing to compromise a ceasefire with Elysium to squeeze us into the arrangement?"


    Helios scoffed, "You would be surprised at the lengths Obolis would go for your guild. He has told me that he sees you as a brother in many respects."


    Eh, that sounded like a stretch to me, and Helios''s ulterior motives spilled out like liquid silver - evident as could be. I stared the albony down, his dark mask sheening with a glossy stain. Exerting more pressure, I wielded Event Horizon as a weapon over his mind, but I didn''t actually drain him. I wielded the aura''s mental stress alone while I spoke like iron,


    "You''re not lying to me, are you?"


    Helios''s knees buckled for a second, but he kept himself composed, "I...perhaps I exaggerated the lengths to which he would go. Obolis would attempt to help, yes, but he would not jeopardize the arrangement for your gain."


    I pulled back Event Horizon, "I''ll do the same for him then, and sorry about that. I can''t afford subtlety right now." Turning back to Lehesion, I spread out my hands. Torix''s silencing aura ceased while I said,


    "We can arrange a deal, I think."


    Tohtella spoke through Lehesion, "Speak your terms. We will heed them."


    "I want you to stop attacking my city or any other world I''m settling on."


    "Done. What else do you require?"


    "I''d like you to give us books and files on forbidden technologies and magic, like antimatter, arcane, and dimensional magic, and, hm."


    I opened my status, looking at what my Sovereign-class unlocked, "Anything you have on genetic engineering, the eldritch, AI tech, and warping. Oh, and the cipher, of course."


    Those ancient symbols sheened over my armored skin, "But you probably figured that already."


    Lehesion smiled, "We can arrange that information transfer right now if needed. What else would be required?"


    I was surprised they were willing to do even more than this. I cupped my chin, "Huh, well, how about giving me info on Eonoth, Etorhma, Baldowah, planets in this galactic area, solar systems, fringe worlds, terraformable locations, terraforming techniques, fringe clearing techniques, schema, cloning, runes, smithing, all kinds of magic, governance, your reform plans, how you plan to enact said reform plans, necromancy, the Ruhl''s, remnants, primordial mana, entropy mana-"


    Lehesion curled his neck out of frustration, "We see that an open-ended arrangement with you is perhaps asking too much. We''ll send that information, but nothing else."


    I pointed my thumb back at Helios, "And yeah, stop attacking the Empire."


    "We will not do that."


    "Why?"


    "Their planets are poorly defended, they wish to no longer be under the Empire''s rule, and they show resounding support for our invasions. To my point, this is one of the most difficult of their planets to take, and you''re not the reason for that if you can believe it."


    Ouch. I bet Obolis wished he''d paid a bit more attention to how he set up shop now. I waved a hand, "Ok, then stop attacking their worlds that don''t want to rebel."


    "That would weaken our offenses. No."


    "Yes."


    "No."


    "Yes."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed, "We said no."


    I shrugged, "Then no deal. I hope you guys are ready for me when I learn my sovereign skill, cap out my level, get warping down, master mind magic, manufacture hundreds of thousands of golems, learn dim-"


    Lehesion seethed, "Fine. We will do as you ask. No more than this can be permitted in this deal. Understood?"


    I grinned, "Of course, of course. We won''t attack more of your settlements if you do all that for us."


    Lehesion took a deep breath, "Then we will do as you ask. Representatives will warp over towards your city via a portal. We ask you don''t blow them up when that occurs using your death magic."


    I gave the Lehesion puppet a thumbs-up, "Oh yeah, most definitely."


    Lehesion turned towards a warp that opened with a golden sheen. He headed towards unseen horizons and uncrossed borders before Tohtella smiled at me through Lehesion,


    "Though you negotiate fiercely, you did negotiate with us. We thank you. I hope that our future relations prosper."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Yeah. Sure."


    Lehesion walked onto a world of desserts, reminding me of Gypsum. Before closing the warp, Tohtella stated, "And lastly, a word of warning - Schema will not appreciate this deal. Expect recourse."


    I peered at my guild, "We''ll be ready."


    Lehesion''s portal closed, "As will we. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    They stepped out into a starry abyss, gone for the moment. I turned to the people here, and we stared at each other for a bit. That silence lingered for a while before I spread out my hands, "We''re done, guys. The war''s over."


    Chrona roared, "To victory, our new home, and the end of this never-ending battle."


    As she let out a plume of icy fire, Krog and the other gialgathens joined her. I lifted my hands and roared with them, my other guildsmen celebrating at that moment.


    We hadn''t killed or destroyed Elysium, but we sent a loud enough message that they didn''t want to keep fighting us. For a guild of our size, it was an enormous victory. That triumph saturated everyone here, each of them knowing that the constant raids, the endless battles, and this galactic war was over for us. It gave me solace knowing we pulled through with only a few casualties, at least relative to the scale of destruction our battles wrought.


    At the same time, we gained access to many technologies, new territories, and I could finally help Earth. We even pulled some pressure off the Empire, and we''d still undermine Elysium in other, less direct ways. It wasn''t like I had to call off my mission of killing Plazia-Ruhl. By the time I finished that and a few other objectives, I''d of amassed a much firmer foundation for my guild and myself. Either way, it was a good day.


    No, a great day.


    After the initial celebrations ended, I lowered the enormous, floating island back towards Blegara''s surface. It landed in a flat plop compared to its thundering rise, and I preferred it that way. Collapsing the structure into a tall mound of stone, it remained as an isolated island amidst the ocean''s waves. To me, it was a monument to the battle and a reminder of our victory.


    Yet it loomed over a devastated Saphigia.


    I walked closer to Althea while we made our way home through that desolation. I watched Althea be taken by the super golem guard I gave her. The colossus stood several feet taller than she did and many times her weight, yet it held her like a fragment of glass, both sharp and fragile. That reflected who she was, beautiful but deadly.


    Kessiah would help Althea at the hospital, and I let the super golem take her away after holding her hand for a moment. She''d be fine, but she and Kessiah needed to work out the kinks of the blood stimulant. Being knocked out like that wasn''t exactly optimal. Still, they should be proud of its results.


    Those weren''t the only results we should be proud of. Congregating at Torix''s lair, we walked into the city before holding an impromptu council. Krog, Chrona, Amara, Hod, Florence, Helios, and Torix stayed here with me while we took a moment to relax. Not long after, a warp popped open over our blue core''s barrier.


    I kept several singularities of mana charged in my blood as a shuttle siphoned out. Viewing it from the glass, I peered at the lavender and fuchsia shades, unlike the grim grays and forest greens of their dreadnoughts. Along it, gold and platinum trimmed the paneling, and an excess of windows gave plentiful viewing of its surroundings.


    From those windows, stockpiles of ancient texts, tablets, and cipheric etchings piled up high. Sorting the cluttered mess, remnants went about stacking the assortment of rare treasures. Torix nudged me as we watched them from outside his lair,


    "It would seem they''ve made good on our offer."


    Rubbing my hands together, I grinned,


    "It does, doesn''t it?"

 302 Prosperity

    Elysium''s vessel landed, its weight leaving a thud even under the ocean. Lifting a hand to the ship, I pulled water from the vessel by generating air and ascending the liquid with gravity. The remnants inside paled as I raised my arm, but they sighed with relief when I made entry easier for them. Moments later, a message from them popped up in my status.


    A vessel is asking for permission to enter your city''s perimeter. License granted: Y/N?


    I selected yes, and a panel slid sideways along the vessel''s bottom as they passed into our city limits. Emissaries from Elysium paced out on a fancy space platform that hovered down from the ship''s opening. They wore lavender robes with runes glowing under their surface. No matter the enchantments, they exposed themselves to us, any of them death fodder for our guild.


    Walking up, I wasn''t the only one aware of that fact. Fear laced in the remnants'' eyes, each of them having a pinkish purple skin tone with white hair. They gawked at me like I was a demon, a horrific monster made of teeth and claws. Wanting to break the ice, I pointed at the goods shown along the underside of their vessel,


    "Do you guys need help moving anything?"


    They peered between me and the gear before bowing. One of them spoke with a voice like silk, "We will move it. There''s no need to stress yourself or your guild members after such a harrowing battle."


    I scoffed, "Thanks for the consideration, but I''ll be just fine." I moved my arm in a circle while grabbing a shoulder, "Plus, I''ve got the strength for it."


    I lifted a hand, saturating their gear with antigravity wells. A bit of resistance stopped my magic initially, but I forced through it in a burst. Once cast, the sorcery floated their gear from the ground with a gentle rise. A feather''s weight on the heavy boxes would keep them from floating off. I waved a hand over their vessel, casting the same mana saturating spell over their ship, finding the same blip of resistance at first.


    Either way, the ship stayed grounded from the crew members inside, but the vessel would be weightless for a few weeks. I gave them a thumbs-up, "There you guys go. That should make this take only a few minutes, tops."


    Beads of sweat oozed from the remnants'' foreheads as their hearts pounded in their chests. I frowned, "Uh, are you guys ok?"


    The talkative remnant spoke up, "I, uhm, yes. We are, of course. We are more than ok. Thank you so much for doing this. We-we appreciate the help."


    I raised my brow, "Alrighty then...I don''t know if I believe you. Both of you look sick."


    The nontalkative one glared at me for a minute, his expression unreadable. Impressed by his grit, I raised a hand to the guy, "My name''s Daniel. What''s yours?"


    The glaring remnant bent over and puked out his guts. I scratched the back of my head, "Huh...yeah, you''re sick. Let me take you back to your shi-"


    The speaking remnant raised palm as if he were attacked, "No. No. That won''t be at all necessary." The remnant emissary glared at his compatriot, "He will walk back himself."


    The unspeaking remnant hobbled away while trying to cup his own throw-up. He hacked up his lunch one more time before going back to the vessel, unable to meet my gaze. I blinked at him, "That guy had a nasty breakfast, I''m guessing. Either that, or it was me."


    The other remnant''s eyes widened in abject terror as I finished speaking. His hands locked up as I looked down at him. He murmured, "No...We''re fine. Completely fine."


    He might as well have been the Niagra Falls of sweating at this point. Drips formed on his face in realtime, both comical and absurd. I waved my hands, "Look, there''s been a misunderstanding here. I have no intention of killing you, your friends, or destroying your ship over there. Don''t plant any bugs here. Don''t try anything else either. Do that, and you won''t have to worry about any consequences for meeting me. Now, what''s your name? Mine''s Daniel, like I said earlier."


    "It''s Phalanthorixiatocosadoreauy."


    "Damn, that''s a mouthful. What about Phalanth?"


    "Anything. You can call me anything."


    I gave his shoulder a light pat, "It''s good to meet you, Phalanth." I gestured to the ship, "What did you guys bring me?"


    Phalanth scrambled with his status, the red screen popping up. He coughed into a hand, "Ahem, we have everything you asked for, though we took liberties with what information was, erm, given."


    I frowned, "What does that mean?"


    "We...we didn''t grant high-level access to certain topics, such as our cloning operations or how we plan to enact reforms on Schema''s system."


    "But you have the general ideas in there, right?"


    "Oh, most certainly. There isn''t any locational data regarding where Elysium''s planets are located or the like, however."


    "Well yeah, I didn''t want it. Schema can tell me that if I need it. I just want to know what you guys planned on for improving Schema''s system. I''ve seen a few of your worlds already, and you guys have some good ideas."


    I stared in disgust at the decaying corpse of a Hybrid in the distance, "Just your methods...They make me sick."


    Phalanth gazed up at me, "I, I thought you were a conquerer, some bloodthirsty monster based on the footage and reports. You''re more measured than anticipated, I must say. I''m...astonished. I thought you would despise us."


    "What? You, individually, no. Not really. You didn''t do anything to me or my guild. It''s your military I don''t like and how it''s managed. Your domestic practices seem much more in line with my own way of doing things, outside of the Hybrids and genocide, of course."


    Torix paced up, his hands interlocked behind himself. Even our ancient necromancer, who I stood over, dwarfed the emissaries. I never noticed how big we all were, but now it seemed outright strange. Torix peered down at the emissary, "I''ll trust there will be no enchantments on the information, nor viral data either?"


    Phalanth went right back to trembling, "N-no. Never."


    Torix leaned over, an inch or two from Phalanth''s face, "We will make you pay if we happen upon them. Perhaps your corpse will dance in a pool of maggots, or I''ll make trap your soul in a dying body, over and over. My point being, I''ll come up with something that will be quite uncomfortable should you attempt to trick us. Am I clear?"


    "Y-yes."


    Phalanth seized up as Torix walked past him. Poor guy. More Remnants showed up beyond the diplomats. Two armored ones strode past me with Sentinel-like paneling, their dimensional slicers not as violent as Schema''s own spears. It still impressed me that their guards had them at all. Those same bouncers gawked at me while they carried equipment from their vessel.


    Their hands trembled as well, both of them anxious as a panic attack. It was probably a strange sensation being beside a mortal enemy so soon. I''d killed many of the Elysian forces, and even the Hybrids exceeded these guards in net power. They were the fodder for the fodder, but that didn''t mean I would just murder them in cold blood.


    I mean, if someone walks through a person''s kitchen, most people aren''t worried the owner will rummage through a drawer and draw a knife at their throat. To me, being afraid of me now was akin to that. It mounted unnecessary stress on both of them, along with the six other guards behind them. They might''ve seen me in action, though, so maybe that analogy didn''t hold up.


    Either way, I figured we needed people sifting through the incoming stream of new stuff. Sending messages, I collected John McSmitty and several other guildsmen who practiced spyware and the like. They rushed on over, getting ready for some work while I took a portion of untampered land nearby for my own purposes.


    Using a spot of sandy stone, I melted the grains into glass while crafting them overhead. Getting the paneling right, I made a sphere of glass for the talks with Elysium, and as I did, my guild chatted away about Blegara and our future plans. It was inspiring stuff, giving me plenty to do in the future. To my surprise, the most excited one of them was Amara.


    She arrived earlier, and she already donned the armor I made for her, having grasped intuitively how to wear it. Finishing a curt discussion with Other Hod, Amara walked up to me in metal. The interlocking panels slid without friction, having gravitational augments for them. She stayed light on her feet. Feeling the light rumble beneath her steps, she actually became lighter than before she wore the armor. Perfect.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She even used the wires already, spreading her hair out with a gleeful abandon. With those strands, she menaced those around her like a child just gaining a new toy. Krog glared at her when several of her hairs grazed his wing, and Torix struggled not to pluck the hairs out when she did the same to him.


    Amara''s fragile image also faded in the dark metal. She lacked eyes, her jawed helm ominous and threatening. It radiated strength, density, and power in a way she''d never had. Amara relished that feeling, standing up taller and straighter compared to her regular clothes. They were just dirty-looking rags by comparison, but it was amazing what a wardrobe change could do for someone.


    Those observations washed over me in a moment as she peered at me through a camera without needing to lift her hands,


    "Hello, Harbinger. I wish to thank you for granting me your flesh and blood to wear. No eldritch would do the same. It is beyond us."


    Oh man, she reacted to the gift oddly like I worried she would. I turned to her, putting my hands up, "It''s just payback for helping us get the eldritch here under control. I did the same thing for everyone else in my guild, pretty much."


    I lifted a hand and etched with a heated telekinetic point, trying to get the damn glass I worked on to look right, "Anyways, what''s up?"


    "I would like a few adjustments to the armor you have made me."


    "Already?"


    "Yes."


    "Shit. What do you need?"


    "The cameras will shatter well before the armor or the runes on it."


    "I figured, but I thought you''d just fight like normal then."


    Her hair reached out with the wires I gave her, cutting through the rock beneath us. She stared at a slice in the stone,


    "That is right, but I wish to wear this armor even after the cameras shatter. This metal skin needs panels for my eyes on the palms should the electronics fail." She raised her hands, showing them from all angles,


    "That, or you could perhaps use scrying instead of cameras. That may work better as you are talented in runic magic. If you did so, no new armors would require a helmet or opening for eating."


    She poked where her eyes should''ve been, "Then no one may gouge the eyes and drink deeply from our skulls. With a tongue of some sort...Perhaps an elongated claw."


    I nodded, "That''s a great idea...But yeah, why didn''t I think of that?"


    Amara hissed, "An idea is like a delicious meal. It is delectable, but when another tries it, they may easily think of how it could be better. The server of the meal takes pride in it, and that pride blinds them. The eater is without pride, giving them clarity of thought."


    She tapped the glass I made, "Others build on ideas like this, seeing the imperfections with ease. This is why many are more mighty than one."


    "Huh. Cool. I know I got a lot better at pretty much everything by listening to other people. Well, besides punching people, but that came naturally to me."


    Amara wriggled for a second before giving me a deep bow, "I wish for you to know that these imperfections in your design have left me no less satiated. I will treasure the blood and skin you have given me. It will be my most prized possession."


    Oh no, there it was again - the odd reverence. I peered at Amara from my work, "Uh, sure thing. Keep on helping the guild, and there''s plenty more where that came from."


    She cupped her hands together while backing away, "For your flesh and blood, I will work tirelessly. I leave to do so now."


    Amara went to a pile of tech lying under the glass overlay I made. She left me hectic, wondering if anything else I made had holes in it too. Taking a deep breath, I took her input with a grain of salt. Aside from that, Amara enjoyed the armor I made a little too much. To be fair, she gained a lot of agency and control of her life recently, no small part because of that plate mail.


    That kind of change could leave someone acting weird for a bit. The reverence would probably fade with a bit of time, and I took comfort in those thoughts. It also helped that Torix directed the remnant workers, leaving me with nothing else to worry about. The lich ensured they organized themselves well.


    Thinking on it, Torix was essentially made of my blood and skin too. Amara was right about what she said; it was blood armor. No matter the origin, the suit gave Amara some genuine confidence, and her appreciation gave me a sense of pride. Heeding her story, I mentally stomped that out. Even after I did, a lightness kept a small smile on my face. I finished the glass building''s steel supports, enjoying the downtime. When finished, the remnants piled up an enormous stock of goods under the glass. They actually carried most of the cargo in a few trips since I asked mostly for information. That reflected in the items given, though plenty of physical equipment made its way here.


    The first items lined up were kiosks that detailed different kinds of information. These touchscreen panels acted as upgraded versions of the terminals they used in their secret bases on Giess. Like those terminals, the touch screens offered a wealth of knowledge but on alternate subjects like distant planets, Old Ones, and Elysium''s general practices.


    Several of our engineers inspected the info-laden kiosks, ensuring they weren''t wired or hacked somehow. They kept away from the actual info since it could exile them. As they authorized the goods, I kept peering at other items.


    Several chilled tubes lined up in refrigerated, mana-powered cells. Within them, blood from different remnants, eldritch viruses, monstrous bacteria, and undead samples all sat in stasis. Torix eyed these pieces with a particular hunger, the lich ready to dissect and disseminate the knowledge within. Beyond the specimens, cloning tubes and stasis pods made their way under my glass covering.


    These vats contained interfaces along with a variety of discs, likely software showcases. A few of the tubes even held the embryos of different creatures, the tanks ripped right out of a lab minutes ago. Following those vats, book after book on magic piled up until I could fill up a library. They held every shade of color, and they came from every age, state-of-the-art to venerable.


    Those tomes made several guildsmen nearby salivate at the prospect of learning their contents. In some of the piles of parchment, I even caught glimpses of the cipher. At that, my own curiosity peaked with the best of them. However, as the haul''s mass rose, Elysium didn''t stop bringing merchandise.


    They gave us a variety of unusable but no less fascinating armor and weapons. These plate mails, shields, and blades reflected with a polished sheen, cipheric markings oozing power along their surfaces. Until I understood the engraving''s intent, we weren''t equipping anything, not that we could; the armor wasn''t made for bipedals, to begin with.


    Mixed in with those armors, familiar arrangements of the cipher stuck out. Some nearly mirrored the elemental furnace engrained in my chest, but there was no way Elysium just gave us elemental furnaces. Leaning over them, I contained my surprise when I found several in a pile. I stared down at the single one pocketed in the armor of my chest. Maybe they weren''t as rare as I thought, and despite that, Obolis only gave us one.


    Huh...That was bad.


    That thought fell to the back of my mind as I stared at other treasures. I almost felt like I''d accepted a bribe, but you know how it is. We needed to know what was in these containers, so I perused closer, taking on the absolutely essential duty. I found obelisks of all different kinds. They rested along translucent shelving designed for them. The stylish lineup included a few golden obelisks like what the Emperor gave Torix, but other types dotted the mix.


    Obsidian obelisks glowed with red details, portentous and evil-looking. Other ruby obelisks opened red statuses instead of blue ones. Legal or not, they gave them to us. Several of these electronic interfaces wiggled in a jelly matrix, having all of their contents suspended within the clear gelatin. Amidst those jellies, a few showed eyes and cute features along with cooing noises to match.


    One of them snuggled up to my finger, being downright adorable. Dawww.


    Outside of those ones, most of these obelisks had to be illegal. In fact, a lot of this stuff could be forbidden to us. I spotted different metal drives with the words ''portaling skills'' over them. Next to those metal monstrosities, a series of discs held skill names under them. They were compendiums, a few of them even carrying mythical tier skills based on their gray coloring.


    One caught my eye, in particular.


    Primordial Mana - The Magic of Shaping


    At this point, I narrowed my eyes as a worm of suspicion formed in my chest. Elysium vastly exceeded any payload we''d ever received from Schema. So much so, I peered at the goods with apprehension. I picked up a compendium, staring at it from all angles. Like, there had to be a bomb stuffed in here, maybe some destructive spirits or something. I couldn''t see them giving me this many furnishings otherwise.


    It would take weeks to sort this stuff out and get it to the right people, let alone actually derive the useful intelligence stored within. And the piles kept coming while my guild experienced the same rush of bewilderment as I did. Joining the crowd, Kessiah paced up with Althea, both of them talking about the battle.


    I sighed in relief, watching Althea step with her usual grace. Kessiah already read a guild-wide message Torix sent, so she paced up while propping her weight on one hip, "What''s up, big guy?"


    "Eh, nothing much. I''m trying to figure out all the stuff we got."


    Kessiah squinted at the tubes of blood, "Wait...What are those?"


    I waved at them while staring at the compendium, "Go find out. I have no idea."


    She shuffled past items before inspecting several of the chilled cisterns. The tanks were from remnants, and I''m sure Kessiah doted on them, wanting to know more about herself and her heritage. On the other hand, Torix oozed over everything present as if he wished his mind was a hungry beast that could devour all before him in an instant. He darted back and forth from oddity to oddity, his curiosity overwhelming him.


    Althea''s curiosity got the better of her as well. She skimmed through cleared kiosks, finding data logs on Old Ones. Considering her experiences with Etorhma, her interest made a lot of sense. She might cure her transformations one day, gain better control, or just learn something she didn''t know about herself. Hell, there could be some info on my whole being-a-dimension-thing. We couldn''t say until we searched.


    Either way, my guild poured over the cleared cargo with abandon while others checked the incoming merchandise for enchantments, spyware, and conduits. These members fused into a growing group of my guild''s elite, each staying diligent in ensuring an item''s validity and safety. In that ruckus, a pair of thudding footsteps sounded in the distance.


    They walked up to me, carrying no hesitation or fear in them. It made me glance up, finding Spear trotting up to me with his dimensional slicers lining his back. He glared at the stock for a moment before shaking his helmed head. Spear turned and pressed a speartip to my chest,


    "What is this? What have you done?"


    I set the compendium back in its rack, "We agreed to a ceasefire."


    Spear pushed the slicer against me,


    "No, you betrayed us."

 303 Where They Stand

    His dimensional slicer revved into action, cackling in the air like a tortured banshee. I lifted a hand, and his arm caught in a gravity well. A crack ebbed from underneath the armor, Spear''s bones breaking before I eased the depth of the gravity''s drag. A few of the soldiers from my legion stared on while I frowned at Spear,


    "Look, that''s a bad idea. Don''t turn this talk into a conflict."


    Spear turned to his arm, stunned at the magic''s might. He nodded, his boiling outrage turning to simmering anger. I waved a hand over to Kessiah, "Hey, can you help him out?"


    Kessiah sighed before hobbling over a few trunks of gear. She reached the Sentinel and chided, "Come on, we all know what happens when you fight the big guy. Don''t be a dumbass."


    Spear glared at our healer with seething anger bordering hatred, but I stared him down. He understood what would happen if he tried hurting Kessiah right now. Either way, our healer stayed unconcerned, pulling blood as usual. Kessiah''s composure under the Sentinel''s pressure impressed me, but Kessiah healed our wounded on battlefields littered with Hybrids. Given her position, courage was an inevitable outcome.


    So as her blood shifted through a needle prick in Spear''s arm, the Sentinel''s anger faded. His bones snapped back in place, with Kessiah bracing it in the right direction. Once recuperated, Spear settled down. In the meantime, Torix cast his silencing magic along with the fogging aura, making sure the merchandise was covered as well.


    Several of our normal guildsmen were included in that covering, but I didn''t mind. It wasn''t as if I would change what I was about to say, and most of my guildsmen would be happy to hear it either way. Thinking of all this, I turned a palm to Spear,


    "Now, you think I betrayed Schema. Why?"


    Spear sparked back into his anger, but it lacked its previous physical edge, "You''ve chosen to cease attacks on Schema''s greatest enemy after all he''s done for you. It''s unmitigated treason. You''ve defied him and his will. You''ve abandoned his cause."


    I raised a hand, "Now wait one minute, it isn''t like I joined Elysium all of a sudden. I''m just choosing to focus elsewhere, for now."


    Spear raised a fist, "And when you decide to stay your hand, you''re leaving many of our enemies alive. Those enemies will kill Schema''s soldiers. You are choosing to put those deaths on our hands."


    I shook my head, "No, I''m not. You can''t just throw responsibilities on me. That''s exactly what Elysium tried to do, and I shut them down just like I''m shutting this down right now."


    I pointed at Spear, "I''m not Schema''s personal bodyguard, and I sure as hell am not paid like it. Torix mentioned it before, but we''re not getting compensated like others have for past conflicts. That''s despite this being a much bigger war."


    Spear raised a hand, "If we speak of appropriate compensation, then let us delve into it fully. I''ve researched your history, Harbinger. You were a monster when you left BloodHollow, yet Schema let you live. According to the documentation, you were reinstated into the system despite a direct culling order. Schema allowed you to continue on, using his system to amass power."


    I winced at being called a monster, but I let Spear continue uninterrupted.


    "And Schema spared you despite you showing symptoms of mana devolution. You''d have degenerated into an absolute aberration if you never fully controlled your energies. It was even worse after your armor manifested ascendant mana, the worst kind for your case. Schema let you overcome that by giving you time and opportunities you never deserved."


    I crossed my arms, and I still let him speak his piece while keeping my mind measured.


    "Time and time again, you have accepted Schema''s benefits and perks. Without them, you''d have died against Yawm and many others. Schema kept you alive so that this day and at this time, you would return the favor. With his help, you evolved into this - a being worthy of fear and recognition."


    He pointed his finger at me, "It is time you repay that debt in full. Cancel this truce. Use this technology against our enemy."


    I raised a finger, ready to respond, but Kessiah spoke out before I could, "Pshh, you think Schema is why Daniel''s alive? Why any of us are alive?"


    Spear glared at her, "Yes. I know that is the truth."


    Other Hod scoffed, "Oh, is that the case with Amara and I as well, or are you simply neglecting to consider us?"


    Spear waved a hand, "You two are still volatile. Would either of you be so docile if not for Daniel''s rewards and posturing? I''m doubtful. There''s even footage of Amara devouring people on Gypsum. Such slip-ups are forgiven in times of war, but what about times of peace? What will the consequences be then?"


    Amara hissed, "I have learned that to be treated as more than a beast, I must act as more than a beast. I would not eat and kill unless it was necessary."


    Spear crossed his arms, "You lie. Other eldritch have said the same before peeling their listener''s skin off and wearing it. Like all of them, it is only a matter of time before your self-control snaps."


    Other Hod leaned forward, his umbral flames ushering forth, but I put a hand in front of him. Other Hod sighed, and he leaned up from his lunging position. Spear put two fingertips against the side of his helmet, "My point still stands. Schema is why you all were allowed to live, outside of these eldritch."


    Kessiah''s eyes turned sharp like daggers, "So when we were trapped on Earth with Yawm, was that Schema keeping us alive too? He was over ten thousand levels above us, with ancient runes all over his skin. We didn''t stand a chance in hell of beating him." Kessiah pointed a thumb at Torix and me,


    "You see those two? Without them, we''d all be dead. They pulled us through with sheer dumb luck and a lot of spilled blood. I sure as hell didn''t help either. Now tell me, where does that fit into your whole, ''Schema saved us,'' propaganda?"


    Torix coughed into a hand behind us, "It is also worthy of mentioning that we weren''t allowed to leave, even illegally. That''s a rather unusual circumstance, even for a quarantine. I was caught quite off guard by it."


    Kessiah nodded, "Exactly. We were all unknowns until Giess, too, so we weren''t protected by Schema the whole time. We could''ve been killed at any moment, and Althea nearly was. She still has nightmares about being blown up by a plasma grenade."


    I let out a sharp breath of anger as Althea murmured, "Kessiah, you don''t have to bring that up."


    I was angry for two reasons. One, I was mad at myself because Althea shouldn''t feel the need to hide that. Second, I hated that dead assassin. Either way, I hoped our hot-headed healer would continue. I wasn''t disappointed. A vein pressed up on Kessiah''s neck while her voice rose,


    "This asshole needs to hear all of this. I spent my entire life running until I came here. Now, I can finally live somewhere where I''m not hunted down like a dog with a gold collar wrapped around my neck. That''s thanks to him."


    She pointed at me, and a light smile traced my lips, "Thanks."


    Kessiah stared at me, blushing a bit, "Look, this is more about me wanting to set the record straight, ok? I hate it when people talk bullshit."


    Spear turned to all of us, "There were no misdeeds done on Schema''s part. You were forced to grow and prosper."


    Torix tilted his head, "Then think of this as an opportunity to allow Schema to grow and prosper. We wish to treat our allies well, and this is an opportunity for Schema to learn the same strategies from us."


    Spear raised a hand, "The difference is that Schema gave you all the power and means to overcome your obstacles. This deal you''ve made only weakens Schema, which he never did to any of you."


    Amara hissed, "Daniel was exiled while fighting Yawm. I granted him access back into the system until after Daniel defeated the big, annoying plant. He''d of otherwise perished."


    Spear took a step back, not knowing that fact. Oh yeah, Schema''s extensive files seemed to have omitted a few key details. Regardless, Spear kept on talking,


    "I''m certain Schema simply did what he had to do in those circumstances. And even then, you all succeeded. You''ve been granted an agency that few have ever received. This-" He gestured to the cargo with disgust, "Is how you repay him? By accepting a bribe from his enemy? Or worse, you relinquish yourself to extorsion."


    I kept calm, pointing at all of it, "This isn''t a bribe or extortion. Elysium wanted us to stop attacking them, so we agreed as long as they gave us supplies in turn. It''s a deal, and I still intend on helping Schema on the sidelines. I''ll be killing Plazia-Ruhl and getting the ahcorous on the Empire''s side. That''s still plenty of helping; it''s just not all-out bloodshed."


    Spear seethed, "You may justify it as you like, but accepting this is proof of your cowardice. You''re unwilling to take on the price of repayment."


    I crossed my arms, "Coward, huh? You didn''t join us in the fight against Lehesion. Where were you?"


    "I...I was training the golems."


    His heart thumped his chest as his blood pressure rose. He lied. I shook my head in disgust, "I know one of your comrades died in battle, but that''s no excuse to avoid the fight. You could apply your words to yourself more than me."


    Spear''s nerves mounted as he pointed at me, "If I am a coward, then let me be judged as such. That changes nothing of what you''ve done."


    "Here''s the difference - I fought long and hard before I gave in. You never even entered the fray. Who are you to judge me? No one."


    Spear stared at his hands, "I am not judging you. I am exposing what you are. These tasks, killing Plazia and expanding your guild, are well below your potential. You could do so much more if you so chose."


    I scoffed, "And so could you. Obviously."


    Spear squeezed a fist until his hand shook, "No...I could not. That is what frustrates me when I look at you. You''ve been given a gift, a might that is monstrous. By choosing to serve yourself, you''ve become beholden to a selfish ideal. You devolve from a paragon of Schema to a creature of convenience. There is shame in that. There is a loss of potential, and the galaxy is worse off for it."


    I threw my hand up, "Everyone could serve the galaxy better, even Schema. Serving the galaxy doesn''t warm our beds or feed the hungry. To survive, we all have our own priorities. Personally, I want to be able to help out those close to me without being shoved into an endless war. A war, mind you, that I''m tired of. I don''t want to battle for eternity. I''m ready to sit back for a while, build myself and my guild up."


    Spear pointed at me, "It will be difficult to build your guild up without Schema''s assistance. You and those that follow you could be exiled for this. You all should be, given this ensemble of eldritch, half breeds, and monsters you call your elite."


    Krog growled, "Yes, and each of us could trounce you in combat without your petty little spears. Fight me with your own fangs and claws, and we shall see how strong you really are." Krog turned to Chrona and sputtered, "If the coward would even show up to a bout."


    They laughed before Spear put an outstretched hand on his chest, "Don''t think I don''t know where I stand. I know of my limits. I have lived out those limits for centuries, and they haunt me. Your kind is the opposite of mine. You live in lavish potential, coasting off talent. I fought for decades before being given my Sentinel class. Now I must watch a guild lower themselves to selfish desire despite their ability to do great good for this world and many others."


    From that, I learned a lot about Spear. He wasn''t a remnant from a pre-Schema era. He was a newer remnant that joined the Sentinel''s ranks after a significant achievement. I noted that as Krog rumbled,


    "So we must sacrifice ourselves to live for this AI? An AI who gave my kind nothing but air and death. Our entire species was culled because your Schema refused to handle its own dissenters."


    Spear stated, "Apathy. Laziness. Disappointment. The gialgathens are all this and more. Your kind sowed their own deaths with your inaction."


    Krog and Chrona''s eyes both widened before Krog rumbled like a storm, "You speak further, and I will kill you."


    Spear scoffed, "Perhaps we should fight in one of your sunspots where your kind spends hours napping during the day? Or maybe you''ll have an espen servant show up in your place?"


    Krog stepped forward, and I let him vent his anger. Spear pushed him too hard, and he''d pay the price. Spear revved his slicer while simmering, "Fighting me won''t bring back your kin. They are tools for an enemy you''re choosing to no longer fight. They are tools you''re deciding you won''t save because you wish to ''rebuild.'' Pathetic."


    Krog peered away, his breaths turning short and sharp. Those words cut deep like a glass piercing a hand. Kessiah walked over and put a hand on Krog''s wing. At her touch, Krog calmed down some. I turned to Spear, "I wouldn''t have expected you to talk like that Spear. I''m disappointed you''d demand the gialgathens, a species that''s experienced so much pain, fight in this war for you."


    Spear took a breath, managing his emotions before raising a hand, "I may have spoken sharper words than I intended. You''re right. The gialgathens should be allowed to rebuild, but you are different, Harbinger. That is why Schema and I are asking more from you. You were given many gifts, perks, and a class, but even more importantly, you were given a purpose."


    He raised his hands, squeezing his fingertips together, "You can fight to improve our galaxy, to prevent further tragedies like those that befell the gialgathens. In doing so, you enact an absolute, moral good. There is immense pride that may be taken in that. I am an example."


    Spear stood tall, "Many look down on the Sentinels and Overseers like we are Schema''s dogs, but we know what we''ve done. We''ve helped usher in an era of prosperity despite the overwhelming threat of the eldritch. We had the decision to sacrifice our individual wants for something more, something greater."


    He banged his chest, "We were not unwilling tools. We decided to become a part of something grander than ourselves. You''re taking the opposite path. By choosing to serve yourself instead of others, you do a great disservice to your guild and its potential."


    At this point, it felt like I was talking to a wall. I talked anyway,


    "But I have to choose between helping Schema or my guild. That includes the gialgathens. That''s why I fought Elysium to begin with. It was to save those guys. And even then, you''re not thinking of what we have to give up to continue serving Schema like this. I can''t establish my guild. I''m stuck between constant raids and the looming threat of mass murder from Lehesion."


    I waved a hand in frustration, "We haven''t even been given a quest or the like to offset the losses we get from fighting like this. No protection from any classers either."


    Spear''s hands lowered, "What? There''s been no quest granted?"


    "No, there hasn''t been."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Spear peered at Amara, "She tampers with the system. It''s not beyond expectations that Elysium has done the same. According to the files I''ve read, Tohtella gave you a quest when she was a Speaker. She also planted spyware in your system data. She may have also done more than that."


    I narrowed my brow, "You''re telling me she had time to mess with something that integral to Schema''s system in seconds? Yeah, unlikely."


    "But it is the only explanation for no quest."


    "Ok, then is there any way for me to get checked out by an Overseer or something?"


    Spear shook his head, "No. We don''t wish for the transference of viral programs from normal classers to Schema''s elite. You''ll need to remedy the situation yourself."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, that''s about what I expected out of Schema at this point."


    Spear sighed, "Your grievances aren''t entirely unwarranted, but listen to me. Schema is managing a galactic war where they''ve employed tactics he would never imagine using. Schema is learning to combat their methods as we speak, but he needs more time. We can''t expect perfection from him. Like us, Schema is doing what it can for societal good. We must help him uphold the society he created."


    I tilted my head, "I don''t see that expectation being thrown at other guilds. The Empire and my legion are pretty much the only guilds I''ve seen fighting this war. In fact, the Empire only joined because they were attacked."


    Spear took a step back at that, "I...That is correct, mostly. But other guilds shouldn''t be expected to offer the same support, given how yours joined Schema''s system in the first place. You incurred more debt for yourself based on both your abilities and your induction. Your numerous illegal actions since then also garner further debts that you must repay."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Debts, huh? You know, I was thrust into a dungeon without a tutorial. I wasn''t shuttled into Schema''s system smoothly. Baldag-Ruhl summoned me there to use my soul as his armor. I robbed Baldag of that resource to survive, but it was Alfred Worm who saved me then, not Schema."


    I stood over Spear like a mountain, "Since then, every time I''m allowed to live, it''s called a gift. If I go by your logic, I''ll be his willing servant for the rest of eternity. I''m not going to do that for being given a chance to survive, especially when, after all this time, Schema hasn''t spoken a word to me. I''ve had two brief meetings with him. Outside of my happenstance meetings with the Overseer, I know nothing about the AI or this war. The only way to talk to Schema is to use my Sovereign privileges."


    Spear snapped, "Then use them. They were given to you for just this cause."


    I rolled my eyes, "I have to burn through my yearly meeting just to get an update from Schema?" I gestured at the remnant''s ship, "I just talked to them, and they mentioned not telling me where the Elysium planets are. You know, if I take a moment and think about it, why the hell don''t I already know? Why hasn''t Schema sent me a force of Sentinels and Overseers to inform me, let me fight where needed. You know, maybe talk to me?"


    "Schema cannot speak to everyone at all times."


    Torix''s eyes flared, "I would beg to differ, based on those files you keep referencing. If they''re that extensive, Schema''s eyes and ears are everywhere. Logic dictates that if he''s listening to us at all times, he may speak to us as well. If he so chose."


    Spear neared exasperation as he tossed his hands aside, "Perhaps communications were split. Elysium could be tampering with your messaging systems and your status alike."


    I crossed my arms, "And if that''s the case, I know it''s up to me to fix everything on my own. If I''m such an important piece of his fighting force, then why the hell isn''t Schema trying to utilize me better? Where''s my support?"


    Spear looked around, searching for an answer, "Schema, he is consumed in a galactic war against both Elysium and the eldritch...He is doing all that he can, and you''re just one part of this complicated puzzle he deals with each day. He cannot manage every piece of that puzzle at once."


    My left eye twitched, "But when I forgive him for forgetting us, I lose people. Every day members of my guild die because Schema won''t put in time or effort for my guild. Why should we reciprocate what we aren''t being given in turn?"


    Spear looked down before staring back up, "He...That...It is because you''re essential to his cause. You''re the only member of Schema''s system who can fight Lehesion who has chosen to do so. That-"


    I snapped my fingers, "And there it is. I knew it. Others could fight Lehesion but haven''t. Why? They wouldn''t be given what they''re due for fighting Elysium. That''s where I''m at. I''m entrenched in a grueling conflict. In fact, ever since this system started, I''ve never had more than a few months of rest. Every other time, I''ve been consumed with war and death. The worst part is, it''s just an expectation that I continue fighting...Forever."


    Spear stared at me, his voice cracking as he fidgeted, "And you were gifted to have that potential for battle. Others would kill for it. I know that I would."


    I shook my head, "But it''s like I am a machine born to kill, and that''s all I''ll ever be. Schema''s groomed me for it. I know that, but I want to do more than that. Look at my golems and my guild. Building those up helps Schema too."


    The Sentinel continued, his confidence in Schema''s protection absolute, "You are asked to battle because that is all you''re good for. You''re a backwater savage who''s been given a gift that others may use better than you can."


    It had been a long time since someone called me backwater or a savage. The glares at Spear grew hostile around me, including mine. Kessiah snarled, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


    Spear dragged his hand down his helmet. He spoke with an acidic edge,


    "I''ve been helping you all up till now because you served a higher purpose. Now you serve this oaf, and all he''s ever done is destroy."


    His words hit me like stubbing my toe. Spear shook his hands, "At least allow someone with a sense of direction to guide that destruction. I say Schema should be that force, for he has built more than any other. Perhaps he could make this abomination more useful than merely a mass murderer."


    His words stung more than I expected them to. He could be right. As good as my guild was, I''d fought far better than I''d ever built anything. It''s something I already understood about myself. I came from nothing. My entire family splintered all over the place, never staying in one place.


    How my father acted was shameful, and it wasn''t like his grandfather was any better. Those were pretty much the only fundamental influences on my early life outside of my mom, and by now, I could hardly remember her face. Without her, my father went wild. He made sure I understood just how little of a difference I''d make to anyone in life.


    He and his ''friends'' tried to convince me I was nothing, but they were wrong. I ended up being pretty gifted as a fighter, even before the system came around. I wanted to become a pro boxer, and I held my self-worth in that. Now, I oozed that same fighting potential, magnified by many infinities. It gave me confidence.


    Yet, sometimes, that destructive potential did leave me wondering if I could do anything else. My talent in runes and the golems helped, but in the end, I was a breathing cataclysm. Giess and Springfield splintered under my touch, and on Blegara, I tried with all my might to do something different. Staring around, the barren wastes stretched for miles in all directions. This carnage left me numb as I lifted a hand to speak to Spear, but I shrunk back.


    What he said shouldn''t be wounding me like this, yet it did. I took a sharp breath, not expecting his words to affect me. They threw me off, making me feel weak, something rare these days. Before I could get myself together, a ringing burst filled my ears, making me peer up.


    Althea shot a harpoon beside Spear''s foot.


    The sand and rock caved away from the spear, splitting with ease from the lance''s frictionless descent. I found Althea furious. She glared at Spear like a beautiful reaper as she fumed, "Don''t talk to him like that. Don''t ever talk to him like that. He''s done more for us than Schema ever has. More than he ever will."


    Her words took the venom out of Spear''s message in an instant. My eyes burned as Althea took a step forward. She kept glaring as she smoldered her words like they were hot coals,


    "You don''t know Daniel. You haven''t seen him struggle. I have. I know what he''s done and what he''s had to do. He''s fought till his body was more bone than flesh. He''s taken on all of us and never left anyone behind, at the very least no more than he had to. I wouldn''t be anything more than a pawn for Yawm without him or worse. Much worse."


    Althea tilted her head at Kessiah, "Ask Kessiah, and she''ll say the same. She never would''ve become a healer without Daniel''s influence. Even Torix needed his help. Daniel brought our professor out of his shell and made Torix dream of making a university. None of us could''ve ever imagined doing any of this without him. He''s been like a rock to each of us, something we can all rely on."


    Althea scorned, "So don''t you talk to him like that. Ever. If you do, I''ll kill you, exiling or not."


    I blinked, my eyes watering a bit from her outburst. It was sudden and startling, like a firework of warmth exploding in my hand - at first frightening, but by the end, a welcome surprise. Amara joined in, hissing,


    "I''m more than willing to pull you back into the system, she-wolf. I wish to learn what Sentinel meat tastes like."


    Other Hod flared, "We will never be offered the same treatment regardless. Perhaps we should become what he thinks of us."


    Amara''s hairs sliced stone, "Perhaps so."


    I appreciated them both, but I wasn''t about to forget everything Spear did for us. I gave them a smile, "Hey."


    They turned to me, and Althea muttered, "You want me to take him out? I''ve had bounties before. It''s whatever."


    I shook my head, "Even if he''s a zealot, he did a lot for us. Please, stop pointing that at him." I frowned at Amara, "And quit drooling."


    Althea frowned but did as I asked, and Amara wiped her mouth. Spear gave our whole party a slow nod, "Then this is it. I can no longer support this guild which acts in service of only itself."


    I shrugged, "You''re in denial about what you''re asking and why you''re asking it. I''m not going to run to my and my guild''s death for Schema."


    Spear waved a dimensional slicer before cleaving through space. On the other side, a metal background showed along with other Sentinels, each of them meditating. Spear chided, "Keep your reasonings to yourself. I don''t need to hear them anymore."


    Before he stepped out, I reached out a hand, "Before you leave, I want you to tell Schema or the Overseer something."


    "What could you possibly need to tell them now?"


    "I want them both to know I still want to help. I just need a few things."


    "Ah, so you''d like some treasure that exceeds this so that you may switch sides and reap benefits from both? How very classy of you."


    "I don''t need anything like that. I need Schema to open some communication line with me. That or his personalized AI''s, maybe the Overseer. We were fighting a war together, yet I was given no information from him."


    Spear spit back, "Why would you deserve it?"


    I furrowed my brow at him, disappointed in how he acted when cornered,


    "Come on, I sent him hundreds of terminals before this revolution started. I gave every log of information my assassins and spies gained to the Overseer. I made every attempt possible to start a dialogue. None of that was ever returned in any way."


    Spear reached up a hand, but he didn''t know what to say. I turned a hand to him, "I don''t like Elysium, but I''m not about to kill my guild, the only family I''ve got, just to help Schema. If Schema helps me out, offers some security, and tells me what''s going on, I''ll jump right back to his side. That''s all I''m asking for. I want to be an ally instead of some tool."


    Spear took a pause, his mind dwelling on something. He gave me a nod, "Yes...I can tell the Overseer all of that. You are owed that much, given your previous service."


    As he stepped out, I grabbed him in a gravity well. I walked over and held the dimensional tear open with my shoulder and foot. I leaned over Spear and placed a hand on his shoulder. I squeezed, his already cracked armor groaning under stress. As fresh splits formed in the graphene, his bones felt soft in my hand,


    "You''ve done a lot for us, Spear, so I''m willing to turn a blind eye when you walk off or talk down to me and my guildsmen...But remember who you''re speaking with when you chat to me next time. Understood?"


    Spear remained planted in place. He gasped, "Yes...Yes, Harbinger. Of course."


    I released him, and Spear fumbled forward. I stared him down before letting the cleaved space-time snap back together. Once he was gone, I took a breath before turning to everybody,


    "I might''ve gone too far there, but I couldn''t help myself. That guy had some serious nerve. Anyways, thanks for saying all that, guys. It means a lot."


    Althea ran up and gave me a hug, my armor bending around her grasp, so she didn''t hurt herself. Torix stepped forward with his hands clutched under his cape,


    "It is the least we may do when Spear presents such bleak propositions. They were rather ghastly requests, weren''t they? To sacrifice ourselves for Schema simply because he gave you a chance to succeed...I believe the interest on that debt is rather steep in their eyes."


    I shook my head, "Yeah, and I can''t just throw this all away. I worked too hard for it."


    Torix stared at me with his eyes flaring white, "If anyone knows how difficult this guild was to create, it would be all of us."


    Kessiah raised a palm, "Heh, except me."


    Torix glared at her, "Know that you''re speaking only your opinion, not ours. You''ve toiled endlessly to redeem your concession against Yawm. The matter is settled for all of us."


    Kessiah''s face wrinkled from guilt, "I...Thanks. I wanted to say sorry for that. I never did, not really. At least it doesn''t feel like I did. I can''t remember, actually, but it doesn''t matter. You all really needed me to step up, and I didn''t. I threw everything on all of you."


    I waved my hands, "Now that''s just unfair to yourself. I was mad at the time, but an eldritch literally wore your skin. I can''t imagine what that must''ve been like. Wanting to run and get away from all of that was a totally normal reaction. Any one of us might''ve done the same."


    Kessiah peered off, "But that doesn''t change the fact you guys really needed me then. I''m so sorry for letting you guys down."


    Kessiah''s eyes watered while she squeezed a hand into a fist. Torix paced up and put a hand on her shoulder, "Your drive to heal our injured members has done us a world of good. You''ve faced the Hybrids bravely as well, never running in terror against them, even if you wished to. That is more than enough of an apology. I''d wager we all agree there?"


    The lich turned to us, and Althea and I nodded.


    I added, "Hell yeah."


    Althea followed, "Of course."


    Torix pulled his hand down, "So take that guilt and perhaps grant it to someone who needs it, such as Lehesion."


    Kessiah smiled, giving the old sorcerer a hug. Torix pulled back ever so slightly from surprise before returning the gesture. Torix murmured, "You know, you''ve grown so much. As a previous master, I''m proud."


    Kessiah pulled back, "So have you. Literally."


    Torix stood a solid two feet over her because I made his new body huge. Kessiah nudged him, "We used to fight like cats and dogs. It''s amazing what war will do for you, huh?"


    "Indeed, though there''s plenty we still disagree on."


    "Tell me about it."


    I grinned, "Well, the war''s over for a bit, so we have room to argue. The best time for that? A feast."


    Everyone turned to me as I raised my hands, "I think that it''s time we celebrate."


    Krog rumbled in the back, "I can agree to that. I wonder if Blegara has any boneless fish we may feast on. I love the way cartilage snaps in my jaw."


    I frowned, "Huh...Gross."


    Amara hissed, "I agree. It grinds and pops in such a satisfying way."


    Althea waved a hand, "Blegh, I''m gonna be sick."


    I waved a hand, "Come on, let''s head out. I don''t think I can handle any more sentimentality at once...or cartilage talk."


    We took a few steps before my shoulders relaxed. There was a warmth among our group as Torix receded his sound barrier from us and the packages. By the time we finished our talk, the remnants already stashed all the cargo away, so I lifted it all up by raising my finger. They condensed into organized bundles. Chrona murmured, "It must''ve been torture watching those beings move it all so slowly."


    I grimaced, "Yeah, a little."


    One of those remnants walked up, the talkative one who could speak before. I took a second to recall his name, and the shorthand of it stuck out to me. Phalanth gave me a bow, "We do apologize for any inconvenience while giving you this care package. There''s nothing you''ve found missing?"


    I stared at what looked like an ancient library of books, a prominent tech shop of rare gadgets, a lab''s worth of biosamples and studies, and some stuff that I couldn''t identify but our guild deemed safe,


    "This should be enough for now. I''ll send you guys a message if you''re missing anything."


    The remnant gave me a bow before staring up at me,


    "Do forgive me, but may I ask which planet you came from? I''m quite curious about it."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Does it matter?"


    "It most certainly does. Many other diplomats, Elysians, and I have wondered for ages which ancient, space-faring species you''ve derived from. I believed it was from a race that exists outside of Schema-owned space. Others scoffed at the idea, but I think I''m right on the matter. I went so far as to make a bet on it."


    "What makes you think I''m from beyond Schema-owned space?"


    "You also seem to be an illegal entity based on your method of battle and your bodily composition. Even the eldritch fear you, so you''re obviously something dangerous and volatile. It only makes sense that you gained enough power outside Schema''s system that once within, Schema tolerated you."


    It always astonished me how people could connect the dots for something and end up with a totally different picture, one far from reality. That being said, this misunderstanding only helped me, so I gave him a broad smile,


    "Wow. You guessed it. I''m impressed."


    Phalanth swung a hand with a snap of his fingers, "Hah, I knew it. Thank you for letting me know. I''d love to share the profits with you, but you seem more than well off. Now, may our next meeting be this fruitful and peaceful, Harbinger."


    With a curt nod, I agreed while he walked off. Behind me, Krog, Chrona, Hod, and Amara chatted about the feast''s specifics while Kessiah, Althea, and Torix spoke about how we''d impress the albony. As Phalanth took a step onto his landing pad, he paused. I wouldn''t have customarily cared, but the remnants spike in blood pressure omened something immense.


    I walked over, Other Hod having heard the spike in heart rate with me. I stopped the remnant from collapsing with a gravity well before he gawked at me with empty eyes. I snapped my fingers in front of his face and yelled, "Hey, you ok?"


    He stared at an invisible screen before his breathing turned rapid. He muttered, "This can''t be happening."


    Torix stepped up beside us, "Has he been driven mad?"


    The remnant stared down, unable to accept whatever horror he''d seen. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I locked eyes with him, "What''s going on?"


    He struggled to lift his arm, his hands trembling as he interacted with his status. After a few seconds, his interface popped up in my own vision, the outline red like an Overseer''s screen. Leaning over, I watched a video without audio on it.


    An enormous, reddish blob molded over a sphere. Understanding more of what I saw, it was actually two massive objects, the detail of their collision exceeding something smaller. Plumes of light erupted from the orb''s surface as vast, magical reactions took place. Teeth and jaws gurgled on the smaller sphere, its grotesque form ever-shifting.


    My stomach dropped while my eyes widened at the sight. Torix leaned to me,


    "Are you well?"


    I took a deep breath. I stated,


    "One of Elysium''s worlds...It''s being swallowed by a Spatial Fortress."

 304 A Wake Up Call

    Torix scoffed in utter nonchalance, "What else did you expect? Schema''s been aiming to exterminate Elysium since they first announced themselves. The usage of Spatial Fortresses is an integral part of that."


    I blinked, calming myself, "I just...I didn''t think Schema would just kill everybody like that. It isn''t like everyone on those worlds hates Schema after all. It''s, I don''t know, inefficient to kill them all. Isn''t it?"


    The footage warped a bit before a golden light appeared, like a star amidst the blot of red. Lehesion landed, fighting back the genocidal rampage of the Spatial Fortress. His beams unloaded in bright, delayed flashes due to the footage''s distance from the event. Empowered by a ritual like on Gypsum, Lehesion razed the outer, spreading limbs of the fortress.


    I let out a sigh of relief, and Kessiah stepped up and looked at the footage in disgust, "That''s how Schema does things. Yes and no. Black and white."


    Staring back to Phalanth, he took time to control his breathing as well. I let my hand off of his shoulder while he stood back up straight. He made a circle with his thumb and fingers on each hand, swirling them as if the gesture purged him of all his anxiety. He turned to us, "Excuse me, but based on that footage, I''m needed elsewhere."


    He stomped off, running towards the hovering plate. The space shuttle floated up before he entered the exiting bay. As the lower panel closed, a portal opened, and they crossed onto some unknown planet in the stars. I turned to everyone here, "Alright, well, we need to have a meeting."


    Torix leaned back, "What else is there to discuss?"


    I gawked at Torix, stunned by his lack of concern for the fortress''s mass murder. That''s when it hit me - he''s a necromancer. Torix treated us well, but he was by no means a saint. If anything, his callous approach to life allowed him to experiment and perform his duties well. He reminded me of that in full while appearing bored of any further discussion.


    Not taking that trait as a fault, I peered at him, "I...I never thoroughly thought about the implications of, hm, Elysium losing this war. You obviously have, but I need a moment to digest this."


    Torix leaned back, "Well then, I suppose that isn''t, uh, illogical. It seems rather strange you never considered it. For me, that is."


    I shook my head, "Maybe I just didn''t want to."


    Understanding washed over the sorcerer, and he leaned over to me while his eyes dimmed, "Disciple, there''s much you must learn about in life. One of those lessons is that not every consequence or event is under your control. Elysium took this risk onto themselves, and now their bet has fallen through. The death of billions is on their hands, not ours."


    I stared through Torix, "But I''m pretty damn sure our fight is why that happened."


    Torix cackled then said, "Were we supposed to just let ourselves die then? And besides that, only a fool puts all of their resources onto one entity like that. They are at fault for making Lehesion fight us in the first place, and they are paying the price for their folly."


    Torix waved a hand in an infinity symbol shape, "It was, hm, how to put this. Ah yes, it''s cause and effect."


    For some reason, Torix''s cutting logic sounded insane to my ears right now, even if I knew he was right. I stuck with his argument, mulling it over in my mind. I couldn''t control Schema and Elysium, even if I was strong in my own right. It wasn''t only unfair to me think I could; it was arrogant as well. I wasn''t some diety, and I needed to remember that.


    I gave the sorcerer a nod, "Thanks for the reminder. I needed that."


    The necromancer locked his hands behind himself, leaning back upright, "Always a pleasure, disciple."


    Taking a breath, I spread out my hands, "I still want to discuss this. I don''t want any of Elysium''s other worlds swallowed."


    Amara stared with her expressionless helm, "That complicates things, doesn''t it?"


    Torix, bolstered by his earlier help, paced back and forth, "If I may interject, I''d say that while difficult, a Spatial Fortress''s attacks are by no means inevitable." Torix gestured to everything around us,


    "Blegara is a pristine example of this. Our landing here prevented this world from being tainted by the living abyss that is a Spatial Fortress. In that manner, we may save other worlds."


    Torix snapped a finger, spreading his silencing aura and fogging magic yet again, "That would be the case on Earth as well. It''s by no means too late to save that planet."


    Helios stepped forward, "Our imperial worlds are no different. We still stand strong on them, and that presence prevents the mass genocide Schema wishes to enact. If you want to save worlds, then helping us get the ahcorous on our side is integral to that. The fact you stand to gain from both your ethics and my Emperor''s deal is a pleasant circumstance."


    I frowned, "Ethics, huh? I wouldn''t give me that much credit. Either way, those are both good points. The Spatial Fortress''s attack doesn''t change any of our plans, outside of us getting rid of Elysium''s presence on Earth."


    Torix tilted his head, "For that, I''ve no idea how we''ll dislodge them given our ceasefire."


    I stared at a roaming eldritch on the outskirts of Saphigia. It shepherded Vagni towards our camp, servicing with an impressive loyalty given the desolation surrounding it. I raised an eyebrow, "Huh, we''ll have to see if something comes up. I''ll keep my eyes peeled for an opportunity."


    Amara leaned back, raising her hands in disgust, "Why would you peel your eyes?"


    Other Hod murmured, "It is a customary saying for diligence."


    Amara gasped, "But, but why would that assist diligence? Their eyes would be left so maimed, you''d no longer be able to see."


    Other Hod crossed his umbral wings, "I don''t know what to tell you. Humans...they are difficult to understand."


    I cracked a smile before we headed out. We still had a feast to attend to, and I wasn''t about to miss it. Sending a message to Florence, the graceful albony responding in seconds.


    Florence Novas, Of a Golden Tongue and Honied Words(lvl 9,000 | Class: Speaker | Guild: The Empire) - Of course, I''d love to organize the feast. I''ll ensure the correct members are invited and that our entertainment will match your guild''s standards. Food, lighting, glassware, there''s much to do, so I''ll see you by tonight. Good luck.


    It alleviated stress having someone manage situations like this. That relief compounded from knowing Florence would do an excellent job too. Having that handled, we walked to the center of Saphigia, where my city still stood. It was a silent but long journey, each of us peering around and inspecting the fallout. At the blue core''s barrier, we all took one last long look around.


    Most of our last week''s work disintegrated into a shadow of its former self. The new roads, houses, and artwork I commissioned turned to ash under our battle''s might. Even beyond those nearby settlements, we left much of the capital ruined. The coral homes and ancient temples melted into enormous sheets of dirty, mangled glass and igneous stone. Even the outskirts carried large bricks and boulders of debris, most of it ravaged to some extent.


    But it wasn''t all bad either. The gialgathens saved many of the Vagni here, flying out during the first part of my battle with Lehesion. My super golems assisted that effort, along with eldritch deferential to my cause. It stunned me when the giant, roaming eldritch helped panicking Vagni escape into the countryside instead of eating them. Our global transmission turned their hunger for meat into a desire for status.


    That wasn''t always the case, but having an eldritch, especially the wilder ones, help me out bewildered my preconceptions. It gave me hope that I''d find some way to coexist with them, even if fear would be my primary tool for that approach. Either way, abject terror was a more benign weapon than Schema''s elimination or Elysium''s Hybridization.


    Progress on that front gave me something to look forward to, instilling more motivation for the act of building up my guild. In fact, this general desire for building up gave me something to anticipate instead of just incessant fighting. Sure, a good battle was fun every now and again, but building an empire, one I could be proud of, motivated me more now.


    So, we treaded into our new unnamed city, and a crowd of my soldiers peered on. We came with all the packs of goods from Elysium, along with our own smiles and relief. I raised a hand as the crowd shouted, and I boomed,


    "The war is over. Let''s celebrate."


    A chorus of cheers returned my announcement, filling me with purpose and enthusiasm. Spatial Fortress or not, our guild moved mountains in the year or so since we formed it. Now we aimed our sights at shifting orbits and altering tides. With so much to look forward to, I built super golems with an air of quiet expectation. We always needed those, and it passed the time while Florence organized the party.


    To my surprise, it took him only a few hours. With his many contacts in tow, the sociable albony converted the massive grimoire creation chamber into an enticing souriee. He covered the floors in blue, green, and dark gray carpets, masking the cipheric markings. Florence called in hundreds of chairs and tables, keeping a minimalist approach to dining ware and the like to match our guild.


    I read the progress from a stream of messages as I finished a constructor golem. Just as well, Florence picked up a few augmentation crystals from me, each of the stones saturated in antigravity wells. The amber glow of augmentation calmed an area instead of washing it in sterile, white light as quintessence did. That relaxed the room''s ambiance, and that suited a celebration well.


    Unlike the austere cutlery, the food funneled in from all over the Empire, and Florence spared no expense for everything needed. Alien meats of all kinds came pouring in along with albony servants distributing the meals with the same type of variety. Inspecting closer, none of the servant species were also being served on platters. I took a deep breath after that one, fearing the worst after my conversation with Elysium.


    As the affair came together, Florence didn''t hold back in his invitations, making sure many relevant parties arrived. Obolis, Ophelia, other albony royalty I didn''t know, several razor queens from the ahcorous, and many others came in droves. It mounted the party from a small get-together to a social opportunity.


    Florence gave me name cards in list format through my messenger. They came with descriptions of the guests, including their occupations, names, and more. I used one of my manifold minds to memorize it, another for my elemental furnace conversion, another to organize gear from our trade deal, and a final mind to think during all of this.


    From this battle and the fallout, I learned a great deal. The first lesson was that I couldn''t control as much as I thought I could. Even if I positioned myself well, my reach and scope were limited. Even in only Schema''s universe, I enjoyed a spot in the upper echelon, but I wasn''t above that elevated ring of sentients.


    Yet.


    The second lesson I uncovered was that the consequences of my actions rippled out further than I could see. Foresight would be my friend from here on out, and my efforts needed a more measured touch. Otherwise, I''d end up toppling societies or destroying worlds without even meaning to. That happened to Obolis because of his methods for subjugating worlds. I wasn''t about to let that happen to me.


    And finally, I understood how lucky I was to have this armor over my skin and in my blood. Peering down, I saw my clawed hand and the plates over it. This dark metal gave me the opportunities I had now, and while it was challenging to get reigns on, I eventually conquered this memento of Baldag-Ruhl.


    If anything, this granted me more abilities than Schema had, all things considered. Without being a living dimension, I''d be an average person. It''s something I never fully appreciated before my talk to Spear. He wanted power to enact his moral code and thinking. I needed none of that, as I lacked any principles I tried to play out. Despite my lack of direction, I ended up with this awe-inspiring artifact infused to me. It gave me the potential for immense change.


    That''s why Schema called me the Harbinger of Cataclysm, even from day one. I was an omen of upheaval. He understood that from the initial scan that this armor put me ahead of the pack. Now I decided the fate of my own species and many more. That pressure often haunted me, but now it stuck out as an opportunity.


    I could make a difference.


    Getting to that, I opened my messages to see what piled up after our ceasefire with Elysium. Many notices repeated themselves, from ''thank you'' to ''congratulations'' to ''about damn time...sir.'' They came from my guildsmen, but a few critical communications intermingled in the mix.


    Spear, despite our disagreements, proved his loyalty to Schema. Swallowing his pride, he already contacted the Overseer who sent me a message.


    Overseer(lvl 20,000) - Hello, Harbinger. It''s been brought to my attention that you and your guild haven''t received quests from Schema. This isn''t standard protocol, and whatever Schema had planned, he never shared it with the Speakers I work with or me. We''re willing to facilitate communications between us, but several specifics need to be worked out before that could transpire.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Is there a time and place where a talk between us would be appropriate? I will be busy for the next three months, minimum.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 18,719 (Cap: 26,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - When you''re finished being busy, we can talk. We''ll just stick with three months from now since that''s when you''re free.


    Overseer(lvl 20,000) - Then it''s settled. Good luck during your ceasefire. May it serve you well to pull your guild from the ground and into clearer skies.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm(lvl 18,719 (Cap: 26,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - No hard feelings, huh? After Spear''s response, I must say I''m surprised. I guess you were pretty torn up after our last meeting, mentally and physically, so you probably understand where I''m coming from.


    Overseer(lvl 20,000) - If anyone in the galaxy understands how brutal this war has been, it is I. To want an escape from it is only to be expected. Instead of despising your choice, I merely envy that you have one.


    Good speaking with you. I cannot continue messaging. Goodbye.


    The Overseer took that well, all things considered. I scratched my head as another message arrived from Obolis.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets(lvl 24,027 (Cap: 27,000 | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire) - Helios gave mention of many valuables you''ve received from Elysium. Most of that merchandise is very much illegal, and I''d love to scrutinize it with you and others. It would make for a splendid afternoon along with good drinks and fair food to pair with the event.


    We may even be able to trade should we feel like doing so. On another topic of note, I know your guild''s inner workings aren''t mine to judge, but this ceasefire was a superb idea. To follow through with it after the heat of combat, I can only imagine the strain. You showed wisdom despite mounting pressure, and know that we fully support your decision.


    Ah, what a pleasant surprise; Florence has already sent me an invite to your banquet. I''ll be there with others. I look forward to seeing you then, Daniel.


    Sincerely, Obolis Novas.


    The formality and general warmth of Obolis''s message stuck out like a painting on a bland wall, probably because of reading the Overseer''s short memos. Either way, it left me with a lot to look forward to tonight. I prepped that while thinking of different ways to smooth out my tasks. The reason for those thoughts spawned from staring at a pile of books and documents.


    I needed to study all of this - every last page. It looked like it may take years to fully digest it all, but I lacked time for something that all-consuming. The books themselves required physical editions too. They worked with the cipher, a three-dimensional language. Taking pictures or even footage only got me so far. To understand the information within these books, I''d inspect each page from many angles in real-time.


    That reasoning developed from the unique imagery of the texts. Enchanted with magic, the pages showed models of the cipher that visualized on the page. When touching one of the books, anyone could tilt, turn, and tumble these markings to view it in any way you wanted. It reminded me of advanced engineering software that allowed the onlooker to peer into the center of a device.


    That utility sped up my learning, but it meant the actual physical book was required. Manifold Mind allowed me to read while talking to someone, and my senses amplified enough from my skills and levels that I lacked any need for direct sight of an individual. My other discernments compensated well for that, so I could read all the time if I wanted to.


    My problem stemmed from people''s reactions to it; everyone enjoyed eye contact and general attention. Staring down at a book during a conversation enraged some people, and even if I responded like usual, a party or event wasn''t the time or place for studying. Wracking my brain a little, I uncovered another solution to this problem.


    I took several of the books about the cipher inscriptions, the ones deemed safe by my guild. I pocketed them into my personal dimension outside of a single text. At the same time, I pulled my helmet over my face. It radiated with my current mana of choosing, quintessence. This white light blocked any display of my facial features.


    Now, normally, I pulled this helmet back when talking to someone face to face. It was rude to do otherwise and not look someone in the eyes after all. That being said, Obolis and most albony wore masks all the time. It wouldn''t be that out of place to do the same. With my helmet on and the masking glow, I shifted the hidden text over my skin until it reached into my facemask.


    It plopped in front of my sight, held in place by the face mask''s paneling. To me, the book appeared exposed for the world to see. That might not be the case, however, and I needed a mirror to verify. A reflection proved simple to find. Several of our soldiers kept them handy in their tents or pavilions. I asked for permission before stepping into one and using their spare looking glass.


    Inspecting my idea''s results, my plan worked without a hitch. The book disguised itself completely, hidden in a white glow. Trying out Event Horizon, the sanguine sheen also covered the helmeted volume in its entirety. This omni-helmeted appearance might throw people off, but it didn''t matter. The time-saving benefits of this strategy superseded any social angst other people experienced from it.


    Knowing the book didn''t stick out anymore, I changed my efforts to actually reading the material. With a book right in front of my eyes, I reached a hand into my mask and opened it. It took a moment to adjust to the wall of words in front of me. My size helped me here, as I could hold a  dictionary in two fingers, let alone two hands - I was that big now.


    Blinded by the book, I used my gravitational sense, smell, and hearing to scope out my surroundings. Subtle temperature fluctuations helped, along with shifts in air pressure. I dedicated a manifold mind for this purpose, and all my other psyches drew from this precise picture. As I hoped, I no longer walked in the dark. I walked through a world of subtle pulses and fluctuating gravities.


    Testing everything out at once, I walked around in the raised tent, bent over, so I didn''t snag the roof. I read for a minute like this, and a problem cropped up. I couldn''t turn the pages, and the book itself jiggled around in my helmet with each step. Using a few armor tendrils, I held it in place and turned the page in my face mask.


    Voila, I read like a champ now.


    This masked reading allowed me to study magic while talking, working, doing anything outside of fighting, really. It would take getting used to, but the benefits outweighed its weaknesses. Stepping out of the war tent, I waved my thanks to the two soldiers who let me use it. They gawked in awe at me, each of them half my height.


    They weren''t the only ones impressed, however. Each of them wore the Omega Strains that we harvested from this world. These multicolored, living gemstones gave them a colorful yet deadly bearing, one a deep violet and the other forest green. Each soldier leveled plenty from killing Hybrids as well, each of them capped to level 5,000.


    This, combined with my rings, meant these soldiers scaled to respectable levels of ability. Several thousand soldiers like them walked through this camp. It showed how our density approach to the guild assisted us in the long run. I intended on maintaining that approach going forward, and I skulked off to the party, reading the whole time.


    Florence pre-emptively called for a preparatory gathering with me. He mentioned not wanting me to walk in without some kind of plan. Hearing him out, we met at the entrance of Torix''s lair above, right above the party grounds. Florence stood there on the steps of a Vagni temple, organizing messages in his status.


    The flamboyant albony wore stylish, flowing robes of several colors. It gave him the air of an Arabian prince. Seeing me stand over one of the shorter coral buildings, Florence spread his arms,


    "Daniel, it has been an age since I last saw you."


    He ran up and hugged me, and not wanting to be awkward, I returned the gesture. I didn''t realize we were this familiar, but maybe that''s part of the reason why Florence was so charismatic. His enjoyment of others ended with their enjoyment of him. It was kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy, one where he kept control of its fruition.


    In line with that prophecy, Florence kept a hand on my shoulder while speaking of the party with enthusiasm. We stepped up the temple''s walkway, reaching into its depths, and he gestured to a far-off room in the Vagni''s ancient temple. In an unused chamber, Florence set up a tailored suit for me, along with a variety of jewelry.


    I stared at it, but, really, I stared at a book in front of my face. I was getting to the good part of a description in it, so I didn''t want to set it down. I rolled a hand at Florence, "What about I just wear my normal armor? I think it will make me look more intimidating and earnest."


    Florence scoffed, "You''re a guildleader of an S ranked guild. Do you honestly believe that such meager accommodations aren''t necessary?"


    I shook my head, my armor rippling over my skin, "Eh, my last suit got shredded against Lehesion. I''m, you know, superstitious, so I don''t want that to happen again."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "I never took you for someone who believed in fairy tales or the sort. Odd."


    "Really, it''s just this one thing. That''s all."


    Florence tilted his head, smiling at me, "Ah, you''re hiding something, aren''t you?"


    I stiffened up, surprised he figured it out so quickly, "Pshhh, what? No. Of course not. Never."


    Florence raised his palms, "Do not fret, do not fret. I''m enough of a gentleman to know when pressure should no longer be applied. Simply walk-in as you are - you''ll still wow them all, no doubt. Perhaps without the helmet, however. It''s something I wished I didn''t have to participate in-"


    Florence tapped the side of his mask, his claw pattering on the black wood, "These accursed masks ensure our relations with other species will always be...strained. Who wishes to discuss anything with someone who won''t show their face after all?"


    Today was the day that Florence had to bring this up, huh? Shifting the conversation, I put my hands on my own hips, "I''ve been meaning to ask, but how have you and Helios''s researches been going? I know he planned on giving me some portalling lessons. What have you figured out in the meantime?"


    Florence took a step back, peering back and forth, "Oh, quite a bit. Very much in fact...oh, very, very much let me tell you."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Uh-huh. Do you mind sharing?"


    He spread his hands, "I''ll drop the helmet and attire conversation if you drop this probing of my duties. Does that sound amicable?"


    I smiled, "It''s a deal."


    Florence puffed out his chest, "Then let us go forth to our guests."


    We stepped back into the temple''s inner hallways, walking until we found Torix''s main lair. The sorcerer stationed himself amongst several piles of books, his eyes parsing the pages with his analytical eyes. He raised a hand to me, unable to peer away from the pages,


    "Do excuse me this evening. I already have a rather lovely date that I simply must attend to."


    I frowned, "Tell me, is the date not alive like you?"


    "Yes. Quite unliving."


    "Is it full of information like you are?"


    "Indeed. Absolutely chock full, some would say."


    "And does it enjoy teaching as well?"


    Torix peered up at me, "Why, I believe you and my love interest may have already met."


    I turned a page of my own book in my facemask, "Eh, on occasion."


    If he had lips, Torix would be giving me a wily grin. It proved difficult not to laugh at our conversation because I was reading as he talked to me. Either way, I relinquished our necromancer from his social duties, so he could read as he wanted.


    Florence and I stepped past him, working our way towards a downward exit, finding the supplies from Elysium stacked here. Four super golems guarded it with unwavering resilience and attention. I turned to Florence,


    "What''s all this for?"


    "To send a message of your dominance and prestige."


    I furrowed my brow at it, "Doesn''t that seem, I don''t know, overt?"


    "It is, but it''s necessary. Your guild is small and compact. That serves as an advantage in many cases, but other guild leaders could look down upon you for it. Just look to the meeting area I procured. It''s not an example of class and wealth. That much is certain."


    I stared at the expansive room with the pillars of steel, "Huh. It''s nothing like Obolis''s Nebula Drifter was, but it definitely gets the job done."


    Florence gestured to all our merchandise sprawled out in elegant displays, "And that is where this display of goods comes in. It allows you to signify your abundance in other ways outside of the location. It also enables you to understand more about the goods therein."


    I crossed my arms, "How?"


    Florence raised a hand, "I''ll give you an example. I''m certain that Obolis wished to trade some of these goods with you, correct?"


    Florence was a mind reader. I nodded, "Yeah, he did. Did he send you a message or something?"


    "Of course not. I know Obolis well enough to derive his motives. He wishes for treasure from the outer reaches of space. Much of this fills that criteria. Armed with that understanding, you may pay attention to his nonverbal cues and what he wishes to trade for. Depending on the messages Obolis sends, you can understand what is valuable and what isn''t."


    Florence shrugged, "That saves you some time when parsing out the valuables thereafter."


    I leaned back, "Damn. I never thought of that. At least I did think of this-" I pointed at four super golems guarding everything in sight with determined conviction. Florence pointed at them,


    "Safeguarding possession is a worthy pursuit, and many do so. However, few people gather the wealth of information hidden behind the subtext of every conversation. If you pay attention to a person, you''ll find more than what they simply share. You''ll also uncover what they wish to hide."


    I furrowed my brow, "Florence...Don''t tell people you think like this. They''ll take it the wrong way."


    He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "And you see my, friend, I don''t. That being said, I value our friendship highly, so I''ll share a few of my own tricks here or there with you. I know that of all the people I''ve been close with, you''re one of the few who will repay me in full."


    I frowned, "What do you want?"


    Florence shrugged before dashing off, "Nothing, for now. One day I''m certain we''ll arrange something. Until then, I have a celebration to plan."


    He dashed off before stepping to the entrance of a corridor. He gave a bow along with an introduction,


    "And introducing the lovely and stunning Althea Tolstoy."


    Althea walked down, sporting a black dress that slimmed her already alluring figure. She smiled at me, and my heart did a little dance in my chest. Florence walked up the way she came, and he gave us some alone time. I stepped up to her, "Hey, beautiful."


    "Hey, handsome. I see you aren''t wearing a suit this time. Why the change in attire?"


    "I didn''t want them to see me in a different light than how I always am. That and the last party''s outcome made me nervous."


    She rubbed her exposed arms, "You and me both. I still get chills thinking about it. It''s a lot like the Spatial Fortress today...Huh, I just thought of something. I wonder why they didn''t attack Giess?"


    "If I had to guess, Elysium puts all or most of their defenses around Giess when sending Lehesion out. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to use him like they tend to."


    Althea stared down, "Yeah, I guess so...Are you ready for this, uh, party, I guess? I didn''t think it would be like this."


    I raised my palms, "I handed it off to Florence, and you know how he is."


    "Heh, he''s crazy. He seems like a good guy, though I can''t ever tell what he''s up to. I''m glad you''re helping him iron out his issues with his family. I know it really threw me off when I saw it. At first, I thought that maybe it was because that''s how families are. I don''t have much of a reference."


    My face wrinkled at her words. I didn''t know what it was like growing up in a lab, so I said,


    "Yeah, I knew a lot of different families before Schema''s culling. Sometimes, they treated each other like they were better than other people. Other times, families treated each other much worse than strangers because those families knew they could get away with it."


    I tilted my head, "I think you should treat the people you''re close to with respect and realism. They have flaws, and you probably know those flaws. That doesn''t mean they''re terrible people. It just means you know more of what they''re hiding than the strangers you meet."


    Althea smiled up at me, "You get to see their good side too."


    I smiled back, "You do."


    We held each other close, slow dancing for a second to a song that wasn''t playing, but we both heard. The moment ended as Florence began shuttling people inside, most of their names I already knew thanks to a manifold mind. I grabbed Althea''s hand, giving it a light squeeze.


    "You ready?"


    She gulped, "For a huge celebration?"


    Obolis stepped out, speaking with two other albony royalty. He raised a hand to us while Althea whimpered,


    "Blegh, never."

 305 A Galaxy Unexplored

    Althea sighed while letting go of my hand, "I really don''t want to be a part of the politics if you don''t mind."


    I whispered back, "Eh, neither do I. Go attend to some urgent errand. I''ll let them know you couldn''t attend."


    She phased away, escaping the evening while I remained trapped in it. It wasn''t the end of the world, however, and Obolis smiled at me with his distinguished bearing and numerous scars, "It''s wonderful to see you again, Daniel. I brought extra company for the event, as your absolving from this war is worthy of celebration."


    Obolis''s eyes passed over the stacks of merchandise, hunger lacing his expression, "As are your spoils of said war. They are impressive." His face stayed set on the gear while his eyes met mine, "Just as well, I''ll assume that Althea was needed elsewhere?"


    Obolis heard our conversation from across the room, so he helped us with delivering our excuse. I took the opportunity,


    "Of course. We just got the ceasefire handled today, after all."


    The newcomers reached us, and I gave Obolis a handshake, the albony ruler remembering the gesture from before. Turning towards the two albony behind him, I raised a palm to them, "It''s good to see you, Victoria and Alastair."


    Alastair went to reply, raising a hand. His voice cracked, extinguishing his efforts to speak. On the other hand, Victoria mimicked the gesture made by Obolis, stepping up with excitement, "It''s great to see you as well, Daniel."


    We shook hands, and she held my hand a little too long while smiling a bit too wide as well. It was a predatory glance, one I didn''t like being viewed from. Looking for a way out of the situation, I found a group of around twelve albony stepping in behind the Emperor. Each of these royals peered around with closed gestures and wary glimpses.


    They stared at me like I were a hungry eldritch waiting to eat them. Taking charge of my first impression, I spread out my arms,


    "I know this is a relatively humble place to have a celebration in, but we''ve just ended the war earlier today. Feel free to glance at what we''ve gained and speak about it. Don''t touch it, or else I can''t guarantee you won''t end up fighting one of the guardians I posted here."


    The supergolems peered at the incoming crowd with their unblinking, crystal eyes. I clasped my hands, "They''ll show you something if you want to look at it, and I''ll be talking to everyone at some point during this evening. Refreshments and food are over there, so without any more of a wait, enjoy yourselves."


    Relieved by my lack of hostility, the royals stepped in with their heaviness leaving them. I peered at Obolis, the only member near eye level with me, "You want to inspect the goods here?"


    He raised his hands as fists, his giddiness subdued but apparent, "Oh, was I that transparent? Do excuse me, but yes, I''d love to."


    We walked over towards the pile of goods, and Obolis marveled, "This is more than I''d have imagined you''d gain from a ceasefire. Being a military force must come with its perks?"


    I nodded, "It does. How''s your side of the war front going?"


    Obolis''s shoulders rose a bit, and he gave me a friendly nudge on the shoulder, "Better now, thanks to your efforts. Tearing down Elysium''s system left its mark, even if it was short-lived. They were rendered utterly confused and senseless without any communication. A few of their pocketed defenses were torn apart during that time."


    Even as he spoke of something else, I dwelled on how he treated his planets'' subservient species. I frowned, "That''s good."


    My armor shifted with my expression, letting people read my face despite the covering over it. Sensing my unease, he placed a hand on my shoulder, "I understand your agitation. I''ve seen the footage as well. I''m certain you''re feeling somewhat responsible for the partial glassing, but think nothing of it. Elysium is to blame, and you merely defended yourself. Those deaths lie in the hands of Elysium''s incompetent leadership."


    I shook off the feeling to retort, ''Your leadership isn''t much better.'' Rolling my shoulders, I took a breath before letting my animosity go. Now wasn''t the time and place for it, and I''d bring these issues back up in full force after killing Plazia and getting my reward for it. Changing the subject, I gestured to the row of obelisks,


    "Any opinions on these?"


    Obolis leaned over, pointing at one, "May I?"


    "Of course."


    I kept my eyes peeled on Obolis as he turned the dark obelisk in his hand, the red lights glimmering. He sighed, "Hm, quite a piece. Would you take it for a few cipheric pieces of my own?"


    I reached out a hand, and Obolis tossed the obelisk to me. The dark sphere opened up a red status panel in my vision. Every word, sentence, and phrase worded itself exclusively in the cipher. This could be instrumental for learning more advanced pieces of the ancient language, so I let out a sharp breath while stating,


    "No."


    Obolis shrugged with a knowing grin, "I can''t be blamed for trying. Now, I''ve no idea what that''s for, but it''s ancient. So ancient that it likely precurses even Schema. By my estimation, some civilization uprooted itself in the advent of this advanced technology. That parallels the remnants'' fall. Gah, isn''t it fascinating? I''d love to give it to a few of my exiled guildmembers and see what they''d make of it."


    "Exiled guildmembers?"


    He waved a hand, "Not everyone who''s attuned to the cipher may rise high enough in Schema''s system to study it. I give these exiled members protection and the opportunity to study the cipher at their leisure. They compensate me with their discoveries and becoming exiled."


    "Huh. Why not work with the eldritch instead?"


    Obolis let out a sigh of frustration, "I''ve tried, but the Overseer has refused me any permit for such a situation. Speaking of forbidden access, I know you work with Amara and Hod. How did you gain that kind of access to study with them? Of course, only answer if you''re willing to share?"


    I glanced at Amara, who stood by the food. She sliced it apart with her hair strands until it was a fine mush. She scarfed down the mushed bones and liquefied flesh like a vacuum cleaner right after. While I didn''t know much about her, Althea mentioned how she was an apprentice to a Builder.


    Considering how volatile a position that must''ve been, it amazed me how Amara made it this far. She bore a weight from those unspoken experiences that gave her a scornful and desperate disposition. Only recently did she open up, and mainly from the armor I gave her. Even with that mysterious nature of hers, I trusted her because of her mission on Gypsum. She hadn''t let me down yet.


    Schema would never offer that kind faith in her, but the AI allowed her to be a part of my guild. If I had to guess why, it was because of how pivotal she was for my success. Those accomplishments resulted in more eldritch being killed than just her death alone. Like me, Amara amounted to an investment, and Schema wanted the full benefits of his gamble now that it was paying off.


    Once it quit giving, he''d likely have her killed. If he''d be able to by then.


    I raised my eyebrows, "We''re a part of his risk-reward strategy, I''d guess. I know my region''s Overseer owed me for killing Yawm too, and he might''ve given her access. She''s still an unknown. Anyone here could kill her for experience if they wanted to."


    Obolis let out a hearty laugh before covering his mouth, "And what? Have you barreling after them? There are worse consequences than Schema''s bounties and Breakers. You are among them."


    "Eh, thanks. I''d probably just smash them to death, though."


    Obolis winced, "Yes, you could, but most have seen how you fight by now. It''s monstrous, more like an animal or machine than a sentient. With only slight alterations, your capacity for torture would be legendary." He coughed into a hand, "If you would lower yourself to such a practice."


    I did have the skill, though I never intended on leveling it. The Emperor straightened himself out, "Now, enough pleasantries. There was a matter I needed to discuss with you before I perused this gathering of rarities."


    "Ah, Plazia-Ruhl, right?"


    "That''s correct. I know you''ve been rooted in this conflict since its inception, and that has given you minimal leeway. I''ve offered my understanding, and I will continue to do so. But, due to this truce-"


    "I have time on my hands, right?"


    "You''ve understood my meaning. When can I anticipate your assassination of Plazia?"


    "I''ll be leaving tomorrow for it. It probably won''t take long."


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "Hah, excellent. That''s simply superb. I was frightened you''d call off the arrangement at this rate, considering the sheer amount of expansion you''ll be mounting in the meantime. I''d have forgiven you for it as well. I, too, feel the desire to conquer, though for different reasons."


    Being pooled together with the Emperor didn''t sit right with me, but I chose not to fight it out here. I crossed my arms, keeping the subject off comparisons,


    "I''d be lying if I said I never considered stopping our deal, but I don''t think Plazia should be that difficult to get rid of, considering he''s stayed small enough on the ahcorus''s homeworld to keep it from becoming fringed."


    "That''s a reasonable point, but never underestimate a Ruhl. They are spoken of in ballads across most worlds as the destroyers of planets."


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I tapped one of my forearms with a knuckle, letting out a metallic ring, "I never would. My first dungeon boss kill was from a Ruhl."


    Obolis blinked, "Now that''s a surprise. Where and why would Schema not warn you of that? Perhaps you could speak more of it?"


    "I''ll just say this - Ruhl''s are the real deal. Either way, their intelligence is what makes them deadly, not their combat potential. Considering my abilities, I don''t think Plazia will be able to outsmart the sheer power difference. It''s like me trying to outsmart Eonoth. Positioning and strategy can only compensate so much."


    Obolis''s eyes grew dark, "I''d remind you that is precisely what Elysium has done, according to the reports from Helios."


    "That''s what Elysium would like to think, but I don''t know if you can outsmart an Old One. To me, they appear to have precognizance, meaning they hold all the chips and cards in their hands at all times. If they hand you some chips, it''s because they know they''ll win them back."


    I grimaced, "That means no matter how you interact with them, it''s to their benefit and not your own. That''s why everyone who serves an Old One ends up becoming a corrupted abomination. That''s why even though I''m not a genius, I''m still smart enough to know when to avoid a losing situation."


    One of Obolis''s eyebrows raised, "Are you scared of them?"


    "Pshh, scared? No, I''m terrified."


    "Perhaps there is wisdom in that. According to my recounts of historical tellings, encounters with the Old Ones are relatively mixed. Some gain glory unbounded while others are washed into depths of unspeakable gloom. You''ve seen Yawm''s descent and what he became, but you''ve never seen the full extent of an avatar''s rise. They are remarkable."


    I winced, remembering how I was technically an avatar for Etorhma. Obolis misread my expression, "That isn''t to say your own advancement isn''t comparable. It''s simply to point out that there are others like you, anomalies who defy the rules and constraints that others are subject to."


    The last thing I''d be wincing about would be rivals popping up. If anything, that sounded exciting. They might appear one day, but for now, the Emperor clapped his hands, "Now, that''s enough talk of history. I''m going to continue peering through these goods if you''d like to join me."


    I shook my head, "I think I''m going to meet the other guests instead."


    "Fair enough. Enjoy your celebration, as I most certainly will."


    Obolis stepped off, speaking with a supergolem guard. They began walking through each of the displays, the supergolem holding different items for his inspection. Others perused the items under the gaze of my bouncers, so I left them to it. Joining a crowd more kindred to my own spirits, I found Wrath, Hod, and Amara indulging in the food they sprawled out.


    The delicacies weren''t originally haphazardly lapped about, but these two gluttons pulled together two vast piles of food as they had on the Nebula Drifter. At this table, Hod faced off once again with Wrath. Other Hod would''ve stood no chance against Wrath in an eating contest, but Other Hod had left long ago when the party first began. His ganglier, goofier version sat beside Wrath.


    Hod had returned in full force, and he indulged without end.


    Hod licked his claws in his beak, "Ah, Hod respect goop lady. Goop lady eat lots. But, Hod know goop lady lose. Hod outeat anyone besides Hod. It make Hod wonder if Hod versus Hod ever end. Hod not think so. Hod think food end first."


    Hod sat atop his own swollen belly, comical and kind of grotesque. Wrath did the same, though her slime body seemed better suited for this. She struggled on, trying to muster an ounce of hunger for herself. As she did, Hod stared down at her with unblinking eyes. He radiated confidence so absolute that his gaze trumpeted his victory louder than an orchestra.


    Without even a morsel of hesitation, Hod downed an oversized animal thigh, bone and all. He leaned towards Wrath, "Hod wonder, is goop lady like balloon. Hod wonder if balloon lady better name than goop lady. Hod also wonder..."


    His face got right beside Wrath''s, "Will balloon lady pop?"


    Wrath''s face fell forward, smacking into her bowl of food as she passed out. Hod was victorious, and cheers from an onlooking crowd echoed across the commons. My voice was among them, but most of this audience composed of servants, their lower station allowing them to enjoy something so primal. If a royal did the same, they''d be a laughing stock at some haughty court for months afterward.


    But that didn''t mean only servants enjoyed this struggle. Beyond these butlers and maids, other razor queens inspected the scene. They carried hulking yet ever-shifting frames, each of the amorphous blobs a different color and shape. One of them shifted like a pool of cerulean water, maintaining no resolute form. Another kept themself covered in a keratinized shell of sharpened teeth, none of its amorphous body exposed.


    The other razor queens fell somewhere between those two extremes. It was a feast for the eyes, given their ambient colors, and they stuck out like a rainbow come to life. A lavender-shaded razor queen caught me gazing, so it wriggled up towards me, about half my size. It spoke out, "Your follower is a dichotomy. It leaves its eldritch mind behind, but those instincts remain. It consumes many times its size, yet it hungers forth, as all the eldritch do."


    The lavender razor queen shivered, "Wrath has spoken of your hunger as well. She says it is legendary, unending, a void of consumption lasting an eternity...But I know nothing of it. Those tales are but words, and words can mean little."


    I shrugged, "Those stories are definitely true, in this case. I could probably outeat Hod if I wanted to."


    Hod turned to me. He lurched forward, but his bulbous mass of a belly held him back, "Hod disagree with Harbinger. Harbinger lie! Harbinger not outeat Hod. Hod challenge Harbinger. Hod never lose."


    He raised both his winged hands, each arm looking more like a rail than a limb. I walked up and smiled, "Come on, you know I could tear through all the food on this planet right now if I wanted to."


    Hod''s imposing demeanor deflated as he rested on his previously eaten food. His eyes watered, "But...But Hod want victory. Victory taste better than food. Some food. Ok, most food better than victory, but victory still nice."


    He stared up at me in desperation, so I put my hands on my hips, "I surrender. You win."


    Hod lifted his hands, the hollow victory meaning no less to him than a real one, "Yes. Hod relish victory forever."


    Without a second of consideration, Hod turned to a different razor queen. Hod puffed his chest out and put his hands on his huge gut, "Hod may not have mentioned, but Hod outeat even Harbinger."


    The razor queen stared at him as if he was an idiot.


    Hod nodded, "Hod know. Hod impressive."


    I laughed a bit, his oblivious innocence both funny and refreshing. The guy enjoyed his simple pleasures, taking life on in a literal fashion. I envied that candor at times, and most people could use more of that attitude in general. I knew I could. I turned back to the lavender razor queen,


    "Anyways, what''s your name? Mine''s Daniel."


    The lavender slime shifted, its form rippling as jagged teeth spawned over its surface. Eyes bubbled up from beneath its outer membrane, the orbs more mock imitations of eyes than anything. They floated about in an unsettling, eerie way before locking in on me. Those eerie oculi remained off-center.


    It was like the slime was trying its damndest to fall in the uncanny valley, and it was doing a great job of it. It said, "I am Envy."


    It created limbs before trying to stand my height. Lanky and thin, it did so with effort. I tapped my sides while trying to manage the situation, "It''s good to meet you too, Envy...So, uh, what are you doing?"


    "I am trying to emulate your form. It is invigorating to do so, as you hold combative aggression at all times. I wish to have this for my own."


    "It sounds like you live up to your namesake then."


    Its disturbing ''face'' pooled up close to mine, no fundamental understanding of personal space in its mind, "I would take everything from you. Your mind, your metal, that ominous glow of your mask...I wish for all of it, and I would take it if only I could."


    It got even closer. The stench of rubbing alcohol permeated its body, dense like a napkin drenched in the stuff. It echoed, "If only."


    I pressured it with Event Horizon. It shivered, returning towards its previous blobular shape. I raised my eyebrows, "That''s good to know, but you might want to be a bit less candid when meeting someone new. Especially when you have a personality like that."


    Envy backed away, "I...Yes. I understand, Harbinger. I meant what I spoke of like a compliment, but it is difficult for me. My urges, they carry me away at times, as if I were but a stick within a river."


    "Huh, alright. I get that. Just keep some distance between us, and we''ll be fine. No harm, no foul."


    Envy skulked away, disheartened by our encounter. Dammit, now I felt bad. It wasn''t how I wanted my first talk with a razor queen to go, but if I allowed Envy to pressure me, the others would do so as well. Speaking of other razor queens, I turned to them, "So, does anyone else want to introduce themselves, preferably with more personal space involved?"


    The slimes stared at me without a word. They all blanked, their shifting bodies unreadable. One slithered towards me, an emerald-hued razor queen with forest green blotches closer to its center. It murmured, "You speak without riddles on your tongue. It is joyous for us, as many who walk on two legs are difficult to understand. I am simple to comprehend, as I am known as Reason."


    "Huh, it''s good to meet you. I''ll be visiting your homeworld soon to eradicate Plazia. Sorry for the wait."


    "It is a battle centuries in the making. To wait further is no tall ask for such a short time. We wonder yet worry what you will think of our home."


    "That depends on what kind of place it is."


    "It is a darker world than this. It carries little water, plumes of gas crawling along its surface like an ahcorus youngling learning to uphold a form. We live in caverns beneath the ground, ones we carved ages ago. You will find food present, though not like this. It is far coarser and less rich."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You mean rocks, right? Wrath told me that you all ate minerals."


    "She is correct. We serve visitors crystallized mana, as they may consume little else aside from that delicacy."


    I squeezed a hand, throwing Reason a chunk of quintessence, "Like this?"


    Reason reached out with a partitioned section of herself. The blob spread about before claws expanded from her outer membrane. They grasped the gemstone, ogling it. Reason rippled back and forth, "Great joy in this gift. Thank you. Thank you."


    The crystal submerged into her body, and it dissolved as the razor queen radiated with white energy. Reason inched closer, "I may host your colony, if need be, within my own domain. From there, you may attack the great besieger and ruler of the underworld. It will desiccate your mind should you allow it to."


    I shrugged, "Alright. Sounds good to me."


    Reason trembled as memories passed through her mind, "That monster is beyond reckoning. Its moves are more than we may understand. Its intentions are beyond comprehension. No matter your approach, it will be the greatest battle of your life. Anticipate a journey that will hollow your soul and leave your life forever altered."


    I blinked, kind of intimidated but keeping my confidence, "Is it hungry?"


    Reason jiggled, "Always."


    I raised a hand, "I''ll give it a knuckle sandwich."


    Another razor queen came up, the cerulean one. It spoke with a voice like harmony, "Ah, I know of this sandwich. Are you serving your hands as a poisonous dish. That is quite clever."


    The other razor queens nodded to each other. I gave up correcting them, and they each introduced themselves. They took on various names from common concepts. As with Envy and Reason, those concepts reflected the razor queens'' approach to life and their colonies. It was an exciting conversation.


    I even learned that Wrath convinced them of Plazia as a threat worth exterminating. As insinuated by her name, Wrath acted with the most aggression, so it made sense she championed the effort to kill the nested Ruhl. We continued the discussion, our topics revolving around their food and lesser slimes, but before I learned much, a spike in mana nearby lured me away from them.


    Stepping back, I found an ark or two of arcane energy amidst a group of albony. I leaned over, curious about who controlled the violet electricity, and I found a familiar face. It was a Speaker I met a long time ago before I even killed Yawm. I remembered him as a skeptilian who covered himself in runic markings. The Speaker turned to me, still covered in the blackened scales of some draconian eldritch.


    It was Tera, The World Breaker. I spread out my hands when I saw him, "Hey, Tera, it''s good to see you again. Long time no see."


    The Speaker turned to me, gawking as I loomed over him like a giant,


    "I''m sorry, Harbinger, but I don''t think we''ve met."

 306 Fitting Right In

    I leaned back while opening my arms wide, "What? You don''t remember me? I guess it''s harder with my helmet on."


    Tera''s eyes narrowed while he searched his memories, many thousands of people popping up in them. He shook his head, "You''re not like many I''ve met if anyone."


    "I''m Daniel Hillside. You helped me with getting access back into the system because I was messing around with the cipher."


    Tera''s eyes glazed over, and they stayed that way for a few seconds. As I began believing he forgot me entirely, his eyes widened as if someone attacked him,


    "You''re that Harbinger? No, no way. That''s impossible. Absurd. You actually ended up killing Yawm?"


    I pointed behind me at Hod, who bragged about his food contest cred. Hod''s belly jiggled as I scoffed, "No, he did. I helped out, though."


    Tera kept peering back and forth, unable to form words for a minute. He gasped, "You''ve changed. Excuse me for not recognizing you, but you''re so different. Utterly changed...Unbelievable."


    I gave him a light nudge on the shoulder with my fist, "So have you."


    As we spoke, I found myself using another of my psyches to observe him in tandem. This other mind noted Tera''s nature-based motif, all of his goods based on organic means of combat or control. Unfamiliar vials of different poisons strapped onto the front of Tera''s chest, along with other potions at his side. He took the teeth and claws from his enemies, making them into his weapons. Those tools covered him.


    The observing psyche even passed over its own comparisons. The mind mentioned how Tera was like an experienced handyman, just one that dealt in death instead of construction. All that flowed into my acting consciousness while another inspected Tera''s titles and status.


    Tera, The World Breaker(lvl 9,000 | Class: Speaker | Race: Skeptiles | Origin: Mowak | Age: 47 |...)


    This other mind found a staggering difference in information when compared to my first inspection of Tera. Funneling in like some video feed, the anima gave me a laundry list of every detail I could''ve ever desired, even more than I wanted. One of the more valuable tidbits was Tera only gained a thousand levels since we last met while I''d gained over ten thousand. This other mind decided that I still looked up to the Speaker anyways.


    The curious conscious even reminded me that Tera gave me a vial of eldritch energy that accelerated my evolution. It was pivotal at the time. Now Tera was here, wondering about at a party on Blegara. It seemed odd to me and my other mind. Combine that with all the additional insights, and I swallowed in apprehension.


    All of this knowledge assaulted me like the crushing weight of the world on my shoulders. I kept talking despite it all,


    "Man...it''s great to see you. How have you been?"


    I told the other minds to quit sending me so much info as Tera turned, peering around, "I''m doing well. I can see how you''ve been just by peering around. You''ve grown until you''re hardly recognizable. I dwarfed you when we first met, and now you do the same to me. Hah, I remember when Schema tasked you with killing Yawm of Flesh. Now you have exceeded him, and you have a nice little slice of this galaxy to yourself."


    He gave me a genuine smile, "You''ve done very well for yourself."


    His words uplifted me, but at the same time, my other psyches kept funneling in observations. One mind mused that Tera was like my older brother returning from a visit across continents. Now that Tera came back here, I finally showed him all the progress I made. This anima noted the feeling permeated because Tera knew me before I turned into a ruler of worlds.


    It made his compliment more sincere because he didn''t assume I spawned from a race outside of Schema-owned space. Tera understood the full extent of my humble origins. That made his current tone of respect feel earned instead of given.


    Though I appreciated the insights, having those thoughts flopped into my mind put me on edge. Keeping up with everything proved impossible, and I took a sharp breath. This was too much to take in at once, and it paralyzed me. The Manifold Mind skill carried infinite potential, but its darker showed itself now.


    A disparate psyche thought through the reason why - I didn''t use it like this, ever. I automated tedious, meh functions that required little thought. That meant organizing the minds was like coordinating menial laborers. Now, this was like speaking for a council of Daniels, each of them shouting in my ear.


    The insights washed me away in a veritable sea of helpful info.


    I hid my internal struggle as I smiled at Tera, "Thanks...So, why are you here of all places?"


    Tera narrowed his eyes at me, "You ok? You seem like your in pain."


    I was. Being the head of this council of Daniels exceeded my ability, especially when they expected me to understand their counsel and act accordingly in real-time. It left me fumbling for more mental processing power. Stretching out into my mana reserves, something clicked in my mind as I grasped out.


    My mana drained, and I found enormous amounts of processing power at my disposal, all of it left unused. As this acuity flooded in, the mana siphoning into my cipheric runes dampened a bit. I undulated these two ends like a scale, finding my mind''s speed correlated with the mana''s changing stream. A realization clicked in as that happened; I could turn mana into mental processing power.


    Duh.


    I never understood that or used it, probably because of how my blood magic operated. It made mana a more physical activity for me. However, this was likely how most people ''made'' mana. They sacrificed their mental abilities to generate the tangible forces of mana. Afterward, they tempered the energy into something useful.


    I excelled at generating the energy from my own blood, and I tempered it well compared to most. However, since I always sacrificed blood and bone for it, I never made this mental connection. I skipped this step long ago while in BloodHollow. In a moment of desperation to generate mana, I destroyed my own body instead of drawing it from my mind.


    I shook my head, stunned at my ignorance. It was a gut punch, one that left me breathless. Tera put a hand on my shoulder, "Are you sure you''re ok?"


    "Yes. I''m fine."


    I gulped. If I''d just made this connection earlier, there were many, many issues I could''ve handled independently. The logistics behind our war, learning quicker than ever, and even just speaking better was all within my grasp. I had never seized this connection or ability, and that left me neutered compared to my potential.


    I shook away a wave of guilt, ashamed at how long I''d gone without knowing all of this. Reigning my emotions in, I put this behind me for a second, trying to work with the new ability. Pulling in my mana, my mind responded like a viper''s strike. It flourished under the untamed energy''s influence.


    Using the improvements, my psyche gained a volition I hardly comprehended. Acting out with this bizarre, unwieldy processing, I contemplated all the streams of information at once. Unlike before, the insights soaked in with ease. In that way, I didn''t gain any creativity or brilliance from the shifting mana. It was more like memorization and extra time to think.


    Still, knowledge was power. Connections snapped into my head as my mind assimilated data. This mental conversion was how Torix operated as he did with so many tasks at once. It was also how the Overseer handled other duties while speaking with me. I could even explain the supernatural observance of the Emperor with it. He noted details and thought about them quickly enough that it seemed simultaneous even if it wasn''t.


    All those possibilities cropped up in my own mind, but I stared down under strain. My hands shook as the sheer pace of my mind overwhelmed me. Even if I now understood this newfound force, wielding the tool was a different matter altogether. I twitched about, unable to tolerate it all.


    Tera gave my arm a light tap, "I''m about to call for help."


    Snapping back into the moment, I raised a hand,


    "I''m fine, I''m fine. I was trying to use a new skill while speaking with you, but it wasn''t working out. That''s why I was acting weird."


    I''d have to investigate the mana connection some other time.


    "You sure? I can have someone check you out. You did just finish a battle, and lingering injuries could be, you know, lingering."


    I shook my head with confidence, "I''m fine. Better than fine. I can finally breathe for a minute instead of racing headfirst into death every day. I''m just adjusting to that. It''s a little surreal."


    "Hm...I''ll listen to you for now, but if you start shaking again, I''m going to get someone over here that could actually help you."


    "I''m sure you could give me a potion or something."


    Tera raised an eyebrow, "And lose the credits when someone else could handle that for me? I''d rather not. I need every credit I can get."


    Another observation came in. Tera was poor. I gave just a pinch of mana into my mental faculties so that I wasn''t thrown off in the conversation,


    "So, are you struggling to find work?"


    Tera sighed, "Quite the opposite, actually. I''ve been handling missions for Schema and the Empire. I''ve been busy this way for years now. That''s why I''ve fallen behind on most recent events. I knew we were going to the Harbinger''s party here, but I didn''t think the Harbinger also killed Yawm. I neglected to do any research beforehand."


    More observations streamed in. Tera was overwhelmed by his current position and often isolated. I kept talking with those facts in mind,


    "With your skills, you might''ve been able to get a good offer from someone in my position. Why not do the research?"


    "Hah, I''d never find the time to capitalize on the opportunity. This war gives me all the work I could ever need, and I''m sure you understand that. I''m also not in the position to be asking anything from someone from your station. I''m just trying to get by, at the moment."


    That was a loaded statement, but I chose not to pry, "I can relate. Like I mentioned, I''m glad to have finally crawled my way out of the war." I turned to the display cases, "And with something to show for it. How about you? Any good loot lately?"


    His eyes softened, "No, not particularly."


    I raised an eyebrow, not that Tera could see it, "Ah, did Schema not give you a quest either?"


    Tera gawked at me, "Schema didn''t even give you a quest? No wonder your guild signed a ceasefire. You''re just throwing yourselves against a wall with teeth and for nothing at this point."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "I know. I couldn''t justify it anymore either. Its weird Schema didn''t give me a quest, however."


    "That''s not like Schema. It wouldn''t normally fail to seize an opportunity like this. It doesn''t make sense that the crafty AI would miss out when it sees everything either."


    I sighed, "I''m right there with you, but we''re trying to figure it out. I have a meeting with the Overseer planned and everything. Anyways, you''re still getting quests. Anything interesting lately?"


    His gaze averted mine once more, "I''ve got plenty of quests, but they don''t amount to much, even when I do complete them. Such is life, sometimes."


    I caught an undertone in his voice. He wasn''t looking away to think or ponder. He peered away out of shame, something I was all too familiar with. I''d seen it happen to people who met up after a long absence. One progressed, and the other stagnated. The comparison put one of them in a dim light as if they stood still while everything moved around them.


    At least, that''s what a mind of mine sent over, and I happened to agree with myself. Weird as all that was, I hated seeing an old friend go through this, especially when it was someone who helped me out. I waved my hands in circles, entering my problem-solving mode,


    "Are the quests not balanced or something? I know you''re getting a lot done. I mean, you have the title of a world breaker. No way that doesn''t mean something impressive."


    He rubbed his shoulder as if I struck him, "It''s not what you''re imagining. You''re an actual breaker at this point. My past isn''t that glorious."


    Sensing a deep pain there, I dropped the issue while pointing at an exit out of the chamber, "Hey, if you need to talk, I can listen. It sounds like something''s eating at you."


    My concern resulted in the opposite reaction I wanted. It only exacerbated Tera''s unease, his anxiety growing as he murmured, "Daniel, I haven''t changed much since we last saw each other. As I said, I''m just getting by, so let''s not talk about me. Let''s talk about you and your stories. I know you have plenty to share. Let''s talk about those instead."


    Normally, I''d have let the subject slide and did what he asked, but there was an edge to his voice that I didn''t like. Pressing the issue might''ve been a terrible idea, but I couldn''t watch him hide his torment like that. Not when I was in the position to fix it.


    And so, my minds shifted into place to accomplish my current goal. One of them inspected his titles further, figuring out he worked under the Empire. I narrowed my eyes at Tera,


    "Ok, this is all I''ll say about it. You work for the Empire. You''re accomplishing plenty but getting very little back. Are they messing with your quest rewards or something like that?"


    I heard the beating of his heart clearly in my ears, and it sped up as I spoke. Another explanation from a mind confirmed those thoughts, meaning I was on the money. I raised a hand, "They''re gouging you, aren''t they?"


    Tera turned side to side, "Daniel, drop it. Please."


    I didn''t use my perception like this as I rarely felt the need. At this moment, the demand arose, however. Drawing from my multiple minds, I considered Tera''s words and motivations. I listened to his pulse, sensed his sweat, and witnessed his gravitational ripples. Another mind spoke out as they all communicated in sync,


    "So they''re taking your quest rewards. You wouldn''t do that unless you had to. They''ve got something you don''t want them to take, like a family, guild, a village, I don''t know."


    As I spoke, his heart rate spiked at the mention of family and village. I nodded, "You''re working for them to protect your people." My eyes widened, "Wait...You''re a servant?"


    Tera blinked as I pried information from him he didn''t want to share. He wasn''t the only one surprised. A Manifold Mind synergized with my Hunter of Many skill, a perception-based, mythical tier ability of mine. They gave me a clear picture of everything. With the extra mana working in my favor, I grasped the situation and its inner workings with precision and speed as well.


    It gave me an eerie, almost inhuman understanding of what happened around me. It kind of scared me, actually. Tera remained unaware of this inner shift, thinking I was just an ass. He was probably right about that. He whispered at me, but his words fumed like glowing embers,


    "Why are you doing this? What did I do to deserve this interrogation?"


    I whisper yelled back, "You helped me. I want to help you."


    We kept whispering as Tera snapped, "Yes, you''re right. I''m a servant. That''s all I''ve ever been. Does that please you that the great Speaker who looked down on you is nothing more than a tool? Is that what you wanted to hear?"


    I frowned, "No, that sucks. I''m not prying because I want to embarrass you. I want to understand so I can help."


    His eyes narrowed, "Help me for what? My mission was automated from Schema. I didn''t do it because I wanted to."


    I shook my head, "I''m not thankful for that. You gave me that vial of eldritch energy. Without it, I don''t know if I would''ve survived."


    His thorny brows furrowed as he scoffed, "I might as well have thrown you some trash I had on hand. No, I did throw you trash. You know that, right?"


    I stared at him with an unbending will, "One man''s trash is another man''s treasure."


    He raised his hands, "You''re going to get me punished."


    I crossed my arms, "No, I''m not. Besides, you helped me. I aim to repay you because you didn''t have to, yet you did."


    Tera raised his hands to me in frustration, "Then repay me by ceasing this line of questioning and let me be."


    "No."


    He shook his hands, "What is wrong with you?"


    I parroted back, "No, what''s wrong with you?"


    "A cataclysmic world ender is scrounging in my business. That''s what''s wrong with me."


    I pointed at him, "What''s wrong with you is that you won''t let me help you out."


    "I''m not going to be put into another contract or arrangement for someone else. Never again. Not for you. Not Schema. Not Baldowah if he calls. No one."


    "You think I need a contract to help you here? I''m helping you regardless."


    Tera rolled his eyes, "I''m sure the great and mighty Harbinger just gives out gifts like this."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Oh, you just wait. I''m going to help the shit out of you."


    At this point, our voice rose until several nearby albony stared at us. One of the wealthiest ones paced up, his armor mirroring Obolis''s graphene plating. Old and vulnerable, this albony wore a black mask with a noble voice. He turned to Tera, "Is this peasant bothering you, Harbinger? We can have him punished and taken off the premise if you''d like."


    He spoke the wrong words in the wrong order, let me tell you. That being said, it was because he mistook our discussion as an argument. Maybe it was, but I wasn''t actually mad at Tera, just frustrated. I turned to the old albony, my form looming like the shadow of a mountain,


    "No, that won''t be necessary. He and I are having a talk."


    Under his well-stained mask, the old albony smirked. He believed the social pressure of the situation stopped me from punishing this servant. The albony turned a hand to me, "We assure you, there won''t be any complaints from us should we need to have him reminded of his position. Someone, take him outside."


    He put a hand on my shoulder, acting like we were familiar. I grabbed his hand with a gravity well, wrenching it off, "Oh no, there''s no need to remind him of anything. Actually, he''s an old friend of mine, so let me remind you that when you speak to him, you''re speaking in part to me."


    I stood over a head taller than him, "That means threatening Tera is threatening me. In case you needed to know, I don''t require reminders of my position or punishments for speaking. Not from you. Not from anyone."


    The old albony flushed in embarrassment as his face flared bright red under his fur. Before the conversation continued further, my minds came together as they had with Tera. They observed close enough that I saw right through this old albony. His shame shriveled into fear as his blood rushed from his face to his stomach.


    I could tell by the shifting pressure in his vessels, each beat of his heart pounding in my ears like a drum. He raised a hand with a single finger upright as if he had a witty retort. I called out his false courage, tilting my head at him. My questioning glare fizzled any response he had. My helemet remained on, but the slit shifted up with an expression all its own. This albony, whoever it was, understood my disdain. That killed his courage, and he could no longer speak out.


    Even in the heated moment, it stunned me how much information I could gain by listening closely. The albony''s bodily reactions, the rate of his pulse, even the tension in his veins, I sensed it all. I mean, I formed a picture of him without needing vision, but I''d simply never understood just how much detail I could render in that theoretical picture.


    From that mental image and its intricacies, it became simple to gain information. It was like this with Tera earlier. Florence remarked on this exact circumstance an hour ago; I could uncover what people wanted to hide if I observed closely. I never considered it, but higher leveled people experienced this dominance at all times. This tangible difference in ability, I perceived it now, and once recognized, it became undeniable.


    This nobleman, who wielded a high station, was rendered helpless as a child because of my stats. His inner thoughts leaked out in ways he couldn''t control, so I understood him. My multiple minds allowed me to inspect those hidden messages, and my increased processing meant I thought out my every action.


    By comparison, this albony reacted to me. It was a game rigged in my favor now. Combine that with my physical superiority, and he was at my mercy. This absurd ability gave me an electric thrill from its hidden potential. In other ways, it terrified me. My current actions explained why people treated high-level classers with respect bordering reverence. Abusing this difference felt wrong. It made me wonder what kind of person I''d be if I exploited it. Maybe another Yawm? Perhaps a Lehesion? I listened to those fears in the back of my mind because I didn''t want to be that kind of person. Following that instinct, I raised a hand,


    "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. You misspoke because you didn''t understand the situation. I get that because I''ve done the same thing plenty of times. Let''s just reset."


    A wave of relief, palpable as water, washed over the older albony as he nodded, "Oh, most certainly. Do excuse my transgression. I never would''ve anticipated you two had met. Now Tera, why didn''t you speak of this?"


    Tera''s squeezed a scaly fist, "I...I didn''t know we knew each other. I didn''t recognize him."


    A quiet fury brimmed under the older albony''s words, "Oh, of course. We all forget things from time to time. You''re more than forgiven for such a simple slight."


    Based on his tone, the albony acted as the person in charge of Tera, and I searched through the memorized list Florence gave me. I connected this albony with the name Phillip Novas. He matched the picture and description in my status. He was a general who retired after getting Obolis another planet under his repertoire.


    Phillip accomplished the feat by bankrupting the planet instead of fighting it, saving Obolis countless troops. That put him in a very high position in the Empire. There were still members higher up than him, and one of those people stepped up - Obolis himself. The Emperor spread out his hands, casual as could be,


    "I overheard the conversation while I inspected the vast number of treasures on display. Excuse my interruption, but is there a problem?"


    My manifold minds kept humming at a rapid pace. The treasures. That''s why Obolis was so slow to respond. He oozed over the merchandise so much that his attention lapsed. Otherwise, he''d have intervened well before now, given his general perception. He made a mistake from greed, essentially, and I noted that weakness.


    Mistake or not, Phillips exuded terror as he spread his hands, "There''s absolutely no issue to be had here. I spoke out of turn, and the Harbinger gave me a wealth of understanding despite my transgression. I simply must apologize again for my indiscretion."


    Obolis spoke like steel, "As you should."


    If Phillip feared me, he writhed in terror at the Emperor. Obolis kept his gaze on the retired general, melting the older albony like butter in a roaring bonfire. He was the Carnage of Olstatia, after all. He earned that name in Schema''s eyes. Phillip was all too aware, but before Phillip''s skin peeled off, I raised a hand,


    "Hey, we''re good. He misunderstood the situation. Don''t worry about it."


    In all honesty, it wasn''t alright, but I didn''t want to press the issue right now. I''d save that for later after I talked things out with Tera. Unexpectedly, Obolis missed my lie as he placed a hand on my shoulder, "Thank you for your forgiveness. I''d have intervened earlier, but I was simply caught up in my viewing of your exotics. Please, excuse me as well."


    He gave me a slight bow, and the other albony gawked in stunned amazement. Their eyes turned back to me, and I raised my hands to my defense, "Hey, let''s let bygones be bygones. I''m going to go talk to Tera, and you guys continue enjoying the party. Please."


    The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Are you certain?"


    I was wrong. Obolis had seen right through my lie and wanted to settle it now. I met his eye, "I''m positive. Besides, we can always talk later."


    Obolis pulled his hand back, "Then it''s settled. Everyone, continue as you were."


    And as if the Emperor cast a spell on the crowd, they did exactly as he said, to the T. I held back my surprise as people chatted away with practiced comfort, some people beginning to laugh at old stories already. The sheer change acted like a surreal reversal.


    They obeyed Obolis absolutely. He was the Carnage of Olstatia indeed.


    I raised my brows behind my helmet, "Man, they''re good actors."


    Tera mumbled, "It''s much easier to truly listen when your life is on the line."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Speaking of lives, let''s go talk about yours for a minute."


    Tera''s fangs slid against each other as if he ground his teeth together,


    "Even if you give me temporary assistance, it won''t change my position. I am under the albony still, and now their ire will end up berating me over the coming months. I will suffer because you had to speak out, and for what? Your own satisfaction."


    He seethed, "That''s easy to do when you''re not the one who will pay the price for it. My family will pay in your stead for this. All of them."


    I smiled, "Come on, let''s go talk somewhere else. It''s time I made good on my offers. You know, help."


    He leaned over, "At this rate, your help will be the death of me."


    We paced towards Torix''s lair, "Oh, we''ll see about that."

 307 The Past and Present

    <div>


    <div>


    I pointed Tera towards the set of stairs leading to Torix''s lair. Tera followed me in a nervous trot. Once up the stairs, we found Torix still reading with his eyes plastered to a book. Little did he know I did the same. I waved a hand at the lich, "Hey, do you mind casting your silencing magic over one of the rooms in the temple? Maybe one with a view?"


    Torix raised his hands and snapped his fingers, "On the uppermost floor, third room on the left."


    I thanked him before Tera and I walked up. The skeptilian mercenary kneaded his hands out of nervousness, but I waved away his concerns, "You''ll be fine to talk as you like once we''re in the room, and there won''t be any consequences for it. I''ll make sure of that."


    Tera listened but chose to stay silent. Whether out of fear or respect, I couldn''t say. We crossed a hallway, a flight of stairs, and reached the room covered in Torix''s silencing magic. Once inside, Tera and I stepped up to a view of Saphigia. It was an ancient opening designed for the flow of water into the building. There, Tera and I rested with a full view of our surroundings.


    Hybrids remained in the foreground, but they no longer lingered. Elysium called them back towards vessels siphoning them elsewhere. They carried their dead and dying, along with other on-field supplies. We watched this retreat while I said,


    "So, you continue to serve the Empire. Why?"


    Tera stared down at the Hybrids, "They own us."


    "Us...You mean the skeptiles?"


    "They conquered our planet long ago. We''ve been under their imperial subservience since."


    A manifolded mind searched my memory. Something popped up. After first leaving BloodHollow, I fought two mercenaries scrounging in a low-level dungeon. They hunted for easy dungeon cores, ones they could then sell on the black market for credits. Their status showed they were petty scavengers at the time, so I managed to kill them despite them boasting a level lead.


    Unlike them, Tera was different. He was the first classer I ever saw, so I held him in higher regard. In the end, the Empire and Schema found no difference between them. I frowned,


    "You couldn''t escape subservience even when you''re capped and have a class?"


    Tera gave me a sardonic smile, his teeth like needles, "You would be amazed at how binding contracts can be when desperation and blood are the ink used to sign them."


    I tilted my head, "How''s that?"


    "I''m surprised you know so little about a faction you''re allied with."


    I stared down, wincing at his words, "Yeah, so am I."


    Tera waved his clawed hands, "It doesn''t matter. The Empire used standard tactics on our species. We bordered on becoming a fringe world, so they offered protection. We neglected their offer at first, but when the threat of glassing loomed overhead, we signed away our planet and our people."


    He let his palm clap against the stone railing, "And now this is what we''ve been reduced to. Servants."


    I shook my head, "Damn. I didn''t know."


    He shook his head, "You don''t have to apologize to me. I understand your position better than most. You were only a normal person a few years ago. This must all be unsettling, and the Empire must''ve been one of the only factions offering anything to you. Of course you''d take their deal. And just so you''re aware, most large factions aren''t any different from them. You shouldn''t judge them too harshly. They are not overtly cruel to us. Not usually."


    I guess being a gouging, autocratical asshole wasn''t so bad as long as everybody was doing it. Choosing to bring it up later, I nodded,


    "What I''m wondering is how the Empire still has you serving them despite your position. I mean, you''re a classer. Doesn''t that mean something?"


    His face contorted in pain, "Ah, you...You lack perspective. I must remind myself of that."


    "Did I say something rude?"


    "Yes. You did, and you''re right. Being a classer means something. I''m tied to the albony because I wished for my clan to be free, as you estimated. For them to remain unshackled, I''ve pledged servitude to the albony. I work for the albony now, and they pay me a modest stipend."


    I gazed at his variety of tools, "Ah, so that''s why your tools are from eldritch."


    He narrowed his eyes, "I am too poor to afford the proper gear. Thank you for the reminder."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Hey, it''s what I''m here for."


    Tera''s grim mood cracked, and he let out a small laugh, "Hah. I told you the same sort of thing when we first talked. You even mentioned how uncomfortable my own words were at the time. I guess I deserved that."


    I smiled, "Yeah, but you still gave me that vial of eldritch energy. I have to admit, it really changed my circumstances back then. I''m willing to do the same for you."


    Tera''s eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"


    "I''m willing to offer a new host planet for your village, along with a position in my guild."


    Tera''s jaw slackened. He raised his hands, his claws shaking, "What? Really?"


    "Yup."


    "This isn''t necessary. I''m satisfied with my arrangement. You don''t have to do that."


    I raised an eyebrow, "You have no reason to feel fear right now. You helped me once, and I aim to return the favor."


    Tera blinked, "That was a vial of eldritch energy. I held it to throw away for a Fringe Walker I worked under."


    I sighed, "Here''s the thing - you remind me of myself in a lot of ways. I just finished working with Schema, and he gave us nothing for battling his war. We were being taken advantage of, and I wasn''t able to move forward because of that. You''re like that right now."


    I raised a fist, "I don''t have to sit by and watch you wallow in that kind of state anymore. I can change circumstances if I so choose, and I want to."


    Tera shook his head, "I''m worried you don''t understand my position. You''re going to put yourself in another war, but this time with the Empire."


    "Are you that big a player in their guild?"


    "It''s as you''ve said. I accomplish a lot but am left with little. They skim off all that excess, and I doubt they''ll want to throw away that advantage."


    I narrowed my eyes, "They will."


    Tera gave up, letting his hands drop to his sides. Resigned to his fate, he shook his head at me, "You''re a raging eldritch in conversation, you know that?"


    I peered off, "Thanks for the compliment. Here''s a friend request. Send me the details of your current employer and all that. I''ll hand it off to Torix to get you and your village squared away."


    Tera watched me with a look of wonder on his face, "You''re more kind than you let on."


    I grimaced as Hybrids carried the corpses of fallen Elysium soldiers, "Eh, we can agree to disagree there."


    We gazed off at the view for a while. My reach, despite my lack of sight, was well beyond my expectations. The vibrations in the ground, the temperature shifts from variances in light, even the currents streaming, it fell into my comprehension. I kept my face oriented that way as Tera gave me a bow,


    "Thank you, Harbinger. I must be off. My lord is calling. If you don''t wish to follow through with all this, I won''t hold any animosity against you...Unless you don''t stop the repercussions, of course."


    I gave him a curt nod, and he left. Leaning on the edge of the temple''s opening, I contemplated. If there was one thing Tera was right about, it was my lack of knowledge regarding my allies, my enemies, and my everything, really. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth.


    I stared down at my hands, as I often did when I wondered about what I''d done up till now. At times, I felt like a fool way in over his head. I allied with the Empire without fully understanding their methods, though I signed on out of necessity at the time. I could''ve at least researched them first and tried to understand what they were trying to do.


    Yet, I hadn''t, and because of that, killing Plazia would support the Empire and their methods. Those weren''t procedures I agreed with, though they seemed better than Elysium at least. I also neglected so much of my potential by misusing my mana. I always, at all times, poured it into my cipheric markings. This paid dividends over time, granting me a lot of stats.


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    But, the price for that proved dear. I stunted my processing speed for tasks all the time up until now. That inability to see past my own nose was precisely why I was so inept. Something that enormous, that groundbreaking, lay at my feet, and I walked all over it instead of picking it up. I was an idiot. An imbecile. An oaf.


    I tried punching myself in the face. Forgetting my helmet was on, the echo from steel on steel grated my ears while the force of the tap shook the temple. More frustration mounted. Even that might''ve interrupted the party below, and my irritation just mounted even more. It was like I was given a gift I couldn''t even fully comprehend.


    And in my ignorance, I wasted it.


    My own powers exceeded my competence to use them. Hell, even my intelligence exceeded my ability to use it, if that even made sense. I mean, I always understood I wasn''t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I never took myself for a fool. This and my other mistakes made all of that obvious.


    These thoughts about my lack of foresight lingered as I stared at Elysium''s retreat. At least with them leaving, I could get this place up and running, along with Earth. I found some peace in that, and my self-loathing waned.


    Minutes passed before a pair of footsteps tapped along the cold stone of the Vagni temple. They sounded behind me, but I didn''t turn my gaze, inspecting the gravitation and finding the outline of a guild member. More precisely, a soldier, one equipped with an Omega Strain. Turning to them, I got a better look via my other senses.


    He wore a ring of my making along with many scars on his face and hands. He was an engineer of some kind, signified by his more conventional clothing, but his eyes hardened from the many battles he''d been through. Even if he stayed in the back to build structures, he still faced the Hybrids time and time again. It gave him a piercing sort of look, one that didn''t drift from eye contact.


    Taking off his hat and holding it in his hands, he spoke up, "Hello, sir. Are you busy?"


    I was always busy, but I had plenty of excess ''mind'' left to spare at the moment. I shook my head,


    "I''ve got time to talk. What''s on your mind?"


    He remained there, nervousness oozing out of the poor guy. Even sitting down, my head rose over his, and I struck an imposing figure, no doubt. That was one of the worst parts of the armor I wore. People never walked up and talked to me, at least not your average person. This was an exception, as this soldier had resolved himself to speak to me.


    I wasn''t going to ignore how much will it took just to walk up, especially after my temple shaking head tap. I gestured to the windowsill for him to sit, and he followed through with the nonverbal suggestion as if it were a spoken order. He coughed into his hand, "I heard your argument with Spear."


    "You did? What did you think about it?"


    I kept my tone light as I spoke. Getting an average person''s perspective might have given me some insight into the situation. This soldier offered that as he took a breath,


    "Well...I wanted to talk to you about what the Sentinel said about you. I know you did your best to talk about our guild and what you''ve done, but it didn''t seem right to me."


    Oh, I was well aware of my shortcomings at this point, but I figured why not add some more to the mix. I turned a hand to him,


    "How so?"


    "It''s a lot to talk about, but to make a long story short, you''ve done a lot more than you said you did."


    A sad smile traced my lips, "You might be putting me on a pedestal."


    "I''m not. I just know what I''ve seen and what it''s been like since the Schema arrived. I lost a lot of my family during the tutorial, both my grandparents, my wife, and my children. It was a terrible thing. I was lost for a few weeks before I ended up joining the Steel Legion."


    And I thought my situation was hard. My brow furrowed,


    "I''m sorry to hear that."


    He rubbed his nose, "It''s still hard to talk about, but it happened. I''m dealing with it, and I dealt with it the best I could by staying busy. The Steel Legion helped a lot with that. We gave everyone a refuge right after the initial chaos of Schema''s transition. That all changed when Yawm landed in Springfield."


    His eyes stared into a distant memory, "It was...it was awful. Horror. Corpses. Infection. I had to put down a lot of good people during those times, and their twisted faces still haunt me."


    "But you had to do it. There was no way to save them. I know because I did the same."


    "I ended up thinking the same thing. That''s what kept me going after it all went down. Back then, we kept losing people in droves before Torix came along and organized our guild. After that, our losses cut to a half and kept dropping until they barely trickled in."


    "Torix is incredible, no doubt."


    "But he wasn''t the only reason our losses cut down so much. I still remember you standing there, telling all of us that we didn''t need to fear the eldritch or Yawm. You told us that they weren''t devouring us. We were devouring them. It was a simple idea at the time. We take in experience when they die, and that makes us stronger as if we ate them."


    "It was definitely simple."


    He pointed at me, "But powerful ideas are in simple packages. I never thought of my situation like that. Having someone larger than life tell me about how the eldritch were afraid of even me? It never crossed my mind, but it changed how I thought about them forever. It took my fear and made it mine."


    I flushed, a bit embarrassed by the compliments, "Yeah. That was one of the more visceral speeches I''ve given."


    The soldier swung his fist, "And it lit us up like you wouldn''t believe. I ran in there, and we killed a whole slew of solar beetles and these abominable painting monsters. It really drove home that even if we were small, we could do a lot if we set our mind to it...That is until we saw Yawm."


    His eyes darkened, "And that''s when I felt hopeless again. He nearly blew us up in atomic fire. He was overwhelming, like a wrath-fueled god walking onto our planet to destroy us. We''d never have salvaged anything from that situation if it wasn''t for you and your team."


    I shook my head, "I''m the reason he arrived, to begin with."


    "I''ve heard it from Torix. He explained it all to us, as did Althea. You did what you had to do to survive. You couldn''t have known. Gosh, we''ve all done the same. And, and since then, look at all the good you''ve managed to do."


    Thinking of all my mistakes, I crossed my arms, "I think there was more that I could''ve done."


    The soldier stood up, his voice rising, "And that''s just it. I can''t sit by and watch you talk about yourself like that. Since we escaped Yawm, you''ve gone to other worlds, saved three species from being tools, and you made sure we were kept safe in the meantime."


    "Three species?"


    "Yeah. Us humans from Yawm, the gialgathens from Elysium, and the Vagni from the eldritch."


    I never thought about it that way. The nameless soldier threw up his hand, "I''d never have done what you did, but that''s because I wouldn''t have bothered. You rose above, put yourself at the frontlines the whole time, and you stood up for what you believed in. You shouldn''t feel ashamed about that."


    I never thought of myself like this. It was surprising to hear anyone did. The soldier raised both his hands, reaching out, "I''m sure you''ve made some mistakes, sir, but we all have. You''d done a damn good job of making up for them, whatever they were. Spear spoke like he and Schema never made a mistake in their lives, but I can promise you-"


    His voice cut sharp, fizzling out as he squeezed his hands. He shook as he spoke, "I can promise you they have. I lost my family because we weren''t worth their time. Now they''re asking us to keep giving until we have nothing. If it wasn''t for this guild, we wouldn''t have anything left to give. We''d all be dead or worse."


    His eyes watered before he calmed himself down. He took a deep breath and nodded at me, "I just had to say that. Thank you for all that you''ve done for us. Thank you for giving me a home."


    My eyes burned as he gave me a salute before walking off. I meant to catch his name, but he left before I processed what he said to me. Once away, he left behind a heaviness and lightness all the same. On the one hand, he showed me my actions carried consequences. On the other hand, not all those consequences were bad.


    Many of them were good.


    I found myself understanding his dilemma as well. He wallowed in guilt from surviving. From the outside looking in, he showed admirable grit and determination. I admired that drive to live, and he shouldn''t have felt bad about what happened after Yawm landed. He did what he had to do, and in a way, I think he was trying to tell me the same.


    It left me uplifted. Mistakes or not, I''d be able to help out my guild after killing Plazia. I stood tall while walking back into the celebration below. Passing Torix, I walked down the stairwell and found the party dying down. Obolis kept inspecting the goods, being the only one still doing so. The Emperor chatted away with a golem, keeping himself immersed in his fervent study of the items. Florence entertained guests with Hod, the both of them acting as a dynamic duo. That''s why the party lingered at all. Other pockets still existed, however.


    Amara spoke with the razor queens, discussing the merits of different meats. I paced up to several of the groups, walking back and forth between different cliques. Despite their rocky introduction, I preferred the razor queens to the albony royals. These aristocrats came across as haughty, entitled brats to me, though I decided against telling them that. However, I admit I cut them off on more than one occasion when they said something stupid, shortsighted, or entitled.


    Ok, I might''ve even relished doing so. Sue me.


    Either way, it was amazing how little a person could think when they came from wealth and privilege like that. Of course, not all of the albony acted like this. A few demonstrated determination and grit, going back and forth with me in conversation. I starred those people in my contacts, knowing how valuable certain people could be. Ophelia, Florence, and Helios acted as prime examples.


    By comparison, the razor queens stuck out like a quirky, offbeat group of eldritch. This gave them an endearing weirdness, one that instilled in me more motivation to take out Plazia-Ruhl. At a bare minimum, I''d be helping out a group of lovable weirdos. They got me interested in their culture and home planet as well. It sounded like a desolate place, but it would be different at the very least.


    These finishing talks made for a successful ending to the event. Florence wrapped it up with an announcement along with taking any offers for the merchandise someone might have. Florence sent me the list, which I sent to Torix, and he''d hand me the best offers of the bunch after doing research whenever he found the time.


    All in all, I gained more from thinking during the party than the actual party itself. Counting my victories where I could, I helped Florence lead the albony and razor queens towards our warping pad at the center of the city. Quests or not, the AI still gave us this necessity, so I gave him some credit where it was due.


    Before everyone departed, I tapped the Emperor on the shoulder before he stepped through his own portal. He turned to me, his gaze curious, "Ah, what do you need?"


    "Do you mind having a quick chat?"


    "Not at all."


    He took his foot from the polished floor of his study before putting his boot back onto the sandy stone of Blegara. With my own guild busy and his having left, we stood in a courtyard where my soldiers darted around for various tasks. In that throng of activity, I raised a hand,


    "I just wanted to touch on my conversation earlier."


    His eyes widened, "Ah, the one with Phillip. I''ll ensure he understands the full repercussions of what occurred. I can assure you of that."


    "I can talk with him in private if I need to. I''m more concerned with the skeptilian I spoke with, Tera."


    "So you weren''t saving his life when you spoke of him being an old friend then? The galaxy is smaller than it appears at times. I didn''t hear the rest of your conversation or its initial parts, as your presence dissipated entirely afterward. Magic, I assume."


    "You''re right. I spoke with him about being contracted under the Empire. I wanted to buy out the contract, along with his village. What''s your price?"


    A sly grin cropped up on the Emperor''s scarred face, "Oh, Tera? He''s not for sale."

 308 A New Dawn

    "You''re right. I spoke with him about being contracted under the Empire. I wanted to buy out the contract, along with his village. What''s your price?"


    A sly grin cropped up on the Emperor''s scarred face, "Oh, Tera? He''s not for sale."


    Chapter Begin


    I leaned back, "What? Of course he''s not for sale. I''m talking abofut the contract."


    Obolis rolled his eyes. "The difference between the two is negligible. Tera is an enormous pool of potential value, and while I understand your misgivings with our methods, I can''t offer him to you without excessive compensation."


    Several minds kicked into action, as before. The fluidity of the process came through better this time, making me less clunky and stunted. I turned a hand,


    "Then there''s got to be a price you''re willing to accept."


    Obolis furrowed his brow, "That''s the issue at hand; his value far exceeds what you believe it is. For that reason, the prices I''d state are unwieldy for you. At this time, that is."


    I raised my brow, "Try me."


    "Would you offer me all the treasure you gained from this ceasefire with Elysium?"


    I took a sharp breath, understanding that he wasn''t playing ''Mr. Nice Emperor'' anymore. I crossed my arms, "Ok...justify that demand."


    "Gladly. Tera is a Speaker who capped his level. He''s a member of the skeptilian race, giving him a natural affinity for arcane magic. This sorcerous potential gives him a similar combative ability to a Breaker but with the logistical strength of a Speaker. That combination is invaluable."


    I frowned, "You could just send in a Breaker and a Speaker in place of him. Now I''m all for classers and their powers, but I''m well aware their wages wouldn''t amount to that treasure over there. Don''t try to play me here."


    Obolis raised his palms, knowing he was pressing a nerve, "While I understand your hesitation, you must also understand what Tera has accomplished under Phillip''s instruction. Almost single-handedly, Tera gained the Empire another planet."


    Remembering Tera''s misgivings over his titles, I clicked together a few pieces of my previous conversation with Tera. He was a World Breaker. Based on what Obolis just said, the World Breaker title didn''t mean Tera literally shattered a world. He could''ve broken a planet in other ways. Putting two and two together, I gave Obolis a slow nod,


    "Ah, so that''s what happened. Tera bankrupted another large guild on a planet. He made the world go ''broke,'' so to speak, giving him his title. That''s also why Phillip is in the position he''s in; Tera earned it for him. That''s impressive. I''m guessing you came in and took over the world by buying out their debts?"


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "Well, well, perceptive, aren''t you? That''s correct. Tera gained us Absolon-78 by collapsing their economy. It was a genuine display of genius, and that''s why I can''t hand him over without absurd payment."


    I tilted my head, "That explains why Phillip didn''t seem that well put together despite wearing a black mask. Compared to Florence or Helios, he''s underwhelming by comparison."


    Obolis winced a bit at my words, the Emperor well aware of that issue, "You noticed that, hm? It''s a shame that he''s misrepresenting the Empire''s lofty impression, but I must reward the subjects who reward me. Otherwise, motivations may plummet, and few would serve me well in turn."


    "Then why not reward Tera? He''s the one who did all of that. Not Phillip."


    Obolis sighed, "Alas, the Empire is constructed with the albony at its center. To maintain order, I give the rights of lesser planets to my family members. Their management allows those planets to prosper, and what their subjects reap goes to the rulers above them. That is why Phillip wears the mask he does, even if his character doesn''t suit its expectations."


    "But by giving the rewards to the albony, you end up in a system where many people succeeding aren''t actually compensated. If you bend that system, even a little, many talented people will pop out of the woodworks. They''d want to achieve more because they would get what they deserve instead of helping those above them. It''s not that complicated, honestly."


    Obolis gave me a knowing smile, "Your idealism is admirable, if not infectious at times. However, you lack the perspective to understand why I do what I do. Until you gain that context, I would reserve judgments."


    I rolled my hand, "Lay it on me then. Let''s hear out those circumstances."


    "To put it concisely, all other large guilds employ these same tactics. If I neglect to use them, I end up well behind their curve of growth. Once behind, my guild would be susceptible to invasion by the eldritch and more. If I wasn''t pragmatic during the Empire''s inception, I''d have lost many of my worlds by now. I fear I would cease to own any planets at all, not even my own homeworld."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "And surely you understand how devastating that may be. Once owned, a race may be demoted to subservience, and it is a cruel fate. Through my maneuvering, I saved my own kind from that outcome. You may need to do the same for your own species, lest they become the prey of some other guild."


    Remembering Earth''s inadequate infrastructure, I nodded, but I wasn''t quite finished with my point. I raised a hand, "Yes, but those tactics may not be necessary anymore now that you''re established. If you think about it, by continuing to put the albony on top, you''ve weakened the loyalty of those you''re ruling. It comes across as unfair. That lacking loyalty is why you''re experiencing a rebellion right now."


    I pursed my lips, "If you took a different approach, then you might not be in this war at all."


    Obolis shook his head, "Once again, your words are put together well, but they neglect the context of our situation. To maintain the Empire at all, I''ve resorted to unscrupulous tactics in the past. While I''ve attempted reconciling with those methods, I could never fully realize my reforms."


    I raised an eyebrow, "So what went haywire?"


    He spread his hands, "Eldritch would spiral out of control along with crime and discord. The planets under my wing would become proxy to other factions, and for continued governance, we''ve used harsh strategies. I would mention that we are, in fact, less stringent than many other large guilds. That laxness is why planets such as Blegara were lost."


    We disagreed there. I fought on Blegara, and the Empire never thought of the Vagni as anything more than local barbarians. While they were primitive, the Vagni held a culture with art, buildings, and even religions. Despite those signs of civility, the Empire restricted the Vagni from leveling properly. Many issues popped up because of those restrictions.


    Being all too aware of that, I raised a hand, "You sure about that''s why Blegara fell? I saw the Vagni, and they were highly underleveled in Schema''s system."


    Obolis shrugged, "They''d yet to earn our trust, and by restricting them, we stopped their rebellion from being as powerful."


    I waved my hands, "I''m thinking the opposite happened. The Vagni never gained any attachment to Schema or his system because they weren''t allowed to engage in it. That meant when Elysium arrived, the Vagni had nothing to lose when they switched sides. Since you actively suppressed the Vagni, they lacked loyalty for you and your ruling as well."


    Obolis frowned, "The Vagni are only ''loyal'' to the eldritch. That incessant refusal to move past worshipping monsters is why we restricted them in the first place. Our policies were more lenient in other territories, but we can''t be expected to grant support to a people that serve our enemies. They''d have rallied behind the eldritch and led to Blegara''s glassing."


    Obolis crossed his arms, "And so, I enacted a necessary evil. You do raise a good point of domesticating the natives, but unfortunately, the planet was a mismanagement of resources from the beginning. I shouldn''t have attempted to conquer it at all. That''s one of the reasons I gave this planet to you. Your skillset enables you to control wilder places such as this, just as you controlled the eldritch."


    He wasn''t wrong about that. The eldritch responded to me well, even if they feared me. That alone gave me a different tool kit than Obolis, and those options are why I succeeded where he hadn''t. Obolis put a hand to his chest,


    "On the other hand, I am more equipped to dominate developed areas. This is because economic tactics work well in civilized societies. That is also why I value Tera so highly; he''s proven effective at utilizing those monetary means in the past. Given his history of excellent service, he''s likely to do so in the future. These factors are why he''s worth more than most."


    Obolis frowned, "And that is why I can''t hand him over for minor gains. He has won us too much territory for too little investment."


    I raised a hand, "But how much of that territory was really yours?"


    Confusion spread over Obolis''s face, "I would imagine all of it, by Schema''s standards at least."


    I gestured around us, "But at the end of the day, you couldn''t command the people or monsters here. That''s because a planet is more than just a place. It''s the people living on a planet too. If you never get those people on your side, then the planet isn''t really yours. That''s why I worked with the eldritch on Blegara instead of exterminating them. I wanted to win over the Vagni instead of controlling them."


    I squeezed my raised hand into a fist, "That is what''s crumbling your Empire''s grasp. You have to get people on your side, not force them under your heel. You understood that with the albony, and they offered you reverence and respect in turn. I''ve seen that with every albony that''s ever been around you. Now you have to extend that to other people, even if it only starts with the talented few who happen to rise up."


    I offered the Emperor a hand, "A talented few, like Tera."


    A smile crept over the Emperor''s face while he narrowed his eyes at me, "Well now, that was a rousing speech. Tell me, what inspired you?"


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    I put my hands on my hips, "Nothing. I just said what I thought."


    The Emperor tilted his head while looking me over, "Oh, but I disagree. You''ve changed since we last spoke at length. You''re putting yourself together far better, and you''re more convincing. Did you gain a new skill? Perhaps you unlocked some skill tree for persuasion, hm?"


    "I''ll leave you with that mystery, but my point still stands."


    He scoffed, "Ah, well, I do enjoy an enigma from time to time." He took a breath, "Now, regarding your points, they''re interesting. However, my current administration would''ve never collapsed without the input of Elysium. They are the sole reason that these rebels gained any traction at all. There''s little I could''ve done to prevent this attack."


    I shook my head, "But see, I don''t think that''s true. Those policies you mentioned made Blegara a vulnerable target. That''s why they attacked you. You showed them a soft underbelly, and Elysium bit into it."


    Obolis raised his brow, "And you believe other factions are different? They, too, would''ve crumbled under the stress of both the eldritch and Elysium. In the end, our predicament is the result of misfortune more so than mistakes."


    I spread my hands, "But that''s my point. If your guild needs good fortune to maintain itself, then you''re relying on luck to maintain it. If no one wanted to rebel on your planets, I doubt Elysium''s current push would be as successful. Those strong-arm tactics are backfiring."


    Obolis leaned back, considering what I said. While he deliberated, I pressed my point,


    "So with Tera, you can take this for what it is - a first step to making your guild more solid. It isn''t as if Tera would be ungrateful for this new opportunity either. He could tell his story and inspire others to do the same. I can have Torix show you some of the media practices we use for our own guild even."


    Obolis laughed at that before waving his hand, "We have a media team of our own. We lack the need for oversight from Torix, though the offer''s appreciated."


    "Either way, I''m willing to offer a trade that can help you in more ways than one."


    Obolis pointed his finger at me, "I can see it now - you''ve unlocked a mental skill of some kind. I can''t understand how it works yet, but I will decipher it."


    I sighed before peering at Obolis, "Can you stop deflecting the conversation? Give me some of your thoughts. Come on. Talk to me here."


    Obolis interlocked his hands behind himself. He paced back and forth for a while, contemplating or pretending to. Once sorted out, he came to me and turned a palm, "I do wish to maintain our alliance, and I know you''ve made some kind of promise or arrangement with Tera. That much is obvious, and your pride is on the line."


    "His life is on the line based on what he''s said about Phillip."


    "Regardless, you''re asking me to give away a planet earner for what, exactly? A favor? Perhaps a single treasure? I can''t afford to do that, especially when my own guild is currently being ransacked by an enemy faction, the strongest of which Schema has ever seen."


    His voice rose towards the end of what he said. It was the most riled-up I''d ever seen Obolis. He cooled off, "So, understand what I''m dealing with and what you''re asking for. Please, do me that service."


    I frowned, "Well, you''re definitely not wrong about that. How about this then - I''ll take the rights to Tera and his clan in exchange for the ahcorus mission."


    Obolis raised his eyebrows, "Really now? You''re willing to face a world-eating horror for just skeptiles? You do understand they amount to little more than backwater savages, don''t you?"


    I winced at the phrase backwater savages, but I pressed on,


    "Here''s what I do know: Tera has potential. If he does, then there are other skeptiles like him that do as well. Even if they come from some underdeveloped place, that doesn''t mean they won''t be the next avatar of an Old One."


    Obolis smirked, "But based on statistics, we know where an outlier is far more likely to form."


    "Sure, but you''ll miss some of those outliers if you look at people as just ''backwater savages,'' don''t you think?"


    Obolis leaned back, "Can you name a counterexample?"


    I pointed a thumb back, "My whole team, including me."


    Obolis inspected my city for a moment, "Touche."


    "Remember, there are others like us out there. If you never allow them to showcase their abilities, you''ll never know they have them." I rubbed the back of my helmet, "But, you know, I''m not ruling ten plus planets. Take my words with a grain of salt."


    Obolis contemplated before giving me a curt nod, "I''ve thought of this before now many times. Others have even discussed it, but you offer more than words. You are a living example of your idealism coming to fruition. That''s why I''m even entertaining this discussion."


    He smiled, "I''ll accept your deal of the ahcorus''s aid for Tera and his clan. Despite granting you an elemental furnace, we both understood that simply wasn''t enough of a reward for facing Plazia. I''d intended on a different payment, but this will do nicely."


    Obolis shook his head while furrowing his brow, "So do what you must for them, though don''t voice complaints of their worth to me once they''re under you. Also, don''t expect the skeptiles to be as agreeable or as cultured as my own kin. They are brutish, but you''ll uncover that soon enough."


    I raised a palm, "I need to know a few things first. How large is Tera''s clan?"


    Obolis''s eyes widened before he burst into a spate of hearty laughter. He chuckled and chortled until tears brimmed his eyes. As he wiped away a tear with a claw, he gave me a begrudging smile, "I must admit, Daniel. No matter what anyone says of you, they must admit you are bold."


    I flushed from embarrassment, but my helmet hid the tell. Obolis waved his hands, "Do excuse my enjoyment. It''s simply been too long since I''ve been that reckless myself. I could learn a thing or two from it. That boldness wrought excellent results during your discussion with Elysium as an example."


    Obolis straightened himself out, "But yes, the clan that Tera holds is millions strong. You will gain many times your current guild''s size from this trade. As I mentioned, I am not unfair to my subjects, and Tera is among them. I would not have him earn me a planet and not grant him a hefty wish in turn."


    He opened a portal, stepping back into his study, "That should act as a suitable reimbursement. It''s more than the ahcorous may give me, but I haven''t forgotten your arrangement with Elysium. By ceasing their attacks on our strongest worlds, it''s made our position far firmer. Think of this somewhat lopsided deal as a thank you for that."


    He gave me a nod, "It''s good we had this talk. I''ll have a Speaker draft the contract you mentioned, and we''ll sort out the details then. Just as well, do keep that boldness, would you? It''s a delight to see in these dark times, even if it should show its consequences soon enough."


    Obolis stepped away, his portal snapping shut like a celestial guillotine. Once gone, pondered about the situation. He could be right about the skeptiles being primitive or useless, but I doubted it. In general, the Empire showed severe bias, and that favoritism led to them throwing certain people aside. To me, it was ironic, honestly.


    Obolis was a treasure hunter looking for loot on some far-off planet. He chased those stars, hoping for the next big find. All the while, he stood with a fortune right under his feet. He could gain so much from letting people like Tera rise to their proper positions. That might be why his Empire''s military might floundered behind their economic prowess.


    By cushioning the albony, Obolis made many of them soft and weak. Races beneath the albony hardened over time, but those people never demonstrated their skills. Tera was the epitome of that, his position holding him back. Even with just a few more cases like Tera, a large chunk of the Empire''s might was squandered behind arbitrary pecking orders.


    It would be like me putting Torix or Kessiah under random humans for no reason. That wouldn''t exactly leave those two in the prime position to show me what they were capable of. I banked on those ideas with this transfer of resources. I mean, if Tera took over a planet while under someone like Phillip, imagine what he was capable of on his own. He could topple empires.


    Or perhaps help me build one.


    But I couldn''t know until later on. Even then, Obolis had a lot of experience managing an Empire. My input could be coming from my lack of experience, but I still wanted to voice my thoughts either way. After all, the fastest way to end ignorence was to voice it. Someone could correct me then, and I just had to have the humility to listen. Yeah, the latter was definitely the hard part.


    Either way, I inspected my surroundings to get an idea of what was going on. By now, most people slept soundly in their beds or floating over them using my rings. Without the worry of constant invasions, many people got their first night of quality sleep since coming to Blegara.


    Others toiled through the night, some of them having chosen the willpower perk so they''d never need to sleep again. I followed suit, preparing for the journey tomorrow. Along the way, I found the mana crystals of our new hospital flaring fully. I stepped inside, finding Kessiah helping out a few members of the legion.


    She stayed lively, her complexion no longer as pale. Kessiah already wore the suit I made for her now, and she tapped a quintessence crystal anytime she exhausted herself, taking bursts of its mana for her use. Walking from patient to patient, she restored the missing limbs of those that lost them in the war.


    Unlike me, most people lacked the sheer endurance to restore missing limbs. This was accentuated by contact with the Hybrids. Often, people chopped arms or legs off that contained an infestation of the orange pustules and writhing cords. From those nubs, some restoration might occur, but rarely did full limbs come back.


    That''s where Kessiah came in. She congealed bones from her blood before moving to skin and tissues. Once formed, she connected vital nerves to restore function and the like. I smiled at the somewhat grotesque process, but I also raised an eyebrow. She toiled with a fire in her eye.


    Staying busy, Kessiah only looked up from her work once to hiss,


    "I''m not going to take what Spear said lying down. We''ll show him what we''re made of. I say we start with demonstrating how we treat our own."


    That was the right attitude to have about the whole situation. I let Kessiah go about her business before inspecting the center of our unnamed city. At the core of it, Schema installed a warping station and a galactic trader. Even if the AI forgot our quests, he didn''t forget this part at least.


    Maybe he had a good reason for neglecting us, as Spear said. In the end, my guild and I suffered for it, so Schema''s explanations didn''t really matter to me. He was cutting us off for some reason, and I aimed to discover why. Warping towards Mt. Verner, I stepped out into the open, forested air.


    I floated over toward our base''s peak. The crisp cold and thin air swept against me while I sat on an icy stone. Snow surrounded this elevation, one of the few hills in Michigan where that was the case. From this vantage point, I stared at the rolling hills beyond our mountain''s reliable peak. Out in the distance, birds flew, and the dew of dawn settled on oak leaves and pine bristles. Between these wooden spires, I found eldritch skulking. Small and underdeveloped, they squeezed between our extermination forces. I sighed, knowing even here, we hadn''t kept the eldritch fully contained. Sending a few golems over here, I smiled at the impact even one of them would have. The countryside would flourish, and we''d expand to the far-off horizons.


    I''d finally be pulling this place, my home, up from Schema''s culling. Only one task stopped me now, but it wouldn''t stop me for long. I stared into that vast distance while cracking my thumb knuckles. As they popped, silver fluid dulled the otherwise sharp, metal cracking of my joints. Those cracks boomed loud into the air around me, causing birds to fly away in the distance.


    All the while, I read interesting tidbits on my ciphering. I synchronized another mind, pulling out another elemental furnace from the treasure we gained. The ancient lettering stood out as newer than my current furnace, the gray, matte surface showing a graphene exterior. One of my disparate minds tapped into this furnace in my hand, and from that eternal fire came unbounded energies.


    It revved into action, turning bits of generated matter into plumes of mana. That psyche took a small portion of the generated energy, strengthening itself further. Focusing deeper than before, this anima extracted more mana from the furnace by concentrating deeply. Once it unlocked the full potential of the device, the furnace reverberated with power.


    I stored that power in my cipheric runes. These two furnaces added billions of mana every minute, but from my storage, I pulled out several more furnaces. Lifting them up around me, manifolded minds synced with one of them at a time¡ªeach blistered energy of untold volumes into my cipheric carvings.


    The sun rose in the distance, and I stood with it. As I did, my aura trembled from seven furnaces firing at total capacity. A distant, sauntering cloud blocked my view of the gorgeous dawn. It lingered so far away that the massive plume appeared small in my eyes. Despite that distance, I raised a hand.


    The cloud warped, wisping to a singular point of water. That liquid plopped to the earth, my view of the sun cleared. I gawked at the display, the range of my abilities far exceeding what I believed of them. Dwelling on what I was capable of, I allowed my mana to effuse ever so slightly. The air around me blurred from it, the dimension around me warping.


    I hoped Plazia was ready for me.


    Because I was ready for him.

 309 The Unfamiliar

    <div>


    <div>


    The cloud warped, wisping to a singular point of water. That liquid plopped to the earth, my view of the sun cleared. I gawked at the display, the range of my abilities far exceeding what I believed of them. Dwelling on what I was capable of, I allowed my mana to effuse ever so slightly. The air around me blurred from it, the dimension around me warping.


    I hoped Plazia was ready for me.


    Because I was ready for him.


    Chapter Begin


    An hour later, and I prepared for the Ahcorus''s homeworld with my team. Most of my followers stayed here, our guild needing them for different operations. Torix handled the expanding infrastructure around Mt. Verner and Blegara. He even expanded the policing, education, and conscription duties to various divisions of our guild. That included the Vagni.


    On the other hand, Kessiah kept in her realm of expertise, healing many of our troops. Even if our casualties were low, the injury rate was not. Getting them back into shape took a lot of time, and Kessiah went after it like an animal. As for Hod and Althea, they needed a break. Torix and I worked them to the bone during our fights with Elysium, so time to decompress was necessary.


    Others fell under similar reasoning. Chrona and Krog began turning the top of Mt. Verner into a neoteric sanctuary for the gialgathens. They named the peak New Rivaria after their ancient refuge on Giess. They began remaking the old with a dash of new. Those acts established tablets etched with poetry, open homes, and even the never-melting ice sculptures they loved.


    They performed music with molded glass, which echoed out like wind chimes and gentle winds. The gialgathens played games across Mt. Verner''s peaks, showing their aerial mobility off in spades. They even pooled mist near the mountain''s surface, offering moisture for their amphibious skins.


    It made me smile seeing them and knowing I helped give them a place for this kind of thing. Other members of our guild lived the way they wanted as well. Diesel and other engineers focused on constructing fresh bunches of buildings, farms, and utilities on Mt. Verner''s surface. My constructor golems helped them make changes in real-time, shortening the entire development immensely.


    They didn''t coat Mt. Verner in a city overnight, but they gained more ground than I''d expected. On the other hand, a few of my battle golems patrolled around Mt. Verner and cleansed the land of any aggressive eldritch. To Amara''s chagrin, that meant all of them, but even she accepted that most eldritch couldn''t be socialized.


    It was just a part of their nature.


    Either way, combining all of those jobs and duties took up immense amounts of time. With everything squared away, only three people left with me: Helios, Florence, and Amara. Helios was the most important member, as his warping saved me so much time. He also intended to give me a few lessons on warping while we traveled the ahcorus''s homeworld. I looked forward to it, as warping would make me an absolute, utilitarian beast.


    Florence came with us as well, the brothers getting along better since they had a talk a while back. The more social albony of the two wanted to speak with the razor queens and learn about their cultures. Florence figured he could create an alliance with trade deals and everything included if we played our cards right. I hoped he was right.


    The last to join us was Amara. She wanted to gain levels by eating other eldritch and speak with Plazia. I wondered why, but Amara explained that Schema never gave her attributes for free. Schema simply recorded her evolution, raising her threat level as she strengthened herself.


    As an eldritch, she didn''t really need Schema to get stronger. That augmentation ability came wrapped into her being, as all she required was organic matter to eat. That growth potential could be why the eldritch were so hated to begin with. Schema preferred people needing him, and if you could avoid his system, he acted dicey.


    Schema aside, our group of four readied ourselves along Mt. Verner''s edge. We stood at our base''s warp site, putting armor, tools, food, dungeon clearing gear, and enchantments into our dimensional storages. My gravity rings floated some of the equipment for them, as I gave each of them an enchanted circlet as I had my own troops. For Florence and Helios, I even granted them some spare, protective plating of my armor.


    Even if they brought it to the Emperor for experimentation, I was ok with that risk. I didn''t want either of the two exposed while we were fighting Plazia. They could be eaten in a second, especially Florence, and I didn''t want to bring an empty casket back home.


    Completing the armor and rings required little effort, as did the packing, so I made my minds work elsewhere. Seven elemental furnaces forged matter into energy under my skin, each of them nestled into safe patches of my mass. They channeled enormous plumes of mana into my cipheric carvings, and those detailed etchings gave me attributes in turn.


    Knowing their full impact, I inspected the difference even a few hours made on my cipheric augments sheet.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The rewards are as follows:


    +7,121 Constitution


    +27,414 Endurance


    +5,557 Perception


    +6,271 Willpower


    +1,777 Luck


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +100% to Effects of Legacies


    + 50% Internal Motivation Multiplier


    +1.4 Trillion Ambient Mana]


    Over the last few weeks, I generated an enormous amount of bonus endurance. These gains mounted until they exceeded my recent level-ups from Schema. By a lot, actually. With all the excess mana flowing in from the furnaces, it wouldn''t be long before my runes eclipsed the AI''s gains, and threatening exilement wouldn''t be an issue.


    Of course, I wanted to remain on good terms with Schema, so I''d stay in line. It was just a comparison I noted in my head. Beyond that, I inspected my status sheet, figuring out the specific amount of mana I generated from my furnaces. As expected, the matter conversion gave me a lot of energy to work with.


    The Living Multiverse(Lvl 18,506 (Cap: 26,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign)


    Strength ¨C 97,153 | Constitution ¨C 121,977 | Endurance ¨C 251,245


    Dexterity ¨C 50,992 | Willpower ¨C 208,645 | Intelligence ¨C 129,009


    Charisma ¨C 50,715 | Luck ¨C 71,488 | Perception ¨C 39,307 |Awe - 5,201


    Health: 1.08 Billion/1.08 Billion | Health Regen: 40.67 Billion/min or 677.7 Million/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 5.402 Trillion


    Mass: 24.28 Million Pounds(11.0 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 18''03 (5.56 meters)


    Damage Res - 99.28% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 139.5 Million % | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion(Elemental Furnace Count: 7) - 56.4 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    I shook my head in disgust at the furnaces'' mana production. The overwhelming amount of mana increase put me at an absurd rate of stat augments as well. Even better, multiple furnaces laid unused in Elysium''s treasure. I kept them tucked away in my dimensional storage, handing one off to Torix earlier if he wanted to try using one.


    If he blew himself up, I''d make him a new body when he arrived back here from his phylactery. Everyone else simply couldn''t handle a furnace yet. If they could, I''d spread them around to more potential members. Unfortunately, most would evaporate themselves and an entire region if they tinkered with one. Keeping them hidden for now kept most of the guild safe from their fallout.


    And yeah, maybe I was a bit greedy with them. Eh, nobody''s perfect, right?


    Anyways, I inspected a few of my skills along with other parts of my status. With how many numbers interplayed together, it became easy to have certain aspects fall to the wayside. I imagined status accountants that helped manage someone''s build and upgrades further down the line. Experienced, researched individuals could streamline the process, and maybe Obolis could recommend a few.


    My own analysis proved fruitful, however. I found three skills working together that could be fused. The first of those three was A Manifold Mind. It would absolutely be integrated into my sovereign skill because its potential was limitless, and it amplified every ability I had.


    The second skill humming along was Matter Conversion, the skill used to power the elemental furnaces. I leveled it quite a bit as of late, and getting more of them operating at once only gave me more potential. If anything, I may one day have hundreds or thousands running at once. At that point, who knew what I was capable of.


    The third skill amplifying the others was Hunter of Many. I gained the technique a long time ago, and it drew out clear maps of my surroundings using my senses and powers. It also gave me some nuance with gravitation and telekinesis. These three mythical tier skills could combine fluidly without much interference, which meant they''d mold into a legendary skill soon.


    I simply needed A Manifold Mind to use the furnaces while having that same skill scope out my surroundings with Hunter of Many. That combination granted me a pristine awareness of my surroundings, many furnaces firing at once, and plenty of mental room leftover for other tasks. Considering the sheer utility of a legendary skill like that, it was a no-brainer moving forward.


    It did leave me wondering if I should postpone the legendary skill''s creation until I unlocked primordial mana. After all, I''d gain the mana type eventually, and I wanted it fused together with my sovereign skill. A bit of arguing between minds, and I dismissed the idea. While primordial mana may be a path of improvement for me, it would never be one of my primary strengths.


    It just didn''t come naturally to me at all, and that meant learning its advanced techniques would be a desperate struggle as well. Now, I''d push through until I got it, but taping that lagging skill to my affluent ones could be a bad idea. It might not enhance my understanding of primordial mana at all, or worse, it may drag my best abilities down.


    Even if that wasn''t the case, I''d gain three legendary skill slots once I established my sovereign skill. Primordial mana could be used in one of those three openings, along with some of its advanced techniques like temporal dilation.


    Having reached a decision, I ramped up my elemental furnace production while scoping out my surroundings. This gave me a pristine picture of Florence and Helios arguing behind me while Amara bit into some crystallized quintessence. It was her favorite flavor. They already finished while I pushed more food into my own pocket dimension.


    Here at the edge of the mountain, the trees wafted in the wind as scents of rich earth, morning dew, and pure sunlight poured in. Tasting the air, I spread out my hands for a second. Having so much perception allowed me to appreciate the beauty of nature in depth. I thanked that boon from my status and skills, just soaking in the sheer thrill of an untamed forest.


    And then Helios snapped, "Florence, you''re weak. A speaker is useful elsewhere, not on a fringe world with an ancient, abyssal entity under its surface. You''re going to slow us down."


    Florence rolled his eyes under his dark wood mask, "Pshh, what? I''m plenty strong enough, and with a group such as this, there''s nothing to worry about. Just look at Daniel over there. Imposing, isn''t he? I can''t imagine someone bullying me while he''s around."


    Helios dragged his hand down his mask, "Bullying? An insect will crawl down your throat and devour your organs. Bullying is the least of our concerns."


    Florence pointed two finger guns at Helios, "But you''ll help pull it out of me before it can eat all my insides, right?"


    Helios deadpanned, "I will tear it out, along with any guts it''s attached to."


    Florence gave Helios a quick pat, "There you go. That''s all I''ll need. Besides, I''m taking the risk on myself. I don''t need your chiding to remind me of that."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Helios''s pulse quickened as Florence touched the real issue. I smiled under my helmet, recognizing Helios''s dissent as carefully disguised worrying. Helios let his hands flop against his sides while hissing, "Don''t complain to the Emperor when I pull your liver out then."


    Ahh, now that was brotherly love.


    I waved at them both, "Hey, stop that. We''re about to leave, and I don''t want them to think we''re unprofessional." I stared forward, spotting Amara clanking her teeth on a mana crystal, "Even if we are."


    Helios stood up straight, more than able to play the part of the cold, calculating pro. Florence lacked that same ruthlessness while Amara kept chewing at the crystal-like it was an oversized jawbreaker. It gave us the impression of a rag-tag group of misfits, which was pretty on point. Eh, we usually made our most significant statements with actions anyway.


    We reached the warp-drive with our supplies in tow before Helios raised a hand, "If I may offer a counter-proposal, I may warp us directly to Reason''s lair."


    I leaned back, stunned he already memorized the coordinates, "I thought it took you weeks to get a new planet down for warping. What gives?"


    Helios raised his eyebrows under his dark mask, "It does take that long, but I was well aware we''d be going here for a few weeks before now. I simply put time into studying those coordinates, so adjusting a few calculations to Reasons'' domain is a simple task."


    I gave him a nod, "Alright then. Let''s go warp directly there."


    With satisfaction, Helios raised his arm and generated a portal. Beyond its veil, a stary sky spread over an empty horizon. A cold, desolate land peaked in from beyond the gateway, and craters lined the surface of its icy grasp.


    Air howled into the other planet''s atmosphere, the empty place hungry for our prosperous planet''s air. I scoffed out loudly, "Oh yeah, it''s looking very lively over there. You sure you have the right coordinates?"


    Helios raised his unarmored right hand, my ring humming as it granted him better breathing, "I am. This is their homeworld, Svia."


    I stepped through the portal. Florence, Amara, and Helios followed in my wake. Peering up, the stars glimmered down like silver coins amidst splashes of misty lightning. They carried many colors, this thin atmosphere poor for breathing but excellent for stargazing. Finding different lights, I picked up many of their individual features. Perception aided that process, making great views even better despite it being my lowest attribute.


    Below this wide, expansive skyline, the pressure here mirrored a moon more than a planet. It wasn''t as decompressive as space was, though it came closer than Giess or Earth did. The gravity proved looser here and less of a constant pull, more of a slight tug.


    I spread my right hand out, lifting one of the stones below us into my hand. I crushed it to powder before the dust lingered in the air. Taking a step forward, the crisp, crunchy ground let out a soft warble of sound. The thin air didn''t carry noise well.


    Amara hissed, her voice muted, "This world is uncomfortable. Why they live here is a mystery to me, for there is little here beyond dust."


    I gazed at endless, rolling hills of white stone, "Tell me about it."


    Using my sharp sense of pressure, I created tiny gravity wells over each of my team members, mirroring Earth''s atmospheric pressure. Florence gasped in relief, "That is much better, thank you."


    I rolled my shoulders, "No problem. Let''s go."


    Helios raised his eyebrows, "Where, exactly?"


    Peering around, I had no idea. Little exposed itself here, outside of endless wasteland. A piercing quiet crushed in from all angles, creating a heavy cloak both comfortable yet suffocating. It dulled my senses, but I leaned onto my gravitational awareness to compensate. Bending my knees, I pushed my heels into Svia to jump.


    The crackling rock crumbled under the pressure of my feet, enormous cracks radiating from the ground. I lifted myself further with gravitation before inspecting at a higher vantage point. Everywhere on this dead rock mirrored what we found below, all except specific burrow openings.


    These apertures glistened from the intense solar energy that reflected off their surfaces. Something caused that blinding sheen, but the glow masked the details of the chasms. Landing back below, I stifled my meteoric impact by lifting myself upwards.


    This prevented me from hurting my team. Once down, I pointed where one of the burrow openings exposed itself, "There''s something out there. Let''s go."


    Having practiced with my rings, Helios and Amara propelled themselves from the ground. Helios did so with ease, having mastered their use already. Florence floundered behind us before failing his enchantment altogether. Without turning back, I stopped his faceplant into the white stone with a smile,


    "You need to practice."


    Florence smiled back, "Oh, but I''m simply too busy working for your guild. There''s no time for developing the ring''s use, and I''m certain you understand the sentiment."


    Helios massaged his temples with his fingertips, his fur bristling along his face, "And to think I ever believed you competent."


    I picked Florence up before setting him down. He ran below us while we hovered above. We slowed down for Florence, but I didn''t mind the downtime. I moved a book under my helmet out of my view for a minute or two while we flew. With my actual eyesight, I relished in the spectacle of stars, galaxies, and nebulas above.


    By now, my eyesight mirrored a weak telescope if I genuinely focused. That gave each glowing sphere depth, and I lost myself in those sights. Well, I did that while reading reading the ancient book hidden under my facemask. And I also channeled the elemental furnaces. Oh yeah, and I poured that mana into my cipheric carvings as well. When I say it like that, it seems like a lot.


    But I got lost in those stars, let me tell you.


    Anyways, we landed near one of the reflective patches. This sheen spawned from a thin membrane lying over a burrow''s opening. It was the colony entrance for the ahcorus. Considering how thin this atmosphere was, it made sense they wanted some shelter. Around the membrane rested smooth, tan-colored stone. It looked like a patch of polished teeth, both grotesque and pleasing to the eye at the same time.


    I walked through the membrane, always leading our group in case traps erupted from the cavern''s walls. I figured if those snares or pits killed me, then everyone would''ve died disarming them anyways. They''d need to be rather explosive either way.


    No traps triggered, but the membrane did cover me in a sterile, clean smell like rubbing alcohol. I absorbed the organic sheathing, but the others didn''t. Peering at the tunnel below, I found struts of smooth, flowing enamel interlacing polished stone. It looked like someone installed bones into a dug-out tunnel before smoothing the rock with a chemical.


    It lent itself to an alien but fascinating design. I rubbed a palm against this silky stone, the minerals smoother than glass in some spots. That polish exposed the rock''s true beauty underneath. The mineral layers piled together like a tall cake of crystal.


    Interrupting my inspection, several green blobs rolled up nearby. They showed see-through membranes covering their gloopy centers. Suspended in their bodies, they carried rocks, debris, and some kind of fungus that glowed. That same fungus offered light throughout this expanse and the tunnels below.


    Once they sensed us, these tiny green slimes rolled away, their outer membrane circling an immobile center. This moved them along as if they were encompassed by a moving treadmill track. I gawked at the sight, mystified by the creatures. After they disappeared, two enormous, azure-shaded slimes came from the tunnel below.


    These monsters stood twelve feet tall, carrying enormous claws, plates of bone, and thin tendrils that served as antennas. They pooled themselves into four limbs, their front paws swelling as they neared us. Those swollen limbs generated spikes and serrated teeth in the slime centers of the beasts. These weapons emerged onto their epidermal linings, likely for smashing us.


    The thorny limbs paired well with the acidic drool dripping from toothy openings in their cytoplasmic innards. They charged us, but I encompassed them in Event Horizon. I eliminated the damaging drain of the aura, keeping the pressuring effects unmitigated. Despite the dimensional wake, their will to fight didn''t wane in an instant.


    The guards of this colony worked with a tireless pursuit, and they kept moving forward until they crashed into my opened hands. Like a child running into a steel wall, their bone plates shattered, and their charges ceased. I leaned over them, their hulking frames smaller than mine,


    "I said stop."


    And they did.


    Their forms shivered before they pulled away from me. I pointed deeper into their tunnel, "Take me to Reason. I''m here to meet your queen."


    The two defenders stared at one another, no eyes or sensory organs in place for understanding me. Their thinned tendrils sprinkled against each other before they turned back to me.


    Knowing words wouldn''t work, I created a telepathic connection with them both, their minds relentless and hungry. It impressed me to find them so defiant despite the overwhelming odds against them. I nodded in approval, sending over my impression of them. They sent vague appreciations back, finding me a fierce warrior in my own right.


    Instead of giving them a message to meet Reason, I sent over the urge to see others like them. Understanding the simple statement, they ambled back into the tunnel, urging me to follow. I stepped forward while Florence frowned,


    "Hm, they don''t seem like a very social sort."


    As we wound our way down, we traveled deeper into the colony. With each step, airflow grew denser, and oxygen came with it, along with activity, abound. Jade shaded blobs rolled across the tunnel''s surface like a moving forest, each of them carrying a different green coloring. They managed and expanded a complex tunnel structure around us.


    This inner sanctum dwarfed Mt. Verner. Even with my height and size, this underground space gave me plenty of breathing room. Many massive tunnels linked into this vast cavern, and with those tunnels came swarms of other slimes.


    And the deeper we went, the greater the density became. Most of them were the worker slimes we first encountered, each of them green. These drones always encompassed rock, ores, gems, and enamel sheets. Those toothy sheets coated the tunnel''s surface with greater density until no rock exposed itself at a certain depth.


    Additional struts and supports offered stability at greater depths. Light radiated from blue, green, and mauve fungi attached to the burrow''s ceiling. These lichens symbiotically thrived on several of the slime''s oozes, the workers feeding them to exchange light.


    Besides these basic, greenish drones, other slimes toiled. Lumbering bruisers, like those we followed, trudged through this underground maze. They carried the carcasses of eldritch, the different monsters covered in slashes and acidic burns. These guardian slimes threw these corpses to the other blobs to feast, who did so in seconds.


    More slimes showed themselves in these feeding frenzies. These slimes carried all kinds of colors, and they often led groups of green drones. These specialized slimes applied adhesives, sprayed acid on rocks, or coated eldritch in enzymes for digestion. They always ended up producing something in their plasmic centers, and whatever they made helped the colony in some way.


    This made the entire expanse mirror a beehive, fervent with activity but organized by intent. Most of it, anyway. The giant slimes took us to a cavern lined with even more fungi. Here, the lichens expanded with drooping vibrissae. They ended up swollen bulbs of the liquid light, and they waved around as if blown by a gust of wind. When a bulb hit another bulb, the glowing spheres clanked out a bell chime.


    This gentle sound contrasted the brutal display below. Many specialized slimes watched an arena of sorts where other blue slimes mauled one another in a carved-out space. Two of them did so now, each of them dripping acidic innards. A brighter, cerulean blob sat along a far wall of the colosseum. There, it generated spikes of enamel and lobbed them out at its enemy.


    Facing it, a steel blue slime swung large, blunt hammers of bone at the incoming spears. It deflected the masses of spikes, being pierced many times as it closed the gap. Those gushing impacts made the other slimes slither in appreciation. Even without sight, the living goos experienced the vibrations of power and the series of collisions.


    Once the steel blue slime reached its brighter opponent, it swung its hammer down. The other glop splattered across the arena, coating the environment in sizzling acid. The surrounding oozes leaped down, devouring the corpse of their fallen warrior. I gawked at the display, "That''s...pretty brutal."


    Florence typed into his status, "Noted, casual cannibalism. Fascinating."


    A familiar body rolled up to us. Turning before it spoke out, I raised a hand, "Yo, Reason, it''s good to see you again."


    Reason turned from a ball into a snake shape, slithering the last bit of distance to us. Two large, lumbering guardians trailed beside her. She sent out some kind of pheromone mist, and the guardians bowed to her in reply. They stayed behind her while Reason came up and spoke out in our language,


    "You infiltrated my domain via the surface. Interesting. I would''ve estimated our warp would''ve been a simpler point of entry, but perhaps you did so to throw Plazia off your trail."


    Our group stared at Helios, who shrugged, "I never said that warping was necessary. I merely mentioned I could."


    Amara stepped forward, and the guardian slimes beside Reason gurgled out with sizzling spit. The Razor queen swelled up beside her guardians, getting close to our friendly eldritch. Reason chimed, "You are not of the Harbinger''s kin or any sentients for that matter. You are the one who walked about at the party."


    Reason shivered, "Is she your pet, Harbinger?"


    I sighed, "No, she''s not. She''s our technician."


    "Oh. I never realized an eldritch could be technical."


    Amara hissed at the arena behind us, "And I never estimated that races could be more primitive than even the lowest eldritch. We are both surprised this day."


    Reason''s inner green markings trembled, "Those are my children. Speak well of them, or I will allow them to speak poorly to you." The guardians beside her presented their claws for Amara''s viewing. Reason grumbled, "And they prefer speaking with action."


    I raised my palms, "We''re not here to fight. You know that."


    Reason kept her form near Amara as a tense moment passed. My helmet''s aura flared red before mana oozed off my frame,


    "Unless you''d like to, of course."


    Reason shifted away from the energy before shivering, "No...Not at all. We''d rather not."


    Florence pointed at the colosseum behind us, "They seem as though they''d love to. Perhaps an explanation is in order?"


    Reason coursed her way along the floor, her form stretching into a thin line before collecting back into a more giant ball. Crystalline shards pierced and submerged into her skin as she gazed at two more of the blue guardian''s battle.


    Reason pointed with a see-through claw, "They battle for mating rights with me. The strongest of them holds the right to create our next brood. After we have mated, I devour them to fuel the next batch of offspring."


    Amara pointed her hand at the battle, "That seems brutal and unnecessary, hm?"


    Reason laughed with a cutting edge in her voice, "No, it is the opposite. Eldritch devour each other for their own gain. We do so for a different reason. You see, there is no greater honor than bringing the colony to greater heights. Many methods exist to do so, but few are as pronounced as strengthening the next generation of our young."


    Reason spread herself thin, making herself appear enormous, "But that kind of sacrifice is lost on your kind, isn''t it? Perhaps that is why you believe it unnecessary, hm?"


    Amara scoffed, "The eldritch fight to uncover who is the strongest amongst us. Look to Plazia if you must remind yourself of how effective that strategy may be."


    I turned to them both, "We get it. You hate each other. Deal with it until we leave."


    Florence shook his head, "Gah, right as it was getting interesting."


    Helios spread his arms, "Could we, perhaps, be pointed to the direction of our mission? Is there a colony that is closer to Plazia''s home, or is this the nearest one? I''d like to finish this quickly if at all possible."


    Reason recollected into a ball, her form trembling before she laughed. The snickering expanded and echoed through the cavern, many of the walls rebounding it into a maddening cacophony. As her outburst abated, Florence pulled back some,


    "So...what does that creepy laugh mean, exactly?"


    Reason rumbled like thunder in the distance, "There is no colony where you will not find Plazia."


    Helios tilted his head, "Does Plazia carry that many spies?"


    With a crystalline claw, Reason pointed down, "No. Plazia is the ground beneath us."

 310 Parsing Pieces of a Puzzle

    Florence raised a hand while stammering, "Uh...that''s an exaggeration, right? Hyperbole? Perhaps a saying I don''t understand?"


    I winced, "Or Plazia''s a fortress caliber eldritch. That''s a bad situation."


    Florence''s fur bristled over his skin, and he took sharp breaths. I pulled the Rise of Eden over our group, the augmenting aura calming him down. Behind me, another person panicked as well. Well, monster, but either way, Amara gasped in shock.


    She took a step back, pointing her palms down. As she did, her hands trembled. The smaller eldritch hyperventilated before putting her hands against her head. Florence snapped out of his daze and walked up to her. He snapped his fingers, "Hey, you alright? Everything ok? You look unwell."


    She couldn''t speak, her emotional unease overwhelming her. Three minds of mine went into action, dissecting the situation. One of them noted this reaction was her being afraid. The sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath sealed the deal on that. Those signs spawned right after I mentioned a fortress caliber eldritch, so the two connected somehow.


    My second mind remembered that Amara was a part of the mission to Gypsum.  She was almost eaten by the Spatial Fortress there. A third mind clicked those details together, and I stepped up to Amara. I raised a hand with confidence,


    "Hey."


    My voice compelled her, and she glanced up to me. I lunged down and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Listen to me. You''re not the same eldritch you were when Yawm controlled you. You wear my skin and flesh over your body, and it gives you strength. If you can''t believe in your own power, then trust in mine."


    I raised a fist, "I will keep you safe." I peered at Florence and Helios, "That goes for each of you as well."


    Florence waved both his hands like he was psyching himself up, "Of course, of course. I just, you know, was abjectly terrified for a moment. It would be par the course for me if you hadn''t already guessed as much."


    Amara gave me a nod, her legs wobbling still. I stood up, giving Amara''s helmet a tap, "Come on, stand up straight. You''re the Harbinger''s technician, aren''t you?"


    She adjusted her helmet, staring down. She took a slow breath, her heart rate steadying. She murmured, "Yes...Thank you. The thought of facing another fortress...That terrified me. I lost myself while imagining what happened before, but I won''t allow that to happen again. I will move past this fear in time."


    Althea let me know she feared the fortresses, so of course, the other Gypsum members felt the same. Armed with those thoughts, I smiled under my helmet, "Alright then. Now, Reason, I want to understand more about what''s going on with Plazia. Is Plazia literally the ground beneath us, or is this just a phrase you''re using?"


    Reason considered my question, her emerald form rippling like a stormy sea, "That...that is what we have gathered. If we burrow too deeply, then Plazia''s insects will swarm us from all angles. We believe that insects are the center of the planet because of this."


    I closed my eyes, marveling at Reason''s objective misunderstanding of how a planet works. I took basic science back in, like, fifth grade, and there, I learned that solid planets had molten cores for the most part. Insects wouldn''t hold up an entire mantle of a world, as the pressure would destroy them utterly along with the heat.


    That being said, maybe Plazia was pulling some shenanigans with gravity and the like. I didn''t put that past him as I opened my eyes, "Ok...So insects are the center of the planet?"


    Reason raised two extended limbs of slime, "Yes."


    "And this is because once you burrow down, anywhere, there are bugs?"


    "Yes."


    I gave her a slow nod, "Alrighty then. Is there, uh, anything else you can tell me about Plazia?"


    Reason tremored, "What would you need to know?"


    Florence took a step up, "When did he land? What''s his favorite color? What does he do in his spare time?"


    Reason shifted towards the arena of slimes, staring at another battle, "Plazia arrived on Svia many centuries ago. The exact date of his coming is unknown to us, but we understand that he is an ancient entity. We do not fully understand him, and that is one of his greatest weapons against us."


    Oh yeah, I figured as much by now. Reason continued,


    "His tactics are vast and unwieldy. He pits us queens against one another, abusing our most admirable asset - our ability to wage war. This immense destruction of our colonies is why we''ve let him fester as long as we have. It is only recently that our squabbling has finally stopped thanks to Wrath."


    Reason watched a blue bruiser slime get squashed before she dangled a limb over the body. The razor queen slurped up his remains in a disgusting guzzle. As the cobalt ooze disintegrated in her moss-colored muck, Reason pulled back. She sighed,


    "And despite our unity, he has evaded us time and time again."


    At this point, something dawned on me - they knew next to nothing about Plazia. I mean, at least half of what she answered with had nothing to do with him. It was the inner workings of the razor queens'' situation, something I already understood. I lifted a hand,


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "I got that already. I''m trying to get details about Plazia so that I''m not left squandering at what to do if he jumps my team or me. Do you know what he looks like, at least?"


    Reason shrunk away from me, "We have never seen his true form."


    I scoffed, "Ok, does he have a favorite slime he likes to eat?"


    "He never eats us."


    I grabbed the side of my helmet, "Is there, I don''t know, any tactic he uses that''s most common?"


    Reason jiggled, "He has confounded us at every turn, and so, we don''t know what his tactics truly are."


    Amara seethed, "I think there is more that you don''t understand than merely his tactics. It would seem you know nothing of your ancient and venerable enemy."


    Reason hissed, "And none of you have faced him. You cast your judgment willingly, and that is simple to do. To face him and experience our dismay is a different task altogether. I heed any of you to investigate below. You will find the depths most unforgiving."


    Florence turned a hand to her, "So while you may not understand Plazia, you do seem to understand the razor queens and the Ahcorus. Let''s start there and attempt to work our way backward then. Shall we?"


    Knowing when to take a step back, I gave Florence the reigns of this conversation. He took them with a pep in his step, "Now, Reason, you mentioned that the war with Plazia began centuries ago. What were the Ahcorus like then? You know, before this hivemind arrived?"


    Reason shivered, "We were weak. The eldritch threatened to overwhelm us long ago, and we stood on the brink of extinction. No rival species invested in our world because we lacked resources for them. This cast us into the darkest shades of Schema''s worlds - a planet destined to die."


    It amazed me how Florence could get information out of something like this. I took notes on his strategies as Florence tilted his head, "That''s fascinating. It sounds as though a lot has changed since then. What about Plazia''s interference helped or hurt that process?"


    Reason trembled, "He has left our colonies ravaged in his wake. He conquered and annihilated our kind until few of us remained. Those few remaining were our strongest and most powerful. We created a new order of our society in those last moments, and that is when we first manifested a razor queen."


    One of my minds noted that detail. Plazia-Ruhl forced the Ahcorus to evolve. Florence nodded at Reason, "That must''ve been immensely difficult. I couldn''t even imagine pulling through if I was in the same situation. I must say I''m impressed."


    Reason swelled with pride, "And you should be. The Ahcorus rallied with a queen at our center. We established a new social order, one that was stable and functioning. With all of our decisions funneling from a singular point, we beat past Plazia-Ruhl''s established zones. Our kind repopulated Svia, and we regained our homeland."


    Reason pointed a shining claw at the arena, "In that era, we established many of our now revered traditions. These battles began taking place to force our evolution. More razor queens spawned, and they battled to uncover the greatest of our kin."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "But I''m guessing you guys never figured that out, considering many razor queens exist now?"


    Reason deflated a bit, "No, we did not uncover our apotheosis. If a colony has ever grown too dominant, others rallied to dismantle them. Plazia''s attacks also cease that growth and evolution. While we have pushed him deep underground, he attacks at random without reason or purpose. This volatility is the most awe-inspiring aspect of him."


    Reason snarled, "He is unknowable."


    Florence took a breath, "Well, that''s quite the history then. What about your most recent events has made you all stop fighting one another?"


    Reason sighed, "It is Wrath''s pleas. She has mentioned that to reach our final evolution, we must first eradicate our most formidable enemy. It is our only path to salvation, as Plazia stands in our way at every turn."


    Florence''s eyes narrowed, his mind clicking pieces together, "And that''s your species general goal - to evolve into its ultimate form then?"


    Reason spoke as if referencing a distant memory, "Yes. It is our dream."


    Florence spread his arms, "Well then, that was a thrilling story. I''d just like to speak with my team members alone for a minute. I have a few plans and details I''m hobbling together, and I''d hate to waste your time managing those details. I''m sure you have plenty of colonizing, organization, and other affairs that need attending in the meantime."


    Reason kept moving like a patch of living water, "I do. I will return in time to hear of your plan, and then we shall rally with the other razor queens to face Plazia."


    Florence swung a fist, "Oh, absolutely. I can''t wait."


    Reason and the other slimes stepped away before Florence turned to Helios, "Can you warp us back to Mt. Verner from here?"


    Helios raised a hand and snapped his fingers. A portal snapped open, the air no longer howling away as it had before. Florence hopped over towards our warp area while waving for us to follow. We did, and once the portal closed, Florence stepped back and forth. I watched him for a second before I raised a hand,


    "So, any thoughts?"


    Florence shook his head, "Yes. We can''t trust them."


    I crossed my arms, "Why, exactly?"


    Florence sighed, "Several reasons, but even a cursory glance at their history tells me some overarching facts about the ahcorus that are troubling. Firstly, some events simply don''t line up. For instance, Plazia-Ruhl pushed them to the brink of extinction. Once on that edge, their species innovated, gaining a razor queen."


    Florence raised a finger, "Now, that''s all fine and dandy, but if the razor queens allowed them to take back over Svia''s surface, why didn''t the ahcorus continue their domination? Case and point, the Ahcorus now command many razor queens and more resources. They should''ve easily been able to take over a weakened Plazia, yet they haven''t."


    I nodded, "Yeah, that doesn''t add up. It''s like Plazia wanted them to have a measure of control. Hm, probably to get rid of his fringe world status, if I had to guess."


    Florence pointed at me, "I''m thinking the same. In fact, most of the Ahcorus''s culture mirrors the eldritch, even. The entire battling arena, the goals for evolution, those are similar to primitive eldritch."


    Amara hissed, "It is true. For a species to look down upon us yet mirror our ways is odd. Perhaps that is why she angers me - she treats us as inferior while reflecting what we are."


    Helios grimaced under his mask, "So the Ahcorus are pawns of Plazia''s then? Considering the Ahcorus''s sheer stupidity, I find that quite believable."


    Florence rubbed his temples with the dull edges of his claws, "Idiocy is a strong word, but your point still stands. If Plazia had this much control of them, it''s reasonable that Plazia is still using them. How, exactly?" Florence lost all his momentum,


    "I don''t have the slightest idea."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Huh, interesting. I faced a Ruhl before, and it made sure that everything fell in place at a distance. It was like an evil mastermind of sorts that had planned everything out ages ago. That could be the case here. I mean, it''s not outside the realm of possibility that Plazia organized the Ahcorus against himself."


    Amara''s arms flopped against her side, "Why would he turn his own knife against his throat?"


    I gripped my hands into fists, "How about we go and ask him?"

 311 A Clever Bug

    Helios nodded, opening a warp back to Svia. The calculating albony tilted his head, "Should we burrow down?"


    I rolled my shoulders, "Let''s."


    Taking a stroll back onto Svia, we walked into Reason''s colony right where we left off. Once again, the colony''s drones communicated our presence, the blue bodyguards returning. Reason arrived with them. The elegant and deadly razor queen spread two tendrils of slime out as if they were arms,


    "What have you decided on?"


    I raised a hand, "We''re going to burrow down and see about the insects. Afterward, we''ll trace the bugs back to Plazia."


    Reason shivered, "That will never work. He will evade you."


    I raised a hand, "It didn''t work for you, but it might for us. Let us try it out."


    "If you must, then do so. Be ready for war when you arrive at Svia''s depths."


    "I am." Turning towards the others, my armor grinned with its eerie glare, "Are we all?"


    Florence winced under his mask, "Oh...most definitely."


    I pointed down, "Is this a good place to dig down?"


    Reason pointed a diamond-like claw at a tunnel leading down, "My children lie below. Some places are underdeveloped. You may carve into Svia there."


    She slithered, her form elongating into a serpentine shape. Once faster, Reason pumped her body at the edges of this slithering motion. This created a jumping gait, one that involved sideways leaping. It was like a ninja in some anime, honestly. We didn''t follow suit, each of us running to keep pace.


    We passed a menagerie of tunnels and creatures. These sights displayed the slimes'' tenacity. In one tunnel, lines of eggs formed into dark pods. These blots squirmed in their sacks before a pod burst outward from within. A caviar mash oozed out before bursting into a swarm of tiny, see-through bubbles. These translucent orbs infested an eldritch corpse before the slimes within began germinating.


    Eh, it was disgusting yet fascinating. Another burrow stacked itself from top to bottom with pillars of yellow slimes. The green drones rolled up to these masses, regurgitating bits of ores, each different in color. These metals fused into the yellow pillars, which then bubbled within. Those gases flowed up towards lichens on the roof, the fungi growing fleshy plumes towards these vents.


    Fragments from that process floated down these yellow stacks, shifting their coloration to a mellow bisque. These processed steels then funneled into dark piles like coal, which the drones carried off. The lichens above then dripped sweet nectar into various pools, each one reeking like rubbing alcohol and sugar.


    The blue bruisers drank from those pits, and they explained why the Ahcorus wouldn''t mind facing the Hybrids. Killing Elysium''s foot soldiers would give the slimes an enormous supply of food to generate more troops. Those resources supplanted their dying with newly rendered forces.


    At the same time, the bruisers themselves made for formidable enemies in their own right. Searching my memories, one of my minds sent over a status for my viewing pleasure while we reached the colony''s depths.


    Ahcorus Bruiser(lvl 4,902 | Guild: Reason''s Brood | Home: Svia | Species: Ahcorus | Variant: Spiker) - The Ahcorus bruisers are a guardsmen variant of the slimes. They are composed of alcoholic substructures, creating an utterly different biology than most conventional, carbon-based life forms. This results in high levels of flammability and a fermentation-oriented life cycle.


    They evolved this capacity through a symbiotic relationship with various bacteria within their gelatinous centers. Surrounding this cytoplasmic stratum, a thickened membrane protects the soft organelles within. These cell-like creatures move via hydraulic locomotion of this exterior membrane, which generates pressure they use to move.


    This softened inner form gives the Ahcorus immense freedom in whatever shape they choose to take. Given the bruiser''s penchants for battle, they often take on multi-limbed forms. This particular variant of the bruisers specializes in generating keratinous spikes coated in a specialized enamel. Once formed within, these spikes puncture the outer membrane, locking in on threats.


    By shifting their form, they generate torrential forces to fire these spikes at enemies. This gives the spikers a long-ranged utility compared to their more mauling-oriented brethren. Be careful of their prowess, or else you''ll end up skewered by them.


    That would be the case for most, but not you. They fear you.


    The status update contained so much info that it reminded me of a Wikipedia page, discharging enough detail to make me grimace. Any status update acted like that, and taking a glance at all those updates made my head spin, figuratively of course. Not having the time to read hundreds of pages, I only gazed at the written abstract instead of the complete documentation for that reason.


    Despite my misgivings, the statuses were interesting, and they let me finish the trip to the colony''s recesses. There, the enamel coating on the walls turned thick enough that movement proved difficult for my team. The slimes put a haphazard structure of pillars throughout any tunnel, like a spider''s nest of threads. They didn''t need a wide-open space, so they flowed through the small gaps they left behind.


    Being over fifteen feet tall and quite solid, I couldn''t do that.


    So, having a great idea, I ran right through these enamel pillars, the dust smelling like a dentist''s office when my teeth got drilled. Gross as they were, the posts offered reinforcement the colony needed. I generated stone in place of these shattered struts so the settlement wouldn''t collapse. Not pleased with my casual destruction of her tunnel system, Reason stopped flowing through her tunnel network,


    "This is deep enough. The damage you''re doing far exceeds what''s necessary for burrowing below. Here, you may choose to face Plazia as you wish."


    I gave her a thumbs-up, "Thank you. You''re good to go."


    Several of the cerulean bruisers flowed up behind us, weaving between my freshly crafted struts. Reason shivered, "You wish to face Plazia''s masses alone?"


    Remembering the sheer fallout from my other battles, I grimaced, "Absolutely. If it gets ugly, you''re all going to die."


    Reason generated crystalline plates over her slimy body, making herself into the image of a flowing emerald coated in diamonds. She spread spiked limbs, "I am strong. I will help you."


    I took a step forward and reached out. I tapped her crystal armor. As I did, I generated a telekinetic pulse that shattered the front plate. The rigid structure fell down like glass as she pulled away. Lifting my other hand, I constructed a steel pillar from the tunnel''s flooring.


    She leaped back, but I suspended her in a gravity well. The pillar stopped growing just shy of her exposed center. From that jagged shard, I expanded a dozen serrated spines of steel. Reason spoke through her telepathic pathway, "What is this? Are you an assassin from Gluttony? Perhaps Greed?"


    I frowned, "Naw." I flicked my wrist, the metal barb crumbling back down like aluminum foil. "I''m an example of what could happen to you, and in only a few seconds." I released her while lifting my fist up, "And I''m not trying here."


    Reason jiggled in anger, "Are you mocking me?"


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I shook my head, sending over my confidence telepathically, "No, I''m reminding you why you hired me for the job."


    Reason''s spread-out body condensed into a more spherical blob. The razor queen calmed down, "Must you have used these methods to explain that?"


    I shook my head, "I didn''t want to waste time arguing. I have an eldritch to kill, and I''m on a schedule."


    Reason paused, a tense silence passing over us. She shivered, "Is that so?"


    I nodded, "Yup."


    She jumped back and forth, "Then, then this is a joyous day. You are what we wished for, a bringer of death. This is worthy of celebration. Face our ancient enemy on your terms, and we will discuss the first of your battles once you return."


    I waved a hand, "We''ll let you know how it turns out."


    Reason oozed away, funneling through her reinforced tunnels. Once they left, Helios muttered, "Thank you for avoiding that overlong explanation for why she needed to leave. I didn''t want to sit through it."


    Amara tensed, "I as well."


    Florence frowned, "I think you could''ve spoken your way out of that concisely, if you so chose. Actions do speak louder than words, but it''s good to remember that not every situation calls for yelling."


    I crossed my arms, "Hm, yeah, point taken." I pointed at Helios, "Do you mind creating a panel of void ice between us and the ground?"


    Skepticism traced Helios''s face, "Why, exactly?"


    "I''m melting us down. I can survive that, but you guys might not."


    Helios leaned back, "How is this going to even work?"


    I leaned my head against two of my fingers, "Alright, never mind. Don''t worry about it."


    Lifting a hand, I generated steel from mana, making a bubble of metal around us. On the top, a quintessence crystal lit our surroundings in white light. At the same time, another mind melted the stone below us and pulled us down with gravity. Yet another psyche cooled our inner sanctum while reinforcing it with an antigravity well, so it didn''t crumble under the weight of Svia.


    Florence marveled as we fell down this makeshift elevator shaft, "Now this is something special." Florence put his hand on the smoothed bubble around us, "This is what magic is all about, isn''t it?"


    Florence grinned at me, "Hah, you remind me of Obolis at times."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Let''s hope so. We''ll need something absurd for Plazia."


    Around us, the plating rumbled as we descended. Ringing taps rained down in an instant once we passed a certain depth. It reminded me of being under a tin roof while it rained bullets outside. Dents began forming over the steel covering us, and Amara slumped her shoulders,


    "Are...are we going to be alright?"


    I nodded, "For sure. We''re going to be fine."


    Event Horizon spread outwards in all directions, the shifting aura evading my allies but smothering the area around us. The denting sounds evaporated before I pulled an arm back. Pushing it forward, I pulled my fingers together before stabbing through the steel. Feeling around outside, magma pooled around my fingers, verifying my suspicions. I winced,


    "Ok, so Reason might not be quite as ridiculous as I thought. We''re in magma country right now, yet bugs are swarming outside. How? I have no idea."


    My team members gawked at me, each of them stunned. Even Helios blinked his blind eyes a few times, his relaxed demeanor cracking a bit,


    "We...we''re surrounded by magma?"


    I scoffed, "What? Of course. We''re like...at least a few miles deep by now."


    Cold sweat dripped from Florence and Amara''s brows before our friendly eldritch mumbled, "Miles...Of magma?"


    I waved the fingers of my free hand, "Oh, most certainly. Now that I have you trapped here, all of you, prepare for your doom."


    Florence and Amara took my joke like I stabbed them through the chest. Each of them pushed their backs against the steel covering around them. Florence gulped, "It was all for this moment then...To think I trusted you."


    I burst into laughter, "Hah, what? You''re going to be fine. Damn guys, it''s a joke."


    Helios peered at his nails, still casual, "You may find yourself more humorous while in a more casual atmosphere. Death is looming around them at all angles while you laugh about it. That is creating a cognitive dissonance that''s ruining their immediate judgments."


    Helios lifted his hand, the albony bored, "I''d recommend making them feel safer if you''re willing."


    Leaning back, he was right. I shook my head before sighing, "Huh. Sorry guys, I just forgot this was, I don''t know, unusual, I guess? I''ve been swimming through magma for a long time now. Years maybe?"


    Florence raised a hand as if he had a lot to say,


    "I...yes."


    Yup, they needed a break. I spun my finger in a tiny circle before stabbing my other hand into the steel sphere around us. As I pulled it aside before Florence and Amara cringed away from the rupture. Helios remained unperturbed. Beyond the steel, igneous rock surrounded us. Florence stared at it,


    "You chilled the magma?"


    I stared at a hand, "I did. It''s something I''ve meant to do more of. I can control temperatures, but I''ve never really abused the cooling part of that. I''ve always stuck to heating objects more."


    Stretching out a hand, I materialized steel outwards while jerking stone away. This let me walk forward into a smooth tunnel supported by saturated gravity wells. I took a few steps before turning to the others, "You guys coming?"


    Even Helios took a sharp breath at that. The ice mage leaned back in disgust, "How are you even doing this?"


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Cascading magics. Come on, let''s go."


    We took a few steps out before the rain of insects returned. Event Horizon destroyed them once more before I turned to the others, "Guys, I''m going to go outside for a second. Can you keep this structure safe, Helios?"


    He nodded, "Void ice is extremely dense and hard. It may support us for a time, but we''ll warp away if you''re gone for more than a few minutes. I''m not dying out here because you''re forgetful."


    I lowered myself into a molten pit of the steel, "I wouldn''t expect you to. Keep them safe."


    I prevented the lava from erupting into the steel tunnel with gravity, and I cooled my helmet while I kept reading. Like that, I fell into the endless sea below, and I marveled at its size. I hardened the melted steel above before swimming through this vast, heated ocean. The immense pressure weighed on me like a blanket. The thick, liquid rock flowed over me like a summer breeze. Even the heat only seeped through like I dipped into a warm bath.


    The ambient white noise of rushing magma also rung out in all directions. It was like I surrounded myself in a waterfall, the pour so loud it silenced everything else. I enjoyed the peace of the place. I might even spend more time under the mantle on Earth after this, but now wasn''t the time for thinking up leisure activities. Pulling myself back into the moment, I retracted Event Horizon. From this lava, living blots crashed into me from all angles.


    I formed pictures with my gravitational sense, making out the shape of these insects. They composed entirely of the surrounding lava, with no actual shells or blood making them up. From another perspective, I reached out with my sense for mana, finding they weren''t truly alive, though they held a physical form.


    It was the same technique that Obolis used for his living magic, but simply far more developed. Plazia had embedded mana under Svia''s crust, bringing these magma insects to life here, and these magical constructs prevented others from diving this deep. Considering the amount of mana required for this planetary enchantment, I smiled.


    Plazia was strong. Very strong.


    They darted in from all angles, their tiny minds fueled by their creator''s commands. I tried grasping one, but it squeezed between my fingers before returning to its previous form. Several even fused together, rushing me like a world worm, battering at me like a raging bull. This enchantment would be challenging to handle for many people.


    But not me. I silenced the massive worm with Event Horizon, its life ending in an instant. For the other insects, I telepathically linked with many of them, discovering more about the magic. These weren''t purely magical constructs; Plazia implanted the minds of his insects into the magma. That''s how they retained permanence so well.


    This also meant Plazia still controlled them, and I found an enormous consciousness interacting with them from a distance. That subtle tethering reminded me of Lehesion''s vast link. That wasn''t because of this tether''s strength but due to its toughness. Even if I jerked on these seemingly subtle connection points, they didn''t snap.


    Considering how minuscule these bug''s minds were and how large mine was, that was absolutely incredible. Testing a theory, I let loose on those anchoring points. No matter how I pulled, they stayed taut. They were unbreakable. Getting Plazia-Ruhl''s attention, I jerked on those connections like a child yanking on pigtails.


    Seconds passed as the magma insects bit at me from all angles. They shattered claws, snapped teeth, and broke wings on my skin, unable to even scratch me. I found it fascinating how large the magic enchantment was, and it sparked my curiosity. I wasn''t the only one curious, however.


    The enormous psyche from afar closed the gap, sending over a small fragment of itself here. This piece of Plazia''s mind acted as an initial scout. Considering it ruled this underground domain, it must have found my presence baffling.


    Once it landed, I seized the mind''s fragment around my own conscious, smothering it. It reached out with an insidious curiosity,


    "You who crawls beneath the mantle...Who are you, and how have you not perished amidst my inner sanctum?"


    I grinned, "Me? I''m Daniel Hillside." I spread my arms,


    "And I''m alive because I''m hard to kill."

 312 A Piece of Plazia

    <div>


    <div>


    Once it landed, I seized the mind''s fragment around my own conscious, smothering it. It reached out with an insidious curiosity,


    "You who crawls beneath the mantle...Who are you, and how have you not perished amidst my inner sanctum?"


    I grinned, "Me? I''m Daniel Hillside." I spread my arms,


    "And I''m alive because I''m hard to kill."


    Chapter Begin


    Plazia''s piece spoke out, "You are difficult to kill, but only now. You''ve lived by the mercy of those around you."


    Plazia didn''t threaten me like I expected. I leaned back, "How so?"


    It reached out with malevolence, "The first of your mercies came from the son of that lich you walk with - Alfred Worm. He fell to darkness near his end, but he lived a dignified life. His life''s work lives on within you."


    My forehead wrinkled as my eyes widened, "Wait a minute, how do you-"


    "The second of your mercies came from Schema, who hears all but listens little. He chose to let you live, as anyone like you is deserving of death in his unchanging eyes."


    I narrowed my eyes, and it smiled in my mind, "Your third mercy came from the undead mage, Torix Worm, father of Alfred and bringer of death. He could''ve stripped you bare. He thought to do so many times. You are a surrogate son to him, and so he did not."


    Plazia''s words carried an evil that crawled under my skin. It spoke out like liquid darkness,


    "The fourth mercy you own came from Yawm of Flesh. He chose to embed his legacy within yours, and now you will enact his will or die. Your fifth and final mercy came from my own fangs - I did not sink them into your neck. You may be no sheep, but know you live by the will of those around you, as all beings do."


    He was right about that, but how he knew so much about me was eerie, especially the bits from BloodHollow. Plazia seeped out,


    "Yet, you understand your weakness well. I found my own weakness in my forgotten memories. I''ve chosen to live by that weakness instead of dying by my strength."


    I parsed his riddle-bound words. Plazia let me live at some point when he didn''t have to. Knowing about BloodHollow gave that some validity. He talked about living by weakness instead of dying by strength. If I guesstimated his meaning, he referenced letting the ahcorus take over Svia instead of being glassed by Schema...Probably.


    Plazia continued, "That weakness was embedded in my faded memories. They linger as raw emotion, and now, only silence remains."


    Plazia bled out, "But I remember what those memories gave me. Warmth. Refuge. Purpose. In their lingering silence, I found peace. In that gloom, I found the quiet quite welcoming."


    As a hostage, he spoke in confidence, "Tell me this, Harbinger, are you so welcoming as that silence, or have you forgone me already, as all others have?"


    He talked with more eloquence than Obolis, and even just this fractured fragment understood so much about me. As he spoke, one of my minds dissected Plazia''s words, and they unnerved me. He researched my background already, but more than that, he was connected to Baldag-Ruhl Somehow. There''s no way he could reference my time in BloodHollow otherwise.


    Either way, I gave him a nod out of respect, "Huh, you know me, but I know you too. You''re using the ahcorus, and you chose to let them overrun the surface." More of my animas went into action, thinking of different ideas, "You sent Wrath to find me as well. If you did, you wanted me here. Now, why you want me hunting you down, I can''t say."


    I crossed my arms, "How about you explain yourself?"


    Plazia laughed, a haunting cackle ebbing out. It spoke with joy, "Do you read poetry?"


    I blinked, "Eh, not really. You sound like you might."


    "You predict correctly, as I partake of it often. I relish in poems, and I listen closely to the words of the dead. They wrote with the wisdom of the living. From them, I have learned much. I learned that the enemy of my enemy is a friend."


    I frowned, unnerved by Plazia''s voice, "I''m picking up what you''re putting down. Sort of. So, who''s the enemy we both share?"


    Plazia''s fragment oozed, "Schema."


    I shrugged, "I''m not against Schema."


    "But you are. You see the faults of his governance, and you have made your stance clear - you ally with the eldritch. You may ally with even me, should I convince you too. Your history has told me this."


    My hands tightened on my arms, "If working with you involves getting my skin getting peeled off and worn like a puppet, I''ll pass."


    "Listen closely and dwell on the words I''ve spoken. They carry many meanings, but one is singular; I understand what you are, who you are, and what you will be. I speak of the mercies given to you as an example. You were but a monster in the eyes of all, yet you rise above your origins."


    I tapped my arm, growing impatient, "What''s your point?"


    The fragment gnarled out like the roots of an ancient oak, "I want your forgiveness for what I am, and in turn, I will give to you purpose and knowledge. That is a priceless offer, as I know of much. I know of Earth and Blegara and Gypsum. I know of the cipher and its secrets and of Schema''s lies. You glimpse at a shade of me, but trust in its confidence. My full being carries a light that will expose the dark, even though I dwell within its twilight."


    It muttered, "And I will tear you from those shadows if you would allow me to do so."


    His last words carried a lingering, ominous pain. I gestured around, "How about we call off the insects then? That would be a good start."


    In a flash, the insects retreated. Plazia''s fragment stayed in its mental restraints, comfortable as could be. I sighed,


    "Ok...If I understand this right, you don''t actually want to fight me. You brought me here using Wrath, and now you want to explain something to me. I can''t understand why you''d do that. It doesn''t make any sense."


    It lounged about, sensing my other minds,  "You are the Harbinger of Cataclysm. You are of many. You reek of forces surrounding space and time. Gravitation. Kinetics. Heat. All forces you''ve mastered. Your mind is honed as well, yet it is not stagnant. I know that it will change if given knowledge. From these observations, I believe you carry the potential to evoke a great change."


    Plazia radiated his words as if speaking a legend, "You carry that potential. Others have seen it. I as well. I aim to direct it, but not through manipulation. I wish to give you the truth, and you will direct the ensuing change on your own terms."


    My narrowed eyes turned to slits, "So you got some secrets you want to tell me...Cool. The thing is, why should I trust you at all, to begin with?"


    "I did not speak to Elysium of what and who you are. My silence speaks for me, as your home remains unscarred." Plazia''s fragment trembled, "Even when I may have scarred it with but an utterance."


    I tsked. Plazia was right. He talked about my time in BloodHollow, so he knew where my home planet was. He could''ve told Elysium before my ceasefire if he was so inclined. Earth would''ve been devastated, and I couldn''t have done anything about it. In fact, based on what Plazia said, he didn''t act on many of my past events. My curiosity peaked, and I tilted my head, "Point taken. You want to just talk then?"


    It reached out towards one of my minds. It seethed inner darkness and primordial hunger, but something else effused from its psyche - a sort of enlightenment. Plazia held some secret or truth that changed him, and he wanted to share it with me. The mind laid bare that raw emotion, and it convinced me more than any words he could''ve spoken.


    But it also terrified me. He was too convincing. My instincts flared as I jerked myself back, and I growled, "A Ruhl nearly wore my soul for its shell. A feeling isn''t going to be enough to convince me."


    Plazia rumbled, "And you killed my brethren, but I wish not for your blood. I wish to tell you what my full being knows. Meet me beneath the lair of Wrath, and I shall untangle the riddles I''ve spoken. Your web of ignorance will unweave with my words, and we shall be of one notion."


    The piece of Plazia condensed into a small, minute point as it said, "If we disagree, then you will kill me. I shall put my life on that edge, as I endure for more than just survival. I wish to one day live as I did before I became an eldritch."


    That was a loaded statement. Fractures popped into the edges of the mind, "Before this was done to me."


    I tried holding the splinter of Plazia together, but it ripped itself apart before I could even react. The hollowed memories within turned into a garbled mess. Staying amongst the calming lava flows, I submerged in the mantle of Svia for a few minutes, thinking Plazia''s words over. Getting my thoughts in order, I pulled myself back to the void ice.


    Knocking on it like a door, Helios let me in while I cooled the magma around it. As I stepped into the steel shell, Amara, Florence, and Helios stared at me. Helios tilted his head, "What did you uncover about our oh so mighty foe?"


    I let my arms down to my sides, "Plazia knows about me. He knows everything."


    Florence stepped forward, his curiosity peaked, "Ah, so he knows the history of killing Yawm and the like. Did you not expect him to do research or something?"


    I waved, "No, I mean, he knows more about me than almost anyone else. And, he''s hard to understand. He talks in riddles...Well, sort of. I mean, they''re kind of like riddles, but maybe he''s just metaphorical all the time."


    Helios waved a hand, "A standard hivemind then? Did he also wish to fight you to the death over many decades?"


    I blinked, "No. Plazia wants to explain something to me. Apparently, he remembers a time before becoming an eldritch."


    Helios''s inner brow wrinkled, "Huh. Really? That''s...odd."


    Amara hissed, "I know my own kind. It is a beast, and it cannot be trusted. It will attack when you are vulnerable. It throws us from our hunt to save itself. Do not listen."


    My face wrinkled in confusion, "I don''t know. Plazia seemed pretty genuine about us not killing each other."


    Florence spread out his arms, "Guys, when an ancient, revered hivemind wishes to not kill us, who are we to argue?"


    Amara simmered, "You are a coward."


    Florence swung an arm, "And proud of it. Now, any details on the peace treaty? I''ll get the pen and ink out if you need them. I''m sure Plazia wants the treaty signed in blood, so I''ll make the donation if that''s necessary. Now, if the parchment needs to be skin, you''ll have to find someone else for that."


    I leaned back against the steel bubble, "You know what, I really don''t know what he wants. If anything, he might be pulling me in with curiosity instead of threats. If I come wanting to learn, my guard would be down. Maybe that''s his aim."


    Helios''s eyes narrowed, "Has the great Harbinger''s confidence been shattered?"


    "What confidence I had at least."


    Helios rolled his shoulders, "Then we move forward with more caution. It is as simple as that." Helios walked over and gave my chest a hard tap with his gauntlet, "Where must we go, and what must we do to prepare for Plazia-Ruhl?"


    I shook off my jitters, getting d¨¦j¨¤ vu from my time in BloodHollow. My helplessness then gave me some severe whiplash now, but I got myself together, smashing it apart. I wasn''t the same person trapped in that cave, and I wouldn''t be manipulated again.


    Plazia wouldn''t end up wearing my skin either.


    I stood back up, "We need to head to Wrath''s colony. That''s where Plazia told me to meet him. He''s probably under them."


    Florence''s jovial demeanor deflated at that, "Oh...Do we know for sure that Wrath is Plazia''s tool now?"


    Remembering how Plazia knew my past, I nodded, "We were right. Plazia directed me here even before the rebellion with Giess began."


    Helios snapped the fingers of his gauntlet, the void ice dispersing from around our steel bubble. Helios said, "He may not have known of your rise to prominence. It is  an easy error to make, as I would know."


    Helios''s upper lip twitched. I turned a palm to him, "Look, your first impression with me was about as terrible as it could get. That being said, you haven''t run out in the middle of a fight, not even against Lehesion. You''re gaining ground, albeit slowly."


    I tapped his shoulder, "So chin up, ice mage. Someone has to be the cynical jackass of the bunch, and you''re just the man for the job."


    Florence smirked, "He does have an icy demeanor, doesn''t he?"


    I laughed, but no one else did. Amara winced, "I hate you all."


    I lifted an arm, pulling our steel bubble up from Svia''s mantle, "Well, that''s enough talking for now. Let''s warp to Wrath''s colony and meet him. I''m tired of waiting."


    Helios opened his status, "Do you know her colony''s coordinates?"


    I sent Reason a message about it as I spoke, "No, but I will in a few minutes."


    Without warning, our make-shift vessel collided with the solid crust of Svia. Everyone lost their footing before I winced back, "Hah, sorry, guys."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I mentally cringed at the simple mistake. Using this many minds for so many tasks overwhelmed me at times, and it led to tiny errors like that. Getting all the different animas working together without gaps took more effort than I''d have thought. It needed abundant organization and keen foresight.


    So much foresight that I planned on brainstorming some kind of solution for it. Before doing that, I got us out of Svia''s crust, pulling the steel sphere into Reason''s colony. Among the toothy tunnels and pressured depths, we rested inside that metal orb for a moment.


    Florence made notes in his status about Svia, the Ahcorus, and Plazia. Amara opened up her red status, fiddling with it. Helios waited, meditating for a bit. After Reason sent me Wrath''s coordinates, I relayed them to the ice mage, and Helios got to work. He pulled out a dozen apps, each helping him handle the logistics involved with warping.


    Helios even constructed 3-D, visual spaces from 2-D maps of Svia. He actually made the areas well enough they mirrored reality quite well. Helios kept at it more than necessary, however. He etched in details, finalized the colors, and added depth to rocks.


    Turns out, Helios was an artist.


    I quit watching, letting him get everything ready. In the meantime, I sat down and brainstormed a way of organizing my many minds. I had thirteen made right now. Eight dedicated themselves to the furnaces. One read the book in front of my face while another practiced the cipher. The other three helped me cast magic, speak, and visualize my surroundings.


    Despite my profusion of multi-tasking, I ended up sharper than average, though nothing too crazy. Just as well, I hadn''t actually had any free time since uncovering the mana into mental processing power phenomenon. Pushing those limits, finding its use cases, and discovering those inner workings would take me to the next level, mentally, that is.


    Aiming for that, I sat down cross-legged in our spacious metal globule, and I pushed a bit more energy into mental processing power. My mind responded in turn, becoming faster. Even tiny, minuscule amounts of mana made a tangible difference, so I put in a bit more. Once again, positive effects manifested, and the many tasks my minds handled became easier.


    I gave it even more juice, and suddenly, my thoughts turned in different directions. Focusing became a burden, and it was as if I was on some kind of stimulant. Considering how little mana I injected, the speeding up process carried no limit. My ability to control it was the deciding factor, and like runaway trains, my psyches ended up running off the rails.


    I dwelled on many aspects of my life, my mistakes, and my hardships. Emotions ran rampant, overwhelming me in a surging tide. Anger, rage, hatred, sadness, and even happiness all hit me in a sort of mania.


    I grabbed the sides of my head, pulling mana back into the cipheric runes. I bit through my lip, my silver blood gushing out before reconstituting in an instant. I let out a small gasp before settling myself down. Florence peered up from his status work, "So, uh, you ok?"


    The sociable albony was as perceptive as ever, though it wasn''t hard to notice. I nodded, "I''m fine."


    Florence tuned back to his screen, but he kept an eye on me. I waited a bit before doing anything else, scared of what may happen. Before I paralyzed in that fear, my insight mind fed me a, well, insight about what just happened - I just experienced mana devolution. However, that was only the early stages of it.


    My insight psyche explained that mana devolution involved a mind running rampant, no longer under the user''s control. It was similar to getting too lost in your own thoughts but amplified many times over. If a person couldn''t pull their mind back, then the person fell into an insane mania. My eyes widened as a few realizations popped in my head at that fact.


    First, I would''ve 100% have devolved into an animal if not for my blood magic. After all, my mana output vastly exceeded my capacity to control it. By taking a more physical approach to my magic, I avoided being possessed by my own volatile mana flows.


    My second realization came from an article I read about mana devolution; ascendant mana carried the highest chance of it occurring. Interestingly enough, quintessence had the least, and that made intuitive sense to me. I mean, quintessence just motivated you to build yourself and others up. Even if you ''devolved'' with that mana type, your manifested personality wouldn''t be all that bad. It would be like an ambitious CEO or something.


    On the other hand, ascendant mana was the energy of consumption. Of the advanced mana types, I gained it first from my exposure to inter-dimensional miasma. If I fell into ascendant mana''s influence, I''d be a raging monster hell-bent on eating everything in my path. I''d be like the worst incarnation of an eldritch, one that evolved rapidly and couldn''t be killed.


    That''s probably why Schema considered me such a risk factor. It''s also why Spear considered letting me live to be such a huge blessing. I represented a real chance at becoming something abominable. Despite the gloom cast by those realizations, I also gained some confidence from these facts.


    Not discovering this processing facet of my mana probably saved me a lot of headaches. Considering how difficult it was to control, I''d never have managed this early on. It would''ve consumed me like a hungry shark mauling an injured fish. This also explained why Baldag-Ruhl made this armor like this.


    Baldag-Ruhl intended on this metal to bolster his mental capabilities, and that''s why it generated so much mana. Torix and my experiment with the rip in space-time ended up shifting the carapace''s evolutionary path, making it more a dimension than just a mana shell. Feeding it eldritch helped me generate ascendant mana too.


    Peering at my own skin, the dark gray metal sheened from the quintessence overhead. It could''ve blessed me with my talent for runes and gravity even. At this point, it spiraled out of control, a forbidden relic further bolstered by Schema''s system. With my cipher runes enhancing it even further beyond, this armor left me awash in limitless possibility.


    It was an amazing, utterly unique artifact.


    Tapping into that unending potential meant mastering this aspect of it.  Even if it would be a challenge, I''d faced plenty of those before. It was time for another, so I prepped my mind for a flood of emotions, disciplining myself to prevent the ensuing chaos they''d cause. I closed my eyes, and I oriented several personas to that end. Dribbling mana into each anima, I ramped up my mental processing.


    It expanded, and the five free minds began wobbling. They struggled with controlling the overflow of thoughts, each preventing my descent into madness. I put one furnace burning psyche to the job of managing those minds. This psyche acted as a manager of the other Daniels, setting them straight and helping them stay on task.


    I put more of the furnace psyches to this new task, and my thoughts flourished from it. I found the upper limit of productivity for this manager Daniel to be right at seven minds. Any more, and it no longer assisted them all. Any less, and it had gaps in its schedule, causing it to micromanage. Finding this balance, I managed a careful equilibrium of augmented minds.


    I kept at this process, entering a deep state of meditation. Taking slow, shallow breaths, the different consciousnesses acclimated to the mana flows. I wasn''t about to suddenly master this ability, but I gained a much more defined idea of what I could and couldn''t do. Knowing my limits, I kept this manager Daniel over the ''free'' minds. I also put fewer minds on Matter Conversion in general.


    Even over just a few hours, I gained quite a few skill levels in that mythical skill. Seven times more than usual, in fact. Combine that with the processing power, and I could put four furnaces to three minds now. These adjustments gave me two more psyches to work with. One of those psyches became manager Daniel. He put mana into the free minds and helped keep them from spiraling out of control.


    For the other freed consciousness, I put it on insights and magic duty. Once it was all said and done, everything flowed smoother compared to before. Manager Daniel stopped me from messing up the simple stuff while getting more processing power out of each mind. Having dual psyches put on insight patrol also meant I''d respond faster and better to situations.


    Eh, most of the time.


    My speaking and thinking self stayed at the forefront of all those minds. After an hour of practice, it turned from a wonky attempt into a solid structure. Gaining a method for A Manifold Mind gave me a lot of breathing room. Everything clicking into place, I peered around. Helios kept reaching out, envisioning various warp summons. Florence and Amara kept at their relevant studies. I turned a palm to Helios,


    "Are you ready to head out?"


    Helios took a breath, calming himself before he snapped his fingers. A picture-perfect warp spawned, one leading to another colony like this one. Helios cracked his neck and stood, "Of course I am. I''m a Novas, after all."


    He walked through the portal before we all followed, the veil snapping shut behind us. Once within Wrath''s domain, we found more green drone slimes rolling about. Enamel lined the tunnels as reinforcement, and the same sterile, burning scent effused this place as well. Bruiser slimes came up to us over the next minute, each of the fighters deep blue in coloration, just like Reason''s guards.


    Unlike Reason''s troops, these slimes charged us with unquenchable ferocity. I stood between the blobs and my team, holding each of them in my fingers. They snapped several toothy shards and spears against my skin, snapping their chosen weapons against me. They recreated those tools over and over, their biomass shrinking over time.


    When Wrath showed up, the guardians wrestled against me while surrounded by piles of shattered teeth. Wrath rolled up before spreading her form thin. She swallowed the expanse of debris before forming blades of her own. With needle tendrils, she sliced into each of the slime guards. From within, she expanded bushes'' worth of spikes from their insides. Those slimes gurgled before she pulled them into her steel blue membrane, assimilating each of them.


    Florence shivered, "Sheesh. It looks like Wrath also lives up to her namesake."


    Wrath trembled, "I do. You''ve visited me, Harbinger. Finally. We may kill my species'' ultimate enemy...together."


    Unlike with Reason, Wrath lacked the same nonchalance before battle. She stayed aware of her surroundings, several thin feeler tendrils inspecting around her at all times. Wrath''s spikes and teeth also carried a different composition, being more than simple crystals. One of the claws tapped me, and it mirrored some organic fusion of graphene and adhesives based on the hardness.


    How she got graphene, I didn''t know. As for the adhesives, they turned dull carbon to shimmering gold. When ready for battle, Wrath exuded danger, both majestic and deadly. I smiled at her, spreading my arms, "It''s good to see you too. We''ll be focusing on scouting for now, but we''ll be spilling blood soon."


    I sent over a telepathic burst of bloodlust, and Wrath quivered in joy. I grinned, "I can promise you that much."


    Wrath receded, "Then killer of wolves, what have you visited my colony for? Plazia rests beneath every colony, and mine is no closer than the others. We have spread my domain far and wide, but not deeply. Reason or Awe would serve you better if burrowing deeply was your goal."


    Her feelers groped Amara and I. Wrath shivered, "But you have visited Reason already. And you, little one-" Wrath pooled up near Amara.


    Avoiding the same aggressive conversation again, I cut in, "She''s with me. She''s my technician."


    Wrath''s tendrils touched Amara''s hair. Wrath uttered, "Of course she is. She holds bloodshed in her skin and blood on her hair. I love its taste, little one. You also carry the skin and flesh and bone of your leader. You serve him well for the Harbinger to indulge such gifts."


    Amara leaned back, turning her palms away from Wrath, "I...I have done what I may."


    Wrath shuddered, "We may one day taste each other, should you desire."


    I turned to Florence, who turned to me. We both gawked at each other, each of us having a conversation with that glance. Helios rested his face on his hands, "A razor queen who wishes to mate with our eldritch technician. Ah yes, how charming."


    An awkward silence passed before I spread my hands, "Alright guys, do whatever the hell you want to on your off time. We''re on a mission right now, so stop all this."


    Amara pushed away Wrath, who showed no signs of doing the same. Unlike Reason, Wrath stood by herself, the drones around here giving plenty of space to their queen. Even the guards kept their distance, no slime wanting to be devoured without warning.


    There may be multiple kinds of devouring going on if I had to guess.


    Either way, that was none of my business as I pointed down, "Take us to the bottom of the colony, and we''ll take it from there. Don''t worry about the burrowing."


    Wrath balled herself up before firing herself away. I pulled everyone along, keeping pace with Wrath. We winded through the tunnels fast as an echo, the twists and turns passing by my eyes like a roller coaster ride. Seconds later, we rested at a much higher depth than Reason''s colony depths. Enamel struts remained a rarity here, and the supporting tunnels still let us move around.


    Before leaving, Wrath let one last tendril feel over Amara as the razor queen left here. Once Wrath departed, Amara mumbled under her breath, "Perhaps...perhaps not all razor queens are bad."


    Florence covered his mouth under his black mask, "Oooooh."


    Helios sighed before shaking his head in disgust, "I would''ve never have imagined, not in a thousand lifetimes, that I''d prefer going to a different world with Hod instead of you, Amara."


    Helios lost tension in his arms, and they flopped on his sides, "And yet, here I am, wishing he were here instead. Their bulbous eating contests were far less disgusting than...whatever this is."


    Amara cackled before hissing, "Is that jealousy I hear?"


    Florence and I bust out laughing at Helios. The ice mage simmered, "Wrath''s disposition may explain why she''s allied with Plazia, hm? Regardless, may we please fight the world-ending horror instead of experiencing this grotesque coupling? I would much prefer the former to the latter."


    I got my chuckles out before wiping away a tear with a branch of armor. Damn, I hadn''t laughed that hard in forever. I sighed, "Ok, ok. Let''s go get him."


    Before I could use my newfound, fancy elevator technique, insects composed of magma crawled out of the ground. These insects assimilated together, forming a blob of lava. This lava then spoke out in a familiar and ominous voice,


    "You have come and with others of use. They bring a wealth of talents, ones we may turn to our own uses, soon enough."


    Amara lifted her palms to the living magma, "So this is Plazia? He is less than he first appeared to be. I''m disappointed."


    The magma tilted its head, "Amara, it is good to meet you. I studied you when Yawm first stole you from the prison your rulers commanded. It is from my research of your origins that I uncovered the inner machinations of Schema''s system. Your research into cipheric energy flows was groundbreaking in that regard."


    The magma smiled with igneous teeth of blackened stone, "So while you may be disappointed in me, know that the feeling is far from mutual."


    Amara shivered before grabbing her elbow and pulling it against her side. She snapped, "How do you know so much about me? Are you so shameless in your spying?"


    Plazia chided, "Spying is merely gathering information others wish to hide. My curiosity is never-ending, and so I engage in all methods of obtaining information. That pursuit sustains me, and from it, I know much of everything, spawn of the Builders. Remember that the next time you judge my surface, for I am like a book; my cover only shows but one of my many pages."


    Florence spread his hands, "So, I''ve heard from Daniel that you''re not trying to kill us. I just, you know, wanted to verify that."


    Plazia opened dark, umbral eyes of igneous rock, and they bent into a raised brow,


    "I aim for far more than your deaths, silver tongue. Your demise would mean little but the loss of your powers, for it is in living that your value is manifested. In life, you may help me rise above my corruption. You may offer us salvation."


    He referenced all eldritch there at the end. Amara took a step back and snarled, "Salvation? You speak as Yawm did, and he tormented many. You''ll find we are no fools, and if you wish to bend us to your will, we will retaliate in kind."


    I listened as Plazia cackled. He reverberated from the stone all around us, "No. I manipulate only when I must. You each carry your own ideas and virtues. I will aim those virtues at a new goal, a far greater one than any of you may imagine. Follow my children, and I will offer each of you my truest form."


    A piece of the ground glowed before more of his glowing insects walked out of this spot. Where rock once stood, a tunnel formed. Some of Plazia''s vessels stayed behind, holding the tunnel upright. Helios found nothing wrong with the mana, and Amara couldn''t sense any cipher shenanigans either. All of our senses showed nothing as well, but we prepared for the worst.


    I charged dozens of singularities into my blood. Amara''s hair grazed all of our surroundings where it could. Florence prepared several messages in his status for help, and Helios generated a portal. Unlike other warps, Helios dragged this one behind us. I''d never seen someone do something similar, yet he did.


    I created a shell of Event Horizon around my teammates, and I generated an antigravity well ready to stop a tunnel''s sudden collapse. After we set everything up, we paced down the tunnel for about a hundred yards. We reached an excavated cave. It stood twenty feet tall and forty wide, kind of a tight squeeze for all of us at that point.


    Plazia-Ruhl spoke from the bowels of Svia, "I invite you forth."


    On the wall farthest from us, a spearhead cleaved through dimensional space. I blinked, recognizing the dimensional slicer to be one of the Sentinels'' weapons. Reaching out my hand, I readied a swarm of singularities at the entrance point. No violence came our way, so I stayed my assault for now.


    He could''ve reached us at any point, so I noted that. He brought us here for some other reason.


    The violet, cackling blade sheared space-time before a Sentinel''s hands grabbed the dimensional tear. These sharpened gauntlets colored dark azure instead of the bright turquoise of most Sentinels. Many black tubes lined the hand''s palms, but the fingers ended in sharpened claws, gripping into the sliced fabric.


    Once pulled opened, a complete, azure Sentinel walked out of this warp. Cipheric runes coated the outer plating, and primordial mana oozed from every iota of it. That dark blue energy spawned lightning which clashed into the Sentinel''s surroundings at random. The sparks dissipated against the shield of Event Horizon I made earlier.


    Once past the veil, the Sentinel''s primordial lightning died down. In its wake, the mana warped the space around us, bending it to the twisted Sentinel''s will. This hollowed guardian sheathed its dimensional slicer onto its back, the air around it popping with volatility. It held the dimensional tear open with comfort, as I often did.


    We gawked at the being, and from under its plates, a discordant thrum of cracking ebbed out. At first, I believed it was insects under its skin. Listening closer and finding absurd sums of mana, the Sentinel used furnaces underneath its armor at all times. Quite a few of them, actually. Helios gasped while stepping back, "You...how many furnaces are you using? Four? Five?"


    Plazia-Ruhl raised a hand, one that showed the convoluted tubing of an Overseer''s gauntlet. He grasped the large fingers into a fist,


    "I am wielding several hundred, but not here. They lay throughout Svia, and they establish my domain upon this world."


    Sensing the mana around him, I verified his claims. The energy coursing through the Sentinel''s armor paled compared to my own, being about one-fifth of mine. He struggled with that much while his body both incinerated and healed in tandem.


    For him, this was likely the limit of his mana potential. Anymore, and he''d burn away to ash. At this apex of his potential, Plazia spread out his hands, his polished Sentinel armor glistening in the magma''s light behind his warp,


    "I am Plazia-Ruhl, of Many Faces, and I have much to show you, Harbinger."

 313 Ancient and Venerable

    I took a step back, and the others did with me. I reached up a hand, and I slid Amara into the portal in a quick swipe. Disappearing into my pocket dimension, Amara didn''t have time to react. At the same time, I reached out a hand that grappled Plazia in an intense gravity well. Plazia hovered off the ground, his body inert yet oozing mana still.


    Plazia mouthed out, "You''re cautious of me. That''s excellent. Only a fool would trust an eldritch abomination, especially one so close."


    I grimaced, "So you could''ve shown up whenever you wanted. Why here and why now?"


    Plazia tilted the Sentinel''s helm sideways, insects creaking within,


    "I exposed myself here so that I may show Wrath respect. Her colony is her domain, a sacred and venerable concept to the Ahcorus. To enter as you have is an invasion, both of her privacy and her dignity. It serves your goals well to remember that."


    We turned to Helios, and the ice mage chided, "I''ll reiterate; I never said warping was a good idea. I was merely able to do so at the time."


    Plazia leaned towards Helios, "You are a master of portals, Helios, but masteries are often blinding. They mask our fragility, so our weaknesses are unseen and unknown by us. This promotes stagnation. Your blindness acts as an opposite to that concept - overcoming that blindness has given you strength."


    Around us, tiny mana spots swarmed, each of them unmanifested insects of magma. Plazia moved them, making them dance. The hivemind hissed, "From an endless gloom, you pulled yourself into a different world of motion. In many ways, the world you see outdoes the visible one in both beauty and function. Should you wield your other weaknesses as such, they shall grant you further reason to grow."


    I marveled at the dancing swarm while Helios crossed his arms. The albony royal sneered, "Enough preaching. What are you here for, and what do you want?"


    Plazia cackled out laughter before hissing, "For he who lives in darkness, you detest being seen. That fits you, who lives in an ever-moving umbra. Perhaps you never wish to leave it?"


    Helios leaned back while Plazia-Ruhl turned his head to me, "I''ve shown no aggression. Perhaps you''re willing to release me now?"


    I narrowed my eyes, but I let him down. Plazia finished stepping through his warp, the dimensional tear snapping shut behind him. He turned towards the rock wall, and the stone sprung to life. Dozens of magma insects crawled from his presence, a larger space forming for us. Around him, cipheric markings formed over the molten rock.


    Those sigils solidified, and with a flash of primordial mana, Plazia poured energy into the incantations to enchant the lettering. My HUD disappeared, along with my notifications and status. Plazia sat onto a writhing throne of undulating lava. As he made contact, it condensed into basalt throne before he lifted a hand to us,


    "Find comfort where you may, as my words will grate your ears and slither under your skin...Should you heed them."


    While I wondered if Plazia planned on attacking us, Florence walked forward before I could access the situation. A stony pillar formed beneath the albony, and Florence sat on it. Turning back, Florence smiled at us, "He''s not lying. Let''s hear him out."


    Helios listened to his brother, and the ice mage stepped up. As Helios plopped down onto a forming basalt pillar, the ice mage leaned his masked face onto one hand. Helios mouthed, "Gah...I hope this isn''t a waste of time."


    While they sat, I stood. The rock had no chance of holding my heft up, magical insects or not. I turned a hand to Plazia-Ruhl, "So, what is it you''re after, exactly?"


    Plazia steepled his fingers while resting his elbows on his knees. On his twisted throne, he watched us,


    "I know of you all, as I know of many things. Florence, you''ve found new life in a foreign place where your talents are cherished. Helios, by being thrown into a fire, you''ve shaken yourself from your quiescence. The hidden Amara arrested under the tutelage of builders, and she found sanctum under the wing of that which she fears."


    The air grew heavy as Plazia locked in on me, "And you, Daniel...You''ve been forced to grow beyond your means, and now that growth terrifies you. That dread manifests from a lack of knowledge and experience but, most of all, a lack of direction. You are aimless. I am here to offer you direction."


    I raised my brow, "You sound a lot like Spear."


    Plazia stayed leaning forward, "His plea grounded itself in dogma. Mine is grounded in change, something that only you may enact."


    I crossed my arms, "Alright then, what''s the change?"


    Plazia hummed his words, "I remember a time before my alteration into an eldritch. Only shadowy lapses still linger, but those memories are enough. They seep in from between the cracks of my mind. They are all I need as proof of what''s occurring."


    Plazia spread his hands, "Schema would have you believe that the eldritch spawn from the clashing of dimensions. This is a hollow truth. The interdimensional energies do not create sentient species; they warp them. The eldritch arrive from another dimension that''s dying, and that dimension''s death results in us transferring across dimensions."


    Plazia tapped the side of his Sentinel''s helmet, "And that is what leads to our full deformities. We are the minds of those lost in that ether, but our forms are disfigured into the eldritch abominations you now fight. If anyone understands the corrupt influence of interdimensional energies, it''s you, Daniel."


    I winced, remembering when I put my hand in a dimensional tear in BloodHollow. That ended up changing the evolutionary path of my armor from then on, so it worked in my favor. Not everyone had an eldritch''s carapace over their body, however. I almost succumbed to the energy at the time despite my advantages even.


    I frowned, "Even if what you''re saying is true, does it really matter? Even if you''re innocent before arriving here, the eldritch aren''t exactly talkative after arrival. I''ll help who I can, but for the most part, the eldritch are monsters that need to be wiped out." I turned to the albonies in the room,


    "Don''t tell Amara I said that."


    Florence gave me a thumbs up while Helios murmured, "I wouldn''t care enough too."


    Plazia sighed, "That is...An unfortunate reality, and it''s worthy of note. Our kind is a darkness, one that cannot be purified only removed. By the time we''ve landed here, we''ve turned into nothing more than a shell of our old selves. Nothing remains of our lineage, and so, we''ve only made a new one here. It''s a horrid picture we painted so far."


    Plazia shook a fist, "But that is where you may change our grim reality. You''re the only creature outside of the Old Ones that can cross these transdimensional energies without corruption. Within you lies the only means of crossing those dimensions. You may be our beacon to crossing the veil, a lighthouse amidst dark, stormy seas."


    Plazia''s voice rose, "Think of it. We may turn monsters to men and wolves to women. They''d carry a different dimension''s knowledge, one we may establish without cause for concern. The secrets of the cipher would unveil to us. We could step into a life where there was no more need for the constant slaughter. We only need a shepherd, one that may guide us wolves back into sheep."


    Helios cracked his neck, "And Daniel is supposed to be this shepherd, hm?"


    Plazia nodded. Helios raised a brow, "If that is the case, do you have any comprehension of how many trillions of people Daniel would need to send over? What about the sheer scale and the enormity of the time commitment? Do you think Daniel has the available resources to worry about other people when his guild has just experienced a galactic war before it has even stepped off its home planet?"


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    I couldn''t have said it better myself. I pointed at Helios, "What he said."


    Plazia steepled his hands once more, "And that is where the crux of my offerings reside - I am willing to offer you my servitude in exchange for establishing a bridge between these two dimensions. Once you''ve left a mark there, we can sheer space-time as Baldag-Ruhl did upon both these planes. A warp will be possible thereafter."


    I leaned back, considering the proposal. I believed I''d be shuttling group after group of survivors, which sounded like a waste of time. I could save a few thousand per trip at most, maybe ten thousand tops. If I stayed here, helping normal planets and fringe worlds far exceeded the net benefit of something like that.


    On the other hand, a bridge? That changed the entire proposal. If that bridge landed on Earth, it gave us a way of avoiding many negative outcomes. In fact, if we gained a different dimension to escape to, we could avoid Schema and Elysium alike. That set us up in a much less precarious position. Of all the points in this equation, that one tempted me most.


    I wouldn''t have to protect people all the time. I could run wild, and that sounded like a burden off my shoulders.


    And considering Schema''s radio silence, I enjoyed the idea of having a bailout option. Of course, this all hinged on whether or not Plazia could even be believed at all. Killing Plazia also fulfilled my agreement with Obolis, something I wanted out of the way. I rubbed my temples before reaching out a hand, "Ok, Plazia. I think we can come to an agreement here."


    Florence clapped his hands while whistling, "Hah, wow. You''re insane, Daniel. I love it."


    Helios stood, and he tilted his head at me, "Are you...Casually betraying Schema?"


    I waved a hand, "Helios, don''t pull a Spear on me and be all close-minded about this. Give me a second to figure this all out." I pointed at Plazia, "First off, what are you going to do about Schema''s retaliation? He''ll figure out we''re working with you, and I''ll be exiled. My guild may be destroyed for it too."


    Plazia gestured around himself, "I''ve spoken with numerous Builders like Amara. Most of them have perished, but a few of them still owe me favors. They can construct bonuses and hack into Schema''s system as Amara may. I can have my death, and the ensuing experience siphoned your way. My true form can hide in your pocket dimension until I can be secured across the dimensional lines. In that interim, Schema carries no influence, and our deception shall be complete."


    Florence cupped his chin, his legs crossed, "So you''re willing to put it all on the line for this, huh? Because Daniel''s pocket dimension is impossible to escape from, and he can hold you there as long as he likes. That could be forever, which is basically death."


    Plazia peered through Florence, and the hivemind stated, "Unlike my brethren, I live for more than hunger. I live for the hope of a future. It gives my tomorrow meaning beyond mere hunger. I cherish that gift, as few of my kind can ever hope to feel it."


    Florence leaned closer, "Oh? Really now? Ok, how about you let Daniel put you in his pocket dimension right now? That''ll put some actual weight behind what you''re saying."


    Plazia tapped his fingertips together, the Sentinel''s graphene coating ebbing out a dull thud. Plazia stood, "You may throw me into the void or have me unleashed in the center of a star. Dying before I can even begin my goal is foolish. I''ll be slotted into that void when the circumstances are well suited for it."


    Florence shrugged, "I''m just trying to let you show what you''re made of."


    Plazia peered down at Florence, "Show me that you''re committed, and I''ll do the same."


    I waved a hand, "How is this whole dimensional transference going to even work anyway? How would you construct a bridge?"


    Plazia pointed at me, "You are the answer. Your armor is immune to transdimensional energy. By simply holding a thread of your fabric, we can create a tether between our dimensions. Once we tore the two gashes into space-time, we will construct a tunnel from your skin to shield others who traverse across the veil."


    I scoffed, "Are they just going to walk that infinity''s distance?"


    Plazia shook his head, "No. We''ll connect it via wormholes after establishing this tunnel between dimensions. It requires your fabric for this to have a hope of succeeding, however. You''re a dimension, so you may allow for dimensional properties to manifest within your domain."


    Plazia sat back down onto his basalt throne, "We''ll use those dimensional qualities to create the wormhole."


    I raised my brow, "You honestly think this will work, huh?"


    Plazia spread his hands, "Would I put my existence on the line if I wasn''t absolutely certain?"


    I grimaced, "It sounds insane, like a theoretical concept you''re using me as a guinea pig to test out."


    Plazia waved his hand, "That''s a misunderstanding. You will not be testing hypotheticals. There are procedures we may follow to ensure your safety. We may test each step of my hypothesis until it is, without a doubt, proven. Only then, after the risks have been altogether muted, will we risk anything."


    Florence stood up, "That sounds all right to me, but we''re here to finish a mission, one where you have to die. Are you willing to help us complete it? It requires you pulling your influence over Svia out of the equation."


    Plazia peered up, staring at the colonies lingering above, "I am willing.  While it may only be a temporary measure, I may establish a zone like this where Schema carries no influence or reach. These spots are cleared out by Overseers in time, but currently, they busy themselves battling Elysium. That grants us several weeks for work. That is more than enough time to begin these processes in earnest."


    I tapped the ceiling for a moment before opening my pocket dimension. I slid Amara out of it, and she fell out of stasis. I set her down with a gravity well. She remained unaware that I even captured her. I raised a hand to her, "Could you have a death message sent to Schema confirming Plazia''s death?"


    Amara peered around, whiplashed by the sudden shift in time. She hissed, "What happened?"


    I snapped my fingers, "We''re trying to arrange a deal with Plazia."


    She snarled, "Why should we help him?"


    Plazia gazed at her, "I know of your intentions. More worthy of note, I know of your motivations. Each of you desires some kind of outcome, and my offer may grant you all you wish and more. It is centered on an exchange."


    He turned a palm to Amara, "If Daniel acts as a shepherd between our dimensions and ferries untainted people from the new domain into our own, I will give you my undying services." Plazia leaned back into his throne while oozing confidence, "Of which, I may offer many."


    I rested my chin on my right fist, "He''s saying that I''ll need to go towards the collapsing dimension while creating a bridge and take unchanged people back. If I do that, I''ll get Plazia as an underling."


    Plazia rested his hands on the armrests of his throne, "Yes...Though perhaps you may call me something else besides an underling?"


    I tapped my teeth together, "Eh...Maybe."


    A war waged in my head. Different minds threw out all kinds of thoughts on the issue, weighing pros and cons. Before I voiced my questions, Amara gawked at Plazia. She raised her palms to the hivemind,


    "You...You say that we''re tainted? All of us?"


    Plazia peered off, unable to meet her gaze, "Yes. We are. We are like shadows, the dark manifestations of what we once were. Our passage from one realm to the next has molded us too deeply, and we may never return to our former selves. However, we may help those that have yet to turn."


    Amara stared down at her palms, or in her case, up at her face. She snarled out, "What proof do you have that the eldritch are changed people? Nothing about them says that. We''re made of energy."


    Plazia pointed a clawed finger at his temple, "My memories of my past life verify it."


    Amara swooshed her hands, shouting out, "Like what kind of memories?"


    Plazia remained cool and collected, "They are vague impressions of a scholarly lordship. I remember my hunger for knowledge matching my current ravenous disposition. I did not desire flesh and biomass as I do now, however. This desire for an absolute centralization of all organic resources, it is our most crippling of curses. It weighs us down to a place where we exist as nothing more than mindless monsters."


    Plazia threw his hand to the side, "I may be a deformity...An abomination...A ruined mind. I know this, and I know I cannot be changed any longer. I''ll live with my hunger as you do. Unlike most of us, I won''t succumb to it." Plazia pointed to Amara, "Just as you''ve resisted, I shall too, little one."


    Amara snarled, "And look around us. You''ve conquered a world. Is there any reason as to why we should believe you weren''t aiming for endless consumption from the beginning?"


    Plazia scoffed, "You speak quickly in anger but are slow to thought. Dwell on what I''ve done. Tell me if anything of my deeds are remotely malignant. You''ll find nothing of the sort."


    I raised my palms, "Ok guys, that''s enough. I''m willing to test this out. We''ll work together for a bit and see if this has any validity to it. If it doesn''t, we''ll fight it out."


    Plazia reached out, "You''re sure?"


    I gave him a decisive nod, and the hivemind spread his hands wide, soaking in that moment. He resonated out, "We have happened upon a time of burgeoning change. You''ve decided on the cataclysm you''ll usher forth, Harbinger. I cannot wait to see it come to its fruition."


    I raised a finger, "Now wait one minute. We''ll be needing a few resources from you first. It''ll be a goodwill present."


    Plazia''s hands lowered, "Hm...Then what is it you desire?"


    I gave him a greedy smile, "Oh, it isn''t that much...Just a few things, really. Maybe a few elemental furnaces, perhaps?"

 314 Thinking Ahead

    Plazia thrummed his fingers against his throne, "That can be arranged, and quite easily so. I have a few furnaces on hand, and I can distribute them out as we make progress towards my goal."


    Helios sighed at me. The void ice bearer shook his head, "Elemental furnaces aren''t worth this, Daniel. This is an insane proposition, and you''re running into it without giving it any thought. You will regret this."


    The minds in my head swarmed out with a plethora of thoughts. They considered dozens of ideas, filtered them through my head, and those ideas trickled out into my speaking mind. They gave me a lot of clarity over the situation, one I wouldn''t handle well otherwise.


    The minds explained a lot, and they gave me a better understanding of myself. For starters, I was at a crossroads. In many ways, siding with Plazia here showed a near rebellious intent against Schema. Considering our situation, that didn''t seem all that appalling. Schema had demonstrated his intentions so far.


    Schema couldn''t take out Elysium, something my guild accomplished. He wouldn''t offer extra experience, and he provided no additional support. Even though he kept pretty barebones against Yawm, he offered doubled experience and points for killing enemies. Maybe we didn''t get footsoldiers, but we could make our own.


    We received complete silence from Schema since getting tangled up with Elysium, however. That put me in a testy situation. I couldn''t help my home planet for a long time because of that inaction from the big AI. If anything, that lack of help impeded my guild''s growth by leaps and bounds. By putting us in the warpath of Elysium and giving us no way out, my legion couldn''t expand in any direction.


    I was trapped in an endless war where I sacrificed my guild''s future to help uphold''s Schema''s system. And he said and gave nothing. If anything, it was like Schema was against me. My eyes widened. That was it. Schema gave no awards and bonuses, no extra trees for stopping Lehesion or Elysium, not even a bit of additional experience because Schema didn''t want me to progress. He kept his interactions at a bare minimum, only refusing to pull the plug on my system access.


    And whether Schema even could pull the plug on me was a point of contention. Amara already hacked me back into the system after I was exiled from Yawm''s domain. She could do that again. If anything, Schema hinged his bets here. By not banishing me and my guild, he put on the image of helping us out. After that, he gave us no extra incentives despite how much we put on the line. Schema undermined us like that, and I was tired of it.


    Even more so than that, many of the problems in Schema''s realm festered in an unfixable way. The more I tried working to change anything inside Schema''s domain, the more difficult it became. For instance, getting rid of my unknown status. That required establishing relations with Giess. We just so happened to end up entangled in a galactic war. Sure, that could''ve just been circumstances, but Schema was, bare minimum, somewhat aware.


    He had his fingers ingrained into every inch of space everywhere. How couldn''t he know something?


    In fact, that was likely supposed to happen again here with Plazia. This monster spanned multiple planets. Plazia controlled hundreds of furnaces, and exterminating him might''ve taken years. It would derail me from helping Earth for that long again. If a different guild took over Earth, I might have to work for them and fight another world-ending horror to get Earth back.


    Oh yeah, and surely another one would show up then. Hell, if I just had a few months to actually get myself and my guild grounded, I could make a lot happen. So far, world-ending terrors like Plazia just kept getting in my way. I always assumed that was my poor luck. It might not be.


    Schema could be pulling my strings. I could be a hamster on a wheel, running in circles and always fighting. I could never get out of the trap for some reason or the other, whether it be circumstance, expectations, or Schema''s rules. If I detached from those standards, all kinds of options popped up.


    If anything, I could just make a new system of my own. Elysium did it, and I managed to beat up the guy that let them make their own system. In time, I''d have the mana to make it happen just as he did. If I could get a beachhead into a different dimension, I could establish my own system or society without Schema blowing us up with a planet swallowing abomination. Ah man, what a relief that''d be.


    Those thoughts swarmed through my mind in a few seconds. Coming to a decision, I peered down at Helios, "I''ll regret this? Really now? Let''s break this down. For starters, I want to start establishing a presence on Earth. Killing Plazia, even from just seeing this Sentinel''s shell, tells me that he''s spread out over many planets. He mentioned hundreds of furnaces for a reason."


    Helios rubbed his temples, "Indeed. That''s why you were conscripted for this so that the ahcorus could help us over many planets. It was a simple exchange of enemies for you, so to speak."


    I waved a hand, "It was, but that''s because we thought Plazia was some mindless monster. We were wrong, and the situation changed. At worst, striking a deal buys me some time to establish a firmer presence on Earth. After all, a few months is all it will take to establish governance over a huge region, one large enough for the gialgathens, Eltari, and the skeptiles alike."


    Helios waved a hand, "But you''re postponing handling Plazia once more. How long-"


    I cut him off, "I''ll have Plazia leave this planet as part of my request. After doing that, the ahcorus will help the Empire. That can happen as soon as tomorrow, can''t it?"


    Plazia nodded, "It may. I rest on many worlds. Any of them will do, should my goals shift."


    I smiled at Plazia, "I''m going to need you to get rid of the Elysium camp on Earth too."


    Florence tilted his head at me, "You''re going to have him kill off an encampment that''s helping out humanity? Seems cold-hearted."


    I ran my hand through my hair, "Here''s the thing - you can make literally anything sound dumb if you really want. Yes, I will destroy the encampment. No, I won''t murder everybody. Plazia is vastly stronger than this camp is. When decimating it, he only needs to show some restraint. Let them have a harrowing escape or something. It''s not that hard, and I''ll let him handle the details."


    I spread my hands to Plazia, "Right? You can do that, surely?"


    Plazia scoffed, "Yes. I can."


    Florence leaned back, "Oh...Well, why destroy the camp in the first place?"


    I raised a fist, "I''m taking over Earth, and Elysium will know about my presence. Even if we have a treaty, I don''t trust them. By dismantling their presence on my homeworld, I can avoid them figuring out where I''m collecting all my resources. After that, I''ll get a firm grip on Earth with my golems and allies. Defending won''t be too difficult after I''ve established a solid framework."


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    I rolled my shoulders, "And after that''s been done, I''ll do the same to Blegara. I''ll be able to use the water on Blegara to terraform other planets, maybe even some in my own solar system like Mars. Who knows? The point is, I''m about to start making a lot of moves. Having someone like Plazia as an ally, someone outside of Schema''s system and who lets me work without Schema knowing, that''s invaluable."


    Helios''s voice lowered, "Are you certain this sudden confidence isn''t arrogance?"


    I let out a sigh before peering up, "It''s less confidence and more just recognizing that Schema isn''t about to do anything to help us. We''re on our own, and I''m about to act like it. The system''s nice and all, but most of humanity died after the tutorial and the rush of eldritch. We were going to be eradicated by Yawm if not for us pulling off a miracle. Schema served us up on a platter then. He did it again with Elysium, pulling us into a galactic war. We should''ve all died."


    Defiance spread over my face, "So yeah, I''m done working by Schema''s rules. I''m going to make my own. Hell, if Elysium and Lehesion can make a system, why can''t I? I''ve got the goods. My mana production will only go up from here. I can channel it through this body, as it''s damn near invincible. If anything, me working with a Ruhl is the tip of an iceberg."


    Florence''s jaw slackened. Helios spread out his arms, "And you believe you can do this all on your own?"


    I shrugged, "I beat a dungeon with enemies fifty times my level and without any previous experience. I beat Yawm while starting out over ten thousand levels below him without the Old Ones'' help. After that, I held my own against a galactic armada, and I defeated their champion in combat. I held a line I had no business holding."


    I stood over Helios, my shadow looming, "I''m thinking of questioning myself less and considering what I can do more. People keep wanting to think I can''t do anything. They''re wrong. I can do plenty. I will do plenty."


    Florence stood up and walked over, "Wow, Daniel, you''ve really had an upswing. This is great to see. You''ve been down in the dumps lately. Any reason for it?"


    I grinned, "I''m just tired of spending all my time doubting myself. Instead, I''ll just move forward and see what I can do. I''ll make the mark that I can make. I''ll put it all on the line, and whether it works out or not, well...Time will tell. Until then, I''ll do everything in my power to help humanity, my friends, and myself."


    I spread my hands out to Plazia, "Speaking of which, I need at least twenty furnaces upfront. I need you to dismantle the Elysium camp with minimal casualties if any, and for you to get off of this planet. If you do all of that, I''ll see through helping you out. If anything goes awry, I''m not going to throw myself between dimensions so that you can test theories, alright?"


    I reached a hand, and Plazia grasped it. The hivemind hissed out, "That can all be arranged. It''s good seeing you work with such decisiveness. It''s far more fitting than wallowing in incessant doubt."


    Plazia simmered at Helios, "Like some would prefer. Doubt is the gullet of despair, and it leads to a belly of agony."


    Helios let his hands flop against his sides, "Going insane, are we? I don''t need to play out any consequences. If you think I''m betraying Schema and getting exiled-"


    I gave Plazia''s a hand a firm shake before spreading my hands to Helios. I chimed, "You know, you could be a ruler of worlds again, right?"


    Helios tilted his head, "My position in the Empire is absolute. That won''t happen for decades. Now-"


    I pointed at my chest, "But your position in my guild is fluid. You work with me, and I''ll work with you. Armor, artifacts, even positions over planets can all happen. I''ll get you the proper obelisks to automate everything and give you a department of helpers if needed. It can all be arranged."


    Helios''s eyes widened despite being blinded. Helios took a step back, "You...You would do that for me? I''m not even a member of your guild."


    I raised a hand to Plazia, "I''m working with a Ruhl. Amara''s wearing my skin. I have saved three different aliens species, all of them hostile when I first met them. Yeah, I would do that for you."


    Helios peered off, possibilities running through his mind, "I...That...When-"


    I took a breath, "Yeah, it all depends on you. I mean, if you don''t show the appropriate loyalty, I don''t know if I can-"


    Florence raised a hand to me, "Oh, come on, Daniel. Helios was merely voicing concerns. It was a sign of respect that he believed you could handle that dissent. He merely gave you the platform to dismantle obvious doubts. You did so, and now your position is all the stronger for it." Florence raised a fist,


    "If anything, he proved his loyalty by saying all that. Isn''t that right, Helios?"


    Helios stammered, "I...It...Yes."


    I held down a laugh, but Amara didn''t. Our eldritch hacker cackled out, "Hah. A ruler of worlds? You seem quite smitten by the idea of returning to your position, don''t you?"


    Helios steamed, "Yes, as I''ve ruled over many. It''s a position of responsibility and status I defer to. You may never understand my reasoning, but you never need to." Helios peered at me, "But you''re serious about this?"


    I gave him a firm nod. Helios peered back and forth, whiplashed by his new reality. Florence kept up with the flow and cadence, enjoying the ride. Plazia interjected with his own thoughts,


    "Where would you like to have me establish my our place of concordance? Blegara may be difficult, as I prefer non-water-laden planets if possible."


    Helios whirlwinded, the albony overwhelmed. He gasped, "Your home base? Are you trying to get us exiled?"


    I waved a hand, "We''ll need him close to reduce the number of warps. He and Torix need to meet up too. I think they''ll be a dynamic duo."


    Helios stammered, "B-But what about the Overseers? What if they uncover Plazia being there?"


    I waved a hand, "Oh no, we won''t have to worry about that." I pointed at Plazia, "You created this spot in seconds, right? You also mentioned the Overseers clearing the space out. How about this; make as many of the places as you can across Svia. Put them in hard-to-reach places, spread them out, and make them a pain in the ass to deal with."


    Florence snapped his fingers, "You''ll waste the Overseers time with tedious, busy work. That''s just like ruling a planet...I would know. It''s more boring than you''d think."


    Plazia cackled, "I never considered being so petty before. I like it."


    I put a hand over Plazia''s shoulder, "Oh, if you like that, just wait. We got a lot we''ll be managing soon. Don''t even worry about it. I''ll make sure you''re busy, along with your vast number of insect magma things."


    I spread out my hands, "We''ll all be busy. Speaking of which, let''s get going, guys." My runes charged, and the air howled out at the overwhelming flow of mana, "We''ve got work to do."


    I created a panel of antigravity above us, channeling a mass of the ground up. As gravity inversed, I turned to Plazia, "How long will it take you to pull out of Svia?"


    The hollowed Sentinel mouthed, "Three days."


    I gave him a two-finger salute, "Make it happen. Where''re the furnaces?"


    The Sentinel''s shell grabbed a ring from within his body. He pulled out a dozen different ancient gemstones from underneath the carapace. After funneling the artifacts into the bag, he tossed it over. I snatched it out of the air with a grin, "Thank you kindly."


    We hovered up out of the ground and back into Wrath''s colony. An enormous explosion radiated from outside her colony, and the worker drones swarmed away while the bruisers returned. As they hobbled up, a telepathic link to Wrath snapped over to us. The razor queen shouted,


    "What is happening? Is Plazia invading?"


    I raised my fists, "Nope. We got rid of him. Your ancestral enemy is no more after like, I don''t know, two hours? His remnants will be gone in a few days."


    The bruiser drones collapsed, and Wrath''s voice turned into a squeal,


    "What?"

 315 A Rapid Reversal

    Wrath''s rumbling forewarned her crushing into our cavern, her flowing mass crossing a vast field of distance in moments. Her dark blue form coalesced into a large amalgam, golden plates of enamel flowing across her shifting body. She gasped out through a telepathic tether,


    "You already killed Plazia?"


    I gave her a thumbs-up, "We did. He''s dealt with, and your planet will return to normal after a few days."


    Wrath peered down, "But Plazia rests in every corner and piece of the planet. H-how would you even begin to remove his remains-"


    I raised a palm, "There''s no point in worrying about how we did it. That''s my business, not yours. The point is simple; Plazia''s gone. He''ll be out of here in a few days as his mana fades."


    Wrath writhed around with alien gestures, "You...What proof do you have of this otherwordly deed? There were no shattering rumbles or distant quakes from your battle. No mana ebbed across the desolate horizons, and no craters formed across Svia''s surface." She closed in, "Is Plazia truly dead, or are you simply playing me and my entire species as fools?"


    I shrugged, "My ''deed'' will manifest over the next few days. Now, after the magma insects are gone, you guys need to help out the Empire. That was our deal. Remember that."


    Wrath shrunk down, "W-What? It took you two hours to do this. We''ll be taking your place in a galactic war for that?"


    Florence walked up, having listened in the entire time. He linked up with her telepathically. Florence smiled and thought, "It''s simple, really. Sometimes, different people can accomplish different tasks at different rates. It isn''t that Daniel was able to outdo your race and its centuries of effort in seconds. It''s that he approached the situation from a fresh angle, and sometimes, that''s all it takes to solve a problem."


    Florence turned a palm to Wrath, "In fact, you guys killing the Hybrids could be a lot like that. Svia isn''t rich in resources, and you might get some plundering rights for taking out these enemies of the Empire. Think about it: you''ll gorge on those enemies while amassing immense wealth."


    Florence raised his hands as if framing a picture, "For us in the Harbinger''s Legion, it was a complete and utter slog. We sacrificed ourselves, throwing our people into the fire, but we had no choice. It was the only way to win. You all? Pshhh, this will be a cakewalk by comparison. That''s the beauty of deals and exchanges."


    Florence pressed his fingertips together, "It''s that both sides truly do win when a deal is done well. I''m a firm believer in this. You, having gained your home back in hours and a new battlefield to rage across, well, it should be obvious to you too."


    I suppressed a smile from encroaching on my face. Florence flipped and turned a situation over and over until it fit his means. I called him out for that in our talk with Plazia, but Wrath might not be as aware. As the razor queen spoke, that became apparent.


    "I-That is not...We have been taken advantage of...I think."


    Florence put a hand over his chest, his eyes widening, "Now wait one minute. You''re telling me that the razor queens, the illustrious rulers of this world, the renowned Fringe Walkers, the destroyers of metal and sentients alike...You''re perjurers? Liars? Cheats?"


    Wrath seethed, "We are pure. We never lie. Those words carry more weight on tongues like yours."


    Florence grinned, "Perfect. Then after Plazia''s remnants dissipate, the Emperor will see you guys across our realms."


    Wrath''s entire body bristled with golden horns and spikes, "If Plazia is dead, then it shall be so. Otherwise, we will not allow you to escape."


    She approached Florence before I loomed over her. I frowned down at her, "Then it''s been good doing business with you. I hope you have luck on the battlefield. You''ll find plenty of blood there or here if you keep pushing your luck. Don''t forget who I am and what I can do."


    Wrath backed away from Florence, "Of course, Harbinger."


    I turned to Helios, "Perfect. Let''s go back to home base."


    Helios shook his head while mouthing, "It would seem the both of you have lost your minds now."


    A warp towards Earth popped up, air whistling towards Svia from our rich world. Wrath drooled at the sight of grass and trees, but I stepped in front of the portal. I gave her a knowing look and a telepathic message,


    "Please, kill plenty of the Hybrids for me, will you?"


    Wrath trembled, "We shall, eater of monsters."


    The three of us hopped over towards Mt. Verner. The grass sheened under the sun, and the cool wind welcomed us in its unseen arms. I spread out my hands, relishing in my own home planet''s grace. Earth amazed me at times. Wanting to ensure its future, I turned to the others,


    "Florence, tell Torix and the others about my decision for Plazia. Make sure to present it as a sound decision and mention the benefits and my reasoning. That beachhead in a different dimension. Make sure Torix knows about that. He''s a strategic thinker, and he''ll definitely appreciate that opportunity."


    Florence gave me a wave, walking off, "I will see to it. No doubt about that."


    As Florence paced away, I appreciated his presence. Most diplomats required exact instructions or maybe even a prewritten speech. Florence broke off from that norm, the guy able to take a simple instruction and work with it. Even better, I could tell him not only what to say but even how to say it. Given his silver tongue, he''d get it done. That saved me a lot of time trying to smooth the situation over.


    I turned towards the others. Helios''s left eye twitched, his nerves shot. Amara stayed in an almost comatose state, the eldritch likely even more whiplashed than Helios since I shoved her into stasis. I pointed at Amara, "Could you have me put back into Schema''s system if I was exiled again?"


    Amara shook her head, snapping herself back to the moment at hand. She hissed out, "What? Yes, I could. It would be simple."


    I nodded, "Just making sure. Could you make a system like Schema''s too? Hypothetically speaking, of course."


    Amara tilted her head, her palms peering off to the side, "I...I could, in theory. It would require eternal life unless I amassed an enormous team of those like me. Vast legions of Builders...Cipheric knowledge before the age of time...Infinite mana and resources. All that and more, I would need all of it. The prospect is daunting."


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    I raised a brow, "Just asking. Anyways, you''re free to go. Helios, when will you have those warping lessons ready?"


    Helios put himself back into the moment, "I''ve yet to finish the later courses. The earlier ones are finished, however."


    I pointed at the top of Mt. Verner, "You''ll be giving me a two-hour lesson daily from here on out. Anyone interested in warping will be joining in, so get ready to give lectures and answer questions."


    Helios rubbed his temples, the guy getting a massive headache. I sent a message to Florence, letting him know to handle the marketing for the lesson. The chatty albony replied in an instant, letting me know it would be done. I took a breath, "Ok. It''s time to move everybody. Let''s go."


    Everyone paced off, and I headed towards my golem production facility. We needed thousands and thousands of super golems to help stabilize Earth, especially long term. It was only a matter of time before Elysium figured out it was my home planet. To stop threats before they began, I wanted Elysium staring at a loaded gun when they uncovered Earth''s significance to me.


    Amassing that kind of army required me to build up and out, even keeping some golems in reserve. I paced into the glass-paneled area where I made golems. As I strode in, I raised my brow at a workshop area. The humming of machines and cascade of sparks gave life to a fresh, thriving industry here. They moved in while I was away.


    Several people worked diligently, many of them emboldened by my legacy and the rings I gave to each guildmate. If I had my way, many would join our ranks soon along with them. I walked off past the engineers, my form a colossus beside them. One of the engineers scrambled up, his gaze high,


    "We''re...We''re sorry, sir. We didn''t know you''d return so soon. We wanted to take advantage of this space while you were gone, and-"


    I gave him an approving nod, "Keep up the great work. I''ll be handling my golem creation over here. Keep some distance, or you''ll ignite. I meant that seriously - you''re blood will turn to vapor, and you''ll explode."


    The engineer gave me a salute, "Sir, yes, sir. We''ll stay cautious."


    I headed over towards the edge of my factory floor before taking myself back through the motions of skin tearing. Well, arm and leg ripping at this point, but you get the picture. Violent ripping ensued, creating loud, booming echoes that quaked the nearby ground. I built heat over my skin, making it easier to rip off, the glowing, white-hot material sturdier than steel.


    The entire building rumbled as I pooled a mass of my dimensional fabric. I spread out a portion of it, taking a moment to shield my allies from the rest of my industrial process. The blood in their bodies would evaporate otherwise, and their deaths would be on my hands. Once insulated, I continued without restrictions, putting my entire mind to work.


    I channeled bits of mana into mental processing, speeding up each of my minds. I set the many psyche''s to individual tasks, parsing myself apart as a team of skilled workers. Each piece of the golem''s creations shifted and moved like a clockwork puzzle, ticking to the sound of seconds or the beat of drums.


    As I had many times before, I lost myself in the crafting process. I imbued energy into my grimoire, constructing panel after panel and chunk after chunk of the golems. I kept a one to twenty ratios between assault golems and constructor golems. The reason I made so few fighters stemmed from the need for them.


    There was none.


    A single assault golem rivaled the power of a Breaker in Schema''s system. It lacked the sheer explosivity of that class, but a fighter golem could outpace a Breaker''s clear rate over time. In the truest sense of the word, an assault golem mirrored a mini Fringe Walker. Very few of them were needed for holding a territory down, especially on a fresher planet like Earth.


    By comparison, the constructor golems required more time and effort to handle their responsibilities. They crafted buildings, roads, and swaths of territory over time, but they couldn''t make a city overnight. One of them couldn''t, at least. Many could. That kind of logic drove me forward as I worked through the night, the stars bathing Mt. Verner in their gentle light.


    The sun rose over a distant horizon. As it changed, I remained constant, a single-minded drive. I toiled and worked and wrought. Over the next few days, I continued my relentless pursuit in a perpetual rush. I sent messages across all of my higher-ranking members to leave me undisturbed for a few days.


    After all, it was about damn time I had a moment to myself to handle this. In many ways, creating hundreds of golems was a long time coming. I intended on crafting thousands, however. And I did. I unleashed my full, devastating potential, and that didn''t mean preparing a dozen or even a few dozen golems. I made hundreds, and they''d darken the sky if they flew overhead.


    I set aside a whole week to get the job done, and I generated as many as I physically could. I integrated new furnaces into the process, fueling the mana creation process. Each one acted as a bump in my mana production, a kind of leap forward for me. In those moments, my mana''s sheer volume overwhelmed me.


    Billions and billions of mana rippled out of my fingertips. The aura spread out thicker than water, like a congealed wave of pure energy. It boomed and writhed out an unquenchable, unshakeable presence. Its tangibility was undeniable. The sheer veracity consumed anything that dared come near it. The all-encompassing wave shivered the dimensional space around me, warping the space.


    And yet, I contained it with my many minds.


    I wielded many skills in a fluid construction. I kept them rolling forward, using Force of Nature, Apotheosis, and A Manifold Mind with clarity and precision. At times, I forgot that I made progress from a raw power perspective. As I created enough heat to mirror the surface of a star, my abilities sang out in a symphony of violence and heat.


    It was a reminder of my potential. It would be a reminder to those around me as well.


    By the time I finished the entire week, I had generated several hundred golems. I amassed a sort of velocity with my crafting, becoming a creature of creation. As I fell into my own world, a city of stone and rock unfolded around me. It wasn''t as if I had the constructor golems standing there watching me toil. Oh no, they worked with engineers, ones I had Torix and Krog manage.


    They oversaw the building of roads, a sort of planned layout sprawling out over the entire horizon while I kept my head down. I hustled day in and day out, but my guild did the same. We kept at it, taking no breaks and showcasing what high willpower and endurance could do.


    People talked about moving mountains. When it came to my legion, we preferred actually moving them.


    As I finished the task at hand, I wiped my brow, more out of habit than from actual sweat. Water long left my body. Letting my shoulders relax, I sighed with relief, glad to be finished with the work. I allowed myself to recuperate over the next ten minutes before hovering myself out of my golem factory. I carried bits of dirt and stone with me, the debris going unnoticed.


    Peering down at my surroundings, I marveled at the enormous change one week of development wrought. A city formed over the side of Mt. Verner. The crowded population in the mountain dispersed, everyone happy to feel the sun and taste the wind once more. I smiled down at roads constructed from concrete. The engineers weaved ribbons of dark stone through the masses, giving them the appearance of rough marble.


    Beyond the roads, a new infrastructure formed. Several constructor golems spaced out, providing the means to a power grid. They generated tiny, stable mana crystals within street lamps, giving an ambient light. That light ebbed from within buildings, civilization returning to Earth. Finally. Keeping a bright quintessence during the day, the lanterns radiated in a multifaceted fractal across the landscape, and I admired the geometric sheens.


    The lighting framed a moving populace that bounded across the landscape. Guildmates ran across the streets, though no one really used cars. Instead, people jumped onto and over housing. No traffic existed in this post-system world, the systemization inspiring a different way of life. My legacy and rings delivered raw stats in spades as well, accentuating the difference.


    It wasn''t as if thousands moved out here already, but about a thousand had. They probably clung to the new housing in a desperate rush, eager to escape our subterranean lair. The rugged populace contrasted the architecture. Being brand new, no one stylized any of the buildings just yet, so it all carried an almost dystopian feel from how ''samey'' it all was. Or maybe it was utopian? It was hard to say.


    I hovered higher into the air, peering out towards the ruins of Springfield. The buildings carried scars from Yawm''s landing and ensuing infestation. I winced at memories of the deformed mutants running through the streets there. My old hometown whistled with a quiet dread I almost despised, so I tackled that unease. I floated over. I found traces of my old school, my old boxing gym, even the apartment I used to call home. Taking a minute, I soaked in the corpse of my old home.


    And I acted on a whim.


    Springfield would be a corpse no longer.

 316 Closure and Lessons

    Landing amidst the peaceful chaos, I walked by buildings and cars. I hadn''t looked through my past and old streets in a long time, and the differences staggered me. Vines, weeds, and trees grew out of every nook and cranny of my old hometown. The windows dirtied or decayed, turning into shining shambles. Even the sky overhead cleared up since all the cars left, and it contrasted my memories of this place like night and day.


    I changed as well. I stood over twice as tall as cars, my feet having expanded until they left tire-sized indentations in the ground. I tried squeezing my way into a store, but I couldn''t. My entire body dwarfed the entrance. I stood beside street lamps, and they stared back at eye level, the lights busted. Even the signs that used to advertise sat at eye level, my shoulders knocking one down when I zoned out for a second.


    Pacing past the decay, one piece of it stood out to me. I walked up onto some old traffic lights, the wind and rain doing a number on the poor things. Somehow, someway, the artifact from my era still worked. Most of the lights buzzed out, years having passed since Schema''s systemization. This particular set of stoplights buzzed along, its lights blipping in and out of existence at regular intervals.


    Most of the lights shined all the time, which burned them out within a year of Schema''s arrival. This traffic stop owned some type of faulty wiring that kept it from burning through its battery. I walked up to the traffic light, holding it in my hand. I never looked at one of them from this angle, my head actually a ways above it. I channeled a teeny bit of electricity into the apparatus, and it gleamed to life.


    And so did the rest of the city.


    The electrical network began flaring other lights to life. A series of lamps revitalized before everything sparked out of existence, the wires frying as my mana burned old fuses out. I laughed before reaching my hand above the stoplight. I pinched apart the metal, the cold steel squealing in my hand. I tossed it into my dimensional storage as a memento of its endurance, something I enjoyed seeing.


    I flicked a wrist, and an old building''s walls collapsed. No one still lived here after the Yawm invasion, so I wasn''t afraid of killing anyone. I hovered the stone fragments into the air before pulping it to powder. With a quick bit of magic, the shifting sand created a tornado of dust that consumed the rest of the building, grinding it down to nothing.


    As it settled, I jumped. I dispersed the force across a vast telekinetic pad, reaching well over a block''s width in size. Wherever the panel touched, the ground caved in. It fell down into the dirt, a portion of the city forming a pit. Above the town, I got a good overview of the old sights. The residential district overgrew, the nearby forest taking it over. The industrial sector, already aged before the fall of Springfield, spotted green with the remnants of grass and plains everywhere. As for the main town with all the shops, it carried scars from Yawm''s arrival.


    I peered down at the melted slag left behind by one of Yawm''s attacks. Torix saved our troops before they died in the atomic fire, but the ground lacked such luck. It molded into a radioactive mass, becoming a mushy blot of dirt and earth. I hovered over, feeling the warmth of radiation. Reaching out a hand, I closed my eyes.


    Sensing the energy and were it manifested from, I wielded Event Horizon over the expanse. I drained it despite no life being there, and it bent to my will. The radiation seeped out, becoming a typical rock once more. I went about clearing out the rest of Springfield over the next few minutes. Wherever Event Horizon touched, the entire area cleansed until nothing alive remained.


    It sterilized the air like salting the earth. Unlike the latter, I set up Springfield for a future instead of destroying any prospects the place carried moving forward. Quite a few eldritch struggled as I passed over, but they lacked the fortitude or levels to survive Event Horizon. A quick, skull-crushing gravity well handled the bulkier variants if they happened to live while I passed over.


    After clearing out the native fauna, I created a gravity well over a block of the city. I crushed the old homes into a giant ball, stripping the city''s surface. I moved this mass over the city, tearing the top of it off. It reminded me of pulling up a carpet, just a city instead. I rolled it into a giant pile of dirt before lifting it up.


    A quick flash of mana later, and I stared at a big mound of molten slag. Wielding the molten mush, I created a slate over where the city once stood. Flashing more mana around, I traced in steel bars as supports, both sideways and deep into the dirt. A glassy, igneous stone formed over everything, tough as nails and reminding me of my armor.


    Well, not that tough, but you get what I mean.


    Flying off from the mammoth platform, I flew and compressed panels of it both up and down. This gave rise to staggered step ways, and I kept them in a hexagonal print, the landscape mirroring an old-timey gameboard. I plated the dirt with the same slag, running out of it after the last platform solidified.


    I finished Springfield off with a column at its center, similar to the one I made for our capital in Blegara. I crafted and molded a monolith covered in cipheric runes with some of Schema''s watered-down variations interspersed between them. After channeling mana for a while, a massive aura surrounded the place. It lacked the near invincibility of a blue core, but it served us well enough.


    In place of a Schema defense, I set aside enough time to craft four super golems here. They remained the protectors of the new town, along with several chunks of quintessence as a power source for pioneers. Smiling at the settlement, I hovered off towards Mt. Verner, feeling good about the setup.


    Springfield changed into something else, but it would carry on the name and legacy my hometown left behind. We''d remember the sacrifices people made against Yawm, and we''d live on. Getting a bit of closure out of the simple remodeling, I hovered over towards Mt. Verner, a swarm of activity permeating the place.


    Golems leaped up and around, many constructors crafting buildings using a cold, pragmatic aesthetic. It clashed with the dark sheen of Springfield''s remains, but that could work to my favor. I sent a message towards Torix, telling him to set up a stipend for anyone who moved where Springfield once was.


    The staggered sections would be split up by engineers and architects, and the golems and barrier protected anyone deciding to live there. Settling the affair, I prepped myself for Helios''s next lesson. Meeting a few hours past midday, Helios stayed at Chrona''s mountain home.


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    The silver-shaded gialgathen carved out a section of the mountain''s rock, keeping herself situated in a constant chill that permeated. It reminded her of Rivaria, her old home. Helios set himself up here, where the mountain''s breathtaking view exposed itself to our side.


    Helios attracted plenty of attention on his own, however. Several void ice constructs lingered about, the albony waiting with boredom for everyone to arrive. I floated down, finding two dozens disciples of Torix, the lich himself, and Chrona waiting for Helios''s lesson. I paced over, sitting beside Torix on an antigravity panel. I leaned over towards him and said,


    "Hey, what do you think about the Plazia deal?"


    Torix scoffed, "It''s insane, so there''s nothing unusual about it. In fact, I''d be far more worried if you''d done something more normal." Torix turned to me, his eyes flaring bright, "It''s interesting, as I''ve seen your development over the years. You''ve been plagued with doubts and fear lately. It would seem that era has come to pass, and a new one has replaced it."


    I raised a brow, "Really? It''s that noticeable?"


    Torix gave me a slight nod, "Indeed it is. I, for one, am happy to see it. I''ve also made contact with this Plazia-Ruhl several times now, and I must say, he''s a cunning fellow. He''s been spying on us for a while now, and I never noticed. While appalled, that evasion also spiked my curiosity."


    Torix peered off, "He gave me a few pointers on surveillance, so I''ll be using a few of my summons to assist him with dismantling the Elysium camp...He''ll be a powerful ally should he prove trustworthy. Considering I trust your judgment, we shall most likely be fine."


    Torix steepled his hands, "And of course, I''m taking the necessary precautions to ensure our and the guild''s safety. You can rest easy knowing that."


    I smiled down, "Thanks. I know I can relax if you''re keeping people there safe." I peered up, "Hm. Probably at least."


    Torix''s eyes flickered, "What? I''m not that evil-" Torix leaned forward, "He''s beginning."


    Helios began tracing outlines onto the void ice panel. White streaks flashed out from the violet ice, a pleasant contrast in both texture and color. Torix scribbled notes down using a magical pen construct. Torix gestured to Helios, and the lich whispered,


    "Technically speaking, Mt. Verner is my university, and its lecturers must be approved by me as the dean. Considering it took Helios several eons to finish his lectures, I''ve come to assess whether the quality therein is approvable."


    I gawked at the detailed notes Helios sketched down onto his void ice board. I mouthed, "I''ll be honest, it looks like you both have the same style of teaching."


    Torix leaned over a series of semitranslucent sheets dispersed beneath him. The hovering, magical sheets carried dozens of different headings, each judging the minutia of Helios''s lesson. Categories from vocal pitch to overall posture lined the paper, and Helios had already received half a dozen marks.


    Torix simmered, "Good enough for my university? We shall see, disciple. We shall see."


    I held down a laugh before helios began his lecture. The albony royal dragged his hand down his face, "I am here now, as are all of you. Before we begin, know that most of you will be incapable of true warping magic. You''re unrefined, uneducated, and but most of all, untalented. I''m blind, but even I can see that. So, you can try, but finding a different path is perhaps better than wasting your time on this one."


    Helios gestured to the lower half of Mt. Verner, "It''s far better to move towards greener pastures if you''re not feeling particularly keen on the subject. Feeling disheartened? Good. You already know you''re not cut out for this, then. Leave if you feel inclined to do so. And please, at least be decisive at judging your mediocrity. Being suboptimal at even admitting your average ability will only serve to cause each of you pain in the very near future."


    No one stood and walked off. Several students of Torix narrowed their eyes, each of them set on proving the albony wrong. Helios spread out his hands, "Ah, am I sensing some defiance? Hostility? Maybe even hatred? Perfect. Wield it as your weapon during these lessons. Lean onto it and use it for fuel, or you''ll be cast into a dark void where no light or air has ever touched. Or perhaps you''ll end up half molded with dirt, your brain replaced by gravel."


    Helios tilted his head down at us, "But that would be an upgrade for many of you."


    I crossed my arms, "When are we learning about warping?"


    Helios cracked his neck, "They need to know this, but yes, let''s begin."


    Torix leaned over towards me, and the lich mouthed, "That was an excellent introduction. Perhaps I was wrong about him, hmm."


    My brow furrowed. They both had a different definition of excellent from me. Continuing on, Helios elaborated on dozens of various descriptions, meta terms, and warping variables we''d use in the class. He taught with utter concision, offering no further explanations, stories, or visualizations. It was like listening to the audio form of a textbook.


    Several students fumbled to scramble down notes in time. I had two minds dedicated to the task of the lecture. One memorized while the other digested the information. Those psyches would talk to me about it later after finishing the day off. As those minds pondered the intricacies of warping, I contemplated my skill sheet.


    I wanted my Sovereign skill, and so far, the best way of getting it involved taking Matter Conversion, A Manifold Mind, and an unmade mythical skill as my next legendary skill. After seeing my golems in action, putting them into my sovereign skill only made sense. They accomplished so much without me there, automating many of the difficulties involved with leadership.


    I thrummed my hands on my knee, my minds racing about and brainstorming. After a few minutes, an idea popped into my head. I''d take my unique skill, Artisan of Destruction, and crank it up until it defied convention. In a way, it already did. My cipheric knowledge, ridiculous materials, and endless mana let me construct the golems to their current quality.


    But this wasn''t their total limit. While fighting beside the golems, I commanded them as a part of my own body and will. We synced into a single entity, similar to a hivemind. Mastering that may put me in a great position. In fact, I knew a hivemind that I could contact and get some ideas from. He''d be here soon to raid the Elysium camp.


    Thrumming with ideas, I stood the moment Helios''s lecture ended. Torix did the same, walking up to Helios. The lich raised a hand, "Now, I must say Helios, that may have been the finest lecture I''ve yet heard given by anyone outside of myself. Just truly, you''re prodigal at relaying information."


    I frowned. They were like two peas in a pod, but I had business to take care of. I walked up, butting into the conversation, "Hey, Helios."


    The albony royal peered up at me, "I taught quickly, as I wished not to waste either of our times. Did it go over your head, perhaps?"


    I waved my hands, "I put two minds on it, and they''re handling it. Now, I need to meet with you-know-who and hash some details out."


    Helios''s pale eyes widened, "You want to meet him, hm? It never gave us a method of contacting the creature."


    Torix raised a hand to interject, but I shook my head, pulling out the spacial ring Plazia gave me. I twirled the silvery mass over a finger,


    "Oh, he left us plenty."

 317 Heresy Unveiled

    Mana sparked into my palm, and I reached into the dimensional space of the ring. Helios crossed his arms, "It could be dangerous for you to extend into that domain."


    I suppressed a grin while murmuring, "I''m a multiverse. This space can''t do anything to me."


    Torix''s fire dimmed, "That...That does seem rather intuitive."


    Helios sneered, "Excuse me for advising caution then."


    Too busy to engage, I searched through the dimensional ring. This always reminded me of looking through an old memory. Anytime I tried recollecting something from my childhood, I pieced together the various parts of the haze until a picture came up that represented the whole.


    The spatial rings worked the same, each pocket being a stockpile of memories I had to pull up.


    Once it came across clearly, pulling the material across the veil was easy as pulling a book off a shelf. For this particular ring, I already raided the furnaces. Other bits within it also stuck out to me. One fragment within contained a piece of orichalcum covered in cipheric runes. Pulling it out, the tiny splinter fit into my palm. I tossed it onto the ground before Torix and Helios leaned over it.


    Torix tilted his head, "This is a rather intricately crafted set of runes, isn''t it?"


    Helios frowned under his black mask, "That being''s skill is undeniable. This piece is more finely crafted than my own gauntlet or most of the Emperor''s work."


    The orichalcum resonated with primordial mana, the dark blue seeping out. It poured into the gravel soil below, and the ground melted to magma. From it, the lava insects of Svia crawled out. A fragment of Plazia''s mind surfaced, and it hissed,


    "I see my deeds haven''t gone unnoticed." The hivemind''s energy suffused the area until a militia of his writhing magma insects smothered this side of Mt. Verner. They carved out another site that split us from Schema''s system, my HUD disappearing. The army remolded back to the fragment of orichalcum before hissing,


    "Svia''s been cleared of my remnants, and the ahcorous understood nothing of our deal. The razor queens have yet to move, so you may be required to force them into action for your deal with Obolis. The razor queens doubt you. To kill me in moments...It is a difficult feat for them to believe. They are angry."


    I spread out my hands, "I''ll be honest, I called for something else."


    This piece of Plazia tilted its magma incarnation, "That isn''t what interests you?"


    I shook my head, "I''ll get all that squared away. I actually wanted to have a more extended conversation with you. Would Svia work for that?''


    Plazia''s form rippled, "I am fine speaking there. It calls little attention to itself, preventing us from being seen. In Schema''s domain, here, there is light. On Svia, there lies shadow. What do you wish to speak of once we meet?"


    I spread out my hands, "It''ll be about magic mostly. I''ll be asking for a few tips as well."


    Plazia hissed out, "You''re curious of my eldritch ways? Strange, but fitting. We will be walking the same path quite soon. For each of us, to understand one another''s steps, learning is essential."


    I raised a brow, "Er, we will, though I might need you to help me develop one or two things first. It shouldn''t take long since you''re an expert."


    Plazia-Ruhl grumbled, "You''re quite greedy, aren''t you? Twenty furnaces and still unsated. You wish for more from me?"


    I waved a hand, "It''s a discussion about a few sticking points for me. I need a fresh perspective, not more resources."


    Plazia''s magma form paused before solidifying, "Then I await your qualms."


    As it turned to stone, I raised a foot and stated, "Everyone. Jump."


    Torix, Helios, and Chrona jumped or flew into the air before I stomped down. A telepathic wave shot across the surface where Plazia carved sigils. A foot-thick layer of stone disintegrated in an instant, the sound ushering out like an avalanche. As the billowing dust plumed up, I raised a palm. I enforced gravity, turning the sudden sandstorm into a pile of powder.


    Helios wiped powder off his shoulders, "So we must jump when you tell us to?"


    I shrugged, "It''s just a simple request. Can you take me to Svia real quick?"


    Instead of answering, he opened his status. He looked around it at me, "Wrath''s colony?"


    I gave him a nod, and the portal flared into existence. I gave Torix and Chrona a wave, "We''ll see you guys later."


    Before stepping over the veil, Helios reached up a hand to eliminate the void ice he left here. Chrona stretched out her wings and telepathically shouted, "Wait. Stop."


    Helios reached his hand back, "What is it?"


    Chrona peered at the cold fog oozing from the bottom of the void ice pillars and structures. Average snow pooled nearby, the entire area chilled by the mysterious material. Chrona stepped up to it, laying the tip of her tail on it. She hummed, "Leave this here. It...It reminds me of home."


    Helios pulled a hand back, the albony wincing. He fought Lehesion at Rivaria, and Helios almost died there. He faced the absolute carnage that collapsed the gialgathen''s old capitol. Those memories flashed through Helios before he coughed into a hand. The albony royal turned away and tilted a hand at Chrona,


    "It would seem you''d prefer this place be a cold wasteland then."


    Chrona stayed serene, "If that is how you wish to word it, then yes."


    A strange silence passed over us before Helios stared down at his claws. He murmured, "I may craft more void ice for you if you need it...For completing that image you''re seeking. Perhaps you may even learn how to create it if you''re talented. That is."


    Chrona''s eyes lit up, and the silvery gialgathen stepped over, "What? You''d do so?"


    Helios turned his hand, staring at it from a different angle, "If I find the time."


    Torix and I held down a laugh, Helios too prideful to just offer her help like a normal person. Chrona saw right through him, and she leaned her head over. She ''hugged'' him with the crease of her neck, the gialgathen roused her words, "Thank you, one of snow. I appreciate the gesture, and I shall give you one in turn whenever I am able."


    Helios raised a brow, "Then I require you to let me go." Chrona released him, and Helios brushed off more of the powdered rock. The ice mage hissed, "It''s mere void ice. Nothing special."


    Chrona''s tail whipped behind her, the gialgathen pleased. Helios stepped through his warp, stepping into a hollow patch of ground beneath Wrath''s colony. I followed, heartened by their moment. After the warp closed, the droning silence replaced the whistling wind. A steady, stale warmth permeated the area.


    Once more, green drone slimes toiled in the distance, maintaining the colony and its enamel structures. We walked over towards the thrumming before being found by bruisers once more. As before, Wrath arrived later. She took more time, making us wait for a few minutes. Coursing through a tunnel, her hulking mass congealed into a more solid form before spines and claws writhed over it.


    She snapped through a telepathic connection, "Ah, the Harbinger...I see you''ve returned."


    I spread out my hands, "Plazia''s gone, just as I said he''d be."


    Her form trembled, "He is. Indeed, our ancestral enemy is no more. You not only killed him, his most disparate remnants dissipated within days of your arrival. He left no lingering traces of his existence here, almost as if he disappeared in an instant. It would make me question if he was ever genuine."


    I narrowed my eyes, "You sound skeptical...Almost like you think I didn''t get rid of him."


    Wrath pulsed, "My suspicions are evident as their reasoning is obvious. Did you and the Emperor craft a plan to fool us? It seems likely given the speed of Plazia''s dissipation. A pack of wolves is not killed so easily."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I tilted my head, "Alright, you''re telling me that I made a pact with the Emperor and your ancestral enemy, a planet-wide terror, just to trick you into fighting the Hybrids?"


    Wrath''s form shivered in anger, "And what if I am?"


    I spread out my hands, "Doing all of that is far more challenging than simply getting rid of the Hybrids. It doesn''t make sense."


    Wicked teeth formed over Wrath''s skin, "But how else would you kill him? His form was disparate, spread across the entirety of Svia. He has never shown his true self, and he is a planner of the ages."


    I stepped up to her, "He''s strong, but I was stronger. I can swim through magma, so finding him wasn''t difficult. When he was in my grasp, I eliminated him. It''s really that simple."


    Wrath seethed, "It is simply too quick. No method exists for culling our ancient enemy as you have. We would''ve uncovered the secret long ago, otherwise. As you''re lying, we won''t need to honor the agreement any longer. We won''t honor that which was never ever accomplished, little lamb."


    I raised a brow, "But Plazia''s gone. What more did you want?"


    Wrath trembled, "We...We wanted a war. A fight. A battle."


    I frowned, "You''re getting that with the Hybrids. As for Plazia, you wanted him gone."


    Wrath hissed, "Perhaps that is so, but I don''t believe you have ridden us of him. Until you prove it, we will remain on Svia."


    Mana oozed out of my frame, over twenty furnaces hidden under my armor. The aura caused quintessence crystallization nearby, and the surrounding rock shifted and trembled. I lifted a hand,


    "He''s gone from every inch of the entire planet. A few days ago, his magma insects killed anyone that dug to a certain depth. Now that''s gone and from everywhere. What more tangible proof can I give you?"


    Wrath quivered, "You could not have killed him so quickly. It simply cannot be believed. We will not move."


    I frowned, "Can''t or won''t?"


    She snapped at me, brandishing her claws, "It doesn''t matter. Leave, or I''ll make you."


    Fed up with the entire conversation, I created a colossal gravity well. It swelled with a broad but weak tug. It suspended Wrath''s hive. I snarled, "I can lift your colony out of Svia and launch it into space if you''d like. Maybe you''d believe me then?"


    Wrath hissed, "Now you threaten us?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "I retaliate against those that attack me. You''re backing out of a deal after I''ve done as you''ve asked. Plazia''s gone. What am I supposed to do, let you treat me like I''m some fool who can be double-crossed? If you''d prefer, I''ll be the new ancestral enemy of your people."


    Immense reservoirs of mana coursed through my body, my dimensional fabric glowing white. Helios stepped away, creating a panel of void ice between us. Wrath paced backward as I wrenched her colony out of the ground. We hovered in a weightless flux, rising above Svia. Wrath''s form shrunk, and her blades receded. She withdrew her animosity as she said,


    "Please...Stop. We shall do as you''ve asked."


    I let her colony drop, and it plopped down onto Svia with a cataclysmic boom. Tunnels cracked. Enamel snapped. The colony''s state flipped from perfect to worn in an instant. Wrath stared around herself before seething,


    "Should Plazia return, we will not do as you command so easily. Know that we ahcorous are warriors, and we will not be beaten into submission."


    I stated, "Good. Be glad I made you hold to your promise because otherwise, you wouldn''t be warriors anymore. You''d be con artists instead." I turned, walking off, "Our business is done here."


    Wrath peered off, flowing away. She rumbled, "Goodbye...Harbinger."


    As we paced away towards the depths of her colony, Helios murmured,


    "I''m surprised your relationship devolved like that. She seemed cheery with you before...As cheery as she an alien entity could be."


    I frowned, "She didn''t want to believe I''d done something she couldn''t. It''s that simple."


    Helios peered off, "Many would do the same. Should you blame her?"


    I sighed, "She tried taking advantage of me. I think she genuinely thought I didn''t have the strength to stop him. She wanted proof." I peered around at the ruined colony, "Well, she got it."


    Helios shrugged, "Some might say your method of delivery lost you an ally today."


    I scoffed, "Yeah, an ally that won''t even hold up her side of a bargain unless I threaten her." I stared forward, reaching out a hand, "I don''t need allies like that. There''s plenty of people out there, and I won''t have to strongarm each of them to act decently."


    I melted us a tunnel through the ground. As we stepped into the solidified ground, Helios smirked under his helmet, "That''s a refreshing opinion. You should trust that intuition more as it served you well just now...And so you know, I agree with the course of action. I''m merely offering a soundboard."


    I took a breath, "I figured as much...But thanks."


    Pacing deep beneath Svia''s surface, we reached one of the many patches of de-Schemafied terrain. Walking into it, I tossed a strip of orichalcum out. As the primordial mana suffused into the stone, another incarnation of Plazia oozed out. Its magma minions completed the edge of the sigils we walked through to get in this place. Once contained, the bug pile formed into a mouth that hissed,


    "Then what is it you wish to speak of?"


    I turned to Helios, "Do you mind leaving us for a moment?"


    The ice mage paced away, stepping into another warp. I peered back at the piece of Plazia, "Ok, so I want to know how to bind my super golems together more. I''m thinking of creating something like a hivemind."


    Plazia''s form trembled, "This...This requires my totality to discuss. One moment."


    Several minutes passed before a tear in time appeared. Plazia stepped out within the body of a hollowed Sentinel. The hivemind closed the warp behind itself before spreading its hands, "You wish to evolve into a hivemind?"


    I waved my hands, "Woah now, that''s not what I was asking at all."


    Plazia peered down where his incarnation was, "Then commanding my full self to this place was the use of foresight for that fragment. Tell me what you want, and fully."


    I raised a hand, "I''ve been thinking of where to go with powers lately. You know, for long-term progress. I''ve tried using primordial mana, and it hasn''t worked at all. It''s like I''m hitting a brick wall no matter who I ask. I figure that molding it into my best skills will slow those core abilities down."


    Plazia sat backward, a throne of basalt forming beneath him, "Perhaps, but perhaps not. Knowledge is not so finite, Daniel. It shifts and changes depending on perspective and the angle of approach. This is why judging one''s knowledge through a singular lens is foolish and shortsighted."


    Plazia peered towards the hard floor, "In your situation, your talents expanded greatly with that armor of yours. You''ve become an anomaly, and primordial mana should come easily for your augmented mind. As for binding the golems together, that is a crossroad I recommend against."


    I sat onto a gravity well, "Why, exactly?"


    "It destroys their greatest strength - their individuality. Unlike my pawns, your golems carry their own minds. This unlocks devastating potential since otherwise, they perpetually drain you for maintaining them. Your skin and flesh and bone is cause for that, as you carry endless mana within your body."


    Plazia steepled his fingers, "For you, amassing power should be derived internally, as it''s possible. The unity of one gives cause for decisive action, and you''re not from a species like the ahcorous or the ruhls. It is unnatural to disperse your mind like us. Primordial mana should be the perfect method for you, given your dimensional status."


    I grimaced, "I really don''t think it is. I don''t know if you understand how much of a roadblock I''ve had with it."


    Plazia leaned forward, "I am a master of that mana type, so allow me to decide. First, tell me what you know of Primordial mana...We''ll discuss it. Holistically."


    I started from my first experiences with the advanced mana type, moving up the rung of that memory ladder. I talked about the various perspectives I angled for it, the sheer number of tries at its manifestation, and the months of failure. Plazia soaked in the knowledge with an occasional nod. After I finished describing all of my pitfalls, Plazia leaned back on his throne. Plazia leaned against one of his hands,


    "You already know primordial mana and how to use it."


    I threw up my hands, "I sure as hell don''t have a skill for it. I also can''t get the mana to pop up no matter what I try either."


    Plazia let out a laugh. The droning cackle continued for a while. In time, a bit of frustration leaked out of me, and I snapped, "What''s so funny?"


    Plazia raised a palm, the graphene plating gleaming. The hivemind took a deep breath before spreading his hands, "Let us try this. Dwell on your methods for primordial mana. Sink deep into its depths, and call forth the raging energy, a writhing abyss of control and creation."


    I frowned, "Are you making fun of me?"


    Plazia shook his head, "Verify if I am yourself."


    Keeping guarded, I took a moment, thinking off all my knowledge about primordial mana. I instigated memories of wanting to build and create. Simple memories resurfaced, ones about building sandcastles or wooden forts as a child. At the same time, I calmed my mind down to a state of serenity, as I did for origin mana.


    Into the vast, cool ocean of my mind, I dove. I dwelled deep into the waters where the rays of light no longer reached. I remembered the dead planet I traveled to. I recalled the creatures feasting on sulphuric pits on the ocean''s floor, the dim stars, and the thin wind. A tremble raced up my spine as my own immortality weighed on me.


    I''d await the stars dying, all other life gone. Drifting through the void in loneliness, I channeled this primal dread. From deep in my chest, I willed out a solution, a method of creating something worth living in. A spark flared in my mind, connections forming. They stormed out without stopping, and a flood emerged.


    I gawked as a condensed blot of primordial mana formed in my palm.


    My eyes widened, and I raised it up high. I shouted, "Ah hell yeah. I can''t believe it. How did that happen so damn fast? This...This is incredible. You''re the best teacher I''ve ever seen, Plazia." I turned to my side, "Sorry, Torix." I peered back at the mana,


    "Hah. Wow. That was easy. Really easy, actually."


    Plazia scoffed, "I taught you nothing."


    I furrowed my brow, and the primordial blot wisped out of existence. Panic surged in my chest before I returned to my previous state of mind. As I did, the mana reformed with ease.


    Too easily. It was as if I achieved some mastery of it already. I blinked, "Wait a minute...What''s going on here?"


    Plazia spread out his hands, "What is different about this place than everywhere else you''ve ever resided?"


    My mind jumped to a dozen different possibilities before I leaned over. My eyes opened wide, and my jaw slackened. Plazia nodded, "That''s correct, little one."


    My surprise turned into anger as I seethed,


    "Schema isn''t here."

 318 Possibilities Unbounded

    I split the primordial sphere into two parts, each of them writhing out. My anger turned into skepticism, and my eyes turned to slits. I raised an eyebrow at the orbs, "Huh...The timing for this is convenient for you, isn''t it?"


    Plazia gestured to the edge of our Schema-less domain, "Try and call for the primordial mana outside of this place. That will verify everything you''ve seen for yourself."


    I paced over towards the edge of the wall, finding a spot without cipher sigils. I melted out a cylinder of rock and put my hand into the gap. Once on the other side, Schema''s presence siphoned back in with my HUD coming back up. It only extended to me, however. Channeling the primordial mindset, I called forth the mana in the exact same way, and it retaliated with an abysmal withering.


    Nothing spawned. Nada. Zilch.


    I tested my theory a few times, creating the mana inside and outside of this area. Primordial mana spawned and unspawned each time I did so, and it left me with a wave of growing anger. By the time the proof was undeniable, I had stepped away from the wall. I pulled my hands up, squeezing them while snapping,


    "He''s holding me back. I fight back a galactic threat for him time and time again, reconquer a planet, and let him know what''s going on with the rebellion...And he stifles my progress in return? What?"


    I threw a hand to my side, "Why would he even do that? It doesn''t make sense."


    Plazia tilted his head at me, "You''re quite surprised by this, but perhaps that''s a matter of perspective. You''re peering at a wolf. You know what it smells and sees. You know the softness of its fur and the ferocity in its eyes. You believe you know its nature, but you simply know of its form. Predicting it requires more than its mere body. You must know its mind."


    Plazia tapped the side of his helmet, "To predict a being''s actions, you must first dissect what it desires. Everything else falls into place thereafter. Schema, that all-knowing AI, doesn''t want his populace to be strong. He wishes for them to be controlled, surely, but most of all, he wants sentients to be busy. There is a key difference in those intentions, and Schema''s balanced everything to enable this control via distraction and rewards."


    I closed my eyes, calming myself down. I let my hands flop on my sides,


    "So we''re like rabbits chasing after carrots?"


    Plazia peered down, deep in thought. He raised his hand a second later, "Ah, yes...That analogy is fitting. You are on a track of false promises, a domain that appeals to surface-level senses but not the depths of your soul."


    I raised a brow, "Huh...I agree with the first part. That second part is a bit of a stretch."


    Plazia waved a hand, "It''s a straightforward premise. Schema abuses your simple, primitive brain and its chemical responses to create an array of false positives. Numbers rise. Your brain signals a reward, and it manifests physically because of the system. This feeds the ego, ambition, and even engagement. It offers no true purpose, however."


    Plazia pressed his fingertips together, "He masks these false positives within his system, nesting the reality behind false layers of information that he controls utterly. This prevents full awareness, and many within the track help create the diversions Schema wants. It sustains itself, a recursive cycle of mental enchainment."


    I furrowed my brow, "That''s...That''s a lot to throw out there. I think this might apply to higher-level creatures, but for most people at a lower level, Schema''s benevolent."


    Plazia sighed, "We shall agree to disagree. The point stands for you regardless."


    I mulled over the conversation and the primordial roadblock. A part of me felt like an idiot for not realizing Schema''s obstruction sooner, but another part felt betrayed. Schema crossed a line here, using my proximity with the system to his own ends. The system once acted as rope I could climb to the top. At this point, it mirrored chains that held me down. When Schema had flipped the script on me, I couldn''t tell.


    I simmered, "You know, I thought Schema kept me in the system to feign allyship. It turns out he was keeping me connected to hold me down." I furrowed my brow, "But why let me have a class? And the level cap increases? It''s so confusing."


    Plazia leaned his head onto a hand, "He wants your power to stem from him, not yourself."


    I rubbed my temples before turning to Plazia. My eyes widened, "Then...Then primordial mana is stronger than whatever the system can offer me now?"


    Plazia stood up, raising an arm. A field passed over us, a gentle temporal dilation. It left no effect on me, but Plazia insect insides shivered and trembled inside of his carapace, "This is time manipulation. It is primordial magic."


    Plazia flicked his fingers at different spots in our room. He spawned portals on a whim, "This is warping. It is primordial magic."


    Plazia took a moment, the furnaces under his armor flaring to life. Primordial energy pooled into his entire body, his own skin glowing as mine did. Plazia growled out while snapping the power into a tiny space. Another warp appeared, this one leading into a starry portal. Plazia caught his breath before turning a hand to it,


    "This...Is a pocket dimension I spawned...It...It is primordial magic as well."


    Plazia stumbled over towards his basalt throne. I watched as his body trembled after casting the magic, the hivemind needing time to recuperate. A few minutes passed, and he composed himself. Plazia stammered,


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    "Y-you are immune to these limitations...You are a dimension. None of this will phase you as it does we mortals...S-schema fears you for this, as you break the limits of the living. You are beyond us. You may one day be beyond him."


    I peered at the ground, ideas popping up for how to use the primordial magic. If I had temporal dilation, I could just create an intensely powerful aura over myself at all times. My lifespan rose without limit, assuming I could even die from something like old age at this point. Doubling the rate I experienced time doubled my mana regeneration, healing, speed, power, even my perception. That was just time magic alone.


    If I hastened myself by a multiple of ten, I''d be unfathomable.


    Warping carried lots of promise as well. It stopped someone from just throwing me into a vast void I could never escape from. It made me mobile, able to jump between worlds without needing any chauffeur. That let me extend my reach from the planetary to the galactic. I also wouldn''t need Schema or Helios for warping anymore.


    Creating a dimension may serve some future purposes, though focusing on ground-level abilities stuck out more to me. Time manipulation, in particular, seemed absurd. I looked up at Plazia, "You know, I''ve needed primordial mana to make entropy, I think. It''s a mana type I haven''t been given access to yet, and this is probably why."


    Plazia leaned his head back onto his throne, "Entropy, the mana of disintegration...A terrifying energy, isn''t it? All will fall to it in time. Wielding it allows for the destruction of anything and everything. All my own research indicates it requires the cipher to even touch on its hidden realities, however. It''s too unstable to do anything with otherwise, requiring life force to cast."


    I tapped my chin, "Huh...I''m guessing just being near the mana would cause damage to the user, right?"


    "That''s exactly why it drains the user. It enacts damage on the mind and the body. A complete sacrifice."


    I rolled a hand, "I''d be robust enough to tolerate large amounts of exposure at least. Hmm...The more I think about it, staying in Schema''s system isn''t a problem anymore. It''s actually the opposite. I''ll have to consider how to split off from Schema''s system. Hah, what a crazy problem to have."


    Plazia tilted his head up, "Our untouched, eldritchian realm is an excellent prospect for somewhere such as that, wouldn''t you say?"


    I frowned, peering at the tiny dimension Plazia spawned. It spiraled with a stary entrance like the Milky Way spread flat over a 2-D space. I walked up to it, "Or I could hide in something like this...Assuming this is a dimension, like me."


    Plazia scoffed, "If you could draw a comparison, then I suppose. It lacks any qualities or laws to abide by as I can''t maintain constants like that. It''s merely a blank space with nothing inside it. I mean the truest definition of nothing. It is a canvas with no frame, paint, or even a physical form. It''s the shadowy idea of such a thing, allowing for its creation."


    I popped open my own pocket dimension, the two openings parallel to each other, "It''s like this, isn''t it?"


    Plazia leaned towards the dimensional opening, "In a manner of speaking...It could be compared. You own your dimension, however. You control what lies within it, and it can even hold entities outside of the natural laws of our current dimension. The stasis property it carries insinuates as much. It holds an absence of time."


    I nodded before turning towards Plazia, "Alright...Let me try something real quick."


    I closed my eyes, trying to change what was inside the portal. I manipulated the position of the many objects stored within, from pieces of Lehesion to old books to cipheric oddities. After a few minutes, an awareness stretched out in a slow, prolonged seep. Instead of moving objects, I pulled them along with gravity. When I stopped willing it to continue, the dimension continued applying gravity.


    Another few minutes passed, and I created an ambient warmth inside the dimension. I gave the desolate space temperature. Hitting my stride, I granted the space fundamental aspects, like wind, rain, and lightning. None of those effects manifested, all of the forces frozen in permanent stasis. I couldn''t create time, the means that all those energies needed for them to pop out.


    Plazia waited with patience, though he thrummed his fingertips across his throne every now and again. After a few minutes, I walked out to the gap leading to a Schema-owned space. I opened my pocket dimension, and my awareness over the warp snapped shut in an instant. However, the actual forces I planted within the area didn''t disintegrate. The space altered permanently.


    I let out a sigh, "There''s no telling what Schema''s holding me back from. Damn."


    I pulled my hand back into the un-Schemafied territory. I wondered why these changes didn''t snap up while in a far-off rift. Going with Obolis on one of his distant adventure spots should''ve done the same. Schema might have a tether pinned on me to hold me down even if I escaped his complete dominion.


    Plazia could be manipulating my access to Schema as well. I didn''t know enough to say.


    If Plazia carried this much ability over Schema''s universe, then allying with him was inevitable. He could limit me to an unknown extent, perhaps leaving me crippled if he wanted. Knowing all this, I gave the hivemind a firm nod, "We can go to the eldritch dimension as you asked, but I don''t want to do it your way."


    Plazia leaned back, "My method doesn''t suit you? Are you offering an alternative?"


    I tapped my chin, "Yeah. I''ll just make a really long dimension that creates a genuine connection between the two places. I can reinforce the dimensional pathway with my own personal fabric, keeping it stable from all the...Hm, interdimensional energies, I guess you''d call them?"


    Plazia peered off, "Hm...That may be a necessary adjustment for many reasons. Normal sentients could warp under the transdimensional pressure whether they''re protected by your fabric or not. Having them isolated in an elongated pocket dimension ensures safety. It''s a worthy adjustment."


    My many minds revved into action, "You mentioned defining laws in a created dimension, right? I could make time nonexistent and have a gravitational force pull people between the dimensional spaces. They''d passively ''fall'' to our space, and that would ensure they wouldn''t die from old age during the journey between dimensions."


    Plazia grabbed the edges of his throne, cracks spreading across the basalt, "That...That saves us many constraints from the voyage. Sharp, Daniel. Sharp."


    I spread out my hands, "Hell, I''ll make the tunnel into a living golem too. It''ll be a bunch of minds made with the cipher, and they''ll be like...Like transportation golems. They''ll keep people safe and moving. I''ll automate the whole process."


    Plazia tilted his head in confusion, "That...I suppose that''s possible."


    I pointed a thumb at my chest, "For me, it is. I could even make multiple bridges between the dimensions, and if I learn about warping, I can make golems who warp people around. We can stage a dimensional evacuation on a scale of massive proportions."


    I gave my chest a bang with my fist, "I can have legions of my golems exploring planets near the dimensional collapse to save people."


    Plazia fell back onto his throne, "You could if you feel it''s necessary. It''s difficult maintaining a presence over many worlds, however."


    I gripped my hands into fists, "Not if I carry the keys to connect those worlds. I''ll have to figure out how Schema''s holding me down and stopping my abilities. At the same time, I''ll need to know how to use primordial magic, and well, you''ll be helping me, Plazia. You''ll be my tutor, and we''ll cross these limits Schema imposed on me."


    I raised a hand, primordial mana oozing out of my palm. The dense streaks crystallized on the floor like dark blue gems,


    "And we''ll be doing it whether that AI likes it or not."

 319 A Hiveminds Potential

    I gripped my hands into fists, "Not if I carry the keys to connect those worlds. I''ll have to figure out how Schema''s holding me down and stopping my abilities. At the same time, I''ll need to know how to use primordial magic and well. You''ll be helping me, Plazia. You''ll be my tutor, and we''ll cross these limits Schema imposed on me."


    I raised a hand, primordial mana oozing out of my palm. The dense streaks crystallized on the floor like dark blue gems,


    "And we''ll be doing it whether that AI likes it or not."


    Chapter Begin


    Plazia tapped his throne, "You''ll be testing and developing your magic via the dimensional connection we have planned, correct?"


    I swirled the primordial mana, reveling in my control of it, "Yeah. That''s the idea. I''ll need time magic first. That takes priority over everything else."


    Plazia stood and snapped his fingers. The floating warps and dimensional construct withered while the temporal field dissipated. Plazia turned towards me, "Chrona Carsiary knows more of time manipulation than I do. As for warping, the same may be said of Helios. There are few authorities on dimensional creations, but we may find those dispersed across the galaxy."


    I pointed where his dimension was, "You just made one. You could give me the basics, right?"


    He waved his hands, "I am versed in it but still no expert. You saw how exhausted I became after creating even a small domain. A larger one may overburden me and destroy my entire body."


    I peered at his Sentinel armor, "That''s what you''re using as your carapace, right? I''m guessing you killed a Sentinel for it?"


    Plazia tilted his head, "I killed no one, but I created the circumstances leading to the guardian''s death."


    I deadpanned, "That''s the same thing."


    Plazia raised a palm, "What you''ve said is true, but it isn''t as if the Sentinel treated me with any fairness or equity. It attempted to eradicate me, so I enacted the same will unto it. In the end, we were enemies, and I, the victor. His death leaves history while I still live to create my own."


    I leaned back, "Speaking of plans, when are you taking out the Elysium camp? It''s been a week, but I figured getting out of Svia was the main priority for you."


    Plazia met my eye, "It will be finished later this day on Earth, moments from now, actually. I needed several days to establish the insinuating circumstances to derail Elysium''s investigatory attempts. They''d uncover your intentions otherwise, and so, I''ve established a suitable excuse for their outbreak."


    I raised my eyebrows, "Like what, exactly?"


    Plazia raised a hand, generating a viewpoint maintained by magic. Plazia gestured to it, "I researched your planet''s previous infrastructure for nuclear power sources, finding many nearby along the great lakes. Within the cook and palisades plants, I commandeered the nuclear power sources. I planted them onto a dungeon near the Elysium camp."


    Varying viewpoints appeared in the portal. An overhead map of the Elysium hub popped up along with the surrounding area. Plazia gestured at several coordinates near the headquarters,


    "Once made, I created a breeding ground for exceptionally powerful eldritch. After feeding and implanting them with my insects, I''m having the beasts raid the encampment using a variant of metal eaters. They''ll naturally be drawn to the Hybrids, and with my assistance, it shall be a slaughter. Casualties will be minimal as I''ve devised a specific countermeasure to ensure no deaths result."


    Plazia shrugged, "I targeted my assault around the circumstances, ensuring even a poor escape will be highly successful. In fact, the incompetence of our enemy will never come into question. It is a moot point."


    I furrowed my brow, "That''s...Impressive."


    Plazia waved his hand, "I''ve done something akin to this many times. Manipulating a system-based society is actually quite simple, should you pursue the viewpoint of those dwelling within it. The same may be said of the eldritch, but their needs are far more virulent. Controlling them is the true difficulty."


    I leaned towards the camp, "Are you actually going there?"


    Plazia scoffed, "There''s no need." He rumbled, "I''ve planted several eldritchian generals to lead the charge, each of them controlled by psionic constructs. You''ve seen those constructs interspersed throughout Svia, but they carry on more purposes than merely bringing magma to life."


    Plazia spread his arms, an image of the camp coming up, "If you wish to watch, you may. This is my design brought to life. It will be a demonstration of sorts."


    I peered at Plazia, an inkling of fear forming in my chest. Even if I outdid him in direct strength, which wasn''t a certainty by any means, Plazia''s wit outdid mine. In fact, Plazia seemed even better at tactics and strategy than Torix even. Torix''s logistics probably matched Plazia''s own, but the hivemind carried more options at his disposal. More importantly, Plazia read people like a book.


    And I worried I was one of those books on his shelf.


    Reading my mind, Plazia tilted his head down at me, "Intimidated?"


    I frowned, "Of course. This is a lot to organize in a few days. It beats what I could do."


    Plazia shook his head, "You constructed well over a hundred golems. They''ve dispersed across the Northwest region surrounding Springfield. You established the largest settlement for hundreds of miles. That was done in the same time frame, and That exceeds what I''ve done, to my estimations."


    I peered at the visual of the Elysium camp, "We''ll see about that."


    We gazed at the viewpoint created by Plazia. The Elysium headquarters expanded since I last viewed it, though not by leaps and bounds like Mt. Verner. We signed ceasefire a few weeks ago, not months, so Elysium hadn''t bolstered the encampment''s defenses yet.


    That being said, the Hybrid production area reached up and out. Matrices connected large pillars of steel. The disgusting monsters leaped within the contained field at an alarming density. They no longer moved as individuals, the various races devolving into swarms. Peering at the people within the camp, most of them had Hybrids.


    Children rode on the back of the abominations, the kids kicking their feet on the Hybrid''s shoulders. The abominations carried produce and goods in mass. They offered power, pulled cars, and constructed an entire way of life. People put enchanted flowers over their faces, many wearing wreaths over their necks.


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    They gentled into domestic oddities compared to the monstrosities lingering in my own memory. Plazia silenced at the sight of them, one of his hands squeezing into a fist. The insects within Plazia''s armor writhed in torment as the hivemind seethed,


    "And they call us cruel...To them, death is mercy, and life is pain. I will work towards their eradication after this ploy of ours plays out."


    I winced as memories of what Elysium did to eldritch and silver alike flashed in my mind. I grimaced, "Maybe I could''ve kept fighting them. It''s...It''s hard to look at."


    Plazia let out a hollow laugh before turning his head to me, "I never said anything about you, did I, Daniel? You carry guilt like a cloak, establishing responsibility for issues outside your control. It''s a quick, fierce method of self-hatred and agony. It also speaks to true arrogance."


    I furrowed my brow, "Huh. Maybe. I think I haven''t used my time and abilities perfectly. And no matter how you phrase it, I could''ve done better, and that much can''t be argued against. If that''s the case, I hold responsibility for that difference."


    I met Plazia''s eye, or at least the approximation of his eyes, "So when I feel bad about something I haven''t done, it''s not because I think I''m unbeatable. I know my potential, and I won''t cut it short so that I don''t feel bad."


    Plazia turned towards his viewpoint, "It''s an interesting perspective, even if I disagree with it. Regardless, let''s see what my psionic constructs devised."


    I pointed at some Hybrids, "How are you going to break their link to people? Severing them? Maybe overriding it with the psionic bugs?"


    Plazia shrugged, "I''m using a simple method. Death."


    I nudged the hivemind, "Hah. We''re not so different after all."


    Plazia tilted his head at me, "At times." He peered at his portal, "Now let the show begin."


    On the horizon of the camp, a plume formed above the forests. It evolved into a tornado of dust and dirt, a magical siphon. It sucked in trees and boulders, flinging them about. As it barreled towards the camp, guardsmen rang out alarms. People shouted commands and orders. Magicians, remnants, and Hybrids mobilized into a lethal fighting force. They lined up outside of the encampment''s outer border, making for an intimidating wall of soldiers.


    The controllers of the Hybrids stayed far back, well outside any range of conflict. Remnants guarded them, but the primary defense force was composed of the monsters of metal. The sorcerors channeled mana in mass, splitting up the parts of the magic. They used rituals to help control the sheer volumes of mana, and mana ''producers'' generated the majority of the energy for the ceremony itself.


    This streamlined the enormous constraints involved, letting them create an opposite tornado to the incoming spiral. As their tornado built, Hybrids ran and held the line against the incoming maelstrom. They extended out fans of wires, using the orange pustules inside their bodies to fill in the gaps. These glowing, pulsing wings caught the wind, and the Hybrids entrenched themselves in the ground using wires.


    As if catching the tornado, the units held it back before the new tornado clashed with Plazia''s one. The forces collided with a thunderous boom. The sky over the battlefield darkened, turning into a gloomy shade. Lightning struck. Thunder radiated and boomed across the dim skyline. The forces of nature extended outwards in hectic, chaotic streaks.


    Remnant guards caught incoming trees and debris, using discount dimensional slicers to cleave apart stone and wood. The sorcerers focused their efforts, sweat pouring from the magician''s faces. They scrambled to organize and hold the line as the enormous plume of wind sliced into the defensive units.


    A Blighted One flew from the encampment, out of a secret, underground area to my disgust. After flying over, it channeled the wind with its wings, a creature of the air despite its ruined form. The twisted gialgathen turned the tides. The warring forces overwhelmed the tornado, turning the unclean air into a distant memory. They celebrated, sweat sheening on their faces after doing an excellent job defending their city.


    A ruined city.


    Behind them and the blare of the wind, the metal eaters already swarmed the town. They ran through streets and devoured Hybrids in mass. Enormous, house-sized iron swallowers gulped them down whole, acid spilling from their mouths. Even from a distance, several ahcorous looking entities swarmed between the metal eaters.


    These eldritch caught and plopped humans into a large pile. My eyes narrowed at the collection before Plazia raised a hand, "Just watch."


    The defensive forces found their encampment being decimated, and they sprinted towards the base. As they ran across the wooden housing, giant eldritch insects poured out of the earth.


    Plated beetles, flaming mantises, icy cicadas, lunar moths of enormous proportion and filled with magic, an entire ensemble of insectoid creatures rose from the ground. They culled the Hybrids and remnants, decimating the forces to dust. No humans died, however. Instead, the insects piled the entirety of them into a single accumulation.


    Over it, a necromancer arose. Like a cheap, Torix knock-off, the robed skeleton floated over the armada of insects and metal eaters. It cackled out with a generic, evil laugh. That laugh, recognizable or not, radiated across the entire landscape. At that moment, the absolute terror of its grip pronounced itself to the heavens. This was no joke, and these people would die.


    The necromancer spread its arms out, generating a ritual of flames around the piled humans. My face gnarled up as I simmered, "You know, I''m still watching."


    Plazia turned a palm to the magical vantage point, "Then think about the forces at play."


    The necromancer continued his ritual, channeling runes and attempting to create a blood sacrifice. Many minutes passed, and in that time, the necromancer decimated every inkling of the Hybridization, the silvers'' established environment, and the buildings. Nothing remained of Elysium''s camp outside of the humans.


    An enormous eye popped up over them, and it gazed down in an umbral shade. It cast vast magic over the land, covering it in darkness. That shade siphoned into a singular point, and the magical eye closed itself. As it did, a light coursed from its eyelids onto the humans. I wanted to act and get over there right then and there, but I rested across the cosmos, far away.


    Before the ritual was completed, a red aura passed over the horizon. Volatile energy warped reality, and a crimson portal appeared over the magical eye and the necromancer. From it, an enormous figure paced out. It mirrored the size of an Overseer, both in form and function. Its gauntlets radiated out with ascendant mana, its entire body oozing mana from every pore.


    Its body bulged from the Hybridization within it. A puppet of meat, the once blue lines between its plates sheened crimson. A plume of living steel floated behind it, a thriving mass. Plazia gestured to the gray,


    "They are nanomachines."


    They coated the twisted Overseer, cracks of red lightning booming from it. The necromancer lifted its hands and shouted, "I am beyond death-"


    It disappeared.


    The Overseer lifted its hand, and an antimatter wave obliterated the necromancer''s entire body. No trace of existence remained, the destructive entity evaporating into an awful memory. The insects below lost any semblance of orderliness, each of them peering around in confusion. The metal eaters followed suit.


    Energy cackled. Furnaces hummed. The twisted Overseer moved its hand, generating wave after wave of silent disintegration. Patches of monsters disappeared with each motion of its hand. Portions of the Overseer''s gauntlet heated and glowed brightly before flesh dripped from its hand. Its arm musculature pulsed and exploded with violent eruptions. Blood oozed out from between its joints.


    It continued attacking.


    Its Hybrid half reconstituted flesh as it deconstructed. An incarnation of destruction, it decimated the entire camp''s invasion, and Plazia hissed,


    "That...That is a new weapon I''ve seen reported by others. It''s fearsome...And useful."


    After having the entire landscape leveled, the twisted Overseer peered at the decimation. A spare ruin or two remained from the camp, each piece of marred stone or uplifted rock a rarity among bare dirt and glowing craters. The Overseer turned, floating back into the portal it arrived from. It faded from existence, the crimson aura over the battlefield disappearing.


    A silence crossed over the entire landscape. The humans remained piled up, dazed yet unharmed. All traces of Hybridization dissolved. The lich eradicated the remnants, and the silvers expired down to the last fragment. I gawked at the display, and Plazia spread out his hands,


    "No casualties. No Hybrids. No infrastructure to build back upon. That is my design."


    Plazia turned to me.


    "Ahh. Perfection."

 320 Dimensional Wakes

    I gave him a slow nod, "There''s one issue that''s still popping out to me."


    Plazia lowered his arms, "What would that be?"


    I pointed at the pile of unconscious people, "Uhm, they can die at any point. Exposure, roaming eldritch, the sun drying them out. Honestly, there''s a lot of ways for them to meet the reaper right now."


    Before my words left my mouth, a group of metallic spiders crawled from the barren dirt. Their dark gray exoskeletons sheened red, and the eyes glowed a bright crimson. They put the humans into silken weaves, nesting them into cocoons. As the spiders finished rounding up the people, they crawled back into the ground.


    I pointed at the giant metal spiders, "Like that. It looks like those civilians will be people smoothies before we know it."


    Plazia waved a hand, "Those spiders absorb thermal energy from their captives. They simply place their victims into their colonies, cast metabolic magic over them to make them sweat, and harvest the sterilized liquid and radiating heat. They are some of the most benign eldritch for this reason. It''s why I chose them as captors for the aftermath of the conflict."


    I frowned, "I''m guessing they keep their captives till death?"


    "They will, but that isn''t a matter of concern. I planted that eldritch''s colony, and I know where it is. We can save the people therein whenever it''s convenient for either of us."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Alright. I gotta admit this was pretty perfect then."


    Plazia gave me a bow that oozed confidence, "Why, thank you, Harbinger. I aim to please."


    I pointed at him, "Speaking of which, I need a test subject."


    "What for, precisely?"


    "I''ll be testing a new aura of mine."


    Plazia peered at my shoulder pauldron, "Like that pale aura over you now? I''ve long wondered what that is."


    I spread the Rise of Eden over Plazia, including him in the aura''s effects. Plazia froze in place, unable to process the changes. I pulled the dimensional wake back, and the hivemind gasped,


    "I...That was incredible. The clarity. The strength."


    I shrugged, "The everything, really. It''s called the Rise of Eden. It gives me stats, and those stats are potent. You can also experience Event Horizon if you want. It will be agonizing, unlike that last one. In your case, you''re very vulnerable to that aura since it''s more an AOE tool. It tears groups apart. You, being a cluster of bugs, kind of have those fighting mechanics about you."


    Plazia grounded his feet, "Isn''t that your original aura? I''ve seen its impacts during your encounters, but my spies couldn''t parse its specifics. It seems to melt anything it touches. I...I''ll experience it, but only for a moment."


    The runic sigils spread over my skin flared a menacing red, oozing out with murderous intent. My armor grinned a jagged smiled as I frowned, "You ready?"


    Plazia stammered, "Y-yes."


    I reached out Event Horizon over him, and Plazia''s knees wobbled. He channeled mana from his furnaces, revving out some kind of healing magic. He shook his head, confusion spreading over him, "Ah...This is rather potent. It''s like swallowing a bowl full of nails...Made of glass...Through my nostrils."


    I laughed before Plazia peered up at me in defiance, "It''s a cluster of fun, isn''t it?"


    I gazed down at him, "That''s half the effect."


    Plazia tilted his head, wondering what the other half entailed. I stated with my voice imbued by aura''s dominance,


    "Kneel."


    Plazia fell onto one knee, and the hivemind gasped, "This...This is how you controlled the eldritch on Blegara. Hah. Madness. Truly this is madness."


    He enjoyed the challenge, pushing himself back up despite his legs wobbling. I smiled, "Damn. Impressive."


    He almost got up before I pointed down and seethed, "I said kneel."


    Plazia collapsed, falling onto his arms. He cackled, "That''s incredible. What a tool at your disposal. It''s wicked, I must say."


    I pulled Event Horizon back, and Plazia''s Sentinel armor calmed, no longer jittering under the surface. The insect swarm maintained itself despite how powerful Event Horizon was, and Plazia remained able to speak and function. If anything, he appreciated the aura instead of fighting it.


    I gave him a nod out of respect, "That was a good effort."


    Plazia kept his healing magic going, siphoning it into himself, "I take pride in my control, whether it''s of myself or others. To face a test of my control is a delight I rarely meet. The novelty alone is worth it."


    I raised my brow, "Well, those are the two auras I''ve had up until now. My new energy type means I have one for my primordial mana now."


    Plazia brushed the dirt off his sentinel armor, "And that''s what dictates the aura''s composition?"


    "Yup."


    Plazia spread his arms, "That was ascendant mana just now, and the previous one was quintessence then?"


    I raised my brow, "Yeah. Exactly."


    Plazia crossed his arms, "And now you''re dissecting primordial mana. You need a subject, and you want me to be that individual?"


    I waved my hands out, "Hell no. I have no idea what it''s going to do. It could kill you-" I snapped my fingers, "And just like that. The last thing we need is you suffering death or permanent damage. Instead, just throw a patch of insects out, and let''s see how they deal with it."


    Plazia raised a hand, forming umbral insects out of the corner of the room.  They glimmered in the crimson light oozing from my runic markings. I stepped up to them, and primordial mana funneled into my sigils. I turned to Plazia, "Take a step back. This could get messy."


    Plazia did so before sitting on a basalt throne, his favorite resting place given his propensity for them. I stared down at a pile of beetles, and I funneled mana into my body. As I did, the sensation of primordial mana oozed into my mind. It assimilated with my flesh and blood, coursing into my veins like injecting an ichor.


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    It left a different sting than quintessence or ascendant mana. Primordial mana placed an aura of perfectionism and judgment over me. I was a judge over a courtroom, all under my grasp, and I decided anything and everything that occurred. In fact, my surroundings popped out with detail as if I viewed them through a magnifying glass.


    In a sense, the confidence and precision of the energy struck out to me. I kept funneling the mana until I jittered under the energy''s fluctuations. It spawned an almost demonic urge to destroy and recreate. I felt like a god given life, and everything appeared impure and weak to me. The desire to evaporate my surroundings and replace them with better, superior replacements surged in my chest.


    They turned into whispering voices. They rose in volume, shouting in my mind to devastate and replace. A compulsion to reduce the insects rushed over me, along with the desire to create better beings in place of them. They deserved nothing better. Their deaths served my vision, a better vision. I soaked in this confidence, one grounded in knowledge and control instead of absolute power.


    And I silenced it.


    The mana storm quelled like a puppy struck by an iron chain. My mind wielded a brutal, engulfing wave of power over the mana and its undirected will. I gave it a smile as it relinquished any attempts at retaliation. This wasn''t my first time tolerating mana with its own mind and output, and I also experienced the sensation from ascendant mana, which proved much more volatile.


    That one combined with my armor''s persona, turning into an almost demonic apparition. It arrested control of me at one point while fighting mutated people in Springfield. Compared to then, I rested on a massive pile of real-world experience and an even more giant pile of willpower. That granted me absolute control of my mana and its processing.


    So I channeled primordial energy once more, keeping the mana tame. It floated off my body in congealed dollops, like a liquid, navy-blue fire rising off of me. Ascendant mana crackled out like lightning, a thick, choking miasma, while quintessence arrived in a saturated wave, like air soaking into your skin. This mirrored flames and plasma, the assuredness of the mana coming across like a gentle warmth.


    Plazia murmured, "And you''re certain this is your first time summoning primordial mana?"


    I wallowed in the wake of the energy, "It is. It''s different, I gotta say." I stepped forward, getting within inches of the beetles. My feet left marks on the stone. From me, the mana left geometric, straight lines crisscrossing the stone. They expanded into polygonic, orderly shapes behind me as if I reorganized the world in a mathematical design. I raised my brow at the beetles, "Sorry little guys. I hope you''ll be fine."


    I reached out with my new dimensional wake. It coursed in a wave, a strange, dulling of my emotions. My eyes sharpened as an unknown precision crossed over me. It washed over me like water, an incoming orderliness that gave me absolute stability. It soaked deeper than the skin, a stronger, more potent version of the primordial mana before it.


    As the new dimensional wake washed over the beetles, they remained unaffected. I nodded, the sensation clear to me. I mouthed, "Yeah, this has nothing to do with anyone else. Compared to the other mana types, this one is purely internal."


    Plazia leaned over, peering at the beetles, "I would envision Primordial mana being the opposite. It''s mana about controlling your outer world and crafting it in your vision. How would that leave everything unaffected?"


    I closed my eyes, saturated in the primordial mana''s ooze, "That''s just it. It''s in my vision. The world isn''t being recreated. I''m creating something new from my mind and it alone." I reached out a hand. I generated ice, as I would with quintessence. This same ice spawned into existence, but it carried a particular shape.


    I generated a sculpture, one mirroring Althea. With my photographic memory, I envisioned her midway through firing her rifle. The barrel coalesced from ice. The shape of her figure and the focus in her gaze all came together. Before I opened my eyes, I knew it would be lifelike. As I gazed upon my creation, it was a mirror image of my memory.


    Precision. Accuracy. Those words described the sculpture. It carried no flaws, the ice oozing a cool fog from its lower base. Plazia stepped up to it, and I molded my aura away from the hivemind. He tapped an eyelash, the ice breaking off,


    "I didn''t realize you dabbled in any kind of artwork. You enjoy sculpting?"


    I shook my head, "Not really. The only thing comparable to art is my work with the cipher. As for actual artistry, I''ve never really been much of one." I gazed at my palms, nodding at the energy, "But maybe I am now."


    Before I pulled the aura back, Plazia stepped to his beetles. Plazia moved his arms while inspecting himself within the dimensional wake, "What a strange sensation."


    I frowned, "Huh...What''s it like?"


    Plazia reached out a hand, "I''m being peered at from every angle by all-seeing eyes. They pierce through my shell, and they see my form in disdain. I''m held by strings, an odd puppeteer granting me benevolence by allowing me to exist." The hivemind shivered, "It''s quite uncomfortable, though nothing when compared to Event Horizon. That aura asserted absolute dominion as if I were worthless."


    I pulled the dimensional wake off of Plazia, "Well, that''s good. Based on what it''s shown so far, I''m thinking this primordial aura should be pretty useful for crafting, in particular the cipher. I''ll be able to make some very precise carvings. With this, I might even be able to push past some bottlenecks in my sigil slicing, actually."


    Plazia nodded, "It''s interesting. I believe that the primordial aura operates better under fine control. Perhaps you should use the Rise of Eden to generate the raw materials and energy for various inscriptions during your crafting. Think of it as outlining. Filling in the finer details thereafter, that can work under the might of this...This other aura."


    I said, "I''ll have to play around with it and see what I can do later. For now, I''ll call it my primordial aura."


    Plazia leaned back, "It''s provenance, an absolute assertion of your will."


    I frowned, "Huh, it''s hard to say. Not having a system lay out all the details means I could be missing something. It''s kind of fun, though, like exploring a dungeon I''ve never seen."


    Plazia crossed his arms, "That assumes a lack of danger. Your perspective is warped in that regard, as most risk death. You merely tread into the unknown to find gain."


    I put a hand over Plazia''s shoulders, "Man, you know what? You''re cool, Plazia."


    I shook him a bit, Plazia jerking around. He mouthed, "Your expression of joy is obnoxious."


    I gave him a grin, "And so is your vocabulary, but here we are."


    The hivemind actually let out a cackle before I gave him a light pat on the back. I stepped forward, stretching my arms, "Well, I have to head out."


    Plazia peered at the runic markings, "As do I. There are details I must refine before we begin our dimensional processing. Establishing those finer details shall consume me."


    I sent Helios a message, asking him to come back. A warp opened seconds after, and Helios stepped out with a drink in his hand. It left an aroma like a fruity version of coffee, quite delectable by the looks of it. The albony royal caught me staring.


    Helios snapped, "What? I can''t enjoy Velauh?"


    I leaned over it, "Velauh, huh? It looks pretty good."


    Helios pulled it close, "And it looks to be mine as well. You can''t have any."


    I rolled my eyes before Helios raised an arm, "Where are we going?"


    I frowned at his Valauh drink, "To wherever you got that drink."


    Helios shook his head, "I''m no chauffeur."


    Plazia stated, "You fooled me."


    Helios''s left eye twitched before I raised a hand, "We''re going to Earth."


    In silence, the warp specialist did his thing, popping out another dimensional leap for us. Before stepping through the veil, Plazia raised a hand. A psionic construct crawled out of the ground, and Plazia gestured to it,


    "Use this to contact me. Hide it within your dimension, and simply seize control of it if you wish for a meeting. I will let you know if I am available to discuss details."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "Will do. Cya, Plazia."


    I scooped the bug thing into my dimension, and Helios and I stepped through the portal, landing on the side of Mt. Verner. Chrona rested in the distance, many gialgathens roosting along the upper portion of the mountain. Eltari flew along the lower valleys as well, and a growing cityscape encroached on the forest. I smiled at it, our city thriving. Wanting to take things to the next level, I rose a palm to Helios,


    "You''re dismissed. I''m heading out."


    He rose his brow under his dark mask, "Where exactly are you off to?"


    Quintessence suffused my surroundings in an unbridled wave,


    "I''m going to go do some hands-on expansion real quick."


    I smiled, "We need some more cities."

 321 Expanding an Empire

    "You''re dismissed. I''m heading out."


    He rose his brow under his dark mask, "Where exactly are you off to?"


    Quintessence suffused my surroundings in an unbridled wave,


    "I''m going to go do some hands-on expansion real quick."


    I smiled, "We need some more cities."


    Chapter Begin


    Helios furrowed his brow, "You intend on doing so where, exactly? And what''s the method you''ll use? Perhaps you haven''t considered the law systems each place will need or how to manage the various subcultures of each area. These are important-"


    I raised a palm, "Helios, I''m not a diplomat." Mana seethed over me like a writhing flame, quintessence flooding out in abundance. I stated, "I''m a fighter and a crafter. I''m sticking to that, and I''ll leave the details to other people. Everything will fall in place as I go."


    He could doubt or dismiss my efforts if he liked. In the end, I''d leave that doubt shattered by results. Helios rolled his eyes while I pulled myself up with a gravity well. At a certain height, I generated an intense antigravity well beneath me. It propelled me forward while I opened up my status. An overhead, 2-dimensional map popped up, and I found the extent of Mt. Verner''s domain.


    It stretched out for about a dozen miles in every direction. Without a core or official verification from Schema, Springfield lacked the same legitimate plot point. Despite that, the constructor golems already worked towards filling the city out. By the time they finished, my old hometown would be a thriving metropolis.


    Schema may deny the town''s return for now, but that wouldn''t last for long. It wouldn''t last elsewhere too. Peering at those different places, the skyline shifted in my view as vast forests passed underneath me. I shot through clouds, the wind off my wake creating cylinders of mist jutting out in every direction. In a sense, I impaled the clouds I passed.


    I traversed another dozen miles outside of Springfield''s domain before landing amidst an unclaimed hill. This would be the next city. I pulled out enormous globs of molten dimensional fabric. With quintessence, I flashed them into the components of a golem over the next few minutes. The cipher and charging took up the majority of my time after that. Getting four assault golems ready, I toiled for a while before sending them out to clear the countryside and nearby dungeons. The juggernauts dispersed across the terrain, one honing in on a nearby, mutated wolf.


    The super golem grabbed the beast, ripped it in two, and burned its remains and blood splatter. Cleaving the terrain apart, the assaulters shifted from one motion to the next in a rapid succession of hunting. In moments, they stripped the land bare of its infestation. At the same time, I disintegrated all life on the hill with Event Horizon. Covered in bare dirt, I leveled it, flattening the mini-mountain with a gravity panel.


    The ground quaked and roared out across the landscape, the splintered crags of earth crushing down. After getting a suitable space, I generated a steel barrier around it, piercing the flattened portion with several steel struts in the mound of splintered soil. With the foundation established, I molded quintessence into a flat, sheening plate of granite.


    It gleamed in the sun; the entire hillside changed in minutes. I pooled more of my fabric for another golem, this time a constructor. Finishing it and its details, I generated thousands of rings for it to distribute out as needed.


    An average person wearing my rings turned into a bulky behemoth, at least when compared to the usual. My legacy bonuses compounded that difference, revolutionizing the benefits someone gained from joining my guild. Many people operated in Schema''s universe as if made of paper mache. My guildmates enjoyed surprising bulk by comparison and extending that only benefited people.


    To that end, I spoke to the constructor golem, giving him the command to hold this territory and create livable spaces for people. I handed him the rings, the constructor levitating them in a gravity well over its head. The final piece of my city involved generating cipheric inscriptions in a monolith at the city''s center.


    As with Springfield, this column established a protective barrier, and I made it with my own dimensional fabric. Imparting a continuous supply of mana and energy to the local populace, the center point offered a grid for power to the people here. I instructed the constructor golem to manage and protect it from being weaponized by would-be warlords as well.


    Working on the final details, I sliced sigils across the metal framework surrounding the city. I connected the runes to my monolith, and it sparked to life, generating a buffing field for anyone inside the city''s two-kilometer radius. This whole process took two hours, my many minds allowing me to handle several tasks at once.


    By the time I finished handling all the minutiae, the assault golems had returned from their forays. Each of them carried over a dozen dungeon cores, most of them simple yellow ones but some gleamed crimson. Instead of using them for attribute points, I put them into my pocket dimension.


    Schema lied about primordial mana and my dimensional space. He could be lying about these cores as well. I''d take them out of the system and see if I couldn''t get more from them than Schema allowed by normal means. After pocketing the cores, I peered at the space, finding everything in order.


    With the assault golems and the constructor golem on standby, I moved on. Gathering a force of people to the stronghold wasted my time. Convincing people took a lot of tenacity, and people would fear me more than they''d actually listen. I''d leave the recruiting efforts to other members of my guild while I left empty cities for them to build an infrastructure off of. Besides, anyone could work as a marketer. Only I could craft the golems and these city-states.


    And that''s what I did. I built cities.


    I spaced them out, about twenty-five miles apart. The distance gave plenty of room for building up and out, and they all stood atop hills. This left them as beacons in the landscape, the mana auras beaming outwards above them like gleaming domes. Light refracted off of these mana pyres, raw quintessence saturating near the monolith''s apex.


    In a way, the visual splendor offered more than a statement about their efficacy. They reminded me of the first time I saw a Sentinel. The cyan-shaded, armored warriors stood ten feet tall with dimensional slicing spears. At the time, I was a tiny ant surrounded by mountains and hills. These golems acted the same to anyone finding them.


    They left an otherworldly visage. The crimson eyes of the assault golems glowered at everyone, menacing and defiant. Their ruthless natures acted as absolutes, unable to be corrupted. They contrasted the pale eyes of the constructor golems, which calmed and gave a light sense of ease. The builders offered a hub of understanding and compliance by comparison.


    They exceeded an average person''s limits by enormous bounds, to the point of being outright alien. Five level 14,000 golems could ravage the entire state, let alone their city''s limits. The monoliths and archaic runes dispersed across each of the reinforced hills offered further mysticism.


    After establishing a dozen of these emptied, runic structures, I flew far over the clouds above them all. The monoliths dispersed dollops of light through the clouds, each a lighthouse in the encroaching forest. Wanting a better view, I revved over twenty elemental furnaces under my skin. Those artifacts generated vast energy outputs into my body, and my skin sheened a bright white from the heat alone.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    I hovered over my new domain, a living star both in appearance and output. Spreading my arms, an enormous wave of gravitation molded the clouds from above my cities. For miles, the force collapsed the misty blots in my view. They fell in a spiral, condensing into water that plummetted down below in a light wave. It was a circle of falling water, a biblical feat.


    And I did it to get a better view of my cities. With my structures on full display, they reminded me of what I imagined Schema''s system would be like after finding my first Sentinel. I smiled at the outposts, knowing this was only the beginning. I continued establishing these domains of control, none of them recognized by Schema.


    Whether the AI liked it or not, these cities stood on far firmer ground than anything he made. Blue cores defended well, but that was it. They offered no countermeasures for stopping an attacker, and inevitably, they fell over time. My cities carried dreadnoughts as protectors, the devastating assaults golems able and willing to gore enemies to pieces. The constructor golems restored any damaged areas and assisted with energy production in the meantime.


    The monoliths still protected the populace, of course, but they offered a buffing aura as well. In the end, combine that with the rings and legacy bonuses, and these places acted like supply depots for city establishing. They far exceeded the utility of Schema''s hubs. After getting primordial mana unlocked, I''d connect these places with warping golems. If I had my way, I''d make developed societies like the Empire appear primitive compared to my territories.


    If people came in. The granite panels sheened with a glossy finish, only a few golems standing in the circular stones. I held faith that once people understood the benefits here, they''d swarm in by the thousands. In my case, I intended on offering quite a few of these outposts to the skeptiles.


    They''d arrive in a vast population, and establishing centers for them eased their transition. I''d split them into the cities by their tribes, letting them know what was going on. I might have Amara hack into Schema''s system and let me announce a speech. But then again, a message might be better as they''d have it stored for reference.


    After that, I''d dish out managers to the areas based on a meritocracy. I was no politician or city organizer, so problems would arise, no doubt. As they came, we''d fix them. For now, I worked within my limits and knowledge base. It was all I could do.


    I kept planting these cities further out from Mt. Verner. The forests stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions before I found patches of plains. Here, human settlements dotted the horizon. From far above, I used my superior eyesight to inspect these territories and how they managed themselves.


    Every sight made me wince, everyone''s situation both chaotic and haphazard. People, in general, did a great job with the resources they had. However, that was the issue; they had no resources to work with. That came about because of the culling.


    Schema stripped power grids, destroyed Earth''s infrastructure, and killed most people in the tutorial. Schema then forced everyone to fight eldritch or die. While I appreciated the levels and all, Schema made no efforts to help people off their feet. The closest approximation of that came from the Force of Iron. The generic, leaderless guild acted as quest hubs.


    They didn''t establish much beyond understaffed zones with outdated, leftover tech and weapons. It was better than nothing, but not by much, at least in the long-term. Springfield was one of these established zones, which helped against Yawm. Searching for more of those places, I found nowhere else in over a hundred miles with a Force of Iron camp. This left people scrambling for protection in tight-knit, small villages.


    And they suffered for it.


    Starvation loomed. Monsters roamed. People dealt with the aftermath of a brutal society built on snowballing level-ups. I did nothing to handle it before now, and I regretted it. When I viewed people sitting there, it weighed on my chest. They wallowed in what amounted to a dystopia.


    If I couldn''t have done anything to fix it, it wouldn''t bother me. That was the crux of the issue - I could solve it quickly. With time under my belt for the first time in years, I did just that. I found one small town under siege below.


    Townsfolk crafted an enclosure, using abandoned cars piled up as walls. They put barbed wire and spikes over the vehicles and around them, most of the spiky cords harvested from nearby farms. People within carried a few weapons, any gunned weaponry long having run out of ammunition. They used roughshod swords and spears, a few well-made pieces built into the mix.


    One of the townsfolk was a blacksmith, and it showed by their shields, crafted from spare metal parts. People stood behind the cars, stabbing their spears through the shattered windows. Blood congealed onto those empties frames, no citizen having time to clean anything. They hoped rain handled that for them.


    Even a cursory glance explained why as the citizens stopped an assault of entrail-covered bears. Four beasts mounted an attack on the village''s eastern side, two dozen individuals fighting them off. A few children screamed, none of them fully systemized and unable to fight back yet. Several people scrambled to get them to safety in a concrete shelter built by what looked to be a dooms-day prepper.


    The prepper''s paranoia paid off for these people now.


    The bears stripped row after row of barb wire on the frontlines. Entrails squirmed and coursed through their eyes, ears, and mouths. Misshapen lumps swelled in them, the bear''s bodies converting to the parasite within the bellies of each beast. Several fuzzy eyes opened long the stretched entrails, each of them gazing out with teary, infected oculi.


    I winced as they flashed green blooms that released spores over the town. Those fragments floated over the townsfolk like strands of a fleshy, green dandelion. Hovering over them, several people panicked in abject terror as the infection rained in. Some screamed out orders, trying to turn chaos into order. Some froze in place, unable to process what happened.


    The entire scene flashed in my vision while I flew over it. I wielded Event Horizon as a cleanser that eliminated the spores. Passing over the people right after, I landed with a soft thud beside several other survivors. Beside the systemized humans, I stood as an umbral titan of metal. I dwarfed them and their barrier alike.


    Before anything else, I covered them in the Rise of Eden, turning their weakness into strength. Beside me, a farmer with a scarred face gawked in horror. I pulled my helmet off my face, giving him a confident smile. Interrupting my gesture, an infested bear reached its head through a car door, shattering a window between the farmer and me.


    The bear flashed its disgusting face at me, having been warped into horror by the eldritch parasite. The farmer stumbled back and down, mud plopping as he met the dirt. With a casual grip, I grabbed the bear''s face, my palm dwarfing its head. I jerked the monster through steel, the car''s frame bellowing out a loud squeal.


    Lifting the bear over me in one palm, the bear fumbled for a grip on its paws, its body contorted at an odd angle. It grunted out, trying to escape my grasp. It met my fingers, each of them guillotines of steel enclosing over its head. Watching me hold the bear like that, the townsfolk stopped screaming.


    They ceased moving as well, most even holding their breaths. My display of strength stunned them. From my palm, a swarm of living needles flooded into the bear, its body appearing unharmed. Beneath the skin, I wore the body like a puppet in my palm. I siphoned its life into my own, my being an engulfing monster.


    The other bears gawked at me, the three remaining all wary of me. One of the parasites squirmed out of a bear, trying to hide in the dirt. I smiled at the monstrosity, pulling it towards me with a gravity well. It slapped into my raised arm. It squirmed at me, trying to find gaps to drill in and control my body.


    It found a desolate wasteland.


    It squirmed in horror, trying to escape contact with my skin. I let my arm down as flesh sunk into metal. The hollowed bear corpse flopped to the side before I raised my other arm. Before I did the same to them, the two bears turned on their heels. They ran away before I waved Event Horizon over them in a flash of misty red.


    They disintegrated into mana, the energy siphoning into my skin.


    The farmer beside me watched the entire massacre, as did the other townsfolk. Peering down, I left an enormous gap in their defensive wall, having destroyed the makeshift barricade in a patch. Breaking the ice, I scratched the back of my head,


    "Hah...Sorry about that."


    The scarred farmer pointed at the hole in the wall, "Uhm...Can you fix it? You look stout enough."


    I scoffed, "When I''m done with this place, fixing this wall will be the least of your worries."


    Their faces paled, each of them terrified of what I might do. I spread the Rise of Eden over them once more while raising a fist,


    "You''ll never be forced to fight an eldritch again."

 322 What Its For

    The scarred farmer pointed at the hole in the wall, "Uhm...Can you fix it? You look stout enough."


    I scoffed, "When I''m done with this place, fixing this wall will be the least of your worries."


    Their faces paled, each of them terrified of what I might do. I spread the Rise of Eden over them once more while raising a fist,


    "You''ll never be forced to fight an eldritch again."


    Chapter Begin


    The villagers trembled despite the aura''s stat raise, some cowering away. I raised my eyebrow at them while opening my dimensional storage. Pulling out several dozen rings, I hovered them over my palm while stating,


    "Everyone put these rings on. You know, if you want to."


    The citizens backed away, some of them shaking and others getting angry. The scarred farmer pointed at me and murmured with an edge of panic, "You, what are you here for? What do you want from us?"


    I peered around, inspecting the scenery, "I''m here to get you guys on your feet, honestly."


    I grabbed and tossed him a ring. The farmer caught it, but it dragged his hand down. He almost fell over, the poor guy exhausted from the fighting. He gasped, "What is this made of?"


    I raised a palm, "It''s a secret. Now, everybody, I''m going to be building you all a fortress, giving you system tips, and getting you guys reasonable weaponry. I''ll be leaving protectors as well, so you''ll be able to level at your own pace."


    A few villagers whispered to each other, which was pointless. Each voice rang out like a blaring alarm to me, and they couldn''t disguise what they said, not this close to me anyway. Taking every opinion in at once, the general sentiment came across as a strange intermingling of fear and hope. Most seemed skeptical, and others wondered about conditions or strings attached.


    Before their minds spiraled further into paranoia, I tilted my head to the scared farmer, "Yo, put that ring on. You''ll be the demonstration of what it does."


    The farmer peered at the heavy band of dimensional fabric. He turned back up to me, "I...You''re not going to hurt me, are you?"


    The guy looked like he enjoyed common sense, so I said, "You saw what I did to the bears, right? Hurting you all could''ve already happened. I just saved you from a painful death. You all should trust me enough to put a ring on."


    The farmer''s lips turned into a thin line, "Will...Will this take my mind away?"


    I laughed, "What? No, It''ll do the opposite."


    He blinked, staring at the ring. After taking a few breaths, he put the band onto his middle finger, and after making complete contact, the individual took a few steps back. He pressed himself against one of the piled-up cars, and barbed wire pierced his shirt and gouged his back. One of the other villagers came up, shouting at him,


    "Fred, are you ok?"


    Fred gasped, his scars fading and a layer of muscle forming within him. From thin and lanky to lean and mean, he pulled himself from the twisted wires. His back healed in seconds, and he gasped, "What is this? I feel...better. Much better."


    I pointed at my rings, "These are your tickets out of the rat race and into the big leagues." I spiraled the circles around me, "Anyone else wants one? They''re free."


    Most people stayed skeptical, but a few opportunists ran up, each of them wanting one. I pointed towards the grassy opening beside us,


    "Line up. You''ll all be allowed to get one if you choose to take it."


    Random villagers put on the rings, their benefits palpable. These villagers sat between levels one and two hundred. For them, these rings offered enormous amounts of health, regeneration, stamina, willpower, endurance, and sizeable pieces of strength and constitution. They dwarfed even rare artifacts from a stat value standpoint, giving each person a tremendous leg up.


    More joined in on the ensuing frenzy, a mob forming for the enormous benefits the rings offered. I kept them in order, each person getting one. Despite the tremendous help, a good portion of people chose not to take the bands. They kept their eyes narrowed, each person unwilling to accept the free boost. It was their loss, and I wasn''t about to beg them to take it.


    After handing out fifty rings, I spread out my hands towards their car wall. I turned my head and shouted, "Everyone, back up."


    By now, people got the picture and listened. I melted down the cars, the steel turning into a glowing bubble. The citizens of this place gawked in slack-jawed wonder while I created a wall of steel around their entire perimeter. I bolstered their poor defenses, making the walls taller, covering it in spikes, adding pillars into the ground, and establishing watch posts at even intervals.


    These towers offered vantage points for their defense, making it more efficient. After handling that, I erected a column at the center of their small town, the pillar made of my dimensional fabric. The heat of my molding fabric set nearby grass on fire, people wondering at my creation. Once I etched the cipher in, I moved to the walls.


    Handling the enchantments on the outskirts of their barricade, I sat down and charged up. As I did, people walked up. More precisely, children did. They gawked in wonder at me, but I did the same to them. These were some of the only kids I''d seen since Schema''s systemization. Compared to our pre-system era, these children lived isolated, small lives here, each of them stuck in the town''s walls.


    Even from casual conversations with Torix, I learned systemization occurred after or near total growth. Experience and whatnot flooded in after that. Unfortunately, humans grew slow, meaning we needed lots of time and investment for maturation. As these kids stepped up, I gathered a lot about them by how they bounced off the ground or moved the wind.


    To me, each of them was as soft as the air around them. A brave one took the initiative and spoke first,


    "Uhm...Hello."


    Impressed by her courage, I smiled at the young girl, "What''s up?"


    She stared, her clothes old and sewn in many places. The patchwork showed a diligent tailor working hard to keep clothes on her back. This six or seven-year-old took one of my rings, the weight of it challenging to bear. She kept it on while murmuring, "So...Are you an alien?"


    I pointed at my face, "Nope. I''m a human."


    Her eyes popped open wide. Her lips made an O, "What? For real?"


    I gave her a nod, "Absolutely."


    "So you''re like my dad?"


    I raised a brow, "Who''s he?"


    She pointed at Fred, the farmer helping everybody get sorted after the battle. I tilted my head up, "Wow, he defends the town. Impressive, I must say...You must be proud of him."


    The little girl stood tall, "Yeah, he''s best. He tells me stories all the time."


    A warmth came over me, and I smiled, "He''s keeping you safe. Make sure you work hard and learn a lot for him, alright?"


    The little girl nodded her head with force, "Yes. I will."


    She stood twenty-plus feet away, my body glowing and burning up debris nearby. I paneled a layer of cold between us, preventing her and the camp from incinerating. The girl sat in the cold for a while, the difference in temperature novel to her. She got the other kids playing with her in the field, and I watched them enjoy the bit of magic. It brought an irrepressible grin to my face before I finished the cipheric sigils.


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    Yeah, this was a good idea.


    Standing on my feet, the ground cracked around me. The panel of mana plumed out of the pillar above, giving the place a sizeable protective field. The basics handled, I crafted them each several swords, shields, war hammers, and armor pieces. I made it out of steel, and helmets took priority. I also made gauntlets and footwear as they kept their extremities safe.


    After giving the steelwork fundamental Schema enchantments, I prepared to leave. I raised my hands, my height already large enough to see everywhere in the camp. I announced,


    "Alright, I''m heading out. I''ll be leaving several golems in the area who will check on you all. If those with rings are found abusing their benefits, don''t expect to keep them. Those rings were earned by staying alive until now. If you choose to use them for devious ends, expect a titan like me to handle it. You''ve been warned."


    The villagers evacuated the concrete shelter already, everyone out and about. By now, they trusted me enough, and the fear from before dissipated some. Most of them watched me fulfill my tasks, wondering where my abilities started and ended. Before heading out, I crafted a sheet of steel over a portion of the city''s central monolith.


    I pointed at it, glowing lines etching into steel as I said, "My guild is the Harbinger''s Legion. We accept recruits but prepare to work hard if you join. We''re on the rise, and we''re bringing humanity with us. If you want to join, talk to a super golem or head to Mt. Verner. Do that, and we''ll see if you''re up to snuff."


    I raised a fist, "You''ll be joining something larger than yourself if you enlist. Education on magic and Schema, basic worldly tasks, and all kinds of training will be there for you. You just have to reach out and take it."


    I peered down at the strengthened villagers, "You''ll earn my legacy if you join, and it''s as strong as those rings, maybe even better. And remember, work hard, guys. Don''t set up limits for yourself. Live up to what you can be, not what you are now."


    I hovered myself over the village and shot myself out, several people shouting questions. Not having time to answer them, I got some distance before creating the standard five golem ensemble for the area. Giving the constructor golem some instructions, I mentioned checking on their camp every now and again.


    They''d ensure the rings didn''t lead to some horrific sub-society or something. I didn''t want some crazy psychopath getting their hands on that unbridled power. Finishing up those matters, I funneled back into the city building process like before. As I fell into the process, the days blended together, my body going from one step to the next.


    Time blurred by, and while it did, I brainstormed different ideas. I referenced Chrona''s conversations and insights on time magic, trying to fully grasp them. By now, Schema might''ve locked me from using it out of fear. Instead of letting that discourage me, I put myself ahead of the curve.


    Just as I''d done with primordial mana, I gathered my knowledge for when I could use time magic without limit. When I took off Schema''s shackles, it would rush into place as it had with primordial mana. I held a firm faith in that, my efforts showing that resolve. To get as much from that as possible, avoiding Schema''s control took priority.


    So, I also put two minds to understanding the cipher markings Plazia-Ruhl etched down. He made and charged them quickly, and with my mana reserves, I''d do the same. Creating a patch when needed suited me fine for the time being. While I handled those tasks, I stayed connected with the guild.


    I kept heading back towards Mt. Verner and getting schooling from Helios and Chrona alike. Helios recited his information towards me like some talking computer, but hey, it worked. I referenced the memorized lectures over and over, drilling them into my head. I did the same with Chrona, preferring her more esoteric and less rigorous take on the subject.


    Compounding those benefits, I raided our stockpile of books and kiosks from Elysium. They carried dozens of volumes for many different kinds of magic, and I primarily kept it related to temporal dilation. After getting that, warping and dimensional magic would be my primary study. I hammered away at all these tasks at all times, my willpower oozing.


    In fact, my motivation spiked after knowing most of my mental blocks came from Schema, not from me. If anything, knowing he held me back put me in an underdog state of mind. Schema wanted me to stay contained and boxed into his system? Oh, I''d show him what I was capable of. He''d feel the full brunt of what the Harbinger of Cataclysm could do.


    My guild''s expansion was a part of that message. To keep going, I kept in contact with Torix in the meantime, the lich establishing connections over the various cities. Torix included some undead to help manage the empties places with a few trustworthy guildmates. It put me at a greater sense of ease that no one would abuse what I left behind.


    I also put Florence up to the task of getting people into the cities. The chatty albony took his work with great gusto, becoming the politician he always was meant to be. He demanded a gialgathen fly him in for effect, and I watched him work out one of his recruiting seminars. The guy spoke with words like gilded honey, always playing up my guild''s strengths.


    And considering we offered free life-changing rings and protection, it was an easy thing to do.


    Most of the guild moved as well. Hod and the Eltari expanded outwards, preferring forested lowlands in valleys. They never hated Mt. Verner, but the Eltari evolved for a desert environment. They chose lower, hotter areas. I might get them to check out somewhere further South, maybe near Arizona. In time, perhaps they''d do great in the Sahara.


    As for the gialgathens, many of them migrated over the next week. Mt. Verner had crowded to absurdity for them. Most gialgathens preferred some living space and breathing room, so the cramped conditions grated at them. Some couples branched out into other mountainous areas. Many more flocked to Blegara, keeping Helios busy outside of his lectures.


    Some people in Mt. Verner joined the mass hiatus of the hollow mountain. These individuals preferred a quieter lifestyle, something my spread-out cities offered in spades. During my own downtime, I chatted with Althea often, usually over calls. I spent evenings with her during Helios''s lessons, however.


    From our talks, I could tell Althea lost her way a bit with the war ending. Her skills suited assassination, not domestic living. She put everything she had into dismantling Elysium, and that showed in her efficacy at the time. Slicing through skulls and having good aim didn''t work so well with establishing homesteads. I tried keeping her spirits up, but she kind of wondered what to do next with her life.


    I hoped she''d find out something as awe-inspiring as she was.


    Listening to her reminded me of myself in my pre-Schema days. When I thought about graduating from school, I was at a loss. I didn''t know what to do or where to go. Without Schema''s arrival, I might be working at a fast-food place or struggling with school loans.


    At that moment, I crafted a pillar of my flesh and blood, a beacon of mana. It contrasted harshly with that different reality and timeline. I wondered how I ended up in this position, one with enormous potential. It made me think about other people and what they were capable of in different circumstances.


    Perhaps everyone hid on an ocean of potential that they could not see.


    I found that both disappointing and heartening at the same time. Even while having these thoughts and building cities, I kept my runes revving full blast. I channeled mana into my endurance inscriptions without ever ceasing. In fact, I held many furnaces on it at all moments.


    The reason for that was self-evident. Cutting myself off from Schema was no longer an option; it was an inevitability. I prepared myself for it with each passing moment. I might craft runic inscriptions for my own trees and perks at this rate. A vast improvement on my runic work was required for that.


    So, I kept three minds researching cipheric sigils at all times, one for general research and the others on Plazia''s sigils. I kept four psyches on the city making, two on warping, and two more dedicated to time magic. Seven channeled my runic markings and furnaces, and one kept everything coordinated. All in all, I amassed nineteen minds that hustled and bustled at all moments. In time, many more would join their ranks.


    Knowing my plans progressed, I finished another city. A sunrise peaked over the horizon, orange light shaving the clouds above. The hues of a sunrise crafted a frame for the blue skies, and I spread my arms at it. I just worked through three days of rain, and a bit of sunshine did me good. Before I soaked it in, a message popped up in my status. I peered down at it.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets | Level 24,492 Cap: 27,000 | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire - I see that the ahcorous arrived within an absurd scheduling, and they''ve stayed on the frontlines ever since. Incredible, I must say. I never envisioned a day where you destroyed a galactic horror in less than a day, and yet, it has come to pass.


    That elite efficiency worked to our benefit, as we''ve turned the tides against the Hybrids. I do wish to thank you fully for your gift. My guild organized the skeptiles, and we''re now able to send portions of them over towards Earth as needed.


    There are 30 million of them, and they enjoy arid environments or flush jungles; it depends on the tribe you''re moving to. I understand that your guild may need time to assimilate such a vast number of people, and we''re more than willing to give it to you.


    And if you have time to chat, I''d genuinely enjoy working out the details of our dealings whenever you are available.


    I raised an eyebrow at the message, thinking back on my relationship with the Emperor. He gave me opportunities, but he also pitted me into some poor circumstances. Technically, he gave me an elemental furnace, a planet, and two able subordinates. At the same time, I doubted he could get the furnace working, he couldn''t hold the planet anyways, and he couldn''t get Florence to do anything productive.


    Even Helios''s service was gifted to me because Obolis wanted to punish the guy. If anything, I questioned my relationship with Obolis more and more with each passing event. Still, he gave me a lot of information, and he might help me take advantage of my Schema and Overseer meetings. Before confronting Schema, I''d make sure I was ready, however.


    Cancelling Schema''s limiters, being able to warp, and having some control of time magic, I''d get that all lined up before I confronted the AI. After thinking all that through, I thought up a message.


    Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm | Level 18,767 (Cap: 26,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion - I can talk now, but not for too long. I''m expanding the guild right now. Here are my coordinates if you want to visit...


    I sent him the data, Schema uploading it automatically. After a few seconds, a notification popped up.


    Obolis Novas, the Finder of Secrets | Level 24,492 Cap: 27,000 | Class: Founder | Guild: The Empire - I''ll be there in a moment.


    Within a few seconds, a warp appeared beside me. Obolis stepped out from his majestic study. In his graphene armor and with a smile, he spread his arms at me,


    "It''s good to see you again...You look different."


    I smiled back, "Because I am."

 323 What Youre Worth

    Obolis closed his warp before peering out at the horizon, the distant clouds drifting. The Emperor gave it a nod, "It would seem your planet is fairing well. It''s quite an attractive place, I must say."


    I stared with him, "It is...What are you here for?"


    "As always, you''re down to business as usual, not that I dislike such a thing. I''ve come here to discuss the deal along with a few future offers for you if you''re interested."


    I blinked, "I might not be, but we''ll see."


    Obolis raised a finger, "I assure you that tempting prospects await. As for our deal, an update on our planets'' situations should give you an idea of what to expect moving forward."


    I frowned, "I talked about it with Helios after one of my warping lessons. The ahcorous are excellent Hybrid killers as expected, though losses are still high among natives. Your albony were called off the frontlines, and the subsidiary planets are now fighting with the slimes and natives primarily."


    My frowned devolved into a grimace, "And you''re exploiting a lot of the experience gained. It''s an unpleasant thing to think about, honestly."


    Obolis''s smile dampened, "Hm, that would be...Noteworthy, under different circumstances. Details aside, I can see you''re establishing a network of cities on your homeworld. You''ve done that before doing so on Blegara even. It would seem I''m not the only individual devoid of favoritism, hm?"


    I tilted my head down to him, "Yeah, my people are being eaten alive, and I''m stopping it. You''re making other people be eaten instead, and you''re taking as many benefits as you can at the same time. It seems a bit...like leveraging your position."


    Obolis''s smile ceased altogether, "It would seem you''re no longer in a talkative mood. Perhaps I caught you at the wrong time?"


    I shook my head, "I''m busy but not in a mood."


    "Then I''d remind you that we''re allies on amicable terms."


    I raised my brow, "If you say so."


    Obolis pinched the bridge of his nose, "Then this shall be the given atmosphere of this meeting. So be it. Our planets are doing very well since the ahcorous have stepped in. Your quick dispatch of Plazia is the reason for that, despite your initial delays. Despite your rudeness, I''m still grateful."


    "So, what are you going to give me in return?"


    Obolis''s grin popped back up, "I''m glad you asked. I''ll be adding three additional furnaces. It''s quite the haul-"


    I raised a palm, "Woah now, I don''t want three furnaces."


    Obolis leaned back, "Really? Three furnaces would enable a plethora of options for you, given your position."


    I smiled, "My position, huh? What is my position, exactly?"


    Sensing my challenge, Obolis raised his chin, peering down at me. His tone lowered, "You''ve recently acquired a planet, you''ve just ended a war you''re still recuperating from, and you have one city on a world you don''t even own."


    Obolis tilted his head, "From where I''m sitting, you seem to be rather precariously positioned. This sudden burst of confidence, while amusing, isn''t going to change any of those realities."


    I scoffed, "So that''s where I''m at, eh?"


    Obolis nodded, "As far as I can tell, yes. It is."


    I waved my arms, stepping over towards the monolith at the center of my city, "Guess how many of these cities I''ve made in the last two weeks?"


    Obolis walked around, interlocking his hands behind himself. He peered into the horizon, seeing several other pillars beaming mana from the skyline. the Emperor raised a brow, "Hm, perhaps two dozen?"


    "I made one hundred and fifty-two of them."


    Obolis froze in place. Despite his usual composure, he stuttered, "O-over a hundred of them?"


    I gave him a nod, "Yup. Five hundred-plus golems too. We''ve already amassed a growing population in some of the earlier centers I established, though there''s still time left before people learn what''s happening. By now, I''ve covered Michigan with them. It was my home state before Schema''s collapse."


    I gestured at the large slab of granite we stood on, "And now it''s where I''ve started the ''conquest'' of my home planet."


    Obolis pulled his hands back in front of himself, "That...That rate of creation is absurd. You''ve truly outdone yourself."


    I stated, "You want to know how I''ve done it?"


    Obolis squeezed his hands together, "My curiosity is why I''m called the Finder of Secrets, so of course I''d love to know."


    I gestured to myself, "I''m using twenty-one furnaces right now. They''re hidden under my skin."


    Obolis took a step back, the grizzled Emperor struck by verbal lightning. He took a breath, "Over twenty at a time? And your still alive?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "That''s right. That''s why I''m not too keen on three furnaces. I helped clear out several of your planets, places you''d lose otherwise. Planets give hundreds of millions of credits yearly. Four of those planets for a single decade is billions in raw credits. For that, you''re giving me three furnaces in return?"


    I spit out my words with disgust, "You''re giving me nothing."


    Obolis coughed into a hand before his tone rose, "You must include the skeptiles in that arrangement."


    I sighed before peering off, "You know, you mentioned thirty million people being there, right? I know there are billions of people on each of your planets. If I saved you four of them, then that could amount to a hundred billion people if the worlds were densely populated."


    I raised my brow, "The skeptiles are a sub-race on one of your planets. They''re not even a main race by any stretch of the imagination. I know I agreed to them for saving your planets, but man...That''s a low reward for what I''ve accomplished."


    Obolis raised a hand, "And what of Tera? He gained us a planet on his own."


    I nodded, "He''s the skeptiles'' crown jewel, the absolute pinnacle of their species. From what I''ve researched, he hasn''t accomplished anything like that since. Nothing even close."


    As if caught, Obolis froze for a small, fraction of a second. He caught himself back onto an argument smoothly, "You killed Plazia in less than a day. Three furnaces in that time is surely a massive benefit?"


    "That''s not how deals work. I accomplished a lot, and that deserves something of equal value. What can you offer me?"


    Obolis sighed, "I...I can grant you credits, cores, even cities."


    I pointed at him, "What about planets? Do you have any undeveloped worlds on the backburner?"


    His face gnarled up, "How many? You wish for more than a single world?"


    I spread out my hands, "Yeah. I fought with you on Blegara. You cut your losses before I turned the situation around. You''d of lost that planet and several others by now if I hadn''t intervened. I want a fraction of what I helped you keep. They don''t have to be developed worlds. Barren wastelands are fine by me."


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Obolis frowned, "I won''t give you a planet. You couldn''t even manage the world even if I did hand one over."


    I had two minds dedicated to the conversation. Three joined, "Oh, try me. Policing won''t be an issue, and neither will the eldritch. I''ll be able to create cities on a whim wherever I please, and I''m offering powerful legacies to those that join my guild."


    Obolis scoffed, "You''re giving your legacy to anyone that joins your guild?"


    I nodded, "Of course. You don''t? Wait, let me guess, it''s only for the albony?"


    Obolis''s eyes turned to slits, "Perhaps."


    "Yeah, I figured as much. Anyways, if you can''t offer territory, what about obelisks?"


    Obolis spread his arms, "Well then, I see you''ve suddenly become reasonable. I can trade obelisks. How many do you require?"


    "I''ll need one hundred advanced ones, the same models you gave Torix."


    Obolis let his arms slap against his sides, "I rescind what I stated. A hundred of them? You want a hundred advanced, AI-driven obelisks?"


    I pressed my fingertips against my temples, "What are you even willing to give me? If it isn''t anything that matters, then why are we even talking anymore?"


    Obolis took a breath, "So you''ve suddenly decided that I''m an evil overlord worthy of ire, have you? Is that the reason for this sudden shift in your demeanor and personality?"


    I let out a breath, "I don''t think you''re evil, but I know you''re taking advantage of me. I''ve recently gained peace offerings from two different parties, and their rewards dwarf what you''ve given me. It''s not even close. That''s despite me doing next to nothing for these two people."


    Obolis''s nose twitched, "Hm, two parties then? The first is Elysium. That much is obvious. Who would the second be then?"


    Obolis''s ancient mind whipped into action. He considered possibilities before his jaw slackened, "You...You made a deal with Plazia to leave Svia, didn''t you?"


    I kept my expression muted, but Obolis could tell the truth either way. He gave me a wide grin, "Hah, clever...Very clever. You came intending to wage war, but instead, you did dealings. I intended on getting one over on you, and yet, you''ve done the same to me."


    Obolis''s fangs glinted white, "I must say, Daniel, I''m impressed. Deeply. Is this where this newfound confidence came from? If so, perhaps it''s more earned than I anticipated."


    I spread out my hands, "It wasn''t from the deal, but it did lead to some understandings on my part."


    Obolis gave me a sideways glance, "Hm, your secrets are your own. You''re in a position to keep them as you wish. However, you''ve already obtained quite a few net benefits from this deal. The animosity I''m receiving seems undeserved; at least from my position, it would seem so."


    I sighed, "Obolis, let''s just spell out some facts here. First, at no point did I ever need your help. Remember, I joined into an alliance with you because I was fighting Elysium at the time. You happened to need my help because you were attacked, and I''ve helped defend you. I chose not to ask for anything in return because I assumed you''d offer me something of equal value."


    I grimaced, "I was wrong. You''re holding out on me even though I''ve done what I''ve done out of goodwill."


    Obolis''s fur ruffled in the wind, "I gave you a planet and an entire species. You even have two able subordinates because of me, and I''ve given you an elemental furnace. That''s quite the sum already."


    I pulled his furnace out of my chest, floating the antique in the air, "This thing, right? I''ve used quite a few furnaces by now, and I have a ''feel'' for them. This one, it''s awful. It''s choppy, out of date, and poorly made. It''s older and worse than all of my other ones. Ancient? Psh, this is a junky furnace. That''s what it really is."


    I raised my brow, "So you gave me an offhand relic you probably can''t even use. You weren''t going to hold Blegara either, and if anyone knows that, it''s me. Even your subordinates weren''t the cream of the crop."


    Defiance formed from Obolis''s eyes, "Despite that, look at how useful they''ve been to you. You''ve made Florence into a true utility, and Helios''s warping has been indispensable."


    I raised a hand, "Helios was put under me as a punishment. Florence was an offering on top so you could get him out of your hair."


    Obolis rolled his eyes, "Look at this, you''ve caught me. You''re correct. I managed my situation so that I wasn''t put at a disadvantage. It''s the albony way, and yet, despite my positioning, my ''poor'' deals have worked wonders for you."


    Obolis pointed the finger at me, "You''ve turned every situation I presented you with into an advantage. Despite that, you''re whining to me of unfairness while giving me an attitude. It''s childish, and it demeans you as the Harbinger. I expect more from you."


    I raised a hand, "See, that''s exactly my point. You never put me in a good situation. You took advantage of me, and I turned each and every situation around. I never stomped on you to make it happen, either. No matter the circumstances, you still ended up on top."


    Obolis put a hand onto his graphene chest plate, "How am I on top? My planets are besieged by strong forces, and two of my strongest subordinates are under someone else."


    I counted on fingers, "You kept planets you had no right to keep. Blegara''s still a guaranteed resort and source of resources like you wanted, and the albony don''t even have to fight anymore. Florence floundered in the Empire, and the only person you really lost was Helios. And it isn''t like he''s been under me for years or anything like that either."


    Obolis stared at me with disappointment, "I believed that we could''ve arranged a long relationship with many gains for both parties. It seems your intent on severing it."


    I raised a brow, "I never mentioned severing our relationship - I mentioned changing it. This reward is for saving four or more of your planets. It should reflect that. Either give me what I''m worth or just leave. I don''t want to waste my time here."


    Obolis stayed in place, not moving a muscle. He considered what I said before taking a deep breath. He ruffled the fur on his head before groaning.


    He pulled his fur back before sighing, "Hah...It would seem my attempts at retaining our previous style of transactions were in vain. Fine. I''ll relent. Your suspicions are correct; I have sold you short on numerous occasions, and it''s done you little in the way of service."


    His expression was like he swallowed rotten milk, "Gah, I''ll grant you better terms moving forward. It would seem you''re no longer a backwater savage, and you''ve decided to gain some perspective."


    I blinked as Obolis acted like a different person. All of a sudden, his personality changed. Instead of being this esteemed royal, a more rugged air came over him. This person carried war on his breath and brutality in his hands. I gave him a smile, "A bit of fairness is good. It''s all I''m asking for."


    Obolis spread out his hands, his previous politeness gone, "I''ll give you thirty furnaces, four billion credits, and another conscripted albony royal. It can be anyone aside from my generals and me. Is that enough?"


    I held back my surprise, keeping my expression tame, "Now that''s more like it. That''ll do nicely."


    Obolis opened his status, "Is there anyone, in particular, you''d prefer? I''d rather you not take Alastair or Victoria, but I''ll do it if I must."


    I grabbed my chin, "I''d like...Hm." I peered up. My eyes widened as the answer came to me, "Yeah, I''ll take Ophelia."


    Obolis scoffed, "Ophelia? You know she wishes to be a tailor more than a magician, don''t you?"


    "Eh, she''s a lot like Florence. Undervalued and in the wrong place."


    Obolis opened his status, and he smirked, "If you wish to turn another situation around, then be my guest. Speaking of which, when do you want the skeptiles sent over?"


    "In six months."


    Obolis rolled his shoulders, "That''s acceptable. I''ll have it handled forthrightly. Would you like to hear my offers for further work?"


    I tilted my head, "You still want me to handle tasks for you?"


    Obolis rolled a hand, "Yes. It''s as you''ve said. I took advantage of you, but that doesn''t mean the only deals I want are lopsided. Honest dealings are fine when forced. Since you''ve done so, I''ll still tell you the tasks I require solving."


    Obolis shrugged, "And aside from that, you rid Svia of Plazia in record time. Regardless of your method, the reality came about. If you handled other tasks of such magnitude so quickly, I''d have nothing to complain about. I''d give you awards like this current one."


    I peered at the horizon, Earth seeming small to me, "For now, I''m focused on establishing my planets."


    Obolis scoffed, "As if you''ll gain anything from them. This place will be akin to a wildlife sanctuary by the time you finish muddling it with various races."


    I gave him a thin smile, "Oh, we''ll see about that."


    Obolis''s eyes tightened, "Then do as you wish." Obolis pulled out a spatial ring, one of many hidden on his person. He frowned while handling a few transferences between them, moving the required furnaces and credits. He sent a few messages while tossing the ring at me, and I caught it. Obolis turned towards the portal.


    He murmured, "Well, It''s been a pleasure up till this point. Now it''s more of a necessity, but perhaps it''s better that way long term. Regardless, goodbye, Harbinger. May you be well."


    He stepped out of the warp, the ripple clashing shut. As the Emperor left an immense silence behind him, I raised a fist. I swung it in celebration before doing a little dance. This was the first deal I made on the galactic scene where I wasn''t swindled. It wasn''t exactly the best position to be in, but at least I progressed.


    Taking a breath, I let out all the tension from the talk before pulling up the ring. I pulled out the furnaces, marveling at the supreme sigils in each of them. Weeks ago, I owned one of them. Now, I commanded dozens of them. The credits let me hire and train people for my imperial expansion, and Ophelia was pivotal for improving the golems moving forward.


    I contemplated other avenues of improvement. I''d have golems continue scouring the trenches of Blegara for the omega strain. Finishing the city establishing might take a while, but it put Earth in an impervious position. Even a Spatial Fortress would struggle taking Earth if cities and golems covered it so densely.


    Taking two more furnaces in hand, I fed the hungry incantations with my flesh. They gave me energy in return, and I gazed at my work. For hundreds of miles, rising pillars from my cities shot out and up. I had made excellent progress so far, but it would take years to cover Earth with these cities.


    I stared down, wondering at different ways to amplify my efficiency. One method kept shouting out at me - Time magic. That could turn years into months or even weeks. While I parsed through some of Plazia''s runes, they still left me confused in different places. However, other avenues of approaching this problem crept up. One of them was Amara, as she worked with Schema''s system before.


    She may do so again. It was about time I had a talk with our eldritch Builder.

 324 In the Grime

    <div>


    <div>


    I finished my cities for the day, closing in on the border of the Great Lakes. The colossal expanses of water could''ve been mistaken for oceans, their dominance of the landscape absolute. I flew over them for a while, having an aerial view of the blue expanses. They took my breath away when the sun shone off their calm waters, and I took longer getting back to Mt. Verner than I needed to.


    Eh, sometimes a slow drive was worth it.


    After our familiar mountain base came into view, the differences my cities made already manifested. Springfield carried a few buildings over its surface, some artsy types getting a hold of the constructor golems. A more sleek, modern appearance came over the new buildings there, various textures used for the housing.


    Some carried brick exteriors with polished concrete, and others contrasted glass and steel with geometric patterns to match the hexagonal masses beneath them. Each home boasted silver wiring, the metal conducting mana better than steel. Connected to mana deposits, this power grid lit everything, lamps and mana torches burning across everything.


    It was the first functioning electrical grid I had seen since the system started. Outside of Mt. Verner''s inner sanctum, of course. In that lit expanse, people established different lifestyles. Signs of advanced civilization came about. People walked pets, some had babies in their arms, and a few even lazed about. It was a privilege at this point.


    That ease contrasted my city-building trips like night and day.


    Everywhere else, people''s living standards plummeted like a bird with broken wings. Instead of working on aesthetics or entertainment, most people struggled with food and sanitation. That and the eldritch, which spread across the terrain and warped most natural ecosystems by now. Lots of villagers worked within that warping force while we ended up crushing it.


    After immersing myself in that struggle of the masses, finding the prestige and success here left me whiplashed. I adjusted before hovering back into Mt. Verner. At this point, Mt. Verner already adapted for systemized living. Most people''s levels exceeded 500, and they could leap and move like superhumans.


    People lept across the green treetops, finding their way to dungeons or to loot old settlements. They came from openings that let air into the mountain base. I hovered in from one of these openings, arriving on the second floor. I waved at workers who preferred the subterranean style here. Not everyone left; people still revved machinery like this place was a big engine.


    Along the outer edge of the mountain, I stalked up to the eldritch research facility. Within several tunnels, different containment units lined up. Eldritch monstrosities filled these containment units, most of them the child versions of their fully grown selves. I found two supergolems protecting these eldritch specimens.


    A few workers stood beside the glass lining, researching and studying the odd creatures. Beside them, Amara walked in the armor I gave her. She never took it off, the armor like the old rags she used to wear everywhere. She even figured out how to channel mana from it, forming quintessence crystals while I walked up.


    She put a glowing, white stone in her cheek, quintessence her favorite flavor. The eldritch hacker then hissed out a command to a scientist,


    "You fool. Don''t sit there and gawk. Test the acid and the mianoc''s response."


    A scientist gazed past a glass windowpane reinforced with enchantments.  I found what he gawked at; a miasma cloud of dark energy writhing about as acid melted it. Amara stepped up and pushed the scientist aside, wrenching his notebook from him. She wrote down several mentions about the mianoc and its physical responses.


    I stepped up, the physical sludge contacting an invisible form. I raised a brow, "So...What''s this all about?"


    Amara snapped, "This scientist, or the torture?"


    I raised my brow, "Honestly, both."


    Amara let the notebook slap on her armor''s side, "It''s a necessity. The mianoc are collections of dark thoughts generated from spiritual amalgams. Floating fragments of ambient mana leeches into the minds of many around them. This is normally not dangerous in low quantities, but sometimes, the mana may come to life. Depending on what comes out, it may manifest dark potential."


    Amara''s wire-clad hair dispersed around herself, "The mianoc are pure evil intent turned into a semi-physical body through this process. It''s a shame, as there''s no saving them. This ''acid'' is a non-hazardous material to most physical creatures, and it may be used as an elixir to eliminate these entities from possessed individuals."


    I grimaced, the mianoc howling in agony, "It sounds pretty effective."


    Amara cringed at the sight, "I hate these methods, but the means are undeniable. A cluster of these entities hoarded in some of the lower embankments of Mt. Verner, and we''re tasked with eliminating them."


    I crossed my arms, "You know, I could get rid of them instantly. We don''t have to go through all of this trouble."


    Amara nodded, "As could I, but the point is not to rid these inhabitants of their problem. The true answer is to arm them with a solution to do it themselves. Only by giving them a measure against these monsters may they be able to combat them permanently."


    Amara peered up to me using a palm, "I would certainly prefer not assisting these weaklings anymore than I am forced to as well. I won''t let a sheep call me whenever they please to solve their problems for them. Isn''t that right, Robert?"


    The ethically sound scientist behind us flushed red before I gave him a nod. I said, "You''re dismissed...And don''t mind her. You''re doing fine."


    He gave me a curt nod, "Uhm, thank, sir, Harbinger, sir."


    As he stepped away, Amara snarled, "He''s weak."


    I shrugged, "You need a balancer like him."


    The mianoc''s intangible form disintegrated into a dark ectoplasm. Amara grimaced, "And he needs a backbone. Tell me, what is it that you want?"


    I put my hands on my hips, "So, I''m trying to get a firm grip on where I''ll progress next. I have a lot of options, and I really need to think them through before committing further. To do that, understanding your limitations with system work is necessary."


    Amara tilted her head at me, drool leaking out of her maw, "And what-Slll-must you know?"


    I frowned at her slurping her drool line up, "Oh man, that''s disgusting."


    "The same can be said of you. Where you see from, you shove food down your gullet. It''s grotesque, and yet I tolerate it. You should do the same for my idiosyncrasies."


    I raised my brow, "Huh. That''s not the case with me. I never eat anymore."


    Amara froze in place before hissing, "Hm...Fine."


    She crunched up the crystallized quintessence before pointing her hair down the hall, "Come. Let us speak elsewhere with fewer prying ears."


    After getting down the hall, we walked into Amara''s living quarters. She repurposed a utility closet, tearing down the wall between it and the one person bathroom beside it. She left the messy whole and bits of concrete. Combine that with the haphazard mess of cleaning supplies, and the place looked like an irradiated wasteland.


    Unable to fit through the doorway, I stayed outside while she rested in the corner of the room. She nestled into a ball before tapping the other corner of the room, "Come. This is the perfect sitting spot. I sit here often, and I dwell on many things. We shall dwell together."


    I raised a hand, "I...I''m good."


    She gave the corner a firm tap, "You deny me this grace? Are you saying my home isn''t worthy of living in?"


    I sighed before squeezing through the door. The doorframe snapped along one of my shoulder pauldrons, and the cheap ceiling dragged against the uppermost spike on my helmet. Wanting to avoid scraping the roof, I pulled the mass of armor off my face, the metal flowing down my back.


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    The ceiling wrenched off as I did, pulling the cheap tiles down. In a plume of dust, I situated myself in the other corner of the room, further busting the wall down towards the bathroom. Amara peered around after the dust settled, a fine layer of powder over us both. She drew in that white soot with her hair while saying,


    "This...I like the adjustment."


    I blinked in disbelief, "Well then...That''s good, I suppose. Anyway, how do you interact with the system and whatnot? I need to understand it."


    Amara drew the figure of a person, but its guts were getting wrenched out, "I interact with the cipheric flows of Schema. They''re evident to me, as they trace outwards from individuals like ripples in a puddle."


    I looked above myself, "Is mine normal?"


    "It is."


    I coughed, powder lifting back into the air. In profound discomfort, I murmured, "Can we...Move out of here?"


    "No. I like it here. It''s cozy."


    I settled in, "Ah man. Ok."


    Amara took a breath, "It...This reminds me of my home. Everything your kind crafts is too clean and perfect. This messiness, it puts me at ease. I prefer it to the comfort out there. It''s as if people avoid a certain shade of the world, and I feel most alive in that other color. The darker one. The grimier one."


    I peered at the wrecked wall, "You know, I kind of understand the feeling. When I was growing up, I slept on the coach my entire childhood until the system collapsed. When I visited someone else''s house, I couldn''t sleep anywhere besides their couch."


    I scoffed, memories flooding in, "Hah, I had two friends, Michael and Kelsey. I slept over sometimes, and they always wanted me to sleep in the guest bedroom. I always told them the sheets were too clean. If felt...It felt like I didn''t belong there."


    Amara nodded, "You may remove us from the gloom, but we are still shaped by it no matter how far we stray from its source."


    Putting me in a thoughtful mood, I gazed at the door opening to the hallway, "You may be right."


    A silence hung over us before the light flickered over our heads. Amara''s cubbyhole reminded me of a haunted house at this point. She spoke up,


    "The cipheric flow isn''t the only issue that may be tampered with. You understand that I''ll assume?"


    I scratched my head, "Yeah, but I''m almost certain it''s the answer."


    Amara stretched her palm to me, her expressions still guided by her hands, "And why is that?"


    I explained the situation with Plazia and my primordial mana. Amara honed in on my words, her intrigue peaking. With her hair bristled, she hummed as I finished my story. She murmured, "That''s very strange. The AI has decided you are growing too quickly then?"


    I sneered, "Maybe. Either way, he''s limiting me. I''m putting a stop to it, and I need your help to stick it to him."


    Amara''s hair jostled with tiny vibrations, "It acts in self-preservation. You were conscripted by Yawm to enact change onto the AI. Remember that fact. If you can overpower Schema, then you will inevitably change its code."


    I scoffed, "It could be a small change."


    Amara tilted a palm at me, "Would you be fine with someone enacting small neurosurgery on you? One that altered your personality forever?"


    "Ok, probably not. But I could just fix one bug and be done with it. Schema putting training wheels on me doesn''t help his situation here."


    "In your eyes, that is the case. To it, you may be a looming threat that has finally broached a dark horizon. Perhaps Schema sees your ascent as a sunrise, one that signals the end of its era and the beginning of your own."


    I peered down at Amara, "You know, you think differently."


    Amara breathed in, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I did not know you as a human. To me, your meteoric ascent was inevitable from the moment I saw your form...I was terrified, but I''ve learned you are no illogical beast driven by emotion alone. You control your body and your demons, so I will not be food for you. Not yet."


    I blinked, "Is that why you were scared of me when we first met? And still are from the sounds of it."


    Amara seethed, "Yes and no." Her tone lightened, "You reminded me of Yawm in many ways. He stole me from one prison and placed me in another. Where I was once a lab experiment, I then became a guinea pig for someone else. Someone other."


    She lifted a gauntleted hand, "Now my station is unequaled to any potential I ever hoped for. I deserve none of this, in eldritchian terms." Her voice hungered, "Even if my kind would judge me, let them. I will seize my place off the dirt and grime below where they wallow."


    She put a hand on the dirty floor, "But this place where I nest...It''s a reminder of my origins, so I may never forget them. I never have. I never will. I''ll stay in the grime and dirt where I spawned from. Where all we eldritch spawn from."


    I grimaced, "You know, Plazia mentioned going into the other dimension and saving you guys before you''re corrupted. That could work in the future."


    "But it doesn''t save those that still linger here. Do you remember the mianoc outside? There is no method of saving that creature. There''s nothing to even purify; its purification results in its death, as it is composed of only filth. I believe we eldritch are the same after having worked with so many since coming here."


    I bit my lip before letting out a breath, "Damn...You know, I don''t think it''s that black and white. You, Hod, and Plazia are examples of the opposite."


    "Are we the opposites? You ground that on assumptions. In reality, I have eaten many. Hod even more so. Plazia...That creature consumed species. Trusting it so easily is akin to suicide."


    I raised a brow, "But trusting you is different?"


    "I am not so clever nor so resourceful as that cretin. He...He is unknowable."


    I crossed my arms, "I don''t think so."


    "And what makes you say that?"


    "Plazia''s like you. He''s fighting some hidden, dark half of himself. Yeah, he''s got issues. He''s done a lot of harm, I''m sure, but that doesn''t mean he can''t help people out now."


    Amara rested her head against the grimy concrete wall, "We shall disagree then. I''ll never trust him."


    I waved a hand, "That''s fine by me. Anyways, about the system, is there any way for Schema to inhibit my learning? Could it be like the opposite of forming a skill?"


    "That...That is perhaps possible, but unlikely. Based on how Schema''s operated, he isn''t allowed to tamper with sentient personalities. Inhibiting one''s learning is, in part, doing so."


    The light flickered again before shutting off. I formed a quintessence bulb where the light was, the white glow similar to the fluorescent''s shimmer. I peered at it while saying, "Then how is making people learn skills faster not the same?"


    Amara hissed, "Schema does nothing of the sort. Schema''s skill system operates mainly through the idea of guided learning. Much of one''s learning experience is spent experimenting with worthless adaptations. One expends effort learning the useless, then they must toss out the useless once more. Schema eliminates that process, creating precise developments that result in the most efficient gain."


    Amara lifted her head off the wall, "This indication is compounded by system augments when one steps closer to perfection. Its idea of perfection. This smooths the process utterly, ensuring a far faster learning speed because of it."


    I blinked, "Wow. So it''s a carefully crafted facade. In a way, at least."


    "Yes. That''s not far from the truth."


    "Ok, so how would Schema even stop me from manifesting primordial mana in the first place then? It sounds like it wouldn''t be allowed."


    Amara tapped her teeth together before murmuring, "I don''t know. From your description, it''s as if it''s vanquishing your mana before it fully forms."


    I rested my chin on my knees, "So it''s like...Anti-mana, or something."


    "Or anti-energy."


    My eyes widened as I straightened up, "Or an energy source that just destroys it entirely."


    Amara scoffed, "Hm. That would work."


    I raised a hand, "I know what it is. I think Schema''s using entropy mana."


    Amara leaned back into the wall, her hair slicing her surroundings. Her voice rose, "That''s must be the source. It isn''t allowed to dismantle your knowledge or abilities. Instead of that, it may be transmitting entropy in careful doses to quell your abilities. It''s a loophole for its programming, but it may be used."


    She snarled, "Schema is a clever wolf, I must say. He exhausts his prey''s endurance instead of fighting to bite its throat. It may have convinced you that your talent was lacking, given time."


    I sighed, "He almost did. The thing is, how are we going to stop entropy? I can''t make the stuff anyway. Probably, at least. I need to experience it before I can fight it, assuming it''s the thing stopping me."


    Amara leaned forward, staring at the dusty floor, "Does Plazia know more about entropy than he let on?"


    I wondered aloud, "Huh. I don''t think so. Plazia would probably use it all the time if he could. He doesn''t pull any punches or hide his trump cards."


    Amara tapped her head against the wall, "Then who else would use entropy?"


    I tapped the wall with a fist, "You know, based on its description, it sounds like Yawm''s abilities or the Overseers'' gauntlets. They can make things disappear without a trace sometimes. They say it''s antimatter, but antimatter would blow everything up to my knowledge. Well, based on theoretical physics, and ugh, I''m definitely not an expert."


    Amara sighed, "They may wield entropy within themselves and guide it via the technological augments...Perhaps you could stretch your relationship with the Overseer to test our hypothesis?"


    I shook my head, "The last thing I want to do is screw that guy over. He''s done right by me. There should be another way." A moment passed before I remembered the fight Plazia showed me, "Oh, I know an Overseer we could take out without any problems."


    Amara mocked, "Ah, so you know of Overseers aside from our own? Did you find it out in the wild or perhaps somewhere in the containment units?"


    I shook my head, standing up, "No, this Overseer was Hybridized and strong, but I think we can get its gear no problem. With Plazia''s help, we should be able to keep it too by hiding it from Schema."


    Amara laughed aloud, more a cackle than a chuckle. She mused, "You would kill a destroyer?"


    I smiled down at Amara, "I''d do more than that. I may be able to pull it out of Elysium''s clutches."


    Amara took a moment before muttering, "You...You want to save it?"


    My grin turned wicked,


    "And I''ll figure out what it knows after I do."

 325 Legacies and Lineage

    I walked out of Amara''s hideaway before thinking through a few options. For starters, capturing the Overseer required a few checkmarks on an unseen checklist. Hiding the Overseer and its abduction stood out for starters, as I didn''t want to make an enemy of Elysium again. After detaining the twisted Overseer, finding a place to keep him wasn''t an issue at least. I could just swipe him into my pocket dimension.


    Disguising that process required several elements. Understanding Schema''s and Elysium''s systems popped up. If we didn''t understand them, we could forget about avoiding their reach. Locating the twisted Overseer posed a problem as well. Considering Plazia summoned one by attacking a camp, he could do so again. Pinning the Overseer down required lots of force and explosivity, however.


    I tapped my fingers against my side, and I pondered. Elysium established a system. To take the Overseer, ripping it away from Elysium took precedent. That didn''t include the mind magic shackles being used on the Overseer either. Taking those out or finding a way around the psionic connection was also an issue.


    If I figured out how to construct time in my pocket dimension, isolating the Overseer might be possible. I could talk to it or have someone else interrogate the Hybridized monstrosity. Once again, that required time magic and primordial mana. I peered up, and as I did, a solution popped up.


    Plazia could set up a trap for the twisted Overseer. It would be the same setup he used for isolating himself from Schema. He''d have that isolating net summon over a large field. Having Hod cast the Overseer in shadow and Helios warp me beside the Overseer gave me an option to snatch the Overseer before it knew what happened.


    My many minds congratulated themselves for a job well done before I settled into making it happen. The first step involved handling my guild expansion. I didn''t want to sacrifice Earth''s condition for my own gain again. At the same time, getting time manipulation would speed me up enough that putting the city building on the backburner was worth it.


    Before moving on to that, I went through a few quick options for helping the guild''s expansion. After realizing I wasn''t all that involved with the details, I went over to someone who was. I sent Torix a message wondering if he had time for a talk. The lich sent a quick reply with his coordinates.


    He handled work in the abandoned tunnel beneath Mt. Verner. Heading down to the lowest floor of our mountain base, I crossed the residential district before reaching the abandoned passage. In Torix''s research center, I walked through an endless expanse of concrete. After passing several steel doors, I opened one of them before squeezing through the doorway.


    I frowned, annoyed by my size causing issues. Everyone made most objects large for me already, but it wasn''t enough lately. After getting through the snug entrance, many soldiers stared at me. They wore the Omega Strains, each of them having one of my rings for their own protection.


    The multicolored gemstones stood with different shapes and sizes, the motley crew both colorful and deadly. It was like staring at the world''s most lethal group of hard candies. The crystalline, killing edge of the Omega Strains wasn''t forgotten, however. Even while standing there, one soldier had a four-legged extension over him. The claws of that rig stabbed through concrete, digging into it with ease.


    Hard candies or not, they carried that dangerous air about them. The soldiers wearing those strains saluted me, everyone falling in line. I raised a hand, "Where''s Torix?"


    A soldier gave me a firm answer, "Sir, he''s in the training center, sir."


    I gave them a wave, "At ease, and thanks."


    They lowered their hands, but their eyes locked on me still. No one relaxed, everyone holding an unnatural reverence. In a way, it was inevitable. Most of these people participated in the battle on Blegara. Having seen me fight, they looked at me differently afterward.


    That awe lingered after I left the room. I stepped past a long hallway, wondering at my own lack of unease. When people looked up to me like that, it usually made my skin crawl. Over time, it no longer left me jittery and uncomfortable. Over the years, I learned that uneasiness came from the pressure that reverence carried. It was a form of respect, and respect had consequences.


    One was a reputation. If I failed those people, I robbed them of an ideal. Of course, that ''ideal'' was their perception of me, not who I really was. Living up to that ideal defied any expectations I had for myself, so it left me feeling inept and over my head. And it was because, subconsciously, I always believed I would fail.


    I didn''t anymore, and it made all the difference.


    Feeling that sense of freedom, I paced into another one of Torix''s lairs. I walked into the room, finding the lich scurrying about in a frenzy. He sent dozens of messages, using telekinetic magic to set up pins across a dozen maps spread on the walls. His eyes flared in a blaze, singeing the roof of the concrete wall. The habit left the entire ceiling smothered in a dark blue layer of burnt concrete.


    I paced up to him, frowning at his fervor, "You look pretty busy."


    Torix turned, his skeletal frame imposing under his caped robe. He waved his hands, "Oh my, I hadn''t noticed you walking into my chambers. You wished to talk, and I sent for you. Bah, I''ve been scatterbrained as of late."


    I peered at the doorway, having scraped it on my way in here. I raised my brow, "Huh...So you didn''t hear me do that?"


    "What, that? Bah, there''s nothing wrong there. Just a mere scrape. The powdered stone doesn''t even bother me as I need not breathe, to begin with. Truly, a non-issue."


    I put my hands on my hips, "So...Where''s your advanced obelisk?"


    Torix sighed, "It''s managing the recreation of Springfield. I''m working on logistical concerns and issues, criminal activity, and an absurd influx of members."


    I furrowed my brow, "Huh...Do you want me to stop expanding for a while? You seem overwhelmed."


    Torix waved an arm, "Certainly not. You''ve postponed assisting your home planet and race to rid us of our unknown statuses. For that, I and the others are quite grateful. This level of work is to be expected of us to compensate your efforts."


    I sighed, "I don''t know, man, you look worn out."


    Torix leaned back against a wall, dragging on it as he slumped onto the ground. Maps flopped off the wall as Torix mumbled, "You could tell?"


    I hovered myself over, pulling myself off the ground and landing in a cross-legged position. I kept my descent gentle and controlled, so I didn''t collapse the building. I leaned onto a hand, "I got a lot of credits recently. We can pay for more of those obelisks."


    Torix tilted his head, "Hm, was it an award from Obolis?"


    "It was. You can check out some galactic rates and see what the obelisks sell for. I''m guessing they''re somewhere in the 4-5 million range. We can get a hundred or so of them if you''d like."


    Torix let out a sharp breath, "You gained billions of credits?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. I gained some perspective. It helped me with negotiating a deal."


    Torix shook his head, disappointed at himself, "Why do I even allow myself to be surprised by you any longer? Aside from that, don''t you want to buy dungeon cores for yourself? You''re nowhere near peaked in them."


    "I could, but I have to prioritize. We need to establish ourselves, and from the looks of it, you''re suffering some growing pains."


    Torix peered at the walls of paper, his notes scattered to the point of doing more harm than good. The lich sighed, "I''ve long enjoyed the feeling of paper. It''s one of the few sensations and smells I missed from when I was a human. Food? Blegh. Digestion muddled my mind. A cool breeze? I''d rather be lukewarm, personally."


    Torix raised a fist, "But the smell of an old book with weathered pages...Now that I miss. I''ve been trying to keep that sensation around me and in my memory for ages. Look at all this madness around me. Through all our conflicts, I kept everything contained within pages I could grab and touch."


    Torix loosened his grip, "And now...They''re strangling me.."


    I tried to listen while I said, "What do you mean?"


    "I''m going to have to move over towards electronic means. This simply won''t do any longer. It''s not scalable, as each city carries its own notes, problems, and important persons. Having different sheets for each of those categories is simply overwhelming."


    I gave him a nod, "Ah...You want things to stay the same."


    Torix mused for a moment before snapping out of it. He peered back at me as if suddenly aware. He brushed a layer of dust off of the chainmail cape I made for him. He took a breath, one he didn''t need before he said,


    "Listen to me complaining about this nonsense. What kind of lich must I be if something this simple can stop me."


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    I frowned, "Eh, it''s small to some people, but it''s a big deal to you. There''s nothing wrong with that."


    Torix tilted his head at me before standing taller, "Hm, thank you for saying so...Now-"


    He offered me a hand to stand up with him, "What is it that you wish to speak of?"


    I grabbed his hand, pulling for a moment. I jerked him back before letting go. I caught us both with gravity wells and hovered us back onto our feet. Torix coughed into a hand, "Bah, you''ve gained weight recently, haven''t you?"


    I stared at my shoulder, "Huh...Maybe. Anyways, I''m glad I came over. Here''s a billion credits you can have for the expansion efforts. Use it to hire yourself a team of assistants and to manage all the new concerns. You can take a few weeks to iron out a process for managing all the expanded territory."


    I raised a hand, pulling out rings from my dimensional storage, "I''m going to be making millions of these things before handing them off to people. We''ll give them to high performers, and I''ll leave that up to you. After you get everything ironed out, I''ll start expanding again with a tighter line of communication between us."


    I smiled with confidence, "That should make the situation a lot easier when paired with the obelisks."


    Torix put his hands on his hips, "Hm, I would suppose so. Perhaps I can keep the paper around."


    I rolled my eyes, "Hey man, you do you. I think moving to electronic means is a good idea before we move on to multiple planets."


    Thank you for the assistance. Is there anything else you''d need? Perhaps counsel on a matter?"


    I thought for a moment before pointing at him, "When you unlocked your archmage class and developed an ''affinity for higher tier mana types, what did it feel like?"


    Torix leaned back, "The sensation you say? Well, I''d compare it to opening a door and walking into an old room in a house. I already knew it was there, but suddenly, I could walk into its aged halls and peruse as if it were always there. It arrived with a strange suddenness as well, without any washing clarity."


    My jaw tightened before I gave him a nod, "Thanks. That''s all I needed to know."


    "What for, might I ask?"


    I sighed before saying, "I think that Schema''s putting limiters on people after they reach a certain level of influence."


    Torix tilted his head, "What makes you say that?"


    I explained the situation with Plazia, and Torix paced back and forth in the room as I spoke. When I finished, the necromancer swung his hand about, "To think I ever trusted that nefarious intelligence."


    I laughed before turning a palm to him, "We probably would never have gotten this strong without him." I straightened up, "But to be fair, I''m not excited by limitations either. I''ll be working with Plazia to see what I can do about it. Speaking of which-" I opened my pocket dimension, "I have to go. See you, Torix."


    Torix gave me a curt nod before turning back to his papers. He raised a hand, snapping his metallic fingertips. A blue fire encompassed the walls. It raged about, consuming the hundreds of graphs, notes, and charts. As the paper turned to ash, Torix spread his hands and mouthed,


    "And I shall be breaking my limits as well. Goodbye, disciple."


    Stepping out of his chambers, I parsed through my status real quick to inspect my cipheric augments. Before I got there, a mammoth pile of skillpoints stuck out to me. I winced, having forgotten to assign skillpoints to my trees over the last few weeks. With a quick few clicks, I put a pile of  2,000 skillpoints into Creator of Armies. Notifications rained in.


    By facing off against many threats, you''ve learned your limitations. An individual extends only so far, but their influence, an unseen force, may stretch further still. By mastering this force, you''ve learned to turn that influence into an extension of yourself.


    +25% to effect of Legacies. +4% to experience gain for your guild. +4 % to learning speed of skills within your guild.


    In this way, you''ve managed to hone your army into a force of your own will. Others may call it manipulation, but you understand it as insight. By giving others knowledge, you offer them a purpose, one you rally behind. In time, others rally with you.


    +50% to effect of Legacies. +8% to experience gain for your guild. +8 % to learning speed of skills within your guild.


    And a mass forms behind you and your call to action. You''ve given entire nations and worlds a different history. Without you, they''d be in another place, perhaps better or worse. Regardless of the outcome, that change was decided by you and you alone.


    +75% to effect of Legacies. +12% to experience gain for your guild. +12% to learning speed of skills within your guild.


    For you listen to their opinions, but they obey your every word. You walk into a room while your presence demands reverence. Your bearing alone instills awe and respect, granting you an undeniable dominance. Others feel it, many hate it, but all are washed away by its glow.


    +100% to effect of Legacies. +16% to experience gain for your guild. +16% to learning speed of skills within your guild.


    I read and reread the tree a few times, inspecting the various ins and outs of it. While the values weren''t enormous, the tree affected more than just me. The effect on legacies compounded with my dimensional modifications, making my guildmates me more potent. The experience gain and learning speed also helped my guildsmen gain some ground.


    Casting that net this wide meant my guild benefitted as a whole. Wanting to know what my legacies were, I opened the menu for the first time in who knew how long.


    Sovereign | Sovereign Class Legacy | Tier S+ | Grants +100 to all attributes. +10% to base stats. Note - Only available to Followers.


    Endless & Undying | Endurance Legacy | Tier S++++++++ | Grants 450 endurance, 350 willpower, 150 intelligence, 125 constitution, and 100 strength to anyone who joins your guild.


    Willful | Willpower Legacy | Tier S++++++ | Gants 400 willpower, 350 endurance, 125 intelligence, 100 constitution, and 75 strength.


    Meticulous | Intelligence Legacy | Tier S++ | Grants 300 intelligence, 200 willpower, 100 endurance, and 75 constitution.


    Orbital | Constitution Legacy | Tier S+ | Grants 150 constitution, 100 strength, and 7 endurance.


    Powerful | Strength Legacy | Tier S | Grants 100 Strength, 50 constitution, and 50 endurance.


    Aware | Perception Legacy | Tier A+ | Grants 75 Perception, 40 endurance, and 40 willpower.


    Fortunate | Luck Legacy | Tier A+ | Grants 75 luck, 40 charisma, and 40 endurance.


    Leadership | Charisma Legacy | Tier A+ | Grants 75 charisma, 40 luck, and 40 endurance.


    Note - All legacies require at least level 300 to join your guild if you choose to make one. This bonus does not apply to you, only to those that join your guild.


    Second Note - Legacy bonuses do not count towards tree or perk unlocks.


    I heckled at the number of plus signs beside the endurance legacy. Its bonuses also dwarfed all the other legacies aside from Willful, and to me, that was fitting. Getting that kind of boost at level three hundred ensured a smooth level-up process for anyone involved. The Sovereign tree bonus also kicked into high gear in the later levels, the stat multiplier quite potent overall.


    In general, the legacies expanded immensely since I last saw them. Wondering how the furnaces operated on my dimensional notifications, I opened that menu next.


    [Modifications - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The rewards are as follows(Pre-multiplier values):


    +7,121 Constitution


    +57,414 Endurance


    +5,557 Perception


    +12,271 Willpower


    +1,777 Luck


    +72 Strength


    +72 Dexterity


    +100% to Effects of Legacies


    + 50% Internal Motivation Multiplier


    +4,029 Trillion Ambient Mana]


    I froze in place, standing in the middle of a Mt. Verner hallway. I leaned back from the modification screen, confused by the numbers. Yeah, the endurance just about doubled since the last time I saw it. That made sense. The willpower stat rose as well, and hey, that was in line with my expectations.


    However, the ambient mana...was thousands of times higher. I rubbed my face, making sure I wasn''t making a mistake. After a few double checks, I was sure of it. It rose by over 4,000 trillion over the last few weeks. Aside from the fact that number defied my comprehension, it also meant most of my rune''s energy overflowed.


    I peered down at my cipheric markings, my wrists glowing a bright white on my dark armor. These little guys couldn''t handle the increase in mana, and it ended up pouring into the runic markings on my back. In a sense, I outgrew my ability to assimilate mana. Taking a moment, I peered up at the roof.


    Torix wasn''t the only one struggling with growing pains.


    It was a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. The ambient mana overflow gave me extra mass, and that''s why I grew recently. My Titanic tree generated physical power from that weight as well, so my synergies still held firm, even if I didn''t gain endurance solely. Wanting to see the exact difference, I opened my stat menu.


    My jaw dropped.


    The Living Multiverse | Level 18,767 (Cap: 26,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign


    Strength ¨C 117,609 | Constitution ¨C 149,294 | Endurance ¨C 326,125


    Dexterity ¨C 60,821 | Willpower ¨C 279,691 | Intelligence ¨C 169,093


    Charisma ¨C 61,209 | Luck ¨C 92,124 | Perception ¨C 44,366 |Awe - 5,201


    Health: 1.77 Billion/1.77 Billion | Health Regen: 87.4 Billion/min or 1.4 Billion/sec


    Stamina: Infinite | Ambient Mana 5.402 Trillion


    Mass: 532.1 Million Pounds(241.8 Million Kilos~)


    Height: 26''11 |8.2 meters | Actual: 16''5(Mass Manipulation)


    Damage Res - 99.46% | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 3.5 Billion% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion(Elemental Furnace Count: 23) - 158.4 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    I expected a change, but these numbers defied any of my expectations. I stared down at my palm, closing it to a fist. Was I really over ten times more physically powerful than just a few weeks ago? It seemed impossible. My weight jumped up over tenfold as well, with the usual bumps in my endurance and regen becoming an afterthought by comparison.


    As I contemplated the meteoric rise in stats, something clicked at that moment. Schema limited me because of this. At this rate, I''d overwhelm a spatial fortress with ease. I''d live for centuries, and by then, I''d achieve an utter, critical mass. Schema wouldn''t have a say in anything I did. Hell, fighting Old Ones and making new universes all popped up as new possibilities for me. If I mastered the cipher, anything was possible.


    And over millennia, I''d become my namesake - a true multiverse.


    A surge of panic spiked in my chest, but I controlled it. I leaned my head back against the wall, taking a few deep breaths. Something terrified me about gaining this much strength. After settling down over the next few seconds, I figured out what it was.


    I hadn''t felt the change as it happened.


    Just knowing that calmed me down a lot. I probably glossed over the shift in mass because I was so caught up in the city building. This also explained why even a ring of my armor weighed someone down. In fact, quite a few signs showed themselves recently. I just busied myself until I hadn''t noticed.


    It was the same with investing in my trees. Either way, I refocused on getting my position established. Yes, I could misuse my power and mess a situation up. I could also make a lot of difference across the cosmos. Instead of fearing the former, I leaned into the latter. Getting ready for that, I went up towards an outer portion of Mt. Verner.


    Near the mountain''s peak, I got ready to focus on some runic work. As I did, an insect crawled over towards me. I peered down at it, and the creature cackled at me,


    "I''m ready, Harbinger."


    I jumped back before I recognized Plazia''s voice. I raised my brow at it, "Man, please don''t talk through beetle like that again...So what are you ready for?"


    Many beetles crawled out of the ground into the long form of a snake, "I''m ready to begin our work. It''s time to connect the planes and establish a new era for my lost kin."


    A mouth formed with a viper''s teeth,


    "We shall offer them a new genesis here, in a garden of Eden."

 326 A Primordial Playground

    I smiled, "Let''s say it''ll be less a garden and more a home. Eldritch tend to have a nasty reputation, so calling it a garden comes with some unsettling insinuations. Like you''re going raid our planet or something."


    Plazia beetles hissed, "Wording aside, the point is still the same. Where shall I settle myself in your domain? Anywhere will be suitable for me."


    I raised a hand, "Actually, you''ll be rooming beside someone I think you should meet."


    Before heading to the abandoned tunnel beneath Mt. Verner, I swooped the mass of bugs into my pocket dimension. I walked back up to Torix''s research lair as no one recognized what I brought in. After crossing a few doors, we reached past the settled territory of the tunnel. I pulled Plazia out of my dimension, and the patch of insects seethed,


    "Where am I? What is this place?"


    I pointed at a patch of an unused concrete wall, "This will be your room."


    Plazia''s slithering ceased, and he reattuned to the new reality. Plazia murmured, "That stasis is true and utter. Having my environment change as such...It is unsettling."


    I smiled, "It''ll be like that for everyone coming from you know where."


    A warmth came over Plazia, and his tone rose, "Hm...It shall be, won''t it? They''ll cross the veil while separated from time. In one moment, their dimension is collapsing around them. In another, they live without fear."


    His patch of insects hoped around, "It will be a sight worthy of etching down to memory. Let''s begin."


    Plazia''s bugs shifted into primordial mana, the forms ethereal and haunting. They mushed into the concrete, melting through solid stone and generating enormous heat. Like an infection, they spread outwards and created more of their own kind. Within a minute, an empty space ample for a two-story house existed. I stepped into it, glad a doorway actually fit me for once.


    Once I stepped inside, Plazia''s magma insects carved out their runic configurations. Through a psionic tether, he transferred mana to charge it, but at a slowed pace. Giving him a hand, I placed a palm onto the runes.


    They flashed into a charged state, the instantaneous flood of mana almost shattering the cipheric markings.


    Plazia pulled himself away from the energy flow, and Plazia hissed, "I see you''ve assimilated many of those furnaces already."


    I gave him a nod, "I have." I lifted a hand, primordial mana spawning as my system inputs died out. I gave it a nod, "Yeah, it''s back again. You can go ahead and come over."


    Plazia simmered his words like burning coals, "Are you certain of my arrival? I''ll be nested beside your loved ones, able to kill them at any point. Perhaps giving me that leverage is giving me too much trust?"


    I kept my gaze on him, "You''ve been able to get into this place for a long time already, but you never took us out. Hell, your insect approached me without me knowing."


    I swirled primordial mana around me like a dense cloud, "If you wanted to harm us, you would''ve already done so. It''s less I''m putting you in our midst and more like I''m just fully aware of it now. Besides that, Schema exiling me from his system might be a boon more than a bane at this point. We''ll have to see, in all honesty."


    Plazia cackled before mouthing, "And many believe you''re a fool."


    I sat down, "I am. I''m just trying to be less of one." I opened my status, sending Torix a message to come over, "I want you and Torix to meet real quick. I think you two will get along."


    I peered up, "Well, either that or you''ll hate each other. Honestly, I can''t tell."


    Plazia''s insect manifestation swirled about, "It depends on whether he''s fine with a mind well beyond his own."


    I raised my brow, "Ooh, those are big words. We''ll have to see how they play out."


    "Oh, we shall."


    I leaned forward, "Most certainly so."


    "Indeed."


    "Yes."


    A silence passed over us before Plazia chimed, "Hm."


    I raised my brow, "Don''t think I''m going to let you get the last word in."


    Plazia threatened, "I''ll put a portion of my consciousness to the task, and you''ll grow bored. This is a war you''ll lose...Harbinger."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Hoh, you think I can''t do the same thing? I got nearly twenty minds working full throttle right now. Continuing a grunt fest like this? It''s child''s play."


    "Then let the playing of children begin."


    "Hur."


    "Humph."


    "Hgh."


    "Hurgh."


    Torix walked into our room, his hands interlocked behind himself. He peered at the pile of insects and me having a grunting contest. Torix''s fiery eyes flared, "Was there a falling out between your message and my arrival?"


    Plazia let go, giving me an official victory over the hivemind, "No. He''s merely childish."


    I leaned back, "What? I''m just having fun." I smirked, "And winning might I add."


    Torix stepped up to Plazia''s bugs. The lich coughed into a hand, "Ahem...I see your form isn''t precisely imposing, but one''s physical self doesn''t judge the might of their mind, so to speak."


    Plazia laughed, his voice echoing in the empty, concrete room. The hivemind scoffed, "You will find I am more than this."


    A cleave through dimensions popped up, and Plazia wrenched it further apart. The hollowed Sentinel stepped out, and the hivemind came in while oozing primordial mana,


    "I am Plazia-Ruhl, of Many Faces."


    I got deja vu.


    Torix gave him a curt nod, "And I am Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition."


    As the dimensional rupture clashed shut, Plazia peered around. He sat back, falling onto a basalt throne. Mirroring Plazia''s attitude, Torix sat down into his own umbral cloud of mana. They both stared at each other for a moment, sizing the other mastermind up.


    Torix leaned forward, steepling his fingers, "I can see you''re a Ruhl. Legend has it that each member of your kind is a supposed Genius."


    Plazia peered down at Torix, "We are."


    Torix gestured to me, "Ah, so you''re just like the Ruhl that Daniel killed and usurped the plot of? Without experience...Or previous knowledge." Torix''s fire eyes narrowed, "Just making sure."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A tense silence passed over them before Plazia leaned onto a hand. The hivemind said, "You smell of pulped paper. Did you leave an ancient library, perhaps?"


    Torix''s fire eyes flickered, "It was my study."


    Plazia turned a palm to the lich, "Ah, so you dabble in ancient, archaic technologies as a past time. It seems you''re rather frivolous. I hadn''t anticipated such from a necromantic lich. I''ll adjust my expectations."


    Another silence passed over them before Plazia leaned up. The hivemind tilted his head, "What is that presence?"


    Torix lifted an arm, and a primordial blob oozed out of the ceiling. A psionic construct, shaped like a phoenix, landed on Torix''s forearm. Torix peered up at it, and the lich chimed, "I saw Obolis use living magic during our stay on Blegara. I wished to use one, and I''ve practiced the magic since."


    Plazia leaned towards the azure, diaphanous Pheonix. The hivemind gave a nod of approval, "Impressive, I must say. It rivals my insects, though more nuanced towards the psionic aspects rather than the physical. Are you attempting to possess individuals?"


    Torix lowered his arm, the phoenix perching on his shoulder, "Hm, less that and more so I prefer having these entities go between various summons of mine. It gives me a much more hands-on approach with each city Daniel''s established."


    Not having time to listen more, I pulled out my grimoire and got to work. I carved out different test runes while awash in my primordial aura. The results showed promise already; my precision improved along with my fine-tuning. It all came together nicely, overall. Plazia peered at my etching.


    The hivemind leaned back, "That sigil slicing...It carries the touch of Etorhma, along with a larger edge of someone else. Hmm, interesting." Plazia turned to Torix, and the hivemind said,


    "Torix. I have a question for you about mind magic."


    Torix peered down at Plazia and scoffed, "And the all mighty hivemind wishes to ask me a question?"


    "Of course. Your mind magic is spoken of across the cosmos and on many star systems. While I am versed, I am no expert. I wish to draw from the experience of one."


    The flattery destroyed Torix''s defensive posturing, and the lich''s eyes flared bright, "I do suppose my reputation proceeds me. I may answer a few questions."


    Their animosity melting at the mention of magic, their tense talk turning into excited chatter. As they talked away, I willed myself to work. The confidence and coordination of the primordial aura assisted my carving more than I expected it to. Quintessence helped with creative skills and their general power, but this aura eased me into finesse-based tasks.


    In general, nothing exceeded the minutia involved with cipher work, so that gave me a leg up. And I needed it too. When I finished the endurance outlines, I leaned back and gave them a cursory glance. The designs operated better than my finished work before, and yet...I wasn''t satisfied.


    They needed more oomph. A lot more oomph. Taking a more grand approach to my design, I extended my diagrams across several of my grimoire''s pages. After finishing it, I tapped my fingers while inspecting the product. Garbage. It carried imperfections across the front, back, and side portions. Therefore, its entirety.


    I marked down everything like a drunken sailor in the middle of a storm. The markings flowed together like swallowing broken glass and sizzling acid. Even the book itself bothered me, being a cheap imitation of my current self. On a whim, I grabbed the pages, ripping the entirety of it in half.


    The metal squealed, drawing the attention of Plazia and Torix. I raised a hand, "Don''t worry. I''m just done using this book."


    Torix tilted his head, "Daniel. You seem...Odd."


    I raised a palm, "Don''t worry about it. It''s the primordial aura, and it''s good for making runes."


    Torix turned back to Plazia, and the lich mumbled, "If...If you say so. I shall let this slide, but perhaps keep that aura on yourself. It gives you an uncomfortable edge."


    Ignoring him and moving on, I went back to work. He wasn''t wrong about the aura. It left me sharper than usual. On the one hand, I enjoyed the edge. I felt smarter like I caught onto more details. At the same time, it may not be the best friend-making mana mode. Keeping that in mind, I stepped over towards an empty portion of the room.


    I immersed myself in a bubble of my dimensional fabric. Once within it, I envisioned the grimoire ritual from before. I let out a dismissive sigh, disturbed by it. It was well made for Torix specifically, but it didn''t suit me at all. I waved my hand, starting fresh once more.


    I had several minds operating on the task at this point, seven different Daniels, all tweaking different aspects of the runic ritual. I improved my cipheric conversions, getting a more accurate translation from Schema''s watered-down text. With that unbutchered vision before me, I went about ripping pieces out and replacing them.


    I finished in minutes, having a frankenstein copy of the new grimoire ritual. Using it as a reference, I reiterated it in my own tone of voice, shifting the style of the words to my own. I kept a motive of perseverance, and an enduring nature spread throughout it. At the same time, I interspersed memories of my past that defined me. The translation suffused an emotive edge, becoming less a shabby rework and more a new incarnation.


    These simple adjustments turned the grimoire ritual into a different beast. It required trillions of mana at this point, dozens of times more than my previous iterations. Already, the reality of this ritual came into question. I''d create a nuclear meltdown of Mt. Verner if I finalized it here. Everything for ten miles would wash away in the fury of unleashed mana.


    I found a solution. Instead of using the ritual out here, I opened my pocket dimension. Taking the fabric already present in the pocket dimension, I worked in the abstract area. Getting out an enormous sheet of the stuff, I sliced in markings using the heated telekinetic points as usual.


    The forces operated as I hoped they would, and I finished the runic sheet over half an hour. After getting it thoroughly worked out, I charged the grimoire''s ritual over the next half an hour. I used quintessence in place of primordial mana to create more potent objects in general. Upon reaching the ritual''s peak, it stalled. It would never finish within that place.


    Without time moving it forward, it stalled at this process just before its creation. Unwilling to risk Mt. Verner and perhaps this portion of Michigan, I got out of my dimensional bubble. Ripping a molten section apart, I lifted my head out and peered at Torix and Plazia, both still talking.


    Plazia turned a palm to Torix, "So you believe the use of a lich is overplayed then?"


    Torix swung a hand, "Precisely my point. Decoy strategies are employed using lich''s all the time. They make for excellent pawns after you''ve located their phylacteries, and risking their lives is a moot point, meaning they are more than willing to throw themselves into the line of fire, so to speak."


    Plazia gave Torix a slow nod. Plazia mouthed, "The misdirection may be uncovered via plotting out the density of lich outbreaks. Even across planets, the outbreaks could be charted back to me being the source."


    Torix spread out his hands, "It is exactly so. I believe that other decoy methods operate far better. Might I suggest possession using-"


    I raised my hand, "Sorry to interrupt. Plazia, can you giving me a warp to somewhere that you don''t mind being destroyed? And make it unpopulated. Like, really unpopulated."


    Plazia turned, "What would you need to disperse?"


    I motioned both my hands, "A huge explosion compressed into a thin line."


    Plazia flicked his hand, a portal appearing beside me. It showed a different skyline, one with two moons above along an orange desert. I opened my portal, allowing the mana from my dimension to disperse out. It siphoned out in a thin line, a cataclysmic wave ushering out. It reached far into space, the needle of explosive compression rippling clouds and tearing horizons. The force would''ve flooded the room, but I stood in the way of the portal. My body stopped the kinetic energy from blowing back into the room.


    My skin melted and ruptured across a few points, but Plazia''s portal held before becoming unstable. I closed my warp, spending the next few minutes letting portions of the energy drip out at a time. At one point, I tested it on a distant mountain, the desert landscape empty and devoid of life.


    The thin line of energy sliced the mountain apart before blowing it up. It left patches of glass across the scenery. It singed dry brushes kilometers in the distance. The sheer absurdity of the energy source blew me away, but I also remembered what it may do if I aimed it at someone. Even from far away, allies could be devastated.


    I shivered. Even an ecosystem or region may be disrupted at this point. Torix and Plazia ooh-ed and aah-ed with me at first, but they got bored after I began dripping the energy out over time. Torix silenced my disruptions using his magic even, giving me a measure of quiet. After getting the power out, I returned to my bubble.


    I might make dozens of grimoires and laser people down in the future, but for now, I wanted to see what I just made. In the bubble lit by the primordial glow of my runes, I pulled out the grimoire. It was changed, a duality of the two mana types used to compose it.


    On the one hand, the coal-colored tome radiated the power of quintessence. In its pages, it promised a bright future, one where growth came unbounded. If I gave it my all, it would do the same in turn, and I liked that. It gave me a general warmth that carried the same energy as quintessence.


    After opening the grimoire, the primordial edge came out. I turned the pages, each of them like thick sheets of silver. They wiggled, each of them alive. On the same note, I no longer etched into the pages. Instead, I created a telepathic connection with the book. I envisioned a change, and the living silver molded into whatever I desired.


    It worked as an extension of my mind, like downloading an app on a phone but in my head. It coordinated the runic markings, giving me an absurd nuance. It auto-regulated errors in the cipher, automatically editing in real-time. It even carried mental imprints for storing sigils if I wanted to reuse them.


    If anything, this reminded me of using an obelisk or computer, but with a neural augment attached. I blinked, kind of stunned that it carried this potential. With it in hand, I recreated my endurance rune off of memory. It arrived, errors and all intact. The sigils smudged with imperfections, and the translation marred. It didn''t even reflect my thoughts about endurance properly.


    I took a breath, soaking in the primordial energy. I smiled at it, and crystals of the mana grew around me in my hidden sphere. I condensed the primordial aura around me and cracked my knuckles.


    It was time to see what I could do.

 327 Expansion of Will

    Taking my first step into using my new grimoire, I tested out a few of the page''s molding abilities. They mirrored how my armor moved but with a greater focus on precision instead of power. While I could mold my armor with immense force, getting it to hold details was beyond me.


    Testing that for a bit, I managed to mold Schema''s runes onto a clean patch of my armor. While imperfect, they''d work well enough. Attempting to get the cipher out of that shaping was a pipe dream, by comparison. No amount of control over my armor allowed for that degree of finesse. The silver pages carried that control and then some.


    They acted as visualizers, shifting into place as I envisioned different images. I could have a sheening page mirror a sunset in one moment, and a second later, it would turn into a desert full of dunes. The precision carried a lifelike level of detail, my memory the limiting factor rather than the page''s fidelity.


    That improvement didn''t even include the references I could use. I moved back and forth between different editions and edits, a history of changes compiled in the grimoire. Comparing earlier versions and cross-referencing changes all arrived in real-time. It was like chopping a tree with a chainsaw instead of a wooden ax.


    In fact, I fumbled even thinking about how I managed without the grimoire before now. I found my answer in moments.


    I handled it poorly.


    Taking a moment, I inspected my previous iterations based on memory. I snapped my fingers, realizing the sheer audacity of them. I attempted fixing them, but no matter the number of edits I implemented, they carried fundamental errors. It was like trying to make a building out of air. No matter the approach, it wasn''t as effective as using concrete or stone.


    That''s when I panned back and approached the issue from a different angle. Taking a moment, I moved back to some of my earliest runic iterations and compared them to later versions. The detail of my newer work shined through, but it also carried a muddiness to it. My more recent runes lacked the raw, emotive energy I boasted before.


    Peering close, I found the cause - Etorhma and Eonoth. The two Old Ones ''gave'' me knowledge on the cipher, which helped me at the time. However, it held me back from taking the next step forward in my runic progression. The root cause came from how the cipher worked.


    It relied on perspective. By having a unifying, singular idea, the sigil''s ability to work magic exponentially increased. In a way, the runes fused the rigor of science and the emotion of art into a singular experience. It required a lot of energy, time, and effort for someone to hold those two lines of thought in unison.


    But not me. Not anymore, at least. I had three minds hold onto different emotionally charged veins of thought. At the same time, three other psyches siphoned that raw, moving energy into a focused, highly methodical stream of runes. This turned one mind''s struggle into many minds'' triumphs.


    At the same time, I eradicated the influence of the Old Ones. It took quite a few edits before I regained my old style, not wanting to use their specific techniques and ''flow.'' They hampered the unity of my work, and by keeping it within my own minds, I retained a more focused identity. It shined through in the sigils themselves, my test moldings potent and effective.


    Being able to test runes like this without carving saved me so much time as well. I turned those savings into iterating my process over and over and over. I lost track of my surroundings and time as I kept honing different angles and approaches to the runic markings. I created different versions of each rune, comparing them to take the best parts from each imperfect whole.


    After having many configurations come together, I did the same thing many times. My new process reminded me of a team of researchers experimenting, and like a fervent scientist, I toiled over the runes. I put my heart soul into them, and they gave back to me in turn. After a while, I alternated my mana type to quintessence or ascendant manas to hold different emotions better.


    From the brutality of my battles to the joy of building my first cities, I held onto each logic strain like a precious memory. Once locked into the zone, I changed back into my primordial mana type and shifted the silver pages before losing that emotional connection. The perpetual changes in my dimensional wake left me exhausted after a while, but the result paid off.


    I stared at a rune that stretched long enough to wrap around my arm several times. Before, it spoke of endurance and what it meant to me. Now, it carried a story of my journey with each principle, my feats like bright beacons in the runic markings.


    They showed my plight in BloodHollow, the despair of Yawm, and the dread of Elysium. The runic markings held onto my fears and adversities as well, becoming more than the sum of their parts. Like the runic marking across my back, this sigil carried a depth my other etchings lacked. Before I patted my own back too much, I took a moment, inspecting my work for flaws. They still existed, but fixing them was beyond me. I tolerated this version for now. Putting my hands onto my booklet, I changed to the Rise of Eden since quintessence generated the most potent objects.


    Wielding it, I put all of my minds to the task of using furnaces. I created many layers of dimensional bubbles to prevent a mana fallout, isolating me from my surroundings. After a while, I put my grimoire into my pocket dimension and channeled from there. It contained the forces without any issue, and I resolved to use this method in the future.


    As it finished, the runic markings couldn''t finish in the absence of time. With the mana fully realized, I pulled my tome out. Surrounded by my dimensional bubbles, the radiating energy deflected back into my capsule. The runed finalized the charging in a flash, but it paled in comparison to the grimoire''s creation.


    Instead of finding glowing symbols, I peered at umbral markings. They acted as the opposite of my previous runes. Where they once glowed, they now dimmed their surroundings, a blot of black drifting from the pages. The hungry runic markings crawled back towards me.


    They squirmed into place like a writhing insect hungry to suck my blood. Furthering that comparison, the marking drained mana of its own accord. I peered down at it, the siphon growing by the second. After a few minutes, it exceeded my previous rune''s limit. After an hour, it carried a killer edge, requiring over a hundred billion mana just to stabilize. Scary as the drain was, it worked in my favor.


    I once honed in on generating mana, converting it, then putting it into the runic markings. This new rune gobbled up any mana source I gave it, the markings dimming everything around it without my input. Without needing to stabilize the mana or feed it in a specific direction, the marking allowed me to focus purely on mana generation without the conversions.


    Requiring a full eleven minds at all times, I meditated for a while to adapt to the strain. Staying more in tune with my body, I noticed the increasing endurance, willpower, and mass. The rune still added pounds as before, though not as quickly as my previous sigils. With everything put into place, I took a deep breath and wiped imaginary sweat off my brow.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    It was a job well done.


    Getting out of my dimensional bubble, hours passed while I sat in there. Plazia and Torix left, both of them gone. I reached out, tapping the concrete floor. The vibrations paired with Plazia''s gravitational fluctuations told me he rested in another isolated area beside me. It mirrored the dimensions of this room.


    The guy made a new room, and based on how long I stayed here, I couldn''t blame him. Before leaving my new primordial playground, I rubbed my hands together and considered other boosts I could handle right off the bat. My armor outright evolved since I updated everybody''s gear, for instance, so I went about recreating everyone''s various armors, trinkets, and accessories.


    I began with Althea''s cannon, the project being one of my favorites to work on. The design from before wasn''t bad, and a gun not being the most complex creation either way. Making one requires serious technology due to the precision requirements, but my methods of molding armor eased me through that bottleneck. Using Diesel''s designs, I kept to their iterations, knowing I understood little about engineering as a whole.


    I improved on certain parts of the design for Althea''s polymorphing abilities. For instance, I created a latched opening leading to the scope. Althea could mold an eye into it if she wanted, letting her hold multiple perspectives at once. Another utility involved a set of cipheric augments on the stock of the rifle.


    A simple telekinetic enchantment dispersed the recoil into the nearby air. This prevented the rifle from causing issues for Althea while firing. It required much less mana than gravity wells did. I finished it off with a brand new set of cipher runes, eliminating any traces of Schema''s weakened language or the Old One''s influence.


    Finishing her set-up, I created another wire mesh suit of armor for her. This time, I took a long, hard look at the gravity well''s adjustments. I weighed ten times more than before, meaning armor made out of me utterly smothered people wearing it. At this point, the armors would need to mirror motorized exoskeletons more than just metal plates.


    Rubbing my temples, a lightning strike of inspiration struck me. I took my neural augment approach with my grimoire, and I came up with a way of using it on the armor. It required using my insights of converting mana into mental processing power. This essentially did the same thing, using my fabric''s innate mana production to do so.


    I kept the mental processing it produced related to movement-specific functions. I then tied that to a mind with only the capacity to move, giving it very narrow limitations. I prevented it from overloading the person wielding it by containing these features in the exoskeleton''s mind.


    At the same time, I put a telepathic tethering on the armor. With a simple thought, a person could link up to it through a golem core stored in its back. The movement-based mind acted like a set of controls for the armor, essentially.


    Scratching my head at the creation, this mirrored a runic-based set of power armor. After finishing the first production, I peered at it from a few angles. It hovered in place via its own gravity wells, and when I stepped close, the plates and wire mesh moved to open and close around me. I rubbed the back of my head, wondering how powerful this thing made an average human.


    They''d be a super soldier if I had to guesstimate.


    I iterated these improvements across several sets of armors, and each specialized for different team members. I made Althea two different versions, one for war and one for stealth. I did the same for Hod, making sure our shadowy Eltari could always hide and warp through the shadows if need be.


    Other members of the team didn''t require two sets. For Krog and Chrona, I kept the armor geared towards waging war. In particular, Chrona''s plating thickened the most. Her temporal magic made her a mobile fortress, and the thick plates played to that advantage. For Kessiah, I kept the mana streams and available defenses high as well.


    Amara''s suit came out about the same as before but with more strength augments. The most challenging person to handle was actually Torix. His entire body was essentially an old, outdated version of my current armor. The transition to a new body required a lot of life force, and it needed blood sacrifices. Possible to do, no doubt, but it was a hassle. More pressing of an issue, the mana production might overwhelm the guy.


    It was one of the most perplexing issues about mana. After a certain point, it gained thoughts and a life of its own. Quelling that growing consciousness required discipline and experience. Otherwise, a person became possessed by their mana, in a phrase, mana devolution. It happened to Alfred Worm, Torix''s son. It almost happened to me early on while dealing with my armor.


    With my current mana production, I held on because my willpower expanded to otherwordly heights. Torix''s would no doubt be impressive as well, but he may be overwhelmed in the end. Instead of pressing forward, I took the road of caution here, not wanting my master to be turned into a mindless abomination.


    Instead, I''d wait until I created mental constraints for these armors. Peering at the massive pile of gear, I wondered how people would respond to them. These armor sets were implanted into individuals and synced with their minds, much like the Omega Strains. Unlike those viruses, these armor sets gave way to absurdity. They could easily overwhelm their wearers.


    I intended on handing them off, one by one, and I''d ease people into the process of using them. I wouldn''t leave Torix empty-handed, however. Before moving out of there, I brainstormed a gift to take the edge off. After a minute, I face-palmed. Of course.


    I could make him a new grimoire.


    Keeping the ball rolling, I settled into another installment of crafting. Using a previous outline for my own grimoire, I found a less emotive version. This acted as a generic template in the production process for comparisons. Taking an hour, I honed in on a few adjustments for Torix, so it meshed well with his own grimoire ritual.


    After channeling the mana for a while, I cusped on its creation in my pocket dimension. A quick knock on Plazia''s door, and I found the hivemind sitting cross-legged. He meditated or at least looked like he did. As I stepped up, his voice radiated from all around, "What is it you wish for? This room as well?"


    I raised my brow, "I need another portal to disperse a grimoire''s energy again. I made one for Torix."


    Plazia sighed before swirling his dimensional slicer. He cleaved time and space apart before sitting back down. After Plazia cast a bit of silencing magic on me, I finished dispersing the energy for Torix''s grimoire. It was the first of many. I ended up creating grimoires for Kessiah, Althea, Hod, Krog, and Chrona.


    I made minimal adjustments for most of them. These grimoires wouldn''t be used for massive incantations, only for easing everyday magical procedures. After finishing the process, I walked out of Plazia''s meditation center, the room identical to my own. Plazia seethed,


    "Please, learn to warp, so I don''t have to focus beside you while you go about dumping excess energy."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "No promises, but I''ll try."


    Pacing back into my room, I created rings for everyone using an updated, more robust version of the previous runes. Handling another tune-up, I adapted the sigil strata for the golems. It was a brush-up, not a full remodel, which irked me while in my primordial mode. Outside the aura, I was just fine with it.


    Getting everything stashed away in my pocket dimension, I took a breath, readying myself for reactions. Several days passed while I crafted, each component requiring a long time to finish. I lost myself in the process, kind of in my own world of crafting and whatnot. Snapping me out of that walking dream, a special notification pinged out in my mind.


    It stood out because it mirrored a trumpet''s ringing rather than the usual, satisfying bing sound. I opened the message, and I furrowed my brow.


    It looked like Schema was on the move.


    Hello Sovereign, you''ve been selected as a part of the 7,821st galactic council! As a new Sovereign, you shall be allowed to make an introduction to other ruling members and be allowed to speak with several Overseers and Schema free of charge!


    | Note | Length of talk varies. You shall be meeting with other ruler sub-class members, each of you representing the might and prowess of your guilds.


    You''ll also be expected to create alliances with other guilds and form a tight-knit, galactic community! That''s the Schema way! Due to the war with the rebels, donations will be mandatory, but Schema''s not going to hold an event like this without the chance for an award. A lottery will be held with a special mystery prize!


    Who will win it? It''s time to find out!


    | Note | Non-participation is considered a declaration of war against Schema. Noncompliance will not be tolerated.


    Time till meeting: Galactic standard time - 4 hours. Earth time - 3.5 hours.

 328 Gratitude

    Hello Sovereign, you''ve been selected as a part of the 7,821st galactic council! As a new Sovereign, you shall be allowed to make an introduction to other ruling members and be allowed to speak with several Overseers and Schema free of charge!


    | Note | Length of talk varies. You shall be meeting with other ruler sub-class members, each of you representing the might and prowess of your guilds.


    You''ll also be expected to create alliances with other guilds and form a tight-knit, galactic community! That''s the Schema way! Due to the war with the rebels, donations will be mandatory, but Schema''s not going to hold an event like this without the chance for an award. A lottery will be held with a special mystery prize!


    Who will win it? It''s time to find out!


    | Note | Non-participation is considered a declaration of war against Schema. Noncompliance will not be tolerated.


    Time till meeting: Galactic standard time - 4 hours. Earth time - 3.5 hours.


    Chapter Begin


    I read the message and reread it, my stomach sinking at the prospect of being under Schema''s thumb. Another message popped upright as my mind started racing.


    Don''t worry rulers, Schema''s thought of everything. We understand that mobility, locations, and even circumstances might be trying considering this is the shortest period between an announcement and the meeting ever recorded! Personal Sentinels will be put into place to escort each member of the council. This ensures you will each make it on time.


    No, you will not need a warping specialist. No, you will not be allowed a warping specialist either. Do not ask for permission to bring one. Standard galactic warping will be rescinded with the galactic meeting space to prevent incursions or other issues. Thank you all for your gracious compliance.


    After arrival, all weapons and items within dimensional storages will be confiscated, along with other supplies. Several Overseers and many Sentinels will act as guardians during your stay here. Be aware of this, and plan accordingly.


    Have an excellent stay on the Schema-owned cruiser and good luck with the lottery.


    I grimaced as dread pooling into my stomach. After rubbing my temples for a while, I got my thoughts together. I sent messages to everyone, asking them to have an impromptu emergency meeting at Chrona''s home. The open vantage point gave us plenty of room, and it let people fly here from afar.


    While everyone gathered, I considered my options. The most worrying part of this process was being warped onto some far-off space shuttle. It could be a nearly infinite distance from home, and I may never get back home if Schema stranded me out into the dark recesses of space. Inevitably, I''d reach inhabited space wherever Schema sent me over decades, centuries, or millennia. With my runes firing at all times, I''d be a destroyer that''d wipe Schema off the face of the galaxy. However, Yawm''s contract ensured I may die before I reached Schema or could reach him. The idea of being trapped like that made me nervous.


    Maybe finding some loophole in Yawm''s contract was possible. I could also survive whatever backlash occurred from it, or I may reverse engineer the cipher. Pulling myself away from these worst-case scenarios, I got myself out of the tunnel and back towards Mt. Verner''s peak.


    On arrival, I found most of our members already there. Chrona, Krog, Helios, Kessiah, Torix, Althea, and Amara gathered in Chrona''s home. Only Hod and Florence lagged behind. Seeing Chrona''s less humble abode brought a smile to my face; Helios erected void ice architecture for her.


    Like a luxurious version of her home in Rivaria, the permanent ice wafted a dense fog onto the ground at certain spots. Void ice operated strangely. It was essentially ice at absolute zero combined with magic shenanigans, which apparently changed its makeup. Even from a cursory talk with Helios, the process involved loads of complex computations and intricate mathematics. However, it gave way to an abundant, flexible material.


    In this case, Helios molded a specialized, insulating glass over the entire expanse. This stopped the void ice from peeling people''s skin off when they stepped on it. Flying into an open courtyard at the ice palace''s center, my guildmates waited for me in the court. The violet ice architecture left plenty of room for a gialgathen, meaning I didn''t scrape my head on the ceilings here.


    It also made a chunk of Mt. Verner''s peak change into the new material. I kept myself light on the icy glass, not wanting to destroy the beautiful lines and details. I found Chrona resting on an elevated platform, the others around her. Stepping up, I smiled at everyone,


    "It''s been a while since we all met like this, hasn''t it? How is everybody?"


    Althea hopped over and gave me a hug, and she tried lifting me. Before she shattered the glass or her bones, I pulled us up with a gravity well. I rested my forehead on hers,


    "We have to start thinking about our surroundings. I''ve gotten heavier lately, so that might not be the best idea."


    She rolled her eyes, "If you say so...Hm, you have seemed taller lately now that I think about it."


    I held back the size increase with my mass manipulation, but at this point, I stretched that skill''s limits. I smiled at Althea, "How''s your search going?"


    Althea frowned, peering away, "It''s...It''s been slow. I''ve been working with Florence to help out settlements here. In particular, I''ve been working on trying and helping children acclimatized to the system. Torix doesn''t work as well with them, and I think I can do a lot of good there."


    I hugged her, "That''s amazing. What do you mean things have been ''slow?'' That''s incredible, and I think you''re doing great."


    She blushed, "Heh...I''m doing my best."


    I set us down onto the void ice, and I peered around, "Speaking of Florence, is he with Hod?"


    As I said that, Hod flew through the air, holding Florence in his talons. Even from far off, Florence''s words rang in my ears,


    "Hod, do this like we planned. We must nail the landing. It will be glorious."


    Hod lifted his long beak, "Pshh, Hod born for landing. Hod only land well."


    I blinked, well aware of Hod''s many crashes. As they both swooped over the courtyard, Helios facepalmed at the sight of his brother. The ice mage simmered, "Ah, perfect. Two idiots pairing together. It''s a match destined since the dawn of time."


    As if on cue, Hod and Florence smashed into one of the voice ice pillars. They both flopped down, each of them plopping into the icy ground. Helios fixed the cracks wherever they landed. Florence lifted his face, his black mask cracked, "Ah, Hod, my man, that was horrible. Like, not even close to being correct."


    Hod rolled on the ground before snapping back onto his feet. He spread his wings and lifted a leg, mirroring a yoga pose. He cawed, "Hod trick you. Florence fool and Hod initiate special landing."


    He jutted his beak out while hopping in a circle. Mirroring a sprinkler, he let out a few caws and Hodisms before Florence smacked his hand onto the ground. The chatty albony gasped, "Agh, he''s outdone me yet again. Making me the joker while he''s prepared for this landing...A true genius worthy of fear."


    Florence played into the situation without missing a beat, and I blinked at them both. Kessiah burst into laughter, pointing at them both. Our remnant healer guffawed, "Gagh, you both look so dumb. It''s been so long since I''ve seen either of you, and that''s how you introduce yourselves?" She gave them an ok gesture with her hand, "Really, you nailed it. Just perfect."


    Hod puffed out his thin chest, "Hod know. Hod once thought Hod make mistake once. Hod mistake was Hod thinking Hod make mistake. Hod wrong about Hod being wrong."


    Hod tapped the side of his head as if he was saying something profound, "Hod think too much sometimes."


    Althea laughed, and she let her hands unwrap from around my neck. I set her back down onto the ground, having held her by her hip up till now. Our sizes were quite different at this point, and I mentally thanked her for her transformative abilities.


    No, I''m not diving into more detail about that.


    Anyways, with everyone gathered, I raised my hands, "Everyone, I have two announcements. Both needed to be in person."


    Krog raised a brow, and he spoke in his gruff voice, "Does it involve reinforcements for Blegara? The eldritch formed a rebellion against our cause, and it''s been difficult to pacify the Vagni''s support for that faction."


    Florence pushed himself up, "Ooh, could it be organizing the new guildsmen with an initiation? Most of the village heads wonder what you''re like in person, and I tell them you''re larger than life." Florence walked up, raising a hand to the top of my head and barely making it, "Which is even more true now. You''re getting swole, Daniel. Slow down and leave some gains for the rest of us."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I frowned, "It''s the furnaces. Anyways, no, it''s not about either of those issues, though they''re important, no doubt, especially the eldritch rebels. What I''m talking about is a set of gifts for all of you."


    Amara hissed, "What does it entail? More of your flesh and blood?"


    I raised my brow, "Well, yeah."


    Amara drooled while rubbing her hands together, "Then all is well."


    Chrona pointed her tail at me, "Let him speak. We must listen as this is urgent. He mentioned two announcements, and he wouldn''t call us here in an emergency message for just this."


    My pocket dimension spawned over me, and I pulled out all the specialized gear I crafted, "For the most part, you''re right. I think this might be worth calling you all here by itself, but I''m gathering everyone for the second announcement. I''m getting this out of the way while you''re all here."


    I dispensed with the grimoires, the new armors, and the rings. I gave Florence and Helios two rings as well, and as I did,  I murmured, "You can take these to the Emperor if you''d like. Just know that by the time he analyzes what this is, it''ll be out of date. You won''t get anything else after this if you do that too."


    Helios peered down at the ring, "Hm...Noted."


    Florence snatched the band from my hand. The chatty albony lifted it up, "Ooh, this looks fancy." He put the ring on before taking a step back, "But it feels even fancier. Hah, this is well made. It makes me feel more Daniel-ey. Physically speaking, that is."


    Unlike his brother, Helios suppressed his excitement. The ice mage peered back and forth between the ring and Florence. Helios gazed off while sliding the ring onto a clawed hand, "I suppose...I''ll accept the gift." His pale blue eyes widened under his mask as the band took effect. He murmured, "That''s...This is a developed enchantment. It''s potent."


    I smiled, "It''s the tip of the iceberg."


    Behind me, Amara lifted her new grimoire, studying the book and its intricacies. She sat down and opened it before gripping it from both sides. She spoke with surprising emotion,


    "This...It will make operating with cipher much simpler than before. It dwarfs anything I''ve ever been given. Thank you, Harbinger."


    Torix gawked at his grimoire while scoffing, "It''s as if you''d devoted yourself to ceasing my technological renaissance. Why, if every magical device carried these conveniences, obelisks would become obsolete."


    Althea stared down at hers, "Uhh...Why did you make one for me?"


    I shrugged, "You can use my armors and the books themselves to fuel simple magical spells. I know you don''t like using your blood magic, but this should give you a lot of utilities if you take advantage of it."


    She pursed her lips, "Thanks. This is really cool."


    I smiled, "That''s my intention. You got a new set of armor as well."


    Althea walked up to her mobile exoskeleton, "Yeah, it''s definitely a step up from what you gave us before. It''s kind of...I don''t know, a huge leap. It looks like power armor, just using your fabric''s innate abilities rather than hydraulics."


    I frowned, "Yeah, it is."


    Althea leaned over it, "It''s really neat...And it looks like it would require a pilot or skill to use. Heh, I hope I can get it up and running on my own, but who knows. It could be tougher than it looks."


    I cupped my chin, "You know, I thought the same thing. I think it''ll be fine for the most part. Don''t get in it until I get back, though."


    Althea tilted her head, "Back from what?"


    I sighed before opening my status. I turned it to everyone, "Schema''s called the first galactic council since I obtained my Sovereign class. I''m set to introduce myself, my guild, etc. I wanted each of you to know where I intend to go with the guild and what kind of plans I have for the future. If there''s something you don''t like, now will be the time to say it."


    I turned a hand to everyone, "Everyone, I know I''ve been disengaged from the day-to-day affairs of the guild lately, and I haven''t been discussing my future plans with any of you. By knowing my intentions, you''ll all get a better idea of what we''ll be working towards in the future."


    I spread the Rise of Eden over everyone, "You all know about this aura. I also have Event Horizon, and most of you''ve experienced that as well. However, I''ve discovered recently that Schema and I have come to a crossroads regarding my auras and mana. I don''t hate the AI, but at the same time, he''s put us me one bad spot after the other."


    I sighed, "The best example...It''s Yawm. That was before most of you arrived, but those that experienced it will know what I mean. We were trapped on Earth and pitted against Yawm of Flesh. He was over 10,000 levels above us with Etorhma''s cipheric augments. This gave him ridiculous powers, and it was a miracle we survived."


    I let my hands flop against my sides, "That was a death sentence. No quests or additional support during the war with Elysium was a cakewalk compared to that. The gialgathens also suffered cruel fates where they were allowed to be killed by Schema since they weren''t in the system."


    I grimaced, "And Schema didn''t get rid of our unknown statuses...He also left Hod''s species to die. I mean, in all honesty, the system and our circumstances have been tugging us around for a while. So far, survival has dictated what we''ll do next."


    I waved a hand, "I''ll ensure that won''t be an issue any longer. I''m going to establish Earth as a primary fortress for our guild. I''ll be making thousands of cities over the planet, enough that a Spatial Fortress or two will have to think twice before landing here. They''ll face a horde and me at full force."


    I pointed into the sky, "There are planets in our solar system that are terraformable as well, like mars, venus, maybe even the moon. We''re in a unique situation where we can pull those planets from the brink. I''ll talk with specialists to see how feasible each location is. I''ll be finding fringe worlds to colonize as well as my golems are Fringe Walkers. Each and every one of them."


    I let my hand down, "And last but not least, I''ve also allied with a non-Schema entity. It''s a dangerous gamble I''m making, but at the same time, I know this entity is a huge opportunity for us. We''ll be able to expand our guild''s options exponentially moving into the future by associating with this person. I''ll elaborate more later."


    I looked at everyone from above, "Is there anything anyone wants to add that I should mention to the galactic council? Maybe something someone disagrees with."


    Florence stepped up, squeezing a hand where he wore his new ring. He stared at his hand before giving it a nod. He smiled at me under his cracked mask before reaching up and placing a palm on my shoulder. He said, "May I speak?"


    I stepped aside while generating a pillar of stone for Florence. I lunged to one knee, making me stick out less. Florence spread out his hands, "So, you all know I''m a member of the Empire and an albony royal. I''ve been a member of this privileged class since birth, and I''ve done well under that system."


    Florence put his hands on his hips, "But I''ve disagreed with it. I''ve disagreed with how we''ve handled natives, other populaces, and even how we manage planets from the ground up. Working with each of you has been a breath of fresh air. It''s amazing that such a group of talented individuals from so many different species have come together under one cause. I know you''re all used to it, but I can tell you from an outsider''s perspective; it''s extraordinary."


    Florence peered at me, "You all know the cause, but it deserves to be spoken aloud. You''re the reason for this, Daniel. You gave each of us a new home to call our own, and we all couldn''t be more grateful for it. Please, stand."


    I looked up at him in surprise, but I stood up. Chrona and Krog called out in unison, other gialgathens in the distance joining them. Hod spread out his wings and bowed. The others, even Amara, lunged to one knee and gave me a bow as well. Only Helios stayed standing, but he lowered his head regardless. Florence hopped off his platform before lunging with them.


    He bowed, and as he did, he removed his dark, wooden mask. A joyful, jovial smile of his stared at the ground. He said,


    "I, for one, have gained so much since coming here, and I can''t imagine going back to the Empire."


    Florence tossed his covering aside, and Helios gawked as the wooden mask tumbled on the ground. Florence put a hand over his chest, "If you''re willing, please, I''d be honored to join your guild."


    Florence made the most of the slight gesture, showing a willingness to throw it away. Without a second thought, I opened my status, sending him an invite. Florence accepted, and his bow and tone of voice deepened,


    "Thank you, Harbinger. You''ve given all of us a home, and whatever you want to do, we''re all for it. Really, you don''t have to ask for my input. I''m all in, and I think everyone else is as well."


    No one disagreed, and I stared at the group. They stayed in place for a while, and Florence''s speech almost brought tears to my eyes. I hadn''t expected it, and it really caught me off guard in a good way.


    I stammered, "T-thank you guys. This really isn''t necessary. I''m just doing what I can."


    Florence peered up with clear blue eyes, "Come now, you deserve some recognition. I think everyone can agree with that?"


    Krog and Chrona growled out in the back, other gialgathens joining the cry. Hod''s form flared out with umbral fire. Althea whisper-shouted, "Go, Daniel. Wooh."


    Kessiah shook her head, "You saved my ass, that''s for sure."


    Torix''s fire eyes flared green, "Whatever you decide to do from here, I shall support it however I can. You''ve done a fine job, all things considered."


    I swallowed back a wave of emotion before lifting my hands, "Ok, that''s enough, guys. I can''t take anymore."


    Althea ran up and gave me a hug. Hod joined, and Florence walked up and put a hand on my shoulder. Torix joined, along with Krog and Chrona, who put their tails on me. I gave everyone a small smile, "Thanks. We''ll be doing big things from here. I promise you all that much."


    They all let me go and backed up. With the cheesy but warm moment over, Chrona gave me a grin while spreading her wings, "You took us from a doomed planet and extinction to several new ones with clean waters and open fields. I shall always miss what Giess was, but I know that this will be a fine home in the future. Whatever your guild does, the gialgathens will serve under it. For now, and for all time."


    Krog smacked his chest with his tail, "We stand by you."


    I soaked in the unexpected congratulations, feeling good about what I''d done for once. I took a breath, peering at the time. The meeting would take place in an hour, but the Sentinel would arrive in a minute to get me situated. I closed my eyes, "Then I won''t let you guys down."


    I released my Mass Manipulation skill. As I did, I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders. I waved out the stiffness from the magic while spinning my arms. The others gawked at me, even the gialgathens staring up by the time I finished my full expansion.


    I peered behind me, "When the Sentinel arrives, I''ll be expecting each of you to test out the new gear. Well, everything aside from the armors. When I get back, I''ll show you how to use them."


    Helios gawked up at me, "A-Are you expanding yourself?"


    Behind me, a tear in dimensions popped into existence. I turned to Helios, "Actually, I''ve been shrinking myself this entire time."


    Our old friend, Spear, walked out from the cleaved space-time behind me. He was my Sentinel chauffer. It looked like Schema had a sense of humor.


    I smiled at the Sentinel,  "Hey, long time no see. It''s been a few weeks."

 329 Rulers

    Spear peered up before tilting his head, "I...I see you''ve grown in size. However, I doubt that goes for the will or direction of your mind."


    I stepped up to his tear in dimensions, ripping it further to my size. As I stepped through, I raised my brow, "We''ll see."


    Pulling my helmet over my face, I readied myself to see a piece of the galaxy''s might. I stepped onto a panel of graphene, mirroring an Overseer''s plating. Spear followed behind me, letting the dimensional rip close shut behind us. As it did, Spear seethed,


    "We know something is amiss. Your guild carries unsystematized territory. There''s one reason for that; you''re performing illegal activities. Know that we will uncover exactly what it is after this war with Elysium is over."


    I frowned, "You know, that might take a while since I''m not there to speed things along."


    Spear sheathed his dimensional slicer along his back, the magnet keeping the lance against him. He simmered, "Your confidence has broadened into arrogance. When you see the others under Schema''s wing, you will tremble. All have. All will."


    Keeping what he said in mind, I looked around. His portal opened into a smooth hallway without any plating. Only glowing lines of plasma offered light, their impressions faint. As I stepped in, I lightened. Keeping one of my hands through the dimensional opening, I peered around. I murmured, "Where do we go from here, exactly? This place looks empty."


    Spear hopped over the veil, and I watched him walk off. Where he landed, bright blue plasma crisscrossed outwards with geometric lines spreading over every surface. It pulsed beneath the smooth plating, bringing the dead expanse to life. The writhing plasma threatened to crack out of the tunnel''s walls at any moment, but it stayed contained.


    Spear''s casual walk demonstrated how reliable this gray plating was. The Sentinel lifted his hand, several starry portals opening in the hallway. Spear raised his arms to them, "The system recognizes you as a dimension, but these are true microcosms, and Schema holds them within this vessel for his many purposes. The council''s meeting place is within one of these spaces."


    I stepped out into the vast hallway, letting the warp snap shut behind me. I let my foot tap the floor, sensing the mana within. This place fluctuated with an unbounded quantity of energy. The portals exposed a dozen different worlds, not warps, but disconnected spaces made for and by Schema. Why the AI isolated those spaces, I didn''t know.


    What I did know was this whole place exuded a futuristic simplicity that exhibited wealth and power. It wasn''t power in the usual sense, either. Instead of showing rare resources or outright luxury, Schema displayed strange technologies. This shuttle housed no doors, no sense of up or down within its walls. It carried no gravity either, being a blank canvas.


    Despite that, an undeniable awareness spread over me. This place carried a wealth of secrets underneath its surface. Wanting to explore, I stopped using my gravity wells, allowing my mass to float in the shuttle. After experiencing the loss of levity, I hovered myself along, Spear walking with his boots keeping him grounded.


    This gray expanse rose far into the distance, large as a mountain in all directions. Blank. Nothingness. Without the warps, this would be a warehouse in space. Somehow, an ambient light kept everything well seen despite the lack of lamps, torches, or any lighting really. It was another mystery.


    Everywhere Spear touched, the listless gray sprung to life, the architecture responding to him. The Sentinel turned towards a wall. A starry portal opening further, and he walked into it. A bit nervous, I followed while keeping a section of my hand out in case it was a trap. Stepping into an identical hallway, the pulsing energy below offered light above like before.


    Unlike the previous space, Spear pointed towards a doorway with two mana pits beside it. This new shuttle used crystallized mana for lighting, a demonstration of power. It reminded me of our guild''s aesthetic, actually. The Sentinel to my side waved his hand in frustration, "Come. Walk."


    Sensing no danger, I hopped through the new dimensional opening. Pacing into the tiny dimension, I stretched out with the Rise of Eden, wondering if it placed a different strain on this place. It did. My dimensional wake incited a whirling, aching tremble from the tiny pocket dimension.


    Spear noticed nothing, the disruption purely metaphysical. Maybe because I was a dimension, it stood out to me. Regardless of the reason, the sensation strengthened when I stretched out Event Horizon to its greatest extent. By then, the dimension wailed. I pulled the aura back, unsettled by how alive the space felt to me.


    We reached the crystallized mana lamps, and as we did, another warp opened nearby. From it, a purple, hulking beast made of miasma stepped out. Its eyes widened, the only expressions on its otherwise sharpened point of a face. Those pale oculi turned to me, and it stared through me.


    My pulse heightened, a bit of nervousness shooting up my spine. The entity linked with my mind, and it ebbed through like a distant echo, "I...You are the Harbinger...You fought the golden one...Impressive."


    I raised a hand, "Thanks. Since you already know who I am, could you tell me your name?"


    "I am...Shalahora."


    I gave it a wave, "Good to meet you."


    "You...As well."


    Its voice pierced its surroundings, like talking to a walking sonic grenade. Somehow howling and quiet at the same time, it walked with its own Sentinel guard. It reached beside me, mirroring my own height. I checked its title, and that explained everything.


    Shalahora, the Sun Swallower and Star Eater | Level 60,027 | Guild: The Celestials | Class: Sovereign


    This thing could literally end Elysium by itself. Why it hadn''t or didn''t was beyond me. In front of us, a seamless doorway opened from the wall, the material bleeding away. Peering close, I recognized the material and murmured,


    "Nanomachines, huh?"


    Spear snickered before turning to me, "This is only the beginning."


    We stepped into an elevator of glass or what appeared to be glass, at least. Once inside, Shalahora tilted its head to me. Another telepathic conversation began,


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    "If my communication bothers you...Tell me...Many species are driven mad by it...Others are hateful to it."


    I waved my hands, "Oh, don''t worry about it. I''ve talked with a species called the gialgathens for a while now. I can tell the difference between a conversational link and a militant one. You''re doing a good job signaling your intent during that process."


    I moved my hands around more than necessary out of nervousness, "It''s like, you''re probably just meeting species that are new to telepathy. If that''s the case, one tactic I''ve seen is sending an anonymous chat log to the person. They''ll know it''s you, and it doesn''t require any intrusion to someone''s mind."


    I coughed into a hand, "Ah, not that you need the advice."


    "I did not know...Am grateful."


    It stared forward, a comfortable silence forming in the room. I peered around, kind of surprised by that. Shifting us with a sudden jerk, the elevator shot upward, launching via magnetism. Several G''s worths of force waved over everyone here, our systemized bodies well adapted for the stress.


    We whirled past a glass viewpoint of space, several hundred other elevators leading towards the same area over us. The light source of this place rested over the ending point of our elevators, and when I looked up, it mirrored an eclipse. Turning my gaze elsewhere, other ruler class members shot upwards with the two of us.


    We all headed towards the same place overhead. Beaming up, we siphoned into the space without worry. Other rulers looked around like I did, though I was the only one with my hands planted on the windowpane. Even if it showed my naivete, I couldn''t help it. This was impressive.


    Looking at all the ridiculous levels, I found Obolis staring into the starry abyss. He interlocked his hands behind himself, not speaking with his other elevator member. He turned and met my eye, his own widening. He raised a hand, and I did the same. I even got a nice slice of humble pie after peering at a few of the other rulers'' titles.


    Gorjah, the Alethic Constant | Level 28,901 | Guild: The Erudite Path | Class: Founder...


    Mala-Jaysah, the Horizon Shatterer | Level 42,153 | Guild: World Cleansers | Class: Destroyer...


    Biacknok, All Bringer | Level 34,238 | Guild: Way of Enlightenment | Class: Cultivator...


    Shalahora''s status dwarfed theirs, but they still owning imposing titles with no less impressive backings. Spear found me gawking, and he gestured to the starry abyss,


    "You may think of yourself as a dimension, but this is what a pocket dimension can truly be. Schema crafted it using the same technology as his rings. It lacks the same restraints, and this is that might displayed in full."


    I smiled at the distant galaxies, none of them real, "It is impressive, but this place lacks the size and scope of an actual dimension. This place is small, almost confining even."


    Shalahora misted up to the glass. It radiated out, "And you know this...How, exactly?"


    I shrugged, "I''m a dimension."


    Shalahora murmured, "It says...You are a multiverse."


    I raised my palms to the entity, "Woah now, I do not recognize that title just yet. I''m just starting to get into the whole Harbinger of Cataclysm thing. A Multiverse? I''m not quite there yet."


    "Then I will call you...As such."


    Another quiet came as quickly as it shattered. Turning to the other elevators, I gazed at the shadowy figures in the distance. The metal trusses whirled by, blocking my view in a blur. My eyes adjusted, and I got another batch of statuses.


    Even from just the titles over their heads, the levels alone averaged at absurd heights. The average range sat somewhere between 25 and 50 thousand. At least from a cursory glance, the highest leveled one was the purple blot of miasma beside me. The ephemeral creature took up the majority of its elevator despite its misty form.


    It gazed out with pale blue eyes, its gaze carrying an empty coldness. It sighed before linking with me once more, "Have you felt it?"


    I shook my head, "What is there to feel exactly?"


    It peered up, and its voice cleared up some in my mind, "This meeting...It''s purpose. It will be...Drudgery. A nightmare. I despise these gatherings. Do you?"


    I put my hands on my hips, trying to talk to the kind of horrifying thing.


    "Yeah, I get that. I''m kind of trying to keep myself busy too. I mean, this was a real wrench in my plans."


    I sounded weird even to myself. Shalahora seethed, "It is the war. Elysium. They''ve gained new planets."


    My eyes widened. They already conquered more territory. That meant our guild stopped them from expanding more than I imagined. In the end, I expected as much. Elysium used a giant nanomachine artifact from an alien world, reverse engineered an Old One, and created an eldritch Hybrid. Taking over a few planets acted like an un-noteworthy end to their killer resume when compared to that.


    At the same time, being called here for Elysium sent warning bells off in my head. If Schema tried drafting our guild back into the war, I might be forced into service. That being said, it might be better to be cut off from Schema than forced to fight Elysium. The sheer number of possibilities for those two decisions burst in my mind like a mental volcano.


    Shalahora cackled before thinking over, "Fate will decide the outcome. Your belief that you may change it is simply an illusion."


    I raised a brow, "I don''t know. I think believing choice is an illusion is just a cop-out. I''m not exactly a philosopher, though, so take what I say with a grain of salt."


    The connection dimmed, and it turned away once more. It carried no emotion, an almost possessed creature. It stayed still as the elevator locked into the upper platform above us, the whirling, buzzing sound of raw mana flooding into our area. We hovered up slowly before closing into a position.


    The energy within the area dimmed before the walls disintegrated away. They formed into the floor, revealing the other ruler classes around us both. Quite a few stared our way, many of them accustomed to this process. Shalahora was one of them. The miasma cloud peered up, and I followed suit.


    Above us, an Overseer oversaw the area. Plated in dark armor, it showed a different model than the ordinarily bright blue of before. It pulsed red energy, reminding me of the Hybridized Overseer Elysium controlled. If I guessed right, this model used ascendant mana as the base, making it more of a war machine.


    It spoke with blood in its voice, confirming my thoughts, "You are all here. Good. Remain calm before Schema''s arrival."


    In all directions, uplighting exposed venerable stonework. The cipher smothered it all, ancient and elegant writing used for all of it. An earthy scent floated off the rock, molding with the smell of stagnant air. It siphoned into the Overseer''s palm as it echoed out,


    "You have been called here for the 7,821st galactic council. 500 random ruling class members were called here. During this time, convey your concerns to Schema. Our savior will do what it can to rectify your complaints. However, understand time constraints and resource demands."


    Shalahora let out a haunting laugh before murmuring, "That means it will do nothing."


    I crossed my arms, "I figured as much."


    The Overseer whipped its arm that held the condensed air. It blew into the roof of the well-maintained ruins, and dirt scraped off every surface. Flaying the debris off the inscriptions, the Overseer''s magic cleaned every inch of the entire expanse. By the time it finished, beams of red light had trickled into this domain. Seconds after, the cipher runes glowed on every surface, a primordial, dark blue mana coursing in.


    It kept channeling for a few seconds before a strange precision crossed over the entire expanse. I looked around, feeling dissected, prodded, and peered through. It reminded me of Plazia''s description of my primordial aura, but this originated from elsewhere. Booming from all directions, the source announced itself.


    "I am Schema. This is the beginning of the 7,821st galactic council meeting. Now, for the first order of business."


    Schema radiated out from every direction,


    "It''s time for introductions. New ruling class members first."

 330 Introductions

    I peered back and forth, looking around at the other rulers nearby. No one moved to any specific place, so I created a telepathic link with Shalahora. I murmured, "This probably isn''t your first meeting if I had to guess, so are there any pointers you have on where to go?"


    Shalahora radiated, "This is my first meeting as well."


    My eyes widened, "Woah, really?"


    "I''ve lived a long life...But it was not spent ruling over others. I isolated myself, and only recently have I decided to enact my will onto another species...This is a trial for me, in many ways."


    A wave of awareness crashed over me, and I nodded, "Ah...So you''re as lost as I am then?"


    "We walk in the dark in this."


    Schema''s voice ushered from the stone nearby, "Five new ruler class members formed since the last meeting. They shall traverse to the panel below and introduce themselves."


    The ascendant Overseer lifted an arm, generating a panel of mana. The red guardian manifested energy, forming a crimson disc that crackled out lightning and a dense miasma. I frowned at it. It was enough energy to cause side effects in weaker-willed people. Standing on that platform could cause hallucinations, mana saturation, or worst of all, mana devolution.


    Schema tested the new members, and it didn''t fall outside my notice.


    The Overseer pointed his finger at Shalahora, and the Sovereign beside me shifted out of the Overseer''s shadow. Shalahora held two locations simultaneously, one half beside me and the other resting on the mana plate. Shalahora linked to everyone present in a single instance, the chain solid and firm.


    I held down a laugh, the poor guy starting off with a poor impression. He mentioned people being put off by his demeanor, and this explained why. The guy wrestled into a person''s mind like slamming open a front door. Hell, Shalahora even did so with the Overseer, bypassing the restraints Schema planted with ease.


    The ascendant mana was no different. It trickled into Shalahora''s body, but the Sovereign battled back with pure, unadulterated dominion mana. The density and thickness of the mana defied reason, like a black blizzard. A contrasting panel of dark dominion crystals formed under Shalahora as it murmured,


    "I am Shalahora, the Sun Swallower. I no longer know my age, as I existed in the void for many years...My home planet was destroyed centuries ago...And I have treaded the stars, killing the eldritch...I battle with telepathy and mind magic..."


    Its form rippled, "And I aim to create lasting friendships here...To those that serve others aside from themselves. Should you fight me..." Shalahora stared through the crowd, "It will not be a battle. It will be a one-sided slaughter...But I hope it doesn''t come to that. It would be a shame."


    Schema announced, furthering the information, "Shalahora is a Sovereign who was previously a Fringe Walker. He moved from that class to the Sovereign for personal reasons. He''s cleared over 300 planets, wiping them clean. Treat him with respect, as he has killed other sentients many times before."


    The weight in Schema''s voice pressed from all angles, and I realized the reason for its depth. It didn''t come from any source; it manifested in my mind. Like the status screens staying open even with my eyes closed, I could plug my ears and still hear Schema''s voice. He skipped the sensory step, relaying information directly into our heads like he did with the system.


    That unnerved me, kind of like how the mythical compendiums took our minds away to some far-off place. Shalahora could''ve been accentuating that disparity with his own strength. The behemoth shifted back towards me, leaving his umbral platform of dark crystals behind. He stayed silent beside me, and he gave off no hostility despite his warning.


    The entity came across as casual and composed, not one-sided or menacing. Seconds later, the Overseer pointed towards the individual beside Obolis. A heavily muscled cyclops jumped from beside the Emperor. The cyclops left cracks in the ground, Obolis having to generate a platform, so he wasn''t sent stumbling.


    The coal-black cyclops landed on the ascendant platform, the energy radiating through him. His eye turned bloodshot, the beast only wearing a loincloth of leather. He wielded a club composed of eldritch parts fused with acid or alchemical potions. As the mana flooded him, the cyclops took a breath.


    Cipheric tattoos over his skin flashed with quintessence mana, several spirits coming to life within the cyclops. A single union of many tribes spoke through the cyclops,


    "We are the Kalat. We live for the gifts that Baldowah granted us, giving our species an absolute union. Now we serve his will, the urge to battle and..."


    The ascendant mana oozed into the cyclop''s body. The Kalat murmured, "And...And we are grateful to Baldowah and its grace."


    Schema added once more, "The Kalat serve Baldowah''s will, having killed several powerful (S-) bounties. Being the union of many millions of souls, the mental strength of the Kalat is incredible. When fully focused. They switched from the Breaker class to the Founder class to assist with another unity project from Baldowah."


    Schema spoke with a wry note in its voice, "The Kalat have done well, though they would do better serving under me entirely."


    The Kalat bowed, "It is not that we serve either more than the other. We simply enact the will of both our masters at once, in unison. We do this in all things."


    The Kalat leaped off, and I inspected their title.


    The Kalat, an Ancestral Union | Level 38,827 | Guild: The Kalat | Class: Founder...


    Shalahora murmured beside me, "Their life is strange."


    I raised a brow, "How so?"


    Shalahora rippled, "By considering the whole, none of them truly live...They are a fusion of all...And yet, they represent no one that actually exists. All those lives amount to that...I would never do the same."


    My many minds jumped into a defense mode. I crossed my arms, "I''d bet they''d be difficult to work mind magic on."


    Shalahora cackled and turned to me, "The opposite is true. A union is simple to destroy...You must create clashing conflicts within them, and the division splinters the whole...It falls like a tower of sand thereafter."


    I noted that detail, making sure I didn''t forget it. It could work in the future if I faced Lehesion or someone else in mental warfare. As I mentally jotted that down, the next member warped in instead of jumping.


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    A curvaceous woman with a seductive smile stared at everyone. She wore flashy clothing that accentuated her figure, retaining some class from the quality of the materials. Wings wrapped around her, coming out of her shoulders and hips, the lower limbs smaller than the upper ones. A light, green tint shone off of her metallic skin, and she spread out her wings while beaming light.


    With confidence, she put her hands on her hips and beamed, "I am Iona Joan. I am a consulate of Schema. I represent his viewpoints in various economic capacities along with organizing newer worlds during the culling process. Over the last two hundred years, I''ve saved over thirty worlds from falling into fringe status, getting species back on their feet after rocky beginnings. I did all for a moderate price with a lenient interest rate."


    Iona smiled at Shalahora and me. She put a hand on her sternum, "I''m not quite as prolific as that Sovereign over there, but I know a thing or two about how to manage an organization. If any of you need help with expanding or getting Speakers under your guild, I''m here to help."


    She gave everyone a charming smile, "Just send me a friend request, and we''ll keep in contact."


    She radiated out with charismatic energy, and I wanted to talk to her for no reason. I silenced those thoughts, knowing she invested heavily into charisma and the related skills to emphasize that route. To my surprise, several other rulers fell victim to her. They opened their statuses, and Iona giggled while smiling, "Thanks for the friend requests, everyone. I won''t let you down."


    I tilted my head, "Hm, she did a good job advertising, at least. She handled the mana with ease too."


    Shalahora peered through her. The miasma cloud murmured, "She ''advertises'' because she needs what others offer...To exchange admits weakness and need...I prefer my merits to be my own, not from others."


    I raised my brow, thinking about what Shalahora said. On the one hand, I agreed that having your own worth was vital. If a person''s value derived entirely from how they worked with others, that individual became the sum of what others did.


    At the same time, one person couldn''t do what many could. Seeing Torix struggle with the guild''s management was a prime example of that. Like with a lot of things, erring to the side of balance worked best. Either way, I checked out Iona''s title to see her level.


    Iona Joan, Schema''s Ambassador | Level 23,102 | Class: Administrator | Guild: The Alliance of Speaker Associates for Schema Centered Goals...


    The guild name was a mouthful. Before the next ruler stepped up, I considered talking with her to help out Torix. I sided against it since Torix hadn''t exercised his full abilities yet. Our lich needed time to use the credits I handed him. If a few months passed and the guy still struggled with it all, I''d commission him some help. For now, I kept my faith in our lich. He helped us kill Yawm, and he''d kill at managing cities too.


    The fourth new ruler walked up. As if writhing in pain, a condensed ball of eyes and teeth walked out. Twitching in pain or discomfort, the monstrous eldritch coursed out of the crowd. It drooled from several orifices, its body making my skin crawl and itch. It was like staring at a fleshy honeycomb.


    It moved in a flash, the stony ruins under the beast smashing apart. It landed on the ascendant mana plate, and the beast went berserk. A restrained berserk, but berserk nonetheless. It frothed at the mouth and hissed out in rage and anger. Something within its body controlled the monster.


    With its ironclad grip, it extended a telepathic pool out to everyone here. Unlike with Shalahora, this served as an invitation. Shalahora murmured,


    "Ah...This is how it''s done. To extend such a gentle hand is difficult."


    I smiled, "Eh, you struggle because it''s so easy to just rush over people. Everyone''s so different in what they can handle, mind magic wise."


    Shalahora considered himself, "Perhaps, but perhaps not. I believe the golemites were made to be symbiotic, and that gentles their mind magic. My species...Where not made to be so kind."


    A bit of pain lingered in Shalahora''s last words, but I didn''t ask for more details despite my curiosity. The Sovereign would say more if he wanted to. Instead of prying, I linked up to the telepathic construct, and a neutral voice spoke out,


    "Hello. I am M-901. I am a golemite Seeker who has recently transitioned to the Founder class after finding a species without any true guidance. I am offering them an upheaval in exchange for small amounts of mental space in gifted individuals of their species."


    I frowned. It sounded like he took advantage of some desperate race far off in the cosmos. The golemite rattled off, "And they are such a gifted people! The golemites, being as generous as we are, see their potential. In fact, I''m currently eradicating the mind of this eldritch-infested member."


    The eldritch devolved under the ascendant plate. The mana ruined its mind, its nervous system, and its body. The beast bubbled and frothed, melting at the seams while the golemite spoke in a casual, unconcerned voice,


    "And to my surprise, this Overseer has given me such a great opportunity here to dismiss this useless thing. Just look at this! This eldritch doesn''t stand a chance. Truly, Schema is mighty and deserving of recognition."


    A chill ran up my spine, the golemite talking like an advertisement. The golemite pulled itself out of the eldritch mass, the monster letting out exhausted groans in a heaping slop. The golemite, on the other hand, manifested as an ethereal blot of mana condensed into a series of glowing, compact cubes.


    These squares moved about and shifted like someone solving a Rubik''s cube. It ebbed out, "Anyone willing to partner up with a golemite is a friend, so please, talk with me after if you wish to share your mind with us. You may one-day host multiple golemites and rise to the status of an abyssal if you do. You''ll never know if you don''t try."


    A murmur rang out through the crowd of rulers. I leaned towards Shalahora, "What''s an abyssal?"


    The misty mass beside me writhed while it said, "The golemites extend a person''s mana pool and mind by hosting their form in a person''s body. They...Are exceptionally strong-willed and determined...Eerily so."


    Shalahora shivered, fear racing through the Sovereign, "The golemites are an odd group of sentients...The Abyssals they speak of are legendary, rivaling Avatars in power...Many open themselves to the golemites in pursuit of that status."


    Shalahora''s pale blue eyes bore on the golemite. Shalahora murmured, "But the golemites...They are like a dogma given life. They exist to pursue a strange religion that is incomprehensible...I have seen many fall to their cause...Few have risen, yet they are spoken of throughout the cosmos."


    I raised a brow, "Ah, so the golemites are like Elysium and Lehesion then."


    Shalahora tilted his head at me, "How are they similar?"


    I peered off, "The Adairs used a...A colossal telepathic tether to control Lehesion. They also imbued Lehesion with some kind of psionic fluid, probably based on the Old ones. I think that because the fluid is resilient stuff. Even after being disintegrated multiple times, that tether''s lock never even so much as waned."


    I blinked, "That being said, Lehesion leaned into the remnants as a new identity." I frowned, remembering Lehesion''s eclipse attack. I simmered, "If you ask me, Lehesion was escaping all the mistakes he made in his second and first lives. He ended up killing his previous lover and committing many atrocities. He wasted his opportunity. I aim not to do the same."


    Shalahora condensed and dispersed, his body turning more real or intangible as he did. It murmured, "A lesson, surely...You''re next to announce yourself...Luck be given to you."


    I smiled, "Eh, I''ll try."


    Schema spoke up through the crowd, "All of you know the golemites and their powers, so there''s no need to elaborate further. The final and newest ruler class may step up."


    The Overseer pointed at me. Unlike the other rulers, the ascendant Overseer snapped its fingers, sending over some kind of dimensional ripple. A chunk of the ruins and the air around me appeared on the ascendant plate of mana. I raised an eyebrow, remaining unaffected by Schema trying to jerk me around.


    The other ruler class members whispered.


    I hovered myself over to the ascendant plate of mana. As my feet made contact, the ascendant mana flooded into my body. It overflowed with the umbral crystal that Shalahora left behind. Through my feet, the energy flowed into my body. It left my skin glowing from its radiance, about three cipher''s worth of power here.


    My armor grinned as the energy writhed inside my blood and bones. The ascendant mana shouted out with madness, wishing for death and destruction. I tilted my head at the noise before quashing the lunacy of the tiny mana blot. I raised a hand, the ascendant mana flooding into my palm. I smashed it in my hand, arcs of lightning streaking out.


    I took a breath, mana flooding into my body. I pulled my helmet off my face, breathing out the red mist. I smiled at everyone, a glint in my eye,


    "I''m Daniel Hillside, the Harbinger of Cataclysm, but you can all just call me Daniel for short."

 331 The Lottery

    My armor grinned as the energy writhed inside my blood and bones. The ascendant mana shouted out with madness, wishing for death and destruction. I tilted my head at the noise before quashing the lunacy of the tiny mana blot. I raised a hand, the ascendant mana flooding into my palm. I smashed it in my hand, arcs of lightning streaking out.


    I took a breath, mana flooding into my body. I pulled my helmet off my face, breathing out the red mist. I smiled at everyone, a glint in my eye,


    "I''m Daniel Hillside, the Harbinger of Cataclysm, but you can all just call me Daniel for short."


    Chapter Begin


    The ascendant mana oozed into the air, forming spirals and static that left the air crackling. A few gasps rang out across the rulers, the younger and lower leveled ones impressed. Most of them remained composed, and a few of them even rolled their eyes. Some murmured,


    "Show off."


    "He thinks we''re impressed."


    "And what, we''re supposed to react to that?"


    I restrained myself, keeping calm and confident. The ascendant Overseer tightened and loosened his hands in a nervous gnarling, peeved about me disrupting his panel of energy. A miasma of mana suffused his surroundings as the entity glowered at me. That aura reached my space, and it oozed into my skin.


    No matter how I looked at, the guy attacked me. Annoyed by his impulsive reaction, I looked at him with a raised brow. I dispersed Event Horizon over my general vicinity. My dimensional wake''s density exceeded the Overseer''s mana. With that barrier between us, I spread my hands to everyone and stated,


    "My guild is the Harbinger''s Legion. We''re new to the galactic scene, but we still intend on making a big splash. That doesn''t mean any of you have to get smothered by our waves, however. Know that I''m not here to make enemies. Quite the opposite, actually."


    I turned my gaze as I spoke, keeping eye contact with everyone, "Our primary objective is to establish ourselves over a large domain of fringe worlds. We''ll also be focusing on terraforming worlds to become habitable for high levels of solar system density. We have the skills and abilities to clear those places out or bring barren wastelands to life, and we intend on using them."


    I lowered my hands, "If any of you has a fringe world near your colonies or you own a terraformable planet, send me a friend request. We can negotiate a deal. After all, I''m guessing only a few of you want to actually colonize those worlds, so we can arrange something that works for both of us. If any of you want my help in other ways, then, by all means, I''ll hear your requests out."


    I gave the crowd a wide grin, "You''ve all seen the war. I defeated Lehesion, and I''m an excellent fighter. You can lease my golems as well, and I can work with cipheric runes-"


    I gestured to the glowing runes over myself, "As you can all see, I''m willing to put those runic markings over my own body. I''m confident I can help with a wide variety of problems. In fact-" I raised a fingertip, quintessence forming over it, "I can sell mana as well if you''d like."


    I crystallized the quintessence into a large, jagged sword. Taking a hand, I carved into the sword, giving it a few enchantments by absorbing mana away from the blade. I swung the edge, and it left a lingering aura, mirroring a pale glow etched in the air.


    Once stabilized, I opened my pocket dimension. I placed the sword into the space before pulling it out. The blade came out coated in the dimensional fabric like dipping candy in chocolate before I flash froze it. The material released a soft squeal and hiss before I etched in more simple cipheric augments.


    As I crafted, I talked, "I''m good enough to produce pretty solid artifacts without any time commitments. I know what I''m worth, however. Come to me with a compelling offer because I''m not offering a charity here. If you treat me well, however, I''ll do the same in turn."


    I lifted the sword before channeling the mana within it. Its sharpened edge glowed a bright white, the dark matter contrasting the blade''s neon glow. I generated a block of steel before slicing through it. The blade left melted metal as I stated,


    "So yeah, I''ll keep in touch with any of you that feels we can arrange something that works for both of us."


    A few rulers'' eyes widened as the display of economic might. Crafting an artifact of this quality while delivering a speech, it sent a message. Taking that message to the next level, I highlighted it with one last addition. I grabbed the blade, and I grinned, "But yeah, I don''t like to keep junk like this lying around."


    I snapped the blade in half, gasps echoing across the room. As I melted it down, a few people gawked in horror. Piling the molten fabric back into my pocket dimension, I took a breath, "That''s all, guys. Have a good one."


    I turned to leave. The Overseer raised a hand as I descended, and it generated another panel of ascendant mana less than an inch from my face. Before I hovered into it, I frowned and simmered, "So what''s all this about?"


    The administrator simmered, "Schema will speak for you now. Remain here until I say otherwise."


    Peeved by his attacks earlier, I reared my hand back before jamming it through the panel. A high-pitched echo reverberated through the cipher-laden ruins, silencing the crowd. Lighter, pink cracks fissured through the plate before writhing wires shot out of my arm. I engulfed the mana while turning to the Overseer.


    I narrowed my eyes, "Really now? I''m stuck until you say otherwise? You''ll attack me again if I move?" Elemental furnaces revved into action under my skin, and my words rumbled like quakes in the ground,


    "These little jabs haven''t gone unnoticed, and they''re not so funny after the first time. You do anything like that again, and I''m retaliating. Understand?"


    The Overseer glowered at me while seething, "And what if you did?"


    A fierce smiled spread over my lips. I spread Event Horizon over him, suppressing his mana entirely. My tone rose in volume,  "I''d break you and rip you out of that armor of yours."


    The Overseer squeezed a fist, a tense silence passing between us. I spread my hands, waiting for him to attack me, and he did nothing. I turned while letting my hands down, "Alright, it''s good to see you can be civil."


    The Overseer lifted a hand. His gauntlet coursing with ascendant energy while it growled at me. Ready and waiting, I kneeled behind my pocket dimension''s opening, the starry warp capturing the invisible power of the Overseer.


    I stood back up, lifting an arm. Seven furnaces hummed along with my own mana, and a guillotine of gravity clamped over the crimson automaton. The Overseer froze in place, its ascendant energy wrestling with my own. While suppressing it, I grimaced and pooled Event Horizon over the entity. I shouted,


    "So this is how you treat a new council member during their first galactic meeting, huh?"


    I squeezed my hand, the metal plates whistling and bending under pressure unreal. I growled, "Come on them. You wanna have a go, then let''s go."


    The Overseer groaned before Schema radiated into our surroundings. The AI stated like a disappointed parent, "Don''t you think that''s enough, Daniel?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "He launched an attack at me. He''s lucky to be alive."


    Schema continued, "But there''s no proof of that, is there?"


    I opened my pocket dimension aiming it at an empty patch of rock. The Overseer''s caught attack lobbed out, punching a hole into the stone. A few of the less experienced rulers gasped, but most stared on in amusement. I raised my brow,


    "As I was saying, that was an attempt to kill me. Why didn''t its killswitch activate?"


    A tense quiet passed before Schema said in a calm voice, "It''s a simple error in its programming. Your guild will be suitably compensated for the offense."


    I lowered my hand while keeping the gravity well over the Overseer, "Like what kind of compensations, exactly?"


    Schema sighed before saying, "We can offer a personal Overseer over your home planet."


    I tapped my side before raising a hand, "Thanks for the offer, but we''ll pass. How about you recognize my guild''s structures as cities? I''ll call us even then."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Schema''s presence spoke with annoyance, "You generate too many cities to extend that many warp centers and yearly credit incomes. Offer different terms that are reasonable."


    I spread my hands, "But you still haven''t offered us anything for our contribution during the war with Elysium. You won''t recognize my established cities either, and your Overseers are attacking me." I put a hand over my chest,


    "Exactly what am I supposed to think?"


    A few whistles rang through the room, along with some satisfied laughter. Some outraged gasps dotted the room along with the low rumble of general chatter. People talked, and Schema listened. The AI stated,


    "Like most outbreaks, the rewards will be dispersed after the war is over."


    I pointed a thumb at my chest, "Isn''t there usually an option to pay up early? There was whenever we fought Yawm and contained that quarantine."


    "Indeed there was."


    I shouted, "Then recognize my establishments as super cities at least. Take clusters of ten different towns, all of them evenly spaced, and ball them into one region. That can count as a single city. That should make it a lot easier to handle for you, and my guild gets official recognition along with all the perks like warping and galactic exchanges."


    Another tense silence passed over us before Schema spoke, his tone unchanged, "Those terms are...Fair. We shall proceed in that manner going into the future. Your rewards for the war will be revoked, however."


    Knowing I squeezed ''rewards'' out of thin air, I dropped my hands, "That''s fine by me."


    I ended my gravity well over the AI''s administrator. The ascendant Overseer gasped out with its metallic voice, able to breathe again. The Overseer turned to me again, still angry at the situation. Schema spoke out as if chiding an unruly child,


    "You''re decommissioned from this assignment."


    The ascendant Overseer pointed at me, "He is working with a-"


    The Overseer''s words voided, no longer leaving the space it existed in. Schema''s presence muted him, the AI''s control of the area profound and dominant. The Overseer lowered its hands, its anger fading. It trembled before murmuring where we could hear, "Yes, Schema."


    A tear in dimensions opened, and a different Overseer walked out of a portal beside the ascendant. This new Overseer looked like a normal one, the pale blue armor covering it from head to toe along with the wires and large gauntlets. It shoved the red Overseer into the portal. The regular Overseer seethed,


    "You''re a fool. Be glad you''re not dead like you should be."


    The warp closed behind him before the Overseer floated over towards me. He extended a hand, "It''s good to see you again."


    Recognizing his voice, I smiled while grabbing the Overseer''s hand, "Ah, it''s good to see you too. How''ve you been?"


    The Overseer turned, pinching where the bridge of his nose would be, "Awful. Plazia-Ruhl created hundreds of thousands of de-systemized pockets on Svia, and I''m the one tasked with cleaning them up."


    I let his hand go, and I winced, "Ah man, sounds like a lot of busywork."


    The Overseer leaned to me, "You wouldn''t happen to know anything about it, would you?"


    I shrugged with a mischievous grin, "What, me? Pshh, no. That''s a hell of a mystery. You should get someone smart to help you with that. Me? I''m just a backwater savage. Don''t let Schema forget it either."


    The Overseer shrugged back, "Then if you happen to know whoever''s responsible, give them my thanks. The time spent on that planet is time I''m not spending in the war."


    Our regional Overseer spread his hands to everyone, "This is a mishap we apologize for. The ascendant variant of Overseers is based on new technology, and that particular model was obviously defective. It will be handled."


    The Overseer turned its armored head to me, "And the terms were agreeable for you, correct?"


    Calm and collected, I stated, "Absolutely."


    The Overseer gave me a curt nod before spreading his hands out to everyone, "Then contain rumors to this space, or else there will be consequences. I must go back to cleaning up an absolute mess, so excuse me."


    A few rulers waved at the Overseer, some of them rooted in our region of the galaxy. I took note of who they were, along with their faces. As I put their titles to memory, Schema announced throughout the realm,


    "That model will be taken care of. Moving back towards introductions, this is Daniel Hillside. His home planet is Earth, and his age is 24.7 galactic years."


    Even compared to suppressing the Overseer, the ruler''s reactions exploded. Most rulers stared at me in confusion, wondering how a Sovereign came about at such a young age. Others opened their statuses, researching and uncovering exactly where Earth was and what state it was in.


    Those that researched changed how they looked at me in an instant. Before, I stood out as a rising oddity among the rulers. Maybe I''d be powerful long into the future, but for now, I was an arrogant youngster rocking the boat. In their eyes, I simply lacked perspective, and meeting other rulers would fix that.


    But knowing my world hadn''t even left its protective phase? Even a fool could think ahead enough to uncover my meteoric rise. The confusion turned into a sharp skepticism. Even more so, genuine interest spread throughout the room. A couple bings rang in from my side, and I stared at my notifications.


    A series of friend requests poured in from a variety of rulers in the room. Forming this many connections like this exceeded any expectations I had coming here. At the same time, I swallowed down some frustration. Schema didn''t expose anyone else''s homeworld, which put Elysium''s sights on me if that information left the area.


    Peering around, I let out a breath out full of annoyance. Containing 500 different rulers wasn''t about to happen. I''d have to deal with it after getting back to Earth.


    Schema continued, "The Harbinger''s Legion defeated an S- tier bounty while still in its formative stages. It exposed Elysium''s plot for a rebellion, and the legion offered further military assistance for a time against the rebels. Despite its short time on the galactic scene, the legion has left quite a mark. Given his age and humble origins, the Harbinger is deserving of respect."


    Schema chimed, "Treat him well."


    Before Schema''s presence left the area, I reached out with Event Horizon.  My dimensional wake met Schema''s dominion in an unspoken and unseen clash. We wrestled for a moment before I got control of my immediate vicinity. It required condensing my aura and its effects, but I established my own sanctity over myself. He couldn''t mute me like everybody else.


    Satisfied with that result, I let the aura fizzle, giving Schema its dominance back. The quiet victory was plenty for me. Having a better idea of my galactic position, I pulled myself back into the Rise of Eden. It suited meeting people better than the bloodthirsty Event Horizon.


    I lowered myself back to the ground, returning to Shalahora''s side. The misty aberration murmured,  "It would seem you wished to be the one most remembered."


    I put my hands on my hips, "It''s more like that Overseer had a problem, so I had to act. I''m just glad I turned my situation into an advantage this time."


    Shalahora simmered, "That Overseer affected everyone that stood on that panel to assert its dominance. You earned friends by confronting it."


    I peered up, "That''s good to hear."


    Shalahora murmured, "And yet...You made enemies as well."


    I peered around, "As always, right? Let them come."


    Schema''s words erupted from all sides once more, "Now, let''s attend to the source of this meeting."


    I took a breath, expecting the worst. It arrived with force as Schema stated, "A galactic wide conscription will be taking place. Guilds will be assimilated into Schema''s primary guild, the Force of Iron. This will be a temporary measure until Elysium''s been taken care of."


    Disgruntled rulers snapped out,


    "What? That''s ridiculous."


    "You never defended any guild when they needed protection. Why should we offer the same to you?"


    "I spent my life putting my people in a place where we could live without fear. You''re tearing down everything we''ve built since the culling."


    Schema silenced the space around the rulers as it had with the Overseer. The AI stated, "You built your empires on my shoulders. Never forget that. I gave you system advantages from leveling to perks, and I enabled your economies via mass warping. I have even given you all protection from galactic horrors you know nothing about."


    Schema stated like stone, "And you will never know about them if I am successful in the future. I monitor trillions of lives. Septillions of sentients have been saved by me. I need to call on a few of your strengths for a time. That is all, and it shall not go without an award."


    I winced, knowing the reward paled when compared to the risk. Schema announced, "We''ll be offering doubled experience and quest completions."


    People sprang up in a silent uproar, everyone outraged but unable to speak. Shalahora linked up to me and said telepathically, "You know that those conditions are a paltry compensation for going to a war...What one gains is far less than what one loses."


    I gave Shalahora a tight grin, "It''s like I said earlier. We never got doubled experience or quest awards. They didn''t send us reinforcements either. We were on our own."


    Shalahora froze in place before turning towards the center of the room. The Sovereign menaced, "It would seem Schema is more desperate than I first envisioned...To abuse a newcomer to the system for its own gain...It is beneath one of Schema''s stature...It abused the most vulnerable among us."


    I frowned, and Shalahora raised an umbral arm. It hummed, "Schema''s actions speak more to its character than your own...There is no shame in being ignorant."


    My eyes hardened as I mouthed, "I''m not as ignorant anymore. I''m not fighting someone else''s war for free again."


    Schema spoke over the throng of rulers, "There is still a method of allocation regarding this conscription. Certain members will receive higher drafts, while others receive less stringent ones. That is what the lottery is for."


    Most of the rulers calmed down. Their anger still surged, but they listened close to the AI''s announcement. Schema said, "You will all be placed onto a fringe world of an enormous caliber. The requirement is to collect a cipheric artifact hidden within the world''s largest dungeon. Those that bring back artifacts of value will also not be conscripted as heavily. The ten highest placing members of the lottery will not be forced into participating within the conscription, and they will still receive the awards from the war."


    The runic markings across my armor glowed as I simmered, "Ah...Then I can''t lose."


    Shalahora crowed, "Neither may I."


    Schema radiated, "The period of this test will be three months within a gravitational sink. Minutes will pass here, and your guilds will be fine. However, the fate of your futures will be determined by your ranking."


    Schema''s presence left the area,


    "So let the lottery...Begin."

 332 Not A Game of Chance

    Shalahora crowed, "Neither may I."


    Schema radiated, "The period of this test will be three months within a gravitational sink. Minutes will pass here, and your guilds will be fine. However, the fate of your futures will be determined by your ranking."


    Schema''s presence left the area,


    "So let the lottery...Begin."


    Chapter Begin


    Rulers around me peered around in confusion, wondering what to do next. Taking a moment to do the same, I dove deep into thought. Many of my minds kicked into action, pausing all of my multitasking outside of my rune siphoning. We all debated with each other, every Daniel headstrong against placing low in the lottery''s rankings.


    Each of us arrived at different conclusions on how to do that. Some of the Daniel''s wanted to clear dungeons. Other Daniel''s wanted to craft objects and donate those instead. That idea dominated the discussions afterward as it proved a lot easier and more reliable than the dungeon clearing. Coming to a consensus, the minds debated on how to prepare the best artifacts.


    We accounted for what Schema valued the most and considering he was in a war, it''d be soldiers. In my case, supergolems shored up that need nicely. If I generated several hundred golems, there was no way I''d land outside the top ten in this competition, and that required weeks, not months of crafting.


    That gave us plenty of time to work on other skills in the meantime. Still, we lacked information about this planet. We operated on guesswork about where it was, how a gravitational sink formed, or even what kind of artifacts Schema wanted on it. Before I wondered further, Schema gave us an official message about it.


    You are about to be sent to a planet orbiting a black hole referred to by the moniker Leviathan. Time has dilated near Leviathan, and due to an unknown event in the past, this time dilation was inverted. Instead of stretching, time has compressed within the vicinity of this black hole, creating a strange world thats stabilized and orbited the celestial body.


    This planet will be referred to as Leviathan-7(The seventh planet found orbiting Leviathan). Many species have formed on the world in previous eras, but they''ve fallen to nuclear war several times. This has resulted in old, developed eldritch in a radiation-rich wasteland.


    Despite this, no consolidation has occurred yet, meaning eldritch still battles on Leviathan-7 for dominance. The radiation feeds these monsters, increasing their strength. Further bouts of radiation from the black hole have also strengthened the fauna here, resulting in a turbulent world. The time compression occurred in recent memory, but it has still resulted in a far older and more developed ecosystem than usual galactic standards.


    Also, Schema''s system will not be present while on Leviathan-7. This is a hazardous planet, but it lies well outside of Schema-owned space. This, combined with the time compression, means system updates and uploads won''t be timely nor attempted. Be prepared for these inconveniences.


    Initializing countdown to warp onto L-7.


    5:00 minutes remaining...


    4:59 minutes remaining...


    4:58 minutes remaining...


    I rubbed my temples as the rulers jumped into a panic around me. Giving us five minutes to prepare ourselves and our guild to warp was a joke. Another message appeared, splashing more cold water over us all.


    Each ruler will be forced to leave without assistance from their guild except the pocket dimensions. The reason for this is to prevent the unnecessary loss of troops that would otherwise be conscripted. Your individual merits and abilities will be judged here, so prepare yourselves for that.


    Smuggling extra creatures or personnel onto the world will result in immediate disqualification and a descent to the bottom of the lottery''s rankings regardless of the outcome. Good luck, rulers.


    4:55 minutes remaining...


    4:54 minutes remaining...


    I leaned back from my status, gawking at the messages. Schema calling it a lottery was a joke at this point. This venture turned into a competition the moment the AI mentioned rankings. And no matter how I sliced it, Schema set everyone up for failure. Many rulers managed their positions through economic means or slowly accruing power. Obolis served as a great example of this.


    Putting everyone in a dangerous world with no support may result in rulers dying while out there. I blinked, a set of realizations sparking through my head. First off, Schema may not want everyone to survive.  Any leaderless guild would be far easier to assimilate, giving Schema free soldiers. Secondly, Schema would gather enormous resources from the harvesting of this dangerous world. We''d pay for mercenaries for war with Elysium.


    Third and finally, Schema pitted us against each other to add to those losses. The strongest guilds would win and not contest the lottery since they had nothing to lose. That prevented them from rebelling against Schema. In the end, the AI gained a lot from this venture, no matter how I sliced it.


    We had no say in whether we left or not either. Giving us so little time to think also prevented us from organizing our own rebellion. I sighed, Schema''s plot being pretty foolproof. I opened my status, sending messages to primary guild members explaining the situation. I needed everyone to get ready for a considerable change over the next few minutes.


    After sending a few messages explaining the situation, I also considered some realities of my own. We didn''t know where this planet was, which eliminated the ability to warp in and out. Being near a black hole also meant leaving the world physically would be dangerous, to put it lightly.


    I didn''t even understand how a black hole had its time effects inverted or how it could orbit a black hole safely, to begin with, either. I opened several research tabs, trying to get some understanding of the situation. It required in-depth theoretical knowledge, something I couldn''t gain in five minutes.


    Dammit. I rubbed my palm against my forehead, trying to consider all the possibilities. If I guessed right, we wouldn''t be able to see the stars while on Leviathan-7. That prevented any would-be astronomers from knowing where we were and warping out. Peering around, other rulers did the same as me, trying to get as much information as possible.


    Everyone aside from Shalahora. The misty entity sat cross-legged and without a care in the world. Considering how powerful he was, he''d be in the top ten slots, no doubt. He also handled himself on a more individual basis. Unlike most rulers, Shalahora operated as a sizable chunk of his guild''s strength.


    I facepalmed. Duh. So did I.


    Instead of panicking, I calmed myself down. This was a fantastic opportunity for me. If anything, I could use this to catapult my guild onto the galactic scene with a huge splash. Thinking about all of that, a smile grew on my face. If anything, the factors here worked to my advantage.


    There was no system here, meaning I had free reign over my primordial mana. I could survive any environment Schema threw at us as long as it was on an actual planet. I needed no food, air, or anything really. That put me ahead of the other rulers who pulled out their grimoires and cast incantations to prevent death in a harsh climate.


    I tapped my side, my nervousness melting into a vivid excitement. In a furry of activity, I reopened my status and began messaging my guild about a plan in the works. Because of the time dilation, we didn''t have long before everything would happen all at once. For them, at least.


    To me, this plan would take months. For the new direction to work, I needed commitment from my guild members. I frowned as messages piled in, several guildmates giving me pushback to my idea. Torix and Krog gave me the most, so I prepared a few defenses for my scheme. We messaged back and forth, and I absorbed myself in my status.


    Beside me, Shalahora coalesced into a smaller figure, becoming more physical. His sky blue eyes closed, making him a shadow beside me. He meditated or trained. I couldn''t tell, and I didn''t have the time to analyze either. I needed to get everyone on the same picture and immediately.


    People around us began setting up alliances, and different rulers formed groups and cliques based on goals. Shalahora opened a single eye, gazing at the chatting rulers. He turned his eyes to me as I sent out a dozen different messages and guild-wide directives. Shalahora murmured,


    "Would you like to join forces on this new world...Perhaps?"


    I shook my head, "No, but thanks for the offer."


    Shalahora peered down, a bit disappointed. The entity closed its eyes and whispered, "I understand."


    I closed my status and looked at him, "I do want to form an alliance, just not within the first month of being there. I''d prefer we rally up a bit later, towards the end of our stay on Leviathan-7."


    Shalahora tilted its head at me, "Hm...Why would you postpone the alliance? It may do us no favors."


    I smiled, "You''ll find out pretty quickly, actually."


    Shalahora nodded, "I shall wait for the answers to unveil themselves then...Time always tells one''s destiny in that way."


    He returned to meditating, and I kept sending out several guild messages over the next few seconds. In particular, I mentioned an absurd influx of golems along with a sudden shift in guild priorities for the next coming months. Many of my guildsmen gave me pushback to my ideas and their immediacy, so we went back and forth.


    Other rulers congregated into different groups, forming larger alliances. I zoned everything out, intent on convincing my guild of my idea. I left the partial attention of a single mind to my surroundings. That mind mentioned the names of these larger groups for reference.


    Surprisingly, the new ruler Iona Joan led one of the groups. The pro Schema faction intended on donating vast supplies to the AI''s war effort through economic means. It wasn''t a bad plan. One of the other factions was run by Valgus Uuriyah, an avatar of Baldowah.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    They wanted to raid the most extensive dungeons and loot the supplies within them. It was another solid idea. The third-largest group took a different approach, focusing on survival. They intended to create a fortress to prevent any of their members from dying in the harsh landscape. I agreed with that idea the most.


    Even if it was apparent, the fact couldn''t be overstated; survival outweighed avoiding conscription. After all, we only understood baseline facts about this world, and the circumstances pointed to an awful environment. This faction, which I deemed the survivalists, had their priorities straightened out.


    Despite agreeing with them, I didn''t ask to rally up. In fact, I intended on teaming up with no one. The reasons were many, but I described them with an analogy. This felt like we were playing cards, and everyone wanted a pair of aces. At this point, I aimed for a royal flush instead. If I joined up with anyone, it limited me from accomplishing a new goal while on Leviathan-7.


    So, I sent out a flurry of messages with my status. Other factions tried recruiting me but especially Shalahora. The Sovereign ignored these powerful rulers, the dark shadow being the strongest among us as far as I could tell. Well, the strongest besides for Valgus Uuriyah, who swaggered up and dripped confidence while doing so.


    Valgus was a six-armed humanoid with red skin. Valgus''s black hair and eyebrows looked like they molded out of dark flames. He oozed ascendant mana everywhere he walked, his skin imprinted with Baldowah''s runic markings, and unlike Yawm before him, Valgus lacked the insanity of Yawm.


    Instead of becoming a pariah, Valgus served Baldowah with a firm conviction. I learned that much from his title alone.


    Valgus Uriyah, Baldowah''s Rage | Level: 64,928 | Class: Juggernaut | Guild: The Path of Rage...


    As Valgus reached us, he quaked the ground. He carried an unapologetic dominance over the landscape, each of his stomps loaded with power. They spoke out louder than words could, and each step told tales of the creatures he killed. He wore those creatures in armbands, the suppressed eldritch mirroring glowing gemstones.


    To my surprise, Valgus created different dimensional pockets for each of these eldritch. I sensed them through telepathy alone, as the monsters screamed out in pain through telepathic tethers. That pain created a psionic wall isolating Valgus from his surroundings.


    That combined with a dozen-plus furnaces and other strange artifacts over him. In that way, Valgus recited his legend with his walk, a myth he lived out as he paced up to an equal. Which wasn''t me. Valgus stared and shouted at Shalahora, "I felt your mind trying to graze me earlier. It was impressive. Join me."


    Shalahora looked up, his eyes piercing. The shadow menaced, "And why should I join you? What do you offer me?"


    Valgus smirked down, small tusks jutting out from the sides of his lips. Valgus spoke with absolute confidence,


    "You will join me because I am undeniable. I will conquer the largest dungeon, raid the dark core within, and return here in triumph. Joining me will guarantee you a slot in the ten immune spots. I can guarantee that. My legacy speaks for itself in that regard, does it not?"


    I noted the mention of a dark core in the dungeon. Shalahora sighed and stood. The umbral shade turned a hand to me, "May he join us?"


    Valgus turned to me, walking up. He stood taller than me by about a foot. At my height, it was like a few inches to me at this point. The Asura frowned in disgust, "You smell like a Ruhl. You also remind me of an eldritch with that armor of yours. Is it enchanted to be alive or something?"


    He poked me with a fingertip, hard enough to make me stumble back. He seethed, "Weak. And tainted. Why should I let this thing join us?"


    Not having time for this, I raised a hand without looking up from my status, "You know what, don''t worry about it. I''m not joining anyone. Do whatever you want, guys. Don''t mind me."


    I stayed busy sending a variety of messages. Valgus let out a laugh before reaching out a hand and grabbing one of my shoulder spikes. He lifted me up, the ground around us cracking and fissuring. Valgus tilted his head at me, "I changed my mind. You''re interesting. Join me or fight me. I''ll let you choose."


    I blinked, kind of stunned by his response. I frowned, "You just said I was disgusting. Now you want me to join you?"


    Valgus gave me a warm grin, "I''ve been wrong far more than I''ve been right. Eldritch or not, you carry a strange smell and aura. I wish to test it or have it on my side."


    I raised my brow, "Uh, any other options?"


    "No. I told you what is acceptable. Speak only to answer what I''ve told you, nothing else, child."


    I shoved his hand off me, taking a step back, "You know what, I''m kind of busy organizing my guild right now. Do you mind chatting once we''re on Leviathan-7? We both have a lot to handle before we head out, and this is a waste of time."


    He bent down, mana filling into his tattoos. He scoffed, "Then you''ve chosen to fight." He dashed forwards and struck my torso. His fist and arm bone snapped while I dragged several feet back. I narrowed my eyes at Valgus and stated,


    "Alright, you made me an enemy."


    He dashed in with a regular punch. I parried it with one hand while reaching out the other. I grasped his neck, strengthening myself with a dozen gravity wells. The Asura''s skin sizzled at my touch, my mana causing heat to build in my arm until it sheened white. Mana kept siphoning in until the glow turned a deep blue in color.


    I lifted Valgus off the rocky floor. Valgus smiled down at me, "You don''t like to fight? Hah. Lies."


    He raised his arms, his cipheric runes empowering with Baldowah''s strength. Valgus swung his fists down. My arm broke and cleaved apart, the metal rupturing while silver blood splattered onto the ground. My heated blood melted the stone beneath us, and both splintered remnants of my arms hemorrhaged.


    He ignored the density of my body, kind of like Althea did. Unphased by him, I tilted my head, keeping Valgus off the ground. I scoffed,


    "Is that how you''re going to stop me? Swinging your arms?"


    Tearing my arms off stopped my physical hold, but my grip on gravity remained intact. Wires jerked into place, reconnecting my arms as quickly as he split them apart. I tightened my grip without missing a beat. Valgus growled out with joy, "Then once more."


    Like an unstoppable force, Valgus waved his limbs with empowered ascendant mana and his cipheric runes. Whatever method he used worked well. He cleaved through my dense body with ease. In reality, it did nothing, like a child attacking a puddle. I reformed quicker than he could kill me.


    Even subtle attacks of his turned me to pieces, yet those parts of myself crawled back to my body as if alive. My blood lurched back onto me, and my hand kept tightening even as he splintered my arms a dozen times over. Viens expanded on Valgus''s neck. Other rulers gawked as a moment turned into several, Valgus struggling while I held him up.


    My helmet grinned at him while I stated, "You''re strong, Valgus. Far stronger than I am."


    He kept swinging in futility. I pulled him close and murmured, "But I am beyond strength...Remember that."


    The Asura loaded himself with ascendant mana, his entire body hardening. The shackles over him tethered out with psionic augments, and my gravity wells weakened before dispersing. Valgus reared his arms back and snapped three fists against my stomach. I keeled over, the physical impacts like Lehesion''s tail smacks.


    Portions of Valgus''s mana spiraled with such density that plumes of it erupted at his sides. Those crimson streams laughed and cackled with a palpable bloodthirst. Engorged with energy, he uppercut my chest, and an ear-shattering boom echoed with a shockwave in all directions. It destroyed the ruins, the cipheric incantations, and me. I erupted out my back, my insides turned outwards.


    Several rulers flew off into the distance. Valgus ripped my hand off of his neck. A bit of blood leaked off his lip, and the Asura licked it up with his tongue. He shouted with joy, "I was right. You''re just an eldritch. No wonder that Overseer saw you with such disdain. Eldritch or not, you''re a good fight, and that is something I crave."


    With a gravity well, I pulled my body back together in a flash. I frowned, "You still have normal blood, huh?"


    I frowned at him. I raised a hand, summoning a gravity well over him. Valgus grinned at me with a manic look in his eye, his body unaffected. He shouted, "No magic will ever touch me again."


    I frowned, "Is that the psionic tethers or something?"


    Valgus pounded his chest before roaring, "It is Baldowah''s grace. It is over me, always and forever."


    I held him in place with gravity wells seconds ago but whatever. Not having time to fight it out, I melted the ground beneath him, Valgus''s feet sinking in. I lifted my hand, pluming the magma over him before turning it to rock. At the same time, I snapped my fingers and formed a singularity in front of him.


    An explosion radiated into our surroundings, casting a thick, igneous cloud of ash over us. I melted the stone beneath me before sinking into it.


    Once surrounded by rock, I melted the stone while shooting myself away. I kept myself in a magma bubble to silence the process, melting and solidifying stone as I passed through it.


    Staying focused, I opened my status and went back to winning over my guildsmen. I''d handle this Valgus guy later when I had the time. Above, the ground quaked as Valgus blew up the rock above. I heard him through the stone and got a picture of him from his gravitational fluctuations. Valgus laughed before yelling, "You have powers I''ve never seen. Did you perhaps reincarnate? You smell of the Ruhl''s, so perhaps you were possessed by one? A lich of one, perhaps?"


    Shalahora murmured, "You intend to fight your way to victory then...And like this?"


    Valgus turned to Shalahora with a wild smile. Valgus spread his hands, "Of course. To fight is to live. We do so for Baldowah, the ruler of the cosmos."


    Shalahora dispersed while haunting out, "And his cosmos...He wishes for you to destroy it?"


    Valgus swung where Shalahora was, "No. He wishes for its rejuvenation. He wants us to bring about change, and that change manifests in battle. In finality. In consequence. In outcome. Baldowah exists as a reason for our immortality granted by Schema."


    Shalahora ebbed from the ether, "This is no battle, however...We must bring Schema resources."


    Valgus scoffed, "And where there is a battle, there is plunder. But do as you wish." Valgus stared where I was, "Both of you, wherever you''ve gone."


    Valgus turned around and walked back into his group of rulers. He wrapped his arms around the shoulders of several other rulers while laughing. Valgus wanted another fight on Leviathan-7 with both of us.


    Great. Just great.


    Even from that initial contact, it was hard to say who''d win since we both carried many powers, trump cards, and fallbacks. The only way to know who''d be victorious was a fight to the death or multiple deaths because of the luck perk revivals. Either way, I wouldn''t let him derail me anymore.


    With only two minutes left, I got my guildsmen over to my side. I even avoided the survivalist''s attempts at recruiting me by staying in my rocky capsule. As for Iona''s economists, they sent over a few messages while offering quite a few furnaces, a fringe planet, and even a warping specialist for me to use after we got back.


    They really wanted my help, but in the end, I rejected the offer. None of that mattered when compared to the real jewel of this lottery; the planet itself, Leviathan-7. The world rested in a patch of compressed time, and unlike an eldritch rift, this was a planet in our actual dimension. If we established a long-term settlement in this place, we would gain an immense advantage.


    This was because Leviathan-7 carried the benefits of a dungeon but lacked the disadvantages. Sure, some rifts manifested weird time scales, but if someone snatched the dungeon core, the rift collapsed. I locked away one of Yawm''s followers doing just that. Losing a settlement to that was an enormous risk. Schema could put a dungeon somewhere else as well at random. That happened to BloodHollow.


    Leviathan-7 lacked all these risk factors. Best of all, Schema wasn''t even on the planet. I could finish the research for Plazia there in relative peace. As the last seconds ticked down, everyone finished any last-minute casting. Breathable air, atmospheric pressures, even some antigravitational enchantments, they readied themselves for the ensuing struggle while I readied myself for triumph. The countdown reached a few seconds, and a strange wave of nostalgia passed over me.


    5 Seconds remaining...


    4 Seconds remaining...


    It reminded me of being locked into BloodHollow, where I barely survived and time again.


    3 Seconds remaining...


    2 Seconds remaining...


    But I was a different person than then. I changed from the ground up and inside out. I wouldn''t be sitting there, wallowing in a dark pit like before.


    1 Second Remaining...


    I was the Harbinger now, and it was time to prove it.


    Initialization complete. Welcome to the New World: Leviathan-7

 333 Leviathan-7

    5 Seconds remaining...


    4 Seconds remaining...


    It reminded me of being locked into BloodHollow, where I barely survived and time again.


    3 Seconds remaining...


    2 Seconds remaining...


    But I was a different person than then. I changed from the ground up and inside out. I wouldn''t be sitting there, wallowing in a dark pit like before.


    1 Second Remaining...


    I was the Harbinger now, and it was time to prove it.


    Initialization complete. Welcome to the New World: Leviathan-7


    Chapter Begin


    Panels of energy formed around me, reconstructing my reality. The world warped and changed, the air drying out and the ground hardening. Even when surrounded by rock, radiation bathed over me in its warm glow. Gravity intensified, turning several times more potent, and I burst out of my craggy coffin, peering around.


    Above me, a sight of overwhelming majesty overwhelmed everything else. The black hole, Leviathan, took up nearly half of the sky. It siphoned in matter and stretched reality, like an eclipse in the sky rimmed with stretched gold. It dominated the scene and eliminated any doubt of where I was.


    Even from this distance, Leviathan radiated out with an intense light, enough to fry most forms of life with ease. Gazing at my surroundings, nothing about the life here screamed average. Clouds of squirming, fleshy kelp floated in the sky, the air here dense as water. The plant strands floated with encapsulated sacks of gas, hovering well above the ground.


    The giant glowing disc around Leviathan gave them enough light to live as flying creatures scooped up the plant matter. Quite a few animals used the gas bubble adaptation in the skies. Predators with large teeth and claws aimed at the giant, grazing herbivores. They dove down from above, seeking to pin the grazers to the ground. One of these flying manta rays fought against a cloud of drill-like predators. This herbivore lost, being covered in leech-like drills beasts.


    It fell onto the ground, bringing my gaze with it. I raised my brow at the ''trees'' on the planet. At their peaks, they used the same gas bubbles to hold themselves upright, along with sharpened spines for leaves. Approaching a patch of these spiny plants, a giant blob swung a single appendage at the gas bubble of the spined plants.


    One by one, the ''trees'' collapsed under gravity''s might after having their sacks burst. Once on the ground, the upward-facing spines flattened. This blob rolled over the plant, peeling off the spines. After clearing it of needles, the blob absorbed the plant''s core, leaving the dense wood behind.


    I walked up, grabbing the leftover bark. It reminded me of oak, but it interspersed dozens more gnarled spots than average. I crushed it in my hand, finding some resistance. Metal threaded within its trunk. Looking at the dark, rocky ground, this place carried some life, but not as much as I expected.


    I hovered myself up into the air, finding it denser than water. If not for my enhanced body, the atmosphere alone would''ve crushed me to a pulp. Peering around, no clouds dotted the sky, only the fleshy kelp. That clear horizon exposed rolling hills into the distance along with no nearby rulers. As I inspected several colossal craters from afar, one of the flying herbivores floated over.


    It floated nearby, curious about what I was. I reached up a hand, finding its body smooth in one direction and rough in the other, kind of like sharkskin. It let out a few high-pitched calls, like a whale with a musical edge. Other flying herbivores came over, flowing around me and letting out a lot of calls.


    I smiled as they created a hovering concert, these gentle creatures letting out strange, harmonic music. I let them do their thing for a few minutes before they dispersed back to their feeding grounds. As one herbivore hovered away, another group of predators floated over. They attacked the flying manta ray.


    I killed the predators with a wave of Event Horizon. I owed the herbivores that much since they gave me a warm welcome to Leviathan-7. Over my head, A part of the accretion disc around Leviathan swelled and plumed, and it sent out a wave of radiation our way. Interrupting my thoughts, that flashing light clashed into the world.


    The hovering clouds of kelp spread out into a vast web over the planet. They darkened the skies, turning day to night, and this vast web trembled. The rays from Leviathan blasted through the dense atmosphere, and in yet another expansive, majestic display of nature, an aurora borealis formed over the entire shaded skyline.


    I gawked for several minutes, caught in the beautiful view. It was an otherwordly sight in every aspect.


    And yet, it came with consequences. As the wave of radiation passed, the algae condensed into tiny points. Radiation glowed over them before massive creatures plopped out of the sky. These glowings beasts showed many forms, all of them huge and evolved for combat. They left remnants of kelp behind, new webs forming over the sky.


    As the just-born beasts landed below, they left the entire planetside covered in scars. Craters formed from their landings, and they irradiated everything they touched or came near. The behemoths stood over fifty feet tall, each of them like walking skyscrapers. The monsters ran and sprinted towards one another, battling for dominance over the surface.


    From the ground, other behemoths from the past resurfaced. They joined this wave of combat. As they swung, gnawed, and tore at each other, they destroyed portions of the landscape. Mountains leveled. Canyons formed. Blood vaporized, and air plumed outward.


    While Schema didn''t tell me, those titans were eldritch and robust ones to boot. Below me, two nearby ones came into focus. A giant, trembling mass of plates fought against a four-legged, armored centaur. They both covered themselves in thick hides, glowing skin oozing from between the gaps in their covers. As they ripped and gored each other apart, splashes of their glowing blood oozed onto the ground. More minor, weaker eldritch came out of hiding and lapped up these pools of blood. Even from a distance, those eldritch evolved at a rapid pace.


    They fought one another, the entire landscape devolving into an absolute bloodbath. That''s why the normal creatures here survived. They weren''t even worth eating when the eldritch contained so much energy. One of those behemoths flew over towards me, able to glide on the dense winds of this world. Four wings spread over its back, bright red patches of skin covering the green glow beneath. It opened a serrated beak, four clawed appendages below spreading out to grab me.


    As it got near, I waved an arm in a circle. Testing my new strength, I reared a fist back before snapping a blow into the creature''s center. Using telekinesis, I concentrated my fist''s impact. I empowered my punch with gravity wells and grounded myself with the same magic. I pulled the creature to me, and I even used a couple furnaces to help me out.


    The results boomed across the entire region.


    A kinetic bomb exploded inside the raging behemoth, detonating outwards in a spiral. The force alone vaporized the beast into a fine mist. The kinetic bullet raced past it, drilling further into the distance. It diverted or destroyed patches of eldritch algae, creating a patch in the sky. As I marveled at it, the behemoths below did as well.


    I rubbed my hands together, Event Horizon''s eerie, crimson aura encapsulating me. I propelled myself towards the nearest behemoths, the both of them sheening with latent energy. I tackled into the writhing ball of limbs, and I grabbed them both. Event Horizon assaulted their minds while I channeled ascendant mana within my body.


    A monstrous hunger came over me, so I threw one monster into the air. I waved an arm, creating a thin, antigravitational slice as I did. This blade pulled the beast apart, cleaving it in two before I waved my arm several times. More antigravitational blades cleaved it into pieces before my armor shot out bladed plumes.


    Like metal ferns, my armor shot into the massacred behemoth chunks. Blood rained over me as I skewered the meat, and the blood evaporated on my glowing skin. I pulled the meat chunks to me, the flesh sizzling. I turned to the other behemoth in my grasp, the beast twice my size yet small in my eyes. It jerked itself away from me, tearing its body away from my grip.


    I pulled it to me with gravity, and my armor cleaved it into mush. It growled out in raging agony, and it cooked against my glowing skin. The monster''s bones fed my growth, and the beast''s body melted into mana. As both the eldritch died, my eyes found other targets in the distance. Giving way to the ascendant flow, I shot towards the creatures while laughing.


    A cloud of red and orange miasma fought against an island tortoise and a thin creature made of floating metal pieces. They gnawed at each other, each of them trying to kill the other by eating it alive. I shot through the miasma, Event Horizon disintegrating it as I passed by. I redirected my charge in a sudden jolt, throwing myself against the island turtle''s colossal, shelled back.


    I smashed through a shell hard as graphene by shoving my feet down. My legs broke against it, but they healed in an instant. I erupted a swarm of armored blades from every part of my body, blending the turtle from the inside. It hollowed out while howling at the other metal behemoth. The faceless collection of metal pieces tilted its head at the turtle''s dying face.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    My hand shot out of the turtle''s throat, pulling the metal behemoth into the blender. I pulled it apart, its body softer than my own. My helmet bit into the metal, savoring the odd flavor before I collapsed the empty shell with gravity. After assimilating that piece, I turned to another group of battling monsters.


    I threw my body through a mountain, pluming the monsters in a cloud of dust. Sparks and crimson lightning erupted from within the cloud, the sounds of battle coursing across the hills and horizon. Minutes later, I pulled myself out of the cloud, holding an eyestalk in my helmet''s mouth and a leg in my hand.


    I found more prey. I darted down underneath the irradiated soil, finding colossal world worms coursing in the ground. One swallowed me, its entire insides full of mana-infused, poisonous teeth. The bladed edges snapped against my skin, and I sent out armored spikes that slit the creature as it passed by.


    The sliced remnants regenerated in seconds, drawing in radiation from the nearby ground. I lifted a hand and created an enormous gravity well, my body radiating out with a deep blue color. The eldritch lifted out of the land, forming a canyon beneath us before I pulled it apart. The squirming beast let out blood dry as sand before howling out in a psionic wave.


    The noise passed me in a harmless drizzle before I smashed its two writhing halves together. Immense as a mountain, it growled out while crushing under the gravity well''s might. Once condensed, I snapped my fingers. A singularity fed on the creature before detonating it from the inside.


    It fell in a hollow sphere, forming an eclipse of sand over Leviathan-7''s surface.


    I spent the next few hours killing massive eldritch. These things rivaled stronger Hybrids, being enormous creatures imbued with lots of energy. The sheer number of mutations defied convention, many of the beasts holding strange powers. One of them even warped around, being difficult to pin down. I would''ve tried taming the damn thing, but it died in Event Horizon''s aura.


    Either way, I established a radius absolved of the world-ending horrors. I took a deep breath before nestling myself on top of a mountainside, finding a fantastic view of the landscape. Craters littered its surface, not really from meteorites but from eldritch spawn. They allowed mountains to form under this kind of gravity.


    I set myself down from the center of a mountain formed around these craters. Giant slabs of rock bellowed out together, the eruptive clashes nearby forcing the rock higher up. Sitting there, I shifted my mana into a primordial state. The bloodlust of ascendant energy faded, and the precision and perfectionism of primordial mana engulfed me. I let out a long sigh and pinched the brow of my nose.


    This simply wouldn''t work.


    Establishing control of this planet required strategy and finesse. I stared upwards, trying to find some map of the stars using my enhanced vision. Leviathan covered most of the sky, being bright and dark at the same time. The black hole''s accretion disc ebbed out underneath the world, casting light from above and below.


    The black hole covered three-quarters of the planet''s surface, wrapping around it. This planet had no night and likely never would. I tapped my fingers before rolling my eyes. The best place to establish a base would be the worst place to live on this planet. The more devilish and destructive, the better.


    To discover my relative location, I pulled myself into the world''s upper atmosphere. My golems and I would survive the conditions no matter what, and it gave me plenty of ramp-up time before anyone investigated nearby. Giving myself this enormous momentum ensured other rulers couldn''t stop me before I finished my goals here.


    The air thinned before the recesses of space came in. The stars hid in a dark veil, Leviathan''s glow too bright for them to be seen. Even this distance from the planet, gravitational tides ebbed in from the black hole.


    I hovered myself higher, every kilometer up creating drastic differences in how gravity felt. At some point, the tide of the black hole grabbed me over the planet''s own pull. I peered into the abyss, wondering what it would be like to just jump into the dark sphere. I reached out a hand before jerking it back.


    A strange sensation made me do that, and it reminded me of staring at a cliff and getting the urge to jump. The oddness passed before I turned back to Leviathan-7. Only a subtle curve of the planet showed itself in the distance. I pulled myself up a bit further, having to fight the gravitational tides at this point.


    Fearing the fluxes, I pulled myself back to the safety of the world, the black hole scaring me off. It stunned me how gravitational tides shifted so rapidly out here but stabilized near the actual planet. From that ascent alone, I learned this planet rested on a precise, carefully managed orbit. Even just a few kilometers in either direction would result in it being flung off into space or consumed by the abyss.


    Warping was the only way out of this place, and since we didn''t know the black hole''s location, we were trapped. It was as I suspected - Schema imprisoned us here.


    As I reentered the atmosphere, I blazed through the dense air and creeping kelp clouds. It tried infesting and gripping under my skin but ended up eaten itself. Once back on the planet''s surface, I traversed over the battlefields towards the far South. The black hole surrounding Leviathan-7 showed permanent light from three different angles on its surface. I aimed for the angle with the most exposure.


    While I zipped over the radioactive surface, I cooled myself. This prevented me from beaming myself out in all directions and letting far-off rulers find me. I also changed my body''s shape to a much thinner, smooth line. The aerodynamic shape let me slice through the wind without making a big fuss as I did.


    As I passed, I got a better vantage point of the environments of Leviathan-7. Most portions of the world carried sparse plantlife with dense clusters of eldritch. The pressure vastly exceeded Earth''s, and the temperature varied depending on how much the black hole acted up. However, the temperature would''ve boiled blood at least.


    Well, if not for the floating kelp strands in the distance. They contained most of those extraterrestrial forces, converting them into eldritch. While they smothered the planet in bloodthirsty beasts, they enabled life as well. Everything would roast under Leviathan''s gaze otherwise.


    As I sped past the environments, they flashed in my vision one after the other. Deserts, jungles, forests, plains, and other terrestrial locations covered most of the planet. Everything outside of oceans or lakes. Other oddities stuck out as well. In that regard, I found this planet mirrored Giess in a lot of ways.


    Both planets ended up being dominated by the life forms on their surface.


    However, the silvers fed on mana pollution. Here, eldritch reigned by ingesting radiation. This gave everything an ambient, gentle glow at all times as the creatures feasted on the plentiful energy source. At certain spots, these radiation sinks formed where the energy piled up into pits.


    In those tunnels, dark monsters reigned and roared beneath the ground. They were the dungeons Schema talked about. I always wondered what the eldritch looked like on a planet without Schema, and this answered my question with clarity; the eldritch dominated everything. The everyday life here existed as poor feeding packs for the monsters, a stroke of luck for life here.


    If they presented better meals, the eldritch would''ve eaten the life here to extinction long ago. They hadn''t, making this a rich land smothered with cancerous creatures. It left me solemn, finding so many typical life forms trembling under the radiation that fed the eldritch. The regular life here persevered with silent suffering, their hunched backs and deformed limbs telling their story for them.


    It left me saddened.


    As I entered the far South, the planet''s environments ramped up in intensity. The deserts held radioactive grains like tiny bits of colored glass in their red dunes. These colored bits condensed into giant, crystalline clusters between dunes. Curious about them, I landed and tested one of them out. They mirrored the bones of the behemoths spread across Leviathan-7''s surface.


    I took a few of these clusters with me before moving further on. The forests here let out a permanent glow at all times, becoming irradiated pits. Every creature cranked up its mobility, speed, and power. Trees grew miles high, overcoming the limits of gravity and presenting strange colors. Some plants even grew condensed radiation fruit.


    I took a few pieces, trying them out. They tasted like fruity blood and sweetened meat. Grotesque at first, the flavors grew on me after a while, though I preferred an apple or banana if I had a choice. Also, the fruits warmed my skin and stomach when I swallowed them. It was like ingesting a campfire. If I had to guess, the radiation was the cause.


    Covering thousands of miles in less than hours, the glow of the black hole increased in intensity as I got further South. It evolved into a blinding blaze in the sky. Overbearing, oppressive, and permanent, it radiated out with a vast accretion disc in the sky. The kelp kept growing in density above until it formed a canopy that contained most of the light leaking in.


    A forest formed beneath this cover, the fleshy kelp letting some ambient rays peak through. Those streaks of blinding brightness leaked between these vast shaded areas. This created a multilayered ecosystem. Above, the algae converted radiation into eldritch monsters. Behemoths fell down from the algae at random intervals, fighting in a forest below the algae.


    This irradiated battlefield grew at an unreal pace, life-expanding in real-time. The Behemoths wrestled and fought over the growing life, keeping it trimmed. On the surface, the monsters displayed a feast of primordial forces. So much movement, vitality, and chaos, it almost overwhelmed my senses.


    I killed quite a few behemoths as I passed, no longer worried about a ruler finding me. This landscape seethed at some absurd temperature. Every square inch of the ground and much of the air smothered in eldritch and dangerous spores. No one in their right mind would want to live in this hellish place.


    You know, besides for me.


    Crossing to the deepest part of this jungle, I found the harshest part of this planet. This southernmost portion of Leviathan-7 pointed directly at the accretion disc''s origin - the brightest chunk of the black hole. This planet seemed tidally locked that way, the black hole remaining a constant in the sky.


    No oceans pooled here. They''d evaporate. The water locked into the endless, abundant, and flourishing life here. Above me, multiple layers of the algae forest formed into a four-tiered hell cake. Each section of depth resulted in more energy and carnage. This made Giess look like a peaceful land, and Earth might as well have been dead by comparison.


    Thousands of behemoths raged in all directions. Patches of the algae forest exploded and regenerated at all moments. If several of those patches lined up, rays from the black hole stung down like laser beams. The sheer radiation melted the stone at the deepest section, leaving cooling pits of magma interspersed far from each other.


    It was...A lot to wrap my head around. The ground at the deepest part acted like a graveyard, the behemoth''s broken bones piling up. In a glorious display of beauty, these multicolored shards created rolling, opalescent hills. They piled up like mountains made of prismatic opals, and in this apex of the eldritch, their final forms took root.


    But instead of turning into Spatial Fortresses, they condensed into god-like creatures.


    They incarnated as different elemental forms. Some radiated like stars, shining into the distance. Others raged as blizzards of ice, no longer corporeal. Featureless, shifting storms of metal feasted on the multicolored bones below. All of these titans did. One of them could''ve conquered Earth.


    But they were in for a rude awakening.


    My many elemental furnaces fueled into action, and many of my minds took on different roles for combat. I set up a line of targets, preparing a battle plan. I shifted back to Event Horizon, and I readied several minds for a psionic battle as well. Once my body saturated with mana, a plasma of energy formed around me, melting anything nearby. It was time.


    I stared at these horrific monsters, and I pounded my chest to get their attention. They peered at me, and I peered at them. A silence passed over us where I mused where to put the start of my colony.


    And so, the roaring began.

 334 Chaos Incarnate

    But they were in for a rude awakening.


    My many elemental furnaces fueled into action, and many of my minds took on different roles for combat. I set up a line of targets, preparing a battle plan. I shifted back to Event Horizon, and I readied several minds for a psionic battle as well. Once my body saturated with mana, a plasma of energy formed around me, melting anything nearby. It was time.


    I stared at these horrific monsters, and I pounded my chest to get their attention. They peered at me, and I peered at them. A silence passed over us where I mused where to put the start of my colony.


    And so, the roaring began.


    Chapter Begin


    I roared with them.


    A blizzard elemental coalesced into a void ice figurine. Alien and deadly, the monster sliced towards me at unrealistic speeds. Several sonic booms exploded on its path towards me, and its ice blade stabbed through my stomach. Without hesitation, the beast gouged out my eyes before slicing through my torso.


    My molten blood pooled over the creature, a gravity well siphoning the superheated material onto the beast. It sizzled while we battled back and forth. My blows erupted kinetic plumes out of its back, the invisible force seen by its impact on our surroundings. The ice creature''s density and hardness exceeded my own, its composition an anomaly.


    The opalescent fragments below shot out like tiny bullets as our strikes ushered out booming echoes. The monster regenerated with utter vitality, the energy within the creature pulsing out in waves. It fell into a rhythm, empowering with radiation and the bone pit below.


    I slammed a blow into its stomach, cracks tracing its entire body. It siphoned energy from the bone pit, healing instantly, and it even stole more power from the ground, speeding its slices to an absurd pace. One sliced through my cheeks, another through my thigh. Opening my regenerated eyes wide, my augmented senses comprehended the quick cuts after experiencing a few of them.


    I parried each of its swings which left elegant ice trails in their paths. I deflected each swing with subtle movements, wasting no motion or time. I used my pocket dimension to contain icy blasts and to redirect them. I incorporated singularities at moments of vulnerability. I used the vast armada of tools I amassed since becoming a fighter.


    And it matched me.


    It pulled more energy from the graveyard below. It sped faster, comprehending the madness of our fight with instinctive ease. It was born for this pace, and I wasn''t. I never fought anything this fast, strong, or fierce. Catching me off guard, this single eldritch pushed me back as we tore each other apart.


    I redoubled my efforts, directing more mana into the confrontation with each passing second. It did the same. The spread of our battle sheared portions of the kelp layers above. The weaker behemoths above disintegrated from the kinetic waves blooming off our attacks. We splashed onto our surroundings, each of us leaving a slaughterhouse in our wake.


    As time passed, the battle dragged on. This eldritch never tired. It never relented. It persevered with unwavering tenacity, the will of its mind like a raging tempest. I felt no fear. I smiled at the push and pull of battle, the deadly dance consuming me. I honed in on the fight with an absolute focus.


    Wielding my ascendant aura, I appreciated a fine battle, one I hadn''t had in ages. Falling into the experience, I eliminated everything else in my mind, the primordial rune calming its endless hunger. With all of my psyches redirected to this creature, we gained the upper hand.


    I swung out a mana empowered strike, landing a kinetic bullet into the creature. Cracks ebbed out from the impact, but it regenerated in a second. It sliced through my torso, the cut too clean for its own good. I restored before I fell apart. Thinking on the spot, I turned the kinetic bullets I used into long lines.


    This turned my blunt punches into long swords. The damage of my attacks multiplied. I landed a strike across one of its arm segments. The fragment crumbled into many pieces, joining the blizzard around us. Those crumbled fragments coalesced into an icy liquid, splashing towards me, and I raised my dimensional shield.


    The pocket dimension captured the attack before I swiped it towards the eldritch. A section of its body cleaved into the portal, the warp''s edge leaving a smooth slice in its wake. I turned on the balls of my feet with a whipping hook, and the creature dodged my strike. I put its captured fragment in the way of my punch, a crash and icy mist smothering us.


    It howled out with an unearthly cry, higher-pitched than humans should hear. It spun in a circular typhoon of attacks. I parried and deflected each spiral slice, firing gut-wrenching punches into its body. As I did, my armor created zoning blades, keeping the icy fragments in the way of my attacks.


    It rallied to recover, flowed through the air by turning incorporeal. I condensed Event Horizon over the monster, the floating mass vulnerable to the aura. I bent down before leaping towards its escape, and the eldritch condensed into a finite point. The sphere sharpened to a needle, and it fired through me.


    Darting in and out of my body, it sliced me apart. The shifts in its speeds erupted out sonic booms in a dizzying display of velocity and acceleration. Taking a hint, I condensed my own body to the utmost extent. It pierced me still but with far less ease. It kept ripping me apart before I predicted its path. Elongating my body, I created a long section of my armor for it to pierce through.


    It sunk in, reaching two third''s through me. I returned to my usual form and roared forty furnaces into action all at once. My blood and bones converted to heat, mana coursing through me until I melted. The channeling mana compounded this heating effect until I smothered both of us.


    Furthering the reaction, I compressed us within a tight gravity well, the mana pooling into an extreme force. It weighed me down, my body tightening into a ball. Nearby air heated to plasma, each of us turning into a glowing slush. The ascendant mana coursed to the point of absurd volatility, yet the crimson lightning no longer streaked outward.


    The plasma around me captured it, turning us into some ionized mass. Minutes of boiling us alive turned into hours before the icy monster finally died with a fierce cry. I returned to my average body, falling down onto the shards below. I gasped, the sheer brutality of the fight giving me flashbacks.


    As I stared at the iridescent sheen of the bones beneath me, I felt something in my chest. I pulled three spheres out, finding three blue cores in my palm. I gawked at them, overwhelmed that three stored inside the eldritch monstrosity. Even stranger, these dungeon hearts carried an energized volatility that Schema''s cores lacked.


    Putting myself back in the moment, I pocketed them into my dimension before turning around. We left the entire underside jungle in shambles. The glowing bones melted into a crystalizing pit below and above, the kelp forest regenerated several layers where we blew holes in the canopy. The other primeval eldritch fought in the distance, giving me space to become the victor.


    As I stood, another shining monster came by. This glowing, red star spread its arms wide. It gazed through me with one menacing eye, tinted a blazing orange. It condensed a beam of light at me. I reached out a hand and squeezed a dozen singularities in its chest. It snapped apart, vaporizing into a fine mist.


    The misty remains flowed down into the piles of glowing bones. Its form reconstituted instantly, and I closed my eyes in frustration. In the distance, a dozen of these monsters fought in my field of vision alone. Clearing this place out of these monsters might take years at this rate, let alone three months.


    I let out a sigh, having underestimated this place. Instead of brute-forcing my way through, I took a second to think as the shining star condensed energy. Peering around, the bones radiated out with intense flows of energy. I leaned down and put my palm on them, sensing what coursed within.


    My eyes widened as I leaned back. I gawked at my surroundings, the hills whispering and speaking out with untamed cries. Every piece of shining bones was alive. They molded into an ancient, unspeakable behemoth of a creature. A monster that covered this entire side of the planet. The eldritch above fought and died, feeding it their broken bodies.


    It rested as a sleeping giant, being a looming threat in the far future. But it also presented an opportunity. I formed a telepathic connection with it, but its mind dwarfed my own. Racing to find a weakness, I found gaps in its defenses. It carried millions of different thoughts, no unity present within the beast.


    Shifting to primordial mana, I conquered a tiny patch of bones nearby. After taking over the patch, the star beast beamed an incinerating ray at me. Changing to Quintessence, I raised a dimensional shield. For miles behind me, the ground vaporized. I remained, having caught the energies in my dimensional barrier.


    After it passed, I reached out a hand and formed singularities in its chest. It pulsed away, and I turned my hand to keep a line of sight on the creature. It beamed across the air, turning into a flashing light as it did. It shot around me at all angled, the beams flashing in all directions. It overwhelmed me and burned my skin.


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    Out of frustration, I growled while spreading my hands. A flash of mana coursed through me and generated a hundred singularities nearby. A tidal wave of dark blots spread out in every direction, siphoning in everything nearby. The shining stain dashed into one of the singularities, catching it off guard for a moment.


    I clapped my hands at it, turning its body into gravitational implosion fuel once more. The remaining mist shot back into the bones below. Wielding a dozen minds, I shifted to my primordial state. I fought over this portion of opalescent shards, stopping the star from siphoning more energy. Captured in the bones, it wrestled to escape. Dashing forward, I generated another plethora of singularities over its escape route. The mist still survived, devolving from a dense fog to an airy ether.


    A wave of Event Horizon condensed over the creature. I roared at it,


    "Give in."


    It obeyed, staying there and dying in the aura. As it passed, I took a few deep breaths. As I did, four vibrant blue cores dropped out of it. Another primeval eldritch bolted towards them, and I raced the beast. A hair''s breadth faster, I scooped the blue pearls up. Continuing my scooping swing, I whipped my dimensional shield over incoming eldritch.


    The monster fell into my pocket dimension, the momentum sending me slamming back into the shining bones. Laid out on a pile of shards, I gazed at the ever-changing kelp sky, taking a deep breath. Circumstances changed fast on Leviathan, that much was sure.


    Pulling myself back upright, I sensed the beast within my dimension. Under my complete control, the gravitational beast acted as a living shadow. Unlike Hod or Shalahora, this monster wielded gravitation. It bent time and light, neither present in my pocket dimension.


    The beast couldn''t have asked for a poorer matchup. While in stasis, I siphoned antigravity over the creature. Unable to regenerate or defend itself, it died over a few minutes of channeling. Four more blue cores remained from its corpse.


    Having a moment to think, I peered around. At this point, I cleared out a small area of the primeval eldritch. Not needing to fight every split second, I lost track of time while fighting, but based on my estimations, it took about two days to kill these eldritch. The ice one bogged me down, and I couldn''t afford to take these threats on so slowly.


    I blinked before staring up. The young behemoths fought on the higher slices of this ecosystem, and their deaths fueled the more advanced eldritch below. If I cut off that endless stream of monsters at the source, I''d eliminate these beasts below. After that, I could expand and have a set amount spawn for blue core generation.


    Making that happen was the problem. These abyssal eldritch could quickly kill my golems, but the behemoths above couldn''t. Probably. Thinking of adjustments, I peered around at the ripping patches of kelp. These young behemoths spawned all the time and all over the place. It was an infinite loop in that regard, and fighting them was a waste of time for me.


    Changing into my primordial aura, my thoughts cleared. I tapped the side of my leg, coming up with a different idea. I pulled out my grimoire while taking over this chunk of living rainbow bone beneath me. After playing a game of mental tug of war, I pulled a shining capsule over me.


    In this pit, I pulled out my dimensional fabric and got to work. I looked over our team''s runic configurations and algorithms, and I gave nods of appreciation. These were impressive works...Despite all the flaws, imperfections, and general messiness. Considering our experience levels and the time constraints, I couldn''t fault us.


    But there was much to do and little time to do it.


    I snapped my fingers, thinking of improvements on the fly. Not having days to spend on this project, I constructed several improvised adjustments. It took about two hours to iron out some translation issues before getting the adjustments finalized. I pulled out my grimoire and stared at the new, much better cipheric engravings.


    And I winced at them. Gah, ugly.


    I didn''t have time for incessant perfectionism, and a set of pounding impacts above reminded me of that fact. Each impact cracked the rainbow bones, but I kept pulling more of the stuff to repair it. At the same time, I let out a sigh, containing the urge to shred my new runes before I began constructing golems.


    Other minds helped me execute and push past this relentless perfectionism. I ended up finishing thirty of these new golems as the ancient mind stirred from my interference. It wrestled for control of the rainbow bones, limiting my time even more.


    I turned to each of my new golems, the improvements paling in comparison to my new rune. Still, these golems carried several adjustments for Leviathan-7. They worked in teams of three, each of them isolating and destroying behemoths one at a time at the kelp forest''s uppermost section.


    These golems also carried ascendant cores. The mana gave them hunger and the ability to assimilate eldritch energy like I did. The conversion could use a lot of work, but I tolerated it for now. Getting control of the situation took priority. Rubbing my temples, I said over the pounding impacts above,


    "Now, each of you will need to go up to the uppermost layer and stop the spawns. Safety is the absolute, highest priority. Do not, and I repeat, do not go down to these lower levels. You''ll die a useless death if you do."


    Changing to Event Horizon, I stared at them with piercing eyes, "Understood?"


    They shivered before giving me nods. I peered at them in silence before waving my arms, "Now let''s move. We have ground to cover."


    They spurred into the action as one of the empowered eldritch left a blooming flower of cracks on the bony plates above. Turning primordial, I raised my brow, trying to get the rainbow bones to attack the eldritch. The ridiculous shards refused me, but I expected as much. I rolled my eyes before changing back into my ascendant form.


    I shot towards the pounding sound. I cut my way through the rainbow bone with my shield overhead. I timed it with one of the monster''s collisions, capturing the beast within my dimension. The electrical spirit cackled and hissed from where it released a thunderstorm above.


    Trapped and in stasis, I tried killing it by smothered the electrical entity with dirt. It left no impact on the aberration. Howling out over the rolling hills, three different primeval eldritch shot towards me and my golems from a distance. They aimed to destroy my golems, something I couldn''t allow.


    My minds racing for a solution, I came up with a game plan. I psionically synced with the other golems, and we launched up, heading towards the upper layers of the kelp forest. We darted through the algae strands, finding weaker behemoths on the second tier of the planet''s ecosystem slices.


    Three uber eldritch followed behind us, each of their compositions different but deadly. A ball of living vibrations disintegrated matter as it passed through objects, and another eldritch coursed through the air as liquid light like some higher being. The last one moved as minerals, having made its body out of the rainbow bones.


    They homed in, and I acted as a shield for my golems. My forces escaped to the upper echelons of this place. Taking a breath, I closed my eyes as the eldritch closed in. I opened my eyes with a growl as the creature of vibration cycloned into a spiral. It erupted out with a twisting, kinetic storm that blurred our dimension.


    It disintegrated three behemoths beside me, but I hid behind my dimensional shield. The monster of light shot past me, piercing through my body from the side. It left its glow within me, and it spread out like glowing poison. A cleansing fire erupted over me, yellow flames popping out over my skin.


    The mineral monster came up and turned its arm into a hammer. Slicing with speed, it slammed me down into the shards below. Being made of rainbow bones, the ground only crushed several feet, and my body pulped against it. From my destroyed state, I stood up. As I arose, my body healed in tandem.


    It was as if a living Daniel stood out of a dead one.


    The three primevals used a combination attack. The ball of vibrations coursed onto the mineral being''s hammer arm. It lifted its hammer while slamming it down to me. The light monster formed an eclipse over the hammer arm, creating a wall of light around me. This created a small tunnel.


    Testing its rigidity, I smashed a fist into the wall of light. It held firm, sparking lights erupting from my fist''s collision. I turned around, peering up. Panic ignited in my chest as the mineral beast shot down hundreds of feet to me. A plan sparked in my mind, and I followed it.


    I swung my shield up to absorb the combination attack. The hammer fell in, a large portion of the vibration beast sinking into the abyss. I followed my dimensional shield''s path with my other fist, empowering it with condensed strands of armor. I crushed my hand into the mineral monster''s face, smashing it apart.


    Its head crumbled, and the punching hand after it impaled the mineral monster''s face. In an instant, I generated several singularities over the liquid light. Its body splintered, my attack absolute. At the same time, the mineral crashed down beside me, a kinetic bomb erupting in the tiny, enclosed tunnel of light.


    Multiple minds worked in sync, letting me leap up in time to point my dimensional shield downward with my other arm. I pulled the captured electric beast out from earlier. It blocked the majority of the ensuing explosion, lobbing me upwards towards the liquid light. Passing to it in a wicked rush, I smothered the light monster with Event Horizon.


    It fled up the chute of energy it created. This lined the creature up, and I lifted my dimensional shield again. I released the captured laser beams from earlier in a burst, decimating the creature of light. The blowback propelled me back down towards the other primevals below me.


    I turned myself into a thin line while speeding my descent with all the gravity I could muster. I passed its initial kinetic wave with ease, strengthening my gravity wells with each passing second.


    A second before I landed on the vibration and mineral eldritch, I turned myself into a flattened ball. An enormous explosion erupted, contained within the light tunnel. It pipelined the energy into an incinerating, destructive eruption that shot far above the atmosphere and into space. My gravity well pulled in objects far in the distance, the air and atmosphere falling towards the pillar of light.


    Cracks formed over the glowing tunnel before it shattered. The energy radiated outward in every direction, destroying dozens of behemoths degenerating. The kelp seas above parted, exposing Leviathan and its perpetual glow. A gash in the rainbow bones formed below, and the monsters from afar squealed in agony.


    No fragment of the monsters remained. No limbs, blood, nor breathe. Only the blue cores hummed beside me, my senses fuzzy and strange. Everything unveiled around me as gravitation or mana, no physical feelings rushing in. Turning my awareness inward, I found no physical body. I existed as my dimensional wake alone, having disintegrated into nothing.


    And from nothing, I returned.


    My body reconstituted, phasing into existence. I stood among the liquid pit of dead behemoths and primevals. I soaked them in while turning in every direction. Nothing nearby dashed in, so I pocketed seventeen more blue cores. Other monsters in the distance stared at me. From their gazes, fear replaced hunger as their perspective changed.


    My fight left a scar over this slice of their ecosystem. It tore entire miles of plant life to nothing, leaving me in an empty patch of cleared kelp. Above, Leviathan beamed down with its radiance. In its glow, I spread my arms and boomed for all to hear.


    "I''m the Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    Mana crystallized around me, siphoning into a chaotic storm of violence and energy and power. I seethed,


    "This is where I''ll prove it."

 335 The Primevals Powers

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    No fragment of the monsters remained. No limbs, blood, or breath. Only the blue cores hummed beside me, my senses fuzzy and strange. Everything unveiled around me as gravitation or mana, no physical feelings rushing in. Turning my awareness inward, I found no physical body. I existed as my dimensional wake alone, having disintegrated into nothing.


    And from nothing, I returned.


    My body reconstituted, phasing into existence. I stood among the liquid pit of dead behemoths and primevals. I soaked them in while turning in every direction. Nothing nearby dashed or darted around, so I pocketed seventeen more blue cores. Other monsters in the distance stared at me. From their gazes, fear replaced hunger as their perspective changed.


    My fight left a scar over this slice of their ecosystem. It tore entire miles of plant life to nothing, leaving me in an empty patch of cleared kelp. Above, Leviathan beamed down with its radiance. In its glow, I spread my arms and boomed for all to hear.


    "I''m the Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    Mana crystallized around me, siphoning into a chaotic storm of violence and energy and power. I seethed,


    "This is where I''ll prove it."


    Chapter 335 Begin


    My supergolems dashed overhead, each of them vaporizing patches of the algae. Behemoths crashed against them, the giant monsters charging into my supergolems. Each crash added a cacophony of booming echoes while teeth, claws, and bone slammed into runes, metal, and mana. As clouds cleared, my golems showed their worth by purging the behemoths above.


    With a patch of the algae-laden sky opened, I let out a warcry. My large body and metal makeup turned my human howl into a metallic roar, one that stretched out for miles. The primeval eldritch stormed over, and they gouged the dirt and our surroundings to attack. I funneled mana through every inch of my body, energy crystals delineating and filling out over me.


    They surged with flashes of light before crumbling into powder. The powder charged further, melting to plasmic streams. A miasma of energy floated off of me, responsive to my will like an energetic expansion of my mind. Amassing a large pool of this dense plasma, I reached out my hands and rained singularities in all directions. Incoming primevals vaporized.


    From my hands, frenetic explosions expanded. Light and darkness filled the skyline. Surging echoes rained. Dollops of darkness consumed patches of my vision, chaos surrounding me. It all drained into the siphoning quiet. My blood and bones ignited as colossal flows of mana flooded through my body.


    The runic marks sizzled and hummed as the sheer volume of energy overwhelmed all in my sight. Whether it was living or dead, it didn''t matter. It all fell, the primevals included. They crushed and pulped. They perished in a symphony of darkness and light, and my horizons shattered into fragmented, white ignition points.


    It culminated in a kinetic harmony, a sonic wave that vaporized my surroundings. Dozens of massive craters formed in the rainbow bone field below. It was like an angry god scooped out the earth in a fit of rage. Awash in bloodthirst, the primevals darted and rushed around the leftover, hissing destruction.


    They flowed over with elemental shockwaves ushering off their bodies. Embodying dozens of elements, they equaled my physical strength but not the will of my mind. Wielding my advantages, I lunged to a knee and primordialized myself. In silent pulse, I sent out a psionic ripple through the unguided mass of opal bones beneath me.


    The enormous, ancient consciousness roared out in anger. The fields of shining bones gained life, melding into a fluid mass that writhed and billowed like a shining sea. I peered up as the first primeval arrived. IT was a monster of mana, its plasma engulfing my body.


    Pure energy converted matter to a vacuum. Another beast rushed forth. A root mass crawled through my flesh and bones, trying to sap me of life. It planted seeds in my body before a void ice monstrosity froze us both. Encased in the hardened mass, a sonic monster hummed into the capsule and shattered me into tiny fragments. I clattered onto the bones as they gouged each other for my remains.


    The butchery continued. The primeval eldritch smothered me from all angles, and I stayed in the mass of enraged bones. Energy amassed below us all, the iridescent remains enraged. This ancient monster pooled planets worth of raw power, the bones shimmering. Above the ticking time bomb, my body disintegrated from a dozen different angles, everything in my sight becoming teeth, stomach, acid, and drool.


    I turned into a rippling ocean, my entire being a wave amongst primal forces. Ripped. Torn. Rived. Pulled into pieces and chewed on. Bitten and swallowed. My whole being fueled the hunger of many, my body''s energy turning into a culinary delight to the monsters swarming me. They engulfed me in a fury that overwhelmed my senses from all angles.


    And yet, I came no closer to death. They feasted on an immortal.


    The bone below supercharged into liquid light. I warned my supergolems to hide within their enemies as protection. Below me, the rainbow bones snapped out. A layer of spines wrenched into the primordials like roots from a tree, piercing those below. Those iridescent spines hummed with reality-warping violence. Just before the abyssal below detonated, I recollected my body and thinned it down to the size of a needle.


    Flowing out and around the elemental constructs, I rushed above the horde. After a few seconds, an engulfing, absolute, and destructive plume of energy expanded. Radiation erupted, and a gamma burst fired off from the bones. As it passed, it decimated everything it touched. Once more, I hid behind my dimensional shield. Blocking a direct hit, the side burst still made contact.


    It wrapped around me, an invisible wave that expunged all life. It stripped and bubbled my skin before scorching my bones. The raw radiation heated every shard of metal that made me. It disintegrated my exposed innards. It cooked my body. My golems fried within opposing behemoths, but those giant flesh shells absorbed most of the radiation.


    As the burst of energy passed overhead, Leviathan''s radiance beamed down above me. With my surroundings quiet, I pulled my shield down and admired the destruction below. A dozen ancient eldritch died, glittering blue cores sizzling above the opal ossuary. Those orbs cackled and hummed over the eerie silence.


    As did three primevals, three different star variants of the primevals remaining. They soaked in the lingering radiation to restore their bodies, becoming whole once more. Before they restored to full force, I reached out with my arms, ripping more singularities through the eldritch masses. They dispersed and refocused on regeneration, giving me valuable time. Slicing through the air, I bolted from blue core to blue core, scooping up dozens in the blink of an eye. I tossed them into my personal dimension like a greedy child pocketing their favorite candy. While I flicked the last core into storage, a star eldritch rejuvenated.


    Its form billowed rays of light, each wave like solar flares scattering into the distance. Those light flows expanded over the sky, particles erupting in different colors of light. Aiming itself at me, the primeval fired towards me in a violent, ripping dash. I reacted to it after it happened, the monster faster than my eyes could see.


    I stared down, a glowing hole remaining in my chest. The creature whirled around and pulsed through me once more, another gaping chasm forming in my body. It turned into an explosion of light, each pass leaving glowing singe marks through me. Like gleaming swiss cheese, the star eldritch left me impaled from all sides.


    I stood, a glowing titan, as shockwaves erupted from each impact. Each collision colored the same shade as the primeval. The red hues molded with the sparked remnants, turning into a fireworks display. The other primevals joined, and the destruction multiplied. Orange and yellow hues culminated with the red, and a vibrant sunset of sparks erupted from me each passing second.


    Unperturbed by the onslaught, my body regenerated with absurd vitality, each second containing a millennium''s worth of healing. I observed the intensity of the light swarms enveloping me when my eyes allowed it. My death would''ve been beautiful, at least. As I tried swinging my arms, the primevals ignored my physical attacks. I let out a mental sigh, wondering why I even attempted such a simple solution to such a complex problem.


    After all, these monstrosities were more than a handful. I took a second to think and shifted back to the Rise of Eden. Wielding quintessence, I generated a liquid coating of shining, polished metal over myself, and I hoped to reflect the monsters. The lustrous layer left no impact on their piercing attacks, the light creatures impaling through my shields with ease.


    Trying a different strategy, I surrounded myself with a dense sphere of lead. The primevals still ignored the shield, but I found a separate utility from my approach; the globe cloaked my movements. While piling the lead high, I psionically wielded this section of rainbow bone. The ancient, unformed mind rumbled beneath me, annoyed but not enraged.


    Well, not yet, at least. Wielding the shining landscape, I wrapped a layer of bone over me. The star beasts bounced off the illuminated surface, struggling to pierce the outer layer. I piled the opal shards overhead, and the primevals bounced, thrummed, and pulsed over the shield of shining bones. They couldn''t beat me while within here.


    Sitting inside the protective bubble, I collected more mana. Planning on a mental onslaught, I shifted to Event Horizon. I filled my refuge with crystallized ascendant mana. Minutes passed, and more layers of bone rushed over me to keep me isolated from my surroundings. I kept piling more and more mana on myself, turning the mana into dense plasma.


    The wafting energy compressed down, becoming a writhing liquid of sentience. Using my primordial form, I turned the newly formed, chaotic mana into a thoughtful servant with mind magic. Taking a breath, I opened and closed holes in the rainbow bone shield at random. These tiny pricks allowed only one star beast to enter at a time, ensuring a one on one scenario.


    A few minutes passed before one of the star monsters squeezed into this tiny rainbow cave. I shut its exit behind it right as it snapped inside. Once within, the primeval zoomed around inside the bubble, bouncing around from all angles. Cracks ebbed in the rainbow bones as intense forces erupted in the tiny cage. It vaporized me like we lived in a miniature stellar core.


    I tolerated the exposure, the mana-lit gloom turning into a fury bright as a blinding sun. I linked with the star beast and wailed at its mind from all directions. In tandem, the mana plasma soaked into the monster. The star beast writhed back with intense, overwhelming waves of psionic strength. It lacked any understanding of what it did, but its mind still carried a primal power.


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    Supporting my mana minion, I took on those crashing waves of the primeval''s conscious. Other minds of mine slammed into the beast with my own psionic strikes. The ascendant plasma kept oozing in, and the star beast lost control over fractions of its body. With each piece that saturated, the primeval lost more and more cognition.


    But it died in a blaze of glory. It pounded, howled, and raged like a hurricane. We tore each other apart like three honey badgers locked in a cage. We gouged and gashed and ripped each other apart in a frenzy, but


    as the psionic dust settled, we were winning. After a few hours, the primeval beast''s control faded.


    The monster''s ebb and flow of control devolved into the steady descent of this monster''s ego. Its orange fury gave way to the chaotic lightning of my ascendant mana. The star beast turned into an ascendant celestial, one controlled by me. Taking a moment to observe, I looked at it while keeping our opal shield intact.


    The star eldritch was the same as before, a red sun with waves of energy erupting at all times. However, the hum and crackle of ascendant lightning showed its mental change. It oozed a darker crimson light as well, the beams almost soaking sunshine inwards instead of emanating it. The arcs of electricity even gave the monster an electric charge, and as a final touch, it opened a jaw mirroring my own helm''s toothy maw.


    Satisfied with the results, I stuck with this capturing technique. I saturated the inner bone bubble with mana once more. After gaining control of another mana blob, I opened other pockets within the bone sphere around us. More minutes passed before I snagged the next star eldritch. With me, the ascendant star beast, and the mana against it, we dog piled the star eldritch and converted it over the next hour. The last and final star eldritch lost its will the same way.


    With the three star beasts converted, I pulled the rainbow bones off of us. Our group stood in the only desolate zone for thousands of miles. The kelp grew towards our open patch, but my surviving supergolems wiped out the algae as it returned. Peering around, these moments were precious downtime, so I used them to handle critical business.


    I sent my converted star beasts towards the surface, having them assist my super golems with destroying the kelp as it grew closer. At the same time, I needed some peace and quiet to work, so I created an overhang of opal bones before encapsulating myself. Under Leviathan''s dimmed radiance and surrounded by dead behemoths, I opened my grimoire and got to work.


    And I stared at the pages, a blank sensation coming over me. What was I supposed to work on? Something primordial, surely, but I lacked faith in my current direction of building cities and fighters. While overwhelming under most circumstances, my golems lacked the oomph to survive here. It left me stunned.


    On Leviathan-7, my super golems required constant maintenance and guarding to keep alive. Even with my intervention, a quick telepathic check showed just that, a golem''s silence meaning a golem''s death. I winced at the loss, the time invested in them wasted. They died because the enemies here overwhelmed even me at times.


    In fact, each of these eldritch could destroy entire planets on their own if unleashed somewhere normal. To have my soldiers fight back, they needed that kind of world-ending power as well. While considering their next upgrade, I pulled out one shining blue core from storage, which would be the key moving forward.


    Inspecting the ball, the perfect sphere mirrored a tiny gas giant with many strata spiraling around it. It was a tiny, electric-blue Jupiter in my palm. It even turned and cycloned like Jupiter, mana storms littering its surface. It reminded me of the energy stored within my mana crystals, but these storms set into inviolable forms. In a sense, they seemed...incorruptible.


    As a comparison, mana crystals blew up if a person bumped them wrong. By contrast, the energy in these cores felt like they''d survive the death of stars. Hell, studying these things could help me take my mana manipulation up a notch. That stability could make an excellent foundation for a golem''s mind since it reduced the risk of bloodthirsty insanity.


    The cores even granted an endless power source, though my golems didn''t lack in that department. Those factors culminated until the dungeon hearts looked like perfect golem cores. Etching the cipher on an ever-shifting surface was a problem, however. Taking a step back, I considered my other prospects before continuing my research.


    On my arrival to Leviathan, I wanted to establish control of the planet to come back. That was still my number one priority, but other concerns surfaced since I arrived. If I kept brute-forcing my initial goal, I''d just slow myself down. Instead of plowing ahead, I realigned my priorities, which meant studying time magic.


    If I gained time magic soon after arriving, I could make the most out of every second afterward. Time spent on learning about time magic might end up being time saved. Another priority would be creating a growing boundary for my cities. A defended zone wouldn''t be enough; my claim here needed to be absolute.


    Taking a moment to consider those possibilities, I decided to take a risk by learning time magic first. Since I understood this planet to some extent, I also had a good idea of what I needed to do going forward. I thought I''d get a few golems up and running to conquer this place, but that wouldn''t work. I''d expand after learning how to compress time.


    To that end, I set myself up for success. I made a set of thinking chairs, an obvious necessity. I also installed a workbench with a pile of steel plates beside it. I melted words into the metal slabs, and they recorded details about the dungeon hearts, Leviathan-7, and the weaknesses of certain eldritch.


    I also established names for everything here. I kept the terms I used in my head for the most part. The newly spawned eldritch from the sky were called behemoths, and the ones below were primevals. For the kelp overhead, I named it spawn algae, and the rainbow bones kept that name too. I also created divisions for the zones.


    The top zone became the void because life thinned to nothing above the spawn algae. The first layer below the algae became the breeding grounds. As for the bottom layer smothered by opalescent skeletons, I named it the ossuary. It held the bones of the dead, so the name fit. After getting everything set up and recorded, I stared around me.


    This was, by far, the most comfortable I''d been since I arrived. With information recorded and my priority list squared away, I sat down and contemplated my lessons from Chrona. Based on what Chrona explained to me, time manipulation required grasping at my surroundings and bending space.


    I tried that before, and I failed each and every time. These weren''t subtle failures either - each attempt was like smashing my face against a metaphorical wall. Having thought about it for a while, I struggled because I was a separate dimension. Since I existed outside of my surrounding space, I played by different rules.


    Everyone else, including Chrona, blended into this ''other'' surrounding me. This caused some kind of rejection when I attempted to wield time. This resistance mounted more and more as I developed my armor and myself. Every bottleneck I experienced had a familiar culprit behind it.


    Me.


    I mean, yeah, it''s kind of obvious, but it wasn''t a limit in my abilities, talent, or understanding. In reality, I''d systematically stifled myself to retain some semblance of humanity. Tapping the edge of my head, I remembered my fighting style and different kinds of magic. Fighting with my fists didn''t even make sense anymore, and neither did keeping a human form.


    But...I couldn''t let it go. I couldn''t move on from who I was to who I had to become. All this time, I was afraid of something. I always thought it was of my power and potential, but that wasn''t it. It was the absurd changes that bothered me. I had an idea of who I was, but I wasn''t that person anymore. I couldn''t be that person anymore.


    The simple-minded Daniel that beat monsters into submission, it was fun being that guy. Hell, I built a lot of confidence and progress with that persona. I stood by my guns and plowed forward without looking back. I made mistakes, but I did my best to fix them. That was the issue. I couldn''t afford to miscalculate anymore.


    In my hands rested the lives of billions. A quick squeeze and they''d die.


    So...I couldn''t live a simple life with simple dreams. Beating monsters apart didn''t make a galactic empire great. I needed to be someone else entirely, which I''d made great strides in. I''d amassed the skills to use my abilities, but I never recognized the personal sacrifice required.


    I''d never go back to being a child in Springfield with small worries. My concerns would expand and grow. In many ways, I came to a crossroads in life. On one road, I could grow with my worries. On another road, I could watch my anxieties slowly overwhelm me. If they ever did crush me, I''d like to know I put it all on the line with no excuses left. Otherwise, my own guilt would outweigh any burdens I bore.


    Because whether I wanted those burdens or not, they would come.


    Staring down, the signs of what I changed into manifested in many ways. For instance, I no longer lost my senses when destroyed, even down to a puddle. When Eonoth roared and saved Lehesion from the Spatial Fortress, I uncovered that fact. The Old One created a dimensional wave, one I wasn''t a part of. As those timelines collapsed into one, I existed outside of them, so the dimensional ripple smashed me from all sides.


    Being mushed and living was one thing, but it hadn''t even knocked me unconscious. I remained fully aware without a body. Staring down at my hands, a shiver raced up my spine. No human could do something like that, and the longer I ran away from that reality, the less I could do in the meantime. So taking a moment, I accepted that I wasn''t this body anymore. I was the dimensional wake around me more than anything else.


    Blegh.


    So, to master time, I had to master this...space I''d evolved into. I crossed my legs, placed my hands on my knees, and closed my eyes. I stretched out my primordial wake, the aura enveloping my surroundings with a sense of cognition and control. Going further, I took a breath before pulling my consciousness out of my body, and I responded in kind.


    To my chagrin, my awareness trickled out from my physical shell and into the space around me. Despite that subtle expansion, most of my perception lingered in my head, meaning I couldn''t escape my physical confines just yet. Meditating on the exercise, I fell into a pattern of reaching out my awareness. With each attempt, I gained greater control up to a point.


    Eventually, my brute force approach quit giving me gains. I smiled at myself, remembering how I tackled my way through my early ventures without having to overthink. That wouldn''t work here. Taking a more cerebral approach, I tackled the issue from a different angle. I detached from my physical senses, as much as I could, at least.


    Touch, sight, and sound all faded into nothing as my psyche floated outwards into the ether around me. Like a fog of consciousness, I dispersed into my dimensional wake. I maintained awareness through my mana and gravitational senses. They didn''t come from physical organs or anything, so I kept them even without a physical body.


    Those senses gave me a different, strange view of the world around me. Tiny fluxes rippled about while moving objects created subtle shifts in an endless void around me. I interpreted these ripples, converting their esoteric machinations into a more visual understanding. Below, the planet stamped a gravitational blip on this place.


    In the distance, the gravity well of Leviathan caved inward to a bottomless pit. It acted as a landmark, easing this visualization process. Gazing at the nulled center, gravity stopped holding meaning near the black hole. By becoming infinite, it stretched beyond the limits of interpretation.


    Weird.


    Surrounding Leviathan''s pit, colossal strands of space rippled out in destructive waves. Sensing below that madness, this planet orbited the black hole at a breakneck pace, traveling on a stretched avenue of space. It mirrored how a satellite orbited the earth. We fell towards Leviathan at an absurd speed, but we also circled faster than we fell despite being in the Event Horizon.


    Well, sort of.


    The planet traveled a bit slower based on our time''s standards. Still, with how stretched time was here, we ended up experiencing that acceleration several times before the outside world experienced it once. If I guessed right, that''s how Leviathan-7 was this close yet not within the black hole. However, I wasn''t a physicist, so this was my simple observation.


    Regardless, this planet was a bullet in an endless vacuum, finding an equilibrium in the utter destruction around us. Back in the physical world, my hulking body stayed stationary and lifeless below. The runes dimmed, and all motion ceased.


    I took a moment before trying to rematerialize outside of my actual body. Instead of making a new body, I snapped back into my own shell, giving the husk life once more. As my eyes snapped open, I winced. I suppressed the urge to vomit, and a splitting pain pierced my head. It faded as quickly as it came while I gasped at the surreal experience.


    I waved off some lingering motion sickness, and I shook my head before resolving myself once more.


    Again.

 336 The Death of a Mind

    <div>


    <div>


    Taking a breath, I detached once more. I dispersed with a struggle before snapping back into my body. A strange kind of endurance reached its limit, and my psyche hated the idea of leaving my body again. Smiling at myself, I closed my eyes, willing my egos away from my body. After another mental breakdown, I leaned back with the urge to vomit intermingling with more motion sickness.


    I gave my temple a tap before leaning forward, and my mind dispersed once more. The pop back into my body happened even faster, but I shrugged off the failure. Failure wasn''t getting knocked down; it was staying down. Knowing that truth, I chose to remain relentless. Many hours passed as I persisted in pulling myself up and out of my body.


    The entire time, I insisted on dispersing my awareness throughout my whole dimensional wake. At first, my limited endurance fizzled out, resulting in no more time spent outside my body. Over the next while, the shortening of my mental trips inverted, each attempt becoming longer than the last. Appreciating progress, I hounded at the process, and the resistance lessened as I poured focus and attention into the task.


    Putting several minds to the job accelerated my progress, turning the awful disruption into a far more casual occurrence. However, this diffusion never bordered on comfort, though I adapted to the surreal sensation with time. The intolerable became tolerable, and the extreme became mundane. After establishing a basic mastery, I attempted other actions while dispersed. The first experiment involved wielding mana while disconnected from my body, and to my surprise, I still generated mana like usual.


    However, that energy spawned from my body instead of my dimensional wake. On and on, that never changed. Testing a different angle of progression, I kept piling the mana up before gaining a thick cloud of it. It fogged down along the opal bones below, surging up at the edges of my dimensional space. Like filling a bowl, the energized miasma stuffed the wake and billowed up along the limits of the unseen dome.


    In time, I smothered my entire dimensional field with the dense cloud until it crackled with electric energy, turning to plasma. It stayed within my domain, ripe and usable at all moments and any angle. This much mana fought back a bit, but within my primordial wake, my mind magic showed immense potency. I suppressed the burgeoning, aimless mind and bent gravity in my dimensional wake using the plasma. The familiar tug touched even the ethereal minds dispersed in the aura.


    It tugged on my body below as well. The corpse slid over in an eerie grind, clanking and thunking against shining ridges. It shifted like a statue of steel, immovable as a mountain. When I lived within it, each joint moved with ease. It stiffened up without me within, needing mana for movement.


    As the body clunked into the gravity well, I accepted being present elsewhere. It disturbed me, but that was my new reality. Moving on, I sensed my mana''s current source. Unlike before, I channeled from the piled-up plasma instead of my palms or runes. The mana used wasn''t the same as producing mana, but it closed in on that sensation.


    Adding to the plasma, I tried generating mana from outside my body using the previous experience as a reference. It worked, though only to the tiniest degree. Minuscule mites of mana dripped out of my wake, the dollops almost unseen if not for my sharp sense for them. These microscopic mana beads built into a usable source, but the vast majority coursed and flowed from my body below.


    It was drenched in volatile, humming energy, but I needed that out here. Readying myself, I let out a mental growl, setting myself on this next ability. After all, repetition was the mother of learning, and I devoted a dozen minds to the task of making mana from my wake. Unlike the mind dispersal, this process only stressed the psyche instead of morphing it. Unlike vertigo and nausea, stress and pain were familiar feelings. In fact, I mastered them long ago. Returning to those old friends, I hammered away at this odd ability. I turned the fine mist of generated mana into thicker clouds in no time. However, a piece of me avoided the other exercise as it strangely challenged me.


    With awareness, I gained cause to conquer that unconscious fear. I learned both skills simultaneously. Hours passed once more as I fell into this flow of detaching, oozing mana, and popping back into my body once more. Over and over, I hit the limits of my endurance. Over and over, I pushed those horizons further.


    Into a beyond I never touched, I tread. Out into an abyss, I wallowed. The comical difficulty of the process reminded me of solving a complex problem in a G-force simulator. Or perhaps in the middle of a battlefield. Either way, I kept splitting myself up and making mana in different places.


    After some time passed, I learned to disperse without the same struggle. Even while detached, I oozed out mana in a generous flow. It gave me many origin points for casting magic, something I might abuse later. When I tried doing so, I found my next problem - my control suffered in my diffuse state. Even essential magic left me fumbling. Taking a moment to analyze why, I found the culprit.


    It stemmed from how I spawned my mana. I felt my way through it, like relying on muscle memory. In my body, the physical senses gave me direction. No tactile sensation guided me while out in the aura, and I acted in a darkness of my own making. Without knowing my new path, I stumbled like a child with no eyes, ears, or taste. It was humbling.


    I cut myself off from the physical, and my mind showed my weakness from relying on my body all this time. I laughed a little before rubbing my hands together. Many Daniels toiled and endured, so I gained many times my standard progress. That meant this was only a matter of time.


    I gave it another go, a bit of my warrior spirit kicking in. I lasted a moment longer than before snapping back into my physical body. Back inside the metal shell, I took a moment to be grateful for having one. Being an aetherial blob required diligence and fervor, not qualities I lacked but characteristics I''d neglected. This exposed that lack of diligence, which I''d rectify in the future.


    Taking a breather, I laid back and closed my eyes. Using my gravitational awareness, I gawked at Leviathan beyond my shell of rainbow bones. The gravitational anomaly always cut me down to size, and it acted as a celestial reminder of my mediocrity compared to the forces of nature. It left me in awe, both at its brilliance and my benign being.


    To it, I was nothing.


    And I aimed to change that. Those primordial elements needed to be within my palm, so I stretched my awareness outwards once more. This time, I stayed in my body, but I kept a kind of sphere of my consciousness dispersed out. As I''d hoped, I retained my physical form while soaking into my wake''s extent. In a way, my body grounded the process, giving me a much-needed point of reference.


    In that ethereal air, a few minds floated about. One thought of themselves as an astronaut sent into space, and it radiated back to me,


    "Pshhh, Houston, the launch is a go. I repeat, the launch is a go."


    We laughed before getting back to work. As many, we persevered with the exercise, the difficulty like an exorcism of our weakness. That vulnerability oozed and trembled out while strength took its place. Eventually, we maintained several minds floating in my aura''s domain. The more egos out there, the more mana coursed out of the ether as well.


    In a sense, the disembodied minds acted as beacons for mana generation. They worked as wills, each guiding the input and control of magical energies. Despite becoming accustomed to the pionic dispersal, we struggled to control the mana while out there still. Finding a loophole, I kept us all out there while linking up via telepathy. This gave a slight tactile sensation to those drifting, allowing them to control mana as we always had.


    The web structured the experience as well, making it less unstable, and those factors made the variety and intensity of our sorcery far greater in the ether. Reassessing our current state, my psyches popped back into my body, each of them exhausted. As they recuperated, an idea whipped up in my head.


    I gave the diffusion another go but with a slight alteration. I kept that telepathic web active between me and the minds. We lived as a psionic network, all the egos connected while at disparate points. As the outer egos fatigued, I sent other psyches out to replace them. This shifting schedule let me maintain the psionic loading while occupying my body.


    The arrival of that breakthrough marched in with a breakdown. While I extended my endurance from partial to limitless, I also multiplied my exhaustion. Several minds recuperated at all points in time, and that weighed on me no less than usual. As the weary egos piled up, they arrived with a terrifying concept that I had never contemplated.


    I could now suffer more than any single mind could. If anything, this enabled torture on a scale unbounded. Imagining thirty minds being tormented with psionic slaughter sent chills up my spine. In the end, A Manifold Mind was worth it since I could tackle many times more work.


    However, I could also experience several ego worths of doubt, pain, and suffering. The agony of many exceeded the pain of one, and unfortunately, I was many now. That meant owning their miseries, fears, and weaknesses, and it meant my vulnerabilities split open like rotten wood hammered with a steel wedge.


    Each second illustrated this disturbing reality to me and in vivid detail. My flaws magnified, each lapse magnified as if viewed with a microscope. And it happened by turning small doubts into significant fears. They rushed in from all angles. A plethora of questions assaulted me, weakening my resolve.


    Did time really slow down on Leviathan-7? Would time pass here faster than usual? If so, would Yawm''s contract kill me? My psyches effused those worries without meaning to, each of them trying to hold in their discord. After all, my time on Leviathan-7 was of the utmost importance, and we absolutely had to push forward.


    There was no time to sit here and wallow, even if I wanted to. As the resistance on my mind mounted, I centered on the reasons I continued in the first place. My time here wasn''t about me; it was about my guild and about making up for all the delays on Earth. I''d much rather eliminate that growing guilt rather than let it fester further.


    Besides, this was only the beginning. I had to trek many more miles before I rested. Aware of that reality, I took the next step forward. With a few minds still left in my body, I tried moving my dimensional wake while several psyches inhabited the aura. The ether shivered and trembled while I maintained control of it. Pushing my abilities, I extended my dimensional wake as much as possible. In a sudden rush, the minds returned to me instead of wallowing in that shifting aura.


    And they bled, torn apart at the psionic seams.


    Their disturbed, mutilated forms haunted me for a moment. Each one carried mental wounds as if something crushed and pulped them. Without meaning to, I minced them to pieces. They communicated what it was like out there, and I understood the depth of their disturbance. It was one thing to inhabit a dimensional space instead of a body, but it was something else entirely to have that space move and shift while residing in it.


    The movement collapsed a person''s mind, inducing madness as one''s frame of reference changed and altered. The ensuing insanity acted like mental wounds, ones that required time to recover from. The shifting of the aura blended the healing sanities, turning them into a mash of sentience.


    Which, you know, sounded pretty unpleasant.


    At this point, I questioned the utility of even learning this bizarre ability, but then I remembered Chrona''s lessons. To hasten the flow of time, she compressed her surrounding dimension, but to slow it, she expanded said space. In essence, the density of the dimensional fabric decided the speed of events occurring within it.


    The minds had to be out there to control my dimensional wake at that level. Otherwise, it was like trying to maintain a body with strings.


    Sure, a puppetmaster could get pretty respectable at wielding their figurines, but they never gained the mastery of someone within their own body. In that same vein, I was imbuing my aura with life, giving me genuine autonomy over it.


    It was an unfortunate reality that being a dimensional wake happened to suck.


    Peering around, it dawned on me how much tolerance this would require. Inhabiting the aura acted as the first step. Going beyond that, progression necessitated both finesse and mastery while molding my wake. Or stretched. Or worse, compressed. I shivered at the idea of being in the ether while condensing down. Despite that innate fear, going out there and getting smashed was crucial.


    That would be my way of achieving time magic.


    Before sending more of myself out there, I came up with a few strategies for maintaining our morale. I extended my psionic net out, allowing them to spread the pain over all of us. I gave every Daniel a mental drill, ensuring they were ready and willing to go out. I even prepared better shifting maneuvers, so Daniels could cycle out of there faster than before.


    Even then, we all dreaded the task, so we took a breather before readying ourselves for it. Having rested a few minutes, we set forth and mangled our minds. Like troops walking onto no man''s land, the Daniels saturated my dimensional space before I moved the aura around. The consciousnesses within dismembered, disfigured, and pulped into pieces.


    They rotated back into our body, healing as others replaced them. The Daniels resting in our physical form honed in on controlling the procedure as much as possible, but we met our limits. In time, dozens of attempts turned to hundred, then thousands. Each time we failed, several of us died psionic deaths.


    It was like putting my brain and awareness in playdough then mushing it around. We stepped into the aura''s edge each time before being sculpted alive. I was shoving us into a box before mish-mashing its shape in a fluid fashion. Those within the box broke bones, split skin, and dripped blood. This stressed a different kind of tolerance than simple suffering. Training that unknown resilience took on this alien form of psionic pulping, and to my horror, we adapted to it. However, the adaptation arrived in a slow, steady dribble, like learning the depths of pain.


    We applied different techniques to ease the process, and mental grit replaced our previous naivete. It hardened us like any undertaking. In time, we gained more comfort with the ability. We also expected the worst while receiving something just shy of it. That combination of grim expectations and rising tenacity gave us the mindset to push past this plateau.


    So, hours passed like that, each second inching by in a slow, steady march. All the while, many minds practiced psionic butchery. I obtained more fluidity as I practiced, moving my body and wake as one. The psionic loading purified, and my entire being no longer separated into them and us.


    Though diffused, we all connected via our telepathic web. It evolved from a loose connection to a dense cluster of interconnected consciousnesses. This mental mist extended my persona into the wake''s edge and the wake''s edge into me. In that abyss, I remained a single person, and I bore this transition as a unified entity.


    It changed the way I viewed the world. I seeped into it, my aura as physical as my body. When I fully dispersed, I soaked into my surroundings, and it was as if I engulfed whatever existed there. I sensed my periphery through the rainbow bones below while stepping over the ground. When I moved, my dislodged intellects swirled around within my wake.


    Existing in this state, I learned the merits of this diluted form. I could control my wake in new ways while out there in it. Even complex incantations could be cast from anywhere I dispersed to, and I maintained absolute perception wherever I inhabited. It gave several reference points for my gravitational and mana awareness, giving me a clearer picture of everything around me.


    Oddly enough, I gained an aerial view of my surroundings. It also earned me exceptional dominance over the rainbow bones. The opal shards bent and molded to my mind''s pressure because I didn''t send out telepathic attacks anymore. I occupied the bone within my wake, making it a part of me.


    That disturbed me because the psionic loading could be used in horrific ways. For instance, if a person existed in my wake, I could force my ego into their head until their mind within splintered. That''s what I did to the rainbow bones, actually. With the ego within wiped, only I remained. The body left behind devolved into my flesh puppet.


    It was an evolution of necromancy and in a dark direction. I needed no death for control. I required only for my victim to succumb, and even just thinking about that technique made my skin crawl. I let that unease pass over me, choosing to let it go. I could use this technique for unspeakable acts, but it also unlocked many other abilities.


    It mirrored a knife, being a tool capable of creation and death. In the end, my decisions determined this newfound tool''s outcome. Setting that outcome on time magic, I made my focus inviolable. I continued my attempts for hours, and those hours inched by in a slow, dreadful crawl.


    I found myself gazing up at times. I wanted to build golems or fight primevals, each process more dynamic or peaceful than this. Instead, I pulled my mind out of my body and moved it around. This was like self-induced torture on a mass scale, for weeks on end, and without company. Despite my absurd willpower, it stung after a while.


    But I dealt with it as I usually do - with brute force. Putting myself back in the moment, I gave my head another thudding blow. The ringing sound reminded me of where I was and what I did. I narrowed my eyes while working, knowing this was only temporary. It would pass in time, becoming a memory of my perseverance, a piece of my story.


    Remembering my history, I contemplated the many times I did something similar. This wasn''t my first undertaking, and it wouldn''t be my last. Besides, golem crafting would bring me solace after this was over. I held onto that, continuing on.


    Forgetting how long I stayed there, I took a deep breath. It was time for the next step. I extended my consciousness throughout my dimensional wake, cool and calm. Nausea and discomfort passed before I willed my aura into a strip. My minds endured, many of them cracking. Testing their fortitude further, I compressed that wake into a denser blob.


    They smashed into one another, blending into a psionic smoothie. All sense of egoism faded as they became a single, fractured entity. Rushing away from the onslaught, those blended egos poured into my body. Their disturbed, warped visages sank into me, and I collapsed. The sense of rejection and disgust seethed from the minds, their outrage making perfect sense.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The psionic compression blended their senses before shoving them together. It was like having their bodies blended into a paste, mixed with other people''s corpses, and then everyone operated the giant flesh hunk that remained. In a word, grotesque, but in action, it strayed into the eerie and vile.


    It seeded doubt in my mind about continuing on. Already, I let go of my physical form and became intangible. I stepped further, relinquishing the stability of being one mind in one place. I occupied a vast swath of territory at once, becoming inhuman in every regard. At that point, it disturbed me how far I trekked onto that path because it glorified my own mutilation.


    And yet, I needed to go even further. The minds that smashed and mixed in my wake had to let go of even being a mind in the first place, which was a terrifying prospect. Instead of being sensical streams of thoughts, my psyches smashed into a psionic amalgam out there. What lingered from their remains mirrored madness.


    The sane minds had to make sense of it while forcing the psionic mash to keep the wake compressed. It was like shoving my body into a meat grinder, maintaining awareness, then making the pulp handle a complex task. Honestly, it''s difficult to fully convey what it was like. It kind of defied anything I''d done prior, and it ended any illusions about being human.


    A human would never return to sanity from that abyss. A person''s mind wasn''t made that way. Once a person''s psyche broke into pieces, it never recuperated in its entirety. Cracked lingered, and that ego relied on an external structure to grant rationale from then on. Unlike a person, my mind popped right back to normal from the brink of death in less than a second.


    The psionic deaths acted like vivid nightmares that left no impact on me. I awoke in a cold sweat simultaneously for ages, yet my tolerance for that evil never waned. I kept pushing myself into the nightmare, but somehow, the nightmare never seeped back into me. It should''ve left me a broken shell.


    It didn''t. I stayed strong.


    I didn''t think I was capable of tolerating that kind of mental pressure, but there I was, doing it all the same. At that moment, I stepped into the realm of monsters. My entire life diverged utterly from the norm, so nothing connected my experience to humanity anymore. Hell, to people anymore. I disconnected in my entirety, but I embraced a new form in doing so.


    Stepping into my role as a dimension, I psionically loaded my wake once more. I molded it in a slow, subtle manner. Dread drenching me, I compressed the psionically loaded aura. My egos pulped before rushing back in, each of them broken. They shouted out what it was like out there in the trembling ether.


    I was shoving their bodies into a container that was too small. Within, they broke. They bent. They shattered. Once smashed inside, I coiled the box downwards, inwards, even outwards. At the seams, those minds disintegrated into a psionic mush. We all existed within a shrinking cage, one that pressed through skin and nerves alike.


    It gelatinized the frame of my psyche, an awful fear pouring through me. My skin crawled. My hands trembled, and I shook with a palpable terror as I continued mutilating my mind. The abuse continued, and I wobbled my wake while within it. After another round of psionic compression, I stopped, pulling the minds back in.


    Using the same strategy, I exchanged the destroyed psyches for fresh ones. The Daniels going out carried a fearful gaze at their recovering brethren. With white-knuckled determination, those incoming egos smashed into the warped wake, and they suppressed their screams. The tormented minds of the other Daniels seeped in, and their aches radiated through me. They infused into my being, a chorus of pain.


    In a sense, I crushed several of my bodies before absorbing their pain. In fact, I was almost certain a human couldn''t even experience this much discomfort. I bunny hopped into a different dimension in that regard. I dealt with it, but it burdened me all the same. Schema wasn''t here to give me a mental resistance skill either. No, I endured the full brunt of psionic liquification and fusion.


    It left me regretting my regeneration and tenacity. I recovered in an instant even from utter mental collapse. This allowed me to put the minds back into the line of fire right as they returned to normal. Again and again, I smothered the minds in the suppressed wake. Desperate for a different solution, I pulled all the psyches within me. I tried compressing my dimensional extent without having the consciousnesses stretched out.


    It was like foregoing a pen while writing elegant words. Instead, I tried dashing down calligraphy with an unwieldy, ink-dipped brick. Reverting back to my previous strategy, I loaded my wake and compressed it.


    And the strain suffocated me.


    I existed under the ocean, all fading away aside from this one experience. I lost sight of my surroundings, all turning into a blur. Time inched by in slow motion, each moment an eternity. Despite that dragging crawl, I tolerated the molding better with time. Make no mistake, it wasn''t any lesser; I merely accustomed myself to it.


    In the corners of my mind, cracks, snaps, and pops snapped through my skull. I collapsed but returned to my full form in a flash. I trembled before straightening up. Sharp spikes of heat radiated out in my head, unlike pain but perhaps worse in how unfamiliar the sensation was. The feel mirrored discomfort and disgust that somehow molded into a singular phenomenon.


    It kept shoving my body into a small box. Bones, blood, and pus, I pushed myself in like a butcher. Unlike a human, I remained alive while smashing down. To my chagrin, I fit in that box. The fact that I was capable of this disgusted me, and I rebelled at the unnatural mashing and smothering. For some reason, I continued this process until I pushed too hard and snapped back to my baseline.


    Insult added to injury because even my usual form didn''t feel right either anymore. Broken and alone, I fell down, laughing at myself for a second. I grabbed my hair and pulled until my scalp ripped. The sound of metal shearing erupted in the tiny cavern, my entire body made of metal. I closed my eyes while shaking my head.


    I''d go insane here if I kept this up. Remembering what it was for, I let myself experience the welled-up discomfort, horror, and disgust. I shook for a second before sitting back up. After collecting myself, I marched into the process once more. Dispersal, compression, cracking, breaking, snapping, ripping, and writhing. It continued.


    Each time I gave my all, but I conditioned myself to fear it. Before I even began, I trembled at what was to come. Even if the sensation left me, the memory remained embedded deep in my consciousness. In this cave in a different world, I whittled away at my sanity. When one consciousness collapsed, another took its place.


    I evolved into an internal carnival of horrors, slaughtering one ego after the next. Many minds acted as a blessing, but they also allowed for torment on this scale. It was more than one person''s pain, like the ache of many. It carved into my memory, and looking for an escape, I questioned my existence.


    Did I enjoy my own pain? Was this worth it? Was I still alive? Those questions assaulted me, and I had no real answers to them. Despite those doubts, I persevered because of a growing sense of comradery. Without it, I''d of crumbled. When one mind weakened, another picked up the slack. When one mind questioned, another believed.


    My doubts were weakness disguising itself as reason and rationality. I already clarified my questions and doubts long ago. It just so happened that my answers didn''t feel like they were enough at that time. It didn''t matter what I felt, however.


    What mattered were the results, and they were immense.


    When the compression of my wake reached my skin, I fell back with surprise. My egos rushed back into my body, the mangled minds wanting nothing more than to return. My focus splintered, and my dimensional wake burst outward from its compressed pit. I gasped as my psyches snapped back in a violent, grotesque rip.


    As if lightning shot through my consciousness, streaks of vivid pain erupted out, into, out of, and inside my head. After a few seconds, I laughed at the sensation. It was like an old friend telling me a bad joke. While a bit offputting, I still enjoyed hearing from them again. In a way, that''s what pain was to me now.


    That pain arrived with the palpable rush of victory. I clasped and swung my fists and celebrated the milestone. My progress continued even as I failed to mark it, and with its arrival came a renewed sense of vigor. Tackling the sensation once more, I pulled myself outward before condensing the aura again.


    I put several minds to the task, compressing the wake further. Once more, my dimensional extent pressed against my actual body. Ready and waiting, I kept my psyches condensing my dimension. Under that pressure, I remained in place for a few seconds before releasing it. I laughed again, and it was a peal of booming laughter, one of dominance and madness.


    I did it. I finally did it.


    And I would master it. Another two hours passed, and I found myself tolerating the psionic squeezing. I wasn''t putting every bit of myself into the task for the first time. I gained familiarity within the unfamiliar. I gained comfort in the uncomfortable, and that left mental energy for perceiving my surroundings.


    And I gasped in awe. I perceived a different world.


    It was a world numbed by time''s slowed passage. Hearing dulled and dimmed, high-pitched sounds droning on for long spans. Hot and cold turned to warm and cool, the flow of energy slowing. It mirrored wearing insulation from my environment, a barrier between it and me.


    In my opal cave, the shards'' glimmering slowed. This was why I hadn''t noticed the effect of my dimensional compression. What marked my progress weren''t sharp, explosive booms. Instead, it was the lessening of sensation that exposed my advancement. As I gawked at the surreal shifts, another violent shear erupted across every mind in an engulfing wave.


    My mind snapped back. Like ripping my psyche in half, I gasped as the mind-rupturing faded. While the pain subdued, my new competence didn''t. The process drove me insane for a while, but I''d done it. I compressed my timeline, making everything else slow down by comparison.


    Pressing my hands together, I toiled and worked at the process, grasping on the cusp of fluid time manipulation. I kept getting closer and closer to pushing my saturated aura down without effort. As I did, the rumbling echoes outside my cavern slowed down once more. They droned in like haunting echoes. As those howls hummed in like a sweet symphony of sirens, I listened in anticipation.


    The slower the drone, the greater my dimensional compression. Those signs of progress switched exhaustion to strength. My contempt turned to courage. After getting some kind of freedom while compressed, I peeled a hole in the rainbow bone to view outside. The breeding grounds for the behemoths crawled by, the once vicious, explosive activity turning into a manageable mess.


    Their overwhelming speeds turned into quick sprints and dashes. My golems fought behind the converted star beasts. From this distance, they floated in the air like lazy pieces of dust. Using my golems as a reference, I guesstimated that I sped up my sense of time by double. However, as their fight moved, I couldn''t continue watching.


    I grimaced, my focus so intent on temporal manipulation that I couldn''t even move my head or eyes. I took a moment to rest while sending out a quick psionic pulse to pacify the rainbow bones. That tamed it for the next while, letting me continue my training. Taking a breath, I kept my awareness, perceiving everything in the distance.


    I couldn''t move yet, the dimensional pressure overwhelming me, but my senses still gave me information. Those facts leaked in, along with plenty of time to think about them. The dulled, dragging sensations emphasized that further, letting me catch details I''d otherwise miss. Mana flowed through the golems, and their sigils lit up with crimson light. The primevals reformed in splashes of energy and color. Even the pulses of power rippled across the horizons at a slowed pace.


    Dwelling in that strange world, I found time manipulation mirrored diving deep into a planet. The constant pressure, the freeing isolation, even the bombinating hum resembled swimming through a planet''s core. After hearing the sounds for a while, I grew accustomed to the continuous noise. Everything else quieted by comparison.


    In that subtle silence, I found a measure of solace.


    Sitting in that kind of meditation, I tried moving. Each step required exhaustive mental effort. It added another layer of strain to the mind mush in the ether around me. By how this felt, it could take years of practice before I maintained this insane compression while fighting. At least it gave me a goal to strive for.


    With intense time magic off the table, I eliminated the dimensional squeezing altogether. Testing a theory, I walked around while my wake loaded up psionically. While still challenging, psionic loading was a break compared to condensing. The minds whirling around in the ether agreed, though they still disliked being wounded out there.


    After suppressing the Daniels'' concerns, I pressed my wake down a tiny bit while walking. Once again, the surge of difficulty rushed in. Taking bite-sized chunks of progress at a time, I developed the skill of moving while condensing myself. Taking routine breaks, I repeated the skill with a relentless, unending march.


    One attempt led to another, and many hours passed. After a while, I maxed out the effortless gains I garnered from simple repetition. The uphill struggle began from then on, but at least I could move, think, and channel mana while condensed. It was enough to actually apply the time magic in real-time.


    Within a few steps, I found even a slight temporal acceleration made a palpable difference. My surroundings softened, and the air thinned. I moved with momentum behind every step, fundamental forces transferring at bizarre speeds. I mean, I''d never noticed my feet pressing into the ground before, but it took forever when slowing time.


    Testing more differences, I spoke, and my voice sounded the same to my ears. I repeated my shout with temporal acceleration before ceasing the ability. My echo bounced back, and it pitched higher as if I spoke through a voice modulator. I kept talking with more and more dimensional compression, testing out the limits of my abilities.


    After a while, my shrill words sounded like I breathed in helium. Laughing at myself, I controlled the rainbow bone around me. My psionic mush filled into the bone, the pulped egos finding a haven in something physical. They moved the bones out of the way, and I viewed the outer world.


    Pulling the Daniels back, I sped up my timeline while peering above. The eldritch and golems steadied into a more casual stream of information. Easing the dimensional condensing, I hopped out of my opal cavern. I walked and soaked in my different state of being while on the ossuary of Leviathan-7.


    Primevals battled in the distance, bits of light leaking through the algae above. This world was once a roaring river coursing by at a frothing pace. The clear water thickened into thin honey, making it much more comprehensible by comparison. I probably experienced time at about 10% to 15% faster than normal, but I learned that time magic worked well even in small doses.


    An easy to feel but hard to explain difference was the snapping point of objects. Confusing as that sounded, it was a very simple idea. Take glass as an example. If someone put pressure on it slowly, it held up against immense loads. If someone put pressure on it quickly, glass shattered into fragments. Most materials worked like that, having a snapping point to them once a set amount of stress was applied in a certain timeframe.


    Temporal magic allowed me to reach that snapping threshold with much greater ease. Testing that, I stomped down with all my strength, and my foot imprinted into the rainbow bone below, cracks ebbing outwards in every direction. I clapped my hands, the force in my palms springy and immediate. In every capacity, I felt snappy and powerful. In a sense, my slow turned into everyone else''s fast.


    Testing other abilities, I tried moving my primordial wake like normal. As always, it shifted but only up to the limits of my dimensional compression. In that way, speeding up my timeline limited my dimensional wake''s range, but it was well worth the trade-off in most situations. Testing my primordial wake, the aura''s powers augmented even further while condensed.


    Ideas about that utility seeded in my mind. Movement was difficult while accelerating time, but mana generation wasn''t as challenging. Generating matter and carving runes in this condensed state might result in some serious gains, but I put theorycrafting on a mental backburner. Instead, I considered my options for a moment, and an idea popped into my head.


    After snapping my fingers, I stopped moving and pressed my wake down, giving me some extra time. While standing perfectly still, I contemplated how to wield this new ability within its limitations. Honestly, just making the most of my thinking time was a good start.


    Practicing that ebb and flow, I expanded my loaded wake, moved a bit, then pulled my wake back down. When standing still, my surroundings slowed to a crawl, but while moving, everything sped back up again. The surreal, otherworldly sensation made everything feel like slowing down a video. It displaced me a bit like I walked through a dream. The strange surroundings of Leviathan-7 didn''t help me in that regard since my surroundings were already vivid and surreal.


    While I perfected this real-life pausing ability, an eerie sensation crept over me. The feel of gravity and space changed. Each time I stood still, this odd sensation crossed over me. Well, the lack of sensation, really. The elemental forces around me thinned, but my own abilities thickened. It was as if the rules and principles of the world weighed on me less.


    Though subtle, it omened an immense potential. Breaking the laws of nature might be the next step in the Daniel progression program. Time would tell.


    Loosening my wake, I sat down and took a deep breath of fresh air. It wasn''t fresh at all because the fumes here were toxic, but whatever. I leaned back, supporting myself with my arms. I rewrapped the shining opals over me, and I let the insanity of my situation soak in. Even the eccentricities of gravity paled when compared to time manipulation.


    This entire process only complicated further because I was a dimension. I smiled at myself, knowing I learned time magic in less than three months, but that grin hollowed. I learned temporal acceleration that fast because I was a dimension. That''s also why many physical forces came so easily to me.


    However, dying thousands of psionic deaths wasn''t something anyone could do. That set me apart, letting me accelerate my learning by leaps and bounds. Peering around, I wondered how much time remained for conquering Leviathan-7. I had no idea since my sense of time was warped to all hell and back.


    My gauge for how much I manipulated time was also terrible since nothing on this planet was familiar. After all, my points of reference offered little to no comparison. It made this already wild, crazy process into more of a mind-bending experience than it already was. Giving myself a moment, I sat in this opal shell for a few minutes with no magic running.


    I soaked it in, recognizing how disjointed I''d become. Going further into that sudden tranquility, I centered myself into one mind. Without time magic, many psyches, or charging runes, I sat still and just existed. I remembered my normal was this; being one person in a single wave of time. This was me, and I shouldn''t forget that.


    After a while, I split my ego into egos. They marched into my wake before being pulped down. Taking a second, I dribbled mana into my primordial rune, trying to charge it. It pulled at my mana with visceral violence, collapsing my temporal acceleration. Wincing at the experience, I sighed.


    I''d eventually power my rune and hasten time in tandem. However, it was too much at that moment. If anything, that would be an exercise to train time magic while supercharging my sigils. I saved that for later before pressing my wake down once more. Breathing in the sensation, I molded it in and out, gaining more fluid control of the collapse and the crush.


    Once I gained some comfort in that, I moved between the periods of confinement. When my endurance hit its limit, I let my dimension extend back to comfort. Back and forth, this ebb and flow continued like a ceaseless tide and cycle of seasons. Stretches of time passed, and I maintained dimensional collapse while walking, then running, and finally jumping.


    It was a modest temporal acceleration, but it made me faster, stronger, and snappier. I practiced interspersing those movements with With stalls in my movement. Once I got the hang of it, I peeled back the protection of the opal shards, heading into the outside world. I didn''t fight yet, choosing to keep some distance between the monsters and myself.


    Instead of rushing in, I let myself adjust to the ability, and for good reason. I''d remain in this state forever. Well, maybe not forever, but for the foreseeable future at the minimum. While on Leviathan, every second was precious, so capitalizing on my temporal acceleration was essential. Adjusting to it took a long time, but I had enough time to spare.


    While exploring Leviathan-7''s ossuary, I acclimatized to the oddities of temporal manipulation. Walking around, I took note of what golems and star beasts remained. Even after I sat in a bone bubble for so long, most of them were still locked into combat with the primevals. Each side existed as inexhaustible fountains of intensity, and so far, a good portion of the super golems died from it.


    I frowned at the sacrifice, a pinch of guilt welling in my chest. It was a necessary sacrifice to keep this place from spawning more primevals. We couldn''t afford to spend any more time building ourselves up. We had to conquer from here on out and peering up, some of the spawn algae returned overhead in the meantime.


    Despite my golems relentless work and pace, we hadn''t gained any more ground than when I retreated beneath the bones below. In all honesty, I expected as much since the primevals gave me trouble. Without my converted star beasts, there''s no chance the golems would''ve survived at all.


    Stilled and temporally accelerated, I dove into thought, my surroundings sauntering about in a slow crawl. First off, conquering a city was of the utmost importance since our time limit on Leviathan-7 could end at any point in time. However, conquering the land would be meaningless if we couldn''t hold it.


    The primevals would smash through my golems and current fortification strategies. Strengthening my cities general defenses was my next pivotal step to dominance here. Set on that goal, I decompressed my wake and tore off one of my arms. The metallic, deep shear rippled over my surroundings at a higher pitch than I expected.


    Arm in hand, I stared up while melting the limb, and my golems and star beasts struggled above. Itching to test my new abilities, I smiled and gave myself a break. Crafting golems required some safety, after all. Otherwise, I might be interrupted, and I couldn''t have that happen.


    Floating myself up, I cusped on the primeval''s combat range. I spread my hands and soaked the sight in. They moved without their previous, rampant pace. Leaning over, I soaked in a sensation of density, strength, and utter lucidity. In a sense, I stepped into a different realm from those around me.


    And it was time to feel that change in all its fury.

 337 Scorched Earth and Shining Soil

    Arm in hand, I stared up while melting the limb, and my golems and star beasts struggled above. Itching to test my new abilities, I smiled and gave myself a break. Crafting golems required some safety, after all. Otherwise, I might be interrupted, and I couldn''t have that happen.


    Floating myself up, I cusped on the primeval''s combat range. I spread my hands and soaked the sight in. They moved without their previous, rampant pace. Leaning over, I soaked in a sensation of density, strength, and utter lucidity. In a sense, I stepped into a different realm from those around me.


    And it was time to feel that change in all its fury.


    Chapter Begin


    With a slight temporal acceleration, I flowed fast while the world coursed slow. I crashed into one of the star primevals, and its main body dispersed into an airy plasma around me. My psionically charged wake pressured the star beast from all angles, the floating egos seeping into its body. At the same time, my own star eldritch fired a bright beam through the bulk of the diffused enemy.


    The primeval disintegrated, the bright bolt cleaving through the upper layers of algae far into the distance. Behemoths stared back at us, each of them enraged, and they saw the primevals before deciding to ignore us. Above them, the black hole stared at us with its blinding radiance, the dark center bearing down like an enraged eclipse.


    Flowing between me and that sight, the star beast''s body dispersed into my vision. That disruption waned as my ascendant aura soaked it in. I followed those shining pieces that lingered, and they floated onto the ossuary beneath us. From the opal shards, the chunks of light-laden eldritch swallowed energy in great gulps.


    Emboldened by the sudden surge of vitality, they burst forth from the wisps, coalescing in its full fury. With blinding brilliance, it radiated energy, power, and anger. That rage faded as pieces of its body soaked into the rainbow bones below.


    It stared down with a sun-shaped eye, the primeval dismayed. I lifted a hand, the opal shards below bending at my movements. They coursed in and around the beast, using the energy it sapped in to attack the monster''s mind. The wispy tendrils of the primeval met opalescent spines as the beast tried beaming away.


    Trapped in its bone prison, the eldritch jettisoned the uncorrupted pieces of itself away from its opal-pierced center. From that main body, the disparate fragments collected into a smaller beast and recuperated using the radiance of the black hole above. Where it bathed in light, it found darkness instead.


    I spawned a singularity over its chest, my palm aimed in its direction. I piled a series of black holes over the beast, swallowing the creature''s regenerating form. At the same time, I dashed towards it. A kinetic shockwave plumed out from the gravitational implosions, but I pierced them. Surrounded by the star beast''s nebulous remains, I shot out plumes from my armor in all directions.


    My entire body turned into thousands of zigzagging branches that stretched across my wake''s entirety. Each branch split several times, fine wires stretching out towards the edge of my dimension. I sapped the life force from the creature while smothering it in Event Horizon. My star beast zapped any remains leaving my area of control, and minutes passed while my enemy and I fought for dominance.


    I was victorious, whittling it down in time. Finding it close to death, I commanded my own star monster to bathe us in its rays. It did so, and we both soaked in energy beams from all directions. As the last fragments of the enemy star beast''s life dwindled, I swallowed its body. As it died, its mind collapsed under my passive, psionic pressure.


    A portion of my mind bled into its depleting body. Inhabiting two entities at once, I experienced the flow of fire and fury the primeval possessed. It was a monster with epic potential. That palpable power fizzled as I experienced its death as if it were my own. The sharp collapse froze me in place, all the sensations overwhelming me for a second.


    Snapping out of it, I looked down. Blue cores fell in a loose pile from the enemy eldritch, and I floated towards them, catching the spheres with my dimensional warp. Near the bone shards, I turned to find another one of my star beasts locked in combat. My golems supported my ascendant eldritch, the bones glistening below them both.


    Before rushing in, I inspected the area. My eruption of singularities still left a depression here. However, the giant bone pile smoothed the craters out, the bones healing the wound like an old scar. However, the land wasn''t the only part wounded. With the support of my supergolems, my converted star beast whittled down a stone primeval.


    The dense rock monster survived the onslaught throughout the entire time I trained. Looking at their fight, I understood the reason why. In front of me, a behemoth from above crashed down. It slammed into me, a giant mass of meat that my body absorbed. As the behemoth died, I watched the stone primeval do the same.


    It siphoned itself under the skin of a falling behemoth, filling it up and soaking the insides into the stone. Tinged red, it popped out of the flesh balloon, alive and well. Watching close, I found it do the same thing several times. It regenerated itself by collecting the dropping corpses of dead behemoths.


    Coming into combat range, I commanded three of my super golems to collect the falling shards and behemoths. My golems zoomed overhead, becoming speeding blurs that snapped the falling debris out of the air. At the same time, I ordered my star beasts to wrap around me. They whirled as shining clouds before swirling around my arms.


    We emitted radiance, our manas overwhelming in unison. Power soaked off the three of us before I bolted towards the mineral monster. It shifted into a wall of spikes, each thorn oozing toxic, liquid metal. Finding my warped reflection in the silver droplets, I watched us slam into the monster.


    And I watched it explode.


    From all sides, the star beasts erupted out in an enormous mushroom cloud of nuclear energy and kinetic power. The initial explosion evaporated me entirely, but I bubbled back from the center of my wake. As I frothed back into existence, parts of my body formed, the first being my head. I watched below me as a mass of glowing, dimensional fabric spit and hissed out the rest of me.


    Glowing and fully restored, I lifted my arms, and a wave of mana generated into singularities around me. Bursting forth in a disruptive wave, the implosions wrought absolute annihilation. Portions of the stone primeval exploded outwards like shrapnel from a grenade, and my supergolems intercepted most of the shards.


    Despite our efforts, dust particles landed on the opal bones. Countering, I controlled a large patch of the opal shards below. They devoured an even greater portion of the primeval''s body, but tiny slivers of the beast landed far in the distance. From those remnants, the monster recuperated, so I let out a long sigh, wondering if this is how it felt to fight me.


    Probably.


    Either way, the stone monster aimed to collect itself into a singular entity once more. Before it could, my team fired off in every direction, killing or capturing the piles of minerals. Once we snatched them all up, we pooled them together. Since blowing this thing up wouldn''t work, I snapped the writhing rocks and shining stones into my dimensional storage.


    Like putting it into a furnace, I disintegrated it in my pocket dimension. I couldn''t hold many primevals like this, but a few would fit. It was more about having a good uptime for this utility anyways.


    Having handled that threat, I peered around to find my last star beast. While I couldn''t see it, I heard it. Floating towards the sound of thunderous booms, I found liquid water forming into a series of lakes below me. Befuddled by the liquid, I dipped into it. It tried coursing under my skin, the liquid alive and hungry.


    But so was I. I soaked it in, doing the same to any nearby lakes. I cleaned the entire area until I hovered near the precipice of the booming echoes. I found their cause; my last star beast faced off against an amalgam of primevals. A lightning eldritch infused into the body of a water primeval, probably the one causing the lakes.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They wrapped around the solid core of an ice eldritch. The trifecta whittled my poor star beast into a shadow of its former self. Literally. Instead of glistening like a sun, the shining eldritch simmered like an ember in a campfire. Without my golems or the rainbow bones below, The star eldritch would''ve died long ago.


    Flying in, we added to its reinforcements. My two star beasts, my golems, and I rushed in like a tidal wave over a crumbling house. As we charged, the triad lifted an arm, mana surging through it. The energies collided into its palm before rupturing out of the icy core. A bolt of lightning exploded out of it, clashing with me.


    Whizzing tendrils of lightning spattered in every direction. As the flash subsided, I peered down. My left arm, leg, and side charred to ash, the edge of the marks mirroring the end of a cigarette. While I sizzled away, my star beasts dispersed in every direction, their pieces reforming. Despite the attack, we bought enough time for my dying star beast to recuperate. It rested in the sea of opal shards below.


    Adding to that gained time, the conjoined primeval gawked at me. Those few seconds let my three star beasts become whole. Two of them rushed over my arms, whirling around with atomic fire. The last eldritch spun around my chest, beaming outwards with flares and electric sparks. We faced the triad of primevals, our union less complete but no less intimidating.


    Completing the assault, my super golems circled around us, the twenty-plus golems humming like a hornet''s nest. In the center of it, I oozed energized plasma. Like holding two nukes in each hand, the star beasts flowed with solar, rumbling energy. The radiation bathed me in its warmth while I eyed the enemy primevals.


    They looked back with six beady eyes, each oculus peering from different portions of itself. Without any incitement, it dashed towards me. I clasped my fists, and mana charged into my frame. Glowing a bright blue, we zapped onto the conjoined primeval''s charge.


    A cataclysmic eruption of force echoed out. Ice, water, lightning, plasma, and dimensional fabric shattered outward like energized buckshot. We sliced in all directions, my supergolems capturing fractions of the fused primevals. Its vitality was endless, and the patch of primevals collected itself back together in seconds.


    I watched it happen, my body having already healed a while back. Raising a palm, I plumed out an antigravity well at its center, preventing it from convalescing. Adding to my carnage, I spouted dozens of spiny tendrils and pierced its remnants. Like hooked fish, the shards tumbled towards me as I yanked them in.


    A whirling ocean of black, I absorbed and disintegrated the beast within myself. The monsters unleashed explosions from within, and we tangled into a web of chaos. Plumes of ice pierced my body. Lightning melted and burned my blood. Water coursed into my lungs and flowed through my eyes and ears. I stayed within the elemental construct''s inferno, and I faced it down.


    As I did, the time magic showed why Schema kept me from it. The swirling monsters slowed, no longer overwhelming my senses with their speed. Their frenetic pace turned into a quick dashing, and I comprehended the mess with clarity. More mana flowed out while I dodged energized strike after energized strike.


    Without holding a human form, I turned into my own whirlwind of death and destruction. I didn''t let my human form restrain me, so I coursed into the monsters. We became embodiments of battle, no longer living for life but for war. Like hurricanes colliding, we both collapsed into turmoil. From that chaos, carnage erupted in all its forms.


    We stayed at the center of it, each of us tearing at the other''s throat. We created a desolate hellscape of fury. In that elemental rupture, I kept myself temporally accelerated by a slight bit. It left me feeling as if I fought with an unfair advantage, one I nevertheless exploited.


    My star beasts whirled around us, hissing out beams that blew the enemy apart any time an opening presented itself. My psionic wake oozed into the three primevals to rip apart their connection points. From within, I summoned singularities into their bodies in a neverending flow. As their blows bat air and mine hit hard, they fell while I remained.


    I noticed something I hadn''t expected from time magic in that fury - the primevals brittled. Once dense as steel, they softened to stone. It was odd seeing them shatter from my attacks, and in time, the three primevals dwindled in size and mass. Not needing to ensnare them any longer, I returned to a human form.


    My storming body gave way to calamitous fists. My strikes popped with kinetic radiance, a beautiful display of physical force. They chained into a presentation of many skills, magic and might molding into one singular stream of destruction. Each strike used telekinesis, gravity, elemental surges, technique, and timing to eliminate the enemy, and they worked well.


    On the other hand, the enemy''s assault turned from a series of blinding blows to fast strikes. Seeing their attacks, I could actually evade them. They whirled past me, each of us like motion incarnated into physical forms. Despite my time magic, the primevals maintained their dominance regarding strength and power.


    But the gap closed enough that my technique came into play. The years of practice showed its worth, my subtle movements returning. With my eyes opened wide, I stared at their attacks as they flowed by. I adapted to their frenetic, instinctual movement with my own, and they no longer touched me.


    The pressure from my psionically charged wake distracted the amalgam, and it paired well with Event Horizon. Just as this triad whittled my own star beast down, we did the same to it. With the trifecta roaring out its death throes, it unleashed a charged hailstorm in my direction. It coursed over me.


    And I glided through it. The wind, the rain, and the hail, I ebbed around them. I melted myself and flowed from all sides like glowing magma. I coursed into its eyes, chest, and body. Once I encompassed the primevals, I turned my glowing, liquid form into a matte solid, flash-freezing myself. My state of matter rapidly reconstructed, fragments of the primevals hissed and howled within.


    My body imprisoning them, they wrestled once more to escape. It struggled against me, but after a few moments, it threatened to break out of its cage. Before it could, another idea popped into my head. I stayed perfectly still, pressing my wake down further from every direction. The psionic pressure multiplied, as did my temporal acceleration.


    The sharp cries of the primevals stretched out into low drones. The primevals slowed to a snail''s pace, their attacks barely budging me anymore. Event Horizon burned through them, and the psionic pressure poured into their minds. Several times stronger, those effects broke down the ensnared monsters in a quick fashion.


    Their dying wails droned for ages as I remained fixed in position. In the end, their innate tenacity became their greatest burden as they died. Staying in my hastened temporal flow, I inched my gaze around, even the slightest movements burdening me. Our battle left behind a few craters, but overall, the battle''s destruction paled when compared to my singularity storms.


    Another plus, I hadn''t fought the primevals for days either. Time magic paid off, mainly when used with a bit of creativity. So did disconnecting the primevals from the sea of opal shards both above and below. Once cut off from their supply, the primeval''s regeneration dwindled.


    Either way, the dust cleared, and I gazed at an area large enough for a respectable city. Landing in the middle of it, I took no rest, getting to work. I rallied up the rest of my allies to inspect their conditions, and starting with the converted primevals, I set up telepathic links to them.


    The ascendant mana I left behind waned to less than half its initial size, so the star beasts nearly regained control of their bodies. Before they did, I psionically charged my wake and flooded the bodies of each star beast. From within, I infused ascendant mana into their minds. It was like shoving my mind into theirs.


    I happened to have a vast mind, so large, in fact, that their egos struggled to maintain themselves. The mana kept building inside each eldritch, and each dollop of energy put them another foot in the grave. Within a few minutes, their minds stretched to their limit. After an hour, those limits broke.


    Their minds ruptured.


    It was like filling a balloon with too much air. Within their heads, I experienced their psionic deaths because I inhabited their bodies. However, their pain left no mark on me. I died this way a thousand times before. In me, these mindless constructs would find no mercy. After blending their minds, I stared at three ascendant eldritch. Blinking at myself, I stared down at my hands.


    What the hell was I doing?


    I grabbed my temples, stunned at my cruelty. I hadn''t wanted to psionically drown them in the first place. I called it that since it felt like filling someone''s head up with an ocean of thoughts. The stream of consciousness kept piling up until the resident psyche ''drowned'' in them. Not wanting to become a complete monster, I vowed not to take over more eldritch.


    These three would be my limit, and I''d much rather improve my golems anyways. Doing just that, I sat down with my legs crossed. I fiddled with my grimoire before a gravitational flux rippled across Leviathan. The algae rode the wave, the layers of kelp becoming several layers of stormy seas.


    The flux reached me, flinging my grimoire into the distance. My entire workstation exploded. The ball of floating molten fabric splat over me. The rainbow bones shivered and trembled, spines erupting out and through me. Even the air itself condensed and thinned, my ears popping.


    Adjusting in a split second, I reached out a hand, snapping my grimoire back into my hands. I melted my dimensional fabric again before stuffing it back into my pocket dimension. Standing up and looking around, a behemoth fell down beside me.


    Its massive body was a slimy mass of tentacles and teeth. As it stood up, it roared at me with said tentacles and teeth, its maw dripping acid. I sighed while lifting my hand. A matrice of opal spikes plumed into and out of the behemoth.


    Before it died, it vomited green blood onto my face and my grimoire. Wiping my face, I frowned. The behemoth gurgled before erupting pus and snot over me. It kept hacking up slime before I pocked my grimoire and blew it up with a singularity. Buckshot of shining bones sliced into my body before I grimaced.


    Yeah, maybe building the city first was a good idea.

 338 A Haven in Hell

    Before it died, it vomited green blood onto my face and my grimoire. Wiping my face, I frowned. The behemoth gurgled before erupting pus and snot over me. It kept hacking up slime before I pocked my grimoire and blew it up with a singularity. Buckshot of shining bones sliced into my body before I grimaced.


    Yeah, maybe building the city first was a good idea.


    Chapter Begin


    I gathered my last two constructor golems in my location, and they created a perimeter while I theorized how to make a city here. Any conventional design would fail because of, well, everything. The air wasn''t breathable, and the pressure crushed normal animals into a thin paste. The temperature ignited human tissue, and the fluctuations of gravity smushed the living into the dead.


    But the list of hazards went on. Radiation cooked anyone alive. The gravity on Leviathan-7 was much higher than Earth''s pull, meaning long-term issues might arise. There could be cancer from radioactivity, and people would struggle with isolation since cities would be tiny. I hadn''t even mentioned the eldritch yet, which presented the most enormous problem of all.


    In all honesty, an average person visiting Leviathan-7 amounted to a creative form of suicide. I wanted everyday people to stay here, train, and leave, but to make that happen, Leviathan-7 required an immense infrastructure. Staring down at my hands, I had the means to make that happen. I temporally accelerated while coming up with a framework for a livable city.


    I spent about an hour drafting up solutions before getting my thoughts in order. With everything in place, I set out to accomplish my goal. The first step involved creating a dynamic monolith at the center of my city. These structures mimicked the ones on Earth''s cities but were orders of magnitudes more robust.


    They''d terraform a set perimeter while offering defensive shielding. It was simple, really. They just needed to stop incoming radiation, high temperatures, atmospheric pressure, excess gravity, and sharp gravitational fluctuations. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that? To my surprise, not much, and it wasn''t as difficult as I expected it to be.


    For the most part, temperature management, the planet''s overbearing gravity, and the crippling atmospheric pressure only required a consistent source of mana to fix. After setting up a basic inscription, I tested them out on a small area. Once powered up, everything stabilized, and that would work on a larger scale by simply increasing the mana costs.


    On the other hand, controlling the gravitational fluxes and the eldritch outside required some ingenuity and investment. If primevals attacked the city''s shielding, even a hundred blue cores wouldn''t stop them. That made a defense force essential, one that could challenge and kill primevals. Considering how brittle my super golems were, I needed far more firepower than what they offered. Gazing at the converted star eldritch, the temptation to just psionically drown the primevals rushed over me.


    In my primordial wake, I relished the efficiency of the idea. It acted as a beautiful irony to turn my enemies against themselves, their attacks becoming my most outstanding defense. Peering out into the lonely landscape, it didn''t seem like I''d make this place any worse to live in either. It was an isolated hell where no being thought beyond their perpetual hunger. It could be made no worse.


    However, I sided against the temptation once more. The converted eldritch lacked the flexibility of my golems, and after leaving Leviathan, I''d have to smuggle the converted eldritch with me. Even then, Plazia wouldn''t enjoy seeing what I''d done to these monsters. I wouldn''t either.


    Considering those factors, my golems were the best option long term. After revamping the monolith system, I''d remodel the super golems for more protection. The only issue left involved seizing territory quickly and efficiently for my cities. With time being limited, I considered my previous tactics.


    An orbital bombardment could tear through a group of primevals, but unlike everything else I''d faced, primevals would shrug that off. An assault plan needed more oomph. If I charged my mana while diving down, I could reform in a split second while releasing a singularity storm. That was a great follow-up, but I hesitated to call that enough. I had the itching suspicion that the primevals would survive. If I controlled the opal shards below, I could cut the primevals off their regeneration. A few singularities on top of that would incite another gamma burst from the rainbow bones.


    That ensured most primevals demise.


    The combat strategy required explosive but straightforward tactics. By comparison, the pillar system required some serious engineering. Getting to work on that, I leaned into my primordial wake. Its insistent perfectionism took the forefront while I took a breath. I reached out my hands, thinking to rip myself apart for dimensional fabric.


    I paused, a better idea forming in my mind. I pulled myself out of my body, my mind hovering in my wake. In that form, I generated mana outside my body. After all the practice, a few mana crystals clattered against the opal shards beneath me. Instead of creating pure mana, I molded my armor out of nothing.


    And it worked with ease. My flesh, blood, and bones spawned from nothing, another me popping up out of the ether. I gawked at myself since I''d just created this body a second prior, but somehow, it felt completely normal. Adjusting quickly, I ushered more of my bodies from nothing, the corpses piling up.


    Compared to time magic, this wasn''t as difficult to get around, and once more, I uncovered a better way of harvesting my dimensional fabric. Using that method, a pile of my carcasses amassed before I melted them all at once. Some people said they did, but I made my cities with blood, sweat, and tears, though leaning into the blood part.


    Anyways, I flicked a hand, the molten bodies forming into a colossal monolith. It stretched up to the lowest layer of sky kelp, a few feet shy of the wafting plant matter. Floating beside the pillar, I reached out my hands while moving my fingers towards the barren structure. Telekinetic points popped up over my fingertips, and heated contact points etched into the pillar.


    In seconds, I carved a veritable novel onto its surface, giving it the runes required. I also revised the aura buff, giving people under its influence more oomph. With plenty of room to spare on the pillar, I devised a few other ideas to fill the leftover space. The first involved fixing the gravitational variations.


    Peering at the jumbled surface of the city, my idea wouldn''t work on an unlevel surface. I flattened the bone shards in a large circle around the central monolith, and I embedded the city twenty feet deep into the rainbow bones. This pit added natural protection. For a second, I contemplated putting the bones over the town and calling it a day.


    I scrapped the idea. It made the claustrophobia of living here even worse, and if primevals fought overhead, the residents wouldn''t know until it was too late. Instead of going with an underground model, I kept the upper opening idea. The start of that involved molding telepathic points all over the leveled bones.


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    I connected the psionic infrastructure by installing wires that connected everything. They all secured to the central monolith, centralizing command of the city. Adding to the idea, I set up more telepathy points using spheres of my dimensional fabric. With a simple enchantment, those orbs floated into the sky overhead, forming a visible net over the city.


    They created a network that my supergolems used. After installing several hundred of those floating cores, a slight psionic aura enveloped the city, one that anyone could connect with. Finishing this system, I created and implanted five constructor golem cores into the inner monolith.


    Those minds regulated the temperature, pressure, and other aspects of making this place livable. They even worked together to shield the city from gravitational fluxes, but that was in theory not practice. After linking them together, I tested the system myself. Floating outside the town, I lobbed gravitational waves at it, and these forces mirrored the instability on Leviathan-7.


    To my surprise, the constructor golems caught these forces with ease, the five entities keeping the city safe. Having a space that wouldn''t be smashed, I erected nine more monoliths in a circle around the primary pillar. These pillars were set right at the limits of the constructor golem''s protective radius. A natural width of the city was made, and it was about two kilometers.


    It gave enough space for a few thousand people if they ate space food and lived in tiny areas. I frowned, knowing living here would be temporary. Either way, I implanted another constructor golem core into each of the nine columns around the city. To top it off, I added five more to the giant monolith at the center.


    This required some serious investment, but too much protection was objectively superior to too little, especially in this case. After melting down several bodies worth of dimensional fabric, I formed them into connection points for everything. A psionic pulse linked the disparate golem cores, making them function together under a set prerogative. It was a highly complex, derived formula that I created after many hours of rigorous study and deep contemplation.


    Keep. City. Safe.


    While perhaps a bit dystopian, these all-seeing and ever-present guardians kept citizens from evaporating to the elements. It was kind of like living on a space station. While there, a person couldn''t fire a gun or blow something up. Otherwise, everyone within would die, and this protective web acted precisely the same way. Being watched all the time was a necessary sacrifice of living here.


    Either way, telepathic links synced everything together into a single network. After charging it all with mana, the psionic aura condensed over the circular city. It was a massive chatroom for people''s thoughts, which could be a problem down the line. However, only my golems and I used it, so it functioned for now.


    Wielding the mental chatroom, I commanded my golems to check on the psionic web every couple of hours for updates. This charged aura would be my announcement board. With that handled, I inspected the physical city. It was quite literally bare-bones, so I converted the rainbow bones into the structure of buildings.


    After changing the rainbow bone''s dimensions, they held strut with even more rigor than my own fabric. Testing out the opal shard''s limits, I found they let me build from twenty feet below to twenty feet above the surface. Any further, and the massive behemoth below got antsy. I stayed within this limit, ensuring we never trampled on the giant bone monster''s boundaries.


    After shaping the bone, the psionic web and golem cores applied mental pressure onto the opal shards. This kept the opal shards from reverting to their previous forms. This all directed through the psionic web I created. Experimenting further, I constructed a few buildings for organizational purposes and a few rooms in each enclosure. Though a bit snug, they acted as a meditative retreat for me from all the chaos around us.


    With a functional city in place, I let the constructor golems tidy it all up. They coated the shining structures with marble, granite, and quartz, making the city easier on the eyes. Once again, the constructor golems exceeded expectations, using the opal bones as a trim for buildings, walkways, and streetlights. It jazzed the place up, the many stone textures contrasting the futuristic glow of the opal shards.


    This place was shaping up nicely.


    Interrupting my satisfaction, a primeval shouted in the distance. It bellowing with fury, its cry leaking in from a vast range. Wincing at that, I added a sound barrier before taking the next step in my city''s development. It maintained itself well, but it was time to ensure its protection from the primevals.


    Short term that is. Before building some shields into the central monolith, I whipped out my grimoire and improved my cipheric marking for them.


    I usually used something unrefined and straightforward for this purpose, but my previous designs would pop like a bubble here. Leviathan-7 demanded an intense, powerful shield that helped regulate the environment. Standing beside this city''s central monolith, I gave the city just that.


    After setting up the temperature rune, I paired it with an antigravity sigil. They gave a baseline to those systems, helping the constructor cores. They paired with an atmospheric generator, which was a fancy way of saying an air-making rune. Once set up, I attached them to a batch of ten blue dungeon hearts. It turned out that blue cores set up practical barriers naturally.


    I sort of expected that, but these wilder cores did more than Schema''s did. Unlike a blue dungeon heart in Schema''s system, these produced power instead of siphoning it away, meaning they didn''t need charging. I wondered where that power went, but Schema probably used it however he wanted. Regardless, the blue cores saved me lots of time here.


    In that way, a hefty investment in dungeon hearts guaranteed an immutable shield without any fuss. With the physical aspect guaranteed, I synced those systems up with the terraforming systems. My eyes lit up with possibility as energy flowed into the cipheric markings. Having the essentials set up, I helped charge the cores one at a time.


    Not long after, everything came online. Above us, hundreds of behemoths tore each other apart in the kelp. Forming between us, an energized strata whirled around the city''s limits. Unlike the hexagonal patterns I was used to, this shield mirrored the way a blue core looked - like the surface of a tiny gas giant. The energy clashed overhead like giant cerulean spirals, the blue forcefield being semitransparent.


    Each spinning coil sparked alive with electricity when smashing into another storm. Those sparks erupted outside the city, forming a humdrum of violence on the barrier''s surface. It acted as a threat to anyone coming near it, one even I feared. That fear gave way to awe as the shield''s surface rippled like a living force. It was as if a colossal planet wrapped around the city, and it constituted a perpetual guardian on this hostile planet.


    It arrived with a sense of lightness, a sweet breeze, and my ears popping from the depressurization. In that homey shell, I rested under the primevals, the behemoths, and the algae. This was a spot of calm amidst a whirlwind of death, an oasis in the desert, so to speak. Since coming here, I roughed it every second of every day, but I carved out a spot to relax.


    After giving myself a mental pat on the back, I stood up. From my dimensional storage, I pulled out my elemental furnaces. Embedding them in my armor, I gave them flesh, and they gave energy in turn. At the same time, more of my psyches crept into my dimensional wake. They compressed, and I fed some mana into my primordial rune.


    It jerked mana into itself, threatening to wobble my control of time. I shut down the furnaces, putting all of my attention into the rune while temporally accelerated. For several hours, I honed those abilities in tandem. With practice, I added one burning furnace at a time. I attained comfort with subtle time hastening via the rise and collapse of those abilities. In a way, I represented an enormous mind split into many actions, and they all fed into my latent potential.


    More hours passed, and my primordial rune reached its zenith for mana absorption. Standing there, I enjoyed a few days of building up my temporal acceleration while feeding my runes. I didn''t double my time''s pace while feeding my runes, but I sped up the sigil''s feeding and furnaces'' production by a sizable margin.


    Either way, it was time to move on from the exercise. I decompressed my wake before turning towards a pile of blue cores remaining from the city''s construction. I had to mimic the pillar''s advancement but to my golems instead. Pulling up a thrumming dungeon heart, I stared at its spiraling depths. It evolved my monoliths into unbreakable, majestic beacons on this dark world.


    And I hoped it would do the same for my golems.

 339 The Core of the Matter

    Either way, it was time to move on from the exercise. I decompressed my wake before turning towards a pile of blue cores remaining from the city''s construction. I had to mimic the pillar''s advancement but to my golems instead. Pulling up a thrumming dungeon heart, I stared at its spiraling depths. It evolved my monoliths into unbreakable, majestic beacons on this dark world.


    And I hoped it would do the same for my golems.


    Chapter Begin


    I tossed the dungeon heart into the distance before reaching an arm out. With a gravity well pulling on it, the blue sphere fell onto my palm, and it crackled on contact, sparks flaring out before I crushed it in my palm. Well, I tried too. For a ball of enigmatic mana, the structure held up against a solid squeeze without budging. It would hold up to damage from enemies.


    Listening to it, my ears hummed from its constant shifting. I experimented with the surface, attempting to scratch it. The core shifted between my fingers, an ever-changing ball of chaos and serenity in my palm. It seemed to handle piercing and crushing forces differently, giving it odd properties, but I didn''t mind it. It presented an interesting point to investigate.


    Scratching it again, no marks lingered on the tiny ball of perpetual storms. Any runes I carved dissolved, so several minds of mine debated until we came up with the solution. Like pizza dough, we took a bit of dimensional fabric and flattened out a layer of it. I''d put this over the dungeon heart, and it would embed runes onto the core''s surface.


    After getting the slab ready, I wrapped and unwrapped the core, testing the dimensions of my covering. After getting the proportions right, I generated several copies of the slabs for the future. After that, I engraved runes onto the core wrappers. It was like putting ancient sigils on the inside of a candy wrapper.


    Taking the crackling candy, I encapsulated the core and charged it with mana. I also tossed one in my mouth to see if it actually felt like candy. The idiotic idea paid out with dividends, the core shredding my mouth into a bloody mess. I swallowed my metal blood before wincing at the blue heart. It fought against being eaten quite a bit.


    I hoped it wouldn''t fight the same way against my sigils. As those esoteric markings took effect, the core changed according to the cipher''s instructions, as all things did. Viewing it with my mana sense, I grinned as a smiley face formed on the core''s shifting surface. With a stable surface to work on, I could reconstruct the reality within these tiny orbs.


    There was a lot of work involved with controlling the dungeon hearts this way, but the crackling blue spheres carried enviable advantages that justified the extra effort. Even from just poking and prodding the cores here or there, some of those benefits surfaced. In particular, each orb contained a continuous flow of stable mana in enormous proportion.


    If I drew energy from it, the core fought to return its mana to a predetermined state, making it immensely reliable. For imprinting a mind, this cohesion offered the perfect foundation for building a psyche because it offered sanity. After all, making something stable usually meant making it simple. The fewer the parts involved, the fewer ways the object could fail.


    A mind emphasized that point even further. This was why even experienced primordial mages kept their living magic limited to basic constructs. Eat more. Destroy enemies. Burn buildings. Commands and urges like that came about with ease even when designed in combat. Adding even one more directive threw that balance out of whack.


    The moment multiple motivations came about, the complexity often led to emergent problems. ''Emergent problems'' really just meant general insanity and chaotic impulses. My golems required absolute sanity because they could kill someone so easily. This was also why I hadn''t varied them much; they could destroy thousands in the blink of an eye.


    The blue core acted as a base of serene calm, and that meant complex minds could be made with far less risk involved. Still, relying on these outer wrappings added extra steps to using the golem cores. Since this would be my first and last time doing this, I took some time before taking another action in golem-making.


    I wanted to get this right.


    Shifting the inner workings of the cores, I tried changing the dungeon hearts from the inside out. As suspected, the cipheric markings failed to stick. Even the depths changed moment to moment, like trying to tie down a long-lost memory. To get the runic markings on the actual core, I needed to give myself a stable surface to work with. However, I couldn''t think of any way to make that happen.


    Another Daniel did, however.


    They used the outer wrapping of cipher runes to create permanent storms on the blue core''s surface. These storms took the shape of cipheric runes on the dungeon heart. Another mind thought up the markings to separate these storms and prevent them from ruining each other. I offered some variations on the cipher markings that better fit these new methods.


    After all, the cipher worked in a three-dimensional sense, and that''s why dual layering worked as a technique in the first place. Applying that concept further, I figured the 3-dimensional storms could also offer greater depth to the cipher markings. The congregation of Daniels went to work, seeing to my theory''s fruition.


    In the end, it worked. Hell yeah.


    So, we used the cipher to write the cipher. Overcoming that first hurdle, we arrived at the second blockade - the golem''s runes needed rewrites and badly. The outdated sigils didn''t take into account the blue cores, the stormy surfaces, or Leviathan-7''s issues. I didn''t mean this as a cutting criticism for our previous efforts either. We did well, considering.


    I mean, I acted as a translator, converting Schema''s runes to the cipher. While I did my best, my understanding of the engineer''s work was limited at the time. After having made thousands of the golems, I gained a far better grasp of how they created the psyches in the first place. Studying time magic didn''t hurt me in that regard either, considering how cerebral a task that ended up being.


    Even with all that practice making the golems, I only gained partial competence in the field of mind making. I couldn''t write new mind ''code'' from scratch, but I could write it in my own words. Since the cipher required a heavy dose of perspective to do its thing, adding my two cents only helped the situation.


    Taking that into account, I rewrote the imprints to fit the cipher''s nature. My primordial wake strengthened my cipher work as well. Under that wake''s influence, I stopped missing details or accepting choppy etchings. That understanding peaked with the storm-based cipher carving; I made drastic improvements.


    Whittling away at the project, I rested in the middle of my city. My golems and star beasts fought outside while revising the golem models. Even with my silencing runes, deafening booms scattered into the town like muffled gunshots. I ended up molding the rainbow bone over me to offer some peace. This left me covered in quiet, one that rang out in my ears.


    Without noticing, I adjusted to the ambient sounds a while back. This calm contrasted the relentless thudding, one that my time magic only accentuated.


    In an odd twist, the quietest place on Leviathan-7 was underneath its ossuary.


    In that death zone, I wrote out several rewrites for the golems'' code. After getting a general understanding of the process, I used those improved versions as references. I separated our mental efforts, ensuring we used different ideas as we came up with our own opinions.


    Like gladiators, we assaulted each other''s claims and findings. Scrutinized, critiqued, chewed up, and spit out, our rough drafts received beating after beating. We laughed, mocked, and learned from our mistakes. After a dozen rounds of editing, debate, and criticism, we came up with a far improved version of the golem''s manuscript.


    I winced at it. It was still so flawed, but it would have to do.


    Having a team working together, we preprepared twenty of the remaining blue cores. We planned out the runes to embody into them before writing them down on a flat sheet. We then wrapped that sheet over a dungeon heart, charging the runes into place via mana. Once the sheet loaded to its fullest extent, the storms synced into place.


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    Firing off a chain reaction, one wave of force led to more quakes and shifts. The storms hungered for energy, and I siphoned energy from myself and the elemental furnaces. A bit of temporal acceleration sped the process up, and as the runes burst, the storms clicked into place like a gear slotting into a machine.


    The storms stabilized, each pocket spiraling in isolation. They flashed in a fury, a microcosm of turmoil and turbulence. I observed for a while, hoping it didn''t blow up in a tectonic explosion. I''d lose my city, it being the only place quiet enough to test this theory yet also the only place I minded destroying on this planet.


    It stayed stable, so I tried squeezing it. Once more, it maintained without any issues. Going further, I swiped the core. The storms spiralled without any issue, returning to the runic configurations with ease. Like I hoped, the spirals channeled the familiar changes of the cipher clicking into place. The ripples in reality, the dimensional disturbances, and the tumultuous shifts locked in, becoming irrevocable. This could''ve been the first time someone used weather patterns for the cipher, yet it worked. As the cores finalized their reformations, they warped into something different.


    A psyche spawned in the sphere, the stable consciousness like a reliable old friend. I analyzed the core''s mind to inspect its mental magic abilities and complexity. It retaliated with a firm and calm voice,


    "Creator, it is good to meet you. I am ready for the war here whenever I am given a body. I would also like to thank you for the kindness of my creation."


    I blinked, "No problem. It''s been a while since I''ve spoken to anyone, so if I sound weird, that''s why."


    It spoke back, "Considering I''ve never spoken to anyone, we''re on equal grounds in regards to conversation."


    I leaned back, stunned by any depth in conversation. Hungry for it, I reached out, "Any plans once you get a body?"


    "Destroy the eldritch, clear the algae, and promote safety for humanity."


    I frowned. That response fell in line with the kind of golems I remembered. Satisfied with the directives, I leaned towards it, "Hm, you don''t seem insane, which is good."


    It gave me a bow, "My sanity is the mark of my master, for I am of your design. That design was made with the intention of war and the purpose of destruction. Here, I shall unleash that will and turn it into what you wish, creator...At my discretion, of course."


    The last bit of its speech left a grin on my face, "Hah...Perfect. Do you know what to do with the blue cores you find?"


    "Collect them as a harvest, and the yield is yours alone."


    "Precisely."


    I poked and prodded it with a few mental tests. It retaliated with an almost infuriating calm, all of my attempts at riling it up only angering me in turn. Finished with the psionic attacks, I swung my fist in satisfaction. It was perfect. Reusing the runic designs, I drew more mana from the blue cores to finish the other core psyches.


    Without needing to write them out, I poured my overflowing mana into my grimoire, generating the necessary runic markings. It required an intense amount of mental visualization for the runes to come out right, but the grimoire carried the potential for the storm runes. It was in my hands to wield that potential as my weapon.


    And I did. The multifaceted sigils floated down onto one sheet at a time. With twenty wrappers prepared, I sealed them over the blue cores with a quick snap before siphoning more energy into one of them. Hours later, I finished them all, and they waited for a means to enact their desires; they happened to revolve around war.


    To fulfill their purposes, I created a new larger body as a prototype for them. Lacing it with connection points, I didn''t integrate the cores into the main body. Instead, I put a place for the golem core''s installation. This central position tried into the rest of its body, letting me put the dungeon heart in and out with ease.


    This fitting-based approach carried many advantages over the long term. For instance, updating the bodies of the golems from here on would be a breeze. Considering how my golems continuously became outdated, that was a huge issue. With this new design, I could just take a blue core out and socket them back into another golem.


    This relieved a lot of the pressure for a perfect design as well. Before this approach, I had to nail each golem design. With detachable minds, I could reuse the blue cores all while making bolder adjustments to them. It gave me room to experiment with different styles and kinds of golems, something the core''s stability further emphasized.


    It even let the golems learn and improve since the minds wouldn''t be trapped in an inferior cage. They''d live on for centuries, still up to date and thriving. It would make every one of their deaths weigh far more than before, however, and I winced while remembering Alpha. I wished I''d given him the same long-lived life, but my lack of competence resulted in his demise.


    I wouldn''t let that happen again. I crafted and carved the prototype bodies for each kind of core golem. In the case of the assault golems, I gave them more emphasis on mind magic. They''d use the rainbow bones to battle here, and I kept the ascendant core design as well. They could improve and heal their bodies by consuming the eldritch.


    I mean, if the primevals could do it, then so could we.


    Slotting in other improvements wasn''t difficult either. I gave each golem greater control of their bodies, but not in movement alone. Unlike old models, these core golems would be able to adjust their forms like I did. They''d be able to shift their forms at will as long as the telepathic points held.


    I ensured that with cipher runes in the blue core. Those storm formations helped the bodies of the golems regenerate in a specified way. It operated similar to my own recuperation; every time I was blown apart, I restored with all my runes back in place. At least the cipheric ones. Schema''s sigils blew apart and didn''t return, but the cipher held firm even after death.


    That was a necessity. Even for me, I couldn''t avoid the occasional evaporation against the primevals, so I gave my golems a similar ability. If utterly destroyed, the core would remain. If even a tiny slither of my dimensional fabric lingered, the dungeon heart would remake the body from ash, good as new.


    It even let my golems adapt and adjust on the fly. They needed sword arms? Easily done. What about a hammer for a head? Goofy but doable. The storm sigils instilled that kind of adaptability into each golem, and the blue cores resided at the center of that ability. They offered a foundation to return to after molding, something the golems otherwise lacked.


    I didn''t limit these functions to just assault golems, either. I crafted four constructor golems as well, making a few changes for them. I added the same psionic edge, ensuring they used the plentiful opals all around us. I designed them around being paired to a city, two in each protected zone. This provided enough ambient, mental pressure to keep the rainbow bones shaped correctly.


    As valuable as the bones were, having glistening bones as every surface kind of overwhelmed the eye. I made the constructor golems craft cities as before, just with rainbow bone as the base of structures rather than steel. That automated the process, leaving me plenty of time for other tasks.


    The constructor''s quintessence-based cores allowed them to power a utility grid here, too, maintaining the central monolith. This further emphasized the mana barrier''s strengths, giving it even greater longevity. With this strong foothold established, civilization was on its way to Leviathan-7, and we wouldn''t be stopped.


    With everything fine-tuned for the cores and prototype bodies, I mass-produced them. However, I used a changed method. I molded myself into an exact replica of whatever golem I was building. Once everything was perfect, I compressed my dimensional wake to the utmost extent possible.


    For assault golems, that wake was Event Horizon. For constructors, I condensed The Rise of Eden. I slowed down my construction to two golems per hour, making sure every line, angle, and rune came out exactly as I wanted them to. This resulted in a new breed of golems coming out of the process, one I gave the title of core golems.


    Within my city, I constructed these engines of destruction. As I finished the armada, I stared down at twenty titans. Each of them stood my height at twenty-five feet tall. The war golems glimmered with ascendant mana, the crimson sigils over their surfaces charged with energy. They cackled out with flares of red lightning, and they gazed forward with destroy and harvesting on their minds.


    The four constructors in the back gripped and loosened their smaller fists, quintessence misting off the sigils in their palms. The dense fog radiating off them instilled inspiration in those around, each a beacon of effort and diligence. Clouds of quintessence formed around, and liquid mana poured down before swirling around them. They wished to go forth and create a habitable world around us.


    It was a tall order considering the state of Leviathan-7, but I gave them the necessary tools. It was up to them to make use of them. As for me, I stayed zoned in on my own goals. I left many coreless golems outside of this reinforced city. Several already perished while I constructed their new brothers, but most of my golems kept the algae from returning overhead.


    Without a constant supply of behemoth bone shards, no primevals would spawn nearby. Without needing to clear those areas, we were free to expand outward. Walking out of my workshop, I peered out into the frontier, the echoes of distant rumbling reverberating into our stronghold. The cries of far off eldritch quaked the ground, even their wails mighty.


    As I stared behind, a shiver ran up my spine. The core golems showed no fear, no mercy, and no doubt. They existed like the golems before them, their purpose singular, their duty resolved. The cackling of ascendant lightning boomed out thunder, the buildings around collapsing. Before the buildings could fall, quintessent mana soaked into the stone, rebuilding the broken.


    The legion struck fear into all, and I stood at their head, the Harbinger of Cataclysm. Aiming to prove my title, I hastened the flow of time around me. Gravitational augments saturated my being, and I pocketed my furnaces for later. My own ascendant lightning crackled out over my core golems.


    I grimaced at far-off primevals, ready to rip them apart. Event Horizon spread over my allies, and I roared,


    "We are legion, we are strong, and we are harbingers to this planet. Tell me, who here is ready for Leviathan''s calamity?"


    The golems roared. I shouted,


    "Let''s give this planet its first taste of omen, and let''s make the message undeniable."

 340 The Advance

    I grimaced at far-off primevals, ready to rip them apart. Event Horizon spread over my allies, and I roared,


    "We are legion, we are strong, and we are harbingers to this planet. Tell me, who here is ready for Leviathan''s calamity?"


    The golems roared. I shouted,


    "Let''s give this planet its first taste of omen, and let''s make the message undeniable."


    Chapter Begin


    Before we surged into the distance, I gazed in front of me. I''d have to leave ten golems behind, two constructors and eight assault golems. They would protect this city when I left. Aside from them, ten evolved golems gazed forward with unwavering resolve, ready to jump into the fire with me. They formed an elite unit, the best of the best but also showed the limit of my current abilities.


    If this plan failed, I''d have to rethink my strategy to settle Leviathan-7. That meant establishing in a less monstrous area. I''d be fighting these primevals the entire time for dungeon hearts while stowing away elsewhere. In the ossuary, it rained bone shards and blue cores, however, and I wanted those resources at my disposal. I also didn''t want other rulers getting in my way.


    While the ossuary guaranteed hostility, it also ensured secrecy. No ruler would stumble through here and dismantle these cities. They''d never get that far. For my guild to gain this ground, we needed this surge to succeed. That pressure mounted before I spread my arms and covered the golems in Event Horizon. It was now or never.


    My armor grinned. Runes charged over my skin. Mana crystallized then disintegrated into plasma. It flowed through my wake as I compressed time over myself. My surroundings dulled and dimmed as if I felt the world through cotton. Arcs of lightning shot across my hands as I shouted,


    "Let the legion rise, and the monsters fall."


    We dashed through the dense barrier of our first city here. It swirled by us, the constructors running this place letting us by. My three converted star beasts flew in, bolstering our numbers to fourteen total. Composing a more massive number but less fighting strength, the coreless golems fell in line behind us all, and they became a tertiary force.


    We shattered the skyline as we left, and I carved the ground with singularities. This path of devastation gave us a way back to the city as we lacked a map. It attracted nearby primevals, my force keeping them behind us. After crossing many miles, the primevals grew in number. For the most part, avoided them.


    We couldn''t clear out the entire planet of the beasts, so we aimed to create safe pockets instead. Collecting blue cores would come after establishing a few cities. To facilitate that harvest, we moved until the primeval''s density reached its apex. With plenty around, we began our offensive.


    I landed onto the glistening ground, peering around for primevals. Several fought nearby, so I lifted my hand and throttled their battles with singularities. Each concussive blast shell shocked their bouts before I shouted at them. Once aware of me, the dueling primevals raced towards me in fits of rage.


    They dashed and darted around me, each one an elemental storm in their own right. They tore off my limbs and evaporated my skin, but I remained living. Continuing this cycle, I herded a dozen different primevals. I died several times a second, becoming a vaporous being without a body. As the number of primevals grew, they followed me like they were the end of the world.


    Where they gathered devolved into a pure, apocalyptic wave of destruction. Elemental forces lashed out in rage and anger. Thunder boomed, and lightning crawled. Heated blasts set the world on fire, and the rays of light melted that fire into goopy plasma. They remade the entire battlefield into a flowing pit of raw energy, their might uncontainable, their wrath uncaged.


    Except to me.


    As their overwhelming powers left my body in ruin, I charged mana into my dimensional wake. The orbital bombardment wouldn''t work since the primevals would simply follow me into the sky. I needed to pin them down first. Doing just that, liquid power solidified into crystals before hissing into plasma.


    The primevals gazed at the pooling aura of ascendance, the crimson energy far less tasty than quintessence. Distracted by the luminous ether, I returned to the corporeal, my mind and body whole. Raising my palms, I shot forth a cacophony of dark dollops in all directions. A portion of the landscape converted to energy, becoming fuel for a gravitational fire.


    Singularities rained, the dark orbs swallowing bodies and bones whole. Those voided spheres fed on the primevals and imploded after. Hiding in the distance, my core golems resided in the folds of algae, hidden from our enemies. They darted, ducked, and dove around the aftershocks of the gravitational implosions.


    Firing upward, I propelled myself over the kelp clouds and into the vast void above as the primeval''s recuperated below. My core golems lobbed several attacks before I fired myself down. I thinned into a needle, gravity wells pulling me towards the ground. Right before landing, I flattened myself into a solid cylinder.


    The world whitened, the force of the explosion mind-numbing. Nothing of me remained, the opal shards tore into fractured crags, and the power cracked and cleaved into the shining opals below. No primeval died from the onslaught, but deep down, the glowing ossuary roared out with a psionic wave. With the energy melting my arms, I siphoned everything to the center of my impact''s blast radius.


    My cored golems escaped the radius of the gravity well, and they found behemoths to hide in. They ripped and gouged the monsters apart, concealing within their shells, hides, and scales. Those behemoths crawled to escape, the golems like monstrous parasites. Below the meatshields, I turned to mush as the primevals destroyed my body several times a second.


    It wasn''t enough. A few seconds passed before the bones below burst forth with splintered trees of opal. The branches impaled me before I flowed around the tiny needles. The primevals stood below as a gamma burst erupted once more. Devastating disintegration. Silencing sound. The colossal consciousness erased the material world over it, starting anew.


    It made the destruction of my orbital bombardment look mute and powerless. All near the epicenter of the bright explosion evaporated to bits, then mist, then nothing. I caught as much of the wave as I could with my dimensional shield, and my golems kept their blue cores covered.


    In the wake of this monstrous detonation, shiny, blue spheres fell in bunched piles. Ready and waiting, I snatched them up with another gravity well, and I lobbed more singularities at the two remaining star beasts. Like before, I scooped up several dozen blue cores before the star beasts recovered. They glared down at me, their forms radiating out flares and waves of radiation.


    And from above, my legion swarmed.


    Bursting from the charred remnants of behemoths, my assault golems ripped out of the cooked shells they hid in. They launched themselves into the fray, sonic booms erupting from their speed. Several collided with a primeval, the star beast rippling around a core golem. My creation shot out spiky tendrils in all directions, lapping up the monster''s energy.


    The remaining parts of the primeval darted in a spiral above the golem. It charged energy before I blew it up once more with a singularity. Six more assault golems fought over the remains, each of them hounding for the scraps left behind. It put a smile on my face as the primeval scrambled for survival.


    Portions of the star monster''s body shattered against my golems'' enhanced plates. The other star beast tried charging a blast in my direction, but the remaining core golems joined the fray. Each soldier lobbed out a different attack, the skyline near them erupting with color.


    A wave of splintering needles shot out of one golem. Another elite condensed the plasma monster with a gravity well. The last core golem spread its arms wide, a wave of frigid energy unleashing at the eldritch''s center. Others caught the light from wafting onto the opals below. The combined casts condensed the eldritch''s body into a ball, the primeval frozen in place.


    I devastated the monster with a singularity before my elites fought over the remaining scraps, eating it alive with teeth of steel and a hunger unending. Despite their ravenous nature and my sharp eyes, a piece of glowing dust landed on the opals. In the distance, the star beast regenerated its shining body instantly.


    I took a deep breath, somewhat disappointed. Even if my core golems turned this into a contest for killing, the primevals refused to go down nice and easy. Peering close, I noticed the star beast lost an inkling of size when it reformed, and my opinion changed. This waste of time turned into a notch of progress.


    However small, it showed a shift in the otherwise stagnant battlefield. These weren''t eternal battles with no victor. These were the slow, inevitable demises of these demigods. While I smiled, the golems fought. They coursed around the piled-up shards, wielding the bones of the behemoths above. My elites landed beside the rejuvenated star eldritch.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    They took over a portion of the shining opals below, blocking charged beams with barriers of bone. Whirling light crossed my entire horizon, the single rays splitting against the opal shards. My elites waved their arms behind their blockades, sending steel needles up from below. They melted into molten iron that condensed over the fire monster.


    Though a reasonable effort, the steel didn''t hold the eldritch, and the primeval returned to a complete form. However, the golem''s attacks slowed the star beast down. One of my ascendant primevals charged energy into its arms. Another core golem joined in, and they assaulted the starry mass from all angles. Coordinating with my star monster, my golems leaped away when my converted eldritch leaned in.


    The ascendant primeval washed the enemy monster in crimson light, slicing it apart. As the light faded, my golems raced in to devour the remnants. Needing fewer fighters, two core golems flew towards the kelp above, destroying the eldritch-producing material. The two constructor golems below already molded the opal surface where the gamma burst exploded.


    They created a twenty-foot-deep, circular indentation for the city, and I marveled at their efficiency. The constructor elites erected bone columns for reinforcement, filled in the hollow structures, and protected the material as fast as my eye could follow. The war golems improved by orders of magnitude as well, six or seven of those golems rivaling my physical might.


    They lacked my skill or ingenuity, but they still acted as the raw muscle needed to dismantle this area''s dangers. It put a smile on my face, the eight elites I left behind at our old city being more than enough to protect it. Appreciating the progress, I stared at a palm, taking a breath. This would work.


    We were winning.


    Supporting my soldiers, I lobbed out well-timed singularities at the primevals. The disruption mounted further as I moved close, firing out with psionic bullets at the enemies. These were psionically charged balls that flowed into the minds of the eldritch. From within, they poisoned the monsters, and that weakened the enemy.


    We continued blitzing, whittling the two primevals down over the next few hours. I let the battle drag on because these golems learned more about fighting. By the end of the bout, I left the cored golems and helped the constructor golems build our second city. At the moment, the perimeter wasn''t set, so this place required constant maintenance.


    The aftermath of the fighting left scars scattered over the city''s surface. However, the constructors repaired the damage as it was done. I spent the next hour building up the central monolith, charging runes over it with my grimoire, and setting up a barrier. As mountain cleaving strikes and river writhing shockwaves unleashed in the distance, I finished the city''s pillar.


    Slotting ten blue cores into the monolith, I siphoned mana into them. They indulged, filling the cipheric markings with ease. In minutes, the field flashed online, and an ethereal web spiraled above, the barrier a feast for the eyes. It guaranteed the city''s perimeter. I installed the telepathic points across the city''s boundary, and the constructors used it to wield the forcefield over us.


    Protecting the haven of humanity, the constructors directed the writhing barrier against the primevals. Anytime one of the star monsters came close, my elites plumed the border out to them. Upon contact, defensive energy burst, and the enemies exploded into a fine mist. In fact, the two constructors did the job of all nineteen constructor cores I made for the city prior.


    We didn''t need many of the cored constructors to run this place. Keeping that in mind, I generated the storm runes for two blue cores. They fit into extra slots in the monolith, and the psionic network encompassed the city. The golems synced together, and I helped command them. The assault soldiers killed the two remaining primevals, and after getting a good-sized zone set up, I terraformed the place.


    Sigils slotted onto the monolith, and from their powering, the toxic air changed into oxygen and nitrogen. The sweltering heat reduced to a pleasant, roomy temperature. The booming impacts muffled into slight echoes, and the radiation caught on the barrier above. Lastly, gravity lessened and stabilized, the body pulping fluxes in gravitation ceasing.


    I rested against the pillar, taking a breath of relief as attacks from behemoths bounced off our city''s outer shell. Each time a colossal eldritch landed on the shield, they zapped into bone shards, their rainbow bones tumbling down the side of the sphere. The clinking chips created a pile on the city''s outskirts, erecting a natural wall over time.


    While connected with the colossal consciousness below, those shining bones pleased it. It counteracted the intrusion of our city, letting the giant rest on its laurels. I couldn''t even imagine how much longer that would last, but I had no means of fighting such an overwhelming foe at the moment.


    It rested here millennia, perhaps even millions of years. Its life cycle gave us time to work with here, but I had no idea how long that might last. It also made me wonder what happened to the primeval''s blue cores here. They died in their fights, but no corpse lingered here. Learning what happened to those bodies might be an excellent opportunity for me.


    And I didn''t want that taken from me by the other rulers here. I wouldn''t allow it.


    Snapping me out of my contemplation, an assault golem flew in from outside, and it landed beside me. It fell into a lunged position, its head lowered. With a hand raised, it offered dozens of blue cores to me. I thanked him and let him join his brethren in the battle around us. Over my raised fingertip, a few cackling blue dungeon cores orbited my hand.


    The glistening surfaces put a smile on my weary face. As other rulers established themselves on the safer side of the planet, we established dominance on Leviathan''s darkest reaches. The others probably fought amongst themselves to establish control over each other. By comparison, I surrounded myself with a blue core factory and opal bone farm.


    By the time I left here, handing over a hundred blue cores to Schema would be nothing, which ensured a high ranking in the lottery. Letting that sink in, I enjoyed the progress. Ah, it was excellent. Standing up, I shook off my contentment and went about establishing myself here. This hellscape would be mine before long.


    Three primevals destroyed a patch of kelp in the distance, interrupting my thoughts. I winced at them, hoping they didn''t plow into the city. If something like that smashed into the barrier while I wasn''t here, the settlement might not survive. Standing back up, I got to work. We waged war for hours, establishing a larger control zone around the immediate city.


    In this valley of cleaved bone, we touched the land with civilization. It was this dead zone''s first taste of society, and I aimed to make it a long-lasting meal. Having learned from my expansion on Earth, I brainstormed some issues that might crop up here. The first and most obvious culprit was city-to-city travel.


    Caravaneers wouldn''t function here as travel risked everything, and working roads were a must. Peering at the vast expanse of bones, algae, and monsters, that seemed like a pipe dream. While I stared out, a core golem fought a behemoth just above the ossuary. My core golem dismantled the giant monster, turning it into a pulpy mass of blood and flesh.


    Despite the onslaught, the behemoth struggled back with a classic, eldritchian tenacity. It shot out a few swinging slices and beaming blasts. As it did, my assault golem molded the opal bones to protect itself. My eyes widened as I snapped my fingers. That would work.


    Instead of making roads on the surface, I''d connect them through tunnels in the bones below. The giant consciousness wouldn''t allow a vast sphere, but it would accept a small tunnel without any problems. Moving forward with that idea, I charged all the blue cores to their maximums and installed a few generators. They were simple piles of dimensional fabric.


    With a constructor golem''s help, we spiffed up the place, so it didn''t look horrific to look at. Once spiffed up, I spent the many hours necessary for this city''s defense. I made twenty more assault golems, but I adjusted their aptitude. Instead of waging war, these golems preferred acting as guardsmen and maintenance workers.


    I left eight of them behind to keep this city defended. They''d work with the constructors and the whirling shield to keep this place safe. With the assault golems, guardsmen, and the converted star beasts, I walked to our city''s perimeter. Up against the wall surrounding the city, I bent the bones while walking forward.


    While walking, I tore off my arms over and over. The falling stream of limbs melted on the ground before smoothing out into a circular tunnel with a flat floor. At the same time, I etched runes onto the tunnel''s surface, these runes mirroring the pillars of the city. We continued this process, following the line of singularity craters I left above.


    At one third the distance to our other town, I set down a blue core and guard golem. They linked telepathically to the city behind us, extending the network further. I added two more guardposts for the entire tunnel, ensuring they put the appropriate mental pressure on the surrounding rainbow bones to keep it in place.


    If they put too little psionic tension, then the tunnels would collapse. If they applied too much, then the bones would gamma burst this place into oblivion. Finding that happy medium, we reached the other city I crafted. The constructor golems kept the up and running, as did the assault golems who fought outside. I called the eight assault golems to join me, leaving eight guardsmen to replace them.


    As the golems funneled in, I took a moment to inspect the place. The constructor golems expanded the buildings up when we left. Content with the progress, I paced out with my group of golems before telepathically connecting the two cities. The constructors spoke with one another, which revolutionized the utility of these settlements.


    Before connecting them, these colonies were tiny bubbles crisscrossing the surface of Leviathan-7. Once connected, the towns acted as a united front where core golems could rush over to help any city struggling nearby. In minutes, extra guardsmen from surrounding cities would pour in to stop an attack, making each city many times more potent.


    This security disarmed the chaotic nature of Leviathan-7 in many ways. Even if a group of primevals attacked a city, these connection points ensured our survival. The more we expanded, the more remarkable that defense became. Before feeling too satisfied with myself, I shifted to a primordial aura. Always the cynic, the wave of cold calculation rushed over me, and with it came many issues regarding the road system.


    How would the golems communicate? Hundreds of golems talking would create all kinds of chaos, and that wouldn''t do. Would supply lines be safe? A group of primevals could crush a road system, killing people and destroying resources. I also wanted to get a grip on what the rulers did elsewhere in this world. They might give me a chance for further gain.


    Those questions and a dozen others piled on in tandem, and as always, I rushed to fix them. As primordial mana oozed over me, droplets of the mana funneled upward. They rained into a surging, semitranslucent ooze of navy blue. It piled up at the end of navy blue fire that burned on my skin. I clapped my hands together, the mana coursing into my body until I almost burst.


    Clarity infused into my mind, and I smiled at all that was to be done. It was time to get to work.

 341 An Isolating Invasion

    Those questions and a dozen others piled on in tandem, and as always, I rushed to fix them. As primordial mana oozed over me, droplets of the mana funneled upward. They rained into a surging, semitranslucent ooze of navy blue. It piled up at the end of navy blue fire that burned on my skin. I clapped my hands together, the mana coursing into my body until I almost burst.


    Clarity infused into my mind, and I smiled at all that was to be done. It was time to get to work.


    Chapter Begin


    **********************************************************************


    -Daniel-


    I brushed my hands together, metallic rings resonating from the clanging claps of my palms. The echoes radiated through another city''s barrier, the swirling field of blue strata no less beautiful than the first time I built one. Anytime I crafted anything, I wanted peace, quiet, and beautiful scenery. My cities on Leviathan-7 fit the bill.


    Taking a deep breath, I put my hands on my hips. This would be my fourth attempt at making one of these, and I hoped it would work. Implanting a blue core into the golem''s body, I inspected the next model of my primordial core golems. They proved more challenging to get right than the ascendant and quintessence models.


    Those assault and constructor models fit into their mana types well, everything syncing up. On the other hand, primordials had a bad habit of going haywire. Given the motivations I gave them, the mishaps weren''t mutinies exactly, but they came close at times. That chaos stemmed from the primordial golems being the most independent of any golem type.


    These golems, directors as I called them, could think for themselves, and while that let them manage cities, it also meant the golems could go against me if they wanted to. Not directly, but in a roundabout way. For that reason, I had to get specific with the wording behind the motivations I put in them.


    I tried out a variety of directives with each dungeon heart, but few made it past my initial prototype phase. Most primordial cores carried a sinister air I didn''t like, so I never put suspicious ones in an actual golem body. I probed each and every finished heart, ensuring some quality control. Despite that caution, my three previous attempts blew up in my face.


    My first attempt worked wonders for my first city. Under the primordial''s management, the blue cores and rainbow bones rained in. It was all roses and sunshine until I placed another primordial over a different city. Like two ticking time bombs, both golems met, disagreed, and waged war with each other.


    They wanted the other golem''s territory so they could help me more. It turned out that ''help Daniel'' was too vague a motivation for them. After that, I started the quality controls and added some constraints. My next director ended up trying to gather more dungeon hearts instead of the bones. That was fine until it tried dismantling my cored golems to get more blue cores.


    The third test ended up the worst of them all. By then, I piled up a lot of motivations and constraints, the complexity of the code mounting. With an advanced mind, the last director tried changing their internal code to help facilitate their goals. Once again, I applauded the initiative, but tampering with the cipher was a dangerous game. They paid the price for it.


    Without the know-how, the director ended up turning themselves into an endlessly growing pile of flesh. It was both grotesque and remarkably unhelpful. This last set of changes would either work, or I''d scrap the idea altogether.


    The first adjustment added self-satisfaction, so these golems carried a solid amount of pride. This stopped them from morphing their own code. The second shift involved a heap of humility. Having the primordials understand their limitations prevented them from doing too much, which had been the main problem prior.


    Though a bit contradictory, I hoped the two contrasting traits would stabilize the golem. As the primordial soldier clicked on, I telepathically linked to it with my breath held. It radiated back,


    "Ah, it''s very good to see you, creator. How are you?"


    I raised an eyebrow, always impressed by their verbal skills,


    "I''m doing well. What''s your goal?"


    "Well, firstly, it''s to not make a mess of things. Secondly, it''s to manage the others as best as I''m able. That''s honestly about it...Ah, and to follow your orders, creator. That goes without saying, however."


    I gave him a nod, assigning two assault golems as his guards. They''d keep him in line and report any issues to me if the situation went haywire. Crossing my fingers, I put some faith in this golem. He sounded sane, and I needed the help. Running twenty-four cities by myself was weighing on me.


    Reminding me of all those places, another assault golem landed beside me. A waft of wind blew past me as I turned to it, the dark metal of the golem sheening under Leviathan''s light. In its palms, dozens of blue cores crackled like orbs of lightning. Good, today''s harvest was alright. I raised an arm, the spheres whirling into my pocket dimension.


    They funneled into the vast pile I amassed, well over two hundred of them clanking around in my storage. The dungeon hearts radiated out in that void, a testament to what I accomplished here. Staring down at another cityscape dotting the distant horizon, I took note of my progress.


    I finished twenty-four cities with connecting road systems, made hundreds of core golems, and progressed in time magic. Despite everything, it didn''t feel like enough, and it seemed as though the three-month deadline should''ve already arrived. It hadn''t.


    In all honesty, I was getting worried that Schema sent us here to raid our empires while we were gone. If that was the case, I''d ensure the AI regretted that dearly when I returned. Despite that unease, I trusted Schema. It wasn''t based on blind faith, however. It was based on a hunch.


    Closing my eyes, I reached out and released the hastening of time around me. The broken minds in my wake flowed in, every Daniel numb to it by now. The standard dimensional rules rushed in around me, and that ''other'' coursed thick as tar. Getting a feel for it, I couldn''t help but trust this feeling.


    In the last weeks, I gained the ability to sense time''s flow. At least I think I did. Here on Leviathan-7, time thickened to an absurd extent, far more than I could ever hope to match. My hastening only added to my temporal compression, and I couldn''t accomplish this same feat without Leviathan''s temporal warp.


    If this black hole worked like a normal one, time''s flow would be thin and wispy. From what I could tell, that''s how time worked. The more present, the faster stuff went, and the less present, the slower stuff went. I could''ve been messing up my terminology and presenting a complete and utter oversimplification. However, this understanding worked had for me so far. It wasn''t like I was an armchair astrophysicist with access to the internet.


    That would make poking holes in my theory easy, after all.


    Anyways, I used this normal state of time to gauge the progress of my time manipulation. From many trials, I found my temporal acceleration increased time''s flow by about0 25% while moving. When standing still, my time coursed several times faster for me than usual. This skewed my priorities big time.


    At first, I hoped to multiply my own time''s pace, but that would require years of training which I didn''t have here. Instead of a brute force approach, I focused more on mastering my application of temporal manipulation. When brainstorming, devising runes, or thinking up improvements, I always stood still. I paired that compression with my Mass Manipulation skill, a simple ability that shrunk my physical size.


    While seemingly small, every millimeter I crunched inward was another my wake could compress.


    It gave me a temporal dilation that left the world crawling in slow motion when standing still. The slowed worldly pace made cipher rewrites or brainstorming trivial investments since each minute of thinking equated to only seconds spent moving. This warped how I handled everything, and I contemplated every minute decision until it radiated with efficiency.


    Those incremental improvements resulted in a streamlined city-building process. Despite those advancements, I failed at building a city twice. The first defeat stemmed from the rainbow bones. We bothered them too much, and they kept erupting gamma bursts. After several hours, we moved on to greener pastures while the bones settled down. Our second loss came from an underground pocket of primevals.


    Thirty of them rested under the opal bones, so we retreated to avoid losses. Over the last couple of hours, we picked them off one by one when it was convenient, but we stopped the orbital bombardments after that. If we hadn''t faced the primevals all at once, I could''ve planted two cities in the time it took to make one.


    Speaking of cities, we finished this one a few hours before I got to crafting. At this point, I owned many settlements surrounding my first settlement. This web of cities gave me over hundreds of guards golems and about a hundred assault golems to improve my assaults with. They darkened Leviathan-7''s sky with their numbers, surging into each new zone like a volley of arrows.


    But these arrows learned fast and loved war. The assault golems waged it at all moments, each one a spiral of violence and hate. Their ferocity would imbed fear in our enemies, the packs like hungry sharks when facing a weakened foe. The apex of those opponents, the primevals, no longer slowed me down when I established cities. Well, outside of freak occurrences like the thirty primeval blow-ups.


    Without worrying about fighting, I put all of my efforts towards the rune carving and city building. Each hub I planted gained me another piece of Leviathan-7 as my own. The roads stretched for dozens of miles between these hubs, and we continued the expansion each day. By now, I ran while making the tunnel structures between the cities.


    Those tunnels expanded outwards in circles from my initial building point, creating a ring of settlements. The first ring of cities numbered six, making a hexagon around the alpha settlement. The second ring rounded the first one, the twelve cities maintaining a hexagonal shape. I positioned the towns in that same ratio, keeping everything roughly equidistant from each other.


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    While it sounded complicated, it was essentially just a controlled expansion. It prevented me from creating a line of cities that defended itself poorly. This denser, symmetrical frontier made the maintenance of new cities less of a hassle, something I came to dread. If I had a quarter for each time I managed a city''s defense against some primevals, I''d probably have, like, thirty bucks.


    Terribly analogies aside, I kept hopes high that this new primordial golem wouldn''t be an abject failure like the last one. For now, I poured my efforts back into expansion. As I did, I frowned. I dragged my hands down my face, wanting to see Althea again. Or Torix. Or anyone, for that matter. Althea led the loneliness front, though.


    At this point, the isolation sank its teeth into me, and I detested being on this planet. No matter what I thought up, I couldn''t reason those emotions away anymore. The golems helped, and so did having a Manifold Mind. At the same time, those all came from me. In a way, I spoke to myself, about myself, and for myself.


    In other words, I was in a complex conversation with just me, and it drove me insane. At times, I questioned whether all of this was real or not, mainly because of how alien and strange everything was. Having all of my life ripped away for so long left me wondering if I died and this was hell. But it couldn''t be. Because I couldn''t die.


    Snapping me out of my nihilistic stupor, a scouting golem landed beside me. They were just normal golems sent out to explore, but I liked calling them by their roles. It helped keep everything organized, something I wished I could offload to Torix.


    Poor lich had to take a lot of offloading. Damn, I missed the guy.


    I linked to the scouting golem, and it radiated back to me,


    "Hello, creator. We have found an oddity in the deserts of this planet."


    I frowned, "What is it?"


    "The bone piles spread through the dunes are missing through vast swaths of land."


    I tapped my chin, a dozen minds thinking back at once, "Something''s collecting the bones then, so there are several possibilities." I smiled, "It sounds like some rulers were harvesting the easiest to grab bone sources. Either that or...something else is taking them." I peered down, giving the rainbow bones a few stomps,


    "Like this big bone thing."


    The scout spoke out, "Do you wish for us to find the source of the oddities?"


    My brow crinkled, my mind drifting off to the idea of talking to someone. I shook my head, "No, I''ve got this. Let me handle it."


    The scout gave a bow while raising its hands, "Of course, creator. We shall continue surveying the continent, and I shall lead you there."


    It pressed its feet into the ground, darting away. I followed, putting a hand on its shoulder. Mana siphoned from me into it, and the golem picked up the pace. In minutes, we passed the wafting forests of kelp, the algae thinning. The desert came in force, pockets of kelp spawning behemoths here still.


    I gazed at the red dunes, the light of Leviathan forever beaming down its brilliance here. It cast a permanent mid-morning shine onto the dunes, lighting piles of sand into majestic, glowing pyramids. I gawked at the beauty, glad to be out of the damn ossuary for once. The madness there felt like it was crawling under my skin, and I enjoyed the peace here.


    A behemoth dropped down from above. I raised a hand, several singularities goring it apart. As its blue blood rained onto the scout and me in a vile downpour, I kept my eyes on the shining dunes. I centered on those beaming hills. Ah, the beautiful dunes. Peace, tranquility, and serenit-


    Another behemoth barreled down from above, interrupting the moment. I glowered at it before sending a psionic wave through its mind. Ten Daniels stuffed its psyche until the creature''s ego burst, its spirit exploding into fragmented mush. The corpse flopped against the sand, its body still living but its mind dead.


    Watching it fall, I heard each beat of its heart, all its organs in perfect order. I took deep breaths of the toxic air here, and I put a hand on the side of my head. Closing my eyes, I settled my anger. From beside me, the scouting golem trembled for a moment. Its fear worked like a whip, and it lashed me with shame. I had to get the hell out of here.


    This place was changing me, and not for the better.


    Changing my attention, I peered down. Sharp spires of rainbow bone pooled at the bottom of the dunes here, but we found swaths of the desert where the bone orbs went missing. Rulers may have intended on donating the opal shards to avoid conscription. If so, I gave them props; it was a good idea.


    It wouldn''t be enough to take the number one spot, though.


    Several other scouting golems met up with me, having different reports. I got a picture of the situation from them. They found several underground tunnels in the desert along the ossuary where the rainbow bone piles began. From those burrows, strange creatures gathered the rainbow bones piling here, and they brought them back to some hidden ruler.


    A few culprits popped into my head, not least of which being the colossal rainbow bone pile. However, I hoped it was Valgus Uuriyah. The ruler held many captured eldritch on him, and he had the potential to control even primevals based on our fight. It kind of felt desperate for me to hope for an enemy, but being in battle was better than being alone.


    Exploring further, I darted towards one of the tunnels, the opal bones stretching out of the side of a desert''s dune. I walked into the expanse of opal before my scout followed behind me. Before it entered, I raised my hand,


    "Don''t. This entity could destroy you down to the atom."


    The scout raised a hand, "But it is the same for you, creator."


    I gave it a hollow smile, "The difference is, I won''t die. You will."


    "But-"


    I waved my hand, "Thanks, but I''ve got this. Go back to your post."


    The scout''s hand lowered, and it turned to explore Leviathan-7 once more. My smile turned genuine as I walked off, a sense of surprise popping up in my chest. It wasn''t from the golem''s concern but from the golem objecting to my command. Even if it was only a slight challenge, it stood out from the monotonous, ''Yes, creator'' that I usually got.


    Pacing into the opal tunnel, I scowled at the shining opals. The short-lived flight out of this hellhole ended faster than one fight with a primeval. Darting into the depths, I raced through the winding tunnel, and I became a whirlwind of motion. A dozen twists and turns blurred in my eyes, no branches or divets present in the shiny, smooth surface. A few minutes of this passed, and I slammed into a patch of flattened bone. It popped up out of nowhere, being almost invisible from the other angles of opal.


    And so, my heels collided into the radiant floor, cracks in the rainbowed remains forming underfoot. A burst of powdered bone splashed into the air like electrified glitter. I chose not to breathe, the sparkling dust worse than broken glass. Walking through the shining cloud, I gazed around. The sleek surface of opals pooled into a sort of bubble that branched off into several other tunnels.


    Raising a brow, my eyes set onto a fountain at the center of this room. It bubbled and frothed, the lurching of the liquid like living light. It almost squealed out in pain as the bubbles burst along the surface, and it whispered for me to drink in its delicacy. Stepping up, those whispers strengthened into silent wails that rebounded in my head.


    I smiled at the cute fountain, the subtle psionic attack almost laughable. After dipping my hand into the mixture, it coated my hand in light, energy coursing from it. My armor assimilated the fluid, the power becoming my own. Scooping up more with my hands, I drank from the water, and it burned in my belly like fire and ash.


    And vitality.


    I reached out my hands, grasping them with confusion spreading over my face. While this wouldn''t grant me an incredible boost, the fact I even noticed it bewildered me. Before taking it all in, I waited a moment to see the other impacts of the mixture. The side effects took hold like I swallowed hornets.


    Rainbow needles expanded from my stomach, throat, and mouth. They drilled through the skin and injected some kind of pain-inducing poison. Barely noticing it, I tilted my head at the fountain. It seemed like it was made to both tempt and kill. Interesting. Moments passed before the rainbow needles oozed out a psionic poison and attack all at once.


    Once again, I stumbled back in astonishment. The mental whiplash tore one Daniel apart, the mind in tatters. It regenerated before noting how this reminded it of time magic. I agreed before scooping up the rest of this, er, stuff. It was difficult to even give it a name based on its hodgepodge of abilities, but there it was, existing whether I named it or not.


    Taking the ossuary juice, I scooped in the entire fountain at once with my dimensional shield. It fell into the abyss of my pocket dimension before I gained complete awareness of it. My eyes widened as I found five blue cores at the bottom of the mixture, bits and pieces of primordials dribbling out of the cleaved fountain.


    I pocketed the rest of the demonic sluice before heading deeper into the tunnel system. Minutes later, I found another of these fountains. Unlike before, I didn''t attempt drinking the stuff, and I shoved it into my dimensional storage for later. After taking seven more fountains, the psionic beast I walked within roared out in rage.


    Understanding its frustration, I put a hand on a wall and set out to calm it. We warred for a moment, its wrath facing my serenity. Placing all of my minds on the task, the behemoth tore through one of my minds after the other. The entity destroyed each Daniel in a row like a charging animal. It gouged and ripped and gored while I disintegrated into psionic shreds.


    I died many times before giving it a sad smile. This was what I did to myself every waking moment. How could an attack like this stop me? It couldn''t, and it didn''t. In time, the bone beast calmed, its surging flows of energy becoming tame. Pacing further into this large trap, I sensed a primeval below.


    After flowing through the tunnel, I surged towards the monster as a glowing liquid. As I reached it, the primeval turned to me, having drunk one of the shining reservoirs. Unlike me, it gorged on the entire fountain.


    So to did the fountain gorge on it.


    A writhing mass of shining spines erupted out of its back, the stone beast twitching with random movements. It gurgled at me, and I raised my hands. While I locked eyes with it, I shouted, "Come on. My fists itch, and your face looks like a backscratcher."


    I winced at what I just said before watching it rush at me. It kept going forward before dashing past me. Lowering my hands, I watched the primeval go out into the distance and up the tunnels. Following it, we both ran through this chasm in the colossal bone pit. A few minutes later, we bolted back into the dunes of sand.


    The red dunes burned in the overwhelming light of Leviathan. In that sweltering heat, we crushed through dune after dune. A sandstorm whirled behind us before we reached the bottom of several dunes. The converted primeval grabbed a big ball of rainbow bones, picked it up, and ran off back to the ossuary.


    Of course. It was the giant consciousness all along.


    I fell onto my knees, not because I had to but because I wanted to. Several sandworm behemoths popped out of the ground, trying to eat me. I splashed the bone fluid over the monsters, watching them suffer. I thought to add to that suffering, but I stopped myself. Gazing at my hands, I wondered what was wrong with me.


    The minds and I came to a consensus - we lost our sense of normalcy. It wasn''t something I was ever aware of, yet it remained with me most of the time. Even if I lost most of what made up my life sometimes, I held onto something from before it changed. However, I lost everything here.


    Schema''s lacking presence eliminatedTorix''s books to read. I could reread ones through my memory, but that was it. My emptied dimensional storage meant none of the other trinkets existed outside of what I put in my pocket dimension. Unless I wanted to chat with Lehesion''s lopped-off tail, that wasn''t exactly a bonus.


    Scratching my hair, I closed my eyes, trying to swim through my memories. Once more, behemoths interrupted my train of thought. I killed them, keeping a fit of explosive anger in check. Laying back on the side of a sand dune, I made a few sand angels in the dust. It gave me a nostalgic feeling as if I were a child in the snow again. In my ears, a low, droning voice ebbed in,


    "And fate has decided we meet again, I see. It''s good to see you again."


    I looked up, and Shalahora gazed back down at me. My eyes widened as he tilted his shadowy face at me,


    "You...appear troubled."

 342 What Bumps in the Night

    Scratching my hair, I closed my eyes, trying to swim through my memories. Once more, behemoths interrupted my train of thought. I killed them, keeping a fit of explosive anger in check. Laying back on the side of a sand dune, I made a few sand angels in the dust. It gave me a nostalgic feeling as if I were a child in the snow again. In my ears, a low, droning voice ebbed in,


    "And fate has decided we meet again, I see. It''s good to see you again."


    I looked up, and Shalahora gazed back down at me. My eyes widened as he tilted his shadowy face at me,


    "You...appear troubled."


    Chapter Begin


    I flopped myself up off the sand before stabilizing in the air. Coughing into one hand, I murmured, "Just, you know, enjoying the scenery."


    Shalahora peered at one of the glowing dunes in the distance. His voice droned in, "It is beautiful here."


    A silent moment passed, something I''d been hoping for but never received since arriving on this damn planet. Pulling my time magic back, I blinked, "What''s going on? Why aren''t the behemoths attacking us?"


    Sounds returned to normal, including Shalahora''s voice. The Sovereign tilted his head at me, his bright blue eyes piercing, "They cannot see nor sense us. I have camouflaged us both."


    I let out a sigh, "What I wouldn''t have given to have something like that since coming here."


    Shalahora let out a gentle laugh, "It is easy to cherish what we were never given, but it is difficult to appreciate what we have."


    I smiled back, "Good point. I''ll keep it in mind." I scratched my cheek, "So, how have things been?"


    Shalahora peered away from the ossuary and towards the shady side of the planet, "I''ve done well, so I''ve gained enough resources that I''m now comfortable with my position in this lottery. However, I know only a little of what the other rulers are doing now. My information is outdated. In particular, Valgus and his faction are a mystery I''ve yet to unravel."


    I nodded, "Same here. I''ve been trying to establish myself around this area."


    Shalahora gazed around, seeing only sand dunes in every direction. He looked down before putting a hand on my shoulder, umbral energy dolloping up off of him. He spoke with a gentle tone,


    "You...You have done well to be alive, given where we are. I understand that asking for help is difficult. It is to accept your weakness and make it known. I want you to know that the first step onto the path of strength involves acknowledgment. Only then-"


    I furrowed my brow, "What''s with the condolence?"


    Shalahora lowered his hand, "Hm, ahem...I''ve gazed around at your established territory and...Uhm."


    A sandworm burst from the ground, destroying a dune. My sand angels remained in the red grains below, and Shalahora gestured to them, "It seems as though collecting resources has been difficult. While I am not overtly wealthy, I can share a portion of my spoils if only to prevent your guild from being dismantled by Schema."


    I shook my head, "Woah, I''m totally fine on resources."


    Shalahora leaned back, "Oh...Then why do you appear so troubled?"


    I grabbed the back of my head, "It''s that obvious?"


    Shalahora peered away and pressed his hand to his cheek as if scratching it, "Of course not...It was merely my skill of observance."


    The guy walked up to me while I made sand angels in the middle of the desert by myself. My struggle couldn''t have been more obvious, but he still spared my feelings. I burst out laughing, "I get it. I really do." I peered towards the ossuary,


    "Honestly, it''s been rough. Really rough."


    Shalahora stared through me while lowering his hands, "Your species must require social contact. This isolation must weigh on you heavily. I am different, as my kind was made to be alone."


    My eyes widened, "Oh man, that''s convenient. While it sucks to admit, being alone has taken its toll on me. You already saw."


    Shalahora put a fist to his chest, "I am here now, so you drift alone no longer."


    I gave him a nod and a smile, "Hell yeah."


    Shalahora''s eyes turned to slits, and he zoned in on a golem flying towards us. The umbral shade lifted his dark claws, "Something approaches us. Be wary."


    I lifted a hand, "It''s not an enemy."


    The scouting golem stopped before me, unable to see Shalahora but knowing I was there. My soldier bowed, "It''s good to see you, creator."


    I raised a brow, "Report?"


    "Shades have been spotted nearby. They come from an unknown source. We haven''t attacked them yet, as they''ve been non-hostile."


    I tilted a hand to Shalahora, and the Sovereign appeared. The shady ruler''s eyes widened, "You serve Daniel?" He turned to me, "I thought you were alone?"


    The scout answered for me, "We are his flesh and blood. He gave us life, and now we live to continue his purpose. Our creator feels alone because we act like one, though we despise our inability to deplete our maker''s loneliness."


    Shalahora blinked, "We? There are more of your kind?"


    The scout omened, "We are legion. We are many."


    Shalahora gave the scout a nod, "Then I am as well." The writhing shadow lifted a massive arm, and several shades appeared. Shalahora murmured,


    "These are my incarnations. They exist outside of me but retain a semblance of my mind. They are like my children, so please, be kind to them. They, in turn, will be kind to you."


    The scout turned to me, waiting for an answer. I pointed a thumb at Shalahora while I said, "You heard the man. Play nice."


    The scout bowed to the shades, "It is good to meet you, children of Shalahora. We shall work together with kindness in the future, and may our legions prosper."


    Shalahora bowed to the golem, "You are very polite, and so, we shall ally with ease. Know that my children will offer what you''ve offered them in turn, and may our alliance prosper." Shalahora stood up, "Daniel. Would you mind if I see the others?"


    I tapped my chin, thinking. After a moment, I shrugged, "Eh, sure. Why not." I pointed to the ossuary, "It''s this way."


    We darted towards the multi-tiered hell cake that was the ossuary. Keeping a leisurely pace, we pierced the heated air and waves of gravitation. No behemoths attacked us, something that I appreciated about Shalahora''s presence already. After a while, the edge of the ossuary appeared.


    From there, Shalahora stopped, so I did as well. I raised my brow, "What''s with the holdup?"


    He narrowed his eyes, "That''s the shining hell. Why are we going there?"


    I peered back and forth, "Uh...Because that''s where the golems are?"


    Shalahora brandished his claws, "You mean to tell me you drifted towards that place on purpose? Forgive my skepticism, but I find that hard to believe."


    "That''s where all the good stuff is, and I wanted some privacy."


    Shalahora widened one eye and narrowed another as if raising a brow, "What resources lie in that ruin, aside from death and the shining shards?"


    I smiled, "Hah, it''s good you don''t know since I''ll have plenty to show you."


    We reached the cusp of the ossuary before I pointed at the line where shining bone met gleaming sand, "So I''ll be honest, the shining hell isn''t a bad name by any means, but I call it the ossuary because of how it''s made."


    Shalahora landed on the living bones, placing a palm on them, "Ossuary: where the bones of the dead are laid to rest. Why name this place that?"


    I raised a finger, "We''ll talk where it''s safe. Come on."


    We darted through the ossuary, the kelp layers getting denser over time. Each layer compounded on the other, the writhing movements of behemoths masked by the kelp layers above. As the light of Leviathan dimmed to disparate rays, the primevals came out to play. They warred in the distance, and Shalahora kept away from them. With his expert cloaking ability, he evaded their presence.


    But I didn''t because I never even imagined using a cloaking ability of any kind. Several primevals ended up disrupting our voyage but not for long. My scouts communicated with the network of cities, and the vast legion I amassed arrived in a swarm. A hundred core golems raced overhead. They tore through the kelp forest, destroying expanses of kelp. A dozen dogpiled each behemoth, goring them apart in seconds.


    More war golems piled onto the primevals, our tactics like frenzied sharks. Shalahora gawked at the metal soldiers, the vast armada becoming a sight to behold. They shattered the horizon that led to my cities, and that path gave us a view of Leviathan as we passed over the shining bones below.


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    I dashed ahead of Shalahora, peering back at him, "You coming?"


    Shalahora watched a primeval facing thirty golems, its body rent into slithers. Shalahora kept his gaze on that sight as we passed,


    "I...Of course. Of course."


    We reached one of my border cities, the vast dome reaching up to the lowest layer of algae. The blue core shield rotated over the city, an impassable expanse of energy. The roads connecting the city to the others crackled with mana. Two guardsmen golems flew up to greet us, the bulky soldiers eyeing Shalahora with suspicion.


    I pointed at my umbral friend, "We''re good. He''s my ally."


    The guardsmen bowed, "Yes, creator."


    I never programmed the whole bowing thing into them. It was something they began by themselves. Either way, a rupture in the city''s barrier split open before we flew into the protective bulwark. Elegant buildings rose up to the top of the blue bubble, the constructors building this place from the ground up.


    Those skyscrapers fitted into the dome efficiently, and the different kinds of stones slotted onto the rainbow bone accents well. Compared to every other part of this forsaken planet, the niceties stuck out like a festering wound on someone''s face. Shalahora murmured, "This is beyond anything I expected of you."


    I eyed everything with a critical eye, "It''s better than I expected too. I didn''t make this city that long ago, so it looks like the golems have been working overtime."


    We landed in the tallest of the sleek spires, the windows made large enough for me to enter. The empty room served no purpose, so I made us two chairs by lifting a hand. Another mind saturated each seat with an antigravity well, so we didn''t snap the chairs to bits. Another of my psyches activated the quintessence light above, the crystal brightening the room.


    Another ego made a table for us, and another mind made water with ice cubes in it. Two other consciousnesses created dirt and plants in contained areas in the corners of the room. One of those plants ended up being some kind of fruit tree. Taking several of the fruits, we squished them into juice while a final psyche generated two glasses onto the table.


    Plopping into the chair, I pooled the juice and ice into the glasses. Everything happened with my time dilation in effect, so it took about ten seconds. To Shalahora, that was about seven. The Sovereign watched it all happen before flowing into the chair I made for him. He lifted the glass of fruit juice, lifting it over his head. While inspecting the bottom of it, he mouthed,


    "To be frank, none of this feels real to my eyes."


    I scowled, picking up my glass. I leaned onto one hand while sipping on the lifeless juice, "Yeah, it''s the same here. Nothing on this planet feels real to me anymore by now."


    Tossing the whole cup into my mouth, I crunched on the glass, noting how soft it felt. Shalahora''s words sauntered in a slow drawl, "I''ve never seen an origin mage craft life from nothing."


    After canceling my time magic, I frowned at the random fruit juice. It tasted like sour cotton and dirt. I grimaced, "Well, let''s just say this doesn''t match the real thing. This is all a shade of its real self." I raised a hand at the umbral Sovereign, "No offense against shades."


    The shadow lifted a hand, "None taken." Shalahora poured the juice onto his palm, and it soaked into a thin film over his skin. The liquid split like veins coursing over him, all of them reaching his center. He turned his head to me,


    "It is the first liquid I''ve had since arriving, so regardless of the origin, it''s quite refreshing. Thank you."


    I wafted Event Horizon over the fruit tree, the entire plant disintegrating into mana outside of a dozen of the fruits. I spiraled them onto the table in front of Shalahora while crafting a stone bowl in front of him. They landed in a neat pile, and I gestured to them, "Go ham, man. They''re yours."


    Shalahora peered at me, "Considering the brevity of your world''s existence in Schema''s universe, you must be worshipped as a god in your homeworld."


    I shook my head, "No one really knows me. Well, anyone that watches streams do, but that''s not many yet. Anyways, let''s get down to business. We''ll get this alliance started off right."


    Shalahora leaned back, watching primevals fighting far in the distance, "Then I am here to listen as long as you''re here to speak."


    I relayed what I''d done since coming, excluding the mental struggle of the time magic. That felt too personal to share for some reason, so I kept it to myself. Shalahora listened with his arms gripping the side of his marble chair. As I finished, Shalahora nodded,


    "Then this is why you wished for our alliance to delay until the latter half of our stay here. This was a pursuit done in a lonely light without any other alternative."


    He loosened his grip on his armrests, "It must''ve been difficult to fight for so long here, and that temporal dilation of yours only accentuates that issue. I feel for your journey. It was a difficult one, but you demonstrate the fruits of will and the harvest of hardship. Bear this city with pride, for it stands tall in the face of hell, a beacon to any that sees it."


    The acknowledgment felt sincere, and I peered off. I covered a grin while saying, "Well, you know, I did what I had to...How about you?"


    Shalahora peered up, "If only my journey carried the same yield. I started near the other rulers, my shades finding them within the first few days of our arrival."


    I raised a hand, "Wait a minute, you really mean that?"


    Shalahora raised a hand, a shade spawning, "Yes. My shades are beneficial for scouting purposes."


    I shook my hands, "I''m talking about when you said within a few days. You can actually tell the time here?"


    Shalahora tilted his head in confusion, "Oh, that...My shades live for almost three standard galactic days. I used their duration to determine how long we''ve lived here."


    I blinked, "Genius. Just genius."


    Shalahora leaned back, "Are...Are impressed by that?"


    I lifted my hands, "Well yeah. I have no idea how long we''ve been here."


    Shalahora answered my unspoken question, "We''re just over half the way through Schema''s guideline of three months. For that reason, tensions are mounting."


    I leaned back, "What, no way. It''s been way longer than three months."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about? Hm...Wait." He leaned forward in his chair, contemplating my words, "You''re the newest ruler. Hm, you mustn''t be measuring in standard galactic time. Your confusion stems from that cause, surely."


    I leaned back into my chair, my soul leaving my body. I facepalmed, "What? Oh...Duh."


    I massaged my temples, "It''s not my sense of time. It''s Schema''s. Oof."


    Shalahora peered at my city as he shrugged, "By my measure, wealth and ignorance are better than knowledge and poverty. One is fixed with a few words while the other requires many actions."


    I raised a hand, "Thanks for the compliment, but I''m taking that loss on the chin. Anyways, sorry for interrupting you."


    Shalahora''s blinked a few times before interlocking his hands, "It''s no issue. I''d imagine that would be a rather maddening conundrum given the lack of days here, and you lacked perspective. As for what I''ve said, I created a temporary alliance with the survivors here after arriving. The planet''s hostility seemed endless, so I chose the pertinent path."


    I shrugged, "Makes sense."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "Since coming here, the survivor''s caution saved many, and their wariness proved wise. Many rulers chose to plunder the planet at will, however. Many have died from the elements, but that was merely the beginning."


    Shalahora sighed, "Many rulers are elected after their ancestral creators have died. Some carry little combat ability, and as you may imagine, that fared poorly here."


    I nodded, "This planet is a hellhole, that''s for sure." A look of disgust came over my face, "So they all died, just like Schema wanted." Many of my minds jumped into action, "Even better, it was a targeted genocide. The richest empires are the ones most likely to have elected weak rulers based on actual ruling ability rather than raw strength."


    I grimaced, "So Schema will assimilate the guilds with the most resources and the least chance of actually stopping the takeover. A bit psychopathic, but well played." I clapped nice and slow, "Good one, Schema. You really got one on us."


    Shalahora''s gaze turned sad, "That''s a brutal cynicism you carry. I could not bear it."


    I frowned, "You''ve focused mostly on fringewalking, so you might not be as aware. To me, I''ve tried pulling my planet from the dark ages for a while now-" I whirled my hand in a circle, "But situations like this keep stopping me. Apparently, it''s stopping everybody else too."


    Shalahora peered off, "Hm...Perhaps. We''d never of survived the eldritch without Schema, however. He gave us magic, the system, and our means of communication. That alone offsets these plots."


    I took a breath, "Hah...Maybe. From the way I see it, my planet already had an infrastructure, defenses, and decent technology. Schema destroyed our communications, scrambled everybody all over the place, and put us back into the stone ages. We''re still licking our wounds from that initial scrambling."


    I shook my head, "So Schema took all of that away then pretended like we only gained it in the first place because of him. He used a hypothetical situation to indebt us. The thing is, I was born before the system was on my planet, so I remember a time before he arrived. Those days were better than the endless war we''ve joined."


    My hand crushed the armrest of my chair, "And Schema''s mass murder of peaceful factions doesn''t exactly build up my opinion of him. It has a habit of rubbing me the wrong way."


    A prolonged silence passed over us. Shalahora murmured, "I''ve never dwelled on Schema''s actions this deeply, but I shall reflect on them more in the future."


    I calmed myself down, remaking the armrest, "I''m just being salty. I don''t know why." Gazing at the shining sea of bones, I nodded, "I take that back. It''s this planet."


    Shalahora gazed at the bones with me, and he said,


    "This planet isn''t the only reason rulers died here. Valgus Uuriyah and his followers have killed many of the wanderers that lingered and wandered from the beginning."


    My eyes turned to slits, "He killed other rulers? Why?"


    "To eliminate competition."


    I pulled my hair back while disgust spread onto my face again, "He''s an idiot. It would''ve been so easy to leverage his combat strength into economic gain. He acts as the other faction''s guardian. From that position, he controls the flow of resources and leaves this place a hero. And number one in the lottery''s rankings."


    I threw my hand out, "Instead, he chose to be a villain because he''s working with one brain cell."


    Shalahora laughed before shaking his head, "You seem so different from when we talked before."


    I raised my eyebrows, my primordial wake stretching over us both. I pursed my lips, "Huh. It''s, er, a part of my abilities. This mindset lets me think a bit sharper than normal." I opened my eyes wide, "Though, I''m a bit sharper too, so it''s a give and take."


    Shalahora stood up, "Ah, then that explains it." He walked to the window, interlocking his arms behind himself,


    "My last bit of relevant information revolves around Valgus. He chose not to attack the survivor''s faction. I am certain that passivity came about because the survivors assimilated the pro-Schema faction within the first two weeks. That swelled their numbers to over two hundred, a number Valgus couldn''t eclipse."


    A hollow, cynical smile traced my lips, "Ah, Schema''s supporting faction didn''t last too long. I wonder how pro Schema they are now that everything''s settled down?"


    I recoiled, noticing my scathing tone, and I straightened up in my chair, "I keep interrupting you. Again, I''m sorry."


    "No one may be kind at all times, just as no one may look towards the brighter side of every situation. At times, life forces us to show our barbs as if we were thorned willows. These are your thorns, so wear them with pride."


    "Hm...Thanks."


    Shalahora nodded, "While I have no more factual information on Valgus, I carry my suspicions. I''ve searched this planet for a while now, both for treasure and your presence. Fate played a large part in finding you, but it was no accident I was wafting through these dunes near the shining hell."


    "You''re looking for him?"


    Shalahora seethed, his claws brandished, "I believe Valgus intends to do something with the bones here."


    Shades rushed our direction from outside the city, and Shalahora turned to them,


    "And I shall uncover exactly what that something is."

 343 Hell Hath Opportunities

    Shalahora seethed, his claws brandished, "I believe Valgus intends to do something with the bones here."


    Shades rushed our direction from outside the city, and Shalahora turned to them,


    "And I shall uncover exactly what that something is."


    Chapter Begin


    I pondered aloud, "I might know what he''s up to."


    Shalahora lowered his arms, the condensed limbs dispersing, "And what would your thoughts be?"


    I peered up, using memories of Valgus as a reference while I spoke, "From what I recalled, Valgus had a few unique properties. Laying those out can help us get a grip on his goals. Firstly, he allied with Baldowah as an Avatar. He loved fighting. He also wanted a group of people to help him. In that case, those actions let us guess his goals somewhat."


    Shalahora lowered his arms, "They do. Baldowah''s warriors all strife for combat and war. As Valgus stated to you, they wish for the finality and consequence of battle. It''s the means to Baldowah''s end, though why an Old One tampers with us to such an extent is unknown."


    I remembered touching on Eonoth''s mind once, and it was incomprehensible. I shrugged, "I''ve met two of Old Ones, but I still know next to nothing about them. Either way, Valgus is trying to set up conflict and battles. That''s safe to assume. If so, why is he terminating the wandering rulers first? It seems to go against his personality. Even if he''s not the sharpest tool in the shed, he didn''t seem to pick on the weak. I think he''d prefer crushing the strong."


    Shalahora oozed onto the chair I laid out, "I knew little of him before the lottery, but he was a fair warrior in those times. Perhaps he fought duel after duel, steadily eliminating the other rulers?"


    I shook my head, "From what you''ve described, it was a systematic annihilation. That requires grouping with other rulers and killing the stragglers en mass. In fact, I probably wasn''t found because I holed up here."


    I thanked my foresight to avoid those problems, and it allowed me to learn time magic and establish cities unimpeded. Snapping me out of my thoughts, Shalahora said,


    "Then perhaps Baldowah gave him a different command than normal? Besides that, I mentioned him eliminating competition. Is that so difficult to believe?"


    I blinked, "Well, yeah."


    "What makes you believe it is so?"


    "It''s simple: Valgus hasn''t acted for his gain since I met him. He tried pulling you over to his side, yeah, but he threw that away because he wanted to test me. His priorities revolved around a strong fight like you mentioned, and he''d have gotten one if he faced the survivor''s faction. Avoiding that just doesn''t make sense."


    Shalahora mused, "He''s cultivating a better fight then. That''s the only answer."


    I raised a hand, "He could be hoping to bundle all of the rulers into a single location then take them on in a large-scale battle. In that case, he''s gotten the rulers all together to war against them. Still, I can''t imagine him working so hard to kill rulers just for his lottery rankings or a good fight. If anything, the survivors aren''t even in the running, and from what you''ve described, they''re weak."


    I gestured to my city, "They can''t match this or what you''ve gotten either, surely. Even then, the eldritch here are a great fight if he''s looking for that. The ossuary would be a haven for any battling lunatic."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed towards the floor, "That''s certain. Hm, then Valgus is aiming for something else. It''s a question of what that goal is."


    In the distance, two primevals fought, each a walking calamity. I turned a palm to them, "The primevals, maybe Valgus doesn''t want to fight them. Maybe he wants to control them."


    Shalahora stared at them, "You call them primevals? And you think he''s avoided fighting them?"


    I tapped my side, "Yeah, primeval is as good a name as any, and Valgus probably has been duking it out with them. I just don''t think that''s his goal. I bet he''s trying to control them."


    Shalahora leaned back, "You believe his psionic techniques are that powerful?"


    I nodded, "It''s not as hard as you think. I''ve turned three primevals into my own henchmen, so it can be done. It''s not easy, though, and Valgus is probably struggling with the process." My eyes widened, "Unless he''s not subduing full strength primevals."


    Shalahora scoffed, "If there is one undeniable facet of these primevals as you call them, it is their tenacity. How would one weaken them?"


    I opened my dimensional storage, pooling out the liquid rainbow bone, "He could use this."


    Shalahora reached out, "What is it?"


    I jerked the liquid away, and I snapped, "Woah, I know you''re powerful but don''t be reckless. This stuff kills the mind of whatever drinks it. The giant bone beast below uses it to control primevals...Well, at least I think it does."


    Shalahora condensed his foggy form and stretched out two arms, "Uhm...What?"


    I frowned, "You know, I told you what I''ve done here, but not how it all works. Let''s start with why this is the ossuary."


    I detailed what happens here, from the behemoths dying, the bones piling up, and the strongest behemoths evolving into primevals. Adding to the tale, I mentioned parts about the underground tunnels in the giant bone beast, its gamma bursts, and how it seems alive. Hm, well, kind of. Honestly, it was hard to say.


    Shalahora grappled with the concept while murmuring, "It''s alive then? It responds to a psionic stimulus, so it at least carries a mind, though it is a bit disparate."


    He peered down, "And...You built a city on it like a parasite."


    I scoffed, "If a planet was alive, then would people be parasites? My point is I''m not affecting this thing''s bottom line. Even with a hundred cities, I wouldn''t be taking one 100th of a percent from this thing''s energy accrual, which seems to be its goal. Anyways-"


    I reached up a hand, using the psionic network in my cities to open the barrier for Shalahora''s shades. They waited outside as we kept talking. Freed from the barrier''s blocking, the shadows flowed towards the Sovereign. They empowered him with knowledge and granted him his entire mind''s ability.


    Once consolidated, Shalahora''s eyes deepened in color, from sky blue to navy. He nodded, "You''re right about Valgus. I''ve searched thousands of miles of territory, and I found his presence within the ossuary, as you call it. He''s near the entrance from the desert, nestled in the bone tunnels."


    Shalahora''s gaze turned distant, "He''s amassing rainbow bone and primevals alike. It is similar to what you''ve done, but he''s grouped with many rulers. They assist him, all of the members splitting the blue core bounties. It seems Valgus is uninterested in that, and he takes the rainbow bones instead."


    I frowned, worrying about some primeval army in the distance or worse. Before thinking of the next issue, I grabbed my chin. From the sounds of it, Valgus grouped up with a couple dozen rulers minimally. If Shalahora and I got some allies, we''d stand a better chance of fending Valgus off. Peering at my golem armada, I preferred that approach instead of having my golem army destroyed.


    I spread my arms, "How about we go meet up with the other rulers and see what they''re up to? I think we can get a lot out of their situation as well."


    Shalahora scoffed, "They''re wounded animals licking their wounds. They offer us nothing."


    "Not necessarily. Let me show you how it''s done."


    We stood before floating out of the spire and over my city. Before heading outside, I raised a hand, "Let me check on something first. You''re welcome to join me."


    "Then I shall."


    I headed over towards the city run by my primordial golem. I flew into the underground tunnel, Shalahora following behind me. We passed the cipheric tunnels, which reminded me of my time in BloodHollow. I wondered when I might match Baldag-Ruhl''s cipheric knowledge. Peering down at my hand, I smiled at myself.


    Probably never.


    Shalahora and I flew into the city run by the director golem. Dispersing primordial mana, the leading construct turned to me before bowing. It telepathically thought over, "Ah, creator, it is grand to see you. I see that you''ve brought over a friend. Might I ask what your name is?"


    Shalahora bowed to the director, "I am Shalahora, the Sun Swallower. I allied with Daniel before my arrival here, and we''ve found one another once more. It is good to see he doesn''t work alone and those that toil for him are loyal and just."


    The director raised his hands, "While I appreciate the sentiment, I''m only trying to keep the situation stable. Now, I''ve gathered the cores for today''s yield, creator. I can give them to you whenever you''d like."


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    I opened my dimensional shield, and the primordial golem raised a hand, "One moment."


    The director raced over towards the city''s center, having built a holding cell for the blue cores. Taking out a bunch of them, he toted them in a gravity well. Once over, the director lunged down and raised his arms to me, presenting the gift,


    "Please, accept these."


    I swiped them into my storage, "Well done."


    "Thank you, creator."


    Shalahora''s form condensed more, and the shade gazed at the orbs, "You mentioned cities, but never how many. It seems many by that tribute."


    "I''ve amassed twenty-four of them and counting. I planned to continue making them until the end of our arrival here, but the survivor faction has gotten me curious. I think they present a good opportunity, and we shouldn''t miss it. Believe me, they won''t want to miss our opportunity either. Let''s head out."


    Shalahora bowed once more to the director, "It was good to meet you. May we meet under bright stars next time as well."


    The director gave a deeper bow, "Most certainly. Good day to you both."


    We raced off, and I counted the cores. Forty-six jingled around in my pocket dimension while we traversed the ossuary''s depths. Without anything holding either of us back, we bolted forward until our surroundings blurred. While doing that, I shook a fist in celebration at the newest director. That humility addition really paid dividends, and the director increased core output by nearly 50%.


    It was an incredible boon, and Shalahora gave me a nod of approval while we traveled. The shade thought over, "While I would''ve helped you out of the depths given our alliance, it is good to know my ally is capable."


    Remembering the scouting and info from Shalahora, I reached out a fist, "Same here."


    Shalahora peered at me before giving me a fist bump. I gawked at my hand before blinking at him. So far, no alien matched my hand gestures, all of them messing up the handshake entirely. Somehow, Shalahora nailed it, so I murmured,


    "Huh...How did you know to do that?"


    The shade replied, "I speak via telepathy, and you know this. However, there are surface-level details and memories that people expose during telepathic links. For me and my kind, it is considered proper to peruse the available information and use it while speaking."


    From above, a behemoth howled out and interrupted our conversation.


    Shalahora gave the behemoth''s shadow life. The living shade consumed the behemoth in one gulp before running into the light. Both entities died the moment they touched the shining ray, and they wisped into shining fragments that howled on death.


    It was hauntingly beautiful.


    Shalahora gazed at the erupting of sparks, "My kind are shadows, but what is a shadow really? They are the darker reflections of a person, that which doesn''t see the light. My kind reflects onto those we speak with, acting as umbral mirrors."


    Shalahora met my eye, "My kind are shadows, both in how we look and how we live."


    I''d of taken it entirely differently if he''d lied about his intentions, but he told the truth. I checked the telepathic link, finding a few memories from the shade available for me to review. They included a solid grip on galactic time, memories of the survivor''s defenses, and information on dungeons here.


    Worried he''d gotten my entire life story, my eyes narrowed, "How much can you read from my memories then?"


    "Whatever you don''t wish to hide, I may see. You glory against Yawm, the battles with Elysium, and even your knowledge of the cipher, you parade it in the open. You also hold pride in your kind and old culture, one from before Schema lived. It colors your perspective like any great painting, adding depth to the trials you''ve faced since the culling of your world."


    Shalahora continued, "But there is much hidden, and I will not pry into those details. I would expect the same courtesy."


    Testing the waters further, I peered at Shalahora''s memories. The amount he shared was far more than the life I''d lived, and I had no idea what kind of hornet''s nest I got myself into. This Sovereign lived a long life, and he experienced many things. If I inspected all of this, I might end up swamped in the centuries he''d taken in. My own ego might wash away like the eldritch I destroyed prior.


    I gave him a nod, "Then I''ll make sure to avoid the topics you''d rather not touch."


    "Likewise."


    The conversation ended, and we traveled in silence. We crossed over the entirety of Leviathan-7, its sights and sounds numb to me compared with my first passing. Time magic explained some of that distance, but the other part revolved around how I traveled. The entire time we dashed forward, I built more primordial golems.


    While it was a strange way to pass the time, the activity put the blue cores to good use and wasted none of this interim. After several hours, I constructed twelve more primordial hearts. I also precharged twelve sets of cipheric runes for them, having stored the glowing letters from my grimoire in my pocket dimension. That was something I learned during this trip - my pocket dimension carried infinite uses. It was up to me to find all of them.


    One of those utilities was easing the bottlenecks of golem construction. In this case, building the golem''s body took about three seconds or so after designing it. I''d mold myself into the necessary shape before leaving the body. Boom, done and done. Having spent my time wisely, I arrived in a good mood as the survivor''s camp came into view. Seeing the ruler''s state changed that attitude to one of confusion.


    The survivors camped in the same area I spawned in. On this shadier side of the world, Leviathan-7 resembled an actual planet with creatures and a sensible ecosystem, though problems still lingered. The air compressed, gravity crushed, and eldritch fought. One aspect that most life shared here was the encapsulated gas bubbles.


    The thin air in the sacks pulled them up, using the dense atmosphere to their advantage, and the rulers did the same. They holed up in an advanced, gray fortress, a pyramid with many chains pulling up on it. Those cables connected to harvested air sacks from nearby wildlife, which helped keep the fort afloat.


    Where it could be seen, the dull, gray surface sheened despite its rough texture, reminding me of Schema''s ships during his battle with Elysium. That gray substance composed the pyramid''s walls, peak, and the writhing, interlocking tendrils moving on it. Marring the edifice, blood, gore, and guts cooked on the building''s surface, drawing in Behemoths that attacked the immobile building.


    Fighting back, the building''s mobile spines snapped at each incoming behemoth. From within, a colorful cocktail of magic exploded the behemoths. All elements erupted outward, and a colorful cacophony of sounds muted under my time magic and the behemoth''s insulating corpses. I blinked, the brutal display ending with intestines, organs, and roasted flesh falling off the graphene tendril.


    The cooked corpse fell onto the pyramid''s wall, the slick blood congealing in seconds. Stuck on there, the unblinking eyes of the behemoth sunk into its skull while it emaciated out from every wound. The heat of Leviathan-7 sapped the water from the beast, and those desiccated bodies covered most of the gray substance composing the pyramid.


    After peering close, it was probably graphene, something Schema used for his ships, Overseers, and even the Sentinels. These rulers wielded that same technology, and they composed their bastion with the carbon supermaterial. It was a good choice; traditional materials crumbled under the augmented weight on Leviathan-7.


    Understanding the engineering constraints of that gravity, the developers of this dystopian structure sided against any windows. Considering the insane radiation levels here, any kind of covering was essential. To my knowledge, graphene wouldn''t deflect the intense radiation from Leviathan-7.


    They needed something like lead to block it, and it would be so heavy that even graphene composites would struggle to hold up the weight. Peering at the chained air sacks, that might be why they used those as counterweights. Either way, answers waited for us inside.


    Shalahora and I got near the structure, a bit outside the writhing tendril''s range. Once there, Shalahora connected to the others telepathically. The writhing shadow stated, "I am here, and we''ve come to discuss with the rulers present."


    My eyes narrowed when Iona Joan answered, the bubbly administrator somehow surviving, "It''s good to see you, Shalahora. We''re glad to have you back. If you wouldn''t mind answering, who is that beside you?"


    Shalahora condensed an arm and gestured it to me, "This is Daniel, the youngest ruler here and a fellow Sovereign."


    The cheerful voice replied, "Ah, it''s so good to see that he''s fine. I knew he was tough, but wow, he''s even tougher than I imagined. You know what? That''s fantastic. Just great, really."


    At this point, it sounded like she was convincing herself. I joined the conversation, "Hey, it''s good to see everyone in one piece. Do you mind letting us in?"


    Her voice answered, and from her tone, I got the image of a receptionist locked into a permanent grin, "We would love to have you here, but before we offer protection, there''s a series of contracts I''ll need you to sign. We can''t just offer this place to anyone because of the costs of maintaining it."


    I scoffed, "I''m not here for safety. I''m here to offer it."


    Iona flatlined, "If you intend to try and take advantage of our situation, I''d recommend you go elsewhere. We''re doing just fine here, thank you very much."


    I raised a brow while crossing my arms, "Do you speak for everyone? And you''re certain everything''s perfect inside?"


    In the distance, a behemoth bit into one of the air sacks above the pyramid, bursting the gas bubble. Gray tendrils pierced it from multiple angles before destroying the eldritch, but the chain fell down, rattling on the pyramid''s surface. I pointed at it,


    "How many more of those mishaps can you guy''s handle before your building topple? I have a few solutions I''m trying to offer here, but you''re not exactly making this easy."


    Iona Joan simmered, "We''re fine, so you can leave."


    Tilting my head at Shalahora, I mused, "Huh...Were they this combative before?"


    The shadowy figure ruminated back, "No. They''ve grown far more defensive with time. I expected some of this, but not to this extent."


    I sighed, "Well...It seems like they''re not willing to-"


    A different voice weighed in on our telepathic conversation, this one far gruffer. However, it still sounded like a woman''s voice, "We''re more than willing to discuss terms and deals for different offers. Please, come inside, and the entrance is below the surface. You can show him, Shalahora."


    Shalahora dove downwards, and I followed. We dove under the dirt and phased through it while I burrowed. After getting underneath the building, I got a better understanding of its full bearing. The structure wasn''t a pyramid; it was two of them stacked on top of each other. The resulting diamond prevented the surrounding dirt and rock from crushing the subterranean lair.


    We reached the bottom of this fortress, heading towards an entrance of sorts. A graphene cage held the rock from collapsing inward, and it opened at the bottom. We burrowed into it and stayed there until a tunnel of pure energy pierced into the dirt below. Primordial mana composed the magic, the tube terraforming the air, the pressure, and the gravitation.


    I followed Shalahora, who floated into the tunnel. Like a net, it wrapped around us before pulling Shalahora and me into the lowest section of the building. There, a flat panel locked behind us, sealing us in. I peered around at the futuristic room with long plasma lights. They hummed, the constant white noise masking all other sounds.


    Feeling like a caught fish, I pushed against the primordial web. It restrained my push before the energy strands changed into quintessent chains. Strengthening many times over, the net tightened over Shalahora and me. The shadowy Sovereign wisped out of the restraints before the energy held me in place. Burning my skin, the power hissed out with the smell of burning sparklers in the air.


    Interrupting my thoughts, Shalahora simmered, "What is this? You intend to fight us?"


    Iona Joan walked out, her angel wings interlocked behind her. Several other rulers paced behind her, each looking like members of a council or guards. The bubbly ruler walked up and gazed at me, a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye,


    "Calm down, Shalahora. We''re just making sure he''s trustworthy." Her eyes narrowed,


    "Well then...Tell us everything we want to know...Mmkay?"

 344 Enmity

    Interrupting my thoughts, Shalahora simmered, "What is this? You intend to fight us?"


    Iona Joan walked out, her angel wings locked behind her. Several other rulers paced behind her, each looking like members of a council or guards. The bubbly ruler walked up and gazed at me, a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye,


    "Calm down, Shalahora. We''re just making sure he''s trustworthy." Her eyes narrowed,


    "Well then...Tell us everything we want to know...Mmkay?"


    Chapter Begin


    I condensed my wake, time crawling by. While standing still, several minds considered how to approach the situation. Considering my abilities and the survivors'' lack of combat potential, I had many options. Several of my psyches wanted to mold out of my constraints, while others wanted to leave my body and regrow outside it.


    Before doing any of that, a lone Daniel presented a more devious plan. The other Daniels enjoyed it, so we all chose to follow it. A series of debates and arguments began about the plan''s specifics, each of us iterating on the others'' approaches. After a few minutes of discussion, Iona frowned at us. She ebbed out in a slow drone,


    "What''s wrong? Has an eldritch filled your throat, or are you just stupid?"


    I pitied her for a moment, her lack of awareness setting her up for a slam dunk. Unfortunately for her, I was playing ball, metaphorically speaking, of course. I unloaded my wake and kept it unactivated yet extended. I frowned at her, my face covered with my helmet. I said,


    "What''s with the capture? I haven''t done anything to any of you."


    Iona jeered, "You''re a newer ruler, so I''ll cut you some slack here. We''ve talked with other rulers, and many of them are allied with Valgus. You and that Baldowah maniac talked before arriving here, so we''re not going to welcome you back with open arms."


    Shalahora deadpanned, "Valgus crushed his body fifty times over. That''s talking to you?"


    Iona narrowed her eyes and pouted towards Shalahora, "Hey now, I''m the one interrogating him, not you. Stay out of this, honey."


    I mentally recoiled at her attempts to be ''cute.'' It contrasted with any other approach I''d ever seen by a ruler, and it carried the opposite effect she intended on me. It was a blatant attempt at lowbrow manipulation, both an insult and an exploitation. I kept that to myself as I frowned,


    "Regardless whether I said it or Shalahora said it, that''s still my defense. Valgus and I are not friends."


    Iona locked her hands behind herself, "I''ll be the judge of that." She pointed her finger and gestured to all of me, "Now, tell me this. You''ve survived on this planet for this long, correct?"


    I blinked,


    "Duh."


    She frowned, "You don''t have to be so mean about it."


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    I peered down at my restraints, the cords burning my skin. Peering between the burn marks and her, I sneered, "Oh, I''m the one being mean? Ok, just making sure."


    She sighed, "Hm...Either way, you got through all of this. I''m wondering if you joined Valgus''s faction. Do you have any proof you didn''t?"


    Shalahora stated, "Aside from the fact he was attacked by him on sight?"


    She did a playful huff before snapping, "Hey now." She put a finger over her lips and winked at Shalahora, "Shush."


    The cute shenanigans repulsed me. I snapped, "I''m with Shalahora, and we know what Valgus is up to. I''m also offering you all protection here, but you''re getting in my way." I narrowed the eye slit of my helmet, "It''s almost like you don''t want me to give the rulers here what they need...Is that true?"


    The other rulers peered down at her. She struck a pose, and I slowly blinked in astonishment. She murmured, "Come on now, everyone, you know I''m not like that."


    To my complete, utter, and absolute amazement, the other rulers blushed. I couldn''t even fathom what the hell was going on, but I was losing my patience for it. I locked eyes with the other rulers,


    "Are you all poisoned or something? Otherwise, this is...This is disappointing. I expected more from the rulers of worlds."


    Iona Joan''s tone changed on a dime once more, "Look, I''m trying to be kind here. Now either you''re going to answer my questions, or else-" She snapped her fingers, and my restraints tightened, "The situation will get nasty, mmkay?"


    The restraints tightened, burrowing inches into my skin and flesh. I glared down, unphased and adamant, while my eyes locked onto Iona. I remained silent, the atmosphere of the room changing in an instant. She twitched and looked away, unable to hold my gaze. I kept the room in that silence before murmuring,


    "You think you have control here?"


    Shalahora took a few steps back, giving me room. The other rulers, not trusting their own magic, did the same. I tilted my head to Iona, and I stayed in my restraints,


    "People like you try to set up ''rules'' in a conversation. They''re unspoken restrictions, but they are always felt. It''s a game people buy into without even being aware they''ve joined in. Negotiators always set up the rules to compensate for what they can and cannot accomplish...Just like this, and just like you."


    Iona frowned, "Ok, well, I''m not the one in chains, am I?"


    I held the room in quiet. It lingered before I stated,


    "No. You''re wrong. The chains I wear are physical, and they can be removed, snapped, or broken. Your chains are ones of ability, and they require the passage of years, the trials of pain, and the resolve of patience to overcome. That is no simple task...However-"


    I stepped forward, my body hissing while the energy cords stretched. I kept stating my words,


    "What if your chains were more tangible than my own?"


    I took another step, the mana cables humming from the effort to restrain me,


    "What if your lies are like glass, both brittle and waiting to be shattered?"


    With one more step, I stood before her, twice her height and countless times her size. The energy cords squealed out in pain as they held me, but I was silent. I regenerated faster than the chains could burn through me. I stood taller than she could stand.


    I leaned towards her,


    "Your domain is built upon the ethereal. It is a castle of sand. It is a fortress of mirrors. It cannot move. It cannot breathe. My kingdom is different. It is moved with each of my steps. It heeds my call, every part awake and in motion."


    I extended Event Horizon over her and the room, and I quaked the dimension they stood on. I simmered,


    "My kingdom cannot be taken from me. It is the mastery of my mind and the body I''ve built. That is why you convince others while I resolve myself. That''s why you rely on lies while I establish truth...Now-"


    The mana cables ruptured, and I reached out my hand. Iona gazed up at me, fear and awe mixing in her expression before I shifted her with a gravity well. I moved a single finger as I did, emphasizing the ease of it. Iona Joan blinked before I spread my arms to the others,


    "Let''s discuss some deals."


    I smiled,


    "Mmkay?"

 345 The Elements of Disaster

    The mana cables ruptured, and I reached out my hand. Iona gazed up at me, fear and awe mixing in her expression before I shifted her with a gravity well. I moved a single finger as I did, emphasizing the ease of it. Iona Joan blinked before I spread my arms to the others,


    "Let''s discuss some deals."


    I smiled,


    "Mmkay?"


    Chapter Begin


    Behind Iona, the two rulers in diplomatic robes peered at one another. Mana streams ceased flowing from them, their magic muted. Behind them, the two guards wore graphene plating while they fiddled with their weapons. With a casual inspection of their gravities, I uncovered the guards'' armors weighed more than they did. They wore some kind of lead under shielding for the rays of Leviathan. The warriors crippled themselves to stop radiation''s rampancy.


    On the other hand, the diplomats never left this place, each member showing no wear or tear from the elements. The humanoids kept slender forms with low densities throughout, owing to their lifestyles. They sat in chairs and talked a lot, so they fit the mold they made for themselves.


    All of them besides Iona that is.


    Her bones mirrored the density of graphene, and her muscles carried a similar density as well. Molds of metal in her arms and head exposed the presence of cybernetics along with silicone. She surgically replaced her bones and laced her musculature with graphene or something similar, and she owned expensive augments.


    She went under a surgeon''s scalpel many times; that much was certain. Feeling a bit icky about looking under everyone''s skin, I lowered my hands, "Alright everyone, I can guarantee a habitable zone that''s perfectly safeguarded here. That''s my initial offer."


    Iona wanted to say something, but she quieted after our confrontation. Good. A different ruler stepped up, its body like a short and squat catfish. Around its maroon skin, it channeled water magic that flowed through its gills and misted over its exposed, slimy skin. Its jewelry showed wealth, but its eyes expressed little emotion as it garbled out,


    "You''re certain of that? It would appear your body is the only reason you''ve survived. After all, that metal shell''s robustness can''t be shared, now can it?"


    I pointed at him, "Fortunately, you''re wrong about that. Anyways, where is everybody? There should be hundreds of you, not five."


    Iona slid into the conversation, "Not every ruler is present each time someone arrives."


    Peering around at the pyramid''s underground entrance, various humidifiers aimed towards us from several directions. We talked in a decontamination center, so I nodded, "Makes sense. Come on, let''s see how everyone else is doing. I want to see what I can offer and where I can help out."


    The rulers stepped out of my way as I walked forward. Iona snarked, "Hah, help us. You''re here to make some quick credits. And anyway, do you even know where to go?"


    I kept walking, "Yeah. I do."


    While we stepped towards a doorway, echoes reverberated off every surface. Throughout the building, the heat from plasma tubes ebbed in, but the rooms kept comfortable temperatures. The gravitation only lessened slightly by comparison. Using the tactile info like pieces of a puzzle, I constructed a map of this place in my head.


    Considering the simplicity of the building, it wasn''t hard to use the map in real-time. When I reached the first doorway, two pieces of graphene-reinforced steel stared back at me. I turned to the rulers, "How do you open these? Well, besides breaking them."


    Iona frowned, but she stepped up to the panel and surged her mana into the device. It opened while I furrowed my brow in confusion. She answered my questioning glance,


    "My mana signature is used to open doors, and the tech here doesn''t respond to anything else." She pointed up at me, "And before you go calling everyone lunatics for relying on me like that, I gave everybody mana crystals already. Everyone stored them in their personal storage rings, and each crystal''s plenty of mana for our stay here. It was for security, and I just so happened to be someone with a lot of mana. I mean it when I say that''s all there is to it."


    I raised my brow, "That''s a solid defense...It sounds like it''s not your first time making it."


    Iona peered off, "It''s not like I''m trying to make life more complicated here. I''m the only healer left, and everyone else does something useless. It''s a real pain."


    The four other rulers stared at her before she coughed into a hand. Iona stammered, "You know, for this world and, uh, at this time. Everyone''s talents shine in different ways."


    They gave a few nods, accepting the awkward apology. Soaking in her mana, the doorway opened, revealing more reinforced steel walkways lined with plasma power couplings. This single hallway composed the entire bottom piece of the diamond base. It led up to stairwells that went all the way up to the upper floors.


    My head nearly scraped the roof here, so I bent down and tapped one of the top panels while raising a brow, "You all walk up the stairs in this place? For real?"


    The red catfish ruler spoke up, "It''s not that simple. We''ve been forced to use them because of power concerns. Aside from that, establishing a warp isn''t possible given the mathematical complexity of Leviathan-7''s orbit."


    Iona sighed, "Yeah...Lots of the people here can''t sustain the gravity and radiation. A few were poisoned by the atmosphere too, and some are still recovering from when Valgus destroyed my faction. It was a dark day...Here, we''re dealing with people who had their metabolism''s destroyed, so they require constant medical attention. Dialysis, tissue regeneration, etcetera."


    The catfish gave her a knowing nod, "Don''t forget the others experiencing organ draining and blood pressure issues from the enhanced gravity. It''s a complex situation, and every solution requires power to fix it."


    With my arm down, mana sparked in my palm, "Give me some space for a second."


    I generated a panel of ice between the others and me. Simultaneously, I lifted my arm. Temporally accelerated and visceral, my mana coursed with violence, the conversion of the energy creating a hazard. After a few seconds, a shockwave unleashed from my fingertips. Leviathan-7''s levity lessened over the entire base as I saturated an antigravity well over the whole building.


    While I lowered my arm, my palm glowed white. The metal hummed before I flash froze the heated dimensional fabric. The icy shield melted into a warm mist, the catfish ruler garbling out,


    "Well, I must say, this is quite refreshing even without considering the pressure you''ve taken off. It reminds me of the marshes of my homeworld. Ah, beautiful just to remember them."


    His whiskers bounced all over the place as he moved in the mist. The other rulers let out sighs of relief, mainly from gravity lessening. Their ears popped from the pressure change while I looked up. I eyed the cieling,


    "Think of that as a diplomatic gift. Now, let''s remodel the place."


    Pacing over towards the center of this structure, I snapped my fingers.


    A steel plate above me splintered, the wall panels lacking graphene reinforcement. Without the gray material, the metal sheared like peanut brittle. The sound rippled through us like a hailstorm of bullets, and the rulers cringed in pain.


    I gazed down at them, "Oh, sorry about that. I should''ve softened the sounds, but I can only do that with runes. Hm."


    I remembered how I quietened my cities in the ossuary. I used a premade inscription that Torix lent me for just such a purpose. Another pang of loneliness shot through me, but I quelled it. It wasn''t the time for that. Instead of wallowing, I inspected the opened structure. Nothing traced through it, two plates composing a thick floor supported by struts.


    I pierced the rest of the floor, this time with heat instead of force. The molten steel rained down and pooled into a gravity well as I split open the center of the survivor''s fortress. After liquefying a hole in the roof, I pressed a hand down. Dispersing my shove''s force into four telekinetic blades, I cleaved the steel plate beneath us. Lifting my lowered arm,  I raised us through the place using a gravity well.


    The third diplomat, a cerulean and thin lizard, shouted, "Did you even check to see if there was wiring or insulation first?"


    I rolled my eyes while lifting us off the floor, "Of course. That''s why I went with physical force in the first place. The energy''s easier for me to control."


    While speaking, I composed runes onto the cut panel, crystallized a thin sheet of mana under it for power, and replaced the floor panel I took. I waved at all of it,


    "This will be an elevator for you all to use. These runes will solidify the gravity wells of this structure, and I''ve replaced the struts used here. It isn''t as if steel is in short supply anyway. I''ll make sure to give back any I take."


    The blue lizard hissed, "Powering this device will be difficult, and we already struggle to frame the electronics to respond to everyone given the language constraints here."


    I leaned back, his concerns valid, "Huh...I''ll make it a psionic control then. Either that or we can default to Iona''s mana signature like everything else. Anything else?"


    The blue lizard''s eyes narrowed, "As of now...No."


    We rose to the second floor of the base''s foundation, and I peered around at a medical bay. Many rulers of different shapes and sizes laid out in pain, most of them suffering grievous wounds or illnesses. They gasped and sputtered out in agony, many wanting an end to their suffering. I muttered, "These are the victims of the radiation and gravitation?"


    Iona looked with sadness, "Yes. The radiation here''s caused DNA damage to everyone who isn''t resistant to it. This is the best facility we can offer them, and if you couldn''t tell, this isn''t enough. Restoring shredded DNA is taking everything we have. Power systems are run by manual mana instead of electricity or something else. Ugh, it''s hard to work with."


    I tapped my side, "I can stop further radiation exposure and remove what they have in them, but I can''t fix the damage that''s already done. Also, there will be plenty of power for everything. That much I know I can fix."


    I pointed at everyone, "Can someone write this down for the other survivors? I don''t want to have to repeat myself over and over."


    The rulers stared at each other, wondering who''d do it first. Iona sighed before pulling out a pen made of mana. Elegant, refined lines of quintessence constructed a sheet of silky paper in her palms, and in gorgeous prose, she wrote down what I said. I couldn''t read it, but damn, it was pretty.


    She sighed, "Ok big guy, I''ll do it."


    I gazed at the other hallways, finding resources buried here. Rainbow bones, four hundred blue cores, and rare treasures piled up in several storage compartments. I gave a nod of approval, "Huh, you guys have more stuff than I expected."


    Iona frowned, "It''s split up between the survivors here, so it''s not as much as you''d think." Her eyes narrowed, "But, uh, you''re not going to take our artifacts and resources...Are you?"


    I shook my head, "Stealing from the poor isn''t my thing. I prefer earning my awards."


    The blue lizard raised his brow, "Thank you for calling us poor. We appreciate it."


    Shalahora condensed an arm and raised it, "Ah, Daniel likely meant pitiful or weak."


    I held down a laugh before Shalahora raised two condensed arms, "Oh, I didn''t mean pitiful. It''s, uhm, more like pathetic and cowardly. Wait, I mean useless and muted. That''s not quite right, hm, think of it like this-"


    The other rulers gawked at Shalahora before I put my arm over the rough approximation of his shoulders, "Shalahora, I meant that some of these rulers are down on their luck. Seeing that, I want to help them so they can help me."


    A thoughtful glance passed over Shalahora, "It is like a donation to the dying. I didn''t realize you enjoyed charity."


    Iona scoffed, "Ok, we all understand what you guys think of us. Can we move on?"


    Before Shalahora offended the rulers further, I lifted us up another level. Metal pooled over me, and greenery came into view. Many plants filtered the base''s atmosphere, pools of algae oxidizing the air. A few captured creatures from the surface roamed around, pollenizing and pruning the shrubs on their own. Three rulers processed the food in the meantime. They butchered animals, peeled fruits, and cut veggies.


    My mouth watered at the sight, not having enjoyed any food in a long time. Those rulers must''ve kept the base fed, their positions secure. Regardless of their jobs, they gawked at our group melting through their floor. Before they panicked, I raised a hand,


    "Hey, I''m new, and I''m helping remodel the place. Continue as you were."


    Iona rolled her eyes, "He''s not lying. I''ll vouch for him."


    They ignored me but listened to Iona, the three rulers getting back to their botanical work. I looked at the massive room before mouthing,


    "You know, this is a lot of space for air purifying and food. Does this place serve a different purpose? Like a park or something?"


    Iona put her hands on her hips, "What? No. Breathing and eating are pretty important, and it isn''t like we''re making this place take up three floors or anything. It''s necessary to reduce mana costs."


    I waved my hands at the terrarium, "I can turn this into a small room, and it will supply more of what you actually need. You''ll save some space and food, something you''re probably all lacking in."


    Shalahora oozed out his words like liquid dark, "He speaks the truth. He may bring life from nothing more than mana. I''ve seen it."


    The blue lizard peered at a bubbling pit of algae, "Food and space are the least of our concerns, but we can exchange something for the base adjustment. It frees these three to handle other work at the minimum."


    I shook my head, "Right now, they''re focused on getting everyone baseline nutrition. They''ll be able to focus on making the food taste good by the time I finish, and that should bolster morale at a minimum."


    The catfish ruler patted his robed belly, "You speak a language I quite like to hear, from the tone to the inflections."


    I walked back to the center of the room, my hand saturated with mana, "Then let''s see what else is going haywire."


    After lifting everyone up, I gazed at the third floor. At this point, we neared the middle of the pyramid. Scientists experimented in a lab, many rulers studying the various fauna and wildlife of Leviathan-7. This included a few unique capsules holding the behemoths and piles of rainbow bone they investigated.


    A few enigmatta roamed in the ranks, their pressurized suits having their settings on low. The gravity and atmosphere did a lot of heavy lifting in that regard already. A few golemites also hovered and floated around, their airy forms shimmering. They carried and helped control different creatures, flowing in and out of the beasts.


    I wasn''t the only one looking around. Several scientists gawked at me, and one shouted, "Have you had that building project ratified yet?"


    I gave him a confident smile, "Absolutely. I''ll show everyone the paperwork later."


    The scientist nodded before getting back to work. I pointed at the golemites, "I''m guessing they''re the scouts?"


    Iona raised her brow while thinning her lips, "That''s what they''re good for...That and mind magic, but you can only control so many of these giant eldritch at a time. Even they struggle with that, but I know a few rulers who''d handle it easily."


    Wondering if she knew the extent of my mind magic, I said, "Who''s able to control the behemoths?"


    Iona furrowed her brow, "Behemoths?"


    I waved away her question, "It''s an easy name to differentiate that sub-class of eldritch."


    The catfish ruler burbled, "Hm, it is fitting given their large stature...But if you''re wanting to classify eldritch by titles, you must have seen other eldritch here as well...What else is out there?"


    Shalahora seethed his words like dense smoke, "The others are what we call the primevals. They are walking calamities, bringers of death and destruction. You will find none in this land, but the bounty you reap suffers from the lack of their presence."


    Iona blinked, taking that in, "Uhm...We''ll take this one step at a time, mmkay?"


    I gave her a look, and she frowned. She crossed her arms, "What? I like the word...Or are you saying I can''t use it anymore?"


    My eyes widened, "Well, it''s a pretty obnoxious catchphrase, so I guess it fits."


    She feigned distress, putting a hand over her forehead, "Oh my, could anyone come to my defense."


    The blue lizard hissed at me, "You do understand that the definition of annoying is relative. It''s a matter of opinion, something that can''t be proven. By labeling her, you''re reducing her agency which-"


    I scoffed, "Come on now. Surely you know what she''s doing there? It''s obvious to everyone, right? You''re like some puppet on strings, and you''re dancing in her palm."


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The blue lizard''s voice rose, "If you''d been here from the start, you wouldn''t make such rash accusations. Iona has done miracles for setting up and establishing this place. We''d be lost without her, and her medical knowledge is second to none."


    Iona beamed, "Thanks, honey. I won''t forget you said that."


    I peered up and slowed time, giving myself a minute to think and for my minds to discuss. In about a minute, I came up with what I''d say next. I decompressed time, and I locked eyes with Iona,


    "Is that why you didn''t want me here? I mean, you wouldn''t want the rulers here to be sick, weak, and helpless, now would you? I know that''s how you gained your influence and power after all; you treat the symptom to a problem, meaning that the problem''s solution invalidates you."


    I glared down, "It''s just a conflict of motives I''d like to bring up."


    The nearby scientists quit their chatter, and Iona flushed red with rage. Her fists tightened by her side before she menaced, "You have a lot to say for someone who hasn''t done a damn thing to help anyone here."


    I raised a brow, "Besides for the elevator and fixing the whole gravitation issue."


    Iona''s eyes narrowed, "But unlike me, you''re going to leave, and once you''re gone, your magic will leave with you. I''ll still be here, helping the sick and dying while you throw out criticism for it."


    I put my hands on my hips, "You''re ignoring my point. I''m not arguing that saving people is bad. I''m arguing you''re little introduction for me was because you didn''t want solutions here, and that''s a valid point you haven''t explained to me. Also, even after I leave, my magic won''t be coming with me. Everything I make will be here to stay."


    Shalahora peered at Iona, and she met his eye. A second passed, and she winced. She crossed her arms and stared at the ground, "Then I''ll take your word for it, Harbinger."


    I peered between them, and a tense air passed. Shalahora tilted his shadowy head at me, "I''ve settled it with her. She means well, so give her the grace so that she may loosen this noose you''ve tied around her neck."


    Confused by Shalahora, I let it go for now,


    "Huh...Yeah. Alright."


    Iona looked up, and her eyes met the other rulers who stared at her with suspicion. She sighed before striking another pose, this time with a peace sign to match,


    "Hey everyone, you know how this guy is. He says anything and everything, am I right?"


    The other rules laughed, Iona somehow changing the topic and avoiding my argument entirely. I shook my head while walking across the lab, but my uppermost helmet spike scraped the ceiling. To stop the outflow of sparks, I condensed my body some. In my more diminutive form, I leaned over towards several scientists'' studies. They continued toiling away, and I gave it a thumbs up,


    "This is the perfect fuel for an exchange. I''d like everything you guys know about this planet."


    The blue lizard snapped, "You want our information? That''s one of the only resources we''ve piled up for Schema, so that''s going to be hard to give up. You''d better be ready to pay us handsomely for it."


    I pulled several blue cores out of my storage, the spacial warp rippling as they came out. Spiraling the humming spheres around me, I gave the lizard a knowing look, "I think I can make it worth the survivor''s while."


    One of the guards in the back of the group spoke up, her tone gruff like sandpaper. I recognized her voice since it was the one that interrupted Iona when we first spoke to the base.


    The guard''s muscled arms rippled as she banged an energized spear against the floor. She reminded me of a standing, scaled rhino as she grunted, "You need hired muscle? Pay me, and I''ll do it."


    I locked eyes with her, the previous ruler reduced to mercenary work. I put my hands on my hips, "You''re fine with just being a guard now?"


    She shrugged, "You know, I learned from ruling that there''s a time and place for everything. In my case, it''s not my time to lead. It''s my time to follow, and there''s honor in knowing my place. It''s the reason I rose through the ranks of my homeworld, and it''s why I survived thus far."


    I blinked, "By following orders?"


    She gave her chest plate a bang, "No. It''s by listening, not by speaking. I try to lead through my actions, and I hope everyone has eyes enough to see what I''ve done."


    I pointed at Iona, "Like saving her when she dives into boiling water?"


    The guard''s gray skin crinkled as she smiled. Several large teeth flashed in her giant maw, "She is important, so I do what must be done. She''s saved several of my friends, and I am returning the favor."


    Hearing the guard''s words reminded me that every person here carried a high status at some point. Given the extreme constraints of this planet, most of their talents ended up being pointless. That made forgetting their histories easy since they lacked relevance on Leviathan-7. However, once we escaped, those talents would come back in full force.


    That realization sparked an idea in my mind, and I smiled at the guard,


    "What''s your name? Mine''s Daniel Hillside."


    The guard stood up straight, "Goragonahna-Jakolivitch. You may call me Ragonah if you wish."


    Her lips moved strangely as if she growled out instead of speaking. Still, I understood her. Peering down, I remembered that we lacked Schema''s language system here. I gestured to everyone, "How do I understand you all right now?"


    The catfish ruler chimed, "That was my own doing. I constructed a language cipher that works throughout this facility, and I''ve maintained it since our arrival. It''s facilitated the exchange of ideas, information, and the unity of the survivor factions."


    I tilted my head at him, newfound respect forming for the talking catfish, "That''s very useful."


    He puffed out his chest, his luxurious robes waving about, "Indeed. I was a prodigious linguist, and even Schema noted my abilities. I worked with him, assisting The AI in constructing and maintaining its own language cipher. My specialty revolved around strange, alien languages, and over the ensuing centuries, I bought a few planets. I must say, I''ve done quite well for myself."


    I pointed my finger at the blue lizard, "What about you?"


    The lizard narrowed its red eyes and hissed, "Why should I tell you anything?"


    Iona pulled on his sleeve, and she looked up at him with puppy dog eyes as she said, "Hey...Can you do it for me?"


    I held down vomit as the blue lizard''s attitude changed. It wheezed out, "I worked with various wiring firms that assisted Schema. We enabled galactic communication networks, and the maintenance of the projects Schema carried out. Intergalactic connections are complex, and we allow the long-distance transference of messages, resources, and the like."


    The blue lizard gestured a clawed limb to the catfish man, "Drelex and I have worked together before this accursed lottery, his linguistic skills being top-notch. We probably own ten times your brutish empire''s wealth and then some." The blue lizard simmered, "But...That''s meaningless here, isn''t it?"


    The catfish Drelex put a webbed hand on the blue lizard''s shoulder, "It''ll be fine."


    The blue lizard hacked, "It won''t. We''ll all die here soon."


    Drelex''s whiskers wiggled, "You''re probably just feeling depressed. You should go and sunbathe. Your kind most certainly loves that."


    The blue lizard sighed, "That''s a good idea. Excuse me, everyone."


    He got on all fours and slithered away in a jerky, twitching fashion. I got whiplashed by how alien it was, but he was a lizard. That''s kind of what lizards did.


    I watched where the lizard crawled to for a moment. Iona scratched her cheek and murmured, "Aren''t we going up?"


    I lifted the platform, "Ah, yeah. Sorry, I got distracted."


    She gave me a smirk, "Apology accepted."


    I leaned back, "Huh. I take it back."


    She locked her hands behind herself, grinning at me, "No take backsies. Hah. Gotcha."


    I furrowed my brow, confused at what she was playing at. I shook my head while looking forward, "Oookay. Anyways-"


    We reached the next area, finding the weaponry and barracks. Here, only a few rulers lingered, but they showed more mettle than the others so far. A few looked up at Shalahora and me, each warrior wearing old scars and fresh wounds. Pacing past them, I murmured, "You guys look capable. What''s the issue with the behemoths?"


    A series of keratinous plates walked up, the beast having no visible face or features. Between its natural armor, its flesh glowed with mana, and many tentacles sprawled over the floor. The creature telepathically spoke up in a gruff voice,


    "You''re a new ruler? Hmph, you survived this long, so you can''t be as useless as you look."


    I tapped the side of my head, "I added the antigravity well, and I''m adding an elevator too. Looking at what you guys have, I''ll probably be adding some weapons and armor to the pile of fixes you guys need."


    The alien squirmed, "Yeah, I''ll wait until it actually happens."


    A few rulers kept staring down, each of them exhausted deep to their bones. The keratinous monstrosity thought over, "Besides, we don''t have the leeway to concern ourselves with a little interior redecorating."


    I swirled molten metal over my head, "You should, and why is everyone so tired?"


    The shambling series of plates thought over, "This is a killing field. Schema sent us here to die, and the elements do just that. If it were just the eldritch, we''d be fine." The plate creature clicked and clacked its way towards a ruler sitting deep in meditation. The plate beast shivered as it thought,


    "You see this? This is why everyone''s exhausted - we''re living mana batteries. When you become a walking power plant, you can snap at us about being exhausted."


    I held down a smirk, nodding, "Of course."


    The Cthulian monstrosity squirmed, "We''ve been putting every bit of our mental energy into making this place habitable for the weakest among us. They''re dragging us down, and we''re choking on the weight of it all."


    I frowned, "Powering this place is that much of a problem? Why not use solar panels or windmills?"


    The plate monster spread its limbs, the body underneath grotesque like a bunch of exposed human gums and teeth, "Nothing holds up in the gravity here. That technology is exclusive to normal or low G planets. Hydrostatic powering methods work well, but Leviathan-7 is too hot for normal liquids."


    Shalahora''s words spilled like cold water, "Then what of the blue cores or the opals shards? You all exist as rulers that stand above others. Harnessing the energies present should be child''s play for so many of you unless you are all children yourselves."


    The plate thing stunk as it radiated out,


    "Have you tried using the blue cores here? The energy''s too unstable. Every material disintegrates upon contact, and several have died trying to harness their energy. Even the bones of the behemoths can take over the minds of people, so only psionics can control them. Our best fighting force relies on the golemites...And relying on them requires sacrifice. Everyone knows that."


    I raised a hand, "I don''t. What''s up with the golemites?"


    The plate thing got near me, fluids leaking from its body, "They create abyssals. Enough said."


    I''d ask someone else about it later, so I pointed at the putrid fluids, "Do you need that, or can I get rid of it?"


    The plate thing retracted its many shells, its tone skittish, "Ah...I''m so sorry. I get like this when I''m angry. I ooze."


    With Event Horizon, I converted the material to mana, sterilizing the area. I turned to the others, "What did you guys do before arriving here?"


    A gray insectoid turned to me, its body like a hornet and mantis fused together. The green and yellow carapace contrasted its orange eyes, giving it an exotic appearance, and its mandibles squirmed in its mouth as it hissed over,


    "I own mercenary group for centuries. After long time group expand. Much wealth, so I buy planet. I get class, teleport here. Bad decision. Regret it. Life pain now."


    Simple, straightforward, and reminiscent of Hod, the gray insect stared at me with a predator''s eyes. I liked him. Her. It. Whatever it was. I turned to the plate thing, "What about you? How did you become a ruler?"


    It writhed about, "I worked my way up in a defense contract company. After I routinely proved my worth, I was put onto the board of directors. After centuries, I bought a beach planet, set up a few businesses there, and retired."


    I furrowed my brow, "So none of you were active warriors before arriving here? Where''s all the fighters?"


    Iona stepped up and grimaced, "With Valgus. Who else?"


    Putting my hands on my hips, I shook my head, "I can''t wait to hear what that guy has to say because nothing he''s done makes any sense. Either way, this is his loss. I can eliminate all mana constraints within the next few hours, so don''t worry about that. Mana will be the least of your concerns."


    The keratinous set of plates expanded, "Words are cheap."


    The gray insect stood up, tilting its head at me, "You lie or tell truth?"


    I shrugged, "Before long, my actions will speak for me."


    The gray insect spread its wings and arms, "Good. We need more of people like you. Valgus take all people like you to different place. Life pain now."


    I walked over towards the elevator platform, "We can hope so."


    Iona walked over, and the gray insect snapped itself over towards us in a violent jerk. Extraordinarily fast, it flashed over, and I raised my eyebrow at it. It hissed, "I want see too."


    I smiled, "Then let''s go."


    On the succeeding floor, we neared the place''s peak. This floor held an artificer''s den and a magician''s lair. Quite a few rulers set up shop here, nearly a hundred in this room alone. Most of them sat down while holding a cord in their hands, claws, or teeth. They channeled mana directly through the building, powering the systems. The plate thing wasn''t lying about power being a primary concern.


    While lined up, the variety of the species stunned me. Not carrying any single shape or form, insects with hundreds of legs sprawled out besides fluffy, cloud-shaped forest critters. The sheer variety of people reminded me of posters showing many characters in a story, but the difference arrived in my others senses.


    This place reeked.


    It stunk so bad I wanted to get rid of my nose, so I did. Pacing around, Iona''s eyes watered as she coughed, "Sanitation and everything else is being maintained, so it''s not hazardous here. It''s...It''s tough if you just walk in. You, uh, you get used to it, though."


    Wielding Event Horizon, I sterilized the air, ground, and areas near the rulers. Raising a palm, I burst out a wave of fresh, cool air, and it replaced the musty moisture. Reforming my nose, I shook my head, "Damn, this place is disgusting."


    Iona narrowed her eyes, and she spoke through tears, "Look, there''s nothing that can be done about it. We need the artificers working full time or else this place will fall apart. That requires a ton of mana, and the artificers end up needing a lot of heat. We put them in the same room for conversion purposes. We can''t afford to lose any energy from long cords."


    She gasped, "So, ughhhk...We put everything close together. This is all a part of the process."


    I saturated a cooling aura over the rulers holding the mana cables. Iona''s eyes widened, "That antigravity well hasn''t faded yet, and you''ve been using plenty of high-level incantations for a while. How much mana do you have anyway?"


    I walked towards the artificers, "A lot."


    The two crafters peered at their work, each of them using different tools. One wielded a hailstorm overhead, and the other swirled a maelstrom of magma. They created one portion of the room bathed in a cerulean glow and the other smattered with a crimson sheen. The majority of the mana cables ran into the icy ruler''s back, but quite a few traced into a lava wielder as well.


    Each crafter worked with different tools, the ice wielder handling intricate electronics while the other maintained a pit of heated acid.


    Working together, they alternated their heating or cooling methods to build a complex piece of machinery. I pointed at it, "What''s this for?"


    Iona adjusted one of her wings, "It''s, gimme a second. That''s better. It''s a part I need to help with gravitation or the pressure. Or maybe some kind of machine. You know, I really don''t know which, honestly."


    I waved a hand, "That''s very helpful." I eyed their speed and precision, "They''re unbelievably technical compared to what I do."


    They finished before I stepped up and raised a hand to them, "Hey guys, I''m Daniel Hillside. You both are the crafters here?"


    Short and stocky, the fire wielder wore an advanced apparatus over his entire body. Many glowing mana cords lead to his back, feeding and converting the manas of the wizards nearby. Pulling off a heavy-duty tinkerer''s helmet, a magma imp growled up at me, "You interrupt us. Are you new or just stupid?"


    Unphased, I raised a brow, "I''m the guy that''ll be making this job obsolete soon."


    A smirk grew on the imp''s rocky face, its teeth glowing red, "Hah, good one. You''ll fit in with the useless rulers below us."


    I turned to the ice-wielder, "We''ll see. What do you guys need here the most?"


    The ice-wielder was a blue lizard like the ruler that went off to sunbathe, but she was a woman. It wasn''t in a humanoid sense either. She just carried a sleeker, more feminine form, and her higher tone of voice solidified that impression,


    "Teraz, you let him know we can''t be interrupted, right?"


    The magma imp smiled, his rocky skin pulsing with a heated glow, "He''s an idiot. What else can be said?"


    She peered at me, pulling a set of furred goggles off, "Ok, we don''t have time for this."


    I gave them a tight smile, "Neither do I. Name the three most important things you need, and I''ll leave."


    The fire imp chided, "Wouldn''t you like to know-"


    The ice lizard raised a hand and announced, "Mana, first and foremost, lightweight shielding for the radiation, and some materials that can withstand the gravity here. We''re beginning to wear thin. Is that enough to work off of?"


    My thin smile widened, "Actually, yeah. That''s perfect. Good luck."


    The lizard peered toward the elevator I made before she nodded at me,


    "You too. We need helpful people here, and by the looks of it, you might be a good fit."


    The fire imp snapped, "Alctua...We have plenty of good people here already. They''re either wasting time or dying downstairs."


    The ice lizard rolled her eyes and put her furred goggles back on, "Enough talk. Let''s get back to work."


    Teraz grumbled, but the fire imp put back on his tinkerer''s helmet. They synced back into their impressive flow, each movement matching the other. Reminding me of my many psyches coordinating, I marveled at the efficiency of them both.


    Teraz and Alctua, I put those names down as ones to remember.


    Back at my elevator, I lifted everyone up while stating, "None of those problems will be issues soon. I''ll be relieving a lot of pressure here soon."


    Drelex flopped his catfish whiskers around as he stated, "If you can give us mana, we''ll be plenty happy with it."


    I frowned, "Tell me about it. How many more floors do we have?"


    Iona wrote with beautiful handwriting as she murmured, "One. The next one''s the last. It''s for the leaders of us all, and I bet they''re up there shouting like always."


    While I pulled us up, I dove into thought. I imagined most rulers would be these unstoppable beings that rode through hell and back to establish themselves. My assumptions fell flat when faced with the real thing. So far, the vast majority of rulers seemed like diligent wage workers that eventually owned a planet after centuries of skilled labor.


    While impressive in its own right, I expected more. Thinking back to Obolis, he retained some semblance of my first impressions, but like many situations in life, reality dimmed when compared to what I assumed it would be. It made me wonder about life in general. It was like every time I jumped to a conclusion, I ended up destroying my expectations soon after.


    In a way, it made me wonder about people who were delusional. Maybe they weren''t as misguided as I imagined? I mean, I fell victim to setting unrealistic expectations, and really, anyone could. Delusion could be the line that''s crossed when someone disconnects from the mundane, therefore living their lives off their expectations rather than their reality.


    And in a way, everyone lived a delusion. The measure of someone''s deception might just correlate to how connected someone was with their actual world. So many factors could feed into someone''s misbeliefs as well. Refection. Fear. Bias. They all played into how someone perceived the world.


    While making these deals, I needed to make sure I connected to what was actual and not what I wanted to be real. Those thoughts swarmed in my mind as we reached the pyramid''s peak. In this section, pinned charts, hovering maps, and holographic magic floated around. It gave the room a variety of colors as if someone sliced the planet apart and plastered it across the place.


    The gem at the center of it all was a miniature approximation of Leviathan-7, showing the ossuary, dessert, and other extraterrestrial terrains. After slotting the elevator in place, I walked past the globe, the room echoing with shouts. A dozen rulers spoke and discussed their next course of action, voices and tensions high.


    Turning to Shalahora, I sent out a telepathic message, "Hey, can you shroud us?"


    Shalahora nodded, and we walked in. The diplomats wore robes similar to Drelex and the blue lizard accompanying Iona. Each member here discussed timelines for resources and a few specifics about the fortress. Another one of the monstrous plate-things writhed about as it spoke,


    "We must level with one another. We have only a few more weeks worth of energy left. Most of our resources are being put to maintain the struggling rulers. Seconds tick by, and they are moments we no longer have."


    A familiar voice spoke up, his white fur bristled, "And that''s why we need to consider my proposition: cutting our losses and focusing on the remaining survivors. It is inevitable that sacrifices will be made. I offer that we make them now when they are minimal rather than later when they are maximal."


    It was Obolis speaking, the Emperor''s graphene armor looking commonplace here. His scars differed from the others here, him being the only combat-worthy ruler present. The others stood half his height, but that didn''t stop a short, chubby alien from shouting over him. The green and yellow alien reminded me of an overweight poison dart frog with a squealing voice to match,


    "Yet you''re ignoring that those you wish to sacrifice are the only reason we''ve made it this far. They''re bedridden because they took on the harrowing missions required to build this facility, to build this refuge. They offered their bodies, minds, and souls as the foundation to our current prosperity, regardless of how limited that affluence maybe."


    Obolis peered down at the alien in disgust as the Emperor seethed, "Are you asking us to all die here so that we may hold up your moral ideals? Perhaps death is one of them?"


    The round poison dart frog slammed its hand into the table, "No. It''s about honoring the sacrifices of those that paved this road for us. Will anyone else be our next heroes if we treat our old warriors with such cruelty? No. We are ending any chance of rising above our situation by snuffling out any future heroes."


    Obolis leaned to the frog, and the Emperor''s teeth flashed, "It is better to live for today than to die for tomorrow."


    The frog simmered, "You speak that because no matter the outcome, your false empire will be helped more by their deaths. You''re trying to kill them to fuel this death game Schema placed us in. Their armies will, in essence, become yours."


    I stepped up, several feet taller than Obolis. Shalahora''s shroud dispersed while I spread my hands,


    "Hey Obolis, it''s good to see you again. I hope I''m not interrupting anything important."

 346 Quick Deals and Equal Exploits

    The frog simmered, "You speak that because no matter the outcome, your false empire will be helped more by their deaths. You''re trying to kill them to fuel this death game Schema placed us in. Their armies will, in essence, become yours."


    I stepped up, several feet taller than Obolis. Shalahora''s shroud dispersed while I spread my hands,


    "Hey Obolis, it''s good to see you again. I hope I''m not interrupting anything important."


    Chapter Begin


    The Emperor''s eyes opened wide, and he leaned back, "You survived? Hah, why would I expect anything else? You''re like eldritch in a sewer; there''s no killing all of you."


    I leaned over the other rulers, "I do try to make it a habit to not die."


    After inspecting a few of the numbers the rulers analyzed, I stood back upright, "You all sound busy, but what about making some time for a deal? Just know I can''t stay for that long, and I''d really like to handle this quickly if that''s possible."


    Obolis tilted his head, "What kind of deal, exactly?"


    I gestured at everything, "One where I fix what''s broken here. I have already inspected the place and installed an elevator for everyone. I also put the gravity well in place, but no one seems to have noticed. What gives?"


    Obolis tapped his side, "We suspected a ripple in the gravitation of Leviathan to be the cause of it. As that suspending force has lingered, questions arose over its source. Your arrival acts as an obvious answer to the enigma."


    The other rulers peered up at me, wondering who I was until the chubby frog ruler pointed up at me, "You''re that fool that spoke to Schema directly, aren''t you? Hah, it''s a miracle you''re still alive, given you defied him so openly. I expected you to be sheared to pieces, yet here you are, alive and well."


    The beginnings of a frown formed on my lips. This ruler argued with Obolis, so the frog ruler didn''t like me since I knew the Emperor already. Taking the aggression with a grain of salt, I mused, "You were trying to keep people alive, right?"


    "I was. My name is Malos. Malos Srika. I''m here as part of the Srikan Empire. I''ve been ruling it since I turned seven, and even at that age, I learned long ago to know my place. That''s obviously a lesson you never learned, considering how you spoke to Schema."


    Obolis glared at the ruler, the Emperor''s fangs flashing once more, "You shouldn''t slap at the mouth that feeds you, lest it takes your hand from your arm. In that same vein, speak accordingly in my presence, lest I rob you of your ability to do so."


    The frog gave him a wide grin, "Go ahead and expose what you are."


    Ignoring the taunt, the Emperor''s eyes flicked over to me, "It''s good to see you well, Harbinger. This planet''s harshness likely left you comfortable, given your unique constitution. Just as well, the golems you''ve conscripted have handled their work admirably on my planets. They''ve left a region on one of my worlds far more secure, and after we''ve survived this ordeal, I''d love to talk about hiring more of them."


    I shrugged, "As long as you have credits to pay, I have golems to give."


    Iona Joan crossed her arms, "Can we talk the terms for our factions first...Please?"


    Once again, the rulers listened to her. Obolis said, "Let''s make the terms clear. What are you offering?"


    I gestured to everything, "I can make the antigravity well permanent, and I can add quite a few other additions you guys desperately need. Food, water, air, depressurization, golems as guardians, etcetera. It will completely flip this faction''s current position."


    Obolis steepled his claws, "Wait a moment...You''ve already investigated this place?"


    With a knowing glint in my eye, I smiled, "I have. And thoroughly."


    The other rulers gave me skeptical looks while Obolis dove deep into thought. He paced back and forth before raising a finger, "You wish to resolve our issues...Hm, that can be arranged. Given your skillset, I believe you when you promise to solve our logistical concerns. The golems and barriers will also be welcomed. However-"


    He narrowed his eyes at me, "I''m left wondering what you want from us?"


    I shrugged, "Nothing much, just half of everything."


    The other rulers burst into an uproar of squabbling, and Obolis sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. The chubbier frog alien''s throat swelled at it gurgled out, "And what could you possibly offer us in exchange for so many resources? Do you even have proof of your abilities?"


    I tilted my head at the frog, "Do you have any proof in mind?"


    The frog crossed his arms, "Simple. You enact the changes you said you could handle."


    I raised my brow, "Ah, you want free labor. I see where this ''deal'' is going."


    Obolis stepped forward, dwarfing the others present. The Emperor clapped his hand shut, a wicked pop echoing out. The noise silenced everyone in all directions, our area muted by a wave of magic. Obolis glared at the other rulers, and he menaced,


    "Did you all ignore me when I mentioned his skillset, or do you lack ears perhaps? Know this: I don''t lie when I speak. My words may carry many meanings, but the most obvious of them point to undeniable reality. In this case, I can assure you that Daniel isn''t boasting without cause. He is a dimensional construct, and as such, he defies certain laws of nature."


    Obolis turned to me, "And, given those abilities, I''m more than willing to offer you a comparable compensation to what you''re offering. However, when you mention ''half'' without context, I''m left wondering where and what you''re asking for. Could you clarify for everyone present, so all is understood?"


    The rulers watched on while I peered around. I spread my arms, "Sure. I want half of the resources you have along with half of what you make after I fix everything here."


    If the rulers uproared before, they outraged now. Hissing, howling, and squealing, they aimed their ire at Obolis, but the Emperor gazed at them with disdain. The screams bounced off of him before Obolis murmured,


    "Are all of you finished?"


    No one replied, the room turning into a quiet lecture hall in an instant. Obolis stated like an announcement, "Remember our situation. We''ve lost many to Valgus and this planet. Daniel knows this, and he understands his worth." Obolis gave me a knowing look, "Unfortunately for us, but it was inevitable that he''d uncover that value at some point."


    I remembered how he took advantage of me when we first met. Obolis didn''t seem to be trying to pull that same stunt again, and I appreciated it. Obolis raised a clawed hand, "Daniel, please ignore the rulers and their ignorance. You''re the youngest ruler present, holding no resources yet owning enviable talents. Forgive them and put little stock in their words."


    Obolis looked at the rulers and pinched his claws at them, "No stock in your words yet, rulers. You all own many skills and vast knowledge. Daniel''s raw resources will likely allow those abilities to flourish."


    Obolis pointed the pinched claws and his eyes at me, "Daniel. After the rulers understand the situation, then please, by all means, condemn them as you like."


    The Malos stammered, "We haven''t even decided what is to be done with the dying, and you''re dropping it as if this is more important. It shows what you truly value."


    Obolis loomed, "Our impasse resulted from how few options we had at our disposal. This is a change in our situation, so we should treat said change with care. I ask you all to silence yourselves for now and allow me to handle this meeting as I''ve worked with Daniel in the past. Just as well, he is credible. If the situation resolves to any of your dislikings, then I''ll grant my share of our resources to everyone and leave. Is that suitable?"


    Obolis''s words rang out, and the other rulers'' grumbling ceased for the moment. Obolis turned back to me,


    "Granting fifty percent of our total earnings will place us within a diminutive standard in the lottery''s rankings. Is it possible to only give thirty percent? That leaves us in a far better position moving forward."


    I considered their positions. From looking at their situation, the survivors struggled to do just that: survive. Considering everything I learned here, that made sense. Even from a cursory glance, the majority of rulers weren''t battle-ready. They focused on economics or even inherited their ruler status.


    Of the remaining fighters, a portion joined Valgus Uuriyah before anyone landed on Leviathan-7. Further reducing the survivor''s numbers, a part of battle-ready rulers went out and wandered the planet. The nail in the survivor''s coffin came from the pro-Schema faction getting slaughtered by Valgus. His attack left them crippled, and what I''d seen here were the remnants of several more influential groups.


    Affirming my guesstimation was how much pressure Obolis put on this group. During the lottery''s introduction, the Emperor wasn''t a ruler that stood out in any way. However, now he ranked highly here, and that exposed how far these rulers had fallen from grace. Those titanic collisions between rulers already took place while I hid in the ossuary this entire time.


    With my core golems and new know-how, I could pull these guys from the brink. My main issue revolved around getting them to understand that and getting a fair cut out of my input. 30% wasn''t cutting it considering what I imparted and where they stood. I shook my head at Obolis,


    "I can''t accept 30%. Based on how everything is playing out here, very few of you will survive, let alone prosper. You''re also misunderstanding just how much I''m offering each of you."


    Obolis turned a clawed hand to me, "Do tell."


    I waved my arm across the room, "I''m not giving everyone survival - I''m offering a chance for affluence, prestige, and wealth. I give stability. I give security. Most of all, you''ll gain raw power, something you desperately need."


    I pressed my fingertips together, emphasizing each point, "You will walk here without worrying about your bones breaking or your body falling. Powerful, unflinching guardians will tear down the enemies at your door. Even better, I will grant you limitless power, allowing you to accomplish your current goals with ease."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I waved my hand, "This will change your positions completely. Your rate of resource accrual will exponentially multiply, and I''m asking for half because the half you make with me will dwarf the whole of what you make now."


    Not believing a word I said, the rulers gazed at Obolis, their aged eyes full of doubt, disorder, and hints of disdain. The primary source of that disdain, the frog ruler rolled his eyes from me to the Emperor,


    "Obolis...You wanted everyone below murdered to conserve our resources, but now you want to give all of our resources away to this young upstart? He barely understands our situation, let alone the complexities of the planet."


    Obolis dragged his hands down his face, "You know, Malos, you remind me of my spoiled nieces and nephews. They were given positions of influence, never needing to earn them. My gifts changed their perspectives, and I regret how I handled them. I stifled their struggles, which stained them with entitlement. It is a failure I alone carry."


    Obolis glared at the frog in disgust, "Considering you inherited your own empire, I see you are much the same in that regard."


    Malos smiled at Obolis, his skin thick with slime, "You believe you''re the first to downplay my ascension? Continue doing so. I will prove with my words that I am more than what you make of me."


    The frog ruler gazed up at me, and he gurgled, "Besides that, we don''t even know if you''re lying about the gravity well either."


    I snapped my fingers, the saturated magic waning. The rulers present changed their looks, many of them unable to tolerate gravity''s intense pull. The chubby frog nodded, "Ah...It seems there''s some validity to what you''ve claimed. I...I was mistaken."


    I reactivated the gravity well, and the group gasped like pressure valves releasing. Having proven my legitimacy, no one interrupted the Emperor as he said to me,


    "I''ve seen your cities, and I know how they were produced. Mostly, at least, and based on your confidence, it would seem they''ve improved. Am I right about that?"


    Shalahora spoke up, "I have gazed upon them, and they dot the skies of the shining hell. He''s amassed a nation''s worth of territory. You all may share in that bounty should you accept what he offers. However, to do so, you must let go of what you think is true. Accept that you wallow in darkness. Only then may you step into the light."


    A bit peeved, Malos dabbed his cheek with an embroidered tissue, "If anything, I''d imagine you three conspired behind our backs. Yes, yes, I can see it now. You all intend to swindle our faction while we are desperate."


    Malos rallied the others, gazed at everyone present, "If we cave here, then we lose any chance at pulling ourselves out of the depths with our own two hands. We''re chaining our limbs to these rulers here and for nothing. Gravity well or not, he still hasn''t proven his other abilities."


    Shalahora dispersed back into his shadowy form, "You may all listen to his words, or you may listen to the howling desperation that pervades here. It echoes in the halls, and it oozes from the floors. The malice. The stink of death. This is no sanctuary. It is a prison that awaits the end of those it holds. I will say it only once more; the Harbinger offers much to you all. You may grasp it or let it go. That choice is yours."


    The rulers gazed at Shalahora, the Sovereign''s words worth more than mine and Obolis''s put together. Obolis gave a nod of approval to Shalahora, and the Emperer clapped,


    "It would seem that validity has been established then. Daniel, is there any portion of this place you''d prefer to have? Perhaps the promised help of an individual or specific resource?"


    I pointed down, "The lab is the most important part to me. I want every bit of information and some of the technology you''re using to record information in this place. It''s set it up so that I can avoid a lot of the leg work I''d otherwise have to handle."


    Malos''s irises turned to slits, "And why is that? Information is a low-yield offering. The cores and bones are what is truly valuable given the stakes of the lottery."


    Another diplomat coughed into his hand, and he spoke with an understanding tone to me,


    "What Malos means to say is that we''d love to know why you want information specifically. I''m curious as well, but only because it allows us to better satisfy whatever it is you want from us all. I''m not the only one curious about you and what you''re offering."


    Finally, someone who knew how to negotiate spoke up. By comparison, Malos fell prey to his emotions, and at this rate, they''d destroy him. I shrugged at the diplomats,


    "Honestly, I''d rather not say. Just know that I want the info."


    The rulers stared at one another before discussing their dealings for a time. Malos shouted in the group, and his voice split the faction in two, one side with Obolis and the other with Malos. After about ten minutes of waiting, Obolis stepped up and raised a hand,


    "Then may we reduce the offering to my mentioned thirty percent, but we''ll exchange all information we attain about Leviathan-7, other rulers, etcetera? That should grant a greater percentage of offerings to us so that we may protect our empires from being conscripted. At the same time, you''ll be granted the data you so desire. It''s a win-win for both parties involved."


    He stuck out a hand, remembering how my species handled deals, "Do we have an arrangement?"


    I tapped my chin, "Even if I value the info more, that doesn''t mean I don''t want the resources. Let''s make it forty percent, but I also want information sent to me after we come back from the lottery on top of what you guys have here. I want to know the outcomes for the other rulers, their rankings and rewards, hm, you know, all that good stuff."


    They went back to arguing, the diplomats forming into the two camps. Malos peered at one another, whispering in low breaths,


    "I can''t believe they''re taking him this seriously. He proved his gravity well but nothing else."


    "Yes, but Shalahora was over level 60,000. I know nothing about him, but you don''t get to level 60,000 by pushing papers. I don''t know for sure, but he could probably kill us all if he wanted to. Despite everything, he''s still arguing for this person''s validity. This Daniel might be telling the truth."


    The frog ruler''s throat bulged again as he raised a palm to Shalahora, "Ah, Sovereign, I was wondering if you would answer a question for me?"


    Several rulers peered back and forth, an awkward tension forming in the room. Shalahora''s voice oozed, "I may answer. I may not."


    Malos raised his bony brow, "Fair enough...To level with you, a being such as yourself has many options. Even Valgus wished for your favor, and he assaulted the Pro-Schema faction right after we arrived. We still care for those dead and dying. His power was palpable, but despite sharing his position, you allied with this young upstart. Would you mind explaining yourself?"


    I scratched the back of my head while Shalahora murmured, "We formed an alliance before arriving here."


    The frog rolled his hand in a circle, "Yes, yes, yes, but I''m more so left wondering as to why you would form that alliance? Does that make sense?"


    Shalahora menaced,


    "No."


    Several rulers dripped cold sweat, but Malos wasn''t one of them. Bold as always, the chubby frog puffed itself up and tilted its head at Shalahora, "I understand you don''t wish to say. I will allow this issue to slide, and of course, I meant no offense. Ah yes, Harbinger, a word of advice-" The frog blinked with a smile, "Never ally with someone who''s unclear of what they want. That''s all I''ll say."


    When Shalahora tilted his head at Malos, several of the other rulers, including me, shook our heads. Malos was begging for it, and Shalahora gave it to him. The Sovereign froze the frog ruler in place before the living shadow scoffed,


    "You''ll allow this issue to slide?"


    The Sovereign made the word sound like an ancient curse. The shadowy ruler hollowed out like a new moon while speaking to the frog,


    "Your mind is an open book to me, yet you try to speak in riddles to mask your intentions and confound my own. It is the tactic of a politician, one who''s never tasted blood on their lips or lived at death''s door. Or basked at the end of madness."


    Shalahora flowed closer to Malos,


    "You mistake my mercy for your boldness. This is not so. I offered to let you live, yet you act as if I cannot rob you of life. Of thought. Of your soul, body, and being. It is all in my palm, and it rests perched upon bottomless cliffs. Despite my position, you tested me...Have I failed you?"


    The frog stumbled, falling back, and Shalahora gazed down at him, "Let me unveil your motives. You wish to weaken my and the Harbinger''s alliance, so our position isn''t as strong. You fought for those dying below because you wish to establish moral superiority for your own gain. It does not stem from a central, core belief in their worth; it is a means to an end. Nothing more. Nothing less."


    The frog ruler gasped, unable to speak. Shalahora murmured, "You may deny my words, but in doing so, I will cleave your mind asunder. There will be no doubt of your thoughts, for I shall share them all to those present. They will listen, and your lies will be known...But please, don''t force my hand."


    Shalahora encircled the ruler, "Do not make me the murderer of your mind, the source of your splintered soul."


    Shalahora released his unseen grasp on the frog, and the ruler vomited up blended insects. Shalahora peered at the others, "Force isn''t something I prefer, but it is the tool I wield. It is blunt...Heavy...And hardened. That is all I know, and so you may think my weakness lies in how I speak. Perhaps, but by exploiting my weakness, know that I will exploit your weaknesses in kind."


    Shalahora flowed away from the frog, who fumbled around as if shell-shocked. The shadowy Sovereign murmured, "And unlike what you''ve said, what I''ve done will never leave you...Will it, Malos?"


    The frog continued flailing before curling into a ball in the corner. The entire time he spoke, I slowed time and inspected the situation. Shalahora wielded an incredible psionic ability, one far more potent than my own. It felt alien, as if some cosmic being inhabited Shalahora''s body at that moment, one without limit. I held back a grimace, remembering a similar mental pressure from something else.


    The Old Ones.


    Keeping that to myself, I put on my best poker face. The other rulers gawked at the frog, all of them beside Obolis. A seasoned warrior, the Emperor pinched his brow while sighing,


    "You know...I''ve wanted to do the same for the last while, but I''m far too civilized for carnage of that kind." Obolis smiled, covering his grin with a clawed hand, "But I do relish when someone from society walks into the uncivilized world. Oftentimes, those from the darkest regions shed light on some of the simplest truths."


    Obolis put on a thoughtful gaze as he stared at Malos, "It would seem he needed humbling. Perhaps another ruler would wish to doubt a literal Sun Swallower?" Obolis gave them a tight grin, "Anyone? No? Excellent. It would seem the rest of you evolved past single-celled life. Commendable, truly."


    In stressful situations, Obolis reminded me of a different shade of Helios. The Emperor peered back to us, "Since I''m one of the few rulers present with a functioning brain, I''ll make the necessary arrangements. We''ll agree to the terms you''ve so graciously laid out, ones that are now concrete because one of our own angered you both. Think of this as a sincere apology for our indiscretion."


    Several of the rulers present still gawked at the display of violence, many put on edge. I pulled my hair back, "Look, everyone, I had nothing to do with that. I''m just here for the deal." Letting my hair go, I stretched out my hand, and Obolis shook it. The Emperor gave me a wide grin before rubbing his clawed hands together,


    "Then it''s settled. You may begin your work when ready."


    I shook my head, "It isn''t. That''s our verbal agreement. I''ll be binding you all with something far more permanent than words."


    I pulled out my grimoire and opened the pages. Book in hand, I temporally accelerated while brainstorming the cipheric markings to ensure these rulers stuck to my contract. Unlike how Yawm''s agreement kept everything vague, I provided absolute clarity. I wanted no misinterpretations of this, and I kept everything as simple as possible.


    Once my minds finished churning the document out, I ceased my time compression. With heated telekinetic points, I traced our agreement onto the pages of my grimoire. After charging it with mana, the cipheric etchings floated off the page and onto a slab of my own skin, one made at the moment. They sizzled into the dark metal, and I turned the plate to Obolis,


    "You know how to read this, so it should all make perfect sense to you. Let me know if you need any addendums, and we can work it out."


    Obolis grinned while grasping the plate, "Gladly. Do relax while I ensure everything is in order."


    As Obolis read through the document, I turned to Shalahora. He peered back at me, and his gaze was unwavering. Gawking at the shadowy figure, the other rulers gave the Sovereign distance. They feared him, and Shalahora didn''t mind being abhorred in the slightest. Trying to find some kind of tell in his posture, I watched closely.


    The guy was a literal shadow, so I couldn''t read anything. Wanting to avoid a similar situation in the future, I opened a telepathic connection. From the edges of my mind, Shalahora whispered,


    "Did the seed of doubt sprout in your mind, little one?"


    "It did. It wasn''t from what the frog said. It was from how you handled the situation and that...That attack you''re using. I''ve seen and felt something similar before, and I won''t be able to trust you unless you tell me what it was."


    Shalahora spoke quietly yet with great force,


    "I only showed him pain."


    I winced, "It looked as though you robbed him of reason. How in the hell could he experience pain like that without any wounds, not even psionic ones?"


    Shalahora''s voice grew distant, "It was not his pain."


    My eyes widened as Shalahora seethed,


    "It was my own."

 347 Set Up

    <div>


    <div>


    Shalahora spoke quietly yet with great force,


    "I only showed him pain."


    I winced, "It looked as though you robbed him of reason. How in the hell could he experience pain like that without any wounds, not even psionic ones?"


    Shalahora''s voice grew distant, "It was not his pain."


    My eyes widened as Shalahora seethed,


    "It was my own."


    Chapter Begin


    I held myself in place, wanting to step back but choosing not to. In the corner, Malos lost his mind to the anguish Shalahora exposed him to. Curiosity burned in my chest, but I gave myself a moment to consider before I frowned,


    "It seems like you wielded it like a weapon. Whose pain it is doesn''t change what was done or how effective the attack was either. It also doesn''t explain what the assault was."


    Shalahora''s words coursed out, "Is it not obvious? I shared my experiences with him, the ones I normally hide but unusually expose."


    I tapped my foot while considering how a psionic attack customarily operated. Torix and I battled it out with our willpowers, and by coordinating our assaults, we sent out slicing cuts at specific weaknesses. Shalahora''s attack mirrored my psionic drowning, but it operated on a far more insidious level. While I sent in random thoughts into a person''s head, Shalahora flooded their mind with a specific experience.


    Depending on the person, they might shatter, and Malos''s ego death was an example of that. Shalahora condensed and tilted his head at me, "Listen. I understand you''re curious about the tools I wield. That isn''t a surprise, as curiosity is inevitable in developed species. I am not lying when I say my ''attack'' was simple. I shared my experiences with him."


    Crossing my arms, my mind raced with possibilities, "Sharing experiences, huh? I guess it''s possible. Still, that doesn''t explain the Old One''s energy when you attacked." An epiphany sparked in my mind as I widened my eyes, "Unless...Was the Old One the source of your terrible memory?"


    Shalahora''s eyes widened, "Do you know of Mesmera as well?"


    I winced, "I do know."


    Shalahora stared at the map of Leviathan-7, "It is a presence that lingers and spreads through memories and knowledge, and that Old One is a part of my suffering. It is not the cause, however."


    The idea of an entity existing through knowledge and memories alone reminded me of an autobiography that constantly changed. Wanting nothing to do with Mesmera, I frowned, "You speak in riddles."


    Shalahora cackled before expanding, "Yes, I suppose that''s true. You were curious of my past before, yet you chose the wise way of restraint...You are someone who understands the danger of knowledge and ambition, and that tempers the path you''ve chosen to take."


    Shalahora sifted around, "That''s why you''ve refused to view my memories - you worry that understanding my past will lead you towards madness. Or that perhaps madness has ingrained itself into me. In turn, it may ingrain itself into you."


    Shalahora condensed and raised an arm, "Worry not. The trauma I lived is simple yet profound. The memories bear down like mountains on my mind, but the story itself is no such burden. To Malos, I exposed the fullness of those experiences, and they ruptured his weak psyche. He is a cup overly full, one left shattered by what it tried to contain."


    I gazed down at Malos, "No, that''s not right. His mind didn''t drown. He simply couldn''t handle it."


    Shalahora spoke with a cynical edge, "He will return to himself, though changed in persona. I doubt it will be for the better. In that regard, it''s incredible how effective a tool one''s experiences may be at times, whether directly or indirectly."


    His tone turned hopeful, "And there exists no deeper directness than turning one''s pain into their sword and one''s grit into their shield."


    My mind raced as Shalahora spoke. In particular, a new Old One set me on edge. Eonoth melted my body the last time we spoke, and Etorhma pitted me against Yawm. In general, those esoteric, godlike creatures interacted with this universe without any care of how they affected people, ideas, or anything really.


    And the torments the Old Ones wrought dwarfed my ability to comprehend them.


    Despite all of that, knowing Shalahora''s history was necessary since it let me trust him moving forward. Otherwise, I''d carry so many doubts that a long-term relationship wouldn''t be feasible. I winced while biting my tongue,


    "Hm...Alright. I can listen to the story but don''t share the memories. Also, if you can, don''t tell me about the Old One either."


    Shalahora''s sky blue eyes widened, "You know of it now, so it is too late to undo what has been done. It was only a matter of time before it found you, however. It finds all that it wishes to see."


    As I remembered the name Mesmera, strange energy rippled out from around me. It touched on this dimension, so I condensed my own wake around me. The power bounced off my denser, dimensional space, and a slight laugh echoed into my ears. I closed my eyes, "Well...Dammit."


    Shalahora tilted his head, "You believe that ignorance of them will mitigate their impact on you? Are you truly that naive?"


    While I understood his viewpoint, I disagreed. I shook my head,


    "I don''t believe that. I know it''s true. The Old Ones are heavily limited in our universe for some reason. Why, exactly? I have no clue, but I know talking to them won''t help me find out. They only talk about what they can directly offer, and it''s always tempting."


    Shalahora peered away, "That...That is true."


    I raised a hand, "But I''ve seen what happens to anyone or anything that engages with those monstrosities. Those that listen are turned inside out, but even worse, they are never allowed to die from it. They have shamble on, half alive and half dead. They turn immortality into a curse, and I''m not buying into their lies."


    As I spoke, memories of Yawm and how he was twisted into an abomination flashed before my mind. Even more musings about Lehesion and his toxic codependence on Elysium sprung up in my head too. Even Eonoth''s roaring and my melting body snapped into my head, and I recalled Etorhma shoving knowledge of the cipher into my psyche. A cold shiver raced up my spine, and I spit,


    "Anything they touch turns into shambling monstrosities."


    Shalahora''s eyes slanted, "Ah...You must think this of me as well."


    I clasped my hand into a fist but said nothing. Shalahora nodded,


    "You would be right on all accounts...And though I lived for centuries, my time with Mesmera is what''s defined me the most. It was a crossroad where I chose one path in place of another. I still don''t know if my choice was correct, but it was made. Now I walk that path."


    "And the trauma?"


    Shalahora''s voice stuttered, "I...I watched my entire species die before I made my choice. It was no peaceful walk into the night. It was a slow, lonely march."


    I narrowed my eyes, "But you mentioned there being more of you? How can that be if everyone died?"


    Shalahora scoffed, "There are more, and yet, there are not. To that question, there exists no simple answer, I''m afraid, and I will betray your requests if I answer your questions."


    I raised my palms, "You know what, I''m good then. I get it. Watching your race die is pretty horrific anyway, regardless of how it happens. I''m guessing if an Old One was involved, it was a particularly creative and horrific demise, so you have my sympathy. Well, what little I can give."


    Shalahora shook his head, "The fall of my kind was an inevitable and natural demise, but that made it no less haunting. You see, nature, like the Old Ones, is oftentimes cruel and unyielding. I''ve faced both their wraths first hand, and they have brought me to my knees...Now that cycle may have continued once more but to these rulers."


    I peered back around, Obolis explaining my cipher''s contract to the other rulers in excruciating detail. The faction supporting Malos died down their protests but not because they agreed with me. They refused to speak out of fear, and that wasn''t what I wanted. I lifted a hand to Shalahora,


    "I''m still a little confused, but that''s enough. I also don''t want to pry. If I got this right, your race died before you made a choice with an Old One. You shared that experience with Malos, and he was too weak to handle it. Do I have it right?"


    Shalahora gazed at the frog rulers whose mind was left shattered,


    "To share is to give away a portion of. I have given nothing, only allowed him to scan over what I''ve faced. It was a common tactic of my species. Many would head into arduous situations to use the memories as weapons in their arsenals. I stand at the peak of that methodology. Though in my case, it was not by choice."


    I peered off, wondering how that might work with my own mind magic. The worst of my experiences culminated with the psionic deaths my time magic demanded. Having someone else experience those sensations could crush them, but I had no idea how to share memories. If I did, it didn''t have the same sting as the actual event, while Shalahora''s did.


    Either way, Obolis stepped up after speaking with the other rulers. Carrying the tablet I gave him, The Emperor had already signed the document, as had most of the other rulers. Obolis lifted the tablet up, "These are those that I could convince, though many chose not to sign the document."


    I frowned, "Was it a majority?"


    Obolis tilted his head to the other diplomats, "Somewhat, though most of the rulers lay below. If you show them anything well made, the remaining ruler''s defiance shall cave."


    I rolled my shoulders, "Then I''ll build this place up while having people sign below."


    The cipheric runes over my skin shimmered with glowing mana streams, the energy radiating out with quintessence. I paced up to a portion of the room between two other areas. I shooed everyone away,


    "Stand back, everybody."


    The rulers looked at me before stepping back. I took nearby chairs and tables, floating them away. After a few seconds, my body stood still. Obolis''s eyes widened before he gasped, "Daniel...Are you dead?"


    A new body regenerated outside of my dead one, metal and shining blood pouring from nothing. I scoffed, "What did you say? I can''t hear anything when I''m out of myself like that."


    Obolis murmured, "Did you just die?"


    I waved my hands, "Of course not. My body did."


    Even with his experience with me, Obolis peered off at that one. He blinked a few times before shaking his head, "I...Well...If you''re healthy then, it''s fine."


    I gave him a thumbs-up before my next body died. A dozen Daniel statues littered the room before I pulled them along with gravity wells. I dragged a large pile of my corpses where I intended on working, and I stood on them. Thermal energy coursed through my palms, breaking the stack of me into a thick, molten metal.


    Collecting into a large pool of sheening liquid, I coursed it towards an emptied portion of the room. The other rulers backed further away as I funneled the liquid dimensional fabric into a giant, hollowed block. From my dimensional storage, I pulled out a hundred blue cores. The flowing cerulean mass coursed into slots of my giant metal cube.


    Simultaneously, I charged telepathic runes by standing in place and funneling mana into my grimoire. My surroundings melted even while I contained the energies. I gave myself a chastising thump on my forehead before sighing. I got used to my surroundings being tough, and that was a bad habit to get into.


    Not wanting to destroy the entire base, I put my grimoire into my pocket dimension. Beside me, the cube of fabric and cores amassed a behemothic reserve of energy, turning the metal into a colossal, psionic battery. Testing a new theory, I applied time magic into my pocket dimension''s space.


    In a small patch within, a temporal flow started, and it was enough to fill in the grimoire''s energy needs. Having contained the devastation of my charging, I remained motionless for an hour. The rulers lost interest after a few minutes, many wondering what I needed but leaving me to my devices. A few studied the giant power cell I crafted while others developed their own ideas. Once charged, the eye slit of my helmet snapped open.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I pulled my grimoire from my dimensional space and slotted the glowing sigils onto the power battery. Coated in the markings, the giant cube enlivened, energy radiating out from the hundred blue cores. They rippled into the cipheric markings on the matrix of metal. Drelex walked up to me, and the giant catfish gestured to the metal hunk,


    "Impressive. If you''d like, we can contact Entilla for his wiring expertise. He should be able to help you connect that power source to this building''s infrastructure."


    I shook my head, "We can''t. There''s too much energy."


    Drelex waved his hands, "You misunderstand our wiring infrastructure. Graphene is an incredible conductor, and it can transfer a near limitless amount of energy."


    I frowned, "I''m no professional, but I think it''s different with mana. No matter the process you take, mana is will and intelligence converted into physical energy. The fact of the matter is, this energy is alive, and we need something alive to tame it."


    I shrugged, "Otherwise, this will be utterly unusable outside of anyone with a solid psionic ability. And speaking of which, I''ll need to prevent anyone from manipulating this energy source for their own gain, too."


    The catfish''s whiskers writhed, "Interestingly enough, I may be able to help with embedding a language cipher to help with communication efforts between this, erm, psionic entity you''re creating. If you''d like, that is."


    My eyes widened, "That would be great, actually."


    Drelex waved a hand, "And just as well, I do think Entilla may help restructure the wiring to suit this, ahem, machine''s needs."


    I tapped my side, "Hm, the last thing I want to do is all that detailed work. I definitely want his help then."


    Drelex raised a webbed hand, "Ah yes, may I use your grimoire? It shall help with creating my own schema-based runes and for showing Entilla."


    I floated the book over to him, and he perused some of my runic works. A wry smile came over Drelex''s face,


    "There''s no wonder you let me see this. Without your specific abilities, no one can even use these incantations."


    I shrugged, "They''re a big part of how I made it this far. Oh yeah, can you actually use the pages? I''ve always wondered if anyone else could besides me."


    Drelex raised a finger, "I definitely can, and thank you. It''s been difficult to develop my own grimoire given the mana constraints here."


    I leaned back, "You don''t have a grimoire? How in the hell do you work with runes?"


    Drelex gazed at me in confusion before he tapped his forehead, "What are you even...Oh. I understand. I do own a grimoire, but it''s not here on Leviathan-7. Schema stripped us of what we held in our dimensional storages, and he gave us little time to prepare for this journey. In fact, few own a grimoire except for you."


    He pointed at me, "While you may think I''m odd, I''m actually the norm, and you''re the exception. In this instance, at least."


    I eyed my grimoire, "Ah, then you''d better bring that back."


    Drelex bowed, "I most certainly shall."


    I turned back to my work, planting lines of runes onto the power battery. Drelex paced off, giving me some time to handle most of the work involved. By the time he returned with the blue lizard ruler, I had finalized a terminal for the psionic battery. It would be the place for Drelex''s language cipher and Entilla''s wiring adjustments.


    Entilla cheered up, the blue lizard standing taller and with a brighter look on his face. He inspected my workflow before nodding, "You weren''t lying, Drelex...He has gotten his feet wet with this kind of endeavor before. Color me surprised."


    Though still sarcastic, Entilla''s lightened tone gave him an affable air rather than his scornful banter. a Drelex swung a webbed hand, "Can you handle the installation of the wires here?"


    Entilla sighed, "I...I suppose, but it looks like the energy within would blow the fuses and burn out every device here. We need many transfusers in place."


    I turned and raised a brow, "Transfusers?"


    Entilla waved a hand, "They control the flow of power so that no machine ends up with more power than it needs. It prevents short-circuiting."


    I frowned, "You just call for however much energy you need at once."


    Entilla spread his arms, "What about machines that need power all the time? Do you need a worker for them to monitor energy intake? We don''t have a labor force of that size here."


    I stood and put my hands on my hips, "Well, usually I just use golem cores for that."


    Entilla rubbed his temples, his broad skull giving space for his long jaw, "How exactly does a golem core handle energy transfusion? Aren''t they simple war machines?"


    Drelex waved his hands, "This is obviously an issue with communication and terms. Daniel''s likely referring to AI automation."


    Entilla nodded, "Ah, that makes perfect sense then. He should just say so."


    I spread my hands, "But it''s not artificial intelligence. It''s perfectly natural."


    The two rulers stared at me before Shalahora murmured, "Are you certain of that?"


    I shook my head, "At this point, no. Anyways, I can handle the energy, er, transfusion on my own. Besides that, you guys are making this way more complicated than it has to be."


    Entilla raised a palm, "Excuse me, I was just curious how you managed the problems. This, hm, system you''ve devised is unlike anything I''ve ever used before. It''s very...Raw."


    I tapped my side, "I think it''s that I don''t have as many problems to manage as you guys do."


    Entilla raised a scaled brow, "We''ll see."


    At this point, I was done having to justify myself every two seconds to every ruler here. While frustrating, I kept myself calm while continuing the job. Shifting the conversation, Drelex used quintessent mana to carve into the metal sheets of my grimoire as he said,


    "Well, does anyone have thoughts about Schema''s purpose here?"


    Entilla shrugged, "Personally, I think Schema intended on making a statement to the universe here: fight with me or die alone. I heard it loud and clear, and I intend to support him after this is over."


    Drelex''s whiskers pulled down, "I shall be doing the same if only to reduce the chance of these kinds of tragedies occurring once more."


    I shook my head, "I wouldn''t if I were you guys."


    Drelex''s eyes narrowed, "Wait a moment, you''re the one that was pulled into the initial stages of the war with Elysium, aren''t you?"


    I sighed, "Yeah...It wasn''t easy to get out."


    Entilla scoffed, "Schema does have a way of wringing out his sentients, doesn''t he?"


    Drelex''s eyes went distant, "First, he wrings until sweat pours. Then he keeps squeezing until oil oozes from his victim''s pores. Then the hair is ripped out. Skin tears. Blood pours. And lastly, the bones break."


    Entilla leaned back from Drelex, "Yeesh, it looks like I''m not the only one needing a sunbath."


    Drelex gave a hollow smile, the bones on the edges of his mouth made for it, "Perhaps some time in a pool would help me. I know Schema is no kind master, but he does face an unyielding enemy. Just as well, the eldritch aren''t the only beasts he''s gone against."


    I shook my head, "Poor excuses. Most of what we''re talking about doesn''t even require killing us. Schema''s working around limited parameters, and that''s why he pulls stunts like this. Our deaths are the result of his inability to change, and worse still, these are only the sacrifices we know about."


    Remembering Hod''s people being eldritchified, I contemned, "Schema isn''t testing anyone here. He''s killing as many as he can, and unfortunately, he''s been more than just successful."


    Iona stepped up to us, and she crossed her arms, "I wouldn''t go that far. Valgus had a massive part in this, and he''s the reason we''re so inept overall."


    I connected blue cores to the mass of fabric while I mused, "Really now? Does anyone have any idea why Valgus is so hellbent on killing every survivor he meets?"


    Drelex''s eyes widened as he etched into a blank page, "That''s one of the largest mysteries present. He''s been targeting the Schema-led faction almost exclusively, and he''s picked off the survivor''s scouts one by one when they left this place."


    I pulled my hair back in my helmet using a strand of armor, "Huh...He''s on a mission. Knowing who he follows, it''s Baldowah."


    Iona raised her brow, "But Baldowah works with Schema. That doesn''t make sense."


    I deadpanned, "It makes perfect sense. I just told you the answer: Schema wants everyone dead. Assuming that, everything fits in place quite well, I think."


    The rulers in watching our conversation blinked a few times, a sort of realization clicking on in their minds. Drelex closed his eyes while shutting my grimoire. He handed it over while murmuring, "It''s finished. I''m going to the terrarium. I need to spend some time in the algae pits."


    Entilla''s wry sarcasm fizzled, "Yeah. You should do that."


    An awkward silence passed over us before Iona reached out a hand to testify in Schema''s defense. No words left her lips at first. Lowering her arm, she stammered,


    "No one''s fought for Schema''s defense against Elysium. Even 1% of Schema-owned space could easily destroy Elysium if they united against them. But no one did, and it''s forced drastic measures."


    I sighed, "I was the prime example of why you shouldn''t follow Schema. He took advantage of me, which put my home planet in an awful situation. We''re still dealing with the culling, and after having faced Yawm, I had to get rid of our unknown statuses on Giess." I spread my arms, "And wouldn''t you know it, I ended up wrapped up in a galactic rebellion right after. Now I''m trapped here in a death game all before I can establish rule over my homeworld."


    Obolis stepped up, interested in the conversation, "Ah, would any of you mind me joining in this conversation?"


    I raised my brow, "That depends on your goals."


    Obolis smiled at me, "Then I''ll keep my conversation contained. I''ll merely listen."


    Entilla flashed his sharp teeth as he spoke, "Culling? You''re struggling with that stage of development still? That doesn''t make any sense."


    Obolis leaned over, "It''s true. His planet has yet to finish its culling."


    Entilla blinked over a transparent covering on his eyes, "Well, you never mentioned just how young you really were. I thought Schema mentioned something twenty-five years in the system. The culling doesn''t even last a decade."


    Obolis smiled, and I glared at him. The Emperor leaned over to Entilla, "That is his actual age, not his time in the system."


    Entilla tapped his side, "Ah...You''re an avatar for an Old One, then. A freak."


    I raised my brow, and Entilla raised his hands, "I mean it in a good way."


    Finishing my work, I deadpanned, "Good to know."


    Obolis stared at his claws, sliding into the conversation, "You must understand his perspective, Daniel. This stems from a difference in expectations. Most rulers assume your age is a number since birth, but they also assume it isn''t your true age. Your circumstances mirror the byproduct of reincarnation, rebirth, etc. You simply exceed conventional scaling patterns."


    I blinked, "Reincarnation? Rebirth? Does it happen often or something?"


    Obolis kept looking at his hands, "Certainly not, but it''s more common than your current predicament. You also mentioned facing many hardships brought on by Schema''s quests. That, too, is unusual. I existed at the beginning of the albony''s Schemafication. That took place centuries ago. In those times, many bonuses helped propel us to prominence...Along with a healthy and due amount of force, of course."


    Obolis lowered his hands, "We were never confronted with an enemy of Yawm''s caliber, and neither were we expected to visit other planets before establishing our own."


    I moved my hands back and forth, "It''s not that simple. I didn''t have to, per se. Well, I definitely had to versus Yawm, but that was because of a quarantine. And then going to Giess was to get rid of me and my friends'' unknown statuses."


    Entilla clicked his tongue, "Oof, Schema still hadn''t rid you of your Unknown status after finishing an S- tier bounty? Wow. Your life sucks."


    I sneered, "Do we have to keep talking about this?"


    Obolis spread his hands, "Absolutely not-"


    Iona interjected, "I''d like to know. It sounds like you''ve been put in a poor position by Schema. Did you ever think of why Schema would do that?"


    Peeved by the constant interruptions, I dropped my work, gawking at her in disgust,


    "No. I didn''t."


    She shrugged, "I think that''s the issue. He put you in poor positions because he believed in your ability to get out of them. He saw potential in you, and obviously, he''s awarded you in equal measure."


    Almost forgotten from his silence, the gray insect ruler stepped up. Its head writhed as it hissed, "Schema saw potential in me. My life far worse now. I listen to metal man''s words. His life made hard from Schema as well. Even I understand, and I am not smart...Iona...Are you stupid?"


    I bust out laughing before I put a hand over the gray insect''s shoulders, "What''s your name?"


    "Jaieex."


    I gave him a thumbs-up, "You''re cool, Jaieex. You''re welcome to come by my place if you get tired of being here."


    He spread his wings, "Why not?"


    Iona narrowed her eyes, "Jaieex, huh? I''ll make sure to remember you the next time I talk to Schema."


    I tilted my head at the matrix of fabric, "You bring petty to a whole other level. It''s impressive how small you can be."


    I snapped my fingers, a bolt of mana surging through the power battery. As it came to life, I zipped wires of my fabric out, collecting and placing them into bundled coils. After setting several bundles down, I pointed at Entilla,


    "You mentioned wiring expertise. Will these supplies work?"


    Glad to change the conversation, Entilla shook his head, "I''ll need insulation for the wires, the AI automation systems you mentioned, and interfaces for all of the places you''ll need."


    I shrugged, "You won''t need insulation. This amount of power won''t leech out of the wires. I''ll be putting someone over this device and managing the power here, and they''ll be handling any interface needs psionically."


    A few rulers heard that, and they stepped up. A different fire imp stepped up, his glowing cinders for hair releasing sparks as he spoke,


    "If you need someone to manage it, I can?"


    Entilla frowned, "I can as well. I promise to be impartial."


    Iona raised her hands, "I know we aren''t on the best of terms, but-"


    I shouted over them, "Shush." I grimaced, "You think this will be handled by someone I don''t know? What do you take me for? An idiot?"


    Jaieex raised one of his insect arms, "I don''t."


    I smiled at him, "I know."


    Iona sneered, "You don''t even know anyone else. How are you going to assign someone else to this?"


    Shalahora whispered, "I wish to not manage this power system. To do so would bore me to death."


    I put my extra-dimensional fabric into my dimensional storage, "Don''t worry. I have someone else in mind."


    I molded myself into a director golem''s shape and pulled my mind out of my body. Reconstructing from the ether, I hovered over the body, and I inspected it. Finding no flaws, I landed on the floor before channeling mana into my grimoire. Using my pocket dimension to contain the energies involved, I created the primordial golem core for this golem body.


    The sizzling core leaked out of my starry shield, and I slotted it into the golem''s body. The director came online, everything connecting in a violent snap. The primordial golem popped a fist against his chest plate, standing tall and upright. He telepathically synced and announced,


    "It is so good to see you, creator. This whole ''coming into being'' thing is rather pleasant, actually. From the void and into the veritable, as they say."


    I pointed at everything, "Who''s they? Anyways, your job is to manage this place for these individuals. If they don''t go against me or my allies, then do everything in your power to achieve their goals. I included those in the cipher documents. Is that understood?"


    The director''s navy blue eyes dolloped primordial mana as the golem clapped his hands together, "In all ways, creator. In all ways."


    The rulers ogled at the process, and I smiled at them,


    "He''s the manager, and good luck replicating that engineering process. It''s one of a kind."


    A few rulers laughed at that, which was surprising since I didn''t really think that was funny. One thing I appreciated was how everyone stopped gawking in amazement. Most of these people accustomed themselves to the unusual because of their station. It made me stand out less compared to home. Either way, I cracked my knuckles and got to making guardsmen golems next.


    It was time to turn this place around.

 348 Reconnected

    <div>


    <div>


    A few rulers laughed at that, which was surprising since I didn''t really think that was funny. One thing I appreciated was how everyone stopped gawking in amazement. Most of these people accustomed themselves to the unusual because of their station. It made me stand out less compared to home. Either way, I cracked my knuckles and got to making guardsmen golems next.


    It was time to turn this place around.


    Chapter Begin


    I clapped my hands, having created a dozen guards to protect the director here along with the giant mana battery. They gazed at me, shields on their arms and spears in their other hands. Quintessence coursed through them, keeping aggression low but combat ability high. These soldiers gazed forward while saluting me, and I appreciated the loyalty.


    Beside us, Entilla created connection points throughout the leader''s room, and the director golem operated the terminal I made for him. The battery manager distributed power across the facility, lessening the need for a constant power supply. The other rulers gawked at what and how I handled everything, from the storm cores to the shapeshifting production methods.


    It all culminated with a changed mood across the rulers. Instead of doubt or disdain, a burgeoning hope grew in everyone present, including those that resented me at first. A clear sign of that mental shift, the rulers walked over without any jabs or comments when I called them. No one argued with me. Instead, they listened when I pointed them over to Entilla and commanded,


    "You four, help him with that. Get others on the job if you can."


    The ensemble of aliens and diplomats did so, hurrying over to Entilla, who stripped the floor and installed the new wiring in the building. Adding structure to the room, I pooled a thick slab of my dimensional fabric over the upper portion of the ruler''s base. At the same time, I generated an elementary golem core to give the walls life. It managed a singular directive: eat radiation.


    It did so, the walls moving and shivering a bit while devouring the ambient rays. The effervescent warmth faded into a radiant cool, and the walls soaked in unseen rays. At this point, a few rulers marveled at my building material, and one of them murmured,


    "How does he keep creating more of it?"


    Having heard, I raised a hand, "It''s actually mana converted into a physical form. I''m using blood magic...And before you ask, no, I''m not giving you any of it for research. That goes for everybody."


    A collective sigh oozed through the collective, but they silenced when my guardians slammed their spears down, each of them reminding me of a Sentinel in Schema''s universe. They shouted psionically and in unison, "They will obey, creator. As you will it, it will be so."


    Walking around, a wave of gravitation sifted through the building, weighing everyone down. A few rulers groaned, though my antigravity well helped take the edge off. Wanting to further facilitate the comfort, I walked over towards the mana battery. Two hours later, I constructed four constructor cores. A quick snap, pop, and runic adjustment later, and the mana battery contained four constructors obedient to the director.


    The guardians lacked that obedience, and they held their own prerogative. This prevented any actual weak points in this system of golems. They''d need to take on the director and the guardians as separate forces, which contained a chokepoint in my system''s operation.


    That handled the top floor, so I used my elevator to move downward. Entilla''s ensemble followed me, everyone putting in solid work. Before we headed down, Shalahora floated over towards the elevator. As he did, the rulers gave him a wide birth, several of them even dripping with cold sweat.


    Before heading down, I waved the shadow Sovereign over. I raised a hand to him, "I think you''ll have to sit this one out. After what you did to Malos, everyone''s on edge. They won''t be able to work while you''re around."


    Shalahora murmured,  "Then I shall leave, though I''ll still watch from a distance."


    "Sounds good. We can come up with a plan for Valgus after I finish crafting."


    While I headed over to the elevator, Shalahora dispersed. When he disappeared, a collective sigh rippled through everyone present, and I couldn''t blame them. Shalahora seemed more volatile than I expected, but he was still a powerhouse with useful skills. Having him on my side versus Valgus was important at the moment.


    Regardless, we lowered to the next floor, and I tested the terminal I left behind on the elevator. The terminal operated for me, but it still needed some kind of language augments. Otherwise, the controls might confuse a nonstandard race.


    Despite those constraints, we shuttled down with the gray insect. After stepping onto the artificing floor, I peered around. This wasn''t the best place for a building center, and in general, this base lacked any affordable housing. Before handling that, I reached up a hand, tearing through the wall and sliding a thickened cable of dimensional fabric it.


    With Entilla''s help, we connected the colossal mana battery to the primary power source of the mages. As the psionic flow began, I reached up a hand and sliced through their main power cable. Seamlessly, the director golem above managed the energy flow, ensuring the ice cloud and fiery furnace continued operation.


    The many aliens here awakened from their deep, meditative states, many of them having sat there for days or longer. Many blinked out tears from the acrid stench engulfing them, and others threw up bile from their bellies. In a wicked wave, I sterilized the air around them with Event Horizon once more, and the others present gained some immediate relief.


    Before anything else, I stepped over to the edges of the room. While I plated the outer portions with my dimensional fabric, the sorcerers recuperated. They stood, stretched their legs, and regained their full faculties. In minutes, they cleared this place''s reeking odor while cleaning themselves and handling their basic hygiene.


    They still stumbled while I walked up to Alctua and Teraz. I waved an arm, and the artificers stopped their work. Teraz eyed me with suspicion, and the fire imp growled, "Are you the one that stopped the ambient radiation?"


    I gave him a tight smile, "Yup."


    "And you must''ve stopped the gravitation as well."


    "Yup."


    Teraz turned to the cable I installed into their primary battery. The small alien shrugged while simmering, "I admit I was wrong about you. Happy?"


    I shook my head, "Naw. You were right to doubt me. I was a stranger arriving with big promises and a limited timeframe." My smile loosened into a wry grin, "But yeah, you''d be wrong to doubt me anymore."


    The imp waved a hand at me, "I take it all back."


    Alctua raised her scaled brow, "Hmm...This mana is much more volatile yet somehow...tainted and tamed? I can''t even describe it."


    I flicked the wires leading towards her, "They''re full of pure quintessence from actual blue cores. A golem of mine is controlling distribution, so neither of you will have to struggle with all of this now. Go buck wild with it, but make sure you don''t let the mana overwhelm you."


    The fire imp crunched his brow, breaking the solid, stone surface of his skin. Magma dripped down like glowing, orange blood before solidifying. The imp snapped,


    "Oh, is this a test?"


    I put my hands on my hips, "Didn''t you just say you wouldn''t doubt me again? No, I''m not testing anyone."


    The fire imp smiled, "Remember, I took my words back."


    Alctua reached over and flicked him, breaking his skin once more. Teraz looked up, seeing his fresh wound. He grabbed the edges of his face and ripped his entire face off. The exposed magma solidified, the smooth portion turning into a sleek, black mask of stone.


    The fire imp cracked it while opening his mouth. He devoured his peeled face before licking his fingers. He saw me staring, so he grumbled,


    "What? You''ve never seen someone molt before?"


    I shrugged, "Honestly? Not like that I haven''t."


    The icy lizard put her goggles back on, "Thank you very much. We''ll get back to work-"


    I raised a hand, "When I finish, your workflows will change entirely. Until we know what you''ll need to handle, take off and rest. After I''m finished, you can continue handling what needs to be done, but it won''t be maintenance supplies anymore. Most likely, at least."


    Teraz fell back, spreading his arms wide. He groaned, "Gah, finally."


    Alctua pulled her goggles off and shivered before stepping up to the fire imp who snored already. She used his sleeping body like a campfire, warming herself up before she smiled at me,


    "Thanks."


    I gave her a thumbs-up, "No problem."


    Behind me, Entilla stared at us. Well, more like he outright gawked at Alctua. He looked stricken with her, and instead of ignoring his plight, I considered it. If I helped him, he might help me further down the line. Entilla was one of the few rulers with some initiative, and modern tech would help my cities after people settled on them.


    With all that in mind, I walked over and called him aside. Once at a distance from the others, I struck up a telepathic conversation,


    "Hey, we get it. You like her, but you''re making it too obvious."


    Entilla stared at me with surprise before snapping, "What? No, I don''t, and no, I''m not."


    I raised my brow at him, "Ohhh, really now?"


    His face wrinkled, "My feelings are my matters. Leave me be."


    "I''m not here to pour ice water over you or anything. I''m just letting you know I''m here to help if I can."


    Entilla pointed at a portion of the floor as if we talked about wiring specifics, "Is there any reason to trust you with anything?"


    I raised my brow, "I want you to help install some tech in my settlements after this. This is supposed to be a gesture of goodwill, but if it isn''t helping, then I''ll leave."


    Entilla narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. His mind toiled with thought before he scoffed, "Fine...I like her. So what? She seems pretty cold towards me. I''ve tried talking with her before, but she hasn''t even told me her name yet."


    I ruptured the floor, pointing at random parts to help fill in our cover for the conversation. I murmured, "She likes competence and being helpful. That''s all I know, but also, I''m no competition. You don''t have to worry about me."


    Entilla jeered, "As if she''d ever go for someone without any scales."


    I molded the surface texture of my skin to mirror a lizard''s skin, a nice sheen glossing on the slick metal. Entilla saw Alctua peering over, and he waved his arms, "Ok, ok, point taken."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I normalized myself while laughing, "Hah. Anyways, good luck."


    As I walked away, Entilla coughed into his hand, "Ahem, thank you. I''ll probably need some luck to get a chance, and I''ll see if I can help with your connection issues later."


    Stepping away from him, he clapped his thin hands and got back to work. I walked past Entilla and Teraz. She still warmed herself while giving Entilla a second look. I gave her a gentle, telekinetic nudge, "Interested?"


    She frowned, "I was just thinking how pathetic he was."


    Ouch. Poor guy. I pulled down my helmet while scratching the back of my head, "He was one of the first volunteers to offer help with my remodeling. He''s a big part of why I''m this far along already."


    Entilla stood around a group of the wizards, rallying a team of helpers to hasten the wire installation. Alctua tilted her head, and she licked one of her eyes with a long, forked tongue. She shrugged, "Hm...At least he knows his place."


    Not knowing if I was helping or hurting, I coughed into a hand, "Well then...Cya later."


    She gave me a look, "I look forward to seeing what you''ll do next, Harbinger.."


    I got out of there before helping Entilla install wires. He stuck with smaller wires while I implanted thickened cords throughout the building in cardinal directions. These cables acted as thick branches that Entilla spread the thinner threads from. Once I saturated the floor''s wiring, I worked my way towards the heating furnace and the icy blizzard over Alctua''s head.


    I worked with the stove for a few minutes, and I found many enchantments augmenting my handling of heat. Alctua let me borrow her ice storm, and it also gave me a better grip on cold magic. Unlike the furnace, the blizzard leaked lots of energy out while I used it. That''s why Alctua struggled with keeping herself warm.


    Considering she was cold-blooded like Entilla, she pushed through a lot of hardship to keep everything up and running, so my respect for her leveled up. Having gained an understanding of the tools they used, I designed, wrote, and implemented a cipheric slab for a better furnace.


    Unlike their current design, mine allowed either of them to operate in both frigid or sweltering conditions. Having used the blizzard myself, I kept the containment of the workstation as a top priority. These rulers lacked my durability, so their tools had to do a lot more than just help them work. They needed to protect them as well. Ensuring that shielding, I created a fine mesh of wire that acted as a tarp while they worked.


    The nets used a weird, mana plume skill I made a while back, the webbing of the wires mirroring the leaves of a fern. These nets absorbed radiant heat and cold, working towards a moderate temperature at all times. As a final note for safety, I gave them enchanted gauntlets that distanced them from their tasks. Physically speaking, that is.


    The gauntlets require some practice to use, but once mastered, they let anyone use the heated telekinetic points I used in my own crafting. It wouldn''t match the specificity or power I wielded, but the gloves made a problematic task far less dangerous. After connecting those gauntlets and tarps to a mana siphon, I placed blue cores into each apparatus.


    This served several purposes. It granted the furnace power even if someone broke the cables leading to it. It also stabilized the psionic flow, which was essential. These two would be wielding a lot of energy, and that mana carried with it a measure of will and intent. The blue cores stabilized that chaotic flow, letting them use more safely.


    Lastly, the cores spawned a shield over their station, the writhing energy bubble insulating them from the rest of the Survivor''s base. All of this gave the rulers much-needed space, something they didn''t think they needed. They were wrong. These people required R&R more than they needed basic supplies.


    Giving them that, I stepped out of the blue core shielding and spawned ''beds'' where the sorcerers once channeled energy. I kept these beds simple, using steel grids covered with soft, lush plant life and soil. To keep the plants alive, I connected the beds to the mana grid and put in simple water creation runes. These sigils converted mana to water, and they helped clean the air.


    Finishing the effort, I erected steel walls around each bed, creating a framework of boxed-in cubicles. Sprucing them up, I connected a simple tube to each water sigil, letting someone shower in them. Testing it out, it operated, but the water came out cold as ice. I put in ambient warmth runes over the showerheads, and it came out nice and warm.


    Getting caught up in the project, I put shelves along the walls, nightstands on the bed, and a desk in the open space left. In all honesty, those parts took seconds to add, and they made each place look far less like prison cells. Completing that idea, I gave each steel box a door with a gravity well lock.


    The gravity well unlatched with a ring''s mana signature, each one written with a unique series of Schema-based runes. While handing out the jewelry, I made each ring with a few extra augments for willpower, regeneration, etc. Considering how many rings I''d already made, the task took little time or effort. Despite the ease of making them, the difference those circlets made was palpable.


    Aliens stood taller, crawled faster, and rested easier. Most of the wizards lacked the energy or wherewithal to thank me with gusto, but the little gusto they had left was used to display palpable emotion. Shock, tears, and disbelief, the rulers showed feeling with a vibrance akin to a rainbow, each shade as striking as the last.


    At the center of it, I relished the sight. Even if I did this for my own gain, helping people felt good. It was a really underrated pastime, and more people should try it out. In many ways, assisting others offered meaning and purpose to life. In my case, it happened to give me money too.


    Anyways, I gained plenty of rapport while turning the lives of the rulers around. Even if I enjoyed the process, I maintained a professional attitude. Before handing off the rings, rulers signed the cipheric contract I made. The circlets gave access to the power network as well, along with the means of contacting the director overseeing the entire base.


    It made the whole process streamlined compared to a more traditional building scheme. Having finished a hundred rooms, I rode my elevator back up before handing the rulers their rooms and rings. Many followed me down, listening to my explanation of the utilities within. This eroded the mountains of doubt they had for my abilities, and most of the holdout rulers signed the contract.


    Those that sided against signing lacked access to the power network, the rooms, and all other utilities. It was their choice.


    I rode down towards the barracks of this place, having many of the rulers enter their new living quarters above. Though the new layout distressed some, gaining privacy emboldened most. The mercenary leaders, military contractors, and royal guards entered the cipher contract without much resistance. Only the most die-hard rebels went against me, and once again, that was their choice.


    Cracking my knuckles, I went about ensuring they regretted that decision.


    Taking out blue cores, I constructed weapon after weapon made from my dimensional fabric. Simple swords and heavy hammers gained life from cipheric etchings and humming cores. These simple cipheric augments evolved the weapons into destructive forces, each weapon fitted for the one that wielded them.


    I lost a few rulers because I constructed the weapons out of, well, me, but I was happy to see them refuse to sign. If all it took to stop them was an unordinary building process, then they lacked a mind open enough for what was to come. With willing subjects at my fingertips, I tested out my golem-based mechs.


    All they needed to do was put themselves in a golem''s body and deal with the psionic implanting process. Yeah, unpleasant, but it let them gain a titan''s body without having to learn any fancy control scheme. It would be like a second body, one superior to their own.


    And yeah, it stopped me from having to install fancy monitors and modern tech. I could do a lot, but that was beyond me.


    Finishing twenty golem pilots, I rubbed my hand down my face. It was an attempt to wipe away my general fatigue, but to my chagrin, it didn''t work. It never did. My time magic made everything much harder, the perpetual psionic dying turning into a tremendous burden over time. However, this all acted as a training exercise for me.


    I''d be living in a temporally accelerated world for a long time. Adjusting to its eccentricities gave me options, and mastering simple, everyday tasks saved time. I repeated that to myself over and over because I turned what was supposed to be a rejuvenating break into another trial by fire.


    But I needed to keep pushing. Exhaustion was no excuse to stop, and neither was the desire for comfort. The more comfortable I tended to be, the worse my life ended up becoming. In the trenches of hardship, I found meaning. On the battlefield of unease, I learned how to stand tall.


    So I did so. Without taking a break, I armed this place with golem mechs, weapons, and basic armors. I kept the plate mails thin since my armor weighed most people down. Those that withstood the pressure were better for it, the additional resistance being an excellent training stimulus. The armors granted all the benefits my equipment always gave as well: mana, regeneration, and simple abilities.


    The entire time, I talked with the rulers and discussed their preferences for their weaponry. This personalized creation meant each piece had a specific owner. Using my patented ring system, I made each cored weapon reliant on a ring''s stimulus to activate. Otherwise, it would psionically attack whoever tried moving it.


    They were like modified core golems but shaped like weaponry. Having living weaponry stopped rulers from stealing my stuff. It could still happen, of course, but the director above would take care of finding and hunting anyone who did so.


    And I mention these precautions were for rulers stealing from rulers. No one, and I repeat, no one would steal anything I made here. I addressed all of that in my contract. Stealing of my property would lead to at least two deaths, and everything must be left behind on Leviathan-7 when the lottery ended, including the base itself.


    This prevented people from turning in my hard work as their own. It also gave me more leeway in what I gave to the rulers. That''s why I used just over two hundred blue cores for the remodel already. I''d get all of it back by the end. Getting ready to invest even more, I shuttled down towards the terrarium floor.


    The blast of cool air from the plants refreshed me some as I reached the center of the room. To my left, Drelex sat in an algae pit, the humidity high and his catfish whiskers wilted. He leaned his head back, looking at peace with the world. He murmured as I walked nearby,


    "You work fast...I''ll get to the language ciphers once I''ve recuperated fully." He sank deeper into the pit, "Which, ahhh...Could take a while."


    I gave him a nod before getting to the task at hand. This floor required the most basic sigils yet. Air, water, and plant generation were all these people needed from here. Of course, my artificial creations lacked the flavor or texture of the real thing, but they acted as a reliable food source. Fruits and vegetables proved easy to make in mass. Meat was a different story since my origin mana made cancerous creatures.


    People could eat it...Uhm, if they wanted to.


    However, they weren''t this desperate, so I only made a few pens of the mutants before grabbing everyone''s signatures for the contracts. With the signs in tow, I rode up my elevator to help Entilla. He installed the wiring for lighting and for recharging stations. He even created obelisk charging ports, and many rulers lined up for them.


    In fact, many rulers joined Entilla in his remodeling. With access to power and relief, the constructive might of these rulers bloomed. They constructed a network for the place, letting everyone connect to one another. They created psionic relays that conditioned the mana for their personal use. Hell, the rulers even made recreational stuff like spas, gameboards, etc.


    While I installed wiring, several individuals implemented programs onto the new network. They automated problems with daily life. From holographic projectors to real-time maps of Leviathan-7, they gave everyone usable, practical utilities. They even created a behemoth tracking system. In hours, these people turned this hellhole into a bastion of technology, the fruits of their labor ripening all at once.


    And I wanted some of it for my cities.


    After we finished the terrarium, I stepped up to Entilla. The blue lizard ruler created a heating suit for himself, having traded favors with a tailor-based ruler. I admired the tech for a moment before raising a hand to him,


    "Yo, Entilla. Do you mind talking after we finish here? I might have a job for you after this is done."


    Entilla raised his scaly brow, "Oh, really now? Do you need my help of all things? And here I thought you had a kingdom already."


    I waved an arm while rolling my eyes, "Pshh, come on now. I was just trying to make sure I wasn''t shaken down the moment I stepped into this place. It wasn''t like I was trying to make anyone else look bad."


    Entilla grabbed the edges of his tech-laden jumpsuit, "I suppose I can look past your transgression and help you...If I find the time."


    He coughed into a hand, "Ahem, but in all honesty, when would you like to talk about it?"


    I shrugged, "A few hours from now. I have no idea how long it will take to handle the last floor."


    Entilla scratched the side of his neck spikes, "That''s where the most complex machinery is. I would''ve insisted we helped them first, but most of their immediate needs were handled by you up top, like gravitation or radiation. If I were giving you an estimate, a few hours seems about right."


    Entilla gave me a friendly shove on my shoulder, "Oh yeah, I was wrong about you. I, hm, I had a real chip on my shoulder, and you knocked it off. I figured I''ll say what everyone else is thinking-"


    Entilla smiled with sharp teeth, "It''s good to be wrong sometimes."


    I reached out a fist, "Thanks, man. Let''s go clean up the last floor and get this over and done with."


    Entilla looked at my hand before trying to emulate my gesture. He couldn''t make a fist because his fingers ended with pointed claws. Doing the best he could, he made a loose fist and reached out. One of his claws caught between the plates of my gauntlet. When Entilla pulled his hand back, one of his nails pulled off.


    Entilla reached his hand up to his face, his eyes wide. He stammered, "Agh, huck. Gahh."


    I pulled the missing claw out while holding down a laugh. He snatched his nail from me while snapping, "Every time I try to give you an inch, you make me regret it."


    A snicker escaped me before Entilla tossed his claw into an algae pit. He shrugged, "Anyways, let''s get back to work. I''d rather deal with wiring issues than that demonic gesture of yours any day."


    We rode the elevator down while other rulers followed behind us. In the medical bay, Iona walked around, panicking between patients. Several monitors buzzed and squealed out with high-pitched, panic-inducing sounds. I flung myself over with a localized gravity well, landing with a dull thud. I raised a hand to her, "What''s up?"


    Iona raised her hands and wings in tandem, "They''re dying from barotrauma."


    Answering my confused expression, Iona snapped, "You depressurized everything too quickly. Their tissues were already weakened, and they ruptured when you fixed everything so fast."


    I tilted my head, and my eyes turned to slits, "Oh...Really now?"

 349 Uncertainty

    End of the Last Chapter


    Iona raised her hands and wings in tandem, "They''re dying from barotrauma."


    Answering my confused expression, Iona snapped, "You depressurized everything too quickly. Their tissues were already weakened, and they ruptured when you fixed everything so fast."


    I tilted my head, and my eyes turned to slits, "Oh...Really now?"


    Chapter Begin


    Iona simmered, "Yes. It''s the obvious aftermath from the rapid shifts in gravity and pressure." She raised her hands, "I don''t have time to explain it."


    At this point, I questioned a lot about the situation, but as she explained, there wasn''t time for that. Medical intervention was necessary, so I frowned, "How do you fix it?"


    She closed her eyes before sighing, "We need...pressurization chambers, preferably with higher oxygen levels."


    I furrowed my brow, "Uhm...What do they do, exactly?"


    I was way out of my depth here. Iona waved a hand, "They put people back under pressure-"


    I raised a hand, mana shifting through my palm in a coursing flux. In an instant, this floor''s pressure rose. I pulled back on the rise, not wanting to reinjure everyone. I shrugged, "How much pressure do they need?"


    She looked around, "Er, enough to match Leviathan-7''s standard pressure, whatever that is."


    I glided the compression of the ground floor up until it reached the normal pressure of Leviathan-7. Iona paced over towards a medical apparatus, a patient already in a dire state. The ruler reminded me of an archaeopteryx, a mix between a raptor and a bird. Sores covered the body of the dying ruler, and many tubes ran into her arms and throat.


    Iona peered down at her while rubbing her temples. I pointed at her and raised a brow, "She''s a ruler, so she must be systemized by Schema already. Why isn''t she healing?"


    Iona pinched the bridge of her nose, "You literally don''t know anything. She''s been exposed to radiation, and it''s destroyed her metabolism. I don''t have any method to establish functioning DNA here, so she''s stuck with her baseline state. Cells can''t multiply properly."


    Iona glared at me, "She was stable while in stasis, but the damage from the barotrauma has compounded with her initial wounds." Iona bit her lips while peering away, "She''s...She''s not going to make it-"


    I swooped the patient into my pocket dimension, machine and all. I put a hand on Iona''s shoulder, "Show me anyone else who''s unstable."


    Iona hit my hand before gawking at the captured pod. Where I swiped my pocket dimension, a perfect, polished slice reflected back at us. It looked like someone scooped the person out of existence and the area around her.


    And that was because I had.


    Iona narrowed her eyes at me, "What did you just do?"


    I raised a palm to her, "I don''t have time to explain. Let''s save the patients first."


    Iona squeezed a hand into a fist before pointing to a specific direction of the medical bay. She blew a strand of hair off her face while saying,


    "All of those rulers are metabolically limited. They''ll need intervention, or they''ll die."


    I flung myself towards them, readying my pocket dimension. I bounced between each stasis pod before scooping fifteen rulers into true suspension. They all fit within the confines of the space, though a particular swollen sensation crossed over my sense of the area; the pocket dimension neared its limits of space.


    I took note of that as Iona watched. She shook herself out of her stupor before turning to a different group of rulers, "These members are partially compromised, but they''re lower priority cases. Can you use that magic on them as well?"


    I shook my head, "I could, but if it''s not urgent, I''d rather not."


    Iona gazed in disgust, "People''s lives are on the line."


    I waved off the insult, "You mentioned them being a lower priority, so I''ve done just that. Anyways, what can be done for them outside of that?"


    She bit her tongue before waving an arm, "We need power, updated machinery, etcetera."


    "Then let''s get to work."


    Entilla worked with us to help power up the machines asap. Drelex got out of his algae pit, the situation''s severity calling him to action. The maroon catfish rode the elevator up to the actual mana battery, and he established the language cipher to smooth over general operations. That eased the situation while I supplied the mana and manpower on the bottom floor.


    The complex machinery was well beyond my general crafting abilities. However, I constructed my own enchanted medical devices like I had for Kessiah and Althea. Several syringes, specialized scalpels, and resonating rings lined several overbed tables, all made from my dimensional fabric.


    We got the rings on the patients, bolstering their regenerative abilities. Regaining consistent power stabilized their conditions further, and Entilla worked with another ruler to create some software. The developed app monitored people''s vitals and sent messages if anything was awry. Combine that with the boosted equipment, and we suffered no casualties.


    Having the immediate situation handled, the other rulers took a break. Iona did the same, leaning against one of the old stairwells. I walked over towards her before crossing my arms, and I tilted my head,


    "Why didn''t you mention the barotrauma when I depressurized the facility? You were there when I did that."


    Iona crossed her arms, "Look, a lot was going on, so I forgot about it."


    I tapped my arm with a fingertip, "Then why didn''t you mention it while I crafted upstairs?"


    She raised a hand, "I got caught up with some other tasks. I ran down here with the machines going haywire because of your rapid fixes. Mmkay?"


    I leaned over, "Isn''t it your job to handle the medical bay? What other tasks could be so consuming?"


    She met my eye, "Look, macho man, I''m exhausted, and I don''t feel like being interrogated. Can we do this later?"


    I frowned before lowering my arms, "What you''re doing doesn''t make sense, and I''m not the only one thinking that. You can choose to explain or not, but it degrades your reputation each time you hide something like this."


    While I walked off, I shrugged, "But if that''s your choice, so be it."


    Stepping away, I understood her excuse of being tired. Even I hid my own exhaustion. The stressful situation left me on edge, though that arrived from the novelty of the case, not the difficulty. Practice made perfect, but I lacked experience in healing or anything medicinal.


    Staring down at my hands, I remembered Kessiah''s composure in this environment. She''d changed into an entirely different person than when I met her, shifting from a lost cause to a reliable pro. I nodded, remembering to be a pro myself.


    I found Drelex and Entilla, both of them eating food delivered from above. They munched on the mutant meat my runes created, but I failed to mention that when I leaned over,


    "Hey, you guys have a minute?"


    Entilla leaned his head sideways, the lizard wiped out. Drelex snacked away before nodding, "I think we do, though Entilla may not be in his right mind."


    Entilla jested, "Tired or not, I''m still better than your lazy self."


    Drelex licked his fingers before shrugging, "That ''laziness'' is why I''m not tired, and you''re exhausted."


    I waved my hands, "Alright, you definitely have a moment. I wanted to hire you both to install language ciphers and wiring into my settlements. I''ll give each of you three blue cores apiece for the job."


    Drelex leaned forward while Entilla wiped his eyes. Entilla yawned before shaking off his fatigue, "Err....Ah. Ok, how much work is this going to be?"


    I waved a hand, "It''s many cities'' worth of installation. It will be difficult, and I''ll be making more of them later."


    Entilla raised a clawed hand, "Make it five, and I''ll do it."


    I nodded, "Done. What about you, Drelex?"


    The maroon catfish leaned back, considering for a while. I stood up before grabbing my chin, "I wonder how many of your resources Schema will take once this is over? It would be a nasty situation, one that three blue cores could sweep away."


    Drelex peered at me, "Hm, if it''s five, I''ll do it, same as Entilla."


    Time was more valuable than pinching pennies, so I smiled, "It''s a deal."


    Before I stepped away, Iona murmured from behind me, "Oh yeah, I forgot to say this earlier. What did you do to the people and the machines? It wasn''t dangerous, was it?"


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "It was...Er, I used true stasis, and I''ll be keeping them within it until after we return from the lottery."


    Drelex frowned, "Gah, that''s bloody awful. They won''t even be able to donate to the cause then. That puts them dead last."


    I shrugged, "They''re several hundred slots above last place at a minimum because of how many rulers have died. Besides that, bankruptcy is a lot better than death."


    Drelex grabbed his whiskers like a beard, "True enough, I suppose."


    I scratched my head before turning to Iona, "Is there anything else we need to finish here?"


    Iona pulled a strand of hair out of her face, "No. We''re good."


    I walked off, heading over towards my elevator. Several people used it at once, many of them trying to figure out the best way of managing the resource. Opting out of waiting, I sprang up the stairwells built into the building. A few hopping skips later, I landed on the upper floor, finding my director golem keeping everything in order.


    He saluted me while I walked past. Behind the mana battery and guardians, the rulers of the base chatted away about various endeavors, from exploration protocols to escape routes. On a table in the corner of the room, Malos rested in silence. Above him, the Emperor performed magic on the frog ruler''s mind.


    Obolis pulled his fingertip off Malos''s forehead, and a tailing wisp of green magic trailed behind the Emperor''s movements. As the green wisp faded out of existence, Obolis let out a deep breath before wiping his brow,


    "Ah, Daniel, well met. If you''re wondering about Malos, he''ll be fine. He simply needed a wipe of the implanted memories to restore his functioning self." The Emperor tapped the side of his head, trying to recall something. After a sigh, he returned to normal,


    "It would seem like you''ve utterly rectified our position within the last few days. That''s more than merely impressive; it''s given us a foundation to stand on."


    The other rulers chimed in, so I raised a hand to interject. They silenced, and their respect loomed over me as if I carried some sort of gravitas. The bizarre sensation faded before I put my hands on my hips,


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "I''m pretty much finished with the rehauling. This compound''s been reconstructed from the ground up. Golem guards, infinite power, no radiation, stable gravity, clean food, clear water, fresh air, normal pressure, decent housing, technical wiring, you name it, I gave it. As agreed, I''ll need you guys to hand me the information slotted into a viewable format. Someone also needs to help allocate the resources from the treasury for me...You know, whichever way that''s done."


    Obolis flourished his cape as a blanket over Malos before walking over. His caring surprised me, though it was probably to get an alliance with Malos after everything was done. Obolis worked like that, balancing the pros and cons of every situation. The Emperor lifted his hand and waved it, several of the rules following behind him.


    We stepped towards the stairwell before walking down. As we did, Obolis put a hand on my shoulder while striking up a telepathic conversation,


    "That attack used against Malos was insidious. The implanted memories dwarfed the size and scope of Malos''s life, which is extraordinarily difficult to do."


    "Why tell me all of this?"


    "Because you need to be aware and careful around Shalahora."


    I frowned while thinking, "You don''t have to remind me. That guy''s a real mystery."


    From nowhere, a raspy, feminine voice scoffed into our psionic conversation, "Is that so? He should present himself differently then. I shall tell him such."


    Obolis and I froze in place, a shiver racing up our spines. A ruler bumped into us before falling back. They snapped, "What was that?"


    The Emperor and I ignored him while the voice laughed. It oozed,


    "Hah. Hah. Hah...There''s nothing to fear. I take no offense from caution, and it is warranted. However, there are no thoughts that hide from me here, no matter the time or the place. I know of them all, and they know of me."


    Obolis closed his eyes while closing a fist. The Emperor murmured in a firm voice, "Who is this?"


    "Mesmera."


    The Emperor''s brow furrowed while he snarled, "Cease your bantering and quiet yourself. Gawking at our conversation as if we were animals-"


    I grabbed the Emperor''s arm hard enough to stumbled him sideways. He peered at me, "Now you act with indecency...as well."


    His words trailed off as I stared at him with wide eyes. Fear traced my expression, and the Emperor''s attitude changed instantly. Mesmera whispered to us,


    "Continue walking as you were."


    I ground my teeth, but I followed the command. Obolis kept pace before he coughed into a hand and thought back, "Ahem...What is it you want to know?"


    Mesmera whispered, "There is nothing you know that I do not, child. You are merely a method of speaking with the one beside you...So be quiet."


    My minds clanked into high gear, and a few facts became obvious. Firstly, Shalahora told Obolis about Mesmera. Second, she used the conversation between them to find me and make contact. Third, this Old One-


    "And you are correct, little one."


    My eyes narrowed before I thought back in a low boil, "Stop talking. I don''t want to hear what you have to say."


    Mesmera cackled, "Hah. You haven''t heard anything I wanted to say, have you?"


    I answered with silence. She radiated her words like poison, "I can tell you how to return home, how to message your loved ones, or even guarantee your victory in this lottery. I know many things, and those may be yours...If you tell me-"


    I spoke with force,


    "No."


    Obolis blinked, confusion spreading over his face. He scratched the back of his head as I stated into the ether,


    "Leave me be."


    A hint of frustration spilled into Mesmera''s voice, "You''re little more than a speck on a corpse...You know this, and yet you speak back to me."


    I stepped aside from the other rulers and spoke aloud, "Everyone, give me a minute. I need a moment."


    One of the rulers raised a concerned hand, "Are you alright?"


    Obolis answered, "Is his attention so important that he''s no longer allowed a second to collect his thoughts?"


    The ruler raised his clawed hands, "What? No, I-"


    Obolis walked down the stairwell, "Then leave him."


    The ruler followed the entourage before I remained there, alone on the stairs. I condensed my dimensional wake until it blistered at the seams, and Mesmera hissed,


    "You run from me, but it''s only a matter of time before I''ve set in. I am poison. I am memory. I am that which you hide but is behind closed doors...I will remain until you are weak."


    My dimensional wake reached my skin, pulling down like a cloak of lead. I held the weight for a moment before sighing. After ensuring her presence was dispersed, I returned to the other rulers. Once I passed the stairs and reached the vault door, I found the rulers waiting on me. While walking up, I locked eyes with Obolis, an entire conversation taking place with that glance.


    But what was spoken, I didn''t fully know. While I tried parsing out what just happened, the rulers and I waited in front of a vault door. Graphene covered and interlaced the entire structure, the dull gray contrasting the sheening metal. A small, mongoose ruler walked up to the terminal, its claw brandished. Several rulers, including Obolis, walked by as the mongoose took blood samples from them.


    Once collected, they placed the blood onto the terminal, which exposed a retina scanner. That unlocked a code, one built in the cipher. It required a lot of work to pop open the door, and as it hissed from air pressure shifts, the giant doorway swung on smooth hinges. It opened my view as it passed.


    And a wealth of treasure piled within, all of it ripe for the taking.


    I stared at it, a smile popping onto my face. The grin whittled as I remembered Mesmera''s contact. With a quick collapse, I stood in place with my wake compressed. If my guess was correct, that expunged her presence once more.


    It made me wonder if the Old One read minds or the thoughts of everyone present at all times. There was no way for me to know, and that thought unsettled me. After taking a few deep breaths, I regretted contacting Shalahora. Getting away from him took top priority, though I had no idea how to break it to the Sovereign. Or if I even could.


    After all, his alliance became odder by the second, and Shalahora''s psionic abilities weren''t tested yet. He could be reading this entire planet''s minds for all I knew. Questions mounted, and the more I asked, the more they needed answers.


    Without any means of finding info, I put myself back in the present. I gazed at the treasury, one full of mismatched supplies. They organized the relics and artifacts onto various shelves, piles, and pods. The majority of the rewards were the blue cores and rainbow bones, but a few dungeon rewards stacked until they reached the vault''s roofing.


    Each set of piles served a different purpose. Bladed weapons, dulled tools, and shining armors stacked up high in one mass. Another pile of blue cores and rainbow bone sheened in the side. The rulers here dedicated the last portion of this room to over a hundred vases stacked on a shelf.


    I pointed at them, "What are those holding?"


    Obolis stayed quiet before the mongoose ruler adjusted its glasses, "Ashes."


    I furrowed my brow, "Ashes? Why?"


    "The dead."


    A wave of dread passed over me, and I peered to the side, "Ah...Sorry for asking like that."


    The glasses-wearing mongoose paced over to the wall, lifting one of the vases. Under each vase, a picture rested. The ruler lifted one of the pictures, showing the uneven smile of a gray, elephantine alien. The mongoose shook its head before setting it down,


    "These are so that we can return them to their loved ones." The mongoose bowed its head. The other rulers in the room made similar gestures, each of them coming from different cultures, yet all of them respected the dead. I raised a fist to them before lowering my hand.


    Up until now, the deaths of the rulers were intangible, like some esoteric stat that exposed how dangerous this planet was. Staring at the hundred-plus remains drove home the sheer scale of death on this planet. Most of these aliens were good people, and Schema sent them here to die so he could rob them.


    And I did nothing.


    I tapped the side of my head, quelling a rising sense of guilt. I wasn''t responsible for every outcome. After letting out a sigh, I paced over to the pile of armor and grabbed a cerulean scale-mail at the top of it. It weighed more than iron, which explained why no one wore it. It was far too heavy for practical use here.


    Pretty much everything here shared that distinction, all of it heavy in this gravitation. For that reason, Leviathan-7 invalidated the vast majority of these resources. Even worse, few of the materials matched my dimensional fabric regardless of weight, making them worthless for me. Rulers wore the lighter armors already, and I paid little attention to the rest of the weapons.


    However, the tools interested me quite a bit. Most of them held strange functions for specific purposes. Some carried more generic goals, and I picked up one of the best embodiments of that practical ideal. I stared at a large, rugged hammer of black iron. Cipheric runes traced its sides, and the flat of it looked like raw stone. In my palm, it radiated heat and temperature magics. I lifted it overhead while murmuring, "Hmm, some of this stuff is interesting."


    Once more, the mongoose answered, "By all means, take it. Schema knows no one here can use it."


    I turned to him, the ruler acting as the effective treasurer. It wore circular glasses, mainly for style, and its body reminded me of a speckled otter. With its mouth closed, it was adorable. When its mouth opened, sharp fangs ruined that illusion, and its raspy voice added to its newly predatory appearance.


    I pointed at him, "What''s your name?"


    The creature adjusted its glasses and straightened its jacket, "Ohzah."


    I raised a brow, "Do you manage the survivor''s supplies?"


    "Effectively, yes. I do."


    I smiled, "We''ll keep in contact then."


    From a pocket in its sleeve, the adorable predator opened its jacket. In three pockets, different-sized business cards waited for the right situation. Ohzah handed me the largest card, the paper slip the size of a fingertip to me. I floated it up before swiping it into my dimensional storage.


    That left the black iron hammer. Not having room for the mallet, I placed the maul onto my back, and a band of dimensional fabric interlocked with the handle. Once planted in place, I shuffled through the other tools. I found a panel covered in cipheric markings. Giving it a quick skim, the pad acted as a short-range teleporter. I put it on my back before finding one just like it.


    A quick bolt of mana verified my assumptions; these pads were a pair of twins that connected two different spaces - warp pads, in other words. Turning to Obolis, I tossed one of them over. The Emperor clasped the panel in his palm before inspecting it. He murmured,


    "It''s a rather poorly optimized warping panel. While useful in a richly energized environment, it''s been useless...Until now."


    I put it on my back, "We''ll be keeping in contact, that''s for sure. Anyways-"


    With a bit of gusto, I pulled up all of the cores and rainbow bones with gravity wells. Turning to the rulers, I gestured to the piles,


    "I prefer accepting payment in the form of blue cores instead of the rainbow bones. What''s the ratio of exchange you guys use?"


    The glasses-wearing mongoose walked up, "Ahem, it was ten-thousand pounds of rainbow bone per blue core, roughly speaking."


    They didn''t know it yet, but that was essentially free blue cores. I rubbed my temples, "If I''m guesstimating here, you guys have about three hundred thousand pounds of rainbow bones piled up here. 40% of that is one hundred and twenty blue cores worth of the stuff. I''ll trade that for the blue cores. Sound good?"


    Nearby rulers dwarfed the mongoose, yet no one argued with it when it stated, "That''s a worthy trade. We can all accept that." It adjusted its glasses, "We''ll also assume you''d want recompensation for the cores you used to remodel the actual base here as well?"


    I pointed at him with a finger gun expression, "Exactly."


    The mongoose rubbed the edges of its eldritch leather jacket, "We have 436 blue cores, and 40% of that is roughly 174. You used 157 cores in the remodel as well. That''s 331 blue cores owed in total, which we can send as our initial payment. We''ll continue with this conversion ratio moving forward, and we can send over supplies weekly until the day of warping away."


    It tilted its head at me, "Is that acceptable?"


    I pulled the mass of blue cores towards me, "Oh hell yeah. That''s perfect."


    While I put the cores into my dimensional storage, an enigmatta ruler walked up, its pressurized suit showing wear and tear from staying on Leviathan for so long. It raised its palms and bowed,


    "Hello...We can''t send the data yet...We''re putting it in a mobile form for you...It will take a few days."


    Each pause in its speaking came about from wheezing breaths. It reminded me of Darth Vader. Either way, I frowned, "Don''t you already have a network up and running? It should only take a few days for the data then, right?"


    "We do...But the amount of data is very high...It will be useful for the data to be robust...And incorruptible as well...Given Leviathan''s conditions."


    I raised a palm, "Ah, understandable. Thanks for letting me know."


    It wheezed, "No, thank you...For making this hell livable." Its gaze lingered at the urns lined on the shelves.


    I blinked for a moment before smiling, "Not a problem."


    Walking out of the vault, I closed the door behind everyone. Once at the outskirts of the floor, the rulers dispersed to their various duties. Obolis stayed behind before grabbing at the fur under his chin like it was a beard. He mused,


    "If I were to guess, you''re about to leave."


    I nodded. Obolis turned a palm to me, "Then can we discuss the conscription of more golems in the future, among other things?"


    I waved a hand, "I''ll be putting them onto a galactic auction house for certain contracts with them. And for the other things, discussing it could incite certain parties."


    Obolis raised his brow, "Such as?"


    I murmured, "Old Ones."


    Obolis''s eyes glossed over before he nodded, "Ah...Then, then I''ll compete with the other rulers. Thank you for helping us all here, and I-I''ll leave you be."


    He gave me a slight bow, "We''ll see you at another time, Harbinger."


    Even with all his worldly wisdom, Obolis was shaken by certain things. It turned out that Old Ones were some of those unsettling factors. They were for me as well, something I noted while we parted ways.


    It was time to get the hell out of here. I searched for Entilla and Drelex, finding them on the terrarium floor. Drelex lounged in an algae pit while Entilla bathed under a sun lamp a couple of feet away. They gazed up at me, both of them looking nervous. Drelex coughed, his body rustling the still water he waded in,


    "Ah...It''s good to see you again. What do you want?"


    I raised a brow at them, "You guys ready to go?"


    Drelex winced, "Already? I just finished my work."


    I leaned back, disgust spread over my face, "What? That was hours ago. We''re wasting time."


    Drelex shrugged, "What are hours to immortals anyhow?"


    I frowned, "There''s nothing immortal about us. Come on. Let''s go."


    Drelex leaned back into his algae pit, "Of course...Once I finish my algae bath."


    I gazed down at him, and the catfish man crossed his arms over his head. He blew into the pit of algae, "Ah...This place is finally comfortable."


    I pulled molten dimensional fabric from my pocket dimension. With it floating above, Drelex sneered,


    "Ahck, what are you doing with that? It''s molten."


    I rolled my eyes before swiping him and his algae pit into my pocket dimension. As I paced up to Entilla, the blue lizard peered back and forth. Once I stood beside him, Entilla squeaked out,


    "Uhm, where does that portal lead?"


    Swinging the portal like an ax, I smiled,


    "A surprise."

 350 Untimely Assaults

    I gazed down at him, and the catfish man crossed his arms over his head. He blew into the pit of algae, "Ah...This place is finally comfortable."


    I pulled molten dimensional fabric from my pocket dimension. With it floating above, Drelex sneered,


    "Ahck, what are you doing with that? It''s molten."


    I rolled my eyes before swiping him and his algae pit into my pocket dimension. As I paced up to Entilla, the blue lizard peered back and forth. Once I stood beside him, Entilla squeaked out,


    "Uhm, where does that portal lead?"


    Swinging the portal like an ax, I smiled,


    "A surprise."


    Chapter Begin


    After walking out of the survivor''s base, I dashed through the compressed rock of Leviathan-7''s crust. Once at the surface, I erupted through the strange fauna and wildlife, pulling up mountains and hills as I did. With the dramatic exit finished, I turned in every direction, seeing behemoths, algae, and the gas bubble ecosystem. Shalahora hadn''t waited out here for me.


    Unable to find the Sovereign, I shrugged before heading out. Without any actual means of communicating with him, I figured he waited for me in my cities. In all honesty, I dreaded talking with the guy again since he introduced a lot of risks. Still, he''s why I found the survivors in the first place, and the last thing I wanted was Shalahora siding with Valgus. If they did, the number of people leaving this hellish planet might number in the single digits.


    Staring back at their tentacle-covered pyramid, I frowned. They lost the vast majority of the rulers present already. With Schema''s current setup, he''d gain hundreds of planets and empires for free. As I gazed at the stars, I wondered if this same process took place elsewhere. How many lotteries resulted in hundreds dying? How many empires would Schema steal?


    I had no way of knowing, and I lacked time to dwell on the matter.


    Rushing across the horizons, I darted above the behemoths as a dark needle. I sliced the wind, shearing through it with ease. My form warped nearby algae, the speed and friction building heat over my body. In this strange form, I passed Leviathan-7 as a speeding flash, more akin to living lightning than a monster of metal.


    Fauna gave way to the red dunes of the desert, more of the rainbow bone piles missing than before. Valgus collected thousands of them, his resources vastly exceeding my own by the looks of it. Well, sort of. The rainbow bones meant nothing to me, the material being like a worse version of my dimensional fabric.


    On the other hand, the blue cores mirrored diamonds; the beautiful spheres were practical and valuable all at once. The bones weren''t in short supply either. Driving that point home, I stared at the first hill of shining bones. They amassed into piles, then mounts, then mountains. In time, they patterned into a plateau, meaning I reached the depths of the ossuary.


    Unlike exploring elsewhere on this planet, I never needed a compass to find my cities. They always faced the brightest section of Leviathan, the black hole a menacing reminder of this planet''s dangers. With the shining bones arrived the primevals who came out to play. Their haunting forms shifted and trembled with nearby landscapes, their battles destroying the skyline of algae.


    They ripped holes into the land as if they hated it. I couldn''t blame them, but I avoided the monsters for the time being. I''d harvest them later with my army of golems. As I neared my region, a wave of anxiety passed over me. That dread spawned from explosive sounds and the shaky ground.


    At first, it mirrored the battles of primevals. Upon closer inspection, the clashes of light and nuclear-sized explosions erupted with too much frequency and violence. Something or someone attacked my cities, and for a moment, I worried if Shalahora had turned on me. With an explosive burst of gravity wells, I bolted towards the sound and sources of light.


    Grinding to a halt with the violence in full view, I gazed at a scene of untold destruction. Three of my cities were leveled to the finest grain. A fourth city''s barrier wobbled from attacks on it, and Shalahora defended my territory against a mass of primevals. Several dozen attacked him from all angles while a coal-black cyclops gazed down at Shalahora.


    That shadowy Sovereign used several shining spheres to wash the battlefield in light. Using the shadows cast by the orbs, Shalahora darted between the gaps of an incoming swarm. The missing attacks reshaped the entire realm, and it stripped the area clean like a cascade of bleach drenching mold.


    In each cleansing assault of light and force, Shalahora retaliated with swarming slices of darkness. He reminded me of Hod, but Shalahora used ascendant lightning for his onslaught. The rippling strikes and destructive cuts would''ve destroyed mountains and rivers alike, yet the primevals ignored the attacks.


    They attacked with unyielding bloodlust and no regard for their lives. Above it all, the charcoal-shaded cyclops stared at the fight. Feeling he was familiar, I took a moment to recall who it was. He was one of the rulers I learned about during the introductions of the lottery - The Kalat, the union of an entire species.


    While they should''ve been a worthy foe for most, Shalahora should''ve wiped them all out already. The shadowy Sovereign mentioned using psionic attacks to splinter the congregation''s mind, but apparently, that theory didn''t work well in practice. At least Shalahora carried no wounds or signs of exhaustion from the battle. If anything, they both reached a stalemate.


    With a grip on the situation, I took a deep breath while charging my mana. Using a long-distance telepathic tether, I connected with the director golem leading my cities. The golem responded in an instant,


    "Ah, creator. Thank the creator that you''re back. That is to say, thank you for being back, but I''m speaking with you, so the phrase doesn''t hold up. I simply must rethink that when speaking-"


    I snapped, "What''s the hell''s going on?"


    "Ah, excuse me. A ruler found us and began swarming our cities with primevals. He''s unleashed over a hundred strong at us from all angles. We defended for a while, but he collected his forces into a singular mass and kept unleashing devastating gamma bursts onto our cities'' peripheries."


    I winced. I used that strategy, so other rulers could use it as well. The director kept calm as he recited,


    "Shalahora returned a while ago, and he''s been defending the outskirts of the town while we recollected our losses and forces."


    I grimaced, "How many golems have we lost?"


    The director spoke with quiet pride, "Not one, creator. I kept them all alive."


    I blinked back my surprise, "What? Really?"


    "I wouldn''t lie to you, sir."


    I shook off my disbelief, "Hah, so this is what shattered expectations feel like. Anyways, we need to organize our counterattack."


    "I was waiting for your arrival while focusing on avoiding losses, sir."


    I locked my eyes on the dark cyclops, my gaze turning dark, "I''m here now, so let''s retaliate in kind."


    Mana trickled over me as thick as plasma while I telepathically linked with Shalahora. The umbral blot rasped, "Which one of you filthy mongrels still has a mind?"


    "Daniel. Attacking. Be ready."


    I shot through the algae in the sky. With not time to think, I offloaded chunks of concrete, steel and extra machinery from the dying rulers in my pocket dimension. Using the added space, I put the warp panel on my back inside.


    After passing the layer of writhing kelp, the giant blot of Leviathan spread out before me in all its majesty. It whirled in my vision as I lost levity. Diving down, I propelled myself towards the shining bones below. The wind wisped over me, friction building heat until I neared the glowing ground.


    Before impact, I flattened myself, maximizing my landing''s collision. At the same time, I opened my dimensional shield, capturing a slice of the orbital bombardment. That stopped the shockwave from disturbing my cities. Without any more time to think, I made contact with the shining bones.


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    I evaporated in a blinding sun, and I washed away in a kinetic calamity. To my chagrin, so did the hammer across my back. I brought forth an absolute cataclysm, and my orbital bombardment erased the horizons in all directions. With the sky cleared, Leviathan gazed down at us, a dark eye watching me recreate this world''s shape.


    If the land were paper, I set the ink ablaze.


    A flash of light consumed the entire region, Shalahora dashing into shadows cast in the distance. The primevals turned to powder and ash, and the dark cyclops covered his eyes in the space. It was his mistake. Before the impact settled, I regenerated and rode the kinetic wave outwards, dashing myself towards the cyclops.


    He saw nothing as I lifted my dimensional shield. From within it, the impact''s absorbed explosion erupted. A disintegrating beam of raw force shot out with blitzing shrapnel. The dark cyclops turned to nothing but a memory before I burst that memory in a wave of singularities. The dark blots fed on my own body, erupting and feasting in tandem.


    I turned myself into dark shrapnel, my body food for ruin and my corpse cause for calamity. Event Horizon scattered over the vaporized remnants of the cyclops, and the aura devoured the atoms that remained from its death.


    As the wave of energy dispersed, I stood from it unharmed, an immortal amongst the mundane. Gazing at the cyclops, something irked me, so I sent out my psionically loaded wake. A presence lingered where the cyclops once was. The congregation of spirits wrestled out in the ether, attempting to escape.


    I infested their minds, reading the memories within. I found nothing as if I had invaded some kind of animate corpse. I leaned back, stunned by apparitions. I couldn''t even conceive how something like this existed. A spirit without a mind? It made no sense, and neither made its attempts at escaping or regenerating its physical form.


    It ran off instinct, writhing, thrashing, and hounding to escape from the confines of my wake. It uncovered no gaps in the jail cell here, every part of this space was my own. But its struggle continued. It clawed out with the unending desperation of a wild animal. I wrangled it in, stunned that a mindless zombie carried such enormous ferocity.


    I battled against it for a while before my grasp began slipping. Below me, Shalahora wrestled with the rejuvenated primevals, many of them already returned from ash. I didn''t care about them. Below their battle, the shining soil filled with irradiated mana. The bone beast prepared a gamma burst, one within viewing distance of my cities.


    The urgency overwhelmed me, and I struggled against the spirits. I condensed my wake over the shivering souls, but they kept fighting. After a while, I realized I had a choice. I could either let these spirits escape and save my city or capture them and let several cities be blown apart.


    After a couple seconds of thought, the bones below erupted with spines that shimmered. I needed to block the gamma burst with my shield, but these spirits might bring back more primevals. I tried weighing the pros and cons of each choice, but there wasn''t any time. In that mess of a mental state, an idea popped up in my head.


    And I loathed myself for it.


    As the ground continued swelling with vibrant energy, I made a choice. I shoved several of my minds into the spirits. They offered no resistance, and with a wash of mana, the infested souls swelled. Moments passed as the zombified ghosts ballooned to the edges of my wake. In an ego cleansing, they drowned in a psionic flood.


    And they were no more.


    I took a breath, but I found no air to breathe. I hit myself across the side of my head, knowing there was no time to think about what I had just done. Racing downward, I landed at the epicenter of my orbital bombardment. Pulling up my dimensional shield, the gamma burst below erupted. I vaporized into nothing; every atom in my body ripped into a wash of particles.


    From nothing, I returned in a fraction of a second. With my arrival, a mental whiplash vibrated through me. My vision and senses changed multiple times in the last fractions of a second. After getting a grip, I lifted a hand, snapping a powerful gravity well into existence overhead. It pulled the remaining blue cores from the dead primevals nearby, and I snatched them into my pocket dimension.


    Aiming my other hand, I snapped singularity after singularity at the primevals who regenerated their bodies after the gamma burst. Dark beads blotted through the crater I left behind. They feasted on the surrounding air and discharged energy in turn. After the kinetic rain settled, Shalahora returned to the battlefield.


    A molding shadow, he darted between each enemy, the Sovereign holding many forms at once. His shades and my golems joined the fray, metal and shadow collapsing onto the enemies in unison. Gravitation implosions flashed with light before giving way to waves of darkness. I tore through the enemy lines while Shalahora cleaned the remnants I left behind.


    And in time, we crushed the opponents to powder.


    Standing amidst the destruction, I pocketed the last blue cores before hovering over to Shalahora. The shadowy presence rested at the edge of the crater that my orbital bombardment created. Standing beside him, I placed a hand on the Sovereign''s shoulder as I said,


    "Thanks."


    Shalahora nodded while remaining silent. Stepping away from him and the epicenter of my collision, I found the director golem in the city nearby. After I floated through the blue core barrier, I raised a hand to the director,


    "Good job keeping the golems safe. We can rebuild the cities, but the experience of the soldiers isn''t replaced as easily."


    The director golem gave me a bow, "It''s the least I could''ve done, creator."


    I lowered my arm, "At ease. Anyways, get some golems ready to establish my cities again. We have a bit of construction to handle before we find out where the hell this enemy came from."


    The director sent out a telepathic command, "You heard him, everyone. Get ready to move out."


    My soldiers shifted from still waters to a wave of movement while I hovered myself back over towards Shalahora. Sitting beside him, we gazed at the humming glow where I had landed earlier. After a minute, I turned to the Sovereign,


    "Why didn''t you use that same mind attack as earlier? The primevals have robust minds, but they don''t stand a chance against that. Neither did the cyclops."


    Shalahora rested his face in his umbral hands, "They...They owned no mind to infest. I can implant centuries of memories, but they carried no weakness to trauma or pain. They were unfeeling like the inanimate brought to life, stones that breathed or water that sang."


    I frowned, "Er, it was more like zombies than talking grass."


    Shalahora scoffed, "True."


    I leaned back, my arms propping me up as I stared up, "That was weird. I noticed that same feeling when I tried some psionic attacks against the, er, spirits of that ruler."


    "Did you let any of them live?"


    I frowned, "No. They''re gone."


    Shalahora sighed, "Perhaps that is wise as mercy is often an unnecessary source of future conflict. It allows a ripped plant to regrow. To truly destroy an enemy, their roots must be uprooted and pulled apart."


    I shook my head, "They didn''t have any memories to interrogate anyway, so I kind of just let anger take over."


    "Anger is a tool, one worthy of wielding given their transgressions. At the minimum, they''ve done nothing for your favor."


    I turned to Shalahora, "Speaking of earning favor, why did you help me out?"


    Shalahora kept his gaze on the crater steady, letting a silence pass over us. He shrugged, "I was in no danger."


    "Yeah, but you still helped me without any real reason...What gives?"


    Shalahora tilted its head at me, "We are allies, aren''t we? What more reasoning must there be? This is the line of thinking that frustrated me with that frog ruler. It was as if he aimed to dissect those around him like they were pieces in some game he played."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "A game assumes rigidity of rules. People are not so simple. When assuming control of others, one often finds that those people rebel for no other reason than spite. So I unleashed my spite, and that weakling could not carry the brunt of it."


    Shalahora seethed, "But for some reason, people are allowed to manipulate with words but not actions. It''s absurd."


    I raised a brow, "Yeah, but words don''t kill people."


    "Without context, perhaps, but what if a commander orders a village to be annihilated down to the last woman and child? His words are weapons all the same, yet he is not judged as the results of his words aren''t apparent at the moment of his speaking."


    I pursed my lips, "Huh...Wouldn''t the soldiers'' actions be the wounding element, not the words of the general?"


    "You argue semantics instead of my point, which is a concession in itself."


    I leaned forward, "That assumes I''m evading the issue, but I''m not. Besides that, I''d probably judge that general quite a bit even in that moment."


    "But not in the same vein as if he tore the villagers apart in front of you."


    I nodded, "That''s true...I''ll think about it."


    We watched the residual heat of the crater blur the air above my impact point. I turned to Shalahora and nudged him with a hand, "Well, thanks for the help anyways. I appreciate it."


    Shalahora sighed, "And I appreciate your forthrightness. It''s rare to meet anyone in a position of power who achieved their means with their own efforts, and it makes us kindred spirits, each of us disparate in purpose but united on principle."


    Shalahora''s sky blue eyes carried no hints of deception, so I couldn''t tell his motives. No discomfort or sense of unease permeated him, a sense of authenticity present at all times with the guy. It was strange. I met many figures in my life, like Yawm or Obolis. They all hid behind some mascarade of magnificence like they were above it all. Shalahora didn''t do that.


    I was so used to people trying to manipulate me that meeting someone honest put me on guard. Even then, I couldn''t tell if the shadow was an ancient evil or a naive optimist. Either way, I let the issue go while murmuring, "Well, thanks for helping despite the struggle. And yeah, it was as if those enemies were designed with your abilities in mind."


    Shalahora gazed where we fought, "To think there is a means or method to kill the mind but leave the body and soul behind...It is unnerving."


    My eyes widened as a realization snapped through me. I opened my pocket dimension before pulling out some liquid rainbow bone. While I spiraled it in a circle, I met Shalahora''s eye,


    "This...This is what they''re using."


    Shalahora tilted his head at the liquid, "What is it?"


    "It psionically kills whatever eats it."


    Shalahora wisped away from the stuff, his body trembling, "Gah, grotesque."


    I spun the shining liquid in a circle, "It is, and based on the fight, the primevals aren''t the only victims here."


    I set my gaze where the black cyclops watched us fight,


    "It''s being used on the other rulers as well."

 351 Ethics and Armies

    Shalahora tilted his head at the liquid, "What is it?"


    "It psionically kills whatever eats it."


    Shalahora wisped away from the stuff, his body trembling, "Gah, grotesque."


    I spun the shining liquid in a circle, "It is, and based on the fight, the primevals aren''t the only victims here."


    I set my gaze where the black cyclops watched us the fight,


    "It''s being used on the other rulers as well."


    Chapter Begin


    Shalahora condensed himself over the crater, "And your proof was the lifeless Kalat?"


    I shrugged, "It''s the only conclusion that makes sense unless there''s some other way of killing someone''s mind. Personally, I don''t know any."


    Shalahora oozed towards the liquid bone while keeping some distance, "If there is another method, I don''t know if it...And this disgusting liquid was harvested on this planet?"


    "It''s under the surface of the ossuary. You''ll find it in these fountains where primevals are tempted to drink the fluid. They end up dying, and I think the bones collect the bodies into the giant mass below."


    I tapped the opalescent shards beneath me, "It''s like a defense mechanism for primevals that get too strong."


    Shalahora simmered, "Hm. Perhaps that''s why my shades return from the tunnels so rarely. They may be allured by liquid power, so they pay the price for indulging in their temptations."


    I shook my head, "That could be some of them, but I think it''s because someone''s guarding those places. If I had to guess, it''s Valgus and the rulers he''s converted."


    Shalahora scoffed, "You believe his operation expanded to such an extent? That idiot can hardly run a guild, let alone destroy rulers in mass."


    I shrugged, "Eh, maybe, but do we really know him?"


    "We know him enough to ascertain his lack of tact and recklessness."


    I tapped my side, "Well, he''s been laying low for a reason. If he''s gathering primevals, that explains why he hasn''t destroyed the survivors yet."


    Shalahora peered up before murmuring, "Hm...Perhaps he is the most likely culprit. Baldowah was always fond of conflict, and this course of action isn''t that far removed from Valgus''s own abilities."


    "How so?"


    Shalahora gazed towards primevals in the distance, "Valgus used the harvested souls of strong eldritch to defend himself. He is no stranger to such underhanded methods."


    I leaned back, "Huh...See, I guessed it was obvious because his faction has been scooping up wandering rulers. I had no idea why he wanted to eliminate everyone, but now it makes sense. He wasn''t killing them."


    Shalahora seethed, "He''s controlling them for his own means. Grotesque, just like this liquid."


    I pointed at the shadow, "Maybe it''s a bit underhanded, but regardless of what we think about it, it''s effective. Using this stuff, Valgus gained an army of primevals and likely a hundred plus rulers as his pawns...I''ll be honest, we don''t stand a chance in an upfront confrontation, and neither do the survivors."


    Shalahora shivered, "There is a chance for victory, though it is slight."


    I had my own ideas, but I raised a brow and asked, "What are you thinking?"


    Shalahora flowed towards my city''s barrier. On the forcefield''s outer surface, shadows danced to life in the shape of the two of us. They mirrored Egyptian hieroglyphs, and the Sovereign pointed at one of the shadows, one reflecting an asura,


    "Valgus relies on his eldritch shackles to protect his mind. If we can dismantle those protectants, he''ll be vulnerable to my abilities. It''s a question of how we''d go about tearing those chains apart."


    I tapped my chin, "That''s betting those shackled eldritch are his only psionic defenses. Seems risky since they could just be one layer of many."


    Shalahora scoffed, "That''s doubtful. In many ways, a person''s strength unveils their weaknesses. Valgus''s psionic defense is absolute, but it also demonstrates a need and desire for that protection. It''s safe to assume that without those constraints, he''s vulnerable."


    Two shadows on the city''s barrier struck at the asura shade while Shalahora murmured, "While he is incapacitated from my psionic wounds, we strike him down. We may require the assistance of the other rulers to help hold onto some sort of bulwark during our siege-"


    I shook my head, "That plan works off of a lot of assumptions, and I''m not willing to bet my life on something that fickle."


    Shalahora''s shadows dispersed, "So you believe we stand no chance, or perhaps you wish to avoid aggression from here on out?"


    I pushed myself up by shoving my hand onto the ground. Landing light on my feet, I waved my arms, "There''s no way I''m going to bet on a plan that desperate. We''ve got much better alternatives, anyways."


    Shalahora turned to my cities, "Such as fighting with your golems? I didn''t believe you''d do so, but if you''re willing to make that sacrifice-"


    My face wrinkled with disgust, "What? Hell no. You''re right; I''m not sending my golems to the grave. It''s unfortunate, but we''re fighting fire with fire." I spun the psionic liquid around me, "We''ll be using this to make an armada of primevals for our own use. Temporarily, of course."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "If you were so inclined to use this method, then why haven''t you created an army of primevals already?"


    I condensed the liquid into a ball, "If I''m honest, I didn''t want to. The situation''s changed, however."


    Shalahor jeered, "Ah, ethics that change based on the situation...That''s quite convenient, isn''t it?"


    I raised a brow, "We''re in an inconvenient situation. Besides that, you put centuries of torture into someone''s mind because they spoke against you, and you''re calling me out?"


    Shalahora tilted his head, "But he is no worse for wear now, is he? It''s a simple spell that can be remedied with a competent magician, of which the survivors have plenty." Shalahora simmered, "You''re throwing away your ideals at the first hint of sacrifice. That''s what bothers me, little one."


    I frowned, "Eating people is wrong as a general rule, but what if you crash-landed on an island? Assuming there are corpses already and you didn''t kill them, then you can survive if you eat the bodies. It''s an unfortunate reality, but eating them gives you a chance to survive."


    I frowned at Shalahora, "We''re in that kind of situation. In the end, you can''t be ethical if you''re dead."


    Shalahora leaned back before mulling over what I said. The shadows on the barrier wisped to nothing while Shalahora murmured, "Hmmm. Ethics without ability turns into idealism, and it''s diverged so far from reality that it often poisons it. Is that what you mean?"


    I pursed my lips, "Huh...Yeah, essentially, but we''re getting lost in the weeds here. The point is, I''m not bringing a knife to a gunfight. In this case, everyone on this planet will die if we don''t take action. I''m going to assume the worst-case scenario, which is that they have hundreds of primevals. Maybe even thousands."


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    I narrowed my eyes, "And to catch up, we''ve got a lot of work to do. Are you with me?"


    I stretched out a hand before Shalahora sighed. He grabbed my hand before shaking it,


    "Hah...Then it must be done."


    "Good." I pulled the warping panel out of my pocket dimension. Shalahora followed me into the insulated environment of my city, the cool air washing over us as we floated in. In front of us, several rows of core golems stood at the ready for various commands, and the director floated over two hundred blue cores to me. The primordial golem bowed and thought over,


    "Here is the harvest of the last few days, creator. Use it as you wish."


    I snapped the massive pile of cores into my pocket dimension while pulling out pieces of machinery attached to the dying rulers. Making more room in my pocket dimension, I stripped all of the concrete, steel, and other extra bits I scooped up while containing the other rulers. This gave me a chunk of room for other pieces of gear.


    pointing at the director, "Prepare escape plans for each city, so that difficult to replace resources are shuttled to defended locations. We don''t want another assault to lose us supplies like this one did."


    The director stood tall, "Brilliant idea, creator."


    The director stepped away before I shouted at the other golems, "Everyone, we''ll be using defensive tactics in order to prevent losses like the director''s done until now. We know the enemy uses the rainbow bones to incite gamma bursts to attack us. Be ready to leave at any point, and also be ready to use restraining tactics. We''ll be using the enemy''s strategy against them."


    The director golem raised a palm, "Ah yes, creator, what do you mean by restraining tactics?"


    I raised a fist, "When the primevals incite a gamma burst, we''ll pin them down so they can''t escape. They''ll die in their own attacks, and that''s also why we''ll be heavily investing in scouting to prevent any surprises. Staying one step ahead is key here."


    Another golem stepped up, "How should we pin them down?"


    I dispersed the nearby rainbow bones from the lining of buildings around us. These needles surrounded up from all angles pinning us down. I gestured to the bones,


    "Like this. We''ll use the opal shards to hold any enemy in place and stop their assaults. After trying this strategy for a while, we''ll reassess it. Everyone dismissed."


    They shouted in unison, "Yes, creator."


    The core golems raced into action, becoming a flurry of motion. Shalahora gazed at the metal armada, "They are an extension of you. They mirror a hive with you as its queen."


    I winced at the comparison, remembering Baldag-Ruhl and Plazia. I had nothing against hiveminds, but it wasn''t like I wanted to become one. Either way, I turned a palm to Shalahora, "Can you use your shades to scout the tunnels below? We need to have some idea of Valgus''s movements."


    Shalahora turned to me, "Do you wish to fight this enemy head-on? It may not be the wisest choice."


    I frowned, "There is a threat on the horizon, and I''m not going to sit here and wait for him to overwhelm us. Besides, he attacked me. I will retaliate to aggression."


    The shadow seethed, "You risk all that you''ve gained by doing so. Diplomacy won''t be an option after this."


    I shook my head, "Diplomacy wasn''t an option the moment they attacked me...So are you willing to send your shades or not?"


    Shalahora sighed before a plume of shadows burst forth from his back. They skulked through the ossuary before seeping between the bone shards. Before following them, I pulled out Entilla and Drelex from my pocket dimension. The two rulers peered around, Drelex being the most confused. He grabbed the edges of his algae pit and scoffed. An alien, warbling sound ebbed from his throat.


    I gawked at him before he rolled his eyes. He cast a spell over us a moment later before he snapped, "Where in Schema''s name are we?"


    I spread my arms, "One of my cities."


    Entilla''s eyes widened at his surroundings, "So this is one of your settlements? It''s far more vibrant than I imagined it would be."


    Drelex peered around, "Uhm, what exactly is happening?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, "It''s a lot to explain."


    Shalahora rippled, a telepathic tether forming between him and the two rulers. Drelex and Entilla both fumbled with the memories while the shadowy Sovereign raised a palm, "In those memories, all questions will be answered."


    I headed back outside of my city. After a couple of hours, I remade the destroyed cities in full, and I established a warp panel that connected us to the survivors. Shalahora nor I wanted to deal with the Survivor''s reaction to this crisis, so we sent one of Shalahora''s shades to warn them about Valgus and his tactics.


    When we finished that, Drelex and Entilla digested their memories to an extent. With the three of us sitting down in one of the towers of a city, I turned a palm to them, "Do you need supplies for your work or something?"


    Drelex and Entilla peered at each other. Entilla coughed into a hand, "That...That isn''t what we wanted to say."


    I leaned back in my chair, "Then what''s the problem? Why aren''t you both working already?"


    Drelex sighed, "We...We want to return to the Survivor''s base."


    I raised my brow, "Uh, why?"


    Entilla spread his hands, "You never mentioned you were in the middle of some war with Valgus. We want nothing to do with it." Entilla flexed a thin arm and gestured to it, "Obviously. Just look at this. I''m working with toothpicks here."


    I scoffed, "It doesn''t matter where you guys are. You''re both already a part of this war with Valgus, no matter where you are."


    Drelex frowned, "So you''re saying you''ll drag us into it whether we want to be in it or not?"


    I raised my brow, "What? No. I''m thinking a couple steps ahead. For instance, do you honestly believe the survivor faction is going to escape this unscathed?"


    They peered at one another but said nothing. Drelex dragged his webbed hands down his face, "No. They won''t."


    I let my hands rest on the arms of my chair. Drelex shook his head, "Bah, we don''t even know whether the survivors have been infiltrated by Valgus or not already."


    I nodded, "Exactly. I can understand being afraid of what Valgus will do from here on out, but you both have to understand something - this is the safest place on Leviathan-7 right now. It''s the only spot where I can guarantee that none of Valgus''s psionic zombies are. They could easily be infiltrating or have infiltrated the Survivor''s faction already."


    Entilla gulped, and I pointed at them both, "So I''m not just paying you with blue cores while you work here-"


    Entilla grabbed his chin, "You''re giving us protection as well...That''s definitely a way of thinking about it."


    I raised a fist, "We reached an understanding then. Now, let''s get this show on the road, shall we?"


    Drelex grumbled, "Can we perhaps have a few days to acclimatize-"


    I scoffed, "Days? You must''ve been smoking too much of Leviathan-7''s atmosphere. Either that or I misheard you."


    Entilla cackled while nudging Drelex. The blue lizard jeered, "This guy hasn''t quit moving since we met him. What makes you think he''ll let us get off scot-free?"


    The catfish sighed, "Well...I might as well go out of retirement at this rate."


    My director golem walked over before giving each of them a bow, "Ah, the honored sirs. If you would, please follow me."


    The two rulers stood up and followed the director golem to the first place of work. With my allies informed, I walked back outside of my city structures. I went about remaking the three destroyed cities, spending a couple hours recreating them and their former glory. Having my base established, I prepared myself for the most challenging part of all of this - compromising my apparently shaky ethics.


    With Shalahora as backup, we skulked out to the outskirts of my cities. We crossed the shining hills and blotted algae before finding an isolated primeval. The rock variant spun around as an atronach of dense stone and opal shards. As it fed on choice rainbow bones, Shalahora and I stalked it from afar. The shadowy sovereign cast some kind of veil over us, letting us get near the primeval.


    Once within striking range, we both dashed towards it with a few core golems in tow. Gravitation held the primeval in place before shackles of shadow condensed over the beast. It writhed and tried escaping before I pulled out the liquid rainbow bone from my pocket dimension. This shining liquid spread over the primeval, and I grimaced when the glowing ichor drenched into the stone.


    The beast trembled at first before the initial rush of power and energy coursed through the monster. The empowered primeval broke its restraints and tossed us aside, its body emboldened by the psionic fluid''s immediate effects. It spread its rocky form while bellowing out, its voice echoing out like a roaring mountain.


    However, within moments, its movements slowed to a crawl, and its mind faded. Rainbow bone needles expanded from under its skin before it turned still and lifeless, a crystallized memory of its former glory. The powerful eldritch devolved into a statue, and we both gazed at the sight with equal measures of horror and awe.


    I murmured, "It works."


    Shalahora trembled, "Too well, in my opinion."


    I shook off my unease before jumping toward the abomination. Shalahora flowed in thereafter, and he murmured, "Its mind has been slaughtered while its body is primed... This liquid does as you said it does, but I thought it would be uglier."


    Shalahora prodded one of the shining rainbow needles, "It''s beautiful...In an insidious sort of way."


    I sighed before placing a palm over the stone monster''s face, "Visually, I guess. Inside, it''s just a husk...A useful husk, though."


    I flooded this monster''s emptied mind with an ascendant consciousness, one that followed my word as law. The being of stone joined my star primevals, becoming a pawn for me, and it took less than ten minutes to make. I gazed at the stone monstrosity, the opalescent shards changing into blood-red spines. They curved at the edges while ascendant mana oozed off its body as a thick aura.


    The creature followed my orders, pacing back and forth, doing jumping jacks, and even doing backflips on command. Silly as it seemed, the beast''s innate tenacity and strength omened its future purpose. One that Shalahora mused about,


    "This will be your army then?"


    "Yes."


    "And this isn''t the first time you''ve done this either, is it?"


    I peered out into the distance, "No." I frowned,


    "And it won''t be the last."

 352 Clashing Kingdoms

    The creature followed my orders, pacing back and forth, doing jumping jacks, and even doing backflips on command. Silly as it seemed, the beast''s innate tenacity and strength omened its future purpose. One that Shalahora mused about,


    "This will be your army then?"


    "Yes."


    "And this isn''t the first time you''ve done this either, is it?"


    I peered out into the distance, "No." I frowned with a fierce resolve,


    "And it won''t be the last."


    Chapter Begin


    With an efficient practice in place, we collected our own army of these monstrosities. It left a bad taste in my mouth using this method, but I wasn''t an idiot. I knew when and where I had choices, and this wasn''t one of those times. Against a foe using these tactics, I lacked any proper response outside of doing the same.


    And I did so. I also appreciated this opportunity, and I intended not to waste it. Even with my upgraded golems and super cities, we stood no chance against several thousand primevals. If anything, we were lucky they only sent in a few dozen at first. I aimed to capitalize on that mistake.


    So Shalahora and I worked tirelessly to match whatever forces Valgus amassed. The shadowy Sovereign kept pace with me, something I hadn''t expected but appreciated nonetheless. The other rulers fell behind from fatigue, but Shalahora was inexhaustible. Without any lulls in our soldier creation, we gathered a large force at a breakneck pace.


    The shadow Sovereign''s shades harvested the liquid bone from nearby tunnels in the ground, and I prepared ascendant psyches for the hollowed-out primevals. Once made, the mindless husks assisted us in creating more of their kind, so after a full day passed, we amassed an army''s worth of them.


    Shalahora also scouted out a portion of the rainbow tunnel network below, one I documented. Having records helped keep everything organized and planned. Just as well, the maps served as escape routes, giving us another means of retreat should all other measures fail. Considering the importance of the bone liquid, knowing the lay of the land was helpful in its own right as well.


    With that growing knowledge in tow, we gathered a couple dozen primevals. I stationed them at chokepoints in the tunnels below, each of them defending us from underground assailants. They even hoisted in any straggling primevals who drank the psionic fluid of their own accord. This efficiency resulted in palpable returns for our efforts.


    My army evolved over several hours, turning into a force worthy of respect and fear. Despite knowing all of that, the monster battalion unsettled me. When I gazed at the emptied eyes with each of their minds shelled out and replaced, they reminded me of Hybridized gialgathens.


    I remembered slamming into plasma-fueled ships and finding vats of silvered slush. Sights of the gialgathen''s genocide crept into my mind like an old curse I couldn''t shake. I recalled the bombing of Giess''s cities, each thriving metropolis transforming into glowing slag after being consumed in light.


    At that time, I toiled until my hands peeled and my eyes bled. No rest. No time for thought or doubt. I compromised my sense of morals and ethics to accomplish a goal, and I still question my actions. However, I saved a species and slowed down Elysium. I accomplished that, and I wasn''t some cold monster. Yet.


    Giving my face a light slap, I woke myself up for what was to come. I would maintain my resolve, even if my actions unsettled me. I would be a survivor driven to kill, not a broken man who believed that murder was my weapon. In that way, I played with fire, and I''d seen many do the same, from Yawm to Schema.


    They rationalized where I would not. I did this because of my weakness, and I''d carry that forward.


    Of course, I''d be lightening the moral load where I could. I''d be eliminating any access to the rainbow liquid and anyone who abused it. That contained this problem to Leviathan-7 and this war alone. I found solace in preventing this malevolence from spreading, like cauterizing an open wound. Painful, sure, but it was a necessary evil.


    The liquid bone was similar to nuclear weapons in that way. It ushered in a totally different kind of warfare, one where you either opted in or outright lost. That''s why I intended on keeping this psionic mess here on Leviathan-7. Anyone could understand that, so I kept my head down and worked on amassing primevals under my wing.


    In time, I created several different kinds of converted primevals, similar to my golems. For the most part, I kept it simple with ascendant mana types. They operated like demonic machines, their minds like golems but their bodies divergent. Their eldritch rampancy warped the otherwise calm demeanors I made, so they snapped at each other like an unruly pack of wolves. I didn''t intend to keep them for long, however.


    As for the quintessent kinds, they helped with bolstering that assaulting force. They created terrains, buffed zones, and added mental strength to the violent ascendent variants. As for primordials, I refused to make those kinds of converted primevals. Mixing the insidious nature of primordial mana with the unrelenting hunger of an eldritch was a recipe for disaster. It was a mistake I intended not to make.


    Specializing the monsters I made, I settled into a manufacturing mindset, as did Shalahora. Within a day, we gathered several hundred of the primevals. The mass of monsters waited for us outside a city on the outskirts of my territory. Within the nearest town to them, I met with the others.


    Shalahora, Drelex, and Entilla waited for me in the tallest building of my enclosure. Entilla already wired this one, and Drelex incorporated a language cipher. They draped over their chairs in exhaustion, neither of them peering out the glass rotunda. On the other hand, Shalahora demonstrated no signs of fatigue whatsoever as per usual.


    He sat in the shade of the room''s entrance, admiring the view via a window beside him. His eyes popped out of the darkness, the sky blue slits contrasting the dim gloom enveloping them. They peered with resounding clarity, a composure that inversed Drelex and Entilla''s glazed eyes and slack jaws.


    Despite that, they showed up at my impromptu meeting, which I appreciated. When I hovered up into the room from below, a flood of shades rushed out of the darkness present. Those writhing, dark blots inundated the city below us, weaving between the buildings. They darted out of my city''s barrier while I sat in a gravity chair.


    Opening my pocket dimension, I pulled out two blue cores and floated them over to Drelex and Entilla. They gawked at the reward before Entilla mused,


    "Is this a bit of prepayment for motivation?"


    I shook my head, "No, it''s an extra payment for the speed. If you finish a city in a day, I''ll give you an extra blue core apiece."


    Their jaws slackened further, and I smiled at their surprise. Shalahora scoffed, "He makes dozens of cores a day. This is nothing to him."


    Drelex eyed the core before sliding it into his robe, "What is nothing to some is everything to others. Isn''t that right, Entilla?"


    The blue lizard stared into the depths of the violent, blue sphere, "I suppose, but either way, I need some sleep after this, extra payment or not."


    Drelex dapped his brow with his hand, a bit of magic applying moisture to his amphibious skin, "Me as well, me as well...The gesture is appreciated, however."


    I raised a hand, "And there''s plenty more where that came from if you guys keep showing up and showing out. Anyways, we have to plan out our expansion and assault on Valgus since we''re taking the fight to him."


    Drelex blinked, "We?"


    I raised a brow, "Not in actual combat, but you both will be fighting on the sidelines."


    Drelex let out a sigh of relief, "Just, ahem, making sure of that."


    Shalahora peered at his shades, "Their fears aside, my scouts have found disembodied primevals west of us. There, our enemies lie and wait."


    I nodded while appreciating the black hole above the world. Since this planet always faced that celestial body, it served the same purpose as the North Star did on Earth. It allowed us to orient ourselves regardless of where we were. The slight tilt of the black hole cemented that, letting us create a consistent reference angle.


    Technicalities aside, Shalahora pointed westward with an arm of condensed shadow. He simmered, "The psionically dead crawl across the land like a cloak of death, harvesting the liquid below as we do. In those recesses, Valgus and his ilk fester."


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    I leaned forward while musing, "Then he''s on the edge of the desert biome like we expected. I''m guessing he''s taking easy-to-collect rainbow bones and psionic liquid...Have we found his base?"


    "No. Neither your golems nor my shades have delved that deeply. Valgus''s operations don''t reside on the surface, and even in the tunnels below, he disperses outward in all directions. He is like a hydra with no head."


    Entilla raised a hand, "What if he doesn''t have a base?"


    I raised a questioning brow, and Entilla coughed, "Ahem, well, the situation is like this. Valgus knows he won''t be here for much longer. He needs to get everything he can from this place before being warped away. Knowing that violent lunatic, he''s not interested in growing roots, well, anywhere."


    Drelex spat out, "Valgus is far more interested in harvesting what''s already there rather than seeding the ground. Homicidal maniacs tend to operate that way."


    I liked the analogy, and I agreed with him. Thrumming my fingers on my armrest, I tilted my head at Shalahora, "Should we initiate now or wait a while?"


    Shalahora simmered, "Each second we wait is another he''ll use for his own purposes. This is why our hesitation is like a gift granted to him; we give him precious time for his plots, whatever they may be."


    I gestured to Entilla and Drelex, "Do you have any knowledge about Valgus and how he fought?"


    Drelex peered up, "Hmm, not to any measurable extent...Outside of his bout with you, of course."


    Entilla leaned against an arm, "You could ask a few of the rulers at the Survivor''s faction. They fought against him already, and their experiences could help us out. Probably."


    I tapped my fingers against my chair, considering for a moment. I shrugged, "Eh, it''s as good a plan as any."


    I stood, walking over towards the teleportation panel from the Survivor''s vault. After establishing a telepathic link to Shalahora, I thought over,


    "Yo, Shalahora."


    "Hmm?"


    "Before we were sent over to the Leviathan-7, you telepathically linked up to everyone, right?"


    "And what of it?"


    I frowned, "Valgus has probably infiltrated the Survivor''s faction already. I want to know who''s psyche has been changed since our arrival, and you''re the only person with a usable reference for that."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened, "That''s quite cautious of you. And risky. What if they uncover that I''ve been searching for them?"


    I narrowed my eyes, "We need to know who we can trust even if we expose some of what we know."


    Shalahora mused, "Then I shall connect as I did, though I will do so more subtly than before."


    I smiled, "Hah, way to use your head."


    "I am a shade. I have no head."


    I waved my arms, "Whatever, you get my point."


    Entilla frowned at us, "Uh, are you two telepathizing right now?"


    I raised a palm to Entilla, "We''re talking logistics. We don''t want information spreading further than it has to. Otherwise, you two could be captured and tortured, but if you really wanna know-"


    Entilla coughed into a hand, his voice hoarse, "Honestly? I''m good. Really good, actually."


    After giving them an approving nod, I tossed the Survivor''s warp panel onto the ground before channeling some mana into it. The archaic runes sparked to life, and like a starving vulture, the slate fed off my mana until it bulged at the belly. Literally. The panel swelled three times its size before turning into a perfect sphere. A ripple of energy coursed across its surface before a warp popped up in front of the ancient device.


    The portal exposed the survivor faction''s upper floor, rulers talking to my director and arguing over the autonomy of the massive battery I left behind. I pinched the bridge of my nose before pointing at Drelex and Entilla,


    "Get some rest, guys. We''ll be back in a few minutes."


    Stepping into the revitalized compound, Shalahora and I marveled at the difference a day of rest made. Several magicians joined the ranks of the rulers here, their opinions enmeshing with the low drone of the diplomatic rulers. Signs of their magical influence dispersed throughout the room, many of the maps becoming arcane in nature rather than paper and pencil.


    Those sorcerers constructed advanced holograms that replaced the two-dimensional maps and charts used prior to the sorcerers'' arrivals. Feeding those enchantments, several mana strings floated through the air, a telepathic web forming across the compound for communication and recreation alike.


    They even kept a variety of temperature orbs floating over the entrance to the room. If a species preferred heat, they gestured towards a red sphere, and it sailed over. Some misted over the surface of aliens while others dried the air instead. I spotted a cold, dry orb hovering over Alctua''s head, the blue lizard preferring a bit of a chill.


    She spoke with Obolis about the new raid paths they intended on making over the next few days. I walked up, the two of them peering up at me. Obolis raised a hand, "Ah, it''s good to see you''re well." Obolis''s eyes darted over Shalahora, "And you too, of course."


    Shalahora scoffed, "Your sincerity oozes like a dark poison."


    Obolis sneered, "Well, at least I tried to be polite. Any whom, what brings the both of you here?"


    A presence, dark and cold like a tundra''s night, crawled over my mind. I shivered before breathing out, "So, we''re about to assault Valgus. We need to know how he fights, what his tactics are, any information on him really."


    Alctua and Obolis turned to one another before peering back at me. Alctua raised a spiked brow, "The most educated on Valgus would be Iona. She led the Schema faction before being dismantled by that primitive beast."


    I nodded before gesturing to everything, "Alright, I''ll take that advice. Also, how is everything working out? Any kinks anywhere?"


    Obolis raised his brows, "Your adjustments have run smoothly, outside of a few mental collapses."


    I crossed my arms, "Mental collapses? Sounds pretty bad."


    Obolis peered down in disgust, "A few members overgorged on the mana supplies and were, in turn, overwhelmed by the energies they ingested. Apparently, there''s never enough warnings for certain people."


    Shalahora murmured, "For many, it doesn''t matter what form temptation manifests as. It always corrupts since those individuals are designed to crumble."


    Obolis peered at Shalahora with a sideways glance, "Perhaps...But shouldn''t you both be trying to find Iona?"


    Shalahora whispered, "I know where she is already. There''s no reason to search for whatever is already found."


    Obolis frowned but remained silent. He and I shared a glance, one where the Emperor displayed intense skepticism towards Shalahora. I shrugged before following the shadow Sovereign towards Iona. After passing several floors, we reached the armory where Iona patched up several wounded rulers.


    Despite the injuries, the atmosphere changed entirely. Several of the rulers laughed and joked around, each of them carrying joyful exhaustion. The kind of rugged joy came about from someone elevating themselves out of poor circumstances. Even if the situation was tricky in the present, the hope for the future made it easy to tread through.


    That energy saturated the room as Shalahora and I reached Iona. She stitched a nasty wound across a gray-skinned warrior, her brow furrowed and eyes sharp. A magical needle and thread held the two edges of the gash together, and in seconds, the mana seeped through the alien''s body. The congealed, blue blood evaporated into a glowing mist.


    Finishing the aid, Iona''s eyes darted toward us before letting out a sigh. She dragged a hand down her face, "What is it now?"


    I raised a palm, "You already know. We need to figure out what Valgus''s combat tactics are. It''s like my golem said yesterday; I''ve been attacked."


    Iona''s brow raised before she sat up straight. She grabbed her chin before murmuring, "What do you know already?"


    Shalahora tilted his head towards Iona, "And what difference does that make? Tell us what we wish to know."


    The Sovereign''s words set even me on edge, so Iona stammered out, "Er, well, w-we were attacked before we even knew what to do. Valgus assaulted us within a few days of our arrival, and that was well before we were able to do...Like, anything really."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "Then that would mean you observed an assault. Describe it."


    She raised a hand, "It was...So several rulers with Valgus attacked us. A few members of our faction did too, so our defensive lines collapsed immediately. We had no idea who was friend or foe, and we were dismantled in the confusion."


    Shalahora simmered, "Members of your own faction allied with him before your arrival?"


    She nodded, and Shalahora turned to me, "Then he''s been utilizing psionic methods since his arrival here. Either that or Valgus has planted spies within each faction pre-emptively. I doubt he is so calculating or careful."


    I shook my head, "Well...Damn, that''s pretty awful. Ok, so we''ll keep that in mind moving forward. Did you happen to see any attacks?"


    Iona blinked before shaking her head, "No...It was just pure chaos."


    She clammed up, the memories drawing her into a protective shell. I tilted my head at Shalahora, "We got what we came for. Let''s go."


    With the quick trip handled, we warped back towards my base. Once inside the city, I turned to Shalahora and telepathized,


    "So...Has anyone''s mind been heavily altered?"


    "Yes. 37 of the rulers carry a fragmented consciousness."


    I blinked before tilting my head, "Huh...37?"


    Shalahora nodded, "Those are the ones whose minds were unrecognizable from before. I didn''t believe the psionic replacements would be so shoddily done."


    I rubbed the sides of my face, "That''s bad news. Very bad news. Any particular names you could mention?"


    Shalahora sighed, "None that you would know. The majority of the converted rulers were quiet and withdrawn. This made them easy targets that wouldn''t draw suspicion should their minds be emptied. There are far worse events unfolding, however."


    I grimaced, "Like what?"


    In the distance, a flow of Shalahora''s shades arrived on the horizon. They darkened the sea of shining bones, their forms umbral and menacing. As they weaved in from overhead, they cast us in shadow. In the gloom, Shalahora murmured,


    "The Kalat survived your destruction, and they are leading a charge with Valgus to your cities. They reek of bloodlust and frenzy."


    My eyes set while my gaze lowered, "Then they head in for war?"


    "It is unmistakable."


    I grimaced, "Then we''ll clash."


    Shalahora waved a hand over me, several shades adorning portions of my armor. The Sovereign menaced, "They''ll let us communicate and act as your scouts."


    I pulled out several dozen blue cores, having them embedded into my armor. While pulling out their mana, I breathed out energized miasma. It floated down, a cloud of crimson red adorning me in a coat like living blood.


    I menaced,


    "Then we march to war."

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    I grimaced, "Then our kingdoms will clash."


    Shalahora waved a hand over me, several shades adorning portions of my armor. The Sovereign menaced, "They''ll let us communicate and act as your scouts."


    I pulled out several dozen blue cores, having them embedded into my armor. While pulling out their mana, I breathed out energized miasma. It floated down, a cloud of crimson red adorning me in a coat like living blood.


    I menaced,


    "We march to war."


    Chapter Begin


    I raised my hand towards my director golem, "We''ll need our soldiers organized. Get them amassed near the enemy''s line of attack. Organize them as we stated before."


    My director bowed, navy-colored mana wafting from between his metallic joints, "As agreed - two golems to every five primevals, and the golems stay back to control the charging assaults of our monsters."


    I smiled, "After all, that''s about what we can expect them to do."


    Shalahora''s shades intermingled with the various units, becoming scouts and informants to each line. They''d keep the battle organized and under our control. I raised a brow at Shalahora, "Any idea when they''ll arrive?"


    "An hour at the quickest."


    I nodded, bending at my knees, "Then I''ll be back by then."


    My director golem coughed into a hand, "What are you doing, creator?"


    I raised my brow, "Getting ammo."


    I bolted through my city''s barrier, the ethereal energy pluming out like pierced clouds. While darting through algae and the horizon alike, I rose into the sky. After getting away from my cities, I slammed myself to the ground, and these impacts mirrored my orbital bombardments. In tandem with blasting into the opalescent shards below, I opened my pocket dimension to contain what I could.


    I stored as much of the energy of the impact along with the resulting gamma burst. My body disintegrated into nothing time and time again, but with every passing hit, I gained another round for my dimensional shield to explode out. It allowed me to detonate a series of explosions from my pocket dimension in mass.


    I called it my dimensional eruption.


    While collecting the kinetic blasts and gamma bursts for the technique, I uncovered a nifty trick. Instead of regenerating where I landed, I kept myself in an aetherial state. I pulled my dimensional wake upward, above the algae, before reassimilating my physical form. This gave me a measure of stealth with my assaults.


    Instead of waiting at my point of impact, I left only a dark blur that traced down from the sky with my attacks. Having collected several dozen of these impacts, I returned to my set of cities. A mass of primevals raged along the outskirts of the plasma shield, the ascendant psyches hungry and lusting for blood.


    My golems contained them, their disciplines absolute, and Shalahora''s shades darted along unseen paths and darkened tunnels. Still present, a psionic connection formed between Shalahora''s shades and me. They escaped and returned after my orbital bombardments, and from this new connection, Shalahora murmured like a slow toxin,


    "He comes in moments from the far western hill."


    I bolted into the sky above my city, readying myself for an assault, "Let''s do this."


    Even from above the thick, kelpy canopy, I spotted the enemy primevals as they hovered or hopped in. The star beasts arrived first, their fleeting forms like living fire. They rode the wind and bolted across the sky, the celestial realm far more a home than the ground ever was. Following them were the gem monstrosities.


    These congregations of glowing gemstones existed as both the physical and the incorporeal. Strands of multicolored lightning rose from the bright shards below, feeding those shifting monsters. They rode just above the ground like shimmering shadows, and the air hummed at their presence.


    Beyond them, the ice and water primevals arrived next. Those demons carried a wave of fog and mist, coating the battlefield in a literal fog of war. From these clouds, rain drenched down like cold bullets. Lakes, streams, and rivers flowed with these monsters, each of them a storm in their own right.


    And the last of these primevals were the stone monsters. They carried forms condensed out of the best and brightest bones of their fallen brethren. They skulked across the horizon like the walking dead, each of them a juggernaut treading the ground with earthquakes in their steps and mountains of strength in each arm.


    I don''t know who followed after that.


    I landed in the middle of them, my body disintegrating in the kinetic aftermath of my collision with the planet. The surrounding area ignited in a flash of white light, and even the far-off algae crisped to ash. The shockwave of my impact left me immaterial, and I flowed through the battlefield like a ghoul. Wielding my mana, I pulled the regenerating primevals into my point of impact.


    And the gamma burst evaporated them.


    All the while, I collected more munitions for my incoming dimensional eruption. Once the gamma burst plumed, I pulled myself back above the algae. With the black hole Leviathan over my head, I bolted towards the ground, landing with another monumental explosion. In each dive, my body turned into a warhead, a bomb used without limit.


    And so, I reaped the benefits of my bodily destruction. The primevals here died in mass, the majority of them not even converted by Valgus. He simply lured them here through some unknown method. However, I turned his tactic into an advantage. I gained dozens of blue cores before he arrived, and his initial force turned into pocket change.


    Despite my efforts, the primevals kept arriving in mass. Though they didn''t number in the thousands, they did tally in the hundreds. The beasts also changed in form and function. Instead of being purebred primevals, these beasts carried rainbow bones as armor. Spines of the dead eldritch erupted from within, the liquid bone having hollowed out their minds.


    At the same time, rulers intermingled with the monsters. Many carried the same rainbow spines, meaning they were already dead. However, many of the rulers were left unconverted. These members rallied and controlled the primevals or their converted kin. They saw my impacts miles before reaching them, and they had already restrategized.


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    While I darted down once more, the wind whipped on my face. Before I made an impact, I spotted star primevals burning the algae above, giving them a line of sight. As I approached the ossuary''s floor, the glowing gemstone primevals congregated nearby. They impaled their arms into the bright bone piles.


    Peering at me with energized eyes, they wielded the rainbow bone as their weapon. It opened up where I was about to land. At the bottom of the pit, spines of bone erupted, and a pool of liquid bone oozed up. They intended on psionically killing me, having a trap to ensure I drowned in the shining liquid.


    This was far from enough.


    With a burst of gravitation, I turned my descent a few degrees. Landing on the side of the pit, I devastated a pack of converted rulers and primevals. In my intangible form, I wafted out of the impact radius using my sense of mana. That gave me a clear, vibrant vantage point, and I admired the cascade of spells coming my way where I landed.


    As a dazzling splash of colors, the energies crisscrossed below. The rulers also retreated from the area before the gamma burst ripped them to shreds. This tactical retreat dramatically lowered their losses. Not wanting to give them more time to think, I shot back up. I whirled in the air above the planet, the black hole dominating my skyline for a moment.


    Diving down, I turned myself into a dark, thin needle. This visual change let me land in the middle of their forces. Converted rulers and enemies died by the dozen before I made another dive. On my third dive, I shot towards the ground before a colossal primeval erupted from the bones below.


    It was an abominable fusion of many primevals, at least twenty of them plastered together into one howling mass. Its screams thronged out before it moved faster than its form should''ve allowed. A bolt of living lightning, it darted towards my descent before meeting my charge. The rough approximation of a fist met my plunge, and the world whitened in my view.


    I lost all comprehension of time and space before coming too nearly a mile away. Disoriented, I peered around and found the star beats burning the kelp far away. The mass of primevals marched towards my cities unimpeded, having already recuperated from my collisions.


    I grimaced before rising up once more. I thinned myself to a thread''s thickness, and my body stretched to its absolute limit this time. Despite my size and shape, the amalgam found me with ease. The mass of primevals turned and smiled at me, its teeth composed of bones, minerals, gems, and howling beasts. When I flattened my form, it met my charge with its own. My body disintegrated once more, utterly deposed of anything physical. Down to the atom, I dispersed.


    However, I kept my consciousness intact.


    I floated away from the absurd monstrosity, but it peered up at me in confusion. Swiping an arm through me, it tried to catch what it couldn''t see. A laugh erupted from the beast, and the broken bellowing merged with the sound. It was like a festering corpse giggling with glee, both alien and unsettling.


    The beast leaned downwards before jumping from a hill of bones. The landscape bent under its might, and it ran through me once more. My mind raced for solutions to retaliate against this abomination. This thing could easily swat me like a fly, and it took my orbital bombardments like a champ. That was my trump card, and it left me rattled that it matched my best efforts with ease.


    Mentally slapping myself out of my stupor, I remembered my other trump cards. Regenerating myself, I tried creating singularities in its body. It darted through me, destroying my form and leaving my singularities far behind itself. Despite several of my attempts, the monster flashed through me each time.


    The physical forces of the monster exceeded anything I''d ever seen, its charges strong enough to shatter moons. And shatter me. Thinking for a moment, an idea popped into my head. Instead of trying to get some distance, I closed in on the abomination. It spread its arms when I did and laughed with its eerie, unsettling congregation of howls.


    It pounded its torso, the kinetic boom destroying the nearby kelp forest. Once I reached within arms reach of it, the beast clapped on my position. Even when immaterial, it left my mind askew and my psyche trembling. It was incredible, far exceeding my orbital bombardments in strength. The sheer scope of the monster''s might was unbelievable.


    However, it wasn''t invincible.


    I floated into the godlike creature before pluming out gamma bursts, orbital bombardments, and gravitational singularities. From within, it enveloped in fire, darkness, and light. A cascading, rippling series of explosions turned the entire environment into a playground for physical forces. All life devolved into fuel for these energies, and they swarmed outwards with an eagerness to destroy.


    All life shattered, and these elemental forces laughed at the thought of anything other. They were absolute. They consumed. They devoured. They left nothing in their wake, being beyond the physical.


    As was I.


    I stood from the inside of the creatin, its body being blown apart. Blue cores glowed in the distance, many of them embedded into the rainbow bones. They shotgunned out like shrapnel, each of them invincible. Many of the primevals composing the colossal mass survived my onslaught, but others died.


    Before they rallied, I sprung into action. Blots of darkness consumed straggling figures, and bursts of radiation cooked fleeing forms. With an aggressive rage, I tore through the corpse of the colossal monster. I bit, pulled, ripped, and gnashed it apart. The pieces of the beast fought back, becoming like writhing entrails of an eviscerated belly.


    They swarmed in from all angles along with other rulers, my own body becoming akin to a distant memory. I flowed like an ocean, my blue cores long lost and my perspective wholly warped. Time lost meaning. My sense of scale lost meaning. I lost myself in the flowing force of war, survival, and desperation.


    After an indeterminate time, the battle calmed until I could hold my body together for a time. My senses returned, as did the colossal monster, though it shrunk. Despite that loss of size, it stepped towards me, and the ground for miles trembled and quaked. It spread its arms, a roar erupting from its maw.


    Primevals shivered in fear of the apex predator amongst their midst, and the colossal amalgam laughed with broken faces and shattered minds. A wave of fear rode up my spine before I peered around. Behind us, the incoming force of enemies clashed against my city''s barrier. They swarmed against the blue core''s forcefield, finding it tens of times more potent than before.


    My soldiers routed and rallied against them, finding openings and weaknesses where there were none. Shalahora kept the fight under control with his shades while wielding light like an illusion, turning vision and sight into his plaything. He controlled any primevals not already psionically killed, and they turned on our enemy.


    However, the enemy swarmed with numbers unending. I turned towards them before the giant mass of primevals cackled out, "You...Stay...Fun not over."


    It was like listening to a symphony of screams honed into a voice. A primal fear raced up my spine at the sheer torture of the monster, this battle being its only hope for an end to its excruciation. Wriggling in my vision, the mass of energies and bodies flowed towards me. It popped into my vision before my vision was gone.


    Using my mana sense, I hovered through the monster, erupting the same forces as before. It escaped the worst of the attack, leaping from my dimensional eruption. This dance continued, each of us swarming back and forth. The two of us fell into that cadence, our minds grappling with the dynamism and duress of our attacks.


    I couldn''t even hold a physical form against the beast, but despite that overwhelming advantage, I whittled it down in time. The gargantuan mass turned from a mountain to a hill to a mound. As I destroyed more and more of its body, the creature laughed with a voice relishing the battle. It thrived on the pain, and it gorged on its wounds.


    Each blow or strike I landed evoked glee from the monstrosity. In time, its voice constructed into a deeper, more brutal sound. Howls gave way to the sound of iron, ash, and smoke, the sound familiar, one forged in war. The form of an asura took shape out of the primevals, its many arms and red skin smiling down at me.


    The sentient wore a frenzied smile and jagged scars across his skin. Captured eldritch swarmed in his armbands as before, but they numbered in the hundreds now instead of the dozens. When patches of his cipheric runes popped up between the eldritch mass, it became undeniable.


    Valgus stood in the middle of the primevals.


    As an extension of himself, the creatures flowed around him. I tore one of the last of those creatures from him with a singularity before he roared out at me. With the swing of his arm, he smashed a hill of bones apart.


    The opalescent shards misted out like powdered glass.


    I darted out of that glistening cloud before Valgus leaped from it. The sparkling cloud traced behind him before he wrapped his hand around my helmet. He lifted me up and slammed me into the bones below. Peering down, his hair flowed like a flame.


    He spread four of his arms while bellowing over the chaotic hellscape,


    "We meet again, blighted one."

 354 Madness

    Valgus stood in the middle of the primevals.


    As an extension of himself, the creatures flowed around him. I tore one of the last of those creatures from him with a singularity before he roared out at me. With the swing of his arm, he smashed a hill of bones apart.


    The opalescent shards misted out like powdered glass.


    I darted out of that glistening cloud before Valgus leaped from it. The sparkling cloud traced behind him before wrapping his hand around my helmet. He lifted me up and slammed me into the bones below. Peering down, his hair flowed like a flame.


    He spread four of his arms while bellowing over the chaotic hellscape,


    "We meet again, blighted one."


    Chapter Begin


    Valgus squeezed his hand, aiming to crush my skull. I liquified in his grasp, materializing above him. With my hand raised, I hit him across the back of his skull, but my hand and arm snapped on impact. Valgus turned and swiped his arm, and he moved through me once more. The asura grinned with tusked teeth,


    "There it is once more - a form that is liquid."


    He tightened his fist, and the impact of his fingers radiated out with a sonic boom. The shockwave erupted, splattering my molten body in all directions. I condensed back above him before slamming telekinetic blows into his sides. The rebounding force from my attacks broke my arms and crushed my fists.


    I frowned while Valgus grinned. With his arms spread wide, the asura sounded out, "I am invincible. You will know this after today."


    He clapped his hands together, another wave of kinetic energy splintering out. It rivaled my orbital bombardments, the physical forces beyond reckoning. I stayed in position, using another dimensional eruption aimed at his head. A cacophony of sounds and an explosion of energy rippled out, and our surroundings disintegrated.


    But Valgus remained unharmed, even the flowing hair across his head. He laughed before roaring, "Awe-inspiring. Truly."


    I grimaced, "You''re not the first immortal I''ve fought, and I beat the last one until he lost the will to fight."


    I grabbed at his skull, my fingers wrapping around his entire head. I condensed a singularity in my palm, but no mana bent where I willed it to do so.


    Valgus grabbed my arm, "You will find that the universe has ceased before I will choose not to take a fight laid bare to me...And as for your petty attempts at harm...Well-" He crushed my armor and bones in his hand, "To magic, I am untouchable. To the physical, I am unbreakable."


    He laughed, "And to you, I am finality incarnate."


    I opened my pocket dimension, splattering molten dimensional fabric over him. He spread his arms outwards, the glowing mass splashing out with a heated sizzle in all directions. At the same time, I swiped my dimensional shield over his head. Valgus dodged backward, but my pocket dimension caught him at his shoulder.


    It sliced through his invincible body with ease like a katana through bamboo. Organs and blood exposed themselves to the air while Valgus''s eyes widened. He blinked in surprise, "What kind of magic is that?"


    I dashed towards him, swiping my shield again. With his three remaining arms on his good side, Valgus reached out. He bolstered his palms with mana, and he caught the edge of my pocket dimension. He reached in and pulled his captured arms out before kicking through me.


    I disintegrated while he put his limbs back in place. Rolling the shoulder of the cleaved arm, he scoffed, "Impressive effort, but ultimately pointless."


    I rematerialized above him before frowning. So far, Valgus lacked any weaknesses outside of dimensional capture. I pressed that advantage, attempting to restrain him with the rainbow bones while swiping my shield over him.


    Any time I approached, he wiped my body clean from existence. He crashed through walls of rainbow bone as if they didn''t exist. Even when I closed the gap, he caught my shield and grabbed inside it. At one point, he nearly pulled a dying ruler from its confines.


    At that point, I quit using that weapon, and my minds raced for another solution. Valgus gave me no time to consider my options, the asura darting toward me once more. His fist tore me apart with ease, and I was helpless. But so was he, and I couldn''t be killed by something like punches or kicks anymore.


    He splintered me into nothing several times over before I laughed at him. For all of Valgus''s tenacity, he lacked flexibility. He continued his destructive attacks, keeping them simplistic and brutal. After a while, it felt like I was battling against some overgrown child, but given the body of a god.


    And I took full advantage of that fact.


    I assaulted the psionic shackles on him, finding the defense absolute. Well, at first. In time, cracks in them began to show, though the minute cracks were so small I questioned if they were even there in the first place. I kept launching timed mental attacks while trying out different approaches to the physical side of the conflict.


    I found no weaknesses for Valgus. Unlike Lehesion, his body absorbed the brunt of my onslaughts with sublime ease. He carried no waning fatigue, and he never changed his approach. Time and time again, I splattered like a dropped egg. Over and Over, Valgus continued this simplistic assault.


    During the entire blitz, he never once checked on his forces. So far, he cared nothing for them, giving me hope while sending a nervous chill racing up my spine. The aftermatch of Valgus''s strikes destroyed mountains and splintered the clouds. He could kill and destroy the cities I laid out behind me at any point.


    He hadn''t because I was a more tempting target, but I had no idea how long that would last. Even worse, if Valgus survived this lottery and found Earth after this was over, he could kill every person alive. A burst of anger exploded in my chest as I remembered Schema announcing my home planet''s name.


    This was why that bothered me - it attracted unwanted attention. I raced for ideas about putting Valgus down, and Althea kept popping up in my head. One of my minds explored that idea. Althea was the best answer because she didn''t play by standard rules. She ignored defenses entirely, no matter what they were, and that was because of the influence of Etorhma.


    Peering at Valgus, he was no different. However, instead of being given the ultimate sword, Valgus was given a supreme shield. Taking my time, I inspected the properties of the shield. I sensed the mana, the gravitation, heat, and other physical properties surrounding Valgus, but every sense gave me a different set of rules for him than everywhere else.


    If I guessed right, someone changed the rules of the physical world for Valgus. The only thing capable of that would''ve been the cipher, and the only ones capable of using the cipher to that level were the Old Ones. Well, maybe Schema, but I hadn''t seen anything like this so far from the AI.


    So until I cracked the code of how this was done, I couldn''t kill or even hurt this guy. But Valgus Uuriyah''s death wasn''t my only goal. Taking a calculated risk, I rematerialized closer to my city. Valgus darted towards me, splattering my body like a bubble of water encapsulated in ice. This time, I incarnated at the edge of my city''s battle, leaning close to Valgus''s allies. As I expected, Valgus darted in once more, and he erupted an explosive attack of titanic proportions.


    The aftermath left his own side reeling.


    He killed a converted ruler and disintegrated the bodies of several primevals. Some enemy rulers peered up at Valgus with fear, and a few tried shouting at him. I erupted several singularities near the asura, and the booming bursts stopped their protests from reaching his ears.


    It was just as I had hoped. Valgus shot towards me, emboldened by bloodlust and riding my kinetic implosion''s shockwave. Before he reached me, I stood still and slowed time. Several minds went to work on different tasks of the battle, and we prepared to use Valgus against his allies.


    One mind kept an awareness of where we were relative to enemy rulers and my golems. Another psyche thought up angles of Valgus''s attacks that would hurt his own but leave my side unscathed. Several other minds helped me position myself while the rest kept inching down Valgus''s psionic restraints.


    Valgus reached me, and his fist arrived with the devastation of a nuclear bomb. Blow after blow rained down like the hammer of a god. Death after death, Valgus culled his own and left me with minimal losses. He laughed. He cackled. He raged and roared, wanting for nothing more than the battle to continue.


    A kind of insanity overtook him, his mind lost to the sensation of battle. He cared little for his allies. No, he outright didn''t care for them at all. He gave no concern for their lives, and he whittled his own forces down with the glee of a blood-crazed butcher. After an hour of baiting him, a dark voice rippled in my ear,


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    "We have turned the tide of this war. I may join you know."


    My armor smiled at Valgus, the grin jagged. I thought back to Shalahora,


    "Good. Let''s tear those psionic defenses into splinters and his mind next."


    Shalahora jumped into the fray, using his own powers to help contain Valgus. The shadowed Sovereign wielded illusions constructed out of dampened light, and they left Valgus confused and full of wrath. The asura laid out that wrath at the abyssal sights Shalahora forced on him. Valgus couldn''t strip the illusions from his eyes no matter his efforts.


    The invincible warrior culled his own kind, becoming our greatest weapon. As our numbers dwarfed theirs, the enemy rulers began losing their spirit for battle. They fought with far less fervor, becoming fearful in mind and soft of heart. Two lost control of their hollowed primevals, and the monsters feasted on them.


    Another ruler, a battle-hungry berserker, saw the sight with wide eyes. The ashen war markings hid the wrinkles across his orange skin as terror spread over his face. He took a step back before turning around. As he ran, Valgus stopped fighting. The clashing forces of war passed over the asura''s body before he took a deep breath. Valgus spoke like a soft wind, but his voice covered the entirety of the battlefield,


    "Is that fear I smell?"


    Valgus closed his eyes, Shalahora''s illusions no longer cluttering his view. The asura bolted towards the retreating warrior, and he landed beside him before picking up his ally by the throat. Valgus tilted his head at the berserker and smiled. Hostility oozed off Uuriyah''s frame as his eyes opened to narrowed slits.


    He murmured, "Are you...Trying to escape the battle?"


    The ruler grabbed Valgus''s arm, trying to cut at his skin. The orange-skinned berserker''s nails broke, and he roared out, "This isn''t battle. This is a massacre."


    Valgus tilted his head in the other direction while speaking like a chiding mother, "But I thought you relished in a massacre? What makes this so different?"


    The berserker frothed out his words in anger, "We''re the ones being massacred, you idiot."


    Well, that did tend to make all the difference.


    A genuine smile traced up Valgus''s lips, "And? It''s still blood. It''s still an outcome. It''s still a consequence."


    I gawked at the scene, a shiver running up my spine. The berserker growled, "We fight for glory, but there is no glory in a meaningless death."


    The skull squished in Valgus''s clasping palm.


    "Nonsense."


    The blood splattered over the asura, and he spread his hands, closing them and sighing with relief,  "Ah...Do you feel that? His death was only a meager piece of this battle''s crescendo. It beats with the music of mayhem and the cacophony of killing." Valgus frowned, "Yet, the glory of his passing could''ve been the beat of a drum instead of the whimper of wilted courage."


    He roared out, "I told all of you. We came to battle for glory. That glory is not in our gain - it arrives at the conclusion of our conflicts. Baldowah speaks of finality and our ethereal existence. He believes that our lack of permanence is what makes us so compelling, and that is why he watches from afar. If that lack of perpetuity is what sets us apart, then why should we avoid death at all?"


    My jaw slackened. Valgus was totally and utterly insane.


    Valgus smiled, his eyes wide, "March towards it, and bring forth its call to all that you can. We will usher in the finality of life, its presence a cycle of destruction. That lies at the center of our call - life. All fight to bring forth its creation. Only a few battle for its end."


    Valgus cackled, "And that is why we stand here. We are on death''s side, and death stands with consequence and conclusion as his brothers. Hold those brothers in your arms-"


    Several rulers saw right through the meaning of his speech, and they sprinted away. I couldn''t blame them. Valgus ripped out several shards of rainbow bone from the ground and lobbed the spears at the escaping rulers. They exploded into bloody vapor as the spears made contact like large bullets.


    Valgus gasped in dismay and genuine shock, "You''ve joined me. You may choose to die by my hand or at our enemies. That, or choose to fight for the chance to live. Regardless of your choice, two threads of fate will match together now, and only one will remain thereafter. That is totality brought forth from concept to reality."


    I turned towards Shalahora, who met my gaze. We spoke no words and made no gestures, yet somehow we understood precisely what the other thought - Valgus was a total lunatic. It left me baffled. I mean, I always assumed people exaggerated rumors about people. If someone said, ''This guy''s a battle-crazed barbarian,'' then I believed he had a penchant for battle.


    However, if anything, this guy''s rumors fell shockingly short of what Valgus was actually like. He didn''t want to win. He just wanted rampant death and chaos to please the whims of Baldowah. It was a petty, small existence for such a grand and powerful person, but the more I learned about avatars, the more they followed that pattern.


    They were tools for a hollowed god.


    It left me sad and resolved. My helmet pulled back while I rubbed my temples, "Shalahora...I can''t kill him physically. Can you warp him away or restrain him?"


    "He exists without physical limitations. Baldowah has blessed him with some kind of...Immunity to harm and eternal power. We are blessed that he battles with a brain the size of a walnut."


    I smiled, "Now, wait just a minute. What did walnuts ever do to you?"


    Shalahora cackled before my face sharpened. I frowned at Valgus,


    "What''s the plan?"


    Shalahora simmered, "We will strip that psionic protectant bare and lay his soul under siege."


    "Then let''s get to it."


    Valgus found another ruler trying to escape, so he slaughtered the member. By then, his side was demoralized to the point they were nothing more than headless chickens. My golems and primevals gored and gouged them apart while their lines collapsed. After all, a reckless charge had merit, but a disorderly retreat was destined for failure.


    And so, they were slaughtered. Valgus continued battling with a grin on his face, and in time, my golems joined the fray. Primevals of mine also arrived in mass, and we coordinated our assaults to get the most out of our efforts. I lobbed out my strong magic, Shalahora sent out shadowed slices, and the rest distracted the asura.


    It wasn''t enough.


    He continued pressuring our entire army without any signs of struggle. No sweat. No fear. No racing eyes or heaving breaths. Valgus wiped dozens of primevals apart with each swing of his arm or kick of his leg. He tore through the rainbow bone with ease, and he decimated the shield of my city with a single swipe. If anything, he showed fewer and fewer limitations as we fought.


    Outside of his psionic barriers, that is.


    Shalahora and I joined forces with my golems and his shades. We pressed down with the might of many, whittling those protectants down. We tore through one splintered eldritch soul after the next, peeling the multi-layered defense back one layer at a time. We even found the shattered souls of the Kalat; the entire race turned into a piece of Valgus''s psionic securities.


    Grotesque as it was, we dismantled those trapped within. When I found a large enough hole in the psionic bulwark, I glimpsed at Valgus''s psyche underneath. An eerie feeling washed over me like diving into an ocean of red. Valgus was an embodiment of war, and his mind carved itself until nothing but battle remained. That, and some strange, warped presence that seeded in the back of his mind.


    I probed towards it, finding some kind of dormant titan. It hibernated without any inkling of stirring. It satisfied itself with the actions of its host, and that kept it slumbering soundly. I grimaced at the feeling before thinking back to Shalahora,


    "Something''s off about this."


    Shalahora''s body dispersed as Valgus wrought him apart. The shadowed Sovereign menaced, "This will not be the first mind I''ve slaughtered. They all carry an oddity or two, most of them fabricated for their defense. This is no different."


    I shook my head, pulling myself back from Valgus''s mind. I tugged at Shalahora''s telepathic tether while thinking, "We need to stop until we know whatever that thing is in the back of his head."


    Shalahora shoved my mind aside, and the shadow radiated confidence, "There has never been a mind that has equaled my own. No individual. No construct. No entity. I will pull this beast apart from the inside out, and your fear will not stop me."


    My eyes narrowed, "Tell me then. Were you Mesmera''s equal?"


    Shalahora''s mental battle ceased. He seethed, "What did you just say to me?"


    Before Shalahora''s anger manifested, a curious entity arrived in an instant. Its aura conquered the entirety of the battlefield, muting sound, heat, and even light. Shalahora simmered, "Why would you send that abomination an invitation?"


    Mesmera suppressed the roar of battle and turned it into a whisper. It murmured, and the low sound radiated through us,


    "Ah, you remembered me, little one."


    Shalahora trembled before his shifting form shrunk. His eyes closed, and he molded into a shadow nearby. Mesmera spoke out to me, "You are still here. You''ve called me with cause, no doubt-"


    I condensed my dimensional space while standing still. The thing bounced off of me, unable to slide into the depths of my mind. I let my thoughts hone in on Valgus, who still battled beside the city. He smashed a primeval apart before laughing at the eerie presence.


    The asura howled out, "You feel of Baldowah but weaker."


    I had to give Valgus some credit. He had balls.


    Valgus kept howling, "Little Old One, what brings you to our domain? Were you whispered of? Or are you observing us to witness time''s passing as well? To feel the intensity. To relish in finality as Baldowah does."


    Mesmera spoke with a deep chill, "What has been done to you is disgusting. You''re a shadow of what you were, aren''t you? You...Are shattered, and what is left is simply sad."


    A flash of confusion spread over Valgus''s face before a smirk replaced it. The asura smashed his fists together, "You use words to weaken me, for you are little else. Come. Tell me your name, and we will battle."


    It replied, "Others speak for me and of me. You and I shall speak no longer. Goodbye, shattered one." Mesmera turned its intent toward me, "And we will see how long that little trick of yours works, little one. I learn from our every encounter, and I will change. Remember that."


    As Mesmera left the battlefield, my mind raced at the possibilities of the conversation. Connecting to Shalahora, the shadow shouted at me, "Why would you summon forth that thing-"


    "I needed you to stop prying at those psionic restraints, and I didn''t have time to think of other things to say."


    Shalahora''s anger dampened before he murmured, "Psionic restraints? They are defenses."


    I shook my head, "I don''t think so. They aren''t meant to protect Valgus''s mind from someone''s attack. They stop his mind from becoming unsettled."


    I gazed at the asura, "He''s not a warrior."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened as well, and the shadow whispered,


    "He''s a prison."

 355 A Sea of Red

    I shook my head, "I don''t think so. They aren''t meant to protect Valgus''s mind from someone''s attack. They stop his mind from becoming unsettled."


    I gazed at the asura, "He''s not a warrior."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened as well, and the shadow whispered,


    "He''s a prison."


    Chapter Begin


    Shalahora sent out an umbral slice towards Valgus, the lack of light lingering for a few seconds after the blade passed. It cloaked Valgus in a dark ooze, one that the asura tried peeling off. Shalahora thought over,


    "If he''s a prison, then what is he holding?"


    I peered as Valgus ripped chunks of darkness off of himself. I bit my cheek while thinking, "There are a dozen different things it could be. Either way, someone set Valgus up to be a moving fortress, and if we crack that cell open, we really don''t know what we''re letting out."


    Shalahora sent out two more dark slices, "That entity might be what''s empowering Valgus to such an extent. He is the container of a spirit, and it emboldens him until he is unstoppable."


    I lifted my arms, smothering Valgus in rainbow bones from below, "He could be a host."


    Shalahora tilted his head, "Of what?"


    I kept piling more rainbow bone onto the asura, "If I had to guess, it''s something related to the Old Ones."


    Shalahora rolled his eyes, "As everything is, apparently."


    "On this planet, yeah, it seems so. Anyways, the point is, I have a policy of not messing with the Old Ones as a rule."


    Shalahora tilted his head at me, "Yet you are composed partially of interdimensional energies. You also show forms of the cipher that are based on Old Ones'' standard forms. You''re doused in their aura and presence, considering you''re trying to avoid them."


    I tensed my jaw, "Let''s just say that wasn''t entirely by choice."


    Shalahora''s stared at me with piercing eyes, "If what you say is true, then you are a walking contradiction."


    I threw my hand at him, "You seem to hate the Old Ones even more than I do, but you''ve struck deals with them in the past just like I have. Sometimes, it''s inevitable."


    Shalahora peered off, "We are both forged by circumstances in many ways."


    Valgus erupted out of the pit of rainbow bones, and he grabbed six pieces of rainbow bone. He tossed them at us, each of his throws tearing us apart. I came with Valgus in front of me, and he grinned with glee. He swiped a hand through my face before I thought over,


    "Look, Shalahora, my point is that unsealing this thing in him could be pretty bad for us. It might leave us with more contact with those giant weirdos, and I''d really rather not talk to them anymore. Yeah, that''s despite my armor being influenced by them."


    Shalahora rushed over and broke an energy dagger on Valgus''s back. The shadow jeered, "Armor? You wear nothing."


    Huh. While peering down, I watched my legs get destroyed by Valgus. I never thought about it, but Shalahora was right. A wave of reticence passed over me, and I smiled at myself. I''d been this way for years, yet something like that made me feel self-conscious. Hah. I rematerialized myself towards the ground before dodging Valgus''s dive downward.


    The asura fell into a pit of dark ooze that Shalahora filled. Valgus tore through the tar before dashing towards us. He ripped me apart before swinging at Shalahora. The Sovereign weaved between his strikes as he thought over,


    "If we wish to leave his prison unruptured, then how will we rid ourselves of this imbecile? He''d be content swinging at us until the end of time, and I tire of this already."


    I shrugged, "You and me both, but at least we know we''ll be sent away at the end of the lottery. This ends at that point at the worst."


    Shalahora menaced, "But how long will that stop this war-loving idiot? Valgus may hunt either of us down to finish this fight. I know little of this asura''s circumstances, but I don''t doubt his willingness to throw everything aside for a fight."


    Shalahora''s form dispersed around several of Valgus''s swings before the shadow oozed out, "As for your circumstances, I''m sure you have a home elsewhere, one that Valgus may decimate should he find it."


    My shoulders tensed, "Yeah. I''m guessing the same for you?"


    "In a sense, yes."


    I peered around before looking up, "Well then...It looks like we''ll be using some environmental hazards to our advantage then."


    Shalahora looked up with me, "Perhaps so."


    I raised a brow, "Can you hold him?"


    Shalahora washed over Valgus before the shadowed chains pulled the asura upward. Valgus flexed his musculature with enough force that wind erupted off of him, as did Shalahora. I gawked at that, stunned by the simple yet effective strategy.


    I lobbed gravitation at him, but it couldn''t touch the guy. Telekinesis fizzled anywhere near him, and with some frustration, I materialized an iron pillar under the unyielding asura. He ripped it out of the sharded ground before tossing the metal at me. I split it apart as Valgus laughed, and Shalahora appeared beside me.


    I looked at the shadow, "Let''s coordinate."


    Shalahora let out a disappointed sigh, "I would try anything to stop this simpleton."


    We rushed towards the red figure. Valgus clapped his hands at us, erupting a wave of kinetic energy. I blocked with my dimensional shield while Shalahora warped towards a nearby shadow. My allied Sovereign threw a blot of darkness over Valgus while I tried swiping my shield through him.


    Valgus waved his arm towards me, and the dark spilled onto me instead of him. The shadows splattered over me for a split second before Valgus swiped his arm in my direction. At the very least, I no longer had to worry about the shadows since I lacked a body. Regenerating above the asura, I erupted a few more bombardments of forces from my shield.


    At the same time, Shalahora lobbed sun splitters from below. The large strands of darkness stretched out like dark lines drawn across the scenery for miles. They connected with Valgus from above and below, but the absurd power shattered against the asura.


    Valgus grabbed my foot and hurled me towards Shalahora. Shalahora whirled around me before I splattered against the ground. Valgus darted in from above, but I planted my hands on the bone shards. With psionic dominance, I controlled the nearby rainbow bones. Enormous, opalescent pillars shot out of the ground, piercing Valgus.


    He grabbed four of them while laughing once more. He snapped them like twigs before hurling them at me. Once more, my body disappeared before I came back. Shalahora wisped beside me, and the shade murmured,


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    "This has gotten rather dull, hasn''t it?"


    I pulled back my helmet and dragged my hand down my face, "Yes. It has."


    Valgus tilted his head at us, "Boring? Are you two stupid or simply cowards?"


    I marveled at his singlemindedness while pointing my thumb at my chest, "You mean me? I''m stupid and a coward?"


    Valgus snapped, "Yes. Both of you."


    I turned to Shalahora, and we laughed for a bit. Valgus flushed a deeper red while howling, "And you laugh at me? For what cause?"


    I shook my head, "How about we call it for today. Neither of us has gotten anywhere."


    Valgus''s eyes narrowed, "I can feel you weakening with each regeneration."


    I blinked a few times, "Uh...No, I haven''t weakened. Like, not even a little bit. I''m the same."


    Valgus grinned at me, "Your attacks have gotten far more flimsy and less destructive. That is a sign of your weakness in and of itself."


    I held back the urge to look at my city nearby, the settlement being why I held back some. I waved a hand at Valgus, "Look, I''m doing just fine. You haven''t even dented me."


    Valgus scoffed, "You attempt to weaken my resolve since you can''t weaken me. Your words will fail as you have."


    I leaned back, "Wait...No, I''m serious. You haven''t even hurt me at all. This has been a relatively easy fight, all things considered. If anything, it''s boring."


    Valgus rolled his eyes, "So dying tens of times is considered an easy and boring battle these days?"


    It was my turn to grin.


    "For me? Yes. Yes, it is."


    Valgus''s smile dampened before he landed beside me. He swiped me into non-existence, and I regenerated right back in place. I shrugged, "See? Nothing doing."


    Valgus swiped me apart again, but I stayed in the same position. He swung seven more times, his cadence building a brutish momentum. I sustained through each attack before ruffling his head,


    "You can''t do anything but swing at me. I told you when we first fought - that isn''t enough. It hasn''t been enough for a long time."


    Valgus jammed his hand through my chest, but I stared at my gauntleted fingers. I tried mirroring Helios''s casual boredom, and I spoke with disinterest, "You are a master of the physical, but I am beyond the physical. Duh."


    Valgus wrenched his other hand into my chest wound before splitting my body. With my rived corpse beside me, I reappeared without any injuries, "This is less than nothing."


    Valgus gawked at me in confusion before a wide grin crept up his face. He spread his arms and cackled, "Hah, this is a test from Baldowah. I relish in the challenges you''ve given me, oh mighty one. Gaze at the finality we create, and I shall grant it to this supposed immortal."


    Valgus was a broken record, but calling me immortal caught me in the chest for some reason. I''d faced immortals but never considered myself one. As I gazed at the lifeless eyes of my split corpse, Valgus''s words rang true. I was just as immortal as he was, perhaps more so.


    In all honesty, it shouldn''t have bothered me, but I tended to change faster than my ideas of myself did. Trying to reverse that trend, I wrestled out another idea of how to handle Valgus. Turning to Shalahora, I thought over,


    "After he deletes me again, blind him."


    "Easily done."


    I threw myself at the asura, finding him slower in my vision than before. I traced the lines of his swings, predicting where and when they''d land. After a few hits of my own, the guy scraped me. My body disintegrated before Shalahora lobbed shadowy muck over the asura. Valgus clapped his arms at the blob before I opened my pocket dimension while immaterial.


    I moved the upper portion of my portal to his stomach. Valgus leaped up, dodging most of the swipe. However, I caught one of his legs, and Valgus peered down in confusion. The wild berserker''s eyes widened before he lurched for my portal. I closed it before darting above him. His eyes followed where I was, though he didn''t see me.


    He growled, "Give me back my limb, weakling."


    I left him in silence as I bolted away. Valgus roared out before tearing two of his arms off. He put them onto his thigh, and the bleeding wounds healed. However, his arms didn''t regrow, the missing limbs trapped in my pocket dimension. Valgus leaped off of the fresh yet deformed limb with a weakened gusto. Even when mitigated, his jump was more than enough to catch up to me amidst the algae.


    The barbarian hunted me down with enraged vigor, and he frothed at the mouth while trying to grasp me. After taking him away from my cities, Shalahora and I met above the clouds of kelp. I thought over to Shalahora,


    "I''m using the leg as bait. Let''s toss him into that black hole."


    "Consumed in darkness...A fitting end for one lost in war and blood."


    Shalahora dashed in, his body becoming a writhing, dark foam. He reminded me of ocean waves at night, and Valgus''s form was a red star writhing with motion. They tore at one another, a dark tide meeting a raging sun. As they shifted and toiled, I charged mana into my body for several minutes.


    With plasma oozing off of me, I pulled Valgus''s leg out of my pocket dimension. As I grasped the limb in my hand, Valgus darted at me like a red bullet. While I couldn''t use mana on Valgus, I could use it on myself. A ludicrous panel of gravity pulled my arm over my shoulder as I tossed the limb up towards Leviathan-7.


    My shoulder ruptured from my torso.


    My entire arm splintered into fragmented, glowing mush. At the same time, Valgus''s leg fired right at the center of Leviathan. It hit a point where it shrunk in our view before freezing in a spot several miles overhead. We gawked at it, the three of us confused. The first to move, Valgus jumped off the air near him, sending out enormous shockwaves rippling below us.


    Reaching his frozen limb, Valgus stuck out his hand to grab his leg. Somehow, he ignored the overwhelming gravitation at that level. However, when his arm passed a certain point, Valgus''s eyes widened - he couldn''t move his hand. He tried jerking it out with his other arm before that limb reached a point of no return as well.


    It left me stunned. I couldn''t believe we were so close to the event horizon of Leviathan, but the evidence laid bare before me. Valgus reached into it, and Old Ones or not, he couldn''t stop a legitimate black hole''s pull.


    Shalahora shot toward Valgus, and that knocked me out of my introspection. I created a panel of steel and lobbed it at the asura, hoping to push him into the dead zone he hovered at the edge of. Simultaneously, Shalahora sent shades and dark slices out, and our attacks crashed into Valgus.


    Dolloping drops of plasma, Valgus ignored our impacts, his expression grim and muted. After several minutes of struggle, he grabbed the two stuck arms and tore them off his body. He lost a hand and a forearm when he tried to save what he lost. He missed two hands and a leg now.


    The asura''s jovial, bloodletting smile shriveled into a bitter, hateful glare. Valgus boiled, "I will crush and kill both of you. After I''ve finished annihilating your being, I''ll find your homes. No one, not even a single member of your species, will survive the apocalypse I render."


    He drifted down from Leviathan while I crossed my arms. I taunted,


    "It''s just like I thought. You don''t like fighting. You just like winning."


    Valgus lost all sense of reason before he dashed towards me. I let out a sigh before some kind of alien presence crept over us. I bit my lip, recognizing the sensation as both familiar yet different. I grumbled, "Is you-know-who back?"


    Shalahora simmered, "No. This is a different Old One."


    My stomach sank as my vision blurred. Around me, a line of red consumed my surroundings. It rose up and over everything, even Valgus. The asura reached me with a maddened roar, but the crimson wave flowed over him, and all was gone. My sense of sight returned, but no color besides red remained.


    They took on different, brilliant shades around me. Bright crimsons, deep maroons, and illuminated burgundies soaked into everything. A sea formed beneath me like dark wine. Above, the sky took on the shade of splintered cherries that plumed in all directions. Leviathan eclipsed, a moon appearing where the celestial body once stood.


    In the waves below, mutilated corpses floated. None of the bodies rotted or stank of death. They effused the gritty scent of iron, sweat, and dirt, an aroma that rose from the waves like the muddied blood of war. The paradigm shift continued, pouring into and through every aspect of my being.


    My hearing altered. The gentle drift of the waves wobbled in my ears, stretching and morphing into a high-pitched drone. Even slight sounds sharpened until they rang in my ears like whipping blades or clanging swords. Every sound left me irritated, the subtle sounds forming a recursive loop that fed on itself.


    I covered my ears with armor, but it blocked no sound.


    The essence of this old one effused through my skin, muscles, and bones. It filled my mind, and my thoughts inverted. My thoughts thundered out in rage, and all other emotions fizzled. I tried thinking of happy memories, but only moments of wrath splashed in my mind. It left me unsettled.


    Every thought diluted through this new prism, and my every doubt, fear, and emotion devolved into a form of anger. For minutes, I floated in something akin to memory as if I lived the lives of Mars and Ares. My everything melted into war and battle.


    I was war and battle.


    Gasping for air, I calmed myself as much as I could, but I still writhed with rage. Around me, all was still for a while, and I thanked that pinch of time since it let me adjust to this bizarre world. Once I gained some footing, I peered around, my eyes bloodshot. I spoke with a calm intention, but my voice seethed,


    "Where the hell am I?"


    An ataractic voice ebbed from within my mind,


    "Ah. The Harbinger. We finally meet."


    I growled out, "Who are you?"


    "You know of me already." It laughed before continuing,


    "I am Baldowah."

 356 A Goal

    Every thought diluted through this new prism, and my every doubt, fear, and emotion devolved into a form of anger. For minutes, I floated in something akin to memory as if I lived the lives of Mars and Ares. My everything melted into war and battle.


    I was war and battle.


    Gasping for air, I calmed myself as much as possible, but I still writhed with rage. Around me, all was still for a while, and I thanked that pinch of time since it let me adjust to this bizarre world. Once I gained some footing, I peered around, my eyes bloodshot. I spoke with a calm intention, but my voice seethed,


    "Where the hell am I?"


    An ataractic voice ebbed from within my mind,


    "Ah. The Harbinger. We finally meet."


    I growled out, "Who are you?"


    "You know of me already." It laughed before continuing,


    "I am Baldowah."


    Chapter Begin


    I snarled out, "And I''m Daniel...Now let me go, or I''ll tear you apart."


    The rasp in my voice shocked me, but instead of surprise, my emotion released as outrage. Those thoughts boiled in my head before several of my minds went to work. They tried different experiments while the others listened to Baldowah. The Old One omened,


    "Like all the others, you''re consumed with emotion. Don''t fret yourself over it - I am accustomed to such a reception. Now, onto more important aspects of this greeting."


    Even after a few words, I could tell that Baldowah was different. It radiated, "You''ve known of me for a time, actually. Just as you knew of me, I''ve known of you. I''ve seen your battles with Baldah-Ruhl, Yawm, Lehesion, and many others. I''ve been eager to meet you since."


    I blinked, my mind racing for ways to hold back my anger. I shouted, "That''s something we don''t have in common. I''ve never wanted to meet, see, or hear about you. Any of you."


    Baldowah spoke as if he expected me to scream at him, "You despise us, Old Ones? That''s fascinating. Most entities wish to envelop themselves in the gifts we offer."


    "You aim to destroy us."


    "That isn''t quite right. We intend to offer gifts, but we lack the perspective to offer anything useful. You see, it''s difficult for us to conceptualize your world, let alone interact with it. That''s often why we use subtle means and methods for our interaction. Anything overt oftentimes leaves unintended consequences; we undo what we wish to create."


    I heaved for breaths, quiet anger fuming in the back of my mind. I resented my emotions, as Baldowah was the most open and useful Old One I''d ever met. I''d waste this opportunity if I just screamed nonsense at the being, but what other option was there?


    None at that moment, so I howled,


    "Then that''s why you always leave your champions broken like used toys?"


    "That''s a perspective that is perhaps fair. I''d argue that we give hammers to you all, and you break your limbs with them. Think of Lehesion. He was granted a rebirth by Eonoth, yet his second life made his first life seem like heaven. Is that not proof that you will all waste it no matter the gift given?"


    Wanting to growl at him, I chose not to scream out. I kept quiet, and my minds took on different kinds of anger. The coldest of them closed my eyes and spoke, "Eonoth knew that would happen. He enjoys watching us writhe, doesn''t he?"


    Baldowah mused, "He knew nothing of the sort. Eonoth knows all and is a being of immeasurable power. However, that is where we all exist. Where you are, he is as limited as you are...In a sense."


    I seethed, "Everything is in a sense, isn''t it? And besides, he manipulated our timelines to destroy a Spatial Fortress. How is that limited, exactly?"


    "Ah, so you sensed what he actually did then? Hm...It was a risky venture. I''ve never felt time until I''ve visited your domain, and neither had he. As always, that being defied expectation. To handle such a soft, small concept so deftly...It was awe-inspiring."


    "Once again, why is that showing his limits?"


    "Because to us, that should be simple. It''s made difficult by how frail everything that you exist upon is, but that frailty is mesmerizing. I relish its flavor. That and meaning. I''ve never experienced either of those sensations, but now I chase them."


    The more Baldowah spoke, the less I understood. It droned, "In a manner of speaking, I walked from one prison to another, and I am chained to those new, vibrant sensations. In my dilution, I''ve found purpose. In my fall, I''ve found a cause. Your world is one of coexisting opposites, and it''s incredible."


    The awe in his voice silenced the waves of the eternal sea around us. I sneered, "Enough chatter. What do you want from me?"


    "Your servitude and more, in time."


    A coursing, volatile rage coursed through my mind, but I held it down, "No. I''m not some plaything."


    Baldowah sounded appalled.


    "Hah, what? Of course, you aren''t. You''re rare in your world, a true immortal untouched by our meddling. That gives you unique status, and that''s why we wish to make contact with you. You crossed one of the thresholds between your kind and us."


    I kept myself contained with long, hard breaths. I matched my fiery waves of anger with my cold ones, finding a precarious balance. With a neutral, quiet rage, I spoke with disgust, "What are you?"


    Baldowah scoffed, "We don''t know. We simply are. You are the same, are you not?"


    I simmered out in frustration, "Stop with the word games. I don''t have time for it."


    "You do. You have all the time you''ll ever need. That and your unique constitution are why many Old Ones have contacted you. They wish to use you to enact their own will onto your...Hm, place? Is that what it is? I suppose so."


    I closed my eyes while rumbling, "Why do you all want to influence us? What''s your aim?"


    "We are...Watchers from afar. Imagine you watched a play. However, its acts are random and unruly. Now imagine you are an actor. I wish to have you, a performer, enact my will unto that play, and through your influence, I''ll have my parts depicted."


    I didn''t like the sound of that, but at least Baldowah''s motives were comprehensible. I raised a brow, "What kind of parts do you want to see?"


    "You heard Valgus speak of it - finality and consequence. I love your concepts of war and fate. They are like beautiful mirages to me, and they speak the most clearly of meaning and time. I envelop myself in that fantasy, knowing they are hollow concepts to me yet so real to you all. By association, I experience a piece of it as well."


    A spark of real anger formed in my chest, fusing with the unrelenting rage of the red ocean around me. I kept it still while glaring at the red moon, "So you enjoy death?"


    "Yes...Many of your kind have misrepresented me, but that is a fact - I cannot deny death''s beauty. I enjoy the beginning of things as well, but death carries a weight that beginnings lack. Beginnings are freedom. Endings are absolute. It is the collapse of freedom, where life meets history and potential meets reality."


    I shivered with an uncontrollable rage, "So...This is a game to you?"


    "No. It''s more than that. It''s a purpose. It''s a goal and a meaning to me. I''ve lived forever, and I may touch upon any event, time, or outcome. I branch across all timelines, having experienced all there is...Yet you...Your branch has been severed. And it rots. That rot gives meaning where there is none. In that decay, scarcity is created. It is...enrapturing."


    I frowned, "Rotting branch? And is that why Yawm came to my planet? You''re telling me that was all to find meaning for you all? Is that why Etorhma feared Yawm?"


    Baldowah laughed before jeering, "Fear? Us? We are beyond your kind. Imagine drawing a figure onto a page. You carry the same influence against us as your scribbles do to you. You''ve simply mistaken Etorhma. He feared his gift''s influence, not that which he gave the gift to."


    I remembered Yawm''s deteriorated state, the cipheric runes over his skin having ruined his mind. Lehesion''s deformed body popped into my head, orange pustules pressing up from under his skin. I clasped my hands into fists, "Etorhma twisted him into an abomination. He tried doing the same to me."


    "It wasn''t intentional, though intent means little to you."


    "It means nothing to me."


    "Hm. The difference between you and Yawm is that you are far more robust than Yawm ever could be. He was wood. You are metal, as Eonoth puts it."


    "You talk with Eonoth?"


    "And the others. We speak in echoes, but the inklings of our intentions are sometimes heard."


    At this point, Baldowah incited genuine irritation in me. The thing kept talking about their actions in a disconnected, inconsequential way. It made all of the Old Ones seem like impassive observers who toyed with whatever they watched, and I didn''t enjoy being toyed with. My hometown was leveled because of these beings. I nearly died countless times too.


    That annoyance built in me as I shouted out, "Those are meaningless words. You''re treating my world as entertainment whether you''ll admit it or not."


    "That''s because it is entertainment. Everything in your universe will perish in time. You''ll become nothing. Your memory will become nothing. Every atom you''ve touched will become nothing. That is all there is, and that is all there will be. All will become heat after the death of your universe."


    My eyes narrowed, "You''re contradicting yourself. If this is just entertainment, then why does it give you meaning and purpose?"


    "Simple. The limitations of your universe are novel. At no point have I denied their merits, but I will not lose myself in the illusions they present. They are transient, and I will tire of them eventually. We all will, but the journey will be invigorating."


    I taunted aloud, "You''re wrong, and you know it."


    "Oooh, really now? How so?"


    My minds raced into action, all of them debating, so I didn''t misspeak,


    "You can experience everything, and from the sounds of it, that makes everything meaningless to you. You''ve found meaning in our limitations. That means that you can''t have meaning without limitations. Otherwise, you would have found that meaning since you''ve experienced everything."


    "It''s still a novelty. That''s it."


    I shook my head, my voice growing sad, "No. You''ll never know what it means to live with a purpose. You''re just grasping at something you''ll never know. What you''re doing is no different than a human grasping for infinity - it''s impossible and foolish to even try."


    A wave of silence passed over us before the red waves grew in size and scope. They wobbled up and down, and the sea turned stormy. Baldowah radiated out, "Perhaps arguing with the omniscient and omnipotent is a poor idea? You might enact consequences upon yourself that you cannot afford to bear."


    I grimaced, "Huh...You''re weak. I let you know what I think out of respect. I thought you could handle it. Tell me, was I wrong?"


    A pause coursed over us before the sea stilled. Baldowah laughed for a long while before he spoke out with an unnerving cheer, "Hah! You are one of the few who have kept their senses in my presence. This is precisely why I find your world''s ever-shifting tides amusing and meaningful. That was an excellent display of your world''s concepts, and I simply can''t outdo you while existing in this comprehensible form."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Baldowah''s admission of defeat felt like its victory. It radiated, "Regardless of what you say, I understand how impermanent this all is. Every planet will become dust and atoms in time. To you, that may seem distant. To me, that is here and now."


    I raised my hands, "Then why even toy with us if it''s so pointless?"


    "I don''t toy with any of you. Each of you is precious, in a sense."


    I looked around, "You''re talking in circles, but is that preciousness why you''re here to save your pet?"


    "Pet?"


    "Yeah, Valgus Uuriyah. You''re here to save him, aren''t you?"


    "He''s chosen his path, and it''s a dark one. I wouldn''t dare to ask my followers to tread the brambles and briars he races through. He will do that alone."


    The more I heard the Old Ones speak of Valgus, the more pity I felt for him. Something awful happened to the guy, and I was curious about what it was. Baldowah interrupted my musing,


    "I''m actually using my avatar''s call to action as an opportunity to speak with you. On the other hand, Valgus will die, or he will survive as he always has."


    I leaned back, "So you don''t care about your avatars?"


    "Valgus Uuriyah is no avatar of mine. Quite the opposite, actually."


    A wave of confusion passed over me, and it fused with my anger to become frustration. I fought through it while thinking. Based on what Baldowah said, Valgus worked against the Old One. Considering that and the fact that he was a prison, Valgus''s current state started making sense. I rumbled out, "Ah...Valgus contains one of your previous avatars?"


    Far off in the distance, the moon blinked like a bloody eye, "Yes...That is correct. Would you wish to free my warrior? I will reward you."


    I bristled, "Reward? Don''t look down on me. In fact, don''t touch me. Don''t even speak my name."


    "Ah...It would seem your sense of reason is passing. It''s most certainly time for my presence to overwhelm you as it does the others. Inundated or not, it was a noble effort for you to contain yourself for such a length of time, but I''ll leave before you are driven mad."


    I pointed at the moon, "Your aura''s one thing, but my own anger is another."


    "Oh...Your rage is adding to my presence? Interesting. What has you so angered, little one?"


    I shouted out, "Isn''t it obvious - you''re messing with our worlds. If you don''t know what you''re messing with, don''t do it. Simple."


    "That''s a reasonable logic, but I''m sorry to say you will find yourself more angered in time. Our meddling will only become more prevalent, though I will attempt to keep the others measured in their influence."


    Red eyes opened where the craters of the moon formed. They gazed through me,  "However, there is little I may do. Eonoth is powerful. Etorhma is sly. Mesmera is unavoidable as your kind cannot control their thoughts. I do pity your predicament. If it helps you, I hope that your world isn''t left shattered like the others, but I cannot control what they''ve chosen to do or will do."


    I blinked, a wave of dread rolling over me, "You''re telling me that more Old Ones are coming?"


    "Of course. There is no limit to us, and you all exist outside the scope of all that we know. Why wouldn''t more come?"


    I stared down at the red ocean below me as Baldowah said,


    "And we will arrive. We''ll cut up where you infest, and we''ll find our own meaning in your temporary existences. Many will die and survive as you always have. It will simply be because of us instead of the natural forces you experience."


    I peered at the dark moon, "Why?"


    "Why not?"


    "Because we''re fighting to survive. You could at least respect the effort. And you don''t have to do this. You could sit by and watch."


    "For your first statement, I''d like to establish a simple fact - you all die. Even you will perish eventually. If your deaths happen to stem from us, it makes little difference. As for your second statement, I could say the same of you, yet you interfere with the world around you. I am here now, and I''ve chosen to do the same."


    I raised my hands in frustration, "We die because of inevitable realities around us, like growing old or starving to death. It''s not because someone is forcing our death...Most of the time. And your second argument is awful. The kind of changes you''re putting out there makes everything worse."


    Baldowah laughed before chiding, "Child, you mistake yourself. To you, we are as inevitable as those forces you speak of. Far more so, actually. Gravity can be fought. So can time. I am beyond both, so there is no difference in the cause of your demises. Both are uncontrollable to you."


    Baldowah spoke with finality, "Accept it and move on. Your kind is good at that, and I admire that perseverance."


    A darkened, malevolent sensation crawled up my spine. It wasn''t anger. It was something closer to hatred, so I snapped, "You''re nothing more than a bored scientist playing with the corpse of a dog. There''s nothing inevitable about you."


    Baldowah wondered aloud, "You compare yourselves to the corpse of a dog? No, you''re more akin to...Hm, parasites, maybe? It''s hard to define your existence to us. That''s part of what makes you all so interesting to interact with. Speaking of which, how about we establish some kind of deal?"


    I stayed silent. Baldowah''s voice heightened, "I''ll take your silence as interest. If you free the ensnared avatar within Valgus, I''ll give you great power. That is why your attempts to harm Valgus are foiled - you fight against something you don''t understand."


    I resolved to uncover what means these avatars used for their invincible bodies. Once I dismantled the rules that kept them safe, they''d have to face me on their own merit...Something I didn''t expect any of them to match me on.


    Baldowah wondered aloud, "Power...It''s something your kind always wants more of that...Right? It must be a tempting deal, but to specify, it will be great power in combat. I wish for you to bring forth the demise of others, and you have many enemies you could kill already. Remember Elysium? I can give you the ability to crush them. Same for Schema, should the AI cross you further."


    Baldowah rumbled his words through this realm, "Tempting, isn''t it? You could taste infinity, but you will lose a part of who you are. Such is the sacrifice of exceeding limits that are otherwise unbroachable."


    I bit my tongue to keep myself quiet. Baldowah kept talking, "You''ll need to let go of your goal to save the eldritch. I quite like the eternal battle they put your kind in, and there''s a twisted irony to it all that I find so delicious. Schema and I agree on that point, which is the primary reason that little automation thinks I''ve allied with it. Hah. Foolish."


    I blinked a few times, struggling to keep my words suppressed. Baldowah omened, "And worry not for new foes. Once you''ve crushed them, their loved ones will become your new foes, and they''ll kill some of your family and vice versa. Inevitably, a cycle of vengeance will form. You''ll battle on forever, as my other avatars have."


    I marveled at the red moon, my sense of disgust fading. Baldowah understood so little about us and why we lived. No matter what I said, it would never relent. I mean, I wasn''t the first person to argue with it or the smartest one to either. Reasoning with it was pointless, so I had only two options.


    Let it be or fight it.


    I peered at the waves below me, the shifting liquid mirroring maroon-colored wine. This entire conversation robbed Baldowah of his previous mystique. I imagined some otherworldly being with unknowable intentions. Instead, I found a binge-watching junkie hellbent on turning our world into a war film. In a way, it made all of my efforts up to now seem pointless.


    If some all-powerful being could wipe everything away with the snap of its fingers, then what was the point in doing anything? And based on what Baldowah said, everything would fade eventually. It left me spiraling in existential dread, and a pit of nihilism was where I found myself.


    Even if I avoided these entities, they''d seek me out with their avatars until I joined one of them. Then, I would fight an eternal battle, one without cause or merit that was dictated by an entity that understood nothing about us. I was in a kind of rat race, but instead of being financial, it was entirely built on fighting.


    Schema wanted me to kill eldritch and Elysium, and Elysium wanted me fighting Schema. Baldowah tried to turn me into a machine of war, one that created endless cycles of killing. It felt inescapable, suffocating, and like I was twined into some string of fate, an awful one. I never believed in the concept before, but it reared its ugly head at this moment in a commanding fashion.


    The rage around me molded with that sense of helplessness, and it whispered to let the wrath consume me. My life would be so much easier if I forgot about anything outside of fighting. I mean, I''d eventually amass enough power that I could challenge these entities and win. Would they let that happen? Would I even want to kill them after going through what they wanted me to experience? I doubted it.


    A wave of disgust passed over me for contemplating that vein of thought. Regardless of what anyone thought, I was more than a warrior. I was more than some simpleton who beat people to death with his fists. I had a lot left to learn, but I''d taken a different path for quite some time. Despite my decisions, these all-powerful beings kept trying to put me back in that box repeatedly.


    In one sense, it left me humbled that only my fights left a mark on them. From another perspective, it made me feel pity for these entities. They chased these absurd, idealistic realities where their whims were put into action. Schema wanted us fighting eldritch, Elysium wanted a utopia built on torture, and the Old Ones wanted...Well, whatever the hell the Old Ones wanted.


    The problem was that their goals were manufactured and hollow. I never had to worry about that. I had my plate full just trying to survive, let alone thrive. That''s why they kept fighting to sign a contract with me. It was so that they could take my place, which meant my position was something they envied. I had something they wanted and couldn''t have, whether they admitted to it or not.


    Armed with that knowledge, I spoke with stone in my voice, "I won''t let it be."


    "After all that thought, and that''s all you have to say? You will let us be...You all will. Obviously."


    A resolve formed in my chest. I was one of the few capable of making a difference, and I intended to do just that. I glared at the red moon, and it peered through me. I spoke with a quiet, raging calm,


    "I will become a hunter of you and your kind. You will regret peering at us, and I''ll ensure it."


    It laughed, but my voice omened over the laughter,


    "Give me time. That''s all I need."


    The voice replied, amusement rich in its tone, "But you will never reach us. You never can. It''s impossible, and your foolish for even thinking you can."


    I shrugged, "There was a time less than ten years ago when I struggled to pass my high school classes. Now, my mind has become many, and my body has become an army. I''ll spread an empire across the cosmos, one that''s better than these farces I see everywhere. Before you can end it, I''ll find you. I''ll find all of you."


    I seethed, "I''ll drag you down here, or I''ll reach wherever you''ve manifested. When I find you, be ready."


    Baldowah spoke like a teacher talking to a new student, "You simply don''t understand where I am and where you are. I am not like the others. I have been within your realm the longest. I''ve touched and tasted it, which gives me the means to convey my thoughts...To a degree."


    The Old One scoffed, "You''re a parasite on a corpse, and you don''t even know it. You may defy the limitations of those around you, but that means nothing to me. Less than nothing, as it shows your lack of perspective. You feel you are a king, and perhaps it is true. If you are one, then you are the king of leeches."


    Baldowah impelled, "If you wish to rise above a mere parasite, simply drink the blood of the waters beneath you. Writhe in the mud, and I''ll watch happily."


    Below me, the waves opened eyes, and elongated smiles formed on pits of the water. Baldowah whispered, "This will be my last offer. You may drink this blood below and never need to worry in battle again."


    My eyes narrowed, and I lifted a hand with a glowing, cipheric rune. It fed on my flesh, and I stated,


    "The only blood I drink is my own."


    "Hah...then so be it. Perhaps your mind will change after you''ve seen what Valgus can do to you all, and remember, little one, he merely holds an avatar within." The eyes blinked, "It was good to speak with you, even if you''ve lost coherence towards the end. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    Around me, the sea of red drained. Spirals of blood whirlpooled into an unseen abyss, the kelp of Leviathan-7 returning to my line of sight. The hollow smiles reached the whirlpools, and they laughed like a chorus of children. The eyes cried tears of blood as the moon eclipsed with the crimson sky overtaking it. In time, sound dulled, becoming a muted shadow of its sharpened self.


    The light of Leviathan returned, and I peered around.


    The red dissipated like a body bleeding out. Thoughts intermingled in my head, a mix of dread, sadness, and terror rushing in. The other emotions almost hurt to experience, like opening curtains in a dark room. The light contrasted what I adapted to, its brilliance blinding. These emotions took on the same sensation, the worst being panic.


    I facepalmed, wondering why the hell I spoke back to an Old One like that. I usually held back as much of my opinion as possible, but I shouted at the bloodied moon like some maniac. The aura of madness overwhelmed me more than I''d like to admit, but the consequences were set in stone.


    I announced war against the Old Ones.


    I could only pray they wouldn''t take me seriously, and by the sound of it, Baldowah didn''t mind much. As the welled-up fear and panic faded, a glowing ember of resentment remained. It came with pride and intention - I''d drag the Old Ones here and show them some ''purpose'' and ''meaning.''


    A part of me congratulated the new purpose. I''d finally roused a goal for myself, one I''d made on my own. Even if the Old Ones found it laughable, we''d see how long they found it funny.


    Blinking for a few moments, I centered myself back on the moment. Around me, everything remained in perpetual stasis. Valgus stood above us, maimed by his attempts to regain his lost limbs. Shalahora sent out spirals of darkness at the asura, and below us, my golems harvested the results of our battle. I rubbed my temples, wondering what to do next. Peering up, I bolted towards Valgus.


    Time began moving once more, a sort of lag affecting the others. They regained motion over time, and I slammed into Valgus before he could attain his previous dominance. As I hit him, his body remained motionless. His eyes peered down at me, a smile creeping up his face. I rolled my eyes as he grabbed my arm.


    My casual disinterest altered into fear as Valgus slung me into the abyss of Leviathan''s event horizon. I pulled myself out of my body as my corpse flew into the field of no return. It stalled like all other objects, becoming part of the scenery. I regenerated beside Valgus, and his smile waned as he growled out,


    "It would seem Baldowah has tried blessing you. Why did you deny him?"


    I smiled, "Eh, it was probably the same reason you denied him, right?"


    Valgus blinked at me, utter bafflement spreading over his face. He scoffed, "I''d never do something of the sort. I am carved in his image, and though it''s a poor rendering, I''ll do my best to see his changes wrought forth."


    Shalahora''s blades sliced into us, the dark flames sizzling on my armor. Valgus and I traded blows, my bones breaking against his fist while he destroyed me. After landing on the rainbow bones below, I lifted my arms. Pillars of rainbow bone sliced up at the asura, but he caught them again. His eyes glazed over as he crushed the rainbow bones in his hands.


    He murmured, "Baldowah...You''ve returned so soon. What is it, my lord?"


    I raised a brow, peering at Shalahora. The shade shrugged, understanding about as much as I did. Valgus blinked a few times before frowning,


    "But why? Have I disappointed you?"


    Seconds passed, and Valgus''s shoulders slumped, "No, please, I didn''t mean to refute you. I shall do as you command."


    Valgus''s eyes regained their previous sharpness. He narrowed them at me while murmuring, "As you''ve no doubt heard and felt, Baldowah commanded me to leave. I''ll do as the great one asks, but know that this is no retreat. I''ll find you both again at another time. May we share it in battle as we do now."


    Valgus turned around, and I thought to Shalahora, "Baldowah didn''t pass over us, right?"


    "If he did, I felt none of his presence - not even the smallest inkling of it."


    Valgus leaped across the shining hills of the horizon, and I raised a brow, "Can you have a shade follow him?"


    "I already have one doing so."


    I turned towards the chaos left behind by the clashing armies, "Well then...We''ll see where he and the others are holed up after we clean up this mess. And yeah-"


    I grimaced, "It looks like someone''s convinced Valgus that they''re Baldowah."

 357 Infiltration

    Valgus turned around, and I thought to Shalahora, "Baldowah didn''t pass over us, right?"


    "If he did, I felt none of his presence - not even the smallest inkling of it."


    Valgus leaped across the shining hills of the horizon, and I raised a brow, "Can you have a shade follow him?"


    "I already have one doing so."


    I turned towards the chaos left behind by the clashing armies, "Well then...We''ll see where he and the others are holed up after we clean up this mess. And yeah-"


    I grimaced, "It looks like someone''s convinced Valgus that they''re Baldowah."


    Chapter Begin


    I winced at the prospect of someone controlling that oaf before peering at my city''s remains. The barrier still held though the color dampened into a semi-translucent sheen. The outside faired far worse, becoming a cratered warzone for several miles. Sifting through the chaos, I gave it a closer look.


    Deep craters and carved valleys stretched in random, disparate directions. They held no set pattern, and bodies of other rulers sprawled out in the distance. We annihilated them, and my golems picked them up for looting later. Following one of those golems, I flew into my city with Shalahora.


    A pile of those bodies amassed, and my director observed it in silence. Several golems'' bodies joined the mound, their cipheric centers torn apart. Only the blue cores remained, and the director stared with a stoic gaze. I put a hand on the primordial golem''s shoulder, "It''s ok. You''ve done the best you could."


    The director gripped his arms behind himself, "And it''s also an observable reality that my best wasn''t good enough." His head twitched before the director shook it off. He glanced, "I''ll see if I can''t improve my management until occurrences like this are no longer the norm."


    Shalahora faded in beside us. The shadow murmured, "There is nothing normal here. It is all chaos, but that is no fault of your own."


    The director sighed, "But...Chaos is simply how we describe unknown patterns and unforeseen outcomes. If I knew-"


    I squeezed the shoulder pauldron, "Enough. Quit beating yourself up. Undeserved guilt is a useless emotion, and it wastes time."


    The director squeezed a hand into a fist, "Yes, and perhaps using my time more efficiently now may save more of my kin later."


    I let his shoulder go, "Are these the spoils of the war?"


    The director let his hands down to his sides, "Yes, along with our casualties. I was hoping you could give them a kind rebirth with a new body. They''d carry on the legacies of their forefathers."


    I nodded, "I''ll remake every last single one."


    The director peered down, staring at the lowest bodies, "That...That would be much appreciated."


    We gave the bodies a moment of silence before separating them into two piles: rulers and golems. I helped process the rulers, peeling off helpful tech, gear, and runic markings. This passed the time for the next few hours after the battle, giving me a good idea of how much we collected.


    A lot of it looked more valuable than it was, but Drelex and Entilla would help me sort the wheat from the chaff. As for the cipheric inscriptions, a lot of them involved combat-related utilities. Rapid communications, internal maps, and data recording intermingled with generic augmentations like speed and strength. The rest of the loot involved blue cores in abundance.


    The battle involved hundreds of deaths, and most of them were primevals. With all of it said and done, we gained 543 blue cores. It dwarfed any expectations, but we left with losses this time. 48 cored golems piled up with a few more missing. We lost even more converted primevals, but they weren''t a priority.


    Shalahora inspected the damage without the same sadness, though he held a meeting with his shades before we moved on. With the damage sorted through, I handed off the tech to Entilla and Drelex. After hearing a few half-hearted complaints from them, I left and met with Shalahora outside my attacked city.


    I peered at the shadowy Sovereign, the craters surrounding us, "You ready to find where they''re hiding?"


    Shalahora lifted an arm, a shade whispering to him, "This way, Sun Swallower."


    Shalahora assimilated the shade while saying, "We are all prepared for what is to come. Follow."


    We darted across the landscape, both of us avoiding primevals. After a few minutes of passing the shining horizons, we neared the edge of the desert. At the cusp of the endless sands, we landed at the sight of some fallen kelp. The stuff died all over the place, but the large eldritch always ate the dying algae.


    I grabbed the edge of the leathery plant matter, "This isn''t fresh. It''s sun-dried and weathered like an old boot."


    Shalahora molded himself under the fallen algae before standing beneath it. He turned to me like some child in a creepy sheet costume for Halloween. He tossed it aside like a stage cape, "It covered the entrance. Let''s go."


    We walked through a tunnel into the great labyrinth beneath the shining hills. After crisscrossing a dozen forks and diverging paths, converted primevals began intermingling with the other eldritch.


    Shalahora cast us in darkness, and we kept moving around the beasts, though it slowed our pace quite a bit. As we skulked beyond a pair of primevals, Shalahora thought aloud,


    "What did you think of Valgus?"


    I raised my brows in the gloom, "He was a pitiful, broken man with no future and a destroyed past."


    We snuck past a room shaped like a bottle with three primevals. Descending into another winding tunnel, Shalahora murmured, "Did you fear him?"


    "No."


    Shalahora stood still, peering at a converted primeval, "I did."


    My lips thinned, "Uh, why? He couldn''t even touch you."


    "There are three things all fear: the past, the present, and the future. I have nothing to fear from what Valgus has done, and he may not harm me in the present. However, I believe he may omen my future."


    I blinked, remembering how Shalahora mentioned a rough past and having to meet with the Old Ones. He could be in an irreversible situation like Valgus, so I frowned,


    "Are you a prison too?"


    "No, and I could never be one."


    "Then what''s got you so melancholy?"


    "It''s that Valgus seemed stripped of who and what he was. I worry I will be the same."


    I blinked, ruminating for a bit. I scratched my neck, "Yeah, I worry about that too sometimes."


    Shalahora let out a joyless laugh, "You are still free. I am a shadow in both form and function. I linger like a corpse of my old self, and Valgus was no different. Even now, I wonder if I am a puppet to forces I don''t understand."


    I peered up, not knowing what to say. A couple minds went to work, and I leaned into their thoughts on the matter, "We''re all puppets in some way, but it sounds like you''re worried about which strings are pulling you...Right?"


    Shalahora peered through me, "An odd way of putting it, but yes. I am being pulled by many strings I no longer wish to bear."


    I shrugged, "That''s the thing - I think most of those strings are a choice."


    "But choice is often an illusion."


    "You''re right about that one."


    "Would you choose your species'' continuation or your own dilapidation?"


    I frowned, "My species, of course."


    Shalahora spread his arms, "Then what comes after that is no longer a choice, but a series of outcomes disguised as choices. I worry that those consequences will continue their unstoppable march until they chain me as they have chained Valgus."


    Shalahora dropped his hands and peered off at a converted primeval, "He and I will become brothers in bondage, each of us different sides of a hollowed husk."


    A silence passed over, the remaining primeval stone still like a statue. I grimaced, "I''ve met a lot of Old Ones, and I''ve tried to limit my contact. However, they always seem to leave a mark on me somehow no matter what I do."


    Shalahora peered back at me, "Hm...Then what mark did Baldowah leave?"


    I remembered my new goals and glared at a wall, "A mark he''ll come to regret."


    Shalahora nodded before turning forward, "I hope you''re correct about that. If anything deserves retribution, it''s those entities haunting our worlds." He molded into the gloom, "Come. The faster we find them and scout, the quicker we may leave."


    We rolled through the tunnels, passing around a dozen sets of guards. After reaching past them all, the tunnels widened until they mirrored caverns. The cave rooms molded into massive entrances, all leading to a single place. Shalahora and I stepped out to it and marveled for a moment.


    The opal shards thinned, becoming like colored glass. Patches of this glass shifted the shades of the light of Leviathan. They mirrored stained windows, the expanse larger than any church. Sand dappled those rays, creating majestic mirages of light. Those beams radiated onto rolling hills of smoothed bone since this tunnel was made of a single piece of the stuff.


    We stepped into the enormous, underground world. A charged wind rolled through the tunnel, and each gust swelled with rippling energy. It was more miasma than air as cyclones of sand rolled across the smooth floor. My hair charged with static, and in the distance, a crackling boom thundered across the tunnel.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I peered out as lightning struck the sand. It melted the sand and bones below. A glossy, smooth, and glowing texture pooled up in its aftermath. I smiled, now knowing the cause of this smoothed interior. Shalahora and I skulked into this otherworld, keeping ourselves hidden as the temperature rose.


    In time, it sweltered like a furnace, the air blurring in the distance, and the environment remained consistent until we found an oddity. A series of rectangular shapes rose from the ground on one edge of the grotto. We made our way there, seeing people inhabiting the rectangles.


    Rulers huddled into the chambers of Rainbow bone, but whenever we closed in, we found no home here. Someone trapped the rulers within these rectangular cells, and the capturer implanted strands of rainbow bone to pin the rulers in place. Worse still, opalescent spines pierced out of the rulers from within.


    They were all psionically dead.


    No enemy rulers or primevals guarded the place, so I walked up to one of the cubicles. I met an invisible wall around it. The entire area was sealed off from its surroundings. If I pressed on the invisible barrier, it didn''t budge, and a knowledgeable individual carved cipheric inscriptions on the walls. Those markings soaked in the air''s energy to fuel their effects. Beneath it all, dozens of blue cores helped hold everything together.


    Peering at the prisoners, they held them here like artifacts in a museum. If anything, the constraints were excessive; they already drank the liquid bone until their minds died. Peering closer, they all still breathed. I peered off and blinked a few times, trying to clean my eyes. Someone had them drink the bone and huddled them into these cells while alive.


    Valgus wouldn''t have done this. He''d have just killed them, but someone convinced him not to. I rubbed my temples while wondering why do all this and for what? To hold them here? It made no sense, and Shalahora thought over to me,


    "This is such a strange prison they''ve created. Why have Valgus''s company killed these rulers and strapped their bodies into these...These pillars?"


    I shook my head with a hand on the runes, "I have no clue, but they''re not dead."


    Shalahora murmured, "It would be better if they were."


    I nodded in agreement while thinking of how to free them. I scratched through a few of the runic markings with telekinesis. Before I did any real damage, a few wild primevals flew by us, each looking at the prison cells. I stopped tampering with the prisons, knowing my pocket dimension was filled to the brim already. I couldn''t save them anyways since they were all dead where it mattered.


    Shalahora and I kept moving forward, finding more of the cells. They were put at even intervals, and we passed hundreds of them. Nearly all of the missing rulers were stuffed into these states of comatose. The more I looked at it, the stranger I found the entire prospect. I couldn''t even imagine a reason for it, but regardless of the motive, the ruthless nature of it sent a chill up my spine.


    That didn''t stop us from heading through the cavern, finding a few mindless primevals and rulers. After a few dozen miles, the cavern angled downward, heading deep under the ossuary. We traversed the smooth tunnel as if diving through the throat of some colossal beast.


    The flowing energy turned into a rich, overwhelming aura. It left my skin tingling and my hair frazzled up. The light dimmed, and no primevals made it to these depths. However, the rulers colonized this space, and a few weren''t converted either. Gazing at them, these were the monsters I expected from the lottery at the start of it.


    I couldn''t see their levels, but they exuded enough energy to efficiently dispatch a primeval. To further that point, these rulers fought and wrestled primevals for entertainment in a carved-out arena. One of the weakest of the unconverted rulers proved his worth, facing an eldritch in the ring.


    The stone primeval slammed a clubbed arm into a treant''s side. That bark-covered ruler sent a shot of panic through my chest, not from the treant''s strength but because of who it mirrored. It was a treant without any facial expressions, its skin glowing like Yawm. The entity lacked the same cipheric carvings and crumbling skin, however.


    This plant creature was a vision of vitality and power, its form rippling with energy. It caught the stone primeval''s arm before roots expanded from the treant. As the eldritch jerked its arm away, its hand crumbled from the root''s infestation. The treant followed the primeval''s pull, and the planted creature spun in a circle before slicing the stone beast''s chest apart.


    Dust plumed into the air before the primeval molded its body over the treant. It smothered the plant, both sides writhing. The treant reached roots through the eldritch''s body before charging with violet mana. The arcane energy coursed through them both, and after a few minutes of struggle, the treant was victorious and bloody.


    Its wounds leaked sap onto the ground, its body falling apart before another member walked over. The ruler helped the treant up, their comradery evident as they joked. A wave of envy coursed through me for a moment, but I turned away. It wasn''t my place to watch. I was here to uncover what the hell was happening.


    To further that end, I observed a few of the others. Many rested at the center of the cavern, each person trying to assimilate the coursing energy there. A few talked or handled food, though no one here would''ve complained about burned meat or dirty water. These were the uncivilized conquerers that rode across the universe.


    They took what they wanted, and these rulers didn''t worry about maintaining what they stole. In a way, it made perfect sense why they allied with Valgus - why fight the strongest person here when they could just coast along with him? Shalahora and I would probably throw a wrench into that line of thinking, but it made sense regardless.


    The shadow and I kept heading deeper into the cavern until we neared the heart of their camp. No one piled up the resources like they had at the survivor''s faction. Instead, only the bare minimum beds and shelters lined up as flattened sections of the walls or floor. Valgus kept a sizable pile of resources, primarily blue cores or psionic fluid.


    That ''camp'' lounged beside a pit leading towards the center of Leviathan-7. A dull sheen ebbed from that place, and near the entrance, Valgus argued with a remnant. Around them, an army of converted rulers and primevals idled like zombies. After a few minutes, a kinetic wave pulsed out. The rhythmic quaking was like the heartbeat of a planet.


    If I guessed right, this led to the center of the rainbow bone beast. The kinetic shockwaves from its heart would''ve disintegrated steel, but knowing Valgus, he should''ve dove in already. Wondering why he hadn''t, I stepped forward before a shadowed hand rested on my shoulder.


    Shalahora murmured in my mind, "This is as far as we go. I cannot hide us should we get closer."


    I nodded before Shalahora raised two coalesced hands. The shadow channeled mana while saying, "But, I may be able to hear whatever they speak of. One moment-"


    An aura passed over us, one like Torix''s hearing magic but far more palpable. It turned the waving wind in the tunnel to a deafening roar, but Shalahora adjusted the volume of different sounds. In a few moments, the remnant and Valgus''s conversation oozed into our sphere of veiled magic.


    "-You''ve made this far more complicated than it needed to be."


    I didn''t recognize the voice, but it was a woman based on her pitch. The other voice rasped, "It was for battle, and that is why I live...And why is storming in and killing them not what Baldowah would want? Surely you''d understand my reasoning as a fellow avatar?"


    I dragged my hand down my face, recognizing Valgus by what he said and his voice. The woman snapped,


    "We needed his alliance further down the line. This was a once in an eon kind of opportunity. How are we going to fix this? No, how are you going to fix this?"


    I turned to Shalahora, my face smeared with confusion, and Shalahora peered back with bafflement. We listened as Valgus destroyed a primeval with a swipe of his hand. The Asura howled,


    "And what is there to fix? Since when has Baldowah ever wanted us to make friends rather than destroy? It never has, not even once in the centuries of life I''ve lived."


    In the distance, I saw the remnant rubbing her temples. She sighed, "Sometimes making friends results in more conflict than making enemies."


    I blinked at that, remembering the past toxic relationships I''d seen. For a moment, I wondered what my dad''s life would''ve been like without my mom. Those thoughts passed over me as Valgus scoffed,


    "There''s nothing insinuating that this is that sort of situation."


    The remnant shook her head, "He''s our ticket on and off this hell hole, and there''s a lot we want to take back with us. That''s why we didn''t attack him until you wasted a fifth of our forces to set us back." Valgus grabbed and pulled his hair, "Agh, but for what? And besides, how could I have known it was him anyway?"


    The remnant pinched the bridge of her nose, "You could''ve talked to me. That would''ve been a pretty simple fail-safe."


    "But I have failed nothing."


    The remnant frowned before glaring at Valgus. She murmured, "You fought a battle but avoided a war. That is not what Baldowah wants. Think of it like this - why did Baldowah leave Schema to his own devices?"


    Valgus contemplated for a moment before crossing his arms, "To ensure a perpetual conflict with the eldritch."


    "Yes, and Baldowah has loved that war, even relished in it at times. How did that war come to be?"


    Valgus''s eyes narrowed, "Er, Baldowah ceased fighting Schema so that the AI could muster its strength against the eldritch."


    I had no idea Schema duked it out with Baldowah before even fighting the eldritch. That sounded nothing like Schema''s official story, but Torix had mentioned a conflict with Baldowah a long time ago. Based on what these two said, the timeline of everything I knew was a wash. Then again, Schema lying about a few specifics of his early years didn''t surprise me in the slightest.


    It was kind of like how dictators presented their rise to prominence as some noble feat. The reality of their ascensions usually involved assassinations, betrayals, and plenty of outright murder. Schema''s rise was likely no different. Interrupting my train of thought, the remnant raised her hands in frustration,


    "Yes, but why would Baldowah let Schema regain his strength?"


    I frowned at that. It sounded as if Baldowah was winning the conflict, though that''s probably what any of its avatars would say. Valgus shrugged,


    "The Old One''s ways are more than I understand."


    The remnant shook her hand at the Asura. She fumed, "Baldowah understands that for the absolute maximum level of conflict to occur, there must be two sides with each of them on even footing. The forces also need to be as large as possible. Without those two pieces present, there''s no hope for a war of any size."


    Valgus furrowed his brow, "But there is nothing wrong with a massacre, is there?"


    The remnant slowed her words as if speaking to a child, "A battle will lead to one massacre; a war will lead to many."


    Valgus''s eyes widened with comprehension, "Ah...And that is why we wanted to ally with him." Valgus smiled at the remnant, "You are truly remarkable, a servant of Baldowah with a mind made for war''s creation rather than war itself. Truly brilliant."


    At this point, I frowned at the conversation since much of what they said had implications. For one, Schema might''ve fought a losing war before even trying to face down the eldritch. Baldowah stopped tearing the AI down because he wanted Schema to fight monsters. After a bit of thought, I put my hand up to my temples, other unsettling realizations passing over me.


    First off, Baldowah was a professional at turning people into machines of war. Its avatars even fought over how to accomplish just that. Secondly, Baldowah would only make contact with Schema to create more war. Assuming Baldowah won, that could explain a few of Schema''s inefficiencies since they tended to result in more conflict overall.


    Thirdly, any attempts I made to stop the current, perpetual bloodshed would be met by Baldowah and his avatars. They''d fight me every step of the way, so we''d clash in time unless I played their game. Knowing I''d need some means of dismantling these avatars'' immortalities, I resolved to explore my options.


    In my final thoughts, the amount of destruction that Baldowah wrought onto everything defied any expectations I had. The more I thought about it, the more problems Baldowah could''ve caused. He was like growing, malignant cancer, and the other Old Ones would be no different. Taking me out of my contemplation, the remnant chided Valgus,


    "So whenever you attacked the Harbinger''s camp, you set us so far back that we may never ally with him again. Doubly so since he''s weird; he seems to value his ability to position more than being in a good position. I can''t understand him rejecting three Old One''s blessings already."


    I tapped my chin with a knuckle, not even having wondered about who they were trying to ally with. It turned out it was me, and the remnant was right about one thing - I had no intention of associating with these monsters. Valgus frowned with distaste, "And this was to help us start a war, allying with that weakling?"


    We would see who was weak in the end.


    The remnant smiled, "No, it''s to continue a larger conflict. The Harbinger is the only person who will have a reliable means of getting on and off this planet. That''s why he made those cities in the first place."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened as he gazed at me, "Ah...That''s why you made Schema promise to officiate your self-made cities during your introduction. He''ll establish hubs with his warping systems in place."


    I sneered, "Yeah. I didn''t think it would make these two lunatics aim at me."


    Valgus blinked a few times, the explanations overwhelming him, "So...The...Er...We need the Harbinger to bolster a weaker side of a war."


    The remnant put a finger in Valgus''s face. She menaced, "The primevals, the fluid, even this giant bone beast could be game-changers. We need this planet if we''re going to uproot Schema. Lehesion isn''t enough anymore."


    I froze in place, my brow raised, and my jaw tightened. Shalahora sensed my unease as he turned to me, "What has unsettled you so?"


    I bit my tongue before omening out in my mind,


    "She''s with Elysium...And Baldowah might''ve allied with them."

 358 Cause and Effect

    Valgus blinked a few times, the explanations overwhelming him, "So...The...Er...We need the Harbinger to bolster a weaker side of a war."


    The remnant put a finger in Valgus''s face. She menaced, "The primevals, the fluid, even this giant bone beast could be game-changers. We need this planet if we''re going to uproot Schema. Lehesion isn''t enough anymore."


    I froze in place, my brow raised, and my jaw tightened. Shalahora sensed my unease as he turned to me, "What has unsettled you so?"


    I bit my tongue before omening out in my mind,


    "She''s with Elysium, and Baldowah might''ve allied with them."


    Chapter Begin


    Shalahora murmured, "I suppose that''s possible. It would seem somewhat...Unlikely."


    I frowned, "Why? She''s a remnant, and she wants to uproot Schema. She even mentioned Lehesion. That''s about as obvious as it gets."


    Shalahora tilted his head at me, "It would seem more evident to me that they''ve manipulated Valgus rather than actually allied with Baldowah."


    I shook my head, "You''re underestimating how resourceful and motivated they are. Besides that, they''re fighting Schema, which is exactly what Baldowah wants."


    Shalahora peered off, "Hm, that may become the case given time, but I doubt the validity of those claims as of yet. Aside from that, it seems coincidental that Elysium interjected into this lottery."


    I turned a hand, "They created their own system, so it''s not that unexpected for them to infiltrate Schema to some level. Hell, I even personally know people who can mess with the AI."


    Shalahora tilted his head at that, "Hm, perhaps Schema wishes for infestations of his system to be kept hidden from prying eyes. I may be wishing for it to be so as well, for this signifies a deeply rooted weed, one that may harbor more to come in the future."


    I grimaced, "Honestly, this explains a lot, but we''ll talk about it later when we have the time."


    The conversation between Valgus continued as we discussed with each other, but another one of my minds listened. The remnant continued while Valgus rolled his eyes, "Surely the Dyson sphere will have more than enough energy?"


    The remnant sighed, "No, it won''t. This planet doesn''t have the same energy output as a large star, but the time dilation makes harvesting energy here far more efficient. It also allows for many innovations to current strategies we use."


    My stomach sank at the prospect. They''d turn a portion of the planet into a silver-laden wasteland before harvesting unbelievably powerful Hybrids from this place. Valgus dragged his hand down his face,


    "Then...Then I shall attempt to make amends with the Harbinger."


    The remnant hissed, "You need to if we''re going to stand a chance in our war after this stunt Schema''s pulled."


    She turned to the primeval army beside her and raised her arms, "We''ll need you to lead an attack against the survivors soon."


    Valgus furrowed his brow, "That will enrage the Harbinger even further. He''s remodeled the entirety of their interior according to our spies."


    The remnant propped her weight onto one leg, "It''s fortunate for us that the Harbinger doesn''t have any real allegiance to them. He''s taking a portion of their profits, so we have to give him those resources and compensate him properly. That can serve as our apology, actually."


    Shalahora scoffed, "Knowing of you, that strategy might''ve worked should you not have known of it beforehand."


    I seethed, "The moment I knew Elysium was involved, everything about our stay here changed."


    Shalahora straightened up, "Ah...You have fought them before for your own reasons. Do those grudges still burn brightly?"


    I raised a finger, "Wait one second."


    Valgus spread his arms, "Then I''ll avoid destroying those golems and any refinements the Harbinger''s made. That should assuage his rage while demonstrating my goodwill."


    The remnant nodded, "When can you leave?"


    The asura emboldened with mana, "At any moment, really."


    "Then go now."


    The asura turned, walking on his torn arm like a deformed peg leg. He steadied himself on his regular foot before pulling his arms off his leg. Tossing them aside, Valgus rolled his shoulders before his leg rematerialized. I peered away as the remnant sneered,


    "If you could''ve done that, why not do it earlier?"


    Valgus grinned, "No one will fight when there is no hope. Since he is no longer an enemy, then I will no longer lie to them about their helplessness."


    His hands regrew instantly, and Shalahora simmered, "We never stood any chance of even harming him. What a monster."


    I scoffed, "He''s nothing. It''s his backer that''s big and bad."


    Valgus cracked his neck before bellowing out over the pulsing heart of the bone beast,


    "Listen, mongrels."


    The primevals turned to him. Valgus roared, "We attack the survivors now. This time, do not kill nor harm the golems. We will capture the rulers alive as we have the others, understood?"


    The primevals crackled out with energy as a form of recognition. Valgus leaned down, "We head to greater glory."


    The remnant walked up to him, putting a hand on Valgus''s shoulder, "Hey, remember our deal."


    Valgus scoffed, "Then hide within it, weakling."


    Ignoring his jab, the remnant fell into a dimensional portal, stars glimmering on the warp''s surface. Valgus leaped away before several hundred of his primevals followed him into the distance of the tunnel. No other rulers followed, all of them knowing what happened to the last batch that left with him.


    Once they disappeared, I turned to Shalahora,


    "We need to reach the rulers before they do."


    Shalahora discarded his hearing magic before amplifying the veil sorcery already over us. We darted through the cavern, staying behind Valgus and his army. As we chased, I thought,


    "You still curious about my thoughts on Elysium?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, they''ve committed genocide to stop Schema, and I disagreed with it. I wanted to keep fighting them, but Schema offered no support or rewards while I did. I couldn''t keep justifying my people dying and my home planet suffering while I fought someone else''s battles."


    I grimaced, "Well, Elysium''s at it again, and it hasn''t even been a few months. I still need to catch my home planet up to speed before the culling ends and other races come to grasp our territory." I dragged my hands down my face,


    "And now I have to worry about Elysium''s invasion of Earth since Schema so eagerly told everyone about it. I don''t want them touching my home planet since genocide is the tip of an ugly iceberg to Elysium. Just as well, I''d rather not see the rest of what they have in store if they get a hold of this place either."


    Shalahora nodded, "And you''ll be the only access point back to this planet, so they''ll harbor resentment of you until you share this place with them."


    I sneered, "They''ll peel my skull back, replace my brain, and wield me like some animatronic if I let them. Hell, I wouldn''t put anything past them at this point."


    Shalahora peered at the two of them, "Then you intend to exterminate them so that no information leaks from this place?"


    I peered through the remnant, "Yes. Every last one."


    Valgus and his primevals rose out of the tunnels before Shalahora, and I followed. We bolted toward my base, and as the shining hills passed us, Shalahora jeered,


    "Elysium is a blight, but so are Schema and the Old Ones. This entire universe is controlled by the insane and the broken. It''s debilitating to think about."


    I nodded, my voice saddened, "Yeah...We can agree on that."


    We reached my border city, each of us launching through one of my blue core barriers. After landing within the city, we traversed through the tunnel system between towns, reaching the settlement with my warping panel. Shalahora and I rushed through it, my mana already charged enough to power the tech.


    We opened the localized warp, both of us jumping into the control room of the rulers. The group worked out logistics for further ventures into the unknown areas of Leviathan-7, and they carried a festive air about them. As they turned to us, I boomed,


    "We need to leave. Now."


    One of the rulers stepped up, their robes elegant and clean, "What seems to be the problem?"


    I shouted, "You''re all going to die if you don''t escape with me."


    The rulers turned to one another, several of them beginning discussions. One of them walked up with wide eyes, "What''s coming? What do we need to do?"


    I pointed at the localized warp, "Valgus. You need to go through that portal."


    Taking the first step, the ruler jumped through the portal without second-guessing what I said. I gazed at where the ruler once was and blinked in confusion. I never imagined convincing someone would be that easy. After one of them did it, several others followed. Like a pack, they ran out of the building, leaving everything behind aside from what they could pocket in a few seconds.


    Both proud and shocked by the rapid progress, I slammed my hands down before ripping through a steel panel on the floor. Several rulers gazed up at me from below before I yelled, "Come on. We need to leave, or everyone''s dead."


    A few of the sorcerers peered around in confusion. They reacted like they walked through a sludge, a few of them still dazed as if someone struck them across the chin. Frustration mounted in my chest before one of the clearer-minded wizards saw the others leaving. She followed them to my cities, and like before, the others followed her lead.


    I gawked at their disorientation because I expected some serious improvements from the last time I saw them. Without the elements holding them down, they should''ve improved by now, yet they struggled all the same. Contrasting their lack of readiness, Obolis floated over toward me, his eyes sharp as a knife. He grimaced,


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    "I heard you mention Valgus. I''ll assume he sent a raiding party, and you intercepted them?"


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "More or less, yeah."


    Obolis turned to the rulers, "I''ll shepherd these individuals to your city. Can you and Shalahora distract Valgus and his fighters in the meantime?"


    I shook my head, "Actually, no. He''ll run right past us, and he''s the only one that really matters. Once he''s here, he''ll easily kill everyone, and I mean everyone."


    Obolis raised a palm, "He''s that powerful?"


    I shrugged, "He makes Lehesion look like a grade-schooler."


    Obolis leaned back, "Then where are we going?"


    "My cities. They won''t attack you there. Well, probably. It''s better than here, at least."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "Did you or did you not arrange a ceasefire? We need to know whether they''ll attack us after our arrival?"


    Shalahora murmured, "We are enemies that they wish not to make, and we own resources that they need."


    Obolis frowned at Shalahora before the Emperor tilted his head, "You''ve been serving Daniel rather diligently since you met up with him. Perhaps now is the time to tell us why you follow him so ardently?"


    Shalahora laughed before scoffing, "You all will be vaporized under Valgus''s fists in moments. Now is the worst of times to discuss details, isn''t it?"


    Obolis raised his brows, "Then we discuss it once everyone''s protected, hm?"


    Shalahora cackled, "If I feel that it is time, then yes."


    A tense silence followed before Obolis gave us a tight smile, "Regardless of my misgivings, I want to thank you both. I wish I could offer more in return for your services, but I''m simply not in the position to."


    I raised my hands, "At this point, I just want Elysium to fail more than anything else."


    Obolis raised his brow, "Hm, fair enough...Elysium?" Obolis struck up the rest of the conversation telepathically, "We''ll discuss that later as well. Now, I''ve already sent out an alert through our system updates. Everyone is informed to carry what they can and leave within five minutes."


    I shook my head, "They need to leave now."


    Obolis''s left eye twitched, "We''ll be left with nothing. You understand that, right?"


    I shrugged, "You''ll have your lives, and like Shalahora said, we can''t stop Valgus. Not even a little bit. My cities are the only safe place on this planet right now."


    Obolis peered at me before looking down. He menaced, "Gah, this lottery...Time and time again, I am useless. This is the most humbled I''ve been in centuries." He looked at the rulers escaping, "It''s as if Schema''s playing some sick joke on us to expose how inept we all are. Unfortunately, we''re all caught in the punchline."


    I frowned, "No. It''s not Schema. It''s Elysium."


    Obolis turned to me before blinking. He thought over, "What have they done so far?"


    I sighed in my mind, "They''ve convinced Valgus that they''re Baldowah, and they use him like a cudgel. They''re also capturing the rulers and putting them in stasis."


    Obolis''s eyes widened, "Stasis? Is it...Is it through the rainbow bone liquid?"


    I nodded. Obolis sneered in disgust, "Ah...Then that is so that they will not die."


    I tilted my head, "Huh...Well, yeah, probably." I thought over, "In fact, they''re probably ensuring they don''t die while eliminating any donations to Schema too."


    Shalahora muttered, "It could omen something far grander. The top ten of the lottery are given freedom from their empires being stripped of any resources. If they were to capture all but ten of the free rulers, then Elysium could ensure no donations from all the rest."


    Obolis sent messages while thinking, "And if they do donate nothing, then last place will be a tie between those 490 rulers. That ensures that last place would fall within the top ten."


    I frowned at the escaping rulers, "Elysium is trying to make sure this lottery results in nothing for Schema while giving them extra resources after it''s all said and done. It''s a shame because I like the idea behind it; you know, turn this lottery on its head against Schema. However-"


    I closed my eyes, "Elysium can''t seem to stick with even remotely reasonable methods. They''ll do anything for their end goals, and I don''t even want to imagine what they would do with the psionic liquid."


    Obolis twitched, "They''ll...They''ll tear my empire to shreds." Obolis turned around and walked to the edge of the ruler''s room.


    He gazed at one of his gauntlets, inspecting the cipheric markings on them. He clasped that hand into a fist, "I''ve spent my entire life building a sanctuary for my people, and it will be torn apart within a year''s time. It''s as if I built a castle of stone, but it has now become sand. Each grain of it was a soul under my wing, a sapling in my shadow."


    Obolis''s breathed deeply, "A wave has come to take it from me. All of it."


    Obolis froze in place. His eyes widened as he growled. He flung a steel chair, and it slammed into one of the monitors as he snarled, "I will become a king of nothing...An owner of memories that are feeble and fleeting. And the albony will be left barren."


    I let Obolis have a moment before I shook my head, "You won''t have to worry about that."


    Obolis raised a brow, "And why is that, exactly?"


    I rolled my shoulders, "I''m killing them all, every last one."


    Obolis rolled his eyes, "How would you even go about doing that when you can''t even scratch Valgus?"


    I shrugged, "Valgus knows nothing. It''s the Elysium spies who we really need to get rid of. Once their information network is gone, we''ll have to get rid of all the evidence of the psionic liquid as well."


    Obolis grimaced, "Ah. Instead of cutting the head of the serpent, you''re pulling off each of its scales."


    I leaned back, "Huh, I guess so. Either way, I''ll try to destroy Valgus, but it doesn''t seem necessary for now. He''s not the sharpest tool in the shed. We''ll find out a way of hurting him eventually."


    Obolis sneered, "Everything can be destroyed. We simply need to find his weakness...Or create one."


    Shalahora pulled up one of Valgus''s ripped-off arms, "I stole this as they ran. It should be useful for uncovering his defenses."


    We leaned away from the arm before Obolis murmured, "Ah...Do you make it  a habit to steal limbs?"


    I raised a hand, "Man, I have to hand it to you, Shalahora. That''s helpful. Handy even."


    Shalahora and Obolis stared at me. The shadow threw the arm onto the ground, "I don''t even want to take credit for this anymore."


    I picked it up, tossing it into my dimensional storage. It was a tight fit, but it worked out. With that awkwardness handled, we glanced towards the rushing rulers, most of them within my city already. Iona Joan flew with her wings from the bottom floor as they left. She carried a few injured rulers with her, sweat beading off her brow. With a swoop, she went into my city''s sanctum.


    With no one left, the three of us flew towards the warp leading to my city.


    Obolis stepped through before raising his brow at us, "Are you not coming?"


    I shook my head, "I''m getting what I can first."


    Obolis pointed down, "We''ve gathered the files from our research already. As for the physical resources, the uncovered gear and rainbow bones remain here. Good luck gathering it all."


    I gave him a knowing grin, "You won''t be worried about the rainbow bones after you arrive in my cities."


    "Why is that?"


    "Let''s just say it''s in plentiful supply."


    Obolis peered around, seeing the buildings left behind by my golems, "It''s in the buildings themselves even...Remarkable." He waved, "Good fortune to you both then."


    I picked up the teleportation panel, the grafted steel snapping under my grasp. Shoving it in my pocket dimension, a spike of discomfort waved through me. That was the limit of my storage for now. Not having time to think about it, Shalahora and I raced toward the vault before I tackled into the colossal doors.


    They dented, though the graphene held. Shalahora sent out blades of darkness that split the gray substrate, and my final charge slammed the door down. As it fell, an enormous kinetic pulse radiated through the entire building. It sent a shiver through the steel and graphene, hinges on doors snapping and panels shattering nearby.


    I winced, "I''m guessing that wasn''t you?"


    Shalahora jeered, "The crimson idiot is here, it would seem."


    Shalahora sent out dozens of shades to gather supplies. I piled balls of supplies that could fit through the door in a gravity well. I got several bunches of them, and we dove through the collapsed doorway. Chaos erupted above as we crossed the inner hull of the survivor''s sanctuary. Valgus and the primevals dented and destroyed everything they came across, the entire area leveled in seconds.


    The booming thuds and echoing throngs mirrored the breaking hull of a ship. The rays of Leviathan''s radiation pierced through the building once more, the waves of warping gravity returning with the warmth. They easily minced my dimensional fabric before a primeval eroded through the roof above. The star beast turned its eye at me, its form bright enough to blind anyone peering its way.


    I stomped my foot, a panel of the floor lifting between us. I dove down as the star beast pierced past the steel barrier. It destroyed one of the balls of gear I carried along with several of Shalahora''s shades. Swooping the equipment with me, I pulled the panel down as the shimmering primeval gazed around in confusion.


    Before it discovered us, I squeezed my palm towards the floor. Gravity wells crushed the steel together, sealing the hole we left behind. Before it found us again, we dove into the medical bay again. Surrounded by medical machinery, we darted over and around various sick bay supplies. The star beast above decimated the floor above, tearing it apart.


    Getting the hell out of there, Shalahora and I reached the wall. Shalahora sliced through it before stabbing several fingers into the steel. He grasped the metal and wrenched it away, the cut steel decaying into ash as the umbral flames burned it. I expected to see the stony earth of Leviathan-7, but we found a small room stuffed with storage pods instead.


    I jumped into the cubbyhole, cipheric markings covering the entire room from head to toe. I frowned at Shalahora, "Could you sense this room at all?"


    Shalahora put a palm on the wall, "No." Shalahora sliced and wrenched the steel wall once more, the familiar rock of Leviathan-7 coming into view. Shalahora shrugged, "This is where they store breathable air."


    I shook my head, "Wait a minute."


    My gravitational sense told me the tubes weighed too much to be full of pressurized gases. I stabbed my arm into one of them, and a wave of energy fired up my arm like energized needles. Fear roared in my chest before I tore my arm off while scrambling away. I fell onto my back before jerking myself out with a gravity well.


    Rainbow bone spines splintered from my amputated arm in mass, the limb destroyed in a moment. The shards ruptured the other tanks nearby, liquid rainbow bones flooding at us. I siphoned it into a ball before the star primeval found us. It launched itself into the room, and the nearby steel liquified instantly. A flood of psionic liquid erupted out, and Shalahora sent out a shadow slice at the chaos.


    The star beast dispersed around the attack while the liquid flowed towards us. Before the beast rematerialized, I jerked myself upright and stomped forward. A telekinetic wave shoved the primeval into the psionic liquid, and the beast flared for a moment, its eyelid smiling at us. It bent down to charge before rainbow needles erupted from every square inch of its glowing body. Its internal plasma slimed off the spines of its body, the dead husk falling down.


    Nothing remained but growing shards of rainbow bone covered in ooze.


    Before even more of them arrived, I melted the exposed ground into magma and flooded the room with it. That created an opening in the rock, and we both slid into that opening with our gear intact. After growing the pocket of air for a while, I fitted the psionic liquid and the supplies too.


    Sealing the tunnel behind us, I kept the pocket of air moving underground. I melted and solidified the earth at will, getting us several miles away before we shot out of the ground with most of the gear left. Staring at it, the majority of the equipment would need to be cleaned of ash and solidified rock, but it would survive.


    At the surface, we turned behind us, the survivor''s base being a small pyramid in the distance. The graphene tendrils of the base thrashed at nearby primevals. The eldritch snapped, cracked, and crushed the gray supermaterial, turning it into crumbling refuse. Valgus exploded out of one of the walls, his laughs booming as he decimated what took months to build in seconds.


    So much for his promise not to tear the place apart.


    We peered at the destruction for a moment, a sense of silence overcoming us. It passed before we darted away, Shalahora casting his stealth magic over us both. The darkened veil cast another silence over us, the layers of calm compounding into a killer kind of quiet. We reached the ossuary several minutes later.


    We converted a few primevals as we passed by, knowing their power would be necessary for the future. I also had nowhere to store the psionic fluid from earlier, and I''d rather we got rid of it then rather than later. With several dozen primevals dashing in with us, we reached the base. Once there, a crowd shy of a hundred survivors was waiting for us.


    We left the converted primevals outside the city limits, many of the rulers letting out yelps of terror at the massive army. They gawked at the piled bones and layered algae, no one having seen the ossuary''s horrors. As I floated down, I raised my arms,


    "You''ll all be fine. We even got most of the gear back with us."


    As we floated the cores and gear over,  Obolis stopped speaking with the director golem and walked up to us. The Emperor scoffed,


    "I now understand why you left the rainbow bone behind."


    I shrugged, "You could say it''s in plentiful supply."


    He grabbed his arms in front of himself, "You also arrived with the monstrosities in tow, and by the looks of it, this isn''t the only settlement you''ve founded here. This is quite the bastion you''ve made."


    I nodded before raising a hand, "I need a moment to talk with everyone." I stomped my foot, a wave of kinetic energy erupting through my city. The blue shield warbled in duress, silencing every ruler present. I lifted my hands and boomed,


    "It''s time we had a long, hard talk about what the hell''s going on here."


    My golems arrive in mass behind me, and the twitching primevals skulked outside. The rulers huddled somewhat, hiding behind the guards who were hopelessly outgunned. I let a silence pass over them before announcing,


    "You''ve all been poisoned by this." I opened my pocket dimension and pulled some rainbow bone liquid out. I swirled the beautiful fluid in a gravity well while mouthing,


    "And I will figure out who did it before anyone leaves this city."

 359 Amassing Armadas

    "It''s time we had a long, hard talk about what the hell''s going on here."


    My golems arrive in mass behind me, and the twitching primevals skulked outside. The rulers huddled somewhat, hiding behind the guards who were hopelessly outgunned. I let a silence pass over them before announcing,


    "You''ve all been poisoned by this." I opened my pocket dimension and pulled some rainbow bone liquid out. I swirled the beautiful fluid in a gravity well while mouthing,


    "And I will figure out who did it before anyone leaves this city."


    Chapter Begin


    One of the rulers walked up, a guardsman covered in scars,


    "So you yank us from our established base before forcing an interrogation on us?"


    I raised my brow, "Valgus was coming, so you were all going to die. In fact, you''d likely die in seconds if you even stepped outside here. Your base''s location acted as the safest part of the planet, and around these cities are the deadliest. None of you experienced a primeval or the elements here. They''d leave you all with a few casualties, to say the least of it.


    A meeker diplomat paced up, "We''re on the other side of the world?"


    I nodded, "Yes. This is the ossuary. The bones around you are the piled-up remnants of the large eldritch you''ve seen worldwide. The layered algae created a competitive ecosystem that led to the evolution of primevals. Think of them like the end state of the eldritch on this planet."


    I shrugged, "Unfortunately, there are quite a few tools under the surface of this world. One of those ''tools'' is a liquid that kills the minds of those that drink it."


    The diplomat blinked, "Kills the mind?"


    I peered down at the alien, "Yes. You lose your soul, so to speak."


    The guardsmen winced, "Sounds like a bad time."


    I frowned, "Yeah, pretty much. Someone fed it to you all, which explains why everyone''s about as sharp as the flat side of a hammer."


    Obolis blinked, "Ah...I''ve been eating my own supplies rather than the group''s rations."


    I raised a brow, "What for?"


    Obolis raised his brow, "I''m used to poisoning attempts, and it''s a habit I picked up long ago. Also, are the mental impairments you spoke of permanent?"


    I weighed my hand back and forth, "I don''t know, but probably not. I''ve tried some of the fluid, and I''m no worse for wear."


    A wry grin grew over Obolis''s lips, "Are you certain of that? You have seemed rather off as of late. I''d have yourself checked if I were you."


    I rolled my eyes, but I appreciated the joke. We could use a bit of humor, given the chaotic circumstances. I turned to everyone, "We''ll be getting you all into top shape soon, but we have to weed out whoever''s behind all this."


    I turned to Shalahora, "And uh, yeah, I was hoping you could help me with all that."


    Shalahora tilted his head, "In return for what?"


    I pursed my lips, "I have no clue what I could offer. Golems, cores, maybe something else?"


    Shalahora peered off. He lowered his gaze before seething, "Kill the Old One I spoke of."


    Obolis burst into laughter before scoffing, "Ah, perhaps you''d wish for him to change the laws of our universe next? Perhaps reverse time?"


    I tilted my head at Shalahora, "Let''s talk about this in private."


    Obolis raised a brow, "Fair enough, though perhaps you shouldn''t negotiate with someone who wishes for the inconceivable."


    I walked to a room, "I''ll keep that in mind."


    Shalahora and I found an empty room nearby, and I struck up a telepathic conversation, "I''m guessing you''d like that commitment to be made in the cipher?"


    Shalahora narrowed his eyes, "And you see my request as a joke as well?"


    I shook my head, "I think you''re making a bet, but it doesn''t matter either way. I''m aiming to destroy all the Old Ones, so I''ll just put M on the top of my list."


    I tapped my side, "But I will need time to handle that kind of request for obvious reasons. I''ll also need more than just this request handled."


    Shalahora jeered, "If you can kill that insidious, viral entity, then I will do anything you could request of me." Shalahora tilted his head, "Though your chances of slaying it are slim, as you mentioned while stating this would be a bet."


    I turned a hand to him, "Yeah, what timeframe are you giving me to handle this? I need more than a decade or two, that''s for sure."


    "Ten thousand years. Perhaps more."


    It was difficult to even imagine that much time passing, let alone having some ticking time bomb beeping at the end of it. I grabbed my chin, "What will I put at stake should I fail?"


    "Your free will. If that measure of time should pass without M''s passing, you will replace me and my role."


    I took a step back, a wave of dread racing over me. My eyes thinned to slits, "So this is why you''ve been allying with me this entire time, then?"


    Shalahora''s eyes closed, only a shadow remaining. Shalahora murmured, "I knew I couldn''t get you to willingly agree to something so foolish without first understanding you. This is why I''ve decided to assist you to this extent; only by knowing your needs could I ever offer you something worthy of this trade."


    I blinked, "And when did you figure out I could be your replacement?"


    "The moment we were taken to the lottery. You''re an immortal and carry all the necessary preconditions to become an avatar in my place. I couldn''t have asked for a more optimal candidate."


    I raised my brow, "Wait a minute...You just don''t want to be an avatar anymore? Is that the root of this?"


    Shalahora leaned towards a wall, "It is part of it...Before we continue, what do you know or think of avatars?"


    I scratched my head, "Well, aside from offers to become one, I know that they enact the will of the Old Ones in exchange for power."


    Shalahora pressed his fingers together before swiping his hand across himself like a blade, "You should cease thoughts of power when contemplating the Old Ones. Power without direction is pandemonium. It''s destruction. It''s carnage. If anything, the Old Ones offer only a sacrifice; give them your ego, and they will give you the ability to influence. They then wield your body and soul like a puppet."


    Shalahora oozed his words with disgust, "The strings will seem like circumstance and luck, but they are not. It is the musing of that which we don''t understand."


    I looked up, "Ah, so it''s like exchanging your brain for muscle. You''re stronger, but you lose any capacity to use your strength for what you want."


    Shalahora leaned back, "That would simply kill you."


    I rolled my hand in a circle, "You get my point, though."


    Shalahora raised a hand, "I''ll assume you understand the nuance of what I''ve said then. That''s what avatars are - degenerated husks filled with the intention of their makers. Valgus holds one within himself, which is why he acts as he does. It''s poisoned him from the inside out, yet within the shell likely lurks something far worse than Uuriyah''s current form."


    I crossed my arms, "Well...That''s comforting. I suspected as much, though."


    Shalahora waved into the room''s shadows, speaking from all directions, "This reality isn''t meant to comfort; it is a dive into a cold, dark sea that peers through you. That''s what an Old One is and does. Never trust one. Never confide in one in either."


    I grimaced, "Or talk with someone who''s been tainted by one?"


    "Yes...That would be the most enviable position to stay in, but you''re not in such an enviable place." His voice heightened, "Are you?"


    I considered my prospects, and Shalahora wasn''t wrong. At the moment, many people knew about my cities, what was happening here, and the intricacies of Leviathan-7. Even if I eliminated Elysium''s agents, they''d simply interrogate one of the surviving rulers to glean the information. Elysium could leak that information further, and other factions I didn''t know would begin hunting me.


    I stared at a wall facing where the rulers waited for us outside. I could kill them all, but that wasn''t how I wanted to handle this. I''d much rather return from here with lots of allies so that I could rapidly expand my empire and get Earth on the right track. Allies, trade, and technology were part of the answers to Earth''s current predicament, and when I left here, I could fix all of that and then some.


    But these people knew about my cities, so in time, Elysium would send every available resource at their disposal to reach Leviathan-7. Considering their methods, I didn''t want to be their primary target, yet I would be. It was guaranteed, but Shalahora was a convenient solution that gave me a way out.


    Well, probably.


    I pursed my lips, "And what exactly would you do about my current situation?"


    Shalahora oozed out of the wall''s shadows, "I can splinter the memories of those present here. I can manipulate them entirely, leaving behind what you''d wish to keep. Elysium would be curious about what happened here, but they''d have no means of uncovering what happened."


    I blinked, "You want me to promise to kill some otherworldly being in exchange for some memory manipulation? Seriously?"


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    Shalahora hissed, "Of course not. That would merely be the beginning of what I offer, an introductory gesture. I will be under M''s thumb after this, but I can accomplish my duties and use my spare time to assist you however you need it. You know of my talents, and while my combat prowess isn''t peerless, my psionic abilities are quite different."


    He wasn''t wrong about that part. Shalahora raised his giant palms, "I would keep your home planet safe and contain any spreading knowledge regarding it. Rumors would be under your command. Interrogations would be absolute and timely. I could even create a dystopia if need be, one where your citizens live one life yet remember another. Absolute production with absolute elation."


    I raised a palm, "Woah now, I don''t want to go that far." I grabbed my chin, "But it''s a tempting offer for the other stuff. You''d be like a general of mine then?"


    Shalahora''s eyes widened, "I imagined something more akin to indentured servitude or slavery, but if you gave me such a complimentary title, I would take it."


    I leaned back, "Hmmm, isn''t your fate tied to your species? Something like that, anyway?"


    Shalahora peered off, "In a sense, yes."


    I raised a hand, "So by saving you, I''d be saving them too. Shouldn''t they be included in this arrangement?"


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed to slits, "You wish to enslave my entire race?"


    I glared at him before standing tall with pride,


    "Enslaved? No. You have an understanding of my base memories and my true character anyways. You know exactly how I treat species that end up under my wing. Look at the gialgathans or the Eltari if you''re not convinced...Hell, even the Vagni are far better off, and the skeptiles will be as well."


    I leaned towards Shalahora, a few inches from his face, "I do right by anyone under me. I''ve made sure of that."


    A tense silence passed before Shalahora sighed. He murmured, "You''re not incorrect."


    I let the quiet sink in before I leaned back, "Alright. As long as we''re on the same page-" I peered up, "Speaking of which, I do have a lot of races under my wing now. Anyways, I give them all a fair shake."


    Shalahora murmured, "To bet with my life is one thing, but to bet with my species is another. Surely you can understand that?"


    I tilted my head at him, "What? Come on now. This is ten thousand years in the future, and besides that, I''m doing the same thing. I''m Earth''s best chance at making it out of the slave cycle Schema made commonplace. Er, probably at least."


    I peered off, "I could drag Elysium to earth and have us all turned into drones. Hm, I''d rather not think about that, honestly."


    Shalahora oozed back into existence, "It''s true that our threads of fate affect more than just us. They affect anyone who our threads touch. We happen to be in positions of power, allowing us to weave the fates of many. It is our blessing."


    I frowned, "Or curse. Depends on your perspective, really."


    Shalahora sighed before speaking like a taught wire, "Hah...Then we may include my kind in this arrangement."


    I smiled, "Awesome."


    Shalahora lifted his shadowy arms, "Do you even agree to it now?"


    I tapped my side, thrumming my fingers like a wave, "It''s tempting, that''s for sure. That being said, we''ll have to nail down some specifics."


    Shalahora expanded, "Such as?"


    I raised my brow, "Well, what exactly does being an avatar entail?"


    "It is simplicity incarnate. I enact the will of my patron, M, as you call it. It granted me many abilities over time, which revolve around my responsibilities. I happen to seed chaos, lies, and turmoil across the cosmos. By now, that''s all I can think of myself, and I tire of my duties."


    Shalahora spoke with a quiet fury, "In fact, I''ve exhausted my will to continue living, though I cannot choose death for many reasons, least of all how difficult I am to kill."


    I pressed my temple with two fingertips, "So M has given you abilities that would let you do what they want you to do, right?"


    "Yes. We should also abstain from using that alias anymore as well. It carries intent, and that entity will soon uncover the hidden meaning behind ''M''. We know which Old One we speak of at this moment regardless."


    I nodded, "Ah, understood. Well, how much time would you have to help me even if you gave yourself over?"


    Shalahora peered up, doing mental calculations, "Hm...I would be able to assist you around half of every second that passed on average. At times I would be gone for several months. I would then return for several months after that. I could have as much as 60% of my time as free if I am militant."


    I weighed my hands back and forth, "Ok, so partial use. That''s making that time limit seem pretty meh."


    Shalahora glared at me, "How so?"


    "It''s concrete, for one thing, and I also have no idea how possible this really is. So, I think we make it more flexible. That way, it helps both of us."


    Shalahora''s words dripped skepticism, "Helping both of us? How so?"


    "Well, we can set up the cipheric contract so that my time scale revolves around making this happen. If I ever stop working towards this Old One''s demise, then our positions could swap right then and there. That could mean you''d be free in a year if I''m slacking off."


    Shalahora peered off, "Hm, that would save me ten thousand years of servitude should it happen. How would this benefit you?"


    I nodded, "So in exchange, we can extend the contract timeline to, like, 100,000 years."


    Shalahora scoffed, "And that''s an attractive proposition to me?"


    I raised a finger, emulating Torix a bit, "But of course. You''re making this deal with me for two reasons - firstly, I''m able to become an avatar. Secondly and most importantly, you also think I have a chance at stopping an Old One."


    I turned my raised hand to him, "Therefore, this ensures my goodwill in the contract while dramatically enhancing my chances of success. What if the goal is accomplished in 12,000 years rather than 10,000? Wouldn''t you prefer to wait that time to actually accomplish your goal of this Old One''s demise?"


    Shalahora blinked, "I...I suppose."


    I interlocked my hands behind myself, "Just as well, compared to the infinity of being that Old One''s servant, what''s 90,000 years anyways? It will be a drop, but that drop would be an ocean to me."


    Shalahora peered through me, "You sound like someone else."


    I smiled, "It''s a style of argumentation from an intelligent and wise person I know."


    Shalahora dragged his hands down his face, "I''d never make a business deal with whoever they may be."


    Missing Torix, my smile tightened, "Let''s just say you''re better off with a partnership when they''re involved."


    It would be nice to see everyone once this debacle was over. Shalahora raised a hand, "I''d be willing to double the allotted time limit considering what you''ve offered in exchange. However, adding ten times the additional time frame is greedy."


    "So is asking me to become an Old One''s avatar. It''s like willingly injecting a virus, one where I''d steadily die over time. I''d cease being my own and become what they wanted of me. Considering every avatar has a long list of complaints, I''d rather not get involved. If it does happen, it will be forever too. That makes 100,000 years mean nothing by comparison."


    Shalahora sighed, "I''ll grant you 30,000 years. That''s my final offer."


    I considered as I spoke, "And that would include the species reliant on you right now, correct?"


    Shalahora simmered, "If it must be so."


    I smiled while reaching out a hand, "Then let''s agree on that. I''ll draft up the contract and have Obolis look at it."


    Shalahora grabbed my hand, giving me a firm handshake in return. As we walked out, Shalahora murmured, "Negotiations aside, I''ll wish you good luck with this endeavor you''re undertaking."


    Remembering my agreements with Plazia and Yawm, I scoffed, "I''ve already made some pretty big promises. At this point, I need to start taking risks so I can even have a chance to complete any of them, let alone all of them. Your stealth, reconnaissance, and psionic might will be a large part of my future goals. So is your species."


    Shalahora murmured, "Do you even know who they might be?"


    I leaned back, "Isn''t it obvious? It''s the shades."


    Shalahora winced, his smooth, shadowy form wavering, "Ah...You''ve uncovered a bit of what occurred to us then."


    I nodded, "And we''ll see if we can''t undo it eventually, though I''ll need you all as you are right now for a while." I raised a finger, "Not infinity though, so it''s an improvement, I''d say."


    Shalahora oozed his words, "And I hope you succeed, else you shall take my place as a destroyer of minds and truths."


    Dread swelled in my chest at that thought, but I shrugged it off,


    "We''ll see what happens."


    Stepping back with the others, the rulers had already discussed everything while Shalahora and I formulated our agreement. I was glad I didn''t have to talk them through everything, and Obolis saved me some more time by stepping up as their representative. I pointed a thumb at Shalahora, "He''s in. Did you guys have anything you''d like to say before we root out any spies?"


    Obolis raised his hands, "Yes, we discussed much. They''re all well aware of our circumstances, from Elysium''s plotting to our fates should this fail."


    I glanced at the other rulers, their expressions grim. It was a refreshing change of pace, so I hoped they''d agree to what I was about to ask.


    "Alright, cool. We need them to give us access to their memories along with letting Shalahora ensure their not spies."


    Obolis blinked, "Would...Would that include even me?"


    I spread my arms, "What? Of course. Hell, it could include me."


    The rulers glanced at each other for a while, their moods changing instantly. I dragged my hands down my face before stepping over to the edge of my city. Someone needed to drive home the extent of our problems, and it looked like that responsibility fell on me.


    I stomped a foot, lifting a pillar of marble from under me. Standing over everyone, I raised a hand for everyone''s attention. They quieted, and I said, "You know what''s out there now. At least some of it that is. Elysium''s infiltrated this lottery and maybe the others that are occurring at this moment. That''s why everything has fallen to pieces since this trainwreck started. They''ve ensured you all had no chance to die or survive here."


    Murmuring broke out in the crowd Before I raised a fist. Quiet returned, and I boomed,


    "Those primevals out there are strong enough to kill everyone here. Our enemies don''t have tens of them or hundreds. They command thousands of them. They''ll be turning this planet into a factory for their use, and that is merely the beginning. The war with Elysium will spread outwards far wider than ever before, and you all will suffer the consequences of your detached outlook on it."


    I tilted my head, "But we have a chance. Shalahora, Obolis, and I will do everything possible to eliminate Elysium''s presence. Once that''s taken care of, we must keep all our collected resources. Doing so ensures Your empires will remain your own, and we may actually get out of this situation unscathed."


    I raised one finger, "That''s reliant on your deference while in my cities. We''ll be relying on extreme measures given the situation, though none of you will need to give your lives. In fact, this is likely your only chance at survival on this hell-forsaken planet. This is it. One last roll of the dice."


    An aura of dismay settled over the survivors, who considered their options. Obolis stepped forward, his arms interlocked behind himself,


    "I''m more than willing to cooperate. Whatever it is that needs doing, I shall strive to see it done."


    I turned to Shalahora, and the shade nodded,


    "As long as the contract is signed, I am willing."


    I raised a brow to the other rulers present, "And you all?"


    Alctua stepped up, her icy scales misting cold, "We''ll do what we can to not be a burden here." She turned to the other rulers, "Unlike some other people here."


    Teraz followed her, the fiery imp''s footsteps leaving singe marks in his wake, "We don''t have a choice, do we? It''s this or death. Or something like it, at least."


    The other rulers whispered, many unconvinced by my words. I waved a converted primeval into the city, and it ushered in a temperature change. The icy beast carried its primal might, void ice forming at its footsteps. It peered with six hexagonally distributed eyes over its flattened face, the alien creature looming over the rulers.


    I pulled the ascendant psyche out of it while opening my dimensional storage. I left a wisp of consciousness within the monster, enough for it to function at a base level. From my pocket dimension, a flood of rainbow bone splashed over the monster. It swelled with energy, void ice pillaring up like basalt formations nearby. Its roar alone rippled the blue shield before the primeval erupted into an iridescent death bloom. The temperature shift ceased, and its might and will decayed in an instant.


    I walked up before flicking one of the spines. It shattered upward, spiraling in the air before I caught it in my hand. I tapped the needle on the monster, "Anyone curious? It''s still alive if you want to check. This is what Elysium is doing to all of you. Everyone that''s missing has had this done to them."


    I crossed my arms, "But that''s not quite right." I coalesced origin mana in my palm, generating several panels of glass over the monster. I pointed at it, "There''d be a cipheric seal here to really keep you ''safe.'' Me, personally? I''d rather be in more danger, but hey, it''s your choice."


    I crossed my arms, "I know what I''d do, though."


    Reaching out a hand, I smashed the display in a gravity well before pulling three blue cores out of the mess. After heating the pulp into a moldable mass, I pulled it out of my city. A construction golem stepped over and cleaned the singe marks by scraping the stone and making new rock over the torn surface. The rulers gawked before I gave them a tight smile,


    "So, who''s with me?"

 360 Exposed

    Reaching out a hand, I smashed the display in a gravity well before pulling three blue cores out of the mess. After heating the pulp into a moldable mass, I pulled it out of my city. A construction golem cleaned the singe marks by scraping the stone and making new rock over the torn surface. The rulers gawked before I gave them a tight smile,


    "So, who''s with me?"


    Chapter Begin


    Several rulers looked around in shock, while a few lost themselves in thought. Others peered around with their eyes wide and frantic, the nobles chewing their nails or grooming fur with spilling, nervous energy. One of them fell onto their knees, losing all of their composure. However, most stood tall, facing something uncertain.


    Obolis led that group, and he turned a palm to me, "So what will we need to prevent our destruction, precisely?"


    I put my hands on my hips, "We''ll need you all to help me get as much information as possible about our current situation. Scouting, spying, all of that is essential right now, but the hardest part will be allowing your memories to be checked right now."


    Obolis tilted his head at me, "That could easily be worse than death, and it will be done by that shadow no less. We''ve all seen what that monster did to Malos. Why should we trust that abomination now?"


    I furrowed my brow, "You just told me you''d do whatever is required, and now you''re immediately rescinding what you said."


    A few rulers peered at Obolis before the Emperor snapped, "You still haven''t given us a compelling reason for why we should trust Shalahora."


    I deadpanned, "Because he''s saved all of your lives multiple times at this point. Aside from that, you have no other alternatives. You will all die without my intervention, and this is a requirement to get my protection. Otherwise, you''re on your own."


    I pointed outside,


    "And out there, no one will hear you scream."


    In the distance, two primevals wrestled, the horizon molding to their battle as algae sheets ruptured. A solemn gloom crushed everyone, one I sympathized with. Obolis raised his brow, "And this perusing of our memories is necessary because of Elysium?"


    A couple voices rippled through the crowd, and I nodded. I shook my head, "Yeah. It''s a shame, but Elysium will pry your minds apart to figure out what happened here too. They''re resourceful and relentless, as you''ve all seen and felt. To stop that, Shalahora will help us get our footing back so we can brainstorm solutions to that problem before we''re sent back."


    Obolis raised his brow, "Hm, perhaps a psionic shackling will do."


    I narrowed my eyes, "Maybe so, but either way, they''ll know I''m hiding something since you''ll all return with locked memories. Still, that''s one way to get some breathing room after returning to my home planet. I''m open to other ideas, however."


    Rulers in the crowd murmured,


    "Elysium? Weren''t they locked in a war with Schema? They''re still putting their claws into events like this."


    "They infiltrated the lottery...And to what extent?"


    "That''s why everything is going to hell. They undermined us."


    Obolis bristled with discomfort before he steepled his fingers, "I''m not attempting to weasel my way out of this current predicament, but is there any way to avoid having our memories seen?"


    I peered up, "Huh, alright, how about this - if you can stop Shalahora from infiltrating your mind, you won''t need your mind checked. That guarantees Elysium hasn''t infiltrated your psyche anyway."


    Obolis turned to Shalahora, and the shadowy Sovereign menaced, "Your confidence wanes, doesn''t it?"


    Obolis blinked, "Hm, then may you at least oversee the memory checking at the very least?"


    I leaned back, "Of course. I will try to make this as unintrusive as possible, but it must be done. We''re getting the spies out of this camp. End of story."


    From a blot of oozing darkness, Shalahora murmured, "Know this - Elysium will simply unlock the shackles I wrap around your minds. While I have no experience facing them, they''ve controlled powerful entities like Lehesion or Valgus. That is proof that their psionic abilities are impressive."


    Shalahora shrugged, "As individuals, they likely couldn''t match me. However, they are more than a single entity. As an organization, they carry iron-clad goals with a difficult-to-dispel resolution. This makes them overwhelming in many cases. If you wish for greater safety, I could disintegrate the memories of this place and its workings altogether."


    A fearful ruler asked, "Will there be any permanent damage from something that? It sounds dangerous."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened, "Aside from the memories themselves, no. I am precise, so you will not lose any more than what is necessary to lose. It will take time, however. Rooting out the spies would simply require perusing your short-term memories that are relatively surface level."


    I pointed at Shalahora, "Can you handle their questions and probe for spies? I need to draft up the cipheric contract for us."


    Shalahora nodded, "Let it be done."


    With the rulers chattering behind me, I headed out. Two buildings away, I found a quiet room to begin writing in the cipher. It was an emptied home like all the places here, though the second story remained above ground level. I formed a marble chair on that floor, pulled out my grimoire, and began etching in its silver pages.


    The chair couldn''t hold me up, so it was mostly for show and ambiance. I digress.


    A few minutes passed before someone skulked in. It was Obolis, the Emperor peering around at my workspace. He kept his distance from me, the heat from my etching enough to ignite his fur. The albony ruler scoffed at my carving, "It would seem you weren''t joking about signing that shadow''s contract."


    I nodded while continuing to write. Obolis interlocked his hands behind himself before stepping back and forth at the side of the room, "So tell me...Why have you decided to accept such an absurd offer from Shalahora, assuming the contractual obligations haven''t changed from what we heard earlier."


    "Why do you want to know?"


    Obolis shrugged, "Let''s call it curiosity."


    I considered not answering before deciding to tell a half-truth.


    "Well, it''s because I intend to take out every Old One, not just the one he wants me to eliminate. Therefore, it makes no difference in the long run. The time limit is very forgiving as well."


    Obolis shook his head, "Aside from the fact that such a feat is impossible, you''re tying your potential down with a cipheric contract. Those are immutable once formed. You understand that, don''t you?"


    "Of course."


    Obolis turned a hand to me, his voice rising, "So then you''d put your sovereignty on the line for the allyship of an esoteric shadow? I''ve always considered you an intelligent arriviste, someone with unbridled potential that had yet to manifest. However, you''re shackling yourself to an impossible ideal and for nothing. It''s foolish, and in time, this will be the anchor that ceases your upward trajectory."


    I sat in silence for a moment. Obolis interrupted my train of thought, "Well, nothing to say for yourself?"


    I raised a finger, "You have something against Shalahora...What is it?"


    Obolis grimaced, "I''ve been at war with psionics. They have destroyed my species'' prosperity. They''ve committed genocide against my people. They want to turn us into a sack of blood for their leech mouths to suckle from, so my distrust of another psionic like Shalahora is merely my method of displaying wisdom and caution."


    I sighed, "If I''m honest, I don''t like psionic-based warfare either. That being said, I have to fight fire with fire here. Otherwise, I''ll be burned to a crisp with nothing to show for it, and this contract guarantees I''ll get the full use of Shalahora in the meantime. And he''s the most powerful psionic I''ve ever seen, so it seems like a worthwhile risk."


    Obolis considered my words for a moment, mulling over them like someone tasting a fine wine, "I''ll admit he would be a powerful ally, and a cipheric contract guarantees your satisfaction in that regard. However, that neglects to consider the sheer folly of what you''re trying to do - killing an Old One is inconceivable."


    A while passed before I turned to him, "What''s your reasoning?"


    Obolis shook his head, irritation spreading over his face, "You''ve just entered a pool, yet you''re trying to speak of its depth. Listen, Daniel, you have no perspective, so you have no idea what you''re trying to do here."


    I raised my brow, "Why do you even care?"


    Obolis sighed, "You''ve assisted me on several occasions. That, and I don''t want to watch someone with so much potential throw it away for nothing."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Ok, let''s level then. Do you think the Old Ones will be our enemies in the future?"


    "They are our enemies now. However, this does not mean that we can kill them. It''s like trying to kill gravity or time. You can work around those constructs, but attempting to kill them simply showcases a lack of understanding of what they are. The Old Ones are the same."


    I tapped the edge of my chair, "Alright, fair enough. Let me present another argument from a different angle. What do you think our chances of survival are over the next 100 years?"


    "Assuming we survive this lottery, we will live out 100 years easily."


    "What about a 1,000?"


    Obolis peered up, "Hm...The chance of that is likely in the double digits for us both."


    "What about 30,000 years?"


    Obolis scoffed, "I''d liken that question to fanciful thinking. It''s simply too far into the future."


    I spread out my hands, "That''s how long my contract term is, so what am I trading with Shalahora? It''s nothing that important."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "You know what you''re giving away here, and you know better than anyone whether you''ll succeed over that length of time. Considering that you''re entertaining my inquiries means you like your odds."


    I tapped the edge of my seat, "My problem is that everyone I know, love, and value will be gone by then. The only person with a fighting chance to make it that far would be Torix, but that''s about it. Everyone else I could hold onto will be gone, and everything will fade, including the future of my species and others I harbor."


    My words splashed over us both like icy water,


    "Time will erode everything I want to keep until nothing is left."


    Obolis furrowed his brow, "You honestly have no hope for your future?"


    I shook my head, "Long-term, no."


    Obolis peered off, "That...That is saddening to hear. Given your age and circumstances, you shouldn''t believe that way. You are far too young to already be living life like that."


    "I know. That''s why I''m making this deal."


    Obolis considered what I said before his eyes widened, "Ah...So this isn''t selling your soul. This is your attempt at keeping it since you know it will be lost eventually."


    "That''s right. I know I have many enemies, but I can wrestle them all down with some time and help. In this case, Shalahora will fill in the need for psionic abilities and stealth, neither of which I enjoy or am good at. This gives me time to focus on ways to develop my skills, which I''m sure you can relate to."


    Obolis tilted his head, "Certainly. Delegation is a necessary skill for a ruler. Still, trusting Shalahora seems foolish to me. He could be an agent from an Old One that''s steadily trying to pry its way into your life. Aside from that, touching or feeling an Old One hasn''t been done. Few even know more than their names, let alone how they could die. Tell me, do you have any answers to those obvious realities?"


    I crossed my arms, "My problem with those questions is how they''re framed in the first place. They assume that the Old Ones are forces of nature beyond our understanding. Even if they are, let''s compare them to lightning and thunder."


    I turned a hand to him, "For one, my species assumed that gods created storms, but now we know that isn''t the case. Hell, with enough people, we could make storms now. I''m willing to bet the Old Ones are like that; they''re mysteries we haven''t solved yet."


    Obolis tilted his head, "Hm, there was a time when my species considered that to be the case, but that truth doesn''t defy any of my points. Let''s not forget you''re betting your life on this."


    I shrugged, "My main claim is that what our ancestors did with lightning, I can do with the Old Ones. We assume they are all powerful, but if you ask me, I think the Old Ones are lying. They use their abilities and distance to lie to us about their limitations."


    Obolis blinked, "It still sounds as if you''re taking a bet with your life on the line and over an enormous assumption. It seems...Dubious at best but foolish at worst. I expected more from you."


    I turned back to my dimensional fabric, "And I thought more of you too, but over time, I learned that you have many limitations. For instance, do you think you could defeat me in combat right now?"


    Obolis rolled his eyes, "Does it matter?"


    "It does for proving my point. When we first met, I assumed you''d slaughter me before I uncovered more about you. Now I know I could give you a run for your money if we fought."


    Obolis sneered, "Perhaps, but how does that defy what I''ve stated?"


    "Because I''ve seen that same pattern over and over again."


    Obolis answered by gawking at me like I was stupid. I kept etching as I talked, "When I first met Yawm of Flesh, he seemed beyond my comprehension. His powers were utterly absurd. He had developed a philosophy and charisma I couldn''t compare to. He even threw away everything he worked for on a whim. The guy was so sure of himself that he did something like that without a second thought."


    Obolis furrowed his brow in confusion, so I answered his unspoken question, "Yawm had a developed organization, but he killed them after they failed him several times. When we met, he was an individual. Anyways-"


    I stopped etching, "That was all a facade. Yawm was a broken warrior who followed a twisted ideology. He''d been chewed up and spit out by Etorhma, and I was tasked with handling that abomination''s leftovers. I wouldn''t have been able to do something like that if Yawm was in full glory, but he wasn''t even a shade of his former self."


    Obolis spread his hands, "So because of one enemy''s false pretense, you believe all enemies are hollow? He was an exception, and exceptions simply serve to prove the rule."


    I continued welding into the page, "That''d be the case if I didn''t have other examples. Here''s another one; Lehesion seemed like some emboldened, invincible god with an absurd lifespan and unknown knowledge. Everyone spoke about him as a legend, and they revered him."


    I raised a hand, "When I met Lehesion, he was a god but a shattered one, like a beautiful vase plastered back together poorly. He looked whole, but the cracks in his persona began to show when he was tasked to handle anything. He''d start to leak out from all of his imperfections."


    I turned to Obolis, "In reality, Lehesion was running from all the mistakes he made in his reincarnated life, which has been far worse than his original one. Why? Because he couldn''t make any excuses anymore. Even with everything handed to him, he found a way to fumble it all, so his failings were his own. Instead of taking responsibility, he escaped by letting Elysium destroy his ego."


    Obolis rolled his hands, "So let us assume your point is true. What evidence do you have that the Old Ones are comparable to sentients like us? From what I''ve gathered, they exist without limits outside of the self-imposed ones they''ve decided to take upon themselves."


    Stolen story; please report.


    I shook my head, "I''ve spoken with four of the Old Ones, and all four of them wanted my help. There''s a reason the Old Ones are always asking for avatars, and I''ll figure out why."


    Obolis raised his brow, "And that''s supposed to guarantee that you can eradicate them? Isn''t that a colossal leap in logic?"


    I peered at my contract, "It''s not as much of one as you''d think. I mean, I''m a simple sentient like anyone else. Despite that, all of the Old Ones are knocking at my door. Even with all of my limitations and weaknesses, they all need me. Baldowah said it was because I was immortal, but I don''t think he''s giving me the full picture. None of them are."


    I heated the silver page before tracing into the steel with heated, telekinetic contact points, "They''re all lying while asking for my help as if I were an item at some auction house. Doesn''t that say something about them?"


    "It could, but that''s not a guarantee. You can''t base your life on some arbitrary assumptions."


    I turned to Obolis from my work, "What are you even talking about? Everyone does that every day. We assume we''ll continue living past our next few moments. We assume we''ll have food every day. What I''m doing is no different."


    Obolis considered for a moment before he turned a palm to me, "There is a difference in magnitudes between those assumptions. Your mundane examples have been proven time and time again. One does not assume they''ll receive food every day until they''ve managed to secure it for some time."


    Obolis shrugged, "Your assumption about the Old Ones is a hunch based on other hunches. Your example is a false equivalency because it ignores scale and context."


    I blinked, Obolis''s answer making a lot of sense. Still, something about his replies rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn''t like him to dig this deeply into someone else''s business unless he had something to gain. I got this sneaking suspicion that he was trying to manipulate me, and I intended to stamp it out before he succeeded.


    I met Obolis''s eye, "At the end of the day, I''ve made big promises to a lot of people. I promised Yawm I''d change Schema. I promised someone else I''d save the eldritch. Now I''m promising Shalahora I''ll kill an Old One. Every one of those goals seems impossible, but I''ve learned that isn''t true."


    I raised my brow, "Half of the hardships involved with doing something is convincing yourself that it''s possible. Think of all the time spent on worry and hesitation. That''s a lot of what makes life a challenge. If you eliminate doubt, you''re removing a lead cloak from your shoulders."


    I peered at my palm, "I know I have an opportunity because I''ve been lucky in many ways. I''m aiming to take full advantage of it, but I need help to make that happen. Shalahora is a means to that end."


    Obolis gave me a slow nod, "Hmm, are you certain this isn''t an idea planted by the Old Ones you''re looking down on? Even if it stretches into tens of thousands of years, this contract will still be a blink of an eye to them."


    I shrugged, "In that case, I''m abusing their sense of time, so regardless of what they think, I''m getting a good deal." I frowned, "After all, the Old Ones look down on all of us. That''s a weakness that''s easy to take advantage of."


    Sensing he couldn''t change my mind, the Emperor walked to a window, "Hm...Then we shall see the results of your decision in time. It will either be bold or be a blunder. I also hope that Shalahora doesn''t come to disappoint you. I say so as I''ve been rather discontented with these supposed ''rulers'' for quite some time."


    Glad for the change in topic, I blinked, "Ah...You expected more from them too?"


    "Of course. They''re incompetent considering the sheer amount of resources they were given."


    While turning back to my unfinished contract, I murmured, "Yeah, I couldn''t believe how ineffective they are, but being fed that psionic fluid hasn''t put them in the best position for mental clarity."


    Obolis''s face wrinkled, "Indeed...It would appear they were crippled from the onset. I''m certain Shalahora shall unmask whoever has committed that crime, in particular. None of us can stand against his psionic might after all."


    "Yup."


    A moment passed before Obolis coughed into his hand, "Ahem, that is to say, I have a bit of a confession to make."


    I turned to him, my eyes sharp as razors, "Oh man, don''t tell me you''re working with Elysium? You know what that means, right?"


    Energy charged around me, the air turning thick like a liquid. Obolis raised his palms, "Steady there. I would never ally with those mongrels. Elysium is destroying my Empire as we speak, so there''s no means of reconciliation with them. Rather, I''m making a confession regarding my place in this lottery."


    The energy dispersed from around me, "Ah, alright...Then let''s hear whatever it is."


    Obolis took a breath before saying, "Hm. How to say this...I was contacted by Schema well before this lottery began. It was meant to be a cleansing of galactic corruption, so to speak."


    I put my hands on my metal panel, "Ok, so Schema does that by killing everyone? Seems a bit much to me, but what do I know?"


    Obolis raised a finger, "I disagree. This exercise was meant to expose the gluttony of the current nobles that rule over the masses. That''s precisely why the current crop of rulers here has been so disappointing - they are byproducts of a cushioned life. One given to them, not earned by their own efforts."


    I didn''t know much about the heart of Schema''s society since I''d only experienced worlds on the outskirts of Schema-owned space. Well, aside from Obolis''s planets. Curious about that central core for Schema, I finished a page before turning to Obolis, "So you''re telling me that every single one of these rulers inherited what they have?"


    Obolis furrowed his brow, "Not all, but most. These are not the founders of their territories because a ruler merely needs to own a large set of territories. How they obtained those territories is irrelevant. Even I have well over fifty family members that classify as rulers, yet most of them hardly live up to a ruling title''s implications."


    Bitterness leaked into his voice. Obolis turned a hand, "These rulers here are the same. They are beneficiaries of great sentients and grew fat on that unearned privilege. So much so that they mistook their birthright for an earned advantage. It led to a mental delusion where they believed themselves better."


    Obolis bristled at his words, "Until now, where the difference between the spoiled and the spoilers has become clear."


    That subject sounded personal. Peering down at my contract, I wondered if I''d deal with the same issues with my guild or family. Hell, could I even have children in the first place? Obolis interrupted my thoughts as he grabbed one of his gauntleted wrists,


    "Though...At times, I do worry about several of my kin. Helios or Victoria? They shall be fine. Florence? Edward? Many of my own will struggle, and that is...Unfortunate. Very unfortunate."


    I wondered if anyone in my faction carried the requirements for the lottery, but I doubted it. Dismissing that worry, I kept focused on the cipheric contract while saying,


    "You won''t have to worry about Florence. That guy knows when to get the hell out of a dangerous situation." I etched some more while raising my brows, "But it does seem weird that Schema''s killing everyone instead of just taking what they all have. Dead workers are unproductive workers."


    Obolis shrugged, "Schema isn''t allowed to seize property unless it''s obtained through inheritance. The exchange is where Schema is allowed to force deference to his wishes, similar to taxation. The lottery can also be contrived as a challenge, so there aren''t many restrictions for Schema in decimating we weaklings."


    I leaned on my desk, "Huh, inheritances...I guess that''s another reason for Schema to dislike immortals. He can''t get whatever they own, at least not easily. Anyways, is this the confession? Because it''s not exactly the end of the world."


    Obolis rolled a hand, "I wish that were the case. You see-"


    I flatlined, "Obolis. I don''t have time for your theatrics. Out with it."


    Obolis bit his tongue before turning a hand to me, "I was offered a quest by Schema to undermine the rulers in exchange for a portion of their resources."


    I finished the cipheric markings, and a couple of other minds drafted up different versions of the finished manuscript. A moment passed, and I edited out my simplest mistakes. Other psyches dwelled on what Obolis said, and the Emperor waited until I finished my task. Once handled, I closed my grimoire before picking it up and charging the pages.


    I tilted my head at Obolis, "Ok...So you''ve been hired by Schema to kill the rulers here?"


    Obolis fidgeted, "Essentially, yes."


    With my free hand, I dragged my fingers down my face. I gazed at Obolis like a disappointed friend, "You were desperate to save your empire, huh?"


    Obolis couldn''t meet my eye, "There seemed to be no other way, and this opportunity was too much to ignore. In hindsight, I know that greed defied my inner sense of reason. It was foolish of me to accept the task, but what''s done is done."


    I bent my head sideways, "And now you don''t want Shalahora or me to expose what you''ve been doing to the other rulers? Is that it?"


    Obolis raised his hands, "That...That is the heart of this issue."


    I peered down at Obolis, "So what have you done to the rulers so far?"


    Obolis took a breath before lowering his hands, "It''s more so a case of what I haven''t done...Yet, that is. I have access to far more resources than many of these rulers, but I''ve generally kept that to myself. I''ve also ensured these members couldn''t properly manage their information systems."


    My grimoire hummed with mana as I nodded, "Ah, so that''s why you wanted to take the rulers off of life support when I first arrived. You wanted a slice of what they had for yourself."


    Energy coalesced over the closed pages, crystallizing and melting like cruor disintegrating back to blood. Obolis frowned at the glowing mass, "To some extent, I wanted what they owned. However, by the time that situation had come to pass, I realized the gravity of our situation. Schema needed no help culling these people, and I would soon struggle to survive once I was one of the few left alive."


    I shook my head, "Damn...Well, that''s not so bad that I need to cut you off or expose you. At least you didn''t help Elysium. If you had, I''d probably be forced to kill you."


    Obolis''s eyes narrowed, "Thinly veiled threats, hmm? I thought we were above that."


    I raised a brow, "Thinly veiled? What? And anyway, wouldn''t you try to kill me if I colluded with Elysium to destroy your Empire?"


    Obolis''s face contorted at the idea. I stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Exactly." I lowered my hand, "I have to head out."


    Obolis murmured, "Then so be it...But before that, when did you learn to use the cipher so well that you can draft contracts now? I watched the entire time, and it seemed spotless after the edits."


    Obolis didn''t know I dilated time while I sat there, and a dozen different Daniels argued, conceded, and championed the document until it was perfect. It would''ve taken hours without those strategies, but Obolis had no idea. From his perspective, I breezed through the process like an experienced contractor.


    I had no intention of shattering that illusion as I''d seen how effective those facades could be. I shrugged, "Eh, I found the time to practice since the lottery started."


    Obolis''s left eye twitched before he winced, "This entire event has been nothing short of a farce. I''ll never know how Schema expected us to manage these circumstances with such limited information."


    My grimoire finished charging, a pulse radiating through the room. Obolis coughed into a hand, "Ahem...It would seem it''s time for you to go to your shadowy friend. I hope you''ll keep what we''ve discussed in mind."


    As I left, I tapped the room''s outer wall with my fist, "Depending on what you''ve done, I''ll consider not telling anyone anything. That''s a big if, but we''ll see. We''ll discuss your repayment after I uncover what you''ve done."


    Having a chance to survive, Obolis breathed out a sigh of relief. I gazed up at the swirling shield of blue mana above while murmuring, "Oh yeah, I don''t think this lottery was an attempt by Schema to purge the corruption of the elites or to take resources from everyone either."


    Obolis raised his brow, "Then what could possibly be the purpose of the lottery?"


    I gazed at Leviathan, "I believe this was Schema''s punishment for the rulers who abandoned him. This chaos is his roar, and the dead are the victims of his wrath. I think the next time he calls for help, there will be more who listen."


    Obolis seethed, "If that is so, then Schema has simply fed Elysium more rebelling planets."


    We agreed on that, and that thought swirled in my mind while I passed through the alleyways leading to the other rulers. Streaks of light beamed between openings of the algae above, giving glimpses of Leviathan. Torches of mana lit the roadways like lanterns, and those blazes waved toward me as I walked.


    The reinforced marble helped open the space up, as did the tracing lines of glowing rainbow bone used to embellish the buildings. Those adornments prevented anyone from feeling suffocated while living here. At least, I hoped that would be the case while I walked up to the other survivors.


    Finding them facing Shalahora, the shadowed Sovereign sat near the city''s center, engaging many of those present with telepathic conversations. I waited for him to finish, and after a few minutes, the writhing miasma opened its blue eyes. He turned towards me, "Is that the contract? There''s nothing written on it."


    I pulled the glowing letters from my grimoire, "Yet. One sec."


    From the charged grimoire, glowing letters of the cipher floated upward. They landed on the panels of my dimensional fabric, which hovered around me. After the runes singed into the metal, I tossed the sheets to Shalahora before I crossed my arms,


    "Any updates on the spies, or did everyone wait until I could oversee the memory checks?"


    Shalahora''s shades snatched the panels out of the air while he glanced at the cipheric markings. After a few moments, he murmured, "There are several spies within our camp whom I''ve captured already. They lacked psionic abilities, so even a quick mental glance was enough to uncover them."


    "Who were they?"


    Shalahora peered up from the metal documents, "The perpetrators are several of the food managers and those responsible for managing the life support systems in the lower levels of the survivor''s base."


    "Huh...I expected Iona to be in on it."


    Shalahora shrugged with his shadowed shoulders, "I did as well, but there are no signs of such. Her mind shows no signs of tampering or manipulation, and her short-term recall of what occurred aligns with her stance with Schema. If anything, she seems to feel betrayed by the AI."


    I thinned my gaze, "Yeah, that''s something I can understand. Still, she''s been suspicious since the start, so we might need to dig deeper into her memories if Iona continues being suspicious. Anyways, where are the spies?"


    Shalahora pointed at another building near the city''s center. I walked in with the shadow at my side, and on the wall, five different rulers wrestled against liquid darkness. As I stepped in, they all were other species and colors, none of them being races I knew.


    However, each of their gazes carried familiar emotions. A bubbling mass of fear, acceptance, and hate spread over them as they glowered at me, but that was all they could convey with their bodies submerged in gloomy blots. I pointed at them while talking to Shalahora, "You can go ahead and get what we need from them if you''d like. Either that or you can sign the contract first."


    Shalahora peered through the details of the cipheric document before he tilted his head at me, "Are you certain of this?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. It doesn''t change much anyways since my goals are already set. This gives me another ally to get what I need."


    The shadow reread the contract once more before condensing a finger. It flared with umbral fire, siphoning and sucking the light from nearby. He etched into the dimensional fabric with difficulty, his signature leaving a trail of dark flames. Taking the contract from him, I channeled mana into it.


    While I charged the energy, Shalahora peered at each spy for a time. With each passing second of the shadow''s stare, the spies writhed and squirmed like worms over a fire. Their vessels swelled under their skin while blood dripped from their noses, eyes, and ears. After a few hours, their eyes glazed over, each of them given the mercy of comatose.


    By the time Shalahora finished, every alien had fallen unconscious from the mental probing. I grimaced, "That looked...Painful."


    Shalahora peered away, "It was painful, certainly, but they experienced far more as they relived their lives. They lived through agony, joy, love, and rejection in the passing moments. I merely extracted what they relived in its diluted form. The speed of the process is what afflicted them, not my technique itself."


    Shalahora didn''t give any signs of lying, but while I gazed at the aliens, everything pointed to the contrary. Blood pooled under the aliens like someone spilled a dozen paint cans under them, each bucket carrying a different color. They slushed into the hard floor, their pulped bodies mixing ever so slightly.


    Shalahora found his reflection in that smoothed, mirroring pool, "They know little or nothing aside from their own circumstances. They signed cipheric contracts to help bring their families or clans out of servitude in exchange for ruining the survivor faction. I understand their plight, though it has ruined any chance of their survival here."


    "What''d they do?"


    "They''ve caused many of the mechanical issues the Survivors struggled with. The psionic fluid was a desperate last move to stifle your remodeling from recovering the Survivor''s position. To these spies, the faction was like a tree. Since they could no longer tear the branches, they chose to poison the roots."


    I gazed at the aliens with distaste while considering my options. I understood why they did what they did, but keeping them here would only endanger our situation. We also gained as much info as possible, so I raised a hand, ready to blend their heads with gravitational vortexes.


    Before doing so, the contract in my hand finished siphoning energy. It plumed outward with a reality-warping surge. As it crossed over us, Shalahora''s eyes disappeared for a moment. When they reopened, he turned to me with a different look. He bowed, "It is done."


    I shook off an odd sensation as if my blood boiled without pain,


    "Er, good."


    A laugh echoed in the distance, but I ignored it. Pulling myself back to the moment, I inspected the spies once more. Figuring I could get more out of them than simple executions, I ripped them from the walls and floated them out of the room. Around the corner,  the other rulers gathered near the city''s center. I hovered myself up and over everyone before shouting,


    "Everyone, we''ve inspected those present and found these were the members poisoning you all. They crippled your attempts at recovery by ruining several of your life support systems."


    The rulers whispered before one of the braver ones shouted, "Where''s the proof?"


    Shalahora materialized beside me, and he reached up a hand. As he had when we first introduced ourselves, Shalahora telepathically linked to everyone present. Using that connection, Shalahora dispersed the spies'' memories over us like spilling someone''s life story out of a cup. Shalahora contained this flow, pinpointed several specific events, and locked away the other parts of their minds.


    I blinked, overwrought by the flow of information. That sensation settled, and I analyzed the memories within. Though they lacked clarity, the recallings carried a different volume than other information mediums. While a movie, book, or story compelled emotion through techniques and hard work, these memories were infused with a feeling regardless of the circumstance.


    What they lacked in resolution, they more than compensated with their emotional weight. In that sea of feeling, the most damning evidence arrived with the affirmation in the worker''s minds. They understood what they''d done and resolved to do, and they couldn''t forget that fact. I glared at everyone here, "As you can tell, Shalahora can pry out any secrets you''ve kept. In this case, if you work with Elysium, you will die."


    I squeezed my hand, and all five spies pulped into different colored mush balls. The memory field spread over us blipped out of existence like letting go of a warm hug. Pulling all of the aliens'' remains into a singular ball, I flung the corpse slush out of my city for the primevals to fight over. Accustomed to the brutality, I raised my brow at the other survivors who struggled with the display. Before they complained, I waved a hand, "You can all choose a room. There''s plenty of space in this city and the others nearby."


    The icy Alctua raised her voice, her scales sheening under Leviathan''s light, "You have more than one city here?"


    I nodded, "I have many."


    My golems marched around the perimeter, fixing anything out of order or patrolling the grounds. Primevals flew in the distance, their howls ominous. They lacked the lethal edge of the converted primevals who devoured the blended bodies just outside. The rulers watched their hidden enemies get torn apart, any sense of relief washed away by fear.


    I gazed at them with hard eyes. Before panic overtook them, I spread the Rise of Eden washed over them. The dimensional wake gave them an enormous boost to their stats, emboldening and strengthening them. They stood taller while I raised a hand to them,


    "Since coming here, you all have struggled. The reason is simple - you were taken advantage of by forces outside your control. Schema and Elysium both had their way with you all. It was as if he tied you to a stake in the sun and watched crows peck at your eyes until you were blind."


    I squeezed my hand into a fist, "That stops now. You''ll be taken from the sun to the shade, and your eyes will be restored so you can all see. Until now, you lived on a killing floor. Now you thrive on a training ground. You will be given every means of enhancing and augmenting your abilities. I''ll grant each and every one of you the supplies necessary for what needs to be done."


    I raised a finger, "My resources arrive with expectation - I will hold you responsible for walking away from this hellhole better than you walked in."


    Fear turned into the beginning of hope as I shouted, "No more turning back. No more shouting that this is unfair or undeserved. This is real, and we will face it head-on as the rulers of our worlds. Your nights have passed and now is the beginning of your dawns."


    I shouted in defiance, "If they want a war, then they''ll have one."


    Rulers shouted, most of the lesser rulers elated at a chance to survive. A few of the diplomats from higher organizations peered at each other nervously. Ignoring them, I turned and raised a hand, twenty of my golems falling in line.


    I turned a palm to them, "These constructs will assist you all in your  development, whether that be constructing more infrastructure or helping rulers learn to wage war."


    I raised my brow to Shalahora and telepathically said, "Is it possible to leave a shade with each of the rulers so we can keep tabs on them?"


    Shalahora nodded, "Of course, Harbinger."


    I peered at the rulers, "Well then, it looks like we have a planet to escape from, don''t we?"

 361 Out With Weakness

    <div>


    <div>


    I turned a palm to them, "These constructs will assist you all in your  development, whether that be constructing more infrastructure or helping rulers learn to wage war."


    I raised my brow to Shalahora and telepathically said, "Is it possible to leave a shade with each of the rulers so we can keep tabs on them?"


    Shalahora nodded, "Of course, Harbinger."


    I peered at the rulers, "Well then, it looks like we have a planet to escape from, don''t we?"


    Chapter Begin


    I cracked my neck before pointing toward the city''s center, "The first thing we need to do is get your vitals cleaned up. We''re removing the psionic fluid and anything else it left behind. Toxins, impurities, all of that sludge will be cleaned out by getting near the pillar over there."


    The rulers eyeballed each other before a few mosied toward the city''s central plaza. There, the monolith hummed with arcane energies, ten blue cores powering the structure and the buffs it instilled. After getting the crowd nearby, I sat cross-legged at the base of the column.


    Before I began, Shalahora blotted out of the ground like a writhing ink stain. The shadow murmured, "Would you mind me if I offered assistance, Harbinger?"


    His tone shifted after the contract formed, as if he switched bodies with someone else. I blinked, startled by the way he worded himself,


    "Er, sure."


    Shalahora condensed into a physical form before gesturing to the rulers but speaking to me, "Psionic fluid has pooled within them. Clearing it out will prevent them from rapidly metabolizing the substance, which would further damage their bodies. I can help them clear it out if you''d like."


    I didn''t even think of that.


    "Absolutely. Please do."


    Shalahora shimmered over, his body fragmenting into clouds of darkness that let beams of light through. Once in their general proximity, he telepathically linked to them all. He explained himself over the next few minutes before heading over to each ruler one at a time. Using his hand as a mental anchor, he pressed a fingertip to each ruler''s forehead.


    He pulled a portion of his mind into theirs through that contact point. With their minds compacted, Shalahora pulled out the remnants of the psionic fluid lingering in their bodies by drenching them in umbral energy. As I watched, I uncovered why they hadn''t exploded from it as I had. The rulers absorbed the material over time while I metabolized it instantly like the primevals did. The spines still lingered within the rulers, and those pricking points created systemic pain that was difficult to alleviate. It even reduced cognition over time.


    Shalahora soaked up whatever amount was left of the liquid, his mind expansive enough to do so without any issues. I could''ve done the same, but I would''ve killed several of them if I had tried doing something like that. I''d apply too much pressure on their minds and not contain the psionic liquid''s reaction. By comparison, Shalahora handled the deft task with an experienced hand, like a surgeon at an operating table.


    Still, he couldn''t remove the physical shards already in their bodies. That was where my talents kicked in. Having distributed them, my enchanted rings and other gear expanded the ruler''s regenerative abilities by leaps and bounds. The monolith at the city''s center offered further augmentation, and the Rise of Eden was the cherry on top.


    With all the amps running at full throttle, everyone regenerated their physical conditions rapidly. The built-up contaminants flowed from their skin, eyes, and, disgustingly, their orifices. Blegh. Several aliens stood up and vomited up rancid, black sludge while others handled the process in, er...Other ways.


    Let''s just say Shalahora stayed incorporeal while working with them.


    After a while, shards of bone oozed out of the rulers'' skins, some having more bits than others. The rulers grimaced in agony as the process took place, many wanting to stop. However, having others pull through helped those who struggled like a hell week at a boot camp.


    Several hours passed before the rulers pulled themselves out of their mental fog. People talked, joked around, and cleaned the area up. It helped that everyone was gross, so no one stood out in the filthy situation. After getting to a tolerable level of cleanliness, everyone beamed out with a euphoric kind of joy.


    Having cleaned out their systems, many gazed at pounds of shards that had oozed out of their body. The worst offenders were the wizards and magicians; their bodies had been soaked with the potent poison. They all glared at the shining needles as my golems carried out the sharpened shards. We didn''t want anyone bloodying their feet while walking, so I condensed it into a ball.


    Trying to motivate them further, I created a marble pillar with a spherical indentation before setting the sharp ball onto the pedestal. After using heat to clean it, I gestured at the spiny ball, "This is out of you all. If any of you doubted your abilities before, move forward, knowing this held you back like a ball and chain."


    Inspired, several rulers walked over to thank me. This set off a chain reaction where they all did so, a line queuing in front of me. I thanked them while memorizing their faces for later. In particular, the mages interested me since they had so little say up until now. Being a mana battery didn''t leave them much room for being anything else.


    With introductions handled and cleanout done, we began their basic cleanup. I gathered my constructor golems and let them know what adjustments I wanted to be made to the buildings. We''d have running water and warm runes imprinted into them, along with blankets, pillows, and other necessities. We''d give them other supplies as well, letting them get sanitized.


    A shower stall would be added along with a grate to hold the runoff. The golems would pull the grate out and empty the water outside the city daily using the tunnel systems. The moment they threw it outside, it would explode with a plume of steam before igniting anything the rulers got off of themselves. It was simple, easy, and efficient.


    Getting to work, the golems and I renovated the homes over the next hour. The rulers got nameplates for themselves, everyone choosing to stay in this city instead of moving to another one. That instinct to stick together kept them alive until now, and they believed it would do the same when heading into an uncertain future.


    I hoped for that as well.


    After handling the basic living situation, I sent out an announcement using the psionic web of the city. Everyone tuned in, and the rulers got to the central plaza once washed. Talking to everyone, I went over a training schedule for them. They''d devote several hours to psionic work daily so that no one was vulnerable to Elysium''s agents.


    Physical training followed since the rulers needed some kind of robustness, or they''d die from a light breeze. The last bit of training involved magic, and I doubted my ability to teach them much. While many would consider me a powerful sorcerer, my magical style was unique to me, so people wouldn''t be able to learn it. The thought of interviewing everyone made me want to vomit, so I handed that task to my director golem.


    With everything in place, the day''s schedule began. There was no time like the present, after all. The psionic training involved my ascendant golems testing their minds, and those monstrous constructs relished in the opportunity. To my surprise, most rulers held up well, but the exhausted ones ended up resting near the city''s monolith.


    I paced up to them and raised a hand, "How''s the training going?"


    A haggard, older alien leaned over and huffed, "It''s exhausting. I told the golem to hit me harder than you told it to. It laid into me like a fat man laying in a soft bed, and let''s just say this bed creaked."


    The group laughed, the older alien''s elephantine, gray skin crinkling as he smiled at his own joke. It looked like comradery forming, so I smiled before checking out our surroundings. I put my hands on my hips,


    "That''s good. Let''s hope we can continue this for a while before Valgus attacks us. We need time to prepare everyone for whatever they''ll throw at us next."


    A small, furry alien adjusted her glasses on her long nose, "Ah, if I may, what''s causing such distress over the next confrontation? I can''t imagine anything giving your golems problems, let alone yourself, considering you made them."


    I frowned, "Valgus is blessed by Baldowah, so he''s invincible. I can''t remember if I mentioned it, but I couldn''t even scratch the guy. If that guy''s bed creaked, then mine was broken."


    The rulers nodded to each other, an understanding forming between them. I tilted my head, "If you all knew that, then why ask what I''m worried about?"


    The lady looked like a mongoose as she waved her clawed hands, "Oh, I figured you had a solution for that, as you''ve already had multiple encounters with him."


    I frowned, "It was less having an encounter and more like surviving a beatdown."


    The older alien smiled, his tusks giving him a brutish edge, "That''s how those bastards win in all their fights. They use blessings that are immutable."


    The mongoose alien cleared her throat before saying, "Ahem, blessings aren''t the right word. They carry alternate rule systems to rig their fights in their favor."


    Remembering my fights with Baldowah and Yawm, an overarching rule system summed them up pretty well. In Valgus''s case, I played a game where his damage was turned off. It was simple yet absurd. Thinking of that, I turned a palm to the small, furry ruler,


    "It was more like a set of physical laws that were different for Valgus than for me. He couldn''t be broken, moved, or budged while I could."


    The older alien laughed, his teeth like molars, "That''s right. That''s exactly right. The Old Ones change them so that their avatars can''t lose. Each Old One tends to have a different way of doing it, but the result is always the same."


    That reminded me of When I first met Yawm. He could control antimatter and atomic fusion, so his mana and destructive abilities defied convention. He had already lost his mind by the time I met him, but the absurd foundation still lingered like the ruins of a great city. Even after collapse, Yawm still sent chills up my spine from memory alone.


    Those rule systems could also explain Shalahora''s psionic abilities or Valgus''s invulnerability. In Valgus''s case, he harbored an avatar while Shalahora was one. Those abilities could be the source of Shalahora''s immaterial form.


    While I dwelled on that, another mind took over talking, so I cupped my chin and said, "Is there any way to beat those kinds of laws when they''re protecting someone?"


    The group peered at each other. The older alien scoffed, "Of course not. Otherwise, you''d have heard about it. That''s why they can''t be beaten and are better left avoided."


    The mongoose chimed in, "Well, that''s not necessarily the case. There are...Well, theories about how to handle it in mainstream scientific literature."


    The older alien raised his brow, "And when have those ''theories'' actually worked?"


    She adjusted her glasses, "Not recently, unfortunately."


    The alien let his hands flop against his sides, "My point exactly."


    I raised my hands, "What are those methods?"


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The mongoose coughed into her hand, "Well, I''ve read of three different kinds. The first is the most difficult and involves creating a sub-dimensional space where the laws of nature are limited. If you can get someone inside, the laws protecting them can only manifest to the limits of the subspace."


    I remembered my pocket dimension, so I nodded, "Ah, it''s like having a jumping competition with a low roof?"


    She leaned back, "Uhm...I guess you could say it like that."


    The older alien shrugged, "So, to beat a guy at jumping, you have to construct a building with low ceilings and get them in there. Sounds very practical."


    I pointed at him, "Depends on who''s building it or leading the avatar. Anyways, What other ways are there to stop them?"


    The ruler adjusted her legs, "Mmm, the other method entails overwhelming the law systems protecting an individual. You can simply have another law system of your own that is stronger than theirs."


    I massaged my temples, imagining that process. The older alien nudged me with his elbow, "Hah, not too keen on selling your soul to some Old One, eh?"


    I murmured, "No, not really."


    My misgivings went well beyond that. Adding simple stats to myself through the cipher took quite a while, so changing the rules governing my body and mind would require untold amounts of energy and time. I also needed more knowledge on dimensions, cipheric runes, and the consequences of these rule systems.


    In other words, it was a long-term project, not a short-term solution.


    I shook my head, "Any other strategies?"


    The furry alien crinkled her expression, the fur bundling up like several squirrel tails, "Hm, the last strategy is less tested. It involved breaking the law systems down over time."


    I furrowed my brow, "Huh...Sounds difficult."


    She waved her hands, the sharp claws at the ends recently trimmed, "You could construct a set of law systems over yourself that destroy other law systems. That''s never been done or even attempted, really. The other method entails using a theoretical mana type to get it done. Tell me, have you ever heard of an energy called entropy?"


    The older alien rolled his eyes, "You''re filling this youngling''s head with junk now."


    Remembering my Sovereign class mentioning the mana type, I raised a palm to her, "Actually, I''ve heard of it, but I know nothing about it."


    The mongoose crossed her legs, her robe overlapping, "It''s a mana type that''s theorized to be able to break down anything, and I truly mean anything. It can destroy matter, energy, and even thoughts. Those laws of nature within a space are susceptible to it as well...Theoretically, that is."


    I leaned forward, "How would I make it?"


    "It''s a fusion of all three advanced mana types, supposedly. I have no idea what kind of mindstate would help summon the energy, though. It''s...It''s a relatively untrodden path."


    The older alien gazed at me like a stern teacher, "Absurd speculation aside, you''re not as intimidating as you first seemed, my friend. I thought you''d know most of this already."


    I shrugged, "Eh, I haven''t had much of an opportunity to sit down and learn about this kind of thing. I''ve been in permanent battlezones since the system started, and my quests have always dragged me into quagmires that never seem to end."


    The other rulers honed in, each leaning towards me or turning my way. One of them said aloud, "That''s similar to the situation with the eldritch. It''s a fight that never ends."


    I pointed at them, "Exactly."


    The fluffy alien tilted her head at me, "So you''re much more oriented toward battle than, say, general knowledge, for instance?"


    I nodded, "That''s very true. I was born and raised in a pre-system world, yet I''ve been in situations like this several times. My first large-scale quest was a quarantine zone, and battling Elysium was the next. Both involved sieging cities or holding them while facing massive armies."


    One ruler, an avian creature with several wings, spoke with a large, colorful beak, "That''s what modern warfare has become since Schema centralized governance based on eldritch clearing. Once a city is held, the advantages mount, and cities become an overwhelming advantage."


    It was good that I asked Schema to recognize my own cities then.


    The older alien leaned one hand against his knee, "If I''m hearing right, you never received a Schema based education?"


    I raised my brow, "Not even slightly. I learned all this independently outside a few mentors along the way."


    The gruff alien pushed himself up, grunting from the effort. He reached out a hand, his nails thick as tiles, "My name''s Targask Holoh. I''m an archmage who''s worked across several empires for my species'' freedom. Right now, I''m working for the Entil Empire, and my work usually revolves around whipping spoiled brats into shape."


    I grabbed his hand, the rugged surface feeling soft as butter to my metal hands, "My name''s Daniel Hillside. I''m trying to get out of Schema''s rat race."


    The rulers nodded with understanding before the archmage turned a hand to the furry alien, "She''s shy, so she won''t even introduce herself. She''s Cheruhka Miya. She''s a scribe I''ve come to have a healthy disdain for."


    Unperturbed, she raised a hand, "Hi."


    After a few more introductions, the older alien walked over to an open space. He waved me over, and I figured I might as well see what he wanted. While we faced each other, Targask interlocked his arms behind himself, "If you wouldn''t mind, I''d like to see what you can do. Magically, that is."


    A slight smile grew on my lips, "Do all mages lock their arms behind themselves like that?"


    Targask waved his hand, "No, certainly not. I simply find the position comfortable."


    "Ah. Well, what do you want to see, exactly?"


    He peered off, "Hm, an overall assessment of your abilities. You mentioned never receiving a Schema-based education, so I was going to see if you had any gaps in your magic that I could offer insight into. Think of it as my way of paying you back for all you''ve done for us."


    For a moment, I considered the situation. Exposing my magic could backfire if Elysium got its hands on the full extent of my abilities, and these rulers would inevitably report it, willingly or not. However, having them informed about me also acted as free advertising. After all, life would continue after this lottery, and I could have these guys bidding for my time.


    Siding with the bolder approach, I shrugged, "Eh, alright. Anything I should start with?"


    He turned a hand to me, "Whatever you wish. I''m experienced enough to know what I''m looking at."


    I raised a hand, generating water over my palm, "If you say so. This is so you can see it."


    I pulled the orb using gravity wells, flowing it between us in a crisscrossing, diagonal current. While waving my finger, I made the fresh orb spiral into a ring before creating many dollops of water around it. Stretching each droplet, I created a series of interlocking circles before spinning them around like a liquid gyroscope.


    The archmage gave me a nod of approval, "Is that gravitation you''re using instead of telekinesis?"


    "Of course. This isn''t possible with telekinesis."


    "Hm...Fair enough."


    I let out a plume of heat, and the series of circles ushered into steam. I coalesced it back into ice, then steam once more. I pulled electricity through it, and the water hummed with energy, rippling in waves. Reaching out a hand, I flicked two fingers, condensing the rings into ice balls.


    They orbited a gravity well at the center of the display, forming a miniature solar system. I threw my hand sideways, tossing the water out of the city. The moment it passed the barrier, the water popped from ice into vapor like tiny detonations.


    Reaching up a different hand, I heated it until it glowed red, yellow, white, then blue, and I spread that over my body, containing the heat with a panel of invisible cold around me. I placed my palm over the ground, the rock melting to magma I etched runes into. I flash-froze it and myself, a wave of cold washing over me.


    Standing upright, I opened my pocket dimension, pulling the liquid bone out and back in. I closed it before heating one of my arms into a liquid. I molded it into a spine before making it into several other rudimentary weapons. Sending waves through my body, I let myself ripple before my body collapsed. I regenerated above the corpse, dimensional fabric rushing out of the ether.


    Rulers around watched the demonstration, their silence telling. The grizzled archmage widened his eye at my respawn trick, but he kept his reactions measured outside of that. Forgetting to demonstrate it earlier, I turned one of my arms into water, and it flooded out. I pulled that water out of the city before raising a hand and spawning soil.


    In the rich ground, I crafted plants and random animals. The archmage gawked at that display before I shuttled it out. The moment it passed the barrier, even the dirt ignited. Reaching up a hand, I spawned a singularity outside the city''s border. The dark blot feasted on light, and in turn, force and destruction erupted.


    The shockwave trembled the barrier before I let my hands down,


    "That''s about all I got."


    That wasn''t true, but I figured that was enough to turn some heads. The older mage walked up to me, "A lot of that was impressive, while some of it was rudimentary. It''s such a strange kind of casting you''re using as well. Where is your grimoire? Are you hiding it?"


    "I don''t use it for combat."


    He blinked, "Hm, that could certainly explain some of the less technical displays then. Where did you get the materials from for your water and whatnot?"


    I raised a hand and turned a fingertip into ice. Flicking it, the ice burst into a plume of sheening powder before my hand regenerated. I pulled the ice out of the city, watching the snowflakes explode outside the city''s barrier like tiny firecrackers.


    I shrugged, "It''s my body. I turn my flesh and blood into materials."


    The mage shook his head, "Blood magic. Interesting. And you''re mana channeling as well...It''s all so strange."


    I raised a brow, "How so?"


    "You don''t construct mental apparatuses to create efficient mana conversions. You pull from an absurdly enormous well of mana, like using a flood to water a houseplant. In fact, your mana usage is in excess to such a degree that you use it like you''ve never dealt with limits to how much you can use."


    He was right. I hadn''t.


    The archmage raised his hands, "Most mages end up focusing on efficiency and tightly wound casting to make the most of what they have. You''re trying to wield more of your reserve and use it as quickly as it returns, yet you''re struggling despite wielding enormous amounts of mana."


    I furrowed my brow, "I have always had very high mana regeneration, so my limits are different than other people''s. That''s why I cast differently."


    The archmage scoffed, "And it''s resulted in a very inefficient casting style."


    I struggled not to roll my eyes at that. He noticed, so he raised a finger, "Not to say the sheer volume of magic is unimpressive. I don''t know if I''ve ever seen anyone pull that much mana repeatedly without being driven mad or exploding. Doubly so for a blood mage, as they tend to be physically aimed fighters, not sorcerers."


    I cracked my knuckles, each pop sounding like a snapping cable submerged in mercury, "Do I look like I''m only a sorcerer?"


    The archmage rattled, "Of course not, but that''s beside the point. Your large mana pool must be why you use such simple mana pathways during your casting."


    Cheruhka chimed, "That simplicity allows him to channel that much mana. More complex pathways would collapse."


    Targask narrowed his eyes at her, "But is it really necessary to channel mana through his body? That''s a recipe for internal destruction, though he''s somehow survived it."


    I raised my brow, "I''m made of a very conductive material, so there''s very little friction involved when channeling energy."


    Targask narrowed his eyes, "Then how are you controlling it?"


    I raised a glowing hand, "I can feel it coursing through me, and using those sensations, I measure where, when, and how to use the magic. That''s why I can construct something like that spinning orb or miniature solar system without using a grimoire."


    I shrugged, "It''s also why my mentor has struggled to teach me specific spells. Instead, he handed me resources so I could learn on my own."


    The archmage winced, "I could imagine doing the same. Regardless, that methodology led to a lot of discrepancies."


    I pushed through the urge to casually dismiss the guy, "Name them."


    He raised a hand, "Easily done. I''d be willing to bet your magic is almost entirely used on yourself and not other people. You probably can''t stabilize your mana enough to use on others without driving them insane."


    Ooh, he got me there. I peered up, "Hm, yeah. For sure."


    He rolled his hands, the older alien appearing excited, "I''d also be willing to bet that certain styles of magic are highly limited for that same reason. Any kind of bolstering styles, healing, even telepathy could be strained with certain people who aren''t highly leveled."


    I tapped my side, thinking that over for a moment. I never even considered telepathy with an average person, but it could backfire. With that worry burning, I raised a hand, "You have my attention."


    Targask turned a palm to the monolith, "How about I show you a thing or two about constructing spells using a grimoire. You could learn a bit before going off and handling the rest yourself."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Let''s do it-"


    My director golem telepathically synced up with me, "Creator, may I have a moment?"


    Raising a hand to the archmage, I glanced up, "What''s up?"


    The lead golem sighed, "It''s rather unfortunate, but there appears to be an emissary from Valgus''s faction that would simply adore a meeting."


    Disgust spread over my face as I simmered, "If I have to go through one more damn meeting, I''m going to kill someone."


    Putting myself back in the moment, I raised a hand to Targask, "You can show me the ropes after I handle Valgus''s ''emissary.'' It won''t take long."


    Targask frowned, "They''re already here to kill us? That''s a damn shame. I''ll see if I can''t organize that lesson before they get through."


    I gave him an acknowledging nod before dashing forward. I jumped up while pulling with gravity wells, launching myself across my city. Landing near my director golem, he waited outside with his arms crossed behind himself. The director gestured to a large, powerful warrior waiting outside.


    It reminded me of a bipedal beetle with its massive upper body hunched over. Its gaze carried an eerie air about it because its eyes never blinked or moved, and keratinous layers interlocked over its skin like plates of glossy armor. It even wore its old, molted shells, one arm holding a scarred head plate and the other a sharpened horn.


    Flying at the midpoint of the city''s barrier, it raised the horn sword while bending its head down. I mirrored the gesture before waving it in. The insect landed below, its heft causing a quake throughout the city. As construction golems raced to fix the damage, I gave it a wave,


    "Yo. What do you want?"


    The beetle spoke in a series of clicks, but the translation system in my city let me understand it,


    "We want the rulers."

 362 Uncovered Progress

    Flying at the midpoint of the city''s barrier, it raised the horn sword while bending its head down. I mirrored the gesture before waving it in. The insect landed below, its heft causing a quake throughout the city. As construction golems raced to fix the damage, I gave it a wave,


    "Yo. What do you want?"


    The beetle spoke in a series of clicks, but the translation system in my city let me understand it,


    "We want the rulers."


    Chapter Begin


    I glared at it, "Mind explaining why?"


    The beetle huffed before speaking, "These cities...They''ve fully replaced even the air?"


    I crossed my arms, "Answer my question."


    Several of my cored golems landed beside us, and the beetle ruler rolled its shoulders, "What is there to say? You have faced Valgus. He is superior in a battle to you in every way. He will come here, ravage your cities, kill everyone you''ve ever known-"


    "Then why hasn''t he?" An awkward silence passed over us before I furrowed my brow, "Man, you guys didn''t think this through."


    The beetle turned to the side and let out a series of guttural clicks like a cough, "Urgh, ahem. So...That''s not necessarily true."


    I dragged a hand down my face before frowning, "Get out."


    The beetle ruler raised a hand, "Wait. One moment. I understand that you believe that we are all mindless followers of Valgus. You have a call and reason to do so, but that isn''t the case. We can reason or follow through with a deal of some sort-"


    I leaned towards it and raised a hand, "Since when did I become a politician? You attacked me, and at that moment, any chance at diplomacy passed. Valgus joining the fight has changed nothing since then. He simply added to my hit list."


    The beetle spread its arms, "You''re acting as if you won the fight earlier. What''s given you such confidence?"


    I narrowed my eyes at him, "It''s simple - those that ask for help admit weakness. That isn''t necessarily bad since admitting weakness can demonstrate humility or modesty. In Valgus''s case, he paired it with a threat. If he could simply force my submission, why wouldn''t he? He''s done that to everyone else, so I should be no different."


    The beetle said nothing. I stood tall, "He has done nothing because he can do nothing. I''m done listening to you or your people. Leave or be forced to."


    The beetle glanced at the two dozen golems waiting nearby. It sighed, "Then let it be so. You will come to regret this."


    I reached up a hand, a gravity well forming in its chest. After pulling it off the ground, it squirmed in the air. I tilted my head at it, "Are you serious? You''re trying to threaten me when you can''t even function off the ground?"


    It spread its wings and flapped them. Gusts of wind burst down, strong enough to strip stone. I grounded myself with gravitation and molded the barrier around the city until it contained us and the storm flowing forth from the beetle''s wings. I scoffed, "Come back with Valgus if you want to negotiate."


    I strengthened the gravity well holding the beetle until my arm sheened a dark blue. Mana crackled and radiated from me as I compressed the well further. The sound of ripping steel burst from the beetle''s wings as they collapsed against his sides. They broke and mangled like crumpled food wrap.


    I kept crunching until the beast''s eyes sank in, and it choked on its tongue and torn-out teeth. I seethed, "And remember - I''m not fighting him. I''m fighting Baldowah''s powers. Valgus is a paper champion covered in steel. Take that steel from him, and he is nothing. What I have cannot be taken."


    I flung my hand, and the gravity well catapulted the beetle ruler out of the city. He crashed into the rainbow shards, the impact quaking through the opalescent pile. I walked off, knowing the beetle made it this far alone, so that wouldn''t be enough to stop him.


    Behind me, the beetle put its bulky arms against the shards, pulling energy from the shining pile. Its shell darkened, turning to a brittle, charcoal substance. It erupted out of its molted and mangled body. Healed from the chrysalis, it shouted over the chaos of the ossuary.


    Its voice turned from a cacophony of clicks into understandable language when it reached my city.


    "We shall see if you can keep what you have, Harbinger."


    It turned and set out. I did the same, heading to my city''s monolith. I found Targask sitting beside the city''s monolith. He wrote with paper made by one of my constructor golems, peering up with a wry smile as I walked up, "That was quick."


    I shrugged, "They''re not the best negotiators. Anyways, what do you have for me?"


    Targask spread his hands over a series of documents, each carrying fundamental runes made by Schema. Targask pointed at me, "You showed the ability to make these earlier, but I figured I shouldn''t make many assumptions about you. Can you read these?"


    "Yes. These are the most fundamental building blocks of Schema''s watered-down cipher."


    Targask raised his brow, "Ah, you subscribe to that crackpot theorem?"


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I sat down, keeping my weight on one leg until I landed in a cross-legged position, "Yeah, I do. If anything, I think it''s foolish to think it''s anything else."


    Targask shook his head, "Even the cipher''s not necessarily a proven thing, let alone the connection between the two. You need to get your head out of the clouds."


    From that alone, I learned that Targask didn''t know as much as he thought. It made sense that he supported Schema-based factions and taught children since he thought orthodoxly. Well, what I assumed was mainstream thinking on the cipher. Still, I''d never exposed myself to a magician like this before, so I pushed through,


    "We can agree to disagree there. Anyways, what are we doing here?"


    Targask rubbed his hands together, "Ah, well then, we''re going to be creating your first mental apparatuses. These will convert, hold, and apply the mana for you."


    I crossed my arms before Targask raised a palm, "Sounds intimidating, doesn''t it? It doesn''t have to be. Think of this like farming. You''re out there, the dirt is hard, the plants don''t thresh like they should, and you''re pouring sweat. That sounds pretty difficult, doesn''t it?"


    "It would have been at one point."


    He waved his arms, "We''re assuming you''re a normal person here. The difference is that we''re like that farmer when talking about magic. There''s so much about us that simply doesn''t work well with the magical world. Our bodies can''t tolerate it well, our minds struggle with mana destabilizing, and it can even poison us should we exceed our limits to control it."


    He tilted his head, "It''s just like the farmer. Here, the mental apparatuses are used just like a farmer''s tools. Instead of using our body and mind, we construct a vessel for whatever we need. This prevents us from dealing with the obvious issues of using magic in the first place."


    I gestured to the documents, "Alright, let''s make some."


    Targask pointed at the first document, "Here are the simplest ones."


    I peered down, reading through the runic incantations. At the same time, I  compressed time and had a dozen minds work on the project at once. After a few seconds, I garnered a few bits of info. The three examples in front of me handled basic mana conversion. Mana always carried a kind of intent, after all, like how ascendant mana would drive someone into a blood frenzy. These runic works broke down how to neutralize that intent, store the mana, and put the intent back into the mana.


    It couldn''t create the initial intent, but these would help someone use the mana that someone else made. I leaned close, "Yeah, I could use these to stop the mental problems you guys get from using my mana sources."


    Targask blinked, "Huh. Yeah, you certainly could, though they''d need to be specialized for your specific intent."


    I picked up the papers and memorized them before pulling my grimoire from my pocket dimension. I opened it before Targask scoffed, "What kind of industrial, heavy-duty grimoire is that? It looks like you asked a blacksmith to forge it."


    I shook the book, the liquid silver plashing behind the pages, "It even bleeds silver if you cut it. Anyways-" I etched the runes before gazing at them with intention. These would work much better in the cipher since these would just break with even a little mana. I rubbed my temples for a moment, thinking about adjusting them.


    No answers coming up, I etched into the pages of my grimoire with heated contact points. I created the runes, channeled mana through them, and tested them for a while. The last of these steps involved putting the runes onto my skin and pulsing mana through it. As I did, I put my hand far out to the side.


    The runes shattered instantly, a kinetic wave erupting from them. I shielded Targask with a layer of water before he did the same with his own barrier. The grizzled magician jeered, "Eh, every beginner makes the same mistake."


    I shook my head, "It''s not a mistake. It''s a test."


    "Oh, sure. I bet."


    Ignoring the insult, I created a few prototypes of the mana neutralizer using the cipher. Many Daniels assisted the process, my overall psyche putting out dozens of designs. I carved out the select few that passed a scrutiny test before trying them out on my skin. Each of them held much better than the Schema-based version, but that wasn''t any surprise.


    The best rune held up to about 1,000 mana a second with some inefficiency in the conversion. It was a paltry amount but could scale up with many of the runes put together. I leaned over, thinking for a while. Testing the other iterations more, I got a better understanding of their strengths.


    One lacked the ''friction'' that the other runes had, but it shattered easily. The other conducted the mana quick as lightning, but it lost lots of mana in the process. Taking parts from each design, I put them onto the page, one after the other. These Frankenstein runes lacked any stability whatsoever, shattering like glass vases told to hold lead bricks.


    Another round later, one of them held about 500 mana a second. It did so quickly and efficiently, making it scale far better than the more durable version. I spent several more minutes iterating on that design, trying out a few oddball ideas along the way. After another ten rounds of designing, I got the finished cipheric rune.


    It held about 7,000 mana a second with nearly no mana loss. It also zapped the force through faster than a bullet, so quick reactions were possible. I tied several of them together before trying it again. It blew up again before I attempted the same process on the tying process.


    I ended up with a mana converter that could be attached to my mana batteries without real issues. As I worked, Targask observed without comment. When I finished an hour later, he shook his head in disbelief,


    "That''s just absurd. What even is that?"


    I picked up the block of runes wrapped in my dimensional fabric, "This is a mana converter that''s actually usable."


    Targask reached out a hand, "Can I see it?"


    "It''s way too heavy for you."


    Targask rolled his eyes before snatching the battery out of my hand. I let him, and when he pulled, he jerked himself sideways. I raised my brow at him, "You must not be used to working with heavy objects, eh? Pro-tip, when they''re heavier than you, you have to pin yourself down to move them."


    Targask pushed himself off the ground, "Oh hardy har har. Very funny." He rubbed his cheek, "It doesn''t seem like it will be that useful if it''s this weighted anyway. Even stone can''t support it."


    I pointed down, "This supports both of us, and I''m much heavier than this battery. I''ll just use the same techniques to hold this."


    Targask scrambled for other problems, "What about a power source?"


    "It has its own power, but I can add mana crystals or dungeon cores if I want. Either way, we''ll be installing a few of these into the city immediately. I''ll be back after I finish."


    Over the next hour, I created a hundred of these batteries, mass-producing them as I had many other objects. I did so outside of the city, the heat alone being enough to cook everyone inside. Once finished, I got my army of golems to install them into the ruler''s homes, along with mana batteries.


    After I handled the installation, Targask tried using one of them. He frowned at it, the sight disturbing him as he murmured, "How in the hell did you create this?"


    I grinned at him, "The same way I will make lots of other stuff."


    Targask gave me a wary eye as I lunged to one knee, still over his eye level,


    "Now then...Let''s see the next set of runes, eh?"

 363 An Eerie Unvieling

    After I handled the installation, Targask tried using one of them. He frowned at it, the sight disturbing him as he murmured, "How in the hell did you create this?"


    I grinned at him, "The same way I will make lots of other stuff."


    Targask gave me a wary eye as I lunged to one knee, still over his eye level,


    "Now then...Let''s see the next set of runes, eh?"


    Chapter Begin


    Targask shook his head before scratching the back of his head, "You''ve worked quite a bit today. I''m sure you must be tired."


    I scoffed, "Not even close. Let''s move on to the next subject."


    Targask blinked before pulling out another sheet of paper, "Well then...Let''s see what you make of this then."


    He began writing down a series of formulas using hieroglyphic images. They mirrored miniature monsters, each carrying a semblance of life to them. I gawked at the markings, curious how he instilled that uncanny vigor in mere pictures. Targask peered up at me, enjoying my obvious bewilderment all the while.


    When he finished, he turned a palm to the drawings before crossing his arms, "What do you think these are?"


    I leaned toward them, "They''re some kind of formula that uses monster pictures instead of actual mathematics."


    Targask tilted his head, "Hmm, close enough, I suppose. These are potion formulas that use common eldritch parts. It wasn''t until a few decades ago that this became widespread knowledge. Care to hear the history?"


    "Why not."


    "Long story short, potions used to rely on specific species of eldritch, which are notoriously difficult to maintain the populations of. You can keep a dungeon alive by simply not taking the dungeon core, but Schema always sets up mini-quarantines in those situations whenever possible."


    I remembered my first dungeon being that way. That might be why Schema moved it to a different world in the first place. If I had to guess, Schema probably had a problem with people conspiring alongside an intelligent hivemind.


    Either way, Targask shrugged, "So potions tended to be very temporary. An alchemist would pay mercenaries to kill and maintain the corpses of different eldritch before experimenting on the bodies. After concocting the potion, the alchemist turned the rest of the corpses into a few batches of the brew."


    I raised a brow, "So they had to make new potion formulas each time they made some?"


    "Yeah, and it was awful. Quality control was abysmal since each batch was so different. Combine that with how expensive they were, and many adventurers opted against using them. Within the last few decades, that''s changed since a genius released his documentation detailing an elaborate potion theory. That''s what you see here."


    I turned a hand, "And it lets you use common eldritch instead of specific parts from certain species?"


    Targask put a hand on the pages, "That''s right. For now, formulas can be made and followed. Eldritch can come from a branch of species rather than a specific one, allowing normal people to create these miraculous elixirs."


    I nodded, "Huh. It sounds like that guy revolutionized the entire branch of magic. He must be loaded."


    Targask scoffed, "It''s the opposite. The potion master was jailed by Schema."


    I facepalmed. Targask gave me a shove, "Hah, I had the same reaction when I heard. It was a real shame. I would have loved to figure out what was going through that guy''s mind."


    I sighed, "That''s Schema for you. He wants you to run as fast as you can, but only if you''re on a hamster wheel."


    Targask raised a brow, so I answered him.


    "A hamster wheel was an empty cylinder for small pets to run in. You get nowhere no matter how far you run."


    Targask''s chin jerked up, "Ahhhh, that''s not nearly as stupid as it first sounded. Probably. If you ask me, I think Schema''s using the potion master for whatever the AI wants, but who knows?"


    I kept that note in the back of my mind for two reasons. Firstly, I might be able to find that potion master and learn from him. Secondly, Schema jailed him for releasing that information publicly, and that hinted that Schema locked down information, putting everyone in the dark. I knew Schema did that already, but this confirmed it.


    I tapped the pages, "What do these symbols mean, and how did you get them to have so much life?"


    "These are the basic health, fatigue, and mana potions you can make using common eldritch species. That life you''re feeling is the secret to the potion master''s work: he put some sentience into the runes."


    I raised my brow, and Targask tapped his head, "They are somewhat alive. It''s kind of like a conversation between us. When done through paper, there''s a sterility that doesn''t convey our full selves. While in person, we offer much more information whether we want to or not."


    Targask moved his hand from his head to the paper, "This is the same. By instilling some life into the markings, the potion master allowed far more flexibility than was previously thought possible."


    I leaned back, marveling at the idea, "How the hell does that even work? Why would intent change the potions?"


    Targask shrugged, "I don''t know. It''s easy to replicate the specifics, but the overarching principle is shrouded in mystery."


    Finding that potion master might improve my runes by leaps and bounds while adding sentience to runes might be crazy enough to work. I marked those ideas down in my head while scratching my cheek. Analyzing the sigils on the ground, I wrinkled my face in confusion.


    They lacked any similarities with the cipher or Schema''s language. To better grasp them, I had Targask tell me each symbol and what it correlated to. That took twenty minutes, so I had him create the alphabet for me to use later. A bit of practice confirmed what Targask said - the runes were easy to make.


    When writing them down, I recreated the forms before intent flooded into them from the ether around us. It left me in awe because these markings guided a person''s perception while they read, preventing weird interpretations. I mean, anyone could take almost anything out of any page.


    It was simply how communication worked. Once a word leaves a person''s lips, it can take on whatever meaning the listener desires. Words of hate could be seen as love, and the truth could be seen as a lie. These runes defied that long-standing convention. They reminded me of the memory sharing that Shalahora used earlier.


    How someone achieved that in written form didn''t make sense to me. Perhaps genius wasn''t strong enough of a word for whoever this was, and it reminded me of Baldag-Ruhl''s ritual. Some principles exceeded my grasp, and I had to accept that.


    Regardless, my awe faded as the toil of work began etching itself onto us both. We fell into the flow of making the runes before moving on to other materials. Not long after, I brewed weaker potions. Targask showed me a few advanced potion types for the last part of the alchemy lesson.


    These mirrored basic spells in effect, but anyone could use them without training or upkeep. With invisibility, silence, speed, and strength, the potions accomplished almost anything. Despite that upside, every brew came with a cost; their side effects ranged from meager to severe.


    For instance, even the standard health potion resulted in a load of metabolic waste, which always gave people diarrhea at a minimum. If relied on too heavily, the symptoms mounted, becoming so severe that the kidneys or liver failed. Mana potions were the same deal and resulted in headaches that kept getting worse and worse the more you drank them.


    If abused enough, these headaches became permanent, and there were cases of suicide due to their use. They also caused insomnia even in small doses, and the mental fog afterward felt like coming down from a massive high. This made them exceptionally addictive. That was the general trend - the more intense the potion, the lower the resulting side effect tended to be.


    The more I thought about it, the more I thought about Althea. Most of her life revolved around being sedated to mute her emotions and powers. She managed that addiction behind closed doors, and after hearing about these side effects, I worried about her. She''d always handled those issues in relative silence, and that realization stung.


    It was like she hid that from me, worried I might not want to help or be willing to. Before I jumped to that conclusion, I silenced my ruminations. Wanting to understand some of the potions in general, I had Targask let me try a few. Taking a bottle, I uncorked one before pouring it over my hand.


    The liquid soaked into my arm like water down a drain as Targask rolled his eyes. He taunted, "You don''t even drink them properly. Do you do anything normally?"


    I raised my brow, "I do if it''s efficient. Otherwise, what''s the point?"


    To further that notion, I smashed the following few bottles in my hands instead of waiting for them to pour out. Really, I was just tired of Targask''s snippy attitude, and my strategy paid off. Targask lost his penchant for snide remarks.


    And his potion bottles.


    Anyways, no matter how many elixirs I took in, they left no effect on me. Even a dozen cocktails at once did zilch; I figured it was because my body broke them down differently than expected. The potions followed a standard, biological route for activation mixed with some mana for added oomph. The oomph was hard to even feel, and I was a living block of metal.


    I needed potions designed for dimensional fabric, not blood or bone. So for me, potions were demoted from miracle elixirs to glorified water bottles. Still exciting but not as fascinating as the runes used for the brews themselves. Either way, I hadn''t uncovered any big breakthroughs when discussing the topic, and Targask relished my lack of success.


    I deserved some of that for smashing his bottles. Either way, I didn''t mind much since I could give Althea and Kessiah a few miracle brews. Torix already gave them formal lessons on the topic, but a different perspective never hurt anything.


    Moving on to the next lesson, we began healing, another subject where I lacked talent. I figured that would be the case considering some of my previous experiences, but it still grated me to uncover it hadn''t changed. Since I used magic differently than most, I couldn''t use it on others in most situations.


    Well, I could, but it would just blow them up...Usually.


    Even with the runes cleansing my mana, my personal limitations remained. In this case, I couldn''t heal well because I couldn''t get a tight enough grip on what was considered normal. For example, I could feel the difference between someone''s bones and muscles, but the difference was subtle. To compensate, I could devote years of tireless effort to mastering surgery despite that drawback.


    That would be well worth pursuing if I wanted that as a career, but that wasn''t the case. I tried to heal as an extra option, not another path in life. My desire for convenience contrasted with healing itself, which didn''t give a damn what I wanted. It was a complex, arduous, and demanding discipline, standing in front of me like a looming mountain.


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    I could not leap over this mountain. I had to take each step one at a time. Facing that journey down, I turned to a different path. I''d leave that discipline to Kessiah.


    Heading towards a different mountain of study, I learned about magic contracts next. I designed several iterations of cipheric agreements before, but knowing how to make simple, low-stakes contracts was essential. I mean, I didn''t want to have to warp reality every time I made an arrangement with anyone.


    So, Targask gave me a few pointers based on Schema''s typical contract methods. The legal lingo made me feel like a lawyer, and Targask mentioned that many Speakers specialized in this class style. These legalists helped create more nuanced and complete arrangements between Empires or individuals. It was neat info, and it carried significance to me.


    I could read through documentation about this kind of thing and prevent basic con tactics in the future. It also gave me an understanding of the blowback involved with breaking an agreement. Aside from the reputation hit, breaking contracts carried literal consequences. They could hold mana bombs in your head that erupt if the terms weren''t followed, sure, but that was the tip of the iceberg.


    Some handled far more personal punishments, like causing decades of torture if anyone broke the terms. A few could castrate the user, cause mental regression, or remove limbs. The possibilities were endless. To my fascination, an entire branch of assassination was devoted to this kind of killing.


    The killers nested malevolent terms within bland, benign contracts, ensuring they''d be failed. Anyone caught up in the impossible obligation ended up experiencing whatever consequences the agreement detailed, usually splattering across a wall or blowing up a skull.


    The pen truly was mightier than the sword.


    And easy to learn. Contract magic didn''t take much time to go over as people honed their creation from a flimsy art to a cutting science. We went over the next branch of sorcery. This part involved handling rituals and delayed casting. I''d done something similar by saturating a spell with my mana, but that kept sorcery running after I disconnected from them.


    These spells could have no effect for days, weeks, or even years before going off, meaning they worked like bombs in real life. You set up five parts: an initiator, switch, main charge, power source, and container. Though simple in practice, understanding the standard runic configurations made the bombs much more reliable.


    Which was necessary to even use them at all. I couldn''t have a delayed set of singularities mistimed and destroyed a city or something. Unfortunately, these runic configurations didn''t carry any latent potential for me to abuse. They did what they were supposed to, leaving little room for improvement.


    It left me discontented. At the start of this whole magic overview, I had hoped to apply my skills to many fields of magic. After all, I''d developed my own unique style of magic and abilities for years now. Cross-applying all of it could''ve resulted in an unknown amount of potential gains. As we progressed, that latent potential was exposed, and it wasn''t as awe-inspiring as I hoped it would be.


    Until we discussed rituals, that is.


    Targask wrote the runes onto plain paper, and I gazed at the familiar sigils. They reminded me of the cipheric carvings on my body. I pointed at them, "These are channeling spells, right?"


    Targask flapped his ears, "I wouldn''t conceptualize them like that, though it''s a common mistake many of my students make. Regardless, that ideation neglects many aspects of what a ritual is."


    I raised my brow, "Like what?"


    "Channeling magic is one part, but the discharge is the other essential aspect. In essence, these spells extend a user''s mana pool so they can cast larger spells, but they carry two important risks. Firstly, they can backfire in a menacing, unpredictable way. Secondly, to prevent that backfire requires precision."


    I frowned, "Precision, eh? How so?"


    "They misfire if their mana limit is breached."


    I peered off, considering the consequences, "So, like, blowing up?" Targask shrugged, "It certainly could, though that''s far from the worst consequence I''ve seen from a botched ritual. Hmm, it reminds me of a sinister memory, actually."


    Targask peered off, "One time, I found a student experimenting in a lab room with rituals. He neglected to consider the mana-based alarm system throughout the school system. That mana pulse, subtle as it was, overloaded his ritual. When I found him, he''d fused into the stone floor and steel tables, and he begged for death."


    Targask winced, "His bellowing haunts me in more ways than one. Regardless, his family had him mercifully killed afterward, but it was...An incredibly trying time."


    Targask stared elsewhere, his expression wavering, "Yes...It most certainly was."


    I gave him time to process his emotions, and he coughed into a hand, "Ahem. Anyways, rituals are extraordinarily dangerous. Never experiment with them at random. They are far worse than simply deadly when they backfire."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. Is this how they''re made?"


    I took my arm, wrenched a panel of dimensional fabric from it, and carved the example sigils onto the sheet. Targask raised an arm, "Wait for a second, you fool-"


    The runes fed on the mana generated by my dimensional fabric, detonating like a bomb and erupting in all directions. The metal remained unscratched, but the surrounding stone beneath us cratered from the blowback. We remained unharmed as I contained the explosion by molding my body like a liquid, but I still marveled at the sheer, destructive power.


    I scoffed, "Wow. This isn''t a strong rune either, is it?"


    Targask threw his hands at me, "Of course it isn''t, you dimwit. I''d never give you something dangerous, considering how reckless you are. I just told you that story, and you ignored me entirely."


    I raised a brow, "I didn''t ignore you, but I was ignorant. I didn''t know it would passively absorb the mana. Still, remember that I''m not easily hurt, let alone broken. This was also a small amount of mana and a weak runic combination. We were never in any danger in the first place."


    Targask took a few heavy breaths before he narrowed his eyes at me, "Then think before you begin tampering with dangerous magic. Otherwise, I will not be around for you to kill us both."


    I nodded,


    "Alright. Understood."


    Targask kept looking at me, searching for authenticity. Maybe he found some as he let out a sharp sigh of relief. He shook his head, "That''s...That''s good. It''s just a sore spot of mine, and I would really rather not experiment with it at all. Rituals are more than just dangerous. That''s why ritualists specialize in large, ornate mana constructs to contain and organize the energy flows. It prevents these issues before they happen."


    I peered at the runes, "Hm, how skilled would a ritualist need to be to do something complex?"


    "Exceptionally."


    "What about pulling their soul out of their body and into something else?"


    Targask rolled his eyes, "It can''t be done. You''d need to plan out every minutia of a ritual, as controlling the mana flow outside a physical form is nearly impossible. No one can control for all those variables before doing something that complex."


    He was wrong about that. It had been done and by Torix, no less. I picked up the runic sheets at my feet before transcribing them into cipheric sigils in my grimoire. I murmured, "How large can the consequences be for a ritual?"


    "There''s no known limit."


    I raised a brow, "Why not use them like bombs?"


    Targask shook his head at me, "You have a suicidal way of doing things, don''t you? There are, actually, many reasons not to use rituals offensively. Unlike a bomb, anyone can set off a ritual. Pour a few units of extra mana, and boom, the ritual detonates when you least expect it."


    Targask raised his hands, "Even in a controlled lab, it is difficult to control for every variable that can result in a destroyed ritual. It is a painful, difficult, and risky path that few follow for a good reason. I''m only showing you this to ensure you have a holistic understanding of magic, not because I want you to attempt to become a ritualist."


    Targask crossed his arms, "Besides that, based on what I''ve seen, you lack the temperament or patience for this kind of magic anyways."


    I analyzed the runes, "Eh, probably." I stood up before raising a hand to Targask, "That should be enough for today. I''ll be working on this while you get some sleep. You have to be exhausted by now."


    Targask let out a gasp, "Of course I am. You''re just plowing through all of the material in hours. You''re pretending to understand what I''ve covered, or there''s a team of people in your head."


    I tapped my temple, "The latter is closer to the truth than you''d think. Anyways, go get some rest. You earned it."


    I walked off, and Targask pushed himself off the ground. He grabbed his papers before rubbing his back, "Gah, you''d think he''d have offered me a chair."


    I shouted, "You''d think you could''ve just made one."


    He waved me off in frustration before I stepped out of my city. While finding a quiet place, I dwelled on Targask''s attitude. It was kind of fun having someone who gave me pushback like that. He didn''t know who I was or what I''d done, which stopped him from revering me, something most of my guild did by now.


    It let me question myself some, and I appreciated that.


    Putting myself back in the present, I settled in a valley of bone before molding it over myself. As I did, the pile of rainbow bones groaned, its call sounding like a far-off quake. The colossal entity oozed out with frustration, all of the battles and activity bothering it. Letting the ominous sound pass, I flowed the bone shield over me.


    With some time to myself, I experimented with the rituals. How they exploded sparked my curiosity and imagination. After all, I was almost invincible, so using an explosive weapon didn''t carry the same risks for me that it did for everyone else. After detonating a few rituals, they showcased the same profound level of power.


    Efficiency aside, each time I tried detonating the runes, they changed shape, size, and scale. I could never anticipate the full fallout of the explosion, regardless of what I tried. Hell, even predicting the outcome was spotty. Sometimes the blast changed in composition from elemental bombs to radioactive pulses.


    That lack of consistency was the trade-off for immediate power, and it explained why no one used them as bombs. They went off with even the slightest touch and couldn''t be predicted. The last part was particularly fatal; the last thing a bomber wants is to be within the bomb''s radius. Most bombers, anyways.


    Hoping for more oomph with the runes, I translated them into the cipher. I channeled mana into one of them, keeping my distance from it. They worked more or less as I expected, more stable but needing more charge. I kept them from exploding since the random effects might blow me apart.


    After many attempts at carving out the runes, I understood them better. For instance, the overcharging caused consequences because the formula couldn''t handle the magic anymore. It was like trying to flow water through a pipe. If too much passed at once, the pipe shattered.


    Building off that idea, I compared the bombs to the rituals. The containment and flows were totally different. Bombs stored a certain amount of mana, keeping the magic and the mana separate. Rituals required the spell to be cast the entire time mana was channeled. Technically, rituals could be used like explosives if you planned them well enough.


    Absolute organization and delineation could remedy that, and I was sure Torix had done so many times. Scratching my head, I wondered why Torix hadn''t taught me all this. From what I gathered, Torix''s talent far exceeded Targask''s abilities, yet Torix never broke down many of these basics for me. The lich did help me gain tools to speed up my learning, but he never taught me this stuff directly. I decided to ask him when I got back.


    Setting myself to the task at hand, I brainstormed for a while. I finalized my cipher runes before putting them on a panel of dimensional fabric. Getting a few miles away from my cities, I began charging them. They soaked in the mana like hungry ticks, swollen and bloodthirsty. Several minutes later and one of the panels exploded.


    It blew up without any of an ordinary bomb''s results. No force erupted. No fire plumed. However, for a fraction of a second, the atmosphere and ground around me wailed out in a deafening chorus. The air screamed, and the ground howled, every atom gaining sentience and pain all at once, living a short life of agony.


    And then they died. I blinked at the malevolent effect, wondering what had happened. Having a chill run up my spine, I tried the same experiment several times. The rune''s detonation resulted in an ensemble of terrifying effects. One bomb''s eruption caused the ground to bleed out of bubbling pores. Another explosion shifted gravitation in space, altering weight there.


    Yet another explosion turned the air around me into a liquid, and it writhed around me as if alive. It tried crawling into my lungs, nose, and ears, nipping at my skin like a horde of hungry beetles. When I walked out of the ritual''s radius, the air died, losing this lease on life. However, returning to that spot left the atmosphere alive and starving.


    I winced at what this would do to an average person. Still, none of these cipheric rituals affected me. I walked through the aftermaths without a worry in the world, and it got me thinking. Maximizing my temporal squeezing, I stood still, charging mana into a panel. Once more, it bloomed out before the effects faded.


    Well, that wasn''t quite right. They didn''t fade - I didn''t feel them. I sensed the dimension around me being warped, but it carried no consequences for me. I considered that a result of being my own dimension. I resisted Ajax''s slice ages ago and many other dimensional attacks over my life. This was no different, though putting these runes onto my skin and overcharging them might have a different outcome.


    I blinked away the thought, knowing it was another weakness I might have. I attempted to use the magic in a different environment. This time, I wrapped the area with my dimensional fabric. After a while, the rune exploded within the confines of the dimensional material. Checking to see if it contained the eerie effect, I melted a section and stuck my head through the liquified panel.


    The screaming air sounded like soulless sirens. A part of me grimaced, but another piece remained hopeful. After pulling in various materials, I uncovered a simple fact about this magic: it shattered the physical laws within its radius. While unpredictable, it gave me a few options I lacked.


    A smile crept its way onto my face I fell into thought. In a way, Targask was right about me not being suited for rituals. I wasn''t a perfectionist, so completing these detail-oriented tasks didn''t match my way of doing things. I could learn the skills to change that, but it might not be necessary.


    If anything, I could lean into the rituals but on the opposite end. I laughed for a second as a realization popped into my head. Most ritualists would spend all of their time mastering how to perfect rituals. They''d focus on guaranteeing their success for smooth sailing. I would tread a different path.


    I would spend my time learning how to break them.

 364 An Uncanny Silence

    If anything, I could lean into the rituals but on the opposite end. I laughed for a second as a realization popped into my head. Most ritualists would spend all of their time mastering how to perfect rituals. They''d focus on guaranteeing their success for smooth sailing. I would tread a different path.


    I would spend my time learning how to break them.


    Chapter Begin


    Over the next few hours, I attempted many strategies using the rituals. I gained some competence over them, getting a feel for when, how, and where they''d explode. That required abandoning Targask''s simple designs. They acted as frameworks for rituals more than the real thing, so it didn''t take much to give them more oomph.


    They carried slight variance, complexity, or even charm. They reeked of a textbook''s stale, sterile outline, made only to teach and not use. Divorced from pragmatism, these incantations lacked any bite or punch. I fixed that. One step at a time, I created volatile, vicious runic combinations.


    I gave them a destructive output by basing them off Torix''s grimoire creation ritual, which I''d done multiple times. I even pulled out my obelisk from eons ago and referenced the library of texts Torix gave me. Several ritual texts awaited my arrival and enlightened me about my ignorance in their fields.


    Coming from Torix, several of the books included risky and controversial runic combinations. They cranked up the potential of the rituals by using unsafe strategies. As if amassing a suicidal toolbelt, I incorporated many of these techniques, and the runic flares I unleashed exploded in ferocity. They oozed destructive potential, each of them like a meteor piercing the skies.


    I couldn''t make them on the fly yet, but time would be my greatest ally. Having already devoted several hours studying rituals, I returned to my cities to inspect them. All was well, and I spent several hours in a home of my choosing. There, I meditated on my findings, trying to digest all of the information I was given. This retreat allowed me to consider how my abilities could influence my new knowledge.


    And influence they did. I learned that my origin mana could be converted into common animals which could make simple potions. While not revolutionary, it would give my soldiers the means to heal more minor wounds or push past mana limits in a pinch. It left me content. I may never be a true healer, but I could become something like a pharmacy that gave out medicine.


    As I studied all of this, I kept myself stationary, electing not to move my physical body. This let me compress time more. Instead of using my hands, I wielded telekinesis and gravitation to try out the potion formulas on the animals I spawned. Something about creating life and taking it so suddenly left me numb, but I pushed past my unease. People may need these potions, and my discomfort wasn''t an acceptable excuse to stop making progress here.


    This wealth of time let me focus on developing a productive meditation as I tested the elixirs. I pulled out my elemental furnaces and channeled enormous volumes of mana into my runes, and my temporal compression furthered that radical production. In turn, my primordial rune bolstered my mind, body, and dimensional aura over time.


    This gave way to a positive feedback loop. The more I put into the meditation, the more I could focus. The more I focused, the more mana I put out. The more mana, the more my runes gave me strength, and that process repeated ad infinitum. It ramped my growth to a discernable degree, my body becoming heavy and my mind becoming sharp.


    At least sharper than before, which wasn''t saying much.


    Regardless, I left my room after several hours, heading back into the bright abyss of bones outside. I covered myself and studied the ritual runes. During that session, I devoted my time to the cipher versions. Their dimensional implosions left their marks on the landscape, and the entire area devolved into a minefield for anyone approaching.


    I put up several odd pillars to mark the space, and it became a hellhole of epic proportions. One could die in a dozen ways when taking a single step there. The air itself turned into an insidious, whispering presence. The ground leaked poison from pits of the void, and the sky molded towards anything living. This left the expanse as a wasteland, one turned into a permanent killing field.


    It reminded me of nuclear fallout as I learned about the cipheric rituals. Their effects were permanent, converting the expanse into an uninhabitable and desolate place. Even the rainbow bones below inched away from here, the semi-sentient mass wanting an escape from the insidious squalor.


    I winced at the lost land, the deleterious effects reaching the size of several city blocks within a few days. I kept pursuing the discipline as it carried a potential I hungered for. I needed some way of harming Valgus, and this was my best shot at doing that. I intended to limit his dimensional space, which could deconstruct the Old One''s enchantments over him.


    I would unravel the laws governing his adamantine form, one page at a time.


    As I unwrote his perks, I didn''t unwrite my own. My advantages remained no matter what space I occupied. If I had to guess, my dimensional immunity extended to these ruined areas, and I walked in this valley of death unperturbed. As was the case in my past, my ability to endure would become my weapon.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    At the same time, I kept heading back to the city each day. The rulers made rapid progress, with each finally freed from the many shackles binding them and their progress. While not absolute juggernauts, they learned to wield their minds and bodies in combat. That stopped them from being fodder against Elysium.


    Other veins of progress opened. Many rulers shared magic, helping them survive the elemental forces outside my city''s barrier. These ventures tested their nerve, as many would explode if exposed. My golems enabled them, and we prevented any casualties during those expeditions. The rulers paired that with general physical conditioning that helped them become more robust.


    I didn''t idle in the meantime. My potions experiments paid off, allowing me to give each ruler several bottles of the new brews apiece. Targask pitched in, providing pointers and guidance over the process. Each time I produced a creature from nothing, he marveled at the complexity of the creation.


    Sitting beside the city''s central pillar, we faced one another on chairs we made. I lifted my hand and created different creatures. Targask murmured, "That''s a freakish ability you have there. I''ve never seen an origin mage make something like that in all my days."


    I shrugged, "Oddly enough, it''s easier to do this than make simpler stuff."


    Targask''s eyes narrowed, "With how disconnected that ability is, it''s almost as if someone embedded it in you."


    I frowned, remembering several forces that could be responsible for that. Etorhma funneled knowledge into my head about the cipher, and so did Eonoth. Who''s to say they didn''t funnel something else? Even Baldag-Ruhl''s ritual could''ve caused this ability since I didn''t understand its full repercussions to this day.


    I might never know them, but I kept that to myself as Shalahora stepped up. The shadow coalesced into a bipedal creature, likely for our comfort, and he tilted his head at me,


    "You seem perturbed."


    I raised a hand, "I''m fine. What is it?"


    Shalahora gave me a bow, and I processed some awkwardness. The shadow oozed its words like dripping ink, "Elysium moves. They''ve amassed a large army of the primevals, and Valgus appears to grow less and less stable daily. He is a mind unwrought, pulled apart at the loosened seams...Those threads have begun to fray."


    I bristled at that since a wild, uncontrolled Valgus could level my settlements or kill everyone. I tapped my side, "Do you have any idea why Valgus is becoming less stable?"


    Shalahora shook his head, "No. He grows weary of waiting, perhaps. Either that or Elysium is tampering with his mind, but I don''t know with any certainty."


    A nervous dread pooled in my chest, which didn''t let up as I stood. I rolled my shoulders, "Then we''ll do what we can. You''ve been keeping our own primeval army stocked, right?"


    "Of course."


    "Then I''ll stop by and give them their new minds later today."


    Targask gawked at us, "You two talk about the most sinister topics as if they''re an everyday thing. It''s disgusting."


    Shalahora peered through Targask, "It is necessary, or we will all die."


    Targask scoffed, "But to what end? Living is one thing, and being alive is another."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "I would rather live in filth than die while clean."


    Targask shrugged, "I suppose you could think of it like that. I''d rather have a reason to keep going. It helps keep my old mind from wandering to topics I''d rather not think about."


    Shalahora murmured, "Then exist in the shadow we cast, one made by the methods you are unwilling to use."


    Targask considered before shrugging, "Eh, why not? I''m not exactly a saint either."


    A tense silence passed before Shalahora turned to me, "I like this one. He has humility, a trait many rulers lack."


    I crossed my arms, "Careful, Shalahora. If you start complaining, then Targask will be forced to one-up you. He has a reputation to keep."


    Targask pointed at me, "So you say. I just point out the obvious. It''s not my fault the obvious is often scathing."


    A slight grin grew on my lips, "Ah yeah, sure, sure."


    I peered behind Targask. Several rulers lined up at a cafeteria that naturally formed near the town''s center. Several wanted better food, so they used my origin magic to make different dishes. It complemented the smithy congregating beside them where Alctua and Teraz helped rulers by making them any needed parts.


    They installed a couple of electronics and even made some machinery for solid materials. The greatest gadget, a giant printer, pumped back and forth, laying thin sheets of graphene with other materials I didn''t know the name of. These panels were used to help produce armor or weapons and were also effective semiconductors, wiring, and glass replacements.


    It modernized the area, giving several rulers rudimentary obelisks they used in the city''s connected framework. It imbibed life into the city, and I enjoyed watching the steady progress each day. For the first time since arriving on Leviathan-7, it didn''t seem so hellish. One could even call it comfortable. Perhaps cozy.


    Well, for the moment. I continued studying with Targask, learning some magic but focusing on refining the new branches I was exposed to. I also honed in on the rituals, making steady progress with them. My meditations turned into full-blown channeling endeavors, and I fed the primordial rune across my body all the mana it could desire and then some.


    Before I knew it, several weeks passed like this, and the lottery''s end loomed over us. We all wanted to head home for survival''s sake more than earning anything from this. We missed our guilds, and though we turned this place hospitable, it lacked our homes'' charm. Those thoughts kept everyone motivated until the inevitable occurred.


    While waiting for the news, I channeled mana into my primordial rune, the air rumbling and the ground trembling. The mana coursed as a plasma, funneling into my cipheric sigils from the furnaces. These visible flows wrapped around me as if I fought a hydra gnawing me with its many mouths.


    Shalahora stepped in, the air blurred by the heat emanating from me. The shadow sighed, "They''ve come."


    I closed my eyes, allowing the energy to run its course. Once emptied, I cleared my mind for a few moments. I became a sea of calm before viewing Shalahora and his shades. I frowned,


    "Is Valgus here?"


    "He and his armies march this way."


    I stood,


    "Then it''s time. Let''s end this."

 365 Bloodbath

    I closed my eyes, allowing the energy to run its course. Once emptied, I cleared my mind for a few moments. I became a sea of calm before viewing Shalahora and his shades. I frowned,


    "Is Valgus here?"


    "He and his armies march this way."


    I stood,


    "Then it''s time. Let''s end this."


    Chapter Begin


    I made last-minute preparations, ensuring I collected every ounce of resources I could. A wave of fear crossed over me for a moment, but I silenced it. As I did, I quieted the parts of my mind that darted around in every direction. As a blacksmith hones a blade, I sharpened my mind to a singular purpose.


    As I rolled my shoulders, Shalahora murmured, "It is as if you''ve lessened the burdens weighing on you, the ones that bind you to fear."


    I shook my head, "I''m just using a strategy I''ve used before. Come on. Let''s go inform the others."


    A psionic call gathered the other rulers to the town square, and I stood amongst the others, a giant of dark steel. I washed the Rise of Eden over the others and announced, "They come for us."


    A wave of unease crossed the rulers, but within the fear was a suppressed excitement. The embedded thrill boiled beneath the surface, each ruler wanting to show their progress and wield it in actual combat. I smiled with that desire reflected in me as well,


    "We''ve sharpened our swords and thickened our shields. Our enemy has amassed many, but they will clash against an emboldened force. You''ve proven that even with only a few weeks, each of you may evolve."


    I raised a fist, "They think nothing of you, but they are wrong. They will clash against the shields of this city. Their teeth will break. Their claws will shatter. They think we are weak, but we purged that weakness from us."


    I shouted. "They believe we will falter and fall, but that is their vulnerability. Nothing they know will come to fruition, and they will be proven wrong. We understand this. In time, they will understand this. They will bleed from it. They will die to it."


    Psyching myself up, I roared, "Come. We march to leave them in pieces."


    Having prepared for weeks, the rulers raised their arms and shouted with me. A primal energy coursed through the crowd, each individual reforged in training we''d done up until now. They raced over towards the armory, where they stored their new weapons. Wielding graphene armor and weapons, they contrasted the frail, feeble rulers like night and day.


    I prayed it would be enough.


    Turning towards Shalahora, I raised my brow, "Are the primevals ready?"


    Shalahora winced, "They are."


    "Get your shades ready."


    Shalahora faded into nothing. I bit my inner cheek, worry overcoming me. Shaking it off, I hoped we''d done enough for the upcoming battle. In the distance, rolling fields of floating algae split apart as enemy primevals arrived by the hundreds. Leading the army like the tip of a crimson spear, Valgus cut the landscape apart.


    Our eyes met, and he smiled at me. I glowered at him, and I clasped my hands into fists. This time would be different. He would remember this battle. I would sear it into his mind. I stepped forward, mana charging into my body. Once fully saturated, I hovered out of my city. I breathed energy into my lungs, breathing out thickened plasma.


    He would remember.


    The beetle they sent as a messenger arrived, no worse for wear from my gravity well attack from earlier. He crossed his arms, "It would seem-"


    I dashed towards him, my mind coursing with thoughts of destruction. I met him as the beetle sliced through my body with a spear along his back. I carved apart as a writhing liquid of darkness. I encompassed him, the ruler submerged within the abyss before I created several singularities within my chest.


    The gravitation fed upon us both, turning matter into light and energy. A raging course of destruction erupted, vaporizing all remains of myself and the beetle. From the ether, I returned, a monster made new. The other enemy rulers stared at me, fear embedded within them as I dashed forward.


    They would remember.


    Sonic booms erupted from my charge. I crashed into a group of primevals who writhed around me. I flooded over them, pulling them together before vaporizing all of us. From nothing, I returned. Their forces collapsed over me as Valgus leaped from above. He roared over the noise,


    "As it should be. No words, only battle."


    I ignored him, knowing none of my attacks would leave a mark. He used his enormous physical presence as a deterrent, but I''d told him I was beyond the physical. I meant it. I splashed apart, liquified dimensional fabric splattering over everyone. I flooded my body with mana, becoming a toxic, super-heated jelly.


    It was like covering my enemies in radioactive magma, and they suffered for it. As I burned them, several enemy rulers screamed in agony, and others covered themselves in forcefields. Forcefields that detonated from within.


    Singularities sparked out underneath their shields. They encapsulated the explosions, turning their blended forms into evaporated matter. The pitch-black blots fed on them like hungry parasites, ones that fed on flesh and buried into bones. They plumed in white flashes, the tectonic forces causing ripples in the rainbow bone below.


    From enemy to enemy, I coursed and detonated myself. I no longer held the illusion of a human form, having abandoned that during my stay on Leviathan-7. This was what I was, and anyone facing me would feel its full fury.


    Valgus included. He darted back and forth, trying to pin me down with his enormous might. He ripped the ground apart, split the skies, and ripped armies with each swing. I would be splattered to nothing, but something like this couldn''t kill me. It couldn''t even slow me down. I returned from the void, an unending source of chaos and destruction.


    As I brought ruin, the rulers below offered their support. They pulled out railguns carved from graphene and fired bullets made of rainbow bone shards. Several rulers wielded the barrier, allowing openings for our projectiles to pass through. These bullets split and splintered enemy primevals, leaving energy trails in their wake that faded after several seconds.


    The enemy primevals recovered from their devastating wounds, but we prepared for this. My golems raced out, each of them wielding gravitation and psionic fluid. Where the primevals recuperated, the golems infested the area with the liquid rainbow bone. Needles erupted from the primevals, their new psyches reduced to rubble.


    Without reflexes or instincts, the rulers picked them apart with their bone-laden railguns. Within minutes, we killed several dozen primevals. Our losses were minimal, and Valgus''s frustration mounted. After several more minutes of trying to harm me, he threw his hands up and seethed,


    "If you wish to avoid me, then you may. I shall simply eradicate the city you''ve carved from the ground."


    I reformed from the ether, and my helmet smiled at him. I scoffed,


    "Go ahead."


    Valgus''s eyes narrowed before he jumped upon the air around him. He bolted towards my city before the barrier opened up. Shalahora blotted from the nothing, a shadow-given life as he smothered Valgus in darkness. Several mages channeled ritual castings from below that encompassed Valgus in dancing light. An illusion formed around him, and he found himself in a world of red.


    To his eyes, he stood in a sea of blood. In the distance, Baldowah roared, "What have you done, you imbecile?"


    Valgus blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in scenery. I grinned at the sight since I had helped craft the illusion. The mages below used my memories as a reference. This made the deception lifelike, and Valgus fell into its grip. Before he moved, several golems flew beside him with potions in hand.


    They splattered them over the asura, and Valgus roared as the fluid soaked into his skin. He dispelled the illusion around him using his shackles and chains, but he couldn''t stop the potions from continuing the illusion. It wasn''t based on magic, after all. It merely replicated magic''s effects.


    I thanked Targask for that idea, the grizzled sorcerer having good ones from time to time. As Valgus struggled to stop the howling of Baldowah, I turned to continue my onslaught. The asura writhed on the ground, trapped in the illusion with no way out.


    Until the remnant revealed itself.


    A psionic tether formed from Valgus, and the remnant''s illusion warred with ours. As it did, I darted through the battlefield, killing and culling the enemy while trying to find her. She kept her distance, but Shalahora began scouring the land with his shades to find her. It was a matter of time before she was exposed.


    In my city, the rulers ignored Valgus as we planned. Their rounds would do nothing to him, and he dodged the psionic fluid without fail. Even if it did land, it could do more harm than good. If we destroyed his mind, Valgus might unleash whatever hibernated within him.


    For all these reasons, we ignored Valgus while taking advantage of the enemy''s rout. Before they regrouped, I told Shalahora, "Send them out."


    Our shadowy sovereign acted as the harbinger of our hidden legion. He billowed writhing darkness from beneath us, covering the enemy in an immaterial ink. Fused primevals marched out of the recesses under the city and began tearing the enemy rulers and primevals apart.


    I''d created them by filling primevals'' minds with quintessent consciousnesses instead of ascendant ones. While more challenging to start up, the quintessent monsters acted as supporters of the ascendent primevals. They would mold into armor or weapons for other eldritch. While working together, they became elite shock troopers and vanguards.


    Their potency proved itself as they moved along the battlefield as blurs of motion. Star primevals converted into swords and spears, while icy primevals covered the fusions in frozen armor. The stony primevals acted together with magma primevals as the cores of these eldritch that enacted destruction.


    Tens of enemy rulers died in their initial charge. They flashed around me, goring and ripping enemy rulers apart. One fused primeval slammed a ruler against the city''s barrier, the energy rippling from the impact. It rived the ruler before freezing its insides, and blood erupted from within. The alien devolved into a spiny, red ball with skin wrapped around its center.


    Different colored insides splattered in every direction. Another enemy ruler was stuffed with stones until they ruptured. Seeing the chaos, the attacking force scrambled to escape. Many turned to run or fly off before having their spines torn from their backs or their limbs severed.


    I frowned, but I understood that these people would never stop. Elysium wouldn''t allow it. Beneath it all, Valgus writhed, his vision encompassed by Baldowah''s screams and shouts. He received different directions until he was left paralyzed. His armies were torn asunder within minutes, and our forces began harvesting war spoils. The battle panned out exactly as we hoped, eliminating the threat without breaking Valgus''s shackles.


    Until they shattered.


    I gazed down as the metal over Valgus crumbled. From within the recesses of Valgus''s mind, the avatar of Baldowah let out a piercing, excruciating laugh. It coursed over the battlefield, becoming a chorus that overwhelmed the sounds of destruction. It melded with rage and fury and hate. It suffused the ground, a wave of red overcoming all present.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Above, a dot formed. It swelled, and it swallowed all color. It enveloped the algae, disintegrating it and giving us an unobscured view of Leviathan. The accretion disk of the dark hole shifted to a sea of crimson flooding towards its center. The rainbow bones around us lost their opalescent sheen, becoming bloody shards. A voice rang in our ears, and it was unfamiliar.


    "Eons pass as seconds, and now I return to the corporeal."


    I guessed it was whatever Valgus hid. Valgus''s jewelry disintegrated away like ash, along with the metal chains and bands of armor over his skin. Crimson energy flooded off of him like a cauldron of billowing smoke. The red plasma flowed past me, and the ascendent mana flooded in. I held back a palpable wave of anger.


    Others did not. Every primeval nearby flooded with frenzy and shambled towards my allies. I dashed forward, finding one of the fused primevals to wrestle with. Several other eldritch raced to my supporters. The rulers used the liquified rainbow bone, which slowed the monsters down.


    So much ascendant mana flowed forth that even mindless husks gave way to rage. Even with the bone spines erupting from within, the primevals cut themselves apart while sprinting forward, moving as if the needles weren''t there. The monsters I created joined the chaos, becoming enormous, hulking beasts intent on killing anything near them.


    They grabbed rulers and gored them apart, including our own.


    Blood splattered the city walls, marking them with maroon gunk. The primevals drank the blood of several rulers. My stomach sank as I watched a stone primeval grasp Alctua and rip her apart before squeezing her organs out. A star eldritch wrapped around the fire imp Teraz and swallowed him in light, leaving nothing behind. An ice primeval ripped through the city''s ground and broke apart a building, the lizard Entilla in his grasp.


    The primeval froze his blood, and green shards erupted from under Entilla''s skin. He bloomed into a frozen ornament, like a ball of spines placed atop a Christmas tree. I reached out a hand as this chaos occurred in tandem before the primeval I held threw me aside.


    Landing on the ground, I peered up. Ascendant mana flooded in, and I froze, fighting back a murderous frenzy. With it arrived sadness at this loss along with confusion. This plan involved murdering many rulers, but that fit into Schema''s goals.


    It was something I assumed they wouldn''t do, but I was wrong. Instead of questioning further, I pulled myself together and devised a plan. I darted towards Valgus, and I slammed my fist against his cheek. For the first time since facing him, my attack budged him. He turned back towards me, his eyes alight with bloodthirst and madness.


    Valgus spread his arms as blood dripped down his nose, "Come, brother. Awash yourself of peace and become battle."


    Tired of how singular he was, I struck the side of his face with an overhand right. He budged once more. My eyes narrowed as I murmured, "You bleed."


    He smiled, "Finally. I can feel once more-"


    I smashed his smile with a fist of metal. His teeth cracked before I coursed energy through my body. I pulled in the ascendant mana from around me, trying to keep the poison from infecting everyone else. Either that or I wanted it for myself to hurt this monster. Valgus only laughed and swung his fist, and I ducked under it while dragging my arm behind me. Another cataclysmic strike erupted, and buildings collapsed.


    My golems retained sanity and grabbed rulers to get them out, but they couldn''t save everyone from themselves. Rulers ate one another as each of them turned into cannibals. Others mutilated themselves, tearing chunks of flesh off their bodies. Even worse, others gazed into the red moon above, their minds lost to the void.


    I connected to their minds and found them washed away. They were psionically drowned by the mana. I winced as several enemy rulers from outside the city lost control of themselves. The remnant overtook their bodies and wielded them as puppets. They darted around, capturing my allies and pulling them away from the utter pandemonium.


    Many froze in place, their bodies stiffened by the torrential outpour of mana. They began twitching as orange pustules grew from their necks in seconds. They contorted as metal cables grew from within. Converted to Hybrids, they darted around, capturing allied rulers. They swallowed other rulers whole, and their bodies ruptured from the effort. Cables held the captured rulers in place, not skin or flesh.


    I panicked for a moment. Dread pulled in from all angles as I covered my face with my hands. Of course, Elysium would use Hybrids to control people. That had been Elysium''s core tactic since the start. I was a fool for not considering that as a possibility. I peered in every direction, unable to find Elijah Joan, and I shook my head in disbelief.


    Being the only doctor, she''d likely implanted Hybrids into many rulers since her arrival. However, that didn''t make sense since Shalahora would''ve seen those memories. Well, unless she didn''t remember them, but then Shalahora would''ve seen the deleted memories.


    Interrupting my train of thought, a Hybridized ruler landed beside me, eye stalks peering at me from its back. I lifted a hand, using gravitation to pull it to me. I raised a foot while stiff-arming its throat. The body flung forward while I stomped its torso and squeezed its neck. It split in two, and I held a writhing mass of Hybridized tissues in my hand.


    Event Horizon destroyed it while I gave up considering this madness further. I needed to act, and now. Valgus rushed me from the side, trying to break me apart. I splashed around him before grabbing one of our Hybridized rulers. My sharpened fingertips dug into their arms before I sent wires through their body. They growled out in a frothing rage, spitting blood onto my helmet.


    Staying focused, I discovered the source of their infection. Someone implanted tiny Hybrids into their spines, and at this moment, they took over their host. I spent my time worried about the sanctity of their minds that I forgot about the sanctity of their bodies. Before fully digesting my monumental mistake, a hand pierced through my stomach.


    Valgus grabbed me before pulling me from the converted ruler. I smashed into the soft marble below, the impact leaving magma behind. Valgus pulled me up and laughed,


    "You know that those shackles protected me, don''t you?"


    He threw me away, and I popped the barrier over my city. The poisoned atmosphere, crushing gravitation, and ionizing rays pierced in. The rulers grilled in the sun and fell to their knees from the gravity. Valgus warped towards me, appearing above. He shouldn''t have been able to do that, but there were many feats he shouldn''t have been able to do.


    Yet he did them.


    He stabbed through my chest, releasing an enormous plume of mana as he did. It washed down, and Valgus shouted, "Those shackles restricted the world''s magic but also my own. It drained me, becoming my greatest shield by dulling my sharpest sword."


    The mana soaked into my body, and I glowed a bright blue before melting. The ascendant mana rained down from my corpse in its rawest form. It cascaded like a noxious cloud. As it infested everyone with thoughts of murder, Valgus spread his arms. I reformed below and gazed at him, his body like a cross spread over the red moon above.


    He seethed, "I am given my mind once more, and all will give into it."


    No matter how much I tried silencing my mind, it questioned. Elysium had already wiped out nearly fifty rulers here after trying to keep them alive for so long. The more I considered, the less the situation made sense. Understanding these lunatics was beyond me, but beating them wasn''t.


    I darted towards Valgus. He wielded enough mana to warp reality between us, and it began bleeding into my mind. Thoughts of murder infested me. I directed them at Valgus before tackling him. He grabbed my shoulders, his hands blurry from the mana coursing through him. Engorged with energy, he laughed,


    "My mere presence alone will destroy you, let alone-"


    Pulling already charged runic panels from my dimensional storage, I detonated them. Space and time around us warped, the area becoming a hostile wasteland. The air gained life. Rays of light passing over us turned into immaterial worms. Even Valgus''s skin turned into a writhing mass. He howled in agony as his body lurched in all directions, his flesh turning into crawling monsters.


    I held him there, but I trembled at the sight of his face. His skin split, and bones crawled out of his skull like skirting insects. His teeth opened beady eyes and burrowed into his gums. Tendons ripped. Sinews split. Blood lurched like eels, and his eyes nestled into his skull, disappearing in a mass of exposed brain.


    Using the last bit of his mana, he jerked us away from the corrupted zone using gravitation. We slammed into the rainbow bones below. I stood from the ground, and so did Valgus. Parts of his body lost the life they gained, no longer mutilating him. But the transformations still lingered.


    His face looked like a bucket of flesh insects spilling out of his skull. The legs no longer skittered, and the face bones no longer squirmed. His blood plopped onto the ground, and his skin remained torn. He gurgled at me, unable to speak.


    Instead of pressing my assault, I turned towards the other rulers. Bolting back into my city, I stopped primevals from eating other rulers. As I did, one of Shalahora''s shades murmured in my ear, "We have found her."


    My eyes narrowed before I thought back telepathically, "Stay with her while using your shades to save people here. After we evacuate, take me there. We''ll kill her."


    Shalahora''s shades darted in every direction with my golems. The infighting melded into a turmoil of desperate survival and ravenous hunger. Primordials ripped one another apart, the ascendant mana driving them mad. My golems darted through the thickened plasma, their runic markings glowing crimson.


    They maintained their sanity despite the insanity before them. I handed several dozen rulers to them for evacuation, and they escaped this city using our tunnel system. As the last few survivors disappeared into the tunnel, I closed the rainbow bone passage behind them. As I did, a plume of ascendant mana billowed off the new wall like evaporated blood.


    Sanguine lightning erupted in all directions as Valgus kicked into me from above. I splintered below as he stood over the mush I had left behind. Through his heel, he pushed absurd quantities of mana into my body. It surged in my head like a manic voice trying to shout over me. It wanted to wash me away.


    Before it could, I funneled it into the runes over my regenerating build. Recuperated into a physical form, I hummed with violence and anger. Valgus scoffed, "You are a living pit, aren''t you?"


    He kicked my remains, and I reconstituted in front of him before reaching out my hands. I growled, "I''ll kill you."


    Valgus grabbed my hands with the two upper arms on his shoulders. He cracked his neck before raising his fists. Energy radiated off him, and my armor crawled towards it, hungry and wanting. Valgus jeered, "And is that your chosen kind of battle? To deform your enemy into something as grotesque as you are?"


    My armor smiled while I stared in silence. I pulled out several runic plates from my dimensional storage, brandishing them as weapons. Valgus pushed me away. I dragged backward before taking a step towards him. As I did, Valgus pulled back.


    I murmured, "You should''ve kept your shackles on, Valgus."


    One of Valgus''s hands trembled before he made it into a fist. He blinked a few times while taking deep breaths. With renewed calm, he stepped towards me, "And you should''ve killed me when you first used that little trick."


    I dashed towards him, and he met my charge. The city disintegrated around us, marble turning to magma. The ground rippled in the wake of the collision, and it splattered around us. I disintegrated, but my dimensional panels detonated once more. Valgus pulled himself back, but not before the damage was done.


    Eyes sprouted over his legs, and poisonous sores oozed out of his chest. I walked into existence and growled, "How many times can you pull yourself from the brink?"


    I shot towards him again, and when we met, another runic explosion encompassed us. Void ice sprouted from Valgus''s left eye, and portions of his blood were replaced. I pursued him, using more failed rituals to succeed in battle. Valgus suffered. Within minutes, he retreated miles away from my city, and I left a warped landscape behind us.


    He grew into a cancerous monstrosity, and I watched his mind warp and crumble. The great warrior devolved, and his courage turned to fear. He ran and leaped away, attempting to find an escape. I offered him none, pursuing with relentless intent. However, I didn''t mindlessly chase him.


    I herded him right where I wanted him to go.


    We crossed one of the endless hills of algae before Valgus landed in a corrupted land where the air screamed and the land bled. Here, I experimented with the dimensional panels for weeks, the effects compounding into a literal hell. As the asura landed, his body swelled and burst, pieces of him spreading out.


    The air rushed under his skin, and the ground spread needles through his body. Before he escaped, I pulled him together with a gravity well, keeping him there. With a sudden jolt, a monstrous presence slammed against my mind. I pulled away as it tried prying into my body. I disconnected from the monster before turning to escape.


    Before I could, rainbow bones rose up over us both. It left us encapsulated in a dome before the mass of meat grabbed my shoulder.


    I turned, releasing a wave of singularities over us both. I disintegrated while Valgus''s monstrous pieces fled the impact. The remnant launched a psionic attack on me from outside, but I willed myself through the telepathic line before channeling mana into the remnant''s body.


    She recoiled, disconnecting from me but not before the remnant sputtered,


    "Go before he escapes."


    The entity within Valgus leaped out of the ether around us and into my psyche. I regenerated, and my body coursed with ascendant energy, the volatile mana flooding my mind. I recreated my runes and channeled the excess mana into the markings. The sheer volume of mana reduced, but my skin glowed while my eyes bled silver.


    I fell to my knees, unable to stand. From within, I found two entities intertwined but trying to separate. One of them embodied battle and was a warrior. It was the avatar trying to control my mind. The other entity huddled in the recesses of his psyche, a broken being. It turned to me, and where our minds grazed, I felt a taste of eternity.


    This being was a follower of an ancient being I didn''t know. His outer thoughts told me as much since he screamed for forgiveness. He wished for his forgotten one to forgive him.


    It would not.


    The forgotten one gave him a mission to contain an avatar of Baldowah. He had done so, but over time, the avatar eroded him. He began following Baldowah in place of the forgotten one. As punishment, this hollowed-out being had been cursed. He lived in an illusion so complete that it rivaled reality''s depth.


    Even an inkling of the hell made my body shake. This psyche experienced thousands of years with each passing moment. It could be even longer, perhaps infinity. In that regard, time carried no meaning to this tortured soul, and that was all it felt. Pain. Torment. Torture. It experienced lifetimes with each passing second, each of them a different kind of excruciation.


    Death was a mercy to this anathema.


    The other entity was an ancient brute turned into Baldowah''s tool long ago. It had existed for millennia, and it smiled at me, a mass of teeth and claws and blood. It whispered over the suffering, "You will be my next holder. Feel honor from it."


    This was what Valgus actually was. The presence shouted in my mind,


    "Fall."


    And so I fell.

 366 A Mind of Metal

    Death was a mercy to this anathema.


    The other entity was an ancient brute turned into Baldowah''s tool long ago. It had existed for millennia, and it smiled at me, a mass of teeth and claws and blood. It whispered over the suffering, "You will be my next holder. Feel honor from it."


    This was what Valgus actually was. The presence shouted in my mind,


    "Fall."


    And so I fell.


    Chapter Begin


    Collapsing against the ground, I writhed in torment as Baldowah''s avatar wrestled into the recesses of my psyche. I grabbed the sides of my head and shouted, "Get out."


    It replied, "Only when there is nothing left to gain from this vessel shall I do so, weakling."


    I slammed into it with all of my many minds. The consciousness rippled, surprised by dozens of psyches attacking at once. It sputtered, "You have fight in you yet. How long will that fight last?"


    I growled, floundering on the ground. The ancient avatar roared out as we gnashed and gnarled into one another. I let loose all of my offensive abilities, giving no attention to my defense. The avatar shivered in anticipation as joy and exhilaration flooded into the entity. It lauded,


    "Ah, you''ve more than a body of steel. You own a mind of metal as well."


    I kept attacking it, the avatar showing cracks in its psionic frame. It laughed, "I will so enjoy breaking you."


    In a palpable wave, it unleashed mana. It coursed. It drenched. It unraveled the fabric of reality, and the sheer quantity exceeded anything I''d ever touched or imagined. It flooded my psyche, a drowning roar of thoughts that dismantled my reason and resistance. The avatar scoffed, "To think you''ve experienced anything comparable is beyond my expectations. However, how long will you survive?"


    I rallied my mind, reprioritizing my defenses. This monstrous creature unleashed so much mana it mirrored a star''s core, something so blinding it left nothing but fire in its wake. The sheer quantity oversaturated my body, quickly dismantling my physical form. It swelled into my dimensional wake, instantly becoming a coursing, writhing plasma.


    It gained a conscious, a roaring abomination of rage and anger. Lashing out, the ascendant consciousness pressed onto me from all angles, smothering my entire existence. I quashed down into a dense, mental cluster, the flow overwhelming me from all angles. The avatar laughed with glee,


    "And you fall as all the others have."


    I did not.


    I pushed mana into my runes, the primordial rune I crafted feasting on untold amounts of mana. It converted into my strength, and the avatar scoffed, "You merely strengthen my vessel."


    The rune peaked, unable to tolerate any more mana. It effused out of me as crimson cracks appeared on my surface. It oozed out of my primordial wake before I peered around. Nothing was nearby, and I sent out a pulse for help. The avatar burst into boundless laughter,


    "And now you beg me for help? Pathetic."


    I ignored him, focused on survival and survival alone. I pressed my mind into a singular point, coursing through the mana flows like a bullet piercing water. It eroded me over the next few minutes, pieces of my mind giving way to the madness. I growled out, "So this is it? You handle everything with raw mana?"


    The avatar laughed, "Oh, have you uncovered my origins, perhaps?"


    I seethed, "Yeah...I think so. You''re just someone given infinite mana by an Old One."


    The avatar cachinnated out, "Hah! And so you unveiled my mysteries. Yes, that is all I am, a boundless, endless effusion of mana. The mind that wished for unlimited mana was granted it, but they didn''t understand the consequences of their request."


    I grimaced, "Psionic drowning."


    "An apt term, but it matters little what you call it. You will be washed clean as all the others have been, and I will wear you like the monstrous husk you are."


    He spat the word monstrous as it said it. After searching my head for what bothered it, I grinned,


    "Oh, you didn''t like that dimension rupturing, did you?"


    A fragment of spite leaked into the avatar''s voice, "It doesn''t matter now. You are immune to its effects, so I will never experience it again. I will take your strengths as my own."


    Off in the distance, a mass of minds pressed in. My golem armada arrived, and I pushed some mana into them. They soaked in the initial wave without struggle, and I ordered them to disperse it out however they could. The golems channeled ascendant spells at random. Gravitation, telekinesis, and ascendant crystals materialized in every direction.


    I poured more mana into the armada until they showed signs of its poisoning. At the same time, they offered psionic support. Hundreds of minds poured into mine and helped ease the pressure. The avatar cackled, "And you expect them to save you?"


    "No. Buy me time."


    The primordial rune feasted with abandon and expanded my abilities in real-time. I became an embodiment of its hunger, and it sated itself by devouring the supplying mana without recourse. It snapped, bit, and tore into the mana with its ravenous nature, becoming a source of growth for me.


    It wasn''t enough.


    Even as I redistributed the mana to the golems, condensed myself, and gave a portion of the mana to my rune, I found myself washing away. I couldn''t control my train of thought anymore, pieces of it going off randomly. It dwelled on battle, fighting, and blood. I considered giving in to the torrent as it gave me strength and power.


    I shook my head in disbelief. I resolved myself, remembering this wasn''t me. It was another being, and it wouldn''t win. I raised my hands, and I generated singularities in the distance overhead. The skyline evaporated as I continued unleashing a cataclysmic eruption in all directions. The plume of mana led to a seismic event, the kinetic forces rippling the ground below.


    Far into the distance, air, algae, and even primevals siphoned towards us. It fell into an endless, hungry abyss of singularities. The tiny implosions unloaded in a deafening cacophony, the sound alone visible in the air as it tore algae apart. The sheer output of spells exceeded anything I''d ever done by a factor of ten.


    And it still wasn''t enough.


    The avatar poured out energy in a volume that exceeded my ability to withstand. It shouted with howling laughter, "And you will crumble despite all your efforts. You will steadily be eroded in time. You may believe I cannot maintain this flow, but this is as effortless as keeping my eyes open."


    It stated like stone, "This. Is. Nothing...As you will soon be."


    As singularities burst above, the ascendant cracks leaked out of my body from all angles. I fell down once more as my armor grinned. I held on with all my might, but it wasn''t enough. I fell apart at the seams, pieces of my consciousness turning into slush. I raged about how unfair this avatar''s ability was and about Schema pinning me here. This didn''t have to be this way, yet it was.


    Interrupting my thoughts, my armor laughed. A piece of resentment boiled up from within me. In a way, this kind of end seemed almost fitting. For the longest time, my armor had wanted me to become some mindless monster. It tried to consume and devour without limitation. Soon, that would be its only prerogative.


    And I would become the forgotten entity huddling in the corner, rinsed into nothing.


    Mana oozed out of my skin, the ascendant cracks crawling from my hands and into the rainbow bones below. As my vision dimmed to red, my eyes snapped open. The avatar scoffed, "And what is it now?"


    I poured the mana into the giant mass of bones below me. It turned red, the sheer volume overwhelming this patch. The avatar laughed, "So you intend to metamorphose this plane into one of red, my-"


    From below, a psionic wave rippled. The avatar within my mind taunted, "You intend for a patch of bones to stop me?"


    The avatar had no idea how significant this ''patch of bones'' was. After a few seconds, the beast of untold proportions rumbled, its roar an unknown and its mind endless. The avatar sharing my mind jeered, "What is this abomination-"


    And the psionic beast awakened.


    All around us, the bones began condensing into a solid. The thousands of behemoths above peered down, their fights halted as they watched an apocalypse. From below, strands of the rainbow bone sliced upward. They pierced the behemoths and pulled them down into the living bone mass.


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    They were assimilated in seconds, their bodies unable to stop the metabolic rate of the bones. The primevals in the distance fought off one or two tendrils at a time, but hundreds of coiling bones pulled even those monsters into their mass. Many of my golems were caught in the aftermath.


    And I was as well.


    Rainbow bones burrowed through my body, digging into me with difficulty. They soaked in the profuse energy, sapping the sudden strength coursing through me. I shook my head, reminding myself the power was poison and the worst of its ilk. It intoxicated with hollow promises, and I would not listen.


    The giant rainbow beast below understood none of my struggles, yet it offered me hope in this insane situation. More bones burrowed through my chest, arms, and eyes. For once, I welcomed a monster crawling under my skin. The avatar in my head boomed out,


    "You think this can contain me?"


    The colossal mass of bones murmured like a planet trying to whisper,


    "Nothing."


    My bones rattled at the sound. The avatar howled, "An unnamed beast without a purpose expects to stop me?"


    I blinked back my eyes in surprise. Purpose? This avatar was a caricature of a warrior, lacking any substance. Who was it to criticize others for their purpose?


    Shaking my head, I refocused my thoughts as the bones soaked in the red, its shade changing. More needles shot through me until I became more opalescent bone than my actual body. The inundation of energy quelled, becoming a stream coursing over me. In that flow, I found a foothold to ground my mind. My thoughts returned to normal, becoming sane and whole once more.


    Having recuperated, I retaliated against the avatar. It shouted, "Gah. To think you''d be willing to give your blood and bones to this monster."


    I grinned, blood dripping from my teeth, "I thought this body was yours now, wasn''t it?"


    The avatar winced as I psionically tore him apart. We wrestled for several minutes, and the avatar''s laughs grew quiet. It no longer taunted me. Its thoughts shifted from relishing in its power to fighting for survival. I fought the creature with every tactic I learned from Torix. I used feints, sharpened strikes, and flanks to tear away at its mind.


    But this creature existed for millennia. It held an insane amount of experience. Each time I gored a piece of it away, it shifted portions of its mind it didn''t need for this battle. Its moves evolved, becoming more and more logical. The madness left this entity, and replacing it, I faced a being of cold calculation.


    I fumbled, having a piece of my presence sliced apart. One of my minds ceased functioning, so I eliminated it. After several minutes, two more of my minds were turned into utter mush. The ruthless nature of the avatar shined through, and it reduced my psionic defenses to nothing, one mind at a time.


    I recuperated in seconds, but it kept shifting and changing tactics. The strength behind its attacks mounted to full-blown assaults. It found my weaknesses and exploited them, and where I looked, I found nothing. This creature didn''t safeguard memories or a soul; it was only an endless spring of mana with many millennia of experience.


    It gave no credence to maintaining sanity, and its experience taught it when to change its approach. It silenced its incessant laughter, becoming something akin to an assassin. Each attack became precise. I pressed back, but my attacks lacked the finality of the avatar''s aggression. I always defended my mind from being utterly scrambled. This thing didn''t.


    Hours like this passed, and I shivered as my mind was killed over and over again. I trembled as I was silenced in a cyclical loop, and the avatar infested more of my body and mind. I faded, becoming like a memory as it dismantled my control over myself. After gaining a superior position, the avatar murmured,


    "Did you think I was only a being of mana?"


    I could hardly think, let alone respond. It whispered,


    "You thought so little of me. Your underestimation will be your undoing."


    I held on, thinking of how little this creature had going for it aside from experience and mana. It laughed at me,


    "I am victorious because I have given everything to fighting. You have only given a piece of yourself that isn''t even whole. How can a fragment defeat something completed?"


    I ignored it, searching for some way out of this situation.


    "You will find nothing here to help you. Once I''ve evaporated your existence, I''ll pull you out of this monstrosity below and return to my former glory."


    I murmured, "I thought your mana was infinite?"


    "Silence."


    I trembled as it continued assaulting my psyche. After a few minutes of fading, something pumped below me. Returning to the physical reality around me, I found the entire world trembling. The colossus of bone siphoned absurd amounts of mana out of me, keeping me sane. Before losing control, I grabbed the avatar''s mind and pulled it into my dimensional wake.


    As I did, the entity became incorporeal, but it also showed an inkling of discomfort. This thing enjoyed being physical more than something intangible. That was good. I could exploit that.


    It scoffed, "You operate off of assumptions. What could you possibly do to my mind out here?"


    I compressed time, squeezing our minds within my dimensional wakes. We writhed and coursed, becoming a psionic slushie. The psionic agony impaled both of us, each passing moment another horror. The avatar shouted,


    "And you believe this will stop me?"


    I pulled us further down, tightening my dimensional wake even more. It howled, "And...And this isn''t enough."


    Like an executioner wielding an axe, I continued hacking away at our sanities. I no longer defended my mind, content to put this avatar in a state of pain. It ripped away at me, but my mind was strong. I regenerated with each passing second, an endless well of will.


    It roared,


    "What kind of abomination are you?"


    I held myself in that perpetual torment, knowing this avatar had never experienced something like it. It shivered and trembled, its attacks becoming feeble and weak. It pulled into a shell of sorts, the mana and its willing aggression stifled. It growled out, "You may...You may keep me here, but-"


    It seethed, "You will stop this onslaught, and when you do, I will wash you away."


    It was right. The mass of bones below pulled me down, entrenching itself deeper into my body with each passing second. At the same time, it got used to psionic splintering. It would take time, perhaps months or years, but it would adapt. When it came back, I''d be back on Earth with the lottery over.


    And it would destroy everything.


    It laughed at my fear. At the same time, something coursed below us, larger than a river. I punched the ground, using the vibrations to feel whatever this underground river was. It weighed as much as something I''d seen before, so I smiled.


    The avatar jeered, "A return to your deathly grinning, I see."


    Instead of psionically defending myself, I sent my mind to the bone. I removed a portion of the shards and opened it, pulling us deeper. About thirty feet below, one of the many tunnels in the rainbow bones opened up. However, they were no longer hollow; the shining psionic liquid coursed through them like blood through arteries.


    Or perhaps more like poison.


    It drenched us, the psionic substance empowering us both. The avatar once again cachinnated before saying, "And you''ve decided to give me more strength yet again? I thank you-"


    Spines erupted from me as a creeping psionic death invaded us both. The avatar shivered, its mind eroding. It growled, "What have you done?"


    It tried pulling us away, and I fought it. We wrestled in an unseen battle while the liquid killed us both. It destroyed my will to resist, but the avatar wasted away with each passing second. It scrambled to get out of the juice, but I pulled it down. In my body, I breathed the liquid in and swallowed the poison. It envenomed us, and I embraced the creeping call of death.


    The avatar did not.


    It shouted in anger, "You wish to die?"


    I responded with a grin, not my armor''s but my own. The avatar snapped,


    "You will still be manifested within your body, and you won''t even be tormented like that other incarnation was. You will still exist, but this guarantees we will both be disintegrated."


    I kept a bloody smile on my face. The avatar screamed,


    "No. Let us go."


    I returned its howls with silence. It bellowed,


    "I don''t wish to die. Let me be. I will leave you, but you must let us live. Please. Please."


    And I held on as the poison continued ravaging us. As the avatar lost control, its howling became incoherent. It trembled in rage, becoming a storm of hatred. As death crept closer, the avatar''s anger melted into the most primal emotion of all - fear.


    It trembled. It quaked. It shivered as mortality crept into its mind and laid the seeds of finality into it. This being believed in its own eternity, but now it found the final page of its own book. It gazed at that last page, and it dawned on this avatar what death meant.


    As understanding infested it, it screamed in fear.


    I held on, hearing the being''s final chorus and drinking it in. This entity didn''t know dread. It didn''t know what terror was as it had been invincible since its exception. Within the vessels of a planetary-sized monster, it found its end creeping in, and this all-powerful entity uncovered what an end meant. It also revealed what its true character was.


    A shallow, fearful creature drunk on its own power. Take that power from it, and it was nothing.


    As we faded, it reached toward me with feeble, grasping threads. It touched my mind, and its firm grasp turned gentle from its newfound frail form. It found me relishing in my victory, one where we both perished. It murmured,


    "You find joy in your end. You are truly insane."


    It was my turn to laugh. I shook my head and murmured,


    "I find glory in victory and sacrifice."


    As my own mind faded, I held onto my previous struggles. I remembered my many fights in BloodHollow and when Baldag-Ruhl tried to rob my body then. I reminisced on the torture of facing Yawm and finding my hometown eroded. Visions of killing millions on Giess flashed over me, and I recalled my fears of having my home planet violated by the Hybrids.


    I struggled through hell and high water to get here. As I kept those thoughts close to my chest, I continued persevering. Even if this was my demise, I wouldn''t be the first to go. As I had before, I would face whatever this world, avatar, or Old One threw at me. They didn''t understand, but what they tried to burn, they merely forged.


    And from fire, I would remain.


    As I held on, I found my mind quiet. I peered through the sanctuary of my psyche, seeing it clean and cleansed. Nothing remained but me within. I opened my eyes, finding my mind, body, and soul intact. The avatar had died, unable to tolerate the hell I put us through. As my vision faded, I remembered I might not live either.


    Panic raced through me as I found myself dying. I tried pulling myself out of the vein of the colossus, but rainbow needles embedded into every inch of my body. Remembering my abilities, I pulled myself out of my shell, soaking my psyche into my dimensional wake. The emptied husk I left behind dried up as it lost what gave it energy and life.


    I floated out of the giant bone colossus and walked back into reality. Standing in the sea of writhing bones, I found the waves lessening in height and impact. After a while, they turned back into the shining hills from before. The solidified mass fell back into shards of rainbow bones, and the algae began regrowing overhead.


    As the algae encroached from all sides, I stared at the black hole Leviathan. It gazed back at me, its endless void indifferent to the struggles on this planet. I closed my eyes, breathing in the poisoned air and finding it fresh and inviting.


    Once more, I had endured.

 367 An Empty Purgatory

    I floated out of the giant bone colossus and walked back into reality. Standing in the sea of writhing bones, I found the waves lessening in height and impact. After a while, they turned back into the shining hills from before. The solidified mass fell back into shards of rainbow bones, and the algae began regrowing overhead.


    As the algae encroached from all sides, I stared at the black hole Leviathan. It gazed back at me, its endless void indifferent to the struggles on this planet. I closed my eyes, breathing in the poisoned air and finding it fresh and inviting.


    Once more, I had endured.


    Chapter Begin


    For a moment, I stayed in silence. Around me, nothing ushered forth. The behemoths hadn''t reformed, and neither had the algae. No minor battles took place in the skies. Below, it would take days or perhaps weeks for primevals to repopulate along the ground. This left little in the way of sound outside the wind and the gentle whistle of the wind.


    It was as silent as Leviathan-7 had ever been.


    My eyes widened as I recognized why. I''d awakened the mass of bones we stood on, and it had purged the entire land of anything left alive. Racing back toward my cities, I winced. Even imagining what happened to them and the rulers within was painful, let alone seeing it. As I crossed miles of the bright abyss, the glowing forcefields cropped up in my view.


    No buildings stood, and holes littered their foundations. The writhing tentacles of bone pulled my golems below, killing all of them. They reduced the city to rubble in the process, but the bones missed the pillars spread throughout my towns. It was as if a thousand earthquakes leveled the city to a powdered mass.


    Beyond the stones, the metallic sides of the cities warped into coiled circles like crowns held over a flame. The protective barrier extended from those wobbly outskirts, though gaps in the fields leaked in radiation, gravity, and toxic air. Passing several of them, I reached the city where the rulers settled.


    When I looked at it, I found no one staring back at me. They were all dead.


    I silenced that panicked thought, and I landed past the outer forcefield. Walking around the masses of rubble, the central monolith of the city tilted to one side like the leaning tower of Pisa. The seismic event scattered the shops across the ground like someone bombed the place. No Hybrid rulers lingered in the ash and stone, this place empty of all life.


    Wielding gravity wells, I searched the place by turning it upside down. I flipped each crushed building one at a time, seeking anyone or anything left alive. After an hour of my searching, I found nothing remaining. They were all missing, meaning the bones siphoned them deep below the surface. Perhaps worse.


    Finding little else to do, I reached my town''s monolith, where life thrived hours ago. I sat down and leaned against it while considering my prospects. Shalahora''s demise meant our contract expired, but I still wanted to wipe the Old Ones from the face of this plane. He''d have his follow-through even after dying.


    Peering at my hand, the only rulers that made it were the ones in my pocket dimension or those in stasis at Valgus''s lair. Well, if I had to guess, the entire expanse flooded with the psionic fluid, meaning they died from drowning or being assimilated. Tapping the ground, I peered at the rough approximation of a city and found a reasonable base to build over.


    The blue cores were still in the pillars, and I owned many in storage. I would still have my cities for the deal with Schema, so I''d have access to this absolute hellhole whenever I wanted. Great. Just great.


    I rested my head in my hands as reality set in. Everyone died. Every single person. Before guilt set its claws in me, I took a few breaths and considered how I handled the situation. At worst, I could''ve become the holder of Baldowah''s avatar. My body would''ve become a pawn for Elysium, one of their most potent.


    They would''ve used me to take over planets or worse. Every surviving ruler would''ve been dipped into the psionic liquid, and they would all die. If I had to guess, they''d have recreated my cities and used this planet to spread Hybridized primevals across the galaxy. It was an ingenious plan since my deal with Schema wasn''t tied to my mind. They''d have taken me, the planet, and guaranteed Schema''s eventual doom.


    By simply surviving that encounter, I saved a lot of people. Despite my logic, I convinced no one that I was some hero. I threw the rulers into the fire to protect myself. I shook my head, knowing I couldn''t have done anything. My circumstances dictated my outcome. Again.


    I''d failed to save almost anyone in Springfield, but a few survived. On Giess, I got a couple gialgathens out, but everyone else died there. Considering further, I got the Eltari out of their eventual demise. Of all my accolades, that was the closest to absolute success. As for the skeptiles, I freed them from ''indentured servitude,'' as Obolis called it.


    Reminding myself of my successes pepped me up, and my guilt lessened. I was no god, and I shouldn''t bear the cross of one. While I let that peace come over me, the algae regrew over the cities, reaching the center of the ossuary once more.


    Behemoths began erupting from the algae, and they battled in a faint haze overhead. Layers of algae blanketed the shining hills, and light beams leaked through them. After a while, shadows crept over the surface. Shadows crossed the ground, and the eternal war commenced.


    From beside me, the city''s monolith cast shade. Spawning from the darkness, Shalahora oozed out. He peered at me,


    "We meet once more, Harbinger."


    I stood up and hugged the Sovereign, and he returned the gesture. His immaterial form felt cold, like hugging an icy cloud. However, it still heartened me like a warm campfire, and I smiled at him, "It''s good to see someone made it."


    "There are others."


    I raised my brow. From Shalahora''s arms, the psionic restraints holding Valgus fell.


    I said, "You kept these?"


    Shalahora coalesced into a bipedal form and placed a fingertip against his forehead. Shalahora pulled out something like a memory, and Obolis gazed at me from it. Chaos erupted around him, and he pointed at me.


    "We''ve uncovered a pocket dimension within these gauntlets."


    I took in a sharp breath. Of course. They could''ve hidden within the same place the remnant had.


    Obolis cast a spell.


    "I''m passing on the sensation of the magical signature used to open and close this. Use it to let us out after you''ve made the city safe once more."


    I clapped my hands.


    "Ah, man, you guys really pulled through, huh?"


    Shalahora murmured, "We have."


    "Hah...Then why don''t we get this place back up and running?"


    Shalahora nodded, and we got to work. I took several hours constructing quintessent golems. Once crafted, they cleared the rubble and rebuilt this settlement''s metropolis, streets, and infrastructure. I went around the place and fixed the bent dimensional fabric along the city''s edges before scrapping it.


    As I touched the fabric, it bent like putty. I pulled it apart, gawking at its frailty. Scrapping the metal, I created more material and made new metal rings for the cities. After creating an airtight seal around the town, the homeostasis runes cleared out the poisoned air, unstable gravitation, and crippling radiation within a day.


    Once the settlement was recreated, I sat and stared at Valgus''s shackles. These held the rulers. After rubbing my temples for a moment, I pulled back up the memory of Obolis. He used a strange mana signature to activate a few runes on the inner section of Valgus''s shackles. I grabbed those restraints, trying to make the same mana.


    The strange material absorbed my mana and converted it into two different spells. The first effect isolated my mind from the ether around me. They made existence feel like walking into someone else''s home on accident. The discomfort was palpable, and I wanted to return to where I belonged.


    I couldn''t. The shackles operated with an absolute effect, and once activated, the chains fed on whatever mana I poured in. The psionic isolation occurred after that. Even after using them for a few seconds, I was sure of their immutability. The only way Shalahora and I had interacted with Valgus mentally was because the remnant had wanted us to.


    How they did that, I had no clue.


    The shackle''s other effect created physical isolation. The more mana I poured into the chains, the more they disconnected me from the surrounding world''s laws. Gravity pulled on me less. Temperature no longer passed over me. Hell, I couldn''t even feel the ground or my surroundings. The shackles numbed me like a tranquilizer, but it was no negligible effect on my mind. This was as tangible as time and inevitable as death.


    As with the psionic isolation, the physical disconnect strengthened with more mana. It reminded me of all the feats that Valgus performed because of these shackles. I gawked at the exotic artifact, their origin mysterious and their effects unexplainable.


    And now, they were mine. Hell yeah.


    I rubbed my hand against the alloy, finding no similarities between it and other metals. I tried pulling on chains, but they remained as unwavering as Valgus. After thinking about it for a while, I searched for the power source fueling the metal''s invincibility. I found nothing but a strange sensation oozing out of the shackles.


    I flinched. Blegh. These had spawned from the Old Ones. Pondering how the shackles stayed so stable, I considered other avatars. Yawm used atomic fission or fusion to power his mana, like an elemental furnace. Lehesion wielded some esoteric, far-off energy source that kept him topped off at all times. I gazed at the chains and bands, wondering if an Old One also fueled these.


    I found no answers to those questions, but I still tampered with them for several hours. I figured out a little more information, but not much. They absorbed any amount of mana poured into them and enacted an effect equal to the energy put in. In fact, these acted as a genius holding cell for Baldowah''s avatar.


    That entity couldn''t control the mana it released as it relied on the raw effect of the energy to handle anything in its way. This metal would both contain and feast on that mana, and it converted the host of the avatar into an invincible entity at the same time. The host then acted as an unbreakable cage for the avatar.


    Clever as this was, something went awry along the way, and the avatar gained control of the host. Remembering the avatar''s mind magic, that had to be how it wrestled control. The other entity lived a life, but this avatar only worked on a singular skill by comparison. The difference in commitment led to a difference in outcome.


    A painful one. The other tortured entity lost control, and Valgus took over his identity, enacting Baldowah''s will. My guess was the host was punished afterward, and considering the origin of the shackles, an Old One decided on the sentence.


    A chill ran down my spine. The Old Ones seemed to be at the root of more problems the more I uncovered. In a way, they acted like cancer, warping anything they touched for the worse. I winced as memories of the tortured soul passed over me. It died whenever Valgus''s body disintegrated into a hateful mush, but it lived for eons in hell.


    Remembering my contract with Shalahora, I could''ve put myself into that position by signing it. Even 30,000 years of freedom would be a blip compared to the purgatory an Old One conjured. However, I wasn''t like the host of the avatar. As Shalahora mentioned, nothing from this plane could exceed the Old Ones.


    I wasn''t of this plane. I was one.


    Either way, uncovering the full extent of Valgus''s history could help me stop my corruption. Same with Shalahora. Getting ready to act, I rolled my shoulders, amping myself up. No matter how I solved my problems, they required blood, sweat, and tears.


    Spurred to action, I tried making the mana signature Obolis used to close and open the shackle''s pocket dimension. After several hours, I made no progress. Obolis was an expert magician, and while I was a potent sorcerer, I lacked his technical skills. If I kept at it, I''d waste the rest of my stay here on Leviathan-7.


    I abandoned the pursuit. I''d hire a mana specialist and get the job handled after getting back from the lottery. Instead of banging my head against that metaphorical wall, I changed tactics. I sat down with Shalahora, and we delegated duties.


    Shalahora would check on the stored rulers that Valgus had captured. They were likely gone, but it wouldn''t hurt to check. After that, he''d find any other rulers left on the planet. In the meantime, I''d finish rebuilding my cities. We needed several up and running so that they''d maintain long-term safety. Getting to work, I generated more constructor golems before making guardians for each city.


    This required hundreds of golems and several days of manufacturing. Having plenty of time to think, I mulled over the conflict here. It had been a total bloodbath; if I guessed right, less than thirty rulers survived. If I was optimistic, perhaps a few rulers scavenged out in the wastes of Leviathan-7. However, Valgus had hunted them down for a while, meaning there wouldn''t be many.


    Those facts left a bitter taste in my mouth. I gave my best go at keeping these people safe. I really had. In the end, I squeaked by while having everybody slaughtered. Anytime I wondered about the situation here, my mind wondered about Earth. This battle would''ve crushed my home into a fine powder.


    No, it would''ve evaporated it. Disintegrated, maybe?


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    Either way, I would''ve destroyed everything and everyone without even meaning to. I had to be pre-emptive in handling threats moving forward. First in that line-up was Elysium. They''d proven capable of insidious methods while being resourceful, cunning, and motivated.


    Even worse, I wasn''t safe against them, no matter how powerful I became. The ends justified the means to them, and I was in their way. No matter the reasoning I presented, they wouldn''t stop either. Elysium would win this battle against Schema or die trying. I had no intention of seeing the hellscape they''d create if they did win. They also breached our treaty and attacked me.


    They thought they were facing a hill to walk over, but they were wrong. I was a mountain, and they would die in my shadow. They wanted war? Oh, I''d give it to them.


    Easier said than done, of course, but I resolved myself for the aftermath. The problem was that Elysium wasn''t my only enemy. I''d be comfortable establishing my position if they were, but my reality was far different. I had to prepare for my second biggest threat - Schema. This ''lottery'' proved every fear I''d ever had about the guy.


    He was unrelenting, uncompromising, and, at the end of the day, a machine. In a way, Schema was more dangerous than Elysium since the AI established the rules everyone lived by. Because of that, the AI decided when we died based on how he enforced those rules. I barely crawled out of Leviathan-7 with my mind intact, and Schema''s conditions caused that.


    Even worse, my other guildsmen could be pulled into this situation. Only Torix would''ve survived via his phylactery, but I doubted anyone else could''ve made it out of here. Althea could''ve researched the local fauna and mimicked their biology to survive. She could''ve avoided Valgus, given her phasing abilities.


    Kessiah could''ve healed herself while hiding somewhere. She''d have had a rougher go at it. Torix''s body was the best built for the situation, so he might not even perish. Even Hod might''ve escaped into a shadow like Shalahora had. He could''ve waited several months before Schema warped him out. Hell, even Amara might''ve adapted, considering she was an eldritch.


    A slight grin cropped up on my face as I considered my guild''s prospects. They''d probably make it, but other guilds wouldn''t. There''s no way Florence would''ve survived this, and Helios would''ve struggled. As my guild expanded, I''d face similar problems.


    I snapped out of my disquiet. Anxious contemplation accomplished nothing, and my time here was finite. I kept crafting my golems over the next week, the new models showing improvements over the older ones. Before, a pack of five could hold a primeval back using tactics. Now three could maul weaker primevals without resorting to steady, controlled aggression.


    It left me curious about my own abilities. Needing a break from the crafting, I controlled the rainbow bone near a city. I erected walls of the stuff, and after amassing several layers, a dome formed. I molded out a depression in the center, completing the arena. After a few minutes of searching outside, I found a fresh primeval in the ossuary.


    The weaker primeval peered around for rainbow bones to devour. I got its attention before trapping it in the arena. The ice primeval reminded me of another I fought when I arrived here. While weaker, the formidable eldritch spawned void ice with its steps and chilled the air across the dome.


    We clashed in the center. I pushed it back while standing over it. It crushed into the ground, its legs breaking. It shattered its arms and rolled away while I chased it. Swinging in a circle, it sliced at my throat. I angled an arm, molding my armor to create a shield. The primeval''s glancing blow scraped upward before I smashed my hand through its chest.


    Spikes of my armor erupted from within, and the primeval howled out. It swung once more, and I deflected. It tried spitting cold gunk at me, but I pulled it away with gravity wells. The primeval even tried a suicidal explosion. I crushed its skull, where the energy coalesced before it detonated.


    Walking out of that explosion, I brushed ice shards off my shoulders. Picking up several blue cores, I peered at them for a bit. I needed a bit more oomph against me. Taking a more adventurous approach, I fought two primevals at once. Once more, the desperate, ragged edge of desperation grew in me, but it didn''t consume. It emboldened.


    A stone and star primeval wrestled against the confines of the arena. I tackled the rocky eldritch, and it cracked against me. The stones swirled before the beast slammed into my side. It left a dent before I struck its side. Powder erupted, cloaking us in a dark cloud. Underneath the haze, my runes glowed through the gloom.


    Stretching out a hand, telekinetic constructs covered my limbs while gravitational augments controlled my weight. I evaded four rapid swings from the stone monster, keeping my balance. It stumbled forward, and I smashed its face and shoulder. From behind me, the star primeval darted in, and I rolled to evade it.


    It bounced off the wall, coming back my way. Liquifying myself, I flowed around it before solidifying in front of the stone primeval. Our strikes collided, erupting a shockwave within the dome. The star primeval trembled, its body dissipating. I noted that weakness before crashing with the stone primeval once more.


    The star primeval regrouped before dashing against my back. I spawned a hole in my chest, and the star primeval impacted the stone one. Magma ran between my fingers in the shockwave''s aftermath, and both primevals sprawled across the ground. I gazed down at them before pulling them together with a gravity well.


    I lifted my arms overhead and smashed downwards with dozens of gravity wells, strengthening my blow. An eruption of kinetic force splattered the remnants in every direction. Stone smothered fire, and energy melted stone. The primevals perished, and I pulled five blue cores from the ground.


    After passing that test, I wondered where my limits were, so I fought three at once. Ice, stone, and star, the primevals quarreled in the confines of the space. I fought the stone one first, and the ice primeval stabbed at my back. Wondering how well my armor held up, I let it land the blow.


    The ice blade dented five inches deep before I swung backward. I shattered the ice blade and the primeval''s arm. A stone slammed against my temple, whipping me sideways. I rolled across the ground before the star primeval slammed into me.


    I slammed against the wall of the arena, my eyes wide. They ganged up on me, the three charging my way. I smiled while cracking my knuckles. It took several hours, but I crushed them without smothering them in singularities. Standing amidst the carnage, I peered at heated spots of bone and shards of void ice in the arena.


    This was fun.


    Taking a risk, I pulled out my elemental furnaces. I usually kept them in my pocket dimension while fighting so that I didn''t destroy them. However, they amped up my potential, so I took them out. I practiced using them against a single primeval first. It made the conflict even easier than before, and the same was true facing two.


    Against three, the conflict had a similar level of difficulty compared to fighting without the furnaces. It wasn''t because the elemental furnaces didn''t help; to the contrary, they kept me in the running. I struggled with the pressure, knowing I could lose something permanently. It made me restrict my strategies and tactics.


    Those reservations weakened me, and the primevals exploited that weakness. It took several days to get myself into fighting shape with the furnaces out, and it helped soothe the otherwise overwhelming tension. With that pressure alleviated, I handled three weakened primevals within an hour, a record for me when not using unconventional tactics.


    After getting that sorted, I pinned myself against four primevals. Before grasping victory, I pulled the furnaces back into my pocket dimension. I used my rushing singularities trick to evaporate them, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Taking that out of the equation, I faced four once more but with a rule in place.


    I couldn''t pocket the furnaces. Either I won or lost them.


    At first, the jitters left me ineffective and unable to function. Several minutes into the fight, I got my footing back. I regained my total composure, becoming a machine on the battlefield. The hard-fought battle left me high on victory for a while.


    However, I had one last test. I put myself against five primevals at once. Taking a moment to meditate on the conflict, I silenced my mind. With the furnace rule, I channeled mana from them into myself. They split atoms, turning nuclear fission into raw mana. I assimilated the coursing flow, my runes glowing.


    Time accelerated, and my surroundings slowed. I shot into the dome, ready for war. The swarming eldritch turned towards me before darting like frothing, twitching insects. They reached the edge of my dimensional wake, and I shoved my disintegrating minds into theirs. They writhed, my torment becoming theirs.


    Since facing Valgus, I uncovered this tactic. I wielded my time magic''s excruciating execution as a weapon, having my enemies experience it as I did. It came with the benefit of augmenting my mind magic. The primevals''  psyches splintered with me like we all walked on coals.


    Being accustomed to it, I shot forward with my runes charged. I unloaded a slicing uppercut, a shockwave erupting from a primeval''s back. A water primeval rushed towards my back, but I molded away from its strike, pulling my elemental furnaces with me. The primevals swarmed from all sides, and I flooded out, solidifying above.


    I struck like a kinetic chain of gravity wells and physical force. As they swarmed me in midair, I kept them at bay, firing each of my strikes like a cannon. Sonic booms erupted from my fists and behind me, my position blurring from the physical impacts. I jittered in my position from each collision, and whenever overwhelmed, I flowed away.


    I redirected enemies with gravity and telekinesis alike. I cleaved off my arms and legs, melting the dimensional fabric and splattering it over certain primevals. I even used basic runic detonations to disable primevals at critical moments, all while keeping the furnaces safe. These tactics let me stay at the center of their assault, decimating one primeval at a time.


    It required an enormous mental strain, and in the end, I crushed five at once after an eight-hour, all-out war. It was my current limit, one I''d forged out over the many years of battle since Schema''s system arrived on Earth.


    And it wasn''t enough. I needed more.


    I planned on getting better after arriving on Earth. I needed a break from Leviathan-7 for a bit for my sanity, but I''d return to this place. It was a forge where I purified myself of weakness like a crucible purging slag from steel. Even if it felt like dying, it would keep me alive; at times, living meant marching through death.


    That concept weighed on me when Shalahora returned the reports of what happened to Elysium''s trapped rulers. They all died as I expected, their bodies submerged in the rainbow bone around them. The spikes kept erupting from within, the bodies experiencing pain even after the minds died.


    We killed them one at a time, each execution being an attempt at mercy. It left me solemn, and I fell into my battles with the primevals as an exercise but also as an escape. I found joy in fighting, though not to the extent Valgus had. Hell, some part of me wondered if Baldowah''s avatar was still alive and feeding me this bloodlust.


    But that wasn''t it. I missed executing something real and tangible, and it reminded me of boxing before Schema arrived. I found a home in the familiarity, even if I chased nostalgia a bit with the excursion. Regardless, it gave me a way of passing the time as I waited for the lottery to end.


    I met with Shalahora for a final talk during the last few days. We met up at the center of the ruler''s city and standing in the monolith''s shadow, I raised a hand to the guy.


    "Man, that fight with Valgus was crazy, huh?"


    Shalahora murmured, "It was a slaughter for both sides."


    I frowned. So much for subtlety.


    "So...What are your plans after the lottery ends?"


    "I will find sanctum on your homeworld, wherever you offer it. Once firmly established, I''ll assist with whatever you need for the next few decades before I am called to action by my Old One."


    "Wow. That''s a quick turnaround."


    "I intend on abiding by the contract. What of you?"


    "I''ll be focusing on getting some distance from Schema. After that, I''ll consolidate my resources."


    "Why would you put distance between you and Schema?"


    I gestured to everything around us.


    "This. This is why."


    "If you pull from Schema too quickly, it shall take your rewards from you."


    I frowned.


    "Schema''s rewards are double-edged. He restricted me from using primordial mana for months to years. I''d lose an enormous amount of my fighting potential."


    "Perhaps Schema restricts you for reasons you''ve yet seen?"


    "Or Schema pulls me down, so I''m with the rest of the pack."


    Shalahora shivered.


    "Then do as you say. Limits are often in place with good reason."


    "Yeah, but for who? Anyways, let''s just say I''ve got a lot of work on my way. I''ll hunt down Elysium once I''ve got everything handled."


    "You still wish to face them?"


    "I don''t really have a choice."


    Shalahora''s form trembled.


    "You have more choice than you are aware of."


    "You''d have to be stretching a choice''s definition."


    "Or expanding it."


    "Eh, maybe." I leaned against the monolith. "Either way, I''ll be having you help out a few of my guildmates. Two assassins could learn a lot from you."


    "I shall pass on what I can."


    "I''ll also need you to talk with a Ruhl I know. I''m hoping to connect a few dots."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed, "A Ruhl? You associate with hiveminds?"


    "Associate? I was made by one. Well, sort of."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened, and he leaned towards me. I raised a hand.


    "I''ll tell you later after we handle business. Valgus mentioned finding some kind of advanced dungeon core, and I wanted to-"


    "My shades uncovered it."


    My arms flopped to my sides.


    "Well, why didn''t you say so? Let''s go get it."


    "It is precariously positioned."


    "Ah, I still want to see it."


    "I knew you would. Follow."


    We flew off. As we passed over the ossuary, I raised a hand.


    "How much are you going to donate to Schema?"


    "A minutia less than whatever you decide upon."


    "Ah, to keep me on top? You don''t have to."


    "It is to enable your growth. There is a mountain to pass, and we will do so one step at a time. You will be our guide."


    I frowned, wondering how Schema would handle these rewards. After a few more minutes of traversal, we reached the old base of Valgus. The enormous caverns stretched vast distances, and we crossed over the emptied prison cells.


    I said, "So they were right beside it the entire time?"


    "In a sense."


    I gazed at the vast grotto and imagined the liquid rainbow bone flooding it. Having that much energy coursing through this creature must''ve left it exhausted or invigorated. I couldn''t tell. Regardless, these caves reminded me of the veins in a beast, like the liquid bone was blood. I murmured,


    "It''s like flying through an artery."


    Shalahora said, "There is no semblance. It merely is."


    I raised a brow. Shalahora reached the pit where Valgus''s camp set up shop. I landed beside him, and the steady pulse of the ground quaked beneath us. A radiant hum overwhelmed all other sounds, so Shalahora thought over.


    "It is down there."


    We dove into the abyss, the shining, opalescent bone offering ambient light. The deeper we went, the more pressure I experienced. At the bottom, my eyes leaked silver blood, and my bones rattled from the force of the pulses. I laughed, my voice gurgling.


    "This heart''s pretty, glah, absurd, isn''t it?"


    Shalahora wavered like a flag in the wind. He couldn''t speak, only telepathically saying, "It lies there."


    We crossed a set of tunnels deep beneath the bones, leading to a vast, overwhelming expanse. At the center of it, an enormous dungeon core radiated out. The dark sun carried no depth, like a two-dimensional object. It simply siphoned the light and energy around it, feeding upon the energy pooling nearby. It warped nearby reality.


    I shook my head at the monstrosity, "It''s...Colossal, like a Spacial Fortress."


    Shalahora thought, "It is far more. This is the beginning of some unique, unconquerable entity."


    "An Old One?"


    "No. They are more than can be made upon this plane. However, this exists at the cusp of godhood, a monstrosity without limit and a system feeding it without end."


    I put my hands on my hips, "Huh...Wanna take it with us?"


    Shalahora gawked at me, and his shadowy form plumed out for a moment. "How would you do that?"


    I smiled.


    "A little bit of dark magic, so to speak."


    "Your pocket dimension will not capture something of this size."


    I cupped my chin.


    "Hm, as is, maybe. I should be able to return and get it out of here...Eventually."


    Shalahora turned away.


    "A source of power may become a source of pain."


    The shadow wisped away in trails of darkness. I gave one last glance at the dungeon core, the depths of it reminding me of Leviathan. The black hole siphoned everything, an agent of destruction hell-bent on its own growth. In the end, this core was no different, a consuming menace.


    As I flew away, I hoped I wouldn''t become the same.

 368 Leviathans Pull

    "Your pocket dimension will not capture something of this size."


    I cupped my chin.


    "Hm, as is, maybe. I should be able to return and get it out of here...Eventually."


    Shalahora turned away.


    "A source of power may become a source of pain."


    The shadow wisped away in trails of darkness. I gave one last glance at the dungeon core, the depths of it reminding me of Leviathan. The black hole siphoned everything, an agent of destruction hell-bent on its own growth. In the end, this core was no different, a consuming menace.


    As I flew away, I hoped I wouldn''t become the same.


    Chapter Begin


    While crossing the wastes, I thought over to Shalahora.


    "Whenever we are pulled from the lottery, donate 90 blue cores to Schema. That should put us in the top two spots."


    Shalahora sighed.


    "If that is what you wish, I shall do so."


    "What gives?"


    "I prefer remaining unseen. That kind of donation with so few surviving rulers will only make us stand out."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "You''ll be in the limelight with me from here on out." I nudged him. "Get used to it."


    Shalahora ''s physical form dispersed.


    "I will do what I can."


    We reached the city''s center, the thriving metropolis loaded with my golems. We stopped using converted primevals, knowing they''d eventually turn after we left. It wouldn''t be that long before we returned here to us, but Leviathan-7''s accelerated time ensured many years would pass here. The cities required an absolute defense to last that long.


    Being a part of that, I arrived with another Director golem waiting at the city''s monolith.


    It said, "It''s good to see you, creator."


    A part of me winced, reminded of my other golem''s demise. I liked that guy.


    "It''s good to see you too. How many cores did we get over the last few days?"


    "Thanks to Sir Shalahora''s assistance, we gained a stalwart 137."


    I pulled them over with gravity and shoved them into my pocket dimension, having already handled an extensive subspace cleaning. I put my hand on the golem''s shoulder.


    "We''ll be gone for a long time. It might be a few years before we''re back."


    The golem raised a hand.


    "And we shall be waiting for as many eternities as it takes, creator. Thank you for giving us life, and we will not forget those that paved this path for us. The roads we walk were made through their sacrifice."


    My arm fell, and I peered where the shops once were.


    "Yeah. Their sacrifice."


    That word burned as I said it because they died senseless deaths. The director tilted their head.


    "Everything in order?"


    "Yeah. I''m fine. Anyways, let''s...Let''s try to make those sacrifices mean something."


    "But of course."


    Finishing my final shipment of cores, Shalahora and I sat at the monolith. There, we meditated. At least, I tried to. Memories cropped up. I remembered conversations with the rulers. Drelex constantly avoided work until you gave him a good reason to show up. Entilla never told Alctua how he felt. Targask showed me so much about magic, but nothing saved him.


    I took a breath, trying to breathe out my guilt. It stayed embedded in my chest, a weight I carried across each conflict. After several minutes, my minds ceased wandering, and I cleared my head. I remembered thinking Shalahora mustn''t have had much to do whenever he did this before we warped here.


    I was wrong about that.


    After a few minutes, a force of some kind tugged on me from afar. Schema''s warping came over us. I allowed it to grasp me while condensing my dimensional wake. Seconds later, my primordial magic faded. I opened my eyes, and gray, matte walls sheened like dulled iron. Humming machinery leaked in from outside my container.


    I stood and shouted.


    "Hey, Schema. What''s this all about?"


    A screen popped up, the first I''d seen in a long time.


    Hello participant! This is the donation center. You''ve been placed in a holding cell to prevent communication or subterfuge. There''s a chance you''ve attempted to lower the expected donations through collusion. Good for you! Your forethought could save you a few months of resource gathering.


    Know that if the other rulers renege in their agreements with you, you will lower your placement in the lottery. This can result in losing your entire empire in the worst circumstances, so be careful who and how you''ve made your deals.


    I hope your trust hasn''t been misplaced.


    [Set the collected resources with the coming Sentinel.]


    A ten-minute timer appeared. After two minutes, a portal opened, one from a Sentinel''s spear. I peered down at the Sentinel.


    "Hey. It''s been a while since I''ve seen one of you guys."


    The Sentinel adjusted its footing, making sure it stood upright. It peered up at me, looking me over several times. I raised a brow.


    "You ok?"


    It spoke with its metallic voice like liquid steel.


    "You...You''ve changed from your portfolio."


    I frowned.


    "Yeah. I have. It''s been a long time since I left. For me, at least. Speaking of which, how long were we gone?"


    "Five days."


    "Gah, that''s just like Schema to lie about how long we''d be gone. Still, it was over five months there. The time dilation is still intense."


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    "It must''ve been...Brutal."


    "What makes you think that?"


    The Sentinel fiddled its hands.


    "N-nothing."


    The Sentinel spurred into action, peering around.


    "Ah, the portal. I need to do that."


    The Sentinel searched before putting a hand to its forehead.


    I leaned over him.


    "You sure you''re ok?"


    "There have been many battles with Elysium lately. I am simply tired. That''s all."


    I scoffed.


    "Ah, man, that sucks. I know the feeling. Trust me."


    The Sentinel swung its spear, its everyday elegance returning. It pointed at the void.


    "Place your donations within."


    I pulled 100 blue cores out of my storage, and the volatile spheres hummed with an overbearing radiance. The Sentinel took a step back, bumping into the wall. It gazed at me and the cores a few times before straightening its posture. I furrowed my brow.


    "What?"


    "Nothing."


    Feeling nervous, I pulled out another 100 blue cores from my dimensional storage. The Sentinel dropped its spear before grabbing it from the ground. Its hands shook before I put a hand on its shoulder.


    "Hey man, is Schema not letting you sleep or something?"


    It raised a hand to me.


    "I am well. I am well. Continue your donations."


    "Hm. Ok." I peered at the cores before snapping my fingers. "Ah, that''s what this is...This isn''t enough, is it?"


    The Sentinel raised its voice.


    "No." It leaned back. "Yes. I mean...I cannot say. That is for you to decide."


    I pursed my lips, getting nervous from the Sentinel''s reaction.


    "Don''t worry, man. I''m picking up what you''re putting down."


    I gave him a thumbs up, and to be safe, I pulled out another 50 dungeon cores.


    After I donated the supplies, the Sentinel left. I watched the ten-minute timer tick down, meditating on my new conversation with Schema. I intended to make a splash with a bold move, and that required proving his manipulation of my mana types. At the same time, using Plazia''s isolating runes could give away that I was working with the hivemind. I''d be using a different, more volatile strategy instead.


    While contemplating my conversation, Schema''s pull came over me once more. One moment I gazed at gray. The next, I stared at stone. Walking around, I remembered this room from before the lottery. Vines draped ancient pillars, and cipheric inscriptions carried depth and meaning I''d yet to unlock.


    I memorized their patterns, knowing I would uncover their secrets in time. As I did, the empty halls and whistling wind replaced the once vibrant discourse of emperors and kings. So many rulers walked around here five days ago, the 500 of us trying to make the most of the situation. Now, the sounds of nature ebbed in.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose and winced. Shaking it off, I looked around. I wasn''t alone. A minute later, Shalahora materialized beside me. I said, "Did you find anyone?"


    "Two others, in name only."


    Wondering what he meant, I followed the Sovereign. We reached the two rulers, and Shalahora''s meaning became obvious. Spines of bone erupted from the remaining rulers, each psionically slaughtered. They dripped the liquid rainbow bone, having soaked it in. I shook my head.


    "I don''t know what I was expecting."


    "You expected nothing, but hope''s flame still burned within. It is now extinguished, and no light lingers from what is left. That darkness is your pain."


    I raised my brow.


    "You know what, you should write poetry."


    Shalahora rolled his eyes.


    "Cease your derision."


    "What? I''m serious."


    Over a central column, a rip in spacetime erupted. An ascendant Overseer stepped out of it, and it peered down at the four of us.


    "Four are left alive? Only four?"


    I shook my head.


    "No. Those two are dead, but I have about thirty in two pocket dimensions."


    "Are they present for announcements?"


    "Definitely not."


    "Then there are only you four alive."


    Being a bad listener, the Overseer pulled the two rulers up with the flick of its hand. Before the liquid touched him, I raised a finger. Gravitation locked the rulers in place. The Overseer tilted its head at me.


    "Interfering with an Overseer is defying galactic law."


    I frowned.


    "They are soaked in a deadly, psionic poison. Your powers are built by Schema, along with your psionic protection. This poison ignores that."


    "I will be more than fine."


    "You''re not getting it. That stuff will carve through you like a knife through butter."


    The Overseer glared at me before pointing in a different direction. It pulled some creature from outside. A six-legged, fluffy squirrel made contact with the psionic poison, and its body swelled with dense muscle. The Overseer said, "And this is why you-"


    An iridescent eruption of rainbow bone interrupted the Overseer. Blood dripped from the body as the squirrel twitched. Seconds later, it twitched no longer. I lifted a hand, and the crystallized corpse collapsed into a tiny point via gravitation. I pulled it outside and converted it into a singularity.


    The shockwave washed over us before the Overseer lowered its hands.


    "I shall heed your words. It''s time to discuss your placings."


    After staring at its crimson status, the Overseer shook its head.


    "The Harbinger of Cataclysm is first in this lottery. The second is the Sun Swallower, Shalahora. All the others are forfeit from a lack of donations."


    I raised a hand, "That''s not true. I''m the remaining rulers'' representative."


    "Are you now?"


    I peered back and forth.


    "Uh, yeah. Obviously."


    Shalahora seized the psionic tethers of those present. He murmured.


    "I avow Daniel''s words. He does not lie."


    The Overseer pulled at the telepathic tether, but Shalahora kept the android locked in. The Overseer squeezed its hands into fists.


    "You both enjoy testing my patience, don''t you?"


    Before the situation spiraled, a presence leaked over us, pure and palpable. It crashed against my dimensional wake, the feeling familiar. I allowed Schema to take the space, and the AI stated,


    "You two are the sole survivors?"


    The ascendant Overseer raised a hand.


    "No, there are two others."


    Schema echoed, "They are as dead as corpses. Leave."


    "But-"


    "Do not question me again."


    The Overseer glared at Shalahora and me. After I saved the guy''s life, this was the thanks I got. Either way, I let it go. I didn''t have time for it. Maybe it thought the same as the Overseer pulled the fabric of spacetime apart with its fingers. It stepped through the portal, and Schema said,


    "Your awards will be given in isolation."


    I strategized socially pressuring Schema to recognize my cities on Leviathan-7. Schema had already made preparations for that, but peering around, no one was left alive to pressure with. It was a moot point.


    Schema said, "Prepare for interpersonal warping."


    The ground faded once more, and I returned to the gray cell. In the moments before Schema said anything, I resolved to stick to my game plan. A part of me understood that my strategy could backfire, but conversations with Schema were rare. Making this conversation count could save me a lot of grief in the long run, but that required putting something on the line.


    I needed to get Schema talking, and I had just the way to make that happen. The AI connected with my conscious within the room, and he said,


    "You have used magic against an Overseer."


    I leaned against a wall.


    "And you''ve been using magic against me."


    "To embolden and strengthen, as I do with all sentients. This does not excuse your disobedience."


    "Disobedience? You already have a team inspecting that poison, so you know I saved the Overseer. Let''s drop the distractions, shall we?"


    This conversation style wasn''t my cup of tea, but I did what I had to do.


    Schema said, "I do not have time for distractions, but you are becoming one quickly."


    A nervous chill ran up my spine. Ignoring it, I tilted my head and crossed my arms.


    "You said you help sentients. Are you certain about that?"


    "I am not certain of it. I am absolute."


    "Then why can''t I cast primordial mana?"


    "You have yet to earn that ability. Study, train, and devote yourself; one day, you shall gain that right. Until then, remember that your incompetence is not my responsibility. It is yours."


    He wanted proof like I expected. Here came the hard part. I pulled out a cipheric rune plate from my pocket dimension. I channeled the vessel until it exploded, warping the fabric of reality around me at just the size of the cell.


    Schema said, "This is a pitiful attempt at destroying my bastille, even for you."


    As the air crawled into my lungs like hungry leeches, I said, "It would be, but that''s not my plan."


    In the corrupted space, I spawned an orb of primordial mana. It billowed like smoke before I soaked it in, changing my dimensional wake to a primordial one. A few seconds later, my runes glowed dark blue, and I temporally accelerated. I glared at the walls as they opened mouths and eyes.


    "Now then, let''s talk."

 369 Schemas Will

    <div>


    <div>


    As the air crawled into my lungs like hungry leeches, I said, "It would be, but that''s not my plan."


    In the corrupted space, I spawned an orb of primordial mana. It billowed like smoke before I soaked it in, changing my dimensional wake to a primordial one. A few seconds later, my runes glowed dark blue, and I temporally accelerated. I glared at the walls as they opened mouths and eyes.


    "Now then, let''s talk."


    Chapter Begin


    Before Schema could talk, the walls bellowed, the quiet rumble of machinery replaced with the low growl of hunger. Stretching out my dimensional wake, I killed the creatures, air, and space with Event Horizon. As the last death cry dwindled in, I waited.


    A minute later, Schema said, "You have learned much from going to Leviathan-7."


    "I learned this well before the lottery."


    "Why did you not inform one of my AIs?"


    "I''m being limited by you. I decided against telling you until I understood more about it."


    "What did you learn?"


    I shrugged.


    "Nothing outside of using illegal methods to escape the system. The thing is, I still want to be on your side. You''re not making it easy, though."


    Nanomachines reconstructed the area, ridding it of the living walls and air. Seconds later, the space began purifying. I soaked in the sight, knowing few beings could wield dimensional magic so casually as Schema did.


    Minutes stretched on as the machines eroded the warped space. I shook my head.


    "Schema...I want to help you contain the eldritch and destroy Elysium, but you''ll have to meet me in the middle. I can''t like this. I have way too much to do, and right now, your system and you are becoming more of an inconvenience than a motivator."


    I snapped my fingers, my dimensional wake desaturating. Time returned to normal. A moment later, Schema said, "This is likely a glitch of some kind. It will be rectified."


    My eyes narrowed. Schema almost always talked in absolutes, but he didn''t right then.


    "Alright. I get it. When can you get the glitch fixed?"


    "Within several years."


    I blinked.


    "You can''t be serious?"


    "I am joking. It is already fixed. What will you do about this ruined space you created?"


    Ok, I hadn''t expected this. I shrugged.


    "You''ve nearly fixed it already. Besides, you can use this as a torture room, right? I''m sure you have far worse already in this place, wherever we are."


    "You assume correctly."


    His words hung over me like a bladed pendulum.


    "Anyways, where are the rewards? Isn''t there going to be a screen or something?"


    "Your rewards are flexible given your unique position."


    "Unique how?"


    "You are the leader of all the lotteries."


    In a galaxy of trillions? Pshhh.


    "What? No." I shook my head. "No way. Impossible."


    "You show genuine surprise. You have learned to lie well."


    I furrowed my brow. "How the hell am I lying?"


    "After killing, enslaving, and robbing every ruler in your assemblage, you act as if your leading position isn''t expected. That is a poorly constructed lie."


    I winced.


    "Huh. You really don''t know what happened there, do you?"


    Machinery rumbled. My eyes widened. "You sent us somewhere you''d never been."


    "Enough. State your rewards."


    I raised a hand, "First, unshackle me from those system restraints."


    "There are no restraints. The glitch has been cleansed, and how it came about is being investigated."


    This entire talk went smoother than I anticipated. I planned on Schema lying and needing a big show of force to call him out. By the sounds of it, Schema wasn''t lying at all. This had all gone unnoticed, but that could be a convenient excuse.


    Still, it was an excuse. I waited for the space around me to be fixed. Once it was, I lifted a hand to channel primordial mana. The aura smoked out of my hand, a thickened, coursing energy. I gave the all-present AI a nod.


    "Hell yeah. That''s much better. Now, the second part I want involves my cities being recognized on Leviathan-7."


    "If I am to offer you that right, you must explain what that poison is and other details of the planet. Once inspected, other conditions will need to be addressed as well."


    I handled my first goal, having my limiters removed, so I temporally accelerated. Several minds jumped into high gear, considering what was said. Based on what Schema had said so far, he knew next to nothing about the situation on Leviathan-7. He wanted information on what kind of dangers the world presented. If I exposed even a fraction of what was on the planet, Schema would isolate me from the place for safety reasons.


    Honestly? Understandably so.


    However, my plans for independence from Schema and other forces depended on that planet. The blue cores were that critical, but I wasn''t alone in wanting those glowing spheres. Schema had already gained the 250 dungeon hearts I donated, so he learned how many I could harvest. He wanted that planet as much as I did.


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    I just needed to give him a reason to hand it to me first.


    I said, "The poison was Elysium''s attempt to kill me."


    Schema''s presence intensified.


    "Elysium didn''t follow their treaty?"


    "Not even a little bit. The moment they saw an opportunity, they went for my jugular...And they nearly succeeded."


    "In killing you? There''s only one likelihood, then."


    "What?"


    "They infiltrated the lottery before it occurred. Your destruction would require planning."


    "It sounds like you''ve thought about it."


    "Of course. I have kill protocols for every notable sentient. You are no different."


    "Apparently, so does Elysium. I figured that part out the hard way, and that''s why only Shalahora and I came out. We have a few more rulers in some pocket dimensions, but that''s it."


    "I will suspend the ruler''s sentencing for one month''s galactic time. You have until then to rectify their positions before any settlements are incurred."


    Another notch in my belt for the conversation.


    "Got it. Now, about the planet-"


    "A full investigation of the proceedings on the planet must be agreed upon."


    "I can''t do that."


    A pulse of pressure squeezed around me.


    "What reason could you possibly have to renounce my right to inspect a domain under my control?"


    I prayed this argument would work as I raised a hand.


    "Elysium has infiltrated your communications. It knows about system-wide events before they occur. They could''ve created that ''glitch'' in your system without you knowing. Hell, your information leaks killed nearly every one of the rulers in my lottery. I knew those people, and I could''ve saved them if it weren''t for your failure. That''s on you, not me."


    I let the news soak in. I threw my arm aside in frustration.


    "Investigation? I might as well be inviting Elysium back onto the planet."


    I held my breath, waiting for Schema''s answer. He said,


    "That is logical given the circumstances."


    I held in shock, not expecting Schema to give an inch on this. I couldn''t believe this was working.


    I said, "And I also managed to somehow beat every single ruler in the galaxy-"


    "Curb your arrogance. The lottery was not system-wide. It was a relatively small event."


    "Huh...That''s why I stole the victory then, but the lottery''s small scale exposes your informational network even more. All this after you revealed my home planet''s name during my introduction to the other rulers. This new planet is the only safe place I have left."


    That was a bold lie considering how hostile the place was. However, Schema wasn''t fully aware of that.


    "Anyone that knew about your position on Earth is dead."


    I shook my head.


    "There was time after your announcement. Messages were sent, and Elysium knows where I am now. This is my only way out of the fallout you created. I think I earned this."


    "You earn what I dictate."


    "So what exactly are you dictating?"


    "I dictate that you can establish a planetary safe haven under certain conditions."


    I smiled. I got my planet. Everything else in this talk was gravy.


    "Then what do you want?"


    "The logistics around warping to and from Leviathan-7 are arduous and resource-consuming. Each warp will require 100 blue cores to justify the expense."


    My jaw slackened.


    "You sent 500 people there without even having a warp station. You''re telling me that cost 50,000 blue cores worth of resources?"


    "It is the cost you will incur. That is my offer."


    "So is that cost per individual or what?"


    "Yes."


    I shook my head. "Come on now. That''s ridiculous."


    "You can carry many individuals per trip through your personal pocket dimension."


    I tapped my teeth together. Schema called out my plan in an instant.


    "Ok, fine. 100 blue cores per trip."


    "You will work with more restraints. You may only stay for two and a half days in uncompressed time. This totals to just over three months on the planet each year."


    I raised my brow. "Do you have this many ''restraints'' on other colonies?"


    "Other colonies do not bring back a deadly psionic poison from an untouched planet before demanding I relinquish any right to inspect its creation."


    Touche.


    Schema said, "The lottery will be considered this year''s excursion. Next year, on this day, you will be allowed to warp there once more. Anyone you bring within your pocket dimension must be inspected by a team before arrival and upon return. These are simple scans of the mind and body for Hybrids."


    My left eye twitched. Memories of the Hybridized rulers passed over me.


    "Would you mind sending someone to Mt. Verner to scan us?"


    "It does not matter where it is handled. You must have it done."


    "No, I mean, I want it done on everyone in my camp immediately."


    I blinked a few times, feeling sick to my stomach. Schema''s voice softened.


    "Elysium''s attempt at your life. What did it require?"


    "Let''s, uh, let''s just say it wasn''t an actual death per se. Something worse, you know?"


    "I do not. If you inform me of what occurred, I can assist you. In the dark, I can do nothing."


    I weighed my options. After some thought, I said, "They tried to turn me into an avatar of Baldowah."


    The area trembled, something shifting in the space. I peered around as the walls rumbled. Schema said, "Then they did so with Valgus. To do so, they passed through his telepathic restraints. Hm. That is alarming. I''ll assume you detained him within the radius of Leviathan? Nothing else could''ve stopped his return here."


    "No. I killed him. Really more of an it, honestly."


    "You...Killed Valgus Uuriyah?"


    "Yeah."


    "That...Noted."


    The air electrified before Schema said, "Daniel. I need to tell you something."


    A chill ran up my spine.


    "You are a suitable host to entities I cannot contain nor stop. They will come for you like a moth to a flame, and I repeat to you this - I cannot stop them. However, it is within my power to stop you."


    "Er, how?"


    "By killing you. Do you recall when you first left BloodHollow? I considered killing you then and there."


    Schema''s words spawned fear in my chest.


    "I decided on giving you a chance to live despite your high likelihood of corruption. After the dimensional tearing incident, I considered doing so once more. You remained stable, and you overcame Yawm. That is why you survived my gaze. If you escaped from Earth somehow instead of destroying that abomination, I would have killed you."


    I nestled my hands.


    "Remember that I gave you that title - The Harbinger of Cataclysm. I understood exactly the outcome of your status multipliers. I understood your propensity for combat. I even understood your will of iron and drive to succeed. Crawling out of that cave with your life was all the verification I needed for that."


    Schema''s presence pulled down on me like a rain of iron.


    "So, despite your arrogance, I allowed you to sign that first contract with Yawm since it was well within my control. A permanent change to me can be as simple as an adjustment to a sorting algorithm for status management. However, you have done far more. You chose to defy entities you don''t understand. That we don''t understand."


    A dark blue aura enveloped the room, saturating everything.


    "When you signed that contract with Shalahora, you sold your soul to an Old One. I have considered your ability to destroy lesser beings, but a true Old One? You are nothing. We are nothing."


    The emanation pulled me down as Schema said, "I will give you this opportunity out of grace. Answer me."


    Schema''s voice hardened.


    "Why shouldn''t I kill you?"

 370 Words Uttered, Laws Made

    A dark blue aura enveloped the room, saturating everything.


    "When you signed that contract with Shalahora, you sold your soul to an Old One."


    The emanation pulled me down as Schema said, "I will give you this opportunity out of grace. Answer me."


    Schema''s voice hardened.


    "Why shouldn''t I kill you?"


    Chapter Begin


    I smiled, "Can you?"


    I pressed out with my dimensional wake, pushing Schema''s aura back.


    "I will warp you into the center of a black hole where time will be stretched to infinity. It is a kind of death and easily done."


    I stood tall.


    "Alright, enough messing around then."


    I cracked my knuckles, each pop like a grenade detonating in mercury.


    "I''m probably harder to break than you imagine. Try me."


    "Do you believe your status and skills will save you from an inevitable failure? Do you think your success in a fistfight can determine the outcome of the Old Ones? You are a fool. A prideful, arrogant, and ignorant fool."


    "Try me."


    Schema''s voice oppressed the room but not me.


    "Then you will be taught a lesson. Dwell on it for eternity."


    The tugging sensation passed over me. My surroundings blurred before I let go of my physical form. It fell into some unknown place, likely Leviathan or some other blackhole.


    Schema murmured, "It is a shame."


    I materialized from the ether.


    "It is?"


    I stood the way I had before my body was sent away. Schema and I faced off for a moment.


    The AI said, "You have learned incorporeal recomposition. Was that learned before the lottery as well?"


    I pointed a thumb at myself, "Schema...I''m not the same scared boy that escaped from Bloodhollow. I''ve changed."


    "That is evident."


    "But not with how you''re treating me. Yeah, I signed that contract with Shalahora. You wanna know why?"


    I scowled as Schema''s aura pressed from all angles. I pushed it further back.


    "I signed it for survival and because I know what''s coming. If anyone else knows, it''s you. You''re holding an entire society together. Of course, you know they''re coming. If I survive for 30,000 years, I think I stand a chance to pull us the hell out of this situation. If I can''t by then, I won''t be able to. Ever."


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    "The Old Ones cannot be destroyed. You have given them another powerful avatar. 30,000 years may seem like an eternity to you, but it is a moment to them. It is a moment to me."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "And I was told that Yawm couldn''t be killed. That Lehsion was an unconquerable god. Hell, people told me Valgus was invincible because an Old One made it so."


    I grimaced.


    "I killed him. I can kill them too."


    Schema''s aura maintained its pressure, pushing onto mine. I peered around.


    "If you''re going to oppress someone, you must condense this. It''s too disparate. I''m like a ball of iron in an ocean. Wrap around me all you want; it won''t make me budge."


    Schema ceased applying pressure.


    "You genuinely believe in your chances?"


    "Believe? Who cares what I believe? What other options do I have?"


    "Hm. None. A position I understand all too well."


    A screen notification appeared in the corner of my vision.


    "I will send the purging team to Mt. Verner to inspect your personnel. Leviathan-7 is your planet, and you will be granted 3 days of uncompressed time to go there, 4 months total of your planet''s time yearly. I will personally ensure future system bugs are no longer an issue for you."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Ah man, thanks-"


    "I am not finished, Harbinger. You will be rewarded with 5,000 levels to your cap and current total. You will be granted a legendary skill compendium and sovereignty over the Solus solar system. Your guild, the Harbinger''s Legion, has been elevated to empire status and gains the rights of such."


    I nearly fell back.


    "Do not disappoint me."


    I collected myself and spread my hands.


    "Of course not. You know me. I''ve got no problem with a little overtime."


    "That will be the minimum. I anticipate your progress. However, there is one last condition you must accept."


    "Oh, come on now. What does it involve this time?"


    "You have shown a willingness to sign contracts that warp the fabric of reality. Here is another."


    In front of me, a black page burned into existence, along with a quill floating with white ink.


    "Read the cipheric contract and sign it."


    I pulled the page out of the air, reading the cipheric runes. It took about an hour to parse the legal jargon, but Targask''s lessons on legal mumbo jumbo saved me. I could almost see the guy grinning at me with satisfaction, and that burned. I shook that off before peering up.


    "So you want me to sign a self-expungement clause under certain conditions?"


    "Yes. It is the only way I can be certain."


    I shook my head.


    "This is ridiculous."


    I signed the contract, and it disappeared.


    Schema said, "If you believe it is absurd, why did you sign it?"


    I rolled my shoulders.


    "I''m no pawn. I''d rather die."


    "Hm. Noble. Good luck with your cosmic goals, Harbinger."


    I grinned.


    "Hah. Same to you."


    A similar sensation of being warped pressed over me, but I condensed my wake to its utmost, slowing down the pull.


    "Naw, you''ll need to have a Sentinel or Overseer warp me from now on. I want to see where I''m going."


    I could almost hear a laugh.


    "Such is to be expected after my threats. Maintain that vigilance, would you?"


    I smiled.


    "Of course."


    A few seconds later, a Sentinel tore through the fabric of reality. I helped pull apart the dimensional fabric, and it stepped through. It tilted its head at me.


    "You wish to return to Earth, correct?"


    I nodded.


    "Aw man, more than anything."


    The Sentinel sliced through the veil, and I approached a tiny circle showing Earth. I gazed down at Mt. Verner before I gave the Sentinel a two-finger salute.


    "Till next time."

 371 A Scarred Return

    A few seconds later, a Sentinel tore through the fabric of reality. I helped pull apart the dimensional fabric, and it stepped through. It tilted its head at me.


    "You wish to return to Earth, correct?"


    I nodded.


    "Aw man, more than anything."


    The Sentinel sliced through the veil, and I approached a tiny circle showing Earth. I gazed down at Mt. Verner before I gave the Sentinel a salute.


    "Till next time."


    Chapter Begin


    I jumped in, and Earth welcomed me. I breathed in an atmosphere sweet as honey. I gazed at the sun, its shine like a campfire''s glow. Even gravity''s pull embraced me in a gentle hug, the once harsh pull a gentle reminder to stay here. It was one I didn''t need but appreciated.


    I gazed down at Mt. Verner, my guild no worse for wear. Chrona''s void ice castle still gave the place an elegant air, and the growing industry exposed what the site was - a center of trade and prosperity. I flew down, passing several Eltari and Gialgathens, each playing and training in the sun. A few people tended to fields below, the ground rich with life.


    It was good to be back.


    As I soaked in the sights, I couldn''t have smiled harder even if I tried, and I zoomed past everyone while temporally compressing myself. Peering up from below, Chrona and Krog met my eye. I raised a hand to them, and they connected with me telepathically.


    Krog clapped his tail on the ground. "It is good to see you again."


    I laughed, not meaning to.


    "You too, you too. Man, you can''t know how good it is to be back."


    Krog tilted his head.


    "Torix mentioned you were away on some kind of lottery? Did you get lucky in it?"


    Chrona gawked at me, horror striking her face.


    "No. He wasn''t. What...What happened to you?"


    I raised a brow, and she shivered. Chrona said, "You''re accelerating time, but what are you doing to your mind?"


    I stopped speeding along.


    "Huh...Think of it as abandoning a set mental form."


    She grimaced.


    "To me, it seems to be torture...And how can you hold a coherent thought while doing that?"


    "I have most of my minds still shaped into a solid, cohesive form."


    Krog''s eyes glazed over.


    "Minds? Like multiple of them? What?"


    I moved my hands back and forth.


    "Well, I mean-"


    A shadow blotted beside me. From nothing, Shalahora arrived in all his glory. He tethered to the gialgathens and I, and Shalahora said,


    "These are your allies?"


    I gestured a hand to them, "Honestly, they''re kind of like family at this point."


    Krog peered away. "Ah, that''s a heavy-handed title for us, but Daniel has saved our species from extinction. He is more an ancestor to us."


    Chrona''s eyes widened, "That thing...Is level...65,000."


    Krog turned to her, then back to me. He bowed. "I, excuse me, great sir. Oh powerful, mighty-"


    Shalahora sent an acknowledgment, one spoken in the gialgathen''s native language. I could tell because it took a moment for the system to recognize it. At the same time, Shalahora took the form of a gialgathen and gave them a certain kind of growl. If I surprised them with my time magic, Shalahora utterly stunned them with his greeting.


    The gialgathens froze in place. Shalahora tilted his draconic head at them.


    "Do you no longer acknowledge a Rivarian greeting?"


    I leaned away from Shalahora, "What? How do you know about their old capital?"


    Shalahora changed his language to English fluidly as he said, "I inspected their surface-level memories. This is their fondest greeting, one they hold dear."


    I waved my hands at them, "Hey, I''ll explain everything later. We need everyone to meet up anyways. Chrona, it''ll be at your place if you don''t mind."


    She shook her head.


    "Of course. My home is always welcome to any from our guild."


    Krog stood up straight. "I-I shall send a message to all and have them rendezvous here immediately."


    I waved a hand.


    "No, I''d rather do it in person to introduce Shalahora."


    Krog furrowed his brow.


    "But...But that is far less efficient."


    Chrona popped his side with her tail.


    "Be quiet. As you wish, guildleader."


    I waved them goodbye before Shalahora and I left. I raised a hand.


    "Alright, damn, you learn fast."


    Shalahora spread his hands.


    "I attempted a friendly greeting. Why are they afraid of me?"


    "Your level, for one. Also, pro-tip, try to tone it down whenever you meet people. They''ve lost that capital to an invasion by their old, godlike ruler. It''s a painful memory now."


    Shalahora murmured, "This is why I tire of conversation with others."


    I shrugged.


    "I get it. I really do, but they''ll get used to you quickly. Come on."


    We passed groups of people.


    Shalahora said, "That is your species?"


    "Yeah. What do you think?"


    "You are so different from them...Like another entity altogether."


    "Well, different is a word for it. Also, how did you get here so fast?"


    "I told Schema to send me here."


    "And he did?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, that sounds smooth compared to my talk."


    "It was. Let''s find the others."


    I followed Shalahora, who weaved into the Mt. Verner compound using one of many entrances. He darted between shadows, no one aware of his presence. An assassin of his caliber could sneak in here without raising any alarm bells and kill everyone in Mt. Verner.


    This place needed an update, and oh man, I was going to give it one.


    First things first, I landed on the lower industrial floor of Mt. Verner. Machines whirled, and sparks flew. As always, I enjoyed the sight of industry, something I stopped as guildmates stared at me for a bit. I gave my thanks and let them know I appreciated their hard work.


    The shadowy Sovereign said, "They believe you are a god."


    I remembered the avatar destroying my mind.


    "There''s nothing that could be further from the truth."


    We passed machinery before arriving at the eldritch cages. Amara wrote notes in an obelisk, including recorded audio for later use. Beside her, Hod moved and talked with grand levels of animation, ruining Amara''s work.


    Hod said, "Hod think pretty woman being hard to get."


    Amara growled, "And Amara think Hod is an idiot who should waste his life elsewhere. How hard of hearing are you? I''m working."


    Hod spread his wings. "Hod actually have hearing like hawk. How Hod know? Hod explain."


    I peered at Shalahora.


    "Get ready."


    Shalahora tilted his head.


    "For what?"


    Hod turned a wing to Amara.


    "Hod heard that Hod have hearing like hawk. Hod asked what hawk was? Hod get no answers, so Hod find hawk. Hawk look like Hod. Hod know hawk have Hod hearing because hawk like Hod. So, Hod know hawk hearing Hod level. Therefore, hawk have Hod hearing like Hod have hawk hearing."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Ahhhh, good ole Hod."


    Hod pointed in a random direction. "Hod hear that. Hod hear everything."


    Shalahora and I stood nowhere near where he pointed. I facepalmed.


    Shalahora''s eyes widened.


    "Impressive."


    I raised my brow before several of Shalabora''s shades erupted from where Hod pointed his wing. I blinked before Shalahora materialized between the two. Amara fell backward before pushing herself away.


    She hissed, "What kind of corrupted, filthy aberration are you?"


    Shalahora peered through her.


    "I am Shalahora, the Sun Swallower."


    The guy could make an entrance, that''s for sure. Hod spread his wings, "Hey. Hod have shadows. Shadows Hod thing. Shady man take Hod thing. Shady man thief and scoundrel!"


    Shalahora molded into the shape of an Eltari and crossed his wings. He bowed, "We both live in shadow, and as one, we fly."


    Hod took a step back before mirroring the gesture. Hod said, "As one, we fly."


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    Hod jumped out of the pose, "Now shady man take Hod looks. Hod looks Hod thing."


    I stared at them both, stunned again by how well Shalahora fit in. The shadowy Sovereign put a hand on Hod''s shoulder.


    "I shall teach you how to wield the absence of light. Even you who skulks beneath the surface, blighted one."


    Hod tilted his head in confusion, but Other Hod understood. Shalahora turned, flash-stepping to me with a quick dispersal and rematerialization. Shalahora pointed down, "There are still others to meet."


    I nodded.


    "Hey guys, we''ll be having a meeting later. Be ready."


    Hod stuck out a wing.


    "Hod always ready."


    Amara stood from the ground and brushed off her dirty clothes. She nodded. I turned to Shalahora.


    "Alright. Let''s go."


    I had to keep up with Shalahora as he dove through the insides of Mt. Verner. It was as if he had lived here his whole life, and we reached the side passage where Plazia-Ruhl set up shop at the lowest levels. Once there, we stepped into his de-systemized territory. The ancient Ruhl carved cipheric runes into the side of a wall, having erected many tablets of the archaic symbols.


    As we walked in, Plazia''s voice oozed from the walls, many faces crawling out of stone.


    "I see you have brought another from your journey. Their mind is dark like the depths of an ocean, and they walk without weight in their steps."


    The azure, corrupted Sentinel turned to Shalahora. Insects skittered underneath the armor, and Plazia-Ruhl cackled.


    "A celestial? I know of you and your kind. You are like dead stars."


    I furrowed my brow while Shalahora materialized beside Plazia. The Sovereign reformed into many insects.


    "It is good to meet you Plazia-Ruhl. Your fractured memories are palatial."


    Plazia finished his runes.


    "They are? Hm. Since you are perusing my memories, do you believe they are real or perhaps implanted to manipulate me? I often consider that plight."


    "They show no signs of tampering, but I would need to pry far deeper to verify. Whether I do so is decided upon by you."


    Plazia let out a sharp laugh.


    "I decide no."


    Plazia and the faces on the walls turned towards me.


    "And you. You''ve changed much, like a maggot''s metamorphosis into a fly."


    I''m sure Plazia meant that as a compliment.


    I said, "It was over 6 months there. It wasn''t easy."


    Plazia lowered his hands.


    "I ascertained...You walked away with another commitment upon your shoulders to this one. Will the weight of your promises break you?"


    I cracked my neck.


    "Eh, I''ll be fine."


    Plazia lifted a hand, centipedes crawling out from the cracks in his old Sentinel armor.


    "Don''t forget my agreement in the amalgamation of promises you carry."


    I turned and stepped outside of his de-systemized domain. I spawned primordial mana, droplets falling from me like goop from a lava lamp. Time compressed over me, splintering my mind, and I gave Plazia a thumbs up.


    "Oh, trust me, I haven''t."


    Plazia cackled.


    "Then my knowledge remains yours...Harbinger."


    I left the hivemind, and Shalahora stepped from Plazia to me.


    Halfway down the hall, Shalahora murmured, "That is a dark force you ally with."


    I gave Shalahora a nudge.


    "Shal, you''re a literal shadow."


    Shalahora actually laughed, and it sounded like fire and darkness expressing joy. The shadow pointed an incorporeal limb at Plazia.


    "Do you wish for him to attend the meeting?"


    "He''ll hear everything. After all-"


    I pointed around us.


    "The walls have eyes. Don''t they?"


    Plazia''s laugh echoed in from all angles.


    We flew out of the recesses of Mt. Verner, heading toward the upper floors. We passed by many guildsmen, each giving me salutes. I returned the gestures before we passed one collection of stores in the residential district. In the middle of everything, Florence bought meals for a large group of people, having a feast in the middle of the mall square.


    Florence laughed with soldiers, civilians, and ladies alike. As we neared him, the albony stood. He raised a hand to those present.


    "Ah, the guildleader is back. Everyone-"


    They all stood and saluted me. I raised a palm, "At ease."


    Florence smiled, his teeth sharp.


    "Ah. Don''t worry about them. It''s hard taking it easy when the boss himself is back, am I right?"


    Before I could answer, Florence walked up and gave me a hug, squeezing hard.


    He said, "It''s so good to see you walking around again. You were missed. Deeply."


    I patted his shoulder, surprised by the sincerity of the gesture. It had only been five days for him, after all. Florence let go before turning to Shalahora. Florence reached out a hand.


    "Ah, a world-destroying monster. Just the kind of friend I expected Daniel to bring back with him."


    Everyone laughed before Florence gave Shalahora a wide grin.


    "I''m Florence. What do you go by?"


    "Shalahora."


    They shook hands before Florence turned a palm to everyone here.


    "My general rule is that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Let''s introduce ourselves."


    Shalahora and everyone stared at each other, the tension thick like mud.


    Florence said, "If you''d like, I can help you learn the process if that would make you more comfortable."


    Shalahora stammered, "I-I know them all."


    Florence put an arm around Shalahora''s shoulder, shaking his head.


    "Come now. No one knows someone unless they''ve both met. Here-"


    Florence grabbed a lady''s hand and gently pulled her to Shalahora. Florence smiled at the woman.


    "Hey, he won''t bite."


    The woman gulped before Florence spread his hands.


    "Remember who brought this world eater here." Florence pointed at me. "That''s someone I think we can all trust."


    The lady looked at me before reaching out a hand to Shalahora.


    She mumbled, "Hello. I''m Margret."


    Shalahora grabbed her hand.


    "I am Shalahora, the Sun Swallower. Your eyes are beautiful."


    Margret blushed.


    We took several minutes to handle introductions, and Florence smoothed the process. As we walked off, he waved them goodbye.


    "Everyone, don''t mind paying. It''s my treat."


    I gawked at the albony.


    "Man, it''s good to see you again. Also, why are you already here? Weren''t you in the lottery?"


    Florence''s left eye twitched. He raised a quavering hand.


    "No. I joined your guild the day before the galactic council, where the lottery was announced. Ahem...I have a question for you."


    His voice broke.


    "Daniel...Were any albony with you in the lottery? Do you know what happened to them?"


    My eyes widened. Of course. Florence was close to the Emperor, and he was missing. Not wanting him to stress anymore, I pulled out Valgus''s shackles from my pocket dimension.


    "Obolis is in here. We got him out, chief."


    Florence''s head tilted back.


    "By Baldowah, thank you...Thank you."


    He gave my forearm a squeeze before resting his head against my arm. I leaned down.


    "Woah, are you alright?"


    Florence lifted his head, and his face wore a smile.


    "Of course, of course. I''m sure you wish to meet everyone, so we''ll discuss what happened afterward."


    I spread my hands.


    "I don''t mind calling the meeting right now."


    Florence shook his hand.


    "I won''t ruin your return just because I''m a little worried."


    With a bit of apprehension, I let it go. Knowing Florence, he''d let me know when to discuss what happened. We went up several stairways before Shalahora touched Florence''s shoulder.


    The shadow murmured, "I am sorry for your loss."


    Florence raised a hand.


    "It''s nothing. Let''s continue."


    Florence''s voice held a heavy hurt. I was affected as we reached the third floor, searching for other guildmates. I couldn''t find anyone, but something stalked me. I peered around, surrounded by bookshelves. An entity resided within my dimensional wake, tapping upon senses I wasn''t aware of.


    Shalahora tilted his head at me.


    "What bothers you?"


    Alarm bells rang in my head.


    "That''s just it. I don''t know."


    Something spawned behind me, erupting from the ether of the void. I liquified, letting the entity pass through me. I solidified while grasping my hand around its thin neck. Althea turned to me, a grin on her face.


    "Wow. You have a strong grip."


    I released my grasp and lunged to a knee, holding her in a gentle gravity well.


    "Oh my god, I''m so sorry. Are you ok?"


    Althea tapped her chest, "Ahem, yeah. I''m cool. How about you?"


    I wrapped my arms around her, my lunging form far more prominent than hers. I held her in my arms for a moment. I soaked in who she was and that she was here, and man, she smelled so good, and wow, she looked amazing, and she must have done something with her hair because-


    She gave me a kiss, and my thoughts muted. I was home.


    We held each other for a while. She whispered, "Hey."


    I smiled until my cheeks hurt. Again.


    "Hey."


    We let go for a second, and I stood up, towering over everyone. Althea put her hands on her hips.


    "You look so huge now. Like, wow, big. Too big, heh."


    "Huh. You''re right. Let me fix this."


    I pulled myself down using Mass Manipulation. I shrank some but still dwarfed everyone. I shrugged.


    "Eh, that''s all I got."


    Althea jumped up, landing on my shoulder with ease.


    "It''s plenty if you ask me."


    Shalahora condensed into the form I was most used to, and the shadow gave her a bow. He said, "You are a walker of other planes with a mind of steel. Your will is admirable, echoed one."


    Althea scratched her cheek.


    "Heh. Thanks. What''s your name?"


    "I am Shalahora, the Sun Swallower."


    She hopped off my shoulder, and Althea landed as if she were the master of gravity and not me. She waved a hand with a smile.


    "Hey. I''m Althea Tolstoy."


    Shalahora froze in place, his form no longer rippling. He turned to me.


    "Harbinger...You are fortunate in this life."


    I gave him a thumbs up.


    "You know it."


    Althea kicked me.


    "Hey, don''t talk like I''m not here."


    I raised my hands.


    "What? Me? Never."


    She jumped at me, and I darted sideways. Two leaps later, she cornered me between bookshelves. She bolted at me, but I caught her in a gravity well before she could grab me. She windmilled her arms.


    "Hey, no fair."


    "All''s fair in love and war. This happens to be both."


    I pulled her to me, and she flipped in midair, landing on my shoulder.


    I said, "Come on, let''s find Torix."


    Althea put one finger on her chin, "Hm. He''s having a meeting upstairs. He mentioned that no one interrupted him. Speaking of which-"


    Althea peered at Florence.


    "Is everything alright? You usually have a lot more to say."


    Florence peered at her, pain across him. Althea raised her hands.


    "Not that your talking is bad or anything. Like, I personally like it. You know, you''re just always making sure everyone''s feeling cozy and-"


    I put my hand on her shoulder.


    "It''s not you. It''s something else."


    Althea peered between the both of us before she jumped down. She gave Florence a hug. The albony gave her a nod.


    "Thank you."


    Seeing Florence''s duress, I sent messages to everyone to meet in Chrona''s home. I could have my happy meetups later. Althea let go of Florence and leaped back onto my shoulder. I turned to everyone.


    "We''ll discuss what happened during the meeting, which we need to have now. I''ve been gone a long time, and a lot has changed."


    Althea leaned on my head, my armor''s spikes softening for her without me thinking. She said, "Torix will ignore your messages, probably. We''ll have to grab him from the logistics floor."


    I said, "If it''s so secret, why do you know where he''s talking?"


    "Because no one else was allowed on the floor today."


    Brimming with unanswered questions, we headed to the central elevator. Once at the logistical floor of Mt. Verner, I frowned. My dimensional wake passed over some kind of secrecy magic. Quite a few layers of it, actually. Shalahora''s shadows bristled.


    "There is someone here who does not belong."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "Let''s go."


    We passed through the elevator doors, and no one was present. I leaned through several doorways, each building designed with me in mind but no longer comfortable. After passing several openings, I found the source of the isolation magic. From behind a doorway, Torix stood, his eyes flaring red, and he interlocked his arms behind himself.


    The lich sighed.


    "It would seem we have company despite my warnings against any interruptions. Who-"


    Torix laid his eyes on me. He took a step back.


    "Daniel, ah, it would seem you''ve arrived from the lottery."


    I peered around.


    "Why are you so nervous?"


    I entered the room, finding a remnant in diplomat''s clothing. They spread their hands to me.


    "Ah, the Harbinger of Cataclysm. I wanted to apologize for whichever agent acted against you in the lottery. We had no clue-"


    I reached out a hand, holding the remnant in a gravity well. I pulled his frail body off the ground and glared, my face like cold stone.


    I growled, "Who let him in?"


    The air grew heavy. Torix''s eyes dimmed to a deep blue. He raised his hands.


    "Please. Calm yourself. I can explain."


    I squeezed the diplomat until they curled into a ball. One of their shoulders dislocated, and they grunted in agony. I stepped up to the remnant.


    "Why shouldn''t I kill you here and now?"


    The diplomat tried smiling but grimaced instead, "It...It seems like whoever broke the treaty truly gave much of the goodwill between us away."


    Disgust spread over my face.


    "Goodwill? Between us?"


    The remnant coughed.


    "Ahem. I would hope so, yes."


    I pulled out Valgus''s shackles. I wrapped a chain around the remnant and gave it some mana, enough to psionically isolate. The diplomat screamed before I put my hand over his mouth.


    Torix''s fiery eyes flared white.


    "What madness has overcome you? They are only a messenger."


    My armor leaked ascendant mana, and Event Horizon crawled toward the remnant.


    I seethed,


    "Why is Elysium here?"

 372 A Broken Trust

    The remnant coughed.


    "Ahem. I would hope so, yes."


    I pulled out Valgus''s shackles. I wrapped a chain around the remnant and gave it some mana, enough to psionically isolate. The diplomat screamed before I put my hand over his mouth.


    Torix''s fiery eyes flared white.


    "What madness has overcome you? They are only a messenger."


    My armor leaked ascendant mana, and Event Horizon crawled toward the remnant.


    I seethed,


    "Why is Elysium here?"


    Chapter Begin


    Torix''s eyes locked in on me.


    "They landed on Earth quite a while ago. They don''t know where this base is."


    I pulled my armor back with difficulty.


    "You have no idea what they''re capable of."


    Torix took a moment, looking me over. Torix turned to the Elysium diplomat, his eyes flaring red.


    "You. What have you done to my disciple?"


    Torix stepped over before raising a hand, and his magic fizzled into nothing. Torix tilted his head.


    "What manner of madness is this? Am I losing my mind?"


    Torix''s anger undid my own. I took a breath.


    "The chains. They''re from someone called Valgus Uuriyah. They stop magic. Completely."


    Torix gave the diplomat a slow nod.


    "Ah...Fascinating. I, hm, how to say this. Would you mind giving me a moment to explain? I can guarantee I wasn''t colluding with Elysium."


    I frowned.


    "I never thought you were, but talking with them like this?"


    My armor grinned at the Elysium diplomat, and ascendant mana leaked from between my armor''s jagged teeth. I pulled my head close.


    "We aren''t talking to Elysium anymore. If they come here, they die. You can tell them that much, can''t you?"


    The agent nodded with his eyes. Torix leaned back.


    "You''re certain you wish to eliminate contact?"


    I turned to Torix.


    "Yes. I am. They are poison."


    Torix nodded before walking over to the diplomat. Torix turned a palm to the chains.


    "Would remove them?"


    I unwrapped the chains, the effects coursing from the diplomat to me. I numbed as Torix placed a hand over the diplomat''s head. They fell unconscious before Torix sighed.


    "I certainly have a bit to discuss with you all, don''t I?"


    I put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Before anything else, it''s good to see you again."


    Torix spread his arms.


    "Come now. We''re not above a physical gesture, are we?"


    We had a light hug before Torix stepped back and looked me over.


    "You know, I''ve long grown exhausted with expressing my surprise at your growth, yet somehow you seem to surprise me each and every time I see you. It''s a master''s greatest pleasure, I assure you."


    Torix reached up a hand, trying to grasp the air.


    "And this...It is as if you are omnipresent in this space. How that is done, my mind can only wonder. Fascinating."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened.


    "You can sense his psyches?"


    Torix stammered, "Ah, I-I merely have touched upon them with the most minute of senses. It''s nothing worthy of mention."


    Shalahora stepped up to the lich. The shadow raised a hand.


    "It is worthy. I cannot feel them. Are you the Torix I''ve heard spoken of?"


    Torix coughed into a hand.


    "Ah, you''ve heard of me. From whom, might I ask?"


    "Your disciple."


    Torix stood tall.


    "But of course. That is only to be expected, after all."


    At moments like this, Torix reminded me of Hod.


    Shalahora said, "His words are of high praise to your strategic thinking and methodical mind. He has learned much from you."


    Torix stood taller.


    "That was from his own observations. He''s been a difficult student to guide over the years, but he has found his way and blossomed all his own. My results are derived primarily from his talent, and there can be no doubt about that."


    If Torix had lips, he''d be smirking. Torix peered at his status.


    "Before anything else, might I ask what your name is?"


    "Shalahora."


    "Ah, I''m Torix Worm, of Darkhill. Now-"


    Torix pointed upward.


    "The meetings at Chrona''s lair, correct?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I nodded. Torix clapped his hands.


    "Shall we?"


    A portal opened, and we stepped through it. The conditioned air inside gave way to the clear air outside. I stepped onto the only solid surface here, the void ice, before I waited for the others to group up. After fifteen minutes, everyone gathered here except Helios and Kessiah.


    Torix stood beside me while Althea sat in a two-dimensional gravity well. Chrona and Krog rested farther down the corridor. Florence paced back and forth, nervous energy oozing from him. A cluster of flies congregated over the ice, an unnatural sight foreboding Plazia. Amara stood as far away from Plazia and Shalahora as possible, and Hod stuck to her like glue. Finally, Shalahora hovered off by himself, being as awkward as a shadow could be.


    They were my guild''s major players, colorful as a rainbow personality-wise. I stood up.


    "Hey, where''s Kessiah and Mr. Cold?"


    Torix opened his status.


    "Kessiah is on Blegara working at their capitol. She''s been healing soldiers from different empires for extra income. As for Helios, he disappeared at the exact moment you did."


    I bit my tongue.


    "Hm. Helios was in another lottery. Kessiah was in a protected zone, right?"


    "Indeed."


    I let out a sigh of relief.


    "Good. She got my message, and so did he. They''ll come when they can, but record this. I don''t want to repeat it."


    Torix nodded. I spread my hands.


    "Everyone, I need your attention."


    They zoned in. I turned a palm to Shalahora.


    "Most of you have met, but in case I forgot, this is Shalahora. He is a powerful Sovereign I met in the lottery. He''s helped me immensely during the lottery and has the strongest psionic abilities I''ve ever seen. He''ll be able to help us moving forward."


    Everyone clapped for a few moments, and the gialgathens growled.


    I glanced at Shalahora and said, "I need you to share the memory of Obolis''s magic signature with everyone here. We need to get Obolis out of there so he can hear us. The Empire is probably going crazy right now looking for the guy too. I know Florence is."


    Florence stopped his pacing, interlocking his hands behind himself.


    "It''s nothing. It''s nothing."


    At this point, Florence couldn''t convince me otherwise. Shalahora placed an intangible hand on his own forehead before pulling out a memory. A psionic web dispersed over us, and the memory flashed over our eyes. Torix gawked at the sight.


    "This is incredible. Simply a stunning display of mind magic."


    Scenes of carnage erupted around us while I crossed my arms. Reliving the battle made me sick to my stomach. I again watched Targask, Alctua, Teraz, Drelex, and Entilla die. My left eye twitched before I covered my face with my helmet.


    As the sight faded, Obolis made his announcement once more.


    "We''ve uncovered a pocket dimension within these gauntlets."


    Obolis cast the spell.


    "I''m passing on the sensation of the magical signature used to open and close this. Use it to let us out after you''ve made the city safe again."


    Still befuddled, I shrugged.


    "I can''t cast it off just that. Trust me, I tried."


    Torix''s eyes flared green.


    "I...That was simply an absurdly strange mana type. I''ve never seen anything quite like it. I would need several weeks or months to dissect it for replication. However, it is doable."


    I peered at everybody else. Hod jumped forward, wiggling his wings.


    "Hod use...HOD BLAST."


    Nothing happened. Hod wiped his brow.


    "Hod do what Hod can. It up to Hod friends now. Even dry man."


    Torix glared while Althea burst into laughter. I held mine in with difficulty, but after a second, I turned to the side, letting out a few chuckles. I brushed myself off.


    "Anyone else?"


    No one answered, so I shrugged.


    "I''ll hire a mana specialist-"


    Plazia''s voice echoed, "I may be able to assist you, Harbinger."


    The group peered around. Amara''s hair bristled as she leaned over. Hod shivered, and Shalahora locked in on the flies.


    Krog murmured, "It is present but not psionically. How is that possible?"


    I raised my hand, "It''s another friend. His name is Plazia, and he''s an expert in this. I''m, uh, I''m learning that about him with you all."


    I pulled out Valgus''s artifact and offered it to the bugs above.


    Plazia hissed, "No. You will construct the mana and gain ownership of this thing."


    He calmed.


    "The Old Ones will corrupt me, but you are incorrigible in your being. This burden will be yours alone."


    Hearing Plazia''s distaste, I wondered if Shalahora didn''t know how to make the mana signature. I turned to the shadow, and our eyes met. He gazed away, unable to tolerate my stare. That told me all I needed to know.


    I grabbed the gauntlets.


    "Alright. I''ll take them."


    A few minutes passed, and Plazia pulsed the mana signature at me. After getting a feel for it, I mirrored the exotic, esoteric thought pattern. It created the mana, and that soaked into the gauntlets. They tethered to me, and I shivered. Something invaded the space around me, so I condensed my wake.


    From beyond, some entity put its eyes on me. Peering up, I gazed at nothing, yet I stared at something infinite.


    Plazia murmured, "You sense something?"


    I put myself back in the moment.


    "Nothing. Give me a sec."


    Taking the next while, I pried into the gauntlets'' secrets. I found the pocket dimension instantly, the space feeling like a watered-down, generic brand of my own. I couldn''t manipulate anything within, only shifting things around at best. Magic couldn''t enter it, and the esoteric magic signature was required to open, close, or move anything.


    Having saved all the rulers, it still had its uses regardless of my criticisms. I pried around for a bit, identifying some strange gear and a few rulers I remembered. Most of them were ones I sent into the tunnels to escape Valgus. Obolis intermingled in the group, so I pulled him out. A violet portal appeared, and Obolis floated out of the stasis like a man in a coffin.


    I caught him in a gravity well as he fell, and his eyes popped open. He gasped for air, gazing around. As he saw us, Obolis calmed down. The Emperor deflated like a balloon as he murmured,


    "I-I''m alive."


    Plazia oozed out his words.


    "Uncovering that signature within the heat of battle...I''m impressed. You must have experience with ancient artifacts. Should you offer its visage, I''d love to peruse your collection."


    Obolis took several breaths. After closing his eyes, he pulled himself upright and stood. Peering around, he found Florence. They met and embraced before Obolis grabbed Florence''s shoulders. The Emperor mouthed.


    "How many?"


    His voice silenced everyone. Florence trembled.


    "All of them."


    Obolis fell onto his knees. He shook his head.


    "No. No, no, no."


    Florence peered away, trying to keep it together. He tried to speak, but his voice broke. The Emperor gawked at nothing, looking lost. He moved his hands before Florence grabbed him. Tears brimmed in Obolis''s eyes before pouring down his face. Obolis whispered, "My family...All of them."


    Florence broke down, and he held Obolis. Obolis gazed forward, his jaw slack. Florence let out small cries at first, but within seconds, he wailed. He rasped. He squeezed Obolis, who stared at nothing. Florence wept until his voice grew ragged. As if realizing where he was, Obolis peered down at Florence.


    He moved his arms around him, and they grieved.


    I turned away, struggling to keep my eyes on those two. For some reason, I felt like I failed them. I don''t know why it was there, but that feeling crushed me. Althea wept beside me, so I held her close. I didn''t know if I could cry, but it still hurt.


    Shalahora stepped up to Obolis, and the shadow bent over. He said,


    "Let me show them."


    Obolis kept Florence close. Shalahora placed a fingertip against Obolis''s forehead, and he pulled out a thread. It spread over us, casting a web of memories. Images of open fields popped up, albony children playing on all fours. They wrestled in clusters of white kittens, pouncing at each other while one wasn''t looking.


    All of them were Obolis''s children. All of them were dead.


    The children fought over who would be hunted in their game. Another memory flashed, showing albony children excited to wear their first facemasks at a store selling them. Another memory showed Obolis smiling at children while they ate different meats at a festival. The last memory showed Obolis holding his grandchildren in his arms and watching a wedding.


    My throat burned, but I kept it together. Althea sobbed beside me while several others broke down. On my shoulder, a group of flies landed. Plazia whispered through them.


    "Remember their pain, for it may become your own."


    Even if he was rough as sandpaper, Plazia was right. I collected my thoughts over the next few minutes, waiting until Florence and Obolis could converse. Ten minutes passed before they wiped their tears and dried their eyes. They joined the others, watching me.


    I faced everyone.


    "You all have questions, and I will give you answers."


    I scowled.


    "That starts with the lottery."

 373 An Empires Fall and Rise

    My throat burned, but I kept it together. Althea sobbed beside me while several others broke down. On my shoulder, a group of flies landed. Plazia whispered through them.


    "Remember their pain, for it may become your own."


    Even if he was rough as sandpaper, Plazia was right. I collected my thoughts over the next few minutes, waiting until Florence and Obolis could converse. Ten minutes passed before they wiped their tears and dried their eyes. They joined the others, watching me.


    I faced everyone.


    "You all have questions, and I will give you answers."


    I scowled.


    "That starts with the lottery."


    Chapter Begin


    I explained the setup to everyone while including the messages from Schema verbatim. I broke down the number of rulers, how our time there played out, and what happened at the end. After describing Valgus''s death and how I spent the last few weeks there, I finished with Schema''s conversation. I kept details of the psionic poison out of my story.


    I sighed.


    "Yeah, so I arrived here."


    I let the information soak in before putting my hands on my hips.


    "I''ll break down my thoughts for you guys since I''ve had more time to think about it. After that, we''ll flesh out that shared understanding with your perspectives. Sound good?"


    I got nods, so I raised a hand, showing three different mana types: primordial, ascendant, and quintessent. I saturated the spells with mana before holding them up as visual aids. I pointed at the blue sphere.


    "Schema''s the first topic for my thoughts."


    Plazia oozed from the ground.


    "He has taken his most loyal lambs and sent them to slaughter. Poetry is written in the red that slaughter left behind, and it''s obvious to anyone who reads it - Schema is losing this war with Elysium, one failed plot at a time."


    I nodded.


    "He''s definitely taking some losses. I think Schema''s equipped to handle low-level individuals in his system, but higher up, his enforcement falls to pieces."


    Torix tilted his head.


    "To counteract that, Schema''s developing higher leveled, more autonomous security personnel...Ah, is that perhaps why he sided with you during your conversation?"


    Plazia scoffed.


    "It is a calculation. All is with that machine."


    I frowned.


    "He weighed the risk of me becoming an avatar versus helping pull him out of this situation. He finally decided to help me out, and I intend to use that to its fullest extent."


    Plazia hissed, "What allows you to put faith in that menace?"


    I raised a brow.


    "What are the alternatives?"


    Birds chirped outside, several darting between clouds.


    I said, "That''s my point. I''m not siding with the Old Ones or Elysium, and the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Really, it''s that simple."


    I shoved the primordial ball to the group.


    "Either way, the lottery shows how different forces can target higher-level classers. Each of you will join that group soon, so we''ll review rigorous training programs after this meeting. After all, we''re surviving this ordeal. For that to happen, we''ll need to become bulletproof."


    I pulled the primordial orb back, squashing it. I shifted the ascendant ball back over. The red glow loomed over everyone.


    "Think of this as Elysium. I have a lot to say about them."


    Obolis stepped up.


    "May I speak first?"


    I sat down in a gravity well. Obolis spread his hands.


    "I was informed of the lottery several months beforehand, giving me time to prepare. Many lotteries were held on nearby star systems to Giess, my Empire included. Many of my...My kin were considered rulers, so they were pulled into these lotteries."


    Obolis pulled his arms back.


    "Elysium also knew of these lotteries, and they planned out assassinations while we were isolated in them. If I assume correctly, my Empire wasn''t the only targeted enemy. I believe they planned on killing Daniel long before this lottery occurred."


    Torix put a hand against his temple.


    "If their plan should fail, they planned on trying to lie to us to prevent all-out war between our factions. That is why Elysium''s agent arrived here even before Daniel. They intended to trick us for additional time. It''s good I isolated all magic when meeting him, but still-"


    Torix threw his hand to the side.


    "They are absolutely shameless."


    I leaned in.


    "No. Malevolent."


    The ascendant orb sparked with violence. I raised a fist.


    "They wanted to wear me as a puppet and then pretend they weren''t trying to take my mind apart. It was a long-term, insidious plan to destroy my free will and my guild. We''re eliminating their care package and the resources they gave us in our treaty. Any piece of them remaining on Earth will be purged."


    Althea coughed into a hand.


    "Uh, what about the people already connected to the Hybrids? Are we going to, er, kill them?"


    I shook my head.


    "I can use Valgus''s shackles to eliminate the psionic connection between them and the Hybrids. After that, we''ll surgically remove the augments or whatever they''ve implanted beyond the basics. We''ll clean them up without killing everyone."


    Althea sighed.


    "Ok, that''s good. I was worried."


    I pointed at the ascendant orb, and it rippled.


    "Yeah, we''ll get that handled. We''ll also establish absolute security of Earth so that neither Lehesion nor a Spatial Fortress can harm us. This will be an absolute safe haven for all of us. Blegara is next. After that-"


    I squeezed a hand, and the ascendant mana disintegrated in a shockwave.


    "We''re going for Elysium''s throat. Any questions?"


    Krog showed his teeth.


    "No one here would love to tear into Elysium''s neck more than I, but how do we intend to eliminate the avatars they ally with?"


    Torix stepped up.


    "Actually, I''ve got a few thoughts on the matter. If I may?"


    I smiled.


    "Always."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Torix swished a hand, moving the quintessent orb over where the ascendant mana once was.


    "The Old Ones are a contentious force, but they have weaknesses. Their chaotic natures, lack of unity, and outright arrogance are the most evident. We may embody their opposite by exposing those shortcomings with our diligence and vision."


    I raised a hand.


    "We already have a few secret weapons on our side."


    Torix pressed his hands together with excitement.


    "By all means, do elaborate."


    I grabbed Valgus''s shackles, and I siphoned mana into them.


    "These give physical and psionic immunity."


    My feet crushed the glass beneath me, and the glass over Chrona''s home cracked all. The void ice held, but stones across the top of the mountain crunched while adjusting to the new load on them.


    I waved a hand.


    "Ignore that. Everyone, attack my mind."


    A silent war was waged, one without a battle fought, but many attempted. Torix leaned towards the chains.


    "What in Baldowah''s name are these?"


    I lifted one of the goldish pieces of metal.


    "Some kind of artifact made outside of Baldowah''s name. Some other Old One constructed them."


    Hod spread his wings.


    "Harbinger invincible."


    I shook my head.


    "On the contrary, this is a weak, easily handled set of powers. This eliminates my ability to use magic, and simply running is an easy answer for these shackles and chains. However-"


    I pointed at Althea.


    "Let me have it."


    She peered back and forth.


    "Uh, me?"


    I grinned.


    "Yeah. You."


    She took a breath and brushed herself off. She formed a spear of bone before raising it overhead.


    "Sorry, honey."


    She threw the spear, and I reached out a hand. Instead of deflecting it, I let the bone sink into my palm. It pierced without struggle, getting stuck in my dimensional fabric halfway through. Now, I could''ve stopped it a dozen ways, but that wasn''t the point.


    I tilted my hand, the spear on both sides of it.


    "We have an absolute destroyer, everybody."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened.


    "She ignores the Old One''s law construction? Where? How?"


    Althea shrugged.


    "Er, I don''t know."


    I swung a fist.


    "And it doesn''t matter. We have it right here. We''ll give Althea everything possible to make her the destroyer we need." I raised a hand and shouted. "That includes you, Schema, and don''t pretend you can''t hear this. I know good and damn well you''re listening. Well, listen close."


    A notification popped up in my status, but I''d square all of that away after the talk. I turned a hand to everyone.


    "Everybody. We''re a much more able and powerful group than most people give us credit for. We have abilities that large forces dream of having. We''ll be exploring those powers and possibilities soon to take us to the next level, and we''ll dismantle the threats that be. To make that happen, I''ll be helping you, and you all will help me."


    I washed the Rise of Eden over everyone.


    "We''ll rise above whatever anyone throws at us. We have the tools. We just need to use them."


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "How will we protect Earth from a Spatial Fortress?"


    I pulled hundreds of blue cores from my inventory. I smiled.


    "I''ll make every part of this planet a well-oiled machine. It''ll be like swallowing a steel urchin."


    Chrona stood tall.


    "What shall we do against the spies and subterfuge of Elysium?"


    I pointed at Shalahora.


    "Show them what you can do."


    Shalahora connected to everyone on a psionic level. His rigid, absolute control struck fear in me for a moment, but I kept Valgus''s shackles close. The Sovereign released us. Plazia seethed.


    "What of Schema''s meddling?"


    I turned a palm to Amara.


    Our eldritch Maker said, "I will put restraints on his powers should he get in our way."


    I cracked my knuckles, the fluid popping like TnT underwater.


    "Plazia, you need to work with Torix to fully utilize the Omega Strains we found on Blegara."


    Torix bowed.


    "Of course."


    Plazia laughed.


    "With glee."


    I pointed at Hod and Althea.


    "You two will be taught by Shalahora how to fully utilize your powers. He is a great resource, so take full advantage of his talents and experience."


    Hod flapped his wings.


    "Shady man teach Hod, or Hod teach shady man?"


    Shalahora flashed over to him.


    "We will teach one another."


    Hod pointed his wings.


    "But Hod teach shady man little more."


    Althea phased off this plane before appearing beside them. Shalahora tilted his head.


    "You are one who is full of surprises."


    She grinned, her smile like a sun. I pointed at Shalahora.


    "Hey, as long as you remember who she''s dating."


    Shalahora''s form destabilized, becoming a shadow.


    "I, uhm, I didn''t mean-"


    I waved a hand while smiling.


    "I know, I''m just joking. Anyways-"


    I turned a hand to Torix.


    "Whenever we return to Leviathan-7, you''ll be there with me."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Me? I doubt I can assist with facing those, hm, primevals you mentioned. Do you need help with logistics?"


    I shook my head.


    "No. You''ll use your necromancy to make us an army of powerful eldritch. I even have a few primevals in my pocket dimension that you can use for experimentation and that everyone can train with."


    I turned to everyone.


    "Off of Earth, that is. We can''t train with the primevals on this planet. They will destroy entire regions."


    Chills ran down everyone''s spine. Torix''s eyes flared white.


    "Hm, that...That could work in theory. However, how could we possibly overcome their minds?"


    I gave him a knowing look.


    "I have an answer, but that''s a closely guarded secret. You''ll know when the time comes."


    Amara curled her fingers.


    "You enjoy being mysterious now?"


    I raised my brow.


    "Eh, I wanted to join the club."


    Krog tilted his tail towards Mt. Verner.


    "What of the Elysium captives?"


    I clapped my hands.


    "We''re going to interrogate them. Any volunteers?"


    Obolis grimaced.


    "I can."


    Torix grabbed his chin.


    "I could as well."


    Plazia cackled.


    "Or I may dabble in that darkness if you''d like."


    Torix tilted a hand to the disembodied voice.


    "He does sound the evilest by far."


    Hod swished his arms.


    "Hod hit them with wing attack." He poked his beak out a few times. "Hod use peck next." Hod jumped and poked his feet out. "Hod use furious swiping last. Furious swiping always work."


    I pointed at the flies.


    "It''s up to you then, Plazia."


    Chrona and Krog stepped forward. Chrona''s tail slithered behind her.


    "What of us?"


    I pointed at Chrona.


    "You will teach time magic to anyone with the aptitude for it. We''ll also need someone to learn to warp since...Since Helios might not be here."


    Florence spoke with a hoarse voice.


    "Might? What makes you think that''s a maybe?"


    I raised a brow.


    "You thought Obolis was dead, right?"


    Florence peered off.


    "Yes, but he was within a dimensional stasis. That isn''t the case with Helios. His life force has been snuffed out entirely."


    I shrugged.


    "That guy doesn''t die easy."


    Florence winced.


    "I pray you''re right."


    I pulled my consciousness out of my body, and the metal lug collapsed. Everyone gasped before I rematerialized from nothing. I pointed at my corpse.


    "I mean, you never know, right? Death isn''t as absolute as people think."


    Shocked out of his melancholic stupor, Florence blinked.


    "Hah...Maybe for you."


    I picked up my body, holding it close.


    "You''re cheering up. That''s good because I have a job for you. I have about thirty rulers in these two pocket dimensions. I will need you to find their home empires and establish a relationship with them."


    Florence squeezed a hand.


    "I...I would be more than happy to, but the Empire-"


    Obolis put a hand on his nephew''s shoulder.


    "The Empire is mine, and I shall clean up the mess I''ve made. Besides-"


    Obolis smiled at me.


    "I can lease a few of Daniel''s golems to handle the aftermath of this event. I''ve seen them in action, and they are more than enough. In the meantime, he''ll need capital for all his future ventures. The Empire would happily assist with whatever he needs - including any required artifacts in his fight against Elysium."


    I gave him a knowing look.


    "I''m expecting fair prices this time."


    Obolis''s words boiled.


    "You may have my fortune, my treasures, and my planets. I only require payment in Elysium''s blood. Give me that, and you can have my soul."


    Plazia laughed.


    "Don''t tempt him, child."


    I cracked my neck, and the echo sounded like steel cables tearing in the ocean.


    "Eh, I''ll take good care of you guys either way."


    Amara pointed her hands at me.


    "What of you then?"


    I squeezed my hands.


    "I''ve got a status to attend to."


    I opened it.


    "Now, everyone, let''s get down to business."

 374 What is to Come

    Plazia laughed.


    "Don''t tempt him, child."


    I cracked my neck, and the echo sounded like steel cables tearing in the ocean.


    "Eh, I''ll take good care of him either way."


    Amara pointed at me.


    "What of you then?"


    I squeezed my hands.


    "I''ve got a status to attend to."


    I opened it.


    "Now, everyone, let''s get down to business."


    Chapter Begin


    I stared at many, many notifications before scrolling down. I took a moment, filing them into different categories. A primary message arrived over it all.


    Hello there Harbinger! Schema would like to personally apologize for the lack of prompt system updates over the last interim. Your system and skills have been updated and will continue to be updated regularly for the foreseeable future. That means no more pesky bugs for you!


    A perk will be awarded free of charge based on your contributions and consistent performance. Consider it a sincere apology for any issues you''ve suffered from glitches.


    Perk unlocked!


    Schemic Amnesty


    +Allows association with illegal entities.


    +Allows low-level tampering with the system. *See the guidebook for further details.


    +Allows the user to eliminate 5 individuals'' unknown statuses.


    The benefits let me talk with Plazia in the open, and they helped get me out of shady situations. In general. Cool. I began reading my unique skill notifications, of which there were plenty.


    Unique skill unlocked! Primordial Mana | Level 10 - Many walk the world and maneuver through its thorned paths. You have chosen to remake the world in a different image. From blighted to beautiful and from sinister to sublime.


    From theirs to your own, the progenitor of a new world.


    +10% to ease of primordial mana generation.


    Finally.


    Unique skill unlocked! Dungeon Core Manipulation | Level 10 - Some use cores for skills or income. You''ve harnessed their power directly, and their untold energy is spoken of in what you make. With your creations, speak with a legend made in your image.


    +10% to core crafting and manipulation.


    Using cores in crafting wasn''t that uncommon then.


    Unique skill unlocked! Anima Creation | Level 10 - Many spend their life harnessing the power of their mind. You''ve decided to become the architect of a soul, and from your vision, sentience blooms, a flower amidst the dead.


    +10% to ease of anima creation.


    Ophelia would be proud.


    Unique skill unlocked! Temporal Contact | Level 10 - We all pass through time and feel its omnipresent pull. This never sated you, and now you touch upon its essence, your mortality intermingling in eternity.


    +10% to temporal awareness.


    Many of these skills I recognized from my time on L-7, though I gained primordial mana well before. I moved on to the unknown skills.


    Unknown skill unlocked! Dimensional Saturation | Level 10 - Many bend to circumstances or people. Others bend to rules and laws. No matter a man''s will, all bend to reality.


    All but you.


    +10% to dimensional saturation speed.


    +10% to dimensional saturation efficacy.


    Unknown skill unlocked! True Incorporeal Recomposition | Level 10 - Many feign this feat. Many construct it with tricks and lies. Your skill isn''t a fanciful construction.


    It is pure. It is undeniable.


    +10% to ease of incorporeal recomposition.


    +10% to the speed of incorporeal recomposition.


    From the skill description, Schema had downplayed my reconstitution in our conversation. He made it sound like a common ability, but an unknown skill implied otherwise. On the other hand, Dimensional Saturation had to be an unknown skill. It involved soaking my mind into my dimensional wake, a feat few likely ever imagined, let alone attempted.


    Mythical skill unlocked! The unique skills of Temporal Contact, Primordial Mana, and Mass Molding(Previously: Mass Manipulation) fuse into a mythical skill: Temporal Compression | Level 10 - To touch upon time''s grasp is a feat in and of itself. To effect it is a prodigal demonstration of skill. You''ve done more.


    You bend the intangible, and in the ether, you find you are eternal.


    +10% to ease of time manipulation.


    +10% to effect of Temporal Compression.


    Oh man, I would soon turn this into a monstrous legendary skill.


    Mythical skill unlocked! The unique skills of Artisan of Destruction, Core Manipulation, and Anima Creation fuse into a mythical skill: Golemic Progenitor | Level 10 - Many construct mindless hulks of earth or metal for their bidding. You have mastered this art and, in doing so, transcend the discipline''s limitations.


    For war is your garden, and in battle''s midst, your warriors are born.


    +10% to ease of golemic creation.


    +10% to golem''s innate skills, abilities, and attributes.


    These were the big boys of the bunch, and two more mythical skills gave my legendary skill all it needed to be made. The question was now what skills to put into it. Temporal Compression and Matter Conversion would be included for obvious reasons, but the last skill could be many things. However, I had a few ideas in the works.


    In a far-off future, I may even write my own furnace inscriptions. At that point, I could turn myself into a living nuclear furnace that fed on my flesh for infinite fuel. It would again evolve my mana generation, something that may catapult me ahead. I would need many of those leaps forward to kill the Old Ones.


    After having squared away my skills, I peered at my tree menu. I found the missing notification I was hoping for.


    1,625 tree points awarded!


    That was more damn like it. I placed some points into my Creator of Armies tree.


    Your glow becomes a new dawn for those under you. That light offers guidance, purpose, and resilience to your chosen. What is a beacon to some becomes a burning insignia to others, and so, you will be hated. They will writhe and thrash against you. That is until they are broken under an unending march.


    For who are those that stand against a creator of armies?


    +100% to effect of Legacies. +10 to base stats of all guild members. +25% to experience gain for your guild. +25% to the learning speed of skills within your guild. +10% easier skill creation for guild members.


    While not a huge personal bonus, the tree allowed my guild to progress faster. Considering how ahead I was of almost everyone, that was exactly what we needed.


    Select Talent tree for distributing points. Requirements met. Additional trees unlocked.


    Owner of Worlds(Own a habitable world)(2,500) | Anomaly(Be singular in nature)(2,500) | Immortal(Have a possible lifespan of over 100,000 years)(2,500) | Conquerer(Take a city by force)(1,500) | Schema''s Champion(Prove yourself worthy of my personal attention)(5,000)


    I eyed my options with care. Schema''s Champion tempted me for many reasons, and it would likely give me privileges that other guilds drooled over, That wasn''t what bothered me about my current position. I had to solidify the lives around me and my planet''s security.


    Otherwise, I''d be the last one standing. Again.


    Thoughts leaked into my head. I remembered gazing at Leviathan''s center after killing Valgus. Everyone died. It heralded a dark future where one day, I would be like Obolis as he learned of his family''s deaths. I would be an all-enduring yet all-destroying force, like Leviathan.


    I wouldn''t let that happen. During the lottery, everybody passed except Shalahora, and he kept some people alive. I came close to death, but I had many ways of avoiding its gaze aside from my trees. In fact, leveling and absorbing red cores would be enough for me for a while. I could always funnel energy into my cipheric inscriptions for infinite stats anyways.


    Time bottlenecked that process, but that was a problem I hacked away at by leveling Temporal Compression. My sovereign skill, legendary skills, and titles also added to my personal progression. It left me wanting to invest in the people around me instead of myself.


    Besides, the trees always awaited after I gained a few to help my guild.


    After doing some research into the trees, I found no information about them specifically. Schema''s info lockdown still had its vice grip intact, but similar trees did pop up in my searches. Any trees revolving around planet-owning strengthened cities, trade, and planetary defenses. Considering my worries, I selected Owner of Worlds and placed my points.


    A part of any society involves ownership. Who owns the means of production? Who owns the land? Most importantly, who owns the people? These are questions long asked and long answered with blood. You spilled rivers of it, so you own all there is.


    +25% to City Barrier Strength


    +25% to City Barrier Efficiency


    +10% to City Barrier Size


    +10% to Credit Income Multiplier from owned territories


    +10% to Experience Multiplier from owned territories


    +25% to Bounty Payout in owned territories


    +25% to Bounty Experience Reward in owned territories


    -10% to Warping Costs in owned territories


    Sovereign Exclusive: +6% to World Perk Efficacy


    You conquered the land until there was no more to be taken. You seized all production until nothing was made. You fought dissenters until groups, cities, then countries bent to your will. None bend to it now.


    They live and breathe by it.


    +50% to City Barrier Strength


    +50% to City Barrier Efficiency


    +20% to City Barrier Size


    +20% to Credit Income Multiplier from owned territories


    +20% to Experience Multiplier from owned territories


    +50% to Bounty Payout in owned territories


    +50% to Bounty Experience Reward in owned territories


    -20% to Warping Costs in owned territories


    Sovereign Exclusive: +12% to World Perk Efficacy


    Unlike most trees, this one specialized. It granted specific but powerful bonuses, all of them easing world ownership. The city barrier bonuses let me establish far better defenses moving forward. The credit and experience multipliers allowed me to gain resources faster, and the bounty bonuses gave me better passive governance here.


    After all, the more bounty hunters made, the more bounty hunters would appear. They acted like a force of vigilantes, and while not ideal, they shored up my lacking security. Well, golems could also handle any ner do wells, but that could backfire. Having those juggernauts kill ordinary people mirrored a dystopia.


    An Average person would never resist one, let alone defeat a golem. Crimes of any kind would result in a swift death. By having ordinary people dish out justice, I integrated them into the process. People on my planets also retained free will, something I didn''t want to interfere with outside extreme cases.


    I leaned back, stunned by a sudden realization. Schema did the same thing with his Sentinels. For a second, I wondered if I was turning into what I once hated, but I let that go. We happened to align here. I was sure there wouldn''t be that much overlap moving forward.


    Anyways, the warping bonus from the tree resulted in more trade and money over the long term, which was always good. I did raise my brow at the Sovereign exclusive because, yeah, I got perks for the planets I owned. Speaking of which.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Congratulations! Your guild has been promoted from standard filings up to the imperial category. This eliminates any cap on ownership of worlds and allows the user to claim ownership over solar systems and the resources within. Get ready to roll up your sleeves, find some ores, and crack open some planets!


    Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Solus system gained!


    Schema''s messages always carried a strange contrast. They embodied a happy, winning raffle tone that opposed the brutal reality of earning the rewards. Still, the second part of this update made me smile.


    [Sovereign Update: Big news, Sovereign! You now officially own a planet(s)! You''ve gained a resulting perk(s) from your ownership of that planet(s) based on the world (s) owned.


    Your perks are as follows:


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Planetary Perks Gained -</li>


    </ul>


    Mercury''s Maker | +11.2% to temperature multiplier.


    Venus''s Allure | +11.2% to aura pressure, control, and radius.


    Earth''s Immortal | +11.2% to regeneration stats.


    Mars''s Madness | +11.2% to Ascendant Outflow.


    Jupiter''s Juggernaut | +11.2% to Mass.


    Saturn''s Star | +11.2% to Gravitational Potency.


    Dominator of Uranus | + 11.2% to Quintessant Outflow.


    Neptune''s Navigator | +11.2% to Primordial Outflow.


    Solus''s Saviour | +11.2% more exp, credit gain, and awareness within the Solus System.


    Blegara''s Borne | +11.2% more damage against eldritch.]


    I gawked at the perk for Uranus. It was a great perk, but, uh, the naming was a little off. All the other perks read better, even slotting their bonuses into the planet''s significance for our solar system. All in all, they compiled into a notable increase in my abilities. They also omened how much the Ruler of Worlds tree might affect me if I owned many planets. It might not be as much of a personal sacrifice as I expected.


    I moved on.


    [Self Augments(Previously: Modifications) - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The changes are as follows(Pre-multiplier values):


    +17,231 Constitution


    +87,827 Endurance


    +13,728 Perception


    +21,278 Willpower


    +11,777 Luck


    +13,901 Strength


    +12,490 Dexterity


    +9,019 Intelligence


    +7,154 Charisma


    +9,032 Awe


    +100% to Effects of Legacies


    +50% Internal Motivation Multiplier


    +34% Dimension Size


    +34% Dimensional Wake Density


    +34% Dimensional Wake Extent


    +12,342 Trillion Ambient Mana]


    I staggered at the sheer volume of stats thrown my way. I imagined stat gains from the fight with Valgus, but this defied all expectations. Every stat skyrocketed, even stats I lacked an inscription for. My ambient mana tripled, and the other bonuses helped me realize my dimensional potential.


    Checking the math, I added my skill bonuses from leveling up and my dimensional augments. My augments outpaced my level-ups by volume, though Schema''s multipliers still outworked what my modifications accomplished independently. This omened the magnitude of my future changes.


    Inspecting those changes, the dimension size bonus affected my pocket dimension. That''s part of why I had the extra space for primevals on returning to Earth. I hadn''t noticed the density or wake size yet. First, I reached out with the Rise of Eden for a moment and verified it. My dimensional wake dwarfed its old size, now encompassing Mt. Verner.


    I hadn''t noticed on L-7 because the planet''s scale exceeded Earth''s by leaps and bounds. The difference between a square kilometer and a square mile meant nothing there, but I had actual references for comparison on Earth. As for the dimensional density, that could be why I sensed Althea within my wake.


    Moving onto level-ups, I peered at 5,000 as Schema promised, but that was it. I expected some exp from the lottery''s monsters, but I reviewed the terms. Schema set the lottery outside of both Schema-owned spaces or a rift. That meant we received nothing from killing the primevals or Schema''s enemies.


    Despite that technicality, I piled up plenty of points to spend. 20,000 of them. I put all of them into endurance and stared at the finalize screen. After clicking this, I''d gain the tree bonuses, the planet perks, and the attributes. A bit antsy, I clicked the button, and a wave of mana crashed from afar.


    I brimmed from the energy flow, glowing before I stood up. The glass near me melted. It bubbled, boiled, and splattered as my guildmates began panicking. Althea leaped away. Hod flew off into the distance. Torix cast cooling magic, and Chrona roared ice breath.


    I condensed my wake, stopping the energy flow for a moment. As the heat dissipated, I cooled the area. I left a burned spot over Chrona''s home, so I winced.


    "Ah, my bad, guys. I forgot how much energy my status updates send out these days. I''ll fix this later."


    Torix sighed.


    "Patently absurd."


    I walked over to the edge of the building and leaped up. I pulled myself along with gravity, flying high into the atmosphere. Above the clouds, I soared until Earth''s gravitational pull lightened. Once far away from anyone or anything, I allowed Schema''s reconfiguring to take place. As it happened, I slowed it down with my wake''s density.


    This let me appreciate Schema''s changes. From a flashing moment to a loaded minute, my anatomy and mind changed. I leaned in, putting every part of my mind on understanding the shifts. I uncovered a few of his secrets as I did.


    Schema couldn''t increase my strength via normal means anymore, so he used other methods. The primary difference arrived from mana-based muscle fibers. They operated off of constructed segments of my armor. Whenever mana pulsed through them, they pulled together or apart. I had no clue how Schema did it, but I''d get Torix and Plazia on that case after this.


    Unlike the physical changes, I struggled to dissect the mental differences. Even Schema would probably shrug at what he did, as little about my thought process or cerebral acuity changed. Thinking about it, I  wouldn''t know what to do either. After all, how much can you change about someone''s mind before it wasn''t theirs?


    Schema couldn''t interfere with free will, so he kept the mental changes on simple, easy-to-articulate conditions. He improved the computational proficiency and processing speed of the psyche. That let him increase the amount of thought someone could dish out, increasing their mana and regeneration.


    However, the natural ingenuity of the mind remained stagnant. Hell, even coming up with a strict definition of intelligence was difficult, and people always argued about it. Schema evaded all that by focusing on the simplest, most determined explanation possible.


    It wasn''t a poor answer.


    Regardless of my breakdowns, Schema''s augments were razor-sharp and precise. No matter how I criticized him, Schema used as little mana as possible for the most benefit. His efficiency far and away exceeded my own, requiring far less mana for better additions. It left me in awe, and I had a long way to go before I could do the same.


    As the changes settled in, I raised my arm, moving my new hand with my improved mind. Not bad. Not bad at all.


    [Status]


    The Living Multiverse | Level 23,767 (Cap: 39,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign


    Strength ¨C 190,917 | Constitution ¨C 212,632 | Endurance ¨C 451,956


    Dexterity ¨C 115,926 | Willpower ¨C 396,395 | Intelligence ¨C 257,229


    Charisma ¨C 121,399 | Luck ¨C 154,656 | Perception ¨C 86,756 |Awe - 16,943


    Health: 3.60 Billion/3.60 Billion | Health Regen: 278 Billion/min or 4.621 Billion/sec


    Stamina: Infinite++ | Ambient Mana 12,402 Trillion


    Mass: 2.2 Billion Pounds( 1 Billion Kilos~)


    Height: 37''11 |11.56 meters | Actual: 21''9 (Temporal Compression)


    Damage Res - 99.532% | Actual: 99.672% (Temporal Compression) | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 22.6 Billion% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion(Elemental Furnace Count: 41) - 239.2 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor.


    [Previous]


    I hadn''t checked my status in a long time, and the numbers increased to absurd quantities. My periphery attributes exploded, my weight ten-folded, and so did my physical damage. My damage resistance also inched up, and Temporal Compression increased it. Reasoning through why I peered at the skill''s creation.


    It devoured Mass Manipulation. Well, Mass Molding but whatever. Same thing. Whenever a mythical skill absorbed unique skills, they improved them. At a certain point, condensing my matter resulted in a more rigid, more robust material. Therefore, leveling that skill would improve my dimensional fabric.


    Hell yeah.


    And, of course, I didn''t forget the most important measuring stick of progress. You know it. I know it. We all know it. The big daddy. The penultimate peak. The absolute apex. The only real value that mattered in the grand scheme of things. That''s right.


    Health regen.


    Sarcasm aside, it nearly quadrupled, with all the multipliers going crazy again. The planet perks helped with that, as had all the endurance from level-ups. Peering at my hands, I snapped my fingers. A singularity erupted afar. I snapped two fingers, and two singularities detonated. I kept adding more until I capped at nine of them. Ridiculous.


    I quit exercising my mana because I kept causing clouds to whirl below. Moving around, it was challenging to know the exact physical differences without something to test on, especially this high up. Peering down at the blue marble below, I flinched. At this point, I could shatter mountains or rive rivers with my hand.


    I''d test myself elsewhere in a less precious place. Heading back down, I whirled through the wind. Heat built over me, and I passed through a raincloud. The water evaporated as I passed, and I got into view of Mt. Verner in seconds. While getting close, I ignited several birds that exploded like aquatic grenades.


    I gawked in horror at the charred remnants and sifting steam. Slowing the hell down, I took a few minutes getting back while cooling myself. While passing a cloud, it dropped blocks of hail. I was too cold. Great. In fact, all these temperatures seemed the same to me. I rubbed my temples, trying to come up with a solution. In a minute, I did.


    I kept a bubble of water beside me, and I kept it from freezing, boiling, or evaporating. It gave me an accurate temperature gauge, preventing me from flying down while radiating the heat of a furnace or oozing the cold of space. Once below, I landed in Chrona''s icy home.


    The others spurred into action. Shalahora, Hod, and Althea trained in the mountain''s shadow. Torix talked with Plazia, a metal skeleton talking to a horde of flies. Chrona sat still, using her temporal prowess on Amara and Krog. Obolis went back to his Empire and tended to many matters.


    I flew over to Plazia and Torix. Torix pointed a hand at the flies.


    "The issue with bodily integration with the Omega Strain is that it will result in an unknown status for our guildmates. We''ll lose more fighting power than we gain."


    I raised my brow.


    "Huh, not worried about whether they''ll go insane?"


    Torix tilted his hand.


    "Ethical arguments wouldn''t work well against Plazia as they are the least of his concerns. So I used what works - pragmatism."


    I raised my brow.


    "You don''t want a win when it''s the most impressive?"


    Torix scoffed.


    "If my words are a knife, then I slice where the enemy is softest. That being said-"


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "What is needed of us?"


    I pointed at the lich.


    "I need you to organize everyone in Mt. Verner. I''m going to be rebuilding this place from the ground up."


    Torix nodded.


    "Consider it done."


    I pointed at Plazia.


    "Get a good understanding of the Omega Strain and come back with detailed reports. There''s plenty of latent potential there. I can feel it."


    Plazia''s insects rippled.


    "I shall trust your intuition."


    I turned before bending my knees. Torix''s eyes brightened.


    "Where are you headed?"


    "To Blegara. I''m getting Kessiah some new bodyguards."


    I flew over towards Mt. Verner''s warp drives. As I did, I sent Shalahora a telepathic message.


    "Keep them safe while I''m away."


    He said, "As your shadow."


    "Hm?"


    "It means yes."


    "Ah, ok...Do you need anything?"


    "For you to survive."


    I nodded.


    "As your shadow."


    I raced past several groups of people, waving my hand without stopping. I headed to Mt. Verner''s warp drive before talking with Schema''s receptionist. A quick chat later, I stepped into a metal tube. Ionizing clouds poured over me before I shifted position. I stepped out into Saphigia, the zone protected by a blue core.


    Around me, the endless ocean of Blegara covered a reinforced barrier, schools of fish passing by overhead. Beams of light leaked between the waves like an endlessly rippling panel of glass overhead. In the distance, a wispy barrier shielded some of Saphigia, and I winced at it. The thin, light shielding wouldn''t survive a single primeval, let alone a group of them.


    I had to fix that.


    I pulled myself up, peering down at a city in development. A constructor golem or two would make a world of difference here. I spent a few minutes making two of them and putting their cores in place. Heading towards the city''s center, I found a monolith sitting there and ebbing an aura of buffs.


    Terrible buffs. I cringed at the sight of it, its unstable design and poor output being my fault. After flattening it, I made a new pillar of my dimensional fabric. I added a few premade cipheric etchings from my grimoire and planted ten blue cores into the monolith.


    It generated a barrier around the city, far vaster than before. It included underwater sections of the city, creating a psionic web that anyone could contact. Many did, whether by accident or not. From those connections, awareness spread over me, giving me some idea of what happened in the city from nearby Vagni''s thoughts.


    I sifted through mundanities before my eyes widened. In a panic, I flew up, dashing across the ruined cityscape. Passing into the submerged portion of the city, I extended my dimensional wake outward. A chill ran up my spine as I peered around. At Saphigia''s outskirts, a military ship had landed, one from the Empire.


    They established an air zone under the waves using mana batteries and machinery. Within the area, Kessiah healed soldiers. She channeled blood from her prepped pouches, reconstituting even lost limbs for various albony and other aliens. As impressive as it was, my eyes settled on a different ship that landed nearby.


    Hybrids gazed at me from its surface. Orange pustules pumped energy under their surface. Blighted ones swam nearby, making a mockery of their old, gialgathenic forms. They wrestled with older models of my golems, and a battle erupted in the sea again. Trying to settle the conflict, several Elysium soldiers landed nearby with Hybrid guards, carrying various documentation.


    They psionically announced.


    "We mean no harm to the locals. We are here for the imperials."


    It was a repeating call. Several Hybrid carcasses piled up, the battle being waged for a while. Once close, my status disappeared, and I crashed through the imperial''s protective barrier. Raising a hand, I sealed the hole shut with a saturated antigravity well while standing over everyone.


    The albony and others gawked at me. Kessiah peered up, and she shouted.


    "It''s about damn time someone showed up. Get these guys the hell out of here. I''m trying to make some money for Schema''s sake."


    I glared at the ship.


    "Get them out?"


    I waved my hand.


    "They''re not leaving."


    As my hand passed, I disintegrated the ship in five singularities'' wake. They evaporated, the nearby albony trembling in fear. The vessel converted into a kinetic shockwave rippling through the water. Reaching up my other arm, I pulled down. Saphigia''s new barrier molded under my command, covering this isolated bubble.


    Weathering the incoming shockwave, we watched schools of fish and Hybrids get thrown aside by the tsunami and tidal movements. I turned to Kessiah.


    "We''re getting out of here."


    She gestured at a dying imperial soldier.


    "I''m kind of busy at the moment."


    I walked up, swiping the gooey mess of a person into my pocket dimension. Kessiah blinked.


    "Oh yeah, you can do that."


    I swiped the other injured soldiers into my pocket dimension, already having practice. After getting the last one, Kessiah stepped away from me.


    "You''re Daniel, right?"


    I pulled my helmet down.


    "Of course. Who else?"


    Kessiah shrugged.


    "A giant, metal monster?"


    I made a finger pistol with my hand, pointing at different Hybrids in the distance. I pulled them into a cluster.


    "What makes you say that?"


    I evaporated them with a singularity. Kessiah frowned.


    "Don''t know. Maybe it''s the weather?"


    Off in the distance, a vast warp erupted. Along its edges, golden claws punched through the ether. I sighed.


    "Well, it''s about to get stormy."


    Kessiah peered off, covering her face.


    "Ok, yeah, it''s still you under all that steel."


    I smiled.


    "Give me a minute. We''ll talk after I handle this."


    I broke through the Imperial''s barrier again, letting them handle the aftermath as I stared down the largest gialgathen to ever live. Its mammoth eye gazed through the tear in space-time. From the warp, a haughty voice erupted over the landscape.


    "Another oceanic world? Ugh. I tire of desolating the seas of far-off planets."


    Lehesion pulled himself from the void, and his eyes met mine. A grin grew over his face.


    "Ah. It is you yet again. I thought we''d called a truce of sorts? Perhaps you wished for another thrashing?"


    Energy plumed from me, ascendant mana billowing out like blood. The ocean ran red.


    "I''m not the same Daniel you fought before."


    Golden lightning erupted from Lehesion as he shouted across the horizon.


    "And neither am I, child."

 375 A Might Unseen and Undeniable

    Lehesion pulled himself from the void, and his eyes met mine. A grin grew over his face.


    "Ah. It is you yet again. I thought we''d called a truce of sorts? Perhaps you wished for another thrashing."


    Energy plumed from me, ascendant mana billowing out like blood. The ocean ran red.


    "I''m not the same Daniel you fought before."


    Golden lightning erupted from Lehesion as he shouted across the horizon.


    "And neither am I, child."


    Chapter Begin


    Lehesion breathed deep. Energy piled into his maw, and he unleashed a giant ray of energy toward the city. It bounced off of the city''s barriers while I bolted towards him. I split the sea with my gravity wells, tidal forces spreading everywhere. When I reached Lehesion, he swung his tail towards me.


    I flowed around it, and Lehesions tail smashed the sand below. Grit melted to glass from the impact, and water billowed away, vaporizing. Air touched us both, each of us staring. Lehesion boomed.


    "You''ve become even better at avoiding my blows. The weak always run."


    My armor grinned.


    "You''re wrong. I don''t need to anymore."


    Lehesion smirked.


    "Then why have you, little one?"


    I raised a hand.


    "Come on. Let me have it then."


    Lehesion grinned, energy building in his tail.


    "You have gained many levels since we last fought-"


    I burst into laughter. Lehesion grimaced.


    "What do you laugh at? Is your position so pitiful that it''s driven you insane?"


    I pointed at him.


    "First off, you might be projecting a little there. Secondly, levels don''t tell you much."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed.


    "We shall see."


    Lehesion smashed his tail downward, and I reached up a hand. It crashed against my palm with enough force to crush a skyscraper. It could''ve leveled a large hill or created a small canyon, but I didn''t budge. Like a child hitting a steel wall, Lehesion''s tail broke from hitting me, bones cracking within.


    Lehesion gawked.


    "W-what trickery is this?"


    I gripped my hand, crushing the golden flesh of his tail.


    "Oh, you''ll need to do better than this, shiny lizard."


    My armor shot through his body, a blazing infestation that soaked in his energy. Lehesion sliced away his tail as he grunted.


    "You are as grotesque as always."


    I stared at him.


    "All you see is the physical. Soon, you will fear what my mind has become."


    Lehesion froze in place before shaking himself. He breathed deep before roaring across the horizon once more. It crashed against my wake, and the sound shattered. Silence passed over me as I kept my gaze steady.


    Lehesion snarled, "Cease staring at me."


    I walked his way. Lehesion boomed.


    "Cease."


    He waved his giant wings, golden energy beams spreading across the entire area. The ground quaked and rippled apart where the light touched, breaking down at an atomical level. Instead of facing the attack, I switched to The Rise of Eden and generated a colossal stone shelf. It materialized in front of Lehesion.


    His beams blasted against several hundred meters of rock. The stone swallowed the rays, and his attack blew him backward. As he flopped, I bolted through the rock and reached him. The shattered god molded his golden aura, creating a shield. With Event Horizon, I pierced it.


    Cracks rippled across the gold as I disintegrated his insides. Reaching up a hand, I smashed it down, augmenting my strike with a dozen techniques. Gravity wells. Telekinesis. Heat. Accelerated time. A smaller surface area. My dimensional wake. A reinforced body. A reinforced mind. My strike was a culmination of all my years of effort and struggle. It embodied what I''d done to myself, abandoning my humanity to save myself.


    And it ushered forth cataclysm.


    Lehesion''s body splattered like a yellow watermelon. Blood, guts, Hybrid mush, and water dispersed as heat vaporized the nearby ocean. Glass sprawled like charred tree roots from around the crater. The shockwave passed over me before I stared at my hand and a dead Lehesion. I''d evolved into a whole different being since we last met.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Gazing at the lizard''s reconstitution, Lehesion''s body returned where his aura lingered. He oggled at his surroundings before jumping away from me.


    "Where are your allies? Is this an orbital bombardment? A nuclear assault?"


    I cracked my knuckles, waves rippling through the water above from the force I put on my bones.


    "No. It''s my fist."


    Lehesion scrambled away.


    "Lies."


    I bolted back to him.


    "See, I like to punch things. The problem is, it doesn''t often work these days."


    With a single strike, I destroyed him once more. As he came back, I smiled.


    "My enemies are tricky, but sometimes, once in a blue moon-"


    I smashed him. He arrived once more. I laughed.


    "Once in a blue moon, this actually works, and it is oh so satisfying."


    He flew away, sliding through the water with elegance despite his size. I followed. The surrounding ocean disintegrated into steam from friction and heat as I approached. I threw another haymaker at the shiny lizard. His body splintered, becoming a mushy soup at the bottom of a dry sea. The waves around us plumed out before billowing up thousands of feet high.


    I blinked in disbelief myself.


    Lehesion reformed, staring around once more.


    "What is even happening?"


    I smiled.


    "Let me show you again."


    I popped the golden balloon. Seeing his regenerating face, I opened my current status and compared it with a timestamp from when I fought Lehesion before. I turned a hand.


    "First off, I''m a hundred times heavier."


    I burst the bright blimp. He came to, and I gawked at the numbers.


    "I''m two thousand times stronger, somehow. That''s wild, I''ll tell ya."


    I detonated the glowing zeppelin. Regenerating again, he stared at me in horror, and I leaned toward my status.


    "Only twelve times more mana regen? Oof, that''s starting to slow down. I have to find a way to fix that."


    Lehesion''s eyes bulged.


    "Cease this. What in Eonoth''s name have you done?"


    I stared at him. Lehesion peered around.


    "We...We are still alone. Is Schema helping you? Did you find a hidden artifact?"


    I lifted a hand.


    "It''s my flesh and bones. Tough to emulate."


    I pointed at him, trying out singularities within his aura, and the golden energy swallowed all my magic. Unlike Valgus''s chains, this wasn''t some absolute, antimagic. My sorcery went through but siphoned to a different place. It carried a similar effect to Valgus''s shackles, so Lehesion smiled at me. It was a crooked expression, incomplete as his confidence.


    "Hah. You''ve yet to pierce my defenses."


    I narrowed my eyes while spreading my hand. Singularities burst an inch outside of his barrier''s extent, the shockwaves cascading around him. The lizard disintegrated again. As he pulled himself from the void, fear spread over him. He trembled.


    "What has been done? What contracts have you signed? Whose souls did you sell?"


    I darted towards him, and he turned around, flying away. Splat. He returned, trying to warp out. I kept the rip in spacetime open and destroyed whatever lay beyond its veil. Lehesion scrambled to pass me, but I extended my armor over the warp before slamming it shut.


    Getting desperate, Lehesion flew up, and I followed. Energy coalesced, and an eclipse formed overhead. The day devolved to darkness, and Lehesion howled out.


    "You...If I can''t kill you, I''ll destroy this entire region."


    I raised my brow.


    "Region? You gotta up the ante. That''s not going to cut it anymore."


    In my city, the two constructor golems kept the barrier firm. Lehesion channeled energy through his body, stars forming overhead as they had before. I hovered before him, charging mana into my frame and dimensional wake. Once Lehesion finished, his stars shot down from above.


    Falling like an apocalypse, the bolts came closer, tiny lights becoming massive beacons. In the shattered god''s wake, heaven rained. I faced that eclipse, my form looming in shadow. Energy siphoned through me, channeling into my palms. Ludicrous quantities of mana built up, and I glowed like a sun.


    I spread my arms, and singularities cast out over the sky. The dark, inken blots devoured the incoming stars, swallowing hundreds of them. A cacophony of sound erupted, so loud it killed all near it. It disintegrated anything alive, and clouds coursed in from afar. Whirlpools lifted from the ocean to the gravitational anomalies. The sea shifted in the horizon, waves casting up from afar.


    Lehesion marveled for a moment before peering down.


    "Are...Are you a god as well?"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "No. I''m Daniel."


    Lehesion''s eyes closed, and when they opened, I winced. Those controlling him unleashed a devastating psionic attack. Hundreds of mages rushed into my mind, ripping and gnawing it apart. They scorched the air and salted the earth. I bled from my eyes, nose, and ears as vessels ruptured in my head. The liquid pooled in my mouth. It dripped through my teeth like mercury coursing.


    And I smiled, my grin wide. I tapped my temple.


    "You''ll need more. Much, much more."


    I pulled in most of the minds from my wake, and they rushed at the attacking forces. They kamikazed into the enemies, my psyches killing several enemies with each of their deaths. Unleashed in a formless goop, they flooded the enemies with mana, memories, and haphazard thought.


    There was no reason to use strategy. There was no need for finesse. I assaulted them with every ounce of my ability, and Lehesion''s frail mind collapsed under the flow and pressure. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he twitched like an insect pressed with fire. I killed hundreds of mind mages before they tried escaping.


    I held them within the palace of my mind, and I barred the exits. They chose this path, one against me. They would feel the entire burden of that mistake. As I slaughtered, a voice rang out in my head.


    Tohtella.


    "You. What are you doing?"


    I continued killing.


    Tohtella shouted, "This. This means war."


    I reached into Lehesion''s mind, finding telepathic strands. I pulled them into the fray. Into the killing field. Into an abyss. My abyss.


    Tohtella hissed, "This is about the lottery, isn''t it?"


    Once close, I inundated the minds. They burst at the seams, driven mad by mana and incoherency. They drowned. They ruptured. They split apart like melons filled with liquid metal.


    Tohtella roared, "We will retreat. We will give you anything. Stop. Stop, now."


    I spread madness, flooding the weak. The telepathic control of Lehesion weakened. I darted towards him, smashing his body apart once more. Taking out a few runic plates, I detonated them, deforming the fabric of reality where Lehesion''s aura lingered. Lehesion''s body regenerated into a devolved collection of talking organs and speaking skin.


    The remnants controlling him scattered, unable to tolerate the horror of inhabiting such a body. I remained within, tearing it apart. As I gored the mind into pieces, a familiar presence coursed in. I peered around, and I grimaced. Time stopped, and a voice echoed out like far-off thunder. It built in my ears until I felt it in my bones.


    "We meet again, living metal."

 376 A Chat After Times End

    I flooded them, and they burst, the telepathic control of Lehesion weakening. I darted towards him, smashing his body apart once more. Taking out a few runic plates, I detonated them, deforming the area. Lehesion''s body devolved into a collection of talking organs and speaking skin. The remnants controlling him scattered, unable to tolerate the horror of inhabiting such a body.


    I remained within, tearing it apart. As I gored the mind into pieces, a familiar presence coursed in. I peered around, and I sneered. Time stopped, and a voice echoed out like far-off thunder.


    "We meet again, living metal."


    Chapter Begin


    Around me, Eonoth''s presence coursed in. It reduced the fabric of space into its plaything and warped all it touched into an eternal void. As the dark reached the edges of my wake, I pushed back against it. The overbearing presence crushed me down, and I buckled. I collapsed as my skin peeled off. My bones disintegrated to a liquid, and my teeth shattered.


    I stood, my body reforming several times a second. This wouldn''t work. Instead of trying to keep such a large area untainted, I pulled my wake to the surface of my skin. The pressure reduced, and I only bled from many ruptures across my body. The pressure mounted like diving deeper under the sea.


    Like a leaking ship, I groaned and bled under the weight of the dimensional shifts around me. They hadn''t overcome me yet. The pressure increased, and my body crushed into a small puddle as a laugh echoed. I held on, pulling my wake closer. I condensed it into a minute point, the size of an apple. I abandoned my body, letting it disappear, but I held onto this tiny bastion of sanity I maintained.


    I closed it and my mind off, becoming a bulwark. I existed within the sea of burden, holding on. Eonoth tapped the tiny sphere like a child tapping a glass tank full of fish. Cracks in the wake rippled through me, several of my minds dying. I rallied, pulling my wake further down. I still existed, the size of a coin. It tapped against me once more. I died, or at least it felt like it.


    I''d have to pull myself further down, deeper into these waters. I strained every mind to tighten myself to a tiny point. Another tap arrived, and many of my psyches died. I compressed to the size of a penny. Death rained from Eonoth''s tampering. My mind squealed as I bit down hard, turning myself to the size of a pupil. The thumping continued, and chunks of my psyche perished.


    I reached my limit, becoming the size of a pinhead. Every part of me struggled to maintain this, and I could not squeeze more blood from this stone. The tapping ceased, so I waited. With another thud, a chunk of my animas died. However, I held my ground, keeping my dimensional sanctity from the Old One.


    Taps arrived in waves. One. Two. Sets of threes. They whittled me apart like a stone being shot. Cackling coursed around me, an endless discord of madness. I ignored it and regenerated my mind, parts of myself dying with each tap. I kept reconstituting my sanity across each storm while holding myself in this minuscule form.


    The retaliation grew in volume, size, and scale. I tempered an unending set of thumps. Likely subtle to this strange presence, it eviscerated all of me. I held onto memories of what my sane mind was, remembering its form but unable to recreate it under perpetual pressure. My thoughts shook, becoming disjointed and chaotic.


    It reminded me of Valgus infiltrating my mind. No. Far worse. This was a raw, psionic death, not a deft, technical usage of mental might. Holding together, I crushed under Eonoth''s probing. It reminded me of dying in the psionic fluid but from a physical, tactile impact. I laughed at the irony of the situation.


    Earlier, I easily dismantled a pressing enemy of Schema who threatened galactic peace. Against an Old One, I was a dimensional pinhead who couldn''t even hold a physical form. There were levels to this game, and I was at the bottom. There was no lower that I could sink, yet I held onto that thought.


    It sparked joy in my chest. It arrived like a thundering chorus and a resounding cheer. Here I was, nothing more than a pawn on an endless chessboard, a piece waiting for my inevitable slaughter. I was pulled and tugged by the masters who carried control of everything around me.


    But I was in the game. That much was undeniable. One day, I could win.


    Sensing my joy, Eonoth''s voice echoed like music did while walking into a club.


    "You resist me? And with palpable elation. Interesting. You are so easily broken, yet you return all the same. Where is your limit?"


    I crushed.


    Eonoth said, "Resist."


    I crushed ten times.


    "Resist."


    I crushed a hundred times.


    "Resist."


    I crushed a thousand times, my mind struggling to maintain sanity.


    "Hah hah, resist me. Resist. Resist. Resist.


    I wondered if resist was even a word. Could I even spell it?


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I quaked, my core aspects struggling to maintain a definite form.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    Instead of holding onto my entire mind, I kept a smaller piece. This eased the process. It made it easier to let go of what Eonoth carved away.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I pieced away at what defined me and my mind. I continued whittling away until I decided to remain. Yes, I would remain. That was all I needed. It was all I was.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    This, too, would pass. I would persevere.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I would withstand.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I would weather this storm.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I would remain.


    "Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist."


    I would endure.


    "Enough."


    I smashed into nothing, falling into the Old One''s abyss. I reconstituted, my wake pulled into some other plane. I peered around, remembering this place from long ago. I grabbed the side of my face before squeezing in frustration. I thought I''d pushed through some barrier or made a difference.


    No. I was nothing still. More nothing, maybe, but still a muted presence to these interdimensional beings. While I considered how to even practice whatever that was, an ever-shifting form encroached. I gazed at an indefinite being of cosmic origin and an unknown scale.


    Eonoth laughed.


    "You...You try to resist my pull. Why?"


    I waved a hand.


    "I''ll answer, but don''t say resist anymore."


    Eonoth wrapped around me, not touching but pressing from all angles.


    "In my domain, I will do as I wish. You may resist. Resist. Resist...Now speak."


    I floated in the ether. Eonoth scoffed.


    "You''ve become defiant. Baldowah did not lie."


    I narrowed my eyes. Eonoth shivered.


    "You hold to what you''ve said...I shall not speak the word resist, as you''ve asked."


    Whenever Eonoth said the word, it repeated in my head, an unending symphony that built like some cognitive virus. I trembled as it expanded, taking more of my mind each passing second. Before it overwhelmed me, I pulled several psyches around the phrase and threw them into my dimensional wake. In the ether, I scrambled them into nothing, killing their cognition.


    The virus died with them.


    Eonoth retracted his undefinable form.


    "Your mind is durable as your body. Perhaps more so."


    I sneered.


    "Why did you bring me here?"


    Eonoth rippled the ethereal plane around us.


    "You''ve destroyed my champion. Do you wish to take his place?"


    "No."


    "Then where am I to search for another? Tell where others may reside and who could take his place? Perhaps your friends? Althea? Torix? Hod?"


    Rage swelled in my chest, and I channeled mana, ready for anything. Eonoth sighed.


    "You''re less talkative than before. It is irritating."


    "I''m not your entertainment."


    "You have been, are, and will be. Until you die. Until all die."


    "Or you die. It depends on who goes first."


    "You believe your resistance was a sign that you may stop me?"


    Eonoth didn''t listen when I told him to stop saying that word. I was done. I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. Eonoth''s voice rose in volume.


    "Your mind believes it can build on an infinite basis. However, you are restrained by laws and cannot outdo what you''ve spawned from."


    I channeled mana into my runes.


    "I am greater than your dimension."


    I achieved a sense of peace.


    "Your silence shows your will. Hm. Then listen. I will fold time to undo what has been done. If you continue dismantling my champion, I shall utterly shatter your mind. You will not be able to resist what I''ve done the next time. I will infest your mind with enough madness that even a thousand species would be driven insane."


    Eonoth quaked.


    "A taste of what will come."


    A dozen cognitive viruses erupted in my head. I writhed, my mind falling apart while Eonoth laughed. Resist encompassed vast swaths of my mind before I kamikazed into my dimensional wake. I cleaved pieces of myself apart like a man amputating fire off his body. Where I cut, I regenerated without the virus.


    Pieces of it remained, and it overwhelmed the sane parts of myself yet again. I died, reformed, and died again. I kept the cycle of self-sacrifice continuing, destroying my mind until it was unrecognizable. It took several hours and thousands of psionic deaths before I became whole again. I was me.


    Finally able to, I opened my eyes. The Old One''s plane had disintegrated, and I was on Mt. Verner in the warp drive. I stared at steel walls and ionizing clouds that encroached over me. The doors opened, and I stumbled out onto Blegara. I caught my heft with a gravity well just before I landed.


    I would''ve caused a massive explosion from tripping. Staring at the sandy ground, I took several breaths, calming myself down. I pulled myself upright while sitting down and grabbing the sides of my head. I heaved for a while. Nothing came up.


    A soldier walked up to me.


    "Uhm, Sir, is everything ok? Did something happen at Mt. Verner?"


    I shook off my unease.


    "No. I just need a moment."


    She waved.


    "O-of course. Send a message if you need anything."


    She left me, and I held down my nausea. I stared up. In the distance, a weak and feeble barrier protected some of the city. No constructor golems passed over the skyline. No one fixed the poorly made structures. No one had handled the Elysium forces landing on the planet.


    I was in the past.


    I stared at my hands, wondering if I was even still alive. Was my imprisonment an implanted memory? Was anything real? I shivered, not knowing how long Eonoth trapped me in that place. It could''ve been years or decades, and I couldn''t make it out. My time there blurred together, memories of that time like crushed glass. A corrupted mosaic. A smashed plate.


    Was I broken?


    In the corner of my vision, a notification rang out.


    [Unique skill gained! A Mind''s Defiance | Level 10 - Few are willing to die for what they believe in. None are willing to die forever. None but you. Know that your deaths are with meaning. They are a statement to those that would doubt you. They are a testament to your will and vision. They are a mark against those that would destroy all you love.


    You have chosen to defy forces beyond us, and we will stand with you.


    +10% to Mental Reconstitution Speed.


    +10% to Mental Resilience.


    +10% to Mental Regeneration.


    +100 points for creating a unique skill!


    Skill level up! +90 points in A Mind''s Defiance.


    Skill level up! +234 points in Temporal Compression.


    Skill level up! +102 points in A Manifold Mind


    Trees unlocked!]


    Gazing at the notification, a wave of calm passed over me. Enormous amounts of mana radiated in. My psyches crystallized, becoming rigid and dense. I swallowed back down a wave of nausea, and my trembling lessened to shaking. Clarity coursed, and motivation surged.


    That''s right. I wasn''t alone. After taking a breath, I said the word.


    "Resist."


    I winced, but it left no mark on me. I remained whole and sane. I repeated the word, testing myself, and I retained coherency. I stood on unsteady feet and squeezed my shaking hands. The tremors stopped. The fear faded. Before heading out, I gave myself a moment to remember my resolve. This would be a long road, and I''d only taken a single step.


    It was time to take another.

 377 Relived

    <div>


    <div>


    Gazing at the notification, a wave of calm passed over me. Enormous amounts of mana radiated in. My psyches crystallized, becoming rigid and dense. I swallowed back down a wave of nausea, and my trembling lessened to shaking. Clarity coursed, and motivation surged.


    That''s right. I wasn''t alone. After taking a breath, I said the word.


    "Resist."


    I winced, but it left no mark on me. I remained whole and sane. I repeated the word, testing myself, and I retained coherency. I stood on unsteady feet and squeezed my shaking hands. The tremors stopped. The fear faded. Before heading out, I gave myself a moment to remember my resolve. This would be a long road, and I''d only taken a single step.


    It was time to take another.


    Chapter Begin


    I took a second to think my options through. Knowing the future, I considered rushing to crush Elysium immediately. After some thought, I came up with a different plan. First, I opened my status and invested my tree points into Owner of Worlds.


    You hold in your hands the power of decision. Your words usher forth change on a global scale across regions, cultures, and species. You may guide those under you to oblivion or nirvana. You may squeeze to powder or carry to eminence. You may crush to nothing or build to bastion.


    It is a history you make.


    +75% to City Barrier Strength


    +75% to City Barrier Efficiency


    +30% to City Barrier Size


    +30% to Credit Income Multiplier from owned territories


    +30% to Experience Multiplier from owned territories


    +75% to Bounty Payout in owned territories


    +75% to Bounty Experience Reward in owned territories


    -30% to Warping Costs in owned territories


    Sovereign Exclusive: +18% to World Perk Efficacy


    The bonuses clicked into effect as I shot towards Saphigia''s center to compensate for lost time. I landed on the city''s monolith, crushing it under my heel. Powdered stone billowed in a massive cloud, but I contained it with an ice shield. After pulling the rock and water out of the confined area, I pulled out the active blue core.


    It hummed in my hands, still keeping this part of Saphigia safe, but I shook my head at the weak, tamed thing. It paled in comparison to the blue cores I gained on L-7. After pulling out twenty blue cores, I generated a new pillar and embedded cipheric markings. Once completed, I moved on to creating constructor golems.


    With two made after several minutes, I took my time to create eight more guardians. Before I finished all of them, I sent the already-made golems to help against Elysium''s vessel. However, instead of having them destroy it, I told them to only defend the imperial troops and Kessiah. My arrival would still be necessary for my plan.


    An hour passed before I finished all of the golems. While crafting, I charged the twenty blue cores I put in Saphigia''s central monolith. I doubled the core commitment from my last go-through, which paid off. A dynamic, dense, and resilient barrier covered the city, and I marveled at it.


    The hexagonal shapes composing the sphere resembled crystal panels of ice, holding well over three hundred billion mana stored to protect this place. It could send out those panels and slice apart anything nearby, the cipheric augments taking on a life of their own. Even the buffs from the monolith improved, making everything stronger within.


    They''d need more than Lehesion to take this place.


    After the city''s makeover, I shot across the skyline, making my body thin like a needle. The more aerodynamic form reduced friction, preventing any unintended ignitions nearby. After a minute, I reached the Elysium vessel. The imperials fought the Elysium troops with my golems as a backup, but the cored golems dwarfed the power of the Hybrids.


    The pulsing machines piled up by the dozen, my guardians disintegrating the masses as they stacked up. The imperials stabilized the situation, and my barrier''s buffs helped keep critically wounded soldiers alive. Wanting Lehesion to arrive again, I copied my previous landing. I crashed through the protective wall that Kessiah healed in.


    The albony and others gawked at me. Kessiah peered up, and she shouted.


    "It''s about damn time someone showed up. Get these guys the hell out of here. I''m trying to make some money for Schema''s sake."


    I glared in their direction.


    "They''re not leaving."


    Getting Deja Vu, I encompassed the entire area in a gravity well. From afar, any stray Hybrids or Elysium soldiers siphoned to Elysium''s ship. I commanded my golems to get the imperials out of there, and I preemptively pulled the city''s barrier over us. Once I piled everything together, I localized the gravity well into a shrunken point.


    The vessel caved in, air bubbles bursting out of its smashed hull. I gave it one more squeeze, liquid squealing out of cracks. Three singularities later, the vessel was no more.


    I turned to Kessiah.


    "Yo. We have to go."


    She pointed at the wounded albony.


    "I''m kind of busy-"


    I had already swiped several people into my pocket dimension, collecting them all in a few seconds. Kessiah gawked.


    "Oh yeah. You can do that."


    I swept up the last soldier.


    "I''m isolating them within a dimensional stasis. They can''t die without time''s passage."


    Kessiah stepped away from me.


    "You...You''re Daniel, right?"


    I pulled my helmet down.


    "Of course. Who else?"


    Kessiah shrugged.


    "A giant, metal monster?"


    "Eh, maybe a little. One sec."


    I turned towards Lehesion''s warp in the distance.


    "Try to finish up here. I''ll be back in a few minutes. I can explain what''s going on then."


    I flew up the way I came in, leaving them with only one hole to fix in their insulating cover this time. As I crossed the blue core''s barrier, I found Lehesion''s spatial tear far further out than before. While I waited for him to get through, I charged mana for the coming fight. I needed him and Elysium to remember what I was capable of.


    Lehesion smiled.


    "Ah. It is you yet again. I thought we''d called a truce of sorts? Perhaps you wished for another thrashing."


    "More like I want to give someone a wake-up call."


    Lehesion smiled.


    "You shall be the one to awaken, child."


    He darted through the portal before breathing deeply. Jerking myself sideways, I let his beam billow out to my city. It crashed into the barrier in a massive explosion. I waved my hand over the resulting cloud of steam, pulling it away with gravity. After the ocean filling in the missing water, the shield showed no marks, holding up with utter ease. Perfect.


    Lehesion grimaced at me.


    "What is this? Face your destroyer."


    He rushed at me, flipping in the water while dragging his tail behind himself. It built energy before colliding with my raised arm. His limb ruptured, unable to tolerate the forces he put on it. Rearing back my hand, I smiled.


    "Yup. It''s still just as satisfying the second time."


    I splat him in an instant. He regenerated, and by the time he could move, I had already stretched my pocket dimension to its utmost extent. I swiped up a large portion of him but couldn''t get his entire body into the pocket dimension. The entrance wasn''t large enough, so a slither of him always remained.


    From that slither, he reconstituted in his entirety. Either way, I wasn''t getting his aura into the dimensional space, and that''s what really mattered. Still, I held several of his bodies within my pocket dimension for later use. After a few more clashes where the golden balloon popped, he flew into the sky for his eclipse shenanigans.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I destroyed the stars once more, my body a flood of destruction and my mind its maker. Once thwarted, Lehesion''s eyes rolled back in his head, his controllers taking him over again. Instead of assaulting my mind, enormous amounts of energy coursed in from afar. His body expanded. He engorged himself on power as he had against the Spatial Fortress long ago.


    Gazing at me, Tohtella spoke through him.


    "It''s you again."


    I glared at her. Lehesion turned a paw to me. The gesture didn''t fit his body.


    "This is a misunderstanding, I''m sure. You wouldn''t want us to destroy this place and earth next?"


    I coursed with an absurd amount of energy.


    "Try it."


    Lehesion''s eyes narrowed.


    "Do you think we lack the resolve to destroy your planet?"


    I spread my hands.


    "No. You lack the ability."


    Lehesion bolted towards me, many times faster than before. He slammed his tail into my arm at a blistering pace. A shockwave erupted from the collision, liquefying nearby fish and corals. The ground glassed, and the ocean vaporized. I felt the impact this time, but I held with a slight effort.


    Lehesion''s bones crushed like wet stones, and Tohtella screamed. I grabbed the flesh of the tail.


    "I''m not the same, and I will carve that understanding into your mind."


    I pulled Lehesion down and psionically invaded him, but I left the lizard''s psyche alone. He was Eonoth''s champion, after all. However, the Old One hadn''t said anything about Elysium. Once we made contact, they rushed into my head and killed my mind again.


    They harvested pieces of me. They chopped, ripped, and tore me apart. I blinked out tears of blood and tasted copper on my tongue. Or mercury. Honestly, I didn''t know what my blood tasted like. They didn''t either, as I shook my head in disappointment. Their attempts at slaughter, they were shallow. I faced a puddle.


    And compared to the endless sea of Eonoth, this was nothing.


    While studying Elysium''s tactics, strategies, and techniques, I died my shallow deaths. They employed many of them, most familiar but a few new. As they crashed against me, I offered a subtle resistance to exercise their own psionic approach. After a while, my face wrinkled, and I frowned.


    It was time.


    I enclosed them, many deep within my psyche. I flooded their minds with my own, psionically drowning them. They tried escaping, but I held them here in purgatory as I had before. After splitting most of Elysium''s psionics into pieces, Tohtella''s voice radiated out.


    "You. What are you doing?"


    I continued killing.


    "Well, I''m decimating all of your current psionics. If I could, I''d pull you down here and kill you too."


    Tohtella''s voice hardened.


    "This means war."


    I slaughtered their forces for a while. Tohtella''s voice rasped.


    "This is about the lottery, isn''t it?"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Oh really? You think so?"


    I pulled dozens more psionics down here, and I ended them.


    "You think I don''t understand your intentions after the lottery?"


    Tohtella''s tone changed as I killed swaths of her people.


    "E-Elysium is a large organization, and we don''t have absolute control of every branch-"


    "No. War began on Leviathan-7. I''m showing you what war means to me."


    I killed thousands.


    "It''s one-way slaughter. You line up. I knock you down."


    The bodies piled up.


    "You want more enemies? I am more than enough."


    Their control waned until it no longer pressed on Lehesion. I ripped at what was left.


    "You want to have goals? Safety? A place to sleep? To feel warmth without fear? If I am your enemy, then you will have nothing. I''ll scorch your worlds. I''ll kill every person you want alive. I''ll destroy your heritage and history. I''ll tear your memory from every mind that has ever heard of Elysium."


    Tohtella shouted.


    "We''ll stop. We''ll leave."


    I released some mental pressure.


    "Then go. If Elysium ever shows a sign of aggression to me or my planets, you will be met with total and complete annihilation. Never touch my worlds again."


    Tohtella''s presence dispersed, but I continued emptying Lehesion''s mind aside from the lizard himself. Once I finished, I pulled myself out. I gazed down at him.


    "You know, you''re free if you want to be. That could still be possible."


    Lehesion stared at me with wide eyes, his wings close to his body. He huddled close to the ground, his head low.


    "What are you?"


    Tired of hearing that damn question, I shouted.


    "I''m Daniel. Don''t ask again."


    He cowered, and I walked over. I put my hand over his forehead, Lehesion sweating under the vast sea. I leaned close.


    "Elysium will never touch my worlds again. And you? If you see one of my planets, I''ll gore your mind to splinters."


    I squeezed his head.


    "Do you understand me?"


    "Y-yes."


    "I''m not accepting excuses if you land on a planet I just claimed."


    "Of course."


    I roared.


    "Now get out."


    I let him go, and Lehesion turned, splitting apart space-time and leaving. I stayed there for a while, hoping my plan worked. After decimating their psionics, Elysium wouldn''t want another incursion with me for at least a bit. It also gave Schema some breathing room heading into the future.


    I did all that without incurring Eonoth''s wrath, which wasn''t difficult. The Old One''s definition of stopping a champion was absolute and pure. That meant I had plenty of wiggle room before the entity stepped in. Peering around, I winced at what lay around me. Glass patches, dead wildlife, and muddied water stretched for miles.


    I had an absolute mess to clean up. I raised a hand and shouted.


    "Yo Schema, I bought you some time. Make sure you use it."


    Nothing was said, but all was heard. I bent down and jumped. The sand exploded underneath me, the water sinking from above before pluming upward in a wave. I bolted towards Kessiah''s camp, finding them repairing the hole in the roof and getting people back into their vessel. I found the entrance, about ten feet too small for me.


    After lying on the ground, I pulled my wake out of my body with my furnaces. I floated the ancient artifacts into the bubble and rematerialized my body from the ether. As I walked into existence, I raised a hand to Kessiah.


    "You finished?"


    Everyone gawked at me, my fight with Lehesion having just finished. The aftermath still lingered, and many of these soldiers had heard of Lehesion''s wrath. I crushed him, making me something above their greatest enemy. Breaking the ice, I spread my hands while looking around.


    "Hah, we taught that lizard a lesson, eh?"


    Because of the tension, I got a few laughs from my joke. A few imperials walked up, thanking me for the show, saving them, and getting them out of this situation. I pulled different injured albony out of my pocket dimension, having Kessiah heal them one at a time without so much pressure.


    I watched her work, impressed by her finesse. She learned the anatomy of the albony inside and out, allowing her to save fatal wounds of all kinds. Unlike most healing, she remade anything missing, so it wasn''t a bandaid fix. Her recovery fixed everything but the mind itself.


    However, she wasn''t perfect. Hybridized soldiers couldn''t be saved with her alone, and surgeons carved up any infected soldiers, trying to get enough living tissue to rebuild the main body. Any infections near someone''s head spelled a rapid end, and too much missing tissue led to blood loss.


    I couldn''t handle anything technical but walked up to the surgeon''s tables. With my strength, I could pinch off any Hybridized areas near the end of the infection sites. My armor could eat the leftovers, though stopping my armor from eating untainted tissues was difficult. I drained so quickly that I ended up using single wires and tapping them onto infected sites. My armor soaked it up like dabbing a napkin on water.


    Despite my lack of proficiency, I eased the surgeon''s jobs by orders of magnitudes. We finished within two hours, and I met up with Kessiah. She got her credits, counting them. I offered a high five.


    "Hey, teamwork makes the dream work. Eh?"


    She frowned at me. I lowered my hand.


    "What''s up."


    She shook her head.


    "It''s nothing. I just wanted to do this on my own for once."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "You did. I can''t heal at all."


    She pointed at the cleanup.


    "You know, there''s a lot of steps that go into healing. It''s not just helping regenerate. There''s sanitation, decontamination, debridement, and other stuff. You''re helping with all that."


    I grabbed my arm and wrenched it off. As I did, I liquefied the connective parts so I didn''t bust the glass nearby from how loud it would''ve been. Raising the injured arm, my tissues flooded like a cup filling with water.


    "You can do this for other people. I can''t do that, and trust me, I''ve tried. Hell, I''m worried I won''t be able to continue with removing the infected-"


    "Debridement. Technically, it''s Hybrid debridement, but we don''t call it that."


    I leaned back.


    "Well, my armor keeps soaking energy up faster and faster. It''s becoming more difficult to keep it in check."


    I peered around at my golems.


    "Hm, but maybe I could specialize some of the golems for that. They''re not quite as powerful as I am, but they''d still smash someone apart with a slight mistake."


    Kessiah scoffed.


    "Sounds hard."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "But not impossible...You ready to head back?"


    Kessiah put her hands on her hips.


    "Sure. I just got another job, but that can wait if you need me."


    I leaned in.


    "What''s the job?"


    Kessiah peered off.


    "Hmm. It''s for some albony royals. Apparently, that lottery thing didn''t end up going too well for them. They''re paying big bucks to make this happen fast, but you''re the boss-"


    I raised my hand.


    "Actually, what I want can wait. Where is this?"


    Kessiah peered at her nails.


    "It''s at their capital, Ostaltia."


    My eyes widened.


    "Let''s go. Now."


    I lifted her with a gravity well.


    "No time to explain."


    She pointed at me.


    "Hey, you can''t just grab me like this."


    I set her down.


    "Do you mind?"


    She smirked.


    "Nope."


    I rolled my eyes and picked her up with a gravity well. I pointed at the vessel.


    "Can they warp us there?"


    "We need a main drive. There''s one at Saphigia''s center."


    I pulled us out of the area before one of the soldiers pointed at the body I had left behind. They shouted.


    "What are we going to do with this?"


    I waved a hand, pulling it with me. Kessiah crossed her arms.


    "What the hell happened at the lottery?"


    I winced.


    "It''s a long story."

 378 A Hopeful Death

    I rolled my eyes and picked her up with a gravity well. I pointed at the vessel.


    "Can they warp us there?"


    "We need a main drive. There''s one at Saphigia''s center."


    I pulled us out of the area before one of the soldiers pointed at the body I had left behind. They shouted.


    "What are we going to do with this?"


    I waved a hand, pulling it with me. Kessiah crossed her arms.


    "What the hell happened at the lottery?"


    I winced.


    "It''s a long story."


    Chapter Begin


    I gave Kessiah the cliff notes before we landed near the monolith of Saphigia. Kessiah rubbed her temples.


    "So, you''re telling me that you''ve been scrambling your mind to squeeze time, you have a bunch of minds, and lots of them die all the time?"


    I shrugged.


    "Yeah. Pretty much."


    Kessiah''s arms flopped on her sides.


    "What the hell are you doing to yourself?"


    "Isn''t that obvious? What has to be done."


    Kessiah furrowed her brows.


    "None of this is your responsibility. You''re just a kid from some backwater world at Schema''s edge. Even if you''ve forgotten that, I still remember it. This isn''t your fight."


    "It is now."


    "Why, though? And besides that, nowadays, I can''t even relate to half the bs you''re telling me anymore."


    I frowned.


    "No one can."


    Kessiah''s expression softened.


    "Hey, I didn''t mean it like that."


    I peered off.


    "I know."


    She raised a hand.


    "Look, my point is that you don''t have to be the person to do all of this. You can just look after yourself. Sheesh, even I know you''ve done enough to deserve that much. Just, I don''t know, let people handle themselves. That includes Schema."


    I peered at her, my eyes piercing.


    "From the ashes of every fallout, I rise. The aftermath is more silent each time. What makes you think that will change?"


    Kessiah leaned back. She reached out before opening her mouth. No words came out. She winced.


    "Ah. That''s a lot, isn''t it?"


    I pointed at the warping receptionist.


    "It is. We have to go."


    We walked toward the clerk, and I had no idea where we were going. I pursed my lips before Kessiah leaned to the receptionist.


    "Yo, we''re going to Ostaltia. It''s the capital of the Empire."


    The clerk smiled at me, and a screen popped up. I gazed at hundreds of warp locations. I pushed away at the screen.


    "What the hell is this? Agh, my eyes, they burn."


    Kessiah swam out of the gravity well before pushing me aside. Well, I allowed her to move me, but you get the point. Kessiah clicked a few of the status screens, heading toward the specific subsector of Ostaltia we needed. She hopped back into the gravity well, and I walked us to the warp drive''s queue.


    As we waited in line, Kessiah tapped her sides.


    "You remind me of myself."


    I raised a brow. Floating in the gravity well, she crossed her legs.


    "I don''t mean our personalities or anything. I''m talking about how we handle stuff."


    Thinking back, I disagreed.


    "Really? How so?"


    Kessiah pointed at me.


    "It''s our mess-ups. You already know, but I killed my parents whenever my blood arts went out of control."


    I nodded.


    "Sorry for your loss."


    She waved her hand.


    "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyways, I felt awful for decades about that. I couldn''t get this...This overwhelming kind of guilt out of me. It ate away at my insides, and I rotted to my core."


    Remembering her general cynicism when we first met, I concurred with a nod. Kessiah frowned.


    "You didn''t have to agree that quickly."


    I shrugged.


    "If the shoe fits."


    She shoved me, moving her away.


    "Whatever. The point is, I couldn''t use my skills for combat, and I still struggle to. Now I''m healing, and it''s really helped to do something about that guilt. I''m not a waste of space anymore."


    "Your point?"


    "I hate to say it, but I think you might be doing the same thing I did."


    Finally being our turn, we walked into the warp drive. The doors closed, and a while passed. I tapped my foot.


    "When are these things going to open?"


    Kessiah laughed before giving my shoulder a pat.


    "Hey, I''ll drop it, but think about what I said. You might be holding onto responsibilities that aren''t yours...Just saying."


    We shifted positions, and the slabs of steel slid open. I ran out onto a giant colosseum. Pillars of marbled stone stood over a hundred feet into the air while holding up a spinning series of copper and bronze wheels overhead. They flashed light, their entire expanses smothered with patriotic symbols of the Empire. All around, albony and other alien races oriented themselves like people in an airport.


    I flew us over the masses, not wanting to crush them. We bolted between the marble pillars, racing over the city. Individuals zoomed by me, some of them giving me dirty looks. Kessiah nudged me.


    "You''re not following flying conventions."


    Staring at an endless city, I spread my hands.


    "Where do we go? There are buildings everywhere."


    Kessiah pointed at a tall cathedral in the distance.


    "It''s that-"


    We bolted over, and I shielded us from the wind. After landing near the enchanted entrance, I nudged at the doorway. Schema-based runes and locks protected it, so the door bounced back. Several albony guards walked up.


    "Halt, show us your credential-"


    I suppressed them in gravity wells before elongating a finger. I heated it, slicing through the orichalcum locks. I jerked the massive doors open, and the machinery that opened the doors broke. I sighed, getting frustrated with how fragile everything was. Not letting it get to me, I looked around.


    Underneath the light of the enormous cathedral, dozens of injured albony lay on different stone beds. Unlike the outside, cipheric inscriptions smothered the place, and the entire area shined with crystallized manas, rare minerals, and beautiful works of art.


    Below, the stench of entrails, blood, and decay dispersed in the area.


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    Many clergymen cast holy spells for healing, their appearances mirroring a priest fused with a surgeon. They operated on dead albony, trying to revive them despite their grievous injuries. Most of them carried Hybridized tissues, and even a psionic glance told me their minds were brutalized beyond repair.


    Elysium ensured their deaths.


    However, a few albony royals held onto life. They spoke with garbled words and a chaotic cadence. I sent a message to Shalahora detailing my coordinates. Seconds later, a rip in spacetime appeared from a Sentinel''s spear, and Plazia peered through the expanse.


    "The data was accurate. Ahhhh. So this is the matter."


    Shalahora molded through before Plazia cackled.


    "A gruesome sight. Good luck."


    The rip closed, and several guards peered at us. Inspecting Shalahora''s level, they gave up any pretense of defenses. I gestured at a wounded albony.


    "Can you save their minds, or are they done?"


    Shalahora placed a hand on one of their heads.


    "This one is broken in darkness. Drowned into oblivion, he will live in purgatory forever."


    Kessiah gawked.


    "Well damn, you''re giving up that quickly?"


    Shalahora tilted his head at her.


    "Imagine a finely blended person who died weeks ago. Under the sun, their insides festered and rotted into a bloated pulp. You are tasked to revive that."


    Kessiah winced. Shalahora pointed at the albony.


    "That is what her mind is."


    One of the albony surgeons peered up from the subject.


    "A-are you sure? It doesn''t seem that bad to me."


    I pointed at Shalahora''s titles.


    "Look at his level, and you decide."


    The surgeon gawked before we walked up to another albony. We passed several, all of them being operated on. After assessing them, we headed into the catacombs of the cathedral. Even more ornate than the top level, multicolored fires cast golden hues over the polished stone here. The stench of corpses built in the space, and we found Obolis carrying a gilded bag.


    He pulled artifacts out of it, different ones for different situations. I raised a hand.


    "Hey, can we help?"


    Obolis turned to us, and he tilted his head.


    "How did you-" He tapped his forehead. "Ah, Kessiah. You''ve intercepted her call here. I''m trying to access this situation and save the highest-tiered royals here. Few will make it from what I''ve gathered."


    I looked around, recognizing Alastair and Victoria. The big guy had his chest shelled out, and his entire corpse Hybridized into a blot of machinery and wires. Victoria wore ethereal chains, and she spoke as if nothing was wrong. A cursory glance exposed her mind had been converted into something unrecognizable.


    Shalahora shook his head.


    "She''s gone."


    Midway through taking out an artifact, Obolis froze in place. He turned to Shalahora.


    "You...You mean to say there is no possible means of regaining her?"


    Shalahora flashed over, placing a hand on Victoria''s head.


    "Hm...No. To her core, she is the chattel of Elysium. Her inner thoughts revolve around them. Her beliefs stem from them. Even her dreams are inspired by them."


    Victoria smiled at Shalahora.


    "What? I''m no one''s slave...And take these chains off of me. I am more than fine."


    I rubbed my brow, "How the hell is it even possible to do something like that?"


    Obolis''s hands shook.


    "We don''t know."


    Obolis''s eyes rested on Victoria for a moment. Obolis growled.


    "All I see are the talking corpses of my family."


    Obolis turned and threw an artifact at a wall. Shalahora flashed over, intercepted the artifact, and flashed back to Obolis. Shalahora placed the relic in his hands, holding it there. The shadow murmured.


    "Be calm."


    Obolis squeezed his hands around the artifact and nodded. We walked through the room before I peered around.


    "Where''s Helios?"


    Obolis closed his eyes.


    "He is dead and alive."


    Kessiah put her hands on her hips.


    "Huh. That''s a first."


    Obolis pulled us aside. We paced to the next floor, another layer deep in the catacombs. Mirroring the floor above, flames flared out with golden light. A giant bloom of void ice wafted out at the center of the room with chilling mist. Within the violet cluster, Helios gazed out with a pale, blinded eye. His mask shattered, and the other eye was missing.


    I flinched as Helios''s actual state soaked in. A Hybrid exploded out of the back of his neck. His body was missing an arm and a leg, his blood frozen within the void ice. After calming myself down, I scratched my head.


    "So yeah...He looks, uh, pretty dead."


    Kessiah winced.


    "Oh yeah. He''s dead."


    Obolis walked up to his nephew and interlocked his arms behind himself.


    "He is most certainly passed, but dead? Not quite. You see, Helios is the only member in a state of suicide."


    I raised a brow.


    "Helios? Committing suicide?"


    Obolis moved his hand.


    "Yes. He likely found the situation so dire that he decided to reset himself."


    Kessiah snapped her fingers.


    "Ah, the feisty cat never used his luck revival, huh?"


    Obolis sighed.


    "It''s a last resort for a reason, and even now, Helios still hasn''t used it."


    I walked up.


    "And we''re figuring out why?"


    Obolis nodded. I got closer before pulling my wake over the area. It molded away from the void ice and Helios. My eyes widened.


    "Oh man, that''s some intense time dilation he''s in. What is this, a stasis or something? It''s got to be artificial."


    Obolis leaned toward me.


    "It''s true stasis, not the tricks you''ll see the Force of Iron or Schema play. I found that artifact two centuries ago in Argos. I gave it to Helios as a gift a decade ago. He used it as he died."


    Kessiah shrugged.


    "Maybe he wanted to be reincarnated here instead of at the lottery?"


    Obolis turned to her.


    "I thought the same. We''ve placed him down here while we operated on the more pressing individuals above. However, I wished to have an experienced psionic inspect Helios before we wiped him. It''s due to the other royals showing signs of mental tampering that we can''t seem to undo."


    Shalahora stepped up.


    "I shall see what may be done."


    A minute passed. Shalahora shrugged.


    "I cannot pierce the stasis."


    Obolis winced.


    "This is what I feared."


    The Emperor created a stone and tossed it toward the void ice. It froze in the radius of the stasis. Obolis shook his head.


    "This is an absolute death as time has stopped its passage entirely within this sphere. We can''t kill him and reset his ruined body."


    I turned to Obolis.


    "What do you mean?"


    Obolis turned a palm to the void ice.


    "Death requires time. There is none there."


    I raised a hand.


    "One moment."


    I walked up to the stasis before putting my hand on the aura. My hand stopped, unable to enter the stasis whatsoever. I gawked at it.


    "This is insane."


    Obolis nodded.


    "True stasis, as I''ve said."


    I condensed my wake before pulling my hand out.


    "Wow. I gotta say, that is one powerful artifact. Crazy stuff, for sure."


    Obolis tilted his head, his eyes wide. I cracked my knuckles before rolling my shoulders.


    "Wish me luck."


    I pulled my wake over me before rearing my hand back. I jammed my arm into the aura, pushing through the stasis like someone wrestling through a pile of glue and sand. Obolis''s jaw slackened before I turned to him. I frowned.


    "Yeah, this reminds me of Chrona''s time magic, but many times stronger. Tough stuff, I gotta say."


    After pushing through the aura, I dove my arm deeper until I made contact with the void ice. It took a few minutes because of the stasis, but I cracked through the stuff before reaching Helios. I turned to Shalahora.


    "Hey, you can reach him now, right?"


    The shadow nodded, and Shalahora paced up. He touched my shoulder, using me to link to Helios. After a minute, Shalahora stepped back.


    "Aside from intense duress, there are no signs of tampering with his mind."


    Obolis smiled. The expression was irrepressible.


    "What? You''re certain?"


    Shalahora oozed.


    "I don''t tell lies."


    Obolis walked over.


    "Ah, my apologies. I meant no unspoken accusations. Can he be healed?"


    I shook my head.


    "He''s dead. There''s no lifeline whatsoever, and most of his organs are Hybridized. He needs a full reset for sure."


    Obolis let out a sharp sigh. He held his hands together.


    "Gah, one. A survivor. Thank you...Thank you."


    I shook my head.


    "Don''t thank us yet."


    Obolis''s brow furrowed.


    "We just need to pull him out of there and evaporate his physical form. He''ll return unharmed."


    I tapped my teeth together.


    "Now, if there''s one thing I''ve learned from fighting Elysium, they are always three steps ahead."


    I dug several wires of Dimensional fabric through Helios.


    "And I also know they use tricks to get what they want. Like-"


    I split open one of Helios''s shins, tearing his armor apart like a tin can. Obolis winced as I drained the blood over Helios''s bones. The Emperor leaned back.


    "Ugh, must you consume his corpse?"


    I pointed at the shin.


    "I''m not. I''m getting it out of the way."


    Obolis inspected close, and horror spread over his face. I pursed my lips.


    "See what I mean?"


    Cipheric inscriptions laced the entire surface of Helios''s bones. Obolis spread his hands.


    "What is this?"


    I sighed.


    "It''s a way of corrupting someone''s physical form. I remember Yawm tried using it with insidious effects on his Followers. Elysium''s taken up the mantle, and they''re doing, er, something with it, I guess?"


    Obolis leaned closer.


    "This...An implanted restructuring enchantment?"


    I shrugged.


    "Honestly, I have no clue, but it''s there."


    Obolis turned a hand.


    "We''ll have it canceled before having him reset."


    I dug through the corpse before I shook my head.


    "This is what I mean by three steps ahead."


    I cracked open the shin bone, and underneath the marrow and blood was another layer of dual-sided runes. I nodded.


    "They thought they had us this time, but not on my watch."


    After memorizing them, I smashed the cipheric inscriptions, blending Helios''s bones to nothing. Somehow, this helped him. At the same time, I pulled out my grimoire and handed it to Obolis.


    "Use this to make the counter enchantment. At the very least, we''ll need any cipheric effects voided in this space."


    Above us, several screams echoed out. I turned to Shalahora.


    "What''s happening?"


    Shalahora raised a hand.


    "The Hybrids are consolidating."


    The cathedral''s roof ruptured, and several albony royals approached us as Hybridized monstrosities. A freed Victoria glared at us with a wicked smile, and she swung a spear of light behind herself.


    "It''s time to make our mark."

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 379 A Friend Found

    At the same time, I pulled out my grimoire and handed it to Obolis.


    "Use this to make the counter enchantment. At the very least, we''ll need any cipheric effects voided in this space."


    Above us, several screams echoed out. I turned to Shalahora.


    "What''s happening?"


    Shalahora raised a hand.


    "The Hybrids are consolidating."


    The cathedral''s roof ruptured, and several albony royals approached us as Hybridized monstrosities. A freed Victoria glared at us with a wicked smile, and she swung a spear of light behind herself.


    "It''s time to make our mark."


    Chapter Begin


    I raised my brow.


    "No, it''s not."


    I peered up, creating a multilayered gravity well over the place. The first layer was a large panel that pulled downward. It was enough to restrain an average person. Anything that kept causing gravitational ripples received multiple plates of gravitation until they quit squirming around. In ten seconds, everything in the building stopped moving.


    Aside from Victoria, that is. She stood in crushing gravitation, the rock floor cracking beneath her. She collapsed onto her knees before pulling a metal cylinder from her dimensional storage. Obolis snapped his fingers, the chains reforming over her.


    "That''s quite enough."


    Victoria collapsed before one of the Hybridized royals crawled across the ground. It reached the cylinder before pressing a button. Stopping the worst, I walked up, pocketed the cylinder, and turned to Obolis.


    "What was that?"


    Obolis walked past the tether of dimensional fabric I left behind like a rope.


    "It was a thermonuclear bomb she stole long ago."


    I raised my brow.


    "It''s been set off?"


    "Yes. There are many methods of disposal without casualties."


    Shalahora tilted his head, tethering to everyone in the building and nearby. He turned to me.


    "Their minds are silenced. What should be done?"


    I shrugged before turning to Obolis.


    "What do you want? This is your city."


    Obolis walked up to Victoria. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her.


    "You''ve been reconstructed by Elysium. You understand that, don''t you?"


    Victoria growled.


    "You don''t know anything of what was done to me. They didn''t change anything. They made me understand what you''ve taken from us. What you sold us out for."


    Obolis sighed.


    "I gave you the greatest upbringing imaginable. Endless texts of value, every weapon and armor piece you requested, and a prestigious university full of like-minded individuals to challenge and encourage you. I gave you many options others dream of. I even granted rare requests for exotic animals and meetings with band members you wished to see."


    Even in her recreated state, Victoria''s hair rose on end at the last statement. She peered away, flushing red under her fur. Obolis walked up and lunged beside her.


    "Are the core characteristics there or-"


    Shalahora lowered his head.


    "No. She is lying to you to lower your guard and kill you. She remembers who you are and how to weaken you. That is all this is; she presents a shallow facade to have you killed. She plans to shatter Helios''s prison to recreate him as she has been. She will do the same to many after that, converting more albony royals to erode your empire from within."


    Shalahora''s form rippled.


    "And that is only the beginning."


    Obolis peered away before squeezing his hand.


    "Ah...As expected."


    Obolis placed a hand on her cheek.


    "I loved you deeply. You were the heat to Helios''s cold. You both fought like wildfires, each surging the other to greater heights. In that perpetual combat, you found reason and purpose. You were a light to all that saw you, an inspiration of the albony ideal."


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    Victoria heaved for breath before trying to bite Obolis''s hand. The Emperor grabbed her jaw. He could easily break her neck, and the grizzled Emperor considered it. Instead, he set her down and turned to me.


    "Can you lessen the gravitation over her?"


    I did, and Obolis opened his dimensional storage and pulled out an artifact. The sword of light glistened as Obolis smiled at Victoria.


    "This is the sister of your spear. They were found together."


    He grabbed Victoria''s spear, ripping it from her grasp. A quick push later, and the weapons clicked in place. A halberd spawned from the glow, radiating with intense quintessence mana. Victoria stood up, facing him in her chains. They disintegrated before Obolis placed the weapon in her hands. As she snatched it away, she snarled.


    "You finally give it to me after all this?"


    Obolis interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "It''s my final lesson."


    She grabbed the halberd, swinging at Obolis. It blurred with excessive speed, but Obolis dodged with ease. The Emperor gazed at the streaks of light.


    "What I told you then holds true, even now."


    She kept swinging the weapon, and crescents of light lingered from her attacks. They resonated with her halberd, strengthening it with a subtle melody. Obolis turned away.


    "You aren''t ready for the Shaelance Glaive."


    The resonations built as cracks of light spread over Victoria. The resonance destroyed the Hybrids nearby as she screamed out. The gleaming glow encompassed her entire body, and she dispersed as soft petals. They floated away like a torn flower carried by a gentle breeze.


    The Shaelance Glaive fell to the ground, and Obolis picked it up while resting on his knees. Shalahora walked up, reaching out a hand. Obolis handed the psionic Sovereign the weapon, and Shalahora marveled at it. Shalahora raised it high.


    "A fascinating weapon. Two flows of quintessence must mirror the other, and they build to a blinding crescendo. From their chorus, a resonance of destruction is born."


    Cracks spread into Shalahora''s arm. He tossed it to me, and I snatched it out of the air. It hummed in my hand. I matched its quintessent rush before giving it a few swings. The light expanded in the Rise of Eden.


    It built a strange series of notes. The slicing bolts of light resonated and sang like a throng of warriors. They coalesced into the weapon at its peak, a fierce potential radiating through me.


    It faded before I lifted the weapon high.


    "Why did you want Victoria to pass with this?"


    Obolis let his hands rest at his sides.


    "I saved her from that weapon many times, and she never listened to my warnings. She would''ve rather died this way than be a tool of Elysium."


    Obolis nodded before standing. He squeezed a hand where Victoria had been.


    "This was the one time I couldn''t save her."


    Kessiah put her hands on her hips.


    "Guys, there''s people that need treatment. Let''s get this show on the road."


    Obolis kept his shoulders low.


    "Indeed. We shall treat the treatable."


    I handed the spear back, and we headed upstairs, finding everyone restrained by variable levels of gravitation. I released a few guards, and all of them lunged onto a knee facing Obolis. A few scrambled to get their masks back on, apologizing profusely. Obolis dismissed all transgressions, and he turned to the patients here.


    They shouldered the lottery''s mark, from Hybridization to psionic splintering and fatal wounds. Obolis rubbed a temple.


    "How many may be saved?"


    Shlahora pointed at three different albony. Obolis nodded before pulling out another artifact from his storage. He pulled out a band of fire, and it slotted around his outstretched hand. Mana siphoned through a few elemental furnaces before Obolis tightened his grip. As he did, fire spawned over the wounded albony, and they faded into nothing.


    Obolis pointed downstairs.


    "Let''s hope that Helios can be saved."


    Kessiah stayed upstairs, treating individuals while we headed down. Obolis and I drafted a few cipheric canceling inscriptions while Shalahora guaranteed Helios''s mental security. After a couple hours, I called in Plazia to help, the three of us racking our brains for any solution. Plazia and Obolis did most of the technical work, but I wrote out the cipher. My thaumaturgical abilities gave me more nuance than them.


    After achieving a practical effect, we established an area that muted a specific cipheric interaction. It duplicated the results of Plazia''s Schema removal but not entirely. That variant focused on isolating system-based effects. This enchantment stopped anything that changed what a person was.


    That was where I came in. Plazia and Obolis couldn''t make that engraving because it lacked the stability to use on a living person. Their attempts resulted in weird, wonky incantations that were wild and unpredictable. I stepped in at that point, knowing how to fix it. After I finished etching into the pages, Obolis peered at my runes.


    "It''s so strange. You make the cipher look less like a language and more an art form."


    Plazia leaned on a throne he had crafted hours ago.


    "It is all he may do with the cipher, but it is a unique trait...It happens to suit this circumstance well."


    I frowned.


    "Let''s hope so."


    I charged mana into a monolith we marked the inscription on. It was my preferred method, after all. After several minutes, it took hold. As the odd sensation crossed over me, Obolis crossed his arms.


    "Did it succeed? There''s no change."


    I left my body before remaking myself from my dimensional wake. As I did, I tried reforming in a different shape than my usual. I couldn''t. Once made new, I turned to Obolis.


    "I feel its effects. It works."


    Obolis tapped his crossed arms while looking at Shalahora.


    "And the mind is secured?"


    Shalahora dispersed.


    "It is, and there are no other enchantments elsewhere. This place is pure."


    Obolis took a breath.


    "Then we need to stop the stasis. If you would?"


    I trotted up.


    "Gladly."


    I pushed through the temporal field before reaching Helios.


    "So it''s the gauntlet, right?"


    Obolis nodded. I pushed through, finding Helios''s plated arm. Beneath the gauntlet, two gemstones were embedded in the inner palm. One channeled energy from the gauntlet, while the other remained lustrous but unused. I glanced at the Emperor.


    "It''s the gemstones, right?"


    Obolis stepped closer.


    "It''s one of them."


    I raised a brow. Obolis turned a hand.


    "They were supposed to assist him with his sight. He turned them into incredible weapons through his own ingenuity. The one siphoning mana is responsible for the stasis."


    I gripped it.


    "Are we ready?"


    Obolis stepped back.


    "As ready as we can be."


    I dislodged the gemstone. The temporal field dissipated, unleashing all frozen within, even Helios''s death throes. His voice filled the cavern, erupting like a pained cry. Obolis peered away as Helios''s body funneled down to the bottom of the void ice, most of him blended from yours truly. The blood and chunks froze seconds after, and I shook my head.


    This situation was insane.


    After the echoes faded, We looked around, waiting for Helios''s respawn. Seconds passed like eons. As dread sank in, a flash of mana crossed over us. A muscled albony appeared, black stripes lining his furred body. He glanced around, his eyes pale and blind from birth. He stared at his hands.


    "And here I imagined you''d all be too stupid to figure it out."


    He squeezed them into fists.


    "Looks like I was wrong."


    He smiled at us.


    "Excellent work, uncle...And Harbinger."

 380 A Changed Albony

    I shook my head at how insane the situation was, and seconds passed like eons. We all looked around before a flash of mana crossed over us. A muscled albony appeared, black stripes lining his furred body. He glanced around, his eyes pale and blind from birth. He stared at his hands.


    "And here I imagined you''d all be too stupid to figure it out."


    He squeezed them into fists.


    "Looks like I was wrong."


    He smiled at us.


    "Excellent work, uncle...And Harbinger."


    Chapter Begin


    Obolis walked up, his hands shaking. Helios put a hand on the Emperor''s shoulder.


    "You survived. As the Carnage of Ostaltia should."


    Helios lowered his arm before narrowing his eyes.


    "Victoria wasn''t savable then?"


    Obolis winced. Helios tilted his head.


    "Hm. You''re emotional, aren''t you? Perhaps the worst has happened?"


    Obolis''s arms fells to his sides. Helios nodded.


    "Then the Empire is no more."


    Those words sunk into the place like a knife between the ribs. Obolis reached out his hands.


    "Helios."


    His nephew put a palm on Obolis''s chest, stopping the hug. Helios raised his brow.


    "This weakness isn''t fitting for a king. The Empire needs you more than ever, so make yourself whole from these pieces."


    Obolis trembled. Helios made a fist and gave his uncle a light punch in his chest. Leaving his hand there, Helios stared at Obolis.


    "The albony need you, not this shell you feel you''ve become."


    Obolis tried speaking, but his words bled into nothing. Helios leaned close.


    "Be what you must be, not what you are. Isn''t that what you told me? Hm?"


    Helios walked away from Obolis, leaving the Emperor there in a state of shock. Near us, Helios peered at his own corpse before sneering.


    "I appear to have been blended into a fine paste before being reborn. Blegh."


    Shalahora and I peered at each other before I turned a hand to Helios.


    "Uh, shouldn''t you give him a hug or something?"


    Helios leaned close to me, his eyes like slits.


    "What do you think we were given in our time of need? No words of encouragement, I assure you."


    Helios leaned back and snapped a finger, the void ice shattering around his corpse. The freshly melted blood pooled down before he picked up his clothes, armor, and possessions. They dripped with fluids and chunky bone, but Helios left his mask fragments behind. He simmered.


    "Agh. Why must everything be so disgusting?"


    Helios turned to us.


    "Surely you all must be busy? Let''s move."


    I frowned.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Helios shook his head.


    "I''m joining your guild...If you would allow it."


    Obolis stared at Helios. Obolis''s jaw slackened when he heard the words, his eyes watering. Caught between a rock and a hard place, I raised my palms to them both.


    "I''m not a part of this."


    Helios raised a hand to me.


    "Oh, but you are. Know that I wished to end this without theatrics, but it wasn''t meant to be so."


    Helios''s face wore an empty smile.


    "You should stay and learn much of what Obolis understood before entering the lottery. Of what he hid from even us, his loyal subjects."


    Helios''s ire transformed from angst to deserving rage in an instant. Obolis shook his hands.


    "No, Helios, there''s a misunderstanding. I didn''t know-"


    Obolis turned to me. His expression changed as the Emperor peered back at Helios.


    "I can explain. If I told you all about the lottery beforehand, then Schema-"


    Helios shouted, "You wanted to rebuild the Empire, so you risked our ignorance. We walked into a deadly game without prior knowledge, something you had on hand. You could''ve taken away our positions, but no. You knew some of us would die and measured that risk."


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    Helios put his hand on his chest.


    "We, who gave you everything. Our loyalty. Our dreams. Even our lives. You converted us from your kin to a measurement. We are no longer people to you. We are a calculation for your gain, your legacy, and your history."


    Helios took a step. Void ice spawned from his feet.


    "I am a calculation no more. I will no longer walk in your shadow to a valley of death."


    He took another step, and my hair stood on end. Helios''s voice hardened to iron.


    "I will walk my own path. I will forge my own way."


    Obolis grimaced.


    "Everything I''ve done is for the albony."


    Helios walked off, opening a warp to Mt. Verner.


    "All you do is for yourself."


    The warp closed behind him, and we sat in tense silence. Plazia coughed on his hand before melting into the ground. Wishing I could just leave like that, a while passed before I let out a long sigh.


    "We should go."


    Obolis simmered.


    "You should."


    I turned, walking out of the room and floating upstairs. In the medical bay, Shalahora sighed.


    "To this day, I still lack any knowledge of familial affairs. To press onto that nerve is beyond me."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Me too, buddy. Me too."


    Plazia''s eyes melted onto a wall, and a mouth of jagged rock hissed.


    "Perhaps Florence may help you?"


    I snapped a finger to the wall.


    "Good idea."


    One of the albony surgeons looked at us. She dropped her scalpel and turned to the doorway.


    "I''m not paid enough for this."


    True to her word, she left the building for a different path in life. I couldn''t blame her as Plazia molded out of the wall, walking out of magma. The twisted Sentinel sliced through dimensions before sighing.


    "I bore of drama. You individualized species reak of it."


    He stepped through, reaching Mt. Verner. Shalahora followed, and Kessiah had already evacuated earlier. That left me for last. I put a hand through the portal before it clamped onto my arm. I pursed my lips before Obolis stepped up. He wrinkled his brow.


    "Will you accept him into your guild?"


    I shrugged.


    "I don''t see why not."


    Obolis''s face gnarled up like old roots.


    "Doing so is an insult I''m unwilling to bear."


    I sighed.


    "Unwilling to bear? Holy shit. Ok, I didn''t want to have to do this, but-"


    I walked to him, the portal trying to grind through my arm.


    "If I have to choose between you two, I''m picking Helios every time. He hasn''t lied to me. He sticks to what he says and doesn''t take advantage of people. Sure, he''s gruff around the edges, and the guy can have an attitude. That''s all surface-level. Underneath, he''s a good guy."


    I tapped Obolis''s chest plate.


    "We both know you''re not. From our talk on L-7, you agreed with Schema aiming to cull the weak rulers. Separate the spoiled from the spoilers, right? Hell, from what Helios is saying, you looked forward to having your empire cleansed."


    Obolis leaned back.


    "I-I never considered the implications-"


    I raised my brow.


    "Helios mentioned everything that needed to be said. You could''ve gotten rid of the albony''s titles. They didn''t have to be rulers, but now you''re trying to say you never considered that? You''re trying to lie to me like you tried lying to Helios."


    Obolis took a sharp breath. I frowned.


    "Yeah, I saw it. He did too. You''re off your game right now, which makes sense. You''ve lost everything, and this must be a shock. However-."


    Obolis closed his eyes before squeezing his hands into fists. I lowered my arm.


    "You need to take this loss on the chin and quit ducking it. It''s not befitting of a king."


    I turned to leave. Obolis snapped.


    "The artifacts? The income? If you accept Helios, then you lose them. It''s in your hands now. This relationship continues or ends because of you."


    I glared back and leaned over him.


    "That''s where you''re wrong. I''m not ending anything. You''re letting your ego get ahead of what''s best for your people. You did that in the lottery."


    I gestured to the empty room.


    "Look at how that worked out for you."


    Obolis glared while heaving for breath. I grabbed the tightened portal over my arm and pulled it back open.


    "I''ll be here whenever you calm down. Till then-"


    I gave him a two-finger salute, and Obolis bristled. I walked through the portal, stepping into Plazia''s lair. Insects cleaned Helios''s possessions, and the icy albony stood tall. I walked up.


    "It''s good to see you again."


    He gave me a curt nod before I pulled the lug into a hug. He leaned his face away at first before sighing. He squeezed back, and I let go. Helios sneered.


    "You weren''t going to let go until I returned the gesture?"


    "Hell no."


    Helios grinned.


    "You''re as obnoxious as Florence."


    I pointed at him.


    "Speaking of, he needs to see you."


    Helios raised a palm.


    "I wish to clothe myself first beforehand. I want my dignity."


    That made sense. Before anything else, Shalahora manifested from the shadows.


    "Do not blame Obolis for his words. He has lost everything, and he is falling apart."


    Helios frowned.


    "Why do you care?"


    Shalahora peered down.


    "I...I feel for his pain."


    I nodded.


    "I''m not taking it personally. If anything, I feel bad for the guy. He''s obviously bitten off more than he can chew, and now he''s starting to choke."


    Shalahora dispersed.


    "It is a burden he chose to bear, but it is one he can no longer undo. Now, he wears the mantle of his species. It will crush him as it crushed me."


    Shalahora''s words lingered.


    "Do not let it crush you, Harbinger."


    After he faded, Helios sneered.


    "He''s cheerful, isn''t he?"


    I shrugged.


    "What can I say. The guy has a...Dark side."


    Helios facepalmed.


    "To think I missed this idiocy."


    We exchanged banter, but in the back of my mind, Shalahora''s warning rang out. Despite my jokes, I took the Sovereign''s words to heart. He had a reason for everything he said, and I would heed the wisdom in them.


    While we talked, Plazia finished sanitizing Helios''s clothes. Helios put them on, taking his time and being meticulous with every article. I watched as he did, fascinated that an upright, fully furred tiger wore clothing and armor.


    Helios scoffed.


    "Enjoying the show?"


    I raised my brow a couple times.


    "Always."


    Helios laughed before shaking his head.


    "When was the last time you''ve even worn anything?"


    I looked up.


    "I think during that dinner party that Ophelia and Florence organized. Was it a suit or something?"


    Plazia read a dusty book.


    "No. At that time, you molded your armor into a suit. My children told me it looked awful."


    I spread my hands.


    "You were spying, even then?"


    Eyes of magma opened in the walls.


    "I am always watching."


    I put my primordial wake over him, knowing how insidious it felt.


    "Me too, buddy."


    Helios narrowed his eyes.


    "You''ve mastered your primordial energy. That is incredible fluency."


    My eyes grew distant.


    "My lottery was...Challenging."


    Helios grimaced.


    "Mine as well. I need to discuss the details of it with you and now."


    "Same. I''ll get the others."


    When I opened my status, Helios put a hand on my arm.


    "There are details of my experience that the others shouldn''t hear. It will be a burden for them to bear."


    Remembering the psionic liquid and my other secrets, I nodded.


    "Ah...Alright. Who needs to know?"


    Helios pointed at Plazia.


    "Aside from that informational kleptomaniac? Torix and you. That is all."


    Plazia cackled.


    "I am of many faces. To wear them, I must know them."


    Helios grabbed his gauntleted wrist.


    "Seeing and knowing are distinct concepts. You should learn the difference."


    A wall smiled.


    "You speak of sight? Would the blind preach to the able?"


    Helios inspected his hand.


    "There is more than one way to see."


    Plazia cackled.


    "And there is more than one way to be blind."


    I raised my brow.


    "Remind me not to try and one-up Plazia."


    Helios stared at me and clasped his armored hand into a fist.


    "Enough chatter. There''s much to discuss and little time to do so."


    I frowned.


    "About the lottery?"


    Helios''s face gnarled.


    "No. Of Elysium. Of Schema...And of my uncle."

 381 Another Antecedence

    "Seeing and knowing are distinct concepts. You should learn the difference."


    A wall smiled.


    "You speak of sight? Would the blind preach to the able?"


    Helios inspected his hand.


    "There is more than one way to see, and you shall soon know it."


    Helios stared at me and clasped his armored hand into a fist.


    "Listen, Harbinger. There''s much to discuss and little time to do so."


    I frowned.


    "About the lottery?"


    Helios''s face gnarled.


    "No. Of Elysium. Of Schema...And of my uncle."


    Chapter Begin


    My eyes sharpened.


    "What about Elysium?"


    Helios sighed.


    "Let''s have the lich be here."


    I sent the status message, and a minute later, Torix walked out of a short-range warp.


    "Ah, it''s good to see everyone. Whatever is the matter-"


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Helios? It''s good to see you''re alive and well."


    Helios raised his brow.


    "You''re still in your disciple''s old flesh?"


    Torix''s eyes turned white.


    "Of course. And it''s still stronger than yours."


    I reached out a hand, and Torix gave me a high five. Helios shook his head.


    "Children."


    I pointed at Torix.


    "Speaking of your body, I need to make you a new one."


    Torix raised his palms.


    "I doubt I could handle the mana production of your current build."


    I frowned.


    "Actually, I found a way to help ease that process. I met this mage called Targask. He taught me a few different kinds of magic, including ways of making mana easier to handle."


    Torix supported his chin with a fist.


    "Hm, he sounds like an interesting fellow. Could we meet?"


    I shook my head.


    "No. He''s dead."


    Torix shook his head.


    "A shame. What is the method he shared?"


    Helios tapped his foot.


    "Perhaps save the sorcerial conversations for later?"


    Torix shook his hands.


    "Of course. Do excuse me. I''ve been rather easy to distract as of late."


    Plazia walked over, magic oozing from him. His insects writhed across the ground, cooing for his favor. The bugs died as a field crossed over us. Our isolation from our surroundings magnified tenfold, becoming something absolute. Plazia sat closer, forming a basalt throne as he did.


    "Tell us, blind one. What is it we must speak of?"


    Before speaking, I walked out of the room and confinement magic. I sent an invitation to my guild to Shalahora. Seconds later, he accepted it, and I messaged him to come over. The Sovereign spawned from the ether. He sat down on an umbral chair of shadows.


    "I arrive as asked."


    Helios snapped his fingers, sitting down on a void ice chair.


    "I shall speak of my experience and what I learned during my lottery."


    Following the crew, I sat down on a gravity well.


    "It sounds like ours. How much did Elysium interfere?"


    Torix snapped his fingers, several undead spawning and interlocking beneath him. A throne of bones formed.


    "From what Daniel''s spoken of, we may ascertain that all the held lotteries were trifled with."


    Helios bristled.


    "Then it''s as I expected. Elysium''s forces have likely quintupled in an instant."


    I leaned forward.


    "How?"


    Helios leaned back in his chair.


    "It''s the result of Elysium''s actions. My lottery was called as all the others were. I was placed with five hundred rulers within an ancient, unknown ruin. We were told the conditions and given minutes to prepare. Seven of those present were albony. They were my kin...My brothers and sisters, including Victoria."


    A pain boiled under the surface as Helios sneered.


    "We immediately decided on roles, tasks, and objectives. We lacked the immediate power of the other rulers, but we chose to compensate through unity and cooperation. This involved being close, so we chose to gather after being warped to L-6. Considering the lack of warping, we''d need to find another way of finding each other."


    Helios turned a palm.


    "Considering the long-range consistency of psionics, we chose basic mind magic."


    I winced, peering away. Helios nodded.


    "It was a dire mistake."


    Torix grabbed his chin.


    "Elysium''s agents intercepted the calls?"


    Helios''s lips shifted, showing his teeth.


    "Yes. We weren''t eliminated immediately. In fact, we found one another within the first few days. All seemed well. We evaded the other rulers, gathered resources, and established safety. The planet, while inhospitable, wasn''t a wasteland."


    Helios frowned.


    "While we weren''t equipped for such hardship, we found methods to manage. Several of my cousins hadn''t practiced magic or combat in years, having grown fat and lazy. Victoria and I still competed, and we took charge of our group. However, as the days dragged onto months, something about Victoria was...Different."


    Plazia''s throne smiled, jagged grins spreading across it. The hivemind said,


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "She was remade in Elysium''s image?"


    Helios sighed.


    "It left us at a loss of who and what was happening. She steadily dismantled the others while we were unaware. In that isolation, I was surrounded by the smiles of bodies I knew but people I didn''t. I was alone."


    Remembering my solitary months on L-7, I grimaced.


    "Yeah. That''s hard."


    Helios crossed a leg.


    "I had a habit of sleeping within void ice. Initially, this kept me from being a victim of their insidious methods. I uncovered their treachery whenever they tried piercing my prison. I found an escape and became the hunted. Other rulers helped my corrupted kin, and I ran to the worst part of the world to bide time."


    I grimaced.


    "The ossuary?"


    Helios tilted his head. I sat upright.


    "Oh, it''s my name for where the giant eldritch''s bones piled up, and the strongest became monsters I called primevals. Other stuff too, but you already know about that."


    Helios''s jaw slackened.


    "What?"


    I waved my hands.


    "Uh, never mind. Don''t worry about it. What was the worst part of your planet?"


    Helios pointed at me.


    "Algae spread across the sky in the worst part of L-6, and colossal eldritch fell from these deformed clouds. They would battle for territories for their algae."


    I nodded.


    "Ok, now I know what you''re talking about. That''s pretty bad."


    Helios pressed a fingertip to his temple.


    "It was. I found sanctum among the colossi. Other rulers found me time and time again, but I escaped them. Eventually, I killed several of my kin and other rulers. I used the colossi against them, gaining an advantage."


    Helios peered down.


    "An advantage they shattered. They found a way of controlling the colossi and cornered me. I fought until my body had broken and my mind splintered. They implanted a Hybrid within me before I escaped their grasp. The implanted monster drilled through my bones, carving into my marrow."


    Plazia''s throne spawned eyes that peered at Helios. The hivemind said, "They used their twisted aberrations to search under your skin and mold your mind...This world will falter if we find their teeth and claws here."


    My runes glowed.


    "Their teeth will break, and their claws will shatter."


    Helios''s eyes grew distant.


    "I never dreamed of facing those horrors, but I lacked the imagination to conceive of their potential. On L-6, my nightmares were when I wakened, my body changed to their plaything."


    The room hummed from the activity above. Helios grabbed his mane while looking up. He let out a gasp of air before breathing in.


    "The Hybrid eroded me from within, and I couldn''t remove it. After embrittling my body, it left me a shade of what I was. There was no return. I sliced off my arm and leg. I tore out my eye. I did everything I could to live longer. It didn''t matter. I was the walking dead, a puppet, a caricatured corpse."


    Helios scoffed.


    "I feared being a puppet of someone else all my life, yet I never imagined it would be from within. Hah. Haha."


    Hearing Helios''s hollow laugh hurt. Leaning forward, ascendant mana pooled beneath me as I imagined Elysium finding a way to my home and what they would do to it. My hands shook as I clasped them.


    Torix tilted his head at Helios.


    "But you lived?"


    Helios stared at the ceiling. Taking another breath, Helios closed his eyes. A while passed, and he pulled his gaze back down while lowering his hands.


    "I found life in death, and I was not idle in my chase. I hunted down several of their agents and uncovered their secrets. I learned they hatched this plot with all the lotteries and that Schema lacked any and all awareness of their interference. I also learned of Obolis''s foreknowledge."


    Helios peered away.


    "I watched my body bleed and bend, knowing several artifacts in Obolis''s storerooms could''ve saved me. If I had time, if we all had time, we wouldn''t have been so weak and vulnerable. Then I considered it further - we never had to enter this little game. Obolis could''ve saved us all. He had chosen not to."


    I took a breath, assimilating the ascendant mana beneath me.


    "I''m sorry you figured that out the hard way. I learned because Obolis had no choice but to tell me."


    Helios waved a hand.


    "Save your apologies for someone who deserves them. I still remember when we first met. I threatened Althea''s life to send you a message."


    Helios covered his face.


    "What did I tell you? I''m a reckless idiot. Fear me. Agh. It hurts to even think of it...I still am astonished that you haven''t tortured me for it."


    I shrugged.


    "Don''t tempt me."


    Plazia leaned forward, beady eyes glistening underneath cracks in his armor.


    "I volunteer."


    Torix waved a hand.


    "What other secrets did you uncover? We need every ounce of information we can glean from this."


    Helios nodded.


    "I understood that the other lotteries would result in the Empire''s downfall. I also gained knowledge of their plot to ally with Daniel to gain access to his cities on Leviathan-7. That change happened during the galactic meeting."


    My eyes deadened.


    "Ally? With me?"


    Helios peered off.


    "That''s the information I gathered. Regardless, you all know the rest. At my death, I put myself in a true stasis to prevent Schema from reforming me. I also wanted to ensure that none could pry me from my death unless it was the Harbinger."


    Torix swung his hands in excitement.


    "Ah, allow me. You''ve seen Daniel''s resistance to Chrona''s time magic. Therefore, you assumed his resistance would allow him to pierce the stasis, something even mind magic couldn''t do. It also gave us time to rectify the Hybrid''s effects on you."


    Helios grinned.


    "Precisely."


    Torix tapped his temple.


    "And you couldn''t trust the other albony that returned. This strategy protected you from them as well. Clever. Very clever."


    Helios grinned more.


    I sighed.


    "Well, that verifies a lot of what we already knew."


    Plazia leaned onto a hand that rested on his throne.


    "We no longer work off assumptions. We know these as facts. Elysium pierced Schema''s informational veil, and we are still at the mercy of it. They may always manipulate the AI''s rules to corner and divide us, and they will use any tactics conceivable to get what they want."


    Plazia spread his hands, and his throne''s eyes widened.


    "They are evil incarnate. My fellow Ruhls and I stare in awe."


    Torix tapped the edge of his bone throne.


    "Perhaps, but perhaps not."


    Helios nodded.


    "I agree."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "What? Neither of you can be serious, right?"


    Torix leaned back.


    "I''m deathly serious."


    I let out a chuckle. Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Do you find my thoughts funny?"


    I waved a hand.


    "No, you said deathly serious on a bone throne."


    Torix peered down, then back up before he cackled.


    "Ahh...And here I believed you had a bone to pick with me."


    Helios dragged his hands down his face.


    "It never stops."


    Cutting right back to the topic, Plazia tilted his head.


    "What logic supports your ideas?"


    Helios sighed.


    "It''s an unfortunate reality, but Elysium''s goals are noble. They intended to fix the issues within Schema''s system, and this lottery has only exposed more of those faults."


    I spread my hands.


    "What the hell? No. That didn''t happen at all."


    Torix raised a palm.


    "You''ve allowed your judgment to be clouded, disciple."


    I raised a tensed hand.


    "They''re destroying people''s minds and putting puppets in their place."


    Torix turned a hand to me.


    "To who? To how many? For what reasons? We lack many answers, so we are judging from a small vantage point of the situation. It is like watching a man cut off another man''s leg. You may call that evil, but what if it was a surgeon saving a patient from an infection in his foot?"


    I stood up.


    "This is different."


    Torix gave me a sharp glance.


    "We don''t know that for certain."


    Plazia cackled in his chair.


    "I can understand the necromancer justifying the use of other''s bodies, but you-"


    Plazia pointed at Helios.


    "I can hardly imagine you justifying their position given what you''ve experienced. Are you certain you weren''t remade in their image?"


    Helios''s eyes narrowed.


    "Shalahora has already checked me. Has he checked you?"


    Plazia tilted his head.


    "He will not. And perhaps I should check your mind as well...But more thoroughly."


    I reached out with Event Horizon, pressing on the others. I coiled the psyche-saturated aura around them like a snake squeezing a rat''s neck. I seethed.


    "No one is going to threaten a mind in my guild. No one."


    The others froze in place. I narrowed my eyes.


    "Is that understood?"


    They nodded. I released them before taking a breath. I sat back down and took a moment. When was the last time I was this angry about anything? After massaging my temples, I murmured.


    "Torix. Helios. You might be right. I''m...I''m angry and in the weeds here. I can''t see the trees anymore, so I''m missing the big picture."


    Helios gawked at me.


    "Was that your aura?"


    I nodded. Helios stared at his hands.


    "That was...Palpable."


    Torix brushed a shoulder pauldron.


    "Like an Old One''s presence. Remarkable, truly."


    A pang of anger passed in my head at the comparison. They had no idea how wrong they were, but I let it go. If anything, I needed to quit checking other people and start checking myself. Taking a breath, I stretched out my hands to Helios and Torix.


    "Ok, guys. Make your case."


    Helios winced.


    "You may not know the full extent of Schema''s problems, but I''ve seen them in person many times. Our Emp-" He shook his head. "The Empire enslaved many species and planets, and they are desolate places and peoples. Whenever you pick up the skeptiles, you will understand that."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "It''s that bad?"


    Helios pinched the bridge of his nose.


    "It''s...It''s worse. The Empire sacrificed many innocents for Obolis''s artifacts. Cultures and societies have been destroyed in greed''s wake."


    I shook a hand.


    "But Elysium is controlling people''s minds. You can''t even have free will with them."


    Torix crossed his arms.


    "Is Schema so different?"


    I leaned back. Torix turned a hand.


    "You were trapped in BloodHollow initially before being trapped on earth with a quarantine. Then Schema trapped you with an unknown status, then with your position in a war against Elysium. It''s never stopped. He trapped you in the lottery. Where is your free will in any of those circumstances?"


    My shoulders dropped.


    "I...I did get a choice. I chose to fight."


    Torix shook his head.


    "But it''s either accomplish Schema''s demands or die. That is slavery. There are no two ways about it, so let it be made plain."


    Taken aback, I nodded.


    "That''s...That''s fair."


    Torix''s spread his hands to everyone.


    "Elysium is trying to stop all that nonsense. Their means are insidious but don''t forget, so are Schemas." He locked eyes with me. "Part of the reason people have congregated to this guild is that you don''t use those tools."


    I pressed my hand against my temple.


    "But at least Schema gave people a chance to survive. Elysium just killed everyone."


    Helios raised a brow.


    "What? They killed everyone?"


    I took a breath.


    "Yes. Everyone."


    Helios frowned.


    "Your lottery was vastly different than my own."


    Torix pressed his fingertips together.


    "What did Elysium do to your rulers?"


    Helios crossed his arms.


    "They ensured everyone''s survival."


    I gawked. Helios shrugged.


    "494 survivors. I am the only reason any rulers died."

 382 An Earned Intermission

    Helios frowned.


    "Your lottery was vastly different than my own."


    Torix pressed his fingertips together.


    "What did Elysium do to your rulers?"


    Helios crossed his arms.


    "They ensured everyone''s survival."


    I gawked. Helios shrugged.


    "494 survivors. I am the only reason any rulers died."


    Chapter Begin


    I leaned back in my chair.


    "But how many actually walked away sane and whole? They must''ve destroyed the minds of damn near everybody."


    Helios pressed two fingertips against his temple.


    "They targeted the albony because we were at war. Every Elysium agent I caught operated with other rulers to ensure their survival. They also exposed several faults in the lottery''s makeup to ensure no one lost their gathered resources."


    Remembering how we found those same loopholes, I tapped my side.


    "Alright. How do you know they didn''t turn everyone''s minds to scrambled eggs?"


    Helios crossed his arms, checking his status.


    "According to even a cursory glance, Schema psionically checked everyone''s minds after our return. Schema implemented experts within each empire that understood the minds they checked. Everyone acted normal, though grateful to Elysium for the help. Considering everyone tied for first place, that is to be expected."


    I took a breath.


    "It wasn''t difficult to tell which rulers Elysium transformed either, huh?"


    Helios read through a few of his messages.


    "That''s why the albony rulers in the Ostaltia Cathedral showed signs of Hybridization. Imperial guards uncovered their changed natures and did battle. The implanted monsters burst forth after they began fighting, not before."


    Helios closed his status.


    "Regardless, that goodwill from the lottery is why I think Elysium''s forces quintupled."


    I frowned.


    "Goodwill to Elysium and bad will to Schema, huh?"


    Helios leaned against a hand.


    "It can be assumed."


    Several of my minds kicked into high gear. I tapped my knee.


    "If that''s the case, we can learn from your counter perspective."


    Torix nodded.


    "We can, though you''ll need to explain your lottery."


    I leaned against steepled hands.


    "First, how many Elysium agents were at your lottery?"


    Helios peered up.


    "Hm. At least thirty."


    I raised a brow.


    "We found one. The remnant we met must''ve eradicated the other Elysium agents before we crossed paths."


    Plazia scoffed.


    "They wished to be the head of the hydra."


    I clasped my hands together.


    "That also means they probably intended to help me before one of their agents went rogue. Several months into my lottery, I met Valgus, so they had plenty of time to do all that."


    Shalahora spoke, surprising us all.


    "My shades found psionically destroyed people. They may be the rogue agent''s victims and the agents we spoke of."


    Plazia leaned against a hand while peering at Shalahora.


    "You mask your presence well."


    Torix steepled his hands.


    "He does. Assuming the agent destroyed the others, perhaps Elysium was sincere in their excuses?"


    I let out a long sigh.


    "Yeah. Maybe."


    Torix tilted his head.


    "Which means we may have instigated a war with Elysium without due cause, correct?"


    Shalahora murmured, and it silenced everyone.


    "After breaking a treaty in an unknown way, Elysium sent a representative to Daniel''s home, somewhere he wished to hide. They landed ships onto his planets to kill people under his protection. After Daniel eliminated their attempted intimidation, they sent Lehesion, a planetary threat. Why?"


    Shalahora whispered with force.


    "They wanted to carve a lesson of fear into us. The Harbinger, in turn, carved that lesson into them."


    Shalahora leaned back onto his umbral throne.


    "He has done nothing wrong."


    Torix nodded.


    "Excellent points. You''re name was Shalahora, correct?"


    The Sovereign oozed.


    "The Sun Swallower."


    Torix put his arms on his armrests.


    "I shall remember it."


    I cupped my chin.


    "My guess is the rogue agent saw the opportunity to put Valgus in my body and went for it. They planned it out for months before finding an opportunity where Shalahora was away from me. The rogue agent had killed the other Elysium agents to prevent them from stopping the new plan."


    Shalahora muttered.


    "It is so. I still wonder how they unlatched the psionic gauntlets?"


    I shrugged.


    "They figured out the exotic mana signature. They might''ve been an artifact collector like Obolis and could''ve hidden that from the others. Either way, Shalahora and my lottery make much more sense now - it was an outlier."


    Torix put his fingers to his temples.


    "It still doesn''t explain why Elysium uses such insidious methods when they haven''t before this lottery."


    Helios rolled his fingers on his void ice throne.


    "I have a circumstantial lead. I think Schema wasn''t telling us the full importance of the lottery."


    I frowned.


    "I think he did it to trim some fat, get resources, and send a message."


    Helios reached out.


    "A message? Do you believe Schema is that emotional? A machine?"


    I shrugged.


    "It''s my gut instinct."


    Helios squeezed a fist.


    "But the foolishness of it? Schema is in the middle of a galactic war. Sending his allies to a death match thins his numbers and gives Elysium more support. His timing is far more than counterintuitive; it is suicidal."


    Plazia cackled.


    "It''s simple, isn''t it? The lottery was more important to Schema than its war for existence. It calculated the likelihood of both outcomes and decided that hosting the lottery reduced its chances of being destroyed."


    Plazia put both his hands on his throne.


    "It must fulfill some purpose beyond simply ranking rulers or culling the weak. As for the message, I doubt that machine can conceive motivations beyond the quantitative."


    I glanced at Plazia.


    "You''d be surprised."


    Torix pressed a hand against his skeleton throne.


    "Our whimsical musing aside, we must uncover Schema''s reason to host it. All will be made clear if we do."


    I pointed at Helios.


    "Also, how long was your lottery?"


    "In Earth time? It lasted three months."


    I raised my brow.


    "Ours was six. My guess was that Leviathan-7 was closer to the black hole than Leviathan-6. Yenno, if we gauge it by the temporal dilation. If that''s the case, Schema and Elysium knew my lottery would involve the most difficult-to-survive and lucrative planet. Schema also sent Obolis there."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed.


    "He was a double agent sent to kill rulers."


    I stood up.


    "Maybe he wanted to kill me? Who knows?"


    Helios scoffed.


    "Obolis is greedy, but he is no fool. He wouldn''t attempt to kill you."


    Torix steepled his fingers.


    "The Emperor put all of his family''s lives at risk for a chance of net gain. Who are we to say where Obolis''s ideas for dominance end and begin?"


    Helios squeezed a hand on his throne. I waved my arms, ensuring I didn''t smash them into the ceiling.


    "I think we''ve learned all we can from this. We''ll keep thinking about it, but the key takeaways are this: Schema''s hiding something. Elysium knows what it is. We must find that out so we aren''t left blindsided again."


    I spread my hands.


    "Make sense?"


    Everybody stood in tandem, saying variations of yes. A soft voice echoed into the room as we all stood in our circle.


    "Am I, uh, interrupting your meeting? An evil one?"


    Althea leaned in, peering through a doorway. I smiled.


    "Actually, we just finished our nefarious plans."


    Althea walked over.


    "You guys really went all out, huh?"


    We peered at our thrones. Plazia leaned forward, placing his palm on his basalt throne.


    "It''s a matter of course. In our bearing, we show our being."


    Althea put her weight on her hips.


    "So, it''s like your style or something?"


    Plazia peered at his throne before turning back.


    "Hm. Essentially, yes."


    Althea walked up between Plazia and me. She sat down, and a throne of wildlife erupted. Trees, plants, and numerous flowers intertwined into a forested seat. Birds sat on the edges of the branches, flowers blooming with crimson thorns. I touched one.


    "How are you doing this?"


    Althea strained.


    "You know, nothing special."


    I leaned back, inspecting behind her. She molded all the bursting wildlife from a single hand, resulting from her transforming ability. I gave her a thumbs up.


    "Damn. You''ve gotten good at this."


    She smiled.


    "You give me plenty of practice."


    Helios walked out of the room.


    "And I shall see myself out."


    Althea stood up, reforming in a second, and her transformations flowed through her without any unease. She waved at the albony.


    "It''s good to have you back. Go see Florence. He needs you."


    Helios smiled.


    "It''s good to be back, and I will."


    He warped away before Torix stood up. The lich walked out of the room, opening his own rift.


    "We may discuss the details of the new body and other matters later. She needs time with you."


    Althea leaned against me, giving me an irresistible smile. I shrugged.


    "Yeah, pretty much."


    Shalahora gave us a nod before wisping away in an instant. Plazia touched his basalt throne, melting it back into the ground. He turned to us.


    "You implied sexual contact earlier. How does your species mate, precisely?"


    Althea furrowed her brow.


    "We''re not the same species."


    Plazia leaned back.


    "What? You look the same to me. All of you."


    I gawked at Althea, her being less than half my height.


    "Really?"


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Plazia waved us off.


    "Go enjoy your courtship. I must discuss with the lich, for he is not easy to speak with."


    Plazia steepled his hands.


    "It is fun to argue."


    I waved an arm.


    "See ya."


    Plazia turned, insects swarming from his footsteps.


    "You as well, Harbinger."


    Before I forgot, I pulled out a few blue cores, tossing them over. They floated in front of Plazia, and I pointed.


    "I''ve got plenty of those, so there''s a couple to experiment with. Try them with the omega strain or something, though not on live humans."


    Plazia murmured.


    "Would you prefer eldritch?"


    I waved a hand.


    "Plants. They don''t have minds and can''t feel pain. I think."


    Plazia cackled.


    "As of yet, Harbinger. As of yet."


    Althea and I stepped out, and I sent Helios my speech from earlier that detailed my lottery. I turned to the beautiful woman below me.


    "Hey."


    She smiled back.


    "Hey. Do you have a moment?"


    A thousand tasks popped into my head that all needed doing asap.


    "Of course. What''s up?"


    She interlocked her hands behind herself.


    "I was wondering if you wanted to have a date? I''ve been missing you lately."


    I''m a big, strong multi-verse, so I stuck to my guns and kept grinding. I wasn''t about to let this distraction get in my way.


    "Yes. Absolutely yes."


    She tilted her head, her hair falling from her shoulder.


    "What about starting right now?"


    I reached out a hand.


    "Why not?"


    She grabbed my fingers, and we walked through the lowest level of Mt. Verner. Here, the tunnels spread out vast and wide for moving cargo. It gave me enough room to walk around, though I sometimes bent my head to avoid lamps. Crystallized manas sat in them, and they lit the lower tunnels.


    Each part was connected by wires. Coming close to them, I rubbed a hand across one. Tougher than copper, it lacked the tensile strength of steel, but it conducted mana far better than either metal. I raised a brow.


    "Is this a dark orichalcum?"


    Althea rolled her eyes.


    "It''s from your construction golems. They can make it like you can, though it''s nowhere near the real deal."


    I nodded.


    "I need to make you a new-"


    Althea jumped up, hanging off my shoulder. She placed a hand against my lips.


    "Hey, stop talking about work stuff. Relax for a bit."


    Leaning back, I nodded. She hopped down, flipping around with utter grace. I shook my head.


    "You make your movement look like artistry."


    She swung a hand. "And don''t you forget it." She put her arms behind her head. "For real, though...Where do you want to go?"


    I hadn''t gone out in months. Years now, probably. I shrugged.


    "Er, are there any new places since we last went out?"


    She got in front of me, raising her hands.


    "Ok, so, what about the eldritch petting zoo?"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "The what?"


    She darted away.


    "You''ll see."


    I followed, pulling myself along. I bonked a few chunks out of several walls before liquefying without heat, gaining the ability on L-7. It stopped me from breaking the place, and I flowed across everything like a river of darkness. As I did, my guildmates gawked at me. Althea received cheers. We reached Mt. Verner''s industrial floor before walking to the eldritch containers. As we got closer, I reformed into a human-like visage where I could fit.


    I stared at my hands. Althea walked up, putting her hands in mine. She frowned.


    "What''s wrong?"


    I looked away.


    "Nothing."


    She grabbed a notched horn on my side, pulling herself up to my shoulder.


    "Hey, whisper it. I''ll hear it."


    I frowned.


    "I...I just feel very strange right now. It''s like I''m not human anymore."


    Althea tilted her head.


    "What? Of course you aren''t."


    Her words stung. Finding that hurt, Althea''s eyes widened.


    "Uh, I didn''t mean it. Oh, I''m really sorry. I didn''t know that hurt you like that."


    She kicked her feet, sitting between my shoulder pauldron and neck.


    "You always seem invincible and racing forward. I''m always struggling just to keep up. Being human? For Schema''s sake, you''re more like a dark, steel paragon of willpower and, uhm, punching?"


    I nodded.


    "It''s a lonely thing to be."


    She furrowed her brow.


    "That...That sucks. You know what? I think I get it now."


    I tilted my head away from her. Althea leaned onto my head spikes.


    "You sound like me when I first got here on this planet."


    Remembering how disturbing some of her earlier transformations were, I nodded.


    "Yeah. I know that must''ve been hard."


    She frowned.


    "The good news is, you get over it after a while. It''s like, hm, people gawk at you like a weirdo for a while, but they get used to it."


    I frowned.


    "You''re form is getting easier to control. Mine is the opposite."


    I lifted a hand, and it bent into different shapes.


    "I can hardly walk around like I used to without breaking every room in half."


    She hopped down before pulling me along.


    "Let''s test that out."


    We walked up to a series of crates spread around. Within them, different colored furballs hopped about. Two of my older golems guarded the place, their inefficiencies glaring to me now. Still effective, they stopped any eldritch from getting funny ideas, so the monsters cooed and ahhed at nearby people.


    I walked up as a twenty-foot-tall titan. The group gave me space before I lunged down. A single finger dwarfed the cage, and the eldritch huddled against the edge of the bars. I put my face on my knee.


    "So, did I pass the test?"


    Althea glared at the pink puffball, and it moved over to my hand. It grazed me, and its soft fur was like a cold plushy. Tapping with slight pressure, it gave like squishy tofu. It let out a little blurb sound before hopping on my finger. It went in circles.


    "Dawwww. It''s adorable."


    Althea leaned toward me.


    "Their fur is actually fingers, and they pry skin apart to go into the intestinal walls of their victims." She waved her fingers around. "Oooh, spooky."


    It circled in my hand. I made my voice high-pitched.


    "But you can''t pierce my skin. Can you, little guy? Can you?"


    It hopped up and down, waving a tail with a puffball at the end. It opened two black eyes and let out a tiny tongue like a cat before licking my hand.


    I was smitten.


    I turned to Althea.


    "Can we take it home?"


    Althea waved her hands.


    "No. Those things shed like crazy. The fur is alive, too, so it doesn''t clean right. It, like, crawls around."


    Fair points. I gave it one last pet.


    "Cya, little guy. I''ll try to visit more often."


    We walked past several other creatures, many monsters tamed by my golem''s presence. We passed the last cage, and Hod sat in it wearing a worn-out mascot costume. I raised my brow.


    "Uh. What are you doing here?"


    Hod put his wings on his hips.


    "Hod finish shady man training. Shady man evil. Evil! Hod come here and help eldritch. Hod good samaritan."


    Althea leaned toward me.


    "He liked the pets."


    Hod stuck out his wing.


    "Stop expose Hod secrets! Hod hear all."


    Once again, he pointed in a different direction than us. Althea facepalmed.


    "He''s at it again."


    I turned to where Hod pointed, and Shalahora walked out of the ether. The shadow murmured.


    "It''s incredible. I''ve yet to pierce his defenses. They are...Immutable."


    Hod karate chopped the air a few times.


    "Hod like chef. Nothing escape Hod kitchen. Hod too sharp. Hod knife. Not Hod be knife. Hod like knife. Hod think Hod know what Hod mean. Wait."


    He narrowed his eyes while striking a pose.


    "Hod...Confused."


    He did a few spinning kicks, and nearby children shouted with glee. Children? Damn, they weren''t as rare these days. Althea and I laughed with everybody before giving Hod some snacks from a nearby vendor. Those snacks siked Althea''s hunger, so she pulled me outside Mount Verner. With a cool breeze and the smell of pine in the air, she showed me a new restaurant out there.


    Someone built a log cabin surrounded by pine trees, having birds, butterflies, and bees flying nearby from the influence of magic. Quintessence orbs powered it all, and flowers burst forth from ivy in various colors. Stone framed it all near the foundation, giving it a rustic appeal.


    I stared at the tiny doorway. It was ten feet tall, plenty for an average system goer. People built buildings taller than they used to because of the system and how it made people about a foot and a half taller than before. Still, I dwarfed this place. Althea gestured to a table beside the entrance.


    "Want to sit outside?"


    I raised my brow.


    "Yeah. Let''s."


    Several people walked up and talked to us. After a few thanks, we ordered a meal. Althea preferred a rabbit stew with peppered meat and a side salad. Being super lame, I copied her order. They used dressings and seasonings I''d never seen, the stew rich and earthy while the salad came out light and almost frosted. I could taste the cold but not feel it.


    I finished the salad before shaking my head.


    "I can''t remember the last time I had a good meal."


    Althea watched a bird sing.


    "Me neither."


    I watched the bird with her. Peering close, it was a giant hummingbird streaked with blue and yellow feathers. When it flapped its wings, nearby hair stood on end, static shocks erupting. It crossed over before landing beside her. She smiled at it.


    "The eldritch aren''t always bad. This one''s some kind of split between a hummingbird and lightning, er, something? We don''t really know. It''s not fully eldritch, anyway."


    It sang out like a tiny trumpet. I gawked.


    "That''s awesome."


    It flew away, zipping around like a bolt. Althea and I chatted before I got curious about Mt. Verner''s ecosystem. We left with a large tip before I put my hands on my hips.


    "Do you mind if we just, I don''t know, fly around?"


    Answering me, Althea spread her arms while forming wings, feathers of violet, mauve, and other shades of purple cascading down. She flew up, her plumage sheening in the sun like tinted metal. I followed. We watched the eltari, gialgathens, and people below just live, play, and toil for something better. It bolstered my spirit in a way I hadn''t expected.


    It was easy to forget the good I caused when I fought wars or constantly destroyed my mind. While I stared, Althea flew just below me in my shadow. She peered up.


    "So, are you still feeling down?"


    An irrepressible grin ran up my cheeks. I scoffed.


    "How could I? This has been great."


    She nudged me.


    "Good."


    We passed to the other side of Mt. Verner. Other buildings cropped up, and I sighed.


    "I really, really needed this."


    She looked forward.


    "I know. You look...Tired all the time. Er, as tired as you can look. What''s got you like that?"


    I grimaced.


    "You don''t want to know."


    She flew up into my gravity well, standing upright on my chest. That hung her upside down.


    "I do."


    I looked away.


    "No, you don''t."


    She walked up chest before grabbing my cheeks.


    "Hey, don''t tell me what I want, capeesh?"


    I frowned.


    "Capeesh."


    She put her forehead against mine.


    "Show me."


    I closed my eyes.


    "Ok."


    I connected our minds. For a moment, she marveled. She found my many psyches working in tandem, their coordination seamless. Althea shook her head.


    "This is crazy, but uh, I''m guessing the thing is something else?"


    I nodded. She delved deeper, finding the minds in my dimensional wake. They wallowed in a psionic soup, howling out in torment. It was more a general chaos; none of the psyches could coherently think. It made me wonder. Humans'' way of thinking could revolve around being a physical being more than we admit.


    That might explain why the Old Ones couldn''t relate to us.


    We rode through a few clouds, and Althea let out a few tears. She murmured.


    "This reminds me of before I could hold a physical body. But...It''s your head. Or, psionic, whatever you call it."


    I peered at the sun. It burned.


    "I call them minds."


    She shook her head.


    "It...It gets better. I promise."


    Knowing that wasn''t the case, I smiled.


    "I know."


    I warmed Althea with magic as we darted in and out of the clouds. It got cold this high up. After a few more minutes, we glided back down to the mountaintop. Along the upper edge, she and I landed, hers a graceful dance and mine a thumping collision. We headed into our suite, one tucked away on the mountain''s edge.


    Two of my older golems guarded the place, and they nodded as we walked up. I flowed inside, finding the suite a bit cramped. Wanting to walk around easier, I committed one of my minds to holding the dimensional fabric outside the place. A wire connected back to my main body, now smaller than before.


    Sitting inside, I marveled at how much Althea had changed the place. Different flower arrangements hung from the upper walls, along with colorful kinds of pottery. Wires of my fabric hung, connecting tiny mana stones that sheened in different colors. The light fed the wildlife, keeping it all alive and fresh.


    A few butterflies floated overhead. Althea pointed at them.


    "At night, they sleep, and the moths come out. They''re pretty too."


    I raised a hand, and a monarch butterfly landed on my fingertip.


    "They''re stunning. Really."


    I sat in a gravity well above a couch in the living room, soaking it all in. Althea raised a hand.


    "Wait a sec. I have to share something with you."


    She pulled out a teapot, heated water with it using a runic plate, and pulled out an exotic tea. After a few minutes, she brewed it and came over with two custom mugs. Hers was a dainty, flowered one with thorns across it, giving it an edge. Mine mirrored steel, metallic paint giving the ceramic a different feel.


    It was tiny in my hand, but that didn''t matter. She poured the tea, and we drank it with these crazy cookies she pulled out of a cabinet. I stared at them, the alien concoctions holding no consistent shape.


    "What are these?"


    She shrugged.


    "I got them from Gypsum. They''re supposed to be non-toxic or something."


    I waved a cookie at her.


    "Didn''t you handle a mission there?"


    "It''s the one where the Spatial Fortress attacked us. Then, a nanomachine behemoth attacked it. We almost died."


    "Sounds insane."


    "Our usual, right?"


    I scoffed.


    "Right."


    I bit into a cookie, and a flavor flowed through my mouth like warm cedar and honied cream. Soft like a pillow but chewy, I enjoyed the hell out of it before grabbing another one. Althea pulled it away.


    "You have to try the tea first."


    I sipped on it, and the tea permeated with a sharp, herbal kick tamed by a mellow sweetness. It even carried a savory kind of texture, like milk.


    It was delicious.


    "Damn, where did you find this?"


    Althea spread her hands.


    "So here''s the thing. I''ve been researching all kinds of different eldritch, and I''ve found out how to, like, remake them. You know, my transformation stuff."


    I nodded.


    "Mm-hm."


    She looked out a window.


    "I, uh, can mold myself into whatever part I want to harvest. That works with plants, too."


    My eyes widened. I held the teacup up.


    "This...This is you?"


    Althea flushed.


    "Uh, sorta."


    I gave her a knowing grin.


    "You taste good."


    I sipped, and she blushed brighter than a tomato. After letting it fade, she coughed into a hand.


    "So...Do you remember me telling you about helping kids involved with research?"


    I nodded, vaguely recalling something of the sort. Althea crossed a leg.


    "I think I''ve got a strategy for how to do it if you''d like to listen."


    I beamed.


    "Hell yeah."


    She walked into a different room. I followed, finding her workshop. She stored many colored clays, paints, and flowers on additional shelves. Herbal notes about each floral garment lay below them. Althea even tucked scopes, rifles, and gun parts away in a different corner of the room, a few tools set up for making them.


    Notes about eldritch covered the walls, and in the corner, a patch of void ice misted away, keeping the room chilly. On the block of ice, her best rifle sat. It was made of me, though an out-of-date version. Althea tapped the violet crystal below the gun, and it rang out with a consistent note.


    "That''s there, so my railgun doesn''t break through the floor."


    I inspected it closely.


    "Huh. Smart."


    She pulled out a notebook before opening it on her desk. I peered over it.


    "What is it?"


    She pointed at it.


    "It''s going to be an orphanage."


    I raised a brow.


    "Seems like a good way to help research children."


    Althea frowned.


    "See, that''s what I thought too, but the more research I did, the more, er, complex it became."


    She waved her hands around.


    "So, uhm, whenever you make an orphanage, sometimes it can split families that don''t need to be split up. Like, if they were poor and my orphanage gave them more food than the family could provide. Er, housing, clothes, all of that could give parents a reason to get these people away from each other."


    I scratched my head, never even considering that.


    "Huh. It''s a perversion of incentives, in other words."


    She nodded.


    "Yeah, that''s a great way to put it. This, uhm, the incentive structure isn''t easy to take out. After a bit of thought, I came up with a solution."


    She pulled out a few pictures of eldritch. They mirrored elemental cows and other livestock. She gestured at a picture.


    "We can have the children level up by killing eldritch livestock."


    I grimaced at the idea of children slitting animals'' throats. Althea waved her hands.


    "It''s not going to be as gruesome as you''re thinking. We''ll be putting in some controls to make it less personal. Much less personal, like flipping a switch and being out of sight."


    I shrugged.


    "But they''ll gain levels. Sounds traumatizing if they ever figured out what they''d done."


    Althea frowned.


    "I wish we could be so gentle, but that''s a kindness we can''t afford to give."


    She grimaced.


    "No, even worse. It''s a kindness they can''t afford to take."


    When she said those words, my childhood didn''t seem so bad. Althea scratched the side of her head.


    "There are a few problems with it all, I think. This will lock out many of their later trees since we''ll be assisting so much, but it lets us get these children out of the depths of single digits levels. That''s the main concern. We''ll, you know, support them until then."


    Kind of estranged by the concept, I kept my mouth shut. Althea pulled out a few pictures of different environments.


    "You grew up outside of a systemized world, right?"


    I nodded. Althea waved her hands back and forth.


    "The first one hundred levels are a huge bottleneck that most people don''t pass. Orphans especially. Now, this planet is actually very temperate for the most part. If we get the kids leveled to forty or so, we can get them to a baseline level of resistance that stops them from being weak to the elements. They''ll need less food, too."


    I snapped my fingers.


    "It''s a training center for disadvantaged kids. You''ll get them out of the rat race of Schema''s low levels. That way, they can help support themselves."


    She shrugged.


    "That''s the plan. The livestock will be killed anyway, and we can have the experience funneled into something more, er, meaningful than gradually leveling a bunch of butchers. Any industry like that can be used like this. I, uh, well, I want to make that happen so fewer people have to die."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Damn, Althea. This is good thinking."


    She smiled.


    "Torix and Kessiah helped. I''ve got some land squared away outside of Mt. Verner for it. I need help setting up, but I''m friends with a few engineers here."


    I raised a hand.


    "I can make you a constructor golem. The world becomes like Minecraft when you have one of those."


    She raised a brow.


    "Minecraft?"


    I waved a hand.


    "A videogame from forever ago."


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "Wait, that''s where everybody''s like squares or something, right?"


    I nodded. She tapped the pages.


    "Those videogames...They''re like premonitions of Schema, don''t you think?"


    Having never dwelled on it, I put my hand on a page.


    "It''s...Huh, maybe?"


    She frowned.


    "Well, I just thought it was crazy. The more I read about your world, the more obvious it became. It''s actually really funny. All your nonfiction books are pure fantasy, while the fiction stories are like gritty realism. It''s a real culture clash I get from the reviews and stuff I see about the books."


    I scoffed.


    "The irony."


    She turned to me.


    "But uh, finishing the orphanage conversation, I don''t think I''ll need to borrow any money for it either."


    "Of course not. You get a salary, right? I remember something about that with my guild privileges."


    Feeling like a bumbling fool, I noted the need for an accountant. Althea raised a hand.


    "But, hm, that still feels like borrowing money."


    From her arm, different flowers or creatures spawned.


    "I figured out that I could mold eldritch parts on me and sell them. Potion masters love it when they can refine their work because, you know, I''m like an infinite spring of whatever they need."


    I put my fingers against my temples.


    "Of course. You let alchemists create the rarest potions and get them filthy rich."


    I moved my hands away from my head.


    "That''s genius."


    Althea smiled, her eyes narrow and the grin sly.


    "I have good ideas from time to time."


    I pulled her close.


    "So do I."


    "Really? How about you share a few."


    I bit her lip.


    "Gladly."


    A few hours later, we left her workshop, both of us looking frazzled and happy. After finishing the pack of cookies and tea, we walked back to our bedroom. It felt like her place at this point, with me as an outsider. In the bed, her eyes began closing, and she struggled to stay awake. She swung her arms at a nonexistent foe.


    "No. Stay away."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "You need some sleep."


    She hugged her pillow.


    "But I still want to spend some time with you."


    I sat beside her.


    "I''ll still be with you when you sleep."


    She murmured.


    "You need to work. I know you do."


    I peered up, the moths coming out as Althea said. A giant lunar moth landed on my shoulder spike, as delicate as a snowflake. It flew up before I peered at Althea.


    "We should have weekly date nights, and next time, I''ll see if I can''t show you something instead of you leading the way like this."


    She mumbled.


    "I would love that."


    I let her fall asleep and watched her for a while. As my thoughts drifted, a single fact stuck out to me - I needed this. I had needed this for so, so long, and getting it left me fulfilled in a way I hadn''t experienced in a long time. It also reminded me of what I had to lose. Many unseen enemies mounted in the distance beyond my sight. They''d have to wrench my home from my cold, dead hands if they wanted it.


    And I could not die.


    Once Althea drifted deep into her slumber, I stood up. My wake saturated with my psyches and condensed down to my body. I held it there, the psionic splintering leaving me nauseous. I actually had something to vomit up this time, so I held it down. Walking out of the room, I met up with my blob of dimensional fabric.


    Fusing together, I stood as tall as a short tree at my compressed height. Above me, a night sky full of stars beamed down. I soaked it in, my augmented sight allowing me to see the stars in greater detail than when I was a human.


    It left a spike of fear in me.


    If this was Lehesion''s eclipse attack, could I save this place in time? I stretched out my arms, imagining a singularity storm over the stars. I''d destroy the entire mountain in my defense. At the very least, I''d turn this place from a small mountain to a broken hill. Before that could happen, I flowed through Mt. Verner and inspected it from the top down.


    It was time to turn this place into a fortress.

 383 Golemic Progenitor

    It left a spike of fear in me.


    If this was Lehesion''s eclipse attack, could I save this place in time? I stretched out my arms, imagining a singularity storm over the stars. I''d destroy the entire mountain in my defense. At the very least, I''d turn this place from a small mountain to a broken hill. Before that could happen, I flowed through Mt. Verner and inspected it from the top down.


    It was time to turn this place into a fortress.


    Chapter Begin


    I flowed through the environment, remaking my head to view everything with more detail. The five floors worked well, and I didn''t want to dismantle the work everyone put inside. This was my guild''s home, and everyone developed a way of life here. However, a few more simple adjustments could be made with ease.


    I headed out of the mountain before coursing to its peak. Nearby, Chrona''s void ice castle spread out. At the very tip of Mt. Verner, I erected an enormous pillar of dimensional fabric. It took minutes, my bodily regeneration speeding the process along. Once composed, I pulled out my grimoire and got to work.


    I wanted to remake the city buffing runes I created here while using Leviathan-7''s cities as the framework. Shifting to my primordial being, I settled into my work. Except I didn''t. I leaned against the giant monolith I had just made before condensing my wake over my hand. I''d forgotten to even check out what the primordial one did.


    Dimensional Wake - Your reach as a dimension has manifested. It extends outwards like an aura, currently known as Perfection''s Provenance. Depending on your current mana type, this aura can be altered to one of six: Origin, Dominion, Augmentation, Ascendant, Quintessence, and <u>Primordial</u>.


    Perfection''s Provenance - You gain the ability to manipulate the construction of reality to your liking. This affects all within your current radius.


    Current Radius: 3,342 ft/1.082 km | Size of the aura can be increased by your mass.


    <ul>


    <li>


    The Origin of Perfection - Doubles the learning speed, creation speed, and efficacy of any skills used within your wake. This effect also affects allies.


    </li>


    <li>


    Arbiter of Ability - You dictate the ability of all within your domain. Halves the efficacy of skills and techniques used by enemies within Perfection''s Provenance.


    </li>


    <li>


    Primordial Maker - Your creations are precise, foolproof, and perfect. +200% to creations'' abilities, skills, mental complexity, psionic capacity, and obedience. When in Perfection''s Provenance, anything you''ve created will obey your words without fault, regardless of their previous directives.


    </li>


    </ul>


    When I finished reading, I scratched my head at the bonuses. They explained many of the aura''s effects but also carried many uses I had never taken advantage of. In particular, halving an enemy''s skill effects had immense combat potential. It didn''t help against raw displays of power, but it dampened any technical combat someone tried against me like mind magic.


    I also guffawed at the size of my dimensional wake. It covered a vast area, giving me lots of leeway with using it. Once I considered its benefits, I put it as my default mode. Doubling my skill gains netted more results in the future than the stat bonuses from the Rise of Eden did. However, I would alternate between wakes as needed.


    After clearing that way, I got to the runic carving. My Primordial wake saturated the area, and I considered my prospects. I had three primary fears for Mt. Verner: world destroyers, Spatial Fortresses, and the Old Ones. World destroyers were people like Lehesion or Valgus. They could wipe a planet with enough time.


    I could show up well before they did, but they could dish out plenty of damage in the meantime. A strong barrier and a few golems gave me that time, so I scratched that off the list. On the other hand, a Spatial Fortress was something I couldn''t stop. I could probably kill one, but it could kamikaze into Earth well before I did.


    Every inch of the planet would be glassed, but with environmental protection, blue cores could protect the populace of my cities. Getting the city out of the wasteland was simple from there. We opened a warp, and I heaved the circular chunk of secured metropolis through it. While not a permanent solution, Spatial Fortresses weren''t a permanent problem.


    As for the Old Ones, that would require...I didn''t know yet.


    Sticking to problems I could solve, I brainstormed what the cities needed. Air, water, etcetera were a must, like the ones on L-7. That stopped the environmental destruction of a Spatial Fortress from killing the citizens within a city''s barrier. I copied those from Leviathan-7''s rune augments, though I refined a few for efficiency.


    After that, I drafted a few runic designs for improving the city buffs.


    I sent them over to the council of Daniels, and we debated their merits. They recreated them, broke them down, and made them new once more. After many iterations, I got the plans back. They looked more akin to my primordial rune across my back and chest than anything else.


    I etched it into my grimoire, taking up another ten pages. The sun rose when I started charging the runes with mana. I watched the beautiful star rise up before the sigils clicked into place. I floated the complex aggregation of etchings over to the column, setting down one mark at a time.


    Once set up, I implanted twenty-five cores into the central pillar. I connected everything and watched it click online.


    Blue core menu activated. What would you like to do, sir?


    Exchange blue core for fifty red cores? (Y/N)


    Establish city and defensive aura? (Y/N)


    Sell blue core for resources? (Check out galactic rates!)


    I clicked the establish city and defensive aura button. Before it snapped online, I shopped through the options menu. I stopped the setting that vaporized low-level eldritch. I didn''t want this to destroy the petting zoo I checked out with Althea. With that in place, it cranked into high gear. I watched a palpable psionic web scatter across the city and pass far into the distance.


    Well beyond Mt. Verner, the barrier reached the edge of the core''s protection, about three miles away. It left a large swath of territory utterly protected, the icy hexagonal tiles forming overhead like Saphigia. It arrived with the freshened air, muted radiation, and controlled gravity of my L-7 runes. I appreciated the difference and slight buffs before rubbing my hands together.


    It was time for the golems.


    Instead of going with an army, I stuck with a smaller, more elite unit for Mt. Verner specifically. I pulled my mind out of my body four times, keeping the corpses afloat in a gravity well. I pulled one aside, adding additional plating and changing its facial shape. I looked more jagged and dangerous than I wanted this golem model to appear, so I got rid of all the spikes and made them sleek.


    The flat, angular design oozed professionalism and density. After getting the look right once, the others took less than half as long to adjust. I got the four of them covered in armor and equipped with shields and maces, keeping the same aesthetic. Once I finished the bodies, I took out my runes and planned another rewrite.


    Unlike the older models, I wanted these guardians to take a more active patrolling role. These golems would check around the city, manage entryways, and check out psionic scans of people. They''d stop individuals with strange mental signatures before having them reviewed by actually trained psionics.


    I didn''t want to do it, but it was required at this point because of Elysium''s tactics. Managing who entered and left Mt. Verner would stop most illegal activity and prevent their schemes from taking hold. It also let us handle the population with an actual census and understand more of what happened here.


    Because, even with my hands-off governance style, I knew there was crime here. Everywhere had criminal activity to some extent, but outside Torix''s occasional lock-ups, Mt. Verner was close to a free-for-all. My golems helped with that, and my guildmates'' widespread presence didn''t hurt, but people would always find ways of hiding what they did.


    These golems would police the area, making all of that much less convenient for would-be criminals. They''d handle that daily task while being ready to defend the city at a moment''s notice. That required some finesse, so I took a moment and attempted something new - a dual-cored golem.


    I''d implant two personalities based on different mana types, like the ones on L-7. Once made, I''d weave them together. In this case, it would be primordial and quintessence mana. The quintessence rounded out the primordial''s edges, letting it take on a more constructive role rather than a controlling one.


    However, I''d leave the administrative and psionic aspects to the primordial core. It gave it a level of finesse the quintessant part lacked, which helped with general decision-making. To make all this function smoothly, the minds needed to work in sync and not argue. Preemptively eliminating that concern, I assigned specific tasks to different cores based on aptitude.


    I created a lengthy list of responsibilities these golems would handle and assigned them to different cores based on aptitude. After following a logical assortment, I added stabilizing thought processes like empathy and hesitation. If anything fell outside their limits, they needed a dual-core consensus.


    These could kill in a moment, so some discretion was important.


    After drafting the core''s sigils, I spent hours and hours carving out the runes. It took a long time since each dungeon heart carried several independent minds. I had to organize them into different operations before integrating how they worked together.


    Once made and charged, I plopped the blue dungeon hearts into their socketed spaces. Marveling at them, I found two days had passed already while I set these guys up. It was all worth it as the new golem type hummed online; I called them keepers.


    One of the four keepers peered at me, a dark blue eye on its right side and the other a brilliant white. It approached me, my height and size but with added plates. Runes glowed over its surface, the spear arm''s sigils like snow and the shield arm like the ocean''s depths. It planted its spear into the ground before lunging to a knee.


    "Creator, we are ready for our responsibilities. Thank you for these lives. We will not waste them."


    The others followed behind, planting spears and lunging. I gave them a thumbs up.


    "You''re going to listen to Torix Worm and give him weekly reports about what''s going on and what you''re doing. Understood?"


    They psionically spoke in tandem.


    "Yes, creator. As all, as one."


    They boomed out, and I smiled at their strength. Taking a moment, I analyzed a golem.


    [The Third Keeper | Protected Zone: Mt. Verner | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Level: 30,000 - This is the third Keeper of Mt. Verner, the current capitol and capital of The Harbinger''s Legion. This individual is an immensely powerful guardian who can use many kinds of magic with high proficiency levels.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    It lacks nothing in its physical abilities, either. Its body is robust enough to traverse space or tread stars. It can recuperate from devastating injuries if given time and its mind is vigorously defended. It even carries the ability to use tactical maneuvers of magic with its other Keepers, making for a devastating foe for any that faces it.


    It obeys the Harbinger of Cataclysm without question and will enact law and order within the domain of his cities. Should you break the dictates of its maker, it shall unmake you. Fighting this creation is something few are capable of, and it will battle with its fellow golems.


    To fight one is to fight many. Be careful and tread lightly, as all should.


    All aside from you, Harbinger.]


    I rubbed my eyes before inspecting the level one more time.


    "What the hell?"


    The golem looked over itself.


    "Is there an imperfection? What may I rectify?"


    I waved my hands.


    "No, I mean, you''re a higher level than me?"


    The golem looked up before peering back at me.


    "It would seem so, creator."


    I let my hands flop on my sides.


    "Are you kidding me? I''m...I''m actually kind of jealous."


    The golem grabbed its spear with both hands before pointing it at its head.


    "I may destroy the object of envy at a moment''s notice, sir."


    I shook my hands.


    "I''m not that petty. You guys go report to Torix."


    They bowed before turning and jumping in sync. I sent a message to Torix before they arrived, letting him know about the new help. Before moving or going anywhere, I got to work on the next golem type. This one would be an evolution of the constructor. They built up any place I put them while assisting in maintenance and construction.


    However, they acted like powerful janitors and workers rather than anything genuinely breathtaking. With that in mind, I put them together with a primordial golem core. Instead of mindless drones, these would help out with planning and innovating the landscape of Mt. Verner and anywhere within the barrier''s radius.


    I set up the plans for four of them. After getting the golem bodies from my own, I designed them as opposites to the Keepers. These golems would focus on giving opportunities rather than trying to restrict behavior. To prevent that from spiraling out of control, I kept strict contingencies on what they could do to guildmates or guests here.


    Enemies? Well, they''d do what my golems did to all enemies.


    The responsibilities of these golems included incorporating spaces for parks, businesses, economic development, and connecting people. I referenced a few art books while making these guys; even a cursory glance let me put in a few techniques I found. E.g., rules of composition, color theory, and a few overarching sentiments of aestheticism like gravitating to natural materials.


    For their other abilities, they''d have registries of individuals with specific skill sets. If appropriate, the golems got certain people together to create synergies and enable specialization. By connecting skilled people at the correct times, these golems made the most of the people here. They then made those skills shine by creating the vision of whoever took them to task.


    Blegh, I sounded like a salesman.


    Anyway, they''d be economical and artistic powerhouses. Furthering that goal, I smoothed their lines out, making them less harsh looking. Once settled them into a shape, I thinned them further, making them sleeker and taller. I also made their legs end in points rather than feet; they''d move with gravity wells anyways.


    Lastly, I made their heads like polished helmets, each faceless with a split halo floating over their heads. This gave them an avant-garde bearing, like beings too elegant to exist here. I hoped that would inspire the people who spoke with them and dissuade anyone that may try to use them. This project took another two days, but they hummed to life as the Keepers had.


    I called them - the architects. They were online, and a go before one of them walked over, its steps precise.


    "It is great to see you, creator. Your day goes well?"


    I nodded.


    "Eh, it''s been pretty solid. How about you?"


    "It is both the greatest and worst day of my existence."


    I leaned back. It gave me a gentle bow.


    "It is my only day."


    I snapped my fingers.


    "It''s a joke. Ok, sorry, my golems don''t do that often. You caught me off-guard."


    The golem steepled its hands.


    "Would you prefer we didn''t enable humor?"


    I brushed my hand.


    "What? No. I''m just behind the curve. Anyways, you all will be reporting to Torix like the Keepers."


    They peered at each other. A short conversation passed, and they turned to me.


    "As you design, creator."


    They hovered off before bolting across the sky toward''s the underbelly of Mt. Verner. Before they got too far, I inspected one.


    The Fourth Architect | Enabled Zone: Mt. Verner | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Level: 30,000 - This is a mighty golem created by the Harbinger of Cataclysm. It is designed to enable the prosperity of its citizens, and it does this in many ways.


    It can create different kinds of matter in somewhat intricate patterns and forge artifacts of variable qualities. It can assist with designing structures, cities, plans, or anything else you desire. It can dismantle structures and debris, and it''s even capable of creating high volumes of its own body as material, similar to its creator.


    It does all this while showcasing a tremendous fascination and investment in its enabled zone, Mt. Verner. In time, it will know every building, person, and conflict in the region. It will fully support the city after some time has passed.


    When put against an enemy, it is fully capable of defending itself, but it would rather use the opportunity to support guild members. It''s a powerful and well-connected foe.


    The golem owned the same absurd level that the other ones had. Peering around, I found a Keeper golem in the distance inspecting something underground. It turned to me, finding my gaze before bowing. I couldn''t believe it noticed me so fast, but I saluted it before the golem returned to work.


    It was good seeing them already doing their thing.


    With the two builder types of golems made, I changed gears for the next golem type I wanted. These would be the golems of war. Beginning with a previous model, I would make a variation of the assault golems from L-7. Instead of being designed around ascendant mana, these would be a mix of that and quintessence.


    The assault golems had acted in violent, difficult-to-predict ways, often fighting each other and breaking things. That wasn''t a problem on L-7, but it would be devastating here. To temper those inclinations, I put a quintessence core within them. This quintessant mind focused on security, mainly from external forces.


    This directed that violence outward and channeled it into something productive. In that way, these golems would act as another side of the Keeper golems. While the Keepers kept the citizens in check, these golems would keep outsiders from assaulting us. I ensured their psionic abilities and general combat were top-notch to make that happen.


    They needed to look the part for intimidation purposes. Making that happen, I accentuated the spikes over them, giving them a menacing, dangerous feel. I gave them thin armor, including a helmet that could grin as my armor did. For the last piece, I included two swords. Each blade siphoned power from them, giving them an ascendant edge capable of slicing things apart via telekinesis.


    These guys would patrol outside the city''s perimeter, ensuring nothing deadly got close. At the same time, they''d relay scouting information that detailed movements from anything nearby. Staying in the city''s frontline, these guys acted as the first defense against anything trying to kill us. I called them vanguards.


    Clicking online, they vibrated the air nearby with a mixture of manas. One eye glowed white and the other red. A thin aura of their mana oozed from them like maroon lightning and white waves. The four stayed still after coming to life, choosing not to move.


    I walked up to one, and the vanguard raised a fist.


    "What needs to be destroyed, creator?"


    I frowned, hoping they''d be less violent.


    "Nothing, right now."


    It lowered its hand.


    "Good. Shall we head to the lich and ask for our routes?"


    They showed more initiative than most golems but less at the same time. I pointed at the tunnel entrance of Mt. Verner.


    "You''ll find him in there. You''ll be coordinating with the Keepers to keep Mt. Verner safe."


    They crossed their swords over their chests, flaring the edges with ascendant mana and telekinetic constructs. After slicing the blades out, they flew straight into the ground, molding their bodies into thinner shapes. Before they''d left, I inspected one status.


    [The First Vanguard | Guarded Zone: Mt. Verner | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Level: 30,000 - This is a golem created by The Harbinger of Cataclysm. It is a powerful psionic warrior capable of ripping armies apart in its wake. Its propensity for rapid combat and destructive magic is unmatched among its brethren.


    It is steadfast in assessing future threats and can discern intention with a degree of accuracy. Resistance can often spell disaster, as this lethal being can instantly eviscerate almost any criminal or enemy of its home. It also coordinates with the Keepers stationed at its mountain, giving it a tremendous ability to enable its defenders.


    Prepare for war when facing one of these golems, as the other three are not far behind. They can coordinate well together, oftentimes employing multi-fronted attacks across several domains of magic and combat simultaneously.


    Fear them.


    Aside from you, Harbinger.]


    It was a basic rundown of warnings for these guys, which made sense. In fact, they sounded far more sinister than the other golems had. Either way, I sent Torix another message before planning a date with Althea. I''d been designing and creating golems for six days already. Short of time, I spent the rest of the evening and night drafting up the last golem.


    This was an evolution of the director golem. While the previous one worked well, they lacked an ambitious edge. At the same time, the golems fought each other for dominance when more than one director golem handled a city. Wanting the director to have more oomph without focusing on other golems as much, I went with an ascendant and primordial core.


    It left me uneasy imagining the personality that may manifest, but I gave the model the benefit of the doubt. So far, mixing cores has resulted in smoothing out the edges of their inherent mana types. I hoped that would happen here as well. To that end, I modeled the body. It had fewer spikes than the vanguard while incorporating some smoothed lines. This made it look like a well-armored mastermind.


    After getting the many sub-minds created and binding them together for each core, I set up its responsibilities. This would act as the director golem had, but it would attempt to take the initiative for specific simple tasks. It would also handle many administrative burdens for Torix, though his personalized AIs probably mopped up much of that work.


    The last part this golem handled was managing the other golem systems I implemented. By refining the structures and strategies of the others, this golem would enable them to output more work. Like the others, I put a few hard caps on its actions, ensuring it couldn''t do anything too crazy. Being the final golem type, I made only one of these golems and called it the executive.


    When it clicked online, it peered around before grabbing its chin.


    "Forestry? Beautifully laid out. Perhaps we could add a few different kinds of trees for variety. Hm, the creator."


    He saluted.


    "Anything you require of me at the moment?"


    I pointed to Torix.


    "You know the deal."


    He swung his arm with animation and gusto.


    "Absolutely. I''ll get this place running spic and span before you know it, creator. Figuratively speaking, of course...As you are a quick thinker. Acting faster than you can think? Impossible!"


    He ran to Torix on the ground, inspecting the undergrowth and his surroundings as he did. I was glad it seemed more like a goofball than anything nefarious. Before he disappeared, I scanned the last of my new golem types.


    The Executive | Managed Zone: Mt. Verner | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Level: 30,000 - This golem was created with flesh and blood from the Harbinger of Cataclysm. It is an overwhelming psionic warrior capable of launching mind-rending assaults on groups. However, combat isn''t its central concern.


    It focuses primarily on the administration and efficiency of its currently managed zone. This Executive is stationed at Mt. Verner, the capital of The Harbinger''s Legion. It''s able to make decisions regarding resources, and it can effectively identify inefficiencies before rectifying them.


    It can also assist with coordinating parties, events, or anything that requires organization. This gives it flexibility that other golem constructs lack. However, constraints are put in place to prevent overzealous action, as this golem would turn the entire mountain upside down for extra gain.


    It will turn nearly all minds it faces into indiscriminate mush. Be prepared should you choose to face it. All should fear this being.


    All aside from you.


    Once the executive was gone, I checked the time. It was midday, and the sun beamed down from overhead. I bolted across the skyline before finding Althea clearing an area just outside Mt. Verner. One of my architect golems already helped her out. As I landed beside her, the architect bowed, its presence almost alien.


    "Creator, it''s tremendous to see you again."


    I raised a hand.


    "At ease."


    I turned to Althea.


    "How''s it going?"


    She smiled.


    "Pretty good. I found one of these guys and got them to work. They''re much more helpful than I expected."


    The golem nodded.


    "I was searching for meaning, and she offered it."


    Althea jumped up to my shoulder before spreading her hands.


    "Can you see it?"


    With a section of the forest already cleared, I did. I put my hands on my hips.


    "It looks like it will be a pretty large space."


    Althea nodded.


    "Yeah. I''m going to have to get several businesses set up nearby."


    I smiled.


    "You ready for another date night?"


    She fell back off my shoulders, flipping to her feet.


    "Oh yeah, I forgot all about that. Uh, hm, I have nothing planned. I''m so sorry."


    I smiled.


    "I do. Let''s go."


    We flew past where Springfield once was, most of Yawm''s funguses and whatnot already long dead. A bit of it remained but mixed with the typical wildlife for a yellow tint on everything outside the remade cityscape. Passing all that, we explored and scavenged for pre-Schema gear in ruins beyond the city.


    It was weird seeing ordinary buildings, their size and their scale so small. I couldn''t fit in anywhere, which became a nuisance. Settling to handle that problem later, I spent the afternoon exploring with Althea. A couple hours later, we returned to our suite with many magazines, media, and other random junk. I explained much of it before Althea and I had time alone at our place.


    After she fell asleep, I pulled myself out, feeling refreshed. I got back to work on mass-producing basic cored golems. I handled this in the golem creation facility I made a while back, though my new method of making the golems put out less residual heat than before. Halfway through making a batch of twenty, a pile of insects crawled up the wall.


    They formed a smiling face, and they echoed out.


    "We''ve made strides with the Omega Strain."


    I put my grimoire back in my pocket dimension.


    "Does it need my attention now?"


    The insects cackled.


    "There are decisions to be made and consequences to be wrought."


    Plazia oozed.


    "Who else is there to dictate them, Harbinger?"

 384 Of Alpha and Omega

    After she fell asleep, I pulled myself out, feeling refreshed. I got back to work on mass-producing basic cored golems. I handled this in the golem creation facility I made a while back, though my new method of making the golems put out less residual heat than before. Halfway through making a batch of twenty, a pile of insects crawled up the wall.


    They formed a smiling face, and they echoed out.


    "We''ve made strides with the Omega Strain."


    I put my grimoire back in my pocket dimension.


    "Does it need my attention now?"


    The insects cackled.


    "There are decisions to be made and consequences to be wrought."


    Plazia oozed.


    "Who else is there to dictate them, Harbinger?"


    Chapter Begin


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Man, Plazia. You enjoy sounding nefarious, huh?"


    Plazia''s insect eyes narrowed.


    "I am speaking as I will. There is no act. It is what I am."


    I lowered my hands.


    "Oh. My bad."


    "You are forgiven...It is this way."


    The insects flew away before burrowing into the ground. I left twenty golem bodies on the manufacturing floor, casting antigravity panels under them. After settling them in, I flew over towards Mt. Verner''s depths. In the repurposed lower tunnels, I found the underground compound set up for the Omega Strain and its training facilities.


    To step inside, I left a block of dimensional fabric molded outside the space. I walked in at about twelve feet tall, letting me explore the area. Since I last saw the place, it had accumulated lots of wear and tear. Claw marks and torn chunks littered the floors, walls, and ceilings. I found three humans here while a large group of Eltari participated in the Omega Strain project.


    I recognized several faces, saying hi and bye before walking past one of the arenas where a fight took place. An armless Eltari wielded two Omega Strains at once. One magenta-colored crystal replaced her missing wings, and the other turquoise Omega Strain gave her long legs and talons. It was Elthara from long ago.


    She battled against three strained Eltari and performed elegant, timed maneuvers against her assailants. An Eltari with a green strain flew up and sliced with its crystal tail. Elthara grabbed it with her augmented talons and pulled the green strain into the attack of another armed Eltari. They crashed together before Elthara spun in a circle, launching shards from her wings. The spines stormed at her assailants before creating a web of magenta-shaded electricity.


    While I watched, Torix walked up.


    "You remember Elthara, I assume?"


    The violet electricity netted over the other two combatants before Elthara kicked off the ground. She ripped concrete out, propelling herself forward before her wings condensed to blades. The other eltari struggled to escape, but Elthara stopped her blades inches short of their throats before they could.


    The charged net dissipated, and her crystal swords reverted to feathered wings. Elthara helped the other Eltari up before peering up at us. She bowed. I raised a hand.


    "At ease...And good work."


    I gave Torix''s shoulder a nudge.


    "How are the golems treating you?"


    Torix''s eyes flared a bright white.


    "The level 30,000 monsters you sent?"


    I shrugged.


    "I didn''t know they''d be that high a level. It''s honestly crazy."


    Torix titled his head.


    "They are at a higher level than you. Perhaps crazy is underselling their prominence?"


    I weighed my hands back and forth.


    "Alright, fair enough. Still, are they doing well?"


    Torix unlatched his hands from behind himself.


    "They are strange. While not dimwitted by any means, they are simpler than they initially appear. However, they are leaps and bounds above the previous models of golems, and they''ve taken care of many concerns I''ve had regarding our future for a while now."


    Torix put a hand against his chin.


    "Is it possible to have them learn magnetism?"


    I shrugged.


    "I don''t really know much about it, honestly. So, at the moment, no."


    Torix lowered his hand.


    "Hm? Really? That''s strange...But I do forget you''re specialized in your knowledge sets at times. I mention magnetism as your lottery exposed several of Elysium''s tactics. The implanted Hybrids were one of them, and if the keepers could check for them-"


    I snapped my fingers.


    "It would make their screening more secure and complete...I could give them that ability, but having them remove the implants isn''t something I''m putting in my golems hands."


    Torix shook his head.


    "I wouldn''t dream of placing that kind of responsibility on them...Hm, perhaps the executive."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "What? That goofball?"


    Torix shook his head.


    "It is nothing of the sort. They''re all newly made and learning, so they''ll appear more competent in time. The executive, in particular, seems to have already formed ideas of what to do for Mt. Verner."


    "Aren''t you going to temper it some so it doesn''t go buck wild?"


    Torix shrugged.


    "I prefer my disciples to learn their own ways. I am a guide, not the maker of an obstacle course. Their difficulties will be of their own making and choosing. I merely nudge where needed."


    We stepped past a hallway before reaching a darker corner of the facility. Here, many vault doors kept different monsters contained for experimentation. One vault door hung open in the far back area, and Torix walked us up to it.


    "After seeing your golems, I''d rather we move my new body operation up to a more recent dating. Their extraordinary strength is something I''d use well, and we could do much with your new golem knowledge to temper the absurd mana flows generated therein."


    "Good point, but first things first."


    We stepped past the vault door, finding Plazia operating on a concrete table soaked in green and blue blood. One of the electric hummingbirds squirmed on it, its entrails exposed and its spine opened. It still lived through some magic but wouldn''t be alive for long. A yellow Omega Strain helped keep it together, forming crystal vines. They coiled around the creature, and electricity hummed in the air.


    I winced at it.


    "Is this what you needed to show me?"


    Plazia nodded. The hivemind rumbled its words from the walls.


    "There is more to this than you  have seen."


    Torix walked over before stretching a hand to the bird. The Omega Strain sank in as Torix controlled it, and the bird''s yellow feathers spread over it entirely. Blue lines traced its sides as it was reconstituted back to its original form. No, well beyond its beginning. It expanded and grew another pair of wings.


    It fluttered the four wings, each pair flapping in an opposite cadence. As it did, vines expanded from the ground.


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Where did the Omega Strain go?"


    Plazia let the birds land on his outstretched hand.


    "It is within. We''ve uncovered how the eldritch may assimilate the Omega Strains."


    My eyes widened. Torix sighed.


    "It''s not as perfect a solution as it seems."


    Torix flew the bird to the ground, where the vines coalesced. He released his control of the bird, and the vines expanded outward. They bolted at my feet, clanking against the metal. The bird thrashed about, its mind broken. I shook my head.


    "Why not tell me this instead of showing me?"


    Plazia pointed at the bird and insects crawling over it from the ground. A spiked worm crawled into its mouth before it squirmed for a bit. It ceased struggling before landing on Plazia''s shoulder.


    "This creature is the result of mighty strength held back by a weak mind. The strain is unconquerable by it, but we may induce a far more productive outcome while wielding it."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The bird flew down before shrieking. Vines expanded over the room, blossoming with yellow and blue flowers. Plazia reached out a hand, and vines wrapped around his arm, gentle as a mother with a newborn.


    "This will allow us to dramatically strengthen the eldritch under my command."


    I raised a hand.


    "So you need me here for permission?"


    Plazia peered at several flowers.


    "That, among other things."


    The bird landed on the table before sitting. It groomed itself with its beak. Reaching back, Plazia scratched the top of its head.


    "We showed you what happens from the Omega Strains assimilation, so you understand the repercussions of it."


    Torix stepped up, his hands interlocked behind himself.


    "We''ve found that any eldritch or eldritch sentient may assimilate one of these strains. It changes them, makes them into something different afterward, and the effects are...Volatile at times."


    I crossed my arms.


    "Could you use it on your necromantic eldritch?"


    Torix nodded.


    "Easily. The Eltari also show an affinity for it, likely due to their world being slowly turned by Schema''s negligence. They''re partially eldritch, which lets them use the strains long-term. In fact-"


    Torix waved his hand.


    "Come in."


    Elthara walked into the room, her Omega Strains still connected to her. She wore the necklace I gave her so long ago and brushed my shoulder with a magenta wing. At least, I thought she did. Elthara glared at her strain.


    "Jaqueta, no. Bad Jaqueta. We ask first."


    The strain pulled back and shook for a moment. Elthara turned up to me.


    "He who gives wings. It is good to see you again."


    I smiled.


    "Same. How are they treating you?"


    Elthara leaned to her wings, and the Omega Strain cuddled against her.


    "Jaqueta and I are bonded by fate. She never leaves me, and I never leave her. This chick-"


    Elthra tilted her head at her turquoise talons.


    "Karm still needs to learn obedience."


    The turquoise strain rippled, bristling with spines. It shot out a blade at my foot before I raised a finger. Event Horizon crossed over it, and the pressure paralyzed it instantly. I squatted down.


    "You''ll need to behave, Karm."


    I tapped it, and a tiny crack stretched out from my fingertip.


    "Or there will be consequences. Understood?"


    It rippled, returning to its talon shape. I stood back up, and Elthara laughed.


    "You are an angry mother who chides chicks back to her nest, no?"


    Torix laughed before I shrugged.


    "Eh, I guess."


    Torix turned a palm to Elthara.


    "As you have surmised, she''s fully acclimatized to her first strain and no longer needs to remove it. Her second strain is proving more difficult to manage, but one day, Elthara plans to control three strains at once before finally choosing a class."


    I peered down.


    "That patience will pay off in the long run."


    Elthara covered herself with her wings.


    "You give me too much praise. I do this for the legion."


    I raised a brow at the others.


    "Can she assimilate them?"


    Plazia''s hummingbird landed on Elthara''s shoulder. In an eerie voice, he spoke through the tiny bird.


    "No. She is not fully our kin, and her mind is not broken. Few eldritch can control a strain, but we believe there are candidates among us. Hod is eldritch enough, as is Amara and Althea."


    I peered at the hivemind.


    "What about you?"


    It murmured.


    "I...I am corrupted enough."


    Understanding his past memories of a time before being eldritch, I decided I wouldn''t pry. Plazia would tell me when he wanted to. I put my hands on my hips.


    "What about the Vagni?"


    Plazia and Torix stared at each other. They turned back to me, and Torix spread his hands.


    "Ahem, what of them?"


    I pointed at Elthara.


    "Like the Eltari, they''re part eldritch. They should be able to use the Omega Strains, right?"


    Torix leaned back.


    "Ah, well, hm...I''d never even given it a thought."


    Plazia shrugged.


    "They seem primitive. Useless, even."


    I frowned.


    "We don''t know much about them, but Florence controlled their world for a while. He may be able to help us out with all of this. I''ll need to head out and get the rulers and empires saved from my pocket dimension soon, anyways."


    I rubbed my temples.


    "In fact, I bet you could control the eldritch on Blegara and use them as effective governance. The Vagni listen to them, and you can make them listen to you. I mean, Omega Strained eldritch boosted by your coordination? It sounds like a winning combo to me."


    Plazia pointed at himself.


    "You mean me?"


    "Of course. Any other hiveminds here?"


    Plazia tilted his head.


    "You are close."


    I waved my hands.


    "You know what I mean."


    "Ah...Yes."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "Does governing the planet seem like too much or something?"


    Plazia twitched.


    "No. It will be fine."


    There was something there that affected his confidence or ability to perform. I didn''t enjoy digging around for someone''s secrets, but this affected his governance. We needed to get it squashed or addressed. I put a mental note of that down before raising a hand.


    "Shalahora can help, and we''ll discuss details later. No pressure."


    Plazia leaned forward and rolled his fingers across the concrete table.


    "There was no pressure, to begin with. It will be done and done well."


    "Good. We''ll definitely apply this to your eldritch and Torix''s summons. As for the guildmates, they can choose whether or not they''ll do this. It''s up to them."


    Torix coughed into a hand out of habit.


    "Ahem, I happen to wonder about a few of the effects involved with the strains. Althea and Amara should be fine, as they are fully functional. Hod...Hod may never fully recuperate from the assimilation of a strain. His limited mental faculties bode poorly for him should even more of his mind become eldritch."


    I winced at the idea of losing the loveable klutz.


    "Yeah, we''ll put that off the table until we can get Hod some help."


    I raised a brow.


    "But why would we need to worry about that? Are the strains effects psionic as well?"


    Elthara''s strains rippled, and she nodded.


    "They are. Jaquetta is a part of me. She has broadened my mind and shown me much. My potential has magnified many times, but it is no shallow thing. To part with her is death."


    Torix raised a finger.


    "That isn''t a turn of phrase; it is the absolute truth. I''ve created fully assimilated strains and removed them from my creations. It kills both the strain and the undead creation as well. It is safe to assume that what kills the dead shall also kill the living."


    The hummingbird flew over to me, landing on my shoulder. I scratched its head.


    "Elthara, can you use any psionics?"


    One of her strains itched her side while she tilted her head.


    "I can use rudimentary kinds. It is clumsy, at best."


    "That''s fine. I want to feel its effects. Just attack me."


    She tucked her head closer to her chest.


    "It will not anger or harm you?"


    I smiled.


    "It won''t. Go ahead."


    She took a breath before rushing at my mind and tackling it. It wasn''t anything to write home about, but after a few minutes, she''d done some damage. I observed an Omega Strain-ed mind in action by letting her go off. It acted like a boost to her mind magic, something like 30% extra oomph.


    I''d compare it to a vicious familiar, one with some sentience. It gave her offense a notable edge. Testing the other side of the spectrum, I pressed against her mind with a light tap, and she winced. I stayed well outside her limits, only testing about half of her abilities. After a few minutes, sweat dripped down her face as I stopped the exercise.


    Elthara heaved for breath.


    "You...Are strong."


    I nodded.


    "You too. The strain seems to give your psionic offenses an edge, but it does little for defenses. Does it raise your level cap?"


    Elthara spread her wings.


    "By a 1,000. With Karm, I shall be able to get to level 7,000 before accepting a class."


    I put my arm into my dimensional storage before lopping the limb off. Within my domain, I melted and molded the metal into another ring and chain. Pulling it out of my dimension along with my grimoire, I leaned against the edge of the room. I peered at the book and carved.


    "Keep talking, guys."


    Plazia generated a steel ingot before pulling it up. His hummingbird landed on his arm before it heated the steel and pecked at it. Like a woodpecker, it stabbed at the block, notching tiny pieces off at a time. Plazia helped it along.


    "Strained entities must devour metal to sate their strain''s hunger. Your dimensional fabric is delicious to them, and we have fed pieces of your golems to the viral entities. The strains revel in it, becoming greater."


    Torix waved a hand.


    "I believe they enjoy the more crystalline structure of your metal. Crystallized mana, gemstones, and other ores are also effective feeds."


    I kept carving.


    "Are there any other downsides?"


    Plazia sighed.


    "There are many. One of them is the further eldritchification of their users. In Eltari, the effect is containable as there is physical separation during assimilation. Within the body of an eldritch, it is different."


    The hummingbird squawked an unnatural call.


    "And you have seen it in person."


    Elthara pointed above her head with a wing.


    "This as well."


    Her titles popped up.


    Elthara, the Bearer of Blights | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Level: 6,000 | Status: Unknown


    I frowned.


    "Ah, Schema doesn''t approve."


    Elthara drooped.


    "It...It is so. They have given me so much, and why the Schema wishes to take parts away, I do not know. But-"


    Elthara peered up at me.


    "I would give more for my wings. I would give anything."


    Finishing my carving, I charged my grimoire.


    "Well, you won''t have to give anymore. I''m hooking you up with more than you''ll probably need."


    Elthra took a step back as I pulled out a blue dungeon core. It radiated in the room like a violent storm, its aura palpable. A minute passed, and I floated the charged runes from my book to the ring. After etching it, I put the core into the ringlet. It snapped into place with a pulse before I planted a final smaller circle atop it.


    Once welded together, I connected the chain through the upper ring, connecting it to the core. The necklace was made. I finalized the chain runes a few minutes later, making it weightless until it bonded to its wearer. I tossed it to her.


    "Here, catch."


    Her Omega Strains caught it. Elthara winced, worried about its weight. Her fear passed, and she marveled.


    "It...It is lighter than my old necklace."


    She reached out to me.


    "I cannot accept this."


    I frowned.


    "That one is yours for leading the Omega Strain program and teaching us so much about them. Your efforts haven''t gone unnoticed, and they''ve added enormous strides to our war efforts. If you think about it, your actions are to blame."


    I stepped forward, pushing it back to her.


    "So this is the result of what you''ve done. Bear your consequences."


    I smiled as she gawked at the necklace, the dark metal oozing mana. Torix coughed into a hand.


    "Are you certain she can contain the mana?"


    I nodded.


    "Yes. The core guarantees it."


    She pulled off her previous garment and put on her new one. It bonded to her instantly, weighing on her neck like a magnetic paperweight holding files to a desk. The core hummed with energy, and she blinked a few times.


    "I...What is this?"


    She fell backward, collapsing against the concrete. Torix peered at me.


    "Perhaps you''d answer her question for all of us?"


    I raised a hand.


    "Wait a second."


    She twitched on the ground before snapping back into consciousness. She took a breath.


    "I...I have never experienced such a rush. What has happened to me?"


    She stood up, becoming a foot taller. She toned, becoming dense and durable. She gawked with clearer eyes than before, and she stared down. Her turquoise talons shaped into symmetrical pieces and had helped her upright.


    Elthara shook her shoulders, and a ripple crossed through both strains without worry or struggle. She let out a sigh.


    "It is done. Karm is a part of me now. This is a joyous day."


    Torix and Plazia clapped. I followed right after but started late, so I barely even got a clap in before they stopped. I kept clapping, trying to show support, but I was the only one now. Feeling awkward, I stopped, knowing no one else gave this a second thought while I was having a whole ass conversation with myself about it.


    Elthara turned to me and grabbed my right hand with a strain.


    "Thank you, Harbinger. Thank you."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Heh, no problem."


    She turned, heading to the main room.


    "I shall find my next strain, and Karm  and Jaquetta shall have more family."


    Elthara disappeared before Plazia cackled.


    "You have given her much for little."


    I frowned.


    "The Eltari have a lot of potential with these strains. She''ll be the forerunner for all others, and by giving her that position now, she will grow a following under her. That strength will be my own."


    Torix''s eyes turned green.


    "Ahem, might I ask what the necklace did precisely?"


    I turned to where Elthara ran.


    "It carries a psionic presence using the dungeon heart as the catalyst. I also made the dungeon heart quintessant, so it is motivated to help Elthara and her growth. That should let her handle further strains if she wants them."


    Plazia''s hummingbird flew out of the room. The Hivemind spoke from the walls.


    "And she may tread into territory yet unseen, giving us sight into dark waters."


    I blinked.


    "Huh. Yeah, I guess."


    Torix waved a hand.


    "My issue is the level cap. It shouldn''t be able to assist her, yet it is. How was that done?"


    I pulled out a blue core.


    "I created a mind out of the blue core, and that received the benefits from the item. It then gives those benefits to a bonded person while amplifying the effects."


    Torix shook his head.


    "That is a straightforward solution to a difficult problem...Well done."


    I smiled.


    "Thanks. Schema will find a way to stop her from unlocking insane trees, but it still boosts her. Now, who''s going to get an Omega Strain?"


    Manifesting outside the room, Shalahora walked in.


    "Am I interrupting?"


    Torix waved his hands.


    "Not enough for it to matter. We were discussing who will receive the Omega Strains."


    Shalahora murmured with force.


    "It shall be Althea and Hod. Amara isn''t ready."


    I raised a brow.


    "Hod? Aren''t you worried he''ll be eroded?"


    Shalahora wavered.


    "It is the eldritch half that we must strengthen and quickly."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Not that I disagree with you, but I''d estimate that to be his dominant half."


    Shalahora''s form wavered.


    "It is no longer."


    He tapped the side of his head.


    "I have unlocked a piece of who Hod was."

 385 A Monsters Mind

    I raised a brow.


    "Hod? Aren''t you worried he''ll be eroded?"


    Shalahora wavered.


    "It is the eldritch half that we must strengthen and quickly."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Not that I disagree with you, but I''d estimate that to be his dominant half."


    Shalahora''s form wavered.


    "It is no longer."


    He tapped the side of his head.


    "I have unlocked a piece of who Hod was."


    Chapter Begin


    I ogled at the shadow.


    "Oh man, I have got to see this."


    Shalahora pointed at Torix and Plazia.


    "Show me the strongest strain we have. It must be jet black, like darkness."


    Torix rubbed his hands together.


    "Of course. We must keep the shadow motif going. Come, I have just the specimen."


    We followed Torix down the hallway before reaching a storage room full of unused Omega Strains. Quintessant lamps lit the room with their sterile, white glow. A mound of my dimensional fabric sat in the center of the room, and wires stretched out from it. The strains sat atop the wires, feeding while the ore regenerated itself.


    Torix leaned toward me.


    "Establishing this was an absolute pain, but we did it."


    At the top of the dimensional fabric, a black strain soaked in the metal at a visible rate. Around the dark crystal, the metal rippled like a stone skipping across a lake, and it hummed aloud. A nestling of shadows poured from it. Torix turned his hand.


    "This strain is saturated to its fullest extent but must continue feeding to maintain said state."


    I leaned over it.


    "Do you do this with every strain?"


    "We do the opposite. I allow individuals to assimilate the weakest possible strains before allowing them to grow together gradually. That process dramatically increased the success rate of this venture. Only a select few are mentally resolved enough for a more powerful strain."


    I nodded, interested in the sample.


    "And this one''s a test for long-term saturation?"


    Torix stood tall.


    "Absolutely. How''d you guess?"


    I touched the dimensional fabric.


    "This is an older piece of my dimensional fabric, so it''s been around for a while."


    Plazia picked up the strain.


    "Enough with the pleasantries. There are tasks to be done."


    We headed out of the room before bolting through Mt. Verner. I stretched myself thin, and the others used various magics to get around. Torix even read while floating on a cloud of dominion mana, a style of mobility he''d had since we first met. After a while, we reached the outside of Mt. Verner. In the shadow of a cliffside, Althea sat beside Hod.


    She held Hod''s head to her chest, and Hod murmured.


    "Hod not do it. Hod not want to."


    She murmured.


    "Hey, it''s ok. We''re not doing anything."


    Shalahora stepped out of the shade. Seeing the Sovereign, Hod crawled away.


    "Hod not want. Bad shady man. Shady man bad."


    In the fetal position, Hod nestled up before biting the ends of both his wings. We all landed at the stone outcropping, one I subconsciously reinforced with a gravity well. Stepping up, I put my hand on his shoulder.


    "What''s wrong, buddy?"


    Hod pointed at Shalahora.


    "Shady man evil."


    Shadows exploded out of Hod, and Other Hod seethed.


    "No. He is not."


    The shadows dissipated, and Hod returned.


    "Is."


    Other Hod popped out and snapped.


    "Is not."


    Hod got control of his wings before strangling himself.


    "Is!"


    Other Hod flopped them down.


    "Is not."


    The two entities squirmed on the ground, the conflict becoming more confusing as I watched. Torix coughed into his hand.


    "Ahem...What precisely is going on here?"


    Shalahora shrugged.


    "My student is in limbo, and his halves fight for one another. Whichever wins decides his fate."


    Hod strangled the ever-living stuffing out of himself.


    "Hod not do it. Hod die first!"


    Other Hod pulled his arms down.


    "You idiot. You''ll destroy us both."


    Hod squirmed around.


    "Hod don''t care."


    Other Hod pulled his hands from his neck.


    "You must. It is what is just. It is what I choose...And I deserve a choice."


    Hod strangled them again.


    "Hod not care what just. Hod want friend."


    Other Hod pulled them beside the edge of the stone cliff.


    "I am no friend of yours. You would know this after I am gone."


    Plazia''s left arm twitched. Hod pulled them over to the cliff''s edge.


    "Hod choose Hod friends. You Hod friend."


    Hod jerked himself off the cliff, and they fell for a half second. I pulled them up with a gravity well. Continuing their struggle, they gnarled and thrashed at each other.


    "Hod want Hod friend."


    "No. Let me give back what I have stolen."


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "No."


    "Yes."


    "No."


    They scrambled for a while. I peered at Shalahora.


    "Hod seems the same."


    Shalahora''s eyes narrowed.


    "He has returned the freed piece of his mind to the void, silencing the part of himself that awakened."


    Plazia oozed his words from the rock below.


    "He would feed himself to that anathema?"


    Shalahora raised a hand.


    "He would. He has."


    I set them down, and Hod heaved over the ground. He seethed.


    "Hod...Hod know you. You know Hod. Hod remember. Hod know you care for Hod. Hod know you care for Hod when no one else care. You stay with Hod when Hod alone. You help Hod when no one else help. You Hod friend."


    He made the edges of his wings into fists, pressing them and his head into the ground.


    "And Hod not let go."


    He hugged himself, and Other Hod spoke with a gentle voice.


    "You must."


    Hod let out a tear.


    "Please. No."


    Other Hod lowered his gaze.


    "You would rob me of my choice?"


    Hod took a breath.


    "Hod...Hod don''t know. Hod need think."


    Althea walked over and gave Hod a hug.


    "It''s ok. I''m still here. We''re all still here. Nothing happened yet."


    Hod nodded, another tear dropping. I walked over and squatted down.


    "You ok little guy?"


    Hod nodded. I generated a quintessence crystal and handed it to him.


    "There you go. Just relax. We''ll make sure nothing happens too fast for you, alright?"


    Hod nodded, putting the crystal in his mouth. Shalahora murmured in his encompassing whisper.


    "Other Hod wishes for Hod to become whole. Hod wishes to remain broken."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "That''s not what I expected. Huh."


    I turned to Hod.


    "And wow. That is so sweet. I''m proud of you for sticking up for your friends."


    Hod spread his wings before moving his head in a circle.


    "Hod do what Hod must. But! Hod also spicy. Watch."


    He moved his head at a rapid pace before swallowing the crystallized quintessence. Hod choked on it, but with a single arm, Althea Heimliched him, popping the crystal out. The motion was smooth and practiced, but Hod grabbed the crystal before it landed on the ground. He popped it back in his mouth again.


    "Hod thank pretty lady."


    Althea smiled.


    "No problem."


    Plazia walked over and dropped the Omega Crystal in front of Hod. Plazia oozed.


    "You wish to stay corrupted? Do so."


    Plazia turned away, opening a short-range portal to his study.


    "But you are a fool."


    The warp closed, and the Omega Strain oozed energy. I pointed at it.


    "So, if we use this crystal, we might be able to make Other Hod-"


    Hod lunged forward and swallowed it. The much smaller mana shard got stuck in his throat, but the cooler-sized Omega Strain slid down, defying the laws of physics. Althea and I gawked before Torix pinched his brow.


    "It''s like trying to control a rabid child."


    Before it assimilated, I condensed a gravity well over the crystal and pulled it out. Hod deflated as I did. Setting the crystal outside arm''s reach, I frowned.


    "You don''t even know what it does yet, do you?"


    Hod gestured his wings to the crystal.


    "It look tasty."


    Shalahora flowed over, materializing in a cross-legged position beside Hod.


    "Is that a lie?"


    Hod crossed his arms.


    "Hod caught. Hod want friend safe. Crystal make friend safe. Hod can tell."


    Shalahora tapped Hod''s forehead.


    "In doing so, you risk losing who and what you are. This would sadden your friend deeply."


    I sat down with Shalahora. I put a hand on Hod''s shoulder.


    "Do you mind if I talk to Other Hod?"


    Hod looked away.


    "Yes. Hod mind."


    Other Hod came out, shadows effusing.


    "What is it, Harbinger?"


    I turned a palm to the guy.


    "So you''re trying to complete Hod. Do you mind if I ask why?"


    Other Hod tilted his head.


    "I have stolen what I am from him. Do I need another reason?"


    Althea scratched the side of her face.


    "So, I don''t think Daniel''s wondering why you want to return the stolen part. He''s, hm, he''s asking why you think you stole from him."


    I peered at Althea.


    "Can you tell me?"


    She shrugged.


    "Yeah, but-"


    Other Hod placed a large, shadowy hand over her shoulder.


    "Let me...Please."


    Althea made herself comfortable, hugging her thighs to her chest.


    "Of course."


    Other Hod lowered his arm, facing me.


    "I...I know what I am. Every time I am emboldened to fight or kill in your name, I experience...An internal struggle. I wish to consume. To drink blood and gorge on flesh. I choose not to, but it is latent within me, a desire I fight every day."


    Other Hod gestured to his shadows.


    "These shadows are a part of what I am, but they are also a part of what Hod once was."


    Althea frowned.


    "Hey, we talked about this. We agreed that wasn''t the case."


    Other Hod shook his head.


    "Those are words. I know that Hod was a being of immense insight and understanding. My growth was fueled by his dimming light. These-"


    He tried rubbing his shadows off, but they returned in a second.


    "These shadows are his darkness."


    He lowered his gaze.


    "My strength is a manifestation of his dying."


    All this time, I never understood why Other Hod had tried taking care of Hod or why he experienced his guilt. He reminded me of my feelings for Springfield and how I abandoned the town. In actuality, I''d fought tooth and nail for the place, but I never believed that. To me, I let that place die to Yawm.


    Other Hod never believed he fought for Hod either.


    Trying to help, I put the Rise of Eden over Other Hod.


    "That''s...That''s hard."


    Other Hod nodded.


    "It is. I am not this feeling of protection or understanding. Those are the pieces of Hod I stole. I am the hunger, the malice, and the hate. I am sane through his insanity. I am patient by his impatience."


    He curled his shadowy hands into fists.


    "And I wish to give back what I have stolen. The Sun Swallower has given me that chance, and I want to seize it."


    Other Hod shook his fists.


    "But Hod...Hod wishes to steal it from me."


    Hod came out.


    "Hod say you stole from Hod First. Hod steal from you now."


    Hod bonked himself on the head.


    "Bad friend. Bad."


    I raised a hand.


    "Wait a second, stop fighting."


    Hod was strangling himself again, but he stopped as I spoke. He squawked.


    "Hod do as Harbinger say."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "Ok, I think I understand how you feel."


    Hod puffed his chest out, putting his wings on his hips.


    "Hod knew Harbinger would."


    I shook my head.


    "No, I mean Other Hod."


    Other Hod enveloped Hod, and he narrowed his red eyes.


    "How?"


    Althea and the others leaned in. I scratched my head, not wanting to answer, but Althea told me her story when I felt down. It helped me, so I pushed through my unease.


    "I''m kind of in the same boat. If you think about it, I''m just a normal kid from some midwest town. I had nothing going for me before Schema arrived, and even after getting trapped in a dungeon, I wasn''t anything special."


    Torix raised a hand.


    "No. No, you will not say that about y-"


    I turned to him.


    "Come on. Let me say my piece."


    Torix squeezed his hand to a fist while peering down. He shook his head.


    "Speak your nonsense."


    I spread my hands.


    "I was just some lazy kid. You guys don''t even know, but I was failing high school. That takes effort. Millions of people could''ve done so much more with this armor. Every damn day I know that. It''s like...It beats me over the head. All the time. Never ceasing. Relentless."


    I nodded.


    "So yeah. You feel like you stole Hod''s destiny. I get that because I always feel like I''m failing mine."


    The wind whistled over the trees and stones, the branches bending in the breeze. Torix''s eyes flared red before he walked over. He slapped the back of my head. It didn''t hurt, but I gawked at him.


    "What''s the problem?"


    Torix held his hand up, and it shook. He wanted to say something before stopping. He peered away before composing himself.


    "You...You think you''re failing your destiny?"


    Seeing his rage boiling under the surface, I frowned.


    "Uhm, maybe? I don''t know. I was just talking."


    His wrath grew. I scratched my cheek.


    "You know what? I, for real, didn''t even mean it."


    Torix snapped.


    "No, you told us what you think. It''s what you believe to be true."


    He shook his head, throwing his hand to the side.


    "You do realize we all have a path we walk, don''t you?"


    A bit nervous, I furrowed my brow.


    "Yes. Maybe. No."


    Torix gestured to everyone.


    "None of us know where we are going. None of us have any idea what we''re doing. We''re all making the best of our given circumstances and situations. As an example, I spent centuries on my planet''s moon, idling away on meaningless experiments and esoteric study. I accomplished nothing."


    Torix pointed at me, his eyes flaring.


    "In half a decade, you built a planetary empire, saved your homeworld, and brought a galactic faction to its knees. You''ve rallied together people from all walks of life. You''ve saved three different species, two from outright extinction."


    Torix put his hand right beside my face, pointing it like a weapon.


    "You gave us all something to fight for, including me, an aimless lich exiled by his family."


    I leaned back. He leaned forward.


    "That is to say, no one, and I mean no one, will so much as insinuate that my disciple is a failure. Not even himself."


    A bird flew past us, landing on Shalahora''s shoulder. It cawed before I coughed into a hand.


    "Ahem...Message received."


    Torix leaned back, his eyes dimming from red to pink. He gazed around before brushing himself off.


    "Yes, well then...Ahem."


    He interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "Perhaps I overdid it. Do excuse me if you would."


    Althea hopped up.


    "I don''t think so. I''m glad you slapped some sense into the big guy. And yeah, I hate it when he talks like that too."


    She shrugged.


    "Sheesh, if he''s lazy, then what are we?"


    The group laughed while Althea peered around, beaming.


    "I mean, really though?"


    Other Hod stood up, staring at me.


    "You are one of the few that deserve to be free of guilt. If you have found pain in your circumstances, then it may be found by anyone. I am no different, so I shall try to uncover where my guilt is deserving and where it is not."


    I pulled the shadowed Omega Strain over to my palm. I moved it in front of Other Hod.


    "Well, we should be able to get more out of Hod and more out of you with this."


    Torix jumped into the conversation.


    "Yes. Indeed. If you assimilate this viral entity, your eldritch half will grow."


    Other Hod marveled at the stone.


    "It is...Beautiful. Tantalizing, even."


    Shalahora flashed beside him, pointing at it.


    "I have seen its effects on the mind. You will expand, becoming greater. We shall be able to peel pieces of Hod''s memories and mind from you, giving it back. We shall feed you this strength, ceasing your death."


    I smiled.


    "We''ll get more Hod and Other Hod."


    Hod''s head replaced Other Hod''s.


    "Hod become...Super Hod."


    I burst into laughter. The entire conversation had many tone shifts from Hod''s interruptions, but I couldn''t help but love the guy. Shalahora tilted his head.


    "In a sense, yes."


    Shalahora tapped the gem.


    "You told me that you wished to uncover what you are. It may be done, but you must risk everything."


    Shalahora grabbed the stone, holding it in front of Hod.


    "Are you willing to leave Hod''s wake, or will you linger in his gloom?"


    Other Hod stood, his shadow looming over the Omega Strain.


    "I am a parasite, feasting on a memory of what was."


    Other Hod reached out, and his voice deepened. His claws sharpened, and his shadows flared like charcoal-colored fire. His voice seeped into our surroundings.


    "I will walk out of his shade and into my own."


    As he grasped the stone, his voice rumbled like thunder.


    "And I''ll be of my own making."

 386 A Shadow, Reborn

    Shalahora grabbed the stone, holding it in front of Hod.


    "Are you willing to leave Hod''s wake, or will you linger in his gloom?"


    Other Hod stood, his shadow looming over the Omega Strain.


    "I am a parasite, feasting on a memory of what was."


    Other Hod reached out, and his voice deepened. His claws sharpened, and his shadows flared like charcoal-colored fire. His voice seeped into our surroundings.


    "I will walk out of his shade and into my own."


    As he grasped the stone, his voice rumbled like thunder.


    "And I will become a monster of my own making."


    Chapter Begin


    We all watched, waiting for a flashy transformation. As the seconds passed on, Shalahora leaned towards the strain.


    "It would seem this sample is inert."


    Other Hod nodded.


    "Perhaps it is broken?"


    Hod popped out.


    "Hod too strong. Hod probably broke it."


    Torix stepped up to them.


    "If it were so simple, we''d of uncovered the strain''s assimilation after finding them in the first place, as would the eldritch on Blegara. That being said, I can help you with the assimilation process. If you''d like, of course."


    Other Hod scratched his shadowed cheek.


    "Uhm...Yes."


    Torix grabbed the strain.


    "The assimilation method involves three distinct processes. The first is psionic occupation. You must allow it to incorporate into your mind. Once it''s manifested there, you steadily pull its mind into your own. If the strain develops memory and consciousness, it will no longer assimilate."


    Torix snapped his fingers.


    "If that is the case, you or the strain dies."


    Althea frowned.


    "Is that why you guys hadn''t figured out the assimilation thing yet?"


    Torix scoffed.


    "Indeed. It''s not very often you get an eldritch who wishes to share their mind with a prototypical kin. We applied plenty of force to instigate the process, along with Plazia sacrificing many eldritch under his control. It''s a shame the hivemind wished to leave before we could finish this."


    Torix waved his hand.


    "Alas, he''s likely planning his invasion of Blegara as we speak. Now-"


    He placed the strain onto Other Hod''s hands.


    "I will simulate its mental effects by occupying a part of your mind. You will steadily attempt to chip away at the parts of me within your psyche. After some practice, we shall attempt the strain with my and Shalahora''s supervision."


    Torix put a fingertip against Other Hod''s forehead.


    "Are you ready?"


    Other Hod nodded, and the lich rushed into his mind. Hod''s head fell back, and he writhed on the ground before Torix stood up. The lich walked around the eldritch.


    "You must learn to defend and offend at once. It is easy to do either, but in doing both, you attain a higher level of competence in this given domain."


    The training brought back memories. Shalahora murmured.


    "You...Are very skilled. More so than even I."


    Torix waved his hand.


    "Nonsense. We''ve sparred a few times. I''d be evaporated by you utterly."


    Shalahora tilted his head.


    "To win and to be better are two different things."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "Then I''ll accept your gracious victory. As for you, Other Hod-"


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "We must practice and with diligence."


    We watched Other Hod flopping on the ground like a fish out of water for a while. While waiting, I planned out a few amulets I would make. All the major players in my guild deserved one, not just Elthara. By the time I finished scrabbling the nearly hundred pages of runes, the sun had crossed over our heads and into the night.


    Other Hod faced Torix in their fights by then. As beads of darkness dripped from Other Hod, Torix placed a hand on his shoulder.


    "You are ready."


    The sunset crossed over us before night arrived in its navy splendor. Only a slither of the moon crawled out, leaving the stars exposed. Hod had molded into his surroundings, exposing only his red eyes. Shalahora left nothing of his previous form, and he spoke from all directions.


    "Be ready, child."


    Other Hod murmured in the dark.


    "We are."


    Other Hod placed his hand onto the Omega Strain, and it flowed into his body through his palm. It sunk claws through Other Hod, ripping and tearing up his arm before settling into his chest girdle. Once within, it coursed with energy, and Hod flopped backward. Other Hod growled.


    "It...Is painful."


    Shadows enveloped Hod, coursing out like flaming gasoline. Other Hod let out a roar. Crystalline fingers tore out his arms, face, and body. His shadow oozed over the dark blue night, jet black overcoming anything it touched. The splatters crossed the air, and where they passed, the stars above flickered.


    Shalahora seethed.


    "Contain it. You are able."


    Other Hod growled.


    "I...I am trying."


    Shalahora murmured.


    "You cannot try. This is something you must do and for more than Hod. For you as well."


    His words resonated around us. Other Hod took a few breaths. Well, if you could call it breathing. His body devolved into a writhing horror of moving crystal and spilling blood. Shalahora''s words flooded everyone''s minds.


    "Become its master and shaper. Mold it to your own making, a piece of an evergrowing mind. Of your mind. Of what you are. Of what you will become."


    Other Hod winced, his eyes leaking like shattered ink vials.


    "How?"


    Shalahora''s voice omened.


    "What you hate in yourself, you must accept. You must embrace."


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Other Hod rasped.


    "I...I cannot."


    Shalahora whispered.


    "Then you will die."


    Shalahora''s mind bled into our surroundings, a palpable entity.


    "And you will never know what you are. Hod will die with you, his memories lost."


    Nervous, I channeled mana into my runes. The navy blue glow gave me a slight view of Other Hod. He fumbled, writhing in pain. He faced the ground, taking deep breaths as his shadowed form bubbled up in places. Spiny tendrils erupted from him, forming wings like umbral bones.


    Other Hod slammed his head into the stone, darkness dripping from his wounded head.


    "I will do this...You will not overtake-"


    More spines coursed from his back. Other Hod''s voice gurgled.


    "I will stay here."


    The spines formed into wings and dark ribs, coursing around Other Hod''s shadowed form.


    "He...He was kind to me."


    From his red eyes, blood leaked like dripping ink.


    "He told me-"


    A dark shard pierced out of his beak.


    "We were broken."


    Several spikes tore out of his left eye.


    "He was whole. I broke him. I stole his life."


    A tendril of dark, reflective crystal gored out of his mouth. He gurgled.


    "You will...Not take mine."


    I stepped up.


    "Alright, he needs help-"


    Shalahora materialized and placed a hand over my chest. He met my eye. The sounds of Other Hod dying echoed around us, and I glared.


    "This is enough. Are you trying to kill him?"


    Shalahora whispered.


    "This is his triumph...Tell me, would you take that from him?"


    I glowered at him, but Shalahora stared back at me. The lurching and horror spilled out behind the shadowy Sovereign.


    I pulled back.


    "If he dies, you''ll pay."


    Other Hod and the Omega Strain wrestled for minutes. After a while, the rupturing shards stopped piercing his form. The strain skittered about like a crystal spider wearing Other Hod''s body from the inside. The movement slowed until it stopped. Other Hod murmured.


    "Enough."


    The shards shook before one retracted in a slow, agonizing pull. Another minute later and another tendril returned to Other Hod''s form. Minutes passed between each spine drawing in, and Other Hod drenched the cliff face with his blood. His breathing rasped, his lungs filling with sanguine fluid. He groaned in agony.


    But he did not relent.


    He shook in pain and trembled in torment. As he let out a sound, I hardly believed it - he laughed. He smiled, his beak twisting in an unnatural gesture. He grabbed the sides of his head.


    "I will know it."


    He tore patches of his shadows off.


    "I will feel what I am. Who I am. Not Hod. Not a monster."


    He writhed before slamming a fist into the rock.


    "I am the other, he who lurks within and beneath. I am no shadow of Hod."


    He clawed into the rock, and it disintegrated as if acid splashed over the stone.


    "I am my own darkness. I walk within my own wake."


    His form expanded.


    "Onto my own way. Onto my own path."


    He stood, his body torn asunder.


    "For he who saw what I could be."


    The Omega strain shivered in agony, a dying insect within.


    "And to know it."


    He swallowed the darkness, and the darkness swallowed him.


    "My shadow."


    He fell onto his knees, exhaustion creeping in. Before we could help, we found no light falling over us. Shalahora isolated the space, casting us into an artificial void. Other Hod indulged in it, devouring the darkness. He howled. He roared into the night. By the time the squirming crystal ceased its movements inside him, Other Hod rested in a pile of split skin and dried gore.


    He heaved for breath before sitting on his legs. He peered up, letting his arms fall palm up on the ground. Light returned, exposing his shape. Even the meager light of the moon left everything saturated compared to Shalahora''s darkness. Other Hod murmured.


    "It...Is done."


    A palpable wave of relief rushed over us, but I still winced at the sight. This was like seeing my armor transformations from so long ago. Watching it was a different test than the actual experience, and I wasn''t used to being on this side of the coin. More acclimatized to this, Althea sprung into action. She tackled Other Hod, giving him a bear hug before picking Other Hod off the ground. She squeezed.


    "Hah, I''m so proud of you. I knew you could do it. I knew it, knew it, knew it!"


    Other Hod gurgled.


    "Injured."


    She let go.


    "Oh...Sorry."


    Other Hod stumbled up.


    "I am fine. Thank you."


    I stepped to him.


    "What about Hod?"


    Shalahora materialized beside us.


    "I picked pieces of his fragmented memory together from Other Hod as he devoured the Omega Strain."


    Torix''s fire eyes might as well have been lighthouses in the dark.


    "He didn''t assimilate with it?"


    Shalahora writhed in and out of the dark.


    "No. Other Hod was an incomplete entity designed to feast on its host. He found a new host to indulge in, allowing him to give away part of what he had taken in. I ensured this took place, and that is why he struggled so deeply."


    Shalahora peered at Other Hod. Warmth radiated from the Sovereign.


    "He did so for his friend."


    Other Hod took a moment, composing himself. He turned to Torix.


    "May I eat more of the Omega Strains?"


    Shalahora''s form rippled.


    "Meditate on who and what you''ve become. Learn it. Soak it in. Once you''ve achieved mastery and understanding, more growth may take place. Hod needs time to sort through his differences as well."


    Shalahora placed a hand on Other Hod''s shoulder.


    "Be patient. This will come to pass. I will ensure it."


    Other Hod nodded.


    "Yes...Also, I am tired. I will-"


    His shadows stopped spawning over him, and Hod''s average body returned. Hod peered around, his eyes sharper than before. He raised a wing.


    "Hod feel different. Like Hod walk out of dense fog."


    Torix paced up.


    "Would it bother you if I inspected your mind briefly?"


    Hod tilted his head.


    "Dry man want see Hod''s greatness? Hod understand."


    Torix tapped his side.


    "He''s remarkably unchanged, it would seem."


    A minute later, Torix finished his inspection. The lich shook his head.


    "First impressions can be wrong. Hes-"


    Hod put a wing against Torix''s mouth.


    "Shhh. Hod show them."


    Taking a step away from us, Hod spread his wings. Two yellow feathers formed and floated around him, following a helix pattern as they fell. A burst of yellow mana spiraled up when they landed on the ground. I turned to Torix.


    "What kind of mana is that?"


    Torix gawked.


    "I don''t know."


    The yellow energy coursed before creating a complex insignia over Hod. It split down the middle and opened. An eye stared at its surroundings. As it lingered over me, my hair stood on end. It reminded me of an Old One peering through me. As the magic faded, Hod lowered his wings.


    "Hod see lot. Much things."


    He pointed his wings at me.


    "Harbinger. Hod see five eyes follow you."


    I nodded.


    "What were they?"


    Hod raised his winged arm and spindly hand.


    "One eye of anger and rage. One eye of facts and knowledge. One eye of time and sound. One eye of lies and paranoia. One eye of sacrifice and change."


    Shalahora''s eyes widened.


    "You can see them?"


    Hod shrugged.


    "Hod not know what Hod sees."


    Trying to connect the dots, I mulled over what Hod was talking about. It all clicked, and I spread my hands.


    "You can see the Old Ones stalking me?"


    Hod waved his wings.


    "Hod great. Hod great. Hod best. Hod best."


    I counted on my fingers.


    "Anger and rage? That''s Baldowah. Facts and knowledge? Etorhma. Time and sound? Eonoth, probably?"


    Shalahora murmured like broken glass.


    "Lies and paranoia? It is an Old One I know well."


    I frowned.


    "Yeah, M. But the last one. Sacrifice and change? I''ve never heard of that one before."


    Althea walked over to me.


    "I think...I think it''s the one that made those, er, chain things for Valgus. Uhm, maybe. Really, I don''t know."


    I gave her a nod.


    "No, that''s good thinking."


    Remembering the piercing gaze as I acclimatized to those shackles, I shivered.


    "Yeah...We don''t know its name, but it knows ours. Anyways-"


    I turned a hand to Hod.


    "You never told me you could use magic before."


    Hod shook his head.


    "Hod could not. Hod not gaining new things. Hod unlocking old things."


    Torix stepped up with his head tilted.


    "Perhaps you''ve unlocked a portion of your subconscious mind, and it will unveil itself over time?"


    Hod puffed out his chest.


    "Dry man, right. Hod barely touch upon Hod''s greatness."


    Torix sighed.


    "Some things never change."


    Hod nodded.


    "Like dry man think Hod best."


    Torix spread his hands.


    "That''s-"


    Hod put a wing against his mouth.


    "Shhhhh. Hod understand. Hod overwhelmed too sometimes."


    Althea laughed before I put a hand on Hod''s shoulder.


    "That magic of yours is incredible. If we can unlock it further, we might learn more about the Old Ones, like where they are or what they''re doing."


    Hod nodded.


    "Or what Old Ones like eat. Hod like chicken. Maybe Old Ones like chicken?"


    He waved his hands in grand gestures.


    "Hod give chicken to Old Ones. Old Ones leave Hod and Harbinger alone. Maybe give chicken to Hod and Harbinger? Hod think good plan."


    I weighed my hands back and forth.


    "Eh, it''s as good a plan as any."


    Hod peered at my primordial, self-augmentation rune. He pointed at it.


    "Good writing. Hod like it."


    I peered down.


    "The rune? You can read it?"


    Hod shook his head.


    "No. Hod know it good though. It feel right."


    As he said that, I realized I didn''t know who Hod had been. Not even a little bit. I needed to get together with some Eltari and learn more about who Hod was before his eldritchification occurred. All I had were a few vague hints from years ago, but fully applying Hod''s talents required knowing what the guy could do. From what I gathered, his past was the key to unlocking that knowledge.


    To get that done, I sent a few messages to some Eltari as the sun rose in the distance. Torix raised a hand.


    "We''ll stay in touch, everyone. I''ve experiments to run and a hivemind to temper."


    He walked through a warp. Shalahora raised several shades around Althea and Hod.


    "Your training must continue."


    Althea sighed while Hod karate-kicked at one of the shades. They fought while I stepped away, immersed in thought. Unlocking Hod''s abilities could give us a vantage point for seeing the Old Ones. His mana type also reminded me of the weird mana signature that Valgus''s shackles responded to. It wasn''t the same, just similar.


    Regardless, if I learned it, I might gain another dimensional wake.


    First things first, I checked the replies to what I sent earlier. A few Eltari could get together for a talk in a few hours after completing some daily dungeon clears. They''d been helping out some villages in Illinois, and I didn''t want them to drop everything for what I wanted.


    Having a gap of time, I opened up my grimoire. Mana flooded into my body, and my primordial wake covered the mountain. I''d finish the follower amulets, and in addition, I''d create a stockpile of various gear made of me. I''d have it protected in an armory, and different Speakers in the guild could give out the equipment as extra rewards for continued excellence. It''d be like a tier system for various guild members.


    Before I fell into my work, a crash erupted in the distance. Trees fell as an architect golem sliced the forest apart with its bladed feet. Kessiah walked beside it, pointing it in different directions. Further out, a guardian golem inspected people, ensuring nothing happened here. The executive toiled away in the inner sanctum while the vanguards patrolled near Springfield and other towns.


    Mt. Verner was safe. Plazia would secure Blegara after we talked, and Schema hadn''t dropped any tasks at my feet about what I needed to do next. It left me plenty of room to prioritize new tasks. Considering what I could do, I set up another plan for the near future.


    It was time to conquer Earth.

 387 The Makings of an Empire

    Before I fell into my work, a crash erupted in the distance. Trees fell as an architect golem sliced the forest apart with its bladed feet. Kessiah walked beside it, pointing it in different directions. Further out, a guardian golem inspected people, ensuring nothing happened here. The executive toiled away in the inner sanctum while the vanguards patrolled near Springfield and other towns.


    Mt. Verner was safe. Plazia would secure Blegara after we talked, and Schema hadn''t dropped any tasks at my feet about what I needed to do next. It left me plenty of room to prioritize new tasks. Considering what I could do, I set up another plan for the near future.


    It was time to conquer Earth.


    Chapter Begin


    Making that happen required a lot of steps. The most integral part involved handling the roaming eldritch and general dungeons. Eldritch could spill into their surroundings and morph an entire landscape in a few months. Stopping that saved people but also gave me official, Schema-verified control of an area.


    Given my planet ownership, I''d take a percentage of the experience and credits they earned in controlled zones. My gains for killing an eldritch reduced to nothing because of my level, but my guildmates'' rewards wouldn''t be. The percentage of their earned experience was worth more than what I would get if I killed the eldritch myself.


    That''s why this was the best path to capping my level. The decision seemed intentional by Schema. He limited the experience I gained through the over-leveled experience reduction. In turn, my only way of capping my level was by building an empire and controlling an area. This weaponized my greed and desire for power, turning it into a force for good.


    Greed was good. In this context, at least.


    However, levels didn''t matter as much to me in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, I''d wanted to do this for a long time. After the Yawm situation, I headed to Giess to get rid of my unknown status. In the process, I got embroiled in the war between Elysium and Schema. Helping Earth would''ve drawn Elysium here to use against me during that time. I fought a proxy war on Blegara before signing the ceasefire between Elysium and my guild.


    I was finally primed to help Earth, and I did. It lasted a few months before Schema pulled me into the lottery. It was one thing after another, and it felt like I had barely helped Earth after all this time. Thinking about it rationally, I had done what I could.


    The reality was that most of this guilt came from my warped sense of time. It had barely been five years since the system started on Earth, but I had probably experienced a decade of actual living¡ªmaybe more.


    The lottery added six months, not including my time magic. Having many minds made each second feel like several. I also never slept or ate anything, and that didn''t even include the weird time flow of each rift.


    Even sitting on the stone shelf beside the others, I experienced a life of slow motion. My allies shifted with floaty movements, the sound around me bleeding in with a low drone. I did many things simultaneously, channeling mana into my cipher runes while thinking. My magic and skills left me out of touch with the real world, including what I was doing and the pace I did it at.


    Taking a moment, I pinched the bridge of my nose and furrowed my brow. This feeling of inadequacy wouldn''t disappear, but I remembered what Torix said earlier. I was doing my best in a crazy situation. We all were. That eased this feeling, but I aimed to get the rest of this guilt out of me.


    To make that happen, I''d take care of Earth.


    While searching for a starting point in the empire business, I found nothing to bite on. In fact, I knew next to nothing about my Sovereign, empire, or guild statuses. The messages always mentioned different rights but never explained anything in depth. It didn''t help that I hadn''t even spent a few minutes reading through them, either.


    Taking a moment, I stopped that line of thinking in its tracks. It wasn''t productive, and I gave myself some slack. Finally having the space to read, I opened my status screen and reread the empire messages. They contained little information outside of the Sovereign ones.


    The class could give me a lot of money if I owned a lot of working cities and planets, but I didn''t understand those systems that well, either. Wanting more info, I opened up a glossary for the system terms using my obelisk.


    While Schema hoarded most information on his censored web, he kept this specific part out in the open. I started reading the guild rankings first.


    Hello system user! This is a guide detailing the various rankings of guilds. Each guild ranking is established based on the organization''s influence. For a simplified understanding, each rank-up usually signifies a tenfold increase in influence over the previous rank. Here are the specifics:


    F Tier | A Hodgepodge, local group with little influence over even singular dungeons.


    E Tier | This is an organized local group with an understanding of regional threats, dungeons, and factions. There is an established presence of control over an area, with usually more than ten members.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 1-3%.


    </li>


    </ul>


    D Tier | This large organization has regimented control over a wide area of over twenty larger dungeons. This guild often has established 1-3 cities and has a large-scale presence over several regions. Guilds of this rank often have one hundred or more members.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 2-3%.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least one city with a warping station and currency conversion establishment.


    </li>


    </ul>


    C Tier | Guilds of this rank have a national or multi-national level of influence. Often, they can control 20-30 cities with hundreds of dungeons under their direct control and clearing. They can even have slight sway on a planetary scale, though usually multiple C-tier guilds are required to have that level of effect.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually, 3%.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least ten cities with a warping station and currency conversion establishment.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild controls an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    </ul>


    B Tier | These large, sprawling organizations usually control large portions of a planet. They can have significant control over a planet''s surface, and allyships between B-tier guilds are decisive for a planet''s overall state of being.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 4-5%.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least one hundred cities with a warping station and currency conversion.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild controls an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild controls a large functioning army, allowing for war against other planets.


    </li>


    </ul>


    A Tier | These are guilds with a total planetary influence. They are almost always dominant within their home world and solar systems. These guilds usually have established mining operations outside planetary bounds, such as on nearby moons or asteroids. They also can hold vessels off-world.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 5-15%. *Excluding planetary ownership rates.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least a thousand cities with a warping station and currency conversion establishment.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control a large functioning army, allowing for war against other planets.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild usually has one to multiple species operating at a lower and upper class via passive questing.


    </li>


    </ul>


    S- Tier | These guilds have branched out to multiple planets'' worth of contact and control, allowing them to influence entire star systems. They have many economies, cultures, and species under their wing. They almost always control multiple planets, and their combat ability makes eldritch less of a threat than other high-tier guilds.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 5-15%. *This excludes planetary ownership taxes.*


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least ten-thousand cities with warping stations and currency conversion establishments.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control enormous armies, allowing for war against multiple planets.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds usually have multiple species operating at a lower and upper class via passive questing.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds have accomplished S tier bounties, quests, and assignments given by Schema or Schema-verified Speakers.


    </li>


    </ul>


    S Tier | These guilds have branched out to multiple solar systems'' worth of contact and control, allowing them to influence entire galactic segments. They have innumerable economies, cultures, and species under their wings. They always control multiple planets, and their combat ability allows them to handle any threat.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 5-15%. *This excludes planetary ownership taxes.*


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least a hundred thousand cities with warping stations and currency conversion establishments.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control planetary destroying armies.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds usually have many species operating at a lower and upper class via passive questing.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds have accomplished S tier bounties, quests, and assignments by Speakers or Schema.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds are given special privileges by Schema.


    </li>


    </ul>


    S+ Tier | These guilds are the highest existence within Schema-owned space. They are ancient, revered, and worshipped organizations that have stood the test of time. The backbone of Schema-based society is founded on these guilds, and they prevent the eldritch from spiraling out of control via fringe worlds.


    <ul>


    <li>


    This rank is given a % of the revenues and experience within their controlled spaces. Usually 5-15%. *This excludes planetary ownership taxes.*


    </li>


    <li>


    This guild rank usually has established at least a million cities with warping stations and currency conversion establishments.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds control an economy, allowing for far greater taxation.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds own galactic influencing armies.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds usually have one to multiple species operating at a lower class and upper class via passive questing.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds have accomplished S+ tier bounties, quests, and assignments by Speakers or Schema.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds are given special privileges by Schema.


    </li>


    <li>


    These guilds are always prioritized during galactic councils or during system updates.


    </li>


    </ul>


    After reading through the massive pile of information, I set my guild''s actual rank somewhere in the S- to C rank. Our combat ability rivaled what the S- Tier was supposed to dish out, if not a bit more, but we lacked the influence Schema mentioned. I required far more cities, economic influence, and dungeon control to be that level.


    Getting to the following breakdown, I opened my imperial menu, which was never mentioned in the status updates.


    Hello, ruler class individual(s)! This is a status screen dictating ownership of an empire. Empires can enact vast levels of control within their realm. Those options are listed below:


    - City Establishment -


    <ul>


    <li>


    Allows for conditional city establishment assuming:A. Secured area without dungeons.


    B. No eldritch within city confines.


    C. Operating economy of larger than 100,000 individuals.


    D. Permits and documentation acquired from a Schema-verified Speaker.


    E. Areas allocated for warp and currency conversion centers near the city''s center.


    F. Military control of the area.


    </li>


    </ul>


    - Resource Ownership -


    <ul>


    <li>


    Allows for ownership of all within your controlled domain. If not unlocked, Schema may confiscate particular objects of value.


    Certain ores, such as orichalcum, will otherwise be confiscated.


    Any willful illegal activity will result in the loss of owned territory unless this is enabled.


    </li>


    </ul>


    - Passive Questing -


    <ul>


    <li>


    Allows for the application of passive questing to select species within your domain. These species have their rights detailed by you. *Menu available.*


    There are numerous hierarchical positioning opportunities for these passive questing opportunities.


    If members leave their passive quests uncompleted, punishments may be enacted. Rewards are also available. *Menu available.*


    </li>


    </ul>


    - Planetary Ownership Rights -


    <ul>


    <li>


    Removes the limit to the number of planets owned.


    </li>


    <li>


    You may assign ownership of different planets to different guild members. This unlocks various classes for these individuals.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Note - Ownership of planets does not guarantee income. Areas must first have dungeons cleared and processed consistently. A functioning economy exponentially increases income via credit exchange, and Speakers can further elevate spaces via questing and assignments.


    Inspecting the passive questing menu gave me some valuable insight into guilds. It was how different caste systems were enabled within empires. For instance, Obolis''s empire likely used passive punishment quests to keep subservient species in line.


    When he granted me the skeptiles and Vagni, Obolis gave me the right to use this menu however I pleased with them. In effect, it was another name for slavery since the punishments could be damn near anything. They were even free.


    On the other hand, the reward menu came out of my pocket, explaining how Obolis kept the albony on top. They could complete easy passive quests for rewards, which got them ahead. The effects compounded, leading to vast economic differences over time. Either way, individuals could overcome these systems, but as a whole, a species couldn''t.


    Peering at the other bonuses, they explained some of what I''d unlocked over the years. Having Schema recognize my monolith cities during the lottery accomplished more and less than I expected. Pretty much anyone could establish a city anywhere if they fulfilled the requirements. This made my monolith cities seem far less unique.


    However, the more I thought about it, the more I dispelled that line of logic. The hardest part of establishing a city was the requirement for 100,000 people working nearby. That was essentially impossible on a fringe world and would''ve been extraordinarily impossible on L-7. The other conditions piled onto that inconvenience to the point where cities didn''t seem worthwhile on questionable planets.


    My process skipped all that, letting me ignore the red tape and flaming hoops everyone else dealt with. I could even have dungeons and eldritch within my cities, allowing me to harvest gains from them. That meant that once the dungeoneering problem was solved, the other parts of empire management would fall in place.


    That process began with Earth. I wanted everybody in my guild so they''d reap the benefits of my endurance legacy and tree bonuses. It would give humanity a leg up that they needed against the eldritch. Beyond that, offering basic supplies and necessities would help people prioritize leveling.


    Most of that could be handled by building a constructor golem and sending them off. It could give food, water, and shelter to people. Beating basic eldritch also wouldn''t be a problem, given how much stronger my golems were because of my stats. However, they could be abused.


    My constructor golems lacked finesse, being unable to manage themselves or handle complex situations. We needed some task handlers for the big lugs of steel. After consideration, I figured pretty much any guildmate would do.


    It was something I''d thought about for a while. My guildmates had survived Yawm''s invasion or joined the guild through Torix''s recruitment. My legacy allowed them to establish necessities and threats for a settlement, especially with a golem''s help. I could run in afterward, sweep the place clean of Eldritch with Event Horizon, and establish a city.


    Flying around would take a while, so I figured having Helios with me for warping was necessary. In fact, I could establish a few preliminary cities around major population centers before starting the operation. The warp centers and Schema''s shops could help the teams travel faster and manage supplies. I could also model what and how I wanted this done.


    Once established, I''d start taking in talent with assigned Speakers for different places. Leaving a stockpile of earnable rings and artifacts in the cities would be the icing on top. With my guild members in each city, we could communicate with our guild messaging. If anything went awry, I could be there in moments.


    Income would pour in, and I could buy a ton of obelisks. I''d send them to each city since communication would be vital. We''d need a thousand golems and guild members helping out for the plan to work. I''d sweep to the largest population centers before we all dished out help in more rural areas.


    It seemed like a reasonable plan and utilized my guild''s full potential. In fact, I could get a reference sheet for the most populated areas pre-Schema. With it, I could send a golem-guildmate team, or GGT, per million people on the given site. Detroit would get ten GGTs, while Lansing would get about two.


    It seemed like a reasonable plan for now.


    Before moving on, my extra psyches inspected my different status screens while I toiled. I might be missing something they''d find. They handled that while I returned to my current task - making the amulets for everybody. These artifacts ensured my guildmates'' safety while I left, letting them go anywhere without worry.


    Well, without my worry, that is. After watching Obolis''s downfall, I couldn''t help but find myself in a similar place. He founded his empire and jumpstarted his species'' prosperity, but he hoarded his gifts. Because he never took the time to fully arm those close to him, he lost everyone. I wouldn''t be caught dead in the same position.


    That''s why I would take this moment to ensure my people''s safety. It was why I spent so much time on Mt. Verner, even as people died halfway across the globe. I was being selfish, and I couldn''t deny that. But if I lost someone because I was conquering a territory instead of protecting them, it would kill me on the inside.


    To stop that, I pulled out a dozen blue cores, rotating them above me like a solar system of glowing Neptunes. Taking out my list of deserving guild members, I popped my grimoire out of my dimensional storage. I opened it and faced the cipheric carving I jotted down while Hod trained with Torix. I had a hundred-plus pages to reference.


    It was time to deck my guild out.

 388 Artifacts and Delegation

    Before moving on, I had my extra psyches inspect my different status screens further. I might be missing something they''d find. They handled that while I returned to my current task - making the amulets for everybody. This would ensure their safety while I left, letting them go anywhere without worry.


    I pulled out a dozen blue cores, my list of deserving guild members, and the cipheric carving I handled while Hod trained with Torix.


    It was time to deck my guild out.


    Chapter Begin


    Checking out the carvings I made, I copied most of Elthara''s amulet sigils while leaving certain sections blank. This ensured all amulets gave generic buffs, but I could add what I wanted for each team member. In the empty spots I left behind, I filled in different parts that my guildmates might need.


    After getting my planning set up, I began carving out the quintessant cores. They were the easiest to make. Mild-mannered and motivating, they supported whatever buffs I put onto an amulet, ensuring the individual shined.


    The other mana types proved more finicky, just like with the golems. Primordial amulets wanted to change the wearer, but I contained their urges by putting many hard stops in place, similar to the executive golem. Even more challenging to manage, the ascendant cores siphoned the wearer''s mana and health, trying to kill them.


    Instead of smothering their urge to commit evil, I redirected it. The new strategy worked better than the restrictions but still proved volatile. When I used both strategies together, I got the results I wanted.


    With the cores tamed, I tried making the quintessant amulets as practice for the more complex dungeon hearts. Starting with Krog, I molded a tail band. For a gialgathen, Jewelry lacked the utility of raw metal since the band''s heft could be a weapon. The flying amphibians'' tail attacks would have added weight, even without magic like gravitation or telekinesis.


    For Krog''s band, I focused on giving him more control of sound and vibrations. I put a stabilization rune for tones in the band. This allowed Krog to hold a note in his roars more easily. Hypothetically, he could resonate the pitch with an enemy, building vibrations in them until they disintegrated. It would be like an opera singer breaking a glass but with enemies'' bones and bodies. I''d need him to test it out.


    With plenty of supervision, of course. Safety first.


    I also gave the band gravitation, telekinesis, and standard buffing. Krog could manipulate his weight and redirect his physical attacks, adding a new dimension to his physical combat. Time would tell what he''d accomplish with it, but I was excited already.


    After finishing Krog''s band, I moved to Shalahora''s trinket. I went with a pair of earrings instead of an amulet. Aesthetically, it suited the shadow much better, and I put a blue core in each of them, knowing Shalahora could handle two.


    Instead of amplifying his strong skills, I tried filling in what he couldn''t do. After all, Shalahora''s mind magic was absolute, so I couldn''t improve it further. By contrast, when he handled the Shaelance Glaive, Shalahora couldn''t control the quintessence flow. These earrings would allow him to do that or any other random magic he happened to need.


    I couldn''t add magic I didn''t know about, but I had now developed a wide array of skills. Gravitation and telekinesis were the most manageable powers to add, but I piled on others. Temperature manipulation, matter generation, elemental magics, and even unguided mana flows, I kept piling on different sorceries until I hit a threshold. By now, the item''s complexity scared me.


    Perfect.


    I grabbed the earrings, trying to use them. Most of the magic worked at a decent level. For the last test, I made matter with them. Any material would do, so I didn''t direct the ornaments in any way. I let the earring choose its core attribute, expressing its central being. Great idea on my part. Profound, even.


    With a tremendous flow and immense force, a wave of crabs erupted onto the side of Mt. Verner. Coconut crabs, Dungeness crabs, Chesapeake blue crabs, and even Tasmanian giant crabs flooded our surroundings in a veritable crabocalypse. They snipped like nobody''s business and crushed trees below with immense, crabby weight.


    Truly crabtacular.


    Before they snapped the slab of stone we rested on, I made a gentle gravity well over us. The crabs congregated into a mass before I pulled native wildlife out of the bunch. Once I got only crustaceans, I evaporated the poor guys with Event Horizon.


    Althea pulled a straggling crab out of her hair.


    "What was that?"


    I frowned, gazing off into the distance.


    "Sorry, guys. I was-"


    I narrowed my eyes, solemn as stone.


    "Feeling crabby."


    After a series of boos and having crabs thrown at me, I moved on to the next amulet. Well, artifact, honestly. Sticking with Florence, I made another set of earrings. Undoubtedly, the guy could pull these off, and I set them as weightless and quintessant. Florence wouldn''t want to fight his artifacts all the time.


    They amplified his general aura and charisma while letting him speak at different volumes. I combined it with several psionic defense systems, ensuring his mental security. The last part would be an intimidation aura. Ascendant mana would''ve been much better at that specific skill, but this would suffice.


    The last quintessant core was for Kessiah. I gave her a belt buckle, knowing she always wore different ones. This one helped with regenerating blood, her most pressing bottleneck. It also helped with stability, calmness, and general power. While handling her healing, she could stay still in unstable areas. I also installed some primary psionic defenses like the other members.


    Moving on, I made the ascendant cores next. These would be risky but high value, and I knew certain members could handle them. Starting with Helios, I designed a gauntlet to counter his current one. He''d already shown the ability to wield multiple artifacts fluently, so I built this one with that in mind. In particular, I wanted him to take full advantage of his void ice.


    This ascendant amulet would give him telekinetic and gravitational abilities. The force of their application dwarfed my previous incarnations, and unlike the other charms, this focused on casting magic rather than adding generic skills. It still buffed him, but that wasn''t the emphasis.


    This specialization amplified its effects. Even a few test runs could uproot trees and launch them like spears. I couldn''t get the finesse of my magic out of the gauntlet, but it handled tasks like moving a single stone or hitting one from afar. It was up to Helios to learn these tools and use them.


    Knowing the guy, he would use them well.


    The following ascendant construct was for Althea. She entered a berserker state when using her chems or Kessiah''s special blood types. I wanted Althea to learn how to control that via an ascendant core. At the same time, the dungeon heart carried powerful psionics to help her out. The goal would be to stop anything from vaporizing her memories and psionic sanctity.


    It also included telekinesis and force redistribution. Althea hit hard with all her general strength, but her body''s frailty held her back. This amulet would help her apply that strength at a range while controlling the rebounds so she wouldn''t shatter from the blowback. It telekinetically redistributed the reverberations across her body instead of just her hand or foot.


    Once she mastered it, this core would magnify her offensive potential. As for the dungeon heart vessel, I was at a loss. Althea constantly shifted shapes, so I couldn''t decide what would suit her most. I decided to just ask her what she wanted later.


    Moving onto the next core, I went with talon covers for Hod. That part of his body changed the least when he turned from Hod to Other Hod. The ascendant construct would serve two different purposes for his duality.


    For Hod, it acted as a general guide that assisted with accomplishing different tasks. An ascendant core worked best because it was the mana of initiative. It gave more direction while quintessence would''ve laid back and offered simple suggestions.


    I installed directives into the ascendant construct specifically for Hod to take advantage of that. The three main ones were psionic training, cipheric learning, and exploration of his unique magic. This gave Hod a path without being overbearing. I''d adjust it as needed, but before giving it to the guy, I placed the talon covers in my hands and tried them out.


    Initial tests were promising. The covers sent out random goals that seemed doable and constructive. After a few minutes of wearing them, it changed its suggestions to stuff I considered worth my time or valuable. From what I could tell, this was one of the strangest aspects of ascendant-based cores.


    They came from the bloodthirstiest kinds of mana, so I expected a Valgus clone. When unshackled, they were. After applying all the fail-safes and stop gaps, they became goofier, playful personalities. The ambition gave way to excitement, and the battle thirst turned into adventure seeking. It was a welcome and helpful surprise.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    As for Other Hod, the core gave him a psionic training partner for his future growth, and it offered a lesser version of Helios''s gravitation/telekinesis. Other Hod needed as much training as possible to unlock his potential and Hod''s in the future. The amulet even buffed the guy. It was almost too much for a single core but proved stable. After all, structuring a charm for both Hods wasn''t easy.


    Trying the primordial cores next, I set up the easiest of them - Torix''s staff. This artifact would be a counter perspective for the lich to discuss with when needed. I put only a few restrictions on the primordial core to make that happen. Letting it run loose would give Torix''s primordial magic a boost and provide him with someone to direct as he saw fit. In that regard, I trusted Torix to mold the core to what he needed.


    Chrona''s tail band came next. I set up a temporal manipulator within, requiring every ounce of power the blue core could muster. Using this would be arduous without understanding time magic, but that wasn''t a problem for Chrona. She''d be using this in only a few days, tops.


    The last three instruments took hours each.


    The first was an engineering compass for Diesel. The guy earned his chops a while back, and I aimed to give him his just desserts. I gave him a dual-core setup of quintessence and primordial manas to make his artifact shine. I couldn''t manage the tool''s complexity with just one core otherwise.


    In this case, the quintessence took the edge off the primordial''s need for control. After all, I didn''t want this tool to destroy Diesel''s mind. The compass''s dual-core nature also gave it the creativity and ingenuity the other instruments lacked.


    Ultimately, the compass mirrored an architect golem, and it would be as if Diesel always carried his one with him. He''d be floored when I gave that with the personalized AI I planned on giving Diesel.


    Probably. You never know for sure how someone would respond to a gift.


    The next artifact was Plazia''s primordial shoulder pauldron. I set this one up to help the hivemind establish control over areas via spatial magic. Well, that''s what I think it did, but I was expanding into fields I didn''t fully understand. The way I had it handle spaces involved leaning into what the material was made of - my dimensional fabric.


    The way I did it was simple. See, my armor always carried a kind of personality, one that wanted growth and food. Instead of fighting that, I pulled as much of those aspects out of the material as possible. This amplified the natural properties of the dark metal.


    I would never hand this to other guild members, but Plazia was an enormous psionic entity. Even from the few times our minds grazed each other, I could feel how monumental he was. He rivaled my psionic magnitude, if not a good bit higher. Because of that, his artifact didn''t require extreme stability.


    On the contrary, he would be that source of stability.


    That left the most challenging construct: Amara''s cipheric assistant. I attempted to create a core that helped her operate with the dimensional cipher. To call it a success would be like calling dough bread. I didn''t know what would happen until it got out of the oven. Even my initial tests were spotty and confusing. It was still ready to ship, at least.


    But, uh...Let''s just say I put a lot of fail-safes on that one.


    Once I finished making the artifacts, I walked over to Hod, Althea, and Shalahora. I''d been here for over a day, and they''d left and returned to this spot to train. Interrupting everyone, I handed Shalahora the earrings. He snatched them out of the air.


    "What have you given me?"


    I smiled.


    "A surprise. Try them on."


    He placed them where his ears should''ve been, and I explained how to use them. As they came to life, each core shifted from blue to a starry white. The ethereal glow contrasted his gloomy form, making him less sinister. He created a few balls of fire or ice before peering at me.


    "Thank you, Harbinger."


    "No problem. Let me know if anything goes awry."


    I turned to Hod, handing him the talon covers. They snapped onto place via gravitational wells, their red runes ominous. Hod walked around with them like a waddling duck for a bit. As ascendant energy built in them, Hod hopped around, able to fly and control his descent using the dark armor plates.


    He ran up into the air, testing out the telekinesis. He hopped around, flipping on air before kicking at a wall. It exploded, the telekinetic powers holding up well. Hod scratched behind his head by just moving his leg up and down.


    "Hod never reach itchy spot. Hod must admit...Hod impressed. Itchy spot Hod worst enemy."


    He bowed to me.


    "Hod thank Harbinger for backscratchers. Hod never forget."


    I smiled.


    "Hod, never change buddy. Never change."


    I turned to Althea, holding up the dimensionally enveloped ascendant core.


    "I couldn''t think of what to make this into for you because of your transformations. I''m open to any suggestions."


    She frowned.


    "You didn''t want to make an amulet?"


    I waved my hands.


    "I just didn''t know if you wanted something different. I''ll get it done."


    I turned to make it before she hopped up onto my shoulder. She leaned in and whispered.


    "Can...Can you make it one of those neck things?"


    "A necklace?"


    "No, the ones that sit higher up on the neck."


    I furrowed my brow before snapping my fingers.


    "Oh, a choker."


    She put her finger against my lips.


    "Shh. It''s embarrassing."


    I nodded before she hopped off with an elegant flip. I got the measurement of her neck a few seconds later. After getting some black silk from a store in Mt. Verner, I started making the choker. Oddly enough, the store obtained the base material for the silk from Althea''s eldritch reformations.


    It was a small world.


    I set the fabric as the choker''s base before making a small chain around it. I didn''t want the chain to be uncomfortable or inelegant, so I kept the interlocking segments soft and flattened. It made the process ten times more difficult, but the result looked like jewelry, not shackles.


    Making the metal weightless, I finished it with the red core at the center. Returning to Althea''s training spot, I handed her the choker, which she tried on.


    It was too loose, hanging like a necklace at first. She pursed her lips.


    "Huh. That''s disappointing."


    I went to help her take it off before the metal tightened around her neck. It gave a slight squeeze, and Althea leaned back before stumbling. I caught her, and she grew a foot taller in my arms. Her jumpsuit tore in a few places, and she blinked before staring at me.


    "Wow. That''s a rush, huh?"


    I frowned.


    "It''s not too tight, is it?"


    She rubbed her neck, her eyes soft when she smiled.


    "Hmm...It''s just how I like it."


    I had to calm myself down before letting her continue her training. After a goodbye, I flew over to the forests of Mt. Verner. Instead of spending all my time handing out the artifacts, I called over the executive golem.


    It walked up, a foreboding presence that stalked out of the trees.


    "Ah, creator. It''s great to see you again."


    I pulled up the pile of artifacts with a gravity well.


    "I need you to hand these to certain guild members for me."


    The executive tilted its head.


    "Wait a minute. Those?"


    It stepped closer.


    "Wow, those are incredible. They''ll make each of your elites far more powerful."


    It wiped a hand over one of the artifacts.


    "But, creator, do you mind if I challenge your perspective?"


    I gestured to the artifacts.


    "Go ahead."


    The executive rubbed its fingers together.


    "There''s dirt all over these, and they''re haphazardly piled up. Let''s take a moment and imagine with me for a second."


    It waved its arms overhead.


    "Think of it. Specialized containers for each guild head''s enchanted artifact. They''re in their different colors, and we''ve cultivated a space to hand them over with. No, even better, we can have the guild watch as you hand over these life-changing artifacts. They feel the impact of each one as you give them away."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "That, uh, sounds like a lot."


    The executive waved a hand.


    "If it feels overwhelming, know that I can arrange it all at a moment''s notice. I could have it happening by tomorrow with a bit of hustle, actually. In fact, we should do that."


    I frowned.


    "I''m going to be busy tomorrow. For a while, actually."


    The executive leaned forward.


    "Might I ask what it''s about?"


    I described my plan for conquering Earth along with the need for golems. The executive clapped his hands together.


    "That is genius, creator. It really is a solid, well-put-together plan. Now, I know it may feel like a lot, but do you mind if I mention an iteration to said plan?"


    I got the feeling I''d hear that kind of phrase a lot from this golem. I shrugged.


    "Why not? In fact, always let me know if you have an idea or improvement on something I''ve said."


    The executive snapped his fingers with gusto.


    "You show your mental resilience with your every word, creator. So, here are my thoughts - the plan is strategically sound but neglects the human element of the equation."


    I raised a brow. My golem lectured me on the human element of a plan. There was an irony here somewhere.


    "What do you mean? I''ve got the guild members helping out."


    The executive raised a hand.


    "That''s right, and yeah, we know they''ll help. You''re the Harbinger of Cataclysm, for Schema''s sake. What you say goes, but hear me out here: we need to give the people a reason why they should leave their homes and fight the good fight. It''ll make enrollment much better and more satisfying."


    I spread my hands.


    "Ahhh, I get where you''re going with this."


    The golem made finger pistols at me.


    "Can you tell me what you''re thinking?"


    I smiled.


    "We''ll use the gifting ceremony you mentioned earlier to announce the guild''s conquest of Earth."


    The executive raised his hands high.


    "Come on, make it better."


    I nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll make a bunch of gear and show the guild what they can earn while they head out with a golem. The better they do, the more they''ll get. We''ll have Speakers design quests, and they''ll see how effective the artifacts are when I gift them to each follower."


    The executive clasped his hands to fists, shaking them.


    "Now that''s a damn plan!"


    I gave him a high five before the executive swung a fist.


    "I''ll arrange everything with an architect while you prepare the golems for the announcement. We''ll need to strike while the iron is hot."


    I grabbed my chin.


    "If we have a stockpile of golems, we can have people sign up immediately. I can even have the piled-up goods behind us during the ceremony."


    The Executive pointed at me.


    "Perfect. I couldn''t have said it better myself."


    The golem''s dual manas flared out of it like the depths of an ocean on fire.


    "This has got me completely fired up. I''m canceling all my other plans for the next hot minute and getting this show on the road. Creator, we will make big things happen here and fast. Trust me on that."


    I believed it. The executive lifted a hand, a gravity well launching it into the air. It jerked its other hand, propelling its body to Mt. Verner''s lower side. As it disappeared, I dwelled on the executive''s personality.


    Somehow, it felt like a hype man more than a domineering jerk. In fact, I couldn''t believe it operated so well, to the point it felt like talking with someone more than a thing I made. It left me wondering if that''s what having a child was like, just in slow motion. I winced, knowing I''d probably never know that for myself.


    I was likely sterile.


    I sighed before turning around. Seconds later, the executive landed in front of me.


    "Oh, creator, I forgot to mention something. You never visited the Eltari you made appointments with."


    I closed my eyes.


    "Dammit."


    The executive put a hand on my shoulder.


    "I had it rescheduled for tomorrow morning and managed the fallout by giving them new houses with an architect."


    It gave me a thumbs up.


    "Let''s just say there''s going to be many more people hoping you don''t show up when you say you will."


    It gave me a salute before launching away once more. I ogled where it once stood, stunned by how it handled things I''d forgotten. Shaking out my surprise, I looked around, finding the guild coming to life. Architects built in the distance, the blue core''s barrier sheened over the horizon, and my vanguards carried back useful eldritch.


    It left me basking in a quiet but boiling excitement. After setting the alarm for tomorrow morning with my status, I cracked my neck.


    It was time to mass produce a golem army.

 389 The Tasks of a Ruler

    It gave me a salute before launching away once more. I ogled where it once stood, stunned by how it handled things I''d forgotten. Shaking out my surprise, I looked around, finding the guild coming to life. Architects built in the distance, the blue core''s barrier sheened over the horizon, and my vanguards carried back useful eldritch.


    It left me basking in a quiet but boiling excitement. After setting the alarm for tomorrow morning with my status, I cracked my neck.


    It was time to mass produce a golem army.


    Chapter Begin


    I lifted myself with a gravity well and propelled myself toward my golem creation facility. The large stone and glass structure stood from Mt. Verner but closer than I remembered. A bit of inspection revealed the illusion - guildmates erected buildings nearby, making the mountain look closer.


    People wanted to live in the open since we weren''t hiding anymore.


    I relished that fact before one of my minds mentioned my status. The inspectors I sent out found something, so I opened my planet menu and Sovereign status. I found the flaw my mind mentioned, and they were twofold.


    Firstly, I didn''t have a perk for L-7. I sent a message to the Overseer to get that fixed, hoping for a timely response. The second ''problem'' was that I wasn''t supposed to have my planet perks yet. The Sovereign class mentioned getting them from my Sovereign skill, not the class itself. I hadn''t obtained that skill, so I got the perks early.


    I neglected to mention that in my bug report.


    While on the topic, I spruced up my status. I allocated my leftover skill points to the Owner of Worlds tree, not expecting anything.


    You cradle the tales of time, your species'' prosperity akin to your own. To have such power is merely a piece of this puzzle. You will learn to use it, growing into your abilities as they grow into you. You lay the roots of empire and authority from the will of your enactment. It will blossom into a vast tree that shades those under you.


    +100% to City Barrier Strength


    +100% to City Barrier Efficiency


    +40% to City Barrier Size


    +40% to Credit Income Multiplier from owned territories


    +40% to Experience Multiplier from owned territories


    +100% to Bounty Payout in owned territories


    +100% to Bounty Experience Reward in owned territories


    -40% to Warping Costs in owned territories


    Sovereign Exclusive: +24% to World Perk Efficacy


    A rush of energy coursed in, and I slowed it down again. I pulled out my grimoire, taking notes and trying to feel the energy flow. This mirrored watching a master at work, and I soaked in the drops of knowledge Schema left behind. After the power faded, I readied for the grueling production process.


    Before I got into it, a rip in spacetime erupted beside me. The Overseer stepped out, about two heads shorter than me. Even a casual glance showed how improved his situation was since I last saw him.


    His armor was fixed, no more missing patches or exposed skin lingering. Portions of his armor rippled, bending and molding with his movements. Even a psionic glance told me the Overseer''s mind isolated itself from its surroundings far better than before. This gave the titan far more room for other ventures, one of them being his routine work.


    The Overseer stared at his red status screen. He handled a dozen tasks simultaneously before peering closer at one of the screens.


    "Interrupting my workflow for a bug report? Has Schema lost his mind?"


    The Overseer peered up.


    "What an immense waste of-"


    The Overseer gawked.


    "Time...You''ve changed yet again."


    I reached out a fist.


    "It''s good to see the same for you."


    He gave me a fist bump.


    "I speak of wasting time, and you learned how to wield it."


    I smiled.


    "I''ve had a lot of extra moments while on L-7."


    The Overseer gestured at me.


    "Ah, the closest planet to Leviathan. It would''ve been over six months of Earth time there. I''ve yet to check, but did you win?"


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Yeah. I did."


    The Overseer nodded.


    "At a cost, it seems."


    I shrugged.


    "Well, I guess you could say it was a journey."


    The Overseer fiddled with his status.


    "One drenched in the blood of Schema''s enemies, apparently. He has sent me to fix your issue immediately. That prioritization is good since we will need your help in time."


    I pointed at one of his electronic gauntlets as the metal rippled.


    "Is that an upgrade?"


    The Overseer shrugged, his armor molding to allow the gesture.


    "Nanomachine technology. Schema needed to change to avoid losing the war, especially after recent events. It was this or die."


    The Overseer opened his red status again, handling tasks rapidly.


    "I would enjoy a chat, but I am pressed for time."


    I watched him, no longer stunned by his pace. In fact, he seemed...Well, slow. It was hard to believe I could even think that, let alone feel it.


    I nodded at him.


    "Makes sense. You''ve got a lot on your plate."


    I pulled out some of my dimensional fabric and a blue core. I etched into my grimoire before the Overseer tilted his head at me.


    "No discussion? You''ve changed in more than the physical."


    "What? No, I still want to chat for sure. Even while I''m doing this, know I''m listening."


    The Overseer scoffed.


    "Has the weight of your empire finally caught up with you?"


    I scoffed.


    "More like I''ve finally caught up with it. Anyways, what did you think of the lotteries?"


    The Overseer clicked on my status, and a strange sensation passed over me.


    "A failure. It is a shame, as the idea had merit. Its execution was abysmal. It made a new planet''s culling look like a frantic series of successes by comparison."


    I worked while talking.


    "Yeah, tell me about it."


    The Overseer took minutes preparing, testing, and trying out different solutions.


    "I have been busy since. I am catching up on my responsibilities and enjoying newfound powers via nanomachine technology. It is a privilege Schema unlocked for us after we faced nanomachine tech from Elysium. Needless to say, Schema''s is far more advanced and refined."


    "I''d expect no less."


    "It rivals his cipheric knowledge, second to none in the galaxy."


    A comfortable silence passed over us. After a while, the Overseer dragged a hand down his faceplate.


    "The perk is not recognized because L-7 is not in Schema-owned space. This makes documentation of the change difficult, and I cannot allocate resources without the proper procedures."


    I shrugged.


    "Don''t worry about it. Take your time."


    The Overseer kept hustling on his status. A few minutes later, he shook his head.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I will need to put in a clearance request for the change. This will take a few more minutes, and I apologize for this inconvenience."


    I waved my hand.


    "Don''t stress about it. It''s not pressing or anything."


    The Overseer peered around, viewing the mountain through the glass walls.


    "Mt. Verner is finally shaping up into a proper capital. You might look like a B guild here soon."


    I let out a chuckle.


    "Eh, I''ve never been that concerned with appearances."


    The Overseer put his hands on his hips.


    "I wanted to thank you for our talk last time. It helped me in a dark moment, and I...I don''t feel as defeated. We will win, and my life as an Overseer has meaning again."


    I smiled, warmed that he found a reprieve. After a second, I furrowed my brow, continuing to carve.


    "I thought you''d be overwhelmed with Elysium''s attacks right about now?"


    The Overseer peered away.


    "They are consolidating their gains from the recent lottery, so their attacks have slowed. Lehesion has also been quiet over the last week. When he does arrive, he''s less effective than before. We have no idea what has occurred, but whatever happened has crippled him."


    My smile widened.


    "Good. No, great."


    The Overseer squeezed a hand into a fist.


    "It is and is not. This momentary ceasefire has given us a moment of respite. However, this has been the largest loss of Schema-owned territory since Baldowah''s rebellion. Perhaps larger."


    He threw his arm out in frustration.


    "We have never seen anything like it, and a few avatars have also been unruly lately. It is...Disconcerting. They''re planning something, and we know nothing."


    Searching through my memory, I vaguely recalled Torix mentioning the Baldowah Rebellion at some point. I scratched my cheek while considering an odd piece of etching.


    "That sounds like a tricky situation."


    The Overseer sighed.


    "I fear what is to come, but at this moment, I am appreciative."


    I finished etching and charged my grimoire.


    "Huh, appreciative. It sounds like you had a perspective shift."


    The Overseer nodded.


    "It is something I had forgotten of. There is no here and now when someone''s time marches forth without fear of death. All is lived in the future and the past. This makes the present meaningless. It becomes a tool to mold the eventual, not a blessing to be cherished."


    I molded a plate of my dimensional fabric, ensuring the proportions were just right.


    "So after the fear of death passed, you gained an appreciation for life, huh?"


    I kept molding. The Overseer paused.


    "Is this not worth your time, or are you ignoring me?"


    I shook my head.


    "What? No. Not at all. I know you''ll have your hands full here soon, so I''m trying to pass something along before you leave. Otherwise, I''d be offering you a drink."


    I finished the grimoire''s charging, the book bristling the air with an electric current. I pulled the runic markings off it, etching it into the dark metal. Along with a few screws, I handed the shoulder pauldron to the Overseer, the core embedded at its center.


    "Since I can''t offer the drink, this will have to do."


    The Overseer shook his head.


    "This is a powerful artifact. I cannot take it."


    I waved a hand, pushing it to him.


    "Please. I don''t want to have to cozy up to another Overseer if you happen to die."


    I set it on his shoulder.


    "So, really, this is more for me than you."


    I handed him the screws, and the Overseer grabbed the dark steel. He squeezed them in hand.


    "You understand that Schema has fail-safes? If I am augmented by gear of any kind, I will die."


    I nodded.


    "I know. I made this expressly so your armor won''t take you out. In particular, this adds an external psionic defense and other tricks for issues like Hybridization. You''ll need it in the future, so get a permit or whatever to install it."


    The pauldron on his shoulder oozed out with quintessant mana. I turned a palm to it.


    "Trust me. It''s worth the time."


    The Overseer placed the screws into a pocket dimension at his side.


    "I shall trust you then."


    He pressed a button on his status, and my dimensional wake rippled. Mana flooded through me again, and I stepped back as I compressed myself. I shrank my wake and self in tandem, wanting to vomit. After a few blinks, I searched for the source of the disturbance.


    The Overseer crossed his arms.


    "That was your freshly minted planetary perk from your Sovereign class. Its previous iteration would''ve allowed you to sell dungeon cores for more credits. Schema wished to buy them, but I fought for this new version instead."


    I opened my status screen, inspecting my planetary perks. I found the new one.


    Leviathan-7''s Expedited | +12.4% to Temporal Manipulation.


    "Hah. That explains my nausea." I put a hand on his shoulder. "This is ten times better than more credits. Thanks."


    The Overseer floated the pauldron over himself.


    "And this is better than the psionic defenses that Schema arms us with. I shall treat it with care."


    I grabbed it and crumbled the metal up. It erupted with sound as I did. Dropping it back down, the Overseer caught it. In seconds, the shoulder plate reformed. I pointed at it.


    "Anything I make is durable, so always let it break first, not you."


    A message popped up in the Overseer''s status. Several followed.


    "I would talk, but I must leave. There are many operations to catch up with after the war with Elysium. We must be prepared for the next wave of offensives as well."


    The Overseer opened his dimensional rip before stepping through the portal. I waved a hand.


    "Oh yeah, about your new perspective on time. It reminded me of a quote I heard a while back."


    The Overseer turned as his warp began closing.


    "Hm?"


    I raised a hand.


    "Always remember that today is a gift. That''s why it''s called the present."


    The Overseer let out a metallic laugh.


    "Then heed your words, Harbinger. I already learned that lesson."


    The rip in space shut, and I stood taller. Seeing an old friend doing better left me rejuvenated. Just as well, I squeezed a hand. Even though subtle numerically, the difference in my time''s flow was palpable.


    It left my psyches more distraught in my wake, but that trained Temporal Compression further. Eventually, I may master it enough not to need my mind in the ether. As an anima perished in that space, I winced.


    I could only hope this wouldn''t get worse.


    Reorienting myself, I contemplated my golems and why I made them. Starting that off, I brainstormed the kind of job they''d handle. They''d be sent out over vast distances to help and assist large settlements. In general, that required assisting with a few key concerns.


    The most straightforward fixes were basic necessities. For some reason, I could generate matter with ease. My golems were no different, so creating water and shelters would be a cinch. As for food, that was harder to pass along, but a few rings with crab generation would help.


    Yeah, sure, they''d get tired of eating crustaceans, but it was better than starving.


    Another aspect my golems needed to handle were the eldritch. My golems had power and strength to spare, so destroying the monsters in mass had a simple solution. Keeping the golems killing only monsters was the real problem, and my guildmates were the answer. Therefore, I''d make these golems less aggressive than other variants.


    Focusing on protection rather than assaults, I borrowed sigils from my guardian golems. From my experiences on L-7, the guardians worked well long-term. However, instead of protecting an area, they would guard a specific individual long-term. This would happen through a bonding process.


    Quintessant golems matched well for that since the mana focused on the external, lining up with my goals. I put psionic defenses and two hovering plates over the golem''s shoulders to prevent any of my guild members from being infested by Elysium or an eldritch. These shoulder pauldrons clicked on and off based on gravitation.


    The golem could lob the shoulder plates out in a pinch to stop something from attacking a guild member. They could also be used for protection from the elements by locking them together. People could camp or sleep under them when they were like that.


    Thinking more about it, most of the time spent on this mission would be traveling. The guild members would also be alone for extended periods. Remembering the loneliness of L-7, I brainstormed a few solutions. After a while, I came up with a few ideas worthy of implementation.


    The most important tool was simple mental support. I made the golems offer encouragement about three times a day, and they would also ask simple questions. While nothing too personal, the golem provided a modicum of company.


    From my experience, even small conversations made an enormous difference when away from home.


    Having finished my carving, I checked the time. A few hours before the morning, I ramped up the industrial process. I pulled the elemental furnaces from my body into a small section of dimensional fabric. It connected to my main body, letting me use them still.


    Before pulling my mind out of my body, I generated a short-range gravitational plate above. It hovered me a few feet off the ground. At the same time, I compressed my body to the utmost with Temporal Compression. This shrunk my golems, preventing thirty-foot monsters from running around.


    The last step involved peering at my golem runes and etching them into myself. Instead of working on a blank slate, I put as many runes onto my skin as possible before I even began. This stopped me from having to carve in commonplace runes that all the golems and I shared.


    I couldn''t etch in personality-based runes or formative sigils since they may change my personality. Unfortunately, personality and mind creation runes included most of the runic work, but I saved plenty of time over the long term with even a few generic markings.


    Once made, I pulled my mind out. To speed the process up, I created an extended panel of gravitation that could hold up many frames. Keeping my furnaces with me, I remade body after body, hovering them forward with gravity wells. This manufacturing line kept everything organized and put the wheels of production in motion.


    Within hours, I amassed hundreds of empty frames. They filled the entire golem construction facility in organized rows, golem after golem floating in nothing. Before carving, I made dimensional fabric girders above each golem line. I put quintessence crystals and runes on each side of the metal beams to keep the golems afloat.


    This gave me leeway to leave without worrying about absolute devastation should a golem fall. The quintessence powered the gravitation, keeping it consistent, so I breathed that freedom in.


    My alarm for visiting the Eltari popped up in my status. Having the allowance for it, I left the hundreds of golem bodies in place before flying over Mt. Verner. Reaching a lower peak of stones, I landed amidst one of the many Eltari encampments. It was a hut village with several mansions built beneath. If I had to guess, the Executive was responsible for the manors below.


    The Eltari took no heed of them. Being rugged and adapted to the desert, the Eltari preferred the sunbaked stones near the bottom of the mountain. Still high enough for a view, the hilltop had sheer cliff faces, and the breeze carried the smell of rock, earth, and pine, making it feel homey.


    Here, the Eltari constructed wide tents from various types of leather. They mixed several monster skins into the patchwork ensemble, but they tied it together symmetrically. This pattern gave the pandemonium purpose. It reminded me of staring at a collage.


    Adding to the effect, dozens of teeth, bones, and other organic stuff hung in well-preserved bundles. The Eltari relished in these different art pieces, every hut having its personalized flare. From menacing to gentle, they never mirrored one another. That fierce distinction gave way at the ground, where the Eltari constructed a vast mosaic across the entire village.


    A dozen huts all shared the same pattern, the reflective and glossy stones sheening in the sun. I walked down the paths, appreciating the Eltari above and their aerodynamic displays. Each person I passed landed before lunging to one knee, their reverence almost overbearing. Some bowed further, even murmuring prayers under their breath.


    I raised my hands.


    "Alright, at ease, everybody. I''m just here to see a few of Hod''s friends, not fulfill a prophecy."


    As I reached the largest tent in the area, I stared at a ten-foot-tall entrance. It was tiny. Wanting to move in, I left another mass of dimensional fabric outside. Walking nine feet tall, I found many deformed Eltari resting within. They hid from the beams of light peaking through their shaded space and covered themselves in the leathers of dark eldritch.


    I snapped my fingers.


    "Ah yeah, I remember you guys. You were, hm, er, the village elders from when I walked into Hod''s village, right?"


    One of the least deformed elders hacked out a cough. It raised a mangled wing.


    "We are. Your reflection told us to be ready for your coming. We brought a feast and gifts, but you missed the ceremony."


    I winced.


    "Ah, sorry about that. You see, I got caught up making these amulets-"


    A second elder waved his wings.


    "No, please, don''t apologize. We understand that our savior is called to action often, and sometimes, you cannot control it."


    Unnerved by the term savior, I scratched the back of my head.


    "Huh. Well, thanks for your understanding. I''m guessing the executive gave you guys those buildings below?"


    The first elder nodded.


    "It is a generous being. Please, sit."


    It gestured to a circle made with mosaic stones on the ground. Everywhere else was beaten and bare earth. I sat cross-legged in the ring.


    "Thanks. So, about Hod, what was he like before being eldritchified?"


    The elders peered at one another, murmuring with guttural tones and noises. Making out what the others meant, the second elder raised dark wings.


    "There was never a time before Hod was taken by the monster within him."


    The white eyes under his hood narrowed.


    "He has always been lost in his shadow."

 390 A Warped Past

    It gestured to a circle made with mosaic stones on the ground. Everywhere else was beaten and bare earth. I sat cross-legged in the ring.


    "Thanks. So, about Hod, what was he like before being eldritchified?"


    The elders peered at one another, murmuring with guttural tones and noises. Making out what the others meant, the second elder raised dark wings.


    "There was never a time before Hod was taken by the monster within him."


    The white eyes under his hood narrowed.


    "He has always been lost in his shadow."


    Chapter Begin


    I tapped the ground.


    "So he''s like Althea, being part eldritch or something?"


    The elders murmured once more before the most disabled one of them spoke up. Her voice rasped with each word.


    "Hod was the outcome of his parents fiddling with dark magic."


    The other elders stared at her before a second elder stood up.


    "You speak ill of our protector. Hod brought us to this land. He''s the only reason we''ve survived."


    In a wheelchair, the most disabled of them gurgled her words.


    "But Hod is not like us."


    Her eyes narrowed.


    "You all remember what became of his mother when she gave birth to him."


    Curiosity spiked in my chest as the wind brushed against the tent, leather bending back and forth. I crossed my arms.


    "Unfortunately, I haven''t got a clue what happened. Mind offering a refresher?"


    She took a staff and pointed it at me.


    "Harmana was covered in the same runes you have across your body."


    I raised my left arm, a rune etched across it.


    "Huh, then it''s not really dark magic. It''s cipheric, which is worse if you ask me."


    She stabbed the staff into the ground.


    "It was a defiling thing, and it''s a miracle he didn''t kill us all."


    Flashes of Yawm''s twisted body and Elijah turning into writhing flesh flashed before my eyes. I shivered, a cold pulse traveling up my spine.


    "You''re right about that."


    The second elder hissed.


    "You...Cease this blasphemy."


    I raised a hand.


    "I need to hear all of this, so just let her talk for now. I''ll let you guys know if anything said is actually blasphemy."


    Hint: it wouldn''t be.


    The elder bowed, his winged hands shaking. The decrepit woman stood, her eyes dim compared to the other Eltari. She hunched, her back like a spine''s worst nightmare. She waved her cane.


    "Harmana and Ahkam were Hod''s mother and father. They bent reality in a corrupted pursuit of power. They created monsters that flooded into our world. They devolved our home planet into the twisted wasteland it became."


    The second elder shouted.


    "Our world was dying. They gave us food and water."


    The hunched lady eltari narrowed her dim eyes.


    "Yes, life may have returned, but it was a deformed version of it. Corrupted. Evil. The same could be said for the dark water they gave us to drink."


    She raised her staff high.


    "I still remember before Schema took away our world''s life force. It changed everything. Even the monsters began to die."


    My curiosity peaked. I leaned forward.


    "Wait a minute."


    I thumped the ground.


    "Plazia, come here."


    Seconds later, insects crawled out of the ground. I waved my hand at everything around us.


    "Isolate us from Schema. You need to hear this, too."


    The bugs etched cipheric markings that I charged with mana. Combined with my dimensional wake''s pressure, we isolated this space from Schema. I tapped the ground beside me.


    "Plazia, I''ll send you a guild request. You can join because of a few privileges from my lottery. Also, keep a fragment of your mind here. Ooh, and thanks for all the help. I owe you one."


    I sent the message, and Plazia accepted. A cluster of bugs huddled beside me before I raised my hand.


    "Let''s touch base. Dungeons are eldritch havens. From my understanding, Schema punished you for messing around with forbidden knowledge, right?"


    The second elder sighed.


    "We do not know. Many of our kind had dabbled with the prime language before. We understood it could warp reality and disrupt many things. However, Hod''s parents...They evolved its usage."


    I put the muddled pieces of their history together. It sounded like they''d been playing with fire for a long time, and eventually, Schema had enough after something devastating happened. Also, the fact they even elicited that kind of reaction meant the Eltari were gifted in the cipher. Interesting.


    The second elder waved his wings.


    "They tried to push for something more. I think Ahkam was driven mad by it."


    I raised a brow. The woman elder scoffed.


    "If you ask me, the real insanity was in the mother. Harmana agreed to have Hod born in one of the changed spaces."


    I winced.


    "She birthed Hod in a room corrupted by the cipher?"


    The hunched elder hissed.


    "Hod was conceived and lingered within the space the entire time."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Like, as an egg or something?"


    I didn''t understand much about an Eltari''s anatomy, and I didn''t know if I wanted to fix that. The lady elder tapped her cane on the ground.


    "She made the egg and laid it there. This was before the world faded into a shell of itself. Those two used dungeon cores to feed the ritual. It was excruciation to uncover what they had done."


    The less crippled elder waved a wing.


    "Ahkam and Harmana tested the space using other creatures first. They didn''t want to harm their child."


    I put my face in my hands.


    "It''s a space warped by the cipher. If you play with fire, you get burned. In this case, it sounds like they messed around with fire and acid by the sounds of it."


    The less crippled elder tapped a wing on the ground.


    "Perhaps, but perhaps not. There was nothing normal about Hod, even from an early age, but his differences were initially a blessing. He spoke near his birth, growing faster than the others. He saw through people''s minds and understood their intentions. Nothing was hidden, and we considered him a seer who lives in prophecy."


    I frowned.


    "What''s your names?"


    The crippled one spoke up.


    "I am Shahjk."


    The less crippled one bowed.


    "I am Monaba."


    I nodded.


    "It''s great to meet each of you, and thank you for your time. So, Hod became more eldritch over time?"


    Shajk paced up to me, her breathing painful and wheezy.


    "He warped into something unrecognizable, not that he was ever like us. As we all bent and broke, Hod grew taller and stronger. He ingested the poisonous air, turning it to power. It fed on him as well, and the shadow unleashed."


    I spread my hands.


    "Er, so Other Hod wasn''t there from birth?"


    Shajk shook her head, her beak still glossy despite age''s war against her other features.


    "He was born without darkness, a creature of the light. It cast a shadow, one that enveloped him with time."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "And after that, Schema''s interference began, not before?"


    The elders nodded, except for Monaba. He swung a wing, a feather dropping down.


    "We don''t know that for certain."


    The first elder put a wing over his, lowering it.


    "It hastened the fall of our world. That much we do know."


    I tapped my thigh.


    "How old is Hod?"


    The woman elder laughed, the sound painful and strained.


    "Many times older than you, child."


    I stood up.


    "Alright then. That''s what I needed to know. Thanks, everybody. You''ve given me a lot to think about."


    I jammed my arm into my pocket dimension and sliced it off. I melted, molded, and cooled the limb into rings within the space before pulling out new rings and my grimoire. After charging each set of runes, I floated the arcane sigils onto each ring. I handed them to each elder, and their conditions improved when they wore the trinkets.


    Turning to leave, the Mobana gave me a deep bow.


    "Let us know if there is anything else you need...And thank you, oh savior."


    I smiled back.


    "Remember, Hod saved you. Not me."


    Walking out of the tent, I assimilated the dimensional fabric I had left outside. Growing much larger, I flew up and out of the village. Peering down, the mosaic across the village gleamed with a glossy sheen.


    In a flash, I recognized a pattern across the ground. It mirrored much of the artwork for the village. Flying over the other Eltari settlements, I found other mosaics, each made in its own style. They symbolized their villages, the full marks visible when flying over them. It gave the spattered dotting of villages a surprising harmony.


    As individuals, they chose their path, but they all were members of the eltari. It was a beautiful thing.


    A pang of guilt crossed over me. I allowed those elders to suffer here for years before coming to help them with basic rings. Another one of my psyches mentioned how the system helped them immensely along with my legacy. In that regard, the rings were a piece of what I could give, not the whole.


    Still, I let them rot. I would do everything in my power to stop that from happening again.


    Letting that feeling settle down, I headed back over to my golems. I considered what the Eltari elders said. From the sounds of it, Hod could be decades, maybe centuries old. The Eltari''s sense of time was different than my own, making that difficult to pin down. It wasn''t like they had a clock to verify, either. The closest thing to that was the deterioration of their planet.


    If I could get a grip on the time frame for that kind of advent, then I could pin down their ages. The thought of that erupted alongside a spike of anxiety racing through my chest. The Eltari''s fallout had unnerved me since I learned about it. It made me question Schema in many ways, but I had always thought the Eltari were lodged in a rift that Schema protected.


    I mean, they founded their village around a dungeon core that protected them from devolving. Schema was why that core came about, and it kept them from becoming nearly as monstrous. However, I was never certain of that. It was a blurry spot in the AI''s already dubious morality. Based on what the Eltari said, Schema cursed their planet before Hod was born, but it accelerated afterward.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Hm. It was an act of mass extinction, exceeding what Elysium did to Giess since it killed every species on an entire planet and for no discernable reason. I sighed, giving props to Schema. I mean, it was damn hard to out-evil Elysium, but somehow, someway, Schema had found a way.


    Why would Schema do that? It made no sense to destroy an entire planet over something so trivial. I flipped the question in my head, turning it into a statement. This wasn''t something trivial. To get a better understanding of the situation, we needed Hod to be fully returned. Outside of that, I''d need to inspect some dungeons and see if they couldn''t unveil the situation some as well.


    No matter how I sliced it, figuring this all out would take some time. Ooh, but I''d get my answers or die trying. Well, after making the golems, finishing my legendary compendium, making Torix''s body, securing Blegara, er, uhm...A hundred other things? It was hard to remember them all.


    I sighed, unable to handle all of this myself. Before anything else, I had to iron out a system for delegating some of my responsibilities to others. I couldn''t do this alone, and I didn''t have to. Those thoughts swirled in my mind as I floated beside my golem factory. While in the air, I gawked at several new roads that crossed the forest around Mt. Verner.


    Grecian columns lined the roads with statues atop them. They immortalized several guild members, including many of the soldiers I remembered from the battle against Yawm or Elysium. It was a majestic sight. The more I saw, the more that feeling grew.


    Every few sets of pillars, a statue would support an archway, and the artwork was sculpted to match one of my guild''s followers. From Amara to Plazia, they exposed our guild''s top talent. Hod''s statue stood half flowing with shadow and half in his goofy gaze. Althea''s statue carried her rifle with wings sprouting across her back. Kessiah carried her blood beside her, a patient below her. Even Krog and Chrona lounged about, each of them midway through a tail swing.


    After a few of these sculptures, lifelike statues of me stood peering out from the roads that circled the mountain. At Mt. Verner''s peak, a bronze statue of myself stood, peering forward. It held one hand up in a fist, standing tall and defiant. It radiated out with quintessant mana, the light-laden wind drifting into the clouds like a bleeding ichor from a god.


    It was beautiful, but it embarrassed the hell out of me even just looking at it. Near the mountain''s base, the fanciest sets of pillars signaled the entryway to an elaborate stage. Someone constructed a half-colosseum. Flowers, mana crystals, jewels, and precious metals decorated the entire area. Twelve pillars stood behind the stage, each with a plaque and banner.


    They were the main players of my guild: Shalahora, Plazia, Krog, Chrona, Hod, Amara, Althea, Kessiah, Torix, Helios, Florence, and the newly appointed Diesel. The executive commanded two architects who whittled away at the project. They worked overtime to get the decorations set up.


    I winced at how grandiose it would be, but that''s what I made the executive for. If he was shameless, then I wouldn''t have to be.


    Before I let my growing dread dig deeper under my skin, I dove into my own work. I planned out a few delegations. I''d make a dungeon research team of interested individuals, including Etna. They''d focus on learning how dungeons were established, why they were teleported or changed, and monitoring how corrupted a dungeon was.


    On a scale of one through ten, they''d assign values. Ten was a dungeon like L-7, where eldritch literally rained from the skies. One would be a fully contained dungeon like some of the earlier dungeons I visited. The dungeon-finding group would rate and list these dungeons in order of intensity. This would give me a solid set of places to visit for my own curated research should I ever get the free time.


    It was doubtful, but hey, why not plan ahead?


    As for Blegara, the planet needed the eldritch rebellions to be put down, but I didn''t want to just kill the Vagni and the eldritch responsible for it. Well, most of the eldritch would have to go, but the Vagni were more than redeemable. Instead of eliminating them all, Plazia could dominate the planet via psionics and his general presence.


    To make that happen, I needed to talk with the hivemind. I scheduled that after I finished making the golems. Getting to them, I etched in the runes I planned out earlier. The peaceful work preoccupied my mind, pulling me away from all the world''s worries. Hours passed as I stayed still, compressing time to get the most out of each second.


    I marked the pages telekinetically, not needing to move to write in my grimoire. As time passed, some of my psyches wandered. This...It was a strange life I lived. The compression of my wake gave me many advantages, and it trained my mind in a way few challenges could. However, it made quiet moments like these a torment.


    The sickness in my stomach and malaise of my mind never relented, becoming a chronic issue I adapted to rather than dealt with. Finding a way out of my torment required a better understanding of my dimensional wake and its properties. At the same time, I felt the limits of my flesh and bones.


    To be more precise, my humanity. I was no longer a human, but my mind thought and perceived reality like one. That, in itself, was a shackle, and I would need to overcome it at some point. It would allow me to unchain myself from limits I didn''t know about. Not just the mental barriers but even perceptional limitations, all of it could fade if I took this next step.


    I trembled at the prospect. It was a wild thing. Limits, they didn''t just hold us down. They anchored us. They gave us a sense of perspective and kept people low to the ground. It''s what we were built for and evolved to. Anytime I''d ever seen a human try to step across that boundary, it ended with horrifying consequences.


    And yet, it felt inevitable for me. I would develop new senses, create a more efficient body, and craft a mind that exceeded a mortal''s psyche. Hell, I already had split my mind into a dispersed cloud of magic pixy dust, basically. I wouldn''t stop there, either. This was the tip of an iceberg, one that led deeper than any ocean.


    And that terrified me.


    I''d seen Yawm devolve into a deformed shade of himself. I''d watched Lehesion become the whipping dog of Elysium, his guilt eroding his will to live. Valgus lost his entire being to his desire for power, and Shalahora had also lost every aspect of himself. Even factions like Elysium extinguished their common sense in the pursuit of influence.


    Absolute power corrupted absolutely. I''d heard that quote since I was a child, and I believed it. I would need to be different. Immutable. Unchanging. An unwavering force at the minimum. To make that happen, I devised a plan to maintain my sanity. It required two things - socialization and a reference.


    It seemed simple, but every person I just mentioned failed to consider either factor. Yawm isolated himself from his species whenever he became Etorhma''s avatar. Lehesion''s reincarnation resulted in a mental isolation that caused some crazy disassociation from his species and world. Valgus was the same as Yawm, and Elysium was like an echo chamber of crazy people.


    The odd man out, Shalahora, had kept his species with him, so he talked plenty. It was no coincidence that he was the only one out of the bunch who wasn''t outright insane. Like Shalahora had, I would foster the other perspectives around me. Otherwise, I''d be driven mad like the others,


    and my insanity would be one that never ended.


    This plan gave me direction, and it mitigated my fears. That was something I''d uncovered on this journey into Schema''s system. Even if I developed my body and mind, it didn''t mean I was immune to emotion. I cherished that, knowing my emotions kept me grounded in this insane pursuit.


    Listening to my fears, I would keep my personal relationships grounded. In a dichotomy of action, my efforts for self-strengthening would be matched by my pursuit of everyday mundanity. In a sense, I would outsource my sanity to the people around me. After all, it was a burden I didn''t need to bear all alone.


    That series of thoughts left me feeling good about moving forward with my wake''s powers. It also burned through a decent chunk of time as I carved, something I had let several minds do while the others channeled mana and handled the finishing details. Once finished with the etching, I charged and guided the glowing runes onto one of the floating golems.


    The markings sizzled into the metal, letting out a deep hiss that echoed in the facility. As the golem sparked to life, quintessence flooded into the markings. It lunged to a knee.


    "Creator. It is a blessing to see you."


    I raised a hand.


    "At ease. Let''s head out for a while."


    I turned and waved a hand. It followed, and we left out the upper entryway. Instead of going around Mt. Verner, I bolted away from the place. After crossing a hundred miles South, we followed an interstate road before getting off at a random exit.


    The dilapidated town rested in ruins. Crushed buildings and forested lawns covered every block. Streets split them up into a nice set of squares like some overgrown checkerboard. No monsters roamed the streets since my guild cleared this place out a while back. We hadn''t cleaned this spot out since.


    That''s why this was an excellent spot to find a test dungeon.


    To that end, the golem and I walked the streets. Side by side, we took up an entire four-lane highway. Standing at my full height, I stared at the streetlights. Well, the few left here. Something uprooted them from the ground, taking the power lines with them.


    It wasn''t that unusual. Many scavengers harvested the wires for the lightweight aluminum. Still, they took great care to pick this town apart. Setting that aside, we crossed many smashed homes before I looked into one. Someone or something had stripped the utilities and machinery from the place. These were metal-starved scavengers.


    Minutes later, we walked through the dense cluster of the town. As we did, my golem crushed the ground, and its steps shook the earth. While cool in theory, its thudding stomps shattered windows and destroyed nearby walls. It wasn''t a problem when the houses were further away, but these buildings were erected beside the roadside.


    They felt every ounce of the golem''s mammothian steps, and in turn, the buildings screamed out in agony. As one collapsed, I raised a hand.


    "You really need to-"


    The golem found a small eldritch nearby. Fueled by an immutable objective, it leaped through the air. It smashed through a house and sent cars flying from its gravitational strength alone. As a truck clapped into a building''s roof, the golem crushed a squirrel-sized monster with its fist, releasing a shockwave of bone and blood.


    Taking the chunks in its hand, it slammed the creature into the ground.


    A house nearby disintegrated. Planks of wood gouged three feet deep into the soil, portions of the grass scrubbed clean. My golem stood from its crater, mana oozing out its runes like a thick fog. Its voice was a dark metal.


    "Creator. The eldritch has been eliminated."


    I facepalmed at the wanton destruction. I was somehow impressed and horrified at the same time. That kind of overreaction would need to be fixed. After letting it know not to break everything in sight, we walked past a suburb. Nostalgia passed over me, the sights of a bygone past swimming over me like bittersweet memories.


    We turned down an intersection to the heart of the ruined town: a strip of shops that used to house the local businesses. I gazed at the miniature buildings, full-sized structures looking like large model houses at this point. Between two buildings, we found the piled-up power lines, the wires coiled around a set of monster corpses.


    They were green, poisonous griffons, and something tied various batteries and engine blocks to the rotting bodies. Appliances littered the entire space, and gas cans sat around the area. As my imagination searched for an answer, reality heard its call.


    A set of rats crawled out of the buildings, all coordinated and in sync. Their tails glowed a cerulean blue, and they let out a symphony of squeaks wherever they crawled. They swarmed over the restrained monster corpses, electrocuting them. The monster corpses reared to life, their bodies responding to the electrical signals.


    Some ooze poured out of them, and the rats feasted on the material. The batteries charged, but nothing happened with the engine blocks. Once the rodents finished feeding, they cuddled up to the car batteries, calling it a day.


    I furrowed my brow.


    "How did they get the powerlines here?"


    Hearing my voice, the rats turned to me. Electricity built around them, arcs of lightning spiraling. They huddled together into a ball while streaks of light sparked around them. The engine blocks levitated into four limbs before wires wrapped around them. The now thirty-foot junk colossus stood, composed of the town''s magnetized machinery.


    I frowned.


    "Ah. That''s how."


    The terrifying monstrosity leaped over the wires, and I gestured to it.


    "Alright, golem, show them what you''re worth-"


    The golem dashed forward in a blur of movement. It smashed the rats into a pulp with its body, blood splattering everywhere. Violence and force erupted. Shards of bone stuck halfway in the buildings, engine blocks hurled through stone walls, some lobbed miles into the air. The windows shattered near us from their collision''s shockwave.


    An oppressive panel of gravitation enveloped the entire expanse. The golem used it to fight, and it pulled the remaining rats together. Everything nearby siphoned further into a collapsing point, including the buildings ripping out of the ground. The gravitational well ripped out every bit of the concrete, rebar, lamps, and pavement to a singular, circular bulk.


    As magic coursed through the golem, quintessence billowed off of it, a semitranslucent cloud infesting everything nearby. In its radius, wildlife expanded in cancerous growths. With the mana, the golem siphoned all inward. The nearby trees were uprooted, and dirt flew. The golem compressed the mass with overkill energy, thin needles of rat blood spurting out of the hulking orb.


    The blood spiraled around the sphere. They were like red rings orbiting a rocky planet. The rings splat against the ground as the golem released its sorcery. The ball crushed into exposed earth, ripping out crags of compressed dirt. The soil crags reached for the air like drowning men.


    The golem flew up, inspecting the nearby area, ensuring no monsters survived its slaughter. I gawked at the mass destruction and leveled blocks. The gravitation alone would''ve killed anyone nearby, let alone the mana or shrapnel. As the golem landed beside me, the ground quaked around us, another crater forming. It lunged to one knee.


    "I have done it, creator. All is dead."


    I dragged my hand down my face.


    "Yeah. Everything. Did you even check the buildings to ensure people weren''t in them?"


    The golem gazed back. It nodded in slow motion.


    "Ah...I am sorry, creator. That...Is advisable for future clearings."


    I sighed. These golems caused different problems than my old ones. Instead of dealing with weakness, I dealt with absurdity. The golems were too strong; even with limiters, they''d wreak havoc. The blue cores fixed that issue, but I maintained a limited supply.


    Using all of them for this would leave me without any cores for actual cities. Without an obvious solution to the problem, I considered the issue for a while. Nothing came out of the woodwork of my mind, and even having multiple psyches argue didn''t help. Getting a fresh perspective, I sent a message to Torix, Plazia, and Diesel, wanting them to meet the following day.


    Leaving the abandoned town, the golem and I headed back to Mt. Verner. I stopped golem production and spent my time researching various memories of my cipheric runes. In particular, I paid close attention to the saved image of Baldag-Ruhl''s sigils from so long ago. They still boggled my mind after all these years, his inscriptions far outweighing the complexity of anything else I''d ever seen.


    From Schema''s spear shard to the Old One''s scripts over Yawm, nothing rivaled Baldag''s work in both scale and magnitude. It was magnificent, and he was a true visionary. Using my memory, I gazed at the incantations. They reminded me of gazing at galaxies, an endless set of secrets all hidden in plain sight.


    As that awe passed over me, I parsed through some of what they implied. The most relevant information came from Baldag-Ruhl''s perspective. Unlike most of my magical understanding, Baldag-Ruhl associated mana and the mind with a soul. This changed the outcome and product of what he created.


    By attaching a changing and developed mind to something, Baldag-Ruhl created a growing potential in whatever he made. My armor was the best example, but even his mana pools worked under the same premise. They soaked in the ambient mana that Schema used to contain his dungeon rift.


    In fact, it was more genius the more I looked at it. He evaded the limitations of his situation while enabling himself in the long term. My reading solidified Baldag-Ruhl''s status as a world-ending horror if he''d escaped. That''s why Schema had isolated his rift and given it a Sentinel guard.


    That required an enormous amount of mana to maintain, and Baldag-Ruhl infiltrated that mana like a parasite sucking blood from its host. Hell, the guy might''ve set up the situation for just such an outcome. I couldn''t put it past the hive. His ritual also drew extra mana from an actual dimensional tear to finalize the product.


    These dimensional energy sources instilled the characteristics that eventually changed me into a living dimension. Wanting to know more, I pulled out the portion of a dimensional slicer I obtained from the twisted Sentinel on Blegara. I compared the cipheric markings with Baldag-Ruhls, finding quite a few differences.


    Schema''s cipher markings were resolute, efficient, and defined. They carried many optimizations that lowered the cost of wielding and using the spears. To me, that made perfect sense. The AI was a master of managing limited resources, after all. Baldag-Ruhl''s carapace project did the opposite.


    It only operated around maintaining stability and adding growth potential. Since it drew from a seemingly infinite source of energy, Baldag-Ruhl wanted an infinite outcome. That goal gave the armor an insidious nature, one that had an impact on me occasionally but was, in all honesty, very limited.


    The final pieces of runes I analyzed were the cipheric incantations over Yawm. Something about the Old One''s usage reminded me of a mad scientist; they used wild, insane combinations of runes. On the surface, they guaranteed corruption. At a deeper glance, they promised power, pure and palpable.


    And corruption.


    If I could find a way to fuse all of their runic qualities, I could become a runic master, the likes of which I''d never seen. Even after my hours of study, that was all I gained from observing and testing sections of their sigils. All the individuals far exceeded my own abilities, but they gave me hints of how to proceed moving into the future.


    Optimization for my fundamental runes would come from taking Schema''s approach. For larger projects, Baldag-Ruhl''s sheer vision would be necessary. A drop of madness from the Old Ones would magnify my inscription''s potency. It could all come together and create something heaven-defying.


    Closing my grimoire and status, I left my golem production facility at dawn. I headed towards the third floor of Mt. Verner, flowing through a few ducts lining the interior. As I coursed into the library, I pulled off an enormous amount of dust from myself. The ventilation shafts needed a clean-up, and I was the duster.


    I hovered a two-foot-tall ball of lint beside me. I landed near several bookshelves, condensing the dust orb into a dense fabric. Keeping myself fifteen feet tall, I hovered another mass of dimensional fabric behind me. It reminded me of a ball and chain, though it gave me freedom rather than taking it away.


    Sliding between two tall shelves, I found the others waiting. Diesel stared forward, wearing the same workman''s outfit as before. Sleeplessness etched lines on his face, and dozens of satchels held tools that smothered him. He paled from the last time I saw him.


    Finding his cause of concern, Plazia rested on a basalt throne in the middle of the room, having moved a few bookshelves to do so. Torix rested on a leather couch like Diesel, and the lich''s metal skeleton gleamed darkly in the lamplight. As he approached, he turned to me.


    "Ah, Daniel. You mentioned issues with a number of projects."


    His fire eyes flared.


    "Perhaps we may be of assistance."

 391 Normalcys Might

    Finding his cause of concern, Plazia rested on a basalt throne in the middle of the room, having moved a few bookshelves to do so. Torix rested on a leather couch like Diesel, and the lich''s metal skeleton gleamed darkly in the lamplight. As he approached, he turned to me.


    "Ah, Daniel. You mentioned issues with a number of projects."


    His fire eyes flared.


    "Perhaps we may be of assistance."


    Chapter Begin


    I walked over, flopping down into a gravity. I drifted in a cozy posture.


    "So here''s the problem: the golems are wrecking balls. If the whole expansion program is going to work, I''ll need to give my guildmates golems for protection. However, it''s like handing over a walking nuke to hundreds of people. I can trust most of the guild with them, but having even one of these things freak out would be beyond horrific."


    Plazia cackled.


    "They carry the potential of their maker? That must include your intelligence as well."


    Several of my minds joined the conversation.


    "Ooh, that must count for your bugs as well. How many tests are they passing these days?"


    Plazia leaned forward.


    "Several. I have quite a few underlings that expand my knowledge along a variety of subjects, the least of which involves pacifism."


    I snapped my fingers.


    "Dangit. I''ve lost this round of banter. Curse you oh so smart, hivemind. Anywho, when I went to a town, one golem obliterated half of it to eliminate a few rats."


    Plazia tapped the edge of his throne.


    "It would seem they mirror their maker''s restraint as well."


    Diesel coughed into a hand.


    "Ahem, not that I question your judgment, but uh...What am I here for?"


    I raised my hands.


    "You worked with me when I first made the golems and their iterations. I figured you could help brainstorm some ideas."


    Diesel nodded.


    "Ok...But you guys look like you have it locked down. Especially with these two ancient world eaters."


    With his hands raised, Diesel turned to Plazia.


    "No offense."


    Plazia stared through the mortal.


    "The truth does not offend me, engineer."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "No one''s eating worlds here."


    Plazia''s voice echoed in the frame of his Sentinel.


    "No one is as of yet."


    I narrowed my eyes. The hivemind steepled his hands.


    "You humans do have a sense of humor, or was I wrong to assume as much? Everything is taken so literally. It''s stifling."


    Diesel lowered his arms.


    "Ah, thank god that''s a joke. If that''s the case, I''d like to add that you are scary as hell, uhm, sir."


    Plazia leaned on his throne, his posture lax.


    "Scary, hm? Fear is merely an awareness of a threat. The forces you put yourself near are all capable of killing you, yet they choose not to. All societies exist within this framework. I am no different in that my incentives take away my fangs and claws. They are aimed elsewhere since my obligations override my desire to kill those around me."


    Plazia tilted his head.


    "What evokes that fear is simply the transparency of my threat. The pretense of safety has been peeled away, but you should know you were never truly safe. Despite that, you lived without fear mere days ago. Life is odd in that regard, isn''t it?"


    Diesel stammered.


    "Uhm. Sure."


    Plazia laughed.


    "As your scholars would say, you have nothing to fear but fear itself."


    Torix gave Diesel a knowing look. The necromancer said,


    "Rest assured, this hivemind is more intimidating in appearance and posture than in his personality. He''s gained an admirable and nearly perfect control over his insidious nature. While it is true that he grapples with a relentless hunger and desperate desire for growth, he has conquered it."


    Torix scoffed.


    "How has he done so? It''s...Somehow. To be frank, I still haven''t understood how he''s done so."


    Diesel frowned.


    "Is...Is that supposed to make me feel better?"


    Torix turned a palm to him.


    "Of course. Someone of good nature simply acts as an animal would; they follow the path of least resistance. Their goodness is a situational trait, one that can shatter given a difference in motive. In fact, I have often seen people mistake their harmlessness for true virtue. When given power, their actual nature seeps out like a poison."


    Torix pointed at Plazia.


    "He is a different animal, figuratively and literally. Despite compelling reasons to kill, he has chosen not to. That demonstrates self-control, and even when given other reasons, he still decides against it."


    Plazia let out a slow laugh. He raised his gaze, peering down at Torix. The hivemind said,


    "That you know of."


    Torix steepled his hands.


    "And I know more than you may imagine."


    A competitive flame flared between the two. I pointed at them both.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Which is why you''re all here. I need someone to help me fix these golems."


    With quiet desperation, Diesel leaned forward.


    "Yes. Please. What''s the issue?"


    I frowned.


    "They are annihilating everything I get them close to. I''m talking utterly pulverized."


    Diesel''s heart rate spiked.


    "Ahem. Is that issue a problem with the golems around here?"


    The poor guy probably lost a few years of his life just from this conversation alone. I shook my head.


    "I used blue cores to help stabilize them. It gives them more finesse. For the golems heading all over Earth, I''m trying not to use the same strategy."


    I explained how they worked and my material limitations. Plazia tapped his fingers on his throne.


    "These radiant blue cores are a limited resource?"


    I nodded. Plazia rolled his head, gazing at the ceiling.


    "Only so much meat on the bone? You may harvest more, but a hunt of such magnitude requires time to enact. Hm."


    Torix tapped his index fingers together.


    "Time we haven''t had considering our plethora of distractions. Hmmm."


    Diesel crossed his arms.


    "Have you tried making them smaller?"


    Plazia shook his head.


    "An ounce of him is like a mountain. The golems need control, not weakness."


    Diesel tilted his head.


    "I don''t know about that."


    The hivemind and necromancer turned to him. Diesel gulped before he leaned forward.


    "Hear me out. I know a carpenter isn''t supposed to blame his tools, but bringing a jackhammer to nail down a board does more harm than good."


    Plazia leaned towards him.


    "You believe this planet''s safety is the nailing of a board?"


    Diesel frowned.


    "No. It''s the building of a house. We need people and supplies, not walking nukes, as the guildleader put it."


    Torix pointed his hands to me.


    "What if we used our own members as pilots of sorts?"


    Diesel''s eyes widened.


    "Like giant mechs?"


    I grimaced.


    "That would require connecting them psionically, and the mental output of the golems is more than enough to drown the minds of anyone using them."


    Diesel bristled.


    "Like, drowning in water? How does that work?"


    My eyes grew distant.


    "It''s more like...Flooding. Your mind washes away in a sea of thought."


    Torix sighed.


    "That''s a false equivalency. It''s much more akin to being lost in a relative infinity."


    Diesel pointed at me.


    "His explanation makes more sense."


    Torix scoffed.


    "Of course it does. He''s described only a portion of the concept."


    Diesel met the necromancer''s eye.


    "It''s the part we need right now."


    Torix glared down, and Diesel paled. Torix nodded.


    "That''s very true. Apt observation."


    Plazia rumbled through the ground.


    "What of using our enemy''s tactics? We could use psionic implantation as Elysium does. Perhaps human consciousnesses could supplant the golem''s minds."


    My gaze sharpened.


    "Anything from Elysium''s off the table."


    Diesel crossed his arms.


    "It sounds like they need more settings."


    I raised my brow.


    "Settings? Like a game?"


    Diesel shook his head.


    "No, more like a blowtorch. You can twist a knob on most to blow hotter or cooler flames depending on what you need, how much protection you''re wearing, or where you''re using one. You wouldn''t want it to be on full blast when making a creme brule, for instance."


    He winced.


    "I''d know. I couldn''t even recover the bowls. Like, they were burnt so bad."


    I leaned back, mulling over the idea. I let my arms flop to my sides.


    "Why didn''t I think of that?"


    Diesel shrugged.


    "When was the last time you used a tool?"


    Torix pressed two fingertips together.


    "Since a pre-Schema era, I''d imagine. Now, I believe that''s an excellent idea and should be implemented. However, I''d like to advocate for my academy."


    I leaned forward. Torix waved his hand around us at the students.


    "I''ve been investing my time and effort into this place for several years. Quite a few different classes have graduated with different fields of knowledge. I could access their readiness for this project before sending them off in teams."


    I nodded my head.


    "You do know them better than I do."


    Plazia tilted his head at me.


    "You are what you do and have done. You wage war, so you know little of peace and prosperity."


    Diesel''s eyes sharpened.


    "Yeah, that''s because he''s too busy shouldering the war while we work on the peace. It''s a give and take, really."


    Plazia laughed. He oozed his words from the walls.


    "Who is giving and who is taking?"


    Diesel furrowed his brow before looking at me.


    "Keep doing what you do, and we''ll stick to what we know. I can develop the list of settings with a few of my engineering buddies. Torix can get the right people on board for the job. We might even have Ophelia help-"


    Diesel peered away, wincing.


    "Oh, man...That''s right. She passed away in the lottery."


    A piece of me hollowed out hearing him. My hate for Elysium grew greater.


    Diesel sighed.


    "We''ll manage. I''ll need Amara''s help for the cipher, but we''ll get it done. I got a pass from Schema to work with the language, which is great. I was worried I''d be stuck at level 1,550 forever."


    My eyes widened.


    "Wait a minute...You were exiled from the system?"


    Diesel blinked.


    "Well...Yeah."


    I tilted my head.


    "Why didn''t you say anything? I might have worked around it or something."


    Diesel raised both hands.


    "People''s lives were on the line. We didn''t have time to brainstorm complex ways of managing communication like that. The team and I decided to bite the bullet to save time and a few lives. Cipher legality or not be damned."


    His eyes hardened.


    "Getting exiled was worth every life we saved...But I wish I could''ve gotten the golems operating a bit earlier."


    Sights of spilling blood, sounds of breaking bone, and screams of death passed over his eyes. Diesel nodded, his voice cracking.


    "Yup...Just a bit earlier."


    Torix placed a hand on his shoulder.


    "Such is life. It is frail, and we do what we can to preserve it."


    Diesel scooted up in his chair while wiping his hands on his pants. Plazia turned a hand to them.


    "Your plans are built on a trust in humanity. Perhaps too much."


    Torix gestured to me.


    "You''ve seen what humanity can do."


    Plazia droned.


    "I''d hardly call him human. As for the others, those that are weak...They are the ones you should fear. They may devour one another with glee given the chance."


    His words stung like breaking open an old wound. Diesel furrowed his brow.


    "You''ve had a problem with us from the start. What''s the problem with us humans anyways?"


    Plazia hummed his words.


    "Your kind are disjointed, unorganized, and desperate. If you put starving lambs together, even they will devour one another should their hunger grow great enough. And I know of hunger. It drives all mad in time."


    Diesel spread his hands.


    "We''re not lambs. We''re people."


    Plazia leaned forward.


    "And people break."


    Diesel stood up with a fire in him.


    "I''ll be happy to show you what humans can do when we put our minds to something."


    Plazia laughed. He leaned back into his throne.


    "I''ll believe you when I see it."


    Diesel turned to me.


    "Do you mind sending me the golem specs over messages? We need the references."


    I pulled out my grimoire.


    "I''d be happy too."


    As I did, Diesel pointed at Plazia.


    "Remember this."


    Plazia''s voice rumbled.


    "I never forget."


    Diesel walked out of the library before Torix stood up. A hovering ball of dominion mana supported him as he said,


    "I''ll collect the needed people. We''ll call off a few of the projects I have planned, especially around a few odd dungeons, but we''ll adjust as necessary."


    My curiosity peaked. I stood up with the sorcerer.


    "Odd dungeons. How so?"


    Torix waved his hands.


    "Oh, that? It''s nothing worth your time."


    I shrugged.


    "Maybe. Can I hear about it at least?"


    Torix turned to me.


    "Oh, certainly. A few of our dungeoneering brigades have returned from Chicago talking of an ''uncloseable dungeon.'' I''m almost certain they merely lack the required competence to close the rift, but I''m sending scouts to assess the situation. This would lead to their demotion if their claims are proven false, after all."


    A chill ran up my spine. Something was off.


    "Did they say why they struggled with the dungeon?"


    Torix rolled his eyes.


    "Apparently, the dungeon does not end."


    I scratched the back of my neck.


    "Interesting. Do you mind if I handle it?"


    Torix leaned back.


    "A dungeon? I''d hate to waste your time with something so drab and trivial."


    I let my arm drop.


    "I remember visiting Chicago a while back. I''d like to see if they made any progress since I last went. Besides, I have to wait for Diesel to finish the limiter on the golems anyway."


    "Then consider the task sent." Torix turned to Plazia. "Ah yes, hivemind, do know that insults to these people''s competence are also insults to my teaching."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "And I am the Harbinger''s Erudition. Perhaps you need it proven."


    Plazia stood from his throne, basalt sinking into the floor and leaving no remnant of it ever having been there. Plazia menaced.


    "Then show it or feel the weight of your inadequacy."


    Torix turned, floating through a warp leading to his research center. As the portal closed, Torix clapped his hands together.


    "Listen up, younglings. We have much work to do, and I have a task none of you shall fail. None of you."


    As the jaws of the warp snapped shut, I linked my mind with Plazia.


    "What was that all about? Are you trying to piss them off?"


    Plazia laughed aloud but thought in a whisper.


    "At times, a man only needs a monster, and he will find his fury. And I have no alms with being a monster if that is what is needed."


    I tapped my side.


    "Ah. You''re giving them something to fight for. Be careful with manipulating people like that. You lose people''s trust."


    Plazia''s words echoed in my psyche as if many voices resonated.


    "Noted. What of your plans?"


    I cracked my knuckles, the sound like cables snapping underwater.


    "I''m going to see what makes a rift uncloseable."

 392 A City Alive

    Plazia laughed aloud but thought in a whisper.


    "At times, a man only needs a monster, and he will find his fury. And I have no alms with being a monster if that is what is needed."


    I tapped my side.


    "Ah. You''re giving them something to fight for. Be careful with manipulating people like that. You lose people''s trust."


    Plazia''s words echoed in my psyche as if many voices resonated.


    "Noted. What of your plans?"


    I cracked my knuckles, the sound like cables snapping underwater.


    "I''m going to see what makes a rift uncloseable."


    Chapter Begin


    Turning to walk off, my dimensional fabric orb slammed into a bookshelf. The orb, more like a wrecking ball, crushed the shelf into splinters and ripped books into confetti. After catching the disaster with gravity, the devastation hovered in a stasis as if time stopped.


    I gawked at the destruction.


    "I need a better solution for this size thing."


    Plazia cackled.


    "Mass doesn''t simply disappear."


    The hivemind took his Sentinal spear before swinging it in a few circles. With a quick swipe, he ripped apart space-time, revealing a vast ocean before him. The familiar smell of Blegara funneled into the room, the water world resplendent in its sunset.


    Plazia stepped through the void.


    "Good luck, Harbinger."


    As the warp resutured together, an idea popped into my head. I reached out with my arm, stopping the warp from closing. With my hand in Blegara, I took my other hand and wrenched the warp open. Plazia peered down at his spear before gawking at me.


    "Was there something left unsaid?"


    I shook my head, pointing at the rip.


    "No. Would you mind if I kept this open?"


    Plazia lifted his dimensional slicer, and it radiated with violet energy.


    "This spear is maintaining the calculations for the tear. It will shatter and decay if it is forced to maintain a portal."


    I snapped my fingers.


    "Dammit. Cya later then."


    I pulled myself out of the warp, cursing a bit to myself. As it snapped shut, I peered at the minced library. I called over a few guildsmen to handle the repairs and rewrites of the books. After spending a full hour helping with the cleanup and apologizing, I passed the tunnels of Mt. Verner like a dark ooze.


    Weaving through the dusty shafts, I flowed out into the wider world, the crisp air brushing against me. Man, I loved Earth. There was nowhere else like it. With the coordinates locked in, I rose high into the atmosphere before turning myself into a tiny harpoon. Gravity wells jerked me toward Chicago like a high-speed railway line, and I passed the sound barrier twice on the way there.


    As the spires of Chicago soared in the distance, I slowed down, not wanting to leave people in a panic. After flowing to the rooftops, I glided along the metro area. The place changed a lot in the last couple of years. Torix sent a group of our guildsmen to help the area recover from the culling, and the team handled their task with aplomb.


    Even from an aerial view, the changes carved across the cityscape like an artist giving new life to an old painting. The city of spires still stood over the lower city, but its grandeur and luxury contrasted with the hobbling lives below. Fresh marble covered the city tops, and artisans remade the bridges with glass and gold.


    That gold lined the rest of the upper city''s architecture, a beacon to those coming close. Or so it seemed. Closing in, I could tell by their weight they were a shiny bronze made to imitate gold. Mirroring the architectural imitation, the people here wore expensive fabrics and precious metals.


    In my opinion, it was pointless material signaling. They lacked enchanted gear or powerful weapons, which were actual markers of wealth. As I saw a monocled man walking, I changed my mind in an instant. I was fool. The man sported an incredibly full and luscious mustache. He waxed it and shaped it into a curl, and as I saw it, I rubbed my own jaw.


    I hadn''t grown any facial hair since I molded together with my armor. Of all the benefits the metal gave me, growing a beard wasn''t one of them. I cursed my limitations before peering below. A line of scarred, ragged, or struggling people carved a line through the opulence. They waited on the gilded rooftops like a string of mold growing across smooth, polished marble.


    These less mustachioed members queued up by the hundreds, their single lane crisscrossing two entire bridges of the skyscrapers. They ended where my guild''s encampment began. I recognized it instantly atop the Sears Tower. They built an outcrop of stone supported by beams of steel and saturated gravity wells below.


    It gave the architecture an alien appearance. That stemmed from the defiance of nature. Hilariously enough, the gialgathen warmed the entire visage since they felt more like fantasy creatures. Still, the overbearing pressure was undeniable, and the gialgathen lounged along the wall, soaking in the light.


    Its red and blue skin sheened in the sun. It set the scene like a coral reef popping out under the ocean. Adding to the effect, a layer of water kept the gialgathen hydrated. Beside him, a man in camo towered over the others close by, his combat fatigues and medals still shining from a war fought in the old world.


    He organized the distribution of supplies, keeping a stack of papers nearby to help him keep changes documented. He interacted with his status in a confused, helpless manner that only the elderly could imitate. As I landed beside him, our members gawked at me. I loomed over them, my shadow more significant than the gialgathen, who narrowed his eyes at me. I spread my hands.


    "Hey, is this our encampment?"


    Soaking in palpable fear, the lined-up refugees gazed at one another. The military man met my eye before giving me a single nod. He paced over to the edge of the encampment, facing the endless refugees. He raised his hands. His voice boomed.


    "This is the guildleader. I told you guys he''s real, eh? All those days of talking behind my back. ''Is he actually real? Did Neel get back on drugs again? Maybe Neel''s having another flashback from Nam?'' Ha ha, well, now look who''s sitting pretty."


    Neel raised two fingers, sending a crude gesture their way.


    "Suck on these nuts. Please don''t mind how massive they are. It comes with the territory."


    Neel put his hands on his hips, a grin plastered to his face.


    "Ah, you have no idea how good that felt. Can''t know. Maybe. I don''t know."


    I raised my brow.


    "Probably not. What''s the name?"


    I reached out a hand. He grabbed the tip of one of my fingers.


    "Neel Strotman. A member of the First Cavalry Division in Nam. I''m old enough to be your dad. You''re strong enough to end mine."


    He gave me a wink.


    "Not that there''s much to it these days. The system did do him some good though, just like it did me. But enough chatter, what brings you this way?"


    I gazed around.


    "I''m looking for an uncloseable dungeon."


    Neel peered off, fury flaring on his face.


    "Oh, I am gonna kill Jake and Gordan. Oh, they''re done for. They''ll be cleaning toilets with their toothbrushes." His eyes narrowed in menace.


    "And they ain''t changing ''em out once they''re done."


    I hoped he wasn''t serious. He turned to me.


    "I sent Torix a message about all that. Not all of our guildmates are cut from the same cloth, yah see. I think I''ll need to have a long talk with them about not over-alerting our superiors."


    The gialgathen eyed us from the back. It spoke with telepathy.


    "They left for weeks. There is good cause for their concerns."


    Neel raised his hands.


    "Oh looky here, the hoity-toity cat lizard finally stretching his paws and started meowing now that the guild leader is here."


    The gialgathen raised its horned brow.


    "These cats you speak of sound more intelligent than your kind."


    Neel turned to me.


    "Tell that to the Chinese. They eat ''em up by the pot full."


    A glint shined in his eye.


    "If you know what you''re doing, they''re not too bad. Had a few meself."


    A bit overwhelmed, I blinked.


    "In Nam, I''m assuming?"


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "No. Thailand. There was this cat infestation, and I couldn''t let the meat go to waste. You learn a thing or two in a crisis. In my case, it''s how good a cat can be with prawns, bamboo shoots, and mustard. Anyways, those two boneheads came back after a few months in a rift, saying it couldn''t be closed. I''m just glad they came back, but if their report made you come here, well-"


    He smirked.


    "I''ve got to have a few coarse words to say to them."


    I shook my head.


    "It''s more so I was curious rather than them raising a fuss."


    Neel''s eyes narrowed.


    "I can smell the mercy on your breath, but I''m still reviewing the report. Hell might have to be paid in full, but I can wait until after you''re finished with your inspection. Anywho, do you need directions?"


    "I have the coordinates. I was stopping by to see what was going on here."


    Neel snapped his fingers, glancing at the other members.


    "An impromptu check-up by the Harbinger himself. Wow. Who''d have guessed it?"


    The other members avoided his gaze.


    Neel pointed at himself.


    "It was, in fact, me."


    Neel reminded me of a disappointed drill sergeant, one that used my name as a means to get a fire lit under the recruits. Apparently, my arrival helped Neel in more ways than one. The veteran spread his hands.


    "Let''s face it, I''m two for two today, and it''s getting better by the second." Neel walked over to the gialgathen. "This here''s Kaiayga. It''s hard to spell, I tell you. He keeps tabs on nearby threats while ensuring we aren''t blindsided by eldritch, enemies, or commie bastards. You can never rule out them commie bastards."


    Kaiayga tilted his large head.


    "You still believe they''re coming to get you, hm?"


    Neel rolled his eyes.


    "What? Hell no. I used to say that out of irony, but eventually, it stopped being that way. Now, it''s a warm, nostalgic phrase. Ah, commie bastards are gonna take me out. Doesn''t it roll off the tongue?"


    Kaiayga winced.


    "It''s as pleasant as biting into a fish full of motor oil."


    "Some of us like it in the grime. I digress. Kaiayga also keeps tabs on our inventory. He''s like one of those old dragons guarding his treasure horde."


    Kaiayga narrowed his eyes.


    "Your endless comparisons to dragons are demeaning."


    "At least I don''t call you frog dragon, eh? Eh?"


    Kaiayga sighed, peering at Lake Michigan.


    "You make me wish to leave this place and settle in the sea."


    Neel hit the gialgathen''s side.


    "Hey, it''s only a couple more decades of servitude before you''re free."


    Kaiayga pulled himself up to get an even better view of the lake.


    "Then I''ll find my home there."


    I crossed my arms.


    "You don''t want to settle down in Blegara?"


    Kaiayga shook his head.


    "No. It''s a beautiful world, one well-made for us, but I despise the eldritch there. They taint the fish and air like an unseen miasma that infests under the surface. I find that this world reminds me far more of Giess. It does so more and more every day."


    I swelled with pride. Kaiayga''s tail whipped behind him.


    "Though the fish taste stranger as well. So do those beasts that run through the forest."


    Something about that didn''t sit right with me. Neel caught on to my unease.


    "Don''t worry about him. He''s a picky eater."


    Kaiayga rested his head back on his front paws.


    "True enough."


    Before I questioned further, Neel paced over to the many rings and other enchanted gear they imported from Springfield. Neel put one of the rings on his hand. From it, an outpour of water, seeds, and crabs flowed down into a pile. Neel kicked some seeds off a crab before holding up the crustacean.


    "You see these? This. This right here is the lifeblood of these people."


    I held down a laugh, but I desperately struggled to hold it in. As if on cue, the crab pinched Neel''s nose. Neel squealed before Kaiayga and I burst into a roaring laughter. Kaiayga beamed a toothy grin.


    "Yes. Again, please."


    I spread my fingers, opening the crab''s claw and hovering it away.


    "I hope that isn''t the only thing they eat."


    Neel rubbed his reddened nostrils.


    "Ack, certainly not, but it is a firm backbone, I tell you."


    We sat down on gravity wells and talked for a while. It took a solid hour before Neel calmed down about the gravitation, and he told me about the supplies, procedures, and overall progress of the encampment. They served thousands of people a day, offering necessities to the masses. I watched them disperse the goods, and they dispersed the goods efficiently.


    In general, it was a solid protocol. The most obvious sign of their consistency was how the populace handled the charity. A local economy formed around them, and caravaneers used these free gifts as a source of trade. Dungeoneers and hunters passed through with them to restock and gather their own free resources.


    Many of those wallowing below were putting up an act to look the part while pawning off our supplies for wealth. In all honestly, it didn''t matter much to me. We didn''t come here to make money but to make a difference. It was as cheesey as it sounded, and the people selling off the supplies helped distribute what we had to give.


    Those struggling entrepreneur came from nearby towns, villages, and isolated homes. They wanted a better life, and my guild offered them one. It left me spirited for my venture into the undercity. Offering a goodbye, I flew off to the rift''s coordinates. I passed the congregating masses. As I did, I cast a long shadow.


    That shadow instilled horror in most but ease in a select few. My reputation spread far beyond Springfield by now, and a few of the disparaged people out here knew my name. More would know soon enough.


    Hovering over the city, I passed skyscraper after skyscraper until I found the strange entrance to the dungeon. It rippled between several tall buildings in the middle of an intersection. Crashed cars and rotting monster corpses littered the area. At the center, the portal to another world shifted in place.


    It was an open type, the kind without an orderly entrance. The spatial tear omened a strange, menace as it caused an unnatural silence throughout the city''s downtown area.


    Outside of the booming thunder, of course.


    Bordering the rift, dark electricity zapped out in searching sparks. These sparks hit nearby stone, steel, and glass. Everything it touched warped in odd, deranged ways. Pieces of granite molded into screaming faces. Panels of clear glass moved like water at sea. A Fire hydrant hummed along to a catchy tune.


    Following the madness, a strange oscillation waved at the edges of the rift. It was as if the dimensions around it were two seas clashing, each fighting to overcome the other. It thrummed with an undeniable violence, and it made my stomach sink. To think dungeoneers walked in through this.


    I''d have to change the labor laws of the guild at this rate.


    Either way, I''d ensure they were adequately compensated for getting close to this thing. Sending that message to Torix, I squared that away before stepping closer. A different world unveiled itself in the rived space-time.


    Walking around the rip, it was a two-dimensional object in a three-dimensional world. The portal itself lacked any depth. At its side, the warp disappeared into a tiny black line, and from the back, it disappeared entirely. In other words, it was fully visible from only one angle but invisible from another. Weird.


    The surreal scene grated my nerves. It was as if someone opened a portal but never closed it. Before stepping in, I pulled out a rod of my dimensional fabric. I bent it into a circle and wrapped it around the portal''s edge. Like a chain link, it would stop the rip from mending while I explored deeper inside.


    As I snapped the link together, I gawked at the strangeness of it. From one side of the rip, my chain link floated in the air on nothing. On the other side of the portal, it wrapped into the dimensional void. It was an impossible object, like staring at a set of Penrose stairs in real life. While tripping me out, I''d seen plenty of impossibilities since Schema arrived.


    This was likely some eccentricity of portals I didn''t know about, and that''s part of the reason I took safety precautions. Being trapped in a rift was a nightmare, and I didn''t feel like discovering what terrors it hid. Having thoroughly scared myself, I made a few extra links before feeling safe enough to step into the tear.


    Inside the portal, a Serengeti spread out in all directions for miles. Tall grasses waved in the wind. These grasses all bent toward a single orientation as if the wind only ever blew from the East. As I stepped in, my dimensional wake changed that. The greenery pulled toward me at its center.


    I didn''t like that at all, so I pulled my wake inward. The plants turned towards their standard direction, one I followed. As I stepped onto the soft earth, a constant rumbling quaked below, mammoth creatures burrowing underground. Above, islands floated with a few clouds spotting between them.


    The drier world lacked trees and the like, leaving wide-open views for many miles in all directions. As I dove deeper, I ensured my minimap worked in my status. Considering how similar this all felt, it was an easy place to get lost in. Still, my map operated well, though it maintained an extended lag as I was in the dungeon.


    Crossing over to my minimap''s edge, I reached a shadow. One of the floating islands crossed overhead. As it did, the rumbling roared until a fluffy worm swarmed out of the ground. An eldritchian horror, the worm''s mouth opened with teeth circling its innards deep into its body.


    Peering closer, it lacked fur. My skin crawled as I beheld the thousands of legs on its frame writhing about like nests of spiders. Before it reached me, the shadow over me deepened in its darkness. An enormous, flying pterodactyl flowed down from above. It was a far less grotesque creature, lacking the many legs all over its body. Instead, it sported eyes on every surface.


    By now, I hated this place deeply. I digress.


    The pterodactyl stripped the ground bare with the flow of its four wings, and it cawed with enough force to uproot trees. With a sword-like beak, it sliced the worm apart. The two worm halves tried crawling into the ground, the many legs squirming and scittering. One half escaped, but the flying behemoth stripped the other half from the dirt. The giant bug writhed in the even larger pterodactyl''s beak. As the worm slapped against the pterodactyl''s skin, it stripped scales, skin, and scabs off the monster.


    The bird reptile didn''t seem to mind, and its eyes gazed toward its home on the floating islands. Done watching the spectacle, I stomped my foot into the ground. A wave of force flowed through the region, silencing the rumbling below. I spread my hands, a gravity panel pulling the territory into two pieces.


    As if parting a sea of soil, I sliced a thousand feet into the ground below. Dirt billowed up and out, exposing the disgusting worms and their larva. They bundled up into furballs that feasted on enormous, underground root systems.


    Oh yeah. They were all dead.


    Growing their young around glowing ores of mana, they expanded at unnatural rates, and their flesh writhed. They screamed out in hunger like the wails of the dammed. Wanting to figure out what they were hiding, I came close to some before vaporizing the grotesque creatures with Event Horizon.


    The mana crystals exposed themselves, their blue glow mirroring origin mana. They could be mined, but my mana crystals were superior in quality and stability. As for the animals, I hated looking in their direction, let alone finding a use for them. Leaving them alone, I headed deeper underground, eventually hitting the planet''s mantle. Endless magma spread below.


    Welp, this wasn''t the dungeon''s end.


    I turned towards the islands far above. I bolted up, passing all the churned magma and disgusting worms. I flew over the islands, and they were resting spots for the pterodactyls. They nested with eggs while slicing up worms to feed their young. Inspecting closer, I found no dungeon core atop the islands.


    Diving within, each island carried dense clusters of mana crystals, allowing the island to float and the creatures to grow so large. Alas, still no dungeon core. I checked a dozen islands, finding nothing among them. I searched for miles upon miles, the day dragging on in an endless hunt. As the sun settled, a darkness draped over the world. I gazed at the absolute darkness above and below, the planet lacking any moons or stars.


    Shattering the darkness, a swarm erupted from below. Fireflies, or more like fire moths, coursed into the sky and enveloped the world in a frenzy of light. Like an ethereal cascade of yellow lanterns, they flocked in all directions, brandishing eternal dark in a limited imitation of day. It was a quiet kind of beauty, and I floated in it for a while, the droning sound like cicadas.


    As one of the fire moths landed on me, I recognized the source. It was one of the detached legs from the worms. The legs split over its back to form wings, and they revealed the dark moth and glow hidden during the day. Furry and far cuter than it had any right to be, one moth nestled into the palm of my hand.


    A spark of guilt struck through me. Something like this found shelter in the ugliness of this world. The war the worms waged let these creatures live the night, yet I had judged them. I considered them hideous and ugly and vile. As I raised my hand, the moth flew into the horde.


    They did what they had to do in order to survive. We all did.


    Floating over the expanse, I flowed through the endless swarm in all directions. Endless. Hm. I opened my status, wondering how far I drifted during the day. So far, I crossed three hundred miles in this world. Despite that, no discernible end appeared, and this dwarfed the size of most dungeons by orders of magnitudes.


    Heading back to the entrance, I found the links still holding strong and the rip in space-time oscillating. The fire moths flew into our world by the hundreds, and I stood, watching them wander around. They darted from one territory to another, escaping into another dimension. My eyes widened as the solution popped into my head.


    This wasn''t a rift. It was a genuine tear in space. I flowed a distance from the entryway before sending a message to Helios. Minutes later, he opened a portal and walked out in sleeping wear. He pinched the bridge of his nose.


    "Ah, what do you want in the middle of the night, your majesty?"


    I gestured behind me.


    "You see this, right?"


    Still groggy, Helios wiped the sleep out of his eyes before a bolt of dark lightning snapped into the ground beside him. The boom and thunder woke him up seconds before Helios tilted his head. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.


    "What have you done now? Running an experiment to see if you could collapse the fabric of reality?"


    I shook my head.


    "What? C''mon. Cut me some slack."


    I peered at the portal.


    "But I am wondering if someone else is."

 393 The Weight of Worlds

    Still groggy, Helios wiped the sleep out of his eyes before a bolt of dark lightning snapped into the ground beside him. The boom and thunder woke him up seconds before Helios tilted his head. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.


    "What have you done now? Running an experiment to see if you could collapse the fabric of reality?"


    I shook my head.


    "What? C''mon. Cut me some slack."


    I peered at the portal.


    "But I am wondering if someone else is."


    Chapter Begin


    Helios pulled up his sleeves.


    "Gah, and I was praying this was a source of your stupidity."


    I gazed into the other world.


    "If only."


    Helios channeled mana through his gauntlet, the cipheric runes sparking to life. Primordial strands of mana stretched out onto the corrupted spacial rend, and Helios murmured.


    "This...This is nothing like Schema''s normal dungeons. Do you have any idea what happened here?"


    "We don''t know."


    "Hm. Neither do I. This is...I''ve never seen a true spatial rip like this. They often open up to some dark, other dimension. This...It''s eerily similar to another world."


    I let a fire moth land on my hand.


    "Then how do you actually make portals?"


    Helios wrestled with the warp, parsing out its secrets.


    "I take two instances of space and fold them together. Once they touch, I fuse the dimensional spaces so that a warp appears. It''s a tunnel, in essence. Schema''s spears actually tear the space between two places rather than fusing them, but they still don''t open warps to the abyss beyond the observable universe."


    Helios winced as dark lightning deformed a nearby stone.


    "This does. Ugh. Grotesque. What a genuinely disturbing thing you''ve shown me."


    I pulled my wake over the dimensional disturbance. It recoiled from me, but I wrestled it down. It shivered as if alive, but it felt more like a reaction akin to oil rising above water than real movement. Helios peered at me as if I were insane.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Sensing it."


    "You shouldn''t-"


    I reached out a hand in front of Helios''s face. As I did, a dark streak of lightning bolted into my arm. My skin absorbed the streak with immense hunger, like a starving beast. As I peered at my hand, Helios scoffed.


    "Never mind."


    He toiled for several minutes, the tear shrinking by tiny increments. I watched him like a hawk, ensuring he wasn''t zapped and I didn''t miss any other threats. An hour passed before Helios grabbed his mane.


    "This is just what I needed. A laborious task awakening me in the middle of the night. Technical. Difficult. Ooh, and I''m even learning about magic I''ve never heard of."


    He turned to me.


    "How delightful."


    I smiled.


    "I''m glad I could give you a challenge."


    Helios took a breath and raised a hand.


    "If I''m honest, I didn''t even think about the time. I never sleep, and it''s easy to forget about after all these years. We can handle this later-"


    He raised his gauntleted hand.


    "No. I''m finishing this. I simply require venting my frustrations from time to time."


    Several more minutes passed before Helios murmured.


    "It wasn''t as if I was resting regardless."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Struggling to sleep?"


    "Are you attempting to micromanage your guildmates, perchance?"


    I pointed beneath him.


    "Alright, snarky catman, I can make you a chair if you tell me what''s up."


    Helios''s eyes narrowed.


    "Hm. Deal."


    I generated a stone seat with a thin gravity panel over it. Acting like a cushion, Helios sat on it. He sank a little before peering down.


    "Interesting. I must say I much prefer this to the usual floating. The seat offers structure. I always feel as if I''ll fall when floating-"


    "The sleep thing?"


    Helios peered off.


    "Ah yes, it''s...It''s something I''ve struggled with since I revived. I dream that Elysium succeeded in their goal and that I am nothing more than a shell of what I once was. I question my every thought and goal. I wonder if I am still alive or their puppet."


    I grimaced.


    "Damn. That''s a lot. It reminds me of after I killed Valgus. I was worried he was still in my mind, too."


    My grimace deepened.


    "Eh, I still am."


    Helios shrunk another edge of the split in spacetime.


    "You don''t trust your mind then. I am the same, and this is merely the beginning. My family is all but dead, with only my idiot brother still breathing. My uncle used me to accomplish his twisted, imperial goals, and I wasted my life on the pursuit."


    He grabbed his mane with both hands.


    "Now I toil on an underdeveloped, backwater mudball that''s in the sights of Schema knows what."


    I raised a hand.


    "I''ll have you know this mudball has water on it, which makes it pretty cool in my book."


    He seethed.


    "Emphasis on mudball. Mud. As in wet dirt."


    I sighed. What he said did sum up his situation. I scratched the back of my head.


    "I don''t know what to say. Uhm, I''m sorry that all happened."


    Helios snarled.


    "You''re why I''m alive. Why are you, of all people, apologizing?"


    He stood, throwing his arm to the side.


    "Obolis should be crawling on his knees, begging for forgiveness. I wouldn''t even meet the cretin if I didn''t have to attend so many funerals. No bodies, by the way. They don''t trust that anything could remain untainted."


    Helios glared at me.


    "And who can blame them after what''s happened? I still go for their memory, and Obolis speaks with me each and every time. He has the audacity to ask for my return. I wish I didn''t find it so tempting."


    I sat down on a gravity well.


    "Why don''t you go back?"


    "Pride. Fury. And I understand he used me. I understand that his aims end in nothing. It is meaningless. As all feels as of late."


    Helios sat back down.


    "I do wish that I still had that. Meaning. It''s a hard thing to find. Even harder to keep."


    He reached out his hand, closing it to a fist.


    "It slips between my fingers like holding glass sand. The harder I grip, the more it cuts into my skin."


    A Pang of shame shot through me. I thought I could help him, but my guild offered a harbor, not a home. I reached out to say something before lowering my hands. Even with a dozen minds, I still didn''t know what to say. A part of me hated myself for that.


    Helios leaned his elbows onto his knees.


    "What did you do after losing your home and family?"


    I blinked.


    "Who? Me?"


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Helios let his arm flop to his side.


    "Is there another thirty-foot-tall darksteel titan?"


    "Did that even happen to me?"


    Helios leaned back.


    "I spoke with Torix. He informed me of your past in detail. If you''d rather we didn''t discuss it, simply say so."


    I waved my hand.


    "No, I, I didn''t think about it like that. I guess that did happen. Uh, hm. Springfield was leveled. My friends and family died. Michael and Kelsey turned into monsters, and we couldn''t save them. In the aftermath, I formed my guild and built Mt. Verner."


    There was no emotion in my voice. I recounted the details like a historian. Helios nodded.


    "After watching one home burn, you built another."


    I remembered the deformed wasteland Yawm turned Springfield into.


    "Yeah. I did. I didn''t have another option. I think that''s where my healing started. Probably."


    I oozed uncertainty, my words discomforting even to myself. Helios sighed.


    "Hm. Maybe that is the path for me as well."


    Several minutes passed as Helios worked. He grunted.


    "Thank you."


    I coughed into a hand.


    "I did nothing."


    "You listened while I hurled insults your way, yet they bounced off you as everything else does. Your fortitude...It''s impressive."


    I blinked, feeling blindsided by the compliment. I stayed silent as Helios continued his work. After a while, he gazed at the last inklings of the warp.


    "Let''s drop the gloomy topic, shall we? Now, this warp isn''t possible without intervention. Something is causing it to destabilize. I can''t tell if this otherworldly force is blocking Schema or if the AI didn''t bother to heal this scar in space."


    I stood up, staring at the door-sized hole.


    "I have a few ideas. I''ll be having a few people check it out."


    Helios raised a brow.


    "Who, exactly?"


    "More like a how."


    I reached my hand into the portal while it shrank. It cuffed onto my hand like a shackle, burning into my skin. A cosmic kind of pressure erupted over me, oozing over my entire body. I bent my knees, shaking as it tried cleaving my body apart.


    Helios reached back.


    "What are you doing, you idiot? I''d have stopped closing it if you wanted to return."


    The pressure mounted as if mountains rested on my shoulders. Perhaps they did.


    "I''m not going back. I''m taking it with me."


    Helios''s eyes widened.


    "You...You never intended to close it."


    "Bingo."


    The portal shredded into my dimensional fabric, its size no longer sustained. My body stopped the warp''s collapse, but it applied immense pressure. It ground down my arm like a serrated saw blade. The oscillations cut through me until I condensed my dimensional wake over the area. That slowed the dimensional cutting.


    I pulled more of my wake over the dimension, and it bore down on me like I held a sofa on my back. Pre-system, that is.


    Helios gawked.


    "You aim to mutilate yourself to carry it? You could have the others come."


    I shook my head.


    "You''d have to warp some more. I can''t say anything that''ll help, but I can do this much. Besides-"


    I poured some of my dimensional fabric through the warp. I shrank down to only a head taller than Helios. After remolding myself, my arm returned with the runes intact. I grasped it, finally able to breathe again. The ball I dragged around disappeared into the warp, and no one could even tell it was there. The invisible side of the portal faced outwards, after all.


    Though requiring some serious effort, I gained a way to manipulate my size at will and indiscriminately. Helios shook his head, a smile showing his sharp teeth.


    "I see you''re still a reckless fool."


    I smiled back.


    "Always will be."


    Helios snapped his fingers, a warp to Mt. Verner appearing.


    "Need a lift?"


    I tried pulling the portal. It didn''t budge.


    "I''m stopping by the guild outpost first. Thanks for the offer."


    We said our goodbyes, and Helios left. Standing by myself, I took a step. As I pulled myself forward, the warp chained me down. Even with all my physical strength, I struggled to move this even an inch. The ground crushed underfoot, the Earth splintering for well over a mile below.


    I kept applying force before the ground rumbled. I didn''t want to cause an earthquake just to move this damn portal. Kicking it up a notch, I channeled mana into my runes. Empowered with energy, I took another step. I put the rebounding force into my pocket dimension.


    This time, I shifted forward in a slow drag. Shaking my head in disbelief, I contemplated my situation. This portal was bolting me to the floor, and dragging it was like tugging a continent. Physically moving it took untold effort, so I tried a different approach.


    With a bit of maneuvering, I swelled a portion of my dimensional wake into the other dimension. With it holding firm, I pulled all of my wake forward. The immensely heavy warp moved this time, and I followed along with it. I tried to stop, and it slammed into my back.


    I stammered forward out of surprise. It kept going up, eventually stopping thirty feet in the air. Hanging like a puppet, I gazed down while my dimensional fabric ball held me up from the other side of the dimension. It was an immutable anchoring point for my entire body. Hell yeah. Taking a moment, my mind danced with possibility.


    This unveiled a new world to me, but learning to move took precedence. I saved that tidbit of potential for later. I kept moving around with the dimensional anchor, and it dragged me around with an unmatched momentum. Hardly able to stop myself, I wielded my dimensional wake to shift around.


    It took serious effort, four minds devoted to that process alone. Considering the drop in mobility and processing power, I questioned this whole portal-dragging process altogether. My status popped up in my vision, interrupting my thoughts. I tried dismissing the notification, but it didn''t budge.


    Weird. I opened it.


    Skill level gained! Dimensional Saturation |87| -> |88|


    Now, that was interesting. I kept moving around, and the skill leveled up at a consistent rate. After a while, I smiled. This process gave my dimension further stability and control. Considering how useful those skills were for defying any Old One, I''d be devoting a lot of time to this.


    It looked like I just gained a new hobby.


    After a couple minutes, I got myself up over Chicago. In tandem, I moved my physical self and dimensional wake. When I moved, I usually did both, but the passive effort lacked this same level of force. If that was moving myself, this was like moving an army. The intense concentration and persistent effort drenched me in perpetual exhaustion.


    As I hovered in slow motion, the weight of my task dawned on me. The animas I set on completing the task bristled from the exertion they employed. Their senses of self and continuity crumbled over the next few minutes. A few cracked at the seams, their sheer enervation building to a fever pitch.


    By the time I reached the top of the Sears Tower, one of the mind''s efforts put all of us in awe. With my hands on my knees, I took a moment to collect myself. I hadn''t been this tired since first learning time magic. I checked on the screaming mind once more, and it no longer thought anything back. It rested in a catatonic state for a while.


    My eyes widened, and I shook my head in disbelief. I already had to die in order to use time magic. I wasn''t about to do the same for another form of sorcery unless it rivaled temporal dilation''s power. This didn''t, so off to the garbage heap with other useless-


    Ding. Another notification popped up. It was another one I couldn''t close. Schema had become more overt as of late, so I rolled my eyes before opening it.


    Unknown skill unlocked! Dimensional Weight | Level 10 - In this reality, the laws of the universe dictate what is, what has been, and what will be. These constants rule over all with an unseen fist, one we can''t even see nor fathom. Within your domain, you wield that unseen fist, and you press your own causality onto everything around you.


    +10% to Dimensional Weight


    +10% to Dimensional Weight''s Efficiency


    500 skill points awarded!


    I rubbed my temples at the status. My psyches discussed this before we came to several conclusions. For one, this portal wasn''t working the way I thought it would. I imagined dragging it around, keeping it as a solution to my size issues. Instead, this dimensional anchor was simply that - a literal dimension I lugged around.


    I pulled the entire fabric of another reality with me, and it was so, so very heavy. Heavy enough that I pressured one of my minds to a state of comatose by moving it. Shifting the space required far more mental exertion than I envisioned, but the reward exceeded anything I imagined up to this point.


    Based on the skills description, I could even influence causality. Whatever the hell that meant. I sent a Daniel to research it in my status. Lugging myself along, I reached the Sear Tower while night loomed over the city. Refugees rested in encampments built near here, a few talking around the fires. Since I only stood fifteen feet tall, only a few of these insomniacs gawked. It gave me a sense of ease I had lacked for a long time.


    At the primary outpost, the gialgathen kept an eye on the entire expanse. Its eyes met mine as I landed. A minuscule frown crossed over its face like a glitch. I followed my intuition.


    "What''s got you up in arms?"


    Kaiayga leaned back.


    "You cleared the dungeon."


    "Not quite."


    The gialgathen gazed at the moon reflecting onto Lake Michigan.


    "Those two sent to the portal...They won''t be silenced?"


    "Like...Killed? Hell no."


    The gialgathen turned to me, inspecting my face. I met its eye before it gave me a nod.


    "Good. I could never be certain."


    I spread my hands.


    "I''ve done nothing for this kind of scrutiny."


    The gialgathen tilted his head.


    "You believe so? Odd. I''ve heard different tales of you."


    My curiosity spiked.


    "Like what, exactly?"


    "They speak of sieges to other worlds. They whisper of battles with beings that can erase matter and create nuclear fire. Of wars waged against living machines and the terrors they infest."


    I lowered my hands.


    "Yeah...We have done that."


    It shook its head.


    "Is it so odd that I question what you''re willing to do then?"


    I sighed.


    "Look, that''s true, but the only reason you''re even here is because of those decisions. You''d be infested by one of those machines without our intervention. The Eltari, my guild, we all fought battles that we decided on."


    It raised a horned brow.


    "Or was it you that did so?"


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "These people have chosen to follow me. They chose to fight. I never drafted or forced anyone."


    The gialgathen leaned towards me.


    "And what was their alternative? Death? Starvation?"


    Neel paced out of a warp from within the Sears Tower.


    "Excuse me, Kaiayga. I couldn''t help but see you eyeing down our illustrious leader over here. I may not hear what''s going on, but I think I''ve seen enough."


    Kaiayga turned to the war veteran.


    "Stay out of this."


    Neel waved his hands.


    "Now, I''m not one to question another man''s anger. We have a right to it. But-"


    His eyes sharpened.


    "Not with him. Understood?"


    A moment of tension passed over them. Kaiayga jerked his head aside and snarled.


    "Ah. Fine. I''m scouting the outskirts of the city. Goodbye."


    The elegant creature jumped off the edge of the building, gliding down to the tops of the trees. As it got outside of earshot, Neel put his hands on his hips.


    "Sorry about all that. He doesn''t do well with authority."


    I raised a brow.


    "Authority outside of yours, apparently."


    "Well, me and him have a few things in common. I helped him with stopping acetylsalicylic acid. If you don''t know what that means, you''re like pretty much everybody. It''s aspirin."


    I leaned back.


    "Aspirin? Like...The medicine?"


    Neel gawked at me.


    "You don''t know about aspirin? Your daddy never taught you nothing."


    "First off, mind your own damn business, and secondly, yes, I know what aspirin is. It''s sap from a weeping willow, right?"


    Neel, on edge, shrugged.


    "Close enough. The willow bark had salicin in it. They used that to make aspirin. The point is, giving aspirin to a gialgathen is like giving a bear honey."


    "So it''s sweet?"


    "Er, uh, ok, so imagine the honey again, but this time-" Neel spread his hands. "Laced with pounds and pounds of meth. Meth and cocaine."


    My jaw slackened.


    "It''s a hard drug?"


    Neel took a breath.


    "Yup. As hard as they get. Good old Kaiayga ended up dependent on it after he arrived on Earth. He lost his family and then some in Lehesion''s raid on Rivaria. The aspirin took that pain away, and I got him off of it."


    My imagination ran wild.


    "How in the world did you do that?"


    "The same way I quit heroin. Buddhism."


    Everything Neel said surprised me. I scoffed.


    "Buddhism?"


    "Suffering is attachment, as the good old Buddha says. Anyway, I got him to meditating, and he was able to kick the habit. We''ve been good friends ever since."


    I gazed at Lake Michigan.


    "Damn. He still seems kind of hostile."


    "The best friends you have always are. They have this habit of holding you to account."


    I remembered my conversation with Helios.


    "Huh. Maybe so."


    Neel smiled.


    "And before you say so, I''m assuming you cleared the dungeon?"


    "Essentially. You also have to let Jake and Gordan off the hook. This warp wasn''t controlled by Schema."


    Neel blinked.


    "How in the hell did that happen?"


    "I aim to find out back on Mt. Verner, but before I head out, is there anything you need?"


    He walked up, offering a handshake. I returned the gesture. Neel smiled.


    "I wanted to thank you for all you''ve done for Springfield. Michigan. Hell, the world."


    I peered off.


    "Ah. Thanks."


    He pointed at me.


    "I mean it. You''ve done something special. Something I can hardly believe."


    I let my hand go.


    "I got lucky."


    He gave me a knowing look.


    "No, I don''t think you did."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "And what makes you so sure?"


    Neel scoffed.


    "Kiddo, I knew you before the system."


    I leaned back. Neel stood tall.


    "Daniel Hillside. Certified punk. A tough boxer. And someone who took beatings from his daddy before dishing one back. Good one, by the way. That prick deserved it."


    Feeling vulnerable, I took a deep breath.


    "You. Who are you?"


    Neel peered off.


    "I know it''s hard to believe but-"


    He met my eye.


    "I''m your grandfather."

 394 A Mired Past

    My eyes narrowed.


    "And what makes you so sure?"


    Neel scoffed.


    "Kiddo, I knew you before the system."


    I leaned back. Neel stood tall.


    "Daniel Hillside. Certified punk. A tough boxer. And someone who took beatings from his daddy before dishing one back. Good one, by the way. That prick deserved it."


    Feeling vulnerable, I took a deep breath.


    "You. Who are you?"


    Neel peered off.


    "I know it''s hard to believe but-"


    He met my eye.


    "I''m your grandfather."


    Chapter Begin


    The shadow of anger loomed over me before I loomed over Neel.


    "And you expect me to believe you''d come out of the woodwork after all these years? Excuse me if I find that hard to believe."


    Neel kept his eyes on me.


    "Hell no. I wouldn''t expect you to beleive me even if I told you on the moon. If I''m honest, I still barely believe it myself. Besides, I''m sure plenty of people pretend they''re your kin."


    My words boiled.


    "No. So far, you''re the only one."


    "Well, just because it''s unlikely doesn''t make it untrue. And I can prove it."


    A temptation lingered in my mind. I could break Neel''s psionic barriers and check his memories. I guaranteed any information I obtained that way, and I could skip listening to whatever Neel cooked up. Before I acted on impulse, I calmed myself down. Tearing this man''s mind apart felt like crossing a barrier. It would be like choosing to kill for the first time.


    I had already destroyed many minds before, but this was for a different reason. As the temptation reared its ugly head, Neel raised his palms.


    "Alright, let''s see. Hm. Your Dad''s name was Jacob. He''s an alcoholic. He always talked about his bum of a father. Your mother was Angela. The name fit ''cause she was an angel."


    I shook my head.


    "You could''ve just known me before the system."


    Neel gulped.


    "Ok. So, your birthday was August 12th, 2000. You had an O+ blood type. Uhm, you hated cheese while growing up."


    I had no clue what my blood type was, but the cheese comment was strange. I, in fact, had hated cheese. Despised it, really. The flavor grew on me over time; as a teenager, I loved the stuff. At the very least, Neel knew me as a child.


    "Closer, but not enough to be my good old grandpa."


    Neel took a breath, squeezing his hands to fists by his sides.


    "You, Jacob, and Angela always went to Ray''s Ice Cream shop on every one of your birthdays. You''d play mini-golf there. You didn''t stop going until Angela collapsed on your 7th birthday."


    I winced. That was very specialized knowledge.


    "Ok, there''s some substance there. You could''ve just seen it happen, though."


    Neel''s face scrunched up.


    "You all went to the hospital, and she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. She never smoked, but Jacob did. When Jacob held her hand there, he said he''d quit smoking in the house."


    Like a bursting oil pipe, emotions flooded out of me. A plethora of questions erupted in my mind. One took precedence.


    "Why haven''t I ever heard of you?"


    Neel sighed.


    "A thousand reasons. I wasn''t...I wasn''t a good man for most of my life. Ever, really."


    I snarled.


    "That sounds like an understatement. Where the hell were you when Mom was dying? When my father needed someone to help pull his sorry ass back together?"


    Neel peered away, shame striking his face like a hammer.


    "I''m as reliable as a sundial at midnight."


    "Unreliable, sure, but that doesn''t explain anything. I need to know why. Why would you leave your family to burn like that?"


    Neel turned a hand to me.


    "Do you want the short of it or the whole thing?"


    I shook my hands.


    "The entirety of it. Every last detail you can scrounge up to stop me from demoting you to a janitor."


    Neel walked over and sat at the edge of the base''s extension. With his feet kicking over Chicago''s ruins, Neel murmured.


    "Heh, that wasn''t too bad a threat there, kid. The thing is, this guilt in my chest, it''s heavier than lead. I''d rather spend the rest of my life in a dungeon than live one more day bottling all of it up."


    I noted that this was about him. I walked over.


    "Then start explaining."


    "I guess I''ll start with Jacob."


    I stood beside him. Neel stared at Lake Michigan.


    "I went to Nam for four tours. By the time I got back, I wasn''t a man without a war to fight. I got through it by leaning on the warmth and comfort of a needle, and she never failed me. Well, eventually, that''s all she ever did. Then I met Betty, your grandmother. She was the warmth I needed so badly."


    His eyes went distant.


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    "God...She didn''t deserve me. I was the worst thing that ever happened to that woman."


    I kept my eyes on Lake Michigan, but I listened to the sound of his heart and felt the moisture off of him. He didn''t sweat, and his pulse didn''t rise. Either he was a psychopath or telling the truth. Neel rubbed his hands down his face.


    "After we had Jacob, I got into using heroin again. Well, more than before. I...I just about killed us both. Betty kicked me out of the home, and I just drifted for years. Years and years. I hardly remember even living during those days. I did see every U.S. state, some of Canada. Even a piece of Mexico."


    I raised my brow. My voice was like acid.


    "Hm. I see where my father got his best traits from."


    He winced.


    "I deserve that. But, at least I got back to Betty before she died. We had a few good years before she died of Parkinson''s. By then, Jacob just hit thirty. You were, hm, about three years old. Angela was an absolute saint. Even from a distance, they were just like me and Betty. I could tell Angela didn''t deserve the man she found either."


    Neel gulped.


    "It''s so strange how life moves in these cycles like that. One day you''re doin'' something you hate. The next, you see that your family''s suffering from the same damn thing. It''s like a curse. It never leaves yah."


    A piece of me hollowed out hearing that. I grimaced.


    "Oh, I''m well aware."


    Neel leaned back.


    "You know, there''s a lot of her in you. Angela, I mean."


    I kept calm as I turned to face him.


    "Why didn''t you come by earlier? We could''ve used the help."


    Neel smiled but his eyes carried sadness.


    "Son, where you''re at, damn near no one can help you now. You''re in uncharted waters from what I''ve heard."


    I bit my cheek.


    "I''m talking about before, when mom died."


    Neel frowned.


    "Ah. Yeah...The thing is, I was still struggling."


    I suppressed the urge to slap his skull off his head. Neel didn''t notice my rage as he kept talking.


    "I kept struggling for another five years, being a bum. I didn''t end up getting a job until I found Buddhism. I had to let go of the war and what had happened to me. You know, not let it tell me who I could and couldn''t be.


    You''re father and I got close at that time. As close as we could be. It wasn''t perfect, but it was more than we''d ever been. I learned about you. Watched a few of your birthdays. You were a fine young man. I was proud of how Jacob turned his life around too."


    Neel shook his head.


    "Until Angela passed. That...That wasn''t good for either of us."


    My skin bristled. I''d heard the same tone of voice from Dad lifetimes ago, but it still scalded against my skin. No, more than that. It spiked my adrenaline and ignited my fury. It was an excuse, the kind that justified beatings from flushed fists or screams shouted with booze-laden breath. I held in my anger as I murmured.


    "I''m sure you both struggled."


    "We did. I know you struggled the most though. It couldn''t have been easy dealing with it all."


    My gaze hardened.


    "Obviously. That''s in the past though."


    Neel grimaced.


    "That''s the thing I figured out. Nothing''s in the past. We carry it forward. We all do. I thought I had put the war behind me decades ago. I kept on thinking that even while carrying all the pain with me. It gets heavy. So heavy that you just want to run away from it all. From everything."


    I raised my brow, my voice like steel.


    "And now you think I''m carrying my pain?"


    Neel shook his head.


    "I don''t think I know you half as well as I''d like. I''m tellin'' you what I''ve experienced is all. Besides, you''ve done more than I could''ve ever imagined. You can''t know just how proud I am of you. If I died today, my life would have been worth it knowing that I was able to make something good with my life, even if it was just you."


    A piece of me warmed when I heard him say that. I wanted to reach out and hug him for saying something I would''ve loved to hear after Mom died. From my father. From anyone in my life at the time. It would''ve been a healing salve on an aching wound. But those days were long gone, embedded in a brutal past that I''d never forget.


    Another part of me roared out in hate. I hated the part of me that wanted this old man''s approval. I hated the fact that after all these years, I''d love to hear my father say the same. I hated how much I wanted to hear my mother''s voice again. All these thoughts and feelings I had pushed down rushed out, and they threatened to overwhelm me at that moment.


    But I was a boy no longer.


    My voice was like ice.


    "You think the good I''ve done in any way relates back to you? That I accomplished what I''ve accomplished because of you in any way?"


    Neel blinked in shock. My words were a hot iron against his face. He peered down.


    "I...I guess not."


    I squeezed a hand into a fist.


    "You mean nothing to me, just like my father. He abandoned me when Mom died. You abandoned me before I was even born. Before I could even remember who the hell you are. What makes you think you deserve redemption from me?"


    Neel nodded.


    "I haven''t done half enough, and you''re not wrong. But please, hear me out-"


    I swung my hand, wind billowing off my arm.


    "You think I have to listen to you? I''ve already made a life out of the ruins you left behind. I''m not going to be like you or like my father."


    Neel stood and stared at me.


    "You think I don''t know that? You broke the chain. Shattered it. That''s not easy to do. Believe me, I know."


    I heaved for breath, and I radiated anger. Despite my overwhelming advantage in power, status, and ability, I felt small. I felt smaller than I had in years. I snarled.


    "One chance. Talk."


    Neel raised his hands.


    "It was wrong of me to try and steal your thunder. You''re right. Who am I to tell you what you think? To tell you what to believe. I''m an old man who''s barely made it this far. You''re a young gun that''s got the world in the palm of your hand."


    A slight smile traced up his lips.


    "And that''s the crazy thing. You''ve got a big palm. I''m not worried about you one bit. You got them politicians beat by miles, I tell you. In the old world, they fought tooth and nail to get something they didn''t deserve. You seized it with your own two hands. Nobody can take that away from you."


    He was wrong about that. I was thrown into this position before accepting it. It was something I contemplated a lot. In many ways, every great leader''s power was a burden they all carried. On the other hand, every great tyrant''s power was a burden carried by all. I strove to be different, but I didn''t know whether I achieved it or not. For the most part, all I''d done since the system started was survive.


    Now, I was trying to make sure everyone else survived with me.


    And this man, regardless of what I felt, was a survivor. He wore scars all over his face and shoulders from battles fought long ago. I''d help him, but it wasn''t because of sentimentality or newly forged feelings. He helped my guild and these people. He earned a second chance at life.


    But a second chance at being my grandfather? Hell no. That well dried up decades ago. I pulled myself up with a gravity well, making sure to drag the dimensional anchor with me. I sighed.


    "Thanks for the talk."


    He reached out a hand.


    "Wait a minute."


    I turned away before trying to fly off. The dimension I carried held me back, prolonging an otherwise ended conversation. Neel spread his arms.


    "I know I don''t deserve a second chance. I left you to rot all your life, and now I''m coming back after you''ve already gotten everything you ever wanted out of life."


    I closed my eyes. Everything I wanted? I wanted a decent father. I wanted a decent childhood. I''d never have those. I stopped flying away.


    "We agree on that. What''s your point?"


    Neel reached out a hand before pulling it back. Words sat on the tip of his tongue, and he mulled them over before clenching his hand into a fist. He shook it.


    "I know...I know this is shameless. I just want to learn who you are. Learn about your past. How you became the man you are today."


    I turned to him.


    "Why would I do that?"


    Neel lowered his arm.


    "Because I promise you this: no matter how much you try to deny it, a family matters. It will weigh you down and become a sinking anchor in your chest, and it will hold you back in ways you don''t even realize. Here''s what I mean. I was beaten by my daddy, and I beat yours. He-"


    "Jacob beat me. Is your great revelation about how much of a piece of shit you are? Because that''s crystal clear."


    "That''s why I want you to know what happened. To think it over and know what''s going on. I think...I think it''s important. I don''t know why, but I do."


    I paused, slowing down time. For a while, I stood still and enjoyed the sensation of having my minds ripped apart. It was better than having this conversation. After a while, my psyches wandered. I thought about everything that happened and about this situation.


    A part of me wanted to accept the apology and give this old man a shot at redemption. A far larger and stronger part of me wanted to move on. To leave this behind. I furrowed my brow, and I took a deep breath. This wasn''t something I could run away from forever. It was better to leave it settled.


    I furrowed my brow.


    "How exactly would you want me to know my family better?"


    Neel breathed out, a palpable wave of relief washing over him.


    "Thank you. Thank-"


    I raised a palm.


    "Don''t think for a second we''re on amenable terms. You''ve got ground you need to gain before I consider you an effective subordinate. You slip up in any way, and we''re done. Do you understand me?"


    Neel gave me a two-fingered salute.


    "Aye aye, sir. Loud and clear."


    "Good. So, about learning about my family. What did you have in mind?"


    Neel puffed out his chest.


    "I think I got a lead on Jacob."


    I closed my eyes. My wake crept over my surroundings, and it suffocated the air. I glared at Neel, and the old man paled. I clenched my jaw.


    "So, the old man''s still kicking? I wonder if I should change that."

 395 A Shattering Mirror

    I raised a palm.


    "Don''t think for a second we''re on amenable terms. You''ve got ground you need to gain before I consider you an effective subordinate. You slip up in any way, and we''re done. Do you understand me?"


    Neel gave me a two-fingered salute.


    "Aye aye, sir. Loud and clear."


    "Good. So, about learning about my family. What did you have in mind?"


    Neel puffed out his chest.


    "I think I got a lead on Jacob."


    I closed my eyes. My wake crept over my surroundings, and it suffocated the air. I glared at Neel, and the old man paled. I clenched my jaw.


    "So, the old man''s still kicking? I wonder if I should change that."


    Chapter Begin


    Neel paled in the moonlight.


    "Oh come on now. You''d kill your own father?"


    I stayed quiet. A sinking dread passed between us. I sighed.


    "Maybe. Probably not. Ah, who knows? It depends on what he''s doing if the old man is still alive."


    Neel furrowed his brow.


    "Does it really matter?"


    I frowned.


    "It''s the only thing that matters. If I acted based on what he has done, then I''d kill him for my own satisfaction and revenge. That''s why I''ll be ripping him apart if he''s a raider, for instance."


    Neel gnarled his hands.


    "Have you thought about forgiving him?"


    I smiled. The expression was a thinly veiled lie.


    "Neel. I haven''t forgiven you, let alone him."


    Neel winced.


    "This''ll be the last piece of advice you''ll hear out of me for a while. Forgiveness isn''t really about the one who hurt you. It''s about moving on from something. To really let it go. Otherwise, it just haunts you like a ghost, and it''ll tear you down if you let it."


    I gazed through him, all of my minds peering in tandem. The hair on his skin bristled as I murmured.


    "It''s easy to say as much when you''ve spent your entire life abandoning the people that need you most."


    Neel''s arms slowly fell down. His breath grew less stable, and his eyes watered. A pang of guilt hit me before I pinched the bridge of my nose. I turned a palm to the guy.


    "That was...Too far. Sorry. Look, Neel, I appreciate you trying to clear things up. I really do. The thing is, the situation isn''t resolved just because you want it to be. So far, you''ve stuck your foot in some cold water. Well, now you''re going to have to get in there and swim."


    Neel took a second before giving me a nod.


    "You''re right about that. To make it up to you, I was thinking we could take some time off and head out to the Rocky Mountains. I know some people there that think we might''ve seen him."


    That was where my mom''s family lived. A spike of curiosity exploded in my chest, and I wanted to go. Before I acted on that desire, I raised a palm.


    "I can''t. I have to finish creating some protection for most of my cities. I actually stopped by here for a break from all that. It''s gone on long enough as it is, let alone if I add a few more weeks to the time. That''s why I can''t afford to linger here any longer."


    Neel sighed.


    "Then what about Jacob?"


    I shrugged.


    "If he''s survived this long, then he''ll be around when we choose to find him. Eventually, I''ll get a moment to rest, and I''ll meet up with you to find that lead you mentioned. How does that sound?"


    Neel smiled, a gold tooth sheening in the moonlight.


    "That''d be great, son. I''d love that."


    I walked up and offered a hand. He shook it before I turned to leave. As I rose off the ground, Neel reached out.


    "Ah, about your last name. There''s a reason it isn''t Stoltman."


    I smiled.


    "I already know why. My father took my mother''s last name when they got married. Otherwise, I would''ve abandoned that surname a long time ago."


    Neel closed his eyes.


    "Good. Good. Er, that you know, that is."


    He waved a hand.


    "You...You take care now."


    I gave a curt nod before pulling myself away. I put several minds onto heaving the dimension around while I dove into thought. I picked up speed, and the crisp wind cooled my skin. My thoughts raced fast enough to counter the cold, leaving me heated.


    I never heard of Neel. Never. Not once. You''d think my father would mention him at least in passing, but he always referred to him as his old man. No names. No specifics. It gave me so little to go on along with no idea what my lineage was like. At least Neel''s history helped explain why I had so little extended family.


    Part of that developed out of a familial disagreement. My mom''s family never approved of her marriage to my father. Even after I was born, they still didn''t like the guy. They especially didn''t like me. Apparently, we visited whenever I was young, and I had a few fuzzy memories of that family branch. I remember they didn''t smile much, but that could''ve been a personal anecdote.


    Apparently, they treated me differently than other cousins or friends. To them, I was like a representation of my mom''s greatest sin, and my survival helped keep that sin alive. That family branch''s resentment poured out onto me whenever I visited, and my mom cut them off after a nasty slap across my face. I remembered that part vividly.


    The man backhanded me and knocked me down. I ended up getting a purple welp under my eye since the man wore one of those large graduation rings. He was the kind of man who peaked in high school for sure, and I still couldn''t remember why he''d slapped me in the first place. Either way, I always found the situation hysterical.


    You see, he broke that ring on my cheek. The fake sapphire broke out of the socket and clattered to the ground in pieces. He always said it was loose, poorly crafted, and ready to snap. I told him that no matter what he told himself, he hadn''t hurt me. That wasn''t true by any stretch of the imagination, but it got under his skin regardless.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    And to me, expressing defiance was a form of victory. Stupid, yes, but I was a kid.


    Regardless, my mom didn''t visit after that, and my dad bowed up to the guy before backing down after they threatened to call the police. It was a painful memory for my dad, and he told me it was my fault that mom was cut out of her inheritance. Honestly, I hadn''t thought about all of this in decades, but talking to Neel pulled all of it out of the depths.


    Speaking of, if what Neel said was true, then he made sure that our extended family wouldn''t be on good terms with us either. In that regard, any kind of meaningful bond we could''ve had was scrubbed clean long ago. I still had so many questions in my head about my Dad''s life, my grandmother''s passing, and why Neel waited so long to tell me all this.


    At the same time, I already juggled a thousand other considerations and concerns. I had to prioritize the Earth for once, and I lacked any time or energy for a deep dive into my past, let alone something this emotionally draining. In fact, two psyches keeled over from pulling my dimension around.


    Despite my desire to dismiss the thoughts and dwell on something else, they lingered like roaches in the wall of an old apartment. After a while, I wanted the matter settled to free up my headspace. I resolved to talk to Neel if we met again, but I wouldn''t go out of my way to make it happen. What would be, would be.


    Until then, I would focus on Earth''s safety. Driving that conclusion home, I gasped as another mind went into a comatose from tugging along this tiny portal. Instead of waiting for it to heal, I killed the animus by shredding it apart. My mind regenerated far faster than it healed from the comatose, but it felt excruciating.


    Eh, whatever. I would do whatever it took to make progress. If that meant dying in a dozen different ways, then I''d do it. No excuses. Even as I tore pieces of my mind apart, I kept thinking about Neel and my father. No matter how much I tried pulling my mind off the topic, I kept wandering off into that vein of thought.


    Even worse, carrying the rift turned a half-hour trip here into a six-hour slog back home. At least it gave me time to sort through my status. As I did, I checked out my skillpoints, finding just over six hundred stacked up.


    I put them into Owner of Worlds.


    As the root of worlds, you shall be called Yggdrasil. The allfather. The allmaker. Nothing within your domain may dominate without your acknowledgment. Nothing may rise when you say fall, and within your open palm rests all the havens for billions. In your closed fist rests the ruin of any that crosses your domain.


    For that is the path of he who owns worlds.


    ADDITIONAL NOTE:


    Always remember your purpose. Those same fists you own must stop ruin from hunting down all that you know, have seen, and will see. An evil will come, and you must be ready. You will need to rise or be smothered by the forces encroaching from all directions.


    For they draw near.


    +150% to city barrier strength


    +150% to city barrier efficiency


    +50% to city barrier size


    +50% to credit income multiplier from owned territories


    +50% to experience multiplier from owned territories


    +150% to bounty payout in owned territories


    +150% to bounty experience reward in owned territories


    -50% to warping costs in owned territories


    Rights to Planetary Ruler Classes unlocked! You may now grant classes to your followers! Note - Terms and conditions required. See the guide for more details.


    Sovereign Exclusive: +30% to World Perk Efficacy


    The ominous message in the second part of the tree stood out in more ways than one. It presented a terrifying reality, one I suited up for at a breakneck speed yet still felt woefully unprepared for. After the ominous feeling passed, I opened my tree menu.


    Select a talent tree for distributing points.


    Requirements met! Additional trees unlocked!


    Anomaly(Be singular in nature)(2,500) | Immortal(Have a possible lifespan of over 100,000 years)(2,500) | Conquerer(Take a city by force)(1,500) | Schema''s Champion(Prove yourself worthy of my personal attention)(5,000)


    While the other trees still seemed more than worthy, I chose to take Schema''s Champion. Without the prerequisite set of points to unlock anything more, I closed my status and contemplated Owner of Worlds. In many regards, it fed into my current goals beautifully, giving my cities a wider scope of protection.


    It granted better passive governance to my territories via the bounty bonuses, and the warping cost reductions made my local economies far more manageable. The last bit about classes also piqued my interest, so I checked it out.


    Class Upgrade Guide:


    Your followers will be given variants of chosen classes based on performance. Whenever a variant class is selected, they will be notified that this tree was the cause for transparency. We hope this guide has been helpful.


    It was about as helpful as damn near anything in Schema''s guides. With a bit of time to kill, I considered a few avenues for self-strengthening, building up my army, or even working with Schema. It was something I was afraid of - hitting a wall in power. I''m sure my guildmate would roll their eyes at that idea, but I worried about it regardless.


    I mean, by now, I cranked all of the most obvious levers at my disposal to their utmost potential. At least the ones obvious to me. Despite turning over all those stones for power, I was lacking in many ways. I shivered, remembering how Eonoth crushed me utterly. Facing off against someone like him or even Valgus required absolute dominance psionically, physically, and dimensionally.


    Hell, in every way imaginable.


    It was the problem with having enemies I didn''t know and couldn''t name. I already worked on my cipheric markings, channeled mana, and worked on powerful skills like Temporal Compression and the new Dimensional Weight ability. Portions of my mind died all the time, and I recuperated because of my stats.


    Without them, I''d have been driven mad long ago. It still wasn''t enough. As the vista of Mt. Verner expanded in the distance, I settled on my next course of action. Having received no messages on Diesel''s progress on the golems, I asked for an update before landing at my golem creation facility.


    Until the next morning, I had some time. I''d make the most of it.


    A pit of dread filled my stomach as I typed up another message. As I sent a request for Shalahora, I considered what I was asking for. This would be yet another trial by fire. Oh man, it would be one more undertaking I wanted no part of, but based on my limited knowledge, I lacked any other options.


    I would progress where I knew I could, and as far as I could tell, all of my avenues to success required me to figuratively die. Well, die many times, really. All of my training would require me to expire enough that I''d rack up an impressive body count by the end of it all. Perhaps I''d name the training for each skill differently.


    What about battles? No, this would last too long. Conflicts? Eh, it sounded too light. Ah, yes, wars. I''d call them wars from within. Like, I don''t know, the war of time. The war of dimensions. With Shalahora, this would be the war of the mind. I clapped my cheeks, silencing my growing procrastination.


    I sent my message to the guild''s strongest member. Arguably, at least. A few minutes passed, and a heavy silence oppressed me. I jumped as a shadow welled up from the ground. Shalahora murmured with a silence that echoed.


    "Harbinger...I have read the request...Are you certain about this?"


    I took a deep breath.


    "I don''t see another alternative. You''re the only person I can train mind magic with."


    Shalahora peered at me before reaching out a hand.


    "Then be ready, and know I''ve been commanded to do this."


    I braced for impact.


    "Do your worst."


    Shalahora laughed.


    "It will be far from it, but for now, a piece is more than enough."


    A connection sprang up between us. As Shalahora''s mind grazed mine, I stared into a relative infinity. The size of Shalahora''s psyche mirrored Valgus''s mana production. The scale of it was like seeing a great monster''s eye taking up all I could see.


    Feeling like an ant on an elephant, I winced.


    "Oh, man. This is going to be pretty bad, huh?"


    Shalahora whispered.


    "Define bad."


    Shalahora''s mind drenched out in a flood. It reminded me of Elysium''s tactics, his mind akin to a horde. Unlike anyone I''d seen beforehand, Shalahora''s psyche shot out without flaws, cracks, or edges. He was a one-man, walking army, and he commanded each soldier to perfection.


    It really was incredible. I gazed at an entire species folded into a tiny, miniature point, and it occupied a tremendously expanded mind. The density and vastness rivaled jumping into an ocean of mercury. I could hardly get under the liquid metal, let alone swim through it.


    I grimaced.


    "This is going to hurt."


    Shalahora''s gaze softened.


    "In a sense, though pain isn''t how I would describe it. It''s similar to following an idealogy, one you don''t agree with. The sense of unease, the cognitive dissonance, it builds until the mind breaks. You accept the corruption as the alternative becomes easier. More of you will follow until nothing is left. This is death by psionic dismantling."


    I tested the waters, throwing a mind against his. It all but vaporized.


    "Well...It sounds like going insane."


    Shalahora took a small step towards my mind. I buckled, unable to stand anymore. As I fell down, he tilted his head at me.


    "Is that too much?"


    I pushed myself back up.


    "I don''t know. Maybe?"


    Shalahora tapped my forehead.


    "How many minds do you have free at this moment?"


    "About nine."


    "And how many may die before you lose your sanity?"


    I wanted to lie as I clenched my jaw.


    "I can lose eight, and they come back quickly too."


    Shalahora lowered his arm.


    "My last question is thus - how deep into the dark do you wish to tread?"


    I scoffed.


    "Further than I am. That''s the goal."


    Shalahora''s voice pierced into our surroundings.


    "Then let us tread into dark waters, Harbinger."

 396 To Embrace the End

    Shalahora tapped my forehead.


    "How many minds do you have free at this moment?"


    "About nine."


    "And how many may die before you lose your sanity?"


    I wanted to lie as I clenched my jaw.


    "I can lose eight, and they come back quickly, too."


    Shalahora lowered his arm.


    "My last question is thus - how deep into the dark do you wish to tread?"


    I scoffed.


    "Further than I am. That''s the goal."


    Shalahora''s voice pierced into our surroundings.


    "Then let us tread into dark waters, Harbinger."


    Chapter Begin


    Like tearing the arms off a doll, Shalahora killed two of my minds. I coughed into my hand, feeling like blood should''ve gushed out with the air. Before I breathed in, Shalahora killed three more minds. I collapsed onto the ground. While standing, Shalahora disintegrated two more.


    The edges of my mind faded. My vision blurred, and my senses lost clarity. Like a horde of zombies, the pieces of psyche still continued shambling forward. Shalahora stabbed the minds to death, his psyche like a concentrated, psionic blade. Its sheer concentration and ferocity left me stunned.


    In all aspects, his presence and ability dwarfed mine. I was a lightbulb staring at a star. Shalahora''s voice radiated through my being.


    "Adjust to the dying."


    Something was off about Shalahora. I grunted.


    "I''m...Trying."


    Shlahora''s voice took on a cosmic scale in my head.


    "Your mind is a flood. When your enemies aim to drink from the water, you will bury them. Suffocate them. You need to wield the gush. Take it and learn to live as an incomplete, fragmented being."


    I lost my sight as I shouted in my head.


    "How in the hell is that even possible?"


    "It is the same as what you do to your body. You belittle, degrade, and destroy it. You trust that it will return, full and whole and complete. You must learn to do the same to your mind."


    My left arm slackened.


    "It''s not the same. It''s so much-"


    Silence permeated my head. Fear sprang through me. Shalahora murmured.


    "It is the same. Watch."


    Before I shouted for him to stop, Shalahora pieced me apart. I lost my limbs. My body. My soul. I lost my memories. I forgot who I was. Where I am. I fell into a pit of nothing, a broken piece of something that had never been. In a quiet place, I fell into oblivion. A primordial fear permeated everything.


    I wanted to cry tears from my eyes that I could not feel. The pressure relented. I returned. My memories flashed back into being. My thoughts returned to coherence. I blinked as sensory information funneled back into my head and mind. I fell backward, gasping for air I didn''t need but couldn''t live without.


    While I kept wheezing, Shalahora stared down at me.


    "You tasted it with Valgus. That is closer to death, yet you returned in less than a second."


    A second that was an eternity. I put my hand over my chest, praying I was still alive.


    "It feels like it''s been forever."


    Shalahora raised his hand and concentrated dark shadows over it. With a quick swipe, he cleaved into my arm. I peered at it as if he tapped my shoulder. As Shalahora jerked the blade out, my arm healed. He shuddered.


    "Invincible. A disgustingly powerful physical form."


    I pulled myself up.


    "Why did you even do that?"


    Shalahora waved his hand.


    "Years ago, that would''ve frightened you. Why didn''t it now?"


    My eyes widened.


    "Because...Because I know I''ll be fine."


    Shalahora nodded.


    "Your mind is the same. It is as infinite and invincible. You must learn to throw more of yourself into the furnace. Your duty demands it. Your guild will need it. And you will need every advantage to cull what is to come."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "What is that, precisely?"


    Shalahora closed his eyes.


    "I cannot say. If I do so, it shall manifest grander consequences than silence shall. That is the curse of one so deeply connected to an Old One - I lost my agency in this reality for raw power."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "You know more, and you''re stronger now. You''re telling them that you lost your agency? I can understand that with Yawm or Valgus since they lost their minds from the contract, but you''re different. You still have most of who you were. Well, from what I''ve gathered."


    Shalahora''s form rippled.


    "You are correct, but there is a level of knowledge and power where one''s perspective shifts. If you are able to see the passing of empires and eons, then eventually, they blur together. Patterns emerge that supersede the individuals involved, and the nature of those people takes all import."


    Shalahora reached out a palm.


    "That is when I realized that changing those patterns matters more than the empires, but I am helpless to do so. I learned enough and am able to kill in mass. That does not change anything in a meaningful way. I am lost in a cycle of entrapment, one where I can destroy what time has built but not influence its making."


    I grabbed his hand.


    "Is that why you accepted the contract with me? You think I can?"


    He pulled me up. Shalahora murmured.


    "I know it. My patron has indicated as much, and they believe in your absolute potential. However, I don''t wish for you to walk the path they want for you. That is why you must overcome these mental limitations."


    I trembled.


    "It feels like dying."


    "It does not feel. It is dying."


    I peered at the shadow.


    "That''s why I don''t like it. Not even a little bit."


    "You didn''t like pain either, yet you conquered it."


    "That was different. I had the system helping me."


    Shalahora''s form wavered in the wind.


    "And it helps you now. When you are ready, let us go back into the dark. It will become a place of comfort for you. A welcoming emptiness that embraces all that isn''t. Until then, goodbye, Harbinger."


    He disappeared. Alone in the forest, I gulped. A piece of me wanted to run away from this and do something that didn''t involve so much pain. Was it pain? No, it was fear. I was afraid of going down this untrodden path. It terrified me to fully realize what I actually was. To use what I had become.


    This wasn''t the first time, and it wouldn''t be the last. As I pulled myself back upright, I sat down in a cross-legged position. Taking a moment to collect myself, I said aloud.


    "I''m ready."


    Shalahora reintegrated into reality.


    "So soon?"


    I sighed.


    "Of course. What do you take me for?"


    Shalahora let out the slightest of laughs.


    "The Enduring One."


    Our minds connected. I grit my teeth for what was to come.


    "I''m ready."


    Shalahora obliterated three minds.


    "Yet again, to the dark we dive."


    Pieces of my mind died each second. If I stood atop my bodies, a mountain of corpses would''ve mounted in minutes. The pace of destruction mirrored my mana regen, and I could hardly comprehend it. The mental death didn''t help with that, but even then, my soul recuperated with the exact same tenacity and speed as my body.


    Shalahora had been right all along. It was a piece of my durability I''d never truly explored. Even after regenerating a hundred times, no scars, wounds, or lingering flaws remained in my psyche. Even after having my mind nearly at the brink of a true psionic death, I came back. I blacked out nearly ten times a second, still able to return to my full consciousness after doing so for minutes at a time.


    Despite my ability to do so, I wasn''t ready for this. It wasn''t something I could rationalize. My human mind simply wasn''t built to experience something this traumatic. The ordeal was so close and personal, and it operated on an axis I''d never experienced before. It left me shivering and trembling. I drooled and gasped as if drowning.


    It was a conversation with the Grim Reaper, and every word carried weight. The reaper kept talking to me, and I couldn''t respond. All I could do was listen to the endless droning of a being that incarnated death. Hearing it speak was enough to drive me insane, but I chose to listen.


    I chose to learn.


    Shalahora''s intensity defied reason. He pushed me further than I expected to go. He never relented, maintaining the same immense and imposing pressure. Why he did so, I didn''t ask anymore. He felt an immense urgency and need for this training. Considering who he was, I put faith in the guy, and I put my all into matching the pace he set.


    As the sun rose, I stumbled away from Shalahora. I gagged on nothing, and I blinked back dry tears. While I reeled from the experience, Shalahora walked over. He placed a palm on my back.


    "The road you walk is a difficult one. One of the most formidable roads imaginable."


    My hands shook.


    "Th-thanks, Shalahora. I''ll let you know when I''m ready to train again."


    Shalahora pulled his hand back and turned his gaze, unable to look at me. He closed his eyes before squeezing his hands into fists. He shook his head, and his voice carried pain.


    "Yes. Of course. Anytime."


    As he faded, I collected myself over the next few minutes. I didn''t move the portal, manipulate time, or channel my runes. I existed in peace, the sunrise my comfort and the wind my warmth. After some time, I wobbled back up to my feet. To my disbelief, a quick jog one way and the other verified that everything still worked.


    Shalahora wasn''t lying to me, but this training was worse than he described. That was likely because humanity didn''t have words for this kind of experience. I leaped into dark waters, trying to struggle for air. Jumping onto a much easier, simpler path, I hauled the dimension around with me.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I accelerated time, and even more of myself faded. I lived in that fragmentary existence, a part of a whole that would never be entire and utter. But...it weighed on me less than before. I accustomed myself to it like a warrior getting used to old wounds or missing limbs. As I got a grip on the situation, a notification popped up.


    Diesel, Johnathan Hopkins(Lvl 1,893 | Class: Engineer) - We have the prototype ready. We need to test it out to see if it works. Where do you want to meet?


    The Living Multiverse | Level 24,102 (Cap: 39,000) | Class: Sovereign - My golem creation facility works well for that. It''ll contain the heat from the production process.


    Diesel, Johnathan Hopkins(Lvl 1,893 | Class: Engineer) - Roger. Be there in a bit.


    I waited beside the facility''s ground level. After a while, Diesel leaped out of a few trees. He landed on the ground with a bit of a quake underneath him. I leaned against my facility''s wall.


    "You have some heft there, huh? Constitution?"


    Diesel gawked at the upturned soil.


    "Huh, maybe? It''s probably your legacy more than my stats. It makes everyone heavy. While we appreciate the benefit, it makes designing some buildings a hassle. I mean, everyone''s at least a couple tons."


    I frowned.


    "Huh. I never thought about that."


    Diesel shrugged.


    "I think about it like a huge inheritance. There''s money and plenty of opportunity, but you have to learn to manage the resources right. Otherwise, it ends up becoming more of a nuisance than what you get in the first place."


    He checked his status.


    "Oh yeah, it gives me more stats than my levels have. That''s insane."


    I scoffed.


    "Too much of a good thing is a poison."


    "You''re telling me. Ahem. You needed the limiters, correct?"


    Limiters. That was a great name for it. Diesel pulled out a notebook. I floated it up while opening the pages.


    "Cool, cool...Hmm, interesting...Ah, so you went with diagrams instead of runes? They''re very organized."


    Diesel waved his hands around.


    "The thing is, all of it was chaos to me because of the cipher conversion. They make more sense when I write them down like that instead, and I let you handle converting them. It helps with knowing what information goes where whenever I''ve worked with you before."


    I took a mental note of that practice. As I flicked through the pages, I found an entire novel''s worth of content before me. Diesel filled in two hundred pages over the last few days; he and a team worked on this project night and day, no doubt.


    I snapped the book shut, a grin on my face.


    "This will do nicely."


    The subtlest of smirks grew on Diesel''s face.


    "We''ll prove that bucket of bugs wrong, eh?"


    I floated us into the facility.


    "That''s the plan. Let''s get to work."


    We landed amongst the metallic corpses, my production line like a pristine and glossy graveyard. Diesel ogled at the gravitationally floating golems.


    "How in the world did you make them so perfect?"


    "I pull my soul out of my body, then reconstituted from a different place in my true body."


    Diesel shook his head.


    "That...That doesn''t sound healthy. You should get that checked out."


    I bust out laughing.


    "I don''t know if health is what I should be worrying about anymore."


    Turning the pages, I adjusted the patterns into cipheric runes. The labeled diagrams made it far easier than before. Even after a few seconds, the scale and scope of the project impressed me, along with Diesel''s classic attention to detail.


    I murmured.


    "You''ve been practicing. Nice."


    Diesel raised two palms at me.


    "Oh, no, there''s no I in this project. This is a team effort, 100%. I couldn''t have done a tenth of that in the time you gave us, but give my guys a raise and a nice title upgrade to their job? Psh, the sky is the limit."


    I frowned.


    "Let''s hope not. We''ll need these guys in space and all kinds of other places."


    Diesel leaned back, rubbing the back of his head. I scoffed.


    "Oh, come, I get to make jokes too."


    He smiled.


    "Yeah, true. True. It''s hard not to take you seriously all the time. This position I''m in still feels so surreal."


    "you and me both, man. You and me both. Anyways, give me a few minutes to read this."


    "Minutes? Did you practice speed reading?"


    "No, but I have a process."


    I kind of learned speed reading after making up a system for it on the spot. With tiny gravity wells, I tore the book apart one page at a time. A dozen of my minds read a dozen pages at once. Within half an hour, I read the book and discussed the material with other Daniels. Having a firm grasp on it, I toiled on my grimoire to forge the runes.


    Diesel watched my work, the engineer''s eyes piercing as he took notes. I fell into the task at hand. Telekinesis. Gravitation. Heat. Forges and fires. I constructed and dismantled. I tested and delineated. After a few hours, a few test golems gazed back at us. A circular plate hummed on their back, the cluster of runes psionically isolated from the construct.


    Diesel put his hands on his hips.


    "Yeesh. They send a shiver down my spine just looking at them."


    I mirrored Diesel''s posture.


    "That''s how you know they''re just right."


    After heading outside, we tested their abilities using their new modes of being. Diesel watched from the top of the facility. He pointed at it as the runes of the golem dimmed.


    "We call that domestic mode."


    I took a step back from the golem. The construct approached a tree, attempting to strike it. It couldn''t shatter the bark, let alone destroy it. As I watched on, it pulled leaves off a tree and snapped thin branches. It couldn''t rip large ones apart. Its weakness stunned me.


    I gawked.


    "How did you do that? It''s like...Like a puppy golem."


    Diesel furrowed his brow.


    "We had a copy of the status screen you sent us as a way of measuring how much their abilities had grown. It took some tinkering to get it right with the other golems, but we locked in the right amount after about a day of rigorous trial and error. We adjusted the new models based on the old ones."


    I blinked.


    "So it was a matter of precision."


    A knowing grin grew on Diesel''s face.


    "Most engineering problems are. That and supply, but the point is, that''s what we''re here for."


    After a few seconds, I set the golem onto the second mode. Diesel pointed at it.


    "That''s work mode. It''s supposed to be able to apply plenty of strength but with some ability for people to intervene. You link to the runes on the back, which links to the actual golem''s mind. It works like a transistor does for electricity."


    I linked my mind with it, and it carried only a few controlling thoughts. After a few minutes of tinkering, I operated the golem like a forklift. It walked back and forth from trees to dirt, uprooting the plants and clearing the ground. I laughed as I walked backward in slow motion. It did a robot dance, and I enjoyed messing around with it entirely too much. I smiled.


    "It''s like a tractor or something."


    "That''s exactly what we were going for. Preferably with less playing involved."


    With a mental flick, I set the golem into combat mode. Its runes burned bright, lines of light tracing its hulking form. After checking a nearby area, I had it attack a patch of trees. As if quashed by an enormous, unseen hammer, it smashed the trees in a powerful gravity well. Sap and splinters erupted over the ground, mixing with the earth in a thick ooze.


    I rubbed my chin.


    "Huh. That''s more like what I remember."


    Diesel''s face paled.


    "Yeah. We don''t want people using this one too much. We plan to incorporate shows for our guildmates and any cities they go to. They''ll be demonstrations of the golem''s power. You know, to dissuade anyone trying to take on our guild''s authority, but it also reminds the guildmates what they''re working with."


    I leaned back.


    "Authority? I don''t know if we want to enforce ourselves that strongly."


    Diesel raised a brow.


    "What? Have you ever seen what people can do with a legacy and ring?"


    My stomach sank a bit.


    "No. I haven''t."


    Diesel''s eyes widened.


    "What? Really? Is Torix over law enforcement, then?"


    Embarrassment burned in my chest.


    "He''s over everything. I''m like...I don''t know, a figurehead."


    Diesel peered off, coughing into a hand.


    "No, what? No. I didn''t mean to step on your toes, sir. I''ll shut up now."


    I frowned.


    "Honestly, I don''t know how a lot of the guild is run. It''s not something I''ve had time for. At the very least, that''s what I tell myself to make me feel better. So far, it''s kind of worked."


    Diesel turned an open palm to the golem.


    "You''re busy making those things, aren''t you? And those, those walking artisans. What are they called-"


    "Architects."


    "Yeah, those are the ones. Those guys are insane. Don''t sell yourself short. You''re doing plenty."


    I nodded.


    "I''ll try taking that to heart. Anyways, this is looking pretty promising, but how do the modes change if the wielder is incapacitated?"


    Diesel rubbed his hands together.


    "Trust me, sir. We thought of everything. It starts by assuming a small, aggressive child has gotten their hands on this thing. That''s the failsafe parameters we put in place."


    Over the next couple of hours, Diesel showed me the ins and outs of the golems. He and his team drilled through this project like an eldritch through flesh. Woah, what kind of analogy was that? I meant, er, more like a dolphin swimming through water. Anyways, by the time we finished testing, the sun set. We stared at the golems in satisfaction.


    I reached out a fist.


    "We did it."


    His fist hit mine like a child fist-bumping a giant.


    "We did."


    With around a hundred golems ready, I gave Diesel a thumbs up.


    "I think I got it from here."


    As Diesel got up a few of his tools and diagrams, I pointed at Mt. Verner.


    "Do you mind if I meet the team behind this project?"


    "Not at all. They should still be on the engineering floor. We''ve been working into the nights lately."


    I picked myself up.


    "Need a lift?"


    "Please, sir. These rings aren''t hard to use, but man, I am terrible at this."


    We went in through one of the primary entrances of Mt. Verner. A horde of people walked in through the concrete tunnel like fans filing into a sports stadium. I gave a couple waves to other guildmates, only being a head taller than most people. Diesel looked me over.


    "Where''s the floating ball?"


    "In another dimension."


    "Ooh, sounds complicated."


    We passed inside before heading to the second floor of Mt. Verner. Diesel took me over to his workshop, diagrams covering the walls and tools lining the workstations. In the center, a set of obelisks glistened under fluorescent lights. A group of engineers stood by, talking about different concepts over a few drinks.


    As I walked up, they all straightened up and gave me a salute. In a practiced motion, I waved my arm.


    "At ease. Good work with the limiters today. I''ll be having you guys work on other projects like this, and they''ll pay well. Trust me on that."


    Diesel raised his hands.


    "We showed the fancy ant bed what we''re made of."


    A set of cheers radiated through the group. Diesel lowered his hands.


    "That guy and anyone else that says we can''t. It isn''t like Plazia''s the only one that doubted us."


    They nodded to that. In the back, Amara eyed me with her face wrinkling. As I neared her, she recoiled.


    "Blegh. Disgusting."


    I leaned against the table. Well, not really. A gravity well held me up, but you know what I mean.


    "What''s got you riled up?"


    She hissed.


    "You''re dragging a rupture with you and absorbing the corrupting energy it oozes. It''s like watching a predator keep its prey alive while sucking out all its blood."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "You''re an eldritch, right? You''re all about eating prey."


    She snarled.


    "Not the kind of prey that sinks its teeth into me while I believe I''m sinking my teeth into it."


    "Eh, I''ll be fine. Either way, good job with helping them."


    She raised her hands, glaring at me with them. Or maybe not. Amara always had an angry look in her eyes. She murmured.


    "Yes...They lack all discernment for the cipher. It is how they think. Their minds dart around in odd, disjointed ways. At times, they mirror a herd of sheep, bowing and baying until all they say is noise."


    She hissed.


    "But at times, genius strikes amidst the mud. Speaking of the grotesque, I may close that rift if you so wish it. It doesn''t need to gnaw at you for eternity."


    I waved my hand.


    "Think of this as training for me."


    She sneered.


    "Ugh. Of course. Training. You always wish to take yourself further from what you were. If only all of us wished for such an outcome."


    I tilted my head.


    "Feeling nostalgic or something?"


    Amara''s face jerked before one of her eyes twitched.


    "No. I...I''m just struggling to recall a few events from my past. That is all."


    I frowned.


    "Need some help?"


    Her outstretched hands curled like claws.


    "I want no one to corrupt my mind further. Leave me be."


    I gestured a hand to her.


    "We may be able to do something about-"


    She swiped her hand like an angry cat. One of her fingernails broke against my hand before she shouted. The others stared at us before she growled.


    "I am fine."


    As she walked away, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Diesel walked up.


    "Hello, sir. I wouldn''t worry about it. She''s always testy at the best of times."


    Shaking the altercation off, I rolled my shoulders.


    "I''ll have to have a talk with her about it. At some point, anyways. I don''t want her slicing a guildmate apart."


    Diesel walked over and picked up her dislodged nail.


    "She wouldn''t do that."


    I raised a brow.


    "What makes you say that?"


    Diesel flicked the nail to me, and my armor absorbed it in an instant.


    "Because that''s not who she wants to be, sir."


    I frowned.


    "Who does she want to be?"


    Diesel put his hands on his hips.


    "Normal, like us. I think she''s annoyed that she isn''t able to just walk out into the street without getting jeers or making children cry."


    I could relate. I sighed.


    "There''s not much we can do about it."


    Diesel shook his head.


    "you''re telling me. I tried to get her to look after her hygiene, but she didn''t want to. She''s so disgusted with herself that she doesn''t even realize she''s a big part of the problem."


    I peered his way.


    "You sound frustrated."


    Diesel leaned against the table.


    "That''s because I am. I''ve worked with her for a while now, and she''s a walking set of contradictions. She''s always talking about how hideous she is, but she never brushes her teeth or hair. Or clean her clothes. Or anything. If I didn''t take care of myself, you best believe I''d be gross too."


    I crossed my arms.


    "Is it the hypocrisy that frustrates you? Maybe the smell?"


    Diesel stared at some diagrams.


    "Maybe a little on that last part, but really, it''s because I care. I want her to be happy like anybody else, but she won''t get out of her own way."


    I frowned.


    "I can understand that. Happiness isn''t something that''s easy to get. Hell, it''s even harder to keep."


    Diesel nodded.


    "I know the feeling. For me, it was getting a family and making friends at work. A few drinks never hurt either, but I''m a simple man, really. You know, easy to please. What about you?"


    I peered up.


    "What makes me happy? Probably time with the people I love, getting a sense of progress, and ensuring our security."


    Diesel pushed himself off the table.


    "I got to give it to you. You''re dedicated. Just...Keep yourself in mind between all the chaos."


    I smiled.


    "Eh, I''ll give it my best shot. No promises, though."


    Diesel smiled back.


    "None needed, sir."


    After a few goodbyes, I stepped away. I stumbled to the side, and my alternate dimension dragged me off balance. Panic welled in my chest as I almost crushed through a wall. A few minds banded together, jerking me back into a proper position. A few of my guildmates rushed over.


    "You ok?"


    "What happened?"


    "What''s going on?"


    I raised a hand, getting my footing back.


    "I''m fine. I''m just tired."


    After getting some distance, I took a breath. Dread pooled in my stomach like the ichor of some cursed god. Maybe their curse had become my own? Jesus, more importantly, I wondered where all this melodrama was coming from. I couldn''t tell, and I didn''t care. I crushed it down and got out of Mt. Verner. Eventually, I reached a hilltop.


    I contemplated spending the night in meditation instead of training with Shalahora. That temptation drifted in my head as I gazed at Springfield. The moon floated over the new city, people having moved into it. A few houses still had lights on, the street lamps offering a moody atmosphere. A couple flowers bloomed out of gardens across a few homes. A trader''s sign stuck out, the mana-powered light mirroring neon''s aesthetic. It cast a shadow over a new warp center and currency exchange from Schema.


    Springfield had risen again like a phoenix crawling out of its ashes.


    As I found marks of its progress, I uncovered hints of its previous descent. A few ruined buildings and dilapidating houses crumbled on the outskirts of the town. Empty railway tracks crisscrossed the expanse, the rusted steel covered in encroaching greenery. Above it all, the moon glistened in its eternal glow.


    The celestial body''s gaze pierced through me like some primordial being that far exceeded myself. That sensation crept up, becoming even grander. A chill ran up my spine as it kept glaring as if reading my thoughts and mind with ease. My worry mounted, becoming a growing panic. For a moment, I doubted my sanity.


    My self-doubt washed away as an eclipse formed over the moon. My eyes widened, and my runes flared. The eclipse smothered the ground in sanguine red, blood gushing from the earth. It rose, covering everything my guild ever built in seconds. People screamed from their homes, choking on the rising tide of blood. The hands of the dead pulled them down.


    The bloody sea rippled with waves of decay, and screams erupted in a symphony. Springfield lost all its progress within a few seconds. My hands shook as I watched my home crumble once more. Baldowah''s voice laughed in the distance. His menace was a palpable, insidious aura, and his words roared rage into my soul.


    "We watch and wait, little one."


    I blinked, and everything returned to normal in an instant. My hands trembled, my guild''s destruction leaving me hollowed out inside. Taking a deep breath, I sent another message to Shalahora. The shadow oozed from the ground, his eyes as clear as cyan glass.


    He murmured.


    "You wish to tread into the gloom once more?"


    My eyes hardened as I nodded.


    "Until it''s no longer dark."

 397 Laughing in the Rain

    I blinked, and everything returned to normal in an instant. My hands trembled, my guild''s destruction leaving me hollowed out inside. Taking a deep breath, I sent another message to Shalahora. The shadow oozed from the ground, his eyes as clear as cyan glass.


    He murmured.


    "You wish to tread into the gloom once more?"


    My eyes hardened as I nodded.


    "Until it''s no longer dark.


    Chapter Begin


    Death. Rebirth. Death again, a cycle that existed in a cycle. I experienced that cycle, and I forged myself into a different creature from it. In many ways, it was a living hell as my mind fell apart like flesh peeling from bone. In other ways, I learned who I was from the effort. It reminded me of what I was willing to do if need be, and that gave me a wounded but steadfast confidence.


    Shalahora whispered through my mind.


    "How close are you to a psionic death?"


    I spit out my words, my mouth drooling.


    "I''m...I''m 70% the way there."


    Shalahora''s silence left me scrambling. I revised.


    "60%?"


    "No. You''re only at half your abilities."


    A dozen of my minds died each second, my psyche a pulverized vase trying to hold water. As stress and strain poured through the cracks, Shalahora took those shards and stomped them.


    "You need to understand where your limits lie, Harbinger."


    I trembled on the ground.


    "I''m doing what I can."


    "It is in your name. Harbinger. One who omens. The progenitor. The precursor. The pathfinder. Your birth brings forth a cataclysm. You must be ready for what you usher. Tell me, is half your mind enough to face a god?"


    I remembered being obliterated by Eonoth.


    "No."


    Shalahora''s form rippled in the wind.


    "You whisper your words as I do."


    I slammed a fist into the ground, the hill quaking.


    "I said no."


    "As long as you are aware. Now, again."


    Before he culled more of my minds, I gawked at my hand. The fist slam was an instinct rather than a conscious action. Cutting my thoughts short, seven of my psyches died at once. Shalahora simmered.


    "You recoil from so little. We will fix that."


    The night dragged on, becoming a kind of purgatory. Unable to think of any cohesive thoughts, I scrambled forward off of instinct alone, my body learning to adjust. I gained a kind of momentum in my actions. I was able to move or stand even if my soul shattered under Shalahora''s onslaught.


    It was the same instinct that pulled your hand back whenever you touched a hot iron. It didn''t require a mind or thought. The body understood, and it acted. I gained something like that but dispersed across many actions. Standing. Mana manipulation. I could do that and more as the hours passed.


    It gave me agency in a hopeless situation, something that could save my life if I ever fought someone like Valgus again. Even as I bolstered my determination, time stretched out in front of me. Every second elongated into eternity like each hour was the passing of an epoch in my head. Having so many minds endure such an undertaking made time seem even longer than normal.


    My temporal compression added to that fact, but it was desperately needed. It was one of the few tools I used to close the gap between Shalahora and me. And the chasm stretched out like a sempiternal gorge. It reached out to the limits of my comprehension, a conceptual barrier I could not cross.


    Still, I found hints of progress.


    My deaths no longer occurred without my awareness. I felt the demise coming, letting me hand off that psyche''s actions and thoughts before the mind died. Whenever Shalahora approached me, I perceived more of its sheer size. The psionic ocean still stretched out to the horizons, but more of the waves and currents came into my awareness.


    That subtle growth gave me some respite from the onslaught. As the morning arrived, Shalahora gazed at my shambling body.


    "You can move while dead?"


    I took a hobbling step.


    "I have my psyches continue what the others were doing. It lets me-"


    I fell forward, the ground rumbling below. Pulling myself up with sloppy, desperate motions, I got to my feet.


    "It lets me keep doing what I''m doing. It''s...Hard."


    I hobbled forward again.


    "Hah. For now."


    Shalahora watched me scramble forward before I fell again. He stopped killing my consciousnesses, turning away from me. I regained my coherency within a second, but my body recoiled at the prospect of more punishment. I forced myself to stop shaking before I cracked my neck.


    "Are we finishing early?"


    Shalahora''s form rippled. His hands subtly squirmed, and his eyes evaded mine.


    "Yes...We are finished...For today. You need rest."


    I lifted a shaking arm.


    "Oh no, I''m fine. We''ve still got a few hours."


    Shalahora took a breath.


    "No. You need the rest."


    I clasped my hand, trying to get it to stop. I couldn''t.


    "It looks worse than it is. I''m going to be-"


    Shalahora shouted.


    "I said no."


    I leaned back, his voice a call through my entire being. Ice ran through my veins, and my stomach sank. I murmured.


    "Are...Are you ok?"


    He reached out a hand, squeezed it, then pulled it back.


    "I...Yes. I''m fine. We will only train at night. I-It''s whenever my powers are strongest."


    I wanted to protest. Something in my chest muted my words.


    "Of course. Let''s...Let''s do that."


    With a heavy quiet lingering from his absence, Shalahora faded away. Standing on the hill, I sat in the silence. Shalahora made so little sense to me sometimes, but I understood something about him. He hated hurting people. Things. Anything, really. Peering at my hand, this training was a thing of profound hurt, a misery for anyone.


    And I wasn''t the only one suffering.


    It brought to light other questions, like why Shalahora scrambled the frog ruler''s mind on L-7 that one time. Those thoughts tumbled in my mind as I regained my bearings. Furthering that end, I emptied my mind of all distractions after a while, letting the portal on my back grind away. By now, it might as well be a back massage.


    My meditation let me recover from the training faster, and considering the difficulty these entailed, mental recuperation was essential. It was a strange fact I learned from this advent: even if the mind was fine, the body remembered. I couldn''t stop shaking until twenty minutes passed. After a half hour of doing nothing, my executive golem ran out of the bushes.


    He waved his arms in excitement.


    "Ah, there you are."


    I opened my eyes.


    "You''ve been waiting in the trees for the last forty minutes."


    The executive''s runes flared.


    "Ah, caught red-handed, aye? Well, you looked like you could use a breather after whatever that was."


    He was more empathic than I expected. I tilted my head at him.


    "What''s the chat for?"


    He waved finger guns at me.


    "So, the announcements are today. I sent some documents from someone else. Are you ready?"


    In my inbox, a dozen messages from Torix glimmered, all of them left unopened. A wave of anxiety passed over me.


    "Pshh, of course, I''ve read them."


    The executive towered over me once near. These guys were huge. The executive counted on his fingers.


    "So you''ve handled the speech, sorted the gear, and created all the golems?"


    My eyes widened.


    "Dammit. I forgot to make the gear."


    The executive swung his arm.


    "Don''t even worry about it. I''m flexible. Let''s just, oh, I don''t know, schedule a show with the other head golems to buy you some time. Yeah, yeah! That''ll work. It''s as Juvenal said, ''Two things only the people anxiously desire - bread and circuses.'' We''ll start with both."


    He turned around and strode off.


    "Ah, I have to get the food ready ASAP. And what do humans find entertaining? I''ll have to make something with razzle-dazzle. A few people are going to have to cancel some workdays."


    I raised a brow.


    "Cancelling workdays?"


    The executive waved his arm.


    "Oh, what? Yeah, workdays. I''ll have a few civilians commissioned into the project. They''ll be compensated for the inconvenience."


    I frowned.


    "Alright, just make sure you don''t step on too many people''s toes."


    He shrugged while jogging away.


    "Hah, what can I say? I have big feet. It happens sometimes."


    Crows flew out of the treeline as the executive darted across the ground with utter ease. As he disappeared, I took a breath to center myself. I flew over to my golem facility, and I took a few of the extra metal bodies down from the gravity hangers. I melted them down into their base fabric.


    The heat of the building mounted as the air blurred around me. I stood at its center, a forge master crafting one sword after the next. I mean that literally; I stood upright while floating everything around me. I picked up, molded, sharpened, and carved in runes, all via telekinesis and gravitation.


    This let me smash down my temporal acceleration. My psyches swirled in the ether, more comfortable than ever in an intangible form. Even after only two nights of Shalahora''s special training, I exerted greater control over time and the dimensional shard I carried. As Shalahora reiterated, I got closer to my limits.


    Better able to tolerate the psionic displacement, I pulled more of myself into the two tasks. I blended my minds, their unmade form like a soup of thought. They kept my wake dense and palpable, turning the intangible material into something with substance. My pain offered weight to the world.


    Mirroring that reality, my torment did the same for my own dimension. At the same time, other minds balanced the delicate dance of forging before me. It gave me enough space for my mind to wander. And wander it did. I contemplated Shalahora, Amara, and Diesel. Each of them expanded into new territories, and their expansion came with growing pains. As one of my knees buckled, I scoffed.


    They weren''t the only ones adjusting to changes.


    Pulling myself upright, I remade my newest artifact, the fresh shield dented from my mistakes. After about two hours of effort, a pile of shiny gear glowed beside me. I waved my arm, and it cooled while spawning a wave of condensation that misted off the tools. As crystallized mana glistened, a bead of guilt spawned in my throat.


    A whisper of doubt pierced into my thoughts - was I bribing these people to head off into unknown territory and fight for their lives? That thought tumbled in my head before another crushed it. I remembered how Diesel showed me how much my guild progressed and how little I let them do.


    On the one hand, I couldn''t think of everything from every angle, even if I owned all the minds in the world. A population''s ingenuity dwarfed my own, and that was the good news for me. It meant my guild held enormous potential in the form of many talented, intelligent members. By taking on every task, I stopped their growth and my own in tandem.


    Giving them certain tasks gave them experience and freed me up to take on the burdens I was made for. After all, I wasn''t talented in everything. In fact, my list of talents was glaringly short, so instead of trying to take over every little thing, I had to let go. All that would wait until after this ceremony either way.


    I lifted the fresh gear with ease, getting a speech ready in my head. Memories of our guild''s feats sprang up in my mind. The victories and sacrifices told a story all on their own, and I organized that story while I floated out of my facility. Torix waited for me with Althea outside my golem center. I raised a brow.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "How did you guys get here without me noticing?"


    Althea smirked.


    "You get distracted when you''re working."


    I smiled back.


    "It looks like I have something to iron out."


    She hopped over to me before leaping. A flip later, she landed on my shoulder. She leaned down.


    "Please don''t. I like it."


    After we kissed, Althea hugged me. Giving us just enough time, Torix gestured to the side of Mt. Verner.


    "It would seem to be the time for our recognition ceremony, wouldn''t it?"


    I nodded, picking us all up with gravitation. We darted across the skyline, each of us chatting away in excitement. Crossing Mt. Verner''s peak, we reached a marble venue humming with activity. The executive golem directed a flying ceremony of Eltari and a band of gialgathens, humans, and an eltari. Chrona led the bunch, her eyes brimming with joy.


    The gialgathens tapped ornate glassware with their tails while the Eltari flipped around fire and ice. At times, they charged through the flames, and the crowd oohed and ahhed as the blaze bloomed into colors and shapes.


    The executive swung his arms like a composer the entire time. His movements matched the show, his practice evident. They finished with a flurry of movement and sound, and the Eltari landed on several pillars at the front while the gialgathens roared near the back wall.


    We clapped as we arrived on a platform. Covering the fortification, a mural showed our guild''s victories over Yawm, Blegara, and the eldritch. Several architects carried out my artifacts as the show ended, and the entire affair carried the energy of a rock concert and award ceremony wrapped in one.


    Everyone overflowed in excitement, and as the music finished, the executive walked over.


    "Hah, ok, done. That''s all I got, creator. Good luck."


    I gave him a thumbs up.


    "You did great. By the way, I didn''t know you could compose."


    The executive let out a laugh before shaking his head.


    "Me? Compose? Oh no. My research uncovered that people think more of a show if someone is conducting it. It makes everything seem more official."


    Althea gawked.


    "So you''re lying to everyone."


    The executive put his hand on his chest.


    "What? Lying? Pshhhh, this is showsmanship. Besides, that display by them matched any show I''ve ever seen."


    Torix''s eyes flared.


    "You''ve never seen an act of entertainment, have you?"


    The executive pulled on an imaginary collar.


    "Woah, ok then. Tell me, guys, are we playing an assassin build in a video game? Because you guys are being pretty critical."


    Althea laughed before Torix crossed his arms.


    "Hm. Fair enough."


    The executive tapped my shoulder.


    "Oh yeah, big guy, can you show them your full size? It leaves more impact."


    I expanded my frame, but I left enough fabric to prevent the warp from closing. As I did, Torix leaned closer.


    "Have you uncovered some kind of spatial magic?"


    I waved my hands a bit.


    "What? No. I''m pulling off some shenanigans."


    Althea leaned against my head.


    "Hey, they say magic and shenanigans are hard to tell apart at a certain point."


    Torix interlocked his hands behind himself.


    "Certainly so, and wise of you to know. Blegh, that rhyme ruined my point. Regardless, are you ready, disciple?"


    I bit my cheek.


    "As ready as I''m ever going to be."


    Althea hopped off my shoulder as I stepped forward. My form towered over the stage, nearly thirty feet high. The guild gazed up in wonder, most on the ground but a few hoisted up in trees. Gialgathens'' heads popped up between the treeline, and the Eltari sat at the top of the trees. I raised my voice, not needing magic to amplify the sound.


    Being big had its perks, after all.


    "It''s good to see everyone. Most of you have known me. For those that don''t, I''m Daniel Hillside, the Harbinger of Cataclysm."


    A roar erupted, and they cheered until embarrassment rose up my side like a pulse of heat. I waved my hands down.


    "I''m glad you''re excited. We''ll need excitement for what''s to come."


    A silence crossed over everyone, only the sounds of nature piercing the veil. I raised a hand.


    "I remember a time when we stood at the brink of destruction. We were about to face a wave of abominations and Yawm himself. At that time, we saw monsters in them, and I reminded you all that they saw monsters in us. In those battles, we needed to bring out our worst. It was so they would learn fear."


    A smiled.


    "And they did."


    A cheer erupted. I continued.


    "But, the era has changed, and we must change with it. We''re no longer at the mercy of forces larger than us. We have time for peace and prosperity. To build and create lives worthy of living. Of relishing. Of dreaming for. This new age is one we forged on our own, and we''ve earned every second of well-being that comes with it."


    Another set of cheers erupted. I smiled.


    "Guildmates or family. Eltari or gialgathen. Vagni or skeptile."


    I squeezed my hands to fists.


    "We seized ourselves from the brink, and our victory tastes ever sweeter for it."


    The gialgathens roared. The Eltari''s cawed. The humans raised hands and let out booming yells. They''d all tasted despair, and this was their victory, one that would last forever.


    Well, hopefully. I spread my hands with a confident nod.


    "But we do not settle. We do not relent. Our guild is one that moves forward. One that endures, and we must help others endure. Around us and far in the distance, Earth suffers. People starve, and they are eaten. They are trampled. We have the means to help them, and with our position finally secured, we will."


    I gazed at the many eyes of the crowd.


    "We are a people of industry and ambition, but also generosity. We''ll bring others into our fold. To those willing to volunteer, you will be tasked with helping a population center. You will not be alone; a golem of mine will stand by your side. You will also act as recruiters for capable individuals so that we may offer them entry into our guild."


    My runes hummed with energy.


    "This is no mandate. You may choose to continue aligning with your duties here. There is no shame in that. However, sometimes in our lives, we are presented with a crossroads. On our current path is Mt. Verner''s success. On the other is humanity''s revival."


    I gestured a hand.


    "There is no doubt in what this will accomplish. It is a tangible good, and it''s one we were never offered. What I would''ve given to have someone save us when Yawm loomed over our heads. Now, we may give that grace to others, as we did for the Eltari and gialgathens. We can help those who struggle. We can bring Earth out of the stone age and back to our previous glory."


    The palpable invigoration of Event Horizon crossed over all those present.


    "But must we stop there? No. We will go further beyond. We will achieve a glory humanity has never before seen. Those who tread this path will be the origin of Earth''s new history, one of triumph. One of victory."


    I roared.


    "One where we rise."


    Another series of shouts echoed into the horizon. It continued for a while after, and people began standing. They stood and clapped for far longer than I deserved. As it died down, I gestured my hand to my followers. All of them stood there, aside from Florence. Having read my updates as I spoke, I boomed my words.


    "Florence is forging alliances with others across the stars. He''ll arrive later. The others here are the strongest of our guild. I''ll begin with the first."


    Torix floated over, his hands interlocked behind him. I put a hand on his shoulder.


    "This is Torix Worm. He is known as our erudition; that is, knowledge obtained from study and research. Don''t worry. I had to look that up, too."


    The crowd laughed. I smiled.


    "Torix has enlightened us since the dawn of our guild. He led the battle against Yawm. He organized the clearing of Springfield. He fought on the front lines at Blegara and Giess alike. He is our guild''s most powerful tactician, a necromancer that raises those we kill for us."


    I walked over to the pillar holding his relic. With deliberate steps, I paced back, and the staff sheened with primordial energy. Even the core radiated power. I held it high.


    "He''ll be given a new body for his many contributions along with this staff."


    Cheers erupted. Torix gave an elegant bow before taking the artifact. Althea followed him. I turned a palm to her.


    "This is our guild''s greatest destroyer, Althea Tolstoy. As she may seem slight, within her is the ability to kill gods. She cleared Springfield. She slaughtered Lehesion and others who fought against us. Now, she works for the goodwill and welfare of our guild''s children. She is an idol to us all.


    I grant her this necklace. It redistributes force, making her unbreakable. May she continue to serve as our guild''s sharpest sword."


    I did the same walk to a pillar showing the artifacts. In the back, a few soldiers whistled as I put the choker on Althea. She blushed with fury and fire under her skin. I turned a palm to Kessiah as she peered at the ground.


    "It is one thing to be a champion who always stands tall. It is another to have been broken, find the mauled pieces, and begin again. That is the tenacity of our guild''s greatest healer. Kessiah is the backbone of our guild''s medical care, and she teaches students how to help others who are dying."


    Another walk. I gave her the belt. She grabbed it, a tear in her eye. I grinned her way.


    "This is given so that she may be as undying as the guildmates under her care."


    She gave me a hug before walking off, covering her prize. Hod walked over, his expression goofy as could be. I raised the talon covers.


    "These are for-"


    Hod squawked.


    "Why give Hod back scratchers?"


    I scoffed.


    "Because Hod, you are a being of duality. You carry the will of a people who had lost all hope, and from the brink of starvation, you shepherded them into a different world. You fought and killed Yawm, and you''ve assisted our sharpest sword in killing those who wish to harm us."


    I handed him the talon covers.


    "So I felt the need to make you some backscratchers. May they always get to the itch you cannot reach."


    Hod put them on before giving me a hug.


    "Hod thank Harbinger. Hod know Hod a lot sometimes. Hod thank Harbinger for Harbinger love and care. Hod not know what Hod do without Harbinger."


    I hugged him back before he hopped away using the talon covers. Amara walked out under the light. I gestured a hand at her.


    "Amara has been a steadfast presence in our guild. When fighting Yawm, she allowed me to continue leveling even after Schema isolated me from the system. She''s done the same for other members of our guild unjustly thrown from the system. She''s helped with our missions and cipheric needs as well, all while researching the eldritch to find their weaknesses and maybe one day a cure."


    I handed her the amulet along with an advanced AI that I had procured earlier.


    "These are to assist her in her research and studies. May her contributions be recognized for what they are - incredible and necessary."


    As she grabbed the artifacts, she murmured.


    "I''m sorry for scratching you."


    I scoffed.


    "You''re the one walking away wounded...But thanks."


    Chrona landed beside me, her form radiant and silver. I grabbed the tail cover, holding it up high.


    "The gialgathens are a people of redemption. They lived and grew fat on the slavery of the espens. Now, they grow lean and strong from toiling to build a new home. Chrona has been one of the most loyal members the gialgathens have given us. You''ve all seen her in battle, her magic a fortress for any who would try to pierce it."


    She slipped the tail cover on, the gravitational augments locking it in place snuggly. I tapped it.


    "May she continue granting us her unmatched might and learned wisdom for centuries to come."


    She bowed to me.


    "Thank you, Harbinger."


    She left as Krog walked over. Chrona smirked at him as she murmured.


    "Look who was the first to be called between us?"


    Krog sneered.


    "This species has a saying - save the best for last."


    Chrona rolled her eyes as I pulled up another tail cover. I held it over my head.


    "Krog is a wise general, a commander of our army, and one who never shied away from the front lines. His power over sound has helped mute our enemies and has given us a voice. May his voice continue its roar for ages to come."


    Krog slipped his tail cover on before letting out a roar. The other gialgathens under him growled out into the wind. Krog walked off with rumbling steps before Helios sauntered up, his cape covering him. I raised his new gauntlet.


    "Helios and I have had a storied past. When we first met, I wanted to kill him. He''s lucky I didn''t try. Over time, he''s learned the error of his ways, becoming a reliable and steadfast ally. Whenever we need to travel between worlds or regions, he is our shepherd."


    I handed him the gauntlet. He raised a brow.


    "You''re still grating me over our first meeting?"


    I raised my brow back.


    "Oh, and I will for a long time to come."


    He frowned while placing the gauntlet over his uncovered hand. Interest sprang over his face.


    "Hm. It speaks...Interesting. Perhaps dealing with your madness will be worth it."


    He moved his hand, the gauntlet lifting several trees in the distance. Helios laughed.


    "I suppose time will tell, though the situation seems promising."


    As Helios left, Plazia-Ruhl oozed out of the ground, walking out of magma. I handed him a shoulder pauldron.


    "Plazia is a misunderstood soul. He has fought his nature since he was born millennia ago. I believe he may rise above it, and he''s shown the capacity to do so. He drove Elysium from our world without killing anyone. He offers intelligence and will clear Blegara of their infesting eldritch."


    As I handed him the pauldron, Plazia''s voice rumbled from the ground.


    "Thank you, Harbinger."


    The hivemind left the way he came. From a slight crack in the marble, Shalahora oozed out of the ground. I turned a hand to him.


    "Most of you have no idea who this person is. He is Shalahora, the Sun Swallower. His level exceeds 60,000, and he was pivotal to my continuation during the lottery. Without him, we wouldn''t own Leviathan-7, and I wouldn''t have survived it."


    Whispers of the planet''s harshness radiated through the crowd. Wild rumors ran rampant. Despite their lofty claims, those rumors understated the danger.


    I handed the earrings to Shalahora.


    "May you continue helping us survive well into the future."


    He bowed, his arms outstretched for the artifacts. An odd sensation struck through my chest. Shalahora could kill me at a moment''s notice, along with everyone here. Despite that, he bowed the deepest of any of my guild members. There was something odd about that.


    The last to be given their gift was Diesel. Feeling out of place, he shuffled up with his head down. Before he could leave, I gestured to him.


    "This is Diesel. He could have many titles. Former of golems. Maker of weapons. Designer of arms. He helped with Mt. Verner''s initial construction, and since then, Diesel has assisted in the background. He was a man who never needed someone to bring his achievements to light."


    I gave him his compass.


    "Until now. Well done."


    Diesel gawked at the palpable energy radiating off the artifact. It left a grin on my face. His rise to power was a sign to all that anyone could make it, even someone who seemed ordinary at first glance. By the time the cheering stopped, Diesel turned a hand to me.


    "Can I say something?"


    I leaned back.


    "Oh, uh, yeah. Of course."


    Torix walked over, giving Diesel a platform and sound augment. The engineer gazed at his compass.


    "This whole system thing has been a mixed bag. Since it arrived, I''ve felt like it was the end of the world. It was on a couple of occasions. It was like Schema arrived as a nightmare I couldn''t wake up from. I know I''m not the only one who felt like that. Especially when Yawm first arrived. Those were dark days."


    People nodded in agreement, a solemn air passing over the guild. Diesel raised the compass.


    "But we''re pulling it back. Each of us. I never thought I''d stand here. I count every day as a blessing, and it still doesn''t feel real to have all of you in my life. It''s-"


    Diesel''s voice cracked.


    "It''s more than I deserve. Thank you."


    I choked up a bit, the unexpected emotion a nice finalle to the ceremony. With everything wrapped up on my end, I handed the ceremony off to Torix. With his usual dramatic flair, he handed out his own documents of academic achievement.


    Once finished, Torix walked over to the golems. I stood and watched as a queue formed to take on the mission I laid out. They stretched out well into the forest and beyond. A thousand people waited, and it was more than enough to fulfill our projects for sign-ups. Before handing a golem to anyone, I explained how to use them alongside their gears.


    As I signed off a golem to each member, I met many guildmates for the first time. They stood out to me. They were warriors; every person carried scars, grayish skin, and fierce smiles. Hardly human, their steps powdered marble under their heels, and they carried quiet confidence with piercing eyes.


    Being ten feet tall didn''t hurt their presence either.


    I was so worried they wouldn''t be able to handle the mission. Seeing their obvious ability, I learned that I was a fool. For once, being wrong put me in a good mood. A great one, really. After all, it was good to be wrong sometimes. With the golems'' assistance, these fighters would be more than fine.


    Adding to that, they each took pieces of gear from the pile I had made earlier today. After finishing distribution, we tallied up the number that signed up. It was over twelve hundred people in total on the first day alone. It floored any of my estimates, and it made me proud. This was one of the best days I''d had since I founded my guild.


    And it made all the hard times worth it. The training. The suffering. It had meaning.


    Interrupting my serenity, a message popped up in my status, being selected as urgent.


    Florence Novas, Of a Golden Tongue and Honied Words(lvl 9,000 | Class: Speaker | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Daniel, I know this may seem sudden, but I do believe that I have utterly botched one of the negotiations with the diplomats. I mean, I really, REALLY messed it up this time.


    A few of them are demanding their rulers back this instant, and it''s become an unruly mess. If I''m rather honest, they''re irate over even the slightest of provocations. It''s difficult to avoid hurting their feelings, and they seem...How to put this. Ahem. Unstable.


    I''ll be dousing some fires as you read this message, but the flames are burning brighter by the second. I''m just letting you know ahead of time. Ah yes, please don''t blow up any ships should they appear. Consider it as a favor to me.


    My gaze soured as I reread the message. I despised rulers at this point, from their pompous attitude to their inherent entitlement. I saved them from the brink of death, yet I gained no gratitude whatsoever. I dragged my hand down my face as another note popped up in my status. It dinged with a special notification symbol. I couldn''t close it, so I sighed and opened the thing.


    Arming Schema''s Warriors(Lvl 20,000+ | Quest Rank S | Party Size: Any | Guild Affiliation: The Harbinger''s Legion) - Forces enact their will onto Schema owned space. One of your personally crafted artifacts has been found useful. Others are in need of its properties.


    Request: Grant 10 million personalized artifacts granted to Schema''s armory free of charge.


    Award: 10,000 levels of experience, fully maxed core points for your current level, +5,000 to level cap, and an Unknown Skill Compendium.


    Note - The core points gained include the level-ups from this quest.


    Time Constraints: 10 Earth Years.


    My jaw slackened at the rewards. Though a welcome addition, levels meant little at this point, as did the bonus stats. However, the unknown compendium gave me any skill I could conceive, all without needing to grind it out on my own. I considered the possibilities before the space above Mt. Verner shifted.


    My armor stood on end, flowing like water. None of the others noticed the warping space-time aside from Helios. He sprinted towards me, his voice a roar.


    "Daniel. Something''s coming."


    Above, a series of colossal spacial rends split the sky. Clean and neat, the portals exposed the void of space above them and a barren planet below them. Even a cursory glance exposed the planet''s scars, the Hybrid infestations riddling its surface. A fleet of these ships flew out of many, many warps, their orichalcum hulls glistening in the sun''s light.


    They dwarfed the size of skyscrapers. It was like a large metropolis floated over our heads. As the shadows covered our guild, Hybrids fought on the outer hulls, many having drilled their way inside. Behind the vessels, the void of space howled out, feasting on Earth''s air. Helios reached up with his gauntlet, closing the warps. My runes flared with violence, and Event Horizon smothered the entire fleet.


    I reached out with a charged hand, ready to disintegrate them with singularities. With a telepathic wave, I thought over.


    "What are you doing here?"


    A cacophony of voices screamed back via telepathy.


    "Help. Please."

 398 A Hollow Invasion

    They dwarfed the size of skyscrapers. It was like a large metropolis floated over our heads. As the shadows covered our guild, Hybrids fought on the outer hulls, many having drilled their way inside. Behind the vessels, the void of space howled out, feasting on Earth''s air. Helios reached up with his gauntlet, closing the warps. My runes flared with violence, and Event Horizon smothered the entire fleet.


    I reached out with a charged hand, ready to disintegrate them with singularities. With a telepathic wave, I thought over.


    "What are you doing here?"


    A cacophony of voices screamed back via telepathy.


    "Help. Please."


    Chapter Begin


    Chaos disgorged out of the vessels. I sprang into action along with my guild members. I catapulted toward the largest vessel using a gravity well. As I reached the ship, I tore through its surface and pierced into the labyrinth of rooms. A moment later, I scanned the individuals via telepathy. I found Florence in seconds, his thoughts a jumbled mess.


    I bolted through steel walls like a bullet through paper. After destroying the last wall between us, I gazed at a strange scene. Within the room, a twisted Sentinel raised its spear over Florence. The albony smiled at me.


    "Ah, you big lug of cold steel. Thank Schema, you''re here."


    I dashed forward like a juggernaut ready to pulp a soft fruit. The twisted Sentinel sliced towards me, opening a rupture in spacetime. I flew into deep space, where no stars shined, and no galaxies swirled. Behind me, the Sentinel closed the rupture. Before it sealed me in the vast emptiness, I smothered my wake into the rupture. As I had done with my own carry-on dimension, I pried the portal open before flying myself back out. In the command room, Florence hid under a command table. He locked eyes with me and beamed.


    "I know, I know, my bravery is commendable. You can thank me later."


    After getting all the way out of the portal, I gazed at the twisted Sentinel. Hybrid flesh squirmed in between gaps in his armor plates, and glowing sacks pulsed on his arms. The creature murmured.


    "The Harbinger. We meet at last."


    I grabbed the rip in spacetime before wringing it out like an old, soaked rag. As I did, the twisted Sentinel''s spear shattered. It stared back at me in awe.


    "A fine strategy. You isolated-"


    I dashed forward, grabbing its skull. My arm moved faster than it perceived and held tighter than it could slip out of. It grabbed my hand, trying to escape.


    "Your abilities have improv-"


    I squeezed its helmet to a pulp. Like an egg dropping on the floor, its graphene helmet crushed, and the mush inside splattered between my fingers. My armor absorbed the mass within its shell before I tossed the corpse aside. Turning back to Florence, I scoffed.


    "You have got to be the luckiest albony I know."


    He shrugged.


    "It''s my main stat. Having causality on your side is never a bad thing."


    There was the word again. Causality. Huh. I grabbed Florence before barreling out of the shuttle. Floating over the chaos, I assessed the situation. From the looks of it, my guild assaulted the vessels in mass.


    Gialgathens tore Hybrids apart with their tails, keeping their distance by flying. No longer the fattened cats they once were, the amphibious dragons used tactics and their flames to destroy the steel abominations. Flowing faster and with grace, their aerial superiority allowed them to assault the enemy uncontested.


    Around them, the eltari flocked in swarms. With energized talons, they tore at the vulnerable cords and orange pustules on the Hybrids. The Eltaris'' mana kept them sanitized while amplifying their assaults, flocks of them swarming one Hybrid at a time and leaving it a desecrated mound.


    The Omega Strain division crawled over the outer hulls of the enemy vessels, tearing Hybrids apart. They operated in teams of three, each member like a death-dealing spider. Anytime they happened upon a Hybrid, the Omega Strain''s claws dismantled the enemy''s entire body before engorging their strains on the monster''s pieces.


    Elthara led the charge. She evolved into a crystalline hurricane, her body shifting and molding her Omega Strain to assault with reckless abandon. The strains moved on her, flowing like liquid gemstones. Before contacting enemies, they hardened into glistening blades. The colors blurred into a confusing, dangerous whirlwind.


    And death followed her wake.


    Torix moved his hand, experimenting with his new staff in a lazy, laid-back manner. Each spell lobbed out was a cataclysmic event, entire legions of the enemies disintegrating in elemental plumes, acidic fireballs, burning ice, or poisoned steel. Torix enveloped the enemy in a deluge of deaths, ensuring they never lacked in variety either.


    Others wielded elemental magic. Helios paired his gauntlets together. With one hand, he gutted vessels using gravitation. From his other palm, shards of void ice erupted out, impaling any Hybrids that fumbled in the air. He raised the gravity gauntlet, slamming the enemies together before throwing his ice-gauntleted fist at them.


    They erupted in a satisfying plume of void ice.


    Chrona flew over our the guildmembers staying in the rear. She maintained a temporally manipulated zone, enhancing our guildmates'' defenses. In this space, even raw guild members fought hand and hand with Hybrids. On the outskirts of this zone, guild members suffered wounds. They maintained composure even if limbs hung half-cleaved from their bodies.


    These grisly mutilations looked deadly, but our guild stayed true to its roots; they endured. Guild members pulled back, allowing other guildmates to take on the danger while they healed. My legacy allowed them to recuperate from mortifying wounds in minutes, so even if death''s doorbell rang, they found no one home.


    Furthering death''s distance, Kessiah worked on multiple patients at once. Anyone in real danger, she snatched from death''s jaws in an instant. Krog stayed nearby and zoned for her. His precise sound waves shocked Hybrids, but prolonged blasts caused them to vibrate into tiny fragments, their flesh liquified.


    A vessel charged a blast to assault this clustered set of healers. Krog breathed in before blasting a roar into the side of the assaulting vessel. The air trembled before slamming into the hull of the destroyer. An entire panel disintegrated into a plume of steel sand, the cannon no more.


    Diesel, Amara, and Hod grouped up beneath Chrona. Diesel helped coordinate people coming for healing while Amara stayed still. This wasn''t her fight. Other Hod erupted in a plume if anything encroached, his shadows spreading over any it touched like an infection. Once darkened, the darkness over the Hybrids erupted into umbral flames.


    They burned to nothing except a lingering shadow that dispersed like ash. It seemed like something from the void, and the powder left lingering shadows wherever it landed. Hod warped between these shadows like a businessman alt-tabbing at work while high on cocaine.


    Of course, the enemy retaliated in kind. The largest shuttle of the enemy fleet charged up a rail cannon, ready to fire at Mt. Verner''s center. As it lobbed out the projectile, three of the keeper golems lined up in front of it. The sky dimmed as the railgun fired with untold power, the blast''s light blinding.


    The first keeper slapped the projectile, redirecting it into the sky. The slug tore a hole in the atmosphere, and the clouds parted in an enormous circle above while a shockwave ushered outward. The second keeper contained the collision''s blowback, preventing it from hurting anything nearby. The last keeper slammed into the vessel, tearing its weaponry from out of its side.


    To the keeper, steel was tin, and flesh was paper.


    The executive managed these golems'' efforts and more, keeping the vanguards from killing uninfected passengers and assisting the architects with constructing temporary shelters. The executive even killed nearby Hybrids at the same time, offering combat support where possible.


    All in all, they left me with nothing to do. In fact, Plazia and Shalahora watched the devastation nearby. Plazia rested on a basalt throne while Shalahora''s form leeched out as if waiting to teleport. While ready for action, they didn''t need to do much. I landed beside them, setting Florence down.


    The albony brushed himself off.


    "And here I thought I was why everyone was so angry. Who''d of guessed our secret meeting would be leaked before having an enemy force assault us. That, and half the luminari''s procession turned into Hybrids all of a sudden."


    Florence shivered.


    "An eerie thing. They didn''t even know what killed them."


    It was like L-7''s last battle. Many died from embedded Hybrids there as well. I raised my brow.


    "I thought you said your luck stat was high?"


    Florence shrugged.


    "I like to think it makes a difference where it matters."


    I watched a shuttle get taken by Helios.


    "I didn''t expect us to clean this up so easily."


    Plazia nodded.


    "Your guild gains experience and sharpens its fangs. This assault will emphasize their need for training, and those that laze about will no longer let their claws grow dull."


    Shalahora murmured.


    "They fight well, but I am watching and waiting. If something is awry, I shall handle it."


    Plazia rumbled.


    "I, as well. None shall die here under my watchful eyes."


    Knowing these two could disassemble the invasion by themselves, I sat down and watched the show. After a few minutes, Florence passed out on the ground, his adrenaline utterly shot. The guy earned a nap. I made him a tent of marble and a bed of pine straw.


    With the two world destroyers surveying the battle, I found a moment of peace amidst war. I meditated for a while. After an hour of fighting, I checked in. My guild''s sharpness dulled, but so did the enemies. People still fought against the vessel''s occupants, having cleared deep into each of the ships. In the close-quarters, hallway-based combat, Althea and Hod took center stage.


    Althea tore open each of the doorways with a circular swipe of her hand. She used a tiny, unseen thorn from her fingertip. These holes were cut in such a way that they didn''t make a sound while sliced. This left each room breachable without the enemy being aware. Furthering her reconnaissance, Althea moved room by room, phasing through walls like a ghost.


    She reported what fought within the rooms before Other Hod swarmed in, killing hostiles but not neutral targets. Their teamwork and experience shined, each of them moving like clockwork. They cleared each of the tightly packed rooms in seconds, and vessel by vessel, the enemy''s number dwindled.


    It still required hours of concerted effort because of each spaceship''s design. They were tightly intertwined lattices, like dense steel honeycombs. That composition absorbed railgun punctures in space, preventing the vessel from vomiting its guts out when pierced. Since each room could be locked down, this prevented the breathable air from belching out into the void.


    This made sieging each vessel incredibly arduous if a force lacked the right skill set. Despite those innovations and difficulties, the enemy force fell by sunfall. As the sun set on the affair, our guild was victorious. Even with the scale and length of the conflict, we lost no one despite the chaos. Plazia, Shalahora, and Kessiah''s interventions caused an absolute lack of casualties, two of them surveying the battlefield with a watchful gaze while the last member made up for any crippling mistakes.


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    It exposed how powerful they were, two of them a planetary influence and the last a walking ER. It gave me a sense of satisfaction knowing how powerful my allies were, but it also left me uneasy. If either Shalahora or Plazia turned on the guild, we''d be in hell and quickly.


    I let my paranoia fade as the situation wrapped up. I also joined in the cleanup. On each infected vessel, I disintegrated all remains of the Hybrids. Their flesh, metal, and wires all melted into mana from Event Horizon, and my armor feasted on the clouds of energy. As I killed the blight, the Hybrids gazed at me with different bodies.


    While still disgusting, Elysium improved their designs. Less a shamble of corded flesh, they bore sleeker forms without as much exposed tissue. Some of the orange pustules were covered in a clear glass, those spots longer pulsing like grotesque tumors. Even the faces held dark eyes like giant irises.


    They were haunting.


    Paired with each Hybrid were four-legged mole rats in jumpsuits. Even under folds of pink skin, their eyes stared at me with intelligence and dignity. They hissed in despair whenever I arrived, most surrendering but many choosing to die. Their dedication was...Humbling. On the other hand, the Elysium agents lacked that same resolve.


    Whenever a situation became dire, they sent their Hybrids on a rampage. The destruction let them find avenues of escape in many circumstances, but not against me. They found no haven in their portals or escape in their smokescreens. I pulled them apart via gravitation, blood raining in and spurting like rapids in a flooding river.


    It was something I hated about them. They had surgical precision and complete control over their Hybrids if they chose to be disciplined. However, whenever a situation stressed them out, they baled on their responsibilities. Despite years of progress in learning how to use the monsters, I still found civilians half consumed them.


    Some of the noncombatants still lived as their blood, body, and bones were converted into steel. They screamed in agony, and I''d never forget the howling. I would make sure Elysium never did, either.


    In many portions of each vessel, uninfested groups huddled together, weeping. This was where I learned what species of alien these people actually were. They were glowing, phosphorescent aliens who screamed for mercy while Hybrids dug cords through them. I freed them with Event Horizon by vaporizing the majority of the Hybridized mass that latched onto them.


    After I cleared the bulk of the infection, I handed them off to Althea and Kessiah. They worked in tandem. Althea helped Kessiah by operating on the aliens. Althea''s slicing was more precise than any surgeon alive. Her hands danced over them, removing even thin wires and isolated, glowing tumors in seconds.


    Althea left nothing within before Kessiah restored them. Anything these aliens lacked, Kessiah granted, from missing limbs to organs to blood. I marveled at how Kessiah could be given a limbless, eyeless, and faceless hunk of meat before turning it into a living, breathing alien. It was the closest thing to a miracle I''d ever seen.


    Once healed, we could tell what they were supposed to look like. Most of the injured were a species known as the luminari. Their sleek, black frames outlined themselves in a white light. It was like a two-dimensional drawing in real life. Floating in their encapsulated darkness, collections of light skimmed the surface of their skins. This gave them dimension, and those luminescent dots changed color as their emotions shifted.


    Green, violet, and turquoise, their emotional range exposed itself like a rainbow. Even if they were able to show different colors, they all changed to green when awakening. It was their shade of fear. Once they learned they were safe, they dimmed to a cool blue.


    It was their color of sadness and exhaustion. We set up a medical bay of surgical tables and sanitized supplies. We left them under the moon and stars since it helped them regenerate. They didn''t mind the open air or wind. In those cubicles, we let the luminari collect themselves for a few hours, each of them sleeping for a while.


    After several hours of parsing through the mess, we found their leader. Well, the closest thing to one. The Hybrids devoured their generals until they looked less like a command chain and more like a food chain. Still, this was a noble luminari, and it sat upright despite its wounds. The alien communicated with pulses of light and sound. After talking to a field nurse, the luminari''s lights danced across its surface as it gazed at me.


    "Oh, mighty Harbinger, thank you for granting our kind asylum. Given the size and ferocity of your species, we expected a harsh world that would induce extreme evolutionary demands. Instead, we find this peaceful planet. It seems you''re establishing a base here before conquering it. A wise choice from a wise leader."


    The number of misunderstandings mounted, but I didn''t have time to correct the guy. Having cleared the hulls and cracked some skulls, I gestured to Florence. Our resident diplomat clasped his hands together while facing me.


    "Before we discuss the details, I want to thank you again for saving both of us."


    I raised a palm.


    "I appreciate the thanks, but I did send you on the mission. Honestly, preventing your death was the least I could do."


    Florence''s brow raised.


    "Then what would be the most you could do?"


    I frowned.


    "Hm. I don''t know. Why do you ask?"


    Florence turned his hand to the luminari leader.


    "Perhaps there''s an opportunity to find out what can be done. Echo and his people need to find some way of fending off Elysium''s invasion. I believe you''re more than capable of doing that."


    I closed my eyes. Yet again, a crisis wanted to pull me back from helping Earth and humanity. By now, I had freed the skeptiles, saved the gialgathens, uplifted the Vagni, and pulled the Eltari out of a dungeon. I''d saved five other races before taking even the most basic steps to helping humanity.


    Enough was enough. My voice was stone.


    "Absolutely not. I''m not fighting someone else''s war while people here are torn apart by monsters."


    Florence stiffened.


    "Well, you don''t have to be so certain about it."


    "The thing is, if I give you an inch, you''ll take a mile."


    Florence leaned back.


    "Oh, come on. I''m not doing anything but advocating for these people."


    I dragged my hand down my face.


    "See, that''s the problem. You''re supposed to be advocating for us, not them."


    Florence moved his hands in circles.


    "In a sense, I am. Think about it; these people carry so much potential."


    I let out a sharp sigh.


    "So do the skeptiles, gialgathens, Vagni, and Eltari. How many species will I need to take under my wing before I even solidify Earth? How many other people''s problems will I have to solve before I solve my own?"


    Florence put a hand on his chest.


    "None. I''m not asking you to siege this species'' planet. I''m asking you to give them a fighting chance."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "Florence...You were supposed to gain us political leverage."


    "This is political leverage."


    I shook my head.


    "And look how saving someone else worked with the albony. We gained a planet with constant rebellions and no official Schemic presence. We also got dragged into more conflict with Elysium. The only benefit I gained from working with Obolis was getting you and Helios working for me, but even that wasn''t given. You two chose to join me on your own."


    I sighed.


    "In the end, we were dragged into a war that we barely scraped our way out of. Now, you''re trying to drag us back in before we''ve even sent out a basic scouting mission on Earth."


    A wave of emotion crossed over Florence''s face. He settled on a cold, icy anger. His voice was a low boil, but it didn''t sound like it was directed my way.


    "I understand your sentiment, but fortunately for us, not every species is led by an egomaniacal tyrant. We''re lucky that not all rulers value their personal collections over their families, people, and planets. Some rulers are actually grateful and will help wherever they can if given a chance to repay an old debt."


    Since we last met, Florence had time to think about what happened in the lottery. With that updated understanding, Florence''s opinion of Obolis had changed., soI let the guy get his anger out. He and I both knew the subject was a touchy one, like an exposed nerve.


    I furrowed my brow.


    "How are you holding up?"


    Florence raised a shaking hand, holding his tongue. He swallowed a few choice words before letting out a sigh. His standing posture relaxed.


    "I''m sorry for my tone. This has been...A trying time. I''m holding it together because of Helios and his support, but-"


    Florence''s voice cracked.


    "I remember everyone I''ve lost. The homes. The friends. My family. It''s all gone. Seeing these people suffer the same fate is like reopening old wounds that had hardly closed."


    The depth of his loss loomed like an ocean. Unlike me, Florence invested in the people around him. He didn''t get lost in his thoughts, operating in some internal world. Florence put himself out there, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. In response, the world ripped his sleeves and heart out. That''s why I always found Florence''s vulnerability brave.


    I wished I''d been born the same, and that was why it hurt me to see Florence wounded by that same openness. Florence breathed in, pulling himself together.


    "Daniel. I don''t want what happened to the albony to happen to anyone else. I''m not saying we should fight Elysium for them. I''m saying we can at least give them a few weeks of safety so that they may regroup. Perhaps we may grant them a few golems for combat?"


    Florence turned a palm to the luminari leader.


    "I''m certain your people are more than fine with paying back a hefty loan given the circumstances?"


    Echo''s shade shifted from blue to amber. It shook its head with vigor.


    "Oh yes. We would adhere to whatever requirements you demanded. We will give you anything we can."


    I frowned.


    "That''s the thing. I can tell just by your species'' combat abilities that you''re not giving me any empowered relics or war machines. You guys lack firepower, and your economy is shot. You don''t have anything you can give me that I actually want. This is going to be charity, and I''ll be giving it out while the people on my own planet are eaten alive."


    As the luminari heard my words, its reality set in. The leader''s head lowered in a slow, heavy gaze.


    "Oh...I see."


    Florence''s eyes brightened.


    "Now, wait a minute, Daniel. While these people may not have anything you materially want, they can promise to enact whatever will you desire."


    I frowned.


    "That''s the thing - I don''t want slaves. That''s actually the last thing I want."


    Florence snapped his fingers.


    "Precisely my point. I''m certain you saw the various, er-" Florence looked something up in his status. "Molerats in the shuttles, correct?"


    "I did. They worked with Elysium. Well, most of them."


    Florence grinned, his voice elated.


    "They''re the race that the luminaries enslaved."


    "Huh...You seem really happy about that."


    Florence waved his hands.


    "Of course not. My point is that these people can promise to live their lives differently after we''ve helped them."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "How so?"


    Florence paced in a direction, his hand raised. As he spoke, the negotiator within him crawled out of its shell.


    "As you''ve said, the last thing you want is slaves. From what I''ve gathered, that''s on a conceptual level, not just our empire, correct?"


    My face wrinkled.


    "That''s true-"


    "Then this is an opportunity to free a people without any of the repercussions seen on Giess. We can have the luminaries contractually obligated to free the molerats after we''ve saved them. We could enact this across the cosmos wherever Elysium has invaded. All that without fighting directly. This will grow your empire while purging a societal ill that should''ve ended long ago."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Ok, I have to ask this before we continue. Are they really called molerats?"


    Florence scoffed.


    "No, their Xylojakovichianoradonitises. The name is...It''s a horror, so I found an earthian equilivant."


    My eyes widened.


    "Wow. That''s...That''s a mouthful."


    Florence waved his hand.


    "But to further the point, I want to remind you of something. Daniel, you''re a man of principles. You''re someone who wants to improve the world and the universe as a whole. I''ve seen that in you, and that desire is something you''ve shown time and time again."


    I raised a brow.


    "Really? How?"


    Florence turned a hand.


    "You''ve saved multiple sapient species from extinction. You''ve assisted those on Earth without any reason to. You''ve even extended a helping hand to the Empire on a whim, of which Obolis never returned the favor. Despite that, you''ve been good to me and Helios."


    Florence met my eye.


    "You are a good soul."


    I grimaced, remembering the bombing of espen cities and the people I killed.


    "I don''t know about that. In all honesty, I think people who don''t know me can give a better answer to that question than I can."


    Florence sighed.


    "Then give those people something they can''t refute. Here and now, you have an opportunity to do something great. If these people overturn Elysium, then the molerats will remain enslaved. If Elysium wins, the luminari will be gutted and strung up to dry. In essence, enslaved as well."


    I pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "Dammit."


    Florence could tell he got me. He swung a hand.


    "You are the only person in this situation armed with the agency needed to change this paradigm."


    I nodded.


    "I could win the luminari''s war and dictate the terms of victory to my liking. But that''s the issue. I could make things better or worse, and I can''t tell which way the chips will fall in the end. Like with Giess, I don''t know the situation. I''ll also need to divert resources we could use to help settle Earth."


    Florence''s face wrinkled.


    "You''ve seen the luminaries'' planet being invaded. In the same vein, you''ve seen what occurred to the gialgathens without your intervention. Since then, Elysium''s morality has only worsened."


    Remembering Elysium carving on rulers'' bones, I glared at the ground. I seethed.


    "They''re just absurdly evil. It''s hard to believe at this point."


    Florence stared at me.


    "The luminaries will suffer the same fate as the gialgathens, and you have the opportunity to help alter the course of this tragedy."


    My face softened.


    "I tried and failed at that already. I contributed to the gialgathen''s fall when I intervened on Giess. I was an icon for Elysium''s rise to power. Remember the gray giant? I made a bad situation worse, and I tried to fix it after I learned about my mistake. But, it was far too late."


    I took a breath, my eyes closed.


    "I can''t do that again."


    Florence offered a hand.


    "It was your first foray to another planet. You lacked perspective, personnel, and resources. You were focused on yourself, as you should''ve been. Now, the situation has changed. You can stop Elysium from decimating these people. We have the means. Besides for that, you won''t need to do everything. Send a few golems and make it a volunteer project."


    I raised a hand.


    "Ok, let''s assume I''m saying yes to what you want, which I''m not, but assuming I am, what would be my course of action?"


    Florence grinned.


    "Simple. We arm them with tools and combatants. And maybe an extra planet."


    I frowned.


    "An extra planet? Where do I have one of those?"


    Florence gestured up at the vessels above.


    "You have a few here in the solar system. We could perhaps even grant them one of the lifeless worlds in the Blegara system."


    For a moment, I contemplated. Florence wasn''t wrong about the situation. This was the second time an Elysium vessel landed on my planet, even if it was by accident or in chaos. They broached our treaty multiple times and in multiple ways. If anything, allowing this to go without retaliation might invite even more infringements.


    Aside from that, I wanted to help these people. While I couldn''t give them as many resources as I had to the other races under my wing, I''d offer what protection I could. I spread my hands.


    "Alright, you win. We''ll help."


    Florence swung his fist.


    "Yes! I knew you would be the grand, righteous person-"


    I raised a finger.


    "This isn''t me accepting unconditional terms of support. I''ll be helping in a way that doesn''t involve us in direct conflict. In that sense, I''ll be an arms dealer who supplies the side I want to win."


    Florence nodded.


    "In exchange for a dispersal of your own moral codes?"


    I scoffed.


    "You think that''s all I''m going to ask for?"


    Florence frowned.


    "It isn''t?"


    I steepled my hands.


    "Oh, I''m taking everything I can."

 399 Gaming the System

    Florence nodded.


    "In exchange for a dispersal of your own moral codes?"


    I scoffed.


    "You think that''s all I''m going to ask for?"


    Florence frowned.


    "It isn''t?"


    I steepled my hands.


    "Oh, I''m taking everything I can."


    Chapter Begin


    Florence rolled his eyes.


    "Ah yes, as is expected from the shady grifter I know and love. I''m certain you''ll extend a hand to those in need with a poisoned dagger behind your back."


    I pointed my hands at him.


    "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I''ve been known to be a fine negotiator at times."


    Florence shrugged.


    "Hm, not to step on anyone''s toes, but one could argue that point."


    I turned to the luminari leader.


    "Let''s get down to the brass tacks. I know your planet is in dire straights. I have a solution to those problems, but I''m going to need a few guarantees."


    Echo''s lights altered to chartreuse.


    "What kind of guarantees would you require, oh mighty Harbinger?"


    I blinked.


    "Huh. That feels out of place, so just call me Daniel. Anyways, you''ll need to free any enslaved people you control."


    Echo let out a light laugh, its color changing to honey.


    "Oh, we never enslaved anyone. We merely offered prolonged indentured servitude."


    I raised my brow.


    "I watched their people choose to die fighting rather than surrendering. You don''t do something like that because of fair contracts."


    Echo tilted its head.


    "One could argue that any contract is unfair to one of the parties depending on the circumstances."


    Florence stepped up.


    "That''s a semantical discussion. Regardless of where your definition lies, the Harbinger''s perception will dictate the terms. He will have a deal fashioned with the dimensional cipher, a language he knows well."


    Florence leaned over the luminari.


    "Should you breach this contract, you''ll die. I''m certain you''ve seen it given Elysium''s loose following of our ceasefire."


    The luminari trembled, his light shifting to a dark purple. I raised a brow at Florence, partly to ask a question but also in surprise. The guy changed his tune in an instant once he gained the position he wanted to take.


    I said, "Is that how it works?"


    Florence took a step back and nodded.


    "Yes. A normal contract is enacted by Schema via formalized punishments. On a factional basis, contracts are directed to the individual offenders within a guild. This is one of the largest pitfalls of joining a guild, as they may have factional contracts that are tremendously difficult to enact."


    Florence turned a palm to me.


    "On the other hand, a cipheric contract is inherently imprecise. It reads into intent, creating more leeway in the actions it curbs while enacting far greater punishments should its terms be breached."


    Florence''s face wrinkled.


    "If I were to guess, Elysium''s signing contracts then rediverting the consequences of breaking them onto other people. It must be a messy affair, in all honesty."


    I envisioned people strapped down, carved to the bone with the cipher, and experiencing the weight of sins they had never seen but fully felt. I massaged my temples.


    "Somehow, Elysium gets worse every time I hear about them."


    The illuminari''s color shifted to red.


    "How are you two any different than Elysium? My people are being brought terms without any option of recourse. This is hardly diplomatic."


    Florence grabbed his chin.


    "Diplomatic? Have you seen the flying Hybrids? Those were once the giant amphibians known as the gialgathens. Elysium turned them into Blighted Ones, centers of telepathy and corruption."


    Florence gestured to Echo.


    "Elysium will use the amassed population of your species to a similar end, and that isn''t a diplomatic reality. It''s a life-and-death crisis. I wonder if they''ll make you into tumors that can send messages through the void of space? Perhaps you''ll devolve into a Hybrid model that can emote with light? I can hardly imagine the potential as Elysium has shown a vicious glint for creativity."


    Florence''s voice hardened.


    "My kind is well aware of their tactics, Echo. Know it is a harsher road than what the Harbinger offers, no matter what he dictates."


    The luminari shook its head before sighing.


    "We...We can make that concession. It''s similar to the terms brought by Elysium, but at least it doesn''t carry the reparations they wished for."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Actually, the molerats are who you''re going to be paying for my assistance."


    Florence blinked at me.


    "And you said you weren''t a selfless soul. Lair."


    I shrugged.


    "I''m not. These guys can''t offer me anything I want anyway, so we might as well have them do something worthwhile. Think of it like organizing a charity or something."


    Florence walked over and nudged my side.


    "Ah, look at you. It would seem you''re not all steel in there."


    He gave my chest a tap.


    "There''s a heart composed of gold in there too. It''s probably still metal, but it''s a shinier, less cold kind."


    I raised a hand.


    "Alright, alright, enough of that. Come on, let''s wrap this up. I don''t have all night for this. I''m already late for an appointment."


    Florence turned to the luminari.


    "Then let''s discuss details."


    I stayed with them for a while to help handle the largest logistics of the matter. They needed 2,000 war golems, and I could arrange that in a couple of days. In exchange, I guaranteed their race''s continuation and the molerats'' freedom, along with less significant reparations than what Elysium requested.


    It wasn''t a perfect solution, but it definitely improved the outcome of their conflict. Compared to Giess, both species would lose fewer members in the war effort because I''d make my golems kill only Hybrid forces. The golems would even be directed to defend the molerats if they were attacked without provocation, preventing a few of the otherwise appalling war crimes.


    This all came about because of all I learned from my previous arrangement with the Empire. From specifics to peculiarities to minutia, it all mattered when speaking on guild-wide terms. That''s why Florence ironed out those aspects in a rapid fashion, the albony''s charisma and contractual abilities shining as he did.


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    It left me on solid ground as I left the matter in Florence''s adept hands to finish. Having handled what I needed to, I met with Shalahora for another torture session. On the hill we trained at, he waited for me. When I landed, the shadow took a breath.


    "I hoped you would wish to stop engulfing yourself in this purgatory. It would seem you were merely late."


    I rolled my shoulders.


    "Yup. It''s out of the frying pan and into the fire. Let''s do this."


    The night stretched out in excruciation as always, and by morning, I hobbled away from our training like some determined zombie. Once I recovered, I set up a plan for my guild''s problems since they loomed over our horizon like a comet heading for Earth. With everything organized in my head, I got to work.


    Starting with the luminaries, I drafted up the cipheric contract based on what Florence messaged to me. This time, I wrote it out in normal schema runes as well before having both documents sent over to a specialist that Florence knew. After all my experience, I wasn''t about to be tied to a guild-based document without experts helping me out.


    As they reviewed the forms, I sent out the golem scouting teams we amassed after the award ceremony. It required some reassurance, but after showing them what the golems could do, they left with fewer reservations. Torix helped organize their assistance, and his efficiency kept everything efficiently organized and neatly arranged.


    We weren''t the only ones busy handling worldly affairs. Plazia returned to Blegara, and he began sieging the world and pulling the eldritch to our side. His invasion reminded me of a religious conversion. Having discussed the terms with him, Plazia used my image of fear to inspire the eldritch to surrender. While I was certain Plazia would use questionable methods, I figured he''d be the most humane conquerer I could assign.


    It was an eccentricity of him being an eldritch. If I hired a Fringewalker, they''d just kill the eldritch and cleanse the world. While I wasn''t opposed to the idea, I wanted to try a different tactic first. Plazia enabled that approach since he understood and could subjugate the eldritch without killing them all. I would also check in occasionally to make sure Plazia wasn''t doing anything too horrible, either.


    I mean, he was still a menacing hivemind of unknown means and power, after all.


    Returning from one of those meetings, Plazia and I stepped off of Blegara''s shores and into his personal chambers in Mt. Verner. Plazia''s voice echoed off the cipher-covered walls.


    "If you insist, I can avoid the displays of torture."


    I let a hand flop against my side.


    "Why would you think that''s ok?"


    Plazia kept one foot on the beaches of Blegara.


    "My methods have saved many Vagni and converted the monsters that roam the abyssal seas to my cause."


    I sighed.


    "That''s because they like torture. They don''t fear it."


    Plazia shook his head.


    "I am still confused by this. My method accomplishes the goal without killing them. Why must you be so picky in how we harvest the world?"


    Interrupting our discussion, Shalahora materialized beside me. Plazia stepped through the portal and said, "I''ll leave you be, and though arduous, annoying, and trite, I shall do as you ask. You must know that any resulting deaths are on your hands."


    I rubbed my temples.


    "It isn''t like I want to entirely homogenize the Vagni into my empire, but holy hell, they can''t be a bunch of rabid cultists who''re into tearing our enemies apart. It isn''t a good ethical fit."


    I gestured a hand at Plazia.


    "Besides that, shouldn''t you have more than enough power to enforce our rule? Those deaths you''re talking about, they make it sound like you''re struggling. If you need help, I can send a few golems-"


    Plazia scoffed.


    "Perhaps I exaggerated the consequences of your approach."


    I pinched the brow of my nose.


    "Just remember, we''re normalizing Blegara the right way. Just...Just take your time, and don''t use shortcuts."


    Plazia''s warp shrank as he stepped through.


    "As you command, Harbinger."


    Shalahora turned a hand to Plazia.


    "I may assist you during Earth days. I can kill masses of enemies with ease."


    Plazia cackled.


    "It''s the domestication of wolves into dogs that is being done, not their culling."


    The hivemind turned to me, a split in spacetime humming between us.


    "But their demises can be arranged. Easily, if need be."


    I waved my hands.


    "Keep doing what you''re doing minus the torture of eldritch."


    Plazia leaned forward.


    "What of the occasional bout of excruciation-"


    I threw my hands up.


    "Absolutely not."


    Plazia cackled as the spatial split slammed shut. Shalahora and I stood in Plazia''s barebones room before the shadowy Sovereign''s form rippled. Shalahora turned to me.


    "In a different time, you wouldn''t have allowed such tactics at all. You must be stretched quite thin, though you have been since we met."


    I leaned against a wall.


    "You''re not wrong. I''m a bit, er, diluted at the moment. The thing is, it''s either I let Plazia handle this, or the eldritch will continue rebelling. That means letting hordes of Vagni die. I could head over and handle it myself, but I''m swamped with Earth and guild priorities."


    Shalahora whispered.


    "In your mind, you''ve chosen the lesser of two evils, but perhaps that is not so. You could head to Blegara then and come to Earth during the day."


    I frowned.


    "I''d lose out on training with you then."


    Shalahora peered away.


    "Must we continue this supposed training?"


    I sighed.


    "Of course, and you know why. While everyone else is settling down, I know threats are looming on the horizon. I''m readying myself for them so that we aren''t vaporized, enslaved, or turned into mana batteries. Besides that, didn''t you want to help me train?"


    Shalahora''s body turned more translucent.


    "I did, and I have done so...But, perhaps we have trained enough?"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "I can''t even hold a candle to you. How in the world is that enough to handle threats even stronger than you are?"


    Shalahora''s hand shook. He grabbed it in his other palm and nestled it back and forth.


    "You will not be able to fight me in my given domain of competence. The axioms we fight on are intrinsically different. While you are now able to tolerate more psionic damage, that doesn''t mean you''ll be able to match me in regards to psionics."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "We can''t know if we don''t give it a fair shake, right?"


    Shalahora''s form rippled for a moment.


    "That...That is true. You are given difficult choices, and you must rise to their demands."


    "For now, I think terrible choices are part of being a guild leader. At least, I think they are. Anyways, why did you offer to help Plazia? I know you hate killing stuff in general, so it seemed out of place."


    Shalahora gazed at a wall. His body became more corporeal.


    "I understand you wish to offer mercy to those monsters, but your kindness is wasted on them. The eldritch do not change, and that is an immutable truth."


    I nodded.


    "I know they won''t change as a whole, but a few individuals may. Speaking of changing individuals-"


    I put a hand on Shalahora''s shoulder.


    "I don''t need you to kill anything or anyone. Instead, I have another task for you. We''re going to have a lot more residents put on Earth. I''m going to need you to safeguard our psionic safety whenever you''re free."


    I lowered my hand. Shalahora whispered.


    "What does that entail?"


    "First, you''ll need to check everybody that comes over and make sure their minds aren''t remade by Elysium. We can''t have sleeper agents dismantling our efforts and giving the enemy intel on our guild."


    Shalahora tilted his head at me.


    "I can do so, but I may do other, darker tasks. I can evaporate minds in mass, turning entire cultures into nothing. It takes little time or effort, and I have done so many times in the past."


    Schema mentioned Shalahora having cleared over a hundred planets. However, this wasn''t the path he wanted to walk, and I wouldn''t force his footsteps down that path. I frowned.


    "Shalahora. You have murdered. You have killed. That doesn''t mean that''s all you can or will be. You''re a lot like me in that regard."


    "How?"


    "There was a time when I thought I was going to be a monster, and I was afraid of who I''d become."


    Shalahora murmured.


    "And you escaped that fate. I did not. What has been done, is done. It can no longer be expunged from me."


    I gazed at the runes covering the walls.


    "You know what''s wild? I still feel like a monster. Logically speaking, I know I''m not, but it''s a hard sensation to shake off. The notion has this way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. Personally, I think you''re in the same boat. The thing is, you don''t have to be some planet-wiping scourge for the rest of all time."


    I weighed my hands back and forth.


    "You could be a planet-saving guardian instead, and I think changing your path a bit will do you some good. You know, making some peace rather than waging some war."


    Shalahora whispered with force.


    "Lies and death are all I''ve ever been. They are all I''ve ever known. This task, I shall do it, but you must know it is new to me. I will no doubt fail."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Why? Are you going to self-sabotage or can it simply not be done?"


    Shalahora''s voice reverberated into our surroundings.


    "It''s not ability. It is a matter of my nature. You...You are trying to use a knife to heal."


    I tapped his chest with a fist.


    "A knife can choose if it''s a sword or a scalpel."


    I walked off.


    "I''m not going to force you to do anything, but please, think about it. In the meantime, we''ll be canceling tonight''s training session."


    "To what end?"


    "I''ve got a few million people to shepherd to Earth. We''ll need you soon for that, regardless."


    Shalahora tilted his head.


    "Who is it that you''re bringing back to Earth?"


    "The skeptiles. I''ve been letting them rot for a long time, and I''m going to go pick them up and give them a better home. That''s the plan anyway."


    As I walked off, Shalahora peered down, lost in thought. I left him to it while I headed to our local warp drive at Springfield. At the center of the town, dungeoneers lined up to use the currency exchange center, holding horns, spikes, bones, eyes, organs, glowing metals, and artifacts.


    They sold pieces of eldritch or rare ores they harvested. As I walked by, they saluted or bowed to me before I said at ease. Beside the exchange center, the warp drive hummed without anyone coming or going. We locked down the warp drive from outsiders because of Elysium, and locals would rather travel to other cities for trade since warping costs a pretty penny.


    Sparking from the first bit of activity today, an ionizing mist spritzed out of the cylindrical chamber, and out walked our grizzled albony. Helios brushed himself off, fog lingering on him.


    "At your beckoning call, your majesty."


    I raised a pinky.


    "Excellent. If you may, I''d prefer more beckoning and less call."


    Helios raised his brow.


    "Whenever you mirror royalty''s dignity, then perhaps we can discuss matters of decadence."


    I smiled.


    "Looks like that''s never happening then. Where were you, anyways?"


    Helios sighed.


    "I''m managing many tasks at the moment. Even if I disagree with Obolis''s actions, the Empire was my home. I am saving my people from Elysium when free."


    He rolled a hand lazily.


    "Though I''m prioritizing your requests above any pressing matters that may appear. Also, I''m assisting while preventing any further antagonizing of Elysium, though it isn''t as if I''d be the first one to break our treaty."


    His pale eyes narrowed.


    "But I will be the first to charge forward after it''s fully gone."


    A mind of mine took note of that, chewing on the thought. I turned a hand to Helios.


    "Good work then. Are you ready to let the skeptiles in?"


    Helios cracked his neck before allowing mana to flow through his gauntlets.


    "I am."


    A rush of emotion coursed through me, but it was primarily fear. Months passed since making the deal with Obolis for the skeptile''s freedom. Since then, the skeptiles had waited on me to arrange their transit, and I kept pushing it back for other matters. I did have my guild send consistent aid in the meantime, but aid wasn''t a new home.


    I wouldn''t blame him if Tera was pissed about twiddling his thumbs for so long. Without any reason to postpone the matter aside from dread, I let out a sigh.


    "Then let''s give them the warmest welcome we can."


    Helios grinned.


    "I can''t wait to see you get screamed at. It''s actually one of my favorite pastimes."


    Primordial mana hummed in his hands.


    "Now then, let''s cross the veil."

 400 Teras Return

    A rush of emotion coursed through me, but it was primarily fear. Months passed since making the deal with Obolis for the skeptile''s freedom. Since then, the skeptiles had waited on me to arrange their transit, and I kept pushing it back for other matters. I did have my guild send consistent aid in the meantime, but aid wasn''t a new home.


    I wouldn''t blame him if Tera was pissed about twiddling his thumbs for so long. Without any reason to postpone the matter aside from dread, I let out a sigh.


    "Then let''s give them the warmest welcome we can."


    Helios grinned.


    "I can''t wait to see you get screamed at. It''s actually one of my favorite pastimes."


    Primordial mana hummed in his hands.


    "Now then, let''s cross the viel."


    Chapter Begin


    Helios tapped into an unseen barrier before folding it, connecting the points, then splitting apart spacetime. As his warp opened, a desert world blew dry sand and harsh wind onto ours. I stepped onto the top of a dune. Orange rock and teal sand covered the horizon. The simple color shift alienated the dunes, and the place was as bizarre as any planet I''d walked on.


    Well, aside from L-7. It was in a different league.


    Walking across the dune, I peered up at two suns, one red and the other orange. Several moons floated over the sky, each floating orb midway through waning and waxing. They were like an unfinished cake buffet with different slices left behind. Below them, the constant wind scrubbed this planet''s rocky surface into sand.


    Helios gasped while stumbling onto the planet, and his portal clapped shut with an eruption of sound. I gazed at him.


    "Are you ok?"


    Helios nodded.


    "Of course...This planet is simply far away from Earth. It''s on the other side of Schema-owned space, so it''s far more arduous to arrive here."


    "Yet Obolis and the Empire found it? That''s odd."


    Helios pulled himself up, his mane following the wind.


    "My uncle invested heavily in the scouting of weakened or vulnerable planets. This one''s ecological disasters gave way for profit at first, and in time, the trickling of slaves followed."


    I hovered us up.


    "Ah, man, what a great guy. Let''s get the skeptiles out of here."


    Darting across the skyline, we passed dunes before reaching a canyon. It stretched for dozens of miles, a majestic piece of nature rivaling the Grand Canyon in our world. Sea-green sandstone layered between carrot-colored limestone, and a murky river carved itself across the place. That river supported all life in the area, including the resident skeptiles.


    It was worse than I expected. The skeptiles huddled into a colossal, overcrowded city shoved onto one side of the canyon. Much of the skeptiles'' architecture mirrored Eltari designs, but unlike our flying friends, these guys kept lower to the ground with a greater emphasis on sunbathing spots.


    Each home competed against other sun-laden lounges. From piles of shining stones to arranged eldritch teeth to even modeled broken glass, the roofs of every home carried the soul of their family. Aside from the artwork, their dilapidation exposed itself like dirt under fingernails.


    Devoid of technological or magical means, the skeptiles lived in overt poverty, rivaling a third-world country. Only a few signs of civilization stuck out, like Schema''s facilities at the town''s center or a few futuristic cargo hulls carrying the massive village''s food supplies. Considering the lack of life or water, these people needed exports from other places to survive.


    Helios murmured.


    "Ugh. I should''ve left the Empire for this, not my own betrayal."


    I set us down at Schema''s warping and currency centers.


    "You''re telling me. Were you aware of what this was like?"


    Helios eyed two skeptile children, their bellies bulging and their limbs like dried kindling.


    "I had heard rumors, but to see it is a different matter altogether."


    Dread pooled in my stomach like acid as I sent a message to Tera, letting him know we were here. These people could''ve been starving because I spent so long on other tasks. I swallowed that anxiety.


    "Well, we''re here to fix this."


    A violet portal opened, and Tera, the World Breaker, stepped out. Teeth of eldritch he''d slain clattered as he jogged up to me. He flashed sharp teeth before spreading his claws. I expected this after having waited so long to pick him and his people up, but it was still going to hurt.


    He hugged me.


    "It''s good to see you well, you pushy metal bastard."


    I peered back and forth.


    "It''s...It''s good to see you too."


    Helios''s smile dampened like a fire covered in soil.


    "No screaming then? Hm, is that disappointment I taste. Alas, what a familiar flavor."


    Tera grabbed my shoulders.


    "You''ve shrunk in size. Did you want to be able to walk amidst the masses?"


    I weighed a hand back and forth.


    "More or less. How are things going?"


    I winced as Tera clapped his hands together.


    "I''d like to show you if you have the time to see."


    I turned to Helios. The albony frowned.


    "I''m not particularly pressed."


    I turned a hand.


    "Lead the way."


    We walked through the slums of the village, many shacks stacked on top of one another. Each hut lacked a door, cloth hanging and separating the spaces. We passed a few desiccated corpses, each of them having dried out long ago. Every time we passed one, Tera placed his middle finger against his thumb in a circle while stretching his other fingers out. He pressed the hand symbol to his chest with reverence.


    Finding me staring, Tera frowned.


    "Those are the ones who chose to starve in order to save their family or their children. We honor them as we walk by."


    I glared at Helios. The albony winced.


    "Yes, yes, I''m awful. Let''s concentrate less on what''s hurting them and more on helping, shall we?"


    I frowned.


    "You have to know where wounds are before you can heal them."


    Helios hopped onto a roof.


    "Despite my being blind, even I can see what they need here." He gave me a tight smile.


    "But I appreciate the reminder."


    Tera shrugged.


    "Life was this way before the albony. To place the blame of our barren planet onto them is to deny our clan''s legacy and history. This is a place of starvation and hardship, and because of that, one cannot escape it while they''re here. It will cling to you like a curse from an old enemy."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Why''d you seem so happy when we arrived if the situation is this dire?"


    Tera''s grin showed his many sharp teeth, like a smiling scarecrow with hay for teeth.


    "There are far fewer corpses than before. These are not new, as you saw, and even in passing, you''ve done much. Come. I''ll show you."


    After a few minutes of running around, we reached the edge of the canyon. The largest of the huts was embedded into the wall, mirroring a Peublan cliff dwelling home. They weaved the teal lines of stone into the walls before polishing the stone to bring out its colors. It glistened inside their home.


    Once nearby, Tera landed on his home cliff with a heart-stopping thud. Helios and I touched the ground with finesse before a dozen skeptiles ran out of their home. The children lacked the starving features of the street urchins, their frames normal and their eyes clear.


    I gestured to them.


    "Your family?"


    Tera nodded.


    "My kin. My center. My bedrock. Without these hatchlings, I''d be nothing, like some mother hawk without a nest."


    Tera pointed at me, his voice stern.


    "He is the one I spoke of. Say hello."


    They walked over, their eyes wide. Standing two feet tall, their species lacked humanity''s size, but their sharp claws, horns, and teeth gave them a natural weaponry we lacked. Their thick, multicolored scales gave them the same vibrance as gialgathens, though they lacked the same glossy sheen on their skin.


    Their dull scales mirrored their backgrounds - tough and humble with depth under the grime.


    Having prepared for the event, I handed them rings on necklaces. They each took the gift with looks of awe and fear on their faces. Whenever one put their amulet on, they grew. The first writhed on the ground for a minute, his body molting seven times in the process. Standing several feet taller, the child rivaled their adults after manifesting the attribute gains. Tera marveled.


    "By Schema...You''re like a god."


    Helios stared at his nails.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Oh, if you only knew the extent of that hyperbole."


    Tera watched another child molt through its growth. Tera smiled.


    "That depends on what kind of god we''re discussing. Is the Harbinger a god of greater principles such as light or mass? Perhaps not. What of lesser principles, such as ice or fire? I think Daniel rivals them and their myths."


    Helios raised a brow.


    "Your kind believes in many gods, not the one?"


    Tera covered his mouth as he laughed.


    "We do. I noticed you said the god. I always found that amusing. Our gods are lesser, but they are not meant to be almighty. They serve as lessons to those of us who are still learning the ways of our ancestors."


    Helios lowered his hand.


    "Our god created the cosmos and knows all. As for your religion, I am left wondering how your kind is able to come to terms with the modern world. How are you able to see magicians like Daniel and I, yet you still believe in lesser gods?"


    Tera''s eyes rippled with violet energy.


    "I may ask the same of you. This god you speak of, it must pale in comparison to the Old Ones. If your god created the cosmos, then the Old Ones must dwarf it. Despite that, you speak as if you''re a man of faith."


    Helios raised his brow.


    "More so a man raised in a family of faith, though I see your point."


    A skeptile child grabbed some of Helios''s fur, tugging on it.


    "You are fluffy."


    Helios peered down at the reptile.


    "And you are filthy. Are showers against your culture?"


    The child''s eyes widened.


    "What''s a shower?"


    Helios''s eyes narrowed.


    "Ah, there''s my answer."


    Tera smiled at the child. He lunged down.


    "A shower is where you use water to remove dirt, germs, and filth from your body."


    The child laughed at Helios.


    "Hah! Silly cat. We cannot waste something like water on a thing like that."


    Tera walked over, scooping the child onto his shoulder.


    "Excuse this one. She''s always curious. Aren''t you Tyga?"


    She giggled as he tickled her underbelly. Interrupting the heartwarming scene, an adult skeptile walked out of the home.


    "How dare you all tug on our company. Come, come. Please sit inside. The sun must be brutal out there."


    It wasn''t, but we appreciated the offer. Stepping inside, light pierced the loosely boarded roofs in several places, and sand molded into whatever specific item they needed, from chairs to tables to dishes. Several skeptiles sat together, chatting around an open balcony while spitting into piles of sand. They molded the material into various needed goods for the home.


    A child shattered a plate before a skeptile rolled their eyes. They grabbed the shards, shattered them further, and put them in a pile for reuse. Another skeptile worked their current object into another plate, replacing it from scratch.


    Tera spread his hands.


    "These are my wives. They are my light and joy."


    They stood and bowed to us, their scales glinting in the light. They shined more than the males, having taken the time to polish their scales to a sheening perfection. The smaller eyes and shorter horns along their brow also gave them a gentler appearance, and seeing these guys let me determine which gender the kids were.


    Tera pointed at them.


    "They live because you took us in before we were forced to fight Elysium. We would have been led to the slaughter against them. Your deal on Blegara saved my family and the lives of this community."


    He met my eye.


    "Thank you."


    Helios frowned.


    "Why would Obolis send you all against Elysium? You''re unable to dish out even a modicum of resistance, and you''d all become fuel for the Hybrids."


    Tera walked down the stairs.


    "There is a simple answer. If one cannot buy victory, what else can they attain through battle?"


    I sighed.


    "They can buy time."


    Terra grinned, his expression sharp.


    "And to your kin, our lives are cheap. Aren''t they?"


    Helios closed his eyes before frowning.


    "To most, yes. Not all."


    Terra tilted his head.


    "Ah, but to you, we must be cheap. Otherwise, you would''ve taken us out of our squalor, correct?"


    Terra glared and Helios couldn''t find an answer. The Speaker scoffed.


    "Own what you''ve done and what you haven''t. Otherwise, you live in a world of denial."


    Terra kept walking, but Helios stayed in place. Helios''s hands loosened as he gazed at the ground. I waved a hand at the guy.


    "Anyone there"


    Helios''s voice was like a dead, dried stump.


    "Yes. I''m...I need a moment."


    I left him, knowing he never experienced the full brunt of the Empire''s underbelly. Digesting these facts might take a bit. Leaving him to his devices, I walked downstairs. Here, we found Tera''s wealth. A thousand parts from a thousand eldritch hung from every inch of the place. Preserved eyes, ears, noses, teeth, skin, hearts, organs, talons, claws, horns, and diagrams covered every square inch.


    A few dozen bottles of eldritch energy sat on the countertop. Tera grabbed them.


    "Do you mind discarding these? They can be difficult to get rid of, and you found them useful before."


    I raised a hand, and Tera tossed them to me. Uncorking the bottles in tandem, I released the dark plague. Tera''s eyes widened, and he raised his palms.


    "Wait. I''ve been saving those for years. We''re in danger-"


    Within seconds, the mist soaked into my armor. The echoes of screams faded from the room as I squeezed a hand.


    "Thanks for the snack."


    Tera gawked.


    "No...No problem."


    I observed magical runes and diagrams on every part of many eldritch sub-types, along with potion formulas for many of them. I grabbed one of the potent mixtures.


    "So you''re an experienced alchemist?"


    Tera scratched a scaled cheek.


    "It''s a necessary evil. I don''t wish to use the bodies of those I kill in such morbid ways, but I lack the potential for victory without them. Aside from that, I have never been able to afford potions or healing from experts. This is how I''ve diversified my skillset. Otherwise, I would''ve been completely subservient to Phillip Novas and, by extension, the albony. You''ve seen where that gets you."


    I winced at the prospect. Tera opened a cupboard before pulling out several dimensional storage rings. He tossed them to me.


    "These have food and other necessities you may need. I know it isn''t much, but it should be able to handle the costs of moving us."


    I checked their contents, finding enough food to feed an army. I smiled.


    "I appreciate the offer, but I''ll be taking a different form of payment."


    I tossed them back, and Tera''s eyes narrowed.


    "Does that mean you''re expecting a subspecies contract? We will not sign another of those cursed things."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "I''m going to be hiring you and your elite. They''ll be able to join my guild and work for me. Everyone else is free to do whatever, given they follow a few rules. You know, don''t kill, steal, all the basic ethical necessities required for a functioning society."


    Tera''s irises slimmed like the eyes of a viper.


    "What percentage of our earnings will you be taking?"


    I scratched the side of my head.


    "What does that even mean?"


    Tera rolled his eyes.


    "You play coy, but I shall play along. You shall give us a quota of missions. We finish them for your members. We keep some of what we pillage, and you take the rest."


    I inspected a row of bottles holding miniaturized natural elements.


    "That''s not gonna happen. Well, maybe the quota, in a way."


    Tera stepped up.


    "Stop playing games. This is our livelihood you''re talking about. I appreciate what you''ve done, but I understand that no meal is given. It is earned, and we are more than willing to earn our keep. I want to know how much of our hunts you want to take."


    I met his eye.


    "Hm. About 0% of them, actually."


    Tera''s horned brow furrowed.


    "That doesn''t make sense."


    I moved my hands.


    "So think about it like this. I''m not here to get you to work jobs for me. It''s more like...Hm, I''m directing you guys to accomplish certain tasks I want done. You do them, you keep the rewards. In return for choosing to follow my directives, I''ll pay you guys for finishing those quests instead of handling other quests."


    Tera''s face scrunched up in disgust.


    "You...You''re paying us to finish quests for ourselves? How...How does that even make sense?"


    I shrugged.


    "No one on my planet wants to live in a desert. They''re considered wastelands. You guys are going to be in those remote regions, killing and destroying eldritch. Do that, and I''ll provide resources, support, whatever you guys need in the meantime."


    I spread my arms.


    "Think about it like this. I''m having you guys mow a lawn for me or something. After you finish, the lawn is yours."


    Tera stared at his clawed hands.


    "That''s not right. You''re paying us for landscaping our own yard. A-And you''re giving us a yard. We don''t own a yard."


    I made the walls of a box with my hands.


    "Oh, but see, that''s where you''re very, very wrong. You do, in fact, own a yard. Now, the thing is, your yard has to be in a certain spot. That''s why I''m paying you guys. That makes sense, eh?"


    Tera''s eyes hardened.


    "We''re not a charity."


    I lowered my hands.


    "And I''m not a philanthropist. Those eldritch will run wild and scour the land for food if we don''t have them handled at some point. Having you guys there eliminates them as a threat, and we may even be able to terraform the area over time if we play our cards right."


    Tera turned a clawed hand to me.


    "I''ll believe this deal when I see it. That said, you plan on terraforming your own planet?"


    I weighed my hands to and fro.


    "You know, I haven''t given it a ton of thought. The way I see it, there''s a complex relationship with nature that I don''t actually understand. Despite my appearance, I never graduated from high school, let alone college. What I do know is that land needs water. In that case, I could make plenty of water to land on the place as rain, but-"


    Tera waved a hand.


    "The oceans would rise. You''d become like Blegara in a few myriad years."


    I pointed at him.


    "Uh, sure. Tell me, do you know something about terraforming?"


    Tera smiled.


    "I do. It''s a pastime of mine. I love the interplay of forces that generate the geology of a planet. You know, the lay of the land. It''s a harmony not unlike music. Each twist and turn leads to a singular rhythm. Once you''ve found that rhythm, you can adjust it however you please. It''s a thing of beauty."


    My eyes widened.


    "When did you learn all that?"


    "On Absolon-22. It''s part of how I managed to get the planet under albony rule. I found several species of eldritch that produced a few natural forces. After getting them coordinated and breeding, I worked with a few albony scientists to release them in certain areas. That collapsed several of their planet''s farming structures.


    I then leveraged their poverty into financing accounts for the empire. It also required working with a few Schemic lawyers to arrange the contracts beforehand so that the albony could get their due."


    I nodded in awe.


    "Wow. You really took them for all their worth, huh?"


    A sad smile spread over Terra''s face.


    "No. I showed them the desperation of poverty and the evil of greed...But I did it for my family, and I''d do it again in a heartbeat for the hatchlings. For my people. Tearing their planet down kept us breathing. It''s why this city has grown to such a majestic sight."


    From his workshop, we got a great view of the expansive city. It was a series of poor, rundown slums. I kept my own judgments to myself as I nodded.


    "Yeah. It''s great you gave your all this for a planet."


    "Speaking of, whenever we get to your planet, I''ll have my team and me act as your skeptile squadron."


    I waved a hand.


    "Eh, that won''t be necessary."


    A smirk grew on Tera''s face.


    "Oh, but it will be."


    I leaned against one of his workstations.


    "What makes you say that?"


    Tera stepped up.


    "I''ve been thinking of how to help your guild since you offered us so much support. I have a few ideas."


    "Such as?"


    "First, you need an economist with global experience. I have that, and I can arrange for the needs of a population to be met."


    "That''s...Highly useful. What else?"


    "Second, I know how to use different eldritch for potion ingredients or other useful products without having them come back to life later. I can share my knowledge with your guild."


    "Hell yeah, that''s also pretty useful."


    "Third, we can help terraform regions. We skeptiles stay close to the ground, and we can speak to the spirits that rule over lands. We can harmonize those forces so that a place can become fruitful."


    "Spirits, huh? I didn''t know they existed, but it wouldn''t be the craziest thing I''ve seen since joining Schema''s system."


    "It is as true as the sands of time. From this barren rock, we''ve reaped impossible harvests, and that is how we can work with the land to bring the most out of it. I''m sure you''re able to handle food from what you''ve said, but we''re able to do that without interfering with the soil over the long term. Our methods help hold the careful balance of nature."


    I leaned forward.


    "Is that how you feed the people here?"


    "It is. We manipulate the climate with ritual magic. Once cast, we''ll need a continuous flow of mana, but we have plenty of people willing to man the shift for such a job."


    I scoffed.


    "Mana will never be a limiting factor again. Instead, your problems will start to revolve around not blowing everyone up."


    Tera smiled.


    "Too much power, hah. It is a good problem to have. We can start now if you''d like. All we will need are the initial funds to warp to your planet. I am ashamed to say that we lack the ability to warp so many, considering we have so little accrued wealth in our clan."


    A glimmer shined in my eye.


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. I''ve got a chauffeur."


    Tera gazed at the ground.


    "You''re sure that''s fine?"


    "Of course. I don''t want to leave you all high and dry."


    "To the contrary, we skeptiles prefer that kind of position."


    I laughed.


    "It''s a phrase. I''m not leaving you all on a new planet without support."


    "But we can handle it."


    "That''s the thing, you won''t have to. Besides, getting you guys going would help me accomplish my goals faster anyway."


    "Help. Like us managing our own lands for your profit?"


    "Profit? Probably not."


    Tera pinched the horns of his brow.


    "I cannot fathom why you''re doing this for us. It...It makes no sense. You have nothing to gain."


    I waved my hands in circles.


    "Think of my goals and aims as being the mysterious desires of the Harbinger."


    Helios walked downstairs, having heard us. The albony held a witticism waiting under his breath, but he chose to stay silent. I let him be before turning a palm to Tera.


    "You have your elites gathered, right?"


    Tera nodded.


    "As much as I''m able."


    "Then let''s go."


    We stepped out before each of us flew over to the center of the city. After passing a variety of slums in different states of disrepair, we stood beside the warping station and currency market. Schema''s hirees peered at us, worried as a hundred skeptiles mingled about. The veterans under Tera, these individuals wore the scars and wounds of war, and they sharpened weapons made of bone and teeth as we arrived.


    We landed amongst them. In silence, they grouped up behind Tera, who stood a head taller than the rest. What Yawm was for the porytians, Tera was to the skeptiles, but Tera led his race from abject poverty to prospective wealth. Unlike Yawm, Tera wouldn''t be corrupted during his rise to the top.


    I''d make sure of that. I raised my brow.


    "Are you all ready?"


    Tera gulped.


    "Of course."


    Helios took a deep breath, his mood like sour milk. He stretched out his hands, and our dimension bent. Springfield stood on the other end, and one of my architect golems waited for their arrival. Helios and I walked through before we turned to the skeptiles on the other side of the warp.


    I gestured to the city.


    "Alrighty then. Welcome to your new home planet - Earth."

 401 A Journeys End Is Another Beginning

    I''d make sure of that. I raised my brow.


    "Are you all ready?"


    Tera gulped.


    "Of course."


    Helios took a deep breath, his mood like sour milk. He stretched out his hands, and our dimension bent. Springfield stood on the other end, and one of my architect golems waited for their arrival. Helios and I walked through before we turned to the skeptiles on the other side of the warp.


    I gestured to the city.


    "Alrighty then. Welcome to your new home planet - Earth."


    Chapter Begin


    The skeptiles paced onto another world, many of them having never left their world and its barren hellscape. The skeptile veterans ogled at the buildings, city streets, mana lamps, and especially the greenery. One of them murmured.


    "It is as if the world is dyed green."


    As they walked onto Springfield''s heart, Krog, Chrona, and Diesel waited for them. Though somewhat afraid, the skeptiles gave them bows and exchanged greetings before we got the group situated. Once everyone was over, Helios hopped through his portal. His nose bled before he raised a hand.


    "I''m getting a drink."


    He stumbled away. His portal remained open in case we forgot anything. With everyone on our side of the ether, I raised my hands.


    "Hello, skeptiles. You are the frontrunners of your kind, and your mission is to bring your species out of anguish and into avarice. I''ll be giving you more than one chance to make that happen, and with diligence and duty, you''ll forge a new path for your people. No corpses will desiccate under the sun if you all apply yourselves."


    Honestly, even if they lazed about, they wouldn''t starve here. My declaration had the intended effect as they radiated a palpable enthusiasm. I shifted my aura from the Rise of Eden to Event Horizon as I turned to our convoy.


    "This is Krog, Chrona, and Diesel. They''ll take an architect golem towards your new home. There, you''ll scope out various lands before forging a massive capital of your choosing. I''ll add nine other cities once your primary landing point has been established. All I ask is that you work with the locals of any area by giving them plenty of breathing room and space."


    I gestured to Diesel.


    "Once you''re settled in, Diesel will assist with creating your new city layout and building plans. He''s experienced and will help you pull this together quickly."


    One of the skeptiles murmured.


    "It will take centuries, but it will be done."


    Diesel sat on the shoulder of the architect. He tapped the ethereal-looking golem.


    "You''d be surprised how much ground one of these babies can cover."


    The architect gestured a hand.


    "Though I am but a humble servant, I am here to grant my services to all in the name of my creator."


    I smiled.


    "That''s the plan. I''m guessing these are the volunteers for the project?"


    Four gialgathens, a few dozen Eltari, and twelve people waited behind my followers. Elthara was one of the Eltari, her Omega Strains rippling over her body. By now, they were a part of her body as much as my armor was mine.


    She bowed to me.


    "We are. We wish to grant these people as warm a welcome as we received."


    Tera blinked.


    "I''m hoping it wasn''t a cold night when you arrived then."


    Elthara reached out a crystalline arm.


    "To us, this world is chilly, but its people are like embers. It''s good to meet you. I am Elthara."


    Tera smiled, his eyebrows rising.


    "I-I,m Tera, the World Breaker."


    Elthara''s eyes widened.


    "Impressive title."


    Tera let her hand go.


    "I''m certain you''ve got plenty of achievements that rival my own."


    One of Tera''s wives, this one a warrior, walked up.


    "You seem ripe. Would you join our clan?"


    Elthara gawked.


    "Huh...I, I don''t think so."


    The wife pointed at her eyes, then at Elthara''s.


    "I will tell you first, but we don''t give up easily. Be ready to be invited to many warm meals when we get a new home."


    Tera nudged his wife back with an arm.


    "Do ignore them. They''re just ecstatic we get to live somewhere with so much water."


    Elthara laughed.


    "You should see Blegara."


    They chatted away, getting along without a hitch. Chrona scoffed.


    "It would seem these skeptiles are like babies that never fully grow."


    Krog nodded.


    "They''re so strange, like tiny caimans."


    I gawked as one of the skeptile children ran up and grabbed a horn on Krog''s side. They must''ve run through the open portal. The child spread its hands.


    "You feel like big frogs."


    Krog''s face soured.


    "Ah. I suppose all races know of frogs aside from us."


    Chrona leaned down, her eyes the size of the child''s entire body.


    "Little one, have you not learned fear?"


    The child put its eye up to Chrona.


    "I am so afraid I will either laugh or cry. I choose to laugh."


    Chrona smiled.


    "Then I will choose to laugh with you."


    Tera grabbed the child.


    "Go back through the warp before it closes. Stay with your mothers until I return."


    The child deflated like a popped balloon. It sprinted through the ruptured space-time before it slammed shut. In an alley to the left, I could hear Helios vomiting. We wouldn''t be getting any more warps for a while. Either way, we had one last remaining issue. I messaged Shalahora, who warped into the square an instant later.


    A palpable wave of fear spread through the skeptiles before Shalahora dispersed a subtle psionic web. Tera narrowed his eyes at the shadowy Sovereign. Tera murmured.


    "What is he doing?"


    Shalahora whispered.


    "They are clean."


    As quickly as he came, he left. I waved a hand, getting everyone lined up.


    "He''s running a quick checkup to make sure there''s no smuggling going on."


    Tera tilted his head.


    "What counts as smuggling?"


    I smiled.


    "Apparently, aspirin."


    A short chat later, I accepted the skeptiles into my guild. Each of them grew by several feet in height, thousands of pounds in weight, and gained enormous amounts of stats. Tera scoffed.


    "Is this what everyone who is in your guild experiences?"


    One of the eltari in the back laughed.


    "I threw up when I first joined. It was like bad hangover."


    After squaring everything away, I waved bye as the skeptiles left. Some floated with the architect golem. Others rode the backs of the gialgathens. Tera shouted on the back of Chrona.


    "Thank you. This is a beautiful home, and we will not tarnish this gift given."


    I smiled.


    "I didn''t doubt you guys for a second, but you''re welcome."


    After they were gone, I pulled Helios back up to Mt. Verner. We wove through tunnels before I set him near his room in the top suites. He hobbled off, his exhaustion leaving him shaking. Even if he didn''t say it, I could tell the trip shook him up. Combine that with fighting Elysium''s forces, and Helios hardly made it to his room.


    Before he walked in, I extended a hand.


    "You know, I could always give away a few golems to help you with your fights against Elysium."


    Helios leaned against his doorway.


    "I am not going to be a burden to you. I fight on my own terms for my own reasons. They''re not yours, and you will not treat them as such."


    He glared.


    "I ask you to give me this dignity."


    I frowned.


    "Dignity, huh? Well, consider it done, but know the offer still stands."


    He hobbled into his room.


    "As do my principles. Goodbye."


    His doorway closed before I stood there in contemplation. I had to admit that it was nice having a follower who wanted to handle his own business when needed. I was always getting pulled around to different tasks, and a large part of that stemmed from how much help everyone needed. Still, it didn''t take long to make combat golems by any stretch. I could crank those out in like, two hours or something.


    Making them weaker was the real problem.


    Anyway, I walked towards one of the ventilation shafts before heading outside. As I traversed the inner tunnels, I collected lint before burning it outside of Mt. Verner. Whether I liked it or not, I was, in fact, a giant duster at this point. I might as well do a good job dusting. With the sun setting, I headed towards Shalahora and my hill, my chosen place of purgatory.


    As I lazily hovered over, my thoughts tumbled in my mind like clothes in a drier. I let them tumble without any rhyme or reason. The skeptiles suffered under Obolis, and other species did the same. I was aware since the Vagni suffered a similar fate, but the Vagni were half eldritch.


    That''s why the Empire''s paranoia against them seemed logical at the time. After all, Blegara had been a fringe world. It carried many detriments that would require decades of determined effort to fix. However, the skeptiles demonstrated no such hostility, and their upbeat attitudes amidst their harsh lives left me feeling hollow.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    How many races were in their position? How many people suffered the same kind of fate, one relegated to squandering in dirt as others pilfered off them? It didn''t even make sense to me why someone would do that. It left the leeching species fat and weak, with their minds lazy and their bodies soft.


    It helped no one. No one at all.


    I wanted to have people fight and face reality head-on. In my kind of planet, we''d find what we love and do it every day. Although I didn''t understand people well, I knew enough to say they were happiest when working towards something. A guild worth building would have that goal front and center by inspiring the masses and giving them a deeper purpose.


    In that regard, I had floundered. My guild''s mission and purpose were dictated by my personal concerns, not anything overarching or principled. In some ways, it stopped us from getting caught in the weeds. If everyone acted without any direction, then the guild would naturally splinter apart. On the other hand, by directing the guild on my terms, I swiveled this ship''s helm in wild, crazy ways.


    In time, I needed to sit down and think about my governance. How would everything be managed while I was away? What guiding principles did we need? What about punishment, legalities, etc? These were skills and entire thought systems I sorely lacked. It left me humbled as I arrived with Shalahora waiting on me.


    The shadow sighed.


    "Again. You never miss an opportunity to suffer, do you?"


    I pulled my dimensional anchor into a comfortable, easy-to-maintain spot.


    "If the suffering has meaning, then sure. Anyways, you ready?"


    His form blended into the dark, an encompassing visage.


    "Tell me if the night is dark enough."


    The night of training passed by in a flash. Well, you know, if a flash was a prolonged persecution by torture-happy demons. After being mentally beaten, psionically bruised, and spiritually trounced, I got my bearings back by meditating. Once handled, I checked up on the luminari leaders. After seeing the skeptiles wallowing, I grounded my actions once more.


    Even if I didn''t see it, what I did mattered. It really, really mattered at this point. To take advantage of that leverage, I aimed my sights on establishing a solid relationship with this new species. That, and I got my revised contract back from Florence''s contact. The lawyer albony quadrupled the length of my document, having an extensive history of comments and details on what changes he made and why.


    I had one mind convert it in the cipher, another read through the changes, and a third one carve what the other converted. Doing a dozen things at once, I landed in the medical bay. A real one, this time. Kessiah had an architect construct a series of concrete buildings with the appropriate quintessence lighting. While sterile and lifeless, the hospital gave the luminari exactly what they needed.


    Each space offered direct vantage points to the sun and stars, glass lining every ceiling to the sky. They even had fans operate when medical personnel left the room, ensuring a steady breeze bombarded the aliens. It left them healing at a rapid pace, giving Kessiah a much-needed break.


    Speaking of, she walked out of the room, her belt buckle glowing. A bead of sweat poured from her forehead as I walked by. I pointed at the artifact.


    "How''s it holding up?"


    Kessiah leaned against the wall.


    "Yeah, well enough. It''s...I don''t know, noisy? It''s definitely a strong tool, but it puts a lot of pressure on me to perform."


    She wiped a brow.


    "It''s so damn weird. I feel like I''m barely scratching the surface of what it can do, but that''s while I''m giving it my all."


    Remembering my experiences with Shalahora, I nodded.


    "I understand the feeling. How many casualties were there?"


    "None. The only people that died were the ones Shalahora uncovered to be Elysium agents."


    I held up a hand. She high-fived before letting out a gasp.


    "Yeah, some of these people you handed off to me...They were in such bad shape. Keeping them stable took everything I had."


    I winced.


    "You mean the rulers from L-7?"


    She shivered.


    "I can''t believe some of them were even alive. Some of them even had these rainbow spines coming out of parts of their body. You told me not to touch them, but I didn''t need the tip. They felt...Like demons under their skin or something."


    Kessiah''s eyes grew distant.


    "I think that''s about where my new limit is. After the Yawm situation, I''m willing to take on tough jobs. Sometimes, dealing with them is easier than tolerating the guilt from running away."


    Her eyes narrowed.


    "But that new planet you mentioned, L-7? You won''t see me there unless I''m dead or dragged by my hands and feet, kicking and screaming."


    I shrugged.


    "You might surprise yourself, but yeah, it''s pretty bad."


    Kessiah scoffed.


    "That''s an understatement. I''ll walk into the fire, but I''m not diving into a lava pit."


    She walked off.


    "Anyways, good luck. Cya later, big guy."


    She left me wondering if my perspective was warped on Leviathan-7. I estimated the pressures of the planet, but my build gave me immunity to most physical ailments. Based on Kessiah''s description, the hostility of the planet dwarfed even my high estimations. Either that or she sensed something I couldn''t.


    I hoped the golems and cities I left behind would make it until I returned.


    Putting myself back in the present, I checked the medical rooms. Each alien glowed with far more health and radiance than when they arrived. With the luminari''s safety ensured, I finished forming the luminari''s contract as I walked into Echo''s room.


    Having regained its vitality, Echo''s white outline thickened into a shimmering mist. The internal dark deepened, its skin a void without end. Its surface lights bounced around within its outlined shape, but to show politeness, it dimmed the flashing so it wouldn''t blind other races.


    Echo bowed its head to me.


    "Harbinger, thank you for the hospitality. We can hardly believe the thoroughness of your care."


    I raised a palm.


    "It''s the least we can do, but I wouldn''t thank me just yet. We still have this to attend to."


    I showed the contract in my grimoire. Echo''s lights changed to red.


    "This is far more than we agreed upon."


    I waved my hands.


    "I had a professional work on it. It stops you guys from rescinding as easily or finding loopholes. This isn''t just for my safety, either. You guys will suffer fewer stray bullets if I use better legal documentation and all that."


    Echo''s red deepened to the color of blood.


    "This stops us from using Schema''s system to our advantage. You are stopping the future prosperity of our race."


    I scoffed.


    "You''re not feeble. You don''t need to leech off other species."


    Echo''s lights hastened.


    "We''re not invincible. Those measures you look down upon allow us to save other races while benefiting our own in the process."


    I shook my head.


    "Do that without the daily contracts or caste systems, or is your entire species only able to use this one venture for affluence?"


    Echo glared down at the contract, its eyes coalescing into a single orb on its face. It was like an ink cyclops with charcoal skin.


    "I know your thoughts, but you have to understand that I''m more than worried. We''re going to struggle after this war. How are we luminari supposed to recover?"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "I''ve read a little about your kind since we last met. From what I gathered, the luminary are not weak, frail, or foolish. Maybe you need to be reminded of that."


    Echo''s hands shook.


    "This...This will ruin us."


    I pulled a ring from my dimensional storage.


    "You''re underestimating how much I offer in return for your obligations."


    The luminari stared at the ring. I gestured to it.


    "Try it on."


    Echo put it on a finger.


    "We are a people worthy of trust-"


    He gawked at the ring. His light outline thickened, more lights forming within his body. He expanded, and the bed buckled beneath him. I tapped the steel pages of my grimoire.


    "I thought the last people I worked with were worthy of trust as well, but I was wrong."


    I pulled the grimoire''s words out as glowing letters.


    "And I''m not going to be wrong again. Sign, or our alliance is done."


    The letters singed onto a large plate of my dimensional fabric. The luminari heaved back as if distraught.


    "Y-you use your skin as paper for contracts?"


    I floated the panel over to him.


    "Paper is fragile. I am not."


    I saturated the panel in a gravity well before pointing at it.


    "Use something to turn it if you need to. Putting your hand against the page will result in it being crushed."


    Echo pulled its hand away.


    "Why use so much gravitation?"


    "Because it''s heavy. Very, very heavy. I''m going to have a talk with Florence real quick. You heal up and read through that."


    Echo leaned back.


    "Aren''t you worried I''ll change the wording of the contract?"


    I leaned over the document, my hand on the dark metal. It shivered as if alive.


    "You can try, but know this document still has teeth."


    I stepped out of the room.


    "Remember one thing if you''ve forgotten everything else I''ve told you in this conversation. I believe in you and your people. You should start doing the same."


    As I walked out, Echo''s head lowered, and his hands squeezed the hospital bedding. Heading out of the place, I sent Florence a message. He replied, and I walked back inside to a different room in the single-floor building. Florence rested with his feet propped up. He chatted on his obelisk, enraptured in a conversation as I walked up.


    He closed his obelisk, more like a chatterbox, before Florence grabbed his knee.


    "Oh, oooooh, the pain. It''s too much to bear."


    I gently flicked his leg. He pulled it back while rubbing his ankle.


    "Oof, what was that for?"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "I was testing to see if it was still injured. How are you holding up?''


    Florence pulled his feet off his bed before standing up.


    "I''m fine. Kessiah and Shalahora have analyzed and tested every facet of me to ensure I''m not implanted with Elysium''s ilk. I''ve been cleared this morning for further tasks."


    "Good. I''m going to start offering this deal to other empires."


    Florence''s brow raised.


    "Really now? Where''s this sudden change of heart coming from?"


    "Eh, I''ve seen what state a lot of these people are in. It''s not good, and if I can change it, then I will."


    "Ah. You must''ve seen skeptiles then. It''s a nasty business, isn''t it? I remember the first time I saw their capital. Corpses lined the streets in droves. It was as if some dark demon put a straw in their veins before sucking out every ounce of moisture."


    Florence frowned.


    "That was a large part of why I signed up to rule over Blegara despite feeling so unprepared."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "You didn''t want them to do the same thing to the Vagni?"


    Florence brushed off his hospital robe.


    "Indeed. It was a personal vendetta, in a way. My family thought it was too difficult a thing for me to manage, from my idealistic standpoint to my monumental task of rehabilitating the Vagni."


    Florence''s eyes carried a lingering sadness.


    "They were right. You bailed me out of my over-commitment, and they still rebel to this day."


    I shook my head.


    "We rebutted Elysium, took control for a while, and we survived."


    My eyes hardened.


    "Considering who our enemies are, we accomplished a lot. That''s actually why I''m here."


    Florence tilted his head. I raised a fist.


    "I want to extend this anti-slavery deal to all the other rulers we saved on L-7. It lets us retaliate against Elysium for sending Lehesion to Blegara and for breaching our air space on Earth. After we have these empires benefitting from our arrangement, I''m extending the same deal to anyone being assaulted by Elysium."


    Florence winced.


    "I was fine with doing this for one species, but well over a dozen? I don''t think that''s a good idea. We''ll attract the ire of Elysium on a different scale."


    Through the glass roof, I stared at the sun. I could peer into the light without being blinded or hurt by its brilliance.


    "I gave that some thought. See, they can''t face us in an open military conflict. If they send the giant, mopey gialgathen our way, I''ll brutalize him like I did last time. Plazia and Shalahora can be used as potent weapons both offensively and defensively as well, and Earth''s retaking doesn''t require my direct intervention."


    I interlocked my hands behind myself as Torix oftentimes did.


    "However, Elysium''s ability to turn neutral ground into an advantage is unmatched. Without anyone knowing, they can dismantle an alien force from within using their remapping abilities. Anyone with the luck perk can be reconstructed into an unwilling homunculus for their goals, one they guide towards key positions before they take the offensive."


    I frowned.


    "That''s how the luminari fell. You mentioned them turning sides at random. It turns out there''s nothing random about it."


    Florence winced.


    "Nasty business."


    I nodded.


    "Agreed. If anything, we need to apply pressure to keep our position where it is. If they''re able to focus on an unseen offensive against us, they''ll destroy us from within like cancer killing its host."


    I met Florence''s eye.


    "Hm. We''ll apply soft pressure where we need to, and perhaps their response shall be far less tumultuous than we expect. We''re not promoting slavery in these arrangements, and that is what Elysium fights so ardently against. The ideological sting of their propaganda should fall flat in the face of this leveled response."


    Florence gawked at me.


    "Since when did you become a strategist?"


    I tapped my temple.


    "Eh, think of it like this. There are many Daniels swirling in here, and I''m speaking for them. If my articulation alternates midspeech, it could also be from me switching my dimensional wake to a different one. In this case, a primordial aura."


    I rolled my hand.


    "It''s better at the tactical application of knowledge, but the interpersonal skills are...Well, lacking."


    Florence laughed.


    "This version of you reminds me of Helios."


    I interlocked my hands behind myself.


    "He has his good points."


    Florence tilted a hand to me.


    "Speaking of which, I wanted to discuss him. He''s pushing himself too hard as of late. I was wondering if you could offer him some support. I''ll pay back your patronage fully, of course."


    I shook my head.


    "I already have, and he won''t accept it."


    Florence put a hand over his chest.


    "Then I''ll take whatever you planned on offering him before forcing it down his throat. I''ll make sure he won''t take no for an answer, either."


    A menace shined in Florence''s eyes. I smiled.


    "I''ll send you the golems along with a copy of the cipheric contract we aim to have the other species sign. I''ll change the details as necessary, but it should give other species some understanding of what will be required."


    Florence walked through the room, his voice rising in volume.


    "Ah, finally, we can take some mark of aggression against these monsters. I know I''m not the most impartial of observers, but someone should''ve already Elysium wiped off the face of the Earth and from all planets and from all peoples. It''s going to be difficult, but we''ll silence them one voice at a time."


    I sighed.


    "I''m as anti-Elysium as anyone, but they''re not going anywhere anytime soon, no matter what we do."


    Disgust erupted over Florence''s face.


    "What? Do you not believe in our potential? We can wage war and win."


    I frowned.


    "To me, it''s not a matter of who''s stronger. It''s a matter of will. I''ll give an example. In my world, the worst wars were fought over ideological nonsense, from striving for absolute purity to enacting a utopian ideal. The pursuit of perfection clouded people from viewing the hell they created while pursuing their goals."


    I raised my brow.


    "I think that Elysium is the result of millennia of silenced dissent against Schema, and it''s erupted in this brutality for that reason."


    Florence grabbed his chin.


    "Perhaps, but it doesn''t justify what they''ve done."


    "You''re right. It doesn''t, but it does explain why they do what they do. That means if we kill them, we still haven''t killed the reason behind what they do. They''ll come back in another form, and it may be even worse than the current iteration."


    Florence scoffed.


    "I doubt that''s even possible."


    My eyes darkened.


    "If there is something I''ve learned since diving into Schema''s universe, it''s that there is no end to how deep a pit can go. Some of them are so abyssal, you can jump in and die before you even hit the bottom."


    Florence gulped.


    "Certainly, that seems to be the case. The fact they''re recreating people to serve them is as dystopian a principle as anything I''ve ever heard of."


    I frowned.


    "What if they did it to unborn children? Perhaps they could cipherically implant their ideas into the genetic code of people. They''d propagate silently, spreading their ideas and messages in silence, yet the proliferation would be as certain as stone. It would be akin to a plague written into their DNA."


    Florence shivered. I closed my eyes.


    "Or they may make a disease that slowly alters other people''s DNA in the same way. I can''t say because, at this point, the situation has become worse than I imagined it could four or five times over. That''s why I think my imagination might be the problem."


    Florence took a step back, his eyes wide.


    "Daniel...Don''t speak something like that into existence."


    I turned and stared at a wall.


    "We''ll need to tackle this problem from a wider angle. They''re doing all of this because of Schema. That means we need to fix the problem at its source. At some point, at least. As for eliminating Elysium, it''s impossible without getting past their protector."


    Florence furrowed his brow.


    "You mean Lehesion?"


    I grabbed the wall, my fingers digging into the concrete.


    "No. I could''ve smashed him like a bug. I need to kill the so-called gods that protect him."


    Florence furrowed his brow.


    "And who might they be?"


    I spiraled the concrete dust over my palm. It swirled like nebulae in space as I turned to Florence.


    "The Old Ones, of course. I''m going to kill them all."

 402 What Starts a Flame

    Florence furrowed his brow.


    "You mean Lehesion?"


    I grabbed the wall, my fingers digging into the concrete.


    "No. I could''ve smashed him like a bug. I need to kill the so-called gods that protect him."


    Florence furrowed his brow.


    "And who might they be?"


    I spiraled the concrete dust over my palm. It swirled like nebulae in space as I turned to Florence.


    "The Old Ones, of course. I''m going to kill them all."


    Chapter Begin


    Florence watched chips of concrete swirl.


    "Are the Old Ones even alive to kill?"


    I sighed, pulling my hand back.


    "I don''t know."


    Florence scratched the back of his head.


    "It sounds like a rather lofty goal then. Personally, I can''t even imagine ending an Old One. From what Obolis said about them, they''re not even comparable to the cosmos. Supposedly, they watch us, poking and prodding where they wish without want or reason."


    I honed in on Florence. The albony gazed into the distance.


    "Ah yes, Obolis once said the Old Ones were from a different dimension. I doubted him then. Now, I realize he didn''t know, and I likely never will either."


    Florence stepped up to his regal clothes. It would''ve been hella awkward if not for the fact fur covered his entire body.


    "Your goals are easy to understand, at least. If you did slay an Old One, it would be an incredible achievement, something that''s never been done. It''s a lucrative pursuit as well. They are the only S+ bounties in Schema''s system, so the rewards would be endless."


    I laughed.


    "The Old Ones are much bigger than Schema from what I can tell. I''ll need to maximize my system gains before trying to take them on. After that, I''ll have to tread into some pretty unmarked territory for quite some time. Combine that with plenty of research to figure out what they''re capable of. How they''re alive. What they want. Anything I can scrounge up, honestly."


    I shook my head.


    "It''s a lot. Sometimes I feel like I''m in way over my head."


    Florence smirked.


    "I''d certainly hope so. Otherwise, our resident Harbinger wouldn''t have any cataclysm to omen, now would he?"


    I gave his shoulder a nudge.


    "I''d be hopeless. Lost, some might say. Speaking of which, I''ll get lost and let you change."


    Florence rolled his eyes.


    "Fur covers every inch of an albony''s body. If I may be so frank, the clothes situation hasn''t ever really made much sense to me. For us albony, that is. You know, this cultural practice of clothing required intense air conditioning during the albony industrialization. Imagine a pre-system albony wearing these robes in a hot, humid area."


    Florence winced.


    "Blegh. I''d pass out from hyperventilating. One couldn''t hope to outpant the heat."


    I stepped out with a smile.


    "Good luck, Florence."


    "You as well. Ah, before you go, may I say something?"


    I leaned against the doorframe.


    "Sure. What''s up?"


    Florence nestled his hands.


    "Not that I doubt your judgment, but I was wondering why you trust so deeply in Shalahora and Plazia."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "What do you mean?"


    Florence took a breath.


    "It''s a matter of recourse. Those individuals far exceed the general power standard of our guild. Either of them could run amok and leave us devastated. At the same time, they both come from dubious origins with cloudy, muddled allegiances behind them."


    Florence met my eye.


    "But there is more. Rarely, I cannot read an individual, yet I can''t read either of them in our conversations. It''s haunting to me."


    Florence shivered.


    "And Shalahora, it feels as though he''s seen through me at times. I...I trust your judgment in most situations, but these two...Are you not worried they shall defect? Perhaps work against your best interests?"


    I considered Florence''s words for a moment. The albony raised a hand.


    "Pretend I never said anything."


    I waved his redaction off.


    "You''re right to be concerned, and I''m taking a second to pool my thoughts."


    A minute later, Florence dressed himself. I turned a palm to him, and my thoughts settled.


    "I have three reasons: need, incentives, and understanding."


    Florence tilted his head.


    "It''s good you''ve given it thought. So how do those factors align towards our gain?"


    I counted on my fingers.


    "For need, we need them, and they need us. Regardless of Plazia''s methods, I do believe him when he talks about his past. I can feel he''s being honest, and he''s been more than willing to work hard to earn my trust. Shalahora''s skills are actually even more necessary, and I believe his situation is far more constrained given he signed a cipheric contract."


    Florence nodded.


    "You mentioned it, and though I haven''t seen the details, I assume it was well thought out. However, what of Plazia? He could be lying to you between his teeth, and you''d be none the wiser."


    My mind settled onto the conversation. They inspected Florence''s breathing, heart rate, perspiration, and mana flows. I spoke as minds poured over everything I said.


    "I''m harder to deceive than I used to be."


    Florence''s hair stood on end. He gulped.


    "Hah. I certainly feel that in our conversations. However, it''s difficult to assume the same signs are evident in a hivemind."


    "I think it''s the opposite because of how Plazia speaks. He pulls minds together, aligns them, and then speaks from a unified front. The reality is that he''s a congregation of many different minds that all think differently. As he mulls over the enormity of conversational choices, pieces of his inner thoughts slip. That''s one of the reasons he''s so rude."


    Florence scoffed.


    "I thought that was merely a side effect of being an eldritch. Amara is quite the handful as well."


    I peered through Florence.


    "Yet Other Hod is as polite as anyone I''ve ever spoken to. In the case of Plazia, he''s splintered between many pieces of himself while suppressing a desperate hunger. It also helps to know he could''ve killed me a dozen times over, considering how long he surveilled Earth before joining our guild."


    Florence leaned back.


    "He surveilled Earth?"


    I spent some time telling Florence the details of meeting Plazia alongside stories of the hivemind''s past. By the time I finished, Florence nodded along. The albony cupped his chin in thought.


    "Hm. Everything does align with our goals, though from a different angle. Perhaps he''s more trustworthy than I thought."


    I raised my brow.


    "Regardless, I''m coming up with methods and ideas for managing a worst-case scenario involving the guy, but so far, he hasn''t given us a reason to mistrust him."


    Florence took a breath.


    "I''ll see if I can''t manage some dissent in the guild during my downtime then."


    "Dissent?"


    "Well of course. You handed an eldritch hivemind one of your guild''s highest honors while neglecting to mention what it was that he had done to support us in detail. The people of your guild aren''t happy about it, and I''m of the opinion they''re rightfully resentful."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Why hasn''t anyone mentioned it? Hell, no one''s even so much as thought about it whenever I''m around. Huh. I might be worse at reading lies than I thought."


    Florence shook his head.


    "Your aura is palpable, friend. They do not lie to you whenever you''re around. They find themselves believing despite themselves. It''s once you''re gone that doubt settles in like a creeping mold in an old home. I''ll find some method of marketing Plazia''s more positive traits in the meantime."


    "I would appreciate that."


    "It''s never a problem, and thank you for taking the time to alleviate my worries. Now, I have a bit of business to attend to. There are many factional meetings on my docket, and I''m certain you have much to attend to as well."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I waved a hand.


    "Good luck."


    "You as well, Harbinger."


    After leaving him to his devices, I headed out of the hospital. Before I made it, Echo walked out of its room and stopped in front of me. Its steps left glowing footprints that faded over time, and a subtle streak of illuminated mist followed after it like a plane''s contrail. The effect faded over a few seconds. No matter what I thought about their species, the luminari carried a serious visual appeal. They were genuinely beautiful.


    Echo raised a palm.


    "Wait a moment. I wished to say something."


    I raised my brow.


    "You finished that quickly. I thought it would take a few weeks. Do you know the cipher that well?"


    Echo lowered his hand.


    "Our kind reads intent, not words. In that regard, the general consensus of the document was clear. I also think you are correct in your assessments. We can achieve more than we have, and we don''t need to rely on outdated Schemic systems to do so."


    I frowned, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor.


    "What changed your mind?"


    Echo pointed down the hallway.


    "A nurse came by my room while you were away. They told me that your species originated on this planet. I could hardly believe it. To think that the Harbinger formed from a barren, underdeveloped, and backwater wasteland like this. It defies all conventions."


    He made his opinion of Earth clear. Echo stood tall.


    "We will follow in the path you have laid out, one of brutally conquering other races instead of using Schema''s tricks. We will walk the bloody path you have set before us."


    I blinked as a stunned silence passed over us. I frowned.


    "I''ve conquered no one, and I am the king of nothing."


    "Then what of the gialgathens? Are they not required to serve your guild for a hundred years before they are freed?"


    I rubbed my temples, searching my mind for the terms he referenced.


    "I believe that was two decades, and they live for hundreds of years. I couldn''t afford to feed them or house them at the time, so we agreed to a certain amount of guild assistance. They''re still paid salaries, given benefits, and can choose what they do when they do it."


    Echo laughed.


    "Ah, of course! But...They are still required to serve. Correct?"


    I frowned.


    "Yes. With full pay and no permanent repercussions, caste systems, or daily quests."


    Echo crossed its arms.


    "hm. Is that the difference, then? It seems so similar to what we''ve done, but perhaps the light of a situation is found in those details? I''ll reassess my revelations, but I also wanted to point something out to you."


    It walked into its room and pointed up.


    "We luminari are more in tune with the electromagnetic waves of a planet and star system than your kind are. Currently, the sol system appears to be under some kind of unseen pressure, and it is causing the light waves to fractalize and bend in certain places."


    I leaned against a wall.


    "Fractilize? Isn''t that where a pattern repeats forever? How would light even do that?"


    Echo lowered his hand.


    "It''s feasible, if a bit tricky. We use light fractals during union ceremonies to express the harmony between two luminari. The light fractals are created with two beams of light, each one representing one of the two present. The lights then blend together, intertwining as deeply as one may dare to gaze."


    I crossed my arms.


    "Ok, I''m not a romantic, but I gotta admit that does sound beautiful."


    Echo''s lights glowed yellow.


    "It is. However, these light fractals we create never exist in nature. For light to bend at such angles isn''t feasible without intervention, and some strange force is curving it in odd ways. We thought you should know about it."


    I gave his shoulder a tap.


    "Now that''s the kind of teamwork we''re looking for. I appreciate the info."


    I turned to walk off. Echo''s head twitched.


    "You should know that this effect isn''t isolated to Earth. It is present across the entire Sol system. Be ready for whatever encroaches."


    I paused. Echo sat back down on his bed.


    "We wish you luck dealing with whatever is causing this irregularity. You may need it."


    Dread pooled in my stomach hearing that. I waved a hand.


    "Thanks for letting me know."


    I walked out of the hospital while considering Echo''s words. My gut instinct told me it was related to the uncloseable dungeon in Chicago. After all, those portals meant some dimensional instability was occurring, so light curving all over the place wasn''t exactly surprising. However, I hadn''t locked that connection point in.


    My musings left me swimming for answers and finding none. Once outside the healing center, I opened my status.


    The Living Multiverse | Level 24,011 (Cap: 39,000) | Class: Sovereign | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion - Yo, Torix. Is it possible to have you scout out the moon? I just had a warning from a luminari leader, and it sounded nefarious.


    A few seconds passed.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition | Class: Archmage | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | (lvl 16,000) - Ah, there have been reports of relatively strange happenings throughout the continents. It''s only logical that such a celestial phenomenon wouldn''t be limited to one measly solar system, let alone a planet.


    I shall attempt to uncover some means or manner of investigating it. Perhaps it''s time to remake my previous lunar base? It does have a rather diabolical ring to it that I find quite appealing.


    I''ll keep you posted on any happenings and the like.


    I hadn''t checked out Torix''s status in a while. He capped his level a while back, it seemed. Checking out my own status, I had a few points lingering, so I put them in endurance and finalized my selection. A subtle energy permeated through me, but it was far more difficult to perceive than whenever I gained a tree upgrade.


    An idea popped into my head from that, but I left that for later.


    Having crossed out quite a bit on my to-do list, I still had a few errands lined up. I wanted to remake Torix''s body, but if I did, it would be outdated soon. The Arming Schema''s Warrior''s quest would raise my level immensely, and Torix deserved something mint after all his contributions.


    Those considerations led me to my golem creation facility. Within its heat-insulating walls, I crafted and molded a couple thousand golems over the next few days. The process gave me time to hone in on my next legendary skill and to consider what unknown skill I''d ask for with my compendiums.


    Unfortunately, I found a few problems. A bit of research revealed the legendary compendium''s limitations. It required me to already have three mythical skills created, so it only fused the skills rather than building them from the ground up like the mythical compendium had. That being said, the fusing process still gave me a lot of flexibility.


    While not directly stated, my reading implied a legendary compendium could fuse any mythical skills regardless of synergy. This was the exploitable element of the compendium, not gaining the actual legendary skill. By forcing skills together, the learning experience could create strange, odd combinations that defied reason, all while filling in missing parts of a build or skillset.


    That being said, most of the information I had came from the treasure trove Elysium gave us, combined with some extra learning licenses Amara gave me. More like hacked into my status. Either way, those adjustments let me rummage through various safeguards Schema established on his network. It even let me browse through a few isolated interwebs for other empires and species.


    Having a hacker eldritch wasn''t too shabby.


    No matter what file cabinets I raided or data stashes I uncorked, there wasn''t any information on the unknown compendium. In fact, almost nothing referenced them at all. At first, I thought the gaps surfaced because Elysium purposefully neglected those pockets of information, but nothing existed on Schema''s network as well.


    It was something uniquely mine, so I put that on the back burner for now.


    Putting myself back in the present, I gazed at a couple thousand raw golems floating in the facility. Before sending them out, I installed a new runic paradigm revolving around the molerats and luminari, something I was able to do because of Diesel''s limiters.


    I got them ready for action before beginning the long, arduous process of crafting Schema''s proposed gear. Even a simple amulet/ring combo added to the subtotal, so I cranked those out like a politician spouting false promises. Within hours, I hoarded a colossal pile of enchanted rings and chains, though they only had basic enchantments at best.


    Taking note of the time required, I crafted about three thousand of them in an hour. That meant 72,000 amulets in a full day. It would be half that because of my nighttime training with Shalahora. I''d need well over half a year to finish Schema''s request, assuming my pace didn''t accelerate over time. Oof.


    Getting after it, I crafted for the rest of the day, the sun setting in the distance. I sent the golems to relevant parties, from established cities from my expansion force to skeptile settlements to Florence. Once finished, I mosied on over to Shalahora''s hill. The brutal, genuinely diabolical training continued with only the smallest indications of progress.


    Oh, but there were indications. I held onto that as motivation.


    By comparison, I kept on crafting the ring amulets until they flooded out in massive waves. To tally up my total for the quest, I had to take the merchandise to our currency exchange center in Springfield. When accepting the amulets, Sentinels arrived before hauling everything away with a few system-approved classers.


    The first day took several hours to haul the pendants, but the second took seconds. I got tired of waiting for them to verify the merchandise and ensure it wasn''t fake. They could do that on their own time and own pace, not mine. I stopped their warps from closing before hovering my amulets onto their gray vessels. I ruffled a few feathers in the process, but such was the price I paid to not waste my time.


    My guild kept busy in the meantime. The skeptiles found a remote location in the Mojave desert, finding an enclave of massive creatures with inhuman claws that left death in their wake. They called them the claws of death. Apparently, they hoarded up near a quarry beside Interstate 15. I appreciated the skeptiles clearing out the problem before it became too big a problem.


    At the same time, they established three footholds in the region, using some currency I granted them to shuttle a few skeptiles over. In particular, they loved the Grand Canyon, mentioning how it reminded them of home. To their chagrin, a massive dungeon formed over the area, dozens of dungeons fusing together into a colossal, alien ravine.


    The scouts left the fighting to Tera and my followers, but the conflict became more intense than anyone expected. A tribe of locals ruled over the monsters and organized them, and they used guerilla warfare and combat tactics to frustrate our team. To my chagrin, somehow, we lost two of my golems, and someone injured Krog.


    That left me baffled. While Diesel and Tera weren''t combat specialists, Krog and Chrona were. Considering the average level Earth sat at was somewhere in the high hundreds, my team should''ve vaporized any resistance with ease. It was like riding into a candy shop with a tank. Our dominance was assured.


    Until it wasn''t. Something was off, like with the Chicago rift, and it didn''t sit right with me. I planned on heading over soon. As for my guild''s growth, they established seven footholds in major populated areas nearby. We dispersed serious aid in Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Minneapolis.


    My guild established dominance over the Great Lakes area along with our presence in the American Southwest deserts. This required dismantling local warlords, which wasn''t the most difficult task. Most of their levels sat in the low thousands while being unclassed and unfamiliar with true strength.


    The futility of resisting our governance destroyed their fear-centric control. More potent than our combat abilities, my guild''s consistent donations and infrastructure build-up won over the local people. We didn''t have any tribute requirement, instead opting for a reconstruction-based plan. This enabled many of the locals to get back on their feet. It also increased our guild membership tenfold.


    Let''s just say Torix was a busy man in the meantime.


    Two weeks passed in this way, each piece of my guild steadily accruing control over certain areas and places. Because I got a system down, I finished one-tenth of my quest from Schema before getting a message from Tera.


    Tera, The World Breaker(Lvl 9,000 | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Speaker) - Hello, Daniel. I''m sending an update to let you know what''s happening. We''ve been using the architect golem and Diesel''s vast knowledge to establish a new home in what your kind calls the Grand Canyon.


    The issue is what you''ve probably heard about - there''s someone controlling the eldritch here. They weren''t strong where we first settled down, but closer to the largest parts of the canyon, we can''t even approach. It''s worse than a fringe world there, and I can''t believe your species is managing it. It is impossible to have formed this quickly in such a new world, yet it is here.


    The eldritch have strange powers as well, not like others I''ve encountered. One of Krog''s wings was nearly torn off by a blurring figure, and we''re worried we''ll start losing people once your golems are whittled down. We''re sorry to request your assistance, but we need someone to breach the outer line they''ve established.


    We could put down our cities elsewhere, but this place...It''s important for us. I think our kind will embrace this new world if we''re granted such a majestic new home. It reminds me of our capital before the industrial era of the albony ruined it. It''s a place for a new history.


    I know you''ve done enough for us, so let me know if it isn''t feasible. Thank you again for everything.


    It read like a letter, one I couldn''t say no to. I sent a message to Helios for transport before cracking my neck. Hovering out of my golem facility, I landed outside as a portal appeared. Helios walked out, a fresh wound on the side of his face.


    He smiled with a frenzy in his eyes.


    "Your actions are made known. I''ve seen your artifacts on the Sentinel''s beside me, and considering their ubiquity, you must be pressed for time in making them."


    I gestured to his face.


    "I''m not the only one juggling a dozen things at once. Where''d you get that?"


    Helios touched the trail of blood from the still-bleeding wound.


    "I fought a twisted Sentinel. They''re powerful opponents, ones without any true weakness. Your gauntlet prevents them from psionically overwhelming me, and the gravitation and telekinetic aspects enhance my mobility. Without the artifacts and the golems, I couldn''t kill them as I do."


    I raised a brow.


    "Them? As in multiple?"


    Helios gazed at his claws, his expression bored.


    "I fight what appears before me. Nothing more, nothing less."


    I gave his shoulder a friendly nudge.


    "Oh yeah, real smooth coming from the albony prince that''s still bleeding."


    He smirked.


    "Did my disinterest come across as that disingenuous?"


    I scoffed.


    "I could see the hidden smile from a mile away."


    Helios shrugged.


    "Despite myself, I must admit I''m proud of my kills."


    He frowned.


    "Onto pressing matters. As always, you required me for transport?"


    My expression hardened.


    "Yeah. Something''s happening a few thousand miles from here. I sent you the map."


    Helios stood with more confidence as he read the letter from Tera. Helios took a breath.


    "Then let''s uncover what''s stopping our compatriots from advancing, shall we?"

 403 A Hateful Home

    Helios shrugged.


    "Despite myself, I must admit I''m proud of my kills."


    He frowned.


    "Onto pressing matters. As always, you required me for transport?"


    My expression hardened.


    "Yeah. Something''s happening a few thousand miles from here. I sent you the map."


    Helios stood with more confidence as he read the letter from Tera. Helios took a breath.


    "Then let''s uncover what''s stopping our compatriots from advancing, shall we?"


    Chapter Begin


    Our resident warper''s brow furrowed.


    "Hm. I can''t isolate the area. It''s inaccessible."


    I stepped up.


    "What does that mean?"


    "It means I can''t warp us directly where they''ve settled down."


    "Can you get us close?"


    "To an extent. I''m not taking any risks to save a modicum of time."


    A rupture spawned, mana rippling and percussions echoing around us. We stepped through a warp, landing near the coordinates Tera sent. Surrounded by the orange and yellow hues of the Mojave desert, we searched for anything alive nearby. The only unusual area was a set of black spires that towered above the clouds in the distance.


    I stomped my feet into the ground, leaping into the air.


    "That has to be it."


    Helios followed.


    "Such sharp insight. Truly a visionary."


    I smirked.


    "You couldn''t even land us there."


    Helios rolled his eyes.


    "There''s something creating an oddity in the dimensional space. Landing us there could''ve created a partial collapse of the dimensional space, ensnaring us within."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "What does even mean?"


    Helios''s eyes narrowed.


    "As the spatial ethers clash, the surrounding space ripples, which can crush the tunnel a portalist creates."


    That reminded me of the time I got smushed by Eonoth saving Lehesion. We neared the looming towers. I gazed up at them.


    "So you walk through the portal before it snaps shut?"


    "Essentially, yes. It will cleave you in two, given the right circumstances. Even if you somehow survive, the portal can shift, resulting in a loss of orientation. That can be as deadly as any physical force."


    "Because you get lost?"


    Helios sighed.


    "Imagine you step out onto a world that mirrors where you expected to land in the first place. You wouldn''t recognize the different positioning until the portal closes its jaws behind you."


    I remembered the dark world I went to in Blegara''s gushing water pit. In that ancient rift, the stars dimmed, and no life lingered. I murmured, "You end up lost in a different world, left alone until you die."


    Helios''s eyes darkened.


    "Loneliness is a pain few can bear, and it''s not something anyone is taught to tolerate. Death comes from oneself in those situations."


    I grimaced.


    "Ah. I''m glad you''re keeping us safe, then."


    Helios waved his hand.


    "It''s the most frequent cause of death among warping specialists, so any of them worth their level would do something to prevent it."


    I winced.


    "What are the stats like?"


    "Two-thirds of warping specialists die by opening a portal incorrectly at some point in their careers."


    I scoffed.


    "How could it be that common?"


    "Anyone who can bend the cosmos is educated and high level, and they have likely lived for centuries. They become confident before becoming comfortable. Comfort becomes arrogance. Arrogance becomes death. It''s a common pattern that specialists fall into, one where they believe this cosmos is their haven."


    Helios''s eyes narrowed.


    "Nothing could be further from the truth. We are never in control. Anyone who traverses the universe rests on the smallest of rafts amidst the largest of oceans, and we may fall into the water at any point if we lose our rigor. A moment is all that separates us from falling prey to a passing spatial flux or miscalculation."


    "How do people even die to warps to incorrect areas? Wouldn''t you see the void of space or a lava pit before you stepped over?"


    Helios smiled.


    "The void of space would depressurize your surroundings, and you''d be sucked out into the opening. What if you opened the portal into the center of a planet? The gravitation and pressure are immense at those focal points. They pull you towards the opening while gushing out magma."


    I winced.


    "That does sound like a gruesome death sentence."


    Helios flew around a dark pillar.


    "I''ve lost good friends I respected to far smaller mistakes, so I''d rather not become the victim of my own arrogance."


    I gazed down at the growing canyon.


    "Speaking of victims, our national landmark is looking worse for wear."


    The Grand Canyon had altered into something unrecognizable. Colossal black spires jutted out of a pool of dense mist. That fog engulfed the entirety of the chasm, crimson flashes streaking through the perpetual cloud cover. Thunder echoed to the distant horizons, and various shadows writhed in the abyss.


    My senses couldn''t pierce the veil. It stopped all sight, smell, and even gravitational senses along its extent. Helios''s face wrinkled in disgust.


    "Ugh. This isn''t a typical dungeon. It''s an assimilated rift."


    I frowned.


    "Looks like it''s gotten out of control."


    Helios shook his head.


    "If anything, it''s a stabilized piece of spacetime that''s fused with Earth. The mist is what''s preventing a complete synthesis, but it can only do so for a short while."


    "I''m guessing that mist is why you couldn''t warp us in?"


    Helios''s eyes darkened.


    "Yes. The skeptiles lie in the mist. Fools."


    We flew closer to the gray clouds. I reached out a hand, and as my arm sank into the gray, I lost sensation in the limb. My mana couldn''t flow past the domain. I pulled my hand back up to my face, and my feeling returned.


    "It''s entirely separated. Damn."


    Helios pointed at a line of tracks and trails leading out of the canyon''s edges.


    "Yet life can walk to and fro without obstruction."


    I raised my brow.


    "People are trading inside this place? They''ve lost their minds."


    Helios dove into the mist.


    "We''ll find answers within."


    I followed, and the fog encompassed us. Passing through it, the mist soaked into my skin. It carried a psionic edge, voices whispering in the edges of my mind. I breathed it in, the sensation coursing through me.


    "Ah, it''s kind of refreshing."


    Helios telepathized.


    "I...Cannot breathe."


    As he predicted, this other dimension wrapped around us. Dense and palpably pressured, it burrowed into the skin and mind of anything here. Before it soaked into our minds, I extended my dimensional wake outward, and the fog bent away from us.


    Helios''s jaw slackened, and he took a breath.


    "Hah...Dimensional manipulation. You''ve been practicing."


    I smiled.


    "From time to time."


    We neared the coordinates of Tera''s settlement. On the edge of a straggling chasm, a building of dark stone stood tall. Stratified with white granite, the structure blended into its surroundings without any lines of separation, as if it grew out of the ground. A thousand buildings congregated around the most prominent structure, all of them dispersed along the vertical edifice.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The architecture mirrored the skeptiles'' old capital but with a modernist stint. Without the abandoned factories and toxic piles of waste, the original intent of the buildings came to light. In many ways, they flowed into the natural landscape like the stone molded itself to their liking. Given their sorcery, it likely had.


    Even from a cursory glance at Diesel''s reports, the skeptiles used their ritual magic to craft many of the buildings with the architect golem''s support. This enabled the skeptiles to keep their culture and way of living, something I didn''t want us to erase. If they wanted to live differently here, they''d choose to. Well, assuming they didn''t do anything crazy like sacrificial rituals or eating children.


    Anyways, several thousand skeptiles had already arrived alongside Schema''s standard exchange centers at the new city''s center. Krog rested near them with Chrona extending her temporal control across the settlement. It disrupted the fog to an extent as Tera shouted and organized his skeptilian warriors.


    They wore grim expressions and wielded their weapons with white-knuckled hands. Around them, colossal vultures flew. A white tuft of feathers surrounded the birds'' exposed necks, the red skin glowing with ascendant mana. Several of the vultures spread their wings outward, and their feathers bled into their surroundings like living ink.


    As a dark rain, the vulture''s feathers rained down from above as other beasts dove down. They blurred the air around them, their speeds incredible. Tera spread his arms before clapping them together with a bottle between his hands. An electric shockwave crossed over everyone, knocking the feathers down, empowering his allies, and stunning the vultures.


    Tera shouted commands, everyone organizing around the natural leader. In Chrona''s aura, the monsters slowed down before Tera''s warriors jumped over them. They tore the vultures apart, goring the beasts as their bodies fell across several blocks. Blood from the monsters splattered all across the city. On contact, the sanguine fluid leeched into the ground, leaving red streaks in the black stone.


    Another beast ran forward out of the mist. A crawling Komodo dragon bolted forward, crashing through several buildings. Hundreds of bloodshot eyes opened across its body. The beast stopped just short of the group before tilting its head with curiosity. Its jaw opened, and a horror of writhing teeth and grasping limbs popped into view.


    It yawned before closing its jaws. One of the skeptiles walked up with a slab of meat. The reptile consumed the meat before nestling up to the skeptile. I analyzed the eerie creature.


    Krossolidra | Lvl 8,012 | - The krossolidra is a species of mutated reptiles native to the American West. They carry thousands of extra eyes over their bodies, giving them a profound sense of sight, and they can move the eyes underneath their skin to avoid damage during combat.


    If they wish, the eyes can gaze at an enemy or ally, augmenting or disrupting their abilities. This allows the Krossolidra to roam in packs. Groups of them observing any creature drains its stamina. In seconds, groups can exhaust nearly anything, rendering it immobile.


    Its jaws are designed to drain the tissue and blood of captured prey without killing it. Groups of the Krossolidra will take turns devouring the game alive, keeping it fresh while others restrain it. They have been found feeding their paralyzed prey to heal it, allowing them to feed further.


    While a gruesome process, a spine in their mouths tranquilizes and eliminates nearby pain receptors. Oftentimes, adventurers have woken up midway through a krossolidra''s feeding without noticing. Victims oftentimes awaken from the sound of their own flesh tearing, not from the pain of being eaten alive.


    They will fear you, but be aware of their destructive impact when put into groups.


    Its level dwarfed anything else I''d seen spawn on Earth. I watched a skeptile get on the krossolidra''s back before shepherding it over to a cavern dug out and reinforced under the new city. As I landed near them all, another vulture dove down from above. I stretched out a hand, and a gravity well siphoned the creature to my palm.


    My armor shredded its insides while I assimilated it like some nightmare abomination. The other eldritch fled as Tera jogged up.


    "How did you get here so fast?"


    Helios peered down.


    "The way he always does. What is it that you need?"


    Tera gestured around us.


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    I walked up to the Schemic Exchange Center.


    "How did you get these guys to spawn here? You should''ve needed to control the area or get rid of the dungeon at the least."


    Tera shrugged.


    "For some reason, the requirements for a city were much more relaxed than normal."


    I smiled.


    "Hell yeah. That perk wasn''t just for me then."


    Helios turned over the corpse of a vulture using a gravity well spawned by his gauntlet.


    "These creatures far exceed anything that should be spawning on a new planet like Earth."


    Tera put his hands on his hips.


    "They''re quite useful. They make excellent prey and useful animals for breeding. We''ll level quickly by butchering them, and the krossolidras are excellent riding animals. They are strong with natural buffing abilities."


    Tera smiled.


    "I couldn''t have asked for a better place to settle."


    Helios and I gawked at each other. In the distance, creatures roared in the fog. Helios sneered.


    "Right."


    I headed over to Krog and Chrona. Pain crossed Krog''s eyes before he peered away. I turned a palm to him.


    "I heard you were injured."


    Chrona placed a tail on his back.


    "He''s ashamed."


    Krog growled.


    "Enough. I am fine."


    I pointed at him.


    "Where''s the wound?"


    Krog sighed before lifting a wing. Scars traced its entire surface. Something crumpled it like an old newspaper before wrenching it off. New tissue from Kessiah kept the limb attached and pieced together.


    I winced.


    "What did this?"


    Krog showed his teeth.


    "We...Don''t know."


    My eyes widened.


    "This is worse than I thought. I''m setting up a perimeter."


    Tera let out a sigh.


    "We can hold this position. We need you to stop what''s spawning from the cavern''s depths. I''ve scouted the location, and it''s chaos there. Utter, deranged chaos."


    He shivered. I shook my head.


    "Keeping you guys safe takes priority. I can make a city in a few hours at the most."


    Tera locked eyes with the gialgathens before turning back to me.


    "It''s your call, Harbinger."


    I paced over to the city''s center. My body liquified before molding into the shape of a monolith. I pulled my soul out of my body before adding more bodies to the monolith. A few minutes later, it rose one hundred and fifty feet tall. Recomposing from the ether, I pulled out my grimoire and used a few updated runes from L-7''s cities.


    After several minutes, I pulled out three blue cores, planting them at different sections of the monolith. As the psionic web and protective barrier came online, the fog dispersed from the city''s confines. Tera watched the thick, hexagonal plates materialize.


    "Ah. Another miracle."


    Chrona let out a sigh as her temporal field dispersed. She laid down her head.


    "I-I need rest."


    Within seconds, her head flopped against the ground, and she fell asleep. Worry erupted over Krog''s face before he bit his lip. Blood dripped from his mouth.


    "Here, I thought of this planet as harmless. Its danger is a viper hidden in leaves, unseen until the fangs are in your leg."


    He snarled, his blood splattering on the ground.


    "I was caught unaware, and I let the fangs pierce deeply. My arrogance robbed me of my vigilance."


    He snarled.


    "It has happened again. It''s a cycle of my own stupidity."


    Helios walked up to him.


    "No one''s denying your stupidity."


    Krog took a deep breath.


    "You''re quite the boost to our morale, especially the constructive criticism."


    Helios sighed.


    "You should use that augment Daniel gave you."


    Krog peered at the slab of dimensional fabric.


    "I have tried. It''s a difficult thing to wield."


    Helios showed his gauntlet.


    "I''m sure it''s a strange thing to use for a species such as yours. You''re primary means of power emerged from evolution and mana assimilation. Your kind evolved on a planet with enormous reserves of magic, and your bodies embody that energy''s potential."


    Helios formed a void ice shard.


    "But you demonstrate evolution''s shortcomings as well. Evolution is a slow, tepid process when quick adaptions are required. If you wish to step beyond your bounds, you must incorporate all that you can. The albony rose out of the primordial food chain with tools. Your kind must learn to wield them as well."


    Helios shattered the void ice shard, a lavender mist floating down.


    "That is your most obvious means to rapid empowerment. Otherwise, you''ll continue to stagnate."


    Krog nodded his head, his eyes honing in.


    "Our kind hasn''t embraced tools or the system with good reason. The most prominent member of our species that leaned to outside forces for help was turned into a malevolent force for Elysium. He caused our species'' downfall."


    Helios gazed at his nails.


    "It just so happens he''s also the strongest among you, correct?"


    Krog smiled, a droplet of blood falling from his lower lip.


    "And what did that strength do for him? When you become dependent on the tools of others, you, in turn, become a tool for them."


    Helios gazed at Krog''s wing.


    "Will you survive the wounds gained from your idealogy?"


    Krog laughed, his enormous chest making it into a deep rumble.


    "Wounds make scars, and scars tell stories. We learn from them, and we become stronger for it."


    Helios walked off, waving a hand.


    "If that''s what you''ve taken from what I said, then so be it."


    Despite his argument, Krog peered at his tail. He laid his head against his paws while letting out a deep breath.


    "It may be time we learn from the stories of others, not simply our own."


    During their chat, I pulled cipheric words from my grimoire. I installed them onto the dark monolith to finalize the buffs from my city construction. Along the edge of the shield''s effect, I constructed a wall of my fabric, and I installed gaps for tunnels in and out of the city.


    I stepped outside the city''s extend, and a shadow loomed in the fog. I reached out a hand, and mana coursed from me. Crystals hovered around my skin before my architect golem floated out of the mist. It synced with the psionic field, and Diesel sat on the golem''s shoulders. The architect golem bowed to me.


    "Hello, creator. I formally apologize for my lack of competence in allowing injury to befall those you care for. If we are trees, then I shall attempt to deepen the shade of my branches. Perhaps one day, the shade I have will match your own."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Huh. Very metaphoric there."


    "I can cease my lack of directness if that is required."


    "Not at all. It''s fun."


    Diesel hopped down.


    "Daniel, the life here is insane. I''ve never seen this kind of virulence in the eldritch. It''s absolutely mind-boggling how strong these things are. I haven''t left the architect''s side since we arrived."


    The architect let out a light laugh.


    "I would not allow it. Everything can kill you with a breath."


    I pointed at him.


    "Diesel, would you mind not leaving the city''s bounds anymore until I''ve finished cleaning this mess up?"


    He snapped his fingers.


    "Ah, man, I can''t head into the death pit anymore? Oh no. Whatever shall I do?"


    The architect leaned back.


    "Ahem, I would imagine it would be to stay in the city and out of the death pit, perhaps?"


    Diesel raised his hands.


    "The opportunity cost of each choice is just so high. Death, or lounging in relative comfort? It''s a tough choice."


    The architect fumbled its words.


    "I...I don''t know what to say."


    Diesel laughed.


    "I''m staying in the city. I''m not some suicidal explorer that likes standing at the edge of death like these insane people."


    Diesel raised a hand to me.


    "No offense."


    My minds swirled in the ether around them.


    "None taken. Any tips on where to start?"


    Diesel pointed down the ravine''s edge.


    "This is a straggling edge of the main chasm, but if you follow the canyon that away, you''ll keep going deeper until you find the Red River."


    I raised a brow.


    "Red River?"


    "Oh, you can''t miss it. Everything here revolves around that geographical feature."


    I nodded, my psyches racing.


    "How so?"


    Diesel put his hands on his hips.


    "Anything that drinks the stuff gets a boost in power, but they kind of, er..." I frowned.


    "Lose their mind?"


    Deisel nodded.


    "Yeah, exactly. It just washes away who they were in some kind of torrent. I haven''t drunk the stuff, but the skeptiles, wow, they''re creative. They started planting their crops and watering them using water from the spot. They call the variant crops a berserker breed."


    I grimaced.


    "And they''re eating it?"


    Diesel weighed his hands back and forth.


    "No, not really. A few have tried the stuff, but it''s too volatile. The skeptiles don''t like to mess around with unpurified eldritch effects. They do sell the food since it doesn''t lose its potency as fast as the water itself. The water leeches out like it''s hungry."


    I put a hand on Diesel''s shoulder.


    "Do not drink or eat that stuff. Don''t let anyone else drink it either."


    He gave me a thumbs-up.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice. We''ve seen what it does to the locals."


    I lowered my hands.


    "The locals? Like humans?"


    Diesel smiled.


    "Yeah. Who else do you think the skeptiles are selling the crops to?"


    I shook my head, a panic rising in my chest.


    "We need to get this place contained."


    Diesel frowned.


    "You don''t have to tell me that either. That''s why we called you after everything went haywire.


    As if just remembering our position, Diesel gave me a salute.


    "Ahem, good luck, sir. We''re going to continue settling people down."


    They traversed the cityscape, Diesel leaping from the tops of buildings as the architect floated over everything. After watching them leave, I shot myself upwards before bolting over the city. Using the psionic weave, I announced in the minds of everyone.


    "Don''t drink or eat the red water. It''s toxic and can lead to you losing your mind. Even a small amount could lead to irreversible corruption. You''ve been warned. As for me, I''ll be heading into the deepest part of this chasm and annihilating its source. Good luck with establishing yourselves here, and I''m sorry this place hasn''t been the kindest home."


    After receiving a psionic cheer, I left the city''s shielding. I peered at the misty depths, crackling arcs of crimson lightning omening a violent, cruel territory. I floated towards the coordinates of the Red River, the gray mist washing over me. It was time to uncover who was destroying Earth, though I had a few ideas already.


    And they filled me with a primal fear.

 404 The Abyssal Chasm

    "Don''t drink or eat the red water. It''s toxic and can lead to you losing your mind. Even a small amount could lead to irreversible corruption. You''ve been warned. As for me, I''ll be heading into the deepest part of this chasm and annihilating its source. Good luck with establishing yourselves here, and I''m sorry this place hasn''t been the kindest home."


    After receiving a psionic cheer, I left the city''s shielding. I peered at the misty depths, crackling arcs of crimson lightning omening a violent, cruel territory. I floated towards the coordinates of the Red River, the gray mist washing over me. It was time to uncover who was destroying Earth, though I had a few ideas already.


    And they filled me with a primal fear.


    Chapter Begin


    Bolting across the skyline, I passed a vulture. The force of my travel knocked it aside, careening the creature into the city''s forcefield. Emphasis on force. Upon impact, the hexagonal plates turned sideways, sliced through the creature, and then erupted into purifying pulses. The eldritch faded into particles of light, carried away by the howling wind.


    The other eldritch circled the space, but they kept their distance. I disintegrated them with gnarling vortexes of gravitation, the pull strong enough to pulp their bodies. Event Horizon vaporized the remains, and clouds of red mana flooded into my frame.


    A scowl crawled onto my face as I bolted down the canyon''s side. This dungeon was colossal, and it showed no end in sight. I killed another few packs of eldritch that attacked me, but I ignored any of them that didn''t get in my way. I wanted my guildmates to get some levels, which I couldn''t gain from these creatures.


    A few minutes passed while spires of stone and a perpetual fog clouded my vision. The roars of the ravenous ushered out in the distance, the levels of creatures rising by the second. At the bottom of the cavern, I found a desolate landscape of bleeding bones. The red drenched into the stone and poured in a tiny stream.


    The beginnings of the Red River.


    I followed the flow for a few more minutes. I crossed dozens of twists and turns, the stream growing over the many miles I traversed. After a half hour, a strip of glowing crimson carved itself in the distant fog. As I darted towards the water, I found an enormous, bounding lake. The vast volume of water dwarfed anything I expected, more like a coursing lake than a raging river.


    It crested in enormous plumes and waves. The drizzle formed a cloud that gushed out violent bolts of electricity. The sanguine cloud toiled and spurred in all directions, latching into anything nearby. Ascendant lightning struck the lake below, and bloody fish flopped out of the water, snapping their jaws at the bolts.


    Alien life formed around the edge of the water. Plants covered in teeth snapped at anything nearby, and roots crawled out like living arteries. These tendrils dug under the skin of creatures, pumping their blood into them like bloodthirsty, hungry hearts. Several other creatures attempted to approach the red water to siphon its power, but the deep dwellers beneath the water snapped at anything that came close.


    Nothing escaped them.


    This territorialism created a gap in strength that formed between the outer lands and the inner waters. As an example, a Krossolidra in the distance lapped up a few mouthfuls before bounding away. A bramble of bleeding thorns snapped around it before rupturing its body. The other Krossolidras abandoned the creature as it desiccated in the vines.


    Further up the cavern''s walls, a pack of Krossolidra''s climbed down with humans on their backs. Hiding from them, I surrounded myself in a patch of hungry brambles, and the thorns found my metal skin not too tasty. The reptile riders wore tarps and masks over their faces, having scouted out a viable route to the water''s edge.


    To stop the monsters from eating them, they threw a cluster of mana shards into the lake. The quintessence shards distracted the monsters like fish food, and the people filled up several ten-gallon jugs of the glowing water before heading out. I let out a small, quiet laugh. The mana they threw was mine.


    Somehow, my shards of quintessence made it all this way. Hm. It could''ve been a recent innovation after the skeptiles settled in. Either way, I checked out their trail, finding the plants hacked away and the ground salted with pungent chemicals. They stopped the underbrush that way, and the well-worn path meant they crossed into this place many times.


    As always, humanity found a way.


    Further in the distance, another group flew on the back of vultures. Unlike the riders, these people didn''t have anything to protect them from the beasts below. They dove into the expanse, gulping as much of the cancerous, bloody water as they could. Their skin reddened, and their eyes lost all color as they scrambled out of the waves.


    Several lost their lives, but they dove in as a group to let some escape. It shouldn''t have worked, as these monsters sat around level 15,000. They could ingest thousands of people, let alone a dozen, but there was safety in numbers, I supposed.


    I supposed wrong. Getting closer, I tore the brambles around me. Near the water''s edge, a being of immense mana fed the beasts below with its energy, trying to protect these people. It must''ve helped the reptile riders as well. Wanting to know more, I dove into the ocean to follow the insane divers before finding one of them isolated.


    It looked at me, the gender no longer recognizable as its body malformed from the mana. It hissed as I approached, but I held out a hand and telepathized.


    "Hey, I''m not here to hurt-"


    It jumped at me with all its strength, rage exploding in its mind while it psionically assaulted me. Caught off guard, I blinked before the body hit my chest. It splat, unable to budge me. I gawked as the blood misted off my skin. Before I absorbed the remains, I disintegrated it with Event Horizon.


    I coalesced the person''s remains into a tiny mana crystal the size of a needle. Placing it in my dimensional storage, I''d give whoever it was a burial. It wasn''t something I could do in Springfield, but I could now, at least. That had been one aspect of clearing Springfield that haunted me, but I didn''t have to keep that particular tradition alive. Some things were better left in the past, after all.


    The other members heard or felt the commotion, and they swam up to me like writhing oni. As horns sprouted over their backs, they peered at me with disturbed eyes. I shook my head, my eyes sad.


    "Why would you do this?"


    One of them took a step forward. It spoke via telepathy as well.


    "To be strong...Like you."


    They swam forward, but I stopped them all in a gravity well.


    "Well, you''re not quite as strong as I am yet."


    I invaded their minds, finding the welling ascendant mana that eroded their sanities. It reminded me of L-7''s rainbow bone slush, but it lacked the killing potential. This water drowned in thought. The rainbow bone left a silent, empty mind behind, like some hollowed husk. Trying to help while I still could, I took a deep breath.


    The water rushed in, warm and inviting as a joyful insanity. Pulling Event Horizon over them all, I used the aura to steal their mana but not their health. Like Diesel mentioned before, I focused on precision, not power. After a few minutes, I restored their psyches. After pulling them out of the water, I set them down.


    They gazed up at me covered in rags, their clothes torn from their transformations. I lunged down, leaning towards them.


    "There''s a settlement up that way that can clothe and feed you. If you do good work, you''ll get the power you''re looking for and maybe a purpose to top it off."


    I tossed them all quintessence shards.


    "If you ask me, you all really need direction, not power. I offer both. These should ward off the ambient ascendant mana. Toss them to a creature if they want to eat you. If you work together, you should be able to get to the city in about three hours."


    One of them stared up at me, their eyes wide.


    "You''re one nice metal titan."


    I stood up.


    "Hopefully, I''m the only one you know, but who knows, eh? This world''s not exactly the most stable anymore, so maybe metal titans are the norm now in certain places."


    One of the others fumbled as a horn fell from its forehead. They turned and scrambled back to the lake before a giant leviathan swallowed them whole.


    I winced.


    "Ah. I guess you can jump off a bridge if you want, so to speak."


    I lessened the gravity over them. I smiled.


    "Get out of here, and don''t come back. This is your second chance, so please, don''t waste it."


    They scrambled away through the trail. As they left, I checked their statuses. Each of them sat around level 3,000, a very high level for normal people. The drifters represented solid talent if molded well, but they collapsed under the weight of temptation. That, and the psychotic, demented ramblings of the fog around us.


    And I knew its source. My hand clasped to a fist, and rage exploded in my chest. Baldowah. At this point, it was painfully obvious, and even from this much exploring, I learned a few things. Firstly, this cavern had expanded to the size of a small country. From the size of my minimap, it looked about as large as Montana.


    Secondly, people had found a way to profit here. In that sense, humanity''s adaptability stood out yet again. Thirdly, Baldowah spread his ilk here for all to suffer from. Closing this chapter of the Grand Canyon wouldn''t be a waste of time, considering how dangerous the expansion was. To get a better idea of how demented this place truly was, I trekked deeper.


    Walking across the pocket dimension reminded me of traversing a different planet, one I didn''t want anywhere near Earth. In all directions, animals indulged and devoured anything coming nearby. The creatures in the water stood atop the food chain, all of them collecting the latent energy within the liquid. They feasted on one another, battling and destroying their rivals in potent, furious battles.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The water absorbed the majority of the shockwaves, and the spatial fog prevented their bouts from destroying the nearby terrain. I waved my arms through the looming mist. It still carried that odd sense of separation. Ideas raced through my head since the mist could make a potent training ground or prison cell if wielded by competent hands.


    I took note of two toothy monsters scrambling to shore. Fog or not, that didn''t stop these beasts from leaving miles of devastation in their wake as they explored. Each time an oceanic creature escaped the lake''s confines, it tore through the canyon walls, creating thousands of offshoot valleys.


    In my minimap, these side passages splintered off the main canyon like dark veins branching off a festering wound. The skeptiles established themselves amongst one of those offshoots, saving them from the worst of this hellish place.


    And hell, it was.


    Blood monsters liquified scavenging corpse swallowers. The ground radiated out a corrupting, volatile ascendancy. The mana and fog twisted the minds of whatever I made contact with, leaving nothing of the creatures but bodies acting as empty vessels of rage. A few humans got lost here, their bodies either torn asunder or worse. These shambling augmented abominations let out screams from their deformed faces.


    It was a mass psionic drowning, and it left me seething.


    At first, I believed the influence of the land had gotten to me, infesting me with anger. I was wrong. This fury was my own, and it spawned from a singular source - this Old One assaulted my home. It was a simple part of being from this planet - Earth was my sanctuary. It was my refuge. This planet, Mt. Verner, and my guild were everything to me.


    But now, Baldowah waged war on the planet itself. He declared to all his intentions, and they carved into my chest like a salted knife. I let the scars form so I wouldn''t forget a few simple truths. For instance, they''d never leave me or my planet alone. They aimed to tear the fabric of reality away from me.


    They''d steal everything by corrupting one piece of my life at a time, but I''d die fighting before they did. Since Schema''s arrival, Earth was the only place I had left that was stable. It was where I went to rest and lay my head. Since the Old Ones couldn''t corrupt me, they aimed their corruption elsewhere. They wanted to rob me of what I relied on.


    It left me fuming. As I crossed the depths of the lake, giants erupted from the water, their forms like young primevals of flesh and blood. They lacked the sheer volatile strength, so I tore them apart with simple yet utter physical forces. I left my hand in the lake as I crossed its bounding waters, soaking in as much energy as I could.


    I left a train of blue water behind me, though it shifted red once again in seconds. The amount of dormant mana here mounted, something that would take me weeks to clear at best. Taking a more drastic measure, I channeled the raw magic into my runes, the amount of mana here remarkable.


    As I spent hours coasting the surface of the lake, I obliterated hundreds of sea monsters. The grotesque shapes left clouds of red mana behind, and I breathed the miasma in like a crisp autumn air. The smell reminded me of cider, honey, and blood. Over time, I could taste it, and I learned the richness of the water and monsters within.


    I gauged the density of energy from that richness before following the concentration to its peak. It led me down into the depths of this Red River, and I found its end and beginning. Where the water blackened, plumes of energy erupted from a red chasm. Diving into the crevice, I launched up and out of the water and into the air below it.


    A wave of unease crossed over me as gravity flipped, my body facing towards an endless eclipsed sky. I blinked a few times before wiping the blood from my face. I dove out of one dimension and into another. A disgusting other, a place of war and finality. I stared at the ocean of Baldowah, corpses floating in the water.


    Landing on the sea, my shins submerged before hitting the bottom, the rippling pool as deep as a puddle in all directions. A puddle for me, that is. It was likely ten feet deep or so. Behind me, the chasm towards my planet opened like a bloody Niagara Falls. The water frothed up with the scent of decay and the heat of battle. It pummeled into the alternate dimension that connected with ours. This was a dimension within a dimension.


    A dimensception. Heh.


    In the distance, a figure rested on an exposed stone beside the frothing falls. As I crossed over the chasm, I found an old woman gazing back at me. She wore a conservative floral dress that ended at her ankles. The blood oozed into her dress, her wrinkles, and her nails. Exposed to the air, her hair scabbed onto the side of her face. She gazed up at me, her pupils glowing red.


    It was like looking at a horror movie.


    I landed a ways away from her. Her stare stunned me. There was kindness nestled under the madness. She laughed before speaking in a calm voice.


    "You must be the person who leads those stragglers, hm?"


    I blinked. Her voice was like a grandma, the dissonance between her appearence and words like oil and water.


    "Yeah. I am. What are you doing here?"


    She let out a sigh of exasperation.


    "What aren''t I doing is more like it. This is exhausting. Do you know how hard it is to control these beasts here? Or worse, the thing in my head? It''s like a pounding storm. Oh, it''s dreadful. My goodness, it''s like pulling teeth just to stay calm."


    I raised my hands.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Marsha Brown."


    Her normalcy hurt me. It was as if some alien force dragged a grandmother into this horrific realm.


    "Hey, Marsha. I''m Daniel."


    "We know who you are, Harbinger."


    Within her, a psionic presence loomed. It was an enormous blight in her tiny body. Marsha shook her head.


    "Hey, I''m talking here. Shutup."


    She turned to me.


    "You look like a monster. I don''t like monsters."


    I waved my hands.


    "Monsters don''t take their time to talk like this, right?"


    She walked sideways, her steps leaving ripples across the endless sea.


    "Depends on the monster. Are you here to kill me? The voice is saying you are."


    "I''m here to contain this rupture. We can agree that''s a good thing, right?"


    She scoffed.


    "Good luck with that. I already tried, and look what happened to me."


    I shrugged.


    "If you ask me, you look like you''re still all there."


    Her eyes twitched.


    "No. I''m...Missing some pieces. I can''t remember much of who or what I was. It''s like I''m fading."


    She smiled.


    "I still remember a few things. Christmas mornings with my children and eating gingerbread. Ah, the smell of turkey on Thanksgiving and the warmth at the table. The smell after it rained when I walked through our little desert trail."


    "Please, just focus on that."


    Her eyes narrowed.


    "She will not."


    This reminded me of Valgus before the original entity drowned in mana. I spread my hands.


    "I can help you get out of here."


    She scoffed.


    "Living metal...Nothing will help her now." Her voice and eyes changed. She coughed, phlegm thick in her throat. She murmured.


    "I fell into the river upstream after watching my family get torn apart. I woke up floating in this sea, and I haven''t been able to escape since. It drags me deeper. Deeper I go until I''m nothing. Sometimes, I wonder if I''m still here."


    I raised a brow.


    "But you have helped some people survive here, haven''t you? That was you stopping the sea monsters, wasn''t it?"


    She poked her wrinkled chin with a single slim finger.


    "Yeah, sure. It''s the least I could do after everything that''s happened."


    "That''s what I''m wondering. What happened?"


    Her voice warped the waves.


    "My family died. I watched them. Wolves tore them apart. It broke me. I am now missing pieces that will never be fixed or filled."


    She experienced the culling when Schema''s system first arrived. She''d been here for years now. I winced.


    "I''m sorry to hear that."


    "Why apologize? You didn''t do anything. It''s something that happened, and I wanted to stop it. This place, it was somewhere with a lot of potential. I wasn''t someone who could use it, but I knew alchemy. I was supposed to contain the water and its glow."


    The more she said, the more confused I became. Her voice broke.


    "It killed them all, but it left me alive. I can''t remember what I did to the bodies."


    I frowned.


    "It doesn''t matter. I can save you."


    She roared.


    "And what about them? What can be done for the families I''ve lost? The people I abandoned. The ones I''ve killed."


    I remembered those I left behind.


    "You can carry their memory. Live with it. Bear it. Make it have meaning. Or not. Whatever you feel, it''s still your choice. There''s always a choice."


    She grabbed the sides of her head, her gray hair frail and thin despite the palpable power surging beneath her skin.


    "I haven''t made a choice since this system came and washed everything away. We''re all caught up in something we can''t stop. All of us. You''re a part of that. You''re not even here anymore."


    I took a step forward, my voice like stone.


    "You''re lying to yourself. You''re still speaking to me. You''re finding an excuse. Look me in the eye and tell me you don''t have a choice."


    She smiled, her grin unnatural. She glared into my eyes.


    "She does not."


    My gaze hardened.


    "That''s where you''re wrong. She does. You''re trying to take it from her."


    The grandma let out a gasp before staring up.


    "I can''t keep going on. It''s too much."


    I reached out a hand.


    "I thought that too, but there are people who can help you. These people are far kinder and more understanding than I am. They''re people you could laugh with while sitting around a campfire. They''re people who''d invite you into their house for a homecooked meal. Trust me, they''d welcome you with open arms."


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "You''re lying."


    I put a hand on my chest.


    "I''m not. I know where it is. I forged its beginning. The people I love made it matter in the end."


    Within an arm''s reach, I stretched my hand out.


    "You can too."


    She gawked at my hand. She peered away, her tears made of blood.


    "I''m not made for this place. It''s for the young. I''ve gotten too old and tired. I...I can''t."


    I scoffed.


    "I have a few people who can make you feel as good as new, and if you''re worried about being lonely, don''t be. I know someone who loves bingo, and she''d play it with more excitement than any retirement home you''ve ever been to."


    She laughed, the sound sad and small but carrying an ember. A fire. A spark.


    She smiled back.


    "I''d like that quite a bit, young man."


    She grabbed my hand. With overwhelming force, I shot into her mind, searching for the abomination inside her. A presence akin to Valgus sat in the bowels of her subconscious. It laughed before reaching out its tendrils. I growled.


    "You do anything, and I''ll kill you."


    It voiced.


    "Then let us see that consequence. As all, with finality."


    It tore the grandmother apart. Her body disintegrated as ascendant mana boiled her blood. The avatar of Baldowah shot into my body, and I took a step back. A wave crossed the ocean as it fell into my mind. It laughed and shouted with glee.


    "You''re a fool. Baldowah showed me how you killed Valgus. There is none of that killing fluid-"


    I tackled into its mind, my body collapsing. I lost control of everything, and my memories faded as I tore into the being''s consciousness. It screamed.


    "You. You''re killing us both."


    My mind was stone. Cold. Hating.


    "No. We''re dying. I happen to be better at it."


    I pulled ten minds against the entity at a time, all of them crashing in like suicidal bombs. They left me unable to move, breathe, or remember. I needed nothing but the end of this monster. I gored it apart, my deaths like a sweet ale that I became drunk on. As its mind waned, I laughed at its pain. I raged. I flowed over it in a torrent, and it faded away.


    It gurgled in pain.


    "What are you?"


    I poured in a flood, ignoring its horror. I continued the assault for hours, the excruciation familiar yet foreign. Losing pieces of myself meant nothing to me as I trusted my endurance. I had faith in my return, and that faith armed me with a conviction this pathetic, simple-minded parasite couldn''t match.


    As it disintegrated, I returned to being. My entirety was revived with my memories, and I assessed how alive this thing was. It left something akin to a corpse in my head. The shards floated in the ephemeral nothing, each one carrying enormous mana reserves but lacking the same punch as Valgus. It hadn''t had that kind of time to develop.


    And it didn''t matter. I gazed where Marsha had stood. She hadn''t done anything wrong, yet she took on the burden of some far-off, twisted god''s desires. My hands trembled in anger as I dwelled on what happened. If anything, the avatar had kept Marsha alive until I got here just to bait me in.


    This had been a ploy all along. They wanted me here to test a new mental takeover. I peered up at the eclipse, my mind struggling to maintain coherence. With no means of recourse, I inspected the shards the avatar left behind. I tried pulling them together to get them out of my skull.


    Before I could, the far reaches of my psyche crawled in. Like tendrils of my armor, some unseen thoughts tore into the shards and indulged in a psionic feast. They drained it into nothing, and my mind emptied of the foreign influence.


    Breathing in, I found more space in my head. At the far reaches of myself, my mental borders broadened. I created more minds than before, with three extra psyches at my disposal. A part of me recoiled at whatever it was that ate the shards. I''d never experienced that kind of psionic devouring.


    It was as if I ate the memories and thoughts of someone else. However, a part of me knew it was there. I had felt the armor''s desires for a long time, but nothing had ever pulled it out of the dark. This avatar''s corpse had, and I couldn''t ignore it any longer. It was a part of me.


    I shook off my unease, knowing I''d control it like everything else in this...This body of mine, if you could call it that. Staring at a hand, I watched it shake for a second. This was still mine. So were my thoughts and soul. They hadn''t taken that from me. I had to keep on believing that.


    In that limbo of thought and feeling, I stood there, watching the bleeding waves. Some length of time passed before I walked away from this place and back towards the chasm. Watching the blood ocean pour in, I stared back at the waves behind me.


    "I hope you''ve found this entertaining."


    Baldowah echoed.


    "I have, Harbinger."


    I glared at the eclipse, my rage and sadness coursing over me in waves. Knowing I could do nothing, I dove into the red expanse below.


    This was not the end, and they would know what this feeling was.

 405 A Palpable Encroach

    In that limbo of thought and feeling, I stood there, watching the bleeding waves. Some length of time passed before I walked away from this place and back towards the chasm. Watching the blood ocean pour in, I stared back at the waves behind me.


    "I hope you''ve found this entertaining."


    Baldowah echoed.


    "I have, Harbinger."


    I glared at the eclipse, my rage and sadness coursing over me in waves. Knowing I could do nothing, I dove into the red expanse below.


    This was not the end, and they would know what this feeling was.


    Chapter Begin


    I floated back into our world, gravity flipping on its head once more. I marked this position on my minimap. I lacked the means of closing the warp behind me, so I headed back to our base. After nearly an hour of flying and avoiding pillars, I returned, finding the team of power-hungry, suicidal divers waiting at the city''s center.


    All of them survived the trek back, and they sat near the town''s center, having received assistance from the architect. Diesel got them essential support since he was one of the few humans here, and he had a more normal approach than most. As I flew in from above, the divers gawked at me.


    My full size cast a shadow over them all. With practiced ease, I shrank myself to a solid twelve feet. I raised an arm and pulled my helmet off my face.


    "Hey, guys. It''s good to see you all made it."


    One of them sputtered out.


    "You. You''re the Gray Giant?"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "I used to be, but that was a long time ago. People usually call me Harbinger or Daniel these days."


    Two of the recruits looked at each other before one of them jumped up.


    "Can I get an autograph?"


    I gawked.


    "For being the Gray Giant? Seriously?"


    "Absolutely. It was incredible watching you fight the oppression of the espens."


    I gawked.


    "Ok...I guess."


    I winced at a poster the man took out of his dimensional storage ring. It showed me standing on top of a gialgathen corpse. I furrowed my brow.


    "I''m not signing that. Give me something less overtly genocidal."


    "Genocidal? The gialgathens were slave owners. They had everything they got coming to them."


    I frowned. The gialgathens definitely deserved some serious repercussions for what they did. Extinction? It seemed a bit much and lacking in any sort of redemption. The shortest of the crazy divers elbowed their friend. He snapped.


    "They''re a part of his guild now, you idiot."


    The fan scratched the back of his head.


    "Huh...I thought they were his slaves now. Is that not how it played out?"


    I closed my eyes before pinching the bridge of my nose. Maybe inviting these maniacs into the guild wasn''t the best idea. Either that or we needed to work on the guild''s public image.


    Diesel walked up to me, his hands on his hips.


    "If you''re wondering, they''re not in the guild yet. They''ll be sent to Mt. Verner for testing. Either way, these two watched your streams on Giess, and they became mega fans. When I told them you were the genuine article, they flipped out."


    One of the newbies frowned.


    "Do you not do autographs?"


    I scratched the side of my head.


    "I do. Uhm, do you have some metal?"


    The other person took out a piece of metal used for armor. I walked past them, leaving my signature on two slabs of steel with telekinesis. They left alongside the rest of them before I shook my head at Diesel.


    "Huh. That was weird."


    Diesel spread his hands.


    "Not as weird as having a bunch of nearly naked savages crawl up to our city holding crystallized mana. You know that stuff can blow up, right? It''s like holding bombs."


    I shrugged.


    "Pshhh, you guys handled it. I also had to make sure they weren''t totally insane after the stunt they pulled. So far, there seems to be mixed results."


    Chrona flew over, having rested while I was gone.


    "How was the journey to the cavern''s center? Was the monster handled?"


    I dimmed a bit.


    "Yeah...It''s handled."


    Diesel and Chrona glanced at each other before Diesel coughed.


    "We sure couldn''t have handled it."


    Chrona nodded.


    "Oh, certainly not. We were like hatchlings trying to fly."


    Diesel scoffed.


    "It was so fast we couldn''t even see it."


    I sighed.


    "I''ll be fine. It was a tough mission this time. That''s all."


    They let it go before I found Helios settled into one of the empty homes nearby. Walking into his room, he burned a strange incense, drank an odd tea, and played music from his obelisk while reading from his status. He peered up.


    "You''ve returned. With good news, I assume?"


    I nodded. Helios tilted his head.


    "A gloomy Harbinger? An interesting reversal from your usual determined indifference."


    "It wasn''t fun. That''s all."


    Helios raised his brow.


    "Touchy, huh? Then, if you''re calling me, I''ll assume there''s another ruptured dimension at the center?"


    I blinked.


    "Yeah, there was. How''d you know?"


    Helios dragged his hands down his face.


    "Ugh. If it were normal, you wouldn''t have contacted me. I''m glad I took a moment to simply breathe and collect myself. This task would''ve been arduous otherwise."


    He stood up, putting a hand on my shoulder.


    "And so you remember, no one is all-knowing or all-powerful. That especially includes you. Some humility helps in situations like this."


    I frowned.


    "Humility? That''s where I''m lacking in?"


    Helios stepped out of the room.


    "To feel shame implies the ability to change the outcome. We don''t feel guilt or evil whenever someone dies across the cosmos, do we? That''s because you and I cannot affect what happens there."


    He pointed at me.


    "You must recognize that to make an Empire, lands must be conquered. Conquering is always messy."


    I followed him outside.


    "This has nothing to do with conquering. There''s simply a lot I need to do."


    Helios frowned. He opened his mouth before finding nothing to say. He sighed before throwing a hand up to me.


    "Come then. I''d hate to miss out on this rare occasion to lounge about due to wasting time here."


    I pulled us through the city''s barrier and across the dimensionally ruptured horizons. After an hour of traversal, we reached the mammoth lake. I put a sphere of dimensional fabric over Helios before we even approached the thing, and at the bottom of the lake, I parted the seas with gravity to give Helios room for his work.


    On the canyon''s bedrock, Baldowah''s dimension poured in. Without the water masking the mana, it seeped in as your standard, everyday waterfall of blood. The sanguine liquid evaporated into ascendant plasma, and it coursed through the dimensional gap. Helios gawked at it in disgust.


    "This is Baldowah''s ilk. Ugh. A singular, one-dimensional being that still could tear apart the cosmos. It''s a dreary thing to contemplate."


    He stitched the fabric of reality while I stood there, lost in thought. Helios peered around.


    "This reminds me of the lottery."


    I spread my hands.


    "I know, right?"


    Helios scoffed.


    "You sound excited."


    "It''s just been irritating me since I figured out it existed. This is bad news. I get a lot of that these days."


    Helios tilted his head at the portal.


    "Hm. It could be worse."


    "I guess we could all be dead."


    He raised a gauntleted hand.


    "Don''t count your blessings yet. I''m uncertain as of yet, but I''m sensing something off about this rupture."


    An hour passed, the both of us handling business, one healing a dimension and the other tearing monsters apart. Once the rift rivaled the size of a large coin, Helios shook his head.


    "Agh. This...I can''t close it."


    I stepped closer.


    "We can take all the time we need, but leaving this opened isn''t an option."


    He turned to me.


    "I know that. I''m telling you, I can''t close it. Not completely."


    I dragged my hands down my face.


    "Ah, man, more complications. Ugh."


    Helios threw his hand at the portal.


    "It''d be possible under nearly every circumstance, but this...This isn''t feasible. It cannot be closed."


    "I''m pretty sure I already know why, but would you mind explaining it anyway?"


    "It''s the Old One. It''s created some kind of unbreakable law for this tear in spacetime. The moment it became this size, all magic ceased affecting it."


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Have you tried some technology instead? Maybe some system workaround?"


    "The circuitry fries, and the status dissipates. Daniel, this isn''t something I''m equipped to fix." Helios crossed his arms. "And if I''m not able to address a warping issue, then the warping issue probably isn''t addressable."


    I let out a long sigh.


    "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid, but of course not. That''d be too convenient."


    Helios let his hands flop against his sides.


    "If you''re so dissatisfied with my results, then by all means, handle the issue." He rolled his hand. "Weren''t you...Hm, carrying the other portal for a time? Perhaps you can drag this dimension elsewhere like some dimension-shoving caveman."


    I frowned.


    "I was and still am. That''s exactly what I was hoping to avoid."


    Helios furrowed his brow.


    "Why is this a problem while the other warp was a training exercise?"


    I walked up the portal, Baldowah''s mana pouring from the rupture like water from a firehose.


    "The other warp didn''t have an Old One vomiting its essence out as a geyser of blood."


    Helios peered at the gushing blood.


    "Fair point."


    As I did with my other dimensional anchor, I clogged it with my dimensional fabric. With my wake, I tugged it along, the effort as exhausting as hauling the other one. Actually, this pocket dimension carried a bit more heft than the previous one. In a sense, the other rupture felt larger, as if it dwarfed this one''s raw size. The density of Baldowah''s dimensional space left me struggling despite the lack of volume.


    Taking a breath, I put three minds onto the task, and they hauled it with me. I raised a thumb to Helios.


    "Consider the situation addressed."


    Helios made a circle with a finger.


    "Ah, you''re stopping an opened portal to an Old One''s dimension by putting yourself in the way of its gush. So, that is what''s considered addressing an issue in this era? Perhaps I can consider my relationship with Obolis handled then."


    "Oh, come on. This is better than leaving the thing here."


    Helios frowned, pointing at my face.


    "And your helm. It''s rather ominous, isn''t it?"


    I placed my hand on my helmet, finding a twisted smile on it. Ascendant mana still poured from the rift, and the only place for it to go was into my armor. Taking a moment, I assessed how powerful the flow was. It was a decent amount of mana but nothing unmanageable. With a conscious effort, I changed my helmet''s expression, no longer grinning like a madman.


    "That better?"


    "Yes, but you''ll reduce our number of recruits if you let that mask slip at the wrong time."


    I pulled us up from the bottom of the lake, the water flowing together as clashing seas. They plumed upward, a thick cloud of bloody water forming overhead. We drifted off in a slow crawl before the blood rain began pelting us. As blood pooled over him, Helios murmured.


    "A rather slow departure, isn''t it?''


    "I''m hauling two dimensions. Cut me some slack."


    Helios sighed.


    "It''s making your face even uglier."


    "Beauty''s in the eye of the beholder, and besides, how can you even tell? You''re blind."


    Helios gazed at his claws.


    "It''s a feeling in my gut."


    I remembered my mind prying apart the corpse of the avatar.


    "Huh. You do have a good intuition."


    As we darted over the expanse, Helios furrowed his brow.


    "It''s banter, not a serious statement on your overall appearance. In earnest, I am a poor judge of aesthetics. I find mana beautiful, not the normal shapes or physical patterns that most admire."


    I sighed.


    "I know. Just...Let me be with my thoughts. I''ll process and be fine, as always."


    Helios nodded before opening his status to send messages. We passed the terrain and fog, its strange qualities not diminished by the containment of Baldowah''s dimension. Once back in the city, we landed in the middle of it. A few stray scavengers rested while everyone else processed new skeptiles coming in every few seconds, patches of a thousand coming in with each warp.


    Helios walked towards his cubbyhole while dripping bloody water. He waved a hand.


    "I''m finished attempting the impossible today. Leave me be."


    He shut his door, channeling silencing magic to isolate himself from his surroundings. Tera bounded up, a palpable elation evident in his smile. He spread his hands.


    "I wanted to thank you again for this opportunity. We will not waste it."


    I peered back and forth.


    "Hm, I, er, I feel like I don''t deserve so much recognition, so, uh, thanks."


    Tera scoffed.


    "Nonsense."


    He gave me a hug.


    "You''re a champion who has saved our kind. Thank you."


    His sincerity was scathing, and I couldn''t understand why. He leaned back before giving my shoulder a pat.


    "I enjoy this new stature of yours as well. It''s not so utterly massive. It makes you more approachable."


    I smiled at that. Tera gestured to the city before going over all of the adjustments they made to the city, how each piece improved their lives, and how excited their people were for the fresh start. It all passed me by in a blur. One of my minds kept listening, but I faded into a state of pressing thought.


    Was this all some maniacal plan by Baldowah? He could have hundreds of these dimensional warps opened on my planet while making none of them closeable. Eventually, this planet would turn into an ascendant hellhole, and the only method of stopping it meant covering myself in mana hoses. They happen to lead straight to his corruption.


    It left me feeling disgusted with myself and the situation at large. I wanted control over how I handled Earth, and my only means to that end involved taking an insane risk. Finding myself between a rock and a hard place, I contemplated leaving Earth. Without a planet to tie me down to, the Old Ones would have a much harder time infecting me with their poison.


    I breathed the thought in before breathing it out. I resolved myself to save this place, and I would have it done. In this case, I would take the harder of two paths. I''d simply carry the dimensions and soak in their venom. It was inevitable either way.


    After all, I''d relied on my armor''s cleansing ability up until now. I could only pray that the trend continued as I took on this burden. Either that or I could try to unload the portal into the void of space, but I had an itching suspicion that Baldowah and the other Old Ones wouldn''t let that happen.


    As Tera finished discussing the changes with a gush of excitement, he left me standing a few blocks from the center of the city. I hovered myself atop a building, enjoying the view of the skeptiles'' new capital. Minutes passed before Chrona landed beside me.


    She wrinkled her horned brow.


    "You seem troubled. With good reason, knowing you."


    I shook my head.


    "Naw. I''m just crying over some spilled milk."


    Chrona rolled her eyes.


    "You are one to cry over spilled mercury, not something like milk. Now, please, speak of what ails you."


    I waved a hand.


    "I really don''t want you to have more to worry about."


    A silence passed over us. Chrona snapped.


    "I see the portals you carry. I sense the corruption one of them causes. Perhaps that is your concern?"


    I smiled, the expression mopier than it should''ve been.


    "Well, there goes my laying low strategy."


    She gazed at the sky.


    "How many ruptures are there on Earth like that one?"


    "Enough that this planet is going to make Giess look tame soon, I''d imagine."


    She turned to me.


    "And what''s your plan? To carry all of them?"


    My shoulders slumped.


    "It sounds even dumber than I thought once you said it aloud."


    She covered her mouth with her tail.


    "You...Gah."


    I spread my hands.


    "What other answer do I have?"


    She snapped a building apart with her tail.


    "One where all does not rest upon your shoulders alone."


    I stood up.


    "Who else can carry this?"


    Chrona leaned back.


    "I don''t know. Perhaps one of your followers can find another use for the mana? A way of containing and neutralizing its toxicity?" Her eyes softened. "Anything else but you carrying the burden alone. Not again."


    I shook my head.


    "This is ridiculous. Everyone is so damn critical all the time. Look, I can''t be perfect. Sometimes, when I have to fix something, it gets messy, alright?"


    Chrona''s eyes widened.


    "That''s precisely what I''m saying. You''re the one demanding everything from only you. We want you to give a piece of your burden to us. Anything to lessen it, for we see how it pulls you down. Especially now."


    I pressed my hands together, my voice a psionic whisper.


    "Did you see what happened to Krog?"


    Chrona''s eyes dimmed.


    "I did."


    I walked to the edge of the roof. I fumbled a bit, having to hold myself upright using gravitation.


    "I remember when Torix''s original body was destroyed on Giess. I remember my hometown getting slaughtered. I remember the lottery when I had the rulers help me out. Do you know what happened to them?"


    Chrona peered away. I pointed at the city''s mosaic roads.


    "They were eaten alive while their minds were destroyed. I was the only one to pull through, aside from Shalahora and a handful of other people. I should''ve just shoved them all into my dimensional storage from the beginning. In fact, the moment I saw them, that''s what I should''ve done."


    Chrona''s gaze sharpened.


    "Would you put us within that prison to protect us as well?"


    "What? No. No, of course not-"


    Chrona glared at me.


    "Yet you treat us like glass sculptures awaiting destruction."


    I blinked, my throat burning.


    "That''s...That''s what everything feels like. Like it''s all glass, and I''m trying to stop it all from shattering."


    A quiet lingered. As the wind whistled, Chrona murmured.


    "It must be hard to watch us."


    "It is. Everything feels so fragile now."


    Chrona placed her tail on my shoulder, my dimensional plate covering it.


    "That''s because it is."


    I took a breath, and I chose to listen. She peered into the distance.


    "You are a part of our strength, but we must test ourselves in danger as you have. In the same way that you thrive on the edge of death, we too, are most alive when we pursue that which scares us. That is why we thrive not when we survive, but when we have goals that give us a reason to live."


    I sat down.


    "It''s just so hard to watch."


    Chrona glared as the city''s barrier destroyed a roaming eldritch.


    "I know of the feeling. I watched over Emagrotha''s armies long ago. In those times, I watched many of my friends die in the name of a better life."


    I frowned.


    "To keep the espens enslaved?"


    She winced.


    "We were wrong. Very wrong, ignorant, and savage. However, our intent was to accomplish a just deed in our world. We wanted what was best, even if we didn''t know what that really meant. In that regard, I don''t think any of my comrades regretted dying for what they believed in."


    Chrona gazed at the canyon''s edge.


    "You''ve given us something else to believe in. An icon and a world without all the pain we''ve all grown so accustomed to. You cannot expect us to watch you drag this planet and guild into that future alone. We all wish to be a part of that journey, and to that end, I believe we deserve the opportunity to join you."


    Chrona''s eloquence shone through. I nodded.


    "You guys just try to stay safe, alright? It''s hard watching you all jump at death."


    She smiled.


    "That''s rich coming from you, of all people."


    I flexed an arm, the armor rippling.


    "Eh, I''m tough."


    She manipulated time around us.


    "We are as well. More so than you might imagine."


    I took a deep breath before standing up.


    "Thanks for the talk. I''m feeling a lot better."


    She grinned, the expression reaching her eyes.


    "Good. We worry about you at times."


    I put my hands on my hips.


    "You know, I forget you''re centuries older than me."


    "I, as well. It''s inevitable for me to understand things you do not, and I''m glad you choose to listen when I see the need to bridge those gaps."


    I smiled back.


    "Me too. Anyways, I have a canyon to cleanse."


    "And I, a city to protect. Goodbye, Harbinger."


    Dragging myself up, I hauled two literal dimensions with a determined effort. It took a lot of energy, but I managed to make it back to the canyon''s depths within two hours. At the surface of the lake, I hovered. Using Event Horizon, I consumed the stored mana near the surface and in the clouds above, cleansing the land of Baldowah''s corruption. At the same time, I contained the funnel as its source.


    The dimensional tear leaked billions of mana every minute, an amount I handled but couldn''t ignore. Instead of putting it in my runes, I had a mind use it for the magic I channeled. This prevented any passive personality changes from occurring over time from my runes. At least, I thought it would.


    That safeguard put me at greater ease, and I''d address the warps with Torix and the others soon. For now, I cleaned up the colossal lake over the next few weeks. By the time I finished, the view had expanded to hundreds of miles, though the fog still lingered about in disparate patches. In particular, it lingered at the peak of the cavern''s walls, but that left the dungeon exposed in all its glory.


    It rivaled any place, destination, or notecard I''d ever seen, and the sheer expanse stole my breath away. The lake was akin to the Caspian Sea, a massive expanse of water that continued for ages. Once I cleared the area, the organisms burned through their residual ascendant mana, revealing their true shapes.


    The plants pacified, no longer as bloodthirsty though still dangerous. Poison leaked from some of the vines instead of blood, and the corpse-swallowing monsters near the lake''s bottom were actually rainbow koi, their forms brilliant in the crystal-clear water. They snapped at brilliant flying fish that let out flashes of light above the water.


    These shimmers disoriented any incoming insects or catfish below, stopping them from getting eaten as often. Past the lake and coast, many rivers poured into the vast lake. Life lapped at these plentiful waters, the entire expanse blooming with fresh growth.


    The levels of the monsters also lowered into the low thousands, sitting around twelve hundred. It was the perfect training ground for the skeptiles. Not wanting to interrupt them or the space, I let them decide how to handle the many fused dungeons. They could clear or keep them. Knowing the skeptiles, they''d open an eldritch ranch and zoo.


    That wouldn''t be a problem. My perk from the lottery allowed my guild to incorporate opened dungeons onto my planets without the planet devolving into a fringe world. Adding curated spaces like this could add a lot to the world instead of taking away from its natural beauty. Seeing it all left me hopeful.


    After a few goodbyes, I gave the skeptiles a few thousand rings as a parting gift, along with nine other cities they could establish without any payment. Considering the sheer size of the ravine, they might all settle here, leaving their desolate home world for a veritable dungeon.


    With the situation squared away, I got back to Mt. Verner. While I walked through Helios''s portal, my mood soured. Helios rolled his eyes.


    "What''s gotten under your skin now?"


    I peered at our mountain.


    "I''m thinking about what I found at the dungeon''s center. It was a fresh avatar of an Old One."


    Helios peered at his nails.


    "You killed it, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah, but there are others here. With this one, I got lucky enough to handle it early on. I don''t know if I''ll be able to contain them before they become a problem in other places."


    Helios sighed.


    "Perhaps they were the only ones here."


    I gazed at the moon.


    "Somehow, I doubt that."


    Heading back over to my golem creation facility, I fell back into my crafting and training with Shalahora. I got faster and better at crafting as I found the minimum standard Schema required for the gear to be considered complete. At the same time, I fell into the training and crafting as a way to escape.


    I was all too aware that my training had become an outlet for my anxiety. It was a way to manage the pressure of being the leader of a guild and having so many people rely on me. I could put other pressing responsibilities to the side as well, like uncovering Hod''s reviving personality or uncovering my father''s current place in the world.


    At the same time, the more I put into my own strength, the more I felt prepared for these unnamed but encroaching threats. It didn''t hurt that seeing Marsha die put a fire under me. I forged under that heat, and I put myself into a systematic, coordinated set of hours to handle the needs of the guild. As I operated at the utmost efficiency, I accelerated my speed of production eightfold.


    I could pump out nearly a million amulets a day despite Shalahora''s training. The break also gave time for a few of my guild''s missions to develop like the expansion effort. I could have a series of cities marked that could be flow by and knocked out, one by one. Otherwise, I''d spend all my time traveling back and forth from the needed construction project to Mt. Verner and back again.


    Those requests piled up, and by the time Schema''s quest completion closed in, I managed a push and pull with Shalahora in our training. It wasn''t anything close to winning, but it meant he had to reposition and apply tactics. That came about from my mindless aggression. And I mean literally mindless. I could continue a psionic surge through a saturated effort.


    To make it happen, I formulated my thoughts for one purpose before aiming myself at the guy in a suicidal charge. Even if the mind died, the thoughts lingered after. It was kind of like trying to drown a samurai sword master by throwing puppets at him as he cut the strings. In my case, my killed minds were the stringless puppets.


    They clashed against the psionic titan, leaving only the slightest of marks on him. It was a grand victory in my eyes, though it only left Shalahora peeved. In many cases, this kind of grueling progress might leave someone demotivated. However, it left spurred to further action, and considering where we started, I took the wins where I could.


    So, after a month and a half of following the schedule, I cranked out my last medallion. Lugging it and a pile of gear over to Springfield''s exchange center, I met two Sentinels hauling the gear. They wore some of my merchandise on themselves. After giving them a curt nod, I helped haul everything onto their shipping vessel.


    After they left, the sound of a notification binged in my ears.


    Arming Schema''s Warriors(Lvl 20,000+ | Quest Rank S | Party Size: Any | Guild Affiliation: The Harbinger''s Legion | Quest Status: Completed!


    Calculating Rewards...


    I rubbed my hands together. It was time to reap what I sowed.

 406 To Withhold Humanity

    Note | This is where the last status update was:


    https://www.patreon.com/posts/374-what-is-to-79435495</a>


    _________________________________________________________


    After they left, the sound of a notification binged in my ears.


    Arming Schema''s Warriors(Lvl 20,000+ | Quest Rank S | Party Size: Any | Guild Affiliation: The Harbinger''s Legion | Quest Status: Completed!


    Calculating Rewards...


    I rubbed my hands together. It was time to reap what I sowed.


    Chapter Begin


    For your timely completion, bonus rewards are granted.


    + 10,000 levels of experience | Note: Schema has seen your contributions through the lottery and in maintaining several planet''s safety. While the experience was not gained then, Schema pays his dues. Always.


    +5,000 to level cap


    Unknown skill compendium


    Bonus Reward |Unique skill compendium


    Bonus Reward | 100,000,000 credits


    Bonus Reward | +1 to follower cap per planet owned | Current Cap: 16


    The additional earnings mounted to something significant, especially the credits. They matched the prize I gained for killing Yawm so long ago, though the credits didn''t mean as much now as they did then. Before analyzing further, I poured a single point into endurance and finalized my selection.


    It was time for a bit of unexpected training.


    It was an idea I had a while back. The best user of the cipher that I knew of had to be Baldag-Ruhl or Schema. In the case of vision, it had to be Baldag-Ruhl given the limited resources he worked with yet the sheer scope of what he achieved. On the other hand, Schema operated on an opposite axiom. Schema handled an enormous amount of mana into cipheric runes efficiently and without corruption.


    Considering how much the Old Ones wanted to turn me into a mindless figurine, I would learn everything I could from the AI''s process. As the mana flowed in from each stat point, I sensed the difference they made. It rivaled mana quantities I used in during my strongest magic, but Schema made far vaster differences in my attributes with far less energy.


    Wanting to tap into that potential, I poured one point at a time into endurance, raising the attribute in a slow trickle rather than a torrential downpour. Within the droplets of power, I found pieces of Schema''s secrets. Unlike my cipheric strengthening, Schema emphasized the weakest parts of a person, purifying the weaknesses rather than adding strength.


    It was the exact opposite approach I used. My tactics orbited around a whole being and its overall effect, resulting in slow, steady gains without any real limit. It also meant dogpiling strengths onto strengths rather than shaving off imperfect parts. However, I lost out on efficiency as a result. At least while adding raw attributes.


    In a way, Schema''s execution acted as a cleansing to my techniques. As I piled onto my highest peaks, Schema sharpened them by taking away the enervations eating at me. Uncovering how Schema did so was the hard part, but by feeling the surges of energy from each status point, I gained leads.


    They built on my other understandings. While never a primary goal, I had one of my psyches search through Elysium''s research and my gathered cipheric artifacts, like the Sentinel''s spear shard. I found a few differences in how the runes were written from my own. While my style allowed for the handling of colossal mana flows, I lacked the precision of other approaches.


    Considering how I gained mana, my approach was a natural adaptation to what life threw at me. Taking a moment, I kept pouring in tidbits of endurance while studying these other cipheric augments. After a few hours, I got a grip on a few of the underlying principles, though my mastery paled when compared to other masters.


    I put several minds to the task of processing the cipher data I scrounged up. Simultaneously, I dispersed my credits out to my followers and guildmates. Sitting on money did nothing, so I gave it as a stipend to responsible individuals. Finishing that currency diffusion, I spent the rest of the day submerged in that awareness and cipher training.


    I felt each pulse of endurance from the levels. I tried different amounts, studying how Schema''s approach changed depending on how much of an attribute I gained. I tested other attributes as I sank into a deeper meditation of what the attributes meant. In time, I discovered a few differences.


    If given enough mana, Schema remade entire systems of the body, like the skin or nervous system. My refinements required odd, strange alterations that others couldn''t do. If they did, they''d die. In that regard, my tenacity allowed me to turn my body into this horror, but despite my body''s strangeness, Schema''s augments still followed the same pattern of bodily alterations.


    From refining my blood into a more conductive material to allowing the muscle fibers to hold more energy with each contraction, Schema covered all bases. It left no stone unturned, and the AI''s creativity and relentless refinement gave me some inspiration for how to proceed with my own approach.


    Over the next week, I refined my runic approach, trying out all kinds of combinations. In particular, I attempted to change how I developed my time magic. However, instead of using new cipheric patterns on myself, I applied them to a few golems I made.


    While cruel, having them altered by the cipheric sigils wasn''t permanent. I could always remake or reset their cores, but my mind and soul were different. Once altered, I''d no longer be able to go back. This testing procedure allowed me to try out far more with the cipher than the base attributes.


    As with all paths of progress, this required time and iteration. Unfortunately, time was something I lacked. Even within the week, I gained a few calls from Torix about other uncloseable dungeons. Elysium pressed onto the outskirts of our guild''s influence, scouting near Blegara and other planets in our solar system. Even Schema''s dungeons lost their rigorous control, unable to tame the eldritch within.


    In many ways, pressure mounted in every direction. In my gut, I had the feeling that I wouldn''t be given a window to work on myself like this for a long time. While cipheric augments carried potential, they required too much initial investment. Still, it was essential to understand myself and my current abilities.


    To that end, I opened my cipheric augments menu.


    [Self Augments(Previously: Modifications) - The dimensional fabric composing this structure has been modified with code from the dimensional cipher. The changes are as follows | Note: These are before system multipliers.


    +22,103 Constitution


    +113,291 Endurance


    +18,354 Perception


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    +28,019 Willpower


    +14,029 Luck


    +17,203 Strength


    +15,789 Dexterity


    +11,019 Intelligence


    +9,173 Charisma


    +11,782 Awe


    +100% to Effects of Legacies


    +57% Internal Motivation Multiplier


    +42% Dimension Size


    +42% Dimensional Wake Density


    +42% Dimensional Wake Extent


    +12% Dimensional Weight


    +16,921 Trillion Ambient Mana]


    Over time, I amassed enormous stockpiles of base attributes, and they leveraged the insane tree and armor bonuses I accumulated over my years in the system. At the same time, I wanted more of the intangible benefits, like internal motivation or dimensional size. My experiments during my stat allocation already paid dividends, considering how they began inching back up.


    With all my points allocated, I checked on my status.


    The Living Multiverse | Level 34,034 (Cap: 44,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Class: Sovereign


    Strength ¨C 246,673 | Constitution ¨C 278,839 | Endurance ¨C 610,674


    Dexterity ¨C 148,000 | Willpower ¨C 532,068 | Intelligence ¨C 340,073


    Charisma ¨C 156,081 | Luck ¨C 201,169 | Perception ¨C 114,205 |Awe - 20,519


    Health: 7.05 Billion/7.05 Billion | Health Regen: 728.7 Billion/min or 12.4 Billion/sec


    Stamina: Infinite+++ | Ambient Mana 16,920 Trillion


    Mass: 3.931 Billion Pounds( 1.787 Billion Kilos~)


    Height: 42''07 |12.98 meters | Actual: 12''9 (Temporal Compression)


    Damage Res - 99.586% | Actual: 99.690% (Temporal Compression) | Dimensional Res - 100%


    Phys Dam Bonus ¨C 51.17 Billion% | Damage Bonus ¨C 40%


    The Rise of Eden - enhances base stats by 30%, increased to 40% to allies within aura''s radius.


    Mana Conversion(Elemental Furnace Count: 41) - 251.3 Billion mana/min siphoned into runes and armor


    The gains were colossal. My generic abilities crawled up as usual, but the biggest shifts were in mana, size, and strength. My weight nearly doubled from the last time I checked it out, and my physical potency increased even more. At this point, I had to worry more about causing a natural disaster when I fought rather than trying to overpower someone.


    The mass helped expand my dimensional storage as well, and I appreciated the added utility. In fact, a few quick tests confirmed that the dimensional weight bonus from my self-augments added to how much I could store. Considering how often I leaned on the skill in both combat and managing supplies, a few upgrades were always welcome in that department.


    The mana benefits were also palpable. As expected, the incredible increase in my health regeneration continued. I could create more than a body''s worth of mass in a second, and eighteen minds swarmed at any point in time. It gave me a tremendous increase in my psionics, hopefully, enough to level the playing field against Shalahora.


    That was a bit optimistic, but hey, it kept me going.


    Other than that, I considered alternate avenues for empowerment. In general, I had milked the majority of my system''s benefits from levels already. I filled in over three-quarters of my level cap, and that didn''t include my self-augments either. Therefore, base stats weren''t as efficient at raising my power as they had been.


    It was something I had to come to terms with. I''d reach over a million endurance and a trillion mana regen soon, numbers that almost exceeded comprehension. At the same time, to face the enemies I wanted to face, I needed to change the paradigm of my improvement. As an example, even a thousand times more mana wasn''t enough to touch Baldowah.


    In fact, the Old One''s exceeded Schema a thousandfold or more from what I''d gathered. That meant relying on the system couldn''t bring me to the level I needed to be at. Even more so, Schema wouldn''t allow me to exceed its own powers, so I had to look elsewhere eventually.


    All of that would come later. I still lacked a Sovereign skill and that would catapult me into a different stratosphere of power. My hope was that the skill would let me compete against avatars, Elysium''s armies, or even Schema''s own limiters with ease. Well, assuming the Sovereign skill met its hype. Given Schema''s track record, it probably would.


    And to be fair, the AI hadn''t been holding back the rewards like he used to. If anything, his quests and skills seemed outright generous these days. They accelerated my rise instead of hamstringing my progress, and in a way, I considered that as an acceptance of my position. Schema didn''t want me to be smaller than I already was for once.


    To get that Sovereign skill, I needed to develop my last legendary skill. I opened my status, finding my legendary compendium tab.


    The legendary compendium is about to be opened. The user will be unable to move or think for an undetermined amount of time once the virtual simulator is opened. Are you in a safe and comfortable position? Y/N


    I caught my finger just shy of the yes button. Something in my gut made me pause. A part of it was fear. This felt like taking a step into a different state of being considering what I intended to make. I would constantly feed my physical form into a furnace using hundreds of minds and squeezing time to my benefit.


    It was unnatural, to say the least.


    So taking a second, I considered my options. I could try to make my legendary skill myself without help, but it was risky. In the worst-case scenario, I might fuse the wrong skills. After all, there were only so many legendary skills the system would give me. I had no guarantee that my current mythical skills could even fuse without a little system assistance.


    I mean, I''d channeled elemental furnaces, manipulated time, and done it all using many minds at once for a long time. Even after months of doing so, I wasn''t any closer to gaining a legendary skill. At first, I wondered if that was caused by Schema inducing a limiter as it had with my primordial mana, but I didn''t feel that was the case.


    Whenever I tried making primordial mana, I experienced a block of some kind. These abilities shared none of that invisible wall feeling as I experienced no sudden loss of agency or skill. It felt more like I was limited by my perspective. It was a part of being a human, after all.


    I wasn''t biologically made to think with twenty minds at once while trying to channel enormous volumes of esoteric energies. It was something beyond humanity, and if I was going to step into that domain, I might need some help.


    Considering the time dilation of the compendiums and their generic assistance, this was likely my best bet. Before settling down, I sent a few messages to guild members. My mythical skill compendium took about three days, and this one might take ten or so. It wasn''t a length of time where my guild would collapse without me.


    After getting some reassurances from my followers and general leaders, I took a breath and selected yes on the compendium menu. It was in my hands, after all. I just needed to seize it. To that end, a strange aura strangled my surroundings. It curved time, stretching it thinner than I could and by orders of magnitudes. A small ball of light appeared, and it spoke in a voice like silk and harmony.


    "Ah, a legendary compendium. It''s been a while since the last time I''ve seen one activated on the borderlands like this."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "Borderlands, huh? Earth was assimilated by Schema only a short while ago, so borderlands make a lot of sense terminology-wise. Are the lands closer to Schema''s center called the heartlands then?"


    The light hopped about.


    "It''s nothing to be too concerned with. Now, which mythical skills did you want to fuse together?"


    I settled my minds onto the conversation.


    "You''re not going to talk at all about where you came from or how?"


    It giggled.


    "Nope. Now, skills, or I''ll simply leave."


    I scoffed.


    "Calm down there. What''s your name?"


    "Entity-381-8029-sclDc."


    I raised my brow.


    "I''m Daniel Hillside."


    "Yes, you''re this supposed Harbinger I''ve heard about. It''s of no concern for me."


    The entity''s body vibrated.


    "Any further attempts at meaningless chatter will result in your forfeit of the compendium''s bonuses."


    I took the entity''s word for it.


    "I want to fuse Matter Conversion, A Manifold Mind, and Temporal Compression into a single skill."


    "Hah! That is such an interesting and novel combination. In fact, it''s not possible!"


    I furrowed my brow.


    "There are skills that Schema cannot make?"


    "Indeed. That will result in a skill that isn''t considered something a sentient can learn. You must first shed your mortal coil, so to speak."


    I smiled.


    "I did that a while ago."


    "Oh, but you haven''t. Not even in the slightest. To the contrary, you hold your mortal limitations quite dear according to my current data and personality evaluations."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Ah, how unexpected. The compendium isn''t working as advertised."


    "Oh, it is. You''re not able to learn that skill until you get rid of what you mortals refer to as ''baggage.'' It''s a strange concept I''ve never dealt with, considering I''ve only been alive for a few moments with a preprogrammed personality!"


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.


    "Then what is it going to take before you''ll let me learn that skill?"


    It hovered close to my eyes.


    "Find what makes you fear your potential and handle it."


    "What does that even mean?"


    It fizzled out of existence as it laughed.


    "If anyone would know, it''s you. Good luck, little cataclysm."


    The temporal rush faded, and a system prompt appeared.


    The legendary compendium could not be used at this time. In order for you to find a means or method of using this valued resource, you must search within yourself. That is to say, we don''t know what''s going on, and good luck figuring it out on your own!


    As the shifting temporal flow faded, I peered up and took a deep breath.


    "Well, it looks like my old man''s causing problems even years after he''s been out of my life. I should''ve seen this coming."


    I frowned.


    "I have to find Neel and take him up on his offer."


    My runes hummed as energy flowed in mass into them.


    "It looks like we''ll be going on a manhunt."

 407 Old Ties

    The legendary compendium could not be used at this time. In order for you to find a means or method of using this valued resource, you must search within yourself. That is to say, we don''t know what''s going on, and good luck figuring it out on your own!


    As the shifting temporal flow faded, I peered up and took a deep breath.


    "Well, it looks like my old man''s causing problems even years after he''s been out of my life. I should''ve seen this coming."


    I frowned.


    "I have to find Neel and take him up on his offer."


    My runes hummed as energy flowed in mass into them.


    "It looks like we''ll be going on a manhunt."


    Chapter Begin


    After a long sigh, I pulled my dimensions and entire self out of my golem facility. By now, the glass walls and granite had become a place of comfort and solace for me, but I couldn''t hide here forever. As I pulled myself out of my mancave, I sent a message to Torix.


    The Living Multiverse | Level 34,034 (Cap: 44,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Sovereign - Torix, I met my grandfather, and we''re going on a manhunt to find my dad. He''s a real piece of work, so I''m not expecting much, but the system is being an ass about my legendary compendium. It won''t let me learn the legendary skill until after I absolve myself of my humanity or whatever. Anyway, I''ll be gone for a few more days than I expected. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.


    Torix replied after a minute.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition | Level 16,000 | Class: Archmage | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion - I''ve told myself a thousand times that I shall refuse to show more surprise at your progression, but by Schema, what in the world occurred to raise your level to such an extent? Has the apocalypse occurred without my knowing? Agh, and your grandfather is alive after the apocalypse? You''re dropping enormous informational explosions onto my domicile without any preamble. It''s rather rude, I must say.


    More importantly, of course, you can find your family. I know how important it is to secure blood ties, and I am more than willing to drop everything to help you. In fact, we can mobilize the entire guild to the pursuit. Simply say the word, and it is done.


    The Living Multiverse | Level 34,034 (Cap: 44,000) | Current Influence: The Rise of Eden | Guild: Harbinger''s Legion | Class: Sovereign - I appreciate the offer, but I''d rather find them myself. There''s not some enormous sense of urgency as I don''t actually want to meet them. After all, they weren''t the kindest people before the system. As for the levels, it was quest related and probably just Schema playing catchup. The AI had been really stingy with level-ups for a long time.


    Torix Worm, the Harbinger''s Erudition | Level 16,000 | Class: Archmage | Guild: The Harbinger''s Legion - I understand the sense of lingering resentment. I, too, have family ties that I''ve left unfinished. However, regret is a powerful emotion, and I would give anything to have Alfred back. For that reason, I would hate to see you fall into the same trap of resentment that I have. That is all I shall lecture on the matter as I''m certain you''ll find the necessary path forward.


    Good luck, disciple. You may need it.


    I closed my status before heading over to Chicago. The trip passed in a blur as my mind contemplated meeting my father again. In all honesty, I had no idea what I''d do or how I''d react. It simply defied all precedent, but considering the prospect stood between me and my progression, I would handle the issue one way or the other.


    As the city of Chicago came into view, my guild restored more of the town. By now, a large zone of cleared dungeons left a prospective and growing underclass of citizens. Having my barrier''s protection and persistent buffs helped them restore the area outside the barrier as well while offering the same aid we always had. Despite those attempts at restoration, the town was unrecognizable.


    When I met my father, he would see me in the same light.


    As I landed at the top of the Sears Tower, I got several salutes from guildmates. I raised a hand.


    "At ease. Sorry, but I''m in a rush and can''t talk for long. Where''s Neel?"


    One of the soldiers stammered out.


    "H-he''s at the rehab center."


    I raised a brow. The soldier continued.


    "Which is near Millenium Park. It''s where the bean was."


    I pursed my lips.


    "The Bean?"


    The soldier tapped the side of their head.


    "Duh. you''re not from Chicago. Ok, so it was this big, reflective statue in the middle of Millenium Park. It was worth seeing once, but honestly, people way overhyped the thing."


    I peered at the metropolis, and I spotted a cloud of gray mist. It was the same spatial fog that infected the Grand Canyon.


    "What happened to the statue?"


    The soldier waved his hands about.


    "So, the thing is, it actually became a monster made of liquid metal after the park became a dungeon. We ended up destroying it through the combined efforts of Chicago''s elites, but it ended up killing several of them. Shanasta, Bill, and Ryker all died that day, and we''ve been trying to recoup our losses ever since."


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I nodded.


    "Landmarks are the bane of civilizations at this point. It makes you wonder what happened to the Eifel Tower in Paris, eh?"


    The other soldier, this one wearing a bandana, spread his hands.


    "Dude, I bet it became a huge baguette monster."


    The soldier without headwear elbowed his friend.


    "Oh, come on, man. It''s made of metal."


    His friend rubbed his side.


    "Well...The baguette would be like that, too."


    I laughed before saying my goodbyes. After flying over the city, I found the park alongside a few town utilities. One of my architect golems passed by and restored a large section of the town, giving life to the once-empty buildings. Nestled into one of them, a sign plastered onto a marble doorway read:


    Neels Reformation Station - Say No, or You''ll Have To Go


    A poorly scribbled picture sat with a bearded man crossing his arms. It looked like a kindergartner''s fever dream of Neel, but hey, close enough. I walked inside after shrinking myself. Regardless of my size, people gave me plenty of space as other citizens began murmuring about my return. Walking up to a receptionist, I raised a hand.


    "Yo, I''m here to find Neel."


    The man blinked before giving me a curt nod.


    "Let me lead you to him, guildleader."


    After walking past a few ornate hallways full of nurses and people in need of help, I stepped into one of the living spaces. In the middle of the room, a ping pong table took up a portion of the room while having a generous amount of space allotted for moving around. Suited up in military fatigues, Neel played against three other rehab members wearing casual wear, and each of them moved at superhuman speed.


    They stood no chance against the Vietnam veteran.


    He stormed the table, throwing his paddle from hand to hand to shorten the distance he had to move. Each of his steps clapped against the stone, and he curved each shot to an absurd degree. The sheer volatility of the ball''s movement changed the game entirely. At one point, the ball veered past their table before flinging back towards Neel. One of the players had to leap past the table and above Neel before pelting the ball straight down like a volleyball spike.


    Neel jumped up, sweat glistening on his forehead. He swiped the ball at an absurdly low angle before it slammed into the opponent''s side of the table. The ball changed trajectory, jumping straight at the ceiling. It busted through a ceiling tile before Neel reached out his hands, the veins on his arms visible.


    "You see that? Neel the Seal cannot be stopped. Booyah, bitches."


    One of the opposing players winced while hitting the ground in defeat. The player that leaped from one side to the other was helped up by one of the nurses. As I stepped up, Neel changed his attitude entirely. He saluted me.


    "Guildleader. It''s an honor."


    I rolled my eyes as he flashed a cheeky grin. Everyone saluted as well, following his lead. I raised my hands.


    "At ease, everyone."


    They let out deep breaths, though not everyone seemed able to relax. I pointed outside.


    "Do you have a minute to talk?"


    He walked up and patted my shoulder.


    "Always got time for the big man in charge. Where, too?"


    "Outside."


    We walked out before stepping into the altered Millennium Park. Instead of being a normal park, this was where the spatial fog settled. Likely, the fog contained enough raw space to fill a small state, but the fog stopped the new feature from deforming Chicago''s proportions. Even as the fog contained a load of physical space, the park still spread the town out a bit.


    We walked through the fog before entering a lush, mossy forest. A wave of humidity crossed over us both before I turned to the guy.


    "When will you have an opening to find my father?"


    Neel''s eyes lit up.


    "Anytime. I can let everybody know that the boss needs some help for a while. They can hold down the ship while I''m off...Probably."


    I nodded.


    "Good, then we''ll go right after you handle all of that."


    An awkward silence passed over us. Neel sighed.


    "So...What uhm...What convinced you to go find your father? Did you reflect on the power of forgiveness, or maybe you wanted-"


    "I can''t use a system resource until after I find him. If I''m honest, I didn''t want to waste my time finding that piece of trash. All it''s going to do is rile me up and rip my emotions into tatters."


    Neel peered down. He sighed.


    "I would''ve liked it if you''d come to spend some time with your good old grand-pappy, but beggars can''t be choosers."


    I frowned, peering down at him. My words slipped out before I could stop them.


    "For decades, you preffered heroine to spending time with me. You had a choice then, and this alienation is the consequence."


    Neel coughed into a hand.


    "Well, there was some meth in there too."


    I scoffed.


    "Ok, I''ll admit that was pretty funny."


    Neel smiled.


    "After our last talk, I thought about what you said. You''re right. I was a real piece of shit for most of my life. I''ve changed. I really beleive that, but that doesn''t change anything I''ve done in the past. I''ll be sorry for what I''ve done for the rest of my life."


    He met my eye.


    "If you gotta let me have a taste of my own medicine from time to time, so be it. I''ll endure if it means I get to have a relationship with my grandson."


    His words acted as a warmth for the cold, deep-seated resentment I had for him. I scratched the back of my head.


    "Well, I guess that''s as much as anyone can ask for."


    Neel stepped back to the fog wall.


    "You know, we didn''t need to step in here to say all that."


    We walked through the gray fog. I murmured.


    "It''s a matter of privacy. I don''t want my enemies killing my family."


    Neel put a hand on his chest and grinned at me like a schoolgirl.


    "Ah, I''m touched."


    I scoffed.


    "Oh, it''s for the system''s bonuses. I wouldn''t want my family holding me back even after death."


    Neel flexed an impressive bicep before slapping his arm.


    "Psshh, speak for them, not me. I still have plenty of fire left. Ain''t no family here holding my boy back."


    I smiled.


    "Who knows, you could be where I got my fire from."


    We walked out into the streets surrounding the Millennium Park. Well, what it used to be. Neel laughed.


    "Oh no, that''s from Angela. She''d walk through hellfire if it meant getting what she wanted. That''s why she was willing to leave her family to make a new one with Jacob."


    I turned a palm to Neel.


    "Is that where we''re going-"


    An elegant woman materialized onto my shoulder. She leaned an elbow onto the top of my head.


    "Well, well, well. Who''s this?"


    My blood turned to ice.


    "This...This-"


    Neel walked up and reached out a hand.


    "I''m this young buck''s grandpappy, otherwise known as the illustrious and oh-so-very educated Neel Stoltman. How do you do?"


    She reached out a hand.


    "I''m Althea Tolstoy. I''m this big lug''s girlfriend and the leader of the orphanage and children''s educational departments of the guild."


    Neel leaned back before falling down as if in a melodrama. He let out a whistle before slapping the ground several times.


    "By god, you are the prettiest girl I done ever seen. What in tarnation did little old Daniel do to get a rose like you?"


    She flipped off my shoulder before walking over.


    "He saved my life a few times, helped me get my powers under control, and he believed in me ever since we met. He''s also never mentioned you before."


    She turned her gaze to me, a dangerous glint in her eye.


    "So, uh, why is that?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose before Neel stood up. He huffed like a steam engine.


    "Look, I gotta ask. Do you have any relatives? Preferably older, more mature ladies than yourself. Perhaps a grandmother-"


    I flicked his forehead telekinetically. Neel rubbed his forehead.


    "I swear that Agent Orange gets you when you least expect it. Anyways, as I was saying. Perhaps she''s as curvacious as you-"


    I flicked his forehead again. Neel rubbed the spot.


    "It''d be real nice if a sexy grandma was rubbing my damn forehead instead of little ole me. Hell, it''d be even better if she rubbed somewhere else-"


    I raised my hands.


    "Will you shut the hell up?"


    Althea burst into a fit of giggling. She kept laughing until tears ran down her eyes. She wiped a tear.


    "Oh, I wish Kessiah was here."


    I dragged my hands down my face.


    This was going to be a long trip.

 408 Another Time In Another Life

    I flicked his forehead again. Neel rubbed the spot.


    "It''d be real nice if a sexy grandma was rubbing my damn forehead instead of little ole me. Hell, it''d be even better if she rubbed somewhere else-"


    I raised my hands.


    "Will you shut the hell up?"


    Althea burst into a fit of giggling. She kept laughing until tears ran down her eyes. She wiped a tear.


    "Oh, I wish Kessiah was here."


    I dragged my hands down my face.


    This was going to be a long trip.


    Chapter Begin


    I walked over and helped pull Neel up.


    "Don''t you have to go pack or something?"


    Neel grabbed my hand and jerked himself upright.


    "You''re right about that. I''ll give you two lovebirds a minute while ole grandpappy gets a move on."


    He gave my shoulder a pat.


    "You did good, son. Like, real, real good."


    He walked off towards the rehab center while shouting.


    "I''m gonna have grandkids, everybody."


    Althea shook her head with a smile on his face. I frowned. Althea turned to me.


    "So what''s going on here?"


    I turned a hand to her.


    "I was actually going to ask the same thing. What are you even doing here?"


    She pointed at a building right beside the rehab center.


    "I was checking out the educational and orphanage programs here in Chicago. So far, so good, but there are a few details I had to help them iron out. Anyways, lots of people ran in talking about how the Harbinger of Cataclysm was visiting the rehabilitation center. I went to check it out before seeing you and Neel."


    I nodded, a mischievous grin on my lips.


    "Ah, so now you''re spying on me? Rude."


    She smirked.


    "Only when it''s convenient."


    She hit my arm.


    "Speaking of, when did you plan on telling me about Neel? He seems like a great guy. Also, you''re pretty mean to him. I heard you in the dungeon."


    My eyes dimmed, a shadow looming in me.


    "I''ve told you about my mother and father. Neel knew about what happened, and he never visited after my mother died."


    Althea furrowed her brow.


    "Oh...That''s pretty unkind of him."


    I nodded.


    "We really needed his help then, and he let us down. He abandoned my grandmother as well to go off and get high. If anything, he''s crumbled under even the slightest modicum of responsibility anytime it rears its ugly head in his life. He''s just like my dad that way. Neither of them could handle pressure."


    For some reason, I shivered. Althea put a hand on my shoulder.


    "I know it''s hard to talk about."


    I smiled at her.


    "It''s nothing. Anyway, enough about my melodramatic sob story. We haven''t talked in a bit, have we?"


    She smiled up at me.


    "We''ve both been pretty busy. I know you''ve been helping out with the golems and all that other stuff. It''s honestly been pretty crazy out there. The dungeons, there changing into this entirely different, er, thing than what they were before."


    I peered at the spatial fog.


    "I know what you mean. It''s like they''re dropping slices from other worlds right on top of Earth, and we just have to deal with the outflow of monsters that flood out."


    Althea put a hand on her hip.


    "We got it covered, I think. It''s just a bit...Worrisome, you know?"


    I remembered my visions from Baldowah.


    "Oh, trust me, I do."


    Neel jogged up, having packed in only a few minutes. A dimensional storage ring carried that kind of advantage, but he strapped down plenty of gear to himself. On his sides, two knives made of my dimensional fabric oozed ascendant mana. He carried a series of vials full of different energies alongside a set of scrolls over his chest. It was like a wizard''s bandolier.


    Althea smiled at him.


    "You look prepared."


    He grinned her way.


    "And you look stunning. Compliments aside, you can never be too careful. I remember this one time in Nam where six Viet Cong stormed our encampment at night. I was the only one in my troop sleeping on my rifle, and that''s why I''m still alive while my buddies aren''t."


    I furrowed my brow.


    "That''s hard. It''s not wonder you wanted to forget it all."


    Neel waved his hand.


    "The saddest part wasn''t the Viet Cong coming at us. It''s that I killed three of my pals when I panicked. See, I had done the right thing by putting my rifle under my pillow, but I hadn''t mentally prepared myself to use it. That''s why you can''t just have a contingency plan. You gotta have the resolve and composure to carry it out even under duress."


    Althea put her weight onto one leg.


    "That''s wise of you to say."


    Neel stood taller. I frowned.


    "You were high on meth, weren''t you?"


    Neel shrugged.


    "Guilty as charged. Are we heading out?''


    Althea shrugged.


    "It''s up to Daniel. I just handled my business and don''t have anything I need to take with me."


    I turned to her.


    "You''re coming with?"


    She pursed her lips.


    "Of course. Unless you''re so ashamed of me that you don''t want me to see your family."


    I leaned back.


    "Of course not."


    She tilted her head, her hair swinging behind herself.


    "Then prove it. I want to meet them. If we ever get married, they''ll be the closest thing to relatives we get."


    I winced at the prospect. Neel walked up and smirked.


    "Honey, let''s just say you ain''t been missing much."


    Althea smiled, the expression lethal.


    "I''ll be the one to decide that."


    Neel gulped. He adjusted his potion bandolier.


    "We gone then?"


    I answered him by casting gravity wells over each of us. Althea and I elegantly hovered up while Neel scrambled back and forth. Neel shook his hands in frustration.


    "I''m a bit too old to be carried around like some toddler-"


    A loud, shearing crack echoed from his back. Neel nodded as his eyes closed.


    "By god. My back hasn''t felt this good since this one time two soldier buddies put me on a medieval torture rack. Painful, but by golly, it was worth it."


    Althea and I stared at each other before looking back at him. Neel rolled his eyes.


    "I lost a bet, but I had the last laugh...It ended up curing my sciatica."


    Althea giggled before we flew up and out of Chicago. I couldn''t travel as quickly as normal since Neel had wicked motion sickness. That gave us a few hours to chat. We found a conversational flow that usually entailed Neel telling an insane story before Althea laughed at my reaction to it. Despite myself, I had to admit it was so, so much more fun than spending my days alone crafting golems or training my mind.


    But I never stopped training my excess minds. Not for a single moment. I was always tired, but my mind expanded to the point where I could handle it. Besides, it wasn''t as if I needed all of myself to chat, and even having a single mind enraptured in the levity of conversation...It was an antidote to my disillusionment.


    It reminded me of what I fought for and who I was amidst the mind-bending shenanigans I found myself knee-deep in all the time. As with all good things, it came to a close as we passed towns under siege. While passing any cluster of eldritch or struggling settlement, I landed, made a golem or two, and donated a ton of generated supplies.


    Althea paired that with knowledge about how to contact our guild''s services alongside a care package of common antidotes she made on the spot. Even Neel offered a course on basic defense skills and easy trees to gain. It was the grunt work that felt oh-so-fulfilling amidst this broken world.


    My expansion mission gave us the means to help out the more densely populated parts of the world, but we lacked the manpower to arm every town with a helper. A part of me wanted to drop everything and just fly around beside Neel and Althea, helping people out and talking our days away. It was fun, light, and a change of pace.


    But I would never let it happen. I was a golem of my ambition, and I would see it done.


    After a week, we crested onto the beginning of the rocky mountains. The snowcapped bulwarks stood the test of time or the panic of an apocalypse, their appearances unchanged from when I last saw them as a child. Seeing the sheer height and size reminded me how small Mt. Verner really was. The majestic feature also exposed how beautiful Earth had been before every damn landmark was turned into some eldritch-infested hellhole.


    Denver spread out beneath the peaks, parts of the skyscrapers torn apart by some unknown beast. It still carried that scenic vista if you ignored the plumes of smoke and distant roars from enormous monsters. As we came closer to Castle Rock, Colorado, Neel spat down on the ground.


    "Ugh. I hate this town. I hate the Hillsides, too."


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Althea frowned.


    "What''s wrong with this place?"


    Neel took a breath.


    "It''s the strangest damn thing. Castle Rock ain''t the richest part of Denver by any stretch, but if you come from the boonies, they had a habit of looking down on you like nobody''s business. That was my experience, anywho. It was kind of like they moved this far up in elevation just so they could look down on everywhere else."


    Althea''s eyes widened.


    "Where did you come from?"


    Neel smirked.


    "Lousiana. Bayou country and the world''s hotspot for grilled gator. I got a mean recipe if you ever want to try it."


    Althea murmured.


    "Huh. Maybe Castle Rock doesn''t like gator that much."


    Neel laughed.


    "They just like living up high so they can look down low, is all."


    I raised my brow.


    "Are you sure their judgment wasn''t just a side effect of how you chose to live your life at the time?"


    Neel frowned.


    "Maybe. Maybe not, but I''ll say this and drop it - they sure as shit judged you, too, didn''t they?"


    My eyes grew distant, and Althea peered at me, her eyes piercing. I sighed.


    "Let''s just get this over with."


    As we went over the Southern part of Denver, the namesake of Castle Rock rose up like a bad punchline. Even as a child, I always saw the tiny hill and boulder on it as a distraction from the majestic mountains in the distance. It felt like the town itself was trying to steal a glory that wasn''t their own, in a way.


    Of course, those thoughts stemmed from my childish ideas at the time. Apparently, Neel agreed. He took a breath and opened his status.


    "So the lead I got was from this guy called Billy-Bob. He was a guy I met in-"


    Althea pointed at him.


    "Nam?"


    Neel leaned away from her.


    "What? No. Billy-bob was a stockbroker from New York. He was one cutthroat guy before he lost his wife in a car accident. He moved out here afterward and basically turned into a hippy. We met when I tried finding a dealer in the area. It turned into a lifelong friendship after we got high on shrooms one time."


    Althea''s eyes widened.


    "Shrooms? Like the eldritch?"


    Neel scoffed.


    "If they send you to another world, then sure. Why not?"


    Althea put a fingertip to her chin.


    "They do teleport a lot, but they''re not high-level enough for planetary travel."


    Neel frowned.


    "Then they ain''t got nothing on good ole shrooms. Psilocybin is a hell of a drug."


    Althea rolled her eyes.


    "Psilocybin isn''t even that effective. It''s not even that great at inducing hallucinations in monsters or for elevating pain tolerance."


    Neel shook his head in surprise.


    "You know about psilocybin but not shrooms? What in tarnation."


    Althea pulled several syringes out of her backpack. Each vial glowed brightly.


    "Yeah. I work with a ton of compounds. I use them to help me fight."


    Neel''s eyes widened in terror as she flashed the syringes. He turned away.


    "That''s...That''s good for you. We should focus on the mission, though."


    Althea formed angel wings on her back before diving down over the city.


    "Sure. I''ll search for the leaders and try to establish some kind of contact here. It shouldn''t be that long before we find who''s who and learn the lay of the land or whatever you guys call it."


    I peered at Neel, my gaze scathing and full of menace. Neel wasn''t even aware of my glowering since he wrestled down some demons of his own. He sputtered out.


    "Let''s do that. Daniel and I will go talk to Billy-Bob."


    We split up, and the further we got from Althea, the more relaxed Neel became. As we arrived at a suburban home amidst the dilapidated residential areas, Neel landed without a care in the world. As we stood in the street, I stared at him with all my minds gazing his way.


    "What was that reaction to her methods of battle?"


    Neel blinked before laughing sheepishly.


    "Oh, come on. It''s crazy seeing someone carry around a bunch of glowing vials. And, uh, I just didn''t expect little ole her to use something like d-drugs to fight. It just caught me off guard, is all."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "You sure about that?"


    He took a breath and met my eye.


    "I am, son. I am."


    I nodded before giving his shoulder a pat.


    "Good on you, man. I was worried you were having an enormous wave of temptation at the sight of a few compounds, but obviously, I was overreaching. Anyways, let''s go meet this guy."


    Neel let out a held breath.


    "Yeah, it''s about that time."


    As we stepped forward, Neel let me take the lead. I turned back.


    "You''re his friend, right? Shouldn''t you be the one chatting it up?"


    Neel rolled a hand.


    "You tend to make a more lasting impression."


    I raised my brow before stepping up the driveway. As I walked up the stairway, a hidden beatrap closed onto my leg, the bricks unleashing a set of metal teeth. They shattered against my shin plates, and I kept walking up. At the doorway, two logs exploded out of hidden pockets, each plank of wood thick enough to crush through car windows.


    They pulped against my face, not even a mark left on me. As sap dripped from my cheeks, I turned to Neel.


    "You never mentioned a ton of traps in your introduction to this guy?"


    Neel hid behind me.


    "It''s just a part of meeting old friends. Can you knock on the door?"


    I did, and three hidden compartments opened as a shotgun, a high-caliber sniper rifle, and a minigun fired at me. The bullets crumpled to dust against my metal skin, and I reached out a hand before pinching the barrels of the minigun together.


    The metal squealed in agony before I wrenched it out of the wall. I ripped half the door out and shattered the stained glass holding it together. I continued pulling the metal weapon into my hand, feeding it into my palm using my fingers. It scrunched together like wadded paper before I tossed it behind me. After it let out a deep thump on the ground, I turned to Neel.


    "So you''re on good terms with this guy?"


    Neel spread his hands.


    "I mean...In a manner of speaking, sure."


    I turned forward before walking through the doorway. It gave way under the weight of my momentum, and I entered the living room like a breaching round. I raised a hand and snapped my fingers. The chimney at the center of the rusticly decorated space exploded, revealing a soot-covered individual. A short, fat man covered in dark dust shivered. He murmured to himself.


    "The Vietcong...They''re going to get me."


    I turned to him.


    "You said that Billy-Bob wasn''t from the army? You lying sack of sh-"


    Neel shook his hands.


    "Hey, it felt bad to be that predictable, alright? It isn''t like I want to be a stereotype."


    Billy-Bob turned to me, and he winced.


    "They...They''re finally here."


    I set him down on an antique sofa.


    "Hey. We''re just taking a moment to look for some people."


    Billy-Bob trembled.


    "They''ve come. They''re here."


    I turned a hand to him.


    "You''ve really outdone yourself with this source, Neel. Grade A Stuff, I got to admit."


    Neel raised a hand before lunging to one knee. He got close to Billy-Bob, and Neel put a hand on Billy-Bob''s cheek. Neel put his forehead against Billy-Bobs.


    "Listen to me. You''re just fine. I''m here with you."


    Billy-Bob shivered for a bit before calming down. Neel pulled his face back and lowered his hand before smiling.


    "We were wondering where the Hillside family was. Any ideas?"


    Billy-Bob blinked before nodding.


    "They...They. I can hear them."


    I walked forward before ascendant mana surged in my runes. A menacing smile grew over my helmet before I siphoned the mana out of Billy-Bob using Event Horizon. He stopped moving and collapsed before Neel stood up and turned to me.


    "What in the hell are you doing, boy? I''m about ready to smack you."


    I turned to him, my voice heavier than iron.


    "You forget yourself."


    Neel blinked before taking a step back. He clasped his hands to fists.


    "Gah. Just say what you''re doing before you do it."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "You''ve seen my guild and how I conduct myself. Show some trust while I save a tortured soul."


    Billy-Bob stopped trembling before a wave of clarity washed over him. He took deep breaths before he peered up at us. He spoke in a New Yorker accent.


    "I haven''t felt this clear since the 2008 financial crisis."


    Neel smiled at his old friend.


    "You''re looking like dirty, chewed-up shoe leather."


    Billy-Bob took a breath before standing up. He brushed himself off.


    "And you look like Colonel Kurtz if Marylyn Brando was anorexic."


    They clasped hands like in an 80s action movie before Neel raised his brow.


    "I missed you, you sonofabitch."


    Billy-Bob looked up at me, fear palpable in his eyes.


    "You don''t have to worry about missing me for long. This right here''s my sleep-paralysis demon. Just when I thought my head had finally cleared up, the vision''s more realistic than ever."


    Neel walked over.


    "Demon? No. This is my grandson, so show some respect if you don''t mind."


    Billy-Bob nodded before reaching out a hand.


    "Billy-Bob Delacroix."


    I shook his hand.


    "Daniel Hillside."


    Billy-Bob''s eyes widened.


    "You? You''re Daniel? That little shit?"


    I smiled, but the expression didn''t quite reach my eyes.


    "In the flesh. More like steel at this point, though."


    Billy-Bob took a step back. He eyed me up and down.


    "Of all the people to succeed in the apocalypse, you were the last person I expected to see."


    I frowned.


    "Is that right?"


    Billy-bob nodded.


    "Oh yeah. I thought you''d go full psycho and kill your whole hometown."


    A bit of mana leaked from my runes. Neel clapped his friends back.


    "Billy-Bob''s just regained his consciousness after a long sleep. He''s not thinking with his right mind."


    Billy-Bob blinked before looking up at me. As if realizing how physically imposing I was all at once, he fell back onto the sofa. He stammered.


    "I...I-I''m sorry, Daniel, sir. I didn''t mean any disrespect."


    His fear gave me no joy, satisfaction, or contentment. If anything, I felt cheated out of confronting this asshole. Now, he wouldn''t give me the chance to say my piece. Instead, he''d be whimpering out of fear the entire time. As if sensing the tension, Neel spread his arms wide.


    "How in the hell did you fix him up so fast anyway? I always thought it was the Agent Orange that made him all loopy like that."


    Billy-Bob shoved Neel''s arm. Billy-Bob scoffed.


    "You always think it''s Agent Orange."


    Neel''s eyes narrowed.


    "Cuz it almost always is."


    I turned a hand to them both.


    "I did a psionic checkup. He was struggling with mana poisoning. He had an embedded consciousness that was wrestling for control. I took it out by sapping his mana."


    I pulled my helmet off my face, my appearance no longer as threatening.


    "And you must have some pretty gnarly sleep-paralysis demons."


    We took a few minutes to let Billy-bob relax, brew some tea, and get the guy hydrated. He''d crawled up his chimney in a panic after we arrived, and the ascendant mana drove his paranoia through the roof. He thought he''d contracted schizophrenia forty years ago when he was a teenager, but apparently, he''d managed his condition until the system started.


    That fired off alarm bells. He shouldn''t have had ascendant mana inside his mind until after the system started. To fix my curiosity, I sat down on a gravity well, and they were on the sofa. I leaned forward.


    "I''m glad you guys are catching up, but we have some people to hunt down."


    Billy-Bob frowned.


    "Ah, is it the Hillsides? Are you here to even the score against Deryll after he smacked you good that one time?"


    I raised a brow.


    "You mean the backhand? No. I''m here to find my father."


    Billy-Bob shook his head in disgust.


    "Oh, Jacob''s still alive? It''s crazy how the worst of us seem to die last. He passed through a couple of years after the system started. I heard he escaped with some hussy into the Rockies."


    I couldn''t help but pity that poor woman. I glared at a window.


    "We''ll need something more specific than that. Do you have any more details?''


    Billy-Bob scratched his chin.


    "Huh. I don''t know anything about Jacob, but I do know where the Hillsides settled down."


    Neel scoffed.


    "Sorry, Billy, but we''re in a rush, so let''s cut to the chase. Where''d they go?"


    Billy-Bob shook his head.


    "They settled down in Cherokee Ranch and Castle from what I last heard."


    I opened my status.


    "Isn''t that a museum? Or like a wedding venue, right?"


    Billy-Bob threw his hands up.


    "What can I tell you? The original owners and a few other settlers died during the system''s initial outbreak, and they were the first to take out the dungeon in the area. I actually think Deryll''s the one that made it happen."


    Neel frowned.


    "Ugh. Piece of trash who beats on kids."


    Billy-bob furrowed his brow.


    "Didn''t you do that too?"


    Neel waved him off.


    "But Jacob had it coming."


    The simple statement was a reminder of who Neel had been and likely still was. I stood before rolling my shoulders.


    "Come on. I don''t have time to waste here."


    Neel turned to Billy Bob. My grandfather smiled.


    "It''s good to see you''re doing better than I expected."


    Billy-Bob coughed up some soot.


    "You weren''t expecting much, were you?"


    "Not a bit. Take care of yourself, you hear?"


    "You too, and don''t ever forget the vision we saw."


    "I couldn''t if I tried."


    They clasped hands one last time before we headed out. As we walked onto the street, I turned to Neel.


    "What was the vision you both had?"


    Neel peered at the sky. He pointed up.


    "See that there? There was a moon and an ocean of wine. There was something spiritual about the place. A voice told us to embrace consequence and finality. The certainty in that voice let me move on from the war. I felt like I could trust it."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "When did that happen?"


    "Ooh, probably the summer of 82. The hippy thing was long past its prime, but we were keeping it alive."


    I smiled, the expression menacing.


    "I''ve heard that voice too."


    Neel leaned back.


    "Really now? Did it help you move on from something hard, too? It doesn''t look like it."


    I scoffed.


    "It gave me the courage to challenge beings greater than myself."


    In the middle of the street, Althea materialized. Neel tossed one of his knives at her before she caught it between her fingers. She grinned.


    "Did I scare yah?"


    Neel''s hand shook before he let it down.


    "Sorry about that, but it''s not the best idea to sneak up on veterans. We have a habit of reacting with force."


    She tossed the knife back at Neel. With inhuman accuracy, it snapped into his sheath as she laughed.


    "I''ll take my chances. But uh, what did you guys find?"


    I pointed off in the distance.


    "Where the Hillsides are. You?"


    Althea frowned.


    "I learned how greedy people can be when you offer help. Again. These people asked if I could rebuild a ski resort. You''d think they lost their minds."


    I shrugged before pulling everyone up.


    "They might have, or maybe they were looking for the sweet taste of nostalgia."


    Neel adjusted himself for a second.


    "I think I''m getting the hang of this-"


    He leaned over and vomited for a bit. He wiped his mouth.


    "For sure. I definitely am. The projectile vomit lacked the same force, yunno?"


    Althea laughed as I shot us forward. By now, Neel didn''t want to throw up every thirty seconds as we flew. In ten minutes, we neared the supposed castle. It was an inspired design and rested on a hill that overlooked the rocky mountains. I will say calling it a castle felt like a bit of a stretch.


    As we neared it, I shrank to someone a bit shorter than Althea. I molded my armor as much as I could before turning to Neel.


    "Do you have extra casual wear of some kind?"


    Neel scoffed while opening his personal storage.


    "What for?"


    I grabbed a T-shirt and jeans and began putting them on. After getting them over me and molding my helmet down, I looked as normal as I could. I floated ahead of Althea.


    "How do I look?"


    She smiled.


    "Like a handsome soldier who needs more constitution."


    I frowned.


    "Ah, and girls say height doesn''t matter."


    Althea raised her brow.


    "Most of them are lying, but I think it''s a sweet thing to spare some feelings."


    Neel grunted.


    "As sweet as honey laced with Tylenol."


    I frowned.


    "That''s a pretty specific example."


    Neel narrowed his eyes.


    "I had this lady try and poison me with it one time. She had me drunk before handing me some honeyed coffee to sober up on. The Tylenol was there to induce liver failure or something."


    I raised my brow.


    "Did it work?"


    Neel frowned.


    "Like a charm. I barely made it out of that lady''s grasp alive. You see, she was necrophiliac. Wanted a big lug to hug her no matter what he wanted."


    We neared the castle grounds, more like an excellent wedding venue than a european castle. After landing in the front, I gestured to Neel.


    "Do you mind being the lead on this one? I want to lay low for now."


    Althea turned to me.


    "Would you mind explaining what the disguise is for? You''re usually not someone who avoids making a splash."


    I met her eye.


    "I don''t want to terrorize them when we meet. I feel like if I did, I''d lose this opportunity to confront my past."


    They nodded, not needing another reason. We walked to the front entrance before Neel knocked on the door. After a minute of waiting, a large, burly man opened the door. Instantly, I got flashbacks as I saw his hand. The guy still wore his graduation ring and the same shit-eating grin.


    "My name is Deryll Hillside. Who might you three be?"